Sampson couldn't have been killed so easily...could he? Dammit, I'm going to be refreshing this thread a lot over the coming days.
Also, this was ridiculously badass:
"Sampson tried to jam the knife into my neck, but I turned my head and caught the knife in my mouth; it cut the backs of my lips, making my mouth bleed heavily. I bit down on the knife as if I hadn't felt a thing and pulled it from Sampson's grasp."
Sampson couldn't have been killed so easily...could he? Dammit, I'm going to be refreshing this thread a lot over the coming days.
Also, this was ridiculously badass:
"Sampson tried to jam the knife into my neck, but I turned my head and caught the knife in my mouth; it cut the backs of my lips, making my mouth bleed heavily. I bit down on the knife as if I hadn't felt a thing and pulled it from Sampson's grasp."
Dear god, I hope he's dead. Otherwise, Otta'll have died for nothing....
Sticks and logs were arranged on the beach into a great pile. On top was the body of Otta; we had already thrown Sampson's into the cave for the spiders to feast on. Malla held a stick in one hand, the end on fire. He walked up to the pyre. Penna was on the verge of crying again, but Tary comforted her. I was glad Sampson was finally dead, but I'd wished it hadn't been at the cost of Otta's life.
Malla lunged the fire into the pyre and the entire pile exploded with light. It burned steadily. There was no smoke, and a lot of fire. Penna had stopped crying now. I'd hoped that she was thinking about dead Sampson. That would be enough to get a smile on anyone's face.
"What now?" Tary asked.
"We carry on as normal." Malla decided.
"Well first..." Tary walked inside; she walked well, better than Malla did at the moment. She came out of the base with a knife. It was the diamond knife that had been used to open both of their throats. She held it out to me. "If we were to have a symbol of our leader," she started, "it would be this. Take it, sir." Malla looked at her. He snatched the knife out of her hands and looked down at it, surveying the dried blood and the glistening mastery of the blade.
"Thank you." He said. Tary smiled and walked back away. "Has Otta been avenged?" He asked us all.
"Not until we get back home." I said.
"That may be some time, are you happy to wait?"
"No, sir; not some time." Penna told us. "The Lunar Vessel is to make planet fall at twelve O'clock tomorrow, or so Sampson told me before he died."
"Damn that man, he never told us anything." Malla spat. "Alright, three of us will head down into the gun, ready to disable it when the time comes. Penna, you'll be by the transmitter, telling us when we need to deactivate it. We all know what we're doing?" Everyone nodded or told him so. "Good." He frowned again, and turned to the pyre. "We'll avenge you, Otta. Right, Zenn and Penna are with me. Tary, you'll stay by the transmitter and tell us when we need to turn it off. Got it?"
"Yes, sir." Tary smiled again. This made Malla smile.
"Good. Right, Zenn, Penna, let's go." We ran into the gun, and down its winding passages.
We had slept by in the gun, I realised as I woke up to a familiar voice in my ear. It was Tary asking if we were awake, and Malla to my right was convincing her we hadn't slept. The architecture in the building was phenomenal; far greater than anything humans could achieve. A part of me didn't want to leave it, but the other knew I had to, if I had any hope of living the rest of my years in peace.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Penna asked Malla.
"Have either of you been bitten by anything? Any of you feeling itchy?" Malla smiled.
"Damn tired." I commented. "Let's get this bloody show on the road." Malla nodded in what I took as agreement. We were in a bright and stunning room. A green glowing turret was positioned in the very middle, and next to it a button ready to be pressed.
"Tary," Malla continued. "How long until Lunar Vessel arrives?" He looked quietly at the button, awaiting a response. Had we overslept? Or had we woken too early? There was only one way to find out.
"About fifteen minutes, sir." Tary answered. Malla turned back and looked at me and Penna, smiling. "It's a good thing that you guys woke up when you did, the ship could already be sunken."
"Alright, it's time. I'll hit that button, Lunar will land and we'll all be out of here." Malla smiled again. He lifted his hand and set his palm to the machine, a grating moan sounding from the terminal as the button crept into the pillar. Suddenly two sticks popped from them metal and trapped his wrists in a field of green. He groaned, and I lunged forward to protect him from harm. "I'm fine," he insisted. A worm slithered from the machine, its head round, the size of a dinner plate, a spike jutting from its front. It examined Malla's face, who looked at it with a worried face. It plunged the point into his arm and he grunted.
"Sir!" I cried.
"Let this be!" He once again insisted, and the worm pulled from his skin and flesh. A jumble of noises sounded from the surroundings, and our PDA's translated the strange language into our ears. It took us rather by surprise.
"Infected individuals?" Penna was shocked.
"There has to be some kind of mistake; Zenn, you have a go." Malla pushed me to the panel. I set my hand against the cold stone, and it fell in once again. The field that formed around my wrist was not felt, but it was a strange feeling not to move your arm. The snake stung as it broke the flesh, and when it pulled out it left no trace.
The PDA said the same thing.
"Malla, where did you get those wounds?" He seemed to remember something in that moment. His eyes grew wide, and his mouth gaped open. He set his finger to his ear.
"Tary, tell Lunar to turn around." Malla instructed. Then I knew where he got those marks. We heard the gun move around us, and the whirring of it powering up. The green pillar glowed brightly now. "Tary, now, tell them to turn aroun--" a great static shot into our ears. I pulled the earpiece from my ear, as did Malla and Penna. I ran out of the room, up the gun, to Tary. A grand boom was blown through the corridors, deafening in sound. It was metallic and tinny, and behind the sound I heard a more distant explosion.
It was my fault; my mind was fixed on the damn permanent scars I'd carry from the attack I forgot all about the disease. I had been such a fool, such an idiot to think it was this easy. We tried, and we failed. Would we try again, only to fail a second time? I ran with Penna to survey the damage caused; Zenn had left several minutes earlier. We left the building only to hear Zenn's screams. The first thing we saw was the smoke.
From what I could gather, Lunar had been destroyed and its carcass smashed nose first into the mountain,the remnants sliding nicely into the water. Only what we saw wasn't nice; it was horrifying. Survivors (of which there were many) clambered onto the beach from the water, coughing and spluttering. I looked around in my panic. Then I realised why Zenn was screaming.
Our base had been reduced to a pile of smouldering rubble.
"Tary!" He yelled, kneeling in the sand. I looked at him, then Penna.
"Penna, we have to help the survivors." I told her. She nodded loyally and ran with me to help them.
