4/8/20

Edited: 5/1/20

Run. Run until you drop. Don't stop, don't look back, just keep running. My own voice echoed through my ears as I crouched on the branch I had chosen hours ago. My legs had fallen asleep and little pins impaled my toes at every movement. Still, I made no change in position and continued to wait in silence. Then I heard it, the sound of soft crunching leaves amidst the orchestra of crickets. The shadow of a flower started to grow and eat up the space around it until the shape of a teenage boy replaced it.

I could hear the restricted breaths of the invader as he slowly put his narrow feet forward. As quietly as I could, I reached for an arrow that lay in my quiver. Only the small utter of schink from metal on metal gave away my position. Instantly his tan ears twitched and in a wild search of spins, he found me. I pulled back the thin string that cut into my nimble fingers during his time of panic and aimed the point at his naked heart. Just before I released, his gasp interrupted me.

The vibrant green that found my blue eyes froze my movements. The familiar expression that greeted me in my memories flashed briefly across his face before settling on an unreadable stranger. Neither of us moved, his tan, uncovered chest holding back as much emotion as possible. His coal colored hair barely settled in the wind, flying dangerously into his eyesight but floating above his shoulders. He was taller than I remembered, almost breaching the six foot barrier. He cautiously offered a calloused hand to me.

"Ariya," his smooth, but raspy voice rang out to me, "please."

I stared at the temptation, recalling the feeling of comfort it used to give me. His hand did not shake, being steadfast against the untamed wind. I felt my own tremble at the exertion it experienced upon holding the deadly weapon. I sensed a forbidden tear swim down my pale face. Taking a deep breath, I mustered up all the will power I had to keep a mask of indifference. Gripping the metal tightly, I raised my arms once more, but did not let go of the delicate strand that lay between my fingers. My long obsidian hair became released from its prison and clawed at the beautiful bow aimed at the boy's chest.

My heart beat wildly as I struggled to maintain my position. It would be simpler if I just let go, I could put the bow down. I could feel my feet once more. I could stand and rid the cramps in my legs. I started to release the thread, the arrow inching forward, but then I saw something more. His soul was speaking to me, I could see the twinkle that used gaze into my eyes before the hate took over. It emerged from the windows covered in green, sending out waves of hope and untainted love.

I was enthralled once more. Looking more into that sparkle, I knew I couldn't do it. I let out the breath that I had held. Tension unleashed from my figure, relaxing my body and even my mind. Seeing my resignation, he visibly calmed, his hand lowering and his stress lines disappearing.

Schink! I heard the sound of fate bellow from my bow. My stomach flipped and my heart jumped into my throat. The boy's expression of peace didn't change as I watched the arrow fly.

***

Where do I go? I have no where to be, there is no one in my life, it's pointless. All I had was that stupid list and now I don't even have that. I don't have a purpose. I let out a scream of frustration, throwing a small stick I had picked up earlier. It somehow bounced off the brick wall in front of me and came right back to nail me in the face. I barely ducked in time to save my eye from being gouged out. The shock from the hit knocked me on my back, taking my breath from my lungs.

"Shit." I cursed loudly.

I sat up, feeling where the stupid stick got me. Only a small bump, I was lucky. Sighing, I sat up, dusting the dirt off of me. I heard a rustle of garbage to my left alerting me of another presence. Before they knew what was going on, I was on top of them, pinning them to the ground with my foot and pointing an arrow at their throat.

Bright green eyes stared back at me. I saw no fear, just an innate curiosity, confusing me. He was roughly around the same age as me, maybe 18? I would guess 20 at the oldest. He cautiously raised his callused hands that were beautifully kissed by the sun, as if he were trying to avoid activating my bow. He reached forward, eyeing my weapon inquisitively.

"Hey!" I spoke sharply, startling him, "no touching."

He gave me this mischievous smile that unnerved me. With two fingers, he pushed the tip of my arrow to the side, sitting up on his elbows

"Too late." He said, his voice deeper than I anticipated, "what're you going to do about it?"

I felt a grin crawl on my face. I let go of the arrow. Hearing the familiar whoosh as it flew through the air, giving me the best feeling of comfort in the world. I watched it in slow motion leave my soul weapon and make its mark next to the boy's head, nicking his ear. I saw a drop of blood touch the dirt beneath it, increasing my satisfaction.

