Tales of Xyanthia: Part Sixteen

This is a dual collaberation story with DarkRen and myself, Part Fifteen is HERE, if you haven’t read it yet. His sections will be in Violet and mine will be in Blue. And, a shameless plug, just in case you haven’t started reading this at all and want to start at the beginning, the first part is HERE

Firm, weighty footfalls behind spur Renyck into action, coming at elevated intervals. Seeing Xyanthia dazed, only slowly recovering herself, Renyck throws himself at her. Just in time as the heavy footfalls pass, a flow of feted air felt against Renyck’s cheek before he and his charge fall roughly into a pile. Perceptions evolved, thoughts sharp, Renyck isn’t stilled by her presence. Her loveliness passes beyond his focus, the danger of the unseen monstrosity consuming his attention. He’s up quickly, a hand lifted quickly to release his cloak and let it lay over her fallen form. Obscured by the dark cloth

Only then does Renyck see his bane. Rounded from its charge is the image of a massive bull. Yet bull it is not with a segmented armor plating covering its thick body. Long, steely hued horns jut from its brow with eyes of a sickly green glowing malevolently below. Eyes that catch his. He stops in his tracks, the intent pulse of its eyes grasping his mind like a vice. There is a flutter of panic as he feels himself stiffen painlessly. Sharp realization flashes, yet he cannot act. His skin gray’s subtly, slowly

A rising heat pushes though the feeling of panic and the dull stiffness that grips him. The medallion at his breast begins to glow, the light bright but not painful to Renyck’s eyes. No so to the bull monstrosity, which tosses its head and emits a dreadful keening at the offensive silver light. Stilling the assault of its deadly eyes

Renyck feels the stiffness recede with a suddenness that sends him stumbling forward to keep from falling forward, skipping back a few steps the moment his equilibrium returns. Eyes lifted, blade ready he feels a wash of caution when he sees that the bull is no longer there. Instead there is the sprawled form of a black skinned woman modestly draped in steel hued cloth. Her similarly colored hair conceals her face where she is sprawled forward.

With so many things that he has come through since first he was at the lake, there is only a slight widening of the eyes that shows any surprise at the transformation of the bull like creature. He gives the steel-hued cloth covered woman only a cursory glance, before he turns his head slightly, enough to give the danger in view, while kneeling close to Xyanthia, his hand resting on her shoulder to make sure she is safe

The cloak that covers her feels warm to his touch, the texture slightly different than what he felt when wearing it. He doesn’t have long to process this as well, when his ears catch the low hissed growl from the woman, at first only moving slowly to sit, and then with a leap she rises to her feet, her head turning towards the pair, ready to lunge. Renyck as well leaps to his feet, his blade held firm, eyes narrowed as he watches her. His medallion sways along his chest as he moves, and slow, pulsing light flares, which again causes the woman to fall back again with a fierce scream

Her eyes flash fire before she turns her head away from him, a deep black with flecks of red, her teeth gleaming white against her ebon skin, her hair wild in disarray. She lifts a hand, rubbing her wrist across her lips, and now that her eyes do not see the medallion, she reaches along her hip, drawing forth a sharp dagger, only Renyck’s quick movements keeping him from being struck in the shoulder with it, parrying it in a ring of steel as it falls to the ground, clattering a few inches from where he stands.

Resolutely he takes a step forward, just as she lets fly another dagger, this one clipping the wall just an inch beside his head. Ducking low he attempts to rush towards her, his blade strong in his grip, the pommel warm, almost hot as it glows with the bluish inner light. But instead of directing the third dagger towards him, her hand turns; direction focused towards Xyanthia, as the thin, jagged edged blade aims directly at where it appears her back is, huddled on her side beneath the cloak.

“No!” Renyck lunges in the same moment as the thrown blade passes. To far to bring his blade against it he darts forth his hand. Biting back a pained cry as he feels his palm pierced cleanly. He falls onto his side, right hand aflame with warning pain. Telling him what he already knows. His eyes lift in time to see the dark skinned woman above him, rolling frantically to the side to evade the downward thrust of a dagger held in both hands. The blade finds soft earth, not soft flesh to sink into

A kick from Renyck’s booted foot knocks her legs from under her, sending the dark woman to the ground, shrieking her surprise shrilly. Renyck gains his feet, still pierced hand drawn protectively to his chest as he handles his blade with his less skilled left. This dark woman rises as well, grinning with unrestrained malevolence at the wounded warrior. Her eyes taunting as yet another dagger is plucked from the folds of her clothing, the light glinting off its jagged blade

“Come to Drushika, manling. Come and die.” she hisses, her voice high pitched and unnatural to Renyck’s ear. He responds with a swipe of his blade, forcing the forward creeping woman back with its deadly silver arc. And again as she seeks to close in, circling with Renyck slowly. Looking for weakness within his form.

When Part Fifteen is ready, I’ll post a link.