A near-death experience
Sylvia was literally between a rock and a hard place. That hard place was the monster king's blade now pressed against her neck. Her sword had fallen and she didn't dare reach for her knife. She knew if she died now she'd turn into a human again, but she didn't want to be just a human.
“Too slow?” the monster king hissed. “Looks like slow won out this time girly.” the blade pressed deeper against her neck. She felt a sting and then blood ran down toward her chest. She winced and tried to back up closer to the rock.
“Time to say goodbye, Sylvia. Looks like Queen Stella just lost one of her night creatures.” He brought the sword up and Sylvia closed her eyes. Then all of a sudden, the king fell forward on top of her. She opened her eyes and saw Jayden. He was smiling at her, her sword in his left hand.
“Dropped something.” he said.
“Thanks Jayden.” she said.
He nodded. “I had to save you. Otherwise you couldn't be an elf anymore.”
She smiled now. “Thanks.”
The monster king wasn't the only great fight Sylvia would have. As she and Jayden slashed their way through the monsters, they found themselves nearing the Mud Queen's guard. She sat atop her owl, gazing at the battlefield, watching her soldiers kill and be killed. Jayden and Sylvia slipped to the back of the guard, then attacked. They threw electricity at the guards, killing them instantly. Mira turned around.
“You!” she roared. “Guard!”
But Sylvia was ready. She knocked them all back with a wave of fire. Then she made cracks form in the dirt. When the guards fell into them, she made the earth close, burying them alive.
Mira looked at them. “I killed your mother, boy.” she hissed at Jayden.
“I know. And my sister. But I intend to kill you now.”
She laughed. “Ha! You are young and inexperienced.” she dismounted and stood on the ground, her tattered-looking brown dress hid her toes. “You should not be challenging me.”
“But I am.” he said.
Mira drew her sword. “You will lose.”
Jayden rushed at her, but Mira met his blow and with a quick spin, kicked him in the head. He staggered and almost fell.
“You're a fool.” she hissed.
Sylvia wasn't taking this lying down. She sheathed her sword, drew her knife, and jumped on Mira's back, holding the knife to her throat. Jayden took a stab at her as well, but Mira blocked him, and backed Sylvia up against a rock, slamming her against it. The wind got knocked out of her and she let go. Mira turned and looked at Sylvia.
“You're just a nuisance.” she sniffed, trying to stab her.
Sylvia was too quick. Instead of rolling, she spun on her back and kicked Mira's knees out. The queen tripped and fell, but she still blocked Jayden's attack. Sylvia put her knife away and drew her sword. She took a slash at Mira's arm. Not to chop it off, but deep enough to cause severe pain and heavy bleeding. It worked. Mira screeched in pain and turned on Sylvia, blind with rage and pain. She took a swing at her, but it seemed like the sword she carried was now too heavy for her. The tip bit into Sylvia's cheek. She wasn't finished though. Even Jayden couldn't distract her. With blood streaming down her left arm, Mira put a gash through Sylvia's right arm.
Pain seared through Sylvia's arm and hand. She almost dropped her sword. But with one final, painful effort, she brought the sword down on the queen's. Jayden took a swing, but the queen pulled a knife out of no where, sending it into Jayden's stomach. He sank to the ground.
“Jayden!” Sylvia screamed.
It was then that Stella arrived. She took over for Sylvia, engaging her half-sister in combat. Sylvia ran to Jayden.
“Jayden!” she cried.
“Sylvia.” he whispered.
“Don't leave me Jayden please!” she begged.
“I might as an elf, but I'm not dead as a human.”
“No you stay with me as an elf.”
“Please Sylvia, don't.”
“Stop it Jayden. I'm going to get help.”
She stood up and grabbed Stella's horn. The leather strap that had held it on her waist had been cut. She blew one long blast. The one that called the martins.
Jayden yanked the knife from his stomach and he gagged. Blood spilled from the wound.
“You idiot!” Sylvia cried, flying to his side. “You'll bleed to death.”
Jayden only groaned and pressed a bloody hand to the wound.
“You called.” Black Jack didn't wait for a response. “Jay!” he chirped. “Back to the tree!” he looked at Sylvia's arm, covered in blood. “And you too.”
“No, Jack I'm fine.”
“You're useless if you can't use that arm.” Jack said. “Back to the tree. But first, help Jay onto my back. I'll have to carry you Sylvia.”
With Jayden on Jack's back, Sylvia watched as Jack leaped into the sky. He swooped back down and grabbed her shoulders.
“It's going to hurt Sylvia, and I'm sorry. I can't carry you both on my back though.”
“It's,” Sylvia hid the pain in her voice, “OK. I'll be alright.”
It wasn't a long flight back to the tree. Jack landed slowly, allowing Sylvia to dart out of the way as he settled on the grass. It was Sylvia's job to get him into the tree. Jayden could hardly walk. He was bent double with pain.
When Frederick saw him he was obviously flustered. “Jayden! I heal you up good and you just go get hurt again. You'd better stop that.”
“He was saving me, Frederick.” Sylvia said quickly.
Frederick eyed her arm. “Mmm. Mud Queen's doing, that knife. I've seen it before.”
Sylvia helped Jayden lay down on a mat that was stretched on the floor. Other elves and fairies were on mats. As Frederick went to work on Jayden, Sylvia walked up and down the rows of the injured that had been brought back.
