The Screaming Dread: Hunt

Cold. For just a moment E4 felt cold. She had not been close to P4, didn’t even know his name beyond his title. It was not the feeling of death, nor loss, not even hopelessness. It felt as if every emotion was squashed, leaving only cold analytics. Emotion could come later. The creature had dropped P4 with an off handed blow following a bite from a snake she had not seen. Her memory whispered that the snake hadn’t been there a moment before, so it must have come from the Screaming Dread. It hadn’t used its scream since it had used it on her, so it must either require a resource or an exertion of effort it did not want to use. The souls, if that’s what they were, concerned her. Was P4’s now in there, making it stronger? Should she run back to Marcus and Marissa, bring back an army to destroy this thing? Would it be too late? E4 drew her die. Run or fight? Strike while the problem is manageable, or come back with better tools and information? “There is no emergency in a pandemic.” She dropped the die, just as The Screaming Dread exploded.

“Running to your patron already?” E4 turned, trying to spot the source. Stepping from the fog Patterson fired again, and again, and again. Each shot struck the Screaming Dread, already missing its skin. One shot took off a tusk, one took off its trunk, and one knocked out its knee causing it to stumble and crush P3. “That’s the problem with you Pawns, the moment things get tough you go running to your patron.”

“Patterson, what took you so long!” Ophelia yelled. “If I don’t get this barrier up it’ll just keep regenerating.

“Then I declare open season on kneecaps.” Patterson announced. At his words E4 felt an odd strength in her limbs. For a moment she thought that endorphins had been released, yet she had a sense they were foreign. A moment later her remaining eye seemed to lock on the kneecaps of the Screaming dread, their color shifting slightly in a way the human eye could not quite extrapolate on. It was similar to how a red hot object glows dimly, not a true light source, but visible even in the dark. Likewise her horns seemed pulled towards the creature, as if by some manner of magnetism.

[[Unknown stimulus detected. Possible source: Patterson? Further research needed. Despite his apparent opinion on her, Patterson and Mara are of one mind. The throat of the grave lies open for our foe- Red Queen]] E4 grinned, a good enough theory for now. Gripping the air she threw herself towards the creature one more time, projecting telekinetic footholds to push herself even faster. A pop up appeared, but she ignored it as she thrust a claw into the Screaming Dread’s last front kneecap. She felt resistance for just a moment, before a scream of frustration issued from the beast and it fell forwards. A quick hop carried her out of the path of its fall, and into range of its back leg. Two quick claws laid ruin to the already rotting bone. From the ruined flesh poured murk, yet a small cloud of Aether also flowed forth, before vanishing.

“E4 look out!” E4 reached out with her telekinesis, and realized that within the murk an undead snake had crept from the damaged front leg and was posed to strike. Her perception shrank from a small dark section that surrounded its head, as if the creature had some method of hiding from her senses. The darkness burst forth with a viper’s speed. With equal speed and a loud rip E4’s tail lashed out, sheathed in its own telekinetic blade, and bisected the serpent right through that black spot. Between the endorphans E4 barely felt the chill of the grave, but she did notice the cloud of Aether as her tail swept through the murk. It reminded her of the cloud created when dry ice was thrown into a pool of water. Eyes locking on P3 she lunged, scooping him up as she bolted beyond the ring of stones to where Ophelia was finishing up.

“Got you something.” E4 spoke quickly, gingerly placing P3 on the ground.

Ophelia cast a glance at the man and made a gesture before returning to the stones. “Nothing I can do for him.” With another gesture she pointed to the sky and sparks danced in her hands.

“But he’s not,” E4 looked, and saw where the snake had bitten him. The flesh around the bite wasn’t just black, but parts had become brittle and were actively flaking off into Myst. With a gesture she slashed off the limb, which immediately evaporated into Myst and Aether. She reached into her kit for something to tie off the limb, but it was immediately capped by Myst. Before her eyes the Myst turned black. Worse, E4 noticed black veins already had already spread through his flesh. “What do we do?”

