#aethos city | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

theramblingsofadork · 11 months ago

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✩‧₊˚⋆ Hey there! Welcome to my blog! ✩‧₊˚⋆

I’m a writer/artist who’s recently gotten back into Sonic through the IDW comics! I don’t know all the nuances or history of Archie or the games, so please bear with me being dumb! 💖

This blog mainly revolves around my OCs and Dr. Starline, but my other favorite characters include Surge, Silver, Blaze, and Espio.

I have a redemption AU for Starline and my OCs in the works, and am slowly building the pieces up to a full story. If you’re interested at all, the masterpost for all the related events lies below.

I usually post on Thursdays and Fridays.

As for me, I’m always up for a chat or questions, and enjoy hearing about others OCs, so feel free to shoot anything my way! :)

—

⭐️ Starpoint Squad AU Timeline ⭐️

(This masterpost will be updated reguarly with all the lore related art and writing, in the order that they happen in.🚨 There will be spoilers for the IDW comics ahead as well! 🚨)

Go ahead and hit Read More, and happy diving! ✨

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

Notes:

Major spoiler posts will be in green.

Major AU plot points will be highlighted in pink. (If not already green from spoilers)

EVERYTHING IN THIS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND IS NOT SET IN LORE STONE, so to speak. It’s my first time attempting a grand scale story so I’m changing things on the go.

Character Introductions :

🌪️ Team ???: Stormy the Skunk | Skara the Mink

🏴‍☠️ Villains: Professor Yew | Zeroth the Destroyer

📗 Side Characters: Hero Mania Creator

— The World:

🎖️ Aethos City/The Atmos Corporation

The Competition Arc

— Act 1: Friendly Competition

~~ Act 1 Synopsis ~~

Art/Text/Fanfic: Starline Encourages Hex

Art: Starline and Rivet’s Dynamic

Art: Starline and Cello’s Dynamic

Art: Starline and Hex’s Dynamic

Art: Hex and Lug’s Dynamic

Art: Starpoint Duties Part 1

Text: Hex’s Motivation for Joining the Competition

Comic: Starline and Cello’s Arguements

Art/Fanfic: A Slice of Humble Pie (Hold the Pie)

