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originally posted in:The Black Garden
Edited by Aleroth Aloki:
7/15/2013 2:13:33 PM
268
Spread your wings. (Fan Fiction Contest)
Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come for us writers to take center stage for a time. The Black Garden as well as our friends over in Arts and Stuff are going to host a contest that is solely devoted to writers. The rules are simple.
For any who wish to enter, you are tasked with writing a short little anecdote that is to have a maximum of 300 words. The location for this piece of work is to be located in the picture provided above. The deadline for entering is this Sunday(14th) at midnight. For any who wish to enter, please submit your stories by placing them in the comments.
Judging will be done in two phases. The first phase will consist of a Panel of both groups reading over each story and deciding which seven are the best of the best. Once the first stage is complete, we shall hand it over to you, the audience, to decide who is ranked number one as lore master. The Winner of this contest shall receive a print of the Buried City signed by the Destiny writing team.
Good luck and Be Brave.
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3 RepliesI wrote a piece but went over the 300 word limit by two words. Would this be okay or would I be disqualified for doing so?
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The loud bang of my gun echoed across the rundown metro station. My efforts were futile however, the bullets simply bounced off the towering shield that came at me charging. Within seconds the hulking creature in a thick metal suit bated me away into the pillar behind me. The shock came at me so suddenly that I nearly released my magnum. A realization struck me as I slid to the floor and rivulets of blood slid out my mouth. My team was nowhere to be found, my rifle was lost in the station, and I was down to my last clip. The stomps of the approaching cabal were drawing closer now, and I barely had enough energy to sit up. Focus shifted over to my left arm as I drew in what little strength I had left. A faint orb of azure light began to materialize in my palm; perhaps it would be my salvation. “AHHHH!” The massive metallic boot slamming down on my wrist forced me out of my concentration, the crushing pain erupted in my arm along with a wail of agony. I was going to die, this cabal will bring my end and let it draw out as long as possible; my body will be consumed by the red sands. The massive hand seized my torso, and began to lift me and pin me against the smooth pillar. I had to act quickly, my gun was still in my hand and I knew that I had at least one more bullet. I could fire it at the cabal and hope the Traveler is watching over me… or I could spare myself an agonizing demise. To fight for a chance at life, or chose death and avoid imminent pain. [i]Chose now, Bishop.[/i] Bang!
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Edited by Slanky: 7/13/2013 7:55:48 PMAs my ship flies off into the distance, its thrusters echoing the sounds this great city once heard, the thought of being alone on this journey settles in. My usual companions cannot accompany me on this fight, nor can they know I am here. I cannot risk losing another team to the [i]filth[/i] that is the Cabal. I am here for revenge, a revenge that I must have alone. I am back at the abandoned station where my last run with the armored giants nearly took my life…. and claimed that of my men. The silence of this place speaks a prelude to an ambush. An ambush that feels all too familiar. My subconscious dredges up the memories of that long forgotten day. [i]Laying down suppressive fire from my rifle atop the iron X like structure, I was knocked unconscious and buried by the rubble of a rocket blast from one of the shielded cowards. Woken by my ghost, from what seemed like days but had been just hours passed, I was received with the sight of what remained of fire team Six. [/i] Fire team Six was the first team to which I had been assigned command. How could I have been so careless! How could I have positioned us so poorly! How could I have let… these thoughts cannot claim me once more, not now; in this moment it is crucial that my mind remain sharp. A low rumbling growl spills from the interior of the station, and accompanying it, the dim light within makes it clear that soon I will no longer be alone. Momentarily, the beasts will emerge to discover what it is that has cracked the silence of their buried city. Here I stand, eyes down sight, waiting to greet them with a vengeance.
