C
Cloister
Author's Note: This story is a request from monstarkook, so I hope it delivers. If you aren't familiar with the source material, Odin Sphere was a PS2 game along the lines of an action RPG. It was made by a company called Vanillaware known for really detailed sprites and some awesome character designs. This game in particular took itself pretty seriously and had an excellent bad ending (for the purposes of ryona I mean) where you could get every playable character killed if you didn't choose your battles wisely. I love drawn out game over scenes and Odin Sphere certainly delivers on that count.
The focus here is Princess Gwendolyn, who is one of the first characters you play as. At one point during her story she fights this muscled brute that is ten times her size and looks like Dr. Robotnik hulked out on steroids. Just Google 'General Brigan' if you want a better idea.
Enjoy.
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Frozen Valkyrie (Odin Sphere)
The snowy peaks of Winterhorn Ridge brought Gwendolyn to a showdown with General Brigan. The twisting path of fate had brought her through blizzard and freezing cold to save the life of Velvet, an enemy of her kingdom. She had to do it in order to protect her father for reasons that be his undoing. And while the girl in red had managed to escape like she planned, it left her face to face with the towering bulk of Brigan in the biting wind of the mountain. Anger radiated from his face as he clutched his hammer and grit his teeth.
Once she thought of him as a trusted general, but he had already told her of his plans to take the throne from her father. He knew enough to make a move for the crown, and the death of Velvet was an important step. Gwendolyn knew he wasn’t going to let her interference go unpunished.
“Why don’t you try begging for mercy?” The haughty general taunted.
Brigan brought his hammer down with a thundering crash, but Gwendolyn jumped away and took to the sky. She glided through the air with ease before diving down on the massive man with her spear. A layer of armor and muscles as large as trees meant she would not defeat him easily. It would be a grueling battle in the snow with an enemy many times her size, but as a valkyrie she could not ask for more.
After she slashed at his armor he charged forward like a crushing wall of meat. He tucked his shoulder forward. Even though she blocked to the best of her ability, the force easily knocked her back through the air.
“Aauugh!” She cried.
The snow brought her to a rolling stop and she quickly got back on her feet. Trying to match Brigan’s strength head on was foolish. She knew her best chance was to make for an elusive target. She grasped her spear as he leaped through the air and tried to crush her with his feet. Despite his speed and ferocity, her graceful movements carried her to safety as he stomped around. When he landed, she struck hard intent on chipping away his armored plates.
The next time Gwendolyn moved in, Brigan had a surprise prepared. He took a swig of his flagon as she attacked. After swishing it around in his mouth he leaned forward and spat fire like a dragon. The flames nearly caught her as she charged forward, but her speed did not fail her and she quickly jumped back just in time. It was a close encounter, but the heat was welcome on the frigid mountain.
The ground shook as Brigan brought his hammer down, but Gwendolyn made sure to evade his weapon. She darted between his legs and struck him when the opportunity presented itself. He had a hard time keeping up with her as he spun around and swung his hammer wildly to drive her back. It proved ineffective as Gwendolyn continued to put on the pressure. Her spear was blinding as she brought it down again and again, striking true. A metallic clunk signaled one of Brigan’s plates springing loose and bouncing away from the relentless attacks.
The battle was going Gwendolyn’s way until he put his hammer away. Now with a free hand, he bent over and grabbed her as she tried to dodge between his legs. She fit easily in his massive palm, and he applied a crushing grip to make sure she would not get away.
“Ungh! No!” She gasped.
Her arms as well as her spear were pinned at her sides. Brigan’s grip only got tighter. She found it hard to breathe much less wiggle free. As much as she did not want to admit it, there was no way she had enough strength to break loose from his hand. She continued to struggle despite knowing better, it proved useless as Brigan raised his flagon and poured his intoxicating drink all over her. The deluge of putrid alcohol nearly drowned her. It stung her eyes, burned her nose, and filled her mouth. She could not help but choke some of it down in a panic.
Brigan force fed Gwendolyn his drink until the cold no longer bothered her. But the overwhelming liquid had done its damage. He tossed her away like trash and she hit the ground completely disoriented. She tried to cough it up, but it was too late.
“Unnnhhh....”
The world was a blurry white landscape that shifted and heaved. Light stun her eyes while her head pounded. The dizziness was impossible to ignore. Somehow she still had her spear, but there was no way she was going to hit a target while her vision swam. Instead she used her spear for support. All she could do was shut her eyes and clutch her aching forehead. The battle was still ongoing... but it was a small miracle she was able to stay on her feet as she sway back and forth.
In her current state it was trivial for Brigan to strike. He used his drink to spit fire, but unlike last time, he covered her from head to toe in a blazing inferno. The fire swept up and down her body, singing the wings of her armor and threatening to reduce her to ashes. Still dizzy, she flailed pitifully until Brigan followed up with a swing of his hammer. Had she not been rendered hopelessly drunk, the impact would have been much more painful.
“Uuuuggh!”
