Raiden kept a silent vigil over the beast. After the recent incident with the fire truck, Raiden had volunteered himself to go back out into the waning storm and search for more wayward individuals. But with the desert monsters running rampant through the city, it was difficult to distinguish some of the ordinary citizens of Somni, those that had extraordinary abilities, with the more malevolent inhabitants of the barren dunes.
He hmmm'd to himself. There was only one way for him to tell the difference. Somni-ites were generally sentient; desert beasts were not.
Raiden stepped carefully, silently to the other side of the wall and slowly drew his blade, allowing it to hang from his fist at his side. He knew the beast would hear the distinct sliding of metal against metal. It would be enough to attract the bat's attention
( ... )
Lots of people were out today, it seemed. Bat raised his head at the voice, blood dripping from sharp fangs. If this one was going to be as much of a bother as the others...
"Always," he growled. "I'll let you live on glorified dirt for weeks on end and see how you like it."
Raiden regarded the bat carefully, possibly giving the impression of a piercing, penetrating gaze through the lights of his visor. Eventually, he gave a low heh and, with a few fancy flips and twirls of his blade, tucked the weapon back in its sheath.
"Not an Embryon," he observed bluntly, his voice low and level. He took a couple careful steps to the side, circling around Bat very slowly.
"How astute of you." With a swirl of energy, the demon became human again. He wiped blood from his lips with the back of one hand. Bat was obviously unimpressed despite his words, and he sat on the remains of the monster's carcass impatiently. His meal would be getting cold.
"I'm also not a specimen for you to observe." And the sooner others started figuring this out, the better.
If only Bat knew just how much Raiden had a knack for observing everyone in Somarium. An expert scout and quiet spy, he would often watch the ongoings of the city from the shadows. He breathed through his visor.
"Bat," said Raiden. He wasn't asking, merely stating. "Your name suits you."
The demon's eyes narrowed. He didn't like being known by someone he didn't know in turn. Was the voice familiar? Some conversation over the Dreamberry? "So I've come to realize. Who're you?"
Raiden exhaled. Several moments passed, the wind whipping his and Bat's hair, his lips parted ever so slightly. His teeth were visible through the translucent silicone shell of his lower lip. Pressurized air released from his visor and gracefully, it retracted to reveal the pale face of an astonishingly young man.
"I am Raiden."
Perhaps Raiden's voice wasn't familiar to Bat, but a ninja excelled at hiding his presence when he needed to. Raiden had heard Bat's name before, had heard a number of broadcasts, but there wasn't much he knew beyond that. Only what Gale of the Embryon had suggested, and even then, Raiden knew that just because Bat batted for a different team didn't necessarily mean that Bat didn't have a good reason for it. Raiden would make that kind of judgment on his own.
"Huh." He nodded impassively to the carcass. "Don't let me keep you."
Bat slid off the body, transforming back into Camazotz as he did. Flapping up a cloud of sand to go with that already being blown through the air, he hovered for just a moment. No eyes were visible in this form, but he was clearly staring at Raiden.
"What, are you gonna watch?" It wasn't that he minded an audience - he really couldn't care less - but the act interested and slightly amused him.
He didn't really wait for an answer before returning to his meal.
"It doesn't matter to me," said Raiden impassively. From one monster to another - eating your enemy is only one step further than killing. "It's the only way to learn."
Learn about how the Embryon and the cannibals fed. Learn what kind of monsters they were. Learn about the nature of the powers. These were the things Raiden was most interested in, just in case he ever needed to fight one off on his own. Their supplemental diet was never a guarantee, after all.
"I know of you from the others," he said. "You aren't their ally."
From the others, was it? The crab was disappearing in record speed as he only wanted to save the back shell this time. Bat swallowed, turning to the man again. "You're right. I'm not their ally, and they probably told you to be wary of me."
Standard procedure, wasn't it? Careful of that one, he'll devour anyone. Meanwhile, we only kill and devour people when we lose control. We're the good demons.
