A Non-Way story.

[Sage Of The Wise]

It's fiction/fantasy. It's not supposed to make sense.

Uhhh... yeah it is.

[Requiem]

Well, unless it's your fantasy to not make any sense.

Pretty crappy fantasy, though.

[ReaperGal]

(And now, we officially reach chapter 2. It's a short one.)

Annika held the baby in her arms and held it against her chest. It was old enough to want to nurse, and she had been laughing at how it grabbed at her through her thick robes. She fed it a synthesized nutrient drink, but she wondered if the baby girl would be affected at all by not feeding from the mother’s breast. She had never wondered about that before. She understood the process that babies were created through the erotic novels that circulated between the younger Sisters, but afterwards was never covered. The baby moved its head to refuse the bottle. It gazed up at her and the little girl’s face shone as a tiny smile barely flickered on its face. The baby then closed its eyes. Annika was glad. The little she knew about babies had insisted they cried often, but the little girl only cried if she was cold or hungry. If she was tired, the little girl would only close her eyes and fall asleep. An older sister entered the nursery.

“I can take her now, Annika.” She said. “Mother Superior would like to see you at prayers.” Annika kissed the little baby on the cheek and handed her to the older woman, and left to the prayer hall.


On the streets above, one light went out. Then another. Then another. They all winked out until the street was completely dark. And a dark shape pounded a thin fist on the Sister’s door. The opening in the door slid to show the assessing eyes of the gatekeeper. They promptly widened as she saw the figure at the door. She scrambled to open it, her hands almost shaking too badly to open the locks. When she finally managed to open it, the figure walked inside.

It looked somewhat human, but it was impossibly thin and its skin was completely black. Spikes lined its spine and up its arms. A blank face, bare except for two huge red and yellow eyes stared at her, freezing her where she stood. Its legs moved, but it moved so gracefully it seemed to glide as it walked down the spiral staircase. It reached the long main hall just as Annika entered from the dorms. It looked at her and she fell to her knees. And as she looked into the thing's eyes, she knew. She saw it all. She saw the city burning. The outer villages weren’t safe either. The Sisters cathedral was filled ankle deep in blood. The Sisters that were too old to be taken as sex slaves where killed. The rest had been brought to The Ocean, where they lived, trying to clothe themselves in scraps of clothing. Waiting to be raped. The same was true of just about every female, no matter the gang. The Mage's new found high technology didn’t stop them. When the mages fell, their technology contributed to the slaughter. The Plutocrat’s police force couldn’t even stop the rampage. The entire city was burning. Every gang was butchered. Millions, at least, were dead. And then it walked away. The vision was gone as it entered the hallway that led to The Mother.

The white suited avatars of The Mother watched as it came closer. One stepped in front of the black shape. Several silent seconds passed as they looked into each other’s eyes. Then the Avatar of The Mother stood aside. The shadow entered The Mother’s chamber. The door closed. Out, in the main hall, Annika wept.

[Telephalsion]

I've read it now and personally, I think it's a marvelous story. I sure hope it'll continue. I'm eager to read more.

Bravo!

[Sling]

There is no rule which says stories have to make 100% logical sense.
It originally began whilst me and one of my friends were discussing Queen of the damned and we didn't understand why Vampires nearly always had superpowers.

Anyway, this has gone far too off topic, anywho, good story.

[AznChipmunk]

Nice! Keep going!

[Aegis]

Boy, I feel like crap, because sometimes I think I can write, but this owns everthing I do.

[ReaperGal]

(This one is kind of long... Anyone with sex or violence hangups, this one isn't for you.)

Geo moved quickly, long cybernetic-enhanced legs carrying him through the alleys. The sun was rising to the left of them as they ran towards the Mage’s first outpost. The Blood Pools rarely came this close to the mages. The Shatterbulbs also acted as a buffer. But the Shatterbulbs had been getting weaker. Geo knew this. But he wasn’t worried, because he was a mage in addition to being a Shatterbulb and he had faith in the Mage’s technology. They had saved his life several times, including the recent fight to rescue the mage he now carried on his back.

