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Re: Twisted Reality - Book 1 Art + Fan Interlude - 29-7-10

#136 Post by Donnellson86 »

You know when you write about zombies so well people will start to get the wrong impression. They may begin to wonder if you might be one of the undead :shock: . I am, of course, only joking :grin: .
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Re: Twisted Reality - Book 1 Art + Fan Interlude - 29-7-10

#137 Post by JediGuy »

Plane rides are remarkably benificial for productivity. Chapter 20 below. And yes, I'm naming the chapters now. It's something I wanted to do for a while.

-----------------------------------------------

Chapter 20: Search and Rescue

If ever there was a recurring nightmare, for some reason, that was the one. She woke up, again, in the midst of the Azure Badlands, wind gently blowing motes of dust around her. Kathrin looked down, her clothes dirtied and frayed. Once again, she looked around, standing isolated on the crest of a hill. In the distance stood a small town, something new since the last time she'd had the dream only a few days ago. She took a few steps towards it, her footing weak, before a familiar moan eminated from behind the Keidran. A single Afterdead lunged at her, and once again she fought back, the deadened human's claw-like fingers digging into her skin. She screamed, kicking it away as she tried to summon her powers. Seemingly from nowhere, ice crept up upon the beast's skin, cracking and shattering the dead tissue apart in a hail of shards.

Kathrin awoke, her face chilled and pressed against the window of the Humvee even as the rest of the air around her suffocated from the heat. Peeling her face away from the glass, she noticed a subtle creep of frost across it, her unconscious mind subliminally accessing her powers. 'Or...did I do that', she thought to herself as the Fox Keidran slowly shifted her position, rolling her shoulders and stretching her back. Nianika's leg shifted a little bit from her position on the turret, the human's upper body above them as she manned her post as sentry. The sun was well over its midday arc, meaning that she'd slept well into the afternoon. "Why didn't anyone wake me," Kathrin grumbled through a dry mouth, adjusting her tail to a slightly-more comfortable position. She hated human seats.

"Morning," Korin replied, glancing over at his position across from her, opposite of Nianika. Kathrin blinked for a moment, her tired mind slow on the fact that he and Malini had traded shifts on driving. "We figured you could use the rest, Kat." She made a small grunting noise in response, rubbing her eyes gently. They were sore, and she realized that she was likely dehydrated.

"Do we have any water," she asked meekly, resting her elbows on her knees. Malini glanced back at her in the rearview mirror as the wolf passed back a half-empty bottle of water.

"Small sips," she said.

Kathrin snatched the bottle, a little more forcefully than she intended, anger quickly flashing into her body but just as rapidly vanishing. She unscrewed the plastic cap on the bottle, taking hesitant sips of the water. 'Great,' she thought to herself, 'now I'm losing my temper with them.' They weren't the ones who were to blame, she told herself for the umpteenth time, and the person who was was long dead by this point. Still, it helped to have someone close to blame, as shallow as it may have seen.

Nianika's torso slowly turned on the rotational dias that she stood upon, the Ranger doing her best to serve as a lookout for the rogue vehicle. Even as the wind whipped around them through the open turret cabin, though, a faint buffeting sound started to grow in the background, making Kathrin's ear twitch as she strained to listen. It sounded like something cutting the air into sections. "Anyone else hear that?" the Fox called out, turning slightly in her chair. Outside of her window, the land sped by, but nothing more than roaming scenery caught her eye.

"Hear what," Nianika hollered back down, turning a little bit more. Korin and Malini, too, seemed to pick up on the sound, their Keidran ears being more sensitive than Nianika's.

"Yeah, I do," Malini said, her head on a swivel as she strained to pick out the source of the sound from the "roadway" in front of them. "Damn if it isn't familiar, but I can't place it....I don't think it's a motorcycle from this far outside of a town, unless a few raiders have one."

Korin, needless to say, didn't like the sound of any of it. He pounded the roof of the Humvee, alerting Nianika. "Load 'er up," he shouted, trying to see where the now-distinct sound was coming from. Kathrin listened, and realized it was more of a dull buzz than an individual blade.

Malini seemed a bit more frantic, her head snapping left and right. She pulled the car slightly to the right, entering a more hilly area, similar to the one they had camped at the night before. Her eyes widened in realization a moment
later. "[censored], that's a-"

"Chopper!" Nianika called down, doing her best to swing the front-mounted turret around. The dull buzz quickly grew to a deafening roar, tearing at Kathrin's eardrums as the helicopter passed overhead from their left and continued to their right.

"Did it see us?" Korin asked, bracing one hand against the door as the Humvee bounced up and down small inclines.

"Oh, it definitely saw us," Malini replied, doing her best to keep to the lower valley sections between the hills. "You think Nianika on the gun fooled him, though?"

"I don't know, I waved at him," the woman shouted back, her feet moving slightly farther apart in a more stable stance. Kathrin's eyes remained glued to the helicopter, a black, streamlined warhorse of machinery with two "wings" on either side that contained a menagerie of weapons. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she could make out the silhouette of one of the two pilots. In fact, she thought she saw the same pilot look back at them, pointing them out to his copilot. The Helicopter slowed and made a gentle, banking turn.

"Uhh...i-it's coming back..." Before Kathrin could say anything else, she, the wind, and everything else was drowned out by an ominous, ear-screeching humming sound. The chopper was rapidly approaching, it's under-wing guns spinning up.

