04-04-2010, 02:59 AM
Old habits died hard, it seemed. Orion failed to get any good sleep. He tried his best, but knowing that a changeling was "protecting" him while he rested made him feel uneasy. Sure, he afforded some weak level of trust to Szar, but his old racist attitude wouldn't leave him alone. It was hard enough to mete out any form of companionship to him, even though he was shakily confident in it. Years of biased hatred bred an interminable aversion to his new quasi-friendship.
Orion eventually awoke, unable to sleep any longer. What little shut eye he got was broken and restless anyway, so he may have well let Szar take a break.
"I'm up," the saiyan announced redundantly, rising to his feet. "I'll take watch."
"Did you rest well?" Szar asked.
"Just lie down," Orion stated.
Szar did as he was instructed, taking up a relaxed position by the base of the same tree as Orion had. The saiyan walked over to the treasure chest and gave it a sturdy kick. It still refused to budge. Blasted Gamer and his ridiculous hijinx. Orion sat upon the chest, surveying the jungle for signs of any pirates scouting the area. He expected some sort of rabble while he slept; after all, they plucked their prized treasure right in front of them. Why wouldn't they send out a search party for something so valuable? Maybe they were just unlucky, investigating in the wrong sections of the jungle. If that were the case, then by process of elimination they would locate them soon.
Several hours drifted by. Orion's presumption was wrong. He sat alone amidst the cool ocean breeze, keeping his senses alert in the event that the pirates found them. It was seeming less and less likely for now, but his seasoned experience with tense cat and mouse games was to never let down his guard. Despite that forged instinct, he realised just how bored he was. The pirates they battled earlier were pushovers. Who cared if they got the jump on them? Orion wasn't a simple drunken brawler like those nomadic sailors. He was an accomplished warrior and tactician. Let them come, he mused.
"Argh! Enough of this!" Orion finally announced. He leapt off the treasure chest and turned around to face it. A condensed sphere of energy pooled in his open hand. No pathetic wooden box would defy his desires; he required the chest's contents, and he was going to have it. He clasped the chest with one hand and hurled it into the sky, punching through the leafy canopy of the jungle. Orion too quick aim and fired the energy bolt he collected, watching the chest disappear within an expanding cloud of fire. He smirked. There was no way the chest could endure such an explosion.
He couldn't have been more wrong. The chest, blackened and singed, dropped like a stone and slammed into the jungle floor, right where from where Orion had picked it up. It sat there, brazenly mocking him as wafts of steam rose from its lid. He groaned. There really was no way to shatter the case without the key.
It was then that the saiyan recalled the purchase he put through before the start of the round. Juno alerted him to the badges system that the game had in place to become the victor. Since Orion's only goal was to survive and tear out Gamer's larynx, he had little desire to purchase these badges, instead becoming intrigued by the enigmatic "mystery items" that were available. After sinking all of his monies into the purchase, he stuffed the capsules into his pockets and forgot all about them. He sunk his hands into his robe and withdrew a handful of tiny balls. Clicking the activation lever, he tossed all seven items onto the ground, creating a plume of smoke before unveiling his prizes.
Amongst some additions and subtractions to his badge score, he was left with only two physical objects; a small, furry rodent in a spherical enclosure, and a paperback tome called "Twilight: A New Moon." What worth either of this objects had was unknown, but his boredom led him to explore. He picked up the pet in the ball. An inscription on its rotund side read "Space Hamster". Orion was clueless as to what a space hamster was. Was it a variation of an earthling animal? He stared into the ball, inspecting the creature's movements.
The hamster turned its twitchy nose left and right before it realised the huge saiyan staring it down. It seemed surprised for a moment but then settle down, standing on its two hind legs. After a moment of contemplation, it lifted a paw and covered its left eye, returning the inquisitive glare of the saiyan.
Orion furrowed his brow. Was this space hamster imitating him?
He rubbed his forehead with two fingers. The space hamster mimicked, scratching the tuft of fur above its eyes with its surprisingly dexterous claws. Orion wasn't enjoying being mocked by a rodent capable of being crushed in his meaty hand.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Orion demanded of the hamster.
The furry mammal opened its buck toothed mouth and squeaked in tone with the saiyan's question before biting the base of its spherical prison and gnawing a hole through it. Before Orion could hurl the pint sized pantomime into the ocean, it hopped onto Orion's lap and stopped. From behind it's back, it extracted a garish top hat and placed atop its head before whipping out a diamond studded cane.
