Clockwork Defect, Twilit Crisis - Tome 1 Options

[Cederak]

Chapter 5

Cederak departed for Velion University early that morning, giving him ample time to arrange his desk and cover the board in notes relevant to the day’s lecture. Minutes before the bell chimed; students hurried to their seats and readied themselves for class. It was so perfect in Cederak’s eyes that he almost didn’t want to make a sound. At last, he propped his legs onto the desk, tilted back in his chair, and began speaking to his students.

“Good morning, everyone,” he greeted them.

“Good morning, Professor Cederak,” the students replied.

“As promised, I’d like to continue discussion on the Coalition of Realms today. Many historians claim that if a certain regrettable event had not occurred shortly after the coalition was born, it would have collapsed. You see, when the Voriak traveled to the Great Barrier and sealed it shut, they were unaware that an exploration team of nearly three-hundred individuals had been living on the surface for a number of months. Zadin, please continue for me,” Cederak said, waiting for his student to respond.

“Um…let’s see,” Zadin said nervously, clearing his throat in hopes of easing the tension. “I don’t think the Voriak had been informed of the exploration team’s existence, and completed their task after it was too late to return. When they were questioned about any beings living near the top of the barrier, Commander Voctryn firmly stated that there were no signs of life as far as his eyes could see. This divide between two vastly different zones acted to prevent coalition dissenters from stepping out into the uncharted surface world and posing a threat. The cost of disconnecting ourselves, however, deemed the Great Barrier as the coalition’s greatest enemy,” Zadin clarified.

“Indeed it was, Zadin. I recognize this is far from a psychology course, but I feel I must clarify that we all have a Great Barrier towering over us; an intimidating force that devises a valiant attempt at preventing further expansion of our horizons. Digressions aside, the fate of Toa Sisen’s explorers remains one of the most controversial subjects in today’s society. The voyagers hailed from various coalition islands, and their tragic disconnection reinforced the unity of our mighty coalition. I believe a total three authors wrote possible outcomes as to what became of them; none of us truly sure who or what to believe. Does anyone here have a hypothesis on Sisen’s fate?” Cederak replied.

Cederak politely motioned to a student with her hand risen, sitting near the back of the room. Her name was Mylara, and this was a rare occasion for her to willingly give her insight on a subject. “Sisen was a crazy Toa, frolicking in a world that no longer needed heroes complicating life and wrecking cities to stop a single lawbreaker. It’s likely he took his explorers as an excuse to escape society before finally dying like every other Toa that didn’t learn to change with the world.”

“Now, now, Toa Sisen was said to have been eccentric at times, but he had a brilliant mind and he deserved a title worthy of those characteristics!” Cederak argued.

Mylara smirked and her tone became sarcastic. “I suppose someone with such a brilliant mind yet so insane does warrant a title. Perhaps, ‘savant’ is adequate?”

At this, Cederak’s class burst into laughter, and he waited for them to calm down before continuing. He flashed a smile himself, but it was a brief action. “If I ever meet Toa Sisen, I’ll have to bring this up with him.”

“Yeah, and maybe you can say ‘hello’ to a Drezan Drone for us too,” Eltak chuckled, the references of The Eternal Void still so fresh in the students’ minds that they felt compelled to laugh with her.

Cederak’s legs dropped down from the desk and his head slightly fell. The Drezan Drones had been the hundreds of machines that patrolled Planet Cilreta for millennia, and they weren’t known for compassion.

Not long after Leader Draxil came into power, Toa Cilreta Cinoh attempted to storm the castle and kill Vashe’s corrupt leader by himself. Instead, Cinoh had been overpowered and forced back into the streets. Draxil sent a team of Drezan Drones after him; letting the robots take the issue into their own hands. Cinoh was commanded to cease running, but he merely launched an array of energy shots at the drones. Without any further mercy, they opened fire on him and executed the Toa in broad daylight.

“Are you okay, professor?” Eltak asked, now worried and regretful of what she meant to be a harmless joke.

