Scarlet screamed, and threw her hands out in front of her face. Martin stepped toward the flames, his voice booming and echoing around the tunnel. The fire struck something, some invisible barrier, and splashed to either side of it, extinguishing where it hit the walls and floor and ceiling.
She could feel the heat even through the barrier, and sweat broke out on her forehead. Martin took another step forward and said something else, equally loud and impressive, and she saw a flash of light gleaming from the blade of the colossal sword now clasped in his right hand.
She was uncomfortable with the word colossal. It belonged in fantasy novels, and maybe text books about dams, or mountains, but rarely in west London. This sword, however, fitted the description very well. It was almost as tall as she was, and the blade was as wide as her hand.
Martin carried it casually, as though it were a table knife, and she found herself once again reassessing her view of him. It wasn’t something she was used to doing. Normally, once she got someone, that was it, she knew what to expect, but he continued to confound her.
The next step took him close enough to their attacker that the young man was almost completely obscured. She stepped forward and to the side so she could see him and as she did, he raised his own sword, puny in comparison to what Martin held, but fast and sharp-looking.
The first clash of blades sent sparks, white and blinding, spilling to the concrete floor. The kid had swung at Martin and now he raised his sword again, and stabbed straight forward. Martin blocked, another rain of sparks making her blink.
Martin took a few steps back, giving himself room, and settled into a fighting stance. Beyond them, a few of the denizens of the Underworld entered the tunnel, pausing to watch the show.
The kid came at him, swinging low for his feet, and Martin got the tip of his sword to it, the small blade deflecting to the concrete, kicking up sparks. He kept the blade moving, swinging it round to come back toward Martin’s head. Her master was ready for this one, his blade held vertically, like a wall against which his attacker’s sword stopped dead.
The kid came again, stabbing at Martin’s gut, and her master stepped to one side, pushing the blow out even further, then stepping back again. Why wasn’t he fighting back? Emo boy seemed to have realised the same thing as she had, because he attacked again, with renewed vigor.
The kid was fast, raining blow after blow, but every one was deflected from Martin’s sword. Martin stepped slowly back, until Scarlet found she had to move as well to keep out the way.
She’d never seen a sword fight. It looked fun, after a fashion. Fun in the same way that basketball could maybe be, and possibly lion taming. All good career choices, all things she was happy never to be anywhere near, thank you very much.
Martin missed a step as he moved back, and dropped onto one knee, and the kid moved even faster, slamming his blade vertically down onto Martin’s, again and again. What came next happened almost too fast for her to see.
One moment the blades were slamming together, the tunnel echoing with the sound, the next the kid was flying back and bouncing hard off the wall of the tunnel, dropping face first to the floor.
Martin was on him before she’d even realised what had happened, his sword gone, his arm wrapped around the kid’s neck. He hauled him up, ignoring the booted feet slamming against his shins, and held tight, until the kid stopped struggling, and began to gasp.
His breathing had slowed before Martin dropped him, and he fell to the floor, one hand on his throat, the other splayed flat against the cold floor. Scarlet stepped closer. ‘That was pretty good, you know?’
‘It was slow, and cost us time, and I should have finished it far more quickly.’
‘Gee, guy, take it easy on yourself. We’re all still alive, which between the fire thing, and all the swords…hey, that’s pretty cool.’
Martin grunted and hauled the kid to his feet, turning him around so they could speak. His head lolled to one side, and Scarlet screamed as she saw the foam dripping from his open mouth, and the flat dead eyes staring sightlessly at her.
Next Installment Wednesday 19th February
