Demon-Killing Sword

17.2 Two

Muninn's hand dropped to the sword.

Wood creaked as Niina drew her bow. "Move, and the next one goes through your spine."

She stopped. There's no way I could get to Niina before she shot me. Even if I did, I couldn't win against her. Niina was bigger and stronger than her. Muninn wasn't sure she could land a hit before Niina took her out.

"Two kids, alone in the woods. Did you even try to hide your tracks?" Kjell shook his head. "Should have stayed with us, instead of running off with the sword. What did you think you were going to accomplish?"

"I'm going to kill the demon king," Muninn declared. "Set everything right again!"

Kjell laughed aloud. "You and what army? Those dreams are for men, not little girls." Leaves crunched as he approached her from behind. "I was kind and let you hold onto that sword, but that was horribly naive of me. It's wasted in your hands. Hand it over peacefully, and I'll ensure it ends up with someone far more capable. Someone who has a chance of defeating the demon king."

Muninn glared fiercely. She tightened her grip on the sword.

Light flashed in her eyes. Muninn winced and blinked. Out of the flash, a little silver ball flew at her. She narrowed her eyes. What is that?

"Now hand it over!" Kjell grabbed the sword and yanked. Muninn held on with all her might.

Whumpf! Midair, the ball exploded into a cloud of gas. It expanded rapidly, billowing toward them.

Kjell spun, startled. Muninn hunkered down, afraid. Startled, Niina flickered invisible and crashed into the forest

The gas reached them.

Instantly, Muninn's eyes began to water. It hurts! Pain lanced through her eyes, her nose, her mouth. Tears and snot streamed down her face. It burned like the time she'd been cutting hot peppers and rubbed her eyes, but a thousand times worse. She reached up to rub her eyes.

The sword slipped out of her belt. She reached for it blindly. Kjell shoved her away, hard, and she fell backward. She heard him retreat, footsteps crackling over dried leaves. Muninn scrambled to her feet to follow.

Someone grabbed her. Muninn whirled and punched. Not now! She struggled in their hold. The sword is getting away!

"Shit! It's me, don't punch!" Huginn spat. "Come on, let's go!"

"They have the sword!" Muninn argued. She couldn't see, her face was on fire, but she could still hear Kjell. If she ran after him now, then—

An arrow whistled past her, so close she could feel the wind of it passing against her arm, and thudded into the earth.

"Run!" Huginn shouted.

Muninn hesitated another instant. What's the point of running if we don't have the sword? Another arrow thudded down by her foot. Startled into action, she took off blindly into the gas. We'll come back for it. We have to have that sword!

Beside her, Huginn kept a hand on her elbow, either guiding her or himself, she couldn't tell. She couldn't see through her tears, couldn't open her burning eyes far enough to make out anything in this gas. Her lungs ached as they sucked in the gas. Her mouth burned with every breath. Then they burst out into sunlight and fresh air. Muninn gasped at it, the sweet, sweet clean air, free of that horrible gas. It still hurt. Her lungs still ached. Her eyes and mouth and nose still burned. But now, the air she gasped cleared out the pain rather than inviting more in. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, trying to clear them. Slowly, the world started to filter through, the earth in front of her, the bright sunlight, then the details, squeezed through her aching eyes.

She glanced at Huginn, squinting through the pain and her own tears. It was brave of him to come in after me, knowing what the gas would...

Huginn looked at her. She stared at him. He was wearing his goggles, and his handkerchief was pulled up over his nose and mouth. "What?"

Muninn scowled at him. "Rude."

Another arrow ploughed into the ground inches behind them. Muninn shut her mouth. How is Niina so good? It's not fair!

"Let them go," Kjell crowed from somewhere behind them. He coughed, then laughed. "We have the sword. What are two kids going to do?"

Chest heaving, tears still pouring from her eyes, Muninn clenched her fists. We're going to get that sword back. No matter what it took. Kjell wasn't going to take down the demon king. By the time he finds someone better—

"The highest bidder," Huginn interjected.

—it'll be too late. Mom will be gone. So will Huginn's father. She glanced at him.

He nodded. "We'll get it back."

We have to.