Omega Wars Chronicles

Chapter 65: Dark Horse

   Within an unknown building, a redhead hiveling female in a high black collared overall, stood facing a wall and behind her was Solavan and two other male hivelings obstructing him from moving forward with their arm stretched out sideways.
    "Leave us." The female hiveling said.
   "Yes, Lady Rora." The two male hivelings said as they bowed their heads.
   As soon as the two hivelings left, Solavan gazed at Rora and smirked.
   "You know those two wouldn't have been able to stop me." Solavan said.
   "I am aware. After all, you are one of the strongest hivelings alive." Rora said while still facing the wall.
   "You called for us to meet 'here'?" Solavan asked.
   "I wanted a place for us to speak privately. Though i need to carry my guards with me at all times." Rora said, "You know the reason, right?"
    "Yes, i do." Solavan replied, "So what did you want to speak to me about?"
   "I learnt of your 'issues' with Balog." Rora said, "I want you to understand that Balog is a necessary ally to the cause and we don't want any trouble with him or his race."
   "Then he shouldn't try to make any trouble with me. It's very simple." Solavan said.
   "You're strong, Solavan. Very strong. That's why i don't bother myself when i hear you are fighting other powerful beings." Rora said, "However since you lost your kan of evil eyes, you are no longer as powerful as you were and i cannot afford to lose another asset."
    "You cannot afford to lose another asset but i just got information that Basak and some hivelings were killed in the task assigned by Balog and his race." Solavan said.
     "We are at war. Things happen. People die." Rora said, "But their deaths won't be in vain. Agaroth is going to get what is coming to them. This i guarantee it.
     By the way, you just showed concern about the other hivelings; you never struck me as one who cares about anything other than power, violence, killing and collections."
    "Regardless of how i view the others in strength, they are still an asset to our race and my loyalty is this race, myself and you, especially." Solavan replied.
    "And i am grateful for it." Rora replied, "I am grateful to know someone like you can be loyal to a person like me.
   I... Have done a lot of things. A lot of questionable things. Things that make me seem irredeemable as a person and a leader."
     This statement of Rora made Solavan stare at her with a raised brow.
    "I remember the smoke.... The fire." Rora said, "The time i lost my friends and family during the great devastation that befell us. So many of our people lost their lives and loved ones. Because of the great devastation, our people were scattered but i managed to unite what was left of our people and help them evolve into the hivelings.
    The only clan that didn't need my help in their evolution were the ant clan that later become known as the shadow ants but i still consider them as a part of the hivelings.
     "Solavan... This isn't easy for me." Rora said while Solavan takes notice of her shaking hands, "The things i'm doing... The sacrifices i am making. They remind me of the great devastation but if they are necessary in getting revenge on Agaroth and making our people stronger, then i am willing to cross those lines.
     Agaroth has to pay for what they did to us and if allying with these people makes it possible, then so be it. It's not like we have a choice."
    "Rora, what do you mean by that?" Solavan asked.
    "Solavan... Take a look at me." Rora said (while still facing forward).
     In that moment, butterfly wings sprung out of her back.
     "The clans that remains are the scorpions, the beetles, the dragonflies, the ticks, the roaches and the shadow ants." Rora said, "I am the last of my clan. Agaroth has taken so much from me... From us and it is time we take from them. They have taken so much from us that they are even in possession of the qintari; he doesn't belong to them, he belongs to us.
     The hivelings will do their parts in crippling Agaroth and our ally will do their part in destroying but it cannot be fulfilled without your power and if we fail then it is all for nothing. So please...! Please, i beg of you..."
    "Help us." Rora said as she glanced back at Solavan.
    Back at the Shard court arena, Onak (Ranksa) was glaring at Cloud (who happened to be a bit far from him) and as he was glaring at Cloud, his frustrations grew further.
    "Damn this human!" The imposter said inwardly, "All he has done is dodge every attack i have thrown at him and it is driving me nuts!
   You know what... To hell with the task! This is personal!!"
     Right before Ranksa could charge at Cloud, Cloud drops on one knee and began to pant for air which gave rise to the puzzlement of others.
    "Huh?"
    "What's going on?"
    "What is happening to him?"
     "Cloud?" Reyla said within herself.
      "Oh boy." Sting said inwardly, "He has been cut off from the rhythms and the effects of the technique is starting to kick in. What's worse is that the effect might be stronger because of how long he used it to face Onak!"
    Down at the field, as Cloud was still suffering from the effects of the technique, Cloud was on both of his knees while using both of his arms to support himself and gazing at the ground.
     "Damn! My body hurts like hell!" Cloud said inwardly.
     "CLOUD!!!" Sting screamed.
      Cloud instinctively hops back and evades the downward punch of the imposter but as soon as his fist hits the ground, the force of the punch leveled the ground and created a strong wind pressure shockwave that sent Cloud violently tumbling across the ground and ended up coughing out blood in the act which made Reyla cover her mouth in a terrified manner.
    "No...!" Killer bee said.
    The audience became dismayed as they watched Cloud lay on the ground in a stiff manner.
     "He dodged the attack through instinct." Sting said inwardly, "If Cloud had been any second slower, he would have been flattened. But as of right now, his body is in poor shape to continue."
   During the time the audience was watching in anticipation and fear, Karma observed Cloud showing signs of life as he struggled to stand back up on his feet. Howbeit, Cloud reverted back to his position and started coughing blood.
    "Seems you dodged my attack by luck and not by that annoying technique." The imposter said as he clenched his raised fist, "If you know what is good for you, you better forfeit now because you won't be lucky with the next one."
     In the time Cloud was still on the ground, Lizira stared at him in dismay.
    "He can't continue anymore." Lizira said within herself, "I think it's best i stop this match before things get out of hand."
