The Rising Tide, Unlocking Of A Serpent
Aug 11, 2021 16:44:57 GMT -5
OZYMANDIAS and Jay Crowley like this
Post by Swindle Shelldrake on Aug 11, 2021 16:44:57 GMT -5
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROLAND: "Good, very good. More like what we want to see from you, Shelldrake. But Don't let it go to your head. Your next match is a real test, no more of that small fry game. You've got Ulf Hednir, TJ Thomps-"
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE: "-I know the match, Roland. Condescend me if I'm a rookie, and feel free to rip me a new one if your metrics and quotas don't add up. But I know what I'm doing. This is the real element that I've been waiting for since stepping out there".
ROLAND: "I'm glad you're finally saying that after you didn't win a Rumble and beat an admittedly lesser opponent than yourself. Don't be getting to confident or some declining act might get the jump on you, leave you high and dry. Oh yeah, you'll both be teaming with a guy who....let's just say he won't take all to kindly to either of you. It's kinda his whole deal".
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE: "If Arata ends up having such a problem with us then that's his demon to dance with, not ours. Not exactly asking for hugs and kisses here from a self-proclaimed 'Gaijin Killer'. Seems pretty standard to just expect him to want to beat up the opposing gaijins more than us at least. All I ask is for a competent tag partner while we move Big Drip and the Viking out of the way. Someone who isn't going to make a fool of themselves. From what I've seen, Arata is far too uptight to even entertain the idea of looking a fool, so....I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Most eliminations in the Rumble, right? Can't be the worst choice to tag with for one night. I'm sure he's smarter than his moniker would suggest. It's a match that helps all three of us when we win".
ROLAND: "If you win".
Shelldrake continues as he ignores the droll-inducing cynical interjections of Roland.
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE: I'm sure he wants to win almost as much as I do.....ok let me rephrase, he doesn't want to lose to those three as much as I do. He can have his whole vampirism of hopes and dreams of gaijin talent by beating them, then we beat him in the Tag Tournament. Doesn't need to be anything more complicated than that. And besides, I don't want our team to have an albatross hanging over me in the shape of Big Drip Productions. We dispatch them here, the quicker the better, and move on with our lives".
ROLAND: "When was the last time you teamed with Crowley anyway? I know you're not entirely unfamiliar with each other but you never went into detail".
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE: "Fuck, must be at least a couple of years. Some rinky-dink indie show on the UK scene back in the day. Probably didn't get paid the petrol money needed to get there. We didn't have the name back then, just a couple of green wrestlers trying to make something. But for that little bit of time, it worked pretty well. He didn't exactly gel well with many others we'd see out there in the early days. Surprised that Jay would tolerate me because I would definitely become the exception and not the rule".
ROLAND: "What happened? I want to know the story of why I wasn't reading stories of Jay Crowley and Swindle Shelldrake mopping up Tag Team gold across the world over the last year".
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE: "Just went separate ways. Offers elsewhere. Drifting off overseas. We practically became ships in the night. Might see each other at the odd show here and there, but it just never really worked out, he'd end up in Japan when I'd be over in Germany or California, then I'd be touring Japan with him over in Sydney.....didn't even tag together on those shows either. Sorry if you were expecting some grungy story of beef and betrayal and tragedy down in the minor leagues. It's not always so exciting. It is what it is. What matters is that we'll get to make good on something that could have been more back then. No small amount of luck brought him here too. As undeterred by superstition and fate as I like to think I am.....I'd like to think that at least means something more than nothing. Enough to not ignore it".
ROLAND: "Sounds disgustingly whimsical of you.....Do you think Asakura and Crowley will be able to co-exist at least for the duration of a match?"
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE: "Ha, I couldn't possibly comment. He's the one you have to worry about not cooperating, not me".
ROLAND: "Which one?"
The audio cuts off before an answer is heard, if one was given at all.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 10th, 2021
Unknown Location
Following his more welcoming interaction with Roland after his first singles victory in Project: Honor, Shelldrake can be seen in a dark and obscured room, leaning on a metal barricade. The cold steel seems to be warbling with the reflection of some moving light somewhere, but without it there wouldn't be much to look at. Shelldrake stands there casually as the darkness is permeated with the flicker of orange from a zippo lighter, followed by the light crackling of the cigarette in his mouth. Contrasting the fleeting fire is the very faint and plops of what sounds like water. The quiet movements from somewhere. The cigarette glows against his face to illuminate the shock of pink across his hair and the moody expression cast over his face, soon leading to a wry smile that doesn't attempt to hide the devious machinations of his thoughts.
