Xenoblade Chronicles

Prolouge - The Battle of Sword Valley

Long ago...Longer than any recorded history can recall, the world was nothing more than an endless of sea, cloaked by a boundless sky. Then two great titans came into existence. The Bionis and Mechonis. The two were locked in a timeless battle, until finally; nothing but their lifeless corpses remained. Eons have passed, and now our home, stretching across the remains of the Bionis, is under attack by a relentless force known as the Mechon. * * * Dunban didn't like Sword Valley. It wasn't just the sword of the Mechonis, it was the Mechon stronghold. The place was literally crawling with mechanical beasts, and it was nearly impossible to avoid them, even if you took the rafters above. At the end of the winding corridors and confusing paths, there was a fortress at the hilt of the sword -Galahad Fortress. This was where they were aiming, if they still had enough men to storm the place. Dunban lay low, a red sword clutched in his hands. It was currently deactivated, but once it was activated, a brilliant blue saber would lurch out, ready to attack anything that stood in it's path. A circle near the hilt of the sword was currently dull and lifeless, but once the sword was activated by a simple will, it would spring to life, filling with multicolored particles into a symbol. Around him, men charged as the signal was given, brandishing either drivers or ether rifles high, and attacking the oncoming wave of mechanical beasts. Most of the Mechon were covered in dark blue and golden armour, with visible working parts beneath. In the place of eyes, Mechon had red glowing lights which flashed when it spotted an enemy. Hundreds of M63 Mechon units were stampeding down the hill while the Defense Force soldiers charged to meet them. For an unknown reason, Homs were used as food for the Mechon, just as bread and butter would be for them. They were nearly impossible to defeat, if you didn't have the sword the Dunban currently held. Screams erupted around Dunban and he was viciously jarred back into reality as the men were killed all around him. He couldn't bear to watch as one man screamed, "Get away from me!" And fired his Ether rifle desperately. Dunban didn't know what happened next as the order to retreat was given and he was forced backwards as the men screeched and fled. One unlucky man's limp body was flung in the oncoming wave of Mechon after reporting something into a radio, and Dunban's hand clenched on his sword. He raced through the ranks of shrieking, fleeing men and activated the sword, the blue beam of energy emerging, and sprinted up the slope to meet the enemy. He sliced upwards on one of the Mechon M72, and dismantled another M63 unit. With a defiant yell, he sliced with his sword up and down, destroying any Mechon that touched even the tip of the blazing sword. He placed one foot on the wreckage of one of the beasts he had defeated, and smirked, despite the explosions and screams around him. "They're advancing down our weak right flank," He mused to himself, slamming the sword into the Mechon's remains. "For a bunch of soulless machines, they seem to know a thing or two...But we'll see." He screamed again, and charged, the sword blazing and sending energy into the weakened soldiers as he destroyed legions of Mechon M72's, and hordes of Mechon M51's. Dunban dove behind an abandoned Mobile Artillery, his heart pounding with the exhilaration of the battle. As he glanced over it with a wide smile he saw the Mechon approaching in uncountable numbers. He took up the red sword once more and was about to go charging in the midst of the machines and- "Dunban!" Dunban turned his head to look at the person who had kept him from charging into battle, as a second man ran to squat beside him and the first man. "We've been given the order to retreat," The first said. "We're pulling back the line to Colony Six." A nearby explosion caused him to throw his hands to the side of his head to protect himself from the blast of heat that followed. He lowered his hand and continued, as if the bomb had never went off. "That's where we'll set off the last line of defense." "Yeah," Dunban agreed, his own voice sounding foreign in his ears. "That's a good idea. Anymore time spent hanging around here and we're done for." "Count me in!" The second man said in a scratchy voice. "We gotta get outta here!" "Or!" Dunban said, turning to face the second man, just seconds away from cutting him off. "We could stay and fight." "What?!" The second man's exclamation of horror was cut short as another searing hot blast went off. All three men leaned away from it out of reflex, the second crying out out of anger. "We may die if we stay here," Dunban said. "But staying here gives us a chance to change our destinies. We have the Monado." He looked to the gleaming red sword in his hands, and glanced over it lovingly. "With this, the future is ours for the taking!" He got up, scaling the artillery, and was about to charge into battle once more when the first man forced him back down behind the weapon. "Stupid beast!" He growled. "Your body can't take any more of the Monado! I can tell by just looking at you!" Dunban had the nerve to let another grin slide onto his face as he looked back at the red weapon-The Monado, before looking back at the man. "Getting short-sighted in your old age, Dickson?" He asked, calling the man by name. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm still in control." The man named Dickson scowled, and plopped back onto the ground, fiddling with his weapon. "I shoulda known I couldn't talk sense into a beast," He said scathingly. "Let's do this. I'm coming with you. You'll need someone to drag your corpse home!" He chuckled hoarsely. "As long as you think you've still got the strength in you, old man," Dunban teased, but Dickson ignored him. "Oi, you two!" The second man, Mumkhar, protested. "We've been ordered to retreat! I'm leaving." "Well I say you're coming with us!" Dunban said. "What would we do without those?" He raked his eyes over the two weapons in the man's hands. They were two gloves, and from them extended two pairs of sharp claws, perfect for slicing any monster, or machine, in half. The man growled, and a Defense Force soldier let out a cry of alarm. "The enemy's second wave! It's approaching!" "It's now or never Dunban!" Dickson said, patting the man in question on the shoulder. Let's show 'em what we've got." He got up, resting one of his hands on the artillery's leg, his gun held loosely at his side. "Let's