03-05-2016, 12:07 PM
With a short leap, Zack descended on the tail of the massive beast. He caught the end of the massive appendage, being forced to grip it in a tight bear hug. The tail wagged furiously and the ex-SOLDIER could only hold on for dear life at first. Each opportunity he could get, he reached up and moved himself slightly further up the tail. He was able to progress easier and faster as he got close to the base, and finally had no trouble pulling himself up to a kneel. From there he was able to stand up and sprint up the beast’s back.
He closed in on the bandit lord just as Drake finished redirecting the dragon’s attack into some of the smaller ones in the vicinity. With the bandit king distracted, Zack was able to rapidly approach with little concern. It wasn’t until the very last second that the man heard him, and quickly spun around to meet his attacker.
Zack caught the man’s right wrist in one hand, preventing him from attacking with the large dagger he was gripping. Zack also brought his left hand down, placing it on the gatling gun and forcing the barrel to point at the ground and between his legs, so that he wouldn’t be shot. It was then that he took the time to realize what that gun was attached to, or rather replacing. Did it seriously go to his…?
Gross.
The bandit lord seemed to be contemplating the awkwardness of this moment as well, but he got his bearings back a little bit faster. The man suddenly slammed his scale and metal helmet into Zack’s forehead, the head-butt having more than enough force to send the SOLDIER reeling away. Zack held his skull in agony as he regained his footing. At least he didn’t fall over, given the already trying task of staying balanced on a moving, flying monster.
The bandit lord let out a maniacal laugh, then balled his fists and swung his body forward in a thrusting motion. This coincided with the steady stream of ammunition exiting his ballistic appendage. Zack would have been impressed with the obviously rehearsed timing, but he was too busy scrambling to get behind the massive throne. Fortunately, it served as good cover, so while the rounds pelted the other side of it he was able to draw the Buster Sword in one hand and his Fire Materia in the other.
He took a moment to take a breath and find his center. This entire situation had gone absolutely haywire in no time at all. Truth be told, it still felt like yesterday that he was riding towards Midgar and bullshitting around with a comatose man. Life had a funny way of throwing curve balls at you. So did the afterlife, or the extended second life, or whatever the hell this was.
Shaking his head to refocus, and now smiling in amusement from his contemplations, Zack began to materialize a fireball in front of the Materia as he came around the side of the throne that was taking the least amount of fire. He extended his arm forward and released the fireball in the direction of the bandit leader, who did not see the ranged attack coming in the slightest. The fireball collided with his chest and gave a small burst that sent him reeling backwards, this time. The king let out a scream of agony (and pleasure? Weird.) as he stepped backwards.
Zack pocketed the Materia and closed the gap as fast as he could. His first act upon reaching striking range was to bring his left foot up and give a powerful forward kick to the giant machine gun’s side. This spun the bandit king around and allowed Zack a free slice at his exposed back, which the ex-SOLDIER happily took.
Though the bandit screamed in pain, Zack never saw blood. This dude had to be some crazy freak of nature. The bandit abruptly turned to face him again and the machine gun hit Zack in the side of the leg, causing him to flinch in pain from the force of that blow. Zack responded with a powerful sucker punch from his left fist to stun the king, then drove the Buster Sword straight down. The blade went right between the rotating barrels of the bandit’s crotch gun and stabbed into the scaly head of the dragon.
Zack and the bandit king both looked down, neither one able to believe that had worked. Not only was the bandit lord stuck in place, but his best weapon was unable to spin and therefore disabled. Zack snapped back to the situation and grabbed the sword he’d looted from the Koopas off his belt. Zack held the handle up and fireball after fireball began to materialize and stack upon each other, and soon the ex-SOLDIER had enough of them on top of one another to serve as a blade. His first act with his new and unique weapon was to drive it into the heart of the bandit lord. The man gasped in pain and stopped fighting, but again, there was no blood.
Hoping he’d killed the bandit, Zack ripped the Buster Sword and Fire Bar Saber out. He deactivated the Fire Bar Saber and returned it to his belt, but still held the Buster Sword as the bandit king fell from the head of the dragon. Hopefully that was all there was to him.
Next up was the dragon itself. It hadn’t even noticed the Buster Sword stabbing into its head a moment ago, but Zack could fix that. He stood in the center of the beast’s head, where his best estimate of its brain was. Then, with one powerful movement, he drove all six feet of the Buster Sword’s blade straight down, so that only the handle was protruding from the scales.
The dragon felt that one. It roared in pain, but it did not drop dead like Zack had hoped. Zack realized that the bolts that mounted that throne to the dragon, not five feet behind him, might actually be longer than his chosen sword. Zack realized what a terrible mistake he’d made. The beast began thrashing and flailing, and then took off on a rampage around the battlefield. Anything to make the pain stop.
