Golden Moon

Chapter 4

Deon scuffed the toes of his boots on the wood floor nervously. His blue eyes scanning the boards. Finally he looked up and spoke directly to the older woman in front of him.

"Mayva, my contract with Brunden is over, and I must leave. You know this. He set the task before me because he knew she would come for him. I was to stop her but I failed. Now I need to finish what he started."

At this, Mayva began to weep, holding a corner of cloth to her eyes. The sandy blonde young man knelt next to her, enclosing her in an embrace.

"You've been a mother to me all these years and I'll never forget that."

He then stood up, smiling for her. After a moment, he walked to the door, opened it, and walked through for the last time.

He gently closed it behind him, the lock clicking into place like it always does. With a sigh, Deon picked up his grey backpack, arms through the loops as he clicked the straps across his chest and stomache. He felt as if part of him was being torn from him, but he didn't know what. Deep breath, then he strode forward.

As he started towards his journey and next chapter in life, he hesitated just on the other side of the wooden fence. Memories flooded his mind. Him, just five years earlier helping Brunden assemble and raise this very fence. He glanced at his hands, the scars still evident from the time he ran full speed into the fence, breaking the boards and sending shards of wood into his hands. He half smiled, fighting off the despair that was threatening to over come his mind.

Moments of agony passed before Deon could stand strait once more. Without turning, he picked up his crossbow and quiver and with confident steps prepared to meet his destiny once more.

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Deon's heart raced, the Hunt on. He knew he needn't look very far or hard for her. She was searching him out. Hidden behind thorny brush, Deon searched the top of the grassy hill. In the heart of the forest, with no one to back him up for hundreds of miles. He knew one mistake and his many years of training would be in vain. There, he saw movement up the hill. By now a plan had formed in his head. Everything was in place. As soon as she got within range, he would have to be quick. Eight minutes of agonizing wait.

Wasting no time, deon opened his pack quietly, checking every few seconds on the progress Kimi was making towards him. He ripped out a bolt from his quiver, and a small container with a black, odorless substance. She was halfway there. With expert motions, deon evenly coated the bolt and a quarter of the shaft in a knockout poison he concocted for this very moment. She was almost upon him.

Slowly, cautiously, Kimi approached the edge of the woods near where deon sat, waiting for his chance. Just inside the line, she froze, feeling a presence in the shadows. Narrowing her eyes, she drew one of her Hunga Mungas, prepared to attack without hesitation. She began to inch closer, the look of a zeroed in leopard on her face.

Deon swallowed nervously. He was about to purposely injure his old friend. "Just a little closer..." He whispered.

The Black Hand of the Underworld stepped out from behind a tree, clearing a clean shot. He didnt hesitate; his finger released the bolt smacking with a solid thunk right where he was aiming. A grunt of surprise escaped her pink lips, eyes wide as she froze in her footsteps, the bolt protruding just beneath her left collar bone. She stumbled forward, throwing her weapon as her vision clouded. With one last, final effort, she lunged forward, falling heavily toward the rich, dark earth. The impact drove the bolt through her and out the other side, breaking off at the end. The forest floor greedily drank in the blood seeping from the wound.

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Stars danced In front of Kimi's eyes. Heavy lids greeted her as she began to feel again. Mustering all the energy she could, the scarred warrior forced open her eyes. Black speckled with specks of blue, red, and white. The arm of the milky way stretched above her. Sluggish thoughts sludged through her. she couldn't move or hear. Feeling unconsousness, She shut her eyes, giving in to the fuzzy feeling.

After half an hour or so of drifting in and out of concsiousness , she began to smell the sweet scent pine smoke and faintly hear the crack of boiling sap popping in hot flames. With more strength, she opened once again her not so heavy lids. She was lying on her side facing the flames of a fire, the warmth gracing her bare face and arms. Noticing her hands bound in front of her, Kimi attempted to prop herself upright only to fall back once more, her head swimming. She began to fight the bands on her wrists, causing them to dig into her skin. A shadow passed in front of her.

She spat at the feet of her captor. "You scum. I hope you crawl back to your precious mummy." The scathing words hardly made deon flinch.

"You should be more grateful I didn't kill you." He sat just out of her reach, his back to the flames.

By now she was gaining more strength. She sat up fully. "You can go to hell, Deon. For all I care you can go 'Auta miqula orqu'."

Deon had taken a syringe from behind him, removing the cap yet keeping it from her vision as she began to hiss.

"You know what? I wish you had actually died on the street that night," she gasped out, a tear streaking down her face. He hesitated, ready to plunge the sleeping poison into her.

"That's right," she spat out as tears began to fall. "For fourteen years I thought you were dead." She tried to stand, wobbling on her feet. She began screaming now as she sobbed. "Kill me now! If that's what you were planning all this time slit my throat and watch my diseased blood spill to the ground!"

Deon jabbed the needle in, depressing the plunger. Instantly she went limp as he caught her. With forced calm, he eased her back to the ground. Stunned, he stood there looking at his prisoner.

"Kimi, what have they done to you."