"Kvesh," Malini swore in Keidrani, swerving the Humvee and all its occupants around the base of a small hill. Gunfire erupted around them, dust and rocks being pelted as the helicopter walked their ammunition towards the Humvee. Malini's actions jumped a hill in between the two forces, causing the gunship to miss its target and fly overhead. Nianika had no choice but to return fire, doing her best to angle her .50 Cal up towards the flier.

"It's coming back around!" Korin yelled over the roar of Nianika's shooting, hot shell casings falling along her feet. Metallic clangs quickly added to the already-nightmarish din.

"Yeah, and we're running out of ditches to hide behind," Malini grunted, putting the Humvee into another tight turn. Nianika was lucky to keep her balance, and Kathrin was thrown against her door. She began to shake, her heart racing in her ears.

The helicopter corrected it's course and came up behind the Humvee this time, keeping a straight line on it. Bullets smashed into the ground behind them, quickly catching up to the metal-plated vehicle. Kathrin screamed as glass from the rear of the trunk cracked and shattered under the rapid, sustained fire, pelting them with small, stinging shards. Nianika ducked back inside quickly, a few rounds hitting near the gun. Malini did a hard break, causing the chopper to fly straight overhead and force it to turn around again.

"Another pass and they're just gonna rocket us," Nianika mumbled, scrambling her way back up into the gun in a vain attempt to hit the flying fortress. "And I think I smell gas!"

Kathrin tried to shut out the noise around her, made more difficult as they others began shouting back and forth at each other. The Humvee began to lurch forward, but it was obvious that something important had been hit from the way the engine strained. The fox's short, sharp claws began digging into the seat, trying to think of something, anything that they could do. She reached out through her mind, trying to find some source of magic. Her crystals were depleted, and she didnt have enough time to naturally synthesize more. The mage looked nonetheless, though, her despiration and anxiety rising as the sound of the Chopper neared once again, it's guns blazing.

Suddenly, it was there. A more than ample source of mana that appeared seemingly from nowhere. She drew in as much as she could, thinking on her feet.

"Kath-" Malini's voice sounded, only to be drowned out an instant later by an overwhelming concussion of noise.

Dirt and rock blasted up in front of the Humvee and toward the helicopter, a cloud of Earth that sent the gunship veering away. At the same time, Kathrin's eyes opened, glowing the familiar light-blue. "Don't move, don't shoot," she said in a soft, controlled voice, her claws digging into the seat and door handle of the Humvee. Before anyone could interrupt, the Humvee began disappearing right around them, becoming as transparent as any window. It's occupants, too, began dissolving into the ether, earning Kathrin various startled reactions. Before the chopper turned around, all of them, Keidran, Human, and Vehicle alike, had disappeared into thin air.

"Shhh...." Kathrin said, not moving as she concentrated as best as she could on the illusion, all sense of fear and panic having disappeared with the discovery of her magic source. The chopper corrected it's course with guns spinning, but stalled in the midst of its charge. The machine hovered in midair, panning back and forth slightly as the obviously-bewildered pilots tried to figure out what happened. Nianika, Korin, and Malini didn't move a muscle (as Kathrin could see them using the mana), even though they were translucent. After a few tense, uncertain moments, though, the helicopter made one last rotation before lazily flying off towards the far horizon.

Everyone remained quiet as they watched the metal monstrosity fly away, frozen amongst themselves even as it disappeared from view. Kathrin could feel a cool chill amidst her chest, though she didn't know why. Eventually, her grip on the Humvee eased, and the metal began to regain its color along with its occupants. She felt a little tired, but was surprised that she wasn't flat-out exhausted. She'd done a little tinkering with invisibility spells before, but never on a person, let alone a group of people, inside of an armored jeep, for several minutes.

"Kathrin," Malini said, breaking the silence among them, "...how'd you do that?"

"I...honestly have no idea," she said, giving a slight, bemused shrug. She held up her hand in front of her face, watching as her fur and skin slowly came back to their normal, non-transparent colors.

Nianika slowly climbed down from the turret, shaking her head and tossing her helmet at her feet. "Next time, warn me. I like being able to see me [censored] myself when an attack 'chopper comes around." The joke earned a gruff, dark-humored laugh from Korin, who simply shook his head.

Malini, on the other hand, seemed to have more pressing matters on her mind. With a slight grunt, she kicked the door open, hopping out from the driver's seat. "Anyone hurt?"

"A few bumps and scratches, but nothing a bandage can't fix," the soldier called out to her, standing up and inspecting the machine gun. "Ahh...damn, they blew a hole in the barrel. This thing's not gonna shoot anymore." Korin and Kathrin slowly climbed out either side, just as Malini was rounding the rear of the Humvee for damage inspection.

"It...doesn't look too bad," the Fox Keidran commented, noting the occasional bullet scarring or hole, along with the shattered glass. "The tires seem to be in one piece." She gave a gentle kick to one of the wheels, her foot bouncing back from the strengthened rubber. She noticed a small, black smudge on her fur, and bent down to rub it off. A strong, overpowering wave of gas and chemicals met her nose, though, and she gagged slightly, stepping backward and waving her
paw in front of her nose. "I take it back. Look underneath."

The underside of the Humvee was in much worse condition, shrapnel and bullets having shredded their way through different compartments and hoses. Several leaks were piling beneath the wounded jeep, reeking off their foul odors.

