----- Chapter 6 : The Write Stuff ------
Sarunakai smiled. The mines proved to be everything he had hoped for. The enemies were relentless and without honour but fell easily to his Techniques. Those that survived were dispatched with a single strike of his Brave Hammer battle cane. With Eventide and Eric in support, they cut through the opposing legions with ease.
Just yesterday they had teamed up with a Hunter to help a Newman female called Elly find some sort of companion. The five of them forming an army of their own. They were all shocked when the companion had turned out to be a computer but Sarunakai did not care as long as he was helping people. Now the three of them were one of several teams requested by the military to clear a way down to the lower levels.
"Don't worry, it'll only take a few hundred Beats." He told the client.
-----
Eventide slowly shook his head in disbelief. They had been here for a few hundred Beats now and seemed to be getting nowhere. The fire-teams hired to mop up resistance enough to penetrate the lower levels had been beamed down to different locations. The layout of the facility seemed to be a total mystery to the army... Military Intelligence, now there was an oxymoron if he had ever heard one.
Their particular predicament involved two broad walkways separated by a gap that would be only crossed by flying. It was a shame as some of the robots here could do just that. A contingent of Gillchics pinned them down with laser fire while the two highly agile Sinow Beats would leap at them at every available opportunity. If things got too hairy they would retreat and seal the door for about a Beat and a half. This would be enough to trick the robots into resetting their search memories, thus giving them enough time to get in attacks of opportunity.
Eric was solid enough, he seemed to enjoy leaping about like some action hero from the holocasts, but he was quite reckless for an android, taking a lot of damage needlessly. Eric kind of reminded Eventide of Boc, 'the bullet magnet'. Now there was a RAcast who took a licking and kept on ticking.
Sarunakai was a different story. He was clearly determined to prove his worth and in their line of work, guts was half the battle. Eventide was not questioning his usefulness, he had been in the game for long enough and he always preferred to have at least one FOrce in the team, even better if they were female...
During some of the quieter moments Eventide had given him a few pointers in the delicate art of wielding his Battle Hammer, he just hoped that the kid's inexperience did not get someone killed.
He realised that perhaps he was being over-protective, treating him like the son he might never have. That was fine too, Sarunakai looked up to him and maybe the added responsibility would give him 'the maturity' the ladies told him he lacked.
-----
Eventide sliced the Gillchic in half with his Durandal sword even as Eric pelted it with a hail of photon bullets.
"Sarunakai, I've always wanted to ask. What is it that drives you to the Surface day after day to battle? You seemed to fight with such passion." Asked Eventide.
"I have my reasons." Said Sarunakai solemnly.
Eventide nodded in agreement. He respected Sarunakai too much to press the matter further.
-----
They paused for breath behind the locked door. The Sinow Beat had gotten a fair shot at Eric and they had pulled back once more to tend to the android. Sarunakai focused his mind and cast the Resta Technique to heal the damage inflicted upon Eric's metal skin.
"Sarunakai, I just wanted to ask. Why is it that you come to the Surface to battle with these creatures? You don't seem to be exactly what I would call Hunter material." Asked Eventide.
"I have my reasons." Said Sarunakai solemnly.
"Seriously."
"Okay, I'm part of an author's circle. But unlike the others I don't want to write about something if I haven't experienced it for myself."
"Now that I can respect." Said Eventide with a grin.
Sarunakai smiled. The mines proved to be everything he had hoped for. The enemies were relentless and without honour but fell easily to his Techniques. Those that survived were dispatched with a single strike of his Brave Hammer battle cane. With Eventide and Eric in support, they cut through the opposing legions with ease.
Just yesterday they had teamed up with a Hunter to help a Newman female called Elly find some sort of companion. The five of them forming an army of their own. They were all shocked when the companion had turned out to be a computer but Sarunakai did not care as long as he was helping people. Now the three of them were one of several teams requested by the military to clear a way down to the lower levels.
"Don't worry, it'll only take a few hundred Beats." He told the client.
-----
Eventide slowly shook his head in disbelief. They had been here for a few hundred Beats now and seemed to be getting nowhere. The fire-teams hired to mop up resistance enough to penetrate the lower levels had been beamed down to different locations. The layout of the facility seemed to be a total mystery to the army... Military Intelligence, now there was an oxymoron if he had ever heard one.
Their particular predicament involved two broad walkways separated by a gap that would be only crossed by flying. It was a shame as some of the robots here could do just that. A contingent of Gillchics pinned them down with laser fire while the two highly agile Sinow Beats would leap at them at every available opportunity. If things got too hairy they would retreat and seal the door for about a Beat and a half. This would be enough to trick the robots into resetting their search memories, thus giving them enough time to get in attacks of opportunity.
Eric was solid enough, he seemed to enjoy leaping about like some action hero from the holocasts, but he was quite reckless for an android, taking a lot of damage needlessly. Eric kind of reminded Eventide of Boc, 'the bullet magnet'. Now there was a RAcast who took a licking and kept on ticking.
Sarunakai was a different story. He was clearly determined to prove his worth and in their line of work, guts was half the battle. Eventide was not questioning his usefulness, he had been in the game for long enough and he always preferred to have at least one FOrce in the team, even better if they were female...
During some of the quieter moments Eventide had given him a few pointers in the delicate art of wielding his Battle Hammer, he just hoped that the kid's inexperience did not get someone killed.
He realised that perhaps he was being over-protective, treating him like the son he might never have. That was fine too, Sarunakai looked up to him and maybe the added responsibility would give him 'the maturity' the ladies told him he lacked.
-----
Eventide sliced the Gillchic in half with his Durandal sword even as Eric pelted it with a hail of photon bullets.
"Sarunakai, I've always wanted to ask. What is it that drives you to the Surface day after day to battle? You seemed to fight with such passion." Asked Eventide.
"I have my reasons." Said Sarunakai solemnly.
Eventide nodded in agreement. He respected Sarunakai too much to press the matter further.
-----
They paused for breath behind the locked door. The Sinow Beat had gotten a fair shot at Eric and they had pulled back once more to tend to the android. Sarunakai focused his mind and cast the Resta Technique to heal the damage inflicted upon Eric's metal skin.
"Sarunakai, I just wanted to ask. Why is it that you come to the Surface to battle with these creatures? You don't seem to be exactly what I would call Hunter material." Asked Eventide.
"I have my reasons." Said Sarunakai solemnly.
"Seriously."
"Okay, I'm part of an author's circle. But unlike the others I don't want to write about something if I haven't experienced it for myself."
"Now that I can respect." Said Eventide with a grin.