He couldn't contain his fear. He immediately sensed the Elizabeth before him, was a different one than the one in his daily life. He felt almost stifled just looking at her but he slowly stood up while keeping his eyes focused on her and her alone.
“Mind explaining where you're going, Tibaut?” She asked. There was no anger in her voice but he could feel the animosity radiate off her.
She stood in a fighting stance and her hand was placed on her sword. She would be ready for anything he did at a moment's notice.
“(Maybe I should just tell her, there's no point in-
Reveal my existence and I'll make sure to deliver a swift death.)” The red drake responded.
Tibaut clenched his fist and started breathing heavily.
(“Boy, I'd appreciate it if you stopped cursing so much. No matter how many times you utter fuck, she'll still be in front of you.”)
Elizabeth moved closer and he wasted no time readying himself.
“Tibaut, I would appreciate it if you told me why you have been tight-lipped so far.” She asked while slowly inching closer.
(“Well, here goes nothing.”) He thought. “Listen Elizabeth, I can't explain but can you just allow me to go ahead? I swear I'll be back by the time you guys reach that dungeon-”
As he explained himself, Elizabeth stood before him in thought slowly moving forward.
(“Is it magic of some kind that had taken him over? Is he being blackmailed or goaded into an ambush by the cultists? While he does seem hesitant about disclosing information it could all be a ruse to drop my guard. This might not even be him, it's not unthinkable if the cult replaced at some point, though it would require adequate planning.”)
As she thought about it some more she realised there was a very simple answer before her. Defeat him and question him later after she had gotten him secured. After all, the chances of him being killed in this scuffle were so low in her eyes, that this seemed like a no-brainer.
She immediately swung at him and he narrowly dodged, leaving only a small wound on his chest.
“Did you even listen to me!? (Of course, she didn't. Now deal with her.)”
“I'll listen to you after I take you back to our caravan. If you'd like, you can surrender now.”
“Hell no!”
He threw a fireball towards and she sliced it, causing it to dissipate. He tried to have her focus her attention on it as he ran closer but wasn't fast as she sent him flying back with a kick. A large boom echoed in the forest.
He blocked it with both his arms but neither felt pleasant after taking a blow like that.
He didn't even have time to groan in pain before Elizabeth was in front of him once more.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
(“Damnit, she isn't holding back, is she?”)
He wore a pained expression but continued to fight on. He threw another fireball but this time did something special.
“Straight towards me again? Are you a foo-”
Instead of going into the path of her blade like a mindless drone, the fireball evaded her blade and touched her arm instead.
Tibaut backed away as fast as he could and watched carefully as the dust settled. The best case scenario would be if she had been knocked but if she had been killed, he didn't want to imagine the recompense awaiting if he were to return to her.
But what he saw before him was the worst-case scenario.
The hair on the side of her head had been burnt but it wasn't a bad hairstyle by any means as long as she wiped the soot away. The rest of her body was a different story.
The side of her face had been burnt, though not to an extreme degree. Her clothing had burnt as well and if it weren't for the chest plate she wore, one of her breasts would be hanging out in the wind. Her sword arm had also been left bare in nothing but armour, burns and soot.
“Well, that's new.” She commented while looking at him. Before she had indifference in her eyes. Now? She was on the hunt.
She stuck her sword into the dirt and began slowly walking towards him.
Why did she stick her sword into the ground? Well, that's simple.
She was convinced she would leave a butchered carcass on the ground otherwise.
(“Ho ho, human, good luck”) The drake cheerfully commented.
Tibaut immediately gave up on the idea of incapacitating her. He was thankful she could be revived otherwise his hesitation in killing her might have cost him his life tonight. That was his only way out of this. To kill her.
He wasted no time rushing her and immediately tried to get a fireball formed behind her but the light in the dark gave it away immediately.
(“Alright, so now she should- what the!?”)
In a move even he didn't expect, Elizabeth grabbed his hand.
Before he could retaliate with a punch or magic, he was let go. He instinctively wondered what was the point of throwing him until he saw the fireball in front of him
He quickly dispersed it but she wasted no time landing a blow in his back. A crack was heard but he managed to turn himself around and parry the next blow.
(“Wow, she broke a rib in one hit. I don't recall Gabriel's Saints gaining increased strength.
Help me out, you asshole!!!”)
His plea fell on deaf ears as he heard nothing else from the drake.
Tibaut stepped on her feet to trip her up but she showed no reaction to it before nearly taking his head off.
That punch managed to rip a few strands of hair from his head from the force alone. He couldn't imagine what his face would look like if it landed.
In a move unlike Elizabeth, she spat in his face.
(“Oh, Fuc-”)
This left him blind momentarily; that moment was all Elizabeth needed to start unloading on him. She landed a merciless uppercut to his jaw. It put him into the air and left him out cold. But Elizabeth wasn't done. She grabbed his leg and slammed him onto the floor.
It left a Tibaut-shaped depression in the dirt and she tossed his leg into the air once more. As he fell, he began to regain consciousness.
He was just in time for the finish of this little spat.
She brought her arm back and swung forward. She performed a lariat. It's a simple action anyone could but the way the wind whistled as her arm soared, the way her muscles flexed and the way her feet pushed against the dirt put it at a comparable level of danger as a firearm.
...
....
.....
(“You brought up the idea of killing her yet you kept playing it safe after the fireball. *Yawn* What a useless bastard…. Though, I suppose you can't hear me now, can you?”)