Vivian eyed the man warily as he approached her casually. The last time she saw him all he had done was bark orders. His casual approach assured her of one thing, he was confident in his ability to beat her. Whether he was taking her lightly or not remained to be seen, but she wasn't going to underestimate him.

"It seems you've received a blessing from your dead god since the last time we saw each other." The man spoke calmly, but his tone betrayed his agitation.

"What is it you want?" Vivian stood casually before him, her tone was indifferent as she looked around, outwardly treating him like he wasn't a threat.

"That should be obvious." he replied lightly, "Previously I simply ordered your death. But that was then. Now I just need your child to die. If I have to go through you, well... my path has always been a bumpy road."

Vivian's hands turned white as she gripped her staff tightly. "Why can't everyone just leave us in peace? That's all we've ever wanted."

"You think we want to hunt you as we have? Like it's some kind of sport for us?" the man laughed. "No, its because of what your race becomes in the future. Starting with your son."

"And you never stopped to think that it's from your aggressions against my people that lead my son down that road?" Vivian glared at the man.

He reached into his pocket pulling out something smaller than his hand. He shook his wrist side to side and then whatever he was holding expanded into a quarterstaff.  He disregarded her statement, "You have no clue what your son truly is."

He crouched slightly before he launched himself at Vivian, swinging his staff horizontally. Vivian saw him coming and hopped into the air as she braced her staff to defend against the blow. Their staffs connected together with a loud crack. Vivian was knocked a few meters back from the impact, while the recoil she incurred from defending the blow was minimal.

Clever. The man thought as he launched himself toward her again, raising his staff overhead. When he was within range, he swung down with all his might. Vivian stood her ground, she nimbly side-stepped to avoid the downward swing coming at her head, and swung her own staff horizontally smacking him in his chest. He was pushed back a couple meters; Vivian frowned when she noticed he wasn't even slightly winded from the blow.

"Are you feeling me out or is that the best you can do?" the man smirked as he charged at her again.

Vivian stood silently watching his approach, when he drew his staff back, she grasped her own staff with both hands and rapidly twirled it. The man regretted making this charge and swung his staff early, using the momentum of the swing to stop himself. Vivian waited for his staff to harmlessly pass by, she loosened her grip slightly, allowing her staff to slide through her hands, she gripped one end with both hands, hopped forward and spun her body around as she swung, increasing the force of the impact.

"You tell me." she replied as he took the full force of her blow. He was launched back just shy of ten meters and he was cursing himself for falling for her feint.

"So you do have some considerable strength and skill. If that was all you have, I'm afraid it's not enough," he said as he rose to his feet. He rocked his head back and forth cracking his neck and relaxing his muscles.

Vivian took a deep breath as she prepared herself, taking up a defensive posture once more. The man brought his foot forward and launched himself into a run, leaving a small crater in his wake with every step. Vivian focused on his movements, and yet she wasn't able to follow him with her eyes. Before she knew it he was right in front of her, the end of his staff connected with her chest knocking the wind out of her and she was launched into the air and away.

Vivian entered a mad coughing fit as she sailed through the air. She heard his heavy footfalls as he chased after her. She struggled to get her breathing under control. She turned her head to see where she was headed.  Her heart sunk when she saw the man standing ready where she expected herself to fall.  This is bad, he's only toying with me.  I've underestimated him after all.

I refuse to die here.  A fire burned behind her pure white eyes as she turned her body around.  This is just another hardship in my life, and I've overcome so many already.  She gripped her staff tightly.  She felt a familiar catalyst coursing through her body.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

That's the way.  Bend fate to your will once more.

Vivian wound up her body, she felt raw power in her muscles that wasn't there moments before.  Her movements were quick and concise, the aura about her flickered as it became menacing, she gripped her staff.  As she came down from the air, she drew back her staff and swung.  The man was caught off guard by the sudden increase in speed and power she displayed, he jumped back evading her swing.

Vivian landed firmly on her feet.  She raised her head to look square at the man.  She unleashed her full unbridled willpower in an extravagant flourish of swings.  No movement was wasted and she quickly overwhelmed her opponent forcing him into a defensive position as her heavy blows showed no signs of stopping.  As she fired herself up, her strikes only increased in speed and intensity.

