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Post by Knukails on Jun 3, 2018 3:46:24 GMT
Do you know why he likes you so much? You remind him of himself. He learned the pain of sacrifice when most of your ancestors were eating grubs & shitting on themselves.
You are strong, so very strong. You can make the world bend at your will & it shall stay bent. He did not have that luxury. But he’s immortal you say? Ofcourse in your view his envy is misplaced.
The gift seemed to ebb and flow as time marched on. Its sheer strength in our age lessened & faltered
His gift was not as powerful as it is now. Originally he simply could not die. His wounds did not close in moments, he could not repair his eyes or regenerate limbs. No, he was subject to the unforgiving wilds same as everyone else. He simply could not escape into the arms of Death.
He holds an interest in you because you do now what He did at the Dawn of Humanity. You pulled the swarming combative tribes of man to heel, reformed them into your image then lead them as a grand symbol of what they could be. Same as he.
But you glow like a true god. You word is law & action marked in stone. All bask in the glow of your Light. He did not have that luxury. He was beaten, shamed & murdered. Over & Over until he slowly pulled mankind & the Beasts together.
Your legacies shall be alike as well. A history of loss & sacrifice for the greater good. Monsters of necessity & Beloved Ruler.
The gift seemed to ebb and flow as time marched on. Its sheer strength in our age lessened & faltered
He faced an enemy that had no equal, monsters that defied understanding & reason. An alien horde bent solely on destruction. So shall you.
What of us? We shall endure Pup, that is what we do.
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Post by Knukails on Oct 12, 2018 0:19:56 GMT
Killing the Joke
“I should go with you”. Drakenburg stated. “You will run into trouble & i could-“. “You couldn’t infiltrate a local gym”. Joker cut in. “Besides, someone needs to be at the helm of the rebellion”. He methodically checked his equipment.
“Im not suited to leading so many”. Dra said with clear disdain to the idea. “The new Warlords are busy training Kovun with our Warlords”. Joker explained as he ruffled through his pack for something.
“Few of our people would listen to the Demon Queen, let alone follow her”. Dra hands him the canister he was looking for. “I like Lilith, she doesn’t take shit”. She says. “I do too Dra but thats how it is”. Joker replies. “Right now full command will be a joint thing, Iskandar handles most of the work with you in a senior advisor role”. He catches several flung items out of the air. “Please dont throw my Anthrax”.
The former Drop Leader huffed. “Iskandar is a boy & i am no advisor”. Joker laughed & performed his final pack checks. “Iskandar has Rakkar’s blessing, which you know is a very rare thing”. “Also…”.
“Joker”.
The smiley commander snapped back to reality. “Right, sorry”. He stowed away his kings cards. “You’re the former Horseman of War”. “You’re the closest thing to an ancient war god to these people”. “You’d give Iskandar the backing he needs to become a leader”.
“I always hated your plans”. Dra watched as Joker rose & put on his helmet.
“Anything you want me to pass on”?
Joker finished his checks then paused. With a few seconds pause he digs out a pack of cards with a biohazard symbol. “Remember what he used to say”?
Dra catches the tossed pack & stares into the eyes of a damaged & faded yellow smile. “Tradition, good or bad, is the truest form of immortality”.
Joker picked up his weapon & began to walk.
“Go with a smile Jason”.
“Drop from Heaven Odina”.
. . . “Rain again”? Joker groaned as he felt the first few drops tap his helmet. Oro was known to have chaotic weather but Joker felt it was getting a bit ridiculous. He checked a map on his HUD & nodded to himself with its contents. “Close”.
He activated a recording application. “Date: July ninth, 2087”. “After scouring human space i’ve finally been lead to Oro”. “& i do mean that literally, i couldn’t tell Dra this but im walking into a trap”. He skulked the shadows of a barren & destroyed world.
Oro had once been the potential Throne World of humanity. Until the arrived & it was ruined by the birth of The Empyrean.
“The artifact is worth..…you’ll understand”. Joker deactivated the recording. He pulled a small data chip, containing gigabytes of recordings out of his helmet. “You’ll understand”. He says silently before attaching it to a small drone & sent it off to space.
He slid through the debris of a destroyed city as he neared his objective. A warped & violated alien ship laid unceremoniously in the Smiley’s way. With a huff of displeasure he mede his way into the ship.
The info has at best a drug fueled rumor but the trail he followed was too meticulously made for that to be true. No, this was very much a trap. “Lets see who would make one for little ol me”. He said to himself dryly. The ship was filled with traps & containments, clearly whatever this ship once was it was very very important.
After some time of traveling through the ship he found its command center. “This is it”. He charged his rifle & primed his gas canisters. ‘one…two…’ His boot smashed through the entrance way & two canisters of Anthrax gas the room. Quick scan showed the room to be clean. Knowing better than that the former commander kept his weapons ready & entered.
The room was littered with broken machinery & alien technology. All worth a heavy fortune but none of it was the objective. Joker saw what could be a chair. He positions around it, moving in a semi-circle, ready to fire.
What he saw made him drop his rifle. In a dead aliens hands held the helmet of Dragon’s Kin. Many many questions swirled in his head, emotions raged. Why is this here? How would this alien have his Kings helm. How long as this been here? Who-
The thought dies as his body dodges a fatal strike. A low cartwheel gets him clear & he rises with his picked up Rifle. A black pit formed in his stomach. He got the answer for half of his questions.
“Hello Joker, you look good”.
Joker’s skin crawled at the soft, high pitched tone. The woman before him stood tall in her own short stature. Her hair was tied back in a smart bun, her skin pale. At her waist hung the obsidian banner of Sariel.
“Black Rose, i’ve sprung your trap”.
“Thank you for collecting Lord Vokun’s helmet Joker”. She says with an extended hand. Joker snorts. A flash fills the room along with a deafening boom. A Hellspire Grenade, made to be a Flash Bang Warlords used.
Black Rose was caught off guard but her mind didn’t hesitate. Joker sprinting like hell ,with the helmet secured to his back, barely manages to dodge getting decapitated.Sliding slow he also misses a rotted looking pair of arms. “Nasty”. He presses a detonator.
Explosions rock the forward part of the ship. The force & flames would kill all twelve of her Risen. “Ha Fuck you zo-“. A unseen fist mashes him through several walls. He tucks & rolls in the air landing on his feet. The second they touched the ground he dodges a flying side kick just scrapes his helmet.
Joker twists to avoid a thrown knife then inverts to throw out a handstand kick. ‘Every attack is different’ His mind raced. He spins back upright & drops a heavy punch. The second his fist hit a mask like metal he realized it.
It was a Smiley. Another hit at the same time connects to his stomach. ‘Too strong’. He bursts one of his bio-canisters & floods there area. In the pitch black he see’s the gas part in minute bits. He back flips then spins in the air to dodge Razor Cards.
“You fucking bitch”. Joker’s stomach filled with poison. He had a grasp on who was in the room now. They were Smiley’s but Black Rose had turned them berserk. However they were no usual Smiley. Joker skillfully dodges & counters a compact combination. His fist smashes through the mask.
“Mark”.
In a split second the air filled with Razor Cards. The former commander deftly catches & returns the cards. He seemingly vanishes into thin air, reappearing with the smiley attempting to rush him from behind.
“Smokey”.
“Harlequin”.
The body is shredded by the cards & the world around them breaks, dents, shreds. Joker holds tight for another second awaiting a fourth. Noting there wasnt a fourth he offered a silent thanks & swiftly checked the bodies. The flesh eating bacteria worked quickly, the bodies were done as soon as the spores landed.
The Horseman pulls a pair of jokers out the back of Harlequin’s head & puts them along with things he took from the others in a pouch. He almost whited out from a blow to his chest.
Joker is smashed through the ship & out into Oro’s air. Through the wind force & pain he manages to get the helmet to his front & throws out his arm. His back smashes through a building & skidding along the ground.
He raises his mask enough to vomit blood. “You fucking bitch…you turned them into Zombies”!
“I made them useful”. Black Rose said as she walked through his dust cloud. “After all, the best smiley is no match for me".
"At least i was the best. You weren’t even the best Wara when Doom left". Joker huffed.
“What”. The War Commander froze up, shaking in anger & shock.
“I said, How does it feel knowing both times you were in command you weren’t the best at your job”!
“YOU MOTHER FUCK-“! A small beep sounded off at her left boot. The Wara-Killer attached itself successfully & activated its thruster.
The Horseman of Death was dragged at Exit speeds backwards through the ruined city. Smashing into pavements, buildings, the ship & then arc’d up.
As soon as he heard the beep Joker’s mind raced. ‘I cant move….i won’t make it back to the ship’. ‘Have to get Marcus’s helmet off world…’. The idea struck him as the Wara-killer tried to drag a screamingly psychotic Black Rose to space.
“SLENDER”! He shouted as he crawled onto his knees.
“SLENDER FUCKING COME”! Nothing. “YOU FUCKING ELDRITCH PIECE OF SHIT, FINE”! “FUCK ME, JUST SAVE THE HELMET….fuck….” Joker struggled to breath through as he heard a scream that filled even his heart with pure fear. The Banshee’s call meant Black Rose had completely lost it. & the fact he could hear it meant the Wara-killer couldn’t do its job.
“Malakas…ITS MARCUS’S HELMET”! He shouted franticly. “GET IT TO THE KID”! A hollow growl comes from Joker’s shadow. The helmet bleeds into its shadow. “Holy shit…that worked”. He felt a slight tug at his waist. He smiled through broken teeth, knowing his pouch was taken.
He rises up on broken legs, the pain irrelevant now. He clutched an Ancient Drachma & primed his final trap. The Screaming had rendered him deaf by now, he could see her barreling straight for him.
“See you soon αγάπη μου”. Black rose was moments away from him now. “Hahaha out with a smile…”.
“MORTALITATIS”!
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Post by Knukails on Oct 31, 2018 18:08:12 GMT
Kovun's Rampage
“Five till Drop”. A cold female voice spoke into the cargo hold. Low above the rim world Uraxis flew an old world drop ship. Barely held together, it silently races to its target. “I’ve scattered their radar but it looks like they’re wheeling out AAA”. The pilot said over coms.
“I don’t think he cares Jackson”.
The woman towered over Kovun. “Rise to drop altitude”. She made no movements as the drop ship arced high & climbed.
Kovun was silent the whole flight. Clad in black armor, holding a helmet with a smile carved into it. “I figured War would want to fall too”? Jackson asked as the ship hit altitude.
“The boy will drop more hell than my entire Corps ever could”. The former Horseman took the helmet from Kovun’s hands.
As if pulled from his trance the hold began to heat rapidly. “Kovun”.
The boy looked up & met Drakenburg’s eyes. No words were exchanged, just a single order sent from her wrath filled gaze. “two minutes”! Jackson shouted.
“STAND UP”! She shouted as she opened the back. Wind & Rain screamed into the hold. “APPROACH THE ABYSS”! Kovun approached the breach with a hate filled walk. The air in the hold felt as if it was seconds from igniting.
“One minute”! Jackson shouts as Flak begins to fill the sky.
The Kails commander boomed again. “WHAT WILL YOU DO REYES”!
“FALL”!
“WHAT WILL YOU DO”!
“LAND FEET FIRST”!
“WHAT WILL YOU DO”!
“BRING THEM WAR”! He roars & vaults from the ship.
Straightening his body Kovun turns himself into a missile. He never noticed the Flak, it was disintegrating around him as he flew. He creates a massive explosion that propels him down even faster. The world blurring at his senses, bleeding at the edges. Lifting his body up, he louts out a hate fueled, blood thirsty scream.
The second his feet touch the ground an immense heat blast incinerates everything in a 15 mile radius. The force of the blast flattens everything in a 25 mile radius & clears the sky around him.
