07-18-2017, 04:50 AM
Ash and Revan hastened up the crumbling stone steps, panic rising in their throats as they continued to climb farther and farther from the relative safety of terra frima. Try as they might to keep their cool, something about hurrying to the top of a tower that seemed ready to collapse at any moment didn’t exactly breed serenity among them.
“What exactly are we going to do when we run out of stairs?” Ash yelled over a booming moan, shoving a roving ghoul out of the way as a familiar titanic fist crashed through the wall just feet behind him. “The buck stops somewhere!”
“I don’t know!” Revan yelled in reply, gazing back down the stairs with worry stitched in his brow. “How did it even get outside?”
“I imagine when you’re that big, you make you own doors,” Ash quipped, cocking a half-smirk as he kept his pace up the ruined stairs. How many stories had they climbed? The slayer’s legs felt like bricks of molten lead as his continued his ascent. If they stopped, they’d be dead.
Moments later, the duo found their answer. The hearts sank as a ruined wooden door came into view, Revan charging forward and throwing his shoulder into it. In a spray of splinters, the liberators found themselves at the top of the castle turret. Moonlight cast the landing with an eerie glow, the now-pouring rain beating down on the heads of Regal’s chosen.
“End of the line,” Ash muttered insolently, gripping his shotty. “What now?”
Revan exhaled as the tower shook violently, enormous earthen fingers appearing from beyond the battlements and taking hold. “We fight.”
“How are we going to fight something that punches through stone like papier-mâché?” Williams asked, firing a round into the behemoth’s ‘face’ as it raised itself to look upon them. Predictably, the shot elicited not even a flinch in response.
“That's it!” Revan cried, tumbling sideways to avoid a swipe from the titan. “We can’t make a dent in him, but this castle seems like it’s on its last legs. Aim for its handholds!”
A wide grin spread across the slayer’s face. “That’ll work!”
The pair moved in unison, splitting apart as the colossus’ fist slammed into the center of the landing. They circled around as it withdrew, hugging the battlements for what little shelter they provided. They were sitting ducks up at the top of the tower, and in plain sight of something large enough to stomp a building flat. They’d only have once chance.
A pause.
An unearthly groan escaped the beast’s ‘mouth’ as it raised a fist high into the air once more, casting a shadow over the pair.
“NOW!”
Buckshot and hellfire slammed into the fiend’s earthen hand, the combined stress of the liberators’ assault and of the titan’s grip causing the stone to shatter. The tower quaked as if it were a stubborn stallion bucking its colossal rider, finally shuddering as the earthen behemoth lost his grip, tumbling backward off of the tower. A few seconds later a deafening BOOM echoed through the area, the force of the fallen giant’s landing causing the tower to sway precariously.
“She’s not going to hold for much longer!” Ash cried, making a break for the doorway. “Run!”
- - -
Elsewhere, the alicorn and the exorcist forced the ornate doors of the castle’s sanctuary open, stepping forward into a lavish library. Wall-to-wall book stacks reached high overhead toward a vaulted ceiling, rows of tightly-packed bookcases crammed with various tomes surrounding an expansive central area. The liberators readied their weapons as a familiar face strode into view from behind a bookcase.
“My, my. A retrial?”
“What exactly are we going to do when we run out of stairs?” Ash yelled over a booming moan, shoving a roving ghoul out of the way as a familiar titanic fist crashed through the wall just feet behind him. “The buck stops somewhere!”
“I don’t know!” Revan yelled in reply, gazing back down the stairs with worry stitched in his brow. “How did it even get outside?”
“I imagine when you’re that big, you make you own doors,” Ash quipped, cocking a half-smirk as he kept his pace up the ruined stairs. How many stories had they climbed? The slayer’s legs felt like bricks of molten lead as his continued his ascent. If they stopped, they’d be dead.
Moments later, the duo found their answer. The hearts sank as a ruined wooden door came into view, Revan charging forward and throwing his shoulder into it. In a spray of splinters, the liberators found themselves at the top of the castle turret. Moonlight cast the landing with an eerie glow, the now-pouring rain beating down on the heads of Regal’s chosen.
“End of the line,” Ash muttered insolently, gripping his shotty. “What now?”
Revan exhaled as the tower shook violently, enormous earthen fingers appearing from beyond the battlements and taking hold. “We fight.”
“How are we going to fight something that punches through stone like papier-mâché?” Williams asked, firing a round into the behemoth’s ‘face’ as it raised itself to look upon them. Predictably, the shot elicited not even a flinch in response.
“That's it!” Revan cried, tumbling sideways to avoid a swipe from the titan. “We can’t make a dent in him, but this castle seems like it’s on its last legs. Aim for its handholds!”
A wide grin spread across the slayer’s face. “That’ll work!”
The pair moved in unison, splitting apart as the colossus’ fist slammed into the center of the landing. They circled around as it withdrew, hugging the battlements for what little shelter they provided. They were sitting ducks up at the top of the tower, and in plain sight of something large enough to stomp a building flat. They’d only have once chance.
A pause.
An unearthly groan escaped the beast’s ‘mouth’ as it raised a fist high into the air once more, casting a shadow over the pair.
“NOW!”
Buckshot and hellfire slammed into the fiend’s earthen hand, the combined stress of the liberators’ assault and of the titan’s grip causing the stone to shatter. The tower quaked as if it were a stubborn stallion bucking its colossal rider, finally shuddering as the earthen behemoth lost his grip, tumbling backward off of the tower. A few seconds later a deafening BOOM echoed through the area, the force of the fallen giant’s landing causing the tower to sway precariously.
“She’s not going to hold for much longer!” Ash cried, making a break for the doorway. “Run!”
- - -
Elsewhere, the alicorn and the exorcist forced the ornate doors of the castle’s sanctuary open, stepping forward into a lavish library. Wall-to-wall book stacks reached high overhead toward a vaulted ceiling, rows of tightly-packed bookcases crammed with various tomes surrounding an expansive central area. The liberators readied their weapons as a familiar face strode into view from behind a bookcase.
“My, my. A retrial?”
Quote:You are nearing the final obstacle. Don't give up!
For the group intent on finishing off Judgeman, he is still heavily injured but has caught a second wind, so to speak, and has recovered very slightly. He's still in pretty rough shape, though, so knock him out of the park.
Everyone has one week to make one post, up to 1500 words to deal with their respective situations. Best of luck!