-Ranger

The Tribe of Shadows

Ch 9: Betrayal

As I turned, I saw someone almost 200 feet behind me, in camouflage, lying in sniper position with a rifle aiming right at my skull. Whoever it was saw me turn and dashed away. I ran toward where they had been, looking for some sort of clue. All I found was a note, saying

Find my apprentice. Kill him, and report back to me at Fort Deepwood. If you are seen, tell me immediately. Keep a walkie on hand. If Dilath sees this note, all is lost.

-Blackmoon

I snarled, my eyes flashing to glowing green with slitted pupils. “You will pay for this treachery, Blackmoon. I will find you, and SKIN YOU ALIVE!” I screamed, my voice echoing across the valley. I stood up, my black TEK armor, which I now used when attacking hostile forts, flaring with energy. I launched myself into the air as I let out a piercing whistle. I landed perfectly on the saddle of my Argentavis, Cloud, and flew off towards the Redwoods, where Fort Deepwood was located.

After close to two hours, I reached the fort. Dropping down silently, I drew the dagger Blackmoon gave me. He would be slain by his own gift. Now inside the walls, scanned the area for enemies. Seeing none, I creeped towards what looked like the keep. Suddenly. Blackmoon’s voice boomed across the courtyard. “Ah, Dilath. You REALLY thought you could attack my fort alone? I would never have expected such… Idiocy from my own apprentice. Now drop the knife, and let us talk. Unless you want a bullet through the skull. Stand up, boys.” Immediately, almost fifty men, each with TEK rifles, stood up from the bushes. By the Overseer! How did I miss them? But as I thought this, I felt a tearing pain across my body, like a sword was slashing it. I felt my vertebrae grow out into spines on my back. My head lengthened, becoming raptor like. Dark gray scales grew over my skin. My eyes glowed green, slitted pupils staring daggers at Blackmoon. A long whiplike tail grew from my back, my teeth lengthened, and my fingers grew claws. I was no longer human. I was like Aemosa. Like my father. This was, IS my birthright. I let out a roar, summoning a hundred or more Deinonychus. “You will pay, Blackmoon. Destroy them, my legion,” I said, my voice like thunder. Immediately, all hell broke loose. I sprinted towards Blackmoon, who was trying to mount an Argentavis, warped to human form and leaped onto his back, my dagger slashing through his TEK armor. “Die,” I whispered. The blade plunged through his spine. I jumped off, allowing the Argentavis to fly off, his slowly dying body still on it’s saddle. General Aemosa stepped out from the shadows. “Well done, brother! You won against an enemy much more powerful than yourself, slaying your own former master with his own gift to you. Poetic, really,” he said. “But now brother, you must recruit people into your Tribe of Shadows. You will take over Pyrrhia. And then, you shall slay the Overseer,” he continued. I nodded, pulling out my map. “Can you mark any nearby settlements?” I asked. He did so. There was a village very close nearby. And apparently, my old township was being rebuilt. One day, I shall return there.

-Ranger

Chapter IV: Bounty Hunting 101

Quint leaned against an empty note board and rose his eyebrow at Dilath. ‘Took you long enough, kid.’ The man said, a faint smile on his face. Dilath grinned. ‘Nice to see you, brother.’ The hunter replied. ‘So, how’d you get away from the Imps? I didn’t see you in the Yurkhall.’ Quint asked. Dilath retold his tale of the last few days, and Quint nodded. ‘And speaking of getting away from those idiots, how’d you escape?’ Dilath himself asked. ‘Well, I swiped a sword from one of their guards, killed him, and jumped out the window. Swam for a few minutes until they lost track of me, and ended up near the Redwoods. I got here yesterday. Thought you were dead, Dilath.’ Quint replied. ‘Then, I did that bounty, and got this Rex-scale armor.’ Quint continued, pulling away a part of his cloak to reveal a gray Rex-scale cuirass. ‘Anyways, I assume you came here for the bounties, and to destroy the Imperials, as well?’ Quint concluded. Dilath nodded. ‘Well, you’re gonna need better arms and armor. You’re more of a ranged fighter, so a longbow and obsidian arrows would work. And a short-sword or something.’ Quint muttered, scrawling the words down on a piece of parchment. ‘And maybe some hardened leather armor? Definitely gotta get steel for your thylacoleo, though.’ The bounty hunter said, writing down the last of his list. ‘Quint?’ Dilath said. ‘What happened to Joe and the others?’ Quint turned to him. ‘Joe was the first guard to fall. A couple of our guards escaped, though. Killed a good few of Imps, too. Most of ‘em are here with us, continuing their jobs as guards. Some hired themselves out as mercenaries.’ Quint replied, his smile fading at the mention of Joseph. ‘I killed the raider commander.’ Dilath replied, drawing his dagger. Quint’s grin returned, a savage satisfaction in his eyes. ‘Good.’ The former Head of Guard replied, drawing his own sword. ‘The Imperials shall fall!’ The crowd around them cried, most of them drawing swords and axes, though one person raised their fork in the air.

‘I have enough gold to buy the armor and weapons, but you’re on your own with the thyla’s armor. Sorry, kid.’ Quint said, sheathing his blade. ‘Meh. The guards said I’d probably get enough money to rent a room in the inn. Could probably get armor for Jumper, too.’ Dilath said, indicating the silent thylacoleo next to him. Jumper chose that moment to yawn loudly and climb up the walls of a warehouse nearby. ‘It’s gonna take a long time to get him down.’ Dilath said, speaking from experience. ‘I’d guess that. Now, shall we go get your arms and armor?’ Quint replied, waving his arm at the weapon store literally just across from them. ‘Thank you, Captain Obvious.’ Dilath said with a snort. The bounty hunter indicated the sword at his side. ‘You want this sword up your nasal cavity? Then shut it.’ Quint said, dark gray eyes showing his words were a joke. ‘Tell the Federation Commander that you killed the captain of those Imperials. I’ll get the armor for you and your thylacoleo.’ (Sooner or later, I’ll make another Alternate Timeline where Dilath joins the Imperials). After around thirty minutes, Dilath returned with a large-ish bag of eight hundred Gold Tycroni, the currency of Valenfell, hidden under his cloak. (Roughly equivalent to around 6000 dollars). Dilath kept his dagger, but had managed to buy a two quivers of twenty-four obsidian arrows, a recurve bow, and a durable steel sword. Quint walked by shortly after, carrying a backpack with Dilath’s armor, a set made of durable, yet flexible and lightweight, spinosaurus scales. ‘Thanks, Quint.’ Dilath said while strapping one of the two quivers he had bought on his back. The dagger was still sheathed on Dilath’s chest, and the sword hung at his side, as with Quint. The former Reagath guard snickered. ‘I knew you were more of a long-range guy!’ Dilath rolled his eyes. ‘I do both, you old man.’ the hunter said, jokingly punching Quint on the shoulder. ‘Oh, I’M old? You’re the one with the gray-lookin’ hair!’ Quint retaliated. ‘Alright. I’mma get a room at the inn, you go back to whatever hole you crawled out of.’ Dilath said with a slightly mocking look of superiority that Quint would’ve given him before the raid. The bounty hunter snorted and walked away with what little dignity he had left, while Dilath stepped inside the inn, tossed a few coins on the counter, and walked into one of the empty rooms.

