A Hero In The Dark

Chapter 100: Here We Meet Again

"NO!" shouts John.

I can't breathe.

It feels as if a lung is punctured. Pierced by something alive, lurking within. Crawling deeper and deeper. Burying into my body. Thick and oily. False but thriving. Sickening. They writhe and prowl under my skin. Over my bones. Across my flesh.

I can't breathe.

Even the short measly breaths I am able to take in are painful and insufficient.

Yet it is all I can do.

Kneel and breathe. Kneel and suffer. Suffer or die.

The hell with noting my surroundings. The hell with finding the attacker. Any movement seems impossible. Any movement creates further pain. Breathing creates further pain.

John eyes me. I eye him. It is one of the few little movements I am able to make without aggravating the damage.

He sees the pain in my eyes. He sees that I am barely holding on.

A warm and sticky blood flows from the wounds. My hands nearly covered in my blood. For it drips from my body to the ground, coating the dirt and grass and rocks.

Can't breathe.

On the ground, impaled, on all fours, John is able to see the face of the attacker.

"You," he says with renewed hate. "Stop this!"

There is a hearty chuckle. Before she replies, "How honorable of you John, but that is nothing but a feeble proposition. We have what we are finally after, and then some."

That voice. I recognize it.

Phiri Dun-Ra.

The one that nearly killed me at the Sanctuary. The one that kidnapped Ella and I. The one that took us to the Anubis. The one responsible for the charm Setrákus Ra casted onto me, tying my life to his. It was her that made that possible.

And now, here we meet again. In a Mogadorian empire. A place we figured was safe to stay. In the midst of night.

On the hard ground, stripped of the legacies I was given to protect, dripping with blood. And my enemy standing over me with her own advancements on arm.

An augmentation by her Beloved Leader allowing her to steal the legacies of any Garde. As Pittacus Lore foretold.

That must be how she is doing this.

A fit of ragged coughing ensues me and I am spitting blood. Blood mixed with that terrifying dark ooze Setrákus Ra uses in his experiments.

John launches a fireball at her in spite of my hurt.

Although, in the present condition, Phiri raises her hand that isn't affected by the augmentation, palm out toward John and hits him back with a beam of energy. My legacy.

My Eneration.

I can't even shout a warning; it hurts too much.

Surprised, John isn't able to get out of the way in time.

A direct hit to the abdomen and he is knocked to his knees.

"John," I scream with a sharp inhale.

"Oh, this is nice Emily. I could get used to this," Phiri replies cheerily, turning over her cobalt blue palm to look at it with glee. "An admirable power for an admirable warrior."

I stare at John. He stares at me; nods, expressing that he's fine.

On his feet again, Phiri sends another one of her black ooze tendrils zipping toward him. It moves fast, its end pointed and deadly. I dread seeing it puncture John like it has punctured me.