The seer readied once more for battle, looking down upon the monster he had slain. He glanced at the girls—they seemed to have somehow defeated their adversary, as it was writhing in pain in the sand. Juno looked back to his own assailant.
It crowed some hideous battle-cry as it held its stinger above its head, then lunged forth. “Stop,” Juno commanded, and it froze in mid-attack. The psychic smiled, invading the mind of his enemy.
Suddenly, however, he felt a jerk, and was tossed to the sand, left to thrash about in the tiny rocks. He was pulled into a spread-eagle formation, trapped on an invisible crucifix in the desert as the scorpion ominously approached, gazing down at its prey. Confused, he squirmed, attempting to escape this—but nothing worked.
He felt himself being sucked into the mind of the creature, and then, there he was: standing in an obsidian chamber, facing off against a scorpion the size of him. The creature lunged, and Juno maneuvered away from its stinger; then, he raised his hands and shot a beam of violet ki at the monster, which ripped through its’ thorax.
Once again, he was back out in the world again, but with a new knowledge in mind: these scorpions could fight telepathically just like he could. Knowing this, he did what every good fighter would’ve done.
He turned and ran.
He could hear the crashing sound of the scorpion on his tail as it burrowed into the sand, following him from underneath, attempting to undermine his escape. But Juno just ran faster. He barely escaped it as it emerged just behind him, and then shot forward, his feet moving faster than they had ever moved before.
Without warning, his feet touched down on something slicker than sand, and he looked up to find that he was finally reaching the cavern. He raced into it, leaping off a small cliff into the depths. He could hear the scorpion slithering in behind him, but he turned a corner, and was gone.
“Juno!” Sophia whispered from a small alcove. The fortuneteller slipped in with the two women, who had arrived just before, and attempted to squeeze into the tight space. He could feel Sage recoil slightly as he brushed her, but he quickly apologized. It wasn’t his fault.
But those thoughts were averted by an unexpected crash as the monster squeezed into the cavern they had hidden in. The trio looked at one another, and Juno felt like he had to out and protect the ladies, so he shuffled, attempting to be bold and stand up to the monster—but upon doing so, he noticed it was too late; Sage was already walking into the creature’s view, the hand with the alcohol shaking ferociously.
The scorpion eyed her voraciously, and she looked up at it with an utter fear—and a feeling of regret. It raised its stinger, and Sage cowered; Juno knew that she couldn’t go through with it, no matter how much she wished to. So he took initiative, and leaped out into the scorpion’s path. He felt the stinger slice into his ribs, and screeched in pain as everything seemed to move in slow motion.
“Oh, no!” Sophia screamed, leaping out and dragging Juno out of the way of another attack. Paralyzed, Sage looked at the injured Juno, who had just practically given his life for her. A stranger. She felt Sophia jerk the bottle out of her hand and watched as she sprayed it in the face of the scorpion. It sunk to the floor, dead.
The women corralled Juno (just what he wanted) and Sophia felt his pulse. He opened his eyes weakly; he could feel the scorpion’s poison escaping into his veins. But it was worth it. If he died impressing these women, why, nothing would beat it.
However, it seemed that whatever power was above had other plans for him, as he suddenly felt a sharp pain in the ribs. He looked down, and just near the wound, Sage had stabbed a syringe into him. He blinked hard, feeling some other sensation besides poison rush through him. And then suddenly, he coughed fiercely, leaping up and then collapsing to his knees, panting. Sage leaned over him.
“Are you alright?” she asked. Juno noticed that she seemed much calmer than before—but she still had an air of caution.
“Yes,” he panted. “What was that?” he asked, but she had already seemed to reserve herself. She sat beside him, looking at his wound briefly; she saw it get less and less red, and felt satisfied, silently standing and then collapsing into a wall. Sophia caught her, holding her up. Now she was the one panting.
Juno stood up and brushed himself off. He looked down at the gradually closing wound; it barely hurt anymore. Whatever that stuff was, it was a miracle. This girl had some skills.
He looked towards whence they had come; he heard the crash of scorpions facing off against their two partners outside, and stepped towards the entrance.
