Coming From the Shadows Series
A Boiling Point Between Sisters Part 4
1908 A.D.
Australia
The desolate landscape painted a canvas of shades of ochre and charcoal beneath the bruised sky with an impending storm; Elizabeth, knowing how her sister requires help, has set out alone stumbling through the scrub beneath the harsh glare of the moon; a whisper in the wind – followed by a rustle in stunted trees caught her attention.
Shifting her gaze, Elizabeth froze, she felt her heart beating, at first, she believed the figure she saw to be a Cultists that had found her, but as the figure emerged; impossibly graceful, impossibly out of place; Keiko
Her blood ran cold as she looked at Keiko; a relic of her previous life, the spreading of her fathers Cultists in Japan years ago; she remembered Keiko; and Keiko clearly had not forgotten her “I finally found you” she said, a voice a silken threat in the still of the night
“I don’t have time for this” Elizabeth said quickly; her hand moved to the holster, where her revolver should be, though feeling it empty, she glanced down, seeing it was not where it should be, her eyes flicked back to Keiko; to the Katana she had in her possession
“No weapons; no words of power?” Keiko questions “You look as though your in a state of desperation; very different from when you was in my homeland”
Then, without warning; Keiko moved; a flash of polished steel in the moonlight – she drew the katana, her movement was fast, Elizabeth let out a startled yelp as she darted out of the way; but Keiko predicted her intended movement; switching her direction to match; Elizabeth’s eyes widened, terror painted across her face, she raised her arms to shield her face as she shut her eyes tightly; waiting for the strike; the agonising pain that it would bring.
Then, a deafening clang resonated in the darkness; a spark illuminated the scene momentarily. Elizabeth opened her eyes and lowered her arms, recognizing that another sword had intercepted Keiko’s violent strike, holding it firmly at bay. It had been a narrow escape. Standing between them was her sister, clearly in pain yet displaying an unwavering determination as she fixed her gaze on Keiko.
“My sister can be irritating; but I can’t allow your to kill her” Lydia strained; her movement had pushed her already limited movements, the fight back at the chapel was just enough to tolerate, but this was straining her shoulder significantly as she held her sword with a firm grip, keeping the Katana safely back
Keiko wore a mask of fury on her face as her eyes were now locked on Lydia; she could see she was in no fit state, that this action had strained her body “Your sister?” she spat “Then I intend to kill you as well”
Letting out an irritated grunt; Lydia rolled her eyes “Back off” she told Keiko
Keiko narrowed her eyes before pulling her katana away, but quickly swinging heavily forwards immediately after moving; knocking Lydia’s sword downwards, before stepping forwards and swinging the sword on an angle as she raise’s it upwards with a furious swing; Lydia, moving her right hand shoves her sister as she steps backwards while repositioning herself to defend the incoming strike; she winces with each movement she makes and feeling the strike connecting she feels a strain along her arm; but she maintains a rather defensive position inspite of the pain that shoots down her arm.
Keiko, letting out a scream, her face contorted with her frustrations; launches herself again, a flurry of blows that she hoped would quickly overwhelm Lydia; gritting her teeth, Lydia moved, she danced about Keiko with a strained and limited movement, but she used her limited movements economically, planned out everything in a few seconds on how to defend and handle Keiko’s blind rage; Lydia deflected strikes, parried them; but not once did she attempt to attack, merely defended.
She recognized the depth of Keiko’s determination to prevail; had she not been consumed by her own wrath, success would have come effortlessly, had she truly desired it. Yet, that rage dictated her actions, and with each parry and deflected strike, Keiko’s fury intensified.
The stark difference between Lydia’s training and experience against Keiko was obvious to Elizabeth; she remembered how timid her sister was, the kind of person she use to be; the Lydia she saw now was nothing like the innocent child she remembered, that she teased for being unable to keep up with herself and their brother.
Despite every heavy strike sending a shocking pain along Lydia’s body, she maintained her defensive style; Lydia knew she could kill Keiko if she really wanted too; all it would take would be one well-placed strike, there was far too many openings she could exploit; Keiko’s movements were too focused on aggressive heavy strikes, and she was clearly exhausting herself; while Lydia had barely any attempt to put effort in.
When Keiko raised her katana high and rushed forwards; Lydia side-stepped her; she moved her left hand to pull a small blade free, holding it in reverse as Keiko passed her in her heavy swing, she raised the small blade and placed it against Keiko’s throat; she kept eye contact the entire time “Enough” Lydia said with a strained voice “It’s done; your done, I don’t have any time for this, there are Cultists chasing us”
Keiko raised her eyebrow for a moment, she remembered Elizabeth as being a Cultist leader in Japan; how she organised them in her village; she shifted her eyes towards Elizabeth a moment.
“If you want Cultists to kill; go find them, my sister isn’t part of their movement anymore” Lydia told Keiko; though her stare was starting to become rather distant, Keiko could see it, the subtle shake present in her left arm, as though she was beginning to struggle with just holding her arm up
“Lydia?” Elizabeth made a move forwards; Keiko glanced towards Elizabeth for a brief moment before her eyes returned to Lydia
“I..” blinking her eyes, Lydia moved back, struggling to keep her left arm raised as she lets go of the small blade, a second later, the sword landed with a dull thud against the floor as she found it too much of a struggle to remain upright, it took only a moment before she fell flat to the ground with a rather heavy thud
Keiko saw an opportunity, but, she decided not to take it; the knowledge that more Cultists were present, that Lydia and Elizabeth were being chased sparked a curiosity, she looked towards Elizabeth as she made a sudden move to check her fallen sister “I am not forgiving what you did” Keiko told Elizabeth “But, if you are being chased; then I shall go and find out for myself” she said before slowly moving off, leaving the twins alone
Elizabeth, left with little choice, had to struggle to move her sister on her own.
Written By: Westley H.
- The Ark: Eighty-Thousand Year Fall
- Forced into Fame
- The Vanguard Incident: Part 2
- A Change of Heart
- Splintered Wings
- The Last Scene: Shadows of Deceit
- The Web of Lies
- The Imperium Chronicles: Missing in Manchester
- Once Scorned
- The Shadow of the Theatre
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