Splinterlands Fantasy Story and Music Contest // Week 14 // Lightning speed

“For someone so fast, you're going to be late... again!”

“I'll be there before you can shout “snake!”, grandma!” And throwing a kiss back, the girl ran through the door, straight to the training grounds.

It was another sunny day in the mountains Chandra called home. Her tribe had settled there several generations ago, and since she could remember, there was peace. She couldn't understand why everyone had to train daily in the arts of war.

Well, she knew what all the older woman would tell: “We train to be prepared, peace never lasts forever!“ But then again, it wasn't something she would spend much time thinking about.

She loved the training.

Since very young, Chandra had always been the fastest of her age.. Fastest runner, faster reflexes. What she lacked in strength, she had in speed. Not that she wasn't strong enough, no; she could throw a spear as far away as most of her friends. But in all the tribe, no girl at her age could match her speed. Actually, most women in the tribe couldn't, even some of the trainers.

And in the arts of war, the fastest one normally wins.

She arrived at the training grounds a couple of minutes before the session started, but immediately noticed something was wrong. Instead of the smiling and determined faces of her companions, everyone had a serious look on ther face. And all the trainers were there.

“What happened?” She asked to the nearest girl.

But before she could ask, the head trainer spoke.

“I'm glad that you are all here. There will be no training today... or at least, not your usual training. Something has entered our mountains. Uninvited.”

All the woman started exchanging nervous looks, but she carried.

“We're not sure what it is, or if it is a threat, but we won't wait to find out. So today... we hunt.”

As the instructions were given and the hunt parties organized, Chandra's mind was racing. Was this for real? It wasn't the first time they went to the woods chasing a threat, only to find out it was just another training, but this time it felt different.

“Chandra, you will come with me.”

Surya, the head trainer, was standing in front of her. Two daggers were in her hands, along with the other two in her belt.

“These ones are for you.” She said; and added, as if reading the girl's mind “And yes, this is real.”

And grabbing her javelin, her favourite weapon, nodded to the other woman, and left the village, with Chandra following closely.

The girl was confused. Although somewhat distracted in her thoughts, she clearly heard something about groups of 10... but they were only two. She opened her mouth to talk, but a quick look at Surya's face, and she knew it was better to remain silent. Surya was an incredible warrior and trainer, probably the best of the tribe; but with a very short temper.

It was the trainer that broke the silence.

“You are probably wondering why we are only two. You still have a lot to learn, but you are already one of the fastest warriors of the tribe; almost as fast as me. Big groups can't travel as fast as we can, and right now, I want to know what we're up against. This is why you came; now we will be trackers, not warriors... unless circumstances demand so.”

“Do you have any ideia what we're looking for?”

Surya's face hardened.

“I do, and I hope to be wrong. Keep your eyes open, and your mouth closed.”

For hours they scouted the woods and the grasslands, following signs and tracks clear as water to Surya, but inexistent to Chandra. I do have a lot to learn, thought the girl, as she looked how the older woman could spot broken twigs and marks in the ground.

“Tracking is an art, Chandra... and one that is learned from experience.” Said Surya, as she noticed the surprise on the girl's face. “I've lived here all my life... and I know all the animals and creatures that live here. I know how they smell, how they move, what marks they leave behind. I don't know who left these” And pointed to some scattered white powder on the floor. “but I can tell you, they're not from anything that lives in these lands. Stay sharp, girl... we're getting closer. These marks are recent.”

Following an invisible path to the untrained eye, Surya led them deeper into the woods. And this time, it was Chandra that gave the warning sign.

“The silence.” She whispered.

Surya stopped immediatly. She was so focused on the tracks that she missed it.

The silence. No birds, no bugs, nothing. And that could only mean one thing.

They were not alone.

For a few seconds, they both froze were they stood. Surya whispered in a strangely quiet voice: “Remember your training, Chandra. Breathe... and don't miss.”

And in a heartbeat, the fight began.

