Remnants of the Earth
EDANITH => The Frontier => Topic started by: Stardancer on August 31, 2015, 05:29:26 am
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Tags to @Daglobster !
The small space shuttle touched the ground then on Edanith soil. Soon it landed fully, a platform being slowly lowered to the ground before the black metallic door slid open. A humanoid figure, albeit a very tall one with light bluish skin made her way out, walking down the smooth platform before stepping foot on the ground outside. Her long wavy purple hair accentuated her thin and narrow features, as all three eyes looked around, surveying what she could. Plerona had come to Edanith once again for no reason other than to see the sights again and be of aid where needed.
“You certain you'll be alright for a few days, Miss Plerona?” the pilot asked her then in their language of Rastiika, a fellow Trenopian who possessed psionic powers of energy blasts and pyrokinesis.
“Yes, of course Lemuel. I thank you for your concern, but I will be fine while here. You may take your leave at any time.” Plerona answered him.
Lemuel seemed hesitant, but obliged nonetheless. “Alright then, I will be back to pick you up in a few days time then.” And with that, he went back inside, platform folding up and door closing once more, before he activated the controls to take off for space again.
Lemuel had long since had a thing for Plerona and had helped her out many times by taking her to many places around the universe, whether they be planet or space station. Plerona was unaware of this, and did not seem to hold the same interest in him, but they were good friends regardless. The male Trenopian also seemed reluctant to make any moves toward her, to let her know in fact that he was interested in having a relationship with her. Children too, possibly. The thought of having to care for little Trenopian children with Plerona as his wife had long been a dream for him, but it seemed it may remain such for quite awhile to come. If the circumstances ever changed that was.
Soon, the female alien was on her own again, and began to head towards the town gates out on the edges of the frontier here. The town was called 'Red Bridge' as it did in fact bridge the megacities from the frontier where the latter only started to really begin. The soil around these parts was more reddish-brown, but with some grasses and plants poking up here and there in order to provide certain conditions for farming crops and harvesting plant roots as a source of food for the people who lived here.
Entering the town, Plerona looked around and made to head to the local general goods store. On her way there, she heard the sound of an anguished curse muttered by someone not too far from where she was at. Both golden eyes as well as her third eye of vibrant yellow looked around for the cause of it. A man in tattered brown clothing standing on the edge of the streets then met her sight. He was gazing around haphazardly, with a definite look of sorrow on his face, as well as one of outright fear. The man, whoever he was, didn't seem to notice Plerona yet. The words he shouted out into the evening air were filled with despair and sadness as he called out in a loud voice to no one in particular.
“I will avenge your death, Maria!” he called out, looking ever forlorn and lost in that moment. “I will, I promise you...I will...avenge...” The man slumped down at the side of the road then, seeming to have lost the fight in him for the time being. The few people that passed him by spared not a look his way, and those that did openly scoffed at him, believing him to be nothing more than a common street bum.
Plerona took pity on the poor man and headed his way to try to talk to him and see what was wrong. As she approached, the man turned his head before his eyes widened, looking like he was pondering whether to dash off or stay where he was. He seemed to decide on the former, and was just about to do so when Plerona called out to him in the common tongue. “Stay young man, I mean you no harm. I just want to talk.”
The man hesitated, but did as he was told. Eying her warily as she sat down beside him on the side of the dirt road. “My name is Plerona and I would like to know what ails you.” She gazed at him kindly. “What is your name, sir?”
The man who looked like he hadn't had a proper bath in days, answered but still wary. “Peter. My name is Peter.” he replied. But said nothing else.
“Well, Peter it is nice to meet you.” Plerona lifted a hand facing him in way of greeting. After some silence, she asked, “May I ask what is wrong?”
Peter didn't respond for a good minute or so, but finally he said something. “Maria...my sister...” he sputtered out, not able to fully explain just yet.
“What about your sister?” Plerona continued to ask her questions, patiently and kindly.
Peter looked at her then, a grave expression on his face. “Maria is dead. Brain sucked out by a foul being. I...do not know much more, I'm afraid.” He was holding something back though, but the female alien chose not to press any further for now. It would come up later, if he chose to reveal it.
But what he said was disturbing though, as it meant a murderer was on the loose around these parts. Still Plerona would not let hopelessness or uncertainty overtake her, she would remain positive and try to help this man find his way again. And possibly bring his sister's killer to justice. It was fundamental to stay positive if not for herself, but for the lost human male before her. He needed counseling and Plerona would do just that.
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Redundant.
Another memory, cast off into the darkness. Kruz'Iik existed in a white void, at the moment. Trapped firmly in the folds between space. His form didn't matter, but if he chose to coalesce it, it would appear. At the moment, he was busy purveying the memories of a very certain Maria.
Redundant.
More knowledge he already had, another memory he let go. It was probably better that he got rid of all of it, purged the tattered remnants of Maria's mind from himself, but people like her often held random tidbits he never really knew.
Oh, hello...
Minutia of Edenian flora and fauna. Insignificant... but new.
He purged the rest away, and with that, he was done. He disseminated the information through himself, and felt his power grow, if only by the smallest amount possible. He felt space creeping back in, and he re-entered what was collectively known as the material world.
It was a trashed laboratory. Kruz'Iik didn't really appreciate the messy state of the place, as he liked to consider himself above base violence like this. Maria had struck a nerve, however, and as he took the place in once more, he quickly pinpointed her corpse.
A wilted husk, all personality and life drained from her gentle features.
The laboratory itself wasn't just messy, or there wasn't just signs of struggle. Acid burns, scorch marks, the concrete floor was compressed and heated into diamonds at places.
Maria had been psionic as well. Only latently, of course, but this day and age, even the latent could put up a fight.
He reached out with his mind, and started to search for her brother.
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Having found out a little more about the man Peter and his sister Maria, Plerona considered all that she had been told. The sister had been psionic, just like Plerona and her brother as well as all their kind in fact, but the brother did not possess any psionic talent. He had come upon her mutilated corpse in some laboratory, drained of everything that made a person what they were, only to come face to face with a hideous being unlike anything he had ever seen before in his twenty-three years of life. Maria had been a couple years older than him at age twenty-five. The creature he saw had a black body comprised of some strange shadowy substance, complete with eyes of glowing red. It was thin and wiry and looked like some kind of wraith he had thought.
