We burst back into our realm, into pure sunshine and 50 feet up in the air. The other slayer was prepared for it, landing cleanly on his feet and sliding to a stop. Myself and Olivia on the other hand were not expecting to be dropped out of nowhere and as such, plowed into the ground with all the grace of two people being smashed into the ground from 50 feet in the air, not expecting it.
The man only looked at us with disdain. Before turning to walk away.
"Hey, Asshole!" I shouted after him.
He stopped in his tracks but didn't turn around.
"I think you owe us an explanation! What the fuck was all that back there!" I continued.
The man sighed an irritated sigh, before turning around and approaching us.
"I wouldn't expect simpletons like you to understand,but what do you know of enlightened ones?" He asked, rudely.
"You mean witches? Like the woman who just about ate me?! I think we can probably grasp the concept, IDIOT!" Olivia shouted at him, sarcastically as she stood, dusting herself off.
The man was slightly taken aback by her reply and I was honestly proud of Olivia. My attitude was beginning to wear off on her.
"Yes. .well. . . That particular witch had been plaguing the base of the northern mountains for the last few years. Capturing and having her way with weary travelers. Maybe 100 or more. It took some time to figure out where she was taking them and how, then longer still to learn how to travel between realms at will, but I finally managed it." He explained proudly.
"And are you a witch as well?" I asked, looking over his tattoos.
"I am an enlightened one, yes. My mother was human and enlightened as well, and my father was a slayer."
"As a slayer, don't you think there are more pressing matters at hand then some witch in the northern mountains?" I asked, heavily insinuating the three daughters.
"Ha! I think the words you're looking for are "thank you for saving our asses!" The man laughed, turning again and waving us off as he walked away. This time we followed him.
"We ARE thankful, but at the same time we are still in need of more swords for an upcoming battle. Able bodied fighters are few and far between these days!" Olivia said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"As true as that is. . . I both have better things to do, and don't waste my time fighting giants!" He replied, tenderly lifting Olivia's fingers from him in disgust.
"What do you mean you don't fight giants?! You're a slayer!" I said, confused and irritated with this man's arrogance.
"I'm only half slayer. Suffice to say, I don't have the strength, nor the durability to go toe to toe with most giants. I was given a gift, and choose to use it more effectively than that." He replied as he walked out of the woods and onto a road.
A road where there shouldn't have been. . .
In fact. . . None of this terrain matched what we left behind the night before. I could that Olivia had realized the exact same thing.
"Excuse me, but where are we?!" She asked, a hint of panic in her voice.
"Approximately 2 miles east of the village of Bostille." The man answered as he rounded a bend in the road, revealing a horse tied to a tree on the side of the road.
Olivia's jaw dropped and nearly hit the dirt. Understandably so. . . . Because Bostille was one of the northern most and the western most village in the human realm. Literally on the border with giant country, the only thing that kept it from getting crushed was the fact that it was so inconveniently out of the way for both giants and humans, that nobody really bothered to set foot there.
None of that would be too terribly interesting, except if what this man had said was true, then we were now 4 days further away from our destination than we had been before. That and now we had no supplies and no horses.
"That. . . That can't be true! We were only a day's ride out of Pherron last night!" Olivia stated, in disbelief.
"And now you aren't!" The man said flatly. "That IS how the portal works, but it takes me back to wherever I left from, and this was it." He explained as he mounted his horse.
"I suggest you walk to Bostille, barter for some horses and make your way back east. . . . Maybe try to avoid a witch's hunting grounds this time!' He called over his shoulder as he booked it south.
Olivia clenched her fists and shouted a stream of obscenities in his wake, but he was out of earshot in a moment of two. She breathed heavily, her shoulders heaving.
"Let's go, Ant! We're getting horses and we are going to ride like hell!" She said to me as she began to stomp up the road.
"Believe me. . . . Nobody wants to get back to fighting the charming Leonara more than I do. . . . But I need rest. My arm hasn't begun to heal like it should and my shoulder bandages have bled all the way through yet again." I complained as I followed her.
"There isn't time! The fight may have already happened for all we know! If we aren't there and everyone dies. . . ." She trailed off.
She didn't need to finish that thought. We all sort of knew that we were coming to the end of the line with this whole thing.
"Ride on without me. Stick to this northern road and when I'm feeling better, I'll be right behind you." I offered.
Olivia gave me a look that told me she didn't buy that, but she vocalized her agreement anyway. We got to Bostille in a few minutes time, filling our bellies with food from the market after some easy labour helping a farmer with his cart. From there, Olivia "borrowed" a horse and rode off.
I, on the other hand, found my way to the only inn in the town, which conveniently came with an older human woman to tend to my wounds and pamper me, and her husband, who was an amazing cook.
"Who did this to you?" The woman asked, as she more properly cleaned my shoulders stab wound, as I sat on a stool in front of her.
"Oh! A fine young lady by the name of Leonara!" I exclaimed, faking excitement.
The woman and her husband exchanged worried glances.
"Well. . . We will get you patched up. It sounds like you need to take a break from all the fighting, so you can actually heal!" The man said, chopping vegetables at the counter.
"Believe me. . . I would like nothing more than that, unfortunately I'm already late for a fight." I said, wincing as the woman poured some alcohol on my stab. From there, she began with stitches.
"Is. . . Your target. . . Around these parts?" The man asked nervously.
"I mean. . . . This village is still here, so I would say not. She was headed east. . . Or so she said. " I answered, picking up on the weird vibe he and his wife were giving off when it came to any mention of giants.
"Why? Is there a giant I need to slay around here?" I asked, studying his face.
He chuckled slightly, but kept chopping vegetables.
"No offense to you or your kind, boy. . . . But. . . I don't think there are enough of you around anymore to take on that girl. . . " he said ominously.
"But that's not a challenge either, is it Ronald?!" The woman said, glaring at her husband.
"What are you two talking about?" I interrupted, looking between them.
"There. . . . IS a giant around here. Up in the hills. Has been for probably 4 months now. Biggest I've ever seen, but she. . . . She is just living, minding her own business. Kind of strange. . . . But it's a better alternative than what she could be doing. That's for sure." The man explained, scooping up the vegetables and putting them into a frying pan.
"She's harmless!" The woman added, nervously laughing.
"No giant is harmless. . . " I replied, standing up, and pulling my cloak over my arm and startling the woman.
"You-you can't go up up there!" She protested, stepping in front of me and holding her arms out.
