Hey guys, and welcome back to Running for Life!

I...don't really have anything special to say at the moment, so let's get started with the reviews! Huge thanks to BooksAreMedicine (You'll have to see what happens ;) And glad you like Jack's little accent! There are many more 'tis's and 'twas's to come, don't worry!), readwithcats (Yeah, it's just an OC, haha. Not enough characters in this movie for everything I want to do! XD), OneWhoDreamz (You'll see ;), Ravenclaw667, WinterCrystal1009, WickedInk, Brenne, StarG4zer, Serami Nefera, jackandelsaforever101 (Killing readers with cliffhangers is actually one of my favorite pastimes :), crashingthroughtime, Randomly Talented, and Sparky!

ONCE AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE ANY SONG SUGGESTIONS, PLPEASE LET ME KNOW! :D

Welp, without further ado, on with the chapter!

Chapter 24: The One-Armed Archer

Though he had been found out in public only a handful of times, lone hunters had tracked him down often. He had intentionally fought back only once, of course. Due to its fatal nature, he returned to merely outsmarting his pursuers and running off.

He became adept at dodging projectiles. Though he admittedly was still struck every now and again, most of the time, he was able to escape without so much as a scratch to show for it.

Many of the hunters' faces blurred together, the dead man's being the only one to truly stay with him. They were blurs with bows, and he was sure they all felt the same about the rest of his kind and him.

There were times when he was forced to break his vow of flight rather than fight. Occasionally, he simply could not manage to outrun his hunters, and had to resort to using force to break away. He often struggled for control over his magic in these panicked moments, but so far had been able to achieve his goal of never killing another person.

Unfortunately, he had still been the cause of many crippling injuries, including loss of limb. Many times, he had found himself cringing as he listened to a frozen arm or leg snap, removing themselves from their owners as he bolted like a startled deer.

Thankfully, the thick ice prevented blood from spilling, and the healers in Iskald had plenty of experience dealing with the loss of frostbitten appendages. He had checked; none of those hunters had died. However, their lives had certainly been changed forever.

He regretted what he did, and wished he could rectify his actions, but had no way of doing so. Who in their right mind would allow him to even try?

()()()()

Despite the arrow he knew was aimed directly at his back, Jack felt an odd sense of calm wash over him. He was thankful for his mind's clarity, as he figured that, so long as he kept his wits about him, he might be able to walk away from the cemetery alive.

"My apologies," Jack began, voice low, formal, and even. "But wouldn't it be kinder if you replaced 'what' with 'who'?"

"Like you'd know anything about kindness, damn sprite," the unknown male growled. From his voice, Jack could tell that his assailant was older than him, though still rather young. The boy figured that he must have been in his mid to late twenties, thirty at most, and wasn't surprised. Most of the people who had ever caught up to him were young and sharp.

Jack, however, was younger and sharper.

"Funny," he said, not once moving a muscle. "From the way you speak to me, it seems as though you know me, and yet...I do not recognize your voice. Who are you?"

There was a beat of silence. "Turn around," the man said firmly. "But slowly. Perhaps you'll recognize the rest of me."

A slight frown on his pale face, Jack slowly stood, careful not to make any sudden movements that could cause the arrow to be sent hurtling towards his back. He could practically feel the anonymous man tense behind him, but did not stop. Steeling himself for whatever was to come, the young sprite turned to face him.

The first thing that Jack noticed was the pointed tip of the arrow aimed to pierce his heart. His pulse quickened at the sight of it, but he forced his expression to remain blank as he looked past it at the weapon's wielder.

He did not recognize the man.

Red bangs fell into the young man's emerald eyes, and his expression was a blend of fear and hatred that Jack was quite familiar with. However, it was not his face that caught Jack's attention. Rather, the odd way in which he held his bow was of greater intrigue.

A curious sort of brace had been fitted to his left leg, which connected to the bow, holding it up in the air as the young man pulled the string back. His left foot rested on a box-shaped stand that was just high enough to bring the bow up to eye-level. Jack frowned in confusion at the strange spectacle.

That can't be practical… he thought. I'm no expert when it comes to archery, but I really can't imagine there being any merit in…

Then he saw it. The archer was missing his left arm.

Suddenly, all of the pieces fell neatly into place, and Jack found himself widening his eyes in surprise. Did...did I do that…? he wondered, feeling ill. He still had no memory of the man before him, but this came as no surprise to him. Assuming this was one of the hunters he had not managed to outfox before a fight occurred, it was reasonable that he would not recognize him, as hunters' faces tended to blur together into one twisted scowl of disdain.

"Do you remember me now?" the young man asked through clenched teeth.

Jack did not reply.

The man's scowl only deepened. "My name is Simon," he growled bitterly. "And two years ago, you took my arm from me."

