Umbris bought the Triad’s usual room at The Roaring Griffin and waited for Terios and Pyrik in the common room. He sat alone at the table, as members of the Moonshadow Family are generally feared by most and distrusted by others. Umbris did not blame them. The Moonshadow Family was so different that Umbris wondered if the family had ceased to be human. As his thoughts wandered, he thought of his father and his aunts and his uncles and his cousins, always so controlled and stoic. He thought of the more easily apparent differences of the Moonshadows: the sheer strength of their Power, their apparent immortality. He thought about his mission. He internally winced with guilt as he thought of this. He still had not told Terios or Pyrik. He had not even told them about Darterra. Should he tell them? Would they still trust him? What would happen if they found out on their own, or rather when they did?
His train of thought was interrupted by Terios sitting down next to him. “Have you talked to anyone about a job yet?” Terios asked.
“No, I thought you should do that. You’re much better with people than I am.”
“Don’t think that flattering me will get you out of anything, because it won’t work.”
“There you are!” Pyrik said as he walked in and sat down at the table. “This place is crowded tonight. Kardif must be pleased by all this business.”
Umbris’s spirits fell when he noticed that Osmedius, appearing as if out of nowhere, sat down at the same table as the Triad. Great, he thought, just the person we didn’t want to see. Wait a second, who’s the kid sitting next to him?
When he asked this question out loud, Osmedius just said, “All in good time. But we really should start at the beginning. Sigma, I have a proposition for your group. However, I think we should discuss this over dinner. My treat.”
Terios cracked a quick smile and said, “Sounds alright so far, only I’ve noticed that whenever you treat us to dinner, it’s because you’re about to offer us a particularly difficult job that you can’t afford to properly pay us for. Waiter!” he called to the server who was running around taking orders, “I think we’re ready to order!”
They ordered their food, exchanged some news about the current state of the Triad’s search for the Chamber of the Old Ones and the Resistance’s war effort against the State of Utopia. When their food arrived, Osmedius went straight to business. “So, in short, here’s the deal. We are planning a raid on a Utopian experimental facility about thirty days from now. This particular facility is experimenting with adamantium. The notes, materials, and prototypes we could obtain from this facility may be a key piece in this war. The only problem is that the entire Two-Twenty-First Legion is guarding the place. What we need you to do is to somehow distract them, so that we have an easier time raiding the facility. Any questions so far?”
“Yeah, I have a few,” Umbris responded. “First off, how much will we get paid for this? This is one hell of a mission, even from you. Wasn’t the Resistance low on funds? How will you even hire us? Do you expect us to work for free?”
Osmedius glared at Umbris for a couple of seconds before replying, “That was something I was hoping to arrange with you three. And we will get to that in a moment. Anything else?”
“On our way over here,” Pyrik said, “you mentioned that Thorch’n here was ‘part of the proposition.’ What exactly did you mean?”
“Well,” Osmedius explained, “I suppose it actually is a different proposition really, but they do go together. You see, my pupil here, Thorch’n, is a rather. . . . interesting Warrior. Interesting Power. I have taught him much, but he lacks experience. I was hoping that you three would take him in for the next month before and during the raid, so that he might have that experience?”
Well, isn’t that great! Umbris thought. On top of his ridiculous ‘proposition,’ he wants to dump a green brat on us! The first actual combat training is the most difficult for the instructor, having to battle and make sure that a young Warrior does his part without getting seriously hurt at the same time! If he’s going to be a Master, he’d better learn that he can’t just delegate stuff when things get hard!
Terios pondered Osmedius’s words for a moment, and then said, “I will consider that, along with the rest of the proposition, but Umbris is right. You don’t seem to be in a position to hire mercenaries, especially for a job like this. We could just do the job and expect the payment whenever you can pay, but that would by necessity mean an even larger payload, one that the Resistance could never afford while this war still lasts. . . . “
“How about first pick?” Pyrik put in. “If we could have first pick of whatever is in this facility, I’m sure that would be payment enough.”
“Completely out of the question!” Osmedius exclaimed, slamming his hand on the table. “Your services are valuable, to be sure, but not that valuable!”
Suddenly, Terios look up, his eyes sparkling the way they do every time he has one of his great and dangerous ideas. “What if we were to destroy their airship? What if we destroyed The Sun’s Judgment?” The table went silent for a little while Terios allowed his idea to sink in. “Think about it: without their airship, the Two-Twenty-First would be crippled. Doubtless, many legionaries would be on the ship when we destroy it, maybe as many as half of them! They would also be too busy defending the Judgment to worry about guarding the facility, so it would be a perfect distraction, as well. Would that be worth first pick?”
Umbris gaped at Terios. What in this world, the next world, and any world around or in between is he thinking? Sure we’ve done some incredible things in the past, in fact I often look back on our past exploits and wonder how we managed to survive, let alone succeed. But destroy a Legion Airship? Just the three of us? With an inexperienced runt in tow? There’s simply no way. And there’s no way Osmedius will buy it either.
Umbris was soon proven wrong however. Osmedius sat still for a moment, taking in what Terios said. “Coming from anyone else,” he said slowly, as if carefully choosing each word, “I would say you were absolutely insane. From you, however, I actually think you could do it. All right, you take Thorch’n in for training, and destroy The Sun’s Judgment. We will meet one league south of the research facility, which is one hundred and forty-two leagues north of the Utopian city of Slahjia, at dawn thirty days from tomorrow. Your payment shall be first pick from the findings of the raid. Agreed?” He held out his hand, inviting Terios to shake. As the latter took his hand, Osmedius cracked a slight smile. “See you in thirty days!” After saying this, he turned and left.
