![Newbie Guide](https://i.imgur.com/Uy7hIlu.png")
Post by Lottus on Jul 17, 2022 1:41:17 GMT -5
The ruined landscape of a once glorious city remains in a state of gradual decay. What is left of the structures that had not been reclaimed by nature, or returned to dust, overlook their once pristine streets in an eerie, somber silence. The silence is broken by the gradually louder smacking of boots against concrete and stone.
Heaving breaths, an older Saiyan with a thick mustache whirls around, thrusting his left hand forward and unleashing a trio of yellow Ki balls down the street he'd been running down. The blasts detonate against crumbling structures, robbing them of what integrity they had left and crumbling to the ground in a loud, rumbling quake as they regurgitate long settled dust and dirt, spilling their shells across the ground under the thick clouds of debris and smoke.
The Saiyan turns and runs down the next street, heaving breaths as he runs. Leaping over a wall, the Saiyan runs through a gaping hole in another structure, and ducks behind the cover. He peers around the side back through the hole, eyes narrowed. Satisfied that he must have finally lost the monster following him, the Saiyan eases to the floor and lets out a long, ragged sigh. Irritably, the Saiyan reaches up and yanks the scouter off his ear and stares at the damaged device. The blue screen is cracked, and the side of the device had been severely cracked - almost shattered.
"Useless..." the elder Saiyan grunts, setting it down.
The sound of a falling brick makes the Saiyan's stomach turn to ice as his eyes snap wide, staring into the dark halls of the building he'd taken refuge in. He rises back to his feet, gritting his teeth and trying to see that which could not be seen yet. Slow steps begin to echo, and the Saiyan's eyes widen with fear. Something in the darkness begins to take shape - eyes seeming to glint as they settle on the elder Saiyan. The beastly shape of a long mane outlines the figure hidden in the shadows.
The elder Saiyan, panicking, hurls himself back through the hole, and attempts to take to the sky - only for the beast to leap into action in the same instant the elder Saiyan moved. It struck the old man square in the back, sending him crashing through the thick brick wall he'd leapt over only minutes ago, showering the street with smashed and spiraling brick and mortar. The Saiyan slams shoulder first into the street, sliding and bouncing off a sidewalk curb and into a long dead tree.
As the tree splinters and fall, the old man spits up blood, favoring his now injured left arm as blood trickled out of the fresh wound and begins to pool beneath him. The maned beast steps into the light, revealed to be another Saiyan in black and blue armor. His wild hair, wider than his shoulders apart and long enough to tickle the backs of his legs, blows lightly as a brisk wind blows through the ruins.
The much younger Saiyan grins - but it is a grin of a predator about to sink its teeth deep into the flesh of its prey and savor the blood and sinew. His eyes show no hint of mercy, only a violence unspent and about to be finally unleashed. The elder Saiyan forces himself to his feet, and grits his teeth. He yells in defiance and unleashes a stream of Ki from his uninjured hand. The wild maned Saiyan's grin widens and he leaps high and over the blast and old man, tucking his legs in as he somersaults over the old Saiyan and lands behind him even as the blast obliterates the building the old Saiyan had just been ejected from.
The younger Saiyan pounces, seizing the elder Saiyan's arm as he spins to meet the threat. The younger Saiyan wrenches the arm, leading to an echoing CRACK as he snaps the arm at the elbow. The elder Saiyan begins to scream in agony, but the younger Saiyan lashes forward with his hand like a knife, stabbing his fingers into the elder Saiyan's throat and crushing his airway.
The elder Saiyan sputters as blood bubbles through his lips, staggering back. The younger Saiyan suddenly appears behind the dying elder, and wraps his arms around the elder's neck and head. With another violent, wrenching motion, the sound of bone crunching and popping echoes through the air, and the elder Saiyan drops to the hard street, now dead.
The wild maned Saiyan uses his foot to turn the elder Saiyan's body over, and gazes at a badge.
"Some Lieutenant Commander." the Saiyan mutters cruelly, his dark smile returning. "Pitiful."
The Saiyan, Lottus he had been known as, takes his time searching the body over for anything useful to scavenge. After abandoning the Saiyan Army, Lottus had sought to build a new future for himself. But life on the run had been cruel, and bringing his cruelty to the forefront in turn. With Tuffles and their abominations, Saiyan hunters - like this one -, and the ever more deadly Saiba-beasts and roving Saibamen tribes, Lottus became exactly what he needed to be in order to survive. A killer.
