Fear is a tricky, inconsistent little thing. Years of vigorous training and experience allowed me to brace myself and keep my hands from shaking as I faced down the giant abnormality, its jaw split wide to reveal hundreds of little tendrils that were capable of melting flesh from muscle in seconds.
Years of knowing what the Reftin Circle was capable of made me inwardly swear. How much trouble was I going to get in for attracting Adria's Dream - again?
It leapt off of the frightened young man, barreling straight at me on all . . . Six's? . . . With gnarled fingers and toes kicking up the dirt it ran over. I gripped the hilt of my sword with both hands, its dark blade reflecting off a stray trail of light as I took a step back behind the rune I drew on the ground.
Runes were about as tricky as fear, and just as unpredictable in terms of how they would react. Temperature, weather, environment, the efficiency of the person casting them - it all had some sort of effect as to how well they'd operate, and the more powerful the rune, the harder it was to tell what was going to happen.
Because runes were more than just ancient letters. They became something greater the moment the gods gave mortals a way to learn their written language.
And the damn gods could never keep anything simple.
So I wasn't expecting the one I'd laid out to keep Adria's Dream at bay. It spoke specifically to Breal, the Nevhian goddess of life. At the very least, this creature was going to slam into an invisible wall that would shatter like glass upon intact, likely pissing it off more than harming it - but it would give me time to move in a brief bout of confusion.
If Breal liked me, then this rune had the ability to consume whatever round of death that came in contact with it.
Breal did not like me.
So much so that when the monster hit the edge of the rune, the impact of its momentum sent invisible little shards in all directions, not just in the direction of the giant living nightmare - which meant I found myself really wishing that I had my cloak.
I squeezed my eyes shut when the small particles of light tore into my skin, but wasted no time stepping forward and swinging my sword along Adria's Dream's underside as it reared up on its hind legs, shaking its massive, ugly head.
"Didn't learn from last time, did you," I muttered, yanking my sword away from its tough hide just in time to avoid a swinging claw. "But she's got you wrapped around her finger."
The creature roared again, almost deafening, and I wasn't quick enough to avoid another one of its lower arms when it caught me in the gut, sending me flying back into a nearby tree.
Sun hadn't been out for mere minutes and I was already getting my ass handed to me.
I should have made Orik sign a contract for me to get rid of this beastly. I'd have done it, anyway, but at least that'd be one step closer to my initial goal.
Sure, but the Circle wouldn't have approved.
Black dots flooding my vision, I scampered to my feet, looking up just in time to see the monster charging at me once more - between me and where I'd apparently dropped my sword. A deep, gushing wound ran from the top of its chest to what I'd imagine would be the upper part of its belly. If it had been the average monster, it'd bleed out over the next few minutes at most.
Too bad it wasn't.
I ducked, shifting my feet so that I could feint behind the tree, forcing the creature to all but slam into it. Splintered pieces of wood broke off upon intact, and the tree was halfway falling when Adria's Dream swiped at me with its vicious talons. I shoved myself back, veering around the tree before making a mad dash towards my sword. I dove low to the ground in time for an arm to swing over my body, skidding against pine needles and soft dirt. My fingers clutched the hilt.
Sharp, chipped talons dug unto my back, digging behind the collar of my vest. I barely managed to secure my hold around my weapon when I was lifted clean off my feet.
Adria's Dream had somehow gotten bigger, rotting flesh and poisoned blood oozing out of random patches on its body. It held me with one of its lower arms, and it moved one of its upper ones to secure a tight grasp around my hair - then released my vest.
I never needed to know what it felt like to be suspended mid-air by my hair. Frantically, I dug my fingers into the being's tough wrist, scalp burning and eyes watering. I found myself staring straight into its deep, dark eyes, its leathery lips peeled back to reveal those rancid tendrils. Its chest heaved, signaling that it was about to roar in my face.
It never got the chance. Mustering strength in my left arm - the one that held the sword - I swung myself forward, lodging the blade straight up its chin and directly into its brain.
The beast's body stiffened, its eyes slightly widening in surprise. I bit back a snort. Three times - three times, now, that I've had to fight this damn thing, and each time it seems to forget that I contained a specially forged sword that was fully capable of slaying just about any entity out there. Somehow, its grip on my hair never wavered, so I had to release my sword while it was still stuck inside the monster's skull so that I could better prepare myself for the fall.
We landed over the newly deceased tree. Breathing heavily, I tore myself out of its grip, trying not to think about the large chunks of hair I left behind in the process. Then I stepped over the creature, grabbing my sword, and bent so that I could watch the light fade from those eerie eyes. Whatever it was that its essence was made of was slowly leaving its now useless vessel.
"Tell Rhoe that her fight is with me, not anyone else," I breathed, then yanked my weapon free.
I didn't wait for the thing's body to stop moving before I took a couple of steps back and plotted myself down on the ground.
