System Break

The Forest – Unknown Qi World – Earth Year 2031

My eyes were vibrant, and I leaned close to Gisael. "If we break them, they will leave the forest. The ones that are still alive anyway."

Her gaze held mine and her lips pursed. "Do you dare attack their centre? Do you not remember the battle just now?"

I nodded and then grinned widely. "But this time I have you." I touched her chest, and she looked at my hand quizzically.

"You are strange Benzhi."

When she said my name, a shiver ran up my spine. I acted all brave and said, "Okay, I'll get the drop on them and you shoot as many as you can while they're disorganised.."

I looked at her quiver and she had somehow refilled it. There were over twenty arrows, tightly packed.

We ran through the tree line, and we were so far above the ferals they had little chance of spotting or hearing us.

They were too busy to scan the canopy and I saw no evidence they were using scouts. We watched them as we moved past the stragglers and on to the larger mass. I wanted to find the larger feral who seemed to be in charge.

"Here," I whispered and pointed to the large feral. Gisael nodded and moved to a position in front of them where she could cover the area. The ferals were still moving east.

I skipped from branch to branch like a monkey and then I roared as I dropped into their midst.

The first was crushed beneath my feet and its spine cracked audibly.

I ran across the moss-covered rocks because and was surrounded by dozens of snarling ferals. I did not hesitate to thrust my spear into the closest.

The larger feral shouted orders and when it turned its head to shout behind it seemed to be calling for reinforcements. I counted the thwacks from Gisael's arrows as they skewered feral after feral with pinpoint accuracy.

She never missed a headshot and their armour was useless against the power of her arrows. They sliced through chitin and hide like they were butter.

A feral to my right slumped suddenly - eight, I counted eight kills from Gisael as I skewered my fourth. I stalked the large feral and gained ground on him as his warriors dropped around me.

We made eye contact and I gazed into an alien intelligence. His was snarling and barking and while I could not understand his language, I was able to feel the emotion. Hate. He showed no fear, even now when Gisael and I had killed so many and were close to taking him down.

Then I saw one of her arrows bounce off him. My brain tried to comprehend what happened. Her arrow was a broken twig on the ground. Her accuracy was not in question – there was something protecting him.

The ferals had thinned. Many of their hardened warriors were lying on the ground behind me. The large feral stepped towards me snarling and drooling. He held a blackened, gnarled club in his hand.

I had to admit it looked wicked.

As I focused on him, I heard her arrows continue to rain death on the smaller ferals. While they barely reached my navel, the large feral was as tall as my shoulders. And he was almost as wide as me. All my qi abilities were activated, although I had no idea what impact qi body and qi strike had.

The boss feral swung at me and I leaned back avoiding his blow. As soon as the club was past my head, I took a small step forward and stabbed with all my strength. He snarled at the impact and I noticed blue sparks as my spear bent and slid across an invisible barrier.

I could almost count his crooked teeth as he grinned at me with the never-ending drool lathered his chin.

The large feral looked triumphant when both our attacks failed to penetrate his defence. I grinned back, because I noticed more than blue sparks when my spear was deflected.

I leaned back as I kicked his large stomach dead centre. The blue sparks appeared again on impact and I noticed the ripple of his shield this time as well. It absorbed some of the blow and prevented my foot connecting with his hide.

The impact was not absorbed entirely by his shield and I kicked with such force that his confidence was shattered while he flew backwards and landed on his arse. His blackened club fell from his grip, jarred loose by the impact.

I roared again and stabbed the closest feral who was transfixed by the encounter. All this time Gisael was protecting my back felling any feral which came within striking distance of me.

I had lost count of her arrows, but she must have been getting low, it was time to think of retreat. I wouldn't survive long without her support.

The large feral looked shaken and as he regained his feet, he barked more orders. The ferals began to flow around and past me. The large feral turned as soon as he got to his feet and ran. He picked up his club and continued to run south.

I looked to the trees, waved, and hounded the ferals killing any who stopped running. They were heading out of the forest and this is exactly what Gisael and Mother wanted.

They were to leave or be killed. There was no middle ground as far as the Svartalfar were concerned. No negotiation. Their ruthlessness appealed to me after years of dealing with rules of engagement. Rules which gave our enemy an advantage.

I stabbed another feral who lagged behind. As I leapt from rock to rock, I shouted at them, "If you stay you will die."

After a couple of hours of chasing I stopped. They were moving steadily south and seemed intent on their new destination. I heard her whistle, so I began to climb. I reached the canopy and she came to me, running and leaping expertly.

"You did well," she said stopping within arm's reach.

"I was trying to catch your kill count," I replied, and I spied her quiver. It was full again. "How do you do that?" I asked pointing.

She traced my finger and smiled, showing her teeth. "I am prepared. Caches are all over - this is the way of a Guardian of the Forest."

She peered at me, her chest was barely moving while I was breathing heavily from the constant running and fighting. "You have much to learn Benzhi." She then handed me a small pouch filled with nuts and dried fruit.

I didn't know I was famished until I began eating. "Thanks," I mumbled and reached for my water pouch and found it was empty.

"Tsk," she said and instead of handing me her waterskin she poured some water into my mouth. She put a hand on mine, she prevented me from filling my mouth once more, and said, "Do not eat too much."

I nodded and enjoyed closeness. She was strong in both character and competence -which only enhanced her natural beauty.

Her eyes stared into mine as she tried to perceive my thoughts. She then looked between my legs and informed me, "There is no time for sex. We must ensure the ferals leave the forest and are too afraid to return."

I brushed aside her not so subtle reference to my manhood. If I was erect, I had little control in the matter. "Don't you want to unravel why they came?" I asked.

She laughed. "Ferals have less wisdom than beasts. You cannot discern why they do anything."

I held out her pouch and she pushed it back to me. "It is yours. Tie it to your waist, like so." When she was done the good pouch was wound tightly to my side, she threaded its drawstrings through the vines which crisscrossed my waist. I wondered if the Svartalfar needed clothing at all, but now was not the time for questions, we still had work to do.