Cederak looked up at his class and forced a smile. “I was just thinking about The Eternal Void, where they talk about Toa Cinoh being bombarded with Drezan Drone energy bullets and falling dead in the street. I thought it was a powerful scene, but I suppose I shouldn’t get so worked up, right? It’s only fiction.”

The class responded in agreement and nodded their heads, unaware their professor observed Toa Cinoh die before his very eyes. Cederak had been standing at an intersection when he heard the Drezan Drones begin shooting and the time traveler had stared directly into Cinoh’s dismayed expression before he collapsed on the road.

It’s only…fiction.

***

Zephaon stood at the edge of Ardalon’s northeast dock and squinted to fix his gaze upon Ceron City so many Kios across the silver sea. Without hesitation, he bolted from the dock and began flying over the water, creating a powerful ripple effect through the waves as he sped along. It was Zephaon’s first departure from Ardalon since he became its guardian, but this vital conference left him without an alternative.

There’s no telling what force is triggering these deaths, but if Cederak is forced to step in, this situation will—no doubt—escalate to a critical height.

Thoughts churned through Zephaon’s mind for what felt like hours, merely passing in the course of minutes. Before long, the shadow wielding entity was standing atop the central hub of Ceron City. The tower gave an amazing view; allowing Zephaon to catch a glimpse of a different kind of transport. On the outskirts of town were chute systems like those on Velion, but the inner portion of the metropolis used lengthy, metallic transports to carry the masses. The snake-like crafts moved along electromagnetic currents in the rails that stood several Kios off the ground.

At last, Zephaon took a deep breath and dove out of the sky. Soaring through an open window, he was astounded to realize he had made a timely landing in the conference room.

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[Cederak]

Chapter 8

Cederak quietly opened the door to his residence, slowly stepping inside and placing his documents atop the nearby stand. Flipping on the lights, Cederak nearly screamed at the sight of Tramalga standing square in the hallway before him.

“Who are the twins that come to our house on certain days?” Tramalga questioned.

Cederak looked confused, unaware that anyone ever came to see them. “Are you feeling all right?”

“Today in Ceron City, I had the pleasure of fighting Voriak Levicron. He told me a pair of twins comes to visit us on some days, and that they have a correlation with our disconnection from the surface world,” Tramalga replied.

“Could he have been referring to the twin suns?” Cederak asked, receiving a sudden smile of revelation from Tramalga.

“I asked him about the physics behind the suns, actually. He refused to answer the possibility of travelling through them to reach the surface. If we can achieve an immense velocity, perhaps the surface world isn’t as lost as we thought,” Tramalga believed.

“Tell me everything that happened in Ceron City this afternoon,” Cederak requested.

“The conference was held, I began arguing with Commander Voctryn, and a couple of his Voriak tried to attack Zephaon and me. Their energy levels are unrivaled in anything we’ve ever seen, Cederak. I was pushing myself to stop Levicron, and Zephaon barely overtook Izemi.”

“The Voriak are a prideful species. I can understand why they were driven to their impulsive actions, harboring beliefs that destroying any possible forms of opposition can go without consequence. Still, Levicron’s clue about the twin suns sounds like an invitation to the surface. The Voriak undeniably know plenty more about this situation than they’ve let on, and I’m going up there to discover what it is,” Cederak stated firmly.

Tramalga sighed and looked hard into Cederak’s eyes. “You’re planning to go alone, aren’t you?”

“The Voriak would become suspicious if the two individuals they fought with just vanished a few days later. Tell the college I’ve become ill, and I’ll be back in a couple days. If I don’t return soon, take Zephaon with you to the surface and find me,” Cederak replied.

Tramalga took Cederak in her arms and gently shut her eyes. “You nearly died the last time you went off like this. That week in Bionicle was so haunting, and you would’ve been destroyed if I hadn’t come for you.”

“And if I hadn’t gone, I never would’ve learned all that I did. The three of us never would have survived. Please allow me to travel up there, Tramalga. For every person that has died and for every one that will surely perish in the coming days. This world has a right to closure on the subject of these deaths, and I’m certain the answers are up there.”

