Dodo Tales S4 Ep4

A lonely man reached into a leather bag, pulling a revolver from it, and inspecting it to make sure it was full of ammo. Crawling out from rocks, the man, revealed by the light to be dirt-covered and scratched up, with a long unshaven beard. He whipped out his revolver, aiming it at his attackers. As a spear barely missed him, he pulled the trigger and one of the bandit's heads burst with blood and his corpse slipped off the rocks, his old cowboy hat falling off his head. Another bandit jumped to the man, attempting to punch him. The man dodged the punches, pistol-whipping the bandit across the face. He grabbed a knife from his left pocket and plunged it into the bandit's abdomen. The man turned and shot at several other bandits, some of them retreating. More bandits fell to the ground as time went on, none of them able to successfully hit the man. As the last bandit in sight rode away on an aberrant equus, the man aimed at his head, hesitant. The bandit resembled someone he had once known. Images of his old friend's death appeared in the man's mind, and he lowered his revolver. As the man rode away, the area once again fell into silence. "How long has it been since I've seen another person (before today)?" He thought, although he didn't have an answer. Those bandits may have been trying to kill him, but they were at least people, and not like the monsters in the darkness.

Rick was never a politics person, but still followed relevant events and people on this new ark. He knew enough about the completely dominant Abyssal Empire to tell that the bandits weren't associated with them, as the empire preferred more organized and standardized soldiers, not bandits from some time in the 1800s. Following the bandit attack, Rick continued his daily search. He had no home, and had traveled across the ark, through the darkness and through the light, learning everything there was to know. Still, he had made little progress tracking his old friends. On this day, however, Rick spotted a lazily put together house made from metal, and thought he recognized the design. Approaching the house, Rick discovered tracks in the dirt; some from a dodo, and others from a human. He stared up at the house, and started to walk toward the door. He pulled out his revolver once more, and burst through the door. "Hello!?" He shouted, met with nothing but the static whirring of machinery. Rick moved carefully and quietly through the house. When he reached another door, Rick tightened his grip on his revolver, finally slamming into the door. He stared in shock at what was in front of him, dropping his revolver as his arms fell to his side. It was Jerry's dodo. After grabbing his gun, he lifted to the bird slowly and gently, and walked through the front door. Jerry was gone, but why? Rick walked down from the porch, pondering whether he should stay and wait for Jerry, or continue his search and find him directly. As he was lost in thought, the dodo stared up at him, and he pet and offered it food. The dodo ignored the food in Rick's hand, continuing to stare in the same direction. Rick suddenly realized that the dodo wasn't staring at him, but over his shoulder. He grabbed his pistol and quickly turned to see a man atop a basilisk behind him. The man lifted a rocket launcher and started to destroy the house. Rick turned and ran with the dodo as small metal debris cut him and the first explosion gave him minor burns. He crawled to a nearby bush, his clothes covered in dirt and stained with sweat from the heat of the explosion and constant humidity of the cavern.

Jerry opened his eyes at a two-person table. It was made of high quality wood, and decorated nicely, much like the room around it. There was a fireplace too, but no doors or windows. There was a loud ticking noise coming from a large white clock on the wall. Jerry turned to the figure sitting across from him. He was strangely familiar. "Eden?!" He yelled in shock. "Yes, Jerry. Would you like some tea?"

"No thank you."

"So, is there anything you want to tell me?"

"No, why?"

"Oh I don't know, I just wanted to hear from the man who killed me."

Jerry stopped, growing visibly confused, and a bit concerned.

"What? That's not true. That's a lie!"

"No it isn't. Don't you remember, Ares?" Eden asked, turning to Ares, who was in third chair that was not there just a minute before. Jerry stared, realizing what this was.

"It's not real, it's not real, it's not real." Jerry repeated, closing his eyes and looking down.

"It's not real? Are you sure?" Asked the voice of Henry. Jerry kept his eyes shut, but heard familiar whispers from several others.

"You killed us."

"You killed us."

"You killed us."

Jerry finally awoke, breathing heavily from the safety of his bed. He was late for the speech.