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Post by Executus Gira on Mar 21, 2018 3:54:31 GMT
"YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME?!" Prateria screamed as she kicked her foot out against the hull of the Grandeus. Predictably, that hurt her more than it hurt the machine, but she didn't care. She just kept kicking at it, each kick punctuated with threats, swears, and anger.
"WHY. IS. THAT. WORTHLESS. BILE. NOT. HERE. TO. REPAIR. THIS?!"
She wasn't just unleashing her wrath on her own Enforcer. She was beating herself up as well. How had she been so short-sighted as to not demand that idiot to fix this up for her? He was the mechanic, the only reason for existing was to fix this shit up! Why should she, the Emperor's daughter, have to maintain her own Enforcer? Why did that lumbering oaf have to be a pilot?!
She banged both fists against the side of the saucer, and gritted her teeth. That was Vick's idea. Bless that poor kid's soul, she found him entertaining, and a hopeless yes bot for her, but sometimes, his ideas pissed her off, and this was by far the biggest offender.
"FUCKING. MECHANICS. DO. NOT. BELONG. AS. PILOTS!"
Now she was breathing heavily, and glaring around. It was late evening, and the sun was starting to set over the marshlands. She was several dozen miles away from where she had slain the living forest, but very quickly the realization had set in for her that it had managed to cripple her in one way: The Grandeus's thrusters were shot, and she couldn't be flying anywhere quickly without them fixed up. She knew how to do it with what she had available, but this was as far from her definition of fun as it was for anyone else eating mermaid flesh and being corrupted into a monster.
No, IT WAS FAR LESS FUN FOR HER THAN THAT WAS FOR ANYONE ELSE!
"AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!" She screamed, throwing a wrench at the hull. It bounced off and came back at her, but she caught it in her right hand, and threw it again. "FUCK THAT FOREST, FUCK THOSE LIZARD MEN, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, FUCK. YOU. BILE!"
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Post by Stage on Mar 21, 2018 4:21:10 GMT
Distantly, the sky exploded. The ranting of the warrior princess was interrupted by a string of sonic booms that split the heavens many miles away. The shortwaves of the atmospheric disturbance shook the trees Grandeus had left standing. An object, long and dark against the setting sun, rocketed towards Prateria like an arrow. The forest bowed in its wake as it approached.
The heat reached her first. A wall of warmth that grew hotter by the second struck Prateria as heavily as a solid object.
The wind landed its blow next. Air displaced by the massive, fast moving entity battered Grandeus like a dry hurricane.
The sound was the final offender. The shrieking of air being forced through the grooves of scales stabbed into her ears.
At the climax of these three forces, a godly thing arrived, its wings easily stopping its awesome forward momentum and slamming Grandeus with a maelstrom of heat and noise. The sound of bells rang across the jungle like a cathedral as its gorgeous scales rubbed and banged together. Its plume whipped through the air, emerald silk on the wind. A body made of muscle and grace swirled behind it. Ruby eyes, dark with the sun behind then and hard with outrage, stared down at Prateria with a sort of predetermined judgement.
You, a voice heard only by the princess said sharply into her ear. What has happened here? What has caused this destruction? This death?
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Post by Executus Gira on Mar 22, 2018 3:43:41 GMT
Despite the fierce heat and winds blowing her way, Prateria managed to stand her ground, if only barely. Still, it was overwhelming, and to see a creature of this magnitude and glory only added to the feeling... Worse, she was outside of the Enforcer, and the Grandeus itself wasn't even in a position to engage a counter defense. Its legs had been withdrawn back into the saucer, and now it was laying flat on its belly. If Prateria tried to dash in, she knew she'd have little chance to react before being killed by this creature...
Yet, it wasn't fear that filled her mind. It was still rage and anger boiling beneath the surface. This worthless cretin dared charge in with accusations against her when she was vulnerable?! Who did it think it was to dare attempt such a thing?! Clearly it had no clue who she was, or just what lay before it, not just on a physical level, but what she represented. And worse... it's voice...
"Why does it matter to you what happened here? Like I, a passerby repairing their vehicle, would know what happened in this wasteland." She said, at first somewhat calmly, yet the veins around her eyes were starting to buldge, and her left eye twitch angrily. "And why.... Why do you sound like my only friend?!" Prateria was snow shouting at the top of her lungs. Her eyes were filled with malice and an almost feral kind of madness. "WHY DO YOU SOUND LIKE HER?! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, TAKING HER VOICE AS YOUR OWN?!"
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Post by Stage on Mar 22, 2018 3:58:00 GMT
Though the creature was still quite far away, its enormous, scarlet eyes stared into hers as if they were inches away.
Calm yourself, the borrowed voice of the creature commanded into her left ear. Then more quietly into her right, I am Xipil. I use this voice for I have none of my own.
The serpent flapped its wings in agitation. Its red eyes were indignant. This is no wasteland. It is a massacre. A fresh one. Are you truly so unaffected? So absorbed by your own troubles that you do not see those of others?
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Post by Executus Gira on Mar 23, 2018 22:16:36 GMT
Prateria glared daggers at Xipil, but her snarl was quickly fading away. There was no use to be angry at this thing... what good would come of it? It was the one thing father had always tried to stamp out of her, the fiery heart of hers. Rage had its time and place... but before a creature that could easily crush her, it was suicide.
