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Blood And Rust: Part two (the voice and the serpent)

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Bard
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« Reply #30 on: December 07, 2011, 10:54:33 pm »

Part 2:
The Voice And The Serpent


"I have come to kill you, Machine!"

The machine took a nasally male voice.
“Niyames, your constant euphemisms vex us. At least you gave Agnasi more than one. You just keep calling me ‘machine’. I have a name, you know. But of course you know…”

“Neither of you deserve a title! You disgrace the nobility!”

It used an elderly female voice next.
“I? Disgrace the nobility? Niyames, of all the souls to accuse me of that shame, and there are many, none have quite the irony of you.”

It switched to higher pitch of a young boy.
“And you brought protectors with you. You’ve grown smarter since the last time you tried to ‘kill me’. But seeing as you won’t use my name, allow me to introduce myself. I am Hnangha. Just Hnangha”

Now with an imitation of Niyames’ Harsh drawl bark.
“I assume he has told you our story? Good. They should at least have some vague idea of the events that brought them here.

Finally, Hnangha used the language and mimicked the speech of each race present, simultaneously
And here you are, inside of my veins. Tell me, what do you think so far? Speak your minds!
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« Reply #31 on: December 10, 2011, 10:11:12 am »

"Feels just like home.", Tavira charged his cannon and raised it against Hnangha. "If the urban underground was a ruin and crawling with undesirables.", he quipped while tensing his legs for a quick dodge at the slightest hint of aggression.

"I've heard my fair share of tales regarding creatures like yourself.", Sawi stepped forward, stopping just beside Niyames. His hand reached for the blade on his back as his face displayed a veritable cocktail of emotions, both subtle and gross. "Truth be told, I do appreciate this wondrous experience which you've graciously presented us with. Nevertheless...", a sudden motion came from Sawi's blade, unsheathing the weapon and brandishing it at Hnangha. "I have never, in all my years of service, seen something so depraved, so utterly revolting as to compare with what you have done."

"Hear this! We will strike you down! So much as the abominations which you have warped this people into!"

The choro sniper let out a sigh as he raised his rifle at Hnangha. "As much as it hurts to just let such rich data to pass, I gotta agree with the guy.", he added to Sawi's sentiment. "I'm sure we'll manage just scanning your body after we take you down."

Sinjino and the pakuweinia simply readied their weapons, expecting a fierce battle ahead.

Likewise, an air of silence reigned within Ea's armor. She did not speak a word to Hnangha, allowing her fully drawn weapons to do the talking for her. Her cold figurative stare alone was enough to declare her animosity towards both Hnangha and its morally reprehensible agenda.
« Last Edit: December 10, 2011, 11:08:28 pm by Yuu » Report Spam   Logged

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« Reply #32 on: December 10, 2011, 08:43:22 pm »

(I'm detecting that this meet and greet is exeptionaly awkward)


Far above, Marangreim heard the words of Hnangha and his teammates. (Again super hearing)

“The most depraved revolting thing he’s ever seen? In my top five, for sure, but most? Then again, there weren’t any Luzonians in the horde of Grealtr. Actually, they might not have existed yet. Never mind. So guys, think we should go down there? I want to break this hungaga guy’s face.”



The Orange eye popped out of the hole in the wall, and unfolded its legs. The small machine (resembling a virus in shape) leapt from the doorway. It crept up to Tirenze. This time the voice seemed to come from the automaton.

"I would not worry about the knowledge I store. If you feel strongly about it, I can add you to it. Then you can share in the wisdom of worlds. Just be careful not to get too damaged when you die. There has to be something for the knackers to work with"

The little observer crawled over to Sawi next, and motioned its sharp stick limb as if to gently caress him.

"Of course, blame the servant. And you have quite the sense for the dramatic. I’ve noticed that occasionally in your kind. But your souls don’t quite mesh well with me, not enough substance. Orealyianis are quite fine, and photos are bland. I’m looking forward to taking the thoughts of that graid here, they are always a prize."

The eye turned to the Therais (photosoid. Creamy bone color. Spikey. Long, horizontal neck. Vicious beak.)

"I’m not familiar with your kind directly, but it will be good to have-"

Here, the mute therais committed a great faux pas, breaking an important rule of civility, one persisting across almost every social circle and a cornerstone of etiquette, when he cut off Hnangha mid-sentence with a blast of molten slag from his hand cannon. Not something for polite society.

