No Alternative (Nemo!)

[Paradox]

ooc- Sorry , my friends, but this is a closed thread for the time being. :3 We might open it up a wee bit later after certain events are out of the way.

Nemo, I am sorry for how unnecessarily long this post is. I'm even MORE sorry there's hardly much action in it. >.> Oh well, next post. Just make things up. Town is on fire. People running around screaming/getting killed or captured by freaky alien humanoids riding monster thingys (I'm just imagining there are different kinds of monsters but maybe the aliens riding them have a distinct look or something. Have fun with it! And uh ....yeah mages casting spells, non-mages using guns, swords or whatever they can get their hands on to defend themselves. Frying pots as weapons even! Cattle prods! Go wild!

Lastly, you really don't have to read until Part 3. The first 2 parts of this post is fluffy. I applaud you if you read it. lol...


ic-

Part 1

  From his perch high atop the town's water tower, Bryant could hear the ringing bells echoing from Town Hall on the far end of town. The sound signaled the end of the work day. It was time to prepare for the night. With a heavy sigh and a bit of reluctance he rose to stand and moved for the ladder though as he moved around the water tank to lower himself down, he noted a familiar face that looked remarkably similar to his own ascending to meet him; it was his sister.

"Bryant!" She shouted at him the moment she had pulled herself to the top, "I knew I'd find you lazing about up here! You were supposed to help me with the chickens!"

"Sorry, Bri, " her lazy elder brother replied, " I came up here for a break and I guess I kinda dozed off."

Predictably, his answer only made his little sister cross. Though three years younger, and far smaller, she packed quite a wallop. She punched him in the gut and he responded with a grimace and a reflexive , "Oof!"

"You JERK!" She fumed, " You always do this to me! You're so lazy! " She stamped her booted foot down on hard on the wooded platform they stood on side-by-side to emphasize her anger towards him and then narrowed her green eyes at him and pointed at him, her skinny little finger poking him hard in the nose, "You better make this up to me, big brother, or I swear I'm telling papa. And you know what happens when he finds out that you're skipping out on your responsibilities."

Bryant's complexion paled considerably. He dreaded to think about that. If there was one thing his old man hated it was idleness. He'd be worked to the bone and he'd probably be assigned some of his sister's chores for all the times she'd had to pick up his slack.

Yes, he'd better make it up to her indeed. He nodded and grinned at her, " Alright, alright. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you big time. "

Bri leaned in close to him and stared into his eyes, "Promise? "

"Yeah. Cross my heart, " he made the gesture , marking an imaginary 'x' across his chest and over where he assumed his heart was and grinned at her. "So, next time lighten up on the punch? I think you might have broken a rib." He chucked and rubbed his side, mocking a grimace.

Bri punched him again, though the second blow was softer, "Wimp!"

He laughed and looped an arm around her shoulder, pulled her in close  and gave her a noogie , making sure to mess up her long well-maintained blond hair as much as he possibly could. "Call me that again, shorty."

"WIMP! " She punched him again and he released her, laughing the whole time.

"Geeze, I'm starting to think that girls develop their irrationally violent tendencies on their eighteenth birthdays."

"No. You're just such a pain that it makes girls violent towards you! Anyway, my birthday is tomorrow, dummy. " Bri made a face at him and he pulled one back at her.

"I know, dummy, "He retorted, mocking her voice. That was a lie. In truth, he'd sort of lost track of time which kind of made him feel terrible because he had no present for her yet and he seriously had no ideas what to do about that. 

His sister laughed, "So that means...you have to make it up to me by giving me the BEST present. If I'm not satisfied, then you have to do my chores for...a whole month!"

"Okay, that's not fair-"

She narrowed her eyes dangerously at him, daring him to finish that sentence.

Wisely, he swallowed down his protests and forced a smile. It's not like he had a choice, "Alright. Fine. Just don't blame me if my gift to you makes everyone else feel guilty."

Bri rolled her eyes which was a gesture that she clearly doubted that her brother could make good on his word, "I think they'll manage." She replied flatly and , having said this she placed a hand on his shoulder lightly when the pair of them heard the town hall bells ringing a second time, "Come on. It's almost supper time. " 

Down the ladder the siblings went. Sister first.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part Two

After an evening meal at home, Bryant joined the town's handful of mages (numbering just barely under a score) to go about their usual torch lighting ritual that was performed at every sundown . The mage fires were not simply lit to illuminate the town itself , but to ward off certain extremely dangerous nocturnal predators.

The torches were placed in the soil around the perimeter of town so that they formed a protective circle around it. Attatched to long wood poles, they stood nearly the same height as Bryant's shoulder. There were a great number of them and the lighting ritual took , at the fastest, about half of an hour to complete when the mages were having a good day.

This part of the day was something most didn't look forward to because of the horrors that the darkened hours brought. Strangely, Bryant always looked forward to them because it was the one time that he actually felt useful and the one time where he could practice fire magics and set something on fire without being scolded for it.

He made his way to the eastern edge of town and approached one of the unlit torches.In scare a breath, the young mage whispered the words of power. He focused his thoughts on the task, shutting everything else out around him until... he felt heat licking his right palm. Bryant looked down, his eyes taking in the sight of the small fire burning in his hand; it was no larger than the size of his fist.  Grinning, he looked up and grinned at an older man standing a few feet away from him, "Look, Gilbrid!"

