Episode 3 | Betrayal and Danger, Part 2

Despite her coming predicament, Dianne still wondered if the kids were okay. Maybe the loud banging woke them up and cause them to get out of the building safely, and if they were indeed awake, then Giselle would definitely call for the police when she saw the wreckage. She would notice how Dianne was missing and probably send in guards to locate her, and it would all end in a happy ever after.

Yeah right. Unless the police were at least a thousand feet tall with pro wrestling bodies, that ending wouldn't be happening any time soon.

Another quake and the sound of the trees snapping in half snapped her out of her delusions. They were near Dianne's tree. She tried to calm herself to the best of her ability and leaned towards the opening of the branches. She saw two pairs of giant feet standing at the trunk, the tip of their toes dangerously close to where her occupied branch was. So close that they only needed to move an inch and she would topple down with the tree she was perched at.

It was definitely time to move. She stood up very slowly so as to not alert them, and quietly made her way to another branch away from the others. With her arms stretched out on either side, Dianne walked nimbly across the branch and jumped.

Her landing was anything but pleasant. She ended up crashing against a bunch of branches that threatened to flip her back had she not grasped onto it tightly for dear life. Her leap also triggered a response from the two creatures, who were now alerting the other friends of their discovery.

She was back at square one. Only this time, she didn't have a plan.

Going back to the orphanage was out of the question. Whether they were asleep or awake, going back would only endanger them, and the last thing she needed was for the kids to play 20 questions about why giants weren't just fairy tales.

So where could she possibly go?

She leaped from tree to tree, running across each branch quickly as she jumped into yet another branch. She slipped a few times, but only forced herself up before any of the giants had a chance to gang up on her. Dianne was soon nearing the edge of the city. Hmm, the city…

Why not?

But before she could even carry out her newly found plan, a bullet flew right past the left side of her face, instantly killing the giant behind me.

Another bullet followed soon after that, and another, and another. All of them aimed at the giants and just barely missed her. She heard shuffling in the trees and whispered orders being exchanged. A figure moved past her quickly. A glimpse of gold glimmered briefly in the still darkness, and the figure swiftly took out a long sword, landed on the shoulders of a giant, and stabbed them into its forehead, gliding down gracefully as the giant dissolved into a cloud of black smoke.

Dianne scrambled down from the tree as fast as she could, and once her feet hit the ground, she finally had a good view of the cloaked figure. When the figure turned around, she could tell that it was a girl.

She was at least five feet tall, perhaps a few inches taller than Dianne was, with light brown skin and dark-colored eyes. She had a golden cloak around her shoulders and if Dianne wasn't seeing things, her eyes seemed to narrow once the girl saw her.

"Why are you here, little girl?" she replied coldly. She said 'little girl' like it was the best insult she could come up with, which Dianne had a feeling, was.

"I should ask you the same question," Dianne retorted, unable to seal her lips. The girl tensed up as she walked closer to her, allowing her a better view of Dianne's face. "Seeing as how I live around here, and you don't."

"Is that so?" the girl said with a glower. Her companions joined us on the ground after dealing with the giants, each of them watching me warily, "and where exactly are you living?"

Dianne was about to tell her that it wasn't any of her business when another being showed up. The girl was startled for a moment before kneeling down on her knees. Her companions copied her example. Dianne wasn't sure what she was supposed to do, so she remained standing. When she saw who the respected person was, the amber-eyed archer was shocked, to say the least.

"K-Kylie?" she said incredulously. There was no mistaking it. Even with her hair tied back in a ponytail, and a dramatic change to her apparel, there was only one other person that had the same facial expression as the Kylie she knew that disappeared a few days ago, and she was standing right in front of me.

She simply gave a brief nod in Dianne's direction. "Hello, Dianne. Why are you not asleep?"

Dianne only gave her a blank look.

The golden-cloaked girl apparently noted our exchange with confusion. "My Lady, do you know this...?"

Dianne felt her gaze on her as she trailed off.

"Yes, Alisha." Before this Alisha could say anything else, Kylie continued, "do not worry. This one before you is different. There is nothing to fear or hate about her."

"If…if you say so, Milady," Alisha replied quietly, reluctant.

"Who are you really?" Dianne said carefully. Her amber eyes peered into hers. She always knew there was something off about Kylie, but none of her suspensions came close to this. She seemed to have sensed what Dianne was thinking and gave her a small smile.

"I haven't been completely honest with you, Dianne," Kylie answered. "My name really isn't Kylie."

"What? Then, what is your-!"

Dianne was forcefully interrupted by the appearance of yet another distraught figure.

"Bella!" Alisha exclaimed, running frantically over to her comrade, who Dianne finally noticed, was suffering from severe injuries. "What happened to you?"

"We were attacked…came for backup… There was another horde…" Bella stated while breathing heavily.

Another horde? She couldn't be talking about more of those ugly demonic creatures, could she? If she was…then the condominium-!

"Where are they?" Dianne suddenly asked. Bella seemed surprised at her outburst, or was it for the fact that she was even here? Dianne didn't care at the moment. "Where are they? What is this horde you are talking about?"

Finally, she was able to answer. "The demons under Avarice…they were… near a building… beyond this forest…"

That was all she needed to know. Dianne started to head out towards the condominium, but Kylie, or whatever her name was, stopped her.

"Where do you think you are going?" she said with a hand on Dianne's shoulder.

"Isn't it obvious?" the dark-haired archer said impatiently. "I'm going to help them!"

"Really? What weapons do you have to fight with?"

Dianne didn't answer her.

"Take this," she said.

Dianne gaped when Kylie opened her palm and a bow and quiver of arrows appeared out of nowhere.

"How did you...?"

"It doesn't matter," she said sternly. "Do you want them or not?"

She looked at Kylie briefly, and then she took the bow and arrows hesitantly.

"But before you head out, will you guide us there? Surely, you cannot take down a whole horde of monsters by yourself?" Kylie asked.

Dianne was startled by her generosity and kindness. "Y-yeah I will. Thank you," she managed.

With that said, Dianne headed towards her destination, only this time she had help on her side. For a moment, she thought she would have to slow down in order for them to catch up, but they were able to maneuver through the trees just as easily as she could, if not better. Up ahead, Dianne could make out an outline of the condominium and the other buildings surrounding it, growing ever clearer as they approached.

Then, a bloodcurdling scream greeted their arrival.