Chapter 2
"The Battle Of Morgenheim"
"Follow us to the chosen one!" A man shouted from on top of an AC. The AC strategically standing behind a wall of MT's. Each MT fashioned in a white cloak. The white cloaks each baring the group's crest. The crest was unnoticed by some and feared by others, yet significant to all who came in contact with it. These invading MT pilots were heretics promoting their religious believes. They called themselves "The Keepers of God's Will", but most people just referred to them as "The Keepers". All who refused to follow them and opposed them were murdered.
Down poured a sour midnight rain screaming out over an ashen plane. Mournful souls cried for their lives, others were slain out right without question, without answer. A choir of screams rang out across the city. An orchestra of missile volletys and machine gun blasts howled through the night. The shells of fired rounds echoed across the cracked and torn pavement streets as they fell to the ground. Families huddled together, petrified in fear as they were engulfed in flames. A look of sadistic glee posed across the faces of each MT pilot as the purged the Earth of the damned and unworthy.
It was the darkest of days in the town of Morgenheim. The citizens ran for their lives just to be wiped out by a hail of gun fire. Those left standing tried with all their might to revolt. The city was being destroyed with each passing second. Buildings crumbling to the ground, a history of a long lived population being lost forever in a matter of momenets. To the people of Morgenheim this was a halocaust, to the Keepers Of The Will Of God it was divine right. All captured during the raid were branded on their forehead's with the crest of "The Keepers" and were to be converted or destroyed.
"Sophia!" A tall man cried out as he ran down the streets of the burning city. The streets filled with chaos and littered with dead bodies. Burning cinders and the stench of burning flesh carried in the breeze. His light skin turned red and black from treading through ash and fire. He frantically searched for his wife and child. He felt the winds begin to shift, as if his fate was changing with each foot step. Every block he ran was an eternity. The winds were howling, he knew that he was running out of time, but all there was to do was keep running.
"Give me the child!" An armed MT pilot ordered as he tried to pull the baby away from its desperate mother. She held on and fought as hard as she could to protect the life of her new born son.
"Sophia!" The man shouted as he ran around the corner towards his home. His home had been burned to the ground. Standing out front he saw his wife as she was being brutally beaten and raped. Enraged he charged at his wifes assailant. His heart was pounding, his eyes were burning, thoughts of Sophia raced across his mind.
The man's shoulder came crashing into the MT pilot's cranium, sending the pilot flying off of Sophia and into the burning pile of bodies. The pilot cried out in agony as his flesh was seared and melted off in a brief moment. His charred body fell forward and rested lifelessly ontop of the pile of burning bodies. How Ironic that he would meet the very same fate that his victims did.
"Are you alright?" The man fell to his knees and embraced his wife as she remained broken on the ground.
"Thomas." Tears filled her eyes as she pointed to the burning pile of corpses. She couldn't speak another word, all she could do was cry. The horror finally settled in and the man realized that she was informing him of the death of his son. His son Thomas had been raped from Sophia's arms and thrown to the flames moments before he came running around the corner. Sophia coughed violently and gasped for air as blood slowly ran from her mouth. She gathered the last bit of life she had in her to speak.
"I will love you forever." She said as she beginning shaking.
"No, Sophie no. Don't leave me like this, please. I love you." He whimpered.
She pressed her bloody lips to his, then gazed into his eyes, placed her hand on his cheek, and smiled one last time before closing her eyes. His eyes were burning, his heart faint, as her body fell lifelessly in his arms. Sophia parted from his life forever.
He was furious. Not even vengence could compensate for his loss, but only blood could fill the void that was now left in his life. And he would spill the blood of those who spilled the blood of his people. Without hesitation he headed off to the dead MT pilot's MT and climbed inside.
It was nearly dawn and Morgenheim had been all but burned to the ground. Those who managed to keep their lives were being herded and rounded up like cattle. The glow of the burning city in the middle of the desert could be seen for miles. The AC was kneeling outside of the city and infront of it stood it's pilot. Outside of the destroyed city a long line of survivors where being marched to the AC pilot. Among these survivors was Sophia's brother, Derrick.
Derrick approached the AC as the sun began to come over the horizon. Directly ahead of him was the AC pilot and a few armed MT pilots. To the left of that was a deep pit where they discarded the bodies of those who refused to repent in the name of "The Chosen One". Derrick watched as each person made their decision. Those who repented where branded and were taken away. Those who refused were executed in a number of ways and thrown to the pit. Derrick had made his decision from the begining. He stepped forward and looked straight into the eyes of the AC pilot.
