War reached under the sides of his armor to pull two long black bowie knives out. War's eyes were locked on Sean as he purred out wickedly. "Well now. You might have one fighter among you after all." Mari's scream broke out, but Sean didn't look away from War. Instead, Sean pointed toward Mari and the skeleton horse quickly galloped into position under her. War tapped his blades against his shoulders, watching as Mari fell from the rafter. Kenny screamed, unable to get up as she fell. She managed to land on the skeleton horse, causing the horse to cry out as its back broke. The skeletal horse slowly crumpled to the ground, sending Mari safely across the floor with minor scratches and bruises. War's eyes drifted back to Sean, coolly telling him. "Clever... but pointless." War flipped one of his blades, then threw it at Mari. Mari was still in shock after her fall. She didn't see the blade flying straight toward her back, until the skeleton horse's head jerked up to snatch the blade in its mouth.

War wasn't too surprised, but he clearly wasn't happy with the result. The skeleton horse slowly staggered back up to its feet, its back popping back into place before dropping the blade to the floor. War huffed, facing Sean as he told him curiously. "You can control them too. This will be fun." Sean backed up slowly to lure War out of the barn and away from his friends. War followed, tapping his remaining blade against his armor menacingly as he told him smugly. "You must be really brave... Or really stupid. They wanted to take you alive." Sean smirked a little, blurting out calmly. "You're not taking me alive. So, don't miss." War grinned, chuckling out. "Trust me. I won't." For a minute, they circled each other. Each rotation drawing closer to each other. Sean thought about everything he knew about War. He'd fought his men which meant he had trained them that way. He didn't feel pain and he was great at close combat. He'd never seen War with a weakness. Which meant he had to find it by NOT doing what War expected.

While circling, a familiar voice he hadn't heard in forever whispered over his ear with a giddy chuckle. "Do I smell blood on him?" Sean took a second to smell the morning air. He could smell it. War's leg was bleeding. The smell brought on a strong urge for him to attack him, but a familiar hand slid over his shoulder to hold him back. While in his ear, Anti purred to him sweetly. "Not yet. He wants you to run at him. Make him hunt YOU." It took everything Sean had to stop and stand his ground. War stopped, beckoning to Sean with a devilish smirk. "Come on. Or do I need to tell you what I was going to do to Mark?" Sean's fingers curled into fists and his breathing increased as he bared his bloodstained teeth. Behind him, Anti told him sternly as he gripped his shoulders harder. "Not yet." War chuckled, stating out casually. "I plan to skin him alive. I'll mount his skin as a warning to my Warlords. Then I'll chain his meaty body up and watch as he gets eaten alive. When he's just a wiggling skeleton... I'll bust off his skull and drink a toast to his death from it."

Anti leaned more over his shoulder, telling him in a playfully voice. "Well, he can't do that if we kill him first. Stay focused and do exactly as I say." Sean let out a growl that made War grin. Sean listened to Anti with every bit of control he had, then Anti's hands released him, and Sean dashed forward at War. War raised his hands at the ready, bracing for impact. Just as he reached him, Sean dropped to sweep War's feet out from under him. War was caught off guard by Sean's speed. Just as War was falling, Sean rose up to his feet and kicked War sending him spiraling through the air. Sean dropped into a crouch watching War tumble roughly across the tall grass. War recovered quickly, laughing out darkly. "Finally! A challenge!" War straightened up, starting to walk back toward him. Sean stayed couch, waiting for the one second that War took his eyes off of him. Barely looking to War's horse, his eyes flashed from white to green for a second. War's horse whined at a distance, drawing War's attention.

In that moment, Sean dashed off in a couch through the patch of tall grass. Without shoes, Sean's movements were silent as he slowly crept around War. War huffed to himself, bringing his knife up at the ready as he looked around and blurted out. "Guerilla tactics? Do I scare you that much little mouse?" Beside Sean, Anti held his wrist tightly to keep him calm. Something about the way Anti held him made him feel calm and clear headed. Shoving his hand into the dirt, Sean closed his eyes to keep his flashing eyes from giving him away. Through the dirt, he felt vibrations of a few zombies nearby. The black veins on his body rose up his skin more to his eyes, turning them a solid black as he felt them acknowledge his silent call for their help. He didn't think this would work, but Anti had been confident that if he could stop them... he could call them too. War sank into a crouch himself, sneaking through the tall grass. If he was not careful, War would get the drop on him. Anti told him to be patient though, holding his wrist firmly. Sean felt the vibrations in the dirt and grinned to himself. They were here.