Jumper sat outside in a stable designed for thylacoleos; three large trees connected by branches, still keeping watch.

-Ranger

Chapter 14(ish): Assault on Delta Base: Part 1

(POV: Following Lieutenant Wyvern-blaze)AN: Wyvern-blaze was the third soldier that fought with Dilath and Quint)

The Scout had told the soldiers in the barracks first, as they were the closest to where the wyverns were advancing. The Lieutenant and his personal squadron went to the armory to gather their weapons; they kept their armor in the Barracks, and were ordered to go into the raptor stables positioned in the northwest corner of Delta Base. That was when the firing from the wyverns began. The Quetzalcoatlus dived, evading enemy bullets and allowing Wyvern-blaze, his soldiers, and their raptors to drop down on any enemy beneath while the other three platoons stayed on to fire on the wyverns. There was a group of twelve men on stegosaurs, who were swiftly defeated.Though, it was at a cost: two of the group of seven men were wounded by the attack, and one died. The Dorbander called Dilath dropped down, in strange TEK armor with energy veins that glowed faintly green. When he saw the wounded and the one dead man, he sighed grimly. ‘I’ll clear out this area. But more importantly, these men need the medic.’ The Dorbander said. The Lieutenant nodded in agreement. Dilath nodded, gently lifting up one of the wounded soldiers, and rocketed upwards, back to Delta Base. Wyvern-Blaze, however, stayed to bury the dead man with a small shovel. Mentally, he berated himself for allowing one of his teammates to die. When Dilath returned, he saw the Lieutenant grieving and gathered the remaining wounded man, who let out a cry of pain. ‘His back is wounded.’ Dilath muttered. Then, he went back up. The Quetzalcoatlus tilted sideways, allowing Wyvern-blaze’s remaining force and their mounts to board, whilst the Lieutenant finished burying his fallen brother-in-arms. Carving the dead’s name into a stone, Ithin Wyvern-blaze remounted his raptor, and jumped onto Delta Base just as it flew away. The two turrets were practically setting the air on fire with the bullets they were firing at the enemy. ‘Delta Team! Send in the Spec Ops! There are too many of ‘em for the turrets!’ The Lieutenant said, grief gone from the heat of battle. Six men in black TEK armor, holding rifles and with swords at their belts, launched over to the group of twelve wyverns chasing them. ‘I need eleven soldiers of Delta Team with me!’ Colonel ‘Beach’ Bob called, mounting on one of the twelve argentavi.

(AN: Alright. I think I should describe the Lieutenant. He has gray eyes, reddish-brown hair and is lighter-ish skinned. His preferred weapon is a sword or TEK rifle, and he has Riot armor but with a TEK jetpack mounted on it). Eleven soldiers mounted the a argentavi, sixteen others firing up their jetpacks. The thirty other soldiers guarded Delta Base, but sent one to fly under the Quetz to check if he had wounds. (AN: Most of the soldiers have simple Riot gear, including shields, or Flak armor. All of them have jetpacks attached to their armor. Most hold TEK swords and pistols, Sharpshooters have TEK snipers, and the Honor Guard have full TEK armor, swords, and rifles. Lieutenants have Riot gear, Colonels have half-TEK armor, half Riot, and the Spec Ops have TEK armor roughly painted black, with Assault Rifles, swords and TEK pistols of the same color. And lastly, the Spartans have an armor like a mix between TEK and Riot. They fight with Assault Rifles and modern pistols. Anyways, back to the book. Mainly because Halo.) Dilath had followed the Spec Ops, his armor warping to look exactly like theirs. He kept Eclipse, but traded his TEK rifle for an AR. Quint went with the eleven argentavi soldiers, so I guess that means a three-part chapter.

-Ranger

An Explanation…Sort Of

(Dilath POV)

Ranger appeared, calmly sitting on a tree branch. ‘Took you long enough,’ he said. I looked at him, annoyed. ‘You’re a pain.’ I said. The Author simply rose an eyebrow, pulled out a book, and looked at me. ‘If you’re going to just insult me, you may as well leave,’ he said in a dry tone. ‘If you control this world, why did you kill Joseph?’ I asked. Ranger sighed and dropped down from the tree, his cloak flaring upward from the wind. It went back once he landed. ‘I don’t really ‘control’ this world,’ he replied. ‘You literally call yourself the “author’. It doesn’t make sense that you-‘ I said. ‘I know it makes no sense, but I’m simply the actual Author’s form in this universe. In another, he is Edmund. In another, he is Pyro. To put it simply, I am one of three ‘Authorn’. The Authorn work as the Author’s system of messengers. In Pyro’s world, the Authorn are called the Scrymblo. In Edmund’s, we are called the Dorban. I built the city that you and Quint live in. I named it after the Dorban because of a rune I carved into the Tree.’ Ranger explained. I was tired of his riddles. I was mad that he had allowed my village to be destroyed. So much was my rage, I threw a dagger at him. In an instant, the Authorn of Pyrrhia pulled out a massive longbow, nocked an arrow, and sent it flying a quarter of an inch above my head. ‘Calm, Dilath.’ Ranger said. The Authorn let out a hiss of pain, as if he had a bad headache. ‘Ruddy timeline messes,’ he muttered. ‘Explain. Why did essentially everyone I knew at Reagath die two years ago?’ I questioned. Ranger looked at me, a devilish grin one his face.

‘It’s called plot, kid.’

Ranger disappeared, leaving me both confused and angered.

-The Author Called Ranger, Not The Authorn In My Book.

Death or Redemption

(Third POV)

Quint drew the dagger that Dilath had dropped, ducking into a defensive crouch. The Nameless surrounding him growled, spinning their long, twin-bladed swords. Without taking his eyes off of the creatures surrounding him, Quint drew his sword in his right hand. Lydia turned towards the Nameless next to her. ‘Keyzal Sün, Knirok.’ (Translation: Give me my spear, Knirok). The creature nodded and scuttled away. Quint, seeing his chance, darted forward and slew the other Nameless next to Lydia with a stab through the heart with the dagger, then hammering the hilt of his sword on the thing’s head. He could hear someone snap their fingers, and Quint saw five more Nameless surround him. He cursed, knowing he was outmatched.

