NaNoWriMo Novel Teaser: Blades
[WP]There were eight swords, and each sword could control an element: earth, water, air, fire, light, darkness, life, and death. You somehow managed to find the Life and Death sword.
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"The difference between you and I..." Maverick mumbled, blood streaming from deep wounds to his upper arm and the side of his chest "...is experience."
Yami knelt on one knee, his Maverick's flaming sword buried in his shoulder. That area was numb already; many nerve endings must have been severely damaged. He grabbed the sword at its hilt and slowly dragged it out of his bleeding shoulder, dropping it to the ground.
Apart from that damage, he had also received a kick to the ribcage and he was out of breath.
"Damn it," he thought, "such brute force even without his sword?"
"Still it does not look like you're better than me by far," Yami said, wincing as he stood up. He was lucky it was not his sword-wielding arm that was affected. But it did not make a difference. He was at his limit, and if they went at it any longer, he wouldn't be conscious.
"Hah... I am impressed. You're more than talk," Maverick said, trying to maintain a false image of being unscathed. He was injured, and it seemed the sword of darkness dealt some real damage to his underlying muscles wherever it cut him.
Darkness, synonymous with death. It could not equal the true destructive power of death, but it came with a few similar features.
He bent to pick his sword.
"You did not come here for my sword, Yami. That is clear. So what brought you here?"
"The fact that I have no inclinations towards any heroics or peace-keeping missions whatsoever."
Interesting.
"What does that mean?"
"I do not want to use these swords to maintain balance and peace or whatever it is the swords were created for. And neither do I stand for a total monopoly on the use of the swords, like you have devoted your time to do. What I want is to be left to myself and to be free to do as I please with my sword."
"And what is 'what you please'?"
"Assassinations. I just want to strike at dusk and leave destruction in my wake at dawn. I want to work for the highest bidder and strike terror in the hearts of the fat money-hungry bastards at the top. Is that too much to ask for?"
"A little too dark for my taste, but who am I to judge? But, that still does not explain why you came here."
"Because you're the one trying to grab a hold of these swords. I came here to strike a deal with you; I'll help you assemble the other swords, and in exchange, you'll leave me alone. Once all the others are assembled, I'll leave and be left alone."
"What makes you think I'll agree to your request?"
"It's not a request or a negotiation. I'm trying to help you here. The next time you try to attack me, I'll aim for your head, not your arm."
"And what makes you so sure you can defeat me? What makes you so sure you can defeat the others?"
"Unlike your lousy task force, I wield this sword, and I know how to use it. Against you, or them. None poses a challenge."
Maverick tried not to show any emotion, smirking as he asked, "Humility isn't one of your fortes, is it?"
"I don't have any reason to be humble. The meek get nothing from scraps from the tables of the high and mighty. All I've known is the fight, and that is how I've survived to his point," Yami said, throwing a paper to the ground. "My number is here. if I receive a call, I will know you've agreed to my terms. if I get another task force attack, I'll also know you've chosen the highway."
"And what lies on the highway, Yami?" Maverick asked.
"Darkness."
******
"You really trust him to handle those things? We nearly lost our effin' minds out there! Don't you understand?" Lance said, looking angrily at Frost who maintained a calm look as she handed him a beer which he refused.
"He's not the best of swordsmen, but he's learning," Frost mumbled.
"He's beyond remedy. He can be possessed again by that... whatever it was, and then it'll be all over for us!"
"Wrong. He was the one who suppressed the god of death on his own without a need for us to intervene - not that there was anything we could do anyway. There's no one better suited to hold those swords like he is."
"And how can you say that?"
"Because I know it. One of my fortes is a keen analytical eye, and I understood that scene clearly. The possession was triggered by his determination not to lose. He has not mastered how to prevent his emotions from triggering the sword's darker transformations, so his anger broth forth the god of death. The need to protect those he loves..."
Those he loved? Frost thought. He doesn't give a sh!t about me.
"...those that matter to him made him utilize the sword of life and so he brought the situation under control. Now tell me, what would you have done better?"
Lance was quiet.
"Exactly. I'll refine him into a better swordsman, and then you can just focus on understanding the limitations and strong points of your sword."
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She still stood up for me after all I said.
Tears in my eyes and my back to the door, I finally understood what it felt like when people cared about your existence.
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@Leo_kitti, @Hanzell, @Gwenie I guess the Ninja is going to be having right of way from now on.
Hehehe keep going 💃 keep going 💃💃