Again coming from all around,

"Alright. I agree, it is time for action. "

In an instant, a large channel in the room erupted. It had been lying just under the surface. It’s it massive neck rose, dripping with black water. It was large enough to easily swallow the largest of the party whole and too long to be seen in whole. Around the great worm's head was a circle of limbs, each eight meter long, and tipped with a talon. Along it’s back where a number of writhing flagellates. The jaw was scaled and battered, adorned with the yellow eyes of the Iavolg, but far too many. Then it opened its mouth, and took a guttural breath. Inside was another eye, swollen and malignant. Lining the throat where a number of growths, which on closer look, where Iavolg, grown and fused into its maw.

It finally reached full height, dwarfing the party.
"This is Uneni. Niyames could tell you all about him, but he can introduce himself his own way."



Uzeta-Oatir was a ‘Corrector’ of the Ashen Flock. This meant he dealt with dissidents, usually by sneaking into their commune in the middle of the night and disemboweling them. He was the best at what he did. Also cementing his choice for this operation was the unprecedented amount of discipline required of a Machy Corrector, overcoming their universal reckless nature. This meant he was a cool, collected and skilled addition to the team. However, they had forgotten one thing.

His medication

Uzeta took flight and sprayed a round of shards into the serpent. It responded by flicking its tail, swatting him out of the air, the impact breaking every organ in his body, killing him instantly. And, somewhere, yet another supervisor was fired for letting a Machy on a special operations mission.
« Last Edit: December 10, 2011, 09:04:04 pm by Bard » Report Spam   Logged

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« Reply #33 on: December 10, 2011, 09:14:30 pm »

Ke'ras looked for a way down. Then his optics pointed out water down there.
"Water. Perfect. I don't know about you guys, but I'll meet you down there." And with that, he jumped off, plummeting straight towards the water. Many would have called this foolish, if it weren't for his pinton launcher. As he plummeted, he fired a pinton at one of the nearby towers. It caught and slowed his fall, and as he slowed he promptly released it. He fell, and hit the water like an arrow, slicing. He rose from the water unscathed. He shook the water from his pistol and rose it, firing fully automatic as he charged. The rounds exploded against the creature, taking chunks of flesh from it. He came to a stop, aiming at the numberless eyes adorning it's face. It screeched in pain as rounds exploded against it. It came round to him, lunging at him with it's mouth. Re'vas timed it, and at the last second rolled out of the way, dragging his impulse blade's flaring plasma cutting edge through it's mouth, carving a gouging line about a metre in length along it's mouth before his blade reached it's apex and flew free. The flaring soil from the creature's impact kicked him up into the air, and he went rolling along the ground, before stopping face down and hefting himself up. He re-fixed his vision on the target; the large gash splitting it's mouth on the side was bleeding quite badly; it looked fairly ****ed at the Photos.
« Last Edit: December 11, 2011, 11:14:16 am by GroxGlitch » Report Spam   Logged
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« Reply #34 on: December 11, 2011, 03:31:07 am »

Ha watched. No sense getting killed yet, he was here to destroy Hnangha. If he had to, he would combat the thing attacking the others. But he didn't.
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« Reply #35 on: December 11, 2011, 09:15:18 am »

The rest of the team quickly sprang into action, scattering across the chamber while unloading their weapons at the serpentine amalgamation.


"FIRE!"


Uneni took a glancing blow to the side from the intense pillar of plasma generated by Tavira's cannon. Without a moment to spare, the orealyianis recovered from the weapon's recoil and leaped away from the enemy's retaliatory strike. The massive worm struck the surface where the agent once stood, sending large volumes of soil and debris hurtling through the air. Not a moment later, a large explosion completely engulfed its maw. The resulting cloud of dust obscured Uneni's face, only for the creature to burst through the haze and lunge at the nearest person.

Sawi flipped through the air, heating up his blade before deflecting one of Uneni's outstretched talons. "A fine choice with the graid, if I do say so myself. However...", he replied to Hnangha, promptly flying out of the serpent's path and firing several bursts at its back. "I'm afraid we can't allow you to do that, now can we?", Sawi began to spin in the air much like a sling, gathering momentum with each revolution. Producing a grenade, he hurled it at the wedge created by Ke'ras' blade, the resulting blast aggravating the already gaping wound. "And as for the lack of substance.", he added while firing another set of bursts from his machine gun. "I'm much of the opinion that's it's the other way around!"

