Sunday 8 May 2022

Jelex Sprint (Day 7 - unfinished and uploaded late due to camping)

             Jelex stood, sword drawn, pointing to the ground as she leant against the tree panting. Quickly glancing down, Felicity lay unconscious in an improvised hammock slung over her shoulder. 

Jelex was thankful that Felicity was unconscious. Her left wing was bent unnaturally due to the blow she took from the Ogre's mace. Seriously, Felicity, I wish you had not done that. You're a fairy, not a fighter.

        A snap of a branch and guttural cursing from behind reminds Jelex that she is not in the clear yet. Taking a deep breath, staggering forward in what now constitutes running, it's all she can manage after hours of fleeing the Ogres.

        They'd have to tire soon. There was no telling how much longer she could keep up this pace. Sheathing her sword, not needing it anymore as the Forest in front of her had started to thin out. 

No longer were the Letcher vines grasping at her clothes, putting insurmountable walls of the intertwined and meshed vine in front of her.

        The Forest was turning to something more familiar, which felt almost homely, as homely as a darkened pine forest can be. The trees, decades-old, stood one to two meters apart, the canopy of thick pine above matched by a floor of brown needles below.

        Veering to her right, Jelex jogged on. The going was much more comfortable now. Hopefully, the ogres would miss the diversion and continue on. Slowing into a brisk walk, stopping and looking behind her, she could see her footprints pronounced in the earth as divots of broken pine needles. This would not do.

        Jelex Continued forward, knowing that her footprints would be apparent to even the dumbest of Ogres, Ogres not known for their tracking prowess. Slowing, keeping herself composed, concentrating on her footfall, working to leave fewer divots for those who followed.

After several minutes of walking in this manner, Jelex cautiously veered to the right again. Walking on for several meters before doubling back the way she had come, running parallel to the path she had left for those following.                             

        Jelex quickly ducked behind an old Pine tree, its trunk so vast it quickly hid her from sight. Guttural voices burst from the Forest to her right. Three oversized hulking dark silhouettes stopped facing each other, arguing. Poking her head around, she spotted them.

'This way, Gurgle, there, see the footprints'

        'No, Dorkus, she's been running this way for hours. Why would she change direction?'

        It was the two Ogres, Gurgle and Dorkus, arguing. Their arms flailing, insults flying. A third Ogre stood silently, his large spiked mace, the mace that had hit Felicity, resting on his shoulder. That truly worried Jelex, as he was Krackus, the Ogre chief.

        Krackus was dangerous. He had risen to the rank of chief through sheer brute force and cunning. Jelex knew of his reputation and was serious if he was on the hunt. He was not going to give up easily, he would hunt her to the ends of the world, and she could only hope that her ruse ahead would give them some time. 

If only Felicity was conscious, they could fly out of here together. Krackus would not be able to track them. That was not the case, though, so she would simply rely on her bushcraft and cunning. Lowering herself to the ground and resting her back on the tree, as long as those two kept arguing, she would know where they were. There was no use risking movement just now.

After several minutes of the argument escalating and nearing blows between Gurgle and Dorkus. Krackus boomed. 'Enough! We go the way Dorkus points.'

All conversation stopped. Jelex listened as their heavy footfalls moved away, following her track. 

Not waiting, knowing they would not look behind, Jelex rose. Checked on her patient and headed north again, crossing where the ogres had been arguing moments ago. 

Her destination was set in her mind. She needed to go to the one place that would be able to help Felicity. She would find the FairyOak. She did not know how; that was a problem for later. Now she had to lose these Ogres.

'Thwack! Thunk!' The head of a double-bladed battle ax suddenly appears immediately before Jelex.  Wedging itself into the tree before her, at face level.  

'Crunch!' blinding searing pain.

She was staggering backward, putting her hands to her face, the pain-causing her eyes to water. Reflectively, ducking low, springing forward beneath the stuck ax head into a roll.

The rattle of her brain subsided enough to realise the dumb Ogres or, more likely, Krackus had deceived her. He was onto her. The sound of her running towards her, towards his ax.  

Panicked, she sprinted forward blindly, the tears in her blurring her way ahead.

Through the blur, the pain a


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