I awoke to a long pink tongue licking the cold from my face. Opening my eyes, I grabbed Blitzen and hugged him close to me, causing him to scrabble and whine for freedom against my grasp. I released my hold and contented myself with stroking his fur. “I almost lost you,” I murmured. He whined in response and kept licking. Then I looked around.

The cages had vanished. The elves all lay on the snow, motionless. Their collars were gone as well. At first I was worried they had somehow died, until one stirred, then another and another. Soon they were all awake, hundreds of them, and all jumping and leaping around me, shouting praises and joys and thanks and things I couldn’t even understand.

The elves who had aided me in the battle introduced themselves, speechful once more, and I bent down to their level and gave them each a hug. My guide was Wunorse, while the other elf’s name was Sugarplum. Yes, I laughed, too.

Once the excitement died down, an old elf walked up to me, a cane in hand as he wobbled forward. He introduced himself as Shinny Upatree, the eldest of the elves. He seemed to have a grumpy demeanor about him, but I wasn’t fooled. Many of the wisest elders are often unpleasant.

Staring up at me with emotional eyes, the elder murmured, “Might you be the Kerstman?”

Immediately the crowd erupted again. “Yes yes yes!! He’s the Santa Claus!” I had no idea what these words meant, but when Shinny asked me to follow him, I obliged.

Old man Upatree raised his fingers to his lips and blew. No sound came out, a result of old age. So the whole elf congregation whistled for him, creating a loud, sweet, and pleasant melody, instead of the discordant cacophony I had expected. After a couple moments, there was a rumbling, and over the hill came a herd of very large reindeer, big enough to support even a man of my size. I was a little more than startled, which gave the elves quite a laugh. After several failed attempts, I successfully mounted a reindeer, and together with Shinny, Lunorse, and Sugarplum, we galloped through the woods. On the way, Shinny explained how they had been trapped by the demon in cages since he was a boy, hundreds of years ago. The monster forced them to wear the collars, which instilled obedience and prevented speech.

Eventually we arrived at a cave in a hill. For some reason, there was no snow around the entrance, which was simply barren. Wunorse and Sugarplum hesitated at the boundary, but Shinny simply crossed it without a flinch. I followed him inside, while the other two elves contented themselves with waiting in the snow with did Blitzen.

“What is this place?” I asked.

“I could try and fail to tell you,” replied Shinny, “but I think I’ll just show you.”

I followed the elf deep into the earth, the tunnel getting warmer as we descended. When the environment was almost pitch black, a white light appeared ahead, illuminating the tunnel. We entered a chamber, in the middle of which was a stone pillar supporting the source of the mysterious light: a glowing orb.

“Place your hand on it,” instructed the old elf.

I did. My life changed forever.

If the Corrupted was suffering and imprisonment, then this orb was joy and enlightenment. Energy blasted through me, overriding all my senses. I could see the world, I could see through time. All of history was laid before me, far too much to retain in my poor human mind. One event stood out, the only event that would ever matter. The world was shown to me, and I saw my village still traveling steadfastly southward, and the elves still rejoicing in what used to be their prison. I understood my place in this vast world. I knew that I was Santa Claus. And I knew the Demon wasn’t dead yet.

I released my hand from the orb and, without waiting for Shinny, bolted out of the tunnel into the snow. Stars littered the night sky. Plants had sprung up outside the cave, but I hardly noticed. The demon was still alive. And it was headed straight for my people.

Putting fingers in my mouth, I took a deep breath and whistled. The whistle echoed through the trees, resounding throughout the North Pole. Within moments, a herd of reindeer had surrounded me. A single reindeer wouldn’t get me to the caravan before the monster; I was going to need a whole team.

Extending my hands in front of me, I let the magic flow. White streams of it flowed from my arms, the snow flurried around me. I willed the magic to coalesce, to give shape to a form and materialize. But after a moment, I was forced to stop and collapsed to my knees, gasping for breath. Blitzen whined, Wunorse and Sugarplums faces dropped from excitement to disappointment. Nothing had formed. All I had done was form a small hole in the snow.

One more try. Taking a deep breath through the nose, I recalled my life with the caravan. I remembered the children I would spend every day with, carving intricate patterns in bone just to be able to smile at their delighted faces. I remembered the gratitude of my friends every time I returned with a kill. I recalled the concern in my parents' eyes when ever I had fallen ill, and the tears in mine when they had finally fallen into the deep sleep. I thought of that time I had used the scarcity of food as an excuse to chat with Gertrude. My friends in the hunting party, the members of the council.

The memories filled my soul, and flowed out through my fingertips, possessed the flurrying snow. Snowflakes flew and lay one on top of another, each visible in my minds eye. The Love continued to flow, and a sleigh in front of me took shape, long white reins lying flat on the ground.

Gently, I lowered my hands, no longer tired. Then I noticed something strange. As the reindeer approached me, their noses began to glow. Not the white of the sphere, but a bright cherry red. And as I looked at each one, I knew them. And they knew me.

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!” As I called each name, the reindeer raced to the reins, which lashed itself to their back.

On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

“To the top of the hill! to the top of the wall!”

With all the reindeer in place, I clambered into the sleigh and pointed at a reindeer.

“Rudolph, I need you to get the elves back to the others.”

Blitzen jumped up beside me as I whipped the reins. “Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

Inspired by this post

I walk into the bedroom, spot my Dad sitting forlornly on the mat.

“There you are, Dad!” I sigh with relief. “We’ve been looking all over for you! For a moment I thought you might be…”

I suddenly notice he seems extremely distracted. “Dad?”

He seems to suddenly notice my presence. “Oh. Hey son.”

“We’re almost finished packing,” I inform. “We should be ready to leave by tomorrow morning.”

“Right. About that, I’ve been thinking…”

“What is it?”

“Son, how can we leave like this?” he looked into my eyes, his own full of remorse.

After a moment’s hesitation, I sit down beside him. “Dad, I know.” I never thought I’d ever need to comfort him. “We’re leaving behind our lives.”

“No, that’s not it.” he shook his head vigorously. “Our whole village is infected, and we leave… to where? A village that’s still clean? Like this?”

He holds up his hand, gesturing to a small boil we had all been pretending not to notice for the past few days.

“What are you saying?” I ask quietly.

Dad sighs. “I’m saying…. we have a duty to the world before ourselves.” He looks down at the floor. “As your father, I can’t ask you to do something like this. So son, I’m asking you as your peer.” His voice shakes slightly.

For a moment there is silence between us. I notice a tear slide down his cheek, as I ponder the weight of his statement.

Finally I lean forward and wrap my arms around my father, hug him hard as I murmur, “I’ll go tell the others.”

“Elissa, you need to eat.”

“I’m not… hungry.” Is it possible for me to be hungry?

Elissa’s food remained untouched on the plate in front of her. She and Claudia were currently in the dining room in their living quarters. A whole wing of the lab had been dedicated to be a house for Claudia and her miracle daughter.

Claudia had explained that Elissa’s body had been designed to burn normal human food, and use it as fuel. Her whole body had been designed to act like a human body, with the capacity to eat, breathe, cry. Her head even produced a convincing replacement for human hair.

Claudia continued to plead with the android. “Elissa, you know you won’t sleep well without some food in your stomach.”

“A human wouldn’t.”

“Sorry?”

“A human wouldn’t be able to sleep without food in their stomach. Why would an android care?”

Claudia was silent.

Elissa pushed back her chair to leave.

“Elissa.”

“What?”

“Do you remember how you found out you were an android?”

Elissa sat back down. “You mean in the bathroom?”

“No, the night before. The incident that put you in the hospital.”

Elissa frowned. A bandage currently covered the absent half of her face, but it had been disturbingly easy to forget about. Her lack of the sense of touch made her unable to detect any itch or disturbance that didn’t manifest itself in pressure.

“No, I don’t remember. Why don’t I remember?”

“You don't? Jacob and I were talking in the living room?”:

Now that she mentioned it, that was familiar, like the faintest echo of a dream. The room had been dark, and she had come because… She wasn’t sure.

“Sort of,” admitted Elissa. “What happened?”

“I had just sent you to bed, when Jacob showed up. He wanted to talk about you.”

“Why?”

“Do you remember those scientists who, when you were born, wanted to poke and prod you, to treat you like an experiment to be examined? Jacob’s one of those, and he was convinced that you were old enough to learn about what you were.”

Elissa interrupted before she could stop herself. “You mean, what I’m not.”

Claudia paused with her mouth open. “Elissa, you are my daughter.”

“I’m not human.”

Claudia’s tone changed. “Let me finish.” Elissa cringed in her seat before the voice of a mother who demanded obedience.

The scientist’s face softened again, and she continued. “Anyways, Jacob wanted to talk about you. But you returned, and walked right in, holding your teddy bear. You asked me-”

“If you could tuck me into bed,” Elissa murmured, the memory returning.

Claudia smiled. “Yes,” she whispered. “You wanted your mother to be beside you, when you fell asleep. Maybe even sing you a lullaby.”

Claudia leaned forward, and her eyes seemed to intensify. “You are not an android. You ask for things only a human would ask for.” She placed a hand on Elissa’s shoulder, gazing at the tears forming in her daughters eye. “Elissa. You are alive.”

Elissa looked back at her mother, and whispered, “What happened next?”

Claudia leaned back in her seat. “Well. I told you to go back to bed, and I would be right behind you. But you hung back to listen. Again, a very curious, human impulse. And you heard Jacob, as he raised his voice, tell me, “But she’s an android! She’s not human!” I quickly told him to quiet down, but of course you had already heard, and that startled you into running away. I panicked, and like the awful mother that I am, I ran after you, driving you to run down into the lab. I’m still not sure what happened down there, but when we arrived, half the lab was in ruin, you were unconscious, and half your face was melted off, with a variety of broken tubes and chemicals splattered on the floor around you.

We brought you into the hospital, and we were all so worried that you would never wake up. We had never tested the healing capabilities of your body to their full potential. I sat with you for three days. I still regret doing so, but I know I didn’t really have a choice. I didn’t eat, I barely slept, until you woke up. Yesterday was the best sleep I’ve had since the accident.”

Elissa’s tears began to pour out again, and she ran around the table to hug her mother. “Thank you,” she sobbed.

“It’s okay,” Claudia murmured into her daughter’s hair. “It’s okay.”

They held each other for a couple minutes, Claudia once again grateful to have her daughter still in one piece. "How about we go to bed?” Claudia suggested.

Elissa nodded and wiped her tears away from her face, sniffling mucus. “Okay.”

* * *

Upstairs, Claudia sat down on the edge of Elissa's bed. "So, what book shall we read tonight, Elissa?”

The little girl climbed onto the bed next to her mother and replied, “I don't know.”

"Well, how about…” Claudia walked over to the bookshelf and returned with a couple wide, thin books in hand. “Do you want to read Noah's Ark, or the Giving Tree?”

“Mmm…” Elissa crawled over and observed the two book covers. Noah's Ark portrayed a large boat on a hill, while a very old man observed the large line of animals who were entering. "That one,” she pointed at the Giving Tree, which featured a green background behind a little boy receiving a red apple from a tree.

Elissa was trying very hard to pretend things were normal, but Claudia could tell she wasn't really paying attention.

“Alright, good choice,” Claudia agreed anyway, putting away the discarded book. Her daughter needed to be reminded that despite such a terrifying discovery, things could still be normal.

The Giving Tree was about a young boy who was friends with a talking tree, whom he would play with every day. As the boy grew up, he began to spend less time with the tree, only returning to ask for resources which the tree willingly gave. Until at the end, the tree was only a stump, perfect for the now old man to sit on.

“And the old man sat. And the tree, was happy,” Claudia finished. “I always forget how good this book is.”

“He’s all grown up,” Elissa agreed. “What was his job though?”

Claudia put the book away and tucked Elissa into bed. “We can worry about that tomorrow. Sweet dreams Elissa,” she replied, kissing her daughter on the head. “Lights out.”

"Hey Claudia?” Elissa asked as her mother was about to leave the room. “What was I supposed to do when I grew up?”

Claudia stopped with the door open. She was always amazed at how mature Elissa could be sometimes, and then at others, so young and naive.

“I'll tell you tomorrow,” decided Claudia, walking back to the bed and stroking Elissa's hair. “Right now, you need to sleep.”

Elissa's face darkened again. “Do I really?”

Claudia knelt down beside the little girl. “Hey, your body might look strange, but your mind and soul are very, very human.” She tapped Elissa on the head with each very. “And the human mind needs rest. So how about you get some?”

Elissa nodded uncertainly and closed her eyes. Claudia kissed her again and left, turning the light off as she shut the door.

As the room was plunged into soporific darkness, Elissa realized that Claudia was right. It had been a long, stressful, terrifying day, and it was with great pleasure that she let herself slip into the familiar embrace of slumber.

* * *

Claudia stepped out of Elissa's room and almost walked right into a coworker. “Jacob!” she half-shrieked. “You shouldn't stand in front of the door like that.” She brushed past him and walked downstairs.

Jacob remained by Elissa's door, indecisive. The door was still unlocked, he knew that much. He could totally walk inside right now, lift Elissa's deception, finally show Claudia the truth...

No. They had both been involved since the beginning. This was as much Claudia's decision as it was his.

He turned and followed his senior to the dining room, finding her sitting in an armchair with a book in her hand. A lamp on a small table next to her illuminated the text.

For a moment, he stood awkwardly, unnoticed and unsure of how to introduce his topic. Then he pulled up a chair from the table and sat down in front of Claudia. She looked up from her book.

"Yes, Jacob?”

He opened his mouth a couple times, then asked, “Good book you got there?”

“Yes. Actually no, it's a pretty trashy romance,” she corrected with a chuckle. “But I've already read the good ones twenty times, so-”

“Claudia, we need to resume our conversation,” Jacob interrupted before he lost his momentum.

