Fire and Ice

The jungle seemed to be moving around him as Father Brown struggled to collect his thoughts. He brushed away another vine as it reached for him. Thorns and bramble tore at his already ripped and dirty clothing, grasping as the vegetation swarmed frantically around him. He rested his hand on a decaying tree, slipping as the bark fell from the trunk and crumbled beneath his touch. He knew the planet was convulsing to the effects from the two volcanoes miles away and he prayed in silence that Father James and Captain Crane were having more success than he had. He felt pressure at his feet and glanced down at his thick military style boots and watched for a moment as the blades of grass grew before his eyes and covered his feet in a deliberate and precise action. He forced a boot in the air and imagined the green blades scream as he ripped fragments from the ground. His eyes scanned the forest floor and the carpet of grass which was spreading wildly at pace over the roots and leaves which lay discarded. A small skeletal carcass caught his eyes and slowly he bent, his hand reaching for the bleached bones. Grass emerged from between the ribs and joints as the priests hand gently pressed against the skull as it moved under the weight of the invading lawn. “Vampiric” he said to himself out loud as he watched as the grass wrapped small tendrils around his hand and dug their way beneath his skin drawing small spots of blood to break the surface of the back of his hand. As the crimson tide touched the greenery, the grass seemed to explode in an excited quiver and elongate, reaching as though to taste further blood. Father Brown stood hurriedly and pulled himself away from the grass, running in the direction of the village in the trees. The forest was coming to life, and not in a good way. Things were defiantly coming to a head and if they didn’t get off this planet soon, their lives would be for nought. He paused at the foot of a mighty tree and his hand trailed to a thick vine which led into the canopy high above his head. His ears caught the sound of blades clashing and his eyes drifted toward the sky, squinting in the dying sunlight as he hoped the noise wasn’t coming from his companion.

Captain Crane sagged, his body wracked with fatigue as his muscles screamed in protest at this prolonged exertion. “Madame” he panted as he rested on one knee whilst carefully watching his opponent. “This is getting us nowhere”

“Then concede to my superior strength” groaned Lady Theye, as she paused for breath. Her ample bosom heaved as her lungs grasped for air as she answered reluctantly.

“You have to listen to me” pleaded Crane, “this action is getting us nowhere” he repeated, “we are fighting as the end is coming to an end. Please Lady, listen to me. If we are to save your people...”

“My people will die as they have lived!” she screamed, spitting blood from her mouth as the words were forced out, “in ignorance”

“Then, you leave me with no choice” Crane stood to his full height and placed his blade before his face, slowly lowering his blade to face her, “this must end”

“So be it” she looked at him and smiled, copying his actions with her own weapon.

As the two bodies clashed, sparks flew from the blades and silver scraped along silver. Lady Theye thrust her blade toward the form of Crane who blocked with his own weapon and forced her blade downward as he struggled to defend his own position from her weight and skill. He staggered as she moved from the attack, sending his sprawling to the floor in an untidy mess of limbs. Crane looked up at her as he rolled back to his feet, her laughter ringing in his ears and regained his footing, standing opposite her and took a deep breath. “We’ve been at this for hours” he complained as he raised his blade in both hands before him.

“Yes!” agreed Lady Theye, a flash of excitement crossing her face, “think how better our bodies could have been served in unison” she laughed as they came together again, her blade swinging above the head of the captain. Crane ducked the swipe of the blade and pulled his own weapon toward her body, missing wildly with his own loose swing. Once again Crane found himself sprawled on the floor as the momentum of his action took him off his feet and cast him across the soft leaved canopy. Lady Theye loomed over him and thrust her blade down sharply, missing his body by inches as he rolled and kicked his body out of the way of her attack. He pushed himself back across the roof, thrusting his legs in a desperate attempt to create separation between the two combatants. He pulled himself to his feet as Theye turned quickly in his direction, pulling the tip of her blade from the roof and thrusting it toward the struggling captain.

