Mia's POV
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The next morning I head to training again, excited. Today is our last day for now of hand-to-hand combat. Since today is Friday I get the weekend off, but the next week I'll be starting weapons training with Elanil. I'm also pepped up because it's Friday. And no matter what world you're in, everyone looks forward to Friday.
"Morning!" Elanil sings when she sees me. I beam and wave, heading over the track to the combat mats.
"Well don't you look pretty. I bet you used some of our shampoo last night?"
I nod at Elanil's remark. I feel super clean still, and my hair is silky and soft, coming down to my shoulder blades now. I also chose a cream colored, flowy skirt with a fitted, forest green top that has long, loose sleeves made of see-through material.
"Yes! It's so amazing!" I've already pulled half of my hair up into a dutch braid, but I still can't stop running my fingers through the hair still hanging down. Elanil makes small talk for a few more minutes before she's ready for business. I am too.
-
Three hours of fighting later and training is over for the day. I feel pretty good, a lot less tired than I was after training a few days ago. I'm barely sweating, but I am breathing hard when we finish. It frustrates the hell out of me at how effortless El and every other elf make fighting look. By the end of our session El hasn't even broken a sweat. she isn't even breathing hard. But I tell myself to chill out, reminding myself that I'll get there soon. My elf abilities are still kicking in.
"Good job today," El says, grabbing her water bottle and heading to the entrance of the training center with me.
"Thanks," I reply, smiling.
"Hey, wanna jog to the palace? I'm not exactly tired and I want to get my workout over with now."
"Yeah, I noticed," I grumble, but El can tell I'm just joking. "How about the library? I want to stop there and get lunch."
"Sure, I'll need to get going though, but I can drop you off there."
"Wait- But, three miles after three hours of fighting?" I ask incredulously.
Elanil looks at me with a 'I'm going whether you are or not' look, so I figure I'll go along with it.
"Fine."
Jogging back actually isn't that bad, even with a long skirt and a cloak. The sun is out today, meaning the raw winter chill is dampened by the warmth of the sun. I end up taking off my cloak and draping it over my arm halfway through our jog. Elanil sets a good pace, but it actually feels pretty good. I haven't gone on a good, long run in a while, and it feels very refreshing.
By the time we reach the library I'm sweating, even though my hands are freezing. My legs are also tired, feeling a little like jello. In true cross country style, I pull my cloak over my mouth to allow myself to breathe in some warm air, instead of the cold winter air that has been freezing my lungs for a few miles. El is just a little out of breath, her cheeks rosy from the cold.
I let out a long breath, looking back at El.
"Thanks," El says.
"Yeah, that was actually fun."
"Right? Have a good lunch, see you tomorrow."
I'm turning towards the library tree to head in when a sudden piercing shriek fills the air. I whip around and cover my ears, searching for the source. The noise seems to be coming from everywhere. It's a screeching, very un-elf like noise that sounds an awful lot like a siren. El catches my eye and she comes running back to me. It's when I see her face, the nerves etched into her features, that I begin to feel uneasy.
"What's happening?" I yell over the screeching echoing through the trees repeatedly, like an alarm. Elves who were walking peacefully on the paths beside us a moment ago are now running into the closest tree, voices raised in panic. I watch as the doors of the trees visibly seal up, the seams in the wood filling in until there is no visible door at all.
"It's a break-in warning." She listens again, and must pick up some frequency I can't yet hear, because her face goes pale.
"What?"
"A small group of Cin somehow got past our walls, they're in the city."
Panic surges through me, even though I barely know the Cin or who they are. Only that they're not good news. And probably the cause of my fathers death. Before I can think on it, however, Knox is appearing behind Elanil, his transport rock in his hand, face grim. Behind him, through a purple, swirling portal, a group of ten or more soldiers, dressed in elven armor, appear and race off in the direction of the wall bordering Bhailewood.
"Mia," Knox says as he rushes up to us. I notice that he too has a chest plate of some kind of magical elven armor, dark green in color and very solid looking. A long bow is slung across his back, the string crossing his front, and a sheath of arrows in a leather case hangs at his back. "We need to get you back to the palace."
I look back to Elanil, who is nodding in agreement.