Not a drop of rain touched his skin, no wind bit at his bones. From the broken skyline shines a single ray directly on ground zero. Letting all who survive know, Conquest had come.
Half of Outpost Omega had been destroyed in seconds. The reming half swiftly moved into combat status. coming to full readiness in minutes.
“Get that bird into the air”!
“Are we under attack”?!
“What the fuck was that”?!
“I cant contact the Throneworld”!
“Senior command may be dead”!
“GET THE FUCKING BIRDS UP”!
“Get the Kails”!
“Where are the fucking Reaper-Knights”?!
It mattered little in the end. War had come & its horrors followed with him. Fighters suddenly detonated in mid-air, tanks imploded, the screams of insane Reaper-Knights burning to death fill the coms. Kovun flies through a helicopter, pulling its pilot & co-pilot through.
Landing on & utterly crushing an APC, its cargo screaming in agony. He throws the Pilot at another helo taking off, mashing together with its pilot & sending into a crowd of flight crew. “BURN”! He shouts & throws the flaming corpse at the airfields fuel dump setting it off. Scores of men run, roll & thrash in vain attempts to smother the flame.
He vanishes from the airfield after seeing the post commander in the shattered remains of the Flight tower. Instantly he appears at the Outposts motor pool, grabs a single bullet from its commander & flings into the air. As soon as the sonic boom smashes the pool he’s back in the airfield, standing before the post commander.
“Ho-“. is all the man got out before a bullet smashes through his brain. The blood splatters on Kovun’s face but he makes no notice. He boom’s over to the Outposts Barracks.
Before him stood the infantry battalion meant to meet him at the airfield.
The men barely held form as a savage explosion suddenly rocked their armor support.
“Half burn, half butchered, you choose”. He said to the Battalion command team.
The men pissed themselves in fear. “Nevermind”.
Displaying his disgust, Kovun smashes the Senior NCO’s head in, then bolts to the Commander & snaps him up by the leg.
The Prince’s heart beat with murder, wrath flared in his veins & gore clouded his vision as he used the Commander to smash his men. The man’s head was mangled & mashed, teeth ripped bone from his men’s flesh. Ribs & spine shatter from the force of the blows.
Half a minute into the slaughter & the Commander’s top half had been blown apart. The battalion starts running in pure horror at the hellish landscape Kovun created with the bodies of their comrades. He lifts his arm & stares into the eyes of the last private. Within seconds the men were screaming. Burns began manifesting, tumors formed rapidly in every organ. Soon their very flesh was melting from their bones.
“Do you feel that…can you smell that…I CALL THAT REVENGE”! He throws down the private & savages him. The boy raises his arms to shield his head but Kovun’s fist rends them in & beats the man though his own arms. With another roar Kovun rips them man’s arm off & bashed his head flat with it.
Kovun stood in the heart of his slaughterhouse, the rain struggling to wash the blood that stained his front.
His ears fluttered almost imperceptibly, the smallest parts of adrenaline hit his bloodstream. In a blur he narrowly avoids being decapitated by a fist.
Striking out with his right arm he blocks a HF knife, grabs the wrist, twists & throws. The rain drops touch the ground a second after the fighters did. The rain swiftly became a typhoon, black ash chocked clouds rippled with furious lightning.
Kovun could feel the pressure of standing between Goddesses.
The last of the soldiers blood washed out of his clothes. In a flash second there was a great clash out light, torrential rain around them suddenly disappeared, fell in a bow around them for a moment & then fell again.
“Surprised”? Kovun gloated as his eyes glow a dull gold. Under the dark of the storm it looked as if trails of light rose from them as well.
“Slightly proud”. Warlord Cassandra said. Her cold azure stare watching for the slightest movements. “But mostly disappointed…those men had no idea you plan to raid their homes”.
“Killing outpost not make you big pup, why you think killing weaklings does”? Warlord Veles snarked. Her massive frame dwarfing Kovun’s, her arctic blue eyes didn’t hide their annoyance.
“It sends a message Kira”. Kovun spat, throwing his arms wide. “I am a Warlord, fear my power”. He said matter of factly. “A Warlord of Vokun”. His hands heat up into a bright glow. “I am above you now, come & prove it for me”.
“Cyka”. Veles shaped the rain into hundreds of spears. Cass filled them with lightning & under a barrage to make Zeus himself jealous.
[THUNDERSTRIKE].
The force of the impact vaporizes the smoldering grave of Outpost Omega.
“Hahahaha”.
At the heart of this almighty attacked laughed a young man, his skin nearly glowing gold. “Compared to Lord Doom, you two are nothing”! Kovun blasts out of the crater & into the Warlords. Their brawl shattered the landscape, blows that could shake mountains, screaming through the air faster then one could follow.
Kovun hadn’t lied when he said he’d surpassed them.
The Lightning did little more then stall him for a second, the heat being naught but a warm tap. The air around him sparked as if it could burst in flame. It evaporated water & ice on contact.
“Cass, now”. Kira said through bloodied nose & chipped teeth. She gripped Kovun’s body still using his blood & then attempted to knock him unconscious. Cass bolted towards Kovun, bolt of Lightning in hand. “Got Ya”! Kovun smiled wide & vaulted towards Cass, dragging Kira for a moment from her hold being overpowered. In Cass’s split second surprise Kovun detonates with the force of a kiloton bomb. The sky clears for tens of miles around, a massive hole of radiant shine engulfs the barren field.
Cass sensing the build of heat managed to bolt far enough away to avoid being incinerated. Though the force of the impact sent her blurring away rending swaths of earth until she stopped.
A heavy blue ice encrusted fist smashed into Kovun’s face, the force of strike cracking the earth around them. He was just barely off balance & turned his face into the fist. Pushing her arm back slightly, he makes eye contact & vanished.
Just as Kira realized what he’d done Kovun sent her into the ground away from him.
“YOU WILL BOW BEFORE CONQUEST”! He roared proudly. Until he felt an impact behind him & carried with it an overbearing feeling of death.
“You’ve yet to earn that right boy”. The frozen voice of Warlord Doom drifted into Kovun’s ears. Not a speck of dust dirtied her black uniform, not a wrinkle in sight, not even signs of tear from the force of her landing. Just her cloak waving in the wind. From her waist hung the banner of The Rising Sun, her right shoulder bore the kanji 冬, her left an elaborate skull. Finally, over her heart rested the Dragons of Vokun.
"I see you have surpassed your peers, you have been holding out on me". Doom's voice was by no means loud but Kovun could feel them shake his bones. "This is the end".
As if on instinct he rapidly charged energy within him, letting it vent from his body. Tailing arcs of light Kovun could feel the world around him differently. He could feel the universe around him as if it were apart of him.
Doom vanishes from under her cloak, Kovun stood still with eyes closed.
The next moment he ducks to dodge a hook kick to his head & counters with punch that blasted her back. With a huff she surges back in, Kovun moves to counter again but meets only air. Shen then reappears inches from his face & taps his chest with her fist.
Kovun fly’s unconscious through the air & impacts on a distant mountain the same instant Doom reappeared back under her cloak. It hadn’t fallen even a centimeter.
“Kira, Cass, collect the boy & take him to Duchess”. She looked off at his crater. “This tantrum is over”.
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Post by Knukails on Nov 22, 2018 17:21:23 GMT
Breaking the Dollhouse
Deep underground was chained a monster. Well, the Dollhouse would refer to it differently. Its workers throw another cadaver into the pitch-black vault. Garbage Disposal.
Thinly muscled, filthy unwashed hair still somewhat styled after the last time it was let out. Its skin was unnaturally tanned for rarely seeing the sun. It consumed its meal, a girl much younger that it.
This is the life such a poor monster has lived for many years. Its anguish & suffering brought it to the attention of a true monster. This monster was very weak, the roaring flame of its existence now but embers.
The vault opens again & a well dressed woman peers in as the guards bring another body. “Have Lilith cleaned, there’s a client that wants it”.
The door close & Lilith was once again sealed in darkness. However tonight, the darkness spoke.
“You…you feel familiar”. The darkness spoke in growls. “You dont need to pretend not to see me…i know you can see in the dark”.
Lilith struggled to find the courage to look at the source of the growls. It was correct ofcourse, she could see in perfect darkness but how did it know that. As she meets the source of the voice the girl cocks her head in confusion.
“Where is your face”? Lilith couldn’t understand how it breathed. This monster had a perfectly smooth, nearly translucent face.
“That is unimportant”. it replies. “Allow me to bond with you & feed on your suffering”.
Lilith attempted to scratch an itch but her chains kept her from doing so. She instead feels a cold tentacle like brush on her nose getting it for her.
“Do so & i will assist you in escaping when im strong enough”. Lilith realized now that it wasn’t actually “speaking”. The voice was being heard among her own thoughts. She could feel it was scared, trying to appear strong. But she could see it was frail & alone.
“What is your name monster”? She asks. “My name is forgotten little one, my master took it with them”. It growls.
“Come then…Khalkaroth…together we’ll grow fat on their bones”.
Lilith opened her arms as wide as the chains would allow.
A year passes & Lilith nurtured her new friend with the suffering & pain of the Dollhouse. On occasion she was released from her Vault, followed by team of former KST’s as she was bathed & dressed. She met a man who smelt odd, as if he were just kissed by the sun. He smelled to be in his late sixties but he looked to be no older than thirty five.
Sitting in the Lounge, he was clearly disgusted by the Dollhouse itself, which endeared him to the girl. When he saw her there was a pause. As if he were trying to recognize something distant. The man deftly followed the girls path, only when she passed by the fireplace did he notice her odd shadow. His eyes open a fraction wider then he looked away. She never saw him in the Lounge again.
A few months later Lilith is once again pulled out of her vault.
—
“Is the area secured”?
“Yes Matriarch”.
“Return to the ship, i shall follow soon enough”.
“Matriarch…"
Stood on a distant cliff face was a massive man & a small woman. The woman draped in ancient asian clothing simply patted the mans truck like leg.
“It will be fine Leonidas, this one is of strong blood”.
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Lilith is walked to a room where she noted there were no camera’s present. Which was odd, almost nothing in the Dollhouse went un-filmed. This itself isn’t overly suspicious, she was rather young & certain persons of wealth would rather their proclivities be unknown.
However she also noted the lack of spy camera’s installed to blackmail those people. After the guards left Lilith noted a sharp natural scent. It smelled of cherry blossoms & blood. ‘No’. she thought. ‘Thats fresh blood’. She turned towards the door & saw a woman her height.
The woman’s hair was black as the night, her eyes were a yellowish red. The pupils shouted that the woman was very much not human.
She was dressed in clothing Lilith had never seen & wore a headdress that bore twin horns. Affixed from them was golden chain that held an odd symbol hanging in the middle.
“It ends tonight”. Lilith did shutter now. The woman had vanished as Lilith blinked, her voice was coming over the girl’s shoulder. “You will never again be caged”.
Lilith felt a sharp strike at her neck & fell. As she slipped into unconsciousness he heard; “Tonight the mongrels will drown upon tears of scarlet”.
The girl woke in the cold darkness of her vault. “This is the end”. She whispered, her breath fogging. The feeding shaft opens & in dropped her meal. This time however, it wasn’t the body of a Doll or an unruly patron. It was a single black rose.
“Khal”. She spoke & a black tendril scooped the flower up. Lilith held the rose with confusion. “Why…”. She looked up at the shaft & accidentally pricked herself. “Ah”. She winces. In her night vision, the blood seemed to glow softly on the Rose.
There was a horrible throbbing in her head. Through the pain she clenches the flower causing her hand to drip blood. Everything in her body fueled as if it were at its seems, ready to burst. Khalkaroth took the initiative to open her sub-conscious & pushed to the forefront memories that lead her here. Long buried memories flare across Lilith consciousness. Beautiful, precious memories marred by horror. & the crux of it all, the reason Lilith was with nothing & sold to the Dollhouse. A Black Rose.