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‘Click’, my rifle eagerly accepts the clip that I barely manage to slot into its belly. My visor is shattered and I reluctantly remove my helmet, throwing it to the floor. In its current state it would hinder, rather than help me. Looking over my shoulder and out of the shattered window, I see that the sun has almost fully receded below the jagged roofs of the plaza which is soon to become my tomb. A streaming bolt of energy flies past my head, sending slivers of glass dancing across the floor and narrowly missing my head. It reminds me that I am not alone in this city. As I pull back behind the wall, several more bolts of energy whizz through the window, one hits the window frame, hurling pieces of debris into the building and throwing dust up at me. I pull my arm up to shield my now exposed eyes from the raging torrent of fine material assaulting my face. As the dust settles I lower my arm and a small orb arcs gracefully through the window, landing amongst a pile of collapsed ceiling tiles. Instinctively I roll to one side, just before a super heated ball of plasma erupts out of the object, scorching the floor and sending flaming ceiling tiles flying around the empty room. I hastily crawl to an upturned desk in the middle of the room, arriving behind it moments before a large shape climbs awkwardly through the window, casting long shadows around the room. I can hear it approaching my cover and I know that I have very few options left. Launching my battered body over the desk I run at the figure, blasts of energy screaming from the barrel of my gun. I know that this is my destiny.
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1 ReplyEdited by Obelisk: 7/13/2013 4:10:39 PMThe Hunter barreled down the dune, exchanging magazines in her rifle as she descended. Behind her, she could hear thunderous bellows erupting from the stampede of Cabal kicking up dust like one of the great storms of Mars as they gave chase. Upon reaching the bottom, she quickly bolted toward one of the ruined buildings, half-buried in dust, seeking shelter from the legion. The Cabal spotted the fleeing Hunter and unleashed a hail of bullets that rained around her, thudding near her feet. She slid into shelter but upon taking cover, she noticed the pain in her side; she'd been hit. Cabal now stormed down the dunes. The Hunter took what few chances she had to fire at her attackers from cover, picking off a couple, but having dozens to deal with. With, ammunition low and her wounds taking their toll, this seemed to be the end. The behemoths were now very near and the Hunter, preparing for her last stand, held a grenade in hand as she sat behind cover refusing to face her killers. Preparing to pull the pin, she heard the beasts yelp as explosions erupted. The Hunter peered from behind cover to witness Cabal, or what remained of them, scatter as a Warlock hovered overhead, prepared to unleash another Nova Bomb. The monsters didn't get far, as a rocket screamed from beyond view and obliterated the last of them. Leaving cover, the Hunter saw the origins of the rocket; a Titan's Wolf Cannon. The Warlock approached the Hunter, doing what he could for the wounds while the Titan prepared ammunition for her weapon. Then, they could hear the roar of more Cabal accompanied by looming shuttles. Looking to her comrades, the Hunter grabbed her rifle and, together, the Guardians rushed against the ominous tide...
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Edited by TATAS: 7/13/2013 3:57:55 PMA brief snap echoed through the dark hallways and up the ever-frequent roofing holes. Underestimated that fall; looking back up to the ledge, looming over me like a gargoyle on a medieval stormy night. I slump over to the wall and put my back against it, rubbing my ankle while trying to snap it back into place. Another snap echoes through the once-glorious crumbled walls, I rest my arms on my knees and lean back to the wall. Setting my firearm next to me, I stare towards the middle of this newly discovered room. Amazing how quiet it is in here, outside is a hell-storm of sands and heat; the wind slapping you and embedding sand between your plates. It’s too quiet in here, unsettling to me I shift my weight up and forward, bringing myself to my feet. There is a faint vibration about this place, quickly becoming a violent rumble. I pick up my weapon and examine the room; it is large, underground, the floor littered with sand and rubble. The only entrance or exit seems to be the ledge I dropped from, this is not good. The middle of the room begins to open up, sand and rubble falling into it as it opens beneath me. The floor stops, there is now an square hole about 5 feet in size before me. Growls and grunts can be heard below, “Here we go.”
