kiiblade

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

I’m fine. Ghent wasn’t sure why he bothered asking, he predicted Elayra’s answer before she said it. He sighed softly to himself, stilling his tongue. If he asked again she’d probably get mad.
“If you’re sure.” Ghent decided it was a safe response. He returned his attention to the river, unsure what to say next. An apology was probably in order, but the words felt stuck in his throat. Apologizing was admitting he’d been wrong, and he didn’t really want to do that.
Elayra was the one to put aside her pride first. Ghent was surprised to hear his name leave her mouth, an occurrence that didn’t happen often.
“You’re…” Ghent began, but she threw in a quick jab before he could finish. “…Welcome.” He finished, grimacing slightly. He didn't protest, though. Answering to Featherhead was a small price to pay for his blunder.
The boy fell silent, watching as Elayra rose. He readied himself to spring up if she started to collapse, but she maintained her balance. Maybe she would be fine.
Elayra began talking again, mentioning the monsters by name.
Terraflames. More monsters courtesy of Wonderland. The explanation behind the beasts basically confirmed Ghent’s suspicion that his prank led to the ambush.
Still sitting, Ghent turned his body slightly to look at Elayra as she spoke. His brows raised at the mention of the terraflames being kept as pets, an image difficult to visualize after what he’d seen of the beasts. He was further surprised to hear they were docile and actually served a purpose at one point in time.
It was strange to think that Wonderland may have once been full of wonder, rather than full of death and suffering.
Ghent returned his gaze to the river, experiencing an odd sense of loss. At one point, Wonderland had been his home. Their home. And now…
He looked to his hands, catching the resentment in Elayra’s words. Happy. She could barely speak the word without sounding bitter, and he couldn't blame her. The way Wonderland was now was all she knew. He barely survived two days, she survived fourteen years.
Great… Ghent tugged at a sprig of grass, drops of water still dripping from his hair. Now I feel guilty.
"We have pet rocks on Earth too," Ghent tried to ease his conscience with a joke, but his voice came out flat. He continued pulling at the grass, listening as Elayra elaborated a little more.
Mount Crone. Ghent didn't recognize the name. He looked to the girl inquisitively as she dug through her pack, but she didn't elaborate.
“I’ll guard our stuff,” Ghent offered, realizing she likely wanted to change into dry clothes before he bombarded her with questions. He took a breath, glancing sideways.
“And, uh…” Ghent reached to rub the back of his neck out of habit, the stinging marks warning him against the action. “Sorry. For being a pain in the…er…” he paused a second time, making the apology much more awkward than necessary. “For being a Featherhead.”

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

edit: double post

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Ghent waited with bated breath, a mess of nerves until Elayra finally showed signs of life. He was so relieved when she responded, he nearly hugged her.
He swallowed uneasily, giving her time to compose herself. She sounded so…weak. When he was sure Elayra was stable enough to stay upright on her own, he released her shoulders and remained nearby as she removed what remained of the vine.
Before he could say anything about the nasty marks left by the thorns, an awful cry rang out from the shore. Ghent bent his knees to submerge himself again, the water stopping just below his nose. He stared at the creature heatedly, unable to pity it after the terror it caused them. He flinched as the tongues shot out, but relaxed when he realized it couldn’t reach them. He wished the monster would lose its balance and take a spill like its partner did.
Ghent glanced at Elayra as the monster retreated, rising to his full height after she did. Wonderland was Elayra’s turf, so he trusted her enough to believe their enemy wouldn’t return.
“Oh,” was all he managed to utter in response. He still didn’t feel sorry for them, not after the damage they caused. He coughed lightly, wondering if his heartbeat would ever again return to normal while he was still in Wonderland.
Taking in another grateful breath, Ghent began to follow Elayra. He hoisted himself onto dry land, his stinging neck and wrist a reminder of what they’d gone through.
Sitting a little bit away from Elayra, Ghent sat cross-legged, keeping a wary eye on her from a distance. Stray droplets of water dripped down his face from his hair, his bangs sticking against his forehead. He tugged at a stray thorn that remained stuck in his wrist, cursing quietly as he tossed it aside.
Ghent glanced up when the blonde spoke again. He smiled lightly despite himself, the nickname not bothering him as it normally would. He was just happy she could still say it.
“Yeah, well, this idiot just saved your life,” he reminded her with a faint smirk. Under different circumstances, he would have gloated further, but he suspected his stupid prank was partially responsible for leading the monsters to their location.
“Seriously, though…are you alright? You were under there for a long time…like, a really long time.” Ghent couldn't shake his paranoia. In the back of his mind, he remembered his dad mentioning something about dry drowning. "Did you swallow any water?"

