-----The Endless Caves. By far, they were the largest geographical location on the
planet of Khazan, and few knew this. Most explorers had attempted to graph a beginning
and an end to the place, but in reality, there were entrances and exits to the cave
everywhere on the planet. That is, after all, why they are called the Endless caves.
-----What was normally known as an intriguing cave full of minerals, strange
structures, crystals, and unknown resources was now a dark, foreboding place where a
great evil had taken root. It was over 5 years ago that he had come to this planet. Drekis,
a complicated being who was believed to be evil incarnate. Drekis was something much
different however. He was once a normal man, a man who lived for his duty. But things
changed once he became an unwilling test subject for a mysterious race of beings who
sought to create the ultimate life form. What is written in the Galactic Library is that the
experiment was responsible for Drekis’ creation, but the details of this experiment, Drekis’
true purpose, and his relationship with those that created him remain unknown. All that is
known is that he has spent the last eight centuries traveling from planet to planet,
destroying all life he can find. He had arrived long ago, but had not yet conquered this
planet...the planet known as Khazan. Drekis had been attracted to it for one very
important reason. It was a planet where the best of the best gathered to compete in the
Khazan tournament. A variety of powerful warriors, wizards, and espers could be found
here, and Drekis planned to possess all of their power.
-----However, failure was something that his minions had encountered in all of their
engagements with the Khazan defense forces. The planet was, after all, a place where
good battled evil for dominance of the planet. The rise of several anarchist groups such as
the Fallen and the Marauders had forced the creation of super hero teams such as the
Sentinels of Liberty and Justice or the Maniacal Heroes.
-----Fortunately, such heroes could not stop Drekis forever. He had all of eternity to
try, though his patience was already beginning to run thin. Seven months had passed since
Drekis had resurrected his dark army and its generals. He had summoned a vast empire of
powerful servants who had helped him conquer many a world in the past. Now, they were
needed once again.
-----Jon Avalon marched through the dimly lit halls that had been carved into the
Endless caves by the hives drones. His dark cape trailed behind him as he entered his
masters room. The general bowed in the appropriate fashion, then stood to look at his
master.
-----“So, Jon ‘DarkenFire’ Avalon, are the forces ready?” Drekis asked eagerly.
-----“Yes my lord,” Jon replied. “And...you?”
-----“My evolution will still take some time to complete. That doesn’t matter though,
not anymore. I have full confidence in your abilities DarkenFire. I trust that you will lead
our armies to glory and victory.”
-----“Of course lord Drekis. The other generals have made the same promise as well.
Our armies stand ready, and my scouts have given me a thorough map of the surrounding
locations. With the element of surprise on our sides, the enemy will stand no chance.”
-----“Ah, confidant as always Avalon,” the dark lord snickered. “Very well, you may
begin your attacks whenever you wish. Just remember the plan...”
-----“Yes, first the SLJ must be sent into disarray, while the LOTMU are also kept
busy with surprise attacks. After that, Zel’Mier must be conquered.”
-----“Very good. I have high hopes for you DarkenFire. With any luck, the day of our
revenge will soon come.”
-----The dark lord raised his hands into the air and laughed in a deep, booming voice
that sounded throughout the endless caves. Jon Avalon smiled and walked out the door as
quickly as he came in. After seven years, he would have another mission. Once again he
would lead his division into battle...a battle that would decide the future of the universe, in
the long run at least.
-----“This is a glorious time,” Avalon whispered to himself. “Now is the time. Now is
when we will make our presence known to all who live on this planet.”
-----Veda Lexine grabbed her sword and came out of her house as soon as she heard
the young boy’s cries. She rushed out towards the main gates of the village to see the
small child running frantically. The boy shouted “Marauders! Marauders!” as he ran.
-----“Marauders...,” Veda said coldly. She tightened the grip on her sword as she
thought of those petty criminals.
-----“Veda, Veda!” The young man yelled as he approached the gate. “Veda, come
quick, there are Marauders out there. They attacked the trade caravan and they’re
heading this way.”
-----“I know child,” she replied, keeping her gaze towards the field, where she saw
three dark figures advancing towards the village. “Run inside now. Tell the villagers to
stay inside as well. I will handle this.”
-----“You will? But there’s three of them Veda...”
-----Veda gave him a cold stare that said everything she needed to. Justin ran through
the gates and began shouting for everyone to hide in their houses. Veda was the only one
who stayed outside, her eyes fixed on the ambiguous trio. This was typical of her life.
Veda had wanted to calm down for the next few months, and felt that the quiet town of
Karia would be perfect for her training. It was a place where she could begin to master
what she had learned from the Great Mentalist. Unfortunately, the Marauders had
changed all of that when Toc Darkone decided to take control of Zel’Mier. Attack by
Marauder thieves was common in Karia now, but Veda would not stand for it. Even
common thievery warranted death in Veda’s mind.
-----She waited until the three figures became more clear. The one in front was a tall
woman with long brown hair. She held a large assault rifle in her hands, and was
apparently the leader of the group. Another woman had light blue hair and an icy gaze.
She looked like a girl who got whatever she wanted, which was typical of Marauder brats.
The final one was a smaller slug-like creature carrying weapons and a sack. The trio
approached her slowly, stopping only twenty feet from her.
-----Hmmm...three of them. At this distance, it is possible for me to get one of them,
but the other two will be a problem. The slug, he seems to be the slowest, perhaps I
should take him out first.
