Pulled along by her wrist across the desert, Sage fought a losing battle to keep pace with the much more athletic Juno, who incessantly forced her onward, despite her own body’s now-constant protest. Her sight was fading as her breaths were cut shorter and shorter. Her muscles faltered, too. She could hardly feel her extremities; the only reason she knew Juno was still pulling her was because of the force in her shoulder. She couldn’t actually feel his hand around her wrist.
The earth shook beneath them, causing the dark haired halfling to stumble, losing his grip on the smaller hybrid, who crashed hard onto her shoulder as two scorpions burst from the sand right before Juno, shrieking in a horrific, warbling tone.
A pair of tails lashed out at the young fortuneteller, who easily sidestepped the hasty attacks, retorting with a blast of ki, which did very little except upset the creature whose forehead was now badly scorched. It hissed in rage, and charged Juno, lunging with its claws.
Sage shuddered violently, and barely managed to roll over onto her back. She could no longer breathe, and was involuntarily heaving for air that simply would not arrive at her lungs. Fumbling desperately with her pockets, she missed a few times before finally her hand disappeared in the fabric.
Retrieving her inhaler, she tried to put it in her mouth, but dropped it. Her hands trembled violently now, and her vision was going dark. No longer able to fight, she began to convulse. The world around her slowed to a crawl, and she suddenly felt... strange.
It was unlikely she would ever know she was feeling cold.
Then, she was propped up by someone. She felt the taste of plastic in her mouth, and weakly tried to turn her head away from it, fighting against this unseen force.
“Sage!” came a voice. “Breathe!”
The girl did as she was told, and felt the familiar, cool burst of vapor wash down her throat. Pulling back, she drew in a huge, gasping breath, and began to violently cough. Tears from the horrible pain in her chest flowed, and her sight refocused enough for her to see Sophia bent over her.
Unable to speak, the azure haired girl motioned for her inhaler once again, taking it from the priestess. Biting down on it, she depressed the trigger again, and took in a second large breath. Finally, the strain on her breathing loosened, and she could respire more easily.
The girl just stared straight out for a moment, forgetting they were surrounded by gigantic, mutant scorpions trying to kill all of them. Sophia got up sharply, in the corner of Sage’s eye, and darted off. She could hear the sounds of fighting, and her focus returned just in time to see Juno hurled into the sand.
The priestess was close, too, fighting her own battle. All the while, Sage was just lying there in the sand. She frowned. None of this would be happening if not for her. They’d have made it by now. Why? she wondered. Why are they risking their lives... why for me?
A man was dead and more were risking their lives to keep her alive. Even now, fighting was happening all around her. The girl climbed to her feet and returned her inhaler to her pocket, and immediately whirled around in a panic.
Four scorpions were surrounding them now, with Juno and Sophia combating two, each. And there was Sage, in the middle of the other’s defensive lines, doing absolutely nothing.
The priestess suddenly found herself surrounded by the two scorpions, unable to outmaneuver them. One readied its menacing stinger, and propelled it at the svelte warrior, who narrowly evaded the deadly weapon. The scorpion behind her, though, had no such luck. The deadly appendage of the first creature tunneled deep into the face of the second, killing it instantly.
Unfortunately, the first was not content with the outcome, and pounced on Sophia, pinning her to the ground. Sage gasped, helplessly, and turned to Juno, who was still fighting both of his enemies. He wouldn’t be able to help the light haired girl.
The abomination seemed to be almost taunting Sophia, whose arms were immobile beneath the crushing weight of the armored insect. It held its stinger just over her head, wiggling it as she twisted away from it. Sage continued to watch, transfixed in horror.
“I won’t be able to look after you forever. Bad things are always going to happen, and someday you’ll have to deal with them yourself. If you don't take action, you'll lose everything.”
Her sister had said that. Sure enough, bad things were happening, and she wasn’t anywhere to be found. Here was Sage, watching a perfect stranger. She had no reason to risk her life over Sophia. But then, the priestess had saved her a few times without knowing who she was.
