The Raider

Having long unkempt hair had made Benieth consider getting his hair cut countless times since he left the village. Getting his hair done by some gorgeous lady would be the best, who would not want that? However, getting his hair done through invisible blades thrown by a raider whom announced her name as Ifiel the moment they met... that was the last thing that he would ever wish for.

Benieth and K hid behind the trunk of a gigantic oak. He pressed his body against the prickly bark of it as he tried to catch his breath. Fatigue was taking a toll on him. He knew his strength was seeping away, bit by bit, ounce by ounce but-

His gaze landed on the snow pale girl by his side. Her light blue robe was torn and tattered around the ends. Her once gentle expression now contorted with pain and difficulty. She had one hand clenched and pressing against her chest as she breathed heavily. Her strained beauty showed a damsel in distress. Benieth knew he had to do something fast.

Snap.

A branch broke and its sound was amplified through the silent woods. Benieth gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. He had to counterattack. Calmly, he placed the other hand on K's head. Instantly, he plunged both, K and himself, into a duck. At the same instant, a sword swooped and smashed into the woody oak.

With lightning speed, he swept his right leg against the ankles of the aggressor. The attack flung him into the ground. Immediately after execution, Benieth brought his heel into the stomach of the man.  It connected. The attacker rolled down the gentle slope, gasping for air. Benieth snatched the blade from the trunk and threw it at the man, aiming for his vitals.

Clang.

The sounds of metal colliding reverberated. In the middle of its flight, the blade was knocked off its course. He gritted his teeth. The Raider was here. Grabbing K's wrist, Benieth started to sprint away from their location. The ground rumbled moments later. As if an earthquake has struck, the massive body of the oak came crashing down.

Swish.

There it was. A soft whistle. Benieth pulled K ahead of him as he spun around. Quickly, he lashed the sword arm upwards. There was a collision. The blade met an invisible force. Benieth pushed the overwhelming force away but was sent off balance. His footing slipped and he rolled down a slope.

"Benieth!"

K ran to his side as he took a knee and plunging his blade into the soft earth. He looked at her. Despite her pained expression, her eyes reflected immense worry and concern from him. He laughed to himself. He was at his wits ends. Expended. Tired.

Sweat stung his eyes as he eyed the mob fanning out across the ridge line. He was going to need it, her powers.  The long stretch of enemies lifted their bows, arrows already notched. Right at Benieth's twelve o'clock, a few archers shifted slightly to let someone pass through.

A gorgeous teen emerged through the files. It was her, that girl in her early twenties. Her long silvery hair danced as she stopped walking. Her beautiful features a like a fairy's showed mightiness like a queen's. In her hand, she wielded a thin blade of a metre long; its crude curves shaped like a raptor's claws.  Her greyish eyes piercing through Benieth and K, as she bore down on them.

Ifiel raised her sword. It was coming. Benieth clicked his tongue, quickly; he wrapped his arms around K as the archers released their arrows.

Boom!

An explosion came from Benieth and K. In mid-flight, a sudden burst of cold wind deflected the arrows. A heavy blanket of mist enshrouded the lower ground. Being too thick to see through, the young adult made a sound and urged her archers to notch another arrow. Then with her sword arm, she swung her arm up causing the heavy mist to be blown away.

Rapidly, the dense mist was lifted into a spiral that led upwards revealing the details that it once hid. A silhouette with light bluish hue in his left hand could be discerned in the thinning mist.  Benieth stood there with his short sword in his right and an alien looking sword; its handle was accompanied with a guard that had small hollows at each end and the blade was of a metre and a half long with its width as thin like a sliver of ice that had lines drawn and carved in different shapes and sizes.

Upon receiving sight of the target, the archers sent another volley of arrows down. Right after the arrows left their bows, the surrounding air turned cooler. A steady drop in the temperature could be felt and their breaths begun to frost. Benieth glared at them. The icy fear froze their hearts as they faced him.

As though he was familiar with its use, Benieth dug the alien-like blade deep into the earth. Instantly, a thin wall of ice shot out from the ground, forming a circle around him. The arrows clinked on impacted as they sank into the ice.

He dislodged his blade from the ground and the wall collapsed instantly. With rapid succession, Benieth swung his blade horizontally directing at the attackers. Long fine icicles shot from the blade as it sliced through the air. The projectiles flew as fast as the arrows that were shot.

With no time to engage, the archers reflexively covered their bodies except for the user of the wind remained unfazed. Just a hair's breath away, Ifiel whipped her sword quickly to her left and right. Blades of wind shattered the icicles before they made contact, saving her comrades from possible injuries.  

She swung her free arm to her side with fingers spread open and commanded in a brave voice, befitting a leader, "My fellow companions fall back at once!"

Protests arose amongst the ranks but she responded sternly," any further confrontation would mean your death. I command and fall back," her greyish eyes darted across the flank, "It is an order."

It was evident that there was slight hesitation, however,the numbers quickly left. Benieth watched as the numbers reduced to one only. Yes, all that was left was her. Benieth remained alert; his weapons raised waiting for an impending attack. Ifiel released a sigh and leaped down to an equal level as Benieth but made no further advance. Her sword started to fade away as it produced a string of concentrated wind to accumulate beside her.  Soon the string formed a two metre height whirlwind. 

Benieth raised his guard, clearly unsure of the enemy's capabilities. Then a soft refreshing voice could be heard, "He is showing no harm."

"Eh?"

Benieth responded dumbfound as he lowered his blades. The alien looking blade shattered at once and the dazzling blue particles started to materialise into a women's figure.

Simultaneously, the wind and the faint glow ceased revealing K beside Benieth and a tall, lanky man beside Ifiel. She started to relax her body and stood akimbo," It seems like we have reached a general consensus that any further conflict would be more harm than good for us both."

Benieth gulped and nodded as he slid his sword back into its sheathe. The atmosphere was tense as he remained eye contact with the two that were facing him. The silence was deafening but it could not be helped since they were just hostile a few moments ago. Suddenly, K gasped in shock, shattering the soundless surroundings," Benieth, Benieth! Your hair!"

K exclaimed as she shook him violently. A passing thought of how adorable the frantic K was struck him. He quickly shook of that thought and ruffled through his scalp. His hair, it felt... Short and weird at some ends. The left side and right were definitely not proportional. His face paled. Benieth held his head with both hands and made an embarrassed shout.

The opposing two broke into laughter as though watching a comedic duo. Stifling the burst of laughter imperfectly, Ifiel wiped tears from the corner of her eye and smiled.

"Well, it is my fault that your hair is messed up. How about following us back and let me fix your hair up before we discuss some more important stuff?"

The late teen, still trying to suppress her laughter, showed a softer expression as she made a snipping motion with her hands and making the request.

The discussion of important matters drew Benieth in, although the haircut was much more enticing currently. Without much hesitation, he nodded and agreed to her suggestion.