So, how about we try this again? I've actually already written a story like this before, but it didn't have much in the way of plot, and this is also a bit of a challenge to see if I can actually pull off writing a longer story. I've had this story buzzing in my head for maybe a month now, adding bits of storyline during every dull moment with nothing to do. I can't be sure, but I feel like this time I'm going to actually finish this story. So, enjoy!
This shouldn't have been happening.
It wouldn't have happened, if Sky hadn't gotten careless. Build a base near the ocean? Sure, why not? Make it a huge base? Sure, why not? Let recruits actually live there? Sure, why not? This. This was why not.
Sky was running for his life, trying to make it out of the area before the squids completely took the place over. He had made it out of the main building safely, but the real challenge now was actually getting anywhere. Every inch of ground was covered in fighting and fleeing recruits, and everywhere a recruit wasn't, a squid was, tripping and attacking anyone they could reach. Practically wading through the masses that forced him to slow his pace, a flash of movement caught Sky's eye as a squid archer, who had somehow managed to escape a chaos and cling to the side of a building, drew back an arrow, aiming at Sky.
Sky whipped around just as the arrow was released, and time seemed to slow down as the arrow sped towards him. His amulet swung on its chain, and as it continued in its arc, the arrow hit it, piercing the gem and sticking there as cracks spiderwebbed out from it. The world returned to normal speed as Sky darted on, hardly daring to believe his good luck. Or, at least he thought it was good luck. It was certainly better than the arrow actually hitting him.
He didn't feel so great, though. When the arrow hit his amulet, he felt like he had actually been struck in the heart, followed by a feeling of intense nausea. On top of that, he just felt weird, in a way he couldn't properly describe. As he ran, he tripped slightly, feeling oddly clumsy and slow, like his legs weren't working correctly. His breathing, already heavy because of all the running, felt weird too, as if there was something wrong with the air. Nevertheless, he kept running, oblivious to the shards of amethyst falling from his amulet.
He finally emerged in a somewhat open space. In front of him was the ocean, and on either side of him, he could see where he could escape. Although, his chances over there didn't look so great. A ton of squids blocked the way, in numbers so large they served as a sort of wall, and while most recruits were doing a fair job of hacking and slashing their way to freedom, every so often a recruit would trip or falter, and a wave of squids would rise and drag the unfortunate recruit down into the writhing mass. Even from this distance, Sky could practically hear screams being abruptly cut off.
Sky shuddered, taking a moment to consider his options. He stepped to the edge of the ocean, where a large wall provided a nice spot to sit with your legs dangling off the edge, thinking about life as the ocean breeze swept over you. Not that that was a good idea under these circumstances. Sky checked to see if any squids were visibly climbing the wall or lurking at the base of the wall, then gazed thoughtfully at the water below, glancing quickly over his shoulder to make sure he was relatively safe.
Maybe… maybe he could swim away from the base? It (probably) wasn't as fatally stupid as it sounded. It looked like most of the squids were occupied with taking over the base and blocking recruits from escaping, so, unless there was another wave of squids coming in, it was unlikely that Sky would have to fight a squid in their own element. In addition, Sky had always been a good swimmer, and although he hadn't been swimming for a while, he shouldn't be rusty enough that he couldn't pull off his escape. Also, he felt even worse than he had while running, and he knew that he couldn't defeat a sleepy bat in his current state, much less dozens of squids. On the other hand, if there were squids still in the water nearby, Sky could end up fighting anyways, and fighting a squid in the ocean was an idea that was as fatally stupid as it sounded.
Unfortunately, Sky didn't get a chance to further consider his options. A group of recruits burst out from an alley, a girl who looked barely 14 surrounding the group in a magical shield that looked almost like a giant hamster ball. Focused on running, the group didn't seem to see Sky, and he was struck by their shield. As it turned out, the shield didn't just protect those inside it, it attacked those outside it. When it made contact, Sky screamed, the enchantment mixing with whatever was happening to him to create intense agony. He was shoved off the wall, smoke rising from burnt clothes and seared skin where he made contact with that stupid magical hamster ball. He hit the water with a loud crash, and he sank through the water, barely conscious.
He kept his eyes open long enough to see shards of amethyst sinking down to settle next to him, before the pain and exhaustion overwhelmed him, and everything went black.
Ross squished himself closer to the side of the room, sniffling as quietly as he could. He cautiously poked his head out the window, glancing from side to side nervously. Almost an hour had passed after the last Sky Army recruit had fled or died, and the area Ross was in seemed free of squids. Ross hoisted himself out of the window, landing not-so-softly in some bushes. The movies had made bushes seem soft as clouds, and nothing could be farther from the truth. "Ow." Ross said, the lone word carrying in the empty space. Ross struggled out of the bushes, frowning at his lack of action-hero skills. He wandered off into the streets, scanning the landscape cautiously. A glint of purple shone in the corner of his eye, and he gasped, quickly turning to look at it.
He ran closer, bending down to pick up the purple object. Straightening up, he turned it over in his hands. It looked almost like part of a gem… a very familiar looking gem. Didn't Sky have a gem like this in his amulet? At this realization, Ross gasped loudly, immediately looking around to see if anyone had heard. Heart pounding, Ross turning this information over in his mind. Sky never took off his amulet, not even when he slept. Ross couldn't see him taking it off for any reason, let alone destroying it. Another glint of purple caught Ross's eye, and he slowly lifted his head to see a trail of amethyst shards. Following the trail, Ross soon broke into a run. He sniffed the shard, picking up the scent in case the trail ran out. The good thing about Sky never taking off his amulet was that the scent of Sky's amulet and Sky's scent were irreversibly linked in Ross's mind, making him fairly confident that he could track Sky.
As Ross reached the open area where Sky disappeared, he slowed, looking around. He nervously eyed the small pile of shards by the water's edge. Surely Sky hadn't tried to dive into the ocean. Taking another sniff, he sighed. Scent trails didn't lie. Sky had gone into the ocean. Bracing himself, Ross leaped into the ocean.
After a second of being in the water, his legs fused together, forming a tail. With several powerful kicks, he reached the sandy bottom, where a few amethyst shards had settled. He wrinkled his nose. The place stunk of squids. Trying to block it out, Ross focused solely on Sky's scent. He picked up the trail leading out to sea, and he set off quickly. Maybe it was his focus on the amulet's scent, or maybe it was all of the worried thoughts distracting him, but Ross failed to note one critical thing.
Sky's scent had changed.