Chapter 13: Chapter Thirteen: Their Little Fighter

J. R. R. Tolkien called them, Ents. We call them, Zontanó Déntro (living tree).

“Move!” Wolfric ordered.

Malique lifted Akira into his arms and moved out of the way as the tree’s large-rooted foot lifted from the ground and came smashing down where they had been just a moment ago.

“We don’t want to fight you!” Wolfric hollered up at the Zontanó Déntro.

The tree’s foot came up again and smashed Wolfric. Akira screamed, and laughter could be heard from the top of the tree.

“Fuck,” Malique said, setting Akira on her feet.

Malique made a move to run at the tree, and Akira pulled him to her side. He looked at her, anger in his deep violet eyes. They heard a noise and turned as the tree’s large foot raised in the air. Wolfric was underneath it, pushing it off of him. He tossed it aside, and they watched the tree fumble, almost falling on its backside.

“Wolfric!” Akira called out.

“Stay there!” Wolfric shouted.

Malique ran to their bags and pulled out two swords.

“Give me a sword,” Akira said, watching her Vampire.

Malique looked at her and shook his head. “We are your Warriors. We will fight for you.”

Malique kissed her cheek, then ran over to his friend, who was hollering up at the humongous tree. Malique tossed Wolfric his sword, and they both jumped onto the tree.

Akira watched her Warriors climb up the tree. What were they doing? She looked up and saw something, or someone, up in the branches of the tree. As if it was whispering into the tree’s ear. She looked at her bag and smiled. Hopefully, they had not searched her bag after she had packed the new bag with her old things.

Her clothes were not what she had not wanted to leave to burn when the jet was on fire. Akira rushed to her bag, found the secret pouch she had created, and pulled out a small sword. It may not be as large as her Warriors’ swords, but it was perfect for her.

Brynhildr had made sure of it.

Akira turned to the Zontanó Déntro and looked up into the branches where her Warriors were fighting something she could not see.

“Well, hello, little girl.”

Akira spun around and sucked in a breath. Standing before her was a tall man with long dark hair, wearing dark clothes. She noticed his pointed ears and grumbled.

‘Elf,’ the word flickered through her mind.

But why would Elves be attacking her and her Warriors? Her eyes scanned over him, and she realized something. Something so cliché she wanted to laugh.

A fucking Dark Elf. Great, just what she needed.

But what would a Mythical adventure be without running into an Elf who wants to kill you? She held the sword in her right hand and took the stance her ancestor had drilled into her for five years. She was ready for anything.

“Do you seriously think you have what it takes, little girl?” the Elf asked, his lips lifting in a snarl.

Akira grinned. “I’m ready if you are,” she said as she tossed her sword from one hand to the other and back again.

Yes, she is ready for this piece of shit.

He pulled a much larger sword out from behind him and took a stance similar to her own.

‘And it is on like Donkey Kong!’

Why that thought came into her head, she will never know.

Akira ducked when the Elf swung his sword at her head. He was fast, but not fast enough. She slid under the blade and slashed at his chest with her own sword. He growled when the sharp tip sliced through the fabric of his clothes and left a gash across his chest. She tumbled out of the way when he came at her with a thrust of his sword.

He almost impaled himself with his own sword, and she smirked. Akira wasn’t sure if she would be able to kill him. She has never killed anything but animals, but she will do what needs to be done if it comes down to her life or his.

“You little brat,” the Elf growled, turning to face her again.

“Me?” she asked, pointing to herself. “You’re the one who attacked me and my Warriors.”

The Elf looked up at the top of the tree, where Wolfric and Malique were fighting what was probably another Dark Elf, then back down at her and laughed.

“You are no Havent,” he said, then lunged for her, his sword above his head.

She dodged him and slapped the flat surface of her sword across his back. If she can, she would like to not have his death on her hands. She did not feel comfortable with that.

~⚔~

“Two against one?” the Dark Elf sneered, watching Wolfric and Malique.

“You’re the one who brought a Zontanó Déntro,” Wolfric snarled.

“Why are you in my forest?” the Elf asked.

“We’re traveling with our Havent,” Wolfric said, holding his sword in his right hand.

He was ready to defend himself against the Dark Elf.

The Elf snorted. “That little thing? She doesn’t even have a soul.”