"You bastard!" I heard Zenn yell far behind; I knew he was talking to me. "You killed her! I knew it would be you!" I felt guilty, I knew I was responsible, but I didn't need Zenn rubbing salt into the wound. I needed to help these people.
I dragged someone who was half submerged into the water onto the shore. I slapped him in the face to wake him up. "You, what's you name?" I asked.
"Leonard Braleck." He replied.
"Where is Sasha Corren? Do you know her?" I slapped him again.
"She was still on the bridge when Lunar hit the mountain." He replied.
I cursed. "Leonard, help people to their feet; get them to the beach just on the other side of that gun, it's safer from spiders there." He looked back at the Aurora. I knew the feeling. I reflected, and turned from him, running through the shallow waters. I remembered where they would fall away beneath me, and before I reached that point I dived right in.
I was here; the planet shrouded in myth, observing one of the most legendary ships in all of history. It was decrepit now; the steel had turned to a charred black on most of the body, and foliage stretched like a moss over a newly lain layer of soil across its back. Birds flew at its heights, and monsters lurked at its base, that much I knew. Malla had saved his sister earlier today; a great gamble for even him to take, and I respected his dedication.
He sat on the beach, next to Sasha, talking to her, laughing sometimes, but remaining serious throughout most of their conversation. Then he turned to me and walked across the wet sand over to me.
"Wonderful, isn't it?" He squinted, looking at the Aurora. I nodded like a child. "You know what shot it down?" I nodded again, in the same manner. "That gun has shot down a total of five ships in the past fifty years." The pleasantries were but a charade, I saw now. "When you saw the signs, and heard the sirens blaring at you to turn back, why did you keep on going?" After five seconds I realised he'd asked me a question.
"Dedication to the mission." I answered.
"Who gave you that mission?"
"Ourselves; the first order was to kill you all, for reasons you surely can piece together, but I and three others, including your sister, decided not to and to come and save you, and on our travels we picked up-"
"How many did you pick up?" He interjected. I blinked, and gazed at him again.
"At our peak there were seven hundred and six people on board Lunar." I answered. He nodded.
"What was your mission again?" He asked. "Remind me."
"To save you, and everyone you were on the planet with." I answered with honesty.
"Well, three of us are already dead, one thanks to your little shenanigans, but that isn't the point." I felt a wave of guilt rush over me. "The point is..." He paused for a moment and looked down in thought, picking at his nails. He wore black all over, and this terrified me more than most things about him. "How many people survived the Lunar crash?" He finally inquired.
"Well, I haven't had the time to order a proper roll call yet--"
"I have." He interjected once again. All of his interjections were validated by his wit, however, and his way with words. "You say there were seven hundred and four on that ship before it crashed?"
"Yes, sir." I answered.
"Seventy two." He said. I was dumbfounded. "Seventy two survivors. You put the lives of six over seven hundred?" I knew my mistakes now.
"I would do anything in my power to get you back home safely--"
"Right, and how did that turn out for you?" I was silenced. "The needs of the many, Leonard." He finally ended the conversation, picking himself from his knees and walking back over to his sister.
Leonard Braleck
"Right, and how did that turn out for you?" I was silenced. "The needs of the many, Leonard." He finally ended the conversation, picking himself from his knees and walking back over to his sister.
Yes my philosophy has been subconsciously implanted from the elections, Soon phase 2 will begin.
Hundreds had died in an attempt to save six; two of whom had already perished, and one died in the attempt. I had spoken to Lunar's captain about the situation he had gotten himself in, and he tried to make excuses and bypass penalties. I liked him, however, despite his blatant flaws. He had an aura about him that promised determination and courage, and I would be keeping a close eye on him, evaluating his cunning and effectiveness on the planet. If he could keep his seventy two survivors alive and accounted for for more than a day or two I would be very proud.
Zenn blamed me for Tary's death; he had to blame someone, and he very well couldn't blame our new arrivals. I prayed it was just a phase he was going through, and eventually he would realise that it wasn't my fault (at least not entirely). But I came to the conclusion that, in his blinding rage, Zenn wasn't at all trustworthy, or fit for command. I couldn't keep control of seventy five all on my own, so I would appoint those I trusted to help me. Leonard was among them, as was my sister, and a man I had been introduced to called Seth. I didn't know much about him, but he seemed worthy of my trust.
Five days of labour passed. In some aspects our new number was difficult to manage, but our tasks were completed ever so easily now. We created eight seamoths in these five days; one for each me, my sister and my two right hands, and then four for some commanders Seth had appointed earlier. Finally, with Zenn's instructions, the people created a grand submarine; the Cyclops. It was enormous, and housed a great deal of survivors. I handed over possession of my seamoth to Zenn, and role of right hand, and took control of the monster.
"Malla." Leonard walked towards me, Zenn behind, the gap between them enough to squeeze a Crabsnake into. "What do we do now? We've contacted the Federation and they say they won't help, we can't build a rocket to fly out of here since none of us can disable the gun." I remained silent, gazing out of the submarines window. Scientists and surveyors tapped away at holographic keyboards behind me, the room lively with their finger's noise.
"What do we do, Malla?" Zenn pushed. I looked around. Some tailors amongst us had made me a new uniform. It was a dark grey uniform, with night black buttons running up the middle, placed on a thin strip of grey running along the edges of the fabric. The lighter shade parted at the neck, forming a great collar that wrapped around the back of my head, reaching to the highest points of my neck. The ends of the sleeves were grey, and on the left side of my chests were three thin, horizontal yellow stripes, one atop the other. This was the symbol of a Federation Captain. I was honoured.
"Leonard, I want you to tell both of Seth's commanders to stay put on the island, and keep thirty people here as well. The other forty-odd will accompany us on our next mission." I informed them.
"What is the next mission?" Leonard inquired.
"If we want to break atmosphere any time soon, we'll need a ship. Lunar was completely destroyed and sunken, Eclipse's tech was fried, the Degasi is in ruins and the Rich Clan used illegal tech, and I don't want to suffer the same consequences as they..." I looked at Zenn; he understood, I could read his eyes as if they were words on a page.
"We're going into the Aurora." Zenn told Leonard. Zenn smiled, and Leonard beamed.
"Only to scavenge, before you get too excited. We'll be back in four days or so, just make sure Seth's generals don't kill everyone whilst we're gone."
The rocks along the beach were cool at sunset; cool enough to sit on without the heat burning through your clothes and shooting you back to your feet. I sat beside Sasha, who looked out to the Aurora. I sighed.
"Isn't it beautiful?" She said. "I wonder what it looks like inside; a ship lost to time."
