Dam’ien

  <>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

  As he sliced out with his sword, the robot met it with its right blade. As Dam’ien pushed down, the robot swung its left blade at him. He pushed off and a short curved blade appeared that he grabbed in his left hand. He blocked the axe coming from his left and fed Aether into the blade, strengthening it. He felt it hit his other blade, and the force moved through his body for a moment. Glaring at the robot, he was starting to come off his battle rush.

  He looked at the robot as it gazed back at him with the eye facing him. He had known this thing could think, but he was starting to wonder. Could it feel emotions, like pleasure? Pleasure in causing pain in others? Because that blow was aimed at his waist, and that would only cause pain, not take him down. Unless it wanted to cause pain to make him stumble.

  As he tried to break the deadlock, he looked down and then ‘Air Dashed’ away as the robot kicked at him.

  As it fired four Aether bolts from its raised leg, he slashed out with his smaller blade. From it sped a small Aether crescent that hit all of the Aether bolts, exploding them. With the cover from the explosion, he ‘Air Dashed’ to the left. Once he came out, he saw himself looking at the robot glaring at him from one of its other eyes. With a roar, he charged in and as the robot turned, he ducked down to dodge the side slash from the robot. He slashed up and sliced through the right side of the robot, his blade engulfed with Aether.

  As he ‘Air Dashed’ away to the right, he looked at the robot as he came out of it. Without waiting, he felt a snarl forming on his face. The only way to win was to take this thing out, and that meant maiming it first. It looked at him and then it took a step towards where the shield was.

  Dam’ien felt his mind go blank as he looked at the robot, and he felt his will going stronger. He knew what he had to do, but not how. But he had no other choice, it was time to charge in. With a roar, he ran at it and slashed out with his smaller blade three times. With each slash, an Aether crescent shot away and sped at the robot. The robot blocked three of the crescents with its two axes but one of them hit and exploded on the robot’s chest. The explosion died away and revealed a small hole in the robot’s chest. With a scowl on his face, Dam’ien jumped to the side and slashed out with his longer blade, Aether on its blade. The attack sliced through the eye facing right and the robot turned quickly.

  But Dam’ien ‘Air Dashed’ away, landing five feet in front of the robot, and looked at it as its forward eye flashed. With a grin forming on his face, Dam’ien knew that he was making progress. As long as he could keep it up, he knew that could win. Just had to keep going.

  But then he went still as bolts of Aether shot hit him from behind, going through his body and both shoulders. As he felt the pain, he gritted his teeth as he coughed up blood. ‘Air Dashing’ ten feet up, he dropped onto the top of a tree beyond the burnt clearing. He glared and saw the five large equine creatures with crystal horns. As the larger one in the middle looked at him, Dam’ien growled.

  “Aether Skill; Self-Healing!” He barked as his body was engulfed in a green glow. He felt the wound that these things had given him heal over, and then he looked at the monsters. The one thing that he hated beyond all things was something getting the drop on him. And to attack him from behind? That made him want to kill these things.

  <>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

  Unicorn Alpha

  <>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

  As the Alpha looked at the creature in the trees, it felt its heart go faster. That movement Might have been amazing. The perfect way to rush down prey and the perfect way to get in close. With something like, it would be able to do so much! The first thing it would do was track down the monster that had taken its old hunting grounds. Once that thing paid with its life for killing the Alpha’s kin, then it would feed the corpse to the others. The Might that could be harvested from that thing would make them all stronger. And then they would rule! And then there was the other find.

  But then it looked at the other and saw the shell around it. That shell looked strong enough to take such strength to break. That alone would make the Alpha so strong! But even better, it was wounded. And that was why it had attacked the other. Both of them had shells, and they both needed to fall. But then the other had healed it, and that was a problem it would solve itself. With a neigh, it gave the other beasts their orders. The other creatures started to fire at the creature on the ground. It would handle the one in the tree.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  <>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

  Dam’ien

  <>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

  As the other unicorn things attacked the robot, Dam’ien gritted his teeth. These had to be the reason that the Federationists had changed that shield. The beasts tried mind control to get them to walk to the slaughter. But they hadn’t tried that first, and that was something interesting. It told him that they needed a being to look at them first, that they needed to be watching them. But his helmet was made to be immune to all visual mind control abilities. Anything that life that uses Aether could throw at him wouldn't work. And if his brain started to change, his visual system would switch to radar sensor feed. Showing him a wire-frame view of what was before him, blocking the mind control.

  And that meant that he had a way to get close when they tried their mind control. He just needed to act like it worked on him, move closer, and then strike. But first, he needed to thin the herd.

