To a fallen world

[Lex]

My first time sharing any kind of work with the world so don't be too harsh on it.

I stand here...alone, the way it had always been in the past. My sword, now stained with the blood of the innocent...now damned. My armour, no more than a memory as it barely hangs on by sheer will.
This reflects the world around me. There is nothing here though there once was.
"How did this come to pass?" I ask myself, "Where did it all go wrong?"
Slowly...the past reveals itself once more to me.
War...but not just any war, it couldn't have been, it was too quick, too deadly.
It took less than a week and the human populace was chopped in half!
In order to survive? Fight, kill...or at least learn to...fast!
But who were these that killed with precision that left a mouth gaping but no soul was longer there?

That's the opening paragraph...I haven't gotten any further. Tell me what you think.

[Sanzora]

Pretty cool in my opinion. I don't like the way chopped was used though in 'chopped in half', it just... doesn't feel right there. But I can't wait for the rest of the story!

[Lex]

Pretty cool in my opinion. I don't like the way chopped was used though in 'chopped in half', it just... doesn't feel right there. But I can't wait for the rest of the story!
When you read about those that did the chopping you should understand...in fact it should be chomped in half...I wrote that this morning when I was waiting for class to begin.

[Icestorm]

very interesting, it intrigues the reader enough to want to read more. Keep writing, im liking it!

[Lex]

Haven't had much time to write but here's what I got so far since last night.

The world is now cold and dead. I look over my hands, one that holds my sword and the other sharpening the edge with a whet stone. They are covered in scars and stitches, another thing I needed to learn to do on my own...
Those were the first people to go, the doctors. They knew...I don't know how but they knew. They were hunted down first followed by others, political leaders, scientists and even engineers. With their deaths the world came to an abrupt halt in a shower of death and blood.
These things...they were creatures of unimaginable strength and power...seeking...always seeking...for one thing...
Genocide.

Sorry for the suspense but I was studying for a change last night...the creatures will be revielved the moment I get time to think for myself.

[Icestorm]

sounds good to me, suspense is always great. Im guessing your move will be to soon introduce the main character, appearance and such? Also with the weapons, did he resort to using a sword because all the world went back to a somewhat medieval like feel when the scienests and stuff died? or is that how it normally was?

[Lex]

You'll just have to wait and see for all those questions...I was thinking on describing the Beasts next, then the character...I'll see how I feel tonight. And since I'm not here from friday to monday it'll be a nice long one so maybe it'll include all the answers to your questions.
Glad you guys like this!

[Sanzora]

Nice intensity... I agree with Ice, this is a nice opening but who is this person looking at his hands and such? Is it even a he? :eek13:

[Lex]

Nice intensity... I agree with Ice, this is a nice opening but who is this person looking at his hands and such? Is it even a he? :eek13:
I reckon it could be a he...haven't quite decided yet. The hands was just for you people to see how badly it has been. I'm getting to the character, I just thought I'd go with memories first then later with the rest.

[RyuuKiba]

Sounds real good! Bloodbaths are always great ways to start a story XD. Well, I got the same questions as Sanzora and Ice, but I'll wait for the story to develop a bit more...

[Lex]

I won't be around for the next three days so enjoy this one and tell me what you think.

We, those that had managed to survive this far, have named them Daemons.
Very few people have seen the Daemons, for they come, destroy and kill all life.
Those that survive the attacks would have been better off dead. Those that didn’t lose their minds at the horror they had witnessed were mutated to serve their new master’s every whim.
Daemons…foul creaturers from the depths of hell, or so we assumed for no one really knew where they had come from.
Large winged, humanoid like creatures with bulging muscles and maws that could bite a truck in half, with ease, hunted the living day and night and some even between the barriers we call time…and those were the ones considered the ‘friendly’ types.
“I’ve seen and run into worse.” I mumbled shaking my head to rid myself of old memories but it didn’t help.
Images of blood, death…pain…
“Well…no use standing here. They know better than coming here nowadays.”
Yes, that’s true…they don’t come round here any more, they had learnt their lesson.
I sheathed my blade and put my whet stone away, my morning ritual was now complete.
“To a fallen world. I can offer the dead nothing but promises.”
I look around me, graves…dug in a hurry to prevent Daemon spawn and wild beasts getting to the bodies of our fallen comrades, some I had dug and more I knew.
This was what our world had been reduced to…death.

It hadn’t always been this way, there was a time when I had been a normal boy, gone to school, got fair grades and got into the odd scrape now and again…nothing serious.
I was happy then, I had had my friends and a good life…until the Daemons came and changed everything!
I must have been about 16 when it happened. Considered tall for my age I was already towering over 6 foot and already muscular due to my constant attendance at sports and fitness clubs. Back then my body wasn’t covered in scars, my hair, still a healthy blonde, not the pale white I now had, friendly blue eyes (or so I had been told), now iced over with the feral urge to survive another night.
I had a normal name back then, it had been Jake, or something like that, I’ve been fighting for so long I can hardly remember, but it hadn’t been so long…it couldn’t have been more than two years…
Now I was known as Baldax, Daemon hunter. That was the english translation at least…Baldax was a Daemon word, one I had earned, I think it meant something close to human spawn or something alot less tasteful…

How had it began? I thought this as I returned to my shelter for breakfast. The doctors…yes that’s it. It had started with their deaths…it had been all over the news, while that still existed. The police had thought it was a mass murderer that had something against surgeons…until nurses were attacked, G.P’s, the lot! There were never any clues except for the bodies that were found in turn…all mutilated…
I remember kidding with my friends that maybe a tiger had escaped or something and it had a taste for helpers. We never knew how close to the truth I had been to that day.

