Trash Panda

Stand Alone(Summers and AHeartlessNobody)

“Hundreds?” Serix breathed in amazement. If this was true, that meant the Plague had failed in a spectacular way. The estimated margin of error was only supposed to leave maybe fifty at the very most, and even that was extremely unlikely. There was always the chance this human was lying to frighten him off. In fact, if there were so many Earthlings, why hadn’t they taken the opportunity to attack him while he was alone? They would completely outnumber him. The prospect of there being that many humans left was becoming more and more unlikely as he thought about it. Still, there was an easy way to find out the truth.

“Take me to them,” Serix said, slackening his grip on the human’s wrist. He held up the Silencer so she could get a better look at it. “Don’t bother trying to run. I never miss.” It was technically true. He had only fired the Silencer once and he had hit the hairy beast, but the human didn’t need to know that. In all reality, he hoped she wouldn’t force him to shoot her. He still had so many questions he wanted to ask. What was that creature from before? Did the humans really create mechanical beings that could work and fight? His curiosity was insatiable, and this human was his only link to finding the answers. However, he had a responsibility to his own people. If the human tried to flee, he wouldn’t hesitate to shoot her down. Even if he didn’t want to do it.

He wondered if any of the other Scouts had encountered these humans as well. Even if it turned out there weren’t hundreds, that didn’t necessarily mean this female was the only one left. Although if any of the other humans were spotted by his companions, they were probably dead by now. Their pilot had given them specific instructions to shoot any survivors on the spot, after all. Serix knew he was disobeying his orders, but he could just kill the human off later, right? Why not coax some information out of her first while he had the chance?

Another thought occurred to him. What if the human had some kind of trap set up? If there were others, she could lead him into an ambush. Surely the humans would have had enough time to scheme something up if they wanted to. He could be playing right into their hands. Still, he decided it was worth the risk. Judging from the abilities of the human he had in his grasp, he was stronger and faster than they were. He could fend off an attack if he had to.

“Lead the way,” Serix stepped aside and gestured to a ladder leading down from the top of the construction.

Stand Alone(Summers and AHeartlessNobody)

Ooh, good luck~!

Lol I'm having a lot of fun playing Serix XD He's definitely one of my favorites out of the characters I've created lately
I'm working on my next post now. It should be done soon :)

Stand Alone(Summers and AHeartlessNobody)

I'm blonde too, so yeah... lol
(although I might dye it ginger >w>)

I have been! I hope you're having a good holiday too :)

Stand Alone(Summers and AHeartlessNobody)

Yep XD Go blondies!

Oh and Merry Christmas Eve~

Stand Alone(Summers and AHeartlessNobody)

I was actually wondering if we should include something like that XD
Sounds good to me!

Stand Alone(Summers and AHeartlessNobody)

Serix was beginning to tire of his scouting in the city. While it was all very interesting and new, most of the doors he found were locked tight, blocking off his access unless he broke in. He was just about to do so when he spotted a flash of movement. He had just picked up a rock to throw through a window when he saw something skirt past in the edge of his vision. The something walked on two legs.

He whirled around in time to see a figure round the corner of one of the shorter constructions. It moved in a stealthy manner that led him to assume it wasn’t one of the other Scouts. The Lunairans had no reason to avoid one another, and besides, the Scouts all went in different directions. He felt his heart rate pick up. Was it possible there was a human survivor living in the city? He couldn’t believe his luck.

He drew his Silencer, keeping one finger hovering over the trigger in case the human proved to be hostile, and chased after the figure as quietly as he could. He poked his head around the corner just in time to see the human slip its leg through a small opening in the back door. He crept closer and crouched down beside the metal door to examine it. It appeared to be stuck, but he could wedge it open just far enough to squeeze inside.

It was a tight fit, but Serix manage to worm his way through the opening. He blinked against the darkness, his eyes slowly adjusting until he could make out shapes and dimensions. Looking around now, the human was nowhere to be seen. Could it have left already? It didn’t take him that long to get past the metal door, so he doubted the Earthling would have had enough time to flee. It must still be hiding somewhere in the room.