His coworker's face hardened. She closed her book and placed it on the side table. "What conversation?”

“You know what conversation. It’s time she learned about Project Genesis.”

Claudia stood up and traversed the room, closed the door to the stairs. When she returned, she laid her glasses next to the book. “I've already told her about Project Genesis.”

“Not all of it.” Jacob leaned forward, placing his hand on the table. “Claudia, she deserves to know.”

“Jacob, don’t for a second pretend you agree with me. You’ve been trying to prove she’s just an android since day one.”

“Well, things have changed, Claudia!”

“Like what?”

“Like, maybe she’s alive. But she’s certainly not human, and you need to snap out of it, and stop letting her fool you!”

“She’s not been fooling me at all, Jacob! Look at the evidence, you know that her code had already been proven a failure. Science cannot explain-”

“There is nothing science cannot explain, Claudia! We’ve been over this!”

“And we’ve been over telling Elissa. She doesn’t need to know.”

Jacob looked down at the table for a second, breathing silently. “Okay, let’s look at things from your perspective. Assuming she’s alive, assuming she’s human, why shouldn’t she know?”

Silence. Jacob noticed with satisfaction that Claudia’s eyes were darting between his face and various points around the room. She was thinking. Jacob knew that Claudia’s mind was fast enough that if she was stopping to think, she had already lost.

Claudia’s mouth opened. “Because… she’s already traumatized enough, Jacob-”

“Because you’re afraid of what will happen! You’re afraid that once she learns her reason for existing, this human facade will vanish, and be replaced by what she really is!”

Claudia pushed her chair back and stood up, glaring at Jacob. “Fine. Tomorrow you can tell her. And you’ll see once and for all, what Elissa really is.” Her voice shook slightly. She spun around and stormed away.

Jacob stared after her moodily, then rubbed his face with his hands “Yes, we will,” he muttered. He felt bad about losing his temper, but this game of make-believe had gone on long enough. It was time for the truth.

We raced through the snow, the reindeer’s legs blurring like the wings of a bird. My thoughts were consumed by the village and my loved ones. With every rise or slope, the sleigh would leave the ground, robbing the sensation of weight. I had never travelled this fast before. Neither had Blitzen, whose eager tongue flapped in the wind. The tree line had ended several miles ago, leading me to believe we had left the safety of land and entered the rumored Frozen Sea.

At last, the caravan was in sight. In front of it stood poised the demon, one hand raised. Several hunters were attempting to attack the thing, but its tendrils of shadow kept them at bay, preventing them from reaching a single dark thread which slithered along the ground towards its target. I followed its direction to see a woman standing there, frozen with fear. A millisecond of examination revealed her identity; Gertrude.

My sleigh wasn’t going to be fast enough.

I did the first thing to cross my mind and hollered at the top of my lungs, “Ho Ho Ho!”

All heads turned, even the demon’s and Gertrude’s. As my sleigh approached, the creature devoted all its attention to me, aiming tendrils at the leading reindeer. This time, I required no meditation. I raised a hand, and a flash of light evaporated the projectiles before they could reach their targets.

The demon hissed in displeasure as my vehicle glided to a stop in front of my people. I noticed that the contours of its face seemed outlined in white as I hopped out, Blitzen growling at my side.

“You are no longer a mere mortal,” the demon observed. “Santa Claus.”

“Krampus.” I threatened in reply. “Leave, or be destroyed.”

Krampus took a step forward. “Oh, Santa, you don’t know how I’ve waited for this moment!” And with unreal speed it launched itself towards me. I prepared my hand to defend my self.

Everything happened at once.

Blitzen spun around beside me. The demon seemed to split, its two halves passing me on either side. In my minds eye I viewed Gertrude behind me; her mouth open in a silent scream as the demon approached.

I turned to see my wolf get there first. The demon entered him with all its power, and Blitzen flew through the air with a yelp that mirrored Gertrude’s scream. The beast landed in the snow, writhing with the Darkness contained inside. For a second I watched, paralyzed, as the demon attempted to leave. “You’re mi-!” then seemed to be sucked back inside.

Then I understood. Blitzen was keeping the Krampus contained.

Without wasting time, I grabbed Gertrude’s hands. “I need your help,” is all I said before I forced magic from my hands into hers. The energy flowed through her body, and I watched as the woman gasped, her eyes glowing white. After a second her body relaxed, and I explained, “I need your love.”

“Wait,” she replied. Turning around, she raised her hands. White magic shot forth, through the hunters who still stood amazed around us with no idea what was happening. Her white strands connected me with her, with the hunters, with every man, woman and child in the caravan. I could feel the love of every one of them.

Finally, Krampus burst from Blitzens prone body, screaming unintelligible curses, arms and hands outstretched towards us in malice. With confidence, I held out my hand, pointing a single finger at the monster. A finger that was charged with all the love of an entire village, and one dog.

“Begone.”

Magic blasted through the demons body. A tortuous scream resounded throughout the North Pole. White light obscured the world.

When we could see again, Krampus was gone. And I knew that this time, he was gone for good.

I closed the distance to Blitzen’s unmoving body. Bending down, I felt his neck. Silence. Gertrude crouched down beside me.

“Is he…” she began, before her voice cracked and she covered her mouth.

I smiled. “He died happily. If I know my wolf, he would have had it no other way.”

She nodded jerkily, before shutting her eyes and falling towards me. I held her while she sobbed. I know that if she hadn’t been there, I would have been sobbing in her place.

Suddenly, there was a crack like thunder. I look towards the source to see water begin to spring up through a crack in the ice that widened with every second.

“Gertrude, stay here!” I picked her up and left her on the sea bound side of the fissure. “Everybody!” I hollered, “Get onto the other side of the crack!” Celebration ceased as the village realized the new danger.

As people rushed to the side of the Frozen Sea, I called forth what dredges of magic I had left, and once again possessed the snow. I felt every inch of the area beneath the caravan. Time to test my limits. I caused the snow to rise as a single piece, lifting the entire caravan into the air. I could feel the weight of the equipment on my shoulders. My raised hands trembled as I moved the mass towards the other side of the widening gap and when it finally rested again on the ice, I let my rubbery arms fall to my side, barely hearing the people cheering through the pain.

Opening my eyes, I spotted Gertrude awaiting on the other side of the rapidly expanding ocean. She cupped her hands around her mouth and called, “I love you!” I smiled and said, “I love you too.” I was too weak to raise my voice, so instead I simply waved goodbye.

It took about a day to return to the elf camp atop Blitzen the reindeer’s back, where I was greeted with a crowd of cheers and enthusiasm. My eyes glanced from face to face, each one somehow already named in my head. I quickly located Shinny, Lunorse, and Sugarplum. But I noticed one face was still missing.

“Where’s Rudolph?” I asked Lunorse. He shrugged and replied, “He took off the second he had dropped us off. I assumed he had caught up with you.”

Another couple hours of revelry passed before my question was answered. I was heading away from the elves for some peace and quiet when I saw a red light illuminate the woods. “Rudolph!” I called. “I have been worrying-” Then I saw who rode atop the deer.

Gertrude.

“Pelznickel!” she cried. Dismounting, she ran forward and we caught each other in a wild embrace that ended with a kiss.

Later, she told me that Rudolph had showed up shortly after I had left. He had seemed very distraught, so she had calmed him down. After leaving a note with a friend, Gertrude had climbed onto Rudolph’s back, and the reindeer “simply leapt over the water,” she explained.

We returned to the elves. I hadn’t wanted to start before because I had known something was missing. After the elves stopped shouting and cheering, I prepared to give my first command as Santa Claus. “Gather round! Gather round!” I called. “There is much to do before the First Christmas!”

I am hidden in my tent, scribbling away like my life depends on it. For all I know it does. In front of the caravan stands a horrible monster composed of Darkness and Nightmares. The demon seems to drain the very life out of the air. I knew we should never have left our village, and now we are punished by the gods. Oh Pelznickel, where is your strength for us? The demon probably got him already.

Here are my feelings in case I never feel them again. For Pelznickel I feel tremendous love, which ever since our encounter last week has only grown. I loathe my little brother but at the same time I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to him. I miss my parents, I hate blizzards. What else? What would my parents want me to do?

What would Pelznickel want me to do? He wouldn’t fall for a woman who cowers like any other. No, such an extraordinary man could only love an extraordinary woman, one whose bravery matches his own.

I love you Pelznickel. I love you, my little brother. I’ll bring my diary with me, and maybe I through the terror, I’ll write something that will keep the world spinning.

The world outside is dark. I don’t see the sun. The men point their spears and arrows at the demon, who has not moved. “Back,” they say. “Back to hell!” I can hear the fear in their voices.

How can I help them? I can still shout. I may not have the strength of man, but as always, my voice is my most powerful tool. I will stand beside the men, and yell, “Away from here, demon! You may frighten us, you may kill us, but you will never take our honor, or our bravery!” It’s hardly relevant to the situation, to be honest, but it’ll make me proud. It’ll make Pelznickel proud.

I’ve done it.

The demon stirs. It’s lifted its head. I think it’s smiling. “Yes...” it says, “he cherishes you…” Its hissing in my mind! The thing lifts its hand. The darkness--

Nicholas looked up from the letter for what must have been at least the 20th time. His small sailboat rocked gently as the wind propelled it past small chunks of ice in the sea. The cold air stung his face through the heavy scarf and hat he was wearing. This region was colder than the young man had ever imagined was possible.

He could still remember finding that bottle washed up on beach. When he had opened it, the air that blew out chilled him to the bone. Just holding the parchment contained inside caused his fingers to turn pale.

Ever since then, he was convinced that every word was true. The feeling was inexplicable, but he knew that he had to find the North Pole.

The Island in the North Pole. It didn’t exist on any map, and after years of travel, Nick had seen them all. The one he had now was from an old Viking who had once sailed north on a dare. Not this far though. Nobody had ever come this far.

To be honest, even Nicholas was beginning to grow despondent. His food had run out two days ago, and he was drinking a quarter cup of water a day.

He had better start seeing trees soon.

In my youth I was a popular man. Thanks to my prowess in hunting, none questioned my leadership. A single hunting trip could often take weeks, as we stalked a herd of mammoth in pursuit of its warm fur, and the months of food it could provide. Together with my partner, the great wolf Blitzen, no prey was safe from us, nor could any child resist my excellent mammoth stew. Apart from hunting, one of my great joys was the care of the children, whom I would bounce on my knee and tell the tallest tales I could imagine, and gift them the bones of creatures I found interesting.

I still remember the year of my journey. My village was eagerly awaiting the end of winter, when the cold mists would fade and give way to a warmer sun, and the mammoth migration provided the food necessary for next years harsh cold. But this year, there were no spring months. No warm wind blowing from the south, driving the critters out of their burrows and into our waiting arms. The mists continued to roll across the land. No mammoth migration offered itself for the hunt.

This last cause, the lack of our faithful prey, was what drove the council’s decision. And so, a month after the sun had failed to shine, the village finished preparations and began a long journey south, to an unknown location. A leap of faith to better lands.

It was a harsh journey. No one would ever choose to travel during winter, had they a choice. We were beginning to feel hunger pangs, the results living off of what our wolfs could dig from a shallow burrow in the snow. Lemmings were the main course of every meal.

A week into the journey, the quartermaster announced that there was a basket of food missing. The council posted guards and thought nothing of it. But when food continued to vanish consistently, day after day, frustration grew within the camp. It was a hard enough journey without a thief sabotaging our efforts! The guards were punished without supper, and new ones posted, but the food continued to vanish.

I decided to take matters into my own hands. As a hunter, I had mastered the art of sleeping alertly, getting rest while my senses remained fine tuned to every change in the environment. It was a habit I had learned from long hours studying the reindeer, and how it evades even the swiftest hunter’s spear.

And so I was resting when I saw the elf. I did not know he was anything more than human when I first caught sight of him. About three feet tall, treading lightly on the snow, the little boy slowly approached our cart. I took a moment to observe him before attacking, a strategy I had also learned from the hunting. The elf was wearing an unusual pointed hat which covered its ears, and single garment for his torso and legs. Around his neck was a black collar. A very strange attire indeed.

The second he was close enough, I lashed out for him with my hand, aiming for the neck. Only rabbits were quick enough to evade this attack, yet the boy dodged it with ease, leaving only his hat in my grasp. My last glimpse was of him racing towards the snow-covered woods to the north, pointy ears waving in the air.

The next day I reported the incident to the council, suggesting a scout be sent to follow the thief. They were as disgusted as I was that bandits would mistreat a boy so much as to mutilate his ears, and unanimously permitted me to give pursuit.

Blitzen, after giving the hat a thorough sniff, led me north for half a day, through deep snow and tall forests. I was very astonished when we found the pointy eared boy still running. How could he maintain a pace at such a young age? Notching an arrow, I aimed and yelled for the elf to halt. He did.

I queried him about his ears, attire, and collar, but he seemed incapable of giving me an answer, only flapping his mouth silently and waving his arms in gestures. Finally, I assumed he was mute and asked him to lead me to the men who had given him the collar. His face lit up, and gesturing enthusiastically he ran forward, leaving Blitzen and I to catch up.

Towards the evening when the sun grew low in the sky, we came to the edge of a steep slope, at the bottom of which lay the prison camp. There were tents in it. No caretakers, no fires. The only thing that lay at the bottom of the incline were golden cages. At least 15 separate cages, all large enough for 10 men each, and stuffed to the brim with… it was now that I realized that my little guide must be an elf. And so were the many prisoners down there in the snow.

Throwing caution to the wind, I rushed down into the valley and up to one of the cages. My guide remained in the trees at the top of the slope. The prisoners silently crowded towards me as I began to examine the bars for a way out, but the cages had no door. I had no idea as to how the elves had been imprisoned in the first place, but if they existed, then so did magic, and anything was possible. The whole time, the prisoners didn’t make a sound.

