462. Heroess, 7

(Myls)

I’m holding onto the giant feathers at first, but I can stand actually.

My whole body hurts from the fall, but I refuse it to slow me down. Although I can barely stand.

The body of the beast slithers vertically slowly as it flies. It’s a slow sinusoidal pattern I want to progress upon.

My head is somewhat clear. Nightmare suddenly lost me, or I lost her somehow.

I don’t know what happened, but my mind is now more clear than it has ever been in weeks.

It’s like I’ve finally awoken, and I’m angry.

I know where I am, who I am, and what I’m doing. I have a clear objective.

And though the situation is slightly insane, I won’t stop before I get to the end. My will is steel right now.

It’s just a no my body and my being yelled quietly.

No. No way in hell. Never! You won’t take her away from me you bitch!

I’m walking rapidly ahead. I see the giant wings to the sides, flapping the air, giving a heavy push upward to this part of the long body. It has a fur of feathers smelling like wool and turpentine.

I see the full length of the snake when I’m standing atop a period’s maxima. And at these times, it’s a little easier to walk because it’s downward I first thought. It’s not. The best time is actually when I’m close to the minima, as there’s less wind against me.

At the end I can see the dark thing, and the princess in distress.

I’ve never felt altogether so infuriated and so calm, almost serene, about what I’m going to do. The path is straight and the goal is clear. I have Rose’s sword and my trusty pistols. That bitch is going down, and Zeslinry back to me.

I have zero second of doubt, despite walking along the furry spine of a giant snake high in the sky. I’ll kill it too if I have to.

Without the shadow of a doubt in my mind, I run ahead, I charge ahead.

They’re still far, so far.

After another period, the black body of Nightmare appears a few steps only ahead of me.

I hear her laugh directly. I grit my teeth, pulling my gun toward where she’ll be in a second.

I shoot three times without warning. I think she was about or trying to say something to me, but I could not care less.

Her body is shocked by the wounds and falls to a knee down.

I am getting closer. She suddenly bursts in loud laughter. There’s less of a sadistic tone to them. It’s more genuine amusement?

She stands again. I empty the rest of my clip into her head and chest while closing in. I see black liquids splatters as I do that, as if it were blood.

I don’t need to hear the empty trigger to begin changing my clip. It’s the very last one I have. There’s no choice to make anyway.

The Nightmare is on one knee again, wounded. I swap in a swift instant my weapons. The sword in hand, I pierce it twice. I don’t feel any bones, but I see black blood spilled again.

With my foot, I push her body down. She falls dead. But she laughs, again. I’m at a maxima and see Zes at the end, unconscious. I chose to give the demon another strike first, piercing its head and the snake’s skin below. Then I run further toward Zes.

The lord of nightmares still laughs.

I’m not wounding her with a long standing effect. I see her coming back in front of me in a supple and unreal jump.

A slender shape defying winds and gravity flowing, almost as if she was dancing.

She tip toes there ahead of me. I hear her giggles. Even less sadistic than before.

She seems to be having genuine fun?

I still hold the sword, so I try to use it.

She dodges my strikes skilfully. She is still playing cat and mouse with me, infuriating me further more. Only it isn’t with nightmares anymore. Now it’s paring with me that becomes her game?

Though I better understand what’s her play, my resolve remains.

I’m swift. I move well and faster. The sword slashes through her chest. Like before the wounds do hurt her, but her it won’t for long. I kick her out of the snake before she can recover.

She falls. I breathe out. My heart is hurting and my skin is in heavy sweat.

The giant snake doesn’t react a lot to Nightmare’s fall.

I run to the head again while the way ahead is clear.

~

Zeslinry is just ten metres ahead, unconscious.

Out of the sky comes a shadow, and the body of Nightmare returns again. So she can actually fly...

Her colour is a little more dull though. I can see some structures and shapes over her. I can see the radiant smile she wears.

I swapped my weapons again and shoot. Every bullet counts and hits.

Zeslinry awakens again. Nightmare is on her knees, still giggling.

Then she jumps at me with a deeper laughter. I expected her and I meet her dance with appropriate response. She’s weaker, I’m prevailing.

Still she sounds happier than anyone I’ve ever heard before.

Her hands try to claw me, but I dodge, block and fight well.

Nightmare’s hair is growing longer and longer as we do.

Zeslinry is awaken behind, and trying to find how to react and what to do.

Then after managing to throw me on the ground, she openly says it.

N - I’ve always wanted to have an enemy like you!

M - ...

I dodge her attack and strike back.

She keeps laughing. She keeps saying how fun this is for her, how much fun she’s having.

Zeslinry strikes her in the back, while I do from the front. Swords crossed inside her chest, she’s still laughing merrily.

This was never a real kidnapping. She was simply toying with me.

With my nightmares so far.

Until she saw me pursue her instead of continuing to flee and suffer.

Me coming toward her made her enjoy a different game she surely hoped would work. It did. We played her mean little game unknowingly.

N - I knew going with you would be so much fun.

We rip her apart. Her body splits in a splatter of blood that almost instantaneously regroups right beside Zeslinry, and get holds onto her firmly. She’s taken hostage by the demon now at the head of the snake.

I’m powerless. But that play is not over.

She feels my hatred, my emotions. They are delicacies to her...

She’s a demon...

Zeslinry is held shut. Nightmare’s face shows a little more clearly human features. She seems to flirtatiously move a finger along Zes’s neck. My heart grows warmer as my hair stands in goose bumps.

N - You really love her, don’t you?

M - Yes!

She plants a kiss in Zes’s neck, or bites her maybe like a vampire, as Zes looks in pain. My hatres and maybe jealousy grows in a loud warmness.

She’s trembling from excitement. Everything I feel gives her pleasure. And the warm emotions of hatred and jealousy are a new taste to her she’s now passionate about.

I’ve ran and plunged my sword up to the hilt in her face. I’ve seized the split second when she was in too much pleasant feelings to properly react.

I kick her to fall out of the snake again, along with my sword in her head. I didn’t manage to recover it in time.

It doesn’t matter. I grab hold of Zes who looks completely lost and sleepwalking. A good part of herself returns as I hold her. She looks at me with tired eyes and smiles.

We take our first look at the landscape of this bright new day together, still standing on top of the neck of a huge flying monster.

The sight is wondrous. We stand there for a little while, sharing a smile.

~