Hero

The sound of wood snapping filled the air as Griselle's arm descended to bring utter annihilation on the weasel-man. It was over in one painless instant as the man was turned near instantaneously into a puddle of blood and purple fabric. A cry arose from the crowd at her back. People were gasping, crying out in outrage at the violence but Griselle wasn't listening too much as to care. She had to be fast. She had to be gone. ASAP.

Griselle braced her feet and exploded forward, lashing out with a clawed hand at the row of slaves who were standing slack jawed at the scene. 

" Crrk!!"

5 sets of metal chains fell to the floor, cold and lifeless as their owners stood around, dazed at their newfound freedom.

" MOVE!!" Griselle roared.

The instant the slaves scattered, Griselle was already on her way, appearing before the guards who stood on each side of her objective. 

" Who the fuc-!!" 

The sound of crunching bones followed Griselle's vicious club attack as the man was struck full in the stomach with the entire force of Griselle's swing. The body flew like a projectile down the street, rolling and cracking as it hit the floor and skid to a stop on the sidewalk, a a bloody trail in its wake.

The other man didn't get so lucky. For his head was already detached from his shoulders before he could get anything out. A useless sword, cut cleanly in half clattered from his hands as his decapitated corpse followed.

Griselle rounded on her objective in an instant. She had to get out of here. Now! Quickly! 

Her hand reached out for the Princess's torso only to be slapped away.

Griselle stopped in her tracks, stunned.

" Stay away.."

' What?' Griselle thought, looking at the white furred girl.

She had her hands in front of her, in a kind of shielding position.

' She's backing away from me.' Griselle thought, incredulously.

" Princess, we don't have time for this. We have to go." She reached out again only for her forehand to be victim to a vicious swipe. Blood trickled from a shallow wound. The girl bared her teeth and claws.

" Stay..AWAY!"

Griselle took a step back and finally look the girl in the eye. When she did, she almost took another.

' They're shivering.'

The girl's eyes were shimmering like a disturbed lake. As she blinked, liquid ran down her dirtied cheeks. 

'Shes crying..'

'...….'

' Of course she's crying! By Billoth's beard what am I doing?'

Only now did it click with her how was a girl who's been starved and beaten by slavers. She's come here today expecting to be sold, only to see her slavers be killed brutally by some stranger covered up from head to toe. And then to be accosted by the very same person! Griselle couldn't believe that she had overlooked such a detail. 

But it was also true that Griselle wasn't used to rescues. She wasn't used to have to consider the emotions of the other party, since it often didn't matter at all in her line of work. She was a soldier, clear and simple. She would achieve the objective and get home safe.

Yet here she was, faced with a girl who wouldn't come with her, who wouldn't trust her and wouldn't comply. But no one had said that improvisation wasn't part of the job. 

' She's scared.' Griselle realised with a jolt, wanting to slap herself for how delayed the realisation had come.

' But I'll need to change tactics if I want to get her out of here.'

Griselle suppressed the urge to bolt as much as best as she could. As pressed for time as they were, sudden movements at this juncture would only further scare the girl and would set Griselle back more time. 

Griselle stepped forward. The girl stepped back. Griselle retreated back and the two stood as so, sort of facing off. A tension lingered in the air.

" Princess..Diana? "

The girl jumped a little when she heard her name called. Her eyes narrowed.

" How do you know my name?" She asked suspiciously.

" I know your name because I was sent here to rescue you." Griselle said quickly.

The girl showed no particular reaction. She stood in place, eyes narrowed with her arms raised. 

" I can't trust you." She finally said after a long moment's silence. 

Griselle grit her teeth. 

" Princess, we really are running out of time. Please..i am not your enemy."

She rummaged the folds of her cloak and produced a small pendant.

" See?" 

The girl craned her neck over he upraised guard and her eyes widened for a moment as she seemed to recognise the symbol engraved on the simple silver. 

" I…." 

Griselle swung around to look at their surroundings. At this point, the urge to bolt, to get out of the literal open where they could be sitting ducks for enemies everywhere was becoming unbearable for Griselle. 

The panic of the gathered crowd and the dust were still shielding them for the time being. But two sounds were unmistakable. The pounding of the steel boots on stone and second, the frantic, rhythmic thumping coming from within her own chest. 

A prickly feeling was getting stronger on the surface of her skin. It told her that she had to go. Go. Go. Go. She had to go now.

" Princess please, we're running out of time. I…"

" I don't know you." The girl blurted out. " Are you even Beastman?"

" I'm sorry but I…can't…." 

Her words were drowned out by an instance of thumping boots and suddenly, Griselle' attention was pulled away as a single human warrior burst into view.

Time was up. 

Griselle could see the images of a white beastman and a cloaked figure flash briefly in his eyes before his silver blade decided on its mark. Silver lightning streaked across the air, its point intent on piercing the white beast that stood riveted in place in terror.

Only to knocked aside by a cloaked arm. 

The scream of steel on steel made the air tremble as the human warrior staggered back. He was off balance for a split moment but regained it in the next. 

Griselle positioned herself between the human and the princess and ventured a look behind her. The princess was still rooted in place, eyes wide with fear. Griselle could see that she was barely standing on legs gone weak by the near touch of death. 

As Griselle turned back to face her new foe in a stand off, she called out to the girl. 

" Princess."

She could sense that the girl was listening.

" If you stay here, you will die." Griselle felt the words come out more matter of factly than she had imagined. No helping it. 

" But if you come with me, I think you know that you would at least have the chance to continue living."

She took a deep breath and delivered her punchline.

" With or without you, I'll be leaving once I beat this human's head into his arse.

" But you're a smart girl princess, so I think you would know. Would someone ever fight to save something that wasn't precious to them? "

Griselle fell silent after that, feeling that she had done the best she could. It was up to the gods now. 

For now, she would focus on the enemy that needed to be beaten. 

" Please win."

But as she took a step forward, she heard a petite voice call out to her. Not to her really, but it really was just more of just a murmur of reassurance that someone had said to themself. Her heightened senses just happened to pick it up.

Griselle dared another split second glance backwards before turning away and racing forward to meet her enemy. 

As she charged, Griselle felt a smile bloom on her face. There was no way she could lose now.

Afterall, she had a princess rooting for her. 

And Griselle knew from the tales that such heroes never lost.