Axel felt weakened the longer the light was drained out of the air. He was fairly sure it was the sword Else was using, and he could feel it draining him as well. Then there was the cold. The ice was building up against everything it touched, and if he didn't keep moving, he thought he might freeze to death. Else's power was strong. But he didn't want to have to saved by her yet again. Applying himself, he should be just as good.
Accordingly, he used his martial training, trading his sword for his close quarter, hand to hand combat education. It helped that they were distracted by Else's maelstrom, and he quickly recovered. The silence was suddenly destroyed, mutated into a painful scream in his ears. His first instinct was to plaster his hands to his head in an effort to alleviate the pain, but it didn't help. If anything, it only became louder. He gritted his teeth against the piercing pain and tried to pour his focus into finding Lyyr. It took a moment to pick out the sound manipulator, even close like this, in the pervading darkness.
"That's enough!" Axel shouted, but he couldn't even hear himself. He struck the man with a hard blow. He followed it up with two more, finishing with a hefty blow to the back of Lyyr's head. Finally, the solid man stumbled forward, and the screaming ring died out, letting the roar of Else's storm and the crashing of the soldiers as they stumbled about take its place.
Lyyr turned on him with a look of rage. He swung the bellhammer again, but Axel had already moved. He couldn't see very well at all, but he sensed it would be useless, or it would drain him faster if he tried to use his powers. Besides, he knew someone who could.
Else had brought reckoning to the field, striking down any soldier before her as she went through their ranks. Her brother was in here somewhere, and the man who had almost made her deaf. It didn't take her long to find him, and it took her only slightly longer to get to him. The teleporter tried to interrupt her, but she was one with the shadows, turning the very air against him. He was sent, screaming, away from her. She could hear him scream, as the sound returned to normal.
Her eyes glowed white as she came within striking distance. She could feel the power waning, it's raw power one she was not yet master of, but she was far from relenting. Axel was on the other side. A relief, but no longer her focus. She brought her own nodachi against the white and blue brute, striking him with the cold and the darkness. He bellowed in pain, which served to spur her on.
Axel, nodachi in hand, sliced him again, and Lyyr responded by swinging the bellhammer in an effort to hit either of them. Else moved through the darkness, fluidly evading and sliding in to draw blood again. The darkness was lessening, to where even Axel began to see clearly again. The bitter chill left the air, but the ice still clung in thick sheets to those soldiers who hadn't stayed active enough to avoid it. The ice had concentrated around Else, but the twins still had a moment before they were swarmed again.
Axel came next to her, weak from the draining effect. "Else," he tried not to let his teeth chatter. "The sword, the darkness," Lyyr hit him with the bellhammer with a resounding ring, staggering him.
Else understood. Taking the brief moment, as the less frozen soldiers shattered the ones before them to get into the fray, she replaced the sword with the claws. It seemed the two weapons had two different specialties. That was just fine.
Lyyr didn't even notice as he destroyed a soldier, swinging the hammer again. With the agility of a panther, Else avoided it, following the arm in close. It was time to take this one down. Axel was left to deal with the soldiers as she poured her energy into her weapons, raking them against Lyyr's arms and breastplate. Ice spread across, numbing her enemy, but he did not give up.
Roaring, he amplified all the sounds around them, until Else was sure she went deaf. It was almost impossible to focus with everything raised to a cacophony of screeching metal, and shouting men. It made her dizzy, but she still watched Lyyr. The man grabbed one of the soldiers and flung him into Else, knocking her off her feet in her disorientation. He used the moment, bringing the bellhammer down at her. Barely in time, she rolled aside.
She could practically see the shockwaves travel up through the hammer and along the iced armor as the weapon pounded the ground scant inches from her. It was inspiring. Else sprang to her feet, and renewed her assault on the sound manipulator. But now, she tried to connect her freezing claws with the bellhammer, making it colder, more fragile. She did the same to his armor. She had broken through it's protection several times already, but if she could cause it to shatter, it would be game over.
Kihrone had appeared again, but it was clear his anger was divided between the two of them. Sensing his sister had a plan of action, Axel attempted to engage the teleporter. Finding room to work was getting difficult, requiring him to move fast and frequent, and he knew it was only a matter of time before he began to tire. A sharp twist to avoid a soldier's spear sent another arrow whistling past him, taking out the soldier instead. Long and black. Shar was still out there, as well. Axel gritted his teeth and continued to fight, pushing back the wish for reinforcements.
