The giant White Vantoran wolf woke at the top of a mountain. Named Shadow by his master, in reflection of a literal giant shadow, a companion that would stick with its warrior master through battle, victory and sadness. He thought about where his master would be since they became separated, but in any case he knew that his master Cyklo would be fine. Last thing Shadow remembered was being on a supply ship and being boarded by men that appeared to be Solar Navy. Then he fell asleep not by choice.
A Vantoran wolf, once aligned with its master, will stick by him or her to the edge of the world - or in this modern age of Sparking - the edge of many worlds. The union between wolf and warrior is instilled at a young age, an everlasting bond that has been part of the Vantoran culture for centuries. Only Vantoran's with a specific gene traced back from their giant ancestors can bond with a Vantoran wolf.
The world around Shadow was green, vast and mountainous. From his high peak position he could see the black ocean to the west, and more green forestry to its opposite, with small fires scattered around in anticipation for the night. Shadow sniffed, he was hungry. The twilight air was crisp but carried on it a delicious aroma from the forest area that slid into his nostrils like a dream-like therapeutic fixation. He licked his nose with his big, long, wet tongue to get rid of the tingling sensation in his mouth caused by excessive salivating in anticipation of an enjoyable treat. Whatever that smell was, he made his way towards it.
Galloping through the dense forest, much like a dressage thoroughbred only slightly less elegant and more heavy-footed due to his sheer size, Shadow made his way down the mountain. Leaping over fallen trees with relative ease, his stride long, his pace quick, he soon reached the aroma. Slowing to a crawl, he saw a clearing in the trees ahead. A large fire was the centerpiece for a group of large beastly, hairless creatures. Even their heads were bald. Humanoid in shape, they had two arms two legs standing upright like Shadow's master. They had light brown skin with scarring all over their arms, looking as though they had been through many battles. Their arms were bare, but the rest were covered in some sort of old broken armour. Through the darkness the glow of the fire was bright enough for Shadow to make out an insignia badly scratched into the chest plate of one of the creatures. He and his master had battled them before on another world, they were Kreytonians.
Shadow's thoughts were suddenly shifted towards a large piece of barbecued meat sitting unattended just a few feet away from the Kreytonians. He sniffed again confirming the source of his journey down the mountain. He crept slowly towards his dinner licking his nose again, when he heard a twig snap next to him. He stopped and looked towards the sound. Standing a few feet away was one of the ugly beasts staring and smiling at him. Kreytonians are savage barbaric ogres whose origins are from a distant forest wold, Kreyton. When the Sovereign Alliance initiative took shape most Kreytonian's became more civilized moving into many of the twelve Sovereign Worlds. Others stayed on their home world, and some became scavengers, flying around the known universe hijacking supply ships and luxury private starcraft, stealing whatever goods and weapons were onboard. But, as it appears, a small clan was living here. Shadow still didn't know he was on the Combat World.
The smiling Kreytonian chomped and laughed. "Mmmm, you'll cook up well." His voice was so deep and raspy his words were almost unrecognizable. He began stomping towards the giant white wolf.
Shadow growled, dug his paws into the ground and sharpened his stance ready to pounce. Before he could make his attack a giant blue directional pulse shot past his head crashing into the Kreytonian. There was an electronic crackling sound as it hit his chest plate. The huge Kreytonian moaned in agony as he smashed hard onto the ground with a thump. He was out cold.
Shadow spun around to the direction the pulse originated and saw a young girl, about late twenties, walking out of the darkness holding a blaster over her shoulder that was nearly as big as her. Her hair was cyan blue and magically illuminating her attractive face. Her piercing blue eyes were looking right through Shadow. She had a beautiful soothing voice. "I've been waiting for you Shadow." she was wearing tight black pants with military style black boots. Her black t-shirt had both sleeves torn off. The girl had no scars, cuts or bruising anywhere. She walked up to the giant white wolf and rubbed under his chest roughing up his hair, the normal sized girl could only reach Shadows chest area. "After we take them out we split their dinner."
