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+--- Thread: [01] Forest Sector (/showthread.php?tid=14881)
[01] Forest Sector - DA 2009 - 11-08-2009
FOREST SECTOR
Time Of Day: Dusk
Bunker: Active
Starting Players: Vad, Mal Nova, Piper, Frozen
[01] Forest Sector - Psyren - 11-09-2009
Frozen opened his eyes and saw him stareing at a dusk sky filled with pretty colors. He sat up slowly and rubbed his head. He felt a bit disoriented and then shook his head really fast in a attempt to force it away. It only made it a bit worse. He stood up slowly and grasped onto a tree and took in a deep breath of air. And then it hit him like a ton of bricks.
"Wasent I just in a room with a bunch of people.." Then he remembered the room being filled with gas and everyone slowly falling and writhing on the floor until they were unconcious along with him. He shuttered at the thought that someone like this Damon guy had these kinds of tricks up his sleeve. But then he focused on why he was there. He had to score some cash or anything that could help in the eradication of his father.
His two serveants were counting on his swift return with anything at all. They had all agreed this was a good oppertunity to atleast try for. He felt it best to wander around the woods in hopes of finding anyone or anything that could be of some kind of help. He formed a small ball of ice in his hand and held it to the side of his head. Hopefully his headache would in time disperse.
[01] Forest Sector - Mal Nova - 11-09-2009
He stirred as the cool air gently whisked across his face. His mind whirled in an array of confusion as started to come to and gain he bearings. He was propped in a slouching prone position, his back against something rugged and hard his posterior barely cushioned upon whatever was beneath him. He was outside and some sort of condensation had blanketed the ground. He knew because he recognized the smell from the night he first left his sheltered facility.
He remembered that fateful night clearly, when he first felt the pain of losing someone close to him; The night when he watched the good doctor die in front of him, his body crisped until it was nothing but blackened soot upon a charred ground, done so by a meager energy blast. That night smelled fresh and crisp, just like it did right now, though because of that nights events he never stopped to admire it; Didn't even pay close attention to it until now.
But that was then, not here and now, he reminded himself. But, where was 'here and now' exactly, his mind finally telling him to open his eyes. His vision was dazed like his mind, and the Namek raised his hand to attempt to wipe the sleep from his eyes. As he did, his arm bumped into something that fell to the ground with a light thud. Growing wary, Maleficus paused, his ear's cocked for any response he might catch in reaction to his clumsy movement.
After seconds passed and there was no ensuing altercation, the renegade cleared his eyes and looked around in attempt to gain his surroundings.. He was located in a wooded terrain, and night was waning away, giving up the darkened sky to a burgundy horizon, which meant that the sun would soon be peaking it's upper body soon. His hand wiped away the drool that had overflowed and had left a trail down his face as he averted his gaze to what he had knocked over, a Ki rifle.
Seeing the projectile weapon brought back the images of the Syntech Guards holding similar weapons aimed at himself and everyone else as a mist rolled in from the air shaft. One by one people started collapsing as they inhaled the fumes of the gaseous substance until it was his own body gave into the chemical. He knew then exactly where he was:
He had Entered the Abyss.
He pushed himself up to his feet with a simple grunt, and stretched his body out wide, attempting to loosen his muscles from their previously stasis state. As the blood started flowing, Nova careened his neck from side to side, until he felt the bones of his upper vertebrae pop. His hand shot up to his neck as he felt constriction upon his flesh. It was only an inch wide, like a band of sorts. It was secure, latched in someway that he couldn't explain. The Imperfect Namek didn't worry though, he knew the new accessory was a mandatory for the tournament.
Ready to get the show on the road, the mercenary grabbed up the rifle and carefully examined it. He noted that there was a single button and a dial on the the weapon. Curiosity got the best of him, and he pressed the button. A high-pitched noise emitted from rifle as the energy core within powered up. He gave a simple smirk and slipped the ready-to-use weapon over his shoulder. Why use his own energy up when he could use this?
He looked around in each direction, trying to decipher which way to go, as well as what his first moves in the tournament should be. He looked back at the tree and assumed that he had been placed facing the direction of the action. Did he want to go towards it, or did he want to try and avoid it? The answer was simple as he feet began to lead the way; he didn't join just to run away.
He wanted to go towards it.
The rogue was unsure if he should first seek one of the random bunkers on Dante to go ahead and deactivate his collar. Tamsin had read to him that tidbit of information while they rested in their room, something he was thankful for, because had she not, he would have probably never known. They had suspected that they might be split up, so they agreed to hunt for each other at the bunkers, in hopes of going at it alone. She had, they assumed, only been entered into the Abyss in attempt to keep himself safe.
His other option was to go ahead and search out the other number of contestants on the island in an attempt to thin out the competition. It was a rather tempting idea as well, because he knew that a few had been tricked into the tournament. After all, how many people would join if they knew losing meant dying? And how many of the unwilling would be so willing to kill? Oh how enticing the idea was.
His question, however, was made for him as he stumbled into a clearing, where the sheet metal fashioned bunker sat in the center. It was almost to easy, the rogue thought, his aura slowly flaring once again, as it shrouded himself with a cloak of invisibility. As long as any bystanders, if there were any, didn't see him, he could enter the bunker without any altercations.
He strode forth, his mind cautious as his eyes darted to and fro. He circled the building, in an attempt to get the jump on any planned ambush outside of the small facility. There was nothing.
Maleficus lowered his defenses and stepped inside his bunker. His collar beeped as he passed the threshold, indicating that it had been deactivated. He looked about seeing eight bunks, four on each wall. Each bunk had a footlocker at it's foot. Other then that, it was rather bland. The Namek turned back and exited through the portal, and flew up to the roof of the building. He'd do as him and Tamsin agreed, and hope the adolescent would find herself to this bunker.
Of course if some other insignificant person found themselves here, the emerald warrior, would go ahead and end their trip to the Abyss early.
Quote:Maleficus enters the Forest Sector bunker.
[01] Forest Sector - Vad - 11-10-2009
A deep sigh escaped the lips of the Saiyan as the nicely dressed asshole talked before him. He had been tricked again, what a surprise. It seems he wasn't the only one to stumble upon this tournament though. Vad eyed the single file line around him, ignoring the man's words. He could really care less about what the speech he was giving. Trixie was the only intelligence officer he listened to; though her extremely sexy body helped as well.
Piper. Sage. Hmmm. That guy Piper was with back in Central City is here; stupid idiot.
The Saiyan grunted as people were beginning to get angry at whatever Damon Dukes was spinning for them. That was when the world faded around him; the last thing he remembered was an extremely foul smelling odor. After what felt like an eternity he felt his mind jerk awake and his vision return.
