Of the Wild

The Chase

*Hageric man

The princess was entirely too clever for this bunch of lugs. Every time we caught up to her, she would our run, out maneuver and outsmart them. We'd been tracking her for days, but she was always one step ahead of them, er, us. Only the thought of all the money promised to them kept this group of dirty, vulgar hunters and criminals from giving up and going back to their evil lives.

We'd finally crept up on her again. Even she had to stop for some rest. Dawn was not far away, but it was still dark around us. It was painstakingly slow to surround her. Every darn step these men made raised up enough noises to cause a stampede, it seemed. Four men were around the other side of the copse of trees the princess had chosen to hide out in. Another four were to my left, still spreading out.

If their weapons weren't so big and bulky, they could move faster, I thought to myself.

I led three more men to complete the circle. I was a silent mover in the jungle, so I was the one in charge of this would-be stealth mission. I waved for the other three men to stop and then I looked around. My gaze swept over everything around us. In the copse, I could make out the fabric of the princess's uniform.

I smirked and raised my hand up. We've got you now, Your Very Royal Highness.

I chopped my hand down through the air and all at once the other hunters attacked the trees. They screamed and roared in their victory. I stayed where I was, watching. The white and yellow fabric in the tree didn't move at all. If that had been me, I would have freaked out and moved…

I cursed loudly and looked around wildly. Where did she go!?

"Thought you were smart, huh?" A sweet, cooing voice said from behind me. I whirled around and pulled my knife. Where? I looked up and saw the smiling face of the princess. Her now black clothes blended in with the darkness of the trees. Her long, black hair fell around her shoulders in curling waves.

“You weren’t,’’ She finished before moving her leg and sending a sharpened branch right at me like a javelin. I gasped and dove out of the way, hitting the dirt. I spat out dirt and bugs as I looked up. I could barely make out the princess’s quickly disappearing form.

“She’s getting away!” I screamed. I started getting up, but was constrained by the branch that was now embedded in the soft earth across me. I growled in frustration. “Hunters, she is getting away!”

I struggled to crawl out from under the branch. I gasped and covered my head as the rest of the hunters trampled past me in pursuit, some stepping on me. I cursed them all thoroughly as I shimmied over the dirt. I scrambled to my feet and ran after them.

My heart hammered in my chest as I sprinted just to catch up. Ahead of the pack, I couldn’t see the princess. “Don’t let her get away!”

They weren’t letting her get away, but they certainly weren’t catching her. We ran after her through the thick jungle for over a mile before one hunter raised his bow and shot at her. I puffed and ran even faster. We needed her alive and in one piece! I would have him beheaded for endangering the princess like that!

I leapt over a log and ran past a hunter who had fallen. Sweat dripped down my face and I silently cursed the princess again. She kept running and jumping through the tree canopy like a jaguar. I caught a glimpse of her when she leapt across a gap and grabbed a vine. She swung to a tree on the other side and kept going. I shook my head in amazement.

The hunters in front of me came to a sudden stop and I slammed right into them, falling on my rear. I looked up and then around them. A tan pit of quick sand lay before us and two of the hunters had already fallen in and were starting to sink. Thoughts racing, I again, got to my feet and shoved past the much larger hunters. I used the backs of the sinking hunters as a bridge to keep after the princess.

I couldn’t lose her! Losing her was not an option. No matter what I had toto catch her. I pumped my arms and legs violently. The jungle around was starting to thin and I could see better. The sun was just cresting the horizon as the princess and I broke out of the jungle.

I saw her stumble as she landed on the harder ground and then keep going. I dug deep for a last bit of speed.

The jungle had ended a few hundred feet from the very edge of a cliff. A brown rockface guided a surging waterfall to our right.

Princess Jessa skidded to a halt a yard or two from the edge of the cliff. Her hair blew around everywhere as she whirled to face me. I slowed down and took heaving deep breaths. This body wasn't made for that kind of running.

I smirked. "Thought you were clever, did you Princess?" I asked her. "You weren't."

She clencbed her fists and squared her shoulders. "You'll find that I am not an easy bird to catch."

"I heard throwing large stones at birds is a great way to do it." I had to yell over the roar of the waterfall.

She frowned more and said something, but I couldn't hear her. I started walking toward her, pulling a length of coarse rope from my pack. I could see the fear on her face, but there was more there too. She looked determinded, the wheels obviously turning in her head. She looked down, over her shoulder, at the water raging behind her.

"Don't do anything stupid." I hollered at her.

She looked back at me, lips pressed together. Suddenly, she smiled, her blue eyes lighting up. "I won't."

I frowned and closed the distance between us. Spry from the waterfall started soaking us. I reached for her arm but she danced lightly backwards, shaking her head.

I scowled at her. "Don't make this any harder than it has already been, princess."

She looked behind me and then smiled at me. "I plan to!"

I got a horrible feeling and whirled around. The rest of the hunters had finally gotten to the edge of the jungle. Half of them were running at the princess and I, the other half were drawing weapons. I yelped and ducked. An Agorian hunter barrelled right past me and reached his long arms out for the princess.

"Hey! She is mine!" Another Hageric male, this one a known thief, yelled as he threw a knife at the hunter.

The Agorian had wrapped his arms around the princess's waist. She struggled against his massive arms and looked up in time to see the knife. She squeaked and kicked off from the ground with both feet. She propelled herself up enough to avoid the knife, which embedded itself in the Agorian's abdomen.

The Agorian dropped the princess who darted away before he could fall on her like a tree.

I growled under my breath. "Stop it! Stop fighting and get the princess!" I commanded.

The rest of them didn't listen. As each one got closest to the princess, it would be felled and attacked by the next one in the swarming line. I stood up again and ran for the princess before she could get away.

"Oof!" I cried as a Ralaminite tackled me. We hit the dirt with a thud and rolled. I screamed in anger and slammed the heel of my hand into his face. I did it a few more times as I wormed my way out of his grasp.

I gasped for air and pushed myself up to my knees. The rest of the hunters fought and rolled around on the ground around me, yelling and screeching. I swept my gaze around. I didn't see the princess.

"No!" I yelled angrily. I slammed my fists on the ground furiously. How could I lose her?!

I lurched to my feet and faced the jungle. I didn't see her running away. I didn't know which direction she went in. Despair and desperation overcame me. I was so close! I almost had her. I was within arm's rea-

I heard a splash behind me.