Art/Fanfic: Deciding on a Team Name

Art: Late Nights In the Lab

Art/Writing: Dance With Me

— Act 2: The Plot

~~~Act 2 Synopsis~~~

The Downfall Arc (IDW)

— Act 1: Gain and Loss (Metal Virus Era)

Art: Grief

Writing Prompt: Exhaustion

Fanfic: Giving Up Grievances

— Act 2: Awakening (Surge and Kit Era)

Text: Operation: Remaster, and Surge and Kit’s role

The Restoration Arc (Post IDW Issue #50)

— Act 1: Forgiveness

Art: Why Did You Save Me?

Art: Hesitation and Acceptance

— Act 2: Restoration

Text Post: Messing With the Broadcast

Joke Comic: Like Adopted Mother like Daughter

Art/Writing: Teaching Surge and Kit about Gear Riding

— Act 3: Happy Endings (Rivetline and beyond)

Text: Hex Getting a Cameo

Art: Two Dorks in Love

Ask: Confession?

Art: Worthy

Art: Trying on His Clothes

Art: Enjoying the Gala

Art: Lemon Meringue to his Chocolate Soufflé

Text: Starline Being Sick

Ficlet: How Much Time Has Passed

Text/HC: Nightmares

Text: Hypothetical Wedding

— Other Lore Related Stuff:

🎶 Character Themes

✨ Starpoint Squad Headcanons

💪 The Strengths of the Starpoint Squad

❓How the Squad Handles Sudden Plan Changes

👨‍👧‍👦 OC Parental Relationships

🌸 Rivetline Dynamics

❤️Art/Headcanon: Nose Boops and Nose Kisses

More Info about the Squad

More Info about the Squad 2

More info 3

More info 4

More info 5 (maybe i should get a new page for these lol)

#sonic the hedgehog #sonic idw #dr starline #Starpoint Squad AU #Sonic ocs #sth AU #Dr Starline AU #masterlist #blog intro #Sonic the Hedgehog AU

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theramblingsofadork · 4 months ago

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⚙️ The History of Aethos (A Summary) by J.P. Higgenbottom

“—Aethos is often called the ‘City of Innovation and Unity’. It resides on the coastline, and is often brought up in conversation along with it’s much larger cousin, Spagonia.

Unlike Spagonia though, Aethos is much less populated. This is due to the geography of the surrounding area, and the nature conscious morals of the townsfolk.”

“The town is quite rich in history, having been built around a giant energy core that was discovered sleeping deep within the ground by my grandfather.

Said CORE powers the whole of the city, and naturally creates an atmosphere and environment that draws in an abundance of life and flora. As such, co-existence with the surrounding nature has been strictly maintained, and the CORE is carefully protected to ensure it’s energy doesn’t fluctuate out of control.

It’s power as well means that Aethos one of the few cities to be completely run by clean energy, and not be reliant on the mainland’s power grid.”

“With it’s beautiful coastlines and thick forest-filled hills, this thriving city is home to the esteemed Atmos Corporation*, and draws in inventors and tourists alike who wish to experience the city’s harmonic and innovative atmosphere; as well as partake in it’s great fishing, food, and festivities.”

(🌟*This is the company that’s running the competition Starline and the others take part in)

“The town of Aethos itself is centered inland and along the shore, while the facilities of the Atmos Corporation reside further up in the hills, protected by a single road highway and woodland trees.

Pop-up merchants selling their wares and restaurants have become abundant in the square, and there’s even a library and museum where you can learn about famous figures throughout Aethos’s history, as well as the power system and other advancements made under the Aethos banner.”

🌟 The CORE

💠 The CORE is an artifact of great power—much like the Master Emerald though much more mysterious—that was discovered by an explorer by the name of Bennetide Atmos Higgenbottom.

“My grandfather was called a crock throughout most of his career for believing the CORE and other wild folklore existed. But, he was the stubborn sort— all that negativity going in one ear and out the other.

Through a series of unexpected events, he managed to locate the sleeping CORE deep in the wilds of what would eventually become our great city. Feeling full of wonder seeing that giant artifact, he was spurred to protect it, lest it fall into the wrong hands and cause monumental damage.

When word of it’s existence got out, both Humans and Mobians fought over control of the land, not trusting the other with all that power as tensions between the two races was at an all time high.

To rectify this, a council of representatives was established, made up of 8 seats to be held by both Mobians and Humans alike to ensure both sides would have an equal say in it’s use and power. Their screening process for members to join the board to this day is quite extensive, set up to help ensure the CORE can never be used for evil intentions by either race.

They began to carefully explore and harness it’s power for the betterment of the world, and within a short amount of time, Aethos was born.