The young sprite studied Simon for a long time. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and calm. "I have no clear recollection of this," he said. "But I can assure you, if I was the one who took your arm, 'twas merely self-defense. I realize that my words are little consolation for your loss, but I truly apologize."

Despite his cool manner of speech, Jack's words were not a lie. He legitimately was sorry for what he had done to this man, but he also could not forget the fact that he had only frozen Simon's limb in defense of his life.

Does that make me selfish or self-preservational? Jack wondered, a slight ghost of a frown pulling at his lips. Or merely sane, perhaps?

Simon's eyes flared in anger. "Your apology means nothing!" he insisted. Jack, knowing this to be true, did nothing to stop him from speaking for at least a moment longer. "Your devil magic robbed me of my arm!"

"And your arrow attempted to rob me of my life," Jack cut in, one eyebrow raised slightly over the other. "I hope you'll believe me when I tell you that I regret what happened, but I cannot see why I should have been expected to 'go quietly' so to speak in the face of a man whose intent was to murder me."

Simon faltered. "I…" his eyes narrowed. "My only wish was to protect my village! I saw you...you were too close. I knew that you would only bring suffering to my family and friends."

"I was fifteen," Jack deadpanned. "I would hardly consider a young teenager threatening at first glance."

Eyes wide, Simon stared at him. "You...were only fifteen?" he asked in disbelief. "But your eyes…" He scowled. "No. You are simply trying to fool me. I saw your eyes that day...they belonged to no child."

Then, Jack did something he had never done before. He lowered his hood to show a human his face.

Simon's hateful expression morphed into one of pure shock as he took in Jack's young appearance. The boy was not entirely sure how the one-armed archer had managed to track him down without knowing his face, but let it pass for the moment. For now, it was not of the utmost importance that he knew.

"You are...seventeen now…" Simon mumbled, half to himself. "But your eyes...your expression...they are hardened by decades, how…?"

"My name is Jack," Jack said suddenly, catching the man's attention. "My mother was Sarah, my father Benjamin, and my sister Olivia. I lived with them in a small village called Burgess. 'Twas a poor place, but we got by." His eyes narrowed slightly, but he continued in the same even tone as before. "That village…'tis gone now. 'Twas burned to the ground by a mob of angry humans. As far as I know, I am the only one to have escaped both death and capture. That was six years ago. I was eleven."

Simon was silent, so Jack kept speaking.

"As you see, I had a life, a home, a family," he said. "I was no different than you. None of us were. Yet someone decided that tearing it all away from me would be justified." Jack took a deep breath. "I'm not a demon, Simon. I know of the rumors that have circulated, but none of them are true. My freezing your arm off was purely an act of self-defense, nothing more. As I told you, I truly regret it, but you were attempting to kill me, and I did not want to die. 'Twas all I could do to escape."

Though he did not lower his bow, Simon bit his lower lip, eyebrows furrowed in thought. "You…" he trailed off, struggling to find words. "You are a snow sprite...but not a demon?"

"Yes," Jack replied, no impatience present in his voice. "I told you; the rumors are false. We are hardly any different from humans, or any other race in Soluna."

The two stood in silence for what felt like an eternity, Jack with his hood down and posture straight, Simon with his leg atop a stand and bowstring pulled back. Neither of them seemed inclined to be the first to speak.

Suddenly, however, Simon's eyes widened and he let out a strangled gasp. Jack gave a sharp inhale as the man's sharp green eyes swirled, and the young sprite took a step backwards in surprise. He managed to catch a glimpse of black surging into Simon's chest before the archer gave a dark chuckle. Jack swallowed nervously, raising his gaze to look Simon in the eyes.

They were yellow.

"W-What…?" Jack whispered in shock, stepping backwards once more. He was brutally reminded of Onyx's eyes of the same color, and, against his will, his hands began to tremble with a strange sense of uncontrollable fear.

I know that feeling… Jack thought with a start. There are Nightmares near here… Then, His eyes...they look exactly like Onyx's… His eyes widened. She...no...could she really have the power to possess people!? What if she's controlling him…? What if she brought him here in the first place…? That must be how he found me...that makes sense at least, but still...what is going on!?

Jack's thoughts were cut off by the sound of Simon's voice. At least, it vaguely sounded like Simon's voice, but now, it possessed a certain cold undertone that the archer's speech had lacked. Jack shuddered, reminded once again of the woman who had killed his sister.

"You're correct, boy," Simon hissed, laughing darkly. "Snow sprites are not the demons in this tsardom…" His yellow eyes flashed. "We are."

He let the arrow fly.

*whistles casually* Ah, I love cliffhangers...

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll see you next week for Chapter 25 (which I'm hoping will turn out a little longer than the past couple chapters)!

For now, Sapphire316, out.