Note: Follow-up to Hush
Echo
The sword came down. A hush fell over the room, except for Keydis' labored breathing. Ruby droplets of blood reflected flickering firelight from the forge.
The assassin stared up at Keydis, not even flicking her eyes toward the short sword. She had the sense not to move, at least. Blood seeped from the thin red line on the side of her pale throat. "Why?" Keydis asked, voice strained, heart hammering in her chest. "WHY?!" she demanded, louder, anger building up inside her.
For weeks, Keydis waited for reprisal. She expected it, dreaded it.
Some part of her wished for it.
"It was over! I was done! So why?!" Pain burned in her breast at hearing those words out loud.
The assassin said nothing, but there was a flicker in her eyes. Not sympathy. Something Keydis couldn't identify. Too late, Keydis noticed movement, too distracted by the mysterious look. Zhuzhush's fingers deftly formed sigils against the floor, two halves of a circle with a curving line between them. Keydis growled and punched down with the hilt of the sword, bringing the blade down across the enlil's throat.
She was hardly surprised when the blade passed straight through the afterimage and she jumped back to her feet, holding the short sword up in front of herself as she spun a circle, checking the room for the assassin. That spell wasn't so powerful, she couldn't have gone far.
From behind there came the sound of metal on stone. Zhuzhush was grabbing her robe covered in knives. Keydis whirled around, blade leading, but the enlil leapt backward, throwing the robe over her shoulders. She grabbed one of the half-scissor blades, snapping the thin thread holding it to the garment as she pulled it free.
Sweat poured down the brunette's skin as the two of them faced one another. Keydis placed her boot on top of the long-handled weapon Zhuzhush had entered with, dragging it closer to herself. There was a tense moment as the two locked eyes, preparing to move while the forge flames flickered. Zhuzhush moved first, feigning a turn to flee.
Keydis didn't take the bait; the assassin's eyes still looked cold, determined. No fear. As quickly as she turned, Zhuzhush whipped back around and threw the knife. Keydis batted it aside with the short sword, then the second one thrown by her other hand. The first knife went clear across the room but the second deflected blade spun and sliced across her leg.
She threw the short sword, hooked her toe under the assassin's weapon, and kicked it up to herself. It was a curious weapon, the length of a short spear, but the blade was more of a falx, sharpened on the inside curve and ending in a sharp tip. Zhuzhush already had two more knives to hand and was circling around Keydis like a vulture.
After spending all day forging, Keydis was exhausted. Her arm quivered as adrenaline pumped through the sore muscles, forcing them to cooperate. If the fight dragged out, she wasn't going to make it. Her heart hammered in her chest, a tingle of fear creeping down her spine, cold sweat beating her skin.
Keydis looked into the assassin's eyes... and smiled.
The brunette burst into movement but Zhuzhush was faster. The falx whipped down toward the enlil's legs, but she was already ducking back, talons digging into the floor to launch the woman forward once the weapon whiffed by. She was on Keydis in a fraction of a second, knives crossing and slashing. Red lines spread across her skin before she stepped in and slammed her forehead into Zhuzhush's face, following with a boot to the enlil's knee and another swing with the falx.
Even dazed, Zhuzhush managed to evade the attack, but Keydis didn't wait this time. She rushed in, grin widening. The butt of the falx punched into the enlil's jaw, the blade sliced in at her hip. The assassin did a spin, narrowly evading the curved blade and retaliating with another slice, leaving a long red gash across the brunette's upper arm.
Keydis twisted her wrist and sent the blade upward. Zhuzhush broke her silence again, a squawk of pain as the long blade clipped her arm, giving her a deep cut across the shoulder. No hesitation, Keydis sliced downward again and then thrust forward and then let fly with a boot. Impossibly fast, the assassin dipped and dodged and Keydis slammed her heel into a workbench, splintering the wood and sending tools clattering to the floor. A knife sliced in but this time she blocked with the haft of the polearm.
The other hand was etching more sigils into the air. Bushy eyebrows narrowed.