"I can fight," I say with more confidence than I feel. "I've been training."
"We haven't even started working on weapons yet," Elanil says, shaking her head. Knox is also shaking his head.
"No, it's too dangerous. We can't risk the Cin getting their hands on you."
"Well I- Wait, is that why they broke in? To get me?" Alarm strikes me, as well as a little guilt. If that's true, the only reason they broke in, and might be hurting people, is because of me. Knox must see the worry on my face, because his features soften a bit under the steely determination.
"Yes, we think so. Don't worry, we're all very strong here. Nobody is getting hurt. But we need to get you to safety."
Even though panic is taking over most of my emotions, a little anger slips in as well. These are the people that killed my dad. The least I can do is help win I fight that I caused. If there is even going to be a fight.
"I'm coming with you!" I exclaim, suddenly realizing how quiet the forest is now that the sirens have stopped. I place my hands on my hips and stare down Knox, who is looking at me with a 'please, you really think you can beat them?' look. I don't appreciate that very much. Even if it's true...
"Mia, you are not fighting with us. I'm sorry, but-"
"I know it's dangerous! But in case you've forgotten, my dad was killed by these guys. The least I can do is help now." A lump swells in my throat, but I push it down. I can't get upset right now. Knox blows out an exasperated breath, white fog billowing out of his mouth.
"Another time. But you're not trained enough, and we can't risk you getting taken. I can't let you get hurt. I'm sorry, Mia, but we have to go. You have to stay safe."
I open my mouth to protest more, but before I can Elanil grabs Knox's and my arm, throwing down a white stone. Smoke fills my vision and a second later we're outside my room in the palace. Warmth settles down on my shoulders, the warm glow of the hallway almost making me forget what's going on outside.
Elanil grabs my hand and presses it to my door, which open silently. She walks in, dragging me with her.
"Hey!" I cry, getting more and more frustrated with El and Knox. They're treating me like a kid. Okay, the rational side of me knows they're just trying to protect me, but still.
Elanil lets go of my arm when I'm at my bed, and I round on her to fire back some words, but my door is closing, shutting her face out of my view. I run at the door, reaching it just after it closes. I hear Knox's muffled voice outside, and I hear a click. When I pull on the doorknob it doesn't budge. My mouth drops open in shock. They locked me in my room!
"Hey! Knox! Elanil!" My voice is getting sharper as anger and a little bit of hurt seeps into my blood. They really think so little of me? Elanil just treated me like I was a kid who threw a tantrum for not wanting to eat vegetables, throwing me into time-out.
Quit being a baby, they just want you safe. You aren't even that trained, a voice inside me argues. That dulls my anger a bit, but my heart is still beating like crazy and I'm still worried about what's happening outside.
"Sorry Mia," Elanil says from the other side of the door.
"We can't let you get hurt," Knox adds. Then, with a flash of light I see through the crack of my door, they're gone.
Turning on my heel, I walk across my room and plop down on my bed with a huff, letting the last of my anger fade away as I lie on my back, staring up at the fabric of the canopy that hangs above me. Fine, I'll just stay here while the Cin are most likely attacking Bhailewood just to find me. Actually, with that in mind, I walk over to my windows and draw the blinds. Then I remember that the windows aren't able to be seen from the outside. Still, the paranoid part of me keeps them shut.
After about half an hour of sitting on my bed and worrying I hear the faint sound of footsteps. Somehow I know that they are still on the stairs.
Now the hallway.
The steps- multiple pairs of shoes- get closer and louder until they're right by my door. Have Knox and El finally come back to let me out? Seems about time. But as I'm just about to go over and say something, I hear a voice that definitely isn't Knox or El. It's hard and gruff, the voice of a grown man. Even though a normal human shouldn't be able to, I pick up the sharp sound of fingers tracing over wood. Someone is running their hands along my door. Looking down, I notice the shadow of at least four boots in the hallway. The door suddenly shudders under the force of someone pounding it, causing me to jump in surprise. Adrenaline surges through me so fast my chest burns for a second. It's the Cin. How did they get in here?! More voices pipe up, but no matter how many times they pound the door, it doesn't open. Breathing out a shaky breath I slink over to my bathroom, turning around when I get to the doorway to scan my room one more time.