“He’s dead.” Ophelia replied, making a final gesture. “The only thing we can do is avenge him!” She spoke as a bolt of lightning dropped from the sky, striking each stone, and rebounding into the Screaming dread. It let out a shriek, Aether streaming up as Murk flowed down. “Patterson, cage is up! Let it have it!”

“Heave ho beast!” Patterson fired twice, each shot tearing huge chunks of flesh off the creature. To E4’s surprise the murk was struck by tiny bolts of electricity that danced between the stones.

“Consecrate, it bars undead from reclaiming black Myst or stealing regular Myst. Any healing it does now has to come from its own reserves.” Ophelia spoke, drawing another flask and preparing to throw it.

“Got it!” E4 shouted, bolting into the circle. Immediately she felt as if she had stepped onto mount Everest. The Myst was thin, if there even was any. She felt her strength begin to dip. Yet the Screaming Dread seemed to be taking it worse. Even as she charged Patterson fired another shot that tore a huge chunk from the beast, a chunk that did not heal. E4 went for that chunk, a section of the ribcage, and cut. The Screaming dread thrashed, trying to grab her, yet she threw herself to the side, inflicting a long scratch that spewed forth Aether. Dropping down E4 rolled out of the way of a stomp, her tail lashing out at the offending foot and leaving a shallow but still damaging wound. Whipping around to slash at the other leg, recently healed and now wounded again E4 noticed something interesting. Where she had struck, Aether still leaked from the wounds.

To E4’s surprise the creature’s back legs did not freeze up as its spine was severed. Rather, black murk flowed from the bone to repair itself, thinning the bones even as Aether continued to fizz forth.

“What’s causing… Ravager toxin!” E4 whispered to herself. As she watched the scratches continued to fizz, the toxin continuing to damage the Screaming dread. A thought occurred to her. “Patterson, shoot the spine!”

“I declare open season on spines!” She heard him shout, and immediately her eyes locked on her target as if held there by a magnet. A moment later a bullet slammed into it, smashing several vertebreae. E4 jumped, claws out, and slashed down at the damaged bones, her claws ripping through with less difficulty. Yet as she did her hand got stuck. She pulled, but it felt as if she was trying to pull her hand from thick honey. Inside the souls, for they could be nothing else, grabbed onto her hand with the grip of a man clinging to a life raft. She pulled, and pressed her legs against the creature’s ribs, yet she had not the strength to free herself.

“Watch out!” E4 turned just in time to see the Screaming Dread’s trunk grab onto her leg. As the Screaming Dread gripped her and threw her she felt like her leg had been wrenched from its socket. Yet in her dead eye three little souls had been ripped free. They immediately vanished, dragged out of the circle and shot forth out of sight. “E4, get out of there!”

E4 tried to run from the circle, but her leg reduced it to an awkward limp. The Screaming Dread lashed out again with its trunk, only to be rebuked by a bolt of lightning. To add insult to injury Ophelia’s flaming sphere bounced from the ground and struck it right in the face. As soon as E4 left the circle she took a deep breath, the Myst flowing back into her as her body quickly converted it into Aether and replenished its ATP stores. Immediately she heard her leg begin to crack and with a quick tug she pulled it back into position.

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“Can you still fight?” Ophelia asked, making a gesture that made her hands glow. E4 felt her already healing leg immediately repair, as her cloak grew a few fern fronds. Her one leg still felt weak, and a section still bore an ugly black bruise that her regeneration was still trying to fix.

“Yeah, my healing hands is going to get a workout afterwards.” E4 replied. She eyed the pile of dust that had been P3. “I think that thing is storing souls.”

“All undead do, I estimate it has about 16 in there.” Ophelia replied. “Nothing we can do for them unless we kill it. The more souls it has the more force it can exert on The Myst and the more dangerous it is.”

“What if we rip them out?” E4 asked. “Would that weaken it?”

