Ch 20: Hell Storm
Imported from SF2 with no description.
There was now a gouge in the earth before me, where a portion of the flourishing emerald field had ceased existing, a fact I had no time to reflect on, as a piercing roar rumbled from above. I couldn't take the time to appreciate the oddity of hearing thunder before the flash of lightning that would usually precede the sound as a strike of lightning kicked up the dirt only a couple hundred yards away. The storm begun to unleash with a ferocity I could have only imagined, rain beginning to pelt the ground with almost intentional force while more roars of angered thunder preceded lightning strikes that seemed way too localized to be natural. Inferno and Calamity came to my side, the three of us were out in the open, assumedly spotted and no longer safe. We were all reeling in our own way from the encounter but we needed to get to safety.
“To the trees, now!" I commanded. The kobold had, since last checking on her, fallen unconscious, likely from the stress of being pursued and being thrown through the air so wildly, Calamity passed her back over to Inferno who affirmed her grip on the small being. Together the three of us darted towards the nearest treeline. Inferno took flight to carry the kobold, remaining close to the ground. Calamity beginning to fall behind thanks to his injury and general building exhaustion. The thunderous roaring grew deafeningly as a colossal mass swooped through the dark clouds directly towards us at an uncanny speed. Quetzalcoatl had indeed returned!
“Split!" I ordered. The three of us separated in our gallop as we headed for the treeline, dodging the epic giant talons just as they closed shut where we once were. The snap of the steely talons against hardened scales sent a shockwave, blasting away the rain from around us for a split second, if the legendary creature had caught one of us, it'd have snapped us like twigs. We were not out of danger yet, the looming presence of the green serpentine behind us disappeared as he gained altitude with frightening speed. I was expecting a second attack, only Quetzalcoatl had another manner of attack to try, so it seemed, in order to secure his meal ticket. Too busy to glance back, focused on getting to the treeline, I encourage my mates to do the same with as much haste as they could muster, while, up in the sky, Quetzalcoatl began to call forth an immense amount of energy. Crackling bolts of lightening streaked through the blackened clouds building towards the otherworldly force of the beast wielding them, it would have been a magnificent sight to see the sizzling energy swarming around its grim over fanged snout, if we weren't the target. A deafening roar called out from the clouds, had the roars been so loud before? The serpentine creature arched back releasing the mass charge of electricity into the sky above as its thunderous roar proceeded the coming attack.
With great haste the three of us charged for our lives, adrenaline rushing, my muscles aching from the constant flying and encounters, fear from my mates swelling within my mind as they began losing hope for their lives. I in turn, spread my determination that we would survive this, no matter what. The first clash of lightning clashed down from above us, striking barely twenty paces to our left. Before the next flash I see a glint, glancing over I watch Inferno bring her tail to her maw and rip off the machete attachment launching it over and away from us, and not a moment too soon as the next strike created a small crater right where the blade landed. Clever girl...
After the first couple quickly became a growing cacophony of lightening strikes as they struck out around us in no particular pattern or accuracy. Swaying from side to side as we stride forward in hopes of not being hit by the violent storm overhead. Calamity began calling out to be left behind, pointing out he was slowing us down, I growled back with rage and closed in to swipe his side with my tail commanding him to remain silent. The obedient fool obeys without a sound but I felt his guilt enter my mind.
The lightening finally halted rather suddenly a calmness quickly settling in as even the rain seemed to have lightened a little. The three of us regroup together. I am clueless to how we evaded unscathed yet grateful we had done. Perhaps due to poor aim? Dumb luck more likely! The treeline was directly ahead of us, not far now, only, Quetzalcoatl's was once again in pursuit of us. The green serpentine was no longer playing around, coming straight at us with epic speed, his jaw wide open, going for the kill. It was going to be close.
“Faster! Almost...there!" I roar out. There was a sudden loud snap, as Quetzalcoatl's jaw caught and sheared straight through a tree, just as we entered the forest. The Aztec God growling fiercely as it tore away the centre of the thick trunk in wrath, before taking off once more, losing his prey in the dense greenery.
Galloping through a field was a lot easier than a forest at such a fast pace, our exhaustion began to catch up with us. Barely getting forty paces into the forest before the three of us crashed into the branches and trees themselves, causing us to finally lose our pace and trip over ourselves, rolling into one another as we hit the muddy ground and tumbled a little further along before stopping. Catching our breath we remain still, checking our surroundings for further dangers, there were currently none. I ask my mates for any injuries obtained and if they are still in one piece. They respond stating they have bumps, bruises and a few minor cuts. Nothing as serious as losing the ability to fly. Quetzalcoatl was clearly hunting us now, he will be watching and waiting for us to leave the temporarily shelter of the woodland. The path forward will now be difficult, we will have to move more cautiously and smartly.