[SP-F4] White Out <<Avalanche>> [Completed]

[Lessa 1]

The wind howled angrily. It pulled at her hair, throwing it into a tangled mess at the base of her neck. Her cheeks burned, and wrapped her arms tighter around her torso. She knew that it was bad practice to walk through a dangerous area without her sword drawn, but she could not carry the claymore and keep herself warm at the same time. So Hell Rose had been strapped to her back, and Lessa had continued to trudge through the deep snow.

Despite the snow storm that raged around her, Lessa felt that she could not turn back now. She had been walking for over an hour, and she knew she could not be far from her destination. In anticipation for the coming boss battle, Lessa had decided to collect a few more skill points. When a NPC had offered her a quest, she had taken it without hesitation. And even now, frozen to the bone, Lessa was determined to keep going.

I need to be stronger, barked that voice in her head. And to be stronger, I need to push myself.

[Lessa 1]

"It has to be around here somewhere," Lessa growled through chattering teeth. The storm continued to rage around her. Though she was still freezing, she was thankful that she had invested in some warmer clothes to wear beneath her armor. Snowflakes clung to her eyelashes, and she blinked rapidly to clear her vision.

The snow was getting deeper. As she continued to trudge through it, she found that some drifts were now up to her knees. I won't be able to fight in this, she found herself thinking. This thought worried her. She had heard that this beast was a pretty formidable opponent, and if she couldn't even move through the snow, maybe she was getting in over her head. Walking through the high drifts was already beginning to tire her out. How long can I keep this up?

[Lessa 1]

Suddenly, the ground began to shake beneath her. Immediately, the girl instinctively brought up her her menu, and equipped her armor and weapons. As the ribbons of color swirled around her, and her items materialized on her body, Lessa turned toward the source of the noise.

If she had not seen it herself, she would have sworn that the nearby mountain was splitting in two. Trees toppled, and the snow rushed downward around her. The woman stood in awe, her blue eyes wide, the stinging wind tearing at her cheeks. "What is that?" She breathed.

It was Avalanche, the enemy she had been sent to kill. It seemed to be made entirely of ice, yet it moved with surprising grace. Its face was twisted into an enraged scowl, and then it let out another thunderous roar. Lessa cried out, gripping the hilt of her pink claymore tighter. This was going to be tougher than she had expected.

[Lessa 1]

"Alright, you oversized popsicle," Lessa snarled, bending her knees a bit and sizing the creature up. "Time to put you down." She shoved her way through the snow, the drifts making it difficult for her to pick up much speed. Luckily for her, while speed was always nice, she did not depend on it. Hell Rose packed a punch, and she figured that if she could get close enough, she could do some serious damage.

And much to her delight, she was able to get close enough for a solid strike. The great beast was too busy bellowing to notice the small girl moving up beside it. She positioned her claymore in front of Avalanche's leg, then thrust it deep into the ice.

{[700] Rolls a 8. Lessa deals 6 damage - base, +3 two-handed skill, +2 Hell Rose.}

Lessa: 21/21

Avalanche: 44/50

[On critical mob rolls, Avalanche's strikes ignore damage mitigation, and deal full damage.]

[Lessa 1]

Avalanche's Turn

The great beast gave an enraged cry as the weapon was buried in its leg. Avalanche had thought little of the puny human when it had first laid eyes on her. A party may have concerned it, but one little girl? A joke! It had laughed at the sight of her. But the strike had caught it off guard, and now it was angry. It would not let her touch it again.

It swung an enormous, icy arm toward the blonde. But much to its dismay, she easily sidestepped the attack. This only caused it to emit another angry scream, shaking the snow from nearby trees, and sending virtual birds scattering in all directions.

{[778] Mob: 3. Loot: 17. Avalanche's attack misses.}

Lessa: 21/21

Avalanche: 44/50

[Lessa 1]

Even in her heavy armor, Lessa was able to avoid Avalanche's attack. The heavy drifts tugged at her legs, making it difficult for her to move, but Avalanche's attack had been sloppy. Maybe this won't be so bad after all, the blonde thought to herself.

