Thursday 20 August 2015

Nameless: The Challenge

[Day 21 of Blaugust 2015!]
[This is part of my Creative Writing Experiment.]

Nessa was still hugging Nerith's dead body when an apparition of a red robed man appeared before them.


"There you are, impudent intruders," it spoke. "How dare you enter MY tower and disrupt MY plans! You know there is no escape. Give up now and I may yet be merciful."

"Oh, there's the coward," said Tanglor loudly while pointing his axe at the still speaking illusion. "Prepare to go to hell!"

The apparition stared in amazement as the bearded man began hacking the air where it stood and laughed.

"You fools dare to challenge me!? Very well, I shall await for you at the top of the tower. Defeat me, and freedom is yours."

As the ghostly figure vanished Tanglor looked around confused, but a reassuring pat on the head from Amber settled him down. Behind her, Nessa stood up quietly, wiped the tears from her eyes and then with a blade in each hand marched down another unexplored passage. The rest of the team followed in silence and eventually found another staircase, this one made of marble, leading higher up the tower.

The next floor was also almost entirely adorned with marble and had a taller ceiling, but was devoid of all decoration and furniture, bar the emplaced crystals that filled it with a bluish light. They had only taken a few steps in when suddenly a heavy, unadorned marble slab sealed the passage behind them as floating laughter filled their ears. Not bothering to even check how to reopen it, the group pressed on and upon turning the next corner they were shocked to see a large, bearded face staring back at them from down the hall.

With crazed eyes the giant began to move closer at a frightening pace despite crawling on all fours to fit in the passage. Before San Raal could utter an incantation it suddenly threw one arm forward, reaching much farther than any of them realized it could, and crushed the mage flat into an unrecognizable splat on the wall with it's mighty fist. The rest of the team immediately went into action, hacking and attacking the now outstretched limb. While Sharon used all of her dexterity to climb atop it and try run to the back of its neck. The giant saw this and shaking vigorously at the right time, caused the girl to scream, slip and fall... right into his mouth where he bit down hard, over and over, crushing her into pieces before swallowing her down.

This distracted him though, and it was all the time Drisana needed to slide rush under his throat and hack at it. In a panic, the giant tried bring his other hand forward only to have Tanglor cut across the palm with his axe, followed by dismembering a few fingers. Eventually Amber managed to do what Sharon could not, reaching the giant's back and with one double handed stab, severed its spine - killing it instantly.

Victorious, the tired but shaken survivors continued on their journey up the tower.

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