DORULL STORIES - PRISONER OF THE AMULET
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bright flash for a moment lightened
up a small, underground corridor, as a cylindrical object appeared in the exact
center of this occurrence. It looked as if it was just hovering there.
Motionless. Just for a brief moment. Before it touched the ground, converting
into a disc. At the same time, the light that surrounded it disappeared,
revealing the shape of an orc.
He was almost two meters tall, with broad shoulders and muscly arms. He looked strong and athletic. He had a sharp jawline, and strong cheekbones. His short, black hair was somewhat unkempt, which was mainly due to him being outside for quite some time. He wore roughly sewn clothes, made out of cowhide, and hard, leather boots. Heavy axe was strapped over his left shoulder. It was more a tool, than a weapon. This orc was a woodman.
Or so Sanomis Ti’nullaim wanted to
present him, when he was choosing the details of this look. For it was a
flawless look. He wasn’t just looking like an orc, he was one. No one he’d meet
would know the difference. Which was to be expected, since Sanomis worked on
this mask, this avatar, for quite some time. To the point, he even spent the
last couple of months studying and learning orcish behavior and manners.
Sanomis created this appearance,
because of his previous few stints on Chaygor. But also for all future ones. He
knew there would be more. This region wasn’t explored like others. The details
he later added to the character, were in case he’d meet anyone on his travels
through the region. He gave him a name. Even find one lonely corner in Chaygor,
he could call his home. He did it all, in order to create a more authentic
persona. Because, with every new expedition to the surface of the planet, he
knew the risks of stumbling upon local folk were ever so greater.
The orcish avatar which Sanomis
created was already tried and tested, when in two separate incidents, he
stumbled upon hunting parties. The mask showed itself to be quite a good one,
both times. Seeing the orcs hadn't shown any suspicion. They exchanged greets.
They talked for a while. And they moved along afterwards. But still, Sanomis
had to make sure it is working properly now. So he paused for a brief moment,
to check the diagnostics of the emulation.
First, and probably the most
important of them all, was the stability of the system itself. He had to know
if the avatar would remain stable, once he set his foot outside, on the
surface. They were working exceptionally well. Then he switched over to the
control panel of the visual subroutines. If there was an error in loading, it
would be better to find one now, then later, in the open.
To his relief, everything seemed
in order. The TEA worked flawlessly. If he wanted, he could without further
hesitation proceed to the surface. And he would, if he hadn’t noticed a
mistake he made at the very beginning. He hadn’t analyzed the cave before he
decided to make the jump. If he had, he’d know not to do that right away. It
wasn’t safe. It wasn’t secured. The cave was occupied.
“Fuck.” Sanomis cursed under his
breath.
If he hadn’t needlessly poked
around the menu, checking and rechecking the systems and subroutines, he’d
notice a flickering light of a fire, coming from behind the bend, deeper into
the tunnel. He’d notice he wasn’t alone.
“Two life forms detected.”
the module informed him.
“Fuck.” Sanomis cursed once again,
turning around in a moment to see the two figures appear from around the
corner.
They were orcs. Both of them,
tall, brawny and young. Both armed with massive, curved blades. On any other
day, Sanomis would notice much more details. He’d notice what they wear. Their
hair. Even the color of their eyes. Just one glance at their gruesome,
threatening weapons was enough to forget everything else.
Sanomis thought to tell them
something. To perhaps try and de-escalate the situation. As if that would
change anything. These two weren’t intending to stop. Geologist’s sudden
arrival interrupted them in something much bigger than plain rest and sleep.
Like these orcs would ever sleep inside the caves. They were most likely hiding here from
someone. Or something.
Orcs were just twenty paces away
from Sanomis, when he finally decided to react. He allowed his axe to slide
down his shoulder, making a one step backwards. He caught it by its handle,
placing his right hand on the head. At the same time, he made another step
backwards. Orcs were now only ten paces away. With their blades ready, holding
them in a half swing. Prepared to strike this stranger, as soon as they get
closer.
