Eden - ISC

The next instalment of

Eden

ISC

As out of a silent trance, the Grey Daimyo slowly raised his head and turned her toward the two optical drones who stood facing him. For several seconds nothing happened , the steel trio not sketching the far post. Finally, obeying a silent order , Green and Black Kunoichi Mamushi turned and set off , leaving their single controller.

The Daimyo watched them for a moment and gone the way of the mountain. New protocols had been programmed , the will of the Heavenly Order is made ​​.


2° SEQUENCE : ANTONOV

Lying on his bed , Ivan was not asleep. Sweat soaked, eyes made ​​vague by a sleepless night, he stared feverishly dump the ceiling. Still wandering in flirting with drowsiness discomfort, he waited.

It had been hours since he patiently and , dripping and thoughtful. He was worried . The dry season was just beginning and already the solar star struck peeled mountains of its burning rays . The day , the air was almost unbreathable , burning , biting , choking ; authorizing the slightest physical exertion at the price of dizziness and nausea . At night the temperature dropped away. In any case , not enough to cool off , let alone give you any rest. He was exhausted .

Yet in a few hours , it would go. Braving the morning heat , cover several kilometers and return to the village before the sun is high in the sky . The same ritual for a moon. The same routine and yet so vital Quest: fetching water.

The ancients had established the village in the heart of a giant carcass lying at the foot of the mountain. They had built inside the belly of steel monster , the first huts which would , later, the heart of the hamlet. The installation did not take more than a few months and, once completed, they named their new home with a strange term entered in letters of blood on the ancient cabin : Antonov .

Although providential , this shelter was only one reason that led their ancestors settled here . The real reason was actually hidden behind the huge metal tubing. There, hidden somewhere in the side of the mountain , was a source, a source of drinking water . A real treasure.

With these favorable terms , the village had grown and prospered . A generation had driven another , then another, and so on. The source continued to flow and in its flood , flooded this little mountains peeled of a life become so rare. Yet , although still brave , she was no longer sufficient to meet the needs of men and beasts and people had to adapt . So they sought new water points and luckily found two other smaller but sufficient.

Tradition has it that women who have made ​​these discoveries and since then it is for them to go and fetch water . A sort of sacred mission that was their reserved . Yet all this had changed since a moon around since the day the Volkova sisters , Lena and Yulia , had discovered strange and disturbing traces similar to those of a giant snake.
And so Ivan was entrusted with the heavy responsibility of escort carriers of water .


To tell the truth , it was voluntary. "A man in love with a woman is sometimes willing to many follies to be closer to the one his heart covets ," had thrown an old on the eve of his first start . At the time, dressed in his armour chitin , armed with his spear and draped his pride , he shrugged and ignored the mockery. But the old man was only too right .
After a week, Ivan had abandoned his armor, too heavy, too bulky , too suffocating . After two , he had given up his pride after women have had him back after a loss of consciousness. After a month, he had only his spear and courage gave him the proximity of the beautiful Yulia . And this morning , it was she who gave him the strength to get up.

The first rays of the sun just behind the pointed peaks when the small group set off . The water carriers were three in number . The young and bubbly Alexa led the way , followed by Lena , the eldest of the sisters Volkova . Finally, ensuring the rear, you could find Yulia accompanied by Ivan .

Every morning , the young women were in good spirits , joking , chatting , telling each learned yesterday anecdotes. Ivan meanwhile did not have the heart to that desperately remained silent , responding only by grunts and nods . He could not bear the heat and dreading the heat back.

After one hour, the little band finally came to the first source . It was actually a small bowl , beneath a rocky overhang and filled daily by a meagre trickle. True to its mission , Ivan was the first to come forward. Firmly holding his spear , he approached cautiously , watching for the slightest danger. Sweeping the place look, he noticed the traces of some small animals . Nothing alarming . Reassured, he beckoned to young women who came forward in turn . Kneeling carefully around the source , they set out to fill their containers .

This was the moment that Ivan feared most . The one where they were most vulnerable when his three protected turned their backs on danger and that everything rested on his shoulders. On the shoulders of a man exhausted and on the verge of fainting ... Suddenly, Ivan felt a pressure on his shoulder and jumped. The space of a moment , his breath was cut off and it seemed to him that his heart had stopped beating. He whirled around . Yulia greeted with a smile , "We can go there. " He had to get its act together .

The sun was now high in the sky and the temperature increased. The conversations were silent and everyone was saving his strength. Step by step , minute by minute, they were approaching their final stage . Insidiously , the discomfort grows. Ivan now led the way , it was stressed. In a lean period , they would join where the sisters had seen the traces for the first time , and where he himself had observed them. Although they have never met the creature that was originally they feared every four the possibility of such a meeting. Ivan wondered if it would live up if it can fulfil its task to the end.

Arrived within two hundred yards , they made a halt. Without a word, Ivan broke away from the rest of the group and it is with in fear that he began to reach the water source. His trembling legs carried him to a first rocky mound against which he leaned . Taking a deep breath , he tried to calm the turmoil that shook her body. In vain. Won the panic . Slowly, he slid along the stone and curled in on itself , as if to disappear. Acting as a powerful poison , terror paralyzed his body and poisoned his mind. At this time , it took him all the force of his will not to run away screaming. Powerful in its ultimate reserves , he found the strength to leave.

It was only a few yards when he ventured to risk a glance beyond the cover that ensured him the rocks. All his senses alert, he was ready . The seconds égrainèrent but nothing happened . Heaving a sigh of relief , he broke the silence and called his comrades. It was better not hang around.

Once the jars were full , the little group left . Despite the exhausting heat and transport load, was not now faster and more assured . The four companions had indeed a haste regain soothing and protective shadow of Antonov .

Lena was the first to break the silence and everyone relaxed a bit. Ivan even ventured to joke. Without much success, but the heart was there. After half an hour , they paused to drink and rest. Yulia came to sit beside her protector and they discussed a few moments. They exchanged small talk with no real interest yet devoured every word. This is Alexa who sounded the recall and they resumed their journey .

They were only a league when the saw . Columns of black smoke , like obscure pythons vaporous, darkened the sky. The village was on fire. Ivan ordered the water carriers to hide and , forgetting all fatigue , ran to the aid of his home.

Carmin Samurai

Yellow Geisha

Carmin Ronin

Grey Daimyo

Blue Ashigaru

Green Neko

Black Kunoichi

Grey Shogun

Blue Kira