Elder Elies swung her blade with deadly precision, aiming to sever the creature's head in one clean stroke. The attack came so quickly I barely registered it.
The humanoid cavecrawler reacted just as swiftly. One of its clawed arms shot up, catching the blade mid-swing, the impact sending sparks flying. With its other claw, it lashed out at Elder Elies's stomach in a vicious counterattack.
Elder Elies blocked the strike with a newly materialized in her other hand.
In the blink of an eye, she teleported, reappearing directly in front of the creature, her booted foot driving into its midsection with a powerful kick.
The creature staggered but responded with startling ingenuity. Both of its claws plunged into the earth, redirecting the momentum of the blow into the ground. The soil cracked beneath it, dust rising in a cloud as it steadied itself.
The creature lunged forward, its massive arms outstretched, aiming to ensnare Elder Elies in a deadly embrace.
Quickly and without a sound, I slipped the device the cavecrawler had given me into my satchel, praying Elder Elies hadn't noticed.
"Sorry, but you are not my type!" Elder Elies yelled out.
The cavecrawler roared in response, its mandibles clicking furiously.
Elder Elies disappeared in a blur of motion, reappearing several paces away with her blade poised and ready.
The creature, using the momentum of its failed lunge, shifted seamlessly into a retreat, its powerful limbs propelling it away at an alarming speed.
Even as it retreated, it cast a few lingering glances over its shoulder—at me, not her.
Elder Elies remained in her battle stance, her piercing gaze fixed on the retreating figure. Slowly, she lowered her blade and stepped in front of me, her form a shield between me and the direction the cavecrawler had fled.
"You okay?"
I shook my head.
***
Elder Elies turned to face me, her expression firm but concerned. "Why are you outside the settlement?"
I hesitated, my fingers dug into my thighs, a habit I'd never quite managed to shake.
"I… I was accused of stealing," I began, my voice barely above a whisper. "But I didn't do it. I didn't take anything."
Her eyes narrowed. "Accused? By who?"
I swallowed hard, staring at the ground. "It doesn't matter. The guards didn't care. They didn't even bother to investigate."
I could feel her gaze burning into me, but I kept mine fixed on the dirt beneath my feet.
"They told me to follow them outside," I continued, my voice trembling. "They said it was for further investigation, but... it wasn't."
"The first punch came out of nowhere, and then… it just kept coming." My hands clenched into fists as the words tumbled out. "They beat me until I couldn't fight back, and then they left me there. Alone."
"Just point them out to me. I'll deal with them myself." Elder Elies said, her voice sharp and furious.
My chest tightened, and I shook my head quickly, almost too quickly.
"Please... There's no need." My voice was a little too rushed, a little too frantic.
Her eyes softened slightly, but they didn't lose their edge. My breath came faster, shallow and uneven, as though I was struggling to keep my composure. I bit my lip, pretending the memory was too much, the weight of it too unbearable.
Elder Elies stepped closer, her arms encircling me in a firm yet gentle embrace. Her strength felt safe, protective, but I didn't lean into it. "You've been through so much," she murmured softly, her anger momentarily giving way to compassion.
I let out a shaky breath, my hands limp at my sides as I allowed her to hold me.
I lied.
I really wanted to see those fuckers suffer.
But not like this.
This was mine to settle. I would be the one to see it through.
My fingers tightened around my satchel, where the thing was.