-----The groups leader stepped out in front of the others and waved in a friendly
manner. “Hello Veda, what a pleasant surprise,” the woman said. “I had heard that you
were protecting the people of Karia from us, but I just couldn’t believe it. Your service
record with the Maniacal heroes makes me doubt your “hero” position in this town.”
-----“How I conduct my business is none of your concern Marauder,” Veda said.
“Regardless of my actions, the people of Karia are still innocents, and I will not allow
them to be harmed.”
-----The slug slid closer and revealed a rocket launcher of some sort. He grinned as he
aimed it at Veda. “Who said anything about hurting anyone? We just came to collect
some taxes that are due to Toc.”
-----“Taxes? What the hell are you talking about?” Veda asked.
-----The spoiled brat with blue hair also stepped a little closer and laughed haughtily.
“Well, since the kingdom of Zel’Mier holds jurisdiction over this land, and since the
Marauders have since become this countries jurisdiction, I felt it was only right to accept a
“kind donation” from your people.”
-----“You people are really low,” Veda said, placing one had on her sword.
“Sometimes I don’t know who to hate more, the Fallen who destroy everything they
touch, or you, who corrupt and plunder everything.”
-----“No need to get so touchy Veda,” the leader said. “Allow me to introduce my
little group. You may call me the Unsubtle. This young woman to my right is Jayme
Lloyd, and this peculiar little man here is known as Little Dave. Pleased to make your
acquaintance, oh hero of Karia.”
-----Little Dave laughed after that last expression, but Jayme was getting annoyed.
-----“All right, enough chit-chat Miss Unsubtle, lets get this over with and report back
to Toc,” Jayme said.
-----“You’ll have to excuse Jayme,” the Unsubtle exclaimed. “She gets a little
impatient when she doesn’t get what she wants right away.”
-----“Damn right,” Jayme replied.
-----“Anyway, here’s the bottom line Veda,” the Unsubtle continued. “You fork over
the cash we want, and we leave both you and the villagers alone. Sound good?”
-----“Much as it pains me to say it, the Marauders don’t really care for blowin you guys
to hell. We only care about the money and treasure,” Little Dave said. “So give it to us
and you guys can go back to raising pigs or whatever the hell you do here.”
-----Veda looked at them silently for a few minutes, then smiled. A cold, confident
smile. A smile that didn’t symbolize an emotional outburst, but determination. “I’m afraid
that I can’t let you petty criminals have your way with these innocents. If you want to
take your money, by all means try it, you’ll have to get through me first.”
-----“You know, I was hoping you would say that,” Little Dave laughed. He loaded
his rocked launcher and prepared to fire. “All right Lucy, lets take out another one.”
-----He fired a rocket with deadly accuracy, but Veda jumped into the air with
great speed and came down with her sword drawn. Before the worm could react she
sliced the rocket launcher in half with her blade and stared down on the creature at
point-blank range.
-----“Ah, my Lucy. How dare you!” Little Dave yelled.
-----Veda brought her sword up and prepared to slice the creature in half, but in that
instant, Jayme Lloyd was there, stepping in to block Veda’s blade with her armored
uniform. The costume began to fluctuate with energy as the nano-tech uniform forced
Veda’s blade away. The young brat quickly put her hands together and pointed at the
startled Veda.
-----"SPIFFY-ULTRA-FINE- ANNIHILATION!!!” She yelled as a burst of light and
energy came at Veda with blinding speed. Veda quickly moved to the left, but the blast
grazed by her arm and disintegrated part of her costume.
-----The Unsubtle followed her partners attack with a spray of gunfire from her assault
rifle. Veda ran as fast as she could to avoid the bullets which splashed off of the ground
around her. She dove behind a tree and stopped to think. She was in a bad situation. All
of them had their weaknesses, but with the three of them together, Veda couldn’t exploit
them. Any move she made would be countered by at least one of them. Bullets continued
to hit the tree, taking off large chunks of bark.
-----“Enough of this,” The Unsubtle said. “Jayme, give her another dose of your
spiffy-fine particle acceleration.”
-----“My pleasure,” Jayme replied as she put her hands together once again.
“SPIFFY-ULTRA-FINE-ANNIHILATION!!”
-----The next blast hit the tree and completely destroyed it, leaving little or no trace of
debris. The resulting explosion hit Veda in the back and forced her to the ground. Veda
shook off the pain and tried to get up, but she was quickly overcome by Jayme Lloyds
paralyze attack. She was stuck in place, incapable of movement...helpless against the
enemy.
-----“Excellent,” Little Dave said as he drew out his own Assault weapon. He slithered
his way up to Veda and pointed his gun at her head, snickering at her misfortune. “I’ll
give you one last chance. Your life, or the villagers money.”
-----Veda was about to curse the slug for his insolence, but a booming voice stopped
everything. The Marauders looked up to see two people standing on top of a hill, the
sun’s light illuminating the duo.
-----“Who the hell is that,” Jayme said as she raised her hand to block out the light.
Then she stepped back in disgust at what she saw. “Its Captain Khazan and Amy
Coleman!”
----------“What? The Sentinels of Liberty and Justice?” Unsubtle cried. “How? How did
they know about this?”
-----Amy Coleman read the Unsubtle’s lips and said, “How did we know you ask.
Captain Khazan here saw you miles from here.”
-----Captain Khazan smiled with confidence. “That’s right, and now your reign here in
Zel’Mier is over.”
