Those Who Fight!

15. Blurred Vision

From behind the two rebels, the camp came alive with battle cries.

Violetta didn't even have time to cry out as a hand whipped her round n' nailed her against the tree.

The mercenary raised his free hand to her face with an open palm. She braced for the strike. It never came.

From his open palm, the inky impression of an eyeball peered out at her, the lines glowing faintly with magic.

"Whoah," she whispered.

"Oh-h," he responded. "You must be The Girl."

So that's what she was now? Well, it was better than 'slut'.

"I guess so," she said. She stared at the magical eye as it stared into her. It wasn't real... was it?

"Can you... see me?" she inquired.

"Theoretically." The tattoo eye closed as his hand curled into a fist. Letta buried her nails in his wrist in siphoned a jolt o' energy. She instantly regretted it.

Her vision flashed white, then green, then black... then the world was lazily sketched in 'round her with the same palette. In this new sight, she saw herself. Not herself as in the way everybody else saw her, or at least she hoped not, but the messy green outline o' herself.

The world was black but for muddled outlines o' trees n' the four outlines o' the others. She thought she might puke from the dizziness, but... Ella Rin was getting killed out there.

She gasped as she released the spell. Once more she saw the forest floor as it was meant to be seen— she was on her knees, clutching a pile o' dead leaves. In her temples was a dull throbbing.

"Wha..."

"Did you just...?" He left the sentence unfinished. "Forget it."

"Your name is Masanori," she murmured. She didn't know how she knew it.

"That's right," he said, approaching quickly. The girl staggered to her feet like a drunkard. "And you're Violetta."

"Yeah."

But she had no time to chat. She fled, leaving him in the dust. 'Round the next tree she discovered Ella Rin being pulverized, unable to defend herself from the onslaught o' blows from all three women.

Violetta caught Perditia from behind n' threw her to the ground, making sure to stomp her injured foot as she did. Perditia screamed as she hit the forest floor.

"I didn't think ya'd have the nerve to follow us!" he hissed as she forced herself back up. "I was wrong."

Letta dove to catch Ella Rin by the arm n' took the easy way out with Diadem's magic. When she opened her eyes, the smoke'd teleported 'em a short distance away.

Ella Rin's eyes widened n' she tried to pull away, but Letta gripped her tighter. She tried again. The smoke served her far better this time.

When they resurfaced again, their adversaries were nothing more than splashes o' color on the backdrop o' trees.

She released Ella Rin n' bolted for the stone steps— or at least what she thought were the stone steps. The silent woman raced ahead n' turned them in the right direction. She'd been close, at least.

Letta didn't even know she could run that hard for that long. She woulda been impressed if she'd had the time, but at the moment nothing concerned her more than getting back to the monastery.

They stopped for air on the third step. Letta tried n' failed to sit down when Ella Rin swatted her shoulder. Could she ever catch a break? 

The woman shook her head n' gave Letta a look that said "Sorry, but there's no time."