The pounding stops.
My shoulders sag in relief when I see the shadows under my door disappear. But then, a second later, I nearly scream when a silhouette of a man appears behind the shades in my window. They're clearly trying to look into my room. Biting my lip to keep from making any noise, I silently close and lock my bathroom door, hopping in my shower to hide as best as I can. Thoughts swirl in my brain in a jumble, like a crowd of a thousand people all talking at once.
How did they get in the palace? I thought it was super safe..? Where is the Queen? Where are Knox and El? Most odd of all, how can they see my window?! It's supposed to be invisible from the outside. And how are they hovering up here? My room has to be at least ten floors up.
Shit. I just remembered that I have armor in my closet. Shitshitshitshit. I nearly smack myself in the head for my stupidity. To be fair, I was in a bit of a rush.
The sound of shattering glass erupts in my room, the tinkling of falling shards sounding from outside my bathroom door. I close my eyes and swallow the scream bubbling up, trying to hone in my past week of training. I can fight them, I think. I saw four pairs of boots. Four. Ok.
Not great odds.
I take another deep breath, trying to calm myself as I listen to the men pound around my room. But this is like trying to calm my nerves when I'm in my lane, waiting for the gun to go off during a track meet. Practically impossible to calm down. You know what, scratch the 'practically.' It is impossible to calm down.
It takes less than thirty seconds for someone to knock on the bathroom door. I back up until my spine is pressing against the wood of the shower. I'm suddenly very glad I hung my bath towel over the glass of the shower walls. It just barely hides me. A few anxiety-filled pounds of my door later the lock breaks, allowing it to swing open. My stomach feels about to burst with nerves as I see four black-clothed figures walk in. I don't know how, but I can feel one of their eyes looking at the towel, like he can see me through the thick cloth.
"Aww," he says in a deep voice, walking to the shower slowly. "You really couldn't think of a better hiding place?"
My towel is violently ripped away, leaving me to see the four figures smirking smugly at me through the warped glass of the shower walls. The one who was talking is tall, probably 6'5, with broad muscles and long, black hair. His face is sharp and mean, with blazing brown eyes. He looks like the leader. The other three guys are all around six feet tall, all with black hair and strong muscles under their black clothes. They all have an unwavering anger burning in their gaze, one that seems like it's been taught. But surprisingly, instead of letting fear take over me, I stand tall and stare him down, keeping my gaze hard. His lips curl in a predatory sneer. My confidence wavers as I realize how limited my chances of escaping are, but I raise my fists in a fighting stance.
The men laugh at me, which only caused rage to course through me.
"Look at her, Elmer," one of the three smaller elves says to the big one. I store away his name for possible later use.
"Spitting image," Elmer growls. He nods at his men, who then surge at me. Only one can fit through the shower door at a time, which is good. One enters and I immediately send out a strong kick, landing on his chest and pushing him back a bit. He snarls in anger and lunges at me, sending a lightning fast punch that I just barely block.
I almost laugh at how crazy this is. A few weeks ago I would never have imagined I would be doing anything like this.
My thoughts are quickly halted as I get a punch to the face I can't block, strong enough to send me falling to the ground. Pain explodes in my side as another man squeezes into the shower, kicking me in the side. I groan in pain but roll onto my stomach, grabbing a leg in front of me and pulling, sending one of the men crashing down on his butt. I scramble to get up but the other man grabs my arm, roughly shoving me out of the shower where the last man and Elmer are waiting. I try to use my momentum to do a move Elanil taught me a few days ago, but Elmer grabs my attempted kick and shoves it aside with ease, grabbing my upper arms hard enough to have me biting back a yelp of pain. I struggle, of course, kicking at Elmer as best as I can from my position in front of him, trying to lean every which way in hopes of tripping him up. His grip on my arms tighten and he grunts in annoyance. But then, as he pushes me out of the bathroom, I remember a move that seems simple enough. Let's just hope it actually works.
I wait until he's behind me, guiding me forward before drooping my head down. I let it hang for a moment before snapping it back with as much force as I can, almost smiling in pleasure as I feel it connect with Elmer's face- specifically his nose. He curses in pain, completely unprepared for when I kick off the ground, using my newfound elf agility to flip over him, forcing him to let go of me.