It was safe to say Peter didn't stick around after that, fleeing for his life and barely managing to do so. Perhaps the thing had decided not to pursue him then, he didn't know. What he did know is that Maria was dead and he had no other family as their parents had been killed in a space expedition seven years back. They had had little money to begin with, as they were not rich by any means. But they made do with what they had. Now Peter was at a loss of where to go from here and worried that the vile monster would also come after him.
“Can you tell me what this laboratory looked like?” Plerona questioned him, trying to find out whatever she could.
Peter waved both hands in the air wildly. “I ...don't know. Big. Laboratory-ish. Bottles and such everywhere.”
Alright, so that wasn't much to go on. For now anyway, Plerona continued to give him advice and talk to him, unaware that the murderer even now was scoping out the area from afar with its psionic powers. Plerona couldn't detect this as that was not her power. Telekinesis was the only ability she had.
The day darkened fully into night now, and most people had gone home and off the streets. Plerona suggested they too find some shelter as well. Peter led the way to a broken-down building where he and Maria had taken up residence. There were some furnishings, sparse though, and family photos decorated the wall on one end. A coffee table was placed in the center of the main room, drinks scattered around with empty cups. Peter had obviously been trying to drink away his cares, drowning them out with alcohol. Various snacks of pretzels and chips were also here and there, most of the bags empty, while some were only about half that. A rug slightly out of place on the floor, a vase lay in shattered pieces nearby.
“Sorry for the mess.” he mumbled, before heading into a back room. “Take a seat, I'll be right out.”
Plerona did as she was told and sat down, but not before looking at the photos with interest. They had seemed to be a happy family at one point, if the smiling faces and goofy bunny ears over their heads were any indication. Pretty soon the sound of retching was heard, coming from one of the back rooms as Peter emptied his tortured stomach. Plerona did not get up though, only waited for him to come back out.
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The metacognitive force that was Kruz'Iik lingered in the laboratory, hanging over the place like some kind of dark, mental haze. Finding Maria's brother had proven to be quite the chore, but when Kruz'Iik finally picked him up, he chuckled, the noise reverberating throughout the laboratory.
There was another psionic presence, significantly larger than Maria's, and it was in incredibly close proximity to Peter. The feedback from that was initially what prevented Kruz'Iik from finding him, so he had to fine-tune his detection until he got past it.
And as if he'd never been in the lab, he disappeared. Shortly after his departure, the lab went up in what could only be a generator explosion, wiping whatever physical evidence Kruz'Iik couldn't purge from existence.
He was coming for them.
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Peter soon came back out, looking a little green as a result. He grabbed a bottle of water and drunk the whole thing down in a few gulps, before wiping his chin off.
Plerona stood up then and went over to him. "Anything I can do?" she asked.
Peter shook his head no. "Unless you can bring back Maria or kill the thing that killed her, then no. There's not." He sat down and ran a hand through his brown hair. "I am scared." he began, looking at the Trenopian. "I don't even know you or heck even what you are, but for some reason I feel I can trust you."
Plerona smiled at him. "I am glad." she said. Seeing his still down-trodden demeanor, she sat down next to him but at a respectable distance. "It is important to not give up hope. Never give up hope." she told him firmly, but not unkindly either. "I can protect you from whatever it is that might be seeking you."
Peter looked up at her then, his brow furrowed. "How?" he asked, confused.
"I am also psionic, just like your sister was. In fact, my entire species is. I can protect both of us from whatever is out there."
Peter looked like he was about to say something but paused when he saw a dark shape appear in the room. The same one he had seen in the laboratory! At a loss for words, he struggled to say something but couldn't. His voice failed him then at this critical time.
Plerona also saw it and jumped up in alarm. The presence was certainly psionic and not the friendly kind either. "Who are you and what do you want?" she demanded the creature.
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The faint glimpse of Kruz'Iik's form that they witnessed was nothing but the shadow of his mind, leaving an impression on the world as he phased in from Maria's laboratory. It was gone before any response was given, shaking as if reality itself rejected.
The wind picked up for a moment outside, and small, loose objects like Peter's water battle clattered in place. One of the windows cracked, and the very building shuddered on its foundations.
Terrified prey made for better eating.
Then, Kruz'Iik appeared properly. A hole in space was ripped open, and the black shadow that was Kruz'Iik's unformed body poured out, quickly taking his tall, bipedal form. At first, he had no eyes, but then they suddenly appeared.
Two baleful suns, gazing malevolently at the both of them.
"You say you can protect him. False words spoken to ease a terrified mind."
Kruz'Iik's voice came from the walls, from anywhere but him. To Peter, his mind still unshielded from Kruz'Iik's influences, Kruz'Iik's voice came from within his own mind.
"Stand aside, Trenopian. His sister meddled in affairs too large for her meager mind to comprehend. She was a fool."
Kruz'Iik clenched a fist, and the cracked window shattered.
"And in her weakness, she damned him to the same fate."
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The surroundings shook as the being exerted its power upon the place, the psionic energy running rampant, bags of uneaten food shifted around, the pictures on the wall rattled, one of them falling to the tiled floor with a smash! It was a photo of the two siblings standing side by side each other, smiling brightly at the camera as the happy moment in time was captured forever. The outer glass protecting it shattered, and broken shards littered the ground near them.
Peter was definitely scared, and his eyes wildly searched around before he muttered loudly in fear, "I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die..." Repeating that same phrase over and over again as he scrabbled for purchase on the couch, grabbing the edge of it to steady himself.
Plerona meanwhile, while unnerved was not frightened. Even though the psionics she clearly felt were pretty strong, the presence rivaling even the most powerful among her own species. If not even topping that. Still she would not show fear and kept her cool. Even when the shadowy being appeared for real in the room, eyes glowing a malicious red, the Trenopian stood her ground.
"Peter, get behind me." she ordered the trembling man. Peter didn't need to be told twice and immediately cowered behind the female alien. Still muttering under his breath that he was going to die.
Plerona gazed evenly at the Mindshifter. "I know of your kind." she stated. "For I have heard of the race of Mindshifters. Your intelligence and power. Your cruelty and sadism. Why do you hunt this man? What has he ever done to deserve your wrath?"