"I think we effectively killed our horse trying not to get shot," Korin said with a slight frown, inspecting the damage closer as he laid down onto his back and scooted a bit underneath the car. "The engine looks like it'll still run, but the pumps are losing pressure quick with all the leaks. And I don't see a mechanic shop out here anywhere."

Malini glanced up at Nianika, who was clambering down the side of the jeep from her gun mount. "Don't these things come with a set of spare parts?"

The soldier huffed, shaking her head. "To replace a few tires and make some field repair, maybe, but nothing to actually fix damaged pumps. Why'd you think that?"

Malini looked away meekly. "We were told you did in Basic. We were also told, because you did, to make sure the damn thing couldn't move anymore. Preferably, on fire, also." A small, awkward silence filled the space between the four of them, before Malini cleared her throat. "Well, it's not going to move at any rate...anyone have know where we are?"

Nianika glanced up at the position of the sun, shielding her eyes with her hand. "Well, we went South a bit, judging from how we didn't follow the Sun's arc...I don't know for sure."

"As long as we keep going East, we'll be okay," Korin said, throwing the shattered remains of the back door glass aside as he reached in to grab their bags. He tossed them outside, kicking off a little of the remaining window. "Unfortunately, that means we're hoofing it now."

"Well, the gas tank wasn't gonna last forever, anyway," Nianika said, shouldering one of the bags. She jogged around the side of the Humvee and grabbed her helmet and her rifle, placing the former on her head and the latter on her
opposite shoulder. Korin, Malini, and Kathrin split the remaining bags between them, Kathrin also carrying the medical satchel. She shifted her weight slightly, settling the straps on her back as they dug into her fur. Korin, once again, wore the two large bags, one over each side of his head and crossing in the middle of his chest.

"Just give me a minute," Malini said, moving to the opposite side of the Humvee and opening both the drivers-side and driver-passenger doors to form a makeshift booth. The sound of shuffling cloth and a few zippers could be heard, and before long the wolf returned out, having quickly changed clothes. She was wearing a long, dark-colored trenchcoat-like uniform. The center had a few buckles and multiple satchel pockets running down the front and flanks, until it reached the middle belt, at which point it opened up to allow the wolf's legs freedom to move. She rolled her shoulders a few times, stretching both her muscles and the fabric. Along her left hip was a subtle but effective scabbard, the hilt of a blade poking out of the top. "That feels a lot better," she said, sliding on a pair of gloves. "It's been too long since I've been back in the uniform."

Nianika squirmed uncomfortably for a moment, but soon cracked a grin and chuckled a little bit. "I swear to God, we're the sorriest bunch of people I've ever seen. Two soldiers in opposite uniforms, a fox, and a shirtless wolf."

"Hey," Korin said, "the vest is too heavy and hot to wear a shirt underneath it, too!" The others managed a chuckle of laughter. Kathrin took the opportunity to attempt to clean the smudge off of her fur. To her annoyance, though, it wouldn't come off, no matter how much she rubbed the fur between her fingers. It was almost as if someone had dyed it when she wasn't looking.

"Alright, guys, we'd better get a move on. Sun's not gonna stay up all day, after all." Korin hefted his shotgun and pumped a shell into the chamber, popping his neck as he took the first few steps eastward. Kathrin and Nianika fell in behind him, with Malini taking up the rear.

-------------------------------------------------------------

At first, when it came to this chapter, I was a little stuck with writing it. I knew eventually I'd need to get them out of the car, 'cause there's only so much one can work with when everyone's driving. Add a few plot points in, and it was a hazardous juggling act. With chainsaws. On fire. I think I did pretty well, though.

Oh, and if you smell something odd, that's the plot thickening.
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Re: Twisted Reality - Chapter 20 - 31-7-10

#138 Post by flyingfruit »

Lets hope she didn't accidentally summon a huge evil dragon with all that black magic. S:P
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Re: Twisted Reality - Chapter 20 - 31-7-10

#139 Post by JediGuy »

flyingfruit wrote:Lets hope she didn't accidentally summon a huge evil dragon with all that black magic. S:P
Way to ruin the rest of the ENTIRE STORY

:mrgrin:
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Re: Twisted Reality - Chapter 20 - 31-7-10

#140 Post by Donnellson86 »

*claps hands* This is a truly triumphant reentry! I am now on the edge of my seat waiting for the next chapter.
Insanity is curable...but craziness is not.
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Re: Twisted Reality - Chapter 20 - 31-7-10

#141 Post by Ster Zetanee »

I read it all through, it's incredible addicting to read, and its an amazing story. I am surprised i go so into since i usually avoid reading fan fictions but I am starting to think after reading that that I should start reading more since that was so good.
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Re: Twisted Reality - Chapter 20 - 31-7-10

#142 Post by JediGuy »

Ster Zetanee wrote:I read it all through, it's incredible addicting to read, and its an amazing story. I am surprised i go so into since i usually avoid reading fan fictions but I am starting to think after reading that that I should start reading more since that was so good.
HAH.

Are you telling me that you've changed your perception on Fan Fictions simply because mine was, as you said, good? ;) I'm a humble man, Ster, I don't think it's that good. I just try to put my heart into my writing. Your thoughts, of course, are greatly appreciated.