The old man glanced his way, a small but visible smile cracking his ancient visage as he regarded his eager young apprentice with a nod of approval, "Not bad, son. Here, let's not waste an opportunity and get this lit," he held out a torch he'd been holding in his hand towards the fire that flickered in Bryant's palm.

Bryant's eyes sparkled with his enthusiasm as he watched the torch being lit by HIS fire. HIS . Not his master's. Not another mage's , but HIS fire. He couldn't wait to tell Bri! Swelling with pride, he inquired, " I think I'm finally getting the hang of this. Think I'll have it mastered by the end of the year?"

Gilbrid lit a torch and made it look like child's play. Bryant tried not to feel envious of the older man's abilities. After all, his Master had over sixty-five years of experience. "Mmmm...doubt it. " The old man chuckled, his ability and humor completely deflating his somewhat arrogant little apprentice.

The flames died in his palms, snuffed out by his mood. " I'm getting better though. I didn't set my pants on fire this time."

Gilbrid laughed and moved further east to light another torch, " True. I'll give you that. Your control is better than what it used to be . Just don't let that fact get to your head , boy. "

Bryant moved to another torch, tried to fall into focus to summon heat in his palms again but all he got was a brief spark and then...nothing. "I don't get it. How do you do it? " Sighing, he pulled his lit torch free from the earth and used it to light the one he'd failed to.

Gilbrid lit another torch, "That's because you're trying too hard. You expect too much too soon and you get frustrated by failure easily, this clouds your spirit and it suffocates the flames. You are talented, but you are also impatient and overconfident. Your skill with earth and water is remarkable , almost naturally it comes to you so you have come to expect the other elements to be mastered just as easily. You are fair with air , but fire eludes you because you fill your thoughts with the belief that you know what you're doing and that fire should obey you. Clear your thoughts, accept that you know nothing and try a different approach. I think a few hours of deep reflection might do you some good. "

Bryant snorted at the idea, "Oh yeah. Sitting still with my eyes closed and thinking about ...nothing is really going to help enlighten me." He always fell asleep during his meditation periods. Idly, he wondered if Gilbrid knew this. He probably did.

Shrugging, the elder mage lit another torch, " You asked for my advice and I gave it to you. It took me many years to be where I am and yet I am still no Master. You should be happy with where you are and how much you have learned in your short years. "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part 3

By the time the mages were finished with the lighting ritual , the sun had nearly vanished behind the horizon and darkness fell. The mages formed a ring behind the torch barrier and ...they waited.

Now came the part Bryant really looked forward to: night watch. Every eve when the sun set and the three moons rose…monstrous flesh-eating creatures came out to play. Most creatures possessed light-sensitive vision and were easily warded off by the mage fires. Some, however, were not so easily deterred and it was against such monsters that Bryant would finally get to put his magical capabilities to the test. He didn’t have to hold back either and was encouraged, even, to release the full force of his offensive magics. Except fire,of course.

For half the night the mages stood watch, though they were not the only ones.  A score of men and women armed with miscellaneous weapons stood ready ,watching shadows prowl about the mage-lit perimeter but never daring to draw too near to the blinding light.

Time passed and so came the changing of the guard. The first half of the night was uneventful, much to Bryant's disappointment as he trudged home tiredly. He knew, of course , that this was a good thing. Even so, he'd wanted something to attack so he could crush it , drown it, or electrocute it. He craved the excitement!

Reaching his house which was one of the closer residences to Town Hall, he tried the door. It had been left unlocked as he expected because his parents always took second shift. He pushed the door open and found them sitting in the front room by the hearth talking. Most likely about baby-related stuff. They'd been doing that a lot lately. His next sibling was due in a month or two.

"Mom, dad," Bryant greeted them, "first watch is over. " He informed them.

His parents stopped talking and looked over at their eldest as he quietly closed the door behind him and started walking to his room- well, the room he had to share with Bri.

"Are you alright, dear?" His mother inquired like she always did. She always worried too much, Bryant thought.

Pausing in step, Bryant turned to face her, " Yeah. Sure. Nothing really happened tonight," He replied with a shrug, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice. Unlike him, his parents never looked forward to the night.

"That's a relief," His father said and rose from his chair by the hearth with a grunt, " Well, guess it's my turn now. " He leaned over and kissed his wife passionately on the lips which made their son blush and turn his gaze away.

Really? Why couldn't they do that mushy stuff when he still on watch? Yuck! He hastily left the room , turning down a narrow hall and entering the first room on the left. He was careful to open the door as slowly and quietly as he could so as not to disturb his sister who he knew would be fast asleep in her bed. He closed the door behind himself and made his way over to his bed on the opposite side of the room to hers and collapsed into it face first. He didn't even bother stripping down to his boxers. He was much too lazy for that.

Starting tomorrow, his sister wouldn't be a child anymore. From that moment on she would join the night watch. She would fight and maybe even die defending their home as he'd watched others do. Thinking this kept him awake for awhile, somewhat stricken with worry. Pity he couldn't freeze time so she'd never turn eighteen.

