Page 109 of The Heartless Archer

Noora’s chest was rising rapidly as she was barely able to duck and clash their blades against each other. Kekoa was an extraordinary fighter. The way he moved felt like his feet weren’t even touching the ground, his arms drawing narrow circles, slashing at Noora over and over again. He ripped through her shirt and she stumbled back to avoid the blade nicking her skin. He charged again, his face a dark mask of violence, his pupils leaving no space for the warm brown of his irises. Noora kicked at him desperately but he was too fast, there was such a major difference in fighting against Kekoa that she was still used to Pika’s slower movements.

The rain poured harder, soaking her clothing and sticking to her skin. Noora raised her sword above her, screaming as she bounded down on the hunter and her blade clashed against his chest piece. She went for him again, this time their blades clashed, thunder sounded and they were so close she could see the soft clouds his breath produced in the cold air around them.

“You will not beat me, Noora. I was born to fight,” he ground out as they pushed their blades harder against each other. Noora’s arms started to shake by sheer force, her teeth grinding over each other as she pushed at him.

“You were born to fight, I was born to kill, I am a child of the god of revenge,” she snarled back and they both drew back again. Kekoa charged for her left side and she dove to the right, walking right into his trap. She left her left ankle unguarded and his heavy-footed boot kicked out, right against the scar of the dragon. She wailed out in pain slipping against the water around them, landing on the ground. Her head collided with the ground and she saw stars jumping in front of her vision. A blade came rushing down from above and she rolled onto her side to avoid it, the blade embedding itself where her head was moments ago.

She drew backward on her hands, dragging her burning calf with her. Kekoa ripped the blade out of the ground and stalked towards her. “There is no use running, little witch,” he taunted her as she wobbled backward, her sword heavy in her hands. Kekoa pushed his wet strands from his vision as his chest rose up and down heavily. With a heavy groan, Noora got back up to her feet, though Kekoa did not wait for her to gain her balance and lashed at her. She tumbled barely out of the way, throwing a sloppy slash at him as she stumbled forward and his elbow cut out and rammed into her back. “Ahh.” Noora was on the ground again, her blade clattering against the stone beside her. She turned her head to the side, to see Kekoa’s boots swimming in her vision. This was it, it was over. The moment he went for her injured leg she knew she was not going to make it, the injury was too fresh.

“A child of revenge, huh?” Kekoa taunted again, she could not even hate him at the moment because he won square and fair. He bent down, his face moving into her vision. “You fought violently, though it is my turn now.” He raised his blade to cut her and Noora did not know what went over her. With her last strength, she grabbed his wrist and embedded her teeth into his skin. Kekoa wailed and he clutched his wrist as Noora let go of him. Her gaze flew over to the tribune where Lulva was leaning over the railing screaming and calling her name at the top of her lungs. Tears were filling her eyes, her cheeks blotchy. She envisioned Lulva dancing on fields of wildflowers, a soft yellow dress swishing around her body. The sun was high in the sky, its beams peeking through the emerald leaves of the trees surrounding them, bathing them in warm blankets of honey-coloured light. Slowly she got up to her knees, dragging herself into a standing position, careful not to put any weight on her burning leg. She grabbed Dainslief again and turned to Kekoawho had finished whimpering, as his hand left his wrist, she could see the crescent shape embedded into his skin.

“A little souvenir,” she said cockily, shrugging her shoulders even though it felt like a thousand needles had embedded themselves into her body. Kekoa was raging as he swiped up his blade, his movements sloppy now that he was annoyed. Noora raised both her arms and he faltered. The rain pouring down at them stopped for a moment, the raindrops hovering in the air around them both. The arena turned mute.

It was as if Noora had built a dome around them, making time stop only for a moment. Her body shook with exhaustion though she still spoke up. “I want you to know what I am capable of.” She turned around to look at the quiet arena, everyone was anticipating her next move.

“I am not a half-blood whore, something unworthy of treating kindly. I have been graced by the power of the gods and I will embed in them as I like but for this,” she turned back to look at Kekoa, the half-blood hovering in the air as thunder cracked around them, “this time I will fight with you, without any advantage of my powers. To give you a chance.”

She moved her arms down and the swell of water rained down on them again. With a guttural scream, Kekoa charged at her and their blades clashed. He tried to go for her leg again though Noora was careful now. With every step she advanced on him, her slashes grew more powerful. She jammed her elbow into his temple making him tumble for a moment, though a moment later he was onto her again. He lashed out at her and got a well-placed hit at her ribs, making her gasp in pain. He parried her slashes and then Dainslief flew away. Noora cursed as he charged her and his hands roved around her neck like a necklace. Noora kicked with her feet, screaming in pain as she used her left leg accidentally. She dug her nails into his wristuntil he let go of her. Noora toppled forward choking slightly before she charged.