Peter continued his mad rant. "I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die." Terror shining in his eyes, his whole posture reeked of it.
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Kruz'Iik stood still, smoldering, before he chuckled, an alien sound quite unlike his appearance.
"Sadism? I'm merely crushing some bothersome ants."
The shadows peeled away, as if flushed from him, and in his place, stood Maria. Or at least, something that looked, sounded, and even smelled like her. Kruz'Iik smiled, pushed up his glasses, and made a seating motion. From the concrete beneath him, a sculpted seat formed to provide him somewhere to sit. When he spoke, it was in Maria's voice.
"My kind might be known as slumbering demons to yours, Trenopian, but to mankind, we are traceless. I'm afraid if knowledge of our species gets out, the unenlightened monkeys would tear themselves apart. It's been foreseen."
He crossed his legs, taking a moment to admire his smooth, sexy legs and short, yet professional skirt.
"He has done nothing, but it's what he carries in his mind that's dangerous. You see, before she died, Maria told Peter her secrets. Told him about us."
Kruz'Iik shook his head.
"The fool damned him with her words."
Kruz'Iik stood up, and started to walk towards the two, nice and slowly.
"I will ask you one more time, Trenopian. I do not have time for you to waste with your pointless heroics, so step. aside."
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Peter froze when Kruz'Iik transformed into his sister, Maria. Stopping his mad rants, he pointed a finger accusingly at the Mindshifter. "You're not her! Vile, monstrous creature you are. And Maria hasn't told me anything. I know nothing!" he lied, trying to save his skin. Still the visage of his dead sister standing before him talking thoroughly shook him to his core and he had to sit down on the couch, as he couldn't command his legs to carry him anymore.
Plerona did not move. "I cannot allow you to harm this man. He is innocent and I will not stand by while you attempt to extract whatever knowledge he may have." As she spoke her third eye glowed in a fierce yellow light, indicative of her sheer determination and faith that she would prevail. And so would Peter.
The Trenopian prepared herself for a fight even though she would rather not debase herself in such a way, but it couldn't be helped. Her people may not accept violence but they would do what they had to do come what may.
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"Selecting one life over billions?"
Kruz'Iik's eyes glowed red again, and his hair flowed on an invisible wind.
"Quite unlike you, Trenopian. Still, if I have to teach you why your kind writes about mine in fables, I will."
The truth was, she had him in a bit of a jam. Not the kind of jam where she had him dead to rights, but the only way Kruz'Iik could recover that information was by draining Peter, something he couldn't do with her in the way. He'd strongly prefer not to outright kill him, as Peter could perhaps hold knowledge of his own that only he knew.
Also, Kruz'Iik was feeling a bit peckish, and he supposed a weak-minded fool like Peter was emotional enough at the moment to provide adequate sustenance.
His form caught fire, ethereal and blue, and burned away in a flash. As if it was just a shell, Maria's form burst open, and Kruz'Iik's shadow form made itself once again. He started to probe at Plerona's mind, testing her defenses as he crossed his arms.
"Go on then, Trenopian. Protect him. Fulfill your promise."
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When Plerona felt Kruz'Iik start to probe her mind, she immediately envisioned a brick wall in her mind's eye. It was not a power, merely a technique her kind utilized, one of many. She made sure to visualize the brick wall being as unbreakable as possible in order to block her thoughts from him.
Meanwhile, she focused her telekinetic power to form an actual wall between them, crafted from the tiled floor itself. It would only be a brief distraction that, but Plerona would show him she was not weak. "If you knew anything about my kind, you would know that we do not tolerate needless violence. Letting you harm this man is not something I, or any of my race would accept. I ask you to retreat now while you have the chance."
Peter was now panting heavily, his eyes unfocused as he began to have a meltdown. "Oh god, oh god, oh god..." Putting his head into his hands, he muttered to himself, his words rising in pitch with each passing second.
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Plerona's defenses were considerable, at least the mental ones were. Thankfully, probing her in the way that he was currently doing expended absolutely no energy, and it let him get a read for her defenses.
"I will leave you broken, so you can taste your failure as you watch the light fade from your charge's eyes."
Her wall of tiles was violently ripped in half, and then those halves broke apart. The brick wall to guard her thoughts was formidable, yes, but there was somebody else in the room.
And his mind, unlike hers, was wide open.
Kruz'Iik extended the tendrils of his will into Peter's, and temporarily overwrote the man's motor functions. He commanded Peter to strike at Plerona, to distract her long enough that Kruz'Iik could get into her perceptions and initiate his primary combat style.
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When Peter struck at Plerona from behind with the base of a potted plant, the alien was distracted from her focus and fell forward onto the ground in surprise. Looking back at Peter, she saw he had been mentally taken control of, and so with her powers, she moved the couch in between them to block any further assaults her way. Plerona knew that trying to get through to him would be useless so she turned her attention back to the Mindshifter then.
Peter stumbled against the back of the couch, the remains of the potted plant lying strewn about the ground. Shaking his head as though in a daze, he struggled to get up again.
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Elaros chuckled once again. Her wall, weakened by her temporary lack of focus, was easy for him to shatter. Her thoughts, however, were of no concern for him.
Mindshifters fought through illusions and deceptions, and there was no better illusion than the one your opponent thought was real. He reached into Plerona's senses. All five came under his influence, and while they weren't under his complete control, he got a fair bit into them.
Before she could get up off the ground, everything suddenly changed. The ground fell away, and was replaced with short, reddish grass. Buildings, Peter, and the room around her all distanced themselves, until she was standing, alone, on this plain. It smelled, felt, sounded, and looked like plains. Hell, the air even tasted appropriate!
Above her, a large moon hung. The moon started to glow red, and the stars in the sky shifted about, until they outlined Kruz'Iik's shadow form, towering over her like some titanic god.
"This is my domain, Trenopian. I will grind your pathetic mind to dust, and as you slowly descend into chattering madness, you will know what it is to stand in my path."
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That was when her surroundings changed, her immediate environment replaced by rolling red plains, a large red moon hanging over head. Kruz'Iik's form stood menacingly in the sky, made up of a starry pattern against the blackness. Plerona knew this was naught but an illusion, and tried to break free of it. However her real power laid with her telekinetic ability, and so she was unable to shatter through the Mindshifter's deception. Everything looked and felt too real to be anything but.