Her body shattered under an inhuman roar. Tendrils ripped massive scars into the walls, the vault itself seemed to scream. Lilith felt her bones break & reform denser, her muscles ripped & reformed stronger. Her teeth sharpened & lengthened.
Her hands & feet remolded into claws, her legs broke & reformed thick & digitigrade. The sounds of many heavy boots clattered in front of the vault. Many weapons could be heard charged. It all meant nothing.
The vault door banged as if it were hit by a wrecking ball. The guards could hear the inhuman screaming. They sweat heavily & dried to swallow into dry throats.
The door banged but it now also had a dent. Then another, & another. Before it was silent. The guards held their weapons in shakes hands. They waited another moment before their commander said to lower weapons.
No sooner did they obey did the vault door rip open. The vault lock flew free, smashing several men, including the commander, before imbedding itself in the far wall.
“RRRRAAAAAAAAGGGGHHH”. Lilith screamed. Her claws ripped intestines from stomachs, teeth ripped out throats, Feet smashed skulls. Lilith ripped their flesh, tore their bodies apart. Bullets flew free & the girl danced between them in a ballet of murder. Within a minute there were no more guards.
The power suddenly goes out across the building.
Lilith was transfixed for a moment under the red emergency lights. A clatter in the hallway pulled her in pursuit of prey. She ran through the facility, butchering everyone she came across. It didn’t mater if they were other dolls, guards, patrons. They were slaughtered & eaten all the same.
She carved her way through the lounge & saw the well dressed woman that kept her in the vault. The Dollmaker was cornered in a near fetal position, the smell of urine wading between her legs.
Lilith stopped after she heart a tiny, unbearable rhythm coming from the woman. She looked down to the woman’s stomach who instinctively held her arms across it. That moment was gone when a dying patron shot out.
Bullets ripped through Lilith & she screamed. She screamed so loud it destroyed the ears of any survivors. Twin horns grew from her head, mangled & dripping with blood. The bullets were pushed out & the wounds began to slowly heal.
The patron found himself impaled several times by black tendrils & The Dollmaker pathetically cursed at Lilith. “Demonia, i should have never bought you”! “Regresa al infierno demonia"! The Dollmaker saw Lilith draped in darkness, her horns bleed shadows & her pale white skin made the blood they flowed from her mouth to be all the more striking.
Lilith had no mercy to give.
“Khal”. The Dollmaker was held up by her arms with black tendrils. Lilith held the womans torso, her claws dug into skin. The Dollmaker’s face was twisted in fear, her face stained in tears.
“FEED ME”! Lilith opened her mouth wide, revealing many jagged gore stained teeth & dived into the woman’s stomach.
“S-so c-cold”. Lilith ran out into a winter forest. She had no idea it would be so cold, or that the dollhouse was in a forest. She barely recognized trees by this point. But the cold was far more unforgiving than her rage. She felt her wounds catch up. “I’ve…lost a lot…of blood”. She whispers to herself. “Kha….”. She fell into the snow, her consciousness fading away.
She saw a beast walking out of the trees, it had paws, walked on fours. She struggled to recall what it was called. In her delirium she saw it had nine tails. “You did well little one, you are free”. It spoke in a familiar tone & Lilith passed out.
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Post by Knukails on Nov 25, 2018 19:54:33 GMT
Forgotten Ceremonies
A very very long time ago.
“BAHAMUT”! A small blonde haired woman screamed into the air. Aside from her beastly eyes & black scaled tail she appeared otherwise normal. Within a minute he arrived.The Firstborn of The Matriarch, The first Dragon, King of Beasts, Ruler of Skies,. “Mother, you summon me”. He says in a booming yet very respectful manner. Even in human form Bahamut was outlandishly massive. Standing at nearly ten feet tall, His wingspan being nearly twenty tip to tip. He literally dwarfs his rather small mother.
“I do, we have a ceremon…...Bahu…...you haven’t been taking good care of your scales”. The Matriarch inspected the crimson plated scales that covered her son. “I apologize mother”. He huffs. The matriarch’s nose wrinkles in disgust. “Your maw reeks of human & human dizzy water”. She jabs a claw at Bahamut’s chest & narrows her eyes. “I thought i told you not to go adventuring with Rakkar”.
The sight of a true mythical beast cowering before a five foot seven woman must have been rather amusing. For through a door way laughter could be heard. “Please do not be so hard on him, Sy’uu”. A female voice fluttered into the courtyard. “No one told you to act your age”.
“How rude, Bahamut eat Luna”. Sy’uu ordered. The Dragon King simply bowed his head in respect. “I welcome you to Mythos, Lady of Light”. He says.
“Please raise your head Bahamut”. Luna pated his arm. “It is rather embarrassing to have you do so”. The King of Beasts shuffled upwards & huffed. “What brings you to our home, is there something wrong”?
“No no, i simply wished to visit & Sy'uu happened to request me”. Luna admitted with a warm smile. “T’sa returned to Atlantis & Rakkar left with Marku to go “Train”.
Sy’uu rolled her eyes. “Raiding”?
Luna made a sound of affirmation then attempted to climb onto Bahamut’s back.
“Lady Luna, what are you doing”? He asks confused.
“My King i have flown all the way here from Atlantis & am so very tired”. She says softly, almost like a lover.
“You’re just being lazy & its fun to ride him cause he goes fast”. Sy’uu said matter of factly, already sitting on his shoulder. Luna laughed & wrapped her arms around his trunk like neck. “Lets go”!
Luna had always loved the beast country Mythos. Soaring high above one could view the beauty of this natural land. She waved at a flock of airborne hunters, watched Leviathan carry a section of an aqueduct, Wolves racing across plains & other Dragons going about their business.
Soon they were screaming towards the base of a Volcano. Lava exploding out violently. “Oh i love this part”. Luna said, gripping Bahamut’s neck tightly. The dragon pulls his wings close & dives into the Volcano. The Lava swirled around & launched upwards with him.
The soar up though this massive Volcano, eyes watering & lungs burning. An ocean of Lava fighting its way up to the surface, the mountain shaking with anger. Bahamut takes in a deep breath.
Mount Drakon erupts with a magnificent fury as the Dragon emerges into the sky. Wings wide, flying above the Palace of Flame he lets out a massive dominant roar. The king had returned.
As they group descended they were met with the sound of a few small squeals. “Lunaaa”! A group of children fluttered up to meet her. The silver haired woman squeezed the children as they flew into her arms. “I missed you lot”!
“I love your new scales Vok, black suits you”. She said to one. “Thuur you gotten so big”! she said to another. She continued to banter with the children as Bahamut landed. “Go children & let your mother know Luna has arrived”. Bahamut commanded. “Yes father”! they shouted & dashed into the palace. “Oh, every time i see your children i feel complete”. Luna said with a satisfied smile. “So whats this thing you wanted to show me Sy’uu”?
The Matriarch grabs Luna’s hand & guides her into the Palace.
“You have been a good friend & defender of my people Luna”. Sy’uu began. Luna attempted to vocalize something but bit her tongue. The squeeze Sy’uu gave her hand told her to say nothing. “You know i am very old…i do not trust human’s much”. “But you are not like the other Humans”. "You have true wisdom & the power to set it in stone".
Two walk down corridors with intricate carvings of battles Luna had never heard of & paintings of people she thought were myths. “You are strong, very strong”. The Matriarch admitted with a hint of envy. “You may even be stronger than Marku”.
At this Luna spoke up. “You are so very kind Matriarch but Marku's gift is [King of Kings]”. “T’sa herself said that may not even be his true gift & his potential is limitless…”. Luna’s voice was hollow.
“You just want me to say you’re stronger again after you said all that”. Sy’uu huffed like a child.
Luna lets out a mischievous giggle before the two laugh like childhood friends.
They enter a grand chamber, elaborate & ancient by design. “Go, sit”. Sy’uu requested, gesturing to a throne. This particular throne was much smaller than the one sitting center. However it was much much more extravagant, using materials Luna had never seen.
“Sy’uu i cannot”! This time Luna’s objection was true. “That’s the seat of The Matriarch”. “I cannot sit in you-“. Sy’uu growled in a tone far too deep & loud for her size. “You should listen to The Matriarch my sister”. A warm motherly tone wafted through the air. “Only Rakkar has been so lucky”. A tall unbelievably beautiful woman snuck up on the women. Her hair blood red & eyes of pure sapphire, her body voluptuous & powerfully built. Her dress was reminiscent of a raging fire.
“Darling Lys”. Luna bowed. “Would the Queen please talk some sense into her Matriarch, she’s being unreasonable”. Lys laughed at the complaint. “Please Luna, just do as she says…this means a lot to her”. Luna sighed heavily & nodded. Without another word she tentatively walks up the steps & sits on the throne of The Matriarch.
“Luna, Lady of Light, you have been summoned at the request of Matriarch Sy’uu”. Queen Lys decreed. “You have championed for the Beasts since your time as a little one & nearly layed your life down to protect a fallen Matriarch Sy’uu, myself & my children”.
“In recognition of your great courage & love for Drakon we have chosen to bless you with a symbol of our friendship”.
Two great wings of fire emerge from Queen Lys’s back. Her body engulfs in bright flame & her voice booms over every corner of the mountain. “Together we our bound, our destinies forever intertwined”! Luna’s gift activated forcibly & flared out to meet the fire engulfing the room.
Then it was gone. & sitting upon the back of the Matriarch’s throne was a small, pure white dragon. “Wh…how…what”? She babbled in shock. This being didn’t exist in nature clearly, she could feel a piece of herself in it.
“This is our gift to you”. Bahamut stated. “A Drakon made from your gift”. Luna tentatively pet this little dragon. “But how…”. Queen Lys laughed at Luna’s confusion. “Life is my precious ward”. Her burning hair & wings settled down until they were no more. “I am sure you will find out how”.
Luna stood off the throne & walked over to the royal family, her dragon sitting weightlessly on her shoulder. The Lady of Light knelt upon a knee before Lys. “You will forever have my love Sister Phoenix”. She stood & hugged the woman.
“Name it”. Sy’uu said loudly, clearly over the emotional outbursts. “Its not some beast of burden”. She then turned to leave, the others quietly turn with her.
“Oh i’ll come up with something”. Luna hummed, lovingly petting her dragon.
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Post by Knukails on Dec 17, 2018 1:34:13 GMT
Test Day
“This is your exam”. Rakkar spoke in calm manner. A far cry from his apprentices jittery anxiety. “Am I fight you Rakkar”? Iskandar asked skittishly. “No, you will not”. The boy exhales a breath of relief.
“You will be participating in a joint experiment today”. Rakkar began to walk around the barren landscape. “This is called the Simulator, I’m sure it has a rather flowery name but that’s not important”. Iskandar checked his kit as his master spoke. “Sir, isn’t this where Kovun & the Warlords train”?
“No, they use the primary simulation wing”. The ancient corrected. “This is more of a proving grounds”. “Oh, like the Promethean Proving Grounds”. The Helot caught on. “In a sense yes”. Rakkar nodded.
“So what’s the experiment”? Iskandar couldn’t hide his bottomless curiosity. “You also said this was a joint thing too…” Rakkar vanishes from sight but looks on in an unseen observation unit. “Right, this little test is courtesy of Lady Duchess”. He noted his apprentice’s shock & kept speaking.
“Since I know you’re nosy & Kovun likes to talk, I’ll assume you’re somewhat familiar with the Sim process”. The Helot nodded. “Good, this will be an experiment in adapting a memory based simulation into a physical shell”.
“Memories”? The boy asked. “I thought the sim worked off brain scans”? Rakkar glanced at a few black armored shells. “It does, however that can only recreate what Duchess has scans of”.