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Walking along what would be a main street in the shadow of the traveller is nothing but an alleyway here in the dust palace. In such open ground the feeling of being watched is unavoidable, humouring the idea of getting to higher ground but the monolithic mountains of sand make that task harder than it's worth. Bringing up the hud on the screen the A.I attempts to provide a way out but sand quickly blocks up one way and just a quickly another street will become passable making the system erratic. A noise echoes through the street of steel being bent or crushed and curiosity won over caution, following the noise the hud said the objective was ahead. As the noise continued to echo of the wall's of collapsed and crumbling buildings a cabal seemed to be the source of it as it was trying to use it's shield and gun as tool's to try and pry open the door to the same building the hud displayed as the waypoint. Preferring to sit and wait for the cabal to do the hard work when a guttural scream took the place of the crashing steel. The cabal had caught my scent, i dragged my feet and what felt like half my body through the sand as the cabal charged at me through the sand as if it was not there. Sending waves of sand crashing to either side of the beast, coming dangerously close i attempt to dodge out of the way but just seem to fall to the side because of the sand. The cabal was upon me, raising it's shield into the air i focus my magic and unleash the energy at the feet of my enemy causing an explosion of sand... as i walk away blood that's not mine drips into the sand.
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Wind blasted sand into miniature tornadoes that whipped around the immense feet of the Titan. He walked past the decaying cars and dry flora towards the skeletal building before him. He shifted the rifle gripped tight by thick gloves, which had been dubbed Providence. The formidable Guardian ascended the steps to the empty station. Just before entering, he tried contacting other members of his team once more. This time, he got a response, letting him know an ally would be here shortly. The Titan did another scan of the surrounding area, carefully sweeping his vision in a circle, looking for any hint of enemy movement. The blowing sand distorted the view, and the wind could carry small sounds away from his ears. The longer he stood there, the more his stomach clenched. The sound of a ship overhead brought up the soldier’s head as he watched a Guardian vessel pass, dropping the Warlock a few meters away. She unholstered two pistols from each thigh as she approached, her cloak whipping in the driving wind. The two Guardians continued into the decrepit structure. The Titan took point, looking down the sight of Providence while the Warlock kept watch behind them. They walked down hallways, checking rooms as they went, hoping that the trip would be worthwhile. They reached a dead-end with one room to the side, a metal crate sitting in the corner. They entered the room and the Titan lowered his weapon, gripping the lid of the crate and giving a strong tug to get it open. Jackpot. As he closed the crate, pistol shots rang out behind him. He swung around to see his teammate hanging limp from the claws of a Fallen captain. Lesser soldiers stood behind it, weapons ready. The Guardians had taken their bait.
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Her jaw tightened as she stepped on the fallen captain's chest and put a bullet in its head. "17" she thought to herself "the desert will get that one" as she glanced at the swirling, endless red sands of mars. "Just you two then". The last of the fallen squad escaped into the lifeless facility. She pulled her cloak in close and drudged on. The dark hallway went on, seemingly forever. She moved forward quietly, her only company was the sound of her boots and the light howling of the wind. A sudden "craack" pierced the air, making her hairs stand on end. Rounding a corner, she could see it. A hulking cobal, hunched over in the hallway 100 yards away, playing with two dead fallen. Behind it light poured into a great hall from the ceiling, illuminating the end of the hall. The light fell into large hole in the center of the room. She could hear drilling and crunching noises coming from the hole. "The basement..." she grimaced as she pulled out her sniper, exhaling as she lined the cobal's bulbous, ugly, head in the sights. She pressed her finger slowly against the trigger, her jaw tight.
