Post by The Merry Lambfish on Dec 20, 2013 11:07:14 GMT -5
Hiding behind a pillar jutting out from the otherwise smooth metallic wall, Kadru watched the titanic octopus-like machine thunder down one of the many hallways of the hub. She had been stalking the demonic machine for several hours now, trailing behind just far enough to remain out of sight. Abaddon had spent its time patrolling the hub like a titanic security guard, stopping only to break apart fights from rival monsters and restore order to the looming halls of the hub. At one point it came across a spiny red dragon that’d been trying to go fight against some creature called “Orsa”, but the machine ordered the monster back to its living quarters to prepare for a Tag Team Championship match. When the dragon had refused with fangs and fire, Abaddon casually knocked the creature unconscious and left it to be carried away by a teleportation beam. The machine was a dictator, a ruthless sentry that wouldn’t hesitate to punish any and all who dared to disrupt the order of the UCA.
Kadru watched it shrink into the distance of the looming hall. Who had built such a weapon, and why did it wear agronium? Why did it wear the armor of her people?
The machine finally turned a corner in the distance. Wasting no time, Kadru quickly morphed into her gigantic serpentine form again. Her lengthily body left the floor as she flew off after Abaddon, breathing deeply in exhaustion as she did so. She needed to constantly switch back and forth between forms to keep up with the giant and then hide shortly after. The process for a single transformation was tiring enough as it was, but after countless hours of pursuit…
As she reached the corner, the black dragon twisted as though caught in a maelstrom, shrinking into a flowing dark cloak. Her normal self once again, Kadru pressed her hand against the wall, pausing to catch her breath. Her knees felt weak. She couldn’t keep this cycle of transformation up much longer. She peeked around the corner, praying that the machine’s destination was finally near.
The machine had begun to focus on the entrance to a hanger on the far end of the hall. The hidden warrior smiled beneath her mask in relief. The logo of the UCA sat atop the giant doors. This had to be Abaddon’s hanger. Gathering what strength she had left, Kadru dashed out from behind the corner, sprinting at full speed towards Abaddon. She had to be hasty if she wanted to make it inside, and she hoped that the machine wouldn’t notice her form scamper beneath its mountainous bulk.
The force field guarding the door flickered out as the machine approached. Kadru picked up her pace, still a few hundred meters behind Abaddon as the doors creaked open. The strong stench of brimstone and fire and a thousand rotting corpses greeted her. The stench of the Underworld, faithfully recreated by the UCA. Underneath the machine’s frame, Kadru could see the obsidian floor of the hanger, surrounded by volcanic vents and pools of boiling blood. Green lighting flashed across the artificial sky of blackness, briefly illuminating a particularly large alter where strands of demonic energy seeped in and out like ghostly serpents. Abaddon thundered through the doors, cracking the obsidian floor under his weight with each stride, Kadru right behind it. The heavy doors slammed behind her, the hum of the force field activating shortly after. She stopped, hands on her knees in exhaustion, yet her eyes actively scanned the dark wasteland she had been trapped in, searching for any signs of danger. She couldn’t sense any demonic entities hidden within the shadows of the wasteland, but Kadru knew better than to drop her guard in enemy territory. Swiftly but silently, she crept along a wall, keeping her eyes and ears open for hostiles.
Abaddon had reached the giant alter, and the ghostly energy whipped about its tentacles like whips, binding them to five stone pillars placed around the alter. Its red eyes dimmed as the machine shut down. Immediately after, the inactive body of Abaddon was struck by hundreds of the green, demonic lightning bolts. Its eyes flashed like emeralds as each bolt struck, sending energy racing down and around its many limbs. It was obvious to Kadru that the machine was recharging itself.
“I must admit, I didn’t expect you to drop in,” a voice purred out from the darkness. Kadru startled and whipped around, lashing out behind her only to strike thin air. Her head swung wildly, searching for the source of the voice. It responded with a small chuckle. “A little more careless since last I saw you.”
