Fox Of Greed (Greedy Fox Book 1)

~~ THIRTY ONE ~~

Am I dead?

My body was weightless and my vision was dark. If this wasn't the tunnel of death, then someone pinch me now.

The weight returned to my body. My stomach plummeted. My eyes flew open just as I hit the ground and rolled. Over and over and over. I flopped face down, groaning.

There went those healed ribs.

The world went spinning before my eyes and I squeezed them shut. A quick, pain rating scan over my body told me that the blast had hurt. A lot.

My feet were numb and tingly and I was acutely aware of the spiking pain from tailbone to mid-spine. Each cough tasted like smoke and every inhale was gurgling in my throat. Something was seriously wrong with my left shoulder – it felt twisted out of place and I couldn't move my hand.

"You...have to... get up," I mumbled into the grass as motivation for myself. Using my good arm, I propped myself up on an elbow. My chest and neck stung. Blood dripped from my nose and over my lips. Head injury? Most likely. There was a ringing in my ears and it didn't help that everything I witnessed seemed to be a beat behind.

Guess whole body Enflame wasn't just good as an attack spell. I'd have to make note of that when I got back to the barracks.

Sword. Where's my sword?

I looked around before looking down and sucking in my stomach, raising my body up and away from the deadly blade. Luckily the blade was flat-face down and not jammed in the ground. I wiggled it out and sheathed it awkward.

Griamore ran like he was stuck in jelly. I was downwind to them and the smoke from the blast was eddying around my face. I crawled forward, inching my way along like a dying worm. I was about a hundred metres from them – I could faintly see Griamore's hulking form coming to a stand still – when I heard it.

Elizabeth's sob reached me right through and ripped my heart in two. I left my stone heavy stomach somewhere behind me. Heart in throat, the smoke clearing as I dragged nearer. I was painfully aware of the grass prickling my skin, the razor sharp breaths leaving my lips, the stabs of pain with each muscle contraction, the caress of a breeze on my heated cheeks.

Veronica laid across Elizabeth's legs, half in, half out of the crater the blast had created. Horror stricken, I watched as she raised a hand to Elizabeth's cheek then it fell away. Breath stolen away, much the same as Veronica's had been by death. I pressed my face into grass with a shudder. It ran the length of my body, rippled back up, repeating until I couldn't stop shaking.

I didn't feel an ounce of grief though.

Pure. Rage.

Guila had gone too far now.

I swore myself to the King of Liones. I swore that I would be a protector of the kingdom. I swore I'd keep the royal family safe.

That was it.

Screw Hendrickson. He could shove his orders where the sun didn't shine. I'd failed my true primary objective. I wasn't going to fail it anymore.

I wriggled my fingers through the grass and into the soil. "Kitsune!" Magic thrummed but I sought deeper, further – I needed all the power in Vaizel and I needed it yesterday. I hoarded it all, felt the warm glow inside my solar plexus. With a nudge, I aimed it towards the ache in my back.

I was like someone had placed a warm pack on my spine, right on the pain. It didn't hurt but it was draining, sucking through the absorbed Mana like it was yoghurt in a tiny tube. My eyes rolled into the back of my head and I felt myself fading away. I cut the connection, my eyes flying open with a gasp.

My lungs ached – must have stopped breathing. When I had recovered slightly, I started again. It was impossible to remove my dwindling supply of Mana from my new-found healing because it was already tied to Kitsune and being reabsorbed. I had to grit my teeth and fight onwards. It happened three times and on the fourth, I felt one vertebrae squeeze itself between two others then the lessening of the ache in my back. Feeling returned to my feet.

Just in time too. Jericho and Guila were taking their sweet time towards the others. Griamore and Hawk stood in front of the two Princesses. A fireball from Guila knocked them down, incapacitated. I grasped my left shoulder and shoved viciously. White sparks dampened my senses but at least I could shrug both shoulders now. I opened and closed a fist, pins-and-needles crawling up and down my arms like hairy, ticklish caterpillars.

Time to fight!

Guila's second fireball attack disintegrated on contact with my slice. It exploded harmlessly in front of me and I shifted to the defensive, blade at the ready.

"Estra."

"Don't worry, Princess. On my honour as a Holy Knight, I'll protect you," I assured Elizabeth. "I won't let anyone else die today." I sent a silent prayer to Veronica for forgiveness.

"Estra, what do you think you're doing?" questioned Guila, lance aimed at me. "Move."

"No. I won't let you hurt anymore. What type of Holy Knights are we? You've killed a Princess of Liones."

Guila's face was remorseless. "Our objective is-"

"Who gives a flying fuck anymore what the objective is?!"

"We do," Jericho said. I watched her hand inch towards her blade. "The Grand Master gave us a mission."

"And the other Grand Master has a son who you've just tried to barbeque. You two might not have any qualms about attacking royalty of Liones and high ranking Holy Knight children, but you should at least realise this is wrong!" They shared a look. A dead look. No concern. I grounded teeth. "I can't believe I came to Liones to learn from you, Guila." They both took a step forward. "Not another step!"

"Your righteousness will get you killed one day, Estra," Jericho said.

"Your stupidity will get you killed today if you keep this up," I threatened.

That one thread of control Jericho actually had snapped. "That's it! I've had enough of you!" I parried her first attack with my broken vambrace, sliding in close to home to send the hilt of my blade into the side of her cheek. She shrieked in pain and fell back.

"Oh, and what are you going to do?" I thrusted my blade forward, feinted and went for a low swipe at the knee. She blocked it, arms twisted awkward and I send a roadhouse kick to her undefended side. I felt a rib crack against my boot. "Last time we fought, you ended up face down."

Fury was writ in her black eyes. "Godspeed Cross Slash!"

Shit!

I blocked but it literally did nothing. When she pulled back, blood spurted from the cuts. "Ha. Papercuts," I said, wiping blood from the corner of my mouth. Lie.

That fucking hurt. How long had she had that ability? She was faster than she made herself out to be. No matter. I've had plenty of experience against fast opponents. Jericho would be no different. I quelled the shake in my sword hand. 

A/N: I'm on fire today! There should be another chapter later on so stay tuned~