The Curious Case of Ogatan-Rex
Warmblood splashed across the ground, briefly staining the earth scarlet matching the rivulets of crimson that snaked down his body. Long, ragged gasps escaped his lips, his lung aflame in search of oxygen. His body ached and any attempt to dreg up the energy to fight back was an arduous ordeal.
His opponent was letting him catch his breath, to regain what little power he could muster again before crushing him back down. It was a demoralizing tactic, but one he had been subjected to countless times at this point. Descending slowly, he once again took note of the creature; bipedal insectoid clad in a simple changshan despite its violet exoskeleton, its head was split in two by a recess that encircled it, allowing countless glowing eyes to peer out in all three hundred and sixty degrees. Its mouth was obscured by beard-like tendrils that resembled fern leaves, although he knew that beneath it was mouth like a lamprey's and what appeared to be a pointed jaw was instead two large mandibles tucked into place. It appeared to have two sets of arms, although for the fight so far, it had only used its top two, while the lower two had been locked into a gesture of prayer.
"[I]Ogatan-san[/I]," The creature said, its words a mixture of telepathy and hissing-like vocals that combined together to form a disjointed approximation of human speech, "[I]Perhaps it would be wise to step out of the pond?[/I]"
"Nah, I'm good... I fucking love the feeling of blood in my pants..."
[I]"It is fortunate I have come to understand your earthling "sarcasm," lest my opinion of you would have dropped."[/I]
"Good, now I can focus on the more complicated insults."
[I]"I would prefer not, Ogatan-san, but I know you will anyway..."[/I]
"Finally! We've come to a mutual under..." Leaping from the bloody pond, he launched a knee towards the insectoid's head, only for his attacking limb to be seized by a hand of long, spindly fingers, "...standing... shit." He knew that the creature's arms, much like its mandibles, held a secret, one that he would witness in action... again. What were its arms, were actually each a pair of segmented limbs. Splitting into four, with one still holding firm to his leg, he prepared himself for the barrage of punches by the remaining three.
[COLOR="#EE82EE"]"That's enough you two."[/COLOR] The insectoid instantly released him, threatening to have him plunge back into the pond were he not able to maneuver his descent back onto dry land. Hovering above the two was the angel, Islay, [COLOR="#EE82EE"]"I suspect King Yemma is close to having a brain aneurysm from all the stress we've been causing him."[/COLOR]
It was true, now that he looked around. The wispy clouds that were the souls of the dead were either cowering or watching in display as their skirmish had done some damage... well, it was pretty much all him, "Couldn't you find a better place other than HFIL?"
[COLOR="#EE82EE"]"I've told you countless times, child, but HFIL is one of the few places where you can benefit from this training."[/COLOR]
It sure didn't feel like he had progressed... then again his sense of time had grown distorted since he had fought the Beast God. After finding himself back at the Lookout, somehow, he had been spirited away by the angel to do this. According to the angel, his ability to consume energy had become a crutch, especially in the last few years he had spent as Rex, and here in the afterlife where he found it difficult to draw forth such replenishing energy, there was very little doubt that she was right. Combined with her choice of retainer and he had been on the backfoot when it came to sparring matches from the get-go with little to show for it.
"So, what now?" He asked, having grown a little frustrated upon reflection.
[COLOR="#EE82EE"]"Well..."[/COLOR] The angel began, a smile crossing her lips, [COLOR="#EE82EE"]"I say we put that training to the test..."[/COLOR]
Time Period 1: One Month In
[QUOTE=Sub-Zero MKA;5409727]"Then it's time to educate them," Parsley responded. "Pants being president and being somewhat involved in our affairs will prove beneficial. The sooner your people are brought up to speed, the better." That was an obvious statement that didn't really need to be said. But at the same time, it did. By his own admission, Eldfen allowed humanity an easy enough life to compel them to grow complacent with that life. As such, they were weak and helpless, unlike many other races who could easily defend themselves while their champions were absent. The sooner that was rectified, the better.
"If your people are complacent, bringing them up to speed about dangers and state of the galaxy and universe at large will put a necessary scare in them. From there, you should pick the most capable fighters and train them in the techniques you and Zaofan have learned from this Master of Masters. That should suffice for now, I figure. Tatenen II is a world within Vaikuntha that allowed for a year of training in a single day. It's where Sarada and I trained a few months ago. That will give you time to train these fighters you would otherwise not have."
The entire race didn't need to be up to snuff. After all, not everyone could be a warrior. Even in Saiyan culture, there were some who had no taste for fighting. They were few and far between, but they did exist.
Parsley took the book with an appreciative nod. "Impressive, and appreciated.[/QUOTE]
"Pantaloon. He has been away far too long," Ochazuke grunted. "The way things have been moving may be well beyond the scope of even his clever abilities."
Setting his sealed letters in a decidedly archaic vessel, a messenger tube, Ochazuke sealed the end, and stood.
"Outside of Pantaloon and his inner circle, the knowledge of other worlds has not been as widespread as you might think. It was only three years ago that the Earth was forced to confront that fact when The Doctor sent the Fleet of the First Race through our atmosphere," Ochazuke replied. "That was the reason for your sister's brief correspondence with the President alongside the Galactic Patrol."
