I had to finish my Writers of the Future Q4 submission before I could in good conscience work on flash fiction, so this time Wednesday Words is on a Sunday. Enjoy!
It was the final test, the last battle of mages. Only three remained in the free for all in the forest glade, and the last mage standing would be granted the title Mage Master.
The half-fey Sevrina, oldest daughter of the previous head mage and desperate to uphold her family legacy, was gathering powerful magic threads from the nature around her. The air shimmered around her as she worked the threads into a clever paper blanket to shield herself from attack.
Gladis, never the best at complicated spells but was always inventive, pulled iron scissors from one of her many pockets and cut Sevrina’s magical threads, severing her connection to nature magic. Sevrina shrieked then collapsed from shock. A more compassionate mage would feel regret at cutting off another, especially a fey, from their magic. But Gladis’ desperation to escape her life on the streets made her heartless, and she immediately searched for her remaining component.
Except, rather than finding another mage, Gladis watched a massive boulder fall from the sky. She tried to dodge, but there just wasn’t enough time. The boulder smashed into her, flattening her into a deep crater in the ground.
A young, half-elemental mage near the trees heaved from the raw power he’d exerted to launch such a boulder like a catapult. Silence stilled the glade as the proctors of the test, hidden among the forest trees, watched in stunned amazement.
Only one truth remained: rock defeated scissors.
For more enchanting Wednesday Words by other authors, check out the official Wednesday Words page!