She was ready for her next move. Fueled by this new-found confidence, Lessa threw herself at the enemy's other leg. Again, she found the weak spot, and lined her heavy blade up with the crease. Throwing her full weight behind the sword, she sunk it into the ice.

It was enough to throw the creature off-balance. She hurried out of the way as the blue beast toppled to one side.

{[782] Battle: 9. Loot: 1. Lessa deals 7 damage - base, +1 critical, +2 Hell Rose, +3 two-handed skill.}

Lessa: 21/21

Avalanche: 37/50

[Lessa 1]

Avalanche's Turn

Avalanche tumbled to one side, and the snow was shoved aside by his large, icy legs. The small enemy had managed to scurry away before Avalanche crashed to the ground, which was a real shame. Had she stayed there, perhaps it could have dealt her a bit of damage. Roaring with frustration, the blue monster climbed to its feet. Its entire being shook with rage as it swept the snow-covered terrain for the the enemy. Finally, it spotted her, a small, pink speck amid a sea of white.

It screamed at her, bits of snow flying from its mouth. Then it lunged, throwing its entire body toward her, and taking a swipe with its great arm. The solid ice struck the small creature, and sent her flying backwards.

{[784] Battle: 10. Loot: 3. Avalanche deals 5 damage - 3 base, +2 critical. Critical roll means Lessa's armor mitigates 0 damage.}

Lessa: 16/21

Avalanche: 37/50

(Note: I am going to begin using the "battle" dice for Avalanche's turn, rather than the "mob" dice. I just noticed that "mob" dice isn't retrievable after the results leave the front page.)

[Lessa 1]

Lessa's high-pitched scream was drowned out by the cry of the icy beast. She fell to the ground, hard, with a dull thud. Her head screamed, and her entire body seemed to throb. Her chest felt tight beneath her breastplate, and she gasped for breath. One strike, and nearly a quarter of her health was gone.

"Get up," she growled between gulps of cold air. The storm continued to rage around her, and the snow felt damp beneath her body. It would have been easier to lay there. "You have to get up," she whispered again. "If you don't, it will kill you."

With every ounce of strength, she climbed back to her feet. Her claymore had fallen a few paces away, so she picked it up with a soft groan of pain. She lifted the weapon up over her head, but the battering wind and the pain in her body brought her down to one knee.

{[792] Battle: 2. Loot: 8. Lessa's attack misses.}

Lessa: 16/21

Avalanche: 37/50

[Lessa 1]

Avalanche's Turn

Avalanche stared down at the small human, a look of pure bliss on its face. The enemy had struck a few times, sure. But the damage she had done was miniscule. It had crushed her with one strike. And it would continue to do so, as it looked like the enemy was down for the count.

The ground rumbled with each step as Avalanche approached Lessa. With a roar, it swatted at the little human.

{[793] Battle: 8. Loot: 17. Avalanche deals 4 damage - 3 base, +1 critical.}

Lessa: 12/21

Avalanche: 37/50

[Lessa 1]

The second strike hurt just as bad as the first. Lessa was sent reeling, and this time, when she lay out the ground, she found it more difficult to stand. Her health bar was nearing the yellow now - Avalanche had stolen half of her her health in two hits. Am I going to die? The blonde found herself thinking. I can't die. Not here. Not alone. Not like this. Her eyes began to water, tears of sadness mingling with tears of pain.

Her body shook furiously as she climbed to her feet for a second time. Dragging her blade behind her as she approached Avalanche, her face was hard. People need you, a small voice in the back of voice reminded her. They need you to live. They need you to come home safe. They need you to run their guild. They need you to get through this.

This was the burst of strength she needed. Lessa lifted her blade, and though her legs still shook, she charged Avalanche. Her blade took off a considerable piece of Avalanche's leg.

