Night 57: Test of Courage

[nobleman]

[From here.]

When Guy's vision cleared and that bright light had faded away, he found that he was somewhere else entirely. Luckily, it was nothing at all like that coliseum, except for the fact that it once again seemed to have switched to day -- or the illusion of it, at least. Granted, not much of the light from overhead was getting through due to the fact that they were now in a forested area, dense with trees and surprisingly tranquil. Was this somewhere out in the wilderness surrounding the institute, or was this all in their heads, like when they'd thought they'd been back in Baticul?

Guy couldn't help noticing that he was still soaking wet, so transporting hadn't changed that much. He was relieved to see that he was still armed, though. Even if everything seemed calm now, he wasn't going to assume that would last for long.

He saw some ruins up ahead that seemed to be the focus of the area; his instinct was to head there. First, though, he had to check on his friends.

As he turned, he saw Claude was there at his side, just as he'd thought, but... "Where's Anise?"

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[full-score.livejournal.com]

The serpent's mouth trapped Claude's hand, crushing many of the bones in one swift motion. He heard himself scream in agony, his other hand tightening on his blade like it was his only lifeline -- and in many ways it was. As soon as the creature released him, its fins moving about in a frantic effort to knock him off and scraping into his arms in the process, his full weight fell onto the sword's hilt. Blood poured from creature's wound, splattering onto his pale face.

But that hardly mattered now. He felt himself slipping downward, dragging the blade with him in the process. It hurt to breathe. He'd done all he could possibly do. All that was left was to let himself fall wherever gravity took him, his uninjured hand stubbornly clinging to the weapon lodged in the monster's body.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he briefly thought of Guy and Anise. Were they out of the water by now?

What was going to happen?

[damned-monsters.livejournal.com]

The double-edged sword acted like a paper cutter that sliced a clean line down the front of the serpent's chest. Blood and organs began to spill and unravel from the ever-lengthening wound that flayed the beast in two like a butterfly fillet. The giant monster was no longer feeling pain as its brain began to slowly dying from a lack of blood and oxygen. It did, however, feel the impact of metal catching bone and that was the last of its memory.

One last puff of air exited its punctured windpipe and the creature fell to the water's surface like a discarded ragdoll, hopefully taking Claude with it. The serpent may not have had the pleasure of eating its prey, but it would certainly have its revenge. Those nasty scratches he incurred from the fins would saddle him with a debilitating toxin which left most animals catatonic and fevered.

[full-score.livejournal.com]

Between all the blood and guts pouring onto him and the throbbing pain, Claude could barely keep track of what was happening. The moment his sword caught against bone, however, he felt the creature's body beginning to sag toward the water. The momentum was enough to dislodge him from the wound. He sailed through the air for a few seconds, then finally plunged into the water below.

Thankfully, the adrenaline kept him energized enough to save himself from sinking too far into the lake's depths. But he was about to reach his limit. Kicking as hard as he could, Claude tried not to suck in too much water as he finally brought himself up to the surface. He gasped and sputtered, and frantically searched for shallow waters.

Without sparing the serpent a second glance, he focused on getting as far from it as possible. Time seemed to pass in a surreal haze. Before he knew it, his foot brushed against sweet, sweet ground, allowing him to at least wade part of the way. Then, once he'd found a slab of moss colored stone pressed up against a crumbled column, Claude allowed himself to drop down, his breaths coming in sharp, painful puffs.

He wanted to go searching for Guy and Anise. What if another one of those things came for them? His heels dug down in an effort to push himself up again. But his body just wouldn't carry him anymore. Instead, his sword finally slipped from his stiff hand, and his chin dropped against his chest.

"Maybe a five out of ten, huh," he muttered to himself with a rueful smile.