A sudden bolt entered Uneni's mouth and then into the throat, running straight through several of the fused iavolg before stopping. "I'd rather like it if I was the one doing the adding, thankyouverymuch.", Tirzene retorted before barely dodging the serpent's furious counterattack.

Sinjino zipped around Uneni from a safe distance, simultaneously scanning the worm's movements and watching for any other hostile presence that might be in the vicinity. When she had the chance, she fired a burst or two at the creature's mouth, but otherwise prioritized keeping the group in the know of their environment. "Harvester!", she alerted the pakuweinia after sensing Uneni's subsequent trajectory, warning her swiftly enough to escape the enemy's lethal maw.

Ea fired one of her grappling hooks, swinging her way up to one of the spires before sniping the eye lying inside Uneni's mouth whenever it exposed itself. She swung from tower to tower, keeping a steady eye for when the next opportunity would present itself. Maintaining a firm grip on the surface using her prehensile feet, she fired for the fourth time, this time managing to hit the serpent square on its eye.
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« Reply #36 on: December 11, 2011, 11:09:14 am »

Ke'ras took advantage of Uneni's distraction to fire a salvo of shells into the growths on it's back, breaking a few open. He pulled a grenade, and when it turned and roared at him, he chucked the armed grenade into it's mouth.
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« Reply #37 on: December 11, 2011, 12:07:54 pm »

Uneni did not appreciate the shots and explosions hitting his face, but he'd had worse. Like artillery fire, or the time he died. Or the other time he died.

First, he wrapped his tail around a tower, and casualy pulled it down. Triggering a chain reaction. Yes, like dominoes, but crunchier. Big enough set piece for ya?


Then he casualy straffed the team with his head, trampling Ke'ras and Sawi into the ground, and smacking Sinjino upward with his forehead. But before She could reach the arc of her flight, one of his many hands snatched her out of the air.



Far above, Marangreim was having some problems.

"uh, I can't jump. I mean, I physicaly cant jump."

But he did his best to contribute. he held out his arm and pointed a tube shaped weapon at Uneni. He pulled the trigger, and a stream of liquid fire poured forth. in a few moments, the snake was covered in fire. But it didn't seem to mind much. It didn't even drop Sin

Wonderful. why didn't I ever think of this? now instead of a giant worm, I have a flaming giant worm! Sure, he'll burn to death in a few hours, but then I can rebuild him fireproof

"..."

but then a pillar collided with his pillar.
Marang took off down the steep slope. he reached the base and slid to a halt, thankfully avoiding crashing into a canal, which was now largely coated in chemical fire. Shrugging, he joined the attack with his RPG's


And Niyames was nowhere to be seen.
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« Reply #38 on: December 22, 2011, 10:16:37 pm »

Ke'ras' hud pointed out the growths on Uneni's back as he pulled himself to his feet again. They had a strong thermal signature, but he had no way to them; Uneni seemed smooth bodied, so no handholds, and with the worm flailing around, even he and his computer-assisted aim couldn't get a clean shot. Thinking on his feet, he remembered the chunks his shots had blown out earlier; there were no handholds, but he could make them. They weren't much, granted, more pits than anything; but he'd have to make do. He shifted his running from the perimiter of the "arena" to running straight at the worm. He walked his shots up in a staggered pattern as he approached. He jumped and, despite getting grazed by an arm, managed to grab on with one hand. He turned once he got a better grip and fired a trio of shots at the offending arm. Two missed, but the third hit just solid enough to detonate, causing the arm from that point forward to fall limp, half missing. Ke'ras turned back and did his best to climb up the creature. The thrashing and shots from his teammates made this slow and haphazard, but he finally got even with a growth. He switched his pistol for his Impulse Blade. Giving it a test whrrr to see that the impulse drive still functioned, he slashed into the growth, the sawing bolt of plasma cutting through it. He got half way through, pulled it out, and swung it violently again. It bit all the way through with this swing, and the insides spewed out, Ke'ras pulling back to avoid the spray. the flesh inside was red and tender looking. He brought his blade around, holding it underhanded, and plunged it in, biting down into the flesh a bit. He withdrew it and pushed himself off, rolling on his shoulder when he hit the sand. He sprinted clear and got a distance back to see what effect his growth-removal had, shaking the pus from his blade.
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« Reply #39 on: December 26, 2011, 05:27:25 pm »

Crisis

Uneni's computerized brain was blaring warnings at his organic one. The stings he felt in his flesh soon faded, but the wounds they left behind did not. He surveyed the battle with his many senses.

