A continuous ringing ran rampant in his head, all senses thrown into disarray and his body was in utter shock. What could've possibly happened? Why was he here, what was he doing before any of this?
He could hear his own breathing, deep breaths pacing themselves amidst the shocked system. His heartbeat drummed ever so loudly; the beating sounds was all he could hear for a brief moment.
The sounds of muffled voices were but a drowsy slur entering his mind, incomprehensible garbles was the best it could be. The man raised his head, everything felt heavy, as if he was struggling against gravity itself.
His blurred vision slowly came back, at first his orientation seemed odd, but it finally occurred to him. Taking a quick whiff of the ground, he glanced around slowly at his environment. It took a moment to register in his brain, but his body instinctively screamed at him to run.
Chaos and destruction as far as the eye could see was all there was to this once bustling town square. Corpses lay motionless in awkward positions with random limbs sprawled about here and there.
There was movement in the far corner of his eye, a figure heavily dressed from head to toe in enclosed fighting gear. It moved slowly from place to place, covering its ground carefully. In its arms rested a large weapon with an ignited flame sitting at the end of the barrel.
Immediately recognising the weapon, the figure aimed the barrel at a target and let loose on the trigger. A wall of fire was seemingly thrown out without sweat and the intoxicating fumes coursed through the air rampantly.
The dying shrieks of the poor person on the receiving end of the flamer pierced the man's ears, leaving a scarring impression in his mind. Feeling the strength return to his legs, he pushed himself up and began to hobble forward.
Half of his mind begged him to leave and run for the hills, but his other half resisted and began to search for someone. The man struggled to recollect the name, he knew only her face and nothing more.
Scanning the desolate square for any clues, he spotted a familiar face and instantly dashed over to the unmoving body. His hands raised her from the ground and brushed aside her unkempt hair, the once beautiful locks that signalled joy was but briefly washed away with the ashes of sorrow.
He wasn't sure what he was doing, but his hands moved on their own, fingers pressed underneath her neck checking for a sign. There was supposed to be something, but the lack of a pulse made his heart sank.
"Stella! Dear me, please wake up!" He shook the unconscious body, refusing to accept the truth.
The memories came pouring back now, this young woman was a dear friend of his. They were just happy and content a few minutes ago. The smile she wore as they exchanged gifts could rival that of the sun.
How could such a precious life be taken away so indiscriminately? What had Stella done to incur the wrath of hell itself? This town and its people were merely traders, nothing to do with the grand nomadic cities that revolved around these vast plains.
And now, it's as if the devil's personal servants had emerged to satiate and their unquenchable hunger for violence and madness. What better way to score an easy picking that by attacking a town?
It was a shame, all of fruits and labour of these hardworking people, gone. What took generations to set up was burnt to ashes in the span of mere minutes. Perhaps this world really despised the Infected, so much so that they'd go the extra lengths to eradicate a peaceful town.
The sound of heavy boots crushing the weak-willed opposition stopped audibly behind his back. The respirated breathing gave off an ominous feeling, the gaze of cold-blooded killer pierced the back of his head.
Before the man could turn, a heavy hand grabbed his right shoulder and immediately shoved him to one side. The figure's grip remained strong and bit into his skin, grasping his powerless body.
Analysing the mysterious killer, the military grade vests and clothing that they were wearing all pointed towards this being a soldier. The double eagle patch on the sleeves was a dead giveaway of who they belonged to. Only a nation built upon hatred and exploitation could afford to carry out something like this.
"Fucking Ursus scum!" He mumbled under neath his breath.
The soldier glared at him with its tinted gas mask. While the darkness hid the killer's identity, their gaze pierced through the barrier and into his eyes.
Before he could speak, the mask shot out an array of lasers which quickly swept up and down his body. Feeling violated by the scanner, the soldier released its iron grip and fished out a pair of magnetic handcuffs.
"Consider yourself lucky civilian, the fact you are not infected means I wouldn't have had to disintegrate your poor excuse of a living being already." The words came out in a brutal tone.
With a few quick hand movements, the handcuffs found themselves onto the man's hands and instantly locked themselves. The soldier merely waved a silent goodbye before typing something into their wrist pad.
"The emperor has granted you the chance to leave this exclusion zone alive. Turn around, leave, never come back to this place or else your rights will be forfeit under Ursunian law."
"Wait, no, stop!" He protested.
Without saying a word, the soldier raised their flamethrower and began burning Stella's unmoving body. The high-pitched scream of the weapon spewing the combustible chemicals filled the air, the flames ravaging the lifeless corpse.
"NOOOOOO!" The man cried out, his voice cracking under the pressure. Tears began to form in his eyes at the unholy sight.
With that said, the handcuffs emitted a low hum which sporadically escalated into a high-pitched whirr. The next second, the man was dragged across the ground at break-neck speeds.
Grunting in pain, he squirmed and thrashed wildly to get the handcuffs to stop in their tracks. But the devices kept on chugging along dragging his body with disregard. Seeing the buildings flash before his eyes, the vision of the wheat fields and the rest of the landscape made themselves clear as the man was dragged to the outskirts of town.
As the handcuffs powered down, the locking mechanisms released themselves and liberated their captor. Scrambling onto his feet, the only thoughts racing through the man's head was to get back to the plaza.
As his feet dragged themselves forward, a voice shouted at him to stop.
"Halt! Do not take another step forward or else I will shoot you on the spot!" The soldier barked. His rifle raised threateningly, finger on the trigger as if he wanted to shoot him anyways.
"I-I h-have to go back in t-there." He told the soldier, his voice trembling.
