Xenovia
Xenovia watched as the man quickly drew out a large broadsword from behind his back. Her mind raced for a plan of attack, but before she could even spare a second to think he began to advance upon her. Like an animal on the move, he pounced swiftly and with efficiency. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance between them and launched himself into the air, like a wild dog going in for the kill. She jumped out of the way, just barely avoiding the swing of his blade, then hearing it clang against the ground where she had just been sent shivers down her spine.
“What are you doing!?” she snapped, hopping up to face him with her knife.
But the man said nothing as he swung his sword once more. She dodged yet another blow and retreated towards a tree. Xenovia whirled around to face her opponent.
“Enough! Or I really will have you arrested!” she shouted.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make this quick,” he replied with no remorse.
Did that mean he was seriously trying to strike her?
“Why are you doing this?”
The man hesitated. “Because I can’t have you reporting me to the king, or wherever it is you came from.”
“No…” Xenovia whispered, sensing her own imminent defeat to come. “No!”
Without another word, he came towards her again. This time, she dove out of the way and landed flat on her stomach. Instinctively, she grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it directly behind her. Xenovia heard the man yell in pain as it blinded him momentarily. Using this as an opportunity to escape, she hopped up and started running back the way she had come. It did not take long before she heard his footsteps advancing upon her, though she did not stop to look back.
Somewhere in the back of her mind Xenovia imagined leading her pursuer all the way back to the flytrap from the night before, but she knew it was likely too far away. At the rate this man was chasing her, she had only minutes before he caught up. So, what was she to do? Outrunning him wasn’t a viable plan. Yet the odds were not in her favor in terms of one on one combat. Which meant her only option might be to lose him among the thick foliage of the forest. Then, perhaps she could find a place to hide out until he inevitably left the area.
As she ran, Xenovia scanned her surroundings, desperately searching for a good place to disappear. She could hear the man gaining on her, so she began to zig zag through the trees, taking one turn after another in an attempt to confuse him and slow him down. Alas, her plan did little to ease her fears, as the sound of his steps stayed ever close to hers. Still, she did have one advantage. And that was the fact that she could watch the passing scenery, while her enemy could only focus on her.
That’s it!
She smiled as a wave of hope washed over her. In order to defeat this persistent enemy, all Xenovia needed was a cliff or steep drop off of some sort. Which, if she recalled correctly, happened to be close by. She had seen it while walking earlier, a deep pit of overgrown tree roots sunken into the ground. So, she took a sharp left turn and tried to retrace her steps from that morning. She caught sight of a familiar tree, then the rock she had used to rest less than an hour ago.
Xenovia could feel it. She was close! Using all her strength she began to dash ahead a little faster. The stranger also picked up speed, gaining on her quickly. That was when she jumped into the air, reaching for the low hanging tree branch above the overgrown pit. She caught it with both hands and used it to swing over to the next branch, putting her out of the man’s reach in case he tried to grab her from there. With satisfaction she heard him trip and slip over the edge, tumbling down the edge with a series of angry grunts. Xenovia immediately dropped down from the tree and continued on her path of escape, trying to put as much distance between her and him before he could climb out of the ditch.
She ran and ran, just like the night before. Only this time, she was running from a man, not a monster. Although, she supposed that humans were just a different kind of monster. Just as savage and vulgar as the wild beasts of the forests, and just as hungry for a kill.
Just then, Xenovia could feel the hairs on the back of her neck prickle like they had before. In a moment of panic, she ducked down and hit the ground. She heard something hit the tree in front of her. She glanced up and saw it was a sharp throwing knife, military grade.
It can’t be…
She quickly turned back and saw her pursuer standing there, a rather sour look on his dirt covered face.
“I think you’ve wasted more than enough of my time,” he growled, advancing upon her impatiently.
She gulped. “Wait! Since it’s come to this, you might as well tell me your crime!”
To her surprise, the man stopped dead in his tracks. “Excuse me?”
She could feel the anxious curiosity building up in her chest. “The reason you’re running from the law. What is it?” she asked, hoping to distract him a few seconds longer.
At once, an icy cold expression crossed his face, indicating pure fury. “Let’s get one thing straight, I am not a criminal.”
Xenovia shook her head with confusion. “Then why are you attacking me!?”
“Because, although you don’t know everything, you’ve still come to know too much,” he replied simply.
But she didn’t know anything! Well, except for the fact this man obviously wasn’t a traveler, like she said. But if he wasn’t a criminal, then why was he being so persistent? Unless he was-
Xenovia immediately froze. Unless he was an enemy.
She gazed at his appearance and noticed that his clothes were not of Luxo fashion. In fact, they reminded her of the type of garments people from the land of The North wore…
“You! You’re a spy!” she exclaimed.
The man shook his head with disbelief. “You really are too nosy for your own good.”
Comments (4)
See all