readied himself, drawing his sword and sending a charge throughout his blade. From all directions he heard them. The constant pattering echoed in the void in which he stood. The grip on his blade loosened as he found himself leaning slightly to the side.
Wha-?
A sudden pulse ran through his body, momentarily immobilizing him. From the shadows, a crystal specter dived at Emil from above, aiming to incapacitate him in his moment of weakness.
Come on, move!
Anticipating the surprise attack, Emil twisted his body , narrowly dodging the set of silver tendrils that lunged at him. As the creature hit the forest floor, its tendrils shifted into a set of blades. Unable to land a counterattack, the beast leaped back into the cover of the gray mist, unharmed.
A shape shifter? He thought as he shakily fell to one knee, planting his sword into the earth for balance. His vision blurred as his unfocused gaze began to slowly be consumed by white. My head…
The footsteps circled him again, this time, louder. Emil sluggishly stood, disoriented by both the blinding haze and his unknown symptoms. He gripped his blade tight and drew it closer to his body.
Two…Three…Four?
It was impossible to determine their numbers with the fog masking their movements. From the haze, two specters sprang from both sides. Emil parried both of their attacks but was once again unable to capitalize on his opponent’s mishap. Another one landed behind him and swiped at his back.
“Ah!” Emil screamed as the blade tore through his flesh, the pain jerked him forward but his tenacity willed him to stay on his feet. Unrelenting, Emil turned and cleaved through his assailant’s face. Its disembodied carcass shattered and melded with the still, cold air.
As if fire was set to his back, Emil keeled over, stunned from the searing pain.
Tired already? The fun has only just begun. An unfamiliar voice echoed in his head, momentarily blocking the pain of his injuries. Her tone, soft, deviant, akin to that of a seductive whisper. From above, the same two specters dived in on Emil. He dodged, pushing off of the terrain, propelling himself backwards. Still suspended in mid-air, Emil chunked a pair of charged shuriken at his attackers, both missing considerably.
Oh, I think you made them angry. Better run , the voice sang.
As he flew through the air , Emil watched as the already grotesque beings shifted once again. Fragments of crystal broke off from their exoskeletons as they shrieked feverishly in ecstasy. Their bladed hands curved inward and downward, forming perfectly proportioned scythes. Their bodies dropped, altering their center of gravity, forcing them to hunch over. The excess crystal that had fallen off, re-adhered itself to the base of their legs, fortifying their would-be calves.
Emil landed shakily, barely sticking his footing. Poison? The ground beneath his feet shook unevenly even though the earth remained still. His body drooped, unresponsive to his commands.
Something like that, the unfamiliar voice answered with a sultry laugh, details are irrelevant at this point. All that matters is that you submit to me.
Chapter 8: Left Behind
Marona woke from the hard cave floor in a jut. With Emil nowhere to be seen, the worst of her fears had come to fruition. There was no use calling for him, she knew where he was. Hastily outfitting herself, she re-armed herself with her cross bow and assorted explosives. The two daggers that Emil had given her were already stowed away in their desired spots. From the mouth of the cave, she looked down at the tree tops, looking for any sign of the departed hero’s whereabouts.
There. He has to be there.
In the distance she spotted the cloud of fog that had descended over her uncle’s village and the surrounding area. Wasting no time, she began her descent from the waterfall; observant of any potential threats.
As she neared the demonic fog, she treaded with even more discretion. For as long as she could
Wha-?
A sudden pulse ran through his body, momentarily immobilizing him. From the shadows, a crystal specter dived at Emil from above, aiming to incapacitate him in his moment of weakness.
Come on, move!
Anticipating the surprise attack, Emil twisted his body , narrowly dodging the set of silver tendrils that lunged at him. As the creature hit the forest floor, its tendrils shifted into a set of blades. Unable to land a counterattack, the beast leaped back into the cover of the gray mist, unharmed.
A shape shifter? He thought as he shakily fell to one knee, planting his sword into the earth for balance. His vision blurred as his unfocused gaze began to slowly be consumed by white. My head…
The footsteps circled him again, this time, louder. Emil sluggishly stood, disoriented by both the blinding haze and his unknown symptoms. He gripped his blade tight and drew it closer to his body.
Two…Three…Four?
It was impossible to determine their numbers with the fog masking their movements. From the haze, two specters sprang from both sides. Emil parried both of their attacks but was once again unable to capitalize on his opponent’s mishap. Another one landed behind him and swiped at his back.
“Ah!” Emil screamed as the blade tore through his flesh, the pain jerked him forward but his tenacity willed him to stay on his feet. Unrelenting, Emil turned and cleaved through his assailant’s face. Its disembodied carcass shattered and melded with the still, cold air.
As if fire was set to his back, Emil keeled over, stunned from the searing pain.
Tired already? The fun has only just begun. An unfamiliar voice echoed in his head, momentarily blocking the pain of his injuries. Her tone, soft, deviant, akin to that of a seductive whisper. From above, the same two specters dived in on Emil. He dodged, pushing off of the terrain, propelling himself backwards. Still suspended in mid-air, Emil chunked a pair of charged shuriken at his attackers, both missing considerably.
Oh, I think you made them angry. Better run , the voice sang.
As he flew through the air , Emil watched as the already grotesque beings shifted once again. Fragments of crystal broke off from their exoskeletons as they shrieked feverishly in ecstasy. Their bladed hands curved inward and downward, forming perfectly proportioned scythes. Their bodies dropped, altering their center of gravity, forcing them to hunch over. The excess crystal that had fallen off, re-adhered itself to the base of their legs, fortifying their would-be calves.
Emil landed shakily, barely sticking his footing. Poison? The ground beneath his feet shook unevenly even though the earth remained still. His body drooped, unresponsive to his commands.
Something like that, the unfamiliar voice answered with a sultry laugh, details are irrelevant at this point. All that matters is that you submit to me.
Chapter 8: Left Behind
Marona woke from the hard cave floor in a jut. With Emil nowhere to be seen, the worst of her fears had come to fruition. There was no use calling for him, she knew where he was. Hastily outfitting herself, she re-armed herself with her cross bow and assorted explosives. The two daggers that Emil had given her were already stowed away in their desired spots. From the mouth of the cave, she looked down at the tree tops, looking for any sign of the departed hero’s whereabouts.
There. He has to be there.
In the distance she spotted the cloud of fog that had descended over her uncle’s village and the surrounding area. Wasting no time, she began her descent from the waterfall; observant of any potential threats.
As she neared the demonic fog, she treaded with even more discretion. For as long as she could
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