08-05-2017, 04:33 PM
Ebony's arms locked, bones grinding with every jolt of the bike; the steel edges of Morene's armour grated against Ebony through her cloak. Her stomach churned, the sulfur in the air and the erratic motions of the vehicle only fueled her nausea further. Specs of red liquid flew through the air as Morene's blade slashed against another foe. The vibrations travelling through her body made Ebony all too aware of this fact, her face pailing from the glimpse of red. It felt too real. Too vivid. The gushing air has long since pushed down her hood, leaving her unable to shield her vision with the fabric.
She screamed: head tilted back, arms clenching, voice echoing through the air. If any of the monsters were previously unaware of the duo's presence, they certainly weren't now. The seemingly sudden sound shook Morene out of her previously steadfast demeanour. It was slightly deeper than one might expect, yet the blood-curdling cry continued to cut and stab into the ears of all who heard it. Morene's head turned back after yet another strike, diverting her invaluable attention towards her passenger. Ebony's eyes locked with the terrifying helmet, the shriek fading. Lungs starved for air, her voice caught in her throat. Precious few of her recent breaths had been completed. Ebony panted from the self-inflicted asphyxiation, arms and back shaking from a mixture of fear and adrenaline.
To her horror, Morene continued to drive, not watching the terrain in front of her as the bike continued on its arc back towards the mob. Even going so far as to remove the only one of her hands steering the bike to display a thumbs up. The strange hilarity of the motion shook Ebony's resolve further. Things were definitely not OK, yet it was as if Morene was having fun and treating it as a joke. Ebony shuddered, arms relaxing for a split second as she began to roll off the tilted bike. Seeing this, Morene quickly straightened her former steering arm behind her, shoving Ebony back into place violently and efficiently. There wasn't time for her to waste on the girl further.
Quickly, Morene returned the arm to the handles, bracing her sword and straightening the bike. The enclosing horde was primarily in front of the pair, allowing Morene to zip in and out quickly to dispatch the more isolated stragglers. From a strategic perspective, they were in a fairly good position. Or would be if they had the numbers to support themselves. While reaching the castle through the masses would be nigh impossible, the hostile terrain often prompted Nebula's forces to spread out. A nearby river of magma had few crossings, limiting the movement of the attracted darklings towards them. Yet the numbers continued to build up as the mob aggressively pushed towards its prey. Occasionally some of the monsters were shunted into the molten rock by their own kinsmen, all eager to wet their claws, teeth, and blades with the blood of primes.
Ebony didn't get used the gruelling motions of the skirmish. It was worse than her first time on a boat and coupled with much, much, more stress. Mere hours ago she'd experienced the paralysing process of drowning in icy water; she'd been ripped away from her home, her friends - never even getting to say goodbye. Then, just when things were beginning to look up - no more intimidation from Stormtroopers or villains who kill for money - just when she thought she had made a friend, she was cast away into the chaos of the battlefield. Grotesque zombie like monstrosities hounded against her. Claws and swords groped at her fleshy body, trying to catch a taste as Morene continued to weave in and out against the battle lines.
Each charge took greater risks than its predecessor as Morene gambled her body more and more with each strike, aiming to fell the many members of the tide that dared accept her challenge. Metal clashed and scratched against the bike and her armour, leaving nicks but not yet drawing her blood. Ebony huddled in, frantically breathing. Her eyes closed, trying to block out the sights. Specs of warm liquid flicked against her cheek. Ignoring it to the best of her ability, Ebony dreaded what it was as the drips trailed down her face. She swallowed, forcing bile back down her throat.
How was she supposed to thrive in this?
How could anyone live through such an event?
Her imagination never stretched this far when writing. Even her alter ego had never experienced anything as graphic as this.
Yet, in reality, she knew the answer. Deep down she understood why Morene had forced herself to come here. She'd had to, the fate of this realm depended on the outcome. Nebula, whoever he was, could not be allowed to succeed. And these monsters had to be refused the right to assist him.
They're just monsters. They're evil. There's nothing wrong with... hurting them. Ebony tried to convince herself, eyes still screwed shut, cloak flowing behind her. Sword strikes had hit the fabric on rare occasions, missing their actual target. None had cut through, only pushing the material out of the way. The slight tugs had still caused her to flinch, however.
It seemed as if hours had passed since Morene's blade first drew blood, and while still unaccustomed to the erratic jostling of the bike, Ebony knew she had to act. Even if it only made a small difference, she had to help her friend. Steadily, the pair had moved further away, rather than closer, to the castle. Yet Morene's intention had come to fruition. They had, in fact, made themselves known.
Stabilising her turbulent breaths, Ebony opened her eyes, blinking from the harsh light of magma and the ash-saturated air. Recognising she needed her hands to cast spells, and removing one probably wasn't a good idea, Ebony grabbed a nearby rock with her magic. Her previously contained mana gushed through the outlet the spell provided; her body filled with a calming warmth - yet that wasn't enough to stop her shaky breaths.
Slam.
The fist sized clump of obsidian smashed into the chest of one of the darklings. It was hard to miss when there were so many targets, especially now that they were beginning to further coalesce together into a single swarm. Those that separated had fallen or rejoined, making Morene's job much harder.
Slam.
The use of her repressed magic was intoxicating. Addictive.
Slam.
The bike skidded to a halt halfway up a nearby incline. Taking on more than a single foe at once was too risky, especially with the majority now protecting each other. I need to break them up.
"Air, be with me; disrupt their formation. Wind, I need thee; scatter the endless division." Ebony spoke delicately, voice wavering as the relentless tide moved closer. Holding onto Morene with her free arm, she braced herself.
Hiss. A swirling green orb shot out of her palm, sending vibrations down their bodies.