They turned through alleyways as the buildings began to cluster tighter, dark concrete giants towering overhead and making the progress through the city slow. She turned a corner and noticed something. She saw a man sitting on the ground, head bobbing up and down in a simple beat. She walked closer, trying to discern details.

He held a long staff that rested on his shoulder, and he leant against a tall building. He had a long coat. He had long hair (for a man) and he had it back in a ponytail. And his arm had a symbol that curved down, up again, and around through the center before traveling down again. He was a mage.

She walked closer. As she reached a certain point, his head snapped up and glowing blue eyes, like those of a cat, stared at her in the twilight. In that same split second, he had launched to his feet and held his staff at the ready.
“Who are you?” he asked, eyes gleaming in the dark.
“Shatterbulbs carrying a wounded mage.” She said.
“Your names, I meant.”
“Gabriel.” Said the mage with green eyes. “Geo is with us, and carrying Michael. The Shatterbulb escort is lead by Hanah…” After he finished, the mage relaxed very slightly.
“Is Michael well?” he asked. The lead mage, Gabriel, shook his head in response. The mage glanced quickly, his glowing eyes checking the alley. After he completed his inspection of the area, he looked back at them. “Let’s go.” He said. With the new mage in the lead, they traveled quickly. Finally he stopped and jumped down a stairway to a basement door. He knocked, and the door opened. They all entered the mage outpost.


Hanah sighed contentedly. The Mages had certain amenities in their outposts that other gangs lacked. Like hot baths. She lifted her arm out of the water so she could feel the contrast of the cold room and the warm bath before lowering it back into the water and dunking her head under as well. She stayed there for a while before coming up, her dark hair steaming in the cold room. She noticed the Mage who had entered the room.

She crossed her legs to hide her cleft from view, but made no attempt to cover her breasts. Gabriel smiled.
“Enjoying yourself?” he asked. She smirked back. Nudity was not uncommon in the culture, and she wouldn’t have covered herself no matter who had been watching. In fact, the fact she had crossed her legs and had shown any shyness was a sign she was interested in him. Most children could expect to lose their virginity by thirteen years old, and there was almost no taboo against this in the city. He walked closer and poured a pot of hot water into the tub near her feet to re-warm the cooling tub. She closed her eyes and relaxed, and then opened them again and watched him leave. Before he left the room she called out.
“Hey. Do you want to join me?” He turned and smiled.
“Maybe later. I’m busy right now.” Hanah pouted as Gabriel turned his back and exited the room. She watched him go, before checking her body to make sure he wasn’t just blowing her off. She was small and lithe; her legs long for her short stature. Her ribs were just barely visible at her stomach and her breasts were high and a good size. She decided it wasn’t her and closed her eyes again. She had watched him closely ever since they had gotten to the outpost. She had wondered where his cybernetics were, and as he had taken off his coat she had seen where there seemed to be a small box on his back. She had become suddenly interested in knowing what it was.

Gabriel entered a cool room, where three of the mage’s best doctors stood around Michael’s body, prodding his injury with various tools. They bowed their heads as Gabriel entered.
“We have agreed.” Said one. “We could remove the brain and extract the information we want, but frankly, it would be easier to resuscitate him and have him tell us himself. Gabriel nodded and then left the room. He could have stayed to watch the doctors at work, but he decided he had a more interesting task to attend to.

Giranto strode into Blood Pool territory. Every building was marked by long red banner that cascaded down the sides of the skyscrapers, held in place with gigantic golden rings at each corner. The amount of resources needed to make the banners alone had been staggering. He walked through the city, concentrating on the decorations instead of the cages that held degenerate slaves behind thick iron bars. Blood Pools saw him walking and stood. Many followed him in awe. Finally he reached the Throne.

