Post by Garou24 on Oct 26, 2007 15:52:40 GMT -5
So i was bored at work and created a backstory for my army...
Kunal dragged the empty water bucket behind him in the dirt, creating a small cloud of trailing dust. The summer was dryer than usual, at least according to his mother. Kunal, being like every other eight year old boy, didn’t pay to much mind to the region’s weather patterns. He just knew it was hot. The heat from the afternoon sun blasted against his skin and like a furnace. The brittle cracked dirt under his sandals crumbled and snapped as he trudged over it. One of his daily chores was to make the mile long walk for drinking water from the well. The small shack he lived in with his mother and sister had little surrounding water suitable for drinking. What water sources that had not dried up from the endless heat was left stagnant and used only for the livestock they raised.
The load smacking of hemp and leather sandals against the dry, packed dirt grew louder behind him. Kunal paused and turned to see his younger sister running, struggling hard to catch up. He stopped and waited for her to catch up. ‘Why didn’t you wait for me?’ Amina asked between gasps for air. Kunal turned and continued on his way as his sister fell into step next to him. ‘I told you to stay home.’ He replied, ‘I hate having to always keep an eye on you.’ Amina pouted and clutched her small stuffed teddy bear close to her chest. ‘Well that’s not fair!’ she retorted ‘I can come too! And Pookey wants to go too, it will be an adventure.’ She smiled as she held out her teddy bear. Kunal knew it was no use arguing with her, and they were almost to the well, so no need to send her back.
On the horizon in the shimmering waves of heat the outline of the water well protruding from the sandy earth. In the distance small hills of sand rose up. Other than the craggy hills and mountains in the distance, the water well was the only other structure visible to the two children. This truly was a desolate barren landscape that few were willing to call home. When Kunal was young and before Amina was born his father and talked his mother into leaving their village behind and starting the farm out here. Times were tough, but they made the best they could by farming and raising livestock to sell at the market miles away. The night they were visited by raiders change life for Kunal and his family forever. He lost more than his father to raiders that night. His eyes were opened to the violence in the world and he a mere young child was left to help his mother and sister scratch out a living in this harsh world.
Amina played with her bear Pookey while Kunal used the crank to raise the bucket from the depths of the well. As the long dry spell stretched on, Kunal had to drop the bucket further and further in the well for water. He wondered how much longer it would provide for them before it too ran dry. The small roof that hung over the well gave them some small measure of shade against the furnace like heat of the afternoon sun. Kunal finished filling his water bucket and was looking around for Amina when he noticed the dark storm clouds off in the distance. ‘Amina!’ he called out to her as she played in the dirt, ‘Come here quickly.’ She rose up and skipped over with her toy bear. ‘Look over there’, commanded Kunal, ‘Rain!’ Amina turned in the direction Kunal pointed and started to laugh and cheer. Kunal smiled as he watched the storm clouds rolling towards them. Such a tremendous sight was a blessing to him and his family. Now the ponds would fill and the wells and maybe he would not have to suffer the heat much longer if the rains reached them on their walk home. Amina and Kunal stood and felt the cool breeze against them and the air was charged with static. The storm clouds seemed to be moving fast and Kunal guess they had just a few minutes before they would soon be wet.
Thunder rumbled loudly overhead as Amina tugged at Kunal’s ragged breeches. ‘Let go back home, I am scared.’ She said as her wide eyes stared at the black, churning storm. Kunal stared in wonder and ignored his sister’s request as he watched the raging storm unfold. It had been so long since he last saw rain, much less a storm of this force and like all young boys he was compelled to be right in the middle of it. The sky now darkened to almost pitch black cracked and exploded with light as the blue jagged fork of lighting cracked the heavens open. Followed immediately by thundering, Amina clutch her brother closely in fear. ‘I want to go back home!’ she cried almost on the verge of tears. Kunal sighed and took her hand while picking up the bucket. ‘Ok ok’ he said ‘here hold tight, lets get moving.’
