Bloodrush (The Scarlet Star Trilogy Book 1) (69 page)

Listed below are some of the primary shades within each vein. While not all rushers will experience either the positive or negative effects, they are listed below for reference.

Known as ‘Hollowbone’ or ‘Pinion’

Bestows the ability to sniff out precious metals. Increased use can result in short-term memory loss and greed.

Gives the rusher a heightened passion for fish.

Rushers are able to sniff out corpses or those near death. Can cause nosebleeds in minor cases, and/or cannibalistic tendencies with continued use.

Enhances the sight of the rusher. Can cause cataracts or complete blindness in later life.

Flushes skin to a near-fluorescent red colour.

Overuse can result in permanency.

The rusher is gifted the ability to drink great quantities of saltwater. Causes an incredible thirst once rushing is over.

Rusher becomes desperately gluttonous. Often used as a poison.

Increased speed and reflexes. Can result in blisters or injury to ankles and knees.

Rusher’s skin takes on an iridescent quality. This may result in the shedding of skin after rushing.

Bestows the ability to mimic any noise or voice. This shade can cause laryngitis with extended use.

Gives a rusher the ability to move appendages at great speed. May cause sprains and broken bones in extreme cases. Also causes a near-debilitating thirst for sugar after rushing.

Allows a rusher to adapt to extreme environments quicker than usual, such as the ability to withstand extreme cold or heat. This shade is highly addictive, hence its nickname. Rushers can develop cravings when not rushing, and start to twitch involuntarily.

Makes a rusher’s skin impervious to water.

Is reported to cause massive dehydration.

Allows the rusher to kick out with powerful speed and force. Weaker rushers may find their knees swiftly dislocated.

This shade gifts the rusher with an incredibly strong bite.

Rushers have the ability to withstand strong acid and some poisons, whether ingested or touched. It can cause bright pink skin with overuse.

Rushers are able to withstand desperately cold temperatures, thanks to a thickening of the skin. Unfortunately it can cause weight gain.

Bestows an incredible sense of smell on the rusher.

Provides a very strong skull and the ability to move rapidly, particularly when head-butting. Drawbacks include a vicious hunger for tree-dwelling insects.

Known as ‘Gillers’

Rushers gain an extra-sensory ability which enables them to feel the presence of other rushers.

Gives a rusher a mouthful of sharp teeth. Side-effects can often include the severance of a tongue, difficulty speaking, and damage to the inside of the mouth.

Rusher can electrify the skin and manipulate electricity. An untrustworthy shade, it can resurface at random even without rushing.

Brings a rainbow-like quality to the skin. Can last for weeks.

Gives the rusher a dogged sense of determination Skin exudes a fishy odour.

Rushers can withstand increased pressures.

Bestows upon a rusher an increased awareness of and resistance to disease. Can last months, but can also make a rusher short-tempered and violent.

Both a blessing and a curse, this shade gives rushers poison barbs along the spine.

Gives a rusher the ability to spit ink. Can also cause a loss of bone density.

Rushers have the ability to bend bones and warp skin to avoid getting damaged. However, prolonged use can permanently alter the hue of the skin.

Rushers can spit water with incredible velocity and force. The drawbacks of this shade include loss of teeth and mouth control.

Provides the ability to withstand the heat of the sun for long periods, and an increased lung capacity.

Gives a rusher rubber-like skin and muscle, and the ability to squeeze or fit into smaller spaces.

Gives the rusher poisonous barbs on the fingertips.

Gives a rusher an increased sense of loyalty and armoured skin along the shoulders, neck and back.

Speckled skin, and sharp barbs protrude from the shoulders. Gives skin a speckled or striped quality for camouflage, and spiked barbs protrude from shoulders.

This shade increases a rusher’s speed and reactions.

Skin can adapt to its surroundings, altering colour and texture to camouflage the rusher. Overuse can result in loss of muscle control and bony growths on the arms.

This shade sharpens the teeth and gives a strong bite to the rusher.

Bestows upon the rusher an incredible punch. Its drawback is strangely colourful skin.

Rushers are given glowing eyes and increased night-vision.

Skin can adapt to surrounding textures, though this shade can cause barbs to grow on the face and skin to become a dark grey colour.

Provides increased stamina and an oddly strong herding instinct.

Increases a rusher’s ferocity and overall body hair.

Does result is a strange fascination with the moon, and permanence.

Rusher grows in both size and gains enhanced strength.

Extended use can cause ailments of the joints, a short temper, and the inability to discern between friend and foe.

This shade enables a rusher to survive off a fraction of the food intake they normally would.

Increases stamina and top running speed.

Unfortunately, some rushers can develop hard, hoof-like growths on the soles of the feet.

Gives rushers improved night-vision, however this shade only lasts for a matter of minutes.

Rushers have a thicker cranium for short periods. Resulting activities, such as head-butting, can result in extensive brain damage.