Sanomis leveled his axe with his
left arm, directing the handle towards the closest of the two. At the same
time, he inserted his forefinger in a small slot below the beard of the axe
head. Geologist for a moment held his breath, focusing on the exact center of
the chest. He calmed himself, he aimed, and pressed a light trigger inside the
slot.
Two things happened at the same
time. Small, yet highly intense burst of energy rushed out of the long barrel,
which in that moment became apparent, as the axe assumed its original form.
That of an assault plasma rifle. Orcs had no clue what this weapon was. Nor
where does it come from. It was nothing, any one of them should have. Or could
create. Or anyone else of this world, for that matter. But they found out what
it was capable of doing. Primely the orc who was struck with the bullet.
At first he didn’t feel a thing.
Not a slightest of touches, where he expected a significant, perhaps even
violent contact. Then he felt a whiff. As if someone caressed his skin, with
the feather. Pleasant tickling sensation spread throughout his entire torso.
Until they were substituted with tingles. Thousands of them. Tiny. Strenuous.
Itchy. They spread from inside in concentric pulses. Rhythmic. Harmonious.
Coinciding with the waves of pain, which unexpectedly appeared. Orc wondered
where this was coming now. Still not realizing the bullet was already bored
through half of his torso. And by the time it went through completely, he was
out of time to find that out. He was dead.
Second orc noticed that the
stranger’s axe transformed into some weird shaped weapon. After which he saw
some even stranger looking projectile, coming out of this pipe-tube. It flashed
in bright bluish light, and then it seemingly vanished out of sight. Before he
could even blink, the projectile went through his friend’s body, killing him in
an instant. He didn’t even have to look at him to know that. The hole which
replaced the torso was harder to miss.
Orc knew he couldn’t stop, not
even to check his friend. In this particular moment, he didn’t even have the
luxury to think about him. He had to stay focused on the enemy in front of him.
And on his weapon. On combat. On survival. Otherwise, he knew he'd end the same
way. Dead.
Orc was an experienced warrior.
Skillful. Hardened. He was ready and able to adjust to these situations surprisingly
quickly. So was the case right now. The way in which the stranger used his odd
weapon, told him it was only a ranged one. That was enough for him to adapt. To
adjust his actions and movement accordingly. His best, and most likely only
choice, was to shorten the distance between them. And fast. Because at that
moment, the stranger turned his weapon towards him.
Sanomis took two steps back,
steadying his aim. He did it according to the basic training through which
every single vard went before obtaining clearance to step on the surface of the
planet. This taught him to stay calm in these kinds of situations. To trust in
their technologically advanced equipment.
Sanomis remain collected. Perhaps
longer than he should’ve. Before he managed to pull the trigger for the second
time, his plasma rifle was out of service. A concealed dagger suddenly appeared
in the orc's left hand. And it didn’t stay there for long. For in the very next
moment, it was flying towards vard. Towards his weapon, to be exact.
If this orc was in any way
acquainted with the characteristics of the assault plasma rifle, he would’ve
known that the only way to disable it, was to damage both the plasma capacitor
and the main coil. If he’d also possessed the basic mathematical knowledge, typical
to vards, he could’ve calculated the chances for such a thing were one in a
three hundred million tries. This try was that one.
Orc’s dagger completed one full
rotation, before striking the target. The blade scraped against the surface of
the capacitor, leaving behind a ten centimeter long slit. The difference in
pressures opened up the gap, releasing a bluish cloud of steam. This violent
burst of energy was crucial in determining the final trajectory of the dagger.
It shifted it on its axis for a fraction of a millimeter, making it so the tip
would plunge straight into the center of the main coil.
Sanomis immediately knew his
weapon was unusable. Broken. Dead. And so will he, unless he figures something
out. And fast. Orc was now within a reach of him. With now useless rifle, and
his handguns safely tucked in his backpack, only thing left was to grab his
sonic knife. As if he could defend himself with that tiny thing. Even more so
considering the shape and the enormous size of the blade the orc was wielding.
