The War of the Roses

[Irrie]

This tale chronicles the exploits of the Kanohi Force after the conclusion of ​Vanquished Alliance.

 

Review: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/24142-the-war-of-the-roses-review/

 

***

 

Describing it as eerie would simply not suffice. This setting was beyond eerie … almost stomach-churning. 

 

The sky was purple with black clouds agitating and swirling around within it. Faint white stars could be spotted through the occasional gap in the clouds, however the did not provide any comfort for those who were there … not that they needed any. 

 

The buildings were tannish, designed in what we would know as a Pueblo style on Earth. Purplish mists flew about with the wind. Floating chunks of rubble would occasionally ram into each other in the torrent of chaotic storms overhead. 

 

Two beings faced each other in a clearing between two buildings. They were each covered by long flowing robes with hoods over their heads and strange masks covering their faces. 

 

“Vainglory,” said the first one with a nod of its head. 

 

Vainglory, who was more hunched and withered than the first, nodded back. 

 

“I’m sure you know why I am here.” 

 

“Yes. Greed has kept me informed,” replied Vainglory. 

 

“So what’s your intention in regards to this situation? The gates have been opened by our operative.”

 

“Which one?”

 

“Petewa.” 

 

“Ah, the duplicate. Yes, I remember now. Was it not merely a month ago when that happened?”

 

“Correct. We still have an informant in Dimension 3. According to them, the Kanohi Force is marshalling a fleet to try to close off the gates.”

 

“Then we must act quickly.”

 

“Yes. Lust and Sloth have already prepared their fleets, while Wrath and myself are almost finished. Gluttony and Greed are still rebuilding theirs from their recent conquest of Dimension 76.”

 

“So I presume you’ve come to ask for my assistance as well.” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“I will do what I can. I will likely not be able to join Lust and Sloth on their first strike, however I will give them some auxiliary.” 

 

“Thank you, Vainglory.” 

 

“Likewise, Envy.”

 

The taller of the beings disappeared in a cloud of green and black energy. The shorter one, now alone, reached into the pocket of its flowing jacket and pulled out a long gray tendril. At the end on it was a purple rose flower. He held it above his head and muttered a word in a long forgotten tongue. The urbanized landscape in front of him melted away into a flat plain of stone like dust in the wind. An ocean of swirling purple and black energies rushed in from the sky, filling the desolate plain. 

 

 The waters then separated into several individual pools and lakes, and divided further into a seemingly infinite sequence of tiny puddles. The puddles then began to rise from the ground and took on the shape of humanoid beings. The purple and black swirling mass then hardened into solid features. 

 

Before Vainglory was an almost endless army of identical beings. Each was clad in a metallic silver and purple armor, with the crest of the Darkness^Lords implanted on their helmets. They each carried a long rifle with a purple bayonet on the end. 

 

“The gate has been opened. We must now walk free from exile,” said Vainglory. “Arise my compatriots, the hour of victory is near. Soon the Darkness^Lords shall fly our mighty banner over all of existence.” 

 

The wizened being breathed in a sigh as he willed into being an enormous fleet of starships overhead. They lowered gangways onto the ground, which the newly created soldiers climbed up. Once they were all loaded into their vessels, they turned around and flew into the sky. There were about fifty of them. Once they were out of sight, Vainglory repeated the process. 

 

***

 

Irrie stirred from his sleep. He snatched himself awake and gasped, hitting his head on the underside of the bunk bed on top of him in the process. 

 

“It’s coming,” he whispered. 

 

He heard Kovika groan and roll over in the bed on top of his. 

 

“What are you talking about,” he muttered, half-asleep. 

 

“I … uh … hm.” 

 

“Go back to sleep, it’s 5 in the morning.” 

 

“Yeah. I was just about to do that.” 

 

He, however, could not go back to sleep. Something was nagging him, but he didn't know what it was. Or how to make it stop.

Edited January 28, 2017 by Irrie