"I do as well." I told her. "And I'll tell you about it when I get home." She looked shocked. She glared at me.
"I'll see for myself." She snapped.
"No. No, you won't. This is no place for you; you need to stay here and look after everyone who is staying. There are some thermal vents down beneath the islands, if you could create some thermal plants and route the energy to our bases here it would--"
"Why can't I come?" She asked. "Why can't Seth's men just take care of things here?"
"I don't want you getting hurt; especially if you're pregnant. Damn, you shouldn't have come in the first place, Sasha. Why did you? That doesn't matter right now; just know that I will not be responsible for your two lives, and you aren't coming." I walked away from her now, not wanting to start a grand argument on the shore for everyone to see and hear. Then she stood up, and I was afraid as to what she would say next.
"At least say goodbye!" Sasha yelled. I stopped and turned around. We walked towards each other and wrapped our arms around one another.
"It won't be four days, I found out." I informed. "Closer to a month. Are you okay with that?"
"Yes." She whispered. "And when you get back you can see the baby for yourself, as a welcome home present." We let go of each other.
"I'll see you later." I walked to the Cyclops. Its spine stuck from the water, a hatch in its top. I clambered onto it and opened the circular door, sliding into the vehicle afterwards. I made my way to the bridge faster than a falcon and assumed control of the submarine.
"It won't be four days, I found out." I informed. "Closer to a month. Are you okay with that?"
A month?!
How slow are these Cyclops?!
How big's that Aurora? How much of it will they have to search?
Take that month estimate as you will, though, but remember that in the canon of the game everything is a lot bigger than it seems, including the environment and the world, so traversing it would consequently take longer.
When approaching this planet I thought it a barren one, and when we 'landed' I had kept that opinion tight to my chest. Then I saw the sights below the waves; the creatures, the scenery, the monsters, a lot that this planet had to offer, and now I was sure that it had much more in store for us.
I travelled with Malla on the Kraken; a Cyclops that Malla sparingly referred to as the Mothership. It housed him, me, Leonard and Zenn. I knew Leonard quite well; he still did not believe I was the one to commit my crimes even after the evidence piled up in front of him like an avalanche. He saved his credits for years and years to free me from my captivity, and he allowed me a high rank in the Federation. Now I knew that it would be because of him that I would be booted from my place. We had stolen a ship against the Captain's order, and none dare go against the Captain's order.
The Kraken sailed slowly. Surrounding it was a shell of Seamoths, piloted by many of our finest fighters and Federation flyers. Its engines whirred behind us, sitting comfortable in the bridge. Malla stood at the wheel, soaring close to the sea floor.
Out of the corner of my eye I caught Penna glaring at me. When she saw my eyes pivot towards her she turned her head back to her panel and continued typing.
"You got a problem?" I asked her; I was genuinely curious. Why would she look at me so sourly without a cause for it. She didn't reply.
"She probably didn't even realise she was staring." Leonard told me. I turned around and scoffed.
"She knew what she was doing. She looked me dead in the eyes, right over the shoulder." I informed. He waved a hand at me and left the conversation as it was.
Then from outside we heard a low and distant rumble that shook the hull of the Kraken and everyone inside. From the murk, behind shoals and clouds of fish we saw something; two things, three things. One monstrous creature slowly drifted overhead, accompanied by three smaller calf.
"Those are Reefbacks." Malla told us.
"I know what they are." I said. "The survivor talked about them quite a bit; a whale and a turtle, carrying an ecosystem on its back."
Zenn rushed into the room. "Reaper?" He asked. I smiled.
"No." I motioned for him to approach. "Reefbacks." I told him.
"How long do you think they can live?" He inquired. "Hundreds, thousands of years? Do you think the fish are different on each one, even only slightly? Do you think they evolved differently on their backs?" I grinned once again. He was in awe of these oceans, and I wish I could have been too. All I wanted to do was leave, but I wish I could have just sat back and been entranced by the creatures and scenery. He smiled along with me. Then I remembered something.
"Zenn, I need to ask you some things." I put my hand on his shoulder and twisted him away from the Captain. "Do you like Malla? Are you happy he's our captain?" His smile was wiped from his face in an instant. He looked me dead in the eye and, clear as day, I could see his answer. He turned his head to look at him, to see if he had heard me; Malla, Penna, Leonard, all of them were still watching the Reefbacks swim. He then turned back to me and quickly shook his head. I smiled, but it wasn't the same glad smile I usually put on. It showed on my mouth, but not in the eyes. I put my hand on his back and lead him into the engine room. "Come on." I said. "We need to talk."
Seth Illan
"Zenn, I need to ask you some things." I put my hand on his shoulder and twisted him away from the Captain. "Do you like Malla? Are you happy he's our captain?" His smile was wiped from his face in an instant. He looked me dead in the eye and, clear as day, I could see his answer. He turned his head to look at him, to see if he had heard me; Malla, Penna, Leonard, all of them were still watching the Reefbacks swim. He then turned back to me and quickly shook his head. I smiled, but it wasn't the same glad smile I usually put on. It showed on my mouth, but not in the eyes. I put my hand on his back and lead him into the engine room. "Come on." I said. "We need to talk."
Ohhhhh crap. Resentment in the ranks never ends well. Hopefully, Seth and Zenn come to their senses, seeing as I quite like Malla...
Also, did I miss something regarding Sasha? When and how did she get pregnant?
Also, did I miss something regarding Sasha? When and how did she get pregnant?
Patience, my friend
Also, all we've really seen of her is her at a dinner table talking about rebelling, and then her talking to Malla from a distance. It would never have really been brought up in these circumstances, but hey, now it's been brought up
Sorry, tiny edit as well: just thought that I'd tell you we won't be exploring it in depth until way, WAY into the future.
"It won't be four days, I found out." I informed. "Closer to a month. Are you okay with that?"
A month?!
How slow are these Cyclops?!
How big's that Aurora? How much of it will they have to search?
Take that month estimate as you will, though, but remember that in the canon of the game everything is a lot bigger than it seems, including the environment and the world, so traversing it would consequently take longer.
Ah, thank you for clearing that up.
Sorry if that came off as questioning your authority, please continue.
"It won't be four days, I found out." I informed. "Closer to a month. Are you okay with that?"
A month?!
How slow are these Cyclops?!
How big's that Aurora? How much of it will they have to search?
Take that month estimate as you will, though, but remember that in the canon of the game everything is a lot bigger than it seems, including the environment and the world, so traversing it would consequently take longer.
