Post by Xan on Feb 8, 2011 22:12:10 GMT -5
The undead around camp were restless again and had climbed out of the pass where they were usually contained. As her duty compelled her to do, Maka set out to round them up and lock them away again.
It would be close, she knew this for sure.
The hulking, grey mass of infected flesh pushed aside the tree top in its way as it dominated the pass before Maka. Behind it, the horde of lesser undead milled about the gate, not quite following her in. d**n, they were losing sight of her, but she didn't have much time left. The behemoth was getting closer.
In a few swift motions, her bow was in hand, arrow knocked; selecting a target, she let fly the arrow, taking its mark in the chest of one of the zombies. That got their attention again.
Cold, fetid air blasted against Maka as the behemoth roared and swiped a claw at her. She dodged aside, but too late. It dug into her arm, ripping the pauldron from her as she tucked and rolled with the blow before barreling into the cliff wall. Heavy footsteps pounded closer as she staggered up against the cliff. Quickly, she tore a bandage from a kit at her belt and wrapped the wound to slow the bleeding, then snatched up her blade and dashed aside.
Crouching low to the ground, almost cat-like, Maka wove to either side of the pass, waiting for a chance to spring past the behemoth. She had it. A massive claw swept over her again as this time she ducked and rolled under it, coming up on her feet on the other side. She looked towards the gate, charging forward.
There, just in time, the last of the undead was on this side of the gate. Now she needed to get out of the pass.
Skirting the bulk of the horde, she hugged the cliff wall as she ran, yet when she arrived close to the gate, one of the infected remained in her way. There was no was way out but through him. Quietly with calculated force, she charged. Her shield met the side of the zombie's head as she followed through with her broadsword; she swung in, point first, and rammed it between her adversary's ribs to join the momentum of her shield bash. A mistake.
It staggered as its cold hands grasped the edge of her shield and her sword arm, then pushed back, teeth gnashing as it sought to rend her flesh. Moving with the returned shove, she stepped aside and allowed the zombie to lose balance and carry itself past, but she only stepped into the arms of yet another zombie.
They were closing in.
Pain spread like wildfire through her left shoulder as her second opponent sank its disfigured teeth into her flesh, matched only by the wet warmth which began to flow over her shoulder and torso. Maka's head swam. She released her embedded blade and turned to her left, leading with her elbow as she struck the zombie in the neck to break its hold. As it was knocked aside, she continued her swing, bringing her shield down upon its head with a sickening crack. Now she noticed how close they really were.
"Sh**!," her mind screamed over the telelink.
As many pairs of hands groped and clawed at the air, inches away from her, she stumbled back and tripped over the prone body of the first opponent. Smack, she fell on her rump, back against the tree. With no where left to go she, she pulled into a defensive ball, grasping her shield above and before her as the weight of the undead surged against it. They battered against her shield again and again as slowly her life bled away. Then her shield was wrenched aside.
Her screams echoed throughout Camp Gadget for several seconds while they bore down upon her... then only the sound of the feast remained until the others arrived.
It would be close, she knew this for sure.
The hulking, grey mass of infected flesh pushed aside the tree top in its way as it dominated the pass before Maka. Behind it, the horde of lesser undead milled about the gate, not quite following her in. d**n, they were losing sight of her, but she didn't have much time left. The behemoth was getting closer.
In a few swift motions, her bow was in hand, arrow knocked; selecting a target, she let fly the arrow, taking its mark in the chest of one of the zombies. That got their attention again.
Cold, fetid air blasted against Maka as the behemoth roared and swiped a claw at her. She dodged aside, but too late. It dug into her arm, ripping the pauldron from her as she tucked and rolled with the blow before barreling into the cliff wall. Heavy footsteps pounded closer as she staggered up against the cliff. Quickly, she tore a bandage from a kit at her belt and wrapped the wound to slow the bleeding, then snatched up her blade and dashed aside.
Crouching low to the ground, almost cat-like, Maka wove to either side of the pass, waiting for a chance to spring past the behemoth. She had it. A massive claw swept over her again as this time she ducked and rolled under it, coming up on her feet on the other side. She looked towards the gate, charging forward.
There, just in time, the last of the undead was on this side of the gate. Now she needed to get out of the pass.
Skirting the bulk of the horde, she hugged the cliff wall as she ran, yet when she arrived close to the gate, one of the infected remained in her way. There was no was way out but through him. Quietly with calculated force, she charged. Her shield met the side of the zombie's head as she followed through with her broadsword; she swung in, point first, and rammed it between her adversary's ribs to join the momentum of her shield bash. A mistake.
It staggered as its cold hands grasped the edge of her shield and her sword arm, then pushed back, teeth gnashing as it sought to rend her flesh. Moving with the returned shove, she stepped aside and allowed the zombie to lose balance and carry itself past, but she only stepped into the arms of yet another zombie.
They were closing in.
Pain spread like wildfire through her left shoulder as her second opponent sank its disfigured teeth into her flesh, matched only by the wet warmth which began to flow over her shoulder and torso. Maka's head swam. She released her embedded blade and turned to her left, leading with her elbow as she struck the zombie in the neck to break its hold. As it was knocked aside, she continued her swing, bringing her shield down upon its head with a sickening crack. Now she noticed how close they really were.
"Sh**!," her mind screamed over the telelink.
As many pairs of hands groped and clawed at the air, inches away from her, she stumbled back and tripped over the prone body of the first opponent. Smack, she fell on her rump, back against the tree. With no where left to go she, she pulled into a defensive ball, grasping her shield above and before her as the weight of the undead surged against it. They battered against her shield again and again as slowly her life bled away. Then her shield was wrenched aside.
Her screams echoed throughout Camp Gadget for several seconds while they bore down upon her... then only the sound of the feast remained until the others arrived.