Ruins Of Ketara: Chapter 8
Posted on Jan 22, 2017 @ 11:44am by Ensign Lynette Ryan
Edited on on Jan 22, 2017 @ 11:44am
Mission: Holodeck Havoc
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“RUINS OF KETARA: CHAPTER 8"
(Continued from Sarah's “Election is a Bad Word"
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Location: USS Phoenix
Stardate: 2.17.2201.2233
Scene: Holodeck 6 - Campsite
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Twilight was now ending and the night was setting in a minimal orange glow now could only be seen on the horizon. Bodies of Ratmen impaled, slashed and seared littered the grounds before the once peaceful camp-site. The surviving horde of the furred inhuman creatures maintained a distance behind the dark robed figure that was still enveloped within its swirling purple mist, they still feared their master.
“If you are going to kill me, just get it over with.” Lynette said with a fierce spirit trying to express courage on the outside while keeping her real fear hidden within. The terrifying presence of the figure stood over the helpless Brundiri warrior woman, watching as she tried without any success to struggle from her arcane shackles.
“Noooooo….You are much too valuable and pretty for me to kill you now but I will if I must.” The dark voice hissed at her. Lynette watched as it began to reach out to her with a shriveled twisted hand.
*Oh great. Why do I always attract the ugly creeps.* Lynette thought giving a silent eye-roll from within and thinking back to the previous chapter where her Dwarven companion had tried to hit on her in a wholly disgusting manner and she had threatened to turn him into a fatty kebab.
“Such a pretty form.” This dark and vile form hissed again. Lynette gave a thought of praise to the designer of this holo-program and how they had instilled such a remarkable sense of atmosphere into it. From the tense action of battling against the swarm of Ratmen to the dark figure before her that seemed to radiate fear. It was so realistic that it even gave Lynette chills. She didn’t know what it actually was but she guessed that based on the shrivelled grotesque hand that the rest of its appearance would be the same.
*Ugly Bastard. That’s what I’ll call it.* Lynette gave a loud snigger in her thoughts. As the decrepit and vile hand reached down towards her, she could feel as if dark tendrils were surrounding her skull, trying to pierce into her mind. She tried to resist further under the confines of her magical bonds but still there was nothing she could do to prevent this hand from touching her skin and the invisible presence that was trying to invade her brain.
*This can’t be it. Surely this isn’t how it ends for Andira* Lynette thought as the holo-program wasn’t even halfway through and it would be an extreme disappointment if her character died especially like this, incapacitated and not in the glory of battle.
Suddenly there was a bright red flash before her eyes and it was then that her answer had been given. Lynette watched as the Ugly Bastard stumbled backwards as it was struck from a second fiery bolt.
*Yes. Elestir to the rescue.* Lynette gleefully thought and an excited smile appeared on her lips. The old mage must not have been incapacitated in the same way as the others. It was from then that she felt dark presence begin to lift from her body. That excitement continued as she felt herself no longer hindered and was able freely move her arms and legs again.
*Must have broken its concentration on the spell holding me down* This also meant that her other companions that had been bound by the spell would also be free.
*Alrighty then. Time for some payback.* Lynette’s heart glowed with a new level of enjoyment as she brought Andira to her feet. Elestir’s flame attacks were now becoming ineffective as the Ugly Bastard had now raised a barrier that shimmered like a force-field, the old mages fiery bolts deflecting off into random directions.
“Minions….Kill them. Cut them down where they stand.” The Ugly Bastard’s bellowing voice commanded to his fearful horde. The Ratmen acknowledged their masters dark command and began to snarl as a collective, readying themselves to spring into action once more.
“Crap!” Lynette said out aloud. The pressure was back on from that mere moment of reprieve and soon the Ratmen would be swarming back onto the party. She frantically looked on the ground around her as the Ratmen began their savage approach again. Trying to find either her sword or shield as any of them would be improve her current unarmed and helpless state.
Meanwhile the two Magic Users were locked in a duel of arcane and elemental sorcery as the Ugly Bastard had had enough of being on the defensive. Taking the opportunity in a break between Elestir’s attacks, the Ugly Bastard dropped its shield and then following with a few foreign nonsensical words thick black tendrils burst from its fingertips shooting towards the elderly mage. In an instant Elestir dropped where he stood placing both hands firmly onto ground as the tendrils continued towards him. His hands then began to crackle with lightning and in seconds a wall of stone and earth suddenly erupted from below climbing meters high into the air.
Just as its motion stopped the black tendrils struck repeatedly against the earthen barrier before recoiling back into the Ugly Bastard’s fingertips whom at this point was definitely not amused by the mages quick defense.
