Opavia vl.2

23.

Kierra looked up slowly from the large crater in the ground, her body shaking at the strain. her paints dulled as she sat up, her sea of curls a mess. she wore warpaints, 3 handprints imprinted on her back. the lowest was a black print, a purple print over it and finally a yellow print the freshest. she wore her traditional clay-red paints, a white halter shirt tied around her neck and mid-back. she wore a long brown skirt, slitted on the sides with a crotch-guard placed in the center. she wore gold wristlets, light brown curly hair falling just below her shoulder. beads and feathers decorated her sea of gorgeous curls, dirt and blood staining her almost flawless beauty. she sat up, crawling from the dirt crater and collapsing. she stared up at the sky, panting as memories of the burning forest of opavia flashed inside her head. she gritted her teeth, slamming her fist into the ground. rocks extruded out, shooting out the ground and knocking trees back.

"damnit!" she roared. kierra looked back as men gathered around her at the border of the tree line. she looked past her fallen curls to glare at them, a deadly glint in her hazel eyes. they raised guns and swords towards her, kierra gritting her teeth.

"someone call the navy!" a leading man yelled. a young boy turned voluntarily, attempting to run away as a rock extended from the ground. he tripped over it, looking back as kierra leapt up. her foot attempted to crush his head although he rolled out the way. kierra lifted her leg and kicked him back, throwing up a rock wall behind her as they fired at her. she lifted her leg, kicking the wall back to ram the men over as she dodged a sword, pushing it down and slamming her forehead into a man before grabbing his collar. she threw him at another man before drawing her dagger. she turned, tackling a man. she pinned his arms with her knees, leaning over him as she placed the tip of her dagger below his chin.

"woah!" he exclaimed, kierra narrowing her eyes as she glared down at him. his freckled face seemed relaxed as he gave a crooked smile, kierra maintaining eye-contact with him. he was shirtless, wearing dark shorts with a belt and a hat loose around his neck. kierra scoffed. "easy."

"don't tell me easy!" she snapped, pushing the knife closer to his skin. he winced, locking gazes with her again.

"i'm not with them!" he insisted. "i'm not going to hurt you. i promise."

"promises are fool's hope." she snapped back, the man seeming to smirk.

"how about this. you get off of me and i get you out of here before their buddies come." he gestured to the unconscious man beside him. "trust me, there's a lot of these bastards-"

"do not speak to me like we are friends!" she roared, the boy gritting his teeth.

"alright, alright." he threw his hands up, gently placing them atop of kierra's. "you won. now let me help you."

"i don't need your help."

"you're wounded and if we don't get out of here soon, the navy will take you out easily."

"is that an insult?!"

"did you not hear me?!" he yelled. "i'm trying to help you, you fool! we need to go!"

"you should watch how you speak to me." she gritted. "do you know who i am?!"

"of course i know who you are!" the man snapped, leaning forward. "now let me help you."

"i can't trust you." she gritted her teeth.

"i'm all you've got right now, princess. you can come with me or not." he retorted. kierra's ears perked and she turned, listening to the rapid footsteps approaching in the distance. she rose off of him and as the boy attempted to stand as well, she turned and slapped his head with her bow.

he fell back, gritting his teeth as kierra fled into the tree line.

"you're going the wrong way!" he snapped, gritting his teeth as his body became engulfed in flames. kierra leapt over logs and fallen trees, sprinting through the forest as the sudden heat of fire fell over her backside. she turned, spotting a line of fire behind her. she fell back in fear, memories of the burning trees of opavia flashing in her head as she crawled back.

the boy's body formed in the flames as he stepped forward, kierra balling her fist. she punched the ground, a rock wall separating the two. she crawled back as the flames reached over the top and the man landed on the ground.

"get away!" she yelled, the boy quickly shushing her.

"i-i'm sorry i didn't mean to scare you." he extended his hand. "can we talk later though? it's not safe here."

she took his hand hesitantly as the boy helped her stand. the men were gaining closer as kierra slammed his foot down. a rock wall extended out the ground to block them off, the boy grinning.

"come on." he released her hand and sprinted through the forest, kierra staying a safe distance behind him as they ran. she trailed him up a mountain, following skillfully as she leapt up and climbed until the boy stopped. she stepped beside him, staring up at a small shack. he gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his head.

"sorry it's no castle or anythin'." he smiled as she crossed her arms.

"just who the hell are you anyways??" she snapped as he walked forward.

"oh yeah, i forgot to mention it earlier." he extended his hand. "i'm ace."

"kierra." she responded, shaking his hand slowly. "why are you helping me?"

he gave a grin and turned, opening the door. "let's get you cleaned up."