Wolfric and Malique growled. They were more than tired of hearing people call their little Havent soulless. She has a brighter soul than any Havent they have ever heard of.

“I know you are lying because a Havent doesn’t have a Vampire for a Warrior,” the Dark Elf said, sneering at Malique.

Malique grinned. “I’m actually an Upir. I would think that would be obvious.”

The Elf paused and looked up at the sun through the branches.

Malique and Wolfric laughed. The idiot had not thought of the sun being out.

The Elf looked down at the ground and laughed. “Looks like my brother got to her first,” he said, then attacked Wolfric.

Wolfric’s sword connected with the Elf’s and blocked the blow. He and Malique looked down to find another Dark Elf attacking their Havent.

“Where the fuck did she get that sword?” Malique cursed.

“You know our little Havent, always full of surprises,” Wolfric said with a grunt as he fought off another attack from the Elf.

“Go help her,” Wolfric ordered his friend once he got the upper hand in his own fight.

Malique nodded and started down the tree. Akira looked to actually be winning her battle. But he is her Warrior—he should be protecting her.

Akira fell on her ass and looked up at the smirking Elf.

“Looks like I won,” the Elf said, then swung his sword toward her.

Akira lifted her sword to block the Elf’s sword, but before her sword could meet with the Elf’s, a larger sword clanged between her and her attacker. She looked up and smiled at her Vampire Warrior.

“Hello, Mal.”

Malique looked down at his Havent and smirked. “Hello, little one. What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into?”

Akira shrugged. “He came up behind me.”

Malique nodded, then pushed the Elf away from his Psychi. Akira scrambled to her feet and stood beside her Warrior, her sword in her right hand, ready to continue the battle.

Malique shook his head. “We will discuss that later,” he said, nodding to her sword.

She smirked at him. “Whatever,” she said, then jumped in front of her Warrior to block the Elf’s attack.

“Damn it, woman,” Malique said, lifting her out of the way and setting her down behind him. “We are your Warriors—we are supposed to protect you.”

She smirked up at him. “What do you think I was doing with Brynhildr for five years?” she asked, holding up her sword.

He smiled and shook his head.

Akira screamed when a sword came through his stomach, the tip barely missing her chest. Malique’s eyes opened in shock as he looked down at the bloody sword, blood dripping from his lips.

“No, no, no, no, no,” she said with a cry, touching her hand to his cheek. “Don’t you leave me,” she ordered him.

Akira moved around Malique and pointed her sword in the Elf’s face.

“You fucking prick. Stabbing a man in the back,” she said with a snarl.

The Elf smirked, pulled his sword from Malique’s back, and then kicked him in the ass, making him fall on his face with a grunt.

Akira screamed bloody murder as she raised her sword in position.

“I wasn’t sure if I could kill; that is why I have held back. But now,” Akira sneered at the Elf. “Now I think I am more capable than I thought,” she said, then swung her sword at the Elf.

He blocked her attacks, and she blocked his counterattacks. The sound of swords clashing filled the forest as the smallest Havent fought with all her might.

Malique turned over onto his back and watched his Psychi as she fought the tall Elf, like a true Warrior.

What had Brynhildr been teaching her descendant?

A loud growl could be heard from the top of the tree, and Malique turned his head. Wolfric was sliding down the tree, the other Dark Elf close behind him—a gleam in his eye.

The Elf thought Wolfric was fleeing, but the Direwolf could feel his Psychi’s pain, just as Malique could feel her.

Akira heard her Wolfie growl, but she was too entuned with the battle she was in at the moment. She slammed her sword into the Elf’s sword, making him take a few steps back from her.

‘Yeah, that’s right. When you mess with my Warriors, you get the Valkyrie!’ she thought.

Akira jumped into the air and spun in a circle, her right leg out from her body, her left leg tucked in, and swung her sword at the Elf. His head went flying through the air, and his body slumped to the floor of the forest. When she landed on her feet, everything was quiet.

“Akira,” Wolfric whispered.

Wolfric has never seen anything like his Havent before. What had she been doing all that time alone with her ancestor?

Akira turned to her Wolfie and sneered, then looked over at her Vampire and whimpered. She dropped her sword and rushed to Malique’s side.

