Page 71 of Into the Isle

I did the motions twice in a row, realizing her pattern. The whoosh of air sizzled a few inches from my face with every strike, making her louder and more frustrated to be missing me by a hair’s breadth.

Left, right, duck, sidestep.

Four more strikes, same outcome, and I hadn’t used my spear in a while. It danced with me. My muscles ached, my body burned.

Left, right—now—

The head of my spear spit out like a viper, snapping into the hollow of her throat. Not enough to terribly wound her, but enough to stand her up straight with a quick stop-start, and make her gurgle in surprise.

Her attack faltered, eyes blowing wide. One hand came up from her axe to instinctively grab at her neck, the other moving her axe to keep my spear away.

So I swung with my right fist as hard as I could, seeing my opening as her gaze fluttered to my spear.

My knuckles slammed against her nose, hard as fuck, sinking into soft flesh and crunching cartilage. Blood sprayed when her head whipped back.

She stumbled and collapsed onto her ass, axe flying from her grip, both hands rising to cup her bleeding nose.

Astrid let out a muffled cry, a shocked grunt of pain as she writhed on the ground, blood seeping between her fingers. “You fucking bitch!” she gurgled. “You b-broke my nose!”

“Bout, Ravinica,” Hersir Axel announced.

I eyed him and he gave me a simple nod. Then he walked away.

Astrid’s friends were at her side in an instant, kneeling to coddle her and help lift her.

I started to turn, to see the smiling face of Arne staring back at me, eyes twinkling mischievously. Beside him, Grim crossed his arms over his muscled chest and let out a grunt and a tiny nod. Even Sven Torfen couldn’t hide the smirk from curling his lips, despite his “champion” losing the match.

“This isn’t over!” Astrid wailed from behind me.

I froze. Slowly turned. It was hard to take her serious when her voice sounded like a nasally chipmunk.

She looked pitiful now, scowling at me with red-rimmed eyes inadvertently dripping tears due to her broken nose. Blood matted her upper lip and chin.

I pointed my spear-staff at her, bringing the dulled point a few inches from her face.

She flinched, and the satisfaction I got at seeing her recoil was even greater than bringing the bully down in the first place.

“You’d better hope it is over, Astrid.” I smiled, pointing the spear at her face. “And you might want to go to Eir Wing to get that checked out. I hear they have doctors there.”

Chapter 22

Magnus

MY INTRODUCTION TO the girl with the silver hair was an exhilarating one. I’d caught her staring at me every time I passed her, but I was used to that.

---