Bark river neck knife

Expedition report from Rift Group 4
Report carried out by Lieutenant Marvin Bailey
Report states: Peaceful contact with the local town of Una has ended in failure. Upon nearing the gates, the elves demanded RG-4 to identify themselves and after identification, they opened fire on with bows, crossbows, and scorpions. RG4 retaliated by opening fire with its 50mm chain gun, destroying parts of the wall, killing an unknown number of defenders, and destroying their heavy defenses. The initial shock from the chain gun froze the defenders, allowing RG-4 to vacate the area with minimum damage and no losses taken. This was the first unsuccessful interaction with the local populace since the beginning of the expedition and the Rift Group program and it shows that not all natives will be pleased with REC's arrival.
Other news: The enemy force on the other side of the North Alston river has not shown any signs of movement. Moreover, drone footage shows a number of the local populace leaving the Meilume capital and Una across the river, further suggesting that the Imperial army wishes to fortify and wall off the area between the two Alston rivers with the intention of boxing the REC before attacking. CIA sources can confirm this is the case. As far as the Rosian vassal kingdoms are concerned, RG-1, upon making successful contact with the border town of Afa, has sent a platoon, led by lieutenant James Wilson, to the Alston capital of Olinor where they made contact with the king of Alston, Thavok Zorgen. After a number of debates, king Thavok has agreed to accompany the platoon to the duchies of Zirith, Dothen, and Elarith, as well as the kingdom of Opherin to convince the dukes and kind Ostontul to attend a meeting with ambassador Eugene Anderson. Additional transportation will be provided should it be necessary.
30th day of late yellow season
Elyana, Empire of Light
"So.", said the chained human, "Is it my turn to pick the nail or yours?". The torturer responded by punching him in the face. The prisoner spat out a piece of his tooth before answering, "C'mon, you're supposed to be consistent. It's nail, nail, cut, punch. The teeth come later when all the nails are gone. Everyone knows that.". The torturer punched him again. "There you go again, messing up the consistency. I think I know why you work in this shit hole now."
The torturer wanted to hit him again, but a voice stopped him, "Enough!". A moment later, two elves walked into the room.
"Great General Laeroth.", the torturer said as he bowed.
"How is the questioning, Maul?", Laeroth asked.
"Not well, my lord. This human is proving to be a greater challenge than I had anticipated. All I got was a name. Jack Mitchell."
Laeroth sighed as he approached the chained-up human. His body was cut in several places and half of his fingernails have been removed. In addition, he was missing two teeth and bleeding from his mouth and nose. Yet he still denies Maul. As much as it pained Laeroth to admit it, he was impressed. Any Rosian or even elf would have broken by now. What made this human different?
"Jack Mitchell.", Laeroth said, making Jack lift his head and smile.
"What's up?", Jack asked.
"The ceiling.", Laeroth answered, making Jack laugh. "What is humorous?"
"Maul over there said the same thing.", Jack replied as he wheezed, "You sure you're not related? You got the same shade."
This made Maul mad as he grabbed his hammer, "You insolent savage!"
"Calm yourself.", Laeroth said, "I still need this human alive. High mage Gunru, you have my permission.".
"Yes, general.", said Gunru. He was one of the seven high mages of the empire in North Altia, second only to the grand mage Ishton. Each high mage is able to use more than one type of magical ability. Usually, a mage is only able to use one ability from a single spirit. The mages of Vita can be healers or they can use their power to give life to made objects. This way they can create their own army, however, the mage has to remain alive in order for the creature to remain alive, and if the creature is destroyed the life will return back to its source. The mages of Elendi can use one of the various elements, such as wind, fire, water, and so on. One other ability the high mages possess is 'Mind read'. By focusing their spiritual energy on the mind of the target, they can visualize their knowledge.
"What the hell are you doing?", Jack asked as Gunru grabbed his head with both hands, "I mean I'm flattered but I'm into women, just so you know."
Gunru closed his eyes and white energy started appearing from his hands. That energy went into Jack's head, which remained perfectly still as this occurred. Gunru entered his mind and began to project Jack's memories, thoughts, and knowledge around him. Laeroth just watched. He himself couldn't see unless Gunru gave the knowledge to him. But he did see something that disturbed him. Gunru began to twitch. A twitching that turned to shake as his eyes opened and quickly pulled back while panting and holding his head as though he had a headache.
"Gunru.", Laeroth called, "Tell me, what have you seen?"
Gunru shook and could barely grasp the words to speak, "T-T-Terrible things. A mistake. All of this was a mistake."
"Show me."
"No!", Gunru yelled immediately, "You must not. I could not get all the details myself. You will go insane."
"I must know our enemy. Even if it is a little, I must know. Gunru, you must show me."
Gunru greatly hesitated and opposed this. But at the same time, he knew if anyone was able to take the strain, it was Laeroth, the most loyal servant of the empire. "Very well. I shall show you as much as I can. Forgive me."
As Gunru placed his hands on Laeroth's head, the same energy went into it. Laeroth opened his eyes and found himself on a field of battle. Two sides were fighting, humans. One side had blue clothing and the other was red, both fighting with cannons and boomsticks, but nothing else. The blue-clothed soldiers appeared to be winning and they charged the red ones, all while carrying a flag. Red and white stripes with stars. It was brutal. What could it mean?
Night turned to day over and over again, until another battle occurred. Same thing, broomsticks, and cannons, but they fought each other. Once again, there was a flag with stars and stripes but now there were two. A civil war? Hundreds of thousands of men died all for what?
Fast forward, Laeroth appeared in another field, but considerably more terrifying. It was a field of black mud, ash, and blood as far as the eye could see. Thousands upon thousands of bodies piled up around giant cannons that fired and destroyed castles. He could see waves of soldiers running forward at their dug-in enemies. They fell by the dozen until a few lucky ones reached the line and engaged in a brutal brawl. The fighting kept escalating until a massive white cloud filled the battlefield and everyone caught in started choking and dying.
Once the smoke cleared, Laeroth could see hundreds of thousands, no, millions of soldiers and armored beasts marching across a field. They fought another gigantic army, one Laeroth thought could never exist. Millions of troops met on the battlefield and slaughtered one another as the metal monsters spat fire and thousands of iron wyverns fought in the air. Massive ships of steel fired enormous cannons of steel at one another as hundreds of iron rods fell from the sky and flattened the cities below.
Closing and opening his eyes one more time he saw a city. A large city with towers of stone and glass that pierced the clouds. But then he saw it get destroyed as it was engulfed in a literal sea of flames. All of those people were dead in an instant, and in place of the city was a gigantic cloud in the shape of a mushroom.
The day turned to night again as Laeroth was lifted into the air and observed the world change. The nations fought one another while also existing in peace. Cities became massive and their armies even more powerful. But then, the fires came. The great cities turned to a smoldering pile of ash as they turned on one another in the name of 'salvation'. War, disease, poverty, entire civilizations were whipped out and empires started to fall. But in this chaos, something was born. The petty rivalry of the great powers vanished and united they led their armies and pulled the corruption by its roots. It took them decades but they did it. And now united, they rebuilt their homes. The world was not at peace but they made the most of it. At least until they showed up. The rift opened, the invasion failed and now an angered giant prepares to take its vengeance and punish them for their crimes.
Gunru stopped sending energy into Laeroth's mind and let go of his head. Laeroth bent over and panted. His heart was racing and his nose bleeding. He could not believe what he saw. Was there really no hope? Was this war lost before it even began? How was he to win? He wasn't, but he knew he couldn't just give up. His pride as a warrior and a soldier wouldn't let him. But more than that, it was Canus. His maniacal nature coupled with fear will only make things worse if he were to find out. Furthermore, the Inquisition will most likely pull strings and keep the war going for their sick and twisted games. Laeroth knew he had to come up with something, otherwise, the empire will crumble.
"General, are you alright.", Maul asked.
"I am fine Maul.", Laeroth answered, "Take the human back to the cell and treat his wounds. I will let you know what I want with him next later."
"Yes, my lord.", Maul said as he gestured to the guards to help him.
"Gunru."
"Yes, general?", Gunru answered.
"You must not speak of this to anyone. Not even the emperor. This stays between us. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, general."
"Good. Now excuse me, I must clean myself and prepare for the future.". Laeroth left the torture chamber and climbed up the steps to the halls. On his way to his personal chamber, he could feel a strange sensation run down his spine. The effects of the mind read? No, this was something else. He made a random turn and walked down a narrow hallway. After taking a few steps, he prepared a knife and waited. Soon, a cloaked individual suddenly appeared from behind the corner and started running away. Laeroth immediately gave chase, signaling the guards in front to stop him. Two guards formed up with shields, which made him stop for a moment. After a moment Laeroth threw his knife at his back. He yelled in pain as he fell over and the guards moved in.
"Leave him!", Laeroth shouted as he grabbed the man and pulled the cloak down. It turned out to be a woman. "Who sent you!? Talk!". His words fell on deaf ears as the woman's head twitched and a thick purple foam-like substance oozed from her mouth. Laeroth groaned and let her go, "Burn the body. Speak nothing of this.". The guards nodded and carried the body outside.
'Gilshor.', Laeroth thought, 'I will not let you turn this war into your own personal puppet show. The darkness will not rule the light.'
---
(Meanwhile)
Upper level of the Imperial palace
Lilyth Camilla Agorix was always a strange girl. While the other girls took care of their hair, she took care of the armor forged specifically for her. While the other girls practiced knitting and read poetry, she expressed an interest in politics and philosophy. This behavior wasn't particularly accepted by her father. Her mother, on the other hand, empress Alruna Flavia Agorix, greatly supported her. It was thanks to her effort that women were allowed to join the army, and at the moment, a tenth of the army is female. Alruna wasn't named the Lioness for anything, and Lilyth tries to live up to her expectations.
But some members of the family aren't as hard-working as her. Her brother Armas is the biggest and most disgusting slob. She could hear him and his hooligans laugh in his chamber. Trying her best to ignore them, she walked past, but as Armas exited the room he called her over, "Hey sister! Come on in. We have room."
Lilyth groaned, "I have more important matters to attend to than entertain a room full of children."
Armas laughed, "Oh come on, loosen up. The slaves taught me that."
"Armas, if mother finds out-"
"What? What will she do? These slaves were given to me and I can do whatever I want with them."
"Is that so?", spoke a mature womanly voice, "Tell me, Armas, what exactly have you been doing?"
"M-Mother?", Armas uttered. Next to her was the second youngest daughter, Khelsa, along with the captive human girl, Amy. The two became friends after Amy arrived and while Alruna didn't support it at first, she learned that a child is a child, and her being from a supposedly savage land is irrelevant. "Nothing. Just questioning these captives with my soldiers."
"You mean raping women with your hooligans.", Alruna said as she walked into his room. The stench and sight made her sick. "Guards! Take these women to my chambers and bring along some maids. Clean them, feed them, and dress them properly." Guards did just that, pushing away the thugs who grunted in response.
"Khelsa?", Amy asked, "Is that your brother?"
Khelsa sighed in response, "Yes. I'm sorry you had to see this."
As the guards took the women out, Armas protested, "Mother, this is unfair. These women are my slaves. Furthermore, they are savages from a barbaric land. They should consider themselves lucky to even be in my presence. Father says-"
Alruna slapped him, stopping his sentence, "Your father may be the emperor, but I know him better than anyone else. He is narrow-minded and frightened, only seeing what is right in front of him, and never bothering to properly assess anything. We may be the chosen bringers of light, but if we act as barbaric as our adversaries then we are no better than them. Now, get this room cleaned and then yourself. You are royalty, act like it." With that Alruna and Lilyth left, leaving Armas to bicker and throw tantrums.
"Thank you, mother.", Lilyth said, "I must go now."
"Go, my daughter.", said Alruna. Lilyth bowed and entered her chamber.
"Fenris.", she spoke, "Is everything ready?"
"Yes, princess.", Fenris said, "The savage stands before you in chains and the scribe has prepared the parchment."
"Excellent. Scribe, you are to document any and all findings. Listen carefully. Do you understand?"
"Yes, princess.", answered the scribe.
"Let us begin.", Lilyth said as she walked to the captive, "What is your name?"
"You know that.", he answered and received a back-handed slap. After moving his head back, he answered, "Brian O'Neil."
"Where are you from?"
"My mom.", to which he received a punch in the stomach. It didn't hurt a lot, considering he was a large man. "The United States of America."
"Tell me more about it."
"It's a unity of fifty-two states with three hundred and fifty million people."
This shocked Lilyth but she didn't show it, "Are there more countries?"
"Many more. My country isn't even the biggest one."
"So there are more empires in your world."
"No, there aren't any."
Lilyth paused for a moment, "Then what?"
"We are a republic. We elect our leader and that leader represents us. He doesn't have all the power and all of his decisions are put to a vote. Empires and kings are a thing of the past."
"You expect me to believe that? A nation cannot function without a centralized figure controlling it."
Brad chuckled, "We use to think that, too. But we found out that the opposite is true. One person can control a city, or maybe a small nation. But the bigger a nation gets and the more powerful it gets, the more strain appears on a single person. This is why our nations are governed by dozens of people and we have careful systems for governance. A single person is not enough. He would only bring ruin."
This shocked Lilyth more. A system like this was always theorized by politicians and philosophers, but nothing was ever tested because the emperors abolished it, saying that it goes against the path of light. "You say that. But our empire has grown powerful and spread across the world. We have become its rulers and spreaders of wisdom, knowledge, and civilization."
"There used to be an empire in my world that thought just like you. They wanted to conquer the entire world and make it so that only their ways exist. Do you want to know what happened?"
"What?"
"They became too big. There was too much ground. Their forces were spread thin and could be picked off by united barbarians who didn't like their ways. War stopped and since their economy depended on it, it crumbled. Their politicians became corrupt and power-hungry. They stole from and even killed each other. Eventually, they fell beneath the force of the united kingdoms they called savages and were wiped out. This is why no one can truly conquer the world. No matter how hard you fight, the world always wins."
Lilyth clenched her fists and stared at Brad with an angered look, "You say that we will end up the same?"
"If you refuse to change, then yes.".
After staring at him for a few moments, she spoke, "Fenris! Take him back to his cell. We will continue this tomorrow."
"At once, princess.", Fenris said and grabbed Brad by the arm.
As they were walking out the door, Brad turned his head to Fenris, "You know she likes you, right?".
Fenris looked at him for a bit before pushing him forward. Lilyth was left to ponder Brad's words. There is still much for her to learn.
---
(That night)
Somewhere between Meilume capital and Una
Being a prisoner is never good. Your rights are taken away and the ones who captured you can do anything they want to you. They could kill you, sell you or worse. This was the predicament the Belus family found itself in. Out of the two hundred soldiers that accompanied them, only one soldier remained, the others were killed and fed to the welfen and leanoids. The Belus family was in a cage with the last soldier, Klaus, and a servant, Lia. The five of them were all sitting with their hands tied behind their backs, wondering what will happen next. Taria was still grieving over the death of Aego, not even lifting her head.
"Bellon.", Nimriel whispered, "What will happen to us?"
"Do not worry.", Bellon said, "We will alright."
"Stop lying, father.", Taria said, still with head lowered, "These people will first rape us, torture us and then demand ransom from the empire."
"Hush, my lady.", Lia said, "Don't say such things."
"What? The truth?"
"You should listen to the little girl.", said a rogue elf as he crouched in front of the cage. Behind him was the fire in the center of the camp with four more rogues, two leanoids, and one welfen. Most of the bandits were asleep, only over a dozen stayed awake. "The money we'll get from you will make us set for life. Sure, we might have lost more than half our men, but that just means more for the living."
Taria spat, "Open this cage and I'll show you a little girl."
The rogue chuckled, "Quite a fighter. I saw you kill that leanoid. You're good. Why don't you come with us?"
"Why would I join a bunch of good-for-nothing traitors? You know nothing of honor, duty or the light."
The rogue laughed, "They still teach that shit? The light is nothing but a made-up excuse the first emperor made so we can take these lands. People like us? We see the truth. And all of you are being manipulated."
"You dare mock the path of light?", asked Bellon.
"Shouldn't a bad joke be mocked?"
Taria and Bellon gritted their teeth. This is why rogues are killed on sight. They know nothing but greed. As Taria stared at the rogue, something appeared in the corner of her vision. A man in green armor held a black boomstick and aimed it at the bandits by the fire. She looked around and saw six more. Are they insane? If they fire it, it will alert everyone. But when they fired them, only a slight sound was heard. Enough for the rogue in front of her to turn around. He saw his mates dead, but couldn't call for help as his neck was ripped out by a welfen. The Belus family was in shock as the welfen opened the cage.
"Don't be afraid.", he spoke, "I'm with the Americans."
This confused the family. "Who?", Taria asked.
Soon after, a soldier in green got to them, "My name is Lieutenant Caden Roberts of RG-3. We're here to rescue you.". He cut their ropes and waved his hand to signal the rest of his men. As they moved, Taria saw the dead bodies of the bandits and when they got out of the camp she could see that only fifteen soldiers, including two tribals, came to rescue them.
"Who are you people?", Taria asked.
"We're the Rift Expeditionary Force from the United States of America.", said the lieutenant as he pressed a small metallic box which caused the entire bandit camp to get engulfed in flames. The bandits burned and screamed, some ran out of the camp but got shot by the green soldiers. Their camouflaged armor, repeating broomsticks, and fire magic puzzled Taria greatly. She couldn't even see their faces from their masks and eyewear. Who are they? Her questions had to wait a little longer, as iron carriages moved from behind them and opened.
"Lieutenant, is it go time?", spoke the man from one of the carriages.
"Yeah.", said the lieutenant, "Let's go, I'll get them to the MRAP. Come on.". He led the five of them to the middle carriages through its back door. It looked like it was completely made of metal and that it could take a cannon shot. This just further confused them. As the carriages started moving, they noticed that it was going at high speeds, even faster than horses.
"Who are you?", Bellon asked, "What do you want from us?"
The soldiers in front of them looked at each other before taking their masks and helmets off, revealing their pale faces. It wasn't anything sinister and they didn't look like they intended to harm them.
"I am sergeant Jeff Parker.", spoke one of them.
"I am staff sergeant Liam Cook.", spoke the other one, "Over here is Lioba, our feelian, and Olaf, our friendly welfen."
"It's welfen that attacked us.", Klaus spoke.
"Do not speak as if they are of my kind.", said Olaf in an angered tone, "Those beasts lost their meaning in life."
"What do you mean?", Jeff asked.
"Each wolf lives for the pack. For the tribe. He fights for it, provides for it, and dies for it. These wolves, they've abandoned their blood and chosen the life of a wild animal. They're no better than the ferals."
"I see. We have those too. We call them deserters. They flee the army and abandon their brothers. And so we hunt them down and punish them."
"As you should."
After some silence, Klaus spoke, "Forgive me. I meant no disrespect.". Olaf nodded.
"Are you taking us home?", Nimriel asked.
"No.", Liam said, "We're taking you to Galdush. Our lieutenant-general wishes to speak with you. Well, lord Bellon more specifically." The five went silent. This was the enemy from the rift, and now they're taking them to their leader.
"Are we to become your slaves then?", Taria asked.
Jeff and Liam chuckled a bit. "No no, of course not. That kind of thing is in the past for us. Our lieutenant-general only wants to speak with you. After a nice conversation, we will personally bring you back to the Meilume capital."
"How do you know its name?", Bellon asked.
"We have our ways. Now sit back and enjoy the ride.", Liam said as he pulled some blocks out of his pocket. When he opened it, it was gray and seemed to be food. After offering it to Lia, he spoke, "Hungry?". After some hesitation, Lia took it and tasted it. It was quite delicious. As she ate the whole thing, Liam chuckled as he opened a bag, "Don't strain yourself, I have enough for everyone."
---
(Several hours later)
Fort Galdush
"My lady.", said Lia as she shook Taria, "My lady, wake up, we've arrived."
Taria woke up, "What? How long have I been asleep?"
"A few hours, my lady."
This was surprising, to say the least, "We're already here?". She looked out the window and saw their fort as well as their machines. The M2 battle tanks rolled over the hills and fired at the targets, blasting through them. She saw soldiers shooting their guns and groups running in a circle. At the gate, the lieutenant introduced himself and the convoy continued. Inside, they could see soldiers clad in thick, metal armor carrying large boxes and as they got out of the MRAP they saw the Invictus ACs flying in the air. All of this overwhelmed them. To them, these were otherworldly monsters. To the rangers, it was a normal everyday occurrence.
Lieutenant Roberts stood in front of his men, "Alright. I will take lord Bellon Belus to lieutenant-general Coleman. Parker, Cook, you take the rest to their temporary residents."
"Yes sir.", both of them said as they saluted, "Okay, let's go. I promise it's nothing bad."
Taria, Lia, Nimriel, and Klaus went with Jeff and Liam to their residence while Caden took Bellon to the lieutenant-general. The two of them went into the central command building.
"Lieutenant Caden Roberts of Rift Group 3 here to see colonel Andrew Marshal and lieutenant-general Patrick Coleman.", he said to a woman who worked as a secretary.
After some delay, the woman nodded, "Go down the hall to meeting room two."
"Thank you. Come on.". Bellon followed Caden through the hall. He admired how it was crystal clear and pearl white like they were made of pure marble. As they walked they reached the meeting room and entered. Inside were two men who stood up immediately.
"Good morning.", said the first man, "I am lieutenant-general Patrick Coleman of the Rift Expeditionary Corp. And this is our logistics officer, colonel Andrew Marshal."
"Nice to meet you.", Andrew said, "You are the lord of Meilume, Bellon Belus, correct?"
Bellon stuttered, "Y-Yes I am. Great general, you have my eternal gratitude for saving my life, and my family.", he said as he bowed.
"Please.", Patrick spoke, "No need to bow. And please call me Patrick. Sit down."
"Thank you, Patrick.", Bellon said as he sat down, Caden next to him.
"While I accept your gratitude, I'm going to need to ask something else of you?"
'Of course. What was I expecting?', Bellon thought, "And what would that be? If it is gold I assure you the emperor will pay a decent sum for my family and me."
"Oh no, god no. I'm not asking for money. I need something from you that only someone of your status within the empire can provide."
'Someone of my status'. "What exactly?"
"As you know, your empire opened a rift in our country and attacked without warning and unprovoked. We beat the invasion force and the force than came after it. You lost two armies in less than a month, or, a moon cycle as you call them."
"Yes, I am aware of this. What does that have to do with me? I didn't send those armies."
"We know. But you have a connection with the person who did. And we want you to send a message to him for us."
'A message?' "And what kind of message?"
"We would like an audience with a representative to negotiate peace."
This stunned Bellon. 'Peace?'
---
(Meanwhile)
Jeff and Liam brought the four to an empty army barracks, reserved for these situations. "Okay.", Liam spoke, "You'll be staying here until the lieutenant-general orders otherwise. Don't worry, you'll be comfortable." They entered the barracks and it was clean, with several beds, a fridge, desks, and lights, which Jeff turned on, surprising the 'guests'.
"Make yourselves at home.", Jeff said, "I'll bring you some breakfast soon.". He left and closed the door, leaving the four to talk.
"What do you think will happen, Klaus?", Nimriel asked.
"I don't know, my lady.", he answered, "But we shouldn't do anything to anger them. I think we should wait and see what is to come."
Taria looked out the window and saw the tanks and LAVs driving past as well as soldiers marching in unison. "Incredible. All this power. They could have destroyed Meilume before we even had the chance to escape. And yet here we are. In their fortress, waiting for them to bring us food. They want something."
"Well.", Lia said, "That man who offered me the sweet food was nice. I think they're not that bad."
"They are the enemy, Lia. Enemies should never be trusted. It might seem like they are good, but they are using us. They want us here so we can witness their power and use us to spread fear through the rest of the empire. Clever."
"I think you are thinking too much about it, my lady. Perhaps you need to sit down, and rest."
Taria sighed. She walked to a nearby desk and observed the notebooks, pens, and pencils. She sat down and opened a notebook, immediately noticing how the paper is milk-white with lines to help her writing. Picking up one of the pens, she observed how smooth it was and made of spotless, thin metal, but also how it didn't have a tip. Then she noticed the round top and remembered how the lieutenant pressed his metal box. Pressing down the top, the pen clicked and the tip appeared. Amazed, she clicked it several more times before starting to write.
"Taria?", Nimriel asked, "What are you doing?"
"I'm writing down what I saw."
At that moment, Jeff opened the door and brought several white cardboard boxes, "I brought breakfast. I hope it's to your liking."
Each of them took one and Jeff put the last one on Taria's desk. She looked at him and asked, "Can you show me more of your fortress?"
Jeff hesitated a bit, "Why?"
"I'm curious. I wish to learn."
"So you can write it down and give the information to the army?". Taria sat silently. This wasn't untrue. "Look, we're not your enemy. Our commanding officer is talking to your father about peace. Truth is, we don't want war.". Taria paused to think about that. "But if I get permission, I'll show you around."
"I would appreciate it. Thank you."
​
End of chapter 10
​
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Expedition report from Rift Group 4
Report carried out by Lieutenant Marvin Bailey
Report states: Peaceful contact with the local town of Una has ended in failure. Upon nearing the gates, the elves demanded RG-4 to identify themselves and after identification, they opened fire on with bows, crossbows, and scorpions. RG4 retaliated by opening fire with its 50mm chain gun, destroying parts of the wall, killing an unknown number of defenders, and destroying their heavy defenses. The initial shock from the chain gun froze the defenders, allowing RG-4 to vacate the area with minimum damage and no losses taken. This was the first unsuccessful interaction with the local populace since the beginning of the expedition and the Rift Group program and it shows that not all natives will be pleased with REC's arrival.
Other news: The enemy force on the other side of the North Alston river has not shown any signs of movement. Moreover, drone footage shows a number of the local populace leaving the Meilume capital and Una across the river, further suggesting that the Imperial army wishes to fortify and wall off the area between the two Alston rivers with the intention of boxing the REC before attacking. CIA sources can confirm this is the case. As far as the Rosian vassal kingdoms are concerned, RG-1, upon making successful contact with the border town of Afa, has sent a platoon, led by lieutenant James Wilson, to the Alston capital of Olinor where they made contact with the king of Alston, Thavok Zorgen. After a number of debates, king Thavok has agreed to accompany the platoon to the duchies of Zirith, Dothen, and Elarith, as well as the kingdom of Opherin to convince the dukes and kind Ostontul to attend a meeting with ambassador Eugene Anderson. Additional transportation will be provided should it be necessary.
30th day of late yellow season
Elyana, Empire of Light
"So.", said the chained human, "Is it my turn to pick the nail or yours?". The torturer responded by punching him in the face. The prisoner spat out a piece of his tooth before answering, "C'mon, you're supposed to be consistent. It's nail, nail, cut, punch. The teeth come later when all the nails are gone. Everyone knows that.". The torturer punched him again. "There you go again, messing up the consistency. I think I know why you work in this shit hole now."
The torturer wanted to hit him again, but a voice stopped him, "Enough!". A moment later, two elves walked into the room.
"Great General Laeroth.", the torturer said as he bowed.
"How is the questioning, Maul?", Laeroth asked.
"Not well, my lord. This human is proving to be a greater challenge than I had anticipated. All I got was a name. Jack Mitchell."
Laeroth sighed as he approached the chained-up human. His body was cut in several places and half of his fingernails have been removed. In addition, he was missing two teeth and bleeding from his mouth and nose. Yet he still denies Maul. As much as it pained Laeroth to admit it, he was impressed. Any Rosian or even elf would have broken by now. What made this human different?
"Jack Mitchell.", Laeroth said, making Jack lift his head and smile.
"What's up?", Jack asked.
"The ceiling.", Laeroth answered, making Jack laugh. "What is humorous?"
"Maul over there said the same thing.", Jack replied as he wheezed, "You sure you're not related? You got the same shade."
This made Maul mad as he grabbed his hammer, "You insolent savage!"
"Calm yourself.", Laeroth said, "I still need this human alive. High mage Gunru, you have my permission.".
"Yes, general.", said Gunru. He was one of the seven high mages of the empire in North Altia, second only to the grand mage Ishton. Each high mage is able to use more than one type of magical ability. Usually, a mage is only able to use one ability from a single spirit. The mages of Vita can be healers or they can use their power to give life to made objects. This way they can create their own army, however, the mage has to remain alive in order for the creature to remain alive, and if the creature is destroyed the life will return back to its source. The mages of Elendi can use one of the various elements, such as wind, fire, water, and so on. One other ability the high mages possess is 'Mind read'. By focusing their spiritual energy on the mind of the target, they can visualize their knowledge.
"What the hell are you doing?", Jack asked as Gunru grabbed his head with both hands, "I mean I'm flattered but I'm into women, just so you know."
Gunru closed his eyes and white energy started appearing from his hands. That energy went into Jack's head, which remained perfectly still as this occurred. Gunru entered his mind and began to project Jack's memories, thoughts, and knowledge around him. Laeroth just watched. He himself couldn't see unless Gunru gave the knowledge to him. But he did see something that disturbed him. Gunru began to twitch. A twitching that turned to shake as his eyes opened and quickly pulled back while panting and holding his head as though he had a headache.
"Gunru.", Laeroth called, "Tell me, what have you seen?"
Gunru shook and could barely grasp the words to speak, "T-T-Terrible things. A mistake. All of this was a mistake."
"Show me."
"No!", Gunru yelled immediately, "You must not. I could not get all the details myself. You will go insane."
"I must know our enemy. Even if it is a little, I must know. Gunru, you must show me."
Gunru greatly hesitated and opposed this. But at the same time, he knew if anyone was able to take the strain, it was Laeroth, the most loyal servant of the empire. "Very well. I shall show you as much as I can. Forgive me."
As Gunru placed his hands on Laeroth's head, the same energy went into it. Laeroth opened his eyes and found himself on a field of battle. Two sides were fighting, humans. One side had blue clothing and the other was red, both fighting with cannons and boomsticks, but nothing else. The blue-clothed soldiers appeared to be winning and they charged the red ones, all while carrying a flag. Red and white stripes with stars. It was brutal. What could it mean?
Night turned to day over and over again, until another battle occurred. Same thing, broomsticks, and cannons, but they fought each other. Once again, there was a flag with stars and stripes but now there were two. A civil war? Hundreds of thousands of men died all for what?
Fast forward, Laeroth appeared in another field, but considerably more terrifying. It was a field of black mud, ash, and blood as far as the eye could see. Thousands upon thousands of bodies piled up around giant cannons that fired and destroyed castles. He could see waves of soldiers running forward at their dug-in enemies. They fell by the dozen until a few lucky ones reached the line and engaged in a brutal brawl. The fighting kept escalating until a massive white cloud filled the battlefield and everyone caught in started choking and dying.
Once the smoke cleared, Laeroth could see hundreds of thousands, no, millions of soldiers and armored beasts marching across a field. They fought another gigantic army, one Laeroth thought could never exist. Millions of troops met on the battlefield and slaughtered one another as the metal monsters spat fire and thousands of iron wyverns fought in the air. Massive ships of steel fired enormous cannons of steel at one another as hundreds of iron rods fell from the sky and flattened the cities below.
Closing and opening his eyes one more time he saw a city. A large city with towers of stone and glass that pierced the clouds. But then he saw it get destroyed as it was engulfed in a literal sea of flames. All of those people were dead in an instant, and in place of the city was a gigantic cloud in the shape of a mushroom.
The day turned to night again as Laeroth was lifted into the air and observed the world change. The nations fought one another while also existing in peace. Cities became massive and their armies even more powerful. But then, the fires came. The great cities turned to a smoldering pile of ash as they turned on one another in the name of 'salvation'. War, disease, poverty, entire civilizations were whipped out and empires started to fall. But in this chaos, something was born. The petty rivalry of the great powers vanished and united they led their armies and pulled the corruption by its roots. It took them decades but they did it. And now united, they rebuilt their homes. The world was not at peace but they made the most of it. At least until they showed up. The rift opened, the invasion failed and now an angered giant prepares to take its vengeance and punish them for their crimes.
Gunru stopped sending energy into Laeroth's mind and let go of his head. Laeroth bent over and panted. His heart was racing and his nose bleeding. He could not believe what he saw. Was there really no hope? Was this war lost before it even began? How was he to win? He wasn't, but he knew he couldn't just give up. His pride as a warrior and a soldier wouldn't let him. But more than that, it was Canus. His maniacal nature coupled with fear will only make things worse if he were to find out. Furthermore, the Inquisition will most likely pull strings and keep the war going for their sick and twisted games. Laeroth knew he had to come up with something, otherwise, the empire will crumble.
"General, are you alright.", Maul asked.
"I am fine Maul.", Laeroth answered, "Take the human back to the cell and treat his wounds. I will let you know what I want with him next later."
"Yes, my lord.", Maul said as he gestured to the guards to help him.
"Gunru."
"Yes, general?", Gunru answered.
"You must not speak of this to anyone. Not even the emperor. This stays between us. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, general."
"Good. Now excuse me, I must clean myself and prepare for the future.". Laeroth left the torture chamber and climbed up the steps to the halls. On his way to his personal chamber, he could feel a strange sensation run down his spine. The effects of the mind read? No, this was something else. He made a random turn and walked down a narrow hallway. After taking a few steps, he prepared a knife and waited. Soon, a cloaked individual suddenly appeared from behind the corner and started running away. Laeroth immediately gave chase, signaling the guards in front to stop him. Two guards formed up with shields, which made him stop for a moment. After a moment Laeroth threw his knife at his back. He yelled in pain as he fell over and the guards moved in.
"Leave him!", Laeroth shouted as he grabbed the man and pulled the cloak down. It turned out to be a woman. "Who sent you!? Talk!". His words fell on deaf ears as the woman's head twitched and a thick purple foam-like substance oozed from her mouth. Laeroth groaned and let her go, "Burn the body. Speak nothing of this.". The guards nodded and carried the body outside.
'Gilshor.', Laeroth thought, 'I will not let you turn this war into your own personal puppet show. The darkness will not rule the light.'
---
(Meanwhile)
Upper level of the Imperial palace
Lilyth Camilla Agorix was always a strange girl. While the other girls took care of their hair, she took care of the armor forged specifically for her. While the other girls practiced knitting and read poetry, she expressed an interest in politics and philosophy. This behavior wasn't particularly accepted by her father. Her mother, on the other hand, empress Alruna Flavia Agorix, greatly supported her. It was thanks to her effort that women were allowed to join the army, and at the moment, a tenth of the army is female. Alruna wasn't named the Lioness for anything, and Lilyth tries to live up to her expectations.
But some members of the family aren't as hard-working as her. Her brother Armas is the biggest and most disgusting slob. She could hear him and his hooligans laugh in his chamber. Trying her best to ignore them, she walked past, but as Armas exited the room he called her over, "Hey sister! Come on in. We have room."
Lilyth groaned, "I have more important matters to attend to than entertain a room full of children."
Armas laughed, "Oh come on, loosen up. The slaves taught me that."
"Armas, if mother finds out-"
"What? What will she do? These slaves were given to me and I can do whatever I want with them."
"Is that so?", spoke a mature womanly voice, "Tell me, Armas, what exactly have you been doing?"
"M-Mother?", Armas uttered. Next to her was the second youngest daughter, Khelsa, along with the captive human girl, Amy. The two became friends after Amy arrived and while Alruna didn't support it at first, she learned that a child is a child, and her being from a supposedly savage land is irrelevant. "Nothing. Just questioning these captives with my soldiers."
"You mean raping women with your hooligans.", Alruna said as she walked into his room. The stench and sight made her sick. "Guards! Take these women to my chambers and bring along some maids. Clean them, feed them, and dress them properly." Guards did just that, pushing away the thugs who grunted in response.
"Khelsa?", Amy asked, "Is that your brother?"
Khelsa sighed in response, "Yes. I'm sorry you had to see this."
As the guards took the women out, Armas protested, "Mother, this is unfair. These women are my slaves. Furthermore, they are savages from a barbaric land. They should consider themselves lucky to even be in my presence. Father says-"
Alruna slapped him, stopping his sentence, "Your father may be the emperor, but I know him better than anyone else. He is narrow-minded and frightened, only seeing what is right in front of him, and never bothering to properly assess anything. We may be the chosen bringers of light, but if we act as barbaric as our adversaries then we are no better than them. Now, get this room cleaned and then yourself. You are royalty, act like it." With that Alruna and Lilyth left, leaving Armas to bicker and throw tantrums.
"Thank you, mother.", Lilyth said, "I must go now."
"Go, my daughter.", said Alruna. Lilyth bowed and entered her chamber.
"Fenris.", she spoke, "Is everything ready?"
"Yes, princess.", Fenris said, "The savage stands before you in chains and the scribe has prepared the parchment."
"Excellent. Scribe, you are to document any and all findings. Listen carefully. Do you understand?"
"Yes, princess.", answered the scribe.
"Let us begin.", Lilyth said as she walked to the captive, "What is your name?"
"You know that.", he answered and received a back-handed slap. After moving his head back, he answered, "Brian O'Neil."
"Where are you from?"
"My mom.", to which he received a punch in the stomach. It didn't hurt a lot, considering he was a large man. "The United States of America."
"Tell me more about it."
"It's a unity of fifty-two states with three hundred and fifty million people."
This shocked Lilyth but she didn't show it, "Are there more countries?"
"Many more. My country isn't even the biggest one."
"So there are more empires in your world."
"No, there aren't any."
Lilyth paused for a moment, "Then what?"
"We are a republic. We elect our leader and that leader represents us. He doesn't have all the power and all of his decisions are put to a vote. Empires and kings are a thing of the past."
"You expect me to believe that? A nation cannot function without a centralized figure controlling it."
Brad chuckled, "We use to think that, too. But we found out that the opposite is true. One person can control a city, or maybe a small nation. But the bigger a nation gets and the more powerful it gets, the more strain appears on a single person. This is why our nations are governed by dozens of people and we have careful systems for governance. A single person is not enough. He would only bring ruin."
This shocked Lilyth more. A system like this was always theorized by politicians and philosophers, but nothing was ever tested because the emperors abolished it, saying that it goes against the path of light. "You say that. But our empire has grown powerful and spread across the world. We have become its rulers and spreaders of wisdom, knowledge, and civilization."
"There used to be an empire in my world that thought just like you. They wanted to conquer the entire world and make it so that only their ways exist. Do you want to know what happened?"
"What?"
"They became too big. There was too much ground. Their forces were spread thin and could be picked off by united barbarians who didn't like their ways. War stopped and since their economy depended on it, it crumbled. Their politicians became corrupt and power-hungry. They stole from and even killed each other. Eventually, they fell beneath the force of the united kingdoms they called savages and were wiped out. This is why no one can truly conquer the world. No matter how hard you fight, the world always wins."
Lilyth clenched her fists and stared at Brad with an angered look, "You say that we will end up the same?"
"If you refuse to change, then yes.".
After staring at him for a few moments, she spoke, "Fenris! Take him back to his cell. We will continue this tomorrow."
"At once, princess.", Fenris said and grabbed Brad by the arm.
As they were walking out the door, Brad turned his head to Fenris, "You know she likes you, right?".
Fenris looked at him for a bit before pushing him forward. Lilyth was left to ponder Brad's words. There is still much for her to learn.
---
(That night)
Somewhere between Meilume capital and Una
Being a prisoner is never good. Your rights are taken away and the ones who captured you can do anything they want to you. They could kill you, sell you or worse. This was the predicament the Belus family found itself in. Out of the two hundred soldiers that accompanied them, only one soldier remained, the others were killed and fed to the welfen and leanoids. The Belus family was in a cage with the last soldier, Klaus, and a servant, Lia. The five of them were all sitting with their hands tied behind their backs, wondering what will happen next. Taria was still grieving over the death of Aego, not even lifting her head.
"Bellon.", Nimriel whispered, "What will happen to us?"
"Do not worry.", Bellon said, "We will alright."
"Stop lying, father.", Taria said, still with head lowered, "These people will first rape us, torture us and then demand ransom from the empire."
"Hush, my lady.", Lia said, "Don't say such things."
"What? The truth?"
"You should listen to the little girl.", said a rogue elf as he crouched in front of the cage. Behind him was the fire in the center of the camp with four more rogues, two leanoids, and one welfen. Most of the bandits were asleep, only over a dozen stayed awake. "The money we'll get from you will make us set for life. Sure, we might have lost more than half our men, but that just means more for the living."
Taria spat, "Open this cage and I'll show you a little girl."
The rogue chuckled, "Quite a fighter. I saw you kill that leanoid. You're good. Why don't you come with us?"
"Why would I join a bunch of good-for-nothing traitors? You know nothing of honor, duty or the light."
The rogue laughed, "They still teach that shit? The light is nothing but a made-up excuse the first emperor made so we can take these lands. People like us? We see the truth. And all of you are being manipulated."
"You dare mock the path of light?", asked Bellon.
"Shouldn't a bad joke be mocked?"
Taria and Bellon gritted their teeth. This is why rogues are killed on sight. They know nothing but greed. As Taria stared at the rogue, something appeared in the corner of her vision. A man in green armor held a black boomstick and aimed it at the bandits by the fire. She looked around and saw six more. Are they insane? If they fire it, it will alert everyone. But when they fired them, only a slight sound was heard. Enough for the rogue in front of her to turn around. He saw his mates dead, but couldn't call for help as his neck was ripped out by a welfen. The Belus family was in shock as the welfen opened the cage.
"Don't be afraid.", he spoke, "I'm with the Americans."
This confused the family. "Who?", Taria asked.
Soon after, a soldier in green got to them, "My name is Lieutenant Caden Roberts of RG-3. We're here to rescue you.". He cut their ropes and waved his hand to signal the rest of his men. As they moved, Taria saw the dead bodies of the bandits and when they got out of the camp she could see that only fifteen soldiers, including two tribals, came to rescue them.
"Who are you people?", Taria asked.
"We're the Rift Expeditionary Force from the United States of America.", said the lieutenant as he pressed a small metallic box which caused the entire bandit camp to get engulfed in flames. The bandits burned and screamed, some ran out of the camp but got shot by the green soldiers. Their camouflaged armor, repeating broomsticks, and fire magic puzzled Taria greatly. She couldn't even see their faces from their masks and eyewear. Who are they? Her questions had to wait a little longer, as iron carriages moved from behind them and opened.
"Lieutenant, is it go time?", spoke the man from one of the carriages.
"Yeah.", said the lieutenant, "Let's go, I'll get them to the MRAP. Come on.". He led the five of them to the middle carriages through its back door. It looked like it was completely made of metal and that it could take a cannon shot. This just further confused them. As the carriages started moving, they noticed that it was going at high speeds, even faster than horses.
"Who are you?", Bellon asked, "What do you want from us?"
The soldiers in front of them looked at each other before taking their masks and helmets off, revealing their pale faces. It wasn't anything sinister and they didn't look like they intended to harm them.
"I am sergeant Jeff Parker.", spoke one of them.
"I am staff sergeant Liam Cook.", spoke the other one, "Over here is Lioba, our feelian, and Olaf, our friendly welfen."
"It's welfen that attacked us.", Klaus spoke.
"Do not speak as if they are of my kind.", said Olaf in an angered tone, "Those beasts lost their meaning in life."
"What do you mean?", Jeff asked.
"Each wolf lives for the pack. For the tribe. He fights for it, provides for it, and dies for it. These wolves, they've abandoned their blood and chosen the life of a wild animal. They're no better than the ferals."
"I see. We have those too. We call them deserters. They flee the army and abandon their brothers. And so we hunt them down and punish them."
"As you should."
After some silence, Klaus spoke, "Forgive me. I meant no disrespect.". Olaf nodded.
"Are you taking us home?", Nimriel asked.
"No.", Liam said, "We're taking you to Galdush. Our lieutenant-general wishes to speak with you. Well, lord Bellon more specifically." The five went silent. This was the enemy from the rift, and now they're taking them to their leader.
"Are we to become your slaves then?", Taria asked.
Jeff and Liam chuckled a bit. "No no, of course not. That kind of thing is in the past for us. Our lieutenant-general only wants to speak with you. After a nice conversation, we will personally bring you back to the Meilume capital."
"How do you know its name?", Bellon asked.
"We have our ways. Now sit back and enjoy the ride.", Liam said as he pulled some blocks out of his pocket. When he opened it, it was gray and seemed to be food. After offering it to Lia, he spoke, "Hungry?". After some hesitation, Lia took it and tasted it. It was quite delicious. As she ate the whole thing, Liam chuckled as he opened a bag, "Don't strain yourself, I have enough for everyone."
---
(Several hours later)
Fort Galdush
"My lady.", said Lia as she shook Taria, "My lady, wake up, we've arrived."
Taria woke up, "What? How long have I been asleep?"
"A few hours, my lady."
This was surprising, to say the least, "We're already here?". She looked out the window and saw their fort as well as their machines. The M2 battle tanks rolled over the hills and fired at the targets, blasting through them. She saw soldiers shooting their guns and groups running in a circle. At the gate, the lieutenant introduced himself and the convoy continued. Inside, they could see soldiers clad in thick, metal armor carrying large boxes and as they got out of the MRAP they saw the Invictus ACs flying in the air. All of this overwhelmed them. To them, these were otherworldly monsters. To the rangers, it was a normal everyday occurrence.
Lieutenant Roberts stood in front of his men, "Alright. I will take lord Bellon Belus to lieutenant-general Coleman. Parker, Cook, you take the rest to their temporary residents."
"Yes sir.", both of them said as they saluted, "Okay, let's go. I promise it's nothing bad."
Taria, Lia, Nimriel, and Klaus went with Jeff and Liam to their residence while Caden took Bellon to the lieutenant-general. The two of them went into the central command building.
"Lieutenant Caden Roberts of Rift Group 3 here to see colonel Andrew Marshal and lieutenant-general Patrick Coleman.", he said to a woman who worked as a secretary.
After some delay, the woman nodded, "Go down the hall to meeting room two."
"Thank you. Come on.". Bellon followed Caden through the hall. He admired how it was crystal clear and pearl white like they were made of pure marble. As they walked they reached the meeting room and entered. Inside were two men who stood up immediately.
"Good morning.", said the first man, "I am lieutenant-general Patrick Coleman of the Rift Expeditionary Corp. And this is our logistics officer, colonel Andrew Marshal."
"Nice to meet you.", Andrew said, "You are the lord of Meilume, Bellon Belus, correct?"
Bellon stuttered, "Y-Yes I am. Great general, you have my eternal gratitude for saving my life, and my family.", he said as he bowed.
"Please.", Patrick spoke, "No need to bow. And please call me Patrick. Sit down."
"Thank you, Patrick.", Bellon said as he sat down, Caden next to him.
"While I accept your gratitude, I'm going to need to ask something else of you?"
'Of course. What was I expecting?', Bellon thought, "And what would that be? If it is gold I assure you the emperor will pay a decent sum for my family and me."
"Oh no, god no. I'm not asking for money. I need something from you that only someone of your status within the empire can provide."
'Someone of my status'. "What exactly?"
"As you know, your empire opened a rift in our country and attacked without warning and unprovoked. We beat the invasion force and the force than came after it. You lost two armies in less than a month, or, a moon cycle as you call them."
"Yes, I am aware of this. What does that have to do with me? I didn't send those armies."
"We know. But you have a connection with the person who did. And we want you to send a message to him for us."
'A message?' "And what kind of message?"
"We would like an audience with a representative to negotiate peace."
This stunned Bellon. 'Peace?'
---
(Meanwhile)
Jeff and Liam brought the four to an empty army barracks, reserved for these situations. "Okay.", Liam spoke, "You'll be staying here until the lieutenant-general orders otherwise. Don't worry, you'll be comfortable." They entered the barracks and it was clean, with several beds, a fridge, desks, and lights, which Jeff turned on, surprising the 'guests'.
"Make yourselves at home.", Jeff said, "I'll bring you some breakfast soon.". He left and closed the door, leaving the four to talk.
"What do you think will happen, Klaus?", Nimriel asked.
"I don't know, my lady.", he answered, "But we shouldn't do anything to anger them. I think we should wait and see what is to come."
Taria looked out the window and saw the tanks and LAVs driving past as well as soldiers marching in unison. "Incredible. All this power. They could have destroyed Meilume before we even had the chance to escape. And yet here we are. In their fortress, waiting for them to bring us food. They want something."
"Well.", Lia said, "That man who offered me the sweet food was nice. I think they're not that bad."
"They are the enemy, Lia. Enemies should never be trusted. It might seem like they are good, but they are using us. They want us here so we can witness their power and use us to spread fear through the rest of the empire. Clever."
"I think you are thinking too much about it, my lady. Perhaps you need to sit down, and rest."
Taria sighed. She walked to a nearby desk and observed the notebooks, pens, and pencils. She sat down and opened a notebook, immediately noticing how the paper is milk-white with lines to help her writing. Picking up one of the pens, she observed how smooth it was and made of spotless, thin metal, but also how it didn't have a tip. Then she noticed the round top and remembered how the lieutenant pressed his metal box. Pressing down the top, the pen clicked and the tip appeared. Amazed, she clicked it several more times before starting to write.
"Taria?", Nimriel asked, "What are you doing?"
"I'm writing down what I saw."
At that moment, Jeff opened the door and brought several white cardboard boxes, "I brought breakfast. I hope it's to your liking."
Each of them took one and Jeff put the last one on Taria's desk. She looked at him and asked, "Can you show me more of your fortress?"
Jeff hesitated a bit, "Why?"
"I'm curious. I wish to learn."
"So you can write it down and give the information to the army?". Taria sat silently. This wasn't untrue. "Look, we're not your enemy. Our commanding officer is talking to your father about peace. Truth is, we don't want war.". Taria paused to think about that. "But if I get permission, I'll show you around."
"I would appreciate it. Thank you."
End of chapter 10
​
---
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One More Time Love.
“Marie. Marie. Oh, come on love. Wake up already.” Persisted the mysterious yet familiar voice. As fog cleared from her eyes Marie rose up to find herself in a place she didn’t quite recognise. Normally, a person would start to panic but since Marie wasn’t the healthiest up there, she thought it was just another one of the tricks that her mind played on her. What wasn’t even more surprising was that Wills was standing right before her.
[Ah yes, the typical after trauma dream. What is it this time? What does Wills want?] Usually, the person will reply to her immediately, since it is in her mind after all, but Wills just stood there. He stretched his hand across her face. With the back of his hand, he rubbed her left cheek, dragging his soothing touch along her face before her hugged her. Tears busted out from their gates; her eyelids could hold back no more. Floods filled the room where she could finally feel safe -in the arms of her keeper-.
“It must have been hard on you, hasn’t it?” Marie refused to reply, she just snuggled further into his enveloping hug and let the feelings overwhelm her. Wills reached out with his hand and started slowly stroking her hair. [He always did that; he was always so passionate about everything he did. He always cared. You were always with me. Why? Why Wills? Why did you leave me? I thought you were the only person who wouldn’t.] Wills didn’t try to stop her from crying, he didn’t tell her that she was showing off too much weakness, all he did -as he always did- was to just sit with her till things took their natural turn. After a while Marie ran out of her emotional reserves. She let out all that was bottling up deep within her.
Every time she had those dreams, once she finished her mourning she would wake up; however, this time she didn’t. She looked around puzzled as she sniffed. “Well that’s a first. I never stay here far longer than this. Is it because it’s you Wills?” “OH THANK GOD, you finally spoke. I was so afraid I messed up when I brought you here. I don’t think you realise where you are Marie, do you?” “What are you talking about?” Marie asked weirded out. That was her dream, what was so unique about a dream? Marie shot another glance around the room, checking out “her dream”. She was in for quite a surprise when she noticed that the space that she was floating in was distinctly different from her own. This one contained skies, clouds, and hills. It seemed like a non-ending park compared to the black or blue voids that she was used to. Marie’s jaw dropped; this was new. Even she didn’t know that she could do that in her dreams. “Wills? Where exactly am I?” “Ah, you see Marie. It will sound extremely stupid I can tell you that…. but you are actually in my consciousness. Well technically, what I stored previous to my dying moments. You see I am a-” Marie just burst out with laughter; she must have really gone mad this time. If that’s how much of an effect this aching caused her.
“Man, I must have really gone bananas. Am I damaged to this degree?” “You aren’t damaged Marie, you’re far from it. You probably think you’re in one of your hallucinations but that’s not true. What’s coming next will probably sound like the most insane made-up crap you heard all day -I can’t bring myself to curse, sorry- yet it’ll be the truth. Marie, do you know who I am?” “Why’re you asking? You’re Wills, Wills Carter.” “You’re neither wrong nor correct. I’m not the Wills you know. After I’m done elaborating, you’re free to ask me questions; however, don’t interrupt me midway -this wasn’t a request- .” [What’s he even talking about? He speaks like Wills, he acts like Wills, he looks like Wills, how can he not be Wills? I need to get to the bottom of this crazy rollercoaster of a dream.] Marie shook her head in confirmation while earnestly looking into this “creature’s” eyes.
“Marie, Wills belongs to a community named the Hoarders, they’re not your typical hoarders, these people specialise in saving, collecting, managing, and storing their souls. Well, it’s not really souls as much as they apply the fluid soul theory which enables them to do LOTS of things. Things humanly unimaginable. Wills in particular was an Archivist, someone who ‘stores’ memories.” Marie disbelievingly eyed the now confirmed to be crazy Wills. This is DEFIENTLY one of her dreams. As she opened her mouth to speak, she was cut off by the man continuing his speech -he wasn’t going to let her cut him off-. “Wills before he died, he encrypted most of his memories into this metal tag. At times of need, I was instructed to let you in. Just like I did before you came here. Who am I? Is one of the biggest questions you must have. I’m the personality formed by Wills’s memories. ‘We are the sum total of our experiences. Those experiences – be they positive or negative – make us the person we are, at any given point in our lives. And, like a flowing river, those same experiences, and those yet to come, continue to influence and reshape the person we are, and the person we become. None of us are the same as we were yesterday, nor will be tomorrow.’ This, Marie, is a popular phrase for B.J.Neblett. Based on this statement, I was created. Wills gave me the name of William Carter, in an effort to humanize me. I’m different than Wills, I might think like him, act like him, live like him but I’m not complete like Wills nor am I able to gain any further change in my personality. I’m somewhat of a pre-set program. I can come up with solutions using my already existent database but I’m unable to expand that database. I think that covers everything Marie. Any questions?”
William took back a relaxed look, as if he had just dumped the weights that sank him to the ground. Marie on the other hand was dumbfounded by this load of batshit nonsense. She wasn’t sure what to make of it. She knew her imagination was wild, but even to her, this was TOO Far. She didn’t even know if she can manifest a sophisticated story such as this one. She shook her head in disbelief. Her hand wrapped around her forehead from the new drowning knowledge. A secret organisation? Wills is a superpowered individual? A memory clone? Where could she even start? This was all too much, too ridiculous, too unbelievable.
“Is this some kind of sick joke?” She asked at last. She wasn’t precisely angry nor was she calm. She was irritated, mostly because she can’t believe what’s in front of her eyes. “I wish it was. I might not be Wills but I share his memories and I’ve to admit, this pains me to no end; seeing you frustrated, that is” “Can I’ve some time for myself? I don’t think I can process all of this right now. It’s just too much.” “Of course you can take your time Mar.” Marie glared at William, NO ONE was allowed to call her Mar except Wills, and he was no Wills. William seemed to realise his mistake, as Marie’s dagger-like stare pierced through his neck. “Sorry Marie, a force of habit.” “You can’t help it, I guess.”
The next few moments were filled with silence. Marie span around the place, feeling every crook and knack there is. She ran her hands on the “boundaries” -if you can call them that- of this “world”. As if in some sort of a deep trance, she kept walking, trying to make sense of the information she just heard. William followed her with his eyes, observing her as some sort of guard. What Marie was oblivious to was how much it ached in his heart. He was still Wills, and Wills was head over heels for Marie, but he wasn’t Wills, and only Wills was allowed to feel this way. He is just a copy, he told himself. A cheap one at most.
“ARGH, okay I wrapped my head around it, rather some of it. I have some questions.” announced Marie. William was taken a bit back by her loud voice; he wasn’t so keen on the explosive behaviour. Clogging his ears with his fingers, he replied. “Shoot ahead.” “First things first, why-” Marie looked away, thinking if she should really ask that. “Why did you, I mean Wills, why did Wills take his life?” “I don’t know, this is one of the memories he refused to implement in me.” “I see..” Marie bobbed her head down, her face flashed with disappointment, maybe she could have gotten closer to the reason to why she was left behind, abounded by the person she loved the most.
“You mentioned something called liquid soul theory, what’s that?” “You mean FLUID soul theory. It’s a bit hard to explain it, since it differs from one case to another, but I’ll do my best to explain, nonetheless. Let’s take Wills, he was an archivist. Basically, the soul isn’t something tangible, it isn’t something you humans understand to its full extent. The hoarders discovered that the soul’s still partially accessible in a tangible form. Those who are extremely spiritual are able to peek upon the location of the soul in their body. Once they do, they break the barrier that contains the soul in that location. Just like blood, the soul will start circulating in the whole body with the now broken core as its centre. Your centre is where you call forth your powers. Wills had his centre at his left palm. Like sweat, the soul leaks through the fibre of his being and starts slipping into the real world. Wills broke those souls into shards, letters, or even strings. The particles, be whatever shape they are, once they interact with an object, they are engraved on it. Each particle carries a certain part of Wills’s soul. Because the particles spread across the body, Wills had to direct the particles towards memory rooms in his brain, where they carry away this memory and transfer it onto the object they are imprinting on. Although it sounds complicated, it’s actually quite simple in practise.” “So……the soul is a fluid stored in a specific area. Breaking it grants you supernatural powers?” “I wouldn’t call them supernatural. They are natural, just freer. They obey a lot of rules. Some form of equivalent exchange. For Wills, he would lose all memories regrading what he encrypted along with around 5 minutes before and after, those minutes were forever lost. Moreover, when he ‘revoked’ the encryptions, it would take a while for the memories not to be fuzzy. Recalling them was hard, as the mind was forced to accept something that didn’t exist, in an order that it’s forgotten.” “That honestly sounds underwhelming.” “Oh I’d beg to differ. The ways Wills used his ability was no short of stunning. I, myself, am a living showcase of his brilliance. Not many Archivists are able to use their hoarding as well as Wills did.”
“I got from your words that all humans can be hoarders.” “In theory, they could. Despite its simplicity on paper, it’s like finding a needle in hay. You needed to believe in something so strongly that you were sure it existed.” “Doesn’t that give me an edge now that I know it truly exists?” William winked at her, just like Wills always did when he indirectly helped her out. “Seems like you figured it out.”
Marie let out a faint smile, and this was the first time since she arrived here that William saw her smile. He understood why Wills, his creator, would fall in love with someone as stunning as Marie. Marie’s smile was a group of twinkling lights grouped in the shape of an arc; her teeth lined perfectly like military soldiers in the duties of night. Stars fell in comparison to what those eyes showed, a heaven to an endless euphoria was behind those gates, behind that captivating smile, behind that beauty that only shined when it was safe, when it was free.
“What else can hoarders do? You mentioned that they are capable of a many things.” “I seem to have intrigued your interests.” “Maybe. Maybe not. You’ll never know. Wills never knew.” “Wills always knew.” “Yes. Yes, he always did..” “There are many applications of hoarding. There are infernals, those who manipulate fire or heat. Breezers are those who manipulate ice and coldness, there are als-” “Can’t those who manipulate heat and coldness pretty much do the same thing?” “Please never cut me off again Marie. Yes, they do the same thing but in different ways. You can reach the same goal through different means. A lot of hoarders are very similar in their outcome. It just depends on how they do it.” “I see.” Marie didn’t apologize. This was weird even for her, for some reason, she couldn’t consider William a human even if he resembled Wills. There was some kind of detest in her tone. “There isn’t a one size fits all with hoarders. While the concept of hoarding is the same, the application of hoarding is different from one user to another. The way you hoard determines your outcome.”
“Can a hoarder for example be an archivist and a breezer?” “That’s not humanly possible unless you posse different souls in your body, which again, is impossible. As a soul is hoarded, the way you hoard it from now on can never be changed. Changing the way you hoard your soul will cause a change in the flow of the body, in the process, destroying it. There isn’t a loophole or a way to negate this. Many have tried, and all of them failed without exception. At least as far as my database allows me to recall.”
Marie weighted the words that were given to her. A spark reminded her that she forgot something, something far more important than all of this while it was amazing to know that there was a way to do the impossible, it wouldn’t require Wills to bring Marie here. He could have simply told her all of that when he was alive. Wills wasn’t the person to do something unnecessarily. There was a reason she was here. “William, why now? Why tell me now? I think a better question would be. Why am I here? Why did Wills choose to tell me everything here?” “Oh, I think you got it all wrong. This isn’t the reason you came here Marie. As I mentioned before, I was instructed to bring you here to help you, to calm you. Wills wanted to show you many things. In here, there is a library of all the memories that Wills loved and all of them have you. There are things he also refused to say aloud but they are recorded here. Wills loved you, Marie. This is his dying wish, your peace of mind.”
The sounds never stopped; he just came to accept them. He couldn’t afford not to. It wasn’t a choice really, rather a commitment of some sort. He sinned. This was the Lord’s way of punishing him. He was a cursed child, he knew. One must be cursed; otherwise, why would anyone ever meet him? It wasn’t a choice, it never was. One just simply just met him. Now imagine him living inside of you, waiting for the right moment to break free. He knew he was running short on time; he could see it in the way his eyes twitched. He was taking control of him, and he would be damned if he let that happen. He promised her. He promised her. YOU PROMISED HER.