"This town is under quarantine sir, no one is permitted to enter or leave unless instructed to do so. You are no exception." The warrior coldly stated.
Hearing the sound of a door breaking down, a mother and her two children scrambled out of their house and bolted towards their position. Garnering the attention of the soldier, he raised his rifle and shouted at the top his lungs.
"Halt citizen! You have been ordered to remain in your homes until further notice."
The group came to a complete halt, the mother stretched out both her arms in a bid to protect her children who cowered behind her back. Both kids were crying, desperate for comfort as the chaotic warzone scared them.
The soldier remained resolute, unmoved by the act in front of him. Instead, they valued their job more than prioritising the safety of a mother and children.
"Please, let me through. If not, let my kids through, please they do not deserve to suffer through this!" She begged, going far as her knees to plead the soldier for mercy.
But the gas masked warrior simply ignored the woman, instead he continued pointing his rifle at the unarmed trio.
"This isn't right, can't you see that they're just innocent civilians!" The man butted in, angered at the atrocious sight.
The Ursunian soldier simply gave him an uncaring glance, "Stay out of this outsider, you do not get to dictate Ursunian laws."
The woman looked at him, her eyes trembled in fear as she was desperate guarantee the survival of her children more than anything. "Mr Braun, please, do something! Rhodes Island has power, don't they? Please tell this soldier to spare my children, tell him that they are under your care!" She begged him.
Before Braun could even respond, a second soldier appeared on the pathway. Their flamer ignited and ready to burn its next victim. The sight alone was enough to send the mother into a frenzy.
"They are infected, destroy them immediately!" The armoured behemoth barked.
Without sparing a second thought, the soldier opened fire with his rifle.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Pumping three rounds into the mother, she wailed out in pain as she did her darndest best to shield her children from the bullets. But it was all for naught, the flamer roared to life at the same time and engulfed the trio in a mad fury.
Three more souls cried out in indescribable agony as the fires disintegrated their very flesh from their bones. Their dying cries would forever be embedded in Braun's brain as he simply watched the horror unfold before his eyes.
He could've done something; in fact, he should have done something. Could he have saved them? Who could tell, for all the universes would know, he could have saved their lives? But he didn't do anything, he said nothing, and just simple watched.
Braun felt his knees buckle and his entire legs trembled, a knot tightened itself inside his chest. Tears formed in his eyes as he couldn't stand it anymore, so much pointless death, and for what?
"Now is a good time to leave civilian, you have been warned. Turn around and walk away." The soldier told him once more in a cold manner.
With a heavy head, the man's legs began to move themselves in the opposite direction. With his tattered jacket and back to the town, the torn Rhodes Island symbol was all that he carried with him.
This whole operation turned into a nightmare in the blink of an eye, what was supposed to be a friendly establishment of an outpost and a trade partner turned into a one-sided massacre.
He came alone, despite the protest and advice given to him by his colleagues. A team of specialist together with him was supposed to handle the negotiations. Maybe if that cold monotone lynx was here, things would have been different.
And just like that, he was walking away from a fight once again. Without the help of others, he was powerless. What good is a strategist in a fight when he is thrust into a corner with no weapons to fight back?
This situation was all too familiar, just like that time back at Chernobog when he was first rescued. All he did was command the units and minimised casualties as best he could. But even then, he found himself running for most the fights.
Even now he was facing the other way with his tail between his legs, powerless to fight back. Yet the jacket he wore was supposed to symbolise hope for the infected, a place that stood for their rights and would fight for them.
"What a sick sense of humour fate has." He grumbled while clenching his fists. "How can I be so pathetic? Am I the type of person an infected would look at for hope? That woman looked to me for help, and all I could do was watch her die."
He stopped in his tracks, overwhelmed with the guilt he had been presented with. How would he be able to sleep at night after this?
A part of him so strongly desired to change things, to defy the status quo and take matters into his own hands. But how could he do such a thing? He had no arts, he has no training in combat, what could he possible do? At best his tactical acumen and planning can change the tide, but without the tools to aid him, what good is it?
But he didn't want to give up so easily, to quit so early would bring even more shame to himself. There must be a way, to break free from this horrendous cycle.
Feeling a warm sensation engross his body, the sound of something calling out to him drew his interest. This feeling was not new, his body embraced every bit of it, yet his mind was rejecting this sensation.
"…Embrace the light…" A faint whisper called out to him. "The traveller beckons thee O guardian. It's time to rise up and take the mantle once more, a new age of Sunbreakers is upon us."
The whispers spoke in a cryptic manner, he understood none of it yet knew it's meaning at the same time. Was it alluding to something in his past life? Do these mysterious voices speak the truth, or is it the madness setting in?
The intensity of the voices began to ramp up, they were incomprehensible, yet they all wanted to convey a message. It was guiding him somewhere, as if it wanted him to remember.
Blinking once, he saw the endless dirt road stretch for miles into the horizon. Blinking twice, the road had vanished. In fact, his entire surroundings had changed, the wheat fields and open plains were no more.
The road had vanished, instead there was only the vast darkness that took its place. Where the road once was, a floating gigantic object hovered in the air. Its pale white exterior presented itself towards Braun.
Where was he? Had he been abducted by outer beings? What type of sorcery was this? If this was an allusion, then it was a pretty damn good one at that.
To even begin to describe the object was difficult, its sheer size dwarfed anything he could compare it with. Was it another moon? How did a moon make its way in front of him? The aura it gave off was soothing, almost inspiring.
Just resting your eyes on the object was enough to calm one's inner turmoil, it somehow spoke to him, yet it didn't. There was something stirring within his body, it longed for whatever this 'thing' offered.
