FEAR.DEATH.BY.SWORD

CHAPTER 3

After the funeral, Neith went for a walk in order to calm herself. However, she was unable to do so while still thinking about everything that had happened over the past couple of days. Small drops of water were starting to fall from the clouds rolling in above. Rain was coming. The sound of her boots hitting the cracked concrete sidewalk with every step resounded in her ears. It was at that moment she heard something else, the sound of another person's footsteps. Someone was walking behind her. Neith considered herself an expert at tracking people without them noticing, so it was rare for someone to be able to sneak up on her. Judging by the sound of each step, she could tell that whoever was following her was still pretty far away. Most people would barely hear such a faint noise, but after years of practice Neith's senses were always on high alert.

She decided to walk a bit faster. If someone really was following her they would match her pace and give themselves away. Then, she could quickly hide and wait for the right time to ambush them. A brief wisp of hope crossed her mind that this person might actually know something about who killed Bulo. That simple thought reignited her burning rage that had just starting to cool. Neith walked even faster. Despite her anger, she was still keeping track of the footsteps behind her. They sped up to match her pace just as she expected. Everything was going according to plan until the faint sound of the footsteps disappeared. Neith kept walking, listening more intently than ever for the footsteps, but they were gone.

A thousand questions raced through her mind at once. Sounds didn't just disappear out of nowhere, especially when she was tracking them. Even when a person stopped walking it made a distinct sound, but the footsteps she heard just vanished without warning. Her thoughts quickly ran through every possibility she could think of, but they all came collapsing back together when a strong presence appeared across the street.

"There's no way that was there before" she thought. "I would have sensed it a mile away."

Someone was close, and they wanted her to know it. Whoever it was, something about their presence was suffocating. It made her hair stand on end, and her bones tremble. There was no time to question how it got there, or where it came from. She knew the one thing she needed to do,

RUN.

Immediately, Neith took off in a mad sprint going the opposite direction. At first, she was so focused on getting away from whoever was unleashing that murderous aura towards her that she didn't notice the boy on the bike, peddling his little lungs out trying to keep up. It was clear the aura wasn't coming from him, but that didn't explain why this kid was following her or what he planned on doing if he could catch her. She certainly hoped he didn't think he was coming to her rescue. It was people like him with the best intentions that made the worst decisions. The last thing she needed was some kid trying to play hero and getting in her way.

As she ran, the intense murderous aura followed. Neith's patience was wearing thin and she was already tired of running. Running was never her style, she preferred to stand her ground and look directly into the enemy's eyes. Thoughts of why she was even running faded to thoughts of Bulo's funeral and the image of his casket being lowered into the ground. The logic of survival was overtaken by her lust for revenge. Neith made up her mind that she would find out what was going on before she took another step, no matter who was in her way. Once she came to this resolution, she drew her sword.

A long single edged scimitar, engraved in Arabic symbols from the hilt to the base of the blade, appeared from the cloth covered scabbard that held it. The quickness of the draw was only matched by its silence. Time seemed to slow down as Neith once again went through the familiar ritual that was drawing her sword. She felt her grip tighten around the long leather wrapped hilt. It felt nearly weightless in her hand, the result of the countless times she had handled it. With her next step, she did an immediate 180 and bolted past the boy on the bike, searching for the source of the aura. Just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Like a faint smell in a breeze, there was no trace of it left. If she hadn't felt it so intensely before, she would have thought she imagined it. However, there was no imagining what she just experienced.

Neith was in a blazing rage by this point. She had been ready cut down whatever threat she was facing. Now there was nothing for her to direct her anger at. Someone was toying with her and she wanted to find out who. The only person left was the boy still following her. She didn't know if he was involved with everything that was happening, but at this point she wasn't taking any chances. She would have answers as to what was going on no matter what.

***********

The next few seconds in Nemo's head all became a blur. One second he was riding his bike, chasing a woman he thought was in trouble. The next second, he felt himself being slammed against a wall and his feet dangling in the air. The woman's left hand held him by his neck against the wall. Her right hand held a long, curved sword close enough to him that the tip touched the center of his chest. Rain had started to fall, and anyone around was running for cover to keep dry. No one was around to see or hear them, leaving just them standing in the rain alone.

"Who are you, and why are you following me?" Neith asked.

"My... my... my name is Nathaniel but everyone calls me Nemo. You looked like you needed help, but I'm guessing now that you don't so if you put me down I'll leave." Nemo stuttered.

Neith paid no attention to his request. "What do you know about Bulo?"

"Who is that? I don't know anyone named Bu—" as soon as he started his last word Nemo could feel the sharp blade penetrate his shirt and press against his skin. The pressure behind it told him that she meant business. The calm intensity of her voice was only matched by the serious look in her eyes.

"I'm going to ask you one more time, what do you know about Bulo?" Neith said.

"I swear, I don't know anyone named Bulo!" Nemo screamed. "I have no idea who you're talking about." The last thing Nemo heard was "We'll see" before everything around him went black.