To quote TVTropes from Silver Fox, : "90% of everything is crap. But the other 10% is worth dying for."
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Re: Twisted Reality - Chapter 20 - 31-7-10

#143 Post by Ster Zetanee »

JediGuy wrote:
Ster Zetanee wrote:I read it all through, it's incredible addicting to read, and its an amazing story. I am surprised i go so into since i usually avoid reading fan fictions but I am starting to think after reading that that I should start reading more since that was so good.
HAH.

Are you telling me that you've changed your perception on Fan Fictions simply because mine was, as you said, good? ;) I'm a humble man, Ster, I don't think it's that good. I just try to put my heart into my writing. Your thoughts, of course, are greatly appreciated.

To quote TVTropes from Silver Fox, : "90% of everything is crap. But the other 10% is worth dying for."
Yeah, part of the reason i read it is because other then the keidran and humans this is SO far away from twokinds i can elude myself to believe its hardly related, and I likely won't start reading fan ficttions anytime soon, unless i find this one harry potter one that i read a quote from once. The quote was hilarious.
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Re: Twisted Reality - Chapter 20 - 31-7-10

#144 Post by Ironworks »

Well, Jedi, Once again Im impressed.
Regardless of what I said before, I eagerly look forward to your next chapter, and the continuation of book two.
Especially seeing as I have no idea where it's going now.

Ill be waiting for your next chapter anxiously.
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Re: Twisted Reality - Chapter 20 - 31-7-10

#145 Post by JediGuy »

*Chants* Break Four-K! Break Four-K! Break Four-K!

*Ahem* Sorry guys, but I'm understandably excited about the upcoming milestone of, oh, FOUR THOUSAND READS. You realize that puts me as the second-most-read story on the board, right? RIGHT?! That's awesome! And really, I couldn't have done it without you guys. Seriously, you rock. Tell your friends, spread the word! No reason others can't enjoy the story.

So, I have Chapter 21 done and ready for you guys, after a few tweaks to build it right. Before that though, I want to show you some Twisted Reality art-like stuff!

Malini with sword and coat was drawn by a good friend of mine, Soulman. He's looking for commissions at the moment, I'd really encourage you.

Enough of that. Story time! And boy, it's a doozy...


-----------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 21: Monsters of the Past

With a grunt, Korin shifted the bags across his shoulders, trying to move them over a slightly-less-sore spot. His eyes squinted as they inspected the landscape, the surrounding rocks and cliff-faces reflecting the sun's light and heat back at him. More of the same, with winding dirt, rock, and dried plants almost as far as he could see. Hills scaled the surrounding area as well, though not as smooth as they had been a few days ago. These were more like cliffs, a miniature mountain range of jagged rock and earth. "We haven't been going in circles, right?" he called out behind him, the wolf turning slightly as he crested a jagged outcropping. Nianika was crouched down on a knee, helping Kathrin climb up and over a small boulder. It may have seen like a waste of energy, but, ironically, they were taking the easiest route.

"No, we've pretty much stuck to following the sun and my compass," the Ranger said, dusting off her knees. Malini came up after Kathrin, doing a half-vault jump from another rock and scrambling to the top. The sun beat down around all of them, with gentle breezes seeming to do nothing but move the stifling air around. Korin's tongue hung out of his mouth slightly, the Keidran giving slow, deep pants.

"We should probably take a break," Malini called out, quickly catching up with Korin.

"Another one?" Nianika let her arms drop to her sides, a slightly exasperated look on her face. "We just stopped half an hour ago."

"Yeah, but you don't have fur," Malini countered, sitting down on the edge of the small ledge that she and Korin were on. It was about eight feet down to the next embankment, and she scooted herself over the edge, dropping with the grace of an acrobat. "There's some shade down here, might as well use it while we have it." The sun had abandoned its post above their head already, in the painstakingly slow process of falling towards the far western horizon.

Nianika conceded, following Kathrin as they made their way over the embankment. The human simply stepped out into thin air and leapt down, taking the impact with her knees, while Korin, after dropping his cargo, held his hands out and caught Kathrin as she dropped. The fox Keidran mutely nodded in thanks, before slowly allowing herself to collapse against the wall of rock. "Pass the water," she said, wiping her sleeve across her brow. The others quickly huddled in what little shade was present, Malini unhooking one of several canteens from her belt and passing it to the Mage. She gripped it, and, with a brief flash of light in her eyes, she took a drink and passed it around, a thin layer of chilled frost now covering the flask.

"Where'd you get more crystals, Kat?" Malini asked, letting cold water flow down her otherwise-parched throat a moment later. The wolf dabbed a rag with the liquid and pressed it around her neck, sighing slightly in comfort.

"I...didn't, really," she admitted with a shrug, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the rock. "I kind of just found some new source of Mana. You think there's a wrecked tower somewhere nearby?"

"Could be," Nianika said, taking her turn with the water. "I know we had a lot more than we needed. Precaution and all that." The fox replied with nothing but a slight hum, letting her eyes rest for just a few moments. It seemed as if the continuous heat and exertion had given her a constant headache, though it was nothing she couldn't handle. Even now, just from the break, it had diminished.

They had been hiking for what seemed like weeks, when it was actually only a handful of days since they had abandoned the shattered Humvee. The landscape had gradually become less and less friendly, dried plants and trees becoming fewer and farther between and the dirt-covered ground eventually giving way to a more rocky, almost mountain-like appearance. Malini surmised that they were near a fault line of some kind, and that the ground would get flatter as they moved away from it. The patrols had stopped, too. Not that they weren't still in Monarch territory, but rather the military hadn't expanded their containment zone, yet.