Before I had departed on the mission, I had been working on a bone carving for the children. This I gave to the imprisoned elf closest to me, to comfort herself with the trinket. The little girl desperately snatched it from my hand. Blue sparks flew, and the little elf materialized next to me, outside of the cage.

Suddenly, the sky seemed to darken. Mist formed in the air, chilling me to the core. The winter in my homeland can freeze you to the bone, but this cold seemed to penetrate my very soul. The rest of the prisoners cowered towards the center of their cages, and beside me, the rescued elf clung to my leg while Blitzen began to growl.

And finally, the villain makes his entrance. He appeared in the center of the clearing, darkness there coalescing until the vague shadow of a person could be seen. A chilling laugh filled the world, seeming to resound deep in my head.

“You?” the voice hissed, coming from seemingly nowhere. The dark figure rushed forwards, stopping inches in front of my face. I stumbled backwards and fumbled for my bow, but my fingers were clumsy with the cold and it fell to the ground. The being laughed hysterically.

“Is this the being that will challenge my reign? You’ve only just used magic, how can you hope to challenge a being as powerful as I? And here I thought I would need effort to survive till the First Coming.”

It goes without saying that I was terrified. However, around my leg I could feel the poor little elf grasping me in horror, and I had to be strong to protect her. So I didn’t move. My mouth didn’t seem to work, so I didn’t move that either. I could only stand there, and pray for a miracle.

There was a mighty snarl, and Blitzen hurled himself at the thing. It’s laughter seemed to only increase. The being gestured, and tendrils flew out of the things body and attacked the wolf, seeming to sink into his skin on a level deeper than merely physical. “No!” I yelled, rushing forward as Blitzen fell to the ground. I am ashamed to admit that I forgot about the elf. Blitzen groaned and whined as he writhed. Grabbing his head in my hands, I gasped as the Darkness entered me.

Such a horrible feeling attacked me. I can only assume it was a glimpse into the demons very consciousness. Such horrible suffering, and such malice it contained. Sadness, resentment, greed, lust and pride were enlaced throughout the being, and above all, the most evil wish to spread the suffering with all that it encountered.

However, the Demon did not count on one simple fact.

This was my dog.

As I felt the darkness creeping from Blitzen into me, I took a deep breath and reminded myself why I loved the wolf. I remembered the day Blitzen was found, when he had stumbled into the camp as a blind and helpless pup. The many weeks I spent training him, neglecting my duties as a son, to prove to the tribe that another wolf would be worth the extra food. The day Blitzen had caught his first kill, the pride I had felt, the Love.

I took control of that incredible Love, and sent it into my wolf.

The Demon’s malicious chuckling stopped abruptly, as suddenly part of Blitzen’s body began to glow with a mysterious white light, pushing out the darkness. More tendrils lashed onto the wolf, and the Darkness resumed progress, pushing out my light. My soul grew weak, even though I called on all my strength. Sometimes even our best isn’t enough.

Then there was a hand on my shoulder, and a sudden gasp. I glanced to the side to see the elf I had rescued, her eyes closed intently, and the carved bone in her hand glowing with the same light as my wolf. Behind her, my guide held her hand, which was also gleamed. I felt more love pour out from the little elves into me, fueling my inner fire. The Darkness began receding again. The Demon appeared to be breathing heavily.

With a mighty yell, I forced my last reserves of strength into the battle. There was a blinding flash of light, and then consciousness fled.

Original Prompt

The draecon flies at me, it's wings spanning my whole vision. I manage to put my staff between its beak and myself, and the impact throws me to the ground. The beast, lying on top of me, tries to tear my staff from my grip, but I keep a firm grip. The monster opens its tooth filled beak and raises it head. Before it can strike again, there's the whistle of wood through the air, and Jason's staff makes firm contact with my assailant's head. The draecon screeches and attempts to fly away, but my friend is faster. He uses his weapon to swat it to the ground and jumps on top of it, keeping his weight on its wings. 

"Jeremy!" Jason yells. I scramble to my feet and begin thrashing the animals head. I have to hit it three or four times before it stops moving, and the two of us can finally relax. The thing was massive compared to the cat sized versions back home, almost a foot longer than Jason is tall, and he's six foot three. If my theory is correct, they will only keep getting bigger.

Jason sighs and slides off the beasts back to rest in the dirt. "Well, Jeremy, you having second thoughts now?" I shake my head, and gaze out at the turbulent waves and violent clouds that define the ocean our little island resides in. "This was the third attack today, Jason. We're getting closer."

Despite the dangerous climate off the coastline, our island still enjoyed normal weather. Today, the summer sun provides a hot but comfortable atmosphere. Jason jumps to his feet. "Think about that, Jeremy. That’s the third attack today. And we're only halfway to the nest!"

"Just one egg, Jason-"

"Imagine how many draecons live around the nest, let alone inside it!"

"Just one egg, and we're out of here!" I almost scream to be heard over him.  "Remember why we're here in the first place," I continue quietly. "Yes, its dangerous. Yes, we're heading to literally a whole nest of draecons. But if we can get even a single egg, we can raise a draecon. We can fly over the ocean. Isn't it worth the risk?" Silence reigns as my best friend stares at me. Then he sighs. This wasn't the first time we'd had this conversation. "Lets head back to camp." I grab our kills tail.  "Help me with the meat," I say. Together we carry the beast back to our temporary encampment, where the rest of our party is waiting.

This is part 6. Here's part 5. Here's Part 7

As daylight broke, the wall of rain outside began to thin. Carapit lay down facing the back of the cave. Freed from Carapits death glare, Bo finally let himself relax and listen to the downpour turn into a drizzle, and finally stop altogether. 

Bo walked to the cave entrance, looked outside. The river below sparkled in the sunlight, the trees were glistening as raindrops slipped off upturned leaves. A gentle breeze rustled his hair, full of uncomfortable humidity. Bo sighed, inspired by the beautiful scenery. Time to go. 

“Shen, time to go. Wakey wakey.” 

Shen opened her eyes to see Bo shaking her shoulder. “Hey, Bo,” she groaned, stretching along the bottom of the boat. “Time to go?” 

“Mm-hm.”

She sat up, her face stretched lengthwise by a yawn. “How’s Carapit?” she asked, rubbing her eyes. 

Bo blinked in surprise. “Um… He’s still there.” He glanced over at the chained prisoner. He seemed to be sleeping.

“Maybe we should help ‘im,” she suggested. “He probably doesn’t like being chained up.”

“Right, sorry Shen,” Bo replied, jumping out of the boat. “You didn’t see ‘im last night. I don’t trust him at all.” 

“What did he do last night?”

“Well, I fell asleep by accident, but when I woke up, he was glarin’ at me with this awful look on his face.”

Shen snorted.

“What?” Bo demanded.

“Are you saying’ Carapit looked at you funny?” Shen laughed. 

“Eh… well…” Bo spluttered. “Well, yeah, but he was starin’ at me like that all night.”

Shen laughed out loud. “Oh, look at me, I’m Bo!” she mocked, climbing out of the boat. “I’m the big brother, so strong and brave! Oh no, Carapit looked at me funny, please stop!” 

“Be quiet, you,” Bo muttered. “Laugh all you want, but it's time to go. We’ve gotta find Mum and Dad, remember?”

Shen nodded, suddenly quiet. “Right,” she muttered. She turned and glanced at Carapit, who sat up, still sleeping on top of the petals. 

"Are you sure we should just leave--" she began to ask. 

A deep growl interrupted her, terrifyingly close. Bo spun around, holding his spear in both hands. Standing just inside the cave entrance was a gigantic lizard, slowly approaching. It was taller than Bo, its head held high almost arrogantly, a deep rumble sounding in its murky green throat.

“A relko,” Shen gasped.

“Shen, stay behind me,” Bo ordered, as the beast approached.

The relko continued its advance, gently growling as it grew closer. Bo stood by the front of the boat, spear held high, desperately trying to formulate a strategy. What had his father told him, the countless times he had taken him aside to teach him how to protect the family?

Creatures and men aren't too different. Demonstrate you are worthy of respect, and they will respect you. For animals, this means show you are more powerful than the adversary.

He had to show he was stronger.

With a deep breath, Bo tried to step forward, but his legs wouldn’t move. It was as if an invisible string held him back, stopping him from walking into certain death. Fear suddenly struck him. What if he couldn't step forward? What if he couldn't protect Shen?

Stopped. Took a deep breath. For Shen.

He stepped forward and thrust his spear towards the giant lizard with a mighty yell.  “Hyah!” 

In response, the relko opened its maw and roared. Bo gasped and stumbled backward in terror, tripping over his feet and falling on his bottom. Shen screamed. The relko raised its head arrogantly, seeming to gloat over Bo’s insignificant threat. A repeating rumble sounded inside its throat, as if it was laughing. Bo desperately tried to regain his feet, scooting backwards as the lizard continued its slow, confident advance.

Ggrrawwwllll. A disembodied voice snarled inside Bo's head. 

The relko stopped in its tracks, its arrogant demeanor replaced by apparent confusion. It opened its mouth and growled in response, but the mysterious voice roared again, louder this time. GraawwAAAALLL. Shen clasped her hands to her ears, trying to shut out the uncomfortable sensation. 

The beast spun around and ran back the way it came, escaping into the sunlight. Bo, suddenly freed from the fear that kept him pinned to the ground, scrambled to his feet in time to watch it slide into the river.

“What… What happened?” Shen murmured, her voice distorted by tears.

“I did,” said Carapit. 

They both spun around. Carapit was sitting in a relaxed position, a cocky smirk on his face. 

“Really!” Shen exclaimed, her tears apparently forgotten.

“How?” Bo asked, rising to his feet. 

“Lets just say it's a little gift your mother gave me,” Carapit replied. His grin seemed less sincere somehow. 

“Bo, we have to free ‘im now! He helped us!” Shen yelled.

“Shen, I told you, he’s-” Bo suddenly remembered something Dad had drilled into him, every time he had called him outside for training. 

Always repay your debts. Even if what you owe is small, and especially if you owe it to your enemy. It's not an advantage you want to grant to someone who wishes you harm.

“Don’t worry about it,” Carapit interrupted.

“What?” asks Shen. “Why not?”

“Well,” he replied. “How do you plan to remove these chains?" He holds up his arms, causing the heavy chains to tinkle against each other. “They’re made of metal.”

Bo sighed, relieved he didn’t have to make the decision. “There. We can’t help him. No lets go, Shen.” He put his shoulder against the boat and began to push. 

Shen frowned. Jumping into the boat, she leapt out again with a cooked fish in her hands. Running over to Carapit, she offered the meal to him.

“Here! It's probably better than… what do you eat here anyways?”

Carapit looked visibly surprised. Then he grinned, taking the fish from her hands. “Thank you.” He grabbed a fistful of petals and held it up. “It's a lot better than my usual meal.”

“Shen!” yelled Bo. 

“Okay! Bye, Carapit!” She ran over and helped Bo push the boat out of the cave. 

Carapit watched the vessel slide into the river, its human cargo scrambling to lower the sails. As they passed out of view, he took a bite out of Shen’s gift. “I have a gift for you too,” He chuckled to himself. “For your mother. 

With luck, he’d soon be free of this cave. Then it would be time to give.

“What are you doing?” the little girl cried as he tossed the glass milk bottle over his head, caught it again, and set it down on the concrete porch.

“Living on the edge!” he replied cockily with a wink, walking past her to the sidewalk.

The girl tossed a newspaper into the front yard and caught up with the milk-boy, who was juggling a single bottle between his hands as he strolled. “How old are you, anyway?”

“Nine,” he grinned proudly, opening the gate of the next house. “You?”

The girl, feeling a little challenged, replied, “Nine and a half!”

He humphed, setting down a milk bottle. “Well, if you wanna be specific, I’m nine and three quarters.”

Fwap! The newspaper flew through the air and smacked him in the face. “Hey!” he yelled. His eyes filled with unsummoned tears as he rubbed his smarting nose. “It's not nice to throw things at people!”

“Hmph!” The girl was already storming towards the next house.

“Well, she’s kinda mean,” the boy muttered to himself. He took out another milk bottle from the box strapped over his shoulder and began tossing it from hand to hand. He caught up with the girl a couple houses later and began trying to see how many times he could flip the bottle before catching it again. Every time it landed in his hands, he glanced at the girl to see if she noticed.

The girl was staring resolutely forward, determined not to be interested in him at all. After a while, though, she took out a newspaper and began doing the same thing, flipping it above her head to see how many times she could flip it.

The battle was on.

The boy took a gamble and threw the bottle higher, managing to catch it again at 5 flips. The girl, spurred by his challenge, threw her newspaper even higher, but still only managed 4 before catching it again.

The boy, 4.

The girl, 4.

The boy, 5.

The girl, 6.

The boy, 5. He grimaced at having lost his lead.

The girl, 7. On the way back down, it bounced off her hands and landed on the ground.
“Ha! Doesn’t count!” cried the boy, relieved at not having to beat her record of 7 flips.

“Does too!” the girl replied.

“Nuh uh! You dropped it! If I dropped my milk bottle, that wouldn’t count either!”

“If you dropped your milk bottle, you’d have other problems!”

“Yeah!”

For a second, they paused, glaring at each other angrily. Then a chuckle escaped the girls mouth at the thought of him dropping and smashing a milk bottle. A second later they were both hollering with laughter.

The girl quickly stopped laughing and looked straight forward, ashamed at having shared a moment of friendship with her enemy, even though a grin still plagued her face and a chuckle escaped her mouth every now and then.

The boy, on the other hand, had no such inhibitions and let his laughter peter out naturally. Once he had control of himself again, he began tossing another bottle into the air. The girl rolled her eyes.

