"The Lady, of course. Can't you see her? She's right the-"
Rogelio stopped in his tracks as his ears shot up and turned back toward the doorway. Soon enough Miroslaw heard to, the mechanical clanking of footsteps only those spider things could make.
Within the next moment, two squeezed through the entrance with deadly intent. Miroslaw recognized one immediately as one of the sentinels from before, but the other looked different entirely; a blue orb was in place of a red and rather than sharp clamps its hands were sharpened blue crystals attached to a metal piece.
With a sharp whine, a spark of energy crackled out of one the minerals and lashed out at Rogelio, giving him little time to react. Lucky for the warrior's little companion, the rust heap had poor aim and only left a scorch mark at the foot of the rat. Still, Rogelio didn't think to give the machine another chance and scurried away with the blue eye giving chase and firing off another lash of energy.
In the meantime, Miroslaw's familiar foe decided to challenge him with arms raised. With a quick step forward, the spider jabbed toward the warrior's abdomen with closed claw.
[You get to decide whether or not this attack hits you.]
Miroslaw wondered by Rogelio had stopped mid sentence. He stayed silent, and soon he knew why. The familiar sound sent shivers down his spine. Immediately, he draws his sword. The fear quickly set in and beads of sweat formed in his face. As the two machines enter the room, Miroslaw is frozen, unable to move. He noticed the difference in the machines almost immediately. The familiar red gem was present in one of the spiders, but not the other. He thought it would surely be a significant observation.
Sure enough, the new spider... shot lightning. As it shot lightning out of its horn at Rogelio, Miroslaw tried to tell him to run. Before he could utter a sound, the other spider had lunged at him. He managed to escape from his frozen state in time to move his sword to block the strike. Unfortunately, the strength of the spider was more impressive than he anticipated and sent him back into the wall. His head slammed against the barrier, dazing him. His eyes became fuzzy and his ears seemed to stop working.
Through the haze, he attempted to strike back at the creature, thrusting his sword forward into the spider's head. His movements were lethargic and poorly aimed. Miroslaw knew he had to continue striking until his mind cleared the fog left by the impact. Its easier to put the creature on the defensive than try to defend with a dazed state.
Death is no more than turning us over from time to eternity. Whether that eternity is damnation or salvation is determined in the time we have.
Miroslaw hit hard against one of the panels against the wall, activating a series of broken switches. Whether or not they had any effect was not important at the moment as the sentinel came back to finish the job.
The warrior attempted to strike at his metal foe, but this one was more skilled than its brethren from before. On the first strike, the spider managed to parry the sword away with a metal clamp before getting a hold of it, trying to wrestle it away from Miroslaw.
Blasts of energy could be heard bouncing around the room as Rogelio jumped all around the room with lighting at his tail. The blue eyed sentinel was ripping the place apart.
The capsule from before suddenly emitted a red glow and filled with an even more powerful surge of power than before. Then there was the disembodied scream of a woman.
Miroslaw's wits came back to him as the spider was attempting to rip his sword from his grip. He pulled his right knee up to his chest and drove his foot forward into the spider's head. At the same time, he pulled with all his strength to try and loose his sword from the spider's grasp. As he did so, he heard the horrible shriek. However, this did not stop him. He would stop at nothing to get his weapon back. He would continue slamming his foot into the spider's head a few more times to try and force it to release his sword.
Death is no more than turning us over from time to eternity. Whether that eternity is damnation or salvation is determined in the time we have.
With repeated kicks to its face plate the sentinel backed away in a daze and with a loss of balance. It let go of Miroslaw's sword as well.
In the moment, the warrior came to realize that the room was being ripped apart and several of the old machines had caught fire due to the reckless abandon of the magic spewing sentinel trying to catch the rat.
Rogelio stopped short of the capsule, stomped for a moment as to which way to run now. With a crackle, his chaser shot out another lash of lightning that ripped the hard floor in front of it. Rogelio jumped out of the way with only some hairs singed, and watched as the magic attack destroyed the capsule. The glass erupted and the water from the tank rushed to the ground.
