Reincarnation

Chapter Ten

"Take Kathryn and run!" My father shouted, as flames began taking over the palace. My mother picked me up, her ears pointed downwards, the way they do when she was stressed or afraid or angry.

A spike of black goo shot up at my father, and I closed my eyes as I heard the impact. My mother kept running with me in her arms.

"Mommy I'm scared" I cried, clinging to her shoulder. One of her arms patted my back, and she ran out of the palace, through the portal into a forest in human territory.

"Everything's fi-" She was cut off by another spike driving into her back.

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Leeanley, who I had nicknamed Ann, only left after I had been leveled up to SS in archery, and D in swordsmanship. I think she realised it was a lost cause to try and get me any higher.

The house somehow became even more lonely. Lots of things that Ann had brought along from her journeys laid scattered on the floor. Back when she was here, my house actually felt like a home. Now it was more of an empty shell. I turned nine two weeks after she left, meaning I only had one year left until I could join an adventuring guild.

The world was weird, because one could join an adventuring guild at ten, but wasn't legally allowed to drink until the age of maturity for your race. I don't think they had a set age for elves, because people think we're extinct, but its probably the same as humans. Eighteen.

My musings were cut off by noise on the other side of the forest. Over the long stretches of solitude I learned how to turn on and off my ridiculous senses, and since I was alone I kept them on at all times.

It seemed like someone was entering my forest. A child no less.

I listened to the kid as they ran around the forest, before hearing the tell of a magical beast hunting. The kid seemed to pause, because the beast was not subtle, before sprinting.

Well shit this kid is gonna die unless I help them.

Sighing, I picked myself off of my bed, Sliding on my black sneakers, I flew out the house, towards the direction of the kid.

They seemed to be getting closer to me, which helped a lot. Surveying the forest below me, I watched the green trees pass by in a blur as I searched for the kid.

And then I spotted a splash of white and gold, before spotting a monster not too far behind it. I flew down there, changing direction so fast a it suprised even me. I shot downwards towords the two, only to find... Axel?

The monster gained on him, launching for a claw attack but I intercepted, creating a barrier to use as my shield. The thing growled, circling around me to launch at my back, but I spun around, raising my shield again.

The beast stumbled backwards, and I used it as an opportunity to roundhouse kick it, sending it flying. I shot it with a lightning bolt as it landed, causing it to groan in pain.

It got up, preparing itself to charge at me. Before it could do that I ran to it, creating a fireball so hot it was green, and then blasting it. The creature screamed in pain, before becoming nothing more than dust.

I glanced back at Axel, who was staring at me in a mix of awe and fear. I smiled at him, a little hesitant. He was only eight, this was bound to be his first death.

What was he even doing out here. The Heythorne estate was ridiculously far.

"Hi Kate," He said, waving.

"What are you doing here?!"

"I missed you," he said, giving an innocent grin.

I sighed, smiling a bit. I missed him and Yora too. " Do you your parents know you're here?" I asked, grabbing his hand to lead him back to my house.

He looked a little roughed up, there were a few places where his skin looked like it was going to bruise, and he had a couple of cuts.

He just grinned with all the boyish charm he could muster.

"Nope,"

I blinked once, then again, at the response.

"Eh?"

He smiles, and I sigh. He's serious, he's actually serious. This kid I swear...

"How?" I ask him, because this is ridiculous.

His smile drops for a moment, his eyes strangely calculating for an eight(nine?) year old.

He shrugs, mumbling something about wandering off, and I raise an eyebrow. He wasn't telling me something.

I glared at him, but let the topic drop as I led him to the house.

"So what have you been doing lately Kate?" He asked, breaking the silence between us.

"I learned how to use a bow and arrow. 'M really good now,"

His face lit up. "Can you show me. Please please please,"

"When we get home. I don't wanna stop in the middle of the woods." He looked at me quizzically, so I answered his unasked question.

"Too many monsters,"

He got even more confused. "But you destroyed the monster earlier. Won't other monsters stay away now?"

I shook my head, and took note as the trees became less thick. "Some of them might take the risk of fighting me for a chance at a kid."

He pouted, before letting go of my hand and dashing away as my house came into view. The grassy clearing glowed in the sunlight, making my huge house seem almost mystical.

"Are you gonna use the bow now?"

I rolled my eyes, walking up to my house and grabbing my keys from my storage ring.

"No"

"Whaat?! You promised!" I turned to him and laughed at his face. He looked so heartbroken, like a kicked puppy

"I was joking, I just wanna fix my hair before I shoot some arrows. It may look pretty, but having your hair on your shoulder when you shoot arrows messes with the.power and trajectory of the shot." I explained, opening the door and heading inside.

Axel stays outside, looking unsure.

"You can come in," I say offhandedly, talking off my shoes as I walked into the living room.

He entered and he immediately lit up. "Woah," he mumbled, glancing at everything in awe. He stared at my electric lights before having to look away and blink the dots out of his eyes.

"Its like a mini sun," he mumbled.

"Yeah," I said absentmindedly searching for a hair tie. "Just don't break anything."

Sometimes I forget to listen to the forest when I'm with people. I get distracted and disable my senses.

I forget there are people strong enough to brave the forest, cunning and quiet. Those who see the tales of the spirit of the forest as nothing more than a legend.

People who come here to find treasures of dead bandits and to search for rare magical artifacts that help keep the forest together.

They often times don't make it close enough for me to hear them naturally. I normally detect their presence far earlier.

But it seemed with Axel I let my gaurd down far too easily.

Because outside my doorsteps I could hear three men chattering about how they lost their hostage, and how they were planning on using the things in my home to pay for the lost income.

A/N: Its been a month. Sorry. Also to anyone who reads my other books I'm ultra sorry. I'm trying my best to get an update for His Alpha Queen, but school sucks. Hope you like the chapter. Please comment