"How's that?" I asked him.

He was still in shock, his toned body shaking in disbelief. I took my foot off of his chest, leaving a small dirt footprint. I swung my bow back onto my shoulder, turning my back and walking away. A smirk was plastered on my lips, an unintended laugh escaping in the smallest whiff.

"Hey!" I heard him shout, "where are you going?"

"Somewhere where no one will touch my arrows."

"Can I come?"

"Why?" I asked, freezing my movements.

He bit his lip before nervously looking at the ground and whispering, "my family kicked me out. I'm not allowed back until I get something that I lost."

I hummed, contemplating the outcome. I continued walking, shrugging my shoulders. I heard footsteps that sounded like a stampede of elephants running from a mouse. He was going to need to drop that habit if he kept following me around. I came to an abrupt halt, his body slammed into mine making me take another step. I huffed.

"Go get my arrow, green eyes." I ordered.

"Andy, my name is Andy." He mumbled before jogging back to retrieve my arrow.

I held out my hand, palm up. A few moments later it was filled with the cool metal I adored.

"Ariya."

***

Anger coursed through me. No, more than that, absolute fury. Rage. My soul was broken in front of me. It was shattered to pieces, I could only preserve three pieces at most. I was shaking, not trembling, from all the emotions that ran through me.

"... I'm sorry." Andy whispered. "I didn't see it, I swear I was just trying to make a fire. When I dropped the rock in the circle, I thought I moved your bow."

I could barely control my anger. I turned on him, pushing him to the floor. The sound of his bottom making contact with the ground helped me feel a little better. I kicked more dirt at him, so he knew I was really angry if he didn't already.

"You destroyed it!" I screamed. "Do you even realize what that was?"

He cowered in response, holding out his hands in surrender. I advanced until we were nose to nose and I could feel the heat of his breath on my face. There was concern shining in his eyes and the smell of sorrow wafted from his being. I knew I was being harsh, but he didn't understand what the bow meant to me.

"I can fix it." He whispered, pleadingly.

"You can't just FIX it! It was made by my parents!"

His eyes widened in response, "I-I didn't know. I'm sorry, Ariya. I'll make it up to you."

"You don't understand." I hissed, "this is all they left me. That bow was all I had of them, and you FUCKING broke it."

Without thinking anymore I threw my fists at him. Andy didn't stop it, he just stood there taking all the hits. The coloration on my knuckles grew darker and my flesh began to ache. After a couple of minutes, he grabbed my slowing attacks with his hands and pulled me into his embrace. I didn't even notice the tears that fell from my eyes, but he wiped them away before they went airborne. I took a couple deep breaths to calm myself.

My voice came out in a whisper, "they left, kidnapped really. It was on my 13th birthday, my father had just given me my bow when the lords' general's grabbed my parents."

I felt his grip on me tighten. "Why?" He asked lowly, "what happened to you?"

I shrugged, pulling away from him. "They just said that they served their purpose and I was no longer their responsibility. I was to do what I was trained for, serve the lords."

I winced when I realized what I told him. He was my first friend in a long time and his presence had really grown on me the past year. I cautiously raised my head to see his reaction, unconsciously folding in on myself. Our eyes connected, his expression unreadable. My stomach flipped, indifference wasn't something I was used to from other people. I could usually read people well.

Andy reached to the side and picked up the pieces of my bow, caressing them softly. He held as many in his hand as he could and grabbed the walking stick he had acquired a couple days ago. He dropped all the materials in the empty space of woods we had camped at. Going to the small circle of rocks we made last night, he started hitting two of them together atop the remains from yesterday.

"What are you doing?" I asked him, wandering over to his side.

A spark jumped from the two stones and landed on the worn burnings from last night. A small flame lit and the familiar heat neared my ankles. He picked up the pieces of my bow and his metal blue walking stick, holding them out to me as an offering.

"I'm going to make you a new bow." He answered, "and I know it won't be as good as the one your dad made you, but it's the least I can do. I'm still really sorry."

I didn't answer him, ignoring the rising emotions within me. Andy took my silence in good faith and got to work. For the next few hours I just sat on the uncomfortable ground observing the care and precision he used to make my new weapon. He had no safety materials or anything to help him meld the metal and pieces together. He used his own hands or strong branches he found nearby. His dedication to making it perfect left me speechless.