The pale snowy texture that blanketed the sphere only brought more questions than answers. It had cracks running along its surface, indicating the old age of time spreading its mark.
"I…I know you….." He blurted out the words. His hand moved to cover his mouth, what was he saying?
"Eh, where did that come from? Have I truly gone mad? I'm talking to a gigantic hovering sphere and I'm saying I recognise it?!" His thoughts raced through his head, utterly confused by the act.
Yet there was a sliver of truth behind those words of his. While his mind maybe perplexed by the sudden appearance of giant sphere, his body knew this feeling all too well. There was something gnawing at the back of his head, telling him to reach out and touch the figure.
As if he were mesmerised by the presence of the majestic sphere, his arm started to move by itself. His right hand began to raise itself slowly, moving in a grasping motion as if it were receiving a gift.
Then the cracks on the sphere began to part ways, beams of blinding light spilled forth in large increments. The cracks gave way to larger openings and the rays spilt out, blinding his vision.
A gust of energy hit his body in continuous sequence from all sides. Succumbing to the mysterious forces, a newfound energy began to course through his body and mind. This sensation, he'd felt it before, but where?
Images and memories poured in, but they were impossible to comprehend. They were just there, ready to be accessed, but if one tried to make sense of them, they would only scratch their head in confusion.
The voices came and went, a word constantly repeating itself. "Guardian." It kept calling him.
The sudden outburst halted itself abruptly, disrupting their outward flow and pulling itself backwards towards the source. Everything happened so quickly, while time came to a crawl. Within seconds the giant sphere had vanished into thin air.
The voices had left, just as they had mysteriously appeared. There was only him and the dark void that was left. Except this time there was a new addition of a large hammer forged of light.
Its incandescent glow made it seem like it was forged from the sun itself, it pulsed with energy and its flames eager to roar. Just like that, the weapon laid on the ground, asking itself to be taken.
Braun was aloof, he wasn't sure what to do anymore at this point. This hammer in front of him easily dwarfed him, yet he was supposed to pick it up. Did he suddenly gain the newfound strength to wield some godly weapon like some superhero?
But what did he have to lose? If this was some sort of hallucination trip, then he may as well see it through the end. He'd come this far, why stop now and ruin the narration?
Bringing his feet closer to the object, he bent down and wrapped both hands around the thick handle. For something that seemed to be made from the sun, there was a texture feel to it.
"Ok Braun, deep breaths now, just push with our legs and lift it up. Easy right?" He assured himself.
Taking a deep breath, he yanked with all his strength and lifted the weapon clean off the ground like it was nothing. Surprised by the weight, he threw himself backwards and nearly lost his footing.
Spinning around like a child, he finally regained his balance and firmly grasped the warhammer. There was no mistaking it, he could feel a strong connection with the weapon, as if he'd used it countless times before. Could this be the secret to unlocking his memories?
With renewed strength, he moved his arms and swung the colossal weapon effortlessly. His feet and arms moved in tandem, almost as if he were dancing to his own rhythm. The moves came like second nature, confirming the theory that this was something related to his past life.
"Hah!" He exclaimed, astonished by his abilities. "Hahahaha, this…..this is…amazing!" His arms rose up and held the weapon high, revelling in its full glory. "Fascinating, this whole display is just extraordinary."
Noticing something move out of the corner of his eye, he turned his attention and watched his surroundings change rapidly. The black void began regressing into a mysterious dimension, leaving behind wheat fields and tall grass.
The outside world began to come back, and slowly but surely reality set in, and time began to march on ever so diligently. The gentle breeze of the northern spring swooped in and brushed his cheek.
Blinking several times, Braun looked at his hands and the glistening solar warhammer burnt ever so brightly. Recoiling at the fact that it was still there, the entire notion that he had gone on some trippy void expedition was dismissed.
But his train of thought was interrupted by the sound of a rifle chambering a round into the barrel. He could already tell the type of words that would come spilling out of the Ursunian's mouth.
"Oi, lower your weapon you sly caster. If you don't lower your arms, I will take it as a threat against me and the rest of the Ursus army."
Braun turned on his heels, he looked at the masked soldier with a cold expression. Personally speaking, he'd ran out of fucks to give long ago. No more would he start bowing to the corrupt warlords that is the Ursus military.
He couldn't see it, but he could sense the fear creeping throughout the soldier's body. The trembling trigger finger was a dead giveaway, sooner or later this coward would open fire out of desperation.
"I've told you once already sir, put the weapon down! Any further actions will result in lethal responses on my end for my safety!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.
Braun scoffed at his words, "Was shooting an unarmed civilian proper justification for your safety? A mother of all people? Are you even listening to yourself soldier, do you see the hypocrisy in your words and actions?!"
"That's enough! I've giving you your final warning, stand down or I will be forced to open fire on you!" He waved his weapon threateningly, clearly his fears had overtaken his mind and all hope for rational thinking was thrown out the window.
Braun stretched his arms wide open in a taunting manner, his face so nonchalant. "Do it, strike me down as you did with that poor family. Fucking wretch, you're no better than an animal." He hurled the insults in hopes of probing a response, a decision that would ultimately decide the soldier's fate. "Come on then fuckwit, DO IT! SHOOT ME!"
BANG!
TWANG!
The rifle bounced upwards as it flung the originium powered bullet towards Braun. Panting heavily, the rifleman looked at the results but was greeted by something that made him tremble in his boots.
For Braun, he wasn't sure what had happened. One minute he was waiting for the painful ripping sensation to pierce through his body. But that sensation never came, instead a transparent shield wall erected itself in front of him.
