Sunshine and shadows

Villain and hero

Arya stood courageously in front of her ragtag group of fighters. She'd been told throughout her life that her mettle would be tested by a great villain and that she would rise to the challenge. Honestly, she hadn't felt any great power or capability rise within her yet, but she'd been hyped up so much that everyone had pinned their hopes on her, and she couldn't possibly give up without trying.

So there she was, facing a man whom people could only whisper about in their dreams. War and chaos were raging all around her, and she felt the pressure rise to take care of everyone. It was the faceoff, where hero and villain came face to face. She quickly turned to her second in command, 'Go. Take everyone else and deal with the other areas. Spread out evenly and make sure there are enough people to diffuse the fights.'

He frowned at her, a hint of doubt in his eyes. 'But Arya, how can we leave you like this? This man is dangerous; you should have someone by your side.'

Arya fully turned to face him. She made her displeasure clear in her face and tone as she reprimanded him, 'Do as I say, Khol. I told you I can handle him on my own.'

In reality, Arya was afraid that the others suspected she wasn't ready, or strong enough to defend herself. But this was an opportunity to show them how capable she was, and she wasn't going to let it go.

Khol nodded, clearly still worried, and led her group away. Watching them go, she felt the first genuine stab of fear. Was she doing the right thing?

Before she could change her mind and call them back, the villain laughed.

'You really let go of your cavalry?' He said. 'Now watch what happens to you.'

He raised his hand and summoned a bright, throbbing red ball of energy. She raised her arms in defence and desperately tried to conjure a defensive spell. The villain narrowed his eyes slightly when he saw that she wasn't doing anything, but put his doubts aside and hurled the ball at her.

She shut her eyes in agony as the flaming ball streaked towards her and enveloped her in a fiery cocoon. Her body wasn't able to handle the negative energy, in spite of the protective spell various people had cast over her.

She fainted on the spot, crumbling to the ground. The villain looked on with shock. Her defeat had been too easy. He began to feel guilty for attacking someone so weak and fragile. To him, the easy victory felt like he had won over a toddler, someone who stood no chance over him.

When the guilt became too much to bear, he decided to save Arya, only so that she could return stronger, and put up a proper fight. He looked around to see if anyone was watching, and when he spotted no one in the immediate vicinity, he ran over to Arya and picked her up.

'You're a complete disaster,' he groaned. 'How did your group ever let you out of their sight? Stop picking fights with people you can't fight.'

He carried her to the nearest war zone, making sure to asset his surroundings. He didn't want anyone witnessing the strange turn of events, and he especially didn't want anyone thinking he had gone soft. Although, he was starting to doubt his own moral strength.

He carefully set Arya's body down and walked a few steps back to admire his work. From the way she was sprawled out, if anyone were to see her like this, they would assume she had managed to escape their fight.

He inclined his head and spoke with a low voice, 'Come to me when you're prepared. I'll be waiting.'

Then he turned on his heel and walked away.