This elder Saiyan was just another hunter; the promise of coin for bringing his head back to the Saiyan Army enough to risk death. And death had been this hunter's reward. As it had been for the six others before him. And Lottus had grown to like it. The hunters kept his wits sharp, and his power growing. Soon enough, mercenaries would begin venturing into the ruins to claim what the hunters could not. And then the new form of bloody fun could begin.
He found little of use. The hunter came without food, and little coin. Clicking his tongue in irritation, Lottus takes what little there was to take, and leaves the body for the scavengers to consume. He flies away from the bloody scene, to a barely still standing two story structure; or what was left of it. Almost half the structure had been blasted away, leaving mounds of debris scattered all around the gaping hole where walls once stood. Lottus flies into the structure, a place he'd begun to call home, and steps through the ruined doorway of a small apartment.
It was dim, lit only by the sunlight streaming through the one window. An aged, dirty mattress lay in a corner to the right, and a basin full of slightly dusty water makes up his home decorations. The fleshless bones of a Saiba-beast lay discarded beneath the ruined floors atop the debris pile. He'd caught and eaten the beast only recently, and had been out looking to search more buildings for supplies when the hunter had found him.
Lottus sighs heavily and wets a dirty cloth in the water basin, and begins wiping off the elder Saiyan's blood from his arms, hands, and armor. Once satisfied he was sufficiently clean, Lottus throws himself backwards onto the mattress, which was rigid and worn, and closes his eyes.
Hopefully the next ones foolish enough to come hunting for easy coin would themselves carry a bit more. Lottus opens his eyes after a few minutes of quiet, and groans as he stretches. There were other refugees and dregs of society living within the ruins, he knew, but they were no threat to him, and carried nothing he wanted. And if they couldn't properly fight back, they weren't worth his time, so he let them be in peace. Even still, the others would give him a wide berth if he was seen, even hiding until he passed by.
He'd been alone for a few years now. Puffing out a breath through his nose, Lottus consigned himself to sleep as the day gave way to the growing gloom of night. Something would happen eventually, and he would be ready for whatever that may bring.
Heaving breaths, an older Saiyan with a thick mustache whirls around, thrusting his left hand forward and unleashing a trio of yellow Ki balls down the street he'd been running down. The blasts detonate against crumbling structures, robbing them of what integrity they had left and crumbling to the ground in a loud, rumbling quake as they regurgitate long settled dust and dirt, spilling their shells across the ground under the thick clouds of debris and smoke.
The Saiyan turns and runs down the next street, heaving breaths as he runs. Leaping over a wall, the Saiyan runs through a gaping hole in another structure, and ducks behind the cover. He peers around the side back through the hole, eyes narrowed. Satisfied that he must have finally lost the monster following him, the Saiyan eases to the floor and lets out a long, ragged sigh. Irritably, the Saiyan reaches up and yanks the scouter off his ear and stares at the damaged device. The blue screen is cracked, and the side of the device had been severely cracked - almost shattered.
"Useless..." the elder Saiyan grunts, setting it down.
The sound of a falling brick makes the Saiyan's stomach turn to ice as his eyes snap wide, staring into the dark halls of the building he'd taken refuge in. He rises back to his feet, gritting his teeth and trying to see that which could not be seen yet. Slow steps begin to echo, and the Saiyan's eyes widen with fear. Something in the darkness begins to take shape - eyes seeming to glint as they settle on the elder Saiyan. The beastly shape of a long mane outlines the figure hidden in the shadows.
The elder Saiyan, panicking, hurls himself back through the hole, and attempts to take to the sky - only for the beast to leap into action in the same instant the elder Saiyan moved. It struck the old man square in the back, sending him crashing through the thick brick wall he'd leapt over only minutes ago, showering the street with smashed and spiraling brick and mortar. The Saiyan slams shoulder first into the street, sliding and bouncing off a sidewalk curb and into a long dead tree.