“Malique, don’t you dare leave me,” she said, pressing her hands to his wound.

Malique chuckled, “I’m a Vampire, love. This is nothing.”

She glared at him, her hands glowing over his wound.

“You bitch!” the other Dark Elf howled once he was over his shock of watching a tiny little thing kill his brother.

Wolfric turned and slid his sword into the Elf’s heart when the man moved to go after his Havent. The Elf’s eyes widened as he stared at Wolfric.

Wolfric got into the Elf’s face and sneered. “No one threatens our Havent,” he said, then pulled his sword from the Elf’s chest and kicked him in the stomach.

The Elf fell backward off the root they were standing on and screamed when the roots pulled him under, snuffing out what was left of his life.

Wolfric fought to keep his balance when the root under him moved.

Akira turned to the Zontanó Déntro and looked up at his broad face. Wolfric jumped off the root and moved to stand next to his Psychi and friend.

The Zontanó Déntro lifted his foot, and they covered their heads, expecting to be smashed, but the Zontanó Déntro stepped back from them. They watched in shock as the tree leaned down, so his face was close to the three of them.

“Thank you,” he said, his eyes looking at each of them.

Wolfric swallowed. “You’re not going to kill us?”

The tree laughed—he actually laughed.

“We Zontanó Déntro have been slaves to the Dark Elves for centuries. You have saved me this day.”

“How can they enslave something as large as you?” Akira asked, looking up into the massive branches above his head.

“Black magic,” he said, then moved away and stood up straight. “I will not forget you three.”

They watched him turn and walk away from them. Wolfric caught his balance as the ground trembled beneath the Zontanó Déntro’s feet.

“What will you do now?” Akira called out to the tree.

The Zontanó Déntro stopped and turned halfway so he could look at her. “Rescue my brothers,” he said, then turned back and walked away from them.

“I hope he succeeds,” Akira whispered.

“Come here,” Malique said, then pulled her against his chest and kissed the side of her head. “Don’t ever scare us like that again.”

She scoffed. “Me?!” she screeched. “You’re the one who got stabbed!”

Malique chuckled and held her close.

“What were you thinking?” Wolfric asked, kneeling beside them.

Akira looked up at her wolf and made a face at him. “Uhm, I don’t know. How about—I would like to live?”

Malique chuckled, and Wolfric growled.

“You could have gotten yourself hurt, or worse, killed,” Wolfric complained.

She smiled. “Nah, I knew what I was doing.”

“She did kill him,” Malique said with a broad smile.

Wolfric sighed and looked over at the sword she had dropped on the ground. “Where did you get that sword?”

Akira smiled. “Brynhildr had it made for me.”

Wolfric looked at Akira, a surprised look on his face. “Did she also teach you that move?”

She nodded. “And many others. I told you she taught me to fight.”

“I think you keep thinking of her as that three-year-old little girl you found fifteen years ago, Wolfric,” Malique said, watching his friend.

Wolfric scowled. “Not even.”

“Okay, the thirteen-year-old,” Malique said with a smirk.

Wolfric growled, “I do not. If I did, I would not have….”

He stopped and looked at her, pulled her out of Malique’s arms and against his chest, then kissed her.

Akira sighed and kissed him back. Nope, he does not think of her as that little girl.

Wolfric lifted his head and leaned his forehead against hers. “I don’t want to lose you again.”

Akira smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “That’s why Brynhildr trained me. Because she knows that my Warriors can’t always be there when I need them.”

Wolfric nodded, then turned his head and looked at the sword again. “That’s a nice piece of metal. Did Dwarves make it?”

She nodded. “Brynhildr told them who it was for, and they made it with whatever enthusiasm a Dwarf can have,” she said with a chuckle.

Wolfric smiled. “I think we should keep our swords on our backs from now on. Who knows what else we will come across on our journey.”

She nodded and leaned into him.

“We should get going,” Malique said.

He pulled himself to his feet, fully healed, thanks to his Havent. He could have healed himself, but he could not have said no to his Psychi if he had wanted to.

Wolfric stood and pulled Akira up with him.

Akira reached into her bag for the sheath to her sword. She turned to Wolfric, who was holding her sword out to her. She smiled as she took it from him and slid it into the sheath.

She slung it onto her back, and they continued their journey for her next Warrior.