Real fast update to make up for he long pause of the last. Enjoy.
Karigan
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Complications
'I am'
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He hadn't been fast enough. He'd turned around at Daine's pained noise to find her impaled by a piece of wood. Justice' back had been turned towards him. His attention had been caught momentarily by the strange brown glow around Justice's ankle. That's when he knew.
His mind had blanked out as he ran towards them. He reached to yank Justice away from Daine but he was too slow. Justice swung around, her hand slammed across his face. He fell backwards from the blow, feeling the string of scratch marks down his face. He looked up at Justice only to be completely taken aback. Her eyes where white. The dullness of those eyes was nothing short of nerve-racking. She stared back at him for only a second before turning to meet an approaching lioness.
Alanna lasted only a bit longer. At one point she had gotten Justice on the ground and pinned. However, Justice's unique ability to squirm out of trouble came in handy. With one might shove, Alanna was slammed into a tree and left with the wind knocked out of her.
Justice turned back to Numair as he scrambled over to Daine. Blood gushed out from her abdomen. He felt bile rise up in his throat as he lifted her limp body into his lap. He looked back up at the eight-year-old red head. Her expression was dull. As if the life or death situation she was putting everyone in was given no second thought. "Justice! Come out of it! Stop! You don't want this! I know you don't!"
She didn't seem to take his words into account as she picked up Alanna's crossbow. She stuck the pointed end in the fire for a moment before placing it into the hook. She pointed the arrow into the forest and pulled the trigger. The flaming arrow whizzed by trees, disappearing.
She dropped the crossbow and bent to pick up Alanna's sword. Suddenly, Buri's body slammed into the young girl, both the females flying to the ground. Buri was fighting a loosing battle and she knew it. Fortunately, Alanna, now with enough air in her lungs to stand, also launched herself into the fight. It bought Numair a few extra seconds to wrap Daine's stomach with a cloth to stop the bleeding. He kept his eyes on the fighting women, caution bit at him as the straining woman started to loose their grips on a dead-faced Justice.
That's when he heard it. Feet. He turned his head to the side to see the rebel army brake through the trees. His heart stopped as he realized the arrow Justice had shot into the forest was a signal. He stood with Daine's limp body in his arms as Justice finally broke away from the two women. She stood there, staring at the men crashing through.
"JUSTICE!" Alanna roared. "Snap out of it! This isn't you."
Then Justice did something they didn't expect. She closed her eyes tightly. When she opened them again the white had dulled out so they could see, though not well, her natural blue through the misty emptiness. The girl looked down at the hands covered in Daine's blood. She looked back up. The blue was fading again, turning to white. That's when she spoke. The three tortallan's heard the tortured words squeeze out the girl's throat. "What I want most to be, I am." The silence stretched for only a few seconds as the shouts of the oncoming rebel army grew louder and closer. Justice turned her head towards the men, then back to the three next to her. "Run." They stood there shocked. Looking at her with confusion and reluctance. "RUN!" she screeched. And they did. The red head's eyes turned dull white again as she was once again lost in the emptiness. The rebels rushing past her, chasing the others.
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I like this chapter. I think it shows the ability of each of us to become who we want, despite all the odds. Just like in real life, sometimes the first few attempts don't completely work out; but they give us hope. : ) Hope you liked it.
Karigan
Next chapter coming soon.