The vampires were fast, but the warrior women were faster. The arrows missed their targets by milimiters, as each woman jumped to the sides. In the same movement, Surya's javelin flew. And one of the vampires fell.

Chandra had already both daggers at hand when the next arrow was shot. She dodged it, and tried to get closer to the vampire, that was jumping lightning fast from branch to branch, high in the trees. Arrows kept flying as she desperately tried to get a clear shot. She heard sounds of struggle in her back, and knew Surya was in a hand to hand combat... vampires weren't the only foes there. Her heart was racing, as the words of the elders were proven true. We train to be prepared, peace never lasts forever!

Apart from the top warriors of the tribe, never did Chandra faced opponents with such speed. But she always trained hard. And after a few moments, her opportunity came. The dagger flew from her hand as the vampire jumped to yet another branch, but one not so protected. And as the vampire's feet touched the branch, Chandra's dagger met his heart. She immediatley turned to face the sounds of struggle, and nearly froze again.

Vicious as they were, the vampires had a near human form. But the foes Surya was fending from... had no flesh in the bones.

The two skeleton assassins were striking lighting fast, and for sure they would have already won the battle if Surya wasn't a formidable warrior. She was already injured, but her speed remained the same.

Recovering from her initial surprise, Chandra gave a huge battlecry. And striked.

The skeletons seemed to be caught off guard, and as one of them lunged at Chandra, the split second of hesitation proved fatal for the other, as Surya delivered a might blow with all her strength, transforming the warrior in a pile of bones.

Chandra hadn't met a foe this fast yet. She wasn't hit by none of the attacker's blows, but she was unable to injure him either.

Surya got up to help in the battle, but blood was dripping from her leg. And soon she fell on her knees. The skeleton was standing a couple meters from both warriors, ready to strike again. He looked at the injured warrior, and then to Chandra.

And suddenly, he turned his back and ran.

Chandra looked at her companion. The pain was visible in her face, but the cut didn't seemed that big.

“Poisoned blades. He's a tracker too, you can't let him reach the others. Go!”

“But you'r...”

Surya's voice hardened.

“I can manage myself. Get him!!”

And so she did.

The short advantage of the skeleton warrior was soon recovered by Chandra. And he soon realised that he had no way to outrun her in the woods.

The young girl felt a shiver in the spine, as she watched the skeleton stop and face her, blades in his hands. The fleshless bones, the hollow eyes, all in her opponent was screaming danger. Both studied the other for a few seconds, moving slowly in circles, trying to find a weak spot.

Javelin throwers weren't known for their calm. And Chandra was the first to strike. It almost seemed an ellaborate dance, given the speed of the attacks from each one. A deadly dance. Chandra could almost see a grin in her foe's face, as his blade made the first cut on her forearm.

Poison.

Now it would be a matter of time until it spread. She would have to win the battle, before it was too late. For a couple minutes more, the fight went on; the skeleton was weaker and weaker, and never again did he manage to cut her again. But no matter how hard she tried, he kept dodging the finishing blow.

The help came in form of an energy blast.

Coming from nowhere, a bolt of pure energy shattered the bones of the skeleton warriro in different directions.

The Wood Nymph aproached and raised the arm on Chandra's direction, mumbling a few words. Chandra watched in shock as her wounds closed in seconds.

“You'll need more healing to treat that poison, but you will live. Glad you made him so weak, or my magic would never take him down like that.”

Surya appeared shortly after together with another Nymph, a relieved look on her face as she saw her fellow warrior.

“Thank the Spirits you're ok.” And proceeded “The Nymphs came to our aid, they sensed them too. And they weren't the only ones. Orcs are joining our groups, and we know their location now. Our work is done.”

Chandra had a lot of questions on her mind, as they started the journey back.

“What were they? And what did they want from here?”

Surya frowned, as she answered.

“They... are the reason we train so hard. There are some that believe the balance of the splinters is meant to be broken. We will have to prove them wrong.”

So it really is true, Chandra thought, silently.

Peace doesn't last forever.

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