    Through out the time Cloud was panting for air, Cloud lifts his eyes to gaze at the imposter but his vision was blurry; as soon as his blurry vision cleared, Cloud grits his teeth and charged towards him with a battle cry which caught so many off guard with his actions.
    "Huh?" Lizira said inwardly.
    "Fool." The imposter said.
     As Cloud was running towards Onak, Cloud had a recollection of his nine year old self sitting on the grass with his father along with other Stormwind fathers doing the same with their children.
    "Now listen. There are times you might face an animal unarmed and in that moment, you might feel it is the worse moment of your life, especially if you are physically weak or the animal is too large or strong but fear not!" Gorg said with a smile, "For what i am about to teach you is a technique that can put any beast to sleep if you can get it right and the name of that technique is..."
    "Formula one!!" Gorg said with a grin as his teeth sparkled.
    "Huh?" Cloud said with a wtf face.
    The forest instantly boomed with laughter which came from the other Stormwind fathers and their voices echoed concerning Gorg's revelation.
    "Gorg, are you serious?!"
    "You've started again!"
     "Hey, you can't expect much from a guy with a naming skill of his caliber!"
     "Good thing his hunting skills are nothing like that of his naming!"
    "Mind your own business!" Gorg's voice sounded.
     "Just like the dance of Unil, this technique is still in work but i have no choice but to try it!" Current Cloud said inwardly after recalling the incident, "Chances of it working are slim and to get close to him, i have to use the scanning technique i used on Xorian during the rumble. Damn... Here goes nothing!"
    At the time Cloud was running towards the imposter, Cloud closed his eyes and began to weave multiple hand seals which caught the attention of Sting, Karma and Reyla.
    "What is he doing?" Reyla asked inwardly.
    "Idiot!" The imposter said, "You coming at me like a bull and you are doing it with your eyes closed! Do you want to die that badly?!!"
    The imposter hurls his fist at Cloud but Cloud ducked (though a few strands of his hair were knocked off). Witnessing this, Killer bee had a quick recollection of Cloud evading Xorian's punch during the rumble. Cloud swiftly moved behind the imposter and placed his hand on the imposter's back which made the imposter eyes to roll back in confusion.
    "Huh? What are you doing?"
   While having his eyes still closed, Cloud exhales.
     "This is it..." Cloud said within himself, " Father, mother and every member of my tribe, please lend me your strength!"
     "I asked you a question, you little...!"
     "Formula one!" Cloud said as his pressed his palm against the imposter's back before the imposter could move his arm to attack.
    In that very moment, the imposter's eyes became pupilless and the imposter fell flat on his face which left the people in shock. The whole place became incredibly silent because of the lack of belief as the Lizira and everyone else (especially Karma) stared with goggled eyes; even the hivelings that were lurking were dumbstruck by what took place in the arena.
     "What the hell did my eyes just witness?" A man asked.
     "A minor did this?" A woman asked.
    "Unbelievable..." Another man said.
    "In all my years, i never for once imagined a minor would defeat a major." Chief Grai said inwardly.
    "Hey, Raen. I am not hallucinating, right?" Yulin asked.
    "I am asking myself the same thing." Raen replied.
    "Cloud won ..." Reyla said.
    "This is impossible." Kein said.
    "That whitehead is always full of surprises." Obaru said with a smirk.
    "Cloud..." Killer bee said.
    "That move... Those hand seals..." Karma said inwardly as she remembers Cloud weaving a couple of hand seals while running towards Onak.
    "I have never seen anything like it." Karma said inwardly after the recollection, "What the hell is that technique and where did he learn it?"
    At the period of time others were mumbling, Sting smirked.
    "Heh. So you finally pulled it off." Sting said inwardly.
    Down at the field while Cloud was staring at his opponent's unconscious body, Cloud recalled as his nine year old self was on the ground panting for air while his father stared down at him with crossed arms.
    "That's enough. Let's go." Gorg said.
    "I can still try." Cloud weakly said.
    "No, you can't." Gorg replied, "You can't even get hand seals right. This technique involves the misdirection and redirection of vital force of a creature; get it right, you'll end up knocking out the creature or even killing it. Get it wrong and you'll end up killing yourself.
     I have almost died trying to create and use this technique. If you can't get the hand seals right then it's too risky to continue."
    For a moment, Gorg locked eyes with Cloud and sighed.
    "You know what.... Forget the technique." Gorg said as he turned his back to walk away, "I am sorry for even bringing it up. Seems i got too carried away on what to teach and i chose this."
    Just as Gorg was walking away from Cloud, Gorg paused.
    "Cloud, i know how this might seem to you. But please understand it's for your own good." Gorg said, "....Do you know one of the best things i love about you? You are not the strongest among your peers; you are not the smartest or the fastest but somehow you always found a way to make it out of the impossible.
     You're like a dark horse; succeeding and surviving where many failed, yet there is nothing about you that stands out and to be honest, if i am to have a hunting partner..."
    "I wouldn't think twice about picking you." Gorg said as he glanced back at Cloud with a smile.
     Hearing this from Gorg, Cloud was at a loss of words and Gorg laughed while covering his face with his palm.
   "You're one hell of a person and you have the potential of being better than i am." Gorg said with a smile, "Forget the technique. Tommorow is your birthday and maybe when you're let's say like fifteen, sixteen or above, you will get the technique and you will get it right." 
    After remembering that time, Cloud was still staring down at his inert laying opponent.
    "Father... I did it." Cloud said inwardly, "I finally did it."
    "There you have it and your winner of the first round of the semi finals...!" Lizira voice sounded, "The dark horse of the Stormwind tribe...! Cloud!!!!"
     In that time, the audience responded with a massive cheer that resonated through out the court.