Couple of the Wild (ZeLink)

Chapter 7: A New Shade of Tunic

The moment he heard she was gone, he sprinted out one of the town's sandstone entrances, passing by the tall, dark-skinned female guards that stood on each side. If they called out for him to halt, he didn't hear, for his mind had only one thing in it: save her. His boots slammed against the sandy dunes of the desert, ignoring the dry heat waves the sun beamed down upon him. He refused to slow down, pumping his arms and legs as fast as he could, kicking up sand behind his heels as he sprinted through the desert, passing the occasional rock or palm tree.

The guards in the inner city said she had left the city, and that was exactly what they were waiting for. It would only take but a few seconds for that evil clan to catch her, and only a second more for them to do worse. As he ran, his eyes darted around the desert, trying to catch a glimpse of her golden hair or royal blue blouse. Even the sight of her leather boots would be enough to make her out. He just needed something—anything— that would point him in the right direction.

Suddenly, the sense of direction he was looking for had appeared, but it wasn't any of the princess's features that gave it to him. Instead of that golden hair or royal garments, he saw three lanky bodies, all dressed in skin-tight grays and burgundies, darting through the sand, organized and with purpose. They were chasing something. They were chasing her.

Upon this realization, something inside his chest pulsed.

Desperate, he began racing after the assassins he had seen, determined not to let them get away. He raced up and down the dunes of the desert before finally, he saw that glint of gold. But, she wasn't calm, nor did she seem at ease. No, she was running, dashing away as fast as she could as she looked around in fear. She was running away from them, trying to survive. Just as he realized this, he saw them again: the three tall figures that led him here. They all dispersed, only to quickly regroup, now surrounding the princess who had tripped and fallen into the sand. Eagerly, they closed in on her, twirling the curved sickles they were known to wield.

He had to do something. At this rate, he wouldn't make it in time. The kingdom would lose her. The king would lose her. He would lose her.

Allowing instincts to guide him, he began to hold his breath as he ran. Upon doing this, things began to change. It was as if time had begun to slow down around him. Gathering as much strength as his legs could build up, he forced himself to run even faster than he already had been. With each step the assassins took toward her, he took five. Slowly, one of them began to raise their sickle as they stood over her, deciding to end her life then and there. The princess raised her arms in useless defense, closing her eyes so as not to see the strike that would introduce her to death. With deadly force, they brought the sickle's tip down.

He had less than a second to act.

As time was still slowed around him, he slid to a stop, placing himself just between the princess and the assassin. Reaching over his shoulder, he grabbed the handle of the purple-winged sword strapped to his back and pulled it free from its sheath before spinning and swinging it at the curved blade now aimed at his own back. With a loud clank, the sickle was sent flying into the air, and with another swing of his sword, the assassin dropped down to the ground. He hadn't seen the body hit the sand though, for the knight had already stepped in front of his princess as time returned to normal.

Holding his sword ready, he looked right at the assassins' white masks, staring right into the irises of the inverted eyes that had been applied to their fronts in blood-red paint. His eyes burned with fury as he stared at the lanky clan members. Seeing as they hadn't backed down, he brought his sword up, giving himself an even sturdier stance, one of power and confidence. At this, the assassins backed up, realizing how outclassed they were. In a puff of white smoke, the two in front of him vanished.