Jane, Hero of Nubila Chapter 7

Warrior Princess

The intense atmosphere kept Jane locked in place as she and Jaie kept their glares fixated on each other. Jane wanted to relax her clenched fists, but the fear of this enormous crou princess suddenly striking her kept them closed tight. “What do I tell her?” she thought, trying to conjure an explanation that wouldn't set this fierce warrior off.

Jane wasn't the only one seemingly frozen as both Crysta and Umimoo couldn't believe how brave this hornless crou was being. Clearly she didn't know just how skilled in battle their princess was. Otherwise she'd be on her knees apologizing already.

“Well?” Jaie asked while raising one of her eyebrows. “Are you going to give me an answer? Or do I have to beat it out of you.”

“Like I told the others” Jane said as her eyes narrowed into a glare. “I wanted to pass through the gate. Gundar said he'd let me if I defeated him, which I did... Eventually.”

Jaie's clenched fists began to tremble. “And what did you do with my grandfather after you beat him?” she asked, a clear struggle going on internally. “Did you...”

Jane's eyes widened and she threw her hands up. “Oh no, I didn't kill him” she assured, letting out a nervous chuckle. “He's perfectly fine. Just a little worn out.”

“I see...” Jaie said after letting out a relieved sigh. “And how exactly did you accomplish such a feat? My grandfather may be old, but he's not a weakling.” Jaie took a moment to glance up and down Jane's body, her eyes searching for something. “What weapon did you use? Surely you didn't defeat my grandfather unarmed.”

“Oh... I just used these” Jane answered as she closed her fists and held them near her face. “I've never really found a weapon that suits me so-”

Jaie grit her teeth. “I knew you were a liar the moment I saw you runt” she growled, interrupting Jane. “There's no way you could beat my grandfather with nothing but your fists. I bet you somehow tricked or cheated your way past him.”

“I'm not a liar” Jane assured, her intense stare returning to her face.

“Then prove it runt” Jaie said, a smirk appearing on her face for a moment as she reached for the huge sword on her back. “Prove it by facing me right here, right now. Unless of course you're the scared little coward I know you are.”

Jane really didn't appreciate the princess' tone. “Scared of you?” she asked in a harsh tone. “Hardly. I've faced worse than you during my travels.”

“Well you would be if you had a brain inside that hornless head of yours” Jaie growled as her eyes were drawn to the burns surrounding Jane's left eye. “I should have guessed you were stupid by the scars around your eye there. How'd you do that anyway? Sit a little too close to a fire I'll bet.”

Now it was Jane's turn to grit her teeth. The memories of how she got her burn and who gave it to her weren't pleasant ones. “Look...” Jane said after taking a deep breath to help keep herself calm. “If it'll satisfy you, let's go back to the gate together. You can ask Gundar himself.”

“And just let you leave these lands after you've knocked Angess out?” Jaie questioned. “I don't think so runt.”

“I don't intend to leave until I've found what I'm looking for” Jane assured, her harsh tone quickly returning. “You're grandfather couldn't stop me and you won't either.”

“How dare you speak to the princess in such a tone!” Crysta snapped, only to immediately quiet down when Jaie briefly waved her hand, indicating she didn't need Crysta's help.

“Oh really?” Jaie growled, sounding just as irritated as Jane was. “Did you just threaten me runt?”

“Am I talking to fast for you?” Jane asked. “I shouldn't be surprised. It's clear you're not very bright considering the only insult you seem to know is 'runt'. I can slow it down a bit so you don't get so confused 'princess'. But only if you ask me nicely.”

Jaie's grip on her sword tightened, the temptation to draw it and slice this hornless crou in two nearly overwhelming her. “And now you're calling me stupid...” she growled under her breath. “Oh, you're definitely not walking away now.”

“What a-are you doing?” a nervous Nice's whispered. “We didn't come here to antagonize the crou. We came here to get you home.”

“Little late for that Nice” Jane thought as she kept her eyes on the huge sword sitting on Jaie's back. Suddenly, a fist came flying directly toward Jane's head. Thanks to Nice's worrying distracting her, Jane didn't notice the punch until it was too late to dodge.

A smirk appeared on Jaie's face as her right hook collided into Jane's left cheek with enough power to force the runt to step back. “Too scared to even defend yourself runt?” she snickered before returning her hand to her hip.

Slowly, Jane turned her glare back to Jaie, only for the crou's smirk to grow larger when blood began to trickle from her mouth. Without saying a word, Jane used two of her fingers to wipe the blood away.

“Are you okay Jane?” Nice asked, her friend giving her no response.

Jaie let out a confidant chuckle, completely unfazed by the terrifying glare Jane was giving her. “You can cry now if you want” she suggested smugly. “Maybe if you do that for awhile and then apologize, I might forgive you and let you run back to wherever hornless crou come from.”

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Jane sent a punch straight into Jaie's face with enough force to send the princess reeling back a single step.

“Princess!” Crysta called out as she started to run to Jaie's side, only to stop when she noticed her princess' face.

Like Jane, blood began to trickle from Jaie's mouth. “Alright...” she mumbled while nodding a few times. “I guess that brings an end to our discussion.” Jaie glanced back to her kin. “Crysta, go check on your sister while I deal with our intruder.”