Else ignored all the other soldiers, watching the ice build up on the white and blue armored man. He was swinging the bellhammer more slowly, his movements becoming inhibited. The bellhammer itself was dripping icicles. She feinted, and when he responded with the slow swing, she slipped under his guard and drove her claws straight into his armor, willing the cold to seep along throughout it.
He bellowed deafeningly with the pain and grabbed at her, trying to get her off. She held on as long as she could, until he threw her away. She slid on her feet, supporting herself with one hand on the ground. Lyyr swung the bellhammer at her with all his might, wanting nothing more than to crush her. She waited till it was close, then pushed herself to her feet, leaping just backwards of the massive weapon. She noted the head break in half, but she was already moving forward again. In range, she spun on her heel, and brought her other leg up, aiming for the center of his chest.
Lyyr was shaking with rage and frustration, and all but shivering with the cold. She was so fast! All he needed was one good blow, and she would be finished. He was tired of seeing that red cape signaling where she had already been. Red, red, red! There would be a different kind of red! He was dumbfounded when he saw the head of his hammer crack and split, with one last defiant blast of the bell inside. He looked up to see her already in front of him. There was the red cape, sweeping as her leg rose. His thoughts couldn't keep up. Her foot hit his chest, and he felt the armor crack. Lyyr finally caught on, but it was too late.
Suddenly, he was on his back, and she was tearing at the cracks in his armor. His eyes widened in fear. She was going to kill him! "Kihrone!" He shouted. "Help me!"
Nearby, both Axel and Kihrone heard the plea, drawing their attention. Axel saw Else tearing away at the sound manipulator, and he saw the soldiers begin to close in on her again, now that they didn't have to worry about being crushed by their ally, and she was vulnerable.
"Lyyr," Kihrone grumbled under his breath. He flicked his eyes to the warrior Halo. Two birds. He quickly made his decision and threw the glaive. One stone. He leaped on the green armored young man.
Axel was still watching his sister as he noted the glaive slicing through the air towards her. He tried to shout, but Kihrone grabbed ahold of him, and that strange out of place feeling rippled through him again. Despite himself, he was terrified. Popping back into existence, his eye was caught by the sight of the gray and black armor of Darkness. Else was falling. It was just like his nightmare. Only in this version, it was reality, and he could see a light blue streak racing through the dark green soldiers.
"No!" He gurgled through Kirhone's chokehold, and fought to free himself. Mikhail would kill her!
Kihrone ignored his struggles, simply moving to a different location, keeping his victim disoriented. But always with a view. Axel would not be kept down, and he finally managed to break the teleporter's hold. In fury, he grabbed hold of him and brought his knee into the teleporter's belly, making the man stumble away and disappear.
He turned to rush to his sister's rescue, but it was too late. Else's landing was lost to view. He was only in time to watch her blood red cape sink out of sight. Mikhail's armor of Torrent was also obscured by the soldiers. Grief stricken, Axel forced himself to move, forced himself to try to make it there. But he knew, between the two his sister had no chance of surviving. Kihrone appeared before him, and appeared to have reclaimed his glaive. It was a challenge Axel decided he was happy to meet.
Mikhail's heart was pounding as he tried to cut his way through the soldiers. He had intended to take on the archers, thinking maybe that would be the best way to help at the moment. But then he saw Else appear inexplicably in the air. From the way she was flailing, it wasn't what she wanted. A course change meant he would have to go through the heart of the enemy, but she was so high up, he wasn't sure she could survive the fall, despite how strong the armors seemed to be. Would she kill him if he saved her?
Hoping his father knew better than he did, he carved his way through, swiping the jumonji yari back and forth as he rushed on. The enemy seemed distracted, and his progress was made with little attention. Most of them were greedily watching the young woman's fall, and pressing closer to be the one to finish her off. Spears were pointed hopefully to the sky, and the stocky man whose armor was now torn at the chest was shouting and stretching strong hands in anticipation.
He was almost there, but he could see the man was standing right where she would fall. Thinking fast, Mikhail jabbed the end of the trident-like weapon into the ground, vaulting into the man. He had the presence of mind to turn the move into a kick, forcing the man away, and placing himself close to his target. He looked up to position himself, and his eyes met hers.