I still don't know what I'm going to give her for her birthday tomorrow. Ah well. I'll think of something in the morning...

With those thoughts in mind, Bryant drifted off to sleep.

A few hours later, he was awakened by an unholy chorus of screaming and the smell of smoke. He leaped out of bed and ran over to the window, peering out. He saw the building across the dusty street fully ablaze . "Oh no...what the hell is going on?"

He needn't have asked. Something or someone was attacking Siorus, obviously. His eyes widened as he watched a man run by his window, shouting for people to flee hysterically. "Mister Ainsley!" Bryant tried to call after him, but even as he did so something long and metallic shot past his eye after the fleeing man. It caught up with it's victim, hitting the man squarely in the back. Mister Ainsley's body gave sudden violent jerk forward and he stopped running as something exploded out his chest, spraying blood from the gaping wound it had created. The thing that had burst through his chest looked like some sort of clawed hook connected to a chain . He watched with wide eyes as Ainsley fell backwards and was dragged away, hardly moving but making soft, gurgling protests.  Bryant hastily backed away from the window and bumped into something behind him.

Startled, he whirled around and was ready to electrocute whatever intruder had made its way in here...

"Bryant! It's me!" Bri took a step back and held up her arms in a vain attempt to protect herself from him.

He relaxed  , "Sorry. I'm on edge. Something's happening outside. "

"I know," she replied, sounding calmer than he'd expect from her, "and I don't know what's happening either. Mom won't let me see. She said it's too dangerous. "

Bryant looked back over his shoulder at the window and at the fires engulfing town hall, "I really don't think we're safe in here either." He grabbed her by the arm , "Stay with me and you'll be alright. Let's find mom."

[Enkashi]

((Looks great to me <33 no worries!))

"G-1 Alpha requesting clearance for drop procedure 32-1-niner, Apple Dog Dog Über Charlie Triangle" A girl's voice came from the darkness of space. From a distance, Edanith looked so peaceful, and from this range it looked as though a small islan had floated into the outer stratosphere, barely visible in the glow of radiation from the sun being distributed across the outer stratosphere of the once-red world.

"G-1 Alpha clearance granted, code ADDUCT confirmed. Stand by for Arc Calculation." Came a man's feply. Bring the view closer - the island is not one of green grass and red earth, but of steel and stone, a great tree, irregular in th absence of gravity, rounding its profile somewhat, its leaves black as coal and broad as houses. In space, the difference between massive and tiny is hard to perceive, but this close to the Red Planet and its moons, the difference is large as life.

And facing the planet, a pair of metal arms shifted slowly, ever paralell to one another. Energy was gathering along their lengths, arcing between them visibly... Though you would need special glasses to see that this was the case.

"Arc Calculation complete, prepare for planetfall, G-1 Alpha."

"Roger." Came the female's reply again, with just the faintest shiver of excitement in her voice. Oh, how she'd awaited this day! Even now she could not contain her excitement. The control procedures did not even require thought at this point - she had run through the simulator with almost religeous dedication.

"On my mark." Came the male voice again. Commander Edsbraunt was stone-faced, but he produced his key from around his neck. He knew this was the purpose of the project... And gods willing, she was an epitome of everything he could have wanted for the project... But even so. This... Was uncharted territory. He fingered the key a little... And glanced at a person in the console room - a woman, blonde, in a smock and glasses, stared back. She smiled... And nodded. He flipped up the glass case that held a single keyhole... And a red button. The key was inserted, and... held. In the command room, with the monitors aglow with topography of the planet's surface, and images from the terraformer... He turned the key.

Outside, a bay on the underside below the metal arms opened, and a roughly egg-shape pod began to shift into space, the briefest puff of white from the opening hinting at the atmosphere being vented, such of it that was left in the hangar. Faintly, the commander could hear an ancient poem, a prayer from his childhood with his mind's ear. Was he just imagining it?

"Three" he said. The engines on the pod primed, flickering to life as lights along the metal arms lit up.

"Two" they began to gather strength in thrust, and voices came from the consoles in the rooms as people reported their steps in the procedure "Clamps are holding!" "Thrust at eighty! Ninety! One hundred percent!"

"One." And the station was shaking a little as the maneuvering thrusters compensted for the pod's warmup thrust.

"Drop!" And he slammed his fist on the button! There was a SHUNK, and the pod blazed down the rails with phenomenal speed, the station giving a tiny lurch as the hydraulics in the arms absorbed the blow.

"G-1 Alpha is away!" The commander said, and focused his attention on the screen as he again replaced the key around his neck and closed the lid on the console. The barrier plates were already blackening as the pod entered Edanith's atmosphere and powered through. Everything was going swimmingly - the Gemeni prototype would make planetfall in the training area set yp for her, and the project would finally get the attention from his superiors it-

There was a sudden blur of movement, and the external camera on the pod began to blur with static!

"Trajectory fault! Code omega! The G-1 Alpha pod has been hit! I repeat, it has been hit! Thrusters at 25 percent, she's out of control!" The blonde scientist said, inly her training keeping her from panic.

"Hit by what?" The commander demanded.