He wasn't sure how it came about, but his instincts and arm moved on its own for a split second. The erected shield simply swatted the projectile away, brushing off the attack as a mere annoyance.
"Woah….." He exclaimed as he studied the shield wall.
Noticing the pulsing energy coursing around his whole body, the golden aura imbued him with a sense of newfound strength. The colour matched that of the sun, as if Sol itself had given her blessing.
"Aaaaah! No way, you're mocking me, aren't you?! You think I'm weak just because I can't penetrate your shield?!" The rifleman aimed his gun to fire another round, madness seemingly driving his actions.
"That's because it's true, you are weak." Braun coldly stated.
"Eh?"
Before the soldier was given the chance to even put his finger on the trigger, the giant warhammer came swinging down towards the ground. The impact sent a rippling shockwave into the nearby buildings and caused a small crater to manifest in its wake.
Hurling a wave of molten lava and surging flames snaked their way across the ground tearing up their path and leaving a burning wake in their trail. Closing the gap between the two individuals, the soldier didn't even know what hit him.
As the corona fires engulfed the rifleman, there was no scream or wails, just silence as they passed. Within an eyeblink, the body of the soldier had been melted with only unrecognizable remains staying behind.
Braun was shocked by the display; he was in disbelief that he had just vaporized the poor sod. A moment ago, he was being yelled at and belittled, now the oppressor was all but a charred corpse.
"Contact, enemy caster sighted! Requesting backup on the south entrance of the town!" Two more soldiers came around the corner to investigate the commotion.
One of them wielded a flamethrower and unfalteringly released a stream of fire down range without a second thought. The rifleman began laying suppressive fire, the sound of combat drew the attention of every other soldier in the area.
Braun wasted no time and instantly swung the position of his energy barrier. As the wall of flames came to a halt, the rain of bullets harmlessly bounced off the shield. Using the tall flames as a makeshift smokescreen a plan came to his head.
Leaping over the towering sanctuary effortlessly, it was as if his body glided over the obstacle like the winged Valkyries of old. Coming down hot like a deadly missile, he swung his hammer together with his momentum and impacted the first poor soul.
Safe to say, the unsuspecting rifleman was beaten into a bloody pulp as his entire existence was flattened in mere milliseconds. Catching the flamethrower specialist off guard, the figure tried to swing his weapon around, but it was already too late.
As the hammer swung in their upper torso, it ripped the body clean in half and turned the upper portion into red paste. With that, the fight was over faster than it had even started.
Hearing voices shouting indistinctively at each other, the sound of reinforcement stormed in on his position. Looking at the buildings and his surroundings, he used the terrain to his advantage and setup an improvised ambush.
Scaling the small houses, he ran swiftly across the rooftops on an interception approach. The plan was, if he could intercept the incoming forces and pick them off one by one, then it would make things easier in clearing out the town.
Coming across his first group, the small squad of four riflemen dashed through the narrow alleyway towards their comrades last known position. Radio chatter was lively as confused reports streamed in off deadly opposition.
Casting an obvious shadow over the soldiers, it didn't take long for one of them to notice they were being stalked. By the time they realised though, it was already over for them.
Leaping from the rooftops with his hammer in tow, the bunched-up soldiers may as well have signed their death warrants. Within an eyeblink, a bright flash of solar light erupted from the street followed by the sound of a loud explosion.
The street and the neighbouring buildings were blown apart and caved in as a result of the explosive blast left behind by the hammer. Nothing survived the blast, only the traces of fire and ash was all that lingered.
It was odd sensation for Braun, it was as if he wasn't even taking part in the killings. A part of his mind was still there, dictating actions and thoughts. Yet the other half simply laid back and watched, giving control to the brutal persona that he never knew existed.
Who knew he had to ability to take life away so easily in this form? A few moments ago, he was powerless and helpless, running away from his fights. Yet here he is now, giving the monster a taste of their own medicine.
But he took no joy in it, there was no relieving sensation that coursed through his veins. With every swing he took, every life that was taken, he simply felt nothing. It was just the dull feeling of fighting back, fighting for the sake of violence.
Running haphazardly across the rooftops, he covered greater distance and found another squad to ambush. Within an eyeblink they were gone just like that, a bellowing explosion followed by a crater of fire and lava.
The same thing happened a few blocks down from the last position, the blinding flash of light visible from across the other side of town now. The entire invading force was thrown into disarray, communications was being lost left and right.
Braun made sure to clean up the main force lurking the outskirts and main streets before proceeding into the main square. With the bulk of the forces destroyed, it only left the command structure to deal with.
If they hadn't been killed yet, then they were obviously hiding in the plaza dictating their operation. With their vanguard entirely crushed, they'd should be easy picking for him.
That's what Braun thought, until the enemy began to deploy their casters who immediately targeted him as he crossed the rooftops into the main square. Bolts of arts flew wildly as they tried to snipe him down.
Infantry dug into hideouts of the houses opened fire, forcing him to retreat from the high ground unless he wished to get torn up. Citing the quickest way to destroy the casters was with rapid assault what better way than to take the direct approach?
Leaping from the rooftop, he aimed for the highest window ledge and came barrelling down with killing intent. The caster inside was flabbergasted by the reckless move but was too stunned to do anything.
As Braun crashed into the balcony hammer first, the walls were blown asunder, and the double story house buckled and groaned. With its walls smashed completely open, the enemy caster was swiftly taken care off.
