Chereads / Harbinger's Determination / Chapter 29 - A rocky start

Chapter 29 - A rocky start

Dimas sprints towards Clarke. The plan is basically to get to Clarke before he can gather any rocks.

Dimas estimates that he has about 30 seconds before Clarke is ready to start shooting off rocks. It shouldn't take more than 3 seconds to close the distance between them.

Clarke takes a single step back but Dimas is already in front of him ready to deliver a blow. Clarke raises his hand.

[That block isn't gonna work.]

Dimas smirks but a blow to his chin wipes it clean off. Dimas staggers back.

[How?]

Dimas didn't see what hit him but he knew what it felt like to be hit by a rock. He notices Clarke's hand, his fingers are pointed up. He wasn't trying to block at all, he was directing a rock.

Clarke quickly raises his hand and almost instantly every rock within his area of influence begins to float.

[Faker…]

It dawns on Dimas that Clarke had purposefully hidden the true speed of his powers. Nevertheless, Dimas still believes the match shouldn't be too difficult. The only reason the first rock hurt him was because he wasn't prepared for it.

Dimas prepares for another run at Clarke but before he can make a move, Clarke sends a single rock flying his way. Dimas watches as it flies over his head, off by a few feet.

[He missed? Don't tell me…]

Another rock makes contact against Dimas's shoulder. It felt like someone had taken a metal bat to his shoulder. This was much stronger than the first rock. Probably because the first rock was thrown by instinct and not at full power.

[It was a distraction and fell for it.]

Another rock comes flying at Dimas's head. He's able to duck in time, the rock makes the most threatening Whoosh! noise Dimas has ever heard, but is unable to avoid the rocks aimed at his legs.

The rocks smash against his shins causing Dimas to fall to his knees and hands.

[Can't believe Carver took this for five minutes. This guy's no joke but why do I get the feeling he's toying with me?]

These rock shots are vastly different from the ones against Carver. There's more precision behind the rock shots this time around. Carver took machine gun fire while Dimas is currently getting sniper shots.

[But why?]

Dimas could only come up with one possible reason. Clarke isn't taking him seriously, he didn't think that he should exert himself over a small fry like Dimas. Understandable when compared to Carver who is more formidable-looking. But Dimas had a hard time believing this because to him Clarke didn't look the type to have an ego.

While Dimas always finds it annoying when his opponents underestimate him, this time he'll see it as a blessing in disguise. There's no way he would last more than a few minutes against Clarke's full power.

The problem now is how to proceed. He could try flinging himself towards Clarke just like he did against Daniel.

Clarke shoots a few more rocks at Dimas. Dimas rolls out of harm's way and gets back up.

[Bad idea. Hitting those rocks at that speed could leave me like swiss cheese.]

Dimas could always try running at him again, dodging any rocks that Clarke shoots out.

[I'm not that fast and that'll probably push him to begin a barrage.]

For the time being, all Dimas can do is remain on the defensive while he thinks of other strategies. Every time Clarke shoots a few rocks, Dimas is able to move out of the way but both knew Dimas couldn't keep it up forever. Then again, neither can Clarke but chances are that Dimas would get tired first.

[Dammit… This is annoying.]

A few more rocks are hurled toward Dimas, once more he rolls out of the way, but just when he thinks he's in the clear, a rock strikes him against the head. Before he knows it, Dimas is on the ground. The strike made him lose consciousness for a second. Everything blurs together. The audience, the arena, and the sky become nothing but a mess of colors. Every sound comes through as if Dimas was underwater.

A silhouette comes into view, its outline barely separating itself from the rest.

"You're…conscious? …Good." Clarke is standing over Dimas like a vulture waiting for its meal.

His words are muffled but clearer than anything else. It takes all of Dimas's focus, or at least all that he can muster at the moment, to understand Clarke.

"You…hurt…Daniel." Clarke's voice is monotone. Dimas has heard more emotion from horrible actors in even worse movies.

"So?" Dimas's vision begins to return to normal but makes no effort to move cause of the small feeling of nausea.

Clarke tilts his head slightly. "...So?" Then gives a swift kick to the side of Dimas's stomach.

[That's not helping the nausea…]

"He…was…my friend." Clarke kicks Dimas again. "You…hurt...him...I...hurt...you."

Clarke tries kicking Dimas again but Dimas manages to grab the kick. Before Dimas can do anything else, Clarke shoots a rock at Dimas's hand. Dimas grits his teeth and lets go but Clarke proceeds to continue pelting Dimas with rocks. Clarke avoids hitting Dimas in the head and instead mainly aims for his legs and back with an occasional kick to the ribs.

Clarke is trying to drag this for as long as he can and Dimas knows it, but he covers his head and neck with his hands just in case Clarke suddenly decides to stop playing around.

[I'm not in a good position to fight back and there's no way he'll let me get up. What's the play here? Whatever it is, gotta do it quick.]

Dimas places the palms of his hands to the ground, summons the flecks, and pushes with all his might.

Everyone, including Clarke, are surprised by the stunt. Dimas looks like a ragdoll that was thrown violently into the air by a child. He flails around, Dimas only thought about the escape, not the landing. Luckily for Dimas, he's able to break his fall to avoid any serious injury, too bad it's in the form of hitting a stone pillar on his way down. Dimas is pretty sure it'll leave a bruise on his left side but at least he managed to get away.

[But now what?]