Single post in Shadow Collectors

A bright and thin red light wrapped around the barrel of her gun and yanked it out of her hand in a blink before disappearing back into the darkness. Likewise, her gun clattered across the floor and clanged upon colliding with something else. Shannon cringed. What was that red light? In the brief moment she glimpsed it, she thought a ribbon had curiously appeared out of thin air. No doubt about it. This hunter was also a rune meister. Her heartbeat quickened. She was completely screwed. It was too dark to see anyone. And a rune meister wasn’t able to see another meister’s rune when it’s activated. They could only see the effects the rune causes. That “ribbon” disappeared in a blink, and the meister could easily change locations before striking again. But this meister didn’t need to see her to locate exactly where she was. The blue lines constantly growing across the floor could only extend from their source. She was a sitting duck. The ribbon lashed out again. It was so fast. She only realized what it was after it had cracked against the right side of her head like a whip. A cry escaped her lips as her head recoiled from the impact. Not only did it hurt, but it left an intense burning in its wake. No matter how much she rubbed her cheek, it wouldn’t die down! She did not want to get hit by that thing again! “Huh?” Shannon accidentally uttered when something pulled from deep within her core. Another whiplash cracked against her torso. The force of the blow lifted her completely off the floor, breaking her palm’s contact. The splintering lines instantly vanished, and her rune went dark. Her body spun uncontrollably until her back slammed into metal. A moment later, her left shoulder crashed into the concrete with a thud. Her body crumpled awkwardly on the floor. A loud pinging danced within her skull, keeping the encroaching dizziness at bay as she struggled to sit up using only the power of her right arm. Everything seemed darker. Of course it did. The rune’s power had ceased. However, it did its job. She just had to stay conscious long enough to do hers. Just getting to her feet proved a challenge. Pain racked her shoulder and torso with every rushed movement to stand up. The pinging wouldn’t give her a moment’s peace. She badly wanted to groan for relief. The burning in her face and side became good reasons to suppress that urge. She gingerly reached across her body with her left hand and winced as the motion flared up pain in the connected shoulder. Her fingertips brushed against frayed fabric before gently touching heated flesh beneath. Squeezing her eyes shut, Shannon knew she had to gather her thoughts. What was her next step?