Metal Gear Solid: Gaining Awareness
By Lazuli
Prologue
"They've gone completely insane..." the woman's voice shuddered as she spoke and she drew her traumatized child closer to her, looking up to Eszaren. "I.I thought that the were made to protect us."
"So did I, ma'am." Eszaren narrowed his eyes as he looked at the looming figures on the horizon.
"Eszaren, you are in charge, what do you plan to do?" Norua called from nearby, having finished wrapping a fellow soldier's wounds.
Eszaren sighed, rubbing his temples. He didn't know what to do now. There was only four of them, but they were so powerful. The army's numbers had been halved before a single breath could be taken and had sharply dropped since then. Eszaren had been put in charge of the remaining soldiers since then. Over a thousand lives suddenly placed in his hands and every decision he had made so far resulted in more fatalities.
Eszaren stared out giant shadows approaching, then back to the mixture of injured soldiers and civilians that had taken refuge in the ruins of the town's square. He suddenly became still as remnants of a recent vision flashed in his mind. His eyes hazed as the images played over and over again, nearly falling into a trance. A sudden loud clang brought him back to reality, however, the sudden noise causing him to jump slightly and he blinked, looking down to see that his axe had slipped from his hand.
"Eszaren..?" Norua was immediately at his side and Eszaren could sense his brother's worry for him more than ever.
Eszaren smiled slightly, leaning down and picking up his weapon, then turned to Norua.
"I already know what you want to ask, Norua, and I'm fine." Eszaren paused, running a hand through his hair, his eyes drifting to the approaching creatures. "And I've made my decision."
Eszaren waited for Norua to say something, but no response came. He looked over to him to find that he had gone to tend to more of the injured, tapping his metal staff on the cobblestones to find his way.
"So, you've nothing to say?" Eszaren asked him.
"I do, but..I don't want to." Norua answered. "If I do, I'll discourage you. ..You know I will."
"So, I guess I'll be seeing you, then?"
"Yes, but not for a long, long while."
"So you had the same vision, then?"
Norua nodded. "Of one of our Seraphim?"
"You mean of me."
"It's not you-"
"It has to be me, Norua!" Eszaren looked back to him, knowing that even though Norua couldn't see the graveness in his face, he could hear it in his voice. "I know it was brief, but you saw his face plainly! Outside of you me and our brothers, who do you know who looks exactly like me?"
Norua didn't answer.
Eszaren sighed in exasperation, shaking his head.
"If you don't want to accept what you've seen, then fine. It isn't going to affect the outcome, no matter how much you want it to."
Norua still remained silent.
"So, I guess this is how you plan on say goodbye to me, then?" Eszaren asked, though, Norua still refused to answer. "Fine by me. I'll be seeing you." And with that, he vanished, leaving a pale green light in his shape that slowly faded.
Prologue
"They've gone completely insane..." the woman's voice shuddered as she spoke and she drew her traumatized child closer to her, looking up to Eszaren. "I.I thought that the were made to protect us."
"So did I, ma'am." Eszaren narrowed his eyes as he looked at the looming figures on the horizon.
"Eszaren, you are in charge, what do you plan to do?" Norua called from nearby, having finished wrapping a fellow soldier's wounds.
Eszaren sighed, rubbing his temples. He didn't know what to do now. There was only four of them, but they were so powerful. The army's numbers had been halved before a single breath could be taken and had sharply dropped since then. Eszaren had been put in charge of the remaining soldiers since then. Over a thousand lives suddenly placed in his hands and every decision he had made so far resulted in more fatalities.
Eszaren stared out giant shadows approaching, then back to the mixture of injured soldiers and civilians that had taken refuge in the ruins of the town's square. He suddenly became still as remnants of a recent vision flashed in his mind. His eyes hazed as the images played over and over again, nearly falling into a trance. A sudden loud clang brought him back to reality, however, the sudden noise causing him to jump slightly and he blinked, looking down to see that his axe had slipped from his hand.
"Eszaren..?" Norua was immediately at his side and Eszaren could sense his brother's worry for him more than ever.
Eszaren smiled slightly, leaning down and picking up his weapon, then turned to Norua.
"I already know what you want to ask, Norua, and I'm fine." Eszaren paused, running a hand through his hair, his eyes drifting to the approaching creatures. "And I've made my decision."
Eszaren waited for Norua to say something, but no response came. He looked over to him to find that he had gone to tend to more of the injured, tapping his metal staff on the cobblestones to find his way.
"So, you've nothing to say?" Eszaren asked him.
"I do, but..I don't want to." Norua answered. "If I do, I'll discourage you. ..You know I will."
"So, I guess I'll be seeing you, then?"
"Yes, but not for a long, long while."
"So you had the same vision, then?"
Norua nodded. "Of one of our Seraphim?"
"You mean of me."
"It's not you-"
"It has to be me, Norua!" Eszaren looked back to him, knowing that even though Norua couldn't see the graveness in his face, he could hear it in his voice. "I know it was brief, but you saw his face plainly! Outside of you me and our brothers, who do you know who looks exactly like me?"
Norua didn't answer.
Eszaren sighed in exasperation, shaking his head.
"If you don't want to accept what you've seen, then fine. It isn't going to affect the outcome, no matter how much you want it to."
Norua still remained silent.
"So, I guess this is how you plan on say goodbye to me, then?" Eszaren asked, though, Norua still refused to answer. "Fine by me. I'll be seeing you." And with that, he vanished, leaving a pale green light in his shape that slowly faded.