"Some kind of energy weapon! Unknown! G-1 Alpha is unharmed, but the pod isn't going to make it to the drop--"

"Cut thrust and balance it out - drop her somewhere safe. Can we still contact her?"

There was a short pause, in which the screen of the pod went completely static. The officer on comms shook her head. Commander Edsbraunt slammed his fist down on the console

"DAMNIT!"

[Paradox]

"Bryant, you're awake!" His mother stood up from her seat by the hearth and went over to embrace him as he and his sister walked into the front room. "We tried to wake you, but you sleep so heavily."

Bryant shook his head, " Mother, what's going on? I saw Town Hall on fire and...I heard screaming. "

His mother chewed worriedly on her lower lip, " I know about as much as you do. Your father hasn't returned from the watch, " her voice wavered and she looked as though she were struggling to keep herself from breaking into tears.

"I'm sure he's fine," Bryant assured her, "he's a tough guy. Even tougher than Gilbrid, I'd wager. " Though in his heart he knew that the elder mage stood a much better chance against whatever was out there than his father who was just a man with a puny old shotgun.

He shook his head and started for the door, but his mother moved after him and snatched up his arm and pulled him back," Bryant, no! "

"I have to help them ," he tugged his arm free of her grip and went to grab for the door, but his mother was quite persistent. She grabbed his wrist and pulled his a couple steps back in reverse.  Bryant spun around to face her, "Mother, we have to go! We can't stay here! People are dying out there!"

She let go of him reluctantly and nodded.

Something hit the front door then with a loud thump, causing it to crack. The three Artairs slowly backed away from the door was stuck again, this time exploding before them in a shower of wooden splinters.

In the doorway stood a tall, sinewy creature that was only human in shape.It towered above them (it was at least seven feet tall by Bryant's estimation) and was alien to the Artairs in every other aspect. It had smooth, shiny obsidian skin with glowing web-like veins of blue and red all over its body. Its limbs were long and a short body. It had two sets of arms and one set of legs that ended with over-sized skeletal-like hands that were nearly identical to a human’s. Behind it , a long, slender tail tipped with a sharp spike whipped back and forth like an impatient predator getting ready to pounce. 

Bryant pushed his mother back and placed himself between the intruder and his family, “ Hey! You can’t just barge into people’s homes! It’s RUDE , you know!?” He shouted at the creature. Right. Like that was going to make it feel guilty.

Predictably, it angled a foreign weapon at him that, he supposed was a gun . It had a gun-like shape but it was the same shiny midnight black as the creature itself and looked more like it was part of the alien, an organic thing rather than an artificially crafted firearm.

“Okay, pointing that thing at me is also very rude, Mister er…or Missus whatever you are.“ Bryant’s eyes were glued on the gun that was directed at his head, but as the mage was speaking, he slipped one hand behind his back and moved his fingers hastily in preparation of a spell.

The creature’s oddly shaped head that reminded him of an eggplant swiveled around on a long, narrow bony neck to regard him with … “Woah…where the hell are its eyes?” Bryant couldn’t see any, “Talk about creepy! How does it see!?” 

As if to answer his question, the creature’s elongated muzzle split apart, revealing several rows of razor sharp, yellowed teeth. Even more unsettling was the long, black serpentine tongue that flicked in and out like a snake’s. The tongue ceased its flicking motions and seemed to slither forward, extending longer and longer away from its mouth towards the mage. As it drew closer to him, it began to drip with what Bryant assumed to be saliva and an overpowering odor that reeked of rotting flesh assaulted his olfactory senses.
Fighting down the urge to vomit, Bryant clapped a hand over his nose. “Ugh…god. That smells worse than your gas after you’ve had beans, Bri.”   

“What are you doing!? Trying to slay it with your lame sense of humor?” Bri snapped back at him nervously. “You’re just pissing it off more!“

“Hush, my dear sweet little sister. Big brother is trying to concentrate.” Bryant chuckled nervously.

The tongue drew closer to him. It was but a couple inches shy of touching his cheek.

“Bryant, “ his mother said urgently, her eyes glued on the hot sticky tongue and dreading what it would do if her son didn’t act soon.  That thing looked long and thick enough to grab a human and strangle them.

“I don’t think he can hear us or see us. I think he’s using his tongue to sense us.  “ Bryant replied, his fingers finishing up with the last motions of his spell and then he brought his casting hand forth, “Eat this, jerk!” A burst of electrical current crackled from his fingertips, shooting forward and striking the creature’s tongue. The spell, much to Bryant’s satisfaction, had the desired effect. The tongue jerked back and away from him, returning to the creature’s hideous mouth as it threw its head back and hissed-shrieked in pain.

“Run while it’s stunned! Go!” Bryant urged them. He grabbed Bri’s wrist and she in turn grabbed their mothers and out they ran with Bryant leading them, shoving the stunned alien aside to make way for their passage.

They ran outside, with Bryant only pausing a moment to get his bearings. Everything was in utter chaos. People were running in every direction, with creatures that appeared strikingly similar to the one that had broken into their home but a few moments ago in hot pursuit. Not all the citizens of Siorus were running though. Mages cast spells, calling the elements to shock, burn, crush and drown their opponents while those lacking such natural talent fired their crude guns , or waved pitchforks , shovels , hoes, and even frying pans.

