The Ascendant Wizard

A trail of blood colored the ground behind her as the horse ran as fast as it could, Morena ushering it to move quicker and quicker as best she could. Not only was the man right behind her, but her side was bleeding out, she could feel her strength burning away by the second.

Her eyes were locked on the bridge that was quickly getting closer and closer. It was narrow, only wide enough for a single wagon, the walls on either side barely high enough to keep from falling over if someone was shoved.

It wasn't the best, but it was perfect for the idea she had.

Glancing back just slightly, she saw the man racing behind her with his sword in hand. He was still a distance away, but he was catching up quicker than the horse could move.

[Distance: twenty-one meters.]

He wasn't slowing, not even after the wounds she had inflicted, it was concerning just how powerful a Rank 1 Warrior was in action. She wished she too had that kind of power, so that she could survive, so that she could win, but she couldn't cross that wall.

And she never would if she couldn't figure out how to overcome the threat that was steadily catching up to her.

She gripped the reins tighter and guided the horse forward, her lips dry as she leaned forward; putting her weight towards the front of the horse in hopes that it would make it quicker.

"Faster, boy, faster."

The horse obeyed, moisture rising off its body from the effort, mane whipping back into her face. She wasn't sure if the horse could actually understand her, she wasn't sure if it could make out the desperate situation she was in, but she couldn't help but hope.

Hope that her words made a difference, that her pleading to the creature could somehow make it move even just a little faster.

The bridge came closer with every stride, and so did the danger.

Her eyes darted to the side. If she could make him lose footing, even for a moment, she might gain enough time to get away. She had to knock him into the water somehow, but to do that would be to bring a risk.

She would need to stop to confront him, one wrong step and he would overpower her. If she lost the horse, she would be done for.

The water under the bridge wasn't deep enough to drown, but if she knocked him down into it, it would slow him, at least enough for her to increase the distance between them and possibly get away.

Her mind raced with thoughts, her eyes darting around the area to piece together ideas.

'The horse has more force than I do. I just need to get the timing right.'

Her plan was simple: she would use the horse to kick the man into the water. It had much more strength than she could muster, and that strength should be enough to push even the man backwards.

The horse's hooves clattered as they struck the first stones of the bridge, the sound echoing into the area. Morena pulled slightly at the reins, leaning into the beast's neck as it surged forward, its movement slowly coming to a stop.

Behind her, the sound of boots hit the bridge as well. He hadn't hesitated to follow her for even a second, no matter how far she ran it didn't seem the man would stop.

Just who had sent him? She couldn't help but wonder just who wanted her dead so much that they would send a warrior of this dedication.

She waited until she reached the center of the bridge, then yanked the reins and pulled the horse sideways. The beast swung with her command, shoulder slamming into the side rail as sparks shot from its iron shoes.

The warrior was only a few paces back at this point when she pulled hard the other way, forcing the animal across.

The horse's body smashed into him, flesh and bone colliding with brute force; the massive body of the horse meeting the broad frame of the warrior.

In the last second he tried to react and block the impact, but that didn't matter. The purpose of the impact was never to try to hurt him anyways, it was to knock him backwards.

Just the force alone would achieve that.

The man's stance broke as he made impact, his boots slipping on the wet stone as he stumbled backwards. He tried to grab at the wall to stop himself, fingers digging into the cracks.

His body stopped just before falling, hooking one leg over the edge, his balance uneven as he tried to regain his footing.

Morena wasn't going to give him the chance to recover; it would be foolish to do so. She snapped the reins and shoved her heels into the horse's ribs, forcing it to slam again with all the weight it could give.

This time it worked.

The force of the horse was more than enough to knock the warrior backwards. Even his grip on the wall couldn't save him from such a frontal assault; he lost his footing and was thrown against the side wall, his body tipping over the edge before he crashed into the water below.

The splash rose high, scattering foam and mist into the air.

She wasn't foolish enough to lean over the edge and check how he had fell, she moved right away.

She dug the reins and forced the horse forward with a plea, the hooves clattering across the last stretch of the bridge until stone turned back to dirt.

Her breathing was ragged, chest rising and falling fast. The adrenaline and stress from the situation had caused her to hold her breath for so long that she didn't even notice she had done it.

It was a nerve-wracking situation.

She hadn't killed him, she knew that much, but she had bought time. It would take some time for the man to pull himself out of the flowing water, especially in all the gear he wore.

That should buy her enough time to get back on the main road and move into the city.

The AI confirmed it.

[Target condition: submerged. Tracking reacquisition in progress.]

"Don't bother, just keep me updated if he climbs back out and starts back following."

Her body swayed in the saddle, blood dripping down her arm in streams. More than a few minutes had passed already, she was barely holding onto her consciousness in her current state.

She was using her energy to try and stop the blood loss; gathering as much energy as she could in the location of the wound to clot the bleeding. It was something no normal apprentice could wish of achieving, but she could do it thanks to her training.

The cycles of poison and suffering had paid off, making her energy thicker, stronger than normal; that allowed her to survive longer. But it wasn't perfect.

She clenched her teeth and kept the horse moving, pushing for the broader roads ahead. She needed eyes, people, and open spaces.

She didn't think he was foolish enough to attack here in an open space. It was clear they were trying to kill her, but they followed her till she left the open area; that alone showed they didn't want people knowing.

She forced the horse down the wider lane, the lamps of the city square glowing faintly in the distance. Her heart thudded with each stride, her vision blurring at the edges, but she didn't dare stop.

Then she heard it.

The faint echo of boots hitting stone again, the exact same sound she was worried about. It was further back, but it was undoubtedly the same hunting sound that she would remember.

Her heart sank.

She looked back over her shoulder, and there he was. His cloak was soaked, water dripping in heavy streams, but he was running again, steps pounding the road, chasing her without pause.

His wound still bled faintly at his side, but it did nothing to slow him.

[Target speed: slowed. Pursuit probability: 69%.]

'Will he really stop following?'

Even she had some doubt that the man would stop, maybe he was crazy enough to still attack her in public? But that didn't matter, she still had to try.

Either he stopped following her, or he attacked her and got everyone involved in it. She wouldn't mind dragging people into the fight if she could live.

She pulled the reins harder, forcing the horse to sprint faster, hooves sparking against stone as it reached the brighter streets. Shops shuttered, lanterns swaying, the empty fountain in the middle of the square drawing closer.

She could hear them before she could see them, people, a lot of them at that. The second she entered the more public area of the city the AI gave her a message she was hoping for.

[Target has stopped following.]

Almost instantly she could feel the wave of relief that washed over her, letting out a deep sigh.