Noticing his three backups charging at me, I dart to my still locked door, screaming for help. I don't know why I didn't start yelling before, but I definitely am resorting to help now. Unfortunately, just as I reach my door I feel three pairs of arms grab mine, yanking me back so hard I would've fallen if they weren't holding me. I kick and scream again, trying to cause as much trouble as possible as they drag me over to the window, broken glass crunching underfoot. Elmer grumbles something and walks up to me, grabbing my hair and pulling it hard, sending my head snapping back. I cry out as my whole scalp burns, like a wildfire spreading through a forest. Elmer walks over so he's looking down on me. He puts his face close to mine, his fowl breath fanning my face.
"You're not gonna give us any more trouble girl," he snarls, the threat in his thickly-accented voice evident. His tone is so chilling I forget how to be brave for a second. I nod. He smiles and lets go of my hair, walking to the window with me in tow. I'm pulled along, my heartbeat quickening again. Maybe I can pretend to go with them for a second then break out somehow? I rack my brain for a way to get out of the men's painful grip as they hop out of the window. I barely register when they fly through the air and hit the ground, still holding onto me. I have to do something now.
A second later, I strike. Twisting my arms and jerking away gets me out of two of the men's grip, leaving one. I go for a punch, which he deflects without any effort. I do the only thing I can think of next- I kick him in the one spot I know no man wants to be kicked. He yells and doubles over, releasing his grip on me. I'm about to start running when a hard force grabs the back of my neck. Elmer. His eyes are almost on the verge of crazy, the anger burning in them unlike anything I've ever seen. He fingers squeeze down in my windpipe just enough to give only the tiniest bit of oxygen, leaving me gasping for air and clawing at his hands.
"Ok, now you are really being a pain in my ass." He brings back his fist and punches me square in the face, releasing his grip on my throat and letting me drop to the ground.
Pain, more than I've ever felt in my life, explodes in my face, throbbing in waves of agony so great I think I might pass out. I gasp, trying to regain my breath. They come out more as groans of pain than actual breaths.
My adrenaline starts to numb the sensation, but I can barely register what's happening through the haze of pain as Elmer grabs my ankle and starts dragging me to the woods. Snow soaks my hair and clothes, along with throbbing pains in every place I was just kicked, grabbed and punched.
Yet, a voice is telling me to get up. There has to be something I can do.
That's when I feel a lump in the pocket of my dress. Slowly reaching my hand in, making sure Elmer's buddies aren't looking, I grab the object. I nearly cry in relief when I feel my transport stone. My mind clears as determination takes over. In one smooth motion I rip out of Elmer's grasp, ignoring the pain still throbbing in my face, and throw down my stone.
"No!" I hear Elmer roar, but I'm already gone. I realize a second too late that my brain was on such autopilot that I forgot to clearly picture where I wanted to go. When I reappear, I find myself standing in front of the library. I sigh in relief, looking around. My relief drops just as fast when I spot Elmer and his buddies, barely visible behind a grove of trees. I only teleported about 100 yards away from them. Shit.
Elmers eyes lock with mine.
Double shit.
As they are yelling and running at me, I run in the direction that I faintly hear voices in. For a solid thirty seconds I run faster than I ever have, the landscape a blur around me, each footstep sending jarring waves of pain through my face. I can hear the breathing of Elmer closing in behind me, but I let out a whoop of triumph as I spot the wall of the city, along with rows and rows of soldiers- some on top of the wall, some down below. I spot Elanil and Knox right away.
"Hey! El! Knox!" I yell out of my dry throat. Knox whips around, his mouth dropping open in surprise and confusion. As I get closer I quickly turn my head around to see that Elmer and his crew are gone. But as Knox comes rushing over to me I hardly care. Especially since my adrenaline is fading away, leaving the tiredness from training, running, escaping, and running again settling in. And pain.
I take a few more steps before my legs wobble and give way under me.
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Long chapter for all the action:)
Fun fact, this book is 60 chapters, plus a few extras. Which is actually kinda a lot when I think about it. I'm surprised I made a story this long tbh LMFAO
I'm editing and posting as much as I can!
-A<3