Hiss. Another followed shortly after.
Green air exploded throughout the impact sites, waves of energy shunting carcasses into the air. In the chaos, the bike engine revved. Morene was ready for another charge.
She screamed: head tilted back, arms clenching, voice echoing through the air. If any of the monsters were previously unaware of the duo's presence, they certainly weren't now. The seemingly sudden sound shook Morene out of her previously steadfast demeanour. It was slightly deeper than one might expect, yet the blood-curdling cry continued to cut and stab into the ears of all who heard it. Morene's head turned back after yet another strike, diverting her invaluable attention towards her passenger. Ebony's eyes locked with the terrifying helmet, the shriek fading. Lungs starved for air, her voice caught in her throat. Precious few of her recent breaths had been completed. Ebony panted from the self-inflicted asphyxiation, arms and back shaking from a mixture of fear and adrenaline.
To her horror, Morene continued to drive, not watching the terrain in front of her as the bike continued on its arc back towards the mob. Even going so far as to remove the only one of her hands steering the bike to display a thumbs up. The strange hilarity of the motion shook Ebony's resolve further. Things were definitely not OK, yet it was as if Morene was having fun and treating it as a joke. Ebony shuddered, arms relaxing for a split second as she began to roll off the tilted bike. Seeing this, Morene quickly straightened her former steering arm behind her, shoving Ebony back into place violently and efficiently. There wasn't time for her to waste on the girl further.
Quickly, Morene returned the arm to the handles, bracing her sword and straightening the bike. The enclosing horde was primarily in front of the pair, allowing Morene to zip in and out quickly to dispatch the more isolated stragglers. From a strategic perspective, they were in a fairly good position. Or would be if they had the numbers to support themselves. While reaching the castle through the masses would be nigh impossible, the hostile terrain often prompted Nebula's forces to spread out. A nearby river of magma had few crossings, limiting the movement of the attracted darklings towards them. Yet the numbers continued to build up as the mob aggressively pushed towards its prey. Occasionally some of the monsters were shunted into the molten rock by their own kinsmen, all eager to wet their claws, teeth, and blades with the blood of primes.
Ebony didn't get used the gruelling motions of the skirmish. It was worse than her first time on a boat and coupled with much, much, more stress. Mere hours ago she'd experienced the paralysing process of drowning in icy water; she'd been ripped away from her home, her friends - never even getting to say goodbye. Then, just when things were beginning to look up - no more intimidation from Stormtroopers or villains who kill for money - just when she thought she had made a friend, she was cast away into the chaos of the battlefield. Grotesque zombie like monstrosities hounded against her. Claws and swords groped at her fleshy body, trying to catch a taste as Morene continued to weave in and out against the battle lines.
Each charge took greater risks than its predecessor as Morene gambled her body more and more with each strike, aiming to fell the many members of the tide that dared accept her challenge. Metal clashed and scratched against the bike and her armour, leaving nicks but not yet drawing her blood. Ebony huddled in, frantically breathing. Her eyes closed, trying to block out the sights. Specs of warm liquid flicked against her cheek. Ignoring it to the best of her ability, Ebony dreaded what it was as the drips trailed down her face. She swallowed, forcing bile back down her throat.
How was she supposed to thrive in this?
How could anyone live through such an event?
Her imagination never stretched this far when writing. Even her alter ego had never experienced anything as graphic as this.
Yet, in reality, she knew the answer. Deep down she understood why Morene had forced herself to come here. She'd had to, the fate of this realm depended on the outcome. Nebula, whoever he was, could not be allowed to succeed. And these monsters had to be refused the right to assist him.
They're just monsters. They're evil. There's nothing wrong with... hurting them. Ebony tried to convince herself, eyes still screwed shut, cloak flowing behind her. Sword strikes had hit the fabric on rare occasions, missing their actual target. None had cut through, only pushing the material out of the way. The slight tugs had still caused her to flinch, however.
It seemed as if hours had passed since Morene's blade first drew blood, and while still unaccustomed to the erratic jostling of the bike, Ebony knew she had to act. Even if it only made a small difference, she had to help her friend. Steadily, the pair had moved further away, rather than closer, to the castle. Yet Morene's intention had come to fruition. They had, in fact, made themselves known.
Stabilising her turbulent breaths, Ebony opened her eyes, blinking from the harsh light of magma and the ash-saturated air. Recognising she needed her hands to cast spells, and removing one probably wasn't a good idea, Ebony grabbed a nearby rock with her magic. Her previously contained mana gushed through the outlet the spell provided; her body filled with a calming warmth - yet that wasn't enough to stop her shaky breaths.
Slam.
The fist sized clump of obsidian smashed into the chest of one of the darklings. It was hard to miss when there were so many targets, especially now that they were beginning to further coalesce together into a single swarm. Those that separated had fallen or rejoined, making Morene's job much harder.
Slam.
The use of her repressed magic was intoxicating. Addictive.
Slam.
The bike skidded to a halt halfway up a nearby incline. Taking on more than a single foe at once was too risky, especially with the majority now protecting each other. I need to break them up.
"Air, be with me; disrupt their formation. Wind, I need thee; scatter the endless division." Ebony spoke delicately, voice wavering as the relentless tide moved closer. Holding onto Morene with her free arm, she braced herself.
Hiss. A swirling green orb shot out of her palm, sending vibrations down their bodies.
Hiss. Another followed shortly after.
Green air exploded throughout the impact sites, waves of energy shunting carcasses into the air. In the chaos, the bike engine revved. Morene was ready for another charge.
Quote:For those unfamilar with Ebony's moves, she multicast two explosive air spells. Essentially two non-damaging explosions of air. The intent was to disrupt the horde of darklings to assist Morene with her skirmishing tactic.