Whatever they could use as a weapon! Bryant had to admire those people who so bravely fought with weapons that, he ventured to guess, were hardly effective against the monsters that they faced.

One man even threw horseshoes at his attacker and whooped when one of the missiles connected with his opponent’s head, knocking it off of its feet and sending it crashing down in the dirt. “Yeeeehaw! Take that yew boot-lickin’ son of a bitch!”He danced a clumsy jig and didn’t see another monster coming up behind him.

“Jacob! Behind you!” Bryant called out to him.

Too late. The monster behind him opened it’s mouth and the tongue shot out, wrapping around his throat. Jacob’s body thrashed about wildly and Bryant swore, readying a spell…but before he could finish channeling the alien raised its arm and shot him with some sort of firearm that exploded with a blast of blueish-white energy that shot forth in a narrow beam and sliced through Jacob’s chest , burning a hole about as large as a man’s fist.Jacob’s body went limp in its grasp and the creature drew its tongue back in with Jacob’s corpse in its grasp, it’s ugly maw salivating . Bryant imagined that it intended to eat the poor man.

“Oh no you don’t!” The mage worked another hasty spell , intending to draw a spike of earth and rock up under the creature and impale it before it could devour his friend.  A quarter of the way through the spell though, his sister shoved him aside and not a second too soon as a beam of energy , the same sort that had slain Jacob, cut through the air where he’d been standing moments before. 

Bryant whipped around to look back in the direction of their house and cursed inwardly at himself for assuming that the alien he’d stunned would remain paralyzed for very long. It hissed angrily and aimed at him again then fired.
There was hardly any time for him to get a spell off so he did the only thing he could. He threw himself bodily to the dirt ,evading certain death that flashed overhead. He rolled sideways as quickly as he could, evading another shot that burst into the dirt. Another shot followed, and missed as he kept rolling. Oh god! He hoped that thing ran out of firepower sometime soon because he couldn’t get to his feet fast enough without being skewered!

Sensing her brother was in trouble, Bri ran back around the house and retrieved a shotgun from where it leaned against the house. Gripping it tight in both hands ,she returned, and ran at her brother’s attacker full tilt. With a scream of rage, she took aim and fired at its head. Boom! She stumbled back from the recoil and somewhat relieved to see that the bullet she’d fired had been a direct hit. It staggered the monster , giving her brother enough time to roll hastily to his feet and begin (she hoped) channeling a spell.

Much to her dismay, the crude bullet hadn’t slain the creature. It was a technologically(or genetically) advanced alien. Go figure!


ooc: I was going to write more but this is already about four pages long. >.> Feel free to write town chaos stuffs!

[Enkashi]

The drop pod roared through the atmosphere, illuminating empty fields below as it passed in a streak of flame, tailing broken barrier plates and debris as it tore through the sky, only its shape keeping it from spinning randomly. It hit the ground some distance from the town - maybe a mile or so - like it had a grudge, but even from that distance, dust was thrown miles into the air and a hail of little stones rained down upon the town even as the cloud of hot dust crashed against the breached outer wall. The force wave of the impact hit the town, shattering windows, and knocking anything and anyone to the ground who just happened to be in the way - like the beastie who was getting up from a girl's shotgun shell, for example, and the girl as well!

On the whole, Gabriel reflected as the pod shunted itself out of the molten crater where it struck with a prepared burst, it could have gone better... but it REALLY could have been worse. She felt dazed, like nothing really made sense... She'd lost radio contact some way into the atmosphere, and the pod had been struck by something - but she could be dead, right? When the pod opened, the heat of the impact site all around her made her briefly worry, but she needn't have - the ground was merely scathingly hot rather than molten glass. Grunting with effort, Gabriel dragged her heavy, monsterous body out of the wreckage, feeling a mite strange on four legs... but, the VR had prepared her for this. She'd been in this body before.

Midway through a cursory check to see she had all her bits still (and a pinch to make sure she wasn't dead - it was that dark with the dust all around her!) a voice spoke into her head!

"G1-Alpha, do you copy?" came a voice she by now recognized as the comm officer, somewhat faint - the woman had always been very kind and was as devoted during the VR sessions as she herself had been. She quite liked her.

"I'm here Leila... could you repeat that?" she asked, still feeling the world buzz from the impact. She felt drunk! That would probably have killed her if she'd been human - lucky for her she wasn't right now! She seemed to be in one piece...

"Oh, thank the gods - Give us a status report, G1-Alpha. And that's G1-C - you're on the clock."

"R-right" Gabriel stammered, looking around now that the world wasn't spinning anymore. Everything looked so... different... she could see in several directions at once, for one thing. "I'm ok - the pod is tanked but-" she spread her wings. They were a little sore... but the ailerons spread and folded again comfortably. "-I'm just fine."

"Roger. Take wing and scout the drop site, we can't pick you up - there's cloud cover of some kind." came G1-C's voice. She sounded relieved. Gabriel spread her wings, and her heart leapt! She really was going to fly! "But eyes open - You were shot, someone shot you. Copy?"