Suddenly the air around them grew chill and their hair stood on end as a bright, blinding finger of lightening shot from the storm and struck the ground mere feet from where the two children walked. Kunal lost his balance and Amina was knocked back from the force of the sudden electric explosion. Then another lightening struck hit the ground in the same spot. Amina cried and Kunal scrambled to her side as he lost his grip on the bucket. Trying to stand her to her feet the ground again was hit with another volley of lightening. The air was filled with the smell of sulfur and a static charge surrounded them. Charred earth marked the ground near the two children as they struggled to stand. Kunal gasped for breathe as his younger sister cried and clutched her bear. ‘Lets go!’ she shouted through her tightly shut eyes. ‘I wanna go home!’ Amina begged. Kunal stood dazed as he struggled with what had just happened. Never had he seen lightening like that and striking so close. He looked for the water bucket and saw it broken and empty on the desert soil. ‘Ok, come, come quickly.’ He said to Amina as he lead her away from the area and back toward home. Then the ground under them suddenly shook and a deep rumbled threatened to knock off their feet. Amina shrieked and squeezed Kunal’s hand till her fingers turned white. The rumbled in the earth seemed to be coming from underneath them and Kunal could barely stand on his feet. More lightning leapt from the skies and drops of rain pounded the earth. All the lightning was so close and seemed to be hitting the marred earth behind them like before. Kunal staggered and fell, bringing Amina down with him. The dry dirt was turning muddy in the heavy rains and he turned over and slipped standing up. The ground rumbled deeper and shook violently and if they earth seemed to be trying to shake itself apart. He looked towards the well where the ground was now cracked and black from the lightning. The cracks grew longer and spread out like thin fingers and dirt pushed upwards. Kunal stood there frozen in wonder as something pushed itself out of the ground. Amina even was dumfounded and stopped her crying as she too watched what was talking place.
The ground exploded upwards and something large pushed itself out of the muddy dirt. Kunal had never seen anything like it before. Out of the ground came a multiple spikes of metal covering an area larger than the farm house he grew up in. The shaking of the ground cause Kunal to sit down as the metal towers rose higher in the sky. They seemed to be large towers, but Kunal could not see any windows, just a solid structure. Amina scooted closer to her brother and watch in wonder and the great monstrosity pushed up from the deep earth. As the rising monument grew higher it grew wider and wider as more of it rose up. The sides of the metal object grew outwards at an angle and the structure took a triangular shape as it continued to rise up. Huge chunks of dirt crumbled away from its base and the ground shook even more. Kunal crawled towards his sister and had to shout over the sound. ‘Follow me and stay close.’ He yelled to her. Amina nodded her head and still holding her teddy bear crawled on all fours behind Kunal away from the strange object. The two children half crawled half ran as the thing behind them grew larger and larger, now the size of a whole village. Suddenly the ground shuddered once more and stopped rumbling. The loud noise ended and all the children could hear was the pattering of rain drops on mud. Kunal stopped and turned to look back. Out of the ground had risen a metal building or monument of some sort. Its base was square with each corner rising up to meet in a point at the top of the structure forming a pyramid shape. On the top sat large pillars that curled up tall and in the center was an enormous green crystal. Kunal stopped his sister as they stood staring once again filled with child like wonder, overcoming their initial fear. The building was a silvery blue metal and glistened in the soft light that shone trough the clouds. Large golden symbols were written over the outer casing of the building and large cylindrical green tubes were positioned along the top. A low humming started up and the large green crystal at the top of the pyramid started to glow and spark with some alien energy. ‘What is that?’ asked Amina, her voice quivering with fear. Kunal stood there staring at the unusual building. ‘I do not know maybe….’ His voice trailed off as at the base of the building a green glowing window appeared.
As the gem at the top of the pyramid grew brighter so did the great window or portal at the base. Its surface rippled like the pond water when you skipped stones over it. Then suddenly something even more amazing happened that started the two children. There was a loud buzz to the soft humming sound and a being stepped through the window. It stood towering tall, taller than any man Kunal has seen. Its body looked like bones but glistened in the same metallic way at the building. It stood carrying a long staff with a green tube positioned at the end. A thick cloak what draped over its wide shoulders and hung down behind it framing its skeletal frame. It strode forward as another figured stepped through the door way behind it. This one looked similar but held no staff or cape. Instead it carried a think strange looking weapon with a green tube like the other affixed to it and a small axe head attached to the end. Kunal backed away as he tried to usher his sister to move too. The caped figure pointed to them silently and the other figure lurched slowly forward. Amina screamed as another one appeared, and then another through the doorway. They all slowly advanced towards the two small children. Their metallic bones scrapping through the soft mud. ‘Run!’ yelled Kunal to his sister as he urged her forward, away from the alien figures. The thick mud stuck to their feet and slowed them down. He looked behind him and saw the capped figure pointed towards them with his staff. The green tube at the end flared up with a sickly pale light.
The rain pattered on the muddy desert floor. Thousands of metallic feet stomped over the ground in unison. A small stuffed teddy bear lay damp in the rain.