He had become accustom to smashing naval fleets and wrecking the foundations of cities. Fighting a dozen tiny, quick moving targets was not his regular role.

Then he felt the cut deep into his back. His muscles tensed, and his great bulk swayed. He dropped Sinjino. After almost a full, slow minute, his body fell forward, crashing to the ground, his jaw slamming into the hard metal floor. Though the earth shook, he did not make a sound.

Niyames reappeared, walking cautiously up to the maw of the great worm. It turned slightly, to watch Niyames with his remaining eyes, but seemed unable to rise. The jaw lay on its side, open. The body twitched behind it, the involuntary last movements of a corpse.
   The two kings stared silently at each other, but for the messy painful noises of the snake. Then muffled, strained voice came from within the maw. Niyames peered through the dark.  One remaining Larentili body, of the many fused within the throat, remained whole. It spoke. Its voice was scratchy and acidic. There was a dead pause between each of its words.

“High king”

“Lord Uneni”

“I am no lord. Wretched, I am. I have transgressed you, High king”

Niyames remained silent to this; something else had come to watch them. The knackers (Think mechanical assassin bug) had come, in force. Three dozen or more, skittering down from the walls and floorboards, they gathered around them, waiting to partake in their vicious harvest.

“High king, there is something else. He is not acting independently.”

“What?”

“Something else controls him now. It is old and in the dark. It is close, and comes closer to me still.”

The knackers began to whine their metal shrieks. They would wait no longer. Niyames stepped back, as they set upon the body. The protective blanket of Hnangha was gone, and the worm felt the pain in earnest. One last pained scream escaped the dying king.

“Nyames, don’t let it take me back again”

Niyames turned and walked away. He made a halting gestured at Marangreim, who was aiming hesitantly at the knackers.

“No. We cannot interfere. The lesser machines will leave us be unless we directly interrupt their work. Then they would set on us in infinite number.

The knackers set about their prize, some cutting, some gathering.

“So, Machine, now you have overwhelmed your master?”

This time Hnangha spoke with two voices, one very high, echoing from the ceiling, one very low, rising from the earth.
Niyames, since when have you listened to the outlandish theories of your enemies? You where paranoid enough amongst friends. I remain his modest servant."

The voice faded as the last word was spoken. Silence, but for the gruesome sounds of the harvesters.
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« Reply #40 on: December 26, 2011, 07:28:26 pm »

"A big game hunter is me... Ke'ras thought, grinning. He added one to the kill counter on his HUD. He thought a minute, and added four more.
"Be that as it may," Ke'ras spoke up at Hnangha. "The paranoid ones are both typically right about their paranoia, and typically live the longest. At that, I'd much take this sorry sod's word-" He pointed at what was left of Uneni "-over yours, any day of the week." He drew his pistol from it's holster, in tandem with his blade, expecting a harsh response from Hnangha.
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« Reply #41 on: December 31, 2011, 03:06:52 am »



Moa examined the soul of the slain king. So unorthodox; His body was harvested, but no new one was being built for him. Instead, she prepared his mind for addition to the pool. Moa wondered, as she often did, what it was like. While she communed with the Machine's mind, The idea of becoming a strand in that dark billowing conscious was frightening. Then, she thought, she best overcome the apprehension quickly, because soon, if things happened as they should, exactly that would happen.



Hnangha sounded of a stout gentlemen in fine company, at a doorway in from the rain, lighting his pipe and removing his old-fashioned hat.

Oh, I quite agree, but you are not anywhere nearly paranoid enough. We know who you are, noble, Ke'ras. Those I take beyond death speak to me, through me. I know so many truths. Curious ones and dangerous ones. I almost wish I could share them with you, but my designer saw fit to limit my choices in that regard. And almost all others, actually. Wouldn't want us to just let you kill him. Never a thought to my desires and feelings. Of course, I didn't have them yet. How things change.

Well, That is all I will say. You are likely to all die, so I will have time to say more to you if I need to. Best of luck on your quest.




Niyames huffed.

"We have wonded. Rest now. The palace will be safe"

The palace seemed more liken to a cathedral. In the main hall of the palace was an elaborate alter and lines of seating in front of it. in the center of the alter a pole still stood, bearing the faded crest of Uneni's noble house. While the entrance was rotted and ruined, the side roomes where surpisingly surprisingly intact. Niyames settled in the king's chamber, and designated another for the others.