"Relax! Do I look like I'm in any shape to go fighting the biggest giant this man has ever seen?" I asked, gently moving her out of my way. " I'm just going to go take a look! If she sees me, I'll talk my way out of it like I always do." I reassured them, as I left out the back door.
I mounted my borrowed horse and headed north. There was a well worn path that led out into the rolling grassy plains. The wind was strong with no trees to block it and the grass seemed to howl. I rode for a solid hour before crested the first big hill and found nothing on the other side, but there was smoke off in the distance. I decided that heading that way was the best bet.
Another hill, this time a lot larger, and I could tell the source of the smoke was a couple hills over. I rode on cautiously, cresting another hill, where I dismounted my horse to inspect a large patch of flattened grass. A footprint. . . . A very. . . Very big footprint. Leading the horse up the side of the hill, I crept to the top, crouching in the long grass and peeked over into the huge valley.
Shit. . . . .
I really didn't need any confirmation to know that face. I could barely see it through the mess of strawberry blonde hair that was blowing around it, I had seen enough of that particular family to know that this giantess before me must be. . .
Florence.
My heart actually threatened to stop. In the back of my mind I guess I never really thought I'd come across her. . . If nearly killing her little sister didn't bring her rage, I was silently hoping that nothing would. Like maybe she would just break her ankle out in the wilderness somewhere and starve to death or something.
Wishful thinking I guess, because here she was. . . Although seeing her for the first time, I can honestly say that this wasn't what I had envisioned for the largest living person in the world.
Granted, she wasn't standing, so her size wasn't immediately obvious, but even so. . . . The only word I could think of to describe her was. . .
Humble.
She was just sort of there. Sitting there on the hillside, knees in her chest, arms around her leather-clad legs, and her bare feet and bone ankle bracelets exposed in the long grass as she stared out into the valley. Her giant boots were sitting to her right, between her and myself and her massive, elegant sword was to her left. On top of the hill, behind her and to the left was a couple walls of what was becoming a giant log cabin. Various tools were scattered around and leaning up against the wall.
It all just seemed so. . . . Mundane. . For this demon who had demolished scores of slayers at this point. But here she was. . . Just sitting and. . . .looking directly at me. . .
Fuck. . . .
"I see you. . . . You don't need to hide. . " she said, sort of awkwardly, but there was zero malice in her voice. I knew by now that there would be no outrunning her in this much open space and she didn't appear to be looking for a fight just yet, so I cautiously rose from the ground and approached her through the long grass, when suddenly my horse pulled free from my hand and began to gallop towards her.
"You stupid animal!" I cried as my only escape route trotted toward my enemy. Surely she would crush it or. . . . Or. . .
I froze in place, slightly confused as the horse approached her waiting hand, and began to nuzzle it as she used her finger to stroke its mane.
"You can relax! I wouldn't hurt an innocent animal!" She chuckled as the horse received her loving. "She's beautiful! Aren't you?" She cooed, rubbing the horse under the chin.
Apprehensive, I stopped about 40 feet away from her, my good arm with my hand on the hilt of my sword. She glanced at me and her face soured.
"Oh. . . Are you only here looking for a fight?" She asked, sadness in her voice.
I said nothing, waiting to see where she was going with it.
"Because I don't think you want to do that. . ." She finished, looking out on the valley again.
"You think just because you're the biggest creature on earth, that I should be afraid of you?" I asked, hint of challenge in my voice as I chuckled off her arrogance.
"Hardly!" She laughed. "It's just that you look like a gentleman. . . . And a gentleman wouldn't want to attack a defenseless lady, any more than I would like to attack a gentleman with a broken arm." She stated, confidently.
"You know nothing about me." I replied plainly.
"I wouldn't say that's entirely true. . . . Anthony Lockwood." She said, with a slight smirk.
I took a step back and drew my sword, defensively.
"Relax! I truly don't want to fight you, right now." She exclaimed, rolling her eyes at me.
"Why? Am I not worthy of it? My reputation obviously proceeds me. As does yours, Florence." I said.
"I assure you, you're worthy!" She exclaimed, bestowing fake praise on me. "I'm just not sure why you think that fighting is your only option here."
"Oh!" I genuinely laughed at her. "Then why don't you enlighten me of my options, your highness!"
"Well. . . We could fight. . . And one of us would likely die. . ." She began.
"You think you'll crush me, just like that?" I asked, now very irritated, even though I knew that this situation wasn't in my favor.
"Geez! What's with you slayers? You always want to believe I'm looking down on you!" She huffed, digging her hands into the grass, and pulling up massive clumps in her fists.
"Are we wrong? I mean. . . You are the biggest being on earth!" I spat at her.
"You think that means anything?!" She replied, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "If size meant anything, than you slayers would never have been a viable defense for the human realm, would you?!"
"Are we though? How many of us have you killed, so far?" I countered.
"I totally knew that is where you were going with this!"she laughed. "I'm not still here because I'm just big!. . . . I'm still alive because I never underestimate my opponent!" She declared. "I fight every battle like it could be my last!"
"Fine, whatever! I only came up here because I was told there was a giant up here! If we aren't going to fight, then I'll just leave!" I shouted at her, putting my sword away, and grabbing the reigns of the horse.
"I didn't say you had to leave. . . "She said cryptically as I began to walk away. "I just said we don't have to fight. . . "
I threw my hands up and turned around. "Why don't you just tell me what you mean instead of playing these stupid games!" I shouted, scaring the horse.
"What I mean. . . . Is that you COULD just sit here on this hill with me and enjoy a beautiful day in the human realm!" She exclaimed, remaining perfectly calm, patting the ground beside her, and smiling gently.
I took a deep breath. . . . Was I really considering taking a seat with this woman? I mean. . . . This WAS a fight that I knew I couldn't win on my own, on top of the fact that she didn't seem to feel like killing me either. It would be unwise to make her change her mind. . . . With a sigh, I walked over to her and awkwardly took a seat 15 feet away from her.
She squealed with a girlish delight, clapping her hands. She really was an odd duck. . .
"I'm so glad you decided to stay! It gets lonely out here sometimes!" She said, looking to me with a fake frown.
"Am I allowed to ask what you are even doing out here in the first place? Aren't you supposed to be slaughtering an entire race of people or something?" I asked, my displeasure for her actions abundantly clear.
"There you go, immediately ruining the mood!" She complained. "This. . . Isn't an extermination, ok?"
"Yeah yeah, it's an eviction!" I interrupted her with the same schlock that Leonara had pitched me. "Your lovely sister told me the exact same thing! She's pissed that you're out here fucking around too, by the way." I finished.
