Chapter 26 - Choice

Spencer was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the leader's tent, with his eyes closed when Quintus brought the girl with him. She was showing no emotions, looking like a lifeless husk as she was carried in.

Quintus was about to speak and inform Spencer but was cut short when he suddenly spoke up.

"Thank you, you can take your leave. Let everyone know that no matter what they hear, they can't come near this tent until the morning. Understood?"

He spoke without even opening his eyes.

"Y-yes, it shall be done." Quintus nodded and swiftly left. He was already thinking of Spencer as their tribe's new leader after witnessing his ferocity.

After they were left alone, Spencer went back into his mediation, seemingly ignoring the girl. He deliberately left the previous leader's crude knife at a spot close to the entrance. The weapon would be ultimately useless against him, but used as a catalyst it could ignite the spark once again in the girl's mind, and with a bit of push, he was hoping to heal the girl.

After all, she just suffered a great humiliation by one of the first scums in the history of mankind. His father wasn't any better either. Using the event as a pretense, she went ahead and culled off the competition without batting an eye. She was merely used both by Agros and Karok, his father as well.

The girl, Mishka, kept sitting on the ground, replaying her father's words. The man she looked up to, whom she adored, blamed her for everything that happened and even disowned her just to save his own life.

However, she couldn't help but feel pain remembering the moment his head fell to pieces right before her eyes, how he died just like that.

Pacing her eyes slowly, she gazed at the strange man in front of her, sitting on the ground, eyes closed. Hatred started boiling in her pained heart, looking at him, caused some sparks to reignite the warmth of life spreading into her limbs.

As the color of her eyes gradually returned, she spotted the knife lying in the ground in front of her. The thought of revenge slowly crept into the forefront of her mind, she slowly, carefully reached out for the short stone weapon.

As her delicate hands carefully grabbed the hilt, she felt all the previous hours humiliation replay once again in her mind, however, this time it didn't push her into the depth of despair. No, she felt invigorated. Yes, her father was scum, yes he humiliated her, but at the end of the day, if not for this man, her perfect life wouldn't have been shattered into pieces!

Her thoughts of revenge serving as the battery, she approached the motionless man. Slowly getting closer, she silently raised the blade into the air, grabbing it with both hands, and with a swift and decisive motion she struck down.

As the blade approached Spencer, she triumphantly roared.

"DIE!"

However, the outcome she expected never came. There was no real power behind her swing, and even if there would have been, Spencer's skin was tougher than what an ordinary woman or man would be able to pierce with a primitive weapon.

The blade simply bounced off from his shoulders. A smile crept up on Spencer's face, as she grabbed the girl by the waist.

"Not bad, not bad! You have more promise within you than what I had hoped."

The girl desperately tried to break free from this monster's hold, thrusting and swinging her weapon aimlessly.

"Let me go! You… monster!" She erupted finally, tears clouding her eyes, the power left his limbs and the sway of her swings eventually died down. As the knife fell to the ground, her loud cry was the only that could be heard in the tent's vicinity.

Quintus who was still close by, guarding the entrance as instructed, turned to face the entrance but remembering what Spencer had said, he shook his head and regained his calm.

Several minutes have passed as the girl silently sobbed in Spencer's embrace. Eventually, as she managed to calm down a bit, a faint squeak could be heard from her.

"Why... "

Looking at her, Spencer didn't let her go, he kept up his hug, and didn't answer, waiting for the full question to escape her lips.

"Why… didn't you kill me? Why are you doing this to me?!"

He didn't have to wait for much longer, the girl managed to collect herself enough to phrase the question that still plagued her heart and mind.

"I wanted to save you."

Spencer's answer was so out of her expectations that she couldn't help but look at the man with incredulous eyes.

"Why?" She asked.

Spencer sighed at the question. He looked at the girl who seemed to completely forget that he was still sitting on his lap, being cradled by her "hated enemy" with a wry smile on her lips.

"Because you are innocent. You were merely the victim in both cases. The man left you after mating with you, causing great shame and humiliation, then your father used that as the pretext for his lofty ambitions. You had no choice in the matter."

He explained, looking her in the eye. Then he picked up the blade that was dropped on the ground and presented it to her.

"Still, you could be blamed because of your ignorance and blind faith in the man that would have killed you without batting an eye just to save himself."

Grabbing the girl's hands he forced her to grab the handle as he placed the tip of the blade over his heart, assisting him as he kept her fingers wrapped over hers.

Looking at the blade he continued with the same gentle smile on his face.

"Now, however, you have a choice."

He pushed on the blade, throwing the girl into a shock seeing as the tip barely pierced his skin, and a subtle red flow started flowing from the small incision.

"You can stay in that man's shadow and be nothing more than a mindless pawn. Live as a nobody and die as a nobody."

He then released his grip on the blade, leaving it within the girl's delicate hands.

"...or you could grab hold of this chance, and laugh in the face of Fate! Be free!"

The girl kept looking at the blade in her hands, unsure of what to do. She didn't understand what Spencer wanted to say. However, as she wanted to push on and submerge the knife and enact her vengeance, she remembered her father's last words and the look on his face as she tried to grab her throat and end her life.

Why would she follow after such a despicable man? Did he truly care for her? No. Still, what should she do? She couldn't understand the meaning behind his words.

She looked up, meeting his gaze. Still keeping the blade at its spot, she asked in a weak, frail voice.

"What do you mean?"

Spencer smiled at the question. His judgment wasn't wrong after all! He gently pushed the tip of the blade to the side.

"Simple. Follow me."

Seeing how the girl wanted to voice her thoughts, he raised his hand into the air to silence her and continued.

"Not immediately. Talk to my people. Listen to them. Hear their stories. Try to understand them. They are simple folk, just like you were before your father came and ruined their lives. Killed their children and their women. If after you still desire for revenge, I will fight with you."

Then with a gentle push, he picked up the girl and helped her to stand as he also stood up. Ignoring the fact that the girl still had the knife in his hands, tightly, nervously gripping it, she gently pushed her towards the door.

"The rest of my tribe should arrive in a few hours. Talk to them when they arrive, and then listen to your heart. Once you have a decision come back to me."

Before the girl could however take a step, Spencer spoke once again.

"Oh yes, sorry, I forgot to ask. What is your name?"

The girl kept her gaze at the blade that she was still tightly gripping, unsure of what to think anymore. After a few brief moments, however, she opened her mouth and as she looked at the fearsome man who brought him here standing outside, something reminiscent of a smile slightly curled the edge of her lips.

Barely audibly she mumbled before she turned around and hesitantly swayed out from the tent.

"Mishka…and… thanks."