Skarlet and Cody's Duel
Skarlet awoke to screaming and thrashing as well as a cold wet sensation, she leaped from the bed to find that Amber was convulsing and letting out a low fearful moan, she would occasionally shout. There was the scent of urine in the air and the bed was wet along with Amber and Skarlet. Beatrice's eyes glowed from the other side of the tent as Skarlet shook the young girl awake, once Amber opened her eyes Skarlet paused with surprise. Amber's eyes were so full of life for a moment, fear, worry, desire, hate, and shame swirled in those golden eyes. It was only for a moment before the light faded and they dulled, she went limp in Skarlet's arms, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Beatrice snorted in annoyance before rolling over and going to sleep, Skarlet used wind and water magic to clean both her and Amber as well as the bed. She then pulled Amber into and hugged her as she sat on the bed.
"It's ok, everything's alright now. . ." Skarlet spoke hesitantly, not really sure what to say, How do I comfort someone? I never got that. . . Skarlet laid back down and pulled Amber down beside her, She hugged her tightly. "Everything is ok, just go back to sleep." Amber's tail wagged slowly as she drifted back to sleep.
"This is good."
"How?"
"People who has't completely giveth up don't has't dreams because dreams art b'rn from a collection of w'rries, desires, and thoughts thee hadst during the day. If 't be true she's having nightmares she's begun to careth enow to bethink, desire, and w'rry."
"That. . . that means she's getting better," Skarlet exclaimed with surprise.
"Aye, Skarlet, you're doing a valorous job." Beatrice praised her, Skarlet smiled for a moment before she noticed the time, birds were chirping.
"Oh shoot, It's morning, I can't go back to sleep." Skarlet slipped from the bed, she was about to step out when suddenly something grabbed her shirt. Skarlet turned to see Amber, her tail was dragging on the ground.
"You can come." Skarlet offered her hand and the girl took it as they headed out of the tent, there was smoke rising into the air, the bones of last night's feast cast caged shadows across the clearing as the two headed into the forest.
Cody stood in front of the forest, waiting, she didn't just leave again, did she? He thought, but he didn't hold that thought for long as Skarlet dressed in her usual gear walked out from the forest, she was leading another girl by the hand. The second girl was young, like around ten or eleven, she was dressed in a black dress with ruffled sleeves and a ruffled hem. She looked disinterested, her eyes stared at nothing almost as if she was blind, her tail wagging slowly the only indication that there was any emotion in her at all.
"You ready for the duel?" Cody asked, she nodded, but turned and spoke to the girl she brought with her, the girl sat down in the grass. Skarlet then approached Cody and drew her sword.
"So, rules." Skarlet began, "Let's just do swordplay, I don't want to have to worry about stray magic." She readied her stance, "First to say they concede, or is unable to continue, loses."
"Alright." Cody agreed as he drew his own sword, they readied their stance and began. Skarlet leaped at Cody and swung her sword, he blocked and sidestepped her bringing his sword around to her back, she leaped into a flip and narrowly dodged the blade. She landed and Cody took some distance, then they began circling each other.
"You better not go back on your word if I win this," Cody said as he readied his sword, she didn't respond, leaping forward, he blocked her blade. She slid under and let his slide past, he looked surprised as he sidestepped out of the way, her blade sliced through his clothes and blood dripped from his side.
Skarlet didn't stop; she immediately twisted and swung her sword downward, he blocked it, the heavy hit brought him to his knees. He let the weight slide past as he rolled, he grabbed her arm and flipped her over his shoulder before resting his sword against her neck. She pushed to the side and slid out from under his blade.
Cody gasped as she smashed the pommel into the side of his head and yanked his feet from under him, he rolled as he landed and blocked her downward strike.
"If I didn't know better, I'd think you weren't holding back at all, If I hadn't blocked that would you have stopped."
"No." She gave a simple answer before leaping over him in a flip and kicking him in the back of the head, he skidded forward. Cody slammed his elbow down and kicked his foot out as he flipped onto his feet. She was inches away, he barely managed to catch her sword arm and drop his own sword, he caught it in the hand below, then once again placed it against her neck.
She kicked him in the gut and sent him flying backward, her sword tumbled to the ground in between them.
Cody sighed as he dashed forward, he spun, slinging his sword. Skarlet skidded to a stop and backstepped as his sword buried in the ground in front of her, he was there before she could react and kicked her shin, then elbowed the back of her head. She hit the ground with a thud and he pressed his knee into the back of her neck.
"You lose Skarlet, there is no way you can beat me." Cody announced as he held her down, "Besides, there were several times I would have killed you had it been a real fight."
Skarlet sighed and he let her up, she looked pissed though, "I can't believe I still lost, damn." Skarlet muttered as she retrieved her sword, she turned to Cody and was about to say something to him when a loud thud resounded and Skarlet spun around. She could see something approaching Otalos, something massive.
"Aries, It's back," Cody said in an alarmed tone.
"Yes, it is." Skarlet said matter of factly, "Finally, I've been waiting." Cody was surprised as her words seemed to say that she'd known, but then she looked towards Amber.
"Cody, can you do something for me?" She asked, there was no timidness in her voice as she tightened her grip on her sword, her eyes were locked on Aries.
"Of course."
"Take Amber into the forest, you will find a Kobold camp deeper in, and you should run into a Waredragon named Beatrice. Give Amber to Beatrice, and. . . do whatever you want after that, I'm going to kill Aries." After she said that she took off in a run towards Aries, she suddenly leaped into the air, magical energy radiated from her, She's gotten a lot stronger. Cody turned to Amber and picked her up, the girl was like a doll as he carried her at a running pace into the forest.
Just as Skarlet had said, a Kobold camp was set up in the forest, he approached cautiously. A Kobold wearing a cloak stepped out of the camp, he approached Cody.
"Friend of Skarlet, come I will take you to her tent." He spoke English as he led Cody into the camp, He already knows who I am? He thought as he carried Amber into a tent, there was a woman inside, she had horns and a dragon tail. Cody deposited Amber on the bed and nodded to the dragon girl before stepping back out, I need to go help her, Cody decided as he raced back out into the forest, he made a beeline for the large beast. It's headed for Otalos, I might as well try and redirect it at least.
When he got closer he realized that the beast had stopped, Skarlet had caught up to it and it was focused on her. She was pelting it with powerful spells, though it blocked most of them with a spatial shield.
Cody watched her fight as he approached and realized that Aries was treating Skarlet differently than the last time she'd fought it, it wasn't treating her like a nuisance it was treating her like a threat.
She's gotten that much stronger since I last saw her, with my help she could actually beat that thing! Cody realized as he arrived, using a bit of wind magic he leaped into the air and soared up to where she was.
"I'll help you, what do I need to do?" He asked her, she frowned, pausing her onslaught.
"Distract it, I can't kill it if it keeps blocking me." She told him before releasing a massive volley of fire arrows, they felt stronger than they were before. Cody soared forward and raised his sword, "Killer of the evil god, Light sword!" His sword was enveloped in light and lengthened around ten times its original length, the sword blade itself hadn't lengthened but the light that encased it had. He slashed downward, Aries brought its massive arm around and blocked the strike with another spatial shield, though the attack made the Beast fall to one knee.
It roared and ripped a tree from the ground and threw it at Skarlet, she nimbly dodged it and fired several more fire arrows at him. This fight is going to be tough, Cody realized as the beast threw off his sword strike and flung a tree at him.