However I did not have long to entertain Gray’s idea as the guards drew their swords as soon as they had finished forming up. Confronted with this show of hostility, Gray and Istan also drew their weapons. And I noticed Leafia push Michael a little forward with the knife now clear on his neck. I could see that she was planning on using him as a hos- I mean bargaining tool. I somehow doubted, if Maximus was involved, that Michael would work as a trade. But seeing more than two dozen swords pointed at us, it might work. It even gave credit to Michael’s alibi. No one would have to know that he helped us. 

“Forward men. Don’t let their cowardly tactics fool you,” a voice called from the back of the assembled guards. 

Sorry, I apologized to Michael in my heart. It seems that his life was worth very little to those he worked with. It was time to stop hiding my abilities. Before anything could escalate further I swept the place with my powers. There was a rush of joy feeling my powers mingle with that of my friends which still lingered in the air. Without wasting a second I hardened my powers and sent them coursing into the ground beneath the yard. 

A low rumble greeted my ears as a large tangle of vines and grasses seized onto the soldiers in front of us. Some of the seeds I found were thistles and I did not have time to remove the thorns. But I had only restrained the men and they would not be hurt unless they fought the bonds. Cries of shock filled the air, but still I was able to hear Gray mutter, “You really did bury my whole village a thousand years ago.” I let out a sigh of relief. I finally had my ears back. The whole time I had been suppressing my powers I felt practically deaf, so being able to hear Gray was very welcomed. A smile spread over my face at the feeling of freedom. Well, part of it might have had to do with Gray’s words. I don’t think I should be since it casts me in such a bad light, but I was still quite pleased with the stories that had been passed down from the last time I wandered into human lands. 

That smile did not last as the plants over the yard began to decay. The blight that had been infecting my woods spread over the plants faster than Fume’s flames would have. But the blight did not stop at the plants. Horrified, I watched the blight spread from plant to human flesh as many of the guards' cries changed from shock to pain. 

I searched for the center of this corruption and found the black heart at the middle of it. His spark of power was muddy, dark and even more nauseating than I thought it would be. Not wanting to look at him if I did not have to, I closed my physical eyes and cast my spiritual eyes at the man’s feet. There on the ground were a few seeds that had managed to be overlooked in my initial wave of power. I remembered my ‘training’ with Ivy and how I made the apples explode. These seeds were too small and on their own would not do much. But that just meant it needed to be aimed. I fortified the shell on the sides and bottom but left the top at its original strength. This was simple work and did not take any longer than it did to think about it. 

Now I just needed to get them to grow. I loaded the seeds with much more power than they were able to hold. The power in them started to vibrate seeking for a way out but just for a fraction of a second I restrained them, pressurized the energy, and forced even more in. 

When I opened my physical eyes, in an instant long woody stalks shot out of the ground straight up at Maximus. However, it seemed that even the few fractions of a second it took me to spring the seeds on him was too long as he moved out of the way just in time. 

I was not about to give up that easily. I quickly traced a circle around Maximus trapping him inside the pikes I had grown. I was happy to see that several of them were thistles with sharp spines, making his escape even less likely. Working as fast as I could I closed the circle tighter and tighter around him. In less than a second this would all be over and I would have my friends back. 

A ripple of green and black energy shook the courtyard. Maximus was imitating what I had been doing and overloaded the same seeds I had been filling with life with his own filthy death. These two highly concentrated powers reacted violently, knocking everything in the vicinity of Maximus over. Even the cage that held Faun shuddered under the torrent. The air filled with the ‘smoke’ of our combined magic as it oddly lingered. 

The shockwave had tossed the blanket off that had been covering Faun. I saw my deer friend looking thin and weak. Deep purple bruises were visible on most of her body that was not covered in a ratty bloody tunic. Shocked, I nearly recoiled. There was no way a greater spirit would be injured easily. WHAT IN THE FOREST DID HE DO TO MY FRIEND! 

Our eyes met, and I saw relief and worry in her eyes at the same time. I had known her for so long it was not hard for me to understand why. She knew I did not like violence and fighting had never been my strong suit. Shaking with anger, I did my best to give her a reassuring smile while I started to work my powers once again. 

Katuwarrior

I hope you enjoy the tension I am trying to build. Thanks for reading.