Fill Challenge 111, Original, Lemy'es
Oct. 3rd, 2022 07:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lantairvlea posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
tenminutesadayO, hey guys! Still pounding away on the novel so I'm definitely getting my minutes in, if not related to the challenges. Doesn't help my work hours have exploded so I'm having to eek time in even moreso than usual.
"You're holding back, Kallon Hillenbohn." Triden finally said. "Why?"
Kallon didn't respond, just glared back at Triden through narrowed eyes. He was done talking. They could guess and speculate, he wasn't going to give them anything they wanted if he could help it. Triden frowned back at Kallon's silence. "Doesn't matter." Triden finally broke off and shifted his attention to the other men. Once Triden's back was turned Kallon caught himself on the construct and then eased himself down to the floor. He sat cross-legged and pressed his head in his hands, willing the headache that was pounding on the left side of his head to go away.
They ignored Kallon as Boldesef DeBauin was tended to and eventually lifted and carried up the tight spiral stairs. The man was still unconscious and there was a large bloodstain on the floor where he had been. Triden watched them go and remained behind, frowning down at the stained floor before turning his attention back to Kallon.
"The air is getting a bit thick in there." Triden commented casually. Just Kallon's eyes shifted up to glare back, but he didn't move otherwise. "Will you walk back in there like a man or will I have to throw you back in like some dumb animal?"
Kallon's lip curled.
"Or can you even get up?" Triden questioned maliciously. "That was quite the blow you took." He said it casually as he stared down at Kallon. More silence, whatever Kallon could deny them he would. Muscles in Triden's neck pulsed as he waited impatiently for some response from Kallon, but Kallon just sat and glared up at Triden through the tops of his lavender eyes, not budging a muscle.
Finally Triden had had enough, with a look of disgust he raised his hands, feeling into the structure and detatching it from its connections with the floor and ceiling. It shifted towards the open door and moved smoothly until it connected with Kallon's back. He fought his initial reaction to recoil from the feel of the construct and braced against it.
Triden's frown deepened and he engaged the construct harder, drawing it to the door. Kallon felt himself sliding and twisted around to push his shoulder against it while getting his legs under him. The structure wasn't so dense as the first one he had encountered with Triden. Maybe he could just make a hole in it. Maybe he could be fast enough to get to Triden before he could build another structure. Maybe it wouldn't wear him out too bad. Kallon put his hands on it and continued to push and strain against its movement, but at the same time feeling into the structure, sensing the space between the pieces and focusing on pushing them apart. His hands sunk into the structure as it parted under them. The construct stopped moving, Triden must have noticed.
"I can build it back faster than you can destroy it." Triden put his hands on the wall to Kallon's left. The structure thickened and started to shifted to move again.
"Aaarg!" Kallon shouted and turned towards Triden, throwing his fist at Triden's face. The move caught Triden by surprise and he jerked back. Instead of rebounding off the structure Kallon's fist pushed through it, slowing and stopping at his elbow. Before he could pull back and do more Triden was on the offensive again, tightening the construct down around Kallon's arm, threatening to cut into the flesh and adding a section over Kallon's arm to keep him from attempting to use heat against Triden. Both of them were breathing heavy from the effort, Triden leaning into the structure and Kallon cursing under his breath as he tried to jerk his arm out.
Triden started to laugh as he caught his breath and straightened, looking triumphantly at Kallon. "You are full of surprises Kallon Hillenbohn."
Kallon glared back and put his left hand beside his right elbow and managed to move the construct just enough to pull his arm back out. He stepped back and shook out his arm several times, working his fingers and wrist as he walked a small circle within the boundaries of the construct, still fuming, but trying to cool down.
"Imagine what you could do with actual instruction instead of just fumbling through it." Triden said.
Kallon ignored him. He had to be smarter about this. He needed to build his energy back up, not waste it. Triden was right, he couldn't match them when it came to the constructs. They had years of training, he had nothing. He had to figure out how to work his own skills to his advantage, but it wouldn't be today. He hadn't pushed himself to the edge of exhaustion this time, but it still set him back.
Triden appeared to change tactics. Instead of trying to shift the structure again and potentially having to fight Kallon over it, he built it out the few feet left to the door before removing the section between Kallon and the concrete cell. Triden didn't end there, he shrunk the area where Kallon wasn't standing and glaring back at him, just leaving a narrow track to the room and then spent several long minutes condensing and thickening the construct. When he was finished it was clear with the barest hint of a blue tinge.
