The Urbem (Completed)

Chapter Seven: Losing The Upper Hand

(Lyra)

I saw the blade coming toward me, but I was far too slow to react and it embedded itself deep into my left leg. My knee buckled. I looked down, horrified to see that it went all the way through, and let out an anguished scream. I was also very angry at myself; if I had been wearing my normal clothing, it would have at least protected me... Before I could react again, the Uxor was on top of me, pinning me to the ground on my back. Her face loomed over mine arrogantly. She ripped my blade out of my hand, throwing it aside and grinning down at me. Why had she done that? Now neither of us had weapons...

No weapons, but her smug expression was making me angry. Without really thinking, I reached up at her eyes, clawing at them with my nails, but I was stopped dead by a pain even worse than the one in my leg. Her eyes flashing with anger and arrogance, the ginger placed her hand on my chest, pressing down. I instantly stopped struggling, too overcome with agony to move. My breathing became labored and my fighting ceased, but yet she continued to put more and more pressure on my chest, grinning savagely.

"Not so confident now, da?" she sneered. "Are you getting worried, little Insurgo?" I said nothing, being unable to think of anything but my chest, but I kept my eyes locked on hers. I was not going to give her the satisfaction of me looking down. Still looking at me as well, she lifted one of her hands from my chest and I felt it slide down my leg. I quickly realized what she was doing. Before I could even protest, the blade had slid out of my body and was in her hand, leaving my leg with the worst pain I'd ever felt in my life. She held the blade close to my throat.

"Nothing to say? Smart-ass comments? Nyet, apparently not," she snarled smugly. Feeling a deadly venom in my expression, I spat in her face. She pressed the blade father against my neck, drawing blood. "Wrong move," she snarled.

‘Please let me get in there!’ Dolosus screamed suddenly. I wasn't sure if he had been talking or not prior to this, but this was the first time I heard him. He sounded like he was crying, which wasn’t really possible for a bird, but he was rightfully anxious... Anxious didn’t even begin to describe it; he was so stressed that his feathers were falling out.

‘No,' I moaned in my head. I even had to resist the urge to cry from the pain, something I’d never felt before. I was scared for the first time in longer than I could remember.

'Don't be scared,' the owl replied, 'she's done.' Before I could protest, there was a loud, deafening screech above us and a boulder flew through the air, right at the Uxor's head. It hit its mark and she was instantly knocked out; I managed to wiggle out from under her as Dolosus came to my side. Out of habit and sheer gratitude, I reached and grabbed the owl out of the air, hugging him tightly against my chest, despite the searing pain. In return, he brought his beak up to my bleeding neck and gently caressed it.

It took me a few moments to realize that I was crying out of relief. Dolosus was also upset, trembling slightly. We had both felt that horrible feeling of doom, and we both knew how badly I was suffering.

‘Are you okay?' he asked urgently as I doubled over from the awful pain. ‘I swear if she hurt you I’m going to make whatever is left of her miserable life a living hell. I can start by ripping both her eyes out!’

“I feel dizzy,” I murmured into his head feathers, still embracing him.

'Can you stand?' I looked down at the gaping, bleeding hole in my leg. Reading my mind, Dolosus freed himself from my hug and moved toward the wound. 'You need to put something on that...'

"I know," I replied dryly. 'I am so sorry, Lyra.' "It's alright," I consoled, "it wasn't your fault. I must admit that I underestimated this girl..." he landed back in my lap, glaring at her with a hatred I'd never seen before. I was slightly taken aback.