She hurried to her friends, conscious of how she had gotten separated from them during the fight. How could she ever forget the adage - ‘United we stand, divided we fall’? Hadn’t the lesson been ingrained into her since her childhood?
She started to slash and attack the bats that had cornered her two friends.
GutSlash: Medium
Instant Kill
+150 XP
GutSlash: Difficult
Instant Kill
+170 XP
With her focus on rescuing Blondie, however, she knew she had to leave Brad to fend for himself but had plenty of confidence that he would survive. It was Blondie who had landed herself in deeper trouble.
Brittany ran her steel through two more of the bats’ bellies, sprinkling the ground below with their blood.
GutSlash: Medium
Instant Kill
+150 XP
GutSlash: Easy
Instant Kill
+130 XP
She ducked whenever the bats came to peck at her head in droves, and then rounded where she squatted, and quickly moved to another location and started to attack again. One of the bats came too close to her eyes, but she swatted it across with the butt of her knife.
[-30 HP]
The bat’s shriek sent her ears into a tizzy. She got disoriented for a while.
Sensing the opportunity, the bats took advantage and flew up into the air before making their descent, intent on this being a conclusive attack on the duo. But Brittany jumped into the air and dispatched the head of the flock with a couple of swings of her gun. When those bats fell, she landed on the ground at the same time. The other bats braked in the air, slowing their pace, carefully weighing their options. But Brittany wasn’t going to be merciful. Especially not towards creatures she hated with a passion.
Picking up stones from the ground below, she threw them at the bats, hitting them right at their heads, though she could not say that she had actually aimed them well.
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[-30 HP]
[-50 HP]
[-40 HP]
Blondie followed suit and together they made their way out of the corner towards Brad, who still struggled with a slightly smaller flock.
Brittany wasted no time in going on the offensive. Though knowing that her stamina wasn’t as much as she wanted it to be, she quickly moved and jumped across the space between her and Brad, taking care of another bat with a swing of her blade during the process.
GutSlash: Easy
Instant Kill
+130 XP
LEVEL UP!
+1 Strength
“Had enough of the bats yet?” she asked Brad, nearing him even as she took out the last bat.
GutSlash: Easy
Instant Kill
+150 XP
Brad bobbed his head, letting out a wearied sigh.
“I could do with some rest!” Brad remarked, leaning against the wall, breathing heavily.
Brittany agreed. She needed to have her stamina up and running, but she did not feel like getting any rest here. Not in this place.
The bats were only the first to come, but she surmised they were only scouts.
Someone sent them way ahead in order to learn what they intended. However, Brittany had no idea why the people who might live in the ruins might want to attack them.
“I don’t think this is the right place to rest.” she observed. “We could perhaps look for higher ground or seek shelter in one of the caverns under these mountains. Latter seems better considering the weapons cache might be there.”
Blondie gave a grunt. “Those caverns look far, Brittany,” she said. “Perhaps we should take a few minutes to breathe before we embark on the long way.”
“I don’t know.” Brittany shrugged. “The air is foul here.”
“That would be because of the bats.” Brad pointed out. “Corpses can give out a rotting stench.”
Brittany rolled her eyes. “What corpses, Brad?” she asked, frowning. “They have all vanished… puff of smoke.”
“Still… dead means a stench.”
She sighed. There was no convincing Brad, and Blondie was as stubborn as him. But she didn’t doubt they were all tired. It was only this place that seemed ready to devour them. And resting for a long time didn’t seem like a good idea. But she had to give in. What use would they be if they walked further into the ruins and stumbled upon the people who had sent these bats ahead? And if they were enemies, they would need all the strength they could get. She only hoped those people didn’t find them here.
“Fine!” she gave in. “But we will need to find shelter. I have a strong feeling we are being watched.”
“Yes,” Blondie agreed. “We need to find shelter. Maybe guard shack?” She pointed at the wooden building near the entrance.
Brittany could think of no other option. “Yes, that would be good!”
“Well, yes, perhaps,” Brad said. “As long as the Leviathan doesn’t make its way here.”
“Hush!” she admonished. “Don’t speak of such ill monsters here.”
“Understood!” Brad remarked. “What happens in the Lost Zone stays in the Lost Zone! I get it!”
She turned to look at Blondie, who just turned away with a slight shrug of her shoulders. Taking a deep breath again, she said, “One hour, no more!”
“Yes, Ma’am!” Brad gave her a mock bow and walked towards the shack with slow, calculated steps. Blondie joined him as well, whispering something in his ears.
Brittany grunted in annoyance.
Those two and their secrets.
Nonetheless, she followed them.
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