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In the war-torn world of Luxtera, a small band of fighters set out to discover secrets of their land's past. Along the way, they are caught in power struggles between the oppresive Utopian State and the Resistance, meet dangers natural and otherwise, and take part in battles that began thousands of years before they were born. . . .
Friday, August 27, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Sigma Triad (first draft) Entry #6 (8/13/10)
Pyrik, Umbris, and Terios split up after entering the city. Umbris went ahead to The Roaring Griffin – the inn where they customarily stayed – to rent a room for the night and to gather some news, Terios went to the time square to see if the city was hiring mercenaries, while Pyrik went to the market district in order to buy a few supplies. He bought some potatoes from one vendor, and wheat flour from another. He entered a spice shop he had grown partial to on previous visits and bought some salt and some smoked chili peppers while exchanging small talk with the shopkeeper. After these stops, he bought a small knife to use for cooking, since Terios and Umbris were so strongly opposed to the use of their own blades. With this new stock, he was sure he would be able to find any other foodstuffs that he needed in the wild, so he started heading for The Roaring Griffin himself. He was just leaving the market district when he heard someone call his name. He turned toward the source of the voice and was not too thrilled to see Osmedius Kepka trotting toward him.
Osmedius was a lead member of the Resistance, just the person that the Triad wanted to avoid during their stay in B’Talah. A rather unsavory character, Osmedius was a tall, bald-headed man. His voluminous gray robes swayed as he walked toward Pyrik. He never wore armor or carried weapons, as the telekinetic Power of the Kepka Family could turn any item into either weapon or shield. The Triad knew Osmedius well, as they fought alongside him many times in the last couple of years, and he was usually their contact with the New Resistance. He was skilled in combat, command, and diplomacy. And the Pyrik never liked the man. He always seems so aloof, and he tends to be merciless in battle, never taking effort to avoid civilian casualties, or casualties among his own men, and he often slays enemies who have already surrendered. On top of that, he seems to simply delight in other’s pain, making certain remarks in conversation that he knows just stabs the individual, giving a quick, cruel smile for one brief moment just before he apologizes if his comment was ‘offensive.’
“Hello there, young Pyrik!” he called out. “I thought I might find you here. The guard at the gate told me you three were here, looking for work.”
“Oh, yeah?” he replied, “I’ll have to thank him later.”
“Anyway, shall I walk with you to join up with Terios and Umbris? This proposition should be given to your leader in person, of course. But then, you really should be the leader, Pyrik. You have so much talent, so much skill, and so much potential. Of course, ‘Maxentius Triad’ doesn’t quite sing the way ‘Sigma Triad’ does, now does it?”
Pyrik just nodded. He didn’t want to walk any distance with this man, but he really had no choice in the matter. When Osmedius caught up with Pyrik, the latter noticed that someone had been trailing right behind him the entire time. The realization that this person was with Osmedius surprised Pyrik, as Osmedius usually travels alone. The latter’s companion was young, around Pyrik’s age if not younger. He wore the same style robe as Osmedius, only a deep forest green. His short, black hair was well groomed, and his eyes were almost as black as his hair. “Who’s your friend?” Pyrik asked.
“Oh, this would be my protégé, Thorch’n. You could say that he’s. . . . . part of the proposition. But more about that later, how have you been? I noticed you’ve still had no luck searching for the Chamber. I have even heard of your latest. . . . . meeting with your brother. Or was it an illusion, I cannot seem to remember?”
Pyrik visibly winced. This was one of those ‘sharp’ comments he had been anticipating. He also wondered how Osmedius knew about the incident in the Arbyrin Forest so soon. “Legate Mekus is no longer any brother of mine. My brother Mekus died long ago.”
Osmedius put on a sympathetic smile as he responded, “Yes of course, my apologies, I have no idea what I was thinking! Anyway, I think we should pick up our pace, I don’t know about you but I’m a mite famished. I will buy you all dinner at The Roaring Griffin. That is where you’re staying, is it not?”
Pyrik merely grunted and kept on walking. He did not want to resume conversation until they met up with Terios and Umbris.
Osmedius was a lead member of the Resistance, just the person that the Triad wanted to avoid during their stay in B’Talah. A rather unsavory character, Osmedius was a tall, bald-headed man. His voluminous gray robes swayed as he walked toward Pyrik. He never wore armor or carried weapons, as the telekinetic Power of the Kepka Family could turn any item into either weapon or shield. The Triad knew Osmedius well, as they fought alongside him many times in the last couple of years, and he was usually their contact with the New Resistance. He was skilled in combat, command, and diplomacy. And the Pyrik never liked the man. He always seems so aloof, and he tends to be merciless in battle, never taking effort to avoid civilian casualties, or casualties among his own men, and he often slays enemies who have already surrendered. On top of that, he seems to simply delight in other’s pain, making certain remarks in conversation that he knows just stabs the individual, giving a quick, cruel smile for one brief moment just before he apologizes if his comment was ‘offensive.’
“Hello there, young Pyrik!” he called out. “I thought I might find you here. The guard at the gate told me you three were here, looking for work.”
“Oh, yeah?” he replied, “I’ll have to thank him later.”
