What are you?

Within the next seconds, as soon as he laid his hands on her, she screamed with all her might.

All of a sudden a burst of energy pushed them away, then scourged back and shot into the sky.

They were flung some distance away from her. One of the men fell and his head hit a rock, the tall man fell hitting his back hard against a tree, the fat one wasn't so lucky as he fell and fractured his hand, while the leader was flung really far, but luckily for him on a thicket of bushes.

They all got up, except the one who hit his head against a rock, he died almost immediately.

"Sorcery!" The tall man exclaimed.

"A mage," the fat bellied man said.

"A witch!" The leader announced, "she has killed Christopher, she must die," he said while walking towards them.

His feet shook a bit with each step he took. What was happening? Was he nervous? He shook the feeling off and headed towards them with great strides. 

"Be it sorcery or not, I would not let a girl best us," he thought. 

*Astrid's POV*

I was being surrounded by these men, even with what happened just now, they drew in for a fight. 

"Where do you think you are going?" The tallest one amongst them asked me.

I ignored his obvious question. And just as I was thinking of a way to escape, the fat bellied man grabbed me by my hands, shocked and feeling disgusted I kicked him with all my might and he fell down.

"Good! Two down," I counted. 

I walked back away from them, till my back hit a tree behind me.

"Dead end," I thought to myself and I knew I was trapped, there was no where to run.

"Feisty are we? Get her."

With the command from their leader, two of them lunged for me, while the other I kicked a moment ago, got up and tore at my gown.

I felt so helpless, they were going to have their way, I couldn't let that happen, I struggled trying to get out of their grip, but they were too strong.

I could see my helpless situation, there was just one thought left and I did that...

"Help, help.. Aaahhhhhh... " I screamed my lungs out, hoping, praying, wishing that someone would hear me, but no one came.

Who was I kidding, we were in this vast forest alone, but with the last thread of hope left I had to try.

The leader walked up to where we were and grabbed my hair.

"No, not this one, he seemed more brutal than them all, they'll definitely kill me if they have their way," I yelled in my head and screamed even more. 

Then, I felt something moving in me, like a rush of blood or adrenaline. It felt like a massive amount of energy flowed into me and before I knew what was happening, like an explosion, a sudden burst of energy came out of me and pushed everyone away, knocking them on different things.

Then it surged back close to me, I was scared but it shot up into the sky instead.

Still trying to process and take it all... " What just happened?" I asked myself. I just stood there, shocked at what had happened. I had never seen anything like that. I was brought back to reality when the leader spoke.

"A witch," he said, "she has killed Christopher and she must die."

As he spoke, he walked closer to where the others stood, that's when I noticed he had been flung farther than the others.

"Kill her!!" He yelled.

"No, stop. Don't come near " I screamed, stretching out a hand, gesturing for them to stop. 

I didn't expect it, the light rushed out of my hands and hit the fat bellied one, then he was flung several meters away.

Quickly, I withdrew my hand and clutched both hands close to my chest. "What's going on? What's wrong with me?" I kept screaming those words in my head.

"I told you, she's a witch, let's kill her."

"But there aren't any other mages, they all disappeared eighteen years ago."

"I don't care, Torren," he said to the tallest one among them, "We just have to kill her, I bet the king would reward us," he added with a wicked grin, showing half of his brown teeth.

"I'd say we run if she truly is a mage".

I just stood there listening to them blabber on, something wasn't right, I could feel that same familiar surge of energy rushing in my body, but rather than feeling scared about it, a huge part of me welcomed it.

I smiled wickedly to myself. "I could end this fiasco for now, after which I would worry about it all. For it is pay back time," I thought. 

"If these fools want a piece of me, I don't mind giving it to them, I don't care whatever is going on with me, but I'm grateful it is. Right now all that matters is to survive, I'd rather kill them, than have them have their way with me, but I'm not so eager to court death so it's kill or be killed," I said to myself. 

"What did you say?" the leader asked.

They couldn't hear me, that was when I realized I might have said it out loud, but only to my hearing.

I gave that wicked smile again and it only seemed to enrage the leader more. I waited, waited, waited. He took a step closer, one more, one more step.

"Come on, come close," I said in my head.

As he took the last step closer, I unleashed the power in me and the breath I didn't realize I'd be holding in... I let it all explode out of me, feeling the euphoria of it all.

I wasn't scared, I just felt powerful. It was like nothing I've ever felt before. A loud thud...

BOOM!!

And there he was on the ground, lifeless.

I finally raised my head after the power rushed out of me and faced the last man.

"You wanted to rape and kill me right?" I asked as I looked intensely at him.

(*The rage from the bottom of her heart erupted in a colourful display through her eyes.*) 

"Y-You! Your eyes, your eyes... You're not human! What are you???" the man exclaimed in fright and horror, as if he was facing his natural predator. 

I could see the fear etched on his face, but I didn't care, human or not they brought this out and I could only be grateful.

I walked closer now, the prey now the predator and vice-versa. 

"Stay away, stay back!"

"Stay away? I thought you wanted me."

"I don't want anything to do with a witch like you."

"Minutes ago you desired me, now you fear me."

How peculiar, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at my current predicament. Either way, I kept walking close.

He got extremely scared and backed away, then he took to his heels and ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

Just as I was about to chase after him, a hand grabbed me...