~~~~
WHAM
"Gah...Fu-uuuuck!" Shouted Vad as he fell to the underbrush covered forest floor beneath him.
A falling pine branch landed next to him; the one he had previously been lying on. Another thud sounded the arrival of a standard issue KI Rifle that had appeared out of nowhere as well.
"The fuck just happened!?" The Saiyan asked aloud shoving a tree branch out of his way as he sat up.
Noticing the Ki Rifle lying at the base of the tree Vad picked it up and tucked it under his arm. His head was spinning and he could feel the contents of his stomach shifting; even though it mostly contained water and bread.
Crushing the rifle under his right arm the Saiyan let the pieces drop to the ground. Examining his surroundings he sighed. He was in a forest and it seemed to extend forever in each direction. The area he was in resembled the pine forest of Bastogne during WWII. Tall pine trees stood littered about with carpets of pine needles covering the ground with random patches of shrubs pushing through.
Looking up at the tree from which he'd come a sigh escaped his mouth. "I need a vacation."
The forest was quiet around him yet it was alive. Gentle breeze ruffled branches, birds danced around in the sky above, and forest rodents jumped from tree to tree seeking to mate with a fleeing female. Brushing the leaves from his shirt, Vad rolled his shoulders to loosen his muscles. It was a fighting competition after all and he needed to be on his guard.
Stopping for a moment the Saiyan pondered why he suddenly knew that it was required of him to enter a bunker occasionally to reset a collar placed on him. It was weird, he didn't remember reading any sort of rulebook or being told anything about it.
"Oh go figure. Enter a bunker within a time limit or die a gruesome death. Doesn't anyone torture anymore?" Complained the Saiyan as he started walking in what he thought was a northerly direction.
Trixie is going to be royally pissed. That and she's going to want to make this up to me.
Vad grinned.
"Her being absent is going to be weird." The Saiyan mused as he continued deep into the forest.
[01] Forest Sector - Tamsin - 11-10-2009
A gentle wind swepped down the narrow forest road as Tamsin walked down that same path, a soft thud accompanying her every step. Her piercing gaze observed her surroundings while her ears intently attempted to pick out even the semblance of a noise. Overall, she held herself in a highly-alert state, attempting to be cognisant of possible dangers. But ever since she entered the woods, the only thing she had encountered was the soft breeze and the ocassional mild crackle of wood.
Since she had initially landed on Dante, the adolescent was able to regain her composure. Infact, her fear of the unknown had entirely subsided and was replaced by an increased bewilderness. Even though she expected the forest to be dark, it was still suprisingly bright among the trees. Daring a glance above her, she noticed traces of orange through the branches of what appeared to be weak traces of sunlight. But this made no sense to the silver-haired girl; it was deep nighttime mere moments ago. Yet, tried as she might, she was unable to hear the song of birds that accompanied a new day. What in the world was going on?
In her deep pondering regarding the unusual day and night cycle, she allowed herself a moment of carelessness....which she quickly grew to regret as her ankle suddenly collided with a strong wire. She gasped in suprise, quickly realising that she had unwittingly triggered some sort of trap. In a moment of panic, Suzaku threw herself onto the ground. The trigger had caused a violent commotion in the nearby bush and the girl felt something fly over her before she slammed hard onto the ground. However, something hit a trunk nearby and the prodigy maid alarmingly glanced up.
Implanted to various degrees into the base of the tree right next to her were several dark knives. It quickly became apparent to the adolescent that the purpose of the trap, who`s wooden and metal remains now poked out of the shrub left of her, was to launch the knives at whatever person happened to pass by. Cursing herself for not being careful enough, she pulled out one of the knives in order to examine it. As she did so, she felt a vibrant sensation in the hand she was holding it....the weapon was empowered by ki. Although still shocked at her near-death experience, she could not help but smile to herself. The blades were a blessing in disguise. Although Tamsin was fully trained in hand-to-hand combat, she perfered to have a weapon for self-defence. Considering the nature of the contest, they had the potential of being very useful to her.
Suddenly, the human girl heard more flurry movement among the nearby trees. Alertingly, the prodigy maid quickly got onto her feet and raised the knife to defend herself from what she thought was an attacker. A tall figure did indeed step out from between the trees, brandishing something that looked like a rifle. However, the moment she saw the orange colour of the person`s uniform was the moment she recognised him: "Mast....I mean, Maleficus!"
The green rogue, having in turn recognised his maid, lowered the Ki Rifle: "Oh, it`s you.....You alright?"
"Yes, I`m fine," she replied, sweeping the dirt from her outfit. "I accidentally triggered a trap, but it missed me." The Namekian did not reply, remaining stone-faced as he looked at the adolescent. However, Tamsin felt happy. She was glad to have found her master once again.
Looking around to make sure they were alone, the green rogue motioned towards the continuation of the forest path: "Come on, the bunker of this sector is right over there." Nodding in confirmation, the girl pulled out the rest of the knives and joined the tall fighter. Together, they walked a few steps deeper into the woods before finally encountering a simple concrete structure.
Quote:Tamsin enters the Forest Sector bunker
[01] Forest Sector - Piper Juunanagou - 11-10-2009
In her dreams, Piper had been back in her future, and just as it had been in reality, it was the same hellish, sanity-sundering dystopia that she remembered. Despite the fact that she was only unconscious for a few hours, the twisting insanity of her repressed subconscious made it feel like Piper had spent the greater part of a few weeks trying to claw her way up out of the madness.
As her eyes opened to the dark, fleeting light of twilight, the false reality collapsed back into obscurity and was replaced by the serene backdrop of a quiet forest. Sitting up off the ground, the woman shook her head to liberate herself from the vanishing remnants of her dreams. Fortunately enough for her fragile, medicated mindset, Piper never really recalled her sleeping mind’s thoughts for long after she awoke. By the time she had crawled up to her feet and brushed off her fatigues, the only thing the blonde was aware of was her isolation.
“This is unpleasant, but I guess I can’t complain about the nap opportunity…”
Piper’s words fell upon deaf ears as she moved her head around to get a better view of her immediate surroundings. After a grand total of about two sweeping glances and three seconds of her life, the field officer deduced that she was in the middle of someplace absolutely foreign to her.
In fact…everything looked completely the same. Even worse, she was smack dab in the middle of a pine grove, which meant the already limited light was anything but copious by the time it filtered through the canopy. So how the hell was Piper—without a damn map—supposed to find a bunker in the middle of a forest where she couldn’t even see ten feet in front of her face?
“Damn needles always getting lost in haystacks,” Piper grumbled to herself as she took a step forward. She managed only to pick up her right foot before she felt it bump into something lying on the ground. Bending over, the woman collected the camouflaged duffel bag that bore her name embroidered in dull silver stitching. Gently peeling apart the zipper, the woman smiled faintly at the elegant, futuristic assault rifle that lay cozily inside the package.
