David and Ephrien began to search for a route down the steep hill side. Loose gravel crunched under their feet as they found a cleared-out trail winding down the side of the near cliff like hill. Ephrien gritted her teeth and let out a grunt of pain as she stumbled in the loose rock.
"I know you are in pain, but we need to keep moving. If we don't get off this plateau soon, all of those possessed are going to hunt us down and kill us. Just bear with the pain for a little while longer." David said as he shifted himself to try and put more of Ephrien's body weight onto himself to assist her in their journey down the trail.
With a grunt of pain Ephrien stumbled once more but kept moving. The trail was steep and winding. The loose rock caused them to constantly lose their footing or have their feet slide. A large rock stuck out from the path ahead, David quickly made his way onto the rock. Above them to their right he could already hear the screech of possessed.
"We will take a minute break here. Try to rest as much as you can. I know you are wounded, try to drink some water if you have any." David spoke as he gently set Ephrien down on the rock. "I'm going to give you this. Use it if you need to but your main job is to get off this plateau. Do I make myself clear Ephrien?"
Ephrien looked up with pain filled eyes as David reached out towards her with his pistol in his palm. She reached out with a trembling hand and grabbed the pistol from his hand. "I understand holy warrior. I will fulfill the mission you have tasked me with. I will be waiting for your return once you have finished your mission." She smiled up at him as she watched him nod before turning and hiking back up the trail.
"I will never forget this gift you have given me holy warrior." Ephrien said with a heartbroken voice as she once more began her painful and dangerous journey down the trail. On her left was a near sheer cliff and on her right was the remains of a rockslide. She clutched the pistol like it was a holy relic that had been found after being lost for thousands of years.
Her foot stumble once more as she heard fighting break out above her. Roars, screeches, wails, the sound of flesh being torn, bones broken, and the relentless fire of an imperial hell gun.
A twisted and malformed body fell screeching past her before being impaled on a dead tree a few hundred feet below. The beast let out howls of pain as it writhed on the tree. Ephrien watched the possessed impaled on the tree for a heartbeat. Her mind flooded with dread as she began to stumble and slide as she moved as fast as her bleeding and broken body would allow.
The fighting grew quieter and quieter the further she ran. The image of the mutated and possessed human impaled on the tree kept flashing in her mind. It's mindless hatred and bloodlust filled her thoughts. She thought of the holy warrior who's name she still had not learned.
'I will not let your sacrifice be in vain. I will make it off this plateau.'
Her face steeled with determination. She pumped her arms faster as she increased her pace. Her limp grew and the blood poured faster but she barely noticed.
Ahead her was a sharp curve in the trail. As she rounded the curve, she slowed her pace as she saw the chasm where the trail once was. The landslide must have loosened and dislodged this part of the trail.
'I could go back. Try to find another route. NO! There is no time. He is fighting to buy me time. There is no choice. His words are the word of the holy Emperor. I must get down from this plateau.'
Eprien backed towards the curve. She felt her feet on the edge of the cliff as she looked at the chasm before her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She let out a roar to try and give herself confidence as she sprinted towards the chasm.
With adrenaline and all her strength, she jumped as far as she could. She felt as if her body was weightless as she launched herself over the chasm. But that weightlessness was short lived as her body landed in a roll on the other side of the chasm. The weight on her already damaged body made her crumple like a puppet with its strings cut. A scream escaped her lips as she felt the bones in her ankle and wrist break like toothpicks.
Broken bone jutted through skin as her body weight and force of the landing compounded into her body. Blood poured from the new wounds. Sobs and screams of pain escaped Ephrien's mouth and she writhed in pain.
Unable to stand she began to crawl using her working arm and leg. The stumps of her missing fingers dug small furrows into the mix of gravel and dirt, and she desperately tried to move her body further down the trail.
'No! This isn't how this ends.'
Tears mixed with the dried blood on her face as her sobs continued. A trail of blood and misplaced gravel followed her as she continued to drag herself.
'Where? Where is it! NO! NO! NO! This can't be. I was supposed to keep it on me. It was his instructions.' Ephrien's eyes looked frantic as she looked around desperately for the pistol David had given her.
A feeling of despair and failure filled Ephrien as she stopped crawling. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as the despair finally broke her. A wet blood choked scream tore from her lips as she let her body lay still in the gravel.
