Pebbles along the Path Chapter 36 announcement!
Hey guys, writer of Pebbles along the Path here with an update about the completion of Chapter 36! I have been working on this for over a month and a half now and I think it to be one of my best chapters yet. To anyone who doesn't know anything about this, then check out the first chapter on fanfiction.net here. This is a story that revolves around Xerath's old Lore and talks about his Ascension and his time afterwards and his adventures in this strange new world that he has entered. This is rated teen, but has gratuitous or touchy moments that some may feel unnerving in addition to decent levels of asterisk-censored profanity (back on the old fanfiction boards this was how I did it as it preserves a lot more of the atmosphere which is very key to story telling, but I can further censor it if anyone wants me to) I'll be posting the chapter tomorrow, but in the meantime, have a spoiler-free teaser.
Chapter 36: Endgame.
In a heaving whir of motors, the Wolfhound leveled its heavy rifle directly towards the hard cover that Ahri and Yamoto had taken shelter behind. In a bulky crack of the round’s propellant, the 30mm shell was sent airborne and blew an entire chunk of rock from the small monument dedicated to an unknown apothecary. The recoil resounded out as steel jarred against steel with the reactionary force of the propellant. With a chink the barrel ejected the casing, singing out a somber tone, before the rifle breech slammed shut, chambered and new round, and the rifle cracked once again. The same song repeated over and over in her mind, its chorus sending shivers down her spine. She could feel the old days again, those times of uncertainty and predictable disorder. They caressed her body with immaterial hands, their touch bringing out the terrors she thought had been locked away. She wanted to scream, but she knew that it would be no use. The Boss wasn’t even remotely close. She wasn’t safe without him around. She just needed to hold out a bit longer until this was all done. Praying to whatever gods she could think of to help her, her mind began to settle once more. After this last time though, no gods would ever be able to aid her. Her breath steadied and her eyes concentrated on what was before her. She still had the 5.56mm rifle on her, but she knew that this short-barreled carbine would not be able to do any appreciable amount of damage to the Wolfhound, even to its optics. She needed something bigger. Looking across to the small field of carnage that Ahri had wrought several moments ago, she scanned for the grenade launcher. Nat wasn’t in the direct line of fire because she wasn’t a threat like a mage, so she had a small window of opportunity to potentially run over and grab the launcher if it was still intact. But it wasn’t. Ahri’s magic had detonated the chambered round and ripped the weapon apart along with it’s operator and any ammunition he had been holding. Great. Nat scanned around for something else. Wait. Is that a ZPBR-M19? That is! The ZPBR line had been developed as an anti-battlesuit weapon for standard infantry, in response to the Piltoverian battle suits that had become significantly more popular compared with the previous heavy walkers that had problems navigating streets or rough terrain that were alien to the old ages of frontline warfare. Although a Wolfhound had thicker frontal armor than a standard battle suit, the heavy hitting 8.54mm rounds should be more than enough to pierce through the more exposed regions such as the armpits or motor servos. To get the ZPBR though, she would need to cross roughly fifteen meters of open ground to get the rifle, then another ten or so to get to a small shrine to some Ionian healing god or whatever the hell they worshipped there. Even if I got the rifle, then what? There would be no way that I would be able to actually open fire without being suppressed. If anything, I’d need Ahri or Yamoto to distract it for a little bit. Yeah, this should work.
The mech’s rifle was loud, incredibly loud. It echoed inside her again and again. There was nothing that she would be able to do while trapped like this. Sh*t. A small stone landed a foot away from her, its direction noting that it had not originated from the memorial she had dragged Yamoto and herself into. Glancing across to its origin, Ahri saw Nat. Her face was stern and prepared. There was no fear or hesitation, nothing but a soldier’s discipline that had been carved into her. Her hands started moving, miming a code. “I get attention. You target up and into right shoulder. Hold it off. I move to get bigger weapon. Will kill the target. Take care after. It has reinforcement coming. Return to cover then we plan again. Okay?” In a quick assertive nod, Ahri signaled back. “Understood.”