The dark line of shade slowly crept across the ground, serving as both a comfort and a warning that the sun wouldn't stay out forever. "Well," Korin said, rubbing his shoulders slightly before standing, "we should probably keep going and use as much daylight as we can." With a collective silence, everyone stood and returned their packs to their previous locations. Malini silently flipped open a small, pocket-watch-sized compass, and, after inspecting it and turning in place, she started to lead the way. Stepping across a series of rocks, she reached a small canyon-like trench that had embankments on either side. It wound around for a few yards before disappearing around a curve, reducing them to single-file as they journeyed on. The ground sloped up and down at some points, but it was relatively smooth, though the way that Nianika kept looking up and around made it perfectly aware that she wasn't comfortable in the situation.

"Y'know what'd be nice right now," Korin said, trying to break the silence.

"Don't go through this again," countered Kathrin, annoyed.

"A cheeseburger," he continued anyway, his stomach growling slightly in reply. The fox Keidran simply sighed, shaking her head. "That, and a show-"

"Don't say it," Kathrin bit back, her face sour now. And it was for good reason, too; of all of them, Kathrin was the least suited for the situation at hand. Nianika and Malini were both trained soldiers, so they were used to going for days, sometimes weeks, at a time without physical comforts. Korin, while a civilian, had a lot less to maintain. Silence, once again, filled the vacuum between them, with only the shifting of a rock, the cry of a bird or an occasional grunt breaking it.

Eventually, the ravine reached an end, a small wall of rock that Malini climbed up. She turned , and reached back, helping the rest of them up before standing. The area they came out at was apparently the low point, a less-steep pile of jagged earth all around them. "If there is a Hell, I think this is it," Nianika said roughly, moving forward and climbing on her hands and feet up the edge of the slope. Her gun gently bounced against her back, and slowly, the others followed. She dusted herself off at the top, looking around for a moment. Her jaw dropped, eyes widening as she saw something the rest of them couldn't. "Holy [censored], guys...."

A large complex rested in the middle of a relatively flat area of land, the proverbial oasis in the desert. Three buildings -- two rectangular, one hexagonal -- surrounded by fencing stood, dressed in a dusty white that compared harshly with the surrounding brown. Their walls were chipped and some windows broken, but they seemed marvelously intact. The others gathered near the top of the hill, looking down into a sloping plain and eventually to what appeared to be an abandoned front gate.

"What on earth..." Malini gawked for a moment, before swinging her rifle from around her shoulder and raising her scope to the buildings.

"It looks like a prison or something," Korin said, frowning slightly.

"Nah, there'd be more fencing and open areas," Nianika countered, taking a knee and looking closer. "And it's not a military base...I haven't been told of anything out here."

"Korin, get the map," Malini said, sweeping her scope from building to building. The wolf Keidran reached behind Nianika and opened up her backpack, digging out a military-issue hazard map. He unfurled it and laid it out on the ground around them, inspecting it. "I don't see anything moving down there," she said, lowering her rifle after another few moments.

Korin shook his head. There was plenty of information on the map -- potential radiation zones, believed contingencies of Afterdead, but nothing on where he thought they were. "I don't know, Mal," he said, showing her the map. "I don't see it on here. Wouldn't the army have everything mapped out?"

"Not if they don't want us finding it," Nianika mentioned softly. That was unsettling enough, the four of them exchanging glances.

"Well," Kathrin said, "the sun's going to be down in a couple hours anyway...we could use it to clear out around here." There was some silence that followed, and she piped up again. "It'd be a lot better than sleeping outside, and we'd have a roof over our heads."

"Well...hell, let's do it," Korin said, looking at Malini. "It could have more supplies."


The four of them darted across the open ground, freed of the extra weight of the supplies. Korin was in a full sprint to the gate, his rifle gripped tightly in both paws as he glided across the ground. Nianika was only a little behind, keeping pace pretty well for a human. Malini brought up the rear, her rifle stripped of its scope and anything else that would add extra weight. They jumped the thin wooden band that served as the stopping gate for cars, slowing to a trot as they made it beyond the fence and entered a central courtyard area. Nianika moved forward with her training taking over, M-16 mounted to her shoulder and swinging from roof to roof. "Rectangle left, let's move," she said, her voice flat and even. The others darted past her, covering the flat, featureless ground in a few strides.

Korin stood in front of the door, rifle leveled. Kathrin, panting slightly, slid the action on her pistol, even though a small itch at the back of her head felt it would be safer to tap into the magic source. Korin nodded at the fox, who gripped the handle. She waited a heartbeat before turning it, just to see if it was unlocked. Surprisingly enough, it was, and the door slowly slid inward on well-oiled hinges. "It's open...guess they were expecting guests?"

Malini shook her head, glancing into the darkened interior. "I don't like this very much." Nevertheless, she stepped through the door, rifle level with her eye as she panned from left to right. From what she could see, it looked like a kind of maintenance entrance, with several shelves of supplies -- mortar, oil, light bulbs, that sort of thing -- leading further into the building. There were a few windows near the roof that let in just enough sunlight to make things visible, though not enough to get rid of all the dark corners.