The only thing Zack had going for him was that he still had the handle of his sword protruding from the monster's skull, so he just held while he went for the ride of his life.
He closed in on the bandit lord just as Drake finished redirecting the dragon’s attack into some of the smaller ones in the vicinity. With the bandit king distracted, Zack was able to rapidly approach with little concern. It wasn’t until the very last second that the man heard him, and quickly spun around to meet his attacker.
Zack caught the man’s right wrist in one hand, preventing him from attacking with the large dagger he was gripping. Zack also brought his left hand down, placing it on the gatling gun and forcing the barrel to point at the ground and between his legs, so that he wouldn’t be shot. It was then that he took the time to realize what that gun was attached to, or rather replacing. Did it seriously go to his…?
Gross.
The bandit lord seemed to be contemplating the awkwardness of this moment as well, but he got his bearings back a little bit faster. The man suddenly slammed his scale and metal helmet into Zack’s forehead, the head-butt having more than enough force to send the SOLDIER reeling away. Zack held his skull in agony as he regained his footing. At least he didn’t fall over, given the already trying task of staying balanced on a moving, flying monster.
The bandit lord let out a maniacal laugh, then balled his fists and swung his body forward in a thrusting motion. This coincided with the steady stream of ammunition exiting his ballistic appendage. Zack would have been impressed with the obviously rehearsed timing, but he was too busy scrambling to get behind the massive throne. Fortunately, it served as good cover, so while the rounds pelted the other side of it he was able to draw the Buster Sword in one hand and his Fire Materia in the other.
He took a moment to take a breath and find his center. This entire situation had gone absolutely haywire in no time at all. Truth be told, it still felt like yesterday that he was riding towards Midgar and bullshitting around with a comatose man. Life had a funny way of throwing curve balls at you. So did the afterlife, or the extended second life, or whatever the hell this was.
Shaking his head to refocus, and now smiling in amusement from his contemplations, Zack began to materialize a fireball in front of the Materia as he came around the side of the throne that was taking the least amount of fire. He extended his arm forward and released the fireball in the direction of the bandit leader, who did not see the ranged attack coming in the slightest. The fireball collided with his chest and gave a small burst that sent him reeling backwards, this time. The king let out a scream of agony (and pleasure? Weird.) as he stepped backwards.
Zack pocketed the Materia and closed the gap as fast as he could. His first act upon reaching striking range was to bring his left foot up and give a powerful forward kick to the giant machine gun’s side. This spun the bandit king around and allowed Zack a free slice at his exposed back, which the ex-SOLDIER happily took.
Though the bandit screamed in pain, Zack never saw blood. This dude had to be some crazy freak of nature. The bandit abruptly turned to face him again and the machine gun hit Zack in the side of the leg, causing him to flinch in pain from the force of that blow. Zack responded with a powerful sucker punch from his left fist to stun the king, then drove the Buster Sword straight down. The blade went right between the rotating barrels of the bandit’s crotch gun and stabbed into the scaly head of the dragon.
Zack and the bandit king both looked down, neither one able to believe that had worked. Not only was the bandit lord stuck in place, but his best weapon was unable to spin and therefore disabled. Zack snapped back to the situation and grabbed the sword he’d looted from the Koopas off his belt. Zack held the handle up and fireball after fireball began to materialize and stack upon each other, and soon the ex-SOLDIER had enough of them on top of one another to serve as a blade. His first act with his new and unique weapon was to drive it into the heart of the bandit lord. The man gasped in pain and stopped fighting, but again, there was no blood.
Hoping he’d killed the bandit, Zack ripped the Buster Sword and Fire Bar Saber out. He deactivated the Fire Bar Saber and returned it to his belt, but still held the Buster Sword as the bandit king fell from the head of the dragon. Hopefully that was all there was to him.
Next up was the dragon itself. It hadn’t even noticed the Buster Sword stabbing into its head a moment ago, but Zack could fix that. He stood in the center of the beast’s head, where his best estimate of its brain was. Then, with one powerful movement, he drove all six feet of the Buster Sword’s blade straight down, so that only the handle was protruding from the scales.
The dragon felt that one. It roared in pain, but it did not drop dead like Zack had hoped. Zack realized that the bolts that mounted that throne to the dragon, not five feet behind him, might actually be longer than his chosen sword. Zack realized what a terrible mistake he’d made. The beast began thrashing and flailing, and then took off on a rampage around the battlefield. Anything to make the pain stop.
The only thing Zack had going for him was that he still had the handle of his sword protruding from the monster's skull, so he just held while he went for the ride of his life.