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, 

to think on it further as I finally caught sight of Thea, standing in the centre as is waiting for me.

a woman now isolated from her

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

a smile, sending

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Despised the way my name

with pleasantries though. No, I decided to immediately get to the point instead. W e both knew there was only one question to be asked here, one that she

“Is he dead?” 

breath as I waited for the

excruciatingly slow. I could feel the heavy weight of my impatience crushing me, needing to hear the confirmation

Thea barely reacted, appearing in complete contrast to

side slightly,

all she

instantly, I exhaled as if the wind

I already knew this. But it felt like salt in the wound to hear her confirmation a s if we were only

kill you,” I whispered under my breath, staring

feel as tears stung at my eyes but I barely

just say?”

said I‘m going

burning hatred in my eyes. All I saw was red, saw my own anger

closer and pointed my dagger up towards her, my hand shaking.

enough,” I said. “You have taken everything from me. Everything.

my words, finding it more amusing than anything, and it only acted in

bloodlust pulsing through my veins.

moment to

read her like a book. Using my other hand, I then unsheathed a second dagger and brought it up to strike at her side,

missing the attack to leave merely a small scratch behind. It was barely more than a surface

tried to move back to begin my next attack, but somehow she moved faster than I expected. Before I could stop

jumping backwards to create some distance. “This dagger seems familiar. Wasn‘t this the same weapon I killed

a low growl escaped my

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! DIUCU UI 

be concerned about right now is your own,” I warned. “After all, the last time we fought, you had to stab me in the shoulder first to make

at that, no longer finding

mock me,

real Thea. The one who speaks how

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

sense my moves as

...Oh. 

up to see her smiling at me once more, confirming the answer I‘d just come to.

in my head.

this meant the fight was

and anticipating the other person‘s moves. All she had to do was wait it out until |

I said, straightening back up to catch my breath. “I would have thought 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

a scowl, messing up those normally

the very last thing I saw before

*Clinnnnk.* 

collided once more, the sound of the metal kissing screeching into the air

dagger up just in time to defend against hers, barely with a second

before it could land in what felt like an 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

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 for a little longer.

finally screamed, jumping back to rest a moment.

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

| asked, now smiling in my chance to gloat. “Having

back. “You would have been dead a thousand times over

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UNE riunoreu a

that was stolen from

yet you‘re struggling this much,” I noted. “Almost as if a mortal were of equal power to you. Really makes you think, doesn‘t it?”

roared out in anger before launching herself at me again, her attack now focusing on her full strength rather than speed. It was something I‘d anticipated... and yet was helpless to defend against. I knew it

lasted this long meant something so incredibly important.

a kick directly to my chest, sending me flying backwards until I hit the ground roughly. I‘d tried to cushion the fall with my arms but still

hurt far

and get up but winced from the pain instead.

up. Make her pay.‘

sounded weaker than normal. Apparently, I wasn‘t the only one losing grasp on their ability. If anything, that alone would make all of this

that?” she then suddenly asked,

ignoring her comment. “A

the distance between us.

to my chest, forcing me onto my back once more, “...what I was

coughed and wheezed at the air, desperate for the oxygen that had been stolen so aggressively. My whole body had

a frown forming between her brows.

The rummaging in

End her. Get up and finish

–Protect him.’ 

her in

straddling my waist to hold me down. “...What are

| spat, squirming under her weight.

lie to me!”

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