Fox Of Greed (Greedy Fox Book 1)

~~ SIXTY SIX ~~

If you need a recap of what Hendrickson looks like, head to 'Part 4'. There's a visual reference for you all. 

~~~~

I doubled over as branches of cold shot through my torso, my knees quivering.

"Ban! Estra!" Diane cried.

All the sounds in the world returned and I slashed my flaming sword down on the black, severing it with a hiss. I stumbled backwards, right into Diane's hand. The black in my stomach disappeared into smoke and my hands dropped to the wound to staunch the blood. I grimaced as the hole restitched itself.

"Why didn't you move?" Leraj asked, kneeling beside me.

"Sorry. Bit of a memory lock there," I said. Realisation dawned in his eyes and he looked away, guilty.

"Can you stand?" Diane asked.

"Yeah."

She helped me upright and I wiped blood on my pants. Leraj held my elbow when I swayed then caught me by the waist when the ground rumbled and I lost my footing.

Ban stood at the edge of a hole, shoulders heaving. Hendrickson was gone. We moved closer to stare down into the abyss. That was the second time Hendrickson had been sent more than 6 feet under.

For a moment, we stood in silence before Ban retrieved his nunchuk and suddenly struck at the red demon, obliterating the head into nothing but mush.

"Ban, you really killed that thing twenty years ago?" King asked.

"Who killed what and when isn't important," he answered.

I think I missed something important, I thought, pulling myself away from Leraj's support to stand on the lip. Dirt crumbled and fell away. Meliodas joined me, then Gowther, then Diane crouched to peer down as well.

"Forget all that, look at the size of this hole," Meliodas said.

"I detect a slight breeze which must mean that there's a cave further down," Gowther said.

"He won't be dead," Leraj added.

"Let's go then," announced the captain.

"But I don't think I can fit down there," Diane said with a pout.

"No problem. You can stay up here and keep a lookout," Meliodas said. Her pout grew bigger.

"Don't worry, Diane, I'll stay with you," I said, patting her arm, which cheered her up a little. "We'll make sure Elizabeth stays protected."

We watched Meliodas, Ban, Gowther and King disappear. Silence descended over us. I looked at Leraj, who looked after our comrades with his eyebrows drawn together. I hadn't seen such a serious and concerned look on his face before.

"Why didn't you go with them?" I asked.

He blinked and turned to me. "Someone has to help be backup on the surface. Besides, I think those four will be fine against Hendrickson in his current state."

"I hope they bring the fight back up here. I still need to give Hendrickson more payback for what he did to Elizabeth," Diane said.

Speaking of the Princess... "Where's Hawk?"

Diane stood, shielding her eyes from the sun as she scanned. "I see her and Hawk with Princess Margaret. Gilthunder and Howzer aren't too far away either."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "She's safe there then." Two very capable knights and of course, the captain of the scraps disposal. "So... what do we do now?"