-----“Is it now,” Jayme snickered. “Well perhaps you’d like a little bit
of....SPIFFY-ULTRA-FINE ANNIHILATION!!!”
-----The blast went through he two heroes without damaging either of them and
disappeared beyond the horizon. Jayme Lloyd was taken back in surprise. “What.
There’s no way, how...?”
-----“An Illusion,” The Unsubtle said. “This is Coleman’s doing. But where are...” she
stopped as she realized that Captain Khazan was standing just a few feet behind her. She
turned and squeezed the trigger of her Assault rifle, sending a spray of bullets into the
Captain’s chest. The Khazan super hero just smiled as the bullets bounced off of his
armor skin, and the Unsubtle suddenly began to worry.
-----As the captain flew towards the Unsubtle, Jayme Lloyd sent out another Particle
shot, and this time managed to hit the captain in his chest, knocking him out of the air
momentarily.
-----“Good work Jayme,” Unsubtle exclaimed, then suddenly went quiet as she realized
their mistake. “Wait! Where’s Coleman?”
-----Jayme turned around to search for their other opponent, only to be blinded by
intense light and smoke. “Ah, what the hell have you done to me. I can’t see. Damn
you.” The young girl instinctively turned invisible and ran to avoid being pulverized while
she couldn’t see, but tripped over a few rocks as she stumbled down a hill.
-----The Unsubtle pointed her gun at Amy Coleman and fired a number of shots which
just passed through the empath. “Another damn illusion.” When she turned around the
find the real Amy Coleman, she found that she had come up right behind her. Amy gave
the Unsubtle a swift punch to the face, knocking her opponent to the ground. She then
kicked the Assault rifle away and held her opponent to the ground with her foot.
-----“Hey, you..can’t hold me here like this for long,” The Unsubtle said. “Soon your
illusions won’t help you.”
-----Amy felt her danger sense come alive and looked over her shoulder to see the
worm-like Little Dave pointing his gun towards her. However, a revived Veda Lexine got
up from the ground and disarmed him once again. Little Dave panicked and tried to reach
for another weapon in his arsenal, but Veda lopped off his right arm with quick reflexes.
The blade sent Veda’s Shen Si Jian energy through Little Dave’s body and drained him of
any mental abilities he had. Now as dumb as an ox, the worm creature fell to the ground
squirming.
-----Jayme Lloyd regained her sight, only to see that both of her allies were pinned to
the ground. She made an attempt to run away while she was still invisible, but Captain
Khazan’s keen eye noticed her foot prints in the grass and flew in to intercept her.
-----The captain hit her nano-tech armor with a fierce punch that brought Lloyd into
plain sight. He flew in and gave her a number of punches that broke through her defenses
little by little. Then he released one final uppercut that broke through and knocked the
little brat senseless.
-----After seeing her last teammate go down, the Unsubtle glanced at Amy Coleman,
who had been partially distracted by Jayme Lloyd’s antics. She pulled off a smoke screen
of her own, leaving Coleman blind for the moment. By the time she could see again, the
Unsubtle was gone.
-----“Don’t worry, I will find her,” Captain Khazan promised as he surveyed his
surroundings. He saw the woman running towards the Dark Shadow Forests with
surprising speed. “There she goes. She’s heading for the Dark Shadow Forrest. She
must be trying to reach the capital.”
-----Amy Coleman followed the Captain’s gaze to see the Unsubtle making her run for
it. As Captain Khazan took to the air in pursuit, Amy looked back at Veda Lexine and
gave her a smile. Veda nodded in return, then Amy ran down the hill after the fleeing
Marauder.
-----The city of Araelis was one of the most beautiful cities on Khazan, but it was also
the most dangerous. The city was a place of rogues, governed by no true leadership. It
was a place where the Fallen could rule one day, and the Sentinels of Liberty and Justice
could rule the next.
-----Vincentzo Maiinverno hoped to change all of that. It was, after all, his destiny to
rule over those less fortunate than him, or so he thought. It was his goal to establish his
own rulership over the rogue city. He watched as the citizens of the town worked hard to
rebuild the parts of their city which had been destroyed by recent conflicts between the
SLJ and the Fallen. In addition to this work, Maiinverno had ordered several workers to
begin construction of his future castle.
-----“Come on now, put some effort into it,” Maiinverno said to one worker. “Come
on, we don’t have all day. And you, what the hell do you think you’re doing, pick that up,
I can’t have anything in my city getting dirty. You...why are you moving so slowly pick
up the pace. What? Your leg is hurt? You dare offer excuses to your lord and master!
Ugh, such insolence. Hey, you get back to work, I want these repairs done by the end of
the week. You...farmer, work harder, I want to see my face in that horse’s ass.”
-----Woose Brain came out of his house to see Vincentzo yelling out at his workers.
Woose was confused about Centzo’s motives many times. At times it seemed like the
sorcerer had good intentions, but at other times he seemed like the most arrogant bastard
who ever lived. Even the he stood, with his face held high, his royal cape flying in the air
behind him, and with his arms on his hips, gave the impression that he looked down on
you. Even though the villagers did what they were told, none of them wanted to be a
friend to such an arrogant man. Even the sight of his royal costume with all of its fancy
designs sickened some. Woose Brain, on the other hand, was quite frankly too dumb to
ever be insulted by such arrogance. In fact, nothing Vincentzo could ever say could shake
the enormous ego Woose had.
-----As Woose approached Vincentzo, the mage looked at him with contempt, “You.