Nowadays, Aethos and the Atmos Corporation are well known. The latter is a trusted innovator of the technological industry, with their underlying goal being to help protect the planet and it’s people from outside threats, such as Eggman and extraterrestrials, as well as from the destruction razed into the land by rampant deities.”

Truly, so long as the intentions of the council stay noble, Aethos will continue to flourish for a long time.”

-end excerpt

—————

Author’s Note: Exciting!! I finally get to share a bit more about my beloved fan city, and give a background to the competition and the corporation running it! Why it’s such a big deal, and why Starline would take interest, as well as some potential hazards that could come as a result of such an event.

💠 The Atmos Initiative

❓— So, what is this competition that Starline and the others are partaking in anyways? Well, it’s called the Atmos Initiative Competition. It comes about when the council realizes they have need to seek out more brilliant minds to help them innovate new methods of protecting and restoring the planet, as hostile attacks are becoming wider spread and more commonplace.

The winning team will be allowed a victory speech and be granted the ability to become future innovators for the company. Such a title is held in high regard, and is the dream of many inventors, chemists, and more.

(Including one certain shadowy doctor.)

—

Aethos and it’s region was largely inspired by these two Thomas Kinkade paintings, as well as my personal love for seaside towns in Italy and mountain towns.

I wanted Starline and the others to have a nice place where they could relax and enjoy food and nice views on their off days. But I wasn’t keen on them having to travel far away from the competition grounds to do so, especially since early on Starline likely wouldn’t use the warp topaz for something as trivial as a group restaurant trip. (Although I do imagine he certainly uses it to visit Spagonia in his own time.)

Thus said, Aethos was born! I can’t wait to flesh it out more and have the group explore the town throughout their time together. :)

#happy 4th have some lore #sonic #sonic idw #sth au #starpoint squad au #sonic au #world building #yes there are humans in my AU #LOOOOOORE #city building #a lot of the photos aren’t mine but from other games #they’re for reference so you can get some idea of the aesthetic of the city #this has been in my drafts for ages #had to decide if I was going to use the concept of the CORE or not #i also realized after establishing it that it’s similar to the smaller power cores. oops #if someone has a better idea for a name for the Core please let me know

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jackpot807 · 7 years ago

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Warrior - Act I Chapter 5

Chapter 5

An air of unease creeped under the door and hung in the air like a noxious gas. Aetheas looked on at the screen as the events that unfolded promised worse and worse things for him. Fury was bubbling in him. He put his hand under the table and started fidgeting with a crease in his pants.

Marcus brought the microphone on his headset up to his mouth and told the Major General Julius on the other end, that he has full autonomy over the order of battle, and that the initiative was just thrown out the window.

This wasn’t an insurgency-style battle, like America’s Vietnam. The CLA is a conventional army, with conventional tanks and conventional gunships. If Aethos were to take the Middle East, the only way they were going to do it was through formations, tactics, and maybe a little bit of luck. But Aetheas always hated the notion of luck. It can make all of your preparations equate to nothing.

“Put the General on speaker, Marcus.” Aetheas said calmly.

Marcus pressed the speaker button on the small panel in front of him. The audible blip from the speakers indicated they picked up the General’s transmission. Marcus spoke, “Major General Julius, in a few moments, I’m going to put you through to Primus Stronos. He’s right here with me.” To which a he responded with a loud, authoritative, “Alright.”

Leaning over to Aetheas, Marcus handed him a folder marked ‘Iteration C’, “This is the contingency in case air superiority were to be lost. The plan in here is the one the General is expected to follow, but you have authority to override it if you need to.” Opening the folder, he showed Aetheas a map of Beirut, complete with troop movements and theoretical CLA hardpoints which, to the credit of the intelligence service, were impressively accurate.

Pointing to the center arrow, Marcus started, “Cypriots are going to advance the center, while the Spartans take the left and Airborne hold the right flank. The right flank cannot advance into the city center, so the General will skirt the defences and try to encircle the city. From there in-”

“I can read it for myself, thank you Marcus.” Aetheas dismissively stated. Marcus made a silent gesture of protest before slumping back in his chair. Aetheas looked up at the screen, “General can you hear me?”

The Major General answered in the affirmative.