“Anyway, shall I walk with you to join up with Terios and Umbris? This proposition should be given to your leader in person, of course. But then, you really should be the leader, Pyrik. You have so much talent, so much skill, and so much potential. Of course, ‘Maxentius Triad’ doesn’t quite sing the way ‘Sigma Triad’ does, now does it?”
Pyrik just nodded. He didn’t want to walk any distance with this man, but he really had no choice in the matter. When Osmedius caught up with Pyrik, the latter noticed that someone had been trailing right behind him the entire time. The realization that this person was with Osmedius surprised Pyrik, as Osmedius usually travels alone. The latter’s companion was young, around Pyrik’s age if not younger. He wore the same style robe as Osmedius, only a deep forest green. His short, black hair was well groomed, and his eyes were almost as black as his hair. “Who’s your friend?” Pyrik asked.
“Oh, this would be my protégé, Thorch’n. You could say that he’s. . . . . part of the proposition. But more about that later, how have you been? I noticed you’ve still had no luck searching for the Chamber. I have even heard of your latest. . . . . meeting with your brother. Or was it an illusion, I cannot seem to remember?”
Pyrik visibly winced. This was one of those ‘sharp’ comments he had been anticipating. He also wondered how Osmedius knew about the incident in the Arbyrin Forest so soon. “Legate Mekus is no longer any brother of mine. My brother Mekus died long ago.”
Osmedius put on a sympathetic smile as he responded, “Yes of course, my apologies, I have no idea what I was thinking! Anyway, I think we should pick up our pace, I don’t know about you but I’m a mite famished. I will buy you all dinner at The Roaring Griffin. That is where you’re staying, is it not?”
Pyrik merely grunted and kept on walking. He did not want to resume conversation until they met up with Terios and Umbris.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Sigma Triad (first draft) Entry #5 (8/7/10)
As soon as Terios returned, they ate breakfast and got back on the road. Now that Umbris was conscious, they were able to cover a lot of ground, and B’Talah was in sight late that afternoon. The small metropolis was very diverse and varied looking, with buildings of dozens of architectural styles, made of stone, metal, wood or even carved out of the living earth. Outside the city was a twenty-five-foot tall, twelve-foot thick wall of solid rock, with a gate of samsonium, a local metal almost as strong as silver-steel. There was some coming and going through the gate, mostly skiffs, though there were also people on foot, and in the surrounding fields, some small airships were parked. The city was once a small smuggling post, but it had grown so much in recent years that Terios wondered how it remained unnoticed by the State of Utopia. B’Talah is a gathering place for smugglers, mercenaries, treasure hunters, assassins, and other such characters. For all of that, it is kept fairly safe and orderly by the B’Talah City Council, the city’s legislative body.
The Sigma Triad is quite well known in B’Talah, as they are among the most successful of the mercenaries and treasure hunters that frequent the town. For this reason, B’Talah is also the place where the Resistance contacts the Triad whenever they need extra hands for a raid. Terios hoped to avoid the Resistance on this visit, however, as the latter often do not have enough money to properly pay them, and money is the main reason for this visit.
When they reached the gate, the guard challenged them. Terios recognized him immeadiately, as this guard was often on duty when the Triad entered B’Talah. Though he is slightly portly man a non-Warrior, Terios knew that it would be a dangerous thing for anyone to underestimate Thelo Narsi of the B’Talah City Guard, as he has extraordinarily quick reflexes and it a deadly aim with his plasma rifle. “State your names and your business!” he challenged.
“Not this again, Narsi,” Umbris replied, “you know it’s us.”
“I asked for your names and your business, not for some smarty-pants comment from you, Moonshadow!”
“See, you already know my name!”
“Anyone can tell a Moonshadow from miles away! What with that hair and those clothes, what else could you be, huh?”
“All right, Thelo,” Terios interrupted. “We’ll play your game. I am Terios Sigma, and this is Umbris Moonshadow and Pyrik Maxentius. We are here to purchase supplies and look for work. Happy now?”
Thelo puffed up his chest and smiled. “That’s more like it. Don’t cause any trouble now, the City Council is still unhappy about that incident.”
“Still?” Pyrik asked. “Are they never going to get over that?”
“Doesn’t look like it,” replied Thelo. “Just to be safe, you’d better stay away from that inn, especially you, Moonshadow. Also, just don’t use your Power under the influence, and I don’t care if all they have left is two-year-old wine.”
“You have to admit, though, it was a pretty good idea,” Umbris protested.
Thelo chuckled heartily as he replied, “That it was, I probably would have done the same myself, were I from your family. Just don’t do it in the city, where someone could get hurt. Otherwise, enjoy your stay, and good luck finding a job!”
The Sigma Triad is quite well known in B’Talah, as they are among the most successful of the mercenaries and treasure hunters that frequent the town. For this reason, B’Talah is also the place where the Resistance contacts the Triad whenever they need extra hands for a raid. Terios hoped to avoid the Resistance on this visit, however, as the latter often do not have enough money to properly pay them, and money is the main reason for this visit.
When they reached the gate, the guard challenged them. Terios recognized him immeadiately, as this guard was often on duty when the Triad entered B’Talah. Though he is slightly portly man a non-Warrior, Terios knew that it would be a dangerous thing for anyone to underestimate Thelo Narsi of the B’Talah City Guard, as he has extraordinarily quick reflexes and it a deadly aim with his plasma rifle. “State your names and your business!” he challenged.
