The following day, Natalia returned to the cast.
She'd recently taken on a period drama – a fantasy themed serial. It wasn't too popular, but Natalia had seen the script and liked it, and so taken the role even though it was just for a side character.
Today, there was a fight scene they were supposed to shoot between her and the male sidekick.
For realism, the director had forgone shooting in a set and compositing the scene, and instead decided to shoot on location.
The location the cast had chosen was atop a particularly famous mountain in the countryside of Eqitin.
This mountain was famous for having a view famous around the nation. With trees and grass blooming over a magnificent scene and a perfectly sunny day today, standing on top of the mountain gave one a feeling of relaxed contentedness.
Before they started filming, the crew had cleared the ground and set up the cameras. Natalia finished changing and got out, ready for the wirework.
The setting was on the edge of a cliff.
The side character Natalia was playing had appeared to be a courtesan plying her charms in a brothel, but was in reality an assassin from a neighboring nation.
For the survival of her own country, she'd assassinated the crown prince.
The sidekick had discovered her identity and chased her all the way to the edge of the cliff.
Here, the assassin was to duel to the death with the sidekick. Finally, heavily wounded, the assassin was no match for the sidekick. With soldiers on her tail, she was to jump off the cliff and die.
The assassin's character setting was calm, cold, and collected, a woman of few words, which suited Natalia's personality just fine.
With the wires in place and the makeup done, the director yelled, "Action!"
Natalia's gaze grew wintry.
She clutched at her injured chest, blood seeping from her mouth, her blade in one hand as she backed up to the edge.
Richard, the actor playing the sidekick, growled, "You've got nowhere left to run. Give it up and surrender!"
The corners of Natalia's mouth lifted slowly.
That smile was cold and decisive.
"No. I still have one path left to me!"
She spoke, taking her hand off her chest and gripping the hilt of her blade, raising the weapon.
The soldiers who'd chased their way here grew pale.
His expression dark, Richard intoned, "You served your country only for glory and riches. Now that you're at the end of your rope, I've asked the chief magistrate to spare your life. Why resist?"
Natalia sneered.
Her elegant, delicate features were completely unmoved.
"Death is nothing for a loyal subject of her nation!"
With that, she gripped her sword and rushed towards Richard.
The wires spooled and the fight began.
Natalia had already had a martial arts instructor guide her choreography with Richard, so as the two exchanged blows, the fight went beautifully.
Finally, Richard's blow landed on her shoulder, and Natalia spat blood, falling off the cliff, ending the scene.
Of course, she wasn't really falling off. The camera would show her disappearing off the edge, while the wires would keep her hanging there until the shot was over and they pulled her back up.
But then something went wrong!
Natalia had been ready to keel off the edge of the cliff with the force of the blow.
But the moment her feet left the ground, she heard a whipping crack.
Before she could react, she felt her balance shift. The wire to her left had snapped!
Natalia turned pale.
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