—{A Loud Splash}—
Swords raised, a trail of water flows through the bodies of the GSL (Gloomspine lurkers). But more appeared.
Calira, knee down and digging up the mud finally found the soft roots under the murky water. But she felt a sudden vibration behind her. She shifted, swiftly stood up and stepped aside and looked towards the direction she felt the vibration.
Ripples in the water surrounded her and were closing in. She let out a whistle and quickly cleaned her hands in the water. Still dirty but no more mud on them.
Calira grabbed her weapon, with another flick of a switch the blade elongated. When the creature, a grown lurker, came closer it got visible due to the low water level, and Calira, without getting close to it, shot with the revolver from where she was.
Calira: More starts to appear. "Tch. Fucking swarms."
Calira glanced at the lotus now leaning into the murky water. Then a loud roar and an even larger GSL jumped out behind her. Dark yellow on its head.
Calira leaned to her side a bit and one bullet to the head. It didn't pierce through the skull. Calira rolls on the mud, getting her clothes dirty. Standing up she sighed and noticed the yellow spot on its head.
"There's the alpha."
She lets out a long huff of air.
Glanced towards Riven and Shirin for a moment, "Stay away from the edge!" She said it out loud, then eyes back on the alpha and a defensive posture.
—{The Point of Splash at Calira's POV}—
—{To Riven and Shirin}—
As more teen GSL started to appear Riven and Shirin got too close and their backs smacked each other.
Shirin: "Too close!" Riven moved a few steps forward. "Too far!"
Riven: "How far am I supposed to be!?" He took just a step back.
During this moment they were just a few inches away from their back touching.
Riven's eyes wander around at the creature surrounding them, and he instinctively glanced at Calira's direction and saw the alpha emerging and her roll to the side.
Riven got his attention back at the GSL in front of him. His grip tightened on his sword. Shirin got in the position for a charge, jaw clenched just then they heard Calira's voice, "Stay away from the edge!"
Their eyes turned. Another voice, "Don't look at me! Pay attention to your problems!"
And the alpha whipped its tail and splashed water on Calira, momentarily blinding her.
Riven took a step toward Calira's direction but was disturbed by another voice, "Riven!"
Then by force his head (only head) felt a push, his body almost falling to the ground, it was Shirin and he just dodged an attack from the GSL.
Shirin: "Where were you looking?" Her eyes didn't leave the GSL. He steady himself.
They were still near the edge, not by much but were. "I'll try to make a way."
Her sword starts to glow blue and she grabs Riven's arm, "Do not slip!"
Her legs shot to the opposite direction from the edge and dashed. Slicing through a GSL in the process. This time Riven did not stumble. After getting a bit far Calira was no longer visible, but they still heard noises coming from her direction.
Shirin lets go of his arm. He stood beside her.
—{Back to Calira}—
—{Momentarily Blind}—
Calira after getting splashed water instinctively closed her eyes and took a step back to the opposite direction of where she had seen the Alpha.
She rubs her eyes by her arm in just a second and scans her surroundings. There were more ripples around her but none of them approached her. It was only her and the Alpha.
Calira: "Fucking swarms."
A charge towards her by the Alpha. She dodged. As the Alpha skipped past her she pointed her revolver towards the direction only for it to disappear from her view.
Glanced towards Riven and Shirin, still near the edge, "Get out of there!" They didn't acknowledge her, maybe didn't hear her.
Calira clenched her jaw and unwrapped the cloth. Not the whole but most of it to be functional. Inside. A sniper.
(It's dark green. Longer and bulkier than the usual sniper. The blade from earlier is attached just on top of the blade by a mechanism for it to retract or push out. At the butt was a hook. Rotatable. It was thin and had a bit of a yellowish texture. The sharp end faced downward. And the hook is on the right side.)
Calira rotates the hook to now face upward. She takes in a deep breath and again glances towards the direction of the two. They were no longer visible due to the mist.
"Finally they're gone."
But she also noticed the teen and smaller GSL going opposite of the pond. "Are they following them?"
She didn't get to question much as she sensed more vibration and… The Alpha jumped towards her, this time she got a hit blindly with the hook, just under the jaw.
The Alpha fell down beside her, she slid away from it and shot with the sniper, without any aim.
A hit on the head, it screamed and bled.
The Alpha blindly charged towards her opening its jaw, she didn't back off and shove the blade at the throat. Another loud scream.
It backed away. Then Calira noticed the ripples closing in. She sighed.
Calira pulled out the blade from its throat and… Shoved it on the head with much force that it passed through the skull.
