An alarm sounded in the distance. Zanzer stood on the edge of the slope after returning from her adventure with her beloved watching the flames' dancing, which also rose into the sky that captivated her. The boisterous fire devastated the skyline of the village of Zaltana that was nestled in the valley.1
For her people had gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal the village whereabouts from the Kat-Men. The shrieks and screeches from the voices shook her out of the trance. However, she was one girl against the dreaded Kat-Men. My love will come and stop this evil act, Zanzer thought.2
The story told to her over the years; was the Kat-Men slain the men for their flesh, steal the women for the pits of everlasting death, and turn the children into their slaves. Now they had come to plunder and demolish their way of life forever. 3
She hurried for the urgency of the situation, hoping she might rescue the survivors from the attack. Utilizing her feet at a fast rate of speed, Zanzer guided herself down the ridge of the slope, attempting to reach her village. Her boots caused a trail of sailing rocks behind her. A repulsive figure skulked in the treetops and leaped from branch to branch, pursuing her trail. Soaring out of a tree, he tackled her to the ground, and restrained her hands over her head. Zanzer stared at him. His upper body resembled a man, except for the pointy ears and the fangs. The lower body had hind legs of a feline, a tail, and dark fur. Her mind registered this monster as a Kat-Man.4
"Well, you're a poisonous and an appealing May-High." He hissed.5
Zanzer was dumbfounded, as her auburn dress covered in mud and torn. 6
He leaned in closer. "I know these May-High tricks." His fingers played with a few long strands of her sandy-brown hair that had escaped from her ponytail. "You're a beauty with your olive skin highlights your deep black eyes, which makes you a luring, but the Pits of Everlasting Death will make you grow old quickly. So, where is my army?" 7
"Let me go!"8
He slapped her leaving a red mark on her face. "Come on, May-High, bring me back my army!"9
"I'm not a May-High," she screamed and felt his strength tighten around her wrists as she squirmed. "Where are my people?"10
"You lie." He slapped her again as blood began to slowly ooze out of her nose. "Fine," he snorted, "For the past few months, your kind has been coming through The Rift, the barrier between this reality and the alternate reality." 11
A furious storm was developing within her emotions, just a mere thought of what this monster was holding her responsible for. Swinging her head, she glared at him, as her cheeks flushed. A blistering sensation swept through her, which, made her skin prickled, and a newfound strength devoured her fear. Zanzer let herself go.12
A glittering light surfaced from her wrists striking the creature. She glanced, as the look of horror was etched on his face, and she believed he felt a burning sensation entering his body, causing him to squeal due to the throbbing pain. He released her hands and plunged next to her; and died. Zanzer kicked and thrashed about as the cool air vaporized her sweat. Realizing she was free, she sat on her knees, her hand trembled, as her fingers touched the warm flesh, petrified, she shoved him. When he didn't budge, she crawled backwards and darted into the forest.13
****14
Draco lay in the prison he designed for Mia, his foe, as he had failed his mission to stop her. His punishment with a chain coiled around his body to compress his organs. The chain yanked itself tighter; he thrashed and twisted only letting himself moaned. The voices of the prisoners were screaming, wailing, and crying, Draco attempted to ignore the deafening sounds. His sanity was gradually being drowned out with every voice that was penetrating his mental shields, as the edge of the bliss of the insane drew closer. He fought to keep his mind.15
They were trapped like him but forced to observe themselves doing malice deeds to others. They were all in The Rift, where The Masters put the minds of their slaves. Those Draco was a priest for them to help to keep the May-High under control.16
Now, The Masters were summoning him to join them. He refused. Draco rather wanted death and face the judgment of the Creator than live in The Rift. The acid climbed leaving a burned trail of a hot fire to his mouth and throat. These were their tactics to make the prisoner a willing slave; he had used them on the May-High and others. Now his own device and strategy ensnared him, as his death was going to be a sluggish excruciating end.17
An intense light filled The Rift, blinding Draco that forced him to close his eyes. The chain melted away and life returned to his body. The prisoners ceased and silent surrounded him. He rose searching for The Masters for they were banished from this sector of The Rift.18
"Who would have the power to do this?" He rubbed his chin. Waving his hand, he saw a young girl running and crying. "The girl... Could it be?" He studied the girl as Draco noticed her features. "I wonder if Mia knows about her." He snapped his fingers and saw her village being destroyed by the Kat-Men. "Those nasty creatures are still alive. They are more dangerous than the May-High. Maybe, my mission can be salvage after all." He laughed. "I do have a plan." He grinned and vanished.19