“Ahhh, so she made up a scan based on memories of a persons actions...since remaking their personality would be way harder”. Iskandar snapped as he put it together.
“Perhaps not for Duchess but yes, observant as always Iskandar”. Rakkar said proudly. “Now, allow me to introduce your opponents”. With the press of a button two armored containers dropped from the sky in a box formation, with Iskandar at the center.
He pulled his helmet on, its light plume flickered to life. “So im to assume these are them”. He said cautiously.
Duchess keyed an intercom. "In this corner...weighing a metric fuck ton in brass balls, coming all the way from Lakonia, The Spartan”! She announced joyfully.
One of the containers break open. Revealing a cybernetic armor in Spartan colors, crimson cape waving in the wind. With a shake of its left arm a large shield engaged, a shake of its right made a spear appear out of its arm.
“Begin”! Rakkar announced.
The Spartan launched itself at Iskandar immediately. The boy however was ready to show off.
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Post by Knukails on Dec 17, 2018 1:36:50 GMT
Birth of a Legend
“I knew it…the boy is gifted”.
Iskandar’s eyes glowed & he let out a roar of might & fury that shook the very ground. The Spartan drone thrusted forward with its spear & it shattered on impact. A slight shimmer seemed to cover his body, an almost ghostly effect. But those with a better eye could see the truth.
He was covered in shimmering armor. Head protected within a golden helm, body behind bronze colored armor. It seemed to waft from him. As if a strong enough breeze could blow it away.
The spartan drew its short sword & charged at its opponent. Iskandar catches the drone’s arm, twist & pulls, leaving him with the blade. Swiftly he dives in between the spartan’s legs & severs them. Knocking the body forward, allowing an upward facing spear point to pierce its head.
The boy had awakened & his power was felt throughout the ship.
“It took him less than five seconds to put down Aristodemus”. Duchess spoke again. However this time Rakkar turned to see it was really her this time. He was beaming with pride. “Had he not been marveling at his awakened ability…”.
“He would not have been faster”. A cold almost mechanical voice echoed into the control room. Its holder was none other than Warlord Doom herself. “But the feeling coming off of him is interesting”.
“He hasn’t truly activated his ability”. Rakkar noted. “There’s still more to be drawn out”. He turns to see his protogé inspecting himself. “But i fear he may run through the remaining Predecessors”.
“Ah, but not the ones i just finished”. Duchess said with a hint of anticipation. Rakkar’s eyes go wide. “You managed to finish them”?
“Not quite yet, this is a different method of using my Sim-Tech”. Duchess said as she waved her hand & a series of holographic panels appeared. “But a taste should be enough”.
“System, activate Prokátochoí: King of Legends”.
A pod shattered in magnificent light & showering metal.
Standing within was a Drone like no other. Its armor was a shining silver trimmed with gold. A long flowing cape of the same material’s flowed at its back. The Armor was old plate styled with intricate designs & pieces. Upon its “head” sat a crown so majestic lesser men would’ve kneeled.
Rakkar leaned over a railing to inspect the drone further. Being maddened by its familiarity to him.
Iskandar however felt a stone drop in his stomach & that sent him into his fight response. He roars & moves to charge the drone. Before his first step fell, the drone unsheathed its sword. Iskandar was blinded by an otherworldly light. He then felt the sword attempt to slice him in half. Managing to dodge the full blade he looked at the drone in shock.
Now Rakkar’s eyes go wide. “No…thats…where did you find….”. Warlord Doom looked down as well. “What is what Rakkar, spit it out”.
Rakkar could tell Duchess was smiling pridefully behind him. “Duchess remade King Arthur Pendragon”. He said in awe.
“What”? Doom looked at him with questioning look.
“& i reunited him with his dear companion…Excalibur”. Duchess added said.
“What”?! Doom whipped her head back toward the fight fully engaged.
Iskandar rose to his feet, taking notice the drone didn’t attack him. <Forgive me, Honorable King>. He says in greek. He shook his arm & a shield built itself out. The face emblazoned with a golden lion’s bloody maw. <I will do this properly>. The drone gave an almost imperceptible nod. Its sword flared as it took a dueling stance.
Duchess raised an eyebrow. “Fascinating, if that was a response…”. She mused. “Rakkar, it seems his majesty requires someone to make this official”.
As instructed he cleared his throat. “I, Sir Lancelot du Lac of The Kingdom of Camelot, shall bear witness for this duel”! Rakkar proclaimed. “Begin”!
Another blinding flash of light engulfed the area. Iskandar’s arms shook from the weight of his clash. Had his xiphos not been made from Spartoi Titanium he would surely have died.
Dashing back he throws The Spartan’s chassis up into the ceiling network. Shorting the system & raining down hundreds of weapons.
As these weapons are jettisoned to the battlefield the combatants continue clashing. Vanishing from sight before returning the cross blades. The force of which began to break the floor.
Trading slashes between flying blades & spears, weaving between knives & arrows. The two separated again, the area filled with weapons.
The air filled with screeching electronic sounds. All save Duchess wince from the sheer pitch. The Former Warlord of NT was wide eyed in an ecstatic expression.
<Well Done>
She gushed over the message only she could understand. Her experiment evolved in a way she hadn’t foreseen. & that made her very interested in the outcome.
Iskandar threw a storm of shuriken & daggers & dashed in after it, aural armor raging. Excalibur reflects it all in a swipe & the drone rushes to meet the boy. Within a hurricane of metal Iskandar battled the Legend.
They vanished & clashed, weaving through flying blades. The legendary sword slashed through weapons with a hunger. Iskandar rapidly replacing his with each encounter. Xiphos, Longsword, Katana, it didn’t matter. Excalibur ate them up all the same.
The King pressed on aggressively. Swinging his blade one handed, deftly blocking & countering. Clash after clash, looking for its opening. The drone flips over Iskandar, slashing the shield mechanism while midair. The boy’s shield destroyed, The King sheaths & unsheathes Excalibur. Filling the room with blinding light then slashing through for its kill.
*CLANG*
The blade missed its mark, deflected by a mirror polished shield. The boy was very much still in the fight.
“This is incredible, Arthur’s bladework was legendary.” Rakkar marveled. “& the boy is matching him near evenly”.
Iskandar counter’s the strike by smashing the shield into its chest. The Drone responds by slamming the flat of Excalibur into Iskandar.
“Though it makes me wonder what his ability is”. Duchess mused, crunching petabytes of data on the fight. “At first glance it appear’s similar to Apollyon’s Combat Mastery”.
Iskandar twists mid air & throws a spear inverted. It slams through were the drones heart would be. It manages to cut through the following two & dodges a thrown sword. Its momentum led it into the path of a flying shield.
“But it’s not that”. Doom stated. “If it were he would be hyper-aggressive, not calmly assessing each move”. She points. “Apollyon drops weapons so that she may have more assault options”.
The sky above darkens slightly, without looking The King dodges a hail of arrows. Within that storm Iskandar struck at the Drone with spears & hammers. Staying out of Excalibur’s range.
“Iskandar is using them to manipulate sections of the battlefield”. Rakkar finished, having caught on. “He’s controlling the battle”.
“But for how much longer”? Doom asked ominously.
The war raged. Iskandar dashes around the field, coming at The King from all angles. Once it adjusted to a weapon type Iskandar would switch. Being pushed from one section to another, The King was caught in a seemingly unending kill zone. Its chassis began to take very real damage. So its response was to completely vanish from Iskandar’s sight.
It didn’t matter that the boy knew what The King did, it was far faster than he. Iskandar vomited from the impact. Excalibur tore through his ghostly armor & rammed through his body. He vomits again, the blood clinging to his chin.
“ISKANDAR”! Rakkar shouted over the railing. Barely stopping himself from jumping into the fray.
The boy stumbled backwards, pulling himself free then looking down at the gaping wound. He struggled to take a proper breath, fully in shock. “N-n-no…”. He mutters as he drops to his knees, holding the wound.
“GET UP BOY”! Rakkar yelled out. “FIGHT”!
Doom let out a grunt of displeasure but not disappointment. While Duchess was simply continued to watch, seeing it all from several perspectives.
Iskandar’s vision began to tunnel, his body had never felt so cold. The pain was immense & non-existent at the same time. He had failed, the drone was going to execute him. Rakkar’s voice sounded far away.
The King tapped Iskandar on both shoulders, leaving Excalibur on one long enough for the boy to look up & understand.
“Do not give up now”! Rakkar boomed. “You must fight”! He pounds his fist on the railing, his heart raced as if it were he in battle. “If you are to fall then you will take all with you”!
“Forward Unto Death”! “Drive through the enemy like a nail into its coffin”!
The King brought its blade down with a powerful swing. Iskandar’s eyes glowed red, moving his body inches to avoid execution & counter’s with an explosive haymaker.
Before the spectators could make their surprise known Iskandar had clasped his weak, shaking hands together. With a ragged breath he bellowed “Xekleídoma”!
In a flash, everything around them erupted in a hail of destruction. A deafening roar shook half the ship itself. Entire sections lose power including the proving grounds. Though that didn’t matter, it was bright as the sun. The pressure coming from Iskandar whipped the air to gale force.
Duchess was visibly ecstatic, The data scrolling in her eyes now plain to see. Doom began to clench her fists, her excitement with the fight rising.
Rakkar could only watch as the impossible just presented itself to him.
“He used [Unlock]”. He said in shock. “I never taught him that”.
Iskandar was engulfed in a silver glow, his eyes pure crimson, the hole in his chest scarred over. His hair flowed, his body loose, Iskandar stared down The King.
“Again”.
The drone rushes forwards & vanishes. “Flash..” Iskandar palm strikes the blade away. “..step”. The drone jumps back & surges again in a flurry of slashes. Iskandar roars & pushes forth to meet it, batting Excalibur away in a fury of strikes.
The two sped their moves to the absolute limit. Rakkar began to lose sight of their movements, barely able to see the afterimages. The Warlords however were following every movement with rapt attention.
“He must’ve read the after mission reports”. Duchess said, already analyzing the first half of the fight as she watches. “Or knew this was the only option”.
“What mission reports”? Doom asked annoyed.
“Dec 17th, 2054”. Duchess replied. “This is how Marcus got his revenge”.
The Drone was unbearably powerful. Without a normal body it will not tire, it will continue to attack until the boy tired. The weight of the barrage pushed Iskandar. He dug his foot into the ground & braced.
“KILL IT”! Rakkar shouted. “Finish this”!
Iskandar could feel him bones crack & muscles tear. He couldn’t keep this up for much longer. The internal bleeding & sheer ability use threatened to kill him at any time.
Doom stood straight, fists tight & eyes full of fire. “You will not tarnish his legacy of war”. She commanded. “Victoria”!
“NULLA MATERIA SUMPTOUS”! He roared with the last of his might. “RRRrrrraaaaaaaagggghhh”! He rushed his barrage further, overtaking The King. As it rose Excalibur for another attack, the ground beneath its feet crumbled. Iskandar took his chance.
As it brought down a shaky blow, Iskandar caught the Legendary blade. The shock of suddenly stopping forced the drone to release it. Iskandar ducks low to avoid being decapitated by the flying sword. Pushing in close he unleashes a final brutal barrage into the drone’s chest.
The sheer force & speed of the blows pushed the drone into the air. Iskandar jumped back, then dashes back nearly invisible to the eye. Flying towards his target, he grabs the dropped Excalibur. Noting how ridiculously heavy it was.
Whipping it around one handed, he left into the air, twisting to gain momentum. Then ripping Excalibur through The Kings neck, wrists & legs. Landing with the Legendary blade imbedded deep in the Drone’s torso.
Opening his hand to catch the fallen King’s head. Pulled the crown from it & placed it upon his head. Before collapsing, the Kill Field dealing its punishment.