Then he heard a deafening roar-screech-howl. Only one beast could make such a horrible noise. ‘Floofster.’ Quint muttered. A familiar teen appeared. ‘Hey bro. You got my dagger? Thanks!’ Dilath said, his voice slurred slightly from the slight concussion he had gotten two hours prior. Quint stood up. ‘Where’s Joe?’ Dilath asked. Seeing the look on Quint’s face, Dilath’s eyes flickered to their more Raptori form. Dilath turned towards the Nameless surrounding him, Eclipse in hand. He seemed entirely calm, but inside, he was seething with naught but hatred. He turned towards Lydia, eyes darkening to ash. ‘You. Will. Pay.’ The King of Dorban said, his voice as harsh and black as obsidian. The Yurkan smiled grotesquely. ‘I will? Or will you?’ She said. The Nameless she had sent to retrieve her spear returned, weapon in hand. The weapon was five and a half feet long, tipped with a raptor claw. The shaft was made from a redwood branch, from what Quint could tell. ‘Ghel ‘iti.’ Serothane said to the Nameless. (Translation: Kill them). The creatures nodded, their fanged jaws splitting into horrible grins. ‘T’k nreh,’ the Demons said as one. ‘Translation: It shall be done’). Dilath looked at Quint. ‘I…understand them. I know what they’re saying,’ he said. ‘Oh wait. Floofster.’ Dilath added. The Dorbani snapped his fingers and the giant beast appeared, swinging her head. Three of the Nameless were launched by that movement. Dilath immediately re-cryoed the Dire Giga, snatched his dagger from Quint’s left hand, and slashed a deep cut into the remaining Nameless’ throat, flicked his hand and raked it through the beast’s stomach, cleaving it in half, other than its skull. Then he turned towards Lydia, eyes flaring with gray fire. Quint stepped forward to help his brother-in-arms, sword still drawn. Quint flicked his sword through the air, caught it, and slashed off the raptor-claw spearhead. Dilath held Eclipse at Serothane’s throat, entirely prepared to kill her if need be. Dilath nodded towards Quint. ‘Together, old friend?’ Quint asked. ‘This little [REDACTED] deserves it. And for old times’ sake, and for Joseph, Lydia dies.’ Dilath replied darkly. ‘No! Don’t!’ Serothane cried, scrambling backwards. Quint snorted. ‘You burned Joseph to death. You ruddy deserve this.’ Dilath didn’t speak, but simply rose an eyebrow at the former Yurkan.

Ranger’s words from almost a month ago echoed in Dilath’s mind. ‘She could lead to a darker path, Dilath.

Or your redemption.’ The Dorbani turned towards Quint. ‘Keep an eye on Serothane. I need to go speak to a god.’ Dilath said. His second-in-command nodded, and Dilath walked away.

-Ranger

This one’ll be Quint.

And maybe one of those three will die…

Tribe of Shadows

The Nameless Demons

I could hear Dilath draw his daggers. I heard the thud of three bodies drop to the ground.

I heard a demonic snarl.

I heard Dilath’s cry of terror.

I heard him be dragged away by something.

I awoke, instantly grabbing my crossbow. It was too late. My brother in arms was gone, a trail in the snow from where he was dragged. Judging by the blood from where his head would be, he was knocked out. My eyes scanned the ground, seeing gaunt roughly humanoid beings wearing mismatched chunks of armor. They were dead, but a trail of blood followed an escapee, presumably the one who took Dilath. I cursed quietly, looking for Joseph.

I checked his tent. Nothing. I looked through the surrounding forest. Also nothing. They must’ve gotten him while he was asleep. From my satchel of books, I grabbed a leather-bound volume. Its title was: Myths & Folklore: Fantastic Beasts of Pyrrhia. I looked for one that matched the bodies on the ground. It had one entry on them.

‘The Nameless Demons: A race of primitive, intelligent humans mutated by the demon Rockwell, the Nameless are deadly and fast. They are blind due to traditionally being seen in caves, but their senses of smell and hearing are second to none. They have long, tapering tails. Their feet have four claws: three in front and one dewclaw. A Nameless has two thumbs and two forefingers. Similar to Grimlons. (See page 40), these creatures have tusks jutting from both their upper and lower jaw. They are carnivorous. ‘

‘Nameless. But how…?’ I wondered. Then it struck me. For the first time in three years, I’d be fighting alone. Ever since the war with the Atak Clan, I always fought with a team. My memories of those four years ago haunted me like the spirits of the Ataki I had slain. Now tired, I scanned the small chunk of sheltered ground that was our-no, my camp I noticed one of Dilath’s knives on the snowy ground. I gently picked it up and stuck it in the sheath I saw next to it. The Nameless tried to disarm him, I assume. I stuck the sheath under my left hand, as I had noticed Dilath do while he was on watch. I had stayed awake and wrote in a journal I always carried with me. ‘Rockwell! I only got, what? Two hours of sleep?’ I said to myself. I knew I couldn’t just go back to sleep, so I followed the trail of blood.

Twenty minutes after I started the trail, I smelled burnt flesh. Whose, I didn’t know.

Five minutes later, I found the body. The armor was unmistakable.

Joseph. My friend. My brother. He lay, armor unaffected. But he himself? I pulled off the helmet. Or tried to. The fire had grafted it to his skull. ‘Oh Overseer.’ I whispered. My mind raced, wondering if whoever set the flames to kill him is nearby. Judging by the smell, it was recent.

Very, very recent.

An arrow whizzed by me. I saw the direction the arrow came from. A return bolt was on its way before the Nameless Demon could fire another shot. It gave a cry of surprise, the went ‘dead’ silent. (AN: I know, I’m so funny!

That was sarcastic). A familiar, chilling voice called out. ‘Well, well, well. Hello, former General of New Reagath.’ Lydia Serothane said. The Yurkan wore basic armor made of chitin. She had two Nameless standing next to her, holding double-bladed swords. A third Nameless stepped out from behind her.

In its claws was Dilath.

-Ranger

Journey to the Northlands: Part Two

Day Six

Sixty-Seven Miles North East of the Ruins of Reagath

It was the dead of night. The wind howled like a rabid wolf as a lone rider mounted on his Thylacoleo, Jumper, traveled across a faded path while snow fell all around him.

