Theo stood his ground inside the grey thorn-covered maglev train as multiple bramble thorns closed in on him. The ominous tangle of thorns seemed relentless.
Theo assumed a ready stance with a grin. "Time to shake things up a bit! How about a whirlwind?" he said.
Theo extended his palm towards the oncoming Bramblethorn, a conjuring gust of air that twisted and surged forward. The twisting air collided with the creature, sending soil and debris flying, yet it defiantly endured the assault. Unfazed, Theo, with the fluidity he decided to conclude the skirmish swiftly. In a swift and practiced motion, he withdrew his retractable blade.
Theo wove left and right, his blade expertly slicing through the Bramblethorn's soil and bush-covered exterior. Piece by piece, the Bramblethorn succumbed to Theo's precise strikes until it crumpled lifelessly to the ground. Nimbly avoiding a thorned protrusion on the ground, Theo leaped onto a nearby surface, using the momentum to deliver a powerful kick to the Bramblethorn head, shattering it. As he landed smoothly, a triumphant grin adorned his face, and a chuckle escaped his lips at the defeated Bramblethorn.
Theo grinned. "That's how it's done!"
In the midst of his celebration, a sudden shadow fell from above. Through the train's glass ceiling, a Shadowy Arrow hurtled towards a Bramblethorn that had gone unnoticed by Theo. The arrow slammed into the creature, but instead of delivering an instant kill, it became entangled. Dragged forcefully, the Bramblethorn collided with the metallic surroundings, the arrow firmly lodged in its form and pinned to the wall. The unexpected turn of events brought a pause to Theo's laughter.
Theo's expression changed to awe. "What in the...?"
"Theo, if you decide to have fun, at least focus up, will you?" a voice sounded from above.
Theo, glancing at the struguling Bramblethorn and then looking up, saw Kira aiming her bow down. He chuckled slightly. "Sorry... Thanks," he said.
Theo chuckled. "Well, that's one way to steal my thunder. Impressive."
Kira swiftly notched another arrow, taking aim at another bramble thorn and sending it slamming into the wall. With precision, Theo unsheathed his retractable blades, deftly dealing with the first thorn that had lodged itself and swiftly moving on to dispatch the next one.
'With shadow magic, I need to be within darkness if I want my attacks to be strong,' Kira thought. Kira, As noticed her arrows she recognized the limitation of her abilities without the protective shroud of shadows.
Theo, seamlessly transitioning from Kira's words to the ongoing battle, continued his relentless assault. With each controlled burst of air, he pushed back the encroaching Bramblethorns. striking with lethal precision as he stabbed through their heads, ripping them off with ruthless efficiency. A swift kick sent the lifeless bodies flying, scattering soil in all directions.
Suddenly, a thorned whip, unseen in the chaos, lashed out and coiled around Theo's leg. The stinging pain shot through him, and with a grimace, he swiftly yanked the thorn off. Unyielding, he turned his attention back to the skirmish, swiftly dispatching the Bramblethorn that had dared to attack him.
Meanwhile, Kira, with precision and focus, notched two arrows and sent them flying towards another Bramblethorn that had sneaked up behind Theo. Her arrows found their mark, taking down the threat with deadly accuracy. As she seamlessly moved through the battlefield, dispatching a couple more Bramblethorns, she couldn't help but wonder how Lennox was faring against the rest of the relentless horde.
'Twinkle be safe' Kira thought.
Lennox boldly waved his hand at the encroaching bramble thorns. "Come on, let's do this," he taunted.
Surveying his surroundings, Lennox realized he had limited movement space, with multiple seats and scattered citizen items blocking his way. "Not a lot of room to maneuver. I'll need to keep my distance when needed," he strategized, contemplating the best approach to confront the advancing threat.
Aiming his palms towards the Bramblethorn, Lennox concentrated and launched a fireball. It slammed into the thorn, passing through its shoulder but not fully destroying it. Undeterred, he quickly followed up with another fireball. This time, the bramble thorn exploded, scattering solid remnants onto the seats and windows.
Shifting his focus to another approaching Bramblethorn, Lennox analyzed it and launched yet another fireball. The fiery projectile burned through the bramble thorn's body, but as it progressed, it seemed to slow down upon contact with the solid material. Undaunted, Lennox swiftly launched another fireball, effectively finishing off the Bramblethorn.
"I feel they have become stronger," Lennox thought.
Lennox's eyes narrowed as he analyzed the Bramblethorn bodies, noticing a subtle increase in size but little else. His prior encounters with the Bramblethorn had already allowed him to discern that something was amiss with their body.
