Black Strings: Threads of Revenge

Avillion 23.

Shadow blasts rain down on the city streets. Tommy weaves through them, each impact carving a fresh crater into the cobblestone.

The sun glares overhead, filtered by drifting clouds, bright enough to sting his eyes between dodges.

Five a.m., and I get jumped by a group of black spirits. What a morning!

Tommy spins on his heel, grabbing his new battle axe off his back. He faces the Star Guard head-on.

A ball of shadow hurtles toward him. He swings his axe like a bat, the impact cracking through the morning air.

More dart straight toward him, and with his axe, he deflects most of them. One slams into his shoulder, causing him to bite his tongue.

Tommy grips his shoulder with one hand, the other still clutching his battle axe. His eyes squint, his teeth grit.

Fuck, I think that shadow blast busted my shoulder loose. I’m going to have to heal this up-

Unexpectedly, a light pink crystal lodges into the front of his other shoulder, right above his collarbone. He jerks back.

Pink vermillion? Now of all times!? I can’t use my magic with this lodged into me.

Star Guard members begin to surround Tommy. Another fires a neon green, glowing crystal into his back.

Tommy drops to his knees, pain stinging his entire back.

G-Green vermillion?

His chest starts to heave, tears pricking his eyes, mouth open. His hands begin to tremble. His vision blurs. He can barely breathe. He’s not going to last like this.

A black spirit with carmine red two stars on its face, one next to each outside corner of the eyes, approaches Tommy.

“That was quite easy.” The Star Guard member says flatly. “Seems like you’ve already had an encounter with green vermillion. Felt its pain and fear, it's just like all others who’ve touched it.”

Black spirits with one carmine star salut. “Sergeant.”

Tommy’s eyes glaze over each black spirit.

The sergeant black spirit speaks. “Grab him and take him to-”

SHING!

A shadow wraps around the neck of the sergeant, jerking his head back sharply.

“You can’t just do that.” Arabella’s calm voice cuts in.

The calm twin hides herself under a black parasol and black clothes as dark as the Black Realm sky.

The ring of black spirits part to make room for Arabella. Her parasol tilts just enough to shield her face from the sun, though her eyes remain fixed on the sergeant spirit still choking in the air, suspended by her shadow tether.

The rest of the troops look at each other, Arabella, and Tommy.

Tommy coughs and lifts his head.

Arabella?

He doesn’t know if it’s relief or just blood in his throat making him feel warm.

Did that green vermillion crystal puncture a lung?

With a flick of her wrist, Arabella’s tether flings the sergeant aside like a ragdoll. He collides with a couple of the troops.

She steps towards Tommy, a shadow wrapping around her glove-covered wrist.

Tommy tries to laugh but ends up wheezing. “Colder than untouched stone, huh? Thanks for the help.”

She kneels beside him without a word. Her gloved hand brushes over the green crystal embedded in his back. He tenses. She ignores it. With a swift motion, she wraps her hand around it and yanks.