The Last Saint

9: The Burning Tree

Pyros formed her sword. Eve charged at her. Their swords clashed, and they became locked in combat. 1 on 1, Eve's skills were very apparent. Pyros used her blade with one hand, and magic with the other, creating streams of fire to attack Eve.

Pyros continued to block and step back to try and use her magic more freely, but Eve was much faster than her, and kept close, swinging with deadly precision. Finally, Pyros created an explosion at point blank range, knocking Eve back. She dropped her sword, and coughed as she hit the ground. Pyros walked right up to her, and raised her own sword.

"End of the line, Seed. You really did think you could kill me, didn't you? You arrogant bitch, did you actually believe I would let history repeat itself? You won't win. Not this time. Let's see how tough you are with no hands!"

Adam looked at Eve's sword, and the adrenaline kicked in. He ran forward and grabbed it. Pyros' arm began to drop. Adam didn't even really look as he swung. His eyes clamped shut. But when he opened them again, he found himself covered in blood. Pyros' sword hit the ground with a loud clank, her right arm, severed at the elbow, still clutching it.

She stared at Adam for a moment, then looked back at her stump, and began to scream, clutching the wound and stumbling back.

"My arm!" She screamed. "You cut off my arm! You god damn monsters!"

Adam looked. A dozen of the constructs in the knights armor approached from the bridge. Eve took her sword back, rising to her feet, handing him the scabbard.

"They won't die even if we kill her, so we'll have to deal with them first," Eve said.

"How do you know?" Adam asked.

She looked at him. "Trust me."

He nodded. And they ran to the bridge to meet their enemies. Adam remained on the defensive, blocking their arm-swords skillfully with the moves Eve taught him, while she took the chance to destroy them. One by one, the Constructs fell, however with each swing and block, Adam and Eve grew more and more tired. And as they dispatched the last Construct, another 10 came running. 

Adam got a brilliant idea. He ran back, and took Pyros' sword, and stood at Eve's side with it, returning the scabbard to her. The sword was uncomfortably hot to touch, scalding almost, but he ignored the pain, and engaged his enemies. Eve wielded her katana one handed, using the scabbard in her other hand to block.  

This time around, though Eve did most of the work, Adam successfully parried one of the Constructs and destroyed it. Over the course of battle, Eve cut down the others, her movements slowing down gradually. With two remaining, she stabbed one through the heart, but the other moved to stab her back. Luckily, Adam shoved it, and thrust the burning sword into its belly. Both constructs dissolved, dying.

Breathing heavily, Eve and Adam leaned on each other back to back.

"Why... did she have to... make so many stupid constructs?" Eve whined out loud.

"I don't know, but it makes me hate her even more, somehow!"

"Speaking of which, you killed her right?"

Both of them froze for a moment. And then they took off running. They found a blood trail on the ground, leading to an open portal. Eve immediately ran through, and Adam followed her as fast as he could. The found themselves inside some kind of office building, as the portal behind them closed. The blood trail, which marked both the wall and floor, lead to a stairwell, and up the stairs.

Eve proceeded with caution, holding her sword as tightly as she could. Adam followed, using his cell phone as a flashlight to illuminate their path. The blood trail lead to the roof. The door was still cracked open. Eve peered though. They heard voices on the other side.

"Please," Pyros begged the unseen other. "Help me, Thirteenth, please, don't let me die!"

"You reap what you sow, Eighth," the male voice responded.

Eve threw open the door, and her and Adam burst through to the roof in time to see a portal disappear. Pyros sat against the railing at the edge of the roof, her stump still bleeding profusely. She was pale, and her eyes and skin looked cold and dead. She smirked.

"The others didn't believe me, you know. When I told them about you, Seed. They believed you could be tamed, they believed you would join us. But I knew you were going to try and kill us all. Well come on, you got what you came for. Come kill me you evil, traitorous bitch. Just do it. KILL ME!"

Eve started to walk, but Adam grabbed her wrist. "Let me."

He walked right up to Pyros, who laughed. "That's it Fourteenth, kill me like an obedient little dog. Savor your revenge, you're gonna be with mommy and daddy soon. I just wish I could see the look on your face when she betrays you again."

Adam gritted his teeth, and sunk the sword directly into her chest. She choked, and eventually died, and as she did, her sword disappeared into ash. Unlike the constructs, Pyros left behind her body; despite being a Saint, she was still human after all.

Her corpse began to glow momentarily, and then a stream of light poured from her into Adam and Eve, and Adam began to see strange images; they were unclear, but somehow he found himself in a tunic and cloak, kissing a similarly dressed Eve in some sort of cathedral. But then he found himself returning to reality when his phone started going off.

The sun began to rise on the horizon. Eve sheathed her sword, and took his hand in hers.

"One down, just 12 more."

Adam nodded. He felt strangely invigorated. and also confused. He wasn't sure what the vision meant.