The vine platform slowly retracted from the thorn stalk, lifting Valenka above her henchmen—they had huddled together, whispering anxiously, fully aware of the impending wrath that was about to unfold—and closer to where Fearne stood unsteadily, struggling to control her Thistle Wand which wobbled uncontrollably in her grasp.

This had been her plan—as ill-conceived as it more than likely was—and so, despite her lingering reservations and immediate onset of regret, Fearne had to commit to it. As she stood there, nothing made her yearn for the safety of the forest more than when she locked eyes with Valenka, the feral grimace etched on her face making her look as if she had just caught sight of a rodent scurrying over her most cherished article of clothing. Fearne had succeeded in capturing her attention, no doubt.

Inside a quivering fist, Valenka pointed the Thief Wand down at her, its tip aglow with green-colored energy. "Is every Glyph student as blind as the both of you are, or is it so that the two of you are merely jealous of true beauty?" Valenka didn't afford Fearne a chance to respond to that question—not that Fearne necessarily wanted to—and as she lowered her chin, Fearne sensed the rogue sorcerer's magical energy surge with rage from within her Core. "I'll cover you all in filth, string you up in my thorns, and display you as a pathetic spectacle. Anyone who insults my beauty has already forfeited their right to live!"

Fearne steadied herself as the ground beneath her boots vibrated in a savage pulse. Chunks of earth flung free of the fissures streaking over the forest floor in zigzagging patterns, and one after the other, Fearne watched the tall, serrated vines shoot for the sky—at least seven of them in total—and as they went taut, reaching as far as they could stretch in the air, they curved and shot back down to the earth with maddening speed. Gasping, Fearne thrust her wand over her head and shouted, "Primary Magic: Cutumo!"

Before any of the thorn vines could ensnare her like they'd done Adeline, in a bright flash of magical energy, a dome-shaped barrier manifested around her, with a circumference wide enough to fit more than one person and a density so durable that it could withstand the impact of the vines that ferociously collided into it.

Fearne smirked with delight, this had been one of the spells she'd struggled to learn during Professor Knight's Spellcasting Classes, however, with enough training, she had turned it into a real asset. On her platform, Valenka's face contorted with irritation, and when she raised her wand to the sky, numerous thorn vines burst forth from the platform's base. They grew to imposing sizes, in Fearne's eyes resembling that of colossal, arched bridges, extending for the heavens before plunging back down to penetrate the earth several meters beneath them.

With the flick of her wand, countless thorn vines burst from under the crust of the planet, twisting and knotting with one another to form one, thick agglomeration of plant life, and per their conjurer's will, they extended speedily from Valenka and rushed for their target. Fearne reinforced her footing and stance as she braced for the heavy impact, instinctively closing her eyes as the concussive force of the rampaging plant mass sent explosive pulsations within the protective barrier, her insides vibrating and her eardrums pounding from the loud noise.

Hands clasping the sides of her head, Fearne exclaimed in panic when she noticed cracks beginning to splinter across the barrier's exterior, climbing up its side and stretching over its dome ceiling, crushing its weight down onto it as its sharpened thorns shredded holes and tears. Yes, Fearne had improved the spell, but she was by no means an expert in defensive magic, and when what sounded like shattering glass broke in her ears, Fearne brought an arm in front of her face as exploding magic buffeted against her, translucent shards of turquoise energy discharging with a furious howl.

Violent gusts sent Fearne flying back, though she was able to remain on her feet—the soles of her boots skidding on the ground—while her ponytail billowed wildly. Thinking quickly, Fearne shot forth her wand, shouting, "Plant Magic: Viri Scuto."

Thornless vines broke out of the ground a breath ahead of her, intertwining tightly and rapidly growing to create a towering wall that stood five meters high. On the other side, another deafening impact reverberated through the air as Valenka's thorns relentlessly strove to pierce through the barrier, and Fearne could feel the ground trembling beneath her feet. The sheer force of Valenka's magic sent shockwaves through the underground.

One such thorn vine had managed to wriggle its way through the vine wall, lashing out of it like a whip, and, had Fearne delayed, it would have stabbed her torso; with a quick sidestep to her left, she managed to avoid a fatal injury, although, as the vine tore off a piece of her skirt from where it clipped her, Fearne yelped from the burning line of pain drawn across her thigh. Wobbling fingers touched the injury, and immediately, she felt the wetness of blood.