When it recovered from its stun, Miroslaw's spider jabbed a sharp claw straight toward his head.
(So, at the start of the adventure, I pictured Miroslaw having his bow, as he always does. I think I forgot about it at some point... If you think it is a bit of a stretch to have the bow, just go as if I didn't have it. Sorry...)
Miroslaw regained control of his sword and had a very brief moment to take in what was happening around him. The room was being dismantled and hopelessness was setting in. This was furthered as the capsule was shattered. He felt whatever resided in that container was somehow critical to his escape from this wretched place. His anger instantly boiled over at the sight.
With a swift dodge to the left of the claw, he followed with a full force charge into the spider. He let his sword, that he had just finished desperately fighting for, drop to the ground. He found a grip on the spider's underside with both his hands as he pushed forward with his charge. He lifted the spider with all his might, attempting to use the force from the charge as well as his raw strength to send it flying onto its back in the direction of the lightning spider.
If the spider was as light as he hoped, he would get some distance on the throw. This would buy him time to retrieve his bow from his back and try it out on these mechanical beings. The piercing power may be enough to get through the metal beings, but he was not certain of what real impairment would be done. He would set his sights on the one shooting lightning and aimed for, what he assumed to be, the power source. That unnatural, glowing blue crystal on its head! He would give as much time as he could to lining up the shot before loosing the arrow.
Death is no more than turning us over from time to eternity. Whether that eternity is damnation or salvation is determined in the time we have.
Just as Rogelio was cornered, surrounded by ripped sheets of metal and flaming wrecks, the lightning shooter whizzed up a killing blow before being swept aside by its companion hitting it hard on the side. Miroslaw's monstrous strength was more than enough to lift and toss the metal creature with ease and slam it against its companion.
The sentinels squirmed and clanked as their jumbled bodies kept bumping into each other from the floor, giving Miroslaw enough time to retrieve his ranged weapon. With such an easy target, coupled with great skill and strength, the warrior's arrow found its mark and shattered the lightning shooter's eye making it go limp.
Within the next second, an explosion of energy ruptured its body and tore the melee sentinel apart sending flying pieces of hot metal everywhere.
The shock wave was enough to deliver the final blow to the room and the ceiling was beginning to collapse. The capsule was empty, but Rogelio desperately sniffed at the water as if looking for something.
Miroslaw was pleasantly surprised by how light-weight the metal creature turned out to be. With the results, he had more than enough time to launch a perfectly aimed arrow that yielded a striking outcome.
As the spiders exploded, he instinctively moved his arms to shield his face from the debris. It was extremely satisfying to finally destroy two of these pests. However, despite the staggering results, the aftermath was not entirely positive. He witnessed the ceiling crumbling down by where the spiders were and the entire integrity of the room diminishing before him. His eyes grew wide at the sight as he jumped into action.
As the room began to crumble, he grabs his sword and sprints for the exit. As he ran he sheaths his sword and bow. His sights leave the door leading to safety long enough to notice his rodent friend. He shouts at him, “Time to go, Rogelio!” He swoops by and attempts to pick up his friend on his way to the exit. He cared little of what he was doing. He did not intend to be buried alive nor unaccompanied by his source of an potential escape from this hell.
Death is no more than turning us over from time to eternity. Whether that eternity is damnation or salvation is determined in the time we have.
Miroslaw picked up a reluctant Rogelio as he made his way to the exit, just dodging bits of falling debris on the way out. Seconds after getting past the door the ceiling had completely fallen and buried whatever was left of the machinery inside.
The moment he felt they were both safe, Rogelio slipped from the warrior's grip and scurried back to the rubble, scratching at bits here and there as if to see if there was a way back inside, "Pretty lady..."
Rogelio just sat there a moment, waiting, like a dog seeking its owner.
The commotion, however, did not fall on deaf ears as it likely sounded through many floors and the hallways surrounding Miroslaw. The warrior realized this when, on the far end of the hall they were currently in, a round door etched into the wall suddenly opened and spewed a sentinel.
