The Dance of the Blades and the Leaves

Chapter Three

I debated my options, I could try and escape, but where I could run? Into the woods? No, that'd just give her the advantage. Down the mountain? That wasn't an option, either. I couldn't give them that much of the high ground, especially when outnumbered. How could I fight her? I couldn't go offensive with my Katana, at least not yet anyways. I had to keep it defensive, keep my shield out. I raised my shield into a defensive position, I was certain that she'd strike first and I could react following that.  I saw a vine whip around from my right side, and I instinctively jumped and rolled.

My leaping parry was one of my best defenses, and even against these heavy vines. The  vine flew down and I flipped, cutting downwards on the vine and dichotomizing it. I wasted no time getting back up and ran, taking cover behind a nearby house, and I requiped my Frost rapier and kept the Kite shield, I spun the corner and saw three of the mushroom creatures from earlier. This time, I showed zero hesitation, I was back to my best. I ducked under one and drove the rapier right through it, spun down, then drove my blade through the knee of the next one, pulling the rapier out and switching back to the long sword, this allowed the mushroom to close range on me, but by this time, a slash down the chest finished him.

I advanced to another cover, I didn't think it was safe in the open. The area uncovered, I didn't have any flame weapon with me, the vines had a harder path to me through the buildings, plus they were just guessing where I was at this point. I heard vines whip around the area, and what sounded like a wind of broken glass tearing through the town. Another vine blocked my next path, but I had to get to the stem of the massive leaf, it was the only way I could strike back against my opposite, my enemy. I tried to dodge the vine, but my evasion was countered and it wrapped about my left thigh, lifting me into the air.

I felt dozens, maybe hundreds, maybe thousands of small needles drive into my leg at once from that vine. A sudden rush of agony filled me and I cried out in pain. I felt a rush up my veins, a poison from the needles Emiko had just driven into me. It sapped my body of energy, it wasn't a slow diluted process, but a painful and sudden one. My thoughts became muddled, my muscles hurt everywhere. I kept trying to focus, but to know avail. The only thing that was clear was that I was going to die here, I was going to die and no one would know about Emiko, about Amaris, about that man. I vaguely remembered what was happening, and what I was doing. Times like this made me glad I knew holder magic, I used it to wield two katanas away from my hand and had them spiral down the vine that had caught me, splicing it and setting me free.

I barely managed to stick the landing, and I caught both my swords. Despite the torturous pain I was in from that vine, I had a sudden rush of energy. I had to fight and I had to stop her, no matter what. Around me, maybe a dozen vines. I had to get past them and maybe strike her back, but this wouldn't be so easy, I knew that. I rushed forward, parrying what vines I could and refusing to let them grab hold of me. I cut three down. Four. Six. I lost count. I hopped over a fallen tree and as I did so required to my Dragon Axe, a massive axe infused with electricity. I was running low on stamina, and it was heavy, but it could cleave that stem.

I dragged the axe through the ground with the blade facing towards the sky on my final approach, but I was silent. No battle cry would help me here, only my speed and ability to choose the correct point of impact. I closed the distance quickly enough, deciding I should try to hit close as possible to the middle of the stem, that was it's narrowest point. I jumped, striking almost precisely where I was aiming. The heavy axe went straight through the stem, a snap shook the village and whatever windows remained were shattered. Emiko cried out min pain the moment the blade went through the stem. Electricity traced the stem both up and down, the overgrown plant quickly becoming char. The electricity discharged itself into the ground after, and the leaf they stood on fell in a blink, burnt to dust and Emiko landed on the ground coughing.  I flipped, knowing I could only requip one last time, going for my twin straight swords, and landed to the ground drenched in sweat and panting. My palms were pressed against the ground, blades out, I wasn't in any condition to fight.

Emiko was fuming, her skin had black smoke burning it off for just a moment. She turned at me, I could see the hate, destruction, and pain through her eyes. She was just passed. She was screaming incoherently for a couple minutes, giving me at least enough time to orient myself and stand after that bizarre fight.

She finally seemed to have enough to composure to lambast me, marching straight towards me. She yelled, quite pissed off, "How could you! Kill my innocent plant?! Who the he'll do you think you are?! You know what? I could kill you right now! You'd be dead where you fucking stand!"

The person from the forest spoke, "Emi, now isn't the time. We need to get out of here." Her hood was down and I could see who this person was, a girl older than Emiko, about 24, with black hair and the violet eyes. This was useful, I knew who I was hunting now, even in my brutalized state.

Emiko tried to protest, "But---"

She got cut off, as the lady grabbed her with one arm and charged a magic spell in the other, "We're leaving" She jumped off and shot the spell at me, a black-violet ball of energy, it was all I could do to barely roll to the ground and out of the way from the spell, which continued onwards and hit somewhere at the base of the mountain. I did my best to land on my back, but even so, I hit the ground hard, and everything went black.