“General, this is Aetheas Stronos. You, me, and many men in the room I am in, have experience from back during the War. Today we are going to use our joint expertise to overcome this little hiccup in the plans.”

On the feed, lines started to take form as the Cypriots and Spartans smashed into the CLA fortifications.

Major General Julius responded, “Understood, sir, it’s an honor to have you. Our current plan is to have the Rome shell defenses on the left flank and pave a way for the Spartans. Then the Spartans will hit the CLA center from behind and their lines will collapse.”

Nodding, Aetheas said, “Okay that’s good. You’re going to encircle the center then, right?”

“Yessir, that is our intention. The Colonel in charge of the garrison in Beirut, Khaled A’had, values the lives of his men. He’ll see that there will be no sense in more bloodshed, and I guarantee that he will surrender the city before the end of the day.”

Looking down at the plans, Aetheas asked, “Do you know A’had, General?”

After a short pause, the General responded, “Yessir, I know him. He made himself famous for holding Lebanon from Mussolini, and then Hitler. I was a Lieutenant under Captain Marc Adams and we were up against him when he was a Captain. He outflanked our battalion and took most of us prisoner until the war was over.”

Looking up, Aetheas remarked, “That doesn’t give me a lot of hope, General.”

“The fault was with Captain Adams, sir. We can take A’had down today.”

“Let’s hope so, General. We’ll have the Rome clear a way for you.”

Marcus pointed to Admiral Rezendes, “Admiral, you’re up. Get the Rome on the horn and get the shelling going.”

Admiral Rezendes talked quietly into his headset, giving instruction to the Captain of the Rome, who to talk to, where to go. Within ten minutes, she was within distance to shell the line. She aimed her guns, and fired.

“Shells are in the air, splash in twenty seconds.” Rezendes quipped.

Watching the line from the top gives you a much better view of the situation than what the men on the ground were seeing. The mounds of dirt and the trenches conceal the machine guns from the Spartans. They could not move forward without getting cut down like grass. Likewise, when the shells from the Rome hit the line, all they could see was a wave of dirt getting kicked up into the air over the ridge they were hiding behind. From the top, however, the people in the situation room could see the bunkers collapsing and the trenches fill with boiling mud.

People in the situation room were starting to feel that sense of hope come back.

Until the shells started to go off course and hit the Spartans.

One shell went low, and landed precisely in the middle of a squad of maybe seven people. Those seven people were reduced to shards of bone and ribbons of flesh in a flash. Another salvo slammed into the side of a company advancing up to the line. The white thermal images of fifty men were now smeared on the street. All across the flank, the Rome had torn into the Spartans and left them out to bleed.

Quiet gasps emanated from a few of the people in the room. Major General Julius spoke up loudly over the speaker, “I’m getting reports of a catastrophic bombardment on the left flank, the Spartans are taking enough casualties to break the attack!”

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, on the feed, Aetheas could see the gunners on the CLA line had left their positions. And they were coming straight for the Spartans.

“They’re gonna drive them out into the sea…” Marcus breathlessly stated.

Aetheas ran his hand through his hair. His heart began to thump just a little faster.

He looked to the Admiral and spoke with a loud, angry command, “Rezendes find out what the hell just happened.”

“Sir, what just happened?” The General asked through the speaker.

Marcus spoke up, “Uh, there was a misfire from the Rome. I think someone gave bad coordinates. We’re looking into it, General.”

Someone from the other end of the table yelled, “There’s no way someone could accidentally be that off!”

Remaining calm, Aethas said, “General, the defenders on the left flank are taking this opportunity to counter-attack. We’re seeing maybe two hundred men moving quickly onto the Spartans.”

“Understood, sir. I’ll have them collect the wounded and the dead and-”

“No! Forget about the wounded and dead, have whoever can walk retreat as fast as they can. We’re going to have the Cypriots flank them as they chase after the Spartans. Whoever gave the order to counter-attack was on the ground with them. I bet whoever gave the order to counter-attack was not authorized to do it by A’had. They’re acting in the moment, and they’re going to pay for it.”

“Uh, understood sir. We’ll have them withdraw at a double pace.”

Within moments, the remaining Spartans were running as fast as they could towards the ocean, with the CLA biting at their feet in a stampede through the abandoned suburb. Riflemen from the Cypriots had taken up spots inside of the houses overwatching the retreat. They were the Rangers of the Aethosian military, heavily armed and ready to eat the brains of the enemy and ask for seconds.