Fearne clenched her teeth, struggling to remain standing while determined not to give in to the urge to crouch. With a swift motion, she raised her wand above her head and conjured a barrier of plants, vines, and weeds. The vegetation rapidly festooned together and grew, forming a wall that gradually rose as fresh growth sprouted from the ground. However, Valenka's thorn vines, driven by an electric impulse, mercilessly ripped through the barrier, leaving numerous gaps in its yet-to-be-completed form. In its current state—a giant mass of plant life desperately trying to stick together as it was mercilessly thrashed and cut open—it was powerless to stop all the thorn vines.

With a heart-pounding eager motivation, Fearne swiftly dropped to her knees just in the nick of time to evade the vicious lashing of a thorn vine that had reached out hungrily for her through a narrow slit in the vine wall. It snatched nothing except empty air right where her head had been just seconds earlier. Numerous more vines, like headless serpents, relentlessly squeezed through the wall barrier, flailing about to capture their prey. Fearne suspected that their sudden lack of accuracy must have been mainly influenced in part by their caster.

Through an open hole near the top of the vine wall, Fearne spotted the red-faced Valenka from where she was being carried like a noble aboard her plant throne; as furious as the woman was, even she would have difficulty seeing from such great a height. Not far behind her, the massive stalk of ever-squirming plants kept Adeline trapped, toothy tendrils coiling around her arms and legs and banding around her waist.

A sharp gasp escaped Fearne as she noticed a winding vine wrapping around the girl's neck and another slithering over her forehead, and with her eyes as tightly shut as they were, Fearne couldn't tell if Adeline was even still breathing; she savored that rush of relief when Adeline slowly unsheathed her pale blue eyes. Scowling, Adeline squirmed within the encroaching vines enough to allow her to move her shoulders and rotate her upper body so that she could face Fearne's direction. However, the tenacious plant life continued grasping at her, their thorns tightening around her like constricting ropes.

As their eyes locked onto each other—her's filled with surprise and fear, and Adeline's weakened with exhaustion—Adeline began to move her lips, and Fearne realized that the girl was attempting to communicate something to her. Even though a significant distance separated them, Fearne's intense concentration and squinted eyes enabled her to discern the two words that Adeline was repeating persistently, with breath clouds billowing out from the corners of her mouth.

Three minutes.

Fearne stumbled back as the ground exploded in a plume of dirt clouds, and launching out of the sizeable crevasse in front of her, a cluster of thorn vines reached for her like a giant claw the size of a wagon. A vine wall wouldn't cut it this time. "Primary Magic: Cutumo!" she shouted, and with a flicker of her extended wand, a dome of condensed magical energy materialized around her. The claw's fingers—each as long as a log—crashed into the barrier with so much force that one swipe was all it took to splinter it into dazzling shards floating in the breeze, and not even a moment passed before the claw was extending for her again.

Channeling the magic within her Core, Fearne thrust her wand, shouting, "Primary Magic: Iraitus!" The brilliant comet of shimmering turquoise energy shot through the air with incredible speed, until it collided head-on with the outstretched palm of the vine claw. The impact of the opposing attack spells created powerful gusts of force that buffeted Fearne, enveloping her in smoke and pushing her backward as if an invisible rope were tugging her from behind. Her boots slid across the ground as she struggled to maintain her footing.

Three minutes?! Fearne thought angrily as the winds began dying down, leaving her far closer to the clearing's perimeter than she had been. She wants me to keep this mad woman's attention for three minutes?!

Would that even be possible? Why, Fearne certainly didn't think so. In fact, at the rate this duel was escalating, she wasn't even sure if she could survive the next sixty seconds, let alone three. Retreating in rapid, one-legged jumps, Fearne summoned another vine wall as Valenka's thorns—diving in and breaking free of the ground—ferociously pursued her, crashing into the plant mass' hide one at a time.

Staggering to a stop, Fearne paid a brief glance over to where she'd last seen Simon. To her comfort, she found the boy lying on the floor with a pair of titanic snaptrappers looming over him while the last one was preoccupied with snapping at a flock of birds just out of its reach. If nothing else, at least Simon was safe, but what hope did any of them have if Fearne couldn't meet Adeline's insipid demands?

Whatever the girl was plotting, why, it had to be something grand. In all honesty, Fearne was struggling to make sense of what Adeline could possibly achieve from her current position, trapped within the massive thorn vine stalk. Had Fearne misunderstood her? No, no she was certain she'd seen it correctly. Then again, did a mere three minutes make a significant difference in the larger scheme of things? Would a hundred and eight seconds truly determine the outcome of this battle?