Else was already terrified, but seeing him, her eyes took on a new fear. Mikhail saw, and recognized it as the same way he felt towards them. They had taken his threat seriously, and believed he would try to kill them. In that moment, he knew his father was right, and he simply had to trust the strangers. It was okay. Mikhail smiled to let her know it was alright, and spread his arms to catch her.
The whole thing happened in two blinks of an eye. As soon as she was safely netted, a moment that lasted just long enough for Mikhail to feel how she quivered, she jumped out of his arms to push back the soldiers who had finally caught on that the game had changed again. She couldn't see Axel, but finding him would have to wait a moment.
Across the way, and up in the higher floors of some of the adjacent structures, Shar had watched the whole thing unfold. He especially noted that it appeared the young man in Torrent had put his fears aside, choosing instead, to trust. Were their virtues truly that much stronger than the terrors he had inflicted upon them? It was beginning to seem this battle might not end in Talpa's favor. Lyyr was weaponless and would soon be dead, if the girl finished the job she'd started. Outside of the general melee`, Halo and Kihrone were locked in a death battle. If Shar had to say who he thought would win, he wasn't sure he liked the answer.
Movement away from all conflicts caught his attention, and he watched intently as Mikhail's people streamed quietly out of their hiding place. Shar mulled over his options. Yes, it was growing likely the battle was lost. But he had valuable insight into a full third of the Ronin Warrior forces. This costly mission did not have to be a complete failure, and he was still linked to the three, given time, he might yet conquer their spirits.
Then there were these people. Their oppression would be easy to inflame, and their fear and torment would certainly be a good source of sustenance for his lord. There was the added benefit of the emotional and mental strain it would apply to these Ronins to see them transported to Talpa's realm.
It was an easy decision to make. Gathering the archers, who always carried alternate weapons, he led them to the Russians. Take all prisoners.
Axel hated this man. Kihrone was responsible for the death of his sister. To revenge her, he remained patient. Focused, even if he wasn't entirely clear headed. By now, he had most of the teleporter's patterns down, and though he had sustained more minor injuries, it was only a matter of time before he destroyed him.
Kihrone knew he could simply leave this battle at any time, but his blood was up, and he was stubborn enough not to leave before this enemy was vanquished. Halo may have grown better at anticipating his attacks, but as with all previous opponents, he had only to wear him down.
He threw the glaive, knowing Halo would step aside. He teleported to intercept the weapon as it began to pass his opponent, deftly catching it and slicing Axel's side.
Axel took the hit, twisting around to grab at Kihrone, hoping to crush his larynx if he could just get even a momentary grip.
Kihrone chose to pop over to Axel's other side, but was intercepted by the young man's foot for his efforts. He popped away, narrowly avoiding Axel's follow up swipe with the nodachi. Looking around, he realized they were in a parking lot of sorts. Abandoned cars waited to be used almost everywhere he looked. Grinning to himself, he ran over to one and touched it, making it disappear. He began choosing cars at random, sending them on their way with glee.
Axel couldn't keep up with his erratic choices. He didn't stop to think about where those cars were going, until instinct saved his life. The blue four door was the forerunner to a shower of falling vehicles. Axel had to keep one eye on the sky, and one on the teleporter. He had to move left and right as more and more fell.
Kihrone kept them coming, and began interspersing his selections with attacks of his own. He selected two vehicles, sent them on their way, and popped in front of Halo. He kept the glaive between the two of them like a shield, but Axel was stronger, each clash of the two threatening to beat Kihrone down.
At the last second, Kihrone disappeared. Axel immediately looked up, and reflexes brought the nodachi up, slicing through the red two door that would otherwise have landed atop him. Now knowing he could cut through the cars, he was urged to greater boldness.
Kihrone timed three more to box his enemy in and crush him. Halo did run into the car that materialized without warning in front of him, but he was ready for the ones dropping like bombs, and came through unscathed. In response, Kihrone threw the glaive, using it's extension of his abilities to teleport a full dozen as it hit each of them.
Axel darted forward, pulling a burst of speed from the armor, and hit Kihrone while the man was without his weapon. He shouted with frustrated anger as the teleporter disappeared yet again.
Abandoning the vehicles, Kihrone focused himself for a flurry of fast attacks after regaining his glaive. He quickly choreographed his attack, and launched. Hardly even giving himself time to know where he was, he trusted to his calculations. Within the space of three seconds, he came at Axel from six different angles, and had made three attacks separate from that with the glaive.