"They're calling on the land lines"
"The senators are standing on the shorelines"
"The warning lights are burning all aglow"
"Now we reap what we sow"
"....Infected"
He puases before the final word, his volume falling to a breathy whisper as it brings a drawn-out exhale though Swindle's nose, as well as the wisps of smoke holding the tar and tobacco and cinders trail out into the nothingness before dissipating in the air.
Sometime After Proving Ground XX
Unreleased Audio
Unreleased Audio
ROLAND: "Good, very good. More like what we want to see from you, Shelldrake. But Don't let it go to your head. Your next match is a real test, no more of that small fry game. You've got Ulf Hednir, TJ Thomps-"
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE: "-I know the match, Roland. Condescend me if I'm a rookie, and feel free to rip me a new one if your metrics and quotas don't add up. But I know what I'm doing. This is the real element that I've been waiting for since stepping out there".
ROLAND: "I'm glad you're finally saying that after you didn't win a Rumble and beat an admittedly lesser opponent than yourself. Don't be getting to confident or some declining act might get the jump on you, leave you high and dry. Oh yeah, you'll both be teaming with a guy who....let's just say he won't take all to kindly to either of you. It's kinda his whole deal".
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE: "If Arata ends up having such a problem with us then that's his demon to dance with, not ours. Not exactly asking for hugs and kisses here from a self-proclaimed 'Gaijin Killer'. Seems pretty standard to just expect him to want to beat up the opposing gaijins more than us at least. All I ask is for a competent tag partner while we move Big Drip and the Viking out of the way. Someone who isn't going to make a fool of themselves. From what I've seen, Arata is far too uptight to even entertain the idea of looking a fool, so....I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Most eliminations in the Rumble, right? Can't be the worst choice to tag with for one night. I'm sure he's smarter than his moniker would suggest. It's a match that helps all three of us when we win".
ROLAND: "If you win".
Shelldrake continues as he ignores the droll-inducing cynical interjections of Roland.
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE: I'm sure he wants to win almost as much as I do.....ok let me rephrase, he doesn't want to lose to those three as much as I do. He can have his whole vampirism of hopes and dreams of gaijin talent by beating them, then we beat him in the Tag Tournament. Doesn't need to be anything more complicated than that. And besides, I don't want our team to have an albatross hanging over me in the shape of Big Drip Productions. We dispatch them here, the quicker the better, and move on with our lives".
ROLAND: "When was the last time you teamed with Crowley anyway? I know you're not entirely unfamiliar with each other but you never went into detail".
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE: "Fuck, must be at least a couple of years. Some rinky-dink indie show on the UK scene back in the day. Probably didn't get paid the petrol money needed to get there. We didn't have the name back then, just a couple of green wrestlers trying to make something. But for that little bit of time, it worked pretty well. He didn't exactly gel well with many others we'd see out there in the early days. Surprised that Jay would tolerate me because I would definitely become the exception and not the rule".
ROLAND: "What happened? I want to know the story of why I wasn't reading stories of Jay Crowley and Swindle Shelldrake mopping up Tag Team gold across the world over the last year".
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE: "Just went separate ways. Offers elsewhere. Drifting off overseas. We practically became ships in the night. Might see each other at the odd show here and there, but it just never really worked out, he'd end up in Japan when I'd be over in Germany or California, then I'd be touring Japan with him over in Sydney.....didn't even tag together on those shows either. Sorry if you were expecting some grungy story of beef and betrayal and tragedy down in the minor leagues. It's not always so exciting. It is what it is. What matters is that we'll get to make good on something that could have been more back then. No small amount of luck brought him here too. As undeterred by superstition and fate as I like to think I am.....I'd like to think that at least means something more than nothing. Enough to not ignore it".
ROLAND: "Sounds disgustingly whimsical of you.....Do you think Asakura and Crowley will be able to co-exist at least for the duration of a match?"
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE: "Ha, I couldn't possibly comment. He's the one you have to worry about not cooperating, not me".
ROLAND: "Which one?"
