Against all odds

Jp with Lorem and Bandorchu

Gonyaul could feel tears being held back behind the dams of his eyes and his breathing quicken as he held his ground. The ground beneath his feet rumbled as it neared and he could feel it all the way to up his body. He continued trying to scream at the ape, drawing as much aggression out of it as possible and to release all the pressure from exploding his pounding heart.

The Naylmo was within striking distance, running on all fours. It’s front arms lifted off the ground and the hands came swinging around together for a double fisted blow. It’s fury echoed throughout the entire chamber.

Gonyaul screamed “Now” and simultaneously brought the shield up between him and the fists. He jumped up and backwards, to get his momentum moving in the same direction of the attack; it was better than going static or against the incoming force in regards to absorption. Gonyaul, both feet now off the ground, used his core strength and curled up as tight as possible behind the shield in a fetal position. From the apes and Alexis view point, it looked like he disappeared almost entirely behind the object.

BAM! Both fists hit the shield like a bat hitting a ball. Gonyaul held on tight as he and the shield were sent flying into the dark; up, long and out of sight.

The Naylmo stood still upon the moment of impact and its attention on what just unexpectedly happened. Now would be the time to strike while it was distracted.

Alexis raced up to him, fuelled by the sight of her friend getting flung into the dark.
She would not let that beast go after him.

Grabbing her sword with both hands and with a war cry ripping from her throat, she brought her blade up in an powerful arc, cutting through the the flesh and muscle of the ape’s right leg. She stayed in motion and as her blade reached the highest point of her swing, she brought it down again, equally forceful, this time cutting through the Achilles’ tendon of its left leg.

She jumped back as the Naylmo let out a mighty roar of pain that seemed to shake the very foundation of the cave.

But it did the trick. The beast stumbled, and fell forward.

It was still not done, however, trying to squirm around and swat at her with its long, devastatingly strong arms. No way she could get close enough to sink her blade into it’s throat. Speaking of its throat… there was still the rope wrapped around it.

Distantly she thought she probably should not shake her head at Gonyaul’s crazy plans anymore if this really was what she intended to do.
Leaping over his swing, she ran towards the erratically moving rope, picking it up and continuing her sprint towards two larger structures nearby.
Hastily she wound the rope between them in a makeshift pulley. How fascinating it had been when her mother showed her what weights even a wee girl like her could lift with the help of such a simple construction.
Alexis highly doubted this was quite the application her mother had in mind.

She rammed her sword into the ground to grab the rope with both hands and PULL, going as far as bracing her feet against the nearest structure to gain even more leverage.

The rope tightened around the Naylmo’s neck and it began to choke.

Gonyaul felt his arms throbbing from the vibration of the impact. He was flying. So this is what birds felt like?

As he was going up, he brought the shield around to the other side and was going to use it upon reentry to protect for a crash landing. He smashed through a thin stalactite, then another. The second one was thicker and the shield caused him to bounce off it at an angle like a pinball.

He managed to keep hold of the shield though as he came crashing down atop a crypt then deflecting off. Then through the top of a tomb. At this point he lost his grip on the shield and it went off on its own course. Gonyaul braced against a stalagmite. He was trained knowing how to fall and he was using every trick he knew.

He eventually came to a sliding halt on the ground. Everything was instantly sore. The world was spinning and he had to close his eyes. He lay there trying to push up but instead collapsed to his belly.

Meanwhile Alexis was locked into a deadly tug-o-war with the Naylmo.

The creature was starting to panic and tried to reach for her swatting at the monuments that offered her a very temporary protection. Debris came flying her way, cutting bloody lines on her cheeks and forehead as she desperately kept pulling.

The beast twisted its head violently and almost ripped the rope right of the mercenary’s hands.
With her absolutely refusing to let go though, she held strong, paying with a painful and bleeding rope burn for her stubbornness.

She pulled back again, putting all her strength into it, and the beast choked in earnest, its enormous weight keeping it where it lay.

Agonizingly slowly its struggle started to weaken, taking a felt eternity to finally die down entirely.
Even then Alexis didn’t let go for a good while longer.

When she finally dared to let loose, she retrieved her sword and marched over to the now motionless form, driving her blade deep into the creature’s throat with shaking arms.

A final, violent jerk of the creature’s body that had her stumbling back confirmed that this precaution had been a wise one to take.

Gonyaul had managed to push himself up to all fours. His arms collapsed and his upper body fell back to the ground. He slumped to the side and groaned. Then he rolled onto his back. He hugged his arms to his body like a mummified corpse; they were still stinging from the vibrations.

He could tell something happened because it was quiet. He really hoped it was the good silence of things going well and he wasn’t dead. Alexis would have won he smirked. That Naylmo would have left them alone if he knew he was up against Alexis Greyriver.

He tried to sit up again but fell back on his back. His muscles refused to cooperate.

Staring up at the ceiling he marveled at the glowing plants. His thoughts drifting to the hope that nothing else dangerous came his way at the moment.

Sitting on the ground for a moment and feeling like she‘d rather never stand up again, Alexis caught her breath.

She looked like a right mess. Hair out of her usually tight bun, hanging around her bloody and bruised face in disheveled wild locks, blood trickling down her back and from her hands, her whole body completely covered in the ubiquitous dust.

She felt like a right mess, too. But she had to find Gonyaul.
That thought alone made her force her aching body to stand up again.

Passing the Naylmo, she found both her sword and dagger, returning them to their rightful place as she walked towards the direction her friend had been flung to.

“Gonyaul?!”
She called out hoarsely, praying for an answer.

Gonyaul heard his name. What a sweet sound to hear her voice. Alexis was still alive.

He went to speak; however, being so close to the ground caused all the stirred up dust and ash to invade his mouth.

Alexis would hear a series of coughing fits. Coming from her right. And if she followed them, she would find a filthy and bleeding Vauxian flat on his back. Heads up is considered lucky?

Alexis stumbled towards her friend and fell to her knees next to him, pulling him up into a hug.

Given where they were she didn’t really care what deity might have looked upon them favourably to have them both survive this madness. She thanked them with all her heart anyway.

Gonyaul was exhausted. He smiled though as he was being hugged. And tried his best to reciprocate with his pins and needle arms.

He hoarsely mentioned, “Got to be easier ways to get hugs from you.”

He laughed at himself before whispering. “I lost and think broke you shield?” He said apologetically.

“Fuck the shield.”

She murmured, still holding onto him just a little bit longer.