Suddenly, Lennox found himself surrounded by six Bramblethorns. The first one lunged, its muddy fist swinging wildly. With lightning-fast reflexes, Lennox smirked. "You're not catching me that easily." he ducked, evading the attack. In retaliation, he struck back with a powerful uppercut, shattering the creature into a spray of mud and twigs.
A strong vibration coursed through his hand, a sensation he couldn't ignore. Yet, there was no time to dwell on the pain as the remaining five Bramblethorn closed in, snarling and hissing.
The second Bramblethorn attacked from behind, but Lennox sensed its presence and spun around, delivering a crushing hook that reduced it to a heap of mud. Lennox grinned. "Nice try."
The third creature attempted a sneak attack from the ceiling, but Lennox leaped, grabbing a metal pipe to swing out of harm's way. In mid-air, he delivered a devastating kick that sent the Bramblethorn crashing into the opposite wall.
Meanwhile, the fourth Bramblethorn tried a different approach, extending its thorny whip to ensnare Lennox. Always one step ahead, he somersaulted over the Bramblethorn, landing gracefully on the other side. With a swift movement, he struck the Bramblethorn with a fireball, causing it to explode in a burst of mud and leaves.
With only two Bramblethorn left, they attacked simultaneously, one from the left and the other from the right. In a breathtaking display of agility, Lennox managed to duck under one attack and sidestep the other, narrowly evading both but still sustaining cuts from the thorn whips. Seizing the opportunity, he launched a rapid series of punches, each one finding its mark and reducing the creatures to a muddy pulp. The battle was a dance of skill and strategy, and Lennox emerged from the onslaught victorious, his body bearing the scars of the bramblethonr thorny whips.
Breathing heavily, covered in mud and sweat, Lennox wiped the mud from his brow and steadied his breathing. With a sigh of relief, he felt the adrenaline slowly fading.
After clearing all the civilians out of the train, Lennox, Kira, and Theo regrouped at the initial arrival point on the side of it. Lennox scanned Kira and Theo's bodies for injuries. "Is everyone okay?" he asked, noticing a couple of cuts and holes that were already starting to heal.
"Yeah, I'm good, just a couple of scratches," Theo answered happily.
Kira just nodded because she was ontop the train, as she didn't get to engage with the Bramblethorn as much as Lennox and Theo did.
Kira looked around and noticed the sun was already almost down. "It's getting dark," she commented. "We should start looking for a shelter to rest for the night."
"Good idea, but where?" Theo said.
"Hmm... How about we just walk around for a while until we see somewhere? Maybe we can kill some more Bramblethorn on the way," Lennox suggested.
While wandering through the city in search of a shelter to hide out and rest for the night, Lennox, Kira, and Theo encountered multiple bramble thorns, dispatching them with ease. As they traversed an alleyway, they sensed a shift in energy. Shadows flickered along the alley's edges, and lingering residual of an unknown energy in the air hinted at a more formidable enemy nearby. Recognizing the need for rest before facing a stronger adversary, they continued their search.
Eventually, they stumbled upon a half-destroyed building, a casualty of the bramble thorn attacks. It appeared as if the structure had borne the brunt of the onslaught. Weary but relieved to find some semblance of shelter.
"This is a good spot," Lennox said, surveying the Bramblethorn spikes around them. "The Bramblethorn probably won't check back here, as they've already attacked this area."
While Lennox and the others were looking around, they suddenly heard Kira's voice. "Hey guys, come look at this!" she shouted from the corner of the room.
"There's a small wisp of nexus energy remaining," Kira said, pointing to a gray wisp of energy about to disappear.
"There's bent metal, ice, and water too," Theo added, pointing nearby the wisp.
"It's either other Nexarc or other Nexus energy users," Lennox speculated.
"By the size of the wisp, that's been there a while. The people who were here are probably long gone," Kira commented. "So, I say it's probably safe to sleep here."
Lennox and the others nodded in agreement and utilized whatever materials they could find to barricade the doors, windows, and walls against potential attacks. With a sense of cautious security, they leaned against a barricaded wall, siting side by side, while keeping watch.
As time passed, Lennox took the first shift for watch duty. After a couple of hours, exhaustion overcame him, and he slid down, unintentionally falling onto Kira lap. undisturbed, she , realizing he needed rest, gently woke him. Taking over the watch duty, Kira kept a vigilant eye on the surroundings, ensuring the safety of the makeshift shelter as Lennox finally succumbed to much-needed sleep.