Ah, thank you for clearing that up.
Sorry if that came off as questioning your authority, please continue.
When Seth appointed me as one of his right hand men I had never felt more honoured, nor had I felt more powerful. Now that I was here, however, in control of an entire island of workers, with my best friend ruling beside me. I felt no satisfaction here. We had lost hundreds in the crash, and I was all that was left. Perhaps I was picked due to being one of the only men left standing after the catastrophe.
This couldn't be it, though.
I and Seth were close friends, brothers almost. When he made landed the ship on Obraxis Prime to pick me and Sellan up I was taken by surprise. He had stopped off at many planets, he said, and picked up more than five hundred. This made me feel even more insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
And now he, our leader and our captain had left us in search of a way off of this planet; out of my leadership. I was fine with being just another normal person, but I couldn't stomach how little time I had spent in charge.
I walked briskly up to Sellan. People told me I waddled like a penguin when I walked, but I couldn't care less. "What do you think they'll find out there?" I asked him. He looked at me sternly. He was older than me; much older. His hair was grey, his chin covered in tiny silver whiskers.
"Death, most likely." I laughed when he said this, but he seemed serious. I looked at him questioningly. "The Survivor didn't say everything was safe here, in fact he implied the opposite. Dragons and snakes and god knows what else. I think they'll die out there. Not to mention our own sanity, and the disease that we could pick up."
"You're right." I gave in. "But if they find what they're looking for and get out quick everything should be just fine." I grinned but again he didn't seem in a joking mood. I looked down and wiped the smirk off of my face. Then we looked down onto the beach. There was shouting erupting from the crowds, and a ring was forming around two people below. The shouting turned to an uproar, and then a chorus as the two inside the circle began punching each other, spilling blood onto the sands.
I raced down the hills and dunes, pushing past the cheering crowds. I reached the middle of the rings and put myself between the two. "What's going on here?" Sellan yelled. They stopped their fighting. They both grinned and failed to respond. "Listen," Sellan carried on. "You either stop your fighting or we make you stop." There was a moment of silence, and then some of the crowd began to giggle, including the two fighters. I looked back to Sellan and he looked to me, embarrassed.
"Alright." One of them said, mockingly raising their hands in surrender.
"You better listen to your leaders." I snapped. Then behind them the crowd parted. Into the ring walked Sasha. The man looked at her and lowered his hands, the grin on his face retreating in an instant. People began leaving the area, including the two involved.
"Looks like you two are doing a god job." She smiled. I wanted to punch her.
"Everyone here needs to learn respect! Including you, Sasha; you have to start respecting us!" More laughing from the crowd, and Sasha grinned. Then she walked away, like everyone else. No one would get anywhere if they didn't learn how leadership worked. We would get no where.
"Look." Sellan put his hand on my shoulder. "Seth spoke to me about something before he left. You can't tell a soul..."
When Seth appointed me as one of his right hand men I had never felt more honoured, nor had I felt more powerful. Now that I was here, however, in control of an entire island of workers, with my best friend ruling beside me. I felt no satisfaction here. We had lost hundreds in the crash, and I was all that was left. Perhaps I was picked due to being one of the only men left standing after the catastrophe.
This couldn't be it, though.
I and Seth were close friends, brothers almost. When he made landed the ship on Obraxis Prime to pick me and Sellan up I was taken by surprise. He had stopped off at many planets, he said, and picked up more than five hundred. This made me feel even more insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
And now he, our leader and our captain had left us in search of a way off of this planet; out of my leadership. I was fine with being just another normal person, but I couldn't stomach how little time I had spent in charge.
I walked briskly up to Sellan. People told me I waddled like a penguin when I walked, but I couldn't care less. "What do you think they'll find out there?" I asked him. He looked at me sternly. He was older than me; much older. His hair was grey, his chin covered in tiny silver whiskers.
"Death, most likely." I laughed when he said this, but he seemed serious. I looked at him questioningly. "The Survivor didn't say everything was safe here, in fact he implied the opposite. Dragons and snakes and god knows what else. I think they'll die out there. Not to mention our own sanity, and the disease that we could pick up."
"You're right." I gave in. "But if they find what they're looking for and get out quick everything should be just fine." I grinned but again he didn't seem in a joking mood. I looked down and wiped the smirk off of my face. Then we looked down onto the beach. There was shouting erupting from the crowds, and a ring was forming around two people below. The shouting turned to an uproar, and then a chorus as the two inside the circle began punching each other, spilling blood onto the sands.
I raced down the hills and dunes, pushing past the cheering crowds. I reached the middle of the rings and put myself between the two. "What's going on here?" Sellan yelled. They stopped their fighting. They both grinned and failed to respond. "Listen," Sellan carried on. "You either stop your fighting or we make you stop." There was a moment of silence, and then some of the crowd began to giggle, including the two fighters. I looked back to Sellan and he looked to me, embarrassed.
"Alright." One of them said, mockingly raising their hands in surrender.
"You better listen to your leaders." I snapped. Then behind them the crowd parted. Into the ring walked Sasha. The man looked at her and lowered his hands, the grin on his face retreating in an instant. People began leaving the area, including the two involved.
"Looks like you two are doing a god job." She smiled. I wanted to punch her.
"Everyone here needs to learn respect! Including you, Sasha; you have to start respecting us!" More laughing from the crowd, and Sasha grinned. Then she walked away, like everyone else. No one would get anywhere if they didn't learn how leadership worked. We would get no where.
"Look." Sellan put his hand on my shoulder. "Seth spoke to me about something before he left. You can't tell a soul..."
*sigh*
Why must everyone make poor decisions about leadership???
@the_mariner Lack of experience, self-interest, greed and corruption, to name a few reasons.
Fair enough. Sampson was insane, Malla is a great guy but inexperienced, Zenn is angry at Malla for Tary's death (which was ABSOLUTELY not Malla's fault), Seth is clearly resentful of Malla's position, and Ollos and Sellan are just whiny sacks of shit playing captain.
I was one of the many sceptical of Ollos and Sellan's new positions. I was a close friend of Sellan's; he was a dear friend of mine, he had no hateful intent. He only had the will to follow his captain's orders, and in this case they were to work alongside the deranged leader Ollos. He was a brother to Seth, and I could see why they got along; twenty four years of combined prison time and you've got best friends, even brothers. It was no surprise to me when Seth named them his right hands, and no surprise again that he didn't mention to Malla Ollos' incarcerations over the years.
