PHASE 1 - CHAPTER 98: CHILDREN OF THE STARS
??? - 539: Captain Rosendorf
??? - 539: Captain Rosendorf
"Captain, the news is not good." The lieutenant affected the appearance of bad days. Captain Rosendorf looked up from his console to stare at his officer. If the lights reddening his holographic screens weren't explicit enough, the sound of explosions clearly announced an irremediable difficulty. "Lieutenant, do we still have any working rescue barges?"
- not the least, and the survival modules are also inoperative.
The situation was critical. There was only one option left:
"please proceed with the assimilation ritual, so that we may endure if Hyperlane watches over us". Those words had been passed down from captain to captain for ages. Rosendorf had feared them since his first day in the Space Navy.
Without a word, the crew members gathered around the egg of what would one day be called the Paradox Interactive. Their bodies melted into the bio-artifact, their polycephalumoid matter merging with each other. Their identity was disappearing, leaving behind only a beating heart. The only one not to join them was Captain Rosendorf who genetically engraved his last words in the Paradox:
"Pardon an old man, but my duty prevents me from leaving my ship. Find below the coordinates of our Home Planet at all, may join it in its bosom". After which he went to the bridge. He condemned himself to true death.
Coatlicue was in those days a world teeming with intelligent life. Only humans then dominated the planet. The Yuǎn Xī began a long period of decline, following the collapse of the western Luómǎ Dìguó. What precipitated the fall of the eastern one was a meteor shower visible from the ground. The rain was caused by the collision of comet C/539 W1 with a long unknown object. The result was the phenomenon known as the 15-bootids and the rise of a new polycephalumoid life form that changed history forever. 1022 years before the Day the Sky Burned, humans came into contact with an extraterrestrial life form. The egg of the Interactive Paradox crashed in Asia Minor, leaving behind the crater known as "the Circle of Hell". From the Circle crawled the otherworldly thing, which upon contact with the local mammals began its long process of fusion and adaptation. The lyrics tell of an onslaught of shapeless, roaring monsters, half-beast, half-demon. Before long, genome-stabilized races hybridized with the local human population, creating the ancient tribes of Beastmen. The most powerful was that of the terrifying Mercians.
The Mercian tribe would carve out a large territory in large islands of Yuǎn Xī, sowing terror. The primitive human population would particularly suffer from the appetite of the large fire-breathing lizards. Culturally, the dragonoids had adopted a pseudo sense of honor, inherited from the chivalrous values of the peoples they devastated. Hence the name they display, that of being members of the Order of the Knights of Dragonight, descended from the stars to dominate all of Coatlicue. However, their unity was only a facade, until the First Lord Archmoonen of the Moonen brought them together in the Great Conquest. He was the oldest and most powerful of his counterparts, still possessing the lingering memories of the Paradox and its donors...
PHASE 1 - CHAPTER 99 - VOLODAR'S STORY
??? - ??? : King Volodar, the Fearless
??? - ??? : King Volodar, the Fearless
Young Volodar repeated his sword movements. His mentor was giving him the lesson at the same time. He spoke of the arrival of Lord Archmoonen of Moonen, the Shadow from the Moon. From the time when the reptilians, or "dragonight" as they liked to call themselves, did not yet reign over the Yuǎn Xī. And then to get to them. Of the devastation of Europe and its great misery. The appetite of monsters had devoured the majority of humans inhabiting these lands. And after getting drunk on meat and blood, the dragons began to desire servants. They captured them to the east, casting their gaze on the tribes they wickedly nicknamed "Slavic". This was the fate of Volodar. The other members of his family had been massacred in a few slave raids. He had been brought back to the Dragonight Empire in irons. He had worked in the fields, then in the workshops of corrupt metalworkers. Volodar was strong. More than surviving, he hardens himself. His skeleton grew, and became covered with knotty musculature. His transformation did not go unnoticed. The master of Volodar made him a gladiator. The reptilian monsters, for all their arrogance, were bloody barbarians. Slave fights were the most popular spectacle among representatives of the scaly race. Volodar the gladiator triumphed again and again.
After his training, the mentor was silent. An emissary from De Moonen had come to His Island of Delights. The dragonight lord called him into His service. His previous champion had died cruelly, and De Moonen was looking for a new one. The man and the monster looked into each other's eyes for a long moment. Archmoon of Moonen conceived an uneasiness: no one dared to meet the gaze of a dragon. But Volodar showed no fear. Usually the fights involved only humans and wild beasts. But the lord understood that this warrior could oppose dragons. De Moonen had rebel vassals languishing in his jails by the way, and a gladiator fight would be an original kill. Volodar accepted. His hatred for the dragonspawn knew no bounds, and he would have done anything to kill reptilians with his own hands.
After his training, the mentor was silent. An emissary from De Moonen had come to His Island of Delights. The dragonight lord called him into His service. His previous champion had died cruelly, and De Moonen was looking for a new one. The man and the monster looked into each other's eyes for a long moment. Archmoon of Moonen conceived an uneasiness: no one dared to meet the gaze of a dragon. But Volodar showed no fear. Usually the fights involved only humans and wild beasts. But the lord understood that this warrior could oppose dragons. De Moonen had rebel vassals languishing in his jails by the way, and a gladiator fight would be an original kill. Volodar accepted. His hatred for the dragonspawn knew no bounds, and he would have done anything to kill reptilians with his own hands.