Another one remained on the ground; his staff pre-emptively aimed at him. A black and red bolt of pure energy was flung in his direction, but it hit the giant hammer. Bouncing clean off, he leapt from his position and closed the gap between them
The caster tried to run, but his feet refused to move out of sheer terror. He had never seen an individual close a 30-metre gap within a mere eye-blink, and yet here he was about to get pummelled into oblivion.
"By the emperor!"
A cloud of red mist was all that erupted as the ranged unit was swatted aside. The entrenched soldiers who witnessed the events unfold in quick succession trained their rifles on the monster of a warrior.
The fired relentlessly as much as their arts would let them. Braun saw the attack but couldn't react in time to get to cover. Suffice to say, he had one of those so called 'brain fart' moments.
Throwing his body to one side, he raised his forearm in a bid to protect his face from incoming enemy fire. A bullet impacted his golden aura around him, it deflected the projectile but left a nasty wound.
Cowering behind a rock, he inspected his options and realised he was pinned here so long as the enemy had bullets. He could try to push out with a shield but there was one factor he hadn't accounted for.
There was supposed to be a third caster, yet he had only disposed of two. So where could the third one have gone? The likelihood of him being ambushed was high, the longer he spent here the more he was a sitting duck.
More bullets came his way as they peppered the debris he crouched behind. Deciding to not wait around, he took a step back and swung his hammer with all his might.
Smashing the debris wall into small chunks, they became dangerous projectiles as they hurled themselves in the general directions of the soldiers. The sound of gunfire was replaced by dying wails as the rocks smashed and buried the soldiers.
Seeing something move from his left side, he turned and spotted the last caster. The enemy had already raised their hands to fire their arts, the energy pulsing from their fingers vying to be freed.
"Shit, do I put down a shield or dodge? It's too late to drop a shield, by the time I move my hand to do so he would've fired already!" He gritted his teeth at his limited options, it was a gamble at this point.
His arm began to move in a throwing motion, as if he had already something planned to counter the threat in front of him. Deciding to trust his body this time round, he went with the swing.
A smaller but deadly light hammer simply manifested itself in his hands and left his grip. The flaming projectile flew straight and true and smashed straight into the caster's chest. The individual was thrown backwards, and he misfired his arts.
The figure died on the spot as the light hammer burst into flames and exploded akin to a thermite grenade. The upper body was just a mangled burnt heap by the time Braun got to inspect it.
Glancing around, there was no further sign of troops in the area willing to fight. The rest had well and truly fled the moment their communications and command structure fell apart. Those that stayed, well, there wasn't anything left to bury to put it lightly.
Silence, that was the only thing lingering about the desolate plaza. Fires raged on and buildings began to fall apart, it was over for this town. A sea of smiles and laughter radiated through the lands not long ago. Now it's just a ghost town, another bloodstain on the records only to be casually wiped away.
The silence did not last long however, the low heavy footsteps of a lumbering behemoth echoed throughout the air. Turning towards the source, a towering individual clad in thick clothing revealed itself to Braun.
Tubes and various machinery noises clicked and hissed menacingly; the thing didn't even have a face to go off from. Instead, the beak shaped mask had tubes running from every angle into its back.
The thing looked more machine than man, whatever sat underneath that coat sent chills down Braun's spine. The thing spoke, its voice filtered by the mask. "A surprising outcome to say the least. To think this operation would be interrupted by someone like you, I should've brought more men if I knew this would happen."
It turned its head and took note of the countless bodies of its comrades smashed or pulverised into oblivion. There was no feeling of unhappiness, it simply shook its head at the poor performance of its peers.
"Their mistakes costed them their lives, a cheap commodity that Ursus can afford to replace." It bluntly said before turning its attention back to Braun.
Braun had nothing to say, the very nature of this abomination disgusted him to his core. It wasn't worth the effort of wasting oxygen on an individual that cares very little for their environment.
"Tell me young man, do you know what I am?" It asked him, it's hand moving to draw the blade from its sheath.
"No, and quite frankly, couldn't care less." He gripped the maul of his hammer tightly.
"Consider this a privilege outsider, you are in the presence of a Royal Guard, the very right hand of the emperor himself. Your acts of aggression will be taken as an act of war against Ursus itself." It declared boldly; blade drawn fully exposing the crimson red sabre.
"I'm flattered really, but we both know how this is going to play out. Let's just skip the formalities and get on with it yeah?"
"Hahahaha, excellent spirit commoner!" It beat its chest proudly, "Do not disappoint me then!"
Without a word being said by both parties, the two warriors leapt at each other at blistering speeds. The gap between them was closed and both weapons clashed furiously. The first hit connected, and a loud shockwave was produced.
Thunderclaps broke out as the two weapons were locked into a stalemate, both parties pressing the offense with all their might.
Braun was taken aback by the monster, its strength was unparallel to anything he had witnessed before. The thing merely blocked his hammer with its blade with one hand, it was as if it was flaunting its strength.
"Shit, this isn't good!"
The Emperor's Blade reached out with its free hand and grabbed Braun by the shoulder. Flinging him to one side, he tossed the body like paper weight into the rubble and into the next house over.
"Ack!" He groaned from the pain as he came to an abrupt halt, his aura depleted severely from the attack alone.
Pulling himself upright, he pushed himself off the ground and leapt into the air. Vaulting over the rooftop, he spotted the lumbering beast and hurled himself towards it.
The giant side stepped and let the weapon impact the ground, it thought why not finish the fight here and now. Clearly this person wasn't worth the effort of wasting his prowess on, to go all out was an insult.
But the guard made a mistake, and that costed it. With the ground exploding into a flurry of flames and burning molten slag, it sent the Emperor's Blade flying into a nearby building.