" Are you affected by the death of lesser beings? Would a human like myself be affected by the death and desecration of an anthill?" She rhetorically said, edging closer and closer to the door leading into the Grandeus. "It is true, I am not affected by this 'massacre' that has happened here... and I do know what happened, and why." The gears in her mind were whirling, and it took all her willpower to not break out a childish, manical smile.
"It was a man in a machine, a giant mechanical mantis." She begun to spin her lie. " His name is Bile, and he has betrayed what I, a leader of my people, a traveller now, desire. We were sent here to make contact and establish peaceful negotiations with the lizard people here. But Bile... he disobeyed orders. He attacked me and my machine, caused the damage you see, and wiped out their kind, and dragged the rest to be enslaved. Where to, I don't know, but... he left me out here to fend for myself. I, the next to be leader of the Holy Knights... ruined and desecrated by Bile's arrogance and haughty heart."
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Post by Stage on Mar 24, 2018 23:20:41 GMT
Scarlet fire flared in the wyrm's eyes. There is no, "lesser life." All things are giants. All things are specks. Your eyes see only one. But that does not make it untrue. Just as your words may not be truth. My eyes are sharp. But they cannot see truth. I have no nostrils to smell your sweat. I have no ears to hear your heartbeat. You may lie. But I cannot know.
The heat rolling over Prateria grew more intense. For your sake I hope you speak no lies. If you are a leader you are a poor one. There are no greater beings either. But I think you disagree.
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Post by Executus Gira on Mar 24, 2018 23:25:10 GMT
The heat billowing over Prateria was only rivaled by the heat boiling within her. "Pardon, I mispoke with my words... I am a leader... of sorts, but not THE leader. I am one in training, for when the next leader, the Emperor, passes away, I will take over. I have much to learn, much to observe in this new world."
She was now at the entrance to the machine. "But, perhaps how I see things will change. You are correct for now, but my life is still young, gods willing. But, if you're so concerned about the desecration of this place, of this swamp and its people..."
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Post by Stage on Mar 24, 2018 23:35:35 GMT
The metal skin of Grandeus began to pop and creek from the waves of infernal heat rolling off the serpent. The eyes of the mortal god narrowed to blazing slits. Attempt no treachery against me, little one. Your mind is quick. Your words flexible. But my flames are HOT. The borrowed voice in Prateria's ear, normally calm and modulated, grew booming. They have burned liars and betrayers to ashes before.
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Post by Executus Gira on Mar 24, 2018 23:50:02 GMT
The fiery eyes of Prateria glared back at Xipil with the same disdain. She wiped her brow, but internally, she was panicking. She hadn't expected the heat to be this severe. Grandeus was designed to withstand high temperatures, but this serpent... it was hotter than those limits! Even worse, this thing clearly wasn't going to leave until she was dead...
Shit. She was starting to pant heavily, and one hand grabbed at her throat. She hated to do this, but... what other choice did she have? It would be humiliating, but she had no chance to get into the machine and even fight back at this point.
"Y-You say that... Duly noted." Prateria coughed. Her eyes were bulging out of their sockets, her veins bubbling and sweat dripping down from her. She fell to her knees, gasping for air, her chest shuddering violently. Then, she fell to her side, and her body twitched violently, suddenly.Her heart rate suddenly flatlined, and the spasming ceased. She lay still, her eyes rolling into the back of their sockets. To those who could have seen, she appeared to be dead from the heat and the lack of oxygen burned away by the heat...
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Post by Stage on Mar 25, 2018 0:04:44 GMT
Wings flaring, Xipil rode its own heat plume up like a grand, serpentine vulture. Circling higher and higher, the wyrm watched the holy princess. Even at this altitude, it seemed as if she were at its snout tip.
It saw no movement.
Odd. Perhaps she had acted so slippery out of fear? A weakness to heat perhaps?
The head of the winged creature rose determinedly. Even if she had been a liar, it could ignore its words. This 'Bile' and his machine had to be investigated. He could share in her guilt.
With another shattering blow to the atmosphere, Xipil rocketed away on a jet of hot air, its ruby eyes raking the jungle for the metallic mantis described by Prateria...
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Post by Executus Gira on Mar 25, 2018 0:36:12 GMT
For a minute, then two, there was no movement from Prateria. Only silence and the rapid cooling of the air filled the area. Then, a finger twitched, then another, and then a hand, an arm. A breath of air was inhaled, and the princess slowly, carefully rose to her feet.
Her eyes immediately swerved around her. The serpent was gone... YES! She wanted to shout, but dared not make any noise. Not any that would draw it back to her. That had been far too close, a situation she had only narrowly escaped from... and she feared if she was cornered by the snake again, death would be what awaited her.
She stormed up into the cockpit of the Grandeus. Once she arrived there, she sat down in the seat, and activated the interface with the flick of a switch, before radioing in home, her father to be precise. The wait was agonizing, but finally, a response came through. "Ah, Prateria. So good to hear from you." The garbled voice spoke out. "Both Vicks and Bile have delivered the specimens to me. These lizard men-"
"Father, forgive my rashness and this tresspass of etiquete, but there is something urgent." She stammered. Normally, she would never dare interrupt, but this was dire. "Where is Bile right now?"
"The former mechanic hasn't left the city yet. He's heading back to his hanger bay right now. What has he done to warrant this from you?"
Prateria, even while panting heavily, let a sneer spread on her face. This was going to be fun. "It's a long story, father, and I don't know where to begin but... His actions could endanger our city, our kingdom, our people and our lives..."
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