40. Guns and Roses

Mother and daughter fought side by side to protect one another, but it won't be enough as Brooke's mother takes her final breath.

A door slammed and Brooke opened her eyes. She had fallen asleep on the mattress in front of her mother’s piano. The window displayed the moon’s light now faint as it poured into the room. Something happened. Brooke knew it for sure.

Parts of the roof crumbled to shattered clay pieces as a panther landed inside. It slunk low to the ground, snarling at Brooke. It lunged at her and she stepped to the side, allowing it to bite the wall. Spitting the wood out of its mouth, the leopard charged at Rain. She lifted her leg, kicked it in the jaw, and in the chest, sending it flying back against the wall. Rain rushed into the room, grabbed her sword from under her piano, and struck the leopard down in two strikes, kicking it away from the door. Her mother’s composure was frantic and unsettled. Her eyes looked like a dashing river, disturbed and not sure. She mashed her lips together staring out the window and said, “Those hunters belonged to a guild!” She took Brooke’s hand and led her through the hall. What about Meredith and Ellis? All the rooms in the house were empty. They exited the house and Brooke saw that Meredith fought along side Ross who wielded what looked like a pirate sword. The wave of black panthers made Brooke lose count of how many there were. Brooke realized she had no weapon and pouted. She wanted to join. She stood by the house as her mother stepped forward, observing the field.

Meredith gasped as one of the panthers pounced on her. The guild distracted Ross. Rain brought her sword to battle and defended the princess. She cut the panthers down. She stood, legs apart, and sword over her head. Sudden bullets fired at Rain. She used her sword to block them, which required a lot of precision to do. Brooke hoped one day that she would reach her mother’s level of weaponry. Brooke had never admired her mother so much. She was such a strong woman. It made her admire her father for being able to capture that lady’s heart.

The guild turned their attention to Rain and began attacking her at once. She knew their strategy. The power of the Celestial Command must have attracted them. If they happened to kill her, the power will escape from her and travel to Brooke. However, if someone else were to catch it, then they all were doomed. She had to increase her skills on the spot. She spun the sword against her hand and created a fast twist of swordplay. She managed to get almost half of them out as Meredith and Ross helped her. One zoanthrope rose from his panther form and threw a bomb towards Rain. She dodged the explosion, barely, as she tripped against the unraveling earth. A panther sank its claws into her arm. She ignored the wound or tried, slicing the panther in two.

Brooke wasn’t sure what to do. Her reflexes weren’t up to par enough to join the battle weaponless, but she figured she had to try. So, Brooke broke the neck of a panther and moved to help her mother. Rain scowled. “I can handle this!” she exclaimed. “Go away from here.”

“You need help; your fighting arm is injured.”

“I know the obvious!” Rain struck a panther and Brooke punched a panther, snapping another one’s jaw. Another bomb came their way. Brooke and Rain dodged it. They looked out for each other, mother and daughter fighting side by side. Brooke fought the ones coming Rain’s way and she struck the ones heading for Brooke.

            A few remained. Everyone fought their own enemy. Brooke was exhausted, her arms beginning to sore. Rain faced her opponent, his body on the ground and two of his legs dismembered. His eyes fixed on Rain and full of hate. She turned her back on him to defend against the last one coming at her. “Mom, look out!” Brooke called and moved to defend her. Rain shoved Brooke out of the way and she felt a sudden pain spread from her upper back. She looked and found he’d stabbed her with a poisoned knife. She snatched it out and a sense of panic flooded her body. She had to relax and work against the poison. She could heal herself later. She turned around, frowned, and stabbed her sword into his neck, decapitating him.

The one she defended against rose into his human form, arrogant, shadowing over Rain. She swung her sword, her reflexes slow. The poison spread immediately. Possibly because the knife was closer to her heart. It will take less time to travel. Rain had little time. He grabbed the blade and punched Rain in the stomach, hitting the wound. Rain winced as the pain doubled and she dropped her sword. Brooke ran over to the woman, but the zoanthrope knocked her back. Meredith shot her magic at the zoanthrope, but the one in front of her knocked her off her feet. Preoccupied with the effects of Meredith’s magic, Rain felt a sense of foreboding. Maybe she will die here. In a matter of minutes, the poison will possess her heart. Rain, then, had a sense of duty. Brooke had to survive because she must carry on and protect the Celestial Command. Rain pulled herself together and prepared to fight her final battle. The zoanthrope smirked, knowing his avail. “Brooke, listen to me carefully.” Brooke’s ears perked and she glanced at her mother. “Do not interfere with this battle, you hear me?”

“But Mom I-”

Rain ignored her, swinging her sword in wary defense. Her sight began to blur. She needed to say it now. “If I die here, you must carry on my responsibility.”

“Mom, you are not going to die here!” Brooke exclaimed as she stood and tried to jump in, but the zoanthrope punched her back. “Why can’t you use the Celestial Command?”

“It is not mine to use.” She said. “It was entrusted to me not only because I am human, but because that priest trusted me. He knew me. He understood my spirit, my capabilities, and everything, and he could trust me not to use it.”

“A power you cannot use, that doesn’t make sense,” Meredith scoffed as she shot her magic, but missed, cornered by her own enemies and Ross by his enemies.

“If I use this power, then I risk a chance of losing myself. Look, I don’t have much time to explain. The rest you must discover on your own. Just promise me, you won’t use it, Brooklyn?” Brooke did not understand at all. Why would she bear a power and not use it? She didn’t want to lose her mom again. She had to do something. She would charge at the zoanthrope, but no matter how hard she tried, she felt as if she were knocking her head against a wall. Please, she begged, don’t do this! Rain blocked the zoanthrope using her arm, and he kicked her. Rain lay against the dry ground, clutching her stomach. Her temperature went like a rollercoaster and she felt nothing, but pain. Her emotions fluxed. She felt sorrow, happiness, regret, joy as memories of her life with Ben and Brooke flashed through her mind. She wobbled to stand on her legs that felt devoid of blood. She kneeled on the handle of her sword and gave a bitter smile. “And Brooklyn, I am so proud of you. I love you.”

The zoanthrope brought a gun to Rain’s head as she knelt. A tear slid down Brooke’s face as it fired. Meredith shot her magic, but it hit him too late as Rain’s blood splattered over the ground. All went silent for a moment. Her time was up.

Author's Note

Dear Reader,

Sorry Rain had to die and the significance of her death will be detailed in the following chapters.

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely JazzSoulKeke,

God bless