Sunday 11 March 2018

Your Move Pt 5: Checkmate


*Darting out of the room, he stretched his senses as best he could to find the source of the drainage. There seemed like there was something trying to combat the drain, but they were likely not strong enough to do it for long. Thankfully, if they had got on, it was a small number of Jiangshi. He could take them on himself. Either way, he didn’t have time to grab the others when they were already busy enough with their assignments and that small presence fighting back didn’t have long. His fire would purge what the presence couldn’t.*

*The city, normally bustling with people at this time of the day, was far quieter thanks to the evacuation efforts. However, as Huxian ran, searching for any indication of the source of the feeling he had before, he could still see the occasional straggler. People who were in the middle of evacuating, or those naysayers who didn’t believe in the words of warnings. As much as the latter irritated him and the former worried him, Huxian had to deal with the most pressing threat. If he didn’t, then those remaining people would fall victim to Jiangshi.

But to do that, he had to find them, and fast.

Huxian [Inner Thought]: No, calm. To become frantic will make you miss things. Concentrate. Look for the feeling, that of a gap in the weave of the world. Focus!

*Stopping where he was, Huxian closes his eyes, concentrating less on what he could physically see, reaching out his senses, searching….searching….there! The feeling of the lights of five people, the dark voids encroaching upon them. Even with his eyes closed, he could find them.

Target locked, Huxian ran onwards.

It didn’t take him long for his physical senses to match his spiritual ones. As he rounded the corner towards what looked to be an old shrine, he was met with the sight of five Jiangshi enclosing upon the building. The shrine itself wasn’t nearly as abandoned as one may have thought, however, as a girl sped out of the building. Pulling out what looked like a mirror, she raised it above her head as she turned it on the Jiangshi. Lips moving quickly even if Huxian could barely hear the words enough to recognise a Taoist chant, Huxian felt energy building up before it shot from the mirror like rapids, liquid energy crashing into the Jiangshi, taking out two of them. However, Huxian could tell it wasn’t enough, couldn’t be enough to take out the rest. She was exhausted, on her last legs. If he did nothing, the remaining creatures would consume whatever energy she had left and descend upon the people within the shrine like rabid wolves.

Not about to wait longer, Huxian gathered his own energy into his palms and lashed out, brilliant blue flames lightning up the air as they rushed at the undead. Their screeches almost drowned out by the roar of the fire searing them into ashes.

Ignoring the doomed creatures, Huxian dartedforwards, managing to catch the young girl as she collapsed to the ground, saving her from cracking her skull on the shrine’s grounds. She felt light, oddly so.*

Huxian [Inner Thoughts]: This girl….who is she….?

*There was rattle, as a few youths rushed form there hiding space of the inner grounds armed with what seemed to be some makeshift weapons, a smile came to Huxian’s lips to see that the children were… though shaken for the most part ok. Sighing he addressed the girls.*

Huxian: You’re safe. Good.

Girl 1: Who are you put her down Creep!

Girl 2: what happened to those… things?!!!

Girl 3: A-Are those things gone?

Girl 4: Who are you?

Huxian: In order? I helped her out, don’t be rude, those were Jiangshi, they’re gone for now and my name is Yin Huxian of the Pandora Agency. Did that answer your questions?

Girl 5: Pandora? What’s that?

Huxian: We’re the good guys trying to deal with this mess.

Girl 1: Are you gonna take us to a safe place or?

Huxian: That’s the intention. There is an evacuation order out. I’d be failing my duty if I didn’t make sure you’re safe.

Girls: Thank you for saving us!

Girl 1: Oh, by the way, is this little kid part of this…Pandora?

Huxian: No…I’ve never seen her before, but there are independent people who have some experience in similar situations, though few at such a young age. Still, brave child. She certainly deserves a reward for defending you all as she did, don’t you agree?

Girls: Yeah.

Huxian: The shelters are a little far from here and it’s best we make sure that there’s no danger to your friend. Thankfully, our base is close by. We of Pandora can ensure your safety there. Please, follow me.

[END]

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