Hanging on Bones

Chapter 5: Bony little friend

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Red hair, like burning flames, enormous chest heaving with each breath, and beautiful face distorted by desire. Damn, there are guys that have a hard-on from that, don’t they? Put the double bladed battle axe in her hands and with over two meters of height she will be perfect Valkyrie.

Talk about their strange tastes huh? Sadly even through today is the day I'm more popular to both genders then ever back when I was alive, it's really not a time for that.

I duck to the left as the greatsword passes in wide swing diagonally to me. I have plenty space to spare. Whatever she's trying to do, she clearly doesn't know how to use that sword. Even me, being complete amateur, realise that swing shouldn't be so wide and slow. Most of all, your sword should not get stuck, half buried into the headstone of nearest grave. Damn, I know that sword is heavy and sharp... but really? Shouldn't the stone scatter and brake or something? Well it's not like I’m complaining. Dashing closer to her I try for a slash, but her armour and my lack of momentum cause my blade to skid off to the side. I might have had my weapon too close to her when I began the swing, so I guess I should have tried for a stab. Too late now. Well, inexperienced as she was, since I see one of her friends reaching the top, I will not stay and play.

Seriously… the head would have been the best option. I have none skills to boast at either, losing a sure kill chance like that. I run up the other stairway as she curses and scream at me, while trying to free her greatsword.

At long last distance opened between us, and I’m betting that even with their monstrous stamina I can keep that up for a while. But I will reach the top of the hill at some point and I doubt I can lose them before that happens. Heading down, no matter whether now or later, would provide them with too many advantages for me to survive even fraction of what I experienced just now.

I got to find a way out of this vicious circle of circumstances. Something... something....

Suddenly I run out on the familiar path I used, oh so long ago. I know! I know what to do! Running down on it, I take glance back at where I came from. They are still not within the sight! Good! Good! Up ahead I find what I’m looking for. It's another one of the watering points. Superb! Before anybody sees me, I jump on top of the garbage container. Luckily the waste was already spilling over the edges and the stuff I stirred up should not rise any suspicions. I burry myself as far as I can and wait. Even through the insides consist of plastic bags and broken glass candle holders, there were plenty of dried out flowers and leaves to muffle the sounds. With the humans shouting and cursing at one another, they were making enough noise to cover up my momentary loudness. After I fallen still nothing should betray me. In the end, who can be more silent than the dead?

Huuh that was close. The sound of them approaching reaches me as I am lying there. Either they are strong enough to not care what monsters notice them, or they are too inexperienced to realize they should be quieter. On second though both might be true.

From what reaches me, two groups are getting closer. One being Valkyria and her gang from where I came, and the other one directly from below. They are using tract watering points are located at.

Soon enough they are just beside me. My rotten luck from hell again at work. They stopped.

“Damn, we lost sight of it!!” - Trainee

“Can’t we use search scroll or something?” – Alex

“First of all, we don’t have the scroll, it’s with the mages. Second, even if we did, we are in the f***ing cemetery and it would light up almost all of the graves.” – says the slower of veterans

“Except for running, it doesn’t seem to be skilled in combat or Alex would be dead by now. We split into groups of two and comb the area. But don’t forget it is armed and can kill you if you’re careless.” – says the Dauntless veteran.

“Yessir” all trainees replied in unison.

“One more thing. Alex you’re with me, I will not tolerate any more of that, got it?”

“Yes boss….” Grumbles big woman.

The sounds of their further conversations get muffled more and more as the four groups get further away from me. After a while they are too far for anything to reach me.

Saved…. Huh what a relief… I feel as if not one but whole bag of stones just fell off my shoulders. …

I’ll stay here for now though. Let’s wait for them to move so far ahead that there’s no way they could hear me. I’m rally tempted to get out and have a quick peek, but not until I’m more than sure. Besides where do I go from there? To look for more of my kind? I’m much more likely to stumble upon one of the living right now. And I doubt that group of heavily armed and armoured knight like figures, went there for a picnic and shared gossip. Wandering around tonight is not a bright idea. I guess I will have to hide out somewhere until it’s quieter. And I would prefer my own grave from a dumpster for that.

“So how do you like this world?” – my soul almost jumps out of my bones as I hear the dauntless veteran say that next to my head. Involuntary jerk of surprise shifts glass and moves leaves. My thoughts race at amazing speeds and I would piss myself if I could. How!? Why!? What!!? Did they hear me!? Did they!? What the hell does he mean!? They heard me jerk, right!?

