Flash Fiction

Left for Dead

I originally published this as a separate book on my account, but soon lost all inspiration for it. I decided to just switch it over to this book. Enjoy <3

An ear-splitting screech sliced through the air, causing Alvaya's head to pop up. The deer she had been following for a while froze up and then bolted. She sighed in annoyance, before transferring her arrow to the other hand so she could swing from tree to tree, getting closer to where the shriek had come from. She paused before entering the clearing to take in the scene before her.

A small brunette woman was trapped underneath of a huolta. The large canine-like creature snarled down at her, saliva falling onto her face. One of her companions wailed out in fear. Alvaya realized that the shriek had come from him rather than the one who was actually in danger. Of course, now he was in danger as well. The scream had caught the attention of the huolta this time; somehow it didn't the first time. The brute looked between the two, trying to decide which would be the easier meal.

Alvaya crouched down on the branch she was perched on. It wouldn't be wise to interfere until the last moment, when the huolta was at its weakest. Otherwise, it would transform into a creature that was similar to a hellhound, except for the fact that it made a hellhound look like a newborn pup.

The huolta turned back to the prey it had already captured, not feeling like going after something else that did not seem worth it. The woman started to shake as the creature's gaping maw came closer to her.

"No!!! Stay back, you oversized mutt!" the fool suddenly rushed towards the canine that was easily three times his size, wielding only a rock that was about the size of the beast's eye. The rogue narrowed her eyes as the huolta turned its head to focus its pitch-black eyes onto the idiot, who froze, before throwing the rock pitifully towards the creature. It bounced off the side of its head before rolling across the clearing. The huolta slowly advanced towards the man who, after finishing his foolish deed, stood there as if he was a statue. As it approached, its grey toned skin faded into a glowing blue, while its eyes morphed into an iridescent white.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The huolta's head snapped up, towards the third person in the clearing. She was smaller than the one who had been in danger when Alvaya first came to the clearing, but not by much. She had gone ghostly pale once she saw the brute's teeth start to extend. The scream, of course, just made the creature angrier. It then started to grow in size, not a good sign. This meant that it was nearing the end of the transformation, then it would be even more dangerous than a horde of Ulundo.

An arrow flew through the air, lodging itself into the huolta's ear. A nimble figure leapt from one of the trees in the edge of the clearing. She seemed to soar through the air before she landed on the beast's back. It snarled as it tried to reach her before any damage was done, but as it did, it sliced the back of its neck on the dagger she had just pulled out. It growled in pain, but it's movements started to slow. The heroine dealt the killing blow, slicing its head off. As its body crumpled to the ground, Alvaya hopped off.

"Heavens above! You saved us! We'd be dead if it weren't for you!" the reckless fool ran up to her, arms outstretched as if to hug her. She stepped back and drew one of her daggers, ready to attack if necessary. He paused, eyeing the blade that was inches away from him.

"Yea, thanks to you. What were you thinking? Running towards a huolta with a rock the size of its eye? What were you hoping to accomplish? Because it sure looked like you had a death wish! And you," she whirled around to the screeching woman, who was cowering behind the captured, "what are you? A banshee? Why in the name of Dalia would you make a noise like that? What were you hoping to accomplish?" She glared daggers at them both. "What about you," she turned to the captured, "what did you do? Did you step on its tail, pull on its ear?"

"Look, I don't know what your problem is; you didn't have to save us. But thank you, I guess." She eyed the dagger as it twirled dangerously in the rogue's hand.

"Yea, whatever. What did you do anyway? Huoltas are normally dead asleep during this time of year. How on earth did you manage to wake one up?" She noticed the smaller one glance toward the fool as he picked something up off the ground. "Ah! No touching." Alvaya knocked it out of his hand before it could inject its toxins. "That's venomous. You can't just pick up anything you find. Some things will kill you. Now, what did you do to wake up a huolta, and why did it have her pinned down instead of you?"

"Well, umm.... I wanted to pet it! It looked so nice and peaceful while it was sleeping, and I haven't seen a dog in ages, like, a whole week! So I went to pet it, and it didn't wake up. But then as I was walking back to Dio and Cassi, I may or may not have tripped over its paw, cause like, wow! Those things are huge! But yea, after I tripped, I fell onto its tail and then stepped on it while trying to get up. So..... yea," he trailed off, trying not to look at the dagger as it started to twirl a bit more aggressively towards him.