At some point I fell asleep, succumbing to the sound of crickets and smell of sweat. I was thrown back to the day my life changed forever. A tall, skinny man stepped out of a dark SUV and onto our driveway, barking orders to people in black. Immediately, more and more men poured out of the vehicles, running towards us. My father grabbed my shoulders harshly, getting my attention. His eyes held a sense of urgency, the same kind when I was slacking off my training and falling behind. Wordlessly, he pushed my new bow into my hands and shoved me towards the forest of trees in our backyard.

"Run, Ariya, run!" He yelled at me. "They're coming for you, please run."

"Father, no." I begged, but he only pushed me away harder.

"I love you."

I tried to stop the tears as I turned my back and ran. I clutched the bow in my hand, my knuckles white with a tingling feeling stemming from my grip. As I reached the edge of the woods, I looked back one more time and instantly regretted it. My father was kneeling on the ground with his hands tied behind his back. His usually pale face was colored red and his muddy long hair was clasped in another man's grip. I chocked back a sob and took a step towards him.

His eyes met mine and I saw the slight shake of his head. I saw fear in his eyes and knew that these were men of the lords. There were three of them, but they were powerful, immortal, and they were the rulers of the land. They've been governing our lands for a hundred years, they had no powers that we were told of, but they do not age and live on.

But... I do know that they bleed. As do men, and I will make these men bleed. I took slower steps until I was hidden behind a particularly wide tree. Taking a deep breath, I notched an arrow and aimed. My eyes narrowed in on the man behind my father. With my next breath I released, dropping the man to the ground with an arrow in his shoulder. The next thirty seconds, the enemy within a 20 foot radius was rolling in the grass in agony.

"So you have been trained in combat." A slick voice stated from behind me.

Before I could turn my new weapon on him, I felt the cool sharpness of a knife at my back. Without even looking I knew who it was, he was missing from the battlefield. A rolled up parchment was shoved into my hand. I slowly brought it in front of me and opened it. There were names down the whole list with their town and a small description of "offenses" next to them.

"What is this for?" I huffed.

"These people are probable to cause a rebellion. They have a strong name within the lands, they believe their word is law. The people must learn that only the lords' words are law."

"What's that have to do with me?" I demanded, turning around despite the threat.

"You dispose of them, and then you will take your place in the world." He smirked with a drawl to his voice.

"What about my parents?"

"They are of no use now. They were only there to train you, it is your destiny from the Seer to be the general of lord Andyheirm."

I shook my head, crushing the list in my fist. "I don't want to."

The evil man smirked and in a snidely voice, said, "persuasion can be acquired."

My eyes flickered back to my father in hope that he ran when he had the chance. There was no use, I saw my mother bonded tightly in the back of the SUV's. Looking back at the General, I could see in his eyes that my life was now in his hands.

I was gently nudged awake from what I could guess was hours later. The crickets had gone silent and the moon was stuck in the middle of the sky, the fire from earlier barely breathing. I couldn't feel any of its heat and the wind was making me shiver. I sat up, the leaves that Andy had placed on me to keep me comfortable all scrambled in the wind.

"Hey, Ariya, sorry to wake you." Andy's deep voice lulled me out of my sleep.

I rubbed my face, waving him off. "It's okay, it's your turn to sleep anyways."

He crouched next to me holding something behind his back. He looked nervous, but mildly excited, his green eyes burning brightly through the darkness. When he was sure I was paying attention, he slowly brought out his surprise. In his slightly red, blistered hands lay a long sleek bow. I could pick out the pieces of my old bow, but the dark blue from his walking stick took over almost all of it. It shined as bright as the hope Andy carried and was as smooth as the previous with no flaws I could detect.

I must've been asleep for longer than I thought. It took my breath away with how beautiful and perfect it was. I had doubts with his lack of materials, but he proved me wrong. I looked up at him in disbelief. He gave me a soft smile, letting it slip out of his fingers into my open hands.

"I'm sorry, but it's the best I could do." He said hoarsely, coughing a little into his elbow.

Ash flew from his body when he coughed. Without thinking, I reached up and put his cheek in my hand. His eyes found mine, surprise washing over them. I wiped away some dirt on his face with my thumb, finding the untainted, tanned skin beneath. His hot breath made clouds in the cold air. He didn't say anything, watching my movements, waiting for me to do something. I leaned forward until our foreheads were touching.

