After Armageddon (Finished)

Ch 35 - The End Is Nigh

My best friend was dying at the foot of the same man that had killed her brother. The same man who could have been defeated minutes ago, saving her life, if only I had not been such a coward. Still, the words I heard made me stop. She hadn't even tried to deny them. Any of them. They echoed in my mind.

Lei is dangerous... How much can I trust her with?.. I can obviously see myself taking her down...

How could she have said that? What did I do wrong to make her hate me? Had she ever trusted me?

I found myself staring at Crystal's shoes which slowly became covered in her own blood. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cecil digging the blade in deeper to her stomach, assuring her removal wouldn't happen. Not without killing her in the process. He began to walk to me. Once standing behind me, he put both of his hands on my shoulders, almost to comfort me.

"Crystal was weak Lei. She could have never defeated me. She had you fooled though didn't she?" Cecil talked quietly behind me, "that's where you two are different. No one believes in you Lei. Everyone thinks your just a kid. Just a little girl, unable to protect yourself. It's what makes you such a perfect fighter. No one expects your skill. And I, I can train you to be so much better Lei. You know I can. You almost defeated me. With the right training, one day you'll be just as good as me. We can work together Lei..."

My mind was racing, but at the same time completely blank of what to do. I could live through this. But at what cost? At the cost that after a little while, it wouldn't have been me that lived, just a shell of me filled with a brain washed mini Cecil. Besides, I had never killed anyone before. I didn't think I could until I met the villainous old man.

He tightened his grip on my shoulder impatiently. "Well..?" He asked slyly. My mouth was coated with only dried blood by this point, my heart beat was faster than it had been the day I first met Lane, and ran miles.

"I... I... I think I..." My words felt jumbled. I just wanted to be out of this moment. I'd rather fight an army hellbent on bloodshed anyway.

"Lei, you want to come with me. Join us Lei. All will be forgiven in due time. We will look away from your little attack on us. Crowds will cheer for you one day Lei, for we are the new beginning." I bit my inner lip hard enough to bleed. The moment I tasted my own liquid blood again I knew my decision.

"I would rather die than ever be like you." I craned my neck around to spit at him. He gritted his teeth, and tensed up.

"Your wish is my command." He yelled as he tightened his grip on my shoulders more. I struggled to get free with little success. With little warning, he easily picked up my flailing body and chucked it at the tree that Crystal still fought for another breath of air. My spine cracked loudly as it hit the tree sideways. I slid down to the ground and landed on my right arm. The pain that shot through my back quickly shot through my whole body. My still blood coated arm ripped itself open again on impact with the ground and my weight being pressed on it.

My body felt completely immobile. I quickly lost feeling in everything but my right arm. It struggled beneath me to get out from under me. It was a terrifying feeling to be unable to move my legs, my left arm or my head, still I tried to do so until a dark shadow fell over me. The grass that my face was buried in was bright green in the late light.

Cecil stood above me and laughed pleased with my current state. He kicked my side making me roll slightly off my arm enough to pull the most damaged part out when I fell back over the other way. He kicked me again and again laughing like a madman until I began to bleed out on his steel toed boot. I heard Crystal yell hoarsely for him to stop.

He kicked me one final time in the nose before I heard his steps pacing around my still body. Even more blood began to burn it's way out of my nose and pool onto the ground in front of me. Blurred yelling began to fill the air, I struggled to hear. I could barely pick out Crystal's voice.

"Don't kill... doesn't deserve... please... Lei..."

I strained to hear more until my eyes threatened to turn the world around me black. Letting out a breath of pained air, I saved what little strength I had left. Moments after, I felt a grip on my left shoulder pull me up again. Blurry visions of our campsite raced around me until I was held up facing Crystal. Straining to keep my eyes open, I saw her staring at me, she then held up a hand to me, just barely out of reach. A voice behind me barked a blurred laugh before throwing me aside again.

This time I landed on my back, arms sprawled at my sides. I could barely see the two of them mostly out of my peripheral vision so I stared at the sky, almost peacefully for a moment. The bright blue sky pulled me away for just a moment. I heard them yell some more, then Cecil laughed and pointed to me. I struggled again to get up, again only my right arm moving an inch.

After what seemed like hours, Crystal spit at Cecil, just as I had done, ending their argument. Cecil stormed over to my still body and kicked it again before picking me up by my hair. I choked on the blood that had pooled in my mouth. Crystal yelled something again as Cecil dragged me to the other side of the tree where the blade of the katana still stuck out of the tree a few feet.

My adrenaline left over began to kick in again and my vision started to become clearer as I realized the exact way I would die.

"Are you ready Lei? You'll get to spend your eternity here. Your pathetic life is finally coming to an end Lei!" Cecil yelled down to me as the tip of the katana began to press into the middle of my back.

"So is yours." I spat back as loudly as I could, making him even madder. I heard Crystal scream as I saw my body go farther towards the tree. Soon a red stained blade pushed it's way through my intestines, forcing pieces of them through. I felt none of it, but still my numb body began to shake. A thicker stream of blood forced its way up my throat.

"I wont be the one dying today. Your friend? She might last long enough for one of your little friends to come back to get her last words. A fighter that one. But you Lei?" He laughed, "you'll be dead within the hour."

Finally my shoulders hit a solid surface. I was amazed one body could hold as much blood as I had shed. I had seen more insides of a living person today than the rest of my life combined. Death would come to me today. But I was taking my enemy down with me.

Cecil backed up and looked at Crystal and I, admiring his work. After circling around his prey a few times again he stopped once more in front of me. He laughed again. I was becoming sick of his laugh.

"From the moment I laid eyes on you, when I brought that deer to earn the trust of your people, I knew our destinys were intertwined. It was your choice how. First I believed you were to be my student. Of course, you changed my plans a bit getting captured. None the less, we are fates together, I was right. I always am you see, because-"

"Oh, end your shitty monolog." I spat, cutting him off. He growled at me and turned around

"Fine." He said through his teeth, "die in silence for all I care. It'll make it all the more painful." He stepped away three long steps before stopping silently.

Crystal reached with her left arm around the tree to me and bumped my right shoulder with the tip of her finger.

"Lei, you don't... hate me?" Crystal asked quietly. I moved my right arm up and connected our pinkie fingers.

"I'd never hate you." I whispered back.

"I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about Crystal. Anyone would say that after a few hours with people that hate me." I joked.

"Still, I shouldn't have said it." She spoke seriously.

"They were just words Crystal. I knew you didn't really mean it anyways," I lied. It was the first time I had really lied to my best friend. The others just kidding around.

"Really?" She asked.

"Really." I shook her pinkie as much as I could bear.