Fearne had her reservations, reasonably so, as the odds were quite literally stacked against them. Simon was out of commission, the strongest mage amongst them had already been captured, Valenka's ravenous anger was fueling her desire to see them all hanging like corpses from her vines, and they still had the remaining rogue sorcerers to deal with. From every angle she viewed it from, this was a duel they stood no chance of winning.

Thorns thrashed at her, and Fearne just barely had the opportunity to beckon another barrier to her aid, jagged plantlife surging above its ceiling and around its wide circumference, yet, she predicted that her barrier wouldn't last very long as already she noticed the fissures and tears the thorns were scraping on its exterior. Fearne's lungs were set ablaze with fire as she heaved, her legs afflicted with the strain of exhaustion, and the world around her grew fuzzier with each heavy blink she took. Her magical energy, she was nearing its limit.

What's wrong with me? Fearne thought to herself, half in a daze. If I were Elaine or Kliff, I could pull this off easily. Mages as strong as them...would be able to make quick work of these serpents! Why am I so useless?!

Fearne's fist tightened around her Thistle Wand as she exclaimed in frustration; where was all this coming from? The choice had been hers. She yearned to transcend her limitations and become a Medical Mage who could stand on her own, free from reliance on others. However, the formidable wall of self-doubt within her seemed insurmountable. As she heard what sounded like shattering glass, it echoed the impending collapse of Fearne's own emotional barriers. With her defenses weakened, Fearne found herself without a clear plan or immediate recourse. Wiping the sweat from her face, she fixed a tense, determined expression on Valenka looming above her, realizing that her only viable option was to draw upon the scant Essence she had left.

I'm sorry! Mother, I'm sorry! Fearne's eyes split open with shock as the distressed voice of a young girl surprised her. The memory had launched out of the pits of her mind, and what immediately fogged her vision was the sight of a small figure latching ahold of a limp human slumped on the ground, tears flooding down her cheeks. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I only wanted to save you!

Fearne clasped her scalp as she cringed. Why now, of all times, was she recalling such a horrible memory? It had been just after she'd cast the Flore Spinax Spell for the first—and so far, only—time. Back when she was teetering on the edge of believing that she was responsible for her mother's demise, a woman who had embraced her with genuine compassion, welcoming her into her life not out of duty or self-interest, but out of a genuine desire to nurture a daughter with a mother's love.

I swear I'll never cast magic again! the voice screamed over wails and sniffs. Not ever again! Wake up! Did you hear me?! I'll never use it again! So, please, just stay with me!

Yes, that was the promise she would have been more than content with abiding by, especially if it spared her from greater heartache and kept those whom she cared for safe. Had history unraveled in a different pattern, and that young girl had stayed true to her words, what would she have been doing right this second? Studying to attend a formal university or helping her mothers tend to their gardens, perhaps. Fighting a deranged, superficial rogue sorcerer from one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the country? Most likely not.

A hand soaked in blood reached up at her, and a pocket of warmth spread over her cheek, almost as if she could perceive that which was unreal. What nonsense are you blabbering about, girl? Despite teetering on the border between life and the Eternal Gardens, from where Fearne had cradled the woman in her arms, Shirley had somehow found it within her to crack a grin, liquid red spilling out her scalp and rivering down her face. You saved my life...and suddenly, you're thinking about denouncing magic? Get ahold of yourself! I raised you better than that, Fearne!

I almost killed you! the broken voice protested. You could have died if I hadn't...

I could have died; that much is true. But if you hadn't done anything, well, you wouldn't be speaking to me right now, would you? Magic is a Gift that connects us, even if we aren't technically bound by blood. Surely, you must have figured this out for yourself by now. With a weak and wobbling hand, Fearne remembered Shirley flicking her on her forehead, her chuckles inter-spliced with jagged heaves. You're my daughter, Fearne Lavender. You may not believe it yourself, but I know you have the potential to be a great sorcerer. You just have to...believe in yourself. Believe in your magic...believe in the mage that you are...believe that you can attain the impossible.