Can’t argue with this. Piper mused as a faint smile spread across her countenance. With a few sweeping motions of her right hand, the woman pushed the bag away from its parcel and allowed the camouflaged package to plop gently onto the forest floor. Taking the surprisingly light gun into both hands, Piper lifted it up into a ready position and took a moment to sweep it across her surroundings.
When the woman finished toying around with the rifle, she looked it over once more to take note. From what she could tell, it was far more advanced that most of the proto-type energy weapons she’d seen whilst dealing with the escaped anomaly in the R&D Lab. In fact, the firearm was so damn new and so damn shiny she could see a perfect reflection of herself even in the dim lighting.
…Including the hefty, metal collar clamped around her neck.
Well that’s gawdy… Piper thought as her once joyous smile was replaced by a mask of indifference. The amusement and glee of the situation now draining from her like helium from a punctured zeppelin, the woman lowered the rifle and trudged forward into the nearby hemlock grove.
Upon marching a grand total of about twelve paces, Piper suddenly heard what sounded like a twig snapping a few yards to her left. Almost immediately, the woman dropped down into a crouch and the energy rifle soon found itself hungrily glaring in the direction of the disturbance. For a split-second, there was absolutely nothing, but just as Piper’s heart went to take another beat, she caught site of a flicker of darkness erupt through a small open patch to her left.
In an explosion of white and blue particles, Piper was gone—her body fading into nonexistence just as a two-foot chunk of steel exploded into the ground where she’d been poised defensively.
Rematerializing, the soldier leveled her newfound weapon and squeezed the trigger. With a sound reminiscent of an overly active computer, the rifle whirled to life and unleashed a concentrated hail of energy at Piper’s aggressor. Decomposing needles and rich, black earth were sprayed everywhere as the woman caught another flicker of pink and gray in her periphery.
Pivoting, Piper managed to only catch sight of an armored figure surrounded by free-floating pieces of metal debris. When that instant ended, it was followed by a thunderous boom as an armored knee found its mark on the base of her sternum.
Pain flowered from the epicenter of the strike as Piper sloppily threw up out hand to catch an oversized, shimmering knife just as it vied for the side of her spine. Before she could turn the momentum, fresh cuts were opened up across her fatigues as the free-floating debris desperately tried to reach the candy center that lie beneath the thick gear. Out of everything, it was the woman’s exposed midriff that absorbed the most pain in the few seconds before Piper and her attacker blinked out of site.
With another vibrant eruption of light particles, the two opponents appeared midair—their free-falling bodies tangled as Piper and her shadowed attacker swung violently at one another. Amidst the fall, the woman managed to break out of the mêlée and kick her opponent away from her with both her boots. The impact was enough to send the shimmering attack crashing through a nearby tree.
As the decades-old hemlock crashed to the forest floor, Piper fired off a spray of bullets that managed to do little more than ignite a few nearby trees into large, flaming idols. Piper, seeing that her attacker was still up and moving, reached her hand backwards and then violently gestured toward her opponent. As the woman’s hand arched forward, dozens of freshly fallen pine needles were swooped up off the ground and launched toward the armored foe. Although many would merely shatter against armor, a few found their mark against exposed skin, eliciting a confused and irritated yelp from what Piper could now identify as a man.
“You’ll pay for that!” The warrior bellowed as he went to leap forward. Just before his feet let the ground, the medic caught a glimpse of his face in the intense light of the forest fire burning around them.
“Vad!” She shouted as she lifted a hand in concession as the former assassin erupted toward her. Unable to stop the headstrong warrior mid-charge, the woman teleported out of his stampede and reappeared a few feet away as he turned to face her—his expression one of mild surprise and confusion.
“Piper?” He asked as the serrated blades that coated his hands and forearms regressed into bubbling masses of energized steel before vanishing into his bloodstream. “I guess neither of us recognized each other in this dark,” he remarked nonchalantly as he reached up a hand and plucked a pine needle from his cheek. Flicking it into the brush, he snickered and turned his attention back to her. Then, without much of a real transition from the brawling that had transpired a few moments prior, the former assassin crossed his arms over his chest and spoke:
“So what are you doing?”
[01] Forest Sector - Mal Nova - 11-10-2009
How? He asked himself as he looked at the young lass. How was she, a teenager who had little, to no experience in killing, suppose to last out in the Abyss for so long? Even with her useful skills, this was not an average job of servitude and protection. She couldn't protect him, not like she expected. Not unless she was willing to give her life for him, and he was almost sure that's just what she would do.
"It is a most honorable death, for those of my guild, if we die protecting our Master." She had told him when she tried to explained her station and duties to him.
"Wouldn't it be more honorable to protect a Master and live another day to do so again?" Had been his rebuttle. She had opened her mouth to speak, but was at a loss for words.
He gave a sigh that sounded more like a grunt and the Maid looked back and up at him curiously as he sat, perched on the roof of the bunker. His eyes met hers, and he, again saw the truth deep within her deep silverish orbs. He had taken some of her innocence before, when he had killed their target, right before her very eyes. He was sure, that what was left would be eradicated before the end of this, 'contest'.
He looked away, pretending to scan the outline of trees around them, though he really just didn't want to be under the scrutiny of her sight. He knew that she would go back to her work momentarily anyways. The reason for that had brought on the bothersome thoughts about the young lass. was that after their rendezvous, and the deactivation of her collar she had explained to him more of what she had learned at the library. Of how there would be forced fights where the collars would transport them and their opponents to specific destinations. The pair would be split up yet again when it happened.
He felt guilty. She didn't have to come, and from his understanding her invitation was actually blank, unlike his own. Had someone, perhaps Gelidus, set it up so that she would enter under the delusion of being under his Nova's servitude. Or perhaps it was struly because she was her guilds prodigy and that Damon had thought her a good pick. He obviously couldn't have did much research on the girl. If he had, he would have known this wasn't for the her.
Suzaku, her maiden name, had been busy with her knives, using them as tools of creation, taking the sheets on the bunks, and the canvas of one mat, and stripping them down into sections. She had used the tip of her blade to poke small holes into the sectioned fabric, and had used a separate sheet, and cut one-inch thick lines of the cloth from them. The resourceful prodigy had then twirled the lines tightly and used them as thick thread, sewing the sections she had cut into make shift pouches and packs.
The Namek, curious at her creations, lept from the building and slowly descended to the ground. He walked softly, his boots not making a sound as they walked across the grass to stand behind her. It was nearly night now, but the moon wasn't high in the sky yet, so he wasn't surprised that no shadow was formed in his wake. "Not on your guard", He commented when he was standing right over her."
