Triton Prism - 7. Avenged

CHAPTER EIGHT: AVENGED

The city lights shone in the overcast night. The bay waters had shook under the droppings of the demolished fortress and the pieces vanished in the depths. Half an hour later, the black water was as smooth and undisturbed as glass. Lysander was gone, flown off atop his dragon. Away from the wharves and busy part of the city, a man crawled out of the water into mud-muck.

Reburn strained against the biting cold, gritting his teeth and pawing through the marsh. Drooping trees blocked out most of the minimal light. Roots stuck upward as little points in the mud. Reburn continued to drag himself, sliding across the filth, grunting and heaving. Weakly getting up and to his feet. He struggled and gripped a branch, working to catch his breath.

The elemental had used his weird dragon's eye to overload the crystal's power. The benefit to that seemed to be that after Cordaco's Prism shattered, his own energy levels were restored to a hundred percent. Without that, Reburn probably wouldn't have had the stamina to escape the ocean. Reaching up he wiped the grey mud from his face, he was coated all over.

Never did he imagine he'd outlive the artefact. He knew it'd never leave him until he died. He knew that with his newfound power, he'd forever be hunted for all of his days. He'd not even thought it possible that Cordaco's Prism could be destroyed. Lifting his head Reburn saw a shadow in the dark, his heart seemed to stop. The silhouette remained watching him, was it Lysander?

"Who's there!?" he called.

A woman with purple hair strode to the edge of the dry bank. A patch of light revealed her, she was carrying dual sabres. Her eyes were colourless and patterned.

"You must be Reburn. Had just enough power to escape him, huh?"

"You're too old to be one of the crushers…"

"Lucky me. My boss wants you dead. I still have a job to do."

She crouched for a split moment before flying at him, her blades held in an X. Reburn raised his arms, black arm-bands forming as he held his ground against her. His reflexes were just as fast as normal, he noted. As if he hadn't just been wearing himself ragged against an elemental. Black blades sprouted from both arm-bands and he slashed apart, the woman flew backwards away from him. As soon as she landed she threw one of her swords like a javelin. Reburn leapt aside through the mud and her blade impaled the tree. She pressed the button of a device at her belt, the circular hilt flashed blue before yanking free and returning to its wielder. She caught it.

"Neat trick…" Reburn murmured. He waded away from her, circling out of the mud so that he now stood on dry ground. The whole area was a mix of lumpy earth and mud puddles, an old abandoned temple of rotting wood stood further inland. He was still dripping with mud, the two fighters stood and appraised each other.

"Gloria?" the two of them turned at the newcomer. A teen in black stealth gear, dark hair and eyes. When he recognized Reburn beneath all the muck his expression turned murderous. "Reburn, so it is you." His eyes flickered, suddenly a bright yellow in the dark.

"Douglas? That's a nice new skill."

Gloria had her blades pointed at both of them, they stood in a triangle. Wary of each other. When Douglas saw his vision light up completely he knew immediately what it was: the woman about to paralyze him with the Kurei so she could continue fighting Reburn. Douglas raced forward, spawning his scimitar and jump-slashing. The big man blocked with an arm-blade, slashing back while Douglas stayed nimble on his feet, swerving and striking. The two of them turned as they fought. Gloria's white eyes flickered between their moving bodies before she scowled and darted forward with both blades at her side.

She jumped and cut the space between them, forcing the two to separate. Swinging one blade at Reburn who blocked and stepped back, turning the next second so her other blade sang close to Douglas's ear. He jumped aside and the woman lashed between both of them, blades clashed loud in the night. Dark flocks of birds fluttering off under the blanketed sky.

Gloria grunted, blocking Douglas's scimitar with both her swords, kicking him back and away from her. Turning and arcing at Reburn's middle, the big man jumped back and stepped warily away from her. There was several feet of space between the combatants now. Reburn planted his feet and black metal stretched out from behind him in bands, it was slower this time but soon he was once again covered by a full suit of armor. It looked notably different to before, less spiked and threatening.

Gloria lowered a blade and tilted her head at him "I'm amazed you can still fight so well after exerting so much energy."

Douglas scowled and focused his own energy, an armored chest-plate spawned over his body. Filaments hooking and connecting to gauntlets on both arms. Only partial armor coverage.

"You remind me so much of myself at your age." Reburn's baritone voice was muffled behind the helmet. "Join me, Douglas. I can make you strong."

"I'm here to kill you because you killed Kanra and Elise!" the teen shouted. "As for you Gloria, I suppose you want to kill me for payback as well?"

She was keeping both enemies in her sights, as soon as she faced him head-on he was going to dart aside to not get paralyzed by her eye power.

"I couldn't care less about you." The woman answered, sounding bored "Same goes for Donovan and Jordan. I couldn't care less. I set out on a mission and that's what I'm going to do."

