354 The Invasion (2)
He managed to quell his disbelief and swallow a gulp of saliva, all the while the White Flame’s narrative carried forward, “As these occurrences burgeoned worldwide, humanity perceived it as an opportunity—a chance to strike back, to reclaim the lands that had been wrested from their grasp. And strike…. they did.”
Orion saw men whose trousers shredded as they morphed into beastly forms, and witnessed others conjuring ice seemingly out of thin air, flames dancing at their command, steel bending to their will.
Among them were those whose skin seemed to transmute, becoming as solid as stone. Orion was struck by a sudden realization as the true reason behind his awakened gift began to dawn on him.
Regardless, this newfound understanding only raised further questions. ‘This doesn’t add up,’ he mused, recalling his own awakening experience in detail. His recollection painted a different picture – plucking an immaterial fruit from a tree that appeared almost unearthly, emerging from beneath a giant sundial.
This scene contrasted with what he now witnessed, where individuals seemed to awaken their powers almost effortlessly moments after the start of the invasion.
Orion realized that if he had been more interested in movies or fantasy novels, he might have encountered scenarios like this before.
Unfortunately, all he knew how to do was work and enjoy the money he had earned, so he didn’t exactly pay much attention to them.
Absorbing its words, Orion watched as the scene flickered and changed entirely to humans fighting against these creatures. Men, women, children, and even the elderly participated in the battle.
“We caught them off guard, reclaiming our territories. They were eventually forced to retreat into the very gateways they emerged from. Although some lands remained beyond our grasp, the ones we reclaimed outnumbered the losses,” White Flame spoke confidently.
Just as it was about to divulge more, a pressing question surged within Orion’s mind, and he interjected, “You keep mentioning ‘we.’ You claim to be a god, so didn’t you possess the power to prevent all this? Or are you also…?” His words trailed off, silenced by the volatile flickering of the flame, causing him to swallow his unfinished question.
If the White Flame had a face, it would have appeared to sport a wry smile right now. However, a moment later, the White Flame continued, “Yes, you’re correct. With the abilities I held at that time, I could have halted them. Yet, I was nothing more than a general at that point, watching as battalions of troops dwindled from thousands to mere hundreds.”
The scene before them shifted, and suddenly, Orion found himself amidst men armed with levitating tanks and guns that fired thick laser beams. They were facing off against a horde of centaurs, each clad in thick, heavy armour, wielding swords and bows of immense proportions.
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But in the blink of an eye, the scene shifted, revealing an entirely new kind of conflict with the same army now engaging an entirely different breed of creatures
The tanks bore the scars of previous battles, and the soldiers’ dirtied uniforms indicated they had pressed on relentlessly, victory after victory, leaving only their dwindling numbers as the toll of their conquest.
Among the tumult, Orion’s attention was seized by the figure of a man who seemed to be a constant presence in every scene. In certain instances, he appeared with the scars of severe injuries from their previous battles, standing at the forefront; in others, he kept a safe distance, launching attacks from a vantage point.
“As you can see, each battle ended in our favour, these creatures proved no match against the hail of plasma ammo raining down on them. Yet, with each triumph, our ranks dwindled significantly until we were left with just a solitary battalion of a thousand men,” White Flame unexpectedly sighed, a tinge of weariness in its voice, “I’m sure this concept is foreign to you.”
It then continued, “Despite this, the gateways remained open, persistently spewing forth more of them. Our machines and weapons faltered, and it wasn’t until later that we realized, for inexplicable reasons, piece by piece, no matter their complexity or location, that our machinery was failing progressively. We couldn’t even call upon ordinary men for help, as they were powerless in the face of it all. At least, that was before their gifts awoke… before mine awakened too…”
Orion observed as the man he deduced was the White Flame conjured several illusions of himself and those around him, leading a charge with fewer than a hundred men, yet appearing to be an army of over a thousand.
‘Brilliant,’ Orion thought. Although it was a risky move, it was still amazing in its own right.
Observing Orion as he gazed upon the reflections of his past, White Flame couldn’t help but imagine a wry smile gracing its fiery form, if it were capable of such an expression.
“However,” White Flame continued, “our leaders weren’t about to lose their power. They perceived the threat to their authority and the world’s fragile state. So, they unleashed the full might of their arsenal in retaliation that shook the very foundations of the world. And they succeeded…..”
“.…almost.” White Flame’s voice held a solemn weight, a momentary hesitation that added a touch of gravity to its words. Then it continued, “You see, in a world driven by logic and reason, the government would have rallied those with these newfound abilities, enlisting them to stand against the invaders. Survival, common sense, and shared interests should have united us against the threat that threatened all of our lives and the world we cherished.”
“…..In a sane world, power would have shifted to those who proved their strength, though veiled in the guise of order….. In a sane world, we would have triumphed, driving the invaders back, and persistently pursuing them even within their own realm. But that morning, when you awaken to the sight of a dragon effortlessly tearing a plasma cannon from your tank… that was not… a sane world.”
…
A/N: This is not Sci-fi, so don’t expect any guns or whatnot that can go ‘Pew’ ‘Pew’, cause I’ll be sticking to my swords and shields.