"Copy." the gemeni parroted, and began to bound off into the dust. Once she was at some speed, she spread her wings, and gave a downward beat that made the ailerons hum in sympathy with the movement, and tore her out of Gravity's grip. Despite herself, Gabriel cried out with her new voice - and startled herself a little at just how strange it sounded - like a big lizard thing! Which... is what she was, but... even so! She circled, riding the hot updrafts, ingrained instincts built into having wings teaching her how to do so.

FLYING! She was FLYING! She circled up and up and up, riding the hot air into the sky like a bird. Everything felt... wonderful. The cloud fell away, and for the first time she realized just how HIGH she was - hundreds of feet in the air! She should have been afraid... but she was in control here. The world's bluish tint was odd... but she saw no sun - it was dark out, wasn't it? Realizing that, she realized she could see in the dark as well!

"There's... A town - there's fires... and... Oh my god, it's under attack!" Gabriel circled high overhead, her ailerons glowing faintly as the air friction made them vibrate - it felt fantastic. The implant was silent. HAd they heard her. "Can you still hear me, G1-C? Heloooo~?"

"G-1 Alpha, Can you give us more information?" came the comm officer's voice again. Gabriel circled in closer to the town, wing tilted at a 45 degree angle, exposing the hard eyes along her neck and body to the town. Below, people and aliens were taking notice - a thirty some foot long DRAGON THING with glowing wings can command a rapt audience.

"They appear to be... nonhumans attacking them... about fifty, with five or six beasties-" and at this point, the creatures began to open fire on her. Beams of light speared and sizzled past her, one or two hitting her armored flank - they HURT! "Ow! Aaaaand they're shooting laserbeams at me!"

"Could you be more descriptive, G-1 Alpha?" came the lieutenant's calm voice.

"Pew pew! They're laser beams! Blue!" Gabriel snarled with annoyance as more struck her - they stung like beestings.

"Copy." came the calm voice. There was a pause.

==============
Up in the station, the Commander cupped his elbow in his hand... Everyone in the room was staring at him now for orders. The gears spun madly in his head... but came out with one conclusion. With his gloved hand, he reached down and pressed the comm button on G-1 Alpha's line.

"You are clear to engage, G-1 Alpha, Authorization yellow" he said.

==============

"Solid copy." she replied.

Mentally, amidst the beam fire she was trying to dodge, her body wriggling through the air, beating her wings as she attempted a barrel roll, she decoded the order. If green was hold... and red was like... 'attack like a mad thing', yellow must mean... 'attack with discretion'? Beams whizzed by her head, and she beat all four wings hard to gain a sudden burst of speed. A glance behind her confirmed that the blue laser fire was trailing her movement, and a few shots were trying to get ahead of her.

Be unpredictable! she told herself, and gave it a go - four wings helped her change course quickly and dip in altitude quite a bit, but... there was a direction - she felt inexorably that she was being drawn somewhere... something in the town compelled her closer - she'd never felt anything like it in her entire life. She couldn't speak or put words around it... but... something was there. She had the presence of mind to pay attention to her flying - she was going REALLY, REALLY fast - a couple beats and a shift of her body weight slow to a hover speed overtop the outer wall of the city, where she discovered a man fighting one of the... alien things! Good lord they were hideous, like dark salamander demon things!

The one immediately below her raised its gun and fired on her, striking her full on in the chest! The sting only made her angry tho! The little shit!

"KREEH!" and she dropped on it, crushing the wall...! She hadn't expected how big she really was compared to the creatures all around her and the buildings - it was like she was a small angry godzilla! A cursory glance down under her demonstrated that yes, indeed the alien was crushed to a sickening black paste, yes indeedy! The man it had been fighting was ok - he was about eye level with her, and pointing a shotgun at her with wide eyes. She looked to him, he looked at her... for a good second and a half before she attempted to smile at him, and say Hello! What actually came out was

"KREEREEW!!"

He soiled himself, and ran like hell, leaving a very confused Gabriel behind. Oh well. There just was no talking to some people. But, there was the draw to steal her attention back. LEaving the slain alien to his gooey devices, she set to stalking between the burning buildings, her sleek form moving like a panther towards the source of her interest, unsure of what the future held! She hadn't landed far from Bryant and his family, really... and she was just in time to see one of the monsters raising its claws in the universal 'IMA POUNCE YOU' position! And more of the black alien monsters were closing on the family, a couple siege beasts just visible above the houseline!

Gabriel lowered her front half, and pounced, not unlike a panther! Her left foreclaw slammed down on the creature threatening the girl, and the gigantic Gemeni monster hovered over the terrified family like a mother hen, her long neck curling to face the oncoming multitude. This was not being discreet, and that was a fact... but these were humans! They were getting killed here! What else could she do!

Gabriel brought her massive nose roughly level with the shotgun-toting young woman and examined her - good. She wasn't hurt... but she wasn't what she was looking for either. Her head swung away again on its long neck, and faced the creatures that were even now rounding the bend, weapons at the ready. She was expecting them to fire, and shifted position, careful of the humans around her feet as she dragged her claw containing one alien along the ground. She felt... oddly detached. She wasn't afraid... and deep in her heart of hearts she knew that she should have been!

But all she felt was... anger, and... in control.