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For years I have tracked the one forsaken commander who killed my family and destroyed everything I once cared about. I cleaned my the Intimidator, my 59lb sniper with a 45.3 in barrel to protect the mechanism from the coarse dust the roamed the land. Since the jet black paint shined and the four maroon stripes the lead from trigger to the barrel had not even a spec of the fine red dust on it. I continued along being sure to cover up any trace of being here. Slowly but surely I made it to a small cliff on the outskirts of the buried city that had the perfect view of the main square and more importantly the commanders quarters. I took out the four guards that were in the four skyscrapers and no one knew thanks to the magic of a special custom made suppressor that eliminates all sound. I unscrewed the suppressor for the final kill, I located the commander on top of what used to be a library barking out orders to his underlings. I aimed five decibels up on the scope and applied the generic three pounds of force to the trigger, the 72 caliber bullet raced toward it's target at moch 3 by the time he hit the ground the sound waves just caught up. I turned around and walked away and decided to never turn back
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1 ReplyWriting stories in a foreign language is harder than I expected. And please don't count the words (or grammar mistakes). [quote]The number ten appeared on the display of the detonator, as Dee pulled the trigger for the explosives in her backpack. She looked around, but there wasn’t a way out. A group of Cabals, a nasty alien race, surrounded her, each with a human-sized shield in their hand. The number on the detonator changed to nine. Dee’s target, a longish building on pillars, was only a few yards away. A few weeks ago, it was a place for politicians and citizens to meet and talk. But things changed. Eight. Another second had passed. The city was under attack and many had already fled or were dead. The enemy had occupied the building and transformed it into a command center for its quest of conquest. Seven. The military had already abandoned the city and left thousands of people behind. A few survivors, including Dee, hid in the city center. Eventually, the fights shifted to the outer districts and Dee’s group was able to move around again. Six. They had found guns and explosives in an abandoned military post and even though they had no military experience, a small part of the group decided to fight back the Cabal. Five. The Cabal had spotted Dee, after she had already planted two explosives at the foundation pillars of the command center. She didn’t even try to grab her weapon, because she knew, she had no chance in a firefight. She chose to run instead. Four. Without warning, a shot ripped the head of one Cabal apart. A split second later, another enemy was hit by a bullet. Dee knew in an instance what was happening around her and charged at the gap. Three. She slid off her backpack, threw it at one of the distracted creatures. Two. Dee ran as fast as she could. One. She jumped behind a small stone wall. Zero. An explosion shook the ground as the group of Cabal vanished in a giant fireball.[/quote]
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I was traveling with my fire team through the buried city. Then we all heard a sound; the roar of a fallen captain. We quickly took cover and spotted several cabal forces scattered throughout the buildings ahead. My fire team consisted of an exo Titan, human hunter, and an awoken warlock. The Hunter took out the fallen on the roof and upper floors the warlock and I started on the lower floors and the fallen in the street. But just as we thought we were winning three fallen dropships came in. One even had a devil walker they were all charging toward us in the street. The warlock shot out and nova bomb toward the frontline and the hunter summoned a pistol wrapped in flames. Then, I did something unspeakable, I hopped over our cover and charged the fallen laying down a fists of havoc. I then resized that I was joined by my fire team to defeat the devil walker. We shot out it's legs first then our warlock finished it off with his nova bomb, then we collected our loot and returned home.
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Oh boy, here we go. [quote]It was myself- a warlock, and my companion- the titan. He addressed me as Zeus, though there was very little times he saw fit to speak at all. I had come to grips with this, and we usually worked in silent. The silence, on this day, was strange. There was more than a lack of words, there was a lacking beyond my comprehension. There were no roars of life as we were accustomed, nor any winds as is common on Mars. As we made our way into the courtyard, the titan whipped his finger around to bring to my attention the rooftops surrounding us. We were easy prey to snipers. The absent wind, the glaring sun, and our shining armor made us prime targets. As I jogged to catch up with the titan, there was a sudden crack. The titan shuddered. He spun on his foot, shaken, and fell against the stairs. I heard feet patter on the rooftop across from us, with a disgustingly pleased tone in the trot. I grasped the titan's arm, and pulled him under the awning. I knew the sniper would come soon to confirm the kill, and likely wasn't alone. We needed to move. "C'mon, we've got to go." He shook his head, and looked down to his wound. "You're a titan! Get up!" He raised his hand to shush me. "Surely you aren't just letting me go alone. How [i]could[/i] you!" His body shook. It was a gentle movement, but I knew what it was, and it was the most horrifying thing I'd ever seen. He was crying. "Please... don't." He looked up to me. I couldn't see his face, though I felt him looking me in the eye. "I am sorry, Zeus. Now is the time for [i]you[/i] to be the titan."[/quote]
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2 RepliesJust wondering - is the 300 word limit absolute, or is there a 10% margin either way? Could really use the extra 30.
