*various sounds of an argument*
AC: I TOLD you to paint the address on the sign, you moron!
Insomnia: I thought you were talking to Bass!!
AC: BASS WAS IN ANOTHER ROOM!!
Insomnia: HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW?!
AC: LOOK AROUND, YOU MORON!!
Bass: *groan* I'm surrounded by idiots.
AC: *whirls on him* And what about you? Why didn't you mention that we didn't put up the address for Avis' pictures?
Bass: Like I would care?
All Three: *begin squabbling*
Juno: Excuse me?
Trio: *continue arguing*
Juno: Pardon me?
Trio: *continue arguing*
Juno: *holds out hand; blows door off hinges*
AC: …Avis ain't gonna like that.
Juno: Pardon me?
AC: What?
Juno: I just put up the address.
AC: …you did?
Juno: Yes. It will show up within twenty-four hours.
AC: Oh. What about the people who will read the story tonight?
Juno: Here it is, then. .
AC: Oh. Okay. I guess that's all we need to do, then.
Ahem.
AC: …oh. Hi, Avis. How'd you get out?
Juno just blew up the door, moron.
AC: Oh yeah.
I'm gonna kick you two out the window.
Bass: Yeah right. *flees*
AC: No you're not. *flees*
*leaves to chase Bass and AC*
Juno: *listening to chaos in the background* And everything's back to normal. We apologize for the inconvenience of the missing address; I am now going to put up another chapter to make it up to you. Thank you for your patience.
Disclaimer: "RABID AUTHOR ON THE LOOSE!!!" *crash wham*---AC
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world;
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
The Second Coming, by W. B. Yeats
Chapter Ten:
Foreboding: An Ill Wind Blows
Aster halted mid-motion, as did the rest of the training students. "What was…"
Luna tensed, staring into the trees. And the sound came again. A low, throaty growl, like a dog about to leap upon an intruding enemy.
They barely had time to scatter before a giant dog the size of Gillwing, eyes glowing red and skin like stone, crashed through the leaves to land snarling in their midst.
Its dagger-length claws swept out in angry slashes, and nightmaren were thrown back with screams. Luna rolled over from where she had thrown herself, staring up at the monstrosity through tangled hair. Her eyes widened.
"A golgoth," she whispered. "It's a golgoth!"
Instantly she was on her feet, shouting above the cries of the students around her as the monster leapt for Emil, scenting the still-healing wound; the boy dove headfirst out of the way, taking to the trees for safety. "Everyone, scatter!" she bellowed, praying that their training would stay with them in the moment of terror. "Get back to the castle now!"
A scream brought her eyes back to the monster, which had pinned a young girl under its claws and was about to deal a crushing blow to her head.
The blow was averted by another girl---the young maren Nyct, who was fanatically devoted to hand-to-hand fighting and had been forced to join the swordsmen ranks by Reala. She plunged her unwanted weapon into the golgoth's foot, managing by a stroke of luck to strike in between the armor-plated skin where the toe connected to the foot. The momentary pain distracted the golgoth enough for the other girl to roll out and take for the trees.
Nyct shot backwards, anticipating in advance a blow that came two seconds later. Had she not dodged, she doubtless would have lost an arm; as it was the blow caught her by the flesh of her hand and sent her crashing into a tree. The golgoth advanced, snarling, dribbles of pebble drool dripping from its mouth.
Luna dropped in front of the dazed and wounded Nyct, shouting as she did. "Someone, get her out of here!"
Taking Nyct's abandoned sword, she charged directly at the golgoth, swerving to the right at the last moment and aiming a slash that was meant to aggravate, not wound.
It did its work. The monster dog turned, following her in a blind rage. She dove into the trees, shooting out again slightly higher up and beginning a game of dodge and tease with the golgoth. Behind the sparring pair, Nyct looked up to see Insomnia drop in front of her, giving her a wink as he flipped her over his shoulders. "Sorry about it not being that comfortable," he called out as he took off into the woods, "but I kind of have to hurry!"
"Shut up and fly!" she retorted, not being able to think of anything else to say. He obliged.
Around them nightmaren beat their way through the woods, trying to obey their teacher's order to head for the castle. Several stayed behind, crouching over wounded friends or circling the clearing helplessly to watch the fight going on inside.
