The Death of Ngozi II

Ngozi slid down the hill. The leaves rustled as he made his way down. As he got neared the bottom he could see it clearly

Christmas Pass

He crept up to the edge of the undergrowth and knelt down. He waited.

He did not have to wait long. The drone of heavy engines slowly got louder and louder. The first tuck appeared. Its headlights shone brilliantly in the October dusk. The truck slowed down as it neared the fork in the road. Ngozi burst out of the undergrowth.

He ran toward s the truck. The driver turned and saw him he pushed the panic button and the cover on the back of the truck flew off. Ngozi stepped on the front mudguard with his left foot , then on the bonnet with his right-- with a heavy step-catapulting himself over the truck. The driver fumbled to get his pistol out as the dark figure disappeared over the windscreen.

Ngozi spun out the device towards the back of the truck. The device landed in the middle of the board amoung the soldiers feet. As he completed the spin Ngozi let go of a flasher in mid air. The soldiers were already poising their guns when the flash of light blinded then. It was a brilliant light. Almost simultaneously the device turned its head and clicked twice then it blew up the truck in a huge yellow fireball.

The other two trucks had skid to a halt...one of the two hummers made a sharp u-turn and sped down the side road. The other hammer was trapped and had no room to manuevre. Men in suits jumped out and started firing in Ngozi's direction.

Ngozi ran like the wing and dropped two flashers behind and in front of him. The men in suits were blinded.

"I can't see him. I can't see him."

"Agent Ryan, Stay calm. Wait for it, wait for it"

Agent Ryan closed his eyes and opened them again. He vision was coming back. He saw a figure move past the bonnet

"On the bonnet. He's on the bonnet!" One of the other agents screamed out. A volley of bullets perforated the hood. Agent Ryan turned his head slightly only to see a blade coming down on the agent being him. Blood spurt onto his face as the agent collapsed to the ground like a heavy sack.

Agent Hunt moved round the truck firing continuously from his 9mm Berretta. Ngozi grabbed Agent Ryan and pushed him in front of the charging Agent Hunt. One of the bullets hit Agent Ryan in the chest and he fell to the side. Agent Hunt glanced momentarily as his comrade fell.

That was all it took. He then felt that metallic bite. He dropped his Berretta and grasped his throat. He fumbled to reach reach for it but the convulsions got more and more uncontrollable with blood gushing out of his open throat.

The man in the back seat had climbing out when Ngozi slashed him on the back. The man fell to his knees. Ngozi reached inside the open door and grabbed the woman by the hair and pulled her out.

The little girl did not cry. She did not scream. She simply followed her mothers handhold out of the car. She had never seen anything like what she saw before her.

It had cold completely black eyes. The teeth were blood red. Its face was expressionless as if it had been carved out of stone. With its burly hand it help a sword with an otherworldly flare as its figure was cast in a dancing silhouette by the burning wreckage.

Just then the other soldiers from the second truck stopped firing. The VIPs were now hostages.

The woman tried to break free but Ngozi grabbed her by the neck and pressed her against the car. Ngozi leaned towards her face and stared into her eyes.

"Don't yo dare hurt her you shinigami!" The man shouted, Ngozi looked at the man witha sideways glance.

One hundred metres across the soldiers waited in silence.

"What is your order captain?"

The captain paused thoughtfully. " What is the situation?"

"The escort has been attacked by a shinigami sir."

"There is no such thing Lieutenant!"

"I saw it sir"

"Me too, sir"

The captain paused again. "How much ammo do we have left"

"All the men either have just one clip left or are on their last clip sir."

"If it's alive it can be killed, right?"

The men fell silent

"It can be killed" a voice uttered from the back
"I was there at Chimo, we found its blood in the forest the next day. We definitely bled it. If it can bleed ...it can die."

The captain pointed out to the undergrowth,

"One tow and three go round the..."

The sound of his voice was muted by a sonic boom. A wave rippled through the men. A small streak of blood ran down the captains ears.

He could see the lieutenant scream out . His mouth looked like he was saying
'Cover.' The captain watched as a privates head got crushed against the side of the truck. he felt himself being violently pushed out. A rush of heat, burning hot air ripped through the air. He landed on the soft muddy earth. He could not hear anything. Neither could he feel his left arm. He did not want to look. He batted his eyelids and slowly got up. The other soldiers were rushing the hammer their faces screaming murder.

