To The Cabin
Black skies, heavy rain, and turbulent winds; the group stood underneath a group of palm trees out of the rain. Some way ahead of them, their boat violently shook back and forth on the water.
The rope used to anchor it pulled to its limit, most likely moments away from ripping. Thankfully, Timi prepared for rain and small holes were cut on the bottom of the hull, just above the water line.
The rain surged into these drains, emptying back into the ocean. On the bright side, the boat won't sink from the water. It could, however, get set free and slam into the rocks; ultimately sending it to the bottom of the sea.
"It's not looking good," Roman commented.
"Yeah, no s***!" Emma replied.
"It could still pass overnight," Timi added.
"I'm glad someone has a little optimism," Emma said, "let's head back, there's nothing we can do here."
The group pushed through the trees and arrived at the base of the mountain. Soaking wet and shivering, they made their way home.
"Awooo!" A howl suddenly spread across the island.
The three of them simultaneously stopped and looked back, Emma and Timi wore a far more serious expression than Roman.
"What was that?" Roman asked.
"I've been on this island for months and have never heard a howl like that." Timi commented.
"Neither have I," Emma agreed, "unless it's a corrupted."
"But nothing should have died—" Roman argued, "it's not even night time!"
"But the skies are black." Timi added.
"So?!"
"What if it's the darkness that corrupts them?" Timi asked.
"But they don't turn at night!"
"Because the night isn't long enough—" Emma pondered.
"And the storm has kept it dark for a full day cycle." Timi interrupted.
The bushes at the base of the mountain suddenly began to rattle along with a slight vibration in the ground. A Corrupted Rabbit tore through a bush and charged towards the trio.
Emma summoned her spear and launched it across the sky, impaling the creature in its chest and slaying it in an instant.
[Corrupted Rabbit Slain]
"I guess that answers our question." Timi said.
Six more Corrupted Rabbits burst through the bushes and made their way up the mountain. Emma recalled her spear and prepared for another throw.
"Uh… guys?" Roman pointed up the mountain, behind Timi and Emma.
Emma snapped around. Several Corrupted Lava Lizards were tumbling down the mountain, a huge dust cloud erupted behind them.
"Did the entire island transform?" Roman asked under his breath.
"Emma, can you handle the rabbits?" Timi asked, sounding stern for the first time.
"Yes!" She replied instantly.
"Then leave the lizards to me." Timi turned and walked towards the rampaging lizards.
A seed of doubt sprouted in Emma's mind. She's never seen Timi fight nor does she even know what his Gift is. She had assumed it was something production related, who can build a boat that fast naturally?
But she didn't have time. Emma enhanced her legs and pushed into the dirt. Her body lifted off the ground and she plummeted down the mountain.
Spear first, the tip of her blade sunk into the skull of one of the rabbits. She placed her feet on the rabbits chest and, like a snowboard, rode its corpse down the mountain.
[Corrupted Rabbit Slain]
The rabbit dissolved and Emma turned to face the other monsters. She wound her arm back and exploded Boost, her spear split another beast's chest in two.
[Corrupted Rabbit Slain]
Up ahead, Timi was about to make contact with the lizards. He spread his arms out and gently tugged his fingers through the wind.
A strange luminescent green aura suddenly radiated on the tips of his fingers. He spun his arms around, the green glow hovered in the air and traced his fingers.
He formed a circle with the green light that hovered in the air before him. Then, with the tip of his finger burning radiant white, he wrote 'slash' in the center of the circle.
The neon green lights imploded, a bright flash of light consumed them and then a thin arc of energy rushed forward, splitting the several lizard's bodies in two.
Meanwhile, Emma stared at Timi's back agape. He single-handedly slaughtered seven or eight corrupted beasts and all he did was lift his finger, literally.
"Emma!" Roman screamed.
Emma snapped out of it and noticed the fast approaching claw. She parried the strike and ducked beneath the following blow.
She quickly infused her arm with Boost and slashed across the beast's chest, revealing its ribcage. With a flick of her wrist, her spear spun around her shoulder and rested on her forearm.
Emma pushed forward, impaling the beast, but more remained. She let go of her spear, as it was stuck in the beast's corpse and lunged backwards, dodging another attack.
[Corrupted Rabbit Slain]
Emma recalled her spear and caught it while running around the remaining behemoth rabbits. She slid to a stop and arched her arm, she lined up the collateral.
Emma released her devastating blow, her spontoon left an afterimage in the air as it tore through the bodies of three beasts. Each corpse was pushed against one another, stacked on her spear like a kebab.
[Corrupted Rabbit Slain] x 3
But it wasn't over. Those were only the animals that were already near them.
In the distance, Emma could peer through the trees from her arial view. Tons of monsters were running through the forest, charging directly towards Emma and her group.
"What do we do?!" Emma yelled.
"Get to the cabin! We can hold out up there!" Timi shouted down the mountain.
Emma recalled her spear and watched the bushes separating the forest and the mountain. She was going to launch one last attack before retreating.
A Corrupted Dungeness Crab appeared first and Emma struck. Her artillery cannon shattered the crab's exoskeleton and razed one of the trees behind it.
[Corrupted Dungeness Crab Slain]
Emma turned and began sprinting up the mountain. She dismissed her spear and it returned to her soul. She quickly caught up to Roman who was making his way up the mountain.
She picked the boy up and slung him over her shoulder, the storm only just began. Who knows how long they'll have to fight before the storm subsides.