Their initial arrival on Namek had been an...interesting one. Mainly because shortly after their arrival, Erebos, their fearless leader, had promptly fallen asleep. And was now, currently, under the care of some surprised farmers who simply decided just to cover him with a tarp. Cipher had learned that Namekians were generally peaceful, so he decided to leave them be. Erebos will bounce back...eventually.
Though this now left Cipher with the curious question of what exactly he was going to do in the meantime. The crisis that was supposed to be happening, evidently wasn't happening. Was Erebos' intel wrong, or did he simply want an excuse to come all this way, just to take a nap? Honestly, Cipher wouldn't be surprised either way.
So now, Cipher was just doing...whatever. A life of keeping away from populated areas kept him from seeking out any villages and the like. This left Cipher sitting on one of the hilltops, watching one such village quietly from a distance. Just how long was Erebos going to sleep, anyway?
Fortunately, Cipher was a patient one. He can simply wait until the demon woke up. After all, it wasn't like he was being hunted here or anything.
”You can feel it, can’t you? The calm before the storm?”
Erebos’ voice came from the shadow Cipher cast upon the hill. Within it, below the surface, the demon sat, surveying the land from the comfort of the shade.
”Namek’s been attacked a lot, you know. By a wide array of folks. Funny, though, that they all want the same thing; to tell the Namekian folk what they can and can’t do.”
Cipher’s shadow bubbled, and the demon prince sprang out of the ground, falling down next to the Android in a mirrored stance. He gave the robot a smile and wiggled his fingers at him to say hello.
”Sorry about ditching you, friend. Demonic Narcolepsy is a serious problem. Usually hits me whenever I expend too much energy. I guess my fight with President Dorkus finally caught up to me and I conked out.”[/color]
Erebos’ demeanor was relaxed, but Cipher would probably notice the furrow in his brow, or the contemplative stare out onto the landscape. Entirely unlike his usual self.
”There’s an electric charge in the air. Like a tingle in my back, I can almost taste it. I used to attribute it to allergies, but every time I feel it, some big fight is just around the corner. It’s the gathering of Kili, I think. The charge gets thicker as the days go by. It’s different from my normal sense. Maybe it’s the determination laced in all that chi. Makes it heavier…”
His serious expression soured further, and he gave Cipher a worried look. ”This is a big one, pal. Real big. Not like your usual summertime spat. If you wanna back out, I’d suggest you do it before the blasts get flung.”[/font]
Power Level: 3,000 Mollau took a deep breath of the clean air, chest expanding as much as it could before he let the breath out with a satisfied gust. It was a gorgeous day with the suns of Namek high in the sky and beaming down their life giving rays. Mollau couldn't help but smile when a cooling breeze gusted past, ruffling his antenna, and carrying the sweet scent of the blooming ajisa saplings that a bevy of Namekian farmers were planting.
"This will be a fine field, Brother Mollau," another Namekian said as he stepped up to stand next to the elder. He was a large and stocky Namekian He wasn't the tallest in village, but he was most definitely the bulkiest. He resembled something like one of the bears that one could find on earth. But he had round features giving him quite the hatchling-face.
"I can see that. Your partner does good work, Lechu," Mollau said
The larger Namekian chuckled good naturedly. In spite of his physique and being one of the Warrior Clan, Lehchu wasn’t a fighter. On the contrary, he was one of the most gentle men Mollau had ever met. No, Lehchu’s physique came from working hard at construction.
"Hmm? Do you know those strangers?" Lechu asked Mollau as he shielded his eyes from the sun with one hand, and pointed at the hilltop with the other.
Mollau looked over curiously and saw two figures on the crest. They weren't Namekian, but beyond that it was hard to determine anything about them. Normally a Namekian would be concerned at strangers looking over their village, but Mollau had met a number of off-worlders and strangers, and knew better than to jump to conclusions.
"No, but I will find out," Mollau said with a smile and gently patted Lechu's bicep. (He was too tall for Mollau to pat his shoulder.)
That said he picked his way up the hill, making his way to the top. Mollau raised his hand in greeting as he approached and gave a jaunty little wave, "Hello friends!" Word Count: 345
Well, speak of the devil. Or in this case, the demon. As soon as he heard the voice, Cipher's attention went straight to the shadow being cast. It wasn't a large shadow, on account of Namek's twin suns, but it was certainly enough for him to make his way out of it, materializing in front of him. "Ah, Erebos. Good to see you're awake." He had been a bit surprised when he passed out, but him continuously expending energy like he had been recently would indeed take a toll out on him. Cipher could completely understand.
And right now, Cipher had more pressing matters to worry about. Erebos' words indeed spelled out that something bad was going to happen. It was just hard to tell what, exactly. It was such a shame. This planet seemed very peaceful. And yet there were those that would destroy that peace for their own ends. "Do you possibly know what this threat could be?" Regardless of whether he knew for certain or not, Erebos did seem to think that whatever this threat was, it was big. Big enough that he warned Cipher to potentially back out. The android shook his head. "I cannot simply do that. After all, I was built to protect. And a peaceful place like this, it certainly needs protecting."