Then a miracle beset me, and I was appointed by Sellan as the Guardmaster of the Islanders. I thanked him for this. The Island Guard were my people now. We were given propulsion cannons with which to protect our people, and free reign to wander about even restricted areas of the land. There were of course still restrictions, but I was a high ranking officer, therefore they were few and far between.
It had been two days since the Kraken set off on its maiden voyage, and already we were beginning to feel leaderless, and lost. Ollos was not showing a single shred of backbone, nor any qualities of a great leader.
Quite suddenly a crowd began to gather around what we called the Alpha Base; the base that the Eclipse Survivors created, finally rebuilt after the Lunar crash. On top of this base stood Ollos. He was screaming and shouting, his arms stretched dramatically forwards, waving them about as if he were delivering a grand speech. "My people!" He screeched. "It has come to my attention that you are all not taking my role as commander very seriously, and I have found the source of the problem! A shared role as leader will only end in tragedy, henceforth Sellan will be but an adviser to me, and no more!" Sellan barged through the crowd, past me.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Sellan bellowed over the murmuring of the group. "Malla's orders were for us to share a role as leader! Would you go against him?!"
"For the sake of my people, yes! You are demoted, Sellan!"
"They aren't your people! You think they are, but they're Malla's, and you must see that now!"
Ollos turned his gaze to me. I stood behind the crowd, as did many of the Island Guard. "You there!" Ollos boomed. "Take Sellan away and teach him what it means to go against his leader's order!" I looked at Sellan. He turned to me and slowly shook his head, wide eyed and with pain. I sighed.
"What if Sellan had shouted that he was leader before you? Would I have to drag you away?!" I inquired. "You can't just appoint yourself leader, it's not how it works!"
"People were not taking my leadership seriously and something had to be done about it!" He replied. "Now take him away! Make him learn!" He smiled like a three year old watching his toys burn. I sighed once more, and gave a solemn nod. A blast of blue light flew past my ear and as it his Sellan it froze him in place, bolts of electricity shooting from his blue glowing body every few seconds.
"Take him." I ordered. The Island Guard rushed forward and grabbed him by the arms and legs, dragging his now limp and lifeless body across the sand and stone.
"Ollos! You will regret this!" Sellan promised. He was dragged past me, and he looked at me. "You did the right thing." I saw him say with his lips as he was taken across the beach, towards the caves.
Comments
Also, this was ridiculously badass:
Dear god, I hope he's dead. Otherwise, Otta'll have died for nothing....
Sticks and logs were arranged on the beach into a great pile. On top was the body of Otta; we had already thrown Sampson's into the cave for the spiders to feast on. Malla held a stick in one hand, the end on fire. He walked up to the pyre. Penna was on the verge of crying again, but Tary comforted her. I was glad Sampson was finally dead, but I'd wished it hadn't been at the cost of Otta's life.
Malla lunged the fire into the pyre and the entire pile exploded with light. It burned steadily. There was no smoke, and a lot of fire. Penna had stopped crying now. I'd hoped that she was thinking about dead Sampson. That would be enough to get a smile on anyone's face.
"What now?" Tary asked.
"We carry on as normal." Malla decided.
"Well first..." Tary walked inside; she walked well, better than Malla did at the moment. She came out of the base with a knife. It was the diamond knife that had been used to open both of their throats. She held it out to me. "If we were to have a symbol of our leader," she started, "it would be this. Take it, sir." Malla looked at her. He snatched the knife out of her hands and looked down at it, surveying the dried blood and the glistening mastery of the blade.
"Thank you." He said. Tary smiled and walked back away. "Has Otta been avenged?" He asked us all.
"Not until we get back home." I said.
"That may be some time, are you happy to wait?"
"No, sir; not some time." Penna told us. "The Lunar Vessel is to make planet fall at twelve O'clock tomorrow, or so Sampson told me before he died."
"Damn that man, he never told us anything." Malla spat. "Alright, three of us will head down into the gun, ready to disable it when the time comes. Penna, you'll be by the transmitter, telling us when we need to deactivate it. We all know what we're doing?" Everyone nodded or told him so. "Good." He frowned again, and turned to the pyre. "We'll avenge you, Otta. Right, Zenn and Penna are with me. Tary, you'll stay by the transmitter and tell us when we need to turn it off. Got it?"
"Yes, sir." Tary smiled again. This made Malla smile.
"Good. Right, Zenn, Penna, let's go." We ran into the gun, and down its winding passages.
You are most kind, Sir. I thank you for the comparison.
Your work is excellent, and I applaud your dedication to the objective thus far.
Bear in mind, everyone else has fallen by the wayside at a ridiculously early stage. Your story is engaging and extremely well-written.
I'm definitely going to have to step up my game. Got me some serious competition now.
Keep it up!
Woah, thanks
We had slept by in the gun, I realised as I woke up to a familiar voice in my ear. It was Tary asking if we were awake, and Malla to my right was convincing her we hadn't slept. The architecture in the building was phenomenal; far greater than anything humans could achieve. A part of me didn't want to leave it, but the other knew I had to, if I had any hope of living the rest of my years in peace.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Penna asked Malla.
"Have either of you been bitten by anything? Any of you feeling itchy?" Malla smiled.
"Damn tired." I commented. "Let's get this bloody show on the road." Malla nodded in what I took as agreement. We were in a bright and stunning room. A green glowing turret was positioned in the very middle, and next to it a button ready to be pressed.
"Tary," Malla continued. "How long until Lunar Vessel arrives?" He looked quietly at the button, awaiting a response. Had we overslept? Or had we woken too early? There was only one way to find out.
"About fifteen minutes, sir." Tary answered. Malla turned back and looked at me and Penna, smiling. "It's a good thing that you guys woke up when you did, the ship could already be sunken."
"Alright, it's time. I'll hit that button, Lunar will land and we'll all be out of here." Malla smiled again. He lifted his hand and set his palm to the machine, a grating moan sounding from the terminal as the button crept into the pillar. Suddenly two sticks popped from them metal and trapped his wrists in a field of green. He groaned, and I lunged forward to protect him from harm. "I'm fine," he insisted. A worm slithered from the machine, its head round, the size of a dinner plate, a spike jutting from its front. It examined Malla's face, who looked at it with a worried face. It plunged the point into his arm and he grunted.
"Sir!" I cried.
"Let this be!" He once again insisted, and the worm pulled from his skin and flesh. A jumble of noises sounded from the surroundings, and our PDA's translated the strange language into our ears. It took us rather by surprise.
"Infected individuals?" Penna was shocked.
