Chapter Three: Miana
I was just about to fall asleep. Just on the edge of a dream, a dream about my husband, my partner, my battle-mate, Perth...
Then I heard her screaming. I sat up bolt upright and automatically had my hand on my sword. As her wordless scream formulated into my name, I jumped out of bed in just a leather shirt and pair of pants, the iron sword bare in my hand.
I sensed the ghast outside before I saw it. The obsidian was cracking—glowing light was coming in as the wall buckled. I knew what disaster was coming.
I sprinted toward Talitha as a muted boom thudded against the wall. I grabbed her under one arm and pulled her back into the house, where I didn't hesitate before pulling over a bookshelf. She gasped under my arm, and tried to grab the books from falling. They didn't matter if we could get out of this house. I let her pick up two before I heard it.
The obsidian outer wall crumbled, half-melting as two ghasts flew into the house. I could see their horrible white tentacles as they floated leisurely to where we were, both charging for another fireball. I already had our travel packs in hand as I propelled her down the corridor behind the bookshelf. It was dark, with only a faint glowstone trail leading down. Eventually it became too steep to run and we slid, sitting on our behinds. I kept Tali firmly in front of me.
We reached the end of the tunnel just as a fireball exploded above us. It sent shards of bloodstone cascading down onto our heads as I shoved Tali out into the cave. There was a small obsidian shelter at the bottom. I bundled her into it.
"Tali, do not leave this cave, do you hear me?"
I left her before she could answer, peering out of the cave. I looked around, then back up at the house, and that's the only thing that saved me.
I dived forward, out of the cave and away from my Talitha, as a fireball hit directly behind me. The ground exploded as I scrabbled away from the cave, faintly registering a pain in my foot. Far behind, I could hear Talitha screaming my name.
I made a split-second decision and peeled off right, sprinting with my sword in my hand. All the pigmen tribes were cowering in their burrows, or I might have had a harder time of it. Over, around, and under the red mountains and hills, and I only checked to see that they were both behind me once.
I remembered the bow in my hand. Somehow it must have gotten there. Tali, I thought, as I turned around and fired, making a dangerous choice of aim—the eyes.
My arrow flew true. The howling of the ghast filled the air as it sped directly towards me.
