Chapter 12

"You took the only person I cared about!!"

Vanessa and Rex both roared, surprisingly at the exact same time.

“Only you were supposed to die tonight!” Cried Vanessa, “all of this is because of you!” She started moving towards Rex, only one thing in her mind, revenge!

“Why were you trying to kill me? I have done nothing to either of you! I didn’t even know you until recently!” Rex yelled seeing Vanessa moving on him with her dagger at the ready.

“Your family ruined us!” She said, she was only a few feet away now, still solid determination for the kill written all over her face.

“If you want a fight, here I am!” Rex said. He just realised in the heat of the moment, he had no weapon to help. So he did the only thing he could of, raise both hands up, fists clenched at Vanessa.

“Are you that cocky you think you can take me without a weapon!!?” Vanessa sneered, “very well!” 

Adjusting her grip for a stab, Vanessa thrust the dagger towards Rex’s stomach. She was trying to inflict as much damage to Rex  as she could, savouring releasing all of her sorrow on the fight.

Seeing where Vanessa had aimed her dagger Rex quickly pushed her wrist and moved the dagger away from himself.

Wow he is fast! Vanessa thought, taken aback by his sudden burst of speed, she was going to need all the tricks in close combat she had learnt, all for someone who had no fighting training whatsoever! She had seen what had happened at the river, it was pure luck he won, not skill, this should’ve been easy win for her.

Seeing an opening for a punch on her jaw after her failed stab, Rex thought he would try and land a hit on her to make her realise this wasn’t a fight she would win easily and he would fight to his last breath. Mustering some of his strength, he tried to jab, but she had seen that coming and grabbed his hand, rotating it around and dragging him forward. Wow she was strong for such a small frame!

With Rex’s hand trapped Vanessa brought the dagger back around to try and connect it with his rib cage. Rex was once again there to stop her, but he was off with his timing and grabbed the bladed  the dagger instead of getting a hold of her hand or wrist.

Seeing that he was able to hold the blade and she couldn’t pull it through with his tight grip, she did the only thing that came to her mind. Bringing her knees up, using the power from her legs, she pushed away from Rex to be able to break the dead lock and create some distance between them again for a new attempt.

It had worked to some extent, she had created space, he still had the dagger in his hand!

How did he do that?? Vanessa could see it had hurt him, but not enough to make him let go of it

Moving the dagger to his uninjured hand, Rex grinned, “it seems you no longer have the upper hand!”

At least the pain in his hand had started to ebb since changing hands with the dagger, looking at the damage it had done, it had already started his healing trick again, thank god for that he chuckled to himself.

'You are getting reckless youngling' boomed a voice in his head.

“What the hell!!??” Vanessa exclaimed, Rex was somehow healing his hand, by himself!!

That’s impossible, you need healing magic, and seeing how it seemed Rex had no to no knowledge of their land, Vanessa definitely didn’t think Rex to have come across that kind of information and to have learnt it so early in his life, for it also took years to control with being apprenticed to a master, which she knew his grandmother was not.

This changed everything for Vanessa, she didn’t have the tools to deal with someone who seemed to be able to heal that quickly, he wasn’t even speaking any incantations. To be honest, she had no idea how she was going to deal with someone who seemed to have so much strength, so she did the only thing she knew might get her out.

“It seems we are at a stalemate. Seeing as how neither of us seem to have gained an upper hand, I would like to propose a truce, give us time to deal with our loved ones” she said, pointing at both Reeva and Iris. Surely he wasn’t heartless she thought, in the time they had spent together, she had thought him quite the opposite, even going so far as to think if it wasn’t for the hate their families had for each other, they could be have been friends, or maybe even more! 

Get your act together girl, she chided, now is not the time to think this rubbish, mothers rule number 1 is, 'don't get attached to the job', attachment leads to sentiment which leads to mistakes, her mother had always called them a job, never people or names.

I need to get out. Vanessa then dropped her combat stance and put her hands up showing her palms as a sign of showing her commitment to her recent words.

“Very well Vanessa or Nessa, whatever your name seems to be, I believe you trustworthy enough to follow through on your word, as a sign of my goodwill, I believe this belongs to you.” Rex had turned the dagger to the side, so the blade was facing neither of them.

Was he this stupid? He is giving me back a weapon! Vanessa thought, but seeing the smile on his face, it seemed he knew something she didn't, not knowing if he had more tricks up his sleeves, she decided retreat was the best course, at the present time. “We will take this up again soon, that I promise you.” She added, slowly taking the dagger back and placing it back on her sheath on her waist.

Heading over to where her mother was, Vanessa reached into the satchel she was carrying and pulled out what looked to be something shaped like a stick. She then drew a symbol on her mothers head, one Rex didn’t recognise and spoke a language he wasn’t familiar with. Whatever she did seemed to make the body float and move to wherever she pointed the stick. “What is that?” Rex asked.

“It was meant for you…” she said, “like I said Rex, this isn’t over.” Turning away from him, she walked into the darkness, jumped the fence with the body following her and pretty soon the sound of her footsteps trailed off into the distance and couldn’t be heard anymore.

Now all Rex had to do was deal with the body of his grandmother, which he had no idea how or what to do. “I definitely can’t call the police” he said rubbing his forehead, “there’s a bloody arrow sticking out of her, I won’t be able to explain that!” 

“It is tradition to burn the bodies to release the soul” came a deep voice from beside him.