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Edited by DE4THINC4RN4TE: 7/13/2013 8:03:37 AMWell here's what I've put together. It should go right up to the word limit. Hope you guys enjoy it. [quote]Sitting on the curb, nursing my wounded pride, I thought back to what went wrong. It had all been going so well up until that Titan had asked me about my scars... *Flashback* [i]”Now, this is a story all about how My Sparrow got flipped-turned upside down And I’d like to take a minute Just sit right there I’ll tell you how I became so scarred in the old Mars City. I’d been moving quickly along on my Sparrow, attempting to flee pursuing forces with the cores in hand. I could hear them behind me, quickly gaining on my position. While looking back, my Sparrow drifted to the side, causing me to veer into a tree, knocking me from my ride. Brushing sand off myself and swearing, I attempted to right myself, only to notice that I was in a desert, their were no trees, and what I had hit was actually a 500ft tall Cabal from the Exclusion Zone! At this point the Cabal turned his gun on me and demanded tree fiddy glimmer, to wi-”[/i] “Their is NO way that happened! Do you think I’m stupid or something?! Give me ONE reason why I shouldn’t just beat your scrawny Hunter as-” [b]“What the -blam!- did you just -blam!-ing say about me, you little bitch? I’ll have you know I graduated top of my class in the Vanguard, and I’ve been involved in numerous secret raids on the Fallen, and I have over 3000 confirmed kills. I am trained in gorilla warfare and I’m the top sniper in the entire Vanguard. You are nothing to me but just another target. I will wipe you the -blam!- out with precision the likes of which has never been seen before on thi-”[/b] *GetsKickedOutOfBar*[/quote]
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Wings
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Something wasn’t right. Bodies of fallen guardians were strewn about the forgotten building as if they were being collected. A chill ran up the warlocks’ spine as he noticed a pair of Hunters that he had passed in the hanger earlier in the day. “Hey, you need to see this.” His com crackled loudly, causing him to jump. “Damn it Man, what is it, I’m kind of busy at the moment.” “Get unbusy, we’ve got a massive group of Hive over here.” He could feel the blood leave his face. “The Hive? Out here? This isn’t anywhere near their territory.” “Tell that to them.” He glanced back down at the bodies riddling the floor, spun on his heel and decided it best to leave as soon as possible. “Alright, what’s your location? I’ll be on my way to you soon.” “I’m in an abandoned skyscraper on the factory side of Mars, looking over what looks like an abandoned shopping center or something. These guys are surrounding the place.” The warlock froze mid-stride and swallowed hard, “Is there a blue stripe on the top of the building?” “Yea, you know the place? Oh hang on something’s got their attention, Looks like someone’s inside! Hurry up man, this guy is going to get massacred if we don’t help him!”
