The Innova Chronicles: Risen

Deluyu (Trap)

When Cedar reached the other group again, they were silent. She watched them for a long while, hearing a few short conversations between them, mainly about human politics and the weather. When she grew bored enough of it, after about 2 minutes and 26 seconds, she decided to have some fun.

After Cedar escaped Wakeson base at age 14, she went right into training for the military. The Nightwalkers' military was open to anyone above the age of 16. By the time Cedar was somewhat mentally stable after being back for a year, she was still 15. That didn't stop her, though, because she would sneak into the back of classes and training sessions until they caught her. When they did, Veronica, the head of the Council, stepped in.

"If she can hold her own, she can advance through. If not, she won't be permitted to join the military. Ever." She had announced to the class. Cedar nodded. Before she was taken at age 12, Dominic had taught her a few things. It had helped her escape. She was already fairly decent at fighting, but that wasn't the only thing that helped her win fights. It was her appearance. Her scars were cut into her face like ravines running through the hills in the forest. At the time she only had the one across her cheek and lips. She hadn't acquired the one across her nose yet. But, oh, were they menacing. They'd chosen the instructor to go up against her. He was a fully trained soldier named Tyron. He was 19 at the time. He expected going up against a mentally unstable 5'1'' 14-year-old girl was going to be easy. He had never been more wrong.

As soon as the signal was given, Cedar slunk back to the edge of the mat, acting as if she was scared. Tyron had laughed at her. She cowered, putting her fists up in a defensive position. After a minute or so of circling, Tyron grew tired of waiting and advanced. As soon as he was within 3 feet, Cedar's cowering face twisted into the equivalent of the devil's smirk. Tyron faltered only for a moment upon seeing her scar turn into a crescent shape. He tried to sweep her legs as she stood at the edge of the mat. She simply dove and rolled to the side. Kneeling now to the right and behind him, she had rammed her elbow into the back of his knee twice at lightning speed. He'd yelled out, turning, but Cedar used her size to her advantage. Tyron was taller than her, standing at 5'8, but Cedar was quick and small. She rammed her fist into his lower back, then slammed her foot into his knee, pushing it inward. She'd done the same exact moves at Wakeson. Except she'd drawn the guard's gun after he was down and killed him. This time, when Tyron dropped to his knees from the loss of balance and input of pain, Cedar stood up and raised her hand, forming the shape of a gun. She made a slight pop noise with her lips and acted as if she was firing the gun into his forehead to show that, if she was armed, she would have been able to kill him. She then turned to Veronica. 

"Class starts at 6:00 AM, right?" She'd asked, while Tyron was still sitting on the ground, bewildered. Veronica had simply nodded.

Thinking back to that day, Cedar smirked as she remembered the feeling. Her style of fighting was unique. She knew she wasn't the strongest or biggest, and while she had speed on her side, she wasn't the fastest. Instead, she used manipulation and trickery to win. Cedar didn't fight fair. It was a well-known fact that if one of the other soldiers had to spar against her, it was a good idea to remember that as far as she was concerned, anything goes. To her, she was still fighting for her life in Wakeson. After having to escape, and kill for the first time in order to survive, she had never really stopped fighting for her life, even if it was just sparring. And that's what made her so terrifying. She was still fighting not to win, but to survive.

However, she did manage to find a way to have a "positive" attitude about it.

As she looked down at the two walking, she slowly began to move to lower branches as she followed them until she was on the vines that snaked through the forest floor, like highways that rode up over a hundred feet high and made bridges across paths overtop. She silently walked along one of the vines, pulling her bandana up. She unholstered one of her pistols slowly. Raising it in the air, she flicked the safety off and fired. Birds flew, their wide wingspan of some 8 feet caused the leaves to shake and sway, making it sound like airy thunder rolling above them. The two soldiers turned, running after her. Cedar chuckled and turned. She sprinted, sliding down the vine on her feet. She jumped off, rolling in order to absorb the force of the landing. She glanced back, seeing them run after her. Cedar wove in between ferns and other plants that were a staggering 10 to 20 feet tall. She ducked under a few low hanging leaves, having to slide under a vine that was hanging just above the path. The soldiers crawled under after her.