"Thank you." I whispered.

***

Andy was going to be happy. I found his favorite food for a cheap price, all we had to do was heat it up. I'm sure he's found a place to make a fire by now, the people rarely let us stay in their motels. Not when you were a hunter for the lords, they were never kind to us. Suddenly a shadow fell over me.

I dropped my bag of goodies, flipping behind the nearest cover and pulling my bow off of my shoulder and knocking it with an arrow. The man whom the shadow belonged to made no movement in reaction. He raised a hand in peace.

"Please, Ariya, I am here on business. No need to shoot."

I recognized the voice. I could never forget it. An uneasy feeling ran through my veins and flipped my stomach. I put my bow back on my shoulder and walked forward, scooping the bag back up. My free hand clenched into a fist to exhibit the little emotion I could in front of the man who ruined my life.

"What do you want?" I growled, not in the mood to play games with him.

"Peace, Ariya, I'm merely here to give you your next order." He said in an irritatingly calm tone.

I shook my head. "No, I finished the list. I'm done."

He smiled and shook his finger at me condescendingly. "No you're not. You're too young to be useless yet."

I took a couple of deep breaths to calm myself down. Every time I look at his sickishly pale, narrow face I got angry again. His slicked back, mud colored hair just stuck to his slim face, imitating a rat. His beady eyes stared greedily at my bow, taking in all of me. I couldn't stand how he towered over me with all the power in the world.

"What's the assignment?" I hissed after a minute of silence.

A sharklike grin crept onto his lips. "Your companion. He is a threat to the lords."

I shook my head, a lead ball dropping in my stomach. I felt like the wind was knocked out of me, the blood rushing from my head and making me dizzy. I took a step back, separating myself from the evil being.

"No." I whispered in denial. "Why? How?"

He nodded, his joy at my reaction obvious. "The Seer proclaimed it as so, just as true as your destiny."

I took a deep breath, shaking my head and standing my ground. I shook out my arms, stomping my foot and clenching my hands. My bow hanging off of my wrist for easy access.

"I won't. I'd rather die." I said firmly.

The smirk that arose from his lips was unexpected. He brought a flat hexagon from his front pocket out and held it parallel to the ground. It glowed blue on his command, then a hologram appeared. Two people lay in beds strapped to an IV, unconscious and unaware. The picture was small, but I knew who they were. For the second time today, I was shocked. I looked at the man that held the fate of my parents in his hand in horror. He just smiled.

"See, Ariya, we knew you would resist so we took precautions. If you don't follow orders, we'll dispose of them."

I looked at the ground defeatedly. "What will you do once I complete the order? How do I know you won't hurt them?"

"You don't." He said plainly, "but the lords will reward you with your freedom if you are successful."

"No." I disagreed, "you either free them too or I won't do it."

He went to disagree when he paused, tilting his head as if he were listening to someone. A scowl disrupted the glee on his face, giving me some satisfaction. He nodded once to the speaker before looking at me again.

"The lords agreed if you can get it done within 72 hours."

I nodded, unable to speak.

"I will return in 3 days time." He growled, vanishing in a flash of blue.

I stood there for a couple more moments trying to comprehend the situation. The bag in my hand felt heavier than it did before. I slowed started walking to the edge of town and towards the woods where I knew Andy was waiting. The sun was beginning to set, starting the 3 day timer. One last dinner, I would have one last dinner with him. Then he would run away. Andy would run from me instead of with me.

With that realization, I fell to my knees at the edge of town and sobbed. I'm so sorry, Andy.

***

Schink! Destiny sounded as my arrow flew from the precious gift he made me. I could only watch in horror as it spun through the air making a beeline for his heart. I screamed at him to give him warning, but his eyes remained closed, as if resting. I choked as it got closer and closer to taking him away from me.

As it was starting to pierce his skin, it was suddenly stopped. I couldn't hold back my gasp, coughing from the overkill of air I had taken in. His eyes slowly opened and observed the pointed beauty painting his chest with red. With the hand that stopped the arrow, he removed it from the small hole it made in his chest effortlessly.

"To be honest, I didn't think you'd actually do it, Ariya." Andy's deep voice called out to me.

