Iron Lung writes

FG: Chapter 35

-One Month Later-

-Fort Festigraf, edge of Boss Skegga’s Territory-

Head-Yip Mivvy watched the deep green pools of the Black Gulch swirl with no alternative, stifling the yawn that was traveling up his tiny red throat.

He spared little thought for the chitter-chatter of his men as they boasted of the ratmen they would hang or strangle on the battlefield. In the wake of the Massacre of Razork Field, Big Boss had been mobilizing his forces ...

FG: Chapter 34

“Without cavalry, battles are without result”

-Napoleon Bonaparte

In the aftermath of the Glitterpak bombing, there was a lull of perhaps forty seconds where nothing happened at all. Dazzled Kobolds – the ones still living – wandered aimlessly or crawled to return to their Skogs, only to find their mounts had become crisped-up polyps stuck to the still burning ground.

The ringing in their ears deafened them to the sounds of the Slinger-line ...

CC: Chapter 36

'Echoes (Part I)'

XJ-V stared into the pale face of Ori’un, struck by the light of the low-hanging moon that threw its shadow across him.

“I am the one who killed Feng-Lung’s mother”, he said.

XJ-V searched his memory banks, recalling how Feng had always spoken of his mother in past tense, avoiding when the Cog had probed him further. He could remember, plain as the pale light of the moon tonight, that the boy’s features had often turned fro...

CC: Chapter 35

The silence that stretched between the three men in the Grove seemed to go on for an eternity.

It was only XJ-V that finally spoke, addressing the mountainous form of the Planeswalker with a curt bow.

“Forgive us, Planeswalker Ori’un,” he said. “We spoke words in seclusion, words meant only for each other.”

He looked to Feng-Lung for support and found the boy to be focused not on the new arrival, but on the Shuigui as they traced the surface of the pond and finish...

CC: Chapter 34

'Premonition'

The clouds of the Dao parted today to show him a spring running open and free.

Beneath the waters there was a city.

The skeletal frames of buildings climbed up to the inviting amber of a morning sky. Each steel giant watched its Brothers with thousands of glass eyes, peering at the tiny people walking around inside their bowels. A whispering wind blew through the forest of steel and glass, and XJ-V closed his eyes as he felt it wash over...

CC: Chapter 33

“Focus!” Fai-Deng roared as he sent another arc of lightning flying at XJ-V’s right shoulder-joint.

My dominant arm, the Cog thought as he brought his hands up in the swirling motion of the Dragontail swipe. The Tiger is thinking more strategically nowadays.

As he sliced through the strike, feeling the energy from Fai’s lightning dance on his fingertips before flying away, XJ-V readied a Dragon Tooth strike that sent his own fireball cascading towards the Fai as he leape...

CC: Chapter 32

XJ-V stared dumbfounded at his companion.

“A tournament…” he parroted. “A contest to decide who the Planeswalker’s apprentice shall be.”

Feng-Lung nodded, and the Cog thought he witnessed a spark twinkle in his friend’s blue eyes.

“Is it truly worth entering?’ XJ-V asked. “Perhaps Master Longhua speaks true. Perhaps it is best to remain in Ramor-Tai.”

His companion was not to be dissuaded. It was as though XJ-V was looking at the reborn Feng-Lung ...

FG: Chapter 33

‘Offense is the essence of air power’

- Henry H. Arnold

The roar of the dwarf powder cannon tore through the air of Razork village like an ancient demon awakened from a long slumber.

It’s every shot rebounded with an echo that traveled through the tiny beating hearts of every Kobold that stood around it, each one waiting for the command to move out and slay what was left of the pathetic ratlings who still lived in their tiny little border villa...

CC: Chapter 31

The Master of the Eternal Dragon locked eyes with the Planeswalker as he delivered the message from the Waning Moon Sect.

“War is coming, Longhua,” he said. “Of that, there can be no mistake.”

XJ-V felt Feng-Lung’s physical tense beside him even in the dream-space they both occupied in Arha’s head.

Longhua considered the wobbling surface of his green tea.

“The portents of Amigdalis are often as susceptible to change as the water that flows in the valleys ...

FG: Chapter 32

Deekius gazed up at Regurg as the latter’s blade came crashing down do cleave his skull.

And then, without warning, the Talon-Commander’s arm stopped – seemingly on a whim.

To the onlookers, it seemed that Regurg had suddenly been paralyzed for, though his sword arm twitched and wavered, his eyes moved around frantically, and a low, pained howl began to emanate from his lips.

His body shook with perspiration and bulging muscles – muscles that were contracting and spa...

CC: Chapter 30

'Prying Eyes'

XJ-V snuck stealthily through the Eternal Dragon commune. This was made difficult by the fact he stuck out like a sore thumb, but to the Disciples who were currently engaged in making preparations for their Planeswalker hero, he walked without leaving a trace.

“XJ-V,” Arha twittered under his arm. “Where are we –“

The excitement of her metal man throwing open the door to Feng-Lung’s chamber completely cut through the fox’s ...

FG: Chapter 31

Ix wished these ratman mounts wouldn’t sway around so much.

He missed the cool, flat backs of the Skogs that he rode into battle on the dangerous raids against the fat dwarves in their stone houses before this war started. But even the tiniest Yip knows that things change. One day you think you have leaped your highest leap. The next day you find that there is another mountain to overcome.

Such thoughts buzzed in his mind as he kicked the Spineripper gently and brought it to a h...

CC: Chapter 29

'Ori'un'

The hulking bear of a man looked up at XJ-V and smiled through his luminescent crescent moon tattoo.

“A Cog Cultivator,” he said. “I bet you’ve been giving old Longhua a headache, eh?”

Amidst a sea of awestruck silence, XJ-V simply smiled back at the Planeswalker.

“I think most people do.”

“Har!” the Planeswalker yelped. “A Cog after my own heart! Looks like there might just be hope for the old man yet. What’...

FG: Chapter 30

-Grindlefecht, Boss Skegga’s Stronghold-

Silas sat in the dark, illuminated by only the single, dim light of a gleaming candle.

Beneath the window of his chambers in the high tower of Grindlefecht, he watched the Kobolds go about their daily routines. Snapping at each other, jumping off the walls, trying to repair the dwarf cannons and losing their feeble limbs in the process. With the help of a few prisoners he’d managed to ‘persuade’, they had managed to...

CC: Chapter 28

'Planeswalker'

The next few days were a blur of activity.

XJ-V spent his days engaged in silent meditation with Arha curled up round his neck like a shawl or training with Fai-Deng. Within the week he had mastered the Dragontail Swipe and perfected his Dragon Claw. With these two techniques under his steely belt he had the bread and butter of the Eternal Dragon combat style. He could already feel his body adjusting to the increasing flow of Qi that awakened each C...