Answering My Destiny (Short Story)

Answering My Destiny

     The air was chilly. This was my last chance, my ONLY chance. Whatever happens after this, it would determine what I become. I could do this! I had to do this. I clutched the sword in my hand tightly, panting deeply as I tried to catch my breath. It was quiet...I thought, too quiet. That could only mean that it had gone to stalk another prey. I had to be fast when I moved. Any type of movement or sound would be heard. Every voice in my head was telling me to move, preferably to run in the opposite direction, but I stayed. Watching. Listening.

The voices of the Lost Ones echoed through the trees in the distance, and I knew I had to strike. The piercing screams turned my breathing into gasps, but I remained motionless and calm. Its noisy voice was carried throughout the forest - the bizarre, animalistic growl vibrated through the branches- and I knew it was coming closer. I allowed my muscles to become tense, gripping the sword tighter, ready for the swift movement of the blade that would sever its deformed head off its body. I would let it move past me, and it would be mine.

That's what I thought.

I shifted back, my weight snapping a twig at my feet. The crack could be heard in the silence. A string of curses flew through my mouth as I realized what I had done. I, Freya Marin, had just become the hunted. I had completely avoided being detected until now.

Stupid Freya. Stupid, stupid.

The creature was screeching now, its snarling voice filling up the forest with a shocking grunt. I hated it. The ugliest creature I had ever seen. A Bezerker. As I looked past the tree and into the woods, a pair of glaring red eyes stared right at me and was heading in my direction. "Alright Frey, this is the moment. It all comes down to this moment. Just kill it then run," I said as I took my stand ready to fight the Bezerker.

I didn't think it through. My arms moved, slicing through flesh and bones as long thick fingers reached out to grab me. The cocky snarls turned into agonizing howls and then silence as the blade met its throat. My perfect hiding place obviously ruined, I bolted into an open field, seeking out Ryland and the fortress. Suddenly, thumping began behind me and was picking up its pace. I turned around abruptly and regretted it as I saw three Bezerkers chasing after me. "Damn it Freya," I began, "you never learn." The next thing I knew, I was being pulled back into the Forest of Aerim by no other than Ryland. He spoke with a harsh tone, "you never listen to me. I told you to stay put!"

"I just wanted to help. You guys never let me go anywhere at all. I'm not completely useless you know?! I just killed a Bezerker back there!" she yelled frustrated that he was screaming at her.

"Freya, you can't. You're a-"

"Don't you dare say it's because I'm a girl Ryland. I don't know what you have against me fighting. I'm sick and tired of you saying I can't do something because I'm a girl. I get it okay!" Freya was livid at this point. She hated the way they treated her, like she was dirt under their feet. Her face turned beat red and she clutched her hand, ready to hit Ryland. "I know what you're thinking right now, so don't do it. We have much bigger problems than this, so we'll talk about it when we get back," Ryland said as we cut through corners of the forest trying to get back to the fortress. We ran as fast as our feet would take us, not daring to look back to see how close the Bezerkers were to us. All we could hear was the stomping of feet and the loud gnarls of these creatures.

I felt Ryland slowly let go of my hand. I turned to face him as he said, "Keep running and don't look back. I'm going to stall them. The fortress is up ahead. GO!" I decided not to argue with him and continued further into Aerim.

After what felt like hours of running, I had finally reached the fortress. I was finally was safe, but a part of me worried about Ryland. He was still nowhere in sight. All of a sudden, he came running through the woods, bow and arrow in hand. He ran inside yelling at the guards, "Lock every single door and guard it! There are more out there heading this way!" I followed him as he quickly ran up to the tower and outside. From every corner a Bezerker was running towards our tower. I grabbed the closest bow and arrow and began to shoot. At this point, I could care less what Ryland or any other male warrior thought. This was my chance to prove that I was more than just a girl.

"Freya what are you doing?! Get inside and protect yourself!" Ryland screamed, shooting spears at a Bezerker's heads covered with its skull mask. "No!" I shot back, "I am going to help. I want to prove myself, so let me." I continued to fight not waiting for an answer. Whatever happened after this, it would determine what I became. I could do this! I had to do this. After being annihilated, there was one Bezerker left. As I looked closer I could see Ryland trying to fight it and clearly, he was losing. I had to help him. I dropped the bow, grabbed my sword one more time, and ran outside. When I reached outside, what I saw made my face go pale. The tall, muscular creature had latched its long arms around Ryland's neck, squeezing it very hard. Everyone knew that once the Bezerkers got their arms around you, most of the time, you didn't survive. However, I couldn't throw my sword without risking Ryland's neck being cut in the process. Ryland reached his arms in between their bodies, trying to pry the Bezerker off. By the look on his face, I knew he didn't have long without air. The only idea that came to my head was to set it on fire. They hated fire more than anything, so this was my chance to get it unaware. My ONLY chance.

The Bezerker growled boldly, thinking about its victory that was at hand. What happened next surprised all of us. "Ryland at the count of three, I need to lift your legs up. Don't question me, just do it!" Ryland glanced at me and nodded his head quickly. He lifted his legs as much as he could and left it there.

Setting the fire at its feet, the flame suddenly erupted. I leaped back in shock- and also to avoid the flailing Bezerker, who released Ryland quickly to the ground with a piercing cry. The creature swung its arms around, trying to put out the flames, while Ryland crawled to the side, grabbing his throat and gasping for air. I did what came to my head again. I jumped forward; with one nice cut, the Bezerker's head was detached from its body. It still had a look of shock in its eyes when its head hit the ground.

Ryland stumbled forward and collapsed against a tree, his shoulder's heaving as he still gasped for air. He turned to look at me and stayed silent. No words were needed, his face said it all. He looked surprised, angry and relieved all at the same time. Then it finally sunk it. I had done it! I had finally done it. I finally proved what it takes. I, Freya Marin, a girl, had defeated a Bezerker, the most feared creature in the forest. Whatever happened after this, it would determine what I became. This situation definitely determined who I was. I was Freya Marin: the first and only female warrior to ever defeat a Bezerker.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see Ryland smiling down at me. "Damn Frey. I didn't know you had it in you. Maybe you're not just a girl after all. I think the guys could learn something from you," he said complimenting me one more time before he headed inside the fortress. Before I could go anywhere, I was surrounded by the other warriors who praised and bombarded me with questions. I felt on top on the world.

That was when it ended... I woke up from my dream. When I looked around my room, I noticed the room was dirty. There were scratch marks and dirt all over the place. The dream had seemed too real- the sword, the Bezerkers, Ryland- and it scared me. I began to think about Ryland, wondering if he was really real. Then I remembered: "A dream we dream alone is only a dream. But a dream we dream together, is reality."

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