No Land for Princes(s) (ONC2024 Entry)

Chapter Three: Harrowing in The Peach Forest

"Mandrakes," Jieun hissed, afraid her voice might make the creatures scream their deadly scream.

The stranger rolled to his feet and lunged forward, plunging the tip of his blade into the chest of the leading plant monster. He yanked the blade free and struck again, having trouble getting through the creature's tough bark skin. The mandrake swiped at him and he danced under the attack and kicked the monster hard in the side. It stumbled into a second mandrake and both fell to the ground. A third reached for Jieun, but a shoulder tackle from the stranger knock it off its feet.

"These creatures are clumsy," he said, grabbing Jieun and pulling her behind him. "As long as we stay light of foot, we should be able to remain out of their reach."

"They are mandrakes freshly bloomed." Jieun explained, as she moved to match the dancing of the handsome stranger. "Like newborn babes, they haven't fully learned to walk yet, but they learn fast. Look!"

One of the fallen mandrakes rolled to its feet in a sloppy imitation of the stranger's own maneuver. Clicking its teeth together, it lunged for the pair. The stranger shoved Jieun aside with one hand while thrusting with a trio of jabs. The last pierced the soft green inner flesh and the monster made a gurgling sound. The wounded mandrake fell to its knees before bursting into a pile of leaves and loam.

"That was impressive," she said as he repositioned her at his back.

"Not impressive enough, it takes too much to strike at the heart of them." He backed away as the remaining mandrakes closed in. "If they come all at once, I'll be hard-pressed to protect you and fight."

"I didn't ask you to protect me." She blushed at the hard look he flashed her way. "I'm not saying I want you to stop! I was just saying you have no obligation to me."

"I am obligated to protect any woman in need."

"Quite chivalrous," Jieun said under her breath.

He reminded her of the prince's noble older brother. Prince Jun Uhu felt it was his duty to protect anyone weaker than himself, especially his little brother who insisted he didn't need his help.

The mandrakes didn't have the strategic sense to attack all at once or the pair would have been caught by their raking claws. Instead, they staggered in with no real thought for their peers. The first two bumped into one another and the stranger deflected the attacks of the third. This one was the original mandrake whom the stranger had already struck. His blade found its way into the plant creature's soft flesh and reduced it to loam.

Before they could celebrate, more charged out of the brush.

"Curse of a windless night," Jieun hissed.

"Language, sister. Don't anger The Winds or The Creator any further than they already are!"

Jieun squealed as one drew too close and she was forced to defend herself. Sidestepping the first swipe, she blocked the next with the flat of her blade. She instinctively stabbed the creature in the throat, just as Prince Kkachi's sword master had taught him. The blade pierced the softer bark and sank to the knife's small crossguard. The mandrake jerked back with an ear splitting shriek. Jieun stumbled back, clutching her head against the suddenly tilting ground. The stranger staggered past her and kicked the plant monster over. Snatching her hand, he led them into the brush.

The further away they pulled from the shrieking mandrake, the less the world spun at its odd tempos. By the time they could no longer hear the chattering or dizzying shrieks, Jieun was almost able to walk on her own. They stumbled into a small clearing and the stranger toppled forward, disgorged the contents of his stomach. Thankfully there wasn't much. The sound of his heaving guts and the spillage afforded Jieun about three steps before she too was in the dirt losing her dinner from the night before.