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Elena’s sword shimmered in the rising sunlight like a beacon in the distance. The valley was mostly in the shadows of the surrounding mountains, but the rising sun was forcing back the darkness. Rays of soft morning light kissed the dusty, pebbled ground, and caressed the few shrubs and trees that littered the vale.
“Hey,” I shouted at Elena’s back. “Wait for me.”
Perhaps she didn’t hear me, although there was a slight pause between her strides as she kept running.
“I said wait for me,” I shouted again.
She turned her head and eyed me over her shoulder, but didn’t slow down or say anything.
“You’re killing me,” I mumbled as I tried to speed up my own pace, but given my condition, not to mention my general lack of fitness, there was no way I would be able to catch up to her. In some ways I was glad I didn’t have to carry a heavy sword.
Feet crunched on gravel behind me. Other women with swords had descended into the basin and were gaining on me. I didn’t see a single other woman in a pink tracksuit. They were all seasoned fighters. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was the only one of the uninitiated left. I suddenly wished I had that sword.
“Fuck this shit,” I said to myself. “I’m going to fucking live,” I told my legs and the rest of my exhausted body. I willed myself to keep going.
In the centre of the valley stood a pile of stones, painted white—another marker like the one at the tree. It was about two hundred paces ahead, and the horde of women chasing me were about three hundred paces behind, and gaining ground. I wondered briefly why they weren’t killing each other. They seemed hell bent on catching me and then doing god knew what to me. The pink tracksuit seemed to work like a death attracting magnet. I also briefly wondered what Elena hadn’t told me, I had a feeling there was a great deal I didn’t know about this little endeavour.
Sun-bleached bones littered the path leading to the marker. An old bit of pale pink and frayed cloth flapped in the wind. The piece of material was still wrapped around what looked like the skeletal remains of a leg. There was even what was left of a running shoe discarded next to the bones. How many other women had found their end on the island? How many had been sacrificed for the entertainment of these sick bastards? The thoughts made my starving stomach churn. I wanted to cry, but instead I screamed and ran as though the hounds of hell were chasing me, which I guess they were. Only these bitches had two legs and swords.
The rising sun glinted off something metallic half buried in the sand ahead, distracting me for a few seconds too long. It was one of those ooh shiny moments. You know those moments that happen just before you walk slap bang into a pole? Yeah, one of those.
Instead of ignoring the glittering object and continuing my dogged determination to catch up to Elena, I ran towards the sparkly thing. I had no clue what it was, but something at the back of my brain told me I had to check it out. Forgetting the fact that there was a bloodthirsty horde pursuing me, I paused once I reached the spot where I’d seen the sun reflect off the shiny object. I hoped it was a weapon of some sort, just not another sword I could barely lift. But considering it was a pink tracksuit clad woman’s remains littering the ground, I had a feeling I was going to be shit out of luck in the weapon department.
A skull stared up at me with judgemental, empty eye-sockets, as I bent down to see what had been winking at me. I swept some of the sand, dirt, and pebbles away to unearth my prize. I was just getting excited when I heard a battle cry and the thunder of running feet. Who the fuck screams like that and lets the person know that you’re coming for them? Had she never heard of this thing called a sneak attack?
Looking through the gap between my legs I caught a glimpse of the fastest of my pursuers. Fuck was she ugly. I only had time to roll and grab the hilt of my buried treasure before the bitch with a face like an angry Rottweiler skewered me. I only had a second to marvel at my own acrobatics when her blade connected with the hand guard of the cutlass.
The sword was a thing of beauty, even if it was a little rusted from being exposed to the elements for however long it had been left in the wilderness. And the best part was that it was light. I could actually wield it. I might have looked ridiculous trying to imitate a pirate in a fight scene, but for the first time I felt as though I could hold my own. As I thrust and parried, and ducked her blows I allowed myself to feel alive. I couldn’t help but laugh as I dodged another of her strikes. Perhaps successfully defending myself against the wannabe Viking hadn’t been a fluke.
A punch landed on my chin, sending my head reeling back, and knocked any laughter out of me. I no longer felt quite so cocky.
“It is appropriate that you die holding Elena’s last little project’s sword,” the angry Rottweiler snarled.
“What do you mean?” I asked as I tried to stay away from her sword thrust.
“Elena likes to use one of you weaklings as a distraction. They always die here, and she always wins. She leaves them behind to slow us down. You’re the bait.” The Rottweiler circled around, getting ready to slice and dice me.
Other warrior types were catching up and would be on me before she finished the job.
“So why waste time killing me? Why don’t you just go after her?” I asked, keeping an eye on her shoulders and her feet to see where her next strike would come from. It was one of the few tricks I’d learned when I thought I’d take up kickboxing. It didn’t really take though. I don’t like being punched in the face.
The other women looked tired, but were gaining ground.
“Because the more of your kind I kill, the more points I get. The more points I win, the happier my patron is. I don’t need to win; I just need to kill you.”
“Don’t you want the gold?” I asked, trying to distract her.
“My patron takes good care of me. I’m not greedy.” She smiled a gap tooth smile.
She lunged.
I rolled and thrust my cutlass into her exposed abdomen, gutting her.
“You talk too much, but thanks for the info,” I said as I pulled my sword out of her stomach.
I only had a moment to think: Holy Shit! I actually did that, before I had to run again and before the next woman was on me and ready to slice and dice my face.
When I caught up with Elena we would have a lot to talk about.