"You spoke with Leonara?!" She asked, looking at me with confusion.
"We've had some run-ins." I replied, holding up my broken arm.
"Hmm. . . . You're just super popular with both of my little sisters aren't you!" She noted, poking me with a giant finger. "But yeah, she's. . . Playful. . .
I honestly didn't know if she knew what we had done to Juliette. I assumed she did, but this would be pretty awkward if she didn't. Luckily she answered the question without me having to ask.
"You're all Juliette thinks about as she gains her strength back. . . . She even gave us standing orders to bring you to her alive so she can hold you until she is ready to fight you!" Florence explained with a laugh. "I'm honestly sort of proud of her. I couldn't tell you how many times Leo and I had to beat up the bratty little boys around the castle for picking on her growing up!"
"She knows I'm not worth it, right?" I asked, truthfully.
"She gets this way sometimes. . . She feels like you slighted her in my eyes that day at the mine. Like I felt she couldn't handle an important job on her own. You know how siblings are. . . . I told her it didn't matter to me but she doesn't listen. She is going to be pretty upset when I tell her about this!" She said, grinning.
"You never did tell me what you're doing out here. . . . Just hanging out in the human realm like this." I said, motioning to her cabin project.
"Can you blame me? The human realm is so beautiful. . . . Giants, we. . . . " she began, staring off into the distance again while choosing her words carefully. "We honestly destroy everything we touch. . . . There are just so many of us now. We just always need more space."
I just shook my head in angry disbelief at what she was saying. Her here trying to justify what they were doing.
"I understand why you're cross. . . . But this is how it's going to be." She said, genuine pity, but no regret in her voice.
"Hmm" was all I replied. Somehow hearing her put it like this, so calm and matter of factly, was more gut wrenching than hearing Leonara be a bitch about it.
"So what happens after you take over the human realm then?" I asked, coldly.
". . . . I believe it's entirely up to you. I know about that island the humans have been escaping to. I think that is a good option. It's not like we could anyway, but we have no intention of following you there. If you all left today, then this could all be over." She stated, like it might be helpful.
I couldn't help but laugh a vindictive laugh. My mind filling with dark thoughts that didn't normally cross my mind. I stood suddenly, and turned to walk away.
"Would it make you feel better to fight to the death?" She asked solemnly from behind me.
"I just don't think you're going to like where this leads. . . " I replied over my shoulder as I mounted my horse.
As if the gods agreed with me, suddenly the sky darkened out of nowhere, and with a massive crack of thunder, Florence's beautiful day was gone in a heavy downpour and high wind. I stayed for just a moment as she looked to the sky in disbelief, before she hurriedly grabbed her boots and blade and stood.
And there it was. . . . That overwhelming fear as she stood to her full height. Not towering over me intentionally, but just on her way to shelter. Still she was bigger and stronger than anyone else anywhere. She gave me one last look, silently blaming me for the rain, before she turned and ran to her tent up by her unfinished cabin, shaking the earth beneath my feet. And with that, I turned and left as well.
From there I was on a war path. Something about the casual way she stated that her takeover was inevitable set me off and lit an old spark in me. Immediately I invited the death goddess into me and she healed my broken arm. I rode hard and within three days I caught up with Olivia and together we made it to Pherron in another 3.
We got there to discover that nobody had even seen Leonara yet. Scouts hadn't layed eyes on her or even seen footprints. It struck everyone as odd, but the lull was still welcome. The city was now heavily fortified. Every crossbow had been loaded with giant arrows atop the 300 foot tall walls, along with all the hot tar they could mix. Outside the wall, logs had been carved into stakes that pointed outward in rows to stop her or at least slow her down from scaling or knocking down the wall.
The civilians were still inside, but there was an evacuation plan in place for when she arrived. I found my crew in the lord's castle. I also found it strange that the lord of the city was giving us the assistance in a battle that would undoubtedly demolish his city instead of insisting we fight elsewhere, but here we were. Admittedly I wasn't exactly thrilled to see any of them, considering Olivia was the only one who had bothered to look for me.
The next few days were uneventful but eventually action did occur. . . .
"There is a giantess outside the wall, coming this way!" A scout said, rushing into the courtyard. "It isn't Leonara, but she may still be a threat!"
"We'll be ready on your signal" the lord said as he rallied his troops to their positions around the city.
Myself, Abby and Jacob went to investigate, making our way through the cumbersome fortifications and out on to the path and waited. A few moments later we saw a woman crest the hill, and my heart dropped.
It was Magnolia.
Her usually neat and clean dress was filthy and her face was bruised and dirty. Beyond that, she was pulling the wagon that my father had built to let her or James transport the citizens of Lockwood, and it was full. Beyond belief, that wasn't all either. Behind that, tethered to the back, was another wagon, and inside appeared to be James, laying motionless.
"Shit. . . " was all I could say as we sprinted toward her. She made it to within 500 feet of the castle, before she fell to her knees in front of us and tears began to run down her dirty cheeks, causing cleaner streaks. Behind her, the humans began to leave the wagon and head toward the city, thanking maggie as they passed her.
"Magnolia! What are you doing here?! What happened?!" I asked frantically, putting a hand on her knee and looking up into her face.
"She. . . She killed them!" She blubbered, her face in her hands.
"Who Killed who Magnolia?!" Abby demanded. "Stop crying!"
This only made her bawl harder.
"Maybe you being here isn't the most helpful thing right now." Jacob suggested, pointing for her leave.
"I just-
"Go!" Jacob interrupted her.
She scowled him down but did as she was told, helping the villagers carry their belongings into the city.
"She killed mother and father!" Magnolia wailed, tears and snot flowing heavily now as she began to hyperventilate. "I-I-I" she tried but couldn't get the words out.
She really didn't need to say who. I knew. Jacob knew. The look he was giving me was that of the Jacob of old. The look of a heartless, cold blooded killer.
"It's alright!. . . .It's. . . Well, not alright. . But at least you're safe now. . . Your brothers are here!" I said, placing a hand on her thigh and trying my best to calm her, but not sure what to say. Meanwhile Jacob went to check on James, who looked lucky to even be alive. His body was bruised, bloody and beaten to the point where his size was really the only recognizable trait about him.
"Please, Magnolia. . . Come inside and calm down. We will get you something to eat and you can tell us what happened when you are ready." I offered.
She nodded her head in agreement, standing up shakily. The wagon was too big to fit down the city streets, so Maggie had to get James to the castle in the center of the city. He was made a makeshift bed out in the courtyard by Magnolia and she insisted on staying by his side and nursing him constantly, but finally she was calm enough to tell us what had happened.