The behemoth recovered from the attack, stunned by the power of the weapon. But before it could even move a hail of rocks bombarded its position and stunned it even further. Anger began to build up, how could it be mocked by such a feeble warrior?
Breaking free from the rubble, it leapt into the air with incredible speed and swung its sword high. The two weapons clashed again but this time, the sabre was out for blood. The guard swung with intense fury, hoping to break the resolute defence.
Braun barely held on as his eyes struggled to keep up with the speed at which the enemy's blade travelled. It was like it was everywhere at the same time, one false move and he'd be on a gutted like a pig.
Every blow that was exchanged a small shockwave was emitted, smashing windows and overturning tables and chairs. Each swing the Emperor's Blade took, it grew slightly frustrated.
There was no rhythm to its move, just pure raw emotions being channelled into the weapon. It made things easier to read, but the speed at which is moved was nigh impossible to keep up with for the naked eye.
The two of them broke contact, glaring daggers at each other. Braun was visible exhausted, sweat dripping form every part of his face. The royal guard vented steam excessively, the red hue on its mask grew brighter with every passing second.
"Here I thought I was going to go easy on you. But you put up a good fight warrior, perhaps its time I fought seriously and stop bringing shame to my name." It readied its stance, "Hear me solar bearer, I am Molag Baal, sworn blade of the mighty emperor. Witness me!"
The behemoth lunged forward, closing the gap between them in an eye-blink. Its speed had changed, it was even faster than before. Braun felt it, the pure raw anger twisted with murderous intent.
"Shield now!"
Thrusting his left hand forward with his palm open wide, a tall shield wall erected itself and separated the two warriors from colliding. The blade stuck the energy barrier weaved of light and fire, bouncing harmlessly off.
The Emperor's Blade recoiled from the shock; its entire body shuddered by the transfer of energy back towards itself. Braun seized the opportunity and tore down his defensive cradle and lunged at his adversary.
Swinging the large warhammer in a horizontal motion, the blunt weapon slammed into the body of the behemoth and sent it flying into a nearby wall. Dust and debris were kicked up violently as the Emperor's Blade disappeared from sight.
Braun wasted no time and summoned a light hammer in his free hand, he waited anxiously for his target to come charging out like mad caged beast. He was banking on it, or else he'd have to resort to his plan B.
Seeing a faint glimmer from the hole, his gut feeling told him to move instantly lest something terrible happened. So far, his instincts proved right as a red crimson blade shot out from the rubble like an arrow.
The blade pierced the aura field and scraped his right shoulder, leaving a nasty gash. Gritting his teeth at the singing pain, he turned his attention and was immediately overwhelmed by the sight of a towering figure barrelling down on him.
Quick stepping in the other direction, he avoided a devasting ground slam by the elite warrior. The ground pound left a crater in the plaza and stirred up more dust and sent shockwaves through the area.
The absolute unit retrieved its weapon casually, but the damage it sustained earlier was clear as day. Hose tubes were burst off expelling various gases, wires and electronics and smashed or exposed to the elements.
It faltered for a bit in its stride, as if something internal had been broken. Then again, it wouldn't come as a surprise. What exactly would survive unscathed by being hit in the abdomen by a colossal warhammer?
Baal grunted and let out a low mechanical groan, it twirled its blade and began moving in a circle motion. The two slowly danced around the court, sizing each other up once again before trading blows.
Braun watched its feet move from sidestepping into a full-blown charge. Summoning another light hammer, he used the smaller nimbler weapon to counter the first swing. The two weapons recoiled from each other, but Baal proved to be the faster adversary and swatted the feeble hammer out of Braun's hand.
Braun leapt back and watched his weapon drop to the ground, summoning another hammer hastily, he proceeded to trade more blows with the Emperor's Blade. Each time they clashed, Baal would smack the hammer our of Braun's hand.
Every time the hammer collides with his opponent's blade, it would just send a shocking ripple through his left arm. He was getting exhausted and numb from the pain, anymore and he'd probably lose it for good.
"Running out of ideas? Your attacks are simple minded and easy to read, where was that spirit earlier you displayed? Don't tell me you're running out of steam now!" Baal mockingly exclaimed.
Braun saw the sword coming and blocked it in time, but the fatigue had caught up to his body and the defence he raised was weak. His adversary forced his way through and landed a deep cut on Braun's chest.
Swinging the back of its hand, Baal sent Braun flying across the street and onto the ground. It was merely a simple back handed smack but for Braun it was being hit by a bus.
"Yep, definitely not doing that again. Ah shit I think my ribs are broken." He moaned internally.
"*gasp*….Haaaaa…" Braun recovered the breath that was knocked out of him.
Pulling himself up by the maul of his hammer, he held a steadfast expression and studied the position of his foe. This had to work for Braun, or else he was out of clever ideas and hoped swinging and beating his enemy to death was enough of a tactic.
Baal edged forward, the red glow radiating from the composite mask was more intimidating than ever. "It seems your energy is expended solar warrior, looks like I've won the battle of attrition. An entertaining brawl, I'll be sure to remember you when I leave this place."
Braun spat on the ground in a mocking manner, "We'll see about that, this fight is far from over yet."
Baal had seen this admirable display too many times in their service, each one ended with a bloodied blade and a corpse to boot. They said nothing, instead choosing to prepare themselves for the finishing round.
Summoning another light hammer in his free hand, the gesture confused the Emperor's Blade. Time and time again they had countered the attack, the same thing wasn't going to work again, surely their adversary wasn't this dumb.
Braun feigned a push which prompted his foe to begin charging him down. The fake out worked, and Braun pulled his arm back and threw the light hammer as a projectile.
