//------------------------------// // Wuuthrad // Story: The Raven’s Sky // by Chemtest //------------------------------// One hatching charges towards Offense, mouth opening to let out a harsh screech. Yet, that screech is cut short as Wuuthrad separates it’s body and head. The hatching tumbles to the ground, blood evaporating from the power of Wuuthrad’s enchantments. Another approaches, ready to slash with it’s elongated claws. Yet, before it can swing, the arm is cut off. Magical fire fills the hatchling’s body, burning it to death from inside. Two of them charge together, planning on outnumbering the pony. Yet, one of them quickly turn to ash as the shots from his CLM impacts it. The other charges forward without hesitation, claws leaving scratch marks on the armor. Offense shoves the hatchling back with his shoulder, and decapitates it once more as it stumbles back. Three of them come, and are quickly killed. One is gunned down by laser fire, one is hit by Wuuthrad, and one is knocked over by the body of his comrade. Using the moment of unbalance, Offense lands a deep cut, melting the organs of the hatchling. The fifty hatchlings all stand on top of the hill of bones, looking down at Offense. Then, the hill of bones begins to rumble, and bones begin cascading down. Offense takes a step back as a gigantic creature reveals itself. It stands tall, the little absorbing into it’s dark grey scales. It’s eyes glare down with anger and rage, the red glow reflecting off Offense’s armor. The dragon takes notice of Offense, and smiles, “You.” Offense takes a step back, and raises his CLM, “Alduin!” Raven rushes up next to Offense, drawing his own gun, “How is he still alive?! Didn’t Dovahkin kill him!?” Alduin shakes his head, “How foolish of you to assume those Ogiim would get the chance. They hit me, they almost killed me, but they were too late. They both died in that explosion, right aside me! The Dovahkin never got the chance to absorb my soul!” Offense growls, and holds Wuuthrad up with both hooves, “Then I’ll put you down for good, Alduin! For Dovahkin, for Ghorbash!” Alduin laughs, and leans back, “Yol Toor Shu-” But right before he can say the final syllable, he is hit. His Thu’um is replaced with a yell of pain, and one of his eyes close as a gunshot rings out. Offense takes advantage of the opportunity, charging towards Alduin. He fires as much as he can into the yelling mouth of Alduin, filling it with the energy of lasers. Offense then uses his enhanced strength to jump high into the air, holding Wuuthrad up. He brings it down onto Alduin’s snout, hanging right in front of the dragon’s mouth. Alduin looks at the pony in front of him, “Yol!” A burst of fire hits Offense, heating him beyond the point of survivability for any normal pony. Yet when the fire stops, Offense still hangs there. His armor glows a fiery red, like it was right out of the forge. Alduin growls, “Your friends are dead, give up!” Offense yells, and frees Wuuthrad. He jumps into Alduin’s open mouth, which Alduin promptly closes. Bedlam flies up as far as her little wings can carry her, “No!” She loads her SAR with AP rounds, and begins to fire wildly at Alduin. The rounds barely pierce through his scales, causing him to continue yelling. Raven rushes forward with his SCPR, and fires the hot plasma into Alduin’s chin. Yet, as they fire, Alduin suddenly collapses over. Everyone stops firing as his head hits the ground, and they can all see one thing. An axe piercing through his skull. Mass Offense cuts the rest of the way through, emerging through the top of Alduin’s head covered in blood and brains. He holds the axe up high, and yells with the rest of his strength, “Dovahkin!” Offense then collapses over, laying back down into Alduin’s brain. Yet, the softness doesn’t last for long, as the entirety of Alduin’s body burns away. It all collects itself into a mass of ash, and flies towards Offense. When it touches him, he lights up the same red as it, and it disappears into him. Offense rolls over onto his back, coughing up a storm. The bed of bones below him clatter and clack, and everyone rushes over to him. They begin checking over him, until they hear an unfamiliar voice speak, “Quite an impressive takedown, I must admit. Round of applause from me.” Raven looks over, and sees a stallion standing there. He wears a brown duster, one that blends into his coat. The only thing not brown or black about him is a pair of green eyes that look down over Offense. The stallion smiles, and takes a flask out of his pocket. He tosses it over to Raven, “Here you go, as long as you allow me to loot the corpse.” Raven catches the healing potion, and nods to the stranger. He quickly pours the healing potion into the RA’s medical systems, and it begins to administer it to Offense. The stallion trots over, and squats down in front of Offense, “That was a real ballsy move there, partner. Got yourself real hurt with that one. Turned out for the best, though, didn’t it?” Mass Offense regains some consciousness, and looks up at the stallion, “Yeah... that’s why I did it.” The stallion laughs a bit, “Good on you, then. Course, you wouldn’t been able to do that if I didn’t put out that things eye.” Offense smiles beneath his armor, “What... is your name?” The stallion smiles, “Well, I’m Brown Smith, though most know me by my work name as Courier.” Raven looks over at the stallion, “Brown Smith. Like, Black Smith?” Brown Smith shrugs, “Can’t say I’m rightly sure, all I remember is waking up in some odd freezer pod type thing about two years back.” Mass Offense interrupts the two, “Brown Smith... you are still aware we are surrounded by hatchlings?” Brown Smith takes a second to process the question, then his eyes widen, “Aw shit.” The hatchlings all begins to growl and approach closer. But then three ships break through the cloud cover above, and do a strafing run on the hatchlings. When they finish their firing, they turn around and fire into the crowd indiscriminately. The six ponies dive for cover, and wait for a minute until the airship guns finally die down. Raven peeks from cover, and sees the airship hovering there. A speaker comes out the bottom of it, and a pony speaks into it, “We come to you with a simple request.” Raven reaches into his bag, and shoots randomly at the airship. A flare flies out of the gun, and goes far above the airship. It burns red in the air, and falls back down. The airship opens it’s doors, and pegasi fly out, “Surrender Mass Offense and the Resurrection Talisman, and we will let you go freely!” Bedlam looks at the others, and smiles, “Don’t worry, Raven, I have a plan. Just give me some time, two days at most, okay?” Raven looks at her, “What is this plan?” Bedlam doesn’t respond, and instead picks up Mass Offense from the ground. She drags him out into the middle of the quarry, where pegasi land to meet her. She smiles, “Here is the Steel, as you requested. Talisman right on his neck there. I only have one question, can I come with?” The head of the squad looks at her. Officer Loo recognizes her, “You want to come with us?” She nods, “Oh yeah, it’s so boring here on the ground, and I’ve heard good things of the sky.” Officer Loo exchanges glances with his fellows, and nods, “Okay, if you wish.” Raven jumps up as Bedlam flies away with the others. His eyes glow a slight red, and he growls, “She’s betrayed us!” Louis jumps up as well, and places a hoof on Raven’s shoulder, “Calm down, Raven! She said she had a plan, trust her.” Raven looks at him, and the red slowly fades from his eyes, “Right... you’re probably right.”