Still she stood her ground and met the 'eyes' of the alien foe before her. "You can try." she said, still too soon to be deterred by her predicament. "But you will fail." While once again trying to break free of the control he had over her.
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Kruz'Iik laughed, and his starry limbs reached down. So massive was his form, that his hands disappeared around the horizon as he cupped whatever world she was on on his hands. The ground shook, cracks appeared in the earth, and Plerona would feel like she was going up. Kruz'Iik's face got closer and closer until the red glow of his eye cast a dim shade of red onto the entire place.
"We will see."
From one of the cracks, a beast jumped up. It was shadowy, very much like Kruz'Iik's form, but it lacked the overtly humanoid shape. This beast was hunched, with short legs, arms like tree trunks, and a overall savage countenance. It roared at Plerona, and charged, slavering and ready to tear her apart.
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Grabbing onto the grasses to keep her balance and to avoid falling into the cracks in the earth, the Trenopian lost her grip as she ascended upward towards the red gleam of Kruz'Iik's eyes, blades of grass still clutched in her long, thin and bluish hands.
Then the world righted itself and Plerona was back on the ground again. A shadowy beast, no doubt some aspect of Kruz'Iik's consciousness leaped at her from one of the cracks, murder on its mind. Purely out of instinct, she raised a hand and channeled her power to fling it away from her, while at the same time mentally gathering chunks of earth to throw at it in order to deter its course.
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As she commanded, the beast went sailing off and away from her, catapulted across the plains by her telekinetic prowess. Its flight was cut short, however, when a wall of stone came up to stop it. It hit the wall with a crack, and it toppled to the ground. As if pulled up by some invisible strings, the beast was right back onto its feet, undeterred by the damage it had taken.
From above, Kruz'Iik watched eagerly. Truly, Plerona had no idea what she was in for.
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Seeing the beast come back at her again, Plerona repeated her actions, this time putting much more force into the backwards motion of it. She wasn't sure how far this would go, but the Trenopian steeled herself for whatever else was to come. She would not allow herself to cave in to his whims. Would not let her hopes be dashed that she wouldn't endure through this.
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This time, the beast held its ground, digging its clas into the earth to try and hold on. The only purpose that ended up serving was causing a few deep gashes in the earth before it went sailing away again.
Hitting the same wall, it stopped moving.
The grass wilted away, the moon cracked up. It seemed she'd won, however, Kruz'Iik started laughing.
"For all your righteousness, you really didn't hesitate, did you?" he purred, and suddenly, she was back in the building.
Kruz'Iik wasn't immediately visible, but what was visible was Peter, dashed against the wall and all sorts of messed up.
She was never protecting herself all along, she was just slamming Peter against the wall with her full power, no doubt breaking several of his ribs and other bones.
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((I knew it!))
The beast hit the far wall again, and this time it did not get up. Then the surroundings of the vast field she was in faded away, the building from before now filling her awareness in its entirety. And what Plerona saw made her gasp in outright astonishment.
Peter.
He lay unmoving against the wall where the pictures had been, glass shattered everywhere as his body had slammed into them. Injured and bleeding, and by her hand no less. But he was not dead. Plerona immediately rushed over to him, staring in abject horror at what she'd done. "I'm sorry, so sorry..." she pleaded to him sorrowfully. "Please forgive me, I did not know..."
And Plerona should have known, but she hadn't. Should have known that the Mindshifter would trick her into harming an innocent man. Peter only stared up at her accusingly, unable to move or even make a sound, so much in pain he was. Plerona put a hand on his forehead softly, as she closed all three of her eyes dejectedly. Completely forgetting about Kruz'Iik then. "I'm so sorry..."
Plerona didn't know what to do then. She couldn't heal him and she was still too much in shock over what had occurred. Even if he did survive, it was likely he could never look at her the same way ever again. And to Plerona, that was unbearable. A tear slipped down her light blue features, followed by another, and another as all three eyes shed their emotional torment. She had only herself to blame in that moment. Meanwhile, Peter just lay there a broken mess and Plerona couldn't do a thing about it.
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"Do you see now? The folly of your cause? Standing so bravely in defense of a man, only to unquestioningly and vigorously dash him against the wall mere minutes later. I will make you watch him die, slowly, and painfully. You're a failure, and a discredit to your race."
Kruz'Iik appeared behind her, forming once more from the shadows and dust, and he shot out a hand. He intended to grip her around her neck with telekinesis.
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I mustn't give up hope. I will not. Plerona thought, still with tears in her eyes.
She would not give up on this man and let him die. She had to take him to a doctor somewhere. But how she would do that with the Mindshifter here was the problem.
I hadn't meant to-
Any further thoughts were cut off then, as the female alien felt a pressure around her neck, slowly squeezing her airway. For a second, Plerona was caught off-guard and didn't immediately act. When she got some of her bearings back, Plerona recognized it as a telekinetic force. In response, she attempted to use her own power to bat him away from her, with the intent to thus disrupt his concentration.
-
Kruz'Iik's power was not easily abated, and Plerona only managed to get a momentary reprieve before Kruz'Iik's grasp tightened down on her. He didn't hold her for long, and similarly to how she did to Peter, Kruz'Iik made to shoot her across the room, into an undamaged table.
-
Landing on top of the table violently, Plerona's body managed to break it not by her weight but by sheer force alone. The wind thoroughly knocked out of her, all Plerona could do then was stare up at the ceiling in a red haze of pain.
-
For a few moments, she was blissfully undisturbed, but then Kruz'Iik appeared in her vision, standing over her.
"Your pain sings to me. All those synapses, firing away in your brain..."
He reached down to clasp his shadowy hand around her throat, and lift her up.
-
Struggling then, Plerona focused her power again to throw him off her. She gasped and gagged as his hand clamped around her throat, but still tried to utilize her ability.
-
Kruz'Iik's form dissipated with the application of her force, dropping her onto her knees. However, his will was still present.
A ball of fire appeared above her, and it shot down to strike her in the back. It wasn't enough to kill her, but it definitely had the power to burn through her clothing and leave a nasty burn on her back.
