Legacy & War (Battle of Nippur)

[Erik Vrell]

The explosion of the grenade threw large amounts of sand into the air, obscuring the gigantic pig from view. Just as Shay had begun to calm himself, a howl echoed through the air and the great boar's head emerged from the sand cloud, its eyes filled with even more anger than before. The beast was bloodied from the shrapnel but this only seemed to enrage it. The beast charged towards the duo at great speed, surprisingly so for a creature of it's size. Just as Agnès and Shay prepared for the attack, a purple wall erected itself between the two groups. The monster crashed heavily against the wall, causing it to tremble, but it held strong. Erik was on his knees, beaten and bloodied but alive. Small flares of energy appeared and disappeared in the weakened man's eyes. "I'm not done yet." Erik said quietly. He turned to Agnès. "You are a healer, correct?" Erik asked. "Please, I need your assistance, I cannot hold on much longer." Agnès looked unsure, especially after the last person she had offered to heal had tried to kill her, but a small nod from Shay told her that the cloaked man was an ally. Agnès quickly began healing his smaller wounds. Erik soon found that the pain had vanished and his cuts had mostly closed up.

"That was be enough." Erik said. "Now, step aside." Erik said as the boar prepared the charge once more. The pair quickly moved to the side as the boar charged and watched as Erik quickly dematerialised his psi wall and dove to the side, narrowly missing being trampled. He drew Mageslayer and noticed that the infant that had kicked him... in a place he did not wish to be kicked was riding the massive creature. He was so shocked that he almost didn't notice the boar barreling towards him. The psychic took a quick slash at the monster but barely scratched its thick hide. He grunted and began to focus his power within himself. "Maybe this will give me an edge." He said. His eyes suddenly became alive with violet energy and purple sparks danced across his body. "Let us show this beast what it means to cross the king." Erik said to his two allies. The three allies faced the beast together, prepared to fight. "Oh, how cheesy can you get?" Said a voice from atop the boar. Erik despised that child. It was his fault Erik's voice was a pitch higher than it should be. Erik charged at the beast and slashed wildly, parrying the scything tusks threatening to separate his head from his body and stabbed at the pig's muzzle. The wound was not deep, but was enough to cause annoyance to the monster. As the creature focused on Erik, Angès joined the melee and Shay looked to the infant riding the monster.

The infant was preparing his flame thrower to blast the two below and Shay rushed to stop him. He leapt up onto the closest roof and jumped silently onto the beast's back. "I think i'll fry the girl first." Stewie said to himself as he took aim and prepared to unleash hell upon the two below. "I don't think so." Shay said, punching the infant squarely in the jaw. Stewie was stunned for a moment. 'How the hell did he get up here so fast?' He wondered briefly before firing a jet of flame at the templar. Shay dodged out the way moments before the jet of flame scorched the area he had recently occupied. As he dodged the flames, Shay could barely stand straight on the monster as it clawed and charged at his two comrades, much less aim an attack. Finally, the templar found his moment. As the beast prepared to gore one of the New Babylonians below, it stopped momentarily and allowed Shay to regain his footing. He got ready to stab at the child with his hidden blade, but a sudden jerk from the beast caused him to loose balance. He tripped forwards and only managed to cut the leg of the infant, which elicited a shriek from the boy.

As Shay fought above, Erik and Agnès fought the beast below. Erik materialised a psi blade in his left had and he parried a tusk with Mageslayer in his right. He swung Mageslayer at the beast once again, which was met with a parrying tusk which Erik quickly pushed against with all his might. The beast could almost smell the blood of the psychic when Erik's crackling psi blade scythed through both Mageslayer and the tusk and arced towards the monster's eye. It released what happened moments too late as the violet blade slashed at the its eye. Half blind, the monster roared in pain and almost shook its two passengers from its back. Erik and Agnès backed quickly away from the beast it bucked and roared wildly. As Ganon went wild, Shay assessed the situation and decided to jump from the beast, landing close to his two allies. The beast steadied itself and turned to the trio before it, blood dripping from its eye. "You will regret that." It growled.

863 words in total.