Chapter 4: Funhouse.
"Yelaris... my name is Yelaris," answered the female Vandal "I came from the Third class camp of Kings a few miles back."
"Glad to meet you Yelaris," Kiviks replied "well, I guess I'll tell you about me, yes?" Kiviks nodded and proceeded to introduce himself. "Well," he began "I am Kiviks, a previously mentioned devil baron, before I was exiled." Kiviks strolled over to a hive chest, full of equipment, things like Shock-Blades, lots of bulky armour and a shrapnel launcher. "Good to have my old gear back... Anyways," Kiviks continued "I was shot by a guardian right up in here." The Eliksni pointed up to one of his eyes. "I was pretty badly affected," he explained "and well, the devils did not accept my sudden lack of performance too well, and they were quick to replace me, and demote me to the rank of captain." Kiviks began equipping his equipment as he scanned the area.
"I'm sorry for what they did to you," Yelaris apologized "you still seem to have all your skill, from what I saw."
"Hmm, fine." Kiviks said as he strolled about some more, evidently looking for something. Yelaris used this time to examine him. The male was tall, and had hundreds of scars on his torso, and his back. Whether they were from his time with the hive, or general scars, she didn't know. He was fairly attractive, muscular, and quite chiseled features. Yelaris perished the thought; he was way older than her.
Perhaps even two decades older. Yelaris glanced into a reflective sheet of metal, and took the time to look at herself. Her blue eyes stared back, almost challenging her. She hadn't even realized that her arms were bleeding everywhere. Typical, nobody told her about it. She was quite small compared to the baron, and just had a fairly average build, not too large muscles but still rather in shape.
She unsheathed her sword, and the tentacles gripped again, but not as hard, almost letting the hand free, just not quite there. She turned the blade over to look at it. The hilt of the blade opened slightly, and Yelaris was blinded instantaneously by a white light, before falling on the floor, unconscious.
By the time she had woken up, it was dawn, and how could she tell? The fact the sun was rising and she was outside. Kiviks was messing about with a cloak device, and looked down of Yelaris. "About time." He grunted.
"What? How did I? Did you?"
"I moved you up here, nothing else." He responded. He cursed as his hand was burnt by the device in his hand. "I know how to fix that, if you need me to." Yelaris stated. Kiviks threw the device to her, and Yelaris moved a wire, and her hands disappeared. "Oh," Yelaris said "wait." She moved it again and she completely disappeared out of sight. "Fixed it." She replied, throwing the device back to him.
"So what's the plan Yelaris? Keep moving west?"
"I was seeing if I could find anybody out near to the Dead Zone, but I already found you, I guess we could continue on that way."
"Sounds like a good plan, I found us some food too."
A few hours later, the two stopped. "Why stop here?" asked Yelaris, looking around in attempt to find a point of interest.
"Simple" replied Kiviks "There is a docking hanger and I just saw a ship land there."
"Well, investigating may not be the best option... They could be well equipped"
"Ha! Guardians? Well equipped? You do make me laugh Yelaris." Kiviks cloaked out, leaving Yelaris alone at the intersection. She wasn't sure whether to follow the old baron or to wait for a status report, so she walked over to a corrugated metal shack and sat down against the side. To her horror, a guardian walked in. "Oh my!" the Guardian exclaimed with glee "Look at this chest! A new scout rifle, some leg armour! Fantastic!" The guardian was comm-linked to another, evidently. Yelaris kicked out her foot, and the guardian fell backwards onto her, she wrapped her legs around his neck, and pushed as hard as she could. The Guardian's neck snapped.
The second guardian came through, and Yelaris didn't have time to dispatch him before she was shot. "What!? My scout rifle one hits vandals!" He shot again, but Yelaris twisted away, unsheathing her sword and cleaved the guardian in two. Sadly, with the small nature of the shack, she cut a large portion of the shack off in the process. She ducked as a third guardian had emerged, firing an auto rifle. She was about to draw her shock pistol, she heard a pained gurgled. She looked over, and Kiviks had uncloaked, and was signaling her to come to him. After some minor difficulties, they had acquired ships.