Whispering Fists and Searing Fangs

Part 1

Dix got woken up by a vision of Franklin cutting her open with his sword, she opened her eyes screaming, she was on the ground while he was squating close to her. Dix kicked him in the face making him stumble backwards and fall on his ass.

“Calm down, calm down,” he said, “it’s me, Franklin.”

“I… i know that,” she replied embarrassed, “you just startled me. I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologise.” He said with a wave of his hand in a gesture of dismissal.

“What happened?”

“My soulstep warned of me being a wispshaper, hasn’t even been three hundred taks since we escaped, i didn’t went outside yet.” Franklin explained, “the wispshapers must be searching for us all over.”

“This place should be relatively safe to be, but i doubt we have time to let the dust settle.” Dix says, “if they are still searching for us tomorrow, i think it would be better to sneak out of here.”

“Agree.” Franklin said, while leaving his sword on a chair nearby.

Then, a knock came from the door.

Part 2

Purple knocked on the door again, and once more, no response came.

“I know you two are inside, open the door and let this awesome person that stands before it inside.” He said to no one in particular.

Alright then, he thought, we’re doing this the hard way.

Purple took a step back, raised his right leg and delivered a kick that blasted the door inside, scattering pieces of it everywhere.

“Excuse me.” He politely said as he entered the safehouse.

***

Dix saw a boy that appeared to be about as old as she and Franklin were, he was using a ragged black cape, had sand colored hair and was carrying a curved sword that was shaped like a fang on his waist. Her mind sent all kinds of danger signals through her visions, she saw all the horrible things that could happen to her, most prominent was that of Franklin betraying her and her getting burned to death.

“There you are!!” The boy smiled, showing his triangle shaped teeth.

Dix shivered as the visions got worse.

“What do you want?” Franklin said, getting between her and the boy.

“I came here to serve justice and capture a murderer.”

“How did you find us?” Franklin pressed.

“I politely asked one of the information brokers about a grey one that rented a safehouse.” Purple answered, then he stretched a hand towards both of them, “now, would you both kindly come with me?”

“And if i said no?” Franklin asks.

Purple dashed forward, covering the distance between them in an instant, Franklin barely had time to react to and block a straight punch. The impact sent a stab of pain through his body, and he felt his bones struggling to keep themselves together.

“If you don’t come back, i’ll just have to bring you with me using force.”

Franklin blocked a second punch that came from the side, ducked under a spinning kick but was unable to avoid the third punch. Dix saw herself getting crushed by Franklin’s body and dived to the ground to avoid her fate, her companion was sent flying toward the wall behind them and struck it with force enough to crack it from one end to another.

“I guess it has been a while since i met someone to fight at full strength in ideal conditions.” He said.

Purple strikes a dramatic pose and gestures for Franklin to come at him.

Franklin opens with a wide haymaker, Purples ducks under it and counters with a punch to his ribs and a second one to his face, when he stumbles backwards, Purple follows through with a push kick that sends him flying back against the wall, cracking it even more.

He is seriously strong, i can barely react to his moves, Franklin thinks. Purple looks in Dix’s direction, she takes a step back, frightened by her visions.

The two boys resume their fighting, Franklin attacking relentlessly, Purple doging and countering each of his moves, a toothy grin on his face, as if taking some sort of twisted amusement out of the confrontation, how long has it been since i fought someone that i could punch for real? Purple thought, not paying much attention to what was going on outside his head, but even so, he isn’t as strong as i thought he would be.

A punch broke Franklin’s nose, another made his vision go blurry, the last one on the stomach lifted his feet off the ground and threw him away. Landing on the hard floor of the safe house, Franklin lay there, tasting blood on his mouth and running down his nose, what the hell is he? His eyes are normal, how can he be this strong?

Dix prepared herself to run away, but then, broke into the deafening silence that was her mind lately, be sure to be there the next time i need you, the voice said. She turned around, picked up her dagger, ran and slid on the ground to avoid a back fist from Purple, then positioned herself between the two, holding the dagger in a fighting stance. She saw herself getting slashed, stabbed, crushed and burned, yet she still held her position.

“And what could you possibly do little girl?” Purple said, almost laughing as he did so.

Dix raised her head to meet Purple’s gaze, his eyes widened and his mouth gaped, she relaxed upon seeing his reaction and began turning to check on Franklin’s condition.

