First Bolt Shell: Legion of One

[greyerrant]

Characters: Garviel and you
Setting: Multiple floors
Format: Prose
Summary: Garviel wanders the tower doing various things including kicking butt
Warnings: Anything is possible including a heck of a lot of violence. Definitely descriptions of blood and war.



Floor Fifty-Six:

A huge armored figure is wandering the strange hospital ward, as if seeking something he has forgotten. He calls a name every now and then.
"Ferrus? Samus? Aqua? Nikolai? Arturia?"

Nothing but silence greets him. Lights flicker as he moves from room to room, a grey ghost of a battle that was fought in this very tower, and on a thousand other worlds as well. And yet... there is something plaintive in the sounds of the names he calls out in this place.

Floor Sixty-Seven (NIGHT)
The strange twining staircase has become a veritable waterfall of gore, blood and ichor slicking the steps from iron to light in all hues as the sound of battle crashes higher up. It would appear Cerberus set upon a band of orcs at night, or the band set on him, and he decided to single-handedly re-enact the battle of Ullanor. He holds one aloft, just over the edge of the stairs, his armor scarred by their cleavers and bows, then casts it down, smashing it into a pulpy, broken mass onto the stairs itself. His armored chest heaves, and he turns, growling in an almost-feral manner as he continues his ascent. Dare you approach?

Floor Twenty-Five: The grey knight stands vigil in the meadow, his massive form suggesting a grim sentinel in an otherwise beautiful place. He appears to be... shocked by it. Completely at a loss of what to do in a place of undespoiled natural beauty which has not been touched by war.

Floor Fifteen: A pale-skinned man one size too large to be human appears to be working dents out of a breastplate using the tools available in the workshop, hammering away at them in a less then adept manner. It would seem he has only enough skill to effect the most basic repairs on his own armor. Care to offer him some advice?

Comments

Floor 25

[tohko_amano]

After finishing up her library duties, Tohko had come down to the twenty-fifth floor, holding a copy of The Little Prince, Stardust, and Good Omens, all with the intent to read and eat them in peace and quiet while mulling over things. However, when she saw a familiar face, she couldn't help but go over to him, smiling. He looked a little..surprised.]

Hello! It's nice to see you again..but what are you thinking about, if you don't mind my asking?

Re: Floor 25

[greyerrant]

I'm wondering why this place doesn't seem to be touched by war or horror. I've never been in a place like this before, and I've visited over 200 worlds in the course of my undertakings.

floor 67 cause rin's got balls

[angramaintsu]

"Geez, are you really going to eliminate them all? Someone might be upset that you haven't left any for them."

While it may be unknown if she's the one who intentionally gave Garviel away (what, tricking monsters onto people might be a sick hobby some people in this tower have) or if she just happened upon the scene, one thing's for certain.

Those red eyes are wide with curiosity. "Careful now, you don't want to be exhausted when you're this far away from the dormitory level."

Floor 56

[scorchedchivalry]

[Saber hadn't found this floor to be anything to bother with. In fact, she wouldn't have even stopped at it if she had not heard an all-too-familiar name drifting to her as she passed the door.

Stepping inside, she assumed the armored being was calling for her other self. In a dress of black and unarmored, Saber stopped inside the door.]

I do not believe you will find her here.

[As Saber couldn't sense the presence of her other self on the floor.]

[greyerrant]

"I will purge all that I find, yes. They have been the foes of humanity since we first came to the stars."

He pauses, turning to her, blood dripping from his fingers and splattered over his chest, turning the grey warrior an incarnadine color.

"I am not tired. I can fight for up to a week with minimal ill effects, as long as I am supplied with food."

He pauses for a moment, as if weighing his words, then says,

"Thank you for the expression of concern, Mamzel, but this is my duty."

herp derp sorry

[greyerrant]

I had... thought as much.

[ His massive shoulders sag, not so much from disappointment as acceptance that he is alone here. ]

I have not seen them in some time, almost a month, now.

[ He pauses for a moment, eyeing Saber. ]

Thank you for your help. You know.... Samus, Arturia, or Aqua then?

[scorchedchivalry]

[Saber was silent for a long moment before answering.]

Look at me, warrior.

[She raised her head, eyes - though pale yellow instead of green - level and unyielding. Saber knew that she looked different than she once did, but she also knew she WAS recognizable.]

And answer your own question.

[greyerrant]

You....

[ He looks down at her, and is taken aback for a moment, and says. ]

No, it is wrong. She was younger. The eyes are wrong... She was a child to whom I taught the sword. You...

You hold yourself as though you have seen a long war. Or many of them.

Floor 25

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko looked pretty surprised at that, but she continued to smile all the while.]

I see..I'm sorry to hear that you've had to fight for so long that you never saw a place like this. We try not to fight here, since monsters don't come in. It's a small place where you don't have to worry about them..but, you know, we had places like this back home too.

[angramaintsu]

"Well, food isn't all that easy to come by here." Rin voices the concern easily as she waggles a finger. "Right now all we have are those gross nutrition bars and don't tell me those are enough to power your, um, your whatever it is that lets you fight for a week."

Geez, an entire week? Not even a Servant can do that.

[scorchedchivalry]

Many. Including the loss of my own kingdom and betrayals uncountable.

