Still shaky, even without knowledge that the small, cloth-wrapped bundle being carried respectfully by Akane was the remains of her faithful ninja, Ukyou cringed as each howl flashed through the passageways. The sound was so prevalent that it was impossible for her to pinpoint by the sound any single creature.
They INFESTED the section of the maze, and it was only luck, to her mind that none had yet found their little group. And the more she listened to the sound of the howling, the more it wore on her mind.
It was like the howling of the damned, damned that cared not that they were damned, and in fact enjoyed it thoroughly.
Ukyou was not the only one affected, only the most obviously so, all the counters felt the effects of the howling as it ripped through the passageways. But, perhaps, the most affected, though he seemed otherwise, was Kuno as every howl came with it a repeat of Konatsu's death cries and Akane's pain-filled cries.
"Spatula-girl," Shampoo said, when she received no immediate answer she shook the girl slightly. "Spatula-girl. Is any close?"
"I CAN'T tell!" Ukyou said desperately. "They're ahead of us, behind us, everywhere!"
"Anything you smell?" Shampoo asked.
"Water," Ukyou said. "I smell water....and...something like a lizard?"
"Which way?" Shampoo asked, though nobody liked the sound of the "lizard." Still water sounded like a possible way out.
"That way," Ukyou said, pointing.
Shampoo looked to Ranma and Kodachi, who nodded and proceeded to take point, crawling along the ceiling and walls, cloak-like wings, shifting color about them to fade into the walls as they moved.
Ranma moved a little ahead of the slighter counter, sheltering the less experienced fighter. The two alphas stopped merely fifty feet out, at a bend in the cooridor.
Kodachi shifted back quickly to the main group after briefly extending first one arm then the other in the gestures the others had realized was her projecting her claws as weapons. Ranma remained only a little less briefly, releasing a blast of chi before moving back to the rest of the group, hanging above the others on the ceiling in support position. Kodachi, without her claws for a few seconds, and thus unable to remain on the walls, remained behind the larger and tougher counters.
Soon thereafter a pack of...things that seemed to be a combination of porcupine and dog rounded about the corner as...something...like a skinless man scurried along the walls towards the group, a long tongue flickering about out of it's mouth.
"Ranma?" Shampoo inquired.
"Chi blasts work!" Ranma answered.
"Aiyah!" Shampoo declared with a hint of relief. Shampoo, Ryouga and Akane each released a chi blast soon thereafter. Blasts of green, red and purple ripped through the demonically howling pack, sending them flying like European ten-pins.
Shampoo was at least happy that they had discovered how enhanced their chi batteries were soon after the debacle with the gaki. Ukyou was still too scattered to concentrate enough for a blast, Kuno was likewise too distracted and Kodachi lacked the theoretical knowledge that Shampoo and Akane possessed.
Still, four martial artists capable of chi-blasts were better than two.
"These beasts come in waves!" Kuno declared, though none marked his words, Konatsu's death still fresh in most minds. Still he was correct, as twelve of the quilled horrors arose from the blasts and continued their howling charge against the Neriman warriors.
The tongue-lashing creature, a sickly dark flame wrapping around its form slipped forward eagerly to engage with the creature that dared to settle in ITS realm, the ceilings and walls.
Akane and Ryouga met the first four howlers each taking two with a massive swipe of their massive fists. The creatures smashed against the wall and shattered messily under the impact. And yet, both the betas shrieked in pain as handfuls of javelin-sized quills lashed into the chinks of their armor and lodged their, painfully gripping and by such effects slowing the beta's actions.
Ranma dodged aside as the darkly flaming tongue lashed out to grab at him. He remembered the flame that had so hurt Akane and killed Konatsu, and this seemed it's kin. Ranma flipped down and frowned as he was forced to unlock the forbidden arts of the Saotome.
A barrage of near invisible sickles ripped upward, slicing off the leg of the licker that almost dodged unharmed. The creature lost it's grip upon the wall and fell down amongst the counters, to face Kodachi and a face full of projected claws. Still it managed to lash out as it died and wrapped a flaming tongue about its killer's leg.
"Kodachi!!" Ranma shouted, feeling guilty for having failed to eliminate the creature completely. He lunged through the group and pushed her back, breaking the contact with the already fading dark flames, relieved as he saw her catching her breath, though her leg was badly burned and she fainted in his arms from the pain of the contact.
Meanwhile, Shampoo had borrowed an idea she had heard from Kuno's repetoire and unleashed a hail of projectiles of chi-charged air energized by the speed and power of the Katchu Tenshin Amaguriken. It lacked the overall effectiveness and flashiness of the beta's ability to crush the howlers in single blows. But then Shampoo did not need to spend several seconds plucking sticking quills out of her flesh in its wake.
Ukyou and Kuno quickly found that their scales were such that the beasts' quills rarely if ever found purchase. Though they both lacked Shampoo's training and the beta's over all power, they did their damage, and the pack of howlers was quickly reduced to dust and black mists of energy.
But the howling still hung in the passageways.
"Ranma?" Shampoo called back concernedly. "Is she?"
"She's alive," Ranma called back.
"Ukyou," Shampoo said. "You carry ribbon-girl? We can't stay and wait for her to wake."
"No problem," Ukyou said quickly, trying not to panic. "Let's get out of here." She accepted Kodachi's limp and healing form from Ranma and carried her gently as they started travelling again.
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(Posted Tue, 03 Dec 2002 18:42)
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