"Why . . . Why didn't you use more magic?"
I craned my head back to peer over at a stumbling Lanie and bewildered Orik. Lanie was suffering a giant bruise on the side of his face, and he was nursing his right leg, but he seemed fine, otherwise.
Lucky kid.
"Told you," I grunted. "I'm human."
"But you used a rune," he insisted.
"Just need to know how to read," I turned my gaze back around, not at all enjoying the headache forming in the back of my head. "I wasn't born with the ability to use the Sixth Source."
No, it was forced into you like a special science experiment.
And what a lovely experience that had been.
Behind me, Lanie scoffed.
"You're Circle Bound, aren't you? They don't accept-"
"Good thing I never applied," I snapped, wishing the boy would drop it and head back home. "Trust me, kid, you don't know shit about the Reftin Circle. Now stop antagonizing me and leave."
"What are you doing, now?" Orik questioned. Judging by how hastily it was spoken, Lanie had been about to speak.
"Guards from Canden are on their way," I informed. "This beasty most likely woke up everyone within a few miles," I nudged the huge corpse next to me with my foot. "I need to be here to confirm that I killed it."
"What is that thing?"
I heard him stumble up to me, eying the dead monster.
"Careful," I warned without looking up. "You don't want its essence leashing out at you."
The young man hesitated, tossing me a suspicious look before backing up. I was only half-joking; I didn't quite know what Adria's Dream was, exactly, but I knew that there was a brief window where it could potentially kill someone even after the body was already dead.
"Who are you, really?"
"Do you care," I lifted my head up at him, looking him right in the eye. "Or are you just looking to place a name to something you fear?"
"Lanie, my boy, that's enough," Orik interrupted at Lanie's scoff. "You should head back."
"And leave you here with the witch?"
I closed my eyes, clenching my jaw to keep from saying something I'd later regret. When Orik made no bother to respond, Lanie sighed through his nose, muttered something beneath his breath, and began walking back to his home.
"You were quick on your feet," Orik said after a moment. I still had my eyes closed.
"Didn't fancy watching my skin melt off of raw muscle and bone," came my curt reply.
Silence. Orik had questions. I knew he had them. I also had a snaking feeling that I wasn't going to like any of them, so I made no bother to hurry it along. The cold was making my joints and ribs ache more than usual, and my back hurt from where I collided with the damn tree. A few moments' worth of silence - silence aside from the maddening roaring inside my head - wasn't all that much to ask, considering.
"Are you from Durn?"
I knew I wasn't going to like what came out of his mouth. I just wasn't expecting the surprise.
My blood went cold from the question, and it had very little to do with the weather. I opened my eyes, but did not respond. Orik made the wrong choice in thinking that was his cue to continue.
"Hida Gretasdaughter. That's you, isn't it?"
Slowly, I climbed to my feet, the adrenaline that had been coursing through my veins just minutes ago too quick in returning.
"Perhaps I should tell you a bit about myself, Orik, before you continue," I said softly, but the threat was no less present. "I'm not a good person." My grip slightly relaxed from my sword as I turned around to face the stranger. "I don't believe in senseless killing, but I won't hesitate if I feel I should."
Yes, kill the man. Prove his son's suspicions of you correct.
A flash of uncertainty crossed over the older man's face, eying the sword I casually held in one hand, its blade still wet from monster blood. Still, he somehow managed to find a stupid, reckless strength in something.
"Didn't recognize you, at first, but you look like her. Like your mom." Then, when I made no move to attack, he elaborated. "My first wife, Dansa, came from Durn. You might know her?"
I shook my head, and he sighed.
"Well, my family lived there for a few years, and we left not long after. She taught me how to use auzer."
There was a long stretch of silence.
"How - how is your sister? She was little when we left, but-"
"Orik."
He stopped talking. Phantom tears choked at my throat, but I forced them back. When I next spoke, it was as if they were never there.
"I left that life behind long ago. I have no family."
Understanding gradually filled those cursed eyes, and he looked away.
"Oh. Is . . . Is that why-" He stopped himself. "I'm sorry-"
"Don't."
"Okay." In the distance, I could hear the clatter of steel and raised voices as footsteps ran through the woods.
"I can teach you," he said, once I could clearly hear the soldiers' individual voices. "I can show you how to use auzer."
Tempting. Maybe in a other time and another place, I would have taken it. But I didn't have much time, and I doubted I had the strength anymore to learn a magic that would conflict with everything else inside of me. So I walked up to him, letting my sword drag against the ground, before I finally stood face-to-face with him.
"My mother's name was Gretal," I said, then strode over to where the first of the armored men emerged from the trees.
~ 2060 Words ~
So I'm putting this here as a note to myself as well, but I'm at a little over 35k words (I think it's like 35,580 to be exact)! I don't recall ever writing so much in a little over a month (with about two weeks of a break in between) but man, that's such a cool feeling.