Hestia's Wish [2019 ONC Longlist]

15 | Cat and Mouse

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Hestia reluctantly removed her hands from the hilt of her sword, knowing that she wouldn't be able to remove it from Callen's bloody hand. She narrowly escaped the forceful swing of his mace, but lost her balance which forced her down to one knee. Her eyes quickly darted over to her katana, she was now at a disadvantage since she had lost her main method of defense. Her mind began to comb through the few possibilities she could follow through with to win her duel with Callen. It was going to be difficult, but she never expected otherwise from a Concordian.

She was still taken aback by his total disregard for pain. He took the blade, not caring if it sliced his hand right off. Concordians were known to be relentless, willing to do whatever it took to finish off what they considered their prey but this went beyond her expectations.

"What a pretty little blade you've got here. Fortunately for you, I've no use for it," Callen stated condescendingly. "I'll let you in on a little secret, little Aithnean. I have no idea how to wield a sword. Don't worry, I won't kill you with your own creation. There are far better ways to do away with you."

Her eyes widened in surprise as she watched his grasp lessen on her bloodstained katana until it fell onto the ground with a loud clatter. There was a ghastly gash in the palm of his hand where it had been so deeply embedded. He kicked it away, out of her reach and she watched it skid across the ground.

Her eyes darted up to meet his as he taunted her, "What will you do now, little Aithnean?"

She clenched her teeth, realizing he had her trapped. He stalked towards her like a lion getting ready to pounce. "Beg for your life like the others."

She scoffed and replied, "Over my dead body."

"You'll be begging in no time, little Aithnean." He charged at her full throttle, wasting no time swinging his heavy mace at her.

Even though she was weaponless, she had her size and speed to her advantage. She swiftly dodged his attacks with a series of jumps, twists, and turns. Callen was larger than most of the people she had sparred with, but his size didn't make a difference. She simply did what she usually did against those that were taller than her, and that was attempt to tire him out.

The game of cat and mouse continued endlessly, as Callen's movements became sluggish and delayed by the second. Hestia was getting tired as well, but she did her best to avoid showing it. Everything was going according to plan. She tried to avoid lingering in one spot for too long. A mistaken overstay in her position could send her to her death. She was light and nimble, resting the weight of her body on the balls of her feet. Each movement blended into the next smoothly, guiding her closer and closer to where her sword had been kicked over.

Callen being the stupid fool, didn't realize her intentions and was becoming exceedingly frustrated. Hestia took notice of this and began to taunt him. "Is that the best you can do? I thought Concordians were skilled assassins," she teased.

Her comments made his blood boil. He let out a growl before barreling at her once again. She took off for her sword, closing in the distance millimeter by millimeter. Just as she was about to reach it, Callen struck her with his fist. She fell onto the ground roughly, her sword just at the edges of her fingertips.

She underestimated her level of exhaustion to realize that her speed was giving out so much that it now matched Callen's. She winced at the pain as she tried to get up.

"You shouldn't have done that, little Aithnean," he remarked with a huff. If she wasn't mistaken, he almost looked proud. He brought his mace down, hoping to end her life then and there, but she quickly rolled over. There was a loud crackling sound as he broke through the molten lava that blanketed the ground. He pulled at the handle, but it was firmly lodged in its place.

She took the moment to grab her sword before striking at him, aiming for his knees. Her blade tore through with a disgustingly loud ripping sound. She continued her onslaught, each slice aimed at his legs until he bent over, incapacitated. She breathed heavily before thrusting her sword through his body. His eyes widened in astonishment as he gazed down at the sword that tore through his chest. His body shook violently as he attempted to raise his head to look at the person that had killed him.

She watched the light in his eyes flicker as though he was jumping over the boundary between life and death repeatedly. He gripped onto the hilt of her sword in a futile attempt to remove it, but his grasp weakened until his hands fell on either side his body. She maintained her firm grip on her blade, wanting to make sure that he was dead before removing it.

When he took his last breath, she yanked her katana out and saw his body crumple on the floor with a loud thud. His unseeing eyes gazed up at the sky above, his mouth open in surprise and would remain that way even in death. Blood pooled around his body and she tiptoed around it in disgust, not wanting it to soak her shoes.

Her head turned to the sound of shrieks, only to see that Alastair was still locked in a heated duel with the other Concordian. He looked like he was having difficulty fending her off by the lack of offensive positions he took. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she ran over to assist him.

She deflected Ri's next attack with ease, catching her off guard. She did a sweeping move of her feet in an attempt to force her down, but she saw it coming. Ri jumped instantly, putting some distance between her and Hestia. She glanced up to see a shocked expression on Alastair's face.

"What? You looked like you needed help," Hestia offered, shrugging her shoulders.

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