Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Whatever was flitting around, mostly unseen by the pair, finally made itself more appropriately known, turning out to be a very small ball of light that whisked in front of them, before suddenly shooting into the ground. As if on cue, the ground around them started to shake and twist, something heard digging below them, before a whole shower of what could only be described as tiny stars came back up through the earth all around them.

If River or Jessica got near one, they'd see it too dug back underground, and whatever was digging would follow it, like a signal or trip wire. They were being hunted...

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River stopped when the light appeared, dipping down and scattering other lights all around them. "Well, that's new." She said, feeling the rumble of something approaching underground. She moved closer, causing a few of the lights to dip down, the rumble getting closer. "Huh, tripwires, gotcha. Come on." She said, taking the lights along their path and dimming them as much as she could. Either she could blink them out completely, or the dimmed lights would take longer to alert their pursuit, but either way, it was the best idea she could come up with.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

As River reached out, she could feel the light, and here in this place it pulsed with a different feel, decadent, carnal, unholy. As the lights around her died, River saw small red and gold stones fall to the ground, dead and lifeless, while the strength that had laid within the light was pulled into herself, filling River with a sense of mischief and desire. She felt stronger, more alive, like she'd just dosed herself with a strong drug.

As the lights died, River felt the creature under her stop, as if highly confused and a little frightened. They had a shot to just escape if they hurried.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"It didn't see that coming." River said, cracking a grin at the surge that flowed through her, before catching herself. "Better get moving before I have to drop more, come on." She said, nodding towards the gap she had made and heading off at a sprint, confident the vampire could keep up with her.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Taking off through the gap, whatever below them temporarily blind in that direction, the beast did the only thing it could. Assume that its prey had stopped moving, and River and Jessica had the pleasure of seeing a massive, golden scaled worm tearing through the earth, its wide circular mouth filled with teeth that dripped acid, smoke and fire rising from the stone where it fell.

Looking around blindly, the worm roared, the sound tearing across the landscape. Easily 50 feet across, and truly mammoth, it was a wonder they had evaded it, and River could see the stones around it's scales, the ones that were turning once more into small shimmering lights, before they exploded from it's hide, showering the surrounding area.

As they ran, they almost didn't make it, the furthest flung stars landing about 4 feet from them and behind, the worm no longer aware of their presence, and enraged, it dove back into the ground with a high pitched shriek. Probably about 5 more minutes of jogging, and they'd be at the edge of the city...

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Son of a bitch!" River yelled as the massive thing broke free from under the surface. She ran on, the renewed stones spread from the thing just barely behind the pair.

"Yeah, no idea where to even start hurting that thing." She said once it had gone underground and they had gained some distance. She slowed some then, wanting to conserve her energy in case something else unexpected cropped up.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Well... at least we know what makes the tunnels... Jessica said as they slowed down a bit and the city came into view. Slowing down yet again, River and Jess could finally see what was moving around.

The ruined streets and shattered buildings of their home city were looming over them, and something else. The city wasn't empty. Inside some of the buildings, and more alarmingly, within the streets, were strange beings that seemed made of black leather flesh, empty eye sockets staring out from long, stretched faces, and grotesque gangly legs and arms hung from humanoids nearly 7 feet tall.

They sniffed around, their noses like someone had taken a carving knife and sheering them off, were just slits within a dim red skull, and their skeletons showed beneath the stretched flesh as they shuffled around. As River and Jessica hid behind a nearby outcropping and watched, they saw one suddenly raise it's head and shriek, it's arm snapping out as a spectral car suddenly appeared and crashed into another, the creature's arms stealing the person from the driver's seat, a woman.

Screaming as she saw the creature, it opened it's mouth, and the sound of something sliding down a drain filled the air, as she was swallowed, or breathed in... As if it had eaten her very soul at the time of her death. This over, the creature went back to sniffing around the city, and River and Jess could make out the sounds of other terrified shrieks and screams as others died... This was a hunting ground...

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

The pair watched the scene unfold quietly, River looking around past the main attraction, checking for other routes past the swarms of creatures. "Rooftops maybe? Know anything else about these things? I don't wanna mess with that if I don't know how careful I have to be..." She asked quietly, sliding back into the hiding spot they had chosen.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Jess thought about everything for a moment, clearly a little shaken by the display. Umm, yeah, this place is no joke, I'm trying to remember what Hervo taught me about demons so I could take care of slip... Those.... are... Collectors? No, those are the flying things, these guys are called... Cherubs! That's right, because they sing, that's how they get souls, when a person dies nearby, they sing, and the soul is drawn here in it's last moments. Think of it as walking away from the light. it's never a good idea. They're big... but... Stupid, and generally slow, though they can move really quickly. Need to destroy their heart to kill them, or was it hearts. I can't remember. Personally I say go around. If this is our city, then it has sewers and yea, the rooftops could work as well, but this place River, it's all shattered and broken, what if we hit a dead end?

