User:NeloAngelo/Redstuff/1-11/2

Marsh - Side Red Slipping through the other panicking passengers, I work my way towards the exit. Come to think of it, there isn't any guards around to even stop me. Is Red and Yotta gonna be alright? The more I think about it, the more I realized how half-assed this entire plan is. Oh well, just gonna wing it and hope for the best, I guess.

Ah, fresh air at the marsh. The cloud of red hasn't dropped low enough in danger level, but 3 Grotesques are already rolling out the red carpet. Welp, sword's out the case.

Strafing right, I worked my way towards the Grotesque furthest from the group. None of the Grotesque seems to be paying attention to me, instead, they are attracted to the heat emanated from the airship. Compressing a cluster of fire in my right hand, I fired 3 powerful shots at the Grotesque. Maybe a big attack can splinter their concentration. The distracted Grotesque stagger in pain as 3 pierced into its body, and one shaving off its cheek. Quickly, I followed through with a swing of my sword splitting its head. That's one down.

The remaining 2 Grotesques have noticed my presence. Then more showed up. Great. Luckily, with one Grotesque down, I can use its corpse as a checkpoint and a shield to pivot their direction- What's this? A thick white cable leaped through the Grotesque corpse at slammed downwards at me. I parried the oncoming strike with my sword, barely able to shift its direction. The impact of the strike sent me stumbled a few steps backwards. What is that?

I moved out of the Grotesque corpse, an noticed the cable retracting back to its source. It's not a cable, it's a neck belonging to a white bodied Grotesque. A new type? No...I've seen this Grotesque before. It was the one that was carved up back in Beovault.

Going in close range is out of the question, everytime I tried to move in, the white Grotesque would swing its neck around to throw me out. I continued running at sidelines, taking potshots with stray fires while circling thr group of Grotesques. Though these shots are able to harm Grotesques, the white Grotesque's constant barrage of attacks kept throwing off my aim. In those 30 shots I've fired, I think only about 10 connects properly. Goddamnit, if there is only a way to temporarily distract the white Grotesque.

Instinctively, I turned towards my sword. An urge to throw it continued to rise in my head. A technique in my fragmented memory? Might as well take a wild stab....throw. I stomped my foot deep at the soil- the mud at the marsh makes it difficult to establish a solid base. Giving in to my instincts, I hurled my sword towards the white Grotesque like a boomerang. I could feel magic channeled in my left hand and into the sword as as I hurl it- the sword became a magic guided projectile.

I continued my slew of fire shots after hurling the sword as reinforcement. The white Grotesque became confused, it can't decide whether to intercept me or my sword. Nice, with the temporal relief, I focused with all my strength and fired as many shots as possible. Most of the Grotesque are filled with holes, but most of them are still alive. As for the white Grotesque, it is still distracted with my sword spiraling around it.

I moved in towards the struggling Grotesques. Since I don't have my sword with me, I'll have to burn them alive by releasing my fire at point-blank. The first wreath of fire lit up on hand contact with one of the Grotesque. Then another, and another, and another. Just in time for getting in range with the white Grotesque.

The white Grotesque was able to finally shook off my sword with its neckswing. I tried to trace my magic as the sword flew away- it changed direction mid flight and back to my hand. With my sword returned, I stayed as close at possible as the white Grotesque, hacking at its limbs. It's long neck might be a killer in long range, but at close range, I have the distinct advantage.

With its limbs slashed away, the White Grotesque lost its balance, and stumbled to the ground. I finally got a good look at its head- a face plastered with a rictus grin and red stalk growing out of its right eye. I quickly jumped on top of its head, and drove my sword deep into its skull. A hard surface greeted my sword- an outer skin tougher than Grotesques I've faced so far. No wonder it kept using its head as a bludgeoning tool. Pouring more strength into it, my sword went deeper. Blood splurted forth from the white Grotesque, the Grotesque released a garbled cry, struggling with its last breath. I ignored its cry and channeled fire into sword. If the exterior is solid, then I'll just have to burning the Grotesque from the inside. Heat immediately spread from within the head. I continued driving my sword deeper. The Grotesque's cry became weaker and weaker. Until it is no more.

Phew, glad that's over with. ...."Over with?" I tracked about 20 Grotesque back in the airhsip, but I don't think I've killed that much. I turned towards the rest of the dead Grotesques. 1...2....4....6...7. 7 Grotesques. I've only been engaged with 6 Grotesques. Are there strays who slipped past me in towards the airship? I tried to track any possible heat signature of Grotesques. .....Only the mass heat of the airship came up. ....Right, I forgot, the airship blanketed the other's heat signature.

Hmm? Something came up from the other end. More heat signatures of Grotesques, pulsing...then stopped? No...it feels like it vanished immediately. A feeling of nostalgia swells up inside me. Something...someone....from my memory is there.

I rushed towards the other end where the vanished heat signatures are located. A small patch of woods....and corpses of Grotesques strewn around. Judging from the corpses they all died from cut wounds- all of them cleanly bifurcated. The trace of this slashes feels familiar.... Almost like the ones back in Beovault.

I proceeded further into the area- just as more Grotesque corpses lying around. A single, living Grotesque located not far away from me. And then, it split in half before my very eyes.



A woman appeared before the a split Grotesque. She was sheathing an unusually long sword- her expression grim, her eyes cold and unfeeling. The next thing that caught my eye-her ghostly colored long hair tied with a ribbon at the tail end- Her appearance matches the description told by the Captain back in Beovault....the Sword Saint?

Looking at this woman before me, something felt different. What's this? My hands are shaking. My body seized up- my instincts immediately turned to fight or flight. This is&mdash;fear.

From my awakening until now, I never felt fear towards an enemy. The dread continued to fill in, a thought instantly crossed my mind - run.

Fight? Something tells me it's not gonna be pretty. Flight? Can I escape in time?

Before I could decide further, the woman has already noticed my presence. The woman looked at at me, and the noises around me fade. Silence- as if time has frozen between us in this very instant.

We stared at each other. Her cold, steely gaze broke, her brows furrowed, and her lips open agasp: "How are you here?" An unusually concerned tone that contrasted with the unfeeling look as she cut down countless Grotesque before. A voice unusually....familiar? Did I hear her somewhere before?

Next&#10097;&#10097;