Jane cracked her knuckles once before readying her fists, much to Nice's dismay. “Minion!” she pouted. “This isn't helping us get you home! We should retreat and try sneaking around them.”

“Nothing we can do about it now Nice” Jane whispered. “Besides, I doubt this princess is going to just let us run away.”

“Talking to yourself now?” Jaie growled as she started to draw her huge sword. However, before she could fully draw her weapon, Jane rushed forward and threw a punch straight at Jaie. “Could you be anymore predictable?” she thought as she watched Jane's fist shoot toward her face. “I'll stop this and slay you in one blow.” Jaie quickly moved one hand into the punch's path while using the other to ready her sword. However, while Jaie was able to catch Jane's punch, the sheer power behind the attack pushed the back of her hand into her face.

As Jaie was sent reeling back once again, Jane sent a strong kick toward the side of the crou's gut.

However, much to Jane's surprise, Jaie managed to regain her footing just in time to brace herself. As Jane's leg collided with her side, Jaie raised her sword up high and slammed it down toward her opponent's head.

Unsure whether or not her strength would be enough to stop such a huge weapon, Jane turned and shifted to the side just as the massive sword smashed into the ground by her feet. “Yikes” she thought as she watched the rocky ground shatter under Jaie's weapon. “Good call.”

Letting out a mighty cry, Jaie tore her weapon from the ground and swung it horizontally at Jane's side, intent on slicing her in two.

Without enough time to duck under the huge sword, Jane raised her arms to use her sturdy gauntlets to block the strike. Unfortunately, while she did managed to stop the sword from cutting her in half, the power behind Jaie's attack threw Jane off her feet and sent her soaring backwards, only stopping when she slammed into the valley's rocky walls. “Damn that stings...” she grunted as she shot back to her feet. “Nice are you alright in there?”

“I'm perfectly fine...” Nice assured in a tone that indicated severe dizziness. “But I think we need to make this ear a little more secure.”

A mild stinging feeling drew Jane's attention down to her arms. Jaie's powerful attack had left them trembling. “So blocking that sword doesn't seem like the best idea” she thought before turning her gaze back to Jaie, just in time to spot the crou rushing toward her. “So I guess I'll have to try something else...”

The instant Jaie got close enough, she lunged forward and attempted to skewer her opponent's chest with her massive sword. However, with a simple turn, Jane completely avoided the attack and allowed the sword to smash into the valley's wall behind her. Unfortunately for Jaie, Jane didn't stop at simply dodging her blade.

Stepping forward, Jane sent an incredibly swift but less powerful punch up into Jaie's face. While it didn't hit hard enough to knock the crou over, it did stun her just long enough for Jane to get behind Jaie. Acting fast, Jane jumped into her taller opponent's back and wrapped her arms around Jaie's neck, putting the crou into a choke-hold. Not wanting to leave her legs dangling uselessly, Jane immediately wrapped them around Jaie's waist. “Such a large weapon comes with a price” she grunted while tightening her grip. “Plus, you're a lot slower than the man who used to train me nearly every day.”

Jaie grit her teeth. “Smug little...” she grunted through her teeth as she tried to pull her sword free from the valley's sturdy walls. Unfortunately, it immediately became clear her weapon was wedged in tight and it would take her at least a few moments to free it. Time she quickly realized she didn't have. With her consciousness beginning to fade, Jaie released her sword, grabbed Jane's arms to keep them on her neck and bolted toward the opposite wall.

Realizing what her opponent was about to do, Jane tried to jump off Jaie's back, but the crou's grip on her arms was too strong. All Jane could do was brace herself as Jaie spun around and deliberately slammed herself, back-first into the valley wall, allowing Jane's body to cushion the impact for her. As Jane let out a pain-filled cry, a grin appeared on Jaie's face. “How's that?” she asked as she felt Jane's grip on her neck weaken.

“Not bad...” Jane answered weakly before immediately tightened her hold once again. “But I can do better!”

Before Jaie as a chance to react, Jane sent swift kicks into the back of both of her legs, forcing Jaie to her knees. “Get... Off... Me...” she grunted as she tried to keep Jane from choking her.

“Not until you surrender...” Jane growled back as she struggled to stop Jaie's head from leaning forward.

“Here's my surrender!” Jaie roared before throwing her head back, scoring a direct hit on Jane's face and forcing her smaller opponent to release her. As she gasped for air, Jaie hurried back to her sword.

Disorientated from the reverse headbutt, the dizzy Jane could only watch as Jaie used all of her strength to pull her weapon free from the valley wall.

With both fighters in desperate need of a moment to recover, the battle came to a sudden stop. Jane focused on regaining her composure while Jaie coughed and sputtered as she rubbed her sore neck. “So she's a little tougher than I gave her credit for” Jaie thought as she readied her sword and started to march toward her opponent. “Still, I can handle this.”

A quick slap to her own face helped Jane dispel her dizziness. “I guess I shouldn't be surprised” she thought before spitting out a little blood. “Anyone related to Gundar would be strong. Still, I wonder why she hasn't used that ful stuff yet?”