Serix moved slowly so as not to trip on any of the boxes that littered the floor. He held his Silencer in front of him with both hands but kept the barrel pointed down at the ground, his violet eyes flickering back and forth in search of any sign of movement. The human had an advantage if it wanted to strike at him now. He was well aware of how visible his eyes were in the dark, giving his position away. In contrast, the Earthling completely blended into wherever it was hiding. He would have to keep his guard up in case the human tried to make any sudden moves…

Serix jumped back as a rack of shelves to his right tumbled over. The noise of the fall was accompanied by a shrill yelp and the thud of a body hitting the ground. The human fell at Serix’s feet. It lay there for a moment before it scrambled to its feet and ran, throwing down random objects to try and prevent him from pursuing.

Serix grinned. If the human wanted a chase, it would get one. He leaped over the boxes and took off after the running figure. It dove out through the small opening in the metal door, and then slammed it shut. Serix clicked his tongue in annoyance when the door almost hit him. However it didn’t take him long to push it open just wide enough to slip through and continue running.

The wind ripped at his hair and clothes as he took off in a full sprint to catch up with the human. He laughed aloud from the raw joy of the chase. Life in the ships was never this much fun. He whipped around corners, keeping pace with the human but never gaining enough ground to catch up. He could run faster if he wanted to, but then the pursuit would end quicker and so would the adrenaline rush.

The human made another sharp turn and began clambering up a ladder. Serix watched it from below for a moment before following it up. He ended up on top of one of the constructions only to find that the human had already taken off, leaping across to the next construction. He scrambled to his feet and took a running jump off the side of the construction. He felt himself suspended in the air for a moment before he hit the ground with a jolt. He kept running, enjoying the hammering of his heart and the burning of his muscles. Up ahead, the human had stopped on the next construction top. He leaped across the gap and slowed to a stop, waiting to see what it would do next.

The human bent to pick up a long metal pipe and swung it in his direction, although he was still far enough away that it didn’t reach him. The Earthling cried out in rage and lunged at him again. Serix grabbed the pipe with his free hand before it could make contact, putting a stop to the human's attack. He twisted the pipe around to wrench it out of the human’s grasp and tossed it aside so it clattered to the edge of the construction top. Quick as a flash, he caught hold of the human’s wrist and pulled it close, pressing the barrel of his Silencer against its side with his other hand so it couldn’t run away.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Serix frowned and tilted his head slightly. He was close enough to get his first real look at the human; close enough to realize… it was a female? That was another interesting detail.

“Are there more?” Serix asked, tightening his grip on the human’s wrist. “Tell me. How many of you are left?”

Stand Alone(Summers and AHeartlessNobody)

The cargo hold was dank and dark. Nothing could be seen except for the dim purple glow of Lunairan eyes, flickering as they blinked. Serix leaned against the back wall of the hold. His own eyes shifted between the faces of the others. He had never met any of them before, as the higher powers had selected the Scouts from an unusually large pool of volunteers. Everyone wanted a chance to prove their bravery and help pave the way for settlement in this new planet, however only the “best fits” were chosen to actually take on the mission. How the best were picked, he was not sure. All he knew was the higher powers thought he was one of them.

Serix drew his legs to his chest and closed his eyes. The cargo hold wasn’t properly insulated, and he was beginning to feel a bit cool. He gauged the hold to be at a temperature where water would freeze, as he had to make a conscious effort to keep his own temperature from dropping by this point. There were plenty of other, better ships the higher powers could have let the Scouts use for the trip, but they didn’t want to “waste resources.” That was their excuse for sending the Scouts on their mission in the old cargo ship. Supposedly, the military-grade crafts were currently being used to protect the Lunairan mother ship. None could be spared for such an anecdotal assignment. Serix suspected that in truth the higher powers didn’t believe all the humans were dead yet, and they didn’t want to risk losing an armed ship to the Earthlings if the Scouts came under attack. Of course, they would never hint at such a possibility to the Scouts. It would cause some unwanted setbacks if anyone tried to abandon the mission.

