Page 12 of Hell-Bound

“Oh, ho, ho.” He laughed falsely. “You remind me of me old lady—before I tore her ears off. Tell yeh what, apologize and hand over the coin, and I only tearoneof those pointy things from yer skull.”

A few drops of spittle landed on her face as he dug his grimy fingernails into her arm.

“And I’ll take that second-rate instrument yeh got. I’m sure I could sell it for at least a few copper.”

As he raised his club, Renata’s body reacted to the threat. She spun, using momentum and her lithe body to twist around, bending her arm, causing the beast to lose grip.

The Orc stepped back, disoriented.

“Don’t just stand there! Fucking kill her!” he shouted, trying to regain his equilibrium.

Renata shuffled back as the other two Human males leaped forward, grabbing for whatever purchase they could. Unlike their boss, they were quicker and less lumbering.

Run you dumbass,her brain screamed at her.

She was outmatched, outnumbered, and unarmed.Anyone with half a mind would run.

Fortunately for Renata, in her state, she didn’t exactly have half her mind, only her two internal voices of self-preservation and instinct.

And she found that the action, the threat of danger, excited her. She couldn’t stop the gleeful smirk that appeared on her face.

This was like music. Something inside of her remembered—her body remembered. These echoes lived in her limbs, not her mind, and refused to be forgotten.

She sidestepped the first Human and positioned herself to his back. She then leaped off her feet and threw her weight towards him, lacing her arms around his neck. She was small, but she found that she could feel her muscles flex, securing a familiar grip and blocking any air to his lungs. She somehow knew that if she leveraged her knee in the center of his back and leaned her weight into his neck, he would quickly fall unconscious.

In the confusion, the second human—armed with a dagger—hesitated, his face bewildered as he looked dumbly at his flailing comrade.

The Orc growled, obviously less concerned, and lunged at Renata, knocking all three to the ground. She landed painfully on her back, the weight of the Orc crushing her lungs. She gasped with the impact, momentarily losing her hold on his neck. As the Human scrambled away, the Orc grabbed her and lifted her high over his head, slamming her down again to the ground.

Her entire body was rocked with pain, the air leaving her lungs. The Orc reared back to bash his body into hers, but she rolled to the side just in time for him to collide with the rocky cobblestones.

She was still trying to gulp down lung-fulls of air as she scrambled to her feet. The adrenalin was pulsing through her veins now, constricting her pupils and dulling the aches in her body.

The three began to loom closer, brandishing their weapons and chuckling.

“Is that all?” Renata heard herself say. “Tsk tsk, my boys. Are you going to let a little lady take such easy advantage of you?”

As a response, all three lunged at her, but she was ready. She sprang up and grabbed hold of a protruding brick on the wall several feet above her that she had seen while splayed out on the ground, waiting for her eyes to focus. It was only a foot wide, but she was able to easily perch herself there, balancing on her toes and dispersing her weight by leaning her back against the wall, arms out wide. On her pedestal, she was about six feet higher than her attackers.

“What the?” one of the men murmured as she shot upwards.

Renata gave a wicked grin.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of the Defender of The Planes, gentleman. But I suggest you don’t test the meaning of that name.”

Of course, it was an empty threat. Even Renata’s instincts told her she couldn’t take the three males without a proper weapon. Still, it filled her with a sense of satisfaction, of pride.

Theeeeeere you are, my darling. It has been too long. Have you missed me?

That. wasnother voice.

Thrown by the intrusion, she almost lost her precarious balance. She glanced in every direction, but no other attackers were waiting. Even so, the voice was too close. It would already be upon her if it wasn’t..in her. Blinking rapidly, she recovered herself.

Time to go—her own voice this time—insistent.

Remembering the men, she looked down.

They were gone.