****20
Thor arrived at the village of Zaltana as the fire still lingered. He heard the cries and screams of the women. Reaching for his sword, he held it in front of him and slowly searched for the attackers. All of the evidence pointed to the Kat-Men raiding the village. The fire had destroyed the buildings; he spotted makeshift weapons covered in blood, which littered the ground. The Kat-Men burned the village forcing the men to attack, while a second raiding party comes and snatches the children, he thought.21
A twig snapped to his right, he spun and pointed his sword. The women are still here but why for they are last to be taken, he thought. He inched closer to a pile of burned rumble, as women were dangerous creatures when their children were gone. Thor was taller than the average dweller who worked in the fields and his frame was twice the size for he was a warrior and the last of his kind.22
Behind the pile of rumble came old women who held a pitchfork. Her skin had that old leather look from working in the fields. The out rage her face made Thor realized he had to be careful.23
"Curse Warrior, leave this place we no help from you," the old woman yelled.24
"You and the others are in need of my help."25
"We don't need help," snapped the woman and charged at him.26
He lifted his sword and struck through pitchfork handled as it broke in two. The old woman cringed and stared at her weapon, and then looked at him. Her gray-blue eyes revealed the horror she had witnessed during the raid. Thor put away his sword.27
"I'm Thor and I want to help you."28
The old woman wiped her hands on her ripped and filthy dress. "I'm Mara. Myself and the others is what left of the village Zaltana."29
The women rose out of their hiding spots, he was impressed that these women could hide in very little cover. Searching for the face, he desired to find. For she wasn't here. 30
"Where's Zanzer?" he asked.31
Mara lifted her eyebrow. "My guess she left on her adventure looking for you."32
His gaze returned to the forest. "She never made it."33
"That girl has her head in the clouds anyway. So how are you going to help us?"34
Thor was confused knowing his love was in the forest and her people needed his help for they weren't going to make it by themselves. "Gather what you can find for I'll take you to my home. There you will have shelter and food."35
The women scattered and rummaged around the piles for pieces of cloth or garments. He directed them to place the items by him. Once they had found what they could, as the women approached to him. Thor stood and closed his eyes, as a thick fog began to surround them. The women trembled and held each other.36
Mara said, "We are the servants of the Curse Warrior."37
The women disappeared leaving Thor to find Zanzer.38
****39
Zanzer stopped. Collapsing into the patch of the soggy grass, causing her clothes to feel damp, next to her skin, she moaned. The exhausted girl's muscles ached, also including her eyes. She sobbed. The forest had been her place of refuge for it contain the tranquil and solitude that she craved. Now, the knowledge was shattered without having the village to return to, once her adventure was done. Was the Curse Warrior name, Thor, a figure of an overacting imagination of a young girl's romantic daydreams? Produced by desires, adventures, and excitement brought out by feeling caged, by living in a village without many young men.40
Now, the village destroyed, as her thoughts flooded with waves of dread and anxiety, which overwhelmed her emotions. Zanzer yearned for death because she had survived, and her world was too frightening to face alone.41
****42
The underbrush draped over Draco's body as he hid to observe the sobbing girl. Her attitude and actions implied that she wasn't from the long line of noble heroes, which ran through her blood. She is not their child, he thought. He approached her to discover the truth.43
Zanzer jumped to her feet and stared at him.44
"Lovely lady, I mean you no harm. I'm Draco and come from one of the villages nearby for my people murdered by the evil Kat-Men. I've been hiding in the woods for days. I heard you crying and thought you were hurt."45
She noticed he was handsome, though he was bruised and a bit pale. "I have never seen a man that was tall as you before."46
"A weird chance by nature, my dear," he said.47
"Then you don't believe in the Creator?"48
"Why would such a god let evil beings roam and kill us?"49
"My father would know what to say, but he's dead." She looked down as her shoe played with a pebble.50
Draco walked to her as his fingers cuddled her chin. "Let me be your father now, and I'll keep you safe." He gazed into her deep black eyes.51
A strange tingling sensation swept through her spine and made her trembled with fear. She pushed his hand and stepped back. "Stay away from me!" Zanzer ordered.52
"Seems that I was wrong about you, you're untrained but your instincts are strong. Pity, there is no one to train you." He grabbed her wrists and pulled her closer to him. "You're all alone in this forest of lost hope."53