The four slowly spread out through the room, closing the door behind them. There were two rows that lead into the back of the room, making four small isles for each of them. "This is...weird," Kathrin said, her voice echoing a little among the concrete room. They could see each other through the thin shelving units, though that didn't stop the feeling of isolation. They quickly made their way to the far wall, where another, nicer-looking door stood. Kathrin tried this one's handle, unfortunately not having the same luck as the first one.

"Alright, stand back, guns up," Nianika said, gripping her rifle tightly. The others readied themselves, before the Ranger leaned back, hiking her boot up. She fell forward into the door, her reinforced boot crashing through the wood with a thunderous shatter. What was on the other side, none were prepared for.

"Are those....beds?"

Kathrin felt her jaw drop a little, lowering her pistol as the larger room in front of them was obviously clear. They appeared to be in a dormitory of sorts, with several rows of bunked beads. Each was adorned with pristine, white sheets, appearing almost as if they'd never even been touched. "I take it back...this is weird." They slowly wandered into the room, the air not conditioned but noticeably cooler than the outside. The room was well lit with several shaded skylights, revealing the condition of the beds and the smooth, light-blue paint on the walls. The floor was even carpeted, a dark blue for contrast.

"It looks like there was a maid here or something," Nianika said, looking down as she tracked some dust in with her boots. "Everything's....clean." The four of them wandered into the hall, slowly spreading out amidst the rows of beds and footlockers.

"Don't wander too far off," Malini said half-heartedly, laying her rifle down on one of the beds as she looked around, at least partially still in shock. She gently set herself down on the bed, disturbing the folded, cream and white sheets with wrinkles. The mattress was soft, slightly bouncy to her weight. She just couldn't get over the comfort of the situation; it seemed to normal in here, and yet, at the same time, completely unexpected. It was like they walked back in time through the door, before the war. She glanced up, something colorful catching the corner of her eye. In the headboard, where the top of the bed she was sitting on arched up into the bottom of the bunk of another, were a few photos, stashed into the seam of the wood. Her large paws slid over the pictures, showing a young, healthy-looking human woman in several different poses with either a blonde-haired child, likely her son, or an older-looking blonde-haired man with glasses and a bright smile. She sifted through the pictures, before lowering them softly onto the pillow. She looked around, her mind completely blank. 'Where in the hell are we?'

The wolf Keidran slowly stood, poking her head over the row of beds. She saw the others looking around, the sound of footfalls echoing among the full-yet-empty room. Korin was trying to force open one of the footlockers, all of which Malini noticed were securely padlocked, while Nianika took a look around the front-end of the room, which had fewer beds but replaced them with a few couches and a pair of tables. It hit her a moment later that Kathrin was nowhere to be found. "Hey, wait a minute, where'd Kath-"

A short scream ripped through the air, shattering the silence as if it were glass. Malini's head snapped toward the source, emanating from a small, offshoot hallway that bent around a corner at the far end of the room. The three of them tore through the obstacle course of beds, the wolf grabbing her rifle from its literal resting place. Korin rounded the corner first, head snapping back and forth to try and find where she went. There were several doors along the right side, ending in an eventual dead end. "There!" Nianika said, seeing the second-to-last slightly ajar. They bolted down, the Ranger giving the door a swift kick in as they all leveled their weapons.

Kathrin stood at the far end of the room, a spray of water coming from a nozzle affixed to the wall. She was ringing her hands through the water excitedly, turning to look at the others. "They have running water! And it's hot!" Slowly, her grin turned into a little bit of a frown, giving a slightly perplexed look. "What?"


Malini ran one of the towels that they scrounged up from a nearby closet through her damp hair, pulling a fresh shirt over her head with a wince. Her shoulder, while not in much pain anymore from her gunshot wound, still stung if she moved it the wrong way. She grumbled silently to herself, affixing the cloth top over her chest and stomach. Her military coat lay on one of the beds back in the main room, along with her rifle, though her sword remained with her, leaning against the nearby wall for safety. It wasn't just her training her that was telling her to keep a weapon; something still felt off about this place. Working facilities and beds, without a soul to be found. She finished dressing and walked back to the dormitory, hoping that it was just her mind being paranoid.

"I just don't see why we even need to," Korin's voice drifted forward as Malini entered the room, the others sitting in the far-back corner of the room.

"Need to what," the other wolf Keidran asked, interrupting the conversation. Kathrin was laying sprawled out of the top bed of one of the two bunks they were occupying, lightly dozing, while Nianika was busy scrubbing her rifle.

"Wear clothes," he replied with a grin, which almost made Malini stumble from the unexpectedness of it. "I remember hearing stories of Keidran naturally being in the buff, anyway, 'cause the fur kind of makes it hard to wear anything."

"There's two things wrong with that," Malini said, shaking her head as she tossed the towel and sword onto her bed. "One, it's an over-exagguration. We don't usually wear as much as humans, but we still wear something most of the time. Two, I don't know about you, but I'd rather have some kind of protection out here, heat be damned."

"You forgot that nobody wants to see your ugly [censored], anyway," Nianika said with a smirk, earning a chuckle from the girls.

"I can't help it if I'm beautiful," Korin said in a mock pomp-and-circumstance accent, taking a small bow at the waist. "Anyway, if the girls are done, I'll get my shower now." He rose and cast his shirt off, humming as he made his way out of the hall.

"No more than two shakes!" Malini called after him, resulting in more snickering. She sighed, smiling a little at herself. It was amazing what something as simple as a wash and change of clothes could do for one's charisma, especially in times as hard as they were. By now, it was dusk outside, and Kathrin's doze was likely to turn into a full sleep soon.

