Chapter Three:
My eyes opened slowly, seeing a very dark room around me. I must have fallen asleep while I was remembering. It was embarrassing to have done so, especially if Crystal noticed that I’d done it. A quick scan of the room revealed that I was alone for once, and I heaved a sigh. I needed peace and solitude to heal the part of me no bandage could cover, my mind. In the course of one day, I’d gone through so much that I wasn’t even sure I knew who I was anymore. I leaned up, finding that my strength was returning, in little bits. I shifted myself around and tried to stand up.
I was a bit shaky at first, but I recovered quickly and was soon moving slowly around the room. Even I knew it was foolish to rush into things after going through such an ordeal. I couldn’t help but think that sometimes being a Protector was a lonely prospect, but someone had to do the job. It was too bad I couldn’t let anyone help me through the toughest part of the recovery.
I had just made the fifth circuit of the room when I heard a faint sound. It was someone moving through the hallway, just outside the door. I heard a pair of muffled voices talking in whispers for a moment just after whoever was out there stopped. I kept myself very still, not sure what to do. The knob turned slowly, and the door drifted in so lightly, it barely made a sound. Crystal’s mother looked at me and blinked when she saw me standing up.
“Hi there, you feeling better?” Her tone was kind and sincere with a note of surprise.
“I’m okay I guess.” I replied, not really sure what to say. “Still a bit sore though.”
“Well, you should be resting, not up moving around. You’ll probably be sore for a few days at the least.” Crystal’s mother said, in that caring way mothers speak.
“You’re right Ma’am, I shouldn’t be up, but I was getting restless, and a walk is usually the best thing for that.” I made my way back over to the bed, and sat down on it.
“Please, call me Janice,” Janice insisted. “Don’t over exert yourself.”
“I won’t.” I stood up again, wanting to keep moving for a bit longer.
“I stuck my head in to check on you, but it looks like you’re doing fine. I never did thank you for saving Crystal today.” Janice had something important on her mind, so I prepared myself to listen. “It’s good to know you’re around to protect her.”
“That’s what my duty is.” I said in the most assuring way I could think of. “I protect.”
“Still, you put your life in danger, and nearly got killed, not many people would do that, even for the sake of duty.” Janice seemed a bit confused by my heroism. Granted I didn’t look the type, and I don’t think she believed everything when I sat in that kitchen explaining things as best I could.
“I’m not most people.” I pointed out flatly. “I take my duties seriously.”
“I appreciate you doing so.” Janice caught me up in a hug that was painfully tight. My wounds ached until she let go. “If there’s anything I can get you, don’t hesitate to ask, okay Tom.”
“Okay.” I replied, deciding to lay down again, the renewed pain being a bit more than I could handle.
I didn’t notice Janice leave the room, but that didn’t matter to me anyway, the wash of pain brought with it the desire in me to sleep it off. Closing my eyes usually cued sleep, but this time I wasn’t tired enough for it to work. I stared at the ceiling, noting patterns that resembled constellations in the bumps of the textured paint. Orion was there, and Draco, even Sirius Taurus. Being entertained by looking for star pictures, my mind finally found itself drifting into that healing sleep it wanted so badly.
I sat in my usual perch, staring out at the darkening horizon above the houses down the street. It would be raining by midday if I figured correctly. The dull gray-blue clouds sat menacing on the edge of time, where land and sky met. They were waiting to spring up and drench the town at the worst possible time. A bird in a nest about three feet from my head chirped pleasantly, seeming not to worry about the coming storm, but to enjoy the beautiful, pleasant, and cool morning while it lasted. I could feel something thick and heavy in the air, but it was distant, holding back waiting for the right time to pounce.
The window closest to the tree slid open. I didn’t have to look to know it was Crystal. She had taken the routine of looking out to see if I was there, I guess she was more worried about herself than she let on. I always made sure I unfastened the Concealment Sash when I heard that window, just so she’d be able to see me.
“You should probably come inside today, there’s a thunderstorm on the way?” Crystal asked bypassing her usual morning banter.
I looked over at her casually. “I know, I can feel it.” I responded. “I’ll stay out here until the first drop of rain falls. Something is using that storm for cover, and I intend to greet it out here.”
“Another drone so soon?” Crystal asked. “Why are so many of them after me all of a sudden?” Her voice was a bit worried, but more annoyed.