“Theoretically. Undead need souls to,” That was all E4 needed to know. She took a deep breath and ran back into the circle. “Patterson, back her up.”

Patterson replied with a low hum that quickly grew in intensity. E4 jumped over a trunk sweep, just before a bullet that was more lightning and thunder than metal took it right off.

“Was that a rail gun?” E4 shouted, twisting her way to the side just as the Screaming Dread lifted up on again repaired legs in pain. With a quick lunge E4 helped it off its feet, before jumping beyond as it fell. The creature, resilient as it was began to rise, before two precise shots took out its knees again. “Nice shot.”

“Pawns do not talk, they do.” Patterson replied, though it sounded as if he was quoting something.

E4 did not hesitate to take advantage of the opening, clawing into the Screaming Dread’s side. One rib, then two, then three and she had a sizable opening. Extending her claws and planting her feet on the ground she reached in. “Hello? Anyone need help out?”

“E4, what are you,” E4 felt a coldness as the lights bound themselves to her hand. She pulled, using all her strength and telekinesis to take a step back. As she did more lights gathered in her hand, and pulled her back. “E4 get out of there!”

“Almost got it!” E4 shouted, as the Screaming Dread shifted, and to her surprise attempted to roll over on her. E4 pulled and pulled, but found no release. “Patterson! Shoot it!” E4 shouted as she closed her eyes and prayed.

A lot THUMP slammed into her ribs, with enough force she felt a few crack. The woody vines she slammed into didn’t help, breaking ribs on the other side. E4 groaned and opened her eyes to see Ophelia, returning to kobold form from the form of a scaled bison.

“Patterson what the,” Both women froze when they saw Patterson aiming at the monster, his gun clicking as he pulled the trigger. He fired once, twice, but no bullets came forth. “Reload you idiot!”

“What? Oh, right, yes, how silly of…” Patterson stammered, reaching into his pocket and promptly dropping his bullets. He reached down, yet as he did his knee gave out and he fell, his hand bending the wrong way.

“What the, Patterson!” Ophelia shouted, as the Screaming dread rose back up. E4 saw four more souls evacuate into The Myst, but the Screaming Dread looked as if had been repaired. A moment later she realized why. When she had slammed into the wooden vines she had dislodged it and the stone beneath.

“Ophelia the circle is broken!” Even as she spoke E4 saw the Screaming Dread turning on her, the pillars that were its feet ready to come down and crush her. Suddenly three javelin sized bolts struck the creature and lightning danced along the wires. The Screaming dread, weakened by the previous damage, fell to the ground.

“Go, see to Patterson.” P1 called, pulling a lever and sending more sparks down the line into the creature. “I’ll hold it here.” E4 nodded and ran to Ophelia, already trying to heal Patterson.

“Something’s wrong.” She spoke quietly, though desperately. “He’s not healing.”

“Get off me Ophelia, I want to HIT IT WITH MY SWORD!” Patterson called out, drawing his Calvary saber.

E4 looked at Patterson, took his injured hand, and pulled. His thumb and pointer finger pulled away like overcooked pork, slightly stained purple. “No, what is this doing here?”

“What?” Ophelia exclaimed. “You know what this is.”

“I thought it was a myth.” E4 replied.

“Is it a Myth, or is it The Myst?” Ophelia quoted. “The Myst takes myths and makes them real. What is it, how do you cure it?”

“You don’t.” E4 replied. “Panacea number 7. Accept no medicine from strangers, for 6 days you shall feel no pain, and on the 7th you shall die.”

“Get off me, If I die I die ON THE HUNT!”

E4 eyed Ophelia. “He’s got maybe an hour left. When a cure is impossible, comfort is all that’s left.” E4 wiped her eye, drawing an isopod and placing it next to Patterson’s damaged arm. She chittered briefly, instructing the creature on its task, giving it several herbs and metals to work with. The creature bit down and swelled like a tick, growing faster than E4 expected. Myst flowed from her along with the ATP as the isopod’s legs twisted around to grip Patterson’s arm. As soon as she heard the isopod chitter back she stepped up and cleared her throat, eyeing Patterson’s new hand as she declared, “As First Fang of Lady Mara, I declare open season on all undead. Go forth, for The Hunt!”

