*the day before*

I think a part of me always expected it.

I ran through the forest, ignoring the low branches that scraped at my hands and face.

Have to get away.

My dad had gone on a trip back to the Kingdom. Back to the place where all of his adventures he told me about happened. I wanted to go with him so badly, but he said it would be best if I stayed.

Maybe it was a good thing, or maybe it was a bad thing.

I had gotten a call from my dad. I couldn't hear much, but I got the basic message.

Something's gone wrong, Skylar. Don't you dare come after me, you hear me? Don't you dare. I know you'll try. I love you.

But I didn't have a choice. One, he was my dad, and he had promised never to leave me behind like...someone else did. I couldn't call myself his daughter if I didn't do the same for him.

And two, they had shown up.

I didn't know who they were, but they were these people that looked like they were made out of smoke.

Only one choice gave me the small chance of survival.

Run.

I remember running, ignoring how much my legs hurt, ignoring how my lungs felt like they were about to collapse, and ignoring how fast my heart was beating.

Suddenly, one of them appeared in front of me, and blasted me backward into a tree. I slammed into the trunk, falling to the ground, scraping my knees through my jeans and the palms of my hands.

I pushed myself up onto my feet, pulling out my enchanted iron sword, only to find myself surrounded by six of the things.

One of them laughed, and its' voice sounded like static and was faded, like it was being projected.

"Look, everyone." It mocked. "The little girl's going to attack. Everyone step back."

They all laughed, a chorus of faded static.

They underestimated how much my dad taught me.

I gripped the handle with both hands, and swung.

The blade passed cleanly through one of them, and it disintegrated.

They all stopped laughing, shocked.

I took it as my chance.

I sliced through another's head, and stabbed another one through the chest. They both disintegrated just like the first one, into what looked like black sand that even the smallest amount of wind carried away, before the others realized what was truly happening.

"Attack!" Yelled the first one, and swords made out of the same smoke appeared in all three of their hands, and they charged.

The swords didn't look like they could do much damage, being smoke and all, but I wasn't stupid. I figured they could do more than it seemed.

I ducked under one swing, and blocked another from behind. I pushed the sword behind me away, causing the one holding it to stumble backward, and I turned, and sliced my sword right through him.

And then one blade cut my arm.

I had to bite my tongue to keep from screaming. It felt like my arm was on fire.

Have to ignore it, I thought to myself, Or else you die.

I gritted my teeth, blocking out the pain as best as I could.

I've always been able to do that. If I focus on any lesser pain I'm feeling, any other pain seems to disappear. It's weird, but I like to think of it as a gift.

I remember focusing not on physical pain, but mental. I forced myself to repeat one thought.

My dad is dead.

I charged at the second-to-last one, cutting through his arm, and he disintigrated. Those things weren't very powerful.

I turned to find a sword being swung at my head. I blocked at the last second, pushing his sword backward. Our swords clashed, and for a few seconds, the odds looked to be in my favor.

But I guess he had realized that, too, because he sent me flying again.

Crash.

I slammed into another tree, and fell flat on my face.

That was going to leave some bruises.

The smoke-guy appeared next to me just after I sat up, and held his sword under my neck threateningly.

He smirked. "I'm surprised you even tried. You're just a kid, what did you think you could do?"

You have to live.

"I'm not just any kid." I said. "I'm Deadlox's daughter."

And I shoved my sword upward.

The smoke-guy disintigrated into the same black sand.

I stood, wiping the sweat from my forehead.

I knew where I had to go now.

I had to go to my dad's best friend.

I had to find Sky.

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Shorter chapter today just to show you guys where Skylar's coming from (She's so awesome I freaking love her XD)!

What are these smoke guys? I want to see what you guys think in the comments!