Eh! Where Did My Pen... Pen... Go!?!
Book 1.5: Amaranthe Guild – Side Stories
Koko's Tale
No Strings on Me (Part 5C)
Cylem's eyes fluttered open, seeing the worry on Demora's face she comforted her, “It's okay... it's okay... it's just my vessel that's damaged. As for me inside, I'm a bit shaken by the spin and tumble but other than that, I'm ready and able to fight!”
“Ahahaha Me too!” Kilijoy called out, much to their more than happy surprise. Smiling, she flew over to hover before Demora, Cylem rising up to join her. Demora saw that the back of Kilijoy's head was also caved in.
“This is bad. Both of you are banged up pretty good. And that was just with glancing blows. If Kilijoy hadn't been retreating in the same direction as the blow, she'd be a pancake right now. And if more of those dreadlock whips had lashed Cylem... more than just your ear would have been caved in.”
“Ah, that really took me by surprise! I didn't think that beast hammerhead could detach itself and chase after me.” Kilijoy said, eyes gleaming and raring to go.
“And I didn't think that it could use its dreadlocks like whips...” Cylem said, staring past Demora's shoulder at a Kresh who was holding on to his big Beast Hammer Whip with one hand while flailing his other hand at all the smoke around him, grumbling.
Turning to Kilijoy, Cylem asked, “How much time do we have before the smoke clears?”
“Hmm, around a minute or so... I think. I used half my energy to lay it down.”
“Smoke... what smoke...” Demora began to ask as she turned to look where they were looking. Her eyes opened wide as she took in the sight and then saw something glint near his feet.
Ah, my silver bell! And my umbrella right next to it. I had forgotten about them. “I should get my silver bell... I hurt him real good with it before... I should jump down there and grab...”
“Nonono, Don't do that Dea!” Cylem cried out.
“It's okay Cylem, I can jump down and get it before he even sees me...”
“No, it's not that... What I meant is you can't use that silver bell until you learn how to control and shape the sounds it makes so that it only hurts Kresh. Otherwise, you'll be hurting us as well.”
“That's right Dea! But I do think it's a good idea if you pick it up and use it in case of an emergency... like if our vessels get destroyed, sending us back to the dollhouse, leaving you all alone with Kresh. Then by all means avenge us with it!”
“Ah, since that's the case I'll do that. Well then, since we have a little time on our hands...” Demora started to say, staring at Kresh intently as he flailed about. What is that? Hard to tell through the smoke but it looks like... stuffing!
“Ooh, you look like you thought of something good... What is it?” Cylem queried.
“I have. As you both know, we can't keep fighting like this... It's time for a plan and I think I have one. Only, I'm worried he might overhear me... however unlikely that may be.”
“Oh, if it's just that then just tell us through Mindspeak,” Kilijoy said.
“Mindspeak?” Demora asked.
“It's a form of telepathy that you can use to communicate with your summons... and since we're your summons...” Cylem said.
“How?” Demora immediately asked, excited to learn.
“I believe to unlock this ability, all you have to do is focus on the summoned friends you wish to speak to in your mind and then think of the words you wish to tell them. Once you do the skill should become yours... just like spider-walking.” Cylem explained.
“Okay, I'll give it a shot!” Demora gathered her thoughts of what she wanted to say, then pictured the summons she wanted to telepathically speak with which was easy since she was right in front of her. Feeling the stirring of energy scurrying about in her mind she called out [“Testing... testing. Can you hear me Cylem? If so...”]
[“I hear you loud and clear Dea! I knew you were a fast learner.”] Cylem responded, smiling.
[“Sweet! Okay, let me add Kilijoy to our mindspeak chat. Can you hear me Kilijoy?...”]
[“Ooh Dea! You learned something new. Yay!”]
[“Yes. Thanks to Cylem's teaching. So that aside, I have a plan for defeating Kresh. It seems to me that ever since he made and armed himself with that Beast Hammer Whip things have taken a turn in his favor.
But I don't think he's noticed what swinging that big weapon has done to his shoulders. They're leaking stuffing! So I was thinking...” ]
The trio chatted back and forth vigorously, making alterations to the plan to ensure victory, no matter the cost... which was something Cylem and Kilijoy had to talk Demora into since she was very reluctant. But they simply told her that they had to return to the dollhouse after this fight anyways so that Pinkili and Anancy could have a turn to be summoned next.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Apparently, they won 3rd and 4th place in their rock, paper, scissors battle.
And since that was the case, the dollie head duo wanted to go out with a BANG!
Demora moved over to the edge of the shelf, looked back at the floating duo, and with a smile said, “Thanks you two! I never could have done this without you... Now, let's Punish the stuffings out of this... this annoying jerkface!”
“Yes, yes! Let's, he's so annoying...” They said in agreement, cheering Demora on as she quickly scurried down to the middle shelf as the smoke around Kresh's head cleared enough for him to spot her.
“Good, good! Little itsy bitsy bunny dollie girl come down to git punish! Kresh come there, you wait there.” Kresh rumbled, stomping her way with his big Beast Hammer Whip resting on his shoulder.
Ugh, just hush already... If only the slime from my ghostly ekto orbs didn't evaporate so quickly then maybe he'd slip and fall on his face... Oh wait a minute, that gives me an idea. “Hey Kresh, let's play a game!” Demora called out.
“Huh? Game... what game little itsy bitsy bunny dollie girl?” Kresh asked
“Slip 'n Fall!” Demora quickly whispered her spell as a ghostly ektoplasmic orb shot forth from the palm of her aimed hand; The orb arced through the air splattering on the floor just as Kresh's foot came stomping down.
