A figure can be seen turning a corner off a large bustling street. With another not too far behind, onto a smaller street and through a series of twists and turns. The two runners find themselves further and further away from the packed cityscape, onto a dirtier and more drenched lower city where the spotless walls are quickly replaced with those of ill repair and blotched in dark substances.
The faster one stops for a moment, letting the slower one catch up. When they convene, one points towards a roof in the distance and the other picks up a stashed bow and arrow and run towards the point.
The faster one, Minerva, eyes the roof for a moment before checking her swords and advancing into a dimly lit alleyway.
Onwards she walks as the evening light fades ever so slightly within the cramped alleyway. Her eyes are alert, her nose is crinkled, while her steps are light as she dodges various untoward substances that litter the floor. Eventually the path begins to open up once more and a clearing can be seen; a clearing that contains two people standing at the opposite end.
Her eyes dart to the closer figure, a young man who looks to be on the edge of youth and adulthood with curly brown hair and tan olive skin. His deep brown eyes locked with Minerva’s for but a moment before she examines the beast of a man who is holding a saber to the young man’s throat.
Standing tall the hulking man of muscle and might pulls at his luxurious clothes awkwardly for a moment, completely disregarding Minerva who had drawn her blade and was currently inching closer in complete silence. The man leaned forward as he sniffed the person he was holding at saber point, messing with his own clothes before straightening and pointing his saber at Minerva at last.
“You…came”, the man started slowly as he spoke in a low almost growling tone, “You have…” he paused for a moment to adopt a threatening posture, “offended someone you….should have never offended.”
His words and gaze caused her to stop in place. Her grip tightening on the handle of her sword,
“Has Ameus missed me so much that he has gone insane?”
Minerva steps forward once more and continues, “If he is so thirsty why does he not simply drown himself in the great river?”
The man snickered but said nothing.
“What is your true goa- “
Cutting her words off, the man kicked his hostage in the back of his knee forcing him to the ground and then slammed down on his back with his leg. He then points his saber to the sky and brings it down in a chopping motion towards the defenseless neck.
“IMERAN!” Screamed Minerva. Bending her knees and dashing forward, she pierced the air in front of her with her sword like it was a spear.
The distance to cover was great and the man’s blade was inches away from Imerans neck.
THWIP
An arrow shot rang out from the roof behind the man and knocked the man’s weapon away; leaving him completely exposed. Minerva’s sword cut through air; however, the man unnaturally bent backwards completely parallel to the ground and brought his saber to bare against Minerva’s.
Swatting the blade away like a fly, interrupting Minerva’s downwards stroke, he balanced his body with his left hand and kicked out with both of his legs with the intent to strike a blow to his foes stomach but was blocked by an arm flexing in his path.
With a small gasp of pain Minerva dug her heels in as she experienced a great amount of force exert on her arm and push her back slightly just out of striking distance. She glanced at her arm and saw two black bruises quickly form.
“Fuck” Cursed Minerva who took up a new stance with one arm while dropping the other to her side.
The man also stood up once more cocking his head side to side with a curious gaze, examining Minerva from top to bottom.
“Strong” he randomly said before once again slashing at Imran who was trying to quietly crawl away.
Just as before an arrow shot out to intercept the blade but this time not one but two were fired, one knocking the saber away and the other forcing the man to dodge out of the way.
He dodged based on sound alone.
Launching herself forward once more she swung her blade rhythmically with wide curving swings. With each clash of the blade her moves became bolder, faster, and stronger. Ducking and weaving with excellent footwork she controlled the battle, her face stone cold and her eyes analyzing for flaws.
Suddenly she weakened her defense, allowing the blade of her enemy to sweep past her and once more pierced forward just like before. Joining her attack two more arrows shot forth, bringing the sound of death with it.
The man began moving before both events even began to form, completely dropping onto the ground into a murky darkness before crawling like an animal through and back onto the caked over dirt next to Imran.
“Annoying” said the man with a growl, a verdant haze coalescing behind him with a bestial figure stepping through.
An eerie animalistic laugh rang out from the newcomer.
“Archer, kill” commanded the man who then turned towards Imeran, kicking him over and stabbing him in the stomach. With his free hand he caught three daggers in succession without even looking and returned them each to its sender.
“YOU BASTARD”
Blocking the returned daggers, she looked at Imran on the ground as blood pooled around him, his breathing turning shallow and his eyes unfocused.
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Frost began covering the ground, spreading out in a spider like pattern. Not only did it spread outwards but also upwards as it began to travel up Minerva’s boot. Yet her eyes remained locked onto Imran’s bloodied body.
“Fight me…save him” whispered the man. He then pulled a small vial wrapped in linen but only flashed it for a moment as he put it back in his shirt pocket.
The frost that had been climbing Minerva’s boot stops, light returned to her eyes as she stood up and wiped the frozen tears from her face.
“Why? Why do all of this? Why not just kill me!”
The man responded, his face full of scorn, “Humiliation. I…not kill you. Weak, you are.”
Minerva stood there for a moment before laughing, her crestfallen face twisting into clear anger,
“Weak? WEAK!?”
Dashing forward suddenly she glided across the icy ground and struck at the man, knocking aside his sword after three short exchanges and slicing at his face. Yet the man once again made a daring escape and the fight reset once more.
“You are the weak one, the only reason why you live is because of your hostage and what little skill in evasion you have”
She spat at the ground and charged forward once more, completely controlling the fight and turning the man’s luxury clothing into tatters. A whirlwind of beautiful sword moves was on full display, painting the world in red colors with every masterful stroke. Each with purpose, aiming for a specific spot masked by feints and misdirection. Slowly, surely, and eventually completely whittling away at a certain pocket.