  So he held up his hands and a technological-looking bow appeared. Grabbing it with both hands, he had a choice to make. The best thing to do was use his range weapons to destroy the robot first, but he hesitated. The beasts outnumbered both of them, so the normal choice would be to help his foe. But should he?

  He saw the beasts attack the robot and saw some of them shoot it as one of them charged it with its head down. Say what you will about him, he hated bullies most of all. So there was just one thing that he could do now. Pulling back the string of the bow as he fed Aether to it, he aimed as an Aether bolt formed. Releasing the string, the bolt he created flew and hit the charging unicorn in the head. He had expected the bolt to kill the creature, but it didn't. Instead, it only sent the beast over five feet into the air before it hit the ground. The robot looked at him with its head before it nodded and then it charged at the other two unicorns.

  He nodded and then jumped into the air as his mask detected shots being fired at him. As the Aether shots passed beneath him, he fired two bolts from his bow. Both bolts hit the two unicorns that the robot was charging at. The first shot caused the first Unicorn to stumble as its right front leg was blown off at the knee. As it went down, the robot was there, slammed its right axe hand through the unicorn’s neck, beheading it.

  Dam’ien landed on another tree and fired again, this time at the largest one. Each bolt he fried was met by an opposite blasé from the bigger one as the beast glared at him. Then his mask sent him another warning, and he ‘Air Dashed’ up. The move let him dodge a bolt that was fired from his left. In the air, as he came out of the ‘Dash’ ten feet up, he saw the first unicorn he had hit was getting up. Without thinking, he ‘Air Dashed’ above that monster and let his bow go. As his weapon disappeared, he held out his hands as his largest sword formed. As he hit the ground, he slammed his sword through the middle of the first Unicorn’s body.

  The two parts of the Unicorn slammed to the ground as blood gushed out of the still-living pieces.

  Dam’ien looked towards the robot and saw it slam its right hand onto the Unicorn it had been fighting’s horn. For a moment, nothing happened before there was a loud cracking as the Unicorn exploded.

  <>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

  Unicorn Alpha.

  <>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

  As the explosion from his killed minion threw the Alpha into the air by the shock wave, the Alpha fumed in anger. To think that the fools that it had brought with it from the caves were so weak! The beasts that had stayed behind to give their lives for the herd were made of sterner stuff! If just one more of them had lived, then this hunt would have been over by now!

  As the explosion cleared it saw the other creature had fallen over, its head blown off. With a scowl, it moved closer to the body and then reared back. The inside of the thing wasn’t made of food, and it smelled completely disgusting! What was this thing and where was the Might it had!?

  Then it looked at the other one, and the Alpha saw it get up. Without wasting time, it used its Might to pull the thing towards it. As the prey thing started to walk towards it, the Alpha grinned as it looked at the thing as it stumbled. This was the way that it was supposed to work. The Might the Alpha had would bring the creature to it, and then it would eat. Sure the creature would fight back once it felt pain, but by then it would be too late.

  As it opened its mouth as the prey got closer, suddenly the prey disappeared. As the Alpha looked around in shock, the beast felt pain as its legs on its right suddenly weren’t there! The creature fell to the ground and then it looked up through the pain. It saw the other prey beast forming its long claw. In that moment, the Alpha understood that the prey thing had tricked it and it felt what passed for respect. To live and die by the Might was the way of the island. Should it be bothered by how it was being killed as it had killed others?

  <>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

  Dam’ien

  <>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

  As he slammed his largest blade through the neck of the largest beast, Dam’ien smirked as he looked around. Everything was destroyed and the threat to his life was over. But now to deal with the spoils and the result of combat. With a heavy heart, he looked at the destroyed robot and sighed as he walked towards it. His mask could still see traces of Aether in it, and that was one mystery that he had to solve here and now. Anything that he took back with him, could mean the differences to his Emperor’s dreams coming true!

  Looking over the robot remains, he took stock. The robot had lost its arms and its right head when its head was blown off. Looking around, he saw the head a few feet away. With a small sigh, he walked over to it. The head and the body were going back with him, and hopeful he would have his answers. If not then he would be able to give the robot a proper send-off by burying the head.

  <>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

  ?????????????

  <>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

  ALERT! Biologic Platform with Gene Line 002! Aether Capable!

  ALERT! Technologic Battle Platform displaying Aether Abilities!

  REPORT! WHERE DID VARIABLES COME FROM?!

  New Specimen Location Under Technologic Shield! Both Weapon Platforms came from within Shield!

  Sending two Specialized Observation Platforms to the Specimen Site! All other concerns are to be lowered! Begin creation of Specialized Shield Units to watch Void Approach! Follow orders!