What the hell are you doing up so late. The villagers could have used your help hours
ago. Look at this bunch, they’d be utterly hopeless without my guidance.”
-----“Ummm...Centzo, are you sure this is the best way to help the city?” Woose asked.
“I mean, since you got here, all you’ve done is say a bunch of orders to them and then
stand there while they worked.”
-----“What? You expect ME to work?” Maiinverno replied. “Me, a man of royal
blood. Oh Woose, I see that you don’t understand. A man of my caliber is not meant to
do the work, he is meant to observe and direct the work...sort of like a manager. The
commoners are the ones who must do the work. Speaking of which, what are you doing
Woose? Get to work.”
-----“Oh, right.” Woose walked over and began to help the citizens lift heavy
materials.
-----“Hmph, me work,” Vincentzo laughed. “What kind of ruler would I be then!” He
glanced over his city and noticed something rather peculiar in the distance. A woman was
running into the darkest parts of the Dark Shadow Forrest, and two people were following
her.
-----“My word, is that...yes...yes, it is Captain Khazan,” Maiinverno realized. “What
are they doing? They must be in Zel’Mier territory. Hmmm...well, I’d hate to be that
Marauder right now. ‘Course if I had been there, she would have never gotten away.”
The royal pain pulled his cape over his chest and walked back to his elaborate house to
relax once again.
-----Timothy Shinestar sat in the Khazan bar in a depressed state while his girlfriend
Raea tried to comfort him. Timothy had tried to enter the Khazan tournament this year,
but was rejected due to his inexperience. All he had was a sword, a sword that even he
knew nothing about. His natural reaction to his rejection was to go to Khazan city’s most
famous bar and drink his current troubles away.
-----“That has to be your eight drink Tim,” Raea said seriously. “C’mon, you’re going
to kill yourself. Do you think the Khazan council is going to accept a dead man, or even a
drunk.”
-----“Stranger things have happened in Khazan,” Tim replied. He had a strong
resistance to alcohol, but was still beginning to lose his concentration. “Listen Raea, you
know more than anyone else, that entering the Khazan tournament has always been my
dream, and now its just gone up in smoke.” Indeed, becoming a fighter in the FPL had
always been his dream since he saw the first Main Event fight when he was a little boy.
He had met Raea when he was seventeen years old, and the two had formed a bond while
trying to pursue the same dream.
-----Tim was of average height, about six feet tall and with a strong build. He had
trained himself to be strong and fast, but lacked the combat experience that would make
him a true warrior. He was dressed in a red shirt and jeans, which made him look like a
normal commoner of Khazan city, though this was because he really couldn’t afford a
special costume. Still, Tim stood out in the crowd because of his dark gray hair and
green, crystalline eyes. Some believed that he wasn’t native to Khazan, but that was something
that he could neither confirm nor deny.
-----Raea was the complete opposite of Tim in some ways. She was dressed in an
elaborate red low-cut dress that shined like it was a diamond. She was a beautiful young
woman with fiery red hair and blue eyes. She was thin and attractive, but also deceptively
strong and athletic. While Tim was somewhat impatient and reckless, Raea was smart and
persevering.
-----Tim had envied Raea because while she had not yet bothered to sign up for the
tournament, she had already been accepted into the SLJ, an accomplishment which he too
had wished to make.
-----“Don’t talk like that,” Raea said, slapping him on the back of the head. “You’re a
twenty-five year old man, you’ve got your entire life ahead of you. In fact, I think that if
you train yourself a little while longer, you’ll be ready to enter by next year.”
-----“I appreciate your confidence Raea, I really do, but how am I supposed to train
with a weapon that I don’t truly understand.”
-----“What, you can’t get some help from some master swordsman. And what about
telekinesis. I know that you know very little about your father, but we both know he was
a natural telekinetic.”
-----“I can’t seek help from just any master swordsman Raea. This isn’t a normal
sword. Sure it looks like a normal blade, but it has something else to it, something I can’t
grasp. Oh, and my father wasn’t a natural telekinetic. The sword gave him that power.
So you see, I can’t learn how utilize any of these powers.”
-----“Well, I still say you should try. There’s no harm in trying. At the very least you
can become a better swordsman. Look at what it did for the Screaming Swordsman.”
She kissed him on the cheek and gave him a long hug. “Well I’ve gotta go. The SLJ have
a meeting scheduled. Don’t drink too much okay.”
-----With that, she left the bar and Tim continued to drink. How am I supposed to
learn about this weapons power? It was true, he knew nothing of this sword. His father
had left the weapon after his death, and Tim knew very little about his father. He had died
when he was very young, and Tim could find no trace of their family history on Khazan.
The sword itself was similar to a katana, but with a more curved blade. It’s hilt was
decorated with gold and diamonds that shimmered in any light. All he knew was that the
blade granted numerous powers to its user, but what those powers were and how to
control them was something he didn’t know.
-----Tim finished off his drink and wiped the sweat from his dark gray hair. He
stumbled out the door as he left, garnering a couple laughs from the other drunkards in the
process.
-----The Unsubtle ran with through the Dark Shadow Forest as fast as she could, but
Captain Khazan continued to close in as he simply flew straight through most of the
branches. The Unsubtle knew that if Captain Khazan was right behind her, then Amy
Coleman wouldn’t be far behind.
-----“Damn my luck,” Unsubtle said to herself. “I might not even get back to the
capital city.”