Dilath gave a sigh of relief as he saw the bonfire that burned in Valenfell. He was bitterly cold, and hadn’t eaten in almost two days. Turns out that Jumper needed to eat a lot more than he did, and his rations had run out quickly. Dilath had caught a few stringy ovis, but he had given them to Jumper as to keep him going.

‘Sorry, boy. We’ll get you better food at the town, alright?’ Dilath said to his mount, as had become his custom on the long journey. The thylacleo perked his ears in response, a gesture that Dilath translated as “That’s fine. But first, I need to find a tree to sleep in.” The young hunter snorted, patting the thyla’s neck. ‘Alright, Jumper. We’ll stop for the night.’ Dilath muttered, veering a bit off the road towards the woods. Jumper climbed up a pine tree, keeping watch while Dilath set up his camp. There were two pieces of jerky left from his pack, and Dilath ate them. ‘Two more miles to go, boy.’ The hunter said to Jumper. The tree-lion seemingly nodded and stretched himself out on a branch to sleep. Dilath quickly set up his tent and made a small campfire to warm it, yawning as he did so. Dilath slept fitfully, the cold wind piercing through his tent and constantly waking him up. So, Dilath slithered out of his tent, watching the sun rise. The tundra was unforgiving, the hunter had learned, but had a strange beauty to it in moments of peace like this.

Dilath relit the campfire, warming by it for Jumper to return from his morning hunting trip.

Not long after, Dilath saw Jumper padding back to camp, carrying a surprisingly large ovis in his jaws. ‘Thanks, Jumper.’ Dilath said, scratching the thyla behind the ears. The hunter grabbed the axe from his pack and gutted, skinned, and split the ovis in pieces, quickly cooking it as he had learned earlier that, apparently, thylacleo preferred cooked meat. Dilath kept a goat leg for himself to eat, giving the rest to Jumper. The tree-lion, again, seemed to nod in thanks before dragging the dead goat up the tree to eat. (So, basically, the actual thyla acted roughly similar to a jaguar with its prey, dragging it up with it into trees to stop other predators or scavengers from getting it. Just a bit of IRL lore I found on Wikipedia). After eating quickly, Dilath packed up his tent and folded the cloth that made it up, placed it in Jumper’s saddlebag, and slung his pack back over his shoulder. ‘Let’s get going, Jumper. Only two more miles.’

That time passed by like a blur, and within barely forty minutes, Dilath and his tree-lion reached the gates of Valenfell. Two guards, mounted on yutyrannus, looked down at Dilath. ‘I mean no harm. I’m a hunter from down south, Reagath. It got hit by the Imperials a few days back, and I escaped ‘cause I was out hunting and they didn’t notice me. I killed their commander the day after, a man in a skull helmet that carried a bronze pike.’ Dilath said. The guards nodded. ‘Go on through. We are part of the Federation, the anti-Imperial alliance, so we bid you safe passage through the Northlands, huntsman. And you killed an important commander of the Imperials. That’ll certainly get you enough gold to rent a room in the inn for a week or two, and get some food for you and your thylacleo. Just tell the General.’ The guard on the right told him, swinging down from his saddle and unlocking the gate.’ ‘Thank you, sirs.’ Dilath replied. Let me guess, you’re here for the bounty?’ The left guard asked, and Dilath nodded. ‘Well, sorry to say, but that was dealt with by a man named Quint who passed by a day ago. He said he was looking for a man named Dilath.’ The young hunter’s eyes widened. ‘Quint’s here?’ He said, a surprised grin on his face. ‘Alright. So, I take it you’re Dilath.’ The guard on the right said. ‘Yeah. I’m going head to the inn, feed my Thyla, and find Quint. You know where he is?’ Dilath asked. ‘Should be at the bounty board in the center of the market. Can’t miss it.’ the guard said, nodding down the main road of Valenfell. ‘Thanks again. I’ll be heading in now.’ Dilath said, quickly walking in. Jumper silently padded next to him, but that was relatively normal in this city. Dilath heard snippets of conversations ‘…least he didn’t bring a rex. That would’ve been…’ and ‘…never seen a thyla this far north.’ Amid talk of fear about the Imperials full-on sieging them and ‘What’s that big cat thing?’ from a young child to their mother. Clearly, people weren’t as comfortable as they seemed. After a good five minutes of walking, Dilath reached the market, where a dark-skinned man with military-cut hair and a sword hanging at his side leaned against a currently empty note board. And I’m out of space.

Chapter 1: The Frozen North: Part Two

Dilath loaded his slingshot quickly, picking a sharper rock. He didn’t see anyone, so presumably he was facing someone camouflaged. The hunter cautiously looked over to the side, seeing the faint glint of the raider’s crossbow. Dilath stepped into the clear, fired the rock, and heard the sickening dull crack as the rock slammed into the raider’s chest, probably breaking a few ribs. That would most definitely cause internal bleeding. Dilath stepped out to the raider, who he saw was a man. The raider broke out into a coughing fit. ‘May as well’ he coughs again, ‘just kill me fully,’ the man said. ‘Where is your commander?’ Dilath asked. The man feebly pointed up, towards to second floor. He knew the raider wasn’t lying; Imperials believed if they died failing to follow their code of respect and truth, their souls would be banished to the Nothing. ‘I’m sorry, warrior. But you attacked Reagath first.’ The hunter said. The raider nodded. ‘I should be the one…’ the man coughed up blood, ‘who should be apologizing. I attacked a youth!’ Dilath bent down, sliding the raider’s rough dagger from its worn leather sheath. ‘Do it…’ the raider wheezed.

So, Dilath took his first human life.

The young hunter nodded toward the fallen warrior in respect. The Reagathians, hundreds of years prior, had been a military-led country. Dilath wanted to bring Reagath back to its former glory. The teen slipped off the dead warrior’s sheath that was on his belt and clipped it to the bandolier on his own chest. ‘I thank you, Sergeant.’ Dilath said, noticing the three distinct marks on the man’s armguard as he began to walk up the stairs. The hunter held the dead raider’s dagger, his gray-blue eyes flickering for any sign of the commander. He saw a flicker of red as the commander passed, and Dilath lunged, his dagger passing clean through a chink in the man’s armor. Dilath felt a horrible stabbing pain in his leg, seeing the raider commander’s sword having passed through the flesh of his thigh. ‘Overseer!’ Dilath said with a screech. The hunter slide the dagger into the sheath above his heart, pulling out one of his spears. ‘Pathetic!’ The raider yelled. Dilath blocked an overhead strike with the hardwood shaft of his spear, the raider’s sword becoming stuck. Dilath kneed the commander in the gut, and the raider stumbled backward. The force of the raider desperately holding onto his sword and the sudden force of backward propulsion caused the raider to fall flat on his face. Dilath, the sword having gone flying out the broken window, spun his spear downward and slammed it, unceremoniously, into the unprotected chunk of the commander’s body, right at the base of his neck. The hunter slid his spear back into the quiver on his back, standing to watch the sun’s slow rise.