“Not this again, Narsi,” Umbris replied, “you know it’s us.”
“I asked for your names and your business, not for some smarty-pants comment from you, Moonshadow!”
“See, you already know my name!”
“Anyone can tell a Moonshadow from miles away! What with that hair and those clothes, what else could you be, huh?”
“All right, Thelo,” Terios interrupted. “We’ll play your game. I am Terios Sigma, and this is Umbris Moonshadow and Pyrik Maxentius. We are here to purchase supplies and look for work. Happy now?”
Thelo puffed up his chest and smiled. “That’s more like it. Don’t cause any trouble now, the City Council is still unhappy about that incident.”
“Still?” Pyrik asked. “Are they never going to get over that?”
“Doesn’t look like it,” replied Thelo. “Just to be safe, you’d better stay away from that inn, especially you, Moonshadow. Also, just don’t use your Power under the influence, and I don’t care if all they have left is two-year-old wine.”
“You have to admit, though, it was a pretty good idea,” Umbris protested.
Thelo chuckled heartily as he replied, “That it was, I probably would have done the same myself, were I from your family. Just don’t do it in the city, where someone could get hurt. Otherwise, enjoy your stay, and good luck finding a job!”
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Thorch'n's Journal (Appendix)
[authors note: the following journal serves as an appendix to "Sigma Triad". It is currently incomplete to avoid spoilers, but it will be updated as the story progresses]
Notable Individuals
Name: Terios Sigma
Family: Sigma
Affiliation: Sigma Triad (leader)
Power: drakoline release results in extreme speed, strength, stamina, and endurance (physical)
Weapons: Ahtrif (pistol), Katahtre (shortsword)
Name: Umbris Moonshadow
Family: Moonshadow
Affiliation: Sigma Triad
Power: Temporal Distortion, can hasten or slow his own timeline, when his drakoline level is high, he can do the same to the timeline of others (mental/elemental)
Weapons: Vala and Voda (twin shortswords)
Name: Pyrik Maxentius
Family: Maxentius
Affiliation: Sigma Triad
Power: can create and manipulate fire (elemental)
Weapons: N/A
Name: Osmedius Kepka
Family: Kepka
Affiliation: New Resistance (one of the leaders)
Power: Telekenesis
Weapons: N/A
Interesting Facts: Osmedius is the Patriarch of the Kepka Family
Name: Legate Mekus
Family: Pintax (before death)
Affiliation: Utopia (First Legate)
Power: N/A (automaton)
Weapons: unnamed (Various weapons are integrated into his mechanical body, which is constantly being upgraded. A few constants include automatic projectile weapons, plasma guns, and rockets)
Interisting Facts: Mekus was the first automaton. For whatever reason, the side effect of loss of intellegence and free will did not afflict Mekus as it did all the automatons that came after him. This is possibly due to the tweaking of the process that occoured after Mekus's tranformation.
On Powers, Families, Warriors, and Patriarchs
The Power of a human comes from the drakoline glands, located on the kidneys right next to the adrenaline glands. They secrete the hormone drakoline, which triggers the Power. The drakoline glands are closely associated with the adrenaline glands, therefore drakoline will release more effeciently and "peak" higher if adrenaline is released simultaneously. The variety of a human's Power is determined by his or her DNA, thus, people with certain patterns in their DNA will have the same Power. This is why people in the same family have the same Power. Not all humans can use their Power, however. Only about one in every five human's drakoline glands fully develop (something which happens when he or she enters puberty). A human who can use his or her Power is called a Warrior.
A child's family is determined when he or she "comes of age" at seventeen. If the young man or woman has the Power of his/her father's family, he/she is of their father's family, likewise if he/she has his/her mother's family Power. If he/she is not a Warrior, he/she is usually counted as of his/her father's family. There is an extremely rare occurance, however, that a Warrior may have a Power different from either of his/her parents. If it's the Power of another family, he/she is counted among that family after "coming of age." In extrodinarily rare chance that it is a new, unique Power, the Warrior is a Patriarch: the founder of a new family, and he/she names of his/her family upon "coming of age."
Translation of Words in the Old Tongue
ahtrif (AH-trif) - stinger
b'talah (buh-TAH-luh) - place of thieves, town of thieves
katahtre (kuh-TAH-tray) - fang
vala (VAH-lah) - heaven
voda (VOE-duh) - hell
List of Families and Their Powers
Colik (force field)
Kepka (telekenesis)
Maxentius (fire manipulation)
Moonshadow (temporal distortion)
Pintax (energy absorption)
Sigma (speed, strength, stamina, and endurance enhancement)
Xintar (visual illusion)
Notable Individuals
Name: Terios Sigma
Family: Sigma
Affiliation: Sigma Triad (leader)
Power: drakoline release results in extreme speed, strength, stamina, and endurance (physical)
Weapons: Ahtrif (pistol), Katahtre (shortsword)
Name: Umbris Moonshadow
Family: Moonshadow
Affiliation: Sigma Triad
Power: Temporal Distortion, can hasten or slow his own timeline, when his drakoline level is high, he can do the same to the timeline of others (mental/elemental)
Weapons: Vala and Voda (twin shortswords)
Name: Pyrik Maxentius
Family: Maxentius
Affiliation: Sigma Triad
Power: can create and manipulate fire (elemental)
Weapons: N/A
Name: Osmedius Kepka
Family: Kepka
Affiliation: New Resistance (one of the leaders)
Power: Telekenesis
Weapons: N/A
Interesting Facts: Osmedius is the Patriarch of the Kepka Family
Name: Legate Mekus
Family: Pintax (before death)
Affiliation: Utopia (First Legate)
Power: N/A (automaton)
Weapons: unnamed (Various weapons are integrated into his mechanical body, which is constantly being upgraded. A few constants include automatic projectile weapons, plasma guns, and rockets)
Interisting Facts: Mekus was the first automaton. For whatever reason, the side effect of loss of intellegence and free will did not afflict Mekus as it did all the automatons that came after him. This is possibly due to the tweaking of the process that occoured after Mekus's tranformation.
