Write 2 Rank 2023: Knightmare Games

Round 7, Brown Belt: Cliffhanger

Wind and sand beat against my face, snatching at my cloak and biting into my exposed flesh. Unlike my peers huddled in the cabin below, my gear provided me with a +1 protection against the arid environmental hazards. The bonus didn't make it any easier to see, but at least I didn't have to deal with the cramped quarters. The roar of the winds were dying and I could only assume the tram had finally reached the eye of the sandstorm. After two days of plowing through on a train at full tilt, I was starting to think the maelstrom had no boundaries.

The roar of the beast of a storm suddenly dropped to a distant keening and we were out of it. A sandy desert expanse stretched on for miles ahead of us. Brownish-red mountains jutted out of the sand like pointy teeth and high above was a circle of blue sky, the gullet of a great monstrosity. Brown-gray walls of whipping wind framed it all. The great storm of Shidar-shin.

Our quarry was said to make its nest here at the center.

The cabin door clanged open and the others poured out. Dream Girl, with their lithe form and mane of long flowing pink hair, looked more like an 80s supermodel than a top ranked gamer. Looper stood tall with skin like pale gold and blood red eyes, the storm's high walls blocking out the sun rays that would have harmed his delicate flesh. Tyde was a hulking mass of muscles and armor, who was happy to take penalties to movement in order to wear his space navy platemail. Next to the three of them, I looked shorter than my five foot frame. My electric blue pixie cut and pale metallic skin made me look like a toy.

"So this is the team that's gonna help me make the championship," I said under my breath.

Dream Girl scaled the ladder at my feet and stood beside me, clutching their cloak against the winds. The train arrowed across the desert sand on its circuit around the barren world.

"Tell me about the waters of your homeworld, Crimson," they said, their voice a light countertenor.

I laughed.

"I've always wanted to say that."

I studied Dream Girl, their avatar modeled to look like the most beautiful woman in the IRL world. "You've never struck me as a reader."

"I'm not, but I love those movies."

I smiled. This was the most we'd talked since the four of us put together our tentative alliance. The Knightmare Game's championships were swiftly approaching and the clan players were snatching up all of the qualifier seats. Clearly this year's game favored teamwork.

"You ready for this?" I asked, gesturing out in front of us. The train ate up miles of desert, but it seemed like we had forever to sit in the eye of the great storm.

"We chose the largest beast on the bounty board in order to get this done in one shot," they said. "If we aren't ready now, we probably won't ever be."

"That's a good way to look at it."

"Incoming!" Tyde bellowed.

Figures dropped out of the sky; women with hawk wings and eagle's talons for feet.

Despite the speed of the train, they came right for us. Tyde whipped out a massive repeating crossbow and opened fire, the weapon launching deadly bolts with a booming thunk sound. A bolt exploded through the chest of one of the attackers, reducing her to a shower of experience. The colorful points divided evenly between us as we all spread out to engage. Looper drew his scimitar and danced around a pair of harpies, slashing one as he rolled beneath the other. Pinning a harpy to the roof of the train, he stomped her head with monstrous strength. She shrieked and splattered, sending experience everywhere.

He made a triumphant whoop and the second harpy slashed an arch across his back that nearly separated his shoulder from his body. He fell and almost rolled off of the train. His vampire lineage was the only reason the massive damage didn't kill him outright. Harpies clawed into Tyde as well, but the big man's armor reduced their damage to more manageable numbers. He couldn't dodge, but he could take quite a beating.