The Restless God lies trapped, but not idle in its sealed off realm. It writhes and yearns for the day it may again take pleasure in the pain of mortals. To once again play in the blood and baske in the terror only finite creatures can produce.
Many worlds it's fed upon, but never satiated. But the world that fought back against its attacks long ago are the ones it wants all the more. It has become an obsession.
So it waits, and it feels, searching for weaknesses between the borders of our world and itself. Hungry and anxious it salivates at the thought of breaching into our world again. It will be its greatest decadence and pleasure, and our darkest days. Despite this, we must pray to Her Divine! We must beg for mercy and the return of Her light.
-Grand Mage Tellomon the IV on the prophecy of the Dark God's return (Second Age)
Pitch blackness. Pure darkness. A thick void of nothing completely swallowing me up, like a fish in the depths of an ocean.
I was crouched low in a ready position, using my right hand to balance by holding onto the wagon's wheel beside me. My legs burned from forcing myself to remain completely still. But pain had become a constant in my life now.
But I was grateful for the adrenaline burst that would always dampen the ever present burden of hunger and fatigue. At least it helped for a little. But the pain found its way back to me faster and faster each time.
It was hot and humid, almost like the swamps of the eastern bog a good 3 weeks journey from here. The cold wind stopped when the darkness befell our remote town. The breeze no longer ran its cold tendrils across the barren streets.
I grabbed the thin string tied around my neck and pulled out a heavy monocle hanging from it. I held the cold metal up to my eye, to look through the green tinted glass.
The magically infused monocle always remained cool to the touch, with a static shock feeling emanating from it.
I held it to my eye to see the world around me clearly, yet tented in bright shades of green. My eyes roamed across the quiet, motionless street.
Debris and bloated corpses littered the street. With no wind and the unnaturally heavy darkness, this somehow had a dampening effect on the stench coming from decaying bodies. They could only be smelled once you were almost on top of one of them or a meter away. But my dead kinsmen helped even in death, making good landmarks to navigate through the darkness.
There were monsters that accompanied the dark fog. Twisted figures that were the void itself. Maybe they were the cruel thoughts of the Restless God made manifest.
Humans long ago, in the First Age had named them rippers. We all hoped they were just a myth, not actual walking nightmares
The rippers swarmed the town in the blinding dark. They seemed to only kill for killing's sake. They never ate the people they killed, almost like it was just for fun instead of survival.
It made sense in some twisted way. The Restless God must have returned to our realm, and brought these hateful things with it.
Prophets had long told of The Restless One's return by it sending nightmares through the veil of reality, to infest in the minds of our leaders. Centuries of slowly chipping away at the barrier separating us, chipping away at our sanity.
The Restless One birthed itself into our reality like an already dead stillborn abomination. Like a newborn giant, deformed with extra limbs and already rotting from death.
But it was alive! As alive as this strange creature could be. Now it was free, and this did not bring the thing elation, just more anger and restlessness.
How do I know all these things? The nightmare visions sent to all mortals across the realm since the Restless One's returned. Actually there were nightmares for most of the town leading up to the event. I guess it was our omens for being so close to the epicenter of its invasion.
One omen would have been terrible enough, but something this perverse stacked on the misfortune.
Dark signs of its arrival showed themselves all over the Kingdom of Maldune. The signs stretched further across to the neighboring kingdoms. The wretched god's birth pains were so terrible, I wager they were felt thousands of leagues away on The Wild Continent.
But the other Kingdoms didn't have the vast magical communication network like us Modunians, so reports of bad omens tampered off dramatically outside of our borders.
The misfortune of my town was like I said, we were the closest to the epicenter of the entities push into our reality, closest to the cradle of the spoiled god.
An entire mountain range protected us from the shock wave of magical energy, but all livestock siezed up and died. All birds fell from out of the air. All rodents died in their holes. And our very young died in their cribs.
It was a terrible event to have the town's children instantly killed, but now I see it as a mercy for the little ones. The innocent children got to go to Our Divine in their sleep peacefully, or at least quickly. They didn't have to die in the suffocating dark, or by the diseased claws of the rippers.
The town's guard fell quickly. A group of 16 men on loan from The Capitol, to keep peace and protect the trade routes. Our peacekeepers were more used to using words to settle disputes among merchants, or occasionally throw a drunk into a cell overnight.
They were ill equipped to handle the inky blackness that engulfed the town, rolling down from the mountain like a fluid landslide. The confusion of the townspeople quickly turned to pandemonium as the screams began.
That's when we realized we were not alone in the dark. Things moved quickly in the blackness. The Rippers began to slaughter everyone in the pitch blackness.
The first few days are a blur to me even now. But that's how I remember the beginning of the horror, the beginning of the end. I remember the dark engulfing the town, the adrenaline of fear. My last sight was of silent death spilling down from the mountains like a boiling pot overflowing with a viscous poison.
When the black fog first swept over me, my first few breaths of the miasma burned my eyes and lungs. The taste of metal on my tongue. The smell of sulfur and something sweet. Something sweet and rancid. Decay and corruption.
But now I had to shake the fog out of my head and return to the terrible present. I had to embrace the hopeless situation without falling to despair.
My magical sight gazing through the monocle finally spotted the rest of my group. Jillsophie, Tagert, and Fellip. Tag and Fel carrying the heavy burlap sacks of animal feed, while Jill led the three of them through the darkness with her own magical monocle.
We spotted each other from across the corpse littered roadway. The General Goods store had caught on fire early in the supernatural invasion. Somehow the strange darkness had put out the fire, snuffing it out like a heavy blanket thrown over a weak flame. That's why we were back, looting the store, trying to keep from starving to death before the rippers could kill us first.
Jill gave me a series of quick hand signals I had recently taught her. They had scavenged three bags of feed. Fil was carrying two big bags and Tagert one of them, but they were heavy and we were all weak. Jill wasn't carrying anything. She was too busy leading the two of them by pulling on the corded string she had tied around both their waists.
Before I waved the three of them to hurry over, I turned to Caville, my partner in crime on this side of the road beside me. He blinked wide eyed in the darkness, one gloved hand twisting the ends of his graying mustache while the other held a death grip on the pommel of his sheathed short sword.
I had to remember I could see him clearly through my monocle, but he only saw and felt the oppressive darkness. He was just waiting for a claw or fang to strike him from the darkness.
Because of this I lightly placed my hand on his shoulder. The light touch didn't stop Caville from almost jumping out of his boots. He quickly calmed when he realized it was me. The old warrior steadied himself once more.
I place my hand on the flat of his chest so he could feel my finger placement through his light shirt. I signed the question to him through a series of light thumps separating the words.
"Another bag. 40 LBS. Can carry?" I finished my signing by holding the hand placement designating a question mark firmly against his chest. I saw his eyes widen and he grimaced in doubt. His old frame shook a little as he prepared his answer.
Of course he answered back that he could carry the load, but I knew the real answer. It's amazing how much we communicate through non-verbal cues, and how much more when we think we are concealed in darkness.
He was barely standing on two feet. Starving and aching. He was pushing his late 50's, and his joints and muscles carried the pain of being a veteran soldier for over 30 years. He would collapse under the weight of his light armor and newly added bag of feed. No way he could keep quiet or climb back up into the attic we were all hiding at.
But Caville's years of being a proud soldier almost assured me that he would take on the task regardless of his disposition. So I signed back to Jil, "Drop 3rd bag. Later."
I lied and informed Caville that I was incorrect in my assessment. There wasn't an extra bag of feed, and we would be returning to the relative safety of the windmill.
Jil quietly led Fil, with Tagert close behind, across the road. Her own magic monocle making it possible to maneuver around the maze of debris and bodies. They all moved slow enough for Jil to communicate with sharp tugs on the string fastened around both of them. Stealth was key.
When I first saw it I didn't know how to react. I knew what the rippers looked like through my monocle, and I knew the placement of all the dead town-folk. But as I watched my three companions snake around the bloated body of Mr. Dredge, the blacksmith, I saw the faintest quiver of motion within the corpse.
Normally, that would mean some sort of vermin or carrion feeder had nestled within the body. But in this nightmare world we lived in, the Rippers killed everything that wasn't already slaughtered when The Restless One re-emerged into our reality, sending out It's shockwave of death.
To my horror I realized something else. Upon closer inspection of Mr.Dredge's body. I noticed it had somehow moved a couple feet to the left since last time I had seen him. I could even see the wet smear marks in the dirt from where it dragged itself over.
My magical monocle could also detect other magic. It wasn't very good at it but still could. My vision was bathed in illuminating green, but magic showed up white.
That's what I saw rising out of Mr.Dredge's body. Four bright spider-like legs protruded out of the back of the corpse, and hooked into the ground, lifting the stiff dead body into the air slowly, quietly.
Jil in the others were completely unaware of the horror looming up behind them. The jaw of Mr. Dredge fell off with a soggy "plop" into the dirt. What looked like a large inverted scorpion's tail writhed out the body's mouth. The scorpion tale hung down around the body's bloated chest. The tail curling up to point a large stinger at the group.
I could see that Jil had heard the "plop" of the jaw falling off the corpse behind her. She raised her eyebrows, sniffed the air, and froze in an alert state, her two companions bumping into her.
I had temporarily frozen too. I had never seen a monster like this before. Its spider legs lifting the body up to let its human feet brush its toes lightly on the ground. The whole body was ridged from rigor mortis. The body's hands curled to its chest, making fists, stiff legs swaying like the awkward pendulum of a clock. Still bodily juices and blood oozed profusely from hismouth and ripped open guts.
A surreal thought came into my mind. Maybe it was my mind trying to make sense out of nonsense. Mr.Dredges stiff body reminding me of toy soldier from my childhood. They were always stiff jointed when brand new, not dead.
I finally snapped out of my daze when glowing white spikey tendrils pushed the body's guts out with another wet impact noise. The many spiked appendages snaked out slowly towards the back of the unaware Tagert.
"Jil!" my voice boomed out, breaking the silence like a cannon burst. Everyone jumped in surprise. "Run! Run!"
With my off hand I quickly dug into my pocket and produced a phlare, the phosphorus filled stick. I quickly pulled the cap off with my teeth, igniting the flame dangerously close to my face. I didn't care, and barely felt the heat.
Holding out the phlare to signal to Jil and the others, producing a blinding light in the dark. But the blackness was unnatural and dampened the burning flame into a muted orange glow. Regardless, the phlare was still bright enough to signal the unsuspecting trio crossing the street.
Through the monocle I saw all three of them lock eyes on the light and begin to hurry towards me. It was against human instinct to run unaware in darkness. This made them not fast enough, because the Dredge-thing shot out a torso tendril to stab Tagert in the upper back.
Tagert let out a cry of pain, but kept coming. The cry of pain causing all three to break out into a full run. The need to live finally overriding the need to see.
I dropped the phlare as Jill led the other two up to me. They almost ran her poor soul over as she braced to stop them. The Dredge monster seemed to be slow. Her Divine was still blessing us!
I grabbed Caville's shoulder and Jil grabbed the tail of my shirt. We all took off together, back to the windmill.
We tried to go as fast as we could the couple blocks back to our hideout, but It was hard going. Caville lagged beside me, with Tag and Fel huffing as they carried the 40 pound feed bags.
I looked back at Dredge to see it had fallen on its stomach and was skittering after us like a centipede. It was considerably faster now!
I lowered the monocle to put both hands on Caville's shoulders and push him in front of me. Even if I pushed him we still wouldn't be fast enough.
My mind raced, like it had so many times since the birth of the Restless One. My mind swirled with anxious thoughts of decisions and counter-decisions. My sleep deprived and starving brain hallucinated the faces of my people alongside the terrible silver teeth of the Rippers lunging towards me out the colorless backdrop.
But like always, I made a desperate choice. "Drop the feed bags! Its gaining on us!
I expected to hear the "Thump! Thump!" Of the bags hitting the dirt, but I got what I least expected instead.
"No Jack! Don't drop the feed! I'll buy you time!" Caville said as he shrugged free of my grasp on his shoulders and started in the opposite direction towards Dredge.
"I'm so t-tired of running away! A-and I miss my daughter and grandkids!" the old warrior declared, his voice cracking at the end of his statement.
He held out an outstretched hand and fingers. When the tips of them made contact with Jil's dirty clothes, he easily side-stepped around Jil and the other two with grace as they hurried past him in the dark. These were skills long honed from blindfold training to heighten a soldier's situational awareness level.
Jil was the only other to see what was happening. She reached out for him as the other two pushed her forward. She stifled a cry and pushed ahead.
I was glad Jil wouldn't see this, but I felt I had to watch. I had to witness his sacrifice in the depths of this hell.
I saw Dredge's corpse crawl its way up to Caville, one of its longer talons hooking into Caville's upper knee. Caville screamed and sliced horizontally instantly. The sword cut through the air harmlessly over the monster.
Caville took this information and countered quickly as more sharp tendrils stabbed into his lower body. He rose the blade high over his head and let out a final death blow, plunging the sword downwards to impale the monster, staking it to the ground.
The monster pulled the old soldier down and tore into him. Caville's screams echoed out as I turned to run. Worse is when his screams finally choked out and fell silent.
The group of us made it un-accosted for the rest of our journey. We hurried in silence just like we were in mourning. We made it to the edge of town where the river and the watermill stood.
We climbed up the stacked boxes on the side of the building to slide open a wooden panel into the attic.
The inside of the attic had the low glow of multiple lanterns and the stuffy smell of multiple unwashed people living in tight quarters together for a long time.
We piled in quickly to close up the entrance behind us. There were 8 of us now. Me, Jil, Fil, Tag, Mama Denise, her two kids, and Harper sleeping in the corner.
All eyes met mine as they counted the three of us. No one had to ask what happened to Caville. They all knew. I think even the kids knew.
By the best we could reckon, it had been a month since death swept over our town. The rippers patrolled the streets and buildings constantly, searching for survivors to kill in the beginning. They also destroyed any cache of food or weapons they came across.
There was a deeper intelligence behind the rippers. They were vicious and animalistic when encountered, but they would carry out complicated tasks relentlessly, like soldiers receiving orders. It had to be the malicious influence of the Restless One speaking to all of them, like they were the claws at the end of his corrupting grasp.
It was Jil that had the idea for the feed bags at the General Store. Yes, they were for cows and horses, but they had been magically enhanced and would give the human body what it needed also.
It would give us enough strength to try and escape this Divine forsaken town, and hopefully leave the darkness to flee to the safety of the Capitol.
I knew the thought of making it all the way to the Capitol was ridiculous. The longer we headed east, the more likely we ran into the army of rippers that left the town at least two days ago.
It had been hundreds of them! Me and Jil were out scouting the General Store for the feed bags we had just now retrieved.
The going was slow, because the enemy was everywhere. But we knew how to maneuver from rooftop to closely packed rooftop. And the grew closer togeher the closer we got to the center of the town.
From where we started, the watermill in the outskirts of town, it seemed like the town was suspiciously empty of the monsters. But we soon realized that was the opposite. We didn't see any Rippers on the outskirts because they were all gathering together in the town square
The bright figures of humanoid shaped demons clustered together in a giant group. The magical vision of the monocle causing them to glow from whatever evil sorcery created them. So many of them huddling together created a glowing sea, flooding the courtyard.
Rippers were rumored to have always existed. Even before The Restless One returned. But they were rare and only inhabited places of great tragedy and a history of dark magic. Now there was an army of them, amassing to March East towards The Capitol.
Some said The Rippers were phantoms created by The Restless One. They were his only way to reach through dimensions and torment the living.
More scholarly Old-timers theorized the Rippers came from the vengeful spirits of the long extinct elves, hunted to extinction by Man a millennium ago.
Ancient texts mention the long extinct Legacy Elves had a bad habit of dabbling in dark magic, causing The Restless One to specifically target them, repeatedly using the elves innate affinity with magic to breach into our reality to cause havoc.
Many believe Man's genocide against the elves was not entirely warranted, it had help seal The Restless One away. But not all elves worshipped the Restless One. Many of them worshiped Her Divine like we humans do. But relations between elves and humans had always been strained, and this was the excuse humans needed to eliminate their rival for dominance over the lands, once and for all.
"Why must we be punished?" I remembered Tehama asking when all this first happened, back whe. She was alive.
"It's not our fault! It's the fault of our long dead ancestors! The kingdom that commited the atrocity doesn't even exist anymore!" Tehama said in a fit of nervous mania.
We had to hush her for getting too loud. But the truth is, we had no answer. There was no clear reason why we were all being subjected to such anguish.
Like I said, Tehama didn't make it anyways. On a supply run she had grabbed a doll from her old home to bring to Mama Denise and her two girls, but had dropped it in the street when Jil spotted a group of Rippers scaling the rooftops a block away.
We all scrambled to hide, hoping the Ripper patrol moved along. But they spotted the dolly laying in the dirt. And some sort of supernatural intelligence recognized this wasn't here on their last patrol. They knew humans were moving around.
The five of the Rippers in the patrol circled the doll, all letting out a high pitched squeals, like an alarm calling to others.
Me and Jil hid in a nasty bale of hay next to a gutted horse laying beside it, hopefully masking our scent. Our terror rose as we watched more and more Rippers coming out of the shadows. They slid down buildings, out of doorways, from under debris, and they all were all screaming, almost deafening to us.
There were three magical monocle's during this time. All of us had one. And we could all see the count of Rippers going into the hundreds!
They would find us! By flooding every corner of the street, they would come across us eventually!
That's when Tehama made her decision. I didn't see exactly where she hid, but she wasn't hiding anymore. She broke cover and ran directly into the streets, into the crowd of monsters. She tossed her monocle behind her towards our direction, maybe for us to recover later.
Of course they glowed brightly through the monocle, but to the naked eye they were an inky black. A black blacker than their surroundings, making it almost impossible to see them.
When the Rippers got close to their chosen victim, they allowed their prey to see their shiny silver teeth.
The sharp protruding teeth stand out bright and glistening, almost like silver, against the backdrop of darkness. as they moved in to kill the hapless human.
This is all Tehama saw as she dropped to his knees and searched blindly for the dropped dolly. She screamed and cried as the teeth sank into her tearing off little bits of her flesh.
The Rippers began to whoop and laugh like hyenas as they snatched piece by peice of her away. From the little I knew, the Rippers didn't need to eat. They just bit her for the joyful cruelness of it.
Blood soaked, mostly skinless hands of poor Tehama found the dolly that had started all of this horror. She hugged it close to her skinless chest and let out a gurgling scream before tipping over, most likely dead from shock.
That very second! That truly horrid moment! I decided I wasn't going to die in this town. I wasn't going to "wait it out" like all the old-timers advised. They are all dead now anyways! They didn't wait it out.
The King's armies hadn't made it in time. No fireballs from battlemages to shatter the darkness, no royal purple knights lead by The Heroic Prince Julian, no salvation from Her Divine!
If we waited we would all die in the dark. No doubt the King was coming with his armies, but how many days, or years will it take to Him to reach our settlement?
No, I would not die here. I had promised myself this years ago! I would survive like I had also promised! I would save Jil the way she saved me!
Then the army of rippers moved out East towards the Capitol. But there were still wicked things left behind to kill us. But this was our best chance!
As I sat in the darkness of the attic my mind was free to visualize in wonderful colorful detail my last memories before the Restless One tainted our town with its sightless void.
I remembered walking through the town, going towards the training academy. I was going to climb the mountain behind it. I was going to climb it again and again until I graduated and became one of the Royal Warden's Squires. The academy started soon and I never made it to the top without resting and without dropping my pack.
This is why I was one of the first to see our oncoming doom. The inky blackness spilled out from around the mountain to flood towards the town.
I knew I had to run and give warning to the town's guard. I wasn't a Warden's Squire yet, but I still had a duty to protect the people.
Tears heated up my cheeks as I sat in the dark, greatfull Jil and the others couldn't see me crying, as I remembered the death that followed.
But one of my last memories gave me the tiniest blink of hope. I remembered the peak of the mountain stabbing through the blackness. The mountain was tall enough to escape the flood of hell filling the valleys and town around it.
There was a ceremonial watchtower at the top of the mountain, filled with supplies. It's where the academy cadets earned their badges and completed their training. The mountain was the last test to becoming a Warden's Squire. A grueling uphill climb with a nickname given to the mountain by past cadets that like to boast over their hard earned accomplishments.
The mountain was affectionately called Mt. Despair, and it would be our salvation.
Part 2 https://www.reddit.com/Ceslystories/comments/11q7xcw/despairs_peak_part_2/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Part 3: https://www.reddit.com/Ceslystories/comments/11ziluk/despairs_peak_part_3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Part 4: https://www.reddit.com/Ceslystories/comments/12916odespairs_peak_4_finale/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

