|
|
Post by SummerCrow on Jul 18, 2015 21:21:31 GMT -6
Meanwhile, in a field just outside of Harborshore Town, four figures are slinking through the knee-high grass. The two men leading the way look oddly similar, and move with an uncanny synchronicity. Bringing up the rear is a tall, blonde young woman. She wears a plain white shirt with a brown skirt and a pair of tall boots. Her only accessories are a bright red choker around her neck and a rapier on her hip. "Now, the reports say the abnormal boar has been seen in the area lately. Keep your eyes open and make sure it doesn't get the drop on us. And remember the golden rule of fighting abnormalities... Atticus?"
"Their blood's toxic, so don't get any on you," the 2nd man in line says. His blond hair is short, cleanly cut, and not at all like his slovenly-arranged outfit. "And if anyone does end up getting poisoned, then we have to buy antidote. And if we have to buy antidote, Aunt Marsh is going to have whoever got poisoned's head."
"Well said! Aldous, run us through the plan again?" the blonde woman asks the other man.
"You and I surround the boar and play backup while Atticus and the new blood take point," the other man answers. In stark contrast to the other man, his blond hair is spiked and wild, while his outfit is extremely well put-together and carefully cleaned. "Leone, why are you grilling us with these question?"
"It's Hecate's first real job, and I want it to go splendidly!" Leone explains. "Now, let's-"
A sudden rustling from a nearby brush causes her to stop abruptly, and she reaches for her rapier. A massive boar, nearly as tall as a full-grown man, slowly shambles out of the foilage, its eyes glowing an ominous red. A low growl escapes its throat as it eyes the party hungrily.
"Oh, dear. It's bigger than the reports suggested. Still, this represents no problem whatsoever," Leone assures the group.
Atticus and Aldous are already moving to surround the monstrosity, and Leone directs the other girl to move in the other direction. The boar looks between the two groups before deciding to focus on the men. Leone draws her blade, then raises her free hand, lightly resting two fingers on her temples. As soon as the boar's back is clearly exposed, she addresses the fourth member of the team.
"Alright, Hecate. Looks like you've got the first attack, so the timing is yours. We'll attack on your command..."
|
|
|
|
Post by SummerCrow on Jul 19, 2015 0:23:59 GMT -6
"That's not quite what I meant..." Leone thinks to herself. "Oh well. Sonic Boom, Brilliant Crystal Ball..."
Leone sidesteps around Hecate and levels the tip of her rapier at the monster's back. The beast itself is still focused on the twin brothers. Aldous keeps his sword sheathed, but double-checks the buckler strapped to his left arm. Atticus stretches his whip between his hands, then cracks it loudly.
"Memory combination! Amplify Echo!" Two golden chains appear behind Leone, quickly knotting together, then rushing to the tip of her blade. A faint, spherical haze is barely visible as several sound waves rebound harmlessly off a simple cluster of reflecting spells, silent to the outside world.
"Cover your ears, Hecate, just in case," Leone warns. "Aldous!" She flicks her sword, sending the ball of sound waves careening towards the boar.
Aldous watches carefully from the other side. Just before the ball strikes its target, he begins casting a spell of his own. "Brilliant Crystal Ball!" he yells. A large reflector spell surrounds the boar - and Leone's spell.
Leone flourishes her rapier, and the reflectors of her spell spring open, releasing the magnified sound waves. The boar roars in agony - at least, it appears to. Aldous' spell prevents any sound from escaping before the ground absorbs most of the vibrations. The boar itself thrashes about, to no avail. As Aldous' spell fades, the boar looks around as if in a panic. It takes a few steps, then stumbles to the ground.
Leone nods to Hecate. "It should be deaf and disoriented now. Please, before it recovers."
|
|
|
|
Post by SummerCrow on Jul 19, 2015 10:32:47 GMT -6
"Oh, dear. That's... Interesting," Leone says. "Think, think, thinkthinkthinkthinkthinkthinkthink... Ah! Rondo of Courage, Muse's Dance of Flame..." Leone sheathes het blade.
