Post by Dragge on Oct 27, 2016 1:38:53 GMT -5
Okay, introduction time. I've always enjoyed reading books and trying to create my own ideas and well, I've always enjoyed the Legends universe. So A few months back I started writing what I'd like to see as a full book someday. Getting a book published is one of my goals in life. Fiction or nonfiction it doesn't matter. So anyway I started this similar to how inafune went with Red Ash, the whole legends but not legends thing. My goal is not to copy Legends, but the series has so many ideas to offer. I just want an avenue to tell the story of a family that's trying to make it through each day with what they've got and each other and I feel a world similar to Legends will give me openness to do that. I'm not sure as of yet if I will update this as time goes on. What I'd really like is for constructive criticism. I feel like lowering repetitive phrases is something I should already work on. But I'd like to know what the rest of you see in this. Do you see potential? Or is this just a time waster? I'll let you decide. I know I've come a long way from the stuff I used to write on the forums years back but I know I also have far to go. So sit back and enjoy and feel free to nitpick as much as you want, I'm listening.
Chapter 1
It was a wonderful day. The sun was out, the birds were chirping, the waves were crashing on the beach. It was another typical day for this family. They seemed to find themselves in similar situations a lot doing what it is they do best. They go out and they make a living for themselves. To many, their line of work is deemed dangerous. To them, it was the only thing they had ever known. Somedays the payout wasn’t spectacular, other times the payout was very moderate. This day could be a very good day for this family.
The eldest brother was up on a large monolith overlooking the beach down below. His eyes were fixated on the water, he was tracking something. Something large. He sprawled out down on the top, careful not to fall off the steep decline. His right arm was enwrapped by a mechanical device. The device telescoped out and became the barrel of a sniper rifle.
His light armor clinked as he got into position. His available hand reached up to remove the cloak surrounding his mouth. He spoke into a com-set, “Bow, Arrow, do you two read me? I’m in position up above. I’m tracking the Streik Wal right now.”
Down below two others were climbing down off the top of a half-submerged ship. The taller of the two responded, “Arrow here. Yeah we copy you Cross. It’s a good thing you see this thing. Means our radar worked for once. You know it’s been a while since that’s happened.”
“Hey!!!” shouted a shrill voice from the communication system. “At least we always get a hit don’t we?”
The third brother chimed in, “Hey it’s okay Angel. You know Arrow doesn’t like it when things go the right way. Starts getting all pouty.”
“I do not Bow!”
Bow got up into Arrow’s face and wagged his finger, “Uh huh, sure.”
“Okay you two cut it out. I really don’t want to have to come down there and split you two up.” Bow and Arrow acknowledged. Cross was watching the waters with intensive care. This was going to be the haul. The one that would get them enough money to last at least the next month.
Cross, Bow, and Arrow were Hunters. Their job was to track down aberrant Eycroids and harvest them for their parts and energy crystals. The parts were usually sold off or repurposed for weapons or armor. The energy crystals, known as Shards, were used for currency. People relied on this barter system for years. The world is in shambles and no one can really remember why. All the inhabitants know is that there are massive underground labyrinths that the Eycroids guard. For what purpose? No one knows. Some of these deadly machines can be found outside of labyrinths. The rogue machines seem to leave be unless their territory is invaded. Other than the gain from destroying them, the average person leaves them alone. Only Hunters are brave enough to stand up against the beasts.
Cross and his siblings were tracking one of the largest Eycroids ever recorded. The Streik Wal was a massive whale sized Eycroid that very few Hunters ever had the misfortune of running into. For this family, they weren’t unlucky; they had been searching for this great beast for about a week straight. The radar aboard their mobile home has been giving them trouble and leading them to many dead ends. That was until today.
“Arrow, the Streik Wal is starting to surface. I want you to run to the other side of the atoll and get the Hook Zapper ready to go. Bow, I want you to stay where you are and take the second one.” Cross was watching intensely. They needed this to go right. There were legends of people who had caught the Streik Wal and were famously known among Hunter lore. No one has caught, let alone seen one, in decades. People stopped believing they existed. Cross knew there was at least one still left out there. Almost as if he had an insight that told him to search it out.
The three brothers were in place around the island. Angel, their sister, called out from the intercom, “Guys, I’m taking the Eclipse up into the air now to avoid getting it damaged. I’ll watch from above.”