"There has to be some kind of mistake; Zenn, you have a go." Malla pushed me to the panel. I set my hand against the cold stone, and it fell in once again. The field that formed around my wrist was not felt, but it was a strange feeling not to move your arm. The snake stung as it broke the flesh, and when it pulled out it left no trace.
The PDA said the same thing.
"Malla, where did you get those wounds?" He seemed to remember something in that moment. His eyes grew wide, and his mouth gaped open. He set his finger to his ear.
"Tary, tell Lunar to turn around." Malla instructed. Then I knew where he got those marks. We heard the gun move around us, and the whirring of it powering up. The green pillar glowed brightly now. "Tary, now, tell them to turn aroun--" a great static shot into our ears. I pulled the earpiece from my ear, as did Malla and Penna. I ran out of the room, up the gun, to Tary. A grand boom was blown through the corridors, deafening in sound. It was metallic and tinny, and behind the sound I heard a more distant explosion.
Then the crashing of metal on stone, and fire.
I always wondered why Sunbeam never noticed the colossal superweapon taking aim at it. Too bad it happened again.
It was my fault; my mind was fixed on the damn permanent scars I'd carry from the attack I forgot all about the disease. I had been such a fool, such an idiot to think it was this easy. We tried, and we failed. Would we try again, only to fail a second time? I ran with Penna to survey the damage caused; Zenn had left several minutes earlier. We left the building only to hear Zenn's screams. The first thing we saw was the smoke.
From what I could gather, Lunar had been destroyed and its carcass smashed nose first into the mountain,the remnants sliding nicely into the water. Only what we saw wasn't nice; it was horrifying. Survivors (of which there were many) clambered onto the beach from the water, coughing and spluttering. I looked around in my panic. Then I realised why Zenn was screaming.
Our base had been reduced to a pile of smouldering rubble.
"Tary!" He yelled, kneeling in the sand. I looked at him, then Penna.
"Penna, we have to help the survivors." I told her. She nodded loyally and ran with me to help them.
"You bastard!" I heard Zenn yell far behind; I knew he was talking to me. "You killed her! I knew it would be you!" I felt guilty, I knew I was responsible, but I didn't need Zenn rubbing salt into the wound. I needed to help these people.
I dragged someone who was half submerged into the water onto the shore. I slapped him in the face to wake him up. "You, what's you name?" I asked.
"Leonard Braleck." He replied.
"Where is Sasha Corren? Do you know her?" I slapped him again.
"She was still on the bridge when Lunar hit the mountain." He replied.
I cursed. "Leonard, help people to their feet; get them to the beach just on the other side of that gun, it's safer from spiders there." He looked back at the Aurora. I knew the feeling. I reflected, and turned from him, running through the shallow waters. I remembered where they would fall away beneath me, and before I reached that point I dived right in.
I was here; the planet shrouded in myth, observing one of the most legendary ships in all of history. It was decrepit now; the steel had turned to a charred black on most of the body, and foliage stretched like a moss over a newly lain layer of soil across its back. Birds flew at its heights, and monsters lurked at its base, that much I knew. Malla had saved his sister earlier today; a great gamble for even him to take, and I respected his dedication.
He sat on the beach, next to Sasha, talking to her, laughing sometimes, but remaining serious throughout most of their conversation. Then he turned to me and walked across the wet sand over to me.
"Wonderful, isn't it?" He squinted, looking at the Aurora. I nodded like a child. "You know what shot it down?" I nodded again, in the same manner. "That gun has shot down a total of five ships in the past fifty years." The pleasantries were but a charade, I saw now. "When you saw the signs, and heard the sirens blaring at you to turn back, why did you keep on going?" After five seconds I realised he'd asked me a question.
"Dedication to the mission." I answered.
"Who gave you that mission?"
"Ourselves; the first order was to kill you all, for reasons you surely can piece together, but I and three others, including your sister, decided not to and to come and save you, and on our travels we picked up-"
"How many did you pick up?" He interjected. I blinked, and gazed at him again.
"At our peak there were seven hundred and six people on board Lunar." I answered. He nodded.
"What was your mission again?" He asked. "Remind me."
"To save you, and everyone you were on the planet with." I answered with honesty.
"Well, three of us are already dead, one thanks to your little shenanigans, but that isn't the point." I felt a wave of guilt rush over me. "The point is..." He paused for a moment and looked down in thought, picking at his nails. He wore black all over, and this terrified me more than most things about him. "How many people survived the Lunar crash?" He finally inquired.
"Well, I haven't had the time to order a proper roll call yet--"
"I have." He interjected once again. All of his interjections were validated by his wit, however, and his way with words. "You say there were seven hundred and four on that ship before it crashed?"
"Yes, sir." I answered.
"Seventy two." He said. I was dumbfounded. "Seventy two survivors. You put the lives of six over seven hundred?" I knew my mistakes now.
"I would do anything in my power to get you back home safely--"
"Right, and how did that turn out for you?" I was silenced. "The needs of the many, Leonard." He finally ended the conversation, picking himself from his knees and walking back over to his sister.
Yes my philosophy has been subconsciously implanted from the elections, Soon phase 2 will begin.
Hundreds had died in an attempt to save six; two of whom had already perished, and one died in the attempt. I had spoken to Lunar's captain about the situation he had gotten himself in, and he tried to make excuses and bypass penalties. I liked him, however, despite his blatant flaws. He had an aura about him that promised determination and courage, and I would be keeping a close eye on him, evaluating his cunning and effectiveness on the planet. If he could keep his seventy two survivors alive and accounted for for more than a day or two I would be very proud.
Zenn blamed me for Tary's death; he had to blame someone, and he very well couldn't blame our new arrivals. I prayed it was just a phase he was going through, and eventually he would realise that it wasn't my fault (at least not entirely). But I came to the conclusion that, in his blinding rage, Zenn wasn't at all trustworthy, or fit for command. I couldn't keep control of seventy five all on my own, so I would appoint those I trusted to help me. Leonard was among them, as was my sister, and a man I had been introduced to called Seth. I didn't know much about him, but he seemed worthy of my trust.
Five days of labour passed. In some aspects our new number was difficult to manage, but our tasks were completed ever so easily now. We created eight seamoths in these five days; one for each me, my sister and my two right hands, and then four for some commanders Seth had appointed earlier. Finally, with Zenn's instructions, the people created a grand submarine; the Cyclops. It was enormous, and housed a great deal of survivors. I handed over possession of my seamoth to Zenn, and role of right hand, and took control of the monster.
