[James Daniels] Storm-Fall
James stood in the shelter of the Lilac Bower. But the shelter that it offered was shattered. The Storm stood within the shattered door of the hold. They had returned to take him. They had returned to fight him.
And he was weak. The crossbow quiver was still in his shoulder, the blood soaking through his clothing. His ribs were broken in at least three places from his impact with the side of the Bower. His jo was left in the hands of the one who had thrown him towards the Bower. All he had left was his katana.
And he watched the Chijiriki step forward with her naginata. He watched Tetsubo and Sean square off. He looked around at the wounded members of the freehold, saw the powder still lingering on the floor. He knew that, outside, Antonius-sama, Jonathan-san and others were fighting the hobgoblins.
He was wounded, gravely. A battle with the Chijiriki could have only one conclusion in his state. And to be successful, he would have to break his vow to not kill. His hand reached down, one hand lingering on the hilt of his katana.
He had barely a second to contemplate his choice. But as he contemplated and let his eyes look towards the other, he realized that the choice was simple. His friends were around him. His home was threatened. There was only one answer to the threat that the Storm pose.
One hand tightened on the grip of the weapon, drawing it and striking in one stroke. As he lunged forward, though, his eyes caught the Chijiriki's. For a moment, he had the glimmer of a feeling of what he had felt in Arcadia. The unexpected feelings stung his heart, and his foot stumbled, his blow going wild.
The move sent events rushing forward. The Chijiriki pronounced him an oath-breaker. And, he knew, he was. He had forsaken his pledge to give up the sword. More than that, though, he felt his path was correct. For the first time, there was no doubt in his heart. He was, no doubt, going to die in the next few minutes - but if he did die, he would die knowing he was fighting to protect something greater than himself.
The Chijiriki struck. His ribs ached as he tried to dodge, a moment to slow, the blade of her naginata piercing his shoulder, ripping it open. He staggered once, and then again when Guren struck with her fans. His vision dimmed for a moment as he stumbled, nearly falling. He had been healed by Rosemary once before attacking the Chijiriki - those wounds were re-opened. He did not see the Chijiriki chide Guren, claiming him as her target.
There are still people who need protecting, he whispered in his head, Get up. Fight!
Slowly, he straightened, his hand tightining on the katana. "This one is sorry.", he whispered to the Chijiriki as he put one foot ahead of the other and ran towards her, spinning at the last moment, giving up any pretense at a defense to strike true and hard against her shoulder.
The next moments were a blur of motion, pain and blood. He struck the Chijiriki again and again, but was struck in return. He fell, at least once, his consciousness fading into black only to be replaced by sight and pain. He heard the sounds of explosions above him and outside. Heard the sound of gunshots in the room. His nose was filled with gunpowder and blood.
For a moment, he vagually recalled a battlefied far and away.
But that was then, and this was now.
And there were still people who needed protecting.
He moved forward again, to strike. But as he did, he was a moment to slow. The spiked ball of the Chijiriki's weapon swung around and down towards him. There was no time to evade, no time to get away. This was the blow that would end him and there was no hope he could escape.
But the blow never fell. The young stonebones who had arrived only a month earlier was suddenly in its way, suddenly taking the blow, taking a strike powerful enough to leave him unconscious on the ground. He looked up in shock and rising anger as the Chijiriki chided him for letting someone so young take his blows.
Protect them.
He charged once again, his sword swinging. He struck true once, and then again. Somehow, by some miracle, he succeeded in dodging the hammerfall of her weapon. He was weak, the blood loss was leaving him light-headed. Out of the line of his sight, he saw Knight-san fighting through the crowd. He saw Brian-san shooting again and again. He thought Justin-san was somewere in the mess as well. And he saw Sean-sama fighting desperately against Tetsubo, trying to win against the giant.
It could not continue.
And it did not.
He slipped on blood. He had no idea if it was his own, or his friends', or the Chijiriki's. But he slipped nonetheless and left himself open for the strike of the Chijiriki's blade. He felt it cut right across his chest. The pain became his world as he staggered down to his knees, his hand opening to drop the katana. His vision was fading, the strength draining out of his body. His fight was over and done, his life was over.
But as he looked around and saw the fight through the bower, The freehold was rallying, pushing forward.
You have done what you can. You have fought as hard as you can. No one can fault you for falling. No one can say you did not do enough. And, hopefully, it will be enough.
There were no other thoughts left in him, no more fight. No more wind. The air fell to the ground, the life leaving it in the red blood flowing from his wounds.
---
There were things that the fallen Elemental could not see.
He could not see Sir Knight smashed with Tetsubo's club, his head turned to a ruined mass.
He could not see member after member of the Freehold fall against the blows of the Storm.
He did not see Guren shot again and again and again until she fell. And then shot once more in the head, killing her instantly.
He did not see Tetsubo stumble and fall, and call to Sean to finish their battle. To end his life. He did not see Sean strike once, true, ending Tetsubo.