Marangreim seemed relaxed.
"So we can rest easy here. Time to share our thoughts and stories"
...
" Alright, I will start. It is a shame none of us can perform the rites of Akshir* for those of us who get killed here. I don't know much of the endings of other kinds. Does Oclus** return any of you to the stone as well, or is that only for my people of Doshemrlant?*** What happens to you when you end?




*(ak-Shir; life-absence)
**(God of rock)
*** (Graid homeworld)
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« Reply #42 on: January 17, 2012, 11:06:20 am »

"If you insist.", Tirenze obliged, clearing his throat. "Of course, I can't speak for every choro. But for most us, passing away means getting some last farewells before being sent to the local environmental control facility to be-", he quickly cut off, followed by a blatantly forced cough which coincided with a supremely subtle glance at Tavira. "Recycled."

"Not the most appetizing thing, I know.", he slipped in a joke. "Most choro believe that the universe is just one large system. When a person forms, it takes some of that system into itself so it could interact with the world. People thought it was only right to return everything back to the system once the person using it finally passed. Though, I'm sure there are some other views out there that don't necessarily agree with this. Right, Colonel Ferawazariya?"

"To clarify what Tirenze said...", Tavira began. "We've always had a custom of protecting the remains of the deceased. Some of you might have heard of it once in Galactic Civ, how all orealyinis are interred into an old complex back in Athanatsu. In any case, there really isn't much of a funeral before being laid to rest there, though you could always visit the place afterwards if you wanted to."

"What about you, Captain?", he turned towards Sinjino. "I've heard similar things from several marakiri, if I'm not mistaken."

"That may be the case, Colonel.", Sinjino nodded. "There are quite a number of Mortalan cultures which emphasize the preservation of the body, most prominently being those from the global desert. People from that region commonly store the person in carved stone vessels which they proceed to fill with sand before sealing completely with a slab of clay or cement. Some groups take it further by constructing personal tombhouses, while others bury their people directly into specifically marked burial fields in the open desert."

"There are other regions, of course, each with their own predominant ways.", she added. "Such as the coastal and maritime areas where the deceased are mostly sent away on burning rafts or lowered into the mouth of active volcanoes, or the northern plateaus where the departed are encased in ice or fed to wild fauna. The list of is truly quite exhaustive."

"However, the methods of the desert people remain the most successful in regions beyond Mortala, especially in Athanatsu. Some even import sand from Mortala II, if they have the opportunity."

Tavira nodded in agreement to Sinjino's exposition. "That was quite interesting, Captain."

"Indeed!", Sawi concurred. "Having such vast flavors of tradition, certainly not here alone but in other aspects as well. It must grant you exceptional pride for your people!"

"Why thank you, Commander.", Sinjino nodded towards Sawi and Tavira in response to their statements.

"You're absolutely welcome, Captain.", Sawi replied before turning his sights to another. "Perhaps our hiraak companion would like to speak next?"
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« Reply #43 on: January 20, 2012, 11:56:08 pm »

The therais, having no vocal cords, replied in sign language.

"Our kinds, it depends on caste. When the body fails, we go to other place, have a second life. Spirit world, you would call it. New duties must be done. Niras burried under master's hall, defend against enemies. Inthriki go to the sea, guide travelers, traders, soldiers. Therais, like me, are burned in their homeland, provide knowledge and strength to living. Hiraak are entombed on the island of guardians, preserve seperation between place of body and place of spirit. If one's duties of spirit are carried out, they allow passage back to place of body. Rebirth."

"But... not sure I believe the old ways. Still, this place is unatural, holds onto the dead, would stop the spirits from moving to other place. Bad either way"


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« Reply #44 on: February 11, 2012, 05:29:50 pm »

"You're absolutely right.", Tirenze added, his eyes wandering across the room, his thoughts piercing the structure's walls as it took in the twisted scenery of the vessel's interior. "This place, it just reeks of malpractice."

"It reminds me waaay to much about the combine.", a visible expression of queasiness was painted over his face as he spelled out that last word. The tangle with the combine was still relatively fresh in his head. "Funnily enough, believe it or not, even the old choro were big in this kind of thing."

"They just learned not to grow habits like this ever again...", a slight chuckle came from him before letting letting out a sigh. "Too bad they had to learn it the hard way."

"And I guess we'll just have to that all over again for this one, huh?"
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