"Do you repent in the name of the Chosen One?" The AC pilot inquired. Thoughts raced through Derrick's mind. He was so certain of what he was going to do before, but now something was different. He wanted to live, but he was a righteous man in his own views and felt it necessary to make a stand. What kind of man would he be if he lied to himself and betrayed his own views?
"I choose to live." Derrick replied charismatically.
"Brand him." The AC pilot called out to one of the MT pilots.
"No!" Derrick revolted.
"What is the meaning of this? You were given the chance to make a choice and you did. Are you going back on your word?" The AC pilot was irritated.
"I said I choose to live, not to be enslaved!" Derrick spit in the Raven's face. "I will not become one of you dogs!" Two of the nearby MT pilots grabbed at Derrick, trying to gain control over his actions.
Sophia's husband was approaching fast in one of "The Keeper's" MT's along with a misfit band of construction and mining MT's piloted by other citizens of Morgenheim.
"You won't get away with this! Someday someone will bring you down and destroy you all!" Derrick fuirously struggled with the MT pilots as they tackled him to the ground. Sophia's husband could see the struggle as he charged forward with his newly acquired MT. After a few moments he saw that the person struggling was Derrick, his best friend. He continued onward as fast as the MT could move.
"You struggle against fate with all your will, but like all others who compromise the will of fate, you must be exterminated" The Raven spoke coldly to Derrick.
The MT pilots held Derrick still. Derrick looked up, just to find himself staring down the barrel of a pistol.
"Derrick! No!" Derrick's brother in law yelled at the top of his lungs as he was only seconds away from reaching Derrick.
A shot rang out, and a body and an empty shell fell silently to the sands. It seemed as if the entire world had grown quiet.
"Bastard!" Sophia's husband charged forward. He chambered the right arm of his MT. As he reached the Raven the right arm thrusted forward, impaling the Raven with a spike from the parrying bladed mounted on the MT's right arm. The AC pilot gasped for air, but could not breath do to the fact that a large spike had just torn out the majority of his organs located within his torso. Blood poured out from the Raven's mouth, and in seconds he was dead. Within moments the pilots of the construction and mining MT's had wiped out the majority of the MT pilots who were on foot. The batlle was won.
With nothing left, the man who killed the Raven climbed into the cockpit of the AC and headed off aimlessly into the desert. He left to find himself, his center. To find a reason for living on. And he was determined to find these things. He thought that maybe he could find these things, in battle.
"Follow us to the chosen one!" A man shouted from on top of an AC. The AC strategically standing behind a wall of MT's. Each MT fashioned in a white cloak. The white cloaks each baring the group's crest. The crest was unnoticed by some and feared by others, yet significant to all who came in contact with it. These invading MT pilots were heretics promoting their religious believes. They called themselves "The Keepers of God's Will", but most people just referred to them as "The Keepers". All who refused to follow them and opposed them were murdered.
Down poured a sour midnight rain screaming out over an ashen plane. Mournful souls cried for their lives, others were slain out right without question, without answer. A choir of screams rang out across the city. An orchestra of missile volletys and machine gun blasts howled through the night. The shells of fired rounds echoed across the cracked and torn pavement streets as they fell to the ground. Families huddled together, petrified in fear as they were engulfed in flames. A look of sadistic glee posed across the faces of each MT pilot as the purged the Earth of the damned and unworthy.
It was the darkest of days in the town of Morgenheim. The citizens ran for their lives just to be wiped out by a hail of gun fire. Those left standing tried with all their might to revolt. The city was being destroyed with each passing second. Buildings crumbling to the ground, a history of a long lived population being lost forever in a matter of momenets. To the people of Morgenheim this was a halocaust, to the Keepers Of The Will Of God it was divine right. All captured during the raid were branded on their forehead's with the crest of "The Keepers" and were to be converted or destroyed.
"Sophia!" A tall man cried out as he ran down the streets of the burning city. The streets filled with chaos and littered with dead bodies. Burning cinders and the stench of burning flesh carried in the breeze. His light skin turned red and black from treading through ash and fire. He frantically searched for his wife and child. He felt the winds begin to shift, as if his fate was changing with each foot step. Every block he ran was an eternity. The winds were howling, he knew that he was running out of time, but all there was to do was keep running.
"Give me the child!" An armed MT pilot ordered as he tried to pull the baby away from its desperate mother. She held on and fought as hard as she could to protect the life of her new born son.
"Sophia!" The man shouted as he ran around the corner towards his home. His home had been burned to the ground. Standing out front he saw his wife as she was being brutally beaten and raped. Enraged he charged at his wifes assailant. His heart was pounding, his eyes were burning, thoughts of Sophia raced across his mind.
