Perfect Pet: The Invisible Blade pt. 2

It was all starting to get to Alleyne as she had little to no time for contemplation over her surroundings. She knew there were trees, she just didn't know where they all were or why they were just disappearing and reappearing at random. She did know of the goliath of a man swinging a giant cleaver at her and she could at least tell from his swings that he worked more with intimidation than skill. How a man like his could be entered into an organized assassin guild was beyond her, but not what she needed to focus on as she ducks the swing falling on her rear. She turns and swings her staff out behind her quickly until she feels it hit something hard and lunges in what was clear to her. At the very least, she had dodging down but swinging her staff in a wide arc was a slow effort and while this man's swings were equally as slow he showed no signs of depleted stamina as all of his swings came with consistent speed.

Knowing she couldn't keep dodging, Alleyne begins to formulate a plan jumping away once more as the cleaver slices through the strung up body cutting it in half leaving nothing but the legs and hips hanging there. Seeing the mammoth of a man not even feel the impact his blade has made, Alleyne figures out something and takes another swing of her staff this time rushing to where it makes impact. Trying now to taunt a particular swing, Alleyne comes up to her feet and makes like she's about to run but ducks instead when the assassin strikes with a diagonal shot cutting the invisible tree in half. The man doesn't seem to feel it but Alleyne definitely hears it as she rolls in behind the man gripping the staff with both hands as she waits for him to turn.

When he does, Alleyne jumps ramming the width of her staff underneath jumping landing her feet up on his shoulders. Vaulting off from there, Alleyne musters all of her strength to bring the big man down stabbing his back into the cut tree trunk. She isn't done though as she quickly climbs up a tree she had run into earlier pushing herself off as she drops down on the mans chest with both knees sending his further down as the trunk pushes out through his ribs. His arms fall limp as his cleaver drops in among the leaves while Alleyne climbs down from his body and begins looking around now for her Mistress.

The hunt was over before it even began. Then again, as quick as Sonico could make herself it was never fair when she was running from a hunter she couldn't even see. Now she sits in the dirt bound up to a tree struggling in the bondage trying to break free as a voice comes from in front of her.

“Struggle all you want, little rabbit, you're only going to die tired.”

“Show yourself!” Sonico shouts still struggling. If nothing else, she'd at least like to see her would be killer. “Coward! Do you always strike from the shadows?”

A hard, stinging sensation strikes across Sonico's cheek silencing her her demanding efforts.

“You...have the nerve to call me a coward? When your kind survives solely by running?” The voice still sounds threatening, but for a different reason right now. While it commands Sonico to listen, it seems to ask her to listen with her heart as well. “Do you honestly think this is something that I want? Perhaps the ability to be invisible is a dream for most,”

“...invisible.” Sonico repeats to herself realizing now why the assassin was never seen yet could be heard from right in front of them.

“But it's a nightmare for me. To only be able to watch as your parents mourn what they believe is your death only to try and talk to them. But even then they take it as their grief vocalizing itself until finally your parents think they're so crazy hearing their daughter they commit themselves to an insane asylum! This may be a gift in the eyes of my guild members, but it's a curse. A curse that will be undone by those who made it. No matter how many lives we go through to see it done, we will have our cure!”

Sonico looks up in the direction of the woman who laughs a little.

“Oh, didn't I mention?”

Not too far away, Alleyne continues her search for any clues over Sonico's whereabouts as behind her, the assassin pierced over the stump twitches his hand.

“My colleague and I share the same goal. Because while I cannot be seen,”

His hand reaches gripping the cleaver as he pulls himself up in behind Alleyne.

“He cannot be killed.”

Hearing the noise, Alleyne turns finding the assassin standing before her. Without a chance to defend herself, she feels the full weight of the back of his hand as it cracks across the side of her head sending her flying into a nearby tree.

“That is why you'll die soon. But not yet, because you rabbit kind need to understand the full meaning of fear. The fear of pending death mixed with the fear of uncertainty. Because you see, my miasma can make you see what I want you to. I can have you live your entire life never realizing what might not even be real. That's why,” The voice stops as something sharp is run through the ropes snapping them from around Sonico's frame. “I'm letting you go. Run now and always wonder when I may strike.”

