Post by redemption on Jul 7, 2006 10:35:17 GMT -5
Tory’s Sacrifice: Chapter 4
If there was any other sound that could stop her heart and make her blood freeze, Tory hadn’t heard it yet. Without hesitation, she took off.
“Rose!”
Doubts forgotten, C.J. tore after her sister.
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The krylock had made a lunge for Rose, and instinctively she had jumped back; only to have her foot plunge into thin air. The scream had burst from her throat as she fell, rolling roughly down the cliff side before coming to rest on a small outcrop just below. Gasping, Rose staggered to her feet, pressed her back against the wall. Her mask had been torn off during the tumble, but her grip on her Hunts-Staff was still tight.
“Rose!”
Rose heard Tory shout her name; over the roar of her own heart, it didn’t strike her as odd that her two sisters were there. She could see them, scrambling onto the cliff, and then Tory was over her, eyes wide and desperate. “Rose! Are you okay?”
“Tory! Tory, you gotta get out of here!”
“What?”
“The krylock! The… behind you!”
Tory whirled around then, and the claws that had been arching through the air met her Hunts-Staff as she slashed it through the air between her and the demon. The creature hissed, its tail beginning to weave intricate patterns just behind it; the venomous tip quivered, preparing to strike. Tory’s eyes widened.
A green energy beam whipped through the air, smashing into the krylock’s head; this beam was also followed by a rock, which bonked the krylock’s muzzle as it turned its head away from Tory, snarling.
“Come on, krylock! Come on, come over here!”
C.J. threw another rock, deciding not to waste an energy blast; this one zoomed right into the krylock’s chest. With a snarl of fury, the creature scuttled towards C.J.
Tory rolled back over onto her belly, and her fingers interlaced with Rose’s; the older girl pulled her up, giving Rose a moment to catch her breath, before they both ran after the krylock.
With a snarl, the krylock lashed its head towards C.J.; its teeth closed on her Hunts-Staff, jerking it from her hands and snapping it neatly in two.
“C.J.!”
Her head swung up at Rose’s call; taking the opportunity, the krylock lowered its head and head-butted her in the stomach. The momentum of the attack threw C.J. back, slamming her brutally against a tree. She slumped to the ground with a soft moan. Tongue flicking in the air, the krylock hovered over her.
There was a shout, and Tory slammed into the krylock’s side. The momentum of her attack knocked the demon away from her sister, and Rose fell to her knees next to C.J., shaking her desperately. “C.J.? C.J., come on! You gotta wake up!”
Tory whacked the krylock with her Staff, side-stepping quickly. The creature snarled and lashed out with one claw, and she jumped aside. Gasping, she risked a quick glance over her shoulder at her sisters. She did not see the krylock’s tail whoosh through the air until it slashed her stomach.
With a scream, Tory stumbled back, and the venomous tip ripped across her belly in a long, shallow wound. But it did not need to be deep to inject venom.
The krylock knocked the weakening Tory aside with a claw, and with a snarl it began scuttling over to Rose and C.J.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Rose heard Tory scream, and shooting a look over her shoulder, saw her older sister crumble to the ground when the krylock knocked her aside. She gasped as the creature began to make its way over to her and C.J. Desperately she turned back to her sister, nearly weeping with relief when she saw C.J.’s eyes were half-opened, a dazed look darkening her chocolate brown eyes. She blinked, moaning.
“C.J.,” Rose pleaded. “C.J., snap out of it!”
Rose’s voice slashed through the fog inside C.J.’s head, but she could not focus; her vision was dimmed, grayed, and she blinked again, trying to shake the smoke and fog out of her eyes.
“C.J.! C.J., please!”
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
When she’d been thirteen, on her first solo mission, Tory had gone down on an electric fence. She hadn’t meant to—she’d been aiming for a gremlin, but the nasty little thing had wriggled out of her grip, and she’d lost her balance.
The impact had burned like fire and knocked her senseless, and when she’d gotten her senses back a moment later, she’d felt numb and shaky.