She felt the hammer drive into her stomach before it launched her across the snowy battlefield. The sky and ground merged into one while she flipped end over end. The fire that threatened to consume her was snuffed out when she landed in the snow. Unfortunately her senses were not recovering fast enough. She climbed to her knees but the world was still a blur. It felt like Brigan could attack from anywhere.
Then she realized she lost her spear.
Her eyes stung, but she fought through the burning light to look for her weapon. The world moved like it was alive as she dropped to her knees and tried to rely on her hands to search. The battle would be over if she did not find her spear soon. She had no chance without it. Brigan’s laugh followed her as she spotted a blue glow. The tip of her spear stuck out of the snow. She crawled forward as fast as she could.
Right as she reached out, Brigan brought his foot down. He pinned her, grinding his heel into her back as if she was a bug or lesser creature. The initial blow almost knocked all the air out of her lungs. For a moment she was dangerously close to blacking out, but she resisted and held on to consciousness. Her weapon was so close. Despite Brigan slowly putting more weight on her, she stretched her arm. She could almost touch it...
“I... I can’t reach it...” She realized with a desperate gasp.
No matter how hard Gwendolyn tried her spear was out of reach. Brigan laughed as she struggled. The pressure on her back and with the cold air of the mountain soon caught up as her hand began to tremble. She struggled until he picked her up by the legs and dangled her upside down. The general looked like an ominous blur. She could barely make him out. Her arms felt so heavy...
“Foolish Gwendolyn...”
He swung her around and slammed her into the ground so hard she left cracks in the earth. She quietly gasped despite her body overwhelmed with a flood of pain. Brigan seemed unsatisfied as he tossed her into the air and swung his hammer like a baseball bat. He did not miss as Gwendolyn took the full blow.
“Aaaaaaauuuuugghhhh!” She screamed.
She flew like an arrow through the air before crashing into a snowdrift and tumbled to a stop. Valkyrie warrior or not, she clearly had enough and barely clung to consciousness while cringing in pain. She lay sprawled out on her back, her outfit ruined while her wings were charred from the fire breath. Her only motion was her chest rising and falling from shallow breathing. The chilly mountain air stung her lungs as much as Brigan’s putrid alcohol. It would not take long to freeze as she was.
“...unnnghh... father...”
Brigan stepped forward, covering her wounded form with his shadow.
“I would demand you beg for your life, but you would obviously prove useless to me.” He snarled.
Gwendolyn couldn’t make out his face between her dizziness and the snowflakes blinding her vision. All she could do was groan in pain, her fighting ability reduced to agony.
“I’ll leave you to the elements. You can freeze and die for all I care. Now... back to more important matters.”
The snow began to pick up. Numbness set in as Gwendolyn was slowly buried. Instead of falling in battle she would be swept away by the mountain. A humiliating end for a valkyrie like herself. But she could not bring herself to plea Brigan to finish her off. Dying to a man like that seemed almost worse.
She could not imagine her story would come an end like this...
The focus here is Princess Gwendolyn, who is one of the first characters you play as. At one point during her story she fights this muscled brute that is ten times her size and looks like Dr. Robotnik hulked out on steroids. Just Google 'General Brigan' if you want a better idea.
Enjoy.
----------------
Frozen Valkyrie (Odin Sphere)
The snowy peaks of Winterhorn Ridge brought Gwendolyn to a showdown with General Brigan. The twisting path of fate had brought her through blizzard and freezing cold to save the life of Velvet, an enemy of her kingdom. She had to do it in order to protect her father for reasons that be his undoing. And while the girl in red had managed to escape like she planned, it left her face to face with the towering bulk of Brigan in the biting wind of the mountain. Anger radiated from his face as he clutched his hammer and grit his teeth.
Once she thought of him as a trusted general, but he had already told her of his plans to take the throne from her father. He knew enough to make a move for the crown, and the death of Velvet was an important step. Gwendolyn knew he wasn’t going to let her interference go unpunished.
“Why don’t you try begging for mercy?” The haughty general taunted.
Brigan brought his hammer down with a thundering crash, but Gwendolyn jumped away and took to the sky. She glided through the air with ease before diving down on the massive man with her spear. A layer of armor and muscles as large as trees meant she would not defeat him easily. It would be a grueling battle in the snow with an enemy many times her size, but as a valkyrie she could not ask for more.
After she slashed at his armor he charged forward like a crushing wall of meat. He tucked his shoulder forward. Even though she blocked to the best of her ability, the force easily knocked her back through the air.
“Aauugh!” She cried.
The snow brought her to a rolling stop and she quickly got back on her feet. Trying to match Brigan’s strength head on was foolish. She knew her best chance was to make for an elusive target. She grasped her spear as he leaped through the air and tried to crush her with his feet. Despite his speed and ferocity, her graceful movements carried her to safety as he stomped around. When he landed, she struck hard intent on chipping away his armored plates.
The next time Gwendolyn moved in, Brigan had a surprise prepared. He took a swig of his flagon as she attacked. After swishing it around in his mouth he leaned forward and spat fire like a dragon. The flames nearly caught her as she charged forward, but her speed did not fail her and she quickly jumped back just in time. It was a close encounter, but the heat was welcome on the frigid mountain.
