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 sᴛᴀɢᴇ ғɪᴠᴇ: ❝ʜᴏɴᴏʀ.❞
Thymilph was a celebrated General; his soldiers admired him, and his opponents despaired in his wake. Viral's dedicated nature had finally found its place. Thymilph faintly resembled his once-guardian, Allele, and perhaps that was why he found himself so pleased to be under the Genreral's command. He was a swift, loyal officer who held nothing back in the campaigns he was assigned. Viral's early distress about fighting the Humans were dispelled by his General's unabashed loathing for the race. Thymilph poured a contemptuous perspective over the younger Beastman's doubts, and, keen to improve himself, Viral allowed pride and diligence to chase out any remaining, disjointed emotion. He took to the front lines, and his distinctive, acrobatic, whirlwind-combat style became a fearsome probability for those who sought to defy the Spiral King. Viral was well-liked among his peers, though there would be those who were of the opinion that the young hurricane was advancing too quickly.
xxxThat was far from the consensus in authority, as the hybrid soon received another grand opportunity at the crossroads of destiny. The ancient schematic that he had retrieved before, had led to the completion of a new, formidable Gunmen. Viral was recalled to Teppelin, but he was not aware of the magnitude of the occasion. He was to report directly to the Spiral King - a summons that few Beastmen outside of the Four Generals would merit. It was the first time he would step foot into the throne room, but it would not be the last. When he arrived, Viral could not even lift his head from beneath the sheer pressure of the Spiral King's presence. He was initially struck by a primal awareness that his life and death reigned just ahead, seated in a candid supremacy. Suppressing his trepidation, Viral bowed with reverence, and awaited orders.
xxxLordgenome regarded his creation, far removed in stature and ability, from the fragile creature suspended in vital fluids. The consideration touched at his mind for only a moment, before a thousand years of a most wretched sovereignty wrenched any warmth from his thoughts. As it did. As it had since before the beginning of the end. The sickening success of his Beastmen race mocked him, as it served him. The conquered, conquering. It was a miserable facade, but he would not deny that this soldier, as oblivious to it all now, as he had been in his aquatic cradle, had at least, met his expectations. Perhaps, surpassed them. But there was yet more, that he would ask.
xxx'ᴍʏ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀʟ sᴘᴇᴀᴋs ʜɪɢʜʟʏ ᴏғ ʏᴏᴜ; ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀ sᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴛᴀᴄᴛɪᴄɪᴀɴ. ᴀ ʀᴇʟᴇɴᴛʟᴇss ᴡᴀʀʀɪᴏʀ.'
xxxViral let the sound of the Spiral King's voice steel his resolve. There was no one in the world as powerful as Lordgenome. No one as worthy, to rule. He reigned supreme, because he was superior. Viral had no comprehension of parentage, but surely, the desire to please, and the subconscious awe were that of a child recognizing their father,
xxx'There is no higher honor, Rasen-Ou.'
xxxApathy and weariness creased the edges of Lordgenome's gaze, but he did not indulge in the humorless irony of a Beastman, an ignoble race created for an ignoble purpose, seeking 'honor' in a world... no, in a reality such as this. There was a light within this subject, that both intrigued and irritated him. The Spiral King leaned his great back against his throne. That was how it had been with Viral, from the beginning. The air was different around him. And his veins crawled with an old, nearly-forgotten sensation. "What if, what if?", his thoughts seemed to say, as though some unseen potential lied within this manufactured organism. He denied it. There was only annihilation, from above. And desolate, crippled Humanity, below. Between, was only his will. And only his power could prevent the lesser from being erased by the greater. He was the final arbiter, and Viral... Viral was a good soldier. He would do as he was told. And he would be commended for it.
Just as he, himself, existed. Bound. Compliant. Rewarded.
xxx'ɴᴏᴡ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴀʟsᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀɴ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴘɪʟᴏᴛ.'
xxxIn hand, he displayed a holographic image of a Gunmen, freshly deployed from the hangar.
It stood just outside, radiant even in the blue-tinged image.
xxx'ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴇɴᴋɪ. ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ғʀᴏᴍ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴀɴᴅᴇʀ ᴠɪʀᴀʟ. ɴᴏᴡ ɢᴏ.'
xxxThe Beastman had glanced upwards, in surprise, and he corrected the reaction only after catching a glimpse of the Spiral King's face. He was older than expected, more Human and he could read fatigue, vexation, even suffering - from such a face. But he still looked every bit the judicious, unshakable ruler that Viral had anticipated. He was stunned from the promotion, and doubly so to receive a Gunmen from Lordgenome's own hand. The Beastman bowed, and departed upon dismissal. His footsteps were staid at first, as he attempted to stymie excitement. But by the time he reached the ground level of the Capital City, he'd broken into a blurring dash. Just ahead, in the cool, morning sun, stood the Gumen, Enki. An engineering officer rattled off capacity and construction, but the Beastman was already enamored.
xxx'Well met, Enki.
xxxxxxI look forward to working with you.'
xxxEnki was a tall, proud Gunmen, with a gleaming helmet that encircled a slice of a view of the heavens, above. He was a prototype, a rare design, similar to those that the General piloted. Enki possessed incredibly flexible grooves and plating - it would far exceed the agility of the clunky, bulkier Gunman models. There numerous offensive capabilities within the mecha, from blades and projectile weapons, to a defensive shielding armament that deployed from the forearm plating. He was pristine, white and silver, with neutral accents. His posture was stoic, but the metallic warrior possessed a rather capricious face. Viral's eyes flickered along the mecha's form, approving of every square inch. He had a Gunmen at last. He would no longer be viewed as an ambitious novice, a greenhorn looking to prove himself. He had arrived to a fine post with a most excellent partner.
xxxThe mecha's interior was a deep burgundy, with a wide, silver, stabilizing arc for the pilot. The controls were customized for his broad grip, and the mecha responded intuitively to his direction. Together, Commander Viral and Enki would claim victory countless times; entire Human settlements, like Bachika Village, were vanquished. As his reputation for success increased, it wouldn't be long before Viral was deployed to the Far East, to contend with a group of Human rebels who were reportedly stealing Gunmen for themselves...
 YARU NA NINGEN · Mon Jan 07, 2019 @ 04:34pm · 0 Comments |
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