Chapter Two: The Journey to the Northlands

Dilath had found his camping gear where he’d remembered. Just outside the town walls, in a hollow between two tree roots. There was a five-day supply of food rations, and four canteens of water that, if he was careful, would last him around six days. The journey would probably take seven days, but he could hunt and skin his own food with the hunting knife in his pack, and would be able to get water easily enough from the springs up North. Dilath did wonder if Joe or Quint survived, but they’d likely died with the old Yurkin. (AN: Remember, in the original timeline there are raiders still out around the village. That’s not the case in those timeline, as they scattered far after the death of their commander). That saddened Dilath, but he knew he’d have to live with it. He made fifteen of seventy miles in the first day.

Three Days Later

The hunter was had just crossed through the Great Redwoods when he heard a vicious snarl. A thylacoleo lunged from a tree, right on top of a nearby Megaloceros. Dilath drew a rock from the pouch on his belt, creeped toward the thyla, and slammed the rock into its head, knocking it unconscious. Dilath quickly skinned the dead deer, slowly feeding the thyla as he had seen an old hunter who came to Reagath a few months ago do. The man had said that was how to tame Thylacoleos, and Dilath had believed him. When the beast awoke, it didn’t attack him. ‘So I guess he was right…’ Dilath muttered. Dilath cobbled together a basic saddle of the leather from his pack, fiber from surrounding plants, and a few pieces of metal he’d found earlier in Reagath. The thyla allowed him to strap the saddle to it, shifting itself slightly so that the saddle bags that Dilath had put his camping gear and food in wouldn’t obstruct its movement. Dilath gave a small smile. Perhaps things were looking at least a tiny bit up, he thought.

In three days, Dilath made fifty three of the seventy miles in his trip North.

-Ranger

Chapter Two: A Warrior’s Regret

(Pyro POV)

The Raptori hold didn’t last long after the Demon fell. Hundreds of wyverns rained, decimating our numbers and forcing we raptors to pull back into the bunker far neath the main tunnels. Many eggs were crushed, young slain, elders felled. I knew there was truly one thing we could do. ‘Clawlock! Wolf! Scorchling! Talon! After me! We’re taking the fight to the Demons!’ I called, knowing, even if we failed, that we’d sure the Overseer take a couple of Demons with us. Talon nodded, the look in his eyes clear as day; he wanted a fight. (Here’s a description of Clawlock, Scorchling, Wolf, and Talon.

Clawlock: A red-black male raptor with eerie yellow eyes. One of the best hunters.

Scorchling: An ash-colored female raptor, with, like her brother, yellow eyes. She is an excellent fighter.

Wolf: A silver male raptor with dark blue eyes. He’s mute, but has an excellent sense of smell.

Talon: A dark green raptor, blind in one of his gray eyes but still a good fighter. I hope that clears up my need to put descriptions on everyone).

As quietly as possible, I moved a rock away from a secret exit. ‘After me, raptors.’ I said, instinctively dropping into a hunting crawl. Wolf darted ahead of me. Out of all of the Imperium raptors, Wolf was likely the best at tracking. ‘We’re going into the belly of the beast, I suppose.’ Scorchling said (And yes, I meant to spell it ScorchLING. Not Scorching). ‘Yep. No doubt about it. Of course, we will die.’ Talon said grimly. I sighed in annoyance. ‘Can you please quit being a pessimist?’ I said. We continued on, the tunnel above our heads faintly shaking from the weight of many wyverns. Finally, we reached the end. Wolf slid a talon under the rock, flipping it over. I climbed out first, then Clawlock, then Talon, and finally Wolf. Scorchling stayed in to make sure no one crept up behind us. Leaping sideways, I narrowly dodged a sudden blast of wyvern fire. ‘INTRUDERS!’ the wyvern screeched. As quickly as they could, Clawlock and Talon lunged at the wyvern, one on each wing. Wolf padded calmly up to the wyvern.

And then I heard something shocking.

Wolf began to speak in Wyrmish, the ancient tongue of the Wyverns. After a few moments, the wyvern nodded. ‘So, you raptors are willing to stand down?’ it asked. Wolf shook his head, a, well, wolfish grin on his face. The Demon was now annoyed. It smacked Wolf aside, tilted its wings backward to knock off Talon and Clawlock, and I stood alone against a Demon almost twice the size of the one that I had faced before.

-Ranger

(Warning: This story will be rather gory, since it contains some Ancient Roman-esque fighting. So, if you don’t like blood, you should probably leave. Also, the reason for this chapter-thingy is because I was listening to a podcast on Roman fighting methods and what they did to deserters. Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty).

Gryphon Tullius POV

Location: Ancient Dorban, Southern Quarter

Date: Ninth of No-Moon, Eighth Year of the Second Epoch

For my crimes of apparently deserting the Warriors of Dorban, I must fight to the death in the Arena. If I win enough, I earn my freedom.

Overseer save me….

I hear the terrible noise that comes from the gong. I am armored with naught but the clothes I have and a leather jerkin, studded with metal. Practically nothing to protect me from the savage dire-bear. A simple sword hangs at my belt, so I may survive until they release the Death Boar.

I will survive. I will keep fighting. I am not a coward, I knew we would lose, General Blackmoon! Alas, I must go and fight.

I slashed and hacked at the scar-covered bear as it lunged towards me. One swipe of that demon’s claws even close to my vital organs, and I would be dead as a doornail. It clawed at my arm, and I attempt a desperate cut at its jaws to kill it.

That was a mistake.

I hadn’t known that this was a trained killer. That almost cost me my life. While I tried to slash at its head, one massive paw came swinging at my side, gouging a hole in my leg. I fell, knowing this would be the end.

Or was it?

