Oath of the Survivor

“What do you think, C.H.A.D.D.?” Kyle asked as he jumped over the smashed remains of a tree.

[DR. MAYHEW, THIS IS THE TWELFTH TIME YOU’VE ASKED ME TODAY.  AS BEFORE, THE ACCOMODATIONS ARE GENEROUS AND SATISFACTORY.]

“Are you sure?  I thought I felt you jostle back there.”

[THERE IS CERTAINLY ROOM FOR A TIGHTER FIT, BUT THE MOVEMENTS ARE MINOR ENOUGH THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO DAMAGE.]

“Well let me know if it gets worse.  I’ve already got some ideas to improve the design when we’re done hunting this thing.”  Kyle’s hands drifted to the thickly braided rope over each shoulder as he spoke, adjusting his new creation.  The process had taken another whole day, but by using RESONANCE to shape the chitin plates he had created a three-piece transportation solution for his drone companion.  The first part was the basket that held the drone, which was just a little bit too large, allowing a little room for C.H.A.D.D. to wiggle inside.  The second piece came over top of the basket and contained holes for the rope to go through. 

This was much trickier than Kyle had initially anticipated, and he ruined quite a few of the plates he’d salvaged to get the fit right.  The last portion of the construction wrapped laterally around the other two, with a protrusion that held the bottom of the basket and provided holes that lined up with the others.  The resulting contraption was relatively tight against his back, and kept both of his hands free.  Kyle considered trying to make a weapon, but the chitin from the regular beetles they’d been fighting just wasn’t durable or conductive enough to allow him to manipulate the shape without turning too brittle.  He could have used the remaining plates from the Infernal, but all the remaining resources there had portions of the natural array on them, and Kyle didn’t want to risk them for an experiment like this.  Besides, there were a couple of other things he still hoped to try.

They had been following the path of destruction north for the bulk of the day, and Kyle made the decision to settle down for the evening.  There were an abnormally large number of agitated beetles along the way, and though Kyle had no issues avoiding them he knew it was probably not a smart idea to settle down right in the path that was drawing all the creatures. 

They veered about a kilometer off the path left by their quarry, and Kyle felt exposed as he looked at the open horizon around him.  Trees became much less abundant as they got farther north, with hearty shrubs and long grass replacing the dense forests that Kyle had gotten used to.  Auric Perception didn’t reveal any nearby abnormalities, but before making camp he looked over his shoulder at his drone companion.  “Are you picking up anything dangerous, C.H.A.D.D.?” 

[NOTHING APPEARING ON THE SCANNER AT THIS POINT, DR. MAYHEW.  ALTHOUGH IF YOU’D BE WILLING TO TURN A CIRCLE I COULD GET BETTER READINGS.] 

That was one of the drawbacks of Kyle’s creation – C.H.A.D.D.’s sensors had a bit of a blind spot when they tried to scan through Kyle’s body.  Obliging the drone with a slow rotation, he got the all-clear.  Despite the lack of any threats, he still felt a sense of general unease while unslinging the C.H.A.D.D.pack from his shoulders and setting it next to him.  Other than transporting his companion, the C.H.A.D.D.pack served one other, crucial function. 

He opened the top component above the basket holding his drone to see his neatly stacked supplies – bandages, a spare set of scrubs, three full canteens, and some dried meat.  Kyle couldn’t help but feel proud of what he’d managed to create.  Looking at the stars in the cloudless sky, he thought about his grandfather’s last command.  Survive.  He could still hear Clark’s voice in his head, the memory etched as if in steel. 

It had been troubling him for a while, and watching the slow rotation of the stars gave him time to reflect.  His memories of his grandfather were of a kind, doting old man.  Reconciling that with the fierce soldier that had Valentine’s admiration was difficult.  As much as he was a part of Clark’s legacy, so too were the atrocities committed by Liberation.  Their criticism of the Central Authority wasn’t misplaced, though Kyle couldn’t – wouldn’t – look past their methods.  Sighing, he closed his eyes.  There would be time to scratch that itch later.  For now, rest.  He had a monster to hunt, after all.

