LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 1645 Shield Surfing
--- Kat ---
"Hahahahahahaha!" Kat couldn't help but cackle. For all the pain (minor) pain and grief she'd experienced trying to work out how to get through the storm, the one they'd stumbled into was a fantastic one. With Strek, Sephy Brook and Church all bundled up in three sleeping bags and Craunch bundled up, they were making amazing time. Sephy was balanced across one shoulder, while Brook and Church were held in her left arm, and Strek in the right.
The storm at her back didn't phase her anymore. It turns out? Putting a bit of demonic energy into her outfit reinforced it. Not massively, but enough to keep it from falling apart in the storm so it was good enough. Plus, the cost didn't exceed Kat's natural regeneration let alone the extra Lily provided so it was essentially free.
Admittedly, Kat did have to give some props to Craunch. Part of what let her laugh as she skated across the sand dunes was due to the fact Craunch seemed to be a natural surfer. It wasn't clear if he'd lied about his lacking experience or not but he was shredding down the dune with great skill. Kat did have to slow her perception down regularly to ensure she didn't fall at the start but Craunch?
The crazy bastard just took straight off and at this point he was doing tricks. Kat could see him riding along while doing a handstand right at this moment. Even with the storm it really did feel like flying. Kat was half tempted to do some tricks herself, except Lily was tucked squarely between her boobs and moving around too wildly would dislodge her poor girlfriend.
Of course, apparently one isn't allowed to have too much fun. Just as Kat finished her laugh she noticed the sand shifting around Bower. Slowing her perception Kat watched as teeth started to rise up from the dunes revealing a large mouth under Craunch. The older dragonkin reacted swiftly, he knocked the shield upwards by leaning back with his hands and then slammed it into the sand just before the ground begun being swallowed.
Craunch flew upwards even as the full mouth was revealed, teeth slamming together with a solid CRUNCH narrowly avoiding the dragonkin and revealing what looked to be the long snout of a crocodile with scales that seemed to be modelled after the nearby sands. Mostly blue with patches of darker colours. Craunch summoned up a spell sigil and Kat let herself return to normal time, trusting that he had it in hand.
She still moved closer, demonic fire burning above her horns just in case, but Craunch had this dealt with. A giant crystalline fist exploded from a glowing portal next to Craunch smacking the sand-crocodile's jaw and knocking it to the side and revealing a bit more of its body. Kat could now see two arms… but instead of little crocodile feet that looked more like drills and were quite long from what Kat could see.
Craunch landed nearby, hopped back on his shield and just kept going as Kat zoomed in closer. "Just going to leave it?" yelled Kat.
"Yes! There's a stunning aspect to that spell and it probably won't be moving for a good five minutes at least!" returned Craunch.
Kat nodded, but as she did the slight glance down let her notice another set of teeth appearing, this time below her. Kat had kept the fire above her head burning and she quickly fed more power to it as she sent it downwards. The jaws were about to close around her instead twitched open further as the fire expanded to cover all of the sand below Kat in a few moments. The thing let out a scream as it started thrashing around, revealing more of its body as it fell to the side.
It was a long blue, sort of croc with big jaws, long spindly limbs with spirals on them a much larger tail then a crocodile would normally have as well as a set of fins on its stomach and back. Kat made sure to keep moving, avoiding the beast's thrashing as she made ground with Craunch ahead of her.
Kat didn't take her eyes of the sand this time. A quick glance behind her revealed… nothing but more sand. She quickly turned back to facing forward blinking her eyes as the grains that had collected their fell away. *
Ok that was stupid. I wanted to check if the first sand-croc was taken care of but obviously I can't see through the FUCKING SANDSTORM! Eurgh why did I decide that was a good idea? I mean it didn't hurt but the feeling of sand being pushed out of my eyes was not a pleasant one.*
Time passed. First one minute, then five, and there was no further sign of the sand-crocs. It seemed, for now at least, they'd taken care of the ones in the immediate area. Still, Kat wasn't able to just relax and enjoy the ride anymore. Now that she knew that this place was more than just an endless sandstorm.
Over the next thirty minutes Kat was on high alert for anything and despite not seeing anything she remained on edge. It was the little details. A flash of something in the corner of her eye, a brief respite from the endless sand smacking against her back. A slight distortion in the trail of sand before it disappeared, covered by the sandstorm. There was something around, perhaps multiple somethings but Kat could never quite catch it.
*Lily have you been able to get a better look at whatever it is?*
[Nope… but I am pretty sure something's there. You're not the only one who's been seeing things and the fact you can't see illusions makes me pretty certain there's something there. I'm just not sure what we can do about it.]
*I could send off some demonic fire and see if it hits anything? I'm full on demonic energy so I'm tempted to try. Just not sure if I'd be alerting whatever it is that I know there's something around. I might have considered using my water form for that three sixty degree vision… but I'm not exactly sure what would happen with all the sand around.*
[Yeah best not to risk it. Just send out some fire.]
Kat nodded and form four balls of fire. One on either side of her, one behind, and one above. Kat pushed them outwards and listened for any sign of a reaction but all she could hear was the rushing of the sandstorm. She couldn't see anything moving rapidly or reacting to the flames.
Kat kept the fires burning around her for around five minutes, moving them around and further away before pulling them back in and watching constantly for a reaction… but nothing. Either the flames had scared the thing off or it had backed out of range just far enough to avoid the flames.
Kat was so focused on trying to prompt a reaction from whatever was hunting them that she was perhaps, not as focused as she should've been on other things. Like the giant rock right in front of her.
[KAT! IN FRONT] Your journey continues on empire
Kat slammed full speed into the boulder and a large crack rang out followed by a bunch of laughter. Craunch HAD been paying attention and had been trying to go around it… but as soon as he heard the crash he turned back to see a vaguely Kat shaped imprint in the stone.
Lily are you ok!
[You crashed head first into what's basically a stone wall and THAT'S YOUR FIRST THOUGHT!]
Hey! You're hiding in my boobs and a lot more fragile then I am, it's a valid question. It's not like they'd have given you much protection from the impact. Wait, no hang on. What about the others? Are THEY ok?
[Dammit I'm still kind of annoyed that you still haven't bothered looking yourself over but yes they're fine. I was able to pull up more than enough shadows to cushion the impact for them.]
"What the heck was that!" yelled one the sleeping bags. It was sort of hard to make out who it was that was speaking though. Kat thought it might have been Sephy?
"Sorry just gimme a moment…" said Kat. *
Lily can you hold onto the sleeping bags in my hand for a moment?*
Lily moved to do so and Kat took that as the obvious acceptance that it was. Summoning up her fans Kat quickly carved her way deeper into the rock. The sand was piling up at the entrance already but this was just meant to be a short place to rest.
Craunch moved in as Kat made space and soon she'd placed everyone sitting down in their own little nooks she'd carved for them. "So, this seems like a good place to take a bit of a break, you know, just for a bit," said Kat hoping to completely dodge past the whole 'slamming face first into a wall' thing.