-----As she struggled to keep running through the harsh terrain, she noticed a small
opening up ahead of her. It was a cave entrance...no, it was an entrance to THE caves. The
endless caves. Staring into the blind darkness of the cavern, she knew that it was her only
hope. Surely her stealth skills would allow her to escape the SLJ inside of the Endless
Caves. The Unsubtle wasted no time as she picked up speed and dove head first through
the small opening.
-----Amy will undoubtedly track me down, she thought. Still, once they are inside, I
can lose them!
-----The cave was dark as always, but one could see quite easily inside thanks to the
illumination of its crystals and minerals. The shadows formed by the leaking beams of
light covered the vast underground valley with valuable cover. Everywhere she looked
she saw numerous rock formations and tunnels. It had a damp smell, but also a new,
different smell that escaped the Unsubtle’s memory. It was a smell she was unfamiliar
with, and it suddenly made her feel regret for coming into the caves.
-----It made no difference now, however. There was no turning back, and she could
only run blindly through the endless passages and tunnels that made up the caves. Behind
her she could hear Captain Khazan’s voice and knew instantly that they had followed her
inside. She listened for their footsteps and realized that they had managed to discover
which tunnel she had taken. The Unsubtle began to panic. She was an expert of stealth,
but she was also facing not one, but two experienced detectives.
-----The Unsubtle thought that perhaps it was time that she use her stealth in a different
way. There was a small possibility that she could kill both of them in a sneak attack. If
she timed it just right, she could take out Amy before her danger sense allowed her to
react. Captain Khazan was the real problem. His armor was so powerful, and all she had
left was her trusty pistol. If worst came to worst, she could just kill one of them and then
hope to get away.
-----The footsteps of the two SLJ members grew louder as they approached. The
Unsubtle managed to use this to create an E.T.A for the heroes, and moved up further to a
place with more cover. The Marauder found exactly what she was looking for in a large
circular chamber with numerous passageways. Taking her pistol into her hand, the
Unsubtle crawled into a small passageway and waited patiently. She struggled to keep her
back to the hero’s entrance and her breath light. This was it. Her future career in the
Marauder’s would depend on this next moment. It was them or her. The footsteps grew
louder. It wouldn’t be much longer now. The Unsubtle tightened her grip on the pistol,
and found sweat dripping down her face.
-----It was then that The Unsubtle had a sudden realization. The cave area she was in.
It was too perfect to be natural. Although it was hard to tell, she was absolutely sure that
the chamber was of perfect circular design, and the several of the passages looked like
perfect hallways. Even the wall her back was pressed against felt sticky and moist.
-----Not wanting to be caught off guard, the Unsubtle focused her attention again on
the footsteps, but instead heard another sound. A hissing? Yes, it was a hissing sound,
like a snake. As the sound grew louder it also became deeper, like a low moan. Then it
became like a growl, like a viscous animal.
-----The Unsubtle looked to the left and saw a horrifying creature approaching her.
Seven feet tall and armored from head to toe with dark plated skin and horns. It was
humanoid apparently, but that was the end of its parallels with man. Its hands were
decorated by long silver claws, and its face resembled a demon from a child’s nightmares.
It opened its mouth, revealing its rows of jagged teeth to the Unsubtle.
-----The Marauder quickly pointed her pistol towards the beast, but the creature moved
with exceptional speed and extended its arm out to slash her. The Unsubtle fell back out
of the passageway, landing back inside the circular chamber. She got to her feet as
quickly as she could and saw that the creature had followed her. It eyed her like a piece of
meat, which made her fell very uncomfortable. Suddenly, the beast turned its attention to
the two others who entered the chamber.
-----“Well, what do we have here?” Captain Khazan asked. “More Khazanian criminals
no doubt.”
-----The beast lunged at them, but Captain Khazan tore straight through the beast with
a quick punch, killing it instantly.
-----“Well, that was easy,” the Captain remarked.
-----A number of growls and hisses suddenly filled the room. The Unsubtle and the
heroes turned their attention to the dark passages that were suddenly filled with dozens of
the beasts, all of them the same.
-----“My God, how many of them are there?” The Unsubtle said. She pointed her
pistol and began firing. One shot hit a monster in the head, penetrating its skull and
dropping it to the ground. Another tore through a creature’s neck. But for every one that
was killed, three more took its place. A dozen or more approached them suddenly. One
jumped towards the ceiling and prepared to fall on the Unsubtle, who quickly focused her
cross-hairs and blew the creatures brains out before it could finish its attack.
-----Four of the creatures moved in closer and began to taunt the Unsubtle. With
renewed confidence, the Marauder gladly fired at the beasts, killing two of them quickly.
However, the other two remained undaunted and launched bursts of fire from their
demonic hands. The Unsubtle dodged one, but was hit by the second. The heat of the fire
burned her shoulders, forcing her to drop the pistol. The creatures took advantage of the
moment and leapt straight at her, striking her in the chest with surprising force. She hit
the ground hard and fell unconscious.
-----Meanwhile, five of the creatures tackled Captain Khazan at once. The strong
super hero struck left and right as they tore at his armored skin with their claws. The
relentless beasts jumped on his back, tackled his body, and grabbed his arms.
-----“Well, these creatures have no fear.” the Captain said. “Too bad, because I
suppose they don’t understand the consequences...” He caved in a creatures skull with one
quick punch, then sent a creature flying across the room with a strong backhand. With
swift martial arts, the Captain began to rip the creatures apart with his super strength.
-----The monsters, while weak, were numerous, and continued to attack without fear
of death. Several began to attack with fire blasts yet again, scorching the Captain’s armor.
