Artemis hears him first, but it only takes 2 strides for me to hear him too.
THUD, THUD, THUD
He's getting closer by the second. We are going to be caught. How the fuck is something so heavy so quick?? Are those thuds human? I really, really, hope this dude isn't naked.
Ok, breathe in, breathe out. I take a glance backward. Immediately I regret it. A round mass running on all fours follows closely behind. We are 3 paces away from the inevitable. Time to do something dumb.
Without a doubt, it's been on my mind. Why does someone like me deserve to be treated like this? The new clothes, being allowed to have a weapon, getting to spend so much time with Sir Kahlin. I got to see the most beautiful woman on the planet, the envy of all, the Queen of the Darkathi Kingdom. I even got to punch her ugly brat, the Great and Wise Prince Rythel. I knew this ride of amazingness would have to take a stop at the Fuck You street. I just hoped it wouldn't be so soon. And I really hoped it Sir Kahlin would be here to at least laugh at me.
In the end, Artemis is innocent in all this. She's just a royal horse that got roped into my tragic demise. I stroke her neck and say, "You're the finest steed in the land." I jump off.
The landing is almost impressively bad. I tumble for what seems to be forever but the tree I smashed into would disagree. I get up and feel a sharp pain in my ribs. I can't believe I managed to hurt myself before this round bozo even caught me. Artemis has stopped galloping and stands about 15 feet from me.
I yell at her, "Shoo! Scram! Just go." I wave my arms at her.
She turns and runs.
I cry and whimper, "Just be safe and live long." I turn and face my doom. He's stopped about 10 feet away and is watching my every move. I glance upward and see the red moon has shrunken into a small sliver you'd see just a few days before a new moon.
He says, "Me wasn't sure how to get you downs from there. Me thanks for doing it yous self. Fat Tree."
I reply, "What." My mind is racing. I don't feel the open bloodlust like I did from those green eyed nudists. I clench my side and point my dagger at him in a defensive posture against the tree. I'm still trying to get my bearings from the fall.
He puts his hands up and shakes his head, "Always want hurt Fat Tree. Fine." He barrels towards me. His fist is high and behind his head, he swings it like a mallet. He hesitates in the middle of his punch and with time slowing for a brief instant, I have just enough room to roll out of the way.
SMASH. RRRRRRRRNNNNNGGG. THUD.
He just punched through a fucking tree. Suddenly the knife in my hand looks small. I stagger backward two steps.
If that had connected my face would've either imploded or exploded
He cocks his head at me confused, "Quick. Like rabbit. Won't miss agains." He takes a slow step toward me, he's being calculative now. Or at least, as much as the acorn between his ears can. I step backward. He steps forward. He's beginning to look annoyed.
Finally, my racing brain slows down and gives me a single grain of intelligence. If this creature was able to run at least twice as fast as my horse, and I am still alive doing an almost strange tango with him, then he surely must want me alive. Even if it isn't true, it's all I have to cling to now. The pain in my side sharpens and I take a gamble. I point the blade to my own throat.
His large hand stops just short of me
His attempts at veiled frustration turns to an open sea of rage as he bellows, "WHY"
I quickly lie, "I'd rather die than be taken by the likes of you."
His brows furrow as he barks, "Bladey says Mama will be goods to you. Get your own room. Warm bath." He rubs his stomach, "All the foods you ever would wants."
Huh. That doesn't sound too bad. It's too bad I'm no fool and I say, "Nothing good comes without a price, and looking at you that price will be quite steep."
He looks down and mutters, "Not that fat." Then he looks upward to me, a look of menacing rage, "NOT THAT FAT." His fist pulls back.
Uh oh. I've made a grievous miscalculation. To compensate, time to use my ability like never before. The blur of fists before me creaks to a halt just before me. I can't dodge this one, not fully. My mind flashes to when Sir Kahlin told me if his punches were hurting me, I should just go with the movement, as it lessens the impact. I put my left arm out and let his fist connect with it, desperately trying to absorb as much of the impact as I can.
CRACK
I push off with my legs embracing my newfound speed and desperately trying to ignore any sensation coming from ol' leftie. I'm certain it's broken in multiple places but a quick glance tells me the it's way worse. My forearm bone juts out into a sharp angle, it's unnerving to see so much of my bone, the impact caused my flesh to tear leaving the rest of my forearm and hand dangling from the skin, nerves, and anything else left unsevered by the collision.
Time crawls onwards, the pain feels like it could render me unconscious at any moment. I flip through the air helplessly, yet I feel a strange sense of clarity. I did it, whatever this stupid plan amounts to, it fucking worked. I'm still alive. I tuck my body inward and start to spin faster, my torn flesh stretching but the nerves keep it all together, like super fucking painful glue. I crash into the combined canopies of the thick forest, it causes me to start falling and I extend my body fully out, oh sweet Lord of the Hells, I am upright. I crash land into the ground, staggering backwards, somehow remaining on my feet.
I'm battered. I feel half dead. Sweat drips from my entire body and my skin feels like its boiling. Still the show must go on. I will myself to step forward. Everything hurts.
The blob charges at me, rage simmers on his face. Honestly, I'm thankful he can close the distance for me, there is no way in the 3 hells I would've ever made it another step.
I wait. I wait and wait and wait until there's no stopping. Just when I feel the lightest sensation, like a light in the dark, it cuts through the screaming agony my nervous system is sending me and I push it further than I ever have. I can feel it now, his knuckles are brushing up against the hairs on my right eyebrow, his fist scream at a terminal velocity. My life'sterminal velocity.
I dig deeper than I ever have, I exhaust every reserve that I actively uncover. Bending and twisting time to my whim. I have no energy to care about dodging his blow. All I can think about is ending his life.
Fuck. I must have dropped my knife. Is this really how I end? I should've just surrendered when I had the chance.
I fucking TALKED myself into being killed.
My ancestors will never let me live this shit down in the 3rd layer. But where great despair lies, hope remains. Where there is black, there must be white. Where there are lies, there must be truth. I live in this world, and that makes me the one in control of MY destiny.
I use all the strength left in my body to do the only thing possible. I jam my forearm bone deep into this glutton's neck. I can feel the way it slides through his windpipe and jut out the back of his neck.
His body stiffens but the momentum from his fist still remains. I've moved, but it's not enough. I can feel my right eye go blind and my cheek is shattered, then subsequently blasted off my face. But I'm alive and he's not.
I pass out.