On Powers, Families, Warriors, and Patriarchs
The Power of a human comes from the drakoline glands, located on the kidneys right next to the adrenaline glands. They secrete the hormone drakoline, which triggers the Power. The drakoline glands are closely associated with the adrenaline glands, therefore drakoline will release more effeciently and "peak" higher if adrenaline is released simultaneously. The variety of a human's Power is determined by his or her DNA, thus, people with certain patterns in their DNA will have the same Power. This is why people in the same family have the same Power. Not all humans can use their Power, however. Only about one in every five human's drakoline glands fully develop (something which happens when he or she enters puberty). A human who can use his or her Power is called a Warrior.
A child's family is determined when he or she "comes of age" at seventeen. If the young man or woman has the Power of his/her father's family, he/she is of their father's family, likewise if he/she has his/her mother's family Power. If he/she is not a Warrior, he/she is usually counted as of his/her father's family. There is an extremely rare occurance, however, that a Warrior may have a Power different from either of his/her parents. If it's the Power of another family, he/she is counted among that family after "coming of age." In extrodinarily rare chance that it is a new, unique Power, the Warrior is a Patriarch: the founder of a new family, and he/she names of his/her family upon "coming of age."
Translation of Words in the Old Tongue
ahtrif (AH-trif) - stinger
b'talah (buh-TAH-luh) - place of thieves, town of thieves
katahtre (kuh-TAH-tray) - fang
vala (VAH-lah) - heaven
voda (VOE-duh) - hell
List of Families and Their Powers
Colik (force field)
Kepka (telekenesis)
Maxentius (fire manipulation)
Moonshadow (temporal distortion)
Pintax (energy absorption)
Sigma (speed, strength, stamina, and endurance enhancement)
Xintar (visual illusion)
Sigma Triad (first draft) Entry #4 (7/30/10)
Umbris awoke with a throbbing head and an aching stomach. He clutched his head as he sat up. He was surprised to notice that the sun was in the east, meaning that it was at least the morning of the next day. He looked around, trying to assess the situation. Terios was nowhere to be seen, but Pyrik was squatting over a steaming pot sitting on top of a fire, stirring the contents with a spoon. A decadent aroma emanated from the pot. “How long was I out?” Umbris asked him.
“Two nights,” Pyrik replied. “Terios is right, you need to conserve your Power more, it was a major drag carrying you all this way. No pun intended.”
Two nights? Umbris said to himself. I guess that would explain the bellyache. I haven’t eaten since breakfast the day before yesterday. The headache must be from that drakoline drain. Umbris stood up and stumbled toward the cooking pot. “What are you cooking?”
“Rabbit stew. There were a lot of rabbits bouncing around, along with some herbs and even a few wild carrots. I also put the last of the potatoes in there.”
Umbris shook his head in wonder. Pyrik’s foraging and cooking skills never ceased to amaze him. He could make a decent meal out of practically nothing. Though his equipment usually restricted him to soups, stews, and roasted meats and vegetables, every one of Pyrik’s meals was a real treat. Umbris put his hands behind his back to check his swords, and noticed that the left one was missing. “Please don’t tell me you used Voda to cut the vegetables. You did, didn’t you?”
Pyrik looked at Umbris sheepishly. “Well, I was going to use Katahtre, but Terios wouldn’t let me. He said that as long as you were out, I might as well use one of your swords. Sorry, but the vegetables weren’t going to cut themselves. It’s over there, by the packs. I already cleaned it up.” Umbris retrieved his sword, muttering something about dang kids always using his Warrior’s tools as chef’s tools. As he sheathed Voda, he asked Pyrik where Terios went. “He went to a nearby spring to get more drinking water. I swear, Umbris you drink more water unconscious that you do awake.”
“So, any idea where we are headed?” Umbris went on to ask.
“B’Talah. Terios thinks we need a break from hunting for the Chamber of the Old Ones, and should instead get some more money. He also wants to save up for an airship.”
“Not that again. I’ve told him time and time again that not all airships are like the Phoenix was, and to get one even comparable to that one, we would have to save up our money for decades, after starving and working to death.”
“Well, all I know is, he will somehow make it happen. He always does.”
“Two nights,” Pyrik replied. “Terios is right, you need to conserve your Power more, it was a major drag carrying you all this way. No pun intended.”
Two nights? Umbris said to himself. I guess that would explain the bellyache. I haven’t eaten since breakfast the day before yesterday. The headache must be from that drakoline drain. Umbris stood up and stumbled toward the cooking pot. “What are you cooking?”
“Rabbit stew. There were a lot of rabbits bouncing around, along with some herbs and even a few wild carrots. I also put the last of the potatoes in there.”