A flash of green lightning illuminated a figure in the darkness, perched upon a boulder. Kadru only caught a glance, but the figure was distinctly avian, and far larger than her, rivaling Abaddon in size. Her hands tightened into fists. She was prepared to transform yet again if need be, but she doubted her ability to fight in her state of exhaustion. Her muscles ached from endless hours of transformation, and she sensed that this would be no easy opponent to put down.
“"What are you?" she hissed through clenched teeth, trying to mask her nervousness with anger.
There was a brief silence from the darkness. "You mean to say that you don't recognize a member of your own species?"
Kadru paused. Caught off guard by the avian's declaration, she found herself struggling for words. "This is a trick!" she shouted. "I am the last of my kind. Only the Ophorus gained eternal life."
"And only the Ophorus were gifted with a fraction of the False God's powers. Only we can take on a powerful form made in their image." The voice, Kadru soon realized, was inaudible, instead echoing around her head. Telepathy.
The sound of flapping wings filled the demonic hanger as a breeze swept against Kadru's face and ruffled her cloak. A huge, crimson shape soared out of the darkness, causing her to couch down, at any moment ready to transform and fight. The thing slowed, however, large wings beating as it settled to the ground. She was forced to raise an arm to her face as powerful winds kicked up small debris. It was a bird, but a bird like no other. It bore six limbs; two legs, two arms, and two huge wings. Its entire body was decorated in long crimson feathers. Piercing eyes stared down from between a toothy snout, like that of a mammal. Several tails with glowing blue tips writhed and twisted as though they had a life of their own.
The bird-like creature began to shrink. Its and wings feathers lengthened and weaved into each other, forming a long crimson cloak. The arms, legs, and face distorted, quickly rearranging themselves into humanoid structures. Within moments, a hooded and masked figure cloaked in the signature robes of a proud Ophorus warrior stood before her, yet his shone crimson like the feathers of his avian form before.
Kadru just about dropped her guard. All this time she had thought she was the sole remaining member of her species. After Old Hell had been destroyed, the surviving Ophorus had fled the Underworld, unwilling to continue watching the corruptive realm slowly turn their mortal kin into monsters through endless of years of evolution. Once a new planet similar to their old home was found and settled, they had decided to give up their immortality and status as the Warriors of the Gods. They would attempt to continue their race again, without the corruptive underworld energies interfering. Only Kadru remained, to watch over and protect the developing, changing race from their demonic kin. Yet here was another surviving Ophorus. It wasn’t possible.
Taking notice of her stunned silence, the robed warrior stepped forward. “My name is Selstar,” he said, his head held high as he spoke. “I hailed from the Temple of the Sky, before the False Gods destroyed our world. Undoubtedly…” He paused to brush a stray feather from the sleeve of his robe. “…You’ve already figured that detail for yourself.”
Kadru hesitated. Something felt wrong. The way he watched her through his mask was like a hawk staring down a mouse. In spite of that, she refused to show weakness. “Kadru,” she introduced, keeping her voice cool and slow. She stared back into his eyes. “Have we met before?”
The Ophorus smiled beneath his mask. “Not personally, no. But we’ve fought alongside each other on more than one occasion. Granted, it would have been long ago. Perhaps I shouldn’t have expected one such as you to remember.”
She crossed her arms at that comment. “Why don’t we skip the small talk,” she snapped. “How did you survive Old Hell?”
“Because I was smart,” Selstar said, as though it were perfectly obvious. “I kept my head down. I avoided conflict. I blended in with our… less-than-likeable descendants.”
“Less-than-likeable?” Kadru repeated. “Demons are malicious, evil creatures. They’re infamous throughout several worlds for it, Selstar.”