"Outwardly, I've no doubt it was a sincere gesture to build alliances. But suited to the political mores of a creature obsessed with casting off his chains, well...Alakazah always had the means to turn plain matters into whatever he wished."
It was all so simple, the way Parsley explained it. [I]A necessary scare.[/I]
To wit, however, the Saiyan Princess may have misjudged an enduring and rather unfortunate quality of the human experience.
"Suppose that every time one looked into the night sky, they were reminded how they were living second-class lives on their own planet, subject to their overseers?"
Compound that with the interest of three years' time, and how the symbol of their major visionary was destroyed when Capsule Corp had been ransacked by the Threshling Knights, only for him to mysteriously re-emerge after this prolonged absence with a curious reason...the prospect of even Jinzi capturing the vote was precarious at this time.
"Trying to control a thing that won't be is as futile as tightening your grasp over grains of sand. And yet, despite everything there those willing to fight...but only on their terms."
Time Period 3: Some Months In
[QUOTE=Cleric of Hell’s Brigade;5419008]He nods and then pauses, eye glowing faintly.
“Sheki’hinah will be here shortly. It’s better if we’re both here to tell the tale.”
After only a few moments, Sheki’hinah knocks and then enters the room, smiling at them both. She looked tired, though. In fact, Sihn and her both look exhausted and tired.
“A pleasure, Parsley, Ochazuke, to see you both again. I’m just sorry it’s on such......poor tidings.”[/QUOTE]
"A pleasure I hadn't reciprocated," Ochazuke said plainly, surveying the Goddess of Death and the Overseer of the Universe.
"You were a scattered essence the last time I saw you, and it seems little better now that you've been returned to your station."
His sharp tone and brusque assessment of their condition held little reverence, for truthfully he had little case to loan it. To know there was no rest nor justice for the dead was a matter that weighted heavily upon his mind.
And in this place in particular, on the threshold of countless lost souls, he felt the burdens of karma welling through the scars that ran through his heart. Those dark memories in particular he could not cast aside.
[QUOTE=Cleric of Hell’s Brigade;5419027]He nods and palms the splicer.
“Some time back I became aware of.....disturbances....in HFIL. Normally we have Oni, Sheki’hinah’s kin, that watch over and guard the various hells and pocket dimensions that make up HFIL. Sheki’hinah herself presides, making transitions and soul cleaning much easier, and helping set up the afterlife of those good souls as needs be. Before her return we were far less efficient, and it’s because of her catching up on our back log that....some....oddities have cropped up. Certain personal hells weren’t being guarded, some weren’t even marked on our maps, and some that were no longer held their.....guests.”[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Sub-Zero MKA;5419514]So, not only did Nunlil step down from her post - because of Sarada's ex-pet, undoubtedly - but several other Oni did, as well. That left the hunter corps severely undermanned and unable to keep track of all the souls that potentially could have escaped. That posed a serious problem. Even if they wrangled the rest of the escaped souls, there was very little to stop them or others from slipping through the cracks again.
It sounded like Hell was a complete shit-show. Not only had Lampton made his own personal Hell, but someone else had, too. It spoke poorly to the institution, making Parsley hope Inanna's... improvements would extend to her mother's domain. If there was any place that needed a complete overhaul, it was HFIL.
"What can be done about this? It sounds like this is a manpower issue."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Cleric of Hell’s Brigade;5419556]OT: Nunlil left years ago, FYI. Long before she met Jack.
IC:
“We’re working on that. During their....visit, Nunlil and Jack both offered to help train our other hunter Oni. Trust me, they were quite helpful to the cause. As of right now we have about one thousand hunter Oni, which is two hundred more than we had before my resurrection.”
Sihn nods and pours a drink.
“We have also made a comprehensive list of all Oni who decided to follow Nunlil and Durga and Marduk’s example and leave HFIL without telling anyone. We are currently missing twenty four hunter Oni not counting the ones mentioned above, three general Guard Captain Oni, and one low level administrator Oni. Twenty Eight in total.”[/QUOTE]
Ochazuke stood quiet, silently observing a distant wall of this strange office. As he listened in, it was as if he was searching the Afterlife for something else that seemed far too distant and continued to elude him.
"Twenty-eight of your hell hunters. A list won't do if we cannot find them. However..."
Popping a capsule, he set a cracked earthenware jug on the table, its top set with...plastic cling film, etched with a red ink seal.
"It so happens that one of your damned escapees had crossed my path," he said, his expression darkening. "She was reticent at first, but after a year in the Room of Spirit and Time, we came to...something of an understanding."
It was about half a year ago, but there had been a dark day when thousands of ghosts bled from the suspended moment of the chamber, as if their tortured screams had at last been silenced when they were released from the one that took them.
For every life she took, day by grueling day, he and Zaofan wrung the stolen souls out of her, until only a single, broken will remained.
"Whoever gave her the opportunity, it is likely [B]Kevi, Widow's Strife[/B] knows."