Umbris shook his head in wonder. Pyrik’s foraging and cooking skills never ceased to amaze him. He could make a decent meal out of practically nothing. Though his equipment usually restricted him to soups, stews, and roasted meats and vegetables, every one of Pyrik’s meals was a real treat. Umbris put his hands behind his back to check his swords, and noticed that the left one was missing. “Please don’t tell me you used Voda to cut the vegetables. You did, didn’t you?”
Pyrik looked at Umbris sheepishly. “Well, I was going to use Katahtre, but Terios wouldn’t let me. He said that as long as you were out, I might as well use one of your swords. Sorry, but the vegetables weren’t going to cut themselves. It’s over there, by the packs. I already cleaned it up.” Umbris retrieved his sword, muttering something about dang kids always using his Warrior’s tools as chef’s tools. As he sheathed Voda, he asked Pyrik where Terios went. “He went to a nearby spring to get more drinking water. I swear, Umbris you drink more water unconscious that you do awake.”
“So, any idea where we are headed?” Umbris went on to ask.
“B’Talah. Terios thinks we need a break from hunting for the Chamber of the Old Ones, and should instead get some more money. He also wants to save up for an airship.”
“Not that again. I’ve told him time and time again that not all airships are like the Phoenix was, and to get one even comparable to that one, we would have to save up our money for decades, after starving and working to death.”
“Well, all I know is, he will somehow make it happen. He always does.”
Sigma Triad (first draft) Entry #3 (7/26/10)
“That big fool,” Terios said. He and Pyrik were trudging through the forest, Terios carrying the unconscious Umbris across his back. They ran for about an hour, but slowed down to keep their strength up when it was apparent that they had lost the Utopian forces. “He used more energy than necessary in that fight, and now this.”
Pyrik looked at Terios quizzically. “Wow, you’re really crabby today!” he exclaimed. He got us out of there in one piece, we appear to be safe from pursuit, so what’s with the sour mood?”
“Sorry,” Terios replied. “I’m just angry at myself. I wasn’t careful, and as a result we were ambushed, and Umbris is unconscious. I need to be more careful in the future.”
“It’ll be alright. A power drain won’t do a Moonshadow Warrior any harm, and the main thing is that none of us are seriously injured.”
Terios stumbled as his foot hit a root. “You know what we need?” he asked his conscious companion. “We need a new airship.” Pyrik nodded his agreement. Terios used to own an airship, called the Phoenix, but it was destroyed in the First Revolution, a revolt against the Eostran Empire and the Vetsran Empire. A revolt which ended with the rise of the Military State of Utopia. We helped destroy the Warring Empires, Pyrik thought, and now we’re among Utopia’s most wanted. It’s a strange hand fate dealt to us. He was so lost in thought that he did not realize that Terios was expanding on his idea to acquire another airship.
“It doesn’t need to be that large, maybe just big enough to be a little roomy while transporting the three of us and a couple of passengers. A cargo bay is a must, for transporting and smuggling and treasure hunting and all of that. As for weaponry, I don’t think we need much, just as long as the airship is well armored and fast. Money will be a problem, though. Heck, we barely make enough money to stay well fed, let alone buy an airship. Fuel and ammunition, too, unless we could somehow get a fusion reactor. If we’re gonna go through with this, we will need a lot more money, which means we’ll have to put the search for the Chamber of the Old Ones on hold temporarily, and take jobs only from the highest bidders for a while. What do you think, Pyrik? Hey, Pyrik, are you in there?”
This raised Pyrik from his reverie. “Hmm? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking.”
“About where we can get an airship?”
“No. It’s just that, well, we fought in the Old Revolution. Men died in that war, on both sides. And my brother. . . . . And in the end, the revolutionary government was just as bad, or worse even, than the Warring Empires. They all died for nothing.”
“Now look who’s being crabby. Don’t you worry, Pyrik. Everything will turn out alright. I promise. We’re no longer the treasure-hunting mercenaries we used to be. We have become a force to reckon with in these wars. A new airship will make us even more so. We can help destroy Utopia, bring justice back to the world.”
“Nice speech. But tell me truly,” Pyrik said, looking his friend in the eye. “Do you really think that the leaders of the New Resistance can be trusted? Do you honestly think that they are any different from the Old Resistance?” Terios just looked at the ground he was walking on and stayed silent. He had no answer. “That’s what I thought.”
Pyrik looked at Terios quizzically. “Wow, you’re really crabby today!” he exclaimed. He got us out of there in one piece, we appear to be safe from pursuit, so what’s with the sour mood?”
“Sorry,” Terios replied. “I’m just angry at myself. I wasn’t careful, and as a result we were ambushed, and Umbris is unconscious. I need to be more careful in the future.”
“It’ll be alright. A power drain won’t do a Moonshadow Warrior any harm, and the main thing is that none of us are seriously injured.”
Terios stumbled as his foot hit a root. “You know what we need?” he asked his conscious companion. “We need a new airship.” Pyrik nodded his agreement. Terios used to own an airship, called the Phoenix, but it was destroyed in the First Revolution, a revolt against the Eostran Empire and the Vetsran Empire. A revolt which ended with the rise of the Military State of Utopia. We helped destroy the Warring Empires, Pyrik thought, and now we’re among Utopia’s most wanted. It’s a strange hand fate dealt to us. He was so lost in thought that he did not realize that Terios was expanding on his idea to acquire another airship.
