Ok, so this is the third chapter, nothing much to report back to you guys. But if you have any questions that you would like me to answer: It can be about myself, the story, any other upcoming updates, or even if you just want to drop by and say hello, let me know in the comments or Pm me. Ill write back to you as soon as I can and your question/ Suggestion may be featured and any upcoming chapter along with a shout out.
cool cool and Chapter 3; Stealing candy from a child... or rather a life.
Max found herself standing behind Liu, he seemed to be hiding something from her view. Liu of course knew that she was there but he didn't pay any mind to her as he just wanted to keep what ever he was hiding from her a secret.
"Maximum," He said sternly "Your first task is to see how strong you really are, if you can handle... a deadly fight." Liu said as he stepped a side. Max could only let out a small gasp as she felt her heart drop.
Before her was a little girl, She had rosy red checks and puffy eyes from what seemed to be from her crying. She had crimson red hair that went in different directions and tangled with twigs and leaves. She had green eyes that were watered with tears that brimmed in the corners, threating to fall. Her clothes were torn and tattered and she looked no older than 7. She had various scratches and bruises on her arms and legs and she trembled in fear.
Max could only stare in horror as she watched the little girl shake and hold back tears. "Liu! She's only a child!" Max yelled out but Liu shrugged and pointed to the girl.
"I am well aware that this is a child, But you too are a child, and so was Ari, and so is your beloved flock. Looks can be deceiving, for all you know she could be a ruthless killer." Liu said as he walked over to the girl, he knelt down and his 'eyes' met her eyes. She whimpered and flinched trying to look away, but she couldn't. "Playing a game, to try and trick us into thinking that she is only a frightened child" He took a strain of hair and swirled it around before standing up once more. "So I'm going to ask you this once, and only once. eliminate this child, take her out of her misery if you have to think about it that way, I don't care. This is your first test, fail this and I will kill this child and bring another and I'll keep bringing them until you man up and kill one yourself." Liu finished by tossing a knife to Max he stepped aside and motioned to the kid
Max caught the knife with ease, but she could only stand in her place, the child whimpered and begged for her life to be spared. Liu in fact did bring up a good point, but she looked human. everything about her seemed unaltered, Max then thought about the two kids whom betrayed Max and her flock which now seemed like a life time ago. Their whole appearance seemed human. Max snapped out of her trance and she stepped up to the girl. Again a much louder squeak came from the girl and Max felt pity towards her and she stopped. "Dear child... What is your name?" Max asked to try and stall the killing. The little girl stopped and looked taken aback. Liu groaned in annoyance.
"L-Luna" The girl replied with a soft cracked voice. She started to hiccup slightly which Max found adorable. Max shook her head, Better to not get attached, it will make the killing harder. Max smiled slightly and she could see the girl relax slightly. Max took a step closer to the girl and she knelt down in front of the girl. Max let out her wings and the girls eyes widen with wonder and curiosity, she reached over her tiny hands danced across Max's feathers and Max let out a sigh in pleasure. She then took the time while the girl was distracted to stab her right in her chest. The girl let out a blood curling scream and tears poured out of her eyes and mixed with the blood that came out of her mouth.
Max twisted the blade around and she felt the girl go limp and fall over. Max frowned and retracted her wings, she stood up and threw the knife back at Liu. Liu smiled and he caught the knife and walked over to Max. "Nice Job! I liked the way you used your wings to distract her." Liu said and patted Max's back. Max tilted her head and wondered how Liu knew about Max using her wings but she shrugged it off and used an excuse along the lines of 'well maybe he heard her wings unfurl' or 'Maybe he guessed' Max sighed as she looked down at her own clothes, now splattered with the blood of an innocent child.