"Malla." Leonard walked towards me, Zenn behind, the gap between them enough to squeeze a Crabsnake into. "What do we do now? We've contacted the Federation and they say they won't help, we can't build a rocket to fly out of here since none of us can disable the gun." I remained silent, gazing out of the submarines window. Scientists and surveyors tapped away at holographic keyboards behind me, the room lively with their finger's noise.
"What do we do, Malla?" Zenn pushed. I looked around. Some tailors amongst us had made me a new uniform. It was a dark grey uniform, with night black buttons running up the middle, placed on a thin strip of grey running along the edges of the fabric. The lighter shade parted at the neck, forming a great collar that wrapped around the back of my head, reaching to the highest points of my neck. The ends of the sleeves were grey, and on the left side of my chests were three thin, horizontal yellow stripes, one atop the other. This was the symbol of a Federation Captain. I was honoured.
"Leonard, I want you to tell both of Seth's commanders to stay put on the island, and keep thirty people here as well. The other forty-odd will accompany us on our next mission." I informed them.
"What is the next mission?" Leonard inquired.
"If we want to break atmosphere any time soon, we'll need a ship. Lunar was completely destroyed and sunken, Eclipse's tech was fried, the Degasi is in ruins and the Rich Clan used illegal tech, and I don't want to suffer the same consequences as they..." I looked at Zenn; he understood, I could read his eyes as if they were words on a page.
"We're going into the Aurora." Zenn told Leonard. Zenn smiled, and Leonard beamed.
"Only to scavenge, before you get too excited. We'll be back in four days or so, just make sure Seth's generals don't kill everyone whilst we're gone."
You did it...
You really did it.
Now all you need is something like a PDA with some kind of nuclear program.
But All Of It Is Typed Like This.
WHAT PART OF "HE WHO SHAL NOT BE NAMED" DO YOU NOT GET.
But he wasn't named. Only alluded to.
Yes, but Julian is like Roko's Basilisk. If you talk or even think about him, HE WILL COME.
This eventuality has been foreseen. An appropriate response has been prepared.
Let IT come.
The rocks along the beach were cool at sunset; cool enough to sit on without the heat burning through your clothes and shooting you back to your feet. I sat beside Sasha, who looked out to the Aurora. I sighed.
"Isn't it beautiful?" She said. "I wonder what it looks like inside; a ship lost to time."
"I do as well." I told her. "And I'll tell you about it when I get home." She looked shocked. She glared at me.
"I'll see for myself." She snapped.
"No. No, you won't. This is no place for you; you need to stay here and look after everyone who is staying. There are some thermal vents down beneath the islands, if you could create some thermal plants and route the energy to our bases here it would--"
"Why can't I come?" She asked. "Why can't Seth's men just take care of things here?"
"I don't want you getting hurt; especially if you're pregnant. Damn, you shouldn't have come in the first place, Sasha. Why did you? That doesn't matter right now; just know that I will not be responsible for your two lives, and you aren't coming." I walked away from her now, not wanting to start a grand argument on the shore for everyone to see and hear. Then she stood up, and I was afraid as to what she would say next.
"At least say goodbye!" Sasha yelled. I stopped and turned around. We walked towards each other and wrapped our arms around one another.
"It won't be four days, I found out." I informed. "Closer to a month. Are you okay with that?"
"Yes." She whispered. "And when you get back you can see the baby for yourself, as a welcome home present." We let go of each other.
"I'll see you later." I walked to the Cyclops. Its spine stuck from the water, a hatch in its top. I clambered onto it and opened the circular door, sliding into the vehicle afterwards. I made my way to the bridge faster than a falcon and assumed control of the submarine.
A month?!
How slow are these Cyclops?!
How big's that Aurora? How much of it will they have to search?
Take that month estimate as you will, though, but remember that in the canon of the game everything is a lot bigger than it seems, including the environment and the world, so traversing it would consequently take longer.
When approaching this planet I thought it a barren one, and when we 'landed' I had kept that opinion tight to my chest. Then I saw the sights below the waves; the creatures, the scenery, the monsters, a lot that this planet had to offer, and now I was sure that it had much more in store for us.
I travelled with Malla on the Kraken; a Cyclops that Malla sparingly referred to as the Mothership. It housed him, me, Leonard and Zenn. I knew Leonard quite well; he still did not believe I was the one to commit my crimes even after the evidence piled up in front of him like an avalanche. He saved his credits for years and years to free me from my captivity, and he allowed me a high rank in the Federation. Now I knew that it would be because of him that I would be booted from my place. We had stolen a ship against the Captain's order, and none dare go against the Captain's order.
The Kraken sailed slowly. Surrounding it was a shell of Seamoths, piloted by many of our finest fighters and Federation flyers. Its engines whirred behind us, sitting comfortable in the bridge. Malla stood at the wheel, soaring close to the sea floor.
Out of the corner of my eye I caught Penna glaring at me. When she saw my eyes pivot towards her she turned her head back to her panel and continued typing.
"You got a problem?" I asked her; I was genuinely curious. Why would she look at me so sourly without a cause for it. She didn't reply.
"She probably didn't even realise she was staring." Leonard told me. I turned around and scoffed.
"She knew what she was doing. She looked me dead in the eyes, right over the shoulder." I informed. He waved a hand at me and left the conversation as it was.
Then from outside we heard a low and distant rumble that shook the hull of the Kraken and everyone inside. From the murk, behind shoals and clouds of fish we saw something; two things, three things. One monstrous creature slowly drifted overhead, accompanied by three smaller calf.
"Those are Reefbacks." Malla told us.
"I know what they are." I said. "The survivor talked about them quite a bit; a whale and a turtle, carrying an ecosystem on its back."
Zenn rushed into the room. "Reaper?" He asked. I smiled.
"No." I motioned for him to approach. "Reefbacks." I told him.
"How long do you think they can live?" He inquired. "Hundreds, thousands of years? Do you think the fish are different on each one, even only slightly? Do you think they evolved differently on their backs?" I grinned once again. He was in awe of these oceans, and I wish I could have been too. All I wanted to do was leave, but I wish I could have just sat back and been entranced by the creatures and scenery. He smiled along with me. Then I remembered something.
"Zenn, I need to ask you some things." I put my hand on his shoulder and twisted him away from the Captain. "Do you like Malla? Are you happy he's our captain?" His smile was wiped from his face in an instant. He looked me dead in the eye and, clear as day, I could see his answer. He turned his head to look at him, to see if he had heard me; Malla, Penna, Leonard, all of them were still watching the Reefbacks swim. He then turned back to me and quickly shook his head. I smiled, but it wasn't the same glad smile I usually put on. It showed on my mouth, but not in the eyes. I put my hand on his back and lead him into the engine room. "Come on." I said. "We need to talk."
