A figure wearing a fur cloak was approaching, walking along the dirt trail through the forest by gleaming moonlight. Tobias was hiding in the nearby foliage, sizing up this new target with sword in hand and gold in mind. The target appeared to be a woman lazily holding a short spear at her side. Her quiet steps were growing louder and louder. A year ago, Tobias would have thought this an easy mark. But now, each step made him more anxious. His most recent would-be victim pulled a dagger out of nowhere and got him good in the arm before getting away, while another target (more like a crazed madman) pelted Tobias with arrows almost immediately after he came into view.

Tobias felt the scar of his wound pulsing and sighed — travelers these days were either getting braver, or he was getting unluckier. He weighed his sword, shifting it from his left hand to his right. He had no choice; he needed to try to break his bad luck or he would be left starving for yet another night.

Tobias swept out of the bushes without a sound and approached the target. A cold breeze blew at his back, rustling the leaves and masking the sound of his steps. All according to plan. He was sure that he had nothing to worry about this time. Tobias approached and held his sword to the woman’s neck from behind.

“Your gold or your life.”

The figure froze.

“Ah! I don’t have any gold, sir,” the woman squeaked.

“Hah. Sure. Drop your weapons if you know what’s good for you.”

She dropped her short spear and Tobias kicked it away. Intricate carvings.

“Now give me what you have or else.”

“I don’t have anything except food or water!”

He brought his blade to her neck and drew a bit of blood. She yelped and began sniffling.

Yep, that usually did the trick.

“You don’t want to toy with me, girl,” Tobias growled. “Don’t get on my worse side.”

Her body was unnaturally warm, a stark contrast to night air that was growing more and more chilly. Tobias searched the quivering woman with his free hand and found a small leather pouch.

“You don’t have anything, eh? Then what’s this?”

He dumped the contents of the pouch out on the trail, revealing nothing other than a bounty of berries. He scoffed. “You’re gonna have to do better than that…” His stomach growled at that exact moment.

“Please, if you want my food... you can take it! That’s all I have.” 

This whole situation was starting to sicken him. He pushed her forward onto the ground. “Ugh. Idiot. Just drop all your food and water here and leave.”

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She looked up at him. His eyes traced the drying trail left by her tears back up to her eyes. 

Those eyes. 

Tobias was immediately struck by them. Irides as black as night. There was something about her pupil-less gaze that mystified Tobias. Did he feel fear, or… death? Maybe… but there was something more to it. A cold chill ran through his body. His eye began to twitch. What was with this girl? “...What are you looking at? Drop the food!”

Sitting on the ground, she slowly pulled out some more pouches one by one and placed them at Tobias’s feet, all the while staring at him with those abyssal eyes. Growing uncomfortable, Tobias decided to wrap up this encounter. “All right, now…”

Her expression changed from one of fear to one of determination. She sprang up and made for her spear. Tobias reflexively swung at her with his blade, but she was too fast. This could get ugly if he didn’t show her he meant business. He was going to spring at her and maybe chop off one of her limbs, but by the time he turned, she already had her spear and was pointing it at him, holding him off in a defensive stance. Damn. She was less defenseless than he expected, but it wasn’t a lost cause yet.

“Please! Do you think you can take me with that flimsy thing?” He flourished his blade.

She ignored his measured threat and inched closer. “Am I the first person you’ve robbed?” she asked. “Or am I just one of many?”

Bold words, but she sounded terrified. “What do you think?” he replied with a grin.

“I… I can’t let you threaten anyone else.”

Tobias growled. Under normal circumstances, he would retreat. But he needed success.  

“Fine!” He lunged at her with his blade, aiming for the gut. She narrowly dodged out of the way and replied with a jab. Her spear lodged itself an inch into his side and he cursed in pain. How could this woman be capable of wounding him? All tactics and reason in his mind was supplanted with primal anger. He was determined to see her in ribbons.

The woman pulled her spear out to prepare for another strike, but the tip stayed in, leaving her with essentially a long stick. This was over. With a roar, he brought his sword down on her glorified pole and cut it in half. She looked at the piece of wood in her hand and froze.

“Come here… so I can end you,” he muttered as he advanced on her, still with part of the spear in him. She shrieked and threw the remainder at his face, but he deflected it with a lazy swing. She held up her palms.

“Stay back! Please! Or I might hurt you!”

As she stepped backwards, she tripped over a rock and landed on her back. A vision of him plunging his sword down through her stomach flashed in his mind. Yes, perfect!

“It’s over!” Tobias lunged. He saw her eyes turn completely dark like onyxes and he felt the chill again.  He tried to pull back; every muscle, bone in his body, and instinct told him to pull back. But it was too late. It seemed like time slowed down as she sat up and pushed both hands into his chest mid-lunge. A split second after impact, she released an ear-piercing wail. The veins in her arms and on her hands instantly pulsed ebony. Her hands felt like searing brands. A ghastly pain and ungodly fear surged through his body. He felt his muscles growing limp and his breath being taken from him at the same time. 

He was the one on his back this time. His body spasmed uncontrollably. His eyes jerked around randomly, unable to focus on anything. He felt his blood soaking his clothing and warming his ice-cold skin. The pain emanating from his chest was subsiding as his whole body grew numb. 

Well, it could have been worse. For a man who deserved to die, this wasn’t such a bad way to go. He gazed at the stars in the uncaring sky. He would be joining the gods soon, those same gods that he had cursed for most of his life. He smiled.

The girl was kneeling at his side with bloody hands, staring at his chest. “No… I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she sputtered. “I can fix this… I think.”

He lifted his head up, expecting to see his chest but instead saw his own ribs, as pale as the moon looming overhead. Everything turned white.

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