Page 14 of Ogre on Patrol (Monsters, PI #5)
Chapter 14
Thain
T he instant I reached the tree line, my skin prickled with the sharp tang of magic. It clung to the air like static, faint but there. I scanned the thick woods, every muscle in my body on alert. Something moved about a thousand feet away, scooting from one tree to the next. Too big to be wildlife, too quiet to be local kids screwing around. My hand grazed the bark of a nearby tree as I slowed my breathing and leaned into the magic, trying to pinpoint its origin.
The magic trailing after it showed it wasn’t human and for damn sure wasn’t friendly. My instincts, honed from decades of chasing the wrong kind of people, kicked in hard.
I pushed forward, my boots silent on the undergrowth, but stopped again, watching.
There it was, a ripple in the air. Invisible to most, but not to me. Concealment magic. A faint shimmer, almost like heat waves rising from pavement. Someone was cloaking themselves, though they weren’t doing a wonderful job with the spell.
I aimed for that direction, keeping my steps measured. I was a big guy. It took practice to keep from making much sound, and with all the dead branches and fallen leaves on the ground, this was a challenge.
My hands curled into fists as I approached the shimmer. My senses remained sharp, locking on this threat. Whoever was out here wouldn’t get far.
The shimmer stopped, solidifying into the outline of a figure crouched by a tree. Thin, hooded, and cloaked in dark robes that blended with the surrounding vegetation. Their hands flicked in sharp movements, casting small pulses of magic that sent barely visible distortions into the air. Chaos spells, and they were casting them on Ellie’s property. I'd already determined she owned most of the woods behind her greenhouses. People knew when they were walking on someone else's land. You didn't just stroll into the woods without considering the fact that you didn't own it.
I slammed my way toward them, and they spun, bolting in the opposite direction.
I surged forward, branches snapping underfoot as I gave pursuit, my height and strength bulldozing through obstacles their smaller body darted around. They were fast, but I had plenty more muscle and experience. The chase wasn’t going to end in their favor. Fallen branches and uneven terrain slowed them, but I ate it up in long strides, gaining with every step. They knew it too. I could hear their panicked breathing over the sharp crunch of underbrush.
Then the air changed. Again.
A swarm of tiny glowing things exploded from the figure’s outstretched hand, scattering like fireflies in all directions before closing in on me. They weren’t fireflies, though. Lumivores. Damn pests were drawn to magic the way moths were drawn to light, and their glowing bite stung worse than a wasp.
The lumivores dove toward me, targeting the faint magic pulsing through my veins. I barely had time to lift my arm to shield my face. They hit in a blinding swarm, their little teeth nipping wherever they could find skin. I swatted at them, roaring in frustration when their glow flared bright enough to blind me. My hands swung wide as I stumbled forward, trying to regain my orientation long enough to go after the cloaked figure.
“Go,” I barked, infusing my voice with what little magic I could use beyond my touch-magic. It was worth a shot. They kept coming at me, however. Damn pests were insistent once they'd been given a command.
Even through the haze of darting lumivores, I caught the figure rushing around the trees ahead. I clawed my way forward, ignoring the sting of bites on my neck and arms, and powered through the oppressive buzz of their wings. Each step narrowed the gap between me and the person again. Witch or wizard? I’d rip off that cloak and find out.
They weren’t fast enough to lose me. I knew it. They knew it .
Thankfully, conjured lumivores burned out fast. A pop, and they disappeared.
I picked up speed, gaining ground on the person.
The forest floor gave beneath my boots as I entered a narrow clearing. By the time I registered the carved magical circle etched into the dirt beneath me, it was too late. It erupted with a flare of scorching magic. My vision doubled, the edges of reality distorting like a reflection in rippling water. The disorienting spell warped the air around me, twisting sound and sensation into nauseating waves that knocked me off balance.
A new cluster of lumivores attacked, swarming me. Their glow flared brighter, their collective bites snapping at me like needles. I pressed on, doing all I could to keep from falling. Breathing through the disorientation, I forced myself forward, step by brutal step, but it felt like trying to move through knee-deep sand.
The person’s final spell detonated, a fog-filled ball, dark and wet. It rolled through the clearing and swallowed the trail ahead. It was over in seconds. When the air settled, the figure was gone. No rustling leaves, no footprints. No fresh magic trail to follow. A teleportation spell. Great. Just great.
The new group of lumivores disappeared with another pop, leaving me with numerous bites and stings. My body would fight off their toxin, though I'd have a massive headache for a few hours.
I bent forward, bracing my hands on my knees as the aftereffects of the person's traps clawed at my senses. Sweat dripped from my forehead, and my lungs heaved. My frustration burned hotter. If I weren’t so woozy, I’d have ripped through their tricks like wet paper and hauled them back to the council for questioning. Unfortunately, they’d been planning for someone like me, and they’d gotten away—for now.
The sound of frantic footsteps approaching made me straighten. Ellie burst from the tree line, Crouton darting ahead, his bark making my head slam even harder. Her face was pale, her eyes locking onto me as she skidded to a halt beside me, tugging on my sleeve.
“Thain. Are you alright?” Her voice came out breathless, her worry cutting louder than anything else.
I waved off the question, though I finally caught my breath. “I’m fine. Annoyed, but fine.” My voice was still gravelly from the chase.
“Annoyed?” Her gaze darted between me and the faint remains of the magical circle smoldering in the dirt. Her hands clenched Crouton’s leash. “What happened?”
“Spying. Magic tricks. A lot of running. Lost them in the end.” My words tasted bitter, and I clenched my jaw. “Whoever it was, they knew what they were doing. They threw every damn thing they could at me.”
“My gosh.” She must've noticed the bites. “Lumivores. Hold still.”
A flick of her hand, and her soothing magic coasted across my skin, eliminating at least half of the sting. My head stopped throbbing, and I could finally straighten and look her in the eye.
Ellie crouched, her fingers brushing the edge of the carved circle’s smudged rune. Her brow furrowed as she inspected the spellwork. “This is serious, Thain. This is no amateur.”
“You're right.” My voice softened as I stepped closer, towering over her. “This was deliberate. They’ve got resources, and they aren’t scared of pushing limits. We’ve got to stay ahead of them if we can.”
She reached for my arm as her gaze locked with mine. “We will.”
Between her determination and Crouton’s little growl at the empty woods, I let some of my frustration ebb. At least we’d both made it through the day in one piece.
So far.