Luna was beginning to tire. The monster was absolutely inexhaustible, never allowing her a moment's time to get a breath, and it was beginning to tell. A stray blow that had managed to catch her check dripped fast, dying her face with a delicate pattern of red. She wiped at it as she dove down, flipping between the golgoth's legs to come out the other side and head for the woods again.
But the monster had begun to take notice of her tactics. When she headed for the woods it was ready, and a stunning blow sent her tumbling to the ground.
She moaned, looking up through blurry vision at a giant stone monster bearing down on her.
"Oh, drat," she muttered, and closed her eyes.
"MISS LUNA!"
Aster landed in front of her, meeting the charging golgoth head on with her borrowed lance.
The point went straight into the golgoth's mouth, piercing the back of its neck from the inside to break out behind. The monster roared, flicking its head up in pain as it tried to dislodge the weapon rammed into its neck.
Aster swallowed and turned to her teacher, ignoring the giant thing pawing frenziedly beside her. "Miss Luna, are you all right? Please be all right, you have to! Miss Luna!"
Luna's eyes opened slowly, and she stared at the girl. "Don't just stand there, get moving!"
Aster jumped up, grabbing her teacher's shoulders in an effort to drag her away. Luna groaned and swatted at the girl's hands, trying to make Aster drop her. "No, run! I'll take care of myself!"
"No!" Aster looked back just in time to see the golgoth, lance still lodged in its mouth and eyes now flaming red in anger, head for them. "Miss Luna, run!"
She shoved her teacher out of the way, lingering a moment longer in hopes of becoming the monster's main target; then she fled.
Her momentary pause had worked, and too well. The monster abandoned Luna, who was near fainting, to charge after Aster. The pause had given it an advantage, and its paw swept out.
Luna lifted her head up just in time to see Aster go flying, crashing into a tree with a sickening crunch. The girl fell to the ground and did not move again.
Luna's eyes widened. "Aster!"
The golgoth went for the now motionless girl, but halted and flicked its head towards the woods as a cry rang out.
A purple form came streaking out of the trees, heading for the golgoth at an incredible speed, a shining blade clutched tight in its left hand. NiGHTS.
The golgoth barely had time to roar at this new attacker before Lucky Star drove itself between its eyes, slipping neatly under the chink in the armor on its forehead and continuing on in. The monster's scream was horrible.
NiGHTS thrust himself back, Lucky Star dripping red and rust, the golgoth following him with snapping jaws. It lunged, failed to strike, and continued on down, falling to the ground to writhe in pain for a moment before settling. Everything was silent.
NiGHTS turned in mid-air. "Everyone, are you all right?" he shouted.
Various moans and whimpers answered him as teens began dribbling into the clearing from the surrounding foliage, all staring at the giant hulk of stone that lay motionless in the middle. NiGHTS' keen eyes picked out Luna, dragging herself towards a small bundle lying underneath a tree that was spattered with blood. He drew in a breath. 'Oh no…'
Luna pulled herself up, staring down at Aster. The young maren's eyes were closed tight, and the side of her head, though the actual wound was covered by her hair, poured small rivers of red into the already soaked dirt. A small amount of blood was dribbling from her mouth and ears.
Luna bent over her, too exhausted to lift her up into her arms, and whispered. "Aster, please---it's Luna, your teacher. Please, answer me. Do anything, moan, whimper, scream, anything, just let me know you're alive!"
Aster did not react right away; then she moaned, one eye opening feebly to try and focus on her idol's face. "Miss…Luna?" she rasped, her voice horribly rough.
"Right here, Aster---just hold on, we'll get you to the Infirmary, and you'll be like new!" She lifted up her head. "Someone, get this girl to the Infirmary, NOW!"
"Miss Luna," begged Aster, sucking in a rattling breath.
"What?"
"I liked…your pike a…lot…can I use…it again…someday?…"
Luna closed her eyes, feeling tears begin to form. "Of course, Aster. You can use my---pike---any time you want."
Aster's eye filled with worshipful joy. "Oh, thank you…Miss Luna…"
And her bruised eye closed. It never saw again.