The captain gazed forward at the hammer and he saw it. The Shinigami. It threw the little girl in the air she let out a howling scream and in one quick motion the shinigami swung his katana and her body fell in two halves into the muddy puddle.

Ngozi stepped over the strangled woman's body. He pressed the trigger and a series of devices blew up in front of the charging men, impeding their advance in a cloud of debri and smoke.

The Captain sank to his knees as he watched the debri fly up, arms and torsos flying in all directions. Two flashes of light blinded the while area. The advancing soldiers could not see anyone after the daze had gone. They swept the undergrowth. Nothing.

Ngozi stopped stopped running. Emile's face appeared in his mind. From across his shoulder blazing orange flames and smoke could be seem over the tree tops. He looked down at his hands. then the hilt of his katana.

He stood there for a while. The mission was accomplished. He was a shinigami, the voice of reason told him to keep on walking. Yet his heart felt heavier with each step. He knew the consequences of listening to his heart. Suddenly he turned back.

Ngozi burst out of the undergrowth behind the larger truck. He dropped a flasher as he ran across to the back. There he flung open the lock and swung the wide. The young boys rushed out of the truck.
Some did not even see but those who saw fell back and cowered crawling back with their hands at what stood before them. Ngozi's eyes roved the group until he spotted Estan.

He grabbed him by the arm and pushed him towards the undergrowth. The boy looked back at the thing before him

"Ngozi?" he said searchingly.

Ngozi pulled out a flasher and dropped it in front of the boys. Before it hit the ground he could see some of the boys already falling to the ground under rapid fire. The bright light flashed when it dies the boys where gone besides the fallen ones who lay scattered on the road

"Captain ...we are out of ammo"

"The captain can't respond sir"

"Use your bayonets"

The soldiers charged Ngozi with thier bayonets thrust forward. Ngozi turned and swung hs katana whilst running sideways. When he had levelled with the man at the end of the line he swungit up and cut him down. He brought the katana crushing down from the air onto the second man in line.

With that the charging line broke up and the men were cut down within moments. A second charge proceeded. Ngozi dug in his foot to swing. A volley of bullets ripped through his thigh. Ngozi's eyes widened.

he dropped a flasher. When he appeared next he was standing right infront of the lieutenant. Ngozi drew the katana from the scabbard he held close to his chest with his left hand. The blade reached the edge of the lieutenants neck.

His eyes bulges and he dropped the smoking revolver as he could see the shining blade and dark black eyes piercing at him from the passing shinigami. Suddenly he could see things upside down, it felt like everything around was falling. He felt the splatter and as his hair got wet. He could hear the stomping as men rushed nearby. He could see his brave and gallant soldiers charging the shinigami. He could see his body a few feet away. He could see the tiny rings as the light shower hit the puddles. He could see a grey haze. He could see nothing.

Ngozi tried to move but he could not. His thigh was useless now. He cut down tow soldiers in front of him. Then he felt it. It was cold. Then many more. The cold ran through his whole body then it was warm. His back felt warm.

Seven soldiers stood with their bayonet's a crimson shade.

Ngozi slumped forward and he fell to the ground face first with his hands lagging behind, head slightly raised. He hit the leaf covered ground with a soft muffled thud. his face was looking sideways. In his eyes he could see Emile smiling...the image grew distant and more distant until it faded away.

"Don't go near it, it might not be dead."
"Who is in charge, the captain is knocked out senseless, the Lieutenant is dead"
"Let's move out, we can't risk being found here"
...


Svaan flung his katana sideways. blood dripped from every door of the hammer. Blood was everywhere around the hammer. He looked up and saw the orange flames from further up the valley. He started walking away when he suddenly jolted up and looked at the moon.

Ho looked back up the hill and saw two more bright flashes

"My Mastaa-a!"

Svaan took of like a creature of prey. Jumping over gutters, over fallen trees and through low lying branches. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. he reached the hilltop and the brightness of the blaze shone on his contorted face.

His eyes roved and he sniffed the air like a madman. Then he saw the clearing. he felt a weakness creep to his knees as he reluctantly walked towards the figure on the leaves. He rushed and embraced Ngozi in his arms. Ngozi's lifeless body felt incredibly light in his arms.
"How could this be, my master"
Svaan makes a guttural near bestial scream that echoes in the night shrouded valley