Unexpected Companion

I gasped and found myself on my bed, I groaned as I rubbed circles to my temple.

"What happened?", I looked at the torn papers from my research stacked up on the bedside table. "It failed huh", I laid back down covering my face with my hand.

Wallowing in my failure to end my own life, I heard sounds coming from the kitchen. I immediately got up and pulled out my dagger that I keep hidden under my bed. Peeping from the door I saw someone rummaging through my cupboards. It was probably a thief.

I summoned a mist of darkness that surrounded the intruder, using my powers I travelled in the darkness and reappeared right behind him.

"Don't make a single move if you value your life", I pressed the dagger to her throat.

The thief stopped moving and held her hands up. "Now I don't know why you came here, but there is nothing for you-", a light shone brightly from her hands and illuminated the whole room and blinded me a bit that I loosened my grip on her.

The thief put some distance between us and pulled out her on weapon.

"You're a light user", I said looking at my natural enemy.

"And you're an asshole. Is this the thanks I get for taking care of you?"

"Caring for me?", now that I think about it, the house was clean... all the stuff I threw to the floor was picked up and swept, also she probably wasn't stealing, there is a pot of stew on fire beside me.

"How long has it been since you found me?", I calmly asked sheathing my weapon.

"It's been a couple of days", she did the same. "I honestly thought you were going to die, you were barely breathing".

I nodded my head and took a seat.

"Another failure then", I sighed as she went ahead to fetch a bowl of stew and set it for me.

"I don't know what that was about but this will make you feel better", I took a spoonful of it and it was delicious. I don't remember the last time I took a proper meal, I stopped caring when I found out starvation wouldn't kill me either.

"I'm sorry for attacking you, I don't get much visitors"

She took a seat across from me. "I can imagine, you're house is so far out I only found it by chance"

"So what is a young girl like you doing this deep in the woods?", I asked still eating.

"I am on my way to Dorland I'm I any closer?"

"More or less… you're in the outskirts of Dorland the city is more to the west of here", her eyes lit up and a smile crept up her face.

"Finally", she said in exhaustion. "I'm terrible with maps so I got lost a few times on my way here. I'm not late for the tournament am I?"

"You're here for that? Why do you care about the Dorland kingdom?"

"I don't, not exactly… I just here for the reward attached, I'll need money for where I'm headed"

"Pray tell where is that exactly?", I asked.

"Come on, you don't even know my name first", she stood up to gather her things. "Xylia Ramfort, please to meet you"

"Ezra… just Ezra"

"Well just Ezra since you're not dead I can take my leave. Onward eastward!", she made a grand show of pointing at a direction.

"It's west", I said.

She froze in shock of her mistake and giggled. "West yes, that's what I meant of course. Quick question, which direction is west?" I rolled my eyes at her. It is a miracle that she made it this far.

"I'll personally see you there, take it as a thank you gift for taking care of my house and me"

"Don't forget your horse", I quickly stepped outside at the mention of Percy. I found him in my makeshift stable along side another horse. I could tell he was worried about me by the way he nudged his head against me.

"Thanks for sticking by" , I pressed my forehead to his.

Xylia emerged from the house soon after. "I've got my stuff, I'm ready when you are"

I nodded my head and got the horses ready, not a moment later we set off to the city of Dorland.

"So…", she started , "what's your story?"

"I'm sorry my story?"

"Yeah! Why do you live far away? Do you have any family? If yes why aren't they with you? Why are you so mysterious? Why-"

"Why do you ask so may questions? Like you said earlier, we just met there is no need for you to know so much about me"

"Fair", she keep quiet for a bit then started again, "How about we play a game then?", I quirked a brow at her suggestion. "Come on I'm bored. So I spy something with yellow eyes"

"Yellow eyes? What has yellow eyes…", I looked ahead of me and there was a wild cat blocking our way ahead.

"I'll take care of it, hyah!", she charged towards the animal with her sword.

"Idiot stop! They never attack alone", it jumped out of the way and before she could realize she was surrounded by ten of them.

She tried to ward them off with her sword but they attacked simultaneously and she got thrown off her horse. They swarmed her like a predator to a prey but before one of them were able to attack, they all froze.

She stared at the animals in shock. "What the hell?", she poked one of their noses as I approached.

"You need to be cautious when in a new environment, you never know what you will encounter", with the wave of my hand they turned around and walked back into the forest from whence they came.

"Whoa… you are so cool", she stared at me with admiration. "Is that you're power? Telekinesis?"

I chuckled, "Not exactly, I controlled them using their own shadow"

"A shadow manipulator", she stared at me intensely as we continued down the road.

"And yours is light… technically we are enemies"

"Also greatest allies if used properly", we continued the rest of the way in peaceful silence and zero attacks. We approached the town I normally visit but where she's headed is still further inside.

She admired every little thing about the town like a tourist; the buildings, the economy, the environment and even the people.

"T wanna live here", her eyes sparkled as she gazed at everything but no such thing as a perfect person or a perfect place.

Her attention was drawn to an alley where some shop owners were beating a little boy for stealing. She stopped her horse and stared at them.

"Leave it alone its none of our business. You commit an offence you pay the- Hey!", I looked to her and she just entered the alley way.

They stopped when they noticed they had an audience. "What do you want?", one of them asked.

"Let him go", she said and they began laughing. "This little shit here is going to pay from trying to steal from us. Greedy little shits like this deserve to die"

The boy struggled. "No please my mother is sick, there's no one else left to look after her"

"Let him go", Xylia still stood her ground.

"Listen here Missy", one of them approached her. "I don't know who you think you are-", her leg made contact with his jaw instantly which made a sickening crack. The man fell to his butt holding his now broken jaw.

"Dan!", his friends looked over him worried.

"I won't ask a third time", she threatened and they all ran away. She approached the boy and gave him a healing potion for his wounds.

"Thank you so much", the boy began wiping away his tears.

She smiled at him and gave him a small bag with money. "That should last you and your mother for a month. Before it does, find a decent job"

"I will", he smiled so brightly and ran off.

"You didn't have to do that", I said coming up behind her.

"I know but I couldn't stand by and watch those assholes maim the kid. And that was most of my cash left too", she groaned.

"Let's go", we journeyed on until we reached the royal capital. We arrived at the gates and were blocked by two guards.

"State your business", they crossed their staffs.

I looked over at Xylia who informed them we were here for the tournament. They allowed us in and directed us to where the contestants are to stay.

"This is my stop", I informed her. "Good luck"

"Thank you for bringing me here", she hugged me before I left and I was caught off guard by the gesture but returned it nonetheless.

I grabbed Percy's leash and took the same route from which I came. A man approached me.

"Excuse me sir but you'll need to turn it in"

"Oh no I'm not"

"Blah blah I've heard it all before, you cannot have your horse in the same room as you", he took the leash from me and led my horse away. Percy was reluctant but was bribed with food.

"This way", another man hurried me into the building without letting me have my say.

I stood there staring at Xylia and she stared back at me. "How?"

"Don't ask", I rolled my eyes.

Despite my attitude she squealed in excitement and pulled me towards the registration table.