The man was struggling now, barely getting his staff into position to prevent her strikes from connecting with his body.  He decided to gamble, abandoning defense for a single strike.  Their staffs connected with a loud crack.  Vivian leapt back and somersaulted a little further away to put some distance between herself and him.  She looked at the broken staff in her hands, and then at the man as he heaved deep breaths.

Vivian casually discarded her broken quarterstaff as a vine grew from the ground, delivering a new one to her.

"Thank you Anya," she whispered under her breath as she readied herself.  I need to end this. Now.  Vivian felt a tug on her mana pool.  In response, she pushed her mana into the connection. 

"Let this be a final warning:  Never come back."  Vivian launched off the ground, kicking up dirt as she burst forward.  A second later she was in his face, her eyes were expressionless as she made a series of staff thrusts in the blink of an eye.  She caught him in the chest four times, his arms once each, once on the hip.  Each blow breaking bones and making him queasy.  The final blow she made, she dipped the end of her stick to the ground, and raised it sharply.  It caught him between the legs and sent him flying high into the air.

She jumped up after him, spun her body and swung her staff one final time catching him in the belly, he was sent off just like a baseball hit out of the park.  She came crashing down, the impact made a small crater where she landed.  She cast a menacing look in the direction of every remaining marker on her map.

"Run.  Run for your lives!" she yelled out hiding her weariness, "I'm waiting three seconds.  Anyone not moving in that time, their life is forfeit."

She smiled to herself as she hadn't even started counting and there was a max exodus as every man and woman within earshot that was able to bolted as fast as they could.  Their heavy footfalls combined together making it sound like a stampede was rampaging through the forest.  Vivian shook her head as she watched her map and listened to the noise they were making.  Some of them were running the wrong way, and others were running in circles.

Vivian slumped slowly to her knees.  "I should have known better.  There's no such thing as a peaceful life for my race.  And yet I hold onto that hope even now."

"He'll be back, too."  Vivian shook her head watching all the defeated men and women standing up and limping away, "There's no doubt of that."

"Vivian..." Isa spoke heavily.

"Matriarch!" five voices filled with reverence called in unison.

"I want to be like Matriarch when I grow up!" Emily's eyes dazzled in the sun as she tackle-hugged Vivian.

"I hope not," Vivian chuckled lightly as she rubbed Emily's head, "you should aspire to be something better."

"Better than Matriarch?" Emily fell silent a moment, then poked her cheek with her finger in thought and tilted her head to the side, "Ish that poshible?"

"Mother!" Jaden had restrained himself from tackling her, but he had also moved in to hug his mother.

"Jaden," she said warmly as she wrapped her arms around both Jaden and Emily and slowly rose to her feet, "I'm glad you're all unharmed.  Thank you Isa."

Anya's leaves rustled momentarily.

"I nearly forgot... no not yet." Vivian set down both Emily and Jaden.  She followed her map to a dot that was nearly invisible.  In the road was a lump; a man's head.

"Anyone have any water on them?" Vivian asked lightly, and immediately regretted asking.

Daryl and Bayne promptly sneered and spit on the man.  Vivian was stunned speechless.

I get the animosity... I do... still though... Vivian sighed as she looked pityingly down at the head in the ground.

The man opened his eyes, his whole body was wracked in pain and restrained; he couldn't move any part of his body at all.  He had a splitting headache to top it all off.  His eyes rose to look at the woman in front of him and terror quickly took over.

"W-what do y-you w-want w-with me?" he stammered, recognizing her as the cause for all of his current pain.

"Just some answers.  How did you find us?" Vivian stated and asked calmly as she rolled her quarterstaff in her palms.

"I don't know, I was just following Typhan.  He lead the way."

"Your leader, or just a prophet?" Vivian asked.

"He's... yeah the leader." the man answered.

The four adults shivered unconsciously at what happened next.

Vivian lightly tapped his head with the end of her staff, "The truth if you please.  There's worse things than death..." Vivian paused for effect as she smiled pleasantly much in contrast to the darkness in her words, "and with the situation you're in, we can do all of them."