An experiment

Desta looked up when she saw someone come up beside her.  It was Silas, and he looked miffed.  She still hadn’t managed to crack him yet, but the look on his face said she was close.  “Oh.  It’s just you.  Well, what do you want, shorty?” she asked.  Miffed became enraged, and in a flash, Desta found herself face to face with him, his hand gripping her shirt collar.  She’d been right, at least.  Now to see what his anger actually looked like.

“You know what, Desta?  That’s it.  I’m not going to put up with you thinking you can just walk all over me.  I know what you’re trying to do, and let me tell you—you don’t want to go there.  I may look young, and I may be small, but I will still hand you your ass on a silver plate if you make me angry,” he said, and with that, he released her collar.  Intrigued, she searched his eye for any sign that he was scanning the near future, but it was tightly shut, so she socked him in the jaw.

Staggered, he took a step back and masticated the air trying to reset the bone.  Instead of returning the gesture, he shook his head and blinked at her.  Frowning, she took a step toward him, trying to provoke an attack.  He didn’t move, so she grabbed his collar and kneed him in the face.  She heard a crack, and blood began to run from his nose.  At this point, she had drawn some attention, and it looked as though someone had run to get some help.  No one dared approach, however.

Sniffling and wiping his nose, Silas looked her in the eye, but still did not make any move to attack her.  Genuinely perplexed now, she dealt him a kick in the chest.  Not only did he not block, the kick sent him several feet away.  Groaning, he rolled onto his side and stood back up.  He was holding his chest and panting, and she wondered if she’d kicked him too hard.  She approached him, scanning him for serious wounds, but figured he would probably stop her if she did too much damage.  Probably, anyway.

Unbarring herself, Desta roundhouse kicked him in the face, and she heard a female voice cry out in shock as Silas staggered sideways.

“Desta, stop!  Are you crazy?!  You’ll kill him!”  It was Al.

“Don’t interfere!” Silas shouted, much to Desta’s surprise.  Al stopped in her tracks.

More intrigued than ever, Desta dealt him blow after blow, and eventually realized that he was never going to return her abuse.  Standing over him after a kick in the back of the knee had collapsed him, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him to his feet, winding up for another blow to the face.

“You’re just never going to fight back, are you?” she asked, somewhat disappointed.  He really was a pacifist, even in danger.  She sighed and put her fist down, letting go of his shirt.  “Pathetic.”

Suddenly, she felt herself flying backward, but stopped short just before she hit a rather large tree trunk.  She felt something snap uncomfortably in her neck and then a horrid crunch on her nose as she was yanked forward and hit the dirt face first.  While she was still recovering, she felt a shadow over her.

“I’m not pathetic,” said Silas.  “I just wanted to see if you would stop.”

With blood running down both of their faces, Silas helped her to her feet and they both stood staring at each other, fully assessing the damage they’d done.

“Never insult me again,” said Silas.  “Or next time I won’t stop you from hitting the tree.”

Desta set her nose and nodded, holding out her hand.  Silas returned the gesture, and Al came running up behind Silas.

“Are you alright?  What the hell was that about?” she demanded.

“I think I need to lie down,” Silas said, beginning to crumple toward the ground.  Al scooped him up before he fell, casting Desta a death glare.

“You had better come, too,” she said.  “Your face looks awful.”

“Your face looks awful,” Desta returned, but she followed Al to the infirmary.  A feeling she didn’t recognize welled up inside her as she looked at what she’d done to Silas, who was still conscious, but definitely badly battered.  Remorse?  Respect?  Both?  She would have to reflect on it later.  She couldn’t think with all this blood running into her eyes.