And She Was the Last One Left
Sometimes Scarlet would sit outside, look at the stars, and think about how she was the last one left. There had been a time when magic flowed across the land like the coming wind. Mages were common, and one could feel eddies of magic rippling across their cheek as soon as they left their door.
War came. And so many magicians fought on the frontlines, for both sides. And their blood fell upon the ground like rain. Some survived, almost never in one piece. Eventually they too passed, many from natural causes, many not. Scarlet didn’t have that much time left herself. But, until then, she was the last one left.
She would have to get to sleep soon. Scarlet was journeying to the capital city; the last living mage was piled with duties and responsibilities, her meager shoulders the only ones left to bear it. Scarlet didn’t want to be unfit for travel the next day, as she voyaged across the land seeing new towns and meeting new people. But, sometimes she still wished that one of them felt the call of power, that she could teach another mage, that she wasn’t the last one left.
She returned to her camp, her cane tapping against the ground.
It was a few days since she had spent the evening away from the camp. Scarlet hadn’t felt quite that nostalgic and lonely since. The companionship and laughter she met along the road quell the lingering emptiness. But she could still sometimes feel the ache in her bones.
Then, as she picked their way through a winding mountain pass, Scarlet felt something. It was like the first whispers of spring, like starlight. Her footsteps slowed until she stopped. Her mind was lost in the familiar presences that now filled the air.
She didn’t notice the two masked figures that appeared on a small outcropping several paces in front of her. At the center was a tall grim-faced boy. His arms were scratched and scarred, almost as heavily as Scarlet’s own. And his grin held no mirth. To the boy’s right stood a girl. Her weight was shifted so that she appeared smaller than she was. Tangled brown hair framed her face and her gaze was downcast.
This would be the third group of highway robbers she fought, and she was already done with it.
“How are you all doing?” She said, just a bit of weariness seeping into her tone.
The boy, who wore a look of mild amusement, stepped forward, approaching Scarlet with the girl following close behind him. He spoke. “This seems to be the first time you’ve been robbed so I’ll fill you in on how this goes. We do the talking, and then you give us your money. If you don’t, our pleasant conversation takes a turn for the worse.”
The boy’s hand was on his sword, and his face was brimming with the arrogance that only came from someone who had no clue what was going on.
“Boy, any conversation with you is unpleasant.” Scarlet swung her staff at him.
He dodged, his reflexes far quicker than Scarlet had seen before. The boy rolled, and soon faced her, sword in hand. There was no time to focus on that. She sensed something hurtling towards her, and ducked just before a crossbow bolt hit a tree inches from head.
It was time for the fight to be over.
Scarlet shot her hand forwards, summoning a gust of wind that knocked both the boy and the girl off their feet. Then the air got colder, such that one could see frost creeping across the ground, its icy finger brushing against the now prone boy and girl.
Then there was a moment where Scarlet’s eyes locked with the boy’s. Lightning prickled across her skin. The boy’s eyes widened before she looked away.
And Scarlet realized that she might not be the last one left.
“You’re another one, aren’t you?” Scarlet’s voice was soft, the words said almost to herself. She clutched her cane so hard her knuckles whitened.
Her two assailants were beginning to stand, slowly rising to their feet despite their bruising. But they didn’t draw any nearer, seemingly wary after her demonstration. But they hadn’t left yet. They were either braver or dumber than most. Or, and Scarlet could only hope, girl could access her powers.
“Please, stand down, we can talk. You have powers like me.” Scarlet opened up her palm and flowers blossomed from it. “Even if you haven’t unlocked them yet… you could. I could train you.”
The boy responded, and he spoke in a voice so soft that even Scarlet strained to hear it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about; I’m not anything.”
Scarlet shook her head. Now that she was aware of the boy’s power, she could feel it everywhere. It was strong, overpowering.
“I don’t believe that. And you don’t either. Please, you need training with a burgeoning power like yours. If you came with me, I could teach you, I could train you, we could–” Scarlet realized that she was babbling. She was caught in the moment, finally meeting another mage– she didn’t know how to react.
The boy, the mage responded. “Leave me and my sister alone; we’re not going anywhere with you.” His arrogance had only been slightly diminished upon seeing Scarlet’s powers. And all of it was tinted with steely resolve.
Scarlet drew a step nearer. “Please–”
The girl spoke, voice soft but filled with such pain and fear. “Don’t hurt my brother”
Scarlet drew back a step and held her hands up.
“It’s just, you could use training. You don’t want your powers to go awry.”
