Sword Art Online-Encroaching Shadows

Chapter 17

Damage incurred falling from great heights was a fixed amount modified by the Agility parameter of the character. The first few impacts on the wall of the mountain jostled her senses harshly, but as the ground rushed up towards her face Jemza hit the ground throwing her weight forward into a roll to further lessen the impact. Her health bar depleted to just above the halfway point as she came to her feet, dagger unsheathed and already thrusting ahead at the nearest bull trying to charge her.

Lights erupted from her hand as the blade drove forward activating <<Wasp's Sting>>. It plunged to the hilt into the beast's neck. She retracted the dagger and spun to meet the next animal seeing its head thrashing wildly. Its proximity was too close to activate another sword skill forcing her to dive to the side lightly scratching its hide as it passed. Light pink cursors and health bars of the animals filled her vision everywhere making it nearly impossible to focus.

"Gah!" Her back arched and everything spun wildly without warning. The head of one of the creatures had found her back exposed and sent her tumbling through the air. She hit the ground landing in a heap. She crawled to her hands and knees just in time for a pair of hooves to catch her side spinning her a dozen feet away. Her health flashed yellow and began blinking rapidly indicating that she was rapidly closing in on death.

"Get off me!" Her voice roared as she rolled backwards avoiding another bull rearing back to stamp down on her prone body. She sent the dagger forward into its soft underbelly tearing a glowing line up through its neck. Instinct had now kicked in and all semblance of grace and skill were thrown out the window. She slashed the dagger around in a frenzy warding off any of the creatures that came into range. Her legs barely managed to stay upright as another bull caught her flank sending her skidding along the ground. It scraped the ground with its hoof angrily while she sucked down large gulps of air.

"You want to kill me? Then come on! Kill me!" The blinking bar of health in the upper left of her vision dipped into the red as she screamed at the bull ahead of her. It dug into the dirt in response launching itself forward, lowering its horns. Jemza spread her legs wide flipping the dagger around in a reverse grip the palm of her left hand resting on the pommel. A second animal began charging from her left, both converging on her rapidly while still more began to ready themselves to join.

Less than a dozen feet from her the lead bull crumpled to the ground under the weight of Jayce landing on its back, his blade pierced through the center of the neck. The bull charging in from her left deviated from its path bringing its heading straight at Jayce. The creature below him shattered apart letting him roll forward with the momentum and slash his sword across the legs of the bull bearing down on him. It crashed into the grass spinning away while a third animal drove its horns into him from the side. The <<Anneal Blade>> fell from his hand as he grabbed both horns desperately trying to keep them from his chest. Pushed to his back the bull shook its head furiously trying to drive the horns through his chest.

"I'll kill you!" Jemza put the blade of her dagger in her mouth biting down on the metal to keep in secure. Sprinting ahead, both hands grabbed the back of a bull running perpendicular to her vaulting over its back. She dropped to her knees skidding along the grass as she passed underneath the legs of another animal before pushing herself back up and dove headfirst at the bull thrashing its head down into Jayce. Her hand wrapped around the handle of the dagger retrieving it from her mouth and plunged it into the side of the bull's neck. Faster than Jayce could see, her dagger retracted and pierced back into the animal's hide repeatedly until it fell away breaking apart into pixels.

Jayce quickly swiped open the system menu and equipped his old <<Iron Longsword>> before regaining his footing beside Jemza. More of the creatures charged around their vicinity trapping them in the center as others readied attacks. Jemza shook her head once to flip her hair back out of her eyes that had come loose during the fall. The hood of Jayce's cloak had equally fallen back as the two watched the mobs circle.

Jayce reached down to his belt and retrieved the potion he had kept from the man they met in Urbus. Without taking his eyes off the bull's he held his hand out towards Jemza. She took it from him and lifted it to her lips drinking the contents. Her health bar began to refill slowly, but faster than a normal potion would normally provide. The empty bottle flew from her hands as she tossed it away letting it break apart once it hit the ground.

"Mad at me?" She didn't dare look away from the bulls to respond to his question. She rotated around him until she could press her back up against his.

"You're an idiot, but right now...I'm really happy about it." She heard a quick laugh come from behind her.

"Then I guess it all works out." She smiled at his words and shook her head.

"Jayce? I don't want to die. Not yet." Her left hand reached around behind her back between the two of them. A moment later his offhand grabbed hers. Three bulls stopped circling and lowered their heads lining up their charges.

"Me neither. So let's go home." Their hands separated as the animals pushed ahead bringing their horns down. The duo twisted to avoid the charge watching as they collided into each other, stunning themselves in the process. Sword and dagger fell upon them before the effect could wear off destroying them just in time for Jayce and Jemza to react to the next bull roaring in.

Jayce ducked low while Jemza rolled over his back to put herself between the bull and him. She slashed at it once before falling aside to let Jayce's sword finish the job. The next mob was still twenty feet away and Jayce grabbed her hand spinning her through the air. He let go sending her flying towards it before it could even initiate a charge. She flipped once in the air before driving her dagger into the face of the bull. The weight of her body pushed the weapon as deep as it would go.

A determined grin appeared on her lips as she sensed another bull about to attack before she could react. She smiled because she knew, before it even happened, that her partner was already catching up behind her ready to intercept before she would be in any immediate danger. A second later she heard the sound of the animal topple to the ground having been caught by Jayce's sword.

After the two animals disappeared an eerie calm settled over the area. They both shifted placing their backs to each other once more as the herd of bulls looked around as if they were confused. For half a minute the animals wandered aimlessly showing no aggression before turning and walking back towards the open savannah. Even the ones behind them walked around and passed by without incident. The two watched warily until the last of them was a good distance away.

Jayce closed his eyes and took a deep breath walking over to retrieve his <<Anneal Blade>> from the ground. After swapping it back onto his belt he turned and saw Jemza still standing where she had been, head held down. Her hand moved slowly placing the dagger back on her hip, but he could see from where he stood that she was shaking. Her other hand tried to brush her hair back over her ear, but it fell back down over her face.

"Jemza..." He took a few steps toward her, but before he could finish she marched ahead closing the distance and balled her fist. On instinct he closed his eyes waiting for her strike, but what he felt was her fist drop onto his chest with no strength behind it. Her other hand wrapped around his back and her forehead pushed against his chest next to where her fist was. He opened his eyes while she raised her fist and once more beat it on his cuirass lightly.

"Idiot." Her voice cracked now that the adrenaline had worn off. Artificial tears fell from her eyes as she kept her head down against him so he couldn't see. Her shoulders shuddered harder as he put his arms around her back holding her tight. He couldn't see her face, but she buried her face against his armor letting everything out audibly. Her strength gave out and they both fell to their knees. The only thing he could do was let her cry against him.

The greatest mystery at that moment wasn't what caused the stampede, but something else that neither one noticed. As Jemza clung to hit back and he held her neither one received a message from the <<Anti-Harassment System>> .