He merely shrugged. “I had to make do with what I had. It took me years of work, but I was slowly able to move up their ranks. By the time of Old Hell’s destruction, I was considered important enough to evacuate. I suspected the rest of you had been killed that day.” He crossed over the obsidian floor, resting his hands upon his hips as he watched Abaddon. The machine was perfectly still. Its joints glowed like burning emeralds as it absorbed the energies of the hellish lightning. “Imagine my surprise when I heard that an Ophorus from the Temple of the Sea was causing trouble on the outskirts of the Underworld When I saw you following Abaddon through the UCA’s security system, I knew instantly you were one and the same.”
She glanced towards the demonic machine. Her eyes widened in realization. “You built that thing!” she exclaimed. “Only our people knew the secret of making agronium armor.”
“A magnificent machine, isn’t it?” Selstar grinned proudly beneath his mask. “This here is merely a prototype. I had it sent over to the UCA for combat testing. Unfortunately, there was an unwanted side effect regarding its power source during its last battle. I came here to investigate the matter and to keep an eye out for future setbacks. With any luck, it’ll be ready within the next few months.”
Kadru glared at him. “It’s a weapon of war, isn’t it?”
“No,” Selstar shook his head. “Not yet, anyway. I designed it as a weapon for assassination.”
“And who’s the target?”
He didn’t respond. She was once again reminded of his predatory gaze, and the exhausted warrior felt a lump rise in her throat. The sudden wave of fear was replaced by rage as her hands balled into fists and her eyes flashed blue. “Me,” she answered herself.
She could see the corners of his mouth turn upwards as he let slip a cocky grin. In spite of her weariness, Kadru felt a burst of adrenalin run through her veins. Her cloak whipped around her as she prepared to transform once again, but stopped as several dozen UCA weaponry descended from the ceiling.
Selstar waggled his finger. “Now there’s no need to take rash actions, Kadru. The UCA doesn’t take kindly to fights in the hub.”
“You wanted to kill me,” she snarled. “Then damn the rules.”
He raised a hand in refusal. “There’s no need for that now. You’re their prisoner, just another fighter for the entertainment of the masses. Why should I, as an ally to the UCA, deny them a prize like that?”
Kadru was quivering with rage, barely able to hold herself back. She had never wanted to kill another being so badly, not Yukari, not even the False Gods themselves. Yet… with several cannons ready to blast her into submission at any moment, she knew she could do nothing. She’d be out before she could lay a finger on that damned Ophorus.
Trying her best to ignoring the fury that seemed take hold of every cell in her body, Kadru turned around and proceeded to stride away as quickly as she could. She growled under her breath as she heard Selstar chuckling behind her.
This wasn’t over.
Kadru watched it shrink into the distance of the looming hall. Who had built such a weapon, and why did it wear agronium? Why did it wear the armor of her people?
The machine finally turned a corner in the distance. Wasting no time, Kadru quickly morphed into her gigantic serpentine form again. Her lengthily body left the floor as she flew off after Abaddon, breathing deeply in exhaustion as she did so. She needed to constantly switch back and forth between forms to keep up with the giant and then hide shortly after. The process for a single transformation was tiring enough as it was, but after countless hours of pursuit…
As she reached the corner, the black dragon twisted as though caught in a maelstrom, shrinking into a flowing dark cloak. Her normal self once again, Kadru pressed her hand against the wall, pausing to catch her breath. Her knees felt weak. She couldn’t keep this cycle of transformation up much longer. She peeked around the corner, praying that the machine’s destination was finally near.
The machine had begun to focus on the entrance to a hanger on the far end of the hall. The hidden warrior smiled beneath her mask in relief. The logo of the UCA sat atop the giant doors. This had to be Abaddon’s hanger. Gathering what strength she had left, Kadru dashed out from behind the corner, sprinting at full speed towards Abaddon. She had to be hasty if she wanted to make it inside, and she hoped that the machine wouldn’t notice her form scamper beneath its mountainous bulk.
