PAST
Pain. First sensation once awake. Great pain. Chest. Familiar pain. Back broken once. Agony. Confusion. How? Remember. The Hunt. Scent of killbeast. Mind of killbeast. So long, hunting. Long days. Very tired. Ambush! Pain. Great pain. Now, much more pain. Verbal communication, pain in chest. Loud noise. Killbeast? No. Myself?
Voice
Death?
Death? Echoes. Me? Dying? No! Eamon not die! Rise! Restraints!!! Great pain. Great noise. Peace. Calm. Pain? What is pain? Sleepy. Must sleep. No! Open eyes! Must open. Where. Ice. Cave. Tubing. Metal. Steam. Different noise. Banging. Clanging. Whirring. Pain. Loud noise. Self.
Voice
Still live.
Different voice. Familiar. Agasan. Coward. Run from killbeast. Bloody Tusk never run! All are prey to Ja'ir.
Voice
Rest. Everything will be better.
Nice voice. Pleasant. Soothing. Loving. My Empress. I do for you. Everything. Dwelling of The Operator. Half Ja'ir, half machine. Remember. Was here, long ago. Nice...Sleeeeep... Darkness. Weightless. Machine noise. Familiar. The Operator is rebirth. The Operator is god. Bright. Sunlight. Nice, cold air. Refresh. Strong. Stronger then before.
Empress
Killbeast hypernetic will be your symbol of power. Face of steel, conquering all in your path. So sexy.
Front limbs, strong. Same. Back limbs, one different. Hypernetic. Chest also. Heavy. Body adapting. Deeper paw print in snow. Will compensate. Will led Bloody Tusk in glorious hunt. Will mate with Empress. Heat in chest. Loins. Back limbs strong. Hold full weight. Communicate defiance to raging snow. Pack surrounds. Eamon reborn!
PRESENT
Day 33
Roxy
Welcome back to Coalition Carnage. We're nearing the end of our 'go home tour', a ten day extravaganza where we broadcast from the most stunning locales Dycord has to offer, along with a couple games for our Superstars. But, it will be no games today, though, as it's battle day and the batch we have lined up will leave you breathless, wanting more! But first, a few program changes for the coming days.
Bird squawk annoying. Planet too warm. Dwelling, space ship, crowded with objects. Always breaking. Too close. Omniband around neck. Dislike. Finally. Beeping. Ready for hunt. Tense. Bird on screen keeps chirping. Bet delicious. Knock at dwelling door. Tasty looking Human. Pokes biteable head inside.
Pilot 2
I just had to see you up close. Good luck out there. My daughter has your stuffed toy. Wait until I tell her.
More meaningless words. Gratitude. Slight tingle. Somewhere else. Dirt under paws. Little gravity, no air. Sustenance on. Not much time. Must end hunt before Sustenance end. Crowded. Dead machines, stacked, high as glaciers. Familiar. Hunted here before. Last prime hunting season. Many ambush spots. Locate prey. Listen for thoughts. Simple. Found. Not far. Fear. So much fear, yet determination. Prey will fight. Good. Stalk prey. Prey mind not on hunt. Same thought repeats.
Eamon(thinking)
When one hunts, stray thoughts led to fatal mistakes.
Narshira
What!? Tarshira, did you hear that?
Eamon(thinking)
It is I, the one who will devour you. Eamon of the Bloody Tusk.
Narshira
So, the stories are true. Ja'ir have telepathic abilities. Can you hear me talk?
Eamon(thinking)
I hear your thoughts as you speak them. Your mind is very chaotic, yet organized. Never encountered such.
Narshira
Glad to impress. You can exit my mind now.
Eamon(thinking)
Your brother, Bram. You believe he disappeared after his successful hunting twenty seasons past.
Narshira
Don't need a recap.
Eamon(thinking)
The thought of seeing him again must consume every thought. I believe you will succeed.
Narshira
Can't wait.
Many emotions. Small meals, but enough. Savor.
Roxy
The two Superstars look for each other among the discarded debris of the Junk Moon. Who will gain the upper hand first.