Closing her eyes, inhaling slowly through her lips, Fearne welcomed the songs and rhythms she hadn't heard since Valenka and her thugs ambushed them. The Melodies had grown far more erratic and hostile since last she listened to them. Most likely, the forest wasn't too keen on intruders making a mess of its design, disorienting a once unified symphony. Anger roasted their notes alive as if the Glyph Forest had caught on fire, but that fury wasn't what Fearne was after, and neither was the triumphant roar that was the Melody of Nature itself.

Peering through the darkness, Fearne had her heart set on a particular Melody that hid itself from the rest; a Melody that remained a secret to everyone but her, and as she found it within the thunderous music, the Hidden Melody came alive to her ears. Opening her eyes again, Fearne felt an unknown power surge within her, amplifying her once-scared Essence, cloaking her in green-colored energy, rising off of her like fire would a burning pile of logs.

The Hidden Melody possessed an extraordinary power that granted those who could hear it a second chance to conquer any obstacle that crossed their path. In addition, it empowered its keeper to confront and defeat anyone who dared to endanger the enchanting Melodies of the world. As the barrier shattered into a myriad of glistening shards, Fearne stood her ground empty of fear, even as a thorn vine lashed toward her with venomous malice. Exhaling, Fearne sidestepped out of its way, grabbing the vine with her free hand, the pain of thorns stabbing into her palm—blood seeping through her fingers—lost to her senses.

Lips tightened, and brows pinched together, Fearne kept her sight on Valenka, who started in shock aboard her vine platform. Lips twisting into a scowl, Fearne raised her gleaming Thistle Wand over her head like a rod of pure energy, so bright that she didn't think she could stare directly at it. You need a distraction? I'll give you one! The name of Fearne's spell exploded from her lungs in a shouting voice she almost didn't recognize. "Plant Magic: Flore Sanseria!"

One after the other, the weeds sprouted above swaying grass. Ten turned to fifty, fifty turned to one hundred, one hundred turned into one thousand, and soon after, Fearne couldn't fit every dandelion she had summoned into her eyes, as the balls of puff expanded far past the perimeter of the forest clearing, stretching like white-colored roads below the shadowed canopies of the galbora trees and further into the expanse of the wilderness.

As a gust of wind swept through the area, the entire world seemed to explode in a chaotic display of white. Clusters of delicate dandelions burst forth like steaming geysers, shooting several feet into the air, and all at once, the clearing was engulfed in a typhoon of dandelion fluff, swirling and dancing without a care for those caught within its havoc. Even though Fearne had been the one to cast the spell, she found herself instinctively raising a hand crackling with greenish energy. 

Squinting her eyes against the relentless onslaught of the wind, she defiantly planted her feet on the ground. The dandelions, carried by an unseen and powerful force, relentlessly battered her, the delicate white parachutes threatening to uproot her from her position. Nevertheless, she stood unwavering, refusing to yield to the relentless force of nature.

All around her, Fearne caught sight of numerous figures—shouting and cursing—although the billowing white curtains of dandelion fluff obscured their movements. They dashed and leaped in desperation, disorganized serpents attempting to navigate Fearne's dandelion storm. Many stumbled, crashing into one another or collapsing onto the ground, while others fell to their knees with hands shielding their heads.

Fearne's heart raced as the familiar strains of the Hidden Melody filled her ears, signaling the peak of her magical abilities. With a wave of her hand, she had summoned a breathtaking multitude of dandelions, more than she had ever conjured before. The air around her became a whirl of white wisps, obscuring her vision to the point where she could barely discern what lay just a step ahead. However, she remained undeterred, knowing that if her sight was compromised, so too were her enemies'. 

Standing amidst the swirling dandelions, she observed her adversaries clumsily stumbling, their outstretched arms attempting to ward off the unexpected floral onslaught. Fearne couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction as her hypothesis was confirmed, watching the men frantically trying to wave the weeds away.

"What the hell is happening?!" one serpent called out. "I can't see shit!"

"It's the girl's magic!" another barked frustratedly. "This is her doing! Find her and knock her out already!"

Fearne spotted a figure in the distance flailing an arm over his head as he dropped his dagger and pulled his free hand to his eyes, wiping them profusely, agitation rich in his cursing. "I would if I could! Sunder me, but I can't see anything in all this crap! What are these, anyway?! Dandelions?!"

Fearne snickered giddily. Blind enemies were hardly threats at all. No, the only person she needed to worry about now was Valenka herself. The rogue sorcerer had wisely chosen to elevate her vine platform to an even greater height, and while the dandelion swarm still reached her, causing her to grimace as they stuck to her swirling hair and the sides of her face, it wasn't enough to completely obstruct her vision.

