Chapter 21

She nodded, not knowing what to say and she crawled away, noticing another man that had fallen to the stranger's sword on the other side of the tree; knowing that he needed her help. Astria took a moment to look back at the fighting, distraught as she realised that tarian and his men were losing to the law man. She knew that should they lose she would die, perhaps in an excruciating way, something that the girl did not want.

Tarian panted for breath, he had never versed an adversary with such skill, nor did he want to again should he survive. He turned back to look at the small girl as she stared, an idea striking at his mind.

"girl!" he shouted. "use your fire to kill him."

The half-breed gasped, he wanted her to kill? She had done that once before to one of his men and she had regretted it, it wasn't pleasant taking another's life, nor did she ever want to do it again.

But did she really have a choice? If they couldn’t defeat the stranger then they would all die; and she would truly never see her mother again. The sun was beginning the rise over the horizon as she contemplated her options, attempting to decide what she should do.

"that wasn’t a request! Move it girl!" tarian ordered, jumping to the side when the stranger's sword came crashing down inches away from his face.

Seeing no other choice, the girl stood; rushing towards the battle that was taking place before her. She jumped onto the strangers back, placing her hands at either side of his head as he tried to throw her off; her legs wrapped around his waist. Taking a long breath, astria closed her eyes, forcing the fire forwards, praying that she could make it quick for the man as she feared his screams. fire shot from her palms and into his temples, melting through the flesh in seconds as he dropped his sword, unable to hold it a he cried out in anguished pain. The stranger dropped to his knees, begging for her to stop as she began to melt through his skull, the brain her real target.

The half-breed forced back tears as she forced her artificial fire to get hotter, smoke rising from her hands. The law man could do nothing to stop her as he cried, the flames now seconds away from reaching his brain; cauterising each piece of flesh it tore through. Sinking into the ground, the stranger's wails for mercy ceased and astria rremoved her hands, rising from the ground in triumph. She had managed it, killed someone to save her and her captures. But all was not over, not yet; she was still a prisoner, and she feared it would be that way for a long time.

Her mind told her to kill tarian and his men, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it, she despised taking lives and swore to herself she would never do so again. Turning towards the men she had saved; the girl lowered her eyes towards the ground; seeing the fear in their eyes.

Tarian walked towards her, the sun now risen from the shadows. "you did well. You saved us all."

"only because you ordered it." she responded.

"don’t be like that girl, you should be pleased."

Astria shook her head, "i killed someone, how can i be pleased about that?"

"look at it this way, if you did not kill him, you would not be here to regret it."

The half-breed thought for a moment, knowing that he was right, if she hadn't killed him she would be dead; and she knew he would not have made it quick as she did. All humans hate half-breeds,

it did not matter that she couldn't control the happenings of her birth, not to them. They saw her kind as nothing more than abominations that needed to be put down.

"i never want to kill again." she whispered, her eyes lowered towards the dead stranger, tears slipping from her eyes.

Tarian smiled. "but you will to survive."

"no."

"you say that now, but when the time comes, you will choose life. Everyone does."

Astria shook her head, "i cannot do it, it isn't right."

He gripped her chin, forcing her to look up at him. "and them killing you because of the circumstances of your birth is alright?"

"no, but i …"