“It’s sooo much fun it’s hard to believe man! That fight! The movements of that thing! The chase!! I never imagined ******* would be this much fun!” – says the Valkyrie like woman. What the hell was with that garbled word!? But Ahhh…. Aaaaah…. God please don’t let him have noticed me! The dumb trainee obviously did not since she seems to be much further away. But the guy must be leaning on metal of the garbage container I’m in right now! There’s almost no way he could miss that, damn it!! But still!! Please!!! Don’t let me die again here!!! Damn it!!!

“So you gonna buy it from me or not?” – Dauntless … again from centimetres beside me. Wha-? The hell? Come on… it’s not like you’re deaf right? I moved just then right? Why you’re not reacting? You’re veteran, right? Right?

“Hahaha, you stupid or something? I only came along on a ride, because you said it’s free try. Your price is way too high. And besides if I put any effort into it, I can even get my boyfriend to present one for me.” – says the girl with so much contempt, it’s hard to imagine she was calling him ‘boss’ few minutes ago.

“So you had boyfriend, did you?” – says the veteran with bitter tone.

“What, you didn't know? And this’ beaten puppy look’ on your face! Hahaha Simply because I f**ked you once doesn't mean we are an item you poor skinny asshole. Especially, if you're trying to sell something!" - The malice in her voice is so thick you can almost slice it. Well, well... lover's quarrel... I sure didn't expect it here and now...

"...no need to be so cruel Alex. Last chance. Yes or no?" - whoooa ...truly dauntless… the calm bitterness and detachment in his voice is not what I expected.... in his place I would either snap and curse her for all my might, or fall in deep depression.... Though both of them are armed so there are also other options...

"No...." – she says with a lot less of her previous verve.

"In that case, it’s time for us to part ways. But first, let me give you one last present for the kindness you just displayed." With those words he slams the metal garbage bin with the hilt of his sword.

*slam* *slam* *slam*

"Come out my bony little friend!! I have a girl here who wants to play with you!!" shouts the Dauntless.

I'm surprised beyond any words. It's such a shock I lie there too confused to move. He knew!! He knew from the beginning!!

*slam* *slam* *slam*

"Come out and you might have a chance! Don't, and I will feed you to the dogs myself!!"

*slam* *slam* *slam*

I scramble for the top of the pile as fast as I can. When I jump out, garbage scatters everywhere. Quick roll to the side and I’m standing up, with the scimitar in my only hand.

"Oooh... you still have that thing. Good, good. Better than I thought." - he says nodding and smiling. He then moves a distance away and sheaths his weapon.

"I will leave you two love birds to yourselves." – With this Dauntless turns and runs off.

I see she's as surprised at this development as I am. No wonder. The big O on her face turns into gritted teeth, before she looks back at me.

Not taking eyes from me, she's already reaching behind her shoulder for the greatsword. To my surprise, her lips crook in smile and the glint of mad joy is returning to her eyes. Damn she recovers fast. I'm still frozen to the spot.

"Well, in either case this will be fun..." her huge sword already out and held with both hands, while she's supporting it by her metal shoulder-pad. That huge thing must be way too heavy, to be kept risen in front like normal swords. It has to be much more suited to decapitating horses and slashing at knights in heavy plated armour, than at swift and small targets. I will definitely make use of that and focus more on speed and dodging instead of direct attack. As long as she swings that thing, there's bound to be an opening sooner rather than later. This time however, I will not have to worry about rescue coming to save her.

While her smile broadens in sudden flash of teeth, one of her hands releases its grip on the sword. She then flicks her wrist and dash at me. I move to block the thing flying at me. Too late, but I do realise it is a mistake. The attempt at correcting my movement results in neither block nor dodge. My inexperience awards me with wasting of precious moments, as the small knife lodges itself in my shoulder bone. It wasn’t meant to harm me. It was meant as a distraction and it fulfilled its purpose perfectly. She managed to close the distance and start horizontal swing of her sword. Luckily she either released knife too early, or was too eager to swing at me, because there was enough space for me to react before the blade chops off my head. A quick step back and lowering myself takes me out of her three meter reach. Her swing this time was much more swift and precise in comparison to our first time. She seems to be quick learner.

