The three figures stood, each with their weapon drawn, ready to fight. The feeling in the air was tense. For a moment, only the sound of the wind whistling through the trees could be heard, as all three breathed silently.
The man robed in black grinned at the mice before him. "Do you two really think you can defeat me? What makes you think you can even match me?"
Mickey smirked, gripping his sword in his hand. "Ya fergot one thing, pal. Never underestimate the little guy."
Minnie smirked to match her companion's, and gripped the hilt of her own sword. "Or girl."
Three blades clashed as the battle began, each warrior giving it their all. Mickey and Minnie worked together to try to overpower the foe, but he was quickly proving far too stealthy and aggressive. The trained assassin dodged the blades of the mice, either blocking with his own blade or simply dodging entirely.
Mickey and Minnie attempted to use their small statures and quick mouse reflexes to gain the upper hand, but it was only evening the playing field. A blade nearly missed Mickey's ear as he dodged it, and the same blade nearly made contact with Minnie's arm.
For a few minutes the battle raged on, neither of the three backing down. Another swing at his stomach had Mickey jump back to dodge, and a swing at Minnie's head had her duck quickly to avoid the impact. It was a fight to the death, and only one could be the victor. Whoever was the slowest would be the one to fall. And Mickey and Minnie had a reason to keep fighting. They had to keep fighting. They had to win.
A sudden kick to the stomach sent Minnie reeling back with a yelp, landing in the dirt holding onto her stomach as she groaned from the harsh impact.
"Minnie!" she heard her companion cry out, and looked up to see him dealing with the killer alone. She could tell he wanted to run to her, but he couldn't, for it could spell death for the both of them. Quickly grabbing her sword and shaking off the pain in her abdomen, Minnie leapt back into action, resuming her place along side her partner as her sword clashed once again with that of their attacker.
"Just give up. You kids can't possibly win." The assassin's voice sounded hardly strained, which concerned the mice, as it indicated he wasn't putting forth his full strength. He was wearing them down, for an easier and more enjoyable kill.
"Never!" Mickey shouted.
"We never give up!" Minnie cried.
As blades clashed once again, the assassin sneered. "So tell me." He swung his sword, the mice only managing to dodge in time to avoid it coming in contact with their stomachs. "How do you want to die?"
The mice suddenly sensed a powerful aura coming from the foe, and noticed his red, gleaming eyes right before he kicked Mickey in his stomach, sending the mouse flying back several feet.
"Mickey!" Minnie cried and ran up to him instantly. She knelt down beside him, ignoring the maniacal laughter coming from the assassin. "Are you okay?"
Mickey coughed before attempting to get to his feet. "I'm okay. C'mon, let's get this guy!"
Minnie nodded, relieved that he was okay, and grabbed her sword. "Right. Let's take him down!"
As the mice stood, each prepared to face off with the threat again, the assassin only laughed. "You're more fun than I thought! I had hoped you'd put up a decent fight. It'll make it so much more satisfying when I kill you."
"Who sent you?" Minnie demanded.
"Who sent you to kill us?" Mickey asked.
"Oh, nobody that'll even matter in a few minutes, because you'll be dead," the assassin grinned.
"Who sent you?!" the mice shouted.
"That knowledge will serve you no good once I've ripped your souls from your bodies," the assassin laughed. And he charged at the mice suddenly, as the clanging of blades ripped through the still forest air.
"You... You can't win!" Mickey said, swinging his sword at the assassin, only to have it blocked.
"That's what they all say," the assassin sneered.
"You won't get away with this!" Minnie said.
"You young pipsqueaks should have stayed in the mines where you belonged." With a sudden swing of the sword, the mice felt that strange, dark, powerful aura again, and then...
SHISSS!
"Ahhg!"
"Mickey!" Minnie stared in horror as Mickey held onto his stomach, seeing his shirt beginning to stain red. He suddenly collapsed forward, and Minnie caught him as she fell to her knees, holding him in her arms as she rolled him onto his back. She seen the severity of his wound; the open gash on his stomach as blood ran out of it. "No... No, no, NO!" Minnie held her hand on his wound, hoping to stop the bleeding. She tried to use her Heal spell, but her magic was drained. The assassin had absorbed their magic and was still doing so, preventing her from healing him.
Minnie was panic striken, shaking with fear as she held Mickey in her arms, trying to stop the bleeding as best she could.
"...Minnie..." Mickey coughed, coughing up blood to her sheer horror. His voice was getting weaker.
"No! You're not gonna die! I won't let you! You... You can't..." Her voice was cracking, and tears were now beginning to run freely down her cheeks. "You can't die, Mickey... Please don't die!" she pleaded.
The sound of the assassin's laughter made the girl mouse look up, seeing the one who had put Mickey, her lover, in this horrible state. "Now that just made my job all the more fun!
Fire burned in Minnie's eyes as anger rose within her soul. "You... You monster!"
"Your lover there won't make it if you can't heal him. You can't save him. He's done for."
"No! Shut up!" Minnie turned back to Mickey and tried once again to heal Mickey's wound, but it was to no avail. Her magic was staying depleted. It was some sort of spell the assassin was using. "Mickey, just hold on! Please, just hold on! You can't die! I won't let you!"
Mickey smiled up at Minnie weakly, and raised a hand to cup her cheek. "Ya... Ya h-hafta... get outta here..."
"No... I won't leave you," she said, gripping his hand and holding it to her cheek.
"You have to..."
"No! I won't leave you here! You're not going to die! I can't... I can't lose you..." Her voice cracked as she started to cry. "Please, Mickey... You have to keep fighting... P-Please... For me... For us... I can't lose you..." As her tears flowed freely down her face, Minnie leaned her face down and brushed her lips over his. "I won't let you go..." she whispered. She suddenly felt the tip of a blade pointing at her back.
"That was quite a show, but now it's time to end it."
She had a few choices, but there was only one that she made. "...Do it..." She looked up, her tear filled eyes glaring at the assassin. "Kill me." She didn't have to think about her decision. She looked down at Mickey, squeezing him in her arms. "If he goes..." She looked up at the killer. "...then I go. So go ahead. Without him... I've got nothing else to live for. So do it. Kill me." She looked at Mickey again, managing a little smile. "At least we'll still be together."
"No... Minnie, ya can't..." Mickey tried, but was cut off by his own coughing.
"Shh..." she hushed him softly, caressing his cheek as she managed a small smile. "It's okay. I'd rather die with you than live without you. This is my choice. If you die, then I die. We go together."
"Suit yourself," the assassin said, "but I'm going to ask double for this."
And he swung the sword...
To be continued...