“Unfortunately!” Purple’s voice reached her.

Dix turned quickly to look at his eyes again.

“It doesn’t work on me,” A cocky smile back on his face, “you can’t curse a reaver.”

Part 3

Reaver? focus came back to Franklin’s mind, oh… right, i’m fighting.

A vision of her getting suffocated by Franklin came to Dix.

“That’s enough.” Franklin said, holding her shoulder, blood ran down his nose, drenching his shirt, “i was just resting a bit, haven’t slept well the last few days.”

“I would have been sad if our small squabble ended too soon because you were incapable of keeping up with me.” Purple said while grinning from ear to ear.

“Don’t worry, that was just a warm up, i’ll fight you for real now.”

“Franklin!” Dix called.

“Just watch carefully, i’m about to do something really cool.”

“Don’t disappoint me lordling.” Purple interjects.

Franklin positioned himself in front of Dix, at arm's reach of Purple, putting himself in a fighting stance, turned sideways, left arm in front and hand lowered to the level of his waist, right arm raised to his chin, how long has it been?

Purple watched him amusement painted in his eyes, how long will you be able to endure? he felt the excitement boiling inside and turning into bloodlust. Franklin’s eyes calmed down, he took a deep breath, then released.

The next moment, Purple’s vision was shaking and he felt a sting of pain on his chin, oh… you really are good. The reaver recovered and prepared a payback strike, but was received with a quick jab to his face making him stumble backward.

I guess it’s been a while since i was able to fight a one on one fight like this, Franklin thought, his body executing the movements he already memorized. He closed in and delivered a flurry of blows, but now the surprise was over. Purple blocked or avoided over half of them and moved in to counter punch, no other opponents to worry about, Franklin sidestepped while lightly kicking Purple’s leg to make him lose his balance, no fleeing opponent to chase, a powerful body blow would’ve send the reaver flying, but Franklin catched him first, holding the back of his head and pulling him in to deliver a knee to his stomach, i can just fight to the fullest of my ability.

They kept trading blows, hitting, dodging and blocking, Purple began to take Franklin more seriously, which accompanied by his superior strength, evened the fight a bit, yet the wispshaper still had the edge in terms of skill. Each attack, be it punch or kick, headbutt or knee, sounded like a small explosion, sending rippling shockwaves that created a weak air current inside the safehouse.

Dix looked inside her pouches and around the room, searching for something she could use to help Franklin, she discarded the option of using the tools she had, but then she heard the sound of something metallic hitting the ground. Looking in it’s direction, she saw Franklin’s sword, he could certainly use that, she ran up to it and picked it up.

“Franklin!!” she shouted as she threw the sword.

The fight stopped as the two turned to see what was happening, Purple and Franklin saw a sword spinning in midair toward the wispshaper, this might be a problem, thought Purple. The hand moved in on the sword, fingers stretched out, and then, Franklin slapped it away and dashed in to continue the fight.

Dix’s hair flutered in the wind, but she paid it no mind, as she watched the fight between the wispshaper and the reaver resume after Franklin refused her attempted help, barely able to keep up with their more minute movements, looking for an opening to help Franklin, then she noticed something.

“FRANKLIN!” She shouted, a shout of annoyance, that made them both stop by the tone alone.

The second interruption of momentum made Franklin feel his pains again, his bloody nose, that hurted to even breathe.

“What do you want, Dix?” He asked, without facing away from his opponent.

“Why are you holding back?”

“What do you mean?” Franklin asks, confused.

“You are pulling your punches, and you rejected the sword.” She points it out.

“I just--”

“Wait! Wait! Wait!” Purple interrupts Franklin, “i’m right here, in front of you, giving everything i have. And you had the audacity to hold back?”

“I… i…” Franklin stumbles on his own words.

“If you lose here, we won’t be able to prove our innocence.” Dix says, flustered.

Innocence? Purple thinks while the scene plays out in front of him.

“I just can’t bring myself to hit him for real.” Franklin says to justify his behaviour.

“What are you talking about? He is trying to capture us.”

“He is surrounded by loss wisps.”

“What?” Purple and Dix ask in unison.

“That cape, it’s all purple.”

Dix and Purple only made confused expressions, but from Franklin's perspective, hundreds of small purple spiders were holding on to the black cape his opponent was wearing.