{[794] Battle: 10. Loot: 6. Lessa deals 8 damage - base, +2 critical, +2 Hell Rose, +3 two-handed skill.}

Lessa: 12/21

Avalanche: 29/50

[Lessa 1]

Avalanche's Turn

Avalanche gave a cry that nearly knocked Lessa off her feet. "Puny human!" It shouted, the bass in its voice so high her heart shuddered in her chest. "How dare you?" The blonde was once again shocked by the speed in which the ice beast approached her. Its huge feet thudded into the snow, packing it down with each step.

Avalanche was certainly fast. But Lessa was still faster. She was able to throw herself to one side, just in time to avoid the blue arm that swept over her. As she landed in the snow, Avalanche realized its attack had failed.

{[839] Battle: 5. Loot: 13. Avalanche's attack misses.}

Lessa: 12/21

Avalanche: 29/50

[Lessa 1]

Thankfully, she saw the arm sweeping toward her before it was too late. The heavily armored woman threw her body to one side, crashing into the deep snow, but narrowly missing the enemy's attack. It let out another angry roar when it understood she had not been struck. "Too slow, popsicle," she growled. Then, she slowly climbed to her feet. Each muscle still screamed as she did so; the last two attacks had hit her pretty hard. But she would overcome it. She had to, if she wanted to see the end of this fight.

Luckily, her job became easier with each turn. Avalanche's huge feet had packed much of the snow in the area, and when she was close to him, she no longer had to worry about the calf-high drifts. She would use this to her advantage. Following the edge of the well-packed snow, she moved easily in a circle around Avalanche. Then, suddenly, she turned toward it.

But Avalanche was learning her plan. It was waiting for her when she made a move toward it, and she quickly retreated to the deeper drifts away from it. I'll have to wait.

{[840] Battle: 1. Loot: 11. Lessa's attack misses.}

Lessa: 12/21

Avalanche: 29/50

[Lessa 1]

Avalanche's Turn

Avalanche was not dumb enough to fall for the silly human's tricks. She though she could just run circles around it, and confuse it before attacking? Hah! It was far more intelligent than that. This time, its roar held hints of humor, as if it was laughing at her. "You are worthless," it spat, its booming voice scattering a few remaining birds.

It was not even worth chasing her. Instead, the blue beast let forth another laugh, its feet pounding the ground excitedly. Next time she drew close enough, it would kill her for sure.

{[843] Battle: 1. Loot: 1. Avalanche's attack misses.}

Lessa: 12/21

Avalanche: 29/50

[Lessa 1]

Lessa grit her teeth. Don't listen to him, her mind screamed. And why would she? This thing was not real. It was data, floating around in space. It meant nothing. But it is real, argued a small piece of her mind. As real as the sword in her hand, and the swirling snow at her feet. And the pain was real. And the death would be too, if it came.

Surprisingly, this worked to motivate the girl. She turned toward Avalanche once again, and burst into the well-packed snow. "Let's go," she muttered, her blue eyes narrowing. The wind continued to howl, and her eyes burned; the tears that had collected in the corners had frozen a long time ago. "I want to go home."

This time, she slashed at Avalanche with her pink blade, dealing a significant amount of damage. It felt good.

{[851] Battle: 10. Loot: 3. Lessa deals 8 damage - base, +2 critical, +2 Hell Rose, +3 two-handed skill.}

Lessa: 12/21

Avalanche: 21/50

[Lessa 1]

Avalanche's Turn

Its health bar was in the yellow now. All this did was work to upset the beast. Avalanche wasted no time retaliating this go-around. It had been allowing the small human too much time to prepare herself for the next attack. It could not make that mistake any longer. She could not go on chipping away at its health like this.

It moved into action without missing a beat. Unfortunately, its attack was a little too rushed. It underestimated the distance between them, and when it swiped at her, it fell short. She easily outran Avalanche's attack.

