• Published 3rd Oct 2012
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Fatum Fortis Vocat Redux - Kromulus Regulus



Travis takes a stroll in the park. He finds himself somewhere different entirely.

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Jiko - Irral Sutrinus

Jiko

Irral Sutrinus

The mass of green and black hit the ground before me with a great thud. I felt myself taking a few steps back, my posture in the defensive as I beheld the creature rise up from a bulbous darkness to reveal its full form. In a swift movement, it extended four mantis-like arms and rose up its elongated chest. I made quick note of how its chitin-like exoskeleton covered its body like a knight of old; the edges of each piece of natural armor revealing a thin strip of green skin that seemed to stretch and retract with each movement it made.

Its two digigrade legs, widened by the girth of its muscles flexing underneath its natural ebony armor, were held firm by four massive claws stretching from each toe. On the fifth, I noted, was a curved claw much like a raptors that dug firmly into the ground for support. Behind it a tail waved, looking like a portion of a spine in the manner it was made. My eyes lifted upwards, seeing for the first time its head as it extended from its body, its four overlapping jaws on its elongated head widening as it bellowed a massive roar.

I am Kha’zix! In the name of my fallen, I shall destroy you!

With a sickening SHHLICK the ends of its four arms transformed into curved scythes; a greenish glow emitting from within their boned structures. I saw a glint of light from their edges as it rose all four deadly weapons into the air, quickly thrusting them downward in a converging pattern where I stood. I felt the thudding beat of my heart as instinct took over, propelling me backward in a roll just seconds before the four natural blades impacted the ground. The earth shook as the surface buckled then gave way, collapsing into an outward explosion of rock and chunks of dirt. When I managed to regain my footing, I saw the beast raise up as it released a threatening snarl. From its back emerged four insect wings with a similar tint of green as the blades. They started to thrum against the air faster than I could follow, suddenly propelling the new threat straight towards me.

I found myself once again lacking time to react. I stood there, dumbfounded by just how massive the bulk of this beast was as its body impacted straight into mine. I felt the sudden surge of air against my back as my surroundings became a blur, trees zooming past faster than I could comprehend. The next feeling that struck me was the solid surface of a rock. Instead of stopping, I felt its surface crack and crumble beneath the momentum that delivered me to it. I heard the bones in my body give way as they cracked in several places, my limp form darting against the ground and rolling a few paces. The ground thudded, my eyes forced upwards into the green hellfire that looked into me. I saw the slitted pupils of the monster's eyes, the glint at the edges signaling he saw an easy feast. The pain from my crippled form became absent as a sudden rage overtook me.

My vision turned red as I felt my body piecing itself back together. Bones found their rightful places with sickening pops as muscles, previously dormant, bulged into existence. As the changelings head lowered to finish its kill, I watched as my body moved on its own accord upward as I rolled away then kicked myself from the ground to my feet. This seemed to surprise the beast, giving me enough time for a counter attack as I brought back my left hand into a fist and propelled it forward with inhuman speed. The knuckle met the lower left mandible of the monster’s head, breaking it from its socket and continuing forward into the roof of its mouth. I watched with a twisted sense of pride as the creature began to twirl opposite of its intended direction, flying backward and slamming into the ground.

I stood there, panting, watching the limp form of the changeling as I snarled. I felt drool slide down from the ridges of my open jaws, my tongue caressing the line of my upper teeth as I regained my breath. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I tasted blood. All I knew was that I needed more, wanted more, and this creature would have plenty to sate my thirst. I grunted with dismay as I observed a movement from the heap of exoskeleton, my mouth emitting a threatening snarl as it began to raise up on its legs. Its eyes met mine and for the first time in a rage, I felt intimidated. It then bellowed an unearthly laugh.

It is true, the rumor of your strength then Kobold!” The creature then stanced in a very unchangeling-like fashion, bringing two of its scythed arms forward in a defensive fashion while the opposite two were brought back as if ready to strike. “Very good. Now the fun begins!

I did a double-take despite my current state of mind. Did he just call me a Kobold? The momentary lapse of my observation allowed the monster to charge forward and swing the blunt edges of its two scythes against my form. I let loose an “OOF!” as I was propelled into the air. Before I had to react, I saw a greenish blur dart past me, feeling the pain of two more blunt edges impacting my back. The ground encompassed my vision all too quickly; my body impacting the ground at a high velocity. I heard the ground crack beneath me, feeling an intense weight upon my back as the creature finished its counter attack by forcing me further into the ground. The weight lifted and with it a cackling laugh echoed into my hearing.

Pathetic!

