Ch 8 - The red haired guardian
The heroes reach a bunch of cliffs, the only opening is a giant’s ribs. ‘According to the map this is the only way to get through without taking a massive detour.’
As the heroes journey they reach what looks like a giant’s ribs. They are coloured red and pink and the colours of the aurora. Standing smack in the middle is a red haired girl about the same age as Nima and Ashim.
Ashim: Those look like… the ribs of something gigantic?!
‘Halt!’
‘This place is sacred. It belongs to the remains of a God that roamed the place and protected us from harm. You may not pass until you have defeated me’.
Ashim: Geez, I don’t know how I feel about fighting another person.
Nima: If that’s the only way to pass, we have no choice.
Man: Hold on kids, isn’t there any other solution to this?
Girl: Silence! You have set foot in this sacred place. You must fight me!
Man: I guess not.
Girl: We will fight to the death! It is my duty to see it through.
Nima: I don’t feel very confident about this…
Girl: You may have mock fights if you wish to do so first.
Ashim: Really?? Let’s do that!
Nima: Umm, I’m not really up for getting hurt and then battling after that. I’ll save my strength.
Damien: Me too. I don’t think fighting before is a good idea.
Nima: (whispers) Then let’s hatch a plan together.
Nima: Ashim, are you sure you want to have test fights?
Ashim: Yeah, I need practice.
Nima: Hmmm….
Sighs.
Well… I can’t tell you what to do. You’re old enough to make your own choices.
Nima: Good luck, Ashim.
Ashim gives thumbs up.
Ashim: Alright, red haired girl! Dodge my punches.
Ashim punches in rapid succession and misses each time.
Girl: You’re slow!
*Punches Ashim*
Ashim: Agh!
Break. Give me a break.
Nima: How are you?
Ashim: I’m fine. I just need some time to heal.
Nima: Be careful. Don’t use up all your energy in a mock fight.
Ashim: I won’t!
Ashim: Come at me!
Girl misses him a few times, then hits him.
Girl: Good. Not bad.
Ashim: Owww… I need a rest again.
Damien: Lookin’ good Ashim!
Ashim: Have you devised a plan?
Nima: We’re working on it.
Ashim: Breathes in and out, sighs and gets up.
Ashim: Third time’s the charm! Let’s have a proper spar!
They exchange blows and Ashim gets hit a few times, then he manages to hit the girl.
Girl: You don’t need another rest?
Ashim: No! Let’s just keep giving light blows until one of us gets tired!
They spar into the evening until Ashim gets tired.
Nima and Damien are at a campfire.
Damien: How are things? Ready for the real deal?
Ashim: Yeah. Let’s get some rest tonight. We fight at dawn.
Ashim to albuu: How about you? I think you should join it.
Albuu: Mooaan
Next morning sun is coming up. Ashim stands up
Ashim: Guardian girl! We challenge you to a fight!
Ashim: (It’s three against one! And if you count albu, it’s four! We have a chance!)
Girl blows through blowgun and they dodge.
But they are amazed by the girl’s agility.
Ashim: I didn’t know you had that!
She jumps from a rib and delivers a kick. They narrowly dodge.
Nima: It doesn’t matter! Remember our plan?!
Ashim: Yeah!
This time Nima throws her boomerang and Ashim flings his slingshot, they miss.
Ashim: Go albu!
The albu launches itself towards the girl and she kicks it up the chin.
Ashim jumps from behind the albuu and hits her. She gets pushed back by a few centimetres and Damien catches her in a headlock. She nearly loses consciousness but breaks out just on time. She kicks Damien in the face, kicks the albuu and nearly knocks them out.
Nima (only to herself): Plan B!
Nima throws the boomerang and a piece of the rib cage falls down. It misses and the girl punches Nima. Finally, She tries to choke Ashim as she sits on him as he lies in the snow.
Meanwhile, a blonde haired girl is floating above them.
Hmmhmmhmm.
Suddenly the girl becomes paralysed, and Ashim hits her with his slingshot.
She breaks free again.
Everyone: What happened?
Girl: I won’t lose to you!
She kicks the man in the stomach.
Grrr… ‘I can feel some force restricting me… Where is it coming from?’
Girl hiding behind ice. ‘Kekekeke. I can’t let you win that easily’.
Ashim: It looks like she’s being interfered with in some way. But never mind that! Albu, let’s go!
He hits her with his slingshot and albu charges towards her, headbutting her.
‘Aghhhh!’
‘Surrender’, the man says. ‘We don’t want to hurt you’.
‘Never…. I can’t lose!’
‘Just give up before you get hurt’.
‘No…!’
They walk past her as she kneels down, trying to get up.
Ashim gives out his hand to shake hands. ‘Shake’. The girl grimaces. They shake hands.
Girl: Please, kill me. A fallen guardian has no place on this planet.
Man: You have family, don’t you? Don’t say something like that. You’re better off alive. You have so many years ahead of you, in which you can make up for your loss.
The girl smashes her fist into the snow.
The girl looks behind her but doesn’t see the flying girl.
Flying girl: Kekekeke.
By the time she gets up they are gone. But she senses something else approaching. It’s an army.
She takes out half of the army, but the other half sneaks past her while she’s fighting. She looks on, there’s nothing she can do.
June looks back at the girl, turns back around and leaves.
Blonde girl: Now things are getting interesting.
I know I shouldn’t interfere, but these contenders are too precious. I won’t let a physical battle be the end of them.
Ch 8.2
Scenario 1:
Ashim and Nima and __ continue walking.
Red head girl meets the elder of her tribe.
‘You have done well. You fought hard’.
‘These people might just be the ones to be able to reach the Lost Land.’
‘We must warn them of what is coming’.
Ashim and Nima look back to see a few red haired people. They approach.
‘Young travellers, for having escaped our guardian in training, you have our respect.’
‘We have come to warn you of a calamity’.
‘In a few days, a blizzard greater than any snow storm we have seen is coming.’
‘It is said that it is a result of the anger of the Gods, who have been ruined by humans. It will envelope the whole place in snow.’
‘You must seek shelter’.
‘Thank you’, says Nima. ‘We will watch out’.
Or
Scenario 2:
They don’t approach our heroes. Instead they talk amongst themselves.
‘I wonder if they will escape the calamity we have prophesised?’
‘The Gods, through their anger for all of humanity for what they have done to them, will unleash a massive blizzard and cover the land in snow. Can they survive?’
As the group travels, they see a hologram of a girl (the deity)
Ashim: What’s that?
Albu starts running, and the hologram can be seen in view. But just before they reach it, it vanishes.
Ashim: …
They stay silent and look onwards for a while.
Comments (0)
See all