Tales of Pandora

Origins of Salizar, Chapter 22: ~Salizar’s gambit~

Salizar looked at the once great Fort Olympia. The illustrious but industrial castle loomed before him, the humans were gone and it had been reduced to nothing more than scorched ruins. It was a sight that made him feel victorious, he had accomplished much, but he was not finished yet. The final roar of the Apex dragon could be heard faintly behind him, “and so the Queen is sacrificed, leaving the opposing king vulnerable to checkmate.” Salizar said. He took off his bone mask and threw it aside, he had no use for it any longer. He took his tek eye out of his satchel and fixed it to his face, it hurt slightly as the augment connected to his nervous system. “Ahh, much better.” He said now able to see out of both eyes. “Find him!” He heard Emerald’s voice in the distance. He chuckled, “you won’t.” He said quietly. He started to run on all fours, zigzagging through the rubbles buildings, all the way to the edge of the isle. “Overseer, phase two is a go.” Salizar said. Then he jumped.

When they reached the obelisk, Caesar ran up to the terminal, dodging small bolts of orangish red lightning, small streaks of blue and green were visible as well. he reached the control panel but all he saw was a red button, and a slot where you could put some sort of key. The reddish haze around him made it hard to see, “What is this?! Where is the terminal to shut this down!” He said. Salizar laughed, “You really thought the boss terminal is where I started this?!” He said laughing, “oh Caesar how easy it is to outsmart you and your pitiful gang.” He continued. “Where are you Salizar!” Caesar asked. Salizar atop a mechanical Wyvern rose up from the ledge of the obelisk platform. “Do you like it? It’s called a voidwrym, I pulled it out of a security system for something called the ‘genesis shuttle’” Salizar said. The others were already running up to the terminal, wounded and carrying the dead or injured in the fight against Salizar’s Tek raptor ambush when Salizar spoke again. “Don’t you get it?! That rock drake who told you to come here was lying! I may have put a knife in his throat but he never knew my true intentions.” Salizar said. “He was useful.. I almost don’t want to leave him here, but he served his purpose, just like the others before him.” He said. “You’re insane!” Caesar said. “.. maybe so, but I will survive while you die here.. oh speaking of that you might want to run, we've got about… hmm, an hour before the obelisks begin.” Salizar said. Caesar turned and ran, ignoring Salizars taunts and laughter, he shouted to his allies to flee and they did, leaving Salizar behind. “I should probably get away from here..” he said noticing more bolts of colored lightning flashing down on the terminal. He flew away and toward the floating isle, he flew underneath the island and reached the Tek cave’s gate. His voidwrym scuttled forward a little and the gate opened, just long enough to let Salizar and his mount inside. They tore through the tek cave’s creatures, Salizar was at one point snatched off of his Wyvern by a purlovia, but he finished it off with a blade to the throat, this was quickly becoming his signature move… his voidwrym was unstoppable, decimating even the cave’s mighty giganotosaurus. They finally reached the teleporter and transported up to the starlit sanctuary. Salizar dismounted and entered the control room, the Overseer was waiting for him, it had already got rid of any evidence Salizar had been there, his cryo pod, workbench, Apex’s incubator, everything. All that was there now was a legion of enforcers and drones, lined up and perfectly still. “Just on time sir, the obelisks will activate in T-minus 10 seconds. Salizar walked over to the window and looked down at Pandora. VVVVBBMMMMMM, at that moment the obelisks erupted, pure energy shooting into the ground, with a massive shockwave that sent the trees rearing the obelisks blinding glow illuminated ark with blue, green, and mostly red light.

“Beautiful.” Salizar said, his eyes glowing red from the reflection, “Begin phase three.” He said turning to the Overseer. The overseer turned around to face the small army, one by one they self destructed, creating cyan explosions and sending shrapnel all around the room, the Overseer used it’s hexagons to block debris from hitting Salizar. When all of its forces had exploded the starlit sanctuary looked as if someone had actually fought the overseer there. Just one thing was missing, Salizar snapped his fingers and his voidwrym started blasting beams around the room, creating chaotic scorch marks to sell the staged battle. “Now, begin phase four.” Salizar said. “The selected Arks are already preparing for merge, the voidwryms are beginning procedure to start construction.” The Overseer said. “Good, now let’s get on with it.” The Overseer glowed green for a moment and then back to cyan. It had wiped any knowledge of Salizar’s plan from its mind except what it was instructed to tell Caesar, if he should survive and make it here. Then the Overseer itself exploded, shattering into a few large pieces, the detonations were perfectly placed so they wouldn’t compromise any important functions that the Overseer would require to complete its objective. Then, the portal gate to the left of the room opened, and Salizar turned back to look at Pandora once more, the trees were gone, reduced to ash. And the floating isle crashed down into the boiling sea before his eyes. “And so, the Rook takes the king. and the game is won” He marched towards the portal the voidwyrm following him. He had won this game, but it wasn’t over.

THE END

of this tale