Re: The Battle Majestic (Round 3 - Oxbow Inc.)
08-13-2011, 10:44 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by Drakenforge.
Iris had found the best dressed citizen to take as her hostage. They were always more important the better they were dressed; it was true throughout history for almost every culture. This male stood out like a sore thumb. He even got signs of respect from several of his own kind. So she followed him, keeping herself expertly hidden. As he rounded a corner she silently stepped behind him, grabbing hold of his chin with her free hand while the knife was pressed against his throat.
“You will listen to me closely. I am a stranger in your lands and I am very dangerous. I will not hesitate to kill you.”
She let that sink in as he came to terms with the situation. She felt his pulse quicken, and his hands began to shake. She became slightly worried that her hostage might even urinate himself.
“W-what do you want?”
Freedom. Your subordinates captured something recently. I want it released.”
“I don’t have that kind of authority, I’m just rich.”
“Normally, that would probably be true. But your importance changes as a hostage.”
She quietly led him through the labs, urging that if he so much as twitched she would rip out his throat and find a better bargaining chip. What kind of effect it was having on him was obvious. His neck was dripping with sweat, but it wouldn’t affect her if she needed to drag her knife across and end his life. It was awkward making him take the lead steps, and was constantly asking where they were going. Iris just kept him heading where there were fewer people to find them, but to make sure they got somewhere with important people. Eventually they would either be caught and Iris made to flee, or she would coerce someone into releasing her acquaintance. She managed to hear anyone approaching and hide accordingly, but it was a slow process. While Iris’s patience was tested her captive was noticing her gait had a flaw every fifth step. She had the faintest of limps, but with her holding him so closely he couldn’t help but realise it sooner or later.
“Is there something wrong with your leg?”
“My legs are fine.”
While Iris wouldn’t admit to being injured she knew that the bullet wound in the back of her thigh was going to need a more serious treatment than the quick administration of a mixture of drugs to keep down the pain and stop infection. While she wasn’t losing blood anymore the wound was going to slow her down if she didn’t do something about it. But she had more pressing matters to take care of. Without Sen she would have a larger problem trying to create chaos. She was sure it would be destructive in any environment but she needed it alive. Or did she?
She didn’t know if she could take any of the Tender’s seeds, and even if she managed to she would quickly be hunted down by the green creature. Still, the idea was viable in some situations so she planned to do so if she ever got the chance. Perhaps if it was dying she would rip it off and escape. She doubted it would relinquish one willingly, and taking one out of the soil would be impossible with its rate of growth.
As they rounded the corner and the CEO punched in an entry key they stepped into a very populated room. Large machines were positioned over an overturned and restrained Sen, their purpose lost on Iris. Heads turned to see the CEO, black stone knife pressed against his throat, and a small hand clutching the hilt. She peered over the man’s shoulder and saw the Tender in its moment of weakness, and glared at the respective assailants.
“Well, this worked out better than I had expected. Now, hand over the Tender to me, and nobody has to die needlessly.” To emphasize her words she let the knife wobble enough to draw blood.
As each creature conversed over what to do, the lead scientist took the initiative and drew a gun. The first shot impacted on the skull of the CEO, and the second went through his neck, missing Iris by mere centimetres. She manoeuvred to keep the body between herself and the scientist, and launched the corpse forward.
“That was a very bad idea” She said, summoning the ancestral spirit powers eating a god had blessed her with. Spectral tendrils snaked around her body, changing shapes as she covered herself in vaguely animal-like features. The claws of a wolverine, the legs of a buck, and the horns of a ram. She charged forward and butted the lead in the head, breaking the features that made up his face. She spun on her leg and kicked out with a hoof at the larger, obviously dumber creature that served as its bodyguard and crushed more than several ribs in its chest. She then launched the wounded avian into a second Yagg, while she leapt above and clawed through its eyes. She made short work of the remaining animalistic humanoids in the room, keeping them suppressed with her speed and reflexes. After the last Yagg collapsed on the floor she examined her handy work. The only living beings were a Yagg bleeding to death, the avian crying over a very broken face, and a larger creature Iris couldn't recognise, and kept alive because she was curious about it. She kept it unconscious for the moment. Dispelling her spirits she grabbed the debeaked man and pointed her knife directly into its eye.
“What have you done to the beast?”
