From the Ash: Book I

III: Sai of Relief

Opening the cylinder, I let the remaining bullets fall into my hand. Tossing the empty shells away, I tucked the gun and the remaining four bullets into my pack.

Aw, come on. I thought you were going to shoot him. A kneecap, foot, testicle, something!

Chaz's eyes narrowed suspiciously. He licked his lips, a feral expression creeping into his eyes. "You think you are just going to walk away?"

He reached behind him, bringing forth a knife, easily the size of my forearm.

Holy shit...is that Rambo's knife?

"Walk away, Chaz. No one has to die here."

Besides his friend over there you mean? I'm pretty sure he's dead.

Chaz snorted. "You should have kept the gun."

He began waving the knife in front of him, trying to instill fear into me. He brought the blade to his lips, his tongue slithering out and running along the blade.

That's about an eight on the creepy scale...

I let out a sigh. "Have it your way."

Reaching behind me, I grasped the hilts of the last gift my Father gave me before I left for college.

The beautiful weapons felt as if they were made for my hands, and my hands alone.

Watching Chaz's face melt into a look of uncertainty as I revealed my twin sais, made my lips curl into a triumphant grin.

I twirled the blades in front of me, going through a series of motions that I had practiced for years.

I'm so turned on right now...

When I stopped my display, I brought the blades to my sides, my eyes never leaving Chaz's.

He swallowed, as if trying to digest what just happened. "Who the fuck are you?"

Oh say something cool! Like...Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die.

My green eyes bore into his, holding his gaze, daring him to make his move.

He snorted, his chest heaving as if mustering his courage to return. "You think that little display is going to save you? I'm not going to kill you quickly, I'll have my fun with you first. But don't worry, you'll probably enjoy it, you little whore!"

My hair flew about me wildly. Like a bull seeing red, he charged with reckless abandonment.

When he was no more than a few feet away, he thrust his knife towards me, trying to impale me.

I danced to my left, reversing the grip on my sais and striking him in the shoulderblade with both blades.

He cried out, his momentum carrying him past me a few steps. He turned and barreled at me once again.

Oh, he's pissed now!

This time he slowed his pace, stopping in front of me. He swung the knife overhead; I ducked and he brought it down, trying to cleave me in two. I rolled away, bringing my weapons in front of me defensively as I came up from my crouch.

"Stay still!" he wailed in frustration.

Don't listen to him Phoenix, it's a trick!

He came at me slowly, his eyes searching for an opening.

That's when he did something I didn't expect.

Quicker than I could have anticipated, he threw the knife at me.

Incoming!

I did the only thing I could think of and brought my weapons up, crossing the blades in front of my face.

The impact jolted me backwards, but I successfully deflected the projectile.

Incoming again!

Kip's warning was too late.

Strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me close and squeezing me tightly. My breath shot from my lungs, threatening never to return if I didn't do something quickly.

"Shh, it will be over soon. Then the real fun begins." Chaz's smirk sent jolts of anger through my body.

I gritted my teeth, maneuvering my arms as best I could for what I was about to do.

If I failed, it may very well mean my death...or worse.

I would say, don't fail then.

Now or never.

I flicked my wrists, sending my sais sailing upward. Chaz never registered the movement, he was too busy reveling in the fact that he'd thought he'd won.

I snapped my head forward, slamming it into his nose. The sweet sound of bone breaking, and the sight of blood gushing from it, let me know I'd hit my mark.

Tears welled in his eyes as his grip loosened, freeing my arms. He wailed in pain, but miraculously, held onto me.

I reached up and grasped my weapons as they descended from above. I reversed the grip, putting a blade on either side of Chaz's neck.

That made him freeze.

Do it, Phoenix...

I softly dug the blades into his neck, drawing blood, letting him know I wasn't fucking around.

"Let me go. Now." I commanded.

Chaz gritted his teeth, his eyes darting back and forth as if looking for a way to turn the tables.

"You've got three seconds. Don't make me kill you."

The crazy bastard actually smirked.

One...

"Sure, I'll let you go-" he began, a distasteful sneer on his lips.

Two...

"Right after you suck my-"

Three!

I plunged both blades into his neck, his eyes bulging out of his skull, realizing his fate had been sealed.

He thrashed and bucked, like a bull trying to throw an unwanted passenger, but I held firm.

You and the bull references with this guy...

Blood shot from his mouth as he sank to his knees, his strength finally beginning to wane.

When I felt my feet touch the ground, I retracted my weapons.

Chaz's breath began coming in short gasps, his hateful stare once again finding my eyes.

It looked as if he was trying to mouth something, no doubt some tirade of obscenities.

Crouching down so that I was eye level with him, I finally answered his question,

"My name is Phoenix Renny, and I told you to just walk away. Enjoy burning in Hell."

Damn, Phoenix...that was cold. Awesome...but cold.

I turned and walked away. The sound of Chaz's body hitting the ground met my ears as I made my way over towards his only remaining friend who lived...

For now.