Ahead of her about a hundred feet from her stood a possessed. It's head and arms were missing, and a large hole filled its chest. In the middle of the hole was the head that once belonged to the body. It looked at Ephrien with hungry eyes and bloodlust oozing from its form as it stumbled towards her.
********
David turned away from the woman he had been trying to save. Thankfully his face remained hidden behind his helmet. If not, Ephrien would have seen the face of a man who knew he would die fighting. There would have been no way she would have been acting so calm or been willing to run, if she had seen his face.
'Let me fight, you don't deserve to suffer this.'
His mind was a storm as he silently walked up the trail towards his near guaranteed death.
'If I can fight and survive for long enough, it should give her time to escape this plateau. If she is able to escape, then I should be able to finally finish this trial.'
With a deep breath David steadied himself for the fight to come. He positioned himself at the end of a chokepoint created by the landslide.
The first possessed came around the edge of the rock and into the chokepoint. David instantly fired a shot into its leg. The weak and brittle limb detonated and showered the rocks in gore and the possessed fell in a heap. The possessed continued towards David even as it began to be trampled by other possessed. The hoard charged towards him even as they clashed with each other to be the first through the chokepoint.
Their mutated, disfigured, and ruined bodies quickly filled the chokepoint as David relentlessly fired shot after shot into the writhing mass of possessed. A blaring warning sound suddenly flooded David's helmet. His hell gun needed time to recharge its power pack.
'Fuck! How the fuck did I fire three hundred shots??? The power pack should have been able to recharge somewhat between each fight.'
Unable to fire off any more shots into the possessed hoard, David had no choice but to resort to his combat blade until his weapon could recharge a few more shots.
"Come on!!! Come here you fuckers!!!" David screamed towards the hoard as he charged towards the chokepoint. His only hope of survival was to try and hold the chokepoint. If the possessed got passed that point, they would be able to swarm and overwhelm him.
The combat blade tore through the neck of the lead possessed, severing the carotid artery, followed by a follow up stab into the eye. The possessed let out a gurgled shriek as it swung wildly at David. Backpedaling a foot, David began to bob and weave as he did his best to avoid the blows. He exploited each gap and opening to quickly stab the possessed.
As he was fighting, a second possessed was able to get through the chokepoint and attacked him from behind. David stumbled towards the cliffside of the trail as he continued to stab into the two possessed. One of the possessed hopped onto David's back and began clawing at his armor in a frenzy.
"Get off me you annoying bastard!" David screamed as he grabbed the possessed and used every ounce of strength he had and his own-body's momentum to fling the possessed off him. The possessed was torn from his back, bounced against the gravel and fell over the cliff with an animalistic roar.
More possessed poured through the chokepoint to attack David. A smirk broke through his lips, behind his helmet as he finally stabbed the second possessed to death. Blood poured from a dozen new wounds, but his mind remained focused and his breathing as steady as he could manage.
With a thrust his blade punctured a lung. With a twist he severed a tendon. He cut muscle, tendon and ligament. It would take him too long to kill, all he could focus on was incapacitating.
'If I can remove their ability to use their limbs, they are just environmental obstacles. Just avoid their attack radius and they are no longer a threat.'
As his mind and body worked in overdrive, fueled by adrenaline and survival, David barely even registered the hundreds of wounds he had suffered. His body was beginning to feel cold, numb and slow. His vision blurred as black spots randomly filled his vision.
Before he could react, a hooked claw sank deep into his flesh after piercing through his dented and damaged armor. His body was wrenched from the ground as a scream of agony tore from his lips. Rivulets of blood poured from the hooked claw, and down over his torn armor and clothing. The grinding of metal slowly bending and flesh splitting as David's body weight caused the blade to tear its way up his lower chest.
The creature's arm was a sickly gray color with patches of black and green fur that wound their way up its spindle-like arm. Pulsing coils of muscle twitched as it lifted his body off the ground. Mucus and purplish saliva dribbled from opened wounds and a mangled gaping maw in what once had been the mutated human's shoulder.
More claws and fingernails began to scrape and tear at David's skin as the surrounding possessed began to tear at his flesh. A final scream cut off in a gurgling scream as David's throat was torn open and his vocal cords were shredded. A fingernail dug into his eye as his body writhed in agony. His body convulsed, shuttered and died as David once more succumbed to merciless and mindless hoard of mutated possessed.