It would be risky to go into the offensive with a fighter like Kekoa but she had nothing left. She wound her arms around his middle and he laughed, hitting her left side repeatedly until there were no bones to break anymore. Searing pain dove through her, though she kept going tipping his balance with her foot. They both fell to the ground and she kicked Kekoa’s sword from the platform. He was on top of her in a matter of seconds, punching her face over and over. Her body slumped forward as one eye swelled shut and she watched him reach out again and again.

She groaned though with the last of her strength she caught a hold of his injured wrist, she dug her nails into the crescent of her teeth until he yowled in pain. With a groan, she threw herself forward, her knees crashing against the ground and sunk her teeth into his injured wrist. Kekoa screamed so horrifically that the thunder seemed like a background noise. Noora screamed against his wrist until she could taste iron on her lips and she let go. Spitting his blood onto the platform.

Silence ensued and then it all crashed down. The crowd erupted into cheers and Noora slowly got up to her feet, tears trailing down her cheeks as she held the side of her broken ribs. She was shivering desperately, her clothes soaked to her bones, the few strands that escaped her knot clinging to her sweaty temples. It was over, she won. The knowledge buried itself so deep into her soul she shuddered and turned to–

“NO! YOU FILTHY HALF-BREED! I WILL PICK YOU APART PIECE BY PIECE AND THEN BATHE IN YOUR BLOOD!”

Chapter 43

Noora

The quiver moved on her back, the arrows rattling and clanking against each other as her arms hovered in their position. She did not dare breathe as she stared into the soulless eyes of her opponent, her entire being shifting into quiet rage. She drew an arrow, the second Sören pulled out the tiny knife, pressed against her cold cheek, rising and falling with every shaky breath she took.

“Noora.” Nikolai’s voice came from somewhere to her left but she ignored him, her focus razor-sharp on Sören. Lulva whimpered, her eyes as large as the moon as her small frame was clutched by the lanky boy. It was always the ones you expected least, how could she have overlooked Sören so foolishly? Noora should know better than that, she should not have trusted anyone.Now she had to pay the price of being careless, of accepting human emotions she was not entitled to. Her entire being was wired to protect this little girl. She wanted to ensure that at least Lulva got a life without all the gruesomeness that protruded so ugly from the depths of the shadows.

“It was you,” Noora spoke up slowly. “You sabotaged my skates, poisoned Kekoa, and sent out whatever followed Pika in the forest.”

A slow smile spread on the boy’s lips and made him look eerily mad. “Of course it was, what did you expect? It is laughable to suspect Kekoa as if he would be smart enough to sabotage a tournament held by the royal family.”

Somewhere in the crowd, Kekoa protested but she did not give him the time of the day.

“It was fairly easy to gain everyone’s trust. Poor little Sören, a boy who wanted to prove himself and his loyalty to the crown.” He chuckled, waving around the tiny knife for a few moments and Noora took a step forward. Lulva was shivering in his grasp.

“Ah-ah, I’d stay where you are if you do not want your sister to get hurt.” She immediately stopped advancing on him, though never let go of the bow. Her arms were starting to scream, the muscles straining and her formerly injured arm felt like it was on fire.

“Now, before we get to the fun part of the evening, I want to make sure that everyone knows the rules here.” His gaze flitted around the arena, taking in the royal family who sat frozen in their places, the guards ready to draw their swords. Noora saw Raphael trembling, his hand coming closer and closer to the hilt of his sheathed sword. He would not make it. None of them would make it, if someone drew a weapon Sören would kill Lulva in an instant and that would mean the destruction of the world.

“I want everyone who is in possession of a weapon to draw it slowly and pile it up on a heap, right there.” He motioned a bit to the side, to a patch of grass that grew unevenly. His pale eyes moved to look at Noora. “You can keep your bow, just as leverage.”

No one moved at first before he broke out into a crazed cry. “NOW!”

The guards slowly drew their weapons and piled them together on the mentioned patch of grass. Noora watched them silently, her mind tangling and untangling with every option she had, which sadly were not many. The guards were still piling their weapons as she spoke up.

“Why?”

He turned to look at her. “I was waiting for your question, thank you for asking it.” He looked smug.

“You know, from the beginning of the tournament, I knew it was you who would turn out to be the winner of the prize. Which is not surprising. considering your magical advance and skills that helped you along your journey.”

---