A Gift from the Goddess

Chapter 101

Chapter One Hundred & One 

...Dead? 

No... that couldn‘t..... 

I could feel my heart racing at hearing her words. 

Why would she have done that? Why do something before... 

Unless... unless she expected me to rush into war regardless of whether she used him as bait. Because she knew I wouldn‘t have any way of knowing he was alive and would assume that I would come for him blindly anyway. 

‘It‘s just another move made to hurt me. 

During our stay in the cabin, I‘d always avoided the topic of Aleric marking me. I hadn‘t wanted to tie him t o me knowing I might not be long for this world, and I didn‘t want to put him through feeling that pain upon my death. But I hadn‘t anticipated for the reverse to now become detrimental to me. If only I‘d actually done it, I would have known the minute it had happened and saved everyone from rushing in to save him 

So then, was he actually... dead? 

And the most guttural, animalistic growl then escaped my lips, forcing several people nearby to flinch and shy away from the pressure. 

This wasn‘t how it was meant to go. 

He wasn‘t meant to die from my own failure to save him in time. 

He wasn‘t meant to die before me. 

I could feel Thea‘s eyes watching me closely, feel the smirk on her face. 

...And suddenly I knew what I needed to do. 

My legs started sprinting towards her, pushing myself to move faster and faster. Several people were fighting between us but I didn‘t let that distract me, manoeuvring around them with ease without breaking stride even once. 

“Aria!” I heard someone yell. 

But I wasn‘t stopping. 

This was because of her. It was her fault. She needed to pay. 

I kept on running to the treeline, towards the figure waiting for me there. Nothing would be able to stop m 

...Not even the ten or so rogues I could now feel following me. 

They were trailing behind just close enough that they would probably catch up soon, having the advantage of four paws over me But just before I could make it to the trees, I sensed as one of them went to lunge at my legs, trying to pull me down. 

Not that this would be nearly enough against me though. Not when I could see their next move. 

Teffortlessly dodged their attack, countering with a dagger into their side, and their body slowly rolled to a stop two feet away. 

The others became frenzied at seeing me kill the rogue and began circling around me, snapping and 

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Chapter One Hundred & Une 

growling towards me as they waited to strike. They were now laking their time to size me up as their pack mentality kicked in. 

But I didn‘t have time for this. 

I looked up towards the trees, now close enough to meet Thea‘s eyes, and a mixture of frustration and desperation consumed me. I needed to get to her in time. To catch her before.… 

And then my heart sank as she did exactly what I feared, 

With a final smirk at my situation, she quickly turned around and began running into the woods, away from the battle. 

Fuck. 

“Get lost already!” I yelled at the rogues angrily. “I don‘t want to fight you.” 

Clearly, they took this the wrong way though as I watched them begin eagerly approaching closer. They stupidly ignored what I‘d just done to their comrade and took my words to mean that I was afraid of fighting so many of them at once. 

....Something they then acted upon, attacking me under that false belief. 

Without any further hesitation, they all began to charge me, trying to overpower me with sheer numbers. Unfortunately for them though, I saw every one of their attacks, 

‘Left... dodge... Swipe....‘ 

I moved around all the rogues fluently, swiftly taking them out one after another. 

‘Drop... side–kick... stab....‘ 

And before even five minutes had passed, soon I was all that remained. Standing in a circle of dead rogues around me, covered in their blood as I looked down with distaste. They‘d failed to land even a single scratch on me. 

All they‘d accomplished with their lives now lost was wasting my time. Time that could have been better spent going after Thea. What a meaningless death indeed. 

Aster one final look at the bodies around me, I then resumed running towards the woods, tracking Thea‘s disgustingly sweet scent through the trees. I could feel as the branches scratched against my skin as I ran through the foliage, not caring to take the extra seconds needed to slow down and avoid them. My mind was set on one thing, and one thing only. 