The two blades clashed and locked together as Crane pulled his weapon close to his body, blocking her attack and used the momentum and weight of her attack to roll her behind him. As Theye stumbled past, she swung her elbow deep into his stomach, pushing the wind from his body and causing the captain to double up from the unexpected attack. Air was expelled from his body as his arm grasped at his mid-drift, while the bulk of the woman stumbled against the handrail. “Watch you don’t fall” remarked Crane gasping for air. She turned to face him, an angry flash crossing her face and she roared toward the darkening sky and thrust her body toward him, bringing her weapon down against his blade as he desperately defended another brutal attack from her.

Crane backed away as Theye swung again and again, her blade connecting with his as she forced him toward the edge of the roof. Crane turned and ran to the other side of the roof, creating space between them both. “Run! Coward” spat Theye as she slowly stalked him.

“Nonsense madame!” retorted Crane, “I simply need a moment to saviour the fresh air” he turned and swung his sword before her as she approached swiftly sensing victory in her grasp. She swung the heavy blade above her head, bringing it down in a series of vicious attacks, each one blocked and defended by the helpless Crane. The savagery of Lady Theye’s blows continued to force Crane backward toward the edge of the rooftop, as he brought his own blade before him, time and time again, blocking and defending each swing of her blade. Lady Theye swung her blade wildly, missing Crane and leaving herself open to attack. Crane saw a mighty wall of naked flesh exposed by her attack and pushed his blade into her side, drawing a thick plume of blood of erupt from her body. She pulled her arm down to her side and pulled the captain close to her body. Crane could feel the warmth of her blood as it seeped from her body and he looked into her eyes as blood trickled from her mouth.

“A lucky shot” she grinned, holding his blade in position in her body and his body close to his. She thrust her head forward connecting with her forehead on the bridge of his nose, sending him staggering backward, flailing desperately in the air as he stumbled from her release. His blade swung wildly as his free hand cupped his nose, feeling a slight stream of blood flow down his lip and the sharp tang of iron resting against his tongue. They stood for a moment facing each other, Lady Theye with a glaring wound in the side of her body and Captain Crane with a series of cuts and bruises ranging across his body. His wiped away the stream of blood from his nose with the cuff of his jacket and ran toward her, his blade held aloft in a defiant salute. Both roared as their blades clashed, throwing off tiny sparks as silver smashed against each other. They stood staring into each others eyes for a moment as blades wrapped around each other, before she thrust his body away from her and swung her own blade toward his body. Once again, Crane blocked the attack and thrust his own sword toward her. The weight and force of his attack pushed his body off his feet and he stumbled before her. Lady Theye pulled her knee up, connecting with his already bloodied face and snapping his neck back with a sickening furiousity. Crane lost his footing from the blow to his face and stumbled backward, his back crashing heavily against the floor of the roof. Lady Theye stared down at his body and breathed heavily, “I win” she smirked as she brought her blade down swiftly.

The silver was tinged by the heavy stain of blood as the blade cut through muscle, sinew and bone. Crane felt a hot rush of pain coarse through his body as the blade came down and severed his wrist in one deft clean blow. His head turned and his voice was lost in scream as he watched the severed hand complete with blade tumble over the edge of the rooftop. He pulled his injured wrist close to his body and curled himself around his wound as blood ebbed from his arm across the leaves. His head felt light from the sudden loss of blood, “finish it” he breathed softly as his vision swam in and out of consciousness. His eyesight became blurred, but as he felt darkness overcome him he was sure he could see the two burly figures of men approach from the doorway and haul him to his feet, but his last overwhelming impression was that of Lady Theye herself.

She had dropped to her knees, and for a moment Crane wondered if she herself had died during the final blow. Her weapon lay discarded by her body as she knelt with her head down on the floor...and as he was pulled away he could see her true actions.

Her tongue ran along the soft leaves of the roof, running over the deep stain of his blood as she eagerly lapped up the spilt liquid. His warm soothing blood warming her stomach as she ran her face through the red tide and drink heartily at the fluid.