The Encounter with the Corporeal First Evil
Spotty
Spotty stopped in her tracks, her crystalline blue eyes narrowing as she gazed at the monstrous entity before them. It loomed over the crumbled remains of the city like a grotesque colossus, its form pulsating with a sickly, unnatural energy. The corporeal First Evil was a hideous amalgamation of shadow and flesh, its surface rippling as though alive. Tentacle-like appendages writhed out from its core, anchoring it to the ruins around it.
So this is it. The thing that might be more powerful than Ila and me combined. Disgusting, she thought, a mixture of revulsion and curiosity flickering in her mind. Despite her usual confidence, the sheer scale of the First Evil gave her pause. If it notices us before we’re ready, things could go sideways fast.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Spotty whispered, her voice calm but laced with a hint of wry amusement.
Ila
Ila stood beside her, her amber eyes locked on the grotesque form of the First Evil. She tightened her grip on her plasma disruptor, her fingers flexing slightly as adrenaline surged through her veins. It’s worse than I imagined. That thing doesn’t just look powerful—it feels wrong, like it’s oozing corruption into everything around it.
When Spotty spoke, Ila didn’t take her eyes off the entity. She smirked faintly and replied, “That it’s not a proper scouting mission if we don’t assess its capabilities?”
Spotty’s soft smile in response made Ila chuckle despite the tension. Leave it to Spotty to keep her sense of humor, even when staring down something like this.
Their Banter and Thoughts
“So,” Spotty murmured, her crystalline gaze flicking over the First Evil’s form as she began mentally cataloging its features, “you’re thinking we poke it and see what happens?”
“More or less,” Ila replied, a faint grin tugging at her lips despite the situation. I can already hear Elizabeth and Lyra yelling at us in my head. But honestly? They’d probably expect this.
Spotty chuckled softly. “If only Elizabeth and Lyra could see us now.”
“They’d kill us,” Ila quipped, her tone light but her body tense and ready. “Assuming the First Evil doesn’t beat them to it.”
Spotty smirked, her crystalline eyes sparkling with determination. “I promised them we’d bug out at the first signs of trouble. But who defines what ‘trouble’ is, anyway?”
Ila snorted. “You’re unbelievable, you know that?”
Planning the Attack
The two of them crouched behind a crumbled section of wall, their eyes locked on the First Evil as they began formulating their plan.
“Alright,” Spotty began, her tone shifting to something more serious. “We need to figure out exactly what we’re dealing with here. First priority is testing its reaction time and range. If it’s as powerful as we think, we need to know how fast it can respond to threats.”
Ila nodded, her amber eyes sharp. “Agreed. I’ll start with a low-yield plasma shot, see if it even registers. If it doesn’t react, we escalate in stages. Sound good?”
“Perfect,” Spotty replied, a faint grin playing on her lips. “And if it does react, we’ll test its speed and precision. I’ll handle that part.”
Ila raised an eyebrow, her tone teasing. “And by ‘handle,’ you mean you’ll make it chase you while I shoot it in the back?”
“Exactly,” Spotty said with a smirk. “Classic bait-and-switch. What could go wrong?”
Ila rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress a small laugh. “Oh, just about everything. But hey, that’s why we’re here, right?”
Spotty’s smile turned more serious as she placed a hand on Ila’s shoulder. “We’ll be fine. Remember, this is just a scouting mission.”
Ila chuckled darkly. “Yeah, sure. Just a scouting mission.”
The Final Moments Before the Attack
As they finished their whispered conversation, both women adjusted their weapons and prepared to move. Spotty’s crystalline eyes glinted with resolve, while Ila’s amber gaze burned with equal determination.
The First Evil continued to writhe and pulse in the distance, seemingly unaware of their presence. But both Spotty and Ila knew that could change in an instant.
“Ready?” Spotty asked, her voice steady.
Ila nodded, her smirk returning. “Let’s poke the bear.”
And with that, they stepped into the open, weapons raised, ready to face the unimaginable.