-
Feeling momentary relief, Plerona sucked in air. She was too slow to avoid the ball of fire, either by dodging it or using her power to fling it elsewhere and so as a result, it burned away half of her clothing. Some of her hair along with it, the acrid stench of both burnt skin and hair filling the room. It did indeed leave a nasty burn mark on her back and she screamed in pain at it, all three eyes welling up with tears in response.
-
Kruz'Iik reformed by Peter's side. The man was still rendered silent by his injuries. Kruz'Iik grabbed a fistful of Peter's hair, and pulled him up to his feet.
"Truly, I'd hoped you'd pose a greater challenge. It was like swatting a fly..."
He put his other hand on Peter's temple, and started to probe into his mind.
-
Breathing heavily, Plerona slowly got up and tried to collect herself then.
Kruz'Iik would only be able to get partway into Peter's mind, just barely reaching the information he sought before Plerona would use her telekinesis on him again to fling him away from Peter. However due to her injury, her power was weakened and likely would not have the desired punch it normally would have.
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Again, her telekinesis only served to dissipate Kruz'Iik's form. As a consequence, peter fell right back onto the ground, face down. A fall like that could only mean worsened wounds.
Kruz'Iik reformed where he stood, and he extended a hand towards her. It seemed that trying to push him around was completely innefective, since Kruz'Iik wasn't even corporeal to begin with. All she had accomplished so far was disrupting his form. But even then, that didn't stop him from attacking.
Lightning jumped from his fingers to strike her. Again, the attack wasn't lethal.
He was still toying with her.
-
Plerona gasped as Peter fell face forward, the sickening crunch of bone resounded as his nose broke from the impact. Just then, lightning from Kruz'Iik's fingers struck her and she writhed in pain before falling to the ground once more. This time, it would take her longer to recover as her nervous system tried to right itself again.
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"Clearly, you need more punishment," came Kruz'Iik's reply, and he shocked her again, this time holding the lightning on her for a couple of seconds.
-
As Plerona hadn't yet fully recovered from the first bolt of lightning, the second one made her twitch even more on the ground for nearly a minute. Trying to get up, she stared at him, third eye burning ever brightly, as she drew upon her inner strength and belief that she would get through this. And so would Peter.
Then she channeled her power yet again to launch the shards of glass his way off the floor where the pictures were.
-
Really, shards of glass?
The shards passed through his shadow-form, shattering harmlessly against the wall behind him. He laughed, and started to walk towards her.
"Is telekinesis all you're capable of? For a species that prides itself on its psionics, you Trenopians are barely above gnats in the threat you pose to me."
-
Plerona frowned. "Please do not insult my people." she said quietly but firmly.
As the Mindshifter walked towards her, the Trenopian held up a hand. "Wait. Please just cease this needless violence and leave us be. Haven't you done enough as it is?"
Keeping a careful eye on him, she mentally prepared herself for what else might happen. Her clothes were badly ruined and would need some serious repair, and her hair was also partly gone, burned away by Kruz'Iik's psionic fire blast.
-
"This violence was never needless."
The ground shifted beneath her, and the concrete shifted and broke up to capture her arms and legs, essentially pinning her down .
"You made it necessary when you stood in my way, determined to keep me from protecting both my species, and humanity. You inflicted those wounds onto Peter, not me. You are the one who continues to fight, when just submitting to your already catastrophic failure would keep further harm from happening."
He reached back into her mind, her walls weakened with her pain and suffering, and he took note of her specific psionic signal. He felt out at the world around him, searching for psionic presences.
There was another Trenopian. Not nearby, but...
"There is another," Kruz'Iik said, and he looked up towards the heavens.
-
The tiled floor shifted around Plerona and she fell back onto it, hitting her head hard. The concrete underneath moved and reformed over her arms and legs, thus trapping her and preventing her from being able to further defend herself. Momentarily dazed, her vision cleared after half a minute. She tried to break apart the concrete holding her down with her telekinesis but only managed to shift a tiny amount due to her wounds and weakened state. But she was still trapped.
About to protest at the Mindshifter's words, Plerona then felt him reach into her mind and search around. Looking for something. Finally he seemed to find what he was looking for, his next words freezing the female Trenopian in dread.
He had to be talking about Lemuel. "Nooo..." she breathed, horrified. ''Leave him be!"
-
"I don't have to do anything," Kruz'Iik said, and he put his foot down on Plerona's chest, further pinning her down.
"Your desperate mind is broadcasting its signals all over this planet. If he's any kind of competent, he'll recognize that you're in danger, and he will come. I'm boosting your signal, after all."
Kruz'Iik knelt down, and passed a shadowed finger over Plerona's cheek.
"What am I to do in the meantime? You amuse me, Trenopian, but I have priorities to take care of."
He got up, and walked over to Peter, who was unconscious. The rocks holding Plerona down shifted so that her head was pointed forwards. He was forcing her to watch.
He grabbed Peter by the head, and pulled him up by his hair. Kneeling down, he started to drain the man.
-
Enacting her power again, Plerona attempted to break through her confines but she was still too weak to completely do so, once more the ground only shifting slightly. Indeed her mind was giving off distress signals as Kruz'Iik amplified her psionic signature to alert Lemuel. Still the Trenopian tried to breathe calmly and keep the hope that everything would turn out alright, even if the Mindshifter was trying to shatter her faith in things. Her friend could handle himself she was certain. Even if Plerona's power wouldn't work well against the Mindshifter, Lemuel had different abilities that would be more effective in slowing this creature down. She had to keep her hopes up.
Closing her eyes then, so she wouldn't have to watch the terrible scene before her, Plerona silently prayed that everything would be fine. It may be too late for Peter at this rate, but there was still a chance for her to get out of this alive. But it wasn't enough to keep the tears from falling down her face as she heard the struggles of Peter as he started to come out of his unconscious state. His body jerking and writhing in agony, his mind tormented beyond belief, letting out loud grunts of pain.
***
Lemuel had been on his way back to their home planet of Trenope, but taking his time in doing so when he felt it. Plerona was in trouble. Her signal was ever so strong, and he feared for her then, whatever was happening. Changing the course of the small shuttle, he maneuvered the spacecraft to head back towards Edanith and where he had left his friend as quickly as possible, activating Light-Speed then. He couldn't and wouldn't let anything happen to her. She was too important to him.