“Minion...” Nice's voice groaned in her ear. “Please... Put me down somewhere safe... I can't take it anymore.”

“But Nice” Jane protested quietly, causing a confused Jaie to halt her advance. “What if I lose track of you? It's safer in my ear than on the ground.”

“But I'm going to-” Nice's voice was quickly cut off by the sound of her regurgitating.

Jane's expression quickly shifted to one of shock and disgust. “Did you just...” was all she could mutter as the idea of someone vomiting in her ear, even a kassi barely six inches tall, made her wince. “Oh... Oh no... Gross, so gross. I can't really feel it but... Gross...”

The horns on Jaie's head crackled with energy for a moment. “Gross?!” she snapped before resuming her advance. “The only gross one here is you runt!”

After trying and failing to purge the last ten seconds of her memory, Jane slammed her fists together before charging toward Jaie. As the two fighters reached each other, the crou quickly swiped her weapon forward, forcing Jane to drop to the ground and slide under it. After passing by Jaie's legs, Jane immediately sprang back to her feet and rushed at the crou's back.

“No you don't!” Jaie roared as she spun around and tried to swing her huge sword. Unfortunately, she didn't have time to build up enough speed and Jane managed to grab the base of the blade, stopping the attack before it could land.

“That's enough of that” Jane grunted as her armored fingers clamped down on the sword.

Jaie tried to yank her sword free from her opponent's grasp, only to quickly discover Jane's strength matched hers. “Let go!” she growled through her teeth.

“No...” Jane grunted back as she felt all the muscles in her body strain to keep the crou's weapon locked in place.

“What's with this woman?” Jaie thought as she too was forced to use every ounce of her strength to keep her opponent from taking her sword. “Her strength is incredible for someone so short.” Jaie's gaze fell down to Jane's impressive biceps and abs. “So many scars... She's clearly no stranger to combat. Even so, I bet she doesn't see this coming.” Jaie swiftly thrust her head forward, hoping another of her headbutts would force her opponent to release her sword.

Unfortunately, it seemed Jane had the exact same idea and both women's foreheads collided with each other with enough force to send a loud 'bong' sound to echo throughout the entire valley.

Both Crysta and Umimoo winced as they watched their princess and the hornless crou stumble away from each other clutching their aching heads.

“That was a dirty trick!” Jaie barked as she struggled to stay on her feet. “What's your head made of?!”

“What's yours made of?!” Jane snapped back as she found herself in the same predicament. “And you did the same thing!”

With both combatants temporarily stunned, Umimoo hurried over to Crysta. “Shouldn't we help the princess?” she asked quietly. “I know she doesn't like help but...”

“It's taking every ounce of my willpower not to run to her side” Crysta replied, her fist trembling. “But the princess would never forgive us for interfering in her duel. Fighting fair is the only way she likes it. Why do you think she hasn't used her ful yet? Because that hornless crou hasn't used hers.”

“But she's using a weapon while her opponent isn't” Umimoo noted.

“That's because the hornless crou claimed to have beaten Gundar with nothing but her hands” Crysta explained. “Those armored gloves are her weapons.”

Shaking off the rest of her dizziness, Jane grit her teeth. “Can't let up now...” she thought before bolting forward and unleashing a barrage of punches.

Without enough time to lift and swing her heavy sword, Jaie was forced to use it as a shield, managing to block every punch Jane swung at her. “Dammit, back off!” she roared before raising her sword up high, allowing Jane's fist to slam into her stomach. Despite the pain from the powerful blow, Jaie was able to stand strong and swing her sword down.

Jane's eyes widened as she realized she didn't have enough time to avoid the massive blade. With no other options, Jane threw her hands up and clapped them together, managing to catch Jaie's sword in between her hands and stop it just before it reached her, the ground cracking beneath her feet from the force behind Jaie's attack. “That was close” she grunted.

“No way...” Jaie muttered, surprised at her opponent's impressive display of strength.

Taking advantage of Jaie's shock, Jane shoved the crou's huge sword to the side, leaping away as the blade's tip struck the ground. “Let's not do that again...” she thought while looking down at her trembling arms. “My arms feel like they're made of jelly.”

“This woman...” Jaie thought, her breathing getting heavier as she lifted her sword up. “Maybe she really did beat grandfather fairly... She's pushed me so far and she hasn't even used her ful yet. Why? Is she waiting for me to use mine first?” Jaie glanced down at the three blue orbs at the base of her blade. “I could end this right now if I used my best attack. But...” Jaie shook her head. “No. It would put Crysta, Umimoo and Angess in danger if I used it here. I'll end this now, with nothing more than my sword.”

As Jaie started charging toward her, Jane let out a sigh. “Guess we're still doing this” she thought before rushing forward to meet the crou head on.

The two fighter's battle cries shook the valley as Jaie raised her sword up high. “Let's see you catch this one!” her mind roared as she slammed her massive weapon down toward Jane's head.

Not wanting to watch such a gruesome and painful death, Umimoo threw her hands over her eyes, flinching when she heard Jaie's sword smash into the ground.

TO BE CONTINUED....