give 'em a warm Homs welcome." "Acknowledged," Dunban said, and vaulted over the artillery, followed closely by Dickson. He activated the Monado while Mumkhar reluctantly brandished his claws high. Dickson readied his gun, and they charged into battle. Dickson, Dunban, and Mumkhar stood together, all three panting heavily, the wreckage of hundreds of machines lying motionless in front of them. Dunban sliced the deactivated Monado through the air, and took in deep steadying breaths while Mumkhar groaned. "You gotta be kidding!" He said, looking at the endless wave of Mechon advancing down Sword Valley. "It's their main force," Dickson said, scanning the army. "A couple hundred M52's and 63's, and great...an M82! Looks like the Mechon are hell-bent on taking us out." "They'll have to be if they want to beat us," Dunban said, flexing his hand. "Now...let's even the odds a bit." He took up the Monado again, and brandished it, putting the circle level to his face and gazing through it with a wide smirk. "You heard 'im," Dickson said, nodding at Mumkhar who shook his head, but got in a battle stance anyways. "Dickson, Mumkhar," Dunban said. "Let's do this!" He swung the sword and activated it the blade turning it purple instead of blue. This certain technique with the red sword was called 'Monado Enchant' which allowed normal weapons to harm Mechon just as the Monado would. Dickson, Mumkhar, and Dunban charged as one, and ducked and swung, Dickson shooting Mechon, and slicing at them with the sharp end of his gun when they came too close. Mumkhar sliced with his two pairs of claws, yelling, while Dunban's roar was loudest of all. He sliced and hacked, hardly paying attention to what Mechon type he was destroying, but only knew they had threatened his home, and they had to die. He didn't realize until the Mechon had stopped charging him, that he was standing atop a pile of broken machines, until pain arched through him, and he clutched the Monado as it sent waves of energy flowing into him. He cried out in pain, and dropped down to one knee, groaning. Weakness overcame him and he fell onto his stomach, unable to move. He could hear the heavy thumping of a Mechon making it's way up his scrap pile, and felt cold fear embrace him. "Dunban!" Dickson cried, and before Dunban knew it, he had covered Dunban's body with his own. The Mechon sliced downwards, it's sharp claws ripping through Dickson, and the old man shrieked in pain. He mustered up the strength to put his gun to the Mechon, and fired it, forcing the Mechon off of him. Dickson went with the fallen machine, hitting the bottom of Dunban's scrap pile with a thunk. "I ain't goin' down that easily," Dickson muttered, pulling his gun from the machine, and stumbling back up to Dunban, his hand pressed against his gut. "Dunban! You alright?" For a long time, Dunban did not answer. His grip tightened on the Monado as he forced himself up to his knees, trying to overcome the pain that had swallowed him just moments before. "What does it look like?" Dunban asked, looking at Dickson, a smirk crossing his face. "I'm still good to go." Dickson helped him up, and the two made their descent down the pile. Dunban looked around for Mumkhar, before spotting him sprinting across the battlefield, his claws glinting in the light of the explosions still rocking Sword Valley with the intensity. "Mumkhar!" Dunban roared after him. "What are you doing? That way is-" He cut himself off, realizing what the man was about to do. "Sorry brothers!" Mumkhar slid to a stop, turning to face Dickson and Dunban. "Hate to drop it on you, but it's the Monado they're after! So have fun keepin' 'em occupied for me! I'm getting the heck outta here!" "Mumkhar!" Dickson swore. "You dirty…" "Now, don't worry!" Mumkhar smirked, waving his hand. "I'll organize your funerals! Well, see you boys!" And he took off down the battlefield, racing away and leaving Dickson and Dunban alone. "Wait!" Dickson shouted after him, but if Mumkhar heard him, he saw no signs of it. His greasy black hair flew behind him as he fled, and they could distantly hear his laugh. The two dropped the the ground as a Mechon M82 fired off a blast of energy at the pile, nearly obliterating them on the spot. They skidded backwards several feet, somersaulting and finally resting a few feet from where they started, leaping over the artillery with such foolish recklessness. "If this is a joke," Dickson growled. "It ain't funny. Looks like this is it. At least we know our luck can't get any worse from here." He threw his head back, and a new wave of feelings washed over Dunban. It wasn't defiance, it wasn't recklessness, or the desire to protect everything he knew and loved; it was anger. The anger that Mumkhar had left them to die, the anger that he would most likely take his last stand here, fighting the very bane of their existence: the Mechon. It was the anger that fueled him to stand up and take hold of the Monado. He hardly heard Dickson call his name through the pounding of his blood in his ears. Most of all...his feelings were the anger that he had the sword they said was wielded by Bionis itself, the one sword that could harm Mechon, and yet he, who would never admit it aloud, was losing control over it. He would soon not be able to hold it in his hands, and protect the ones he loved and cared about back at his home. "Dickson, take care of the survivors!" He ordered, his voice harsh and commanding. He activated the Monado, glaring at the wave of beasts advancing upon him. "Dunban!" Dickson said. "What're you playing at?" Dunban smirked and ignored him, unknowing of Mumkhar's flight behind them as he fled the battlefield, desperate for his life. "Those idiots...I'll just come and get the Monado when everything's quieted down a bit!" He smirked and laughed. "That thing's gonna be mine!" He screeched as his feet flew out from under him, and he skidded down a slope, tumbling to a stop before a wall of shadow. He groaned in pain, and got up, before a red laser focused right on his forehead -the spotting line of a Mechon. Several hundred more followed the first, training all over Mumkhar's body. He screamed and scrambled backwards, desperate to get away. "Oh, no please!" He begged. "No!" He threw his hands in front of his head and screamed as Dunban held up the Monado, it's power washing over everything. "Vile Mechon!" Dunban growled. "If you think the Homs, the people of Bionis, are just waiting for you to pick us off...You are sorely mistaken!" He roared and raced forwards, holding the Monado high.