It was one of the shooter variants with the blue eye glowing and set its sight on Miroslaw. With a loud crack it shot out a bolt of lightning straight at the warrior but missed horribly from the considerable farther distance.
After narrowly escaping being crushed to death, Miroslaw was out of breath and angry. He looked back to the caved in room as Rogelio scratched at the stones. He wondered why he was so stuck on that pretty woman. He felt safe to assume, whatever the pretty woman was, she wasn't anymore.He simply stated, “The lady is buried under a ton of rocks, Rogelio.”
He scarcely had time to finish his sentence before he noticed the spider at the end of the hallway. He screamed in anger at the sight, reaching for his bow. He launched an arrow at the spider, aiming for the horn that shot the lightning. He yelled with urgency in his tone, “Rogelio! We need to leave, now!”
Death is no more than turning us over from time to eternity. Whether that eternity is damnation or salvation is determined in the time we have.
The arrow bolted as fast as lightning and struck the horn of the guardian as it prepared to fire again. The stun was significant enough that the creature spun the energy uncontrollably as it wrapped around and destroyed itself, sending electrified bits everywhere.
Before Miroslaw could feel triumph in his victory, another wall panel flew open just behind him and a new bolt thrower stood between he and Rogelio. The rat looked up in surprise as the blue orb looked on it and sparks flew from the horn.
The hum of energy crescendo'd and Rogelio stood there frozen in fear as the sound of his death rang through his ears; he hadn't even noticed that a puddle of water had been forming at his feet.
Just as the spider was going to fire the water surrounding them jumped to life and engulfed the sentinel, trapping him in a bubble. When it fired its weapon, the electricity coursed all around itself draining it of life. It trembled and became lifeless as the light from its eye grew dim.
The water became a puddle again, leaving the spider to fall haphazardly to the ground. Then as it lay calm for a few seconds, the water began to rise and take a shape.
A water elemental, a rare sight among the common folk and just another oddity in this realm of horrors. Miroslaw did not know much else about these creatures other than whispers and rumons, and that this one took the shape of a woman. Rogelio was jumping for joy.
"Pretty lady! You're alive!" the rat boy said as he tried to hug her leg though she wasn't completely solid.
"That I am, my little Rogelio," her voice rang like a harp and the current of her body continuously moved from her toes all the way to the wave of her hair. "And I have you to thank for that, human." she said to Miroslaw.
"Rogelio had neither the strength or knowledge of these machines to remove me from captivity."
As the arrow caused the spiders destruction, a small smile formed on Miroslaw's face. He had finally found a way to destroy these horrible beings! The thrill was short lived as yet another spider appeared behind him. He was slow to react, and its aim was at his rat friend, Rogelio! As he turned, it was as if it all happened in slow motion. He knew he was not going to make it before Rogelio was fried. As the lightning charged, he strung another arrow in his bow and turned around as fast as he could.
It was in that moment that he saw something unlike anything he has seen before, apart from magic. Water rose up and encased the spider just as the lightning was firing off at the rat. If it were not for this mysterious water, the rat would be dead. With his arrow drawn, Miroslaw began backing away from the scene. He was not certain of where this water was coming from, nor the... nature of it. He could be encased in water next.
As he was backing away in fear, the water dissipated and dropped the, now lifeless, robot to the ground. Moments later, the water rose into another shape. It was of a strangely beautiful woman. Miroslaw was not sure of whether he should be in awe or panic. He knew he stood no chance against a being made up of water. He had nothing but physical weapons. His sight was entirely fixated on the woman before him that he did not notice Rogelio's happiness.
Just as the terror he felt was nearing a level that would cause most to flee, he heard the rat call the elemental “pretty lady”. It was then that he realized this was the water from in the capsule, and the subject of much of Rogelio's words. Perhaps this elemental was friendly and another ally in this dark, demented place. His fears were further reduced as the woman spoke. Her voice was that of angel having a heightened effect with consideration to the grim setting.