“It doesn’t need to be that large, maybe just big enough to be a little roomy while transporting the three of us and a couple of passengers. A cargo bay is a must, for transporting and smuggling and treasure hunting and all of that. As for weaponry, I don’t think we need much, just as long as the airship is well armored and fast. Money will be a problem, though. Heck, we barely make enough money to stay well fed, let alone buy an airship. Fuel and ammunition, too, unless we could somehow get a fusion reactor. If we’re gonna go through with this, we will need a lot more money, which means we’ll have to put the search for the Chamber of the Old Ones on hold temporarily, and take jobs only from the highest bidders for a while. What do you think, Pyrik? Hey, Pyrik, are you in there?”
This raised Pyrik from his reverie. “Hmm? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking.”
“About where we can get an airship?”
“No. It’s just that, well, we fought in the Old Revolution. Men died in that war, on both sides. And my brother. . . . . And in the end, the revolutionary government was just as bad, or worse even, than the Warring Empires. They all died for nothing.”
“Now look who’s being crabby. Don’t you worry, Pyrik. Everything will turn out alright. I promise. We’re no longer the treasure-hunting mercenaries we used to be. We have become a force to reckon with in these wars. A new airship will make us even more so. We can help destroy Utopia, bring justice back to the world.”
“Nice speech. But tell me truly,” Pyrik said, looking his friend in the eye. “Do you really think that the leaders of the New Resistance can be trusted? Do you honestly think that they are any different from the Old Resistance?” Terios just looked at the ground he was walking on and stayed silent. He had no answer. “That’s what I thought.”
Sigma Triad Entry #2 (7/23/10)
As soon as that word was spoken, the Triad sprang into action. Terios quickly charged, and was charged by, half of the Colik platoon. He drew his sword, Katahtre, and leapt into the fray. The Power of the Sigma family gives a Warrior, such as Terios, increased speed, stamina, and endurance. Thanks to this power, as well as the athletic and acrobatic training that he subjected himself to as a youth, Terios was able to easily outmaneuver the Colik Warriors. He did not bother to use his pistol, Ahtrif, as the force field on his enemies’ fronts and the armor on his enemies’ backs were invulnerable to small-arms fire, but Terios’ superior speed and agility allowed him to get around behind them, where the force field did not reach, to swiftly dispatch them with Katahtre.
When he could, Terios tried to get a glimpse of how his friends were fairing. Umbris was doing well, as expected. One second he was surrounded by the other half of the Colik platoon, and an instant later, his bloodied swords were in his hands and the Coliks were all dead. The Power of the Moonshadow family allowed their Warriors to distort time itself; all Umbris did was slow time down to a near halt and quickly dispatch the Coliks. The price of that power was easy to see, however: only a few seconds into the battle and Umbris already looked exhausted. That show-off, Terios thought, he did not have to slow time that much for those Colik Warriors! He needs to learn to conserve his strength.
Pyrik also seemed to be doing well. The Maxentius family’s Warriors are elementals, whose Power gives the ability to create and manipulate fire. Terios could see the exertion on Pyrik’s face as he stood still, keeping a blazing glow burning around his body as the other platoon shot their guns at him, vaporizing the projectiles before they made contact with his body. Terios already figured out what Pyrik was doing: he was letting the battle, the fight-or-flight situation, increase his adrenaline level, while the constant use of his power, in addition to shielding him from harm, increased the levels of drakoline, the Warrior hormone, in his body. This synergy of the drakoline and the adrenaline allow the former to keep rising. And when his drakoline peaks, Terios said to himself, I wouldn’t like to be a member of that platoon.
As he dispatched the last of the Colik Warriors, Terios turned to the Close Combat Automaton. “Umbris!” he called out, “I could use a little help with this one!” Umbris nodded his acknowledgment as Terios rushed the twenty-foot, four armed metal figure. As Terios charged at the automaton, the metal monstrosity swung one of its gigantic swords at him. At the apex of its arc, the great blade suddenly slowed, and not just the sword, but the rest of the automaton. Terios then rushed right up to the twenty foot mass of armor and blades, leapt onto its back, and slashed it in a spot where the armor plates did not quite meet, exposing the wires and other mechanical paraphernalia underneath. The metal beast started collapsing in slow motion, as Terios dropped back to the ground. As he was walking away from the automaton, it continued to collapse at normal speed. “Nicely done, Umbris!” Terios called to his friend.
Just then, an explosion was heard. Terios and Umbris instinctively turned toward the source of the noise: Pyrik. After a few seconds of shielding himself from the other platoon’s projectile fire, he was able to unleash a powerful attack. Orange fire bursting from his hands, Pyrik laid waste to the platoon, now invisible behind a curtain of flame. When the fire subsided, however, the Triad was in for a shock: the platoon was still there, it was still shooting at Pyrik, and none of the projectiles seemed to make contact. Terios then knew what was going on. Illusions? That’s not just a Platoon, that’s a Xintar Elite! And if they were illusions then. . . Mekus! Surely enough, when Terios cast his eyes about the clearing searching for the Legate, he was not to be found. So it was all an illusion, a Xintar Warrior was sent to make an illusion of Mekus and that platoon, with the Colik platoon sent to make it seem genuine. The Xintar is in the woods somewhere, just outside the clearing, setting this all up. Why? To buy time, because Mekus was not sure that we would show up, and he did not want to waste his own time. But if this was just to buy time, and we are here, then that means. . . Terios looked up in the sky, and saw his suspicions confirmed. Floating up on antigravity thrusters, propelled by jets, run by fusion, and bristling with weaponry, Terios, Umbris, and Pyrik saw the transport-battle vessel of the Utopian First Legion, the flagship of the Utopian fleet, the airship Lord of the Flies.