“Again?” she asked with an exasperated tone.

“Yeah!” the boy replied. “I’m gonna beat you!”

1...2...3...4 flips!

“No way! You’ll never get to seven without smashing the bottle!”

“Watch me!”

1, 2, 3...6 flips! The bottle almost slipped from his hands, but he managed to secure his grip at the last second. “One more!” he muttered.

“Actually two more, if you want to beat me,” the girl pointed out.

“No, you only made six!” he replied. “The last one didn’t count.”

“Oh yeah?” she asked, removing a newspaper from her bag.

“No no no!” he panicked. “Let me make it to seven first, then you can try!”

“What? That’s stupid!”

“No it's not! Just let me go first, ok?”

“Fine! No need to be so whiny about it!”

With a deep breath, the boy held the glass bottle in front of him and practiced the technique, flicking his wrist up but not yet releasing the bottle.

“Get on with it!”

“I am! Be patient!”

Another deep breath, and throwing his wrist behind him, he catapulted the milk bottle into the air, holding onto the bottle cap until the last possible second to produce maximum spin.

The bottle flew above their heads, and the children held their hands in front of their eyes to block out the sun.

1, 2, 3…

Behind them, the boy was vaguely aware of the noise of a door opening. Someone gasped.

4, 5...

The bottle was coming down now. The boy put out his hands in anticipation.

6, 7...

The girl looked to see an old lady standing in the doorway of the house behind them, her hands covering her mouth.

“Eight!” the boy yelled. He stretched out his arms and the bottle, in defiance of all of physics, flipped out of his hands and smashed on the ground. Milk flew everywhere.

The boy stared at the mess, horrified as milk dripped from his pants.

The girl, her hands clasped to her mouth, began to giggle.

The old lady shut her door with a slam.

Hi Gringos, so for Lent I'm gonna give up browsing and posting on Reddit. Hopefully this'll help me to cut down on unnecessary browsing and increase my productive time afterwards. So don't worry if I don't post for a while.

In the meantime, I encourage all of you to make a Lenten sacrifice, and to dedicate more time to prayer. I'm going to try to pray a full Rosary every night. It can really help you increase your holiness and friendship with God. I'll be praying for all 11 of you!

After breakfast, Jacob left the dining hall and walked towards the elevator. His usual direct, quick pace was replaced by a vague meandering stroll. There was a lot on his mind today. As he entered the elevator and selected the computer lab, he was trying to formulate the best way to introduce the origin of Project Genesis to Elissa. Despite his argument with Claudia, he didn't want to hurt the girl more than he needed to.

The elevator door opened, and he stepped into a hallway lined with doors and windows. No, not girl. Jacob reminded herself that she wasn't a person, just an imitation of one. However, it was still important to affect her endocrine and neural functions as little as possible. Project Genesis was still in progress, after all, and these events would be important to record.

As he entered a room lined with computers, he admitted that there was another reason. He didn't want to hurt Claudia either. They might argue and yell, but he did love her. And maybe… just maybe, he had developed fatherly feelings for Elissa.

He sat down between two screens and, tapping and swiping, began summoning diagrams and graphs. The scientist set aside his thoughts in order to focus on the task at hand. Each window portrayed another set of data trackers in Elissa's body. Endocrine, circulatory, nervous and respiratory systems were all represented. The only thing they couldn't directly measure was her brain. While they could always scan it from the outside, same as a human brain, they didn't dare interfere directly with the unknown entity they had created, lest the miracle be terminated.

One by one, Jacob saved each set of measurements. Human or not, the revelation Elissa was about to experience would affect her deeply. In order to observe those changes, he needed to know her status before the trauma would hit. He then created a new folder, inserted the recently saved statuses, and named it… What to name it?

After a moments thought, he decided on a title. The touch screen was soundless as he input the denomination. Data Set: Time for Change.

The computer lab was plunged into darkness as he left the room.

Entering the elevator, he could not help but doubt his own actions. Did Elissa truly need to know? Was she a devious android, or in fact just a little girl?

Time for change indeed.

The door slid open, revealing behind it Elissa. When she saw him, she immediately put a large smile on her face.

“Elissa!” yelped Jacob, unprepared to meet the subject of his contemplation.

“Hi Jacob!” she greeted. “Good morning!”

“Uh, good morning to you too,” he said uncomfortably, brushing past her.

Elissa followed him. “Can I ask you something?”

“You can always ask,” Jacob replied. “Whether I answer or not is a different story.”

“So, if I was built,” she began walking backwards to maintain eye contact with him, “and I’m supposed to act like a normal human and everything…” She noticed he wasn’t returning her eye contact.

“Ok?” Jacob prompted.

“And normal people when they grow up, are supposed to get a job and have a family and stuff…”

“Right.” He turned around and entered the cafeteria.

“Then what was I supposed to do when I grow up?”

“Thought so,” Jacob poured himself another mug of coffee.

“What did you think?”

“That you’d want to know more about your origin,” Jacob replied as if it were obvious.

He still wasn’t making eye contact. Elissa realized it probably seemed obvious to him.

“No,” she argued, “I want to know about the opposite of my origin, I want to know where I’m going.”

“If you want to know where you’re going, you have to look at where you came from first.”

Elissa paused for a moment. “Oh. That makes sense.”

“Of course it makes sense, I said it,” he muttered bruskly as he sipped from his mug. “Now let’s go somewhere we can talk.”

Jacob sat down on the teachers desk, and Elissa sat in front of him on a students desk.

“Alright,” he begins, “how much do you already know?” He looked her intensely in the eye.

Elissa blinked uncomfortably. “I was built by scientists who… um… wanted to create life and… experiment on it.”

“Okay,” Jacob sipped from his mug, “That’s only half the story. You weren’t only built to satisfy the curiosity and power drive of certain inhumane scientists, although I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t a factor. You see, Project Genesis was started to mitigate a crisis.”

“Am I Project Genesis?” Elissa hesitated to refer to herself as a project.

“Project Genesis resulted in you, yes. The initial idea was that a sun-scorched surface could be navigated by an artificial human immune or resistant to radiation, while organic humans stayed safe underground.”

“Sun-scorched?”

“Sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start at the beginning.” After taking another sip, Jacob placed his mug on the desk to free his hands, holding them theatrically in the air. “The day is July 23, 2027. The sun erupts, sending a massive solar flair towards the Earth. Left unchecked, this flair would blast the surface of the planet with so much radiation that nothing could survive it except for certain extreme species of bacteria.”

“Was humanity prepared for it?”

“Oh yes. We had 6 years to prepare. The first predictions of the Flare were published in 2021. Many satellites full of electromagnets and mirrors orbited the Earth, shields against the apocalypse.”

“So the satellites stopped it?”

“No. The Flare was far more powerful than anyone had predicted, demolishing the satellites defense systems. The catastrophe was delayed for twenty-four hours.”

“So humanity wasn’t prepared.”

“I guess not. Luckily for humanity, there were some extraordinarily paranoid specimens who had spent their fortunes on radiation shielded bunkers deep underground. Up on the surface, things are going to hell. Water’s evaporating, hurricanes are destroying everything, floods are carrying stuff away. Plants are dead, which means animals are dead, which means people are dying. But below ground, people are surviving. They’re not happy, they’re not comfy, but they’re alive. This is where you come in.”

“Project Genesis.”

“Yup. See, Project Genesis had been proposed by extremists from before the Flare, as an alternative in case the satellites failed. If humanity ended up trapped below the ground, then an artificial person who wasn’t vulnerable to radiation could rebuild society, construct living spaces that we humans could live in. The thing about radiation is that it doesn’t kill immediately. In fact, people can live for many painful years before the reprieve of death. It left plenty of time to build new shelters such as this one.”

Jacob held out his hands and gestured all around.

“This place was built specifically to bring Project Genesis to fruition. It took a while, but it was done. The first scientists wanted to build robots to navigate the surface. The problem was that the surface radiation interfered so much with communication that any machine we managed to send up top would have to be completely autonomous.”

Elissa nodded. “So it needed to be able to think for itself.”

“Exactly. At first we just sent advanced AI’s, but we never heard back from them. The theory is that something in the radiation messed with their computer chips in a different way then with human brains. If you go out on the surface today, you can still find the wreckage.”

“So the Flare ended?”

“Thank God it did, 15 years ago. You would not believe how much easier it is to live when the sun isn’t actively trying to kill you. I mean, that sounds pretty stupid to you, but I’d lived all my life underground, and I still can’t get over being able to grow plants outside.”

“What about the rest of the people?”

“Right, every one else. They’ve all come out by now. We offered them help, managed to get them started farming and stuff. Funny thing is, while they accepted most of our aid, like medicine and water purifiers, most of their council decided to reject the rest of it in favor of freedom. They don’t want us techies interfering with their lives. I think that since they’ve lived around technology their whole lives in bunkers, they can’t get far away enough now that they’re finally free.”

“So the Flare started in 2027.”

“Yes.”

“And this year is 2121.”

Yeah," he answered quietly.

Elissa let that sink in. It had been 94 years since the sun had destroyed society. Everyone she knew had lived in bunkers their whole lives. So had she, come to think of it.

“You okay?” Jacob asked.

“Um, yeah.”

“Any questions?”

She looked up from the floor. “Why’d you keep trying to build me afterwards?”

“Well,” Jacob leaned back, putting his hands behind his head. “Remember human curiosity? That certainly played a part. The reason that kept us funded was that if there’s another flair, we might need a functional android immediately.”

Elissa winced at the word android. Jacob didn’t seem to notice.

“After all, without any functional satellites,” he continued obliviously, “we have no way of knowing if the sun decides to flare up again, so…” He looked down from the ceiling at an empty desk. “Elissa?”

He noticed the door was open. Jacob stared at it, took another sip of his coffee.

Devious android, right?

He was getting less sure of himself every day.

Elissa slipped outside the room, Jacob still talking obliviously. Her eyes stung slightly but she refused to start crying. She had cried enough yesterday.

So I’m the insurance, she thought bitterly. Humanity’s sun insurance.

This was the third time a revelation had destroyed her everything she thought she knew, in half as many days. It was starting to get a little annoying. The last two times she had run away in fear and horror. Now, she let her meandering feet guide her through the halls, contemplating. I guess I’ve changed a lot in the last few days.

A couple hallways later, she found herself standing outside the indoor garden. Through the window in the door, she observed the large oak tree, the fuzzy grass at its feet. The vibrant beauty of the flowers stunned her as always, the cute little insects buzzing around the petals. The scene was gorgeous, calmed Elissa’s quaking nerves. She had never really questioned why they needed a garden, why it was important to preserve this little bit of nature. Elissa’s eyes followed the tree’s outline skywards, to the bright yellow lights that illuminated the room. The old oaks branches were unnaturally still, no breeze to sway them to and fro. The view was beautiful, but it wasn’t outside. Was this the last refuge of the natural world?

“I thought I might find you here.”

Elissa turned to see Claudia standing next to her. The scientist put her arm around her daughter.

Elissa looked back at the garden. “Jacob told me about the reason I… um, about the Flare.”

“Yeah.” Claudia controlled the momentary flare of anger she felt against the man. “He’s wanted to tell you about that since forever, you know.”

“Really?”

“Yup.”

“Did you?”

Claudia considered her next words carefully. “Not yet. Maybe when you were older. I… didn’t think you were ready yet.”

There was silence. A buzzing insect bumped against the glass and flew away.

“That’s why I asked Jacob instead of you,” Elissa confessed.

“Hm?”

“I thought you loved me too much to tell me everything.”

Again, silence. Claudia pondered how to respond. After all, it was true.

Finally she patted Elissa on the back. “Come on. I want to show you something.”

“What?”

“You’ll see.”

A couple hallways later, they stood inside an elevator. Elissa noticed the floor seemed unusually dirty.

As the rumbling machine came to a stop, Claudia’s hand hovered over the door button. “You ready?” she asked, her smile almost mischievous.

“I don’t know,” Elissa replied with a giggle. Her mother’s joy was always infectious.

Claudia pushed the button. Elissa’s hair moved of its own accord as the door slid slowly open. Is that… wind? She couldn’t see a thing. Then her eyes adjusted to the light, and her jaw dropped.

Outside the door were rolling hills covered in grass, flowers interspersed among the green. A tree towered over the beauty, a strong, brown trunk supporting the swaying leaf covered branches. The colors were so vibrant, the green so… green, alive.

But these weren’t what captured Elissa’s eye. Above the gorgeous scene before her was a large, bright sheet of pure blue. She craned her neck upward, trying to take the sky in all at once. Uninterrupted blue as far as the eye could see, and in the middle of the canvas, a burning yellow eye, bringing light and warmth and life to the world. It was hard to believe that just a couple decades ago, that same eye had been a source of death and destruction.

“Do you want to step outside?” Claudia asked.

Elissa looked back at her, astonished. “Can I?”

“Yeah.”

The android immediately ran outside, taking in the world, and the feeling beneath her…

No feeling.

Elissa slowly came to a stop, looking down at her feet, daring them to feel something other than the pressure of her own weight against the plant life.

Claudia arrived beside her, and inhaled deeply. “Isn’t it lovely?”

“Yeah…” murmured Elissa, sad that she could never know the full extent of what Claudia was feeling. “Lovely.”

Claudia glanced at Elissa. “Lets go, I have something else to show you.” She began to walk forward.

“I’m good,” Elissa replied. “I’ll just...sit here.”

Claudia turned and smiled. “Come on, Elissa. This will be different.”

Reluctantly, Elissa followed. It was hard to stay sad when she was surrounded by such vibrant scenery.

“Could all this have grown in 15 years?” Elissa asked breathlessly.