The man's shoulder came crashing into the MT pilot's cranium, sending the pilot flying off of Sophia and into the burning pile of bodies. The pilot cried out in agony as his flesh was seared and melted off in a brief moment. His charred body fell forward and rested lifelessly ontop of the pile of burning bodies. How Ironic that he would meet the very same fate that his victims did.
"Are you alright?" The man fell to his knees and embraced his wife as she remained broken on the ground.
"Thomas." Tears filled her eyes as she pointed to the burning pile of corpses. She couldn't speak another word, all she could do was cry. The horror finally settled in and the man realized that she was informing him of the death of his son. His son Thomas had been raped from Sophia's arms and thrown to the flames moments before he came running around the corner. Sophia coughed violently and gasped for air as blood slowly ran from her mouth. She gathered the last bit of life she had in her to speak.
"I will love you forever." She said as she beginning shaking.
"No, Sophie no. Don't leave me like this, please. I love you." He whimpered.
She pressed her bloody lips to his, then gazed into his eyes, placed her hand on his cheek, and smiled one last time before closing her eyes. His eyes were burning, his heart faint, as her body fell lifelessly in his arms. Sophia parted from his life forever.
He was furious. Not even vengence could compensate for his loss, but only blood could fill the void that was now left in his life. And he would spill the blood of those who spilled the blood of his people. Without hesitation he headed off to the dead MT pilot's MT and climbed inside.
It was nearly dawn and Morgenheim had been all but burned to the ground. Those who managed to keep their lives were being herded and rounded up like cattle. The glow of the burning city in the middle of the desert could be seen for miles. The AC was kneeling outside of the city and infront of it stood it's pilot. Outside of the destroyed city a long line of survivors where being marched to the AC pilot. Among these survivors was Sophia's brother, Derrick.
Derrick approached the AC as the sun began to come over the horizon. Directly ahead of him was the AC pilot and a few armed MT pilots. To the left of that was a deep pit where they discarded the bodies of those who refused to repent in the name of "The Chosen One". Derrick watched as each person made their decision. Those who repented where branded and were taken away. Those who refused were executed in a number of ways and thrown to the pit. Derrick had made his decision from the begining. He stepped forward and looked straight into the eyes of the AC pilot.
"Do you repent in the name of the Chosen One?" The AC pilot inquired. Thoughts raced through Derrick's mind. He was so certain of what he was going to do before, but now something was different. He wanted to live, but he was a righteous man in his own views and felt it necessary to make a stand. What kind of man would he be if he lied to himself and betrayed his own views?
"I choose to live." Derrick replied charismatically.
"Brand him." The AC pilot called out to one of the MT pilots.
"No!" Derrick revolted.
"What is the meaning of this? You were given the chance to make a choice and you did. Are you going back on your word?" The AC pilot was irritated.
"I said I choose to live, not to be enslaved!" Derrick spit in the Raven's face. "I will not become one of you dogs!" Two of the nearby MT pilots grabbed at Derrick, trying to gain control over his actions.
Sophia's husband was approaching fast in one of "The Keeper's" MT's along with a misfit band of construction and mining MT's piloted by other citizens of Morgenheim.
"You won't get away with this! Someday someone will bring you down and destroy you all!" Derrick fuirously struggled with the MT pilots as they tackled him to the ground. Sophia's husband could see the struggle as he charged forward with his newly acquired MT. After a few moments he saw that the person struggling was Derrick, his best friend. He continued onward as fast as the MT could move.
"You struggle against fate with all your will, but like all others who compromise the will of fate, you must be exterminated" The Raven spoke coldly to Derrick.
The MT pilots held Derrick still. Derrick looked up, just to find himself staring down the barrel of a pistol.
"Derrick! No!" Derrick's brother in law yelled at the top of his lungs as he was only seconds away from reaching Derrick.
A shot rang out, and a body and an empty shell fell silently to the sands. It seemed as if the entire world had grown quiet.
"Bastard!" Sophia's husband charged forward. He chambered the right arm of his MT. As he reached the Raven the right arm thrusted forward, impaling the Raven with a spike from the parrying bladed mounted on the MT's right arm. The AC pilot gasped for air, but could not breath do to the fact that a large spike had just torn out the majority of his organs located within his torso. Blood poured out from the Raven's mouth, and in seconds he was dead. Within moments the pilots of the construction and mining MT's had wiped out the majority of the MT pilots who were on foot. The batlle was won.
With nothing left, the man who killed the Raven climbed into the cockpit of the AC and headed off aimlessly into the desert. He left to find himself, his center. To find a reason for living on. And he was determined to find these things. He thought that maybe he could find these things, in battle.