Predator and Prey (P2)

Author's note: This follows Predator and Prey (P1)

Fyra continued to run for a while trying to gain yet more distance between herself and the suffocating humans in the camp, but after about two minutes she stopped waiting for the human to catch up.

She did not have to wait long. The crash of branches and underbrush as the clumsy creature came closer was unmistakably the sound of a human in pursuit. Shortly after that he burst into view. Seeing her standing there waiting for him, he approached much more slowly and cautiously. His sword remained undrawn, but he gripped the hilt tightly.

"Have you decided to come back quietly?" He called to her.

She could stop herself, the absurdity of his question causing a burst of incredulous laughter to escape her. She saw him shuffle uncomfortably at the sound, "Oh no human," she said finally, "I warned you not to follow me, and yet here you are. I am going to show you why that was a mistake."

"You don't have to do this." he replied still foolishly trying to placate her, "I'd much rather bring you back unhurt, but I will do what I must."

Without a word she launched a bolt of fire at him, forcing him to barely dodge it by throwing himself to the side, the fire crashed against the nearby ground setting nearby trees ablaze.

"Fine then." She heard him grunt as he got to his feet drawing his sword. She grinned. He would never reach her with that. She drew more power to her ready to throw more bolts at the foolish human and finish this once and for all. Once more the fire gathered in her palms like twin balls. However, just as she was about to fling them, she felt that oppressive barrier closing in again, the fire began to dim, and she glared in shock at the human.

He was staring intently at her, the picture of focus and intent. She had never known one of the sergeants to have this gift before. Only the Brothers could directly focus that power. Angered she pushed harder, reaching for more power, though by this point she could begin to feel the drain that was the cost of her power, but it was enough and the flames burst back into life in her hands and she hurled them towards the man.

Clearly shocked, the man barely got out of the way for a second time, this time scrambling to his feet to immediately find cover again behind a nearby thick tree trunk. It was a temporary safety she knew.

Her grin once more returning she summoned twin streams of fire and began to bring them closer together, forming a pincer the man hiding behind his meager cover of tree trunks between the two streams. She felt the oppressive feeling again, but this time she was ready, and she pushed through it. This time she had him.

Just as the streams were about to meet, the feeling felt suddenly bolstered, and her streams faded to nothing. "What!" she tried to reach for more, when a voice said behind her, "I wouldn't do that my dear, you might wear yourself out, and we couldn't have that."

She felt a cage come down over her mind and immediately she lost control of her limbs. It was like she was trapped inside her own body, and it began to move without her control.

"Its safe to come out now boy!" the voice called from behind her. The young man she had almost killed stepped out from behind his scorched tree trunk, his expression one of fear and embarrassment.

"My thanks Brother Lor'kan."

Her body turned to the voice behind her and she saw an older man, the one who had stepped in to stop Kay'sar from beating her earlier.

"Well witch. This was not how I intended our second meeting to go, but that will be addressed in due course."

To be continued in Trial by Fyra