Serix opened the bag of equipment he was provided with before he boarded the ship. He couldn’t see very well in the darkness, so he used his hands to figure out what the objects were by touch. He reached in and picked up one at a time, tracing his fingers carefully over each item. From what he could tell, he had been given three small, empty containers, a visual and audio recording device, and a few packs of dehydrated food. There was another object at the bottom of the bag, but he was still unsure as to what it was so he left it alone.

The ship began to rumble and groan. They must be entering the atmosphere of the planet. Serix looked to the eyes of his still unknown companions, which were alight with a mixture of emotions like fear and excitement. It was the first time in many years that a Lunairan set foot on the Earth. None of them knew what to expect. Serix was even more enthralled by the idea of exploring the new planet than the others were. Since his father was among the last group to travel to the Earth – he was one of the soldiers assigned to spread the Plague – he had told Serix stories about the humans and their home. Now it was Serix’s turn to see the mysterious place with his own two eyes, and he couldn’t wait.

The ship lurched as it landed and Serix could hear shuffling as the others stood up. The door to the hold slid open, momentarily blinding them with a flood of light. Serix squinted and shielded his eyes with a hand. Their pilot stood in the entryway, silhouetted against the sunlight. After taking a moment to adjust to the brightness, the Scouts moved to stand in a line and the pilot addressed them.

“As you already know,” his violet eyes swept over them. “We will only remain here long enough to verify the extinction of the humans, and then we will return to the Base. You have each been provided with enough food for two days, containers to collect physical samples if you find it necessary, a recorder for visual and audio samples, and finally,” the pilot’s expression turned cold. “In the rare event that you encounter any living humans, you have been provided a Silencer to exterminate them on site.” Serix adjusted the bag slung over his shoulder. So that was what the unknown object was. He had never wielded a weapon like this before. Silencers were about the same size and shape as a ray gun – small enough to fit in one’s hand – but they used high-voltage electroshock projectiles that were powerful enough to knock a Lunairan unconscious… or stop a human’s fragile heart.

“You will all be working separately to cover more ground,” the pilot continued. “Record any significant findings with your devices and collect samples along the way. Report back to the ship every other day to replenish your food supplies. You will repeat this process until I receive orders to fly us back to the Base. Are there any questions?” One of the Scouts raised his hand and the pilot nodded at him to speak.

“What if the humans overpower us?” he asked. “We are at a disadvantage if we travel by ourselves.”

“Overpower you?” the pilot echoed with a slight chuckle. “If a disease-ridden, physically and intellectually inferior being overpowers you then deserve to die. But,” he gestured at a small electronic device on his belt. “There is a system in place in the event that this does happen. If you ever find yourself in any danger, just press this button. The rest of us will be alerted of your position so we can come to your aid. Are there any other questions?” No one moved. “Very well then. I will be in the ship. You may begin scouting.” He stepped aside to let them file out of the ship and went back to the cockpit, closing the door to the cargo hold once they were all out.

Serix didn’t waste a moment. As soon as the pilot finished speaking he took off, heading for the nearest city. He wanted to see it for himself: the accomplishments of the humans. Up until this point all he had were the descriptions his father gave him as a child, but now he finally had an opportunity to view them firsthand. He quickened his pace.

--

Serix spun around in a circle, his eyes lit up with childlike wonder. He was surrounded by large, blocky constructions that seemed to reach up to meet the sky. Perhaps the Lunairans created things like these back on the home planet, but he would never know. He wasn’t old enough to remember those days. He wandered through the city, which was now overrun with wild plants. But perhaps the plants were already there to begin with? It was another curiosity he doubted he would ever solve.

