Chapter 11: taking a pounding.
Not 30 minutes outside of Southfield, Archibald and Jade made their plans as they walked, making his way up through the forest along an old beaten path heading north.
“So northeast is where we want to go.” Archibald looked up, watching the suns direction in the sky.
Jade gave a response of herself saying “yeah”
“How northeast, though? More than a days walk?”
Jade brought up one of the village kids shrugging in response to one of his questions.
“Well, this town, is it completely destroyed, or is it worth hurrying a little?”
Bored and not expecting much action for a while, Jade sent through another shrug followed by an image of Rue, strewn across the bed whispering “Let’s find out.”
Archibald’s mind wandered for a minute, then he shook it out of his head. “Ok, you can’t do that, that’s not fair!”
Jade sent through a giggle of joy and another image of Rue.
“JADE!! NO! BAD ANGEL! NO!” Archibald jolted at the sudden private thought, looking back at the tree line.
Looking though his eyes, Jade saw an object incoming rapidly!
*THUMP* With no time to explain, Jade suddenly pulsed his heart.
Archibald stopped in his tracks.
*THWAP!*
An arrow scraped across his cheek! A gooey residue left in the wound.
A low distant male voice from the trees above called out. “A bad angel, I’ll be the judge of that!”
Jade nudged Archibald again! Sending him an image of a pouch of red dirt!
‘Right!’
*TWAP!*
Archibald rolled to the side, his thigh catching another glancing arrow! He Pulled out a hand full of red dirt from a pouch on his belt.
‘Form 2!’
Archibald knelt down preparing his circle to launch ranged attacks.
“Slow.” The voice echoed from a different location.
*TWAP!*
“-NNGH!” An arrow lodged itself in Archibald’s shoulder!
‘Scratch that! Form 3! Let’s box him in!’
Arms up, fists covered in jade translucent light, he darted off the road into the tree line.
*THWAP! THWAP!*
“Now!” Jade sent.
Two more arrows whistled past.
*CRACK*
One embedded itself into a tree, sailing past Archibald’s left quad.
*DONG!*
The other arrow bouncing off his bubble, swatted away from its target!
His heart was already pounding with the use of Jades blessings.
Archibald wrapped his good arm around a tree and spun, making sure to still leave a trail of red dirt behind as he ran across the path into the other tree line!
“You’re so obvious, priest, is that a containment circle you’re making?”
*THWAP!*
“-NNGH!” Archibald grit his teeth, another goopy would covered his beaten shoulder!
“Times ticking!” The voice sounded more distant than before, trailing off into the distance.
Archibald, realizing that containing the demon wouldn’t work either came to a halt, he concentrated on slowing his heart, crouched between two trees, he rested, catching his breath.
‘Crap! Jade, *hah* what is this stuff?!’ Archibald’s fingers went numb as he swabbed the gooey substance, rubbing it between them.
*THUMP* Jade nudged his senses, making him focus on his surroundings.
His veins turned green as a dull jade light closed his shoulder wounds, his cheek scrape and the wound on his thigh. The goopy substance having left the area tingling.
“No fun!” The man sounded close!
Archibald exhaustedly swung his bubbled fists backward, turning with them, but hitting nothing!
He saw a hooded-robed man, he appeared to have dark skin and a wild red beard, aiming a dripping arrow straight at him from 20 feet away.
‘Crap!’
*DONG!*
Archibald thrust his hands forward blocking his face, neck and collarbone, luckily having predicted the enemies aim without Jades help.
‘Ok! Definitely a demon!’ Archibald would hold back if his enemy was human, but with a demon he could let loose.
Jade shoved a thought into Archibald’s head, he heard her voice excitedly yelling “let’s kick some demon butt!”.
“Let’s!” Archibald pumped his legs that felt like jelly and darted straight for the man who refused to move.
He simply dropped his bow and drew a bloody circle on his palm with the other hand, red light surging forth, a thin stick with a point on the end appeared in his hand. He held the red ethereal arrow like a dagger, ready to pierce.
“Haaah-ng!”
Archibald swung a wide right hook causing the demon to rock to his right, arrow in his hand he jabbed at Archibald’s head.
*Swoosh*
Archibald fell to a knee just as he was about to connect, dropping his swung fists target down to the demons rib cage, the arrow getting caught in his hair instead.
*CRACK!*
‘Hit!’ Both Archibald and Jades dopamine surged!
“AAHGGSHH, Blast!”
The demon staggered to the side, breath caught in his throat, before he could reel back his arm, another jade bubble cracked him in the liver.
‘Good aim Jade!’ The heavenly adjusted muscles screamed under strain, green ichor coursing though his arm, but the adjustment made all the difference!
*THUD!*
*GASP* “eeeAAAH!!” The demon wailed in pain, ribs piercing its lungs and dizzy from the liver punch, he needed time to heal.
Archibald heaved a deep breath as he watched the demons arrow disappear, then black ichor visibly shot up the veins in his face, his skin glowing red and his eyes regained purchase on Archibald..
“Form 3!” Shouted Jade in his head through a memory of Aurelia’s training.
‘Huh, what?’
Archibald threw himself onto the demons legs, trapping him under his body weight. The demon tried to coil his legs around Archibald’s arms, but Archibald had him pinned.
Jade rapidly shot an image of the same demon saying “containment circle” through Archibald’s mind.
Archibald shook his head clear, taking a precious second to consider what’s she was saying.
*hah* ‘what, but- ah, whatever!’
Not understanding why, Archibald kneed the demon in the liver again, and slammed his jade-bubbled fist right into the demons jaw, who tried and failed to block the blow.
With precious little time to waste Archibald took his other arm and dragged a semi circle into the ground around him.
The demons kicked and jerked, making containment way too difficult.
*SQUELCH!*
“GAAHH!”
After a desperate struggle, the demon had managed another week ethereal arrow, and had stabbed it just above Archibald’s collarbone before is fizzled out, the demon gasping for air.
Sweating, panting and struggling to breathe, ichor clogging up their veins, both men found themselves sat beside each other staring intently, grappling.
With their arms and legs locked, and no time or space to draw, Archibald had an idea.
‘To hell with this crap! Jade! Focus everything on healing my forehead, and don’t stop until he’s dead!’
Jade saw the idea floating in Archibald’s mind, and begrudgingly, his face turned green as his forehead swelled with ichor!
His hands gave ground, but he used the momentum to rock his head back and he struck forwards with all his might!
A dull cracking-thud resonated from who knows whose head, both men tried again but Archibald was quicker on the draw, thanks to Jade.
*SMACK!* Pain swelled and blood clouded his vision.
*hah* *hah* *GRrrr!*
*SMACK!* He heard the demon gurgling, his hands desperately pressing into Archibald’s open neck wound.
*hah* *hah* *hah* *ANGH!*
*SMASH!* Silence, the demon went limp.
A puddle of bloody demon viscera was burrowed into Archibald’s face and staining the forest floor.
*hah*
…
*hah*
…
‘Jade… that was far too close!’
…
*THUMP* *THUMP* *THUMP*
“Ow-ah! What’s that for!? Why are you angry? I should be angry, you distracted me with Rue!
*THUMP*
“Ow!”
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