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He watched them leave, the brown feathers three, soaring up on the billowing haze, soon lost in its deceitful rise. They could be anywhere ahead. One metre, or a hundred: still lost, all the same. Ma, Pa, and Cedric were their names. Gone with the dust, and by now a part of it. Where he sat in shadows, by the steps under the ruined slab, hunched over the insensate form, dry air washed over him, always when he breathed, trying to taste his bones. That could wait. The last feather of four would not leave, anchored by the fractured god, white and round, flat in his outstretched palm, bound to him and like him, by a duty and promise they shared. 'Traveler,' the three had called it. Hate had filled his every breath, been the taste that woke him, a red torment in what he'd dreamed, like the dust and their blood wasted upon it. But when its expanse had embraced his mind, that hate had drowned in the torrents of magic gushing from its broken skin, washed away by a deluge that terrified and enthralled him: a cascade of endless blue. Azure blazing through his veins, it had liked the name 'Blue', naming him, in return, what it had felt whilst wrapped in his worn and starving flesh: Haggard. That same blue hung now between his bent left fingers, shards cold as ice curling over themselves like hungering flames, until that hand plunged through the unconscious captain's face: it jerked and fell still. Pocketing the feather and stone clutched in his right hand, he drew his revolver, something bequeathed him by the man named 'Pa', and watched the many-armed shadows behind the churning veil. They stalked the dust. They fed the dust. Soon they would join the dust.
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7 RepliesI awoke. I had no recollection of who I was or how I had found my way into that dark, lifeless room. I stumble around in a seemingly empty space searching for a switch or a light source. After what seemed like an eternity I found what I was looking for, a lever. It was rusted, and had no intention of moving, but after struggling for maybe five minutes I felt a hand in the darkness. With this persons help I was able to force the lever over and I heard what sounded like a generator powering on. The lights were too bright to see at first and it had taken a few moments for my eyes to adjust. When I could finally process images again I realized I was in what seemed to be a warehouse, it was filled with all kinds of contraptions which were obviously used for war. When I turned to my mysterious friend I was surprised to find that he was not human, but some sort of automaton. He didn't say a word but expressed what I would assume was fear. When I asked him what startled him I was terrified to hear my voice. It wasn't natural, it wasn't organic, it was almost robotic. We left the warehouse together without saying a word to each other and yet again my eyes to adjust to the light. When they did the first thing I noticed was a great sphere hovering over the surface of the earth and I couldn't help but feel I owe my life to it, to protect it until my dying day. I now sit propped against a rock in a large field, thankful to have survived another battle. I look to my right to see my old reliable shotgun, smoke still rising from the barrel. I look to my left to see my old friend praying to the traveller, and I can't help but feel that same emotion of responsibility for that great sphere that I felt the day I awoke from my long, long hibernation.
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Edited by MAST3RN1P: 7/13/2013 5:19:54 PMOnce a great city, thriving with hope of a united galaxy, brought to ashes by things in this universe that just want us to burn. inhabited now by dust and criminals this once great milestone in human history is now just a blind spot of its past, the great offensive was stationed at its walls. blocked out by the ashes and smoke of the Burning City the sun never shines only darkness. The rain that falls is not that of water but of ash, a red and black crust covers the city, explosions reaching to the mantel, The Great Theater (center building) was the name of the laboratory famous for curing diseases and helping those in need, legend tells that it was close to creating a chemical for wiping out the hives infesting space, but story's tell of a darker story of test on the twisted undead creatures using them for military experiments this facility is now overrun with these creatures tampered and altered to the needs of the previous greed of the human race Now with the clearing of the years of fire and radiation we are once again interested in this facility a crater near by deep enough to reach this sub facility now grants us the liberty of looking for this cure, but what we may find may be different from what we want the endless labyrinth of the city holds the terrors once used by the greed of war.
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1 Reply[b][i]Legends In The Making[/i][/b] Death is at our doorstep. If we do not leave this place, we will suffer. Our blatant disregard for life will be paid for with blood. This city, this planet... they belong to us. Our display of ignorance has brought hell upon us, in the form of beasts. Bipedal Brutes with a lust for territory. Armor thick enough to absorb the greatest tech humanity can muster. Numbers meant for conquest. We have forces on the ground, but nothing strong enough to hold them back. Women and Children are being evacuated. All air forces are currently dedicated to protection of drop ships. The only place to go after this... Earth. These Red Sands will be claimed by another, but for how long? How many can we save? How many of us will fall? We're at war on all fronts. Our last stronghold is failing. The Fallen are looking to earth. The Cabal are looking to mars. Machines... looking to the entire system. We must rise if we are to reclaim. This species will not die. Titans will no longer fall. Hunters will no longer Hide. Warlocks have already begun to harness the power of the traveler, albeit too late for this planets defense. We Will Return.