The silver haired prodigy jumped as he spoke, just as she was doing the finishing touches on her work. She stood up, a bit frantic, her eyes wide with surprise, but her reaction quickly diminished into a a blush of embarrassment. She looked down and quickly finshed the knot and offered it to Maleficus. "I'm sorry, I thought you were still on the roof, looking out. It wont happen again. I made this for you."
The renegade looked down at the pouch and was amazed at how crafty she was. It even had a place to clip to his belt, he noted. He watched as the adolescent gather two more items, one of the canvas material while the other was the same as his pouch. "Ones for water, the others to carry what ever you desire", She said with a smile.
She placed them in his hand, on top of the the pouch, as he looked down at them, speechless. He looked at her, so seeming eager to please him, and shook his head, "We need to talk."
"Certainly, Mas- Maleficus. About what?" The smile never left her face.
"From the information you told me, from the Library, this isn't quite like the Abyss my father once competed in. It is, but it isn't. Only one can survive." He paused, as he thought of his words. "The rest meet their demise."
She looked down to the ground, then back up, knowing this already, but let him continue.
"It's survival of the fittest, or really it's just plain ol' survival." He almost didn't know himself as he spoke, it wasn't quite like him, but he felt a need that if he was going to relieve himself of guilt, he would have to get it all off his chest. "My father partook in Dantes Abyss more then once. He never succeeded in coming on top, and he even found himself in the Afterlife, once. He, Retane, betrayed many during his time in the Abyss. He wasn't alone though, he had a comrade that was right beside him. Tapion was his name. The last time Retane entered the Abyss, Tapion attempted to back stab him, and failed. Retane took Tapion's life."
The Namek's gaze had looked towards the stars that had begun to clutter the sky as he remembered watching the archives over and over again. He looked back at Tamsin's bright face. "I don't want that to happen between us. But at the same time, I don't want you to give your life for me. Had we not met, perhaps your invitation would have had something on it. Where as, since you did meet me, it needed nothing."
"Bu-" She started to say something but the Namek wise to her station raised a hand, "It's an order"
She bit back her need to argue and nodded, "I understand."
"No you don't" He barked. "You don't understand. You're going to have to kill or be killed. There is no need for soft hearts in this tournament. If you don't think you can take a life, then you have either two choices. Go hit the red button in that bunker, or die for no reason." He truly wanted her to go hit the button and removeherself from the tournament, but he also knew that if they were to ever be a team, she'd have to learn to take a life when needed. It was after all, something she was trained for
"If you choose not to hit that button", He added as she stood there listening, "Then let me say this. Come back to me. When we are whisked off to battle for combat, just promise me to find me again." He felt weak inside as he spoke the words and deep inside he wanted to never have spoke them, but he needed to free the guilt of his own innocense.
"I Promise." She said, but her eyes went wide as he vanished.
"Someones coming", he whispered. "Act normal."
His ears picked up the rustling of the leaves and knew that he had let his guard down. His aura allowed him to move unseen though so he made up for it by making it to the tree line as the newest entrant appeared. The Namek saw a resemblance of the new counterpart and Gelidus, his employer, but he knew that all Changelings had similar features usually. This ones, under-flesh was almost as blue as the night sky and not brown. The curious Namek wondered if the under-skin meant family heritage of some sort, but didn't have time to ask.
The Icer had caught sight of the young girl, the Namekian noted, and he held back a grin as she had pretended to mess with her craftings some more. His own he had slung across his shoulder while he was talking to her, he had done it without even noticing it. The new comer, licked his chops and flashed a sharp-toothed grin. Mal, however had a different plan. And unleashed his Stealth mode to knock the hungry smile from the Changeling's visage.
The feind toppled to the ground, and snapped his head back at his assailant, "You fool! Who the hell are you?"
"The last person you're going to see alive. This is my friend though, he goes boom" The Namek tightened his hand around the trigger.
[01] Forest Sector - Jesper - 11-10-2009
Every time Sophia was in the presence of Sage, her heart called out to her.
It was sort of pathetic, in a way. She knew that. Sage was more than old enough to take care of herself, to make her own decisions, but the healer still fell back into old habits by coddling her every time a word came out of her mouth. In fact, the girl had showed an impressive amount of independence just by showing up—she knew what the game entailed, even when everyone around her did not. There were still a few problems that lingered, like her stifling inability to deal with people, but Sophia knew that she definitely didn’t have to treat her like a child.
If anything, it was the healer who had become dependent.
As the pair split off from the group, Sophia shook her head and did her best to mask a sigh. She knew that this idea was a good one, and yet she found herself wanting to stay. Kaden had become her protector of sorts, that knight in shining armor that she never had, and walking away from him sent a shiver down her spine. It made her feel small, in a way, to put her complete and unwavering trust in him, and even smaller to feel almost afraid with him not around. Her faced reddened at the thought, and she couldn’t help but smirk—this was something that Kaden couldn’t know, lest it got to that ego of his.
She had to shake off her ponderings, as she had momentarily forgotten what she was doing. Sage took the lead, hesitant as she seemed, though she frequently looked back to make sure Sophia hadn’t trailed too far behind. Sophia looked past the girl, viewing the road up ahead. It was kind of a dreary sight, with the cracked pavement, the dim street lights, the dirt path and tall trees…
Sophia stopped. Something was wrong.
She turned around to make sure that she hadn’t lost about an hour of her life. Behind her, the city remained, but swiveling her head back around revealed a large forest. It reminded her of the puzzles she had put together as a child—she didn’t have the patience to do it right, so by forcing pieces together, she got a mash-up of images. Entire buildings ended abruptly, giving way to a more serene surrounding. It was even a different time of day—the city was in the dead of night, but the sun was just going down in the forest.
“Whoa, look at that!” Sophia cried out, her voice a mixture of delight and pure terror. Sage formed the word “wow” with her lips, though no sound actually came out. Sophia had to admit to herself that she had never visited Central City before, but she knew, somehow, that this wasn’t it. She had no idea where she was, nor did she stand much of a chance of finding out. With a shrug admitting defeat, the healer stepped onto the dirt of the path, making quick glances back at her companion as she went.
“Hurry up, Sage!” she teased, sticking her tongue out as she spotted her figure vaguely out of the corner of her eye. She chuckled and turned back around, only to see Sage standing a few feet ahead of her, eyeing her strangely.
“Wh-what?” her face reddened as she cleared her throat. “I-I’m walking ahead of you.”
Raising an eyebrow, the healer turned around again to figure out what she had seen. She gasped upon discovering that nothing stood behind her, just the ghostly sight of an abandoned city and the blurred edges of where the city and forest met. A gust ran by that made her shiver, causing her to cross her arms as she mulled over the various scenarios in her head. Scratching the back of her head, she turned to look back at Sage, who was waiting patiently for Sophia to get over whatever had vexed her.