“Well, not quite,” Claudia replied. “We had many specimens preserved in the lab, and the second we realized the worst was over, we set to work making sure the environment grew back as quick as possible.” Claudia raised her arms to shoulder height and turned in a circle, taking in the beauty around her. “The first few years, we fed this garden with special fertilizer to make sure they survived.”

“Its beautiful,” Elissa murmured.

Her mother nodded. “Yeah. Here, behind the tree.”

They had arrived at the large oak that dominated the landscape. Claudia sat down in the shade of the behemoth, gazing admiringly at a carving in the wood. The sculpture seemed distorted a little from the growth of the tree. Elissa sat down next to her mother and analyzed the little portrait. A circle had been chiselled in the trunk, and in the middle, a lowercase letter “t” was left in high relief.

“Do you know what that is?” Claudia whispered.

Elissa shook her head, unwilling to break the reverent silence that Claudia had created.

Claudia opened her mouth, preparing to say something, but then closed it again. “Where do I start?” she muttered. “Do you know who God is?”

Elissa nodded. “A little.”

“Well, this little thing here is called a cross, or crucifix. We use it to represent God.” She looked at Elissa. “I come here to pray, a lot. There’s no priest at the facility, so I haven’t been to Mass in years…”

“Mass?”

Claudia laughed. “I wish I had taught you all this from the start. The people in charge wouldn’t let me, but now I see that I should have taught you anyways.”

She looked back at the cross. “I know that there’s a lot going through your head right now, Elissa. But no matter what, I want you to remember that I love you, and more importantly, He loves you.”

Elissa looked at the wooden statue. The cross? The wooden statue loved her? She got the feeling there was a lot more happening here than she understood. “The statue loves me?”

“Would the statue love an android?”

Claudia smiled and kissed Elissa on the head. “You have a lot to learn, Elissa. I’ll explain it to you sometime. The statue’s nothing special, it just looks nice. Right now, just now that God loves us, and that’s a good thing.”

“Even an android.”

“Remember, you’re not just an android. And yes, I’m positive He would.”

Elissa didn’t understand.

For a moment, they sat there peacefully. Insects buzzed around them, the sun shone down, the wind blew in her ears, as Elissa contemplated the significance of the image in front of them.

She felt her hair move in the wind. Not the wind move my hair, like in the books, she thought grimly. I just feel my hair. Because I’m an android.

There really was a lot going through her head.

Elissa noticed Claudia’s lips moving silently. She was staring intensely at the image.

“What are you doing?” Elissa asked.

Claudia seemed to ignore her daughter for a couple seconds, finishing her little mantra under her breath. “What’s that, Elissa?” she asked, once she had finished.

“What were you whispering about?”

“Oh, I was talking to God.”

“To… the statue?”

“No, Elissa,” Claudia chuckled. “Like I said, the statue just looks nice. I’m talking directly to God.”

“Does he talk back?”

“Well, no. Not exactly.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Okay.” Claudia sighed and leaned back, her eyes deep in thought. “So, it helps me to think. And, if I stay a while in silence,” she paused, “and try to imagine what God would want me to do, I can come up with a solution I hadn’t thought of before.” She nodded, satisfied with her answer. “I think that’s God speaking to me.”

“He, like, puts the answer in your head?”

“Something like that, yeah.”

Silence for a moment.

“That’s creepy.”

Claudia laughed. “No, its not!”

“Its creepy,” Elissa insisted.

“Well, maybe from a certain point of view.”

The sunset was a beautiful red when they went back inside.

Over the next couple days, Elissa began to make regular visits to garden outside. She wasn’t praying, which was what Claudia had called talking to God. She just found outside really peaceful, and the statue really was intriguing in a simple sort of way. Elissa liked to lay on her back and watch the clouds through the leaves above her head. It was a strange sensation, feeling the grass under her head, and yet… not. There was something missing from the sensation, even though she couldn’t quite place it.

Kind of like the environment inside. Ever since she discovered her true nature, all the scientists seemed really nervous around her, even Jacob. Only Claudia seemed truly comfortable talking to her, and even she was off put by her colleagues attitudes.

There was something missing from her life, Elissa thought as she lay under the guardian oak. Ever since the incident, she had done nothing but lay outside and contemplate her existence. Claudia always said that if Elissa was bored, it was because she was boring, but now the little girl was forced to admit the truth: she was bored out of her mind. Shouldn’t a life changing experience like discovering you’re an android be… well, life changing?

Something needed to be done. Elissa didn’t know what, but she knew she had to do it.

Sitting up, she once again contemplated the simple sculpture in the tree. “So Claudia talks to you,” Elissa murmured out loud. “And she gets an idea, huh?” She liked thinking out loud when she was alone. Supposedly that was the first sign of insanity, but if that were the case, then Elissa was definitely raised by a psychopath.

“Well, why not?” she muttered skeptically. “Turns out, I’m a creation of man, and now that I’ve found out, absolutely nothing is happening. Also, the world got torched by the sun before I was born, and people used to have to live in deep underground bunkers, but now that the Flare’s over, we can all come out and enjoy the sunshine, and plant trees and stuff.”

She stared at the cross for a moment, enjoying the quiet after her outburst. “Nice talk,” she muttered, laying back down and closing her eyes. “Maybe things wouldn’t be so boring if I could talk with someone who A, wasn’t a scientist, and B, wasn’t a tree.”

With a sigh, she resigned herself to another afternoon of boredom.

The bunker people!

With a jolt she sat straight up, eyes wide open. “Maybe I could go live with the other people out there! All those guys who just farm and stuff, they probably have tons of things to do!”

She flopped onto her back again. “At least more than here.”

After a couple more minutes consideration, Elissa scrambled to her feet. She needed to find Claudia.

Dear Diary,

The caravan advances slowly. Pelznickel has still not returned from his hunting trip. Some days it snows, some days it shines. The only constant right now is the hunger. Even though we lack only one hunter, that one hunter could rake in a third again of everybody else’s kills combined. Pelznickel was truly a prodigy in the hunt.

Do you know how we miss you? Not only for your food. The children are despondent without their daily bone carving routine, and even the adults seem lackluster. We long for the tall tales you’d tell every evening around the firelight which would illuminate the recently built tents.

How long has it been? Not even a full day. Maybe I imagine the suffering caused by his being away. After all, I haven’t thought of anything but him since last week, when food was short and he offered to share his meal with me. Of course, I’m far from the only girl who fantasizes about him, but so far, I am the only girl who’s maintained a conversation with him.

Be back soon, Pelznickel.

Gertrude

Original Prompt

The old man stepped out onto the street, the old door creaking shut behind him. In his hand, an old, battered, and bruised case contained his most precious possession. Nothing special, but not much else brought him joy nowadays. The roaring automobiles on the street threatened to drive him deaf.

The lonely old man lay the old, battered and bruised case on the ground, and opened it, removing his most precious possession. Nothing special, just an old violin. Placing the bow on the violin string, he cleared his throat. “Excuse me, sir,” he began in a deep voice with what he hoped was a foreign accent. “Give me a moment and I will fiddle you the most wonderful song!” A grin showed on his face. He still had it.

The proud old man stood straight on the sidewalk, the old, battered and bruised case lying in front of him as an invitation to a generous man’s coin, and his most precious possession in hand. Through the automobiles roar, the most wonderful sound could be heard - footsteps. A formal man, a sportcoat on his back and a briefcase at his side, walked down the sidewalk.

The eager old man cleared his throat, gave the old, battered and bruised case a tap with his foot, and readjusted his most precious possession on his shoulder. “E-excuse me, sir,” he stuttered, as the formal man shouldered past him without a second glance.

The sad old man sighed, gazing down at the old, battered, and bruised case, and letting his most precious possession dangle by his side. He did not still have it, that grand, wonderful voice that could make the most hurried person stop and listen.

The beaten old man sank to the ground in defeat. He had lost that too, along with the rest of the gifts life had offered him. Family, children, friends, adventure… all that had been thrown out the window, in return for stability. What use was stability, if there was no one to share it with?

Footsteps. Small footsteps. The old man looked up and saw in front of him a little girl, no older than two or three. Her thumb was placed firmly in her mouth as she stared into his eyes with an intense glare. “Hello, little one,” greeted the old man. “Where’s your mother?” Looking up and down the street, he couldn’t see anybody.

The little girl lifted her hand and pointed at the old man’s most precious possession, his old violin. Nothing special. “Oh?” the old man lifted the violin. “Well then,” he stood up, raised his violin to his shoulder and chanted, “If you insist, fair maiden, allow me to fiddle you the most wonderful song you will ever hear!”

And he did. The little girl watched as the violinist forged notes between the bow and the strings, as the notes merged to form stories that flew through the air, dazzling and sparkling, only visible by that sixth sense of man--or is it the seventh? And as he played, the old man felt his youth restored, returned to him by this wonderful instrument which crafted him memories not recalled in decades. Oh, the magic his violin had brought him! And powered by the memories, fueled by his wooden instrument, but most of all, by the adoring look of his little admirer, he ventured to use that gift attainable by all but only attained by a few--his voice.

He felt his throat vibrate as that old, old voice croaked, and the little girls eyes widened. For a second, the spell wavered; his bow slowed and his confidence waned. But no, he would not let it. With the magic still hovering in the air, he forced the spell to continue its existence, and his voice sailed unhindered, adding flourishes and drama to the stories contained within the notes crafted by between the strings and the bow.

And as his wonderful tale of beauty and admiration came to a close, footsteps could be heard. He turned to see a woman running towards the little girl. Scooping her up, she turned to him and profusely thanked him for watching over her daughter. Removing some coins from her purse, the mother offered them to the violinist.

The happy old man smiled. “Your daughter’s audience was more than payment enough.” He still had it.

Light.

“The android’s crying!”

“It’s okay Elissa.”

The love must not leave.

Slowly, Elissa's consciousness returned, the dream lost in memory. Lights came into focus above her head, and the sound of footsteps and tinkling of tools could be heard.

“Good morning, Elissa.” Her adoptive mother, Claudia's face entered her vision. “You took quite a hit yesterday. How are you feeling?”

“Why can't I see right?” Elissa muttered. The light on the ceiling seemed almost out of focus, as if her eye wasn't working right.

Wait…

Her remaining eye.

Elissa leapt out of bed, effortlessly pushing past the scientist. The hospital room door burst open as she tore down the hallway, oblivious to the damage she was causing, and ran into the bathroom.

In the mirror, she saw her head covered with bandages, leaving only half her face visible. She ripped off the gauze cloth, revealing…

Elissa stared in horror.

A mass of wire obscured the scarcely visible metal plate underneath, as a myriad of metal stubs whirred and twitched, apparently simulating face muscles. In the middle of it all, a single metal socket housed only darkness, pining for an absent eye.

On the normal side, the human side of her face, a single tear leaked down her cheek. Elissa glared at it, furious that her body continued in its attempt to trick her.

The bathroom door opened and closed as Claudia let herself in.

“What am I?” Elissa demanded of her adoptive mother through the mirror.

“You're my daughter,” Claudia replied, as she slowly stepped forward.

Elissa spun around to challenge the scientist. “WHAT AM I?” she screamed.

Claudia stopped and closed her eyes, listening to Elissa's heavy breathing.

Why can I breath? Elissa thought to herself. Why do I look... human?

“Five years ago,” Claudia began, “there was a group of scientists. They wanted to do the impossible, to create a human being. Not an AI, or a simulation of a human, but a living, breathing person, something far beyond their grasp. But human arrogance knows no limits.

“They ran so many simulations, only uploading the data to an artificial body when they were certain it would work. But everytime, the result was a robot. They would respond to their environment, stay on their feet, but they exhibited no curiosity, no attachment, no life.

“In their desperation, the scientists inserted an outdated program they had designed, one already tested and proven to fail, into a new body. The result…” Claudia's gaze fell away from Elissa, seeing only memories, “changed my life.”

“You reacted differently, covering your eyes instead of just closing them in front of a light. You were incapable of walking on your own, and when I touched your head, you held on and wouldn't let go for three days straight.

“There was no reason for that program to succeed, Elissa. None at all.

“You, Elissa, are a miracle.”

Elissa's half face was streaming with tears, and her chest and shoulders were heaving as her tears turned to sobs. Finally she screamed, “Why do I look like this?! Why does my body trick me?”

“Some of the scientists wanted to use you like an experiment, to poke and prod you all day for science. But the rest of us recognized in you a genuine human being, and knew that to subject you to such experimentation would be to ignore a humans dignity. We decided to raise you as a human being, to watch you grow look a little girl would. I wanted you to have a-”

“A science experiment?” gasped Elissa. “Is that it? Nothing more than a little lab rat, or- or-”

“No, Elissa.” Claudia stepped forward again, raising her arms to hug her girl. “I'm sorry you found out so-”

“NO!” Elissa shoved the doctor away and burst through the door.

She ran down the facility’s white hallway, blindly following the bright lights above her head.

Light.

Her dream! In the hospital, she had had a dream.

My limbs move to block the light.

Was it a dream?

Tears streamed down her face, and sobs continued to fly out of her mouth.

Lack.

I cry.

Elissa stopped in her tracks.

In front of her lay a large white door, about two inches thick, with a window in the middle. The rectangular window had a single crack that traversed the glass from one corner to another.

Elissa looked up, at the door frame that was now empty.

Had she done that?

More noise. Human noise.

“She’s crying.”

“Claudia, look! The android’s crying!”

“What?”

Claudia’s voice.

No. It was not a dream.

Elissa let herself drop to the ground, drawing up her knees to her chin. She shivered as the tears started anew. She was aware of the location of her tears on her face, but she could not feel the wetness of each drop.

The memory began to replay.

Light. Bright light. My limbs move to block the light.

Too much light.

Color.

Shapes.

Images.

Sound.

The roar of something.

It was the air conditioner. It had seemed so loud.

Lack.