Especially because he already took a swing.
Sanomis raised his arm
mechanically, in an instinctual reaction to try and protect himself. The blade
would undoubtedly chopped off his hand with ease, if the vard’s defense system
wasn’t active. Still, he had no idea what kind of protection it would offer. He
never had a chance to test it before.
The strike was vehement, to say at
least. Judging by the orc’s size alone, that was to be expected. Adding his
technique and skill to it, only enhanced the applied force. It pushed Sanomis’
arm downwards, until it was way below his shoulder height. He immediately knew
he could not withstand such enormous pressure. He had to be clever. Inventive.
He had to try and absorb it, to lessen the impact. He tried that by bending his
knees in sync with the contact, allowing his entire body to take the force of
the strike. And he made it to a point. Although it was still hurting a lot.
“Damage to the forearm shield,
twenty three percent.” module informed him “Damage to the shoulder
armor, seven percent.”
Sanomis immediately knew how
fortunate he was. If his defense system was off or malfunctioning, it would be
a much different story. The numbers weren’t lying. Basic calculation told him
the strike lost its intensity more than three times, in between the two
protective surfaces. It also told him he would definitely lose his arm without
it. And also that it would be the least of his problems, because the orcish
blade would not stop there. Nor in his shoulder. It would continue its
destructive journey, tearing apart his torso, probably completely splitting him
in half.
And although the strike seemingly
just bounced off, it did leave the mark. In the form of a dull pain that started
spreading through the vard’s entire arm. This wasn’t an immediate problem. He
could still use his hand. But he knew this might very quickly change in an
instance. Even more so if he continues suffering the similar hits. Which
naturally happened with the very next one.
Sanomis successfully dodged three
swings, managing to parry one. This opened an opportunity for the
counterattack, on which he merrily pounced. His sonic dagger sliced the orc's
chest, releasing the subsonic pulse through the wound. The energy burst
momentarily widened all of the surrounding blood vessels, increasing the blood
flow, which escaped the newly formed gash, in a massive, violent spurt.
Sanomis couldn’t even imagine how
he would react to such an awful looking injury. He presumed the pain would be
unbearable. But the orc seemed as if he didn't even notice it. He resumed
moving as if nothing had happened. As if that wound enabled him to attack more
vehemently. As if it had given him additional incentive to inflict more pain.
Orc brandished his weapon, aiming
for the exact spot as before. This stranger undoubtedly wore extremely strong
armor, otherwise he wouldn’t deflect his blade like it was nothing. Still, he
knew he hurt him. He noticed the painful grimace appearing as he struck him. He
noticed the stranger was beginning to hide his injured arm behind his back.
The swing forced Sanomis to raise
his arm just like before. There was nothing else he could do. Orc forced him to
expose himself in the same way. He was a much better fighter, and it showed.
Sanomis lifted his arm, despite knowing his shield might not endure many
similar hits. He did it knowing he risked a significant injury. He did it,
because to block this strike with his head, was the option he wasn’t willing to
try.
Only the strike never came. At
least not with his forearm. Orc waited for him to completely raise it, before
suddenly deciding to change the focus of his attack. Orc’s arms and shoulders
twitched to the right, as he simultaneously widened his posture. His left foot
was now almost full meter in front of the right one. His torso followed the
rotation, leveling the hips with the shoulders. Before Sanomis could even begin
to realize what was happening, the orc was positioned sideways to him.
Geologist was now completely exposed.
Only then Sanomis noticed that the
orc's blade was no longer traveling towards his arm. Instead, it swept around
and below it. Straight for his thorax. Sanomis couldn’t do a single thing,
except wait and hope his defensive system would do its task.