As the thermal signature of the defending forces came back into view, they crept deeper and deeper into the Cypriots defilade of fire. They held their fire until as many CLA were within their arcs as they could get and, in a moments time, the visual report of gunfire erupted from the houses and the blob of CLA in the streets were quickly being torn apart.

There was scattered clapping in the room.

“General have whoever is left in the Spartan’s move up along with the Cypriots. We’re seeing their entire left flank is gone. The 82nd are holding both of the flanks but the CLA could overrun the 82nd if they were to realize they could. Flank around quickly.”

You could see the entire battle from that feed. Arrowhead formations ghosted through the houses and over the trenches, until they were behind the CLA lines. Soon they were in the still-active CLA trenches and killing whatever moved, taking prisoners where they could. They would later find out that Colonel A’had gave the order for the entire line to advance, but the order never reached the center and right flanks. If they did, the battle would surely have been lost.

They had the urban center under siege by sunset.

Major General Julius came back onto the speaker, “Sir, I’m proud to tell you that we have the remaining forces of A’had encircled and we are expecting them to surrender any minute. I gotta say that was some quick thinking earlier. I am honored to had worked with you, today.”

Looking at the feed furtively, Aetheas replied, “Thank you General. Let me know when you have A’had’s surrender.”

He turned to Marcus and said, “I’m going to get a drink.”

He got out of his chair and stretched his arms a bit. He then walked out of the room. In the hallway, there was a little water cooler. He took a plastic cup, filled it with water, and wolfed down the water so fast that it gave him a little bit of brain freeze. As he filled up another cup, his mind began to wander.

It’s been a month since she died.

He shuddered quietly.

Putting the cup on top of the water tank, he headed back into the room and sat down. Marcus was holding his head up with one hand and he looked annoyed. “Did I miss something, Marcus?” Aetheas asked.

Without looking away from the feed, Marcus said, “A’had isn’t going to surrender. They’ve got help coming in and they’re going to try to break them out.”

Processing that for a moment, Aetheas looked to the screen. There was only a few fortified buildings still under CLA control. If they were to go in there, the casualties would not be worth it, but it looks like they may not have a choice here. Either they storm in there at the cost of the already strained divisions, or they take their chances with the approaching armies. They couldn’t fortify Beirut with A’had still there.

Looking around on the feed, Aetheas spotted a stadium that the people of Beirut had taken shelter in for the duration of the battle.

Fuck it.

“General, send a company out to the stadium and guard the people in there.”

After a moment of silence, the General responded, “Yessir.” And within minutes, a convoy was at the stadium, keeping the women and children under guard.

“Tell A’had that if he doesn’t surrender within the next ten minutes, we’ll kill ten people in that stadium.”

And at that, everybody in the room looked at Aetheas.

Over the speaker, the General said, “Uh, could you repeat that, sir? I need to clarify what you just said.”

Sitting up in his chair, Aetheas spoke up, “Kill ten people right now, and kill another ten in ten minutes of A’had doesn’t surrender.”

There was a long silence over the speaker. Marcus was looking at Aetheas with wide eyes. Finally, the General spoke, “Yessir. I’ll have someone I can trust do it.”

Marcus finally spoke, “What the hell do you think you are doing?”

Without looking at Marcus, Aetheas responded, “I’m doing my duty as the ruler of Aethos to get the job done. If you don’t like it, you can get out.”

At the stadium, Major General Julius had commissioned Captain Connor, the man who lead the company at the stadium, to do the job. He stood in the middle of the open field, away from his men, on the phone. The only other man that could hear him was the one lugging the heavy communication equipment.

“...I need you to confirm that you know what you are asking, General.”

“This order comes from the top. I know I can trust you to do this, Captain. That is all there is on the matter. Out.”

Captain Connors couldn’t believe what he was just told to do. He stood rigid, looking down at his feet, trying to process the situation he was in.

“Sir?” The radioman asked, with a little worry in his voice.

Captain Connors, a man of 37, came back to his sense. He looked at the radioman. The radioman was young, still in the prime of life. He had brown hair with little specks of gold that shined when the light caught it, and he had brown eyes that made him look so innocent.

Connors realized his mouth was hanging open.

He stammered, “Uh, I’m uh... “

He felt like he was going to pass out.

“Are you okay, sir?” He asked again with his high-pitched, young voice.