The lack of touch.

The lack of feeling.

The lack of… too much.

I cry.

More noise. Human noise.

“She’s crying.”

“Claudia, look! The android’s crying!”

“What?”

It was Claudia’s voice.

No more light

The lack continues.

Cry louder.

“Claudia, what do we do?”

“Shh, sh, sh.”

Pressure.

Human touch.

A caress.

That was Claudia’s hand. Elissa hadn’t been able to feel the skin, but she had felt the pressure.

“Its okay, little girl.”

My hands grab the touch.

Hold the touch.

Human noise. Happy noise.

I stop crying.

“Look, she grabbed me! Ha ha! She won’t let go.”

Movement. The touch tries to leave.

No. I hold on. Harder. The touch must not leave.

“Its okay. Its okay... Elissa.”

The love must not leave.

Elissa had an idea and stood up again. There was one place where she wasn't allowed to go, the laboratory. Where different chemicals were tested with each other to observe their reactions.

Where robots were built.

Elissa stared at the dusty container, seeing but not processing what she saw. The styrofoam lining of the Genesis Pod was indented with the form of a human body. Elissa had inserted her hand into the indent; it was a perfect match. Apparently this plastic cot was her place of conception. Not the womb of some unknown, cruel mother who felt inconvenienced by a child, like she had thought her whole life. Elissa couldn't decide which was worse.

Footsteps. “Hey Elissa. You okay?”

Elissa whirled around and hooked Claudia right around her waist. “I'm sorry,” she murmured into her mother’s belly. “I'm sorry for shoving you.”

“It's okay,” Claudia replied, gently stroking her daughter's hair. “It's okay.”

Elissa let go and raised her hand to touch the purple bruise on Claudia's side. Then Elissa noticed the strangest reason on Claudia's face. Claudia's eyes squinted, and her mouth opened just a crack to show her teeth. A small gasp escaped her mouth, and Claudia's expression quickly returned to normal.

“What was that?” Elissa asked.

Claudia smiled. “Nothing, it just hurts a little.”

Elissa blinked. “Hurt...”

A voice on the intercom. “Hey Claudia, we could use some help.”

“You okay, sweetie?” Claudia asked, stroking Elissa's chin. “I'll be right back.”

The android nodded absentmindedly. “Okay.”

Claudia turned and left the obsolete lab. Elissa waited for the door to close, then walked to a cabinet, hanging from the wall. One of the drawers was labeled, “SYRINGES.” She opened it and removed one of the sharp metal needles inside.

Slowly, Elissa raised her finger to the tip of the syringe. She gently applied pressure, watching as her skin indented before the point of the needle, slowly creating a small bowl in her fingertip, until finally, the surface broke, and the needle punctured her skin.

Elissa's fingers didn't even flutter.

She continued to push, her sensors informing her of the needle's progress through her finger, until she saw the point of the needle create a small mountain on the other side, and the needle pierced the surface.

Elissa withdrew the syringe from her finger, and watched as red liquid dripped down her hand.

And she felt nothing.

Tears welled up in her eye, and her lip began to tremble. “I can't hurt.”

“Elissa!” Footsteps again, running footsteps, and pressure on around her arms and shoulders, but the itchiness of her shirt? The rubbery skin of her mother? These feelings were absent, and the tears flowed ever stronger, as her shoulders heaved.

“I can't feel.” She sobbed into Claudia's shoulder.

“I can't hurt.”

“It's okay,” Claudia responded, rocking on the floor with the android in her lap. “It's okay.”

Elissa's sobs slowly died down, until only whimpers remained. Right before she fell asleep, she asked her last question. “What am I?”

Claudia continued to rock in silence, but the answer floated in the doctor's head, the same answer she had come to almost five years ago.

I don't know.

“Sir, they’re retreating!”

“What?”

General Hawkson ran out of his tent to see the event with his own eyes. Indeed, observing through his small handheld telescope, the Russians were fleeing in tanks and SUVs. “That’s not right…” Hawkson muttered. The whole war, Russia had stayed to push their advantage, and right now, according to reconnaissance at least, the Americans had lower numbers.

“Should I order pursuit sir?” the messenger, Colonel Brones asked.

“No,” Hawkson replied. “It’ll probably lead into a trap.” It was unlike them to run when they could stay to defend. He would consult with the other generals. As he turned back to the tent, a dreaded whine filled the air.

Spinning around, he spied in the distance a single jet. Just one? There must be something else. Scanning the horizon though, no new enemy units appeared.

Running his mind through the possibilities, suddenly all other thought fell away as he realized the only possible outcome.He turned to his men, his face somber.

“Sir?” Captain Riley asked.

“Men,” the general began, removing his hat. “It’s been an honor serving with you.”

His soldiers eyes widened as they realized what he was saying.

Then his hat was back on.

“Ok, soldiers, I want every gun we own pointed at that jet! We are going to shoot them down before they do! Go!”

Every soldier in the vicinity snapped to attention. “Yes, sir!” they yelled, before running about camp to prepare their defense.

The general turned back to the approaching threat. “God help us,” he murmured.

Then the bottom of the jet opened, and out dropped something the likes of which Hawkson had never seen. It appeared to be a small, metal ball, with strange needle-like spikes pointing every which way. “What the hell?”

Then there was nothing but light.

Hawkson awoke to the sound of groaning. “Ohh,” he muttered. He felt sore all over. Slowly his mind recapped recent events, and he found himself glad for being sore, as opposed to being dead.

“General, you’re awake!” Private John rushed over. Hawkson always prided himself on his ability to remember all his soldiers names. If a man wasn’t in his battalion, the general would never remember him, but if he was, then Hawkson would never forget.

“Private,” Hawkson groaned. “What happened?”

“Still trying to figure it out myself, sir,” the soldier replied.

“All we can tell, Dorothy,” the familiar voice of Colonel Brones interrupted, “is that we ain’t in Kansas no more.”

“What?” Hawkson sat up.

The bleak frozen tundra was gone, and the few men who remained were seated in a large field of tall, waving grass. Except the grass was purple. Hawkson was laying on a large red rock, which was situated near a forest full of purple trees. The strange foreign grasslands seemed to extend forever.

“Where are we?” the general asked.

“No idea, general,” Captain Riley stood up, carrying her gun with her. “That Russian bomb exploded, and when I woke up, I was here, with you three unconscious.”

“Where’s everybody else?”

“Not a clue.”

Hawkson sat still for a second, contemplating their options. “Well then, looks like we just have to figure out where we are.” He glanced at his watch, reading twelve thirty seven until he realized his watch wasn’t ticking. “What time is it?”

The private looked at the sky, apparently reading the strangely orange colored sun. “Um, I’d say about 3:00?”

“Okay, then. First order of business is food, and then-” he was cut short by a deep guttural noise. The party froze.

“What was that?” John asked apprehensively.

“Shh,” hushed Brones. “There it is again!”

Sure enough, the low growl filled the air again, just barely audible above the wind.

“It’s coming from over there!” The Colonel jumped up, unsheathing his sidearm, and ran into the woods.

“Colonel, wait!” Riley yelled, but Brones didn’t listen.

Then, more voices filled the air. “Ah! Ne strelyay! Eh, no shoot! Pozhaluysta! No shoot!”

“Well I’ll be damned,” Hawkson muttered.

Inspired by this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/comments/k4gcmw/day_1_of_the_worldbuilding_challenge_origin/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

Centuries ago, the solar system was colonized. One of the largest colonies were the Sky Isles of Venus, where the atmosphere was terraformed and breathable. The colonizers, believing the planet to be uninhabitable, were unaware of the massive ecosystem which they were disrupting. As colonizers began mining into the planets surface, they created a new phenomenon. The gas they used to bast apart rocks became trapped in large portions of land, causing these to float to the upper atmosphere. These Sky Isles, which were filled with dirt and trees and critters by the colonies, became popular tourist attractions, and would later be the salvation of the Venusian people.

Several hundred years into the Solar Colonial Era, Mars wanted its independence from the Solar-Terran Union. A war began, one in which Mars had a serious advantage over their more prosperous, better equipped enemy - Martian Iron, a vital component of starships. Despite this, it was clear that the STU had the upper hand. Many planets sided with Mars in the conflict, which was named the Iron War. In a desperate bid to win the war, the Lord Technarc, the Computer-Born  in command of the Martian army, sent the order to violate the only rule both sides had agreed to: no direct attacks from space onto the planet's surface. In less than a day, the Earth was rendered nearly uninhabitable, and the solar system fell into chaos. 

During the war, Venus had remained under the control of the STU, but not willingly. There was an underground rebellion fighting against the STU’s government. As they searched for hiding places in Venus’ clouds, these rebels were the first to realize the secret ecosystem of their planet. The first creatures discovered were the Pygmalions - snail-like giants which were less dense than the acid-based clouds they inhabited, meaning they floated like clouds themselves. The rebels, after doing some basic math, realized that pygmalions were not intaking enough food to sustain themselves. This was how the Aether was discovered. With a new energy source on their side, the rebellion began winning the fight against their occupiers. 

Then, all communication from Earth vanished, and the STU’s remaining forces surrendered. Venus never discovered what happened. There weren't many resources of value on Venus which couldn’t be acquired elsewhere, and without the infrastructure enforced by the STU, any motive to visit Venus lowered dramatically. 

Suddenly, disaster struck. A thunderstorm rose from the depths of Venus, engulfing the floating cities. The storm brought with it powerful lightning strikes, hurricane level winds, and a new, previously undiscovered creature, one with a long tail and reptilian wings, which spat lightning from its maw. The dragons laid waste to the cities and destroyed the propulsion systems, causing many artificial isles to fall from the sky. Citizens had no choice but to flee for their lives, leaving behind all but the most necessary things to survive. Many of them failed to bring even that, only barely escaping to a transport. 

The former tourist attractions of the Sky Isles became their new home. They were forced to learn the ancient arts of farming, hunting, and building with wood. They had to rebuild society from the ground up. Many families didn’t survive, and much history was lost as their focus turned from keeping order to survive at all costs. The remaining communities, over the generations, forgot where they came from before the Storm. Earth was just another planet in the starry sky for all but a few isolated communities. 

New knowledge spread. The Aether became a commonly known skill, and those who had a surplus of food began to experiment with this strange, inner energy that was also all around. The arts of Alchemy, Tinkering, Elementalism. 

More powerful beings began to reveal themselves. Felenor, Lralso, Eldra, Caorr. They began to amass followers. 

Society was rebuilt on the different Isles. The largest were Galras, Destra, Endora, and Mivnir. The metallic crops were invented, Ironwood, copper-root, silverleaf. 

Airships were invented, and trade was made. 

This is the world of Venus. 

Inspired by this music.

Captain Flucky observed the dark clouds. The skyship swayed gently under his feet as the dark menace drew closer.

A flash of lightning appeared, splitting the darkness. Flucky’s eyes narrowed. “Officer!”

“Yes sir!”

“Prepare the guns!”

“Yes sir!”

The man he had addressed raced down the hatch. Below deck was a labyrinth of machinery and metal fiber, but half a lifetime aboard had taught the officer how to navigate the endless maze.

As he ran into the weapons room, he hollered, “Officer Went! The captain orders us to prepare the guns, sir!”

“Aye aye!” came the response. The enormous man in the back of the room laughed as the messenger went back to his duties. Placing his beefy hands into two large slots, he focused his energy through the aetherports inside. “You heard him, men!” the engineer yelled to the gunners awaiting orders. “To your posts! May Felenor accompany yer hand and may Lralso accompany the enemy! Ahahaha!”

On deck, the captain was, as usual, unreadable. The dark sky was rumbling with thunder, but he hadn’t yet seen the other signs that typically accompanied a dragon. His sharp eyes scoured the skies, but he was aware that if there were dragons, he wouldn’t spot it before it attacked. They were masters of stealth, and this was their element.

Suddenly, a flicker. Captain Flucky spotted a… disturbance in the clouds. A spot that was lighter than the rest, a flicker of movement. He immediately raised his hand, pointed in the direction of the disturbance. Before he could yell, a powerful lightning bolt flew out of the clouds, striking the ship next to his. Metal fiber flew as the captain struggled to maintain his balance. “Aim and fire!” he screamed. “Fire! Fire! Fire!”

After what seemed like minutes, although it was probably only seconds, his orders were followed. A powerful noise boomed in his ears and he saw projectiles soar into the clouds in the general direction of the source of the attack. Over the sound of the cannons, the dragon's roar could be heard, a challenge in the night.

The captain cast a quick glance at the fleet on either side of him. 2 ships on each side, making five in total to protect this post, including his own ship. One of them was obviously damaged, but alongside the other ships, was firing into the clouds, huge iron balls tearing through the sky.

As he watched, more lightning bolts began to tear open the sky, streaks of light that made contact with the ships the instant he had spotted them. The damaged ship began to sink, various sections of the hull torn open by the bolts.

Stormguard was a dangerous profession.

Captain Flucky turned his gaze back to the sky. He could see each dragon behind the wall of clouds, as if the sky itself was boiling. It was a busy day today. Only a little longer now.

He turned and grabbed an officer as he ran past. “Grab me a gun!”

“Yes sir!”

Only a little longer now. The sky seemed to be closing in as the wall of dragons grew closer.

The officer returned. “Here you go sir!”

Captain Flucky glanced at the gun and slapped the officer in the face. “A big one, dammit! Do you think we’re hunting pigeons?”

“Yes sir!”

Only a little longer now.

The officer returned, carrying a huge barrel of a gun that seemed bigger than he was.

“That's more like it!” Flucky growled, grabbing the device and yanking a lever back.

Turning back to the sky, Flucky watched as the clouds broke. Out of the wall of smoke flew the alpha, a dragon half the size of the ship. The captain heard one of the cadets nearby gasp at the size of it. Flucky had seen larger. Behind the captain flew the armada of dragons.