“Hey, uh, Sage,” she said. “You, uh...have been hearing voices, right?”
“Y-yeah…” she looked around her, giving off a serious paranoid vibe. Her eyes widened as she picked apart the question in her head. “D-does that mean you’ve…you’re hearing them, too!?”
Another image flashed in her peripheral vision. It was there—she definitely saw it, but it was too brief and too…vague for her to know what it was. As soon as she glanced over, the vision was gone, replaced instead by a motionless tree and her own sense of embarrassment. The healer shook her head—she knew that without any sort of definable proof, there was no point in saying anything on the matter. “It’s nothing. Forget I brought it up.”
She smacked herself lightly and walked past the girl, who was understandably confused at the sudden outburst.
“Uh…um…” Sage stuttered, holding her head.
“Hm?” Sophia looked at Sage with concern, ignoring the large figure she saw out of the corner of her eye. She wasn’t going to fall for whatever was happening again. Blinking hard, she approached Sage and put a hand on her shoulder, who recoiled slightly. “Are you hearing things again?”
Sage looked down. “I…I must b-be…” She looked back up again with a heavy sigh. Her eyes drifted off of Sophia and widened. “B-bea…b-bear…”
“It’s okay,” Sophia was still in the process of trying to decipher exactly what Sage had said. Raising an eyebrow, she continued. “Wait, what was that last part?”
The figure to her side grew closer, and it took her until then to realize that it was slightly more…massive than the other ones had been. A loud growl made her actually turn to greet this figure with a glance, and the gaping maw of the bear gusted ghastly breath and sprayed saliva on her face. Sophia was too disgusted to be frightened initially—that void was filled by Sage nicely as she backed up quickly, shivering in fright as she mouthed a voiceless scream. Sophia followed suit soon enough, though she was too afraid to make any sudden movements.
“Nice bear…” she breathed. “Sweet…little…bear…”
[01] Forest Sector - Piper Juunanagou - 11-11-2009
Bastard.
The word summed up Vad Zulenka to a key. It so perfectly encapsulated the former assassin’s brooding, volatile personality and his sneering, cold visage. If Piper didn’t know better, she’d make some snarky reference about how her former associate could be found in the dictionary right next to the word bastard.
“Promotion, zombies, explosions…you?” Piper listed halfheartedly as the initial shock of seeing a familiar face subsided as she recalled the bitter ins and outs of the last time they’d encountered one another.
“Helped a doctor. Saved Trixie. Killed some people,” Vad shot back in a similarly drawl, uncaring tone. “You know where the bunker is?” He grunted apathetically as he squinted to try and see through the surrounding forest. Even with the several trees still burning like signal fires; it seemed that the former assassin was unable to spot anything passed the layer of intact trees.
“I don’t have a clue,” Piper muttered in response and as took a few steps toward one of the burning trees and effortlessly snapped off one of its half-burning branches to use as a torch. “But I doubt it moves around that much,” she added, grinning to only herself as she stepped around the black-haired warrior and ducked beneath a series of low-hanging branches.
As Piper crept forward, she made certain to keep one ear glued to the sound of Vad’s boots following behind her. Despite fighting united in previous exploits, their last encounter had involved the two parting on far less amicable grounds. Unfortunately for her, she’d have to go with the flow, because the last thing she wanted to do was begin this competition by having to go ten rounds with someone like Vad.
“I’ve already swept this region,” Vad grunted from behind Piper, prompting the blonde to draw to a halt and glance back over her shoulder. What she saw in the flickering light of her makeshift torch was the assassin’s extended hand pointing toward a nearby tree. Taking a step toward the tree, Piper squinted and was able to barely make out that there was a very small black mark that had been charred between two strips of bark.
“Good idea,” the woman remarked as she reared away from the tree and glanced around the forest for a new direction.
“North,” Vad declared as he began to trudge forward. “If the bunker is close to us, it’s going to be somewhere to the north.”
“Well then,” Piper muttered with a faint sight as started to follow her estranged friend. “Glad to see that you’re so confident,” she added beneath her breath as she jogged forward a few paces to avoid losing track of Vad in the dense network of low-hanging branches and overgrown ferns.
***
An entire hour.
No one really understands how long sixty minutes is until they have to spend it following a mass murdered through a dark forest in the wee hours of the morning without exchanging so much as simple pleasantries. Fortunately for Piper, the lovely hike came to a halt as Vad stopped his steady march and extended a hand back as a signal to do the same.
What is it? Piper projected into the mind of the warrior, causing him to shudder ever so slightly. For a few moments, there was nothing but a prolonging of the awkward silence of their hike. It wasn’t until the woman opened her mouth to address the former assassin that she got a response.
“Bunker is up ahead of us,” he muttered. Vad’s tone was uncharacteristically morose, as if the realization that it was Piper talking in his head and not someone else had caused him to recall something morose. It was at that moment that the medic recalled Vad’s wife and their less-than-natural bond. Perhaps the collar strapped around the warrior’s neck was severing their connection?
Before Piper could awkwardly pose the question, Vad stepped out of the forest and into the clearing that surrounded the bunker. Following quickly, she brandished her rifle and stepped around the saiyan to get a clearer view of the structure. Unlike the more elegant and homelier bunkers that littered the Sentinel’s base camp, this structure reminded Piper of something out of an old war movie.
The all-gray structure was nothing more than a concrete square half-embedded into the ground, with only a simple slit near the roof. On the right side of the building, she could spot a metal door that bore one of the Syntex Corporation’s logos. All in all, it looked like exactly the spot where they had to reset their collars to prolong their inevitable deaths.
Unfortunately, something didn’t sit quite well with Piper about the scene laid out in front of them. All across the short, freshly cut grass were small depressions indicative of boots or extraterrestrial feet. Occasionally, there would be a small patch of disturbed earth or a miniscule scorch mark. Placed out in front of Piper and Vad were all the signs of a scuffle aside from the individuals responsible for said scuffling.
“Let’s get inside,” Vad grunted, sounding either ignorant of the hints or unimpressed by them. Before Piper could interject, the assassin had darted around to the door on the crude fortification and yanked it open. Quickly slipping in behind her impatient travel companion, the two quickly made their way over to the reset panel they recognized from the pre-game debriefing. After punching a few buttons, they both exchanged smug smirks as their collars beeped pleasantly.
“More time for us,” Piper remarked as the twosome eyed the rather bare, Spartan-esque bunker for any supplies they could raid. Regrettably, it looked as if someone or some people had already spent some time rifling through anything of importance.
“Damn it,” Vad stated with a frown as he picked up a broken piece of equipment and crushed it between his fist. As a shower of sparks flittering out through his clenched fingers, the assassin suddenly lifted his head to gaze out through the observation slot in the bunker’s reinforced wall.