PHASE 1 - CHAPTER 100 - AFTER THE FALL OF ARCHMOONEN FROM THE MOONEN
769 - : Deathwing Leader of Dijon
769 - : Deathwing Leader of Dijon
Volodar the Fearless, King of Medjedichia. Painting dating from the 20th century, this iconography having been widely used by extreme nationalist movements.
Volodar watched his kingdom snatched from the struggle. From his fortress, the Fearless King saw the walls separating proud Medvjedichia from the scaly lands. Peace had been signed the previous year, when the supreme lord of Moonen and absolute warlord of the knights had been slain by his own hands. Volodar felt old, wondering what he could accomplish after such a feat and in the few years he had left. He thought so when his chamberlain announced a new arrival: the Deathwing leader of Dijon. He went to his throne, sitting down heavily. He demanded to bring in Deathwing.
The monster owed its survival in the war to its fragile health, having remained bedridden throughout the conflict. She showed up very scantily clad, only a headband of colored fabric. Her reptilian body had the dull color of old lizards too bleached in the sun.
"Well, wouldn't that be the terrifying Deathwing? How pleased we are to see you within our walls?
- very dark news, my lord. Do you not know that there are serious disturbances all over the lands east of your walls at this time? Gangs of bandits ravage the hinterland, preventing the grain from reaching the towns. People are starving.
The king was more than aware of these actions. In reality, he was the example, see the investigator. It was through guerrilla methods that he had succeeded in defeating the dragons. The latter tyrannized the towns and cities. Once starved, dragons were just big lizards, and delicacies for city dwellers.
- what do you want me to do about it? These are your lands, and therefore your business, replied the ruler, curious to see how the rest of the exchange would unfold.
Deathwing felt insulted. Fire rose to his throat. But looking up, she saw the great carcass of Archmoonen of Moonen, shamefully stripped to serve as a decoration for Volodar's throne. The towering skull was a reminder that she was in the presence of the most dangerous warrior on the planet.
- we wish ... a commercial agreement with your majesty. We are convinced that if more caravans bearing your seal circulated on our roads, then the bandits would eventually become discouraged. After all, aren't you their hero?
- and for what benefit?
- for advantages on our taxation. Such a friendly partner will deserve friend awards.
Volodar reflected. Since he was king of Medvjedichia, it was no longer rare to see a big lizard come and flatten himself in front of him. Deathwing from Dijon was not the first to make this trip, the previous ones must have spread the word. Anyway, trade was not hurting his country, which was still suffering from the consequences of the previous conflict. And thus splintered and without a supreme warlord, the Knights of Dragonight were no longer a threat.
- either, let's do so. For our mutual benefit. Please accept an escort: my castle is huge, I'm afraid you'll get lost looking for my steward. You have to talk business with him, his voice will be mine. Go now.
Volodar watched his kingdom snatched from the struggle. From his fortress, the Fearless King saw the walls separating proud Medvjedichia from the scaly lands. Peace had been signed the previous year, when the supreme lord of Moonen and absolute warlord of the knights had been slain by his own hands. Volodar felt old, wondering what he could accomplish after such a feat and in the few years he had left. He thought so when his chamberlain announced a new arrival: the Deathwing leader of Dijon. He went to his throne, sitting down heavily. He demanded to bring in Deathwing.
The monster owed its survival in the war to its fragile health, having remained bedridden throughout the conflict. She showed up very scantily clad, only a headband of colored fabric. Her reptilian body had the dull color of old lizards too bleached in the sun.
"Well, wouldn't that be the terrifying Deathwing? How pleased we are to see you within our walls?
- very dark news, my lord. Do you not know that there are serious disturbances all over the lands east of your walls at this time? Gangs of bandits ravage the hinterland, preventing the grain from reaching the towns. People are starving.
The king was more than aware of these actions. In reality, he was the example, see the investigator. It was through guerrilla methods that he had succeeded in defeating the dragons. The latter tyrannized the towns and cities. Once starved, dragons were just big lizards, and delicacies for city dwellers.
- what do you want me to do about it? These are your lands, and therefore your business, replied the ruler, curious to see how the rest of the exchange would unfold.
Deathwing felt insulted. Fire rose to his throat. But looking up, she saw the great carcass of Archmoonen of Moonen, shamefully stripped to serve as a decoration for Volodar's throne. The towering skull was a reminder that she was in the presence of the most dangerous warrior on the planet.
- we wish ... a commercial agreement with your majesty. We are convinced that if more caravans bearing your seal circulated on our roads, then the bandits would eventually become discouraged. After all, aren't you their hero?
- and for what benefit?
- for advantages on our taxation. Such a friendly partner will deserve friend awards.
Volodar reflected. Since he was king of Medvjedichia, it was no longer rare to see a big lizard come and flatten himself in front of him. Deathwing from Dijon was not the first to make this trip, the previous ones must have spread the word. Anyway, trade was not hurting his country, which was still suffering from the consequences of the previous conflict. And thus splintered and without a supreme warlord, the Knights of Dragonight were no longer a threat.
- either, let's do so. For our mutual benefit. Please accept an escort: my castle is huge, I'm afraid you'll get lost looking for my steward. You have to talk business with him, his voice will be mine. Go now.
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