I stabbed at the beast’s throat as it swung down its claws to finally kill me, it looked down, confused, at the sword hanging from its throat. Then, it fell sideways, dead. ‘Impressive,’ called out Emperor Uln. ‘So close to death, yet you still won.’ The Emperor turned to Blackmoon. ‘Why did you sentence him to the Pits, General?’ Blackmoon turned his cold eyes to Uln. ‘Because he deserted. You may as well execute him, m’lord. ‘ the Unmortal said. ‘Are you saying that Gryphon, one of my most faithful Lieutenants, deserted me?’ The Emperor replied in disbelief. The Unmortal had no reply to that. ‘I suppose the fights must go on. He shall not be executed, but he shall fight. If he wins thrice, he shall be released.’ Emperor Uln said. Blackmoon glared at him. ‘No. He will be executed. He DESERTED!’ Blackmoon roared. I sighed. ‘No. No I didn’t.’ I said, my voice carrying over to them. ‘Shut up or I’ll have you executed, you kreldnt.’ The Unmortal said to me. ‘Emperor. May I have a map? I need to point out where we were when the battle ended. From what I heard of General Blackmoon, I apparently deserted two days before the final battle with the Cult of Rockwell. Yet if I know where the final battle took place….’ I let the sentence hang. Emperor Uln nodded, clearly aware of what I was trying to say. He turned to one of his servants, but in doing so kicked Blackmoon in the leg, which may or may not have been on purpose. ‘Give the Lieutenant a map.’ The servant scuttled away to retrieve one from the cartographer. ‘He could have followed us and just stayed out of the fighting!’ Blackmoon said. Once the servant returned with the map, I pointed out a small grassland near an old village called Reagath. ‘That’s where it happened, Emperor Uln. My sword from before still has blood from some of the enemy!’ I stated,’ And, m’lord, you would know where the battle took place.’ I continued. ‘Hm. Yet, to prove your claim, show me your old sword.’ Uln replied. ‘Emperor. It’s likely that Blackmoon wiped the blood from my blade. You do understand that he hates me. Namely because of the incident that includes me and a cannon.’ I replied. The Emperor laughed at the statement. ‘He couldn’t have! I had your blade locked in a case that I alone have a key to.’ he added, a grin on his face. Blackmoon had left to retrieve a canteen of water, and returned to hear Emperor Uln’s last sentence. The Unmortal returned with a sword in his hand, entirely clean. And it bore my family’s symbol. ‘How in Rockwell’s underpants did you get that sword?’ The Emperor asked. I snorted. ‘Well, m’lord Uln, you left your case unlocked and I retrieved this blade. Here be it, proof that Gryphon Tullius ran from battle.’ The Unmortal Blackmoon said. ‘Wait…

How did you know it was locked before, General?’ I asked. ‘Never mind that.’ The Unmortal replied. Emperor Uln looked at him angrily. ‘Never mind that?! NEVER MIND THAT?! How did you know it was unlocked?’ The Emperor roared. Unmortal Blackmoon smiled coldly. ‘That’s for me to know, m’lord, and for you to know,’ he said. In the same moment that the Emperor drew his sword at the statement, he had Blackmoon’s steel dagger in his chest. ‘Now, since that is over…. Lieutenant Gryphon Tullius, you shall face the Death Boar.’ The Unmortal hissed. A small audience gathered, not caring for the Emperor’s death, as he was an unpopular leader.

I’m outta space

-Ranger

The Tribe of Shadows

New Recruits: Pt II

(Third POV)

The trio continued their trek to Sarvenfell, Dilath with his rifle in his hands as a precaution of sky-pirates. Quint was forced to yell over the howling, harsh winds. ‘I thought I saw a few Argentavi over to the southwest. Might need to veer a little east, guys!’ Joseph partially drew his pistol, a warning sign to any idiotic sky-pirates. Signaling for them to land, the group pushed back underneath the low mist to reveal the Northwest Shores, near the Wastes. Dilath moved his rifle back to the bandolier on his back, then pressed his boot to Ambush’s left flank, signaling for the Thyladrake to land. ‘This area is particularly dangerous. I’ve heard rumors of…ice dragons.’ (Managarmr, I think that’s how it is spelled. Apologies if I’m wrong). Quint scoffed. ‘Ice dragons? Doubtful. Maybe someone just saw a rockdrake covered in snow,’ Quint exclaimed. ‘Well, rockdrakes aren’t partially made of TEK. -WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE OVERSEER IS THAT?!’ Dilath replied, then yelled. He pointed to what resembled a large half-TEK wolf with back legs like a kangaroo. Its form was warped from the radiation, but still discernible to show what must have been large holographic blue wings similar to a rockdrake’s but made of TEK and what Dilath referred to as ‘Edmundium’. The beast turned towards them, black eyes boring holes into theirs. ‘It’s a…’ Joseph fumbled for a word that would fit, ‘Managarmr.’ (Old Pyrrhian Translation: Moon-Eater). ‘Of the old myths?’ Dilath asked, still quite terrified of the silvery-blue creature. Joseph was about to nod when another creature appeared. It looked like a combination of a fire wyvern and a hyena. ‘A Ravavern. One of the Nine Archon Deimosi’ Dilath stated, terror in his voice. (Ravavern: Ravager-Wyvern). ‘No…. It-it can’t be…’ Joseph stammered, staring at the two legendary creatures.

Quint, the oldest of the group, was struck speechless. The Deimosi snarled at them, angered at the three strange creatures in front of it. The Moon-Eater looked at the central Human, scenting Raptori blood upon him. Dilath drew one of his knives, his fear turning to rage. ‘Legendary, immortal being or mundane, mortal beast, I care not.’ He hissed. Ranger, floating invisibly, high above the group, snorted. (FOURTH WALL BREAK, PEOPLE!). ‘Highly doubt you’d be able to kill me. Anyways, gotta fix the Wall. Alright, what do I need. Oh, duct tape.’ The Deimosi laughed mockingly. ‘You cannot kill me, little Human. Though the blood Raptori runs through you, I am one of THE NINE!’ The Ravavern roared.

Dilath threw his knives with a ‘Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!’ Thee of Ravavern’s paws were pinned to the ground. In half a second, there was a crossbow bolt, shot by Quint, in the Ravavern’s last paw. The Managarmr stood, watching as its worst foe was pinned to the ground by three abnormally tall monkeys that carried strange weapons that spit strange, pointed fangs. The TEK part of it recognized those weapons as bolts and knives. The Moon-Eater knew better than to get hit by those blades. ‘You dare anger Therelni, Lord of the Rava-‘Dilath shot his TEK rifle directly into the Ravavern’s open mouth. ‘You anger the Raptori Grand General, Slayer of the Champion, Blackmoon the Terror, and the Imperial General? Yes, you do. And look at what a dire situation you’re in, Therelni….’ The Yurkan of Dorban replied.

The King of the Archon Deimosi stood, eyes now glowing reddish gold, ‘I do not die, heretic. Sadly for you, mortals do.’ Therelni hissed murderously. Instead of the fear the Archon expected, Dilath looked simply annoyed. ‘Welp, looks like it’s time to bring out the big guns.’ Dilath flicked his hand out. In it was a glowing cryopod, that contained something confusing. And terrifying as Oblivion.

