"Urgh!"
Suisei cried as she was flung backwards from the stone golem's back. She reached out, barely managing to grab onto a piece of the golem.
The construct staggered, pushed back violently from an exchange of blows with the ogre. Each clash of flesh and stone sent shockwaves rippling through its body. Suisei could feel it—the soles of her feet and the ends of her fingers were numb, and her bones rattled in response to every exchange.
The ogre roared with vengeance. The abomination was soaked in its own blood. Its flesh had been battered and tenderized from the ongoing battle. Hints of its fractured rib cage protruded out of its broken body.
And yet, despite its gruesome injuries, the ogre would not go down. Its vitality seemed limitless. It remained as destructive as ever despite its limbs being damaged beyond recognition.
The same couldn't be said for the stone golem. The drawn-out battle had cleaved off significant chunks of the stone automaton. Maintaining its form and function required mana, and the aftermath left Reine groaning in pain each time the golem took a hit. She looked bad. From her haggard appearance, it was clear that she was at her wit's end.
Are they still not here?
Suisei peeked over the golem's shoulder. Marine and Alice were still nowhere to be found. With their surroundings shrouded in sand, however, she could barely see beyond the ogre.
I don't think Reine could last any longer.
A distant roar suddenly pierced through the sandy veil. A set of heavy footsteps resounded near the exit of the cavern. It had to be the last ogre. It had been cautiously standing by, observing the situation. Suisei could think of no other reasons why it would decide to move now.
"Reine! I think they're here!"
"Where?!"
Suisei squinted, trying to catch a glimpse of their companions' movements. It was difficult amidst the dense curtain of sand, but she soon noticed a portion of the veil drifting, blooming in a particular direction.
"To the left!" Suisei yelled.
A faint silhouette suddenly exploded out of the blooming veil. It had the form of a young lady, and it was dashing rapidly along the cavern walls. Alice. She was covered in sand. Her jet-black hair fluttered frantically behind her. The last ogre was right on her tail.
Huh?
"Wait! There's only Alice, Marine and Vesper are still missing!'
"What do you mean?!"
"I don't see them, I—"
—her vision went white.
The side of her head suddenly throbbed. Something warm dripped past her ears, cascading down her neck. In her confusion, she heard Reine screaming.
The golem suddenly shook violently. Suisei glanced down, finding a chunk of the golem's arm blown apart. Reine was beside her, teetering. Blood leaked from a gash near the top of her head. The ogre loomed.
"Reine!"
Suisei grabbed the court lady, trying to rouse her from her untimely slumber. Reine couldn't go down now—not when they were still in the midst of confronting the ogres. They were doomed if the stone golem was lost.
Suisei torn off a piece of her sleeves and wrapped it around Reine's head to halt the bleeding.
Come on, please wake up!
The footsteps of the approaching ogre suddenly stopped. Suisei spun around, finding the ogre turn their attention towards the right side of the cavern.
Without warning, the ogre suddenly charged ahead.
YOU ARE READING
A Distant Reverie
Fanfiction"Careful now. Try not to move too suddenly, alright?" Vesper Noir wakes up one day in a foreign land with gaps in his memories...and a sharp blade pressed against his throat. His assailant? A beautiful, self-proclaimed female pirate with a sweet voi...