Before Piper could pose the question, an eruption of energized bullets tore apart concrete and electronic equipment as the two sprinted toward the door. Throwing her shoulder against it, the blonde easily plowed her way through and emerged back into the outside world.
Much to the chagrin of both Piper and Vad, there were three warriors locked in combat just a few yards away. From what it seemed to be, it was a contest that pitted an alien very reminiscent of Szar against a cloaked alien and a young woman. How neither the soldier nor the former assassin had heard their scuffle prior to their arrival was beyond them, but now it seemed the fight had spilled back out of the forest and into the bunker’s clearing. Wrestling with the decision of what to do, Piper turned just in time to watch the smile spread across Vad’s countenance as fresh metal began to seep from his flesh.
“Let the game begin,” the assassin chuckled as his serrated metal blades took shape.
Quote: Piper and Vad enter the Forest Sector Bunker
[01] Forest Sector - Vad - 11-11-2009
The scuffle going on in the cleared area of forest looked interesting. Vad felt Piper's gaze fall upon him and soon a smile had crept upon his face. Slowly his metallic blades were forming over his arms, his scouter now tracking each target as they bounced around attempting to hit each other.
“Time to have some fun, I guess. Right?” He said nonchalantly like it was another day for him.
It was.
Night was in full swing and the heads up display on his scouter was illuminating the vision in right eye. Looking down at his hands Zulenka decided to forgo the use of his blades and have a little practice. The metal quickly receded and Piper found herself looking at a transparent image of her deranged friend.
Frozen caught the first blow. Vad emerged from an accelerated after image maneuver and drove an elbow into the changelings jaw. The teal hued Icerian stumbled to his right from the force of the impact, his balance being thrown off. Maleficus Nova halted his assault a little too late and planted a fist square into the Saiyan's jaw. Grabbing hold of the Namek's wrist, knowing who it was, Vad planted an open palm against his chest while letting his hold on the namek go. Nova stumbled backward keeping his gazed fixed on his father's friend. They had met on Mercy in the hotel before Mr. Big's plans.
Not knowing what her Master was thinking Tamsin immediately retaliated against the newly arrived Saiyan. She drew her knife and slashed upward at her opponents torso. Vad reeled back as the knife carved through the thin breastplate of his light armor. Emitting a low growl Zulenka formed a blade of his own over his forearm. The serrated blade finished hardening, but liquid metal kept dripping from the edges like blood from a fresh kill.
Lifting his new weapon toward Tamsin he grinned. She looked breifly surprised, but quickly gathered her focus and readied to defend Mal Nova.
Man I do not feel like fucking with her...
Vad righted his posture and let his blade retract into his skin. Unclasping his breastplate he let it drop to the ground. Frozen had regained his balance and was sprinting toward the Saiyan, who was reforming his torso armor, when he charged straight through a transparent copy of the warrior.
The changeling dug his heels into the dirt and slowed his movement to a walk. He searched his surroundings looking for his attacker, but to no avail. Frozen eventually shrugged and turned back to Mal and Tamsin who had also been looking for Vad.
Bad move.
With a quick push off the ground the Saiyan remerged from the After Image technique and barreled into Frozen's back pushing the changeling to the ground causing him to skid to Mal's feet. Tamsin clenched her teeth and started to move forward, but Maleficus grabbed her arm.
“How did I know you were going to be here, Vad?” Questioned the Namek.
A grin crept along his face.
The Saiyan had finished his fun and was now securing his newly formed breastplate to his chest. Frozen had rolled over onto his back and was breathing heavily, his stamina slowly returning.
The cool forest air filled Vad's lungs as he inhaled deeply.
“I'm wherever the fight is.”
Mal laughed. “Is Trixie going to be joining us?”
A smile appeared on the ex-assassin's face. “No, she's having some fun elsewhere. I'm here alone on her request and splitting heads open on her request.”
Piper raised an eyebrow toward her friend. Without Trixie to restrain him, Vad was going to take each fight to the very end no matter the cost. Cracking his knuckles, Zulenka started walking toward his blond haired friend.
“That was a good warm up, wouldn't you think?”
The woman rolled her eyes. “You really are something else.”
The Saiyan laughed.
“So Trixie isn't with you?” She asked.
“Nope. She thought it might do me some good to let me loose.” He said whilst rotating his right shoulder.
“Last time you were let loose you blew up a nuclear power plant. Do you remember? You also stabbed Juno and killed police officers.”
The soldier cracked his neck as his expression went blank.
“Yeah, no. Circumstances were different. When I get the next available chance, I'm leveling South City.” He said bluntly, but with a hidden joke.
“Oh really now? Don't you think people would stop you?”
Vad moved toward the bunker and sat down. The man yawned deeply before resting his head against the cold concrete structure.
“The wife wouldn't let me do it anyway. She might let me take out some political figures who had a hand in capturing her, but as for the entire city? Wouldn't happen, because it isn't the only tactical option. There are several hundred different ways I could exact revenge. Most of them don't involve civilians.”
Piper shifted her weight and rested a hand on her hip.
“This coming from a man who would have killed children just to get at Juliet?”
The Saiyan closed his eyes and scowled. “You keep bringing up an event that was occurring during a personal crisis. You threatening to hurt me didn't help and yes Piper, at the time I would have gladly dismembered children to kill that bitch.”
The blonde woman snapped her fingers. “Now we're getting somewhere!” She said with sarcasm.
“Oh just shut up. People change. I operate differently than before unless severely provoked. Ask Sage.”
With that statement in the open Vad got to his feet. He began walking toward the southern border of the clearing.
“I'll be over here if you so happen to need me.” He said.
Refusing to stop Vad kept walking past the edge of the clearing and into the forest. Taking a seat by a large pine tree he gazed up at the stars. He needed a quick power nap if he was going to compete against other fighters for as long as thing lasted. Jumping from Mercy's shit hole to this was going to be a true test of his stamina. More so than Frost or his adventures with Sage on Earth.
What are you up to babe?
Zulenka closed his eyes as he drifted into the realm of dreams.
[01] Forest Sector - Psyren - 11-11-2009
Frozen lay on the ground letting the pain leave his body slowly now that everyone wasent focused on him as a soul target. He wasent sure why he had been attacked. He had jus tbeen walking through the forest holding ice to his head to cure a hangover and then wham he gets shot at and beaten. He sat up slowly and hten managed to get to his feet.
"So..I get attacked in this damn place for having a hangover quite nice of you all. Attacking a person for no reason. I call racism as the factor." He turned looking at Mal who was quite intrgueing. He knew he was the one who fired the shots and that was the only person he wanted at the moment the others didnt even matter. Frozen lashed his tail against Mal's face sending him flying a few feet away.Before Mal could even get to his feet Frozen unleased several quick energy blasts at his downed body. It wasent how he liked to fight but for now it would work. The others turned just in time to see Frozen dusting himself off.