-----Amy could see that Captain Khazan was in need of help, so she began to affect all
of the creatures with her illusions. The Captain once again took control of the battle,
destroying every creature in sight, that is until a much larger creature showed its face.
This new beast had long, disproportionate limbs and apparently had no mouth. Its eyes
began to glow red, and the other beasts too, began to glow with the same intensity.
Suddenly they were all faster, stronger, and in every way more powerful than before.
They attacked the duo with fire, claws, and brute force. Dozens of them came at a time,
and soon the entire chamber seemed to be lit.
-----“I think now would be a good time for a retreat Ms. Coleman,” The captain said.
-----Amy nodded in agreement, and the two took off, leaving the Marauder behind.
-----The Deminites approached the unconscious brunette and sniffed her. She was
alive, but harmless at the moment. A few of the creatures moved in to kill her, but they
were stopped by the words of their master.
-----Jon Avalon came into the room and observed the woman as she came to. Jon
Avalon instructed the others to back away so as not to frighten her, for the moment.
When the Unsubtle finally got up, she jumped back in defense realized that she was
surrounded. Her pistol...even that was now gone.
-----“Do not worry miss. I have no intention of harming you...yet,” Jon said. “Unless
of course, you’d like to start a fight.”
-----“Hmph, charming,” The unsubtle replied. “What do you want with me. Wait a
minute, scratch that, first I want to know who the hell you are?”
-----“Such a talker,” Jon said. “Actually I would like to inquire you of the same
information. Then maybe I will tell you something of myself.”
-----The Unsubtle looked at the man who stood before her. Tall, dark, mysterious. He
gave off an aura that he was a professional, a man who sees his job done till the end. He
had a cold stare, small eyes, and light blue hair that practically glowed in the darkness of
the endless caves. She was not sure about his combat abilities, but that didn’t matter, for
she was unarmed and surrounded. “Very well. If you must know, I am called the
Unsubtle. I’m a member of the Marauders. This is Marauder territory. You are
trespassing on Toc Darkone’s property mister...mister...”
-----“Avalon. Jon “darkenfire” Avalon, and I’m afraid you are the one who is
trespassing miss Unsubtle.”
-----“What do you mean?”
-----“We have occupied the Endless caves for many years now. The Marauder
occupation of Zel’Mier has just occurred recently if I’m not mistaken. Yes. that’s right, I
have been watching the people of the surface for some time. I know everything about the
Fallen, the Marauders, the Maniacal heroes, and the SLJ.”
-----“Well, I haven’t heard anything about you. Just what the hell are you doing in the
Endless Caves Mr. Avalon?”
-----“Why don’t you come with me then? I will show you what you wish to know.”
-----“What? OK, just wait a minute here. I’m not going anywhere.”
-----“You don’t seem to be in a position to make demands miss. Now, I would hate to
take advantage of your unarmed state, so please, just follow this way.”
-----The numerous creatures took position behind her, and the Unsubtle realized that
she had no choice. At least she knew that they had no intention to kill her thusfar.
Perhaps she could learn some more about these people.
-----Vincentzo Maiinverno was walking through the lush woods of Araelis, enjoying
the scenery that would soon be his. He smiled at the thought that he was making his first
big step to fulfilling his royal heritage. As leader of Araelis, he would undoubtedly make
steps to becoming the ruler of Khazan. It was natural, of course, for the best of the best
to lead.
-----Maiinverno’s thoughts were broke apart at the sound of footprints. Not a dozen
feet. Not even a hundred. It sounded like a march of several thousand men. The wizard
hid in the bushed and peaked around a tree to see what he had heard. It was an army,
with no doubt. Several thousand men...no not men, monsters, were marching up the hills.
Fearsome, dark demons, tall mutated creatures, reptilian men, dog-like beasts, and various
other monstrosities. The group was led by a peculiar man, a man with very little facial
details, aside from his blood stained lips and sharp teeth. He was just as demonic as his
army, but his armored skin was white and decorated with various battle symbols. As the
creature marched forward, he stretched out a pair of angelic wings and held up a strange
looking weapon.
-----What is that? Maiinverno thought. It looks like some sort of Halberd. The
wizard got a bad feeling about this army. Somehow, he knew that Araelis would be in
danger. Perhaps this was the perfect opportunity though. An opportunity to prove to the
people of Araelis that he was their savior. He watched as the leader gave directions to his
forces. Unfortunately, the wizard could not hear their conversation. However, he was
able to see that the army was breaking up into divisions and traveling in different
directions. This was perfect for the young wizard. If the army was broken into smaller
detachments, he could take them out one by one.
-----“What’s that?” Maiinverno whispered as he felt something inside of himself cry
out. It was danger...close. His inner senses suddenly told him that an attack was coming
from his left. So, they aren’t so stupid I see. They must have scouts.
-----The unknown attackers fired their weapons, sending a burst of laser fire at the
wizard. With perfect timing, Maiinverno leapt out of the way and conjured a ball of fire
into his hand. “Now, take this...Peasant!” With that, a ball of pure hell was released. An
entire section of the Forrest was suddenly ablaze, and the screams of the hostile creatures
grew louder as they were engulfed in the flames.
-----More danger was detected after that. The gunfire had no doubt attracted more
attention. Maiinverno saw, much to his dismay, that an entire division was approaching.