That was what the krylock venom was like. Even as fire blazed to life beneath her skin, Tory could already feel numbness beginning to spread, racing through her bloodstream and pumping into every muscle of her body. She reached out, weakly closed her fingers around her Hunts-Staff. Fighting nausea, she lifted her head, gasping, and saw the krylock beginning to weave its way over to her sisters. She saw Rose shoot a fearful glance over her shoulder, before she turned back to C.J.
Protect them. It was the only clear thought in her numbing mind. She looked around, trying to figure out what could be done from her rapidly deteriorating condition.
Tory saw cracks beginning to web through the ground of the cliff edge, and something clicked. Where she and the krylock were, the ground was only loose soil held together by rocks. Where C.J. and Rose were was more solid ground, anchored by both rocks and tree roots. The fighting was weakening the cliff edge.
Struggling up onto her knees, Tory gripped her Hunts-Staff with both hands, and slammed the blade into one of the larger cracks with all her strength, yanking it free just as a loud crack thundered through the air.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“Tory,” Rose whispered.
As C.J. had started to sit up, resting a hand to her temple, Rose had heard the crack. She had whirled around just in time to see the cliff lurch.
The krylock froze, its tongue flicking in and out of its mouth rapidly as it tried to figure out what was happening. Its cold yellows eyes widened with a snarl. The ground lurched beneath it once again, knocking it back, and Rose saw the cliff edge beginning to sink.
“Tory!”
Her sister looked up at her cry; she was still on her knees, her Hunts-Staff braced against the ground. She was panting, and her grip on her Hunts-Staff tightened as the ground lurched once again beneath her. In her eyes was no fear, only sorrow.
“TORY!”
The loose soil began to crumble, and Rose and C.J. could only stare, horrified, as the very cliff seemed to collapse right in front of them. The krylock’s snarls of fury turned into shrieks of terror as it staggered. The loose soil crumbled beneath it and it fell, its claws scarring the earth one last time before it disappeared over the edge.
And just like that, it was over. The cliff edge had collapsed, leaving C.J. and Rose huddled on the very edge. A few loose rocks rolled gently down the slope. The roar slowly faded away into silent nothingness.
And Tory was gone.
End chapter 4
Yes, I'm evil.... I'm very, very evil...
If there was any other sound that could stop her heart and make her blood freeze, Tory hadn’t heard it yet. Without hesitation, she took off.
“Rose!”
Doubts forgotten, C.J. tore after her sister.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The krylock had made a lunge for Rose, and instinctively she had jumped back; only to have her foot plunge into thin air. The scream had burst from her throat as she fell, rolling roughly down the cliff side before coming to rest on a small outcrop just below. Gasping, Rose staggered to her feet, pressed her back against the wall. Her mask had been torn off during the tumble, but her grip on her Hunts-Staff was still tight.
“Rose!”
Rose heard Tory shout her name; over the roar of her own heart, it didn’t strike her as odd that her two sisters were there. She could see them, scrambling onto the cliff, and then Tory was over her, eyes wide and desperate. “Rose! Are you okay?”
“Tory! Tory, you gotta get out of here!”
“What?”
“The krylock! The… behind you!”
Tory whirled around then, and the claws that had been arching through the air met her Hunts-Staff as she slashed it through the air between her and the demon. The creature hissed, its tail beginning to weave intricate patterns just behind it; the venomous tip quivered, preparing to strike. Tory’s eyes widened.
A green energy beam whipped through the air, smashing into the krylock’s head; this beam was also followed by a rock, which bonked the krylock’s muzzle as it turned its head away from Tory, snarling.
“Come on, krylock! Come on, come over here!”
C.J. threw another rock, deciding not to waste an energy blast; this one zoomed right into the krylock’s chest. With a snarl of fury, the creature scuttled towards C.J.
Tory rolled back over onto her belly, and her fingers interlaced with Rose’s; the older girl pulled her up, giving Rose a moment to catch her breath, before they both ran after the krylock.
With a snarl, the krylock lashed its head towards C.J.; its teeth closed on her Hunts-Staff, jerking it from her hands and snapping it neatly in two.
“C.J.!”