“Fine,” Purple says, “i’ll make you take me seriously.”

He said it while raising his hands, wings appearing on his shadow and an orange aura shining around him with embers rising in the air, Franklin entered a fighting stance once again and readied himself.

Part 4

Fire surrounded Purple’s fist, directed toward Franklin’s face, which he dodged, feeling the heat on his skin. The flames continued to rage inside the safehouse, each attack leaving behind a trail and creating small explosions, he is concentrating his flames so as to not spread fire and allow me to bond a wisp, Franklin thought, while maintaining a safe distance to dodge the attacks.

“Having trouble? How about you stop pulling punches?” Purple teased Franklin as he continued with the barrage of attacks, “What’s wrong wispyboy? Should i hold back a little?”

Something snapped inside of Franklin upon hearing the familiar nickname, he catched the flaming fist midway through his face, ignoring the heat on his hand and headbutted Purple square on the nose and creating distance between the two.

“I see you still have some fight in you.”

With a burst of flames under his feet, Purple flew back into the fight, he laughed maniacally, using explosions to increase his maneuverability, his earlier excitement overflowing and turning into pure bloodlust, show me your vain struggle, fight me uselessly to the best of your ability, in the end i’ll split you in half all the same.

Dix rummaged around the things she brought with her, sweat drenching her due to the heat coming from Purple. The water reserves are already evaporating.

“There has to be something useful here.” She said to herself.

“Tranquilizer?” She pulled a small needle, “already evaporated.”

“White powder?” She pulled a small pouch of it, “He can control fire.”

“Bomb?” Then realization came to her, “The fire starter.”

Dix ripped a piece of cloth from her clothes and wrapped it around a small wood flask that she removed a cork from. Not long, smoke began to come out of the cloth and she threw it in Franklin’s direction.

The wispshaper felt something hit his heel, he looked down and saw a piece of cloth on fire, it was small and almost insignificant, but it was enough, thank you Dix.

“Come!” He said.

A fire kick landed on Franklin’s side, he moved his arm to block, and now he was able to properly handle the heat. His arms were glowing with the light of fire cracks on his hands that ran up to his arms, embers manifested themselves on his hair and clothes and his eyes acquired the color of flame.

With a palm strike, Franklin pushes Purple away and attacks him once again, they exchange blow after blow, Purple laughing the whole time, then he jumps back.

“Just because you got yourself a little flame resistant, doesn’t mean you can win, kid.” Fire flares up in Purple’s hand, “you are fighting the greatest fire emperor after all.”

A large fireball flies in Franklin’s direction, he dodges and it explodes on the wall, Purple continues the long range offensive, mixing it up with hand to hand combat. Franklin dodges the attacks to the best of his abilities, but the variety and difference in strength becomes too great for him to compensate with skill alone and the balance begins to tip to Purple’s side.

The visions have gotten stronger, the fear of getting burned froze her into place, when the fire started flying, Dix began to run for a safe spot. That action drew Purple’s attention, and he, filled with bloodlust, waved his hand in her direction.

The pressage of death came first, her thoughts came second and her body failed to keep up to Purple’s speed, and the fire ball came in third, NO! Purple screamed internally, realizing what he had done. Franklin soulsteped in front of Dix and took the attack head on the explosion that ensued on contact sent him flying to the next room.

No, no, what am i doing? Purple thought, the bloodlust fading away.

“What do you think you are doing?” Franklin shouted from the other room.

It’s just…

“This is between you and me!” Franklin continued to shout.

I lost myself for a moment…

“I’m not finished with you, i’m still standing.” Anger seeping into every word.

I’m… sorry?…

“Don’t make that sorry face to me,” Franklin screamed, as if reading Purple’s mind as he began to run, “we are still in the middle of our fight.”

How can he move like that after taking a fireball head on? Bloodlust began to creep back into Purple’s mind and he moved his hand toward his sword.

No! He pulled away, resisting the urge to hurt and kill, fire formed around Franklin’s fist and he delivered a straight punch to Purple’s face, bloodying his nose. I can’t, Purple thought, a second fire punch landed on the side of his chin and his vision went blurry. i can’t fight him anymore, Purple concluded, a third punch coming from below landed on his chin again and his vision faded to black…