We have been to Corsica several times, and there are several ways to travel to Corsica by ferry: We went to Nice, took the afternoon ferry and were in Bastia in the evening. The next time we took the night ferry from Savona and arrived in Bastia the next morning. And we also went to Livorno once, took the early morning ferry and were in Bastia by noon.
From Bastia, we first headed north on a 110 km coastal road with small villages and breathtaking views. First we came to ERBALUNGA with its massive tower on a rock by the sea has a picturesque location. Then we passed Maccinaggio, Cap Corse, Centuri-Port - a small romantic fishing port and center of lobster fishing - and continued via Pino to Nonza.
In NONZA the houses cluster around a rock that rises 160 m from the sea. We walked up to the Tour Pouline - a fortified tower from the 16th century. From there you can see the black beach, which makes a great contrast to the turquoise sea.
After we had explored the north, we drove from Bastia down the whole east coast - we made a stop at Moriani Plage with a beautiful sandy beach - to Porto Vecchio.
PORTO VECCHIO has a fantastic location and has a lively old town: the Genoese fortress from 1539 is situated on a hill. Porto Vecchio is the third largest city of Corsica, besides the flourishing tourism there is still the traditional salt mining and other trades especially in the suburbs. The malaria mosquitoes were wiped out in the 1950s, so that even in this area could be built without further ado. The old town consists of only four longitudinal and ten transverse streets, it is closed to traffic in the summer. At the Place de la République people like to drink their Pastis or Kir in the evening. In the old town there are many restaurants in various price ranges and boutiques partly with typical products of the country.
Many people come to Porto Vecchio for its beautiful beaches. BENEDUTTU PLAGE - a long fine sandy beach with a view of Punta di Chiappa and also of Porto Vecchio. A part of PLAGE CALA ROSSA is occupied by a luxury hotel, therefore the fine beach is accessible only from the western side. PALOMBAGGIA PLAGE with white sand and turquoise calm water - one of the most beautiful beaches of Corsica - is surrounded by red rocks. At ST. GUILIA PLAGE some hotels are settled in the meantime. Thus, the once paradisiacal bay has now become more of a commercial place. But the beach is still wonderfully bright and the water crystal clear. RODINARA PLAGE - a dreamlike round bay - one of the most beautiful of Corsica. Once only a dirt road led to the lagoon. Since a real road was built, this bay is very busy in the season.
From Porto Vecchio we made a tour to COL DE BAVELLA (1218 m high) - an impressive landscape. There are good hiking trails, e.g. to the Cumpudella (Trou de la Bombe), a huge hole in the rock face, where you are rewarded with an incredible view after a scramble. In season, of course, it is very busy there, and the "real" hikers come as early as possible in the morning.
Near the small village of L'Ospedale is the drinking water reservoir BARRAGE DE L'OSPEDALE. From there you can hike up to the 70 m high waterfall Piscia di Gallo - but it is more worthwhile in spring, when there is still enough water.
From Porto Vecchio we went on to BONIVACIO, one of the great attractions in Corsica - despite the many visitors. The upper town, where we stayed, is built on a 60 m high chalk rock plateau and still has a historical structure. We could see all the way to Sardinia from our hotel - it was beautiful weather.
The harbor is at the end of the long, narrow inlet. From there it is best to make a tour on foot. From the fortress walls you have a fantastic view of the city, the coast and the sea and all the way to Sardinia. On the harbor promenade there is a sea aquarium in a natural grotto. The shore road leads to the fishing port and the ferry port,
The upper town is reached through the 16th century Porte de Gênes. From the Jardin des Vestiges one has the most beautiful view over the harbor. It is hard to walk from the lower town to the upper town, because it is quite steep and with many stairs.
The journey continued to the extreme southwest, the land of blood vengeance - still until 1840. SARTÈNE - the "most Corsican of all Corsican towns" - is an interesting old town, which is virtually stuck on a rock. Almost no ray of sunlight reaches the winding narrow streets, and the narrow multi-story houses sometimes have window holes like sinister defense towers. The center of the old town is the Place de la Libération with some restaurants where you can sit outside and enjoy your drink.
From Sartène we drove to PROPRIANO. This place was discovered late by the tourists, there is a nice promenade between the marina and the pier, where it is lively especially in the evening. Propriano is located on the Gulf of Valinco, here the rivers Taravo, Baracci and Rizzanese flow. Right next to the lighthouse is the beautiful beach Plage du Lido.
On a scenic coastal road you drive from Propriano to PUNTO DE CAMPOMARO. Here is still an unspoiled stretch of coast with calm turquoise water and bizarre granite rocks. Above the small village of Campomoro you can see a 16th century watchtower.
AJACCIO is the administrative center and capital of Corse du Sud. The city with its southern flair has a beautiful old town with the citadel and many restaurants and stores. Ajaccio is probably best known as the birthplace of Napoléon, whose statue can be seen at Place Maréchal Foch. In the evening it becomes lively in the alleys of the Genoese old town with many bars and restaurants.
Unfortunately, the citadel can only be visited as part of an organized guided tour. Worth seeing is the church "Notre-Dame-de-la-Miséricorde" with a large dome, where Napoleon I was baptized. There is of course also a Casa Bonaparte. In the new town, you can still find some magnificent houses on the Avenue de Paris or the Cours Grandval, where there are often stores and boutiques.
Northwest of Ajaccio one comes to the POINTE DE LA PATARA. You can easily walk to the Genoese tower from 1608 from the parking lot. From there you have a beautiful view of the Iles Sanguinaires with the lighthouse. From the parking lot you can also make a coastal hike to the north. There are beautiful views of the sea everywhere and you can walk down to the beach at Capo de la Fena to cool off. However, the surf is quite strong.
The view was magnificent on the CHEMIN DES CRÈTES, but it was also very difficult to even find an "entry" to this trail. And besides, the Macchi was partly so dense that you had to be careful not to hurt yourself on the thorny bushes.
Especially in the south of Ajaccio there are beautiful beaches. First of all there is PORTICCIO with its long wide beach. Porticcio is now a large seaside resort with good infrastructure.
Then comes the bay with the long PLAGE D'AGOSTA with a view of the Isolella peninsula. In the next bay there is the fine sandy Plage de Ruppione between rocks with quite high waves.
And then comes my absolute favorite beach with fine light sand and crystal clear water - SOLE E MARE, and I hope that there will not also be larger hotel and apartment buildings there.
A beautiful small lonely sandy bay with calm water can be found at PLAGE DE PORTIGLIOLO. North of Ajaccio are the beaches PlLAGE SCUDO and PLAGE MARINELLO, very popular with the locals because they are not too far from the city.
From Ajaccio you can make an excursion to PORTO POLLO. On the way we went through the mountains, where we "got lost" a few times, because there were no signs, and we could only drive by "feeling". Porto Pollo is located on the Gulf of Valinco and has a fine sandy beach with many picturesque round rocks. In summer, a lot of people come here. At the end of September however many things are already closed or will be closed.
A recommendable tour south of Ajaccio is the ROUTE DES COLS. Over various passes and through the largest eucalyptus forest on the island, you come to the small village of Coti Chiavari, 486 m high, with a pretty little church. From there you also have beautiful views of the mountains to the sea.
On a hiking tour, we headed towards Corte and then to the small village of Cuttoli-Corticchiato, continuing to the idyllically situated hamlet of San Petru at 888 m above sea level. From there we went to the MONTE ARAGNASCU, a somewhat arduous tour in the blazing sun. But we were rewarded with a beautiful view of Ajaccio, the Gulf and the Gravonatal.
In the GRAVONA VALLEY is the village of Bocognano, from where you can also hike well. We came on the poorly signposted "Chemin", whereby we were also surprised by rain.
Interesting was that we were accompanied all the way first by several dogs, then later one remained. When we eventually had enough of the rain and the bad path and walked back, we encountered some wild boars which did not look very "friendly". The dog started barking at them. And indeed, they sought the distance. It looked like the dog was trying to protect us somehow. Down in the village we met the owner of the dog - the older man invited us spontaneously for coffee - and he told us that his dog was often on the way as a "companion" for hikers.
Another hiking tour led us first to the GORGES DE PRUNELLI and to the reservoir Lac de Tolla, which supplies Ajaccio with water. From there we went to the large farming village of Bastelica, the gateway to the high mountains. From here, many hiking trails lead into the mountains and to some waterfalls.
Another excursion we made towards the north over the Col de San Bastiano to the Golf de la Liscia to CARGÈSE. This place with a small harbor is located on the southern slope of a headland. Worth seeing is the Greek church "Eglise greque" from the 19th century with old icons. North of Cargèse are of course again beautiful sandy beaches.
From Ajaccio in the direction of Corte we looked at the CASCADE DU VOILE DE LA MARIÉe, where the water normally plunges 150 m into the depth. It was quite a climb and then, unfortunately, the waterfall didn't even have too much water at the end of September.
Through beautiful pine forests we came towards Corte past the famous PONT DU VECCHIU, built in 1927 by Gustave Eiffel. Until 1999 this was the only connection across the gorge, but now there is a modern bridge.
CORTE has the only university in Corsica with about 4000 students. The old town, rich in tradition, is situated below a rock with an old fortress built in the 11th century. In 1962-83 this fortress was used by the Foreign Legion. From the Belvedère viewpoint near the citadel, there is a beautiful view of the mountains and the surroundings of Corte.
Also worth seeing is Fontaine des Quatre-Canons, a colossal fountain that served as a water supply for the upper town in times of siege. On Cours Paoli you can find restaurants, bakeries and many other stores. On the Cours Patrimonial, there are some arts and crafts stores. The 17th century church Eglise de l'Annonciation is one of the oldest buildings in Corte.
From Corte we drove along a narrow road through a beautiful mountain landscape to the RESTONICA VALLEY, a nature reserve with many Corte pine trees. By car, you can drive to the parking lot at the Bergerie de Grotelle. The ascent to Lake Melo was quite difficult, you had to climb over many large stones, sometimes you didn't know at all how to continue and had to climb back, and so on. After about 2 hours we had made it and were at the Melo mountain lake. After a 30-minute rest in the sun, we then needed for the descent again 2 hours. Because with one of my trekking shoes the sole loosened, and I had to hold them together in a makeshift way with the shoelace...
From Corte we went first through the NIOLA VALLEY with numerous hiking trails. For a long time this area was only accessible by mule trails. Here wild boars ran across our path. You can see them especially in autumn when the chestnuts fall from the trees.
The large village of EVISA is located in the middle of chestnut forests and is a popular destination. Here begins (or ends) the hiking trail through the wild gorge of Spelunca. Through a beautiful mountain landscape and a 14 km long granite gorge we came to the GORGE DE SPELUNCA, an impressive gorge where you can hike very well - either from Evisa or from Ota.
In the small very popular town of PORTO at the mouth of the Porto River, we had a beautiful view of the Genoese Tower, the Gulf and the mountains from our hotel. The angular Genoese Tower on a headland is the landmark of Porto.
From Porto we drove to the CALANCHES DE PIANA, which start 8 km behind Porto. The granite rocks here are eroded by wind and water into the most bizarre shapes. The colors vary depending on the time of day, in the evening for example bright red. From the old mule trail - Sentier Muletier - you have great views of the rock world. There are also other trails - e.g. La Corniche.
Then we drove to PIANA, perched on a 434 m cliff, which can call itself "un des plus beaux villages de France". The only sandy beach in the area is the Plage d'Arone in a beautiful crescent shaped bay with only a few people.
From Porto, the best way to get to CALVI is to take the coastal road, which is very winding but takes you through some beautiful scenery on the Gulf of Porto. From our accommodation in Calvi we had a great view of the fortress and the Gulf of Calvi.
Calvi, the pearl of the north, is a well known and popular vacation center. Very nice are the lively alleys in the lower town and the harbor quays. In the alleys of the lower town and the harbor quay you can stroll nicely and also find restaurants and stores. The church "Sainte Marie Majeure" with a polygonal ground plan is striking. The first Christian chapel on this place was built already in the 4th century, subsequent churches were destroyed several times. The present church was built in 1774. Outside the town on the Gulf of Calvi there is a long narrow sandy beach, the water here gets deeper only slowly - ideal for small children.
The citadel "Bastion Spinchone" is the landmark of the city, you can walk around it on a ring of walls and have beautiful views of the city and the sea. The citadel was built on Roman foundations and is the oldest fortified building in Calvi.
Worth seeing is the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in the center of the citadel. Originally built in the 13th century, the church was largely destroyed by the explosion of a powder tower in 1567 and subsequently rebuilt in the Baroque style.
A beautiful beach near Calvi is the Plage d'Argentella, about 1 km long, in the bay of Crovani. You can get to the peninsula on a dirt road. You can make a nice but strenuous hike there. From a parking bay you have a beautiful view of the peninsula.
A nicely situated and rather quiet place is l'ILE-ROUSSEL with a small harbor and the Genoese tower and lighthouse on the peninsula "La Pietra". The village owes its name to this offshore island, which has now been turned into a peninsula by a dam and turns red at sunset.
L'Ile Rousse was laid out in 1765 in a rectangular street pattern around the harbor and is said to have the mildest winter climate in Corsica. In the alleys of the old town of L'Ile-Rousse there are several small shops selling souvenirs, jewelry, clothing, wine, etc. In the Marché Couvert there is a market in the morning. In the surroundings of Ile-Rousse there are many light sandy beaches.
Between Calvi and L'Ile-Rousse in the small village of Algajola there is a very beautiful wide and 1.5 km long beach - PLAGE D'AREGNO. In high summer, the beach is apparently very crowded. When we were there in mid-September, we had the beach to ourselves.
SAINT FLORENT is located in the north of Corsica on the wide bay of the same name - in winter an idyllic fishing village. Since the place is very popular, the population increases tenfold in the summer. A point of attraction for tourists is the large marina. In the center you can find bars, restaurants and many souvenir stores. St. Florent is also called "St. Tropez of the island" because of its special flair. On a panoramic road above Saint Florent one has again and again beautiful views of mountains and sea.
On the way to Bastia you can make a detour to the local mountain of Bastia - the 960 m high SERRA DI PIGNO. On a clear day you have a good panoramic view over both sides of Cap Corse .
BASTIA is the most important port for ferries from the French and Italian mainland and also for freight traffic. Bastia is the biggest commercial and economic center of Corsica with an industrial zone. But Bastia is also a busy center of Corsican everyday life. The Place Saint Nicolas with plane trees and palm trees is 300 meters long and 90 meters wide, making it one of the largest squares in France. The beach Plage Arinella, located south of the city, is very wide and long, but unfortunately not very attractive.
The heart of Bastia's Terra Vecchia district is the horseshoe-shaped Vieux Port with the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in the background. Walking north through the narrow streets, you come to the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, where a market is held on weekends.
Around the dock there are many restaurants in all price ranges. When we are in Bastia, we always have our aperitif at a bistro where we have a nice view of the small harbor and the church.
The citadel was built by Genoese in 1380. There are the magnificently renovated Governor's Palace, the Cathedral of Sainte-Marie-de l'Assomption - a Genoese Baroque building erected in 1604-1619 - and the small chapel Oratoire de la ConfrIère de la Sainte-Croix, where you can see a cross made of black ebony in a side chapel.
The palace was the seat of the Genoese governors between the 15th and 18th centuries, today it houses the Ethnographic Museum.