Miroslaw canceled his drawn bow, lowering the weapon and replying to the elemental's approval, “Umm... yo... you're welcome.” His voice was tense and hesitant. Perhaps she knew the way out, but Miroslaw was too fearful to ask a favor of such a mighty creature.
Last Edit: Jan 20, 2014 20:56:03 GMT -5 by Miroslaw
Death is no more than turning us over from time to eternity. Whether that eternity is damnation or salvation is determined in the time we have.
The elemental sensed the tension in Miroslaw and appeared amused.
"Oh I missed you humans, so much fun to toy with. I'll probably steal a child as soon as I leave this forsaken place and watch a family run around my lake for several hours." Whether she joked or not, Miroslaw couldn't tell. Either way, creepy.
A tremor began to be felt where they stood and bits of the ceiling dropped around them. It seemed a chain reaction had started and the hallway would be the next to go after the room Miroslaw was just in.
"We should leave this floor before it becomes part of the ruin. Follow me."
The elemental took a liquid form and rushed into one of the wall panels the sentinels kept popping out of. A few seconds later the water rushed back out and returned to femininity.
"Oh, right, you can't do that. Apologies, being stuck in a glass pod all these years does things to the mind. I got feel for where we need to go, however, follow me!"
Her lower body became as rushing water and the elemental glided along the floors as she showed Miroslaw and Rogelio the way out. As they ran the hall behind them began to cave in. It were as if this place wanted to swallow them whole before dying. Navigating through rubble and ruin, the elemental eventually led the adventurer to a stairwell that went to the next floor.
They found themselves in a very humid corridor with long pipes running along the walls and ceiling that hissed steam. Miroslaw could feel droplets of water falling on his head. The corridor was lit well enough to see several doors along the way and one at the very end.
The elemental touched one of the pipes with a mournful gaze about her. She appeared as if debating whether or not to destroy it.
"How did you find yourself here, human? I doubt Rogelio brought you down from the surface. He wouldn't have survived the way up."
Miroslaw's tension would not be eased by the elemental's comment. He could not decipher whether it was a jest or said in a serious manner. From the small bits he heard of such creatures, he guessed it was the latter of the two.
Miroslaw felt the tremors and knew the situation grew more dire by the seconds. Sentinels crawled from every direction. That is when he heard the elemental speak and leave in a way he could not. His heart nearly stopped at the sight. For not more than a moment, he thought he was done for. Then, the elemental came back. However, Relief did not come to Miroslaw. Time was still short as the elemental lead the way.
As they came to the second floor, Miroslaw felt relatively risk-free considering he just scarcely escaped being crushed to death. He was huffing a bit after the sprint to safety. As he observed the new setting, he still did not like the scene. It did not look like he was any closer to being free. His hope relied on the rat and the elemental. The rat seemed less helpful than the elemental, but the elemental seemed less.... friendly.
He responded to the water's inquiry, “I was thrown down here by a strange... room... controlled by a crystal.” He found it difficult to explain, and paused oddly in his speech as a result. He found the latter part of her talking a bit on the eerie side. Was there something else besides the unusual spiders perhaps?
Death is no more than turning us over from time to eternity. Whether that eternity is damnation or salvation is determined in the time we have.
"That wicked machine is still alive then? Good, I wanted to destroy it myself."
In the blink of an eye the elemental slashed open the top of one of the pipes with her arm, letting out a rush of steam that would have scalded anyone else were they in her position.
"My sisters and I control the steam that powers this wretched place, against our will. I only hope that they still yet live given that time has not been kind to this dungeon and its masters have long gone. I must see to them."
Her form changed again to something more fluid and rushed into the opening she had made.
"Find your way out, human. Rogelio can help you see the surface again."
"Wait, my lady!"
"Don't worry, little one, you're sure to see me again soon enough."
Rogelio tried to follow her into the pipe, but the steam was too much and she had already streamed away.
Miroslaw could see a door at the end of the corridor and two parallel to each other in the middle. The steam shot high enough for him to simply duck under and press on. Rogelio appeared dismayed at having to see his friend go so soon.