And he did not see the Chijiriki lift him from the ground and disappear, fleeing into the hedge.
And he was weak. The crossbow quiver was still in his shoulder, the blood soaking through his clothing. His ribs were broken in at least three places from his impact with the side of the Bower. His jo was left in the hands of the one who had thrown him towards the Bower. All he had left was his katana.
And he watched the Chijiriki step forward with her naginata. He watched Tetsubo and Sean square off. He looked around at the wounded members of the freehold, saw the powder still lingering on the floor. He knew that, outside, Antonius-sama, Jonathan-san and others were fighting the hobgoblins.
He was wounded, gravely. A battle with the Chijiriki could have only one conclusion in his state. And to be successful, he would have to break his vow to not kill. His hand reached down, one hand lingering on the hilt of his katana.
He had barely a second to contemplate his choice. But as he contemplated and let his eyes look towards the other, he realized that the choice was simple. His friends were around him. His home was threatened. There was only one answer to the threat that the Storm pose.
One hand tightened on the grip of the weapon, drawing it and striking in one stroke. As he lunged forward, though, his eyes caught the Chijiriki's. For a moment, he had the glimmer of a feeling of what he had felt in Arcadia. The unexpected feelings stung his heart, and his foot stumbled, his blow going wild.
The move sent events rushing forward. The Chijiriki pronounced him an oath-breaker. And, he knew, he was. He had forsaken his pledge to give up the sword. More than that, though, he felt his path was correct. For the first time, there was no doubt in his heart. He was, no doubt, going to die in the next few minutes - but if he did die, he would die knowing he was fighting to protect something greater than himself.
The Chijiriki struck. His ribs ached as he tried to dodge, a moment to slow, the blade of her naginata piercing his shoulder, ripping it open. He staggered once, and then again when Guren struck with her fans. His vision dimmed for a moment as he stumbled, nearly falling. He had been healed by Rosemary once before attacking the Chijiriki - those wounds were re-opened. He did not see the Chijiriki chide Guren, claiming him as her target.
There are still people who need protecting, he whispered in his head, Get up. Fight!
Slowly, he straightened, his hand tightining on the katana. "This one is sorry.", he whispered to the Chijiriki as he put one foot ahead of the other and ran towards her, spinning at the last moment, giving up any pretense at a defense to strike true and hard against her shoulder.
The next moments were a blur of motion, pain and blood. He struck the Chijiriki again and again, but was struck in return. He fell, at least once, his consciousness fading into black only to be replaced by sight and pain. He heard the sounds of explosions above him and outside. Heard the sound of gunshots in the room. His nose was filled with gunpowder and blood.
For a moment, he vagually recalled a battlefied far and away.
But that was then, and this was now.
And there were still people who needed protecting.
He moved forward again, to strike. But as he did, he was a moment to slow. The spiked ball of the Chijiriki's weapon swung around and down towards him. There was no time to evade, no time to get away. This was the blow that would end him and there was no hope he could escape.
But the blow never fell. The young stonebones who had arrived only a month earlier was suddenly in its way, suddenly taking the blow, taking a strike powerful enough to leave him unconscious on the ground. He looked up in shock and rising anger as the Chijiriki chided him for letting someone so young take his blows.
Protect them.
He charged once again, his sword swinging. He struck true once, and then again. Somehow, by some miracle, he succeeded in dodging the hammerfall of her weapon. He was weak, the blood loss was leaving him light-headed. Out of the line of his sight, he saw Knight-san fighting through the crowd. He saw Brian-san shooting again and again. He thought Justin-san was somewere in the mess as well. And he saw Sean-sama fighting desperately against Tetsubo, trying to win against the giant.
It could not continue.
And it did not.
He slipped on blood. He had no idea if it was his own, or his friends', or the Chijiriki's. But he slipped nonetheless and left himself open for the strike of the Chijiriki's blade. He felt it cut right across his chest. The pain became his world as he staggered down to his knees, his hand opening to drop the katana. His vision was fading, the strength draining out of his body. His fight was over and done, his life was over.
But as he looked around and saw the fight through the bower, The freehold was rallying, pushing forward.
You have done what you can. You have fought as hard as you can. No one can fault you for falling. No one can say you did not do enough. And, hopefully, it will be enough.
There were no other thoughts left in him, no more fight. No more wind. The air fell to the ground, the life leaving it in the red blood flowing from his wounds.
---
There were things that the fallen Elemental could not see.
He could not see Sir Knight smashed with Tetsubo's club, his head turned to a ruined mass.
He could not see member after member of the Freehold fall against the blows of the Storm.
He did not see Guren shot again and again and again until she fell. And then shot once more in the head, killing her instantly.
He did not see Tetsubo stumble and fall, and call to Sean to finish their battle. To end his life. He did not see Sean strike once, true, ending Tetsubo.
And he did not see the Chijiriki lift him from the ground and disappear, fleeing into the hedge.