I don't have enough time to get closer to her. She already has the sword on her arm and is coming at me when I get up. Her next swing is much lower so instead I jump. I was a bit off on the timing and top part of my left foot gets severed off. The impact pushes my lower half in the direction of the swing, swiping my legs out from under me. As I crash to the ground I decide there won't be enough time for me to get up, so I roll instead. Luckily we are still on the gravel path, so I have enough space for that. The space!! She has too much free space for those swings!! I need to get her between the graves and trees!

As I roll, with *swish* sound, another swing passes where I was lying second ago. Jumping back on to my one and a half feet, IS NOT as swift and successful as I wanted it to be and I’m left barely staying upright. This gives her time for another attack and I yet again jump away without trying to block it. Come on, that weapon would snap my fancy little stick, as quickly as it would my bones.

At the time she uses to ready herself for another swing I move little closer to the edge of the path. If only I had the other hand, i would scoop up one of the burnt out candles and try to use the same trick she did, but no such luck. My whole arm is most likely still gripping that small tree back there. It's almost as if i feel the three's bark under my finger bones. Focus... Focus!

Next swing is one of the low ones, but she's repeating only two kinds of horizontal attack so i got a hang of her timing. For now abandoning my plan of getting her between the trees, I decide to use that for my attack. The same motion of avoiding her low swing carries me on top of the gravestone. I use its slab as a launching pad and jump at her. The arc of my sword is going directly for her neck. This brought a gasp and widening of her eyes. Instinctively she released her sword and brought up her forearms to protect her head. With the force of my jump behind my swing, should cleave through everything and end this. But to the surprise of both of us, with the loos of her heavy sword she lost her balance and her whole body shifted to one side. That being the case, the slash that was meant to end her life, briefly met one of her forearms exposing it’s bone. Both of us rolled on the ground as we fell. She was surprisingly unaffected by her wound and immediately went for her weapon. Since i rolled further then i intended i cannot reach her in time. Instead i resumed my plan and went deeper between the graves.

Just few meters in, snapping of twigs alerted me to her presence. Immediately jumping to the side i barely avoid thrust of her great-sword. Damn she's fast. And new attack to boot. She must have realised the dangers of swinging that thing around here. Rolling on big, four meter wide and three meter long, slab of huge family mass grave, I realise she got me in best spot she could find among the graves. Stepping out onto it she has such an utter and vicious joy on her face i get phantom shivers down my spine. Damn that psycho!! Looking at her i realise that even though she does not show she's in pain, the wound is taking its toll. Whole side of her armour is covered in blood and her complexion got much paler.

Oi Oi, if you don't stop that bleeding soon, you will die no matter whether you get me or not. It’s not like I'm complaining through.

Next of her swings is little faster diagonal one. Her realisation might have put little bit of a delay in my plans, but her skills and strength are not good enough to carry it through. As I dodge it, the tip of her great-sword contacts the slab of the gravestone. It only brushed it, but that was enough to lose almost all the momentum blade had. It’s impossible for it to make the trip back upwards and return into its proper place of rest on her shoulder. Using this opportunity I duck and dash into her space with blade ready for another slash. But to my surprise and confusion, instead of trying to fix her posture, she lets her blade continue its movement. While the tip gets stuck in grave, whole sword is at a slant to the ground. Before I manage to reach her, she jumps over her blade so it's between us. Instead of making an attack, I’m left trying to keep myself from being sliced in half by my own momentum. Using the flat of my weapon as impromptu shield, i feel it slam on my ribs as i crash in to her sword. The impact doesn't make her lose ground even an inch. The only good point is that at least her weapon is as obstructed as mine.

One of her hands shoots out towards my head, and i instinctively drop down and back off. She uses this chance to free her blade. Being reversed now, it's still not in its proper position, so i try for another slash. She somehow blocks my scimitar with flat of her blade, at the same time trying for a kick at me. I got thrown back when her metal tipped boot lands below my waist, at a femur bone.

Almost as soon as she gets her blade back on her shoulder, she launches another horizontal strike at me. She finally made the mistake i was waiting for. You have to think before the swing. Her huge blade buries itself in the tree that was behind our fighting stage. I make the final dash, sure of my victory and ready to strike, but she again does the unexpected. After releasing her weapon, instead of trying for defense she leaps straight at me with fist raised. I was just about to thrust the blade into her heart, when her fist connects with my skull.

The world is spinning, heavy impact on something and I’m looking at grass. Damn I lost my head. Literally.

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Author: I got myself 'ProWritingAid' and spent four times more time correcting and re-writing this chapter then I originally spent creating it. I would appreciate if you told me if it was worth it.

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