“Iskandar”! Rakkar lept into the field, rushing to the man. Scooping his broken body into his arms, the immortal noticed the satisfied blood caked smile on Iskandar’s face.
“That was ridiculous, I have a lot to do because of this”. Duchess feigned annoyance. “His potential is similarly ridiculous”.
“Provided he doesn’t rip his body apart trying to achieve it.”. Doom said. “But he has heart, he finished the fight”.
Duchess moved to enter the field. “He would’ve liked the kid”. Doom makes a sound of approval & follows her in. . . .
Iskandar awoke to an unfamiliar ceiling. “Wha…”.
Rakkar snapped out of his nap & rushed to his side. “Are you okay boy”? Filled with concern. Iskandar struggled to move his neck to face his mentor. His whole body felt drugged & heavy. “What…happened”?
“You won”. Duchess announced as she entered the room. “It seems your true ability is something rather amazing”. She waved her arm, putting more morphine into his body. “However, it has a truly hazardous reaction to the Kill Field”. “i would recommend saving [Unlock] for when you’re strong enough”.
Iskandar looked down at his bandaged & cast covered body.
“Yes…Warlord”. Iskandar managed to say.
“Good”. Duchess looked over to Rakkar. “I’ll be keeping him on an eighty hour hold for observation”. “Oh dont look at me like that, he destroyed an entire section of ship”.
“Its…okay…master”. Iskandar nodded slightly.
“Oh, before i forget…”. Duchess snapped & a very curvaceous Amazonian walked in & handed her a box. “Thank you Vanessa”. The amazonian dipped slightly & walked out.
“This is for you”. She opened the box revealing an ancient golden crown, littered with jewels. Rakkar & his protogè go wide eyed in surprise.
“Warlord thats…”.
“A crown fit for a legend”. Rakkar said. “Reaching Marcus’s level of subtlety”.
“He defeated the King, i have a…feeling he would’ve wanted him to have it”. Duchess explained.
“Am i gonna have to earn it again”? Rakkar whined. Duchess turned & left the room. Leaving him to groan again.
Turning to Rakkar he says; “Since i passed, i get my name right”?
Rakkar chuckled & nodded. “Yes, i suppose thats how it works…but you are aware you cant just pick your own name”. “It must be given”.
Iskandar looked at his master expectedly.
“For now own, you will be known as Iskandar The Undefeated”.
“Master i cant-“. Rakkar cut the man off. “This was your first true fight so its your first victory”.
“But Rakkar…calling myself The Undefeated is going to attract a lot of challengers”.
The immortal laughed & stood up. “As of now you will be training with Prince Kovun”.
“Rakkar, i cant…im a helot & he’s a Reyes”.
The immortal picked the crown from its box & placed it on his protogè’s head. “With the Blessing of the beloved King Arthur i proclaim you, Iskandar of Spartoi, King of Camelot”.
The boy turned his head, facing away from his master. “It may not mean anything…it hasn’t existed in hundreds of years….”. Rakkar trailed but stopped when he saw Iskandar’s shoulders shake. He puts a hand on his shoulder.
“Rest well my King…tomorrow you face the Prince of All Men”.
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Post by MugiwaraBlair on Jan 26, 2019 2:55:18 GMT
RISING SUN DOWN //HD Remaster 4K Enhanced: P
*Empire of Asia Outer Wall Perimeter*
A large dust cloud lifted up from the edge of the frontier, rapidly progressing forwards, one of the wall’s Shishi Wardens soon caught sight of it, putting his drink cup on a rampart border so he could put his helmet back on and signal the others through the integrated radio.
<inferred japanese> “This is Yokuto, all hands to posts, possible hostile incoming”
The approaching figure took notice of the raising level of alertness and accelerated, reaching the wall in a split second before jumping straight up to the ramparts. The pair of SWs this took by surprise soon regained their senses, only to realize they were already dead, a third one attempted to intervene;
<inferred japanese> “This is Hiroto, I have visual, i-
He was interrupted by a swift kick that sent his broken body hurtling off the wall and into the distance, crashing into the side of a building in the skyline. She didn’t pause to see it however, by the time he had settled into his final resting place she had jumped down and ran past the structure where he would be embedded a moment later. It is soon after the 1st obstacle of note showed itself, in the form of Shogun Tsunenaga, a tall, somewhat lean figure, encased in sleek black armor, wielding a similarly colored tachi.
<inferred japanese> “You have committed a grave mistake, whoever you are”
“As have you”, the cloaked figure replied
The Shogun stepped forward, closing the distance in the blink of an eye, shattering nearby windows, sword swing already in progress. His target disappeared before his eyes and he barely had time to react to the fact before his wrist was grasped and her knee snapped his arm. He grunted from the pain and dropped his weapon but otherwise didn’t miss a beat and counterattacked with his other hand, which saw his other wrist gripped in a crushing vice and the power core of his armor torn from his chest. He threw a kick as a futile last ditch attempt, she ducked and cut off his standing leg above the knee before kicking him dead center and sending him into a nearby supply truck which folded around him, skidded sideways and rolled over several times, finishing it’s course by plowing through the base of a mid-sized structure.
Immediately after she took a quick step back to dodge small globs of projected plasma, using the momentum to spin sideways, ending the movement when the front of her right elbow smashed into midair. Crackling current sparked and the cloaking flickered as Masako flew backwards a small distance, but she quickly regained her balance and landed on her feet. Her helmet heavily damaged, including the two pairs of external ocular sensors, she was effectively blinded however, and so she needed to remove it. Upon taking it off though she couldn’t spot her opponent, the Shogun didn’t have time to turn around before the latter’s heel shattered 2 of her lower vertebrae and made made her faceplant into the ground, caving in the road in a radius around the point of impact. Her assailant had gone off by the time she dragged herself from the hole and rolled over on her back.
The next roadblock was a pair of foes this time, Shoguns Katahide and Ujisato, hulking piles of mechanized death crowned with unsettling single eyeballs instead of heads. For all their brawn and grit however they were positively sluggish in comparison to their peers, and thus they were as infants before the blinding speed of their last enemy, who left them in a heap of scrap parts consumed by chemical fire.
Wynter didn’t encounter any foe of note for the rest of the way to the Imperial Palace, in front of which stood the remaining three top lieutenants of Asia. Shogun Teru, a sadistically sultry figure adorned with a white gown decorated by a single large red spot. Shogun Yoshikage, heavily armored, red glowing grilled plate as a visage, he was, raw characteristics speaking, the physically mightiest individual in the empire barring the Emperor himself. Shogun Katsumoto, the top military commander and 2nd-in Command for Warlord Tenzin, he occupied the same respective office as she once did.
Yoshikage was nominally the first to attack but Teru was faster and reached their collective adversary before him. Wynter deflected Teru’s attack and dodged Yoshikage’s, then lightly kicked Katsumoto’s sword arm to counter his attack. Yoshikage slashed at her again, she jumped over him, deflecting attacks by the other two before landing again. She drew her twin ninjato, blocked attacks by both with each one, dodged Yoshikage again, kicked Katsumoto away and turned around to slice Teru diagonally in half along two different lines, one at the level of her collar bone and into her chest, the other from her upper abdomen to just above the opposite hip. She sprayed CIF3 at Yoshikage to keep him distracted and this time countered Katsumoto’s attack by lopping his arm off mid-swing. Using the cancellation she dashed through his swinging arc to reach his side, facing the same way as him and used her 2nd blade to cut him in half mid torso. By this time Yoshikage returned to renew his assault, even as he was engulfed in unquenchable chemical flames, sure to take his foe by surprise at the culmination of her last move. She intercepted his 2-handed overhead swing with her forearm, holding the juggernaut’s struggling strength at bay. She stabbed him through the abdomen, plunging her blade to the hilt, before kicking him off of it, giving the fires a way into his carapace. He could be heard grumbling erratically as the building he had been sent into crumbled on top of him. The whole elaborate dance of blades had barely lasted 1/100th of a second to outside onlookers and left a significant segment of the front courtyard in half-molten rubble.
As Wynter walked onwards Shogun Teru was dragging herself away with the arm her head and part of her upper torso was still attached to, knowing what would follow.
As she was grasping the handles of the massive imperial doors, the entire front side of the Palace flew apart, splintered by a hundreds feet long creature of flesh and metal, with a gaping maw, rows of claws and a saw-toothed trident at the end of it’s whipping tail. She had jumped back immediately and was now standing atop a skyscraper across from the Palace, untouched by the outburst. The monster jumped through her vantage point, destroying the entire upper segment of the structure. During her freefall to the ground below she spotted and grabbed tension cables off the steel skeleton of the building. When the Kaiju turned around to press the assault she used them like an extra long whip to wrap them around it’s front legs, ran under it then vaulted over, ensuring that the cables firmly encircled the beast. Effectively having eyes all over it’s body, Delta didn’t lose track of her but still struggled to follow. It decided to rapidly dash sideways, hoping to drag her along. Unfortunately for the behemoth Wynter then used her power to run a sheath of energy across the cables at that exact moment and so it diced itself with the glowing razor wires and it's semi-synthetic blood flooded the surrounding streets.
As she let go of the cable her line of sight instantly homed in to a figure in the Palace debris, Genso Tenzin, the Demon of Heaven, her primary target.
<inferred japanese> “Wynter ? Is it ? An honour to meet such a mythic figure. You are much more powerful than I expected, I will need new lieutenants”
<inferred japanese> “There’s no need to worry about your future, I’m here to take it away”
The God-Emperor of Asia chuckled lightly, or scoffed perhaps. With virtually no interval he was in her face, the remains of his palace flying apart behind him so fast the shrapnel caught fire. This adversary couldn’t be taken lightly, he was this world’s God of Speed, the fastest of all Warlords, and by all accounts also the world’s best swordsman. But she had prepared for him, she made sure she was ready to put both claims into question. Half a decade into perfecting her already prodigious technique, and piling everything she could muster that would make her faster.
She dodged his slash, launched one of her own, he unsheathed a second sword to block it, their respective 2nd slashes clashed, causing the ground beneath them to cave and shattering every window of every building across the street.
<inferred japanese> “Quite fast, but not-
He was surprised mid-sentence by her 3rd slash, which was a direct hit. The Warlord’s armor wasn’t penetrated, only a shallow slash mark was left on it, but the force of the blow pushed him back. They clashed swords for a little while, to outside eyes a short instant of blinding sparks. Jumped back and sheathed blades, dashed past each other, a loud clashing of blades resonating when they met, the impact of it so strong that the structures which had before only suffered broken windows were blasted apart.
He would outmaneuver her, 'I’m going to blindside you, Wynter' he thought. But as he dashed around he saw that she was following him step for step. ‘Bakana!’
They resumed the rapid clashing as they zipped around, the surrounding land turning into a devastated hellscape all around their path. The battle raged on for several hours without the slightest dip in intensity, both opponents had drawn their main weapon, the Warlord was surprised to realize that this Wynter was actually faster than him, though he still held the advantage in strength, she couldn’t block hits head on nor get caught in a blade lock. However he knew speed was a greater factor, he would have to draw his trump card and resort to his power. He made an explosion of wind between them to force the first lull in their conflict since before the sun had set. He needed a pause to think, and to confirm a suspicion that had been growing in the back of his mind.
<inferred japanese> "It seems our duel cannot be settled through kendo alone, this has puzzled me more and more since our battle started. You have cybernetics, very good cybernetics, better ones than anything I can acquire. They must come from Duchess-san. You are touched by the Light as well, rather strongly so, not full of Light like a God, but more than any mercenary could be. But neither of these thing should make you a match for me, this means you're doing something else. You can draw from your inner Light, and you surpass me in the practice no less. This also means you have an Ability, I do not yet know its nature but you have one, and have most likely been using it in some way. Furthermore, nobody can be this fast and skilled solely through practice. So then, you are a naturally very fast and skilled person who was bathed in the Reyes Forge and could obtain extensive access to Duchess-san's hardware services, does this sound familiar, Dominiku-chan ?"