Connors regained his composure enough to speak, “...What’s your name, Private?”

The Private was taken by surprise at this question, he averted his gaze from the Captain and replied with a nervous stammer, “Uh, Private Webb, sir.”

With audible anxiety dripping with every word he spoke, Connors asked, “How old are you, Private Webb?”

The Private felt like he was a rabbit being stalked by a wolf. He could tell something serious in the air, and his heart was in his throat, “I’m.. 19, sir.”

The tense look in the Captain’s eyes faded into a tired sorrow, he tilted his head a little bit and with a sigh, he said to the Private, “You got a girl, Private?”

“Yessir, she’s waiting for me in Madrid.”

Quietly, he slowly nodded and put up a fake smile, “When you get out of here, I want you to hug her as tightly as possible, and then you live your life as much as you possibly can. Be as happy as you can possibly be.”

Private Webb was getting a little worried, “Did something happen, sir?”

Turning away from the Private and walking away, Connors replied, “There’s a dark path that we all gotta walk at some point, son…” And he went to the crowd.

Captain Connors executed ten men on the spot that night.

A’had thought they were lying, so he held his ground.

That is until they broadcasted more executions.

And by night, Beirut was theirs.

#Warrior

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jackpot807 · 7 years ago

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Warrior - Act I Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Aetheas stood at the edge of an immense, round eggshell-white table. On this table were hundreds of little plaster buildings, with little avenues and roads and streets criss-crossing in grids. Several sizable flood lights hung from the ceiling, illuminating the faux city. Flanking Aetheas were two close advisors and surrounding the table were men in their dress blues. Some gesturing to something on the table, and some deliberating with one-another. The room was silent except for the quiet chatter that echoed off the solid walls.

Aetheas remained still, tracing the roads with his eyes. Making webs. He made note of the different sizes of each and every building and he held a quiet reverence for the poor son of a bitch that spent so much time making this replica. Looking down at his watch, he saw the big and little hand strike twelve, noon time. With a bit of a sigh, he looked back up to the small crowd of officers around the table and said with a slight hint of exhaustion, “Is everybody here?”

If you didn’t know Aetheas, you would have thought it was the acoustics of the room that made his voice so loud. But to those who have been working with him his entire life, they would tell you that he didn’t need a room like that to make himself heard. Whenever he spoke, his voice demanded the attention of all those within earshot, and it carried far.

The officers looked away from the table and to him. Some of the most powerful men in the world were looking at him like a child looks at their parents when caught doing something bad. After all, who are they compared to him, the most powerful man in the East? He, who commanded every man, woman and child from the Atlantic to the Hellespont. He was the great and wonderful ruler of one of the greatest unions in the world. They were but sheep to him, grovelling and vying for his attention. The chatter settled. All eyes were upon him, and he spoke,

“Gentlemen in two year’s time today, we are going to begin a journey. A journey to reclaim what belongs to us, and a journey to reach new, untold heights of glory and prosperity. In two year’s time we, along with our Soviet allies, will begin coordinated military movements into the Middle East. Aethosian forces will move in from the West from Cyprus into Lebanon, while Soviet forces move into Afghanistan from the North.”

He made a gesture to the table, “The map before you is Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, and landing sight for our expedition forces. The defenses of the Continental Lebanese Army, hereinto referred to as ‘CLA’, are thickest here. But, they do not have the technology to sustain air superiority, and that is where we will overpower them.”

Nodding to the man to his right, “Consul Marcus has the floor to detail the grand strategy. Afterwards, you will all be given your orders and given two weeks time to muster and prepare your men.”

Marcus stepped forward. A man of 45, Marcus had joined the Aethosian military right out of school. Distinguishing himself in the Second World War defense of Italy against Allied forces, Marcus became the youngest Consul in Coalition history, taking orders only from Aethosian Royalty - Aetheas Stronos, who had himself been born into the position. Marcus’ hair was normally a bush of thick, black curly hair, but had been cut down to a crewcut for this occasion. He looked to the men around him with his stoical doe eyes,

