An Eternity of Change

Chapter 17

September 10, 1910

They had been in Greece for about five years now and so far Jack hadn't found them. Jaylyn was grateful for that but was also a bit cautious; if the immortal did find them she didn't think the result would be pretty. But Adam had been training her in surprise attacks, both how to fight them off and give them. He should be coming back home soon and she hid in the shadows, preparing to show him her skills. She shifted once before going still and listening as the door opened right on time, Adam calmly walked into the house and she quickly came at him from behind with her pocketknife and jumped onto his back. Just as quickly she was flipped over his shoulder and flat on her back staring up at him as he looked down at her.

"Try again." He stated. "I haven't killed you yet, which means the fight is still going unless you're allowing me to kill you."

Jaylyn rolled onto her feet and lunged left before jumping back and doing the same to his right, until finally going low and kicking the back of one of his knees out. Adam staggered as he dodged a moment to slow before shouldering her into a wall, receiving a wound to his abdomen in order to trap her as it still gave him the advantage. She twisted the small knife and felt him tense up before yelping as he kneed her in the stomach, weakening her grip on her knife as she flinched.

"Giving up so easily?" Adam asked with a challenging glint in his eyes. "I know you don't stand a chance but at least keep trying."

She went limp; not being able to move to attack and feeling the corner dig into her back. She waited for him to pull out her pocketknife before squirming from his lessoned grip and aiming for his throat. Adam dropped the bloodied weapon before shoving her back against the wall with a bored look, a second later he gave a hiss of pain as Jaylyn bit his wrist until it drew blood. Unfortunately this allowed him to put her in a headlock and she wheezed as she tried to breathe without panicking while he casually tightened his grip. Her hands were free though and she pulled his dagger from his pocket before jabbing him in the side with it and dragging the blade up awkwardly, cutting into her own arm as well. When the tip reached his heart she dug it in deeper, though still not enough to kill, until he released her.

Jaylyn took several deep breaths before grinning with a mischievous spark in her eyes. "I won?"

Adam took his dagger back and gave her a grudging nod. "Yes."

"Hmm, but I guess it isn't much of a win considering how old my opponent is... It almost seems like a crime to beat up an old man." She was trying not to laugh now as Adam gave her a look.

"This old man has been beating you for years, if I may remind you." He replied while wiping off his dagger. "Don't let one win go to your head."

"I've heard that lecture." She said before backing away with a sly smile. "Though I must say, you were off your game on the last part... Perhaps you're losing your edge?"

Jaylyn gave a yelp as his daggered gaze met her once more, she ran off as he slowly sat down his dagger and started after her. She almost made it to safety before being brought to the ground with his weight holding her down.

"My hearing must be going too." He hissed lightly. "Did you say I was losing my edge?"

She pushed up off the ground, something she hadn't been able to do when they'd first started training, and twisted around so her hand was at his throat before giving another joking remark. "Two thousand years haven't dulled everything it seems... just most things."

Adam stared down at her silently and for a second she thought she'd insulted him too much, but then she felt his throat vibrate a bit and realized he was laughing. The fact stunned her a bit; looking back she couldn't remember him ever laughing. She released her grip on his throat and grinned back as he sat back.

"I will correct one thing." He stopped laughing. "Only my humanity has been dulled."

"Then what am I seeing?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "Or was that some evil laughter you do before plotting murder?"

Adam glanced at the blood that had soaked into her clothing in their little scuffle before glancing at his still bleeding side. "Just a brief flash of humor... Go get the medical supplies, I need to stitch this."

Jaylyn complied and grabbed the kit before going to his room where he'd discarded his bloodied shirt and was now examining his wounds. He didn't even glance up as she sat the kit beside him, though he did stop her as she started to leave.

"What?" She gave him a weary look, by the way he'd been examining his injuries she could guess he was going to criticize something.

"Your first attack wasn't over anything critical, that was a big mistake." He started putting the needle through his skin. "But the others... very good."

She nodded in thanks, glancing at his slightly raised scar from where his dagger had first killed him, before backing out of the room. "I'll go fix the stuff we messed up."

"Don't bother, we're leaving tonight." He replied suddenly. "Killings in the area resemble Jack's. If it is him we better leave before he finds us."

Jaylyn turned back to look at him. "Where to this time?"

"I was thinking Italy." Adam responded as he sat the medical kit aside and got up to wash his blood off his hands. "Unless you would prefer somewhere else."

"Italy's fine. Though I don't understand why you pick places where the ocean is everywhere basically yet we have to stay away from the coast."

"If you die would you like to end up in the middle of the Atlantic?"

"...No."

He came back a moment later. "Then we can't live on the coast... We can visit this time though, I already have a place in mind."

"As always." She leaned against the wall. "So what do we do this time? Burn the house, murder look a likes, just leave never to be seen again."

"Murder could get Ripper on our trail, burning might too if we do it a second time in a row. This time we'll leave." Adam responded as he put a new shirt on. "I'll get the rest of our things while you change... people might stare if you walk out covered in blood."

Jaylyn nodded and left but added one last comment. "Fine, but next time we spar I'll show you today wasn't just a fluke."