​
Ahh, dear reader, hello there! So lovely to see you once more... well figuratively speaking that is… or is it?
After all, I am exceedingly well versed in The Arts. Maybe I am watching you at this very moment, with Clairvoyance or perhaps a Scrying Spell or maybe an enchanted object like the good old fashioned Crystal Ball? The Magus has one you know…
Just teasing… or am I? …teeheehee…
Anyway, this latest instalment comes to you courtesy via a Voice to Text application my Magus recently acquired for me, as he said listening to me speak aloud while typing is too distracting for him. I find that interesting considering his immense mental discipline yet understandable at the same time. After all, extoling ones inner monolog to an uncaring audience would be tedious to experience. Hmm… I’ve just thought of a new torture for the souls of the dammed, specifically for writers who think they are better than everyone around them. How ingenious of me!
In any case, I would prefer to distract him in other ways, mark you.
I also must say what wonderfully inventive creatures you humans are! An application of mathematical code, the base language of reality. It is very much like a spell in its function and nature I would say, that it allows my phone, yes the Magus got me one, to record all I say and transcribes it into neatly typed words on its electronic pages. It’s like having a monk-scribe in your pocket! Unquestionably wonderful!
So as I relax in my fabulously hot, luxurious scented, oiled bubble bath, I can easily regale you with further tales of the adventures I have had thus far on this wonderous blue and brown spherical rock that is third in line from our star. And I do not have to type with two fingers either, which is a massive bonus let me tell you!
If memory serves… ahh yes, we had just returned to the car where I saw a sign of my Magus’s humour on display in the form of his licence plate.
I do have to admit dear reader, I was indeed highly amused. He knows he’s going to hell, he just insists that it be on his terms! I love it! Such confidence, such audacious willpower.
That is exceedingly… stimulating for Succubi.
Ok dammit, it makes me tremendously horny, and I’m not talking about the ones on my head either you know! We are incredibly lusty beings, us Succubi, after all.
I was already in a highly ‘excited’ state when we got to the car, so much so that I had to use my Cell Adjustment Psionic discipline to tremendously dull down my inflamed senses as I did not wish to leave the tell-tale mark of my inflamed passion on the lower back portion of my new dress and also not on the car-seat when I sat back down in the vehicle.
Ahem…
After a few moments, which caused the Magus to glance up at me with a slightly puzzled expression, of standing outside the car (he had no idea nor cared… hmmph!) I opened the door and folded myself back inside the vehicle and resumed my seat. I later learned that I could have mostly avoided this… embarrassment… by actually wearing what you call absorbent lined underwear! I wasn’t wearing panties at the time as I was totally unaware of their existence. I do so now as its much more comfortable in lots of ways and in addition, stops the shiver when an errant chill wind blows unexpectedly up your gusset!
Moving on…
Getting into the car, the Magus paused until I had done up my seatbelt before starting the engine, waiting for another car to pass us by before safely pulling out and sedately driving off. I later learned that we could have gone screaming down the road in a cloud of burning rubber if the Magus was of a mind to. I would have if given the opportunity! Something to look forward to dear reader.
Instead, we drifted slowly through the placidly moving traffic as I watched the sun descend below the horizon of the ocean. I had only been back here on Earth for a few hours but every second was total bliss. I do not think that most of you humans realize how good you have it here. Even those who do not reside in the more developed and advanced nations, being on Earth is special.
There are infinity more worse places you can be, let me assure you of that.
We drove back mostly the way we had travelled to this particular beach. This time though it was much later in the day, heading in the opposite direction, I became aware of many more things that had escaped my attention earlier on.
We passed by denser zones and clusters of buildings where I could see various shops, food outlets, restaurants and varying vendors, all brightly lit up now as the daylight was fading. I saw incredibly tall metal poles with blazing, glowing lights illuminating the surrounds with a warm yellowy orange glow making it still easy to see. Electric lighting will never cease to amaze me. Yes dear reader, I can experience a sense of wonder and joy at simple things, even beyond the act of slaughter and soul draining. Would it astonish you that I like flowers? Such strange lifeforms that had developed aromas they use as a method of propagation. Delightful.
Anyway… we shortly crested the hill that we had previous ascended westwards earlier on the way to the beach and then I saw it!
I was awestruck once again.
Towering edifices, glittering, shining buildings monstrously higher than Hagia Sophia was, the most immense human made structure in the world when I was last in it. These glistening towers of glass, metal and stone made that church look like a feeble children’s toy. I could see over a dozen of these buildings of varying size, clustered together in less than a square mile.
The Magus glanced to his left and saw me gaping at them.
“They’re called Sky Scrapers Meridiana. They’re generally office buildings, places of business where people daily work in their wage-slave jobs then go home at night. The buildings are left vacant but light up at night as you can clearly see.”
I turned and gawped at him.
“They’re empty at night?”
I could not comprehend why such space, that had amazing views, would be left empty of an evening?
“Yep. Well most of them are. There will be some that still have people in them, conducting various types of business overnight because its what they do for a living.”
“What do they do?” I asked in a murmur as I turned back to see the vista be obscured by a large set of commercial and residential buildings that we were currently passing.
The Magus shrugged.
“They’ll be doing all sorts of things, financial trading, working back late to do their jobs… various affairs of commerce and such. It’s not that important really Meridiana. I’ll take you into the city another day when we have time for you to be a tourist. Now, if I may, I want to know more about your Telekinesis. I got an idea of how much you can lift, probably over 1400 kilograms at least if my guess as to how much a warhorse in armour with a rider would weigh… maybe more? Probably more but we’ll test that later. Anyway, it’s your fine control skills I’m interested in.”
I turned back to the Magus who was looking ahead, driving us through the busy traffic that had become a factor. I later learned that it was a time of day called ‘rush hour’.
“I am capable of very delicate manipulation with my Telekinesis, especially in regards to the erotic arts,” I said to him with a husky, low, salacious purr.
“That’s cute but I really want to know if you could snatch out of the air and control a very small, fast moving bouncing ball, say the size of your thumbnail?” he asked in an offhand manner as he slowed down due to the traffic which was banking up in front of us.
I inwardly sighed once more. Such a challenge he was!
“Yes I can but why?”
He briefly turned to me and broadly grinned before returning his attention to driving.
“There’s a game that we will ‘play’ after dinner. It is called Roulette. The game features a spinning wheel with thirty seven little slots. Into the spinning wheel a little white ball is spun in and circles around, eventually slowing and bouncing into once of the numbered slots. The slots are alternately coloured red or black and all are numbered from 00 to 36. You can bet where the ball will land, either in red or black and specifically in a numbered slot. If the ball lands in a slot you bet on, you get a payout of thirty seven to one. Ever dollar you bet wins you 37 back. You can also just bet on which colour the ball will land in giving you your money back plus it’s value as a reward. Bet $100, you get your $100 back plus another $100.”
“Dollar... that’s money right?” I said as the implications slowly dawned on me. You could make a fortune from this!
“Yes Meridiana. Dollars are what we use as currency these days. Gold is still used but not in the way you were used to. It’s still valuable as are other precious metals but that’s going to take a long explanation which is a distraction for now. So, do you think you could perhaps catch the bouncing ball with your power, directing it into the number we bet on?”
I thought about it for a few moments.
“I will have to see how the ball moves but I think I could, yes.”
“Excellent. You stand to make us a lot of money tonight. There are other games like card games, slot machines which I’m uncertain that your powers would be able to mess with. Roulette is our hunting ground. We must be careful though.”
“Why?”
I was surprised by his tone of caution. We were power incarnate! What could possibly touch us?
“Casinos hate losing money. Roulette is going to be the hardest one they can prove that we’re cheating on if you use your Telekinesis. We will be closely watched the entire time we are in the casino. There are devices called cameras, similar to Crystal Balls, that observe everything they see, relaying the images back to people in other rooms whose task it is to spot potential cheaters in the casino. They also have people walking the floor, disguised as ordinary folk, always watching everyone else. And I want to avoid the eyes of any infernal beings who may be in the casino.”
“Ahh… I see… a healthy paranoia then, for them and us hmm?”
He nodded once, emphatically.
If you have a fortune, you need to protect it, especially from people like me. His caution in regards to our identity was also most prudent and he was correct that there was a possibility that there may be others of my ilk lurking in the shadows, walking in human form as we often do.
I have to confess dear reader, that I am a master thief as well as an expert assassin, in addition to being an accomplished warrior although I rarely fight in hand to hand combat, preferring seduction, subterfuge and skulduggery as my main methods of killing. Yet still, I can fight and kill extremely proficiently with many weapons, being skilled at one of the highest levels of melee combat, the use of weapons and ways of fighting with them. I’ve been around a while you know? You pick up on things like that if you wish to live as long as I have.
Besides… stabby, stabby, stabby, bash, slash and smite can be loads of fun when you’re doing the stabbing and bashing with a well-balanced blade or mace in your hands. But I digress…
“You have it Meridiana. Yes the casinos’ management are extremely paranoid. We will have to alter our appearance as well before we enter the casino. I shall use a minor low level spell while you can take a new face. We will do so after dinner.”
I nodded then a thought came to me. I asked,
“You said we were going to something called a buffet? I know what the word means as my abilities allow me to understand any spoken language, much like the enchantment known as Tongues. Yet I’m finding it hard to match the word with the concept.”
The Magus raised an eyebrow in interest at this revelation.
“Oh right. Just because you know a word doesn’t mean you automatically understanding it conceptually and in context either. Good to know. Well, a buffet is an enormous array of various foods, hot and cold, sweet to savoury, where you merely help yourself and consume as much as you wish. You pay for the privilege of course.”
“Truly? How much will this cost you?” I inquired wide eyed.
I noticed that we had moved through the traffic and had turned down a descending road and were now going into a massive concrete tunnel along with hundreds of other cars, all slowly moving in the same direction. It was quite honestly astounding that everyone was not smashing into one another. All the drivers were…well mostly were, attentive to their immediate surrounds and situation as we gradually merged our car into the main lane of traffic which was making its way under the earth via the huge yawning tunnel ahead.
Such staggering feats of engineering and construction which would have made the Emperor Justinian weep copious, bitter tears of pure envy. Oh how I wished I could make him see this and realise his idiotic boast was pointless when he finished Hagia Sophia. He bragged that he had surpassed Solomon himself with his church. He had but it wasn’t worth it. Justinian nearly bankrupted the Eastern Roman Empire, all for a useless church and his own vanity.
Moron.
Still, I shouldn’t care, his hubris ended up sending him to hell anyway so... yay! His actions also exacerbated the effects of the famine and plague that swept the through the empire and western Europe in the year 535 with his stupid desire to re-unify the Roman empire under his rule. You will be pleased to know dear reader, that he is burning in eternal torment for his multitude of sins so it is all good. My thoughts of deceased, vainglorious emperors and their fate were interrupted as the Magus spoke again,
“Hmm? … it should set us back about $80 each I’d should say? A small price to pay in all honesty when you see what is on offer. Drinks will be on top of that price, unless you just have plain water but tonight Meridiana, I shall introduce you to Champagne, one of humanities greatest achievements.”
This was enticing to hear!
“If you say so Magus. I completely believe you as you will not be lying to me,” I said, nodding and trying to think about Champagne.
So many new concepts were entering my mind, it was hard to keep my mind and thoughts in order. I understood that Champagne was a special type of wine, one which had a fizz embodied within it, making it highly regarded but that’s all I could deduce for now.
Also… I had a thought: the Magus could and would never lie to me. The feeling I had earlier, in being able to trust everything he said to me because of the oath he gave to me, was an unfettering sensation.
All my existence I have dealt with bare faced lairs, deceivers, misshapers of the truth who twisted words to suit their own selfish ends. With the Magus, all I had to be concerned with was his agenda, which actually had my interests aligned with his own. Truly remarkable.
I needed that champagne now!
We emerged from the tunnel, traveling with the traffic over wide dark river, again on another immense concrete bridge this time. There was a gigantic colosseum off to our right, all lit up with multiple coloured lights that ran around the circumference of the structure. It was like as though it was enveloped in a rainbow. Frankly, it was amazing to behold.
Beyond that, I could see many more large towers and structures, lining the sides of the vast road we were hurtling along now. The Magus had increased our speed as traffic had thinned out. Never in my life had I moved so fast, well unless I was using a Haste spell to briefly increase my physical speed, which I use in combat if necessary.
I barely had the sense we were travelling in the car at roughly 80kph. Such an odd experience to have for the first time. There was no rushing of wind, no press of air on my face, just comfort and air-conditioning. Marvellous!
After a few minutes later I saw our destination.
Again I was nearly stupefied by the gigantic structure. Multiple massive buildings, all surrounded by lush green, well-manicured and maintained gardens made my jaw go slack with disbelief.
“That’s Crown Casino, Towers and hotel Meridiana. I can see you are impressed. Let me just say that if you think this is amazing, wait until we go to Las Vegas…” he said as he turned the car into the driveway of the complex.
“There’s even more impressive structures than this?”
My mind boggled dear reader. It was almost too much to take in.
“Yep. My city is a small one compared to others around the globe. We will travel to them, in due course. I know you can use your powers of Dimensional Walking, moving through other planes of reality and appearing on a different part of the planet. However, there will be times when we will need to travel together conventionally. Perhaps one day, if I learn the right spells, we will be able to avoid having to fly in an aeroplane and by-pass the utter tediousness of baggage check-ins, airport security and so on…” he muttered darkly.
“HUMANS CAN FLY!?!” I said in a loud strangled astonished voice.
The Magus chuckled with genuine amusement.
“Think back Meridiana. I said humanity has been to the moon and back. I said we can travel safely and comfortably in a machine, called an aircraft, across the planet. Some ‘planes are huge while others are not much bigger than the car. Oh, that reminds me, we will have to construct an identity for you. We will begin that process tomorrow. You are going to need a passport soon enough,” he said as he found a relatively unoccupied parking area west of the massive structures.
He saw my puzzled expression and mistook it for wondering why we had parked here.
“It’s free to park here and there are hardly any security cameras in the vicinity.”
I nodded dumbly.
“But of course Magus…”
He saw my expression as he switched off the engine. A tiny look of… sympathy appeared on his face. He spoke to me in a soft, calm, soothing tone,
“Take a breath Meridiana. Close your eyes and focus upon the stillness within the vehicle. You are safe here with me. Nothing will harm us. Just breathe and relax, let each breath calm you. With every breath you are at peace within yourself and the world around you.”
I did as he said and instantly sensed my whirling mind begin to centre itself, become still.
I may be an ancient and powerful demon dear reader, however I have been imprisoned for nigh on a thousand years and now have been released into a world that I was unable to recognise at all.
The Magus later told me I was suffering from a psychological malady called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Yes dear reader, even us demons can get mentally fucked up. I mean, compared to the average human, we’re all demented, tormented psychopaths which explains a lot about ourselves but still… even a psychopath can suffer from mental trauma. Demons can go insane.
I breathed rhythmically, each exhaling breath calming me. With one final exhalation, I opened my eyes, turned to my Magus and softly smiled at him.
“Thank you,” was all I said. I meant it.
He nodded briefly, his intensely burning eyes boring into mine, deeply searching, looking for signs of any madness that may still be lingering within. Well, there’s always the hunger for sex and mayhem, but that’s natural for me.
“Come on, you look fine now, let’s go,” he said as he got out of the car.
I followed his example, releasing my seat belt and stepping out of the car. Closing the car door behind me, walked over to the Magus then I threaded my right arm around his left as we walked off like a normal couple, casually strolling through the car park towards the casino and hotel.
I could hear the noise of all the adjacent traffic all still travelling busily along the massive road that went past the enormous complex. There was the calls of various birds I’d never heard before, the waft of scented flowering plants and the heavy aroma of moisture in the air from the nearby river. I closed my eyes for a second just to let it all wash over me as I sedately walked along with my Magus.
Soon we came to the entrance. Huge dark glass doors magically opened for us upon our arrival. To my right I could see various coloured signage, advertising the types of ‘fast food’ eateries that people could choose to dine at. They were all brightly lit and mostly clean.
It was at that moment I saw my first wretch.
A dishevelled, unkempt, shabby man sat listless outside the fast food eateries upon the low stone wall that contained a small, well-kept garden. He looked up at us as we approached, his eyes full of misery and despair.
“Got any spare change?”
“Sorry mate, no one carries cash anymore,” lied my Magus to him with a conciliatory voice, a sad but brief compassionate smile appeared briefly on his face.
The wretched man’s face became even more resigned. He nodded back in understanding, returning his fallen face back to morosely contemplating the ground at his feet.
We kept walking, leaving the broken man behind us.
I was about to congratulate the Magus in his treatment of the beggar when I had to stop as I was confronted by an incredible sight.
Before us, in the huge well-lit lobby of the building, was a huge pair of MOVING METAL STAIRCASES!
One staircase ascended while another came down from the landing some 50 feet above us. On either side were normal, marble clad stairs that some people were using. Yet many other people were on the moving metal stairs, all just taking the experience of being raised or lowered completely for granted.
“It’s just an escalator Meridiana. A simple machine that makes life a little more comfortable. Take it, go for a ride. I’m taking the stairs as I need the incidental exercise,” he said to me as he pried my clutching hands from his arm. I had been unconsciously gripping him tightly in my amazement at seeing such a machine.
The Magus walked off to the left, climbing the steps briskly while I gingerly walked forwards, watching the metal stairs endless appear and ascend upwards. The hand rail also moved in synchronicity with the metal stairs. I observed as a pair of young women, chatting intently to each other, walked past me and up to stand upon a metal stair which was part of dozens of metal stairs it seemed. I saw them be lifted by the moving stairs, rising above and away from me.
Summoning my courage, I stepped forwards onto a moving stair, wobbled slightly as I was not used to the speed which it moved, making me grab the moving banister tightly to steady myself as I rode my way upwards. I let out a small laugh as it was such a novel experience. The young women in front of me turned around at my laugh, raising their eyebrows at me as well as actually truly seeing me for the first time. Their smiles faded as I grinned back at them.
The young women could see my infinitely superior beauty on full display. They looked hesitant, now uncertain of themselves as they mistakenly believed themselves to be beautiful. They were, passible, not ugly but not worthy of a harem to be perfectly honest. I later learned dear reader that many foolish young women, especially in what you call the western world, regard themselves as queens, rating themselves ten out of ten on a scale of dazzling good looks. These sad women are delusional. I mean, if they were that beautiful, why weren’t their faces on the covers of the glossy magazines I see in various ‘supermarket’ check outs? No matter, vanity and hubris are all ways to damnation and misery. So many people sending themselves to eternal torment simply because they were raised by idiotic parents who never properly taught their children the need for humility. It’s all win-win for the pits you know…
My Magus met me at the top of the stairs, holding out his hand to me and then leading me through the vast interior of the complex.
“That’s the casino,” he indicated to our right.
Looking, I could see dozens of people making their way inside into the brightly lit and noisy interior of the casino. I caught the whiff of desperation, despair, avarice, lust, elation and a strong aroma of human urine. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Yes, even I have some standards dear reader.
“Magus, why does it reek of piss?” I asked as we strolled by and proceeded into the most immense, glass covered atrium I have ever seen.
“Oh, you can smell that?” He looked intrigued.
I nodded with a mild look of disgust.
“Hah… interesting. Well… some gamblers get stuck on a poker machine. They sit there for hours, desperately hoping that the machine they are playing on will pay out. The poor fools stupidly believe that if they play at the machine long enough, they’ll win big. So they stay seated, ignoring the need to relieve their bodily urges, to the extent that they prefer to piss themselves rather than abandon the machine that is draining away their money. The poor fools are incapable of understanding that the machine is designed to rarely pay out. Every time they play, it has a simple algorithm that calculates the chance of a payout. Most machines will payout a small amount of money occasionally, thus keeping the gambler hooked in the mistaken belief that the big one is just around the corner. It rarely, if ever, is.”
I stopped, stunned at what I just heard. The Magus stopped and looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
“That’s… diabolically genius!” I stuttered as I considered the fiendish brilliance of the whole concept.
Someone had made hell on earth not only possible but also could make a fortune from it as well as breaking people’s souls and spirits in the process! The concept of dangling hope in front of a damned soul, then snatching it away was one of the oldest known tortures of hell. This was a magnificent, a culmination of the perfection of thousands upon thousands of years of the torture, all neatly packaged in a fairly simple machine designed to beggar it’s user and turn them into slaves to it. Gobsmacking was the only word I could think off that fully encapsulated the way I felt at that moment.
“Yes it is, isn’t it? I have always suspected that those machines were most likely invented by a demon. It makes perfect sense,” he said as he shrugged, then tilted his head, indicating we should proceed onwards.
I noddled dumbly as again, I had been totally overwhelmed by the latest piece of information the Magus informed of. I barely registered the hundreds of people all wandering around the massive lobby of the hotel atrium. Many were dressed finely while others, mostly men, were dressed casually. My Magus was one of them, still wearing his novelty T-shirt and hemp pants. They were clean though and his shoes, a brand known as Babuuk, made him look somehow better dressed then the other men who were similarly attired. Maybe it was just his subtle aurora of power, his sheer confidence and his towering Will that made him stand out from the mouth breathers all around us? I guess it was.
We arrived at the entrance of the restaurant and the Magus was greeted by a short Asian woman, dressed neatly in the hotels livery.
I started to realise that there were people from so many different races of humanity all around us. I had come from a time where only what was left of the Eastern Roman Empire was this diverse, and even then it was but a shadow of the heyday of the full glory that was Rome. Here were people from almost all the lands of earth, all happily co-mingling, getting on with having dinner with family and friends. Very surprising indeed.
The Asian woman at the reception counter spoke to us with a friendly smile,
“Good evening sir, madam. A table for two for you then?” she asked politely, her voice tinged with a broad accent I had not heard before. She spoke English yet I could tell that wasn’t her first language.
“Yes please,” politely replied the Magus.
This was something I did not expect. Despite his and my obvious power, he was respectful and even kind to the servants. All of them. He didn’t condescend nor sneer down at the servants of the hotel. It is still something I have difficulty reconciling. I said nothing, just observed. Oh, he has since instructed me not to call them servants, they are members of staff and will be treated with respect until they show they do not deserve it, then they are fair game. I can live with that.
“Table seventy one is ready for you both, have a lovely evening.”
She actually meant it! I could see it in her eyes, she was truly enjoying her task. She was smiling and joking with her fellow staff members, politely greeting the next people behind us with her cheerful friendly demeanour.
Astonishing.
In my prior experiences, servants and slaves were a miserable lot but then again, that was understandable. They had no choice as to their circumstances. They had to obey lest they suffer harsh punishment.
As we proceeded into the large dining room, with over a hundred tables of varying sizes, I could see off to my left where the food was.
I stopped again and stared dear reader.
I have been to banquets with Emperors and Kings, Popes and Princes, all sumptuous feasts but nothing was like what I saw before me. Dozens upon dozens of people had plates in their hands, all calmly wandering around the incredible cornucopia of varieties of food that were on display, all brightly lit up for them to simply help themselves to as much as their plate could hold.
Roasted meats, all neatly carved by expert chefs, freshly shucked oysters all seated in enormous silver ice-filled serving bowls, trays upon trays of cooked vegetables of kinds I had never seen before and… a dazzling array of sweet desserts and treats that made me almost go weak at the knees at the very sight of them.
“Come on Meridiana, you’re starting to drool,” whispered the Magus gently into my ear as he dabbed my wet lips with a soft piece of paper that he withdrew from his pants pockets.
Once again I nodded dumbly as I allowed him to escort me to our table. He even seated me, pushing me and my chair in one I had sat down. After he had taken his seat, a young man, quite a handsome one from the Indus I believed?... came over to us, again dressed in the livery of the hotel.
“Good evening, sir, madam. Would you care for something to drink?” he inquired ever so politely.
“And good evening to you sir. Yes indeed, may we please have a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, two glasses and a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water?” he asked with a real smile to the servant… no member of staff.
“Of course sir, I shall get that for you immediately,” replied the waiter with a pleased smile at being spoken to so politely.
“Thank you,” said the Magus then he turned to me and asked,
“Do you need a moment Meridiana? I understand this might trigger you again…”
I shook my head.
“No. It is overwhelming… but in a good way Magus. I have to ask, how can a place like this provide so many people with so much food? Even in the height of the Empire, there were magnificent feasts to be sure but… you say this happens everyday, that this is just a Tuesday and not a busy night?”
He nodded.
“This is the age of abundance Meridiana. Many of us, who live in what is known as The West, have dwelt in an age of such wealth and richness that almost all here never think on their incredible luck and privilege to live in such times. They do not know that it will come to an end. Maybe that is a small mercy. All golden ages end as you well know. So I say, let them dwell in ignorant bliss for now. We can enjoy it while it lasts.”
“Huh? Why do you believe that your golden age will end Magus?”
“It’s a long explanation and one I do not wish to go into detail here and now Meridiana but later, I will share my thoughts with you on this. Ahh, here comes our champagne.”
The waiter and another staff member had returned, with one carrying two bottles while the other had a metal bucket partially filled with ice. The waiter from the Indus placed both bottles on our table, displayed the label to the Magus who briefly nodded. Then, the waiter removed the cork from the bottle with an adroit twist of his wrist. It made a pleasing pop and I could see a little haze of cold… smoke? lightly emanate from the neck of the bottle. He poured the brightly bubbling and fizzing wine into both our glasses, carefully making sure the foam did not overflow them. He was very good at his task.
“Thank you good sir,” said my Magus to the waiter who beamed back at him with a happy smile. He placed the bottle into the bucket of ice and withdrew, leaving us alone, amidst the crowed dinning room.
The Magus took up his glass, holding it in front of him. I mirrored him.
“Here’s to a good dinner with interesting company and later, ripping the shit out of a casino Meridiana.” He pushed his glass gently forwards, lightly clinking it against mine. I wasn’t familiar at the time with that form of salute and toast but went with it anyway, after all… when in Rome as they used to say.
“That sounds… delightful Magus. I am eager for it all.”
I then took a sip of my champagne and was transported into a realm of heavenly bliss.
It was exquisite.

Ahh, dear reader, hello there! So lovely to see you once more... well figuratively speaking that is… or is it?
After all, I am exceedingly well versed in The Arts. Maybe I am watching you at this very moment, with Clairvoyance or perhaps a Scrying Spell or maybe an enchanted object like the good old fashioned Crystal Ball? The Magus has one you know…
Just teasing… or am I? …teeheehee…
Anyway, this latest instalment comes to you courtesy via a Voice to Text application my Magus recently acquired for me, as he said listening to me speak aloud while typing is too distracting for him. I find that interesting considering his immense mental discipline yet understandable at the same time. After all, extoling ones inner monolog to an uncaring audience would be tedious to experience. Hmm… I’ve just thought of a new torture for the souls of the dammed, specifically for writers who think they are better than everyone around them. How ingenious of me!
In any case, I would prefer to distract him in other ways, mark you.
I also must say what wonderfully inventive creatures you humans are! An application of mathematical code, the base language of reality. It is very much like a spell in its function and nature I would say, that it allows my phone, yes the Magus got me one, to record all I say and transcribes it into neatly typed words on its electronic pages. It’s like having a monk-scribe in your pocket! Unquestionably wonderful!
So as I relax in my fabulously hot, luxurious scented, oiled bubble bath, I can easily regale you with further tales of the adventures I have had thus far on this wonderous blue and brown spherical rock that is third in line from our star. And I do not have to type with two fingers either, which is a massive bonus let me tell you!
If memory serves… ahh yes, we had just returned to the car where I saw a sign of my Magus’s humour on display in the form of his licence plate.
I do have to admit dear reader, I was indeed highly amused. He knows he’s going to hell, he just insists that it be on his terms! I love it! Such confidence, such audacious willpower.
That is exceedingly… stimulating for Succubi.
Ok dammit, it makes me incredibly horny, and I’m not talking about the ones on my head either you know! We are intensely lustful beings, us Succubi, after all.
I was already in a highly ‘excited’ state when we got to the car, so much so that I had to use my Cell Adjustment Psionic discipline to tremendously dull down my inflamed senses as I did not wish to leave the tell-tale mark of my inflamed passion on the lower back portion of my new dress and also not on the car-seat when I sat back down in the vehicle.
Ahem…
After a few moments, which caused the Magus to glance up at me with a slightly puzzled expression, of standing outside the car (he had no idea nor cared… hmmph!) I opened the door and folded myself back inside the vehicle and resumed my seat. I later learned that I could have mostly avoided this… embarrassment… by actually wearing what you call absorbent lined underwear! I wasn’t wearing panties at the time as I was totally unaware of their existence. I do so now as its much more comfortable in lots of ways and in addition, stops the shiver when an errant chill wind blows unexpectedly up your gusset!
Moving on…
Getting into the car, the Magus paused until I had done up my seatbelt before starting the engine, waiting for another car to pass us by before safely pulling out and sedately driving off. I later learned that we could have gone screaming down the road in a cloud of burning rubber if the Magus was of a mind to. I would have if given the opportunity! Something to look forward to dear reader.
Instead, we drifted slowly through the placidly moving traffic as I watched the sun descend below the horizon of the ocean. I had only been back here on Earth for a few hours but every second was total bliss. I do not think that most of you humans realize how good you have it here. Even those who do not reside in the more developed and advanced nations, being on Earth is special.
There are infinity more worse places you can be, let me assure you of that.
We drove back mostly the way we had travelled to this particular beach. This time though it was much later in the day, heading in the opposite direction, I became aware of many more things that had escaped my attention earlier on.
We passed by denser zones and clusters of buildings where I could see various shops, food outlets, restaurants and varying vendors, all brightly lit up now as the daylight was fading. I saw incredibly tall metal poles with blazing, glowing lights illuminating the surrounds with a warm yellowy orange glow making it still easy to see. Electric lighting will never cease to amaze me. Yes dear reader, I can experience a sense of wonder and joy at simple things, even beyond the act of slaughter and soul draining. Would it astonish you that I like flowers? Such strange lifeforms that had developed aromas they use as a method of propagation. Delightful.
Anyway… we shortly crested the hill that we had previous ascended westwards earlier on the way to the beach and then I saw it!
I was awestruck once again.
Towering edifices, glittering, shining buildings monstrously higher than Hagia Sophia was, the most immense human made structure in the world when I was last in it. These glistening towers of glass, metal and stone made that church look like a feeble children’s toy. I could see over a dozen of these buildings of varying size, clustered together in less than a square mile.
The Magus glanced to his left and saw me gaping at them.
“They’re called Sky Scrapers Meridiana. They’re generally office buildings, places of business where people daily work in their wage-slave jobs then go home at night. The buildings are left vacant but light up at night as you can clearly see.”
I turned and gawped at him.
“They’re empty at night?”
I could not comprehend why such space, that had amazing views, would be left empty of an evening?
“Yep. Well most of them are. There will be some that still have people in them, conducting various types of business overnight because its what they do for a living.”
“What do they do?” I asked in a murmur as I turned back to see the vista be obscured by a large set of commercial and residential buildings that we were currently passing.
The Magus shrugged.
“They’ll be doing all sorts of things, financial trading, working back late to do their jobs… various affairs of commerce and such. It’s not that important really Meridiana. I’ll take you into the city another day when we have time for you to be a tourist. Now, if I may, I want to know more about your Telekinesis. I got an idea of how much you can lift, probably over 1400 kilograms at least if my guess as to how much a warhorse in armour with a rider would weigh… maybe more? Probably more but we’ll test that later. Anyway, it’s your fine control skills I’m interested in.”
I turned back to the Magus who was looking ahead, driving us through the busy traffic that had become a factor. I later learned that it was a time of day called ‘rush hour’.
“I am capable of very delicate manipulation with my Telekinesis, especially in regards to the erotic arts,” I said to him with a husky, low, salacious purr.
“That’s cute but I really want to know if you could snatch out of the air and control a very small, fast moving bouncing ball, say the size of your thumbnail?” he asked in an offhand manner as he slowed down due to the traffic which was banking up in front of us.
I inwardly sighed once more. Such a challenge he was!
“Yes I can but why?”
He briefly turned to me and broadly grinned before returning his attention to driving.
“There’s a game that we will ‘play’ after dinner. It is called Roulette. The game features a spinning wheel with thirty seven little slots. Into the spinning wheel a little white ball is spun in and circles around, eventually slowing and bouncing into once of the numbered slots. The slots are alternately coloured red or black and all are numbered from 00 to 36. You can bet where the ball will land, either in red or black and specifically in a numbered slot. If the ball lands in a slot you bet on, you get a payout of thirty seven to one. Ever dollar you bet wins you 37 back. You can also just bet on which colour the ball will land in giving you your money back plus it’s value as a reward. Bet $100, you get your $100 back plus another $100.”
“Dollar... that’s money right?” I said as the implications slowly dawned on me. You could make a fortune from this!
“Yes Meridiana. Dollars are what we use as currency these days. Gold is still used but not in the way you were used to. It’s still valuable as are other precious metals but that’s going to take a long explanation which is a distraction for now. So, do you think you could perhaps catch the bouncing ball with your power, directing it into the number we bet on?”
I thought about it for a few moments.
“I will have to see how the ball moves but I think I could, yes.”
“Excellent. You stand to make us a lot of money tonight. There are other games like card games, slot machines which I’m uncertain that your powers would be able to mess with. Roulette is our hunting ground. We must be careful though.”
“Why?”
I was surprised by his tone of caution. We were power incarnate! What could possibly touch us?
“Casinos hate losing money. Roulette is going to be the hardest one they can prove that we’re cheating on if you use your Telekinesis. We will be closely watched the entire time we are in the casino. There are devices called cameras, similar to Crystal Balls, that observe everything they see, relaying the images back to people in other rooms whose task it is to spot potential cheaters in the casino. They also have people walking the floor, disguised as ordinary folk, always watching everyone else. And I want to avoid the eyes of any infernal beings who may be in the casino.”
“Ahh… I see… a healthy paranoia then, for them and us hmm?”
He nodded once, emphatically.
If you have a fortune, you need to protect it, especially from people like me. His caution in regards to our identity was also most prudent and he was correct that there was a possibility that there may be others of my ilk lurking in the shadows, walking in human form as we often do.
I have to confess dear reader, that I am a master thief as well as an expert assassin, in addition to being an accomplished warrior although I rarely fight in hand to hand combat, preferring seduction, subterfuge and skulduggery as my main methods of killing. Yet still, I can fight and kill extremely proficiently with many weapons, being skilled at one of the highest levels of melee combat, the use of weapons and ways of fighting with them. I’ve been around a while you know? You pick up on things like that if you wish to live as long as I have.
Besides… stabby, stabby, stabby, bash, slash and smite can be loads of fun when you’re doing the stabbing and bashing with a well-balanced blade or mace in your hands. But I digress…
“You have it Meridiana. Yes the casinos’ management are extremely paranoid. We will have to alter our appearance as well before we enter the casino. I shall use a minor low level spell while you can take a new face. We will do so after dinner.”
I nodded then a thought came to me. I asked,
“You said we were going to something called a buffet? I know what the word means as my abilities allow me to understand any spoken language, much like the enchantment known as Tongues. Yet I’m finding it hard to match the word with the concept.”
The Magus raised an eyebrow in interest at this revelation.
“Oh right. Just because you know a word doesn’t mean you automatically understanding it conceptually and in context either. Good to know. Well, a buffet is an enormous array of various foods, hot and cold, sweet to savoury, where you merely help yourself and consume as much as you wish. You pay for the privilege of course.”
“Truly? How much will this cost you?” I inquired wide eyed.
I noticed that we had moved through the traffic and had turned down a descending road and were now going into a massive concrete tunnel along with hundreds of other cars, all slowly moving in the same direction. It was quite honestly astounding that everyone was not smashing into one another. All the drivers were…well mostly were, attentive to their immediate surrounds and situation as we gradually merged our car into the main lane of traffic which was making its way under the earth via the huge yawning tunnel ahead.
Such staggering feats of engineering and construction which would have made the Emperor Justinian weep copious, bitter tears of pure envy. Oh how I wished I could make him see this and realise his idiotic boast was pointless when he finished Hagia Sophia. He bragged that he had surpassed Solomon himself with his church. He had but it wasn’t worth it. Justinian nearly bankrupted the Eastern Roman Empire, all for a useless church and his own vanity.
Moron.
Still, I shouldn’t care, his hubris ended up sending him to hell anyway so... yay! His actions also exacerbated the effects of the famine and plague that swept the through the empire and western Europe in the year 535 with his stupid desire to re-unify the Roman empire under his rule. You will be pleased to know dear reader, that he is burning in eternal torment for his multitude of sins so it is all good. My thoughts of deceased, vainglorious emperors and their fate were interrupted as the Magus spoke again,
“Hmm? … it should set us back about $80 each I’d should say? A small price to pay in all honesty when you see what is on offer. Drinks will be on top of that price, unless you just have plain water but tonight Meridiana, I shall introduce you to Champagne, one of humanities greatest achievements.”
This was enticing to hear!
“If you say so Magus. I completely believe you as you will not be lying to me,” I said, nodding and trying to think about Champagne.
So many new concepts were entering my mind, it was hard to keep my mind and thoughts in order. I understood that Champagne was a special type of wine, one which had a fizz embodied within it, making it highly regarded but that’s all I could deduce for now.
Also… I had a thought: the Magus could and would never lie to me. The feeling I had earlier, in being able to trust everything he said to me because of the oath he gave to me, was an unfettering sensation.
All my existence I have dealt with bare faced lairs, deceivers, misshapers of the truth who twisted words to suit their own selfish ends. With the Magus, all I had to be concerned with was his agenda, which actually had my interests aligned with his own. Truly remarkable.
I needed that champagne now!
We emerged from the tunnel, traveling with the traffic over wide dark river, again on another immense concrete bridge this time. There was a gigantic colosseum off to our right, all lit up with multiple coloured lights that ran around the circumference of the structure. It was like as though it was enveloped in a rainbow. Frankly, it was amazing to behold.
Beyond that, I could see many more large towers and structures, lining the sides of the vast road we were hurtling along now. The Magus had increased our speed as traffic had thinned out. Never in my life had I moved so fast, well unless I was using a Haste spell to briefly increase my physical speed, which I use in combat if necessary.
I barely had the sense we were travelling in the car at roughly 80kph. Such an odd experience to have for the first time. There was no rushing of wind, no press of air on my face, just comfort and air-conditioning. Marvellous!
After a few minutes later I saw our destination.
Again I was nearly stupefied by the gigantic structure. Multiple massive buildings, all surrounded by lush green, well-manicured and maintained gardens made my jaw go slack with disbelief.
“That’s Crown Casino, Towers and hotel Meridiana. I can see you are impressed. Let me just say that if you think this is amazing, wait until we go to Las Vegas…” he said as he turned the car into the driveway of the complex.
“There’s even more impressive structures than this?”
My mind boggled dear reader. It was almost too much to take in.
“Yep. My city is a small one compared to others around the globe. We will travel to them, in due course. I know you can use your powers of Dimensional Walking, moving through other planes of reality and appearing on a different part of the planet. However, there will be times when we will need to travel together conventionally. Perhaps one day, if I learn the right spells, we will be able to avoid having to fly in an aeroplane and by-pass the utter tediousness of baggage check-ins, airport security and so on…” he muttered darkly.
“HUMANS CAN FLY!?!” I said in a loud strangled astonished voice.
The Magus chuckled with genuine amusement.
“Think back Meridiana. I said humanity has been to the moon and back. I said we can travel safely and comfortably in a machine, called an aircraft, across the planet. Some ‘planes are huge while others are not much bigger than the car. Oh, that reminds me, we will have to construct an identity for you. We will begin that process tomorrow. You are going to need a passport soon enough,” he said as he found a relatively unoccupied parking area west of the massive structures.
He saw my puzzled expression and mistook it for wondering why we had parked here.
“It’s free to park here and there are hardly any security cameras in the vicinity.”
I nodded dumbly.
“But of course Magus…”
He saw my expression as he switched off the engine. A tiny look of… sympathy appeared on his face. He spoke to me in a soft, calm, soothing tone,
“Take a breath Meridiana. Close your eyes and focus upon the stillness within the vehicle. You are safe here with me. Nothing will harm us. Just breathe and relax, let each breath calm you. With every breath you are at peace within yourself and the world around you.”
I did as he said and instantly sensed my whirling mind begin to centre itself, become still.
I may be an ancient and powerful demon dear reader, however I have been imprisoned for nigh on a thousand years and now have been released into a world that I was unable to recognise at all.
The Magus later told me I was suffering from a psychological malady called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Yes dear reader, even us demons can get mentally fucked up. I mean, compared to the average human, we’re all demented, tormented psychopaths which explains a lot about ourselves but still… even a psychopath can suffer from mental trauma. Demons can go insane.
I breathed rhythmically, each exhaling breath calming me. With one final exhalation, I opened my eyes, turned to my Magus and softly smiled at him.
“Thank you,” was all I said. I meant it.
He nodded briefly, his intensely burning eyes boring into mine, deeply searching, looking for signs of any madness that may still be lingering within. Well, there’s always the hunger for sex and mayhem, but that’s natural for me.
“Come on, you look fine now, let’s go,” he said as he got out of the car.
I followed his example, releasing my seat belt and stepping out of the car. Closing the car door behind me, walked over to the Magus then I threaded my right arm around his left as we walked off like a normal couple, casually strolling through the car park towards the casino and hotel.
I could hear the noise of all the adjacent traffic all still travelling busily along the massive road that went past the enormous complex. There was the calls of various birds I’d never heard before, the waft of scented flowering plants and the heavy aroma of moisture in the air from the nearby river. I closed my eyes for a second just to let it all wash over me as I sedately walked along with my Magus.
Soon we came to the entrance. Huge dark glass doors magically opened for us upon our arrival. To my right I could see various coloured signage, advertising the types of ‘fast food’ eateries that people could choose to dine at. They were all brightly lit and mostly clean.
It was at that moment I saw my first wretch.
A dishevelled, unkempt, shabby man sat listless outside the fast food eateries upon the low stone wall that contained a small, well-kept garden. He looked up at us as we approached, his eyes full of misery and despair.
“Got any spare change?”
“Sorry mate, no one carries cash anymore,” lied my Magus to him with a conciliatory voice, a sad but brief compassionate smile appeared briefly on his face.
The wretched man’s face became even more resigned. He nodded back in understanding, returning his fallen face back to morosely contemplating the ground at his feet.
We kept walking, leaving the broken man behind us.
I was about to congratulate the Magus in his treatment of the beggar when I had to stop as I was confronted by an incredible sight.
Before us, in the huge well-lit lobby of the building, was a huge pair of MOVING METAL STAIRCASES!
One staircase ascended while another came down from the landing some 50 feet above us. On either side were normal, marble clad stairs that some people were using. Yet many other people were on the moving metal stairs, all just taking the experience of being raised or lowered completely for granted.
“It’s just an escalator Meridiana. A simple machine that makes life a little more comfortable. Take it, go for a ride. I’m taking the stairs as I need the incidental exercise,” he said to me as he pried my clutching hands from his arm. I had been unconsciously gripping him tightly in my amazement at seeing such a machine.
The Magus walked off to the left, climbing the steps briskly while I gingerly walked forwards, watching the metal stairs endless appear and ascend upwards. The hand rail also moved in synchronicity with the metal stairs. I observed as a pair of young women, chatting intently to each other, walked past me and up to stand upon a metal stair which was part of dozens of metal stairs it seemed. I saw them be lifted by the moving stairs, rising above and away from me.
Summoning my courage, I stepped forwards onto a moving stair, wobbled slightly as I was not used to the speed which it moved, making me grab the moving banister tightly to steady myself as I rode my way upwards. I let out a small laugh as it was such a novel experience. The young women in front of me turned around at my laugh, raising their eyebrows at me as well as actually truly seeing me for the first time. Their smiles faded as I grinned back at them.
The young women could see my infinitely superior beauty on full display. They looked hesitant, now uncertain of themselves as they mistakenly believed themselves to be beautiful. They were, passible, not ugly but not worthy of a harem to be perfectly honest. I later learned dear reader that many foolish young women, especially in what you call the western world, regard themselves as queens, rating themselves ten out of ten on a scale of dazzling good looks. These sad women are delusional. I mean, if they were that beautiful, why weren’t their faces on the covers of the glossy magazines I see in various ‘supermarket’ check outs? No matter, vanity and hubris are all ways to damnation and misery. So many people sending themselves to eternal torment simply because they were raised by idiotic parents who never properly taught their children the need for humility. It’s all win-win for the pits you know…
My Magus met me at the top of the stairs, holding out his hand to me and then leading me through the vast interior of the complex.
“That’s the casino,” he indicated to our right.
Looking, I could see dozens of people making their way inside into the brightly lit and noisy interior of the casino. I caught the whiff of desperation, despair, avarice, lust, elation and a strong aroma of human urine. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Yes, even I have some standards dear reader.
“Magus, why does it reek of piss?” I asked as we strolled by and proceeded into the most immense, glass covered atrium I have ever seen.
“Oh, you can smell that?” He looked intrigued.
I nodded with a mild look of disgust.
“Hah… interesting. Well… some gamblers get stuck on a poker machine. They sit there for hours, desperately hoping that the machine they are playing on will pay out. The poor fools stupidly believe that if they play at the machine long enough, they’ll win big. So they stay seated, ignoring the need to relieve their bodily urges, to the extent that they prefer to piss themselves rather than abandon the machine that is draining away their money. The poor fools are incapable of understanding that the machine is designed to rarely pay out. Every time they play, it has a simple algorithm that calculates the chance of a payout. Most machines will payout a small amount of money occasionally, thus keeping the gambler hooked in the mistaken belief that the big one is just around the corner. It rarely, if ever, is.”
I stopped, stunned at what I just heard. The Magus stopped and looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
“That’s… diabolically genius!” I stuttered as I considered the fiendish brilliance of the whole concept.
Someone had made hell on earth not only possible but also could make a fortune from it as well as breaking people’s souls and spirits in the process! The concept of dangling hope in front of a damned soul, then snatching it away was one of the oldest known tortures of hell. This was magnificent, a culmination of the perfection of thousands upon thousands of years of the torture, all neatly packaged in a fairly simple machine designed to beggar it’s user and turn them into slaves to it. Gobsmacking was the only word I could think off that fully encapsulated the way I felt at that moment.
“Yes it is, isn’t it? I have always suspected that those machines were most likely invented by a demon. It makes perfect sense,” he said as he shrugged, then tilted his head, indicating we should proceed onwards.
I noddled dumbly as again, I had been totally overwhelmed by the latest piece of information the Magus had informed me of. I barely registered the hundreds of people all wandering around the massive lobby of the hotel atrium. Many were dressed finely while others, mostly men, were dressed casually. My Magus was one of them, still wearing his novelty T-shirt and hemp pants. They were clean though and his shoes, a brand known as Babuuk, made him look somehow better dressed then the other men who were similarly attired. Maybe it was just his subtle aurora of power, his sheer confidence and his towering Will that made him stand out from the mouth breathers all around us? I guess it was.
We arrived at the entrance of the restaurant and the Magus was greeted by a short Asian woman, dressed neatly in the hotels livery.
I started to realise that there were people from so many different races of humanity all around us. I had come from a time where only what was left of the Eastern Roman Empire was this diverse, and even then it was but a shadow of the heyday of the full glory that was Rome. Here were people from almost all the lands of earth, all happily co-mingling, getting on with having dinner with family and friends. Very surprising indeed.
The Asian woman at the reception counter spoke to us with a friendly smile,
“Good evening sir, madam. A table for two for you then?” she asked politely, her voice tinged with a broad accent I had not heard before. She spoke English yet I could tell that wasn’t her first language.
“Yes please,” politely replied the Magus.
This was something I did not expect. Despite his and my obvious power, he was respectful and even kind to the servants. All of them. He didn’t condescend nor sneer down at the servants of the hotel. It is still something I have difficulty reconciling. I said nothing, just observed. Oh, he has since instructed me not to call them servants, they are members of staff and will be treated with respect until they show they do not deserve it, then they are fair game. I can live with that.
“Table seventy one is ready for you both, have a lovely evening.”
She actually meant it! I could see it in her eyes, she was truly enjoying her task. She was smiling and joking with her fellow staff members, politely greeting the next people behind us with her cheerful friendly demeanour.
Astonishing.
In my prior experiences, servants and slaves were a miserable lot but then again, that was understandable. They had no choice as to their circumstances. They had to obey lest they suffer harsh punishment.
As we proceeded into the large dining room, with over a hundred tables of varying sizes, I could see off to my left where the food was.
I stopped again and stared dear reader.
I have been to banquets with Emperors and Kings, Popes and Princes, all sumptuous feasts but nothing was like what I saw before me. Dozens upon dozens of people had plates in their hands, all calmly wandering around the incredible cornucopia of varieties of food that were on display, all brightly lit up for them to simply help themselves to as much as their plate could hold.
Roasted meats, all neatly carved by expert chefs, freshly shucked oysters all seated in enormous silver ice-filled serving bowls, trays upon trays of cooked vegetables of kinds I had never seen before and… a dazzling array of sweet desserts and treats that made me almost go weak at the knees at the very sight of them.
“Come on Meridiana, you’re starting to drool,” whispered the Magus gently into my ear as he dabbed my wet lips with a soft piece of paper that he withdrew from his pants pockets.
Once again I nodded dumbly as I allowed him to escort me to our table. He even seated me, pushing me and my chair in once I had sat down. After he had taken his seat, a young man, quite a handsome one from the Indus I believed?... came over to us, again dressed in the livery of the hotel.
“Good evening, sir, madam. Would you care for something to drink?” he inquired ever so politely.
“And good evening to you sir. Yes indeed, may we please have a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, two glasses and a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water?” he asked with a real smile to the servant… no member of staff.
“Of course sir, I shall get that for you immediately,” replied the waiter with a pleased smile at being spoken to so politely.
“Thank you,” said the Magus then he turned to me and asked,
“Do you need a moment Meridiana? I understand this might trigger you again…”
I shook my head.
“No. It is overwhelming… but in a good way Magus. I have to ask, how can a place like this provide so many people with so much food? Even in the height of the Empire, there were magnificent feasts to be sure but… you say this happens everyday, that this is just a Tuesday and not a busy night?”
He nodded.
“This is the age of abundance Meridiana. Many of us, who live in what is known as The West, have dwelt in an age of such wealth and richness that almost all here never think on their incredible luck and privilege to live in such times. They do not know that it will come to an end. Maybe that is a small mercy. All golden ages end as you well know. So I say, let them dwell in ignorant bliss for now. We can enjoy it while it lasts.”
“Huh? Why do you believe that your golden age will end Magus?”
“It’s a long explanation and one I do not wish to go into detail here and now Meridiana but later, I will share my thoughts with you on this. Ahh, here comes our champagne.”
The waiter and another staff member had returned, with one carrying two bottles while the other had a metal bucket partially filled with ice. The waiter from the Indus placed both bottles on our table, displayed the label to the Magus who briefly nodded. Then, the waiter removed the cork from the bottle with an adroit twist of his wrist. It made a pleasing pop and I could see a little haze of cold… smoke? lightly emanate from the neck of the bottle. He poured the brightly bubbling and fizzing wine into both our glasses, carefully making sure the foam did not overflow them. He was very good at his task.
“Thank you good sir,” said my Magus to the waiter who beamed back at him with a happy smile. He placed the bottle into the bucket of ice and withdrew, leaving us alone, amidst the crowed dinning room.
The Magus took up his glass, holding it in front of him. I mirrored him.
“Here’s to a good dinner with interesting company and later, ripping the shit out of a casino Meridiana.” He pushed his glass gently forwards, lightly clinking it against mine. I wasn’t familiar at the time with that form of salute and toast but went with it anyway, after all… when in Rome as they used to say.
“That sounds… delightful Magus. I am eager for it all.”
I then took a sip of my champagne and was transported into a realm of heavenly bliss.
It was exquisite.

