Like putting shiny trinkets in front of a Smoothskin, you wait for them to get distracted before pouncing.
-From Aphorisms: 1:23
Thunk! Thu-thunk!
The neonate winced as more arrows stuck into the branch near her feet, trying to remember where this treetop path went.
Four shots! Her Instinct hissed, counting from inside her ears. She wasn’t sure why just yet, and she didn’t have the time to interpret.
Crackle! Snap-pop!
Snapping branches behind her!
She dove off the side of the branch she was running along to the one below. A thrown ax smashed its way through the canopy right where she had been, the fire hardened tip at the end planting into the trunk of the next tree. The haft shattered right at the point as the stone head kept going, as she broke line of sight.
She looked behind, still no sign of where either were-
Axmaker burst through the leaves as if they were green smoke. Letting go of a vine and crashing into the neonate with a snarl. Her claws slashed the neonate’s shoulder.
She snarled.
Blood splattered.
The momentum was the real danger. Axmaker’s claws yanking her towards the edge of the branch!
Live!
The neonate sunk the matte black blade deep into the branch. Ducking lower so that the other female didn’t get a good grip. Her opponent’s claws didn’t dig in deep enough, and she sailed into open space, snarling.
Axmaker swung the ax, and with a solid kachunk it embedded into the wood of the branch.
Snarling as she pulled her weapon free, the neonate kicked the other female in the face. Axmaker hissed and let go of her weapon, yelping as she fell.
She bounced off one branch and then another, spinning wildly in the air before catching herself on a third with a grunt.
Two more on belt. Her Instinct hissed, counting the axes too. She understood.
Twang!
Pain! She staggered as the stone tip of the arrow sliced a fine line just under her eye. Hissing.
Five.
How many?
She wasn’t sure.
Twang!
She dodged the sixth arrow, leaning low and tearing free some of the moss before turning sharply north.
I need to find cover!
Her Instinct grunted.
She knew of a way down to the ground.
A hollow log.
Scrubbing herself with the moss she ducked around a trunk as the seventh and eighth arrows sailed past. She dropped the black and red, blending in instead.
She could hear Axmaker snarling.
Bowmaker swung past her on a rope, holding it with his tail and both three toed feet, arrow drawn.
Live!
She zigged! Panicking. He tracked the movement.
She zagged too soon! The arrow still following her.
Twang!
It tore into her side, the stone head punching through the back, the duck feather fletchings raking against her nerves as the entire thing slid through. It stuck quivering into the branch behind her, coated in her blood.
She staggered with the surprise of it as Bowmaker notched another arrow. Her Instinct yanked her eyes to his quiver.
Empty. Ten.
With an effort of will she sprung to her right away from Bowmaker, fighting through the pain.
Twang!
Gods his bow was loud.
She was swallowed by darkness, entering the hollow trunk.
Thunk!
The arrow nearly punched through far enough to catch her again.
He’ll leave to resupply. She doubted he would close for melee. Might give me a break.
Sliding down the hollow trunk, panting in pain, she raked her claws against the sides to slow her fall. Chips of wood spraying from them.
She felt the trunk shake. Heard the familiar snarl.
Axmaker was just above her.
Shit!
Kill! Her Instinct snarled, yanking on her arm, trying to get her to draw her knife again.
Apexes, can’t justify it.
She wished she could. It would be easy. Hide just on the other side of the exit with the knife and stab.
Landing heavily, she instead rushed into the ground cover.
Blood trail. She tore moss off of the hollow log as she went, grabbing some of the healing herb as well. She crushed the leaves as best she could and stuffed them in before following with the moss. Pain like fire grinding along her nerves, but it did the job.
Disinfecting could wait, she just needed to stop the bleeding and run.
There was a snarl behind her and she kept moving.
Driving like game.
Her Instinct was right, they were heading south.
No… southeast. She recognized the area. They were heading towards Axmaker’s territory.
Maybe while Bowmaker is getting-
Twang!
She rolled to the side before she realized what she had just done. No arrow struck nearby, but she heard the creak of the bow and Axmaker’s snarl.
Flushed like prey. She snarled, rage filling her. She wanted to turn, to attack, to stab that bastard. She knew that the next one would be a real arrow though. She glanced over her shoulder into the trees. Sure enough there he was, arrow knocked.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Twang! Nine left.
She dodged again and sped up as the arrow buzzed by her head again.
“There you are, runt!” Axmaker’s voice was like grinding stones. She fought down the urge to turn and face her.
No, choose the terrain! She knew she would have to face them, they wouldn’t give up. They could be driving her into an ambush for all she knew.
Bowmaker being back so soon meant that they both had caches in Axmaker’s territory.
Look for both kinds then.