-
Slowly, like the layers being peeled from an onion, Kruz'Iik consumed Peter's mind. Memories, emotions, knowledge, everything that made Peter himself was drained out of him to further fuel Kruz'Iik. Finally, after several grueling minutes of Plerona being subjected to Peter's agonized cries for the release of death, Peter died down. As Kruz'Iik started to absorb Peter's high and low brain functions, Peter forgot how to speak, and then, how to vocalize.
Choked gurgles signaled his last few breaths as, finally, a drained husk of is former self, he collapsed. He didn't know how to move anymore, didn't even know how to breathe. His heart fell still, because it had no clue how to beat.
Peter was dead, and Kruz'Iik only laughed.
He turned back to Plerona, who was still struggling with her restraints.
"And you, Trenopian. What shall I do with you?" he said, and he looked her over in a manner that was more than sickening.
"I surmise you'll prove to be a... suitable distraction."
-
Tears fell freely down Plerona's face as she heard every last sound of anguish that Peter made before his horrible demise. She would be shaking uncontrollably, if not for the cement and tile still holding her down. She was much too upset to utilize her power then.
"How could you have done that to him? He did nothing to you!" But still Plerona held onto the hope that Lemuel would come for her and they would both escape from here. The way that Kruz'Iik was eyeing her was more than disturbing and she prayed fervently for aid to come.
***
The other Trenopian landed the small spacecraft on the ground nearby the same place he had dropped Plerona off before. Quickly turning off the engine, he exited the small craft and looked around, trying to determine exactly where Plerona's distress call was coming from. There. A broken-down building some blocks away was where the source of the signal was emanating from.
Lemuel steeled himself for what might await and hurriedly ran to where his friend was. There was a powerful psionic presence with her and Lemuel's gut churned as he recognized what it was. A Mindshifter. He had only run across two of those beings before in his ninety-five years of life. Those beings of such psionic prowess were indeed formidable and could give nearly any Trenopian a run for their money with the sheer amount of power they possessed.
Enacting the Iron Tower technique he had been taught and had used against such before which shielded his entire consciousness in a more than commendable psychic tower of iron that would be near impossible to break through, even for a Mindshifter. Lemuel continued to run toward his destination. He was almost there...
-
Indeed, Kruz'Iik wasn't the only active Mindshifter in this system. Unfortunately, many interesting things tended to happen in Earth's system, and all of that knowledge drew Mindshifters like moths to a fire.
Encountering one was always a possibility, and those who ran into one seldom remembered to tell the tale. Kruz'Iik was different, however. He wasn't one of those lesser Mindshifters, recently awoken and traveling the stars for food. He was a much older, much more sinister force than that. He'd walked the Earth before humanity even existed.
"I don't have to explain my motives to you again," Kruz'Iik said.
"You blind yourself by constantly asserting that my actions are needless and motivated purely by cruelty. Have you so easily forgotten what was at stake?"
Kruz'Iik looked like he was about to his Plerona with another attack, but then he stopped. He chuckled, and his form melted into the ground, disappearing into the cracks in the concrete. His psionic signal remained, although it was dulled, as if residual. For all intents and purposes, it looked like he'd gone away.
It couldn't be farther from the truth.
-
Plerona felt the presence of Lemuel nearby and breathed a sigh of relief. He had come. That was when Kruz'Iik dissipated into the ground as though he'd gone away but Plerona knew this wasn't true. She would have to warn her friend when he came in.
Not two seconds later the door burst open, and in came the male Trenopian. He looked around frantically, first spotting the dried husk of Peter, immense sadness in his eyes at the sight before he then spotted Plerona. She was encased in the very ground and had to be too injured to break out of it with her telekinesis. He called her name then, and began to run over to her while still keeping his guard up from the Mindshifter. There was only a faint residue now that it had been here. "Hang on, Plerona!"
"Lemuel, be careful, it's still here!" Plerona warned him, as Lemuel stopped and looked around, making sure to reinforce further his mental shield. While the trace was faint, Plerona didn't believe the Mindshifter would simply leave like that. It didn't make plausible sense.
-
The Iron Tower?
An impressive technique, to say the least. Of course, he was only going off of what Plerona knew about him. And of course, Kruz'Iik couldn't be who he was without knowing that technique's weaknesses. And one such weakness was fairly obvious.
It was a tower of the mind, not the body.
Before Lemuel had even walked in, he was preparing to strike. While the earth beneath him had a level surface, beneath, spikes of stone, whittled down to precision points, waited to strike.
When Plerona warned him, and he took his attention off of her, that was when he struck. One of the spikes came shooting out of the earth, aiming for Lemuel's ankle. The others waited for his reaction, to see if he'd leave an opening.
-
The spike hit its mark and Lemuel clutched his ankle in pain, all three eyes squinting shut for just a second. But he quickly recovered and his silver eyes (the two main ones) looked down at the ground before he said in a forceful, but calm voice. "Let Plerona and I leave this place Mindshifter and we will not give you any further trouble. I ask this nicely. I won't ask again." he warned.
Yet he prepared himself to fight if need be. Lemuel doubted that the Mindshifter would give up that easily, but he had to at least make the attempt. Trenopians only fought if provoked and in self-defense. They may be pacifist but they were no certainly no pushovers.
Plerona in the meantime was still trying to escape the concrete that held her down. A little bit more ground moved under her command, but still she wasn't free yet. It would take a few more tries.
-
With Lemuel's movements, the spike broke off, remaining lodged between the bones of his ankle. It was an injury that, while it didn't seem too crippling now, would quickly get worse if not given proper attention.
"Two Trenopians... my, what a treat..."
A shadow at the window. For Lemuel, there would be the sensation of eyes upon him, and furtive movements on the edges of his vision.
Again, Kruz'Iik was only teasing him.
"She posed no trouble to me. I swatted her like I would any insect. Why would you be any different?"
-
Lemuel sighed. It seemed a fight was inevitable. His ankle throbbed but wasn't too bad off, but he needed to get treatment for it and soon. Regardless it made his steps more slow and careful, keeping a watch out for any more spikes and whatever else the Mindshifter would throw at them. The Iron Tower shield was still as strong as ever and would hold in place for as long as he needed it to. The Trenopian was aware of the feeling of eyes upon him and the shadowy movements in his peripheral vision but did not focus on those. Tricks they were, simple as that. Tricks to distract him from getting himself and Plerona out of here and back safely on the small ship.
