10-14-2017, 06:50 AM
(This post was last modified: 10-14-2017, 06:51 AM by Salamander.)
Crim stayed still until Vespa was hidden from sight, then slowly backed away and lined herself along the wall. If she was lucky, the hoppers wouldn’t notice her and would simply continue on their set path. True to her prediction, they mindlessly shambled into the cave and bounded to the back, before meeting the wall and changing directions. Holding her breath, Crim waited until each one had turned and made their way back out.
After a few minutes, she peered out to check if the coast was clear. The Hoppers had left nothing but footprints in the ashen snow. Breathing a sigh of relief, she went to call Vespa from his hiding spot. As she was about to slip through the crevice, however, a powerful burn suddenly scorched her shoulder. She cried out and grabbed at the wound, only to singe her hand on the sizzling orange fluid still dripping off her carapace. The acid easily ate through the thin fabric of her cloak, leaving a nasty, frothing burn. Crim grimaced through the pain and whipped around, nail raised. The Hoppers were long gone, but hovering in the cave entrance was a another infected insect; a Primal Aspid. Crim scrambled away from the crevice, not wanting to lead the beast towards Vespa. She dodged another blast of acid, narrowly missing a shot to her head.
Darting behind a stalagmite for cover, she managed to catch her breath and ready herself for a second attack. The Aspid spat three gobs of the disgusting orange mess, which splattered messily on the cave walls. At the first sign of an opening, Crim lunged towards the bug and brought down her nail, cleaving the Aspid in two. Acid spilled everywhere, crackling on contact with the snow. A few droplets sprayed onto Crim, but the pain in her shoulder was far more intense. She dropped to her knees and gasped, reaching up to gingerly touch the still smoldering wound. She hissed in pain. The outer layer of her exoskeleton was practically melted at the spot, reduced to a blistering, bubbly sore. “Well.” She laughed bitterly, “That’ll… probably leave a mark.” But what was more worrying was how easily the infected bug had fallen. Almost as if something- or someone else had been fighting it beforehand. She stood and stepped over the corpse. With the flat end of her blade, she lifted the halved Aspid and shoveled it out the cave entrance.
She nervously looked out into the storm, half-expecting to see some other monstrosity lying in wait. But there was nothing but empty, frozen wastes. Perhaps someone else was traveling out there? Whoever they were, she wished them the best of luck.
She returned to the crevice and ducked inside, mindful of her injured shoulder. When she reached Vespa, she repositioned her mask so he could read her words. “All’s good up there, V.” She smiled and shifted her cloak so that it covered up the wound. She didn’t need him worrying about anything else.
“For now, at least.”
After a few minutes, she peered out to check if the coast was clear. The Hoppers had left nothing but footprints in the ashen snow. Breathing a sigh of relief, she went to call Vespa from his hiding spot. As she was about to slip through the crevice, however, a powerful burn suddenly scorched her shoulder. She cried out and grabbed at the wound, only to singe her hand on the sizzling orange fluid still dripping off her carapace. The acid easily ate through the thin fabric of her cloak, leaving a nasty, frothing burn. Crim grimaced through the pain and whipped around, nail raised. The Hoppers were long gone, but hovering in the cave entrance was a another infected insect; a Primal Aspid. Crim scrambled away from the crevice, not wanting to lead the beast towards Vespa. She dodged another blast of acid, narrowly missing a shot to her head.
Darting behind a stalagmite for cover, she managed to catch her breath and ready herself for a second attack. The Aspid spat three gobs of the disgusting orange mess, which splattered messily on the cave walls. At the first sign of an opening, Crim lunged towards the bug and brought down her nail, cleaving the Aspid in two. Acid spilled everywhere, crackling on contact with the snow. A few droplets sprayed onto Crim, but the pain in her shoulder was far more intense. She dropped to her knees and gasped, reaching up to gingerly touch the still smoldering wound. She hissed in pain. The outer layer of her exoskeleton was practically melted at the spot, reduced to a blistering, bubbly sore. “Well.” She laughed bitterly, “That’ll… probably leave a mark.” But what was more worrying was how easily the infected bug had fallen. Almost as if something- or someone else had been fighting it beforehand. She stood and stepped over the corpse. With the flat end of her blade, she lifted the halved Aspid and shoveled it out the cave entrance.
She nervously looked out into the storm, half-expecting to see some other monstrosity lying in wait. But there was nothing but empty, frozen wastes. Perhaps someone else was traveling out there? Whoever they were, she wished them the best of luck.
She returned to the crevice and ducked inside, mindful of her injured shoulder. When she reached Vespa, she repositioned her mask so he could read her words. “All’s good up there, V.” She smiled and shifted her cloak so that it covered up the wound. She didn’t need him worrying about anything else.
“For now, at least.”