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Two-Stick-Lightning knelt before the Empire girl, calm and composed, head tossed back to expose her breastbone so that the River priestess could strike. She looked at Chaosti, who's eyes reflected the bleak arrogance of a child of the River, before speaking.
"Your totem tried to kill me, River girl. Tried to drown me in my sleep. Now you see how far this has gone, how much you should hate me. Because I will keep telling any totem I meet of River's sickness, and they will fight with us."
She threw back her head and laughed, echoing Hyena's high, mad cackle. Chaosti flinched, and started shaking his head, as if confused, drawing away from the Empire girl. She looked at Two Stick, eyes sad and angry and disgusted.
"You're crazy."
"Yes, I am. I am Two-Stick-Lighting, and I swear, by Sugar Glider and Lightning, that I will fight you for all of my days. You will never break me, and I will keep coming, like the roar of oncoming thunder. I will see River's will subverted, this I promise- this world will not drown as long as I live. Now KILL ME, RIVER GIRL! YOU HAVE NO CHOICE!"
Two-Stick's voice rose to a shout as the River priestess suddenly cried out in pain. Just behind her, Two-Stick saw a flash of movement low to the ground- Rose had woken up, and chosen that moment to strike. Not waiting for a second chance, Two-Stick jumped up and pressed the heel of her hand into the River priestess's chest, spitting out the words of the spell like the crack of a whip. White hot lightning pooled around her fingers and thudded into the Empire girl's flesh, and she screamed.
Swiftspear answered the scream, still under the River's enchantment, and tried to catch a hold of his grandmother. Two-Stick snarled and threw her fist back, the crackle of lightning and scent of scorched flesh telling her that her warning had struck home.
Then the River girl looked at her, eyes soft with sorrow and disbelief, and she understood. She really WAS a savage, with no understanding of the real world. She fell to her knees again, dropping her eyes to the floor.
"I'm... i'm sorry. I don't know anything. I was wrong."
She heard Rose distantly shouting her disbelief, but in her heart there was only the knowledge that she had been stupid and misguided.
Then, another sound, high and chittery. It sounded like a spell, like a hymn to thunder and white, hot force.
That's a pretty sounding sp- she thought, interrupted by the searing blast of lightning that crashed through the River priestess and into her. For a moment, she tried to scream, tried to move, but couldn't do anything as the blackness claimed her.
----
Rose shook her head, the afterimages of the lightning still speckling her vision. As she looked around, she saw Chaosti curled up against the wall of the hut, eyes staring at something that wasn't there, the River Priestess in a charred, oozing heap on the groud, clearly dead, and Swiftspear standing, looking dazed for just a moment, before sitting down heavily and falling asleep.
She picked her way through the carnage, silent as she took it all in. A few feet away, she spotted Two-Stick. The mystic appeared untouched by the lightning strike, but only the slightest rising and falling of her chest gave any indication that she was still alive.
Rose exhaled gustily.
"Shit."
"Your totem tried to kill me, River girl. Tried to drown me in my sleep. Now you see how far this has gone, how much you should hate me. Because I will keep telling any totem I meet of River's sickness, and they will fight with us."
She threw back her head and laughed, echoing Hyena's high, mad cackle. Chaosti flinched, and started shaking his head, as if confused, drawing away from the Empire girl. She looked at Two Stick, eyes sad and angry and disgusted.
"You're crazy."
"Yes, I am. I am Two-Stick-Lighting, and I swear, by Sugar Glider and Lightning, that I will fight you for all of my days. You will never break me, and I will keep coming, like the roar of oncoming thunder. I will see River's will subverted, this I promise- this world will not drown as long as I live. Now KILL ME, RIVER GIRL! YOU HAVE NO CHOICE!"
Two-Stick's voice rose to a shout as the River priestess suddenly cried out in pain. Just behind her, Two-Stick saw a flash of movement low to the ground- Rose had woken up, and chosen that moment to strike. Not waiting for a second chance, Two-Stick jumped up and pressed the heel of her hand into the River priestess's chest, spitting out the words of the spell like the crack of a whip. White hot lightning pooled around her fingers and thudded into the Empire girl's flesh, and she screamed.
Swiftspear answered the scream, still under the River's enchantment, and tried to catch a hold of his grandmother. Two-Stick snarled and threw her fist back, the crackle of lightning and scent of scorched flesh telling her that her warning had struck home.
Then the River girl looked at her, eyes soft with sorrow and disbelief, and she understood. She really WAS a savage, with no understanding of the real world. She fell to her knees again, dropping her eyes to the floor.
"I'm... i'm sorry. I don't know anything. I was wrong."
She heard Rose distantly shouting her disbelief, but in her heart there was only the knowledge that she had been stupid and misguided.
Then, another sound, high and chittery. It sounded like a spell, like a hymn to thunder and white, hot force.
That's a pretty sounding sp- she thought, interrupted by the searing blast of lightning that crashed through the River priestess and into her. For a moment, she tried to scream, tried to move, but couldn't do anything as the blackness claimed her.
----
Rose shook her head, the afterimages of the lightning still speckling her vision. As she looked around, she saw Chaosti curled up against the wall of the hut, eyes staring at something that wasn't there, the River Priestess in a charred, oozing heap on the groud, clearly dead, and Swiftspear standing, looking dazed for just a moment, before sitting down heavily and falling asleep.
She picked her way through the carnage, silent as she took it all in. A few feet away, she spotted Two-Stick. The mystic appeared untouched by the lightning strike, but only the slightest rising and falling of her chest gave any indication that she was still alive.
Rose exhaled gustily.
"Shit."
