Primal Saga Volume 1: The Queen of Silence

Chapter 23: The Reaper

Godwin stared at me through his expressionless mask with a single glowing red eye. A wheezing noise escaped from behind the mask which almost sounded like words.

"The disease finally took your voice," I said grimly.

Godwin ignored my statement and started walking toward me. I went to pick up the sword but he just kicked me to the side. He picked up Miyabi and began to leave the ruins.

"HEY!" I shouted. "Leave her alone."

Godwin ignored me and just walked past me. I picked up a piece of rock and tossed it at him. It bounced off his head. Causing him to stop in his place he stood there a moment. I put the backpack on and picked up the tachi again. Godwin placed Miyabi on the ground and slowly turned to me. I readied the sword in front of me. Godwin began to slowly walk towards me, his legs whirred with every step. As soon as he came in the range I swung the sword which he blocked with his arm with a clank. Then with his other fist, he threw a punch at me. I stumbled out of the way and his fist collided with the wall leaving a deep hole.

He pulled his fist free and began walking toward me again. I scrambled for the staircase in the corner of the room and climbed to the next floor to try and gain some sort of height advantage. I swung the sword towards his head but casually blocked it with his metal palms. I put more distance between us but he kept coming after me in slow strides.

I slipped out a window and onto a balcony. I was now three stories up, on a thin walkway on the edge of the building. My head began to spin, but I kept moving. I inched my wy twards the corner of the building where the balcony got wider. When I turned the corner I-

In a flash of lightning I saw the massive head of an onikibasaurus, I braced myself for the attack but nothing happened. To my relief, I realized it was just a statue, however, that relief was cut short when the wall behind me crumbled and Godwin stepped out onto the roof. He raised one of his arms and clenched his hand into a fist. The glove around his fist then shredded and a pair of two short blades stuck out of his mechanical knuckles. He rushed me, and I moved just as his blade sliced through the dinosaur statue.

Next to the roof of the building we were on was a wall. I hesitated for a moment but hoped over onto the wall. I can't keep running! I need to fight him! Godwin jumped over to the wall too, left leg popped when he landed and he stumbled. 

THIS WAS MY CHANCE!

I swung my sword in a faint attack when he went to block with his blades. I quickly changed the direction of my attack, caught him by surprise, and caught him on the cheek of his mask. The check of his mask cracked and fell away, unveiling shriveled rotten skin and exposed teeth. I was taken back by what was under the mask. What are you? 

Suddenly, Godwin went on the offensive and started swinging at me with a series of swipes. I backed up and blocked them. One, two, three, four blows one after another. Just before he threw his fifth blow I angled my block and bounced his hand back, then I stuck again, slicing off his fingers and his blades. With his other arm, he stepped in and elbowed me causing me to lose my balance, he then, with his damaged hand, backhanded the sword out of my grip and sent it twirling off into the blackness of the storm. 

Then

Almost as if in slow motion Godwin's other fist made contact with my arm causing a loud crack. I stumbled backward in pain and ended up un my back. Tears in my eyes. Lying on the wall as sheets of rain washed over me. Godwin moves towards me to finish me off. Every so often I would hear a grinding between the metallic whirs in his legs.

Wait. Grinding. His cervo motor is loose.... Which leg though?

He stepped closer and closer. I opened my eyes and watched as closed in on me to make the final blow. Just as soon I heard the grinding again. I made my move.