Fiona clenched her hair with a firm grip, still stunned at what had transpired. Her attempts to calm down were in vein as her heart palpitated at the shock of it all. Her mind running in circles as she heard approaching footsteps.
"Are you okay?"
Fiona was snapped out of her panic. "Huh? Who are you?"
The young man took a deep breath. "You don't remember do you? We spoke earlier. I...gave you the Alstroemeria." His soft, uniformly regal voice caught her attention, but she was yet to regain her wits.
"The what now?"
"Uh. The...flower." he said, scratching his head.
"Oh! It's you!" Fiona appeared shocked. "Sorry. Still can't think straight after what happened."
"Neither can I." He sighed. "This is the seventh village taken this year. Can you believe it?"
"No..." Fiona exhaled, trying to contain her emotions. Looking around, the village lay in ruins. Livestock stolen. Fences and homes trampled.
Parents and children captured or killed. Families torn apart. Her gaze eventually arrived at the one who was keeping her company. Slightly taller than she was, his shining white hair that extended down to his shoulders set him apart from everyone else. As if it wasn't enough, his accent was deep and almost bewitching, and he wore a dark blue long coat and shining black boots. He looked out to the ruined village as well.
Finally able to gather her thoughts, she came to the same conclusion as before. This man was not from around there. "Sorry. I didn't find your name."
He turned to face her before performing an elegant bow. "Florian Amadius of Florentine. And you? Milady?"
"Fiona", she said bluntly, still caught up in her own thoughts.
"Well Fiona, I must inquire. Have you any knowledge whatsoever on the whereabouts of these centaurs? Where they could have taken the villagers?"
"I don't." Fiona was still at a loss for words.
"Well, I must be off. These centaurs will not find themselves will they? I must follow their tracks and find the place that they were heading. It will be nightfall soon. I must be off."
"Wait!" Fiona shouted out, tears welling up in her eyes as Florian turned back towards her. "You mean to find the centaurs?"
"Yes."
"Then I will come too." She proclaimed. "If you are going to get the villagers. My friends, family back. Then I am going with you."
Florian eyes her with concern. "You must consider carefully Fiona. The centaurs are relentless. They will tear you limb from limb given the chance. It will be dangerous."
Fiona clenched her fists. "Seven villages. Seven Villages Amadius! They believe they are above us. They would shape a world where us humans grovel under their hooves, and it is because not enough bare the courage to stand against their tyranny! This time, it was MY village. MY life! I might be just a village girl, but I will spill centaur blood for this. I'm coming with you."
Florian looked her in the eyes and smiled. "Very well. We leave at once, but first, take this. For self defense." Out of his coat came an ornate black dagger, It's touch felt like a thousand gold pieces and the ringing sound it made when unsheathed was priceless.
"Now. Let us hunt some centaurs." She eyed the blade.
"Indeed."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The pair treaded through the woods. Florian eyed the tracks left by the centaurs with unflinching focus as the sunlight died down through the trees.
"Um. Florian? What plans have you for the night?"
Florian kept moving, eyeing the vaguest hint of tracks in the dirt. "Darkness is no hindrance for me Fiona. I never lose sight of a trail once found."
"Right." she said, more confused than reassured. As the surroundings darkened, she clenched the hilt of her dagger with sweaty palms, beginning to question whether coming with Florian was the right idea. Before long, the woods were shrouded in darkness. Fiona trembled, trying to take deep breaths. "Florian? Florian do you hear me?" Panic quickly swelled in her chest and she began gasping in fear. These feelings were subdued before long.
"Fiona. Relax. I'm right here. Breathe." He spoke as gently as he could muster. "Breathe. That's it."
She felt immense relief to know she was not alone. "For a moment I thought I'd lost you."
"Understood, but we cannot draw attention to ourselves Fiona." Florian paused before continuing. "There is something we can do."
A million thoughts rushed through Fiona's head. She could hear Florian unbuttoning his coat.
"Here. You hold one end. I'll hold the other. This way, we don't get separated in the darkness."