"Memory Combination! Aria of the Soul!" Golden chains appear, entwining around Leone's waist. Music springs to life, seemingly from nowhere, a simple, yet uplifting, orchestral arrangement. Leone begins to dance, twirling to the music's rhythm. A clumsy mimicry of her teacher's form, but still a graceful, inspirational performance to the untrained eye.
The beast roars again, and the phantasmic music crescendos to drown it out.
"Whoa... I'm feeling pretty fired up!" Atticus calls out. "Alright, this guy doesn't look so tough!"
Atticus rushes forward, quickly striking the beast's back twice with his whip. The boar tries to turn those viscous tusks back around. Atticus doesn't stop his charge as he lashes out, wrapping his whip around the monster's front left paw. At the last instant, he slides, sinking into the ground. Most of the whip comes with him, leaving the boar on a very short tether.
Aldous draws his short sword. "Now's our chance, Hecate!" he yells, rushing at the pinned boar. "Let's take him out before he reveals any other nasty tricks!"
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2015 12:36:19 GMT -6
They're really counting on me to do this. I can't believe their trusting a new recruit with their lives. That's foolish.
Hecate narrowed her eyes. "Iron Dragon's Dance: Icarus!" She called out. She was ready for the back of her shirt to be ripped open as wings of iron sprouted from her back. She grimaced, but nonetheless took flight, the powerful black wings launching her high into the air. As of now, all she could feel was adrenaline from the battle. Maybe it was the excitement; maybe it was the knowledge she could mess with her next technique. A dark grin spread across her face as she called out her next technique.
This never misses, you damned boar.
"Iron Dragon's Eye: Gungnir!" She paused to extend her hand. Slowly, but surely a long spear formed in her hands. Hecate took the time to spin around twice before hurling it at the back of the Abnormality. The spear spun before lodging itself deep into the tough skin of the boar. The Abnormality roared, doing its best to move with something so deep stuck into its spine. Its legs began to buckle in defiance to its body shutting down.
"You'd better move!" Hecate shouted down to Aldous.
|
|
|
|
Post by SummerCrow on Jul 19, 2015 18:14:31 GMT -6
Aldous skids to a halt, lowering his sword and raising his shield, a barrier quickly expanding from it as the boar begins to roll towards him.
Leone unleashes a dramatic orchestral sting as the boat crashes into his barrier. It holds for a moment, then the weight of the boar knocks Aldous over. In the end, he's left pinned with the boar laying over the bottom half of his body.
"I'm OK!" he assures everyone, struggling to free himself. "No problem here! Just gotta... Mmph... Push this thing off me!"
Leone finishes her performance and concludes with a curtsey. She calmly walks over and unwraps the whip from the boar's paw, tugging it in a rhythmic code. It loosens, again phasing through the ground, and she begins to pull Atticus out.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2015 19:41:46 GMT -6
Hecate could describe the feeling after the adrenaline rush as tired to put it simply. Her wings faded once she was a safe distance from the ground—so her legs wouldn't break—and she let herself fall to the ground, landing in a crouching position.
As silent as ever, she headed towards her guildmates with a curious expression on her face. Still having not said a few words, she took in the wounds of the boar, and then nodded in satisfaction at the gaping hole in its back. She had to resort to her secret technique to kill the thing. It should have been honored. Not many could make her do that... And lose a jacket as well.
Ignoring the warm draft on her back, Hecate watched Leone drag Aldous away, and just in time, too; as the blood of the boar hit the spot he once inhabited. Maybe she was being stiff, but their mission was over. They had hunted their target. For a weak guild, her guildmates were strong.
Looks could be deceiving... She had learned that the hard way years ago. She stood idly by as if awaiting Leone's next words.
|
|
|
|
Post by SummerCrow on Jul 19, 2015 20:04:40 GMT -6
Leone drops Atticus just clear of the boar's blood, then runs over to Hecate.
"Uh... still stuck over here?" Aldous calls out. "I... um... OK, I admit I'm not strong quite enough to lift the giant boar by himself. ...Guys?"
Atticus stands there and shrugs at him.
Leone clasps Hecate's hands in her own and stares into her eyes. "Hecate, that was amazing!"
|
|