Tramalga gave Cederak a gentle kiss and stepped back from him. “Be careful.”

“Enough for the both of us, my dear,” Cederak whispered.

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This post has been edited by Cederak: Jul 26 2008, 10:15 PM

[Cederak]

Chapter 13

The Reaper’s Gate; an emptiness separating the daunting shadows of the tunnels to Decitac from the open surface world that held an appearance just as discouraging, if not worse. Though few ‘Ancients’ had been brave—or foolish—enough to tread beyond it without proper reinforcements or weaponry, the gate had spared not a soul. Cederak fearlessly stepped through the Reaper’s Gate without the slightest trace of fear. Sisen knew the citadel’s defense systems were online again, and he knew being terrified was warranted in this situation. A Dark Wraith’s laser beams could disintegrate nearly any substance in the known universe, and Sisen had seen their devastating results first-hand.

Cederak stopped the instant he heard a noise and beckoned Sisen to stand at his side. A Dark Wraith’s crimson eyes were visible in the darkness, and Cederak purposely fired an energy beam that missed its target by a few Bios. The wraith caught sight of the attack’s source and launched several missiles from its arms. Cederak smiled and clutched Toa Sisen’s armor as a blue aura sphere surrounded the pair. The time traveler was now emanating cerulean energy from his palms, and his eyes were a vacant sky blue.

“What did you do!?” Sisen asked, halfheartedly touching the sphere and swiftly recoiling.

“The missiles are still approaching, but you can see their pace has slowed immensely. If I release further levels of my power, they will cease movement altogether,” Cederak replied, giving Sisen a chance to see his abilities in true action.

The Toa of magnetism could see now that the missiles had indeed stopped their advance, and was awestruck by the gravity of the situation. “You’re really a…time traveler.”

I can’t believe that a fictional character is standing at my side. No, I don’t want to believe it. This is all so…absurd! Sisen thought to himself, unaware of his visibly perturbed expression.

Cederak stared into Sisen’s eyes, and ignored the uneasiness Sisen retained toward Cederak’s radiant form. At last, Cederak spoke a passage from The Eternal Void both to clarify his identity and give a relevant response. “Time is merely the passage of life and events over the course of an impossibly extensive reality. All dimensions are held in place by time and several other fundamental principles, none of which are physical in relation to us. And yet, sentient life longs to control it as instinct desires to possess that which we cannot direct. This relation transforms society into a mass of travelers all taking paths to fuel our ambitions. I am merely a traveler beyond conventional life.”

“All those memoirs documented in The Eternal Void…they’re all true?” Sisen wondered, his concentration somewhat shaken by this point.

Cederak turned his head to glance at the Dark Wraith. “They are. Though, it’s quite a regrettable truth in my opinion.”

“You could take us back, Cederak!” Sisen shouted, blurting his first thought out. “We could prevent all of this from occurring! You can save my crew from this fate!” Sisen cried in happiness, clutching the time traveler by the shoulders and lightly shaking him.

Cederak looked past Sisen’s bright smile and glared at the Toa of magnetism. “My ability to warp backward through time has been used only as a final resort against the total loss of a planet or its sentient life. You are my friend Sisen, and I have revealed my legacy to you. Returning you to a life of delight won’t prevent the Dark Wraiths from existing, and it won’t halt the spread of this lethal epidemic! I could send you back and the Eternal Core could take you too! In this world the Great Beings created you are just another life.”

Sisen uttered a pathetic response. “But it’s…my life.”

“You aren’t the first individual to ask for a second chance, Sisen. You won’t be the first to have your wish granted either. Like all those others, you’re no self-centered being - you merely wish for what you’ve lost. You want time and I have an infinite supply. Look outward from your own plight though, Toa. Understand my curse and recognize the trials I have faced to protect it from darkened vessels like Draxil and Tramyr,” Cederak replied, finally blasting the missiles and the wraith into oblivion before deactivating his sphere of control.

