30th Day of the First Moon
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"Gunner, we need to fall back. We're making no progress here."
"…Reckon you're right on this one" he grunted after firing another shot. "I've met tenacious fighters before, but these folks simply ain't right up there."
Tapping the side of his head with a finger to emphasize the point, he immediately took aim and fired at another member of the advancing hoard.
…Yes, hoard.
…As stupid as it may have sounded, we might as well have been fighting zombies.
Unlike stereotypical zombies though, headshots were proving to be far less effective. A few of them had their heads blown clean off at this point, yet they still got up and resumed their hunt. Were it not for the fact we were on horseback, Gunner and I likely would have been overrun a while ago.
"Just how many shots does it take to put down one of these things" I couldn't help but vent at the absurdity I'd just witnessed as we began riding off away from the hoard, back towards our own territory.
"Four, if we're talking average" Gunner sighed, turning around to take another shot. "Fortunately, these ones weren't armed like the last batch."
"But I'm not crazy in thinking these are the citizens of this land, right?!"
"I'm inclined to agree, but something foul's clearly been done to em. Nobody back in town would survive losing their head. Question now is who's behind this mess: the master or the servant?"
"…I can't say I've never heard of magecraft of a similar nature to this, but never have I heard of its effects being so potent. The land itself too, all withered and decayed... no way all of this is the work of a magus."
"Then whoever this servant is is one right nasty-"
"Vermin should learn not to squeak while scurrying for their lives!"
Before I could even think to look around, the sound of three gunshots rang out, and my vision became obstructed by a white haze.
"Gunner! What was-"
"Reckon we just found the servant in question!"
"Servant?! I am no one's servant! You intrude upon my land, and dare call me a servant?!"
Another round of gunfire. I could barely see past the head of my horse, let alone Gunner or his target. Nor did I know what Gunner was shooting at; whether he could actually see through the haze, or was just taking shots in the dark, so to speak.
"What are we fighting Gunner?!"
"I've got no idea! All I know is it shoots fast, moves fast, and can match-"
Gunner didn't even finish speaking before I saw his hand shoot out through the haze and grab hold of me. I moment later I found myself struggling to maintain balance as Gunner threw me across the back of his horse. A wave of nausea rushed over me as I felt a mysterious, warm liquid splattered and running down my legs.
"Lord almighty, that thing simply isn't human!"
"You dare compare me to the likes of you?! Learn your place!"
"Did I just-"
"You're still in one piece partner, though I can't say the same for your steed! Just hold on tight while I-"
"Ohhh? And just where do you think you're… going?"
I felt it's touch before I could even see its outstretched arm. My blood froze, the chill from the spot beneath my chin rushing outwards through the rest of my body. My eyes locked in focus, noticing first the blackish frame, encasing a hand of pure white… energy, nigh indistinguishable from the white haze. Slowly, they traced up the frame, up the arm, and came to a stop at its face.
…Or what should have been its face.
A frame no different than the hand or arm. Devoid of any humanistic features. That same white energy barely even visible seemed to churn inside, as if it were… alive. Instinctively, I could tell it was looking at me. Staring right back at me.
…Grinning down at me, despite it being physically unable to.
I wanted to scream. I wanted to faint. My mind and body were incapable of either, shutting down in pure terror, failing me.
"Get your hands of my partner" I could just make out the voice of Gunner in the furthest crevices of my mind, despite being physically unable to look away from our assailant.
"Finally! Vermin with some semblance of a spine! How long will you be able to amuse me for, I wonder?"
"Ain't got no problem with showbiz, but you're the worst audience member I've ever met!"
With the focus of the assailant on Gunner, I managed to rouse my mind from its paralysis. Trying to calm myself, I closed my eyes as I heard the sound of something scraping against metal, followed by the sound of more gunfire and an annoyed grunt.
"Yes, that's it! Keep struggling! Show me the extent of your-"
"Gunner, light him up" I shouted over the laughter, beginning to channel as much magical energy as I could.
"It would be my pleasure."
As the continuous ringing of Gunner's shots echoed in the back of my mind, I turned my focus towards channeling as much magical energy as I could.
Steady breathing. Focus on the effect. We don't need to stop it. We just need to slow it down.
Just need to slow it down...
"Hahahahaha! Are you even trying at this point?!"
Manifest the revolver.
Load the bullet.
"Realize the futility of your actions! You could shoot until the end of time, and never come close to causing so much as a scratch!"
Spin the chamber.
"Too easy, you've started to bore me! Cower like the rodents you are and-"
"Any time now, partner!"
Fire.
Wild roulette: Paralysis
Pointing the revolver straight up I shot towards the sky, unleashing all the magical energy I'd built up and stored within my circuits.
That, and a silent prayer.
"...Ha! That's it?! Tell me rodent, how is shooting the sky supposed to- what?!"
While it was impossible to see what was happening through the haze, the change in the enemy servant from mockery to shock, combined with the fact neither Gunner nor I had been hit yet, served as a clear enough indicator that I'd lucked out.
"What kind of cheap trick is this" the mysterious servant roared, his voice the only indication of his presence as we finally managed to break through the white haze obstructing my sight.
"Gunner…" I managed to croak out, mouth completely dry.
"I'm on it" he confirmed. "Sorry girl, need you to pick up the pace!"
…I assumed the latter half was meant for the horse, rather than me, considering the ride suddenly got quite a bit more… violent.
"No! I will not be cheated by this- Argh!"
Managing to tilt my head to the side, as the enemy servant roared and with the haze faded away, I saw him clearly.
A white mass bound to a black frame. Just as I'd originally seen. However, with the disappearance of the haze, I could now see the other half. The frame of another white mass, in the shape of a horse. Unlike its rider, the black frame of the horse crackled with electricity, slowed to stilted movement that could barely be qualified as a walk.
…It didn't target the rider, but rather the mount…
"How did that- Die, vermin!"
Overhead, I heard five shots ring out, followed by the thundering road of an angry servant that slowly faded into the distance behind us.
…Super zombies, a decaying landscape, and a pissed off… whatever the fuck that servant was supposed to be…
How the fuck were we supposed to deal with this shit?!
A/N
Bit later than when I'd liked to have had this up, but figuring out how I wanted to show this off proved more difficult than I'd initially thought. That said though, I'm feeling good about this, even though I imagine it won't be too difficult to figure out the identity of the servants now.
Sorry for the post being short, had papers and a debate due the past week, so been busy dealing with all that. SHould be bigger parts coming up for the next few posts o7