Makes a rusher’s teeth incredibly strong. This shade can turn permanent, if pushed.

Gives a rusher black spines on arms and legs.

Yet another shade which is as much blessing as curse. It makes the rusher able to emit a putrid stench from their pores. The drawback is the actual power itself.

Rushers experience unstoppable savagery, as well as an increased sensitivity to noise.

An incredibly strong hunting instinct. With overuse, this shade can cause antisocial and violent tendencies.

A very hard shade to stomach. Results in armoured skin in most cases, however it can result in thick and unsightly calluses.

Increased awareness of nearby creatures. It can make a rusher skittish and nervous even when not rushing.

Rushers using this shade can carry huge loads with no trouble. Skin can become greyer with use.

Hearing becomes incredibly sensitive. For weaker rushers, this can cause temporary deafness or tinnitus.

Sense of smell is increased to outstanding levels.

Sense of balance and agility is heightened. Rushers have been reported to experience furballs.

Heightened reactions and sense of danger, verging on the precognitive.

Increased strength and the gift of very strong jaws. Unfortunately, use of this shade can result in a complete loss of libido.

Enhanced climbing skills and reactions. This shade will cause excessive body hair with overuse.

Gives a rusher faintly striped skin and therefore a camouflage ability. Savage tendencies have also been recorded.

Rushers using this shade are able to withstand poisoning, and consume almost anything without harm. However, this shade can wear off unpredictably, causing trouble if digestion is not quite complete.

This shade heightens the reactions of a rusher. With prolonged use it can cause the two front teeth to grow larger and protrude from the mouth, hence the nickname.

Heightened agility and reactions.

Gives the rusher sharp claws instead of fingernails. Can cause narcolepsy or extreme tiredness.

Another shade that produces sharp claws in rushers, as well as better night-vision. However, claws can instead manifest in the feet instead of hands, and cataracts from repeated use have also been recorded.

Known as ‘Scalebleeders’ or Coldbloods’

Gifts a rusher with the ability to rattle skin to intimidate enemies. Also makes a rusher’s bite poisonous. The drawback, as with many of the reptile shades, is permanent scales.

Gives a rusher leathery armour along their back and shoulders.

This shade gifts a rusher with increased speed. Overuse can cause muscle strains, atrophy, and even permanent damage.

Rushers have the ability to siphon water out of the air in desert climates. Scales are once again a drawback.

This shade produces multiple, jagged spikes on a rusher’s shoulders, arms and back.

Rushers using this shade have enhanced climbing abilities thanks to sticky fingers.

The Komodo shade gifts a rusher with mildly poisonous saliva which, over a period of time, can debilitate an enemy. Extreme tooth decay has been recorded as a side-effect.

These shades give rushers poisonous fangs, but can cause damage to gums and lips.

Enhanced strength, and slightly longer arms for reaching around enemies. Arthritis is a common side-effect of this shade.

Rushers grow tough scales instead of skin. Dermatitis has been recorded.

Rushers become incredibly stealthy. Teeth also become sharper and more numerous. This can cause gum disease as well as scales in lesser rushers.

Skin becomes reactive to colour and light, changing to adapt to surroundings. Very difficult shade to master.

Rusher’s eyes take on a very intimidating quality which is only increased by staring.

This shade gives rushers thick leathery skin and stronger teeth than normal.

Increased resistance to fire and flame. Permanent blackening of the skin can occur.

Skin becomes poisonous to the touch. Rushers can develop halitosis with prolonged use.

Rusher can grow sharp and long claws. Side-effects can include blisters, ingrown nails, and arthritis.

Gives rushers the ability to spit acid for short periods of time.

Rushers can screech at a piercing volume. Laryngitis is a very common condition associated with this shade.

This particular shade bestows the ability to swallow great volumes, and stretch mouth to incredible proportions. Can clause slack jaw.

Increases aggression.

This shade thickens the skin, turning it into leather.

Known as ‘Blackeyes’ or ‘Greenbloods’

Increases a rusher’s overall physical attractiveness. It is recorded that this shade may shorten lifespans.

Rushers of this shade can run across water if they are fast enough.

Provides an enhanced sense of smell. Overuse can cause depression if the rusher is left alone too long.

Gives the rusher a sharp, slightly poisonous sting that protrudes from the base of the palm. Rushers of this shade can develop a nervous disposition.

Enhanced strength, yet can cause blackening of the eyes, like many other shades in this vein.

Gives a rusher the ability to snap hands together at supersonic speeds, crushing enemies. In extreme cases, rushers also develop jagged fingers. The drawbacks include broken limbs.

A rusher of this shade can shed a fine, choking dust from the skin.

This shade makes skin glow a bright yellow or green. Bleaching of the skin to a pure white or pale yellow can occur with overuse.

Sirens can screech at a piercing pitch and volume, momentarily stunning enemies or breaking glass. Snapped vocal chords may occur in lesser rushers.

This shade causes the skin to glow or flash brightly for a limited time.