The girl drew a knife from some hidden pocket before slashing at Scarlet. The old woman was caught off guard and her dodge was imperfect. The girl’s knife slashed across her thigh, causing an upwelling of blood.
“Like he would want training from you. We can take care of ourselves.” The girl spoke the words so softly.
Scarlet swung her cane, knocking the dagger out of the girl’s hands. The child wrung her hands, from the slight pain it must have caused. And, within moments, the boy was there, positioning himself in front of his sister.
Scarlet heard the girl tell her brother that she was fine, but he stood resolute anyway. Sparks appeared in his hand. He didn’t seem surprised. With ease and practice, the boy held his arm extended, like a weapon. Flames curled around his fingers.
“You’ve been using your powers to rob people?” She should have realized it, should have known. But Scarlet had been so caught up in the idea that she had found another mage.
The boy smiled. “Yeah, it’s a pretty neat trick isn’t it?” He took a step forward, and seemed to loom.
“Magic is a precious gift. Its purpose transcends mere spectacle; they are intended to be a beacon of aid, illuminating the path of life and hope. Passed down through the ages, these powers stem from all who have come before, and are meant for all who are still here.” Halfway through, Scarlet realized that she was parroting the words her mentor had said to her when she was just a little girl.
“Yeah, well, when ‘all who art still here’ give us a break, I’ll reconsider my actions. ‘Till then, I looked out for me and Vic.” He gestured back towards his sister.
And, Scarlet realized that the only mage she would ever see was the angry, broken boy in front of her. She stepped backwards, wishing that she knew what to say. She had been imagining what it would be like to meet another mage, to train one, to not be the last one left. Scarlet hadn’t pictured the two children in front of her.
She saw two broken children, the angry boy and the scared girl. Scarlet took a breath, before reaching out her hand. “I can take the both of you in. If you guys let me train you, I’ll ensure you have food and shelter and…” She thought back to when she was a child, how the mages had provided her with all that she could desire. As one of the few blest, she had been given a wealth of resources.
“You could protect us?” The boy gestured to the gash on Scarlet’s leg. “You’re a relic. And even if you could, you’d just be one more tyrant; stick us in a cage and call it a palace.”
Scarlet could feel the blood trickling down her thigh. And she could see Vic tugging at her brother’s sleeve, urging him to turn back. The boy didn’t. Maybe it was foolishness but she felt a kinship with the angry young mage. They both knew what it was like to be alone, maybe she could reach him.
“You don’t have to worry about that. You two have already proven yourselves capable of besting me.” Here she made conciliatory gestures towards her bleeding leg and the sparks still leaping from the boy’s hand. “And, as the last mage, I have resources and connections. You two could have heating, beds, three or even four meals a day if you wanted.”
Vic had stopped pulling on her brother’s clothes and was now listening to Scarlet in rapt attention. The boy glanced at his sister, and something seemed to pass between them. The two of them stood, not leaving, not drawing nearer. She was close.
“You and your sister are struggling on your own. You don’t have to keep living this way. I can offer you a better life, away from these criminal activities. I can protect you and guide your through your use of magic. You remind me so much of myself when I was younger, full of potential and magic waiting to be harnessed. I’ve spent so long yearning for someone to share my knowledge with, to pass on the legacy of magic. I’ve been the last one left for so long, and finding you has rekindled my hope. We might be good for each other.”
The boy’s gaze hardened and turned steely. “So, this is just because you say I’m a mage, because I can do something for you? If I wasn’t special, would you have offered to help? You’re just here because you like the idea of having a little mage boy so you can relive old memories. Well, we don’t need your charity.”
“I-”
The sparks flickering from the boy’s hand burst suddenly into blinding flame. It was a towering inferno, a show of strength that startled even Scarlet, as flames licked across the scars on his hand. She saw the boy’s eyes widen, as he shifted backwards. But then his gaze turned hard as he looked at her. He glared and held his arm out.
“Please, you need someone to train you. I’ve seen friends with less power be consumed by it. You might rip the stars from the heavens, or the stones from the earth without training.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He turned to his sister. “We’re not gonna get any money out of her. This was a waste. I don’t know why we stayed.” He stopped for a moment, and Scarlet hoped he was changing his mind. But it seemed he was only waiting for his arm to stop burning. There was a huff of relief when it ceased. And both he and his sister turned to go.
“Don’t go.” It was a desperate fruitless plea.
But, like shadows come nightfall, they were gone.
Scarlet collapsed to the ground, drained and broken. Winds died and birdsong ceased. Clouds even covered the stars.
She wasn’t the last one left.
But she was still alone. At least the boy and the girl still had each other. She hoped it would be enough.