See prey. Spring ambush.
Voice
Micro-tek?
Narshira
B...Bram?
Illusion distracts. Display head as trophy. Past defeat, forgotten.
PAST
99th Coalition Carnage: The Finals
Heat in chest. Release. Human reacts instantly. Last killbeast missile evaded. Rage. Must kill magic man. Rush him. Smother with body. Missed. Where-. More pain. Magic attack. Magic, unnatural. Unfair. Will not fall. Use spider limb hypernetics to break ground. Throw at magic man. Snow stuff from neck collar saves again. More magic. Hate magic. Spider limbs allow faster movement. Close distance before action. Jaws wide. Flash of light. Darkness.
Empress(thinking)
Death?
Weak. On back. Spider limbs, broken. Killbeast eyes dark. Voices.
Empress(thinking)
You are not worthy.
No. My Empress Ulsa, the most beautiful. Please, forsake me not. Open eyes. Let her see I- No! Gold eyes, so hateful. Beautiful muzzle. Fur like snow. Violet tint now, so close to sun. Room on space dwelling. Where we were to mate after feast of magic man. Agasan? Here? Jealousy. Rage. Cannot move.
Empress Ulsa(thinking)
Siring the next generation goes to another. Eamon must wait another ten cycles.
Agasan(thinking)
Agasan would have won. Found counter to magic. Agasan hypernetics can fight magic. Ask The Operator to be like Agasan.
Kill! Not Empress. Only Agasan. Need better hypernetics. Counter magic. No. Own magic. Traders come to Ja'ir in future. Get soul coal. No more waiting. Ulsa will be Eamon mate.
PRESENT
Spider limbs make approach silent. Prey talking to nothing. Illusion of pack mate. Quickening, jaws wide. Close on nothing. Confusion. See thoughts. Behind! Impact, little pain. Spider limbs, unresponsive.
Narshira
Think I wouldn't catch on to your Soul Style illusion ability? Eat this!
Arrows of fire. Prey has fangs. Quicken to avoid. Not afraid. Arrows interfere with hypernetics. Spider limb connection reestablished. Mobility helps.
Narshira(thinking)
Those hypernetics are amazingly constructed. They must be wired directly into the nervous system. How do the Ja'ir achieve such a feat?
Eamon(thinking)
The Operator allow Ja'ir to rise to pinnacle of perfection.
Narshira
Stay out my head. But I have to ask, why spider legs out the back?
Eamon(thinking)
Snowrachnids are fast.
Show her. Close gap. Prey now has metal club. Uses to hit broken machine into Eamon. Shrug off, no damage. Killbeast missile from chest. Direct hit. Prey unhurt. Shielding. Like Aura Cloak. Change tactics.
Eamon(thinking)
You believe Bram dead. It is understandable. Sad, it would make you.
Narshira
Oh, shut up.
Club comes at head. Avoid left. Ground smashed to rubble. Cannot move. Much gravity. No hold. No restrain. Prey incoming, club ready. All strength in limbs go into ground. Break under paws. Prey lose step. Eamon use jaws. Only bite club. Eamon bite strong. Club broken. Prey quick to throw sharp objects. Bounce off tough hide.
Eamon(thinking)
Let go. Bram dead, cannot change. Only die like him.
Narshira
Shut up!
Limb strike at eyes. Pain. Anger. Her anger. Feed. Drink in. Hot feeling, anger. Now, feel dead machines in mind. Feel another strike. Send machines to prey. Prey avoids.
Narshira
Telekinesis as well?
More machine missiles. Success. Prey knocked into machine mountain. Still feel mind. Shielding again. Prey earning respect.
Narshira
I've seen enough. Introduce yourself, Atom.
Metal creature rising over junk hill, behind.
Narshira
Meet Atom, my oldest. Shake hands, dear boy.
Giant limb coming down. No flee. Never flee. Eamon strongest. Will beat back metal creature. Great pain. So, so great.