The pair walked back to the Citadel of Ancients then, never saying a word to one another. There was no bitterness, frustration, or sadness toward the other. Instead, each entity held a variation of understanding for the other’s situation and accepted the circumstances for what they were. Once Sisen and Cederak were in the entrance hall of the citadel, the Toa of magnetism spoke up.

“You can turn back time, yet there were beings you had to watch die. Why did you let them go when you had the power to save them, kid?”

Cederak sighed. “If the Great Beings desire the end of a life, it is not my place to defy that authority. My place stands to prevent disastrous events on a planetary scale, and nothing less has ever caused me to turn back the clock.”

“You said you never went backward in time in The Eternal Void.” Sisen remembered.

“When you go back and change the course of time, there is not the same tomorrow ahead of you. So in a sense, I never have.” Cederak said, flashing a moment’s smile.

“What exactly are you?” Sisen blurted out, somewhat embarrassed by his unkind inquiry.

Cederak’s smile grew. “I am an entity born of nightmares - a cursed arbiter over time itself. But I matured in rebellion of my creator’s desire and became someone who wishes concord across every world I visit. I hope that’s the answer you were looking for.”

“Really…I’d like an answer as to why all the individuals with shadowed beginnings cannot think as you do,” Sisen smiled back.

Cederak’s gaze deviated to the window and he lightly brushed the curtain with his hand. “Not everyone wants to seek a lighter course, Sisen. Sadly, but surely, some beings would like nothing more than to watch planets die in an inferno of chaos.”

“And you’d never allow such an event to occur,” Sisen stated with total assurance.

Cederak briefly chuckled, “Only if an excess of arrogance gets the best of me.”

Sisen clutched the back of his head and took a deep breath. “I wouldn’t recommend springing this variety of information on anyone in the near future, kid. I apologize for my impetuous responses earlier and if it’s all right I’d like some time to gather my thoughts. Maybe you could go try out the battle chamber again?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about springing this on you. The panel looked simple enough to operate, so…I’ll get out of your way for a while,” Cederak finished, stepping out of the room as Toa Sisen shook his head in confusion.

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[Cederak]

Chapter 14

Sunset was upon Lower Bionicle now, and the calming ambience in the air drew Voriak Veldax to the top of Eitra Tower. The tallest structure ever built on Tarion, the open rooftop of the tower had a specially designed balcony that overlooked the entire southern region of the island. Given how far north Tarion was positioned in the Silver Sea, however, this gave the Voriak an incredible view of countless islands.

Veldax placed his hands upon the balcony railing and stared into the horizon. Voctryn had left for Velion hours before, providing no information behind his actions and leaving Veldax in command of his brethren. Veldax had no problem with a position directly below Voctryn, though there were certain laws and regulations that he felt required some modification. He had little time to consider how best to word these suggestions to Voctryn as the sound of footsteps approaching became apparent in his head.

“Hey there,” a voice called out. It was that of a female Voriak, and an incredibly attractive one in Veldax’s mind.

“Nice evening,” Veldax responded, whirling around to face his guest. “Don’t you agree, Cetix?”

Cetix, arms outstretched, arched her back and extended her massive wings. Veldax examined the flight enhancers with a glare. He knew the legend of how Makuta Teridax had engaged Metru Nui’s Toa team in battle during the Great Cataclysm. His colossal, armored body also came with a nightmarish set of wings; wings that nearly mirrored the coloration and design of Voriak Cetix’s. Of all the Voriak, a total four had a pair of shadowed wings that could extend from their back. Veldax considered it a stroke of luck that he was not among their number.

“Must you flaunt those monstrous…things?” Veldax questioned.

Cetix returned his insult with a smile, slowly strafing her fellow Voriak and eyeing him closely. Intrigued by his silver and emerald armor, Cetix ran her finger along Veldax’s shoulder and swiftly recoiled. This peculiar behavior was customary to Veldax by now - the Voriak shrugging her away as he turned back to the balcony railing.