As she shifted her gaze, Gabriel brought her wings around and up as the lasers started firing. The ones that hit her ailerons bounced into the sky, and the ones that struck left livid blue welts... but suddenly the pain was not important. Her gaze... had alighted on Bryant. This... this was the one she had been seeking, that had drawn her here! She brought her long neck around, and looked at him closely, her big green eyes focused on him.

<You.> She said, directly into his thoughts. It was the voice of a girl, not that of a gigantic alien-looking dragon monster <You're the one...> it wasn't the most... inspired thing she'd ever said into someone's head, but... instinct was the dominant factor here. <Who... are you...?> she asked, sounding a lot more small and afraid than she thought she felt - the human part of her WAS terrified! She felt... incomplete! Empty! She'd never realized this before she'd seen this one!

===================

"Sir! Reaction! The gemeni sensor is going wild!" came one the voice of one of the console operators stationed in the control room, twenty miles above these events. "Its an exact match!"

The Commander looked astonished - a one in a... thousand, million chance of finding that person randomly... and here they were, doing it by accident.

"Well... well well... sonofabitch..." the commander said, a chuckle in his voice. All that planning... all that careful consideration... and now this was happening. "Son. Of. A. Bitch." he repeated, under his breath as he pulled a cigar and a lighter from his jacket.

[Paradox]

Ooc: this may be a short post. Also, I apologize for the poor quality but hey...at least I finally posted! 

Ic:
For a transitory instant, the sky seemed to be ablaze. A bright flash of light lit up Sirous , its luminosity so intense that Bryant had to shield his eyes to protect them from being blinded. Moments after the streak of fire had passed over, the world darkened again. “What the-“ He didn’t get to conclude his sentence as he felt a tremendous shockwave rush through the earth , causing him and everyone else in Siorus to lose their balance. The widows of his home shattered behind him and he was only thankful that he was far enough away not to be blasted by broken glass.  Shortly preceding that a great dust cloud swept through town, causing him to choke and cough.

As the dust cleared, he looked around. Everyone, the alien invaders included, had been affected and all seemed to rise appearing just as confused and disoriented as he was.

“What the heck was THAT!?” Bryant found his voice. He shook his head and went over to his mother, helping her up. “Are you alright?”

His mother appeared quite shaken, “I…think so. I hope that didn’t come from their ship…”

Bryant looked up, but the sky seemed clear. There were no space ships in sight, however that did not mean the alien ship couldn’t have been using a cloaking device. He’d heard of such invisible pirate ships before, highly advanced ships developed by and stolen from the Edani military. He’d never seen such a thing before but had no doubt that they were probably real.

Bryant looked over his shoulder at the alien his sister had shot, saw it rising slowly to its feet and quickly fell into making preparations for another spell.
He wasn’t even a quarter of the way through channeling when the world darkened even more. An enormous shadow fell over Siorus for a moment and everyone was looking up , aliens included ….

Everyone, that is , except for him.

Now Bryant looked up too and what he saw nearly made him piss himself . He assumed this new big ass monster must have been the big bad boss guy of the invaders . However, he soon realized his error when the aliens started shooting at the monster.

“Alright, I know I said I wanted something exciting to happen here , but this is really starting to get ridiculous…”

The great flying whatever easily outmaneuvered everything the aliens threw at it and , out of the corner of his eye he saw his sister raising the shotgun to aim at the flying monster. He slapped the barrel , forcing it to angle low, “What the hell are you thinking!? Do you really think you can kill that thing with a shotgun!? Let the aliens shoot it and get killed!  “

Bri blushed furiously and lowered her weapon, “Do you think it’s on our side?”
She asked , her tone hopeful.

Bryant laughed nervously, “I wouldn’t get your hopes too high. Big giant flying monsters are usually pretty bad news. You know, of the flesh-eating predatory variety. “

“Way to comfort me, jerkface. “

“Okay, I was just giving you my opinion. There’s no need to be rude.”

“Keep being smart with me and I swear to the stars that I will kick you in the-“
 
“Knock it off, you two! I can’t believe you’re arguing at a time like this!” Their mother scolded them both sharply.

Bryant took a step back as the creature landed and a man with a shotgun , the town’s Mayor fled screaming. Not surprising, really. The man had always been kind of spineless. Unpredictably, the enormous monster did not pursue him or try to eat him or something Bryant expected it to do. Instead, it shifted its attention towards them.

“FUCK!”

“Bryant!” His mother was about to scold but then she saw what he did. Bri screamed. And….unpredictably again, the monster did not gobble them up. It killed the alien that had crept up behind his sister and did it with such ease.
 When the creature, whatever it was , swung its head around to look at his sister, Bryant hastily started channeling a spell.  Oh no you don’t you son of a bitch! I won’t let you eat my family! 

Bri’s scream died immediately in her throat as the great beast turned its attention on her. She didn’t dare move. She stared at it wide-eyed and trembling.  She breathed a sigh of relief when it turned away…

But then her relief was caught up in her throat and she raised the shotgun immediately to shoot the beast because now it was face to face with her brother!

Bryant saw the monster turn its gaze towards him and he panicked. Shit! Does it sense me casting? I am so dead. Why is that thing staring at ME!? It’s going to eat me! Well, not before I fry it’s damned face!