Zhuzhush spun toward her, blade coming around to thrust at her belly. Instead of blocking, Keydis thrust forward with the falx, past the false image of Zhuzhush to catch the real enlil in the shoulder. The knife flew from her fingers and clattered to the floor. How many more did she have?
"I've seen that one," Keydis said. The last time she had seen it, Orator's demvir friend used it to escape. "Got anything else?" If Zhuzhush was worried, her face didn't show it. She maintained a strictly impassive look the entire time.
Then her eyes flew open wide, eyes alight with predatory promise, bloodlust that set Keydis back on her heels.
It was only for a second, but it only took that second for Zhuzhush to slam the short falx out of the way. Keydis was left completely open, her one arm out to the side while the assassin's blade came down at her breast. She couldn't twist out of the way, couldn't bring the weapon to bear, couldn't even hope to kick the enlil to throw off the deadly stab.
"Fuck!"
The half-scissor blade halted, a scant inch away from her ribs, held back by a surge of violet light. Keydis looked just as surprised as Zhuzhush, both of them staring at the ghostly outline of an arm, an open palm cupping the assassin's fist. Lines flickered down the length of the spectral limb, like bolts of lightning, or veins.
The arm burst into sparkles of light, but it was just enough for Keydis to dodge out of the way. She brought the wickedly curved blade back around and chopped at the back of the assassin's calves, feeling the edge bite into bone.
Zhuzhush could not stay silent after that. She let out a wail of pain, dropped to her knees and reached back to clutch at one mangled leg. Not about to waste her chance, Keydis pulled the polearm back and thrust it straight ahead, the tip piercing in just under the assassin's ribs, threading upward to slice into the enlil's lung and across her heart.
No tricks this time, the woman expelled her last breath of air in a rush before her head drooped forward. Keydis held her body up on the end of the falx, waiting for a moment before lowering the body to the ground and pulling the blade free.
With a look over at the empty air where her arm used to be, she muttered, "Are you ready to talk, then?"
Echo
Wordcount: 1,201
The sword came down. A hush fell over the room, except for Keydis' labored breathing. Ruby droplets of blood reflected flickering firelight from the forge.
The assassin stared up at Keydis, not even flicking her eyes toward the short sword. She had the sense not to move, at least. Blood seeped from the thin red line on the side of her pale throat. "Why?" Keydis asked, voice strained, heart hammering in her chest. "WHY?!" she demanded, louder, anger building up inside her.
For weeks, Keydis waited for reprisal. She expected it, dreaded it.
Some part of her wished for it.
"It was over! I was done! So why?!" Pain burned in her breast at hearing those words out loud.
The assassin said nothing, but there was a flicker in her eyes. Not sympathy. Something Keydis couldn't identify. Too late, Keydis noticed movement, too distracted by the mysterious look. Zhuzhush's fingers deftly formed sigils against the floor, two halves of a circle with a curving line between them. Keydis growled and punched down with the hilt of the sword, bringing the blade down across the enlil's throat.
She was hardly surprised when the blade passed straight through the afterimage and she jumped back to her feet, holding the short sword up in front of herself as she spun a circle, checking the room for the assassin. That spell wasn't so powerful, she couldn't have gone far.
From behind there came the sound of metal on stone. Zhuzhush was grabbing her robe covered in knives. Keydis whirled around, blade leading, but the enlil leapt backward, throwing the robe over her shoulders. She grabbed one of the half-scissor blades, snapping the thin thread holding it to the garment as she pulled it free.
Sweat poured down the brunette's skin as the two of them faced one another. Keydis placed her boot on top of the long-handled weapon Zhuzhush had entered with, dragging it closer to herself. There was a tense moment as the two locked eyes, preparing to move while the forge flames flickered. Zhuzhush moved first, feigning a turn to flee.
Keydis didn't take the bait; the assassin's eyes still looked cold, determined. No fear. As quickly as she turned, Zhuzhush whipped back around and threw the knife. Keydis batted it aside with the short sword, then the second one thrown by her other hand. The first knife went clear across the room but the second deflected blade spun and sliced across her leg.
