a scenedrop for my in-progress story, i just really wanted to write this particular scene.
x
It all went to hell so fast.
Rosemilly held my arm in a death grip, eyes wide in fear. "What's going on, Gyn?!"
"No idea!" I responded, nearly yelling back, as I pulled both of us out of the fray. My back hit a tree, driving my breath away, as I was able to clearly see what was going on.
Things. Black, fourlegged, things with tails and spikes, stabbing at those around them. Glittering yellow eyes, red-splatted claws, limbs bent to kill.
I was terrified.
"Rose! Get out of here!" I pushed her away from me, into the treeline. Her wild look of terror was forever burned into my eyes.
No sooner had she started to run had a lancing pincer arched towards my chest - I ducked out of the way, scrambling to my feet to flee. All around me, festival-goers were screaming, shouting, dying. Trying to get away from these things so desperately trying to kill them.
"JACE?!" I shouted, searching frantically. He couldn't be dead. Where was he?!
Something knocked me to the ground, my heading hitting an exposed tree root. Dazed, I stared right into those yellow eyes as its tail came for my throat. I kicked, in vain.
From nowhere, yet everywhere at once, a crossbow bolt sliced through the monster's neck. Blue blood flecked onto my face as a strong hand pulled me from the ground.
The young man whose grip was so crushingly light patted my shoulder as he assessed me. "You'll be fine. Get out of here."
"..I can't leave, not without Jace..!" As he'd turned to leave, another beast had leapt at us - he shot it down with liquid grace.
"Your friend is dead if he hasn't run away yet. Manstra don't leave survivors, unless they're lucky. Get behind me." He shot another one away, reflexively reloading his crossbow.
I hadn't heard a word past 'dead'. I sunk to my knees, despair crawling into my throat. "No..it can't be.."
Blood rushing through my ears drowned everything else out. The arm of a child lay nearby, a scarlet pool forming underneath. The child's blank eyes stared through me - Airal, just earlier running with flowers in her hair, now on the other side.
As soon as it all began, it was over. I could hear again, see more than Airal's dim eyes. A strong grip pulled me up from the ground - Crossbow Boy forced me to my feet.
"Snap out of it. You're alright."
"Ravi, be kinder to him!" His companion, another boy, studied me with worried, ...shifting eyes? "You? Ah, I think he's in shock.."
"Nothing we can.. ah, shit."
While Ravi had spoken, his blond companion held his hand to my forehead. I was too dazed to move it away as he mumbled something. His hand glowed, and the world flashed, once, twice. I stumbled forward, into Ravi. He held me away from him.
"Don't go fainting on me again."
"Where's Jace?! We got separated before the dance..!" My thoughts were scrambled and I could hardly think. Only of Jace. "He was wearing a grey jacket and a-"
"Hush, now. You'll find him. Don't stress yourself out anymore." The blonde smiled somewhat.
"Gyn? Gyn!" I looked over, panicking - oh, by the gods, there he was. Jace was alright!
I ran over to him, and we collided in a bear hug. He held me tight, muttering something I couldn't decipher, again and again and again. "I thought you were dead!"
"And I you!" I pulled away, relieved. I then noticed a stain, dark red, near the edge of his jacket. My eyes flicked to his in worry. "What happened?!"
He looked away, hands in his pockets. "One got me, but someone saved me. It was that guy over there, actually." He gestured to the blond standing by Ravi. He waved at us before speaking with Ravi again.
"I..I'm glad you're alive." I hugged Jace again, my worry melting away. "I don't know about anyone else, though.."
"That's okay, Gyn. It's going to be alright." He reassuringly rubbed my back, his touch light. I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding as he murmured, "Let's head back home, alright?"
I nodded. He pulled me away, and we gently picked our way out of the village square. That didn't stop blood from getting on my boots.
x
It all went to hell so fast.
Rosemilly held my arm in a death grip, eyes wide in fear. "What's going on, Gyn?!"
"No idea!" I responded, nearly yelling back, as I pulled both of us out of the fray. My back hit a tree, driving my breath away, as I was able to clearly see what was going on.
Things. Black, fourlegged, things with tails and spikes, stabbing at those around them. Glittering yellow eyes, red-splatted claws, limbs bent to kill.
I was terrified.
"Rose! Get out of here!" I pushed her away from me, into the treeline. Her wild look of terror was forever burned into my eyes.
No sooner had she started to run had a lancing pincer arched towards my chest - I ducked out of the way, scrambling to my feet to flee. All around me, festival-goers were screaming, shouting, dying. Trying to get away from these things so desperately trying to kill them.
"JACE?!" I shouted, searching frantically. He couldn't be dead. Where was he?!
Something knocked me to the ground, my heading hitting an exposed tree root. Dazed, I stared right into those yellow eyes as its tail came for my throat. I kicked, in vain.
From nowhere, yet everywhere at once, a crossbow bolt sliced through the monster's neck. Blue blood flecked onto my face as a strong hand pulled me from the ground.
The young man whose grip was so crushingly light patted my shoulder as he assessed me. "You'll be fine. Get out of here."
"..I can't leave, not without Jace..!" As he'd turned to leave, another beast had leapt at us - he shot it down with liquid grace.
"Your friend is dead if he hasn't run away yet. Manstra don't leave survivors, unless they're lucky. Get behind me." He shot another one away, reflexively reloading his crossbow.
I hadn't heard a word past 'dead'. I sunk to my knees, despair crawling into my throat. "No..it can't be.."
Blood rushing through my ears drowned everything else out. The arm of a child lay nearby, a scarlet pool forming underneath. The child's blank eyes stared through me - Airal, just earlier running with flowers in her hair, now on the other side.
As soon as it all began, it was over. I could hear again, see more than Airal's dim eyes. A strong grip pulled me up from the ground - Crossbow Boy forced me to my feet.
"Snap out of it. You're alright."
"Ravi, be kinder to him!" His companion, another boy, studied me with worried, ...shifting eyes? "You? Ah, I think he's in shock.."
"Nothing we can.. ah, shit."
While Ravi had spoken, his blond companion held his hand to my forehead. I was too dazed to move it away as he mumbled something. His hand glowed, and the world flashed, once, twice. I stumbled forward, into Ravi. He held me away from him.
"Don't go fainting on me again."
"Where's Jace?! We got separated before the dance..!" My thoughts were scrambled and I could hardly think. Only of Jace. "He was wearing a grey jacket and a-"
"Hush, now. You'll find him. Don't stress yourself out anymore." The blonde smiled somewhat.
"Gyn? Gyn!" I looked over, panicking - oh, by the gods, there he was. Jace was alright!
I ran over to him, and we collided in a bear hug. He held me tight, muttering something I couldn't decipher, again and again and again. "I thought you were dead!"
"And I you!" I pulled away, relieved. I then noticed a stain, dark red, near the edge of his jacket. My eyes flicked to his in worry. "What happened?!"
He looked away, hands in his pockets. "One got me, but someone saved me. It was that guy over there, actually." He gestured to the blond standing by Ravi. He waved at us before speaking with Ravi again.
"I..I'm glad you're alive." I hugged Jace again, my worry melting away. "I don't know about anyone else, though.."
"That's okay, Gyn. It's going to be alright." He reassuringly rubbed my back, his touch light. I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding as he murmured, "Let's head back home, alright?"
I nodded. He pulled me away, and we gently picked our way out of the village square. That didn't stop blood from getting on my boots.
Comments
Log in or register to post comments.