03-06-2009, 04:11 AM
The picture was immediately painted cherry as a stinger knifed Rod Hardwood directly through his abdomen. Juno recoiled, stepping back in utter shock, but quickly pulled himself together and took off running behind Nash’s calls to action. Suddenly, he looked back to see the group’s damsel-in-distress frozen in place. “Sage,” he mumbled.
He spun on his heel, and raced towards the blue-haired statue. Sophia started, but Juno beat her—he took her by the wrist and then ripped her from her spot in the sand, racing towards the rest of the group in a frantic attempt to escape utter demise. “It’s no use! There’s nowhere to go!” he called.
Suddenly, the voice of Tempo, a young, lanky boy with ferocious red hair, piped up. “That way!” the boy yelled, shooting a long finger towards a blur in the distance. “I see a rock formation! I think it’s a cave!” Juno’s eyes focused on the dark-brown image. He began to consider the idea that Tempo was actually right—there might be shelter ahead. He wasn’t exactly a fan of backing into a corner willingly, but what other choice was there?
And with a crash, their course changed once more: the scorpion, though not giant, was about as tall as he, and once it burst through the sand, the quintet would agree it was the most intimidating sight they’d ever seen in their lives.
“Not good,” Sophia said from the back of the pack, now clutching Sage, who had fallen slightly behind after Juno let go. The scorpion blinked what they assumed was its eyes as it surveyed the group, looking for its first victim. Juno’s tail twitched. He could feel it coming, but he didn’t say anything. Not quite yet, that is.
He did have time to smart off, though. “What now, oh great leader?” Juno asked, whipped his head towards Nash.
The sarcasm entertained the silver-haired ex-cop. He chuckled under his breath, and then turned to look the halfling in the eye. “Fight, or die,” he said simply, “Just how I like it.”
“Oh, by the way,” Juno remarked, “I would step slightly to the left if I were you.” Wizard looked up in confusion, but didn’t argue, as the two warriors simultaneously flipped through the air in opposite directions, just barely evading two stingers that lunged through the air, threatening to end their lives just as quickly as they’d ended Rod’s.
Juno scoffed, but now they had three enemies to deal with, and the fight was already in full swing—Sage and Sophia had taken off running again, and that left Nash, Tempo, and Juno to fight the monsters. Not that Juno minded having the limelight, of course. Especially when it gave him the opportunity to impress two very beautiful women.
Unfortunately, his solo battle would be limited as he noticed Tempo scrambling around, searching for his dear MP3 player. Juno had noticed that it had been plastered to his ears throughout most of the show.
He leapt out from his scorpion’s target path and dove straight into Tempo’s. Rolling through the sand, he picked up the shiny machine with utmost speed and dragged Tempo out of harm’s way.
When Tempo looked up, Juno held out the music player. The thin boy stood, looking at Juno with the utmost gratitude. Juno hoped that this wouldn’t turn into a sobfest. Tempo looked at his music player with pride. “Okay. You good now?” Juno asked.
“Yeah,” Tempo sighed, “I’m okay.” Juno smirked, then pulled a hand back and slapped Tempo across the face. Hard.
“Good. That was for putting us all in danger. Now, I don’t think you’re stupid, but keep yourself under control,” he scolded, and then added, “We need to regroup.” Tempo nodded and replied in kind, and then the pair turned and ran after Sage and Sophia, who were edging closer to the cave with every step.
Suddenly, one of the scorpions burst from the sand in front of the women, and arched its stinger as far back as it could go, preparing to kill. Sage reached up with her hand, but it just stood there, doing nothing. Tengo screamed at her, wondering what in God’s name she could be doing.
Juno, however, knew that now was the time to act. His eyes glazed over and he stopped moving, frozen in place, despite Tempo’s urgings to keep running.
But with Juno, the scorpion froze, as well. Juno brought his index finger down and pressed it into his chest. And like a puppet, the scorpion stabbed itself, violet blood squirting out in a storm over the sand. It sunk to the ground, dead, and the two women huddled close together as Juno came to his senses and ran to them.
“You’re welcome,” he smiled.
“T-thank you, Juno,” Sage mumbled quietly. Juno glanced over at her, and smiled; he was quite surprised she’d taken time to speak to him. It satisfied him… for now. But the fight was not over, and then Juno grabbed both the women by the hand and leapt over the crumpled form of the scorpion.
