The man before her grinned sarcastically and then drew his blade. "You are not very convincing miss Marina. Your eyes gave you away very quickly before you turned your head. Do you really think that you can deceive a marshal of the Dratian Empire so easily?" He then nodded his head in her direction and the two other soldiers lunged themselves at her, both with daggers outstretched. She stumbled back quickly dodging their initial attack and then a strange warmth rushed through her body. Without thinking she kicked up her right foot and hit the hand of the soldier on that side. She looked up and watched as the blade spun quickly in the air and then landed in her open palm. Krystal gaped at her actions, but only for a quick second before she realized that although the man was now unarmed, he was not about to stop his attack.

            "What do you people want with me??" She jumped back to avoid a second attack and then stopped in a defensive stance. They all ceased movement for a moment and Krystal looked frantically from one man to the other, wondering what each was thinking. Each one had their eyes transfixed on her, like an animal watching its prey. "I asked you a simple question, or have you the lack of a functional brain?" Krystal grinned in amusement of her own words. 'I just said that? What in the world has gotten into me?' she thought.  In a matter of seconds the man to the right again hurled himself in her direction and she had just enough time to dart to her left and kick the man in the rear as he passed. Krystal then heard something dreadful from his new position. There was a loud scream that rang clear as it descended with great speed, and then a sickening crack as the body smacked the rocks below.

            She sank to her knees staring at the edge of the cliff in shock of what had happened. 'I... I just killed a man. How could I do such a thing?!' Her mind would not stop spinning. The other two men ran past her and peered over the side of the cliff at their companion and the other soldier turned his eyes to her. He had an icy glare which struck fear deep within her. Krystal knew now that there was no chance that she would get out of this encounter without battling the other two men as well.

            "You little wench!! You just killed my brother! Krystal Marina prepare to pay for this with your life!" The soldier ran at her, his speed impeccable. He jumped high in the air and then came down at her the dagger firm in his grasp. Krystal rolled quickly to her right to avoid him and turned her head to see him hit the ground, the dagger first, where her heart would have been. She shrieked in fright, jumped up from the ground and then backed away. He yet again looked at her and she could see a small tear streak his cheek. Then Krystal remembered the marshal and her eyes darted in his direction. He stood staring at her, studying her every move carefully.

            'I see she is skilled in defense. Her father must have taught her a thing or two before his untimely death.' He laughed to himself for a moment then shook his head and continued to watch her. 'Concentrate Jerad, you dont want this pretty little girl to slip through your grasp again. So many years I have searched for you my dear Krystal, I will not lose you so easily again.' Lost in his thoughts yet again he failed to notice his soldier lunging at her as his brother had, and then her kick that sent his own dagger into his gut.

            Tears swelled in her eyes as Krystal watched the soldier drop to his knees, his blood pouring from his fresh wound. 'Why? Why do I have to kill this man? I didnt want to hurt anyone and I certainly didnt want to be hurt myself. This whole thing has gone horribly wrong.' She looked up yet again at the marshal and noted that he was deep in thought. 'This is my chance to be free, yet I dont think this is what I have dreamed of. No good can come from this encounter and I know I will lose against this man.' With that she took off swiftly for home.

            Jerad still stood there lost deep within his mind, not noticing his fallen soldier. He was too heavily drawn into the memory of the last time he had seen this girl. They were both young children, and he had become smitten with her. Now he had come to find her, and punish her for leaving him so suddenly. No more suffering the memory of that day when she vanished without a trace.