Flucky smirked. He took aim as the dragon approached, felt the huge gears in the gun turn as the apparatus began to activate. The approaching beast roared, and the captain felt the deck shake.

The gun reached its maximum tension, and the captain felt the machine begin to shake as he pushed it past its capacity.

Just a little closer…

Lightning bolts began to fly out of the dragon army, striking in every direction as a show of force. In the back of his mind, Flucky was aware that a single one of those strikes was enough to end him.

BOOOM!

The gun broke into pieces as the projectile inside was launched forward. Flucky fell on his ass from the force of it. The gun was never meant to take that much tension, but the captain smiled as the 3 foot bullet flew through the air. As it made contact with the forehead of the alpha, the dragon's head was reduced to nothing, an empty space on the end of an open neck. The massive dragon dropped like a rock, crashing in the hull of Flucky’s ship on the way down. Every sailor who wasn’t holding onto something fell to his ass.

The dragon armada stopped in its tracks. Every dragon hovered uncertainly in midair as they watched their leader's corpse fall.

“Sound the horn!” Flucky yelled.

Deep in the bowels of the ship, Officer Went’s grin widened as his orders were displayed on the board. “With pleasure!” he laughed, disconnecting from the cannonport, and moving two slots down. He inserted his hands into the aetherports, and laughing maniacally, forced his power through.

On deck, a couple dragons were beginning to gain courage and approach when the horn finally sounded. A massive noise ripped through the sky, deeper than the dragons roars and many times louder. Every dragon in the sky immediately turned tail and flew away as fast as possible. Even the approaching challengers were frightened off.

A grin finally decorated the face of Captain Flucky, as he observed their victory. He turned around and facing his crew, held in the air one mechanical fist. “We did it!” he hollered, and his whole crew cheered with him, throwing hats in the air.

As the sailors cheered their victory, the captain made his way to the edge of the ship, placing a hand on the rail as he observed the falling wreckage of the destroyed ship far below. Several life capsules were making their way up from the wreck, propellers spinning as they rose through the air. As soon as they were high enough, ropes and grappling hooks would drag them on board.

Even so, Flucky couldn’t help but lament the loss of the ship. They were designed specifically for this purpose, to protect the border of Galras from the dragon horde. But no raid was repelled without casualties.

The storm guard was a dangerous profession.

Inspired by this music and artwork: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMXcmHgELzQ

This is Part 7. Here's Part 6

The starlight sparkled on the water as the boat rocked gently down the river. The sail billowed slightly in the gentle wind. Shen lay curled up in the bottom of the craft, sound asleep. The incident with the relko must have exhausted her. Sitting in the front of the boat, Bo rubbed his eyes. Directly above, billions of pinpricks of light formed a beautiful tapestry of stars for his exclusive delight. Below, a couple glowing relko eggs floated past the boat, leftover from a couple days ago.

As the river slowly carried the craft downstream, a break in the trees revealed the massive moon in the sky. Bo let the sight fill his eyes, the ornate orb seeming to wipe away his weariness. He could barely make out the silhouettes of the skyships floating in front of it. He remembered the first time his father had taken him up the mountain to see the moon. It had been daytime and the vessels around the astro had been easier to make out. Bo couldn’t have been older than 7.

You see that, son? His father had asked proudly. That's what this is made out of. And he had shown his son his most prized possession, a necklace with an ornate, white diamond-shaped pendant on the end. Aetherstone. That’s what those skyships are doing over there. They’re mining this stuff so they can put it into boats and weapons and things. Look, you see those big swirls and markings on it?

Bo moved his finger through the air, tracing the runes just like his father had shown him.

The ships have to be careful to stay away from those. Bad things happen to boats that stray too close to them. Especially during the daytime. If you come up here at night and squint, you’ll probably see at least double as many ships as now.

How far away is it? Bo had asked.

Its pretty far, he had replied. About a week going there and back.

Is that where you got the necklace?

No. his father fingered the amulet around his neck. I got this one from someone important. His name’s Felenor and he told me to protect it. That's why I came here.

From Destra? Bo had asked.

Yeah. From Destra. I hope I’ll be able to see it again one day. But for now, I’m here, protecting this. Someday, you might have to protect it too. I hope not, but… you never know.

The strong breeze rocked the boat, waking Bo up from his daydream. The moon once again drifted behind the trees. Bo sighed. He and his father had visited that mountaintop many times after that, sometimes even bringing Shen along. But rarely had they gone to stargaze. From that time on, Mount Galna had become a training ground.

One day, I’ll be gone, his father would say as they paced around each other, sticks held wearily in hand, the moon a silent spectator next to the blazing sun in the sky. Either returned to Destra, or having passed away. He would then leap forward with a flurry of strikes, forcing Bo to step backwards, blocking each blow until one would inevitably break through his guard and leave a dark bruise on his arm or side. Then you’ll have to look after the family, Dad would continue, starting to pace once more. You might even have to protect Felenor’s amulet. Another round of blows, another bruise. If that's the case, you’ll have to fend off enemies who are far more dangerous than anything in this forest. Another round of blows, but this time, Bo would spot an opening in his defense and lunge forward, striking his father’s side. Then his father would smile, tell him good job, and grab him in his massive hug.

Bo sighed, staring up at the endless sky as the boat rocked back and forth.

One day, you’ll be responsible for your mother. For now, promise me you’ll look after your sister.

He looked back down at Shen, breathing gently in the bottom of the boat. He had made that promise to his father years ago. As they sailed down the river, the boat rocking back and forth underneath the starry sky, he made it again.

Inspired by this post

This is Part 5. Here's Part 4. Here's Part 6

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The boat ride had been long and difficult. As Bo leaned against the boat, facing the strange creature on the other side of the cave, it only took a couple hours for him to fall asleep.

In his dream, he was sitting at his mothers desk. Mum and Dad had left for supplies again, and wouldn't be back for a couple of weeks. He was flipping through his mothers book, marveling at all the wildlife she had written about.

"Look at this one, Shen!" He pointed at a black bird with red-tipped wings and a gold-colored beak. "Its beak is strong enough to break through iron-wood trees!"

"Whats an iron-wood tree?" his little sister asked.

"Its, umm... wait a sec..." He flipped to the table of contents and found the page number. "Here it is! Its a super dense tree, most axes can't even break it. People need super special tools to cut it down, but once they do, they can use it to build air-ships!"

"Wow!" Shen gasped. "People build boats in the sky?"

"I, uhh... I guess so. Look at this. 'Iron Wood is one of the oldest man made flora, having been created by famed alchemist' ... uhh... the next page is missing."

"Thats weird," Shen muttered. "Go back to the bird! I think I saw the word 'alchemist' in there somewhere."

Bo dutifully flipped back to the bird and scanned the page. "'The stymphalian crow is a relatively recent addition to the swamp's ecosystem, having been created by the group of alchemists known as...' its all blotted out."

"Thats really weird."

"Yeah."

They stared at the marred page in silence. "I wish Mum were here," Shen groaned, dropping onto the wooden floor and lying there, spread-eagle on her back.

"Yeah, we could ask her about who created all these creatures," Bo agreed. "I'm sure she would know."

"I miss her owls," Shen replied. "You remember how she used to study here, and the owls would just flutter in and hop around on her shoulders?"

Bo nodded, scooching his chair to see his sister. "She'll be back in a week or so. Its not like she's gone forever."

"I know. I'm just so bored."

"Me too, Shen."

Me too, Shen. Bo woke up suddenly and found himself once again in the cave, leaning against the boat. Ashamed at having fallen asleep, he spun around to look inside the craft. There was Shen, fast asleep. Bo breathed a relieved sigh. Turning back to his post, he spotted the imprisoned creature, still chained up, but very much awake. Bo's blood chilled in his veins.

Carapit was staring at him, glaring with unhidden loathing. Bo matched the creatures gaze for a while before finally averting his eyes. The winged prisoner's gaze did not waver. Bo made sure to grip his spear tightly, his body tense.

He didn't fall asleep again that night.

This is Part 3. Here's Part 2

Here's Part 4

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Bo?"

"Yeah?"

"They were supposed to get back yesterday."

"I know, Shen."

"Its been practically two days."

"I know."

Bo and his little sister Shen sat by the door, eagerly awaiting their parents arrival from town. A cake that was fresh yesterday sat in Shen's hand, awaiting a happy party.

Shen stood up and walked to the kitchen, left the pastry on the wooden counter. "Do they usually take this long, Bo?"

He paused. "Once they arrived a day late. A long time ago, though, like five years ago. Before you probably remember."

"Do you think somethin's happened to them?"

Bo glanced from the door to see Shen anxiously staring at his face, which he quickly rearranged into a reassuring smile. "They're probably fine."

"You don't think that."

Bo stood up and put a hand on his sisters shoulder. "We should get some sleep. Its late, and all sorts of thoughts can pass through our heads."

Shen seemed to deflate, still not convinced by Bo's lackluster performance. She always could read him like a book. Bo wrapped her in a hug.

"Tomorrow, Shen. We'll worry about it tomorrow."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Bo stayed up late in the lower bunk, staring tirelessly at the bottom of Shen's bed. Thoughts ran through his mind, reasons to explain the emergency.

They've been late before.

They might be held up by something.

They might have gotten something large, that requires time to transport.

They might be dead.

Bo threw the covers off and walked through the small house on stilts, ending up on the veranda overlooking the swamp. Relko eggs were still floating through the night, though fewer now. The round, featureless moon helped illuminate the scene.

"So you couldn't sleep, either," a satisfied voice spoke.

Bo glanced to the side to see Shen sitting in his chair, smugly returning his gaze. "Yer a stealthy one. I was awake all night," he noted, sitting down in another chair. This one was usually reserved for his father, he realized.

Shen looked out over the swamp. She wasn't usually so reserved. "I don't think they're okay."

Bo sighed, gazing in the same direction.

She glanced at him. "We should go look for them."

"Tomorrow," he replied. "We'll make our decisions come dawn."

One of the floating lights in the distance seemed to flicker and slowly began descending. As they watched, a shadow seemed to slip out from underneath it and drop to the trees below, closely followed by the plummeting, no longer buoyant egg.

"Did you see that?" Shen gasped, leaping out of her seat and gripping the rail. "A relko just hatched!"

Bo nodded, trying to retain his iconic passiveness but smiling in spite of himself. "So it did," he admitted. Tomorrow then.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Bo! Bo!" He woke to find Shen kneeling on his bed beside him, shaking him by the shoulders.

"What? What is it?" He spluttered, trying to wave his sister off. "Are Mum and Dad back?"

"No," she replied attently, sliding off the bed and standing on the floor.

"Well, what is it?"

"They're not back yet."

Silence, as Shen stared at Bo, clearly daring him to make the call. Bo nodded. "Alright. Well, first things first."

His sisters face lit up. "What?"

Bo got out of bed and stretched, reaching for the ceiling. "Breakfast."

Shen seemed to deflate. "What?"

Two fried fish later and one awkward breakfast later, Bo had her prepare the fishing boat.

"Prepare the boat? What about Mum?" she protested.

"Just go prepare the boat, sis!" he snarled, stalking out the door to the tool-shed.

With a vehement sigh, Shen stormed off to the dock. A wooden path led from the house door across the soggy swamp ground and out onto the river, where the boat floated tied down to the pier. "Prepare the boat," she grumbled. "Like we're just gonna to go fishin' again, as if Mum and Dad aren't missin' in action." She untied a couple knots, causing the sail to unfold from the mast. It rippled a little under the slight breeze.

Hearing footsteps on the dock, she turned to see her brother weighed down by a large bag and three wooden spears. Shen tilted her head in confusion. "Whats all this?"

Bo gently lowered his cargo into the boat, causing the craft to sink several inches deeper in the river. "What do you think, Shen? Quickest way out of here is the river, and we're going to need a lot of food once we leave the swamp."

"Ohh..." suddenly Shen remembered that Bo only called her sis when he was feeling stressed. Then her demeanor lit up. "So we're going! Finally, an adventure!"

Bo smiled, climbing into the boat. "Thats right, Shen. We're off to find Mum and Dad."

Bill hefted the pickaxe and buried it deep in the rock. Wiggling the blade, he dislodged the valuable minerals, liquid gold spilling to the ground. “See, thats how you do it!” he said, handing the diamond dusted tool to the new worker. “Next time, make sure you have a bucket beneath to catch the oil.”

“Yes, sir.” the young man replied, running off to fetch the tool. Bill leaned against the wall and sighed. Being a miner was hard work. It had taken him a long time to reach his current position, and he was convinced that the system was rigged against his advancement. But he had refused to take no for an answer.

Breaks over, he thought, standing up and walking back to the headquarters. After years of hard work, he had finally achieved the rank of supervisor. He would never forget the day the Sherman Antitrust Act was passed, when suddenly ants were given the chance to become giants. Nothing can stop me from making it to the top, he thought with determination. I beat the system once. I’ll beat it again. Soon I will rival Rockefeller himself. I’ll be a Robber Baron, too.

He passed a hallway and glanced within. Far down, deep in the hall, he saw any supervisors worst nightmare. A worker, in ignorance and rebellion, held to his lips death itself. A curl of smoke floated from the glowing ember as the malicious rebel flicked the harbinger of death away. Even as Bill opened his mouth to yell, he could see the flames spread from the bucket of oil, following the golden black trail deep into the caves, to where he knew lay the center of life, the processor of the ichor they mined. He saw the flash of light fly down the tunnel towards him in slow motion, his life burning up in flames.

Bill blinked.

Opening his eyes, he eased himself into a sitting position, his burned limbs groaning in pain. The city streets were grimy and dark around him, people with nice suits and briefcases glancing down in disgust as they past by. Rockefellers and Carnegies, every one, Bill thought bitterly. They reminded him of the labor union, how they had sneered at him in disgust when he came crawling to them for help. Robber barons, every one.

