Magic vs Science

Annie

I launched my weight as I reached the bluff. The mech hovered just in front of me.

I let out a loud cry - of both pain and fury - as I leapt onto the back of the mech, my scimitar driven deep into the metal. I ignored the crackling of the electricity around me, ignored the tingling in my hands and arms, and ripped my sword back out, taking a wing with me.

The mech shuddered and began to fall.

I let go of the machine and pushed away from it, evolving back into my dragon form.

I saw the human as the mech turned to face me, but all he would see was an enormous, clawed paw taking hold of the metal and slowly crushing it. I highly doubted the piece of scrap would hold up against a 20 thousand pound dragon!

More info flashed. The specialty unit was in trouble.

As the electricty subsided, Axel delivered a brutal, bone-crushing kick to the now-smoking form of Garrick, grounding him. The red hue surrounded Axel's boots again, and he swept into the air. From another compartment shot a small, spiked rod, which sank into the soil. Sparks flew from the rod, then a burst of crimson energy emenated from it, forming a dome-like cage around Saera and Garrick. The dome's circumfrance shrank slowly, and soon if would be small enough to crush the life from those trapped inside.

Axel flew on, swerving and dodging through the chaos.

Conversation buzzed.

"Very well, Mischa," Axel relented, as his eye piece indicated increasing damage. "Take who you have. Now."

Skirting a thick grove of pines, the dragon came into view. Any explosive could risk damaging the specialty unit, so Axel favored a long, laser-powered sniper rifle. Reaching under his cape, he unclipped the gun and brought it to his face. The scope slid into place, and Axel aimed for the creature's chest.

He fired, the recoil pitching him back several feet through the air.

Mishca

I watched as the cave contracted, growing smaller and smaller, getting closer and closer to crushing the two inside.

-Very well, Mischa, take who you have. Now- Axel relented.

"Come on, we have to retreat!" I shouted. "There's too many of them and the village has already fallen. We gain nothing by staying and fighting."

"We can't leave them," the male Avian protested, indicating the two trapped in the red energy cage.

"Come on, let's try and break it," the female Avian agreed. They took to the air and tried to grasp the intangible energy barriers which caused their bodies to shake with the high voltage. Meanwhile, the dragon groaned as Axel's sniper rifle took her in the chest. Damn it. The group were going to get themselves killed. How ironic that this was the one time we wanted some to survive.

The two struggling with the energy cage cried out in pain and frustration and what choice did I have? Time was essential and if they wouldn't leave without those two...

"Move out of the way!" I shouted.

"Why? What are you going to do?" the male Avian asked as they both obeyed.

"Whatever it is, it had better be quick," the female added. I raised my arm and fired a concentrated beam of flames at the top of the energy cage.

-What are you doing?- Axel asked.

-The others wont leave without them. If you release them, I get credit for saving them and I can encourage the group to run- I replied.

-Very well- With that, the cage disintegrated.

Garrick struggled against the shrinking field. Soon he stopped because physical strength was getting him no where. His ribs hurt and he couldn't feel the lower half of his left arm. It had to be quick.

"Ishnu, asham, kuruni!" The field dissipated leaving Garrick totally exhausted, "Get out," was the last thing he said before passing out.

(Guys, we're getting no where fast. Lets try and wrap it up. What do you think?)

Annie

I felt it before I heard the blast. A searing pain that rocked my whole body, knocking the breath from my lungs, as blood smeared across my chest.

I groaned, freediving for the ground as I steadily weakened. I was losing too much blood...

"HK-47! Finish it off!" I heard the general call from the distance. I looked up to see him replace the gun to his belt...the weapon that had wounded me.

The mech turned his own weapon on me as I staggered. Everything was blackening and blurring...a softening snarl curled my lip.

"Die, beast," the man in the machine spoke as he began to pull the trigger.

I don't think so!

I rushed forward, fangs brandished. I snapped, latching onto the metal as another gun went off, another focus of pain through my foreleg and across my cheek. I shook the mech, using my paws to tear the piece to shreds. The man fell through the gap in my teeth and landed, shaken between my feet.

I dropped the metal and bent to stare at him, growling fiercely. I noticed that, with a single snap, I could devour him whole.

General! Withdraw your forces, or he dies! I inched closer to the mech's pilot to emphasize my point.

(All right. Fine with me. And I just realized I'd been spelling Mishca's name wrong. >>)

"All units stand down."

Axel closed his eyes. Thinking.

The threat to the pilot's life meant nothing. The unit was as good as trashed, and even it wasn't, he could find another pilot. Withdrawing would allow Mishca's infiltration to progress, yet the village had succeeded in remaining a stronghold for far too long. So he would bargain.

He flipped a switch on the side of his headset so that his voice would project throughout the area.

"Dragon," he said, voice emotionless, "we will cease our attack only if you leave the village to us. We will grant you five minutes to fully abandon the village, then an additional six hours until we raise arms against you again. Do you find these conditions satisfactory?"

Garrick was helped to his feet by Saera. There were many people surrounding them, one lifter her hand, "Hurry, we have to get out of her."

Garrick nodded, but nearly fell to the ground. "Here, I'll take him." A male Avian took him and helped him walk away from the destruction and carnage.

Annie

I ground my teeth together, pulling away from the pilot. He relaxed almost instantly.

