09-14-2018, 08:25 PM
Something wasn't right about this place. That much was clear, painfully so.
Mori felt sick.
Follow the path, alone, or together. Find the heart.
By now, she'd figured out that trying to disobey the command-giver was a bad idea. Not only had he driven pieces of earth into their flesh and possessed the power to allow them to breathe underwater, but the moment she even thought about turning back and away from the wrong-feeling place - Pangea - her lungs burned in her chest, the entry wounds made by the dirt stung furiously, and moving through the water became even harder as she became all too aware of the pressure bearing down on her. Yes, she was certain that if she defied the command-giver, she would die.
So she turned, hooves moving unbearably slowly through the water, searching for the path. She found nothing. Nearing panic, she swept her gaze over the drowned kingdom again and again, and on the fourth time she caught a barely visible trail leading to the faintest of glows. She followed it mindlessly, moving her limbs as quickly as she could through the water and the mud even as her muscles ached with fatigue. She had to find the heart as quickly as possible. Not only was this place dark, spooky, and wrong feeling, Mori did not want the command-giver to become impatient.
She almost didn't notice the rotting corpse lunging at her.
A startled shriek came out in a stream of bubbles and she lurched away from her attacker. Unused to the way all movements were slowed down underwater, Mori took longer than she should have to recover. Before she even regained her footing, the corpse struck again, this time latching onto her shoulder and giving her a very unwanted up-close look at a drowned zombie horse. It was barely more than a skeleton; the few pieces of flesh that remained were swollen and sickly-looking. Reacting instinctively, Mori lashed out with a hoof, but again the movement was slowed by the resistance of the water. While it didn't manage to hit the zombie, the motion did tear her flesh from the horse's grasp. A red cloud billowed from the wound.
Deciding that trying to fight would only get herself in a worse situation, Mori fled as best as she could. She moved agonizingly slowly, but a look behind her told her that the zombie was little better. The chase continued for a while, until she realized that it was better, and it was catching up, however slowly it might have been. She couldn't go on like this forever. So she planted her front hooves in the mud and as the corpse approached, she pushed her hind hooves out in a kick with all her might.
Evidently the attacker hadn't been fast enough this time, because Mori felt her hooves connect with something solid. As it turned out, the kick had managed to separate a leg and a handful of other bones from the main body. Years spent at the bottom of the ocean had clearly not helped preserve the integrity of the body. There was no way it would be able to catch up with her now. In fact, she didn't think it was even moving.
As the adrenaline left her bloodstream, Mori began to realize how much everything hurt. She felt sicker than ever - her flight from the zombie must have taken her closer to the heart than she had thought. She realized with a start that the path was actually not very far from her location, which was surprising considering she hadn't exactly made staying on it a priority while fleeing. Every muscle in her body ached with incredible fatigue, probably an effect of both exertion and the sickness. And the bite was still bleeding, and the salt water seeping into the wound hurt so badly.
Her vision started to blur, and Mori collapsed onto the mud, the last of her energy draining away. She just wanted to rest. She just wanted it to stop hurting. Why couldn't she do that?
The magic's grip tightened again, sensing that she was drifting from her mission. Still she kept her eyes closed and remained motionless. The magic exerted more force. She couldn't breathe - was this what drowning felt like?
Finally, as the magic squeezed to a near-lethal level, the urge to keep going and survive overwhelmed the desire for rest. Mori attempted to stand up, dizzy from blood loss, and failed. The magic loosened and she tried again.
This time she managed to get to her feet. Step by agonizing step, she continued onward even as the sickness worsened. She took to counting her steps in an attempt to make the journey feel shorter. Ten more strides. I only have ten more to go. Nine more now. Reach that goal and she would start over.
At last, the glow from the heart was strong enough that everything in Mori's field of vision was tinted green. She stood on the edge of a crater - the heart - and tried not to fall as the sickness crept further into her body.
Mori felt sick.
Follow the path, alone, or together. Find the heart.
By now, she'd figured out that trying to disobey the command-giver was a bad idea. Not only had he driven pieces of earth into their flesh and possessed the power to allow them to breathe underwater, but the moment she even thought about turning back and away from the wrong-feeling place - Pangea - her lungs burned in her chest, the entry wounds made by the dirt stung furiously, and moving through the water became even harder as she became all too aware of the pressure bearing down on her. Yes, she was certain that if she defied the command-giver, she would die.
So she turned, hooves moving unbearably slowly through the water, searching for the path. She found nothing. Nearing panic, she swept her gaze over the drowned kingdom again and again, and on the fourth time she caught a barely visible trail leading to the faintest of glows. She followed it mindlessly, moving her limbs as quickly as she could through the water and the mud even as her muscles ached with fatigue. She had to find the heart as quickly as possible. Not only was this place dark, spooky, and wrong feeling, Mori did not want the command-giver to become impatient.
She almost didn't notice the rotting corpse lunging at her.
A startled shriek came out in a stream of bubbles and she lurched away from her attacker. Unused to the way all movements were slowed down underwater, Mori took longer than she should have to recover. Before she even regained her footing, the corpse struck again, this time latching onto her shoulder and giving her a very unwanted up-close look at a drowned zombie horse. It was barely more than a skeleton; the few pieces of flesh that remained were swollen and sickly-looking. Reacting instinctively, Mori lashed out with a hoof, but again the movement was slowed by the resistance of the water. While it didn't manage to hit the zombie, the motion did tear her flesh from the horse's grasp. A red cloud billowed from the wound.
Deciding that trying to fight would only get herself in a worse situation, Mori fled as best as she could. She moved agonizingly slowly, but a look behind her told her that the zombie was little better. The chase continued for a while, until she realized that it was better, and it was catching up, however slowly it might have been. She couldn't go on like this forever. So she planted her front hooves in the mud and as the corpse approached, she pushed her hind hooves out in a kick with all her might.
Evidently the attacker hadn't been fast enough this time, because Mori felt her hooves connect with something solid. As it turned out, the kick had managed to separate a leg and a handful of other bones from the main body. Years spent at the bottom of the ocean had clearly not helped preserve the integrity of the body. There was no way it would be able to catch up with her now. In fact, she didn't think it was even moving.
As the adrenaline left her bloodstream, Mori began to realize how much everything hurt. She felt sicker than ever - her flight from the zombie must have taken her closer to the heart than she had thought. She realized with a start that the path was actually not very far from her location, which was surprising considering she hadn't exactly made staying on it a priority while fleeing. Every muscle in her body ached with incredible fatigue, probably an effect of both exertion and the sickness. And the bite was still bleeding, and the salt water seeping into the wound hurt so badly.
Her vision started to blur, and Mori collapsed onto the mud, the last of her energy draining away. She just wanted to rest. She just wanted it to stop hurting. Why couldn't she do that?
The magic's grip tightened again, sensing that she was drifting from her mission. Still she kept her eyes closed and remained motionless. The magic exerted more force. She couldn't breathe - was this what drowning felt like?
Finally, as the magic squeezed to a near-lethal level, the urge to keep going and survive overwhelmed the desire for rest. Mori attempted to stand up, dizzy from blood loss, and failed. The magic loosened and she tried again.
This time she managed to get to her feet. Step by agonizing step, she continued onward even as the sickness worsened. She took to counting her steps in an attempt to make the journey feel shorter. Ten more strides. I only have ten more to go. Nine more now. Reach that goal and she would start over.
At last, the glow from the heart was strong enough that everything in Mori's field of vision was tinted green. She stood on the edge of a crater - the heart - and tried not to fall as the sickness crept further into her body.