“Yes!” Lynette remarked aloud as she spotted the metal shine of her blade within the purple glow of the Ugly Bastard’s magical aura. Building up the strength in her legs Lynette immediately dove for the handle and was about to have regain that joyous feeling of wielding her weapon again when she felt an unexpected heavy weight and resistance that prevented her from lifting it. Her eyes looked upwards to the swords tip to see a large hairy paw firmly holding it in place and to her surprise she looked up into the eyes of a Ratman that snarled at her in response, bearing its salivating fangs.
“Aw Shit!” Lynette said waiting for the Ratmen to take a claw or a bite to her when she felt another gust of air fly past, this time passed her left ear. Lynette suddenly recoiled back in shock as the Ratman dropped to the ground and she saw the arrow buried deep in its forehead.
*Wow! Talk about timing Alenn.* Lynette thought as she smiled once more impressed by the close-knit team work that their party shared and pulled her longsword from underneath the now dead Ratman. The Brundiri warrior scrambled to her feet, once again sword in hand, to face the oncoming swarm that one by one fell to the ground as elven arrows shot flew passed.
“Are you right there, Lass?” Bramorin said with a genuine concern as he took up position alongside.
“I am. You ready to take these vermin out?” Lynette said with a determined voice eyeing the swarm down.
“Always, Lass” Bramorin answered gripping tighter on the handle of his battle axe and ready to enter the fray once more. In the corner of Lynette’s eye she saw the fierce magical onslaught that was being unleashed between Elestir and the Ugly Bastard. At this point with her quick observation, the battle didn’t seem to favor either one as they both showed impressive skill with both offensive and defensive magics.
“Elestir, are you okay?” Lynette shouted towards Elestir quickly returning her eyes to the Ratmen swarm, unwilling to be caught off guard if they pressed their attack now.
“I can handle this fiend. Take out his minions.” Elestir shouted as he erected another stone wall to block the persistent dark tendrils that lashed at him.
“Come on. Come and get it.” Lynette eyed down the four Ratmen that now approached her with a few cautious steps.
“My turn!” Lynette roared imagining how the warrior woman of the mountain clan would sound as she rushed into a charge, her sword ready to be coated with fresh blood. The Ratmen seemed unsure and confused when they saw the human woman sprinting towards them, blade at the ready.
The moments that followed were a frenzy of hacking, slashing and slaying as furred appendages were torn from bodies and blood showered the ground as one by one Ratmen fell to the Brundiri and Dwarves Berserker rages which were also accompanied by the Elf’s constant barrage of arrows.
Meanwhile Elestir was still putting up a fight from the Ugly Bastard’s demonic attacks and in turn he was lashing back out with the extent of his arcane knowledge, but it was taking the last vestiges of his stamina to keep it up. Though as long as he kept it busy and focused on him, the others could finish off the Ratmen and then join him in finishing off the Ugly Bastard once and for all.
“You can’t hope to win against my power you feeble old man. I can already see your strength start to wane.” The Ugly Bastard hissed as he launched bolt after bolt of a vicious dark energy from the palms of his withered hands. Elestir raised his forearm to block against the bolts, forming a small ice shield in its path that instantly shattered as a bolt struck it with great force. The old mage felt his power drain considerably as he repeated the cantrip for each bolt but he was so sapped of magical power that he was unable to keep up the momentum and the last two shot past his defenses and impacted against his body launching him into the air. Elestir hit the ground meters from his position with a large thud where with his last remaining strength he emitted a single gasp of breath before he fell unconscious.
“Old fool!” The Ugly Bastard smiled with satisfaction in beating down its worthy opponent.
“Elestir! No!” Alenn shouted after watching as his magic user companion fell, overwhelmed and defeated. Lynette heard the Elf cry out as she pulled her blood soaked blade from the Ratman’s chest. She turned and saw Elestir sprawled on the ground, wisps of smoke rising from the points of impact of the dark energy on his body.
“You son of a bitch!” Lynette roared once more as she lunged towards the Ugly Bastard with another charge. It turned to look at her and as soon as she began to swing that she felt dark tendrils wrap themselves around her throat which instantly held her in place, stopping her momentum..
“Now. Now. My pretty one. You have been very naughty.” The Ugly Bastard hissed in a soft almost playful manner. Lynette felt the tendrils tighten around her throat raking against her flesh and making it harder to breathe. The Brundiri woman with a free hand attempted to break its grip against her but it was too strong and she refused to use her other hand and release the grip on her sword again.
