Jamie took the ladder rungs two at a time, despite the restrictive fabric of her dress, the cursed thing. She got to the bottom, and made haste toward the courtyard again, seeing John’s collapsed form. His color was off somehow, as if his skin and clothing had lost contrast. The spectral figure shouted again, trying to land a claw on the elusive shinobi, but its attention was at least undivided. She rushed over to the ignored giant, feeling his forehead and pulse. He was cold, intensely so. She slapped his face a bit, trying to remain in control over her rampant emotions.

“John, wake up. Wake up, please,” she repeated. His eyes stirred for a moment under their lids, but otherwise he did not stir. She reached back, slapping him hard across the cheek. His eyes fluttered for a moment, and he fell back into unconsciousness.

He doesn’t even hardly feel it, does he?

The truth of John’s resilience was lost on Jamie as she looked up for anything to help her waken him. She spied the lord from earlier, peeking out of a window. She shouted at him.

“you! Cane, now!!”

The lord, she had already forgotten his name, spoke up shakily. “Who, m-”

Jamie didn’t let him finish. “Yes you! If you value your life you’ll toss me that cane!”

A moment later, a frightened cry emanated from the window where the noble had been hiding, and a glint of gold engraving upon wood sailed through the ever-deepening fog. Jamie caught the cane and flipped it so that the handle, a knob of wood about the size of a fist, was facing downward. She brought the cane upwards, bringing it down in a sideways swipe aimed at his temple.

“Wake up, love,” she whispered as it connected.

John’s eyes snapped open. Jamie was standing over him, his head felt like a rung bell, and he was so very cold. His joints ached as he sprang into action with what felt like immense sluggishness. He righted himself just in time to see a foggy spectral claw rip its way through the fog. John instinctively snatched Jamie up in his arms and turned his back to the spectre. He tried to maneuver his armor toward his back, but only managed to cover it partially before the attack hit. It tore his shirt to ribbons, gouging the unprotected flesh underneath, tossing them both back toward the restaurant. He tried to protect Jamie, but as they landed she fell hard, and he heard her groan. He pulled off of her. She was cradling a forearm, bent at an impossible angle. She managed a weak smirk as the booming voice of the long-dead wizard returned.

“you may have brought yourself out, Cromwell, but now I have my claws in a new toy! I will have the fear that is due me, and I’ll destroy this city once I have it!”

“You really need to get out of here now,” John said to Jamie. She nodded, pain contorting her face into a grimace as she held the cane almost like a brace. John covered his wounds in armor. They wouldn’t bleed now, but still hurt like hell. He was still cold, too.

A new voice cut through the din of fear and combat; sharp and clear.

“Move, men! Clear these streets! Get the civilians out of here, clear the fog barrier! John!”

John looked up, recognizing the voice of Daniel, a captain in the city’s guard, and quite the competent fighter. Add to that a set of custom-forged armor from John, and the man was a tour de force for any guardsman to behold. He had to look up, but still held the air of command.

“What is all this, John? Reports that you and one other are fighting something?”

Daniel was a jovial man, but this was business, and few took their job as seriously as he did. John ignored the pains in his back and left Jamie to splint her broken arm.

“Specter, some kind of magic force bent on making us fear it. Completely incorporeal, best course is to get the men out and bring in someone with real magic. Considering that, your men should stand back and let me and the other buy you as much time as we can.”

John paused. There was no way the specter would let him or Hayate leave, now that everything was in motion, and if the monster truly did thrive on fear, then Jamie being here would have more detriment to the fight than she could comprehend. He put a massive hand on Daniel’s shoulder, engulfing it.

“Daniel, I need you to get her out. Your men have their orders, they know what to do, but if this thing wants me to fear it, the worst thing for all of us is for Jamie to be here.” He glanced over to her. She had realized it a moment ago, but still held the look of someone who is going to need a while to work through all of their emotions on the subject. Her face alternated between pained, horrified, and sad all at the same time.

Daniel pondered for a moment, watching the fight between the malevolent force and the shinobi. The specter was getting close, but hitting Hayate was like trying to skewer a fly with an arrow at a hundred yards. He looked back at John, comprehending.

“Consider it done, friend,” he said quickly, and barked orders at three of his men to accompany him and Jamie. Without a word they were off, finding a way out of the fog and the specter’s influence. He just had to buy her, and any wizards en route, as much time as he could. The thoughts of his dream nagged his mind as he stepped forward, the magical armor coating his arms, chest, and head. His hands clanged together, and he prepared for a stalemate of a fight.