THE UNDEFEATED
Tags:
Udomek Seker
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Athsheva Rin
Locale: Sempindal
A boneless mass of tentacles crawled out from the waterfall along a branch. The chromatophores in its skin adjusted, shifting into a darker colour that better reflected the branch it sat on. A growl drew its attention, a shifting mass of crimson muscle, carapace and battered alloy pulled back from the edge of the waterfall, back into the grass. Too much noise. A silver blur moved from his back, across the branch and to his back again. The creature slumped, limp on the branch. Udomek had been gone for six hours, the younger Drael was taller yes, but lighter on his feet and a tighter frame. The Titan had been on overwatch, scouring the few details available. A stone building, stretching across a hundred square feet in either direction. Nothing to see, but a few scouts peaking out from their hovel every few hours. These Vong had long since lost their love of grandiose structures, now they were hidden. Secret.
Nobody that entered that building ever left. Soon enough, its Vong inhabitants included. A crimson leathery paw made of claws closed into a fist, knuckles in the turf as Tathra Khaeus pushed himself up off his chest. The bits of leaf and fresh mud, lost in the crevices of his armour and the scorched marks across his width. He heard the young Drael approach. He wondered what was inside. Udomek returned, careful not to make much noise as he navigated the undergrowth to reach his Chieftain. Though Tathra had already rose, eyes held on the gap in the trees before Udomek even became visible.
“Heard me?”
“Heartbeat.” The broader, older Drael spoke bluntly.
Udomek was nervous. Luckily, Vong couldn’t hear heartbeats at any distance. They needn’t speak of it. Not now. This was not their first strange mission, Udomek no doubt wondered what the point was. But he had followed dutifully regardless. That loyalty meant quite a lot to the Titan in these days.
“They have no sentries. They’re hiding, ready. For something.” Udomek was no more sure of the Vong’s objective than their own.
“Not us.” The Titan’s lower mandibles flexed, stretching for a moment.
The shine of gold briefly looking over Udomek before turning back to the small fort beyond the waterfall. With a small, forward gesture of the wrist - both drew closer to the stone walls of the building. The Vong here were ready for one of their own, hoping to silence the ambition of another. He would save the approaching Vong woman from that painful betrayal. Sympathy or rather anything but rage for something not of his blood was new to the Titan.
But the Neti, Kren. It had changed his mind. Before he had a name, before he was the Titan - he was an outcast, a survivor. Those like him, needed to stand together. Against the weak, the afraid. Those who lived coddled lives, too comfortable to do anything but fight real change. Like the Vong inside.
The walls were thin enough to breach, especially for an arm-mounted turbo cannon. The cannon whistled, sucking in the air around it as ultraviolet energy balled into a spinning catapult in its barrel.
Phhhewwwt-Pyaoh!
The stone exploded outward, vong structure inward. Ribbons of pustule-like wall structures crashed to the slick bronze floor atop pieces of Vong. As expected the mundane exterior was a facade, veinlike pillars stretched through their corridor of entry. Vong beginning to retreat, their daggers and small arms meant little to Draelvasier. Udomek’s Glaive shot over his shoulder into the closest Vong before it could raise its Amphistaff.
It was savage but brief.
With an effortless shift of his weight, his elbow knocked the Vong with such force that its neck snapped as it crashed into the wall. Another, squealing as it was impaled by Udomek’s Glaive. The last thrashing as the Titan’s paw crushed its collarbone with ease, his other fist caving in the armour of its abdomen - a wet slosh followed by one last gasp of air. The Vong fell, blood leaking between the ribs of the raised command platform.
Tathra looked to Udomek, who gave him a courteous nod to his left side. His permanent scowl trailed from the youth to his ribs. The Vong’s Coufee was embedded in the Titan’s hide. With a tired snort, his giant paw yanked the nuisance from his side. Even with a snapped collarbone, the Vong had managed to drive his dagger several inches in. Deep enough to puncture Tathra’s bodysuit and hide. But it didn’t even scratch the bone plating over his ribs.
Udomek was studying the infrastructure of the Vong base. It was entirely bio-organic, with no mind stone or metal foundation for a Drael to clean its purpose from. Even a Kraemonen might have trouble relaying its purpose.
“This is of no use to us.”
“Correct.” Tathra’s stringent and certain voice filled the empty fort.
“Then why here?”
“You tire of bloodshed, cub?” Slightly condescending.
“No.” Cub. That annoyed the youth, Tathra could see it. Udomek kissed his teeth, instead choosing to clean his Glaive rather than speak, mulling. A few minutes passed. “I only-”
“There are others like us, Udomek.” Tathra cut him off, gentler this time. “Not Drael. But like us.”
Even with half of Udomek’s face hidden behind his cracked helm, he could not hide his reaction. “Why now?” The youth pressed, Glaive almost bending in his tense grip. He was tired, tired of going in circles in seemingly senseless missions. Draelvasier had a purpose, bloodshed. Yes. But not purposeless. The Chieftain led, and he followed. But usually he, they - knew where. The Titan glanced at the Glaive, Udomek eased his grip. Lowering his head. The Drael still showed respect, of course.
“The Draelvasier were arrogant. We MUST start again. You will see. Trust in me, Juggernaut.” Tathra reassured him. Playing with his emotions, perhaps. But the Titan would do what he needed to make Udomek see things HIS way. The only way. As always.
Now, they waited for the prodigal Vong.