Our Destiny: Bearers of the Dagger

Impossible, Part 9

'Up the ladder!' Nick cried. He grabbed a pitchfork from the hay and turned to face the pursuers.

Emma meanwhile scrambled up the ladder, climbing painfully slowly to the top. She could already hear the voices of the Tengura as they charged Nick. A hand grabbed her leg. Emma screamed.

Standing on the ladder below her was one of the warriors, the one with the shield. He was laughing as he clung on to her ankle. The other Tengura was wrestling Nick for control of the pitchfork, both of them rolling around the floor.

'Get off!' Emma cried.

She gripped the ladder tightly with her hands then she dared to lift her other foot off the rungs. Using her free limb, she booted her attacker as hard she could but his bird-like helmet protected him well. Instead she aimed her second kick at his hand on the ladder and his knuckles cracked.

The Tengura howled and released her.

Emma then clambered up to the top of the ladder, hoping the warrior had had his fill of her. Evidently not. He leapt up to the loft, shield ready, and drawing his sword again.

She didn't have a bamboo. Or a pitchfork. Emma was trapped up here with nothing and no one to defend her. Nick was below but he was too preoccupied with his Tengura to worry about her.

Her body filled with dread as she saw how deadly sharp the warrior's blade was. She couldn't defend against that. He would kill her in seconds. Just like that woman outside. Like all those poor villagers.

Emma was scared. Terrified.

The Tengura knew it. He was laughing to himself as he whipped his blade about wrist, showing off his sword talents. She was nothing to him. Not even sport. Just a piece of meat.

It was wrong.

It was unfair.

Emma's brows knit as she glared at the warrior. He stopped laughing.

The Tengura dashed forwards, blade raised to slice her from shoulder to hip.

'No!' she cried in defiance.

A flash of light blocked the warrior's strike.

It was dazzling and powerful and the sheer shock bought Emma to her knees. It was the white woman again. The one who saved her from the crabs. Once more she had appeared to save Emma's life, deflecting the attack of her enemies.

And the deflection was so great that the Tengura was sent flying backwards, stumbling off the edge of the barn's loft.

The man flailed and wailed and then he fell.

The warrior landed on his neck, sending a sickening crunch through the barn. His shield and sword fell away and the noise of the man's impact startled everyone, including Nick and his opponent.

Emma watched Nick seizing the opportunity, jumping towards the dropped shield. He immediately flipped it around to block his attacker's dagger. The blade's point cracked on impact, blunting its edge.

Nick then slid over to the dropped sword, stealing the weapon as the other warrior attacked again.

Once more he blocked the strike. But this time he countered, jabbing the sword's tip into the man's gut. The Tengura bowled over, gasping in pain. Blood was pouring between his trembling hands.

The warrior looked up just in time to see Nick swing the sword across, slicing his throat. The Tengura crumpled in a heap, leaving the teenager victorious.

'Nick!'

He turned to Emma as she descended the ladder. His face looked stunned and confused by what he'd just achieved. He must never have thought he had it in him. To be honest, Emma didn't either.

'You alright?' he said, waking from his blankness.

She didn't respond at first. Emma collected the long dagger from the corpse of the dead Tengura. She had no wish to fight but Tengura were everywhere and besides, she felt compelled to act.

'We have to help them!'

Nick frowned at first then looked out the barn doors, back up the road to where the village was. She knew he could see the Tengura riders were still rampaging around the houses, cutting down villagers while their hounds feasted on the corpses.

The golden-haired teenager then glanced at his shield, and then at his arrow wound, which Emma had totally forgot. The shirt was stained red but Nick appeared completely unfazed by the injury. He wasn't even wincing now.

'Yeah,' he said quickly and glared out the doors. 'Come on.'

Emma nodded to him determinedly and together they raced out the barn, back to the village.