Chapter 8.8

For a moment the elemental was at a clear disadvantage, his one blade to Katashi’s two.  Jaala threw another stone and this time Katashi managed two slashes against the distracted elemental, one on each shoulder through the creases in his obsidian armor.  Now liquid fire began to course down the elemental’s armor from his wounds.

Katashi pressed forward in eagerness, momentarily regaining the burden of thoughts and emotions.  It was almost his undoing.  A fire sword, seemingly drawn and formed from its own blood, flowed into the elemental’s free hand.  Katashi moved to block the blade, but made of fire it simply passed through his own and left him a nasty burn on his neck as he shifted at the last moment to avoid it.

Jaala watched in concern as Katashi spent the next several moments retreating in almost panic before the seemingly unstoppable onslaught of the elemental.  Not knowing what else to do he ran towards the elemental, yitte poised.  As if brushing off a gnat, the elemental, at the last minute, briefly swatted his metal blade at Jaala.  While Jaala did manage to catch the blade in the prongs of both yitte, the sheer force of the blow knocked him backwards.

This brief respite allowed Katashi to regain his composure.  Right before he slipped back into his empty state, he realized that while the fire blade could not be blocked neither could it block his own blade.  As the Elemental pressed the attack again, Katashi stood his ground and began to inflict steady damage upon his opponent.

To Jaala it was like nothing he had ever seen before.  While Katashi was a true master of the blade he was also blessed with the fluid movements of a dancer.  Katashi never gave ground, simply flowing around, over, and under the deadly fire blade, countering immediately to draw blood each time with his deadly Ugatana.  The short Kizahsi blade stayed close to his body, simply deflecting each blow from the elemental’s metal blade.

Within a minute the elemental’s obsidian armor was no longer visible, fire licking about his body from his multiple wounds.  Then a glaring opening presented itself and Katshi thrust his long blade to the hilt in his opponent’s mid-riff.

Katashi retreated to his companion’s side as the elemental let out a roar that bathed them in searing heat.  Then before their eyes, fountains of flame began to erupt from the elemental’s wounds.  The elemental himself began to expand, his shape distorting.  Katashi sheathed his blades and drew forth Cuauhtemoc’s Pin, holding it before them as the fire elemental lost his solid form, bursting into a flaming mass that beat initially against the two protected travelers and then howling its frustration shot away up the valley.

As Katashi lowered the pin he saw before them what appeared to be an obsidian blade.  The steel blade was gone and presumably this was the fire blade, now hardened, that the elemental had fought with.  As Katashi hefted it, he was amazed by its balance, lightness, and strength all at once.  He felt the keen edge and had little doubt that he could cut through stone without harming the blade.

As he turned to face Jaala, he noticed the look on the other’s face.

~ by beinnsgriob on October 9, 2009.