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Stabilis -> RE: A Lonely Path to Follow Dearly (4/10/2012 20:27:26)
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ThE eIgHtH aEoN
How could someone like him just... fall like he did? How could he be ambushed? What are you not telling me Oz?! Who assassinated my father, what are the details?!
Galaanoth, I'm sorry, but that is all of the intel we have about the death of Venttus, your father...
Liar! Tell me everything!
I'm serious, Galaanoth, that's all we have about the incident...
Worthless!
I draw Misercordia Dator, and bring it up over Oz. A shot is heard, Misercordia Dator is struck and my father's scythe falls from my hands onto the floor.
Neutralize the hostile, go!
Numerous guards swarm into the general's war room, a couple of them try to attack me with their electric swords and clubs. I leap onto the tables behind me, and grab my backpack. I press on part of the backpack, and throw it to the ground in front and below me. The bag tears apart as the Gamma Bot formalizes, facing off with some guards. I signal towards the group of guards, and the Gamma Bot primes itself, and starts bashing some of the Exile soldiers. A Tactical Mercenary and Bounty Hunter are sent flying through a wall, and I turn to Oz. Cornered, he draws his E-Blades, and prepares to face me. Just as we are about to collide, my Primary dematerializes from my hands, and Oz gets me in a headlock.
Not too rough, Oz
From the corner of the shattered wall, enters my father, Briffas, Zektion, Ariella, and Sherrii. Venttus steps over some unconscious guards and turns to face us from one side of Oz's work desk. Father smiles.
Dad!
I run over and give a trembling hug
Its great to see you again, my unyielding friend!
And I you, General Lorenzo
Please, we're old friends, just call me Oz
So, Oz, Galaanoth, what event causes it to have the both of you dueling?
Well... dad...
He was just upset that you were gone is all, why don't we take the time to introduce ourselves in the downstairs foyer, and have something to drink?
My thoughts exactly. Hey, friends of my son...
Zektion
Sherrii
Briffas
Ariella
Right, thanks, do you all drink vlacier water?
Vlacier water?
Water that has melted from glaciers, and eroded over varium crystals, purifying even bog water to be sanitary by industrial standards. We have it citrus flavoured, ice included
That sounds invigorating, I haven't drank for hours
We travel through the corridors and down a main flight of stairs. Oz brings us to a larger room, maybe a cafeteria, and we all sit down at a round table. My father departs from our group to take our beverages. Oz relaxes into his chair, and begins speaking.
So, Galaanoth, Cherrii, Ariella, Zektion, Briffas, nice to meet you
[all] Thank you sir
As hopefully each of you know, I am the general of the Exile faction in Delta V. My work is to maintain order and peace, and work with my board of strategists to ensure that Legion corpses do not strangle any of our forces, weakening our overall strength, allowing Baelius to claim dominance over any of our area or people. I have been doing this since I was young, when I was 10 my town had been overrun by Legion imperialists who taxed everyone of varium or any other valuable possession, including our men and women for slavery. My family and I made an escape from the northern reaches of this land to the Barren Outposts. It was not an easy journey, no, we were being traced by many Shadow Guards who would menace us in the night. During one migration during daytime to the Outposts, the Legion soldiers made their move. They cut down our militia, and shot at all of our civilians. My father died that day, my mother and sisters kidnapped, taken back to the imperial reservation camps... even up to today I have never seen any of my family, but I can still imagine them in my dreams... anyhow, I enlisted for air force recruitment, and I underwent severe agility training. Months passed and I was accepted for flight. I flew a carrier chopper for an Exile squadron raid on the West Naval Yard. We got in and out clean, no casualties on our half, and were praised upon our return. On my next mission I was assigned a stealth fighter to survey and direct a special ops class through an ammunition bunker near the West Naval Yard. I was able to have them avoid detection, but I saw that enemy ground units, heavy vehicles to be precise... tanks and trucks headed in their direction. Their was no way that they could leave without being observed. I was left with lethal instruction. I dove down with my plane, and hornetted a volley of missiles into those vehicles with no mercy. Only a few stragglers left their vehicles, my boys handled them with ease. We headed back again with open arms. One morning, a secretary of the old general approached me and said, 'Mr. Lorenzo, our leader would like to meet with you today at lunch time. Be waiting in the corporate hall at that time. That is all'. At lunch time in the corporate hall, the lieutenant general opened the office door and escorted me to sit at the general's table. The general turned around in his chair, stood up, I instinctively stood up as well... and we both saluted to each other. We sat down, and he began to speak of my accomplishments in Exile. After a friendly discussion, he stood up, came over to my side, and attached a badge to my right soldier. The badge read, 'Lieutenant Strategist Advisory Commitee', with a gun and book emblem. From that day forward, I took up the general's missions with my group of tacticians, and eventually with my experience within that realm, appointed general of the army when he had deceased. So many memories, so many prides...
