"Damn!" Lance said aloud, words meaningless. "Stay back!" he commanded Marissa, a hand motion of seriousness as he ran frantically across the bank of the lake. His voice rumbled in a panicky, hurried voice, one rushed and tense, unable to make clear and calm tones.
"Lance!" Marissa cried out affectionately. Affection towards him? No, but affection towards his safety. She could feel it about to happen again. The feeling of her becoming a nuisance. It slowly started at her feet, sparking and jumping as if in preparation, and then leapt up her legs and churned in her stomach, freezing her arms with an arctic, subzero cold. Her voice seemed to chase after him while his legs did not heed. She watched his hesitant shadow trail behind him, silhouetted arms jogging up and down, legs shaking like working pumps.
Stopping at the wide lake's side, Lance peered at the water. His legs hauled to a stop, his slippers scraping the floor in a nerve pulling tone. Lance bent to his knees, as if positioning himself in a leapfrog game. His hands touched the floor in activation, a dot of perspiration slowly trailing away from his forehead. Naked hands felt the smooth surface of the ironically jagged ground as a silver glare locked onto a shimmering silhouette underwater, clearly seen from its shallow distance.
Underwater, aquatic layers shimmered in the strong sunlight, filtering through the wet, open holes of intervened murkiness. Pillars of downpour sunlight faded lowly into the lake's extreme depth, bubble after bubble trailing jaggedly upward in a dazzled jump. From the dark lake's depth sprung an arsenal of needles from below, surprising the constantly moving enemy. The slim body of the discolored opponent slid away easily, the five or seven needles trailing their own spheres of needy bubbles in the water. The seven shimmering snakes found their way outside, bursting water as they rose with exhaustion, faded sunlight flicking them like hateful nails. The needles fell back into the water, limp and dense, floating at first as the currents raged, and then sinking deeply in a zero confidence. More armies of metallic fingers burst out, a syringed trail swiftly following that of the dark, puddle silhouette.
So he set up traps beforehand underground, the rival thought as he dodged each one the best he could, trying very carefully to not get hit. Not too bad, he commented meaninglessly, voicelessly. Bursting needles came at him from below as he fell much more below sea level, slanting downward like a slumped missile underwater. Sounds of bubbling water filled his ears and affected him in no way.
Above the water, Lance watched the shifting currents give triangles of sharpened teeth, washing the air as if it had an eternal filth that was thick yet unnoticed in the air. Sifting waves washed away the darkened silhouette, dazing the pool of presence away into deep nothingness. "Shit, I lost him," Lance muttered, less angry than last time. His naked hand turned metallic, a glowing luster coating it. Thin fingers thickened, layered with delectable steel, the shape and size transforming like manipulated jelly. Gritted teeth of awe ground themselves readily, eyes of no rust watching the chameleon hand of shape, the structure stretching material forming a long, impressive length. The metal ends sharpened, reflecting strong lustrous beams everywhere, miniature stars unnoticed that heightened the circle of heaven. A thin line connected the two pointed ends, the hand and fingers gone now and mound into a silver, honest bow. A piercing, darted arrow grew from the exterior of the steel weapon, shaping itself straight and narrow, a threatening, piercing glow to it, and its head proud and read, rattling in the bow's arms.
Lance watched carefully at the mobile pyramids dancing like stage props across from end to end of the lake, holding the heavy, metal weapon in his hand, or to be more specific, wrist, preparing himself to fire. The horizontal shape of the position made him seem thin yet powerful, the long metal glimmering in the heated sunlight. Leftover metal seemed to thicken. His hand had never felt so heavy, so big and threatening. Lance watched for the shadow to appear to the surface again, waiting patiently and impatiently for the altering waters to calm and quiet.
Seeing the silhouette quickly return to the surface, the dark, shadowy puddle rushed in supersonic speed, just barely caught by the Metal Minor's eye. In unprepared instance, Lance fired the arrow, halfheartedly aiming for the dark splotch in the water as distraction faked him out. The metal dart landed in the water inches away from the tail of the figure, splashing water everywhere like a fish out of water. The figure continued racing, and seemed to be heading for…
"Surprise!" the being jumped from the water at the end of the lake. Marissa gasped aloud, her eyes widening in shock and fear. The foe's hand was brought into the sky like a reeled attack, readying itself with elongated nails of deviance and a discolored skin of memory gray. Prickly, sea-green fins latched themselves onto his skin, fishy gills at his cheekbones. A hand was brought to support Marissa's open lips, to cover her widened features as a threatening shadow fell over her. There was no time. No time to run, no time to escape, no time to think. No time to breathe.
