On this day, I see clearly, everything has come to life...
This is THE first glimpse I'm publicly handing out of what I'm writing. No more at the moment, no less. It's not too bad, could do with some improvement though. Plenty of time for that though, considering the summer is up ahead. This scene basically involves the obligatory final fight between main hero and main villain, blah de blah. There's a part which goes before this, and what you see is only the tip of the iceberg. It's the last third of the fight scene, and a little bit of the story's end. Just not all of it. Yes, there's still an epilogue to go. And some other stuff. Hope you enjoy this, dear reader.
The Baron Styron's fist pistoned into Desdenova's jaw, sending him sailing into a broken heap on unforgivingly hard cast-steel floor of the cannon bay. Flowers of red agony blossomed within his aching head as it smashed against the deck yet again. Desdenova could feel the weight of weariness upon his combat-wearied limbs, and knew that this was the end - of his life, his friends lives, of Victoria's life...
"No. I can't let them fucking die." he muttered from between gritted teeth, rising once more from the ground to take up a fighting stance, battered body still throbbing in agony. As he spat blood from between his teeth, Desdenova heard Styron speak once more.
"Had your fill yet, fox? It ends here. I will kill you, the girl, everyone. After they're dead, I'll destroy Haven, and there's not a damned thi-"
Styron got no further in finishing the sentence, as Desdenova hurtled forward, spurred onwards by a wave of pure fury, and caught him a tremendous blow to the side of his iron-shod head. Styron was sent backwards by the force of the punch, staggering blindly, and pawing at his one natural eye as his vision blurred and slid out of focus. This fatal delay was all Desdenova needed to end this, for once, for all.
"Victoria, throw me your sword!" he yelled over the towering wall of fire which seperated them both. She obliged, the curved buccaneer spinning through the air in a shining arc, firelight glinting from the blade like a fractured rainbow. It came to rest a few paces away, point stuck quivering, biting into the steel deck.
Desdenova grasped the sword, and held it forth. Its unfamiliar weight and balance felt unwieldy in his hands, but his aim was true nonetheless. The sabre cut waspishly through the air in the direction of the evil baron's neck.
The very last thing the Baron Styron saw was that final glint of cold metal, before everything dissolved into a flare of blinding pain, and then nothing.
Desdenova fell forward, the final swing that killed his foe consuming his already flagging strength totally. He watched as the floor pitched forwards, rushing up to meet his face. The last thought that ran through his mind before unconsciousness enfolded him in its merciful embrace was that of relief, of finality, of victory. Altria's destruction had been avenged, so had the deaths of his comrades who had sold their lives dearly in the battle on board The Sargasso.
Blackness, confusion, where am I?
"Des' old chap, can you hear me? Say somethin', anything!"
"Buck, leave him be. He needs rest."
Am I really hearing these voices?
"His condition looks unfavourable. Where are the nearest medics?"
"Probably around Deck-H. They're attending to the wounded down there."
Hurst had best know what he's doing.
"Alright Hurst, go with Ombra and Sephina. See if they can spare a medic for our Des'."
"Sure Victoria. You stay here with Kroska and Mr McLeod over there and make sure..."
Fading. Darkness. Sweet reprieve.
Victoria, Kroska, and Buck waited on the bridge of The Sargasso, keeping vigil over Desdenova's unconscious still form. They had made the best efforts to try and make him as comfortable as possible, wrapping him in his own flowing blue coat, and covering him with Buck's old tan-leather jacket. It was nearly dawn, the sun waiting to blossom over the horizon like a blazing celestial flower, shedding its light upon the land once again. Still, they waited, Victoria sitting beside Desdenova, cradling his shoulders, and mopping at the numerous cuts and scratches which had accumulated on his face with a torn piece of her purple silk tunic. Yet more time passed, the three being too concerned for their friend's dangerous condition to waste time on unecessary conversation. Nothing could be done for him at the moment, only to let him rest, to regain his strength after exerting himself to such a dangerous degree.