Her head swung up at Rose’s call; taking the opportunity, the krylock lowered its head and head-butted her in the stomach. The momentum of the attack threw C.J. back, slamming her brutally against a tree. She slumped to the ground with a soft moan. Tongue flicking in the air, the krylock hovered over her.
There was a shout, and Tory slammed into the krylock’s side. The momentum of her attack knocked the demon away from her sister, and Rose fell to her knees next to C.J., shaking her desperately. “C.J.? C.J., come on! You gotta wake up!”
Tory whacked the krylock with her Staff, side-stepping quickly. The creature snarled and lashed out with one claw, and she jumped aside. Gasping, she risked a quick glance over her shoulder at her sisters. She did not see the krylock’s tail whoosh through the air until it slashed her stomach.
With a scream, Tory stumbled back, and the venomous tip ripped across her belly in a long, shallow wound. But it did not need to be deep to inject venom.
The krylock knocked the weakening Tory aside with a claw, and with a snarl it began scuttling over to Rose and C.J.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Rose heard Tory scream, and shooting a look over her shoulder, saw her older sister crumble to the ground when the krylock knocked her aside. She gasped as the creature began to make its way over to her and C.J. Desperately she turned back to her sister, nearly weeping with relief when she saw C.J.’s eyes were half-opened, a dazed look darkening her chocolate brown eyes. She blinked, moaning.
“C.J.,” Rose pleaded. “C.J., snap out of it!”
Rose’s voice slashed through the fog inside C.J.’s head, but she could not focus; her vision was dimmed, grayed, and she blinked again, trying to shake the smoke and fog out of her eyes.
“C.J.! C.J., please!”
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
When she’d been thirteen, on her first solo mission, Tory had gone down on an electric fence. She hadn’t meant to—she’d been aiming for a gremlin, but the nasty little thing had wriggled out of her grip, and she’d lost her balance.
The impact had burned like fire and knocked her senseless, and when she’d gotten her senses back a moment later, she’d felt numb and shaky.
That was what the krylock venom was like. Even as fire blazed to life beneath her skin, Tory could already feel numbness beginning to spread, racing through her bloodstream and pumping into every muscle of her body. She reached out, weakly closed her fingers around her Hunts-Staff. Fighting nausea, she lifted her head, gasping, and saw the krylock beginning to weave its way over to her sisters. She saw Rose shoot a fearful glance over her shoulder, before she turned back to C.J.
Protect them. It was the only clear thought in her numbing mind. She looked around, trying to figure out what could be done from her rapidly deteriorating condition.
Tory saw cracks beginning to web through the ground of the cliff edge, and something clicked. Where she and the krylock were, the ground was only loose soil held together by rocks. Where C.J. and Rose were was more solid ground, anchored by both rocks and tree roots. The fighting was weakening the cliff edge.
Struggling up onto her knees, Tory gripped her Hunts-Staff with both hands, and slammed the blade into one of the larger cracks with all her strength, yanking it free just as a loud crack thundered through the air.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“Tory,” Rose whispered.
As C.J. had started to sit up, resting a hand to her temple, Rose had heard the crack. She had whirled around just in time to see the cliff lurch.
The krylock froze, its tongue flicking in and out of its mouth rapidly as it tried to figure out what was happening. Its cold yellows eyes widened with a snarl. The ground lurched beneath it once again, knocking it back, and Rose saw the cliff edge beginning to sink.
“Tory!”
Her sister looked up at her cry; she was still on her knees, her Hunts-Staff braced against the ground. She was panting, and her grip on her Hunts-Staff tightened as the ground lurched once again beneath her. In her eyes was no fear, only sorrow.
“TORY!”
The loose soil began to crumble, and Rose and C.J. could only stare, horrified, as the very cliff seemed to collapse right in front of them. The krylock’s snarls of fury turned into shrieks of terror as it staggered. The loose soil crumbled beneath it and it fell, its claws scarring the earth one last time before it disappeared over the edge.
And just like that, it was over. The cliff edge had collapsed, leaving C.J. and Rose huddled on the very edge. A few loose rocks rolled gently down the slope. The roar slowly faded away into silent nothingness.
And Tory was gone.
End chapter 4
Yes, I'm evil.... I'm very, very evil...