Acts of Vengeance - III

JP with White_Caribou and Omni

The impact of Voah's swing sent a painful jolt up Shalia's arms as she was pushed away, a moment to steady her stance after nearly losing grip. With the room’s state of decay and limited light, she had to be careful that she herself did not succumb to getting tripped up over rubble or objects that had sat broken for decades. Off in the distance she heard another clay pot shatter and the hiss of flames igniting, footsteps sounding on the roof, and shouting all around outside. She doubted the structure could support a battering much longer.

Shalia eyed the woman’s guard and there was the briefest moment of their eyes meeting before they picked up again. She raised the spear flat to her chest, tip angled diagonally from her shoulder and she brought it down in a fluid motion, connecting heavily with the long sword. Her hands then immediately pulled it back for a short stab at Voah’s midriff, feet planted in a sideways stance.

When that failed to hit, she reared her arm back and threw the spear straight ahead of the distance created. It cut only past the fabric around the woman’s waist as she swerved her body toward the incoming man charging in from the side now. The spear caught itself on some debris behind the ex-Arbiter.

The commotion surrounding the building had Voah really starting to worry, not so much for her own safe as much as Gonyaul’s. This was her fault and he should not have been caught up in this mess. His words always had a way of staying with her and she heard him say, “She has a precious life…”. Had they met on different terms, Voah wondered whether she would she something different behind the venomous anger and determination of the witch’s green eyes.

Voah’s heart shook at the thought that she might not see Gonyaul again. She wanted this to end, wanted to yell, ‘Wait!’ But the moment past and the witch brought her spear down. Voah blocked and dodged the subsequent strikes and stabs and finally the witch threw the spear. It narrowly missed and she had a moment of relief that the witch was disarmed.

The feeling was gone as fast as it came because now the dark robe came running at her from the side. She had to act now or be skewered, so Voah spun, redirecting the knife to only slash across her side. The movement saved her while simultaneously tripping the dark robe over her outstretched boot. As he tried to catch himself she finished another twist, bringing the blade of the sword across the back of his neck. She didn’t wait to see the head be lopped off as she brought her defensive stance back around to the witch who now brandished a dagger.

The moment was ripe to take advantage of the ex-Arbiter and she was on her in an instant. Voah narrowly avoided the stabbing blade by turning an elbow out into the witches jaw and using the momentum to push her on past and with a free hand, wrench the dagger free of her grip. It was sloppy, but it succeeded. The witch was empty handed but just as Voah moved in toward her a clay jug shattered somewhere above sending a hail of oil cascading down into the space between them. Voah and Shalia could not avoid getting some of the oil on themselves.

The first pot was immediately echoed by a second, this time a barrage of flaming oil fell down, separating the two in a zig-zagged barrier of fire and leaving them both in a very precarious situation. If either one went through the flames, they would ignite as well.

There was a pregnant pause as the two enemies stared each other down through the flames. Voah hesitated half regretting that she couldn’t kill the witch now and the other half wishing there was a chance for Gonyaul’s way to work. She hesitated too long. The hem of her robes were too close to the flames and they soon went alight. Voah had no choice but to extinguish herself. She took one last look at the witch before reluctantly heading for a window that led out into the streets where she tucked and rolled. It was enough to stop the flames from reaching the oil that splashed down the side of her face and neck but she had to take them off as quickly as possible and toss them away.

No she was outside where more danger waited and her senses heightened like opening a third eye. She noted the sounds of footsteps and shadows of figures darting in the rooftops and alleys.