With a burst of anxious energy, Lance blurted out, "Marissa!" in despair, the metallic bow falling to the side of his hands like an open hand of trust, molding itself back into the worried hand it once was. Silvery eyes lost their luminary bodies and froze the moment in time at which it caught, its dream to become a camera succeeding one step after another. Marissa, realizing there was no room in the clock for escape, squinted her eyes, wincing even before the pain seared through her body like a three second poison. Seconds later, shocked lips quivered. Grunted, restrained cries of pain gave rapture to the soundless sky and solemn bodies of trees, their fingers quite not finished with their life-long beseeching, tempting. And finally, as if solidifying the sky canvas and smearing it with blackish red paint, blood blotched the empty portrait of clouds and sunless horizon, filling it with a sense of death and despair, a trailing sickening crack of bone and wound lightly clicking the nausea in faraway stomachs.
PoVS
Tufts of murmuring blue and gossiping purple hissed electrically, as if bright sparks between two wires erupted, emitting the frozen sound of a snake's playful tongue. Piercing sun soon became an empty moon, a distant circle of light that cut through a tiny slit in the whispers of blankets, a memory forgotten. Fingers of periwinkle wisps reached out in greed, palms pleading for chance after chance, wish after wish come true. The breath of an arctic cold exhaled from the trees, emanating a cloud of sky cobalt. Selfish hands and wrists cleared the way, showing its conceited body and self conscious head, filling the afternoon with a blistering touch of autumn evening.
Musical notes floated about, invisible, distorted letters curving their paths and filling shocked, alarmed ears. Intense, sharp tones gave one whorl ripples through the air, visible enough to the human eye, the only thing one could see at this point. Music played like a broken record, unable to stop, playing the same tune over and over again, yet at the same time, not the least bit claiming monotony.
Yomi Derek combed his hair with immobile fingers, a driving wrist collecting his dots of sweat, the hot beads chilled in the cool, settling haze. The prickly spikes of his hair were comfortable to swim in, tiny, normal webs between fingers disappointed when it was over. Tanned skin became blanketed with pale azure. The blackness of his hair and clothes shaded over, the Shadow Minor and his teammates watched meticulously at the growing, spreading mist, an overdose pizza topping. "What's this mist?" Kawari asked, a hard swallow given, easy to hear in the closed space. Transparent music notes continued.
"Be careful," Derek warned, bringing everyone's faraway thought into conscience. Few shifted their feet, readying themselves for who knows what. Clicking and clacking like wooden slots sliding into each other gave empty sighs into the mist, as if limbs of a puppet rattling each other. The four teenagers continued to watch, not knowing of any action fit for the situation.
Mist piled onward, filling the whole afternoon with a great shivering of spines. A darkish silhouette blackened the center of the mist. Dancing limbs paced their way unsteadily forward, the block splotch of a figure shaking uncontrollably. Fingers danced themselves on a pipe – arms held close together securely as if lacking self confidence. The sight clenched fists and slid feet in preparation. Brows quivered in soft chill, others narrowed, forcing eyeballs downward. The being got closer and closer, limbs of discolored green showing themselves with their connected links, vulnerable and strange overconfidence prancing around, silent steps tapping the road of dirt with an unnoticed touch. "What should we do?" Dylan muttered, stimulating his pure white hair in a whisper.
"We fight," Kawari answered completely. Shocked expressions went all around. "Watch out!" he yelled, his voice rising ten times over, electrifying faces even more.
Cries of utter stunning fled from broken mouths, slits to oval darkness pried open. I can't move, Derek told himself, trying to move his feet frantically. His attempts turned useless. Headless snakes of bamboo erupted from the ground invisibly without noise and wrapped around the ankles, connecting each other like imprisoning cuffs. Fumes of thick purple streamed from their sharpened – pearl tea straw heads and consumed the four teenagers trapped. Poison fumes! Kawari noticed instantly. "No one breathe!" Kawari warned as the purplish puffs strung themselves a web closer and closer to Kawari's reluctant face. "Don't breathe in the poison!"