Wynter threw off her cloak and took off her helmet, letting the hot breeze from the still glowing battlefield hit her face, her hair falling loose and dancing in the wind. She moved her head just in time to avoid the razor gale, which proceeded to cut open the earth and everything standing on it for kilometers. During the distraction the Warlord gathered the fires and the heat from around the battleground and concentrated it on one of his swords, making it glow bright red, and charged at her with a thrusting attack. She turned hers sideways and used her ability to sheath it in a bright blue glow, making it, as far as she knew, essentially unbreakable and positioned it as if to block Tenzin's attack. He kept aiming at the presented target, intending to move the point at the last moment. However both opponents were aiming for a faint and both narrowly avoided certain death. Tenzin's blade passed so close to Wynter's skin that it took off the eyepatch covering her right eye and it's heat searing a streak on the side of her head. Wynter's slice went clean through the base of the horn on one side of Tenzin's helmet, the top of the 3 empty sheathes protruding from his back and his shoulder plate. The two quickly turned around to face each other.
<inferred japanese> "So this is what happened at FOB Alpha, this power is what destroyed Tsukiyomi. I understand how it could have done that now, your sword cleaved divine armor like it was a rice ball. A fearsome ability indeed, but cutting power does not grant speed, perhaps it has other applications ?"
<inferred japanese> "Stop talking and come find out"
<inferred japanese> "Perhaps sharing mine shall encourage you to be more open"
As the Warlord finished his sentence he raised an arm behind him and a great rumble could be heard from the ocean. Wynter rushed to interrupt his action, only to be countered in turn by spears of seawater which had pierced any obstacles on their way from from the harbor as though it were only thin air. She had to dance around narrowly evading a deadly pour of sideways razor rain alongside Tenzin's relentless storm of steel, whose every gale was a focused surgical death strike. Then suddenly it stopped and a draconic titan rose from the bay, many-headed and made of the sea, which crashed and hurtled through the streets, toppling what few skeletal ruins remains and dragging all debris along with it. The beast split itself into a swarm of flying serpents as it reached their battlefield. Massive plumes of steams rose when the risen ocean met the smoldering terrain, which Tenzin gathered back into water serpents to launch at the invader.
The dragon missile had enough force to burrow into the earth almost as quickly as the flew through the air, which fortunately wasn't fast enough to catch her, at least not until her foe joined them in the fray. It was certainly a blessing that coordinating so many constructs in a tactically coherent manner while still swordfighting effectively was a taxing and distracting feat even for a warrior prodigy, but it was not blessing enough to counter the sheer volume of the assault. One of the serpents smashed her into the ground and another came from below, knowing her back to the surface, where Tenzin intercepted her with a sword through the gut. He mustered as much heat as he could afford and made his blade glow bright like an incandescent pearl. Perhaps this might finally warp his opponent's marble visage, let a mind broken by pain drag the body into defeat.
<inferred japanese> "I call this Hakuteiken (White Emperor Sword), tell me, how does it feel to be impaled by the sun itself ?"
But the marble stood unfazed.
<inferred japanese> "Thankful for your mistake, I would have bled had you not done that"
She didn't leave him the opportunity for a vexed reaction and slashed at him with a glowing blade of her own, forcing to step away from her vicinity or be split by what was no doubt to him a God-Cutter. He manifested another draconian beast, this one from the very air itself, which spewed spheres of force that summoned hurricanes, towers of swirling godly wind rising to the heavens. They roaming pillars with impassable walls that sent flying either one of them when they touched one. They spent a significant span of time, almost forever from their perspective, darting between the typhoons, occasionally getting strikes in whenever they managed to push the other into the gale forces and left them less defended. But this was exhausting to maintain and neither was getting more than what they considered nicks and bruises, so the Warlord put the tempest to sleep and brought Pratāpana (great burning hell) to the Earth.
The battle raged on as fiercely as the fires of hell that were now licking the field clean, the site of their conflict a molten marsh, splashing liquid flame with every one of their countless steps. Swarming Wynter with burning hounds of naraka seemed to prove the most effective use of his powers thus far. Their immaterial bodies were easily dispersed but the flash of their heat was blinding, which allowed him brief openings, never very significant cuts, but sources of blood loss which would add up, as well as several solid hits which were surely severe bruises. Her armor was as good as tatters while his was positively pristine in comparison, put aside the missing horn and shoulder pad, alongside the myriad scratches. Still, all things considered, it kept its integrity. He also finally managed to confirm another growing theory, which he inquired to confirm in the aftermath of a decisive clash.
Blinding her more strongly than usual with the merging of several naraka hounds, Tenzin scooped up molten metal and earth from the searing marsh their battlefield had become and palmed her face with it. Wynter avoided a direct center hit by turning her right side to it, which still burned half of it, including her already blind eye on that side. The two glanced past each other before rapidly turning around and impacting into a mutual impalement. Him through her chest and her through his gut.
<inferred japanese> "I notice it a while ago but I am sure to have seen it properly now. You're only faster than me in bursts. At first I thought it was merely to conserve stamina, but I suspected a deeper reason. It was impossible to place but then I saw, the shimmer among the friction fire. The glow from your sword, you can put it around yourself too, cutting through the air like a fine edge, this is how you outpace me"
<inferred japanese> "A keen but unhelpful observation. Still and all the God of Speed cannot escape the Angel of Death, even as he sees the scythe"
<inferred japanese> "I am not fleeing Dominiku-chan. Perhaps you might yet show me the limits of your ability when you behold mine"
With that the bay, the tempest and the inferno rose back as one, a gigantic storm of elemental chaos in the shape of a three-headed monstrous god.
<Ryu Rozeki !> (Dragon's Riot)
He started twisting his blade to keep her in place for the Dragon-God to swallow them both, as his powers and his godhood would protect him, but she slashed at him the sheathed claws of her hardsuit, forcing him step back and freeing both of their swords, spilling each a small puddle of blood which vapourised on contact with the seething ground. He charged back in immediately to impale her again, this time making sure to pierce something vital, but rather than deflect or try to dodge as he expected, she flipped over him sideways and her flowing hair began to glow mid-spin. The realisation that followed his surprise dawned too late, and the shimmering strands whipped through his armor and flesh, slicing thin ribbons from his right shoulder, and his arm fell to the ground.
The sudden wound of its master made the Riot stumble, sparing Wynter from a direct impact, and a shimmering shield like those that provided her bursts of speed took the brunt of the indirect elemental waves. The effort racked her body with pain but she gambled it was less damage than even the side-effects from the full power of a Warlord. The crash has largely dispersed the construct and Tenzin didn't seem to have the strength left to raise it again.
He was getting to the end of his rope, continuous exertion of his powers, and now the loss of a limb were taking their toll. He needed to be optimally efficient with the remains of his reserves. Aside his new injury, he was a far better shape than his opponent. An impressive elevated angel to be sure, but her body showed the breadth between their status, covered in cuts and bruises, likely a few bones cracked or broken, half her face burned, stabbed through twice and bleeding considerably. Weakened and exhausted, his superior divine strength and resilience were his biggest advantages, and he could still afford Kamikaze to bolster his speed.
He went for one last blindside, propelling himself with the strongest gale of wind he could muster, and he did it, while using this ability he regained his speed superiority, if only in terms of straight travel velocity. As soon as he outpaced her enough he planted a foot down and rotated, switching directions on a dime and getting behind his foe, ready to cut her down.
Wynter reacted quickly, without hesitation she reversed her katana and impaled herself upwards through the abdomen, activating her power as the blade made its way through, readying it for the time it would emerge and sink itself into Tenzin’s chest. The Warlord, even so deeply hurt didn’t stop his attack, although it’s effectiveness was compromised. She caught his swinging arm in a lock and before he could struggle it free turned on the stun pack of her weapon to overclock, emptying the entire reserve of her hardsuit and auxiliary systems to electrocute them both.
He roared and went somewhat limp, though still strong enough to stand, she pushed him off of her sword and pulled it out of herself. He stood back up and charged for another slash, this time she used her power to destroy his last blade, splitting it along the blade, he let it go just before it would have sliced his hand and without missing a beat immediately went on with his assault using martial arts. She pushed away the first blow, ducked the second, grabbed his shoulders and headbutted him, shattering his Oni samurai mask, kneed him in the stomach to shove him back, drew her twin ninjato and, activating her power again, jammed both on either side of his upper chest as he dashed at her again, let go of them to use her katana and slashed him across the middle of his torso.
The God-Emperor finally fell to his knees, and the War Angel of Death stood before him panting, at last letting exhaustion take hold.
"Ah" he breathed, coughing blood. "It seems I lost, though you may follow me soon"
"Wynter no longer needs to be, but I will live"
"How confident, hiding behind hardsuit suppressors and your remaining trump card. Don't think I haven't noticed you never showed me your limits"
"This is my limit, ripping through air resistance and cutting sheathes are all I can do, anything more would cripple my body. But I am not hiding behind anything, this armor had no medical systems, and you would have broken them long ago if it ever did"
"I see, then my fate was sealed, how could I have stood in the face of such unwavering will" He paused for moment. "He'll give you my throne you know, what will you do I wonder, free from his leash. Regardless I take solace knowing the Rising Sun keeps the title of Tojin"
<lapse> He took off his helm and glance at her blades.
“Anata wa watashi wa ni anata o kasudarou ka ? Watashi wa meiyode shinitaidesu” <Will you lend me one of yours ? I want to die with honor>
“Teme wa ore no chimu ni sore o kyoka shimasendeshita” <You didn’t grant it to my squad>
"Hah, I supposed that's fair. Maybe there is honor enough in being personally killed by..." He trailed off as he looked at the rising sun, the sky getting brighter as his vision dimmed.
*Reyes Forge CIC*
“Lord Marcus sir ! We have an urgent report !”
“Not now, I’m looking into sightings of this “Wynter” merc”
“This is related sir, we received report that Warlord Tenzin was killed in battle”
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Post by Knukails on Feb 4, 2019 4:38:25 GMT
Coronation
“Then it is decided”. Rakkar clapped. “You shall be my successor”.
Vokun’s eyes go wide. “Rak-“.
“Be silent, i have not done this in over several thousand years”.Rakkar interjects. “This is no long in your control”.
Rakkar walked the young man through a vault.
‘No, not a vault’. Marcus thought. ‘A grand mausoleum to history’.
They walked through halls of weapons & armor from many ages. After passing through many rows they finally arrive to a truly ancient hall. Barley filled with weapons & armors Vokun could barely believe existed.
“My first successor was born seven to ten thousand years ago”. Rakkar began. “ His name was Ma’u, he was a small boy, a very weak boy”. “But i saw promise in him, the potential to lead the world i was building to new glory”.
“In time i was proven correct”. Rakkar stopped before an ebony blade. “His gift was on a scale i could only dream of, together we adventured & conquered, gaining further glory & titles”. He looked down, his long hair covering his face. “He was like a son to me & in my honor he changed his name”.
“He was Marku, God of Gods…& in my hubris i neglected his darker nature until it was too late…”. Rakkar suddenly turned & began quickly walking out of the hall. “He destroyed my world”.
Vokun could barely process the story being told to him.
‘Seven thousand years ago’? He contemplated as they walked. ’No, probably closer to ten like he said’. ’Such power…to destroy a world & not leave any trace of it…’. Rakkar suddenly stopping snapped him out of his thoughts.
“My second Successor appointed himself”. The immortal said. He looked glaringly at a pair of sickle swords. “Like Marku he too bore the title God of Gods”. “He could do anything, become anything, the universe was his clay & he the master artisan”.