Thea 

“Suddenly, another clearing came into sight, opening up into a large empty plain. I could see how the trees surrounded the area in a circular way, giving it the appearance of being almost like an arena. And yet. something about this place felt familiar. Something that was impossible given I‘d never travelled anywhere near here before, 

chance to think on it further as I finally caught sight

woman now isolated from her army

her carefully for any sudden movement, but she remained completely still. Her demeanour was telling me

greeted with a smile, sending a chill through

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hated that voice. Despised the way my name sounded on her lips.

point instead. W e both knew there was only one question to be asked here, one that she would

“Is he dead?” 

I waited for the answer, my heart beating deafeningly

if the seconds that ticked by were actually hours, dragging on so excruciatingly slow. I could feel the heavy weight of my

reacted, appearing in complete contrast to

head to the side slightly, her

all

if the wind had been punched out of me.

the question was as simple as the answer she‘d provided. None of our lives mattered to her, I already knew this. But it felt like

kill you,” I whispered under my breath, staring at the ground in disbelief.

stung at my eyes but I

you just say?” she asked.

said I‘m going

straight up at her with a burning hatred in my eyes. All I saw was red, saw my own anger

I then took a few steps closer and pointed my dagger up

taken everything from me. Everything. I don‘t

than anything, and it only acted in fuelling my fury inside.

bloodlust pulsing through

to think..,

side, but I read her like a book.

at the last second, narrowly missing the attack to leave merely a small

thought that was going to be it and tried to move back to begin my next attack, but somehow she moved faster than I expected. Before I could stop her, she caught me on my retreat and kicked the second

noted, finally jumping backwards to create some distance. “This dagger seems familiar. Wasn‘t this the same

low growl escaped my lips

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! DIUCU UI 

concerned about right now is your own,” I warned. “After all, the last time we

longer finding the situation as

mock me,

The real Thea. The one who speaks how she really feels. As if we‘re

do or think anything else, I then charged at her again, moving faster and faster a si tried to land multiple different blows on her body. Pushing myself to hit her even once. And, before too long had passed, soon only the sound of our daggers colliding filled the air as they matched perfectly. With every strike, it was as though she was somehow able to narrowly

could sense my moves as I

...Oh. 

her smiling at me once more, confirming the answer I‘d just

in my head.

this meant... this meant the fight was basically

she had to do was wait it out until | reached my absolute limit, something dangerously close already after ordering

that you could defeat me easily without cheap tricks. After all, you should possess a wealth of knowledge with endless experience... or is it that you’re becoming senile in your old age

instantly contorted into a scowl,

the very last thing I

*Clinnnnk.* 

sound of the metal kissing

just in time to defend against hers, barely with a second to spare, and

endless dance, soon becoming more just a game of speed. The one to win this would be whoever could execute their attack o in the other first.

moving so ridiculously quickly, faster than even my eyes could properly follow, even the smallest mistake here could end in a lethal blow. I was now completely reliant on my instincts as I moved, putting complete trust in my ability to sense her attacks. Despite already being so close to my limit, I needed to hold on

rest a moment. A drawback of her mortal body,

battle progressed, her movements becoming progressively more forceful as opposed 10 swift. It was only a matter of time before she

| asked, now smiling in

been dead a thousand times over by now if it

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UNE riunoreu a

was stolen

a mortal were of equal power to you.

I‘d anticipated... and yet was helpless to defend against. I knew it wouldn‘t be

had lasted this long meant something so incredibly important. Something worth

backwards until I hit the ground roughly. I‘d tried to cushion the fall with my arms

hurt far worse

get

up. Make her pay.‘

wasn‘t the only one losing grasp on their ability. If anything, that alone would make all of this worth it.

then suddenly asked, walking

I said, ignoring her comment. “A lucky shot

frowned and closed the distance

forcing me onto my back once more,

for the oxygen that had been stolen so aggressively. My whole body had already been aching so much from just

are you...,” she started, a frown forming between her

I felt it. The rummaging

her. Get up and finish the

–Protect him.’ 

let her in to

hold

have nothing to hide,” | spat, squirming under her weight.

lie to

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