The real world slowly began to sharpen into focus in Desdenova's vision as he groggily awoke from his spell of unconsciousness. The first sight that greeted his eyes was the delicate face of Victoria, her clear blue eyes shining with tears. Desdenova opened his mouth to speak, but she kissed him passionately before he could get any words out.
"I was so worried when you fought Styron...I feared for your life..." she said, pausing to sniff and wipe her eyes, and then continuing "...I'm glad from the bottom of my soul that this if over now. No more fighting, no more killing. Just..". Victoria's love for Desdenova took over from here, as she kissed him again and held him tight as if she would never let go - not for all the world.
Buck broke the spell with a pronounced 'Er...ahem', and they both looked up at the grinning hare.
"I hate to break up this cushy feel good moment y'know, but me and Kroska aren't going to sit here and watch you two eat each other's faces and cry lots." he paused to light one of his traditional 'victory cigars' before carrying on "So y'did it Des'. We've come all this way, good has prevailed over evil, and all that whatnot, and I think it's time we left this all behind us. It's going to take a long time to rebuild Altria, and I daresay the good hearted chaps and chapesses back down on terra firma have probably already started since we left. All that remains now...is to return to home."
Kroska listened to the speech, and thought in silence, nostaligcally about The Four Winds Bar, their old haunt back home. He breathed deeply and thought about the long journey back, but was not unhappy - it was a journey that would be shared with his friends, for thick and for thin. The wildcat noticed something during his silence. Buck had the expression on his face which he had often seen before; the face he made when he was trying to supress a gale of laughter.
"Eh, Kroska me old fruit. I think it's time we went and...er..." he tailed off uncertaintly, and looked beseechingly at Kroska to finish his sentence.
"Ah, I know. Erm...make sure this thing is steering straight...yeah...so we'll be a little while..." he improvised. Both hurriedly left The Sargasso's bridge, and an explosion of raucous laughter could be heard outside on the stairwell.
"It's sunrise...the most beautiful sunrise I've seen" said Desdenova quietly, as he gently stroked his hand through Victoria's long hair.
"I know Des'. It is..." she replied, before falling asleep against his shoulder. The two lay together, both at peace, bathed in heaven's own glorious light of dawn.
The Baron Styron's fist pistoned into Desdenova's jaw, sending him sailing into a broken heap on unforgivingly hard cast-steel floor of the cannon bay. Flowers of red agony blossomed within his aching head as it smashed against the deck yet again. Desdenova could feel the weight of weariness upon his combat-wearied limbs, and knew that this was the end - of his life, his friends lives, of Victoria's life...
"No. I can't let them fucking die." he muttered from between gritted teeth, rising once more from the ground to take up a fighting stance, battered body still throbbing in agony. As he spat blood from between his teeth, Desdenova heard Styron speak once more.
"Had your fill yet, fox? It ends here. I will kill you, the girl, everyone. After they're dead, I'll destroy Haven, and there's not a damned thi-"
Styron got no further in finishing the sentence, as Desdenova hurtled forward, spurred onwards by a wave of pure fury, and caught him a tremendous blow to the side of his iron-shod head. Styron was sent backwards by the force of the punch, staggering blindly, and pawing at his one natural eye as his vision blurred and slid out of focus. This fatal delay was all Desdenova needed to end this, for once, for all.
"Victoria, throw me your sword!" he yelled over the towering wall of fire which seperated them both. She obliged, the curved buccaneer spinning through the air in a shining arc, firelight glinting from the blade like a fractured rainbow. It came to rest a few paces away, point stuck quivering, biting into the steel deck.
Desdenova grasped the sword, and held it forth. Its unfamiliar weight and balance felt unwieldy in his hands, but his aim was true nonetheless. The sabre cut waspishly through the air in the direction of the evil baron's neck.
The very last thing the Baron Styron saw was that final glint of cold metal, before everything dissolved into a flare of blinding pain, and then nothing.
