Middle of the Battle

Selene and Runfer had both heard the scream from Teil and of course they had felt the dynamite go off earlier and so both realized that their mission was already in serious jeopardy. With a stab through the newly rebuilt barricade Selene shot a knowing look to her husband. He smiled back and knocked away another climbing Brune. “You go my darling. You may be fast but you will tire quickly running from one side of the barrier to the next all while trying not to slip on our oil trap. I on the other hand have proven myself more than capable of smashing multipm-!” His brave words cutoff by a kiss from his beloved. Runfer watched her run for the briefest of moments before turning once more to face his barricade. “Be sure to give my regards to the mini warriors!” At that moment the first of what promised to be many Brune arrows landed right next to Runfer’s feet causing him to finally teeter off balance and slip to his butt. Emboldened by their support plenty of Brune soldiers were now scrambling up and over the pile of bodies to get at the fallen warrior. Worried about his predicament and knowing that Selene’s help was out of the question Runfer instead called, “Jiren, Enjir, could you spare a body? I could use some help here please!”



***



Jiren, always the uncoordinated one, had finally miscalculated with his last spinning back kick and set all three brothers back on their heels which of course was all the more dangerous due to the fact that they were battling on such a small path and with such a long fall promising to claim them should they slip again. The Gnasher beasts sensing their advantage pressed harder, leapt higher and slashed with greater bloodlust fueling their swipes than before. At the moment when they could afford no distractions Teil’s scream followed closely by Runfer’s call for help did just that. Jiren slipped slightly off the cliff but managed to find a last minute handhold that he knew he could not hold for long on his own with so many enemies pressing around him. Looking around he knew that his brothers could not possibly get to him in time. Already at peace with his situation Jiren resolved to land on the path below and take out more than a few Gnashers. He did have one secret weapon at his disposal after all, one that could buy his brothers the time they would obviously need to go help the others. His nunchaku bashed furiously at any face or claw that came near his hand and to his credit he held for a minute. The voices of his brothers continued to drift further away until they were replaced by the sounds of clawed feet rushing unrelentingly forward. There would be no help after all, it was obviously Jiren’s time to go. After what seemed an eternity of struggling one Gnashers teeth viciously bit through the fingers that Jiren had been using to keep himself from falling. “Brother!” He called out while throwing his nunchaku as hard as he could toward where they would be. He had to hope that they would reach and that his family would have some sort of keepsake to remember him by. Jiren popped the top on a certain green smoking elixir and guzzled up the solution that would mix with his innards and turn him into a living bomb. He was mere inches away from landing hard onto a sea of Gnashers who were of course eagerly awaiting the chance to dig and bite into their meal but they would not get the chance. Jiren looked up at the sky to see a trio of clouds, one drifting, much like he was drifting, never to be reunited in this life with his brothers nor with his family waiting for him back home. A tinge of guilt entered his thoughts when he imagined his wife collapsing to her knees and sobbing uncontrollably at the news that her Jiren would never return but his thoughts of guilt quickly disappeared when he imagined that his brothers would escape thanks to his actions. The last image in his mind was that of his pregnant wife waving goodbye, such a shame that this was all he knew of his son.



***



Selene saw her husband slip and heard his call for help but knew that she had to help Teil and Crimley. Her duty was to save the human race not her lover. So even when she heard two of the brothers cursing loudly and screaming out for their kin, even when she felt the enormous explosion that signaled the end of Jiren’s life she ran onwards. The distance was short and yet the tears that filled her eyes and guilt that racked her soul ensured that her run was among the most taxing of her life. Still she pushed forward and up the staircase she went towards, if need be, the end of her own life as well.



***



Ta’Rules strikes all seemed to be filled with an intent to end the battle quickly and had he come armed with any sort of weapon besides his fists he likely would have had the reach to do so but as it was the great Brune leader had no such weapon. Teil time after time barely managed to dodge several blows that would have torn the skin from his bone and left him limbless or beheaded. Ta’Rule let out a great roar just then and began tearing at his own flesh. “What on Earth are you doing!?” But even as he asked the question Teil knew the answer. All this time Teil had refused to land even a glancing blow for fear that he would rip open Ta’Rules flesh and expose the blood that ate through stone and surely could eat through flesh. A terribly evil smile flashed across Ta’Rules face as he swung his arm hoping to spray blood right in Teil’s face but Teil was quick enough to pull down the visor of his helmet and shield himself. “You are a coward to use such tactics!” accused Teil while slamming down his now useless helmet.