We sat back into our chairs, attentive, and bewildered. Even father was listening, just like we were having a story time with grandpa, if we had one. Venttus placed our tray of drinks in the table's centre and sat down with us.
Oh! Dad, you never got to tell me about your past really, why don't you go ahead now?
Well, sure, it won't be as impressive as Oz's life story haha! But why not? *he clears his throat* Ahem... when I was growing up, I lived with my mom and dad as an only child in the Barren Outpost district, south side. My father, your grandpa, Galaanoth, was Captain Wirpan Zaraki of the 99th division of Shock Battalion Beta. Your grandmother, Elijah Zaraki was a house-wife since grandpa was constantly deployed and on-campus. Grandpa and I were never close. He really enjoyed brutality and chaos as where I preferred the calmness and tranquility that nature gives
Sort of like my dilemma with Carlos
Yeah, sort of! Anyways, one day I heard that I was going to be conscripted to the same cause as my father, your grandpa. I wanted nothing to do with this, so I decided to run away. During the night, I packed my military-grade surplus and ditched my house through my bedroom window. I jumped from a height, 2 stories approximately, and rolled onto the brash and immovable ground. No adrenaline was flowing through me as I have been taught that agitated soldiers are simple to compromise. I didn't offer to bring my visor with me as I can see clearly in the dark. I spent a solid thirty minutes leaving the encampment... manoeuvring and breaching the exits. I was out, yet not relinquished from the hell. My plans were to head to the least populated domains of the Delta Preserves where many resources and vast landscapes in nature were abandoned. I spent weeks travelling by foot through the lovely wilderness known as nature at its finest; half-dead trees and small bushes. I suppose, that this is all I could ask for in a feeble world where justice has been corrupted by our governments, our protectors. Occasionally, I can see rivers and leafy trees appear in the least visible symptoms of poison. At least I strode on with a goofy smile. I became less captivated by logic, I could only think of a wonderful life being independent as I was. I eventually arrived at a clearing of a few hundred meters squared. I took off my backpack and set up a tent. I just wanted to relax! But I needed to think about my next steps. I tripped, then fell backwards into the bedding. 'Ow'... I felt pain score my back. I removed my Stun Blaster and held it up above my face. Such intricate craftsmanship, yellow with two power cells embedded inside; I wondered what guns were truly good for? Still laying down, I held the gun down to sights and stared ominously into the distance. In the element of surprise, I had focused perfectly onto a lone deer which was grazing. I held both my gun and breath firmly and targetted the deer wide head. Logically, I measured myself the distance of ninety meters apart and wind blowing eastward about ten kilometres per hour. But deep down, I was thinking about the deer's struggles. Born into grass, and cared by the doe for a span of one year. It is then left alone to be it's own wild beast... hopeless, only to find a partner with whom would try for a meagre chance of successful reproduction as predators are ever existent in our world. Would seizing this deer's life for my own do any good for either of us? I dropped the gun and lay back into the tent. From the depths of my own humanity I saw the wrath that would engage me in reckless sin. A single tear slid down my face but I did not bother to wipe it off, and went to sleep. On the next morning, I awoke with a clean sense of purpose. I wished to spare the world from the tyranny of destruction, even if it meant reassembling into the Exile faction. I wanted us all to be connected under the name of harmony. I needed to muster more people with the similar opinions and then together we could produce a perfect world without pain. Smiles would be bountiful... there would be no need for arguments or business, we will only need each other to thrive... and that, is the truth. Eventually I found a large group of refugees stranded in the wilds, we joined together
My father takes a deep sigh.
