EPT
Why do I do this?
The beach was cold, bordering on freezing. Dayshi slumped on a stretcher, carried by two grim-faced assistants toward the gangplank of The Hangover. The others were nowhere to be found, though the distant cries of horror and embarrassment that echoed in the distance said that they were still close by.
Maybe I shouldn't.
Lilbow limped slowly up the slope, legs burning with pain. His scarred right leg, normally a tangled blob of throbbing pain, was nothing compared to the tearing, gnashing sensation that ripped through his left. Right now, his limbs seemed engaged in a contest of agony - whichever could hurt the most won. For all he cared, they were all winning. He wiped his brow with considerable effort, bruised arms protesting at the motion. That damn Life.
He reached the crest of the hill and looked out across the landscape. Heavy clouds had gathered above Browder Valley, paper-gray phantasms of slow, rippling motion. A gentle drizzle had washed the hills clear of blood, filling jagged holes in the dirt with dirt-red water. Twisted beasts of all sizes crowded nooks and crannies, ravaged by missiles and gunfire, and hulking Terran machinery lay scattered about the swathes of bygone destruction.
The enemies were nowhere to be seen.
Why do I do this?
Lilbow looked to the sky, gently rubbing his left leg. Life's zerglings had torn into him with ferocity he had thought impossible, and his entire body ached with the memory. Supposedly, Polt had fallen as well. The exile, returned from his summer vacation with that rascal at his side, had blindsided him. Reportedly, Hydra had come to his rescue, saved him from further torture in the valley and ferried him off to a bedroom on his ship. Where was the ship now? Ravaged and broken, Lilbow had done his best to find it. Salvage the situation. Dayshi and his informants had helped, but they - quite obviously - had failed to produce results worthy of mention.
So here he was, left behind. He peered down into the valley, eyes wandering over wavy hills and resting briefly on the circle of scorched earth where Life had been defeated, where he had dropped the scepter to cause this unfortunate mess in the first place.
Defeated.
It would have been easy to defeat that one, had he only come prepared. Lilbow shrugged, though the gesture hurt him. Damn zerglings. Damn Zerg, actually. Damn everything, forcing his surrender. He had never been one to surrender, but you have to be realistic about some things.
There are more important things in the future than some scepter.
Fortunate thing, too, because the eight remaining - that damn one-eyed pirate was among them still - had taken their fight north through the valley. In his current state, out of breath and out of practice, beaten and bloody, Lilbow was in no shape to follow them. He was slow, movements sluggish. They had been sluggish even during the trip.
Good thing I didn't waste time preparing.
In the future, these fools would be surprised. While they quibbled for some stupid scepter, Lilbow would look to the future. He didn't need a scepter now, he wanted the future. And they couldn't take that from him so easily. Life had come at him hard, hard and fast, but the joke was on him. If he wasn't interested in fighting the honorable fight, then that spoke only to the disgraced king's dishonor. What was he going to do against the machine, anyway? Lilbow shrugged again, winced. Better to look to the future.
Why do I do this?
Slowly, Lilbow turned and limped down the slope towards The Hangover. He had a future to consider. A new world, rife with new strategies, new stratagems, new ideas. New campaigns. The scepter could wait. Surely, there would be more chances for one as skilled as him. No use fighting for an old relic such as the Swarm's Heart. The scepter was of no interest right now. Polt was down for the count, and Hydra would inevitably fall soon.
Lilbow dragged aching legs down the slope, gesturing for his servants to return to the ship. Firecake stuck his head out of a lower window and nodded curtly.
Why do I do this?
Lilbow cast a final glance back at Browder Valley, at the lands of Metzennala as engines began to hum in the ship's underbelly.
Perhaps I shouldn't.
its honestly amazing writing. I don't know if I want to translate this atm because the current opinion of Lilbow is less than pleasing. Thanks writer!
