Hit Me Then
Cassidy shrieked, her body recoiling several feet like a pinball as she narrowly dodged the palm strike. She wasn't fast enough to avoid the shockwave, though. The force of the attack ripped across the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust that pelted her right in the face.
She spat a mouthful of grit onto the ground and stomped her foot. "Damn it, you fight dirty!" she yelled. Was he seriously picking on her just because she didn't have any internal energy?
*System, quick, check for me!* she thought frantically. *Does this body have any internal energy?* As a self-respecting villainess, shouldn't her fighting skills be off the charts?
The System's voice replied calmly in her head. *Host, you have no internal energy.*
Cassidy refused to believe it. She tried to circulate her breath, to feel for that wellspring of power she was supposed to have, but after a long moment of concentration, the only thing she felt was a little gassy. There was absolutely nothing.
Her face streaked with dirt, Cassidy let out a howl of pure fury. She whirled on the man in prisoner's clothes. "You dare throw sand at me?"
Before he could react, she'd whipped the bow from her back. The string hummed as she drew and fired three arrows in a single, fluid motion, each one aimed straight for his forehead.
A flash of impatience crossed the man's eyes.
He didn't even flinch. He simply raised his right hand, pressed three fingers together, and gathered a thick ball of energy at his fingertips.
With a flick of his wrist, the three arrows flying toward him died mid-air, clattering uselessly to the ground at his feet.
When Cassidy saw her arrows hadn't even come close, she screamed in frustration. "Don't you underestimate me! Once I figure out this internal energy stuff, I'll crush you in a heartbeat!"
The words were barely out of her mouth before he swung at her again. Cassidy shrieked and leaped away, using her incredible speed to dodge his attacks while cursing and taunting him.
"Catch me if you can!" she yelled, dancing just out of his reach.
"Come on, you can't get me!"
"So what if you have internal energy? You're still not fast enough!"
"Go on, hit me! Hit me!"
Her relentless jeering finally broke him. The man, completely infuriated, gave chase, striking out again and again. As his power surged, the shockwaves sent tremors through the nearby trees, shaking them violently.
Cassidy knew she couldn't win a straight fight, but her speed was her greatest asset. She could leap to a safe distance every time he attacked, and the moment his strike faded, she'd jump right back in his face and start taunting him again.
The man was already injured from his time in the cell, and now, being hounded by this lunatic, he felt like he was about to lose his mind. He couldn't land a single hit. He tried to get away, but every time he thought he'd lost her, she would relentlessly reappear.
His fury finally boiled over. Forgetting all about the risk of being discovered, he snapped, throwing all caution to the wind as he charged after Cassidy. He decided then and there that he would catch this pest, even if it was the last thing he did.
Seeing he was completely enraged, Cassidy grinned. She kicked more sand at him, and whenever he got close, she'd speed up. When he looked tired, she would sarcastically stop and wait for him. The second he caught up, she'd take off again, playing him like a fiddle.
With one chasing and the other fleeing, they arrived at the gates of the Garrison House in what felt like the blink of an eye.
With a final, light-footed leap, Cassidy vaulted over the gate and landed inside the residence. The moment her feet touched the ground, she opened her mouth and yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Lord Garrison, help!"
Lying in bed, Vaughn's eyes snapped open at the sound of that loud, vaguely familiar voice. In a flash, he appeared before Cassidy like a ghost.
Seeing her savior, Cassidy immediately ducked behind him. She poked her head out, pointed at the man who had followed her in, and shouted indignantly, "Vaughn, get him for me! Beat him up!"
At her words, Vaughn's gaze sharpened. Without a sound, his body blurred as he moved to intercept the attacker.
The prisoner was already hurt, and the long chase had drained most of his energy. He was no match for Vaughn.
Vaughn struck out with his palm. It looked casual, but the blow carried immense power. The prisoner didn't even have time to react before he was knocked to the ground, where he let out a muffled groan and passed out.
Cassidy just stared, dumbfounded.
*Wait a second. He's that weak? Then why was I running? If I'd known he was such a pushover, I would have taken him on myself!* Having run for her life, she was now ready to die of frustration.
Vaughn pulled back his hand, his eyes landing on the princess hiding behind him. Her hair was a mess and she was covered in dirt, looking completely frazzled.
"Are you hurt, Princess?" he asked quickly.
Still fuming that she'd been forced to run, Cassidy mumbled, "Of course not! I'm tough!"
Vaughn breathed a sigh of relief, then looked back at the unconscious prisoner. A confused frown creased his forehead. "Then what's going on with him?" he asked. Had the princess gotten bored and decided to go to the Ministry of Justice to mess with the prisoners in the middle of the night?
Hearing this, Cassidy stomped out from behind him, ran over to the unconscious man, and kicked him several times.
"What do you think is going on? This guy fights dirty! He couldn't catch me, so he got mad and tried to beat me up, picking on me because I don't have any internal energy! Just you wait! I'll have my father find me a Master-at-Arms tomorrow, and then we'll see who's laughing!"
Vaughn watched her jumping around and, confirming she really wasn't hurt, decided not to call for the manor's physician. Instead, he asked, "This man is a prisoner from the Ministry of Justice, is he not? Why did you lead him here, Princess?"
The Ministry of Justice. The words jolted her back to reality.
"Oh, right! My dad! Where is he?" she cried. "My poor father!"
Wailing, Cassidy leaped up and sprinted back toward the Ministry of Justice. Vaughn quickly followed, ordering his men to bring the prisoner with them.
When Cassidy burst into the prison, she saw that not a single person was standing. Her father and his powerful bodyguards were all sprawled unconscious on the stone floor.
Her heart sank. Terrified he had inhaled some deadly poison and died, she let out a strangled sob and scrambled over to him. "Dad!" she cried, shaking him. "Dad, are you still alive?"
Vaughn, arriving a moment later, was still trying to process how she could run so fast when he heard the ghostly wailing from inside. He looked up and saw the guards lying motionless across the floor and the princess sobbing over Prince Ashworth's still form.
His heart skipped a beat. He rushed forward, leaned down to check the prince's breathing, and felt a wave of relief.
"Princess, don't panic," he said quickly. "The prince isn't in any immediate danger."
Cassidy's crying stopped. "Huh? My dad is okay?"
Vaughn, having just checked the breathing of the others, frowned grimly. "I'm not a doctor. We have to get them to the palace immediately so the Imperial Physicians can take a look."