As the tree splinters and fall, the old man spits up blood, favoring his now injured left arm as blood trickled out of the fresh wound and begins to pool beneath him. The maned beast steps into the light, revealed to be another Saiyan in black and blue armor. His wild hair, wider than his shoulders apart and long enough to tickle the backs of his legs, blows lightly as a brisk wind blows through the ruins.
The much younger Saiyan grins - but it is a grin of a predator about to sink its teeth deep into the flesh of its prey and savor the blood and sinew. His eyes show no hint of mercy, only a violence unspent and about to be finally unleashed. The elder Saiyan forces himself to his feet, and grits his teeth. He yells in defiance and unleashes a stream of Ki from his uninjured hand. The wild maned Saiyan's grin widens and he leaps high and over the blast and old man, tucking his legs in as he somersaults over the old Saiyan and lands behind him even as the blast obliterates the building the old Saiyan had just been ejected from.
The younger Saiyan pounces, seizing the elder Saiyan's arm as he spins to meet the threat. The younger Saiyan wrenches the arm, leading to an echoing CRACK as he snaps the arm at the elbow. The elder Saiyan begins to scream in agony, but the younger Saiyan lashes forward with his hand like a knife, stabbing his fingers into the elder Saiyan's throat and crushing his airway.
The elder Saiyan sputters as blood bubbles through his lips, staggering back. The younger Saiyan suddenly appears behind the dying elder, and wraps his arms around the elder's neck and head. With another violent, wrenching motion, the sound of bone crunching and popping echoes through the air, and the elder Saiyan drops to the hard street, now dead.
The wild maned Saiyan uses his foot to turn the elder Saiyan's body over, and gazes at a badge.
"Some Lieutenant Commander." the Saiyan mutters cruelly, his dark smile returning. "Pitiful."
The Saiyan, Lottus he had been known as, takes his time searching the body over for anything useful to scavenge. After abandoning the Saiyan Army, Lottus had sought to build a new future for himself. But life on the run had been cruel, and bringing his cruelty to the forefront in turn. With Tuffles and their abominations, Saiyan hunters - like this one -, and the ever more deadly Saiba-beasts and roving Saibamen tribes, Lottus became exactly what he needed to be in order to survive. A killer.
This elder Saiyan was just another hunter; the promise of coin for bringing his head back to the Saiyan Army enough to risk death. And death had been this hunter's reward. As it had been for the six others before him. And Lottus had grown to like it. The hunters kept his wits sharp, and his power growing. Soon enough, mercenaries would begin venturing into the ruins to claim what the hunters could not. And then the new form of bloody fun could begin.
He found little of use. The hunter came without food, and little coin. Clicking his tongue in irritation, Lottus takes what little there was to take, and leaves the body for the scavengers to consume. He flies away from the bloody scene, to a barely still standing two story structure; or what was left of it. Almost half the structure had been blasted away, leaving mounds of debris scattered all around the gaping hole where walls once stood. Lottus flies into the structure, a place he'd begun to call home, and steps through the ruined doorway of a small apartment.
It was dim, lit only by the sunlight streaming through the one window. An aged, dirty mattress lay in a corner to the right, and a basin full of slightly dusty water makes up his home decorations. The fleshless bones of a Saiba-beast lay discarded beneath the ruined floors atop the debris pile. He'd caught and eaten the beast only recently, and had been out looking to search more buildings for supplies when the hunter had found him.
Lottus sighs heavily and wets a dirty cloth in the water basin, and begins wiping off the elder Saiyan's blood from his arms, hands, and armor. Once satisfied he was sufficiently clean, Lottus throws himself backwards onto the mattress, which was rigid and worn, and closes his eyes.
Hopefully the next ones foolish enough to come hunting for easy coin would themselves carry a bit more. Lottus opens his eyes after a few minutes of quiet, and groans as he stretches. There were other refugees and dregs of society living within the ruins, he knew, but they were no threat to him, and carried nothing he wanted. And if they couldn't properly fight back, they weren't worth his time, so he let them be in peace. Even still, the others would give him a wide berth if he was seen, even hiding until he passed by.
He'd been alone for a few years now. Puffing out a breath through his nose, Lottus consigned himself to sleep as the day gave way to the growing gloom of night. Something would happen eventually, and he would be ready for whatever that may bring.
PL: 8,000
Word Count: 1,320
Word Count: 1,320