Just bought the game last week and had some good hours. Here are some random thoughts: - Visuals and sounds are amazing, one of the most realistic shooter I've ever played. Great immersion (or maybe I shall expect no less from a 90GB game? just saying) - I like how weapons & loadout are highly customizable. Now, if only we could also have coloskins! - I hate being jumped at while I am arresting suspects. I can hear the foot steps/door opening but can't react because I'm in the middle of the animation. Please let us arrest-cancel! - Please add sniper - Can we not jump anymore? I press space and nothing happens - How does stealth work? Is there a global flag; what happens when the patrolling enemies find bodies/restrained civilians. Most importantly, is it possible to stealth melee take-down? - I should call this game "Civilians or Not". I'm so used to shooting anything that moves that isn't teammate. - I remember once when an enemy combatant took a civilian nearby as hostage, holding knife on his neck. That was so cool! But it happened only once. Is it scripted or part of the general enemy AI? - Please let us play solo without bots. - Not every mode is available on every map. In fact, only 2 maps have all 5 modes. Is there a reason for that? Kind of reduce replayability though. - I heard there is PvP planned. Any update/leak on what may that look like? - I should call this game "Civilians or Not".
By the way, thanks to everyone who replied in my previous post!

I knew I shouldn't have accepted the dare. As I stood there, shivering from the biting cold of the Antarctic research facility, I tried to remember what had possessed me to agree to this in the first place.
My name is Alex, and I'm a soldier assigned to the remote South Pole research facility known as Ice Station Zebra. My team was responsible for providing security and support to the scientific researchers who were studying the effects of climate change on the Antarctic ice shelves. We had been stationed here for months, with little to do other than carry out our duties and try to stave off the boredom.
It was that boredom that had led me to accept the dare from my best friend and fellow soldier, Tom. He had heard rumors about the facility having a dark secret, and he dared me to explore the restricted area during the dead of night. The rumors were, of course, unfounded. Or so I thought.
As I made my way down the dimly lit corridor towards the restricted area, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. The air seemed to grow colder with every step, and the oppressive silence only heightened my sense of unease.
The heavy metal door to the restricted area loomed before me, its surface cold to the touch. I hesitated for a moment before entering the access code and pushing the door open. As it swung wide, I was greeted by the stale, musty scent of a room that had been sealed off for a very long time.
I stepped inside, my breath fogging in the frigid air. The darkness was nearly absolute, broken only by the dim glow of a single emergency light in the far corner of the room. As my eyes adjusted to the gloom, I began to make out the shapes of old equipment and storage containers, all of which were covered in a thick layer of frost.
As I moved deeper into the room, I couldn't help but feel a growing sense of dread. I tried to reassure myself that there was nothing to fear, that the rumors were just that – rumors. But the further I ventured, the more convinced I became that there was something very wrong with this place.
The air seemed to hum with an unseen energy, and I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The oppressive darkness seemed to close in around me, and I felt as though I were being smothered by the icy cold. I began to hear whispers, barely audible at first, but growing louder and more insistent with every step I took.
The whispers turned into voices, the voices into screams. The sound was unbearable, a cacophony of pain and terror that seemed to emanate from the very walls themselves. I felt as if I were losing my mind, as if the darkness and the cold were seeping into my very soul. I stumbled forward, desperate to escape the nightmare that was closing in around me.
And then, I saw it.
In the far corner of the room, shrouded in shadow, was a figure. It was tall and emaciated, with long, spindly limbs and fingers that ended in wickedly sharp claws. Its skin was a sickly, translucent white, stretched tight over its skeletal frame. Its eyes were empty, black voids that seemed to swallow the light around them.
I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. The creature regarded me with an expression of pure malevolence, and I knew without a doubt that this was the source of the terror that had gripped me since entering the room. It was the embodiment of the dark secret that Ice Station Zebra had been hiding.
As it moved towards me, the air around it seemed to grow colder, and the shadows lengthened and warped, as if trying to escape its presence. The whispers and screams that had tormented me now seemed to be emanating from the creature itself, a symphony of suffering that threatened to overwhelm me.
I wanted to run, to flee from this nightmare and never look back. But my legs refused to obey, rooted to the spot as if the cold had frozen them in place. The creature drew closer, its twisted form seeming to glide across the floor without making a sound. Its hollow eyes bored into mine, filling me with a despair that threatened to consume me.
In that moment, I knew that I had to do something, anything, to escape this horror. I reached for the only weapon I had, a small pocketknife that I had brought with me as a last resort. My fingers fumbled with the blade, but I managed to open it just as the creature lunged at me.
I slashed wildly, my terror giving me strength I didn't know I possessed. The creature recoiled, an unearthly shriek tearing from its throat as my knife found its mark. Black, viscous fluid oozed from the wound, filling the air with a stench that threatened to overwhelm me.
But the creature didn't retreat. Instead, it seemed to grow angrier, its movements becoming more frenzied and desperate. It lunged at me again, and I barely managed to dodge its claws. I knew that I couldn't keep this up for much longer – I was growing weaker, and the cold was seeping into my bones.
Just as I felt myself beginning to succumb to the darkness, I remembered the radio in my pocket. With a surge of hope, I fumbled for it and managed to switch it on. I screamed into the microphone, begging for help, for anyone to come and save me from this monster.
The creature hesitated, as if it could sense that its time was running out. It let out another unearthly screech and launched itself at me, but this time I was ready. I braced myself and thrust the knife forward, catching the creature square in the chest. It screamed one last time before collapsing to the floor, the black fluid pooling around it as the life left its twisted form.
Moments later, the door to the restricted area burst open, and my fellow soldiers came rushing in. The room was bathed in the light from their flashlights, chasing away the darkness and the cold. They stared in horror at the creature lying at my feet, but there was no time to waste. They quickly helped me to my feet and led me out of the room, sealing the door behind us.
In the days that followed, I was debriefed and questioned by my superiors. They seemed to know more about the creature than they were willing to admit, but they were unwilling to share that information with me. All I knew was that Ice Station Zebra had been hiding a terrible secret, and I had been fortunate enough to escape with my life.
I decided to become a whistleblower, sharing my story with the world in the hopes of preventing any future encounters with these monstrous creatures. I knew that the powers-that-be would not be pleased with my decision, but I couldn't stand by and let this horror be hidden away once more.
I still wake up some nights, cold sweat beading on my brow, as the whispers and screams from that night haunt my dreams. The memory of the creature's hollow eyes will stay with me forever, a constant reminder of the darkness that exists in this world, waiting for the opportunity to strike.

Rows and rows of corn rustled in the early autumn breeze, eleven year old me danced around the farm. Glancing down at my hands, my eleven year old hands had replaced mine. The brief escape from my masters wouldn’t last long, dogs barked in the distance. Smoothing out my white sweater, my dark denim skirt fluttered in the breeze. Pulling my hair into a ponytail, I still needed more time. Sprinting into the corn, stalks smacked my face. Horror rounded my eyes, heavy paws crashed behind me. Skidding to a stop, my faceless master held me down, allowing the dogs to bite me. Tortured screams burst from my lips, their teeth sinking into my legs and arms.
“I’ll teach you not to run, Swallow!” His deep voice barked ferociously, the heel of his boot pushing my face into the dirt. “You belong to us! Boys, let’s go home. You have to walk home to get bites stitched up. See you if you make it.” Ditching me to bleed out, the sunshine changed to moonlight. Dirt covered up my hands, my body protesting as I struggled to my feet. Limping out of the field, an eleven year old boy with ruby eyes popped up in front of me. Running his hand through his onyx hair, he adjusted his top hat. Taking my hand, my eyes couldn’t leave his pinstripe suit.
“You won’t remember this but we will meet in the future. Hold on for a bit longer.” He promised lovingly, kissing my forehead. “I am going to heal you and you will keep marching forward. I am going to leave you with this.” Kissing my lips passionately, a bright light healed my wounds. The light died down, the boy was gone. I could run but where would I go? Home wasn’t an option, my hands crossing. Sinking to my knees, my fingers traced the layers of bruises and cuts on my skin. Pain was all I knew, the harsh whip of harmful words tearing me down by the day. Wiping away my tears, storm clouds brewed over my head. Time passed, the corn dying and growing in speed motion. Glancing down at them, my regular hands had returned. Eleven year old me walked out of the cornfield, her arms folded across her chest.
“Wake up and stop wallowing in the past!” She spat at me, her bare feet marching up to me. “Don’t be such a pathetic loser.” Inky blackness dyed her eyes, her form shifting to a glitching shadow. Clawed hands reached out to me, my clammy fingers playing with the hem of my blouse. Snapping his fingers, a force woke me up.
Jerking awake, the field of corn swayed in front of me. Patting my body, my usual outfit covered my body. My chest tightened, every breath shortening. Pale moonlight bathed the endless sea of corn, involuntary tears slid down my cheeks. Demy, I needed Demy. Struggling to stand, barking in the distance sent me ten feet in the air. Cupping my ears, a happy mutt ran up to me. His shaggy brown fur was matted with mud, a tag shining in the moonlight. Taking deep breaths, my heart rate settled down. Crouching down to his level, an address greeting me. Shifting through my magic boots, soft leather grazed my fingers. Pulling it out, the dog sat still while I struggled toclick it on. Walking him onto the street, storm clouds brewed over my head. A familiar energy sent chills up my spine, his tail wagging at an unassuming house. The canary colonial loomed over me, one light flickered in the window. The dog went berserk, his barks echoing in the night. Pointing the nose to the shadowy treeline, the glitching shadow figure stepped out of the shadows. Undoing the leash, a pat on his butt sent him back into the house.
“Let’s take this somewhere else. You called me and kidnapped a dog to get me to you.” I growled through a wall of tears, fighting the impending anxiety attack. “I want to fight you away from people. No deserves the chaos you can bring.” A sly grin danced across his lips, wicked laughter rumbling in his throat. Snapping his fingers, the home faded to the torched remains of the training facilities. The memory of me burning it down when I was eleven haunted my mind, the screams of the dying people broke me down in seconds. Collapsing to my knees, vomit flew up my throat. Circling me, his slow claps sank me deeper into my guilt.
“I was born here because of your sins. I am the combination of all the souls you killed that day. We want you dead. You don’t deserve happiness.” He barked bitterly, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. “You have to pay for your sins. There is no way you can have the fruit of a good life after what you did.” It had been an accident, my foot knocking down a candle on flammable chemicals the moment I fell in. Shaking my head, my body rocked back and forth.
“It was an accident!” I blurted out desperately, ripping his arms off of me. “I accidentally knocked over a candle and the flames landed into a vat of chemicals. I tried to warn everybody and you didn’t listen. You thought I was lying. It was your boss who said to let it all burn. Yell at him.” Ripping my head back, his mouth opened up. Ashes flowed into my throat, a coughing fit taking over. The dry material tasted horrendous, nausea wracking my body.
“Do you mind leaving my little Swallow alone?” Demy called out from the shadows, his gun aimed for the shadows head. “Hell of a trick you played there, buddy. Pulling somebody through their dreams. What do you have to say about yourself?” Cocking his brow, fury seethed in his eyes. The shadow refused to let me go, my past literally holding me back. Coughing up the rest of the ash, a stinger extended from his wrists. Pressing it into my neck, my vision blurred. Every cell in me wanted to die, the guilt eating away at my soul. So many screams rang in my ear, the crackling of a fire stealing me away from my current reality. Tears welled up in my eyes, my composure slipping away.
“Our only pathway to Heaven is to kill her so we can move on.” He hissed evilly, pushing it through my neck. “Your little swallow will soon be dead.” Ripping it out, blood poured down my neck. A cry from Demy snapped me back to reality, his bullet whizzing by my head. Mouthing a healing spell, the wound sealed shut. Jumping to my feet, the shadow popped up behind me. Jamming my elbow into his chest, he cried out. Clapping my hands, the three of us stood in the cornfield. The bad part is that we were separated, Demy’s voice calling out to me. Panic gripped me at the silence around me, knowing the next victim.
“Be quiet or he will find you!” I shouted over hooting owls, an idea coming to mind. Digging around with my boot, my fingers curled around my staff. Fire seemed out of the option, my mind moving to air. Slamming the tip of my staff on the loose dirt, a blast of air shot me closer to the moon. Scanning the field for Demy, the shadow and him were battling. Aiming my feet for the space in between them, a cloud of dirt obscured my clumsy landing. Confidence faded to horror, the shadow bursting into flames. Shoving Demy out of the way, his flaming hand grasped my arm. The smell of burning flesh nauseated me, the tip of my scythe slammed into his guts. Loosening his grip, his arm touched a stalk of corn. A steady stream of curse words flowed freely from my lips, the flames spreading with an alarming speed. The heat warmed up my cheeks, my angry burn screaming in protest.
“Rain from Hell, Shower us with the gift of water.” I chanted confidently, storm clouds thundering to life. Heavy raindrops crashed to the top of my head, a defiant grin spreading across my determined face. The flames died out before they hit the nearest home, black stalks smoking into the sky. The shadow stumbled back, my swift kicks knocking them to the ground. Pinning him down with my heel, the tip of my staff pressed into his neck. Extending his stinger, a shrill scream matched the next rumble of thunder as he jammed it into my leg. Unable to move my heel, ravens cawed behind me. The hair stood up on the back of my neck, Demy’s massive blade of his scythe stabbing us both. The shadow creature seized, his body decaying to dust. Copper poisoned my taste buds, inky blood staining my teeth. Wheezing, he ripped out from my stomach. Blood painted my blouse, his scythe swinging towards my neck. Blocking his attack with my staff, tears stained my cheeks. The wound refused to heal, my tone growing shakier by the second.
“Demy! Stop it!” I pleaded desperately, his scythe smashing into my staff. “Remember when you visited me when I was eleven! I know you lied about watching me a year ago. You have been watching me my whole life. You know everything about me and you chose to keep that a secret. I am not even freaked out by it. I need you to come back so I can marry you.” His hard expression softened, my staff splashing in the mud. Lowering his scythe, black smoke curled off of my palms. Helping him tuck it into his hat, the ravens flew back into his top hat. Our hair clung to his face, his shattered expression falling on my wound. Shivering in the rain, he guided my head to his neck.
“I am so sorry that I hurt!” He sobbed into my ear, my fangs extending over my lips. “Drink what you need to heal.” Sinking my teeth into his neck, his arms held me like his life depended on it. Drinking my fill, his eyes refused to meet mine. The rain hid his tears, my trembling hands placing his hat on head. A bright light sealed my wound shut, a wave of relief washing over me. Sobs shook our bodies, the two of us shivering. Cupping his face, my lips kissed him feverishly.
“Now it is my turn.” I wept softly with a quiet smile, his shame filled eyes not leaving my loving gaze. “I may have forgotten that day but your words kept me going. You didn’t do anything wrong, you simply lost control. Weapons can devour you if you aren’t careful. I can heal. Wounds end, my heart would break if you weren’t by my side. Please stay by my side.” Pressing his forehead against mine, his slender hand cupped my cheek. Taking a couple of deep breaths, a slight fear still haunted his eyes. The crunching of my calf bone fusing back together stole the moment, a fit of laughter bursting from our lips.
“I don’t really have a choice.” He teased blithely, his crooked grin melting my heart. “Je t’aime plus que le monde.” Understanding French, my heart fluttered. Scooping up my staff, it shrank back down. Tucking it into my boot, my hand took his. Dragging him out of the destroyed cornfield, the rain slowed to a stop. Tugging him along, his arm kept the branches from his scratching his face. Taking a couple of turns, his breath hitched at the sea of red and oranges spreading underneath the steely gray cliff. Sitting down on the edge, my head rested against his shoulder.
“This is where I always hid from them to get away from my masters before I burned the building down. I always had a place to go.” I commented serenely, his hand cupping mine. “I accidentally set the fire that day. The guilt eats at me everyday. What can I say?” Leaves rustled behind me, the hollow steps of my fellow co-workers boots weren’t that far behind. Pushing him off the cliff, my finger ripped out my staff. Gears whirred, the staff bending at a forty-five degree angle. A mix of golden and scarlet feathers burst from the metal frame, a metal bar coming down. Gripping the metal bar, I pulled myself up. Demy hung on for dear life, my slender fingers stealing his gun. Ripping it from his pocket, the gun hissed upon my touch. Crossing my legs, the scope helped me get a line of three them. Alarm widened my eyes, a helicopter floating up behind me. Leaning back, my aim quivered on the engine that I built. Undoing the safety, a quick yank of the trigger sent a bullet towards the gas tank. Flying up close to the open door, simple white masked assassins greeted me. Perfect, they were ranked lower than me. Evil laughter rumbled in my throat, a quick round leaving steaming bullet holes in the center of their forehead. Stealing their guns, the pilot shot a few rounds into my chest. The bullets made their way up my throat, the pilot soon realizing their mistake. Flicking a bullet in his direction, his body collapsed into a heap. The other assassins leapt off the cliff, metallic wings keeping them from falling to their death. Tucking Demy’s gun back into his pocket, only a few more seconds remained before the helicopter explosion would kill us both. Laying all the way back, my body was verticle to the ground. Counting the seconds, it would take one bullet to kill my enemies in one action. Lining the bullets into my fingers, my hand curled into the ready position. Three, two, one! Flicking my wrist, the velocity of my strength put a bit of heat on the bullets. Swinging myself underneath, Demy helped me steer us away from the impending explosion. A thunderous boom released a wild wind, the orange flames lighting up the sky. Control slipped away from us, the device crashing into a bed of branches. Blood and guts rained down with metal pieces, a blast of ice from my trembling palm putting out the flaming pieces before they touched the dry trees. Smiling warmly to myself, my staff clicked back to normal. Examining her for damage, nothing could be seen.
“That was a close one.” Demy laughed softly, kissing the top of my head. “Let’s find an open circle to draw us a way home.” Lowering ourselves down, our feet touched the packed down dirt. Pausing for a moment, it felt like a car had hit me. The emotional strife had caught up to me, a mental break down was sure to hit me later. Right now, we had to get home. Scrunching my nose up in disgust, blood and rain had soaked me to my bones. Another set of clothes was ruined, my thoughts beginning to run insanely in my mind. The motion of him placing me on his back stole me from my random train of thoughts.
“Let me take care of the rest while you get some rest. You did do most of the work after all.” He assured me with a playful wink, my head resting against his back. Branches crunched underneath his boots, his lips brushing against the tops of my hands. His clothing was just as torn as mine, my fingers tracing every shred. A shiver ran up his spine the moment I kissed the back of his neck. The moon traded shifts with the early morning sun, his endless hike resulting in an empty circle bathed in the orange rays of dawn. Setting me down the center, his hand danced in circles. The usual symbols stared back up at me, his knife guiding across my palm. Squeezing my hand until a shining pool of blood reflected our filthy faces, he guided my hand around. Dropping a pile piece of his ledger book from home, flames devoured the paper. A rush of air circled us, the woods of New Hampshire faded away to our bedroom. Still cupping my palm, his hungry eyes couldn’t stray from the fresh blood. Offering him my palm, his fangs sank into the tender flesh. Old Man Dallas poked his head in, his hand covering up his nose.
“I will have dinner ready in an hour. Get cleaned up and make yourselves presentable.” He twanged with his rich accent, smoothing out his staple white suit. “We have a job prospect coming tonight and she pays well. I will lend you one of my wife’s dresses from the fifties. You will probably just poof yourself a suit. Chop chop, my little beignets. We have a business to grow.” Setting a couple of dresses on the bed, Demy motioned for me to get cleaned up. Sprinting into the bathroom, the quick shower invigorated me. Drying myself off, a black and white polka dot swing dress hung on the door. Pulling it over my head, Demy poked his head in. Zipping it up for me, his slender fingers styled my hair into an intricate bun. Spinning me around, he kissed my forehead. Dusting off his clean suit, he adjusted my collar. One should feel shame but pride swelled in my eyes. Pulling a liquid liner out of his pocket, one simple flick on either side gave me a perfect cat’s eye. Clutching me close to his chest, he offered me my boots. Sliding my feet into them, his arm hooked around my elbow. Guiding me downstairs, his body stiffened at an elderly lady sitting to the left of Old Man Dallas. Her fucshia pink silk dress hugged her petite body, her wrinkles telling a twisted tale. Cloudy eyes followed my every move, her silvery blue hair rested in a perfect bun.
“I am Madame Seshunio, your next client and forever client if you do well.” She introduced herself with her nose up in the air, sliding over a card. “I came to drop off the order. As for my place to stay for the entirety of the job, Old Man Dallas offered me a room. In fact, I would like your room. I heard it is the second biggest. Perhaps you can sleep up in the attic.” My brows furrowed, Old Man Dallas’ stern gaze shut down my initial reaction. Unfortunately, he couldn’t tame Demy.
“I am not sleeping where they tortured those poor souls, Madame Sesheunio.” He snapped hotly, pulling out a chair for me. “We will sleep in the living room. Do not touch any of my things or I will place a curse on you. Do you understand.” Helping me sit down, an anxious maid brought out plates of steak and potatoes. Her gnarly hands cupped mine, mixed emotions flashing on her face. Tears stained her cheeks, a look of rage poisoning the softness of the sadness. Falling back, a look of horror plastered itself into my brain.
“You shouldn’t be alive.” She stuttered nervously, her shaking hands unable to pick up her fork. “So much tragedy courses through your veins, your mental state sure to bring you down. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, the Mad Hatter will marry the Swallow. Many children are dancing around you, their laughter filling the air.” A warm smile sweetened her features, Demy nudging my shoulders.
“I like you, Swallow.” She admitted freely, her eyes falling on Demy. “You tamed the Mad Hatter with a collar around your neck. You really must be something.” Cutting his steak, Demy’s words nearly made me choke on my spit.
“You did live here as a young lady when I showed up. You seem to be doing well yourself. How are the grandchildren?” He asked sincerely, bowing in her direction. “You did get me in trouble. You were like the sister I never had. How could I forget about the times we nearly gave him a heart attack?” Scanning the card, my eyes bulged at the reward for completing the job. My face fell at the job and its magnitude. Clearing out a sea of demons was the last thing I wanted to do, a long sigh escaping my lips. Why couldn’t I ever get a fucking break?

