(OOC: I am aware other fics of mine have gone unfinished, but I have given up on those and decided to try something a little more readily available in my head. Comments and criticism appreciated greatly - in fact, I ask for such.
In case you're wondering what character I'm writing for, this is the backstory of Jameson Roulakki. Starting from Jerrin Userui's last fight.)
Chapter 1: A Bitter Path
It comes back in dreams now.
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
In front of me, the huge, thorned rhino-demon stood in my path, not letting me travel through the alleyway. The iron bat he was holding in his right hand, and resting on his shoulder, seemed his attempt at trying to scare me into giving him something. But his eyes said something else. His eyes were telling me he wanted me dead.
Behind me, a red lizard-demon with spikes coming out of arms, legs... heck, some wrapped around his face like a cruel helmet.... the lizard blocked my retreat from the rhino. Even without any weapon, his spikes were menacing enough. His eyes shared the opinion of the rhino's. I was trapped.
I had always had bad feelings about this alleyway. The smell... the refuse thrown here... my minuscule relatives crawling around the whole place. All of it made me disgusted. But I had no choice but to walk that alleyway because, days earlier, someone had asked for lessons in the martial arts, and this was the only way I knew to get to where they lived.
It was a bitter path to travel, and it had just become worse. I checked for my staff. Thankfully it was there. I don't know what I would have done without it.
I leapt at the rhino with the staff out. A foolish move, but it was his fault for staying in my way. Then again, ramming the staff between the nostrils was my idea and not his.
Just as I came down, a cold scaly hand made an appearance on my shoulder. The lizard knew his friend was in danger, probably looked ready to rip an arm from me. About then, the rhino had gotten his bearings.
The rest of it I don't remember well. All I know is that there was a nasty fight. Several times my arms and legs felt cold and dense iron, as the rhino's bat was like a hammer being used by an inexperienced carpenter. Supposedly my chest was the nail he kept missing.
All else I remember of that fight was when I dropped the lizard and slammed my foot into his neck like a woodcutter slamming his axe into a fallen tree. The rhino was already down some time before, a poor example of an obstacle.
As I was starting to walk away, I noticed the rhino lifting his head. The words flowing from his mouth still echo in my mind to this day: "May this be the last."
Before I knew it, a force like a fallen boulder hit everything in my body. I could hear my bones shattering, feel the pain of the rhino's last effort to make my success a vain one.
In that moment, I realized just what my blind bravery had gotten me.
Edited by: [url=http://pub30.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=divinegon2130>Divinegon2130</A] at: 11/17/03 9:31 pm