The audio cuts off before an answer is heard, if one was given at all.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 10th, 2021
Unknown Location
Before anything in the room can be seen, a familiar voice starts to quietly sing, the lyrics echoing a little in the poor acoustics of his location.
"I think we did it this time"
"There's something in the air inside the star shine"
"There's something in the air we'll never know"
I can feel it take hold"
"Infected"
"There's something in the air inside the star shine"
"There's something in the air we'll never know"
I can feel it take hold"
"Infected"
Following his more welcoming interaction with Roland after his first singles victory in Project: Honor, Shelldrake can be seen in a dark and obscured room, leaning on a metal barricade. The cold steel seems to be warbling with the reflection of some moving light somewhere, but without it there wouldn't be much to look at. Shelldrake stands there casually as the darkness is permeated with the flicker of orange from a zippo lighter, followed by the light crackling of the cigarette in his mouth. Contrasting the fleeting fire is the very faint and plops of what sounds like water. The quiet movements from somewhere. The cigarette glows against his face to illuminate the shock of pink across his hair and the moody expression cast over his face, soon leading to a wry smile that doesn't attempt to hide the devious machinations of his thoughts.
"They're calling on the land lines"
"The senators are standing on the shorelines"
"The warning lights are burning all aglow"
"Now we reap what we sow"
"....Infected"
He puases before the final word, his volume falling to a breathy whisper as it brings a drawn-out exhale though Swindle's nose, as well as the wisps of smoke holding the tar and tobacco and cinders trail out into the nothingness before dissipating in the air.
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE: "This is where the road to the real fun begins. When the water starts to stir and before you know it, we'll have a storm on our hands. An argument could be made that Ace Sky's 'attempt' to defeat me could, in a very specific way if the planet's had aligned; be called commendable. Stupid would be another, but I'll settle for somewhere in the middle. Don't want to hurt his feelings too badly before he hangs up the boots sooner than he really wants to. A win to my name, but not the gravitas or attention that I could have. Winning a match that you should win isn't exactly much to write home about. But now that the entry level is out of the way, it's time to rummage around in the toy box for the real competitors in this place. The guys that could be seen as mainstays and staples of Proving Ground. Where to defeat them takes a little more than showing up and participating. Thankfully, it's time to enter the second player in our act. As much as I do love what I offer, there is a saying that two heads are better than one. Teamwork makes the dream work, all that cringe has a truth to it. Don't see a better way to debut our unit than here in this match. The foundation was laid in my venture into the Rumble, and knocking off Ace Sky. But the real conquest starts now. Where the waves begin to crash and the world comes to a violent end. Where the serpent lets go of its tail and we see who survives.....when Jay Crowley and Swindle Shelldrake turn our sights to you....."
"JÖRMUNGANDR is here. And we're here to take everything that is thrown before of us. Be it in defence from us, or in sacrifice. If you're in our way by your own will or not, we will leave you in the wake of destruction. Doesn't matter if you're some small fry rookie newbie here to play the plucky hero against the olds, a seasoned veteran playing the warrior, or even a titan of the world. The end comes for all. No favourites. No stopping it. No stopping us. The first three that will play our welcoming party are a strange bunch. Big Drip Productions.....they're ideal tune up".