Fiona finally understood what Florian was getting at. "Oh. Good thinking. " Still, her mind was still not at ease. Who was Florian Amadius? How could he see the tracks in the dark? Where was Florentine? Questions she needed answers to as soon as possible.
"I still have the tracks. Let's go.". The pair proceeded through the darkness.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------
The night was now past. The first light of morning simmered through the trees. The pair had stopped since Fiona was beginning to sleepwalk. She needed rest, yet Florian was somehow still as fresh as a summer spring. They were losing time though. Fiona forced open her eyes as her companion gently awoke her.
"Rise and shine sleepyhead." A sudden distant pounding twisted Florian's head out toward the woods. The sound grew louder with each passing moment.
"Centaurs. They approach!" He jerked Fiona's body from side to side until he was wide awake. "Quick, we must move!" The idea was short lived as a towering brown centaur smashed through the bushes, blocking their way.
She eyed them both seductively. "Mmmmmhmm. Lost tasty humans at this early hour? You shouldn't have. Hmhmhmhmm." The powerful being lifted her hands up to her body. She was candid in undoing her wrappings, revealing her huge, powerful breasts that would bring weak human me to their knees. "Kneel for me humans, and I'll kill you before I eat you."
.
Fiona froze with fear, but Florian eyed the centaur with a venomous gaze. "I will not kneel to a wretched centaur whore."
"Big mistake little one." The beast charged at the defiant Florian with chaotic rage, hammering its hooves into the ground. Florian moved like lightning, unsheathing two daggers from his back. He charged at the centaur, spinning aside as it pounded down at him. He slashed at its legs, bringing the beast to its knees. Sheathing his daggers, he pulled out a longsword from his waist, and marched to the crippled creature.
"No. No! I will not be bested by a -" SLICE
A vicious swing lopped the centaur's head off. It rolled away as the rest of it collapsed, lifeless. The victory was short lived. Another centaur charged through the bushes, neighing violently. It smashed itself against Florian, sending him flying back in a painful cry. As he lay stunned on the floor, his attacker trotted over to him, before bending her human half down to lift the battered Florian by the throat. The dominant beast raised a gasping and squirming Florian far off the ground to her eye level.
"You slayed my sister hmmm?" She clenched his throat tighter. "I would eat your head now human, but you wouldn't taste very good now would you? No. Killers of the clan members earn a worse fate yes? You will be taken back to camp, before we take turns RAPING you! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The crazed laughter was cut off by Fiona's blade piercing into its hide, bringing an intense screech. "You will regret that girl!" The wounded centaur stood on her hind legs, ready to bring her front legs down onto Fiona when a sword flew straight into the creature's skull, and she fell, almost causing an earthquake.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The pair helped each other to their feet. Florian looked at Fiona from top to bottom. "Are you okay?"
She breathed deep. "I'll be fine. Are you?"
Florian sighed. "Yes. We were lucky. Very risky to be resting in this part of the woods. I should have known." He pondered for a second, then continued. "Two centaurs roamed through here. I've a mind that this Lustreign's castle is not far. Let us move Fiona. We are close."
"Agreed." She breathed deep and nodded at the same time.
"Oh and Fiona." He looked her in the eyes. "Well done. You were excellent.", he said with a smile.
She couldn't hold back her grin. "Not too bad to you either, Florian Amadius."
The duo continued on. Florian followed the same trail as the one through the night. Before long, they crawled up an incline, over which stood a massive wooden fortress surrounded by a spiked trench. There was only one visible way in. A path leading to the front gate.
"Fiona. I believe that the villagers were taken here."
"We can only hope that they are still alive.", was her response.
Florian nodded, while focusing on the surrounding area. "Now Fiona. Here comes the challenging part. We need to find a way in. There was a single centaur guarding the gate. Hulking and with a massive spear. Two archers overlooked her on each side."
"I see no way in but through the front.", Fiona said, looking as well. "We could sneak in if we could get the front guard to move."
"Yes. At night, we can use the darkness to our advantage. Take out the archers, and find a way past the brute up front. I believe I have an alternative...We draw werewolves to the camp using rabbit's blood. The centaurs might have a fierce battle on their hooves before long."  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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