Memories of last night made me blush, the tension had been released. Demy leaning on his elbow as I tugged on my boots, his sly grin showing his pride from our fiery night of passion. Adjusting the ruffles on my blouse, his strong arms yanked me back onto the bed. The tension had faded between us, our satisfaction matching eotherach .
“Let’s play today.” He pleaded with big puppy dog eyes, a light smile dawning on my lips. “I had so much fun last night.” A golden envelope slid under the door, Demy’s fingers snapping. The envelope landed in his palm, a long exhale escaped his lips. The sounds of New Orleans came to life, jazz music filled the air. My weekend with my uncle had been lovely, but the noise and chaos of New Orleans felt like home or did Demy feel like home? Sinking deeper into my train of thought, a hungry kiss brought me back. Time stopped, my heart skipping a beat. Climbing on top of my lap, his hand plopping his hat on top of my head. What brought this on?
“We have a local job today.” He announced with unfiltered joy, lifting my chin up with his finger. “How about a date after?” A black ball of light blinded us, hairy legs grabbing me. Crying out for help, the monster whisked me away to another dimension. Throwing me on a giant web, chills shot up my spine. My face paled, horror widening my eyes. Struggling against sticky white silk, the silk vibrated. A shrill scream burst from my trembling lips the moment tiny spiders crawled over me, a man with six hairy legs trailing behind his tall slender body sauntered across the ceiling. His large abdomen bounced up and down, clammy sweat drenching my skin. A vibrant green suit hugged his seven foot seven frame, inky black eyes glistened underneath a fluff of neon green hair. His violet lips curled into a wicked grin, a long piece of silk glistened in the flickering light. Lowering his body, his face was centimeters from mine. Long fangs hung over his lips, a bright green venom dripped down the fangs. Clicking them together, his tongue licked his lips as they retracted into a row of clean teeth. Cupping my chin, his cold hand moved my face.
“How ugly!” He scoffed haughtily, licking my cheek. “You will make a most delectable meal.” Focusing on his ash gray skin, a stinger extended from his wrists. The venom dripped down the tip, the foul liquid burning my cheek. Healing up as fast as it burned me, frustration raged in his eyes. A defiant grin danced across my determined face, my tongue spitting out the spiders attempting to get into my mouth. Cringing at the sensation of tiny legs tickling my tongue, he snapped my head to face him.
“Poison doesn’t affect me.” I bragged jovially, my confidence coming back. “Nice try. I guess you will just have to eat me.” Low hisses slithered out of his mouth, his legs spinning a web around my squirming body. My eyebrow twitched irritably, my fingers snapping quietly. My staff floated into my palm, my enemy not noticing. Shoving it up my sleeve, a quiet groan escaped my lips at the fact my shirt was going to be destroyed. Allowing him to wrap me in a cocoon, the goal was to get him to relax his damn security. The sticky silk clung to my skin, his pets crawling up my leg. Couldn’t he just leave already! Gross, this fucking sucked. Shaking off my nerves, scarlet flames torched his webs, a rush of heat blowing his webs around. Glancing around, several cocoons surrounded me. Panic gripped my mind, the flames second from reaching them. Switching elements, golden ice crept up the web. Black smoke curled out of the small hole above me, a familiar energy perking up my spirits. Demy shot the web, his bullet smashing our enemy’s complicated design. Crashing to the cold neon green floor, dummies rained down around us. The wood smashed to bits, screams echoing down the hall. An icy breeze nipped my shoulder, my eyes falling on my tattered shirt. Black lace peeked out, Demy shooting a quick glance. Rolling my eyes, my shaft shifted to dual scythes. A drop of his venom hovered over his head, my body smashing into his. My skin hissed for a moment, my clothes melting away. Stifling a scream of venomous rage, Demy placed his coat over my shoulders. Embarrassment colored my cheeks, a nervous smile twitched on my lips.
“It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.” He teased playfully, helping me up. “We need to cut out his fangs or remove them somehow.” An idea rang out in my head, my hands cupping his. The screams shattered the touching moment, a rock flipping in my stomach. Dread poisoned my mind, his lips kissed me hungrily. Guiding his fangs to my neck, his fangs sank into my skin. Enough blood would make him immune to the venom, my free hand fending off his legs with my scythe. Sparks drifted aimlessly, his exoskeleton proving to be tougher than I thought. Leaning his head back, he stole his hat back. Reaching into his hat, the energy shifted. My blood prevented him from going fully insane, a sly grin curling on his lips. Black energy swirled around him, his ravens cawing behind him.
“Poison, you are going to die today. Nobody kidnaps my swallow.” He threatened darkly, spinning his scythe over her head. “Are you ready to play?” Tossing me his hat, he mouthed the order to rescue the people. Placing it on my head, it was time to listen to his orders. Sprinting down the tunnel, my scythes sliced through the webs with ease. People dropped to the cold rock, families embracing each other. A low humming noise echoed in my ears, a black gem floated in a ball of pale green energy. Demy ran down the tunnels, his scythe hanging limply by his side. Sweat drenched his skin, inky streaks stained his cheeks. Poison crawled along the ceiling, an electrical shock at one touch knocked me back.
“He keeps regenerating.” He huffed, leaning on his knees. “We need a new plan.” Catching his breath, the corner of his lip curled into a crooked smirk. Swinging the tip of his scythe into the ball, he knocked me to the icy rock. Energy built up, a wave knocked Poison back into the tunnel. Frightened eyes quivered in the shadows, panic gripping my mind. The black gem whizzed over my head, Demy catching it. Tossing it back to me, flames roared to life on my palm. The glistening surface cracked, shrill shrieks threatened to burst my eardrums. Poison charged at us, cracks lining his smooth skin. A devilish grin lit up my face, the gem shattering into pieces with a single squeeze of my palm. The dimension quaked violently, a sharp bang sent blood and guts raining over us. Groaning bitterly, neither of us were pleased to be wearing guts. The dimensions faded to the cemetery, the families all resting in confusion. Tossing him his head back, Demy spun it in his palm. Demy tossed his hat up in the air, his scythe and pets all flying back in. Dumping out a steaming pile of guts, an agitated snarl twitched on his lips. Snapping his fingers, the poor families disappeared. Confusion dawned on my face, so many questions rested on the tip of my tongue.
“Where did they all go?” I stammered nervously, sweeping a couple of organs off of my shoulder. “Are they going to be safe?” Crouching down to my level, he attempted to wipe the blood off of my cheek. Kissing my forehead, his strong arms pulled me in for a desperate embrace.
“They were sent back to their beds. What they experienced will simply seem like a nightmare.” He explained calmly, his trembling body showing how scared he was for me. “I thought I lost you. Thank goodness you are okay.” A sharp clear of a throat captured our attention, Riot sauntering up to us. A simple wave of his hand knocked Demy into the wall of the nearby mausoleum. His other hand reached for me, my hand slapping it away. Demy lay limply at the base of the wall, the wet grass tickling his face.
“What are the odds that your great grandmother was my worst enemy?” He mused playfully, the ground cracking underneath his iridescent snake boots. “Apparently, I messed with the wrong broad “ Jumping to my feet, my staff shrank back to its original form. My power flickered out, wicked laughter rumbled in his throat. His fist swung towards my face, my palm catching the punch. Silent tears stained my cheeks, my hand shattering. Kicking his chest, a tree crashed down upon his impact. His strength tripled mine, the chances of survival dwindling. His body smashed into mine, most of my bones creaking with protest. Kicking him off of me, he flew up into the sky. The bones in my hand clicked back into place, my fist slamming into his jaw. Sending him back into the air, the heel of his boot shattered my jaw. Curling my fingers around his ankle, the ground splitting the moment I threw him down. Clicking my jaw back into place, Demy stirred awake. A swift yank ripped down to his level, the back of his arm clutching the small of my waist. Fright widened my eyes, my porcelain skin beginning to decay. Immense pain jolted my body, ungodly screams escaping my lips.
“I see my daughter’s strength is impeccable but you can still decay away like the rest of us.” He taunted cruelly, my tears soaking his light green velvet suit. “Prepare for your fin-” A bullet whizzed by our heads, a fuming Demy peeled me off of him. Kicking him in the face repeatedly, he held me close to his hips. Bending over, he picked him up by his collar.
“What’s your fucking problem!” He roared thunderously, my father poking his finger together. “What kind of a father beats his daughter! She came back into your life and you want to kill her. Are you sure you didn’t just want to kill her mother? Now that I can understand.” An apologetic smile dimmed his features, glowing symbols lined every inch of his skin.
“I am under a curse for a few murders I committed in the real world in the middle ages. Unfortunately, my master refuses to let me go. Yes, I am the king of the demons or his demons but seriously I am over this.” He spewed faster than I could register all of his words, my mind racing through the myriad of options. “I need the blood of my first born to alleviate the rest of my damn curse. I used to have more symbols on my skin. I will admit to letting that banshee possess your mother. Let’s just say she was a waste of space.” Squirming out of Demy’s arms, I offered my arm to him.
“Shut up and bite it.” I urged kindly, Demy taking a step back. “Then I want you to take on my curse so you can’t kill me. All I have to do is drink yours and the curse I bestow upon you what can’t be undone. Are you willing to take that on? Are you willing to atone upon your sins and kill your boss, the true king of demons?” Defiance burned in his eyes, my other hand cupping his arm.
“I, Scarlet Everton the Sparrow, curse you to a life of servitude.” I chanted confidently, hovering my fangs over his arm. “Now take a bite if you agree to take it on and live a life of freedom! Freedom will be yours if you kill him for me. The terms aren’t that difficult. Hell, I will even make you a king of sorts.” Malice glinted in my eyes, his fangs hovering over my arm.
“Wait a minute!” He barked bitterly, ripping his arm away. “I am fine as I a-” Pinning him down, he struggled under my swelling strength. Banging his head against the ground repeatedly, fury boiled in my veins. Blood soaked his hair, his claws dug into my arm. What the hell was he fucking doing?
“You aren’t fine!” I reprimanded him venomously, letting his head crash back down. “I am offering you a path into the light and a chance to have a relationship with me. What could go wrong?” Flashing him a bright grin, his claws retracted. Pulling my arm close to his fangs, his arm hovered in front of my fangs. Sinking our fangs into each other’s arms, the symbols burned away. The rotten taste of his blood poisoned my taste buds, both of us struggling to swallow our gulps. A swallow flew onto his neck, the inky image settling on his shoulder. Releasing each other from our bites, the union had been formed. Animals stopped singing their nightly ballads, the stillness frightening us all. Our faces paled, a cloaked figure emerged from the shadows. The onyx version of my staff rested in his palm, the silver bat glistening in the moonlight. Tiny bats fluttered around him, ruby eyes glowed underneath his torn hood. Storm clouds thundered to life, lightning bathing the scene in a bright white light. Heavy raindrops crashed to the tops of our head, my hair soon sticking to the sides of my face. A golden glow bathed my staff, the ominous figure marching towards us. His ash gray robes fluttered in the breeze, my death glare falling on my quivering father.
“Riot, it’s time to repay your debt.” A deep voice thundered, a row of blood stained fangs greeting me. “You must be the wee little swallow I keep hearing about. You could join my team and take over the world. However, swallows always tend to want to fly free.” Riot stirred underneath me, his pleading eyes begging for me to stop as I leapt to my feet. Raising my staff in the attack position, my silver waves blew behind me.
“I can’t have you hurting my father. He may be a dick but I think we can fix things.” I proclaimed proudly, wicked laughter bursting from my lips. “Family is something to be cherished. There is one clear difference between us. The swallow gets to see the sun while you must hide in the shadows. Tell me how it feels to not have anything to live for.” Circling him, his fingers curled around the center of his staff. A metallic clang matched the next bolt of lighting, two straight silver blades glinted menacingly. A flurry of feathers swirled around me, my shaft shifting into dual scythes. Charging at me, our blades clashed violently. Leaping into the air, his blade catching my foot. Demy cried out, another simple wave sending him back. Using the angle to my advantage, my wrists flicked the scythes in the other direction. Pushing off of his back, a single swing sliced off his arms. Jumping off the mausoleum, dismay dimmed my eyes at the sight of his arms growing back. A bolt of lightning captured my attention, both of his swords whistled in my direction. A strangled gasp tumbled from my lips, one of his blades quivered in my stomach. A steady stream of curse words rang out, my trembling hands ripping it out. The damn blade burnt the surface of my palm, the black smoke curling into the sky. Tossing it to the side, my body crashed into a tight ball. An inky pool spread underneath me, copper poisoned my taste buds. Coughing up an unnatural amount of blood, my quivering fingers gripped my scythes’ handles. Struggling to my feet, tears stained my cheeks. Wiping them away, warm intestines struggled to stay in place. Dropping my scythe’s, both of my hands held it all in. Damn it! This hurt like hell. The corner of my lips curled into a snarl, a river of inky blackness cascaded through my fingers. Crawling over to a black iron nail resting in the ground, Demy stirred awake. Tossing it up into the air, Riot skidded past us. Kicking the nail into the sea of grass, a blast of energy shot me up in the air as the hooded figure snapped his fingers. Holding in my innards, every part of my body ached with every roll down the hill. Rolling into the nearest head stone, panic gripped my face. Demy rushed over, his voice fading in and out.
“Little swallow, you need to hang on.” He begged through a wall of tears, my old man shoving him out of the way. Cutting his palm, his blood poured into my wound. Taking a deep breath, his lips moved a mile a minute. The wound sealed shut, only a faint scar remaining. Shock rounded his eyes at my warm embrace, his arms hanging limply by his side. Shock changed to confusion, his mind seeming to be officially broken.
“I tried to kill you, yet you still stand up for me?” He stammered nervously, shoving me off. “I have been nothing but a dick to you. I murdered your mother and I still don’t care.” Shrugging my shoulders, a bright smile spread cheek to cheek. Struggling to find the words, he needed to have his second chance at life.
“Look at it from my perspective. I have a parent again. We can work out all of the kinks. I have to believe you can’t be that bad. You did just save me after all.” I assured him calmly, his nerves fraying further. “I am going to repeat this to you. I love you. So let’s cause a riot together.” Strands of his hair fell in front of his face, his clawed hand reaching for me. Cupping his hand, Demy rolled his eyes.
“You want to cause a riot with me?” He asked with a nervous grin, rubbing the back of his neck. “I have never heard anyone say that to me. You do know that I murdered a shit ton of people, right? I was a knight to a corrupt king, and killed without any remorse. I kept telling myself it was just an order. So many people died because of me.” Grasping his shoulder, my sins rolled off of my tongue.
“Forgive me father for I have sinned. I was an assassin before this and a damn good one. I think I was a little too good at it.” I admitted sheepishly, his expression softening. “I killed thousands of men but never the women and children. I set them up with my salary. Apparently you didn’t do the same but you can start saving people. I will have to smooth things over with the ghosts. Perhaps I can burn their favorite scents to please them or put on a show that they like. Their taste is something else.” Demy rolled his eyes, my old man hugging me awkwardly. Scarlet colored his cheeks, the embarrassment was simply adorable. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, a small smile twitched on his lips.
“Don’t break yourself by trying to smile. We can work up to that too.” I teased lightly, letting him go. “Let’s go home.” Jumping to my feet, my hand hovered in front of his face. Accepting it cautiously, one yank brought him to his feet. Hooking my elbow in his, Demy tossed me my staff. Blowing him a kiss, Demy winked back at me. Smiling gently to myself, a new part of my journey was about to begin.

The morning sun blinded me, my head rested on Demy’s chest. Scarlet colored my cheeks, his arm was draped around my shoulder. So many thoughts bounced around my head, the awkwardness of the moment shaking my nerves. His eyes fluttered open, his lips brushing against the top of my head. His touch seemed gentle as always, the tenderness not leaving anything to be desired.
“Good morning, my little swallow.” He groaned huskily, rubbing my shoulders. “I wonder what today will bring us.” My heart fluttered, his finger lifting up my chin. Pressing his lips against mine sensually, time stopped. A knock interrupted us, Old Man Dallas poked his head in. A golden envelope fluttered in his hand, my eyes falling on the pile of cash in the other. Demy rolled his eyes, a lump forming in my throat. Regret dimmed Old Man Dallas' eyes, the envelope trembling in his hands.
“This was left from the last job, and here’s a new one. It will hit close to home for you, Scarlet.” He warned me cautiously, setting them both down on the bureau. “I am sorry.” Leaping out of the bed, my fingers curled around the letter. My mother’s name greeted me, the letter floated to the floor. Shaking my head, my hands waved around.
“The answer is no.” I whispered briskly, chewing on my lip. “I won’t help her. No, not at all. I can’t even begin to describe the way she treated me as a kid.” Old Man Dallas dusted off his cream suit, his shoulders shrugging. Clearing his throat, my lips pressed into a thin line. Refusing to look at me, a nervous grin twitched on his lips. The fact that she found a rich husband didn’t shock me, intense hatred brewed in me. How dare she live happily while I suffered greatly!
“They requested you specifically.” He pointed out severely, his jaw tensing. “They won’t stop calling me. So you need to go. They are willing to pay you ten million dollars. Seemed like an odd amount.” Tears welled up in my eyes, the amount was what she received for selling me to River Creek Associates. Their front was a lawyer’s office, all of it hiding us assassins. What was her game? Picking up the paper, the upper crust of my town was where her mansion was. Bowing my head in shame, all I ever seemed to be was a pawn to be sold. Demy wrapped his arms around my waist, his chin resting on my forehead. Scarlet colored my cheeks, his gentle touch barely aiding my tension.
“I have an answer to your solution. Say I am your boyfriend and show her that you are happy.” He suggested seriously, my heart skipping a beat. “We practically act like a couple. Wouldn’t you say so, Old Man Dallas?” A sly grin curled on his lips, shock rounding my eyes. Boyfriends weren’t an option in the River Creek Associates, a strange excitement buzzed in my eyes. Apprehension left my desire in my shadows, the harsh memories whipping me in my back.
“Fine.” I sighed in defeat, cupping his hands. “If this is going to work, you have to be my real boyfriend.” Spinning me around, his arms curled around my waist. Lifting up my chin with his finger, his Cheshire Cat grin frightened me. Leaning down towards my ear, his next words caused my ears to flatten.
“If that is what you wish, my little swallow.” He whispered gruffly, sending my nerves into a frenzy. “I will be your boyfriend. Hell, I will marry you if you wish. I told you that I am so fond of you. This Mad Hatter would love to have a little swallow.” Grazing my fangs along the nape of his neck, my next words made his heart rate pick up.
“I am already married to you practically with this collar.” I mused playfully into his ear, his grip on me strengthening. Kissing me hungrily, my heart rate soon matched his. Arching towards him, a throat clearing stealing the moment. Sliding on my boots, we stepped into a crispy version of the transportation circle. Tracing the symbols with a fresh piece of chalk, Demy stepped in behind me. Cutting my palm, my blood pooled into a tiny palm. Moving my hand over the symbols, they glowed to life. Placing the letter in my palm, my flames devoured the curling paper. Scarlet energy hummed to life, the bedroom shifted to a lush backyard of a rolling mansion. The reddish-orange brick taunted me, the dark gray slate roof completed the look. Offering him my palm, Demy’s tongue licked the blood off. Wrapping my hand, our eyes fell on my well dressed mother. Her salt and pepper hair was twisted into a simple side bun, the bone white dress hugging her five foot two hourglass figure. Stiffening at the sight of her, it took everything to not kill her.
“My beautiful daughter has come to see me!” She slurred drunkenly, the smell of whiskey on her breath nauseating me. “Who is this handsome young man?” My brow cocked in response, my hands wrapping around his arm involuntarily. Tears welled up in my eyes, every cell wanting me to run. Reaching out for me, he stepped in front of me. Tipping his hat in her direction, his hair nearly touched the grass as he bowed in her direction.
“I am Demetros Deaclon, her fiance.” He introduced himself boldly, snapping his fingers behind his back. “I suspect you are the lovely lady who created my little swallow.” A black band formed on my finger, a large blood ruby sprouted from the center. Wicked laughter burst from her lips, her head shaking.
“I find it very hard to believe you actually love her. She is a messy little burden of a child. I was so happy to sell her at the ripe age of seven.” She gloated jovially, her stern husband marching up to her side. “Jimmy, you came out to greet my monster of a daughter.” His slate gray eyes narrowed in her direction, a quiet fury seethed in his eyes. Running his hand through his slicked back silver hair, his wrinkles creasing with a genuine smile. Dusting off his suit, he motioned for her to go back into the house. Tears stained my cheeks, my body trembled in Demy’s arms. Clutching me close to his chest, she stumbled back into the mansion. All of the raw emotion of her beating and selling me bubbled to the surface, my emotional center shattering by the second.
“You will have to ignore your mother. She is a nasty drunk witch.” He apologized sincerely, Demy tipped his hat in his direction. “I am your Uncle Gary Graystone. Do come in? I have a fresh pot of coffee ready. My housekeeper made some apple pie. You guys do eat, right?” Dusting off his expensive navy suit, he adjusted his tie anxiously. Tucking his hands into his pocket, anxiety wore on his face. Squirming out of his arms, surprise rounded his eyes the moment I embraced him warmly. His rich cologne wafted up my nose, a violet aura surrounded him. Soaking his jacket with my tears, years of guilt soaked the top of my head.
“Thank you for taking care of my mother.” I sobbed happily into his shoulder, simply happy to have a family member in my life. “We won’t be charging you.” His lips parted in protest, Demy clearing his throat. Stepping back, he examined the ring on my finger. A curious glint twinkled in his eyes, a sly grin dancing across his lips.
“I have to pay you a little bit. How about this? You can have a small ceremony here. The ring is quite nice.” He commented with a bemused grin, guiding us to the carriage house. “I seem to be having the biggest ghost problem. I hear screaming every night and it is terrifying. Do you think you can fix it?” Flashing him a bright smile, my fingers wiped away my own tears.
“Sounds like a banshee.” Demy said simply, taking off his hat. “That should be a simple fix. Do you mind if I use your library?” Motioning for us to go ahead, the look in her eyes told me to hang back by my uncle. Walking next to him felt odd, Demy leading the way back in. Something felt off, my eyes falling on my mother in the window. Standing straight up in the highest window, a cloudiness masked her caramel eyes. A pale hand gripped her shoulder, a shrill shriek shattered my eardrums. Blood poured from my ears, my bright smile hiding the pain. Pushing through the pain, the shriek died down. Wiping the blood off of my face, Demy hadn’t noticed my mother or me wiping away the blood. Cupping the whiskey bottle in her hands, large gulps of whiskey poured down her throat. Stumbling around, panic gripped me the moment she disappeared. Demy was seconds from entering, all of the glass blowing out.
“Cover your ears!” I ordered urgently, knocking my uncle to the soft grass. Shrill shrieks shattered the early morning breeze, my mother limping out. Her head spun all the way around, the cracking of her neck nauseating me. Bending backward, her bones twisted into unnatural angles. Ripping out his gun from his jacket, a whole round did little to deter her crawling towards us. The shrieking increased in volume, a whistling fogginess tortured my ears. My fingers curled around my staff, a clicking noise came to life as it shifted into a scythe. Snapping my fingers, a pair of headphones popped up in my hands. Dropping them onto his head, he lowered his hands.
“Don’t take those off unless I tell you to.” I warned calmly, feeling around my boot for the salt from the Irish waves. “Stay in the circle.” Gripping the bag, Demy clapped his hands. Popping up next to me, blood stained the left side of his face. Helping me up, my balance was off. Drizzling the salt in a circle around us. The twisted version of my mother smashed against an invisible wall, maggots poured from her gunshot wounds. Cloudy eyes met mine, an Irish lullaby poured from her lips. The hollow words caused my face to pale, a clammy sweat drenching my skin. Why couldn’t I even try to kill her? The song slowed to a halt, my heart sinking into my stomach. Her broken bones snapped loosely into the resemblance of a human, her body twitching like a broken doll.
“Wee little sparrow.” An elderly Irish female voice crooned cruelly, her hands pressing against the invisible wall. “That lassie didn’t love you at all. Must be such a cruel joke for you to even exist. Your mommy hated you from the moment you were born. You, wee little sparrow, were born a dead child. Evil courses through your blood, your father is a lead demon himself. He hired me to kill you. He said something about you taking his throne. Your mother died weeks ago, although I have to say it is a busted model. I couldn’t even get her to stop drinking. I would really like to get paid. So please let’s play. Your lad here, won’t even put a dent in me.”
“Only I can talk about my mother that way.” I retorted venomously, seeking a way to beat my possessed mother. Stepping out of the circle, my hand caught the shattered wrists of my mother. A tiny curved blade spun in her other hand, the sheepskin handle barely moved with her effort. A cry of pain burst from my lips, the blade quivered in my side. Smashing my boot into her chest, she rolled into the biggest tree. Spinning my blade over my head, several sparrows fluttered around me. Soma landed on my shoulder, whispering a spell into my ear. Demy stepped out of the circle, Soma fluttered away. Gee, thanks for the help.
“Salt of the Irish Seas, Lady of the trees.” I chanted confidently, horror widening my mother’s cloudy eyes. “Trap her in a tree where she can sleep for all an eternity.” Slamming the tip into the grass, thick chocolate brown roots burst through. Shrill shrieks intensified, the roots twisted around her body. The last shriek flickered out, a calm serenity washed over his property. My staff shrank down, a golden chain resting next to it. Demy snatched the chain, his nimble fingers wrapping it around the tree. The gravity of the situation hit me, my mother was trapped in a tree because of me. Sinking to my knees, the blood may as well have been on my hands. A rushing noise filtered into my ears, my eardrums healing back to normal. The sound of the water crashing over the sands did little to quell my nerves, a concerned Demy crouched down to my level. Rubbing my back, he clutched me to his chest. Pressing his palm to the wet grass, the glass floated into the air, piercing itself together. Of course, he could fix a window.
“It appears you were born dead.” He chuckled softly, the ring still glittering on my finger. “You can keep that on you if you wish. I am more than okay with waiting until you actually say yes.” Playing with the ring, the image of my mother twisted around brought me right back to a fearful state. My heart was seconds from beating out of my chest, a throat clearing stealing me from my train of thought.
“Let’s go inside and discuss your marriage.” He offered serenely, passing me my headphones. “I have to thank you for completing the job. I might also have some photos of your father. He did run with our friend group back in the day.” Swallowing the lump in my throat, a marriage was definitely not what I signed up for. The photos were appealing though, my mind racing wildly at the chance of seeing what my father looked like. Following him in, his face fell at the broken dishes all over the floor. Getting on my knees, he waved his hands around.
“Let the maid get this. A bonus will most likely be necessary. Dishes are replaceable. You two aren’t.” He chimed nonchalantly, Demy tossing me over his shoulder. Sitting me down on his tan leather couch, glass crunched with each of Uncle Gary’s steps. A bag of crackers and a block of cheese rested in his palms, a pleasant smile brightened his features. Sitting down across from me, my eyes fell on the myriad photos of our huge family. They all looked so happy without me, shame dimming my eyes. Demy plopped down next to me, his hand yanking me onto his lap. Curling his arms around my waist, he refused to let go. Rushing off to get a couple of albums, Demy grabbed the cheeseboard, cheese and knife.
“I only lied about the fiance thing to impress your mother.” He admitted sheepishly, his trembling fingers struggling with the cheese. “I can’t get this damn thing open.” Being engaged to him didn’t seem too bad. Taking the cheese from him, pure joy lit up his face at my next words.
“I mind being engaged to you.” I proclaimed honestly, cutting open the package. “I told you I love you. We are kind of stuck with each other anyway. I wouldn’t mind being your wife one of these days.” Watching me cut up the cheese, no words could come to his lips for the first time in a long while. Resting his chin on my head, I could feel his aura shifting to a nice white one. Smiling warmly to myself, I really meant it.
“Okay. If you really are okay with it.” He stammered oddly, feeding me a piece of cheese. “You really are something, aren’t you?” Cutting up the last of the cheese, the wood clattered against the long oak coffee table. Spinning around to face him, a deep crimson colored his cheeks. Holding the ring up to the light, it felt so right. A knock on the door interrupted us, a tall slender man sauntered into the living room. Running his hand through his slicked back onyx hair, his ruby eyes shimmered excitedly in my direction. A cruel smile danced across his inky black lips, my heart sinking to my chest. Fear paralyzed me, his overconfidence unsettling me. Tucking his hands into his slate gray velvet suit, his shiny dress shoes clicked up to me. Demy stiffened, low growls rumbled in his throat. Dancing his fingers down my arm, he examined the ring.
“You have been awakened and by your mate no less.” He snarled under his breath, unbuttoning the top buttons of my blouse. “Soma has blessed you with your grandmother’s powers. This is most troubling, indeed. All she had to do was kill you. The desire was there. Fucking weakling. Scarlet, do you know who I am?” Pointing his nose up in the air, my fingers curled the cheese cutting knife.
“I am assuming you are my father.” I guessed with uncertainty, his wicked grin spreading cheek to cheek. “I must have said your name three times or did I summoned you through a mirror like Bloody Mary. Did you really think another bad parent was going to scare me? You were even worse than her. At least she was there to beat and sell me for more drugs.” His slender fingers curled around my chain only for black smoke to curl off of his fingers. Dropping the chain, it swung wildly.
“I could always touch these before.” He cursed bitterly, my uncle walking in with the albums. “Why is she with you?” Chuckling softly to himself, he motioned for my father to sit. A scary smile dawned on his face as he set them down on the table. Leaning towards him, his hands clapped. Golden crosses lined the wall, all of our powers draining. Leave it to my uncle to command a room.
“Riot, you seem to have forgotten that I am a hunter with a bit of angel blood in me.” He sighed exhaustively, preparing a cracker with two pieces of cheese. “Why did you show up? Was it curiosity? Nice trick you played. Having her mother possessed by a banshee was a low blow. Should I slow clap for you now or give you a fucking cookie? Do you know that she is engaged to the demon reaper child? That could spell trouble for you.” Rising to his feet, my father’s seven foot frame towered over us all. Chills shot up my spine, all of us shivering for a quick second.
“I won’t let her ascend to the throne.” He growled through gritted teeth, rushing towards the door. “Just to let you know the cat always gets the swallow.” Clapping his hands, he disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Another chill ran up my spine, a single claw extended from my fingernail. The cheese knife clattered to the white marble floor, a deep concern flashing in both of their eyes. Gathering my wits, a small smile silenced their worry.
“So when is the wedding?” He asked with a million dollar grin, eating another cracker with cheese. “I would love to start planning. I have another tidbit for you. If you got married, you both would be stronger. Just say when. Would you like to spend a couple of days here? I have plenty of room and hardly any guests.” Nodding silently, he began to open up the albums and tell a tale of every picture. Losing myself in the moment, he pulled out his phone.
“I want a picture. Smile!” He sang excitedly, aiming his camera in our direction. “Hold those smiles.” Holding our pose, a bright light blinded us. Taking a couple more, the only thing I could see was white spots floating in my vision. Our phones dinged, a copy of the picture melting my heart. Demy had kissed my forehead at the right moment, our eyes falling on the moon. Exhaustion hung heavily on my eyelids, a groggy yawn escaped my lips. The conversation faded in and out, sweet slumber stole me away.

