Saturday, February 9, 2013

Zafira Kerias/ Aretha Tesla: When the Owl Strikes the Hawk

Aretha's note: The chapter title is a reference to Shakespeare's Macbeth, telling how backwards it is for a guard to kill the King.


Zafira wandered the streets of her little community. Javier was shopping and Zafira was happy. Well for once. She needed a walk and hence her walking now.

It took Aretha almost no time at all to locate the home of the Grand Mage, and to realize that was where she would be. She snuck around for a bit until she found Zafria taking a lesiurly stroll around the closed community. Stalking forward through the underbrush like a cat, she waited until Kerias was only a few metres away, then hurled a ball of fire at the unsuspecting mage. Quickly she ran around to the opposite side of Kerias that she had attacked, closing in for a close-range fight.

Zafira ducked just in time to get away from the fireball. Slightly confused she sent shadows toward where it came from. When they hit nothing she made a trail of shadows whip around her fully getting anyone in close range hopefully. Zafira hated being atacked in secret.

Shadows whipped out all around Zafria and Aretha pushed a few back with the air. Good, she thought to herself, that means you don't know where I am. She moved in again, silently, and when the shadows cleared she had her hand out, fingers splayed, only inches away from Zafria's eyes.

Zafira saw the hands splayed in front of her face.
"Hell!" She exclaimed. Her eyes looked directly over at Aretha. She shook her head. Growling Zafira sent shadows at her chest.
 
"Get the hell away from me!"
 
Shadows flew at Aretha's chest and she dived sideways out of the way. Her momentum was too strong for her to escape unscathed, however; one far-reaching shadow reached out far enough to cut through her leather jacket and into her left arm. It wasn't deep enough to render the limb useless, but it came close.
 
"Sorry," she replied, her voice flat and void of emotion, "You'll have to kill me first." Now, how to continue? She had lost the advantage of surprise... But she didn't really need it, anyway. She lunged forward again and sent a roundkick to shatter Zafria's knee; that would catch the Grand Mage's eye. And once the kick fell short, as Aretha had known it would, she stepped forward, coming in close again, and caught Zafria in a blitz of elbows and hook punches.
 
Getting hit and all seriously hurt. Figuring her magic wasn't going to help Zafira tried for punching at Aretha. When that didn't make it Zafira finally gave up and started some type of kicking and punching. Finally Zafira realized Aretha was better in hand to hand she gave up.
 
To her credit, Zafria made a noble effort to fight back, but hand-to-hand combat was where Aretha excelled, and she wouldn't be beaten. Necromancy was largely a long-range tool to begin with, so now that she had fought her way in close, Aretha expected the fight would be over quickly. And a good thing, too, because while she certainly knew what she was doing and was used to pushing herself to her limit, she had never had all that much endurance, and from the run through the forest and then the run from the airport to Zafria's home, she was exhausted, and knew she couldn't last much longer. Then all of a sudden Zafria just stopped fighting. She had given up.
 
"I... Say..." Aretha blurted out in between heavy breaths, "Expected..." She stepped sideways and sent a punch into Zafria's liver, "More..." Then a roundkick to the Grand Mage's thigh, sending her to her knees, "From you..." One more kick, this time to Zafria's midsection, which for some reason seemed a little... Off... and the Grand Mage fell. Now, just a drop of blood, she thought to herself, but exhaustion was overtaking her. She couldn't get air into her lungs fast enough, and black spots danced before her eyes. She staggered forwards one step, but now that her adrenyline was gone all the strength left her, and she collapsed on the pavement beside the Grand Mage. Wow, she thought as her mind faded into unconsciousness, I actually failed for once.
 
Zafira couldn't remember much of what exactly happened but it seriously was unpleasant. She woke up and grabbed her handcuffs. She cuffed Aretha's wrists and she knew Aretha's magic was boud. Ten minutes later the Cleavers arrived and shoved her in the van. Good thing the little traitor was out. When she wakes Zafira bet it wouldnt be pleasant. Zafira herself went to the Sanctuary to make sure nothing was broken or something.

5 comments:

  1. Aw... You should be nice to Ari! She's not quite herself... We want her better! Not worse!

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    1. Wow, Death, thank you... :')
      Yeah, you're pretty much the only person who still wants to help me. Completely understandable, but still...

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  2. I do why think i took you into custody? Gonna try to help you

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    1. This is true- of course, after I posted said comment, I read your next chapter where you specifically told Javier not to kill me. Which was awfully kind of you, especially considering that I just murdered your unborn child...

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  3. J'aime la référence shakespearienne.

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