Vessels of The Goddesses

Chapter 8 - Fight or Flight

Christina's POV

I gripped the branch that was in my hands. I'll probably get splinters and scratches by how rough the wood was, but that was the least of my concerns right now.

The shocked face of the bandit seeing me lie to him was priceless. It was only for a brief moment as it was replaced by a scowl.

"I cannot say you are brave, little girl." The man sneered. "You are foolish."

The rest of the bandits advanced, showing postures they were about to strike. I heard Rosalynn curse loudly behind me. That made me feel guilty. Did I just drag her into this mess with me?

Maybe I shouldn't have done this.

I gritted my teeth as I stared at the group of bad guys, showing no second thoughts about hurting us.

But it's too late now.

I wouldn't let them snatch the sphere away - not when I saw how tired but determined Victor was in figuring out what and where that thing came from. His hard work will be all for nothing if I turned a blind eye.

Realizing Rosalynn was caught up in this situation with me, I was hesitant. I didn't entirely tell her my plan, thus leaving her defenseless and having no time to pick a weapon.

I took a step back, shielding my friend from the dangerous people wanting to attack us. I felt my chest tighten when I finally acknowledged that the odds were against us.

I pointed the branch towards the opponent. I wouldn't be the first one to attack. I have absolutely no experience in fighting so even if I charge first, I still cannot turn the fight around.

The cold air brushed my hair into a gentle dance as I grew tenser and tenser every time the bandits made small movements. It seemed like hours had passed when one of the bandits decided to lunge at me.

He was so fast.

I don't think I can dodge him!

Spinning the branch horizontally to block the attack, I was suddenly blinded by a white light.

In that light, I couldn't see anything properly. When it dispersed, the face of a person startled me.

She had golden eyes the color of the sun. Her snow-colored hair fell graciously on her back. She had a soft smile on her lips as she nodded at me.

"I̶ g̶i̶f̶t̶ t̶h̶e̶e̶... M̶y̶ l̶i̶f̶e̶."

She disappeared and I was brought back to reality.

The bandit from before was still charging at me. He seemed slower compared to a few seconds ago. So, grabbing Rosalynn's arm, I swiveled to the side, taking my friend with me to avoid the attack.

The man was surprised, but he still pursued in attempting to stab me.

This time, I blocked the slashes from the bandit. With each slice, the branch I was holding kept reducing in length. At this rate, I wouldn't be able to injure him with this.

Seeing an opening, I pushed my shoulder back and swung the branch with all my might. This resulted in a cut on the man's cheek.

He touched the wound. The blood on his fingers made me nauseous. Once he realized I had inflicted damage on him, he bared his teeth at me. "You will regret that."