NationStates Jolt Archive

Time is slow in this place. The sky, a blazing orange where it pierces the night black, rains as if in finality. A small rock platform balances on a thin spike of rock, a thousand meters tall, which reaches to the sky. At the edge of this flatrock, atop a granite ramp, is a man-made structure. It is beautifully carved from the finest marble, and rimmed with the strongest metals. Light shimmers from it. The gateway back home.

The path to the main body of land is only 2 feet wide for 20 meters from the base of the Gate. At the other side, barring any passage to this valuable object, is a man. He stands atop a rocky hill, the near-darkness aroud him punctuated only by the muzzle flash from his pistols. His clothing is torn, the cape which normally protected him from prying eyes is riddles with bullet holes and rips from claws. Around him lie the bodies of countless enemies, rivers of blood, and a liberal scattering of bullet casings.

A creature aproaches him, a cloth arounds its waist and armour made from animal skins hide most of its hideousness. In its huge hands it holds a rusty axe - 6 feet long. The man pivots slowly and pumps a few rounds into it. As the shots pierce its body, its charge is slowed, and it falls, gently, to the ground. The man keeps blazing in this timeless place.

A small ring on the mans hand is inscribed in english. It reads "Two Korsairs". Around his waist is belt of high explosives. They sway gently as he moves, bumping into each other, so small and subtle. Korsairs home was the target he was to protect. The loss of the Gate to the things beyond it would bring death to all he knew. Yet, he fought for his daughter, who had fallen to the beasts. A great anger rages inside of him - so he keeps firing, as if it would help bring her back.

The ground is illuminated by a flash, then another. A humanoid thing is spraying a machine gun at the man atop the hill. A shot pierces his thigh and its reply is a shot through the shooters skull. The twin pistols, after another two shots click silent. They are dropped without a second thought and an engraved sword is drawn, slowly, inevitably, from its sheath. Once grasped in both hands he poises for the fight. The ghostly arcs the blade takes causes all to fall that get in its way. The masses start to cover any distance between them. Beings of all shapes and varying disgustingness close in.

With snarls and roars the beasts fight and scratch at him. He fights with all his strength, the blade swings once more, the metal itself sensing the end. A circle of bodies fall, cleaved in half, and the sword spears one more as his grip on it is lost. Korsair falls to his knees. He looks up, and for a moment relishes the silence. As the other beasts clamber over the fallen corpses he locates and holsters his pistols. Just as the first beast reaches him it sees he is standing. With a detonator in his hand. Laughing: ..What a way to go. Light envelops the area for a time, then there is only a thin spire of rock, reaching out to the sky...

In a labratory lit by mild lamps, a stone and metal structure blinks momentarily. Its swirling energies like the chaos in a whirlpool create the illusion of water standing vertically inside this ring. Its light flickers on the faces of the armed men surrounding it. But nothing comes through. With a small whumph, the faces go dark, as the energies dissapate. The guns are untrained from it, and the men turn to leave. Another man approaches from behind the line, dressed in a dark blue suit. He walks slowly up the steps to the base of the object, and kneels down, placing a black rose at its base. The men turn back, and in respect, give a moments silence.
After a few minutes the man stands once more, turns and leaves. Never looking back.

OOC: Well, that hurt alot more than i would have thought. A main character is hard to kill off when they are so close to you, but i have cleansed myself and will start afresh. Thanks to anyone that read the thread, there will be no further mention of Korsair or affiliates.