“Ah *cough*, well, to tell you that I might have to get... technical.”
Iris had found the best dressed citizen to take as her hostage. They were always more important the better they were dressed; it was true throughout history for almost every culture. This male stood out like a sore thumb. He even got signs of respect from several of his own kind. So she followed him, keeping herself expertly hidden. As he rounded a corner she silently stepped behind him, grabbing hold of his chin with her free hand while the knife was pressed against his throat.
“You will listen to me closely. I am a stranger in your lands and I am very dangerous. I will not hesitate to kill you.”
She let that sink in as he came to terms with the situation. She felt his pulse quicken, and his hands began to shake. She became slightly worried that her hostage might even urinate himself.
“W-what do you want?”
Freedom. Your subordinates captured something recently. I want it released.”
“I don’t have that kind of authority, I’m just rich.”
“Normally, that would probably be true. But your importance changes as a hostage.”
She quietly led him through the labs, urging that if he so much as twitched she would rip out his throat and find a better bargaining chip. What kind of effect it was having on him was obvious. His neck was dripping with sweat, but it wouldn’t affect her if she needed to drag her knife across and end his life. It was awkward making him take the lead steps, and was constantly asking where they were going. Iris just kept him heading where there were fewer people to find them, but to make sure they got somewhere with important people. Eventually they would either be caught and Iris made to flee, or she would coerce someone into releasing her acquaintance. She managed to hear anyone approaching and hide accordingly, but it was a slow process. While Iris’s patience was tested her captive was noticing her gait had a flaw every fifth step. She had the faintest of limps, but with her holding him so closely he couldn’t help but realise it sooner or later.
“Is there something wrong with your leg?”
“My legs are fine.”
While Iris wouldn’t admit to being injured she knew that the bullet wound in the back of her thigh was going to need a more serious treatment than the quick administration of a mixture of drugs to keep down the pain and stop infection. While she wasn’t losing blood anymore the wound was going to slow her down if she didn’t do something about it. But she had more pressing matters to take care of. Without Sen she would have a larger problem trying to create chaos. She was sure it would be destructive in any environment but she needed it alive. Or did she?
She didn’t know if she could take any of the Tender’s seeds, and even if she managed to she would quickly be hunted down by the green creature. Still, the idea was viable in some situations so she planned to do so if she ever got the chance. Perhaps if it was dying she would rip it off and escape. She doubted it would relinquish one willingly, and taking one out of the soil would be impossible with its rate of growth.
As they rounded the corner and the CEO punched in an entry key they stepped into a very populated room. Large machines were positioned over an overturned and restrained Sen, their purpose lost on Iris. Heads turned to see the CEO, black stone knife pressed against his throat, and a small hand clutching the hilt. She peered over the man’s shoulder and saw the Tender in its moment of weakness, and glared at the respective assailants.
“Well, this worked out better than I had expected. Now, hand over the Tender to me, and nobody has to die needlessly.” To emphasize her words she let the knife wobble enough to draw blood.
As each creature conversed over what to do, the lead scientist took the initiative and drew a gun. The first shot impacted on the skull of the CEO, and the second went through his neck, missing Iris by mere centimetres. She manoeuvred to keep the body between herself and the scientist, and launched the corpse forward.
“That was a very bad idea” She said, summoning the ancestral spirit powers eating a god had blessed her with. Spectral tendrils snaked around her body, changing shapes as she covered herself in vaguely animal-like features. The claws of a wolverine, the legs of a buck, and the horns of a ram. She charged forward and butted the lead in the head, breaking the features that made up his face. She spun on her leg and kicked out with a hoof at the larger, obviously dumber creature that served as its bodyguard and crushed more than several ribs in its chest. She then launched the wounded avian into a second Yagg, while she leapt above and clawed through its eyes. She made short work of the remaining animalistic humanoids in the room, keeping them suppressed with her speed and reflexes. After the last Yagg collapsed on the floor she examined her handy work. The only living beings were a Yagg bleeding to death, the avian crying over a very broken face, and a larger creature Iris couldn't recognise, and kept alive because she was curious about it. She kept it unconscious for the moment. Dispelling her spirits she grabbed the debeaked man and pointed her knife directly into its eye.
“What have you done to the beast?”
“Ah *cough*, well, to tell you that I might have to get... technical.”