Night Kunoichi
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- Posted: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:24:08 +0000
((Ok before you get to the actual reading I have a few author notes. This is still in it's rough draft phase as I have not actually finished the first chapter. Yes this is five pages in MS and it's still not anywhere done with what I need to be covered. Anyway, I have spent a lot of time and effort in this book, writing notes, jotting down ideas on the back of ticket orders while I'm at work so PLEASE DON'T STEAL this! I already am reluctant about posting anything original on the internet because it is extremely easy to claim someone else's hard work as your own. But I am in need of constructive criticism. Please respect that. Also please tear this scene apart if you wish just tell me what I did wrong. Of course if you liked it, I would like to know that too. 3nodding Also I have finally settled on a title! Woot! Ok, I've done enough rambling. ^_^))
The sun was shining, a crisp ball of light hovering in the vast canvas of blue. The clouds were white and fluffy and lapped cheerfully against the ocean of sky overhead, fair waves brushing softly against the sapphire beach. Likewise on the ground, soft swells of water rolled lazily onto the muddy shore line before the land sloped sharply upwards until it met with a stark contrast of a rocky face rising drastically to embrace the sky. The cliffs swirled around to encompass the vast and steadily rising lake and reached upward for what seemed like miles. To the north there was an opening in the cliffs and it was from there that a rushing river was gushing into the lake with a long spraying waterfall. Along the surface of the reflective water, several birds were settled occasionally diving under the face of the lake in search for food and overhead seabirds were shrieking searching cries as they scoured for their own meal. There was but a single person throughout the entire basin. It was a young woman and she was on the northeast side, her pale legs sloshing about in the shallows, a deep blue skirt swirling about in the water and around her limbs. She was fairly lean, clad in a brown tank top with raven curls brushing against her back and arms. The young woman’s dark brows were furrowed as her crystal blue eyes searched the shallows intensely, occasionally jamming her hand into the water to snatch up shells or water vegetation to place in her basket.
Elaine hummed a cheerful tune as she worked, occasionally tossing her head to swing her hair out of her face. Small rivulets rolled down her arm to drop back into the lake, the soft sigh of the water still breathing upon her and the shore. Her mouth sucked in more rejuvenating breaths laden with the delicate scent of the lake, swirled with the salty tang of the sea just on the other side of the monstrous cliffs to the south. Many of the people of the city feared this place but not her. Elaine rather enjoyed the peaceful quiet here. There was no wind, not even a gentle breeze to softly kiss her skin. The stretching rock faces all around were fantastic barriers to ward away any gentle caress of the air or brutalizing assault of gusts, and everything always seemed so thought evokingly still. She took more steps, the mud soft and squishy beneath her feet. Some would be bothered by the lack of sand but Elaine didn’t mind the mud. It may be gritty but she rather liked the way it felt when it oozed between her toes. For good measure she even wiggled the appendages before smiling contently and setting off on her pace again, her basket swinging lightly by her side.
She watched warily on the edge of the little shoreline, not wishing to fall into the basin. For years this lake had been filling up and the water had actually cut away at the rocky barrier so instead of one solid shore, they were small ledges that jutted out into the water. But they have been known to collapse under her. Elaine flicked her eyes shut for a moment as the essence of the water whispered to her, begged of her to call it forth for her to twist and mold how she wished. It was like that with all Elemental Witches. Whatever element they were most talented at, it would speak to them, begging to be moved by their fingers. The cry of the lake was faint but enrapturing and it swept her away from reality. But she was harshly brought back when a piece of the ledge gave out from beneath her right foot, upsetting her balance. The dark-haired woman had enough time to let out a shocked cry before she tumbled into the dark grasp of the lake. The basin was deep and about an arm’s length away in every direction, the water was crystal clear and blue as a liquid sapphire. But everything steadily grew darker until nothing could be seen but a dark abyss, threatening to swallow her. According to many of the people back in the city of Middengard, it probably would. Wloncum basin was said to be many miles deep and it was growing deeper by the day. Some of the more superstitious would say that the Tainted One, Zale or what human’s Christian religion interprets as Lucifer, will extend his dark powers to drag her to the bottom and into Neroma, the land of demons.
