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peopleofthedas2011-01-10 06:17 am
valiasedai) wrote in peopleofthedas2011-01-10 06:17 am
Entry tags:
Where we Stand - Chapter 12
This chapter was harder than it should have been. I blame impending school stress, an urge to cook/bake and the vertigo fairy paying me a visit. Thanks to decantate for the late-night beta when she also has uni starting up again!
Chapter: 12 - The End of All Things
Words: 706
Characters: Erise Caron, Varel
Summary: Erise and the others finally face the Mother, but will the Vigil hold?
Over at FF.net
The Mother screamed and the white tubes around her began to break open. Children crawled out of them, slick with fluid.
Arrows began to pepper the creatures. They writhed and hissed around the shafts that pinned them, and she crushed their heads beneath her feet. The Mother shrieked again as Anders engulfed one of her tentacles in flame.
Erise stumbled forward, vision blurring at the edges as she drew near to the Mother. The broodmother hissed, spittle sputtering out from exposed yellow teeth. A spiked tentacle swung at her, but Erise met the appendage with steel, cutting it almost in two. Every movement felt heavy, slow, but the Mother couldn't run.
With a final rush of energy, Erise drew her sword back and swung with every bit of strength she could muster. The blade bit into the junction of neck and shoulder. The Mother's pained howl was stopped almost as it began as Erise's steel continued to tear through bone and flesh. Erise let out a yell and thrust her weight against the blade, drawing it deeper into the Mother and red-black blood flowed freely over white-grey breasts.
When the frenzied twitching finally stopped, Erise held her breath. The Mother's body slumped.
Long moments passed before Erise drew air again. Her knees collapsed and her own shoulders gave under the weight of thick plate. She drew gasping breaths as tears stung her eyes. Every inch of her was shaking from relief and exhaustion, and she felt as though she'd never move again, but it was over.
**********
The gate had collapsed only a day ago, but it felt like an eternity.
Varel leaned against a wall, hands on his knees as he gasped. His arms and legs burned with the effort of countless hours in battle, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd rested. Something in his gut told him it was the beginning of the end. They men had given ground only when blood had been spilled, and they pushed themselves beyond any of their officers' expectations. There were only so many, no matter how valiant, and the numbers grew fewer by the hour.
There was no word Amaranthine and no help from Denerim. He had been certain Erise would be back by now, hopeful that Denerim would send something, anything.
"They're making another push!"
The thought of exerting himself any further made his limbs tremble, but Varel pushed himself away from the wall and stumbled back towards the sound of battle. He would fight.
*********
Erise shivered and held her hands out to the fire. The heat stung her cold skin and she rubbed her hands together to stimulate the blood. Anders and Nathaniel were hunched close to the flames as well, while Justice sat several feet away.
No one had spoken since she had killed the Mother. She didn't know what to say. The victory had come at such a cost she couldn't say they'd won.
"Who takes first watch?"
Justice let out a quiet grunt and glowered at the mage. "You know I do not require sleep."
The blonde shrugged. "Thought it'd be polite to ask."
Erise watched as the mage and Nathaniel wrapped themselves in their cloaks and settled around the fire.
Justice nodded at her once. "You may sleep as well, Commander."
Her instinct towards the fade spirit was still revulsion and she swallowed hard before gathering a reply. "Call me Erise." The shadow of a smile ghosted across Justice's face. "Anders, Nathaniel, the same for you. What we've been through – we're past titles." The mage murmured something she couldn't quite make out and Nathaniel appeared to already be asleep.
Too heavily armored to properly sleep and too tired and clumsy-fingered to undo straps, Erise closed her eyes and bowed her head. With each rise and fall of breath, she silently prayed to the Maker to forgive her sins.
Each one was counted in the tainted blood of an innocent.
decantate for the late-night beta when she also has uni starting up again!Chapter: 12 - The End of All Things
Words: 706
Characters: Erise Caron, Varel
Summary: Erise and the others finally face the Mother, but will the Vigil hold?
Over at FF.net
The Mother screamed and the white tubes around her began to break open. Children crawled out of them, slick with fluid.
Arrows began to pepper the creatures. They writhed and hissed around the shafts that pinned them, and she crushed their heads beneath her feet. The Mother shrieked again as Anders engulfed one of her tentacles in flame.
Erise stumbled forward, vision blurring at the edges as she drew near to the Mother. The broodmother hissed, spittle sputtering out from exposed yellow teeth. A spiked tentacle swung at her, but Erise met the appendage with steel, cutting it almost in two. Every movement felt heavy, slow, but the Mother couldn't run.
With a final rush of energy, Erise drew her sword back and swung with every bit of strength she could muster. The blade bit into the junction of neck and shoulder. The Mother's pained howl was stopped almost as it began as Erise's steel continued to tear through bone and flesh. Erise let out a yell and thrust her weight against the blade, drawing it deeper into the Mother and red-black blood flowed freely over white-grey breasts.
When the frenzied twitching finally stopped, Erise held her breath. The Mother's body slumped.
Long moments passed before Erise drew air again. Her knees collapsed and her own shoulders gave under the weight of thick plate. She drew gasping breaths as tears stung her eyes. Every inch of her was shaking from relief and exhaustion, and she felt as though she'd never move again, but it was over.
**********
The gate had collapsed only a day ago, but it felt like an eternity.
Varel leaned against a wall, hands on his knees as he gasped. His arms and legs burned with the effort of countless hours in battle, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd rested. Something in his gut told him it was the beginning of the end. They men had given ground only when blood had been spilled, and they pushed themselves beyond any of their officers' expectations. There were only so many, no matter how valiant, and the numbers grew fewer by the hour.
There was no word Amaranthine and no help from Denerim. He had been certain Erise would be back by now, hopeful that Denerim would send something, anything.
"They're making another push!"
The thought of exerting himself any further made his limbs tremble, but Varel pushed himself away from the wall and stumbled back towards the sound of battle. He would fight.
*********
Erise shivered and held her hands out to the fire. The heat stung her cold skin and she rubbed her hands together to stimulate the blood. Anders and Nathaniel were hunched close to the flames as well, while Justice sat several feet away.
All of them had barely managed to drag themselves out of the ruins and out of the bone-filled wasteland surrounding it. They were sheltered in a tiny clearing just off the main road and the cold drizzle barely managed its way down through the towering pines.
No one had spoken since she had killed the Mother. She didn't know what to say. The victory had come at such a cost she couldn't say they'd won.
"Who takes first watch?"
Justice let out a quiet grunt and glowered at the mage. "You know I do not require sleep."
The blonde shrugged. "Thought it'd be polite to ask."
Erise watched as the mage and Nathaniel wrapped themselves in their cloaks and settled around the fire.
Justice nodded at her once. "You may sleep as well, Commander."
Her instinct towards the fade spirit was still revulsion and she swallowed hard before gathering a reply. "Call me Erise." The shadow of a smile ghosted across Justice's face. "Anders, Nathaniel, the same for you. What we've been through – we're past titles." The mage murmured something she couldn't quite make out and Nathaniel appeared to already be asleep.
Too heavily armored to properly sleep and too tired and clumsy-fingered to undo straps, Erise closed her eyes and bowed her head. With each rise and fall of breath, she silently prayed to the Maker to forgive her sins.
Each one was counted in the tainted blood of an innocent.