You speak wisely. This war will last much longer if you refrain from battling me. I am your true opponent here.

I glared at the mech's pilot, using the back of my paw to toss him aside. Then I took a step forward, putting my foot where the man had been. The force was enough to shake the ground around me.

Meet me in the basin four miles north. There, we will fight. I'll be waiting.

I took off, flying to the location I had set, where I would use nature's magic to heal the majority of my wounds and then wait.

Saera caught up with Garrick and the avian.
"You saved me yet again."
Garrick nodded. "Can't have everyone dying. We need all the help we can get."
Saera motioned for them to stop. "Let me help." Saera pulled out a bottle from her pack. "Drink this."
Garrick looked at it suspiciously. "What is it?"
"Something to take the pain off. It'll taste horrible, but it will help renew your strength."
Garrick undid the stopper and drank the contents. "You're right. It does taste terrible."
Sarea looked around the group, fleeing the fallen village. "What now?" She wondered.

Garrick marvaled at his renewed strength. Picking up his gun blade he said, "We can rest at my place. I have made a home in the mountian there." He pointed to the east. "We should reach it by sundown."

(Just so we have some where to go.)

"The dragon misunderstood me," Axel said, still broadcasting his voice as Annie departed. "Perhaps I should clarify – I meant all of you. You will leave this village to us, unless you mean for us to forcibly … remove you once again. I have reinforcements waiting. It would be to your benefit to live and fight another day. Five minutes. Then six hours. It's yours decission to make."

Not that Axel would ignore the dragon's challenge. He would be there. It was too good an oppertunity to waste.

Saera nodded once, but looked over her shoulder.
"We have six hours to disappear before they come after us again." She looked around through the bush. "Everyone's scattered. How are we going to re-group?"
The avian pointed to himself. "I can fly fast."
"And find everyone?"
Garrick shrugged. "For now, we gotta get out of here."

(Sorry for the lack of posts. I did a "student for a day" thing at a college I'm planning on going to. It was a three hour drive just to get there so I had to wake up at 5 in the morning. As soon as my dad and I got back into our own town we had to go straight to Karate so we wouldn't be late. By the time I got home I was too tired to do anything else other than sleep.)

(By the way, when you guys say mech the first thing that pops up in my head is the game called Armored Core. The mechs in those games are super huge. I'm guessing the mechs in this storybook are about twice the size of a human?)

Duran, or Renegade as he preferred to be called, looked at his mech. The dragon had trashed his mech. It had torn off the propulsion engine on the machine's back to get into the cockpit. The mech needed extensive repairs before it would be battle ready again, that is, if it could be repaired at all. The damage was so extensive Renegade thought he may need a new mech all together.

He thought about how this happened, how the dragon had been able to sneak up behind him without him even knowing. Either his skills were slipping or he finally found a worthy opponent.

The dragon's last words echoed through his mind, "Meet me in the basin four miles north. There, we will fight. I'll be waiting." Once his mech was fixed he would do just that. He would show the creature what it meant to challenge him.

Axel came to stand beside him. "You're slipping, Renegade."

Renegade grunted as he turned to walk away. As he left he said, "I need a transport to carry the remains of my mech back to HQ. Call the maintenance team, my mech needs repairs before our next battle."

*Mind if I jump in?*


Name: Coden Desaret

age: 30

side: Magic

powers: inferno (ability to manipulate and create fire)

history: Once a great warrior, he left the magic army in pursuit of one goal: to recover his wife from the technological superpower that threatens their society. The army refused to help him, for they all thought it to be suicidal. So, for that past six months he has searched for not only a way to get into the heart of the enemy, but people stupid enough to assist him.

personality: rough and stubborn, but wise at the same time. He assists those that need it, and has a soft side for adolescents.

looks: http://chaotixwolf.deviantart.com/art/A ... r-55896880

weapon: two two-edged swords connected by a long retractable chain, can connect together for one large weapon. Made of fire resistant metal.


Sparks spit out of the remains of the mech. Coden sheathed his weapons on either side of his waist, the chain hanging limply in front of him. The surrounding foliage of the forest was burnt and destroyed, leftovers of the ended battle. Coden took one last look at the wreck, and continued on his way.

that one didn't have any information either. Instead, he had insisted on attacking him. A mistake in itself, when Coden was on a short fuse.

He remembered the thick bruise that was forming on his side. Still, he had put up a fight.

Sighing, he began to wander into the forest again. As he always did. But now he sensed something, something different... something powerful.

Mishca

I was beginning to despair. These people weren't listening to me. Did they somehow sense that I didn't belong with them, that I was not one of them? Letting out a sigh, I kicked at a clump of Earth as I trailed after the others who were flocking towards the forest with the aim of reaching one of the Eastern mountains.

"I don't believe we've met," I turned to face the man whose place we were heading to.

"No we haven't. I'm Mishca," I replied enthusiastically. He seemed a little taken aback by this and I realised that I did not know these people's customs. Were they cold and reserved like the army? But had I not already seen signs of compassion?

"Garrick," he told me. "You lived in the village? Only, you don't look the type to be fighting."

"No, I'm not from around here but I thought it was about time I put my skills into use. I owe the world that much." I smiled brightly, a little uneasy at how agreeable I was finding their company but pleased that the mission appeared to be going well.