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His empty rifle had been long since forgotten where he put it.
But he didn't care. He could fight with his bare hands for all he cared. He might not seemed that strong, like Iorek, but he always had his own tricks. Always had his own way to fight.
Just be brave and confident -- that was what he always said.
Dauntlessly, he ran forward to the front of the facility where the fight was getting harder. The Gyptians already lost in numbers compared to the Tartars.
Without hesitation, the aeronaut went straight to fight the bulky man with wolf daemon who was hitting an unarmed Gyptian whose knife already in someone's body. He jumped on his back and both of them now were on the ground.
They fought, they rolled, they kicked each other, until finally the aeronaut successfully clasps his hands together after encircling the bulky man's neck, and cut short his air. Less than ten seconds later, the man fell on the ground unconscious.
He did not need to kill. Killing people was the least on his list.
He hated it.
But.. if the situation didn't give a choice other than kill, then he had to do it.
Still sat on the ground with the unconscious man beside him, he tried to catch his breath. His heart was beating faster in his chest. Didn't want to wait for the heart rate to slow down, he stood up when he saw another Gyptian was on his back on the wall being strangled by a big man with furry white hat. Taking his deep breath, he then ran as fast as he could and tackled the Tartar from his side that made the man dropped to the ground with a loud thud. They struggled on the ground; punches after punches.
Sometimes he'd be on the top, sometimes he'd be on the ground.
He stopped hitting when the big man with furry white hat punched him hard on his abdomen that made him gasped, knocked the air out off him. He staggered backward and leaned against the wall. Blinking rapidly, he tried to regulate his breathing.
Shook his head a little bit, while both hands on the wall, he pushed himself to stand straight, and prepared for the next move.
Adrenaline pumping through his veins, he launched himself and headbutt the big man, put his arm around the waist and shoved him onto the opposite wall; the big man kept hitting him -- his back and his front, wildly, with his strong hands; but the aeronaut was to busy to care and kept going and kept pushing -- before finally he knocked the big man's big head on the wall -- made him unconscious on the spot.
Looking down at the unconscious big man with furry white hat, he staggered backward, releasing the cold breath, and collapsed to the cold snow when the adrenaline started to wane off. "Lee!" yelled Hester ran to him after the big man's daemon released her; sounded alarming.
Hyperventilated, disoriented and uncomfortable, his shaking hands having difficult time to take off his ear flaps hat. Throwing the hat clumsily to the ground, he slowly moving backward and leaning against the wall. His head felt dizzy and his vision seemed blurry. Genuinely confused of what was really happening, his hand shakily probed the area that he thought had been a punched.
It felt sticky.
And wet.
Oh no..
While blinking hard tried to clear his vision, he heard a running footsteps came towards him. "Come on Lee! We need to go!" shouted Lyra rushing near him. She just glanced at him before she saw Lord Faa and ran following him. "Come on Lee!" shouted her again, without looking.
"O-kay kid.. Just.. need a.. minute." muttered him through gritted teeth. Looking at his new wound, he winced when his hand put a slight pressure to staunch the bleeding.
Peering with his barely clear eyesight, he saw two men lurking around the corner -- tried to jump on Lyra and Lord Faa who were busying let the kids out from one of the cell, into the hallway. Everyone was so busy fighting, that no one seemed to notice those Tartars. Thinking, he had two options; number one - yelled their names, so they could turn around and fought, but if they were not ready, they would be the one to get hurt; or number two - he would be the one to sneak them up and surprised them instead; and the latter seemed to be the best plan he could think of.
'The second one then.' thought him nodded with agreement with himself.
Swallowed a lump in his throat, with his one hand held firmly on his bleeding side; he tried to take a deep steady breath as deep and steady as he could, and slowly standing up. Shaking legs started to wear off when the adrenaline began to rush through his veins, and his heart beating faster, and he could gradually felt the energy seeping into him. Glancing to his right, he saw a dead man with knife protruding straight through his heart, and pulled it out.
Walking ever so slow to his target, he then without thinking twice, shoved one of the men against the wall and stabbed him twice on his chest, before turn around to face the second assailant. Seemed a little bit prepared compared to his partner, he hit Lee first on his left eye before strangled him with his strong hand. Startled, his eyes getting wider and instinctively hold the assailant's arm with his hands -- trying to loose the fierce gripped. Lee whimpered in agony when the assailant's other hand jabbed his abdomen viciously -- made the stabbed wound even worst.