"Now how about some introductions before we start pummeling each other like barbarians." Tamsin didnt like that idea to much and came to her friends aid from behind Frozen. He lashed her with his tail and grabbed her leg tossing her towards her counter part Mal Nova.
"God damn it didnt I just sat lets have some introductions." None of the others seemed like they cared much for a fight at the moment. He knew Mal and Tamsin would come at him again but he wasent going to give them time. He readied himself in deffense by form to balls of ki in each hand that was slowly missing with Ice element energy. He turned and walked towards the bunker. Once at the door he let the energy release into nothingness. He entered the bunker and moved towards one of the bunks and laid down.
Quote:Frozen has entered the Forest Sector Bunker.
[01] Forest Sector - Sage - 11-11-2009
No, no, no, no, no, no, no!!
An immense, fuzzy, horrible, monstrous bear was face-to-face with Sophia, who stood frozen in place before the gigantic animal. Sage had backed away, and tripped backwards over an exposed tree root. From her place on the floor, she wanted to scream at Sophia. To tell her to run, to move. To do anything but just stand there.
But she couldn’t find her voice. Every time she made to speak, or to shout, nothing came out. A strained squeak replaced any intelligible commands she might have wanted to give, and left the blonde at the mercy of her own wits, which, too, seemed to have taken an inappropriate moment to go on holiday.
The bear reared up, towering over the little priestess and roared again, menacing her with its humongous claws and rows of sharp teeth. The thing wound up and came crashing down with one of its deadly paws.
A sharp burst of gunfire shrieked out, and the vicious animal recoiled with a groan, and furiously shook its head. A large energy burn radiated out from around the creature’s left eye. The fur around it was black or missing, and a scorch mark marred the flesh beneath.
Sage, still on the ground, lowered her rifle, and immediately felt a twinge of sadness for the bear. It had terrorized them, but it was just an animal, and was now blind in one eye. The blue haired girl leaned back and rested against the tree, her eyes still trained on the mighty animal.
Sophia backed away from the animal, which was now pawing at its eye, still pathetically moaning at its predicament. She tossed a quick glance over her shoulder, nodding to the doctor behind her. Sage kept her focus on the bear, afraid it would strike out again.
Climbing to her feet, the hybrid raised her gun, readying herself in case the thing suddenly became irate again. Unfortunately, the act of raising her gun had exactly the opposite effect she had intended. The bear, recognizing the ki rifle as the source of its pain, roared a thunderous roar, eliciting a shriek from both of the girls, before it propelled itself forward.
Dropping her gun to flee, Sage chased after Sophia as they began to run as hard as they could through the brush. Very quickly, they realized they were in trouble. Where they had to weave around the brush and other obstacles in their way, the bear merely crashed through it, even felling a thin spruce tree on its pursuit after the terrified women.
“Keep running, Sage!!” the blue eyed girl shouted. Her younger friend didn’t have to be told twice. Sage was running as hard as she could, and wasn’t prepared to let anything change that, lest she become a messy pile of cold cuts.
The two of them pounded their feet over rough ground and dead leaves, leaping over roots and fallen trees as best they could. They were doing well, but they failed to notice the steep drop ahead of them. Sophia was the first to tumble forward over the incline, eliciting a sharp curse that would have deeply embarrassed her in almost any other setting. Sage was too close behind to stop in time, and she, too, slipped over the edge, and the two of them tumbled down the steep slope, crashing into the forest floor about fifteen or so feet down.
Sophia made it to her feet first, and helped the coral eyed girl up. “Do you see it?” the fallen one asked, frantically searching for the bear. “I don’t see it.”
“I d-don’t eith- um- th-there!!” she exclaimed, pointing past her friend. Sophia turned around to see the gargantuan creature pick its way down a slightly less aggressive drop. As soon as it was down, it bolted once again, and this time it was too close to run.
Charging a sphere of ki in her palm, Sophia hurled it at the bear. It exploded on its forehead, but did nothing to slow the creature down. “Look out!!” she finally cried, and tackled Sage into a bush, narrowly evading a swipe of the furry bulldozer’s claws.
The blonde leapt to her feet and rushed away from the animal, drawing its attention from the quarter saiyan. The bear was too quick, though, and gained on her faster than she had hoped. “S-Sophia!!” Sage called after her.
No! I won’t let you! I won’t let you sacrifice yourself for me again!
She hauled herself to her feet and chased after the bear. Billowing clouds of steam, as white and pure as the snow from the highest mountaintops poured from her closed fists. Extending her arms, Sage released a torrential blast of freezing cold energy, and missed the bear entirely.
Instead, the elemental ki crashed into Sophia. Or rather, all around her. Almost immediately, the priestess found herself trapped in an enormous block of ice. The bear crashed into it, released a grunt of pain and surprise, and bounced off the frigid structure harmlessly.
Undeterred, it scrambled to its feet and slammed its claws into the ice, scratching and scraping at it, but making no effective headway. The cracks spider-webbing on the surface belied how strong Sage had actually made it. She wasn’t going to let the bear make a meal out of her friend.
“H-Hey, bear!!” she shouted, trying her best to sound as authoritative as she could. The creature turned to face her and rose up on its hind legs, immediately removing that illusion. “G-Go away!!” she shouted, ignoring the color rapidly draining from her face, and the horrible shivering sensations going up and down her spine. She was quaking. “Go away!!” she demanded again.
A defiant roar thundered the bear’s response. “Go away!!” Sage shouted, louder this time. She threw her hands out at the creature, and a flurry of painfully sharp flakes rushed at the creature. It was huge, and had thick skin, but the constant barrage of the little pinpricks in its flesh confused and frightened the bear, and Sage poured on the snowstorm, obscuring herself and the forest around her, adding to the bear’s confusion. Finally, it ran, turning away from the source of the storm, and catapulted itself into the forest.
Sage’s storm died away as she watched the bear run much faster than she assumed such a large creature could. It was huge. Her furiously beating heart attested to that. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She had surprised herself. Her hands shook uncontrollably, but she had taken charge of the situation, for once. If only her sister had been there to see it.
And then she gasped. She had forgotten about Sophia! Racing back to the big block of ice, she willed the glacier to recede, and it rapidly evaporated into nothing, revealing her friend. She wore an expression of relief, and seemed frightened.
“A-Are you... okay?” Sage ventured.
“Yeah... I just... I didn’t know what to expect when you, uh, froze me,” the girl replied. “That was... different.”