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4 RepliesEdited by ConVeneer: 7/14/2013 4:45:01 AMIt's better with sad music in the background. In My Arms She Bled Away “It’s all over, isn't it?” Sarah cries to me as I hold her within my arms, embracing firmly but gently to ease the pain and sorrow. I can feel the scarlet run down my arms and hands as her wound spews blood in pulses like an overflowing glass of wine. A trickle of blood starts dripping out the side of her mouth upon my forearm. Her eyes are terrified and fearful, and as red in pain as the fluid emptying out of her body… I can barely look her in the eyes. But I have to. She needs to be comforted. “David?” “Yes,” I reply, forcing a smile in an attempt to make things seem like they’re alright, trying as hard as I can to keep the tears from flowing down my eyes as I look into hers. “Is it?” she repeats. “Is it what?” “Over,” she forces out as she coughs up a mouthful of blood upon the rusted sand of this red forsaken planet and this cursed buried city, surrounded by the corpses of a thousand Cabal, by my hand piled high as an example to all. “Save your energy.” “There’s no need for that now,” she cries, “I’m not making it out of here and you know it. There’s no need to hide it. I’m already dead.” I try to say something but I can’t. She was right, and nothing I could say could change that now. “Just do something for me after I’m gone,” she struggles. She looks to the stars and the moon as the reflection burns brightly from her lifeless eyes, her body goes limp and her head rolls back into my chest. The blood stops flowing from her body and then silence………… “What?” I cry out. “ Press….. the….. revive… button…..” “Oh Ya!”*CLICK*
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Edited by arzeik: 7/13/2013 5:12:44 PM[b]The ruins[/b] It had been four days since we left the Vanguard’s base. Our ship, [i]Red Hawk[/i], had dropped us there, as the pilot refused to get closer to our destination, for overflying the reddish brown dunes of the [i]Sunken Zone[/i] was then reckless. Not always had it been this way. Back in the Golden Age, the [i]Buried City[/i] and its surroundings were one of the most thriving centers of our civilization. But this was long ago, before the Collapse and the arrival of our now long known neighbors. At that moment, most of the city was covered by oceans of sand, and the Cabal were giving us some trouble, shooting down each and every one of our birds irresponsible enough to go deep into their territories – almost the whole [i]Sunken Zone[/i], except the ruins of the city –, where a rain of flak was ready to welcome them. Driving our sparrows across the desert hadn’t been exempt of hazards, either. We came across a few patrols, but their clumsy handling of machine guns wasn’t rival for our skill, and so we knocked them out before they could even alert more troops. Finally, there it was. The remains of the once brightest light of Mars were now glowing right in front of us, just a shadow of its old great glory. Only a few of the buildings, the tallest among them, stuck out the surface, rusty and tumbledown. But not everything was going as we expected. A low noise seemed to come out from the depths of the place, and it was growing stronger as we walked towards the heart of the ruins. Then, I saw it, and a shiver ran down my spine. We quickly understood why the Cabal avoided the city, but it was too late to follow suit.