He crouched next to one particularly interesting plant. It was spotted with small yellow and orange things. What were they called? Oh yes, flowers. He leaned closer to get a better look at them. The petals were frail but colorful, and the plant smelled of something sweet. The bare chrome walls of the ships could never compare to such beauty. He reached for one of the empty containers in his bag and popped the lid open. He gingerly plucked three of the flowers and dropped them inside, sealing it shut again. Surely the others would want to see these as well.

As he was stashing the container back in his bag, Serix heard a noise behind him. He turned to see an odd four-legged creature standing behind him with its head down and its legs splayed. It emitted a deep rumble from its throat. While he had never encountered such a beast, Serix instinctively knew it was dangerous. Even so, there wasn’t much it could do to harm him. He stood up and dusted off his pants, then retrieved his Silencer, taking aim at the creature’s head. It wavered for a moment at the sight of the weapon. Strange. How did it know the Silencer was a threat?

Serix didn’t have time to puzzle over the thought, as the beast leaped towards him, overcoming its brief hesitation. There was a bright spark of blue from the barrel of his weapon and the creature tumbled to the ground, either dead or unconscious. As he approached the body, he heard other noises around him. There must have been more of the beasts lurking nearby, but they were fleeing now. He knelt down next to the creature and ran a hand over its side. It was covered in something soft like short hair. He almost felt sorry for killing it, as he was sure now that it was dead. He took out his recorder and captured an image of the creature for the others to see.

Serix rose to his feet and continued exploring the city, leaving the corpse of the beast behind.

Stand Alone(Summers and AHeartlessNobody)

Updated my CS :)

Royally Spellbound

It's okay! Replies are a struggle for me at the moment since the guild is down 90% of the time I'm online =_=

Royally Spellbound

Lander watched as the princess stormed out of the dining hall. He glanced back at the king, who just shook his head. Perhaps he expected the volatile reaction. It wasn’t completely uncalled for. Looking at the situation from Moria’s perspective, she was never told about His Majesty’s true intentions and now a bodyguard was suddenly being forced upon her for reasons still unknown. Lander couldn’t help but puzzle over what sort of “unsettling threat” would call for the installment of a bodyguard in the first place. As the princess had said multiple times, there were plenty of knights in the palace already. Surely they provided adequate protection?

“As you can see,” the king sighed. “She will be difficult. However, this is my decision, not hers. Whether she likes it or not, you must accompany her and make sure she is safe at all times. Do not let her out of your sight. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes,” Lander said. He saw the king’s mouth twitch at his lack of respect. “…Your Highness.” He felt it best not to continue testing the king’s patience, especially with what he was about to ask next. “I would like to send my winnings back to my home village to give to my family. Since I’m to remain in the palace, I was hoping you would be kind enough to have someone trustworthy send it back in my stead.”

“Of course,” the king nodded at his advisor, who left to fulfill the task. He turned back to Lander. “As part of your new job, you will be living here in the palace. I have made prior arrangements to prepare a room in the eastern wing. It shouldn’t be difficult to find, but if you get lost you may ask any of the servants. They have been made aware of your placement in the castle.”

“Yes, thank you,” Lander stood and the king did as well, as their business was finished for now. They both exited the dining hall and went their separate ways. Lander decided to try and find his assigned room first and foremost. Wandering through the corridors of the palace, however, he had to disagree with the king. It was no small task to locate the single room out of the many he passed in the halls. All of the doors looked the same, with no distinguishing traits that he could see. Fortunately, with the guidance of two very amused servants, he found the correct hallway at last. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw that this particular corridor only had four doors. The last servant he spoke with said his room was the farthest door on the right, so that was the one Lander headed towards.

Just as he was reaching for the handle, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to see Princess Moria rounding the corner from a conjoining hallway. Her own room must be one of the other three, Lander realized. It made sense. The king was adamant that Lander should be near her side at all times. While she was here, he decided he may as well try to speak with her.

“Hello,” Lander inclined his in greeting and offered a smile. “We meet again, Princess.”