Sempiternus - The Immortal Games 2

There was no way to physically see what happened in the seconds that followed only flashing blades, spraying crimson and terminal shrieks. Everyone's thoughts had been the same, cripple the enemy. So take your pick. You had shattered knee caps to the point bone protruded from flesh. Slit throats gaping open to reveal the sinewy make up that allowed you to talk. If you preferred there were even a few punctured lungs. None of the injuries fatal but all mortal enough to slow down the competition. At least for a little while.One of them had been quicker than even they had anticipated catching Dave in the kidney before sprinting off in the direction of the forest. No one else heard her growl of annoyance or the saw sai she pulled from the back of her trousers. Baring her teeth she shook it off also leaping into motion beside her sister. They may have organised the games but it had been comprised by another to make it a fair fight. First they had to look for one marker of three. If you couldn't find one you had to steal it from another. All had scattered throughout the arena obviously with their own opinions of where the markers could be. The question was; where should they go? Did they go to the forest in pursuit of the one that had injured Dave? The pits, covered in turn with water, oil, and fire. Or did they go to the debris? Broken buildings nothing more than the concrete shells?
As tempting as the forest was more of the younglings had run towards the debris. And the reason they had come up with these games in the first place was to see how the newer immortals acted. So that was what they were going to do. Looking at Anna she nodded once then took off towards the forlorn structures. Years of surviving together enabled them to work in sync. Well that and Dave could predict what Anna was going to do before she did it. So when seconds later Anna volted into the air flipping to land on top of a crumbling wall Dave was right there with her. Bending her knees in the last stride to propel her to the top on the next turret over.
“Well this was your idea. What do you want to do now?” She murmured biting her lip.
“Probably what I normally do.” Anna shrugged.
“Wing it all the while hoping for the best?”
“Or the worst. I don't have high standards.” Dave chuckled already scanning ahead to the nearest being. It was a group of three; with two women and a man. The first had dark brown hair that reached more than half way down her back. Petite in size and build she barely reached the guys shoulders. He took this to his advantage however throwing her up onto the higher platforms to search for the marker. While the other girl acted as look out. As they watched one of the other contenders came barreling towards the group. He didn't make it within a fifty feet of them. It was quiet impressive really in one second her hand disappeared into her jacket. In the next, three shuriken were flying from between her fingers. Each embedding in a vital target. Throat, eye, forehead.
“Ooooh, those sting like a bitch.” Anna winced transfixed as he dropped like a lead weight.
“Still, it won't keep him down for long.” Dave murmured still tracking the group. She had already seen this play out once before and knew that in exactly, three, two, one- Annnd there he was back on his feet with a bee in his bonnet. Sometimes life was just too boring. Not much could surprise her now, kind of an inevitability with foresight.
Quick as a whip Dave's head snapped around her hair fanning out around her in time for her to take a direct hit to the jaw.  Lights flashing behind her lids she lashed out blind yet connected knocking the assalient in Anna's direction. The difference between what made us what we were and what made them, them was as Anna withdrew her sword. Which was nothing special, simply stone worked bronze worn from overuse and swung it to relieve the new offender of his head, they knew he would not be getting back up.
“You know” Dave gargled wiggling her jaw until it cracked back into place. “I am getting tired of being hit. The next blow is all yours.”
“Pfft I don't think so. You didn't even see that one coming.”
“Did too.”
“Admit it, you didn't”
“Did.”
“Didn't.”
“Did.”
“Didn't.”
“Did!”
“Okay fine. If you did, where did he come from?”
“The left.”
“Lucky guess.”
“You're still getting hit next.”
“Wanna make it a bet?” Dave laughed in a short burst, truly amused for the first time since they had left the house yesterday.
“Sure why not?” Anna opened her mouth to reply only to have it stop when yips of victory echoed from a few pillars over.
“I guess that's the first marker found huh?”