With what passed for resolve for Sage, she pulled a capsule out of her back pocket and clicked it. With a burst of smoke, her white medkit appeared in the palm of her hand. The girl set it down on the sand, and from it she took a small bottle of isopropyl alcohol, and unscrewed the cap, tossing it onto the desert floor.
She kept her nervous eyes fixed on the hulking monstrosity as she took hesitant steps toward it, fitfully trembling as she approached. Her breath caught in her throat, but this time it wasn't asthma. Suddenly, the monster raised its stinger up, high in the air, preparing to drive it down onto Sophia, prompting Sage to break into a run.
Her sudden movement attracted the attention of the beast, who kept its weapon at the ready, in preparation for this new threat. The blue haired girl meekly approached, though her intense trepidation screamed at her to turn back. To run. Flee. Get away from the gigantic monster-scorpion!
Still, she pressed on, though her heart beat wildly and she worried she would collapse from fear. Edging ever closer, the girl was now well within the reach of the scorpion's deadly tail, and yet it hesitated, seemingly curious about the hybrid.
Curiosity gave way to a hunter's instinct, however, and it quickly drew its tail back, poised to strike, this time at her. With a surprised yelp, she aimed the opening of the alcohol bottle at the creature and squeezed the plastic bottle with all her might.
The clear liquid leapt from the bottle, and splattered all over the monstrosity's face. It howled an unearthly howl and immediately recoiled, and began wildly thrashing about, releasing Sophia from its grasp. The priestess clambered to her feet and rushed to Sage, who had, once again, collapsed to her knees.
The scorpion threw its stinger up into the air, and sent it crashing down on its own head, causing it to shriek even more horribly. The stinger went up, and came down again on the creature's own head.
“What was that stuff!?” Sophia asked, a tinge of horror in her voice.
“Al-Alcohol...” the fearful girl hardly mustered a whisper in reply. “I... read once... that, um, sc-scorpions... go mad and, um... sting themselves...”
The creature brought its tail down upon itself again, this time bursting through its own carapace and killing itself. Sophia shifted her gaze to Juno, who had successfully brought down one of the two creatures assailing him.
“Well, we'd better get to that cave,” the priestess decided, extending her arm to Sage. “We have to go before we get ambushed again. Come on!”
The earth shook beneath them, causing the dark haired halfling to stumble, losing his grip on the smaller hybrid, who crashed hard onto her shoulder as two scorpions burst from the sand right before Juno, shrieking in a horrific, warbling tone.
A pair of tails lashed out at the young fortuneteller, who easily sidestepped the hasty attacks, retorting with a blast of ki, which did very little except upset the creature whose forehead was now badly scorched. It hissed in rage, and charged Juno, lunging with its claws.
Sage shuddered violently, and barely managed to roll over onto her back. She could no longer breathe, and was involuntarily heaving for air that simply would not arrive at her lungs. Fumbling desperately with her pockets, she missed a few times before finally her hand disappeared in the fabric.
Retrieving her inhaler, she tried to put it in her mouth, but dropped it. Her hands trembled violently now, and her vision was going dark. No longer able to fight, she began to convulse. The world around her slowed to a crawl, and she suddenly felt... strange.
It was unlikely she would ever know she was feeling cold.
Then, she was propped up by someone. She felt the taste of plastic in her mouth, and weakly tried to turn her head away from it, fighting against this unseen force.
“Sage!” came a voice. “Breathe!”
The girl did as she was told, and felt the familiar, cool burst of vapor wash down her throat. Pulling back, she drew in a huge, gasping breath, and began to violently cough. Tears from the horrible pain in her chest flowed, and her sight refocused enough for her to see Sophia bent over her.
Unable to speak, the azure haired girl motioned for her inhaler once again, taking it from the priestess. Biting down on it, she depressed the trigger again, and took in a second large breath. Finally, the strain on her breathing loosened, and she could respire more easily.
The girl just stared straight out for a moment, forgetting they were surrounded by gigantic, mutant scorpions trying to kill all of them. Sophia got up sharply, in the corner of Sage’s eye, and darted off. She could hear the sounds of fighting, and her focus returned just in time to see Juno hurled into the sand.