“Wait, who?” Ophelia asked, but Patterson had no time for such things. He charged on legs that looked as if they would give way at any moment, his cavalry saber in his isopod gauntlet hand “What was that? We’re talking about this later.” She drew a long club from her bag and waved her hand over it, arcs of lightning dancing between them. “I’ve got enough for maybe three more lightning bolts, so we’re doing this the old fashioned way.”

E4 charged next to the Screaming Dread, while Ophelia launched into a flying leap that carried her the 10 meters to the scolophant’s shoulder. Immediately she began smashing her staff into the vertebra, electrical arcs dancing with every blow and casting Myst, Murk, and Aether to the wind. E3 lent her claws to the mix, cutting into the creature’s ribs, careful not to let the souls catch hold of her claws. She saw them reaching, but whenever they congregated she hopped to the side.

Patterson swung his blade as if he was harvesting wheat. Whenever the scolophant reached for him with its trunk he slashed it right off before going back to trying to cut into its front legs. Each blow was wreathed in power, casting off chunks of rotten flesh and chips of bone.

For a moment E4 thought things might work, even without the strange barrier Ophelia had put up. Then something went wrong. Patterson missed a cut, and was sent flying by a regrown trunk. Even as he flew back the Screaming Dread took aim and let out a horrific scream. E4 covered her ears as the creature’s ruined trunk seemed to rip, each tear forming a horrible mouth full of shattered bone that resembled teeth. She could see the air ripple and darken in a long cone that caught Patterson in its center. The isopod on his arm seemed to twitch, forcing itself into the blast first, but it was no use. It held together all of five seconds, and Patterson lasted only three more.

“Patterson!” Ophelia yelled. In an instant she jammed her staff point end into the Screaming Dread, jumped, and turned into a Scolophant herself. The sudden force drove the creature down, and E4 capitalized on its weakness to begin slashing into the monster’s insides. Suddenly she felt something latch on, and her hands stuck fast.

“Blast it, GET OFF!” E4 proclaimed. She looked up to Ophelia. “I’m stuck, the souls have me.”

Ophelia reached out to grab her with her trunk, which E4 noticed was slightly split at the end, and tried to pull her. Yet at the same time she was trying to hold the Screaming Dread down, and just couldn’t get a good angle.

Suddenly E4 felt like she had been hit by a truck, thrown back beyond the circle of stones with half a dozen souls still clinging to her. Immediately they vanished into The Myst and before her eyes the Screaming Dread let out a final cry before it detonated with enough force to throw Ophelia 30 meters into the air. As she fell she returned to kobold form, only to be caught by Patterson.

“Now that was a hunt.” He spoke, his voice forced and his entire body bruised. Yet he was alive. He looked up at E4. “As for you,” With a gesture he aimed what E4 took to be a shotgun at her.

“Woah, easy.” E4 stammered, pushing herself back. Everything hurt, and from how her right leg was dragging she was fairly certain it was broken. “It’s over, we won.”

[[An unknown power has approached Mara regarding you.]] E4 flicked the notification to the side, but while she was distracted a force like a bus smashed into her, throwing her back.

“Yes, but I haven’t forgotten that you poisoned me pawn.” He pulled the trigger and E4 was thrown back again, landing right on the edge of a cliff.

“What’s the matter with you?”

[[You have been granted 1 favor]]

Patterson stepped closer, not jogging but walking briskly as he approached. “Pawns cannot be trusted, we Aether Blessed are to purify this world of monsters not work with them.” He leveled his firearm at her forehead from only 3 meters away. “Yet for your service I shall give you a quick death. If this shot doesn’t kill you I’d say the fall will. Perhaps you will learn not to accept deals from strangers in the next life.”

E4 never even heard the shot.