Cyber Mortality

Chapter 17:

The sun has only just kissed the horizon when DeNyle stirs beside me.

"May?" he whispers and I roll over to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about Jez," he sighs. "I know she can be a little hard to be around, but she's nice deep down. Also, I've got your clothes and they're all dry now."

"Thanks, Nyle," I smile and watch as the items reappear in my inventory. I press to equip them and relish in the feel of my warm fur clothes. "I'm going to peek outside."

He nods and rolls back over, probably to sleep some more.

I step outside and grin when I spy the pink and orange color of the sunrise climbing up behind the mountains. A fresh blanket of fluffy white snow sparkles as the first beams of sunlight hit them. Two eagles swirl overhead and disappear into the trees, probably to a nest. A gentle breeze lazes over my cheeks and twirls a loose strand of my hair. My eyes scan the valley below and squint when I spot a cloud of snow shooting forward across the valley like smoke. The cloud of swirling snow is rather large and looming closer.

"Uh, guys?" I call out and hear both tent flaps unzip.

"What?" Rocky peers out at me.

"I don't know what that is but it gives me a bad feeling," I point to the approaching cloud and Rocky's eyes widen.

"Pack up!" he shouts. "It might be too late already."

"Too late for what?" I question and hurry to pack up my things from the tent.

"To escape," the words are hardly out of his mouth before a bullet whizzes past my ear. DeNyle scrambles to return all of our items to his inventory before calling forth his broad sword. Rocky brings out his pistols and looks for the location the shot was fired from. Far above us on a cliff a flash of light glints.

"Sniper!" Rocky throws his weight onto me sending us both sprawling just as another shot rings out. His hips dig into mine but I am too frightened to care.

"Can't you teleport us away?" I question but he shakes his head and a strand of silver brushes my forehead as he leans over me.

"Teleportation is only for travel," he sighs and rolls off me. "Once in battle, you can't use it."

"Well, that's a stupid rule!" I shout, roll to my feet and call forth Steel and Vengeance.

"I don't think your swords will be much help right now," Rocky tells me. "Use this." He summons a rifle and holds it out to me. "It's got ten shots. Don't waste them." We dive for cover as the sniper fires another shot and I know what I have to do.

"You three prepare for whatever that is," I point to the approaching cloud which is only a few hundred feet away now. "I'm going to take that guy out."

"Are you sure?" Rocky calls after me but I ignore him.

I scamper up the mountain slope and approach where the sniper is hiding. The wind whips my hair and bites my exposed nose, lips, and cheeks. I peer around a corner and see him lying on his belly gazing through his scope. He whips around when I approach and pulls a pistol from his waistband. I knock it away with the rifle Rocky gave me and fire a shot into his chest. Nothing happens. My lips part in surprise and his into a smirk.

"Bulletproof vest, sweetheart," he chuckles and draws a sword from his back.

I bring out Steel and Vengeance just in time to block his swing. I stumble closer to the edge of the as he continuously swings at me. My arms shake from the impact but I hold steady. My heel slides into empty space and my stomach drops. I'm going to fall to my death. I brace for his next swing and shove back when our swords connect. He staggers and I swing with my right sword. It catches him off guard and slices his exposed neck but sends me toppling backward. A scream escapes my lips and I spin the air. The ground rushes up toward me and I extend my hands in front of me and scream with everything inside me. I hear a loud SWOOSH and then slam into a pillow of air before dropping to the snow unharmed.