Everyone held their breaths instantaneously, forced to listen to the streaming chorus of intense, dreaded notes. Harmonious music never sounded so harsh. Oh man, Zack whined immaturely in his head to himself. His mouth was puffed in a pout of displeasure and life-saving attempt. I've got to… Zack told himself as he crossed his arms in front of him, as if protecting him from the musical, deadly sounds piercing the mist like pointed needles, sewing each and every bit of the thick blanket together, tightening its contents. Breezes at his feet began to swirl around him, curling around his legs like affectionate hands. A swirling, light tornado began to whorl around him, turning his clothes this way and that, giving him comfort as the dark smoke was dusted away from him and everyone else. Slicing winds cut off the prisoner cuffs and freed everyone. Winds calmed, and freedom returned. "Nice, Zack," Derek complimented him for the first time, flashing no smile of friendship, just acknowledgement, which barely provided a smirk.
"Good," Dylan said, removing his feet from the spot where he had been standing, removing the discomfort in him. "Quick, get away!" he warned his teammates, as he flicked his fingers, growing seeds in an instant. The three boys obeyed, jumping off backwards into the mist, soon followed by Dylan who threw the army of seeds forward at the dancing silhouette. Explosion crackled through the air like lightning, static from the long disappeared miasmic clouds.
Dylan joining the group behind a couple of trees, all four readied their stances and prepared their arms. "We'll have to keep our distance from her if we're going to fight," Derek warned his teammates. They nodded in acknowledgement. "She seems to use that flute a lot." More snaking bamboo emerged from tiny holes in the ground and protruded silver daggers glimmering in the nonexistence of light, a hot, steamy purple liquid tinting their point blade. They threatened with a cat like his, purring like a lion in power.
"Please," Kawari begged out of nowhere. He was given puzzled looks. His eyes did not wander off to any of the other ones watching his back; his gaze was tight on the swimming bamboo, wavering their blade as if playing with it, toying with it. "Let me go first," he made things clear.
"Y-Yeah," Derek stammered in acceptance, his eyes becoming just a tiny bit more open, hiding some of his icy stares for now. His brows tried to join together worriedly, handsome eyebrows wanting to smother each other for warmth in the cold, numbing mist.
"I'll show you…" Kawari began, bringing his left arm to his side. He rolled up his sleeves, and revealed his normal, human forearm. His naturally wide eyes were narrowed in a mean glare, a ready glare, as if he had done this process a thousand times. "What I can really do."
PoVS
Teresa shivered in the cold, growing mist. Mist piled here and there, going everywhere in every direction, memories flashing in her mind, memories with unclear images. A compacted, shivering ball was what she was, vulnerable to break into tiny sediments anytime of the haze. She did not think. She did not speak. She did not move except for her skin, which shook uncontrollably in a memory of fear.
"No way," Daniel muttered as he stared off into the hissing source of the mist. A dark silhouette painted itself, coming closer and closer with slow, time-taking steps, as if the owner was in no hurry. Rattling of bloodstained and rusted chains clattered against each other as they hung low from Japanese style sleeves, dragging across the floor and scraping the ground eerily, sending a chill down Teresa's spine. "How can someone be in such a close range and not be caught by my soul wires?" Daniel asked, confounded. He watched at the steady, careless steps of the arriving opponent. More clattering of old metal occurred, piercing the frothy, snowy mist. The graceful, unhurried feet easily stepped forward, not dodging a centimeter, moving an inch to its side to dodge the tens of thousands of tiny, invisible strings placed through the area.
"Daniel," the Life Minor's sibling muttered with a sympathetic look on his face. He knew how much Daniel loved his plans and how brilliant they were at times. "Was there a flaw in your scouting?"
"No," Daniel denied, reluctant. How did he do it? Could it be an illusion that he's using? What?