The priestess was close, too, fighting her own battle. All the while, Sage was just lying there in the sand. She frowned. None of this would be happening if not for her. They’d have made it by now. Why? she wondered. Why are they risking their lives... why for me?
A man was dead and more were risking their lives to keep her alive. Even now, fighting was happening all around her. The girl climbed to her feet and returned her inhaler to her pocket, and immediately whirled around in a panic.
Four scorpions were surrounding them now, with Juno and Sophia combating two, each. And there was Sage, in the middle of the other’s defensive lines, doing absolutely nothing.
The priestess suddenly found herself surrounded by the two scorpions, unable to outmaneuver them. One readied its menacing stinger, and propelled it at the svelte warrior, who narrowly evaded the deadly weapon. The scorpion behind her, though, had no such luck. The deadly appendage of the first creature tunneled deep into the face of the second, killing it instantly.
Unfortunately, the first was not content with the outcome, and pounced on Sophia, pinning her to the ground. Sage gasped, helplessly, and turned to Juno, who was still fighting both of his enemies. He wouldn’t be able to help the light haired girl.
The abomination seemed to be almost taunting Sophia, whose arms were immobile beneath the crushing weight of the armored insect. It held its stinger just over her head, wiggling it as she twisted away from it. Sage continued to watch, transfixed in horror.
“I won’t be able to look after you forever. Bad things are always going to happen, and someday you’ll have to deal with them yourself. If you don't take action, you'll lose everything.”
Her sister had said that. Sure enough, bad things were happening, and she wasn’t anywhere to be found. Here was Sage, watching a perfect stranger. She had no reason to risk her life over Sophia. But then, the priestess had saved her a few times without knowing who she was.
With what passed for resolve for Sage, she pulled a capsule out of her back pocket and clicked it. With a burst of smoke, her white medkit appeared in the palm of her hand. The girl set it down on the sand, and from it she took a small bottle of isopropyl alcohol, and unscrewed the cap, tossing it onto the desert floor.
She kept her nervous eyes fixed on the hulking monstrosity as she took hesitant steps toward it, fitfully trembling as she approached. Her breath caught in her throat, but this time it wasn't asthma. Suddenly, the monster raised its stinger up, high in the air, preparing to drive it down onto Sophia, prompting Sage to break into a run.
Her sudden movement attracted the attention of the beast, who kept its weapon at the ready, in preparation for this new threat. The blue haired girl meekly approached, though her intense trepidation screamed at her to turn back. To run. Flee. Get away from the gigantic monster-scorpion!
Still, she pressed on, though her heart beat wildly and she worried she would collapse from fear. Edging ever closer, the girl was now well within the reach of the scorpion's deadly tail, and yet it hesitated, seemingly curious about the hybrid.
Curiosity gave way to a hunter's instinct, however, and it quickly drew its tail back, poised to strike, this time at her. With a surprised yelp, she aimed the opening of the alcohol bottle at the creature and squeezed the plastic bottle with all her might.
The clear liquid leapt from the bottle, and splattered all over the monstrosity's face. It howled an unearthly howl and immediately recoiled, and began wildly thrashing about, releasing Sophia from its grasp. The priestess clambered to her feet and rushed to Sage, who had, once again, collapsed to her knees.
The scorpion threw its stinger up into the air, and sent it crashing down on its own head, causing it to shriek even more horribly. The stinger went up, and came down again on the creature's own head.
“What was that stuff!?” Sophia asked, a tinge of horror in her voice.
“Al-Alcohol...” the fearful girl hardly mustered a whisper in reply. “I... read once... that, um, sc-scorpions... go mad and, um... sting themselves...”
The creature brought its tail down upon itself again, this time bursting through its own carapace and killing itself. Sophia shifted her gaze to Juno, who had successfully brought down one of the two creatures assailing him.
“Well, we'd better get to that cave,” the priestess decided, extending her arm to Sage. “We have to go before we get ambushed again. Come on!”
![[Image: Sage.jpg]](http://rebecca.florizone.com/sig/miscsig/Sage.jpg)