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Had he been on land, Ghent would have heaved a sigh of relief. He hurriedly accepted the dagger, almost losing sight of it as the murkiness of the water increased. He didn’t have time to think, only act. He had one shot at saving Elayra from drowning.
He grabbed the vine again, pulling it as tautly as he could. The monster’s thrashing had already slowed considerably, a sign the beast was fading fast.
Elayra's fading too. The thought sent another surge of panic through Ghent, bubbles escaping his mouth during an accidental exhale. He clenched his teeth, hoping to steel his nerves.
Focus. Jaw set in determination, he slid the blade down until it met with the indentation Elayra made. He began sawing at the rest, moving as quickly and effectively as the water would allow. His eyes flickered toward where Elayra was supposed to be, but the water was too murky to check her status.
Ghent continued to work feverishly, inwardly cursing the monster for their predicament. Although the vine was inches from his face, he couldn’t see enough to tell how much progress he'd made.
A month in Hollow Forest couldn't have prepared Ghent for the terror he felt. His lungs began to hurt, his desire to take a breath gnawing at him like an annoying itch he couldn't scratch. He couldn't imagine how Elayra felt, but he would know soon enough if the vine didn't break.
The surface was close enough to taunt them, the thin line between life and death available to them if only they stood. For both their sake, Ghent refused to give up. If he didn’t drown with her, Drust would surely kill him when he found out what happened. Either way, Ghent’s fate was intertwined with hers.
His effort paid off. After what felt like forever, Ghent felt something give. The blade had broken through the vine.
Ghent dropped the dagger. Without giving her much time to react, he grabbed Elayra by arm and shot to his feet, pulling the girl with him. As they broke through the water, he gasped and coughed. He gripped her shoulders tightly, searching her face with wildly for any sign of life. “Are you okay?!” His voice cracked between a ragged cough, his face drained of color. "Say something!"

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A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Acting on sheer adrenaline, Ghent sped forward at full speed. When he reached the edge of the bank, he leapt, the boost shortening his distance before he collided with the river.
The cold engulfed him, the animalistic wails of the leaner rock muffled beneath the water. Ghent shot up with a gasp, his feet meeting the ground when he extended his legs. When standing, the water stopped around his chest.
“Elayra?!” Ghent scramble-swam to get closer to the correct location, his eyes never straying from the spot Elayra disappeared from. The movement below confirmed his suspicions that he was in the right spot.
Taking in a quick, shaky breath, Ghent dropped underneath the water.
At first, he didn't see anything. His vision was compromised by the dirt, and the suffering beast’s thrashing made it difficult to tell what was going on. Ghent barely spared the monster a glance, his eyes scanning for Elayra. Sure enough, she was stuck nearby.
From what Ghent could make out, Elayra was conscious, but at the mercy of their foe. She was on her knees, the slicing motion of her hand indicating she still had the knife.
Kicking his legs behind him, Ghent swam through the bits of unearthed debris to get closer. Ignoring the natural desire to take a breath, he bent his knees to be level with Elayra. He assessed the situation as best he could, his brow furrowed with concern. The beast was jostling her around so aggressively, he couldn't tell what was going on with its tongue.
Just die already! Ghent wanted to scream at the monster. Using both hands, he grabbed hold of the tongue just below the area she cut. Ignoring the thorns cutting into his flesh, he held on tightly, seeking out the place Elayra worked to cut. A mark was there, but it wasn't enough to break away, and he was positive she wouldn't have the strength to sever the rest on her own.
Ghent made the decision to let go, and instead grabbed for the knife in an attempt to take it from her. He grit his teeth, sensing her resistance.
With his free hand, he motioned wildly to himself to indicate he could take over. Time was ticking at a nauseating pace, and he believed himself better capable of finishing the job.