The hitting stopped when Lord Faa suddenly was there and thrusted Lee's forgotten knife into his back. The bad dead man fell down onto him, made him staggered on his stand and tumbling to the ground. Having difficulty to breath because of the extra weight on his chest, he instantly pushing him aside.
Heaving uncontrollably, he propped up on his elbow to his right and trying to steal as much air as he could. "Lee!" shouted the little girl from behind and hugged him gratefully. Relieved to know she was fine, his free hand patted hers. "Kid.." moaned him before his eyes rolling back and collapsed on the cold snow for the second time, face down.
"Lee?" said her worriedly and tried to wake him up. Lord Faa slowly pushed him onto his back, and saw blood trickling down from his mouth. Worried line painted across the older man's face. He loosening the aeronaut's long coat, and quickly patting around his torso -- from chest to his stomach, searching for injury.
Aghast of what he had found, he immediately put the pressure around the abdomen -- earned him a gasped from the aeronaut. "Open your eyes, Mr. Scoresby." said him putting extra pressure on him, in an attempt to make him open his eyes. "Wh-at?" wheezed him sound puzzled. Lord Faa could hear his breathing becoming shallow and rapid. The already pale face, became paler and clammy.
"Stay awake." ordered him.
Lee Scoresby's blurry eyes trying hard focusing on him when he saw another worried face beside him.
"What is happening? Why is he fainted? Is he alright? Lee, are you okay?!" asked Lyra rambling anxiously.
All of her questions left unanswered when suddenly two more Tartars ran towards them, screaming out of their lungs, trying to take the little girl.
Lord Faa stood up defensively and fought with one of the attacker. He fought and defend her, at first. But as time went on, he couldn't really put up a fight with two strong men. He even did not realise when one of the assailant disregard him and fixated on her.
Seeing Lyra stood frightened with nowhere to hide, Lee impulsively limped up with his enough strong-willed and pulled Lyra behind him, ignoring his own pain. Before he even stood properly, the attacker grabbed his lapel and pummeled him viciously on his face, made him slumped hard to the side, and left Lyra unprotected.
The assailant continued his focus on her, walking towards her, without realising the man he just beat with blood covering his whole face, painstakingly stood up and harshly shoved him at his side as far as he could. But the man was strong and big and obviously no match to Lee, who already exhausted and in excruciating pain. The man easily stopped him and strangled him, no mercy given. "Lee!!" yelled the girl he was protecting, echoing with his daemon screamed.
Without any warning, without any sound, all of a sudden a black smoke emerged, moved swiftly around, and one by one the Tartars dropped dead to the ground, including the one who strangled him. Noticing what the smoke really was, made Lee felt very relieved and swayed on his feet and felt himself falling when all of his energy abruptly seeping through him.
Suddenly the black smoke who now in the form of a person, a woman? no, a witch, was there, halting his descent. Bewildered eyes searching for hers, "Miss Pek-kala?" murmured him sounded unbelievable.
"It is been a long time, my friend." said her smiling, carefully eased him down onto his back on the ground. "Yeah.. It is.." said him grimaced trying to stifle the pain, with the eye that not swollen shut still focusing on her. Hyperventilated, he clumsily put pressure onto his wound.
Removed his hand to the side to examine his injury, she looked back at him. "We need to stop meeting like this, Lee Scoresby." said her worriedly, while placing back his hand on the wound with slightly extra pressure.
Hester who just sat silently near him this whole time, kept watching her, not believing her eyes.
They did know her. They did meet before.
It just.. a really long time ago.
Knowing what she capable of, Hester just let her checking him up. She was no threat. She was a friend. An old one, indeed.
"Yeah.. I'm -- I'm sorry.." he gasped and arched his back, feeling the pressure. "It's.. good.. to.. see you.. Miss Pekkala.." continued him through gritted teeth, struggling to stay awake.
Smiling, "Me too, Mr. Scoresby." replied her gently putting her hand on his cheek.
Blinking once, he felt something soothing and calming flowed into him.
"You can rest now." whispered her staring at his eye.
Out of the corner of his good eye, he could see Lyra and her best friend been held by Lord Faa from getting through to him.
"Lee!!" screamed her sounded so far away.
"It's o--kay.. kid." he whispered faintly as his dimming vision blurred the sight of Lyra's stricken face.