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.”