An arc primed for execution that even the God of Death himself would be proud of was swung toward the closest soldier, the double-bladed axe aimed for his neck. However, at the last moment, the Vahan man stepped to the side so it missed. It merely grazed his cheek instead.

While Oryal was occupied, the other man, whose long, black hair was pulled into a bun on the top of his head, sent a wave of savage flame at the bounty hunter. Ivory grass caught alight as it soared past, creating an impenetrable wall between them.

Oryal dodged the fire, the heat of it licking his boots. It only fuelled the anger blazing in his eyes.

"Look at this guy with his pretentious axe," the first man with a closely shaved head scoffed. "Using an expensive blade isn't going to give you the skill to wield it."

"Walk away now while you still can. You've bothered the wrong people," spoke the second. Embers still sparked from his fingertips, preparing for another dose of scorching fire. "For what reason you attacked, I don't know, but it's surely a foolish one."

My breath caught in my chest as I watched hidden behind the foliage, the air frightened to escape into the world beyond. Oryal was out there facing both of the soldiers and I was scared. Hiding.

Part of me longed to help the bounty hunter in some way, but I had no clue what I could do. All I knew was poisons and how they affected each creature on the continent. Of course, I didn't have any with me. I wouldn't be able to find a way to use it from my position anyway.

I felt so useless. I brought Oryal into this mission for Noxol and I didn't want him to get hurt because of it.

In response to their taunts, the horned man returned his axe to the holster on his back.

What was he doing? My expression matched the puzzled features of the Vahan soldiers. I had to stifle my sigh. If he got injured now because of his own stupidity, I wouldn't feel as bad.

"Protecting people is not a foolish motive." A butterfly the shade of a fierce dragon's flame landed on the blade of his axe as Oryal raised his hand toward the soldiers. Thick, twisting vines burst out of the ground, poised to strike the enemy. They wrapped around the men — tightly squeezing to dig thorns into their skin and bind their limbs together — hoisting them into the air by their legs to dangle them upside down.

What sort of magic was this? I had never seen a power so elegant yet vicious. It was as if the Ivory Forest had granted him a gift to deal with the Vahan soldiers swiftly, blessing him with the ability to use the flora to his advantage.

One of the soldiers unsheathed a thin blade from his belt, breaking free from his restraints, and swung it upward to sever the rest of the vine. Before he could make it very far, another vine surged forth and knocked it from his grip, sending it soaring until it landed in front of my hiding place.

Emerging from the foliage with hesitant movements, I picked up the sword. The steel was heavier than I expected, almost falling to the ground again at the surprise weight, but I held onto it tightly. In the centre of the hilt was a ruby shaped like a climbing flame — the perfect match for its wielder.

"That's her! That's the girl we're after!" yelled a soldier as he kicked against his restraints.

Oryal turned back to look at me with a frown. "You should have stayed hidden."

"It seems like you have this under control," I replied with a shrug.

The flames faded as they ran out of fuel to feed from, allowing the bounty hunter to step closer to the Vahan men. "I'll give you the chance to explain who sent you and why you need to kill this lady."

"That isn't going to happen," choked the first. His face began to turn a bright crimson, the blood rushing to his head as he swung upside down.

A strained laugh escaped the mouth of the second. "You're not going to get a word out of us." He pulled his arm free and flicked his fingers at the vines, but nothing happened. No spray of fire nor ember appeared.

"Fair enough." Oryal pulled out his axe once more, shifting his grip to the middle of the hilt. The soldiers squirmed in the vines' hold as approached them, but all the bounty hunter did was bring the blunt end to the side of their skulls, knocking them unconscious.

I swallowed my fear, praying my voice wouldn't wobble. "Are we not going to get information out of them?" What if there were more soldiers in the forest waiting for me? I didn't know this request would come with a hunt I needed to evade too.

"Interrogation isn't my thing. I'm a bounty hunter — a retriever of objects and a killer," he answered while the Vahan soldiers fell to the ground with a loud thud. With a glowing, emerald hue, the vines slithered along the forest floor like a serpent ready to take a chunk out of its prey. They secured the men where they lay, making sure they wouldn't dare to move a muscle when they woke up.

