03-10-2021, 10:12 PM
Footsteps fell behind him. Screams echoed in front of him. And then there was searing pain coursing through his body. Nox stumbled when the first surge hit his brain, and when the second hit, Nox fell to his knees clutching at his head. He saw through the darkness fire and earth and blood exploding everywhere around him. It was like watching a horror film play out in his head and he felt every blow.
Nothing in front of him screamed pain. If anything they fed. Nox pushed through the pain and wove a net of air to capture and detain, but it was like flying a kite in a hurricane. Somewhere in the horde, someone was dying. Nox sent those waiting for him and Nova like good little pets fleeing into the darkness behind them to escape whatever fiery destruction awaited them. They didn't need his urging. They felt trapped and used and Nox felt guilty about it. Their pain only abated as they fled. But he could only hope the pain would cease.
In front of him the partial horde feed and chased on the underworld denizens. The smell of ichor and blood permeated his nostrils. It was everything he had to block the horde from his mind. He'd have to remember that when he went to make the killing blow. That was only a small portion of what he felt in the darkness, what happened when more died at the same time -- it was bound to happen -- it was their ultimate goal.
Nox watched as one woman was torn in half by the turned Oni. He drew his crossbow and focused through the pain he felt. It had to be stopped. It was a one in a million shot. One he'd trained for his whole life, and until he became a reborn god had eluded him. But now, the shot was easier, the clarity of the power brought the eye into focus like nothing ever could. The knocked bolt aimed, and with the squeeze of a trigger Nox loosed the deadly missile. It landed with a thunk in the eye socket of the Oni and it fell to the ground in a heap amongst the strewn tents and remains of those it had killed. Even through the his focus he felt the Oni' death. The horde all paused in that moment and turned to him. There was knowledge in their eyes. They started to understand -- I was not one of them.
Nothing in front of him screamed pain. If anything they fed. Nox pushed through the pain and wove a net of air to capture and detain, but it was like flying a kite in a hurricane. Somewhere in the horde, someone was dying. Nox sent those waiting for him and Nova like good little pets fleeing into the darkness behind them to escape whatever fiery destruction awaited them. They didn't need his urging. They felt trapped and used and Nox felt guilty about it. Their pain only abated as they fled. But he could only hope the pain would cease.
In front of him the partial horde feed and chased on the underworld denizens. The smell of ichor and blood permeated his nostrils. It was everything he had to block the horde from his mind. He'd have to remember that when he went to make the killing blow. That was only a small portion of what he felt in the darkness, what happened when more died at the same time -- it was bound to happen -- it was their ultimate goal.
Nox watched as one woman was torn in half by the turned Oni. He drew his crossbow and focused through the pain he felt. It had to be stopped. It was a one in a million shot. One he'd trained for his whole life, and until he became a reborn god had eluded him. But now, the shot was easier, the clarity of the power brought the eye into focus like nothing ever could. The knocked bolt aimed, and with the squeeze of a trigger Nox loosed the deadly missile. It landed with a thunk in the eye socket of the Oni and it fell to the ground in a heap amongst the strewn tents and remains of those it had killed. Even through the his focus he felt the Oni' death. The horde all paused in that moment and turned to him. There was knowledge in their eyes. They started to understand -- I was not one of them.
![[Image: nox_sig.gif]](http://thefirstage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/nox_sig.gif)