SAGE (under edit)

Chapter Forty Three - My Mission

Rhun and Leah flattened themselves to the floor as Cedric's scythe soared over their heads, and Nox swung his sword like a bat to knock the scythe off-course as it came toward him. Cedric jerked his arms, pulling back the scythe by its chain before it lost its momentum.

'Stop defending and attack, Ludoco!' the one-eyed Elite bellowed.

Nox snorted, but he charged forward with the tip of his sword dragging along the ground as Cedric wound in his chain. It was the only moment Nox could risk getting close enough to strike Cedric, but Cedric knew that too; he sent his scythe flying again and Nox's knees jarred as he threw himself back out of the scythe's arc, feeling the air rush past him as the scythe's edge just skimmed his chest.

Rhun and Leah were back on their feet, and as the scythe's chain cut Rhun off in his rush toward Cedric Rhun launched himself off the ground, his body flipping over the chain's length, and then he was heading straight for Cedric with his two short words drawn.

Cedric flashed a grin and pulled on the scythe's chain, jerking back the scythe itself so that it cut straight toward Rhun again.

'Rhun!' Leah shouted in warning, and Rhun reeled back in surprise. He swept beneath the scythe with barely a hair's breadth between them - and then Cedric was in front of him, slamming the tip of his boot into Rhun's ribs.

Rhun blanched and tumbled to the ground, his arm wrapping around his ribs as he struggled to regain his breath. Leah ran for him, and Nox took the opportunity to come up behind Cedric.

But Cedric turned, using his chain to block Nox's sword as it swung down from above. The chain didn't snap under Nox's weight, and Cedric matched Nox's strength with his own.

Nox grinned. 'How does it feel to know you're about to draw your last breath, Costell?'

'Funny,' Cedric mused, 'I asked Rose the same thing before I killed her.'

Nox growled and tore back his sword, letting Cedric fumble at the loss of resistance against his chain, and then Nox ducked and swept his sword across the ground straight for Cedric's legs. Cedric jumped, his body curving and his hand catching the ground as he flipped backwards out of Nox's reach.

Nox charged after him, but Cedric dragged his scythe up by its chain and cut Nox off before he could get close again. Leah flashed at Cedric's side, throwing out her hand in a flat-palm strike meant for Cedric's lung and the one-eyed Elite countered before she could connect, snapping up his leg to knock Leah's hand away from him. She was nimble though, using her momentum to swing her back leg up in a kick straight for Cedric's jaw. She landed the kick and Cedric stumbled, his back hitting the wall behind him, and Nox plunged his sword straight for Cedric's chest.

But Cedric rolled to the side, and Nox's sword drove straight into the stone. Cracks fissured out from where his blade struck, and with a frustrated growl Nox used Kyra to help pull his sword free. Cedric had moved out of range, and whilst Rhun was clearly suffering bruised or broken ribs he managed to fall back at Nox's side with Leah.

Rhun glanced across to Nox and said, 'Rose?'

Nox's eyes narrowed on Cedric as he gathered the loops of his chain. 'Yes,' said Nox tightly, 'that would be my sister.'

'This Elite... he... he killed your sister?' Leah whispered.

It hadn't been planned, Nox knew that much. Rose had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and that had been one of Green Coast's outpost camps on an excursion with her class at the academy. Nox could recall the morning he had made breakfast for her, after she had all but jumped on him to wake him up, and he had walked with her to the city's edge where she had been told to meet the rest of her class. The other trainee Soldiers, no older than twelve, had either been in awe of Nox or scared of him - which Nox revelled in. He remembered flashing the trainees a shark-like grin, and Rose elbowing him in the ribs in response.