Battle of the Immortals

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Justice and Riot

            Quinne breathed hard, still winded from the chase. She stole a glance at Vlad, hoping he had lost interest in killing her. She caught her breath as his gaze met hers. For one        horrifying moment he just stared deep into her eyes, as if determining how to destroy her.

            “Whatever,” he mumbled, and turned around, walking off as if nothing had ever happened.

            Quinne blinked and turned to look back at Avron but he too had disappeared. She sighed and let out a shrill whistle, calling Freyda to her side. The Dragen seemed to come out of nowhere, landing softly in front of Quinne. “Need something?” Freyda asked, shaking her fur.

            “Just thought I’d like to get away for a while,” Quinne mumbled, climbing up onto the saddle.

            “Anywhere in particular?” Freyda turned to look back at her rider curiously.

            “You choose,” Quinne smiled. “Even though I’ve been here for almost a month I’m still not quite as familiar with the forest as you are.”

            “All righty then,” Freyda crouched and leapt back up into the treetops.

The Dragen jumped along with the greatest of ease, not even stumbling once. Quinne began to wonder if the Dragen ever missed a branch.

            “Hold on,” Freyda ordered.

             Quinne prepared herself, holding tightly to the handle bar as Freyda stopped abruptly. “Well, what do you think?” The Dragen asked as Quinne opened her eyes.

            Quinne gasped in amazement at the view before her. They were high up in an Immensia Tree on the edge of the Dragen Wood. Before them was a vast plain, the long grass tinted golden in the sunlight with wild flowers spread across it. “It’s beautiful,” Quinne whispered.

            Suddenly, her attention was drawn to something crawling through the grass. “What’s that?” She asked Freyda, laying close against the Dragen’s back.

            “Not sure,” Freyda murmured and jumped down into the shadows of the Immensia Trees.

            Quinne dismounted and drew her sword, stepping back out into the light. “Stay here until I call for you,” Quinne whispered to Freyda.

            “Shouldn’t this be the other way around,” The Dragen rolled her eyes but Quinne ignored her.

            From the ground she couldn’t see the movement at first but then spotted it coming towards her. “Freeze!” She shouted, pointing her weapon at the grass.

            “Oh crap.”

            Quinne blinked, trying to make out the form but the grass was too thick. “Come on out!” Quinne ordered.

            The form let out a sort of moan and was still. “Justice!”

            Without warning, a second form lunged at her from behind, pinning Quinne down. She tried to cry out but her face was buried into the grass, muffling her cries.

            “Hah!” The form laughed, “Justice prevails once more!”

            “Who do you think she is?”