The evening passed uneventfully, and they were travelling again before dawn broke.  The trail continued to prove easy to follow, until it led to the side of a red rock cliff.  The trees were almost completely gone by now, and Kyle marveled at the sight before him.  The cliff had deep holes drilled into it where the creature’s legs penetrated the stone, gouging out massive pieces of rock in its passing.  The lip of the cliff had crumbled down, a testament to the sheer bulk of the monster that had scaled it.  

There looked to be a road off to the left that would lead him to the top eventually.  Kyle had no intention of taking that road.  With a grin, Kyle activated HASTE.  He felt the familiar mana pulsing ahead, no longer just a trace.  His quarry was here, and he was ready for it.  Running towards the wall, Kyle used the holes in the cliff as handholds, vaulting himself up and over the top in short order.  His grin faded as he took in the scene before him.  [DR. MAYHEW, THAT’S A LOT OF BEETLES.]  C.H.A.D.D. added helpfully.

At the edge of his vision Kyle could see an old run-down mining town, the damaged remains of the old wooden buildings stubbornly hanging on despite the calamity they’d endured.  But for all their resilience, they were currently in the process of being destroyed by a massive swarm of insects.  Kyle’s Auric Perception was going haywire at the sheer volume of different creatures he was detecting, and underpinning all the bugs and mana was something… different.  It felt familiar in some ways, but it was agitating to him, putting his teeth on edge.  The insects clearly felt the same way, as many of the groups were attacking one another for no reason.

The sound of clicking mandibles and an angry buzz immediately grabbed Kyle’s attention, and he turned to face a group of seven bulldog-sized wasps flying directly towards his position.  His back to the cliff, Kyle didn’t hesitate.  With HASTE still active, he darted directly towards the creatures.  The closest of the wasps attempted to sting him, and the unfamiliar movement of the stinger nearly caught Kyle off guard.  Too used to fighting the beetles. I was watching the mandibles too much. Kyle admonished himself for the mistake as he sidestepped and grabbed the rapidly-flapping wings, arresting the wasp’s movement as he twisted his hips and slammed it to the ground. 

He was going to follow-up with a stomp, but had to disengage as the other wasps were now too close.  Exhaling slowly, he took his stance.  While his fighting style was meant to be used with a baton, it was still more than effective unarmed.  Time seemed to slow down as he activated RESONANCE, taking advantage of the flexibility provided by the skill to field test something he’d been working on for a while.  Focusing, he concentrated the energy from HASTE into his right arm.  As the wasps approached, his arm darted out over a dozen times.  Each strike landed with extreme precision and force, cracking chitin and knocking the pursuing insects out of the air.  An incredible wave of pain surged through his arm as a result, making Kyle grit his teeth as he approached his fallen enemies, finishing each with a vicious stomp. 

Satisfied he was safe for now, Kyle took a steadying breath as he channeled HEAL into his damaged arm.  It hung limp at his side, muscles overloaded from the intense burst of energy.  Looking back in the direction of the small mining town, Kyle evaluated his options.  The ghost town was still literally crawling with insects, and he didn’t relish the idea of trying to fight his way through all of them.  I’ll have to be careful trying to hunt the big one. It could be hiding anywhere.  The thought barely finished forming before he heard a loud crash, the skeleton of what had likely been a hotel crashing to the ground in a cloud of dust. 

As the air cleared, Kyle got his first look at the monster he'd been tracking.  The beetle was absolutely massive, dwarfing any living creature that Kyle had ever seen.  He estimated it stood nearly five meters tall at the shoulder, and was easily three times as long.  Its chitin was lustrous, reflective like a sheet of black steel.  A single, magnificent horn protruded from the front of the beetle’s head, with two similar, smaller horns jutting out above where its eyes should be, making the monster look like a triceratops.  Six massive, clawed legs drove the creature forward as it smashed into the remains of another building on the street, knocking it flat just like the hotel before.   Smaller creatures between it and its target were either tossed aside or smashed into paste, and even at this distance Kyle could almost feel the ground shaking as it stomped about.  Looking at the destruction caused by his opponent, Kyle could only think two words.  It’s perfect.

~~~

Check out the Starsworn Saga on Patreon to read 4, 9, or 25 chapters ahead!  You also get exclusive access to bonus content!

Starsworn Saga | The official page for early access to the Starsworn Saga! | Patreon