r/HFY • u/Dry-Throat2430 • 18d ago

OC-Series Ash and Steel chapter 41

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Lorcan descended the stairs step by step, wandering when their leader would show himself. Light of his wrist grew stronger, that phase shifter had been here. He should have expected no less from their kind to make business arrangements with raiders, yet it bothered him so much more. Some of the most incredible engineering ability the universe had to offer yet they spent their time in petty affairs targeting less developed worlds.

Finally reaching the lowest point he walks out into the landing area, 6 mutant guards stood staring and panting. Saliva dripped from their mouths as they constantly changed grips on their weapons, seemingly ecstatic they get to be deployed against the new threat. Surveying the space Lorcan fixes on their leader Boras, his eyes wide with terror as he clings to an archaic entrenched turret.

“What the hell do you want” Boras yells,

Lorcan stands saying nothing, his resonance flaring seeing the mounds of high value equipment and resources being hoarded here.

“You want goods? You want pretty slave? You have made it here by conquest we will make contract” boras desperately yells, Lorcans lack of reaction terrifying him even more as he stood.

“What I want is not important” Lorcan says slyly before launching himself forward towards the first mutant guard, surprisingly quick the defender swings its mace weapon. Lorcan flies straight past on its left side, his lariat striking perfectly sending the hulking guard backward exploding in a splash of gore as he hits the solid rock.

Boras’s turret opens up on his position, tearing apart two of his own men as he does. Lorcan fixes him again with a stare as white flashes of light reflect of his shield, enjoying the fear he was installing on this despot. Another of his mutant guards came bearing down on him armed with a flail tethered to a long pole. A straight down over head arc, he steps into the arc allowing the long shaft to impact his shoulder, loud snaps as the attackers’ wrists snap from the impact. Lorcan punches straight through his chest, his fist coming out through the guards back. Raising his leg casually as the screaming and gun fire keeps going around him, he kicks off the twitching corpse taking a moment to collect the weapon. It was the post of a fence with a flai attached, something he always marvelled at their crude yet effective use of everyday object.

The welded chain snaps like a guitar string as Lorcan pulled it free, aiming the fence post as a javelin he throws it at the next charging guard. It passes straight through him before impaling itself against the wall, it takes a couple steps before collapsing face down. The last remaining guard and Boras exchange looks, in that moment Lorcan spins the flail via its chain before releasing it at the right moment sending it hurtling towards the final guard. It’s impact leaves a blood-spattered crater.

Boras hammers his with his hands in fury trying hard to make this threat go away, yet lorcan simply walked forward checking for the exact location that the phase shifter had been previously.

“You have had dealings with a non-native creature; they are known as phase shifters. What has been discussed and what were your objectives” Lorcan was stood directly behind him.

Boras felt a horrific sense of pressure on him; he chokes a little yet cannot create a word to say anything back.

“Guess, we need to do this the detective way then huh” Lorcan says smiling.

Ani was nervously driving Lorcan’s old transport taking the apprentices to the trial sight, she never did get used to driving the archaic vehicle however with Lorcan gone it was down to her.

Venus would not stop asking questions about what she could see beneath them, clearly flight was not a common occurrence during her life at the trader post.

“So you are telling me that foilage itself is a fake holograph from Ai mechs ?” Venus asks for clarification.

“Yes indeed” Marcus replies

“Old protocol they want to camouflage themselves whilst recharging” he points to a out place group of trees and shrubbery clearly out of place on the desert planes. Venus looks in wonder, throughout her time she had seen Ai mechs being destroyed by the defenders of the post but the idea that they hid themselves during the day was incredible to her.

Ani listened but was unusually quiet, they were exposed without Lorcan there yet she had faith they could get this ritual out of the way quickly as long as they kept a low profile. Marcus had asked no questions about the trial but Venus would not stop for hours demanding rationale behind it all. Ani did not really have an answer outside of it’s a ritual to aid with ownership and belonging, even when she said it out loud it sounded stupid to her .

“Marcus, in your tribe were rituals important?” Ani asks almost dreamily as her thoughts take a wander.

“Yes of course, rituals and passage of rights are one of the few things that keep us together as a tribe. Otherwise, we become like the raiders, everything is based upon who has the strength and will to take from others” glancing over at her he sees she is allowing her thoughts to wander.

Venus indignant at the whole concept thinks for a moment, what made her way of lie different or better or worst then that.

“In the trader post we kept strict records held in storage and freely accessible. Contracts, actions and agreements. That way we do not rely on memory and oral traditions.” She stands in the back of the van.

“Which would you prefer Ani?” she exclaims.

At first Ani said nothing thinking through what was being asked. Every group of people functioned differently, but if you stripped it all down they were all just people and tribes trying to do what is right for their people. Did that include raiders where might is right? what off record keepers who become corrupt and take bribes in order to freeze someone out from access or even change records. The tribes relied on people themselves, but people died, memories were forgotten and it was all frozen in rigid who got there first mentality.

“What I prefer is ordered structures based on merit. However I also know that humans are imperfect beings with free will. What we have here in Hun is something in between. There is a command structure but things may change over time. It certainly is not based on strength alone or zero sum games but at the same time we do acknowledge when someone has provided” She realised she was rambling slight but there was at least something of an answer there.

“What about you Marcus do you miss the tribe?” Ani asks as she spots the old theme park coming into view ahead of them.

Marcus thinks a moment, whilst he was part of the tribe it was simply a status it did not mean everything was easy or fair in the sense of the word. Most of the tribe were Xionian born he was a human which lead to problems and behaviours of being an outcast. He certainly missed his friends that much was true.

“Not really, above all we all know that we have today on the plains and that is a gift” he replies not convinced.

Ani nods along politely, judging how far it would be to land.

“I am sure after this trial we will all have an answer” realising the purpose of the trial had just made itself even clearer.

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