“Sylvia.” a faint voice called.
Sylvia looked down. “Lucia?”
“Sylvia I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I've always been jealous of you because you and Jayden were so perfect. I was a real jerk. I'm going to die Sylvia. I'll return to human form, but my days as an elf are over.”
“You won't die, Lucia.” Sylvia said, dropping to her knees next to her.
“Yes I am.” Lucia winced. “Frederick said I probably wouldn't make it to the morning.”
Sylvia hadn't noticed that it was getting dark. She looked back down at Lucia. “Save your strength.” she squeezed her shoulder gently. “You'll make it.”
Lucia nodded and closed her eyes. Sylvia stood and continued walking. Many of the patients she didn't recognize. When she reached the end of the row, an elf with her arm in a sling walked forward.
“Hey Sylv.”
“Fuchsia!”
Fuchsia smiled drily. “Run-in with swamp monsters was so not on my agenda.” she said. “Dislocated my shoulder.”
Sylvia nodded, then pulled back the cloak she'd put on. “Mud Queen.” she said, showing her arm, which was still covered in blood.
Fuchsia winced. “Ouch. I wouldn't have been brave enough to take her.”
“Well I got off easy.” Sylvia's voice went grave. “Jayden's in bad shape.”
Fuchsia nodded. “I figured. I saw Jack fly in.”
Sylvia nodded sadly.
“Who else is here?” she asked.
Fuchsia took her good arm. “Not many that you know, but they brought in some people I know.”
They walked up the next row. At the end of the row, across from where Jayden had just been knocked out so Frederick could sew him up, was a face Sylvia didn't want to see. Brett.
“Brett!” she slid across the floor, stopping next to him.
“Hi Syl.” he said weakly.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Stupid swamp monster sneak attacked me.” he spat.
“You gonna be alright?”
“Yeah. Just tired and weak. Fred said I lost a lot of blood.”
Sylvia sighed with relief.
“How's Jayden?”
“Not looking good.” Sylvia said.
“They fought the Mud Queen.” Fuchsia bragged.
“No way!” Brett breathed. “That was a dumb thing to do.”
“Shut up Brett.” Sylvia said, poking him. “We did fine until Jayden tried to be the hero.”
“Figures.”
“What's that supposed to mean?”
“Trying to be the hero all the time. He risked his life at the wrong time.”
“She would have killed me.” Sylvia reasoned.
“Let Brett rest.” Frederick hissed. “Don't argue with him.”
Sylvia gave Brett the “I'll talk to you later.” glare, and she and Fuchsia continued walking. So many elves and fairies were wounded. Sylvia and Fuchsia helped wherever their powers would allow. Fuchsia created water for the ones who were thirsty. Sylvia warmed the cold with a little fire. Those who were in pain she made grass grow under so they could be more comfortable. Then they ran into Devon.
“Devon...” Fuchsia said softly. The two water elves looked at each other.
“You didn't know I was here?” he asked quietly.
“No.”
Devon said nothing.
“What happened?” Fuchsia asked.
“My leg is broken.” he replied.
“Are you in a lot of pain?” she asked, kneeling by him.
“A little. Frederick gave me some herbs to dull it.”
Sylvia didn't figure Devon's pride would allow him to accept help or condolences from a night elf, so she left them alone together and returned to Frederick's side.
“How is he?” she asked.
“I think he'll make it.” he said, smiling. “Now, let me see your arm.”
She pushed back her gray cloak and held out the wounded arm.
“That's deep Sylvia.” he said.
“I know.”
“I'll have to sew it up. It'll hurt.”
Sylvia nodded. “I'm OK.”
It hurt more than she expected. It was a long and deep gash that she'd gotten, but Frederick knew what he was doing. Soon it was all over and Sylvia sat next to Jayden, who was still asleep. She brushed a stray lock of his black hair from his forehead.
“Thanks for saving me.” she whispered.
Suddenly she was exhausted. The pain in her arm was now a dull throb. Laying down next to Jayden, she wrapped her cloak around herself and fell asleep on his shoulder.
While they were asleep, the martins brought their riders in. Queen Stella had sent them to say that they had won the Battle of the Clearing. Mira had called a retreat. All those that could walk and help another person walk were required to come to the battlefield and bring the wounded back. Sylvia reluctantly left Jayden still sleeping. When she walked outside, Rose was standing there, stretching her wings.
“Rose! You're alright!” Sylvia hugged her.
“Yeah. They took the arrow out and bandaged me up good. They said I can fly if I'm careful, so I figured I'd see if I could help you.”
Sylvia smiled and climbed onto her shoulders again, being careful of the bandage that wrapped around her like a banner of honor. They flew again toward the battlefield.
Not many were dead, but almost everyone was wounded in some way or another. Rose dropped Sylvia off and flew back and forth between her and the tree, carrying a wounded elf or fairy. Sylvia wondered how Jayden was doing. Every elf that squeezed her hand as she helped them onto Rose's back gave her a little smile. A lifting of a fairy's drooping wings gave her courage. The herbs were wearing off and her arm was beginning to throb almost beyond endurance, but she kept going. She stepped over a dead swamp monster near the woods. A blue elf lay in the grass. Sylvia knew she was alive because her shoulders rose and fell ever so slightly.
Sylvia knelt by her and rolled her over. She gasped when she saw her. There, her chest covered in blood, was Cynthia.
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