Terios turned to Umbris and Pyrik. “Well guys,” he said, “I think we overstayed our welcome. Umbris, would you kindly facilitate our escape?” Umbris nodded, and then everything around Terios turned into a blur. He felt a strong wind, and a sonic boom rang in his ears. After about half a minute, the world stopped again. He was lying on the ground, Umbris standing beside him, hyperventilating, with Terios and Pyrik in tow. “Nicely done,” Terios said. “Are you doing alright, Umbris?”
“Yeah,” Umbris replied. “I just need a couple of minutes to rest. I haven’t slowed time that much for that long in a while, and my drakoline level was already starting to fall. But I did manage to take us three miles from the clearing. I did a little loop so that we’re not in the same direction that the exited the clearing. We should be safe from pursuit. . . . .” Umbris suddenly collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.
When he could, Terios tried to get a glimpse of how his friends were fairing. Umbris was doing well, as expected. One second he was surrounded by the other half of the Colik platoon, and an instant later, his bloodied swords were in his hands and the Coliks were all dead. The Power of the Moonshadow family allowed their Warriors to distort time itself; all Umbris did was slow time down to a near halt and quickly dispatch the Coliks. The price of that power was easy to see, however: only a few seconds into the battle and Umbris already looked exhausted. That show-off, Terios thought, he did not have to slow time that much for those Colik Warriors! He needs to learn to conserve his strength.
Pyrik also seemed to be doing well. The Maxentius family’s Warriors are elementals, whose Power gives the ability to create and manipulate fire. Terios could see the exertion on Pyrik’s face as he stood still, keeping a blazing glow burning around his body as the other platoon shot their guns at him, vaporizing the projectiles before they made contact with his body. Terios already figured out what Pyrik was doing: he was letting the battle, the fight-or-flight situation, increase his adrenaline level, while the constant use of his power, in addition to shielding him from harm, increased the levels of drakoline, the Warrior hormone, in his body. This synergy of the drakoline and the adrenaline allow the former to keep rising. And when his drakoline peaks, Terios said to himself, I wouldn’t like to be a member of that platoon.
As he dispatched the last of the Colik Warriors, Terios turned to the Close Combat Automaton. “Umbris!” he called out, “I could use a little help with this one!” Umbris nodded his acknowledgment as Terios rushed the twenty-foot, four armed metal figure. As Terios charged at the automaton, the metal monstrosity swung one of its gigantic swords at him. At the apex of its arc, the great blade suddenly slowed, and not just the sword, but the rest of the automaton. Terios then rushed right up to the twenty foot mass of armor and blades, leapt onto its back, and slashed it in a spot where the armor plates did not quite meet, exposing the wires and other mechanical paraphernalia underneath. The metal beast started collapsing in slow motion, as Terios dropped back to the ground. As he was walking away from the automaton, it continued to collapse at normal speed. “Nicely done, Umbris!” Terios called to his friend.
Just then, an explosion was heard. Terios and Umbris instinctively turned toward the source of the noise: Pyrik. After a few seconds of shielding himself from the other platoon’s projectile fire, he was able to unleash a powerful attack. Orange fire bursting from his hands, Pyrik laid waste to the platoon, now invisible behind a curtain of flame. When the fire subsided, however, the Triad was in for a shock: the platoon was still there, it was still shooting at Pyrik, and none of the projectiles seemed to make contact. Terios then knew what was going on. Illusions? That’s not just a Platoon, that’s a Xintar Elite! And if they were illusions then. . . Mekus! Surely enough, when Terios cast his eyes about the clearing searching for the Legate, he was not to be found. So it was all an illusion, a Xintar Warrior was sent to make an illusion of Mekus and that platoon, with the Colik platoon sent to make it seem genuine. The Xintar is in the woods somewhere, just outside the clearing, setting this all up. Why? To buy time, because Mekus was not sure that we would show up, and he did not want to waste his own time. But if this was just to buy time, and we are here, then that means. . . Terios looked up in the sky, and saw his suspicions confirmed. Floating up on antigravity thrusters, propelled by jets, run by fusion, and bristling with weaponry, Terios, Umbris, and Pyrik saw the transport-battle vessel of the Utopian First Legion, the flagship of the Utopian fleet, the airship Lord of the Flies.
Terios turned to Umbris and Pyrik. “Well guys,” he said, “I think we overstayed our welcome. Umbris, would you kindly facilitate our escape?” Umbris nodded, and then everything around Terios turned into a blur. He felt a strong wind, and a sonic boom rang in his ears. After about half a minute, the world stopped again. He was lying on the ground, Umbris standing beside him, hyperventilating, with Terios and Pyrik in tow. “Nicely done,” Terios said. “Are you doing alright, Umbris?”
“Yeah,” Umbris replied. “I just need a couple of minutes to rest. I haven’t slowed time that much for that long in a while, and my drakoline level was already starting to fall. But I did manage to take us three miles from the clearing. I did a little loop so that we’re not in the same direction that the exited the clearing. We should be safe from pursuit. . . . .” Umbris suddenly collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.
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