A TEK Giganitheritricera Dire Raptor

(Giga, theri, trike, dire-wolf, dire-bear, and a raptor. And it’s a TEK variant). The Archon looked at the monolithic beast that was well over four hundred times its length and three hundred times as tall. It had six arms, six legs, and six heads. Therelni ran faster than light. Right after Therelni shot a wave of gray energy that came from Dilath. It sliced the Ravavern clean in half, horizontally. The Dire Giga (I’m going to call it that for short) roared, screeched, howled, and boomed a terrible call that echoed its might across Pyrrhia.

Dilath chuckled. ‘Her name is Floof, by the way. And she’s still just a baby.’ He said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. ‘Well that’s horrifying. Anyways, let’s get going.’ Joseph said, barely containing the shock of seeing such an amalgamation of creatures. The Managarmr stepped towards them. ‘’Hello, Dilath. Greetings, Quint. Salutations, Joseph. I understand that you were attempting to stop the dire-wolf attacks that have been happening? Well, by chasing off, and temporarily disintegrating, you did. And also, no I’m not one of the Nine.’ The Moon-Eater’s voice was deep, but also with a scratchy undertone, like it was being played through an old tape recorder. ‘I thank you for that. I am most apologetic if my appearance alarmed you. By the way, my name is Wilknel. That translates, in your tongue, to Fallout.’ (Bethesda! I made that his name because the Wastes are pretty radioactive. And also, I felt like it.) ‘Oh, and by the way, you might need some Hazmat suits. TEK will also work. I can supply the latter, so here.’ Wilknel flicked his tail, and two sets of TEK armor appeared. ‘I know you, Dilath, already have a set. But I’ll get you a stronger one.’ A camouflage variant of TEK armor appeared, the energy lines a pale green. ‘I assume this’ll fit your type of armor?’ The Managarmr asked. Dilath nodded. ‘And Quint, this is what I call Berserker TEK.’ The armor was dark red with the element energy veins glowing gold. ‘’Iy’s much more durable than the traditional stuff. And, it has a built in energy shield.’ Wilknel explained. Quint looked at the armor with amazement. ‘And lastly, Joseph. This is a set of TEK Archer armor, designed to be light but highly strong. It also includes a TEK bow, to fit with the armor. The bow makes arrows from energy, so no need for a quiver.’ Joseph nodded, barely comprehending the armor. Instead, he examined Fallout. ‘What type of creature is you from? It looks like a wolf, but has TEK parts on it,’ he asked. The Moon-Eater seemed to raise an eyebrow. ‘I take the form of irradiated Managarmr, which is what I am currently. I have a human form, but I much prefer this one,’ Wilknel replied. ‘Well, Dilath said that a ‘Managarmr’ is some kind of ice dragon.’ Joseph said. ‘That is mostly correct, Joseph. Managarmr are a combination of wolf, wyvern, and technology.’ The Moon-Eater replied. (By the way, I’m just going off of my own idea of a Managarmr. That is what they are in my Pyrrhian mythology, so that’s what they are in this book). ‘Now, each of you shall receive a TEK weapon. Joseph already as his bow. To Quint, I give you the only TEK crossbow.’ The Crossbow appeared in front of Quint, which he grabbed. ‘It has 2,000 TEK bolts that are automatically created after the number reaches zero. So, it should prove quite useful. It also has a scope.’ The bolts appeared in a leather case, meant to be attached to a bandolier or belt. The scope appeared to be removable. ‘And to Dilath, Bane of Many, I give a TEK blade forged by the Raptori. It is called Eclipse.’ The sword was very different to the traditional TEK one. The energy veins were glowing a deep green, the blade itself silver. The vein that went down the center of Eclipse turned to a disc as the middle of he blade, and floating in that disc of pure Raptori Element was a circle of black metal that gave Eclipse its name. ‘This blade was used by your father, Dilath. The element was turned green by Raptori blood. Three drops of you father’s blood, to be exact. If you are able to charge it further with that blast of gray energy, it could even be able to cut through an incredibly, incredibly small bit of reality. That powerful.’ Wilknel said, his voice grim. ‘The only way you could is by using the opposite edge of it. The edge facing you. You’d have to supercharge it with one of those energy waves of yours, flip the blade so that the right side flips to the left, and cut something. Surprisingly simple, really.’ Fallout continued. ‘But don’t. Tampering with Reality doesn’t end well.’ The Managarmr simply disappeared after the final words, leaving the trio confused.

‘Hey, is that a beaver dam?’ Dilath asked. (Percy Jackson reference time!)

‘So. Many. Dam. Detours.’ Quint said. ‘I dam agree, Quint.’ Dilath said. ‘Dam, we gotta get to Sarlenfell.’ Joseph said with a snort. ‘Dam, you’re right.’ Quint said.

Ranger laughed from above the group, jotting down the conversation on a pad of paper. ‘Percy Jackson reference? Why not? They’re dam good.’

Dilath looked up, seeing a flash of a camouflage cloak before the ‘Author’ disappeared. ‘We should reach Sarlenfell by tomorrow evening. May as well set up camp.’ Quint said, looking at his map. The other nodded in agreement. With all their tames now stored in cryopods, Dilath set up the tents, the other putting basic supplies in them. ‘Hey Joe? Can you go grab firewood?’ Dilath asked. ‘Yeah, there’s a couple trees nearby.’ Joseph pulled out his hatchet, spending around ten minutes gathering the a few dead logs. Dilath climbed back into his tent, putting on his TEK armor. Crawling back out, Dilath began to sharpen his knives on a whetstone that he carried with his. It made a satisfying ‘zinnnnng’ as he did so. ‘Anyone else want your weapons sharpened, or are y’all too lazy to get up?’ Dilath asked jokingly. ‘No. But what I do want is dinner.’ Joseph replied. ‘I’ve been told I make a mean ovis stew.’ Quint muttered. ‘Well, I have a supply of ovis and dodo meat, so whichever you prefer. I also have a few things of spices, stuff like that. Normal food supplies.’ Dilath replied. ‘I guess I’ll make the ovis stew. If you don’t like stew…. You don’t deserve to exist.’ Quint replied. ‘Someone never said something more correct than that.’ Dilath said quietly. After they all had eaten, Dilath went to gather more firewood, setting it by the small fire they had lit. ‘I’ll take first watch. You two go get some sleep.’

Dilath was an hour and a half into his shift when he saw the eyes.

