Return of the 13th Zodiac

17: Nightmare

I messed up.

Those were the words that kept playing over and over in her head as she ran through the woods. A gasp escaped from her mouth when an arrow whizzed past her and embedded itself in the tree in front of her. Her heart thudded in her chest. She ran as fast as she could, her breath coming in short pants.

Heavy footsteps were close behind her, getting closer every second. She could hear men shouting but couldn't make out what they were saying. Fear propelled her faster. She dodged trees and leaped over dead logs. Her hand grew tense around her sword--her useless sword. If only she could fight, but her sword skills were still so poor that she could barely hold her own. She had only recently begun training in the sword. What was more, she was only a kid, and those were grown men, so engaging in a battle was a stupid idea. Running away was the best choice. The only choice.

Another arrow was shot, and then another. The first arrow nailed into the ground a centimeter from her feet, while the other grazed her shoulder. She let out a short, harsh gasp of pain and stumbled on the hem of her robe, almost falling.

"Hui!" Chen Xue exclaimed as she grabbed her sister's little hand.

Shu Yue scrambled to regain her footing and followed Chen Xue, trying to ignore the pain in her right shoulder. The cold wind hit their faces like a knife as they ran through the forest, desperate to escape from the hunters. Chen Xue never let go of Shu Yue's hand, making sure her sister didn't lose her balance again.

I messed up.

Gripping her sword, Shu Yue once again regretted her decision of coming here without her mask. She thought everything would be fine. She thought the forest would be safe. It was safe until the hunters arrived. It turned out that they were sent by the Crown Prince to hunt for demi-humans, particularly younger ones like her. She was the perfect target. Even though she wore a veil over the lower part of her face, the pair of sharp horns on her forehead gave away her identity as a demi-human.

Why now of all times?

She just wanted to be herself for once--to not hide behind a mask and just be the demi-human that she was. But then the hunters showed up, ruining her fleeting moments of freedom. The Crown Prince ruined everything.

Chen Xue yelped and let go of Shu Yue's hand as she fell over. Shu Yue's heart thrummed and she stopped in her tracks. Chen Xue was lying on the ground, an arrow protruding from her shoulder. She whimpered as she struggled to get up.

"Xue!" cried Shu Yue, rushing over to assist her, but her sister pushed her hands away.

"Run!" Chen Xue yelled. "I'll just slow you down. Don't worry about me. It's you they are after. I'll be fine."

Shu Yue hesitated as she glanced at the hunters. There were four of them, and they were getting closer. One man halted and pulled out an arrow from behind him. Placing it on his longbow, he aimed at Shu Yue.

Chen Xue gave her a gentle push in the back. "Go! I can't run anymore." She was slightly limping as she walked. She must have scraped her knee when she fell. The arrow was still stuck to her shoulder. Her right sleeve was soaked in blood.

Just as Shu Yue opened her mouth to argue, Chen Xue let out a yelp. Another arrow struck her in the left shoulder. She grimaced as she crouched down, her face twisted in pain.

"No! Xue!" Shu Yue screamed and kneeled before her sister.

"Fuck!" one of the hunters cursed. "Don't shoot carelessly. You fucking hit the wrong girl again."

The sound of footsteps drew closer and closer, then stopped. All were silent, and the only sound that could be heard was the heavy breathing of the panting men. They had caught up with the two young girls and were now standing just a few feet away from them. The two hunters drew their swords from the sheath.