“The rallying point for all Coalition forces are the naval port in Bafra in Cyprus. The sixth fleet has been moved there from the Black Sea to open a corridor for transporting men and supplies if need be. Three units, the 1st Cypriots, 32nd Spartans and 2nd Airborne, will depart from the port on the 19th of December and arrive on the coast of Lebanon either on the 20th or 21st. There, the Sixth Fleet will coordinate with the Air Wing to neutralize crucial hardpoints and coastal emplacements while the 1st Cypriots make a beachhead.”

Taking a two-meter-long stick that was leaning on the table, he points to the port area of Beirut. Emplacements and battleships were modeled out, and he gestured to them with the stick, leaning over the table,

“A small group of naval ships are currently docked in Beirut for refueling, but they are on an extended leave, and are expected to stay there for the next four weeks as their crews are changed. The first targets will be those ships and the coastal guns defending the city. From there, the…”

Aetheas tuned Marcus out. His mind drifted to Europa. It has only been a week since she died and left him with Aage. He was always a serious man to everyone around him, but not as much to her. She was the only human being on this world that Aetheas didn’t treat as a means to an end. Even still, he was cold to her. There was no love between them.

Europa and Aetheas married politically following the Second World War. Their fathers were both Aethosian royalty and decided their marriage was a good way to consolidate power in the frightening, changing landscape of a war-torn world. There was simply no chemistry between the two. Aetheas tried to make it work once, but all he got was the proverbial cold shoulder. He never would accept the truth but, somewhere in his heart, he knew that Europa saw the malice in him. That machiavellian streak that made him such a great leader. Because of this, Aetheas knew he would always be alone.

And he hated that more than anything.

Still, though, he would be lying if he didn’t say he had some feelings towards her. She was extraordinarily beautiful, after all. Like a crush, he yearned for the woman that would only feel resentment towards him. And that, too, he hated. But it wasn’t an angry hate. It was more of a sad hate. He always used the analogy of a cancer patient. They hated the fact that they were going to die, but they weren’t angry over it. Just sad over the fact. Maybe it was the wrong example to use, but Aetheas could think of no other. He felt ashamed that he was caught crying by the nurses, even if it was just a few solitary tears. He thought he barely felt love for Europa. So why does he feel so empty now that she is gone?

Marcus was going on about the Cypriots pushing to some police station on the east border.

What about Aage? What is he going to do with him? Aetheas put his hands in his pockets. His father had drilled all those horrible things into him using ‘tradition’ as the excuse. And it was tradition. His father had to go through those rites of passage, and his father, and his father’s father. Going back all the way to ancient times. Those are some of the most vivid memories of his life, even now. The hot sun, the occasional beating, having to kill your own food. Was the conditioning still all that necessary in today’s modern world?

Aetheas decided the answer was yes.

The world is a dangerous place. Even as the leader of an empire as great as Aethos, you must be the strongest, or you will die. He will raise his son to be a hard man - a strong man. Someone worthy of leading Aethos, and carrying it to greater heights. It’s all he has left.

Marcus was bringing the discussion to a close, “...Where the airborne will rendezvous with Soviet forces and hold in place until a provisional government can be established. Now, I am going to go around the table and hand out your individual plans. These are for your eyes only.” Marcus took a pile of manilla folders in his arms and walked around the table, handing them out to each respective person. It took him about two minutes, the table was so large. He came back to Aetheas’ side, and Aetheas spoke one last time,

“Gentlemen, you all have your orders. We will reconvene the War Council seventeen days from this date, where we will go over final preparations. You’re all dismissed.”

The officers left the room, a small crowd piling up at the one doorway, until they eventually all got out. Marcus turned to Aetheas, “I know we’ll make her proud, sir.”

Aetheas looked over the expanse of the table and, without looking at Marcus, replied, “Marcus this would only have made her hate me more.”

#Warrior

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jackpot807 · 7 years ago

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Warrior - Prelude

Once upon a time, a man who called himself Aegis had become King over the lands spanning from Hispania, to the borders of Thracia by means of conquest and political maneuvering. Under Aegis’ reign, the kingdom thrived. Cities were built, mines were dug, fields were sewn, the population swelled. People from as far as Asia migrated to be a part of this growing people. Foreign philosophy, art, and industry multiplied prosperity.