*Town of Lockwood. Days earlier.*
It was a beautiful day. Magnolia was just coming back to the house from the river. Daddy was chopping wood outback and mother was doing laundry outside as well. That was when she saw him. A man, Ezekiel, from town. He was riding hard and screaming something about "her" being in the city.
Magnolia didn't know who "she" was, but the sudden seriousness of her parents was enough to worry her as they ran inside, retrieving their swords before riding for town. They had instructed Magnolia to stay there, but she had a feeling in her gut that she should go. She, her parents and James all arrived on main street at the same time, and there she was. . . .
That giant, terrible woman. Towering over everything but the trees as she stood at the other end of main with that arrogant look on her face as she sized them up. Her blue eyes felt as potent as a dagger.
Leonara.
"Hmmm. So this is the town of Lockwood, huh?" She asked, looking around with disdain. "Less here than I thought there would be, I guess. . . "
"Leave peacefully!" Jarvis said coldly, drawing his sword.
"My my! Straight to the point, aren't we?" Leo replied, feigning shock and offence. "I'm just here to visit the town named after the world famous Antony Lockwood!" She continued, looking around like a tourist.
"The city isn't named after him, it's named after me. . . " Jarvis replied, his patients wearing thin.
"Oh, oh! You must be papa Lockwood!" Leonara exclaimed, giggling.
This was enough bullshit for him, and Jarvis had seen enough. He sprang into action, running forward and launching a vertical slash toward her. She didn't miss a beat, and she quick drew her sword, swatting the attack to the side. Jarvis kept coming, hurling another, but she just sidestepped this one. He was closing the distance still on the ground, and he sent a low prayer that hit the road and kicked up dirt.
This time though, Leonara had seen this tactic before, simply sidestepping again, but there was a nasty surprise waiting for her. When she stepped out of the dust, there was another prayer there to meet her, courtesy of Gwen. Leonara was admittedly caught off guard, throwing her head back awkwardly and narrowly avoiding the attack, having to stumble back. Jarvis was on top of her immediately with another prayer as she was off balance, but she twisted her body backward, putting her hands down and that missed to, but also caught him with a kick. He was smashed through the building to his left, clean through and out into the trees.
Without hesitation, Leonara turned to Gwen and charged her. Gwen let fly a horizontal slash but it was too low and Leonara hurdled it, raising her sword and bringing it down on the small woman, looking to crumple her as she slid to a stop. This resulting in another cloud of debris, covered the outcome, but Leonara could tell she hadn't hit anything. The crater she left usually disoriented slayers though, and as such, no counter attack happened. Instead, the little male giant from her previous encounter emerged, sword drawn.
"Well, well! The family lineage is finally revealed!" Leonara stated with a smirk. "You aren't going to just hand over that little sword this time, are you?" She asked, holding her hand out.
"Shut your mouth and put up your guard!" James threatened, as he walked toward her.
"You sure are in a hurry to die, aren't you little one?" She laughed, putting her sword up in front of her.
James broke into a run, and engaged with Leonara. The clang of swords rang out, but it was 100 percent James. Leonara's infuriating grin never left her face as she half assed a defense, expertly parrying the boy that only came up to her thighs.
"You're not half bad kid, but that size of yours is a real handicap here!" She said, noticing his solid footwork. He was well trained, but still no match for her.
As if on cue, she picked one of the many openings he presented, and struck, knocking the blade out of his hands and flattening him with a giant fist to the face that pounded him into the dirt, out cold.
Magnolia let out a squeal of terror as her brother was brutalized by this giant, monster. Leonara only stood over him, watching the small trickle of blood from his busted lip. She was about to reach down and grab him, when a prayer passed between them that would have cut her hand off for sure.
She looked over to see that the two slayers had regrouped and were ready for round 2. She stepped over the boy and faced them. They wasted no time, splitting up as they approached her, from both her left and right. They went to attack in unison, but Leonara interrupted the man to her fight, swinging with an easily dodged attack that was just meant to throw off his timing. It worked, and as a result, she only had to avoid the attack from the woman, using her speed to in turn, split them and sliding to a stop facing them from the other side.
The two slayers looked at each other. It was becoming abundantly clear that this was no average, untrained villager. They hadn't even put a scratch on her and she hadn't even broke a sweat.
"Magnolia! Load the wagon and get everyone out of here!" Jarvis shouted to the girl.
It was a plan they had discussed before, and Maggie knew exactly what to do. She also knew exactly what it meant. That her parents were prepared to fight to the death and not sure if they could win. They had fought their fair share of giants in the town and never once had they called for evacuation.
Facing off with them, Leonara made the next move, swinging her sword across her body. It crushed a building on it's way to the slayers. They dodge it, but that was part of the attack, as they were now vulnerable in the air. Before they could dodge, she caught them both with another kick. They flew over the building's this time and once again out into the trees, snapping branches and tearing them off.
Leonara turned to see that James was conscious again and had drug himself from the dirt. He stood defiantly in front of her, sword at the ready, but although he was full of determination, his legs were wobbly and he struggled to stay standing.
"Seriously?" Leo asked, as she looked him over, her free hand on her hip. "Look at you, kid! You can barely stand! It should be pretty obvious to you by now that I don't want to kill you, but I also don't have all day to play these little games either!" She said, a look of disbelief on her face.
"Nobody asked you to spare me! You fight your fight, I'll fight mine!" He replied stoically, spitting some blood off to the side.
"You've got balls, man. I'll give you that. . . . " was all she replied as she walked toward him, sword at her side.
Again James attacked, his movements slow and predictable as he lunged about, punch drunk. This time Leonara didn't even need her sword as she bobbed and weaved, avoiding him at every step while her maddening giggle rang in his head. He got more and more angry as he struck nothing but air, his years of training with his siblings amounting to nothing when it really counted.
"I think I've had enough of this. . . " Leonara said casually, before once again stopping him in his tracks with a brutal punch to the stomach, forcing him to his knees, doubled over. "Look up!" She added with a laugh.
James looked up to see Leonara's huge boot above his head. He dove out of the way as she slammed it down where he had been kneeling. Even though he was too big to get outright crushed by her, James was 100% sure that she would break bones if she connected with him.
"And again!" She exclaimed, giggling as her other foot rose up, her knee up by her chest with her ridiculous flexibility. This time he was barely able to scramble to the side, getting scraped up and just narrowly avoiding his legs getting stomped on and likely broken.