The Red Harvest approached.
Kunal dragged the empty water bucket behind him in the dirt, creating a small cloud of trailing dust. The summer was dryer than usual, at least according to his mother. Kunal, being like every other eight year old boy, didn’t pay to much mind to the region’s weather patterns. He just knew it was hot. The heat from the afternoon sun blasted against his skin and like a furnace. The brittle cracked dirt under his sandals crumbled and snapped as he trudged over it. One of his daily chores was to make the mile long walk for drinking water from the well. The small shack he lived in with his mother and sister had little surrounding water suitable for drinking. What water sources that had not dried up from the endless heat was left stagnant and used only for the livestock they raised.
The load smacking of hemp and leather sandals against the dry, packed dirt grew louder behind him. Kunal paused and turned to see his younger sister running, struggling hard to catch up. He stopped and waited for her to catch up. ‘Why didn’t you wait for me?’ Amina asked between gasps for air. Kunal turned and continued on his way as his sister fell into step next to him. ‘I told you to stay home.’ He replied, ‘I hate having to always keep an eye on you.’ Amina pouted and clutched her small stuffed teddy bear close to her chest. ‘Well that’s not fair!’ she retorted ‘I can come too! And Pookey wants to go too, it will be an adventure.’ She smiled as she held out her teddy bear. Kunal knew it was no use arguing with her, and they were almost to the well, so no need to send her back.
On the horizon in the shimmering waves of heat the outline of the water well protruding from the sandy earth. In the distance small hills of sand rose up. Other than the craggy hills and mountains in the distance, the water well was the only other structure visible to the two children. This truly was a desolate barren landscape that few were willing to call home. When Kunal was young and before Amina was born his father and talked his mother into leaving their village behind and starting the farm out here. Times were tough, but they made the best they could by farming and raising livestock to sell at the market miles away. The night they were visited by raiders change life for Kunal and his family forever. He lost more than his father to raiders that night. His eyes were opened to the violence in the world and he a mere young child was left to help his mother and sister scratch out a living in this harsh world.
Amina played with her bear Pookey while Kunal used the crank to raise the bucket from the depths of the well. As the long dry spell stretched on, Kunal had to drop the bucket further and further in the well for water. He wondered how much longer it would provide for them before it too ran dry. The small roof that hung over the well gave them some small measure of shade against the furnace like heat of the afternoon sun. Kunal finished filling his water bucket and was looking around for Amina when he noticed the dark storm clouds off in the distance. ‘Amina!’ he called out to her as she played in the dirt, ‘Come here quickly.’ She rose up and skipped over with her toy bear. ‘Look over there’, commanded Kunal, ‘Rain!’ Amina turned in the direction Kunal pointed and started to laugh and cheer. Kunal smiled as he watched the storm clouds rolling towards them. Such a tremendous sight was a blessing to him and his family. Now the ponds would fill and the wells and maybe he would not have to suffer the heat much longer if the rains reached them on their walk home. Amina and Kunal stood and felt the cool breeze against them and the air was charged with static. The storm clouds seemed to be moving fast and Kunal guess they had just a few minutes before they would soon be wet.
Thunder rumbled loudly overhead as Amina tugged at Kunal’s ragged breeches. ‘Let go back home, I am scared.’ She said as her wide eyes stared at the black, churning storm. Kunal stared in wonder and ignored his sister’s request as he watched the raging storm unfold. It had been so long since he last saw rain, much less a storm of this force and like all young boys he was compelled to be right in the middle of it. The sky now darkened to almost pitch black cracked and exploded with light as the blue jagged fork of lighting cracked the heavens open. Followed immediately by thundering, Amina clutch her brother closely in fear. ‘I want to go back home!’ she cried almost on the verge of tears. Kunal sighed and took her hand while picking up the bucket. ‘Ok ok’ he said ‘here hold tight, lets get moving.’