Max looked up to the sky to see that it had just rolled around the time of noon. Liu lead Max into the Woods. "Lets play a game shall we? It's simple really, all you have to do is find me. The catch is that I cannot detect your presence. if you touch me with out me knowing that your here, you win, if not you lose. This will test you agility and how quite you can be, got it count to ten like hide and seek and I'll hide." Liu said as he already began to start running. Max sighed and she began to count as the smell of blood crept to her nose bringing back the memory of the girls now lifeless corps rotting out in the sunlight right out side of Liu's home. After 10 seconds Max went out and began to look for Liu. She ran in all directions, she steadied her breath and made sure her foot steps where silent and she watched her surroundings move past her like a blur of colors dancing through the woods.
where was her? How far could he have gone. Max stopped as she spotted Liu standing just a few yards away from her, his grey skin shimmered slightly and the redness that dripped in his eyes seemed to be cleared away. Max looked at him for a moment before she slowly and steadily made her way over. She made sure that no twigs would crack under her and she was there, right there, but as soon as she began to reach out and touch her he laughed. "Too slow buttercup. You have to be quicker than that." Liu said as he began to run off again. As soon as he was out of sight Max began to run after him again/
The whole 'game' seemed to last well into the evening until max finally caught him off guard.
Liu had been eating a rather large fruit and his munching seemed to distract his hearing just enough for Max to finally sneak up behind him and touch his back. By this time Max's breath came in short pants and her clothes were soaked with sweat, her hair clung to her face and her face and eyes flushed red from all of the wind that blew against her as she ran. Max was exhausted, she just wanted to sleep, forget bathing her senses told her sleep was more important.
"Well it too you long enough! But now that I have you near the lake we can do our final test for the day. Then we will come back tomorrow and re-due all of your mistakes, until you get it right the first time, Maximum." Liu said smiling as he lead her to the lake. The lake was huge and it glistened under the moon light. Max fought the urge to jump in and take huge gulps of its freshness. Liu walked over to an alignment of rocks. they seemed to go from one end of the lake to the other. "This, is our last task for the night. easy pesie, just got from one end of the lake to the other without slipping. Once you do that I'll let you go home and rest. If you slip you start again, even if it takes you into the morning. Then you don't get to rest and we go back to training without any rest. Are you ready? Max?" Max sighed and she readied herself onto the first rock. This should be easy. This was like a cat walk.
"Yup!" She replied and she began to hop from one rock to another, she lost her footing once but she caught her self from falling. When she was about halfway through the course Liu decided to drop kick her, making her fall and slip right into the water. The water was bone chilling which made her both refreshed and cold. Max got out of the water and climbed onto the rock. "What the hell was that for?" Max asked crossing her arms over her chest.
Liu sighed and her ran a hand through his hair. "I forgot to mention that I'll be trying to stop you from passing, my mistake, for that I'll let you start here. This time" Liu said and Max's eyes widened and she jumped from rock to rock faster, trying to get a great distance away from him. Again he came and he tried knocking her down, but Max grabbed his foot and twisted it and threw it down, He had lost his balance and toppled into the water. Max didn't pay any mind as she continued on. She could see that she was really close to the ending. So she jumped faster, her chest began to burn and her legs were now scrapped from the rocks and they began to bleed. Max let a smile creep on her face .
But the Liu came and shoved her into the water. She was caught off guard and she fell in, her mouth collected water and she gagged. When she floated up to the surface. Liu bent down and smiled. "Start again." Max swam back to the beginning and she climbed onto the rock. Her legs recoiled and she fell onto the rock, losing the will to go on. Liu only shook his had and grabbed a hold of Max's head. "Get up! This is baby work over here." Max obeyed and she slowly got onto her face and she jumped again slower and with less energy. She was furious and she couldn't help but glare daggers at him. This time she wasn't going to go down without a fight.
Liu tried to knock her off again but Max only grabbed his hand and threw him into the water and began to jump again. Her stomach growled in pain as she wished for food. Liu again tried to force her down but Max used her wings to whack him in the face sending him down again. Max jumped on and created a new strategy, every time Liu tried to knock her down, she would use her wings to knock him away. Soon she made it to the end in which she collapsed in pain. Her whole body ached and she grew sore and tense. Liu knelt down before her and began to play with her soaked hair and he smiled. "Lets go home now." He lifted Max's motionless body and began to walk home while she fell asleep.