The hit itself shook him to his
core. It was much more noticeable, much more painful, than the previous one. It
made him bend and buckle sideways, holding to the painful spot. To forget about
the defense for a moment. Because the awful pain spreading through his torso
was the only thing Sanomis could focus on at this moment of time.
And that was something the orc
immediately knew how to use. As soon as his strike landed, he was already
turning around to deliver another one. He used the movement of his entire body
to increase the momentum. His blade whistled cutting through the air, like a
wing of a raptor, before proceeding to cut into the opposite side of the vard’s
chest armor.
Loud, bone chilling crack
petrified Sanomis. But not as much as the sharp pain that soon followed. It was
at least twice stronger than the one, on the opposite side of his chest. It
forced him to jump backward, at least a few steps. As if that would help him to
catch a breath. As if the movement would inflate his lungs. At the same time,
he had to fight to stay conscious. The pain was growing, impairing his senses.
“Damage to the left breast
armor plate, thirty nine percent. Damage to the right breast plate, fifty four
percent.” his module immediately confirmed why.
This was far from ideal, even if
he took away everything that transpired since he appeared in this cave. The
sense of defeat poisoned his mind. It was telling him this is all over. That
there was nothing he could do. And what else could’ve he thought, seeing how
inferior his skill was compared to the orc’s. Knowing that one cut, he fluked
upon his opponent, was the best he could muster. Knowing, whether he decided to
continue fighting, or straight up just give in, the outcome will remain the
same. He will end up losing.
And that would mean this entire
world would lose. No one but him was aware, nor willing to warn these people
about the threat that was about to unfold upon them. Sanomis had to come out of
this fight as a victor. It was as simple as that. He now only had to change his
tactics. To adapt to the orc’s fighting style. Figure out his weak spots and
the ways to use them to his advantage. Otherwise, this orc will continue to
punish him through violent smashing, stabbing, crushing, maiming, hacking and
pounding, until he turned him into a lifeless mass of flesh, bones and devices.
Sanomis knew his hand weapons
skills were nowhere near those of his opponent. And if he was to successfully
adapt to the orc's style, and find a way to explore his weaknesses, his only
option was to try and somehow trick him into submission. It was the only way he
could do it. He was sure of it.
The solution came as sudden, as
the previous realization he was not alone in this cave. And it came in the form
of the PTD, with which he arrived into this cave. It was still sitting there.
He forgot to pick it up, as he was interrupted by these two orcs. And now, the
disc was sitting right in between. Sanomis powered it on, just as the orc
decided to charge at him.
The distance of this seven or
eight paces, the orc could manage to cover in just under two seconds. Which was
about four times longer than Sanomis needed to activate the PTD. But the orc
only managed to make four. With it, he stepped on the small disc, the size of a
coin. He would notice it, if he was looking for it. But now he could. For as soon
as he stepped on the disc, it enlarged itself to about two meters in diameter.
Orc never made the fifth or the sixth step. There was no room for them. He
struck into some weird, invisible wall.
Orc could not know, the PTDs
protective force field immediately activated itself. But he soon understood
there was no escape from there. The wall was impenetrable. His axe just bounced
off, not leaving a single scratch. He immediately knew it would be useless to
try again. It would be a waste of energy. Instead, he sheathed his weapon, and
focused on trying to figure out this stranger.
He thought about every single
detail surrounding him. From his very appearance in this cave, over to his
strange weapons, shields and armors. And of course about this weird, invisible
cage he found himself trapped in. Who was this orc? He could not see the sign
of any known tribe. But he had to come from somewhere.
And why did this stranger come
here? Was it just a coincidence? Or was he here because of them? Perhaps they
were discovered? Did the stranger come following the trail of stolen horses? Or
this was something else completely. Perhaps this stranger was someone's scout.
But whose? Was he a lead to a larger force? What were their intentions? If they
were equipped like him, most likely not good. The army with such amazing
weapons, would be able to conquer not just any village they wished, but
probably the entire Chaygor. Were they perhaps all in danger?