For some reason, I began to laugh. It started out as a soft chuckle, then as I began to crawl from the rubble around me I burst into uncontrolled laughter. I could feel tears brimming the edge of my eyes as I comprehended the absurdity of the situation. His voice reminded me greatly of the battle announcer from Mortal Kombat, and this entire skirmish seemed to be set in that very world. As my laughter subsided, I lifted myself up from the crater I had been pummeled into, throwing off chunks of earth as stood. I rolled my shoulders, feeling my left arm return to his socket. Twisting my neck, I felt my spine realign itself. My gaze lifted slightly to stare at the creature as it stood menacingly.

“Kha’zix, right?” I asked, I moving forward slowly with careful steps. The nightmarish freak snarled. “That is correct mortal.”

“Good,” I replied, “because for a moment there I thought you were serious.”

Intimidating words from a whelp Kobold,” Kha’zix replied. He stood his ground as I approached him, eyes following my movements as I stopped a feet away. “The only reason you still stand is by your magics,” he said as his eyes narrowed. “While others would surely flee from such a feat, I know your weakness.”

“Oh really?”

His reply came in the form a swift movement from one of his arms. It seemed to stretch forward, the scythe slicing downward as it lopped off my right arm. I stood there for a brief moment, eyes wide in shock at what had just occurred. “Fuck!” I cried as realization hit me, my left arm raising as blood gushed from the stump. My claws curled around the open wound, falling to one knee as I hissed in pain. I felt the rage subside from me, as if the stream of red flowing from the wound drained my strength. My eyes glared down at arm on the ground; my breathing quickened as I felt extremely vulnerable for the first time. Slowly, my gaze drifted upward, body shaking as I observed the twisted snarl present on the monsters mandibles.

Pity you did not last longer,” Kha’zix said as he lowered himself to one knee, bringing the sharp edge of one of his scythes to me neck. I felt the prick of its serrated edge against my scales. “I had hoped you would have lasted longer. If only to pass a little more time.

The tremble in my jaw continued as my lowered my gaze from his. I felt the scythe press forward into my neck slightly, cringing as I held back a yelp of pain. Without my anger, without that sudden burst of incoherent rage, I felt useless. I realized then it had been the only factor that kept me from fearing the unknown. Now that it had been abruptly taken from me, I was little more than a pile of scales and bones, useless and right damn near to my death. I could feel another scythe press itself against my side, then two more meeting to hold me firmly against the ground. I felt the heat of the creatures breath wash over me from above, a few droplets of its saliva hitting my forehead as it prepared to finish me.

Was this it? Was I going to die now? Was I just going to give up?

“No,” I said suddenly. My head raised, eyes meeting the beasts own. “I’m not going to die like this.”

You speak as if you have a choice,” Kha’zix said with a snarl. “Be a good fleshling and shut uuuUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAA!

My jaw had found its home, clenched tightly on the scythe on my neck. I disregarded the obviously possibility of decapitation for a last ditch effort to survive. My teeth broke into the boned structure of the scythe, tasting a foul goo as I emitted a ravenous snarl. I could feel Kha’zix’ grip on my body release quickly, realizing then that I had bitten into an extremely sensitive part of his form. My jaw bit down tighter, I hearing the crack of bone and something else as the creatures scream of surprise turned into one of pain and agony. I released my claws grip on the stump of my arm, propping it on the ground as I leaned forward slightly. Using this as leverage, I quickly snapped back my head and completely tore off the scythe from the arm.

The high pitched scream that emitted from the changeling pierced the heavens. It stumbled back a few paces, a look of complete horror in its eyes as it gazed from the spot where its scythe once was, then to its scythe in my jaws. I began to stand, my vision clearing as I beheld my surroundings with clarity. I saw around me a horde of changelings, twenty or more, rushing past Kha’zix to two figures in the distance. Both Havok and Whooves were struggling to maintain the upper hand in the battle; bodies of broken changelings flying in all directions as Havok heaved his ethereal sword to and fro. The only thing standing between me and saving them was the Kha’zix.

You dare violate my sacred form!?

I dare to kill you,” I replied, the voice emitting in in a low growl.

The changeling rushed forward, stumbling a step as it tried to lift a scythe for a strike. I spit out the scythe in my maw, rushing forward to meet the beast head on. The edges of my vision were blurring between purple and red; the colors I was seeing intensified to a magnitude I could not comprehend. All I saw was the enemy before me, all I knew was that I needed to defeat him. I let my rage overtake me as I emitted an earsplitting roar, leaping into the air and rearing back my arm. The stump on my other side clearly in view as trails of blood continued to pour from it. I ignored the pain, I ignoring every ounce of logic screaming at me that this would not work. My eyes went wide, my expression of pure bloodlust as trails of blood and saliva left my open maw.

I would not be defeated, I would not die, I would slay this beast and save my friends.

