| "The Adventures of Kat and Clara" Part XXIII: Destiny "You know not what you do, sir," Kat said, her sword held back in attack position. "We mean you no harm at all." "It matters not," Faolin said, "for you must pay for my loss, my beloved bride. I mentioned that I would kill for her; I will do that now to avenge her. You will suffer my wrath in its most horrible form. I will blast the fur from your flesh, then scrape the flesh from your bones. I will drink your blood until you are all dry white bones. I will spit onto your corpses and pound your pathetic bodies into dust. And still you will not have suffered enough." "You are insane, sir," Hermione said, holding her crystal fighting chain. "You, Lord Faolin, who blessed my family with prayer and gift, who helped us to obtain our gems. Reconsider your feelings." "I shall not, Hermione," Faolin retorted, pointing his finger angrily at her. "It is not too late for you to join me and side with me once more to defeat your three irresponsible, sinful companions. I will bring good fortune to your family no more." "That is 'Captain Hermione Whitefur' to you, sir," Hermione snapped back, beginning to swing her fighting chain in front of her. "No longer will you consider me a friend. I am a proud Trillanian, who has an obligation to her fellow people. It is honorable, after all; I will stand with them and fight with them until the battle is won or lost. I do not care if I die in this fight; I will die with the knowledge that I was honorable and I was faithful to my companions." Hermione began to whirl her fighting chain from a slow cycle into a dangerous whirlwind of sparkling fury. The crystal weights grew less heavy, and the chain began to spin at a reckless rate. Kat, Clara, and Salem, swords in hand, crouched behind Hermione as she advanced toward Faolin. "You will be no more, Lord Faolin," Hermione shouted, her voice choppy from the whirling of her fighting chain. Faolin walked backwards. "I am impressed, Hermione," he snarled, rearing back his staff to behind his head. "But do you honestly believe that you will be able to defeat me with that cumbersome weapon?" Hermione's eyes widened. "Look out!" she shouted. At that moment, Faolin snapped his arm forward. Launching from the top of his staff were several crystal spikes, very sharp but also very tiny. The small cloud of missiles flew toward Hermione. Her fighting chain spun fast and deflected the tiny spikes, flinging them to the ground. "I will go on!" Hermione proudly proclaimed. "You shall not take my life from me on this day!" "That is a matter of opinion," Faolin said, backing up again. "With enough time, I can bury all of you." Faolin then raised his staff over his head. "Now you die!" The adventurers' eyes widened as Faolin viciously slammed the headpiece of his staff onto the crystal covered ground; it didn't even break. At that moment, the ground began to shake and the crystal overcoat began to crack. Hermione cringed, struggling to maintain her balance and her flailing fighting chain. Kat, Clara, and Salem, still crouched behind her, fell on their knees. Faolin grit his teeth, and the ground shook harder. "If you fumble, you'll kill yourself," he shouted to Hermione, who bent her knees desperately to avoid falling down. "Don't fall, Hermione!" Clara cried, trying to stand back up. "I will stand!" Hermione screamed, her crystal fighting chain whirling at a blinding speed in her hands. "Grrrr...damn you!!" As the three fighters behind her again stood against the trembling earth, Hermione, her arms tiring and her heart full of rage, rushed forward to Faolin and tumbled into him. Her great crystal weights smashed into his abdomen, cracking both the weights and his crystal armor. Hermione fell against his chest, and her arms were scraped as her weapon contacted her. She grunted as the razor sharp spikes penetrated her arms, slashing her flesh and gloves. Hermione, her white fur stained with blood, fell to her knees in pain, holding her docile weapon, as Faolin reeled backward. "You may have the guts," Faolin said, raising his staff high in his hands, "but you will have no glory. Goodbye, Hermione." Hermione's eyes widened as Faolin reared back. Kat, Clara, and Salem all watched in horror as Faolin swung his great staff down at her. "No!" Kat cried, in vain. A moment later, Faolin's staff found Hermione's abdomen. The great column of crystal, easily close to 80 pounds, smashed into Hermione's left side, near her kidneys. She screamed as her ribcage was shattered by the blow, and her organs twisted and contorted in her body. Blood spilled from her nose and mouth as she slumped over onto her side, cringing in agony. She struggled to breathe, clutching her stomach in her hands. I cannot give in to this monster, Hermione thought, looking up at her foe. I must struggle to live, no matter how hard I am beaten down. Faolin stood above Hermione, resting the butt end of his staff on her temple. "That didn't kill you?" he asked, smiling. "Then surely this next blow will. Farewell, Hermione." Faolin then raised his staff three or four feet up from Hermione's head and then suddenly brought it down. But just as he was about to deliver the killing shot to Hermione's skull, his staff suddenly diverted and slammed to the ground a few inches from her face. Faolin, surprised, looked up to find that Kat had slapped quickly at his staff with her sword, leaving a great crack in the end. "You will not take her life!" she shoulted, standing with sword ready. "I will die protecting her." Faolin grinned. "How honorable of you," he said, lifting the distorting lens to his left eye. "Too bad you'll soon die a very dishonorable death." Faolin then stared into the lens as Kat and Clara rushed forward at him. As Kat readied her swing, a beam of light emanating from the lens rushed towards them. "It is not enjoyable to kill you by fighting," Faolin said, the bright yellow beam flying towards them. "So instead I'm going to warp you to death." Clara crouched. "Get down!" she shouted. Kat and Salem fell onto their knees and Clara raised her sword, the hilt almost against her forehead. The yellow beam struck the blue jewel in the hilt of her sword, then was scattered in all directions from each of its facets. A reflected beam was sent screaming back to the lens. "No!" Faolin shouted, as the beam struck the lens. He backed away as the yellow light shattered the crystal lens and dove into his eyeball. He screamed in agony, his eyeball instantly destroyed at contact. Faolin dropped the remaining pedestal to the ground and clutched his face, his eye reduced to the consistency of soup. Corneal fluid dripped down his face, his vision now irreparably half-blinded. Kat and Clara stood and attacked, with Salem in close pursuit. "You are finished!" Clara shouted, winding up. She and Kat swung their swords, but Faolin quickly deflected their blows with his staff. He fought with pain in his face against the onslaught. "One eye or not," Faolin grunted, fending for himself, "I will still be victorious!" Next page >> |