Aven stayed facing the forest with his dagger in his hand for quite some time after Joseph Randall left.
'No matter what is going to happen now, I can't just stay here at the edge of the forest waiting to see what they all decide to do'.
He could still sense the malikias from earlier
'what are they up to, they haven't made much progress towards the village since the fight earlier.'
With one last look to the gate Aven made a choice, with carefully measured step he moved over to stand under a tree and then jumped.
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The left over snow still covered the ground around Garbell village in the clearing.
Perched in a tree on a branch overlooking the clearing in front of Garbell Village with his purple eye starring into the forest was Aven.
'Everything has changed, what am I meant to do now I can't easily sleep or practice when they are getting closer all the time.'
The gate to the village was securely closed and the guards had retreated to safety of the walls.
'I don't understand why they are taking so long to actually reach the village. It's not like it's a long journey from the clearing where I slept last night to the village so why is it taking them so long to get here? What are they doing?'
There had not been any movement from the village for several hours not since Joseph Randall returned.
'I wish I knew what Village Chief Dean was going to do or even the representatives from the institutions.'
As he sat in the trees, he kept scanning the tree line for movement.
'I need to practice my abilities more.' He starred at the village gates.
The guards had already made clear to him that no matter what he would not be allowed into the village while there was any threat remaining.
Aven had to choose whether to stay on high alert or try for a middle ground that would mean he could try and practice.
'When I was fighting earlier it felt so different to how I usually use my senses normally but that must have been what Joseph Randall sensed or at least saw, that made him ask that question.'
After one finally scan of the tree line, Aven closed his eye and focused inside himself. His senses sharpened and the hazy visage of the malikia on the edge of his sense became clearer as he focused, he felt a shift happening around him.
He heard a distance howl and his eyes snaped open, he checked around him but saw nothing, he frowned as he heard the howl again, but it seemed to be more distance now than before.
'What was that, I'm not picking up anything new on my senses, but I definitely heard something' as he rescanned the forest around him, his eyes widened as he felt something press on his back.
Aven jumped way from the sensation but as he landed, he looked back at the tree where he had been but there was nothing there.
'What was that?'
As he stood it happened again but this time it was far fainter then before and Aven flinched again.
'What is happening here?'.
Suddenly his senses started screaming making reactively move and behind him claws crashed down into the ground.
'Not again'.
Standing where he had been just seconds before was a young malikia.
'How is there yet another one that is not on my senses.'
Standing alone in the clearing Aven face the malikia his dagger held firmly within his grasp. This time he was truly alone.
Aven focused his sense down on to the malikia before him.
'I will just have to hope that this one is alone, after all I will have trouble with this one it there are more of them that will be the end of me for sure.'
As he focused his senses narrowed down on to Malikia in front of him, the world once more slowed down and he shifted.
He managed to parry a few claw strikes before shifting away after landing a blow to the malikia's hind leg.
It staggered before turning back towards him, angry with having been injured.
The malikia moved its agility increasing making Aven struggle to keep up as he struggled to hold his focus fully on the malikia before him.
The malikia's claw hit home striking Aven on the chest and sending him spiralling away from the malikia.
Aven crashed hard on to the floor and straining to catch his breath, his chest burning.
Aven struggled to keep the malikia in sight as he was pushing himself back up his arms feeling the strain.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw his dagger that had slip from his grasp.
Before he managed to make his way back to his feet the malikia lunged forward it claws out and raised to strike!