“Urgh, where the hell is this guy?” Alarea complained as she trekked through the dense forest. She had already had to double back many times as small dirt paths led to nothing but dead ends. “Who lives all the way out here anyways? Is this guy an elf or something?” 

 

It had been hours since she had entered the forest, the small rays of sunlight that filtered through the thick overhead canopy were beginning to recede. The already dark forest quickly becoming darker. 

 

“Looks like this is a bust,” she complained, sitting down to rest on a small rock. Her leather water pouch only had a few scant drops left as she went to drink. “I best start heading back then. Give it another go in the morning.” 

 

She groaned as she forced her tired legs back up, while she could and had walked for days without much rest, the rough and often steep forest environment had quickly sapped her energy. She felt disheartened as she made her way back through the forest, finding a reclusive master hand already been a tall order, let alone getting him to accept her. But she had very little options, it was either this or return to her family, and into the arranged marriage she had run away from. 

 

The man his father had arranged for him wasn’t bad in any way, the man accepting her reasons for running away when they last met. They both knew it was a political marriage and nothing more, and so he held no ill will towards her for leaving to pursue her dream of becoming a swordsman.

 

It was something Alarea was glad for, the two had met as per their families arrangements, and he had helped her slip away. “I do hope he finds someone nice at least. If it was anyone else they would’ve been very happy in a relationship, but I can't just set my dreams aside to settle like that.” 

 

He would probably face some backlash if their families found out what happened, but she doubted they would. It wasn’t like she was in a position to run her mouth, and even if she was she wouldn’t do that. 

 

“How far in did I come?” She mused as she paused her walk, not recognising the forest surrounding her. “Please don’t tell me I'm lost.” 

 

A faint sense of dread started gnawing at the edges of her chest as the path she thought led her back out of the forest instead continued into a dead end. “Oh come on! It was a straight path, how can I be lost?” 

 

She turned around and backtraced her steps, her pace increased as a sense of panic washed over her. “How!?” She screamed as the path led to nothing, another dead end. She spun around, ready to race off down the path again in hopes that it would lead to a different outcome. 

 

However instead of the reclusive and empty dirt path she expected, she was met with a familiar group of six men, their swords drawn in one hand and burning torch in the other, illuminating the darkening forest around them. 

 

“Alarea,” Rex spoke out, his sleazy voice almost making her gag. “What's gotten you all turned around? Why don’t you let me guide you home, I promise I don't bite.” 

 

Alarea took a step back, drawing her blade out. She wasn’t naive enough to think they had just run into each other by chance. In all her time out in this forest she hadn’t even heard another voice, let alone caught sight of another person. She knew instantly she had been followed. 

 

“Rex..” She measured her words carefully. “We're not that close. Why don't you turn around and we can both go our separate ways?” 

 

“Haha, oh my sweetest Alarea. Don’t you think us fine gentlemen deserve a reward for coming out all this way to find you and bring you back safely?” He licked his lips, the rest of the men in his group slowly walking around in attempts to encircle her. “And wouldn’t you know it. I have a couple things in mind.” 

 

Alarea shivered as the men slowly backed her into a corner, eyes looking at her like wolves looked at a rabbit. She didn’t fancy her chances six version one all the way out in the middle of nowhere like this. If she were to get injured she would bleed out with no one the wiser. And so she turned on her heels and ran. 

 

“After her!” Rex yelled as the group gave chase. 

 

“This is bad!” She thought as she broke off the path and cut her way through the thick forest. “I have to lose them somehow..” 

 

She almost jumped as a crossbow impacted a tree close to her head, the wood splitters showering through her hair. 

 

“Not the head idiot!” Rex slapped the crossbow wielding man. “How can we have fun with her if she dies so early?” 

 

Alarea didn’t need to be a scholar to know what they wanted to do if they caught her, the horrible image she conjured in her head giving her the strength to run faster. She had no direction in mind, the thought of getting more lost in this forest didn’t even register in her mind, only having thoughts of getting away.

 

One of the men caught up to her side, stabbing at her with his sword. She parried as well as she could while on the move, the blade only leaving a small cut on her arm. She winced as the sharp black cut through her flesh, a small trickle of blood starting to flow out of the wound. 

 

“Ahh!” Another man snuck up on her other side, his blade inches from her face. She dove away, rolling through a bush in order to dodge the attack. She scrambled to her feet, pushing her way through the foliage and into a wide open clearing, a single rundown farmstead situated in the middle. 

 

“Help me please,” she rushed forward and banged on the door. However to her horror no one answered, her pleas being met with silence. 

 

“Woah, who knew there was a house all the way out here.” Rex grinned as the group slowly encircled her. “How convenient.” 

 

Alarea let her hand fall from the door, swinging down limpy at her side. The helplessness of the situation finally hitting her. 

 

“Now play nice my dear,” Rex licked his lips as he slowly approached the frozen Alarea, her head faced down in defeat. His breathing became faster as he raised his hand up towards her face, his eyes filled with lust. 

 

“Arrgh!! You bitch!!” He screamed out in pain, his hand cleanly severed from his wrist. 

 

Alarea looked up, her eyes burning with rage. The tightly gripped sword in her hand glowed with a faint blue light, her aura unknowingly responding to her anger. 

 

“Warrghh!!” Rex let out a warcry as he raised his sword up in his remaining hand, striking down at him with no real skill. She merely stepped to the side, the blade swinging harmlessly through the air. Her sword reached up, the soft flesh of his neck parting as his head flew from his shoulders, eyes opened wide as it arced through the sky. 

 

“Boss!” One of the surrounding men charged forward, sword in one hand torch in the other. Alarea met his clumsy swing with one of her own, striking up with her aura coated blade, knocking it away at pushing the man off balance. 

 

She followed up by pulling her sword back down, slashing down the man's chest leaving a large gaping gash. The man screamed out in pain, however before she could finish the deed another rushed in, forcing her to take a step back to avoid his blade. 

 

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on their ends, a shiver running down her spine. She instinctively dove to the side, a crossbolt slamming through the wooden door where she once was. She broke out in a cold sweat at the close call, eyes wide a the hole in the door where her head once was. 

 

“Shit,” her mind had wandered, only just catching sight of a blade aimed at her neck, pulling her own up to block. She slashed at the man's legs, giving her enough time to scramble back to her feet.

 

Her hairs stood on their ends again, this time a sword coming crashing down to her rear. She twisted out of the attack, striking up with her pommel into the man's chin, cracking his jaw. She fell into a state of mindlessness, her body moving entirely by instinct. 

 

The remaining men hesitated for a moment, before rushing towards her. Their boss was now dead, and if they didn’t bring back the head of the one responsible their heads would be rolling next. 

 

Two rushed her down while the last stood back, pulling at the strings of his crossbow to load another shot. The remaining two men lay in pain on the floor, the first clutching at the large bleeding gash in his chest, while the other held his bloodied jaw in his hands. 

 

Alarea had to dodge out of the way as one of the quickly approaching men threw his torch at her in an attempt to catch her off guard. It flew harmlessly past her, impacting the farmstead at her rear. 

 

Rather than letting herself get surrounded by the two men, she dashed to the left, putting herself at the pair's side. Placing her sword on her shoulder, tip facing towards the ground she paired one of the men's overly exaggerated overhead swing, the blade sliding harmlessly across hers.  

 

Her head rolled, shifting her blade around the back of her neck before bringing it down in a powerful strike. Her eyes saw red as she brought her sword down to the man’s undefended back, the man in question's eyes open wide in horror as he watched her blade swinging down. However before it could taste blood his partner stepped in, unleashing a thrust across the defenseless man and towards her belly. 

 

She had to relent, not wanting to trade blows. Instead she shifted her downward swing to knock the blade away, sending it crashing into the ground. Before she could follow up her hairs once again stood on their ends, her eyes tracing towards the now loaded crossbow pointed straight at her. 

 

She went to take a step back, however one of the men she had dismissed, the one whose jaw she had shattered had crawled up behind her, grabbing around her ankles, locking her in place. 

 

Her mind was hit with a bucket of ice, pulling her back from her instinctual trance, the light sheen of aura vanishing in the air like wisps of smoke. She stared down the crossbow, time seeming to slow as she watched the bolt fly towards her, body frozen in place. 

 

Her hair flew back in a gust of wind as the viciously barbed bolt stopped inches away from her face, two fingers locking it in place. Her knees gave out as she collapsed to the floor, mind not yet realizing the man who had locked her in place throat was slit, a small trickle of blood staining the grass. 

 

She looked up at the stranger who had saved her life. A tall older looking man, rough and scruffy looking unkempt beard the same dark brown colour as his hair. His face was hardened, a large wound cutting down one side of his face, crossing over his bright green eyes that stared down towards her. 

 

“Tell me.” The man began, voice rough and horse like gravel. “Why have you come all this way?” 

 

She looked up at him, the growing fire from the farmstead at their rear reflecting in her eyes. “Teach me how to be strong.”