The Wastelands

Wastelands: By the River

Terran was gathering herbs, ones he couldn't find in the herbal garden. Quite frankly, even if the herbs were in the garden, he would much rather pick the wildcrafted herb. They have much more potency. He walked as far as the river, he must be about ten miles away from the compound. That was a little further than he wanted to go.

No matter, Terran thought, while tapping the drumbeat of the Wastelands. It wouldn't be the first time Terran had lost track of time. Getting absorbed in his work was one of the few things he had in common with his sister.

Terran looked at his basket full of herbs. It looked like he'd gathered enough anyway. It was time to trek back, it would be dark soon.

He brushed against the old book with a leather protector that an old herbalist, the grandma who worked in the kitchen, had given him. It was old and tattered and filled with his own notations and those of many others before him. It was the most accurate herbal book that he had come across. The changed environment from long ago changed the herbs, so he could only rely on books like this. It was very precious to him.

He began to turn back, then stopped. Something was wrong: the trees, plants, and even the dirt beneath his feet were whispering, warning him. Something was coming, something that meant harm.

He quickly moved to avoid an attack, then turned to confront his attacker. And disbelief overcame him. Not because of the person, but what was in his hand.

"My staff!" Shadow had his Medium, a quarterstaff.

Shadow looked down at the object he was holding, feigning surprise. "Is this yours?"

Terran gritted his teeth. "You know it is."

Shadow continued talking in a condescending tone. "I could have just snapped it as soon as I have stolen it from your room. But this is more fun. Watching you in your natural element, helpless." He swung the staff around like a plaything. "That, and to lure your sister out here."

"If you touch her…"

Shadow said, "What, you'll kill me like you did your foster father?" Seeing Terran's shocked face, he added, "What, you didn't think I knew? Little Stella keeps thorough notes." Shadow clicked his tongue. "Always the quiet ones." He paused. "Maybe we can make a deal."

"What deal?"

Shadow moved into a relaxed stance, but Terran wasn't fooled. "I will give you the chance to hit me. I won't even stop you. If you do, I might consider leaving Heather out of it."

"I don't believe you," Terran shook his head.

"Are you any position to be so defiant? It's your sister we are talking about here," Shadow taunted, but before Terran could respond, Shadow held up his hand. "A catch, though. You have to cut me for it to count. Agreed?"

Terran clenched his fist. This is madness, I don't even have a chance. But for Heather, if I can catch him by surprise, then maybe.

It only took seconds to make a decision. Suddenly the ground heaved, and branches moved to entangle Shadow. One branch almost touched Shadow, but he moved only slightly, letting it go by his head. Everything else just stopped, inches away from hitting Shadow. Shaking like Terran was shaking before retreating.

Terren fell down, his hands slammed into the dirt. All he could see was a bloody knife clutched in his grip. "I can't do it, I can't! Please, not again."

"I expect something a little better than that." Shadow clicked his tongue in disappointment. Terran felt Shadow coming closer, and he looked up when he felt his head being gripped firmly. The illusion of the bloody knife disappearing. "In the end, you're just a wuss, hiding in the corner while Heather does all the dirty work." Shadow let go, turning away, muttering underneath his breath. "So loved by the forest. What a waste."

"Wait." Terran pleaded. Not moving his hands from the ground.

Shadow just sighed. "Enough talking." Shadow snapped Terran's staff.

Even before it happened, Terran knew that he only had one choice available, and that was to lessen the damage, because anything else would only result in failure. And I was right, he thought bitterly.

Shadow was right, he doesn't have it in him to harm another. He was more of a defensive fighter, leaving the attacking to Heather. That was why they made a good team. He was nothing by himself.

And Shadow knew this, he thought, clenching his fist, his muscles tensed, but why did Shadow look so sad?

Terran used his ability to escape into the ground like water, hoping that the earth itself would contain his soon-to-be uncontrollable powers. The last thing he saw before his head sank beneath the dirt was his sister flying above. The wind furiously whipped around her.

Run. Terran pleaded before everything went dark.

***

Heather witnessed her brother's defeat. The bastard was only playing with Terran. Shadow was going to pay for this. No matter what it took. She didn't care if the whole Wastelands would come after her, just allow her the chance to pound Shadow into the ground.

She gathered her ability. Feeling the air itself respond, she attacked with a powerful burst, blowing everything away in its wake.

Well, except for Shadow.

He seemed to be grinning that weird grin of his like he didn't know what a real smile looked like and was trying his best to copy it. It made Heather even more furious. Pooling more power into her attack, she let a tornado-like force chase after him.

Shadow's phantoms formed around him, too many to count. When Heather destroyed one, he kept making more, moving from one shadow to the next.

Oh no! Frying backward to create more space. This isn't working. I need to think of something else. Heather drew her Medium, a longbow, and gathered and condensed the air around her, using them as arrows. She blasted the growing phantoms while they were still forming one after the other. Trying to thin them out as much as she can, but they kept on developing, despite her efforts.

Then they attacked, altogether.

Some phantoms grew bigger than mountains, trying to grab at her and drag her down, while others fired themselves at her, like missiles.

Now, flying trying to avoid the worse of the attacks, Heather used her telekinesis to throw the shadow men and objects away from her, coinciding with her air abilities, just to keep ahead of it all. She couldn't keep up.

Fear almost overcame her. Heather realized she had already lost.

Her defenses were paper-thin. Without her brother there to protect her! Sooner or later…

She felt the cold envelope her from behind. She couldn't move. Shadow's face emerged in front of her.

"You know, you made this easy. If you only went into your sniper state instead of being overly emotional about your brother. You might have had a fighting chance. You two made it way too easy." Shadow reached up for the bow. She was in his hands, defeated, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of looking away. All she could hear was the snapping sound. Before he let her fall, he disappeared into the shadows.

He left her with the parting words: "You really are useless without each other."

All Heather could hear was the wind.