05-18-2016, 09:57 PM
Zack had landed, recovered his sword, and wiped the blood from his eyes. It was an unwelcome feeling, though not unfamiliar. He stood covered in blood, not only his own, but likely Volvagia’s and even his allies’. His muscles cried in agony with each simple movement, and some failed to respond to even his most basic demands. It was too much like the cliffs of Midgar, the final moments before he had arrived in the Omniverse.
Suddenly, this second reality didn’t feel very much like a sandbox of infinite possibilities. Now, the Ashen Steppes felt the same as they looked: like Hell.
Ash, fire, and brimstone swept through the area through some terrifying combination of the natural environment and Volvagia’s wrath. On a normal day he would have noticed the burning material pelting his flesh, and recoiled in pain. Now it was drowned out, overshadowed by the screams of his nerve endings as they focused on the more intense stimuli.
He couldn’t even keep his right eye fully open, anymore. He wasn’t sure if it was from injury or simply drowned in his own blood, but he didn’t concern himself with it at the moment. There was another, more pressing matter.
Zack fumbled with his belt for a second, pulling his old flip phone from a back pouch. Snapping his wrist and flicking it open took far more energy than such a feat was worth, at this point, but he powered through the difficulty and held the phone to his face. He paused for a moment. He’d thought of a thousand overly cocky speeches and phrases he could have said to signify a victory, but hadn’t even dreamed of the possibility of failure. There was no pre-rehearsed concession speech in his brain. Certainly, there wasn’t any time to whip up one now.
Zack tapped a few buttons. He’d only recently exchanged contact information with Nealaphh, having done so while they were gathering at the camp and dividing into teams, but they had both seen the merit in having as many channels of communication between the groups as possible. Thus, leader of this grand operation was already on speed dial. Zack didn’t bother with anything other than a voice message, holding the button to transmit a short statement instead of waiting for a secure line to be established.
“Nealaphh!” Zack shouted into the phone, making sure he was heard over the other sounds that filled this battlefield. “Nealaphh, this isn’t working! We’re losing ground and men. Alpha’s going to have to-”
A shout of pain was a sufficient end to the message, and far more appropriate than anything he would have been able to think up. He was struck, not directly, but instead by the edge of a nearby fireball detonation. It was enough to hurl the warrior from where he stood, and the defeated super soldier crashed abruptly into the ash on a ledge outside of the caldera. He loudly cursed as he crashed to the surface, unaware that it was because of that abrupt movement that he would be spared from the inferno that was to consume their battlefield.
The landing was painful, and removed the last of his energy from him. The Buster Sword landed on the ground not far from him, as did his phone. Fortunately, it sent his incomplete message once he’d let go of the button. The point had gotten across, but it didn’t slow Zack’s desire to rise and continue fighting. This was one of those times where the will could not keep up with the body, because getting back to his feet was no longer an option. Instead, his eyes drifted closed as the wind swept the ash over his body, burying him on the edge of the destruction. Volvagia soon departed, paying Zack no further thought. There was none to give him, after all.
His allies may have been the corpses, but he was in the grave.
Suddenly, this second reality didn’t feel very much like a sandbox of infinite possibilities. Now, the Ashen Steppes felt the same as they looked: like Hell.
Ash, fire, and brimstone swept through the area through some terrifying combination of the natural environment and Volvagia’s wrath. On a normal day he would have noticed the burning material pelting his flesh, and recoiled in pain. Now it was drowned out, overshadowed by the screams of his nerve endings as they focused on the more intense stimuli.
He couldn’t even keep his right eye fully open, anymore. He wasn’t sure if it was from injury or simply drowned in his own blood, but he didn’t concern himself with it at the moment. There was another, more pressing matter.
Zack fumbled with his belt for a second, pulling his old flip phone from a back pouch. Snapping his wrist and flicking it open took far more energy than such a feat was worth, at this point, but he powered through the difficulty and held the phone to his face. He paused for a moment. He’d thought of a thousand overly cocky speeches and phrases he could have said to signify a victory, but hadn’t even dreamed of the possibility of failure. There was no pre-rehearsed concession speech in his brain. Certainly, there wasn’t any time to whip up one now.
Zack tapped a few buttons. He’d only recently exchanged contact information with Nealaphh, having done so while they were gathering at the camp and dividing into teams, but they had both seen the merit in having as many channels of communication between the groups as possible. Thus, leader of this grand operation was already on speed dial. Zack didn’t bother with anything other than a voice message, holding the button to transmit a short statement instead of waiting for a secure line to be established.
“Nealaphh!” Zack shouted into the phone, making sure he was heard over the other sounds that filled this battlefield. “Nealaphh, this isn’t working! We’re losing ground and men. Alpha’s going to have to-”
A shout of pain was a sufficient end to the message, and far more appropriate than anything he would have been able to think up. He was struck, not directly, but instead by the edge of a nearby fireball detonation. It was enough to hurl the warrior from where he stood, and the defeated super soldier crashed abruptly into the ash on a ledge outside of the caldera. He loudly cursed as he crashed to the surface, unaware that it was because of that abrupt movement that he would be spared from the inferno that was to consume their battlefield.
The landing was painful, and removed the last of his energy from him. The Buster Sword landed on the ground not far from him, as did his phone. Fortunately, it sent his incomplete message once he’d let go of the button. The point had gotten across, but it didn’t slow Zack’s desire to rise and continue fighting. This was one of those times where the will could not keep up with the body, because getting back to his feet was no longer an option. Instead, his eyes drifted closed as the wind swept the ash over his body, burying him on the edge of the destruction. Volvagia soon departed, paying Zack no further thought. There was none to give him, after all.
His allies may have been the corpses, but he was in the grave.