Chapter 1 - Losing Battle
Author's Note: In the tradition of the GBA Golden Sun titles, I am having GS:DS:P2 take place almost at the same time. By going ahead and writitng this, I am making it easier to understand for both the readers and myself, as it allows me to think of what ways to tie them together.
Do not worry about the delay on the next chapter of GS:DS:P1, as I have it in the early BETA stages, with just a few edits and changes to make. And don't fret on spoilers, either: as this chapter will show, there is more going on than Setsu and Terra's flight from "Sheba..."
Disclaimer: Elements, I WISH people would get over the need for these things. But since that is not for decades to come, I DO NOT OWN NINTENDO OR GOLDEN SUN. ALSO, THERE IS NO GOLDEN SUN DS, PART I OR II, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, AND IS CALLED GS:DS ONLY IN REFERENCE TO A GAME OUTLINE I WROTE BASED ON THE IDEA OF A GOLDEN SUN TITLE ON THE NINTENDO DS. THIS STORY IS IN NO WAY RELATED TO A REAL GOLDEN SUN DS, AND IS MERELY A FAN IDEA.
And to cover my butt, THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS BRIEF HINTS OF NUDITY AND MILD LANGUAGE. IF THIS OFFENDS YOU, DO NOT READ, AS THIS CHAPTER DOES COMPLY WITH THE TEEN RATING OF YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
And now, to the Losing Battle...
"Rihatsu!"
The cry rang out through the human encampment, rousing the weary army from its light slumber. Mere hours ago, the grounds wherest they laid had been restled from the inhuman Rihatsu, ancient creations that sought to defend their lands from anything that moved and did not comply with them.
The land was key to the survival of both human and Tousui, in that it allowed for a speedier access into a massive antenna array, designed ages ago to control the legendary Heart of Weyard in the event that the massive hulk of earth fell from the sky. Originally, so the legends said, the antenna system allowed full control over the floating world, an overide to those on Weyard. The Rihatsu were supposed to control the entire system, but the intelligent metal creatures gained sentience, rising against the humans and Tousui and pushing them out of control of over half the world.
That is, of course, assuming the legends were true. And Xol doubted that there was any flaw in the legends; after all, why would these machines skewer his troups so efficiently and effortlessly? Were it not for the technological enhancements to his officers, they would have been slayed without a second thought.
As it was, he rose from his cot, not bothering to grab his clothes. The former commander had been slain by the Rihatsu abominations while he threw cloths and armor on, and Xol had taken to heart to not waste time, as one could not afford to give the Rihatsu an advantage. Pausing to pick up his crystaline staff, he exited his tent in time to see the source of fear and terror in the fleeing troups before him: a Rihatsu walker was thrashing through the camp, impailing and blasting anything that moved.
Xol had been enhanced with artificial memory-enhancers early on, and knew the exact weaknesses of the walker. Yet even knowing where it needed to be struck to stop it did not shake off the sheer terror of just seeing the thing in action. Over twenty feet high and balanced on four massive legs, the horrendous machine fired lances of psynergetic blasts at fleeing troups while its four legs smashed whatever was unfortunate to be below them.
Xol ran ahead, his charge while lacking clothes catching the eye of some fellow soldiers, inspiring them to assist him. After all, if the commander would charge such a terror without clothes, or worse, no armor, why did they run?
Xol thanked the Elements for the sheer stupidity of mankind at that moment. At the least, the walker would focus on them and allow others to flee. At the most, it might not notice the dozen-or so men charging it.
Ignoring the eruption of the earth as the walker's blast disrupted the ground to the side of his charge, Xol prepared his staff. Though normal psynergetic attacks were useless on the Rihatsu, his staff was made of an unknown metal that sliced through the metal creatures without effort, allowing him to destroy or disable the larger creations.
Leaping into the air, Xol barely dodged the latest blast as the walker tried to vaporize him and his troups, though he noticed that he was one of only a handful that dodged the blast. Yet again he lost countless soldiers to these creatures. And the more he lost, the longer it would take, and the more likely that Weyard would smash into Earth, killing off all organic life.
With that thought in his head, he swung his staff, still amazed at the ease with which it cut through the massive plates of armor on the Rihatsu. Leaping from one leg to another, Xol continued to disable the monster, to where it eventually collapsed to the ground, either from one of his blows or from the Rihatsu Energizer's rerourting of the walker's psynergy-controled energy source.
Either way, the walker fell to the ground with a massive crash, killing more and burying many bodies under the hulk. Xol wiped the sweat from his brow, barely noticing when a fellow soldier wrapped him in a robe. Nodding to the lieutenant, he left her as she began to save those still alive while he moved towards a crest in the distance. The Rihatsu rarely sent so little a force towards those who infringed upon their idea of controlled land, and because of this, checking for other Rihatsu was not a bad move.
Fortunately, there were none in the immediate area, but it was clear that, in the far distance, a massive collection of Rihatsu were heading for them.
And though Xol was experianced and lucky, this was too much. If they were to survive, they would need a miracle.
End of Chapter 1
A bit of a change in tone from previous writings, there will be romance later on.
Read and review, and let me know what you think of Xol, as his character will be covered more in-depth as I go along.
Thanks for reading!
Mikaa