Rainbow's Stand

Chapter 7 - Gottem

Fox curls up between my legs and ducks his head into his tail. There are crackles of lighting and screaming.

Someone's screaming.

It seems to keep going on. I don't know what possess me in the moment, but I unhitch my bow from my back and knock back an arrow.

Peering around what remains of the bush, I don't look and shoot an arrow into the mass of purple and black.

The arrow flies forward, somehow not being pushed back by the huge gust of energy being pushed out and disappears into the black.

It stops.

Lady Jane is standing in the middle of a crater, towering over a twitching and very unconscious Gravia.

Her pointed eyes, staring straight into mine.

"Oh, Rainbow..." she hisses, flicking a finger up and letting a small ball of energy pulse on top of it, "nice of you to join the party."

I find myself quiet, frozen and unable to move with the bow in my hands. Fox jumps forward and growls, his ears pinned back and teeth bared.

"You even have a friend." Lady Jane smiles, a satanic look. "A witness to your downfall."

The ball of black and purple is sent hurling towards me, and I just barely scoop up Fox to dive out of the way. It crashes into a tree, sending it toppling over. I gawk at the sheer power.

Another ball is send straight for us, and Fox uses the momentum from kicking off of me to fly forward and send the ball hurling straight between the two of us.

I duck behind a nearby tree, quickly knocking back another arrow into the bow and taking a slow breath.

Just another shot.

The tree crashes and splinters, taking the hit for me as I sidestep to the left, spinning around and letting an arrow fly forward.

It misses Lady Jane.

A vent of frustration beings billowing up inside of me as I reach for another arrow, loading it into the bow as another slash of magic is sent my way. I only just manage to duck out of the way.

The next arrow I shoot manages to nick the side of Lady Janes cape, but it doesn't do much beside ruin the aesthetic and vibe of the outfit. Lady Jane also readies another move, this time sending out a wave-like burst of purple electricity.

I fling myself behind a large tree as the world seems to light up. As the magic collides into anything, a small explosion bursts out, flashing white and burnt black scorch marks litter the woods, accompanied by small wisps of grey smoke.

"Oh Rainbow~" A taunting voice bellows throughout the forest. "I tire of these games..."

"I tire of your games." I mock back under my breath, loading another arrow. "I'm tired of YOUR GAME—"

I stop dead in my tracks at the lack of Lady Jane as I round the tree, my arrow pulled back and ready to shoot. She's not there anymore. The campsite she previously occupied only has the two bodies of Hunter and Gravia. Where did she go—

A sharp hand grabs my quiver and pulls up.

I'm left suspended in the air as the quiver floats up, kicking and squealing as I am levitated a few feet off the ground. Lady Jane comes into my vison, slowly clapping. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the purple that surrounds and lifts my bag.

Lady Jane begins to speak."I admire your effort but—"

I shoot her.

It's totally a cheap shot, as she is right in front of me but it goes into her shoulder and sticks out with a satisfying small drips of red. The shock and fear in her eyes was priceless.

Absolutely worth it.

Lady Janes eye light up with a eerie purple hue as she snaps her head from the arrow to my face.

"That's enough."

There's a chill in her voice that I can't seem to place, one that can be found in an empty snowed in cave or a desolate icy mountaintop.

She looks at the arrow sticking out of her shoulder, letting the red drip, drip, drip before reaching backwards into my quiver and taking another arrow to stab into my thigh.

I bite back a scream. I will not give her the satisfaction of seeing me scream.

Lady Jane chuckles, deep and low.

"I'm going to enjoy this."

Before she could, a blur of white and orange jumps up onto her neck with a loud bark.

"Fox!"

Lady Jane stumbles backwards, howling and hissing as Fox uses his claws to dig into her shoulders and neck. The magic holding me up is released as she tries to detain Fox, but he is simply too small and slippery.

I only take a second to wince before desperately looking around in the forest ground for something—

Bingo.

I take a thick stick and stand up, hobbling over to Lady Jane, raising it above my head like a bat.

TWACK.