Ohhhhh crap. Resentment in the ranks never ends well. Hopefully, Seth and Zenn come to their senses, seeing as I quite like Malla...
Also, did I miss something regarding Sasha? When and how did she get pregnant?
Patience, my friend
Ah, thank you for clearing that up.
Sorry if that came off as questioning your authority, please continue.
Nah, it's fine
When Seth appointed me as one of his right hand men I had never felt more honoured, nor had I felt more powerful. Now that I was here, however, in control of an entire island of workers, with my best friend ruling beside me. I felt no satisfaction here. We had lost hundreds in the crash, and I was all that was left. Perhaps I was picked due to being one of the only men left standing after the catastrophe.
This couldn't be it, though.
I and Seth were close friends, brothers almost. When he made landed the ship on Obraxis Prime to pick me and Sellan up I was taken by surprise. He had stopped off at many planets, he said, and picked up more than five hundred. This made me feel even more insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
And now he, our leader and our captain had left us in search of a way off of this planet; out of my leadership. I was fine with being just another normal person, but I couldn't stomach how little time I had spent in charge.
I walked briskly up to Sellan. People told me I waddled like a penguin when I walked, but I couldn't care less. "What do you think they'll find out there?" I asked him. He looked at me sternly. He was older than me; much older. His hair was grey, his chin covered in tiny silver whiskers.
"Death, most likely." I laughed when he said this, but he seemed serious. I looked at him questioningly. "The Survivor didn't say everything was safe here, in fact he implied the opposite. Dragons and snakes and god knows what else. I think they'll die out there. Not to mention our own sanity, and the disease that we could pick up."
"You're right." I gave in. "But if they find what they're looking for and get out quick everything should be just fine." I grinned but again he didn't seem in a joking mood. I looked down and wiped the smirk off of my face. Then we looked down onto the beach. There was shouting erupting from the crowds, and a ring was forming around two people below. The shouting turned to an uproar, and then a chorus as the two inside the circle began punching each other, spilling blood onto the sands.
I raced down the hills and dunes, pushing past the cheering crowds. I reached the middle of the rings and put myself between the two. "What's going on here?" Sellan yelled. They stopped their fighting. They both grinned and failed to respond. "Listen," Sellan carried on. "You either stop your fighting or we make you stop." There was a moment of silence, and then some of the crowd began to giggle, including the two fighters. I looked back to Sellan and he looked to me, embarrassed.
"Alright." One of them said, mockingly raising their hands in surrender.
"You better listen to your leaders." I snapped. Then behind them the crowd parted. Into the ring walked Sasha. The man looked at her and lowered his hands, the grin on his face retreating in an instant. People began leaving the area, including the two involved.
"Looks like you two are doing a god job." She smiled. I wanted to punch her.
"Everyone here needs to learn respect! Including you, Sasha; you have to start respecting us!" More laughing from the crowd, and Sasha grinned. Then she walked away, like everyone else. No one would get anywhere if they didn't learn how leadership worked. We would get no where.
"Look." Sellan put his hand on my shoulder. "Seth spoke to me about something before he left. You can't tell a soul..."
*sigh*
Why must everyone make poor decisions about leadership???
Fair enough. Sampson was insane, Malla is a great guy but inexperienced, Zenn is angry at Malla for Tary's death (which was ABSOLUTELY not Malla's fault), Seth is clearly resentful of Malla's position, and Ollos and Sellan are just whiny sacks of shit playing captain.
I was one of the many sceptical of Ollos and Sellan's new positions. I was a close friend of Sellan's; he was a dear friend of mine, he had no hateful intent. He only had the will to follow his captain's orders, and in this case they were to work alongside the deranged leader Ollos. He was a brother to Seth, and I could see why they got along; twenty four years of combined prison time and you've got best friends, even brothers. It was no surprise to me when Seth named them his right hands, and no surprise again that he didn't mention to Malla Ollos' incarcerations over the years.
Then a miracle beset me, and I was appointed by Sellan as the Guardmaster of the Islanders. I thanked him for this. The Island Guard were my people now. We were given propulsion cannons with which to protect our people, and free reign to wander about even restricted areas of the land. There were of course still restrictions, but I was a high ranking officer, therefore they were few and far between.
It had been two days since the Kraken set off on its maiden voyage, and already we were beginning to feel leaderless, and lost. Ollos was not showing a single shred of backbone, nor any qualities of a great leader.
Quite suddenly a crowd began to gather around what we called the Alpha Base; the base that the Eclipse Survivors created, finally rebuilt after the Lunar crash. On top of this base stood Ollos. He was screaming and shouting, his arms stretched dramatically forwards, waving them about as if he were delivering a grand speech. "My people!" He screeched. "It has come to my attention that you are all not taking my role as commander very seriously, and I have found the source of the problem! A shared role as leader will only end in tragedy, henceforth Sellan will be but an adviser to me, and no more!" Sellan barged through the crowd, past me.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Sellan bellowed over the murmuring of the group. "Malla's orders were for us to share a role as leader! Would you go against him?!"
"For the sake of my people, yes! You are demoted, Sellan!"
"They aren't your people! You think they are, but they're Malla's, and you must see that now!"
Ollos turned his gaze to me. I stood behind the crowd, as did many of the Island Guard. "You there!" Ollos boomed. "Take Sellan away and teach him what it means to go against his leader's order!" I looked at Sellan. He turned to me and slowly shook his head, wide eyed and with pain. I sighed.
"What if Sellan had shouted that he was leader before you? Would I have to drag you away?!" I inquired. "You can't just appoint yourself leader, it's not how it works!"
"People were not taking my leadership seriously and something had to be done about it!" He replied. "Now take him away! Make him learn!" He smiled like a three year old watching his toys burn. I sighed once more, and gave a solemn nod. A blast of blue light flew past my ear and as it his Sellan it froze him in place, bolts of electricity shooting from his blue glowing body every few seconds.
"Take him." I ordered. The Island Guard rushed forward and grabbed him by the arms and legs, dragging his now limp and lifeless body across the sand and stone.
"Ollos! You will regret this!" Sellan promised. He was dragged past me, and he looked at me. "You did the right thing." I saw him say with his lips as he was taken across the beach, towards the caves.