More towards the present, I was aged at 22 years, Legion and Exile had been warring in our oasis, which transformed into a desolate graveyard hastily. At the moment I was in a sanctuary cave where forces would not intercept. I headed out into the light, because some of our friends were out foraging. I called for 'Dante!' and 'Michelle!' as loud as I could, there were no persons in my field of vision. Eventually I heard clunking then footsteps on the overhang above me. A man jumped down in front of me, his back facing me, unseen. I beckoned to him, 'State you identity!'. The man slowly turned to orient me face to face. That man is my pitiful father. 'Venttus?', my father asks. I solemnly look towards him and answer, 'Yes, that's me'. Father then asks, 'You should come back with my squad and stop causing troubles for me and your mum'. I was bitterly shocked if you could imagine. After all this time apart he still refuses to acknowledge me in any significant way. Knowing that he had little understanding of me, I snap back to him, 'Even now, "dad", to you living is only being alive to harm and making yourself proud! You're just a bully with a wrong sense of duty and no person alive today should have to be forced to bow down to you!'. My father twitches a little. His hairs start to stand up. He grumbles to me, 'So this is the boy I raised? Rebellious to everything and cowardice to the last! Come on, kiddo. Lets scrap it out right here to prove who's in the right'. The headstrong man on faulty beliefs is the man I know, easy to engage for any opposition. We began battle. I came at him with rage, we maintained a cruel brawl for many minutes, eventually he got the drop on me and knocked me out with a bludgeoning to the head. I woke quickly, energized, strong, and focused. He became ghostly in my presence. It was Caden's power. We rematched, but this time around I had the advantage. I avoided each of his strikes with dodges and parries, and eventually... I dealt the final blow...
Interested, I asked:
What happened next?
I... I...
Venttus drops his head down into his hands. His mouth is bitterly frustrated.
Oh...
He takes an intense sigh.
I gored your grandpa, my father, near his collarbone, slicing dynamically into vital arteries and veins. He collapsed at my feet, gagging on his blood and trying to maintain his breathes. I was, frightened... nervous... not myself. I went to say something but stuttered and stopped. My father acknowledged me and exclaims, 'Well, looks like you beat me fair and square. I guess I underestimated you', coughing and laughing some more. 'What's so funny?', I ask him. He replies, 'Don't be stupid, you're talented at weaponry and fight pretty decent'. I retort, 'I hate you, I really hate you, you know', and look away with horrible grieved feelings of despair. My father looks up into the stars and informs me, 'I don't blame you. I've always been away from home and I ain't much of a family guy. I always thought you would idol me for my status... influencing you with the Shock Battalion... that I thought you'd contribute pretty well to. I now see all I've done is bore you and annoy you with that stuff. I've been wrong'. I look at him, 'Dad... its OK'. 'Sorry Venttus... I don't get another chance... look, you make a great fighter and you'll probably do good with your life. I just want you to know this before I can't tell you later, you're my favourite son and my only child... and, I love you'.
Father is tearing up as he speaks now, I felt sad too.
So I felt relieved, cheerful, and partially ashamed when he said that. I ask, 'What's going to happen to you?'. He touches his wound and breaths deeply, 'Well, by seeing how deep it is, my subclavian is draining out. This looks like its my time to go'. 'NO!', I shout, clutching for his left hand, 'Don't give up!'. He grins a bit and assures me, 'Its not about giving up but accepting fate when it happens... I took my life from innocence to disgust but finally I get to redeem myself'. He looks back up into the stars and stops talking. I tell him, 'Dad, don't fret, I've always loved you too!', I say this as he closes his eyes and blacks out. I am on my knees, head bowed in solace, begging for forgiveness. I am sick to the stomach, yet I somehow manage to pay my respects. I stand up and acknowledge life for it's gifts. Then the putrid voice came back to me- 'Well done Venttus, you conquered him with great success! The Void appreciates you now'. 'What are you implying?! Who are you?!', 'Oh you can't tell? I'm invading your mind from the Minetower!!', 'Caden!!!-'. I then black out, fall surely onto my face with a thump. It has now been a year since my battle with my father, and I have matured very much. I just want, justice. I just want, to see my friends again... to reclaim my family! I travelled to Delta V's Central Station, where I met up with Oz. I took up my father's, your grandfather's role, and we left for the Old Fortune City where I would become one of the more revered leaders in Exile. It was only time that was between me and my goals before my team was sent to assassinate Caden. And I am told that you know the rest.
Each of us are flustered by the gravity of the story by different degrees, myself being the most razzled.
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