Page 137 of I Ran Away to Evil 3
Her attack hit the already gapping dimensional space that had been my window. I had no idea where the damage went from there, but I hoped it wasn’t being flung willy-nilly into the meadow outside.
I liked that meadow.
She threw a knife at my head, but I just moved my head out of the way. I waved at the table. “Why don’t we sit and chat?”
“I hate you.” She lunged at me, a short sword appearing in her grip. I didn’t need [Appraise] to tell me that the blade was poisoned. It was Alice’s blade—of course it was poisoned.
“I don’t seewhy.” My perception tracked the trajectory of her assault perfectly, and I dodged again as the celestial let out a frustrated scream. Someone so beautiful and lovely suffering right in front of me made my heart hurt. But that was probably the charisma modifier at work. I brushed it off.
[Mental Resistance] for the win.
“Seriously, Alice,” I said, a hand on my hip. “Why are we fighting? You follow Fate, and I—”
“Do notspeak her name.” Alice stamped her foot and lifted her short sword to prepare for another attack. “You are an abomination who goes against my Fate.”
“Did Fate tell you that?” I asked, confused that Alice was still attached to the idea. I’d assumed she would have confronted Fate as soon as she was free and had a heart-to-heart.
Alice thrust her sword again, and I dodged, again.
“My Lady hasn’t spoken to me since I failed my mission to kill you.” Alice lifted a fist to her lips, opened her palm, and blew, sending sparkling, poisonous dust all over my dining area and the tea service. I reacted with, “[World Bridge].”
But I portaled away too late.
[You have been poisoned byDandyvine. You have taken 34 points ofBleeddamage to all senses. PerkStrongholdnegates 50% damage received while defending yourDomain. You have taken 17 points of damage.]
“Hey, not at the table!” I chastised, grabbing the towel by my kitchen sink to wipe my face and summoning Menlomin’s Horn with the other. It immediately purified the poison.
“Also, gross.” I threw my towel in the sink.
The celestial had used my momentary distraction to down a mana potion.
“By the Will of the Eternal Rest, [Void Arrow].” Alice hurled another attack, this one actually hitting my left shoulder.
[You have taken 116 points of Void damage. PerkStrongholdnegates 50% damage received while defending yourDomain. You have taken 58 points of damage.]
[You will not be able to use your left arm until healed.]
“Ugh,” I hissed. Shoot, I’d hoped to avoid that. “Have you considered Fate could be angry at you for another reason? The same reason I’m not running away now when Icould’vejust portaled out?” I asked, sidestepping a poisoned dagger as I unsummoned the unicorn horn in place of a health potion.
A second dagger flew, hitting the potion before I could take a drink, shattering the glass in my hand.
[You have taken 1 point of Cutting Damage. PerkStrongholdnegates 50% damage received while defending yourDomain. You take no damage.]
The potion that landed on my fingers actually did heal me a little. I sighed, concluding, “Because she wants us to talk?”
“You knownothingof her will,” Alice spoke with unadulterated loathing. “You haveruinedmy life and my life’s work. Even if you ran, I would hunt you to the ends of Valaria.I swear by Fate that I will end you and stop at nothing to right destiny if it takes my whole life to do so.” The Keeper of Fate glowed pink, her blonde hair lifting from the subtle mana that reacted to her vow.
While she monologued, I poppedanotherpotion and poured it directly onto my missing shoulder. It hurt more this way, but [Mental Resistance] didn’t fail me.
With a grimace, I replied, “Well, what if some of us don’twantwhat was fated for us?”
“Of courseyouwould say that!Youweren’t even supposed to be here! You were meant to die in some misbegotten troll village!”
“I did, actually,” I told her. “Well,Gerdadid.”
Alice had raised a hand with three more poison daggers sandwiched between her fingers but froze.
“What do you mean?” She didn’t relax her hold on her weapons, but she did pause long enough for me to explain myself.
