Vicious (II) [CLOSED]
"Haah!"
The wooden branch slammed against the target and promptly broke into two, the severed end bouncing off the grass and landing a few metres away. Looking at the target in question, Vicious sighed.
"Not enough...huh. Guess I'm reaching the age to retire already."
Although, to be fair, it was only the Liberi who was trying to dent a solid block of metal the size of herself with sticks of firewood, and getting disappointed when she couldn't. It was starting to dip into the middle portion of the afternoon, and the Shrine Grounds were empty. Sora was still attending to her business down in Fuyu, and Vicious figured she'd do a bit of cleaning and preparing before the Miko got back.
Of course, after she'd swept up the grounds and hand-washed all the laundry and did the preliminary preparations for dinner, it was time for a light bit of practice. Which brought her here two hours later, dressed in workout clothing (hand-sewn) and sweating head to toe. First was the standard exercises---a little bit of running, jumping and stretching. Next she hiked up the short distance up to the mountaintop, picked up a large piece of ice, and brought it back down to the Shrine. Placing the thing in a basin.
*Bam* *Bam* *Bam*
The ice chipped away as her bandaged hands struck at it, repeatedly, unceasingly. But it wasn't just simple hitting; there was a rhythm to it that Vicious was following, circling around the block of ice to strike it from different corners; palms, fists, claws. Vicious went at it until her hands were cold and the ice had melted into water in the basin before she stopped, unwrapped the bandages, and immersed her hands and upper arms in the now-cold water.
"Guh..."
Leaving the basin of water sitting for the watering of plants later, the Liberi dragged out the block and a pile of uncut firewood from a shed nearby...which brings us up to present time. Vicious picked up the broken-off pieces of lumber, and stacked them in a pile for later, before reaching for some water in a ceramic teacup.
She stopped briefly as her mind fed her another scene---cracked earth and wildfire---before her eyes registered the correct setting. A courtyard in a shrine in a mountain city. Vicious laughed.
"Hah, hah, hah...*
glug*…I'm tripping, all right. I don't remember such a little routine tiring me out so much before..."
The small cup of water drained quickly and steadily, and when the last drop was gone her hand moved to return it to it's natural place on the tray---then the Liberi hurled the cup against the floor with all her might.
*
Shatter*
And the block of metal made an impressive echo as it was struck simultaneously, sliding a few inches across the ground from the impact. But the Liberi wasn't finished.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
*Wham* *Wham* *Wham* *Wham* *Wham* *Wham*
Following the sound of something cracking, six consecutive blows landed on the block at the same time, sending it flying away once more. She looked up from where she'd knelt, watching the block fly---and vanished.
*Boom!*
She'd launched herself forward from that kneeling position and kicked the block flying vertically upwards. This was again accompanied by another cracking noise, but the girl took no notice, getting into a squatting position before launching herself upwards into the sky. Another loud echo shortly followed as the iron block slammed back into the ground, whilst the girl held back a wince of pain, clenching her hand.
Then she tucked her feet and dived headfirst, twisting her body mid-air to lift her good leg up to shoulder height, eyes on the block buried in the floor. Instincts screamed at her to stop---that it would shatter every single bone in her right leg, but the Liberi didn't care.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
At that point, the shouting was no longer out of fighting spirit, but more of desperation. The light shining in her fragmented eyes wasn't the dull stare of the usual Operator, but the maniac stare of a cornered animal. The girl was putting everything she had, even risking potentially ending up crippled, into that one strike.
The block stopped being a block in her eyes, and took an the form of another object---a girl with curly brown locks, a deadpan face, and two horns poking out of her head. Empty eyes that stared directly up at her, tauntingly---
"LIKE HELL I'LL ACCEPT IT!"
Then she brought her leg down in an axe kick with whatever she'd left.
*
CRACK*
She didn't need the sound to know that it was broken. White-hot pain lanced up her nerves the moment her feet made contact, and having lost her footing, the girl crashed into the floor at the wrong angle, stumbling across the ground as her body tried to bleed off the momentum. She skidded over the broken cup earlier, getting generous cuts along her arms and belly as well before stopping. One of the pillars at the side of the courtyard had caught her. Right in the back.
"UGH!"
Spine---Bruised
Left metacarpals---Broken
Right metacarpals---Broken
Left patella---Broken
Left calcaneus---Broken
Right wrist---Broken
Right tibia---Shattered
Minor lacerations in abdominal area
Emergency treatment needed---Withdraw immediately
If she'd been back at her old workplace, she'd be hearing this echoing in her ear by now. Alas she heard nothing but laboured breathing and wheezing as she spat out blood all over the nice grey tiles. The injuries weren't hurting as much; gradually replaced by a numbness creeping up her limbs.
I just swept them too...
"What in the world was---the courtyard! Where are you, V?"
Hearing the faraway voice, the girl tried for a chuckle, but had to settle for a wheeze. Her lungs probably weren't doing too hot either and she was starting to smell ashes.
Heh...got done in by myself...thank god the rest weren't here to see...
The hurried footsteps got closer until they were right beside her ears, before a shadow fell across what was left of her vision along with an alarmed cry.
"V?! Hey, what happened here? Oi! V! Stay with me! Was it an attack?!"
Right before she lost the strength to keep her eyes open, Vicious focused on the block buried half in ground, and noted the imprint her leg had left on it's previously unblemished surface. She forced a smile at the panicking Sora, or at least in her general direction.
"I was just...practicing..."
Then the darkness and cold claimed her, and the girl fainted away in the Miko's arms.