One day King Aegis laid with his wife, whose name is lost to time. And when she came to him and said I bear twins, Aegis held the greatest celebration the world had ever known, spanning thirty days and thirty nights, for the future of his dynasty germinated within her.

It is said, on a warm summer day, on the coast of Magna Graecia, the Queen had perished giving birth to two beautiful sons, who Aegis named Aeda and Thannos, Aeda who was elder by only a minute. The King mourned for the loss of his beloved Queen, but took heart in the bountiful future these two boys had promised. It is said that God had come to him on the night before, and told the King that he shall take his Queen. And in return, his dynasty will reign for three thousand years.

The King watched his two sons grow into the men he needed them to be. The two embarked on adventures to far away villages in lands uncharted, where they ate exotic food and tamed wild animals. At home they took wealth and redistributed it back to the people, multiplying their adoration. And on a quiet summer night, King Aegis gave up the ghost at a good old age, happy and proud with what he had left for the world.

Discord grew between the brothers over who the land belonged to. Aeda, claiming seniority, believed the kingdom was his. Thannos, outraged, took his followers and land, and made ready for war, as did Aeda. The ensuing conflict had all but erased all the greatness that their kingdom once held. In fighting for the kingdom, they found that, when the victor emerged, there was no kingdom to claim. Presently, fox, deer, and bear are enjoying the summer sun in the forest when rabbit approaches.

“Wonderful news! The war is over! A victor has been chosen!” The sly fox lifted her head out from her hole beneath the log and quipped,

“You are a silly rabbit. The brothers Aeda and Thannos are but another two casualties in this conflict. Whoever it is that stands over the other, he is just as defeated as the one on the ground!”

The gentle deer, who was standing in a field of high flowers, argued “You are awfully melancholy, Fox. While it is true that they have salted the earth that they once ate from, also know that the grass will grow and that very earth will heal itself in time. Whoever has won this day holds sway over the future of this kingdom. There is yet hope for these people.”

The wise old bear, who had won many fights, was more concerned with who had won. He spoke with a broad voice that demanded attention even at it gentlest tone, “Quick rabbit, you say this horrible war is finally over. But which brother stands over the other?”

The rabbit looked at him and, with a twitch of the whiskers, replied, “It is the brother Aeda! In a final battle, he slew his brother Thannos! They presently lay a small journey from here! Come, come! Let us see, let us see!” And they went and saw Aeda holding the still body of his brother Thannos with great distress.

The caring deer approached Aeda and asked him, “Great Prince Aeda, why do you lament over your brother’s demise? He, who had attempted to take the kingdom and, in fair combat, lost to the better man?”

Looking to the deer with tears on the corners of his eyes, Prince Aeda replied, “You are a tender, caring deer. Please understand that Thannos and I never hated one-another. I fought and slew my brother with love for him still in my heart, and I know there was still love for me in him. I fear we may have made a horrible mistake, good animals of the forest. We have made a mistake.”

And the Prince Aeda then buried his brother Thannos on the edge of the Aegean sea, a lone tombstone of marble on the edge of the coast.

And with time the land and the kingdom had healed.

Aeda lived the rest of his life as the King of the fractured kingdom. A coalition of countries all under the flag of ‘Aethos’. He raised a son, who he taught how to fight and how to farm. He instilled in his son values of family. Aeda taught his son that the highest priority, even above loyalty to your nation, is loyalty to your family. One night, Aeda had brought his son a man, bound and vulnerable. That night, Aeda made his only son kill that man to teach him that, indeed, to take a life is no insignificant event.

Aeda, in his broken mind, believed the prosperity his father had wrought, had made both himself and his brother too ambitious. And, in so fighting with each other, they destroyed the very thing they sought for themselves. Aeda raised his son as a hard man, knowing the ways of war and to keep absolute power over all, lest those with bad intentions lead to the destruction equal to that of the day the two brothers fought.

Those values became core value to his son, and his son’s son. And for generations, the Stronos family did rule over the kingdom for three thousand years by means of machiavellian maneuvering and ruthless conquest,

all to show the world that they are no longer who they were.

The year is 1983…

#warrior

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