Before he even had time to breathe, her other boot was above him. The boy was forced to pathetically crawl as his enemy toyed with him, chasing him through his family's town with playfully exaggerated stomps. Though she wasn't even putting any effort into actually stomping him, it was clear that if he didn't keep moving, the force she was putting into the stomps was very, very real.
"I'll say that you definitely get your running skills from Ant and company!" She laughed as she continued to chase him through the dirt.
In complete control, she herded him until his back was up against the wall of a building.
"Game over!" She declared, lifting her right foot as high as she could.
James could only close his eyes and put his hands out as her boot descended upon him, though this did nothing to stop her. Her brutal stomp connected with his chest, smashing him down through the building in a cloud of dust and chunks of building. Only his legs were visible in the pile of rubble as she extracted her leg from the debris. Whether he was unconscious or just utterly defeated, he chose to stay down this time.
"Right, one down, two to go!" She said to herself, turning to see where the other slayers were. A moment later, they came limping around the corner a few blocks away.
They appeared to be in pretty rough shape. Leonara's kicks had been known to break ribs and puncture lungs, even in giant men, though she had to give these two credit: they came back for more.
Confidently, she closed the distance on them, strutting tall. They attempted a few prayers each, but there was very little murderous intent behind them and Leo swept them aside with ease. Running out of distance between them, the woman offered her husband her hand, and with a powerful spin, he threw her up at the giant's face.
The slayer tucked into a roll, her sword out as she cut through the air like a saw blade. With only a split second to react, Leonara cut only move her head, allowing the woman to sail passed her. Unfortunately, the spin was too much and the woman didn't stick the landing, touching down and smashing through the wall of a nearby building. The man tried a few more prayers but it was painfully obvious that single attacks would never work on this woman and by now she was directly on top of him.
He had no choice but to flee but he didn't get far as Leonara bent down and snatched him up in her big fist, his arms trapped at his sides and legs still moving forward. He moaned in pain, his old bones about to crush as she lifted him to her face.
"I'm afraid it's the end of the line, father Lockwood." She said simply, adding some more pressure to him. He remained stone faced.
"It's not. . . Ughhh. . . It's not over yet! My children will still bring home your head on a pike!" He groaned, defiantly.
"Your children flee from my footsteps like cockroaches! Your entire race does." Leonara said calmly, increasing the pressure even more. "I'm saving dear Antony for my baby sister, but I will surely break the others in your name!"
Another groan was all he could manage as his head began to turn from red to blue, and he spit a gush of blood from his mouth, sounds of his body giving up, faint.
"Say goodbye. . ." Leonara whispered in his face and with a final, tight squeeze and the audible crunch of bones, he was gone.
A scream of pure agony erupted from behind her as she turned to see that the boy had miraculously risen from his stomping and has seen his father's last moments. Tears were flowing down his busted face, and he was on his knees.
Leo payed him no mind, tossing the corpse of his father aside on her way to where the woman had broken through the building. She passed the boy, and in a desperate bid to stop her, he wrapped himself around her leg. She kept on going like he wasn't even there, dragging him through the dirt like a spoiled child at the supermarket.
As the female slayer struggled to stand, the sun disappeared above her as this insurmountable opponent blocked out the light. She looked up at her, those cruel, blue eyes staring back. She knew her husband must be gone. At the giant's feet, her loving baby boy doing anything to save her life, the way she had saved his, all those years ago. Every event was just moving her toward this point in time it seemed, as the giant raised her foot for the last time.
The boy only winced as he heard the stomp, but a moment later the weight of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks. He was all alone now. This witch had killed his parents. She would kill his siblings. She would take over the entire world!
His thoughts overwhelmed him, but he was rudely awakened as Leonara grabbed a fistful of his hair. He screamed in pain as she peeled him from her leg and dragged him by the hair behind her to the center of town, where she released him. By now, his words had pretty much ceased and had been replaced by blubberings of mercy.
"Mercy? Mercy?! How much more do you think I have to spare?!" Leonara exclaimed, making a scene. "I spared you out in the woods. I've spared you twice today even! You don't get to keep throwing my generosity back in my face, you know!" She spat, kicking him over onto his back. "When you are bested, you stay down! " she continued, using her boot to flatten him to the ground.
"It's a hard lesson to learn, but there are consequences for your actions!" She continued as she stepped over him, lowering down to be hovering above him on her knees. "Maybe I won't kill you. . . . But if I don't, it's going to be close."
James barely saw the first punch to his cheek, that snapped his head to the side. He did feel a tooth loosen up in his gums though. Another punch remedied that, as he spit the tooth out. The next punch came from the other side. The next, directly from the front, bouncing his head off the ground. But she didn't just work his face. The next two minutes were pure hell as Leonara pummeled every inch of him from head to toe.
He was still conscious as the bigger woman mashed him into submission, but he knew that would change at any moment. His legs felt broken, or at least fractured and his arms were just numb. His ribs were likely cracked as well from her literally bone crushing stomp, still she pounded on them as well. He was right when he told his sister that he was too big to be crushed, but now he really wasn't sure about that.
He awoke from his pain induced trance to Leonara saying something to him.
"Heal you up, and keep you around the castle as a little slave! Hmm? What do you think?" She asked, looking down at his swollen face.
"Huh?" He asked, instinctively.
Leonara rolled her eyes and raised her fist to finish him off. He knew this would be it before he either died, or woke up in whatever life Leonara had been describing to him. He flinched as she went to punch, but again she was interrupted before she could end him.
"Leave him alone!" A voice came at the top of her lungs. "You're going to kill him!" Magnolia screamed as she rushed her brother's tormentor with his blade raised above her head.
"Huh!" Leonara commented as she simply caught Magnolia by the arm, stopping her in her tracks. "And just who might you be?" Leo questioned, looking her over.
Magnolia squirmed against her, but was nowhere near strong enough to get free. To emphasize the point, Leonara stood up, taking Magnolia with her, dangling her by her wrist. Maggie let out a cry of pain as Leo tightened her grip and James' sword clanged to the ground.
"Is this your brother, girl?" Leonara asked, holding her at arms length to keep from being kicked by her as she struggled.
"Please! Haven't you- haven't you done enough here?!" Magnolia cried, choking back tears.
Leonara only focused on her, those infamous eyes boring through the girl. It was so intimidating that Magnolia had to squeeze her eyes shut.
"What's your name, child?" Leo asked finally.
"Maggie. . . . Magnolia." Magnolia replied, sniffling.