Whilst evading the man said, “Human fighting…not for me.”
Kicking off the ground he leapt backwards whilst throwing his sword at Minerva and landed on the ground on all fours.
“What is this, have you given up after realizing the difference in our skill?” Mocked Minerva whilst advancing in an arc, walking towards Imeran. She flashed a mocking grin as she presented the same vial that had been hidden away before, pouring it on the injured man’s wounds. All the while never breaking eye contact.
She whistled and from a nearby roof a sweat covered exhausted boy leapt down next to and picked up Imran, vial and all, running back down the alley to safety.
The man pawed at his front shirt pocket and tilted his head.
A cruel smile full of malice adorned Minerva’s face,
“You…, Ameus, you all think you can just step on me all you want. Just a little girl, am I? Fucking trash.”
Slowly she walked towards him, her breathing deep and a trail of frost in her wake. Each step she took was harder than the last and by the time she entered her sword range she was practically stomping.
“I am not your toy” with that final snarl, Minerva took a deep breath and contained herself.
Taking a proper stance once more, this time she drew her short sword with her left and held her long sword in her right.
“Besides, you have failed in your objective. So focused on your lousy swordsmanship that you did not even notice my true aim. Pathetic and empty minded just like that master of yours. Now…now you will die. My message to your master.”
The man laughed. First it was a human laugh, one full of glee and joy but it quickly turned inhuman. Mirroring the beast from before almost perfectly, with odd pitches that sounded like…something, something mimicking human form.
“Strong, but stupid.”
Once more essence made manifest pooled from the ground, a thin dark fog covering its surface and obscuring the frost.
The laughter rang out once more and the man leapt forward like a horse straight out the gate, a clear cracking sound roaring from the ground with his launch.
In response, Minerva simply lowered her sword and supported it with the pommel of her left short sword. Upon the point of contact the man slammed the ground once again, completely changing his direction to a side leap with all four of his limbs.
Again, he dashed towards Minerva. Again she readjusted and, again, he stopped just short laughing all the while.
Huffing in frustration, “What bluster, all that talk and all you do is run. All you have is speed and dumb strength. Oaf,” said Minerva in taunt.
“Not see” came the curt reply as the man stood still at a distance once more.
Minerva’s eyes flicked left and right, her feet drawing a wide stance on the ground as she tensed every muscle in her body.
This feeling…essence?
The laughter came once more but the man’s mouth was not moving. One eerie voice turned to two, two turned to four and four turned to eight.
From the ground rose eight ethereal figures, smaller versions of the creature that was summoned before.
At the center of the eight, Minerva.
Completely surrounded Minerva squints her eyes,
“You have awakened properly, that explains the sword skill then. Essence manipulation.”
One of the laughing beasts jumped forward and on reaction her sword cut through the air and sliced the figure in two. Yet it did not stop and continued towards the ground where it bounced off.
Like cutting cloth…how odd
As her sword hit the ground, however, a blow came from behind and she was pushed forward. With her left arm she stabbed behind her and with her right she defensively swung at the first attacker, yet a blow from the side knocked the wind out of her and into one from the right.
“Weak,” taunted the man from behind the misty figures.
Spinning around she twirled like a dancer on one foot and sliced all around her with both her weapons, slowly closing her eyes all the while.
After forcing a temporary lull in the fight, she stood at attention, slightly swaying left and right with closed eyes.
“Suicide?” questioned the man who whistled a moment later.
Minerva stabbed upwards immediately, skewering one of her foes with her left and slashing at another with her right. Like two independent minds her arms attacked different targets each time, while her legs allowed her to flow like water through the ranks of her enemies.
Essence creatures, essence detection thought Minerva as she killed her final two enemies by stabbing one behind her and jumping over the other, finishing it by throwing her short sword at it to the left.
Opening her eyes she frowned, looking down at her stomach where a piece of metal was reflecting the dying throes of the day’s sunlight.
“See one, blind to other”
The man then stood up and walked forward, step by step at the gasping Minerva who smiled in pleasure.
Cocking an eyebrow the man slowed in his steps in caution, picking up a fallen weapon from the ground and prepared to throw it.
Jumping to life once more, Minerva pulled the knife from her gut and threw it at her assailant whilst she stared at the ground beneath the man with bloodshot eyes.
Grow…grow damn it
Catching the dagger out of midair and returning it to its sender, this time stabbing into her left arm and hacking off a bit of meat with its travel, the man suddenly stopped and sniffed the air before tensing his legs and trying to leap once more.
Instead he failed to move, wonder on his face as he looked at his now frozen feet.
“Powerful essence”
“Yeah, bastard, we are the same in only that regard” mocked Minerva while she flicked her index finger twice while the ring on her finger glowed with a green light each time.
In response two thin pieces of ice shot up from the ground, one in the man’s stomach and the other in his arm.
“Now we are twice as similar!”
The man laughed, this time a pure human laugh.
Straining his leg he took one step forward, cracking both the ground and the ice that covered him whilst ripping his clothes and a good bit of his skin clean off his lower body.
He then took a second step and a third, leaving a bloody trail on the ground as both his legs bled profusely.
“Crazy” coughed Minerva who weakly made a stance with her last functioning arm and struggled forward.
Her opponent thrust his hand forward and around his hand a thick black bark formed, shaping into a spike that he pointed towards Minerva.
“Now…the end” spoke the man who suddenly dashed forward at a startling speed.
Minerva dashed forward as well, even faster than when she was uninjured. One sword whistling through the air at her opponent’s head, one blackened wooden spike piercing forward towards the swordswoman’s heart.
Mutual death…so this is how it ends