******
Ephrien jolted back as she heard the holy warrior she revered suddenly scream and spring from the ground where he was just lying. She watched him with fear and confusion as his body shuttered and sweat dripped down his face. His fingers reached up and felt his eye and throat as if trying to feel if they were still there. His breath came out in short, ragged breaths as if he had just been fighting for his life.
She looked at him with concern and hesitantly reached out to steady him. The two of them had sat at the edge of the field of dead grass, looking out over the massive forest that lay below the plateau they were on. The warrior had asked her to keep watch for a few minutes while he tried to rest and recover. He had only been laying down for about a minute when he started her with his scream and frantic actions.
"Holy warrior what is wrong. What vision as the god Emperor shown you, to startle and scare you so much?" Ephrien asked as she watch the warrior quickly compose himself and fight to steady his breathing once more.
'Why? Why am I not back at the start? This has never happened before. Does this mean I passed the first part of the trial? But doesn't that mean I don't have a chance of saving any of the others? Does this mean my previous actions are now permeant?' David's face switched between emotions as he processed what was going on.
"Holy warrior, what happened?"
"Ephrien has your body rested enough to start moving down the trail?"
"Y-Yes holy warrior, but I though you wanted to rest for a few minutes?"
"There isn't time. We need to get moving or else we will be overtaken and killed by the hoard that is headed this way."
Ephrien's cautious and confused expression hardened into determination as she heard David's words. "Yes, holy warrior. I am able to start the journey. I will not fail."
Without another word the two began their journey down the steep, gravel trail. Lose rock slipped and rolled under their feet as they wound their way down the side of the steep slope. The howls and inhuman sounds of the possessed echoed from above them, but this time they were more distant than during David's first attempt down the trail.
"They are coming, continue on ahead, I will create a distraction so you can get to safety in the forest."
"Understood holy warrior, but will you be ok?"
"Yes, I will be fine. My main goal is ensuring that you escape safely. Take this, you might need it." With those few words, David handed Ephrien his las-pistol before turning to begin his preparations.
Ephrien lowed her head somberly and took the pistol. Without words she turned and continued to limp her way down the trail. She ground her teeth together to stifle her grunts and winces of pain. She refused to let herself be seen as pitiful or useless by her savior and protector.
'The god Emperor is watching. I will not fail him. I must show my devotion and worth.'
She once more clenched her teeth as her foot slipped on the loose gravel and her foot skidded a few inches forward, sending searing pain through her ankle and leg.
'The god Emperor is watching. I will not fail him. I must show my devotion and worth.'
'The god Emperor is watching. I will not fail him. I must show my devotion and worth.'
'The god Emperor is watching. I will not fail him. I must show my devotion and worth.'
Over and over she repeated the thought in her mind as she stumbled, skid, and limped her way further down the trail.
She suddenly stopped as she rounded an outcrop in the trail. Ahead of her a chasm cut through the trail. The edge of the trail dropped suddenly hundreds of feet into a gorge. Lose rocks and boulder from what must have been a landslide crushed trees and foliage below.
'Judging by the look, the landslide must have been recently. It was probably caused by that crashed ship.'
'How do I get across this? I could try and jump the distance, but I don't know if my injured leg will be able to support my landing. I need to find a solution.'
As Ephrien contemplated a solution to cross the chasm, David was busy preparing for his fight with the hoard. He refused to be as unprepared as last time.
'Let's go! Let's go David they are coming! You need to be quicker!' He yelled at himself in his own mind as he worked to set up barricades and small piles of rock he could use to disrupt and injure the hoard quickly making their way towards him.
"Alright I guess this will have to do. Hopefully this works." David mumbled as he tried to psychologically prepare himself.
Just like last time he positioned himself at the end of the chokepoint created by the landslide. The first possessed entered his kill zone without care for its own preservation. The loose rock shook under the charging hoard. Same as before, they began colliding with each other, injuring themselves upon the jutting bone, claws, horns, spikes, and mutated limbs of their fellow possessed, as they fought and struggled to enter the choke point.