Sonico's vision returns to normal as she notices Alleyne struggling to get to her feet. Not wanting to debate this whole situation, Sonico bounds away grabbing her pet before the cleaver can come down on her and continues hopping through the forest not even stopping until they reach the end and are back out in the plains. Dropping to the ground, Sonico lets Alleyne down and begins to breathe heavily as the elf looks over at her a little surprised once more by the effort being shown to her. Sonico smiles back until she notices the cut over her elf's arm.

+

“That should do it.” The female doctor says patting her elderly hand along the side of Alleyne's freshly bandaged shoulder.

“Thank you.” Sonico says as Alleyne looks her arm over.

“It's a good thing you came across my caravan, wouldn't want something like that to get infected.”

“No ma'am.” Sonico giggles looking Alleyne over before remembering what the assassin had told her. “Um, can I ask you something?”

The doctor, just putting her things back into their containers, looks up from the biggest one. “Yes?”

“Is...if there were problems...in my mind about not knowing what was real or not...” Sonico begins but seeing the doctor shaking her head she stops.

“For that you'd need a psychiatrist. I'm more a physical body doctor. But...if you're afraid you aren't in your world, or however you'd put it, I would look for things that are...strange.”

“Strange?” Sonico repeats as Alleyne stands up looking ready to go. “Right.”

Sonico takes hold of Alleyne's leash ring and steps out of the caravan as it soon begins moving down the road. Turning, Sonico notices a large cart of captured individuals being pulled along behind with two full lines of chained prisoners. Tilting her head, Sonico looks back at Alleyne.

“That's...normal for a doctor to have, right?” Alleyne shrugs as she holds up the ring for Sonico to take. “I was...just holding that. Plus you never know what I'm saying.”

Sonico, still physically bound up against the tree, twitches her feet some as the assassin lets out a small sigh. “Suppose I made a few mistakes in her new world. No matter, over time she'll come to accept them. Mind you, time is about the only thing left she has.” She says with a giggle. “I think I'm going to keep you, lock you up in a cage. The irony of that should be quite outstanding. You think you're free but in reality...you're just my caged little birdy. Tweet, tweet, twee-AUGH!”

Alleyne rushes in swinging out her staff presumably catching the assassin across the body knocking her away as a nearby tree rattles following an impact. Alleyne hurries stepping in between the tree and her Mistress pointing out her staff toward the assassin.

“Kuruni, lle tenkela kwara n'uma further val over amin.”

“How? You should be dead by now!”

Back by the hollow, the larger assassin, stabbed back over the trunk, struggles to work his cleaver that was now pinning him down having been cut downward into the trunk.

“It doesn't matter...I'll kill you here myself!”

At that, three arrows are shot out toward Alleyne who deflects them all pointing her staff once more toward the assassin.

“Lle caela lost. Admit nuquerna ar' kela.”

The assassin growls out as Alleyne notices a quick shift in a few leaves on the ground and jumps out shooting her staff out catching the woman in the gut before ducking down and swinging hitting her against the hip. Several leaves are shifted before a few are kicked up in the air as a circle of leaves flutter. That's where Alleyne strikes with a downward blow only hitting ground though. She then steps back looking behind her to Sonico who was still in a daze.

“Mistress!” She shouts before hearing a slice in the wind causing her to react blocking a blade with her staff. She looks back again. “Mistress! Wake de!”

Sonico doesn't react as Alleyne pushes the assassin away.

“Don't bother. Re's e' he` own palurin en' amin creation.” The assassin taunts as Alleyne growls out under her breath. “Re will ere' kela iire amin lava he` a'.”

Alleyne does her best to maintain her composure believing that there had to be something she could do to save Sonico. Then it hits her as the blade once more hits her staff.

“Hama!” Alleyne shouts out.

“What are you doing?” The assassin inquires making more slashes only to be blocked by Alleyne's staff. “She's lost to you!”

“De! Quena!” Alleyne continues.

“Que...na...” Sonico replies as Alleyne struggles with the pressure the assassin puts against her.

