Story Part 24 (Patreon)

There was no time to don her armor, or even get dressed. She’d have to run to keep up with the thief, so she followed as closely as possible. The branches and bushes of the lush forest scratched and slapped her skin as she charged through, trying to keep up with her alarmingly agile quarry. At least she knew where she was as long as they were running next to the stream.

For a moment, it seemed like the thief might get away, but then Miri was able to close the distance. At that point she watched the figure easily scurry up a downed tree into the branches above. Not so adept at climbing, Miri chose to follow on the ground, and soon recognized her mistake. Her feet started to sink into the soft ground, slowing her pace. The thief looked back at her, almost tauntingly, as she struggled to trudge through the muck and catch up. There was a sound of movement in the trees above her, and a moment later, everything went dark.