Her heart pounded, not because she feared to be dragged to the bottom of this said miles deep lake but because there have been monstrous creatures spotted in here and she did not want to be in the water with them. Raven curls twisting about her face, she began to kick fiercely, hands cupping and cutting through the dense lake. She didn’t want to use her magic, that might actually attract the creatures of the deep, and if she could get through her little trip to the Basin without incident from gargantuan monsters she would be especially happy. When at last she reached the little ledge she had tumbled from, her hands clawed at its grimy surface, struggling to heave herself from the lapping water. The mud would give way to her fingers leaving long raking patterns behind but sadly provided no hold. After a tremendous amount of struggling, Elaine finally managed to pull herself from the water and rolled over onto her back, breathing heavily and covered in mud and dirt. The grit from the small shelf of a shore clung to her wet skin and crept beneath her clothes, and even with the shallows lapping gently against her skin, it refused to relinquish its hold. Finally with a relieved sigh she climbed to her feet and grimaced when she couldn’t find her basket. With dismay she realized that it must have fallen into the lake to sink to the bottom.
“Great. Now I have to go find another basket and start all over again.”
With a frustrated sigh, she held her palm to her face, fingers massaging her scalp fiercely before she let her hand drop heavily by her side. The air grew still and was only broken when Elaine turned to head back out of the basin back towards the cliff she had climbed down to get here. The Elemental Witch had used some of her power to carve stairs out of the rocky face, feeling that it would be easier for her and others to access the Wloncum Basin. And Elaine hoped that others appreciated those painfully crafted stairs. Painful in a literal sense for black and blue spots marred her hands and palms from where she tried to push the stubborn element into the placing she desired. Earth was a tough element to work with but she was able to manipulate it with some difficulty. As of now, wind and fire remained lost on her skills as she had yet to figure out how to control it. A sudden series of cries from the birds on the water surface drew the gaze of her sharp blue eyes. The gulls frantically flew off to the southern cliff, gaining altitude so they could soar off to the glassy blue ocean just beyond. Then everything was silent and serene again. For a moment Elaine pondered the sudden oddness in the flock’s behavior but dismissed it and started on her walk towards the exit. And then the peace was shattered as the water rippled and then erupted upwards in a fine misty spray. The lake churned and rolled, the waves resulting from this explosion rising high enough to smash against Elaine’s waist, sending her flying into the rocky face. A loud horrendous roar tore through the basin, echoing over the water and seemingly shaking her very bones. As the misty veil fell back to its home, revealing what burst from its depths, a great pair of yellow eyes locked onto Elaine.
The eyes were set deep in its skull, a translucent third lid sliding back to reveal the raw lemon colored iris. The head was slender and was crested with a long trail of fur that snaked its way down its back to disappear into the water with the rest of its body. Two fins were settled on either side of its head fanning out dramatically, and a long streaming ribbon of tissue descended from both sides of its head and stopped just before the surface of the lake. The scales were a myriad of vivid green and deep blue, great fins erupting from its spine and vanished into the liquid sapphire filled basin. With awe she noticed that there were multiple little domes littered across the monster’s body and saw that they were glowing with a bright light, no doubt used as a light source within the deepest reaches of the lake. The beast reared its gleaming head and opened its mouth to let out another ghastly roar, the water around it sloshing and swirling violently. The power was so intense it caused Elaine to stumble, her back met with the harsh, sharp rocks of the cliff again. The creature was enormous; it’s head almost tall enough to peer over the walls of the basin.
Elaine’s heart was crawling up her throat at the sight before her. She had heard of many monstrous beasts lurking within the Wloncum Basin but this was something she had never expected. Never once had her mind conjured the possibility of a water dragon emerging from the depths of the legend veiled basin. Dragons were supposed to be extinct, so how was it possible that it was here, so close to civilization? How was it that no one had seen this monstrous beast? The raven-haired witch heard a deep rumbling emanating from its open mouth, rows of razor teeth promising pain if she were unlucky enough to find them. Her eyes widened as she realized, the dragon planned to fire a stream of water at her.
‘If that hits me, I’ll be killed!’ The witch thought frantically.
