Jack's sweat began to drip from his face. Fear was clawing at his spine, his eyes wide.
He awakened? How is that possible? It doesn't make sense. I thought races could only awaken at a young age… and if you miss that window, you never can. But… he doesn't look fully awakened. Maybe he's not that strong…
Suddenly, Joshua was in front of him.
Jack stumbled backward, scrambling to get into his fighting stance, but Joshua struck his right shoulder before he could react. The blow sent Jack flying, crashing to the floor with a painful grunt.
He slowly pushed himself up, gasping when he realized his shoulder was dislocated.
Just one hit… he did so much damage. Jack grit his teeth and popped his shoulder back into place. He might be faster and stronger than me, but he's fighting wildly. I can still win… if I can predict his moves.
He slid into his Muay Thai stance, legs steady, eyes locked.
Joshua lunged again, clawed right hand aiming for Jack's throat. Jack ducked under it and retaliated with a swift leg kick, followed by a left jab to Joshua's jaw. But Joshua didn't stop. He came again, this time with his left claw. Jack dodged and elbowed him in the jaw, staggering him. Seizing the moment, Jack spun and delivered a clean roundhouse kick to Joshua's head, sending him crashing to the ground.
Joshua shot back up, angrier now. He began to growl like a wild beast, falling to all fours. His tail bristled and his ears twitched, hair puffed up and rigid.
"Joshua, stop being dumb!" Lancelot shouted from across the room. "You'll never beat him as a werewolf! He's been one longer than you but you can beat him as a knight!"
He threw his sword. It clattered beside Joshua.
Joshua stopped. His breathing slowed. He stood upright and stared at the sword before reaching down to pick it up.
"Yeah… you're right," he said, voice calmer now. He turned his gaze to Jack. "Jack… I'm going to show you what it means to be a knight."
Jack scoffed, trying to laugh. "A werewolf that's a knight? Don't make me lau..."
He didn't get to finish.
Joshua was already there, sword slashing toward him in a diagonal arc. Jack leaned back just in time, the blade whistling inches from his face. He tried to step back, but Joshua struck again, this time a vertical slash. Jack moved, but not fast enough. The blade carved a deep gash into his shoulder.
Jack threw an elbow toward Joshua's jaw. Joshua blocked it effortlessly with the hilt of the sword, then launched a rising slash. Jack leapt backward, but his arm was caught, blood dripped from a fresh cut.
There's no way I can win, Jack thought, panic blooming in his chest. He's going to kill me if I don't do something.
Joshua charged again, sword raised high for a crushing downward strike.
Their eyes met. Jack saw the fury in Joshua's expression and in that moment, Joshua lost focus.
The blade missed.
It cracked into the floor, sinking deep. Jack saw his chance. He leapt onto the embedded sword, forcing it even deeper, then used it as a springboard to hurl himself toward the shattered window.
"Coward!" Joshua roared.
Jack didn't look back. He jumped out of the broken glass and vanished into the night.
Joshua pulled on the sword, but it was stuck. He roared and yanked harder and harder until it finally tore free with a guttural growl. He stumbled to the window, panting.
"You bastard! Don't run away like a bitch, fight me!" he bellowed into the darkness.
There was no answer. Jack was long gone.
Joshua's vision blurred. His claws retracted, his glowing green eyes dimmed, and his fangs returned to normal. He fell back, collapsing hard onto the blood-stained floor. Blood trickled down his face again, pooling beneath him.
"Joshua!" Merlin cried.
She, Lancelot, and Blanchette rushed to him, dropping to their knees.
Merlin checked his pulse, her brow furrowing. "His heartbeat is slowing… He's dying."
Blanchette pressed her ear to Joshua's chest. "Joshua… don't die… please, don't die," she whispered, tears slipping from her eyes.
"Merlin!" Lancelot barked. "Can't you heal him?"
"I… I used everything I had healing you and protecting Blanchette," Merlin said, devastated. "I don't have any magic left."
Blanchette went still. She could hear it, Joshua's heartbeat, slowing… slowing… then stopping.
"His heart stopped," she choked. "Someone do something! I can't lose him!"
"I think I have an idea," Lancelot muttered.
He unsheathed his blade and slashed his palm, letting blood spill onto the floor.
"I may not be a pure noble… so he won't become immortal," he said, moving over Joshua, "but my blood is still potent."
He held his bleeding hand over Joshua's mouth, letting the blood drip between his lips.
Blanchette gasped as Joshua suddenly convulsed. His body shook violently, foam forming at the corners of his mouth.
"What have you done?!" she screamed, grabbing Lancelot's shoulders. "You're killing him!"
But then Joshua stopped convulsing.
Steam hissed from his skin.
Blanchette froze.
His wounds began to close. Muscles realigned. Flesh healed. The color returned to his lips.
Lancelot carefully pulled the rag from Joshua's face. Beneath it, his broken and bloody eye socket was exposed. Slowly, the mangled tissue regenerated, until it was whole again, though a thick scar stretched across his eyelid and cheek.
The steam faded.
Joshua lay there, quiet and still.
Blanchette lowered her head to his chest. A heartbeat, strong and steady, thumped against her ear.
She wept, trembling. "He's alive…"
Lancelot exhaled and leaned back. Merlin, overwhelmed, finally smiled.
Their knight had returned from the brink.