Hostiles

This is joint-written. The Raven's Nest finally figures out what's making Yochinai the dead world it is.

 

Instead of staying in the back, Niqi opted to walk at the front-left corner, while Glide was at the front-right. She wanted to be able to see what was coming at them, but unfortunately, all her eyes revealed to her was more dense fog and cracked, cold, and barren land. She repressed a sigh.

Suddenly, her nose began twitching. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. She smelled something, something bad. Like…rotting corpses, which she had the displeasure of smelling before on one of her world-saving adventures with Glide. She had forgotten for the moment that she was on his bad side, and so she spoke up. “Glide…I smell something horrid. Do you?”

“I smell death.” Glide replied, gripping his shuriken tighter. “And it smells close.”

“Good, then I’m not crazy,” Niqi replied. “What do you th–” Suddenly, a new sensation overwhelmed Niqi. Pain. Pain was coming. She could avoid the pain, she knew how… She instinctively jumped to the left, and she knew that she was safe again. She blinked, suddenly back to reality.

“What the f**k was that?” Glide asked, raising an eyebrow. “Are you f****n’ stoned or something?”

“No,” Niqi breathed. “I just – there was something. Something there, about to hurt me. I could feel it, sense it. I somehow had t–” The sensation overwhelmed her again, so vivid that she could almost see the pain that she knew was coming. She ducked, diving to the left and landing in a roll. After she stood up, she returned to normal once again.

“Now I know you’re stoned.” Glide muttered.

“Hostiles!” Mambo snapped, lunging forward and slamming into something beside Niqi, stopping in midair, as if he actually hit something.

Glide glanced down at the ground, noticing the dust being kicked up. “Okay, maybe you’re not stoned.” He said, flinging his shuriken forward, a bit of black fluid leaving a trail on the ground. “I think I got one.”

“What do you mean you think?” Ambree asked, staring wide-eyed at the monstrous humanoid in front of her. “Of course you got him, but that was his arm. You’re acting like you’re swinging blind.”

Niqi stared at Ambree, dumbfounded. “In case you haven’t noticed, these things appear to be invisible.”

“Ah, s**t…” Mambo muttered, rubbing his head. “Head-to-head collision, ow…”

“Get up.” Glide barked. “You’re the ones that can see ’em, don’t start lying dow-” He stopped abruptly, dropping to one knee and yanking his paws back. “Spiral vortex! Dance, Silver Bat!” His shuriken followed the command, breaking from his control and hurtling toward the creature.

Ambree drew Insecte, ready to attack now that she was over the initial confusion. She danced around the creature and the shuriken, managing to slash its ankles. It fell to the ground then, and the shuriken finished it.

“C’mere!” Glide snapped, his shuriken returning to his paws. “Was that the only one?”

“I don’t see any others.” Mambo said. “But I really doubt that was the only one on the planet.”

“I second that,” Ambree responded, sheathing Insecte. She kicked the fallen creature. “What I’d like to know is why we can see it, but you guys can’t. So let’s take a poll. Everyone get over here. All who can see it, say aye,” she said, raising her hand automatically.

“Aye.” Mambo said, delivering a swift kick to the creature’s head.

Sandy nodded, crouching down and poking it. “Yeah, I see it.”

“Me, too.” Ricky said.

“And me.” Davis added. “What the f**k is this thing?”

“No idea,” Ambree commented. “It looks absolutely disgusting though. And smells just as well. Alright, anyone who can’t see it, say nay.”

“Nay. I can sense it for some reason, but I can’t see it,” Niqi responded.

“I got nothin’.” Glide muttered.

“I can’t see it.” Lujuria said.

Maki nudged the fallen creature with his foot. “I’m with the ayes. I’ve got enhanced sight.”

“I can see it.” Shetani nodded. “Godhood has perks.”

“Nay.” Felix added.

“What are we talking about?” Belleza asked, sounding slightly drunk. “Is it rum? Or cabbage?”

“Okay, let’s divide,” Ambree said, pulling the ayes back with her. She examined the two groups carefully. “…Age?” she guessed hesitantly. “I mean, excluding Shetani and Maki…we’re all technically not adults.”

“Felix, how old are you?” Maki asked.

“Eighteen.” Felix replied.

“And you can’t see it. But Mambo’s seventeen, and he can see it.” Maki muttered. “So, aside from the goddess and myself, only those of us who are seventeen or under can see it.”

“Okay, that mystery is solved,” Niqi concluded. “But there’s still… Glide?” she asked, turning to him. “Hit me.”

“My f*****g pleasure!” Glide growled, pulling his leg up to his chest and launching a kick at Niqi’s head.

The sensation overwhelmed Niqi again. It was as if time had stopped. She saw and felt the attack coming before he had lifted his foot off the ground. She side-stepped to the right, and Glide’s attack hit thin air. Then, as had happened the other two times, she returned to the normal world. “It’s not just them,” she murmured. “I can sense attacks.”

“Well, that’s kind of unfair.” Glide muttered. “I guess, if I need to hit you, I’ll do it when you’re asleep.”

Niqi grinned. “If I deserve it, I’ll let you.”

Glide lifted his shuriken, examining the black blood on the blade. Shrugging to himself, he sliced his palm open with it, letting the black blood mix with his own.

“…Dad, what the hell are you doing?” Sandy asked.

Glide shrugged. “Seemed like a good idea.”

Niqi stared at Glide. “You’re nuts. That stuff could be poisonous for all you know.”

“I’m dead.” Glide stated.

Niqi blinked, and then sighed. “I still, after all this time, cannot seem to remember that.”

“That’s because you’re…” Glide began, glancing down at the ground. “…retarded…” He finished after a moment. “Hey, is that thing about so tall, ugly as f**k, big claws, missin’ its head, which happens to be sittin’ on the ground about six feet that way?”

Ambree blinked. “Yes,” she mumbled.

“…It’s the blood, isn’t it?” Niqi asked.

“Here.” Glide said, holding out his shuriken. “Let’s see for sure.”

Niqi nodded, taking the shuriken. “If I die, at least don’t piss on my grave,” she requested, and then cut her paw with the bloodied side Glide hadn’t used.

“No promises.” Glide grinned.

“I knew you would say that,” Niqi muttered, removing the shuriken and clenching her paw into a fist. She blinked a few times. “Damn, that is one ugly m**********r.”

Reviews

[KEi]

""Now I know you're stoned." Glide muttered."
Aha.
xD

""What are we talking about?" Belleza asked, sounding slightly drunk. "Is it rum? Or cabbage?""