SPLSH!
“WHOAAA!” Kresh cried out as his foot slipped on the floor causing him to do the splits, landing on his rump with a thump. Giggles streamed down from above where the dollie duo waited, covering the sound of seams tearing.
Ah, it's a good thing he can't feel physical pain otherwise he'd be singing soprano right about now. Although, if he could feel pain then he'd know just how hurt his body is and might have done something about it...
Kresh glared murder at Demora as he began to rise back up onto his feet.
Taking advantage of the situation, Demora jumped to the ground near Kresh, startling him; Before he could recover and reach out to grab her she raced past, bending low and scooping up the silver bell and victorian umbrella.
By the time Kresh turned around, Beast Hammer Whip at the ready, she was already high up on one of the shelves again, looking down at him... smiling.
“Whatcha waiting for jerkface? Come and get me if you can!”
Angered, Kresh half-stomped, half-ran at her, and then jumped, swinging hard; Demora quickly jumped to the side, dodging the swing. Kresh changed the direction his beast hammer was going to follow her through the air, then shouted “Redlocks Sick'em!”
Hearing the attack command, Demora activated her Nethryn String Double Hop causing the swinging beast hammerhead and whipping dreadlocks to completely miss.
This was the reason she played the decoy role in their plan; Because she was more agile and the far better dodger. Their role was to bring the damage.
So around and around they went one chasing and swinging a big Beast Hammer Whip, frustration mounting. The other running, dodging, teasing, and double hopping as Kilijoy and Cylem watched the show from above.
“I'm worried. She might run out of Oryn energy soon since she's using half for us.” Kilijoy said, bobbing up and down, ready to swoop.
“She'll be fine. She knows how much she has in the tank. Besides, look... the plan is working. Just a swing or two more and the seam tears on his shoulders will be big enough for us to dive-bomb.” Cylem said, smiling. “Get ready!”
[“Okay, you two are up next. Just one more double hop and the way in should be open for you. Are you sure you want to do this? We can try to find anoth...”]
[“”I'm sure!””] Kilijoy and Cylem replied in unison as the pair flew out from hiding, staying near the ceiling out of Kresh's line of sight.
Smiling, Demora nodded her head, then changed directions. The beast hammerhead came whooshing behind her, clearly off the mark; Kresh's swings were becoming wilder and harder to control.
[“Race You!”] Kilijoy shouted!
[“You're On!”] Cylem responded.
Kresh barked out, “Redlocks Sick'em!”
[“Go!”] Demora called out as she double hopped low and across towards the room's large door.
BAM!
The beast hammerhead hit the floor causing cracks to appear on the concrete.
Two small shadows swooped down from above in a blur, a beaked one piercing first, plunging into a fist-sized tear in the seams of Kresh's right shoulder, sending a puff of stuffing up into the air.
Before Kresh could even react, a second shadow plunged into a tear on his left shoulder but wasn't able to fully penetrate so a third of its body was sticking out. Worried that Kresh would pull her out, Cylem used her mechanical limbs to wrap around Kresh's arm.
“What you bad dollie heads doing in Kresh? Get OUT so I can punish you!” Kresh fumed, standing with his hand wrapped around the shaft of Beast Hammer Whip; The weapon's head lying on the floor as Kresh tried to lift it up but couldn't.
[“Kilijoy! Cylem! I'll see you on the other side... Thank You!”]
“And as for you Kresh...” Demora said, standing by the door, staring at him with an open victorian umbrella in her hands.
“Huh?” Kresh replied, hearing his name. “What you want?”
“Only to tell you... Goodbye.” Lowering her umbrella in front of her like a shield so that only her eyes and top of her bunny-eared head could be seen by Kresh she called out:
“Voden Dollhead Explosion!”
BBOOOOMM!!
A double explosion sent Kresh's arms, pieces of his chest, and lots of stuffing flying; Some of which pelted her umbrella shield. Demora's ears twitched due to the noise which would have been much louder if it hadn't been muffled by Kresh's body and stuffings. I hope that big bang didn't wake up the neighbors... I-I better make sure...
She gave her umbrella a good shake before closing it, sending the fluff and debris sticking to its black and eggplant hued fabric gently to the floor.
With umbrella firmly in hand, she turned to the door and warily opened it just a crack to peek out. Seeing that there was no one on the other side, she released the breath she had been holding and put her bunny ears to good use.
She stood quietly, listening with strained ears, searching the long dim corridor for any sounds of unwanted guests coming her way.
Tense minutes ticked with no sounds of disturbance, finally convincing her that nobody had heard the ruckus they had made. Phew! It's a good thing this happened late at night... She thought to herself as she closed and locked the door.
Relieved that the danger was truly over (well, for now at least), she relaxed as the energy within her small body continued to scurry and spin, increasing in amount and richness as cheers softly echoed in her head. Ah, sounds like they're having such wonderful fun in there.
“I think I'll give them just a few more minutes of celebration before I summon Anancy and Pinkili out here to help keep a lookout while I explore this room and see what there is to loot! Starting with some new clothes...”
:giggles: The Itsy Bitsy Bunny has done it!... She's done it! She's one step closer to becoming strong enough to overcome her fear... :giggles:
:giggling: Yes... yes! Strong enough to becoming a true Daemirra... true Daemirra... But for now, it's time for her to celebrate with loots... :gigglings: