"Oh, such a shame, Dance Partner, but I do believe the daylight is returning. Well, until next time!" Jhurack decrees just as the first glints come from the Sundial's tip. And, with a frustrated growl, I continued with my downward kick. Blasting apart the road beneath me in the process right after he vanishes. I then waited there for a moment, my posture unmoved as the light came out more and more.
Slowly, I began to stand up as the very air started to tut at me. The damage he had inflicted began to rescind and my exerted frustrations against the city vanished as well. I blinked slowly. Then, with a slow turn, I walked towards the great centrepiece building of the city.
Adjusting my attire as the quiet moments went go on by.
It must've been odd for the patrols I was starting to come across as well. Because I tended to not make a habit of just walking through the city. Or, maybe they found what I was doing to be completely within expectations. A night of fighting and running would tucker anyone out...
"Skulking about like that, I'd say we won the obvious bet." one of them remarks as I pass them, just before he yawns in exhaustion. He looks down at his watch, clearly eager to end his shift already. But, before he did that, I decided to approach him.
"Do you have a spare communicator?" I asked as I looked beyond him and at the grand clock further down the street. A new week had begun, which meant I had to send in a report to Inerish. It was the same as it always was, though. So I questioned the need for it, but, five years of habit was five years of habit...
"Try not to break it." he commented before walking off. Without a care, I then head on my way as well. Carefully fiddling with the device intended for hands and not osibindah claws. Then, once it was ready, I set it on record.
"Inerish, this is Ni- Dark Crow, no changes to the usual way of things. No deaths to report either and damage to the city is also not an issue. He continues to elude me. End of report." I tell the device before I turn off the recording functionality. And, once I was sure it was off, I sighed and made way for a nearby bench.
I was exhausted like usual, my magic reserves were burnt up and my body lacked energy. I may have left the night relatively unscathed, but all the injuries Jhurack had dealt still dwelled in my mind. Each time this happened, I thought I would go into the next night more prepared. Better able to handle it, more capable of being able to handle it...
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But it seemed like I could never get used to it. He was just so powerful that he could always elude my own strength. My experience as well meant nothing to someone who just had to take a step back to stay ahead of me. It was as frustrating as it was infuriating but I didn't have the energy to do much else.
Just like most other nights, I had been bled enough times that I should've died. Though, I really was surprised that I hadn't died at this point already, to be honest. In moments like these, when I had no energy to spare. My recklessness was so clear to me, I went through brief, very brief thoughts of how it scared me.
"I suppose I should send it all off." I then mutter as I return my attention to the communicator. Briefly, I watched as some aptly named circlingbirds came spiralling towards a tree like water down a sink. I looked at their beaks first and foremost, then tenderly touched my own. I clasped it and then took it off.
The heat building in my head steamed off into the morning air and I leaned into the park bench as it clouded my breath. It was moments like these that made me miserable. Because all I could ever think of was how Larishazza acted in moments like these. It was rare, but, sometimes, she liked to dance to the earliest of morning tunes by the birds.
It made me smile at first, thinking about all the arguments she and Tiyanat had. Larishazza loved birds for their music-like noises. But, being her sister, Tiyanant was compelled to offer resistance. The two would bicker and bicker and seemingly forget it all in time for the next time it happened.
And then, I was miserable once again, because that is all I had of Larishazza at this point. Memories of what she had done, memories of what I had done with her, what she had done with others. She wasn't dead, she wasn't gone. But, it felt like she was a lot of the time...
I hated that, knowing that all I could expect the next time I saw her was nothing. She'd just be laying there, and not a word would come from her. Not a twitch or even a disturbed wiggle as she adjusted how she slept. She was completely still like she had been for more than a thousand nights already.
"You will not take her from me, Smiling Jhurack." I decree with some energy in my words before I put the mask back on. It was about time I got to the Sundial to do the part of this report that had to be done in person. Then, I could go and get something to eat. I could get myself ready for some more training outside the city.
And as I got up, I ended up disturbing the circlingbirds, scaring them off into the sky. Only, this time, they just went straight for it. Their duality was severed and their namesake was forgotten. Something beautiful near me had vanished once again.
But, anticipating a change in that, I watched and waited. Eventually, the pair came back together and everything went back to the way it was. The monster had been avoided and life could be pleasant once again. And I clenched my fists as I reminded myself of that inevitability.
I would win, for the sake of her smile which I so sorely missed...