T
Trynthlas
Guest
Part 1 - Into Chaos
The sun was shining…for once. Stone-grey eyes looked out across the landscape, searching for a familiar landmark. They squinted into the rising glare, finally discerning the black silhouette of the structure they sought. Weary legs pushed onward for the last stretch of open ground until they stood in the center of the open structure: stone steps, columns, and arches rising to frame the patterns etched into the ground. The eyes narrowed in determination – it had taken six weeks of constant travel (and constant wariness) to get this far…
Once-polished armor only dully reflected the muted glare of the sun through the persistent red haze that polluted this landscape. An unholy shriek pierced the air as the beast he had been hoping to avoid sighted a target - him…then turned to a squeal as a crossbow snapped up and loosed a bolt quicker than one could blink. The beast charged, two of its eight legs raised and readied to attack. Again the sound of a bolt being loosed rang in the dead air, and again the creature vented its pain.
Then it struck.
A blackened and deformed claw lashed out faster than lightning, scratching and sliding and tearing against the plates of his armor. The tip of the hooked claw latched onto a small bind in the side of the armor as it came back around to strike again, causing him to be spun around and flung to the ground. His crossbow slipped loose of his grasp, striking a nearby rock – he heard the solid *thrum!* of its firing, followed by a heavy thud just behind him. Slowly he climbed to his knees, gathering the shattered pieces of his weapon as he turned to face the creature.
Not everything in this universe wanted him dead yet, it seemed. The bolt had flown straight through the spider-beast’s eyes and into its brain, killing it instantly. The weapon was a loss, though, and a rueful smile crossed his face as he shook his head and tossed the ruined thing at the corpse and turned to continue his journey…
The sun was shining…for once. Stone-grey eyes looked out across the landscape, searching for a familiar landmark. They squinted into the rising glare, finally discerning the black silhouette of the structure they sought. Weary legs pushed onward for the last stretch of open ground until they stood in the center of the open structure: stone steps, columns, and arches rising to frame the patterns etched into the ground. The eyes narrowed in determination – it had taken six weeks of constant travel (and constant wariness) to get this far…
Once-polished armor only dully reflected the muted glare of the sun through the persistent red haze that polluted this landscape. An unholy shriek pierced the air as the beast he had been hoping to avoid sighted a target - him…then turned to a squeal as a crossbow snapped up and loosed a bolt quicker than one could blink. The beast charged, two of its eight legs raised and readied to attack. Again the sound of a bolt being loosed rang in the dead air, and again the creature vented its pain.
Then it struck.
A blackened and deformed claw lashed out faster than lightning, scratching and sliding and tearing against the plates of his armor. The tip of the hooked claw latched onto a small bind in the side of the armor as it came back around to strike again, causing him to be spun around and flung to the ground. His crossbow slipped loose of his grasp, striking a nearby rock – he heard the solid *thrum!* of its firing, followed by a heavy thud just behind him. Slowly he climbed to his knees, gathering the shattered pieces of his weapon as he turned to face the creature.
Not everything in this universe wanted him dead yet, it seemed. The bolt had flown straight through the spider-beast’s eyes and into its brain, killing it instantly. The weapon was a loss, though, and a rueful smile crossed his face as he shook his head and tossed the ruined thing at the corpse and turned to continue his journey…