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River listened intently, nodding along. "Then we backtrack. Up or down looks iffy, and i doubt any is much safer, if that worm is around and there are flying things flitting about. Let's see if we can find a way around at ground level, and if shit hits the fan, just run for it, and stay together." She said, standing again and picking a side street that looked clear of the Cherubs.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Jess nodded, and together they started moving around, looking for a clear side street. Whether it was what she wanted or not, River did spot an alley that was clear, the narrower places simply not large enough to admit the larger Cherubs. There was only one small problem. There was one of the creatures in the way, looking around slowly as it sifted between two wrecked cars in an almost bored fashion. On the brightside, the Alley was headed in the right direction, and would split further along if her internal map of the city was right... which was a longshot given how trashed this place was.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River drew up short near the creature, watching it wander near the entrance they wanted. Not seeing an alternative at the moment if they wanted to progress, she readied herself for a fight, hoping to get the jump on it before it could alert the others nearby. Her darkness shifted on her, the tips of her left had quickly growing elongated spikes, meant for piercing. Her other hand grew a blade like she had practiced with before, but shorter and thicker, meant for a single heavy blow.

Waiting until the Cherub's back was turned, River darted forwards, stabbing the one hand at the thing's chest, fingers spread to catch as much of the ribcage as possible, the other hand moving to decapitate the creature should it not react fast enough.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

The creature, giving out a horrible, and ear splitting shriek as River struck, spun, dragging her with it before her blade slashed it's head clean from it's shoulders in a shower of glowing, crimson blood. Jessica, only a half step behind, lunged onto it's chest, tearing and gouging with brute strength as the weakened Cherub tried to reform itself, soon revealing 3 massive, glowing orange hearts. River had managed to shred to of them into rags of their former selves, and Jessica reached in calmly, and crushed the last, the Cherub immediately slumping forward, and fading into a swarm of beetles that soon burst into small clouds of smoke. Their way was now clear, but that shriek would probably be bringing company...

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Not fast enough, damn. Book it." River said as the thing discorporated, heading for the alleyway and the illusion of safety.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

As River entered the alley, Jessica bringing up the rear, she could already feel more power, as if stolen from either the creature she had just helped butcher, or from the increased shadows created by the shattered buildings around her. She knew in her gut, that although, not perfect, this arena was better for her strengths, these narrow passageways and dark corners, and she could see the crimson sun slowly sinking, Night in Hell on it's way... Night called to her...

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River continued down the alleyway, her vampire companion right there with her, drawing on the shadows as they passed, seeming easier somehow. "Whatever passes for night is on it's way, looks like. This is going to get a sight easier, I think." She said, grinning lightly as they continued.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

I certainly hope so. Jessica said, agreeing with River as she followed her internal map, trusting her own knowledge of this city, decimated or not, to get them moving in the right direction. So far, the alley ways had been clear, though as they got nearer the Tower, admittedly still about a mile out, River started to see odd, fleshy, dark red, and purple growths along the walls, getting thicker.

As a fork came up, Jessica seemed to be getting a little nervous, before peeking around and looking at River. Trouble... The buildings are sheered off here, it's just flat road, and it's full of those things. But there's a sewer grate nearby, and the buildings to the right are close enough to move across... Or we can kill them all? I doubt it, there are 4 of them, all sniffing around like hounds.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"We don't need to kill all of them, just fight a way past." River said, peeking around the corner at the small group herself. "Aim for the right, tear a few chunks out if need be, otherwise aim for where the buildings pick up again."

She took a moment to set her weapons in place again, this time both hands growing the elongated, piercing fingers. Once Jess said she was ready as well, River bolted from cover, aiming to surprise and shred the nearest Cherub in her way, as she had with the first one.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Leaping from cover, the shadows of the alley aiding in her attack for a moment, River shredded one of the four Cherubs by smashing so many needles into it's chest that she tore it's multitude of hearts apart. The other 2, as Jessica was already crushed flat under a large pile of what could only be wall turned and shrieked at both women, the sound actually causing tremors of pain to wrack their bodies as they started to charge towards them, their hands growing into large, bladed claws as they sought to shred the intruders into pieces.

Around the blasted battle field, River could see the broken buildings to her right, the wall crumbled in such a way that if she chose, she could simply run up it to the roof top, and continue from there, or she could obey the twisted whispering in her mind that told her to kill, and kill and kill until there was nothing left, something left behind by the creature she had just forcibly seperated from it's mortal coil.

Jessica, glancing back and forth between the buildings, the creatures, and River, was waiting for her friend to act, and that terrible noise was sure to bring others... more for her to kill.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

She could do it, it would be so easy. These things fell under her like so much fodder, and every one made her feel stronger, faster, more confident...

River did a mental doubletake, glancing over at Jessica, the vampire hesitating on the plan because River hadn't made a move to follow it herself. Something was wrong, killing these things was... Drawing her into this place, or something, she didn't know.

The woman gave a quick nod towards the buildings, turning tail as the remaining two advanced and fled herself, aiming to put distance and height between them, keeping half an eye out for any trouble from the possible flying creatures Jessica had mentioned.