The two certainly weren't left alone for long. Cipher picked up something approaching. A relatively small power, compared to himself and Erebos, but a power none the less. It seemed they had been noticed by the Namekians down below, as one flew over to them. Though fortunately, he seemed relatively friendly, coming down and greeting them with a wave. He gave a small smile to the Namekian, waving back. "Greetings."
The question brought a puzzled look to the Demon’s face. How to explain? Erebos didn’t truly know what was bound to happen, but things always came to a head regardless of aligned stars or destined paths. Chaos was just due once in a while. To explain the philosophy would be to admit lunacy.
”If I had a clue I’d be out there stopping it before it started. Villains are never as simple as their plans make it seem.” Perfect. An allusion. Vague and cautious all at once! ”Hopefully I’m wrong, but when it comes to bad tidings I usually have a good feel for it.”
Smiling at Cipher’s resolve, he sat upright and stayed his speech for later. A villager was climbing the hill!
In all honesty, it’d been ages since he’d seen an actual Namekian. Reciprocating the greeting, Erebos slid down the hill a tad to meet the Namek native halfway. ”Well, hello yourself!” He extended his hand, to shake Mollau’s if allowed, before stepping back a bit to give the fellow more space.
”Always nice to see a friendly face. It’s way too common that people swing by looking for a tussle. Guess it comes with the territory, though.” Erebos gestured to himself. The dreary, serious looking armor combined with his pale skin and yellow eyes definitely gave an air of menace to some. ”So! Is this your village or…? We weren’t interrupting anything were we?”
Power Level: 3,000 Mollau was pleased to see that the strangers were friendly, one even coming down to greet Mollau with a hand shake. One of them even seemed cheerful and energetic in spite of their appearance. Between the armor and fair complexion and hair, so foreign to the average native Namekian, one might assume that the stranger would be just as equally dour. But instead he was genial and polite, much to Mollau's delight.
His companion was similarly severe in appearance, but the way they held themselves seemed to match their appearance. Stoic and aloof, with a simple one word greeting. Perhaps they were withholding judgement? Mollau couldn't blame them. The other stranger was right. Many people fought first, and questioned second.
He turned his attention back to the stranger with the long hair, "No, this isn't exactly my village. I am a travelling healer and I was stopping here along my route. My village is the entirety of Namek and it's people."
When the stranger questioned if they had interrupted anything, Mollau chuckled and shook his head, "No worries, unless you intend to go down and tramp amongst the Ajisa field and it's crop-growers you won't be interrupting anything."
Mollau stepped back and put his hands on his hips, "My name is Mollau, friends. And who are you? What brings you by this humble village today?"
The elder Namekian's tone stayed friendly. Merely curious, not accusatory or defensive. There was no need to assume the worst, like some of of the fiery members of the Warrior clan. It was too nice a day to go into things with a pessimistic out look. He would treat the strangers as friends until shown otherwise. And it seemed they would return that courtesy in kind. At least he hoped so. It wouldn't be the first time his kindness had been taken advantage of it they didn't, however... Word Count: 313 Total Word Count: 658
So far this meeting was going very smoothly. Both sides being friendly to one another. The Namekian introduced himself as Mollau, a travelling healer. It seemed...rather fitting. The older Namekian had the sort of kindly face that naturally belonged to such a compassionate occupation.
Naturally, the question came up of who they were, and why they were here. Though there was no suspicion behind his words, just general conversation. "My name is Cipher 24," The android introduced himself, giving a polite bow, "A pleasure to meet you. To be honest, I was more or less enjoying the scenery while I was waiting for my friend here to wake up," he gestured to Erebos next to him. Was that a slight jab Cipher had made? Hard to tell, to be honest.
The android glanced out back towards the village. "This planet is calm....peaceful...kind. It's hard to find places like this." Namek had been subjected to attack time and time again. The fact it's people went through all that, and still remained relatively peaceful, was a testament to the Namekians' patience. A lesser race would have probably ended up jaded, more hostile or xenophobic. Cipher found himself glad this was not the case here.
”Erebos. Erebos Herosbane, to be precise. Always a pleasure to meet someone new.”
The Shadowmancer wrestled internally if he should explain his true reason for being here. To scout out the doom that awaited. Being a sightseer didn’t much suit his visuals nor his strength, and although Cipher’s response was indeed truthful, Erebos speaking the same would be a downright lie.
Sighing, the Demon allowed himself a grim expression, looking past Mollau and out to the horizon.
”I hate to be the bearer of bad news, buddy, but we’ve got trouble on the way.” Gosh, he really hated having to be all serious. It reminded him far too much of his cousin. ”Namek’s been no stranger to violence as of late, but we’ve got some serious firepower headed our way. Some ancient evil, apparently looking for revenge against your Guru. Do you guys even have one of those right now?”