-Ranger

Tribe of Shadows:

New Recruits (Dilath’s POV)

Me, Quint, and Joseph stood around a map of Pyrrhia, marking down any nearby villages. ‘Alrighty people. We already have three more recruits. Marian Lyleviel, Donté Black-Blood, and Flint Stone.’ (AN: Totally didn’t do that on purpose). Quint snorted at the final name. ‘Flint. Stone? Of all names someone with the last name ‘Stone’ could give someone, Flint sure as life is the worst!’ I sighed in annoyance. ‘Real original, Quint. Anyways, Lyleviel is from the Redwoods settlement, Huntreis. Black-Blood is at Sarlenfell, a hunting colony in the Northern Wastes. Stone is currently with a team rebuilding New Reagath. I’ve heard they’re going to change the name. Apparently, the word ‘Reagath’ is now cursed.’ I told them, drumming my fingers on the table where the map was placed. ‘Which place is the closest?’ Joseph asked. ‘Reagath, but I’m not keen to go back yet.’ I replied. ‘Quint, where do you think we should go?’ I continued. ‘Even though it’s the farthest away, Sarlenfell. I heard some rumors back when Reagath was, well, just Reagath, was talking’ to a couple fur traders, by the way,’ Quint stopped for a moment mid-sentence to take a breath, then continued. ‘That Sarlenfell has been experiencing some bad Direwolf attacks. Maybe we can go help, if they’re still happening. Plus, we could make a good profit. We’ll need it if we all gonna get TEK armor and weapons.’ Quint promptly walked over to a row of canteens that I had refilled earlier, grabbing one and drinking almost half of it in one swig. ‘Anyways, what I was tryna say is that Sarlenfell is the best course. We’d make a decent profit, and have another person in this accursed empty city,’ Quint said, done speaking. The veteran walked back to the table. Joseph nodded in agreement. ‘Alright, we’ll head to Sarlenfell.’ Joseph said. ‘Go to the armory. It’s about thirty feet to the left of here. Also, mind the tree.’ I explained, walking over to the armory myself. I grabbed my own Warped (AN: Eerie) pistol and tossed both of my allies TEK rifles. I grabbed my extra hunting knife, the others already on my belt, and slid in into a sheath just under my left hand. I handed Joseph a machete and Quint a honed (Ascendant) sword. I walked over to my hut, grabbing a spare bedroll and cooking supplies. ‘No need to eat hard rations out there. Not yet, anyway. Plus, I’m probably goin’ to need more sleep than the others.’ I muttered to myself. I walked over to the apparel section of the armory, grabbing three sets of fur armor. ‘Head to whatever hut around here. Not mine. Mine’s in the center of the field surrounding the Tree.’ I ordered, walking over to my stone cabin. I put my combat armor in a cryopod variant used for storage, changing into my fur armor and re-attaching my sheaths and a bandolier, which I put my TEK rifle through the back of. ‘Alrighty people. You two got tents or something? I do. Have to camp a lot. Well, had.’ I stated. Joseph pulled of the basic fur helmet that he wore. ‘If there’s an inn nearby, I’m putting back on flak armor. Much less stuffy than this stuff,’ he complained. ‘Then just go back into your hut, you lazy dilopha.’ I snarked in reply. ‘That’s offensive! I’m hurt, Dilath.’ Joseph said with a sarcastic grin on his face. ‘Can you baboons quit jabbering and let us leave?’ Quint groaned. ‘No,’ I and Joseph chorused. Quint sighed in mock anger, pulling out his pistol and shooting a small target fifty feet away. ‘Nice range. Lemme show you something better.’ I challenged. Pulling out my Warped pistol, I shot a target the size of a human head three hundred feet away. ‘How…?’ Quint asked. ‘TEK enhancement in my gun. Also, some kinda weird substance, I call it Edmundium, shoots from it. It seems to track whatever I shoot at, no matter the distance. It’s quite handy, really.’ I explained, a smirk on my face. ‘Anyways, let’s get outta here.’ I opened my crops that contained Slipspace, flicking another to summon my Argentychus, Rust. (Obelisk reference. Sorry that I didn’t ask, Moon). I whistled for Ambush, the Thyladrake of Dorban. I hopped onto Ambush, motioning for my friends to mount the others. Quint’s eyebrow rose, motioning if he could ride Slipspace. I nodded affirmatively. ‘The Thyla-Rockdrake is Ambush, the Argentavis-Deinonychus is Rust, and, as y’all probably know, the Void Wyrm-Tapejara is Slipspace.’ I patted Ambush on the head, a signal to begin walking forward.

Animal Desc:

Ambush: A red and brown Thyla that has the wings of a Rockdrake on her front shoulders. The wings are orange-ish yellow with blood-red scales.

Rust: A dusty red and brown deinonychus with the wings and tail of an Argentavis. The wings replace his front legs.

Slipspace: A tapejara with the wings and metallic scales of a Void Wyrm. He has two crests, though technically three. They make a thin arrow shape. Can’t wright more

-R

Chapter III: Devils…Monsters…

(Halo reference)

Rockwell, now twenty years old, stared down into a blood soaked valley. Memories of a night thirteen tears ago flashed in his mind. A tall, skeletal demon beckoning for him to join it seemed to appear in his mind. The raptor’s tail swayed behind the demon, a sharp, barbed growth at the end of its tail the only sign it was the Demon that Rockwell saw all those years ago. ‘Rockwell…I gave you the chance to join me…. Now look at the rage you caused upon my host?’ Out of the raptor’s skull rose a dark purple shape, twisted into the rough shape of a legless human with a twisted, tall crown on its head. ‘He’s been massacring so, so many villages for your idiocy.’ The specter’s voice seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere. It surrounded Rockwell like walls that slowly closed in on him. ‘I gave you the chance, boy…. And now the Quiet’s Host shall end your pathetic existence. Have fun…’

Edmund woke up in a small stone building. Above him, in the rafters, sat the Sand Devil, staring down at him eerily. It grinned when it saw the fear on his face. ‘No one can help you, Edmund…. You angered the Void and Its Host. Now suffer….’ The Demon lunged down onto Its target, unseen by the healers around It, tearing into Edmund’s flesh. The seven year-old in Rockwell awoke, and as he had years ago, Edmund ran.

He barely escaped the helaer’s building when a gigantic being that resembled a carboemys but with…tress and a small lake on it? Edmund looked up at that monolith of a tortoise, and knew what he had to do. He scrambled up the rough, rocky surface of one of the Oasisaur’s legs, not daring to look down. At the top, a giant adobe structure sat. It was shaped like the open mouth of a raptor, teeth made of the metal that formed the Obelisks. Then Edmund realized it wasn’t adobe…

It was the skull of a beyond gigantic creature.

-Ranger