CotFMR-Fight
From Create Your Own Story
You feel around desperately for something, anything with which to defend yourself. Your right hand clasps around a long straight haft of wood. Based on the long, heavy bit of metal attached to the end, you guess this must be a pickax someone abandoned in the cave. You swing it blindly in front of you and make contact with a small squishy body. You are rewarded with an unnervingly humanoid cry of pain. You swing again, and this time your weapon meets resistance. One of the creatures apparently has a pickax of its own and your pickax is parried with a clang of metal on metal. Unable to see anything, you know this is a losing fight for you. You turn and run back the way you came. Unfortunately, the creatures pursue you, jabbering in what might be a language. Could these creatures be...sentient? You hear one of them give an attack cry and the next thing you know, you feel something heavy and sharp embed itself in your thigh. The pain is excruciating and you cry out, grasping your leg as your attacker pulls out their pickax. What kind of cave creatures see in the dark and carry pickaxes? They can't possibly be human and the thought chills you to the bone.
The rest of them (you estimate there are only three to five creatures pursuing you) seize the advantage and attack. One of them jumps onto your back, trying to claw at your face. Another pickax embeds itself in your side. There is no doubt you will die if you can't somehow get away from them. You swing your weapon at them blindly to make them back off, then you stumble down the tunnel, one hand grasping the gaping wound in your side, the other trying to staunch the bleeding in your thigh. You manage to shake off the little bugger clinging to your back, but you can feel that its dirty claws have left their mark on your face. You hear a clang right behind you as one of your attackers takes a swing at you with their pickax and misses. That's the one thing you have going for you, these creatures aren't particularly fast when hefting heavy pickaxes.
Blood mingles with your sweat and you struggle to get away. Something grapples your knees and you fall. Whatever is attacking you isn't very tall. Dwarves? Imps? You have no idea. You hook the curved end of your pickax around the pudgy body and wrench the little bugger from your legs, giving it a kick for good measure. It squeals in pain and the others start jabbering angrily at you. Staggering to your feet, you push forward, using your pickax as a short crutch. The pain in your side in almost unbearable and you try to staunch the bleeding with your left hand. Your leg burns and you can hardly bear to put any weight on it, but if you give in now, you will surely die.
You notice shadows beginning to register in your vision as you flee. Apparently you weren't blind after all, it was just an extraordinarily dark cave. Heartened, you press on toward the light. You're exhausted and faint from pain and blood loss. You feel a refreshing faint breeze on your skin. You must be near the cave entrance. You turn the corner and catch a glimpse of the source of light. A statue rises up before you, nearly as tall as the cave ceiling. It is a naked young woman with two pairs of wings sprouting from her back, one set outstretched as if in flight, the other set wrapped protectively around her body. In her outstretched hands is a small green gem that glows with a faint light. You find yourself reaching toward that light. Despite everything, the sight of it fills you with peace and...hope?
You glance behind you to see your attackers. They are short, no taller than knee height, wearing rusty metal helmets and leather loincloths. You can't make out any more details than that. They are gaining on you as you limp toward the light. Stumbling, you fall to your knees and drop your pickax, still crawling toward the light. When you look back to see how close your mysterious attackers are, you catch sight of a tall figure approaching you out of the shadows. Is it a man with...horns? You turn back toward the light and drag yourself closer. If you could just reach that light, you're certain you'll be safe. The light seems to glow brighter for a moment, then there is a flash. Behind you, you hear a sound halfway between a groan and a howl, but you lack the energy to turn and look. The little creatures hiss and you hear their scrabbling footsteps fading away. Your body feels heavy as lead. Your shaky arms give out and you're laying face down on the cave floor before the angel statue. You turn back to see the horned figure still watching you from the shadows, but making no move to approach. Your vision slowly goes dark once more as you pass out on the cave floor.