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

The river couldn’t have been more than nine feet away, but it felt twice that far. Before Ghent had a chance to heed Elayra’s warning, the vine caught just above his sneaker. He tripped and flew forward, hitting the ground so hard his teeth clacked together. The fall cost him precious seconds, placing him in harm’s way yet again.
Elayra wasn’t any better off. Still grounded, Ghent witnessed the injured beast’s retaliation. Its tongue caught Elayra around her neck, doing what it could to restrain her. It then charged with the aggression of an angry bull, leaving oddly shaped footprints with each step.
Ghent couldn’t seem to catch his breath. It was hard enough to save his own skin, but now he had Elayra to worry about. If he didn’t move fast, things were about to get ugly for both of them.
Spurred by the desire to survive, Ghent quickly rolled over, jerking his foot away in fear of being snared. He clambered to regain his footing, only too aware that he and Elayra were right where the monsters wanted them. Somehow he had to avoid their attacks while also helping to free her.
Elayra acted before Ghent had the chance to spout off another focus word. Thanks to her quick reflexes, she narrowly avoided the collision, but the vine was still wrapped around her neck.
What happened next was a blur. The river stood in the path of the monster, and the beast was moving too fast to change course. It lost its footing, tipping dangerously. Ghent’s eyes grew wide, his brain connecting the dots before the scene could play out.
The monster toppled into the water, and it took Elayra along with it.
"Elayra!" Panic set in. Ghent didn't know how deep the water was, but if she was anchored down…
Terrified she’d drown, the boy forgot his surroundings and ran blindly after them.

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

For the first time in forever...a reply!

Heh, yeah, that was my mistake! Was an easy fix at least. And thanks! I liked how you compared their size to a mastiff. It was easy for me to envision. And, again, I have to say it...Elayra is AWESOME. That attack though!

I decided he likely wouldn't be able to keep the connection going very long after that hit. He's still new to this, plus I doubted he'd be able to concentrate very well in a situation like that. If that doesn't give you enough to work with, just let me know! :)

Side note, when I was doing yard work, I had to weed the flowerbeds. My dad warned me about the rosebush due to its thorns. Remembering the rock monster, I purposely poked at one of the thorns to see how much it'd hurt. It exceeded my expectations.

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

The magic answered Ghent's call almost immediately. He grinned as the shield came into creation, the sight exciting him despite the danger he was in. Before he could so much as blink, the strength of the shield was put to the test.
The barrier absorbed most of the monster’s impact, but it didn't take all of it. Ghent fell, the shield flickering as he hit the ground. The sensation was similar to when he skateboarded into the pole of a streetlight. Except the streetlight didn't have long, thorny tongues to worry about.
Groaning, Ghent forced himself to his feet, daring a quick glance in Elayra's direction. When he looked back to the monster, he discovered the shield had vanished completely. Whether this was due to his lapse in concentration or overall fatigue, he couldn't tell, but he didn't have the strength to reconnect with the world's magic.
Crap! Ghent gripped his head in an effort to refocus. He turned with the creature as it began to circle him, the tongues making another appearance. He jumped back clumsily to avoid them, a move that took him further away from the river and his weapon. While this went on, the commotion behind him increased as Elayra sprang into action.
Ghent eyed his staff, visibly tense. His wrist and neck stung, pieces of broken thorns still embedded in his flesh. If he wanted to avoid further injury, he needed to act before the monster lashed out again.
Left with few options, Ghent forced his aching legs into a run. He made a beeline for his staff, but he had another objective in mind. At the last possible second, he changed direction. His sneakers skidded against the damp ground, the friction creating indents in the mud. If he ran fast enough and moved in a zigzag, maybe he had a chance to reach the lake in one piece.
While Ghent made an effort to flee, he overheard the first monster howl in pain. He turned his head, stunned by the sight of its leg crumbling into a sad pile of rubble.
How? Ghent gawked, catching a glimpse of post-battle Elayra. His eyes went wide when he noticed the glint from the dagger in her hand. No way. Could a blade really could penetrate rock? It didn't matter. His weapon was left on the ground.
"Are you coming or not?!" Ghent shouted to her as he veered left, unsure what her plan entailed.

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Finally got a reply in! Struggled a bit in deciding what to do, hence the wait. I didn't want to make Ghent totally helpless, but I tried to have it somewhat realistic given how much time he had to react. Even though I love them, I'm still rusty when it comes to fighting/action scenes. I'm a little on the fence about it, so let me know if I should change anything!

Gotcha! Thanks for the info. That's gonna be one interesting town... *__*

Thanks again! Always appreciate your help, and value your advice. :D