"When it went to attack Elris, I threw my shoe at it. He's not really the best at self-defense or fighting in general...." the captured interjected before trailing off.

"Cassi! I am good at self-defense and fighting! Did you see how I handled myself when that thing went to eat you?"

"Yea, you almost got all three of you killed," Alvaya snapped, throwing the dagger into the air before catching it and stalking off.

"Wait, wait, wait!!" Elris yelled out, running after her. "Let us come with you! We need someone to protect us, and you are in need of friends!" Her withering glare quickly silenced him. "Er.. um. Company, yea, that's what I meant. You could use some company."

"No."

"Wait, why not? We need protection, and you just killed that glowing dog like it was nothing! And you must get lonely sometimes," he persisted. Suddenly he grabbed her arm. Quicker than light, she had him pinned to a tree, a dagger pressed firmly against his neck.

"Don't touch me."

"Do either of you see Dio?"

This is not where she wanted to be today, or any day for that matter. The explanation as to why she was here was simple yet aggravating beyond belief. Alvaya, the outcast who swore she would never help anyone who wasn't herself, had been guilt tripped into saving an annoying human who had gotten herself kidnapped. Alvaya had already had to save the petite's telle tyelde once, and she had sworn she wasn't going to again. Yet here she was, hiding at the mouth of a cave that led deeper into the hillside, spiraling further and further down until nearly hitting bedrock. The Ulundo tended to stay away from the surface unless needed; their dwellings were far underground, yet Alvaya could already smell their stench.

"This is a faire mission; there's no use. She's most likely dead by now," Alvaya simply stated. The others glared at her. It's not her fault she's right. The Ulundo were a vicious race, tearing creatures apart limb from limb, playing with their half-dead victims, or sometimes simply eating them alive.

"Dio's a lot stronger than you think!" Cassi shot back at her. Héru ro, they were all idiots.

"Look, a full-grown female elf might almost make it out of there alive, but there is no way a pocket-sized mortal is going to last 20 minutes in there." She rolled her eyes and stood with a huff. She wasn't going to kill herself trying to save a dead person.

"She isn't pocket-sized," Cassi mumbled under her breath.

"She's smaller than you and you're pocket-sized."

"Where are you going? You have to help us save Dio!" Elris had a note of panic in his voice.

"No, I don't. And like I already said, she's most likely dead by now. Even if she's not now, she will be by the time we get to her. It's useless." Alvaya started to walk off.

"No! You have to help us save her." Cassi jumped up and clung unto her arm. Alvaya glared down at her. "Even if we.... can't save her, we at least have to try."

"I don't have to do anything of the sort. I just met her today and I certainly don't feel like dying for her. If you two want to, be my guest, but I'm not going to." She pulled her arm out of the small woman's grasp.

"What if there's another way in? A way that's closer to where she would be held?" Elris piped up hopefully.

"No, this is the only way in or out. Ulundo hate the outside; they only ever have one entrance. And she won't be 'held' for long." She noticed Cassi collapse to the ground. The brunette held her head in her hands as her shoulders started to shake.

"I promised mum I would,.. would watch over her a-and keep her safe. I pro-mised, and I-I failed," Cassi choked out, as tears started to stream down her face.

Elris knelt next to her and pulled her close, rubbing her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down. He then gave Alvaya a pointed look. What in the name of cúma was she supposed to do? He then looked back down at Cassi, before nodding his head towards her, giving Alvaya another look. Hah, what did he want her to do? Comfort her? That's not her style. Instead, she simply shrugged her shoulders and started to walk away again.

"A word of advice to you both, get away from the entrance. They'll be able to smell you, and the longer you sit there crying, the longer your smell will linger. If you want a better fate than your friend, then I suggest you leave." She glanced over her shoulder and caught the fool shooting her a glare. Oh please, she didn't have to comfort anyone, especially someone she just met, while sitting in front of an Ulundo cave. She's not an idiot. She narrowed her eyes back at him and stalked off.

3/31/20