To Lose What You Found

Chapter 2

-Ace-

Why is this girl here?

Why is she still following me?

Why is she so desperate!?

"Hey, I'm waiting! Don't tell me you said you'd fight me just to run," she says putting her hands on her hips. The nerve of this girl. I really don't want to waste my time with her, but I'm a man of my word.

"I'm coming down, just be patient," I growl as I slip my pocket knife into my boot. Wait, maybe I shouldn't do that, she probably knows where I comfortably put my knife. Ugh.

I activate one of my skills before jumping down and when I land, I smirk at her. You can't do that.

"Show off," she says, taking a step back. I tilt my head at her, saying, "Wait, wait, wait, can't I get ready? I promise I won't be unfair."

"Hmm, the sarcasm in your voice doesn't make me believe that statement," she nods, "but if you promise, I've gotta trust you."

I smirk at her.

"You ready now?" She asks, once I take a few steps back. I put a finger up and stare at the ground, thinking of what to do.

When I look back up at her, she's clipping some of her short, chestnut brown hair out of her face.

"You know, that's the shortest I've seen a girl cut her hair," I state, looking at the fresh snow fall from the sky.

"Oh? Is it? I wonder why? Hmm maybe it's because you lived in the palace."

"That is true. But haven't I been running for seven years, I've seen all types of women... Hey, how long have you been chasing?"

"So now you're curious?"

I put my hood down while saying, "Well, yeah. Shouldn't I know the story of this innocent young girl?"

She rolls her eyes at me, making me chuckle and say, "Okay, you've caught me, I lied. I want to know because you couldn't possibly have been chasing since you were twelve."

"Guess, and don't underestimate me."

I stare at her for a moment. I can't believe we're about to see if she's taking me away or if I'm sending her away. We're talking the way two travelers would over a fire.

"Three years, making you the same age I was when I started running," I say quietly. She nods, impressed, before saying, "Wow, I never realized how lonely you are."

"Neither did I... Well, anyway, are you ready because I am." She nods as she puts her fingers in a comfortable position to pull back on the arrow.

I put my hand out, catching a snowflake, "Such a shame this new snow will be dyed red."

"Quite a shame, really. But whose blood'll it be?"

Shrugging I say, "Maybe both of ours."

"Okay, I'll settle with that."

I activate wind to quicken my speed as she draws her bow. She shoots and, of course, she misses. She laughs as if she was expecting that, "Would you've been able to dodge if speed wasn't on your special skills list? Ya know, the only reason you're top four is 'cause your skills make you, you." She laughs harder as she pulls out her little whistle.

I chuckle, saying, "Oh, are you trying to provoke me?" I see a sparkle in her eye as she says, "No, just distract you."

I activate wind, making her fly backwards into a tree. WhIle she gasps for air while I pick up her bow and throw it aside. She looks up at me and we stare at each other in such an intense way, you'd think we're trying to look into each other's souls.

"Well, that was quicker than I expected," I say, tilting my head at her. She chuckles as she says, "I knew it. Wind, how else would people be disembodied? Does that also make you fast?" She sits up while saying, "Let's get this over with."

I stare down at her before asking, "Did you plan this?"

"Duh." I don't know how she managed to get her whistle out without me noticing, but she did and now there's nothing more I can do.

My hands jump to my ears, and I fall to my knees. No skill can make that sound go away, in fact that sound makes skills unusable while played. Only specials can hear it, it's like a dog whistle, normals claim it sounds beautiful.

"Stop! Please! Have a little mercy!" I shout, as I curl up trying to block it out. I don't notice that she's stopped until I feel a needle in my leg. I jump away from her, expecting her to attack. But all she does Is say, "I wouldn't recommend that."

"Why? Did you just poison me?" I ask, massaging my ears as there's still a ringing in them.

"Let's see," she says proudly. Out of instinct, I stand up, but then my legs feel light and I drop into the snow, my body following after.

"You've a weakness, which has made you very vulnerable. But why do I match the description?" She asks while pushing a lock of my cherry red hair out of my face.

"Dammit," I mumble, feeling anger fill my chest. She wears an extremely devious smile as she asks, "Was that the first time you begged?"

"No, surprisingly it's not." I mutter, avoiding her eyes.

"Hehe, I won!"

"Now what are you going to do? You can't drag me," I state, smirking. She stands and opens her mouth to speak but stops when she hears a crunch in the snow behind me. She picks up her bow and pulls out an arrow... that's surprisingly not broken. I try hard not to laugh. She can't see him, because he's behind her.

She looks down at me and notices where I was looking. She spins around, but too late. She tries to shoot at him, but he dodges in an unrealistic way. He jumps at her, taking her by shock and pins her down.

I know she knows she's down, as she doesn't fight back. Instead she says, "Hello, Ash."