Xenovia
Xenovia could hardly believe it. No wonder this man knew so many details about the workings of the House of Basileos. And no wonder he was walking around all by himself in a place as dangerous as the Flower Forest. It all made sense now!
The man lunged forward again, raising his sword up high and catching Xenovia by surprise. She managed to move out of the way just in time, though she could hear his attack cut right through the tree behind her. She spun around and raised her blade once more, clarity and courage suddenly rushing through her as she faced off against a true enemy for the very first time in her life.
“You’ve come to undermine the army of Luxo, haven’t you?”
“What if I have?” he asked coldly.
“I knew it. You’re nothing but a coward!” she spat.
“The only cowards are those that run away for their duty.”
“Sneaking into another’s territory, spying against an unsuspecting land. How can you be so shameless?”
The man let out a laugh. “You think that is shameless? I take it you know very little of how brutal a war can truly be. Spying is by no means the worst offense a soldier can commit.”
Xenovia could feel herself shaking with anger at the mere thought of a man like this using his intel to attack her people. People who were already being raided and pillaged relentlessly by the soldiers of the North. People who were vulnerable and in need of help and protection.
“Very well. I suppose this changes everything,” she declared.
“Oh?” he mused, walking towards her slowly.
She nodded nervously. As the next hero of the House of Basileos, Xenovia could not allow an enemy spy to slip away or defeat her. The fate of her entire kingdom could very well depend on it!
“Surrender yourself,” she warned.
“What?”
“You heard me. Surrender now, Ivarson spy!”
“Or what?”
“Or you just might regret it!”
A small grin danced across his lips. “I guess we’ll just have to see about that.”
Xenovia frowned at his arrogance. “I guess we will.”
For a moment the two of them just stood there, watching each other in silence. She examined his gear and weaponry, pondering which tactic would work best against him. He was big, but unlike most bulky fighters he was not slow or sluggish. In fact, he was rather quick on his feet. He also had no issue using a broadsword one-handed, even though they were known to be heavy and difficult to maneuver. And Xenovia already knew he would not fall prey to her attempts to manipulate his attention. Her only option was to outsmart him in battle. Since she was outmatched in strength and speed, her best bet would be to strike when he least expected it. Taking a lesson from nature, Xenovia decided to first stun, then attack her opponent. This was commonly seen in the case of facing lions or large hunting cats. As a predator, they were likely not used to being opposed. So, if startled by their prey they would be momentarily caught off guard. And she was sure the same would hold true in this case.
Xenovia took a deep breath in anticipation. Then, she let out a loud battle cry. The man flinched, ever so slightly, giving her just the opening she needed. Like a ram in the wild, she bravely dashed towards him with her knife. He dodged but did not have enough time to form a counter strike before Xenovia swung the blade at him again. The tip nearly punctured his skin before he realized what was happening. As he did, the man quickly jumped to the side, putting some distance between them. She lunged forward a second time, hoping to strike him while he was still in a dazed state of confusion. She could tell her tactic was working, even if just a little.
Only this time, when Xenovia got closer, the man dropped his sword. Without thinking, she took her eyes off her opponent, turning her attention instead to his fallen weapon.
But why would he-?
That was when Xenovia realized it must be a trick, a ploy to distract her! But by then, it was already too late. Her lapse in judgement lasted only for a second, yet it had been enough to cost her the fight. In an instant, he grabbed her wrist and twisted it, causing her to drop the knife. Xenovia used her other arm to punch, but he caught that too. Then he picked her up and roughly threw her against the trunk of a large tree, using enough force to knock the wind right out of her. She collapsed to the ground, unable to hold her own body up any longer. She lay there, struggling to breathe, as he came over to her as casually as one might approached an injured mouse.
“Well, you put up more of a fight than I expected,” he admitted, bending down to grab her arms. “I’ve got to say, I’m impressed.”
Using a rope taken from a pocket inside his jacket, the man started to tie up her hands. Xenovia hardly had time to worry about that, because she couldn’t manage to get even one single gasp of air. Tears rolled down her face as her opponent moved on to bind her feet next without even stopping to see if she was alright. At this rate, she might actually die! It was a frightening fate she had never considered until now.
Xenovia could sense that her vision was starting to fade. She fought against it but was helpless to stop the impending darkness as it swiftly engulfed her mind and consciousness. The last thing she felt was the burning in her lungs and the ache of regret beating at her heart. In the end, she hadn’t been able to save anyone. Not even herself.
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