The answers to these, as well as
many other questions that were about to form in his mind, orc had no chance to
get. What he saw next, produced a catastrophic malfunction in his brain.
Malfunction from which he had no chance to recover. The malfunction which
happened, once he realized the stranger was not an orc.
Sanomis allowed himself to let out
a sigh of relief, as soon as the protective field closed around the orc. Not
just because he managed to entrap him, but because he knew he wouldn’t and
couldn’t survive anymore of his attacks. His injuries were hurting more and
more. And with the sudden surge of weakening waves, overcoming his entire body,
Sanomis knew something was definitely not right with him.
“Perform complete diagnostics.”
Sanomis issued a command, once he booted the med program.
“Do you want me to assign only
focused checkups?” module asked.
“What do you think?” the geologist retorted somewhat irritated.
“Scanning the inflicted areas.”
module said.
Medicinal program readily answered
the task, as it began analyzing the injuries in the sequence in which they
occurred. The entire process lasted just about ten seconds. But to Sanomis, it
seemed like eternity. Probably due to the fact the pain was becoming almost
unbearable. He soon found out why.
“Negligible contusion to the
forearm, detected.” module informed him “No breaks to the bones.”
Sanomis had to sit down, holding
the right side of his torso.
“Slight bruising of the left
lung. Minimal hairline fracture of the rib cage. No internal bleeding detected.”
module proceed reading the analysis.
Sanomis groaned. The right side of
his body was throbbing with pain. And it was just getting worse.
“Warning.” module announced
“The break of the two ribs, detected. As well as substantial tearing of the
surrounding tissue and muscle. I detect significant internal bleeding. The right
lung is collapsing.”
“Do you have any recommendations
on how to proceed?” Sanomis asked.
“Switching to the reserve pair
of lungs.” module informed him “First, it is necessary that you apply
the UMP.”
Sanomis immediately reached for
his backpack, as he hastily began looking for the med pack.
“Alright, what next?” Sanomis
asked after he placed the patch onto his wound.
“It is necessary to combine the
following ampoules, B2, B4, F3 and M5.” module answered “Before applying
them to the wounded area.”
“What am I supposed to do with the
UMP?” Sanomis asked, as he began mixing the medicine into the injector.
“It is recommended to keep the
patch on the wound for at least five minutes, before the curing mixture is
applied.” module retorted.
Sanomis did as he was told,
adhering to the instructions. Otherwise, the curative properties of the patch
wouldn't do its thing. Firstly, UMP had to disinfect the wound. Then to lessen,
and perhaps even relieve the pain. After which its task was to prepare the area
for the application of the medicine. Six minutes later it was all done.
And almost immediately, he began
feeling better. The medicine was designed to work in such a way. Not just to
stop the bleed. But in the entire healing of blood vessels, nerves, tissue,
muscles and even bones. The process itself wasn’t painless, but it felt like a
rough massage in comparison to a previous agony. Just two minutes after he
applied the mixture, the horrific injury to the right side of his torso was
completely healed. As if it was never there.
Only thing left, before Sanomis
could continue with his journey towards the village of Vur-Paan, was the
trouble of dealing with the orc he entrapped inside the PTD field. He
didn’t want to kill him. But at the same time he couldn’t just leave him there. That would mean
leaving one of the discs behind. But that was out of the question. This
location was far too close to his destination. It could lead to him. He already
figured this disc was lost to him. But at least he could make use of it. He
could teleport the orc to somewhere far away from here. That could even prove
to be useful. It could fool his probable pursuers.
But as soon as Sanomis turned
around, he figured something was awfully wrong. The orc was no longer standing.
Instead, he was awkwardly leaning against the opposite wall of the PTD. His
motionless expression told him that something horrifically wrong had happened.
His mouth was half way open. His eyes were staring at a distant spot in front
of him. The spot he actually stopped looking several minutes before. The orc
was dead.
