It's been awhile and I apologize. I've been rather busy. Finally, I was able to finish this chapter, so I thank you for your patience. I would like to throw out some thank yous before I let you lose to read. My thanks go out to Shadow the Ranger and Asilan Renve for the lovely words. Thank you also goes out to all those that have taken their time to read this story. Thank you and enjoy!
Chapter Seven
Fight for Survival
There was a pause.
She wasn't sure if she could take it. It wasn't her right to. She promised the creature that she wouldn't defile it. It promised in return. A promise between warriors. She would hold true to her promise. That was all she had left of her honor.
She couldn't take it.
"Oh…," she remembered, "I do have other things I can use," she looked down at the needles that the creature had either deflected or pulled out, "I said I would use them later," she peered over to where they lay.
Looking over at the struggling monsters, she could see that not much had changed. The black one still had the other pinned, but it had finally feared one of its arms. It had grabbed the the dome headed beast by the tail to stop it from stabbing at it, but the beast was still trying to nip with its secondary mouth. She really shouldn't have cared. That creature pinned to the ground had tried to kill her. Its kind had killed everything that meant something to her. It even killed her in a sense…
She shook her head hard… She didn't feel like going that deep…
Questions began to fill her mind. Was it her concern to help a creature the symbolized the end of her childhood and the beginning of her living nightmare? Should she really taking out her pent up aggression out on a being that had nothing to do with her past? Should she just watch to see who the victor was? Should she just walk away?
If she walked away… what would become of her honor?
"It is… the only thing I have left… or at least try to hold on to…," she once more looked to the needles that lay on the ground, "I suppose that when battling death," she pulled out what remained of the needles in her pouch, "That it doesn't matter what forms it takes," she readied to throw them, "As long as you face it and know that Death will always win in the end," she released them, "... but not this day…"
The needles flew through the air and struck the black beast in the side of its domed head. Yellowish fluid began to drip and ooze from the small puncture wounds. Where strange liquid fell the ground it began to sizzle and bubble. The leaves and ground didn't absorb this fluid; they burned and melted underneath it. She looked up to see the needles were melting away like the earth. What was left of them fell to the ground and continued to melt into a puddle of liquid metal.
The black beast turned its eyeless face towards her and growled.
"Don't you growl at me," she chided the beast, "You were the one that interrupted our duel. That's very rude you know. You only had to wait a moment longer..."
It didn't seem to care as it continued to growl.
It pounced like a hungry jackal on a bone with a bit of meat. She quickly rolled out of the way, but it relentlessly pursued her. It slashed and stabbed. It chomped and bit. It just wouldn't stop. All she could do was duck, dodge, and roll out of the way. She knew that she could only do that for so long though. Her body still ached from her previous bout, but she couldn't stop moving.
From one form of death to another… she just couldn't seem to escape it…
… not that she minded…
She was able to roll far enough from the black beast for a moment to breath. It seemed to want a moment too. It cocked its head, growled and snapped its jaws at her as if it was cursing at her. She would have cursed at it, but she wasn't trained like that… to curse at a frustrating person or thing.
That was just uncouth and unprofessional.
The black beast crouched down on all fours and prepared for another pounce. It was interrupted, though. A loud roaring filled the air that rang deep in her ears. She quickly covered them to stop the ringing that was beginning in her head. It didn't help much. She looked over to see the armored creature roaring at the beast that just had it pinned down. Its honor and most likely its ego had been bruised.
Looking from the roaring creature to her and back to the creature, the black beast didn't seem too impressed with the loud noise. Of course, she wasn't sure if it could hear. It didn't seem to have visible ears. Not that it mattered. The dome-headed beast was far more interested in her than the other. She looked over to the creature that had tried so hard to kill her. It was clicking its mandibles quickly and hissed loudly in displeasure.
It was obvious that it wanted to fight the black beast.