"TJ Thompson, the more offensive to me than the other. You lost your title. No matter how you slice it, that is your failure. Nevermind this mentality of 'moving up' and fighting for the Grand Championship. That doesn't exist. All that is, and all that will be is that lovely question of 'Does your ambition outweigh your skill?'....I heard your frustrations since losing the Warrior Rising Title. I'd usually sympathise if you weren't just a side piece to hype up a man who has no need for you. All this talk about it being your time, deserving it. How can I, and why should I, or anyone else up and down this roster see you as the next potential king of Proving Ground when Big Drip won't even be represented in the Collision Tag Tournament? When a championship is ripe for the taking. Don't even need to "move up' for that one do you, TJ. Jay and I, we will become the best tag team in Project: Honor. Why? Because we are freshly debuted and yet we have no fear, or hesitation to jump in with the established names and choke the life out of what once was the established order of this promotion. This little alliance of Big Drip and Hednir is the definition of breakable, but still notable enough to at least somewhat brag about. However, that doesn't make for a contender. Every moment I think about facing the two of you, and your names aren't on that list to become Project: Honor Tag Team Champions, it denies me the idea of thinking you should be fighting for any title. It is an opportunity that is an open door to all, hell even to people who aren't contracted here. How about that, huh? I've been working and waiting for my moment to make myself into a top promotion like this. To compete with the best because I would be good enough, and smart enough to stand amongst them. But the prize that JÖRMUNGANDR seek, the invitation for that prize is also freely cast to the wind for any wannabe tandems to claim dominion over. That doesn't sit right with me. That doesn't sit right with Jay.....and it shouldn't sit right with either of you, TJ and Yung. The gates to hell have been thrown open and I don't blame any for taking their chance when it is given by the universe. But I can look down on both of you for not taking it. You can sing to the hills about wanting to fight at the very top of the mountain all you want, or crawling back to the title picture after a big loss.....But for all the talent you guys have....What does it really mean? It's not just smoke when I say you're not ready for it. If you were, then a Rumble should've been easy pickings. A tag team tournament? Surely should be of no issue to the great Big Drip Productions! If you're wanting to thrive as a singles competitor so badly instead of mixing up in the Tag Title picture with us, then Petey already has a hefty head start over both of you. He could be your friend and you could get all sentimental, but with the gold is on the line, even just a chance at the gold....you have to set over him. And right now, we've got the runts of Big Drip Productions litter before us. Might as well just be the cheerleaders that just sit on the bench, give you some time to see your boy, and JÖRMUNGANDR pass you by".
He holds his tongue for a moment to take another inhale of his cigarette, once again the smoke quickly disappearing to leave only the dark room in its place. There is a low rumble from a sourceless place somewhere in the room, making Swindle look around for a moment, but the smile never leaving his face. The drips and groans of water starting to get louder.
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE: "But, we have the other one too. The man to play the rallying warrior to the rabble. If he can manage it. Blind honor and loyalty and a code can get you far, Ulf. But only so far. If you know that only one will stand in front of you, then I could perhaps be persuaded to see the merit. Didn't exactly take you to glory last week though, did it? All the fighting spirit and fighting for history....FOR NOTHING! TAKEN IN AN INSTANT! No great end for the Lone Wolf, only the meek walk home with his tail between his legs. This isn't to be your rise back up the ladder, my friend. Not some great prophecy to ring through history for you. JÖRMUNGANDR is no longer a myth. It is not a tale to tell to scared children to keep them in their beds at night. It isn't a phantom in the fog, or a shadow in the water. No....the end is real now. The very end of people like you. Of warriors like you. The good soldiers who happily die at the sword for the sake of your name not being pissed on after you go. You can believe you'll stop us here, because why wouldn't you? All stories are just that until the crippling reality is before your eyes. There is a hubris to you, Hednir. Even if paved through noble intentions it will be what breaks you in this match just as it did at the Proving Ground Anniversary Show".
"That is where for you, and Big Drip.....Jay, myself, and even Asakura will replace the three of you. Usurp the very ground you stand upon as the waters rise and take you under. Because we are bitter, and we are hungry for it. The iron will might still be in your heart and soul, but the weakness is there in your actions. And we smell blood in the water. The World Serpents in their first outing will collide alongside a man who is your equal, not lacking the cruelty to see your art form of honor through real success in this fucked up world. You will start Ragnarök, Ulf Hednir. Born from your own defeat. For you are the sacrificial lamb for us to make our intentions known. A staging ground for Jay Crowley and Swindle Shelldrake. Two hunters ready to strike from the shadows. The venom of the serpent, and the body of the serpent. I represent the choking and suffocating power that will be too much, to overwhelming as you slowly lose your strength. And Crowley, he is the lethal poison that will end you. You'll die beside two bumbling idiots rather than your own kin. They won't have your back when the chips are down and the knives are out. Not so eager to face the music....ha, not in that sense anyway".
"I have waited to show the danger I present to the eyes that will watch for what feels like an age now. Bubbling away at the surface you can look up to the sky and see people like Ulf Hednir, TJ Thompson and Yung Sauce enjoying the clear air....and it tortures you. It galvanises your resolve and it sharpens your teeth to one day rip them apart, drag them down to the depth where you stewed for so long. Because you belong there. Not them. We belong there. Not you".
