Post by The Demon Auditor on Jul 19, 2005 21:42:28 GMT -5
(Just a bit of recap of the temple's final moments before I post again. This is where Mori and her motley crew will come back from the Dragon's Den. Crowe, too, if he ever returns, lol.)
ODK managed to get to his feet again as the stone around him settled. He climbed up to a good vantage point, and could see the giant worm not to far from him. Pazazu, the dog wind demon, had grown to twice its original size and was currently hunched over the worm's body, riding and tearing into it with teeth and claws. ODK grinned at his pet's handiwork. The worm thrashed wildly, though, and ODK realized he needed to move quickly or be crushed.
A glimmer caught his eye, and among the rubble, he spotted a human hand. His eyes went wide as he hoped it wasn't Mori. He scrambled over the fallen stone to the limp limb and started digging it out, only to find the body of a priestess. He was relieved, but still disturbed. He checked the woman's pulse, and was disappointed to find her dead.
A roar alerted him to the worm's oncoming presence. Pazazu was weakening it, but couldn't make the final blow yet. ODK grimaced as the worm began blindly flailing around the ruins. The energy shield from his ring was beginning to sputter as it too was weakening. An idea popped into his head (rather than hitting him, like they usually do. Mean ol' ideas.)
He put his fingers to his lips and let out a long, sharp whistle. Pazazu's ears perked and the windy demon barked in understanding. With the worm thrashing about and trying to escape Pazazu, it was running blindly. Pazazu dug its claws into the worm's side and gave it a sharp pull on the right side. The worm accordingly turned right, heading straight towards ODK.
The worm was bearing down on him, and as he could smell its foul jowls coming closer, he reached into his coat. The worm was like a freight train, and just as loud with the tornado all around them. ODK stood his ground. In an instant, he was swallowed up along with debris around him.
Pazazu continued its relentless attack on the powerful worm. Just as all hope seemed lost, its ears perked again and Pazazu dropped the worm and backed off. The worm stopped, and let out a final cry as it was suddenly split in half in a blinding flash. It tore itself from its own back end, still trying to flee, before finally dying. Between the two halves, ODK climbed to the top of the bloodied rubble, the red magical energy field around him sputtering its final gasp just as the worm was, before blinking out of existence. He grinned and turned to the demon standing behind him.
"Who needs swords when they got you, eh Buzzy?" he laughed, not caring he was now coated in worm guts from the absence of his shield. The demon chirped brightly with a loud buzz from the many saw blades covering its body. It was covered in even more blood than he was, having swum through the worm itself to cut it in half.
The winds died down as Pazazu returned to its master's side, appearing as a dog-man on all fours wearing tattered rags. Its skin was diseased and rotting, and as the worm died, it too began to rot and fester quicker than should have been natural. ODK bravely patted Pazazu on the head, before returning both demons to holding bottles and tucking them safely away in his coat. The ring he took off and inspected carefully. "Made in China. Go figure. Those mystics could never get it right." And into his coat he tossed it.
ODK gave one more look around the temple ruins he now stood atop of, and his heart sank. If Mori and Crowe had been in there, they were surely dead. Unable to bear the thought, he sank to his knees and stared numbly at the rotting worm's diseased carcass. He hardly even registered the sunrise over the forest.
ODK managed to get to his feet again as the stone around him settled. He climbed up to a good vantage point, and could see the giant worm not to far from him. Pazazu, the dog wind demon, had grown to twice its original size and was currently hunched over the worm's body, riding and tearing into it with teeth and claws. ODK grinned at his pet's handiwork. The worm thrashed wildly, though, and ODK realized he needed to move quickly or be crushed.
A glimmer caught his eye, and among the rubble, he spotted a human hand. His eyes went wide as he hoped it wasn't Mori. He scrambled over the fallen stone to the limp limb and started digging it out, only to find the body of a priestess. He was relieved, but still disturbed. He checked the woman's pulse, and was disappointed to find her dead.
A roar alerted him to the worm's oncoming presence. Pazazu was weakening it, but couldn't make the final blow yet. ODK grimaced as the worm began blindly flailing around the ruins. The energy shield from his ring was beginning to sputter as it too was weakening. An idea popped into his head (rather than hitting him, like they usually do. Mean ol' ideas.)
He put his fingers to his lips and let out a long, sharp whistle. Pazazu's ears perked and the windy demon barked in understanding. With the worm thrashing about and trying to escape Pazazu, it was running blindly. Pazazu dug its claws into the worm's side and gave it a sharp pull on the right side. The worm accordingly turned right, heading straight towards ODK.
The worm was bearing down on him, and as he could smell its foul jowls coming closer, he reached into his coat. The worm was like a freight train, and just as loud with the tornado all around them. ODK stood his ground. In an instant, he was swallowed up along with debris around him.
Pazazu continued its relentless attack on the powerful worm. Just as all hope seemed lost, its ears perked again and Pazazu dropped the worm and backed off. The worm stopped, and let out a final cry as it was suddenly split in half in a blinding flash. It tore itself from its own back end, still trying to flee, before finally dying. Between the two halves, ODK climbed to the top of the bloodied rubble, the red magical energy field around him sputtering its final gasp just as the worm was, before blinking out of existence. He grinned and turned to the demon standing behind him.
"Who needs swords when they got you, eh Buzzy?" he laughed, not caring he was now coated in worm guts from the absence of his shield. The demon chirped brightly with a loud buzz from the many saw blades covering its body. It was covered in even more blood than he was, having swum through the worm itself to cut it in half.
The winds died down as Pazazu returned to its master's side, appearing as a dog-man on all fours wearing tattered rags. Its skin was diseased and rotting, and as the worm died, it too began to rot and fester quicker than should have been natural. ODK bravely patted Pazazu on the head, before returning both demons to holding bottles and tucking them safely away in his coat. The ring he took off and inspected carefully. "Made in China. Go figure. Those mystics could never get it right." And into his coat he tossed it.
ODK gave one more look around the temple ruins he now stood atop of, and his heart sank. If Mori and Crowe had been in there, they were surely dead. Unable to bear the thought, he sank to his knees and stared numbly at the rotting worm's diseased carcass. He hardly even registered the sunrise over the forest.