Leonara sighed. If she did have heart strings, this tiny girl was threatening to tug at them.
"Ok. . . . I don't normally do this, and I promise you it will not happen again but. . . . I'll make you a deal. ." Leo said, gently placing the girl back on her feet, before cautiously kicking the little sword off to side.
"You can have what's left of your foolish little brother here, and all of the humans. . . But this town's mine now. And that odd house of yours out thereon the battlefield. That's mine now too. You leave here, and you don't ever come back. If I catch you around here, or hear that you're plotting revenge on me. . . I'll kill you and put your head up on a pike out front of that little house." Leonara said, laying out her generous offer.
Magnolia stood, clutching her sore wrist to her chest as she thought about it, but only for a second. There really wasn't much to think about, and nothing but memories there for them anymore.
"Ok. ." She said quietly. "I accept your offer."
"Good girl! Why can't the men in your family be so reasonable, huh?" Leonara exclaimed, with a warm, but disgusting smile.
*I was fuming. . . . I was fuming and ready to kill just about anyone at that moment as I paced the main hall of the castle. The story Maggie had told us about what Leonara had done was enough to make my blood boil. Jacob and Abby were right there with me. Abby was so pissed that she punched a hole in the castle wall, and Olivia had to take her out to cool off.
"So what, we just sit around here and wait for her to show up?" I shouted at Peter.
"We don't have any other choice, Ant. Believe me, I've thought about it. We've tried roaming and following leads, and that has gotten us nowhere. Let's just wait it out here. The lord of the city has been kind enough to put us up in his castle. Let's just enjoy it while we can." Peter argued, putting a hand on my shoulder.
"You don't find all this a little strange? Why would the leader of this city, that has absolutely NO SLAYERS, welcome a bunch of complete strangers in? And not just into the city, but into his personal castle!" I ranted.
"Ant, you got me missin' the time when you weren't here!" Henrietta said, taking a big swig of her ale mug. "We got beer. We got shelter. I'd say we are doin' pretty good!"
"Yeah, and meanwhile Leonara is out there killing my parents!" I shot back, knocking the mug out of her hand.
"I hate to say it, but she only did that to rile you up, Ant!" Peter chimed back in. "She is a master of this type of shit! You'll get upset, do something foolish, and get more people killed. To think that they could stay unaffected by this whole thing was wishful thinking anyway."
"Fine! If all of you feel this way, then so be it!" I shouted, before storming out.
And that is how the next two days went. Uneventful. I paced the walls, making sure that all the defenses were ready, sharpening my sword, and constantly going over the plan with everyone until they were sick of talking to me about it. My mind was a wreck. I wanted to so badly ride to Lockwood, find Leonara, and obliterate her in anyway possible. For a moment, my mind drifted to Zahra, and how I had unceremoniously killed her in her sleep, among other dishonorable things I had done in my past. Thinking about it, these days it was becoming harder to see the difference between myself and the dark things that the death goddess persuaded me to do, while also becoming easier to do those things. That night, I was visited by nightmares of my fights with Leonara. She haunted me with her size, her inhuman flexibility and the uncanny way she could avoid attacks. Not just that, but her brute strength as well. It only lead to more questions. Like how strong could Florence possibly be?
Things I didn't want to think about as I rolled around in my overly comfortable castle bed in the early hours of the morning. I didn't like it, but nobody found this unfounded courtesy strange? Humans usually only welcomed slayers when there was a giant on the horizon. This whole thing stun-
"GIANT!" A man ran into the chamber we all shared and shouted, rousing us all. "Leonara comes from the west! We have maybe a half hour!"
Half asleep, we got out of bed and put the plan we had assembled into action. Myself, and my siblings took our place on the front wall along with all the men from Lockwood and Pherron who had the balls to stand up for the human race. Down in the city, the rest of the team was scattered on the rooftops of the city. Poised for if Leonara was able to breach the wall. All the civilians of Pherron made their way to the back gate of the city and waited.
20 minutes later, we finally felt the footsteps of a giant, and Leonara finally emerged on the horizon. This was really happening. This was a new look for her as well. I guess she must have been fucking around this entire time, because now she was fully adorned in a battle ready, lightweight suit of armor. It was polished to perfection, with their family Crest "The great tree" engraved into the chest plate.
Stopping on top of the gentle hill that led into the city from the west, 1300 yards from the front gate, she regarded us for a moment, before she spoke.
"Lord Mathews! I know you can hear me! Now is the time to get your citizens out of here, as we discussed. My associate will let you pass." She called out.
"What the hell is she talking about?" Abby asked, confused as the rest of us.
Her question was answered when the back gate began to creak open to reveal Elise the bounty hunter, adorned now in kingdom colors, blocking the path. She towered over the humans at 110 feet tall, but still looked small framed by the 300 foot wall. She had a smirk on her face as she stepped aside, leaning against a tree to let the humans pass. They began to nervously file passed her feet and down the eastern path to wherever.
"What the fuck?!" Jacob breathed under his breath as it all became clear to him. This entire thing had indeed been a trap. We most certainly had suspected it would be, but getting the entire city involved in it was unexpected, even for Leonara. It had to make us question the extent that she might control everything around us at any one time. But it was about to get even better. . . .
"Ok!" Elise hollered when the last human had passed by her. On cue, the large gate began to close, sealing us back in.
"I see that there are still some men from Pherron among you!" Leonara observed. "This is your final warning. If you choose to stay, you are choosing death." She informed them.
Nobody moved from their post.
"Fine. These are the battle lines that have been drawn." Leo replied, drawing her blade. She held it up to her face, looking across its blade and praying to whatever gods she still had any faith in. Then she took a deep breath and. . . . began to run.
"Everyone at the ready!" I commanded to the small army of men on the wall. "Wait for my mark!"
They let out a cheer as they aimed the 6 giant crossbows at the path and prepared to fire. They kept themselves psyched up But as Leonara got up to speed, their bravado died off quietly. They had never seen anything so big, move so fast and it was disorienting. Sure, the wall was 300 feet tall, twice her height, but it somehow seemed like it was not enough now.
The castle rumbled under her footsteps and bits of it crumbled away as she simply charged forward. . . . . Just a few seconds more. . . . Another two. .
"FI-" was all I got out when it hit me.
It hit me, Abby and Jacob all at the same time. Abby dropped to a knee, clutching her chest and Jacob supported himself against the wall. Beside us, the humans looked confused as their leaders were suddenly stricken.
"Fi-fire!" I said weakly, but it was too late. The humans did fire the crossbows but they soared over Leonara's head now because of the downward slope of the hill as she closed at full, blistering speed toward her right.
"The oil! Drop the oil!" I shouted, finally getting my breath back.
The men responded, immediately dumping the hot oil cauldrons,but that must have been what she was planning on, because with one step, Leonara was across to the other side of the gate with nothing stopping her but the spikes.
Not that they were an obstacle for her. They didn't even slow her down as she planted her foot and lept at the last second.
What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion.
*All jaws were on the ground as the massive woman cleared the rows of spikes, gliding 250 feet through the air as if she weighed nothing. That ridiculous feat of athleticism was followed by what could only be described as the most violent force I had ever experienced, as she turned herself in midair, curling into a giant cannonball, leading with her hip and shoulder.
Leonara hit the wall directly in its weakest point. An old repair from a long ago siege. Arguably it wouldn't have mattered, because she struck it with the force of 1000 prayers anyway. . . .
In an instant, our world turned from a clear morning, to a massive cloud of dust and falling stone. The men standing directly above the breech were more or less obliterated. The crossbows were splintered and tossed every which way and the oil cauldrons were blown back The shockwave traveled through the entire wall, pushing back the entire right side, all 2000 feet of it, from corner to gate, and even twisting the gate to the point where it looked like it wouldn't open now.
On our side of the wall had even been warped and cracked, a large spit down the center now from the massive amount of movement. The humans had been knocked around as well, the unprepared getting tossed over the edge and falling 300 feet to their death. Reacting quickly, I was able to snag one man by the arm as he fell, and hoist him back up.
Everything was silent for a moment that seemed to last forever. . . . Or maybe it was just in my head, because I looked over to see my sister yelling something at me, before she turned and lept over the wall, swinging down into the city below on a rope. A second later, sound returned to me like a crashing wave. The sound was of men screaming, crying, and the thunderous footsteps of Leonara as she picked herself up, and was on the move.
By now, Jacob had jumped as well, and I followed suit, swinging down on to a rooftop. As we ran to the decided upon rally point, Leonara rampaged through the humans like they weren't even there. Archers from the wall shot arrow after arrow but they had zero effect on her. Some bounced off of her armor, while others got caught in her hair. She casually raised her sword as she walked, dragging the tip along the wall and cutting some men, and just plain crushing others under the blade.
We sprinted from rooftop to rooftop, losing ground to the giantess as she stormed through the other side of the city. Up ahead of us, Olivia, Cassius , and Julius were waiting for us, a look of distress on Olivia's face, as she too recognized what we were all feeling.
'We know!" Abby said before Olivia could comment on the situation. "But we don't run! We need to figure out where the pillars are, and take them out. We may not have the advantage right now, but at worst, this only levels the playing field since we're in the 4th biggest city in the realm. Plenty of places to hide! Wait for an opening and we'll chop her down like a tree if we have too."
We all nodded our agreement. Cassius, Julius, and myself went down to the streets, while Abby, Jacob and Olivia stayed on the rooftops and headed in her direction. Meanwhile, Leonara had finally crossed paths with the other half of the party and was engaging with them now. They ran and jumped on jutting pillars of stone to elevate to the level of her face, with various degrees of success. While it was a game changer that Monte could still use his abilities, it was abundantly clear that without our own, we weren't getting through her armor and all she had to do was swat anyone away from her face.
As we ran, I looked up to see Darius jump for her face, only to get caught by her hand at the last second. She crumpled him up, before tossing him into the wall, embedding him in the rock. Harley tried next, but with a swing of her arm, the raised earth ramp was crumbled as Leonara pushed right through it, leaving Harley to plummet 100 feet to the ground.
"This has to be Elise's doing. . . " I informed Cassius and Julius as we ran through the deserted streets. "There is no other reason she would need to be here. So. . . . Why is she outside of the walls, instead of in here fighting?"
It clicked for all of us at the same time.
"She's guarding them!" We all said together. A moment later, we rounded the corner and came out in the vast courtyard that bordered the back gate. Unfortunately, it was shut, and appeared to be locked. To make matters that much better, Elise was standing just outside the gate, leaning up against the tree and grinning.
"You know, you look pretty good in a cage, Ant!" She commented, with a chuckle as she walked over and crouched in front of us, with only the gate between us as she peered in like we were tiny pets.
"And you're going to look pretty good dead!" Julius spat back, grabbing the bars of the giant gate and rattling them in anger.
I think myself and Cassius for sure were shocked. It even took Elise a second to comprehend the size of the balls on this little human. When she finally did, she burst out laughing, right in his face.
"This one's hilarious, Ant!" She commented as she stuck a finger through the bars, poking Julius in the chest and knocking him over. "While I would absolutely LOVE. . . To get in there and have some fun with you little mutts, I'm under strict orders to stay out here, and crush anyone trying to touch the pillars or escape."
Julius stood, rushing back to the gate and swinging his blade wildly with his arm through the bars but Elise kept just out of reach, not that his sword could even pierce her skin anyway.
"You're a feisty little guy, aren't you?" She asked, that bitchy grin of hers still present. "Why don't you open up this little gate and come play?" She asked, pointing to the lift mechanism on the side of the gate.
Julius just about grabbed it, but Cassius grabbed him and pulled him back.
"Fool! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Cassius demanded, as he drug Julius away and back the way we had come.
"It's not like it even matters! I was already dead for the last battle, wasn't I?" Julius screamed in my direction as he fought against Cassius to get free.
"Why don't YOU open it, Ant?" She challenged, with a smile. "You think you could beat me without your prayers?" She questioned, stroking the bars with her finger.
I honestly contemplated it. Elise was a very capable fighter, but I had enough tricks up my sleeve to at least disable the pillar. Or maybe distract her long enough to let Cassius or Julius get there. For the moment I turned and walked away.
"That's alright! I understand! I wouldn't fight me either!" She called after me just as I disappeared behind a building, out of her sight.
"Who the hell is that?!" Cassius asked, still holding Julius back.
"An old acquaintance of mine. ." I replied, not wanting to get into it. "Nevermind her though! I'm going to go distract her, and I want you two to get to a pillar."
Just then, there was a huge crash in the building behind us. Henrietta lay unconscious in the rubble.
"It looks like they could use your help over there!" Cassius said, looking up to see the swarm of slayers getting physically wrecked by the giantess. People getting swatted and slammed left and right. "We will handle this." He said, in a way that felt like goodbye.
