Calm and Calamity

Chapter 24

The young woman cocked her head to the side then closed her fist around the stinger and yanked back, pulling the tail out of the metal scorpion.

Sparks shot out of the severed tail, and Bryce writhed in pain, his scream sharp and echoing throughout the room. He recoiled back, but then regained his composure and fake confidence. "You'll pay for that, blondie. I can still beat you without the venom!"

Corinna cast the severed tail aside, and the metal limb landed with a clattering thud, causing parts of the floorboards to shatter. She looked down at her remaining hand, her skin completely solid gold, that was until she saw a black dot appear. It grew larger, forming into a swirl that expanded, branching off into more swirls and delicate patterns covering her entire body. A set of black eyes formed on her face, along with a pair of black lips. A lace-like pattern of black spirals formed on her forehead and grew upwards then jutted out into a thin thorn-like crown spiking out of her head. Her golden blonde hair, now seeming to be even shinier and glossier than before, cascaded down behind her. Large pauldrons formed on her shoulders, then a breastplate, greaves, a gauntlet on her remaining hand, and other armour pieces, all in a matching gold with black embellishments. A long flowing fauld skirt billowed out from behind Corinna's waist.

Her stub of a right arm jerked upwards and twisted itself. A thin jet of black shot out then grew thicker and sprouted out four fingers and a thumb. Corinna turned her new arm around, stretching it out. It was solid black, void of any other colour, whilst wearing its own gauntlet.

Bryce froze, having seen Corinna regrow a limb in her new form. His metal limbs rattled and clattered as they shook.

"Well," said the golden knight, her voice deep and distorted like it was through a filter. Though she spoke, the painted black lips on her masked face did not move. "Let's see what this form can do, shall we?" Corinna rushed forward, the floorboards breaking from her armoured boots. She grappled Bryce with her new right arm and threw him across the room to the door.

The metal scorpion groaned and tumbled back up onto his numerous legs.

Corinna clicked her neck and rolled back her shoulders. She picked up her spear from the floor and twirled around with more flourish than she could ever do before. "You have one last chance to leave and never return," she hissed, pointing the spear at the metal scorpion.

Bryce laughed. "That's never going to happen, blondie-"

His body hurtled into the front door, smashing through it and taking parts of the wall with him. The metal scorpion crashed and rolled across the grassy sand until he finally stopped several metres away from the house. He slowly picked himself back up and glanced over to the gaping hole where the front door had been. There stood the golden knight, her spear raised and prepared to make another strike.

Corinna stepped down from the porch and onto the ground. "Come any closer, and I won't hesitate to attack you again."

Snarling, Bryce rushed at her and swiped at Corinna with his metal claws. The golden knight jumped up, gracefully evading his attacks. Bryce gazed up and gasped as he saw that the knight had jumped several meters into the air, then landed on the other side of him.

"One last chance," said Corinna, her voice flat. "Leave."

With a vengeful cry, Bryce lashed out in one last desperate attempt. His metal claw stopped a mere inch away from the golden knight's masked face as Corinna caught it with her black metal hand.

"You only have yourself to blame," she said. With her other hand, her fingers gripped tightly onto the edges of the metal scorpion's face then pulled back.