Valkyrie (Complete)

12: The Soldier From the Forest

She grabs one of her swords from it's resting place by the door and then peeks outside. She doesn't say anything as she moves through the rubble. More of The Academy's structure has fallen, creating eerie shadows and sinister sounds. It's almost impossible to see anything, and a sudden sound paired with a groan instantly grab her attention. She swings the sword in that direction and the other person must see the glint of the blade because there's a sudden clang of metal striking metal.

"Who are you?" She demands.

The other person says nothing as they continue to attack. She's on the defense now as she blocks blow after blow, faster and faster. She soon struggles to keep up as she's forced backwards. She loses her balance over a fallen stone and lands harshly on the stone floor, the sword sliding away.

She's sure that her attacker is about to kill her when he stops. A small flame lights from her hand when she puts it up, and she's met with an Ankathian soldier.

It's him.

It's the soldier from the forest, the one that she let go, the one that tortured her and haunted her for weeks after the battle.

A nasty scar runs across his face, though it isn't from her. She doesn't want to see the marks that she left.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"Had to pay a visit."

"Why? What do you want?"

"To warn you. Also, to make it even."

She's confused. "Make what even?"

"Almost killing me but then letting me go." He raises his blade once more and forces her head back. The blade is pressed hard enough into her throat to put pressure on her airway and as she swallows nervously, the blade breaks the skin. A thin line of blood trails down her skin and a small gasp escapes her lips.

"Why don't you just kill me? You have me here alone, defenseless, and it's clearly what this war is about to you."

"I am here on my own mission. You let me go back to my family, and I want you to feel the sense of terror I did. I want you to feel like you want to see your family again if it's the last thing you do, like you might die before you ever see anyone you love again. You deserve to feel that."

"Then kill me," she snarls. "I have no family left, so I will never know how you feel."

He presses the blade harder. "Such strong words from such a young girl. Maybe I will just kill you."

Fear flickers across her face and the soldier catches it. "Or maybe I won't. If your family is dead, then you'll only see them again after you're dead too. Maybe I'll just torture you until you're begging for death, and then I'll let you go."

"An eye for an eye," she says. "Go ahead. It makes no difference to me." She prays that the soldier is only here for her, prays that he is alone so that her friends will be safe.

Without another thought, the soldier moves the blade and slices down the inside of her arm, just like she did to him. She bites back a cry of pain as she meets the soldier's eyes, his furious while hers are blank. "Don't make a sound," he sneers. "Unless, of course, you want your teammates to die too. I'm only here for you, but if one of them shows up, I won't hesitate to kill him."

She can't do anything but nod as she lays back, almost as if she's submitting. His eyes glint maliciously, thinking that she's made herself into a target, but she lunges for her sword and blocks his attack, his blade sliding right off hers. Her arm is cut deeply and as she tries to hold the sword, it gives out and she nearly drops it.

The man stops his attack and smiles slightly. "Not as easy as I thought."

"I'll never die easily. I refuse to die until the last Ankathian is gone from Eikonidian land."

"Then, in that case, I'll let you live. That scar on is arm is a warning, do not forget." He leans closer to her and it takes all her willpower not to jerk away. "We have a very powerful asset on our side. You are not the only one."

She shoves him backwards over the rubble and points her sword at him. "The scar on my arm may be a warning, but it is needless. Do you not remember what I told you when I let you go? If you came back, I would kill you. Do not make me follow through."

"You wouldn't."

"Are you testing me?"

"You're too much of a coward." The soldier leans up so her sword is pressing against where his heart would be. "I dare you."

"Do you not want to live?"

"My family is dead because you let me go. They paid the price I did not because of your moment of weakness. I was labelled a coward when I returned and the price is death. What they did not say was that the death was my family and not me. So no, I do not have any regard for my own life. I should have died that day in the forest."

She pulls her sword away. "I will not kill you. That makes me no better than any of your kind."

He grabs her sword with her bare hands, the edges cutting into his hands. "Fine, then I will do it myself." He yanks her forward and the blade plunges into his chest. His breath rattles in his chest and she looks at her sword in horror. She did not want to kill him. "Th-thank you," he whispers. A moment later, his body falls limp and his eyes dull. Tears well in her eyes as she runs her fingers over his eyelids, closing them for the last time. Even her worst enemy should be able to rest in peace.

She stands slowly, her arm shaking and hanging somewhat listlessly against her side. Blood is soaking her t-shirt and she knows it looks much worse than it is.

She goes back into the room and sets her sword back against the wall. She does not want to turn on the lights for fear of waking the others, but she cannot see her arm well enough otherwise.

She turns the lights on with a sigh and Phoenix jumps up, clearly startled. He looks around slowly until his eyes land on her. They widen in shock and he's across the room in an instant. "What happened?"

"Just a soldier. He's dead."

"You killed him?"

"Kind of." Phoenix seats her on the table and rips open the shoulder of her shirt. "It was my blade, but he stabbed himself." He cleans the injury and sighs. He begins stitching it as she talks. "It was the soldier from the forest, the one that I almost killed. He was so mad and he wanted me to know how it felt. I cut him in the same spot he cut me, but he didn't have a chance to do the rest." She pauses. "He also gave me a warning." He finishes stitching and quickly wraps it. "He said that they have a very powerful asset, and that I'm not the only one."

Phoenix guides her back to the cot and lays her down. "I think he was just trying to distract you. Rest now, okay? I'll take watch. You must be exhausted."

"I don't think he was trying to distract me," she murmurs sleepily. "I think he was serious."

"What do you think it was?"

"I don't know, but it's going to be even harder than it was before." She opens her eyes and grabs his hand. "Stay close?"

He smiles slightly. "Always."