As she began to jump down off of the tree branch, he aimed his giant blade at her arm, and swung. The sharp edge caught her finger and sliced it off. She landed on the ground noiselessly. Her shoulders dropped and she let her head hang. She sighed as her littlest brother picked up her hand and watched as new bones began to form where her finger used to be. Her trainer and brothers all gathered around and watched her finger grow back. The fibers and muscles crawled up the bone and new skin chased after. When her finger nail finally finished growing, she took her hand away from her brother and stood up straight. She looked up at the grey sky and said, "Again."
The trainer took his blade and pointed it at her. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Ten."
She arched an eyebrow and stared directly at him. She crouched slowly as he said, "Nine." She picked up her sword. Her sword was tiny compared to his giant weapon.
"Eight."
She closed her eyes breathed deeply. She was going to win this round. She wasn't going to lose another finger. She was going to beat him, pin him to the ground, and demand he take her and her brothers home.
"Seven."
She growled and opened her eyes, and stared directly at him again. She shifted, tilted her head, and lunged at him. She came down with a strong force, causing the ground beneath her and her opponent to depress. He shoved her off and picked her up by her right ankle. He then swung her around a few times and then let go, sending her off into the trees.
She landed on a tree branch lightly, several miles away. She lowered herself into a crouch and waited for the perfect moment to launch herself. If she timed it just right, she would be able to use the wind to propel her forward, and she would smack straight into him, her trainer.
As she prepared herself for the launch, a strong smell drifted by her nose. Her nostrils flared and her heartbeat picked up. Her head slowly turned towards the direction the smell was coming from. Her eyes narrowed and her head slowly lowered.
She smelled danger. A strong, powerful danger. She felt threatened. She quickly jumped off the tree branch she was perched on and ran.
She ran as hard and as fast as she could. She had to get back to her brothers and her trainer and the rest of her family. She did not want anything to happen to them.
As she approached the area she had started in, she slowed down.
Travis, her trainer, sensed her alarm and dropped his weapon. He held his arms open jogged towards her.
She crashed into him and he wrapped his arms around her.
"What happened? Marlene?"
She stood still in his arms. Her eyes widened as she looked past his shoulder.
She saw a monster. A tall, skinny, two headed monster. Blood and pieces of flesh dripped from its mouth.
Travis tensed and slowly released her. He turned around and stared. He didn't know what to do.
Marlene picked up her sword and pointed it at the monster. A slow, rumbly laugh sounded from the monster.
"You think you can defeat me, you human?"
Marlene's eyes narrowed and turned a dark shade of red. Her pupils got small and she smiled.
"I'm no human, foul beast."
She leaped up and swung her sword at the monster's face. It growled and swiped at her, but she was gone. The monster roared loudly and swiped its clenched fists blindly.
Marlene giggled and leaped up again, this time landing on its back. She kicked the back of its head, causing it to fall and hit the ground with a reverberating thud.
She growled and pushed the tip of her sword into the back of the monster's head. It howled a long, pained howl.
Marlene grinned. She was going to win this fight.