Still the black beast wanted no part of it. It only concentrated on her and started to prepare once more for a pounce. The armored wouldn't take this insult. It charged towards the dome-headed monster. It was prepared for it though. Faster than the mind could register, the black beast had wrapped its bony like tail around the waist of the charging creature and threw it across the way. It tumbled and skidded until it landed in a large stone. Without missing a beat, the dome headed beast leap upon her. She rolled and ducked just as the beast dug its blade-like claws deep into the ground. Instead of pushing away as she had, she rolled underneath and embedded several needles into its belly. She barely got out of the way acid-like fluid began to burn through the needles and dripped onto the ground. The creature howled and growled in pain as it tried to slash at her with its whip-like tail. She was a bit too quick for it though.
She was rather surprised that she was able to move as quickly as she was.
Her leg was on fire from the burns. Her back felt like it would crumble at any moment… though, it probably had already. The tissue and muscles inside her abdomen felt like they would snap and spew out of her if given the slightest tap. How could she possibly still be moving so swiftly was a mystery to her. For so long she wished her body would just give up and give into the emptiness that was consuming her on the inside. Now… now she wanted nothing more than to live.
Before, at the mercy of the armored nightmare, she had accepted that death had come for her finally. It would have been a good death. A proper ending to her hellish life.
Starting with a nightmare… Ending with the same nightmare…
"Yes.. it would have been fitting…," she sighed as she dodged another attack.
That's all she wanted… a fitting ending to her existence.
This black, dome-headed beast was interfering with that. It had taken her one chance at a peaceful death. Her battle with her childhood nightmare was an honorable one. It had earned its right to kill her… but… it paused… why did it pause?
"I suppose I'll have to ask if I survive this encounter," she jumped out of the way another charging attack.
The black beast seemed to be growing more and more enraged by its inability to take her down. Its movements were losing their refinement and thought and were starting to resemble that of an animal in a blind rage. It was certainly growing angry with her.
She was growing annoyed.
"... just know…," she called out to the armored creature, "that what I'm about to do is done with the utmost respect and I hope that I do this well…"
The creature had been standing since her battle with the dome head creature started. It had been watching carefully. Observing every move and analyzing the battle entirely. Maybe it was waiting to see whom the victor would be. She could tell that it really wanted to jump in though. It was pacing back and forth. Its muscles were twitching with anticipation. The moment one of them fell, it would most likely swoop in to continue the fight.
She admired its restraint considering how badly it wanted to battle the dome-headed beast.
She was going to have move quickly and without a single mistake. One wrong misstep or miscalculation and the creature would have her in its grasp. The black beast had started it charge and luckily it was just at the angle she needed. Her first few steps would determine if she would be able to hold onto her life.
Left… right… left… JUMP!
She leapt into the air. The creature took notice to her flight. Whipping its long bone like tail through the air, it took aim to pierce her chest. Twisting her body, she sailed past the striking tail. It felt like she was floating through the air. Everything moved so slowly. She could see every detail of the scene that surrounded her. The feathering of colors in the leaves and ferns. The way the light trickled down through the heavy canopy. The light bouncing out the scarred armor of the patiently waiting creature. The way the already dim light seemed to be just absorbed by the black beast below her. The highlights of the beast's hide that threw off its only light. The metal sheen of its teeth… so many things about the beast was so… beautiful. It looked so artificial… hand crafted… carefully designed to be so deadly… everything about the beast spoke of its prowess as a hunter and killer… it was so… beautiful to her… Soon the ground would be there to interrupt her lovely world of nearly frozen bliss.
She loved how the world would slow down.
It gave her time to appreciate the what was around her.
Total euphoria…
The ground soon caught her well planned fall. The world returned to its usual pace. Fast and deadly. She would hold onto slow moments as long as she could… she may not live after this bold maneuver. She landed just an inch from the armored creature's strange cylindrical weapon. She only prayed that it understood why she was about to do what she had to do. It was almost like it flowed into her. She didn't feel herself each out for it. There it was in her hands… it filled her palm completely… it was cold… but somehow it seemed warm… it felt right…
She wasn't sure what to do with it, but she knew that it would not let her die… she could feel its thirst for blood…
The black beast was nearly upon her. It was able to turn on itself and charge at her with all its might towards her. She closed her eyes and listened.