She threw the short sword, hooked her toe under the assassin's weapon, and kicked it up to herself. It was a curious weapon, the length of a short spear, but the blade was more of a falx, sharpened on the inside curve and ending in a sharp tip. Zhuzhush already had two more knives to hand and was circling around Keydis like a vulture.
After spending all day forging, Keydis was exhausted. Her arm quivered as adrenaline pumped through the sore muscles, forcing them to cooperate. If the fight dragged out, she wasn't going to make it. Her heart hammered in her chest, a tingle of fear creeping down her spine, cold sweat beating her skin.
Keydis looked into the assassin's eyes... and smiled.
The brunette burst into movement but Zhuzhush was faster. The falx whipped down toward the enlil's legs, but she was already ducking back, talons digging into the floor to launch the woman forward once the weapon whiffed by. She was on Keydis in a fraction of a second, knives crossing and slashing. Red lines spread across her skin before she stepped in and slammed her forehead into Zhuzhush's face, following with a boot to the enlil's knee and another swing with the falx.
Even dazed, Zhuzhush managed to evade the attack, but Keydis didn't wait this time. She rushed in, grin widening. The butt of the falx punched into the enlil's jaw, the blade sliced in at her hip. The assassin did a spin, narrowly evading the curved blade and retaliating with another slice, leaving a long red gash across the brunette's upper arm.
Keydis twisted her wrist and sent the blade upward. Zhuzhush broke her silence again, a squawk of pain as the long blade clipped her arm, giving her a deep cut across the shoulder. No hesitation, Keydis sliced downward again and then thrust forward and then let fly with a boot. Impossibly fast, the assassin dipped and dodged and Keydis slammed her heel into a workbench, splintering the wood and sending tools clattering to the floor. A knife sliced in but this time she blocked with the haft of the polearm.
The other hand was etching more sigils into the air. Bushy eyebrows narrowed.
Zhuzhush spun toward her, blade coming around to thrust at her belly. Instead of blocking, Keydis thrust forward with the falx, past the false image of Zhuzhush to catch the real enlil in the shoulder. The knife flew from her fingers and clattered to the floor. How many more did she have?
"I've seen that one," Keydis said. The last time she had seen it, Orator's demvir friend used it to escape. "Got anything else?" If Zhuzhush was worried, her face didn't show it. She maintained a strictly impassive look the entire time.
Then her eyes flew open wide, eyes alight with predatory promise, bloodlust that set Keydis back on her heels.
It was only for a second, but it only took that second for Zhuzhush to slam the short falx out of the way. Keydis was left completely open, her one arm out to the side while the assassin's blade came down at her breast. She couldn't twist out of the way, couldn't bring the weapon to bear, couldn't even hope to kick the enlil to throw off the deadly stab.
"Fuck!"
The half-scissor blade halted, a scant inch away from her ribs, held back by a surge of violet light. Keydis looked just as surprised as Zhuzhush, both of them staring at the ghostly outline of an arm, an open palm cupping the assassin's fist. Lines flickered down the length of the spectral limb, like bolts of lightning, or veins.
The arm burst into sparkles of light, but it was just enough for Keydis to dodge out of the way. She brought the wickedly curved blade back around and chopped at the back of the assassin's calves, feeling the edge bite into bone.
Zhuzhush could not stay silent after that. She let out a wail of pain, dropped to her knees and reached back to clutch at one mangled leg. Not about to waste her chance, Keydis pulled the polearm back and thrust it straight ahead, the tip piercing in just under the assassin's ribs, threading upward to slice into the enlil's lung and across her heart.
No tricks this time, the woman expelled her last breath of air in a rush before her head drooped forward. Keydis held her body up on the end of the falx, waiting for a moment before lowering the body to the ground and pulling the blade free.
With a look over at the empty air where her arm used to be, she muttered, "Are you ready to talk, then?"