"You might be surprised Mindshifter. Cockiness has proven to be the downfall of many. Even your race is not exempt from this fact." Lemuel continued his careful observation of the area, his eyes darting periodically over to Plerona to try to assess her own injuries.
"Show yourself. This is hardly a fair ground on which to duel, if that's what you are looking for." Lemuel of course knew that Mindshifters rarely if ever fought fair, but it needed to be brought up in any case. It may also give him more insight as to the creature he was up against.
Plerona tried twice more to loosen herself from the cement. One more time and she would be able to break through... "Listen to my friend, Mindshifter. We do not wish to fight you, but we will if needed. Let us be."
-
"There is no we in this fight. The female has proven herself useless. She fought with all her might, and for what?"
The rocks around her arms and legs tightened, and Kruz'Iik appeared across the room from Lemuel.
"Show me your power, then. Show me you're not as easy pickings as this unfortunate female."
-
She had been so close to escaping and now her confines had tightened again, leaving Plerona right back where she'd started. Still she remained hopeful, now that Kruz'Iik's attention had been diverted from her. Once free, she would help Lemuel and they would make it back to the ship. They had to. Once more, trying to break apart the rock and stone holding her down.
Lemuel let out an aggravated breath. "If that is what it will take, then so be it." Bringing one of his powers to the forefront, he channeled a fiery beam toward the Mindshifter. It was only a small portion of what he was capable of. The alien had little doubt that he would need to utilize everything he had to get both Trenopians out of here.
Plerona silently sent up a prayer to the universal force that everything would work out the way it was meant to. Both her and Lemuel leaving here alive. After that they could get their injuries attended to.
-
Kruz'Iik scoffed at Lemuel's aggravation. The alien had the gall to call Kruz'Iik cocky, but he was so confident he could beat him, it edged on the very same territory. Kruz'Iik stood still and let the fiery blast hit him. It had a visible impact, and the mindshifter took a step back, but in the end, a small fraction of Lemuel's power wasn't going to cut it.
The beam left a hole in Kruz'Iik's chest, and he laughed as it sealed back up.
"My turn."
Chunks of concrete burst from the ground behind him, and in flashes of light and heat, they were compressed into diamonds. He flung his arms forwards, projecting a blast of razor sharp diamond shards towards him.
Of course, he expected Lemuel to put up a sort of defense, so he could follow it up with another attack. Kruz'Iik fought dirty that way.
-
Not entirely surprised by the self-healing ability Kruz'Iik displayed, Lemuel prepared his other ability to strike, one that would be much more effective in this case. The energy blasts would also break apart the diamond shards headed his way as the Trenopian would disintegrate their very structures.
Lifting his hands to do exactly that, he let out a huge surge of it, no doubt also hitting Kruz'Iik in the process, the majority of it however was concentrated on the diamonds. Lemuel could not spare a glance Plerona's way as the slightest break in concentration could spell both their dooms.
-
Kruz'Iik spared himself from being hit by Lemuel's energy blasts, simply dissipating his form away to dodge it. Gone from the physical world, although his malignant presence was still present.
Instead, he tried to assault Lemuel's mind. The Iron Tower, while powerful, had its weaknesses, as did all things that relied on equal parts imagination and willpower.
Into Lemuel's mind, Kruz'Iik brought a roiling, acidic ocean, powerful enough to rust even the most potent metals. Combining that with the Ticking Clock technique, Kruz'Iik advanced the rate of decay, with the intent of rendering his Iron Tower weak enough so that he could hijack Lemuel's perceptions, just as he did to Plerona.
-
This Mindshifter was most definitely a powerful one of his race. The other two Mindshifters Lemuel had come across were not nearly so tough and neither had been able to weaken his mental shield the way this one just did. His defense teetered in his consciousness like a tower ready to collapse, as though struck down by an even more potent force. Which it had. It was still there, but sorely weakened. It wouldn't take much now to completely barrage through it.
However Lemuel was not defeated yet. Enacting another technique, this one of a bright silver light, that of an ethereal luminescent egg shape around his mind that didn't allow anything through by sheer force of will alone. However this concentration allowed him to be vulnerable to further physical attack as this technique like all techniques did, required focus to get it right.
Plerona still struggled with her bonds, breaking through more stone in the process. But she still was not free yet.
-
Yes, there was his chance. The Mind's Egg was, without a doubt, the most powerful mental defense technique known to Kruz'Iik. It was absolutely impenetrable, yet it left the performer vulnerable. All concentration had to be focused to keep the mind protected, but what worth was protecting the mind when the body was left completely open during the focusing?
And so, for a physical vulnerability, Kruz'Iik launched a physical attack. His form flickered into view once again, this time just in front of Lemuel, before he swung a mighty blow at the Trenopian, using psychic force to try and slam him across the room and into the wall.
-
It worked, the silver egg shield and iron tower shield dissipated instantly upon Lemuel's contact with the wall. His form hit it with such force, the male Trenopian's body slid down it weakly but it did not knock him out. Shaking his head in a daze, he tried to get up and face the Mindshifter.
Across the room, Plerona shouted out. "Lemuel!" Breaking through more of the restraints in the process. Almost there.
-
Kruz'Iik didn't give Lemuel the chance to stand up and fight. Displaying staggering physical prowess (although in truth, his body was coalesced psychic energy, not flesh and bone), Kruz'Iik swung his fist yet again, trying to contact it with Lemuel's shoulder.
It carried enough force to shatter bone, should it connect.
-
Barely managing to dodge the hit, Lemuel moved out of the way just in time. What effect that would have on the wall behind him would no doubt be enough to splinter and shatter through the wood. The Trenopian was still trying to get his bearings and let out a weak energy blast from his hands as a result Kruz'Iik's way.
Plerona's attempts to break through finally succeeded and with a blast of power, she shakily stood up then, trying to maintain her balance and then go to Lemuel's aid.
-
Indeed, the wall splintered and buckled, and the whole building shuddered as Kruz'Iik threatened to topple it with that very blow. His head snapped over to the direction Lemuel went, and he raised a hand to swat his energy blast out of the way.
"Who's the cocky one now!" Kruz'Iik bellowed, and he returned the energy blast with one of his own, considerably more powerful.