Shelldrake ignites his zippo lighter once again and this time holds it upwards, the dim light being just enough to see a reflective glass wall behind him, along with the thud and groans of large creatures moving behind him. Their shadows are barely visible, but their forms are foreboding and frightening in the darkness. One with a row of large teeth the size of spear-tips. Another with a long, trailing body that leaves a dark path up and over Shelldrake. Faint shadows of fins and tails in the dark, glinted by more sparks of white teeth. Legions of them. A final shadow dwarfs them all, even making the light in Swindle's hand and the almost-glowing streak in his hair completely mute in its shade. Overwhelming and Endless. Shelldrake's smile turns to a sadistic grin as he extinguishes the lighter, leaving only the now more active rumbles and groans of the large sea life around him to move and make their presence known.
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE: "We have uncoiled beneath the waves, Mr. Hednir. We are here to take not only what you have. What your tag partners have.....We are here for everything. And In time the crashing of water on the surface will be so destructive and unsightly that even a fighter such as yourself cannot hope stop us. Perhaps when you finally realise that we are a threat beyond even your strong talents, you can ask your twitch followers for some help. Live it out again in a virtual world to try and fix it. See where you went wrong. I'm afraid that there is nothing your pitiful display of training can do to prepare you for the deadly combination of The Shogun Serpents. Try as you might, it simply won't be enough. Because the end is very real now. No more games. No more pretending. No more make believe".
"You lose".
His cigarette falls and is crushed under the light pressure of his shoe, the tiny speck of light from its cinders falling to the quiet and frightening blackness of the deep.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"JÖRMUNGANDR is here. And we're here to take everything that is thrown before of us. Be it in defence from us, or in sacrifice. If you're in our way by your own will or not, we will leave you in the wake of destruction. Doesn't matter if you're some small fry rookie newbie here to play the plucky hero against the olds, a seasoned veteran playing the warrior, or even a titan of the world. The end comes for all. No favourites. No stopping it. No stopping us. The first three that will play our welcoming party are a strange bunch. Big Drip Productions.....they're ideal tune up".
"TJ Thompson, the more offensive to me than the other. You lost your title. No matter how you slice it, that is your failure. Nevermind this mentality of 'moving up' and fighting for the Grand Championship. That doesn't exist. All that is, and all that will be is that lovely question of 'Does your ambition outweigh your skill?'....I heard your frustrations since losing the Warrior Rising Title. I'd usually sympathise if you weren't just a side piece to hype up a man who has no need for you. All this talk about it being your time, deserving it. How can I, and why should I, or anyone else up and down this roster see you as the next potential king of Proving Ground when Big Drip won't even be represented in the Collision Tag Tournament? When a championship is ripe for the taking. Don't even need to "move up' for that one do you, TJ. Jay and I, we will become the best tag team in Project: Honor. Why? Because we are freshly debuted and yet we have no fear, or hesitation to jump in with the established names and choke the life out of what once was the established order of this promotion. This little alliance of Big Drip and Hednir is the definition of breakable, but still notable enough to at least somewhat brag about. However, that doesn't make for a contender. Every moment I think about facing the two of you, and your names aren't on that list to become Project: Honor Tag Team Champions, it denies me the idea of thinking you should be fighting for any title. It is an opportunity that is an open door to all, hell even to people who aren't contracted here. How about that, huh? I've been working and waiting for my moment to make myself into a top promotion like this. To compete with the best because I would be good enough, and smart enough to stand amongst them. But the prize that JÖRMUNGANDR seek, the invitation for that prize is also freely cast to the wind for any wannabe tandems to claim dominion over. That doesn't sit right with me. That doesn't sit right with Jay.....and it shouldn't sit right with either of you, TJ and Yung. The gates to hell have been thrown open and I don't blame any for taking their chance when it is given by the universe. But I can look down on both of you for not taking it. You can sing to the hills about wanting to fight at the very top of the mountain all you want, or crawling back to the title picture after a big loss.....But for all the talent you guys have....What does it really mean? It's not just smoke when I say you're not ready for it. If you were, then a Rumble should've been easy pickings. A tag team tournament? Surely should be of no issue to the great Big Drip Productions! If you're wanting to thrive as a singles competitor so badly instead of mixing up in the Tag Title picture with us, then Petey already has a hefty head start over both of you. He could be your friend and you could get all sentimental, but with the gold is on the line, even just a chance at the gold....you have to set over him. And right now, we've got the runts of Big Drip Productions litter before us. Might as well just be the cheerleaders that just sit on the bench, give you some time to see your boy, and JÖRMUNGANDR pass you by".