"Why, the fresh sea air is doing wonders for my coat, what," the space hamster stated in a sophisticated British accent.
Orion wrenched his face. "What the hell?!"
"Thank you ever so much for freeing me from that cursed capsule," the rodent continued, affixing a monocle to one of its beady eyes.
"How ... are you talking? You just sounded like a damn rat before."
"Oh, yes, that. You see old chap, that infernal bubble was filled with helium, what. Makes my voice as high pitched as the missus' when she finds out I've been banging that delightful bird in the next door neighbour's hutch. Oh, blimey, the noise she makes."
"I see," Orion said. Maybe a feeble minded human would be taken aback by a talking gerbil, but the saiyan had seen far stranger events in his long life. "So ... what do you do?"
"Why, old chap, I'm here to assist, what!"
"Do you have a name?"
"Hmm ... I guess Sprinkles will suffice."
"Sprinkles?" Orion returned incredulously. "Ahem, that's fine. So if you're here to assist me, you can start by chewing through this damn treasure chest." Sprinkles scurried up the saiyan's arm as he stood off the chest and showed it to him. "I'm getting ready to destroy it if I can't get it open."
"Ah, quite the pickle there, gov'ner. You'll need Redbeard's key to unlock that, what."
"How do you know that? And who's Redbeard?" Orion questioned.
"Why, I'm quite a knowledgable chap, old boy. True as steak and kidney pie. Redbeard is the jolly leader of those ragamuffin pirates. You'll need to speak to him to get the key from him, what. I don't think he'll hand it over willingly, mind you." Sprinkles wriggled his nose.
"That doesn't sound too difficult," Orion commented. "His cronies were pretty weak."
"Don't be fooled, old ... spice," the posh hamster informed. "His crew might be as easily licked as a popsicle but he's no dandy. If you wish to obtain the key, you best be ready."
"I guess that's our next course of action, then," the saiyan affirmed. "Szar! Wake up!"
The changeling officer startled back to consciousness. "What? What is it?"
"My furry friend here let me know about the possessor of the chest's key." Orion hoisted the chest, still heated from the ki blast, onto his shoulder. Sprinkles hastily scampered to the other shoulder. "Let's go get the key."
Orion eventually awoke, unable to sleep any longer. What little shut eye he got was broken and restless anyway, so he may have well let Szar take a break.
"I'm up," the saiyan announced redundantly, rising to his feet. "I'll take watch."
"Did you rest well?" Szar asked.
"Just lie down," Orion stated.
Szar did as he was instructed, taking up a relaxed position by the base of the same tree as Orion had. The saiyan walked over to the treasure chest and gave it a sturdy kick. It still refused to budge. Blasted Gamer and his ridiculous hijinx. Orion sat upon the chest, surveying the jungle for signs of any pirates scouting the area. He expected some sort of rabble while he slept; after all, they plucked their prized treasure right in front of them. Why wouldn't they send out a search party for something so valuable? Maybe they were just unlucky, investigating in the wrong sections of the jungle. If that were the case, then by process of elimination they would locate them soon.
Several hours drifted by. Orion's presumption was wrong. He sat alone amidst the cool ocean breeze, keeping his senses alert in the event that the pirates found them. It was seeming less and less likely for now, but his seasoned experience with tense cat and mouse games was to never let down his guard. Despite that forged instinct, he realised just how bored he was. The pirates they battled earlier were pushovers. Who cared if they got the jump on them? Orion wasn't a simple drunken brawler like those nomadic sailors. He was an accomplished warrior and tactician. Let them come, he mused.
"Argh! Enough of this!" Orion finally announced. He leapt off the treasure chest and turned around to face it. A condensed sphere of energy pooled in his open hand. No pathetic wooden box would defy his desires; he required the chest's contents, and he was going to have it. He clasped the chest with one hand and hurled it into the sky, punching through the leafy canopy of the jungle. Orion too quick aim and fired the energy bolt he collected, watching the chest disappear within an expanding cloud of fire. He smirked. There was no way the chest could endure such an explosion.
He couldn't have been more wrong. The chest, blackened and singed, dropped like a stone and slammed into the jungle floor, right where from where Orion had picked it up. It sat there, brazenly mocking him as wafts of steam rose from its lid. He groaned. There really was no way to shatter the case without the key.