Eyes lied… they never spoke the truth the mind… every few senses told the truth… but at least her ears would speak the truest.
It was on her… she could hear its claws digging into the ground one final time just before it leapt into the air. She swore that she could hear the air sliding over its smooth head down its bony body. She could feel the air being sliced and it was so close.
It was time to act… time to see if she could outwit death in the form of a black beast.
She felt across the cylindrical weapon. Something gave to the pressure of her fingers. She pushed it as she leaped at the approaching creature. The cylindrical weapon popped open… of sorts. It shot forth and telescoped out into a long spear. The triangle blade sliced through the creature's surprising delicate neck. It was like cutting through nothing. Even the air seemed to harder to cut through than its neck.
They stood there for a moment; staring at each other… sort of. They dared not move, but someone was going to have to. It chose. Shooting out its secondary jaw, it took aim at its head. It didn't even come close. The force of the jaw caused it head to fall forward and ended just an inch from her feet. The headless body fell limp to the ground. Its acid blood leaked from its wound. It pumped out, but just seemed to passively flow from the neck. Not what like happens to a human their head is removed.
She had seen that before.
It was strange, but she instantly whirled around the spear to remove any excess fluid from the blade. Running her finger along the body of the weapon, she found the point that gave and pressed it. The spear retracted back into its cylindrical form. She held onto for a moment. She swore that she could feel the beating of another's heart in her hand.
Was this truly the heart of the armored creature?
She realized that creature was staring at her with it black soulful eyes. Looking down the weapon and then to it, she knew that she had possibly done wrong. Walking up to it, only keep a foot away, she bowed to it and held out it weapon.
"I'm sorry for borrowing your heart," she apologized as she kept her head low, "I hope that I used it well and gave it the respect it deserved… You… you have every right to take my life. It is yours to hold. If the beast hadn't interrupted us, you would have taken it fairly. It is still yours to take. Do as your honor demands."
She could feel the creature's eyes upon her. Staring at her. Staring through her. In peaceful thought of what it should do. Finally the weight of the weapon what lifted from her hand. She wanted to look up, but she knew it was better to wait and see what the creature would do. She watched as it stepped away from her and toward the lifeless body of the black beast. Straightening up, she carefully watched as the creature bent down and touched and poked and prodded the dead beast. It seemed to be amazed that it fell before her. Looked up at her, then back at the body and then to the head, it stood up and approached her.
It bowed its head in respect to her. She was unsure how she should react. There seemed to be no intent to kill her now. Something had changed… when it looked… when it saw…
She quickly rubbed the old, scarred over wound.
It noticed her moment and tried to reach out to the scarred piece of flesh. She quickly slapped its hand away. Very few were allowed to touch her. It would have to be with her permission or if she allowed it to happen. A low purring sound seemed to originate from its throat.
"I assume that our business is concluded then," she wanted to break the silence that had descended upon them.
It looked to the head of the beast and then crouched down next to it. It pointed to her and then to the head. She understood.
"I'm sorry," she sighed, "I don't take trophies. I don't have need of them. My memories haunt me enough while my eyes are open and closed. Sorry if that insults you or your ways," she noticed that it seemed displeased with her rejection of the head, "If you are not interested in take my life… I still consider it your's… Then I must move on. I… I know that there are more of these creatures in the jungle," she looked around, "I need to find higher ground and plan… for something…," she was unsure of… many things, "I bid you farewell," she gave another bow.
She headed for her rifle and took it carefully from its spot. She only glanced at the creature that was still crouched down next to the beast. She wanted to see if it would do anything as she left. It didn't move or seem to want to inhibit her exit. It let her go as she pleased. Either at respect or it was just giving her life back.
Either way, she was thankful.
Either way, she was confused.
Either way, she had escaped from death once more.
