The Dark Hunters

Chapter 21

Braden POV

We walk for about four hours. Talking to pass the time. Talking about our past lives, our future, and even ways to get in and murder Kerani.

We do this for five days.
Walk four hours.
Rest four hours.
Walk four hours.
Rest four hours.
That same pattern. But we talk about different things. Sometimes our hopes and dreams. But when I ask her about her sibling, she shuts me out. Clearly not wanting to talk about it.

We are now on the third hour of our sixth day. Odeya suddenly goes rigid and drops to the ground.

Startled, I jump down next to her.
She lays her ear on the ground and faces me. Worry creasing her brow-which turns to fear within seconds.
I put my hand on her lower back. "What is it?" I ask.

She looks very frightened. "Footsteps. Coming this way. An Assassin."
The blood drains from my face. "How can you tell?"

She gives me an irritated look and says. "By the way it walks. I can hear and feel the duty and death in its walk."
As if on cue a bullet lands right next to Odeya's ear. She instantly jumps up, grabs my hand, and starts running.
We run.
The Assassin shoots.
We don't look back.
A bullet just grazes my ear. In surprise, I yell and raise my hand to cup my ear.
"Braden!" Odeya yells. "Are you alright?"

I nod numbly. She doesn't smile.
"We can't run forever." She says. "I know once we reach the Azile realm we'll be able to blend in easier, but we're still a least a day away. But I have an idea. We're in the woods of the Feline, right?"

I nod. My hand still clutching my ear, trying to slow the bleeding.
"All I have to do." She puffs. "Is summon a Feline. They're way faster than the Assassin and we might just outrun it.

"That's still dangerous." I say weakly.
"Do we have much of a choice?" She argues.
I puff out my chest and try to keep up with her. I'm already falling behind.
"No." I mumble.
"Exactly." She says, and she falls back a little to keep pace with me. Then she takes deeper breaths as she runs, and starts to summon a Feline.
"Esaelp ho taerg Enilef." Odeya yells in Elvish Language. The worldwide language. Everyone in this dimension knowns this language. Elvish Language is just saying words backwards. "Pleh su. Ew eriuger efas egassap ot eht tekram of eht Eliza mlaer. I geb uoy. Esaelp pleh su." She finishes. It is translated to, 'Please oh great Feline. Help us. We require safe passage to the market of the Azile realm. I beg you. Please help us.'

I look around. Not a sound, except for the rushing of our hearts and the shots of the Assassin.

"I don't think-" I start, but Odeya holds a finger to her lips. "Just wait." She whispers.

I wait a little longer and right as I was about to open my mouth, the trees start creaking. Moaning, almost. A roar follows the creaking. Not far from us, but still not close enough.

A Feline.

It heard Odeya's call. I glance back as we run, and my stomach sinks as I see the outline of the Assassin. He almost has a clear shot now.

"Quick!" Odeya yells. "He's about to have a clear shot! We have to get into cover. Into the trees!"

She speeds up, grabs the lowest branch of the nearest tree, and swings herself up onto the fourth branch, scrabbling to get a hold. Just as a bullet whizzed past where she had been just a moment before.

I run as fast as I can to the tree that diagonals hers.

Taking my bloody hand from my ear, I jump with all the energy I have left, to the lowest branch and swing myself to the fourth.
The Assassin comes running and stops under Odeya's tree. He starts shooting upward.