Snippet #2624789

Helena planted her feet, the divided toes of her boots sliding across the marshy ground as she held the blade up as a guard across her chest.

Something slithered around in the fog, just out of sight, undulating slate coloured coils coated in a layer of slime. It attempted to shift behind her, and with a sudden lunged shot forwards, two pairs of eyes and snapping jaws making for one of her legs.

The blade sliced downwards impacting at the top of its neck, slicing through scales and bone, causing it to shriek and convulse, wriggling around the blade in a disgusting arc that threw bits into her face and made her cringe. Only as the thrashing ceased and the water began to tint an unnatural hue did she place a foot on top of it and tear her sword free.

Clearing the blade off with a cloth she returned it to the covering on her back, and continued to walk. After continuing for some way, her senses wired up for any sort of sound or motion in the mists, she hit a patch of moss. Her foot slipped and she collapsed forward into a pool of deep water. Helena splashed, coughed, reaching out to try and find a handhold but she was being pulled downward, something catching her foot.

Dammit dammit dammit.

Someone was calling. A noise in the distance. Getting closer-

"Helena! It's eight thirty, get a move on!"

The young woman pulled her head up from the pillow, falling onto her back and giving a groan, her bright red hair spread round her like the tentacles of some beached see creature. She remained there for a moment, trying to acclimatize to the bed over the dark marsh-ground, before looking over at the small, stuffed toy next to her.
"Today is the day." she told it.
"Today we're going to get them, right? It cannot carry on."

Her room was untidy at best. Books strewn across the floor and on a borken shelf at one wall. Stuffed animals all over the place, and heaps of drawings, maps, notes and assorted material relating to...her work.

Pulling herself to her feet, Helena Norrevinter stumbled out into the bathroom, showering off the imaginary mud and snake-slime from her body, before returning to dry her hair off and get some clothes. An aubergine skirt, indigo leggings, sheepskin boots, and an over-sized sweater of an indisputable level of ugliness were pulled on, and a messenger bag was fished out of a pile of stuff, allowing a small hollow for her toy to sit in with its head out.

Ready to face the day. As much as she faced real world days.


Twenty minutes later, thanks to a ride from her mother, She made her way through the front gate, with bag, toy, and a blank expression. She spent a lot of time at school staring into space. Mostly, planning. Trying to set out the moves for the next night. Wondering where she might get dropped. At least she had woken up before drowning in the marsh. But she knew eventually she was not going to be able to rely on that. They wanted to trap them there... and it was going to be Helena who got that before any of them. So...

"We have to get them back." the young woman mused as she walked.
"Reunite the group. They can turn things back."