Look, I've Had a Bad Day... [M] [Archive]

[DragonSong]

The spear hit Calla's side and she went down with another scream. Elora cried out- she couldn't help it, even though she'd known it was coming- and dropped next to the horse's head.

She looked around desperately for a weapon, but other than a few small stones nothing was in easy reach. She grabbed them up anyway, stroking the dying animal's neck with her other hand, trying to soothe her loyal friend as best she could before the inevitable final attack came.

She glared at Dehak, panting and swaying in place but her eyes snapping fire. "Fuck you," she hissed, and threw one of the rocks, aiming to knock the helmet off his head.

[DaGlobster]

The small rock bounced off of Dehak's helmet rather pitifully. At this rate, killing her was slowly becoming less an opponent defeated and more an act of mercy.

He'd seen some laughable displays by human soldier before, but this was just too much. Still, he kept walking towards her, stomping on Elora's sword as he passed by it.

[DragonSong]

Calla was still kicking and panting pitifully. Elora stroked her neck a few more times, staring Dehak down as she approached.

Slowly, she got to her feet, reaching for the shoulder strap of her armor with one hand to let her breast plate fall to the ground. She needed to move. She had only one shot that she could see.

It probably wouldn't work, but damnit she wasn't going down without a fight.

Summoning all the strength she had left, the young woman flipped another stone around, a sharp point clutched between her fingers, and suddenly flung herself forward.

For one moment, their difference in size actually played to her advantage. Elora skidded underneath him, between a stallion's massive forelegs, and slashed at his belly with the rock as best she could before desperately trying to roll herself free.

[DaGlobster]

That was new.

Dehak raised the hammer to crush Elora as she came running, but when she slid under him, all he could do was to rear up in reflex. She couldn't mortally wound him, but she scored a couple of solid lines across his belly before she tried to make her escape.

That was when her plan fell apart.

Dehak canted forwards onto his front legs, and kicked with his back ones, an action that had a very high probability of catching her as she tried to get out from under him.

[DragonSong]

A hoof caught her in the side and Elora gave a cry of pain, rolling onto her uninjured side before she managed to clamber onto her hands and knees.

Two ribs, at least, cracked. Maybe broken. Fuck.

She forced herself to her feet, teeth bared in a pained snarl. "Come on then," she spat, brandishing her rock like it was a broadsword.

[DaGlobster]

Dehak turned to face Evelyn, blood dripping from the wounds on his belly. He snarled, and planted his hammer point-down in the dirt, cracking his knuckles.

She was too quick to try and use his weapon, so he'd have to subdue her the old-fashioned way. He knew she couldn't kill him with that rock, so he just charged at her, torso held low in an attempt to bull-rush her right off of her feet.

However, he was expecting her to dodge, so he was prepared to adjust his attack at a moment's notice.

[DragonSong]

Well.

She was so fucked.

She couldn't meet him head on- that was suicide. But she couldn't dodge either, he'd probably be expecting that.

One more crazy idea came to her and she rocked onto the balls of her feet as he came at her. Steady...steady...now.

Gods, I hope this works. Elora sprang forward, just slightly on a diagonal, and grabbed his shoulders as she would her horse's neck, using their combined momentum to swing herself to the side and onto his back. A move she'd perfected on Calla.

Which probably had a good chance of killing her with Dehak.

[DaGlobster]

She actually managed to get onto Dehak's back, and he bucked instinctually for a second or two. However, the biggest difference between mounting a trained warhorse and a bloodthristy centaur was that the warhorse didn't have strong, beefy arms to grab you off of his back and slam you against the ground.

Which is exactly what Dehak tried to do.

[DragonSong]

She managed to dodge one grab, but she really was no match for him. She wasn't quite sure how it happened, but suddenly she was on her back, not enough air in her lungs to even whimper for the pain lancing up her side.

She gasped and coughed, glaring up at him. "Go...to hell," she rasped. She knew she was beaten, but her eyes certainly didn't show it, snapping fire at him.

[DaGlobster]

What followed was nothing short of savagery.

Dehak didn't even hear her words, as he was too busy launching his next attack. In a rage, his arm shot down and grabbed her shoulder, lifting her just high enough off the ground so he could throw her to the side. He was already bounding towards her before she hit the ground, and no sooner did she slam into the earth than he wheeled about and kicked her again, a glancing blow that would send her rolling away quite a distance.

[DragonSong]

Her world turned into streaks of color and pain, she wasn't still long enough to get her bearings at all.

By the time she'd rolled to a stop, she was too dazed and winded to even cry her pain, much less get her feet under her. Every part of her body shrieking in protest, she tried to push herself up onto all fours, then collapsed again.

[DaGlobster]

Dehak cantered up to Elora and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her clean up off the ground so she was level with him.

He punched her right in the diaphragm so she'd lose her breath, and then started to squeeze, intent on choking her into unconsciousness.

[DragonSong]

She couldn't even gasp as the breath was knocked from her body. Elora's eyes widened and she choked, scrabbling weakly at the hand around her throat.

Her vision started to tunnel, her struggles becoming fainter and fainter. Gods, please no. I don't want to die like this. I can't die like this...

Her eyelids fluttered, her body starting to go limp.

[DaGlobster]

Dehak continued to hold his grip. He wasn't going to kill her, something like that would be too good for her, but he wanted to make sure that her transition into unconsciousness was in no way quick.

[DragonSong]

Suffocation was torture, Elora decided. Her body shutting down piece by piece, feeling herself start to die but without the relief death would actually bring.

Finally, her eyes closed and she went completely limp, hanging in his grip like a rag doll.

[DaGlobster]

Dehak looked at her for a few moments, and then loosened up his grip. Taking her under his arm, he picked the hammer back up and set off back to his camp.

--------------

When Elora came to, she was in a framework stockade of sorts, intended to hold her in a bent-over position. She was still in whatever she wore under her armor, but the steel plating itself was missing.

[DragonSong]

Coming around was almost as painful as going under, and Elora winced as she blinked her eyes open. Everything ached. She was just about positive more than four ribs were at least cracked. Wounds she'd collected with her caravan had reopened and partially healed again, sticking her uniform tunic and breeches to her skin with blood.

Groaning, she tried to lift her head and cracked it against the wood of the stockade. Another wince and she tried to be more careful as she looked around again.

Where the hell was she? She hurt way to much to be dead, so... The centaur had taken her with him?

[DaGlobster]

She was in some sort of tent, that much was clear. The only object in it was the stockade. As Elora's senses returned, she'd be able to hear plenty of movement all around her, including the footfalls of individuals moving by the tent she was contained in, distant and near voices every now and then, and the unavoidable smell of horse.

Interestingly enough, the gaits of all those passing by the tent were equine.

[DragonSong]

So. She'd been kidnapped by a centaur.

What the hell was she supposed to do now?

Elora tested her restraints, but they held firm.  "Hey." Her voice was hoarse, barely a whisper. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Hey! Anyone there?"

[DaGlobster]

At first, her cry was met with silence. But then, the flap of the tent opened behind her, the telltale gait of a centaur audible. The stockade didn't really allow her to tilt her head up high enough to see who it was, but when the centaur set his helmet down, she'd know it was Dehak.

"How is our proud little knight?" Dehak said with a leer.