“Thanks, Sage,” he said, turning to her. “But we aren’t done yet.”
It crowed some hideous battle-cry as it held its stinger above its head, then lunged forth. “Stop,” Juno commanded, and it froze in mid-attack. The psychic smiled, invading the mind of his enemy.
Suddenly, however, he felt a jerk, and was tossed to the sand, left to thrash about in the tiny rocks. He was pulled into a spread-eagle formation, trapped on an invisible crucifix in the desert as the scorpion ominously approached, gazing down at its prey. Confused, he squirmed, attempting to escape this—but nothing worked.
He felt himself being sucked into the mind of the creature, and then, there he was: standing in an obsidian chamber, facing off against a scorpion the size of him. The creature lunged, and Juno maneuvered away from its stinger; then, he raised his hands and shot a beam of violet ki at the monster, which ripped through its’ thorax.
Once again, he was back out in the world again, but with a new knowledge in mind: these scorpions could fight telepathically just like he could. Knowing this, he did what every good fighter would’ve done.
He turned and ran.
He could hear the crashing sound of the scorpion on his tail as it burrowed into the sand, following him from underneath, attempting to undermine his escape. But Juno just ran faster. He barely escaped it as it emerged just behind him, and then shot forward, his feet moving faster than they had ever moved before.
Without warning, his feet touched down on something slicker than sand, and he looked up to find that he was finally reaching the cavern. He raced into it, leaping off a small cliff into the depths. He could hear the scorpion slithering in behind him, but he turned a corner, and was gone.
“Juno!” Sophia whispered from a small alcove. The fortuneteller slipped in with the two women, who had arrived just before, and attempted to squeeze into the tight space. He could feel Sage recoil slightly as he brushed her, but he quickly apologized. It wasn’t his fault.
But those thoughts were averted by an unexpected crash as the monster squeezed into the cavern they had hidden in. The trio looked at one another, and Juno felt like he had to out and protect the ladies, so he shuffled, attempting to be bold and stand up to the monster—but upon doing so, he noticed it was too late; Sage was already walking into the creature’s view, the hand with the alcohol shaking ferociously.
The scorpion eyed her voraciously, and she looked up at it with an utter fear—and a feeling of regret. It raised its stinger, and Sage cowered; Juno knew that she couldn’t go through with it, no matter how much she wished to. So he took initiative, and leaped out into the scorpion’s path. He felt the stinger slice into his ribs, and screeched in pain as everything seemed to move in slow motion.
“Oh, no!” Sophia screamed, leaping out and dragging Juno out of the way of another attack. Paralyzed, Sage looked at the injured Juno, who had just practically given his life for her. A stranger. She felt Sophia jerk the bottle out of her hand and watched as she sprayed it in the face of the scorpion. It sunk to the floor, dead.
The women corralled Juno (just what he wanted) and Sophia felt his pulse. He opened his eyes weakly; he could feel the scorpion’s poison escaping into his veins. But it was worth it. If he died impressing these women, why, nothing would beat it.
However, it seemed that whatever power was above had other plans for him, as he suddenly felt a sharp pain in the ribs. He looked down, and just near the wound, Sage had stabbed a syringe into him. He blinked hard, feeling some other sensation besides poison rush through him. And then suddenly, he coughed fiercely, leaping up and then collapsing to his knees, panting. Sage leaned over him.
“Are you alright?” she asked. Juno noticed that she seemed much calmer than before—but she still had an air of caution.
“Yes,” he panted. “What was that?” he asked, but she had already seemed to reserve herself. She sat beside him, looking at his wound briefly; she saw it get less and less red, and felt satisfied, silently standing and then collapsing into a wall. Sophia caught her, holding her up. Now she was the one panting.
Juno stood up and brushed himself off. He looked down at the gradually closing wound; it barely hurt anymore. Whatever that stuff was, it was a miracle. This girl had some skills.
He looked towards whence they had come; he heard the crash of scorpions facing off against their two partners outside, and stepped towards the entrance.
“Thanks, Sage,” he said, turning to her. “But we aren’t done yet.”