The Throne resided in an area that might have once been a park. But a gigantic tent had been erected. Tent was not quite the right word. It was a mansion of red and gold fabric. He walked inside without fear, heavily armed guards in shining armor bowing as he walked past. He finally reached the true throne. Its occupant was an old but lithe man. Despite his graying hair and slowly bending back, he was still menacing. His arms, legs, and chest were still well muscled and he was almost certainly still virile. Three girls, each wearing very revealing red outfits, lounged around him. One rested her cheek on his thigh so she could see out the door. A provocative smile crossed her face as Giranto entered.
“Ah, my favored hunter.” He boomed. His voice was low and smooth. “I can assume the mage has been dealt with.” He said, no hint of a question in his voice.
“No.” said Giranto. The Master’s eyes squinted, revealing confusion and rising anger. He stood up, the girls slowly moving out of the way. After he had stood to his full height, he wasn’t quite seven feet tall.
“You would do well to explain yourself.” He said, calmly. But his voice, and entire manner, was like a slow moving river that flowed down from a mountain into the ocean. On the surface it was lazy, but underneath there was a killer undercurrent that would drag you down and out to sea, where if you didn’t drown, you’d be eaten by sharks. Giranto realized he wasn’t as safe as he had thought.
“A shadow crossed my path, Master,” said Giranto, realizing he would die if he didn’t tell him the truth. The Master’s eyes widened in surprise.
“A shadow?” he asked cautiously.
“Yes, Master. And it told me many things...”


The three Mage doctors worked at Michael’s face. Small tools welded skin to metal. Two doctors stepped back as the third finished his work. They had replaced his eye with a small machine that acted exactly the same as a human eye, even to the point where it was powered by the energy of his body. Now was the simple task of waking him from his coma. The doctor lifted one hand. Needles extend from under each nail. He jabbed each one into Michael’s arm. They sent a simple message to the brain. Wake up.

Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. WAKE UP.

Light flooded into Michael’s eyes. He looked around the room with a start and sat up. Then, he turned his entire body with enough force that he fell off the surgical table in a last ditch effort to dodge the bolt that had torn out his eye. A doctor grabbed him and he struggled until he realized where he was.

“What happened?” He asked, his tongue stumbling over the words. Everything was strange, and much too bright. He closed his eyes, but the light still permeated his vision.
“Calm yourself.” Said the voice of the doctor that held him.
“It’s all to bright!” he shouted. A couple rooms over, Hanah and Gabriel were shocked out of each other’s embrace before they could finish. Gabriel stood, and began to get dressed. He was going to be in pain soon, he knew. His punishment for misjudging how long it would take for the doctors to complete their work. Michael was more important at the moment. He ran into the room, dripping wet, in nothing but his pants. He entered the room just as Michael screamed for the first time. He was on his knees, his elbows pressed deeply into his sides. His remaining eye was squeezed shut in pain, and his jaw clenched as soon has his scream subsided.
“This is to be expected.” Said the second doctor calmly. “The drug causes more pain then he’s ever felt.” Michael stood up, and launched himself towards a wall. The third and youngest doctor caught him and muscled him against the surgical table, where they bound his hands and feet. He pulled against them hard enough to tear skin, blood rushing from underneath the leather straps. He yelled again. And for the rest of the next day and into the night, before his mind finally fell into natural sleep.

He woke and looked around. He was free from his straps and the wounds he had inflicted on his arms and legs had already been tended to. One hand came up to his new cybernetic “eye.” It traced where it joined with the skin. As he did, he recalled the things he had seen while in Blood Pool territory, and more importantly, what he had heard they were planning. A doctor entered the room and bowed his head slightly.
“We hope you find our work to your satisfaction,” he said. “We have done nothing special, yet. I’m afraid your worth must still be proven before we can continue to enhance you. But if the rumors that have spread about your return are true, then I expect you will be under our knives again quite soon.”
Michael wondered for a moment if that’s what he really wanted. He got unsteadily to his feet, ignoring a sudden rush of nausea.
“We can help you walk, if you wish.” Said the doctor, but Michael waved him off. He stepped unsteadily, almost falling more than once. Finally he relented and leaned on the doctor for support.