Elaine flicked her eyes closed, reaching deep inside herself to touch that tangled core of magic within her and called out to the earth around her. The energy sprang up eagerly to meet her summon, creeping warmly into her frame, weaving a gentle cradle of heat. The life of the earth sang around her streaming through every fiber of her muscles and bones and flooded her pores. A raven cloud floated about in the air, hovering about her face, each strand alive with hers and the world’s energy. It sang, hummed, pulsed and breathed its life into her veins, and she felt her own energy harmonizing with it. And she opened her eyes, everything dancing in its life, seeing the earth’s song. Sometimes the world just can seem still and lacking of life but when her sight is enhanced like this, everything seems to come alive and sing to the sky. Even the very heavens seemed to have an existence of their own and crackled with energy over head. The lake was animated with thousands, millions of light ribbons twirling, the purest of color and the sky was waves of radiance, an iridescent blue ocean, washing and glowing softly. The dragon was comprised of millions of purple pebbles until the pattern was disrupted by a swirling vortex of blinding white from its powerful water jet. It was the most beautiful thing but yet impossible to describe for it was more than just a myriad of new colors. Elaine could no more hug a sunbeam than she could put words to this breath taking sight. In a surge of power, she threw up a barrier, her hands outstretched before her, fingers wide spread with strings of humming energy linking each one, every tip glowing.
The slender girl jolted from the force of the jet colliding powerfully with her barrier but she stood firm, her brow a strong determined line. The spray was powerful, and it sent her feet skidding a little in the mud, causing her to dig her toes down more fiercely to keep her hold. The water was breaking into thin sheets around her barrier before shattering into fine misty white spray to fall to the muddy ground. Her body was trembling from both the exertion and feeling the rumbling force of the dragon of the lake. And the noise was loud, cutting and it roared in her ears and it made her fearful that the water was in fact cutting through her protection circle. Elaine knew though that it wouldn’t be too much longer before that fear became real. The witch cringed at the thought of being dashed against the rocks and erased from the world. Elaine’s knees buckled beneath her as the weight of her barrier seemed to settle on her shoulders and arms, her muscles trembled finely from the exertion and she wondered if it would ever end. And as if her prayers were answered, silence rang throughout the Basin. Sweet, glorious silence and she let her barrier fall with relief now that the assault had stopped, her arms feeling limp and rubbery. But Elaine knew she could not linger on her moments rest. If she dallied too long, she would surely die.
The muscles in her legs fired her forward, toes digging into the mud as she charged towards the lake, another bone shaking roar tearing out from the ghastly beast. Elaine called out to the water, her energy harmonizing with that of the lakes, its ribbons of light flowing just beneath the surface untapped. And her glowing blue eyes could see as the ribbons came to her call, twisting about at her feet before wrapping up her legs and clinging to her skin. And then her feet were no longer sloshing around in the shallows but stepping upon the surface of the water, the twisting ribbons of glowing white light clothing her bare feet to allow her passage upon its fragile shell. The lake felt just as solid as any land she had ever tread on and it sang and hummed beneath her, ripples of light spreading with each of her steps forward. Her legs were still powering her forward, a fine spray following her as she dashed around the dragon. It snarled and the waves grew more and more tumultuous as its tail lashed about in the lake. Then there was a loud hiss and a crash as yet another jet powered from the dragons mouth to collide with the lake, following close behind the witch still dashing along its face. Still running at full speed, the raven-haired woman bent down, reaching out her right hand.
In a rush of translucent blue, the cool fluid rushed up to her beckon twisting about her hand and arm in one smooth motion. With her left hand she swept it upward, the lake contorting to from a wave before her. Elaine rushed up the new incline gesturing for it to grow higher and higher until she could whip out the channel of water curled around her right arm to snap it in one vicious movement across the dragons golden eyes, two dwarfed suns locked with in fleshy sockets. The flesh split open with a sickening squealch and red fluid sprayed outward and coated her frame. The beast roared such a blood curdling screech that her hair stood on end and it shook her to the core. It thrashed and screamed and twisted about, lashing storms around its body, and water dripping from its mouth from when it suddenly stopped its water jet. Her newly acquired weapon broke apart, now nothing more globs of water, and fell back toward the lake. The great wave she had formed as a path to reach the dragon was cut into by the beast’s head, taking away the only thing holding her above the surface of the lake. Elaine’s heart slammed against her chest, adrenaline tearing its way through her veins as she descended rapidly towards the water below. At the speed and height she was falling, even if she summoned up more water to meet her, her legs would surely be broken. And Elaine needed good legs to escape this dragon. The blue-eyed witch released her grip upon energy of the lake and the ribbons unraveled quickly and slipped back into the pool below.