War let out a surprised yelp as a red squirrel with eyes only on the ends of its hairless toes leapt off the ground to attack War. War slashed the squirrel across the chest, flinging it away as more squirrels dashed out of the grass to seek out War. War's armor protected him enough that he fought them off easily enough. Anti let him go while War was distracted, telling him in a dark tone. "Kill him!" Sean lost control and dashed through the grass. Leaping out over the grass, Sean slammed into War's back, tackling him to the ground. The squirrels scattered from them, watching from a safe place with sharp teeth bared. Sean clawed at the armor, then leaned over to bite him but yanked his head back. War had expected him to go for his neck and tried to stab him with the knife. Sean went back to attacking the armor, when War stabbed him in the thigh with his knife. Sean screamed, unable to stop War from rolling in over his leg. Sean tried to go for his throat again, but War elbowed him in the face, then began twisting the knife in his leg.

Sean screamed, causing some zombie squirrels to chitter loudly and creep forward to help with trying to bite War. War impaled a squirrel at his feet with his boot blade, backhanding others away with his armored hand. Desperately, Sean grabbed the blade sticking out of War's armor to shove it in with all his strength. War grunted from the force of it, but otherwise was unaffected by it. Twisting the knife more in Sean's leg. Desperate, Sean yanked the blade out and jammed his fingers into the hole in his armor. Prying at the armor, he got a good grip on War and flipped him over him. War yanked his blade from Sean's leg, using the momentum to roll up onto his knees. Sean put a hand to his bleeding leg, staring up at War. War swatted away a few squirrels, before pointing the blade at him and chuckling out. "Is that all you've got?" Sean staggered to his feet, picking up the machete. As War stood up properly, Sean noticed that War was favoring his own wounded leg. Over his shoulder, Anti purred to him. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sean smirked just a little.

War couldn't feel pain... but his body could still be broken. Lifting his hand away from his wounded leg, he felt his wound heal over. The pain would linger but bleeding out wasn't a fear he had. War spun his knife in his hand, chuckling out. "Guess I'll have to take you apart in pieces!" Sean waited as War rushed him. Sean jumped back and dodged War's powerful swings. War knew how to use a knife to his full advantage. Swinging forward and back to inflict damage. Sean's speed and slender frame kept him from taking more than a few cuts. Every cut healed, but Sean knew he couldn't keep playing defense. Dropping again, War jumped back to avoid being swept again. However, Sean didn't sweep him. Instead, he sprang back up to slam into War's chest. This time when he tackled him, Sean pinned War's knife hand to the ground. War's other hand grabbed his own weapon hand to keep him from stabbing him, but they both ended up unarming each other. Taking the other's weapon, they tossed it away.

War grabbed Sean's throat and Sean punched War. War flipped him over, pinning him down by his throat to strangle him. Sean growled, adjusting his legs to wrap around War's waist. War ignored it thinking he was weak. Sean squeezed War between his thighs, causing War to release his grip and scream in surprise as his armor broke off at the shoulders from the pressure he was compressing him with. Scrambling from his grip, War tossed off the pieces of his broken chest and back armor with a hearty laugh. Rising to his feet, Sean growled louder. Next to him, Anti rushed to put his hands on his chest, sternly telling him. "Sean! Focus! He may be unarmed but he's not down!" War hopped in place to loosen up, then raised his hands to fight. Anti slowly slid his hands off him, telling him seriously. "He's not afraid of you... Watch him." Walking through Anti, Sean approached War and took a swing with all his strength. War didn't dodge, he simply caught Sean's fist. War's eyes turned a blazing blood red, letting out a laugh as he twisted around and flipped Sean over him to the ground.

Sean hit the ground and rolled immediately up to his feet. War released his hand to impale the dirt with the blade on his foot. War adjusted to face Sean better, happily stating aloud. "You're pretty strong. But so am I." Sean's eyes turned a solid blazing green as he locked eyes with War. Moving closer, they began punching each other with inhuman blows. War wasn't holding anything back. They flipped each other and kicked each other. As strong as Sean was, War was strong enough to hold him off. War benefited from the fact that he was heavier than Sean, allowing War to flip him around more. Luckily, Sean was slender and quick to wiggle his way out of any hold War tried to lock him into. Sean was sure he had broken a few of War's ribs, but it hadn't been enough. Taking his wrists, War kicked him to his knees. Pulling his arms behind his back, War put a foot to his shoulders and began to push him forward. Sean screamed in agony as War tried to take his arms off. Despite his healing ability, his whole body was in pain. Feeling nothing was War's greatest advantage against him.