Foundations of Humanity 16 (Life on the Farm) - an NoP fanfic
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Thank you u/SpacePaladin15 for establishing the Nature of Predators Universe, and for allowing Fanfics to flourish! Thank you again, u/Braquen and u/Acceptable_Egg5560 for proofreading!
Memory transcription subject: Maeve, Human Integration Test Subject
Date [standardized human time]: August 29th, 2136. Late morning (1st Claw)
I couldn't stop giggling as Valek and I enjoyed our affections while the filling tub thundered behind us. The bath seemed to be a slightly older model of what was on the station, but still took advantage of the powerful lateral jet to clean Venlil wool. It lacked the means and clearance for a standing shower, so we decided to fill it for a soak and scrub.
With a parting nuzzle, Valek grabbed my clothes and took them to the washroom, telling me he would come back once he set the machine running. I lowered myself into the steaming water, and allowed my muscles and nerves coiled tight from the stress of the past two days to finally unwind. All of their toiletries were in Venlil script, vertical columns of squiggly box shapes, so I opted to wait for Valek to return before starting in earnest.
I was fidgeting in the water, rinsing myself of the grime gathered in our travels, when a knock signaled his return. “Alright, those should be clean and dry in the next hour or so. Have you figured out our shampoo?”
I couldn't stop myself from smiling as I shook my head, "Nope! Everything is in Venlilese. Which one is your favorite?" Valek and I went back and forth about their various cleaners; turns out, since grooming is a greeting for them, they tend to focus on flavor! Curbing my urge to sample the forbidden smoothies, I started washing with an import from Green Deserts: Deeproot fortified with Malley oil. The ginger smell was a little strong, but it made my skin tingly and my hair looked wonderful!
We continued talking while I washed up, Valek giving his enthusiastic assistance. He told me about his life on the farm, and what kind of chores to expect. Most things were automated, but house cleaning and pest control always needed a helping hand or paw. Provided an embarrassingly small towel, Valek brought me back to the bedroom before starting his own bath, while I began my report:
Do you feel you are safe in your lodgings?
Hmmm… Let's go with…
Yes.
Do you feel your nutritional needs are met?
That soup was really good… like minty minestrone.
Inconclusive, but tastes delicious.
Have you noticed consistent and/or escalating bodily discomfort, especially among joints and spine?
I did wake up pretty rough, but the bath was nice…
Some fatigue, but no pain.
Have you noticed an unanticipated interference with your sleeping habits?
Well I did just take a 14hr powernap. But it's still dinnertime?
Yes.
In your own words, how would you describe your emotional state?
Hoo boy, not doing that.
Optimistic.
Do you feel there is anything that must be immediately addressed, or provided, for yourself or future human immigrants?
Alright, I wonder what their character limit is…
The lack of a day/night cycle is very uncomfortable. I suggest we build simulated daylight and nighttime into human habitations, including mine. I woke up really sore, so I think Human bodies are not used to sleeping in higher gravity; bedding will need to be figured out. Venlil are bothered by our forward-facing eyes, but they are especially afraid of eye contact, so newcomers should practice not looking at who they are speaking to. Some Venlil believe that the Night is bad, and are skittish around dark clothing. Using a full-face mask would be effe
Whelp, there's the character limit… but where can I…
If you have any personal needs, please tap HERE to contact your sector's handler, SAM**.**
Ah! Here we are.
They will make all possible accommodations in a reasonable time. Deliveries to the surface happen once every 7 human 'days', or 8 Venlil 'paws'.
God, I hope they can get me some coffee…
I had just finished filling the request form when Valek came back into the room, gleaming white and black and smelling like a french martini; I could barely keep my hands off him while we talked about the report.
"Yeah I did mine in the bath! They… it was clearly asking me 'has she tried to eat you yet' like six times, which was frustrating, but I can't blame them for their fear; they'll come around." His tail wrapped around me as my fingers wound their way through the wool between his shoulders. "I talked to my parents. Looks like their farm bots are having some trouble. I convinced them to take you along, if that's ok?"
I stopped for a moment. I admit, the idea of being outside with Leksi was a little unnerving…
Memory transcription subject: Elva, Human Integration Host*.*
"NO! I won't be out in the field! Alone! With a predator! Are you DIM?!"
"Elva, flower, you won't be alone; I won't let you two leave my sight. I'll be on the Hill, Nightshatter trained and ready. And Alvi will be with you just over the next hedge. I'm sorry but we need her help with this!"
"But what if she's too fast?! What if she… snaps my neck before you-?!"
"She won't because she can't. I'd go instead, but we both know I'm the better shot. We can't afford another short harvest, love…"
I stood puffed and trembling in the kitchen. My husband was ready to put me out as bait for this beast! We could survive another season! Just until this thing was out of my house! We had enough! We--
… we didn't. We were already behind, another missed bill and we could lose the farm! If these damn bots could do anything! We were promised higher productivity for less labor! Predator-shit! That last one hadn't even finished its rounds before overheating!
"I! I can't!... I'm… I'm so scared, Leksi."
I shrank against my hopelessness while Leksi embraced me, arms and tail, and rocked my shivering form there in the kitchen while he groomed the space between my ears. It was almost like we were dancing, like we used to in better times.
"I know, love. I know. We will get through this…"
---
The predator walked several places ahead of me, following my directions to the downed droid. I couldn't take the silence, just imagining all of the ways they would carve us up. "So… what do you think we taste like?"
The creature 'laughed' in its barking manner. "I need to ask you a favor Elva: never ask me a question you don't want the answer to. I've promised Valek and Alvi that I will answer any question they ask me, and I will offer you the same courtesy. But you need to take that seriously."
It turned its head in a poor attempt to face me. Were it a proper prey species, it might've actually seen me over its shoulder. "I will answer that question, completely and honestly, if you ask me again. Or is there something else on your mind?"
I thought for a moment. Here I had the opportunity to ask a predator, presumably a sapient one, any question I wanted.
"What are predators like on your planet?"
It stood straighter for a moment, before resuming its stride. "It depends on the predator: could be something more familiar like a Tiger, which uses camof-"
"I meant what hunts Humans?"
"Oh! Well, many things, and also nothing."
That didn't make any sense! Either they did or they didn't! But the thing continued its babbling, "Parasites have the highest human kill-count, but I know that's not what you're asking about so we can skip those. Humans are really problematic! We are difficult to kill, tend to fight back, and if you do kill one of us, more of us tend to come back. Most creatures on earth have learned this, so they tend to avoid us. In this sense, nothing hunts humans."
"But sometimes, an animal will be especially desperate, or maybe a human went somewhere they shouldn't have, and bad things can happen. Wild Dogs have been the most effective human-hunters, using pack hunting and knowing when humans are most vulnerable. Next up are Tigers, using camouflage and ambush tactics, then Crocodiles using the same. But that's only animals that hunt us. There are many that kill us as preemptive defense, like the Hippo which is completely herbiv-"
The predator stopped still, then lowered its body to a crouch. It hissed at me, "Elva! Elva! I need you here. Now!" It reached its black hand to me before speaking up, "Alvi! Get over here!"
Alvi struggled up the mound beside us, sliding down next to the predator.
"Alvi, bring Elva here, quiet as you can." Its head was locked in front of us.
"Maeve, what's going on?"
"Get under me, quickly!"
Alvi nearly dragged me under its cloak, the creature's form looming over us. It supported itself on long arms, fingers splayed in the dirt. Its legs were bound up behind us, like a spring ready to burst!
"Ok you two, I need you to look ahead of me, and tell me if you see that."
Of course this primitive thing wouldn't know what a droid was! The beast was terrified of a hunk of metal and circuitry!
"It's just a bot! We use them-"
"Look after the bot, Elva."
"Are you sun-stunned? What are you-- Oh!"
So THAT is a Predator…
Black pinpricks in piercing white eyes were locked onto us from the treeline. It hid in the shadow of a tree, but its orange and green-streaked muzzle just poked into the light.
"C'mon! I need to know if you see it!" Strong arms pulled Alvi and I against a pounding heartbeat. A black-gloved hand took hold of a large stone.
"Yes, I see it. I… I think that's a Shadestalker. All my life on this farm, and I've never seen one…" -- "So you've never had a problem with these before?" -- "Not us, no."
Tense muscles and heaving breaths surrounded us. "Ok. Ok… okokok. I… I need you two to stay under me. No matter what happens, do not run. Keep your ears open, tell me if another tries to get to our side." I thought I heard--
Alvi whimpered beside me, "You're scaring me, Maeve."
-- shifting soil! "B-Behind us, on the left!"
A bestial growl, shifting weight, and a sharp YELP in quick sequence. The stone came back into view, smeared with a smattering of violet blood. A voice above us whispered, "We need to back up. Stay with me." Their black arm wrapped around us, and we all started inching backward as a unit.
The Shadestalker ahead walked with us, bringing itself totally into the light. It's grey coat caught the light in unusual ways, seeming to sparkle and dance in distracting colors. My legs stopped unbidden, mesmerized by the display.
I could feel the sun on my wool as my cover continued without me, "ELVA!!" The human screamed behind me, as something leapt from the mound to my right. I saw its wide mouth and excited eyes in my periphery.
I'm coming, Elsi.
Darkness filled my vision while a scream of pain echoed behind me. The predator had thrust it's arm into the Stalker's bite! I felt something grab and pull me back under the black cloak. Vicious growls and angry screams filled the air around us, as the two fought over us.
I could see the forward Stalker readying a pounce, but it's eyes weren't on me. It's back legs made to spring, going for her neck!
"MAEVE!!"
Ozone filled my mouth as a streak of green light slammed into the beast's shoulder, nearly rending its forward leg from it's body. The creature writhed on the ground as its flesh sizzled from superheated plasma.
Maeve let out a scream of defiant fury, as her assailant went silent; a moment more, and a sharp Pop signaled the end of the fight, but not for Maeve. She shifted herself back to covering us, breathing heavy as she raised her battered arm and bloody stone in the air, a grim invitation to her next opponent; absent, by the grace of the Sun.
Alvi was frozen next to me, the ground beneath us slightly damp. It took several seconds before Maeve's breathing, and mine, returned to baseline. The protective shield of her body shuddered, and collapsed to our side.
Alvi snapped back to cognizance, "Brahk the Night, that was the most terrifying thing I've ever seen! C'mon Maeve, let's get back to the Hill."
She's still shaking… why isn't she getting up?
Barely a prayer on my tongue, "...Maeve…?"
I could barely make out her arm through the black fabric. That's a lot of blood…
"Oh, SPEH she's hurt! I need to get help, you stay here!" Alvi ran a bounding sprint back to the hill, leaving me alone with the girl.
A mighty breath. A shuddering sigh.
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TL;DR I am a very violent domestic abuse survivor and have been single 16 months. I met someone I can see something with and asked them to be exclusive but now am anxious about that and don’t know what to do.
So my previous relationship was about 1.5 years long with this woman F[22] and it really was disastrous.
It went well for a while but they became extremely jealous and possessive to the point where they would physically attack me when upset if I spoke to a female coworker or got my haircut by a woman, etc.
They would threaten suicide any time I attempted to leave them and towards the end even put a knife to their throat and I had to wrestle it out of their hands when they began actually cutting their neck.
After that I feared for my life and was afraid to make her mad in fear of her possibly killing me in my sleep. I eventually got my attorney involved and managed to get her out of my life.
I spent a long while just sleeping with women I would go on dates with and felt so empty. I eventually stopped that and focused on dealing with my trauma and being less set on dating as a main focus in my life.
Now, I feel relatively comfortable but I met this woman F[24] she is great. She is a third year veterinarian student, comes from insane wealth(not that it matters in regards to a reason go date her) and is really just wonderful.
I have a few things here, after our first date it went amazing and we hung out the following day. She told me that she did actually go on a date that morning for coffee and ended up sleeping with this person. I was 50/50 bothered by this. I would have rather not known she had sex with someone she met the same day we hung out and the morning after our date.
The reason why I am more okay and understanding is because we weren’t exclusive and her history. She grew up severely religious and saved herself for marriage. That marriage ended up being quite emotionally and mentally abusive and she left this in October.
Having known this I understood why she might be experimenting sexually and to that point she had no experience with anyone else, had never drank before, had coffee, tea etc.
So I think it would be unfair of me to judge. I decided I was okay with it and wanted to continue to pursue things. About two weeks into going on dates and talking I asked her that we date exclusively while we see if a relationship would be something we want. Mostly because us having sex with others etc brings higher risk to contracting sexually transmitted diseases and also just sometimes makes it difficult to really focus on getting to know someone. She agreed that she was interested in that but told me she would have to find a way to bring it up to an entirely different person that she had been sleeping with since she divorced her husband. Her friend convinced her to sleep with him and they used to be FWB and that was a whole weird situation. But she did end that.
Well after our discussion of being exclusive, I felt great while with her. I stayed the night and she cooked me breakfast and it was a nice time.
But as a couple of days have past, I find myself getting anxiety when I think about being exclusive. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve gotten so used to being alone these past 16 months or what. It’s just worrying me that maybe I jumped the gun and that I might hurt them if I realize I am not ready for a relationship or dating seriously, currently.
Several things are of concern. Recently my ex moved back to town and the day after I asked for us to be exclusive I went to delete my bumble and my ex’s profile was front and center. Which scared me but at the same time a part of me couldn’t stop thinking about if she matched me and having sex again which is terrible given the trauma. But I have found myself dreaming about it a fee times while single because she always told me nobody else would love me like she did and although I know thats not true, after 1.5 years almost of terrible dating experiences I found myself believing it a little.
I feel guilty for them but my ex was also very jehovas witness and although this new girl is not a JW, she grew up extremely mormon but is now non practicing since her divorce.
So the family thing concerns me as well. Along with their level of wealth. I come from a very wealthy political family BUT I grew up very poor because my mother was disabled and my grandparents didn’t assist much. Her family are tech moguls (so like airports on their properties rich) and it’s just intimidating as well that I wont be accepted for multiple reasons.
We are not a couple and still getting to know each other but it is very intense and I feel I may have jumped the gun on asking to be exclusive..

It's the First of April. Thats all I will say.
________________________________________
The New Hope
Vance was tired, he had been on the run all day long. What had looked to be another boring routine survey mission into a simple uncharted binary star system had turned out to be quite a bit more.
Stopping for a quick breather, Vance pulled out his hydroflask and took a long pull of the lukewarm water. It might have been a bit stale, but to him it tasted sweet as cherry soda. The hydroflask sealed with a pop as he replaced it on his belt. It would slowly draw moisture from the air and condense it inside, refilling over time.
Good thing too, this planet seemed to be a never-ending desert. Everywhere he turned to look the relentless twin suns beat down on his thick grey fur, causing him to pant heavily as he tried to cool himself down futilely.
Vance was Yeown, a member race of the Sapient Congressional Union. He stood just under two meters tall though his shoulders were hunched and his long arms were held at a low ready by his sides. His slightly werewolf-like features were currently scrunched into a scowl as he surveyed the surrounding landscape, trying to determine what his next move should be.
That's when he saw it, on the horizon, smoke. Smoke meant fire, and as so often was the case, fire often meant people and civilization.
A destination in sight and a goal in mind, he was now feeling much better about his situation. Vance took a few minutes of walking along the endless dunes to once more marvel on his situation. The fact that he was able to breath without his constricting environmental suit was a miracle. Naturally habitable planets were rare, not so rare as to be nonexistent, but rare enough that his chance stumbling blindly across one was likely a once in a lifetime experience. Well, once in a lifetime if he didn't find shelter was a near guarantee.
His people had evolved on a cooler, more temperate world. The Yeown homeworld of Bright Moon was a temperate world with large polar regions and thick evergreen forests that covered much of the planet’s surface. This relentless heat was slowly but surely killing him. If he didn't find a place to cool off in the next few hours he was likely to suffer heat exhaustion and die.
Vance shivered at the thought. His mummified remains would be lost to the endless sands of this cruel desert. He looked forwards again, the smoke did in fact seem closer now that he really scrutinized it. He grinned, pointed carnivore teeth bared in a terrible grimace. Any non-herbivore species able to see him at that moment would likely have had a fit, his bestial features less sapient in appearance than most other known races.
While this did not frequently bother him, it had on occasion caused some small disturbance to other member races. In particular dimwitted humans.
He snarled quietly, the SCU had only made contact with his people forty years in the past. Plenty of time for the other member races of the Union to become acquainted, but they hadn't. It seemed that many of them harbored an instinctive mistrust towards the Yeown. Whether it was born of ancestral fear or prejudice meant little to Vance, it was wrong. There were even whisperings of succession in some of the more extreme circles.
It would never happen though. The Union was truly vast, thousands of inhabited worlds spanning thousands of light years and with a population numbering in the hundreds of quadrillions of sapient beings. There was no realistic way that their tiny population of a few billion could hope to stand up to the might of quadrillions.
He put thoughts of rebellion out of his head, the Union wasn't some tyrannical galactic empire after all, they did seem to have the best interests of their citizens in mind. ‘Most of the time.’ He thought silently, bitterness reentering his thoughts in spite of himself.
The smoke drew steadily closer, thoughts of what kind of strange people might inhabit such a desolate world caused his mind to enter a tizzy. From what he knew of desert creatures they tended towards the more insectoid or reptilian. Mammals were a rare sight on such worlds, would they accept him as a sapient being? What if they tried to kill him?
Dark thoughts of murder and cannibalism entered his mind unbidden. Such creatures existed across the Union, Flesh tearers and the other psychotic bloodthirsty pirates that frequented the less populated regions of the galaxy. Was it possible that the indigenous people of this world would be the same?
His ship had not detected radio signals before he had mysteriously lost power. Only by switching to his secondary generator had he been able to prevent himself from becoming a glassed crater in the planet’s surface, barely. His ship had suffered catastrophic damage in the landing and he had decided to try and scout out the area.
Thats where he had made his first mistake, he had oriented himself towards the morning sun and started off, but soon after the first had risen then another sun had made its presence known in the ever-brightening sky. His compass had been useless and his trail had been obscured by fresh blown sand. Soon he had found himself hopelessly lost.
With no landmarks to follow and two suns causing him to confuse the direction he had come from, he had started to lose all hope of making it off the planet alive. But then he had seen the smoke, like a beacon it inspired hope in his chest.
He took another large panting breath before taking a moment to rest in a shallow hollow. He cocked his head as he spotted the first life he had yet seen on the planet, a small scraggly bush, barely alive by the looks of it. Its wood was covered in gnarls and grey twigs, knobby and blistered by uncountable days of exposure to the harsh elements.
Still, where there was life there was water, that was a good sign as he was drinking from his hydroflask faster than it seemed to be able to replenish
He took another deep shuddering breath, his break had done nothing but drawn attention to his aching muscles and sore joints. Walking for hours through the soft sand had turned his legs to jelly and his feet to raw meat. His large clawed paw-like feet generally had no problems with the terrain, but the hot sand had slowly begun to scour the softer flesh between his toes. While he wasn't bleeding yet, the flesh was raw and tender, he knew that he would have to clean them soon so as to prevent potential infections.
Vance had received a universal inoculation when he had turned the age of twelve, but while it was essentially an immune booster it was not a cureall. One could still get sick, the inoculation simply boosted the natural strength of his immune system. The result was near human levels of disease resistance but at the cost of becoming quite tired while fighting off an infection.
As Vance crested the next rise he froze, the cause of the smoke was now directly in front of him. The low rolling sand dunes gave way to an expanse of flattened earth, less sandy, more dusty.
In the middle of this flattened land was a large sunken pit of some sort and a low hut-like structure. The hut was the cause of the smoke, the structure charred and covered in strange marks.
Vance hunkered down, all thoughts of his sore muscles and raw feet forgotten as he observed the scene. It looked like the aftermath of a war zone, a high-tech warzone at that. The strange marks resolving themselves into some sort of burns like those made by energy weapons.
He swore loudly, then immediately snapped his mouth closed. Whatever or whoever had caused the damage might still be nearby, and from the looks of the place they would likely not have his best interests in mind either.
He waited a full ten minutes but no enemies appeared, he looked around and then swore quietly “Frine’s furred ass…” He needed a place to shelter and he couldn't wait any longer. Dangerous or not, the chance of death was better than certain death, and so he found himself moving towards the low round building. His body held low as he used his arms and legs to creep forwards.
He reached the side of the building and stopped, a new smell reached his strong senses. After nothing but the hot slightly metallic smell of the dunes and his gear, it was a bit of a surprise to smell something different. He smelled burnt flesh, the smell making his mouth water slightly. He had not had fresh meat for months, subsisting off the dried and freeze dried rations he was provided with by the company.
His stomach growled involuntarily and he swiped his tongue over his lips. He had a bad feeling that what he was about to find might not be a delicious home cooked meal though.
Sure enough as soon as he crept around to the front of the building he recoiled. In front of the door were the charred remains of two creatures, strangely familiar but unrecognizable due to the damage.
He looked closer despite his disgust, the creatures looked far too familiar, two legs and arms. A body shape similar to that of a human, but that was not too surprising he surmised. More than one of the Union member races seemed to take after that appearance, humanoid as the humans called it. And of course they would, they named everything after themselves the selfish hairless packbreakers.
Vance snorted, trying to get the smell out of his nostrils as he slunk by into the building itself. The building was larger than he had at first supposed. The doorway turned out to be a set of stairs that led underground in the direction of the large pit he had observed earlier. ‘They must be a burrowing race.’ He thought idly as he descended into the structure.
Indeed as he reached the bottom of the stairs it opened up into a small house built almost entirely underground. Though one of the rooms seemed lit, it must connect to the large open pit. The room was scorched, the look of a fire that must have raged out of control.
Even with the oppressive smell of charr and soot it was cooler than the surface. He located what looked like the remains of a stool and wiped it off before sitting. He gave a long sigh before taking another long swig from his hydroflask. It felt good to be sitting, his aching muscles and feet groaned in protest as he tried to regain his strength.
After a few minutes his breathing had slowed and he was feeling much more comfortable. He flexed his feet, he needed to find something to wash them with, he looked around. He couldn't see any obvious means of water storage. The planet was hot, hot and dry. But surely the local life drank water, or at least knew of its existence.
He stood, wincing slightly as his sore feet protested, the sand between his toes a constant sting. He limped over to the far wall and moved a few charred items off a nearby shelf. Nothing of use it seemed, then he stopped. He looked at the end of the counter before moving quickly towards a large box at the end of the counter, it looked like.
“Yes!” He said triumphantly. It had been some sort of refrigerator.
It seemed that whatever damage had been done to its exterior was entirely superficial as the inside lit up dimly with a soft bluish glow as he opened it. He grabbed for the large container of clear liquid on the uppermost shelf.
He was about to take a deep drink when his common sense stopped him. He had no idea what the liquid was, it could have been almost anything, so he pulled out a small analysis tool from his belt. Generally the small device was used to assay rocks and other samples brought onboard by his probes, but it should do just as well identifying the basic elements of the liquid.
Placing a small drop from the jug inside, he turned the device on and waited as it whirred softly. After about a minute it made a series of low beeps. Checking the display he smiled, hydrogen and oxygen bonded into di-hydrogen monoxide molecules, more commonly known as water.
He took a tentative taste, the cool clean water taking away the dull scratchiness in his mouth. He took another swallow, this one deeper and more satisfying. Sighing contentedly he looked into the small cooling unit again, there were some other items of interest, not the least of which was a small wrapped package of what appeared to be some meat-like substance.
While he wasn't hungry per-se, his instinctual craving for thick juicy chunks of meat was trying to get the better of him. He paused and then growled deep from his chest. There was no way he would pass up the opportunity if it was remotely safe to eat, and so he pulled out the protein analyzer from one of his vest pouches. While similar to the analysis tool, it would instead check the compounds of the product and check for incompatibilities. If none were expressly detected then it was in all likelihood compatible with his system. While he wasn't capable of the incredible culinary feats of humans who seemed to be capable of eating almost anything they could fit in their mouths, he could digest a wide variety of proteins and fats from many worlds he was not native to.
This ability made him confident that he would be able to eat the morsel without incident, though it was always better safe than sorry. He waited an irritating three minutes before the small device gave a chime and flashed green. That was a good sign, checking the screen on the analyzer it told him what he had hoped to see. What he had was a foreign foodstuff that seemed perfectly compatible with his biology, that was a little odd. Generally a food safe to eat from an alternate world would be at least partially incompatible with his digestion, but this seemed like it had been made specifically for him.
Shrugging at this turn of good fortune he grabbed the fist sized package and sat once more at the sooty stool. Unwrapping the meat fully he was hit with a delicious smell, like sweet and briny at the same time. He pulled out his survival knife and used it to carve off a chunk of the meat before taking a bite.
Immediately his mouth exploded with the flavors of the exotic flesh, it was tender and soft, hints of sweetness and a deep salty undertone that satisfied his cravings like nothing he had ever yet tasted before. It was like some cross of sea creature and cultured livestock, it was in all parts delicious. Vance found himself chowing down on the strange feast, before he knew it the meat was gone, his mouth still watering from the abundance of flavors.
He sat back on the stool, back pressed against one of the earthen walls and gave a sigh. He felt content. He felt a comfortable sleep threaten to overtake him and so sat up and then stood. There was still far too much to do before he could allow himself that luxury. He took the water jug and slowly poured a small measure of the precious liquid over his feet, taking care to maximize its usefulness in case he was unable to find more. After a minute of this he felt comfortable enough to take another look around.
He moved around the room, checking the walls and furniture for other potentially useful items, nothing jumped out at him explicitly but he kept at it. As he finished the common area he moved into some of the adjoining rooms but they all looked the same. Charred and with pieces of broken furniture lying in smoldering piles all around. Before he knew it he stepped out into the open air once more, but it was shaded. He looked around curiously, it seemed to be some sort of sunken courtyard.
Along the walls were what looked like some sort of long boxes connected to the metal walls with pipes and wires, he moved closer and saw that many had small green shoots and fronds inside. So this must be some sort of farm then he mused to himself. In the center of the area was a tall machine of some sort, tubes and small vanes covered its entire surface and he stepped close to it. His sensitive pointed ears swiveled slightly to better pick up faint sounds and he smiled again as he heard the distinct sound of liquid moving through the smaller pipes.
This must be some sort of atmospheric condenser, they were relatively common on dry desert planets but to see one on an uncharted and alien world was a shock. These people must be somewhat advanced to have electricity and condensers. Maybe if they had such technology they had a faster way of moving across the dunes. Some sort of buggy or skiff.
Vance looked around, well, it likely wasn't down in the pit, making up his mind he walked back into the underground house and made his way back to the kitchen area. Looking around for a moment he walked to the water jug he had left on the blackened countertop. Taking another drink from his hydroflask he poured out the small amount of water that remained and then refilled it with the much cleaner purified water from the jug. Now at least he would be able to drink it without tasting the inside of the micro condensers from his hydroflask.
He gathered all his gear and gave the darkened room one last look, nothing caught his immediate attention so he left, walking up the long staircase to the surface. He stepped around the two charred corpses at the front of the structure again and looked round. The area around the dwelling was clat and mostly clear, though about fifty meters away he spotted what looked like another tall condenser. Next to it was a small pile of boxes and crates, it was the only thing in sight that might hold something of interest so he started towards it.
As Vance reached the small pile he cocked his head, something went scampering from the cracks between the crates, a small creature that seemed to hop on two legs. It stopped a few meters from him and he looked at it intently. It was no bigger than a Znot, in fact, other than missing the extra limbs, it seemed remarkably similar. It had tan wrinkly skin that blended into the surrounding dirt and a long nose that it brushed a few times as he watched. It must have been some sort of small rodent equivalent native to this world. As he looked at the small critter It gave a small series of squeaks and scurried away, its tail disappearing back into the large pile of boxes.
He gave a small chuckle, it seemed like a harmless enough animal. As he walked around the boxes he stopped, on the far side previously out of sight sat some sort of contraption. The strange machine seemed to hover on some sort of antigravity cushion, as he approached and pushed on it it moved slightly but stayed remarkably stable. He gave it a look over, its purpose started to become clear to him the more he looked. It was long and thin, with a series of tubes and machinery along the bottom. The middle of the device had a saddle-like seat behind a pair of handlebars attached to a pair of long vaned tubes that jutted from the front. It almost looked like some sort of wheelless motorcycle, a popular type of vehicle frequently used in the more rural parts of the Union that he frequented.
He shrugged and climbed on, the seat was a little uncomfortable as it seemed designed for a smaller species, but it would be fine. He found the control stirrups and placed his feet in them. He gripped the handlebars tightly and kicked back on the pedals. The machine made a series of coughing noises and then returned to its seemingly inert status. It was still hovering however so it must still have been working.
Vance looked around and found a small switch on the body under the handles. He shrugged and flicked it, the machine seemed to whirr slightly but nothing else changed. Once more he pushed back on the pedals and gasped as the vehicle leapt forwards with an acceleration that threatened to tear the breath from his lungs. He eased off the pedals and the device slowed to a more manageable speed. He experimented with the handles and turned to the left, the vanes seemed to catch the air and the hovering vehicle made a neat left hand turn.
He smiled wide as the air rushed by his ears, the wind cooling him and weakening the oppressive heat of the planet. “What a way to travel," he chuckled to himself.
Getting the hang of the device took only minutes, after he had determined he understood the mechanics of the device he returned to the crate and dismounted, making sure to flick off the powerswitch lest the thing take off without him. That would put him firmly back to square one again.
He quickly checked the boxes, many of them were empty, a few held bits of machinery that he didn't know the purpose of. The last one he checked seemed to have some sort of mechanical device inside, it looked like a robot of some sort. Short and squat with a pair of wheeled legs on its sides. Its dome-like top was painted red and white and seemed to house a series of sensors and hatches. It appeared inactive and so he closed the top, not wanting to mess with something that he didn't know the purpose of. While he suspected it wasn't a device designed for destruction, there was no way of knowing and so it was better left untouched.
Vance climbed back onto the hovering bike, the hoverbike as he was starting to call it in his head, he flicked it back on and sat still. He had a means of transportation, but he had no destination. Which way would he go? He thought about heading back towards his ship but then thought better of it, there wasn't much of a point in going back to it anyways. It was done for, damaged beyond repair. Besides, from what he had seen of the area on the way over there was no life out in the dunes. He moved towards one of the high dunes on the opposite side of the place, stopping at the top he squinted and looked around. In the far distance he could make out what looked like a series of rocks. It was as good a place as any he figured, making a mental note of which direction he had come from he zoomed off towards the distant landmark.
If he considered the rotation of the planet and the rising of the suns being to the East as was common, then the direction he was heading was roughly north. He liked his odds of finding something north, it must cool down at least a little the further he traveled from the equatorial zones of the planet at the very least.
Vance reached the rocks in less than ten minutes, the same distance would have likely taken him hours to walk but he put it out of his mind. Signs of life were all around, small lizard-like creatures scattered into the rocks as he approached and he could see small shrub-like plants all around.
The planet wasn't as dead as it had initially looked he surmised, just the vast deserts lacked life. Here among the rocks more conventional life seemed to exist.
Vance slowed for a bit, taking his time as he wound his way through a series of canyons and deep clefts in the rock. At one point he thought he heard the sound of someone yelling, but it faded too fast for him to get a bead on its location.
The eeriness of the planet combined with his total lack of knowledge on what dangers may lay around the corner made his progress slower than it needed to be. He wished he had a weapon, a pistol, a stick, anything. Sure his retractable claws would put the hurt on anything that might come at him but he had no idea what he might be up against. The feeling of not being the top of the food chain sat ill with him, his hackles rose, the collar of fur longer and shaggier near the back of his neck. It had evolved that way to protect the neck from being an easily exploitable weak spot.
He heard a strange wailing noise, at first he thought it was some terrible beast and he froze. But as he listened closer it had the unmistakable undertone of a turbojet fan spinning rapidly. As the thought passed through his mind he exited the narrow canyon he had been traversing and he gasped. The land stretched out in front of him, kilometers and kilometers of open flat rock, and in the distance a settlement or some type. He could make out dozens of structures and a few larger circular buildings whose use he wasn't sure of. It looked to be several kilometers away, not a problem with his new mode of transportation.
High overhead he saw the unmistakable silhouette of a ship leaving the planet, if they had the ability to leave the planet then why had they never been contacted by the Union before? He shook his head and then zoomed towards the small town.
He reached it in minutes, slowing to a walking speed as he saw the main entrance point to the small town appeared guarded. He approached the entry slowly, unsure as to what he should do. He was obviously not the same species as the two white armoured soldiers manning the checkpoint, they looked humanoid in shape whereas he was much taller and lankier. His arms longer and his back hunched.
Another thought entered his mind just as he floated up to the two soldiers, how would he communicate? He racked his brains furiously as he tried to think of a solution, he waved at the two soldiers as they walked over and then nodded in a polite manner. He would just have to pretend to understand and hope nothing made them attack.
He nearly jerked himself off the hoverbike in shock as the first soldier walked over and asked in perfect unaccented common “Identification?”
He had to stop himself from stuttering, the words frozen in his mind at this strange new discovery.
The other soldier, this one with an orange shoulder pad, walked over and asked “Is there a problem here?”
Vance shook his furred head and dug out his ident card, there was no reason it should work but hey, stranger things had happened. He handed the ident card to the first soldier with a muttered “My apologies.”
The soldier seemed to scrutinize the card before looking at him, the featureless black eye lenses of the white helmet only deepening the feelings of paranoia he was feeling at the moment. The soldier turned to his superior and spoke “It's not a form I am familiar with, sir.”
The other soldier took the card and looked at it before handing it back to the trooper “It looks like a match to me. You know how these backworlds are. Let them through.”
Handing the card back the first soldier waved him through saying “Move along.”
Vance did so without another word, tucking his ident card away. He was in disbelief, that had worked? What were the odds? He stopped and took a second to compose himself before his jaw dropped again.
All around him were strange wonders and marvels. Aliens of almost every description wandered to and fro in the streets, strange hovering contraptions moved down the thoroughfares and large almost lizard-like creatures lowed at street corners where small vendors seemed to be hawking wares. He saw strange furred beasts with great horns pulling hovering carts, and a multitude of what seemed to be robots all around. He shivered at the thought of them, artificial intelligence was abhorrent.
It was a most incredible sight and for several minutes he marveled. His examination was cut short as a small hooded figure approached and started speaking at him. This time he was unable to understand the words and shook his head.
“I'm sorry I don't understand. What do you want?” he asked the diminutive creature. He couldn't make out its appearance under the heavy hooded robe it wore, but he could just make out a pair of shiny orange eyes. It seemed to become agitated at his remark and shouted again, his time drawing the attention of several passers by.
The creature made one final scathing alien remark before marching off. Several of the onlookers snickered, likely understanding the insults he had blindly weathered. He growled in a predatory manner and most of them hurried away. While he was not large for a male of his kind, he was much larger than most of these puny creatures.
He started along the street once more, he needed to find a place to get information. A message board, an information kiosk, anything. He shook his head once more, this entire experience had been surreal. The journey feeling more like some crazed dream sequence more so than an actual real series of events.
Many of the aliens he saw looked disturbingly human, several even looked slightly like the slaaveth, though with some minor differences. What was this place, where had he stumbled into? He racked his brains for everything he knew about this region of space. All he could come up with though was that it was near Drivil and uncharted, about three hundred light years past the coreworlds border. An area of space generally referred to as the great frontier.
Suddenly he stopped. He looked again to his right, there across the street next to a pile of wreckage sat another of those strange hovering contraptions. This one a dusty red in color, but that was not what had captured his keen eye. No, next to the hovering vehicle was a low building with the unmistakable look of a bar to it.
He smiled, an alien bar, well, if it was like anything else he had come across it might in fact be more familiar than anything else he had encountered so far. Hopefully they spoke common in there as well. He made his way across the street and then flicked off the hoverbike before dismounting. He looked left and right but saw no way of securing it.
“Oh well.” he said quietly to himself as he walked towards the door of the building. It wasn't like the thing had belonged to him anyways. Maybe it would be there when he came out, probably not. He would just have to cross that stream when he got to it.
Vance walked to the door which opened automatically at his presence, he was immediately hit with a wall of smoky smells and funky noises. A catchy tune that made his long narrow tail twitch in tune and made him want to bob his head. He smiled, his wide grin glinting as the light met his long canines. This seemed just like his kind of place.
He sidled up to the bar top, one of the other patrons giving him a long look. He nodded to the strange green alien and then asked the bartender, a disturbingly human looking alien wearing a tan shirt.
They looked him up and down and asked “Yeah? What will it be?”
Vance frowned slightly and then replied “Information.”
The man seemed to tense and said “That isn't something I generally serve here, a dangerous commodity that is.”
Vance sighed and then replied “Ok then, answer me one question then if you would?” The man nodded slowly. “How does one book passage off this planet? Is there a spaceport I could go through or…” but was cut off as the man waved around the room.
“Off world? Anyone can get you offworld, for the right price. I'm sure if you ask around you might find something suitable, now please, order a drink or leave me alone.” and the man scurried to the far side of the bar.
The strange interaction sat ill with him. He looked around the room, the many patrons of the bar laughing and drinking. Several tables appeared to have various types of gambling or betting going on at them. He smirked, the more things changed the more they seemed to stay the same he supposed.
He jerked as movement met the corner of his eye, turning his head he saw a man waving to him from across the building. He cocked his head and the man seemed to pause. They nodded and then waved him over again. Shrugging he wandered over, he had nothing better to do at the moment after all.
The man was leaning against the wall nearest to the door, his white undershirt and black vest doing nothing to cover the dangerous looking pistol strapped to his side.
Vance cautiously stopped in front of the man. “Hello there, I’m sorry but I couldn't help but overhear you are looking for passage offworld?”
Vance nodded and asked “Yes, you have excellent hearing. Er, I must apologize that I am a bit lost here. Where am I?”
The man smiled charmingly and patted his shoulder while gesturing towards the door. “You are in precisely the right place my friend. I happen to have the fastest ship in the galaxy, where are you headed?”
Vance shook his head and said “Somewhere else, I would like to get back to the Union. But I'll settle for somewhere cooler if that's a start.” he said with a chuckle.
The man nodded and said “Well, that's a good start I suppose. You are able to pay of course?” he asked seriously as they exited the building.
Ah yes of course, money. Vance kicked himself mentally, he had his entire last paycheck in Osmir in one of his pouches. He hated using credit chips, he always felt that his money didn't even exist while using them, he liked to be able to hold it in his hand. Cash was always much more graciously accepted in the frontier where he worked too.
He reached into his money purse and pulled out a handful of Osmir. He handed a few to the man and said “All I have is Union Osmir, would that be acceptable?”
The man looked at the small handful of coins and asked “I suppose, it's not Imperial credits after all. But what is it worth?”
Vance pointed to a few of the coins and rattled of their values “Well, that is a ten credit Osmir, that one is fifty credits and the last one with the largest fleck is a one hundred credit Osmir. I have a few Osmiridium ingots on me. Should be worth a few thousand credits. Would that be adequate?” he said with a bit of a head bob.
The man smiled and held one of the coins up to the light “Osmiridium huh? Yeah I think we can help each other. The name is Han by the way.”
“Hello Han, I'm Vance.” he replied.
“My ship is in bay ninety four, want to meet me there?” Han said to him.
Vance shook his head and said “I don't know where bay ninety four is, are you going that way now? I could follow you there perhaps?”
Han smiled again and looked him up and down saying “Yeah. I think you should be fine to tag along Vance. Follow me then.”
Vance nodded and fell in alongside Han, they walked along the side roads for a few minutes, neither of them seeing a reason to speak until Han steered him towards one of the large circular structures he had seen from the city outskirts. There was a series of alien symbols on the door that he couldn't read but Han smiled and made a gesture. “Here we are, bay ninety four.”
Vance walked inside and frowned as he saw what looked to be a pile of scrap in the rough shape of a starship. A design he was wholly unfamiliar with. “What is that?” he asked, unable to keep a bit of the shock from his voice.
“That?” Han asked. “That's the ship that made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs, friend. And time is money as they say. Please welcome yourself aboard the Millennium Falcon.”
Vance looked at the ship, its rough features giving him pause. His trained eye soon looked deeper though, under the scrap and grime he began to see it, the lines of a ship designed for power.
He stood for a moment longer and then turned to Han. the man asked “Well? What do you think?”
Vance gave Han a wide toothy grin as a new hope began to form in his mind and said “I think it's perfect.”
​
==End of Transmission==

Our party all lvl 3 (my Shadar-Kai outbreaker, dampir wild magic sorc, goblin Druid, bugbear gloomstalker) was clearing a dungeon in 5e, there was a lot of skeletons and we made our way to the end of the dungeon. We made it to a gated room, and we found a wight in there with a big chest in the back. He was locked in there and our party schemed what to do while the sorc tried to get his sanity back (long story) our bugbear and goblin decided to use a home brew item to squeeze though the gate, they then shrunk to tiny and decided to jump the wight while he was in the back of the room. I then decided to distract it at the gate by yelling insults at it. I rolled a nat 20 and he got real angry and charged, I rolled again and got 19 (24 with mods) and had the sorc ready the chain to pull the gate up. When he tried to attack he rolled a 3 and got his arm trapped in the gate. our bugbear then cast entangle on the ground beneath him and the sorc pulled with all his body weight and rolled a 17 with mods. While he was pulled apart he was hit with ice knife on the neck by the Druid and hit in the chest by my pc with a flail. Our DM gave us all an inspiration point and just described the death of the wight. “His upper body was pulled up to the ceiling and his lower body stayed entangled on the floor, he then got hit with a ice knife in the back of the neck and got split in half by the flail ripping his rib cage apart.” The bugbear then proceeded to take a toe to use as a “toe pick” to then play his lute.

