Custos Unicorium 1 ~Longe Aluid--Something Very Different~

Chapter Eighteen: Confusion

"Olivenia?" I breathed. The cool smirk on her face was something I'd never seen her adorn. "Olivenia?" My voice rose. 

"Yes Regina," the girl paced around the stranger, and stood facing me. Her face was twisted in a contempt smirk. She looked so... oddly mature, such a young girl. This wasn't the quiet, sweet little girl I knew. 

"What the hell!" My confusion, courage flower, and new anger flashed through me. That flower of courage moved into my limbs, and I leapt. I knew--everybody knew-- I couldn't fight my way out of a wet pile of leaves, but since these were the "men" I'd thought they were and we'd probably end up dying, I figured I shouldn't go down without an "attempt" fight. 

I was fast. Olivenia tried to move to the side, but I caught her shoulder. I only managed to ram into her, which obviously wasn't a great fighting technique. I slapped my hand towards her and connected to her back. Obviously she wasn't a great fighter either. Her block hit my arm as a blow, and not a hard one at all. 

Legs. You can use those in a fight. My weight shifted to my left, and my right leg lifted up...and collided with Olivenia's hip. Dammit. I lost my balance and fell to the ground. The stranger was just standing there. That was good. I'd try not to get her involved. 

My top leg, right, lashed backwards. My calf hit hers. Ouch. That probably hurt me more than it hurt her. I flipped over. Back of the knee. That might work. I struck out my left leg at the back of her knee. 

"Shit!" Olivenia cried as she fell. I pushed myself to my feet. My shoulders felt something on them. 

"Enough with all this silly...messing around," the stranger's voice pierced my ears. "Olivenia! Get up!" 

I shot my leg backwards at the stranger. One hand moved from my shoulder and grabbed my leg. Dammit. My balance faltered, and I leaned forward. If I hadn't been held, I'd've fallen. 

I thought of Koriun. 

"Olivenia. Some rope." 

"Yes Amanda." 

So her name was Amanda. My mind went back to Koriun. I'd have yelled for him to run, but I knew he wouldn't listen. I swing my head around to where the unicorn was, but pain met my head. My vision blurred. 

"Fuck!" the profanity escaped from my voice as Amanda hit me. By the time the pain in my head receded a thin rope was being wrapped around my limbs.  

"Do you know...why...we're here?" I'd almost be ready for them to kill me if Amanda kept talking. My ears begged my mouth to tell her to shut the hell up.  

"Obviously," logic forced me to say that. More pain would be the only thing I'd gain from this position if I said what my ears wanted me to. 

"What?" Amanda demanded. 

"A unicorn's horn. I'm not four. Everybody knows." More pain met my skull. Obviously I'd said something wrong. 

"For what?"  

"How the fuck should I know?" If I was going to get hit for something that's not even offensive, I might as well be offensive.  

No more pain. Amanda just laughed. "Immortality." 

"If you think that you will get that from a unicorn horn then you're sadly mistaken," I said, but a surprised noise came from--I assumed-- Koriun. 

"Not just the horn!" Amanda cried, "Stupid girl!" Wow, was she defensive. Perfect example right here, of someone who sleeps on one of those dumb, itchy, rough straw mattresses. Makes you irritable.