Re: The Gradual Massacre (GBS2G4) [Round 3: Las Orbitas]
08-02-2011, 07:37 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by MrGuy.
The rain pounded against the stone walls of Xezzelbrum Hofstot Academy, so heavily as to seem like it could break down the building at any moment. On the second floor, Holly Tallbirch nursed a drink while copying down a paper in the dim candlelight. A few other students were seated at the table with her, similarly occupied. She silently mouthed each word as she inked it onto the paper. Suddenly, she raised her head in surprise.
The noise of rain hitting the ground and the walls had ceased, replaced by the crackling of an especially large fire. The elf rushed to the window with the rest of the students to find fire smashing against the walls, coming down just like the rain before it. Holly turned to see an empty hall, already full of encroaching flames. She dropped to the floor, shivering with fear, but it fell to pieces beneath her, dumping her into a endless void, where all she could feel was scratching claws and gnashing teeth surrounding her.
-------------------------------------
Holly woke up in a cold sweat with a pounding headache, though whether this was a result of the previous night's cocktails or the screeching and shouting going on outside, she couldn't say. Regardless, she staggered out of bed and began putting her dress on, scowling at Algernon, still asleep in her bed. Moron can't even wake up for a swarm of--
The elf blinked, and was suddenly struck by a wave of panic at the realization that Ouroborous had shown up. She dashed outside, and sure enough, there it was: a massive swarm of what was unmistakeably the same little bastards, and yet clearly different. Even in the chaos, as she fired bursts of nothing made from the fear hanging in the air, as swords and guns fired off wildly into the horrible mass of bugs, as the crunch of bones and screams of victims filled the air, Holly could tell – these ones were faster, more vicious than before.
Regardless, the villagers' assault was doing close to nothing to thin the bugs' numbers. They descended on James Till, the zombie who ran the restaurant down the street; on Ruby, the only reason Holly hadn't lost any semblance of rational thought by now; on Xzxzoxz, the disk-shaped robot whose constant whirring overhead as it patrolled for troublemakers had always been a comfort to the people of Fernwood. The Ouroborites ripped everything in their path that was edible to shreds, and several things that weren't, leaving splintered wood, torn metal and shattered bones in their wake, and soon enough, they descended on the elf, who was cornered and on the ground, shaking and emotionally spent.
The fangs buried under her skin, letting out a horrible pain, like a thousand needles dipped in acid. Blood dripped from her wounds, spattering on the ground and on the bones once belonging to Erik the Swordsman; tiny patches of flesh fell after them, only to be scooped up by straggling bugs. Holly suddenly became aware that she was no longer afraid; rather, she was furious at the fact that only when she finally decided to care about others (or at least pretend to especially hard), only then was she going to die, and in such a horrible manner, a preposterous mockery of karma--
A massive pillar of flame burst into the air. Holly gasped for breath and began shooting searing flames at the remaining ouroborites as they spun through the air; for a moment, it seemed like they were almost dead. Then a shout rang out from the other side of the village, and more began approaching; with much longer bodies, twisting and undulating, they quickly dodged all assaults and began wrapping around the legs of the villagers, gnawing dutifully, reducing everything below the knee to bone. Quickly, the inhabitants of Fernwood changed tactics to compensate; rushing around, taking the high ground where possible, exposing themselves to the airborne strain to avoid the snake-like ones. Unfortunately, no matter what they did, more and more of the bugs kept coming, tearing into innocent flesh, coating the boardwalk in red and white, green and blue, black and silver, spilling fluids and skeletons. The screech grew louder and louder in intensity, coming from all directions, as the great swarm closed in more and more tightly around the town.
The rain pounded against the stone walls of Xezzelbrum Hofstot Academy, so heavily as to seem like it could break down the building at any moment. On the second floor, Holly Tallbirch nursed a drink while copying down a paper in the dim candlelight. A few other students were seated at the table with her, similarly occupied. She silently mouthed each word as she inked it onto the paper. Suddenly, she raised her head in surprise.
The noise of rain hitting the ground and the walls had ceased, replaced by the crackling of an especially large fire. The elf rushed to the window with the rest of the students to find fire smashing against the walls, coming down just like the rain before it. Holly turned to see an empty hall, already full of encroaching flames. She dropped to the floor, shivering with fear, but it fell to pieces beneath her, dumping her into a endless void, where all she could feel was scratching claws and gnashing teeth surrounding her.
-------------------------------------
Holly woke up in a cold sweat with a pounding headache, though whether this was a result of the previous night's cocktails or the screeching and shouting going on outside, she couldn't say. Regardless, she staggered out of bed and began putting her dress on, scowling at Algernon, still asleep in her bed. Moron can't even wake up for a swarm of--
The elf blinked, and was suddenly struck by a wave of panic at the realization that Ouroborous had shown up. She dashed outside, and sure enough, there it was: a massive swarm of what was unmistakeably the same little bastards, and yet clearly different. Even in the chaos, as she fired bursts of nothing made from the fear hanging in the air, as swords and guns fired off wildly into the horrible mass of bugs, as the crunch of bones and screams of victims filled the air, Holly could tell – these ones were faster, more vicious than before.
Regardless, the villagers' assault was doing close to nothing to thin the bugs' numbers. They descended on James Till, the zombie who ran the restaurant down the street; on Ruby, the only reason Holly hadn't lost any semblance of rational thought by now; on Xzxzoxz, the disk-shaped robot whose constant whirring overhead as it patrolled for troublemakers had always been a comfort to the people of Fernwood. The Ouroborites ripped everything in their path that was edible to shreds, and several things that weren't, leaving splintered wood, torn metal and shattered bones in their wake, and soon enough, they descended on the elf, who was cornered and on the ground, shaking and emotionally spent.
The fangs buried under her skin, letting out a horrible pain, like a thousand needles dipped in acid. Blood dripped from her wounds, spattering on the ground and on the bones once belonging to Erik the Swordsman; tiny patches of flesh fell after them, only to be scooped up by straggling bugs. Holly suddenly became aware that she was no longer afraid; rather, she was furious at the fact that only when she finally decided to care about others (or at least pretend to especially hard), only then was she going to die, and in such a horrible manner, a preposterous mockery of karma--
A massive pillar of flame burst into the air. Holly gasped for breath and began shooting searing flames at the remaining ouroborites as they spun through the air; for a moment, it seemed like they were almost dead. Then a shout rang out from the other side of the village, and more began approaching; with much longer bodies, twisting and undulating, they quickly dodged all assaults and began wrapping around the legs of the villagers, gnawing dutifully, reducing everything below the knee to bone. Quickly, the inhabitants of Fernwood changed tactics to compensate; rushing around, taking the high ground where possible, exposing themselves to the airborne strain to avoid the snake-like ones. Unfortunately, no matter what they did, more and more of the bugs kept coming, tearing into innocent flesh, coating the boardwalk in red and white, green and blue, black and silver, spilling fluids and skeletons. The screech grew louder and louder in intensity, coming from all directions, as the great swarm closed in more and more tightly around the town.