She pointed her feet below her and let her arms point above towards the sky, streamlining her body so she would meet with less resistance. She took a deep breath, pinched her nose shut with her right hand and then she was plunged rapidly into the depths. A storm of bubbles engulfed her, making it impossible to see and as she continued to descend into the dark depths that threatened to swallow her, her heart pounded viciously in her chest. If a water dragon lived here with in this never ending lake she shuddered to think what other creatures of the deep could be lurking in this abyss. Elaine wanted out. Now. She called out to the lake again and was cradled by its song and was embraced by its glowing strips of light, twirling about her form once again. Elaine bent down and summoned up the life of the earth, her blue eyes looking into the deep before she was propelled upwards. Her black curls were taut about her from the force of the water pressing down upon her. At last she broke the surface, gasping in a breath of air before clamoring to her feet, rivulets coursing over her frame to drip back into the lake. The blue green creature of the basin was still roaring in pain and Elaine had no plans to wait for its recovery. Adrenaline now being her key driving force, she dashed towards the exit, the stairs she had carved, once a symbol of frustration for her, was now a beacon of safety.
A wild jet from the dragon collided with the edge of the basin somewhere behind her, the rumble of rocks descending into the deep body of water. But the elemental witch did not stop, now finally on the small shelf of shoreline along the side of the basin. Elaine was gasping for breath as she raced up the stairs, tripping over her feet, the muscles in her legs screaming at her exertion, but she still continued on, not wishing to be the next victim this water dragon took. And finally after what felt like an eternity, she was free and back out onto the rolling fields of green embracing the racing river that emptied into Wloncum basin. She stumbled a little away from the entrance to the great basin for good measure, for a stronger feeling of security. When she was far enough away from the entrance, Elaine fell back on her butt with a relieved sigh, still gasping for air as she tried to replenish her oxygen supply from all of the running she did. Her muscles were trembling finely and were so weak despite that she was now laying flat on her back. Water was trickling down her skin to mix with the grass beneath her. The material of her skirt and tank top was clinging to her figure like a second skin and was starting to cool from the constant wind gushing over the emerald plains.
Elaine felt exhausted, now terribly weak from the adrenaline rush she had just experienced and was all quivering flesh and limbs. She turned her head to the side and looked over the rolling plains back towards the capital city of Aegis, the name for the entire magical realm. It was a good distance away and she wouldn’t be able to reach it with her own energy. If she had any chance of making it to Middengard, she would have to reach into the ground to get the energy she needed. But once she got into the city, the layers of cobblestone would make it impossible for her to tap into it any longer. Elaine didn’t even want to think about the challenge of weaving her way through the city.
“Well, guess I better get movin’…”
The sun was shining, a crisp ball of light hovering in the vast canvas of blue. The clouds were white and fluffy and lapped cheerfully against the ocean of sky overhead, fair waves brushing softly against the sapphire beach. Likewise on the ground, soft swells of water rolled lazily onto the muddy shore line before the land sloped sharply upwards until it met with a stark contrast of a rocky face rising drastically to embrace the sky. The cliffs swirled around to encompass the vast and steadily rising lake and reached upward for what seemed like miles. To the north there was an opening in the cliffs and it was from there that a rushing river was gushing into the lake with a long spraying waterfall. Along the surface of the reflective water, several birds were settled occasionally diving under the face of the lake in search for food and overhead seabirds were shrieking searching cries as they scoured for their own meal. There was but a single person throughout the entire basin. It was a young woman and she was on the northeast side, her pale legs sloshing about in the shallows, a deep blue skirt swirling about in the water and around her limbs. She was fairly lean, clad in a brown tank top with raven curls brushing against her back and arms. The young woman’s dark brows were furrowed as her crystal blue eyes searched the shallows intensely, occasionally jamming her hand into the water to snatch up shells or water vegetation to place in her basket.
Elaine hummed a cheerful tune as she worked, occasionally tossing her head to swing her hair out of her face. Small rivulets rolled down her arm to drop back into the lake, the soft sigh of the water still breathing upon her and the shore. Her mouth sucked in more rejuvenating breaths laden with the delicate scent of the lake, swirled with the salty tang of the sea just on the other side of the monstrous cliffs to the south. Many of the people of the city feared this place but not her. Elaine rather enjoyed the peaceful quiet here. There was no wind, not even a gentle breeze to softly kiss her skin. The stretching rock faces all around were fantastic barriers to ward away any gentle caress of the air or brutalizing assault of gusts, and everything always seemed so thought evokingly still. She took more steps, the mud soft and squishy beneath her feet. Some would be bothered by the lack of sand but Elaine didn’t mind the mud. It may be gritty but she rather liked the way it felt when it oozed between her toes. For good measure she even wiggled the appendages before smiling contently and setting off on her pace again, her basket swinging lightly by her side.
