User blog:Thebioniclelegend/Veterans of the Core War

I am a veteran of the Core War.

You may be wondering who I am. My name is Ackar, and I fought for the Element Lord of Fire in that planet-sprawling conflict.

I could tell you tales that would chill your bones...but I shall tone it down for this one, villager. If you want to know a little bit more, ask Raanu.

I'll begin with a tale that occurs directly after the Great Beings released the Baterra on us. We were some of the first to encounter it.

Ackar's Tale: The Silent Killers
"Why are we here?" Malum grumbled. "We should be fighting at the Ice Tribe border, not patroling on the Rock Tribe side!"

I took little notice. Perditus, our other companion, did likewise. "Malum, three more fighters, even ones as good as us, will make little difference there. But here, we could potentially stop a threat before it becomes one." He veered the Thornatus to the left and travelled into the Black Spikes. Sand was kicked up from the back wheel, only to fall on the ground a few meters back. It was evening, just growing dark, and we had been assigned on "monitor on the Rock Tribe side", a fancy way of saying "patrol in a Thornatus on the border until we tell you to stop." The Sand Tribe had repeatedly made encounters with the Rock Tribe near our border, and we had brought Crotesius, Kyry, and a few other villagers along. Kyry had left to deliver the "nothing is happening" news to Vulcanus. Crotesius was piloting another vehicle, a Cendox, back a ways.

We had brought thornax, blades, and other fancy-and mainly deadly-supplies. "Come on, guys." I said. "This is important." I was going to continue, but I saw a flicker of movement in the distance. "Stop it," I ordered Perditus, "Pass the word to Crotesius to weapon up." I grabbed my blade and a thornax launcher. Malum took his blade as well, and Perditus shifted the Thornatus into attack mode. Crotesius stopped a few meters behind and had the Agori grab shields and swords. He loaded the Cendox' thornax.

I edged forward behind a large rock. Our quarry was close. I waved Malum back- he'd probably just charge the being- and loaded my thornax. I could see now it was that scum Agori pretenders- Bone Hunters. There were three, two with rock steeds. Perditus and Crotesius signaled- they had moved to the back and were ready to go. The three Agori joined us. I cut sharply down, then left with my hand. It was the signal to go. Letting out a loud whoop, Malum thundered down, me hot on his heels. I fired my Thornax on the way down as the Agori joined us. The Cendox and Thornatus had emptied their weapons, and Crotesius and Perditus now used them as giant rams. The Bone Hunters tried to fight, but were to confused. I crossed blades with the mountless one, then cut him down. Malum had ripped one apart, and one had been blown to bits by the Thornatus. The Cendox knocked one of the steeds off its feet, and one of the Agori finished it off while Malum and I went after the other. I kept it busy while Malum ripped into its back, driving it into the ground where I slaughtered it. We looked around at the scene of destruction. Implants were scattered everywhere, and blood soaked the ground. After extracting through various painful ways all the information the only remaining living hunter knew, we threw him off a cliff. Malum counted how many times he bounced, and we moved on.

That night, we had made a camp near a large stream. Crotesius was telling a story about a one-eyed Agori who tap danced, and it was relatively funny. Crotesius entered a section where the Agori stood on his head. He did that. It was this that saved his life: The dagger that would have buried itself hilt-deep in his head buried itself in his thigh instead. He screamed and dropped to the ground. "Up! We have a fight on our hands!" I cried. Three strange, blue-white things moved themselves into our vision. Malum charged one, dropping with a thornax to the chest. Perditus made it to the Thornatus. Crotesius was still on the ground. One of the Agori charged the things, and then there was one less Agori in the world. I knew we had a fight on our hands.

The three...things....moved closer. Perditus blasted them with his Thornatus' launchers, then his thornax, but the creatures had amazing agility and leaped out of the way. One stabbed another Agori, and another moved on Malum. He almost stabbed him, but I blocked its blade at the last second. I found myself in a fight for my life as I parried, swung, parried again, the leapt, dodged, charged... one of us had to give. With a twisting move, the creature knocked my sword out of my hands. I tried to shoot it with my Thornax, but it destroyed the launcher first. And then... it just stopped. Malum was on the ground, half dead, his weapons strewn about. Perditus had been knocked out. Three of the Agori were dead. Crotesius was now out due, I guessed, to blood loss. But they were not attacking. Two of the Glatorian down, one Agori out and three dead, me weaponless....and yet they did not make a move. All three of them just got up and left. I went over, pouring some scalding water over Malum to wake him up. After he finished cursing me, he woke up Perditus while I bandaged Crotesius wound. The Cendox was wrecked, but with three less beings to carry, the Thornatus would fit us all. We got in, laying Crotesius in the back. Perditus asked the question on all our minds. "What were those things?" I had no answer. Later, I learned they were called Baterra, and that they were created by the Great Beings to kill all armed warriors. That was why me, Malum, and Perditus escaped relatively unharmed, and Crotesius alive.

What's that, villager? Another Glatorian is approaching?

Ah, yes, Vastus. Coming from Tesara on a visit, eh?

What, villager? Vastus, would you be willing to tell the villager a story of the Core War?

Good. How about when you and Certavus first met, right before the end of the war...?

Vastus' Tale: The Spring
TO BE CONTINUED......