Cetix sighed. “We are all Voriak, Veldax. You are just as much a monster as I,”

Veldax lowered his head in frustration. “I imagine some important matter brought you to seek me?”

Cetix laughed childishly. “No, not really…it’s just an uninspiring day. Though, rumors have been spreading across Tarion about Voctryn’s departure. He seems threatened by some history professor in Velion. I hear his name is, Cederak.”

“I never cared for history much…” Veldax trailed off. “On an unrelated note, did you ever finish reading The Eternal Void?”

Cetix pivoted on her left foot and watched a flock of birds sail through the clouds. “I ended up returning it to the library yesterday morning after reading about half of it. It seemed a little too…preachy, in certain parts.”

“You should have read the last chapter. It was nothing short of brilliant,” Veldax replied.

“Maybe I’ll borrow it again some time,” Cetix smiled. “Until then, you’ll be repaying me for carrying out your mission last week. I think you know what I want.”

Veldax smiled and pressed Cetix’s lips to his, their kiss suddenly interrupted by her hand gently pushing him back. “Not even close,” she whispered.

Cetix turned her laser vision up and fired for Veldax’s chest, barely missing as he strafed right and rocketed into the sky. Cetix followed, her wings making the wind scream in her head as she closed in on her mock opponent. She was far more aerodynamic, but Veldax was in the mood to have the odds against him. Without warning, he ceased his ascent and hurled bolt after bolt of energy for Cetix.

The female Voriak went unscathed by Veldax’s attempts and she landed a heavy blow to his shoulder—temporarily numbing it. It was impossible for Veldax’s laser vision to miss his target at such close range, but as the beams charged, Cetix pressed an open palm to Veldax’s face and mercilessly unleashed an energy beam that created an incredible explosion over Tarion.

Soldiers across the island turned their heads skyward to glimpse the destructive power of the Voriak - frozen in place as a pair of bodies went plummeting for Eitra Tower. The two impacting Voriak could have easily created a sonic boom that would indubitably wipe out half the tower in the process. Still, no one expected the arrival of a winged figure that caught both unconscious Voriak in his arms. Hovering nearly ten Bios over the tower, their savior intended to give them a rude awakening upon collision as he carelessly dropped them from his clutches.

They crashed violently onto the rooftop, their bodies helplessly careening toward the railing. When they hit, instinct took over and their eyes opened as wide as possible. Veldax’s armor was moderately damaged, and Cetix’s wings were half-extended into awkward positions.

“Pathetic. Engaging in mock battle is simple training, but what possessed you two to stage a duel over Tarion!?” Voctryn roared, his temper rising with every word as he gently descended.

“I have to stay active, Voctryn. How else can I become a greater hero than you when you choose your successor?” Veldax asked, intent on angering his leader after the rough landing he provided.

Voctryn smirked. “My successor? I don’t know what ideas have been swirling in your head, but there will be no successor to this commander. My supremacy in combat will reign over Bionicle until the Great Beings return.”

“And if you should die before then?” Veldax questioned, his spiteful expression growing.

Voctryn finally landed and his wings collapsed into place beneath his armored back. Flooded with pride and fury, the leader of the Voriak walked up to Veldax with a menacing glare and placed his hand underneath Veldax’s chin to raise it ever so slightly. Voctryn then stared Veldax directly in the eyes and hissed to him, “I will never die.”

With that, Voctryn spun around, intentionally extending his left wing to smack Veldax across the face with it. As he approached the stairway, Voctryn looked back at Cetix and Veldax one final time before retiring for the night. “My trip to Velion proved to be of little help. And though I can see it is against my better judgment, both of you will be accompanying me on a mission in pursuit of Professor Cederak.”

Cetix winced as she attempted to put weight on her left leg, and Voctryn smiled as he watched her stagger in pain. Voriak could fully recover their muscles and armor in a matter of twenty minutes, but Cetix hadn’t let even a fifth of that timeframe pass yet. “Is our destination a pleasant one?”