“Look at what you have done. Killing all of my children after it took so long for me to make them into what they were.” It swept its free hand across the battlefield gesturing as Bramorin removed his axe blade that was firmly embedded in the skull of one of the Ratmen. One of the very last as the others began to decay..
“I will just have to find some more...unwilling subjects….and make some better ones.” Its gaze turned back towards Lynette flashing an evil expression like that of a mad scientist, a Doctor Frankenstein perhaps. Suddenly an arrow appeared from the distance flying towards the Ugly Bastard’s heart, Alenn praying for it to strike true and kill the vile thing that had taken down Elestir and now had a firm demonic grip upon Andira. The Elf then gasped in disbelief as the Ugly Bastard grabbed the arrow from mid-air with its hand without it even turning its head to see it as if sensing it.
“Won’t work against me, nature boy.” The Ugly Bastard twisted its head towards Alenn gazing right at him. Its evil smile widening as it presented its hand forward towards to the Elf for him to see as the arrow began to disintegrate within his hand.
“Such futility.” It once again hissed with unparalleled confidence as it blew dust out from its palm and then began to laugh mockingly.
“Not at all demon. Just needed to get your attention. Aren’t you forgetting about someone though?” Alenn replied back with smugness in his tone as he began to lean against his bow in a relaxed and equally mocking fashion.
“What!?” The Ugly Bastard spun back around to face Lynette only to see Bramorin, the Dwarf he had forgotten, slice through the demonic tendrils that had held the Brundiri woman in place.
“Now! Andira!” Bramorin shouted. There was no pause after Lynette was freed from the tendrils as she once again resumed her charge. Strength building in her arms and her sword pulled back ready to deliver a crippling blow.
Instant shock appeared on the Ugly Bastard’s face, too slow to react to block, as it felt the strong metal tear into flesh and organs. Gasping for air after the sudden trauma, withered hands furiously clutching the empty space in front of it as the pain coursed through its body.
“Never turn your back on a Brundiri you ugly son of a bitch!” It sounded just as good out aloud than in Lynette’s head...no it was better. A satisfying smile was on her face as she plunged the blade deeper into the Ugly Bastard’s chest and began twisting. It continued to writhe with agonizing hisses and screeches before in an instant it stopped, turning its gaze towards Lynette again.
“You may have killed my body tonight, but my spirit will live on and hunt you down.” They were the Ugly Bastard’s last words as its body started to dissolve into a mist. It stared at her with its purple glowing eyes paired with a mocking laughter that in seconds faded away into nothingness. Lynette’s sword fell to the ground unexpectedly landing with a heavy thump as it was released from the that it had impaled.
“Is everyone okay?” Bramorin asked.
“Fuck that was awesome!” Lynette cried out and she had almost forgotten or didn’t care that she was still to be playing her part in the holonovel but she couldn’t help enjoy the rush that she had felt in that final blow that had killed this villain. Bramorin paid no heed to her words as he started to walk across the battlefield happily kicking at the Ratmen corpses he passed that gave him satisfaction.
“Elestir!” Lynette suddenly remember about her fallen comrade and she turned her eyes towards where the old mans body laid and began to sprint in desperation over towards him, hoping he was still alive. Before she could reach him though she found herself unable to maintain her balance as the ground shook violently beneath her feet increasing in intensity.
“What in the nine hells is this!?” Bramorin said with a puzzled expression as he tried to keep his balance. As the tremors grew stronger, Lynette was no longer able to keep a footing and she fell to the ground. The stars of the night sky appeared in full view of the Brundiri woman now flat on her back as the tremors continued.
As quickly as they had started that they stopped and the rumbling sound of the quake fell dead. Lynette pondered for a moment at what had happened before she picked herself off of the ground and brushed herself off.
“What was that?” Lynette asked puzzled.
“I have been underground for most of my life and that was no quake I have ever experienced before.” The Dwarven noble answered.
Suddenly to add more to their confusion a thunderous clap boomed overhead and the party watched with an instant sense of terror as a bolt of jagged green lightning pierced from the night sky above and struck down deep within the forest. Lynette felt an icy fear grip her heart as the clap of thunder was then followed by an echo of mocking laughter, the same that the Ugly Bastard had given before its body had dissolved.
*Aw Crap! Looks like we’ll be seeing him again.*
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NRPG: Another post on Lynette's continuing adventures of her holo-deck program before Jerome and Shawn throw a spanner in the works. Absolutely enjoyed writing this.
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Phillip Wright
Writing for
The Brundiri Warrior Woman, Andira
