Accessory Wars

Chapter 51-Felisa

            My blood started pounding as soon as the timer counted down. I barely had a plan in my head when the horn blew. Hex threw out his hands and called out "Shadow's Precipice!" His shadow expanded to cover the entire floor and as soon as it touched my own shadow, I felt a sharp, stinging pain in my body. Kami grappled me off the ground while Garreld vaulted onto the end of his staff and perched on top like a monkey. Bael moved his hands in twisted motions, shadow covered clay figures rising out of the ground. They formed into faceless clones, their foot falls echoing with each step. It sounded like someone setting a dozen pots down at once. From my heightened position, I took aim at Hex. He slipped around my barrage by oozing into the floor.

"I see him," Kami said, my reticle locked on a non-specific part of the floor. I followed the moving crosshairs until the shadows erupted. Hex flew up at me in a torrent of shadowy moths. I snapped open my umbrella and his iron dagger clanged against the metal. I felt the icky, prickly feeling again and my eyes shot down, seeing my shadow clipping the edge of Hex's shoulder. Kami smashed my boot into the joint, knocking him away. I released my grapple and shot it off to another platform, however Hex kept pace by leaping from shadow to shadow created by the platforms overlapping.

Kami twirled the umbrella about before pushing off a platform, tackling Hex midair. Then she slammed the tip against my boot, flipping the world over into the negative realm. We both crashed into a platform, myself rolling to my feet while Hex staggered as he composed himself. I quickly double tapped the umbrella. Hex shot into the ground but then vanished into the darkness within. Dammit.

Hands latched onto my ankles and pulled me into the floor. Darkness surrounded me, pressing against me like a trash compactor. I struggled to breathe but Kami kept calm enough for me to stay focused. Something slammed into my side and a sharp pain erupted as the dagger pierced through the metal of my armor. Kami cried out and gritted her teeth against the pain. Using my close combat knowledge, I waited for him to strike again. When the dagger hit my hip, I grabbed his wrist and ripped his hand free of his dagger, twisting his arm behind him. Hex hissed as his shoulder bent awkwardly and I point my umbrella tip at his back. I fired over and over, most of the shows bouncing off but a few made nicks in the metal.

My entire resolve crumbled as Hex kicked his heel back, landing his heel between my legs. The air left my lungs and I felt lightheaded from the eruption of pain. Kami managed to keep me upright but my legs trembled from the residual waves of agony pulsing through my lower abdomen. With my weakened grip, Hex ripped free into the darkness. Kami whirled my umbrella, flipping the world back into place. I fell out of the sky over a B-class platform and I managed to grapple to the glass wall before I landed on a woman's head.

I failed to hold back a cry as Hex appeared out of the wall where I meant to land, crawling out of my growing shadow. The knife in my side felt cold and hurt when I twisted my body to land off to the side of Hex. Shadows spiked out of the floor and wrapped around my body, the sharp prickle turning into an intense cold burn. I writhed in attempts to break free, feeling my stomach leap into my throat as I dropped to the water below. I hit the water hard, my grapple failing to find its target before I landed.

My arms and legs moved, propelling me upwards until a hand wrapped around my wrist. Staff yanked me out onto a motorized barge and moved towards one of the first aid rooms. Disappointment and irritation swarmed within me.

"We're not out yet," Kami reminded. My eyes shot upwards to the platform bases, praying Garreld held on for the last half of the fight. As soon as I stepped into the recovery room, I hurried to a television. Staff gave me warm towels to dry off with but I barely paid attention to them.