Shadow didn't know why but somehow against all traditional he had aligned with the mysterious young girl.
The girl looked at Shadow. "You can understand me right?" She knew he understood. "You take the left I'll take the right." She whipped her blaster off her back and straight out in front locking it into her shoulder. She looked at Shadow and nodded. Parting ways they each made their direction towards the group of twelve Kreytonians who hadn't noticed their friend was missing.
Shadow crept up behind the group, he could only take three at once. Launching his massive body using his back legs, he shot towards three of the beasts knocking them down with his extended out front legs. The middle Kreytonian came crashing down into the fire, flames licking his face while he screamed a symphony. The other two huge beast's fell either side, Shadow instinctively lunged at each of them and ripped their necks. He looked across the fire to see the blue haired girl blasting the remaining beasts one by one with the blue pulse, falling over like bowling pins. The last remaining beast began running towards her with a giant axe. She didn't fire her blaster, instead she flipped it around to look at the side of it. "Shit!" She banged it with her hand. "Come on!" It wasn't working. She held the gun like a sword as the oversized axe came down at her. She put one leg back to brace for the impact and gripped the blaster tight. The axe and blaster collided with a deafening metallic clang. Holding the position the girl looked up at the giant beast and snarled at him.
The beast started laughing. "I think I'll eat your pretty face first!"
She smirked at the Kreytonian. "Eat this!" She screamed a war cry and a blue field started to glow around her. She dropped one hand off the blaster and turned it into a fist. Sending a massive uppercut directly to the beasts head, she launched herself up into the air with the beast still at the end of her punch. They both flew up into the air a good thirty feet, she grabbed his neck and tossed him back down at terminal velocity smashing into the ground below. He landed so hard all that was left was a smoking crater and a lifeless body in the centre.
Shadow watched in awe, he had never seen any human capable of such things or have such immense power to take out a group of Kreytonians with relative ease. Kreytonians are born savages, with colossal strength, so for a young girl to take them out the way she did she must have an ultimate power. Shadow knew of these mythical people, but they were not known to exist. She couldn't be a Star Child. Could she?
The girl floated back down to the ground still a glow and walked over to the barbequed meat picking up the great Kreytonian axe up on the way through. She swung it above her head and spilt the huge piece of juicy delicious meat in two. She tossed the axe, picked up the two pieces and walked over to Shadow. "Here you go." He was satisfied with the cut of his share to which he quickly devoured, but was soon stopped by the sound of engines overhead. Looking up he saw a craft descending from above stopping only just below the top of the trees, to which it began to flood the area with light and immense cyclonic winds.
Behind the girls' ear circuitry tattoos began to glow, a form of communication that had been increasingly popular since it was invented, making it easy to communicate with anyone just by willing it with your mind. It wasn't telepathy, you still had to speak out loud for the devices microphone to pick up your voice. "Derek, nice of you to show up!"
Derek was in a Class 4 Roseneck, a large ship about forty foot long, it was a clunky rectangular shape, but it did the job. It was a transporter for the Roseneck Faction mostly, however was also equipped with some serious weapons. You never know when a battle will occur on the Combat World. The sky craft was a grey colour with blaster burns all over, as though it had seen many, many battles. Up in the bridge of the Class 4 Derek looked out into the night forest. "Maybe invite me next time Kairah, instead of us following a trail of destruction. I see you've got a new friend?"
Kairah reached up to pat Shadow under his chest again when he fell to the ground like a small playful puppy. She began to rub his fluffy belly.
"Is that a Vantoran Wolf?" Looking around at the large Kreytonian bodies with their throats gone, Derek was excited but also a little terrified.
Kairah, still rubbing the white giants belly responded. "He sure is aren't you?" She rubbed faster and Shadow began to howl with happiness and satisfaction.
"If he's with you the other factions don't stand a chance!" Derek was happier now with the realisation that they were pretty much invincible.
Kairah laughed, still rubbing Shadows belly. "That's right! This is Shadows game now!"