Roxy
Unbelievable! Superstar Eamon met Superstar Narshira's Mek-Tek attack head on and got flattened! Time to start the count.
Narshira
Not necessary, if you ask me.
Body broken. Organs crushed. Blood seeping in dirt. Hypernetics non functional. Soul coal still intact inside body. Light gravity help live. Prey feel proud of metal creation. Feed on pride. Feel mind, fill belly. Pride. The best power. Bones like ice. Blood like water. Body restored. Prey notice. No more pride to feed. Panics, as prey tend. Enters metal creature. Telepathic contact severed. Empathy no longer viable. What have will be enough. Body temperature drops. Metal monster now has weapon of fire. Ice Age. The best power.
Roxy
Incredible! Superstar Eamon started to, excuse my term, vomit huge volumes of ice right after he got smushed! And it continues to flow over everything! Do all Ja'ir do that? I have never seen such a feat! Everything is covered in it, including Superstar Eamon! Amazing, Superstar Eamon's entire body is now made of flexible ice, metal parts and all! Superstar Narshira was spared the flash freeze, thanks to her Mek-Tek's flaming sword! And its heavily armed with what appears to be shoulder mount, high caliber ballistics, which go through his ice body, having no effect!
Hypernetics non-functional. Even greater mobility as ice. Greater power. Advance. Prey waits with fire weapon.
Roxy
Superstar Eamon goes right in shooting a blast of what I can only assume is cold at Superstar Narshira's Mek-Tek she called Atom. It's frosting over! What! Atom just burst into flames and is now taking swipes at its assailant! A bear composed of living ice and giant flaming robot, duking it out for supremacy. That's what Coalition Carnage is about!
Metal monster, fire magic. More ice. Ice wave, bury prey.
Roxy
Atom leaps over the coming tsunami of ice, flaming sword seeking what was once fur and flesh! But it only gets more ice and cold as Superstar Eamon's body enlarges to engulf it! Who will win out, ice or fire?!
Ice age waning. Did not feed enough. Must finish. Fire not gone. See prey inside metal fire creature. Paws of ice useless. Must crack shell. Delicious meat inside. More cold. Fire dimming. Metal fire robot holding device. Explosion. Pain inside. Fall. Ice age gone. Spider limb hypernetics non functional.
Roxy
Superstar Eamon is back to normal all too quickly as Atom closes the distance, sword and body still a flamin'! Superstar Eamon charges too! Can he survive the coming inferno?
Brave flames. Avoid strike. Remember where prey. Quickening.
Roxy
Oh! Atom just misses a horizontal slash. Superstar Eamon zips under its guard and grips the flaming robot with massive paws! Superstar Eamon looks undamaged!
Aura Cloak. Useful. Heat in chest. New killbeast missile. Release. All.
Roxy
OMG! Superstar Eamon let loose those dreaded proton torpedoes right into Atom's chest! No sound here on the Junk Moon, but I can just imagine the screech of tearing metal and Superstar Narshira's terrifying scream as death explodes into her cockpit! Atom is down! The fire is out! But Superstar Eamon is continuing to launch torpedo after torpedo. If she didn't teleport out like in her previous round, then she is surely dead!
No more missiles. All fifteen. Search for cooked food. Only hot metal.
Roxy
And 10! Superstar Narshira did not appear so Superstar Eamon emerges victorious!
Teleported away. Now in ship. Hate ship. So small. Settle in corner. Little comfort. Must repair hypernetics. Contact Empress.
Eamon (thinking)
My Empress. I am victorious. Did you see?
Ulsa (thinking)
I saw you best a machine. The woman eluded you. Metal cannot fill belly. You still may not fill mine until you best one of the great beasts of this prime hunting season. I will continue entertaining suitors until I find a correct one.
Mind closed. Anger. Eamon strongest Ja'ir. Does she not see? Does she fear me? She should.
Pilot 2
Congrats on the win, Mr...uh...Eamon, sir. Can you maybe stamp your paw here for my daugh-
Annoy. Rage. Hunger. Prey. Screams.
End chapter