Triden stepped back to assess his work, breathing heavy and looking drained. So the man did have limits Kallon noted with satisfaction. Triden pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the sweat from his face. "That will hold you until we get back." Triden nodded and left, limping heavily up the stairs as the effort seemed to aggravate the burn wounds that were no doubt still healing around his ankles.
"You're holding back, Kallon Hillenbohn." Triden finally said. "Why?"
Kallon didn't respond, just glared back at Triden through narrowed eyes. He was done talking. They could guess and speculate, he wasn't going to give them anything they wanted if he could help it. Triden frowned back at Kallon's silence. "Doesn't matter." Triden finally broke off and shifted his attention to the other men. Once Triden's back was turned Kallon caught himself on the construct and then eased himself down to the floor. He sat cross-legged and pressed his head in his hands, willing the headache that was pounding on the left side of his head to go away.
They ignored Kallon as Boldesef DeBauin was tended to and eventually lifted and carried up the tight spiral stairs. The man was still unconscious and there was a large bloodstain on the floor where he had been. Triden watched them go and remained behind, frowning down at the stained floor before turning his attention back to Kallon.
"The air is getting a bit thick in there." Triden commented casually. Just Kallon's eyes shifted up to glare back, but he didn't move otherwise. "Will you walk back in there like a man or will I have to throw you back in like some dumb animal?"
Kallon's lip curled.
"Or can you even get up?" Triden questioned maliciously. "That was quite the blow you took." He said it casually as he stared down at Kallon. More silence, whatever Kallon could deny them he would. Muscles in Triden's neck pulsed as he waited impatiently for some response from Kallon, but Kallon just sat and glared up at Triden through the tops of his lavender eyes, not budging a muscle.
Finally Triden had had enough, with a look of disgust he raised his hands, feeling into the structure and detatching it from its connections with the floor and ceiling. It shifted towards the open door and moved smoothly until it connected with Kallon's back. He fought his initial reaction to recoil from the feel of the construct and braced against it.
Triden's frown deepened and he engaged the construct harder, drawing it to the door. Kallon felt himself sliding and twisted around to push his shoulder against it while getting his legs under him. The structure wasn't so dense as the first one he had encountered with Triden. Maybe he could just make a hole in it. Maybe he could be fast enough to get to Triden before he could build another structure. Maybe it wouldn't wear him out too bad. Kallon put his hands on it and continued to push and strain against its movement, but at the same time feeling into the structure, sensing the space between the pieces and focusing on pushing them apart. His hands sunk into the structure as it parted under them. The construct stopped moving, Triden must have noticed.
"I can build it back faster than you can destroy it." Triden put his hands on the wall to Kallon's left. The structure thickened and started to shifted to move again.
"Aaarg!" Kallon shouted and turned towards Triden, throwing his fist at Triden's face. The move caught Triden by surprise and he jerked back. Instead of rebounding off the structure Kallon's fist pushed through it, slowing and stopping at his elbow. Before he could pull back and do more Triden was on the offensive again, tightening the construct down around Kallon's arm, threatening to cut into the flesh and adding a section over Kallon's arm to keep him from attempting to use heat against Triden. Both of them were breathing heavy from the effort, Triden leaning into the structure and Kallon cursing under his breath as he tried to jerk his arm out.
Triden started to laugh as he caught his breath and straightened, looking triumphantly at Kallon. "You are full of surprises Kallon Hillenbohn."
Kallon glared back and put his left hand beside his right elbow and managed to move the construct just enough to pull his arm back out. He stepped back and shook out his arm several times, working his fingers and wrist as he walked a small circle within the boundaries of the construct, still fuming, but trying to cool down.
"Imagine what you could do with actual instruction instead of just fumbling through it." Triden said.
Kallon ignored him. He had to be smarter about this. He needed to build his energy back up, not waste it. Triden was right, he couldn't match them when it came to the constructs. They had years of training, he had nothing. He had to figure out how to work his own skills to his advantage, but it wouldn't be today. He hadn't pushed himself to the edge of exhaustion this time, but it still set him back.
Triden appeared to change tactics. Instead of trying to shift the structure again and potentially having to fight Kallon over it, he built it out the few feet left to the door before removing the section between Kallon and the concrete cell. Triden didn't end there, he shrunk the area where Kallon wasn't standing and glaring back at him, just leaving a narrow track to the room and then spent several long minutes condensing and thickening the construct. When he was finished it was clear with the barest hint of a blue tinge.
Triden stepped back to assess his work, breathing heavy and looking drained. So the man did have limits Kallon noted with satisfaction. Triden pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the sweat from his face. "That will hold you until we get back." Triden nodded and left, limping heavily up the stairs as the effort seemed to aggravate the burn wounds that were no doubt still healing around his ankles.
