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Snow Hawk
G. A. Short
Aleks stood in the middle of the icy crossroads. The road felt claustrophobic, the trees walling him in on each side. They rose high enough that the tops were not visible in this weather. He had been walking for hours and treading the wintry ground was tiresome. His leg muscles burned. She was close now though, he could feel it. The hackles on his neck and arms were up. His heart beat faster and his breathing became shallow. Fight or flight, the basic animal instinct. He certainly had not come this far to do the latter.
Snowflakes whirled around him in a roaring maelstrom. Soon he could not see the roads anymore. Aleks knew there was one road directly behind him; being the way he had come and where remained his snowy footprints. There was another directly ahead; the way he needed to go. Aleks took a step forward but immediately froze. In his peripheral vision, a faint form appeared in the snow. It faded away as quickly as it had appeared. Had he not known she could be here, he would have missed it. His sword was already drawn and he held it up in front of him, both hands wrapped around its golden hilt. The sword’s power surged and he felt its heat in his hands. Aleks took a deep breath to steady his nerve, and to focus. He moved only his eyes, listening intently, hunting for another glimpse. If he was going to get past, the strike would have to be quick and true. The muscles in his arms were tensed, ready to explode with the power of the sword permeating through him.
He took another step forward. Her blood-curdling scream ripped through the thick cold air. Aleks took another step forward. Once again, a silhouette formed off to his left, as if made from the snow itself. This time, it did not wane. She had come for him. He watched unmoving as she edged closer. Do not meet her gaze, Aleks thought to himself.
She was very close now. He could hear her laboured dead breath, if he could call it that, he wondered if she even still breathed.
Aleks let go of his restraint, unleashing the power within. Using all his strength, he swung the sword toward her, averting his eyes all the while. It felt to him that time slowed, almost to a stop. He watched the arc of the sword rotate around him, leaving a trail of light in its wake. All he heard was the hum of the steel and the tiny tinkle of every snowflake the sword sliced. The impact he expected did not come. The impact that did come hit him hard from behind.
Aleks was sent sprawling forward onto the hard icy ground. His back had been shred open by her talon-like fingers, which had ripped through his toughened hide armor like razor blades. Aleks pushed himself up, winded and in agony. The wounds felt like they were on fire. He could tell they were deep, and he was going to lose a lot of blood, quickly. He did not have much time. He took a knee and held his sword up once more. He closed his eyes and focused on the sounds around him. There was a rush of wind howling as it moved against the swirling maelstrom. It swiftly circled around him. It paused, then rushed straight for him. He swung his sword once more, but with considerably less vigour than before. The pain from his back causing him to cry out. This time, there was contact.
Aleks opened his eyes to see the blade passing through the ghostly apparition as it dissipated. The swirling snow stopped and then began to rise up back into the sky until there was no snow falling. Aleks caught a glimpse of the signpost once more, and the road he had intended to take. All at once, the snow came crashing down around him again, faster and heavier. Aleks covered his face, the snow had hardened into ice and stung his cheeks. Her shriek filled the air again. It seemed to be coming from all around. He took hold of his sword with both hands and held it above his head, point forward. A shadow appeared at his feet, Aleks looked down, it was getting bigger. She was attacking from above. He looked up and saw her, terror consumed him. She had skeletal arms stretched out, the long sharp talons protruding ahead of them. There were no distinctive features to her face, other than the mouth and eyes. The mouth was opened wide, revealing a dark void, the source of the deafening shriek. Long red hair bellowed behind her like flames as she descended upon him, like a hawk upon its prey. Her eyes were as white as the snow. Aleks had looked at her eyes. He knew at that moment that this was where his story ended, like the many others he had heard of, lost wanderers and unsuspecting travellers. This vision of death was the vision of his death. He would not take the road he intended, he would not fulfill his promise. A tear trickled down his cheek.
In one last-ditch effort, Aleks turned the hilt of the sword and raised the point up, but it was too late. The momentum as she swooped down pinned him to the ground. Aleks felt the pop of his bones and ribs breaking, just like a hunted field mouse. His sword landed among the raised knotted roots of the conifer wall. Snow fell from the branches off the nearby trees, burying the sword for the rest of winter. Her talons were once again upon his skin. They burned as they sliced into his chest and navigated to his heart. Her heartless face was close to his now, watching as his soul slowly slipped away. The last thing Aleks saw were her eyes.
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