The Master of the blood pools had settled back into the throne. He gently stroked the hair of one of his concubines as he processed what he had been told. Giranto kneeled before him, a slight smile on his face. Finally, the master moved his hand, and the most attractive of his concubines stood and bent, her ear to his mouth. Then she stood, smirking at Giranto.
“Tonight you can have my favored concubine,” said the master. A smile crossed his face, and his tone became very pleased. “You remain the greatest hunter of the Blood Pools.” He lifted his hand up, and Giranto stood. The girl walked slowly to him before standing at his side and wrapping her arms around his neck. Giranto put one hand around her round hips and turned to leave the room.
“She had better kill him.” Said the Master quietly to no one as Giranto left the chamber. He stroked the head of the girl who rested her head on his thigh. Her eyes closed and her mouth opened into a smile that just barely showed her long and sharp teeth. Giranto was too ambitious, and too arrogant. This night would be his last.
“I hope he enjoys it.” Said the Master, and then smiled a wide smile. With the information gleaned from the shadow, there would be very little to stand in his way now, including an overzealous hunter whose lust surpassed his caution. The Master’s smile broke into a low laugh. Everything was perfect.

The concubine moved her fingers very slightly around his neck as they walked, before one hand slid to his chest. Just by looking at him, she could tell this had been a fantasy of his for a long while. The lust was coming off him in waves now, but she had seen it before as well. His temperature rose when he looked at them in the master’s chamber and his heart beat faster. She could see it beating inside his chest and she could see the beating increase as she had walked closer. She saw the light paths of blood as they flowed from his heart to his brain, through his arms, and now most noticeably towards his manhood. Her mouth brushed against his neck and the heart beat faster. Perfect. She knew this had been a fantasy of his, and through a deep understanding of humanity that could have bordered on telepathy, she knew why. He wanted to be Master. And to take one of the Master’s concubines, (let alone the favored concubine) well, that was almost as good as being the Master. Especially for a man who equated sex with control and power. And she knew that Giranto was that kind of man. She already knew what he would most enjoy. He would be above her, grunting like an animal. It was already arranged that there would be nothing to create bonds with in the room, as that would make it difficult for her to complete her task, but if he had his way each limb would be tied. Before that happened, he would also probably make her demean herself by doing certain acts. She swept her hand over his chest. He probably thought it was a calculated move to arouse him. But it was quite different. She was feeling him to see how much larger he was than her. She calculated exactly when, where, and how she should strike. And then she had it planned. All that remained were the acts in between.

They reached a small room. There was another room nearby where he would wash before he “took” her. She waited as he washed himself. She thought of the Master. Now, there was a man. A man who knew what true power was, and didn’t relate it to any base mortal acts. She waited until he left the room, and then feigned awe when he disrobed. She did this excellently. Even if she had acted it badly, he wouldn’t have noticed. She acted as if she had never seen a more perfect masculine form. By playing to his narcissism, she lured him towards her. Once he reached her, he swung her up and then backed onto the bed so she sat on top with her legs around his hips. This was unexpected, but her mind immediately tracked through the equations of lust, and almost instantly she knew what he wanted. He just didn’t want to dominate; he wanted to break her. At first she would be in control and then he would take it from her. She instantly revised her part to appease his fantasy and played this new and slightly more interesting part. He undressed her and let his manhood sample her from this position, but soon pushed her down. Exactly how she had expected it. If she weren’t acting as if she was in complete ecstasy, she would have snorted in contempt. He did everything else just as she expected. He “forced” her to take his manhood into her mouth, and “forced” her to be entered from behind. Still, not too long into the proceeding he had her legs pushed against her chest so her knees rested against his shoulders. She wondered for a moment how he could enjoy the act when it was so one-sided. He could have been in that room. She realized that to him, she was just an accessory to masturbation. She saw his heart begin to beat faster and she watched for his signals that indicated his climax was near. Then she watched as most of the blood rushed down instead of towards his head. This was the signal she was waiting for. One hand pulled back and then smashed into his chin, knocking his head back.

