Luisa was silent in the dark. The kitchens lacked their steam, and were dark, deserted. Her sword was drawn and at her side. She tried to calm her hammering heart. She prayed that the Ratain would not come down into the kitchens, that perhaps it would turn and go another way. A giant shadow approaching told her that her prayers had fallen on deaf ears. She tiptoed away in the gloom through the rows of shelves filled with clay pots, plates and pans. She tucked her glowing pendant under her top and crouched low peeking though a shelf. 

The Ratain’s frame filled the entrance and he sniffed the air, his red eyes glowing. Nine feet tall, his white coat of fur was patchy, and his snout and barrelled chest was covered in blood. In his claws held the huge dark sword, the tip of which was touching the floor. He spoke and his voice boomed, as he slowly entered the room. “So you are in here.  The human princess of the catains. Hah-hah-hah.” The laughter echoed through the kitchens.

The ratain began to slowly stalk through the room, turning his huge head from side to side, searching for Luisa.

Luisa closed her eyes, her heart shuddering as she gripped onto her sword with both hands.  

“How could I forget human scent, just like that former princess,” the ratain’s voice dropped to a deadly whisper, “it was me that killed her you know.”

Luisa could smell the stink of the ratain and the copper tang of the blood that covered him. She could hear his deep breaths. His giant figure began to work its way slowly towards her.

“They thought I was dead. They locked me away for a very, very long time.  So, you do understand, how very special it will be for me to cut off your head too? Rraah!”

With that he swung his great sword, smashing through several shelves. Pots and plates erupted into a shower of clay shards over the kitchens.

Luisa crept away from the ratain, her heart in her mouth,

I need to escape! 

She moved away undetected, until her foot came down on a piece of clay with a crack which might have well been a thunderclap.

The ratain threw himself at the noise driving his sword through several shelves with a grunt. Luisa tucked herself down, masked by the racket, her whole body pounding with adrenaline. She tried to sneak out the kitchens behind the ratain. But the ratain swung around, and before she knew it his red eyes were upon her,“There you are!”

His torso torqued, and Luisa saw the swing of the huge sword, she ducked down and felt the blade glide past her head destroying the shelves behind.

In that instance, Luisa knew there was no escape. Time stopped. Shards of pottery fell in slow motion around her like flakes of snow. She gripped her sword tightly.

I will not be disgraced. I have come too far, from getting abused at school, abused in Cataindar. I will honour everything Finn had taught me.

I will honour my family. 

Her eyes narrowed and the room brightened, she felt her heart slow, and a burning power worked through her arms. Her breathing became steady and her mind settled. She angled her chin up. As the ratain finished his swing, their eyes locked. In the ratain’s face she saw a flicker of surprise. Yes. She had the creature that had killed her aunt in her sights. There was no escape.

It was time to fight.

She threw her weight behind her sword, and drove the blade straight ahead into the ratain’s leg.

He let out a deafening scream and with a whip of his tail caught Luisa, tossing her up into the air.  Mid-air he swiped at Luisa again, she twisted to parry it, and the strike caught her sword fully, sending her careening across the room. She spun through the toss, crashing through a set of shelves. She righted herself, and pulled herself to her feet.

The ratain came at her and brought his sword down from above, but Luisa was too quick, she ran forward side-stepping the blow, the sword sparking against the stone beside her. She kicked off the blade, pulling up the ratain’s forearm kicking up to his shoulder, she swung up and locked her legs around his throat, and plunged her sword deep into his neck. 

The ratain screamed again, his huge claws found purchase on Luisa’s shoulder and he threw her off, Luisa crashed through several shelves and landed painfully on the ground. She immediately began dragging herself away.

She could hear the ratain gasp in pain, blood was pouring from his neck.

“Enough!” he bellowed, and with a great swing of his sword he destroyed the shelves between them. 

Luisa powered forward on her elbows, gripping her sword tightly, when she felt her foot encased in the vice-grip of a ratain claw and she was suddenly ripped backwards.

She twisted and dug her sword deep into his claw, and the ratain shrieked and flung her across the room.  Luisa flew across the kitchens and hit the far wall, hard. She fell to the ground, winded, but managed to right herself against the wall. She wheezed her breaths in, trying to suck in air. The room blurred, but she blinked it away with a shake of her head.

Her sword was still in her hand.

She tried to move, but the image of the ratain filled her vision.  He towered above her.

Luisa looked up into the nightmarish face, his tattered ears and huge snout filled her vision, all covered in blood, “Goodbye human.” He brought his sword up for the final swing.

Luisa pushed up off the wall and with both hands pushed her sword deep into the Ratain’s ribs.  Her face was almost against his snout as she did.  Her eyes staring deep into his horrific own. The ratain staggered back, and bellowed again.  Luisa was standing defiant, her pendant was glowing brightly, her eyes shone an unnatural blue. She forcefully tugged her sword back  and it came out black with blood.

The ratain king held his ribs, and his eyes took a long blink.  He staggered slightly to the left. 

Luisa thought he was about to fall, but instead he lunged forward with his sword. Luisa tried to parry, but the blow was too strong.  She looked down in horror to see the Ratain’s great sword had pierced her side.  He pulled the blade from her, and Luisa reached back, her hand found the wall and she slipped down.  The other hand gently cupped the gash in her side.

No…

She looks up, the Ratain slowly steps forward his eyes full of a hate, his one arm pressed against his wound.  He breathed in and out heavily, and again, began to ready his strike.

No.

Luisa looked down, her hand is bright red. Blood bubbled from her side. She looked up, confused and the room gets artificially bright.  Darcius is running into the room, pouncing up the shelves, he frantically leaps up and pulls a large grate from the centre of the ceiling.  Half his head is shiny and red.  He is screaming at the ratain. The ratain readied his strike, bringing the huge sword up high. Two darts flew through the air into his outstretched torso and shoulder. The ratain recoiled as they dug into him.  He turned to his new assailants and let out a roar.  His blood red eyes flick back to Luisa, but another dart flies through the air, he lifts his sword in time to send it ricocheting across the room.  He turns and with a great jump, begins to claw his way up the wall, another dart flies, sparking off the ceiling grate, Darcius is through the grate just in time, the Ratain is moving quickly, accelerating with his huge claws splitting the rock as he powers his way across the ceiling, leaving a long smear of blood as he makes it through the grate to escape.

Luisa saw Thorne come through the door.  She has her arms around Finn supporting him, as they stagger into the room.  Finn is battered, severely wounded, but he is up and moving. More of Thorne’s scougers follow behind, behind them is Clearwater, staring wide-eyed at the scene of destruction. 

Luisa smiled.

My friends are here – they made it.

 She could taste metallic in her mouth. She looked down, her top and jeans are soaked in red.

She leant her head back on the cavern wall and heared the most distinct sound of a car, a human car, passing just behind her, like it was on a fast road.

She tried to breathe. The room was getting brighter.  Clearwater was pushing a cloth into Luisa’s side.  She was saying things that Luisa couldn’t hear.  Finn and Thorne  were in front of Luisa crouching down.  Thorne was crying. 

Luisa looked at Finn, she was trying to keep her eyes open, everyone was talking so fast.

“I kicked his arse, Finn,” she whispered. She coughed again; more copper on her tongue.  The catain’s faces were beginning to blur. Luisa heard another car, impossibly close.

Then she fell into unconsciousness.     

--

Well this is certainly my favourite chapter. I really hope you enjoyed it also!

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Next update: Wednesday. See you then!