Stingray
Space elves FTW
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- Posts
- 14
- Years
- I have no idea anymore
- Seen Dec 13, 2016
Hark Rense - Chapter 2 - Part 3 The Darkness Within
Team
Gadgets
Mechanical Left Arm
Upgrades:
-Retractable Double Edged Blade
Sunglasses with Integrated HUD - Linked with his Pokedex, functional now
Tool Kit
Various parts and projects in beginning stages of creation
Team
Spoiler:
"image removed" Lannia
Trace
Calm Mind, Confusion, Magical Leaf, Lucky Chant
Trace
Calm Mind, Confusion, Magical Leaf, Lucky Chant
Gadgets
Spoiler:
Mechanical Left Arm
Upgrades:
-Retractable Double Edged Blade
Sunglasses with Integrated HUD - Linked with his Pokedex, functional now
Tool Kit
Various parts and projects in beginning stages of creation
Lannia ended up almost running into a young human boy that was running for his life. It only took Lannia a quick glance to realize this boy was likely Hark, however she didn't have time to really make sure thanks to whatever was hidden in the darkness was still charging at them. Stepping between the boy and whatever was charging at them Lannia summoned forth a large amount of Psychic energy and used it to stop the monster dead in its tracks and sent it back a few feet.
There was a blood curling roar and some grunting as the creature recovered from the attack. The boy popped his head out from behind the Gardevoir to see what had been chasing him, but the darkness was still hiding its form. The boy reached down and grabbed the strange lamp that was still tied to his belt. He quickly removed the lamp from the belt and held the device high in the air. The lamp's tiny flame intensified and it lit up a much larger area. The light was intense and it stopped the creature that was starting another charge by blinding it, and revealing its true form.
The creature was a massive bulky monster standing on six elephant like feet and towered above both Lannia and Hark. It had to be at least 12 feet tall, but its massively fat layered stomach almost reached the ground despite this. Its head jutted forward and was low to the ground. It had five sets of tiny eyes that where squinting from the bright light. Its mouth was a massive flesh rending black beak that was four feet long and had several strips of half eaten rotten flesh hanging from it. However this wasn't its only mouth as it had several others (Lannia counted six others but there might have been more) that were just teeth filled gaping holes that were constantly drooling some foul smelling liquid.
Lannia and Hark could only stare at this goutiest thing for a second as its eyes quickly recovered and it started to charge them again. Lannia tossed it aside with her powers, but this was getting exhausting fast for her because of the creature's size. She deflected another attack before Hark said, "Just hold it still next time ok?" She glanced down at the boy who was holding the lamp in one hand and a sharp stone fragment from the floor in the other. She shook her head and tossed the creature back again but she was already panting for breath from exerting herself so much. She wasn't going to let Hark get himself killed. She came in here to help him, not to watch him die.
"Hold his head down before we both die," ordered the boy. However his determination convinced Lannia to listen. So the next time the creature charged Lannia grabbed its head with psychic energy and held it down as Hark charged up and stabbed it in an eye with his makeshift weapon. He continued to stab the creature until it overpowered Lannia and tossed Hark off and into the darkness. Lannia panicked and ran in the direction of Hark but the creature kicked her with one of its massive legs as it also lunged toward Hark. The kick sent her flying backward and she hit her head on the hard stone and blacked out for a second. When she woke she could hear some horrifying screams and could see a flickering of light. Standing up she limped over toward the screams as fast as she could where she found a wounded Hark holding the scrap metal that used to be his lamp, and next to him was a burnt corpse of a monster.
"We did it," said Hark with a smile as he stood up despite his many wounds.
"Hark that was amazing," said a sudden voice from the darkness. "If you hadn't destroyed Greed like that it would have consumed many more victims. With no weapons either that is impressive feat for sure! I dare say you are a true Hero!" Just then an attractive woman wearing a black dress appeared from the darkness holding a lamp in her right hand. She continued to praise Hark and beckoned him to come with her to her town so they could throw a feast in his honor. Lannia followed after them, but something was slowing her down, or speeding the other two up. She called out to Hark but his ears were too busy being filled with praise to take heed to her. She had felt like something with this woman was wrong and now she knew something was wrong. She had to warn Hark! She tried to push forward with all her strength and yell out but some dark force was holding her back. Soon Hark and the woman disappeared out of sight and Lannia was left there alone both hurt by Hark and fearing for him.
Hark and the woman reached a village that was centered around a vast meeting hall. There were shapes of people all around Hark but he couldn't really make anyone out as the woman led him to a feast in his honor. His chest was puffed out and he felt like the most powerful man in the world, until he took the first step into the hall. He instantly fell through the fake floor into a large metal object. The black metal around him was very hot and it burned his skin. Looking up confused he saw the woman smiling down at him.
"Greed is often so blunt due to his unquenchable hunger that he doesn't realize it's much easier to just lure your prey in with false praise. You will make a fine feast for me and my children tonight," said the woman as Hark started yelling for Lannia but she was nowhere to be seen. Just then several of those people that he saw carried up several large pails of boiling water. These people were some sort of twisted creatures with no eyes but massive hungering mouths and long talons for hands. In unison they poured the scourching water into the pot and all Hark could do was close his eyes and wait for the end that would not come.
"Pride cometh before a fall," said the familiar stranger that had put Hark into this nightmare. Opening his eyes Hark's memories and statue returned to him, but he was still in a dream. Instead of a pot he was in a bright room with nothing other than the stranger sitting on a bench beside him.
"What the… no wait why the **** did you do this to me?!" yelled Hark as he sat up.
"To hopefully help open your eyes quicker than I opened mine. After looking through your memories and mind it's almost frightening how similar we are. We both thought ourselves better than the rest, and sought nothing more than to serve ourselves. We have used our gifts to promote our pride and quench our greed for power," said the man with a normal tone. There was no smile on his face as he continued, "We were also both blessed with overly faithful and loyal companions, who we disregarded and only saw as another stepping stone to our own glory."
"What the **** are you talking about?" asked Hark. The man leaned forward and put his hand on Hark's forehead and shared with the boy some of his own memories.
"Skyna sacrificed herself to save me even though it was a fate I had brought upon myself and worse yet I never treated her with the respect or kindness she deserved. Don't do the same thing with Lannia," said the man with a deep sorrow in his voice he then changed the subject yet again, "Stop hating the world and blaming it for your failures Hark. You forsake Ranger in your own fear, and he died. You made a mistake that cost something else its life. You didn't pursue the Pokemon that took off with Ranger and you let go to stop the pain. It's not the world's fault for "pressuring" you to be a trainer… no you were weak. However you did try so you can't beat yourself up completely either."
The stranger then stood up and said, "Don't make the same mistakes as me…" The man then disappeared and Hark woke up. Gasping for breath and jumping to his feet Hark looked around but the man was gone. Looking down he saw that he had knocked Lannia down as he shot to his feet. Picking her up Hark muttered, "Sorry."
He then shook his head and started down the volcano pass, still somewhat in a daze. His mind was spinning and still trying to recover from the shock from the nightmare and figure out what to do with the advice and information. Lannia sat in his hands thinking about what she too had experienced in the dream.