Alright everypony, here's our first chapter entitled "What Lies Ahead".
It is noteworthy that the actual story name is still up in the air...
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“Does this make my butt look big?”
“It’s an eighty-pound heap of refined steel plate. It’s not supposed to look pretty,”
“But does it make my butt look big?”
“...you look fabulous, now can we get a move on?”
“Of course!” Geoffrey declared happily, leading the way outside their tent and into a firestorm. His companion, Trevor he liked to be called, had paid for his lie and began burning horrendously thanks to a well-placed flaming rock.
“Seems like the Mindless Ones of Tekko-Joust are finally stepping up their game!” Geoffrey declared, narrowly dodging another flaming rock. A glance about the mercenary camp proved that Trevor’s fate was not an exclusive privilege; corpses littered the ground and rivulets of blood dribbled down the small hillside. The blasts slowed, then the sound of artillery stopped altogether.
“They’ll start coming, looking for something to eat,” Geoffrey remarked, picking up a few bags and running down the hillside. Any survivors? Nope. Any hope of getting that gold he was promised? Nope. Were things going to get worse for him if he didn’t start running? Eeyup. The young merc rolled his eyes; the city of Tekko-Joust had always been a piss-hole, but had recently fallen into total disrepair. Some blamed the new “management”. Others blamed the ever-consuming Mindless Ones. Geoffrey blamed the economy.
A resonating boom echoed through the empty air, chilling the young mercenary to his core. Geoffrey’s heart stopped, his leg froze, and his mind dared him to look up. He knew what was up there, and what they meant to the lands around here. Finally, he gave in. A quick glance to the sky revealed two massive metal abominations, black spikes protruding from their orb-esque forms. One had (what could barely be called) dark orange eyes, glowing like fire. There was a luster to his glow, a warmth in the stare, something you could feel in your heart. The other, however, had a piercing cold glance from his light-blue metal irises. He didn’t care about who got hurt on his way to glory, just that his realm was kept in check. The two monstrosities boomed at each other for a moment or two before turning their backs to the insignificant soldier-for-hire and hovered off slowly.
“Master of Cold and the Top Flame, always trying to keep their lessers in order,” Geoffrey chuckled, marching off to the west, “Well that leaves me unemployed. None of the cities are within walking distance,” Geoffrey looked out at the glimmering castle in the distance, “and I really never got to go on that vacation my dad promised me before I slit his throat,” a moment of heavy pondering passed.
So with a spring in his step and a whistle in his throat, the great mercenary Geoffrey set off for Castle Variantia.
-Chillz
