Blue phosphines circled me; he'd bounced my head off a rock.
I'd begged: offered coins, frightened, oblivious I wore nothing—neither my purse nor anything, as he climbed the muddy hill. My skull ached, in addition to my jaw from the sucker punch and my bruised pelvis.
I was a witness. I'd die if I failed to act.
My head lolled, my body clenched by his right arm. He jostled me with each slip; mud sluiced along my rear, down my legs as he reached forward with his free arm and pulled us up.
Panic gave way to calm as defense training cried: surprise, distract, disable, run. Couldn't perform magic; he'd see the glow and I'd never wake again. I was a devil-girl, though, with tiny rebar-like meat-hooks sticking backwards out of my temples.
My head lolled. One bounce, two, three. I took the momentum, bounced my head upward, speared—
He yelped, reflexively flinging me aside, ripping flesh, wrenching my neck. I landed in rotting leaves. I brought my legs to my stomach and connected. Stomach? Groin? I pushed him, pushing myself away.
Lightning flashed—Built like a bear, hand to his cheek his hard eyes met mine—Darkness.
Scrambling downhill on my rear, I spun up Push, providing wan light as my horns burned with magic. He lunged to pin me. My Push shoved me downhill, barely avoiding him... into a tree; this time my magic threw him aside—
Barely a couple paces. "Oh, come on!"
I had shoes, at least. I braced against the tree, kicked as he lunged. Stupid, reflexive. He grabbed but overbalanced, lost his grip.
As he twisted toward me, I performed, lifting him—barely. My magic balked trying to hurt anyone, but I swung toward a low branch. The magic died, but his head struck as thunder rumbled. He fell onto a gnarled root. He thrashed, yelling incoherently.
I slipped downhill, arms out. It felt like skiing had to feel.
Behind, footsteps splashed.
My Stars! I spun up, performed, shoving myself from a tree in my path. I glanced back, targeted, and performed Levitate, lifting him left off his feet. My performance flicked out, of course it did, but yes!, momentum bounced him off the trunk.
I stumbled, shoes hitting the road, coming down sliding painfully on a knee on crumbled asphalt. It struck me as the monster roared his rage: I could not outrun the beast. I threw a chunk of road, then the other piece. I hit him.
He smiled, wiping his dripping nose and bloody face. I was nothing!
He rushed me.
I spun up Push, narrowing it. Work, work, work! At least punch him! I clenched my body, falling on all fours, screaming as I flooded everything into my performance, folding and refolding the area of affect.
Purple-blue flashed blindingly through closed eyelids. I heard a clap of immediate thunder that drowned a cry of pain. I dodged and he misstepped, came down rolling, bounding by to slide into the drainage ditch.
He splashed and immediately levered himself up, mud dripping, eyes enraged.
"What does it take!" I yelled.
I couldn't get up—bruised, scraped, blood in my mouth as nausea rose. My head pounded. I backed on raw hands and knees as he stood, now on the road—
He kept his distance. He ripped off a tattered shirt, eying me like a wolf disbelieving a baby fawn had kicked him in the jaw.
I kept my Push variant from spinning apart as he gave me the time to spin it up again.
He feinted.
I flinched, but crouched forward, bull-faced and glaring up. "I hurt you, didn't i?"
He lunged. I performed my miracle, eyes closed, accepting fate.
Hot bits of asphalt peppered my face and arms, and clattered on the road. Blinded again, ears ringing, I rolled right.
He kept running. I turned, even as I saw I'd blasted a crater in the road. In the moonlight, he ran like a deer, but I knew he'd stalk me later—
Or find another to savage! It focused my rage and outrage. I planted my stinging knees and hands, leaned forward, directing all the energy in my body, channeling my life into performing, targeting until... I bellowed, "Never. Hurt. Anyone. Again!"
A river of will flooded through me. The maths and visualization balanced and I performed a miracle. Flash. Thunder.
Force shoved back on the road, flattening me. Ears ringing loudly, I pushed wet hair from my eyes. but through falling rain, I saw a dissipating cylindrical cloud of steam swirling along the road. Something burned in a pile at its end despite the shower.
Perhaps the magic worked because it saved others from my fate. I huffed, mouth ticking, but, in steps, I began to grin. I'd done something miraculous.
What did I feel? I'd beat him. I'd won.
I'd fought back and...
Won. Tears burned. Rage drained out, leaving...
Pride. I felt...
Happy! I hurt, but no achievement came without sacrifice, right?
Right?
I started laughing.
I was finally free. I'd never be chattel again.
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