Post by Seere on Feb 9, 2014 20:05:10 GMT -5
Isolated upon a vast, seemingly endless wasteland. A world so harsh, yet so fruitful with life of it's own... a history not so different from the stories we know. But unique.. special to this land, and no others. Sand dunes that could scale as high as fifty stories. Sloped, or steep. Very very few clouds in these blazing blue skies.. And a sun that beat down upon the world as though it were a brutal warden. Heat; that's what most thought about when they heard of the Scorpion Desert.
But it was not always so cruel and colorless.
This land was swathed with mountains of sand, canyons, and solid, jutting rock. But it was famed for one thing. That beneath this ancient landscape was an immeasurably deep, dark blue ocean. It's fumes alone billowing up into the sealed surface... humidifying the soil and pressurizing to the surface. In the form of variously sized greeneries. Greenery became and oasis. Water would gather on the surface world with a seemingly endless, unending supply. No amount taken ever seemed to disappear for very long, and could replenish in a few days, or even a few hours.
As deep into the desert one could go, however. The was a single Oasis. One unlike any of the others because it was so large.. it could be seen from space. In the middle of all the bright, smouldering sand was a splotch of green. A ring of foliage surrounding a hand-crafted marvel of masonry.
So lush and fertile.. So perfect in every measurable way. It was almost impossible to conceive the idea no one could build a city here. Huge ring walls. Almost impossible to walk all around it's third, outer ring in a full day, requiring several thousand to securely moderate the landscape in all 360*s. Luckily war hadn't touched these lands for a few years now. Nearing a decade.. but thye signs of war were present upon it's 30 meter, seeping, outer wall. Scorch marks and areas where stone looked cleaner, and more freshly laidened... where catapults and trebuchets had taken their toll on the city and had been recently replaced. By now however, much of the reparations had been made.
23 miles in diameter from one 30meter gatehouse to it's symmetrical opposite. Four major gatehouses on each wall. The second wall stood at 40 meters, with some of the middle-district builds just barely stretching over it's strong top. The middle district was about 9miles across. And the final, smallest ring, the upper-district; where all the major self-governmental buildings resided. Well defended and well stocked. Not to mention the center of all military operation in this region.
But the city would no exist nor be nearly as famed as it were if not for it's natural monument it was built upon. No tower could rise high enough to match it's power. No place in all the world was quite as majestic, nor as durable. A butte. An almost geometric rock that formed out of the earth, extending like a sky-scraper... Thicker then any building in all the city... acting as it's skeletal center. The symbol of Scorpio's age and durability. No storm had befell it, and no explosive quivered it's power. Immovable and unlimited. So sacred that platforms, baring large ballistae machines to protect it from any aerial threat. These weapons armored and designed for rapid, all purpose firepower... almost entirely unused aside from firing exercises. Ever since the Great War had come to an end this and only a few other major adjustments had been made to the city for it's greater good. Luckily... only fires time to time were the test to it's newfound immunity.
Aqueduct systems prowled from the underground river(the ocean of which they still new nothing, nor cared to find. This river is much closer to the surface) and across the city. Going from eight main veins from the center and branching off into dozens of thin streams, either beneath or extended above buildings and streets... at some point entering an intricate sewer system, cut deep under the cobble streets and Eastern-Greco-style architecture.
But within the third wall now, there seemed to be a shine of activity. Out in the several major courtyards, and thin, lush gardens there was a riveting activity of creatures. Anthromorph beings. From the Badger-like Bergata, Dingo and the famed engineers who had forged the city several millenia ago alongside the dragons of Avalar. The Armordillo.
They were practicing formations and marching, wedges and phalanx. Archers could be seen strewn about, fining their bows and restringing them in preparation for true service to Scorpio. The old training strings cast into huge barrels. Perhaps nearly 2000 soldiers occupied the open areas. All of them, fresh in newly created armors that befit their units. From light to heavy. It seemed these were new recruits.
The air far from silent as the sound of the far more season veterans barking orders and pointing to where they'd need to move. Not really segregated but.. depending on the species it was best that their fighting styles be incorporated separately. Bergata made marbelous swordsmen and brutal infantry. Dingo's made excellent light infantry and Archers... Armordillo were amazing engineers, craftsman and heavy armored infantry. Not to mention the several oddball races here and there such as... even a wyvern. A less corrupted, further evolved and intelligent breed, permitted to live within city limits and even act as air support for the more exposed ground units.
Much of Scorpio lacked an unspecialized air support. But then again.. they hardly needed them. What truly made their forces strong was both in their cultures.. but also in the hands and elements of their winged beasts. The powerful dragons... but for some time their numbers though seemingly fruitful. As many still lived happily within the walls. Few learned to fight.. not since the end of the Great War and many were discouraged... many perished in the fires of combat. But those who survived... particularly one who stood out amongst the rest... one of the few who lived. The very few who was a remnant of his generation. Now nearly half grown...
He couldn't believe that he'd made it this far, thinking on the past many nights in a row. Burning, serious blue eyes... as he traversed a column of granite, shielded from the burning sun beneath the shadow of a government building. Looking across the newbloods in their final moments. No dragons.. just soldiers. Never dragons.
That used to hurt him but... long ago he'd decided it was for the best. At a young age... he had learned very fast the horrors of the real world.
Accumpanied by several others; Some guards, and a sort, stout Bergata going over a scroll laidened with statistics, "Many of these new soldiers are to be sent out onto the outer two walls. Are you sure that's where they belong, sir?"
But it wasn't Seere whom answered. In fact it was a strong, powerful looking Bergata, dressed in light, padded armor, with iron greaves and shoulder-guards... Dressed in not-so-ceremonial weaponry. And a patch over his left eye, "It wasn't a unanimous decision.", the brute began. Captain Redsand... one of the highest ranking soldiers amongst his people. Striding alongside the scarlet dragon who had once stood beneath him... now towered two feet over him.
"Before two years ago...", the drake began, "Scorpio had been reduced to a few thousand soldiers to protect this city... When we had tens of thousands before I trained to become a warrior... I was young then... But I learned the hard way. We had barely 4000 to defend us until two years ago. Need I do the math when we look at our home?"
Redsand cut in, "For too long Scorpio's walls have been defended by a skeleton. Barely 1500 could be utilized on the outer wall alone... And the rest?"
"2500 to manage the rest of this city... with a population I can't even recall-"
"More than 500 Thousand, Sirrah.", the Scrollmaker inquired.
"Right..." The dragon.. Seere was his name. Bowing his head in agreement, fascinated in such a staggering number, "2500 to defend too many others. And now all these rumors the merchants are dragging in. In two years we more then doubled that old number.", such a thing he wasn't proud in, "All because people are panicking about a dragon they've never met and The Terror of the Skies... missing. This war of the immortals and Mortal creatures... We have to quell those fears.", thus he nodded. Looking out to a marvelous, deceitful blue sky... and only one cloud in the far-off distance.
"I don't what to think.."
