Colossus By Choice: Book 1 Verse 1

3001 P.G.E. (Post-Godzilla Era)

[Planet: Pyrestar]
[Capital: Silver Sun City]
[Location: Watchtower, capital outskirts]

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At a watchtower built atop the walls that line the outskirts of the planet's capital city, a young Draconi city scout surveys the land. It's rather odd for a youth to have such an important post, considering that he has yet to grow out wings that city scouts consider a requirement for Draconi to join; his current wingless humanoid form is no better for the position than an average Oxbul or even Radent for that matter.

At least Oxbuls have immense strength to temper their incessant tinkering with the equipment. And while Radents are tiny and mischievous, they possess a keen nose for danger that enhances their silent running. But a youngling Draconi? He has none of their strengths.

The answer to this mystery soon makes itself known.

A much larger Draconi with developed wings and a build more similar to True Elder Dragons flies down and perches atop the roof of the watchtower; she peers down inside with her large purple eyes and small chin spikes and waves to her young charge. The young adult takes his eyes away from the telescope to look at his supervisor, though he's less than enthused to see her despite how happy she is to see him.


(Sara): Hey, bro! How's my favourite little brother in the world doing? Been holding down the fort all by yourself?

(Taum): Oh my Godzilla, please stop it! I only accepted your sponsorship because I wanted to get into the city scouts as soon as possible.


The larger and older Draconi sibling climbs down from the roof and stands next to her little brother. Sara puts her scaly clawed hand on his shoulder, but Taum isn't having any of it and pulls away. This removes Sara's smile, but she closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and recomposes herself before she does anything rash.


(Sara): Very well, then. Junior apprentice Taum Thunder-clan Pyrestar, report.

(Taum): Thank you, ma'am. No signs of major activity from this watchtower, nor reports from the others of any major movements. Just standard Monster activity. Only the local apex Rathalos stirred anything approaching trouble, and he was only hunting some Aptonoth somewhat close to the walls.

(Sara): At ease then, junior apprentice.


Taum seems to relax after being officially let off the hook, to which Sara decides to be a big sister again and put her arm around his opposite shoulder. The 2 of them look out across the vast expanse of untamed wilderness stretching in front of the walls that the watchtowers are built upon. The sheer beauty of the lush forests, rivers, and herds of Monsters roaming the landscape can take anyone's breath away; Taum in particular is quite lost in it, despite having been at this post for several hours on end without break and ample opportunity to take it in.

Sara looks down at her younger brother with renewed vigour as the Draconi siblings look out at the sunset.


(Sara): You know, Taum, you don't have to be so serious. You're not gonna grow out wings from your arms and become a disgraced Wyvern-clan just because you sometimes have lapses in the line of duty.

(Taum): I'm not afraid of becoming disgraced, I just.... I want to live up to your example. You make being a city scout look easy.

(Sara): You shouldn't be so eager to throw away your youth. You still have plenty of time to go before you take on the responsibility of wings.

(Taum): Maybe so, sis, but I'm also not gonna be a youngling forever. I want to make sure I'm ready for the world and whatever it throws at me. Monsters, bandits, whatever.

(Sara): You sound like dad. I just want you to cherish your youth, at least until--


The 2 city scouts suddenly take notice of movement in the forest several clicks away. They immediately spring back into action; Taum gets on the telescope once again while Sara runs out from underneath the watchtower roof. The city scout major grabs her caster and takes flight to survey the area from the area while her brother focuses on scoping out the expanse of land beyond the walls. He's still looking directly at the tree line where there's heavy movement, but he can't make out what's causing a ruckus; he can only tell that there's a lot of somethings out there given how much of the forest is rattling.

All of a sudden, several dozen crimson lights shoot out from the trees. They fly into the air for several hundred metres before then arcing downward.


(Sara): ARTILLERY! SCATTER!


One of the artillery shells splits up into 5 smaller cluster munitions that rain down on a section of the walls. Upon coming into contact with it and the ground, the cluster bombs explode violently with red luminescent energy that completely vaporize large sections. Several more of the artillery shells begin splitting up and delivering their scattered payload across the walls sporadically, destroying several large sections outright and fracturing parts still left somewhat intact from the initial payloads.

Above Taum's particular watchtower, Sara is pushing herself to her very limits trying to intercept as many of the artillery shells as she can with her caster's electrical bolts to detonate them prematurely while they're still in the air. Even as she channels all of her Thunder-clan magic to increase her speed, she's still struggling to keep up with the sheer volume of artillery being continually launched from the forest. Eventually, one cluster bomb manages to get past her and flies down towards her brother's post. She flies down after it with all her enhanced speed, but she can only manage to warn him at the top of her lungs.


(Sara): LOOK OUT, TAUM!


The youngling Draconi immediately runs out from the lookout post, trying to get as far away as he can. However, the ball of pure crimson energy impacts the watchtower behind, exploding with such force that he's knocked down from the wall and immediately blacks out upon hitting the ground.

Taum starts to come to, but only barely as he fades in and out of consciousness. There's rubble and flames all around him, and in the distance he can faintly make out Sara engaging in combat with an unknown enemy. Although his vision is somewhat blurry, he can tell that one of his sister's wings is heavily damaged, forcing her to fight tooth and claw on the ground. Sara ends up getting stabbed in the shoulder by her armoured humanoid assailant, but she manages to kill him with a bolt from her caster. Before she can take a breather, she's suddenly stabbed through the chest from behind with a glowing crimson energy dagger.

This second assailant, a much larger and bulkier enemy than the first one that Sara dispatched, pulls out its dagger from her back and shoves her lifeless body to the ground. Taum attempts to reach out and say something, but he's far too weak to do so; his arm collapses to the ground.

Before he fades into unconsciousness entirely, the large enemy walks up to the Draconi youngling. He's almost entirely covered in sturdy olive-green armour, though his hands and feet are left exposed. Sara's killer puts his large ape-like foot down in front of Taum's face; the junior apprentice of the city scouts looks up at his helmeted face.


(Unknown Assailant): Still alive, youngling? Good. That means you can spread the word about us.


The unknown assailant raises his foot up and stomps down on Taum's face, knocking him out.