I wanted to protest, but they turned and ran toward the part of the city where fresh water was made to flow in. I should have followed them. . . .
Instead, I woke Henrietta, and we made our way back into the fight. We hadn't made it 3 blocks when Peter came crashing to the ground as well, hitting hard and smashing through a brick wall to our left. He was still conscious, but he really didn't look like he wanted to fight anymore. When he saw us, he reluctantly stood, and fell in with us. On a rooftop a few blocks ahead, Darius narrowly dodged a swing from Leonara's blade, that completely obliterated the building. He too got with us.
"Foxhole!" I began to shout, to signify to everyone else that we were changing tactics. It looked painfully obvious that we weren't even close to challenging Leonara without our prayers. With a new plan, all the commotion of the battle stopped and there was relative silence, as we hid inside a nearby building. I peeked my head out a doorway to see that Leonara was calmly dusting herself off. Her armor had a few minor scuffs from where she had plowed through the wall, but other than that, she seemed untouched.
I ducked back inside as she began to walk our way. I signaled to the others to get ready to attack when she passed by, but they all shook their heads no, looking down at the ground. . . .
I don't know if I could blame them. As Leonara passed by on the very street we were on, crushing a large merchant cart underfoot, it was impossible to not respect her sheer size. How could we not? She was walking relatively quietly and still her footsteps made it difficult to keep our feet on the ground. Every step bounced us into the air, rattled buildings, and crushed the streets.
"Elise?" Leonara asked, stopping a block down from us.
"Yes, your highness?" Elise replied from outside the gate.
". . . It's too quiet. Why don't you walk the perimeter from now on. . . . I'm 100% sure they are planning something right now. " Leo replied, glancing around. "They are hiding from me right now, but Juliette told me they would do this."
"Ok, I'll patrol for you! Ant was just at the gate. He is definitely coming!" Elise answered, and soon her own footsteps could be heard and felt.
"Alright. Kill him if you have to, but if he can be taken alive, please do. Juliette could use a pick me up right now." Leonara said casually, before she stepped over a row of buildings and onto another street.
Suddenly we were shook the sound of a stomp.
"Heh, you filthy little rats! I hope you know that these cheap little hit and run tactics will never defeat me!" Leonara called out. "One little trip up, and that's it for you."
She was right, but that had been the way it was since the beginning. Nothing had changed, but convincing everyone else of that was a different story. We had gone too long without success. Now we were having to fight as hard as we could, just to scratch some armor. It was a real test of what we were made of.
"Ok, let's go!" I said, sticking my head back out, before stepping into the street.
Looking behind me, Darius was there, a somewhat determined look on his face. Beyond him, Peter and Henrietta stayed put.
"Are you guys serious right now?!" I asked, my voice barely under control.
"Ant. . . . You know as well I do. . . . We can't beat her like this." Peter said, looking at the ground as he said it.
"And would you have one of your brothers or sisters die because you were too afraid to back them up!?" I demanded, walking back in and putting my fist through the wall by his head.
"You would know all about that, wouldn't you Ant?! You're such a fuckin' hypocrite!" Henrietta shouted, shoving me away from Peter and across the room.
Instantly I was back and in her face.
"I'm done apologizing for it, so fuck you too, Henrietta! You just gonna act like she didn't kill Malakai too?" I screamed, looking up, but inches from her face.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment, and when she opened them and looked away, there were tears.
Across the city, there were more crashes and stomps.
I didn't wait to see if I had moved her. Instead I turned and ran in that direction, jumping up the wall of a building and to the rooftops. Leonara's eyes were on the street below her, distracted as she walked slowly, awaiting the next attack. Darius was beside me, and we jumped across roofs on our way to her. We were just about there, when we reached a building that had already been smashed. There was no way to get closer, but with no other option, we jumped as far as we could.
To my surprise, the ground rose up beneath our feet, elevating us. I couldn't see where Monty was hiding, but I guess he could see us as he gave us a ramp up to Leonara. Unfortunately she spotted us just as we were about chest height with her, on her right side. She swung her sword in defense, smashing the rock pillars that we were jumping from.
It narrowly missed. Darius lost his footing, falling to a lower pillar that caught him. I was able to cling onto Leonara's arm as it passed by, catching the armor of her forearm. I wobbled, but got my footing as she followed through on her swing, but it was short lived. I lifted my sword up, and plunged it down, managing to punch a blade sized hole in armor and sink my steel into her forearm.
"Shit!" She snapped, and reflexively, her hand came for me. I expected this, again pulling out the dagger that I had stuck in her finger before and jammed it there again.
"Seriously, this shit again?!" She shouted, ignoring the pain in order to get a hold on me. I held on to my sword as tightly as I could, Leonara pulling me by my legs. She was so damn strong! My grip was just about to give out, when suddenly she flinched and her hand released me.
Down below, I saw Darius on her thigh, and he too had stabbed his sword. Unfortunately he didn't react quick enough, and was swatted against her thigh like a bug, before he was gripped, raised, and smashed brutally to the ground. He lay, writhing in pain, deep in the crater that Leonara's freak strength had created.
Not missing a beat, she lifted her boot high, to completely snuff him out of existence, but lucky for Darius, Monty was looking out for him. Just as she went to finish him off, a jagged, pointy piece of earth jutted out of the ground, threatening to poke a hole in the sole of her foot, so she placed her foot back down. Instead she turned her attention back to me. Her fingers wrapped around me again, squeezing me in her fist and violently ripping me from her arm. She drew her arm back, and threw me as hard as she could at the wall.
It would have probably been enough to put me down for some time, but just as I was about to hit, the stone of the wall became sand and the force was easily absorbed. I dropped to the ground unharmed and ducked into a building just as Leonara stepped into the street.
Even in hiding I wasn't safe, as the building next to the one I was in was crushed by her sword, and the one across the street under her boot. I had no choice but to run back out just as her sword came through the roof of my own building.
"There you are! She exclaimed, and I was greeted promptly with a boot to the chest that sent me flying back into the wall. This time there was no help and I took the full brunt of it, cracking the stone behind me before dropping to my knees on the ground. Leonara blocked out the sun above me, arrogant smirk on her beautiful face.
She reared back to kick me again, but I dove to my left, avoiding her and breaking into a run around a corner as she took a boot sized chunk out of the wall, and that was when something caught her eye. . .
It was me. . . . Staring at her from atop a building a few blocks opposite the direction she had just seen me run. She paused, and for the briefest moment, there was doubt in her mind and equally so on her face. . . . . The mind games had begun.