A man in dark black armor stepped in front, his face filled with scars. “Ah, the Hunter
Killers have discovered some prey. Remember what Aigonis told us. No one in Araelis
must survive!”
-----“Hold on commoner!” Vincentzo said assertively. “Who the hell are you to bring
your trash on my land. Have you no understanding of where you are? Do you not know
with whom you speak? I am Vincentzo Maiinverno. Future ruler of this land...hero of the
people. You should bow before your royal highness laborer.”
-----“Hmph, I don’t recall liking your type,” the armored one spat. “But, if you truly
are Araelis’ future ruler, then I guess you’ve saved us a lot of trouble.”
-----“How dare you speak to me like that. You don’t know what type of power you’re
dealing with here young man. Get away from my city or suffer the consequences.”
-----Maiinverno stood tall and proud, awaiting his adversary’s reply. The scarred
warrior simply stood and stared coldly before whispering, “Kill him.”
-----Hordes of humanoid creatures stormed towards their target. Maiinverno quickly
reacted by sending out a powerful fire spell that lit the field, forming a wall of fire against
the demons. “Ha, I warned you about my power.”
-----The tall dark one only laughed. “You underestimate us wizard! Your pride will be
your downfall.”
-----It was then that Maiinverno realized that the demons were manipulating his own
fire, moving it towards him in the shape of fiery wolves and snakes. The young mage
canceled his spell and once again was face to face with his enemies.
-----“Don’t be afraid of the mage Deminites,” the scarred man said. “Kill him, now!”
-----As the creatures ran towards him, Maiinverno realized that he would need a new
tactic. With quick thinking, the wizard conjured an illusion of a wall to sway the thoughts
of the unintelligent Deminites. The creatures stopped in their tracks, dazed and confused
at what had appeared in front of them. Before they could understand, Maiinverno finished
his incantation and released a blast of chain lightning which streaked through the lines of
Deminites one at a time.
-----The scarred captain grimaced as the Deminites fell to the ground dead. “Damn
you wizard. But no matter. There is no pride in killing a few measly Deminites...they are
expendable. We’ll see how you like these.” The man whistled, and soon the other
members of his division showed up. There were twenty green humans, no...reptiles. Their
long scaly faces resembled a demonic komodo dragon and their long tales waved back and
forth with delight at the sight of their target. They each pulled out swords and began to
move towards him.
-----“Swords?” Maiinverno laughed. “Your demons armed with fire and lasers fail to
stop the greatness that is I and now you think swords will stop me?”
-----“Oh...were not done yet.” The man replied. He snapped his fingers, and instantly a
tribe of Deminites appeared to back up their reptilian comrades. Another creature rose
from the ground as well. This one was tall and uglier than any before it. Its
disproportionate limbs moved back and forth though the air, revealing their sharp edges.
“Hive Guard...make sure our minions succeed this time.”
-----The monster’s eyes, the only feature that could be seen on its dark face, glowed
red with an intensity that matched the strongest fire Maiinverno could conjure. At the
same time, the beast in front of the wizard began to flow red as well. They roared with
renewed vigor, and suddenly became much more aggressive. One of the lizard men took
the first strike, running at the wizard at insane speed. Maiinverno raised his hands to
counter its attack, but he was too late, it blurred though the fields and came face to face
with him. Its sword was raised into the air, sheathed by the creatures ominous glow.
-----Then there came the sound of “AIGGGHHHH-YAGHHHH” as an unknown
warrior jumped through the air and gave the lizard man a fierce kick to the face, sending it
flying across the fields.
-----“If you think you evil doer’s are going to get away with this, think again,” The
mysterious man said. “For now POWAAA!!!-MAN is here!”
-----The scarred captain seemed confused. “Pow...Powaa Man?”
-----Vincentzo too, was surprised by the man’s arrival. He was dressed in a pink gi,
pink for god’s sake. What type of martial artist was this supposed to be?
-----“Ugh, what stinks here,” Vincentzo asked.
-----POWAAA!!!-MAN turned and said, “oh, sorry, that must be me. Its my secret
weapon. Now, stand back. I will defeat these evil ones.”
-----The wizard was angered by his audacity, but was even more surprised when he got
a good look at his face.
-----“Woose? Woose is that you?”
-----“What? I have no idea what you’re talking about,” POWAAA!!!-MAN said.
“Although I am flattered that you would compare me to such a handsome man. But no, I
am not, nor could I ever be Woose Brain. I am POWAAA!!!-MAN!”
-----The so-called martial artist suddenly noticed that he wasn’t wearing a mask.
Damn. I forgot the mask again.
-----POWAAA!!!-MAN shifted his attention to the attacking monsters and took his
stance. “All right, its time to suffer the wrath of POWAAA!!!-MAN!”
-----The Unsubtle walked for what seemed like hours through the Endless Caves.
There were Deminites in front of her, behind her, all around her. There seemed to be
nothing she could do, save follow them and find out what they were doing.
-----“How long are we going to walk?” The Unsubtle asked.
-----“Worried?” Jon replied. “Do not fear. As I said I have no intention of harming
you.”
-----“Yeah, well I seem to remember the word ‘yet’ being uttered. Furthermore, I
don’t trust you.”
-----“I am a man of my word miss. Whether or not you believe that now is none of my
concern.”
-----The Unsubtle was about to continue talking, especially since she had found that it
annoyed the hell out of all of them, but she was stunned when she realized that she had
entered something far different from the rest of the cave. She was now in what appeared
to be an underground colony, like a giant insect hive, but filled with demonic creatures of
all shapes and sizes. Artificial light were aligned along the walls and ceilings, which had
been modified to create the perfect chamber. It must have stretched on for miles, and in
the distance, she could see what looked like an immense castle of black rock.