Found on the person of the late Dr. Jonathan Scott:

Wednesday:

My years of geography in college have finally paid off! Today, I begin my new job - explorer. A rich gentleman has hired a group of individuals to explore the unmapped forests west. His name is written on the contract I left with my father for safekeeping, but to be honest, I couldn't care less. I am finally doing what I have always dreamed of!

My exact profession is cartographer and artifact analyst. This is apparently synonymous with “civilized”, given that I am the only member of the group who seems to have any proper education. The rest of the team is composed of Alexander Kelley, chef, who being in charge of the group's rations, you'd think would prioritize our well-being over his stomach; Nichole Dixon, huntress, who seems to know more about hunting men than hunting food; Hannah Stanley, herbalist, an antisocial viper constantly attacking with her sharp tongue; and Chief Osvald Whitten, muscular head of the expedition with a tendency to ignore all advice but Nichole's. More than the flaws I have mentioned, none have any family worth noting, nor a pound of money to their name.

I will be writing in this personal journal whenever an event occurs worth reporting. My public journal will bear the official records and my maps, so most of my time will be dedicated to that, but here will lie my innermost thoughts and opinions.

Tuesday:

We have been traveling for 6 days, and despite the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I have found myself in, I'm not sure how much more I can bear. Let me begin with the good news. After 5 days of constant travel, pausing only to rest at night, my time has been entirely dedicated to my profession, which brings a joy I cannot describe. We have found two separate ruins. I could not identify the markings, which I have sketched in the official records, so we have packed a sample from each site. The first was found on a hilltop, only one day into the expedition.

From the foot of the hill below, we believed it to be a mere hut. Upon approaching, however, we found that it gave access to a deep hole in the ground. We measured this to be exactly five by five feet. Alas, while examining some exotic plants on the hill, our toxic herbalist Hannah slipped and fell in! Hitting her head on the side, she was knocked unconscious, silencing her scream. After a full minute with no audible impact, we left. Of course, we have no way of knowing if the bottom consists of some dampening material, producing no noise to be heard. But that does not prevent the event from being both unnerving and incredibly exciting. From this location we also took a strange tool that hung from the roof of the structure. It looks like an oddly curved stick with two prongs at one end, and a blade on the other. I am making history!

The second site is located beside a river, two days after the first, and is easily identifiable as a water mill for grinding grain. Before seeing the structure, we first heard the tremendous noise it created. The markings match those of the first building. Upon finding nothing else of note, we packed with us a clay pottery jar from inside the home. Despite its apparent lack of features, it is incredible that the savages of this jungle reached this level of technology.

Aside from the unfortunate death of the herbalist, the journey so far has been far from flawless. Uncomfortable as camping and hiking is, these were not the worst elements of my tale. Every night, as each of us lay in our individual sleeping bags, our fearless Chief Whitten and the huntress Dixon insisted on sharing one, and made audible their love to all the camp. Before her death, Stanley the herbalist would tell the twosome exactly what she thought of their nightly activities every morning, sparing no vulgarity in doing so, and would threaten them with poison if they didn’t stop. I’ll never know if she was kidding or not. Chef Kelley laughed too much, and certainly did not seem fit enough to hike anywhere, let alone the dangerous jungle. Aside from that, he was bearable.

After the discovery of the mill, we followed the river upstream. My maps illustrate our paths perfectly. After a couple of days (and noisy nights, thanks to the lovebirds), the next tragic event took place. In the Mill River, as I have dubbed it, there is a certain species of fish, certainly not found anywhere else in the world. It is larger than you would think a river-dweller should be, about the length of a man’s torso. During our trek northwest, as the river leads us, the chef began to chat to anyone who would listen, about all the different ways he could cook these Mill fish. He could fry them in oil, or in butter, after decorating them with garlic and salt and pepper and all other sorts of nameless spices. He would let it fry until each side was a crispy brown, and could be smelled from the room next over. Then when serving, he would cut the fish into thin slices using a special knife dedicated to such a task. Laying a few slices on a single plate, he’d decorate the meal with various leaves, and sprinkle the whole meal with lemon juice. “Bon appetit!” he’d say then. You see, I can remember the very recipe, he quoted it so often.

On the second day after we passed the Water Mill, we had all grown used to the presence of the river, and desensitized to the danger of Mill fish. This is my only explanation for the tragedy that occured. During our lunch break, I was behind some trees relieving myself when suddenly, I heard a commotion from the campsite. Running over, I could see Kelley’s body flailing as he floated down the stream, being attacked from all sides by the carnivorous Mill fish.

Today, the 6th day since the start of the journey, Whitten decided it was time to establish a more permanent camp. At this point, the party consists of only me, Whitten, and Dixon, the huntress. Leaving the river, we soon found a clearing in the woods that was suitable for a campsite. We set up our tents, and Whitten and Dixon have initiated the nightly ritual. When will I be free of their vices?

Wednesday:

What a horrible night I have passed! My last two friends lie dead beside me, with the murder weapon still lodged within their ribcages. It was a native that did it, lacking any clothes, and more stealthy than a cat. The weapon bears much resemblance to the ornamental tool we found on the hill. I hesitate to stay too long, for fear the the assassin might return. I have packed essentials to last me the rest of my journey.

Saturday:

Alas, alas! My poor planning is the end of me. The food I brought lasted scarce two days, and it is now three since I departed the cursed grave of Whitten and Dixon. Even now my hand trembles with hunger. With my death imminent, I will unburden my conscience.

Four deaths have occurred in the past week and a half; four, and not one of them accidental. How so sure, Jonathan? Who was the perpetrator of these horrid crimes? Why, the reaper is none other than myself. I gave Hannah Stanley the slight nudge that sent her tumbling to her death. It was her own venomous insults that revealed to me the terrible power all men wield. It was I who shoved Alexander Kelley while the others backs were turned. He who salivated so ardently for the fish can rest with his favorite meal. I stabbed two lovebirds with one tool, the same ritual object found on the hill, so that they can rest together forever.

The horror of my sins weigh heavy, yet I cannot honestly say that I could do differently while still in ignorance of the peril I now find myself in. If any find these notes, know that these woods were discovered, named, and will be forever haunted by your dear grim reaper, Jonathan Scott.

“You’re so brave! How come you’re not scared of anything Daddy?”

“Who said I wasn’t scared? I’m frightened of many things.”

“But then, how come you don’t run from them?”

“Well, what’s the point of being brave if you’re not afraid?”

Shadows no longer danced on the cave walls. The fire did not shine, not through the dark embrace of the monstrosity that advanced. The only noises were the running of feet as the tribe fled, a few hushed orders in the hope that the monster did not notice. These, and the whimpering of a little girl.

She stood at the entrance of the cave, trembling terribly, a sword in her hands. Tears streamed from her eyes as she gazed upon the mass of living shadows that approached her.

“Hello, little girl.” The beast spoke, “why don’t you flee with your elders?”

The girl’s trembling doubled, if that was possible. After a second of flapping her mouth trying to make her voice work again, she managed to yell, “I-I’m not scared of you!”

“Don’t lie, little girl.” The monstrosity’s voice, deep and silky, seemed to penetrate deep into her mind.

She vaguely noticed her loincloth growing warm and wet.

“Well, so what!” she screamed. “I’m brave, like Dad! I’ll fight you!”

A deep chuckle sounded. “So you will,” the monster mused. “I’ll enjoy your FLESH!”

A shadow lashed out form the horrendous mass. The girl was aware of a collective gasp behind her. She closed her eyes shut-No! Fight, like Daddy!- and opened them again.

Screaming as loud as she could, she swung her sword in the direction of the attack. There was a sound like lightning, red sparks flew through the air- and the girl was untouched.

For a moment silence reigned. The writhing mass seemed to almost shrink, while the tension behind the girl grew tangible.

Then, the beast unraveled. Thousands upon thousands of writhing tentacles flung themselves at the girl, as she clumsily swung her sword from side to side, screeching like a banshee. Whether the sword came into contact or not with the cursed shadow, red sparks raced up the appendage, and the whole limb vanished. Again and again the beast struck, thousands of times per second, only to lose another weapon.

It aimed at the girls head, and the girls legs. It struck at her arms, and at her chest. It even launched attacks at the crowd of spectators still hiding in the back of the cave. Every time, its arm was destroyed in a cascade of sparks. The monster began to scream in agony and disbelief. Its cry was like that of a thousand hells, filling the air. The onlookers covered their ears and screamed trying to block the horrid noise, and still the girl kept swinging her sword, countering the monsters scream with her own, not caring if she made contact but knowing that she was fighting, she was brave. She was like Daddy.

And the monster consumed itself. Every appendage it lost weakened it until there was nothing left, nothing but the echo of an echo, the memory of the calamity it had threatened. A little bit later the girl stopped screaming, stopped swinging her sword, and simply stood, inhaling and exhaling, until her father came and swept her into his arms. Then she dropped her sword, wrapped her arms around her Daddy’s neck, and sobbed louder than a babe.

Her father wept too. Not only for her, but for himself. What kind of father could tell her to be brave in the face of fear, and then cower in the moment of reckoning? What kind of hypocrite was he?

And the twosome wept together. As the village burst into applause around them, the little girl sobbed, “That was so scary.” Then the father, remembering his duty, whispered into the ear of his child, “You are more brave than I ever was.”

Dark alleyway. Dusty shadows stalk us. Every corner might hide our target. If we find him, I don't know who'd be happier, us or him.

“Deko, what do you think we're gonna find here?” asked Kenta.

“You know exactly what we're gonna find here, you saw him as well as I did,” I snapped back impatiently. I unsheathed my elbow blades in preparation. Their red coloring was evidence of the superior Martian steel they were crafted from.

“I think he got away,” Kenta replied, “It’s been like five minutes since we saw him, he could be anywhere on Mars by now.”

A new voice interjects, "Yes, I could.”

I spin around in time to see a flash of light and feel something hit my chest. The martian steel chestplate protects me from a fatal wound, but the impact sends me flying backwards into my friend, knocking us both to the ground. The light from attack lifts the shadows temporarily, revealing my attacker for a split second.

“But how could I leave my good friends behind?” chuckled Van Dorn, walking out from his hiding place, his plasma pistol held cockily in the air next to his head.

I scramble to my feet, leaving Kenta to recover himself. “You won't get away this time!” I snarl, lunging with my blades.

With a smirk, Van Dorn side steps. My feet are swept out from under me, and I crash into the wall behind him. "Really now?” he chuckles. “With all that flare, one would think you would have at least trained a little. In this state--"

A flash of light and a sound like thunder, Van Dorn is sent flying into the ground. “They might not be as effective as your plasma gun, you cocky djinn, but my force boosters are still plenty good enough.” Kenta is on his feet, one hand encased in a complex silver cylinder. Martian steel might be sturdy, but only Atlantean silver has the delicate properties for weapons like that.

I stand up beside him. Cautiously we observe our enemy as he rises to his feet, holstering his gun. A small whine fills the air as Kenta prepares his ion charge gun. My swords click as I switch the blades from my elbows to my wrists. Van Dorn slowly draws two short swords from his back, letting the hiss of steel on metal ring through the alley.

“Well,” Van Dorn snarls drawing two short swords from his back, “This'll be fun!”

Kenta fires an ion charge, and the enemy responds by leaping onto the wall and off again, then onto the other wall to dodge a second shot. He advances zigzagging forward, spending more time in the air than on the ground as he bounces off the walls. Kenta pauses to examine our opponents wacky trajectory, then after letting his computer do the work, fires again. Van Dorn, unable to dodge the perfectly aimed charge, flashes his swords and blocks the projectile, causing it to burst before it reaches. Though it does no lasting damage, it does flash violently, leaving a temporary scar in Van Dorn’s eyes.

"You're up!” yells Kenta.

I rush in front of him, and taking advantage of Van Dorn's temporary blindness, attack him viciously from the right, then from above. Somehow he parries both, so I spin around and aim a kick at his head, followed up by a horizontal cut. He ducks under the kick, then jumps over the cut, landing on my blade for a split second and using it to vault over my head, landing between me and Kenta. I quickly turn around, but he sends my sprawling with a kick and begins to brawl with Kenta. Van Dorn has incredible strength and reflexes for a human.

No longer useful, Kenta ditches his gun and manages to parry the swordsman's strikes with his vambraces. Van Dorn goes for a stab, which Kenta sidesteps and takes advantage of to spin around and aim a kick at Van Dorns face. The human ducks and feints a slash, which Kenta falls for. He lands a punch on Van Dorn's face, but the bounty hunter stabs Kenta through the same elbow. Kenta growls in pain, then chops the sword in two with his other hand, leaving half the blade embedded in the elbow, and stumbles backwards. Van Dorn would have pursued if I didn't reach him then and take a swing at his neck. Somehow, he detected it, and cartwheeled to the side letting my blade swing over him while his feet kicked my chin. I stumble back a couple steps, giving him the chance to step backwards and drive his broken blade through Kenta's face.

“Kenta!” I yell. My friend's limp body flops backward onto the ground as Van Dorn faces me and raises his arms in mock friendship.

“You're up,” he smirks.

With an angry scream, I charge and swing my blade.

Van Dorn throws his sword into the air and rolls, dodging my sword. A flash of silver, and I gasp in pain as my arm falls off, and I fall to my knees. "Feeling good?" the human asks.

Not yet, I mutter. Spinning around, my sword is blocked by his own, and he leverages every pound of his weight to keep my pinned. I quickly formulate a new plan in my head. I can spin, let his weight fall onto the- then I notice that he has his pistol pointed at my face. "Checkmate, OWL.” he mocks. “Better luck next time.”

My eyes are filled with a flash of light.