Inside the ship, Angel was situated at the bridge. Her long white hair flowed past her shoulders. She flipped a couple switches and waited as the engines whirred to life. A few more switches and the airship started to lift out of the ocean into the sky. After a minute the ship was far enough in the sky for Angel to maneuver it into a better position. “I’ll help keep watch from above and scan for data.”
Cross looked over his shoulder to check on the Eclipse before turning back to the water in the middle of the atoll. Bow and Arrow were down below in position. A large shadow was down in the water. He could see it serpentine. He trained his Snipecannon on the mechanical being. The shadow was getting larger. And larger. And larger. All of the brothers held their breaths.
The Streik Wal burst forth from the ocean! Cross shouted out for his two brothers to launch their weapons. Bow and Arrow, almost simultaneously fired their weapons which launched out harpoons that latched into the sides of the sentient machine. They then latched their end of it into the ground. The two brothers ran a little ways down the beach and launched another harpoon into the struggling beast. The Eycroid tried to attack with its fins but was helpless. Bow and Arrow ran down the length of the Eycroid latching harpoons to it and tethering it down. Once at the end Arrow shouted out, “Now!!!” The two brothers flipped open a small panel on each of their weapons and hit a small button on the inside of it. The harpoons sent out an electric charge into the Eycroid sending it into a rage.
“Cross! I’m finding a weak point on top of the Streik Wal. Just about where a blowhole should be!” called out Angel.
Cross steadied his weapon, stared down the scope, and took his shot. The beast roared in anger and the shot missed its mark, bouncing off the forehead. It still did some damage but not enough to easily bring down the Eycroid. Cross fired off another shot. Again it missed due to the struggling machine. He fired off a couple more rounds that just angered it. The Streik Wal broke free of its prison and started seeking out its captors.
Cross was worried now. He got up from his position. “Angel! Launch the Mobile Weapon Unit! I need the Artillery Shell!” A pod launched out of the back dock of the Eclipse. Cross looked below as his brothers scattered trying to avoid attacks from the Streik Wal. One fin nearly struck Arrow as Bow jumped over the swinging tail that was trying to knock him off his feet. “Guys! Try to weaken it a little with your arm cannons!”
Bow and Arrow activated their energy weapons located on their left arms and started to fire small energy bursts at the Eycroid. The damage was minimal but it was enough to keep the machine guessing as to where it should attack next. The beast roared again and opened up its maw and a large cannon appeared in the back of its throat. Cross activated his own arm cannon as his Snipercannon telescoped back in and unattached from his right arm. His secondary weapon fired off into the sky toward the weapon pod as another device launched out and shot toward Cross.
Cross shot his primary weapon to draw attention away from his brothers and toward himself. It would buy them some time to catch a short breath. Cross was right. He drew attention toward himself but the cannon was still charging. He heard the whirring’s pitch get higher and prayed that his Artillery shell would reach him quickly.
The beast’s cannon fired and he felt his weapon close around his arm and no sooner than that he jumped from the top of the monolith.
Cross felt the heat on his back from the explosion just behind him. He skidded down the side of the monolith trying to get a few well-placed shots in with his arm cannon. The Eycroid charged up and fired another shot. Cross had nowhere else to go. He was skidding down the incline too slowly so he took the risk and jumped off the side toward the beast. Cross’s boot armor gave off a small burst for extra propulsion. In midair Cross aimed his artillery cannon and fired. The recoil in midair was nearly bone breaking, but anything was worth bringing down the colossal machine.
He fired again as he descended onto the top of the machine. Cross rolled and got back onto his feet. The Eycroid knew where its assailant was and started to rock back and forth to knock Cross off his feet. He didn’t stop. He kept running until he could jump off the back of the Eycroid. ‘Just keep going Cross,’ he thought. He reached the tail and as he jumped off he twisted his body 180 degrees and fired a well-placed shot at its weak spot. The shot met its target and the Streik Wal was visibly damaged. Smoke started pouring out of its back and it started to move a little bit slower than a moment ago. Cross ran around to meet up with his brothers.
“Alright guys, let’s punish this thing.” Together they sent a barrage of attacks. The beast was easily confused and it started lashing out any which way it could. The brothers continued to dodge the fins and tail as much as they could. Arrow got knocked off his feet and felt the full force of a fin slam down on top of him. His armor protected him from most of the damage.