“What happened to him?” Sanomis
asked, simultaneously loading the analyzer.
“He passed away.” module
answered.
“I can see that myself.” Sanomis
retorted “I meant from what?”
The orc should’ve been safe inside
the field. Was there something in the air perhaps?
“The brain aneurysm.”
module answered.
“It's a bit strange, that.”
Sanomis was confused. “He seemed fine, a few minutes ago.”
“I wouldn’t know. The data is
inconclusive.” module answered “Perhaps if you collect a few samples, we
could give them to analysis, once we return to the ship.”
“We are not returning to the
ship.” Sanomis said.
“Such a comedian.” module
retorted “Of course we will return to the ship. Such is the rule.”
“We are not to adhere to such a
rule anymore. Or any of the mission rules, for that matter.” Sanomis said,
approaching the disc, before he shut down the protective field.
Orc fell to the ground, as there
was nothing else holding him.
“What happened to you?” Sanomis
whispered, kneeling beside the orc.
“Your TEA is ready for
reactivation.” module informed him at that exact moment.
“What?!” Sanomis exclaimed, as he
glanced at his hands, then in his system menu, and at his palms again “Why did
the emulator shut down?”
“It is a standard practice
during every medical procedure.” module informed him.
“Why haven’t you informed me of
that before?” Sanomis said somewhat angrily.
“I thought there was no need
for that.” module answered “It wasn’t the case of malfunction or a
system error.”
“Sure.” Sanomis said “But the orc
saw me because of that.”
“Oh.” module retorted.
“Oh?!” Sanomis exclaimed “You
should’ve warned me. I should’ve moved away from him.”
“My mistake.” module said.
“That’s what probably killed him.”
Sanomis observed.
“What do you mean?” module
asked.
“His mind must've overloaded, when
he saw my true appearance.” Sanomis said.
“How would that even be
possible?” module asked.
“Honestly, I have no idea.”
Sanomis answered, “But what else could it be?”
“Perhaps it was the result of
some previous injury or a condition.” module noticed.
“Are you a doctor now?” Sanomis
was fast in his reply.
“If I was, I’d know whether it
is possible or not, to die from fear.” module said.
“From fear?” Sanomis was confused
“Who even mentioned fear?”
“I thought you implied. But
what then?” module asked.
“Perhaps from a simple revelation
that I am not an orc.” Sanomis answered.
“How could that be deadly?”
The module was intrigued.
“First you need to realize how
different they are.” Sanomis said.
“Who?” module asked “Orcs?”
“Yes.” Sanomis answered “But also
every other humanoid on this planet.”
“How come?” module asked.
“Let’s see, for example, you know
they don’t have capabilities to travel off the planet?” Sanomis asked.
“I know.” module said “They
don’t possess significant technological knowledge to do so.”
“They aren’t versed in traveling
far.” Sanomis said “Let’s face it, they don’t even like to leave the safety of
their settlements.”
Sanomis remembered the military
reports he stumbled upon, as he was searching for the true reason of their
arrival to this planet.
“Most of them have contact only
with known, or recognizable faces.” Sanomis continued “This orc probably only
had contact with his own kind. Maybe he saw a few humans, goblins or dwarfs, on
a few occasions.”
“Therefore, the meeting with
you would be inconceivable to him.” module drew a conclusion.
“Perhaps even to the extent, it
completely crumbled his notion of reality.” Sanomis said.
“Which could very well lead to
his untimely death.” module finished the thought.
“Precisely.” Sanomis said.
“We could check on that theory,
if we’re to someday return to the ship.” module said.
Sanomis shook his head, as he
approached the orc he killed first. He opened the med pack, pulling a slim
vial, out of the tightly secured compartment. The vial was filled with bright,
greenish liquid, as such to not be confused with any medicine. He took a guess
at the orc’s weight, and poured five drops onto his body. Before he even
reached the second orc, the first had completely disappeared.
No comments:
Post a Comment