“Maybe something big is going to go down, and our enemy wants the Protectors kept busy while he attacks directly. It would explain the heavy air.” I replied, trying not to scare Crystal, but I think I did.
“I’d still feel better knowing you weren’t out here with all the lightning that’s coming.”
“You know it would normally take about two years for a Charge to get the level of information you got two weeks. Maybe that’s the reason we can do this without being all tense and formal.” I made a polite observation. “If you’re going to insist, I’ll have to come in, but otherwise I’ll stay out here for as long as I-” I stopped cold, feeling a very rapid spike in ominous energy around me. Something was coming, fast.
“What’s that?” Crystal asked urgently, pointing at a spot in the sky. I still don’t know how it was she saw it first, but in the swirling cloud of dust and moisture, was a new type of drone, one that could fly.
“Looks like my perception was correct.” I said shielding my eyes to see what was coming. “I can’t say for sure, but that’s a new drone. I’ve never seen an Aerial before today.” I drew my sword in a flash, and leapt up a few more branches to meet it head on.
The creature swooped in faster than I could react, trying to grab at me or knock me off the tree. I swayed a bit, but regained my balance. It came around again and it’s clawed foot kicked me, tearing a gash across my forehead. “Get inside!” I barked at Crystal, ignoring the wound I just received. Crystal stared at me with wide eyes, trying to say something as the drone slammed into me a third time. “I said get inside!” I yelled furiously, snapping Crystal out of her momentary freeze.
“But you’ll get. . .” Crystal began, I didn’t let her finish.
“Worry about me later, just close the window already! These things are coming for you after all.” I snapped with an angry tone. I think Crystal got the message, because she pulled herself back into the window, and closed it quickly.
Having lost sight of the drone for a moment I looked around slowly to find it. While doing that I steadied myself for an offensive strike. It came at me from behind, building speed in a downward dive. I felt it’s presence when it was enough to me that I could touch it. I quickly dodged sideways to avoid being hit in the back and brought my sword around, slicing it’s right foot off. I had to spin myself off the branch I was on so I quickly recovered and landed with a jolt on a lower branch of the tree. As the drone’s foot fell, it reacted to my movement, latching onto my side and clamping down with a furious grip. It came close to crushing my ribs, but I managed to smash it before it could do any major damage.
As the creature went by after several more diving assaults, some hitting me harder than I care to admit, I threw myself onto it’s back. It tried to shake me, but I held on gripping it firmly by the neck. It went higher, taking me into the clouds. I would have appreciated the soft cool clouds and the worlds that exist up there, but I had a job to do, so I forced the creature to swoop down again. It spiraled toward the ground after I knocked it hard on the back of the head with a tight fist. Then I took my sword and stuck it deep into the drone’s back. It let out a loud shriek, and rolled over before beginning to fall apart into the rock and dust that it was.
As the drone disintegrated, I found myself flying through the air at quite a fast pace. Before I could react, or even think, I was thrown into the side of the house, hitting it with a loud thud. The first drops of rain were already falling when I hit, and by the time I fell away from the house I could feel them hitting my face on the way to the ground. It was a pouring rain by the time I hit the ground, landing in a puddle that formed oddly fast underneath me. While I was still barely conscious on the ground, I heard as couple voices getting louder as they moved closer to me. They were panicked, but I couldn’t make out what they said.
Non Story Notes:
I'm long overdue for a regular update, so I'm tacking it to the end of this chapter as something extra, since I don't like to break the continuity of the story with random posts in between chapters and all.
It's been about a year since I really got into drawing anime-ish style pictures, and I'd like to comemmorate the ocassion by uploading those first few pictures that drew, but I won't. Before anyone assumes anything, I'll explain the reasoning. Those pictures I drew have too many similarities with pictures that have already been posted in the Inuyasha and Outlaw Star sedctions of the fanart site here. I do not have the time or energy to debate any alleged "copying," "stealing," or otherwise "Infringing" on the existing posted works. I'm choosing to NOT fight this battle by not even starting it, that's all I'm going to say on the matter.
The next chapter will be out in about a week, the weather may delay it a day or two as it did with this week's, and from there it's almost done. Part Two comes after Chapter Three, and it's not as long(Fewer installments) as Part One. I thank everyone for the comments on my works, and aprreciate them, even though I may not respond directly. Enjoy the rest of the story as it comes. |