The Emperor's Blade swung their sword in a defensive manner to swat the projectile aside. What seemed like a futile last ditch attempt quickly turned the tables on the Ursus elite guard, as chaos unfolded sporadically all around it.
Upon making contact with the hammer, the weapon weaved together with light and fire exploded abruptly. The explosive force was enough to disrupt the Emperor's Blade and stop it in its tracks.
"Now, set yourself ablaze!" Braun snapped his fingers.
At the same time, the hammers that it had knocked aside earlier on the ground all simultaneously combusted and exploded in a fiery blaze and formed a ring of death. The wave of fire and explosive shock rocked the plaza as a small cloud rose into the air.
"Impossible, explosions, from where!?" Baal panicked at the last moment.
Kicking the warhammer up into his hands, Braun poured whatever strength he had into his legs and shot off into the air like a bullet. He raised the colossal weapon over his head and timed his swing on his descent.
"There, swing now!"
Crashing down onto his adversary, the hammer connected, and a loud crackling noise erupted all around them. Tremors were sent outwards as the Emperor's Blade was hammered into the ground like a nail.
With his feet touching the ground, Braun wasted no time and swung with all his might. The warhammer smashed into the body of his foe with every swing, one turned into two which turned into four which turned into ten.
Flames and lava surged chaotically as he pummelled away like a madman. The black smoke around him eventually disappeared exposing the aftermath of the attack. Finally, Braun stopped, he panted heavily and processed what had just happened.
Seeing the pummelled figure in the man-made crater he made, the clothes that once house Molag Baal had been reduced to smithereens, organs and entrails that were supposed to be there had been burnt in a heartbeat.
The upper portion containing the composite mask and equipment survived the onslaught. Lights flickered and warning signals made themselves apparent, the red glow that was supposed to be there began to fade.
"Gaaaaah…..aaaaaaa…." Braun audibly heaved a sigh of relief, he finally could finally breath at a normal pace for once.
His eyes rested on the Emperor's Blade; the charred abdominal area was more than an indicator that it was dead. But something told him that there was more to this abomination than meets the eye.
"Y-you fool…" The slurred mechanical voice spoke, "You've d-destroyed…..t-the container…..the d-d-demon is free…"
Without a second to spare, a puddle of black liquid oozed out from underneath the body of the Emperor's Blade. A black haze sprung out and threatened to engulf Braun and the entire town at the rate it was spreading.
There was no stopping the process, at least, nothing physical that Braun could do. He couldn't run away in time since the haze would consume him. But for some reason, he stayed and stood tall and fast.
There was a light that empowered him, it was the same feeling he had when he first made contact with the mysterious sphere. The warmth it radiated and the power it bestowed was nothing he'd ever seen before.
It gnawed at the back of his head, telling him to not run but to have faith. Trust in the light, and it will overcome all the darkness that stands in your way. That was the feeling he got, what better way to prove his faith than to just stay put?
Sinking the hammer into the ground, a ray of almost near perfect white light radiated from the weapon. It shot multiple beams in every direction, piercing the darkness that threatened to envelope the place.
Abruptly raising his arms, he swung the hammer violently and pounded the source of the growing void. Light and dark clashed, sworn opposing forces meeting on another plane of reality.
Within moments, the danger of being consumed was all but a fancy fairy tale. The black haze that escaped from the dead Emperor's Blade made itself scarce, leaving only behind the mauled and charred body.
It was over, that was it. The town could finally rest, the souls and lives that were lost today can finally move on. A seemingly heavy weight had been lifted off Braun's shoulders, had he truly avenged the people of this place? Or had he just turned it into another graveyard for the wicked and the damned.
The aura armour that encompassed his body, battered and worn dissipated into a wave of heat and light. The warhammer dissolved into faint embers, drifting off into the wind waiting for the next time it would be called forth.
An encompassing sigh escaped Braun's mouth, his body ached all over together and the exhaustion crept up on him. To be frank, passing out onto the ground right here didn't seem like such a bad idea for a moment.
But there was something he had to settle first lest it gnaw at his consciousness for the rest of his life. Forcing himself upright, he slowly walked over to the last known position of Stella's corpse.
His eyes scanned the ground, moving over the other various corpses that survived the aftermath of the battle between him and the Emperor's Blade. He had grown numb to the sight already, there was nothing more he could do.
His gaze finally rested on the objective he was looking for, there laying undisturbed amongst the rubble was the woman he was looking for, or rather, what was left of her. Bending down, he noticed the necklace was still intact and hanging around her charred neck.
A memory flashed by in his mind, how she had just bought it earlier today since she had been saving up for it. The teal colour matched her eyes perfectly, a shame, it was as if life was playing a cruel joke at every turn.
His hands gently moved around her neck and unlatched the necklace. Leaving the body as is, the originium shards around her body began to compound at a dangerous rate. Within the next half hour there'd be nothing left.
Closing his eyes, he bid her and the town a final farewell before turning his back for good. As he waded through the empty streets and desolate buildings, he reminisced of his short time spent here.
The echoes of laughter and casual chattering used to fill these various tight roads. Even now if he thought hard, he could imagine the faces of children and people lingering about around him.
Coming to the outskirts of the village, he gave one last glance and was met with a vivid memory of smiling faces waving at him. The apparition was fading, and he turned away in hopes of keeping that memory alive.
He kept walking, trudging along the dirt road until he spotted a frail old man waiting for him. The wheat fields extended as far as the eye could see, crops ready to be harvested. The paddocks were stock to the brim, yet they were empty. The farm animals had simply vanished.