She watched warily on the edge of the little shoreline, not wishing to fall into the basin. For years this lake had been filling up and the water had actually cut away at the rocky barrier so instead of one solid shore, they were small ledges that jutted out into the water. But they have been known to collapse under her. Elaine flicked her eyes shut for a moment as the essence of the water whispered to her, begged of her to call it forth for her to twist and mold how she wished. It was like that with all Elemental Witches. Whatever element they were most talented at, it would speak to them, begging to be moved by their fingers. The cry of the lake was faint but enrapturing and it swept her away from reality. But she was harshly brought back when a piece of the ledge gave out from beneath her right foot, upsetting her balance. The dark-haired woman had enough time to let out a shocked cry before she tumbled into the dark grasp of the lake. The basin was deep and about an arm’s length away in every direction, the water was crystal clear and blue as a liquid sapphire. But everything steadily grew darker until nothing could be seen but a dark abyss, threatening to swallow her. According to many of the people back in the city of Middengard, it probably would. Wloncum basin was said to be many miles deep and it was growing deeper by the day. Some of the more superstitious would say that the Tainted One, Zale or what human’s Christian religion interprets as Lucifer, will extend his dark powers to drag her to the bottom and into Neroma, the land of demons.
Her heart pounded, not because she feared to be dragged to the bottom of this said miles deep lake but because there have been monstrous creatures spotted in here and she did not want to be in the water with them. Raven curls twisting about her face, she began to kick fiercely, hands cupping and cutting through the dense lake. She didn’t want to use her magic, that might actually attract the creatures of the deep, and if she could get through her little trip to the Basin without incident from gargantuan monsters she would be especially happy. When at last she reached the little ledge she had tumbled from, her hands clawed at its grimy surface, struggling to heave herself from the lapping water. The mud would give way to her fingers leaving long raking patterns behind but sadly provided no hold. After a tremendous amount of struggling, Elaine finally managed to pull herself from the water and rolled over onto her back, breathing heavily and covered in mud and dirt. The grit from the small shelf of a shore clung to her wet skin and crept beneath her clothes, and even with the shallows lapping gently against her skin, it refused to relinquish its hold. Finally with a relieved sigh she climbed to her feet and grimaced when she couldn’t find her basket. With dismay she realized that it must have fallen into the lake to sink to the bottom.
“Great. Now I have to go find another basket and start all over again.”
With a frustrated sigh, she held her palm to her face, fingers massaging her scalp fiercely before she let her hand drop heavily by her side. The air grew still and was only broken when Elaine turned to head back out of the basin back towards the cliff she had climbed down to get here. The Elemental Witch had used some of her power to carve stairs out of the rocky face, feeling that it would be easier for her and others to access the Wloncum Basin. And Elaine hoped that others appreciated those painfully crafted stairs. Painful in a literal sense for black and blue spots marred her hands and palms from where she tried to push the stubborn element into the placing she desired. Earth was a tough element to work with but she was able to manipulate it with some difficulty. As of now, wind and fire remained lost on her skills as she had yet to figure out how to control it. A sudden series of cries from the birds on the water surface drew the gaze of her sharp blue eyes. The gulls frantically flew off to the southern cliff, gaining altitude so they could soar off to the glassy blue ocean just beyond. Then everything was silent and serene again. For a moment Elaine pondered the sudden oddness in the flock’s behavior but dismissed it and started on her walk towards the exit. And then the peace was shattered as the water rippled and then erupted upwards in a fine misty spray. The lake churned and rolled, the waves resulting from this explosion rising high enough to smash against Elaine’s waist, sending her flying into the rocky face. A loud horrendous roar tore through the basin, echoing over the water and seemingly shaking her very bones. As the misty veil fell back to its home, revealing what burst from its depths, a great pair of yellow eyes locked onto Elaine.