Giranto’s entire body, not just his mind, went into a state of deep confusion. He forgot where he was and exactly what he had been doing. All he could remember was that everything had felt so good, better than he could ever remember feeling before. And then pain. Strong hands forced him down and he felt a large chunk of his neck ripped away. Then he saw the favored concubine, her mouth stained red. She spat his flesh from her mouth. Giranto panicked. He forced himself up, knocking the concubine off of him. He tried to stand and run but he stumbled. He turned as he fell, and saw how his blood sprayed from his neck with each beat of his heart. The blood mixed easily into the red cloth, and then his fall ended, his face smashing into the hard floor. His nose snapped, and that pain mixed with all the other hellish sensations. He turned himself over, and saw the concubine standing above him. She walked close, and then kneeled onto his chest, pushing all the air from his lungs. He watched as his blood ran down the curves of her naked body. Giranto thought it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. It was also the last.

[Burning_Flame]

(This one is kind of long... Anyone with sex or violence hangups, this one isn't for you.)

Thats about where I stoped,,,

[Telephalsion]

Marvelous writing, I can't say if it's a good thing that it's not censored though...

[ReaperGal]

Marvelous writing, I can't say if it's a good thing that it's not censored though...

I'm not sure how that's done. Could you do that for me, Tele? You'd also have a better idea of exactly what to censor.

[Greatchickenman]

Censorship blows. Who is anyone to say that someone has to express their own writing in certain ways?

[Telephalsion]

Marvelous writing, I can't say if it's a good thing that it's not censored though...

I'm not sure how that's done. Could you do that for me, Tele? You'd also have a better idea of exactly what to censor.

I could censor it, but I wouldn't want to, it fits in well with the style, to censor this would be crippling.

It wouldn't be a childrens novel though, but then it has potential blood and gore.

Please continue.

[Sling]

Ha, ha, Censorship. What a stupid thing.

[ReaperGal]

(Here's two different 'chapters' I just recieved. Posting 'em here before I go to school.)

Michael stood before two elderly men, each with mechanical parts that extended from their hands and spines. He finished his descriptions of the slave areas, then told them the specifics of the deep territory of the Blood Pools. And finished with some of the rituals he had seen performed. He spoke for almost two hours before he finally told them what he considered the most horrific thing he witnessed.
“They have children in gigantic kennels…” he started. “No, not children. They have babies in small cages. They feed them just enough to keep them alive.” He stopped. There was a short pause as he considered what to say next.
“Why?” asked the elderly mage with dark goggles permanently affixed to his face. Michael considered.
“There are things that eat them.” He started. “The death of these children is a large part of their rituals. They also use the babies as fuel for gigantic furnaces.” Michael stopped and thought of the old woman handing him the baby through the bars of the steel cage as he was escaping. He thought of the Lamai and the furnaces, and he had grabbed the baby. The woman hadn’t held on to her, but he wondered exactly what a sacrifice it must have been for the real mother, whoever it was. He didn’t mention this to them, and he didn’t mention that it was the detour to the sisters that had probably been what almost killed him and had killed most of the Mages they had sent out to find him. The two mages talked for a few minutes.
“Michael.” Said the second. “You have done the mages, and the entire city, a great service.”
“Indeed. This, and the fact that Gabriel speaks on your behalf, well…”
“We find it appropriate to allow you more enhancements. We’re also going to give you more autonomy in what you would like to do.” At this, an idea flashed through his mind. But it was foolish. If the sisters had taken the child, they wouldn’t give it back.
“Nothing comes immediately to mind.” He lied. The two mages nodded.
“Perhaps you should relax.” Said the dark goggled mage. “I’m sure Gabriel would be glad to see you. You two were friends before you left, correct?” Michael nodded. “Well, then I’m sure he’d be glad to see you and to remember older times.”