The force field guarding the door flickered out as the machine approached. Kadru picked up her pace, still a few hundred meters behind Abaddon as the doors creaked open. The strong stench of brimstone and fire and a thousand rotting corpses greeted her. The stench of the Underworld, faithfully recreated by the UCA. Underneath the machine’s frame, Kadru could see the obsidian floor of the hanger, surrounded by volcanic vents and pools of boiling blood. Green lighting flashed across the artificial sky of blackness, briefly illuminating a particularly large alter where strands of demonic energy seeped in and out like ghostly serpents. Abaddon thundered through the doors, cracking the obsidian floor under his weight with each stride, Kadru right behind it. The heavy doors slammed behind her, the hum of the force field activating shortly after. She stopped, hands on her knees in exhaustion, yet her eyes actively scanned the dark wasteland she had been trapped in, searching for any signs of danger. She couldn’t sense any demonic entities hidden within the shadows of the wasteland, but Kadru knew better than to drop her guard in enemy territory. Swiftly but silently, she crept along a wall, keeping her eyes and ears open for hostiles.
Abaddon had reached the giant alter, and the ghostly energy whipped about its tentacles like whips, binding them to five stone pillars placed around the alter. Its red eyes dimmed as the machine shut down. Immediately after, the inactive body of Abaddon was struck by hundreds of the green, demonic lightning bolts. Its eyes flashed like emeralds as each bolt struck, sending energy racing down and around its many limbs. It was obvious to Kadru that the machine was recharging itself.
“I must admit, I didn’t expect you to drop in,” a voice purred out from the darkness. Kadru startled and whipped around, lashing out behind her only to strike thin air. Her head swung wildly, searching for the source of the voice. It responded with a small chuckle. “A little more careless since last I saw you.”
A flash of green lightning illuminated a figure in the darkness, perched upon a boulder. Kadru only caught a glance, but the figure was distinctly avian, and far larger than her, rivaling Abaddon in size. Her hands tightened into fists. She was prepared to transform yet again if need be, but she doubted her ability to fight in her state of exhaustion. Her muscles ached from endless hours of transformation, and she sensed that this would be no easy opponent to put down.
“"What are you?" she hissed through clenched teeth, trying to mask her nervousness with anger.
There was a brief silence from the darkness. "You mean to say that you don't recognize a member of your own species?"
Kadru paused. Caught off guard by the avian's declaration, she found herself struggling for words. "This is a trick!" she shouted. "I am the last of my kind. Only the Ophorus gained eternal life."
"And only the Ophorus were gifted with a fraction of the False God's powers. Only we can take on a powerful form made in their image." The voice, Kadru soon realized, was inaudible, instead echoing around her head. Telepathy.
The sound of flapping wings filled the demonic hanger as a breeze swept against Kadru's face and ruffled her cloak. A huge, crimson shape soared out of the darkness, causing her to couch down, at any moment ready to transform and fight. The thing slowed, however, large wings beating as it settled to the ground. She was forced to raise an arm to her face as powerful winds kicked up small debris. It was a bird, but a bird like no other. It bore six limbs; two legs, two arms, and two huge wings. Its entire body was decorated in long crimson feathers. Piercing eyes stared down from between a toothy snout, like that of a mammal. Several tails with glowing blue tips writhed and twisted as though they had a life of their own.
The bird-like creature began to shrink. Its and wings feathers lengthened and weaved into each other, forming a long crimson cloak. The arms, legs, and face distorted, quickly rearranging themselves into humanoid structures. Within moments, a hooded and masked figure cloaked in the signature robes of a proud Ophorus warrior stood before her, yet his shone crimson like the feathers of his avian form before.
Kadru just about dropped her guard. All this time she had thought she was the sole remaining member of her species. After Old Hell had been destroyed, the surviving Ophorus had fled the Underworld, unwilling to continue watching the corruptive realm slowly turn their mortal kin into monsters through endless of years of evolution. Once a new planet similar to their old home was found and settled, they had decided to give up their immortality and status as the Warriors of the Gods. They would attempt to continue their race again, without the corruptive underworld energies interfering. Only Kadru remained, to watch over and protect the developing, changing race from their demonic kin. Yet here was another surviving Ophorus. It wasn’t possible.