"You feel it too, don't you," Nianika said softly, without so much as looking up from her rifle. She had stripped the barrel and action, cleaning sand and dust out of individual pieces.

"Feel what," Malini asked, glancing down with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"You know what. This place...it just isn't right, you know? It has all the signs of people living here, working here, for a long time...but no people. No anything." The Ranger looked up, a small frown on her light-toned face. Her hazel eyes showed hints of worry, reflecting the light from one of the overhead lamps. Malini slowly nodded, silently letting her eyes wander over to Kathrin, her chest rising and falling slowly in her sleep. The Fox Keidran was curled up, her robe bunched up as if it were a blanket. It was, as Malini thought about it for a moment, probably the first moment of peace she'd received since Ryan's death.

"I want to look at that bigger building," Malini said, glancing back at the human, surprised to find her rifle already assembled again. She gave the woman credit; the military trained them damn well.

"Good, I was thinkin' the same thing." Nianika stood, rolling her shoulders before she reached back and slid her vest on. "You think Korin and Kat will be fine here?"

"They have been so far," Malini replied, sliding her coat on and securing the middle straps. She secured her scabbard to her lower back, laying it horizontally as she twisted the blade in her hand end-over-end.

"You're not gonna bring your gun?"

"S.O.P. for close quarters. Guns are heavy and bulky, a sword's a lot faster, especially if you know how to use it." Malini flipped it rapidly between her fingers, rolling it between her hands, behind her back and into her palm again in one, fluid motion. "And I know how to use it."

"I always wondered how the hell our guys would come back sliced and diced when they had their pistols drawn already," Nianika said bluntly, affixing her helmet on top of her short, brown hair. "Guess I know now." Without a word to each other or Kathrin, they walked toward the front of the dormitory and out the center doors, stepping into the warm, still air of the courtyard. It was eerily quiet outside, the only sound being that of their feet padding against the dry or gravelly ground. They neared the main building's front, only a pair of large, imposing doors standing to greet them.

"Okay...now how do we get in..." Malini tried the handle to no avail, feeling it locked securely from the inside. Nianika gave them a swift kick, instantly regretting it as she gingerly gripped the toe of her boot.

"That's reinforced steel...ow...we're not getting in that way." The Ranger shook her head irritatingly, easing her foot back to the ground as they looked around. Up and down, the sides of the building were smooth and solid, and no apparent windows to force open.

"Hey, there's an idea," Malini said, elbowing Nianika's shoulder slightly as she pointed upwards. A series of thick cables laid along in the dirt, apparently torn or cut from the opposite dormitory building. "How good are you at climbing?"

A few moments later, the two hoisted themselves over the edge of the roof, seeing several skylights like the ones in the other buildings. The one nearest the doors appeared to be shattered, dropping into an inky darkness below. The two looked at each other hesitantly for a moment, Malini crouching down to peer inside.

"I can't make out anything," she said, digging through one of the pockets that adorned the coat. She pulled out a small, finger-sized glow rod, cupping it between her fingers. She breathed on it a few times, warming up the chemicals within it to begin the reaction that produced the faint green glow. Satisfied, she dropped it in, measuring about ten feet between the roof and the floor of the lobby. Nothing moved inside, and, after a moment of searching, Nianika vaulted down first, boots crunching against broken glass.

"Careful with your feet," she said, panning around the area with her M-16. Malini dropped and swung from the corner of the skylight, landing outside of the broken glass and onto a more professional, and much less forgiving, hard tile floor.

The room was dark, the glow stick only partially letting them see. Unlike the other building, this one wasn't filled with beds. They appeared to be at the lobby area of an office, with a small checkpoint leading farther off into the darkness. Nianika flipped on the flashlight of her rifle, panning it back and forth slowly. Tables were overturned, glass was shattered, and the tiles stained. "That's...blood," the Ranger realized slowly, taking a few steps forward to scuff it with her boot. It flaked and dusted, staining her boot like the dirt outside. "Old, but that's blood...told you this damn place wasn't right." She looked around, Malini foraging through one of the desks. She found a small pair of keys, holding them up for her to observe.

The two made their way down the hall slowly, eventually coming to a stop at a large, imposing reinforced door. Easily eight feet tall, this one was locked, bolted, and sealed in just about every imaginable way. What stalled them, though, was the fact that there was an assortment of furniture -- desks, tables, and even a couch -- crammed against it from the outside. "What in the [censored]," Nianika said, shifting a few things aside as she made her way towards the door.

"Don't," Malini said suddenly, grabbing at the Ranger's shoulder. She looked at the makeshift barricade, the pieces starting to fit together. She slowly shook her head. "I don't think the door is to keep us out...it's to keep something else in." Her voice echoed for a moment, letting the thought sink in. Nianika slowly backed away, her rifle aimed in the door's direction.

"Damnit...I always hated horror movies," she said in a not-so-joking manner, shaking her head. The woman was obviously spooked, looking back down the hallway that they came. Her light reflected off of something, a door handle, and they slowly made their way back, spying a locked door that they didn't notice before. Malini tried the keys that she found, a satisfied (and surprised) grin coming to her face when the door eased open. Inside, a small bank of television monitors stood silently black, an array of keyboards on a table beneath them.