She couldn’t stay on the ground. She ducked around a tree and sprinted through the underbrush, scrambling to a leaning obelisk and up into the trees once more, the herbs starting to slowly numb her injury. The hafts of the axes she already had clattering against her legs.
She snarled in frustration at herself.
Nine times an idiot! She could have been throwing back at the pair!
Twang!
She pulled one out as she leaped into the trees, twisting awkwardly.
No arrow came!
Damnit! A trick! That’s why he left it loud.
She landed on one foot, tilting. She spun anyway, making her fall inevitable so she could spot her rival.
There!
She saw Bowmaker and threw!
Falling backwards after.
Bowmaker jerked to the side as the appropriated ax sailed towards him.
Twang!
The shot went wide as she became weightless.
Handhold! Now!
A vine! Thick as a tree. She clutched at it with a desperate grip.
Swing to the next tree!
Her claws sank in, thick red blood pouring out of the scaled hide, the muscles underneath flexing in response! The neonate’s eyes bulged.
Not a vine!
The full grown marauder python hissed evilly as it shot towards her, not just the branches but whole trees groaning under its weight.
She drew and slammed her second ax into it.
Kathunk!
The pitch of the hiss changed, going higher.
More blood sprayed onto her, ruining all hope for camouflage. She could see the pink muscle beneath the scales for a moment before she had to close her eyes against the torrent.
She couldn’t get her new ax free!
Live!
The little warrior left it, leaping away as she got close enough to another tree. Now the beast was after her too.
There was one difference though. She could kill that monster and not worry about justification if she managed it.
When. Her Instinct growled.
She limbs of the tree groaned as the massive snake shifted, fortunately getting in between her and Bowmaker. He’d have to circle around to continue shooting at her.
Won’t shoot the snake. Hopes it will kill me.
The Neonate got to one of the branches, hissing back as the adult marauder slithered down from above. Its head as big as a croc’s, black eyes showing her defiant reflection.
Kill! Her Instinct screeched, impatient as she drew her knife as well.
It lunged, cavernous jaw wide!
She leaped with all her might.
Her side lanced with enough pain to make her snarl as she landed on its head. Knife reversed, plunging down.
Thwack!
The tail whipped around, knocking her off to sail through the air.
Hissing she caught a vine, a real one this time, the socket of her arm straining. She looked down, loosening her grip and sliding down to land on another branch even as the Python was rushing to catch up to her.
There was a snarl behind her. Axmaker! The warrior twisted and lifted the black blade, braced with both hands, to intercept the other Apex’s weapon.
If Axmaker hadn’t snarled she would have died. Instead, shards of stone sprayed forth, slicing her face and shoulders, closing her eyes and turning away to protect them.
Whump!
The neonate grunted as Axmaker kicked her in the stomach, staggering her, eyes popping back open. She sidestepped the next swing and slashed the other female’s thigh, taking one of the axes in the same motion.
Axmaker bellowed and staggered to her knee, but the neonate couldn’t watch that.
She knew what was about to happen, and searched for Bowmaker, finding him just in time to throw to ruin his shot. It went wide.
SSSSSSS! She tried to leap away, and Axmaker lurched, but they were both too late. The python snared them both.
The marauder squeezed, pressing them back to back as they struggled.
Live!
T-trying!
The neonate got an arm free, the air in her lungs getting crushed out. Her bones started to grind together. Axmaker writhed behind her, doing the same.
She lifted her blade high, and then viciously stabbed down into the beast, hacking, carving.
The blade sliced in easily, and they were tossed and rolled as the snake started to writhe. The head coming closer. She pushed it deeper, and she must have found a lung because blood misted out suddenly and the beast let them both go again.
She coughed as the beast thrashed, shaking the trees, falling to the ground in a hissing knot of corded muscles as branches thick as her torso snaped off from the trunks.
Need a breat-
Thump!
Axmaker kicked the neonate again, right in the muzzle, knocking her onto her back, the other apex nearly staggering off of the branch as she did.
“Stupid runt!” She hissed. “Die already!”
The warrior spat out a tooth onto her own chest, blood making it wet, coughing and gasping for air.
Need to… Get up… There was something important to do…
Dazed she stared up at the moon, it was at its zenith. Halfway through the sky…
Hurry!
Focus and clarity snapped back into place. She kicked her legs over her head, rolling over her shoulders to avoid the descending ax, and the neonate could see in Axmaker’s pattern that they weren’t just trying to kill her.
Wasting my time!
Boiling rage filled her to the brim and overflowed. The night was already half over. And these two were wasting her time. She had yet to find her prey.
Fight!
