With the grace of a lightning bolt the Scorpion King crossed the gap between them—in mere seconds. Oliver met the four-armed menace in the middle with his two arms thrown out much like he was kung fu fighting. They were supported by aging bones, but strong bones nevertheless. With his toe pointing up he once again targeted the beast’s weak point as he sent ninety degrees of KICK right for the scorpion’s underside. This time though the surprisingly intelligent arachnid knew what to expect. The Wizard’s foot might have hit its mark but he wasn’t left untouched. With cat-like reflexes, the creature jabbed at the fighter, slashing into his left shoulder. The open wound bled profusely as the two combatants: man and beast; were again divided.
And like before, their departure was short-lived. It seemed the pair just couldn’t get enough of each other.
A charge brought them together the second time. One on two legs, the other on eight, and it wasn’t too surprising which one of them was faster. The multi-limbed monster took advantage of its superior momentum and leapt at the ex-con, hoping to silence Oliver Nash once and for all. But alas, the demon should not have underestimated someone who had been MVP of college softball for three consecutive years. Abruptly, his body shifted into an angle that would be familiar to any fans of the sport: a baseball slide.
The old and beaten player found himself gliding beneath the vermin king. ‘The timing has to be perfect,’ the human told himself. And it was. Right when he was beneath the metasoma, Wizard threw both arms up where they wrapped around the base segment. With the might of an Ox and a feral grin, he twisted. Snap! The tail broke off from its host. A fine payback for what it did to his arm. The insect squirmed as a fountain of violet liquid emerged from where a limb had once been.
Like a barbarian after catching fresh game, the white-haired man let out a guttural battle cry. Taking advantage of the Scorpion King’s state of shock, he tossed the appendage and pounced into the air. With his feet pressed together, he came crashing down on the beast—right through the cephalothorax. That’s when the demon stopped squirming. It was over.
He picked up the loose stinger and stored it in his wasteband.
Oliver found himself at a crossroads of sorts. The attention had fallen away from the old warrior as young souls fought for their lives. If he sprinted, he could make it to the cave. Leave them to die in the sandtrap … but something was stopping him.
And like before, their departure was short-lived. It seemed the pair just couldn’t get enough of each other.
A charge brought them together the second time. One on two legs, the other on eight, and it wasn’t too surprising which one of them was faster. The multi-limbed monster took advantage of its superior momentum and leapt at the ex-con, hoping to silence Oliver Nash once and for all. But alas, the demon should not have underestimated someone who had been MVP of college softball for three consecutive years. Abruptly, his body shifted into an angle that would be familiar to any fans of the sport: a baseball slide.
The old and beaten player found himself gliding beneath the vermin king. ‘The timing has to be perfect,’ the human told himself. And it was. Right when he was beneath the metasoma, Wizard threw both arms up where they wrapped around the base segment. With the might of an Ox and a feral grin, he twisted. Snap! The tail broke off from its host. A fine payback for what it did to his arm. The insect squirmed as a fountain of violet liquid emerged from where a limb had once been.
Like a barbarian after catching fresh game, the white-haired man let out a guttural battle cry. Taking advantage of the Scorpion King’s state of shock, he tossed the appendage and pounced into the air. With his feet pressed together, he came crashing down on the beast—right through the cephalothorax. That’s when the demon stopped squirming. It was over.
He picked up the loose stinger and stored it in his wasteband.
***
Oliver found himself at a crossroads of sorts. The attention had fallen away from the old warrior as young souls fought for their lives. If he sprinted, he could make it to the cave. Leave them to die in the sandtrap … but something was stopping him.