43
Robin stood as still as she knew how. She heard the heavy footsteps of her adversary before she saw him. The sound seemed to reverberate around the cove, giving the young witch more than enough reason to panic. But she held onto her composure. When had she ever lost a duel before? Never. And she wouldn't start now. Besides, her job was simply to hold him off until the others came back. That shouldn't be too hard, she told herself.
The tall figure appeared on the rocks above, silhouetted against the still-rising sun. Robin made sure her glasses were sitting firmly on her nose. As the Paladin approached, the grin on his face sent shivers down her spine. Why did he have to do that? Robin glanced behind her and put herself between the Paladin and the cave entrance. He drew his knives and crossed them in front of his face, reciting his twisted prayers. Where did the bible say any of that? Robin didn't have time to consult a reference bible. The Paladin's opening salvo swooped down from the boulders on the slope. The blades hit Robin's heat shield and bounced back onto the rocky sand. The Paladin's grin widened and he began to move faster. It was Robin's turn. She shot off a blast of fire that exploded all around Anderson. An ordinary human or witch would certainly have been incinerated. But Anderson emerged from the blaze only singed. He broke into a run then, charging down the remaining slope and across the flat shore at the bottom.
Robin raised her shield and blasted him again, harder this time. Anderson was pushed back a few yards but the second and third degree burns weren't slowing down as much as Robin had expected. Two more blades collided with her shield and dropped to the ground. He was almost upon her, forcing her to dodge backwards towards the cave. She hated fighting in close quarters like this. Most witches kept some distance between themselves and their dueling opponents. But the Paladin didn't keep any space at all. He charged again and Robin jumped to the side. He was close enough to touch her shield now. She could feel the panic rising and she tried to push it down, but it was no use. No matter how hard she pushed or how badly she burned him, he just kept coming. She was going to lose. She knew it as firmly as she knew her own name. But she couldn't run.
Round and round in circles she moved until she was panting and the Paladin was covered in charred-black peeling skin. But still, he was unrelenting. Robin felt her focus beginning to break down. Each knife thrust got closer and closer. This was the toughest duel she'd ever fought. It was over in an instant. The Paladin raised a blade above his head to stab down at her. The moment she gathered her shield to block the strike, his other hand flew up in a vicious underhand swing. She felt the blood trickling as if it were happening to someone else. There was no pain but Robin fell to her knees anyway. Her opponent stood over her still grinning. The light reflecting off his glasses made her squint as she looked up at him. She expected him to raise his knife and finish the job. But he only muttered another false prayer and disappeared inside the cave.
44
There was just enough light to see as the three people went farther into the cave. The space inside widened as they walked and they could hear the hiss of rushing water. After several more yards, the cave opened up into a sizable cavern. The sound of water filled the empty space. The group slowed down just in time to notice the steep ravine slicing the cavern in two. Looking down the precipice, they couldn't even see the bottom. But the water was down there somewhere.
"Is there some kind of bridge?" Integra asked.
"Over there," Amon replied, pointing a little farther into the darkness.
It was a wooden footbridge, in the old Japanese artistic style.
"That's pretty convenient," Nagira said. "Those old dogs thought of everything."
Amon led the way once again with Integra following and watching him intently. The two had just reached the bridge when a loud voice cut through the quiet.
"If 'tis the will 'o God that 'ye cross that bridge, it'll be o'er my dead body."
Integra and Amon stiffened and spun around. Paladin Anderson stood between them and the cave tunnel, blades in hand. The sweet smell of fresh blood wafted across the space, making their jaws clench. Integra stepped forward.
"Stay out of the way, Vatican errand boy," she snarled.
"Now, 'ye know Ah canna' do that," the priest said. "Fools such as 'ye have no business with the weapons 'o demons."
"You have no idea what you've walked into," Integra said. She put her hand on her gun, ready for a fight. Amon did the same, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the enemy.
"But Ah do know. 'Tis a nest 'o vipers," Paladin Anderson had barely finished speaking when he raised his blades and charged. He had gone only a few steps when he was thrown off his feet into the nearby stone wall of the cave. Nagira had leapt from the shadows and hit him with all his weight. A moment later, Nagira was sitting on top of the struggling priest.
"Ye foul blasphemer! Filthy heathen!" The captive cursed as he thrashed around.
"Get going," Nagira shouted to Amon and Integra. "I don't know how long I can hold him."
Amon headed for the bridge right away, but Integra hesitated.
"Go, for god's sake!" Nagira howled over the Paladin's yelling.
Integra and Amon ran.
Story Notes:
This is the first time I've ever killed off a major character in a fanfic. It's a milestone for me. When I was plotting the second half of this story, I realized that Robin HAD to lose this duel for the next part to turn out the way I wanted it to. Of course, once I set Robin against Paladin Anderson, it was easy to make it end this way. From numerous clues in WHR, we know that Robin is not very good at close-range fighting. And close-range is Anderson's favorite fighting style. If he can withstand her attacks for long enough, he can win. I suppose I set her up to take a fall on purpose. But don't forget that the Tenseiga will soon be in play. Stick with me, dear readers. The best parts are yet to come.