"Spoken like a true psychopath." Douglas quirked his lip "Even when your team-mate died and we were in the middle of a fight you were still focused on escaping to complete the mission. I shouldn't be surprised you came here to fight him, even alone."

"Cordaco's Prism was destroyed." Reburn turned his head to her. "That's what your employer wanted, right? For you to kill me and hand over the artefact. You can't do that now because the crystal is gone."

Gloria's chin dipped, she stared through the dark to see no jewel glimmering from his chest-plate. Her arms dropped to her sides.

"I see… the mission failed." There was no disappointment, no emotion as she registered. Then her mind went elsewhere, she backed away and then vanished into the night.

There was no wind, any sea breeze was muffled by the willowing trees. The two remaining fighters stared each other down, and even from beneath the helmet Douglas could feel Reburn's satisfaction. Only a single revenge-bent teenager to deal with and then he could make his escape.

"I'm the one who built Titania, you really think you can take me on?"

"I have a new power now, thanks to you." His eyes were still bright yellow. "Titania falls apart here."

Reburn whipped out a pair of ninja-stars and Douglas did the same, not only did the weapons bounce off each other but Reburn's were sent back and deflected against his armor. The big man stepped back in shock, Douglas looked just as determined behind those yellow eyes. With a roar Reburn spawned his long-sword, charging. Douglas ran forward and their blades connected, metal glinting and loud breaths from close up. They separated and slashed, running longways and clashing, sparks flying.

Reburn was still much more physically powerful, even though Douglas could see the future attacks he was surprised by their strength. His scimitar was knocked aside, flying off in the darkness. Douglas caught Reburn's foot before he could kick his chest and threw the leg aside. Backing up further Douglas sprouted his hexagonal shield and jolted each time that huge sword pelted against it. He waited for the opportune moment before running back, dislodging his shield and hurling it like a frisbee. Reburn caught it and it bent in his grip. Douglas turned to the abandoned temple and ran inside.

Up the wooden steps, everything looked yellow under his Ramei. Though he'd learned to keep it from sucking so much energy he could still only afford to keep it active for a few minutes more. The temple was tower-shaped, empty with moss and holes in the floorboards. A spiraling staircase that went up several levels. Each level had a railed gap in its middle so you could look straight up to the tiled roof. Douglas quickly took the staircase.

For a moment he wondered if Reburn was even following, a black pike attached to a chain whizzed from the entryway and speared the wall. Douglas ducked and cursed, continuing upwards.

Breaking out onto the upper level. Worn fabrics fluttering and bundled on the floor, curtains or sheets with holes. Douglas jumped over a broken chair and rushed out to a balcony that overlooked the swampy woods. Reburn appeared and kicked the chair out of his path, it flew and crashed against the wall. He tore through the fluttering sheets. Outside the railing was damaged or outright missing, looking around at the treetops Douglas could see there was nowhere to jump or climb. Running back inside he dodged the blur of yellow before Reburn swiped with his axe. Sheets tangled and tore, the angry man growled as he yanked them free. Probably some homeless person's laundry from long ago.

Douglas stabbed through a sheet and hit Reburn's armor. That helmet turned, meaning he'd just given away his location. The man swatted back and disarmed Douglas again, reaching out and snagging the boy's neck. Throwing him painfully against the wall and lifting so his feet were off the ground. Douglas looked at the cruel black figure that held him in place. Reburn clenched the fist of his free-hand, intending to bludgeon him to death with metal punches. A thick black needle sprouted from Douglas's hand, he thrust his arm up and stabbed through the eyehole of his oppressor, right into his brain.

Reburn jolted, releasing his captive. The big enemy stumbled backwards and fell through the thin wall, planks of wood and plaster falling with him. A heavy splat as his corpse landed in a mud puddle below.

Douglas fell to his knees in relief, massaging his neck. The Ramei deactivated.

"It's over… it's finally over."

Leaning back against the wall, the remaining sheets swayed in the dingy, derelict temple. Douglas stayed there for a long while, just breathing. Elise… Kanra… it's over.

They'd not been prepared back then, they'd not seen it coming. But that was the thing about life as a crusher. So much could happen. One moment you're strong and the next you're gone. But Douglas did manage to awaken the Ramei. If he wanted to survive like Edgar had, he'd have to become strong. Strong enough to protect his remaining siblings and everyone else. He would survive and he would become strong.

Lifting his head and closing his eyes he continued to breathe. He recalled telling the others a few weeks ago that the thing he feared most was becoming something he could never come back from. He'd avenged his comrades and beaten a criminal. That didn't make him a monster, just a guy not to be screwed around with.

After a time Douglas went down the stairs, left the abandoned temple. Walked the marshland forestry and left it all behind him.