To make things worse, he ‘heard’ a voice echo in his head very similar to his thoughts , but these weren’t his thoughts at all. It wasn’t his voice. It sounded like a girl’s but it was the voice of a complete stranger. Bryant’s mind went numb with fear. He didn’t know what to think or even what to do for a moment. He’d never been so terrified in his life. He was going to die . He was sure of it. Thoughts and emotions racing in every which direction, the poor mage freaked out,  “I’M  NOT LETTING YOU EAT US WITHOUT A FIGHT ,YOU SON OF A BITCH!” He finished the spell , releasing a substantially powerful shock of electrical energy right in Gabriel’s face.

Ooc: lol….

[Enkashi]

BURZOT

The arc of electricity arced from the young mage into the gemeni, and it took Gabriel a full two seconds or so to react. She blinked at him and recoiled considerably as lightning danced and arced down her neck, more confused than actually hurt, and suddenly she realized that she was a twenty five odd foot long monstrosity that just killed a murderous alien monster and was now sniffing people. She wasn't sure how she'd forgotten that little detail, but hindsight is 20/20 right? Perhaps she'd been rude, just sniffing him and his sister all willy-nilly?

She almost forgot about the monsters that were coming for them, even now forming a perimeter and surrounding her and her charges cautiously. Lifting her wing a bit to peer out from between the dark green crystalline ailerons, she could see the siege beasts were nearly as big as she was... and certainly more substantial.

<Umm...> she began sheepishly, and examined him again. He certainly was the one... she could feel it in her bones - and that alone was a bloody strange sensation. <My name is Gabriel, and I'm here to help you and your family not get killed by aliens, but you're gonna have to trust me... This is the only chance any of us have.> she said, and, still shielding his sister and mother with her wings, moved her chest closer to him.

<There's nothing to be afraid of - You are my pilot.> she said, and heavy, sleek plates slid open with a faintly organic noise, exposing dark purple flesh underneath as a compartment inside her chest opened, not unlike the cockpit for a... living mech perhaps. Inside were... tendrils was an acceptable word, but they split into myriad little translucent feelers. She looked at him expectantly, and, because she'd... ALWAYS wanted to say this, she said, in a thick accent

<Come weeth me eef you wont to leev.>

[Paradox]

“Gah! Crap! It didn’t work!?” Bryant exclaimed, dismayed . Well, why should he be so surprised? After all, the giant bird-dragon monster with a little girl voice that echoed inside of his head had taken out dozens of aliens (well, maybe not dozens but he’d been too busy mentally shitting his pants at the sight of her to count!) and made it look as easy as taking a nap!

Well, duh. I’m not as strong with air. I should have used earth or…water. But that’d take longer to channel…

“Calm down, stupid! I think it’s trying to help us.” Bri found her nerve, her voice, and her usual MEANESS again. 

“Help us?” Bryant laughed, “Yeah right! It’s probably contemplating which one of us it’s going to devour FIRST! Eat my sister. No one will miss her. She’s MEAN. Then again she’s a little round in the middle…so if you’re not into junk food you might wanna avoid that. Not very nutritious. ”

“Bryant, you ass! This isn’t the right time for you to be cracking your lame ass jokes.”

Bryant shrugged, “ I can’t help it. If we’re going to die, it might as well be laughing instead of screaming.”

“No one is laughing but you, idiot!”

“Well, at least someone’s laughing…”

The voice in his head shifted his attention from his sister. The voice introduced itself as ‘Gabriel’. “Gabriel? Isn’t that a boy’s name? Are you a boy or girl because no offense, but your voice totally doesn’t match your exterior. It’s like a massive irony…” Such an irrelevant question! He shook his head, blinking slowly and digesting what the voice, Gabriel, said following that.
She told him he was her what? WHAT?

He stared at the Gemini, flabbergasted. Oh GOD he WAS going mad! Or the monster girl was nutty.

He assumed the monster was a whackjob until the chest of the beast opened up like…it was some kind of…. He had no idea! “That’s….really creepy.” He blurted, staring at the opening and the tendrils.

“WoW! That is SO cool! “ Bri seemed not to be as creeped out as he was by this and that was…his sister was just a weirdo! Terrified of giant bugs ,but not this? Seriously…

  Bryant shook his head,“Me? A pilot? What?  No, no , no! “ He laughed nervously and backed up a couple steps, “You must have me confused with my father. He was in the military once. HE can fly. I’ve never even been inside any kind of flying craft before! Heck, I’ve never even driven a car or tractor! I’m just a terraformer!  You know, a FARMER! If you’re horse-powered that might be a little easier for me…”

“Who are you talking to?” Bri stared at him. She , of course, couldn’t hear their conversation so she just stared at her older brother as though he’d completely lost it.

But one thing Gabriel said he was painfully aware of.What other options did he honestly have?He ran a hand through his messy blond hair and sighed, “Geeze. This insane and so am I…” He took a step forward nervously ,”So…I just go in there, right? And then what?” He pointed at ‘Gabriel’, “I SWEAR if you’re tricking me so you have an easy snack, I’m giving you the WORST stomach ache EVER!”