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Chapter 3: Urgency
The rolling plains were wide and expansive, spreading too far in every direction to be considered easy to navigate, yet Jin seemed to know exactly where he was headed. He was brandishing his knew weapon which he had obtained from the wall. It was somewhat of a curiosity how he knew exactly where he was going, and why he thought that he knew Kojin was there. The rest of the group were completely clueless. They could barely distinguish where they were as opposed to where they were going.
They didn't really seem too disturbed by that fact, though. As long as Jin knew where he was going, they were fine. They went about their normal business. Jin seemed to be muttering things to himself on occasion, and none of which the group could distinguish. Something was obviously on his mind. The speech suddenly stopped, and Jin raised his hand to gesture a full halt. The group stopped moving, although some seemed to voice their complaints openly. Jin looked around, sniffing the air. He held his weapon at the ready, and one by one the group did the same. Jin sensed that something was off. He knew that Kojin was their primary threat, but something else was more than likely lurking in his shadows. A group of people with no facial features rose from the ground itself holding weapons. Some were armed with spears while others were armed with swords, axes, and even the occasional mace.
Jin cussed under his breath. "Erasers..." He held his weapon at the ready and instead of waiting for something to happen, he stepped forward to cut through them. The one thing they couldn't afford to do was waste time. If they didn't catch Kojin it would end tragically for them. The rest of the group followed Jin's lead, stepping into battle with the faceless monsters. In a moment the air was filled with the glorious sound of battle. While there was no immediate bloodshed, the first person to get wounded was Kishimura. Blood spouted from his side as he stepped past one of the Erasers. Sword pierced skin, sending a spray of blood out and away from the now wounded samurai.
He fell to one knee hesitating for a moment from the pain. He caughed a quick glimpse of light out of the corner of his eye and rolled away from the flash. A blade just barely missed him, splitting through the surface of the ground. The smell of blood wafted into Jin's nose and he suddenly lost his normal composure. A powerful kick sent his only foe flying. As his foot hit ground, the joint bent at an unnatural angle as he broke out in fur. His shirt tore and his muscles expanded. A single spear came at him, but he pushed it aside as he now towered over most of the warriors on the field. Stepping around the enemy, he dragged his blade through its torso and it exploded into ash.
He grabbed the next opponent, throwing him into a small group and cut down another one as more ash filled the sky. His rampage lasted all of a moment before the last enemy disipated. The warriors stood there, none of them majorly winded as the battle itself was short, but they were all really jumpy, as their body was ready to retaliate to any future incoming attack. Jin fumed quietly while making sure the area was clear. He reverted back to normal and heaved a sigh of relief. He knew any wound was almost fatal when it came from an Eraser. Kishimura seemed drained already and it wasn't a deep enough cut to be considered life threatening. It was the fact that they sapped your power with every hit they could manage.
Kalena checked the wound. She grabbed Kishimura's hand and placed it on his own wound. "Keep pressure on it. It doesn't require wrapping as long as you keep it closed. It will heal quickly, you'll be fine." She sheathed her blade a moment later and turned to Jin. "You need to keep your calm or we're not going to last long."
Jin growled at her words. Although it wasn't much, there were hints of almost threatful nature in her voice. He knew what it was. She had taken the previous events as a sign that Jin was becoming unstable. He had his reasons for everything. He was making sure they didn't spend too much time fighting the enemies when they needed to travel. Kojin was their primary concern. He shook his head in protest. "Don't start with me. I didn't see you doing anything of value back there."
She didn't say anything. It wasn't that she didn't have a retort, but instead she knew an argument was the last thing they needed. She knew that unless they worked as a group, they wouldn't stand a chance against Kojin in the inevitable battle in the future. Instead she bit her tongue and stepped back from the fight.
Jin turned and started walking without another word. The rest of the crew fell back in line. They didn't doubt his leadership skills just yet, but they were starting to question them, that was for sure. He had been showing signs of insanity, whether it be talking to himself, or going berserk by a single minor wound. It wasn't that he didn't seem to know where he was going, or that he questioned himself, it was the fact that he seemed to be overconfident in himself and thought that he was the only thing holding the group together.
Whatever the case they stuck with him, which was all he could have really hoped for. Sadly, however, deep down he was questioning his own sanity. He couldn't get the fear out of his mind. Kojin was a monster. A demon with no emotion. This demon was after him, and fighting back against the near impossible odds seemed to be the only way that he would live. It wasn't good.
They proceeded onward in silence the grass shifting around their footsteps. They could see the outline of a city on the horizon. The fact that Jin led them in the proper dimension was surprising, but good. The only thing that they weren't sure of is whether or not Kojin was here. They couldn't tell if he was in the city just yet, but Jin stopped. He twitched as a familiar scent filled his nose.
Brimstone.
Fire.
Death.
Three things that all too commonly held place in his memories. He knew the smell and he knew the cause behind it. Kojin was here. He dreaded this moment, but at the same time he had anticipated it. His fingers twitched as they tightened around the hilt of his sword. It was almost time. The battle was at hand.
One thing felt off. Kojin never left a trail this solid without purpose. He didn't make these kind of mistakes. Could that mean a trap?
No. Jin knew Kojin didn't feel threatened by Jin. He would openly invite him when he wanted him, but this felt too soon. Maybe he had another goal?
Jin wasn't certain. He needed to stop and think things through before charging into the city headfirst. The smell, though. It haunted him. Drew him ever closer to the city on legs that grew more and more restless the closer they got, and the stronger the scent got. This was it. The battle with Kojin would unfold here. He broke into a run. He wasn't about to let Kojin get away. While he may not kill Kojin right away, his goal is to put a damper on his plans. Immediately.
 Kojin Fuyuki · Tue Aug 21, 2012 @ 01:03am · 1 Comments |
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