"It's the security room," the Keidran said, stepping in and attempting the light switch. The light popped in its socket, making the two of them jump.

"Giving me a damn heart attack," Nianika said with a shake of her head, hovering her light around. A small closet rested in the back corner of the room, apparently the owner of the other key that Malini had found. The Ranger gave out a long, low whistle when it opened, seeing several racks of weapons. "There's enough firepower in here to equip a small army," she said, eying the goods. Her light flashed over different makes and models, before Malini stepped forward.

"Wait, what the hell? Some of those are UKT guns." The wolf went in, grabbing one of the Keidran-made rifles. "See how it's got a bigger stock and grip? Hell, I used one of these."

"So, what does an unmapped outpost in the middle of human territory need with a bunch of guns, let alone a bunch of Keidran guns?"

"That's the million-dollar question, I think," Malini said, standing and putting the gun back. They returned to the small security room, Nianika giving an aimless glance over the dark television monitors. She blew the dust off of some of them, randomly pressing a few buttons on the keyboard beneath. Static burst out from the monitors, again making them jump.

"God damn, this is like the haunted house from hell," the Ranger said, watching with Malini as the monitors slowly began adjusting. Security camera footage rolled across them, date and timestamps reading as "inconclusive," along the bottom.

"I guess there's a backup generator that the system's on, somewhere," Malini said, glancing from screen to screen. Nianika wandered to the other end of the room, prying the lock off of a small filing cabinet with her combat knife. Malini squinted, trying to make out the fuzzy images on the monitors.

"Look at this, they're like, reports or something," Nianika said, flipping open a small file. "What the hell...'Subject A23-9. Healthy upon dose of compound four but with similar results'....I always hated science."

Malini ignored her, using a small control pad near the televisions to move the cameras. Most of the rooms were too dark to see, but one in particular glowed a faint grey, resembling light on the black-and-white projection. "Hey, Nianika, c'mere," she said, trying to zoom in with limited success. It was off-camera, but the light showed enough to make out some other shapes.

"Those almost look like giant test-tubes," the Ranger said, squinting next to her. Several tall, tube-like objects stood in a row along a wall to the left of the camera, only one currently lit. "Pan over a bit." The Keidran did, finally centering on the glowing object. The resolution was bad, fuzzy waves making their way across the screen, but eventually the camera adjusted enough to make out the faint outline of a slightly-darker silhouette within the tube. "Oh my God," Nianika said, nearly pressing her face against the screen, "someone's in there!"

Malini's jaw hung open slightly, trying to zoom in more. The figure resolved itself into a male Keidran, arms wrapped around his midsection, his head bowed and eyes closed. Her mind began piecing together the pieces of the puzzle, trying to figure out what was happening.

"Wait...what's wrong with him," Nianika said, pushing Malini aside as she tried to work the camera controls. The view fidgeted a little bit, the resolution trying to compensate. There was a wound on his neck, but no blood was visible. The Ranger gasped as the camera showed black orbs where his eyes should be. "That's...my God, is that an Afterdead?"

A startling realization came over Malini, everything starting to fit together. The blood on the floor. The weapons in the heavily-monitored security room, both human and Keidran. The blocked and barricaded door. The 'scientific testing.' The wolf Keidran panned the camera to the tanks opposite side of the illuminated one, using the glow to prove her hunch. There were other forms inside of them, as well.

"They're....they're making Afterdead."
Magic is merely science that we have yet to understand.

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Ironworks
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Re: Twisted Reality - Chapter 20 - 31-7-10

#146 Post by Ironworks »

Alright, New chapter. Brightened my night.
Well man, Looks like you got me hooked.
Amazingly well written as always, and eagerly looking forward to the next chapter :)
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Re: Twisted Reality - Chapter 20 - 31-7-10

#147 Post by Donnellson86 »

Okay, first off: AAAAAAAAH!!! Second off: Great chapter! This one made my skin crawl as they found out that the facility is making Afterdead. Very creepy ambience and an excellent method of storytelling combine to make one kick[censored] story. Please, keep up the great work.
Insanity is curable...but craziness is not.
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JediGuy
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Re: Twisted Reality - Chapter 20 - 31-7-10

#148 Post by JediGuy »

GumbyDarnit wrote:Well man, Looks like you got me hooked.
You act as if I hadn't had you hooked before :wink:
Donnellson86 wrote:Okay, first off: AAAAAAAAH!!! Second off: Great chapter! This one made my skin crawl as they found out that the facility is making Afterdead. Very creepy ambience and an excellent method of storytelling combine to make one kick[censored] story. Please, keep up the great work.
Hooray! This was really the first time I tried to work a horrer element into a chapter (it won't be the last), and I'm glad you guys thought of it so fondly. I will admit, it's pretty hard to write something genuinely creepy in story-form.
Magic is merely science that we have yet to understand.

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Helinon
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Re: Twisted Reality - Chapter 21 - 24 / 8 / 10

#149 Post by Helinon »

Wow. That was alot to read. Well, first I would like to thank you for being an awesome writer. You made this very fun to read. I just have a few things to say.
1) Mikhail deserved to die slower and more painfully. Though the Afterdead feasting on him while he was still alive made up for most of that.
2) Really sad that Ryan died.
3)Keep up the awesome work! You've got yourself a new follower!
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Re: Twisted Reality - Chapter 21 - 24 / 8 / 10

#150 Post by Ubercade »

you are a great writer man
i love this story

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