“Oh... I didn’t mean-”
“It’s alright, Sage,” she sighed, and then suddenly recalled the bear. Immediately, she scanned her surroundings, and then her brow knit with worry. “...Did you...?”
The doctor just looked at her with a blank expression. Sophia sighed again. “Did you beat the bear?” she asked, a hint of incredulity in her voice.
“I... chased it away. Sc-scared it with a-a storm, I think,” Sage explained.
“Huh,” Sophia replied, taking in a deep breath. “Nice job, Sage.”
The hybrid couldn’t help but smile. She was a lot more excited with the results than she hoped to let on. “Thank you,” she managed.
“So, what happens now?” the wayward temple dweller inquired, brushing the hair from her eyes. “There’s just... trees in all directions. After that bear chased us who knows how far, I don’t really know where we’re at, anymore.”
“Well...” Sage pondered the question for a moment. “Um, well, we don’t have to go to a bunker any time soon, so we can go ...wherever we want.”
“And where would that be?”
“...I don’t know,” the girl admitted, exhaling at length. Her hands were still shaking. She looked around, and then her eyes flicked back up to Sophia. She held them there for a while, until finally, the blonde shot her a concerned glance. “Sophia...” she paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to phrase the question. “I-I’m sorry if this is rude... but... um, ...wh-what can- I mean, what...” she scratched her hair in frustration. “What’s it like? To, um, to be dead, I mean.”
[01] Forest Sector - Jesper - 11-12-2009
‘Get stuck in a gas chamber: check. Wake up in the middle of a freaking ghost city: check. Stumble into the woods: check. Get into a fight with a bear...’ Sophia scoffed as she thought, looking at the chunks of ice that hadn’t melted at that point. ‘Heh…check.’
Some party this was turning out to be.
Mulling through a checklist in her head, maintaining all that had happened to that point, Sophia couldn’t help but laugh at the predicament she was in. Getting revived was supposed to be a good thing. She recalled the feeling of exhilaration, brief as it was, and wished she could just go back to that point. She wanted to back to a time when she didn’t have to worry about not only the well-being of herself, but the well-being of others as well—as if she ever had that experience at all in her lifetime. Sophia shrugged and wringed some of the water out of her hair; if she was going to start wishing, having not jumped into her fiery death would have been a good start.
Breathing a gentle sigh, the edges of her lips curled into a smile as the ice-hybrid came into view, a look of concern visibly pasted upon her face. “A-are you…okay?”
Sophia chuckled. She had just frozen her seemingly without hesitation, and she was asking about her health. Cute kid. “Yeah, I just…I didn’t know what to expect when you, uh, froze me,” she said. “That was…different.”
“Oh…I didn’t mean--…”
The healer wasn’t having any of it. Sage just saved her life, and there was nothing to apologize for. “It’s fine,” she breathed a sigh. Her eyes widened as she remembered why there was a need to encase her in ice to begin with. Looking around for the bear, she frowned. “Did…did you…?”
“I…chased it away. Sc-scared it with a-a storm, I think,” Sage explained.
Sophia inhaled, mulling over that explanation in her mind. The quarter-saiyan didn’t look like she could even move when Sophia glanced back her before…she didn’t doubt her story, but she had to wonder what brought about such a surge of strength and confidence. “Huh,” was all she said initially. “Good job, Sage.”
“Thank you,” Sage smiled bashfully, which made the healer smile in turn. Sage wasn’t a bad kid, but it was sort of a downer how stiflingly timid the girl could sometimes be. Sophia felt a burst of pride when a smile, small as it was, creased her lips. She was so pretty when she smiled, and Sophia resolved to make sure the girl smiled more often.
She had to quickly snap out of whatever instinct she had to smother the poor girl, though, as she wouldn’t smile again if they didn’t keep on the move. “So, what happens now?” she began, making use of Sage’s extensive knowledge—in comparison to her own, anyway—of the game. “There’s just... trees in all directions. After that bear chased us who knows how far, I don’t really know where we’re at, anymore.”
“Well…um…well, we don’t have to go to a bunker anytime soon, so we can go…wherever we want,” the girl shrugged.
Sophia clicked her tongue. “And where would that be?”
“I don’t know…” she sighed. Sophia shrugged—maybe it too much to expect her to know everything. Besides, this place wasn’t exactly easy to navigate, no matter how much prior knowledge that a person could have. She stroked her chin during that thought, a thought so deep that she didn’t notice that Sage was still trying to say something. “Sophia, I…I’m sorry if this is r-rude, but…um…wh-what can I…I mean…” she stopped talking, which might have been a good thing for a normal person. She could tell that Sage was definitely going somewhere with that, so she let her go on. “So, what’s it like? To, uh, be dead, I mean.”
Sophia laughed out loud at the question, though she didn’t really know why. There wasn’t anything particularly funny about it, but the abruptness that came with it surprised her a bit. Besides, the healer had scarcely thought about it. Pondering on the question for a bit, Sophia shrugged. “It’s a lot like being alive, really.”
“R-really?” Sage looked on with interest.
“Yeah…there are people. Entire cities of people, all sorts of people, all doing things that folks would do here,” the healer began, talking in her best storytelling voice. It reminded her of reading to the children of her temple. “I ran into a merchant, for example.”
“Th-they have money in the afterlife?” the girl inquired.
“Well…no. Not where I was, anyway,” Sophia put a finger on her chin. “People bartered, mostly. People make things up there, and when they no longer need it, they trade it for something that another person made,” she stopped. Maybe she was over-doing it. “But I’m sure you know what bartering is.”
“I…I do…” Sage frowned.
Sophia sighed and rubbed her neck. “Let’s see…you still have to eat and sleep up there. When they let you keep your body, that is,” she smiled. “I was lucky, I guess.”
“Do…” Sage hesitated. “Do you…”
“Do I regret dying?”
Sage widened her eyes a bit. “Y...yeah.”
“Well…” the healer thought about what she was to say. She had to be careful not to give the wrong impression. “Yeah, I guess I do a bit. I could have done a bit more to help you guys, I feel. But if your question is if I’m sorry for why I died, I’m not. I’d die a thousand more times if it meant saving the lives of my friends.”
Sage remained quiet, her lower lip trembling. Sophia kept in a laugh, almost sorry that she had said that to begin with. She was always prone to playing the hero, even when she didn’t realize the role in which she fell into. Of course, she did tell a little bit of a fib—she was sorry that she was the one that had to die in order for all of them to live, but meeting Sage and Kaden one last time made her feel better about her decision. They didn’t deserve to die—not when they had so much more to give.
“Hey, uh..." Sophia nudged Sage playfully on the arm. “Let's go, huh? Plenty of forest left to explore. If we’re lucky, we’ll run into a rabbit or a deer instead of a gigantic freaking bear.”