The eyes were set deep in its skull, a translucent third lid sliding back to reveal the raw lemon colored iris. The head was slender and was crested with a long trail of fur that snaked its way down its back to disappear into the water with the rest of its body. Two fins were settled on either side of its head fanning out dramatically, and a long streaming ribbon of tissue descended from both sides of its head and stopped just before the surface of the lake. The scales were a myriad of vivid green and deep blue, great fins erupting from its spine and vanished into the liquid sapphire filled basin. With awe she noticed that there were multiple little domes littered across the monster’s body and saw that they were glowing with a bright light, no doubt used as a light source within the deepest reaches of the lake. The beast reared its gleaming head and opened its mouth to let out another ghastly roar, the water around it sloshing and swirling violently. The power was so intense it caused Elaine to stumble, her back met with the harsh, sharp rocks of the cliff again. The creature was enormous; it’s head almost tall enough to peer over the walls of the basin.
Elaine’s heart was crawling up her throat at the sight before her. She had heard of many monstrous beasts lurking within the Wloncum Basin but this was something she had never expected. Never once had her mind conjured the possibility of a water dragon emerging from the depths of the legend veiled basin. Dragons were supposed to be extinct, so how was it possible that it was here, so close to civilization? How was it that no one had seen this monstrous beast? The raven-haired witch heard a deep rumbling emanating from its open mouth, rows of razor teeth promising pain if she were unlucky enough to find them. Her eyes widened as she realized, the dragon planned to fire a stream of water at her.
‘If that hits me, I’ll be killed!’ The witch thought frantically.
Elaine flicked her eyes closed, reaching deep inside herself to touch that tangled core of magic within her and called out to the earth around her. The energy sprang up eagerly to meet her summon, creeping warmly into her frame, weaving a gentle cradle of heat. The life of the earth sang around her streaming through every fiber of her muscles and bones and flooded her pores. A raven cloud floated about in the air, hovering about her face, each strand alive with hers and the world’s energy. It sang, hummed, pulsed and breathed its life into her veins, and she felt her own energy harmonizing with it. And she opened her eyes, everything dancing in its life, seeing the earth’s song. Sometimes the world just can seem still and lacking of life but when her sight is enhanced like this, everything seems to come alive and sing to the sky. Even the very heavens seemed to have an existence of their own and crackled with energy over head. The lake was animated with thousands, millions of light ribbons twirling, the purest of color and the sky was waves of radiance, an iridescent blue ocean, washing and glowing softly. The dragon was comprised of millions of purple pebbles until the pattern was disrupted by a swirling vortex of blinding white from its powerful water jet. It was the most beautiful thing but yet impossible to describe for it was more than just a myriad of new colors. Elaine could no more hug a sunbeam than she could put words to this breath taking sight. In a surge of power, she threw up a barrier, her hands outstretched before her, fingers wide spread with strings of humming energy linking each one, every tip glowing.
The slender girl jolted from the force of the jet colliding powerfully with her barrier but she stood firm, her brow a strong determined line. The spray was powerful, and it sent her feet skidding a little in the mud, causing her to dig her toes down more fiercely to keep her hold. The water was breaking into thin sheets around her barrier before shattering into fine misty white spray to fall to the muddy ground. Her body was trembling from both the exertion and feeling the rumbling force of the dragon of the lake. And the noise was loud, cutting and it roared in her ears and it made her fearful that the water was in fact cutting through her protection circle. Elaine knew though that it wouldn’t be too much longer before that fear became real. The witch cringed at the thought of being dashed against the rocks and erased from the world. Elaine’s knees buckled beneath her as the weight of her barrier seemed to settle on her shoulders and arms, her muscles trembled finely from the exertion and she wondered if it would ever end. And as if her prayers were answered, silence rang throughout the Basin. Sweet, glorious silence and she let her barrier fall with relief now that the assault had stopped, her arms feeling limp and rubbery. But Elaine knew she could not linger on her moments rest. If she dallied too long, she would surely die.
The muscles in her legs fired her forward, toes digging into the mud as she charged towards the lake, another bone shaking roar tearing out from the ghastly beast. Elaine called out to the water, her energy harmonizing with that of the lakes, its ribbons of light flowing just beneath the surface untapped. And her glowing blue eyes could see as the ribbons came to her call, twisting about at her feet before wrapping up her legs and clinging to her skin. And then her feet were no longer sloshing around in the shallows but stepping upon the surface of the water, the twisting ribbons of glowing white light clothing her bare feet to allow her passage upon its fragile shell. The lake felt just as solid as any land she had ever tread on and it sang and hummed beneath her, ripples of light spreading with each of her steps forward. Her legs were still powering her forward, a fine spray following her as she dashed around the dragon. It snarled and the waves grew more and more tumultuous as its tail lashed about in the lake. Then there was a loud hiss and a crash as yet another jet powered from the dragons mouth to collide with the lake, following close behind the witch still dashing along its face. Still running at full speed, the raven-haired woman bent down, reaching out her right hand.