“I’m sure you forgot what it looked like long ago, Cetix. Truth be told, so did I. Still, the mystery surrounding the surface should be more than enough to make you join me.”

Veldax cleared his throat and spoke up. “With all due respect, commander, I wish to stay and protect Tarion in your absence. This decision will turn my previously assigned mission over to Cetix which will leave the Cederak mission solely up to you.”

“Your success on this mission could make you the legend you desire to be, Veldax. Are you certain you want to remain behind?” Voctryn asked, his eyes beckoning Veldax to agree.

Veldax reluctantly nodded. “The Great Beings will judge me only the better for my act of modesty.”

“An admirable decision, Veldax. Perhaps you could become my successor one day.” Voctryn smiled.

“But you said”-

“Never fret about what was said, only about what is being said,” Voctryn finished as he descended the staircase - his footsteps steadily growing fainter.

“You have a bad feeling about this too, don’t you?” Cetix questioned.

“It doesn’t sound right. I know Commander Voctryn is probably going to run himself straight into an early grave by attempting this mission, but if I go with him and perish as well, the Voriak hierarchy will be in critical disarray,” Veldax replied.

“If it is their will, the Great Beings will return Voctryn to us safely,” Cetix smiled, giving Veldax a quick peck on the cheek before leaving for the stairway.

The lone Voriak placed his hands upon the railing once more and stared into the suns - silently praying neither Voctryn nor Cederak would have to die in consequence of this mission.

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This post has been edited by Cederak: Sep 15 2008, 06:12 PM

[Cederak]

Section 4: Shattered Frontier

Chapter 15

Emotionlessly, Cederak entered the Battle Simulator chamber and swiftly sealed the exit, looking around the area with a sense of uncertainty. Quietly stepping up to the controls, he activated the chamber’s incredible capabilities and watched a long-dead entity transform from billions of ambient particle energies into a solid form. Cederak had intentionally concentrated on memories of this individual in order to further his desires.

“Returning to humiliate me once more?” Tramyr murmured.

“I want to speak with you,” Cederak replied calmly. “A conversation is the least you can offer me. It’s not as though you presented me with much more.”

“How can you say that? I presented you with unrivaled powers!” Tramyr argued.

“That you would have used to fuel your own ambitions had you not perished,” Cederak snapped.

Tramyr’s head lowered and he placed a hand atop it; his eyes closed in bitterness. Slowly sliding his hand down the length of his face, Tramyr quietly examined his open palm.

“So…how’s it been?” Cederak asked, unsure of the answer to follow.

Tramyr continued studying his palm. “Death for a Great Being means my spirit would last eternally among the planets. However, I was demoted of my title, and so, my spirit became shadowed energy spread across an endless expanse of dimensional space when Bionicle died. The energy can no longer form a proper mentality and it drove ‘Tramyr’ to insanity in confinement. Given a century or so more, the Tramyr you knew will be nothingness.”

“And Martok?” Cederak questioned.

“What you saw was what you got. Martok was infinitely vaporized by Toa Kaita Vylaos and the Mask of Reality. There were trace remnants of his mind floating in the air after you left, and I heard him cry out to the Great Beings for help. His plea fell on deaf ears, and when Bionicle exploded, it took the last of Martok with it.”

As tears streamed down the sides of his face, Cederak smiled at his ‘creator’ and replied in a calm tone, “I never wanted any of this, Tramyr.”

“There was a time when I didn’t either, Cederak. Answer me something, though. Do you ever think about going back? Back to Cilreta or Vashe City in order to save the planet I’m certain you loved?” Tramyr wondered.

Cederak rubbed his tears away and sighed. “When Bionicle died and I sought out a new home, traveling back in time was the initial proposal that crossed my mind. I assumed my abilities could bypass the energy field you placed around Cilreta to prevent entrance or departure, but I refused to return. My ability to travel backward through time is a curse that beckons my weakness at the passing of every terrible event. If I intended to learn - to grow as all other life does, I had to tread forward.”