Life sure was getting harder by the second, but it also seemed to be getting more hopeful as the cavern they raced for looked clearer and clearer.
He spun on his heel, and raced towards the blue-haired statue. Sophia started, but Juno beat her—he took her by the wrist and then ripped her from her spot in the sand, racing towards the rest of the group in a frantic attempt to escape utter demise. “It’s no use! There’s nowhere to go!” he called.
Suddenly, the voice of Tempo, a young, lanky boy with ferocious red hair, piped up. “That way!” the boy yelled, shooting a long finger towards a blur in the distance. “I see a rock formation! I think it’s a cave!” Juno’s eyes focused on the dark-brown image. He began to consider the idea that Tempo was actually right—there might be shelter ahead. He wasn’t exactly a fan of backing into a corner willingly, but what other choice was there?
And with a crash, their course changed once more: the scorpion, though not giant, was about as tall as he, and once it burst through the sand, the quintet would agree it was the most intimidating sight they’d ever seen in their lives.
“Not good,” Sophia said from the back of the pack, now clutching Sage, who had fallen slightly behind after Juno let go. The scorpion blinked what they assumed was its eyes as it surveyed the group, looking for its first victim. Juno’s tail twitched. He could feel it coming, but he didn’t say anything. Not quite yet, that is.
He did have time to smart off, though. “What now, oh great leader?” Juno asked, whipped his head towards Nash.
The sarcasm entertained the silver-haired ex-cop. He chuckled under his breath, and then turned to look the halfling in the eye. “Fight, or die,” he said simply, “Just how I like it.”
“Oh, by the way,” Juno remarked, “I would step slightly to the left if I were you.” Wizard looked up in confusion, but didn’t argue, as the two warriors simultaneously flipped through the air in opposite directions, just barely evading two stingers that lunged through the air, threatening to end their lives just as quickly as they’d ended Rod’s.
Juno scoffed, but now they had three enemies to deal with, and the fight was already in full swing—Sage and Sophia had taken off running again, and that left Nash, Tempo, and Juno to fight the monsters. Not that Juno minded having the limelight, of course. Especially when it gave him the opportunity to impress two very beautiful women.
Unfortunately, his solo battle would be limited as he noticed Tempo scrambling around, searching for his dear MP3 player. Juno had noticed that it had been plastered to his ears throughout most of the show.
He leapt out from his scorpion’s target path and dove straight into Tempo’s. Rolling through the sand, he picked up the shiny machine with utmost speed and dragged Tempo out of harm’s way.
When Tempo looked up, Juno held out the music player. The thin boy stood, looking at Juno with the utmost gratitude. Juno hoped that this wouldn’t turn into a sobfest. Tempo looked at his music player with pride. “Okay. You good now?” Juno asked.
“Yeah,” Tempo sighed, “I’m okay.” Juno smirked, then pulled a hand back and slapped Tempo across the face. Hard.
“Good. That was for putting us all in danger. Now, I don’t think you’re stupid, but keep yourself under control,” he scolded, and then added, “We need to regroup.” Tempo nodded and replied in kind, and then the pair turned and ran after Sage and Sophia, who were edging closer to the cave with every step.
Suddenly, one of the scorpions burst from the sand in front of the women, and arched its stinger as far back as it could go, preparing to kill. Sage reached up with her hand, but it just stood there, doing nothing. Tengo screamed at her, wondering what in God’s name she could be doing.
Juno, however, knew that now was the time to act. His eyes glazed over and he stopped moving, frozen in place, despite Tempo’s urgings to keep running.
But with Juno, the scorpion froze, as well. Juno brought his index finger down and pressed it into his chest. And like a puppet, the scorpion stabbed itself, violet blood squirting out in a storm over the sand. It sunk to the ground, dead, and the two women huddled close together as Juno came to his senses and ran to them.
“You’re welcome,” he smiled.
“T-thank you, Juno,” Sage mumbled quietly. Juno glanced over at her, and smiled; he was quite surprised she’d taken time to speak to him. It satisfied him… for now. But the fight was not over, and then Juno grabbed both the women by the hand and leapt over the crumpled form of the scorpion.
Life sure was getting harder by the second, but it also seemed to be getting more hopeful as the cavern they raced for looked clearer and clearer.