"And yet, you're not doing either of those things, specifically the latter." What if they found a way to break free and followed us? All it would take was a singular moment for them to sneak up and kill us.

"I don't feel you need to watch that." Oryal met my gaze for a moment, his amber eyes making the breath catch in my chest, before returning to his work.

My cheeks warmed at the kind gesture. "Thank you, but there's no need to worry about that. I run a bakery that kills people. While it might not be through blades and sharp weapons, I've seen my fair share of people die due to my creations."

"I'll keep that in mind." Despite his words, he still made no move to end the lives of the soldiers. The vines squeezed them so securely that I was certain they would starve before finding a way to escape.

"Thank you for protecting me." My face heated even more as I found a place to hide the sword, burying it underneath a pile of opaque, crystal leaves.

"While I'm with you, I'm your shield against anything we come across. I will always protect you, even if it means facing the God of Death himself. There's no need for you to be scared when you're with me."

A strange sensation built in my chest, as if one of the butterflies that followed us had mistakenly trapped itself and was trying to break free from its cage.

"We should get moving," the bounty hunter continued to break the silence, shattering the spell of the trance I had been in. "There are only a few more hours until sunset."

"Right." I nodded. Fear started to surge through my veins again, but it was tampered by Oryal's presence. "What about them?"

"They aren't going anywhere," he confirmed, nudging the soldiers with his boot. "As soon as we get far enough, the vines will squeeze them until they can no longer breathe. Rest assured, they will not follow us."

Quickly grabbing my bag that had fallen from my shoulder in the bush, I followed after Oryal who had already started walking deeper into the Ivory Forest.

"What are you using the poison for exactly? By the sounds of it, you're going to start a war."

"To make a pie or cake of some kind?" I offered. "I haven't decided what I want to make yet, but the list of ingredients I've been given would work best in a pie." Could I tell him the details of the request? I never told anyone about why Deathly Delights' customers needed their poisoned pastries and, with the added threat of execution, I didn't want to start breaking that trend now.

"That's not what I mean and you know it."

"I'm not allowed to say." I crossed my arms over my chest. "And don't start pushing for answers Mr Interrogation-Isn't-My-Thing, because you won't get any. Deathly Delights also trades in secrets. I have to keep them that way."

Oryal offered no response, seeming to be deep in thought. His brows furrowed as his mind worked, lines creasing into his forehead.

"I've never seen anything like your magic before," I asked to pull him back into the conversation. "I didn't realise you had any."

"It's pretty useful when it wants to be."

"Is it just vines?" I quickened my pace to keep up with his wide strides.

Oryal motioned his hand and life ruptured from the ground. Bright peonies that huddled together, tall blades of sage grass that appeared out of place amongst the white surrounding it, and another flower that brimmed with cerulean joy. "Anything that I can visualise, I can create."

"So, you could create the poison flower I'm after? Noxol?" Why were we wasting time when he could use magic to create it? His gift of creation was beautiful and it would be a shame to waste it. "It would be a lot quicker and safer than heading to the centre of the Ivory Forest."

"While I might be able to forge an exact look-alike of the flower, the petals may not have the same poison value." The bounty hunter stopped beside me to explain. "They may not even be poisonous at all."

"I see." Disappointment sowed its seeds into my features, making my frown a permanent fixture. Oryal's magic would have been a huge help if that wasn't the case, so much so that I would have considered hiring him for Deathly Delights. Most of our poisons and antidotes came from plants and having an endless supply of them would have been amazing.

Around us, the Ivory Forest's light slowly began to dim. I couldn't tell whether it was due to the sun bidding goodbye to the world for the night or if the canopy above us was getting thicker.

"Do you think there could be more Vahan soldiers looking for me?" They could be anywhere lurking in the shadows. If the Fire King had sent two my way to stop another kingdom's plans, there was a high chance we could encounter more.

"If there is, I'll protect you. No matter the cost."

Chapter Word Count: 1,751
Total Word Count: 9,018