Hunger
It just came to me one night playing Xenosaga, what if the Gnosis were self-aware? Just a creepy little piece that hopefully makes you wonder. This was also inspired because the Gigas handed me my head on a plate numerous times.
Dimly, I can feel pain burn its way up one of my claws. I swing my long, draconic neck down and can make out one of the lower lifeforms futilely attempting to wriggle its way free from my talons. I simply crush it beneath me.
Still searching, always looking for the thing that can bring myself and my brothers back to our own world, our own universe. The Zohar, that these creatures have been hiding from us, that we have been chasing for such a long time. They think they have hidden it, but it still calls, but with not as much power as the Song. The Song is what has drawn us here, to this place, and then finding the storage place of the Zohar was a double stroke of luck.
A command filters into the back of my mind, from one of the great ones. Some humans have been causing trouble, and they have been aiding in hiding the Zohar. I am to proceed to where they are, and crush them for destroying one of our greatest ones.
If all this killing and bloodshed will help return us to where we belong, I will gladly do it. I turn on my new course, but note that many of the clawless creatures that have brought us to their world have vanished, leaving their dead behind.
I stomp down one of their paths, and can make out several clawless ones grouped together. I unleash a powerful shriek, and watch as two of them flinch. One of them makes some useless noise.
"Be careful, everyone, this is no ordinary force!"
One of the clawless ones drops into a crouch and launches a fireball at me. It strikes, but does little damage.
Perhaps it is time to unleash one of my Ether attacks. I turn my attention inward, and my cells begin to divide and replicate. A perfect clone steps away from me a second later. It's not very smart, and it won't do anything but attack blindly, but the clawless ones won't know any better. A pity this technique drains me so much.
The clawless ones move forward and spread out, apparently ready to combat this new threat. I have to admit, they are brave. I spin my stave, and use another Ether attack. Waves of ice smash through the clawless ones ranks, knocking them back, but not down.
Now I am startled. They are very strong, these ones. I order the clone into the fight. Being the idiot he is, he simply stomps forward, rushing them. I hang back, curious as to how they plan to defeat him.
The clone's tail smashes into the red haired clawless one, sending him flying across the pavement. Brutal, but it worked.
"Jr.!"
The little female clawless one races to his side. "Mystic powers, grant me a miracle!" A second later, he is on his feet again.
They heal each other, acting just like the Bugbears. Perhaps these humans aren't so uncaring after all.
I turn my attention back to the battle. The other female is frantically mimicking the small female in healing, but is failing miserably. My clone is just too strong. Unless they do something…my attention is suddenly grabbed. The blue haired female!
I unleash a snarl, and turn to eliminate her. I haven't seen her the whole battle!
I am far too late.
"Charging."
All I can do is duck and hope that I live.
Huge blasts of energy rain down around me, disorienting me. But I'm still alive. I pick myself up, and glance at the remaining humans in frustration. They are far more resourceful than I thought they would be. But several of their number are down. Unfortunately for me as well, my clone has been destroyed.
Only the blue haired female, the silver haired male, and the tall female healer remain standing. But not for long.
I give a lazy twirl of my staff, and release my death spell, taking out the most threatening one first. The blue haired female collapses in a heap. It won't kill her, not with my lack of energy from her blast, but it will keep her out of the fight.
"KOS-MOS!" One of them cries.
The male clawless one takes several steps forward. "Ready? Angel Blow!" He leaps airborne.
I'm too tired to try to avoid it, and all I can do is take the hit and stagger backward. He's next.
I watch as he passes out, but I'm almost out of energy, and I can barely remain on my feet. I just have one more clawless one left, and then I can return to the great one and rest.
The remaining female suddenly drops to her knees.
I tilt my head to the side. The clawless one must be too tired to continue the fight. I walk forward, sliding my claws out. I will finish her quickly, I want to get back to the great one.
I lean down next to her, able to smell her fear quite tangibly, my claws scant inches from her neck.
Faster than I can possibly react, she wheels, places her red weapon next to my shoulder and fires it.
I stagger backward, thinking, I lost.
I failed.
I collapse in the dirt. I'm never going to see my homeworld again. I'm never going to see my own universe again. And, the dim realization comes to me, that the Zohar isn't here. Only the emulators are.
Our last hope is the Song.
Our only hope to get back to our own universe is the Song…
Uh. Well. Just a little look at the game from a different point of view. Comments are welcome.