Desert Wings

Because Even If You Find Me

More hunters found me, each time I sent them into the Plain. Now I was staring down a woman who claimed to be hunting me down "In the name of Life" as though Life herself wanted to rid me of the White Desert. The problem was that thus girl was a good fighter, and she was fast. We circled each other slowly, both waiting for the other to move, as she steps on a branch I lung forward, swinging my sword as I go. She lifts one of her two blades, the dagger almost the length of a short sword blocks my blow, her short dagger flying up in an attempt to slash open my stomach. I jump back and up into the air, landing before she can throw one of her deadly accurate knives at me, she grins slyly causing apprehension to creep into my mind. I quickly shove it to the side, fearing what it could mean and refocusing on the fight at hand, not wanting to die today, I would not lose, not today. I grab a flaming branch from the fire I had started before she found me and fling it at her, watching in silence as it sputters out before falling to her feet, defeated by her small magics. I growl in frustration, wishing so much that I had even a spark of magic, I fling another branch at her in frustration, watching the branch become consumed, showering both of us in sparks and ash. She grins again, only making me want to smack it off her face as fury coursed through my veins, I was not weak, I will not be beaten down. I have defeated magic wielders before, this would be no different. Just like Fate right? I want to strike down the doubtful voice in my mind, it would only slow me down more now and in the coming day, weeks, how ever long I could avoid Death. I need to distract her, I can't beat her like this, her attention undivided. This was a recipe for disaster.
"So you say you fight in Life's name? Well who are you? Who does an all powerful of the Desert send to slay her enemies?"
"Luck." She grins,"Life have me a charmed existence, so she sends luck to conquer the one who defeated Fate." I nod in understanding, suddenly her odd grins made sense, she was the embodiment of luck, she was more likely to win in everything she tried. Luck sees the way her words hit me and grins again, encouraged by my reply,"You can try to run now little girl, I'll let you. I'll find you though, no matter how fast or how far you run, reach a place you think to be safe and I will be there, holding a knife to your throat as you sleep." Her grin contorts her face, the expression of one who knows they have won, who will live on watching the moment Life takes her spark from their mind and body before banishing the soul,"I will find you Kara. I will catch you. For once you have meet someone who can follow through on the promise that they always win."
"What if I were to kill you as I died?"
She laughed, a light, tinkling, lovely laugh, as though I had genuinely amused her before it became twisted and cruel,"I will have ended you. Therefore I would still have won."
"But you would be dead?"
"Ha! Poor Kara, no one has told her a thing. You'll see the Plain soon enough Kara, soon enough. Then you'll know what I mean."
"Right..." I manage to reply before she started speaking again.
"Now this is your last chance to run Kara, I can promise you will not die tonight if you run." I glance to the setting sun,"Until it rises you will be safe."
"How do I know you mean it?" I ask,"How good is your word?"
"Only as good as you desire it be Kara, no better, no worse. Now do you accept my offer?"
"Yes." I shake her offered hand before running into the woods of the mountain.
"Good bye my little bird! I shall see you when the sun rises!" I ignore Luck and keep running, even as the sun sets.
That night I sleep near the top of the tallest tree I can find, I wake before the sun's light starts to crest the horizon. I hurriedly gather my few things and fly from the tree, chasing the growing light as the sun slowly struggles its way up the sky, spilling light across the snow covered Desert beside me, wanting to maintain more opportunities for cover I stick to the mountains. As the sun starts to gain height in the sky I drift to the ground in an attempt to conserve strength even though I would cover less ground than I would flying. As the sun began to sink in the sky I start to think that Luck was bluffing, that she wasn't really who she had claimed to be, after all, why would Life send someone who was just lucky after me. Why did Life even want me dead? Death was probably bugging her about it. But still, why just luck, Maybe because you killed almost everyone else? Including most of the people who could pull off the job? I have to admit that the little voice has a point, I had managed to kill many of my possible opponents in the Desert, with a few exceptions of course.

As the sun started to set, setting the sky ablaze I stopped to make and light a torch so I could keep going and see the rocky terrain, now was no the time to break an ankle. As I stand up with my new torch in hand Luck steps up from the already shadowed ground,"Good idea, wouldn't want to trip while running for your life." I frown and ignore her,  I start walking,"I'll give you a little longer. Find a battle ground I'll let you choose, that is the longest I will give you." I roll my eyes at her before continuing to walk,"I know I'm very kind, letting you choose a place you will have the advantage on." I bite back a cruel response and keep walking,"Trying to throw me huh? Well it won't work." Luck practically sang at me and I practically drew blood with how hard I was biting my cheek to keep from replying, only now I was trying to throw her off as she had suggested before. I couldn't tell if it worked or not, she kept talking my ear off, I wanted to slap  her, or cut out her tongue so she couldn't talk anymore. That would work to, but I also did not want to fight in this narrow of a space, to little room for me to maneuver, and it eliminated my option of flying due to the dense forest and low canopy.  As the sun sinks lower in the sky and stars begin to scatter the dark skies around me, no longer accompanied by the colored ribbons of fire that had once streaked the sky along side them. As the sun finishes its nightly funeral pyre with red and orange streaks invading the deep blue of the night we reach a bare rocky slope, I stick my torch between two boulders, watching the strange shadows the opposing lights cast along the ground, my sword, my opponent. 

Luck drew her short sword and her dagger, not appearing to pay any mind to the fast fading light of the sun, nor the twisting shadows cast by the blazing torch as the wind began to play with the tongues of flame. I partially spread my wings, watching Luck as she watched me. I lifted my sword, waiting, watching her play with me, my mind, my emotions even though I tried to stop her, tried to reassure myself that she is trying to get under my skin, to throw me off my game. Is she afraid of me?  I wondered as she suddenly sends her short sword in a wide arch meant to connect with my left side. I move my sword just in time, hers bouncing off the flat of my blade, with a grin she drives her knife forwards, almost hitting my side as I dance backwards. Her short sword follows, driving me back, I duck under her sword and drive my own up to hit her exposed upper arm, holding back her knife hand as she locks our sword blades. I realized how bad of a position I was in to late, her knife hand came free of my grasp and I barley had time to roll away before her blades sliced the air where I had just been. I get to my feet quickly and launch myself into the air, landing behind Luck. She whips around to face me, sword interlocking with sword once again before we pull back only to dive for each other once again. Our timing perfect, neither of us landing a blow, fatal or otherwise, just the sound of metal striking metal echoing through the air. Suddenly a solid, definitive snap echoes through the air, Luck lifted her foot from the boulder she had been standing on, her weight having broken the bones of the snake underneath,"He's coming, this will soon enough be good bye Kara." Luck grinned at me as she sheathed her blades,"I will leave you two to resolve you dispute, it should be a good show, shouldn't it?" Luck sat down on the boulder and waited for Death to arrive.

*******
Hey guys!
The battle quickly approaches, who do you think will win?
247 views! Yay!
Please vote.
Comment?
Please enjoy!