The snap of las fire filled the air as David methodically removed limbs from the possessed as they made their way through the corridor like choke point. A small smile creased his lips as he watched one of the possessed tumble over the side of the trail edge after he blew a hole through its leg.
*****
Hearing the sound of las fire in the distance above her, Ephrien no longer had time to contemplate or think of a solution. She grabbed the thread on her workers shoe and removed it. The thick cord, meant to be durable enough to hold even in harsh conditions and extreme wear, was rough and caked in mud.
With a mix of delicate effort and nervous speed, Ephrien set to work tying the cord around her waist and the las pistol. Once done she shifted herself to be in a direct line crossing the shortest gap in the chasm.
With a deep breath she began to take step backwards, away from the chasm while doing her best to ensure she was still in a straight line.
'You can do this Ephiren. The God Emperor has given you a mission. This is your trial to prove yourself. He has sent one of his holy warrior, clad in the flesh of a mortal to guide and protect you. The sisters, the children, everyone in the town. They all sacrificed themselves and died so you could fulfill this duty. Their souls are watching from alongside the God Emperor. YOU CAN NOT FAIL THEM!'
With this final thought Ephrien sprinted towards the chasm. With a roar of faith, she leapt into the air.
Her injured leg buckled and broke as the weight of her landing pushed its already strained state beyond its limits
"AHHHH!" The scream burst from her lips as the pain flooded her mind. Hot wet tears leaked from her eyes. She forced her eyes shut and ground her teeth to prevent a wail of agony from pouring forth from her throat.
With hesitation she slowly opened her eyes and looked down towards her ruined leg. White jagged spikes of broken bone jutted from torn skin and muscle, blood flowed freely. The pain lanced through her in pulses that felt as if she was being electrocuted and burned.
"Ahhh ... gauh ... NO! ... I need to ... keep going ... I need to keep .... moving"
The words exited her lips in a mix of yells and broken whispers, as her fingers dug into the loose gravel. With a grunt and exhale of effort, Ephrien began to drag herself away from the chasm. Her eyes burned with a fire and dedication.
'The god Emperor is watching. I will not fail him. I must show my devotion and worth.'
'The god Emperor is watching. I will not fail him. I must show my devotion and worth.'
Her fingers bleed as the gravel and loose rock broke skin, but even through the pain she continued to drag herself. Repeating the mantra in her head over and over again.
'The god Emperor is watching. I will not fail him. I must show my devotion and worth.'
'The god Emperor is watching. I will not fail him. I must show my devotion and worth.'
A low inhuman growl sounded in the distance. When the sound reached Ephrien's ear, a wave of nausea swept over her like a tide. She began to cough and gag.
Further down the trail a bloated possessed with no head or arms shuffled its way towards her on 20 centipede-like legs. A massive hole took up most of its bloated torso. A black and yellow goo dripped from the top of the hole onto a strangely preserved human head that seemed to somehow float in the center of the gaping hole. Its body seemed to shift and blur as if it was a mirage.
Ephrien let out a rage filled grunt as she fumbled around for the las pistol. Using the cord she was able to draw the weapon and fire a shot at the thing.
As if mocking Ephrien the thing let out another wet, guttural howl. The thing's form shuttered and more goo dripped down onto the floating head. Goo poured out of the head's eyes, ears, noes, and mouth. Magots crawled out from the skin, flies materialized and vanished in the air around the thing, as it continued its slow stumbling shuffle towards Ephrien.
Ephrien fired two more shots, but the same thing happened as the first shot. She watched in disbelief and horror as the shots seemed to pass through the thing as if it wasn't there. The creature's malignant form curled and twisted like mucus filled smoke as the las shots passed harmlessly through it.
******
David fired shot after shot into the writhing mass that was the hoard of possessed. Using the makeshift barricade, he was able to slow the ones that broke through the crowd and rushed down the choke point towards him.
Seeing the hoard reach a critical mass at the edge of the chokepoint, David took a deep breath and prepared to fire at the pile of rocks he had places towards the semi wall like structure that formed one of the sides of the choke point.
A horrific and sickening scream hit his ears from below and behind him. The screaming slowly changed to a gurgling sound and a rotting stench. The desperate gurgle filled David's ears for another second before it grew too quiet to hear.
'FUCK! Ephrien! Something must have attacked her.'