“Sul...” Alleyne attempts before pushing the assassin back. “Sulpa!”

“Sulpa... Sulpa! Alleyne!” Sonico calls back snapping into reality.

“No! How? Why? Fine, it she won't be my caged birdie, she'll be my speared hen!”

Three arrows fire out at Sonico only for Alleyne to rush in deflecting each staring directly at the assassin.

“Lle cronha naa weak vee' amin can sii' elea lle.”

“You...you can't see me. You can't!”

Leaves push away as Alleyne looks up into the trees swinging her swinging staff with enough force to throw it catching the assassin as she grunts before falling to the ground hard.

“No one...can see me.”

Alleyne rebounds herself off a tree launching herself straight through the air where she grabs hold of her staff before swinging down with the momentum of her fall.

“Olin technique,”

“But if you could see me...”

“Hawk Ramba Slam!”

“Then maybe...”

“YaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”

“My parents can too.”

Alleyne comes closer to striking when she notices Sonico, having recently freed herself from her bonds, drop herself in the way.

“Stop!”

Alleyne pulls her staff up at the last second instead colliding down overtop of Sonico who crashes down on top of the assassin. Though a little sore from her landing, Alleyne manages to get to her feet as Sonico quickly comes up to her knees.

“Bela, Mistress, ron will il- vana freely tuulo' sina taure ten' mani ron caela done.”

“I know you're upset, Alleyne, but please listen to me. They aren't...well, they aren't evil.”

“Ron will rista lle langon manka lle naa il- careful!” Alleyne argues back as Sonico falls forward when the assassin gets to her feet. Going for another swing of her staff, Alleyne looks to catch the assassin.

“Alleyne! Tampa!”

Alleyne halts as commanded watching the leaves shift as the assassin seemingly retreats. The elf then turns to her Mistress looking visibly annoyed as Sonico wears the same expression taking hold of the leash's ring.

“I know you don't understand me, Alleyne,”

“Lle lave he` a' kela.”

“But you will listen when I speak.” It's definitely not the words that has Alleyne settling down but rather the sharp, controlling tone Sonico manages to use as she comes in front of her pet. “I know letting them go is probably foolish, but you gave them something. You gave them both something they desperately needed. A chance to think, to think about what they want.”

Not too far off, the cleaver is pulled from the stump allowing the larger assassin up who takes his weapon back. He looks like he's about to resume his hunt of Alleyne but suddenly looks down at the open wound on his chest and then to his left. Slowly, he lowers his weapon.

“They were misguided, took in for the abilities they don't want. You've shown them that they aren't invincible or even invisible to the world, so I doubt they'll be going back to their guild. There's nothing left there for them anymore, just a reason to stay away from their own goals. Their own dreams. Hopefully, if we do see them again, we actually see them.”

Having not understood a single word of that, Alleyne looks to the forest only taking the fact that she hasn't had to deflect any arrows or pull Sonico from being cleaved in half as meaning that the fight was over. Therefore, she lowers her staff and shivers under the touch of her Mistress' hand atop her head.

“You did very good, Alleyne. Quel edhel.” Alleyne is shocked when she hears that as Sonico laughs a little to herself. “I was holding onto that one for when you earned it. I think today...you certainly did. My little good elf.”

Sonico smiles as her hand comes down toward the side of Alleyne's head when she stops remembering how her pet generally took to having her ears played with. So instead of going through that, Sonico just takes her hand away and takes a few steps holding the leash's ring.

“Mistress.” Alleyne calls out turning Sonico around. Alleyne steps close to her taking the rabbit girls hand and sliding it along the side of her head, over her ear making it pop back up. “Ta uma il- hurt anymore.”

Sonico takes the calm tone and Alleyne's second time bringing her hand along the side of her head as a sign that it was okay to do it and laughs a little more.

“Alleyne, I...” Sonico catches herself and goes back to a smile. “You're so silly.”

Tugging at the ring, Sonico goes to lead her pet through the forest and back out to the plains beyond that would ultimately lead them to the sea of blowing sand where the queen of an ancient kingdom eagerly awaited the arrival of a new slave.