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Chero666: Thank you for the review. I was beginning to think that no one was reading this anymore. And if you like Ardjet, then you'll love this chapter.
Chap. 11
"Wisp!"
The horde of projectiles encircled Ardjet-Nephtis again and she let them loose on me full force. I raised my shield to defend and the swarms of bolts hit me with tremendous force. I was actually pushed back by them as they hammered in on me. Frustrated, I extended my blade and swooped in to attack, but stopped mid-way. 'What am I doing?'
Unfortunately for me, that hesitation cost me as she slashed me. Luckily, she didn't hit deep enough, but it was enough to leave a solid gash on my arm. I shot back in pain as Ardjet flew at me to attack again, but she stopped midway. She grasped her head in pain.
"Jehuty...get...away....AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!"
Streaks of energy zapped around her and she writhed in pain. Her color turned pale (paler than normal) and Nephtis was back in control.
"Die, Jehuty!"
Another slash came out, but this time I was ready. I raised my blade to counter, resulting in a harsh clash. She struck out again, harder this time and I was able to counter again. But the force of my counter was too great for her and she backed away, stunned.
"Jehuty."
Ardjet again. 'How can I fight like this?'
"You must...kill me...Kill us both."
I...I can't. I couldn't kill her in cold-blood.
"Don't say that. I...won't."
Ardjet pleaded, "You must...hurry. She's....regaining....Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!"
Ardjet's body sparkled with energy again and she arose again, grin on her face.
"You are weak, Jehuty. You should have killed me when you had the chance."
Ardjet waved her arms and sent a few bolts of energy at me. I easily dodged them, but they were only a feint. When I looked up, Ardjet was already in her cocoon body and absorbing the tremendous energies.
-"Aw, S**t."-
The intense energy beam fired and almost blew my head off. A millisecond to the left and that would have been it for me. I can't keep fighting like this. 'I've got to stop her now. But how do I defeat Nephtis without harming Ardjet?'
Another swarm of Wisps stopped my thoughts as the projectiles came in heavily on me. I barely managed a shield, but the other bolts hit the wall beside me, causing parts of it to come down on me. Despite the shield, the debris hit me just as hard as the Wisps and forced me lower to the ground. I looked up, just in time to see her coming at me, afterimages tracing her advance. Her blades swung out and I blocked them again. It was then that I remembered.
"Ardjet! I'll give you a hand, but you have to fight her."
Ardjet-Nephtis chuckled, "She can't hear you." She struck again. "She is gone." Another strike. "And you will be soon." She raised her blade for another strike, "Meet with her in the afterlife, Jehuty!"
As her blade fell, I swung upward, hard. The force of the colliding blades shocked her back again, stunning her. I quickly moved up to her.
"Ardjet?"
Ardjet's weak voice came up, "Finish it...now."
I, however, grabbed hold of her shoulders. "I told you before that I would lend a hand. And now I will." I summoned a full force of Metatron into my body. Ardjet began to struggle slightly.
"She's coming."
"Fight her."
The Metatron flowed directly into her, causing her thrash violently in my grasp. But I refused to let her go. Her personalities kept changing on me from Ardjet to Nephtis and back again as a massive glow emitted from her.
"Jehuty...target Bravo...will kill...destroy...huty."
"Sleep forever. Rest in peace, Neith."
The glow exploded into a full blown flash and then nothing. I finally released Ardjet and floated back.
"Ardjet?"
A weak answer came out, "She's gone. But...I can't..."
I noticed that she was still falling slowly. Her body must have been strained past their limits when Nephtis took over. I could she her arms waving, trying to stay afloat.
"Don't worry. I'll..."
A suddenly rumble sounded and an explosion erupted underneath. A giant hole was blasted right under Ardjet and she fell down into it.
-"This just doesn't end, does it?"-
Grumbling myself, I swooped down into the hole after her. But I could no longer see were she was. I was in a deep corridor with platforms all around. A molten pit lay at the bottom. 'Oh no. Please don't tell me she...'
"Jehuty!"
I blinked. She's still alive. I looked around the area.
"Where are you?"
She gave no reply as I continued to look. Suddenly, I felt something grab hold of me and pull me off toward the right. As I flew, I looked down at what grabbed me. Wisp? Before I knew it, I had crash-landed on one of the platforms with Ardjet. Correction, over Ardjet. She had pulled me right over her body. I'm glad I wore a helmet. I knew for a fact that my face was blushing red, if that was at all possible.
"Y-you could have called me."
Badly enough, my nervousness broke through my voice and she grinned.
"Relax, big boy. I just wanted to give you something."
Her hand rose up to me and a flow of Metatron engulfed me. 'Another sub-weapon...her weapon.'
-Wisp-
I lifted myself off of her as I looked at my hands.
"Impressive, isn't it? You can use it to grab foes from a distance. I have a feeling you might need it."
I looked back at her and then up, "It's a good ways up." Looking back down, "Can you move?"
She raised her arms a bit, but beyond that, she made no other movement. "No. I'm still paralyzed mostly. Guess you're on your own."
I looked back at her and grinned, "Not just yet."
She looked surprised as I moved over her again and lifted her up and placed her on my back. Her arms clung around my shoulders.
"Alright. Hang on."
My wings open and I flew up to the opening. But due to her weight, I wasn't going as fast as I normally could. Not that I was saying that she was heavy. She was actually quite light, but it still interfered with my flying. But it wasn't a problem.
That came later...
"Jehuty. Above you."
I cocked my head in the direction she indicated. A group of Clods and Raptors were coming right at us. The Raptors were almost upon us. I growled to myself.
Can't get anything easy these days...