From the barn, Mari screamed out. "WYATT! LET HIM GO!" War turned his attention to Mari, his grip unwavering. Mark yelled for her to get back, but she ignored him to say curtly. "Wyatt! Please!" War's voice was a bit breathless from the fight as he said. "You want me to let him go?! FINE!" Sean screamed as War dislocated his arms. Kicking him to the ground, War walked over to pick up his knife. Sean laid limply across the ground, the pain blinding him as he forced himself to yell out at her. "MARI, RUN!" Mari removed her katana, her hands shaking. War started to run at her, before stopping to suddenly throw his knife at her. Mari turned to run back into the barn. The knife flipped through the air straight for Mari's back, when War's horse sprang out into the line of fire. The knife hit the horse in the side, causing the horse to rear and whinny in distress before falling to the ground. Cursing, War stormed over to the horse and yanked his knife out mercilessly. The horse squealed, flailing its legs. Sean waited for his arms to pop back in place, before stiffly rolling to his feet.

Mari tried to surprise War by stabbing at his chest as he entered the barn, but he expected it. Grabbing her katana by the sharp blade, he elbowed her to the face. She fell to the ground as the others began to scream her name. Dragging her quickly from the barn, War pinned her down and brought his knife to her throat. The others in the barn skidded to a halt. War eyed them all in turn, snapping out. "Drop your weapons. Or I'll kill her." Kenny, Zero, and Nate dropped their weapons. Mark on the other hand, threw his tactical shove. War ducked, but really didn't need too. The throw had been off with his limp arm. War scoffed, then said curtly. "He had the right idea." Without another word, War slit Mari's throat. They all screamed and rushed forward at War. War stepped back to prepare for a fight, then whirled around to face Sean. War grabbed the technical shovel as Sean tried to shove it into him. Getting War's full attention as he had to combat his strength with his own. That's when the blows came from behind him.

Bursting through War's chest came a pitchfork. While from either side of him, the others impaled him with sharp farrier tools used to clean horse hooves. War slowly looked down to see the damage. There was a mix of shock and humor on his face. Grabbing his shoulder, Sean shoved the shovel into his torso too. War grunted, blood spilling from his mouth. Everyone removed their weapons and War told Sean coolly. "I'll be waiting for you in hell, Sean." Kenny picked up Mari's katana to cut off War's head, but Sean stopped him. Grabbing War's arm, he shoved him to the ground just outside the barn. War laughed until he heard the soft chattering sounds. Staring at War, Sean shrugged and told him carelessly. "I owe them for their help." War was about to say something fowl, until the stalking squirrels sprang out of the tall grass to attack him. War screamed as they ate him alive, but by that point everyone was more worried about Mari. Kenny dropped to apply pressure to her bleeding throat. She looked terrified and Kenny was beginning to cry.

Sean felt guilty. He hadn't moved fast enough. As the veins on his arms started to vanish, Anti moved around the barn door to tell him curiously. "Maybe you can help her?" Sean looked at Anti with a perplexed look. Anti leaned a shoulder to the door, casually recalling sweetly. "You healed that rat that Famine gave you. Might work for her. She's dying anyway... Worth a try, right?" Sean lifted the shovel, slicing open his hand with a loud wince. Shoving Mark and Nate away from her side, he told Kenny sternly. "Remove your hand. Quickly!" Kenny refused, but Zero pulled him off. Sean replaced his hand with his sliced up one. Leaning over her, he whispered calmly to her. "Calm down, Mari. Slow your heart rate. I've got you." Mari took Kenny's hand and Sean closed his eyes. He could feel and hear her heartbeat. It was slowing down. Suddenly, she went limp. Kenny tensed, calling her name loudly. Zero and Mark had to hold him back. Sean lifted his hand to look, causing Nate to gasp. Her neck was healed.

Nate checked her pulse, asking Sean curiously. "Is she dead?" Sean shook his head, answering confidently. "No. Unconscious. She lost too much blood..." Picking up Mari carefully, he gave her to Nate and told him seriously. "Get her back to the house." Nate nodded, yelling out. "Zero! Kenny! Come with me! I need your help!" They rushed after him as they raced back to the house. Mark stayed, looking nervously at Sean as he asked him. "Sean? You ok?" Sean nodded, handing the shovel back as he said sweetly. "Thanks. I've got to look around. Make sure the squirrels ate and ran. And... find out if Famine is here." Mark tensed, saying softly. "You think he is?" Sean shrugged, watching Death's skeleton horse approach. Petting the horse's nose, he thought about War's horse and rushed outside. Over his shoulder, he told Mark honestly. "I don't know. But they were trying to show me something before." To Be Continued...