It happened so fast Axel barely knew what hit him. His reflexes couldn't keep up as Kihrone was one place after another after another so fast the pain from his assault set in only after it was over. Axel was struck in the shoulder, then the glaive whirled against his other side. It came back improbably quickly to hit him in the chest, after, and then followed by the teleporter to hit him in the middle. It came all too close to his throat. He turned, catching the glaive in the back of the head, then Kihrone hit his knees from behind, then knocked him over with a final blow to the chest.
Axel hit the ground, the air driven from his lungs, still trying to figure out what had just happened. He managed to roll over, avoiding Kihrone's attempt the slam the glaive into his face. He had just enough time to guess what Kihrone would do next and prepare, and struggled to get his wind back.
Kihrone kicked him, bouncing from one side to the other. Not giving the young man time to recover, he picked him up to better get at his vital areas. Axel's green eyes were clear and bright as Kihrone lifted him. One sight of them, and Kihrone knew he had made a mistake.
Up with Axel came the nodachi. His will fed the sharpness of the blade, and it did it's duty. Kihrone dropped his hold on the young man and tried to teleport away, but he didn't get far. He dropped to his knees a few feet from Axel. The sound of dust moving across the street, and the less immediate sounds of battle became the prominent noise for a long moment. Raising his eyes, he met the warrior's gaze. A smile of disbelief crossed his lips, and he toppled forward.
Wordlessly, Axel walked past the demon's corpse.
Else had not forgotten about the one who controlled sound. He was just beyond the ring of soldiers that were keeping her and Mikhail pinned down, urging them on. She had managed to tear some of the weakened armor, and his bared chest screamed to be pierced. He was also taunting her, and she was all too tempted to leap through these infantry and destroy him.
She thought the numbers of enemy soldiers were thinned enough almost to count, but they were still causing trouble, and she couldn't yet get past them. Mikhail was behind her, trying to copy the type of things he had seen the twins do, but she was afraid he couldn't hold up under these conditions.
Mikhail was having trouble. He was too exposed, and he did not have the experience or training to match. His armor was strong, though, as was his will, and he took strength and encouragement from Else. She seemed to be almost supremely aware of what was happening around her, and had come to his aid several times already.
Working alongside her like this, he felt an odd sort of confidence that washed through him. It seemed to flow and ebb, growing stronger the longer they fought. He finally, at the peak of the feeling, realized it was because he knew he could trust her. He was trusting his life to her, and she was on his side. An outsider was fighting for him, despite every obstacle he had put in place, and every reason he had given the both of them to abandon him. It was the most wonderful thing he had ever felt, and he felt something between himself and his armor click into place. It was as if he became complete.
The three prongs of the jumonji yari began to drip, then run with water. He spun the yari, slamming the head down. From the point of impact, large waves spread out from it in a circle. They washed against the soldiers with violent force, sweeping them all off their feet.
Else was not expecting it, and fell as well. Splashing in the water gave her an idea, and rising to a crouch, she swept her claws through it, instantly freezing everything nearby. She still saw the remnants of the white and blue armor. He wasn't frozen, and he hadn't been knocked down. He also wasn't going to get away. She sprang across the artificial tundra with it's green décor, and leaped upon him, needing only one opening to finish him.
Lyyr knew it too. He tried to keep his back to her and flee, but she was both fast and relentless. He kept his armored arms across his exposed chest, but he was afraid it wouldn't be enough. He never noticed Mikhail come up behind him. The sharp tines pierced the weakened armor, sinking into his back as he stood. Lyyr roared with the pain and surprise, and he moved his hands to deal with the new attacker out of instinct. Enough for Else to sink the long claws into him, finally ending it.
It was strangely silent after they had both withdrawn their weapons, and Lyyr had fallen with a clink at their feet. After so much noise, it almost made their ears ring. The bodies of their enemies littered the frozen ground in an odd sort of poetry. There had been fewer soldiers left than Else had realized, and none of them were stirring. She did not see her brother, but something else was amiss.
"No archers," Else commented, scanning the upper perimeter. "Why would they have left?"
Mikhail shook his head, turning to look around them. His eyes caught a sight as terrible as anything he could have imagined. "No!" He shouted, and took off running.