Taking notice of her stunned silence, the robed warrior stepped forward. “My name is Selstar,” he said, his head held high as he spoke. “I hailed from the Temple of the Sky, before the False Gods destroyed our world. Undoubtedly…” He paused to brush a stray feather from the sleeve of his robe. “…You’ve already figured that detail for yourself.”
Kadru hesitated. Something felt wrong. The way he watched her through his mask was like a hawk staring down a mouse. In spite of that, she refused to show weakness. “Kadru,” she introduced, keeping her voice cool and slow. She stared back into his eyes. “Have we met before?”
The Ophorus smiled beneath his mask. “Not personally, no. But we’ve fought alongside each other on more than one occasion. Granted, it would have been long ago. Perhaps I shouldn’t have expected one such as you to remember.”
She crossed her arms at that comment. “Why don’t we skip the small talk,” she snapped. “How did you survive Old Hell?”
“Because I was smart,” Selstar said, as though it were perfectly obvious. “I kept my head down. I avoided conflict. I blended in with our… less-than-likeable descendants.”
“Less-than-likeable?” Kadru repeated. “Demons are malicious, evil creatures. They’re infamous throughout several worlds for it, Selstar.”
He merely shrugged. “I had to make do with what I had. It took me years of work, but I was slowly able to move up their ranks. By the time of Old Hell’s destruction, I was considered important enough to evacuate. I suspected the rest of you had been killed that day.” He crossed over the obsidian floor, resting his hands upon his hips as he watched Abaddon. The machine was perfectly still. Its joints glowed like burning emeralds as it absorbed the energies of the hellish lightning. “Imagine my surprise when I heard that an Ophorus from the Temple of the Sea was causing trouble on the outskirts of the Underworld When I saw you following Abaddon through the UCA’s security system, I knew instantly you were one and the same.”
She glanced towards the demonic machine. Her eyes widened in realization. “You built that thing!” she exclaimed. “Only our people knew the secret of making agronium armor.”
“A magnificent machine, isn’t it?” Selstar grinned proudly beneath his mask. “This here is merely a prototype. I had it sent over to the UCA for combat testing. Unfortunately, there was an unwanted side effect regarding its power source during its last battle. I came here to investigate the matter and to keep an eye out for future setbacks. With any luck, it’ll be ready within the next few months.”
Kadru glared at him. “It’s a weapon of war, isn’t it?”
“No,” Selstar shook his head. “Not yet, anyway. I designed it as a weapon for assassination.”
“And who’s the target?”
He didn’t respond. She was once again reminded of his predatory gaze, and the exhausted warrior felt a lump rise in her throat. The sudden wave of fear was replaced by rage as her hands balled into fists and her eyes flashed blue. “Me,” she answered herself.
She could see the corners of his mouth turn upwards as he let slip a cocky grin. In spite of her weariness, Kadru felt a burst of adrenalin run through her veins. Her cloak whipped around her as she prepared to transform once again, but stopped as several dozen UCA weaponry descended from the ceiling.
Selstar waggled his finger. “Now there’s no need to take rash actions, Kadru. The UCA doesn’t take kindly to fights in the hub.”
“You wanted to kill me,” she snarled. “Then damn the rules.”
He raised a hand in refusal. “There’s no need for that now. You’re their prisoner, just another fighter for the entertainment of the masses. Why should I, as an ally to the UCA, deny them a prize like that?”
Kadru was quivering with rage, barely able to hold herself back. She had never wanted to kill another being so badly, not Yukari, not even the False Gods themselves. Yet… with several cannons ready to blast her into submission at any moment, she knew she could do nothing. She’d be out before she could lay a finger on that damned Ophorus.
Trying her best to ignoring the fury that seemed take hold of every cell in her body, Kadru turned around and proceeded to stride away as quickly as she could. She growled under her breath as she heard Selstar chuckling behind her.
This wasn’t over.