“If you are mature enough to see that, then I engineered a truly brilliant life form. I am only sorry for the angst and regret you have been forced to endure,” Tramyr apologized, finally meeting Cederak’s gaze with his own.

“I suppose you did offer me recovery from my turbulence. After all, you created Tramalga and Zephaon as well,” Cederak mentioned.

Tramyr’s eyebrows rose for a second before he smiled at Cederak. “If you’re willing to update me, I’d be happy to listen to your adventures.”

“Where should I begin?” Cederak asked, walking closer to Tramyr.

“Anywhere you’d like,” Tramyr replied, stretching out his legs as he sat on the blinding white floor.

Cederak took a deep breath and fell backward onto the floor, his hands resting beneath his head as a cushion. “Let me tell you about the day I watched Cilreta die…”

***

Toa Sisen’s gaze narrowed on the Dark Wraiths as a bead of sweat trickled down his Kanohi and dropped to the dry ground. His breath was irregular and exasperated, and he knew it was his age catching up with him. After the Great Spirit was removed from the universe to prevent his exploitation in a mimetic Teridax conspiracy, five-thousand Matoran were created to imperfectly fill the void. Sisen was among their number and one of the few still alive.

Several others stood at Sisen’s side as the ‘Ancients’ boldly stood to defend their home. A sudden pain gripped his left arm and Sisen winced as he examined a broken dagger lodged into it. The metal shard was of considerable size, and he cringed as he hastily yanked it out.

Seeing the Toa’s moment of weakness, A Dark Wraith unleashed an increasingly painful chain lightning attack that made Sisen’s knees buckle on contact. Sisen magnetized his hand to a degree higher than the rest of his body and allowed it to hold the surging voltage in place. It was agonizing to contain so much energy against his will, but Sisen didn’t take long to find an appropriate target and hurl the attack at it. It swiftly crashed into a Dark Wraith and forced the machine to crash into the dirt. A pair of ‘Ancients’ then promptly terminated the machine.

Toa Sisen watched the wraiths begin to retreat - using the knowledge gained in their skirmish to adapt for the subsequent encounter. Sisen often wondered about the Dark Wraith hierarchy in Decitac. Biomechanical life was incapable of existing in a society where all life was equal, but the wraiths were mechanical and knew no sense of emotion to doom a utopian lifestyle.

His thoughts were cut short by the terrible sight of a flood of wraiths racing through the tunnels en route for the citadel. Sisen looked back at his castle and saw Cederak sprinting toward him.

“Get ready, kid! These wraiths aren’t reputed for honor in battle!” Sisen hollered, hoping to lighten the mood a bit.

Another Dark Wraith fired a bolt of lightning for Sisen from the shadows of the tunnel, but Sisen was ready this time. Harnessing the power and fusing it with his element, Sisen rushed the Reaper’s Gate and let out a cry of anger as he released an electromagnetic explosion. The attack was so extensive that many of the ‘Ancients’, as well as Cederak were strained to defend themselves in some manner to avert their own damage. Cederak squinted through the dust now swirling through the air and summoned a cerulean blade of pure energy to use in combat. Examining his new weapon with pride, the time traveler intended to give the wraiths a spectacle of death.

Cederak propelled his form into the sky and harshly dive-bombed the wraiths - mercilessly slashing away at their shells and ripping through their circuitry. Pausing abruptly in his actions, the ‘Emissary’ began to sense the energy signature of Commander Voctryn. The head of the planet’s protectors had undeniably revealed himself intentionally to Cederak in a scheme to draw the professor to his destruction. Cederak was uncertain at first if the Voriak leader could detect his life force as well, but quickly dismissed the idea once the signature began to distance itself from the Citadel. Had he not felt so hesitantly on the subject, Cederak would have departed immediately to warn Commander Voctryn that he was heading straight for his own devastation. Instead, the time traveler made no effort to prevent Voctryn’s journey to the stunning city of Decitac.

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This post has been edited by Cederak: Sep 15 2008, 06:13 PM