Else had noticed her brother and waved to him, but with Mikhail's pained exclamation, she looked to see what was wrong. She ran even faster.
Shar and a dozen soldiers had collected the Russians, herding them to an open intersection nearby, and awaited transportation. It was close enough he knew they could be seen by the victors, which suited his purposes either way the battle was decided. Seeing who was coming, he knew he had made the right call. The spirits seemed to be taking their time with bringing them home. His soldiers had changed to their melee weapons, and he knew they would be too slow to switch back to their bows. Unperturbed, he notched an arrow and loosed it. It lodged in Torrent's shoulder, but the warrior didn't slow. Darkness passed him up, and he repeated the process. She tilted aside, letting it fly past her. He could see Halo running to join from the side, several beats behind. They would all be on him in a matter of seconds.
"Do not let the prisoners escape," he repeated his orders in case the mindless Youja were thinking about following their first nature and attacking the Ronin Warriors. Any moment that portal would open and retrieve them. He needed something to offer Talpa upon his return.
He stepped forward to intercept first Darkness, then Torrent. She was furious, and he knew she could be dangerous, but he dealt with her calmly. She had expended a great deal of power that she was not used to controlling, and she was running low on reserves. He simply avoided her, agile enough to largely keep her from hitting him.
This close to them, he could practically taste their minds. Shar's connections were still active. He shoved Else away from him, and turned to Mikhail. The young man still didn't seem to notice the arrow in his shoulder, absolutely determined to keep him from damaging his friends and relatives.
Shar locked eyes with him, dredging an image up through the young man's mind until it burned in his vision. Mikhail was petrified, again seeing Else leap through to attack his people. He was locked in an argument with his mind and heart, because he knew now she wouldn't do that. It took him too long to overcome.
The soldiers and their charges began to glow. Shar stepped back to make sure he wasn't left out. Mikhail snapped out of it, getting some faint idea of what was about to happen, but Else was faster. Behind them, Axel was catching up.
Darkness made one final desperate drive to stop the Captain. Shar was not going to suffer her intervention. In an instant, he raised the bow, drew, and released. The black feathered arrow flew straight and fast. Darkness did not escape.
"No!" Axel cried, watching it happen, and still only too many steps away to stop it.
He knelt beside her. The arrow was lodged just below her throat. She was choking and gurgling, her body was spasming, and he knew she was dying. "Hang on," he pleaded, unaware of the tears on his cheeks. He put his hands on her shoulders, but he had a terrible feeling this gift of healing might not be enough.
Mikhail was beside Else, if behind her, when she fell. He didn't know how bad it was, but he did know there was only seconds before this man and everyone he held dear disappeared beyond his reach. Shar drew to fire on him, but this time Mikhail was faster. With a roar he came into contact with the Captain.
Shar turned the bow to block the jumonji yari that Mikhail held in his good hand. Torrent was ready. Out came the tonto styled dagger in his other hand. Into Shar's middle it bit. Water shot through its tip at high pressure, exploding through the Captain's soft innards and killing him. The last thing Shar looked at was Else. At least he would get one of them.
"Come on!" Mikhail shouted to his people, as Shar's body crumpled before him, but it died on his lips as they vanished. Sunlight broke through the dissipating dark clouds, landing on his outstretched fingertips. He stared at the empty intersection, overwhelmed by the loss. It was only a moment, but it seemed like minutes before he became aware of Axel's shouts behind him.
He turned, blinking against the glow that poured out from Axel, pooling above his sister. They were all he had left. He staggered over and dropped heavily by her other side.
"Stay with me!" Axel begged her, glowing even brighter.
Mikhail was struck dumb by the sight. The black arrow seemed so menacing, even though it was almost swallowed up by the light. Else's blood was streaming in rivulets from her neck and chest and out the corners of her mouth. She was trying to hold on, her limbs jerking with the effort, but her eyes were slowly dulling.
"It's not enough," Axel stammered through his tears. "I can't stop it!"
Mikhail realized the Dane was talking to him, but he still couldn't find any words.
"Somebody help me!" Axel shouted, and the light grew boundless.
Mikhail threw his hands up against the light, but it overcame him.
AN: Guess what's coming up? It's just about time to put all of our eggs in one basket, so to speak. We're gettin' a gang together! That is, if Axel can find a way to save Else...