{[857] Battle: 2. Loot: 6. Avalanche's attack misses.}

Lessa: 12/21

Avalanche: 21/50

[Lessa 1]

The young woman felt like she was beginning to build her momentum. Though her body still ached, and her health bar was still hovering dangerously close to the yellow, she was feeling better. The area of packed snow around Avalanche was growing in size, giving her more room to move freely. Her heavy armor, now slippery with ice, was the only thing that weighed her down. And that was a weight she was used to.

The snow-covered figure lifted her pink blade, taking a few precious seconds to admire how its brilliant pink light cut through the storm. Then, her blue eyes narrowed. She wanted to strike Avalanche again. She wanted to decrease its health further. She wanted this fight to be over.

With a cry, she flew toward Avalanche, raking her glowing blade across its shimmering leg.

{[957] Battle: 7. Loot: 17. Lessa deals 6 damage - base, +2 Hell Rose, +3 two-handed skill.}

Lessa: 12/21

Avalanche: 15/50

[Lessa 1]

Avalanche's Turn

Its health was in the red now. This was unacceptable. The angry beast threw back its head, held out its arms, and gave another tremendous roar. The ground shook beneath their feet. Everything seemed to fall away, and nothing else mattered to Avalanche but ending the player's life.

It dropped to its knees before her, rage taking over, and all common sense leaving. Now, all it wanted to do was bash her into the ground. There were no further taunts, and no bouts of laughter. Just pure, unbridled anger.

It thrust out its long arm, and struck the girl.

{[1003] Battle: 7. Loot: 5. Avalanche deals 0 damage (mitigated by Lessa's breastplate).}

Lessa: 12/21

Avalanche: 15/50

[Lessa 1]

Her breath left her lungs in a soft puff of smoke. It hung in the cold air, not moving, though her body was shoved backwards by the impact. Luckily for her, the attack was placed directly in the middle of her breastplate. It was enough to lift her off her fleet, and send her sprawling in the nearby snowbank, but she took no damage. Lessa lay in the snow for only a few seconds, gasping to fill her lungs, and catch her breath to the best of her ability. Then, she was back on her feet.

 

Avalanche's health was low now, and enemies with low health are often unpredictable. The rage that they are coded to experience often overtakes them, and their actions are no longer predictable or rational. This is when an enemy is the most dangerous, and the woman refused to be caught lying around.

 

She plucked her pink sword from the snow pile, and lunged toward Avalanche. The monster was still on its knees, so she was able to take a chip out of its shoulder with a single swipe of her blade.

 

{[1018] Battle: 6. Lessa deals 6 damage - base, +2 Hell Rose, +3 two-handed skill.}

 

Lessa: 12/21

 

Avalanche: 9/50

[Lessa 1]

Avalanche's Turn

Less than ten health left. Avalanche threw back its head, threw open its arms, and gave a scream that put its others to shame. Its eyes rolled, and its entire body shook in anger. It was running out of time to smash the small human. It had to act now. If it did not, the enemy might end it. And that just would not do.

It thundered toward Lessa, its arms swinging madly, its mouth twisted in an evil sneer. Much to its delight, it struck her, and sent her flying backwards.

{[1140] Battle: 8. Loot: 1. Avalanche deals 3 damage.}

[Armor is ineffective when Avalanche is under 10 HP.]

Lessa: 9/21

Avalanche: 9/50

[Lessa 1]

The young woman let out a groan, her head pounding. Avalanche's attack had sent her flying back into a nearby snow bank, and it took her a bit more time to come-to this time. She took a deep, shuddering breath. You have to get up, her mind screamed. Avalanche was not going to give her any time, as its low health was already causing it to become enraged. But her own health was under 10 now, which meant one more heavy strike could kill her.

But finally, she threw her body to one side, and was able to roll away as Avalanche's fist landed in the snow. She leapt to her feet, crying out in pain as her battered body moved into action. She brought up her sword, and let it fall on Avalanche's arm before it was able to retreat.

{[1141] Battle: 5 + 2 (accuracy from gauntlets) = 7. Lessa deals 6 damage - base, +2 Hell Rose, +3 two-handed skill.}

Lessa: 9/21

Avalanche: 3/50