Enemy of mine (A picture prompt story)

This was written in repsonse to the picture prompts on Afterwards blog. You can find all the pictures and links to other stories here. My muse has been hiding lately so haven’t gotten much done so decided to treat this as a write for ten minutes and see what happens. I wrote for thirty and I have something! This is the result of the first run at this so please excuse any roughness around the edges!

The grass under my back was damp. It had soaked through my clothes and was seeping into my bones. But then again, perhaps it was my blood flowing onto the ground. I’d managed to make it back to the path but I couldn’t go any further. Everyone had left. I didn’t blame them. Well perhaps I did.

I’d always hated working for the Society but when the magic police come calling and tell you there’s a threat that could spell the end for witchkind you kind of feel compelled to help. I still didn’t even know who the attackers had been but there had been so many of them. They’d opened doors and stepped through from goddess only knows where and had been armed to the teeth, with mundane weapons as well as magical ones. The only reason we had stood a chance was that we had a lead on where they were going to launch their attack from and could lay in wait.

The battle had been long and bloody, but I was pretty sure we’d won. The trees around me all bore the scorch marks of magical fire and the smell of burning wood lingered in the air, as well as another more metallic smell I didn’t want to consider. My ears had only just stopped ringing. Magical fights are not quiet, all that energy building up in the air. And then of course there were the screams.

The society had fielded some old veterans, recruited them from all walks of life but they had brought all their newbies as well. Some had turned tail and run only to be shot in the back by the enemy. That was the moment I saw red and just started unleashing attacks with furious abandon. It was probably why I hadn’t clocked the guy behind me with the short sword.

I coughed. The shock seized my entire body as it spasmed against my wounds. Blood filled my mouth. This wasn’t how I thought I’d go out. I always expected it would be in a fight in the middle of the city, me against one the creeps I’d been hired to track down. Or perhaps I’d finally get that face to face with Nika, try and take the city back from her criminal enterprise. But not like this, not slowly bleeding out in the middle of wood, surrounded by the fallen Society soldiers and enemy alike. Perhaps this was for the best. Whoever we had fought, that wasn’t all of them. Some new war was coming. I’d seen enough, I didn’t fancy another one.

My eyelids felt heavy so I let them drift close. Perhaps if I let sleep come. My legs were so cold, I wasn’t even sure I could have moved them anymore.

A buzzing filled the air around me. Not that I cared, my eyes were staying shut. Footsteps on the path came closer. Nope, still not opening my eyes.

“Stan?”

I knew that voice. My brain tried to work through the fog that was descending.

“Oh for heavens’ sake. Why did you go and get yourself stabbed?” The disapproving tone was way too familiar but I was distracted by the sudden burning sensation in my gut. A scream tore from my throat as my organs and muscle were instructed to knit themselves back together.

When I finally could talk my voice came out in a whisper. “Nika?”

“Honestly, what good is tipping off the Feds if they can’t even mount a proper sting operation.”

My eyes opened. The burning in my side was still enough to take my breath away but it was at least a sensation. I wasn’t bleeding out anymore. I still needed medical attention but the imminent danger was gone.

“You were the one who told the Society? Why?” I could see her doorway a few metres behind us on the path. There was no-one else there, she had come alone.

“Because,” she checked me over before motioning at me to take her arm and let her help me up. “We have a nice thing going. I run my business, you try and stop me. We tick along.”

I tried to frown at her but the pain that lanced through my body as I stood put a stop to that.

“These new players are trouble. They want a new world order.”

“And that’s bad for business.”

“Exactly.” She wedged her shoulder, and her extravagantly expensive suit jacket under my arm and started leading me back to the doorway. “So, it seems Stanley, for now at least, we find ourselves with a mutual enemy. And if the resources of the Society aren’t going to cut it, perhaps you should just throw your lot in with me, until we can resolve this.”

“Join you?” I let out a bark of laughter, until I doubled over.

“I’m not expecting you to rob a grannie. Just work with me on stopping this lot. I have means and information. You have, well, a certain knack at surviving.” We reached the doorway.

“Does me getting through that door depend on my answer?”

“How callous do you think I am?” She grinned and it sent a cold shudder down my back. She wasn’t head of all thing criminal in this city for nothing.

“Did you come here just for me?”

The smile slipped and she looked thoughtful. She shifted under my arm as she adjusted her weight. “Yes. I know you hate my guts Stan but right now, we’re each other’s best hope. And to be frank with you…”

“I thought you were Nika.”

“Grow up Stanley, I’m trying to be honest here.”                 

“Does it hurt?”

“Does this?” She poked me in the side. I let out a yell. Yep, she was still the Nika I knew and loved. “What I was trying to say was, I’ve seen these guys operation and their aims. And I’m scared.”

“So not Frank?”

“For the love of…” She started to pull out from under my arm. “How do you keep getting in the way of all my plans, you’re an imbecile.”

“Perhaps you’re plans aren’t that good. If we’re each other’s best hope we’re all royally…”

“Are yo going to help or not?”

“Oh, yeah, I’ll help.”

She stared at me; our faces were only inches apart. “I hate you.”

“I hate you right back partner. Now, shall we go, I think I’m getting blood all over your nice jacket.”