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“Don’t fight, human. It will only make the end more frightening,” it stated, its voice feminine and soft. Then the she-Demon reached out, beckoning Linh closer. “Come, and I will make it quick.”

She didn’t know they could talk, but she found that worse. Would it start threatening her, telling her she was tasty and about all the horrible ways it would start eating her? She’drather not have something talk perversely to her like she was a succulent meal, sucking on its fingers or smacking its lips for more.

“I’m warning you,” Linh pleaded, because she was too scared to actually have any bite to her tone.

She eyed the water once more, wishing she’d see a glow of colour or the peek of a skull. She saw neither, and knew without a doubt she’d been abandoned.

Tears welled in her eyes.I’d rather drown than be eaten.Both sounded horrible, but those were her choices.

M-maybe he wasn’t helping me. Maybe he was just hungry and ate the bandits because they were there.So why did he leave her alive then?

She’d put her faith in a monster because she had no other choice. Linh had weighed her options, and death awaited her no matter which path she took. She’d run from Bragg with a fantasy that she could go around the mountain if need be, but that was just as suicidal as trusting the Duskwalker who had inexplicably saved her. Linh was truly desperate.

She wanted to live.

“Please,” she begged when the Demon stepped a hand closer. Every second longer that she remained alone, the more frightened she became.

“Come away from the water, and I can give you the mercy of a quick death,” the Demon said, her voice still quiet and unthreatening despite her words. “If you hurt me, I will make it long. Nothing will change your fate, human.”

Oh shit,she thought, just as it bolted towards her. Linh closed her eyes, screamed, and waited for the worst.

That was, until a large splash of water sounded right behind her. Her skin crawled with dread, and she shivered from it. When cold droplets fell on top of her, she opened her eyes andlooked up to find the Duskwalker had rested his hands upon the ground on both sides of her.

She flinched inwards, shrinking, when the coldness of his body touched between her shoulder blades. He bent over her, shielding her on three sides while her front was open.

In a spray of bits of grass and dirt, the Demon skidded to a halt. Her red eyes grew stark as she gawked up at his skull and then shuffled back when he released a horrible, venomous hiss.

“Don’t leave your meal out if you don’t want others to try and eat it, Mavka!” the Demon shouted, before she returned his hiss with her own. She scampered away, darting into the forest to flee.

Stunned, Linh panted as the tip of her sword thunked against the ground. Her heart raced, refusing to settle when she’d been so close to facing death – and may still.

She also didn’t move since her back continued to press against the Duskwalker.I have a bad feeling.There was a light rumbling resonating through her, vibrating into her torso, and she couldn’t tell if that was his stomach or a growl.

What do I do?Should she move, stay where she was... play dead? She doubted playing dead would work in her favour.

Craning her head back slowly, she braved looking up once more. His skull was already directed downwards, bright-red orbs greeting her, and she shrunk further under the threat of them. The moment her gaze fell on them, a menacing, loud growl bubbled from him.

She finally turned, retreating, and he lowered himself. On his hands, he balanced his weight to follow her, crawling from the water and never allowing more than a foot’s worth of distance between their faces. The fire forced her to stop, or she’d end up crawling through it, and he halted as well.

Why isn’t he attacking?He just continued to growl at her.

Her eyes slipped to his unmoving chest before darting to his bony nose hole. No breaths fogged from him, nor could she hear him huffing.He’s... choosing not to breathe?

She wanted to believe he was doing that for her sake.

Then, as if he couldn’t hold it anymore, or didn’t want to, he finally released a harsh and sharp breath. A large spray of water puffed out as two clouds. He slinked back, slithering into the water to disappear.

Linh remained where she was, her eyes never leaving where she last saw him. A bubble floated on the surface.

He saved me again.Her plan had worked.

What took him so damn long?!She hoped it wasn’t to punish her by letting her think she was truly going to be eaten, just to save her at the last second. That would be rather cruel, otherwise.

Regardless, she had her answer. A small smile began to curl the corners of her lips.

The Duskwalker was protecting her.If I stay, maybe he’ll warm up to me and help us.

Sitting at the bottom of his pond, his tail wrapped up beneath him, Nathair yanked downward on his black hooked ram horns.Dammit. I couldn’t let her be eaten!