Angel, who had been silently running diagnostics, called out to the brother, “The Streik Wal’s energy output is down to five percent! Finish it!!!” The energy blasts kept firing and eventually they overwhelmed the massive beast. It slumped over, defeated. The once deafening roar of the Streik Wal fell away and again the peacefulness of the ocean’s waves came back to them. Angel set the Eclipse back in the ocean and stepped out of the door onto dry land. “Let’s hope this is truly the haul we’ve been waiting for!”
Cross started searching for access panels along the side of the machine looking for any way to access the Shards. Meanwhile Bow and Angel started to rip out parts that they thought could be valuable, either by selling them or holding onto them to use for weapons or other upgrades.
Chapter 1
It was a wonderful day. The sun was out, the birds were chirping, the waves were crashing on the beach. It was another typical day for this family. They seemed to find themselves in similar situations a lot doing what it is they do best. They go out and they make a living for themselves. To many, their line of work is deemed dangerous. To them, it was the only thing they had ever known. Somedays the payout wasn’t spectacular, other times the payout was very moderate. This day could be a very good day for this family.
The eldest brother was up on a large monolith overlooking the beach down below. His eyes were fixated on the water, he was tracking something. Something large. He sprawled out down on the top, careful not to fall off the steep decline. His right arm was enwrapped by a mechanical device. The device telescoped out and became the barrel of a sniper rifle.
His light armor clinked as he got into position. His available hand reached up to remove the cloak surrounding his mouth. He spoke into a com-set, “Bow, Arrow, do you two read me? I’m in position up above. I’m tracking the Streik Wal right now.”
Down below two others were climbing down off the top of a half-submerged ship. The taller of the two responded, “Arrow here. Yeah we copy you Cross. It’s a good thing you see this thing. Means our radar worked for once. You know it’s been a while since that’s happened.”
“Hey!!!” shouted a shrill voice from the communication system. “At least we always get a hit don’t we?”
The third brother chimed in, “Hey it’s okay Angel. You know Arrow doesn’t like it when things go the right way. Starts getting all pouty.”
“I do not Bow!”
Bow got up into Arrow’s face and wagged his finger, “Uh huh, sure.”
“Okay you two cut it out. I really don’t want to have to come down there and split you two up.” Bow and Arrow acknowledged. Cross was watching the waters with intensive care. This was going to be the haul. The one that would get them enough money to last at least the next month.
Cross, Bow, and Arrow were Hunters. Their job was to track down aberrant Eycroids and harvest them for their parts and energy crystals. The parts were usually sold off or repurposed for weapons or armor. The energy crystals, known as Shards, were used for currency. People relied on this barter system for years. The world is in shambles and no one can really remember why. All the inhabitants know is that there are massive underground labyrinths that the Eycroids guard. For what purpose? No one knows. Some of these deadly machines can be found outside of labyrinths. The rogue machines seem to leave be unless their territory is invaded. Other than the gain from destroying them, the average person leaves them alone. Only Hunters are brave enough to stand up against the beasts.
Cross and his siblings were tracking one of the largest Eycroids ever recorded. The Streik Wal was a massive whale sized Eycroid that very few Hunters ever had the misfortune of running into. For this family, they weren’t unlucky; they had been searching for this great beast for about a week straight. The radar aboard their mobile home has been giving them trouble and leading them to many dead ends. That was until today.
“Arrow, the Streik Wal is starting to surface. I want you to run to the other side of the atoll and get the Hook Zapper ready to go. Bow, I want you to stay where you are and take the second one.” Cross was watching intensely. They needed this to go right. There were legends of people who had caught the Streik Wal and were famously known among Hunter lore. No one has caught, let alone seen one, in decades. People stopped believing they existed. Cross knew there was at least one still left out there. Almost as if he had an insight that told him to search it out.
The three brothers were in place around the island. Angel, their sister, called out from the intercom, “Guys, I’m taking the Eclipse up into the air now to avoid getting it damaged. I’ll watch from above.”
Inside the ship, Angel was situated at the bridge. Her long white hair flowed past her shoulders. She flipped a couple switches and waited as the engines whirred to life. A few more switches and the airship started to lift out of the ocean into the sky. After a minute the ship was far enough in the sky for Angel to maneuver it into a better position. “I’ll help keep watch from above and scan for data.”
Cross looked over his shoulder to check on the Eclipse before turning back to the water in the middle of the atoll. Bow and Arrow were down below in position. A large shadow was down in the water. He could see it serpentine. He trained his Snipecannon on the mechanical being. The shadow was getting larger. And larger. And larger. All of the brothers held their breaths.