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Edited by DarkPython14: 7/13/2013 3:46:38 PMThe Buried city, remnant memories flush back into my mind like a hurricane as I return to her. We never could have imagined the horrors that had befallen us on that day. I was too young to see the signs, the rumbling of a thousand footsteps, the faint hum of Cabal drop ships, getting ever so louder. Then they hit, an army of Cabal came crashing down. They crushed the gates of our once thriving city like a man crushes an ant. They rushed in, guns blazing, killing everything and anything that moved. Screams, horrible screams of the innocent being slaughter. I still remember the sound to this day. Drop ships hovered over the city center dropping countless Cabal into the fray. We were ill prepared for the battle, and they were ever so. Our fathers and brothers fought to protect us, but it was no match. The Cabal outnumbered us all. Lights, noise, screams, flashes, rumblings, then, came the crashing of buildings. I saw it all under the protective grasp of my mother and father, as we ran through the streets to find safety. They never made it. They were struck down distracting a Cabal wearing pitch black armor, so I could have enough time to board an aircraft and escape. As I return to this city, as I return to my parents, my friends, my brothers, I am hit with a sudden sadness driving for revenge, for justice. The journey ahead is long and treacherous. But I will take back what is mine. I will avenge the fallen.
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Departure "Would they blame me? Probably not Claire, or her men, provided they could get to me before any of the other fireteams. But if anyone sees the scene before that, well, then I’m coward, and the Dead Orbit will have a coward listed among its dead.” Zachariah thought, as he held his pistol under his chin, sitting in the shade of a back alley between two decrepit skyscrapers, protected as gale winds slowly ate away at his comrades and dragged them down into the swelling dunes that covered the Red Planet. “And they didn’t even say goodbye.” Zach said with a tinge of tired, sarcastic humor to no one. He looked down at his wounded leg again. The bullet from the Cabal Centurion entered about 3 inches above the knee and had gone right through plate, flesh, and bone as it exited. He had administered Kelsadrine, a mix of stimulants for the brain and good, old-fashioned morphine for the leg. Zach had been taking Kelsa for almost six months now. That was the reason he was slow, why he got his team killed. “If I died now, they would take a blood sample, and they would know I used Kelsa, which would lead them to my stash on the ship.” Additional drugs were prohibited on mission. “Either way, I’m an embarrassment. It’s no less than I deserve.” His finger was shaking, itching to pull the trigger. Zach was groggy but he could comprehend what happened next. There was a lone Cabal sniffing around the battleground. As a made his way closer to the alley, Zach remained still. “If I play dead…aw shit!” The Cabal had sniffed him out, and was charging headlong. Instinct set in and with one short pull, the alien came crashing down. “No, guardians don’t give up.”
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2 RepliesEdited by Garbage Eater: 7/13/2013 5:08:51 AMVirtually disheartened and exhausted his destination finally came into view. It's been 2 hours since the guardian set out wandering the vast dunes of the fourth planet in search of this place. His mental stamina had nearly hit its limit navigating this arid desert of unchanging scenery. What stood before him now was a place where nature had become ascendant over once beautiful architecture, concealing the vast mausoleum hidden beneath. “The Buried City” he softly uttered to himself with a smirk. Sand particles pattered against his swaying cloak alongside a subtle breeze, the only faint sounds he heard while reflecting upon his discovery. The Buried City. Housing abundant treasures forfeited by human civilization before the Golden Age and claimed by an unyielding enemy during the Twilight Gap, or so the possibly fabricated rumor goes. This vague description now seemed unfitting for such a captivating sight. Traveling here first brought him much pride, realizing future Guardians would benefit from his perseverance. This did not overshadow the true incentive of this journey however. Beyond doubt an exotic wea... ! His train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a deafening bellow. A giant armor clad beast known as a Cabal came lumbering towards him. The Guardian swiftly dodged to the left raising his side arm. In an orange flash the foe burst into yellow particles before slowly fading away. A sight the Guardian never grew tired of. Regaining his bearings he suddenly realized why the Cabal fostered a second name. “Sand Eaters.” Emerging around the station were two, seven, no... a hundred he discerned. An enemy whose true might was wrapped in speculation until this moment. The lone guardian faltered, fighting till his last breath. “Next time.” _________________________________________________________________________________ -Thoroughly enjoyed writing this despite expecting not to win, thanks for hosting a fun contest with a cool idea!