"Who are you?"54
He released one of her wrists and squeezed her other wrist. She squirmed. Seizing a vine from a branch, he yanked it down. "Put your wrists together, if you want the easy way."55
"No!" She kicked his knee, tugging her wrist from his hand, and ran away.56
"You are a silly girl," he yelled, "The hard way it shall be." 57
He chased after her.58
Zanzer scurried on the trail as the dense trees gave her cover. She evaded Draco hoping to escape. He tailed her twirling the vine up in the air, like a lasso. Draco released it and the vine landed on Zanzer. Yanking on the vine, he watched her fall, laughing while he pulled her to him. 59
"You have chosen the hard way." He waved his hand as the vine began to swirl around her body. She twisted and struggled to free herself but the vine grew tightened. "Good." He snapped his fingers. 60
She floated in the air, while the vine tied itself to the branch. Zanzer hung upside down and thrashed about like a wounded animal. Draco smiled admiring her spunk. 61
"Now, you'll become my slave and assist me to fulfill my mission."62
"Never!"63
"I can be very persuasive with my tactics and been a while since I have used. I hope you like pain."64
Zanzer spat.65
He wiped his eyes and opened his hand as flames emerged. Her eyes widen and she squirmed. The beam of fire raced towards her. Thrashed and twisted as skin felt like was burning from her bones. She saw nothing but the throbbing overtook her emotions, as the pain was unbearable.66
She screamed.67
The rocks vibrated; Draco halted. Zanzer was still. Fog emerged out of the landscape and engulfed the edge of the clearing creating a wall. There was another essence in the forest at play, Draco searched for the new opponent.68
"Release Zanzer," said a robust voice from the fog as a man become visible.69
"No, she is mine," Draco growled.70
The man stood and held his sword and was about the same height as Draco. He ripped muscles on his body and Draco snickered at him.71
"I'm Thor."72
"Please, Thor, let me guess you want to save the virgin so she be easy to sleep with her."73
Thor's brown eyes unveiled his wrath. "Who are you?"74
"Draco, just call me a new ruler of this forest." He snapped his fingers as a sword appeared in his hand. "Now, I can play too."75
"After you," said Thor.76
Both men charged at each other as their swords clashed. The banging of steel could be heard throughout the forest. Thor realized Draco had more strength than he thought he pushed Draco away. Draco raced and twirling his sword and struck his arm as blood oozed out. Thor moaned and stepped back trying to recover from his mishap.77
"What's wrong warrior a bit weak from conquering virgins instead of fighting real men." 78
"I have enough strength to defeat you, "Thor yelled.79
"You want the girl you're going to have to stop me!" He ran towards Thor.80
Thor focused and watched this lunatic racing to him. Draco swung the sword as Thor leaped. Draco stumbled and fell on the ground. Thor turned and landed near, as he swung his sword. Draco blocked the hit. The swords clashed again. Using his feet, Draco pushed Thor back as he hopped to his feet. Draco took a swing as Thor blocked him and did sidekick. Draco stumbled back towards a huge tree as the land trembled, he heard a snapping and cracking of a thick branch, Draco looked up. He was not strong enough to handle an injury yet and vanished.81
Thor was astonished that Draco was gone. The forest began to sway as he hurried to Zanzer was still tie to the brunch and hung upside down. Throwing his sword, he held opened his arms as the sword cut through the vine. Zanzer fell and he caught her. 82
Placing her on the ground, he ripped the vine off of her. She didn't move. Putting his ear on her chest as she was still breathing, he lifted his head and touched her cheek. She started to kick and punch and he grabbed her arms.83
"Zanzer, it's Thor," he said, "you are safe, my love," his voice was low and full of tenderness. His strong hands carefully wrapped around her as she grabbed him and clung to him. He held his arm and called for his sword as it appeared on his back.84
"My village is gone," Zanzer wailed.85
"I was able to save some of your people." He lifted her up in his arms and held in her arms.86
She squeezed him tighter around his chest. "Keep me safe and let me rest." She buried her head in his chest.87
He carried her into the forest to keep her safe from the evil that was lurking in the shadows. He heard Zanzer sobbing quietly in his arms due to the grief. Once he reached his home and entered, quietly, he laid her on the bed. She snuggled on the soft mattress; Thor draped a blanket over her, she grabbed and squeezed his hand.88
"I'll stay until you fall a sleep."89
"They will not find me here."90
"No." He leaned over and kissed her.91
Her body had no energy. While exhaustion was settling in from the ordeal, she had faced. Her eyelids felt heavy as she focused on a happy memory, Zanzer drifted off to sleep knowing that Thor watched over her.92
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