Truth be told, he hadn’t run into one in the many months he’d stayed here. Surely there was a candidate somewhere among the populace…
”The Kami of Earth was attacked before she herself even knew she was Kami. The spirits had apparently already chosen her, so there’s a chance that there’s a Guru amongst your people who hasn’t even been informed yet.”
Power Level: 3,000 "Cipher 24?" Mollau asked, emphasizing the numeral, "What does the 24 mean? Are you the 24th iteration of something?"
Mollau paused, perhaps the question was too personal? The two had been very polite so far and Mollau did not wish to offend. He raised a hand up, "I apologize if the question is rude! You do not have to answer if you do not wish to."
Cipher complimented Namek on it's peace and kindness and Mollau's smile brightened, "Thank you. I love my home and it is nice to have some one appreciate it so. You are also very kind."
The elder namekian turned to the other stranger, Erebos. Herosbane? Another interesting title. Erebos seemed to be a creature of contradictions. He spoke freely and warmly, but had such a dour appearance and foreboding name. Some might find that concerning, but Mollau just found it charming.
Mollau's concern came when Erebos revealed his reason for visiting Namek.
His kindly smile melted into a slight frown, his wrinkled brow furrowing. Grim tidings indeed. Mollau sighed and rubbed a hand over his forehead.
"Ah, alas you are not the first and only person to come to warn us. Kami herself, Jackie, has come bearing much the same concern," Mollau said, "Unfortunately, no. Elder Namek has not revealed the identity of Guru to our people yet. I fear that whomever they are, are very much in danger."
Mollau sighed and placed his hands on his hips. He leaned back and looked at the clear Namekian skies. Then he turned and admired the peaceful and vibrant landscape. Namek had been through so much turmoil, and still it stayed stubbornly serene. The planet and it's people refused to become jaded and harsh in the face of such tribulation. But for how much longer could they endure?
There already was tensions between the three clans. With the people divided, it was all too easy for one or more of the factions to turn towards violence against the outside forces that threaten them. What would become of them, then? Mollau feared his people would lose a piece of the very core of their culture if that happened.
Mollau closed his eyes and shook away his dark thoughts. There was no good in worrying about disasters that may not even come to pass. It was better to focus on the now, and what he could do. That was his way, and why he spent every day brokering for peace amongst his own people. The sooner they unified, the stronger they would be.
"Thank you," Mollau opened his eyes and looked between Cipher and Erebos, "The fact that so many outsiders have come to help Namek is gratifying to know. Both the two of you and Jackie have come to help in matters that would have nothing to do with either of you had you not come. It would have been a simple matter to leave a foreign planet to it's affairs and it's fate. Some may consider it meddlesome. But I appreciate your benevolent motivation."
Mollau turned and gestured towards the village, "You don't have to stay here on this hillside. Would you like to come into the village??" Word Count: 533 Total Word Count: 1,191
Cipher shook his head quietly at Mollau's question, or rather, at his Sudden worry that he had offended him. "No offense taken, I can assure you," Cipher replied calmly, "And yes, I am the 24th iteration. Twenty four out of twenty five to be exact," Though his face remained steady, there was a small, sad glint in his eyes, "Though now, I am the only one of my line left." Indeed, there were other androids out there, but Cipher was the last, well, Cipher.
It was then that Erebos began to explain the situation, that Namek would be in danger. Mollau seemed quite receptive to this. Apparently Jackie had told him the same thing. It was indeed good to hear that others had come to this world as well, for a similar reason. Though the android could not help but wonder just what sort of threat awaited this world. They knew something was coming, just not what it was.
Mollau, being the gracious and welcoming host that he was, then offered for them to come down to the village. Cipher found himself hesitating for a moment. A lifetime of avoiding populated areas was hard to ignore, but logically he knew there was nothing to fear in this place. The android gave the old Namekian a small smile. "I would like that. Thank you."
Erebos smiled warmly. It was soft and subtle, but for the first time, he felt like a proper good guy. A hero of sorts, one might say. Sure he’d saved people before, but to actually be thanked for it? The gesture touched his heart.
He nodded, looking to Cipher as he did, and waited for Mollau to allow them into the village.
”Y’know, you’ll have to forgive my forwardness, but Namek is a severe magnet for baddies. You guys ever think about installing some sort of defense system?” His mind flashed, and an image of Namek outfitted with massive artillery cannons and an army of droids appeared. They were quickly swatted away by a nameless Saiyan, and he rolled his eyes. ”…Or maybe like, just ramp up your Warrior Clan training? Iunno.”
”I mean, not to be judgy but I’ve been tussling with foreign invaders for Namek for like, a year or something. Fought Phakk and Ward, then Nasu after that.” He gestured at Cipher, explaining quickly: ”He was possessed back then but I fixed him.” Shrugging, he turned back to Mollau. ”Like I said; not trying to judge you all, but people really seem to want to pummel this place. It’s like Namek is an intergalactic ex and all these villains are trying to prove they’ve totally changed this time.”