I was pulled from my shock and quickly climbed down from my spot in the tree. My feet made a hard impact with the ground, sending the nearby leaves flying. The pins in my legs intensified ten-fold, but I ignored them and ran to my companion. Once I got within three feet I jumped at him, wrapping him in my arms.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." I cried, not stopping the flowing tears, "it was an accident, I wasn't going to shoot, but my fingers slipped and—"

He cut me off, "it's okay, calm down."

Andy's calloused hand began rubbing my back gently, holding my shaking body. Guilt was eating me alive and the stench of sorrow was clearly spreading from my being. I grabbed him tighter just to assure myself that he was still here. He was eerily calm after being shot at by his long time companion, but I payed no heed. He was still alive.

"You wouldn't have been able to kill me anyways." He murmured softly, running his other hand through my hair.

I could barely hear him through his chest, but the low rumble left me in confusion. He was hardly trained in weapons, all he knew how to do was survive without supplies. I only ever gave him a random knife I found for protection or to get food. I was a huntress, not many could avoid me if they were a target. Then again, how did he stop the arrow?

I tried to pull away from him to get a better look at him, but his arms tightened around me. His grip felt like steel and his chest trapped my own arms between us uncomfortably. I started to get the familiar feeling of adrenaline, but this time it wasn't as a predator. I felt fear shaking my body.

"Wh—what? Andy?" I gasped, struggling as much as I could to free myself, "what do you mean?"

"Shh, it'll be okay. Your compliance will be rewarded, I'll make sure your parents are set free."

Dread began to creep up my body. What was going on? My heartbeat pounded in my ears, blocking out everything else.

"I don't understand." I complained weakly, his grip getting tighter, "what's going on? Andy?"

He sighed, rubbing my back a little more harshly. My breath was getting erratic, my body unable to keep up. Suddenly he grabbed my hair and forced my head back to look up at him. He looked the same, I didn't understand where this behavior was coming from, I've never seen anything like it before. The look in his eyes was stone cold with a sharpness I haven't encountered before. His lips pursed against his flawless skin.

"While you did follow orders, you still tried to kill a lord so you must bear the consequences. I'm sorry, Ariya, I was hoping your feelings for me would leave you with the smaller punishment of disobeying orders."

My eyes widened in shock, a million thoughts flying through my head. I got dizzy from all the realizations. No wonder he was never afraid of my weapon. I felt incredibly stupid, my entire world crashing down around me. Betrayal filling my heart the same way I saw it fill his when I told him to run. I started to protest when I felt a sharp pain enter me from my back.

Andy's expression didn't change as he pulled my own arrow out of my back. My lungs began filling with blood, forcing a cough from me. My legs felt weak, my injured heart racing to its finish. He gently laid me on the ground, supporting the top half of my body against his chest. I coughed again, holding my hand against my mouth to hold my life-force in, but I was fading. The black spots at the edges of my vision confirming it. When I looked at my hand, it was sticky with red.

"You're the lord Andyheirm." I gasped weakly, it was getting harder and harder to breath.

My body had already gone numb, a cold chill swimming through all my veins and leaving parts of me frozen. My vision had gone blurry, the tightness in my chest not leaving, but instead closing in. My head fell back, I didn't have the strength to hold myself up anymore. I could see my hair soaking in the blood pouring out of my back. His tan hand redirected my eyes back up to him. For a moment, I saw a flicker of who I thought I knew before it was replaced with the stranger.

"Yes I am." He confirmed cooly, "lord Andyheirm, the Hunter. You were going to be my second in command. A great huntress who followed orders with an unmatched loyalty no matter the consequences... but you failed."

I blinked up at him, trying to focus on him, but it was difficult. "I was your target?"

He just raised an eyebrow unimpressed, speaking softly, "you were made to be my general. Your parents were training you for me, but my previous general disobeyed orders and sent you away instead of bringing you to me. I went to find you, but you weren't the same obedient huntress anymore. I needed to groom you once more to serve an immortal."

I felt my head nod, I couldn't breathe anymore. The black had taken over all, but a sliver of my vision. I looked up at him, trying to find my companion before I passed. I didn't see him.

"I serve no one." I hissed.

With all the strength I had left, I grabbed the arrow that lay at my side and pushed it as hard as I could into his heart. His look of shock gave me immense satisfaction, blood immediately flowering from the wound and dribbling down his chin as his hacked. His body fell back as he experienced the same process of death as I did. A smile graced my lips as the darkness finally took over. Fuck the hunter, I'm a huntress.