A special thanks to u/bluefishcake for the wonderful original story and sandbox to play in.
A special thanks to my editors LordHenry7898, RandomTinkerer, and Swimming_Good_8507
And a big thanks to the authors and their stories that inspired me to tell my own in this universe. RandomTinkerer (City Slickers and Hayseeds), Punnynfunny (Denied Operations), CompassWithHat (Top Lasgun), CarCU131 (The Cook), and Rhion-618 (Just One Drop)
Hy’shq’e Ay Si’am (Thank you noble friends)
​
Chapter 22: The Concern of Parents
Andy drove the old pickup out of the base impound lot, with Aftasia and Sitry beside him on the bench seat. It was an old Rez truck, faded with age, dented, and rusting out in places, but it ran well enough and had a half tank of gas.
They’d landed easily enough, and Andy had let Aftasia and Sitry step out first to explain to the surprised militia garrison about him and his rifle. Andy was conscious of the leering faces of the Shil’vati women as they walked off the tarmac to the impounded vehicle lot. He’d spent twenty minutes convincing the two of them not to take one of the Marine transports. Now they bounced along in the old truck, and he had to stop himself from laughing at how they had to keep readjusting their ears as they folded over against the ceiling.
He drove out on the old coast road towards the river that had once been the border between the North Straits Salishian Reservation and Washington. Andy opened the window and the cab filled with the sea breeze as he drove over the neglected and bumpy road carefully. His two passengers were silent as they drove through the old abandoned suburbs of the town until they reached the crossing by the old collapsed bridge that used to span the river. Andy pulled the vehicle up on the bank and got out. The water was muddy and moving fairly fast. Andy took out a cigarette and started considering his options. The storm had swollen the river, and while the truck could probably ford the crossing, it wouldn’t do to have to go for a swim in front of the maybe boss and her cute daughter.
“Is this how you get home?” Andy turned when he heard Sitry’s voice behind him. Both of the Erbians had gotten out too, and Andy put the cigarette back in the pack unlit. Sitry was looking at him expectantly, and Andy found himself suddenly at a loss for words. Behind her, her mother had pulled out her omnipad and had popped in a set of earbuds.
“Hold on, Yes? Ah, Akil’eas, I was wondering when we’d get your call…she’s fine, I checked her myself. Her eyes are still black, her skin is still purple, and she has no viral lesions. Sakalbi and Rhaxiid are taking her to that little hospital in Bellingham. Yes, and no, I don’t want you calling her when you’re in this state. Kalai doesn’t need an overwrought father right now, she needs a mother who’ll flick her ears and tell her what an idiot she is.”
Andy couldn’t help but chuckle at hearing the one-sided conversation before looking over at Sitry and cracking a smile.
“My sister’s in trouble,” Sitry whispered as she moved to stand next to him as they watched her mother speak to what was presumably Kalai’s father on the other end of the line.
“So how does that work, exactly? Is she adopted or something?”
“Akil’eas, smart people do dumb things sometimes, and I choose to focus on the outcome…no one was permanently hurt, she’s on her way to the hospital for a check, and she’s back with….I’m her parent too, you know…I have been for years while you’ve been here, and quite frankly, if this is the full extent of her ‘pre-teen rebellion’, I’ll happily take it over what some of my other children have done when they were her age!”
Sitry looked around and walked over to sit on a fallen log and patted the space next to her. “Yes and no? Dr. He’osforos is an old family friend. He went to school with my moms and my dad, and he used to teach and do research at VRISM with them, too. Me and Narny were born around the same time as Kalai and Gadea.”
Andy huffed in amusement and unwrapped the blanket from his shoulders to refold it over him like a sash. Sitry turned bright red and averted her eyes while he did before he took a seat next to her.
“Our folks put us all in the same nursery and we all went to the same school…we’ve been in each others’ back pockets ever since.” She started up again after a moment. “When the…attack went down, all the Shil’vati got sick. The virus doesn’t affect us, so our House didn’t lose anybody, but…almost everyone in our class got sick and died. Kalai lost her sister and her two mothers. Her dad came to Earth looking for a way to cure her, and he’s been here ever since. Kalai’s been living with us for so long, she may as well be Erbian at this point, but she’s not officially a member of our Warren or anything.”
Akil’eas….AKIL’EAS! She is fine, a sprained ankle, a sore shoulder, and too much humble pie at the moment. That’s all! Yes. Yes, she won’t be let out of our sight until you wrap up whatever it is you’re doing that’s so important right now…Well, I think that’s something I need to speak to you about in person.” Andy locked eyes with Aftasia for a moment and gulped before turning back to Sitry.
“So sisters but not. Family, but not. Strangely, I can relate.” Andy focused on Sitry who seemed to be playing with her hair while deliberately trying not to look at his exposed chest.
“You had a brother too, right?”
“Have. I have a brother. Like I said, he got nuked by the Imp Navy and all it did was nothing. He and grandpa took what stommish were ready to fight and went to war.” Andy felt a wave of sadness wash over him and his breath caught in his throat for a moment. “I can barely remember him, I was so little the last time I saw him. He took no shit from anybody.” Andy felt tears in his eyes and he sniffed them back, as he recalled a story that he could tell her without falling into tears.
“You know he, uh…one of the few things I remember about him was…there was this kid on the base, and he used to knock me down when we were coming home from school. Kay Tee…Konstantin…he found out and he followed me home, but he thought he was James Bond or something because he was running behind fences and trees and mailboxes waiting to ambush the bully. So the kid, I don’t even remember his name, walks up and pushes me down…and Kay Tee just bull-rushes him from the side and does this flying jump kick into the kid's nads and beats the piss out of him.” Andy started laughing at the memory. “So he puts the kid on his ass, and he says, ‘You mess with one Salish, you mess with all of us, and we don’t fight fair!’ He picks me up and tells him ‘You push my brother again, I’ll cut your head off and stick it on a stake on the beach!’ or something like that.”
“He sounds like Leonidas.” Sitry’s voice had an airy quality and she was staring at him with very large blue-green eyes.
Andy burst out laughing. “What?”
“You know, a hero! Blight, that didn’t come out right!” Sitry giggled nervously and she looked away.
“I mean, if you say so. Leonidas got himself killed, and Kay Tee isn’t dead," Andy laughed while giving Sitry a side eye. She squealed and pulled her ears over her face as she flushed a deeper red.
“-No I won’t, so message me when you can…alright, the human Shel, your place. We’d love to, and we’ll be bringing a guest…yes. We’ll see you then, and I’ll let the rest of the family know. Goodbye, Akil’eas!” Aftasia walked over to them as she wrapped up her phone call and removed her earbuds. “So, you two seem to be getting cozy,” she said in a flat tone and a raised eyebrow to her daughter.
“I wasn’t looking, honest ma!” Sitry mumbled, going red again in embarrassment. Andy looked from Sitry to her stern looking mother and he cleared his throat to get her attention.
“So I know why you want to hire me, but what exactly is it that I’d be doing on a day to day basis? A thousand credits a week is an exorbitant amount of money around here. I want to know what it is I’d be getting myself into.” And folded his arms over his chest as he studied Aftasia, watching her closely to try and discern what she might be thinking.
Aftasia’s stern expression softened and her ears swiveled forward towards him. “Well, ideally, you’d come live with us at Headquarters in Victoria, so you’d have twenty four hour access to the facilities and our people. I think my husband wants you to be a field guide for our restoration teams, which would mean leading expeditions and excursions. I’d imagine there’d be a training component to it as well. Teaching us to identify invasives, avoid causing ecological harm, and so on. We’d also like to ask you to speak to your people about perhaps not trying to shoot us or sabotaging our equipment? Would you be willing to do that for us?” She held her hands open at her side and they moved slightly as she talked.
Andy felt his brow get heavy and his mouth pulled down in a frown. “That last one might be hard. I don’t speak for all the humans that live around here. I don’t even really speak for all of my own people…but there are enough that would at least hear me out because of my name and my heritage.” He schooled his features back into a stoic mask to hide the sudden wave of fear that threatened to make him shiver. “Living with you…giving up my home…”
Aftasia knelt down in front of him, concern clear on her face. “You’d have transportation at your beck and call, if that’s what it takes. If you’d rather not live in the arcology, then we’d make arrangements for ground transportation or even a shuttle service.”
Andy took a deep breath and considered his words carefully. “It just feels…well, almost like I’m being conscripted. Instead of a rifle and that black catsuit armor, I’d get a clipboard and a collaborator’s jacket.”
“We aren’t the military, Mr. Shelokset. Even if you signed the contract, we’d never ask you to compromise your people or yourself.” She reached out and grabbed his hand, causing Andy to flinch, and instinctively pull his hand away and he stiffened, unable to hide the sudden burst of panic on his face. Aftasia seemed to pause and looked at him with an expression he couldn’t read, and her face fell before she spoke again. “Andrei, I don’t know the details of how the Imperium treated you, but…I know that there were many cruel and ‘inhumane’ things done to you. I can’t change that, but I know that we want to be better. We’ve been trying to reach out to humans for a few years now and…all they see is the marines and the nobles. We aren’t those women, Andrei.”
Andy felt himself begin to untense, and he fought back the sudden desire to flee, letting Aftasia continue. “My family…our Warren…was tasked with the restoration of Earth to showcase the benefits of being part of the Empire. We’d like to be a force for good. To make a gift of your homeworld restored to the brilliant and beautiful garden world it was. We’d like to build a working relationship with humans and earn your trust and hopefully, your friendship. That means when you speak, we listen. When you tell us how it is, we believe you and act on it.”
Andy stood up and walked a few paces away. He stared down at the coursing mud-brown river, as he tried to silently calm himself down. Now was not the time for a ‘Cry Song’, and he longed for the bottle of Jack Daniels he’d hidden in his closet. He focused on his breathing until the panic and fear subsided before he spoke again. “Well, this was the way home, but the water's a little high at the moment to risk crossing here. The bridge over by Ferndale’s still up, so we’ll detour around.” Andy made a show of brushing himself off. “Should only add about fifteen minutes to the drive.
“Well, at least our flood prevention is keeping the river contained.” Aftasia said brightly as she watched Sitry walk back to the truck like a hawk.
“Yeah, about that. We’ll need to talk about what you did to the river. You caused more problems than you solved," Andy replied as he clambered back into the truck and started it up again.
“Wha…really? I’d ask now, but I’d rather wait until we can pay you for your time and expertise. Your knowledge should be properly honored,” Aftasia sighed as Andy turned the vehicle around to drive the back roads to get to home.
“I think if you take that approach, it’ll make things a lot easier with my people in the long run," Andy added hopefully as they drove alongside the farm road by the river. The new raised and reinforced embankments to either side that contained the river and straightened its course out had made him and most everyone else grind their teeth in frustration. It was one of the reasons the salmon populations were dying in the rivers.
They fell back into silence again as they drove on and around, crossing the bridge onto the old Reservation. The road led past The Silver Reef Casino, and he felt a wry sense of amusement to see the parking lot full of both human and alien vehicles. They were doing good business at least, and he’d check in with the Kwainset and the George families that ran it and coordinated their less than legal activities.
“Is that another one of those Indian Casinos?” Sitry asked as they passed by the only buildings in the middle of the abandoned farmland.
“Yeah, each Band has its own, and that’s the Silver Reef, which belongs to my Band. Grandma’s Clan owns half of it because they built it with their money. We do alright, but we’re nowhere near as successful as the Lower River Salish between here and Seattle,” Andy grumbled bitterly. They may be Salish, but some Band rivalries ran deep and the formal dissolution of the Tribe had broken their unity as a people with everyone out for themselves. Stand together or die alone. That was our way. His jaw tightened and he growled.
“So what’s the difference between a Band and a Clan?”
“Oh, uh, not much really. Bands are what the American and Canadian Governments organized us into when they took our land and forced us on different Reservations. The Clans were our own Warrens, so to speak. Some Bands have only one Clan, others have multiple Clans.”
“So which are you?”
“Bear Clan, North Straits Salish Band. We’re the northern most Indians that the United States kept inside their borders. Which reminds me, there’s a good chance my grandma’s not home. So if she’s not, I’ll just run in, get cleaned up and into civilian clothes, then we’ll go to the Casino. The Council officially meets there these days. If we do, just…let me do the talking.” Andy was gratified to see Aftasia nod earnestly before turning to whisper to her daughter. Andy brought his attention back to the road as they drove deep into the Rez and around back to the old coastal road to his home.
By some miracle, their old two story home had survived the orbital bombardment and the firestorm that had followed. The old blue and gray house sat on the top of the cliff, overlooking the bay towards Bellingham and had a beautiful view of the volcano, Kulshan. The gravel driveway crunched noisily as he pulled up the small dive, and found his grandmother’s car parked in front of the garage.
“Huh, looks like you’ll be able to meet my grandma after all,” Andy noted as he killed the engine and opened the door.
“This is your house? Your view is amazing!” Aftasia exclaimed as she followed him out and took in the view of the rising green hills, dominated by the single snowclad mountain behind them.
“Thank you. You’re welcome to come in if you’d like, but if you’d prefer not to, I’d ask that you stay close to the house. Not everyone around here is friendly to hwun’eetums. It might help that you’re not Shil’vati, but I’d rather not risk it!” Andy called back to them as he made his way up to the front door and the porch. He heard them scurry up behind him as he pushed the door open. The smell of smoked salmon wafted out of the house and he closed his eyes happily as he crossed the threshold. Old blankets hanging over the bay windows cut the light and suddenly he felt his head nod. The events of the last two days finally caught up to him and reminded him of how tired he was.
“Grandma! I’m home!” he shouted as he looked over at the living area in the front of the house. The potbelly stove in the corner was cold, and the couch that faced the windows was empty. Magazines and bills filled the coffee table and he walked quickly over to poke his head in the kitchen. She wasn’t there either.
A sudden loud chain of high pitched barking, scrambling, and scratching, followed by a series of thumps from the stairs by the kitchen heralded the approach of the worst guard dog in the world. Puck, the little snow white, fox-faced, American Eskimo Dog came tumbling down the stairs in his excitement, skidding across the hardwood floor like an idiot. Andy knelt down happily and the little fluffy cannonball jumped up into his arms barking and whimpering in his excitement.
“Oh my goodness, a Rakiri!” Andy heard Sitry practically shout as she and Aftasia came in after him.
“Not exactly. This fluffy idiot’s my dog, Puck. Don’t worry, he’s all bark and no bite,” Andy huffed as Puck hopped out and barked loudly at the two alien women. He skittered excitedly over to them and started hopping in place barking at them while panting happily. Aftasia held her ground admirably, but Sitry shrunk back from the loud little puffball.
“Alright, you little idiot! I know we’ve got alien invaders! Now sit!” Andy commanded and the dog half squatted, half sat as he danced from foot to foot. He fell mercifully silent, save for the panting and he looked up with a happy smile.
“Tsu’ti’tsi’uqw!” The iron twinged voice, gravelly from years of smoking, echoed from the back rooms where grandma’s home office was located. She appeared in the doorway, dark eyes blazing with anger. She spoke in Salishian as she advanced into the kitchen, and he stood up at attention, the blanket falling to the floor as he put his shoulders back and his chin up.
“You took the Ancestor Masks out to Orcas and held a Gathering? Are you insane?” she roared at him in their language. She was smaller than him by almost a foot and a half, but there was no one in the world he was more terrified of in that moment as she came blazing up to him. The carved ivory necklace she wore clacked and clattered against the beaded hair ties that kept her steel gray hair in two tight ponytails as she stared up at him.
He refused to meet her eyes, staring over her as he felt his insides turn somersaults. “There were more than twenty Clans there, Grandma! Representatives from-”
“And no tumulhs except you! It was an insult and a failure that will set our plans back again! Do you know I’m getting calls from the tumulhs of those Clans claiming everything from Wendigo attack to you turning traitor and…what and who are they?” Grandma Kwainset looked over and behind him at the two suddenly fearful Erbian woman who had gone stock still. “Cover yourself, for God’s sake, and I’ll deal with you later,” Grandma said as she moved to stand in between Andy and the Vaidas.
“Uh, good morning!” Aftasia managed brightly, though her tone was a bit unsteady to Andy’s ears. “Would you happen to speak Vatikre?”
“Fluently,” Grandma replied icily in the alien language with a look back at Andy as he quickly rewrapped himself.
“Ah, well, I’m Aftasia Vaida and this is my daughter-”
“Yes, I know your name. You work with the Ministry of Sciences and are one of the advisors to Governess Ta’naios. You and your family are responsible for the…environmental protection of the region.” Grandma’s icy tone did not abate and Aftasia closed her mouth for a moment.
“Grandma, they stopped the marines from abducting me, and they brought me home-” Andy continued in Salishian, moving around to stand beside her.
“And they’ll want something in return, no doubt.” Grandma’s reply in Vatikre was curt as she stared at Aftasia, appraising her.
“Grandma, they want to offer me a job-”
“Enslave you-”
“Grandma, they saved my life! Be mad at me, not at them!” Andy’s voice was firm as he stepped in front of her again, shielding the two aliens from grandma’s wrath.
“Oh, I’ve no need for your permission to be mad at you, grandson!” Andy felt the full weight of her authority hit him like a tsunami and he did his level best to hold his ground against it.
“Grandma, they want to hire me to fix the things they’re fucking up on! They’re willing to listen!”
“Of all the people to suddenly develop a naivete about the foreigners…” Grandma growled at him before walking over into the kitchen. “May I offer you something to drink?” She called out to Aftasia and Sitry in Vatikre, switching her language to one they could understand.
Andy looked over to Aftasia and nodded his head. “Uh, yes, please and thank you.” There was clattering from the kitchen and Andy rushed over to whisper to Aftasia.
“Our rules of hospitality mean she can’t kick you out if you accept food or drink; just don’t finish it. If you do before we resolve this, claim hunger," Andy whispered before quickly moving back to where he stood as Aftasia gave him a nod of understanding. Sitry’s eyes went wide as she stood next to her mother and gulped audibly. Grandma Kwainset came back out carrying two small glasses of water, which both Aftasia and Sitry accepted graciously and sipped at.
“So you have a job for my grandson. What is it?” Her tone was brusque and she folded her arms over her chest as she glared at the two of them.
“We’d like to hire him as a cultural expert-” Aftasia began before being cut off.
“His culture is not for sale.”
Andy took a deep breath to steady himself and interjected in the short silence that followed. “Grandma, she wants me to help them restore the land!”
“I’ve seen how they’ve been going about it. No deal. I’ll not put our plans, your reputation, and the family name at risk with the Clans to see you sell out to the invaders.” Grandma’s words stung him to the core and Andy felt that old core of frustrated anger that lived inside him start to awaken as his heart began to pump faster in his ears. The two of them glared at each other with neither backing down an inch.
Aftasia’s voice broke the small battle of wills and the two of them turned to look at her. “Missus uh…”
“Kwainset,” Grandma responded, and Andy bit back an angry growl at her use of her maiden name.
“Mrs. Kwainset, I’m not asking him to sell out. We need your help-” Aftasia began.
“I’ll say.” Grandma’s words were a challenge that Aftasia did not take, but instead she soldiered on admirably. Her tone remained gentle and even, just as it was in the shuttle when she’d talked with Andy.
“...your grandson has made us aware of several of the shortcomings in our approach to land management, and we would like to ask for his help in correcting these shortcomings. He’d even help us undo our mistakes in a way that honors and restores the historical territory of your people.”
“And by ‘your people’, you mean us humans?” Grandma shot Andy a severe look.
“No, I mean the Salishians. The indigenous people who have lived here since…how did you put it, Andy?”
“Since time began. Nilh tu’ oh,” Andy said, folding his own arms over his chest as he gave Grandma her own look back.
Aftasia finished her drink deliberately and set the cup on a coaster lying on the coffee table. She looked over and gave the clearly terrified Sitry a reassuring smile before moving to stand before Grandma Kwainset. “Yes, exactly. You are quite right, of course. We are in desperate need of your help, and we are also indebted to your grandson. He saved three of my children last night; this one in particular.” She motioned to Sitry who gave a nervous nod of agreement as Grandma turned her gaze on the teenage girl.
Aftasia continued when Grandma said nothing. “He is a credit to you and your family, and his care for and knowledge of your ancestral homeland is something we admire and would like to engage with to protect and restore it. He was adamant that he needed to receive your blessing before giving us an answer to our offer. We will, however, abide by your decision as his Matriarch, and if your answer is no then we will not impose upon your family any longer.”
Grandma Kwanset held her gaze for what seemed a long while, and Andy could see the impending negative answer building in her eyes. As she drew breath to speak, Andy felt a wild stab of courage compel him to make one last plea in Salishian. “They’re willing to listen! Something is better than nothing and better late than never, Grandma! Please! They’re willing to listen and change!”
Grandma’s words halted in her mouth as she fixed Andy with that hard appraising stare, and again Andy felt as though she would crush him under the weight of her authority and inwardly he trembled at what felt like the inevitable answer. Seconds felt like hours as the silence hung, before grandma finally spoke. “Andy, go get cleaned up. I want a word with this hwun’eetum.”
It wasn’t a no, but it wasn’t a yes either, and Andy felt a different tension settle over him. A feeling of defiance that had seen him into so much trouble in the school, but had kept him alive ever since. It reared its ugly head and tried to rebel at the order. She wanted to speak to Aftasia, and that at least was something. All he could do was nod and turn to give a reassuring nod to Sitry and Aftasia that he didn’t feel before trudging up to the stairs that led to his room on the upper floor. When he’d gotten halfway up he stopped for a moment as he heard the front door open and close. His jaw clenched as he turned around, ready to fly back down the stairs to confront Grandma when her voice stopped him in his tracks and he stayed rooted in place, silent.
“Your warriors killed my husband, my sons, and all my grandchildren except him. He is the last of several long lines of leaders and LET ME FINISH…if he is frozen out by the Clans, or worse, taken AGAIN to be held hostage and brainwashed, then everything he represents will be lost.” Andy knew Grandma didn’t believe like he did that Grandpa and Konstantin were still alive. It had been far too long, and the two of them argued over it incessantly. He knew why she believed them dead, and why she was so insistent that he stop believing they were alive. She wanted him to sit in on the Council Meetings. The Shelokset name was an old and very respected name, but had become controversial. Many of the Clans still held Grandpa Wiley in high regard for his decision to go to war, and several of the surviving elders that had been recovered and brought home from the relocations had made it clear that until the exiles were recalled, there would be no reunification, recognized or not.
Grandma had wanted Andy to step up and take over as a young voice on the Council, but to do so would be to usurp Grandpa and Konstantin’s place, not to mention put him in the limelight, which he feared more than anything. He shivered and his skin got goosebumps as the thought of having to be ‘in charge’ frightened him. What if he got something wrong? Who was he? Just some kid, but doing something was better than nothing, and Grandma’s grand plan of Imperial recognition was never going to work. The Imperium just didn’t give a Goddamn about anyones’ inherent rights.
He quietly trudged up the stairs, avoiding the ones that creaked and went straight to the bathroom. With the shower heating up, he turned to look at himself in the mirror. His paint was a mess. Large areas had washed away or smeared all over him, and the bags under his eyes reminded him that he’d been awake now for almost two whole days. His blanket fell away and he stared at himself, wishing he could be certain of something, anything, about himself. The only things he felt any surety in was his roles as a tumulh, and a Speaker.
“Some Speaker though, the voice and Witness of my family and outside an official gathering I can barely hold it together without either trying to kill somebody or wanting to go fetal. At least I found some hwun’eetums willing to listen. Maybe I’m not such a failure of a healer after all.” Andy wiped the mirror as it began to fog up, so he quickly washed his face and shaved the patchy stubble before stepping into the shower. The hot water felt good and he stayed to enjoy it for a bit longer than he’d meant to. Remembering that he’d left the two Erbians downstairs with his grandmother had him speed up through his normal routine. Slipping and sliding a bit on the floor, he moved quickly to his room to get dressed. His mind chased itself as he wondered what to wear and if he’d need to pack or prepare to say goodbye.
They’ve seen me at my most ‘primitive’, now might be the time to try and impress. He thought as certain lessons about male deportment came bubbling up from the school. Andy squeezed his eyes shut and forced the memories and the feelings of white hot rage and hatred back down deep as he quickly dressed in some of his best. “If they want a fucking Indian Prince, I’ll give them a Goddamn Indian Prince," he said aloud to himself as he finished dressing and braiding his hair. Andy stood in front of the mirror on the dresser and looked himself over. Black slacks, white shirt, beaded pattern vest buttoned up, black coat left open, ivory beaded choker with three carved ivory feathers hanging down over his chest, and three Bald Eagle feathers secured in his rope-tight braid that hung down to the small of his back. “You’ve seen the savage half of me, now let’s see what you think of the noble,” Andy told his reflection sarcastically before looking back at his bed. He’d pulled his suitcase out, but had left it empty. Hope for the best, plan for the worst.
Andy made his slow way down the stairs, straining his ears for any sound from the living room, but heard nothing. When he rounded the corner of the stairs, he saw his grandmother in the kitchen, leaning over the sink, and Aftasia’s ears poking over the back of the couch. He cleared his throat to get their attention.
The red ears over the couch rotated almost comically and Aftasia poked her head up to look at him. There was a moment where the woman did a double take and had a look of surprised shock as she looked him over. Grandma on the other hand took a moment to turn around and look at him. When she did, her face was unreadable. She walked slowly, heavily, towards him until she was standing right in front of him. When Grandma spoke, she spoke in Vatikre.
“You are your own man now, grandson, and you are a Chief of the Salish. I cannot tell you what to do, but I will not give you my blessing to work for our overlords.” Andy felt his jaw tighten, but he waited as Grandma took a breath and looked over at Aftasia, who averted her gaze from the two. “Nor will I forbid you either. You do what you think is right, but remember that your actions will be carried forward by your children and your children’s children. Succeed, and you will be praised. Fail, and your name and line will be forgotten. If you’re willing to gamble your heritage and your birthrights on these hwun’eetums, then there’s nothing I can say or do that will stop you. My door will always be open to you, but the Tribe’s doors may close and you well know that once they do, they never reopen.” With that, she gave him a brief hug and walked away back towards her office in the back of the house.
Andy stood alone looking down the dark hall she’d gone down and heard her shut the door. She doesn’t want me to do this. She thinks I’m making a grave mistake…maybe I am. We need the money, especially if the Tribe’s ever going to…no. We have to succeed! If the Clans take this the wrong way, they’ll freeze me out…but if THEY think I’ve turned, I’ll wind up in a black bag or worse. Andy felt a soul crushing icy pressure settle in his chest, and he felt very alone and small in that moment.
Aftasia approached slowly, stopping a few feet from him and she seemed subdued when she spoke. “I would understand if you turned us down. Your grandmother laid out your situation quite clearly, and as much as I’m convinced that we need your help more than ever, I cannot in good conscience ask you to give up-”
“I am a tumulh…and the last Shelokset tumulh. If not me, then who?” Andy said, interrupting her as he continued to stare down the hall after his grandmother, emotions whirling too fast to make any sense of. “Can you promise me that you will listen? That you will make what I stand to lose worth the risk?” Try as he might, he couldn’t keep the trepidation out of his voice.
“Andrei, you don’t know me yet, so I don’t expect that at this moment my words will carry much weight with you.” Aftasia spoke firmly and with conviction. Andy tore his eyes from the empty hall to look her dead in the eyes. He saw iron resolve reflected there and the claws that had him by the heart started to lose their grip to see it. “Come what may, the Vaida Warren will do right by you and your people. Upon my degrees, upon my children, upon my marriage. When you speak, you will be heard. If you need shelter or protection, our Warren will provide it.”
“And you speak for the others too?” Andy pressed, hoping for an answer that would shake the last of the tendrils of fear from him.
“As I said, you don’t know me yet, but you will…and when you do, you’ll understand the significance of what I’ve pledged. Suffice it to say, yes…I speak for my spouses…and all the Houses within the Warren.”
Andy stared at her in concealed amazement. She spoke like the elders and the fear subsided enough for him to make his choice. He stood still, his face a stoic mask to hide his feelings behind, until at last he made up his mind, and held out his hand, palm open.
“What…what is…I don’t understand?”
“A handshake. For us, the most unbreakable ‘contracts’ are sealed with a handshake and backed by your sacred honor.” Andy quoted one of the many video-letters his father made for him and his brother whenever he went on deployment. Aftasia looked down and slowly held her own out. He clasped her hand firmly and gave it a single shake, never breaking eye contact with her. “Then it’s done. I’ll come work for you.”
Aftasia’s face broke into a smile. “We’ll still get it in writing for appearance’s sake…for the Accountants and ITAD. They like their paperwork.”
“Government, the necessary evil,” Andy replied. “Where honor dies, and it’s only what you can prove in a packed court.”
“Spoken like a true citizen of the Imperium. Get packed, our driver is on his way to pick us up. We’ll fly over to the hospital, pick up the rest of the family and head out to Headquarters. We’ll get you your own apartment in the complex so you don’t have to worry about shuttle availability. Of course you’ll be able to come and go as you please…which reminds me, we’ll need to get you an Approved Entry pass from the Governess’ office.”
Andy nodded and hurried back upstairs to shove as much as he could into the one or two bags he owned. One for all the clothes he owned, which was enough to see him through a week if he ever fell behind on laundry, and the other for his regalia. Plans started to form in his mind, and he hoped that Atasia and her husband would be true to their word.
​
First:
https://www.reddit.com/Sexyspacebabes/comments/yz0u3h/the_cryptid_chronicle_chapter_1/
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https://www.reddit.com/Sexyspacebabes/comments/12290wz/cryptid_chronicle_chapter_21/
Next:
To be posted 4/9/23

Following on from my previous post where the Straw hats end up in the Lands Between, Zoro somehow gets so lost he ends up in the Haligtree, hearing that there is a swordswoman living there who has reputedly never lost a fight, he decides to challenge her to a battle to become closer to the title of world's greatest swordsman. Malenia thinks Zoro is there to take her great rune and attacks.
Zoro has access to all of the attacks, swords and haki up to each stated arc in each round, and 3 maxed level crimson flasks. Malenia has her second phase.
R1: Skypiea Zoro vs Malenia
R2: Thriller Bark Zoro vs Malenia, Zoro only has Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu
R3: Dressrosa Zoro vs Malenia
R4: Wano Zoro vs Malenia
R5: Wano Zoro, but instead of Wado, Kitetsu and Enma, he has Moonveil, Rivers of Blood and Dragonscale blade vs Malenia
Bonus: Could Wano Zoro defeat Radahn solo?