Ta’Rule’s resulting taunt presented a small glimmer of hope to Teil, “Says the man doing nothing but dodging my attacks. Come forward and attack me with your swords! I have murdered Tonner’s with my bare hands and taken on the power of a God but I grow bored with the lack of challenge. I want you to show me what a human warrior is fully capable of! So come then and cut me, rip me, shred me, battle me as hard as you’ve ever battled anyone. Should you triumph then perhaps you will be able to save your precious species.” With that challenge the great chieftain lunged forward carelessly presenting several openings that Teil could strike at. Teil easily rolled underneath Ta’Rules outstretched arms and sliced at his tendon drawing sparks as blade struck internal body armor. Without hesitation the small warrior slammed his foot down and drove upwards with his blade so that he could slice between Ta”Rules ribs and hit his lungs. No novice to the tactics of skilled swordsmen and fully aware of his few vulnerabilites Ta’Rule kicked backwards with yet another strike designed to end the battle quickly. Unlike most warriors Ta'Rule did not have to worry about any sort of leg inury and he pressed this advantage fully. Folding his knees and falling backwards Teil barely dodged this attack but as soon as he hit the ground Teil could see Ta'Rules muscles strain to halt and then reverse the momentum of his upward kick.  With a roll to the side Teil managed to avoid the falling foot of Ta’Rule which crashed right through the ground just as Selene was running by. “Dear lord, what manner of beast can fit in such a tight corridor and still kick through stone with bare feet?”  Hearing the complaint Teil stopped and called “Selene is that you? How fares Runfer?”

“Fine,” she answered, “he was quite concerned about the girlish screams emanating from your chamber though it seems you fight a mighty foe indeed.”

Taking the taunt in stride Teil responded, “Yea it seems the leader of the Brune’s is tending to this matter personally, lucky me.” Crimley suddenly started to shake with excitement and Teil knew then that whatever the secret was to opening the safe he had finally figured it out but he was keeping quiet about it likely to avoid tipping off Ta’Rule who was standing close by. Soon they would know whether the safe held their salvation or spell their doom but first it was up to Teil and apparently Selene to get Ta’Rule away. During this time Ta’Rule had been pulling on his leg trying to free himself which made no sense to Teil. Was he suddenly losing strength? Selene came into the room at that moment looking no worse for wear though with a few pieces of stone stuck in her hair. Eager to press their advantage and unaware of his power Selene sprinted forward intending to end the battle but when Ta’Rule’s face opened wide in a devilish grin Teil finally realized that it was all a feint. “Selene duck!” and she did just as Ta’Rule kicked forward ripping a huge chunk of stone out of the ground and launching it at where her head used to be. At such close range a chunk of that size would have utterly decapitated her but she was not out of the woods yet. Almost as if slow motion Teil could see the horrible scene unfolding before him. Ta’Rule’s leg was swinging downwards intending to finish the job and Selene, still oblivious to Ta’Rule’s power had positioned her sword so that if he stepped down he would impale his own foot. What she did not know about was that with his armor he would simply push her sword through her stomach and impale her with the hilt. Teil’s scream finally alerted Selene to her error but nothing else could be done. “Runf-!” The last words on her lips intended for her lover were cut off by the sudden impalement followed by Ta’Rules foot pushing her entire body through the floor to the level below. Her internal organs smashed by the force of the terrible blow the great warrior Selene, wife of Runfer and the Western kingdoms greatest chamipon was dead before she hit the ground. At that exact moment Runfer, so very tired and so badly outnumbered took an arrow to the left eye and collapsed. Somehow he knew then that his wife was already gone and that all hope was lost and so he lay there for a second trying to collect himself knowing that a second was all his enemies needed to finish the job.

***