Suddenly the air around them grew chill and their hair stood on end as a bright, blinding finger of lightening shot from the storm and struck the ground mere feet from where the two children walked. Kunal lost his balance and Amina was knocked back from the force of the sudden electric explosion. Then another lightening struck hit the ground in the same spot. Amina cried and Kunal scrambled to her side as he lost his grip on the bucket. Trying to stand her to her feet the ground again was hit with another volley of lightening. The air was filled with the smell of sulfur and a static charge surrounded them. Charred earth marked the ground near the two children as they struggled to stand. Kunal gasped for breathe as his younger sister cried and clutched her bear. ‘Lets go!’ she shouted through her tightly shut eyes. ‘I wanna go home!’ Amina begged. Kunal stood dazed as he struggled with what had just happened. Never had he seen lightening like that and striking so close. He looked for the water bucket and saw it broken and empty on the desert soil. ‘Ok, come, come quickly.’ He said to Amina as he lead her away from the area and back toward home. Then the ground under them suddenly shook and a deep rumbled threatened to knock off their feet. Amina shrieked and squeezed Kunal’s hand till her fingers turned white. The rumbled in the earth seemed to be coming from underneath them and Kunal could barely stand on his feet. More lightning leapt from the skies and drops of rain pounded the earth. All the lightning was so close and seemed to be hitting the marred earth behind them like before. Kunal staggered and fell, bringing Amina down with him. The dry dirt was turning muddy in the heavy rains and he turned over and slipped standing up. The ground rumbled deeper and shook violently and if they earth seemed to be trying to shake itself apart. He looked towards the well where the ground was now cracked and black from the lightning. The cracks grew longer and spread out like thin fingers and dirt pushed upwards. Kunal stood there frozen in wonder as something pushed itself out of the ground. Amina even was dumfounded and stopped her crying as she too watched what was talking place.
The ground exploded upwards and something large pushed itself out of the muddy dirt. Kunal had never seen anything like it before. Out of the ground came a multiple spikes of metal covering an area larger than the farm house he grew up in. The shaking of the ground cause Kunal to sit down as the metal towers rose higher in the sky. They seemed to be large towers, but Kunal could not see any windows, just a solid structure. Amina scooted closer to her brother and watch in wonder and the great monstrosity pushed up from the deep earth. As the rising monument grew higher it grew wider and wider as more of it rose up. The sides of the metal object grew outwards at an angle and the structure took a triangular shape as it continued to rise up. Huge chunks of dirt crumbled away from its base and the ground shook even more. Kunal crawled towards his sister and had to shout over the sound. ‘Follow me and stay close.’ He yelled to her. Amina nodded her head and still holding her teddy bear crawled on all fours behind Kunal away from the strange object. The two children half crawled half ran as the thing behind them grew larger and larger, now the size of a whole village. Suddenly the ground shuddered once more and stopped rumbling. The loud noise ended and all the children could hear was the pattering of rain drops on mud. Kunal stopped and turned to look back. Out of the ground had risen a metal building or monument of some sort. Its base was square with each corner rising up to meet in a point at the top of the structure forming a pyramid shape. On the top sat large pillars that curled up tall and in the center was an enormous green crystal. Kunal stopped his sister as they stood staring once again filled with child like wonder, overcoming their initial fear. The building was a silvery blue metal and glistened in the soft light that shone trough the clouds. Large golden symbols were written over the outer casing of the building and large cylindrical green tubes were positioned along the top. A low humming started up and the large green crystal at the top of the pyramid started to glow and spark with some alien energy. ‘What is that?’ asked Amina, her voice quivering with fear. Kunal stood there staring at the unusual building. ‘I do not know maybe….’ His voice trailed off as at the base of the building a green glowing window appeared.
As the gem at the top of the pyramid grew brighter so did the great window or portal at the base. Its surface rippled like the pond water when you skipped stones over it. Then suddenly something even more amazing happened that started the two children. There was a loud buzz to the soft humming sound and a being stepped through the window. It stood towering tall, taller than any man Kunal has seen. Its body looked like bones but glistened in the same metallic way at the building. It stood carrying a long staff with a green tube positioned at the end. A thick cloak what draped over its wide shoulders and hung down behind it framing its skeletal frame. It strode forward as another figured stepped through the door way behind it. This one looked similar but held no staff or cape. Instead it carried a think strange looking weapon with a green tube like the other affixed to it and a small axe head attached to the end. Kunal backed away as he tried to usher his sister to move too. The caped figure pointed to them silently and the other figure lurched slowly forward. Amina screamed as another one appeared, and then another through the doorway. They all slowly advanced towards the two small children. Their metallic bones scrapping through the soft mud. ‘Run!’ yelled Kunal to his sister as he urged her forward, away from the alien figures. The thick mud stuck to their feet and slowed them down. He looked behind him and saw the capped figure pointed towards them with his staff. The green tube at the end flared up with a sickly pale light.
The rain pattered on the muddy desert floor. Thousands of metallic feet stomped over the ground in unison. A small stuffed teddy bear lay damp in the rain.
The Red Harvest approached.