Anecus felt his sweat cool as it traveled down his back causing his spine to tingle in recognition. "These aren't natural." Tightening his grip on his spear he began to creep along the dunes spine. He noticed his steps were drifting through the sand more than usual and his feet felt tingly.
Then…a sound growled from the sand itself as a consistent thrum that was deep and rhythmic, almost mechanical but alive made the sand beneath his feet start to shiver into vibrations becoming liquid rabidly. Consuming his legs.
Thanks to his strength as an accursed and quick thinking he laid flat and rolled out and was able to get to his knees. Successfully stumbling to his feet he began fumbling into a mad sprint.
Sprinting down the steep dune he didn't look back as the feeling of dread from being consumed by sand filled his chest. The next second the earth convulsed with a thunderous WHHRAM!
An eruption of sand and wind blasted shards of obsidian launched Anecus into the air. While in the air Anecus watched as an entire dune, hundreds of feet tall dove back to the ground like a tidal wave.
He hit.
Tumbled once then twice into a slide against the sharp stone, shredding his skin. "FFFUU- this sucks!" Gasping, Anecus rolled and threw his food and water to the side.
He barely had time to recover before it surfaced. It burst from beneath the collapsed dune, causing a giant shadow to start rising above Anecus "What in the…you gotta be kidding me!" Anecus frowned deeply.
'Thirty, not forty feet long.'
Its body was segmented like a worm with an exoskeleton of yellowish tan plated armor dappled with black stripes. Circular maw with rings of jagged teeth somehow rotating independently from the rest of the body.
Protruding from the side of its horrid mouth like death scythes were black pincers, glossy and the size of a human. Anecus saw the pincers and paled slightly, they were so sharp that they thinned to an almost translucent edge.
rising from the sand It screamed with a soundless pressure resulting in shaking and vibrations that made it feel like it was inside your head. Then with a surprising level of accuracy it turned towards Anecus and shuddered.
Steading his stance and under his breath.
"...great."
There are moments one can find himself where there is only really one option but fool themselves into thinking there is another, either get down on your knees and accept the hand given to you or deny that life of surviving on your knees.
There is a saying about something like that. If Anecus knew of it he wouldn't have agreed more. Which is why he wasn't confused about the excitement building.
Spear in hand with ribs aching, hunger gnawing and exhaustion whispering. when presented with insurmountable odds.
Anecus showed a teeth wide grin.
A stillness occurred between Anecus, the abomination and the land. Like an agreement before this one sided massacre commenced. The beast shifted with a shutter, turning with its eyeless head to Anecus's essence.
Then it lunged.
No time to think Anecus moved on instinct, dropping flat as it barreled past its pincers snapping through the air he had just been occupying. Sand scattered, obsidian slashed across its plated hide turning into a vale of glittering dust before whipping back to face Anecus.
Anecus "it's too fast in the sand to outrun, too heavy to face head on." but he did notice he had an advantage. "Not smart… not like Malice." With new found energy from adrenaline he spun on the balls of his feet and crouched into a dash and threw, not his spear but a sliver of himself.
Using Echopulse Anecus dashed left while sending the echo right. The beast whipped its head and followed it slamming its mouth into the dune where Anecus wasn't.
Darting left alongside its mid section Anecus couldn't help but celebrate whenever something worked. "Yes!"
He picked up speed again this time with more zeal. He kicked up and while moving in wide arcs with no pattern. He flung another, this time high above some pillars.
The beast reeled upwards in confusion, pincers clamping shut on empty sky. Its movements were fast but reactive. It tracked vibration and soul essence. It feeling him more than it saw him was going to be its down side.
The only issue was going to be getting past the thick armor, currently the only spot that looked vulnerable was its under belly.
Anecus had to make a gamble if he wanted to land a hit so this time he held on to his Echopulse making the beast lunge at him with vigor. The movements seemed to slow as Anecus activated thoughtless awareness.
Whence the pincers were within arms length Anecus shot the pulse up giving him just enough to pivot under its mandibles rolling between its segments. As he passed its underbelly he jammed the obsidian spear deep into the thinner plate seam.
SHRRNNK!
It shrieked soundlessly again, but the earth shook with vibrations. His bones hummed with it. Anecus gritting his teeth "too shallow…" he yanked the spear free rolling out of its reach, dust and shards coated his skin.
The worm like creature coiled, then smashed its body down in a circular wave trying to crush whatever dared to pierce it.
Anecus caught in a wave of sand got thrown back but not before he sent another pulse behind the worm. It twisted around frantically confused how its prey was moving so fast.
Breath by breath he bought himself seconds, pulse after pulse he burned pieces of himself, his body and soul ached. 'But the tactic was working' so he remembered his discipline and continued.
He was the eye in a storm of false signatures playing like a phantom, his voice rough from thirst and dust filling his throat "Need a clean shot." looking to the remaining pillars that have yet to crumble he formed an idea.
Ignoring the shards digging into his feet he gripped the loose ground with his toes and ran, causing the sharp contrast of grey and red trailing behind him. circling the worm Anecus found a pillar of obsidian tall enough to loom over the beast.
Gaining height by slamming his fists into the stone making his own hand holds he made it to the top. Anecus watched it coil again, this was a pause not of hesitation but of certainty and calculation.
He pulsed once then leapt.