Hunteria City, Where It all Began.
A bustling city where the population was larger than that of a small town. Its citizens go to and fro, living their daily lives, working to provide for their families each and every day. One could consider living in Hunteria a paradise.
And it was. Until Swoop arrived.
Swoop, born Rinali Uva Regal, lived in Hunteria City for almost all of his life. Rinali never cared for the simple existence of day to day life in the city of Hunteria. Renali was a Chessmaster- a being that hunted for sport and reclaimed their glory in the form of trophies, usually by beheading animals or the occasional refugee from the rival towns smuggling themselves into Hunteria for the mineral ore known as Renkanium, the pride and joy of the Hunterians.
The mineral Renkanium provided the light source and power to the city and the neighboring town of Hunteria, and without it, the towns and the world would soon fall into chaos and anarchy. The Protectors of the Crystal guarded the Fortress that housed the mineral ore, which would be melted into a sphere that would be inserted into the core of the planet, where it would power the city for years to come.
Renkanium was the cause of the war that was sparked when the rival townsman's guard, known only as the Shrouded declared the spherical crystal a selfish act of the Hunterians, as poor states and towns were forever in darkness and without resources. The crystal could be sold to wealthy benefactors in exchange for food, clothes, and other much needed resources.
"You are fools to keep this crystal to yourselves, when others are not so fortunate," their leader spat out to the mayor of Hunteria.
"Selfish? You have declared war on us, when we have not the tools or strength to fight you!"
Their leader merely whispered, "then you will die, and we will have that crystal," before leaving.
Renali, now called Swoop, knew very little of the Renkanium in his lifespan of living in the city. No one would tell him the stories of what the crystal could do. They didn't trust him enough to tell him. His curiosity would get the better of him, as the guards would threaten his exile from the city should he dare break into the Fortress to steal it.
Two young men, known only as X and Zero lived in Hunteria City far longer than Swoop did. They knew of the Renkanium, because they were once asked to look after it should something tragic happen to the Protectors.
"As former Maverick hunters, only you have the ability to guard and watch over the crystal in the case of emergency."
X shuffled slightly in nervousness.
"Zero's the Maverick, I'm just a Reploid. I-I don't know anything about the Renkanium enough to even think about protecting it like the guards do.."
The mayor smiled.
"You can, because I believe in both of you. I know that when the time comes, you will both know what to do and how to protect our city."
Zero was more optimistic in his response.
"Let some bastards try to bust down the gates of the Fortress. I'll cut them with my energy blade!"
Mayor Justice merely chuckled.
"Let us hope it does not come to that, but if it does, I am safe to know you will stop them."
X and Zero grinned at the future opportunity to defend their home. Swoop was not so happy. The Renkanium was his ticket to leave the city, and yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to the crystal.
"Why would they guard something that only powers the city?" Swoop mused to his friend, Grimlock, once known as Grey Fenrir of the Clan That Defends The Sword.
"What does it matter to you, Renali? The Protectors of the Crystal are not fools who will willingly reveal all of the secrets of this town."
Swoop gritted his teeth in anger. How he hated being called his birth name in such a tone. Especially from Grey. Their friendship was a very complicated one.
Grey Fenrir of the Clan That Defends the Sword was a brutal warrior and killer. His victims could never be identified after crossing his path. The Protectors of the Crystal nearly lost their lives more than once battling his ruthless clan of killers. Mayor Justice deemed them all terrorists and had them banned from ever entering Hunteria's walls and would be killed on the spot without trial.
Grey became a lone being after his clan disbanded three years after his banishment until he settled down in rural Genoka, south of the border to Hunteria. Swoop and Grey became mortal enemies after witnessing Swoop murder an ex-clan member of his. After a battle that left Swoop at death's door, Grey spared him as a way of one day returning to Hunteria with a new clan to overthrow the mayor and take over as the dictator over the people.
However, Swoop's annoyance of Grey grew once the latter found out he was a native of Hunteria, and not just any native, but the famed Chessmaster Renali Uva Regal of Hunteria. Their alliance became a friendship, albeit a strange one, and they both vowed to keep each other protected until Grey could return to the city.
"Think about it, Fenrir. That crystal could be the answer to all of our problems. If Renkanium powers the town, imagine what we could do with it. You could build a new clan. And I could finally have enough money to leave Hunteria and build a new home for myself."
Grey pondered this thought. Could this crystal truly answer all of their problems? He could find a nice woman to marry and fight alongside with in a new, even deadlier clan. He could pretend to lead Renali on before taking him down as well, damn their friendship. No. That could backfire on him, and he had plans for his future. Most of those involved the assistance of his friend.
"You drive a hard bargain, Renali. But you are forgetting one thing - X and Zero of Hunteria. You know of them?"
Yes, he did know of those two. The only two that considered him a friend. And he did not like it. Especially X. Something about the blue-skinned teen unsettled him greatly. Zero could prove useful in the future. He could manipulate the older boy to help his agenda.
"What of them?"
Grey chuckled lightly.
"You know they were asked to guard the crystal should the Protectors fall in battle or death."
Swoop sat in his chair.
"Continue."
Grey fixed himself a cup of brew and regaled his friend with the story.
"Mayor Justice asked both X and Zero to one day guard and watch over the crystal if something were to happen to the Protectors. Of course, you can gather they have not taken the Mayor on her offer yet."
Swoop smiled. An opportunity? No, a plan.
"Think of it, Fenrir! We could launch an attack on the Fortress and steal the Renkanium before X and Zero get to the scene."
Grey stood up, his face changing.
"Are you mad, Renali?! I have no clan, and I have a kill-on-sight order placed upon me! I'd be dead before i reach the gates. And you would be branded as a terrorist and exiled."
Swoop didn't care about that. He only wanted to know why the Renkanium was so guarded.
"I don't give a damn about that! I want to know why the Renkanuim is so important to Hunteria and why it's so guarded. Especially by the Protectors of the Crystal!"
Grey merely scoffed at Swoop. What Swoop was suggesting was suicide, not only towards him, but Grey as well. He would not risk his own life for Swoop's own selfish needs, no matter the reward afterwards.
"I admire your strength and heart, Renali. But i cannot and will not allow myself to die in the process of our so-called 'heist' against the crystal and the people and protectors of Hunteria."
"But what of your clan? Do you not seek revenge?"
Grey wanted nothing more.
"It is impossible for me to seek revenge if I am killed shortly after. We are done here."
Swoop was angry at Grey. For someone of such honor and valor, he was acting a coward. But he could not worry about that right now.
"Very well, then. I shall figure out a plan myself. But you better hope your mindset changes before i succeed in obtaining the crystal, or i might just forget about you."
Grey Fenrir chuckled once more.
"Do not ever change, Chessmaster. You will soon become your worst enemy. And when it blows up in your face, I shall be here to see it. But for now, I wish you good luck in this plan of yours that will fail."
Swoop sneered at Grey one final time before making the trek back home. What secrets are the people hiding? And why do they need the Renkanium guarded if it simply powered things like lights and equipment?
There was something more to this than Swoop was told. A lie, he gathered. And X and Zero are a part of that lie.
Everything he was fed by the people and Mayor Justice were nothing but falsehoods spread across the capital and the subsequent towns.
He would no longer be fooled.
"Hunteria is lying to me. And once I figure out the truth...
...They will burn."
To Be Continued...