The tension in my retracted arm was released as my fist shot forth, meeting the swiping scythe of the changeling head on. I felt a stinging as the edge of the scythe pierced into my skin, a brief instant of worry filling my mind. Then I felt the blade crack, my bodies momentum adding to the weight of my fist as it finally shattered the scythe. My fist continued downward, trailing the edge of the monsters arm as it neared its head. Its eyes glared at me with fright, focusing on the fist as it impacted directly into its forehead. It staggered back briefly, I starting to retract my fist. An unearthly roar left my throat as I felt a surge of strength fill my broken form. As the lower half of my body leaned towards the creatures own, my clawed feet gripped onto the exoskeleton of the beast. The lost momentum from my leap started to lessen my leverage on the changelings form, my arm fully brought back as I quickly released it forward to smash against the monsters face again.

This time, the skull cracked.

I began to repeatedly pound against the creatures head, using my tail and legs as leverage. Brains, blood and skull matter began flying in every conceivable direction. My fist became a blur, my vision red as a burning flame. I felt the beast begin to topple backwards, smashing my fist one last time through its skull and completely decapitating what was left of it from its body. Kha’zix was dead, but my bloodlust had not yet been sated. My gaze then turned towards the horde of changelings surrounding my comrades, I releasing another unearthly roar of vengeance for their plight. I then leapt from the corpse of the changeling beneath me, my legs impacting the ground as I ran towards the nearest changeling. They were smaller than the last, more familiar to what I had seen when I first encountered them.

Lucky me.

Without much ceremony, my arm shot forward and gripped the changelings horn. In a quick movement I twisted my arm and cracked the horn from its head, watching as the changeling began screaming in agony. I firmly planted a clawed foot down its throat, silencing it for good as its jaw split off from its skull. I rushed forward, impaling the nearest changeling in the eye then lifting its dying corpse to hurl it at another. I turned around, slammed my fist into the skull of one too unlucky to be charging me, feeling my fist fly through its exoskeleton to the other side. Lifting my hand, I twirled and slammed its body against the ground to free my arm from its mushy interior. Reaching to break the horn from its skull, I leapt into the air and twirled using the momentum from my tail to hurl the horn at a changeling near Havok. As it toppled over, both the Doctor and the Lord Emperor gazed my way.

My reply was simply to grunt.

They quickly continued their battle for survival, I becoming occupied as two changelings charged me at once. I roared in defiance, lowering myself to allow the two changelings to collide, then quickly rolling forward to stand and turn around. Once the two bodies had hit the ground, I brought down my fist onto the head of the first one cracking it instantly. In another fluid motion, I used my tail to lift the lower half of my body upward. My leg raised, then as I finished my spiral to the ground it collided with the body of the second changeling. Straddling the changeling, I gripped around its head and began to pull until its head ripped from its lower body. I unceremoniously tossed it to the ground, lifting myself from the corpse to try to find another changeling to kill. To my dismay, there was none.

I stood for a moment, panting and growling as my rage began to subside. I cautiously looked to my left, then to my right. Dark corpses littered the ground, their blood staining the dirt beneath. I snorted, unhappy with not having another life to take for my bloodlust. I looked behind me noticing a clear trail of blood from the point where I stood, back to where Kha’xiz lay. I turned my gaze forward again as Havok approached me.

“Stay away!” I commanded in a roar.

I couldn’t see what happened next. I felt myself blink, but my vision had simply blurred. I felt my body wobble as I remembered the fact that I was missing an arm. I groaned, staggering forward a few steps as I coughed up blood onto the ground. The pain of my injuries had caught up with me. An intense headache overtook my every thought. I felt my eyes roll into the back of my head as I toppled over onto the ground. With a final huff of air, my chest lay still and my vision went to black.

~*~*~*~

“First Boss”


=AUTHORS NOTE=

Wow, don’t think I have ever done an “Authors Note” before! Anyway, the title to the chapter is purposely left untranslated in the beginning so as to not give away what will happen. This also took place in the prologue, but....I’ve forgotten what “Ineo” translates to so we’ll just...disregard...that...

Anyway, wow, Travis sure does get into a lot of fights! There actually is a purpose for this, one similar to the previous storyline of the original Fatum Fortis Vocat. Avid readers of the previous incarnation shall be (I hope) delighted to see a return of his barbarian rage capabilities. But this story is about so much more and I encourage newer readers to give an opinion (as well as my fans and readers!).

Remember guys and gals, this story is for you. I’m just bringing back stuff I figure you’d love to see again. If ya don’t, let me know!

-Travis

P.S. The reason why "Two Steps from Hell - Invincible" keeps popping up as battle music is because it was the original song used in the original Fatum Fortis Vocat when Travis went into a rage for the first time. Because of this, it's being brought back as his theme song when he truly enters a state of undying rage. If only for nostalgia's sake, of course.