The Alpha didn't scream. But the other GSL were closing in. Calira didn't hesitate, shot in the direction.
The bullet had pierced through the eye on an GSL, (adult). It didn't run but flinched a bit. That was enough for her. Picked up the lotus. It had gotten mud on itself. She ran towards the direction and skipped above the GSL (The one she shot).
Ran over the shallow water she'd entered from and out of the water. She dashed towards the direction Shirin and Riven had run.
—{To Shirin and Riven}—
—{The Moment Calira's using the Hook 1st Time (Here)}—
Past some trees, they turn around to see teen GSL coming their way. Standing beside each other. Due to the mist they couldn't tell how many they were.
Shirin: Points her sword at the GSL, "Be useful alright." Glancing at Riven, he nods.
Riven: "I hope she is fine there."
Shirin: "Miss Rustwood? Of course she's fine over there. Think about us!"
They exchanged words without turning to each other.
Their swords raised, one leg forward the other back, they got in position. They didn't look at their back, only the front. A mistake.
Shirin was tackled from the back. It was a juvenile. Still developing and had a small mouth, but a long snout. Riven here was quick and quickly stabbed it on the head, killing it. Didn't bleed much.
Riven: "S–Shirin, are you oh–okay?" He abruptly grabbed her arm and tried pulling her up.
Shirin: By the help of Riven she stood up, didn't look at him but the approaching swarm. "I'm fine. Thanks." She punched his arm, roughly.
Just then, they heard a gun shot.
"What was that!?" She asked.
Riven was silent. Then they heard a scream. Of the creature. The GSL turned around and started running back towards the pond.
While Shirin and Riven stared in shock.
"Why are they running back?"
Riven stumbled onto the ground, breathing heavily. "At least, we're safe…"
Shirin's eyes widened, she turned to Riven and grabbed his arm, "Wait! They're running back towards the pond! Miss Rustwood is still there."
—{Back To Calira}—
—{Running towards their direction}—
Calira faced the returning GSLs in the mist but she didn't stop and switched direction, curves to the sides. Getting over an elevated area and dashing towards the same direction she was heading it.
Soon the GSLs disappeared back into the mist.
And soon she got down from the elevated area and saw Riven and Shirin.
Shirin: "Miss Rustwood." Called out. And Riven just looked at her approaching.
Calira: Raised the lotus for them to see. "Let's get out of here."
And without waiting for them. She started walking. With quick steps. Calira glanced back at Riven and Shirin conforming if they were following her.
—{Jude's Alchemy}—
—{09:12AM}—
Jude sitting on his desk making a paper bird. The books set aside making space for the paper birds and… It seemed to be a marriage. One fat book was used as the stage. Jude was whispering vows changing his pitch according to each bird.
The groom asked.
"Will you marry me?"
"Why should I?"
"Because I want you to."
"I reject."
"The groom took out a gun." Says in a deep voice as a narrator. As he puts a paper gun bigger than the paper bird itself.
"Ohhhh noooo."
"Bang bang."
"Ohhhh noooo. I died."
Throws red coloured paper on the bride's paper.
"Happy ending."
Says the narrator.
While all the paper birds stare at the scene without any movement or emotions.
The door opens, he pulls the paper birds shoving them below. Dropping it all under his desk.
It was Riven. Dirty, mud spots over his clothes.
Jude: clears his voice. "Oh hey there friend. What brings you here?"
Riven doesn't answer, walks to him stumbling and throws a pouch at him… Missed. "Lotusss" He whispered. And sat on the floor. Huffing out air.
—{The Damp Wick}—
—{09:10AM}—
There weren't many inside. Only a few discuss some topics, with a few drinks. Not even a full glass when they were served by Mrs. Rustwood. And Mr. Rustwood, just standing here, leaning a bit, elbows on the counter.
The door opened. Mrs. Rustwood was the first to glance at the direction. It was Calira. Wearing the jacket (The one she'd given to Shirin).
Mrs. Rustwood: "Oh, you're home." She walked up to her and her father glanced at her, finally noticing her daughter but said nothing…
Not instantly.
Mr. Rustwood: Stood still "How was the hunt?"
Calira: "Good." Said in a low voice.
Mrs. Rustwood: Calira didn't walk inside not until her mother came close to her then she stepped in. And stopped right in front of her.
"You should've come to the other door."
Her mother scans her clothes, and notices only her pants are dirty. "You seem rather too clean for someone who went to the swamps."
Calira blinked. Sighs. And unzip her jacket. Mother's eyes widened.
"Oh."