Rakkar walked further down this particular hall. Vokun took note of the vaguely familiar drawings, A bloodied spear, a mountain of scrolls, the golden box.
“& like a true god he ruled fairly, jealously, brutally but always with an end reasoning”. Rakkar stood at the end of the displays. “But such power always corrupts & with him it corrupted completely”. His voice became solemn & mournful. “In his madness he ended the world of gods & miracles“. Again he began to quickly walk away. “This one you should know very well, your world still unfortunately worships him”.
They arrive at a set of simple seeming coverings over a dark cave entrance. Following Rakkar in Vokun noted that these coverings were not cloth. “It seems they prepped the place in the old way”. The immortal mused.
The cave held the metallic copper Vokun was all too familiar with. The pitch black of the cave did nothing to sop him from being in awe. On every surface were an intricate & elaborate drawings. He could only wonder what tales they could be portraying.
Soon he see’s the light of torches & the two enter a cavity. This area made Vokun feel like he just walked into the stone age. At the heart of it was a flaming bit. Surrounding this pit where faces he did know.
The abominate Tessa, dressed in rags & bones. Even if her height, skin & features were different…nothing could hide the black holes of her eyes.
The apex predator Sayuki, appearing barely human. A form he had never seen before & it made his body want to shake.
“Now there is you, a golden god shining with potential & power the earth has never seen”. Tessa spoke as she tossed something into the fire. “Evolved past man, to claim place at top of the world”. Sayuki added.
Vokun turned to look to Rakkar & was surprised at the man’s sudden change in attire. Where once he was wearing a suit he now wore a loin cloth & bone jewelry.
He spoke in an ancient accent. “I have learned that at times the old world must be destroyed so a new one may flourish”. The triumverate took place around the fire & painted themselves. “Though it pains me to have to witness such death & destruction on a scale that never shall be equaled…i have hope”.
“By the blessing of T’sa, of Monsters, S’yuu of Beasts & R’kr of Man”.
“Marcus Reyes…on this day i bestow upon you a title that can never be stripped”. "Rise Warlord Vokun”! “King of Man”!
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Post by Knukails on Mar 4, 2019 4:41:48 GMT
Summer Wars
“WELCOME BACK TO SUMMER WARS”!!! A cheery correspondent shouted over a deafening roar.
Several cameras pan across a magnificent crowd. The adulation & chanting could be heard from miles across. They filled a circular arena, fresh grass flowed with the wind, the lines of boundary bright white.
“As you can see excitement is high here in Avalon”! The correspondent cheered. “We are moments away from the Grand Final”!
She bouncily ran to the sideline seats, the camera taking in the sheer vastness of the field.
“The fields of Avalon have been the site of glorious combat for several millennia”! She pointed out across the field. “So there’s no better place to decide who’s strongest”!
She accentuated her point by flexing her own rather impressive muscles. If one where to pay attention to detail, they’d notice a tattoo peaking out from her shirt. It looked somewhat like something falling.
“Since we’re here we should get opinion’s from some of those in attendance”! “Excuse me, would you like to tell the world your prediction”?
“Oh the champion hands down”. “Drakenburg looks as brutish as ever”.
“The competition this year was lax though…”. “Apollyon is rather young isn’t she”?
“I hope the little Spartan is ready”!
“I know the masses would be swift to fall behind the champion but one should look beyond the shine of raw power”. A man wearing odd jewelry noted with a sly smile.
“W-well there you have it”! She struggled to stifle her blush. The crowd explodes in cheering.
“OH ITS BEGUN”!
—
A goddess walked across the field. Even at distance one could see her sheer beauty & immense size. This woman was dressed in ancient looking armor. On her shoulders she rested a massive hammer. She needed no microphone, her words rolled like thunder.
“I welcome you all to my home”. She spoke well over the erupting din. “I am Warlord Caedyrn & this…is The Court of Boudicca”! She dropped the weight of her hammer down. “These grounds have grown & flourished with the blood the valorous”. “Today shall be no different”.
“To preside over this battle are the Lords of this World”!
At Caedyrn’s proclamation every camera made its way to a high up open booth. “I bid thee welcome…”
“Warlord Karatos of New Macedonia”! The air around him glittered & glowed, a trick of his ability taken as divinity.
“Warlord Reznov of The Darklands”! He simply nodded to the camera’s.
“Warlord Watcher of The Frozen Coast”! Who blew freezing air to frost a few camera’s.
“Warlord Hawk of The Badlands”! The chief humbly nodded his head.
“Warlord Tenzin of The Empire of The Rising Sun”! He bowed slightly.
“Warlord Duchess of New Themyscira”! She smiled brightly at the camera’s, her hair flared the colors of her nation.
“& finally The God of Gods, King of Kings…Warlord Vokun of The Forge”!
The King stood from his throne, raising his arms in praise. The crowds go wild, until he drops them. At that time, one could almost hear several thousand souls breathing.
“It is always a pleasure Lord Caedyrn”. He said with a smile. The Warlord bowed & leaped up to the booth. “Now let us begin”!
“The Challenger”! He roared. “Born in Sparta, the youngest captain at 20 years”! “Coming in at six feet even & one hundred eighty pounds”!
Even in the dank cave tunnel the challenger could hear Lord Vokun clearly. His words echoed for miles in the tunnel. Finally, after so long, the challenger could see light.
“Come forth, Macedonian”!
Once she crossed the threshold that light was utterly blinding.
“APOLLYON”!
The crowd roared like a possessed mob. So loud was their cheering, the sheer pressure of so many souls calling out for blood. There were many from New Macedonia & The R.F. in the crowd. Camera’s swirled around the raven haired woman. Her glare cold as steel & her resolve solid. The sun glinted off the gauntlets she wore. Her near mirror bright Cuirass blinded the camera’s. She was thankful her Mail shirt was so lightweight,
“Now, with but a bit of pride, i present our Champion”. Warlord Vokun smiled. “The Avatar of War…”.
He tosses what looks like a grenade into the field.
“The indomitable commander of the Kails Shock Troopers”! The grenade beeps a series of times then projecting a laser towards the pale blue sky.
“THE FALLEN”!
Those with the ability to sense it immediately jerked their heads up. Hearing the screaming chassis, a few of the Warlords smiled enviously. Even among the highest circles, the sheer insanity of what the KST commander is willing to do never ceases to please.
Vokun opens his arms wide, face beaming in unfettered pride.
“FALL FROM HEAVEN, ODINA DRAKENBURG”!
The earth explodes from a sudden impact. Dirt flies everywhere, many of those present where blown over. Apollyon never flinched, something the higher ups took notice in. Suddenly an armor system flies out of the field, scattering the smoke.
There she stood. Drakenburg of The Forge, The Herald of Doom. Her utterly massive frame dwarfed her competition. Double in height & almost three times in weight. She wore no armor, just a compression shirt, fatigue bottoms & boots. The extraordinary palace of muscle she built her body into forced all who saw it to have a realization. The only reason she wears armor is to fall. It wasn’t without reason that she had the respect of every faction.
Drakenburg pushed a bang of her hair away from her eye to take a better look at the competition. Her short obsidian hair flowed in the wind, her deep blue eyes reminded Apollyon of a wild beast.
Apollyon swallowed the last of her fear, this was it. She could feel the odd sense of hers gearing up. Any moment now the king would signal the match to start. She began bouncing on her toes. ‘
Its coming…its coming’. She thought franticly.
‘The moment is coming soon, the second after the next, soon’!
The challenger tightened the grip on her spear. Sweat dripped down her brow. The champion huffed with an air of disbelief.
“BEGIN”!
“RAAAAAGH”! Apollyon roars & charges in. Her form was perfect, the spear held tight over an inward bent arm. Swiftly she cleared the distance between herself & Drakenburg.
The Spartan stuck the earth hard with her back foot. Digging it deep into the ruined dirt. She rolls her hips, muscles flared & tensed in unison. The spear thrusts forward at a near invisible speed. The attack was flawless.So the sheer shock she showed was with an understandable level of disbelief. The Champion had the tip of the spear held in her first. The shaft exploded from the sudden stop of momentum. Drakenburg then crushed the spear point, gripped Apollyon’s head & delivered a devastating gut punch.
The challengers armor was crushed. The latches binding it together explode outward. The mirror like surface crunched inward in the shape of a fist. Spit & blood spray out of Apollyon’s mouth. The sound of the hit was sickening. Drakenburg ripped the broken armor off her opponent.
She took a moment to size the woman up. Her head nodded in approval at what she saw. Apollyon had also built herself a palace of muscle. Covered in scars & marks, detailing just how hard she worked for it.
“All for nothing”. Drakenburg said coldly.
She released Apollyon as she began a strike with her off hand. The challenger twisted to avoid contact & returned a powerful back kick to Drakenburg’s solar plexus. & to her surprise, was left gasping for air. Spit puttered from the mouth of War. Without a moments hesitation Apollyon gripped her enemy by the sides. Then started pounding.
The crowd’s attention was held hostage. Someone had managed to stagger Drakenburg.
The Horseman of War was assaulted with a flurry of fists & knee’s. Several seconds of unstopped fury. But this again, was for nothing. Her body was barely bruised, tungsten like muscles preventing any real damage.
“Pankration huh”? She said with a menacing smile. “I learned that too”.
Apollyon’s barrage ceased when she felt her torso be squeezed like a toy. At the words her arms move to defend herself. But The Champion was far quicker, the first blow nearly breaking a few ribs. Apollyon lets out a howl of pain. The following knee nearly crushed the entire rib cage. The Horseman of War slips behind her & gives a brutalizing suplex. looming over the unmoving body of Apollyon, she gripped her by the ankle & lifted her up.
“Hmph”. Drakenburg huffs. “For an “Avatar of War” you sure ain’t strong”.
The champion slammed Apollyon into the earth face first. Then lifting her again to smash the back of her head. She repeated this pendulum like smashing until she finally released the woman. Transitioning into a full mount & began savaging pounding the competition.
Warlord Vokun’s face betrayed a hint of disappointment. He reached out with his mind, ignoring Karatos cracking his char, to slightly pull on Duchess’s nanites. A series of varied tugs that made up their secret language.
<What’s going on> Vokun asked. <You said this Apollyon was a once in a generation type>
<She is> Duchess replied matter of factly.
Vokun’s expression visibly shifted to one of annoyance.
<Then why is my Amazon giving her a one sided beat down> He demanded.
<Be patient>
Vokun stifled a growl & returned to his stoic expression. Watching this annihilation with rapt attention.
Apollyon tried to keep her defense up but Drakenburg was much much stronger. With no effort at all she smashed through Apollyon’s arms & just let out an unrelenting barrage against the spartan’s skull.
The once cheering crowd started to simmer. The excitement of a fight had fallen flat. Their faces said it without words.
This wasn’t a fight, it was another execution.
Apollyon stopped feeling anything after the first punch. The assault felt like it took a millennia.
‘This is how i die’. She thought. ‘Beaten to death like child’.
Barely breathing any harder, Drakenburg rises over the unmoving body of Apollyon. Gripped her by the jaw & lifted her up.
‘Infront of my people…Lord Karatos’.
‘No’.
Drakenburg’s displeasure was cooled when her challenger sudden spat blood at her face. In the moment of surprise, Apollyon thrusted a C-shaped hand into the Kails’s throat. A half second after impact she lands a pin-point perfect hook to the jaw, then stepping a bit to the side to unleash an incredible uppercut. Ending it all with a powerful whip like spinning back kick to the stomach, sending Kails commander flying.
This time the crowd was silenced. The wind suddenly howled, the once blue sky was now covering in ash black clouds. Thunder rolled in the distance. Vokun looked up to the sudden change & sighed.
“Que Dramaticos”. He said as his eyes focused on something in the clouds. Then jerked his focus back down after feeling a change in his EMS field.
