Blaze

Chapter 2: Shadow Trial

It happened quite quickly. Nathan was about to die. The monster was charging at him at a good speed. He vaguely heard Jacob calling his name, as the monster continued to cover the distance between them. Nathan's body refused to move other than shivering, he could feel cold wet fear all over his body. Nathan could hear his heart pounding in his head. The monster lunged at him and closed the last 2 feet of distance between them. He closed his eyes.

Nathan felt himself being pulled from the corner and suddenly remembered that Jacob was there.

"What happ-Whoa!"Jacob whispered as he saw the gelatinous monster that had crashed in front of them.

The pull had shaken Nathan out his fear-induced paralysis. He felt the wooden sword in his hand and remembered that he wasn't totally defenseless.

"Jake, we have to fight it" Nathan said to his brother.

Jacob would have probably argued any other time, but he knew that they were in danger. The monster charged at them again. It crashed into the wall that they were just standing against with a loud thud that echoed throughout the night. The windows of the apartments that lined the street remained dark. Didn't anyone notice the sounds of the scuffle? Why hadn't anyone raised an alarm?

"Watch out!" Jacob shouted as the monster swung it's blade toward Nathan. He tried to move but He was too slow and the blade caught him by his side. Pain erupted from his side as he fell to the ground.

"NATHAN!" Jacob shouted has he ran over to help his brother.

Nathan was bleeding slowly and the pain was unbearable. He looked up at his brother and he flinched, but not from the pain, the monster was right behind Jacob and getting ready to strike again.

"J-j-Jake, behind you!" Jacob whirled around with the bat but he was too late, the blade was already falling. It was a long blade, long enough to cover two bodies. This monster would kill Nathan and Jacob in one strike. As the metallic blade flashed in the dim moonlight, Nathan closed his eyes and waited for the end.

The sound of metal hitting metal echoed throughout the street. It was a sound he would never forget.

When Nathan opened his eyes a scene from a movie was before him. Standing between the two brothers was a cloaked figure of small build that held a blade blocking the monster's blade.

The monster roared then it made a series of sounds that Nathan swore sound like "none of your business".

"It's always our business to ensure the safety of people," said a fierce feminine voice from under the cloak.

The monster uttered something else that Nathan didn't quite catch then tried to grab the woman with its slimy hands. Before the hands could touch her, the woman pushed back the monster with her blade and jumped away from them. The monster roared and then charged at her.

In a flash of silver the woman leapt at the monster while dodging its attack, cutting off all its arms and grabbing it's weapon. The monster howled in pain. Nathan thought that at least this would attract the attention of the neighbors but the windows of the apartments around them were still dark.

In two swift and graceful movements the cloaked woman threw the monster's sword into the ground, stepped onto the handle of the sword, and flipped over the monster while bring her blade down hard through its body. The monster collapsed into a black slime heap that resembled tar.

Nathan was stunned by what had just happened in front of him and so was Jacob. They both stared at the woman who was now examining the heap of slime that tried to kill them a minute ago. Nathan barely felt the question as it left his mouth.