Whatever. He had delicious monster crab meat to eat right now.
Raiden watched the Bat devour his crab. It wasn't much different from eating a lobster, or surviving off of maggots on the battlefield... alone. And as far as Raiden knew, the only man this creature has devoured was one of his own; an Embryon member, to be precise. At face value, he was just the same as the others. They were merely warring against each other.
And sides in war didn't necessarily have any meaning.
"It's your choice to become my enemy," said Raiden smoothly. "I'm no less wary of you than I was of them."
"Good to know." Bat, frankly, wasn't interested in having anything to do with this man, odd as he was. He didn't even smell right, though sniffing out anyone with this wind was difficult.
Within minutes, the monster had been reduced to its top shell. The demon licked one last stray bit of meat from it before reverting back into human form again. Perhaps he'd try rolling it end over end this time, seeing as he had nothing else to carry in it...
Raiden kept a silent vigil over the beast. After the recent incident with the fire truck, Raiden had volunteered himself to go back out into the waning storm and search for more wayward individuals. But with the desert monsters running rampant through the city, it was difficult to distinguish some of the ordinary citizens of Somni, those that had extraordinary abilities, with the more malevolent inhabitants of the barren dunes.
He hmmm'd to himself. There was only one way for him to tell the difference. Somni-ites were generally sentient; desert beasts were not.
Raiden stepped carefully, silently to the other side of the wall and slowly drew his blade, allowing it to hang from his fist at his side. He knew the beast would hear the distinct sliding of metal against metal. It would be enough to attract the bat's attention ( ... )
Reply
"Always," he growled. "I'll let you live on glorified dirt for weeks on end and see how you like it."
Reply
"Not an Embryon," he observed bluntly, his voice low and level. He took a couple careful steps to the side, circling around Bat very slowly.
"Not a desert monster, either."
Reply
"I'm also not a specimen for you to observe." And the sooner others started figuring this out, the better.
Reply
"Bat," said Raiden. He wasn't asking, merely stating. "Your name suits you."
Reply
Reply
"I am Raiden."
Perhaps Raiden's voice wasn't familiar to Bat, but a ninja excelled at hiding his presence when he needed to. Raiden had heard Bat's name before, had heard a number of broadcasts, but there wasn't much he knew beyond that. Only what Gale of the Embryon had suggested, and even then, Raiden knew that just because Bat batted for a different team didn't necessarily mean that Bat didn't have a good reason for it. Raiden would make that kind of judgment on his own.
"Huh." He nodded impassively to the carcass. "Don't let me keep you."
Reply
"What, are you gonna watch?" It wasn't that he minded an audience - he really couldn't care less - but the act interested and slightly amused him.
He didn't really wait for an answer before returning to his meal.
Reply
Learn about how the Embryon and the cannibals fed. Learn what kind of monsters they were. Learn about the nature of the powers. These were the things Raiden was most interested in, just in case he ever needed to fight one off on his own. Their supplemental diet was never a guarantee, after all.
"I know of you from the others," he said. "You aren't their ally."
Reply
Standard procedure, wasn't it? Careful of that one, he'll devour anyone. Meanwhile, we only kill and devour people when we lose control. We're the good demons.
Whatever. He had delicious monster crab meat to eat right now.
Reply
Raiden watched the Bat devour his crab. It wasn't much different from eating a lobster, or surviving off of maggots on the battlefield... alone. And as far as Raiden knew, the only man this creature has devoured was one of his own; an Embryon member, to be precise. At face value, he was just the same as the others. They were merely warring against each other.
And sides in war didn't necessarily have any meaning.
"It's your choice to become my enemy," said Raiden smoothly. "I'm no less wary of you than I was of them."
Reply
Within minutes, the monster had been reduced to its top shell. The demon licked one last stray bit of meat from it before reverting back into human form again. Perhaps he'd try rolling it end over end this time, seeing as he had nothing else to carry in it...
Reply
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