8. A mother

Ei Pov:

It's been years since I used my elemental powers this way. These mages were so strong, I wonder why they did this type of work.

I slashed and blasted at the mages, knocking them down. Then I moved on to the next target. My vision swam, my breathing grew shallow. I'm getting tired. This has been going on for ages now. I think...this might be my last attack.

The mage looked up at me, his eyes glowing red. He raised his hand, and a ball of fire appeared in his palm. He threw it at me, and I barely managed to dodge it. This is not going to work, I need to use it.

My 'gift' was typically mind control. But it is a vast spectrum of things that can be done with mind control, but I could only do a selected few.

My gift was similar to my grandmother, unfortunately she died before I even accquired mine. My mother told us about it, and a lot more. Which was also the reason Cynthia ran away.

I can erase small moments, and use telepathy to some extent. But it takes a heavy toll on me just like our Grandma, she died to save us. And maybe I'll have to do that too. I closed my eyes and reached all of their minds. 7 of them, to be exact. I had never tried controlling multiple ones, and I knew erasing this event would cause the instant death of me, and I wasn't even sure if it would work. So I approached a different approach, which would buy us some time to run away.

I blasted a scream telepathically to all of them, a scream so loud it would make them pass out.

Their minds crumbled like sandpaper, leaving behind only pain. I heard them scream in pain. I felt my skin burn, and realized they were attacking me, but it was too weak.

"Endure it. Don't lose consciousness." I whispered to myself, feeling my muscles weaken, and my breath grow short. But I couldn't stop yet, not until they're immobilized. Taking sharp breaths, I tried to keep my hands seady.

The attacks were not reaching me anymore, I think it was Avicia who did something. I heard many explosions but didn't dare to lose concentration....until,

I heard a scream, not the mages' scream. A girl's scream, an all too familiar voice.

Calia.

During all this I had completely forgotten about Calia, I had forgotten it was her birthday, her special day. And what does she see after coming her?

I immediately turned towards my right, to see my little girl, horrified and scared. God I had to protect her, she shouldn't be here now!

My brain went numb, unable to remember anything. It was then I noticed how hard I was panting.

"NO CALIE RU-" I stopped, gasping. It felt like my soul had been sucked out of me, and it burned, in my lower body. I started to feel lightheaded and dizzy. The ground under my feet seemed to be melting. I couldn't tell whether it was me or the ground or...something else, but I knew it wasn't good.

After I saw Calia, I had released the spell for that instant. And someone took that chance. I looked down, to see a metal hilt, of a knife.

I had been stabbed, and the knife was probably imbued with poison.

I felt the blood dripping from my neck down onto my clothes. The liquid made it harder to concentrate, but somehow, through all the pain I thought it strange the smell wasn't burning.

But my thoughts kept wandering back to my daughters, my little Calia, and Avicia.

Had I not let those men in, would this day be different? Would we be having a lovely lunch right now? Would I be telling them the story, the truth I've always wanted to tell?

If Cynthia were there, what would she do, If...we never left, where would we be..

If I were never a mother...

My brain went numb, I saw something glowing beside me but I couldn't even comprehend what was happening. I felt a sharp pain enveloping me, I knew it was time. To let it go.

I collapsed.