The ground shook as Brigan brought his hammer down, but Gwendolyn made sure to evade his weapon. She darted between his legs and struck him when the opportunity presented itself. He had a hard time keeping up with her as he spun around and swung his hammer wildly to drive her back. It proved ineffective as Gwendolyn continued to put on the pressure. Her spear was blinding as she brought it down again and again, striking true. A metallic clunk signaled one of Brigan’s plates springing loose and bouncing away from the relentless attacks.
The battle was going Gwendolyn’s way until he put his hammer away. Now with a free hand, he bent over and grabbed her as she tried to dodge between his legs. She fit easily in his massive palm, and he applied a crushing grip to make sure she would not get away.
“Ungh! No!” She gasped.
Her arms as well as her spear were pinned at her sides. Brigan’s grip only got tighter. She found it hard to breathe much less wiggle free. As much as she did not want to admit it, there was no way she had enough strength to break loose from his hand. She continued to struggle despite knowing better, it proved useless as Brigan raised his flagon and poured his intoxicating drink all over her. The deluge of putrid alcohol nearly drowned her. It stung her eyes, burned her nose, and filled her mouth. She could not help but choke some of it down in a panic.
Brigan force fed Gwendolyn his drink until the cold no longer bothered her. But the overwhelming liquid had done its damage. He tossed her away like trash and she hit the ground completely disoriented. She tried to cough it up, but it was too late.
“Unnnhhh....”
The world was a blurry white landscape that shifted and heaved. Light stun her eyes while her head pounded. The dizziness was impossible to ignore. Somehow she still had her spear, but there was no way she was going to hit a target while her vision swam. Instead she used her spear for support. All she could do was shut her eyes and clutch her aching forehead. The battle was still ongoing... but it was a small miracle she was able to stay on her feet as she sway back and forth.
In her current state it was trivial for Brigan to strike. He used his drink to spit fire, but unlike last time, he covered her from head to toe in a blazing inferno. The fire swept up and down her body, singing the wings of her armor and threatening to reduce her to ashes. Still dizzy, she flailed pitifully until Brigan followed up with a swing of his hammer. Had she not been rendered hopelessly drunk, the impact would have been much more painful.
“Uuuuggh!”
She felt the hammer drive into her stomach before it launched her across the snowy battlefield. The sky and ground merged into one while she flipped end over end. The fire that threatened to consume her was snuffed out when she landed in the snow. Unfortunately her senses were not recovering fast enough. She climbed to her knees but the world was still a blur. It felt like Brigan could attack from anywhere.
Then she realized she lost her spear.
Her eyes stung, but she fought through the burning light to look for her weapon. The world moved like it was alive as she dropped to her knees and tried to rely on her hands to search. The battle would be over if she did not find her spear soon. She had no chance without it. Brigan’s laugh followed her as she spotted a blue glow. The tip of her spear stuck out of the snow. She crawled forward as fast as she could.
Right as she reached out, Brigan brought his foot down. He pinned her, grinding his heel into her back as if she was a bug or lesser creature. The initial blow almost knocked all the air out of her lungs. For a moment she was dangerously close to blacking out, but she resisted and held on to consciousness. Her weapon was so close. Despite Brigan slowly putting more weight on her, she stretched her arm. She could almost touch it...
“I... I can’t reach it...” She realized with a desperate gasp.
No matter how hard Gwendolyn tried her spear was out of reach. Brigan laughed as she struggled. The pressure on her back and with the cold air of the mountain soon caught up as her hand began to tremble. She struggled until he picked her up by the legs and dangled her upside down. The general looked like an ominous blur. She could barely make him out. Her arms felt so heavy...
“Foolish Gwendolyn...”
He swung her around and slammed her into the ground so hard she left cracks in the earth. She quietly gasped despite her body overwhelmed with a flood of pain. Brigan seemed unsatisfied as he tossed her into the air and swung his hammer like a baseball bat. He did not miss as Gwendolyn took the full blow.
“Aaaaaaauuuuugghhhh!” She screamed.
She flew like an arrow through the air before crashing into a snowdrift and tumbled to a stop. Valkyrie warrior or not, she clearly had enough and barely clung to consciousness while cringing in pain. She lay sprawled out on her back, her outfit ruined while her wings were charred from the fire breath. Her only motion was her chest rising and falling from shallow breathing. The chilly mountain air stung her lungs as much as Brigan’s putrid alcohol. It would not take long to freeze as she was.
“...unnnghh... father...”
Brigan stepped forward, covering her wounded form with his shadow.
“I would demand you beg for your life, but you would obviously prove useless to me.” He snarled.
Gwendolyn couldn’t make out his face between her dizziness and the snowflakes blinding her vision. All she could do was groan in pain, her fighting ability reduced to agony.
“I’ll leave you to the elements. You can freeze and die for all I care. Now... back to more important matters.”
The snow began to pick up. Numbness set in as Gwendolyn was slowly buried. Instead of falling in battle she would be swept away by the mountain. A humiliating end for a valkyrie like herself. But she could not bring herself to plea Brigan to finish her off. Dying to a man like that seemed almost worse.
She could not imagine her story would come an end like this...
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