"In fact, there is a flaw you missed," a new voice came into conversation. Teresa shuddered more violently than ever. Rattling chains shook the emerald eyes of Takiato, Daniel. It forced a tight knot into his throat. The redhead forced it right back down. The voice was creepy and raspy, a ghost like, demonic voice, totally out of this world; abnormal. Heavy steps of silence continued, giving a two ton heartbeat every time the tip of the toes tapped the ground. Rattling chains shook again like church bells indicating afternoon.
Teresa took a deep breath, unable to control her emotions, her state of mind. That voice! She told herself in a scream. The empty walls in her head echoed after her. "Teresa…" Kenneth noticed her reaction. She watched the purple haired girl in despair. What's with her? He asked himself, unable to answer his own question.
The approaching enemy seemed to scoff, barely heard in Daniel's notifying ears. "Looks like she remembers me," the raspy voice said. Daniel was shocked. His emerald gaze widened into a dilation of ten times over. His teeth froze and stopped grinding, his clenched fist became loose like a blunt rope. Slowly and daringly, he turned over his shoulder, giving a surprised glance to the shaking, powerful Minor. "Teresa?" he asked in a light voice of disbelief. She shivered in reply. Her arms wrapped around each other like a desperate blanket of warmth, failing their only purpose. Does she know this guy? Daniel asked himself with expanded eyes. "You," Daniel called out to the approaching silhouette, shrinking his eyes to their normal size. The shaded opponent cracked its neck in reply, smiling an evil grin even visible at their distance. Kenneth seemed to gulp nervously. "You're not from here are you?" he asked interrogatively, shocking Kenneth with the question.
Daniel held a fist to his chest, as if holding an invisible dagger. Then the dagger became seen, a pointed, sharp piece of soul energy like a glass shard held tightly in between his fingers and palm, the soul energy's light was drained through the slits between each clenched finger, filtering outward like a hopeful star wanted to be kept a secret between closed hands. "No, now," the enemy began, walking forever. "Let's not get too hasty. However, you are correct. I am not from these parts," he explained.
"I knew it," Daniel muttered to himself. "Someone from around here has a slim chance of knowing Teresa at all," the redhead explained. Kenneth gasped. He knows her? Kenneth asked himself, peering to the shaking violent strands of hair coming from the bowed head of the traumatized Minor. I never knew that she could be so involved with such serious things…
"But even so, I'm more powerful than all fools that dwell here. I'll warn you to play seriously with me," the incoming foe instructed, his steps pacing forever in the cool, eternal mist. His eyes narrowed demonically, red, piercing suns forced into a molded triangle.
Tension and panic began to enter Daniel's emotions. Fear filled his eyes once again, the fear of before the fight with Shintenmaru returning, just what he was scared of. He took a deep sigh, letting out his emotions as he closed his eyes gracefully, slowly working on washing them away, trying to calm his nerves and his senses. Calm down, calm down, the redhead told himself, the slow chant slowly washing away the panic inside him, his eyes still shut and resistant to watch the quickly spreading mist like peanut butter on bread. Find out more about this guy first, and then be scared, Daniel went on in his mind, claming himself even further. Don't get afraid. Is he a close or long ranged fighter? Serious or not serious? Physical or inner pain inflictor? He continued to pour brainstorming questions into his mind for him to answer, for him to work on and ignore his pain with effort on something else. What are his abilities? What's his style of defense? His speed?
"I wonder," the voice broke into his thoughts. Daniel gasped as his emeralds reopened, revealing their scarce in confidence. The glowing dagger of soul energy emitted a low hum that only he could hear, the soft chorus calming to him somehow. He was grateful for it. "Are you still thinking about how I got over your soul wires?" Daniel took a sharp, silent gasp. How did he know about them? So he isn't just invulnerable to them, he actually saw them? Noticed them?! How? Those things are invisible! The only type of person who could see it is a… no… impossible. He's not one of those. What am I thinking? Be logical! Daniel commanded of himself. But even so, that still did not change the facts.
"I'll tell you how," the enemy muttered, "however, I still wonder…" His voice trialed off. He brought his sleeves to his head and smiled a deviant grin. The red, piercing eyes shot through the forest like ten bullets put into one. A glimmering point of nonexistent light and metal came from faraway as his steps suddenly came to a halt. "Should I kill you first and then tell you, or should I tell you, and then kill you?"
Daniel cried out in horror. Was he really going to…too late. The decision had been made.