《Duality Dissonance》Chapter 4.4 Cause and Effect

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The sound of Lust’s gun shots is a minor thing, almost being drowned out from the water crashing nearby. The other two stand to each side and scan their surroundings as they anticipate an attack. The trunk of the tree becomes riddled with entry holes, where spouts of water pour back out, like someone had pulled a stopper from a drain. The electrical arcs can still be seen in the background but it's almost like the power is cut. The light shuts off and darkness rushes back upward in a wave.

Pride and Greed both look towards one another as Lust continues firing, unabated. The two express a sense of disquiet. They turn back to the tree as a large rent opens up. Pride reaches out to put his hand on Lust’s shoulder when the trunk explodes outward. A barrage of water spray and splintering wood flies out at them.

A blinding light erupts from the tree and they shield their eyes.

Greed squints into the light, seeing a figure rapidly approaching.

An elongated light swings towards Greed and he extends the staff to block it.

The staff snaps and Greed leans backwards as the object passes between his long arms.

Greed drops the broken parts, thrusts his wings, and jettisons backwards.

He regains his footing and the spear reforms in his hands.

Pride attacks the figure that’s proportioned something like a gargoyle. His eyes focus on the daunting wings behind it, which look like two larger monsters that are looking down over its shoulders.

Pride swings his sword and it’s deflected.

He steps back again, clods of dirt fall to the ground around him, and it seems to start raining.

The figure lunges at Pride and he prepares to deflect.

He meets the incoming attack and his blade is torn from his hand.

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He dives and rolls as another attack comes back across.

Pride quickly rises to his feet, standing in water as the island seems to be sinking.

Kaplunk! sounds out from the water next to him and he recoils from it, not knowing what was there.

Other small waterfalls have begun and take place in the darkness around them.

Lust begins firing again and the attacker’s wing wraps around like a shield.

Hot lead embeds in the wing as Greed and Pride attempt to flank him.

The waterfall abruptly stops and the sound of gunfire fills the cavern.

“Look out,” Pride calls.

The shielding wing snaps outward like a coiled spring.

Lead, blood, and feathers pelt the surroundings as Lust shields his face.

Debris hits the top of the tree’s canopy and clods of dirt are redirected across, at an angle.

Pride’s sword is in his hand again as he rushes in, Greed on the other side.

The attacker’s back is to them as he bears down on Lust.

Pride swings and the attacker pivots, an overhead attack coming back towards Pride.

As Pride looks up at the attack falling towards him, debris peppers them from the side and his reflexes cause him to shield himself from the barrage.

He looks up again to see a large shadow passing across and colliding with the attacker's head.

The attacker crumples at Lust’s feet.

The sounds of creaking and cracking wood echoes around them. They look over to see the tree’s trunk snapping as it falls toward the darkness. The three look around as splashes seem to increase in frequency. Lust levels the gun at the attacker and Pride lunges towards him.

“No,” he yells, shoving the gun aside where it discharges next to the attacker’s head. Lust looks at Pride flatly as he swings the gun back towards the prone figure. Pride positions himself in the way, making Lust take a step back. “I said, no. That’s enough.” Another piece of debris zips by and Pride’s head bobs before looking around at the surrounding darkness that hides more falling debris. “Get back topside,” he tells Lust, inches from his face. Lust seems to relent and flies off.

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Pride begins pulling at the attacker’s wing and Greed rushes up to him. “What are you doing,” Greed barks.

“We’re getting him out of here.”

“What? There’s no time. We have to leave now.”

“You’re right. There’s no time to talk. We have to get him out of here, right now.”

Greed scoffs and hurries over to the opposite side, sheathing the spear on his back and letting it glow there. He grabs hold under the figure’s opposite arm and pulls him upward.

Pride begins to fly, rising to Greed’s height. Both have a grip under the stranger’s arms. Greed begins to fly as well and they start to teeter awkwardly as the strangers weight shifts between them. They fly over to where the waterfall once was and ascend under the opening they had come through. The original opening is harder to make out as light shines through the many new openings. The canopy of the tree slides by them, brushing the gigantic wings that hang below the attacker, where it collapses onto the island. The two look up as they approach the opening. Spider webbing cracks spread to all the new openings and then the ceiling stops being a ceiling.

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