In a rush of translucent blue, the cool fluid rushed up to her beckon twisting about her hand and arm in one smooth motion. With her left hand she swept it upward, the lake contorting to from a wave before her. Elaine rushed up the new incline gesturing for it to grow higher and higher until she could whip out the channel of water curled around her right arm to snap it in one vicious movement across the dragons golden eyes, two dwarfed suns locked with in fleshy sockets. The flesh split open with a sickening squealch and red fluid sprayed outward and coated her frame. The beast roared such a blood curdling screech that her hair stood on end and it shook her to the core. It thrashed and screamed and twisted about, lashing storms around its body, and water dripping from its mouth from when it suddenly stopped its water jet. Her newly acquired weapon broke apart, now nothing more globs of water, and fell back toward the lake. The great wave she had formed as a path to reach the dragon was cut into by the beast’s head, taking away the only thing holding her above the surface of the lake. Elaine’s heart slammed against her chest, adrenaline tearing its way through her veins as she descended rapidly towards the water below. At the speed and height she was falling, even if she summoned up more water to meet her, her legs would surely be broken. And Elaine needed good legs to escape this dragon. The blue-eyed witch released her grip upon energy of the lake and the ribbons unraveled quickly and slipped back into the pool below.
She pointed her feet below her and let her arms point above towards the sky, streamlining her body so she would meet with less resistance. She took a deep breath, pinched her nose shut with her right hand and then she was plunged rapidly into the depths. A storm of bubbles engulfed her, making it impossible to see and as she continued to descend into the dark depths that threatened to swallow her, her heart pounded viciously in her chest. If a water dragon lived here with in this never ending lake she shuddered to think what other creatures of the deep could be lurking in this abyss. Elaine wanted out. Now. She called out to the lake again and was cradled by its song and was embraced by its glowing strips of light, twirling about her form once again. Elaine bent down and summoned up the life of the earth, her blue eyes looking into the deep before she was propelled upwards. Her black curls were taut about her from the force of the water pressing down upon her. At last she broke the surface, gasping in a breath of air before clamoring to her feet, rivulets coursing over her frame to drip back into the lake. The blue green creature of the basin was still roaring in pain and Elaine had no plans to wait for its recovery. Adrenaline now being her key driving force, she dashed towards the exit, the stairs she had carved, once a symbol of frustration for her, was now a beacon of safety.
A wild jet from the dragon collided with the edge of the basin somewhere behind her, the rumble of rocks descending into the deep body of water. But the elemental witch did not stop, now finally on the small shelf of shoreline along the side of the basin. Elaine was gasping for breath as she raced up the stairs, tripping over her feet, the muscles in her legs screaming at her exertion, but she still continued on, not wishing to be the next victim this water dragon took. And finally after what felt like an eternity, she was free and back out onto the rolling fields of green embracing the racing river that emptied into Wloncum basin. She stumbled a little away from the entrance to the great basin for good measure, for a stronger feeling of security. When she was far enough away from the entrance, Elaine fell back on her butt with a relieved sigh, still gasping for air as she tried to replenish her oxygen supply from all of the running she did. Her muscles were trembling finely and were so weak despite that she was now laying flat on her back. Water was trickling down her skin to mix with the grass beneath her. The material of her skirt and tank top was clinging to her figure like a second skin and was starting to cool from the constant wind gushing over the emerald plains.
Elaine felt exhausted, now terribly weak from the adrenaline rush she had just experienced and was all quivering flesh and limbs. She turned her head to the side and looked over the rolling plains back towards the capital city of Aegis, the name for the entire magical realm. It was a good distance away and she wouldn’t be able to reach it with her own energy. If she had any chance of making it to Middengard, she would have to reach into the ground to get the energy she needed. But once she got into the city, the layers of cobblestone would make it impossible for her to tap into it any longer. Elaine didn’t even want to think about the challenge of weaving her way through the city.
“Well, guess I better get movin’…”
