Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Shades of Time ❯ Riding The Lightning ( Chapter 18 )

 

He was . . . impressed. There was simply no other word for it. He'd always known in theory that Shi had earned a General's rank because she was damn good at what she did but up until now he had never witnessed why she was so good at it. Tactics, strategy and execution were primary within the ranks of her group. That had been made very clear when her squad had taken the right and left flanks, effectively hemming the creatures in and forcing them toward the rest of the troops.

 

Shi herself had taken up a position on the front lines and her team had seemed to be at ease with it, as though they were completely used to having their General next to them rather than behind them. Natural leader, Tenpou thought to himself, ducking the nearest creature's claws while still managing to watch Shi work. Shi was methodical in her work, no wasted movement or gestures, merely a solid step, slash, dodge, decapitate whatever happened to be attacking her, move on to the next. Somehow she still managed to keep an eye on her squad, moving almost effortlessly to whomever needed help the most at whatever time.

 

Tenpou swung the sword again and managed to decapitate the nearest creature. Gods, these things were nasty. Just the smell of them was enough to make the sternest stomach try to force up whatever meal it had previously been in possession of. Worse, they had a nasty habit of regenerating after you thought you'd managed to kill them.

 

One of Shi's squad grabbed Tenpou a few moments later.

 

“Sir, the General thinks she's figured out which one is their leader and the power source. If we can get to and kill that one the rest should go down fairly easily.”

 

“Do whatever you need to. The faster we finish this the better.”

 

“Yes, Sir!” she said, before sprinting off, carving at the things that tried to attack her along the way. She made it through the crush of army and creature to her commanding officer.

 

“Ma'am, the Field Marshal has given the go ahead for us to proceed.”

 

“Like I was planning on doing anything else anyway,” Shi almost snorted. “Can you and the rest clear a halfway decent path for me?”

 

“You know we can, Ma'am.”

 

<i>Squad, fall in for arrow formation.</i>

 

A chorus of “yes, Ma'am” was mentally heard and a path began to form to one of the larger creatures that several others seemed to be guarding.

 

“Gods, I'm probably going to have to burn my uniform,” Shi grumbled to herself before focusing on the target in front of her and trying to gauge the best point of weakness. It was big and the skin was leathery but there seemed to be small portions of lighter flesh around the neck area and she judged that would be the best place to mount a serious attack. She turned to one of the larger men in her squad. “Up.”

 

“Yes, Ma'am,” he said, letting her step into his hands then effectively launching her onto the creature's back.

 

The thing roared and reared backward, then tried to claw her off of it, missing her by only a few inches most of the time and on a lucky shot catching the back of her leg, ripping open skin and muscle alike.

 

“Bastard! For that, you hurt as you die,” she snarled, using her daggers as picks to climb toward the creature's neck.

 

“What the hell is she <i>doing</i>?” Tenpou asked, watching Shi make her way up the thing's back and toward its head.

 

“Probably something that neither one of us are gonna like,” Kenren said, breathing heavily while trying to watch what Shi was doing and fend off the nasties in the process.

 

Shi managed to make it to what was, presumably, the thing's shoulders. Drawing both swords she forced them into its neck almost to the hilt. The next swipe tore open her back and side but she held on as the air around her started to crackle. Everyone near the creature felt the hair on their arms and the back of their necks stand up and members of her squad instantly called out “Fall back!”

 

The full force of Shi's lightning abilities channeled from her and through the swords to the creature's body. It screamed and clawed at her again, tearing new gouges into her skin.

 

“Just die, damn it!” she snarled, bearing down harder and trying to pull more power to no avail. Fortunately, what she had hit it with seemed to be enough as the creature started to crumple beneath her. Bolts of electricity shot from the thing's body and hit the other creatures, seeming to nullify any regenerative properties they had and making them easy for the army to finish off. She held on and rode it all the way to the ground. Shi's second in command was next to her instantly, narrowly avoiding the thrashing creature in its death throes.

 

“Get cold water and ice back at the medical unit! Now!” she ordered, helping Shi peel her hands away from where they were stuck to the sword hilts, taking a fair amount of skin along for the ride. There were scorch marks running up both hands and along her wrists.

 

Several people scrambled through the mess of bodies, blood and gore to do her bidding. She carefully helped Shi slide down from the creature's back, half carrying her away from it when they hit the ground.

 

Tenpou and Kenren were making their way through the dead and dying creatures to where Shi and her second were. Tenpou cursing the whole way.

 

“Everyone okay?” Shi asked weakly, trying her damnedest not to be sick. Her chest hurt, her lungs and heart felt like they were going to explode at any given moment and her stomach rolled with every small step.

 

“Yes, Ma'am. Perth!”

 

“Yes, Major,” said a tall man from a few feet away. “I'll get her.”

 

“Good. Damn, she's hotter than usual this time.”

 

“Pulled too much power, General?” the man said teasingly as he lifted Shi up.

 

“Be happy I'm too tired to court martial you,” Shi said, head lolling backward as she lost consciousness.

 

Tenpou and Kenren reached them in time to see Shi's eyes roll back in her head as she passed out. Tenpou felt his stomach clench. So this was fear, he thought. He'd felt twinges of it occasionally but it had never hit him this hard before. He couldn't say he liked the feeling in the slightest.

 

“Give her to me,” Tenpou said almost instantly, holding out his arms for her. This earned him odd looks from everyone gathered around.

 

Perth had already started moving toward the medical tent, everyone else following in his wake as he spoke to Tenpou, who had fallen in beside him. “I'm sorry, Sir. Meaning no disrespect but right now she'll burn through your uniform and possibly your skin. I'm usually the only one who can handle her when she's like this because I can heat shield and so can Major Thies,” he said, nodding to Shi's second.

 

“Thank the gods the charge usually cauterizes the wounds. It looks like she took some serious damage from that thing's claws,” Major Thies said, watching as one of the subordinates came rushing up.

 

“Major, the ice and water are prepared. Wooden tubs as usual.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Why wooden tubs?” Tenpou asked, glancing behind him to Shi's second.

 

“Metal conducts and reflects any electrical charge she might have left in her. The water and ice are bad enough but those have to be done or she has seizures from the heat. I think she blew everything she had this time though,” Major Thies said.

 

“She's sure hotter than usual,” Perth remarked. “It's hard for me to keep hold of her. I think she'll need the ice first this time, Major.”

 

“Whatever it takes,” Major Thies said, pushing back the flap on the medical tent and allowing Perth in first.

 

Perth went to the huge tub of ice sitting in the middle of the tent and carefully eased Shi into it. Instantly there was a hissing sound as the ice around her melted to water, the water starting to steam and boil immediately afterward.

 

“Merciful goddess!” Kenren said from behind Tenpou.

 

“Perth, move her to the water,” Major Thies said.

 

“Yes, Major,” he said, lifting Shi from the steaming water and carrying her over to the other tub. Again, the water steamed and hissed but didn't boil that time.

 

Tenpou was staring at Shi's pale face, noticing the heat blisters across her cheeks; her hair was still caked with blood and gore. He wondered idly if this was a scene from one of Goku's nightmares because it was certain to be a scene in his for a long time to come.

 

“Okay, you perverts, out! Get me more water and I'll get her out of these clothes and cleaned up then back home. Can someone let Konzen-sama know? He knows what to do when she's like this.”