You must speak of the girl with my name that wishes to be a knight that was amongst the visitors from a few months ago. I am not her, but one day she could become me depending on the choices she makes.

I go by the name Saber. I prefer you not to use my true name.

[greyerrant]

I... Understand. [ He reaches up, removing his helm to show his face, still bearing healing, livid pink scars, and grey eyes that meet hers with a look that is hard to pin down. It would seem many emotions war in the last Luna Wolf. ]

It would seem that I do speak of her, yes. [ He nods, slightly, aware of the possibility of such time paradoxes. ]

Then you have my word that I shall always address you as Saber. But I have you at something of a disadvantage, and one that my honor must address. My name is Garviel Loken, though I will ask you to address me as Cerberus, for that is the name I have taken for myself.

[ He closes his right fist, placing it over his chest near his heart, and says. ]

My oath of moment to you then, Saber. I only regret I cannot write it on paper and seal it to my armor at present.

[greyerrant]

"I, ah, have a wider ability to eat than most. Any organic matter will do."

He will leave it at that, so that hopefully rin won't make the conclusion that he was going to eat the orcs if all else failed.

"Gross nutrition bars? They seemed acceptable to me, but we're used to eating a nutrient broth on a slab of protein enriched bread, so that is pretty standard for the Legions."

Re: Floor 25

[greyerrant]

And where was your home?

[ He looks down at her, clearly anxious to hear the tale. ]

[scorchedchivalry]

Cerberus. [She nods.] Your word will suffice. I am a knight and a king, so until I am given reason to think otherwise, I will see your word as honorable and true as I would another knight.

I do not know what kind of warrior you are as I have never seen your style of armor before, much less a man of your size [Seriously, he was bigger than Rider], but I can tell you follow a code.

[greyerrant]

[ He returns the nod ]

I am of the Legiones Astartes. Our code is to stand against the Xeno, the Daemon, and all other enemies of man. But... if you see others of my brethren, I caution you, not all of them keep it. Some are traitors, and have broken their faith and their oaths.

As for my size, I was genehanced to be as I am now. Altered so as to make the best sword and shield for humanity as it was possible to be.

[ He gestures to his armor for a moment. ]

This style is known as Mark VI corvus-pattern war plate.

[scorchedchivalry]

[The details are committed to memory.]

I thank you for the warning. One of your stature is easily identified. It is sad that so many choose to break their oaths and vows. Sometimes I wonder how many truly understand what they are swearing to when they first shoulder that burden.

Floor 15

[hegantha]

Amberley sneaks into the room and taps Garviel on the shoulder. Nevermind that she's sneaking up on a Space Marine of all things. She just thinks that he could stand to loosten up, that's all.

... At least she seems to be in a better mood if she's being playful like this. Maybe her new attire has something to do with it; she's dressed in a cadian imperial guard uniform, minus the helmet.

"Hello there! You're not so bad looking without that armor on."

Floor 25

[tohko_amano]

I lived on a planet called Earth, and in a country called Japan. Where did you live?

Floor 15

[hideandhero]

What's that you got going on there?

[He was obviously working on his armor. Cain had never seen the gribly bits of suck a thing but fancied himself fairly decent at juryrigging stuff, mostly for pranks. Of course, he never let himself get caught by a techpriest.]

You end up breaking it?

[greyerrant]

I was born on Cthonia, though my blood is that of Terra, like yours.

As for where I lived, I have no home.

[tohko_amano]

[At that, Tohko sighed a little. What sort of universe was he from?]

..I see. I'm sorry to hear that, but I've never heard of Cthonia. I assume it's another planet?

[greyerrant]

[ Loken is quiet for a long time as he considers Saber's words, then finally responds. ]

I can't say how many understand it. I think... they had become too proud of their abilities and their war prowess, and forgot the purpose for it. The life of a Knight, or a ruler is that of sacrifice for those protected and ruled.

[ At least, that's what all the best books on ethics and philosophy that he's read have said, and he believes it sincerely. ]

The rarest garvi emote

[greyerrant]

The warrior turns around, sheened by sweat, his chest heaving a bit from exertion. When he turns, Amberley can get a good look at the more recently healed wounds on his body, paler sections where he seems to have been burned, and several puckered scars on his chest that would appear to the eye of an experienced Inquisitor to be healed sword wounds. He looks down at Amberley, blinking a few times in confusion. This may be the first time a woman has ever complimented him on his appearance, and he clearly doesn't know what to say.

"I wasn't aware. My thanks."

He notices her guard uniform, and is intrigued, it looks like an Imperial Army uniform to him, though the iconography is somewhat muddled to someone from the great Crusade.

"You are wearing flak-plate. Good safety discipline in a place like this."

He's doing his best to compliment her, really, but he's incredibly bad at women, as his long-suffering Remembrancer would likely have told her.

[greyerrant]

Just some scratches and dents. I was attacked by a small mob of orks on the stairs and my armor was damaged while I purged them.

[ He frowns slightly, not at Cain but at something he realized about the orks. ]

They were a bit small for Greenskins, and none of them carried any kind of ranged weapon beyond bows. Do we have a feral tribe here? Or do they just lack any Meks to cobble together shootas for them?