It was then that the saiyan recalled the purchase he put through before the start of the round. Juno alerted him to the badges system that the game had in place to become the victor. Since Orion's only goal was to survive and tear out Gamer's larynx, he had little desire to purchase these badges, instead becoming intrigued by the enigmatic "mystery items" that were available. After sinking all of his monies into the purchase, he stuffed the capsules into his pockets and forgot all about them. He sunk his hands into his robe and withdrew a handful of tiny balls. Clicking the activation lever, he tossed all seven items onto the ground, creating a plume of smoke before unveiling his prizes.
Amongst some additions and subtractions to his badge score, he was left with only two physical objects; a small, furry rodent in a spherical enclosure, and a paperback tome called "Twilight: A New Moon." What worth either of this objects had was unknown, but his boredom led him to explore. He picked up the pet in the ball. An inscription on its rotund side read "Space Hamster". Orion was clueless as to what a space hamster was. Was it a variation of an earthling animal? He stared into the ball, inspecting the creature's movements.
The hamster turned its twitchy nose left and right before it realised the huge saiyan staring it down. It seemed surprised for a moment but then settle down, standing on its two hind legs. After a moment of contemplation, it lifted a paw and covered its left eye, returning the inquisitive glare of the saiyan.
Orion furrowed his brow. Was this space hamster imitating him?
He rubbed his forehead with two fingers. The space hamster mimicked, scratching the tuft of fur above its eyes with its surprisingly dexterous claws. Orion wasn't enjoying being mocked by a rodent capable of being crushed in his meaty hand.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Orion demanded of the hamster.
The furry mammal opened its buck toothed mouth and squeaked in tone with the saiyan's question before biting the base of its spherical prison and gnawing a hole through it. Before Orion could hurl the pint sized pantomime into the ocean, it hopped onto Orion's lap and stopped. From behind it's back, it extracted a garish top hat and placed atop its head before whipping out a diamond studded cane.
"Why, the fresh sea air is doing wonders for my coat, what," the space hamster stated in a sophisticated British accent.
Orion wrenched his face. "What the hell?!"
"Thank you ever so much for freeing me from that cursed capsule," the rodent continued, affixing a monocle to one of its beady eyes.
"How ... are you talking? You just sounded like a damn rat before."
"Oh, yes, that. You see old chap, that infernal bubble was filled with helium, what. Makes my voice as high pitched as the missus' when she finds out I've been banging that delightful bird in the next door neighbour's hutch. Oh, blimey, the noise she makes."
"I see," Orion said. Maybe a feeble minded human would be taken aback by a talking gerbil, but the saiyan had seen far stranger events in his long life. "So ... what do you do?"
"Why, old chap, I'm here to assist, what!"
"Do you have a name?"
"Hmm ... I guess Sprinkles will suffice."
"Sprinkles?" Orion returned incredulously. "Ahem, that's fine. So if you're here to assist me, you can start by chewing through this damn treasure chest." Sprinkles scurried up the saiyan's arm as he stood off the chest and showed it to him. "I'm getting ready to destroy it if I can't get it open."
"Ah, quite the pickle there, gov'ner. You'll need Redbeard's key to unlock that, what."
"How do you know that? And who's Redbeard?" Orion questioned.
"Why, I'm quite a knowledgable chap, old boy. True as steak and kidney pie. Redbeard is the jolly leader of those ragamuffin pirates. You'll need to speak to him to get the key from him, what. I don't think he'll hand it over willingly, mind you." Sprinkles wriggled his nose.
"That doesn't sound too difficult," Orion commented. "His cronies were pretty weak."
"Don't be fooled, old ... spice," the posh hamster informed. "His crew might be as easily licked as a popsicle but he's no dandy. If you wish to obtain the key, you best be ready."
"I guess that's our next course of action, then," the saiyan affirmed. "Szar! Wake up!"
The changeling officer startled back to consciousness. "What? What is it?"
"My furry friend here let me know about the possessor of the chest's key." Orion hoisted the chest, still heated from the ki blast, onto his shoulder. Sprinkles hastily scampered to the other shoulder. "Let's go get the key."
![[Image: OrionAug11.jpg]](http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/captain_civic/OrionAug11.jpg)