-----It took nearly an hour to cross the enormous place, but the Unsubtle saw all of it.
The vast chambers, the tunnels, the creatures. “What the hell is going on here? These
people have been down here for years? How is that possible?”
-----Eventually they came to the castle, and walked up the numerous stairways and
dark passages until they reached a large rectangular room. Jon Avalon took position in
the room’s center and waited.
-----“What now?” The Unsubtle said.
-----“Patience. He is coming.”
-----The shadows of the chamber began to move and dance as if they lived, and the
light that dimly lit the cavern chamber began to flicker. A massive dragon-like beast
emerged from the darkness, but kept his form hidden in the shadows. The Unsubtle could
see numerous spikes, two hands, and a long neck with a dragon’s head. Despite this, she
could not make out much about the beast other than its glowing red eyes.
-----“Who...who are you?” The Unsubtle said.
-----“I...am Drekis, Lord of the Dark Order,” the creature said in a booming voice. Its
eyes began to glow even brighter. “I apologize for the actions of my Deminites. They are
effective soldiers, but they aren’t very intelligent. They must have mistaken you for a
hero.”
-----“Well I’m certainly not one of them. What the hell are you doing down here
Drekis?”
-----“Such questions!” Drekis said. “Very well, if you must know, I have been
observing the people of Khazan for some time. We have some serious ambitions, much
like you people. We agree with both the philosophies of the Marauders and the Fallen,
and believe that the dark powers of Khazan are this planet’s future.”
-----“You see,” Jon Avalon started. “For several months, we have been preparing
down here in this labyrinth. Our armies have been forged and gathered, and soon we will
launch our attacks.”
-----“Our ultimate goal,” Drekis continued, hissing with great pleasure, “is to crush the
SLJ and the Maniacal heroes. Once they are gone, the forces of darkness will take control
of this planet once and for all.”
-----“Really?” The Unsubtle said. “So you want to help us. Why should I, or any
other Marauder, trust something like you.”
-----“I understand. Many have been wary of my actions before. However, I think that
you will be pleasantly surprised by my deal. You see, I have been on a mission these past
five millenniums. What that mission is is none of your business, but I will tell you that
money and treasure is none of my concern. I have no need for the things. Once the SLJ
and the Maniacals have been defeated, the Marauder’s can have all of the planet’s riches.”
-----“All we need to ensure victory,” Jon said, “Is more information about the SLJ and
the Maniacal heroes. We have basic information that our spies could gather, but only you,
the forces that have been in constant struggle with the heroes, could ever know of their
true weaknesses.”
-----“Oh, I see,” The Unsubtle said. “You want information, and in return you help us
defeat the SLJ?”
-----“In a manner of speaking, yes,” Drekis said. “Of course, my empire will have no
direct tie with the Marauder’s, as we will be helping the Fallen as well.”
-----“Hmmm...we’ve never gotten along well with the Fallen. They are the complete
opposite of us,” The Unsubtle said. “Truthfully, I am not the one to make any sort of
deal. Tell you what though, if you send me back to the capital of Zel’Mier, I’ll tell Toc
Darkone about you and your offer.”
-----“Of course. Take your time deciding, but be aware that my empire will begin its
attacks on the SLJ with, or without your consent.”
-----“Oh sure, blow the hell out of them. Its not like I care.”
-----“Very well. One of my minions will show you the way back to your city
Marauder,” Drekis said. He motioned towards one of the demonic creatures and the beast
immediately gestured for the Unsubtle to follow it.
-----The Unsubtle exchanged glances with the large creature, and then the mysterious
Jon Avalon before she turned and followed the Deminite out.
-----When she was gone, Jon Avalon smiled. “You think it is all right to let her tell
Toc about us master.”
-----“It doesn’t matter. For now, the Marauder’s will see us as a potential ally. And if
they are smart enough to realize that we are not, then Toc will still be too busy trying to
keep Zel’Mier under his control to do anything about us.”
-----“Very well, and since the Marauder’s don’t see us as a threat...”
-----“They won’t try to stop us. Not until the SLJ and the other heroes are already in
disarray. Not until it is too late.”
-----“Yes my lord. Our forces are already ready to launch attacks against the Fallen,
Lotmu, SLJ, Maniacal heroes, and the Marauders. Aigonis and Horror have already
moved their forces out.”
-----“Good,” Drekis said. “Then Araelis and Cretalia will fall soon.”
-----“Before the end of the month my lord.”
-----The dark lord laughed and grinned. “Excellent. Perhaps our plans will set into
motion faster than I thought. Avalon...”
-----“Yes sire?”
-----“Take your army to Xaelon, and make sure the entire city kingdom burns to the
ground. It shall be our first true symbol of my Empire’s advent.”
-----“Of course. I shall leave right away.” The general turned and walked out of the
castle without a second thought. He had been given a mission, now he would complete it.
-----Drekis watched from his main window as Jon “DarkenFire” Avalon led his army
out of the hive, his forces marching towards victory. “Yes, soon. Very soon. My day
shall come. People of Khazan, my name will soon be known to you. This planet, so rich
in power. By the time I am done here, I will have what I need. All of these centuries of
hard work will finally be completed on this world.”
-----The sound of his booming laughter echoed throughout the caves.