Kaskia: A Hero's Awakening

Chapter 7

"Run!" Brittany yelled as their pursuers were catching up. The group ran further into the woods, trying as best they could to put more distance between them and the soldiers. Try as she could, Brittany could not come up with any scenario where they were not all captured, the only way she could protect her children was to slow them down. She had to trust in Aiden and Ellie to protect Rina. Making up her mind, Brittany halted, pulling both Rina and Aiden into a tight hug.

"Listen, there's not much time." Brittany stated, watching for the signs of their pursuers. "Aiden, you must protect Rina and get away from here."

"No, mom!" Aiden protested, pushing away from his mom. "I won't leave you!"

"Mommy!" Rina sobbed, holding her mother tightly in her arms.

"You have no choice!" Brittany yelled back. "They don't want you, they want your father and me. Our past is catching up with us." She said in a gentler voice. "Ellie, protect them. When I can, I will catch up with you. Please be safe, my loves." She continued, kissing both Aiden and Rina on their forehead. "Do not go towards the house, go further into the woods, head to the river and go south until you reach Osion. Find Terran when you're there, do you understand?"

"Ye... Yes..." Aiden replied, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Good, now go!" Brittany told them, turning away from them so they could not see the tears streaming down her cheeks.

Both Aiden and Rina reluctantly ran away from their mother, Ellie trailing behind them, protecting their rear. Both children had tears strolling down their face as they ran and ran, not knowing how far or how long would be safe.

Brittany hid behind a tree, arrows nocked and ready to go, tears running down her face, knowing that she may never see her children again. She could hear the soldiers getting closer and closer. She took a deep breath, stepped out from behind the tree, surprising the soldiers, and let loose her arrows. Each one finding their intended target. Yet with each enemy down, there were more coming.

"Halt!" Came the voice from the Felien.

Brittany ducked back behind the tree, glancing out towards the soldiers, waiting for whatever they were plotting.

"Give it up!" The Felien ordered. "You cannot possibly believe you can take us all on."

"Who are you and what do you want?" Brittany demanded from the Felien.

"I am Leaon, and I've been sent to retrieve someone for our King." Leaon replied. "You are to come with us, along with anyone you are with!"

"He's not my King!" Brittany replied, peeking out from behind the tree to fire another arrow at Leaon's head.

"I guess we do this the hard way." Leaon replied, catching the arrow in his paw.

Brittany let loose a few arrows, taking out the soldiers nearest to the Felien before realizing that soldiers were closing in on her. She began to panic as she heard rustling sounds coming from every direction. (I'm surrounded... But how!?" She thought, swearing that she had been paying attention to where they were. Somehow, they had managed to sneak up on her, something that should not have happened. She turned in time to duck away from one soldier and kick another out of her way. Brittany ran in the direction opposite that her children ran, hoping to lure the soldiers away from them, only turning to fire arrows at her pursuers.

"You're surrounded!" A soldier taunted as more appeared in the woods in front of her, only to get an arrow to the face as a reply.

"Give up!" Another soldier demanded, pointing his sword at her. "There's nowhere to run!"