Michael found Hanah first. He bowed slightly when he saw her.
“I hear you’re the one who saved my life. Thank you.”
“Geo is the one who deserves your thanks.” She said. “If it weren’t for his connections, then we wouldn’t have helped at all.” Michael lifted himself from his bow, smiling a small but very sincere smile. Her eyes were instantly drawn to his remaining eye. Michael wasn’t as handsome as Gabriel was, but you could tell he was very intelligent with just a glance into his gray eye. It completely overshadowed the metallic eyepiece he had been given, and she knew if Michael and Gabriel’s places had been reversed, then she would be with Michael now.
“I’ve heard that you and Gabriel have been fucking.” Said Michael with a smile. Hanah laughed.
“In so many words, yes.”
“So, Where would I be more likely to find him, his room or yours?” he asked. She laughed again, even though what he said hadn’t been all that funny.
“His room.” Michael thanked her, and walked down the hall.

“Her body is very nice. Very soft,” said Gabriel, when similarly confronted. There was silence, and then they both started laughing. When the laughter began to subside, Michael spoke.
“It’s been far too long, hasn’t it?” he asked.
“Yes, it has.” Gabriel suddenly became more serious. “My sister…” he started.
“Is gone. I figured it out. I know she would have been there for my return, even if she had found someone else.” Michael frowned. He was lying prone on a couch, his head resting upside down, off the edge. Gabriel was in a similar position, except on his bed. Gabriel reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wrapped piece of paper, and then lit the end with a lighter. He took a long drag.
“Give me that.” Said Michael. Gabriel smiled and passed it over to him. Michael inhaled deeply and then held back a cough. “It’s been a while for me.” He said, before coughing.
“Sounds like it.” Michael took another drag, and this time didn’t cough. He passed it back. “What are you gonna get?” asked Gabriel, in reference to the cybernetics now available. Michael shrugged.
“Nothing in particular.” He said. “What’ve you been getting?” he asked.
“A lot of secret stuff, even to friends.” Came the reply. “I’d like to tell you, but…”
“Yeah, I get it.” Said Michael.
“I’ve heard you’ve gotten autonomy. That’s not easy.” Said Gabe. “What are you going to do with all that freedom?”
“There’s nothing to do, yet.” He said. He remembered the baby and was suddenly very tired. He stood up and held out his hand. He took another drag before giving it back to Gabe.
“I’m gonna get some sleep.” He said. “If I see Hanah, do you want me to send her in?”
“Yeah, that’d be good. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”

He walked through the hallways, considering what he could do. Now that there were so many possibilities, not a single one of them seemed right. He decided he would think about it tomorrow, after he had gotten some sleep.


***********************************************************

The Shadows

The Hollow Men V

Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the Shadow

For Thine is the Kingdom

Between the conception
And the creation
Between the emotion
And the response
Falls the Shadow

Life is very long
Between the desire
And the spasm
Between the potency
And the existence
Between the essence
And the descent
Falls the Shadow
For Thine is the Kingdom

For Thine is
Life is
For Thine is the

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
-T.S. Eliot

Anyone who seeks to study the shadows will soon find themselves with many questions and little or no answers. They were a gang like any other once, with a focus on surgical strikes from the darkness, and famous for extremely fast and bloody ambushes. But somehow, they became something much more.

They are all very tall, at least six feet. Most are taller, and they are all unnaturally skinny. Their eyes are yellow, encircling red a red iris and a black pupil. They have spikes that travel up their arms, their legs, and their spines. Last, their skin is completely black. It doesn’t seem that they can be killed, as when they’re shot they simply fade away and the bullet or bolt is found embedded in the opposite wall. There are also at least seven all together at once, but only one per group ever visible at a time.

Shadows also have “messengers” and “scouts” The messengers are the same as normal shadows in every way except for size. The messenger and scouts travel alone. Most shadows found by the members of other gangs are scouts, although some gangs (particularly the Sisters) see more messengers than other groups.

Although no one can prove that they were told this, it’s the common belief that the shadows worship a “god” known as Great Darkness.

What are the shadows planning? Are they fighting to stop the sinister Blood Pools? Would they help the blood pools? Would they let the city fall so they can easily take over the weakened gangs of the city, and bring about an eternal night?
Only time will tell.