Approaching the aged figure, the two men briefly locked eyes, they spoke of nothing, but a thousand words were exchanged between them. Braun fished out the necklace from his tattered pockets and handed it to the old man.
The farmer graciously accepted the gift, his palms trembled as he brushed his finger over the beads. The next minute, the old man fell to his knees and began sobbing. He clutched the necklace close to his heart and rocked back and forth.
Braun said nothing and looked to the sky; no words would comfort the broken man before him. He stayed by the man's side; it was the least he could do.
"Don't worry Stella…..paw-paw's here for you….." The old man mumbled.
"What a terrible day for rain indeed." Braun mumbled under his breath.
The sound of steady beeping tone seeped into Braun's ears, its repetitive nature took a hold of his attention and eventually annoyed him. Abruptly opening his eyes, he roused from his slumber and was greeted by a wave of white lights.
It disoriented his vision and forced him to reconsider his surroundings, just where exactly was he now? He omitted a low grunt as he struggled to gather his thoughts. How'd he end up here in the first place?
"Glad to see you're awake again Doc." A male voice greeted him.
Turning his attention to the source, a tanned young man with black hair gave him an enthusiastic smile. "Sorry for the bright lights, Doctor Warfarin forgot to turn them off before she left the room in a hurried manner." He said whilst switching the blinding beams off.
"Where…where am I?" A dazed and confused Braun asked the nurse.
The nurse looked at him in a confused manner, "Why you're back here on the landship Doctor. Do you perhaps not remember what happened prior before we found you? Hmm, seems like a brain scan is in due order then if you have trouble recalling your memories."
"I'm back on Rhodes Island? Then, I some time must have passed since I left the village….the village!" He nearly fell off the bed as the events began to hit him.
"Sheesh, be more careful next time Doctor. What if you hurt yourself again?" The nurse helped him regain his balance and sit on the bed.
"It'll take more than a simple fall to knock out the Doctor nurse Lewis. Although if he sustained any major injuries then lord help us all." A female voice came from the other side of the room.
Lewis' face lit up like a decorated tree, "Doctor Warfarin, good timing!"
"Take a break Lewis, you've earned it. Oh, and don't forget to report to your squad later for training. Instructor Dobermann is adamant all the reserve members are up to her standards for on field deployment." The pale skinned woman shood him out of the area.
Braun kept silent and merely eyed her up and down whilst collecting his thoughts. Although he felt it may have come off as weird as the looks, he received weren't that nice.
"So, how are you feeling? Apart from finding a few broken bones and the occasional deep slash wounds, you looked like you came back from hell itself." Warfarin tossed the clipboard to one side and closely examined the Doc. "What exactly happened back there?" She looked into his eyes.
The Doctor swayed his head in a bid to collect his thoughts, "Ursus…..they came….destroyed the place." He solemnly spoke.
Warfarin's eyes widened in shock; she hadn't read the reports, but the name carried weight throughout the lands. To begin to describe the level of detail and atrocities Ursus has employed against the infected wouldn't cut it.
"I'm sorry you had to go through such a horrendous experience…" She averted her gaze to the ground.
Hearing the door slide open, Warfarin brought her head up and simply greeted the familiar face. "Doctor Kal'tsit, fancy seeing you here."
"How's our patient looking recovery wise?" The Lynx woman went straight to the point.
"A few sessions of Healing Arts and some rest and the major injuries will heal in no time. The rest will just have to come in due time." Warfarin read off the clip board.
Kal'tsit moved herself towards the front of the Doctor's view, she folded her arms and ran her gaze up and down the figure. "Seriously, what on earth were you thinking going to that place by yourself." There was no anger behind her voice, just disappointment.
The woman looked over at Warfarin and silently gestured at her to leave, pale Sarkaz doctor vacated herself from the premises without another word, leaving the two of them to their own devices.
Braun ran his fingers through his hair and let out a tired sigh, he knew what was going to come next and just mentally prepared himself. Truthfully, he wasn't in the mood for a lecture, the realisation that his past may have more meaning than it should began to settle on his consciousness.
"An entire town massacred by an elite Ursus shock trooper team lead by an Emperor's Blade. In turn, the invading forces were promptly dealt with resulting in 40 casualties including the death of an Emperor's Blade." Kal'tsit summarised the reports that she had read.
"To be honest I'm not quite familiar with the whole Emperor's Blade spiel, what makes them so important?" Braun coldly asked.
"Other than being the elite soldiers of the Ursus Army and the Emperor himself, I think their roles speak for themselves." Kal'tsit replied with the same energy.
"Terrific, I don't suppose Ursus will overlook this matter?" He buried his face in his hands.
Kal'tsit kept her gaze fixated on him, "You gained back the light, didn't you? There's no way an Emperor's Blade would simply end up dead in a crater with 40 other soldiers pulverised into ash."
Braun raised his head and locked his gaze with hers, "I don't follow…..the light?...Is that what you call it?"
"Oh boy." Kal'tsit rolled her eyes, "Seems like your memories really are truly gone and dusted. But no, its not something I made up on the whim, its what you referred it to in your previous life."
"Wait….you mean that I used to have these powers before my amnesia? What was I doing before I went to sleep Kal'tsit?"
"A lot, something that I don't have the luxury and authority to dictate. I feel its best if you discovered and learnt about your past yourself, me simply regurgitating it to you is unfair on my part."
The two sat in brief silence for a moment until Braun spoke up again, "Tell me Kal'tsit, what am I?" He looked at her for a genuine answer, his mind was awry, lost at trying to piece together his identity.
"I don't know…"