A blood thirsty growl rolled with the howling wind. Apollyon shook, her onyx hair flying wildly. The growl deepened, sputtered under unsteadying breath. Her teeth cracked from the tension of being clenched. She felt that little sense in her head grow & explode outward with devastating pain.
“RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH”! Apollyon lets out an almost inhuman scream. A gale of pressure washed over the field, the ground beneath her tore into cracks.
Drakenburg had pulled herself up. She winced taking in a breath through bruised lungs. Her smile was nearly childlike in its honesty. She could feel the change coming & the excitement was reaching its peak.
The sky rolled in thunder unlike any present had ever heard. One could feel the rumble in their bones. Great arcs of lightning cracked from cloud to cloud. Then nearly filling the sky completely. This nearly divine display caused not only the crowd but the world to hold their breath in awe.
Another primal scream is unleashed from the maw of War itself. She screamed with murder in her voice. Her bones cracked & reformed. Her muscles tore & enlarged.
Her pale blue eyes darken into a bloody crimson, her raven black hair bleeding into pure white from the base to tip. It waved in the air like a savage mane. The pressure coming from her was incredible, even the common people could feel it.
The crowd was going wild. They couldn’t believe what they saw.
Vokun & Karatos jumped to their feet, nearly going over the railing.
Warlord Duchess crushed it under her excited grip.
“Magnificent….Simply Magnificent”! She shouted. The data streams in her eyes now very visible. “This is far better than i imagined”!
“Ooh, she shifted her entire body to put all two hundred pounds into that punch…then allowed the momentum to carry the kick”. Warlord Caedyrn mused.
“Karatos i must admit, your warrior is at a very high level”. Warlord Tenzin gave his rival a gloating smile.
“Silence now, show respect”. Warlord Hawk stated. “As gods ourselves we must show proper respect to our newborn fellow”.
“ITS INCONCEIVABLE”! The RF Correspondent tried to shout over the roar. “The Challenger...has not only knocked away The Champion but seemed to have caught the attention of the Gods themselves”!!!
“She sheer pressure of her roar can be felt all the way over here people”! She shouted in pure ecstasy into her mike. “People of the world i am overjoyed to say this year at Summer Wars marks an Event of Legend”!
The storm clouds rolled harder & harder. The Lightning raced wildly in the sky. Everyone’s hair began to stand on edge. Unshielded camera’s exploded, Lord Vokun raised his arms to create a barrier for the crowd.
“Crazy bastard”! He turned slightly. “Brace”!!!
The hand fell, the Great Bolt struck & the Earth shook like it was dying.
The following explosion was of blinding light & unrelenting force. He used his ability to move most of the wild arcing electricity into the ground. Even so, every Warlord bore healing scorch marks from the impact. & not one complained, in fact every single one was still at the railing.
Apollyon’s heart felt like it could explode. Her face bore marks from where the Lighting struck. Its pattern made her look even more Like a predator. Power seemed to well under her very skin. Her muscles felt as thought they were screaming to be used, displaying their dominance.
Across the field Drakenburg stood in a wide stance. Her face caught in a horrific twist of anger & joy. Her eyes set & body trembling. This girl had just survived a bolt like no one has ever seen. This was exactly the kind of warrior The Champion had dreamed of.
“YEEEEEEESSSS”! She shouts in approval & charges in. “TO THE DEATH THEN”!!!
The reborn challenger stands tall, her opposition seemingly moving much slower.
“RRRRRAAAAAAAAGGGHH”!
In a flash she clashes with the enemy. The Champion herself smiling with hellish glee that Apollyon had nearly matched her. With a blur of motion the warriors traded blows. Drakenburg was no longer holding anything back. Every missed blow pushed the wind itself, made small craters in the ruined field. Every connected blow sent a shock wave. Apollyon however never once missed. Every strike she let out was perfectly placed. Perfectly transitioning between fighting styles, keeping The Champion on guard.
Drakenburg managed to catch a kick mid air only to feel the opposite knee smash into her jaw. Teeth flew with the Challenger she tossed nearly out of the arena. Apollyon stumbled a bit from the throw but righted herself swiftly.
“Spartan”! A booming voice overtook the crowd.
Without raising her head she caught a spear thrown far faster than anyone could track. She knew what it was without inspecting it. With grace she returned to her original spear form. Karatos’s Spear of Destiny held relaxed in the grip.
“Oh, weapons now huh”? Vokun said in an amused tone. “Caedyrn”.
She tossed an utterly massive chunk of metal at the Champion. The weight of the object caused Drakenburg’s arm to swing back with the momentum then she brought it back down causing an explosion of dirt. The Fist of Boudicca was a great Warhammer of impossible destructive power. If one could even lift it.
With a predatory expression she swung it onto her shoulders.
“Spartan, i want your life”!
Apollyon returned the smile, the incredible power surging in her veins. The weight of the spear felt perfect, she felt no more pain in her body, now or never, so she charged.
“Molon Labe”!
The warriors met at the heart of the impact zone. Apollyon repeated the thrusting motion he performed earlier, which prompted Darkanburg to grab the spear point again.
“Idiot, dont you know not to repeat techniques”? She scolded.
“You should know”. Apollyon spat.
The Spartan fired the spear’s shotgun attached to the rear. Firing a slug shot variation the Hellfire round, the spear slashed through the fist & slashes the cheek of Drakenburg. The force of the blast sent both warriors rolling. The Spartan slammed a heavy foot to the Horseman’s nose, pulling the spear free of her hand. Using it to guard from a blind haymaker she is once again pushed back. Drakenburg roared in fury, bolting forwards, & swung the Warhammer with full force down at Apollyon.
The Challenger brought up the spear at the last moment, the collision causing a massive shock wave. The Horseman was clearly surprised. Though her arms shook heavily & her hands bleed…she managed to stop the blow. With a press, the impossibly heavy Warhammer was repelled. Sending Drakenburg off balance.
Seizing this moment was key. Though her moves a blur, super high speed camera’s recorded every moment of the exchange for the people. However those with true sight could follow every single movement. & they did so with sheer awe. Apollyon assaulted her prey with an unyielding fury. Batting the heavy Warhammer away with sheer elegance, keeping Drakenburg off balance. She spun with it for kicks, bounced its off her shoulders to keep up momentum, using a masterful use of its Hellfire Shotgun.
Drakenburg was caught purely off-guard by this barrage, dropping the Warhammer to protect herself. She burns the image of Apollyon into the deepest part of her mind. A warrior capable of forcing her into defense, someone worthy of remembering. But the shame of that success was too much for her pride to bear. She was The Fallen One. Lord Vokun’s Horseman of War. Even against a Warlord, retreat & cowardice is without question unacceptable. & hiding behind ones arms was, to The Kails Commander, the highest form of cowardice.
She braced a back leg into the earth & taking the spear point into her torso used the attack to land her counter. An utter massive right straight delivered dead center to Apollyon’s face. The Warrior was sent back with force, whiplashing due to her vice grip hitting the spear’s shotgun. She woke up when her guts felt rearranged from a savage body blow.
This time she lost her grip. Drakenburg ripped the spear from her body & threw it back at the Warlords Booth. It sailed just past Karatos’s head & through his chair. Though his grimaced at the disrespect he managed to contain his anger.
A solid forward kick to the face sends a lifeless Apollyon several meters back. But with a shudder & a cough the Challenger struggled to her feet. The arena explodes once again in cheers & approval. Even in the face of overwhelming power she continues to rise.
‘This was it’. She thought. ‘Its all or nothing’.
Through uncertain sight she targeted the Champion. On unsteady legs she braced herself. With shaking arms she puts two fists together. Her ragged lungs take a desperate breath. She had no idea what she was doing & after the sheer damage her brain took she would never remember. She had seen it done once. By Lord Vokun to her master, Lord Karatos. After that he performed another trick she couldn’t understand. But now, in this final desperate moment, her awakened ability took over. & allowed her to finally surpass her limits.
“Xekleídoma”! She shouts & vanishes.
Drakenburg doesn’t manage to complete the thought before she feels herself struck several times. Each blow of a martial art only very few could name, so obscure only a couple had even seen them used before. & every one was executed with unparalleled form & accuracy. Her brain shaking in her skull. Unbalanced, she throws a deadly haymaker. A pair of feet ride the punch & leaped at its apex. Sending Apollyon flying towards The Fist of Bouddica, she gripped its massive handle using the weight to spin her around & down. The spins, the landing, roll of the hips, screaming of back then shoulder then arm muscles. Perfectly timing a strike to the chin of a charging Drakenburg.
The swing was heavy & high, sending The Champion flying in a high arc into the air. Letting go at its peak allowing the Warhammer to fly just higher. She vanishes again from sight, leaving a heavily broken ground. Appearing after leaping off the flying Warhammer, connecting an open grip & sending both warriors crashing back into the earth at high speed.
They smash into the arena’s barrier, nearly smashing through it. Drakenburg coughed blood & snarled with a hatred she hadn’t felt in years. As she attempts to rise Apollyon is over her, holding an open hand near her face.
“Fall”. She says with finality. “Katastrofí”!
With all the force her body could muster, The Spartan connected this couple inch strike to the face of Drakenburg. Forcing her through the barrier & out of the arena.
BWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
An ear shattering alarm blew. The Booming dominance of Caedyrn’s voice followed.
“IT IS FINISHED”! She proclaimed. “By Ringout, This year’s Summer Wars Champion”!
“APOLLYON OF NEW MACEDONIA”!!!!!
. . .
The world seemed to explode in wild shouting & cheering.
It was a total unexpected result. An impossibility. The challenger, this little Spartan, just took down The Horseman of War. It was an underdog story that would be told for a millennia. No one, however, was more surprised than The Former Champion herself.
“WHAAAAAAT”?! She roared with complete rage. Before she could unleash that fury she was grabbed by a couple Wara’s & swiftly taken off -site. The Wara’s would later admit that even though Drakenburg wasn’t Forged, they came close to death several times before they could fully restrain her.
Apollyon could barely process anything at all. The completion of her goal. Her lofty, impossible goal. Left her at a loss for everything…until the pain set in. It was time she became acquainted with the Reaper that governs all Gods. The Kill Field had begun to reap its revenge on her body. Lord Karatos & the other Warlords moved quickly. He jumping down to give a shoulder for Apollyon to steady herself on. The others taking places & Lord Vokun silences the crowd.
“Champion, Apollyon of Sparta”. He said proudly. “Spartan Captain of the 5th Division”. “Tell me, what is your desire & allow me to make it real”. He out stretched his arms to emphasize.
In a weak voice, she says her request.
“My Lord, I’d like to tell you in Rome”. She said.
Lord Vokun smiled & scoffed at the response. “How very Spartan”. He nodded. “Very well, It shall be so”. “Lord Karatos, please attend to your fine Warrior”.
The Warlord made a slight bow & disappeared with his Spartan.
“Caedyrn”. He said as he turned.
“This Summer Wars as been finished”! She called. “The fields have been tilled & soaked in the blood of battle”! “May this legendary display show you the power of our species”! “Know that perhaps you may one day sit at the table of the “Worlds Strongest”.
“Shall the next be ever more mythic in its display, in The Colosseum”! She, the last in the booth, turned to leave. “You are all dismissed”!
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Post by Knukails on Jul 29, 2019 1:17:35 GMT
The Founding.
These Thirteen are the heralds of my Great Conquest.
They are the pillars upon which i remake the world. They are the guides by which all should follow. Beacons of Light within the howling dark.
They have no need of special armors or heavy weapons. For they are power incarnate. They are indomitable, unwavering, unrelenting. My will made manifest.
The avatars of The Forge. Their abilities, overwhelming. Their stratagems & maneuvers are without flaw. None can stand before them & prosper.
But these are no gods, they are humanity at its apex.
They are my guardian War Angel’s & ever shall they be victorious.
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