Re: Pitched Combat [Round 2: Cathedral of Glass]
02-08-2010, 05:26 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by MyifanW.
The beast bounded after the runners. It was a monstrosity in any being's eyes, including the manikin's, eyes that didn't currently exist. Part of the reason why it was terrifying was because it was already a very scary looking thing. But, layered on top of that scariness, was the fact that light did not seem to exist near it, that it was a ghostly undefined beast of darkness. What happens, when one can't rely on eyes to conjure images? Imagination takes overlays perception. If you looked at the hellbeast, all you would see would be something you would be sure you didn't want to see.
In The Manikin's case, it saw nothing. Well, not exactly nothing, but it sensed a gaping void in it's life sense, the same feeling it had when it had stared into the darkness earlier. The Manikin was inclined to imagine that the darkness had followed it, chased it through the changed environment. The manikin had run then, and it saw no reason not to do the same now.
The beast continued forward, slightly slower now, pressing it's appendages against the glassy ground. Around it, light disappeared, and without the light, the glass lost all solidity. It's ability made sense, in a way- it was the antithesis of the glass, something clearly suitable for a glass kingdom's apocalypse. The beast seemed to skate forward on the liquid, empty glass, as it swallowed more and more light. Behind it, the foundations of the castle liquidated, and the magnificent cathedral began crashing down.
Unfortunately, one is usually much slower of a runner when one can't see where one is going. The manikin had failed to notice the ground losing form, bending, twisting as if it were shaking in the wind. It tumbled as it's foot caught a fold in the ground and slid across the floor. Alex may have been inclined to help it up, as he had been very adamant on guiding the manikin before, but amidst the sound of smashing glass and the fact that he was carrying dragons he did not notice the manikin's stumble.
The manikin sunk into the glass, now, as if it were tar. Try as it might, the viscosity of the lightless glass denied it of motion. Wildly, it bared it's teeth and bit.
The manikin's rampant eating revealed that it was surrounded with Glass. The manikin knew the sensation of glass, but did not quite understand why it moved, or why it was dragging the manikin down. As far as it knew, lifeless objects did not move, unless living objects moved them. Then, logically, it would be the life, or the antilife that moved the glass, even if the manikin didn't know how. Indeed, the manikin was simple minded, but that didn't mean it was any less correct. Simplicity entailed clarity, after all.
Still, even knowing the source of it's confinement, what could the manikin do? It knew it was trapped, and had learned that eating was getting it nowhere. In fact, eating may have made the situation worse!
Then, it wondered if being trapped like this was such a bad thing. The manikin honestly didn't feel any danger from the glass, and probably shouldn't have, considering that it had no need to breath. In fact, the glass was several times safer seeming than the monster that came it's way. However, it realized that it did fear the glass. The glass trapped it, held it in place. Each moment, the manikin was becoming more and more trapped. Soon, it wouldn't be able to move at all.
What would happen, then? The manikin would be trapped completely, unable to move even minutely. And then, what more would happen? Nothing. The manikin would be trapped forever, without anything but it's own thoughts.
That was unacceptable. Above all, the manikin desired to grow. The very idea of nothing disturbed it's very being.
It needed to get out, and quickly. But how? below the shoulders, it had no motor capacity. shifting it's bodily mass upwards was no good as well, as the glass was completely stopping it's flow. What could it do?
The beast was right in front of the manikin now, and opened it's jaws, and slowly, delicately placed them around the manikin's head.
The manikin came to a decision in that instant. It wasn't one it liked, but one that it believed had the possibility of success, hope. looked into itself, and concentrated as much of it's life as it could into a small mass, and moved it slowly to it's head. Then, the jaws of the beast came down, and the head rolled around in the beast's mouth. Neither part of the manikin moved at all.
Suddenly, the head swelled into a fleshy mass, slowly stabilizing itself inside the beast. Inside the glass water, the manikin's body also retained semblance of life. It had successfully split itself in two.
The beast bounded after the runners. It was a monstrosity in any being's eyes, including the manikin's, eyes that didn't currently exist. Part of the reason why it was terrifying was because it was already a very scary looking thing. But, layered on top of that scariness, was the fact that light did not seem to exist near it, that it was a ghostly undefined beast of darkness. What happens, when one can't rely on eyes to conjure images? Imagination takes overlays perception. If you looked at the hellbeast, all you would see would be something you would be sure you didn't want to see.
In The Manikin's case, it saw nothing. Well, not exactly nothing, but it sensed a gaping void in it's life sense, the same feeling it had when it had stared into the darkness earlier. The Manikin was inclined to imagine that the darkness had followed it, chased it through the changed environment. The manikin had run then, and it saw no reason not to do the same now.
The beast continued forward, slightly slower now, pressing it's appendages against the glassy ground. Around it, light disappeared, and without the light, the glass lost all solidity. It's ability made sense, in a way- it was the antithesis of the glass, something clearly suitable for a glass kingdom's apocalypse. The beast seemed to skate forward on the liquid, empty glass, as it swallowed more and more light. Behind it, the foundations of the castle liquidated, and the magnificent cathedral began crashing down.
Unfortunately, one is usually much slower of a runner when one can't see where one is going. The manikin had failed to notice the ground losing form, bending, twisting as if it were shaking in the wind. It tumbled as it's foot caught a fold in the ground and slid across the floor. Alex may have been inclined to help it up, as he had been very adamant on guiding the manikin before, but amidst the sound of smashing glass and the fact that he was carrying dragons he did not notice the manikin's stumble.
The manikin sunk into the glass, now, as if it were tar. Try as it might, the viscosity of the lightless glass denied it of motion. Wildly, it bared it's teeth and bit.
The manikin's rampant eating revealed that it was surrounded with Glass. The manikin knew the sensation of glass, but did not quite understand why it moved, or why it was dragging the manikin down. As far as it knew, lifeless objects did not move, unless living objects moved them. Then, logically, it would be the life, or the antilife that moved the glass, even if the manikin didn't know how. Indeed, the manikin was simple minded, but that didn't mean it was any less correct. Simplicity entailed clarity, after all.
Still, even knowing the source of it's confinement, what could the manikin do? It knew it was trapped, and had learned that eating was getting it nowhere. In fact, eating may have made the situation worse!
Then, it wondered if being trapped like this was such a bad thing. The manikin honestly didn't feel any danger from the glass, and probably shouldn't have, considering that it had no need to breath. In fact, the glass was several times safer seeming than the monster that came it's way. However, it realized that it did fear the glass. The glass trapped it, held it in place. Each moment, the manikin was becoming more and more trapped. Soon, it wouldn't be able to move at all.
What would happen, then? The manikin would be trapped completely, unable to move even minutely. And then, what more would happen? Nothing. The manikin would be trapped forever, without anything but it's own thoughts.
That was unacceptable. Above all, the manikin desired to grow. The very idea of nothing disturbed it's very being.
It needed to get out, and quickly. But how? below the shoulders, it had no motor capacity. shifting it's bodily mass upwards was no good as well, as the glass was completely stopping it's flow. What could it do?
The beast was right in front of the manikin now, and opened it's jaws, and slowly, delicately placed them around the manikin's head.
The manikin came to a decision in that instant. It wasn't one it liked, but one that it believed had the possibility of success, hope. looked into itself, and concentrated as much of it's life as it could into a small mass, and moved it slowly to it's head. Then, the jaws of the beast came down, and the head rolled around in the beast's mouth. Neither part of the manikin moved at all.
Suddenly, the head swelled into a fleshy mass, slowly stabilizing itself inside the beast. Inside the glass water, the manikin's body also retained semblance of life. It had successfully split itself in two.