The vine stalk went taught as it extended above the storming cluster of dandelions, and Fearne felt her throat turn tight as Valenka's vehement glare hammered down onto her, the woman standing at the very edge of the platform gripping her wand in a fist. "Such petty tricks won't do you much good against me, girl!" Valenka snapped, raising her wand as thorn vines, twisting and spinning, erected in the air on either side of the platform like giant serpents awaiting their master's orders. "I've kept your punishment from you long enough! Now, it's time for justice to be served! Time for you to pay for your insults against me!"

As Fearne went to move, simply raising her foot to take a step back, an electric jolt coursed through her, and a yelp escaped her mouth. Suddenly, the energy cloaking her turned hot like she'd been doused in flames. What's going on?! Fearne thought in a panic as she doubled over, arms wrapped around her waist, falling to her knees from the overwhelming strain weighing on her. This must be...a side effect of the Melodies...I can't withstand all of it...I got careless...

"Looks like you've bit off more than you can chew. How tragic." Valenka's sneer was evident in how confidently snarky she sounded, but Fearne couldn't take her labored scowl off the forest floor, fearful that doing so would elicit another pain-filled convulsion. "This is what happens when you delude yourself into thinking you're stronger than you are," Valenka continued sardonically. "That foolish mistake of yours will cost you your future, girl!"

Fearne's mouth twisted with torment, and she meant to say something, but her reply materialized as a strangled noise deep in her throat. Come on, Fearne! Get back up!

"She's not the one who made a mistake, you old hag." The fiery verdant energy enveloping her disappeared, vanishing like dissipating smoke, and the winds finally whisked away the remnants of the dandelion storm, leaving substantial piles of white fur scattered throughout the clearing. The Hidden Melody silenced. Fearne breathed out in relief as the pain also subsided, and as it did, she swiftly looked up at the sky upon hearing the familiar voice. She spotted the mix of astonishment and heat on Valenka's face, the woman whirling around at the vine stalk behind her. "My father would be ashamed of me for falling for such an obvious trap. But submitting to a criminal like you would further bring shame to the Griffith name," Adeline smirked. "I can't have that."

Valenka staggered. "How did you...?"

Fearne gaped in disbelief. Since she'd last checked on her, Adeline had somehow managed to pull herself a good way out of the tangle of thorn vines, enough to extend her dominant arm out in front of her entirely. With determination, she pointed her shining Advanced Wand directly at a bewildered Valenka. Icy breath whispered out the corners of her grimace, blood stuck clumps of her reddish hair to her scalp, and her pale blue eyes sliced into her target like a cold blade.

Valenka heaved as she let out a guttural grunt, her breathing ragged as she forcefully shook herself out of her stunned daze. Her eyes, filled with a scowling intensity, locked onto Adeline as she raised her wand. At the same time, the enormous thorn vines, crackling with raw magical energy, with a sudden, terrifying speed, lunged towards the top of the thorn stalk where Adeline was situated, their movements so swift and aggressive that Fearne was taken aback. "Die! You filthy goldblood!" Valenka screamed, dark brown hair fluttering behind her as she stomped her foot forward with so much violent force it seemed to cause the whole platform to shudder. "Sunder you to the Shadow!"

In a voice as crisp as frost, Adeline muttered, "Ice Magic: Caelum."

Shooting out from the tip of her wand, a brilliant blue-colored bolt of energy streaked across the air, narrowly avoiding the speedily approaching thorn vines, and Fearne tightly shut her eyes as a blinding ray erupted from the top of the vine platform, discharging shards of ice, mist cascading over its sides. 

As the light faded, an eerie stillness enveloped the area, giving Fearne pause before she dared open her eyes again, her heart pounding with apprehension. A jagged prism of shimmering ice had materialized over the platform, shivering as it climbed higher into the sky, keeping its prisoner—a screaming Valenka, arms outstretched and eyes wide with terror—encased within its icy confines.

Fearne exclaimed, her bottom lips quivering. "She...she did it..."

"You never should have taken your focus off of me," Adeline grunted, her hand still held before her, breath clouds rolling out her lips. "Your mistake, Valenka, was underestimating the sorcerer, Fearne Lavender."

Fearne could feel the warmth spreading across her cheeks as a rosy blush crept up. "Adeline..."

"In this duel," the ice mage said between heaving puffs, "we're the victors."