-
The blast hit him and the Trenopian fell backwards onto the floor, again hitting his head. Dots swam before his eyes and his injuries then from the energetic attack were immense. Still he tried to get up again, swaying as he did.
Plerona used her telekinesis to disrupt their foe's form and kept doing so, trying to give her friend enough time to recover. This being would show them no mercy and the two of them needed to hold out for as long as they could. "Leave him be!" she yelled.
-
Kruz'Iik watched Lemuel fall down, smoke trailing from his chest, only for his form to blow away. When he rematerialized a few seconds later, he was facing Plerona, and then she blew him away again.
When he reappeared the next time, he was standing mere feet in front of her. He shot a hand forward, and pink lightning jumped from his fingers to strike her. This lightning, borne of psionic power, would wreak devetating effects if it hit. Although the actual damage of it was low, the threat came from what it did to the nervous system. Essentially, if it struck her, it would light up every single nerve ending in her body, throwing her into the most exquisite agony.
-
Being as Plerona was focused on Kruz'Iik himself and not what came out of his hands, the pink lightning did strike her, and she fell on the floor spasming and screaming loudly in great pain. Plerona had never before felt so much agony as she did then and it would be quite some time before she could recover. If Kruz'Iik even allowed her to.
Lemuel staggered to his feet then, and unleashed another energetic blast to their enemy, quickly following this up by a large fireball. If it hit it would do significant damage to the Mindshifter, but the Trenopian knew it would only be a temporary thing. He was extremely worried about Plerona though, but at the moment there was little else he could do for her.
If the place before looked like a dump it looked it even more now, with all the battles being waged here. The foundation of the place was shaky at best, ready to completely crumble to pieces at worst.
***
Back on Trenope, Thera, the mother of Plerona stopped what she was doing, stilling for several moments. She made not a sound as whatever it was kept her attention riveted, her eyes somehow seemed faraway in their gaze.
"What is it, dear?" Ren, her husband and Plerona's father asked, brow furrowing, all three eyes two of which were golden, looking into his wife's purple and silver eyes.
Thera sat still a moment longer, her eyes closing briefly before opening them again. Her gaze met Ren's then, and she simply said, "Plerona is in trouble."
-
Okay, now this was starting to frustrate him. something which should have ended in surrender a long time ago was still going on, and at this rate, he was going to have to relocate them if he wanted to have any form of fun with them afterwards.
Kruz'Iik raised up a stone wall to block the energy blast, and when the fireball came, he raised his arms to block it with his own energy. When the smoke cleared, Kruz'Iik was little more than a floating head, but once again, his form remade itself.
For Lemuel and Plerona, that massive attack was too little, too late.
"I've had enough. Of both of you."
He reached out to grab them both telekinetically, and to slam them up against the wall. He focused most of hi power on Lemuel, though, trying to knock him out before he proved to be any more of a nuisance.
-
Hitting his head hard, Lemuel was indeed knocked out cold. Plerona's dash with the wall wasn't nearly so rough, but she was still recovering from the effects of the lightning and couldn't respond. Her eyes rolled in her head and she slumped over, still shaking from the electric jolts coursing through her body. Clothes tattered with not much holding them together anymore. The burn on her back from before was now starting to turn an ugly yellowish-greenish-black color as it started to become infected. It was safe to say her agony was doubled then and Plerona passed out for a few seconds before regaining consciousness.
"Stop this." she mumbled. "Please." Eyes still unfocused as she blearily looked at her tormentor.
-
Kruz'Iik laughed, and walked over to her, grabbing her by the hair.
"It will be over, Plerona. Over when I please."
The building cracked and bent, and it shifted back into place. Kruz'Iik stabilized the foundations, and made it so that he'd have all the time in the world.
"It's time to face the consequences for your insolence."
-
Plerona's three eyes drooped closed in her continually weakening state, and she forced herself to reopen them and stay awake. What good that would do, she didn't really know. But she just knew she couldn't lose consciousness. Still clinging to the shreds of hope that they would make it out of here, and soon. Still hoping that Kruz'Iik would tire of them and leave them be. Not to mention her heart ached for what had befallen Peter. She hadn't meant to hurt him. She hadn't... Although what Kruz'Iik had done to him was far worse than anything Plerona was capable of.
"I'm sorry Peter..." she whispered softly, barely audible. "I'm truly sorry."
Her back ached something fierce, the last bits of electricity fizzling out in her system as the last of the lightning took its leave. Yet the horror was only just beginning for her.
-
With the beginning of her horror, came a strange sensation. The defenses of her mind, and therefore her body, were completely open, so Kruz'Iik did something quite bizarre indeed. The pain in her back subsided, and her flesh reknitted itself, healing as if never burned. Likewise, she found her self suddenly energized. Not enough to fight back in any capacity, just enough to stay conscious.
Against the wall, concrete bindings completely wrapped Lemuel, leaving only his mouth, nose, and bottom two eyes exposed. Other than that, he was completely bound.
Kruz'Iik started to pull Plerona by her hair to the center of the room, making sure that it was well within Lemuel's sight.
-
To say Plerona was surprised when he healed her would be an understatement. She wondered what his game was. Unfortunately for her, the Trenopian would soon find out. Barely struggling as Kruz'Iik pulled her to the center of the room, though that's not to say she didn't try.
"What are you doing?!" she protested, although still weakened. But at least she no longer felt like passing out.
Lemuel stirred then as he began to regain his senses. Eyes starting to flutter open, the bottom two at least.
-
"What I please," came Kruz'Iik's reply.
He hefted her onto the ground, and smiled. It was an odd sensation, for he had no mouth, but there was still this impression that he was smiling.
In the corner of the room, Peter's body began to twitch, and shakily got to its feet. He was still very much dead, but he was reanimated. Kruz'Iik's shadowform billowed into Peter's mouth, and he regained some semblance of life. He looked at her, vengeance in his eyes, as if she was the cause of his agony.
Clenching his fists, he started to approach her.
"It's not a bad form," Kruz'Iik said, his voice coming from Peter's mouth.
"He was strong, in life. Now, he will be my instrument."
Kruz'Iik kicked Plerona in the side, using the force to turn her onto her belly. The sound of a belt unbuckling entered the air.
[Fade to black. Alright, let's hit the PMs]
-
[Thread completed in PM's.]