Desdenova fell forward, the final swing that killed his foe consuming his already flagging strength totally. He watched as the floor pitched forwards, rushing up to meet his face. The last thought that ran through his mind before unconsciousness enfolded him in its merciful embrace was that of relief, of finality, of victory. Altria's destruction had been avenged, so had the deaths of his comrades who had sold their lives dearly in the battle on board The Sargasso.
Blackness, confusion, where am I?
"Des' old chap, can you hear me? Say somethin', anything!"
"Buck, leave him be. He needs rest."
Am I really hearing these voices?
"His condition looks unfavourable. Where are the nearest medics?"
"Probably around Deck-H. They're attending to the wounded down there."
Hurst had best know what he's doing.
"Alright Hurst, go with Ombra and Sephina. See if they can spare a medic for our Des'."
"Sure Victoria. You stay here with Kroska and Mr McLeod over there and make sure..."
Fading. Darkness. Sweet reprieve.
Victoria, Kroska, and Buck waited on the bridge of The Sargasso, keeping vigil over Desdenova's unconscious still form. They had made the best efforts to try and make him as comfortable as possible, wrapping him in his own flowing blue coat, and covering him with Buck's old tan-leather jacket. It was nearly dawn, the sun waiting to blossom over the horizon like a blazing celestial flower, shedding its light upon the land once again. Still, they waited, Victoria sitting beside Desdenova, cradling his shoulders, and mopping at the numerous cuts and scratches which had accumulated on his face with a torn piece of her purple silk tunic. Yet more time passed, the three being too concerned for their friend's dangerous condition to waste time on unecessary conversation. Nothing could be done for him at the moment, only to let him rest, to regain his strength after exerting himself to such a dangerous degree.
The real world slowly began to sharpen into focus in Desdenova's vision as he groggily awoke from his spell of unconsciousness. The first sight that greeted his eyes was the delicate face of Victoria, her clear blue eyes shining with tears. Desdenova opened his mouth to speak, but she kissed him passionately before he could get any words out.
"I was so worried when you fought Styron...I feared for your life..." she said, pausing to sniff and wipe her eyes, and then continuing "...I'm glad from the bottom of my soul that this if over now. No more fighting, no more killing. Just..". Victoria's love for Desdenova took over from here, as she kissed him again and held him tight as if she would never let go - not for all the world.
Buck broke the spell with a pronounced 'Er...ahem', and they both looked up at the grinning hare.
"I hate to break up this cushy feel good moment y'know, but me and Kroska aren't going to sit here and watch you two eat each other's faces and cry lots." he paused to light one of his traditional 'victory cigars' before carrying on "So y'did it Des'. We've come all this way, good has prevailed over evil, and all that whatnot, and I think it's time we left this all behind us. It's going to take a long time to rebuild Altria, and I daresay the good hearted chaps and chapesses back down on terra firma have probably already started since we left. All that remains now...is to return to home."
Kroska listened to the speech, and thought in silence, nostaligcally about The Four Winds Bar, their old haunt back home. He breathed deeply and thought about the long journey back, but was not unhappy - it was a journey that would be shared with his friends, for thick and for thin. The wildcat noticed something during his silence. Buck had the expression on his face which he had often seen before; the face he made when he was trying to supress a gale of laughter.
"Eh, Kroska me old fruit. I think it's time we went and...er..." he tailed off uncertaintly, and looked beseechingly at Kroska to finish his sentence.
"Ah, I know. Erm...make sure this thing is steering straight...yeah...so we'll be a little while..." he improvised. Both hurriedly left The Sargasso's bridge, and an explosion of raucous laughter could be heard outside on the stairwell.
"It's sunrise...the most beautiful sunrise I've seen" said Desdenova quietly, as he gently stroked his hand through Victoria's long hair.
"I know Des'. It is..." she replied, before falling asleep against his shoulder. The two lay together, both at peace, bathed in heaven's own glorious light of dawn.