Little Lightning

Chapter 3

FOUR YEARS LATER

Lyrical's feet hit the ground like thunder.

Hurry! She urged herself. Faster! She dodged trees and bushes, and the occasional floating plant.

Leaping over a fallen log, she slid down the steep hill behind it with ease, years of practice and muscle memory taking over. Footsteps sounded only a few feet next to her. She glanced to her left and managed to catch a glimpse of a shadow before it disappeared. She leaped over another log, a light up ahead marking the edge of the forest.

Lyrical pushed herself forward, emerging into a clearing that was a hundred yards large. Lush green grass and moss was spread across the clearing like a blanket, the last of the dew drops clinging to the blades of grass and the few purple and blue leaves that dotted the clearing. An enormous tree stood at the end of it, swaying pale blue leaves glittering in the early morning sun. The large willow like tree was larger than all of the trees surrounding it, its deep, navy blue bark smooth and nearly faultless, the leaves dangling down from deep purple vines. To someone who had never seen the tree before, it would have been enough cause to stop and stare.

But it wasn't the first time Lyrical had seen it, so its beauty didn't affect her as much as it should have. She raced forward, the ground beneath her feet spongy and soft with moss and dead leaves. She caught a glimmer of light out of the corner of her eye and twisted just in time. An arrow embedded itself into the tree behind her, missing her by a hairsbreadth, but she was already running towards the tree again. She barely had a moment to comprehend the shadow in front of her, its fist cocked back, but it was already too late. Its fist met her stomach with enough force to break a rib. If it weren't for the flexible metal armor underneath her clothes, she had a sense that it would have hurt a lot more.

One moment, she was just about to touch the tree, the next, she was against a different tree on the other side of the clearing.

"Failed." The shadow said. The shadows around the humanoid figure dissipated, leaving a masked warrior clad in a black bodysuit behind. The mask flickered out of existence, leaving a stern angular cut head uncovered. His brilliant bun of silver hair pulled back contrasted starkly against his chestnut-colored skin. Bright ice blue eyes stared at her, slightly unnerving, set on either side of a sharp nose that looked like it had broken and then was set oddly.

"Come on, Kirtash, cut me some slack!" Lyrical groaned out, wobbling to her feet with the help of the nearest tree branch. "I was this--" Once she was standing steadily, she put her forefinger and thumb together with about a centimeter space in between them. "--close to beating you." 

"The Formus isn't going to cut you slack," Kirtash responded firmly as she sat back down. "But yes, you were this close." He imitated her. She scowled at him. "You've gotten better." Her scowl softened slightly. It wasn't often that Kirtash complimented someone, let alone so openly. "But you're still not good enough." Lyrical looked up to see him right in front of her. He extended a hand. She took it and he pulled her up with enough force that she stumbled slightly. 

"Lyrical!" A voice called. Lyrical didn't have to turn around to know who it was, but she turned around anyway. The little boy who was running to her had short silver-blue hair, his wide azure eyes sparkling with joy. He jumped into her arms and she nearly toppled from the sudden extra weight. 

"Hi, Lucas." Lyrical smiled fondly at him. 

"You were awesome!" He exclaimed excitedly. "You were like, whoosh! And then BOOM!" He moved his hands frantically, nearly falling out of Lyricals arms in his excitement. His jovial expression fell for a moment. "Too bad you didn't make it..." His bright smile returned an instant later. "I know you will get it next time though!"