(Archived) Poth Short Stories and One-Shots

Night Terror - Chapter 1

Some of you may have noticed that I've begun editing my older stories. I'm happy to say I've been able to add a bit of something new to each story, with one in particular being fleshed out quite a bit (it went from 300-ish words to over 700). 

Anything that uses 'chapter' instead of 'part' in the title has been edited, so give those a re-read alongside this if you want to~

Chapter Warnings: Character death, blood (marrow), swearing

***

Rurik was woken by the sound of muffled footsteps downstairs. Assuming it was Lotus puttering about in the kitchen, he rubbed the sleep from his sockets and glanced at the clock on his phone. The display read 1:13 am.

Lotus usually doesn't get up to make breakfast until six. Maybe he had a nightmare or something... well, he's not in here pestering me to wake up, so it must not be that bad. I might be able to catch a few more hours of shuteye before I have to get up.

As he rolled over to go back to sleep, he heard a muffled voice... one that was far too low and rough to be his companion's.

With his senses now on high alert he jumped out of bed, snatching his knife holster off the nightstand in the process, and crept to the door.

Pushing the door open slightly, multiple hushed voices joined the footfalls. Through the landing's balusters, beams of light could be seen sweeping around the first floor.

Dammit, some dumbasses broke into the house. So much for sleep...

Easing the door open enough for him to slip through, Rurik snuck out onto the landing. He tensed as a nearby shadowed figure startled at his entrance onto the landing. Before he could lash out, though, the dim shine of a solitary red eye light revealed it was only Lotus. His silhouette was barely recognizable without his scarf and cloak, a black hoodie and sweatpants making up his sleepwear.

Those clowns must have woken him too.

Lotus seemed to visibly relax as well, going back to watching the scene below from his spot overlooking the first floor... though his eye light and the barely audible rattle of bones still gave away his nerves. Keeping low, Rurik took up a spot next to the smaller.

Catching each other's glances, Lotus pointed down, held up five fingers, then shifted the scythe next to him and held up two fingers.

Five intruders, two armed.

I'd be fine down there, but Lotus' scythe is too unwieldy to use in the house. He should avoid close combat. Sniping from the upper landing with bone constructs should work.

Rurik silently relayed his plan, waiting for Lotus' nod of confirmation before standing up and pulling his knife free from its holster. He wouldn't bother with the stairs. A quick drop onto his first target would give him the element of surprise and preferably send the rest into a panic.

The armed skeleton vaulted over the railing once a shadow got into position below, landing square on top of them and smirking at the startled yelp they produced, sinking his knife into its target. Yanking the knife out, he found his footing and scanned his surroundings for the next closest target. A whoosh beside him let him know his first victim was a monster. Now, it was a sad pile of dust.

Four left.

Four figures rushed toward him, one stopping short as another next to them was impaled by a set of jagged bones, dusting moments later. Risking a glance upward as he parried a knife strike, the skeleton spotted Lotus preparing a second volley of bones to attack the intruders.