The Embers Book I: The First Fires Of War

Chapter Fourteen: The Russian

Chapter Fourteen: The Russian

Jamie grunted as he took Taylor's weight onto his shoulder after unbuckling his seat belt, the land rover had landed on its roof making it even trickier to rescue him from the wreckage. The twins and Joseph were busy taking on the group of five Cyturion's who had taken them off the road. They weren't any of the higher ups but they were still putting up a damn good fight nonetheless. Joseph was swinging around a gigantic claymore of pure white fire attempting to keep two of the five men back, so Jamie could get Taylor out.

The two men looked to be in their mid-twenties, one wearing a grey t-shirt and the other a black one, both in matching black jeans. The one in black had long hair down to his shoulders; it was dirty and matted making the dark brown look almost black. He wielded a pair of flanged maces sizzling the rain in the air as the swung in for Joseph's head. Joseph jumped back then lunged in knowing he was exposed, burying his claymore up to the hilt into the man's chest.

He kicked the now limp body off of the blade and jumped back from the other man who attempted to take his head off with a flaming two handed axe. The man had over stretched leaving his right flank wide open, Joseph swung his blade straight in for his kidneys. The sword bit into flesh and like a knife through butter it made its way through the tissue and bone then out the other side in one swift motion. His body fell two the ground split in two, the blade having left just below the hip as the blood poured momentarily staining the tarmac crimson, before the blood vessels and arteries were sealed from the heat of the blade.

The other three were still busy fending off the twins, one of the men stood out in particular. He was muscular just like Joseph but this man even managed to make the American appear to be a dwarf compared to him. He stood away from the other two circling like a hawk over the South African's waiting for an opening. Turning about he noticed Joseph advancing toward him and smiled despite his comrades bodies dismembered before his eyes.

The man had short black hair with a burn that ran across his right temple cutting through the hair on his head and continued to his eye, which was sealed shut due to scarred tissue. He also had a scar along his neck running from side to side. His single black eye showed that he was dangerous enough despite being blind in one eye, he was intelligent and the fact he was analysing the twins so thoroughly was proof of just how dangerous it made him. He held no weapons just the obsidian black fire coursing over the skin of his arms to his open palms, which he held out wide as if to show he meant no harm. That scared Jamie even more; he had some trick up his sleeve but what exactly?

Joseph made the first move lunging in his blade aimed directly for his opponent's chest its aim true. The man smiled and just stood aside letting the blade pass right by him, and then he grabbed hold of the blade with his right arm dragging it downward. The force of the pull bulge the man's biceps, every single blood vessel pulsating with the effort as he forced the blade into the ground then brought his left hand around in a fist aimed for Joseph's chin.

Joseph let the fire of his claymore dissipate then formed a circular shield in his left hand blocking the man's strike but the momentum knocked him to the ground nonetheless. Jamie decided he needed to step in, Joseph wasn't going to be able to fight him on his own, that move he pulled was all he needed to see. Jamie closed his eyes and felt the heat of his flames roaring to life across his arms and to the tips of his fingers, it felt natural now, it felt a part of him. The man pulled his fist back for another strike but before he could bring his fist down Jamie formed a spear of white fire then hurled it right for the giants head. The man saw the spear coming out of the corner of his eye and merely swatted it aside with his fist as if it were a minor inconvenience.

"Tut tut, didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with fire boy" said the man in a deep Russian accent.

"Oh she did, but what can I say I'm a teenager I never listen" said Jamie as he formed another spear and launched it again for the man's head.