The Streik Wal burst forth from the ocean! Cross shouted out for his two brothers to launch their weapons. Bow and Arrow, almost simultaneously fired their weapons which launched out harpoons that latched into the sides of the sentient machine. They then latched their end of it into the ground. The two brothers ran a little ways down the beach and launched another harpoon into the struggling beast. The Eycroid tried to attack with its fins but was helpless. Bow and Arrow ran down the length of the Eycroid latching harpoons to it and tethering it down. Once at the end Arrow shouted out, “Now!!!” The two brothers flipped open a small panel on each of their weapons and hit a small button on the inside of it. The harpoons sent out an electric charge into the Eycroid sending it into a rage.
“Cross! I’m finding a weak point on top of the Streik Wal. Just about where a blowhole should be!” called out Angel.
Cross steadied his weapon, stared down the scope, and took his shot. The beast roared in anger and the shot missed its mark, bouncing off the forehead. It still did some damage but not enough to easily bring down the Eycroid. Cross fired off another shot. Again it missed due to the struggling machine. He fired off a couple more rounds that just angered it. The Streik Wal broke free of its prison and started seeking out its captors.
Cross was worried now. He got up from his position. “Angel! Launch the Mobile Weapon Unit! I need the Artillery Shell!” A pod launched out of the back dock of the Eclipse. Cross looked below as his brothers scattered trying to avoid attacks from the Streik Wal. One fin nearly struck Arrow as Bow jumped over the swinging tail that was trying to knock him off his feet. “Guys! Try to weaken it a little with your arm cannons!”
Bow and Arrow activated their energy weapons located on their left arms and started to fire small energy bursts at the Eycroid. The damage was minimal but it was enough to keep the machine guessing as to where it should attack next. The beast roared again and opened up its maw and a large cannon appeared in the back of its throat. Cross activated his own arm cannon as his Snipercannon telescoped back in and unattached from his right arm. His secondary weapon fired off into the sky toward the weapon pod as another device launched out and shot toward Cross.
Cross shot his primary weapon to draw attention away from his brothers and toward himself. It would buy them some time to catch a short breath. Cross was right. He drew attention toward himself but the cannon was still charging. He heard the whirring’s pitch get higher and prayed that his Artillery shell would reach him quickly.
The beast’s cannon fired and he felt his weapon close around his arm and no sooner than that he jumped from the top of the monolith.
Cross felt the heat on his back from the explosion just behind him. He skidded down the side of the monolith trying to get a few well-placed shots in with his arm cannon. The Eycroid charged up and fired another shot. Cross had nowhere else to go. He was skidding down the incline too slowly so he took the risk and jumped off the side toward the beast. Cross’s boot armor gave off a small burst for extra propulsion. In midair Cross aimed his artillery cannon and fired. The recoil in midair was nearly bone breaking, but anything was worth bringing down the colossal machine.
He fired again as he descended onto the top of the machine. Cross rolled and got back onto his feet. The Eycroid knew where its assailant was and started to rock back and forth to knock Cross off his feet. He didn’t stop. He kept running until he could jump off the back of the Eycroid. ‘Just keep going Cross,’ he thought. He reached the tail and as he jumped off he twisted his body 180 degrees and fired a well-placed shot at its weak spot. The shot met its target and the Streik Wal was visibly damaged. Smoke started pouring out of its back and it started to move a little bit slower than a moment ago. Cross ran around to meet up with his brothers.
“Alright guys, let’s punish this thing.” Together they sent a barrage of attacks. The beast was easily confused and it started lashing out any which way it could. The brothers continued to dodge the fins and tail as much as they could. Arrow got knocked off his feet and felt the full force of a fin slam down on top of him. His armor protected him from most of the damage.
Angel, who had been silently running diagnostics, called out to the brother, “The Streik Wal’s energy output is down to five percent! Finish it!!!” The energy blasts kept firing and eventually they overwhelmed the massive beast. It slumped over, defeated. The once deafening roar of the Streik Wal fell away and again the peacefulness of the ocean’s waves came back to them. Angel set the Eclipse back in the ocean and stepped out of the door onto dry land. “Let’s hope this is truly the haul we’ve been waiting for!”
Cross started searching for access panels along the side of the machine looking for any way to access the Shards. Meanwhile Bow and Angel started to rip out parts that they thought could be valuable, either by selling them or holding onto them to use for weapons or other upgrades.