Lyla kept her eyes on the creature, how it prowled side to side as if taunting her. She took in a deep breath, changing into a stance. The animal paused, saw the intent in her eyes, and its eyes sharpened; it lunged at her.
She moved to the side, and the animal screeched – a sound so raw it rattled her bones. In the few seconds it took to jump at her, she had created a dagger, and just as the huge wild cat passed her, she'd used it to slice its side; it wasn't deep, but a hit nonetheless.
She whirled to look at the Wompus, which paused a few feet before her. With what she could only describe as surprise on its face, it reassessed its prey. Lyla again used those seconds of distraction to make a longer and sharper sword.
The cat, now privy to its prey's strange power, was more cautious. It surveyed her, and she did the same, marking every movement and turn it made to predict its next move.
She rolled beneath its sweeping limbs as it dove for her, coming up behind it, breath sharp. It twisted and, with another swing—this time aimed higher—sliced across its shoulder. Dark blood spilled on the ground.
But it twisted unnaturally fast, tail lashing. It caught her side, flinging her into a tree. Pain exploded in her ribs, but she forced herself to her feet, gritting her teeth as she clenched her sword steadily. She met its next charge head-on, ducking low at the last second and driving her blade upward into its underbelly. The creature roared, thrashing, but she didn't let go. With a scream of effort, encasing the blade with her magic, she twisted the sword deeper until it gave a final shudder and collapsed, heavy and still.
She stumbled back, chest heaving, limbs shaking—not from fear, but from the brutal dance with death she'd just survived.
"Well, now I don't have to worry about that thing," she sharply turned the blade once again before her.
Lucien emerged from the darkness, face blank, hands inside the pockets of his black coat. How much had he seen?
"You know it?" she asked when her breath evened
He hummed in reply, "It has a cave not far from her."
"That cave…it's his," she remembered the bones littered at the entrance and prayed none were of people, "so you knew it was here?"
"Let's just say we mutually exist here; it stays far from my cottage, and my friends and I stay out of its business."
"You didn't think to warn me," he had the audacity to smirk
"You handled yourself okay," she was going to strangle him
She winced as soon as she moved… she'd have to do that later
"You're more trouble than I presumed," he said, looking at her hand on her side and the slash on her arm
He turned and retreated to the cottage; she followed slowly behind him, leaving the corpse of the creature behind. Let the forest deal with it.
*
Lucien went and summoned the same witch. She had looked worriedly at her, then sized him with clear suspicion in her eyes. He just grinned at her, and the woman glared back.
Lucien stood there the whole time as she healed her, even though the woman had asked that they be excused.
"You need help," she whispered, low and worried.
The man at the door chuckled, and she glared at him before smiling toward the woman, "Believe it or not, it wasn't him."
The woman gave her an incredulous look. She did not believe her; she proved as much when she said before leaving, "My name is Petra." Find me if you ever need help was the hidden message
Lucien feigned a smile as the woman left, even going as far as waving at her. Asshole
"Care to tell me how a helpless-looking girl managed to kill that thing?"
"Luck"
He snickered, "Did you also luckily come across a sword?"
"Yes," he gave her a dry look, "I had dropped it when I was running away the day of the attack, and during my jog, I found it. As for the Wompus, I got lucky."
His head shook in disagreement. "I saw the way you moved and fought, you're trained," he paused, "You're a protector, aren't you?"
"I'm not," he snickered, "I want to be though."
He sized her doubt still lingering in his eyes, "Let's hope anything worse doesn't claim that cave."
The suggestion made a shiver race up her spine, "Why do you even live here if there are such risks?"
He simply shrugged as though he had never worried about that, "I can handle myself." The confidence in his voice left no room for doubt
Lyla remembered a small detail about the day he had caught her: Who sent you? He had been so insistent that she suspected he might be a criminal. Could it be why he chose to live here? Was he hiding? If he were, though, with the movement of his friends and the witch, wouldn't whoever was looking for him know his whereabouts?
She found him staring at her, brows furrowed
"What?"
"Nothing," he said, leaving.
*
Lucien had found her the next day, and now…now they were in the middle of a town, her eyes taking in as much as she could
He hadn't said where they were going, just that she should change and follow him. She had, just for curiosity's sake, for all she knew, he could be leading her somewhere to chop her up and serve her to whatever other wild animals he 'mutually existed' with.
It was bizarre she didn't even ask how they had come to that agreement, could he speak to animals or something, the only beings from Umbraeth who had the ability were Satyrs, and he did not look like one.
The walk here had taken a good thirty minutes, and he had said nothing all through. When they finally reached, he had simply told her, 'can't have you luring anything to my cottage', she glared so intently at him she wished it could burn into his skin, literally.
All manner of beings went on about their day, or as day-like as it could get on this side. The elves with their pointed ears and satyrs with their hooves were the most distinguishable, but the rest looked like ordinary humans.
Lyla had wondered who Lucien was and what his abilities were, but she knew that if she asked, he wouldn't tell her, so she hadn't bothered at all. She would find out soon, she promised herself.
After a quick walk around, he led her to a two-storey building. Music drifted from inside, and by the drunk puking in the bin next to the doors, she had a good guess what this place was
Lucien expertly made his way past the people merrily mingling around without bumping into anyone. She, on the other hand, well, let's just say she was lucky the man she knocked over was too drunk to get up from the floor and cause a scene. The man still lay there, passed out, his friends laughing as though it was the funniest thing in the world.
She didn't understand how people were already so drunk early into the afternoon.
Lyla was a bit surprised to find Mor behind the counter mixing up drinks. She had smirked at Lucien before lifting a brow at her. He just shrugged as he took a seat. She followed suit
"So what can I get you?" she asked her
"I…uh…don't really drink so…"
Mor looked amused at the declaration while Lucien simply muttered something to her. She returned with two drinks in hand, handing her the one glowing neon pink.
After serving a few more customers, the redhead walked over to them and leaned on the counter.
"So what's up?"
"Our guest here is a protector," Lucien announced
She whirled on her seat, almost falling right off. Mor, together with a few heads, turned her way. The silence that followed was palpable.