Operation Desert Storm <Void Quest — Gate in the Dunes>

[Strazio Rockwell]

　　From deep within the decaying ruins a mob of mutants stirred to life. Their bodies mangled and twisted beyond recognition. They were nothing more than a relic of the past, a forgotten mistake created within the Endless Dunes long ago. Enel’s attack shook the rafters and knocked a layer of detritus from the roof. Slowly the twisted mutants woke from their slumber. Hacking coughs and breathless howls signaled their awakening. Their twisted gaunt forms were nothing but vague reminders of the humanity they once possessed. Now their bones and flesh were gnarled monstrosities, sharp talons jutted from their bony fingers and bony teeth lined their maws. Clamoring and crawling, snarling and chattering the mutated monsters erupted from the cellar below.
　　
　　Enel met the creatures with a withering fusillade of lighting bolts. He chuckled at the pathetic creatures and yelled, “bow before your god you wretches!”
　　
　　Another wave of the mutants charged forth, pushing back against Enel’s onslaught. The sheer amount of creatures pouring from the deeper reaches of the building forced him to take a step back. Every monstrosity that he slayed was soon replaced by an equally repulsive beast. Enel scowled, this task was turning into quite the ordeal. A bolt of blue flame zipped past Enel’s head and carved a hole into one of the mutants. Not even a beat later a series of similar bolts of blue charged past the god. The flaming bullets left smoldering holes in their targets, the blue flame consuming flesh and bone alike. Enel raised his eyebrows and looked over his shoulder.
　　
　　Behind him stood a small squad of what appeared to be robots. The humanoid figures carried smoking rifles and a sphere of light blue energy crackled around them. Their bodies were covered in grey plasteel plates. Sunken in their helmets bright red orbs sparkled in the sunlight, beneath their shiny exterior sat a simple targeting display. In the center of the robotic humans stood a tall slender figure. Her body was covered from head to toe with silver and gold armor. Atop her head sat a perpetually burning blue flame, almost as if her body was a torch for the blaze. In her right hand danced wisps of that familiar azure blaze, each tongue of the fire spreading eagerly out trying to find something to devour. He helmet held no slots for eyes, but she seemed to command the battlefield ordering her soldiers to move with only simple hand gestures.
　　
　　The rank and file soldiers rushed forward, their movements tactical and precise. They had slain many of these creatures before and they certainly knew how to handle them. Enel watched as the knights set to work, turning down his own power in favor of letting them do the heavy lifting. The creatures seemed to ignore the cobalt bolts tearing into their flesh, fighting until their twisted bodies finally collapsed under the weight of injury. Eventually after what seemed like an eternity the deluge of mutants trickled down to a few stragglers. The leader of the outfit took a moment of silence, looking over the smoldering corpses of her enemies before addressing Enel.
　　
　　“Greetings, I am Carmine of the Frigid Flame, and these are my knights.” She paused for a moment, seemingly eyeing Enel from top to bottom, “never thought I would have seen another human out here.”

　　Enel scowled and removed a finger from his nostril, “ah, well you see I am no mere human. I am Enel, the God of all creation.”
　　
　　A pregnant moment of awkward silence was shared between the two. Carmine glanced away from the boisterous prime. Her knights were hard at work executing the survivors and setting the corpses ablaze with their signature fire. Enel raised an eyebrow and asked, “so, what’s the deal with the fire?”
　　
　　Carmine raised her hand a ignited a small pyre in her right palm and spoke, “it is the only humane way to release these creatures from their tortured existence. The frigid flame is painless, its touch feels no more painful than the soothing kiss of a fall breeze upon your skin. Even these twisted monstrosities deserve a painless escape from their existence.”