Nya's feet thumped into the hard ground, over and over. Her heart pounded in her chest as she sprinted down the tunnel. She needed to get Morro as far away from Jay as possible. She could almost hear Morro's breath on her neck, she could feel the biting cold that dissolved into a dull shudder as she got used to it. Then it suddenly sharpened, and, reacting on instinct, Nya stopped, spun around and raised her deep stone sword, meeting Morro's attack with a screech of metal. He bounced backwards and instantly lunged at Nya again, and again Nya blocked him. A third, fourth, fifth time Morro struck, his strength and speed increasing with each attack.
The power and skill Morro had at his disposal was unlike that of any opponent Nya had faced - his strength and ability enhanced by the Adornment of Acrios pushing Nya to her limits. Past her limits.
When a slash of his ghostly blade came so close that it sliced open the sleeve of her kimono, drawing blood on her arm, Morro didn't so much as pause in his attack.
Over and over he continued to lunge, each time with increased speed and strength, his eyes burning with anger. "Give me the necklace," he growled, eyes drifting to the glinting chain on her heaving chest.
Morro was barely winded, but Nya was panting too hard to answer, especially when he came at her again, using the wind behind him to enhance his power.
Strike.
Parry.
Lunge.
Block.
Nya struggled to hold up against the intensity of Morro's attack, with it taking all her focus to maintain a weak, almost pathetic defence. Her skills were nowhere near enough to hold out against his prowess. She didn't even get a chance to use her powers.
As their weapons met again in one crushing blow, Nya was brought to her knees, all her strength being used to keep Morro's blade from inching close enough to split her in half, then with a quick flick of his wrist, her sword went flying out of her hand, hitting the ground with a clatter, leaving Nya exposed. With a shove, Morro sent Nya sprawling on the ground, just as a gust of wind sent the sword flying down deeper into the tunnel. The cold was unbearable. Morro knelt down, staring Nya straight in the eyes with his cold, glowing green eyes. Waves of ice crashed through her.
"You've fought well," He said with a smirk, hands reaching toward her neck. She could see it coming. When his hands would touch her skin, she would freeze to death. Then he'll stab her, find out it's fake and go after Jay. An animalistic sense of desperation engulfed her. Nya scrambled backwards with a burst of strength.
"STOP!" She cried out, the word spilling from her mouth as she backed deeper into the tunnel. The water in the tunnel called to her - fuelled her. She raised her hands, water gathering around them.
Morro's grin widened. With a wave of his hand, his sword dissolved. Then he raised his arms and the wind howled. It was deafening, echoing around the tunnel as Nya's hair was blown all over, her loose kimono pressed against her body, particles of water flying from her hands. With a yell, Nya blasted two jets of water at Morro, which he deflected with a simple blast of wind.
"That all you got?" Morro taunted. Nya swallowed, readying herself. Then with a thunderous roar, the wind intensified, chipping the stone all around them, from the sides of the tunnels to the stalactites above them. Powered by the wind, the shrapnel flew at her. Some she stopped with water but the others pierced through. Over and over, impact after impact. Pain, pain, pain. Her arms, her legs, her stomach, her chest. The rocks shredded through her, pounding into her flesh. He was going to rip her apart. She hit the ground hard, her eyes slammed shut, her head buried beneath her arms. She was curled up as her hair blew all over her. Futile. Weak. Bursts of pain, over and over again. She couldn't. It was too much. With a yell, she flung out her arms. Then silence. Shaking, Nya opened her eyes. She was covered in a dome of spinning water, blocking the shrapnel. The powerful swirling water caught the pieces of shrapnel and swept them away. Then, in the odd silence:
"Nya?" It was Jay! "Nya, come in," her hand rushed for the earpiece.
"Jay? Jay? Have you saved the miners?" Nya gasped.
"Yes, yes, Nya!" It seemed like he didn't believe it was her, Nya thought with a small smile. Which was quickly wiped away when she saw the murky green shadow approaching her through the shield of water.
"Get out of here," Nya said
"No, no, I can come help!"
She couldn't. It was too much of a risk "That's too risky, get out."
Then suddenly a small boulder came blasting through the shield with more power than the rest, bursting through the water and sending Nya through the other side of the dome and into one of the rock walls. She collided painfully, her head crushing the earpiece against the rock. She flung the sparking device onto the ground and spun around to face Morro again. Finally, he was breathing heavily. Nya was soaking wet, her tattered kimono weighing her down. Morro approached carefully, aware of how wet she was. Nya took this chance to untie the fabric around her waist, shrugging the soaked kimono off her shoulders and onto the ground. She relished the water running down her bare shoulders and arms.
"You want it?" Nya said, forcing a cocky smirk, and fingering the thin chain which trailed down beneath her top. "Come and get it," Then she sent two more streams of water down towards Morro, spun on her heel, and sprinted further into the tunnel.