He holds his tongue for a moment to take another inhale of his cigarette, once again the smoke quickly disappearing to leave only the dark room in its place. There is a low rumble from a sourceless place somewhere in the room, making Swindle look around for a moment, but the smile never leaving his face. The drips and groans of water starting to get louder.
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE: "But, we have the other one too. The man to play the rallying warrior to the rabble. If he can manage it. Blind honor and loyalty and a code can get you far, Ulf. But only so far. If you know that only one will stand in front of you, then I could perhaps be persuaded to see the merit. Didn't exactly take you to glory last week though, did it? All the fighting spirit and fighting for history....FOR NOTHING! TAKEN IN AN INSTANT! No great end for the Lone Wolf, only the meek walk home with his tail between his legs. This isn't to be your rise back up the ladder, my friend. Not some great prophecy to ring through history for you. JÖRMUNGANDR is no longer a myth. It is not a tale to tell to scared children to keep them in their beds at night. It isn't a phantom in the fog, or a shadow in the water. No....the end is real now. The very end of people like you. Of warriors like you. The good soldiers who happily die at the sword for the sake of your name not being pissed on after you go. You can believe you'll stop us here, because why wouldn't you? All stories are just that until the crippling reality is before your eyes. There is a hubris to you, Hednir. Even if paved through noble intentions it will be what breaks you in this match just as it did at the Proving Ground Anniversary Show".
"That is where for you, and Big Drip.....Jay, myself, and even Asakura will replace the three of you. Usurp the very ground you stand upon as the waters rise and take you under. Because we are bitter, and we are hungry for it. The iron will might still be in your heart and soul, but the weakness is there in your actions. And we smell blood in the water. The World Serpents in their first outing will collide alongside a man who is your equal, not lacking the cruelty to see your art form of honor through real success in this fucked up world. You will start Ragnarök, Ulf Hednir. Born from your own defeat. For you are the sacrificial lamb for us to make our intentions known. A staging ground for Jay Crowley and Swindle Shelldrake. Two hunters ready to strike from the shadows. The venom of the serpent, and the body of the serpent. I represent the choking and suffocating power that will be too much, to overwhelming as you slowly lose your strength. And Crowley, he is the lethal poison that will end you. You'll die beside two bumbling idiots rather than your own kin. They won't have your back when the chips are down and the knives are out. Not so eager to face the music....ha, not in that sense anyway".
"I have waited to show the danger I present to the eyes that will watch for what feels like an age now. Bubbling away at the surface you can look up to the sky and see people like Ulf Hednir, TJ Thompson and Yung Sauce enjoying the clear air....and it tortures you. It galvanises your resolve and it sharpens your teeth to one day rip them apart, drag them down to the depth where you stewed for so long. Because you belong there. Not them. We belong there. Not you".
Shelldrake ignites his zippo lighter once again and this time holds it upwards, the dim light being just enough to see a reflective glass wall behind him, along with the thud and groans of large creatures moving behind him. Their shadows are barely visible, but their forms are foreboding and frightening in the darkness. One with a row of large teeth the size of spear-tips. Another with a long, trailing body that leaves a dark path up and over Shelldrake. Faint shadows of fins and tails in the dark, glinted by more sparks of white teeth. Legions of them. A final shadow dwarfs them all, even making the light in Swindle's hand and the almost-glowing streak in his hair completely mute in its shade. Overwhelming and Endless. Shelldrake's smile turns to a sadistic grin as he extinguishes the lighter, leaving only the now more active rumbles and groans of the large sea life around him to move and make their presence known.
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE: "We have uncoiled beneath the waves, Mr. Hednir. We are here to take not only what you have. What your tag partners have.....We are here for everything. And In time the crashing of water on the surface will be so destructive and unsightly that even a fighter such as yourself cannot hope stop us. Perhaps when you finally realise that we are a threat beyond even your strong talents, you can ask your twitch followers for some help. Live it out again in a virtual world to try and fix it. See where you went wrong. I'm afraid that there is nothing your pitiful display of training can do to prepare you for the deadly combination of The Shogun Serpents. Try as you might, it simply won't be enough. Because the end is very real now. No more games. No more pretending. No more make believe".
"You lose".
His cigarette falls and is crushed under the light pressure of his shoe, the tiny speck of light from its cinders falling to the quiet and frightening blackness of the deep.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------