With a snarl she stabbed at the other female, not caring about arteries, or ligaments, or anything. Just wanting to fight back. The hilt slapped against scales as Axmaker howled in agony.
She had stepped back, but it wasn’t enough to avoid it. Blood poured from the fresh slice in her calf. Both of her opponent’s legs were injured now.
Twang!
The neonate rolled to the side as the arrow shot past. The shaft plunged into the still writing beast below. Wood snapped as smaller trees were knocked down by the powerful creature’s death throes.
The neonate came out of her roll and stamped on Axmaker’s head, slamming the back of it into a knot on the branch, before taking another ax from her.
Twang!
She howled. The arrow stuck into the base of her tail, bouncing off one of the bones.
She roared, hate surging into her as she glared at the male, taking the ax in both hands. Lifting it high.
Use his trick. Loud string. Wide swing.
She brought it down, but didn’t let go.
Expecting the throw he sidestepped and bumped into the trunk of the tree. She quickly adjusted and threw!
Thwack!
It didn’t hit true, but he snarled in pain and staggered as it hit him right in the chest. She thought she had heard a rib break, his breathing labored now.
The arrows in his quiver had poured onto the ground below. Smashed to smithereens by the death-throes of sidewinding serpent.
In the distance, another Greenscale screeched in the night as they looked at each other.
She bellowed, Axmaker groaning behind her, soaked in blood and blazing with her true black and red.
Kill! Kill!
Bowmaker ran.
She gave chase. If she didn’t, he would keep coming back after her for the rest of the night.
The arrow ground against her tail as she ran, and in frustration she reached back and tore it free. She couldn’t afford to be distracted like that.
Even with her injury she had the advantage of speed, all those days and nights training hard in the temple below combined with the mental map she now had of the canopy in a lethal way.
But he had the advantage of knowing where the stash of arrows was. She had to spot it before they got too close.
Behind her she heard Axmaker groan again, then snarl.
Faster! Her Instinct urged. She was gaining on the male, but she had to close in on him before Axmaker caught up.
Discoloration, wilted leaves, something out of place.
She saw two spots. She couldn’t tell which one it was.
He plays tricks. Remember that.
He started for the one on the left. Was that it? She had to decide!
No! Look!
She spotted it. The hidden rope was up just out of the eyeline for the pair of stashes. He could use it to swing to the right!
Like Display! The decoy!
She headed right for the right-hand side. Leaping across a wide gap and snatching at a thin branch. It bent. It groaned. And sprung back!
She sailed through the air just as he jerked to the right and grabbed the rope. The Neonate landed on the branch and scrabbled to stay ahead, shoving her hand into the hole and finding the bundle of arrows.
Yes!
Bowmaker snarled and moved to pounce, but she threw the fistful of missiles into his face, making him stagger. She swept his feet with her tail and he fell onto his back, hissing, one of the stone tips had sliced open his brow. She pulled out the bloodoak ax.
He struggled to stand. Her ax lifted high. He raised an arm to block it, eyes wide with fear before clamping shut. Giving up.
Coward.
Fool.
The stone head came down, and his bow splintered in half.
Before he could get up she stamped on his chest, making him squeal in pain. She could feel the cracked rib.
He bent and planted both feet on her, kicking her off and scrambling away to flee as she cursed and swore, landing on her back. She was up in an instant, knowing Axmaker was coming. Ax and blade both now in her hands.
Bowmaker turned back to look, but not at her. What?
Axmaker hobbled up, growling, two trees away before panting and resting against the trunk of the tree she was in. She slowly slid down into a sitting position.
Can’t keep going. Blood loss. Had she won?
Yes!
To the neonate’s surprise, proud yellow flashed in her pattern of black and red.
“Idiot, I won.” The neonate hissed, glaring. But Axmaker only flashed proud yellow, now joined with the smug orange.
Something is wrong.
Her Instinct grunted.
“Stupid runt. Look behind you.” Axmaker growled, pointing with a mostly limp hand.
She didn’t, not right away, checking Axmaker’s belt. She hadn’t gotten any more axes. Then she noticed something. Light, reflecting off of Axmaker. Her shadow was long on the tree.
Her heart sank.
No! She turned, and howled in fury. She gnashed, her jaw snapping. Snarling. Her black and red undulating with her wrath.
“Guess you’ll know what it’s like now. I didn’t expect it to be this easy to distract you.” Axmaker snarled in triumph.
Within the warren, something burned bright, the black smoke lit from below with a flickering yellow-orange light.
MINE! The emotions her Instinct conveyed that with couldn’t be named.
She bellowed and spun to take it out on the other female, but she had already made her way down.
She turned back to the flames, and hate filled her. There was no reason left. She rushed to the closest entrance to the temple.
Whoever it was would pay with their blood.