The police only really got going when the deaths went further around the world and only because it now included the deaths of political leaders. Then later…engineers, my father had been one of the first to be killed. The news just about killed my mother. I was left to look after her by myself.

The Daemons soon appeared after that! When the human race was left with nothing to protect themselves with. The military stood no chance against these awsome creatures, they were the first to fall as the beasts rose from their spawning grounds.
After that it was all down hill…we were helpless, no one could protect us…no one, except ourselves.
I had watched in terror as my own mother was murdered in our own house by one of the winged Daemons, those that wore old pieces of clothes I had never seen before. I was frozen…there was nothing I could do as she screamed at me to help her…I still hear her voice.
After the Daemon was done with her he came at me…the memories are hazy at best…seeing my mother…unable to help her…I snapped!
I knew I was going to die but I was going to at least take one of the bastards down with me!
I remember running to the room where my father had kept him hunting rifle…he had taught me how to use it less than a year ago.
The Daemon never knew what hit it as I shot it full in the face as it barged into the room. I thought I had won! No such luck…it had looked me in the face and snarled…
“So this human decides to fight.” It’s face looked like that of a reptile but had fur sprouting in some places, “If you wish to fight then know this…boy. Your weapons can not harm us!”
The pain it caused me was blocked out…I have no memory of it but the scars tell a different tale. It was like being hunted, in an unfair version of cat and mouse where the mouse died every time, it was just a matter of time.
“Is that all puny human? Can you do nothing to preserve your pathetic life? Very well, then you no longer interist me.”
There had been a blade hanging from this creature’s belt, it didn’t look like much but I was desperate!
I don’t know where the will power came for me to stand and face that creature once again but I did, and this time I threw myself at it.
“It seeks death! Let me grant it!”
As it brought it’s claws around my head I grabbed it’s sword, drawing it I had quickly turned it into the beast itself.
It had given a cry of surprise and…and…I don’t remember anything after that…my head…it was still in it’s hands…still squeezing…

How's that for a cliff hanger guys? I stayed up doing this so if the tenses are bad forgive me. Enjoy!

[Icestorm]

very nice, i liked how you made his thoughts so frantic and troubled, it creates great imagery, you described him well... btw if you need any help with this, ideas and such just ask because id be glad to.. perhaps this will drive me to keep writing my story.. not the one already on the forums, i have this one that no-one but a small few bothered to read. maybe ill post it again to see if i get some comments.

[Lex]

very nice, i liked how you made his thoughts so frantic and troubled, it creates great imagery, you described him well... btw if you need any help with this, ideas and such just ask because id be glad to.. perhaps this will drive me to keep writing my story.. not the one already on the forums, i have this one that no-one but a small few bothered to read. maybe ill post it again to see if i get some comments.
Glad you liked it! I was having trouble last night with ideas...I got tired with studying for a prac...I was hoping you'd see his thoughts are a bit messed up, I was going for that! Nicely spotted. Hold thumbs that I get all my work done this weekend so that I can type a bit more to add on.
What do you think of the title?

[Icestorm]

Its a good title. It has a sense of mystery about it and conveys the stories setting well.

[Sanzora]

I like the way you've used the title as a part of a promise he's made... It makes for beautiful imagery. Nice chapter, I really like the way you portray his thoughts. You can almost tap into his cinfused emotions with the way you have written it, Nicely done :)

[Lex]

I was thinking on keeping him a loner for now and add bits of random memories, like how he got to use the blade he now works with, who trained him...and so on, any in put will be a help.

[RyuuKiba]

WOAH! Great stuff, can't wait to read more. He definately thinks like a traumatized guy, with is perfect. Kinda reminds me of "Reign of Fire", only that these hera are "Daemons" and not dragons... Trully awsome.
You can also ask me if you want ideas, I bet I can invent some creepy post-apocalyptic stuff XD.

[Ishida90]

wow i love this......this is a great world and setting that you made up--youve done an excelent job writing this story

you must keep writing :D

[Lex]

Sorry to say guys but my Internet time is being cut cause of studies and practicals I have to take part in. I will keep to my daily posts of this story but I’ll only get your comments in the hour or so that I’m on line on CB. If you guys want to comment where I can get it A.S.A.P my varsity email is 2005120056@student.uovs.ac.za
Thanks to all that have comment this far, you guys are a great help…here is the next installment…

“I shouldn’t try to think of the past this early in the morning.” I mumbled.
The cave I had currently made my shelter was coming into view. It was the closest shelter to the graves I knew of.
This part of the world had once before been a thriving city centre, back in the days…now it was nothing more than a barren waste land with the odd wooden crosses and mounds…but, there was something between those two time periods, another place was here…
I turn back to look at the mounds and the painful memories came back…

The pain was so intense! My body ached and head throbbed.
“You awake there kid?” a voice, one I didn’t know.
I opened my eyes and saw a blurry figure.
“Damn! He’s actually alive, I was sure that they would have killed him.” That was another voice.
“Where…where am I?” I felt ill.
“Encampment.” This was the first voice.
The face to this voice finally came into focus. It was the face of a young man, maybe a few years older than me. He had short cropped blonde hair, green eyes, surrounded with bruises, it looked like he hadn’t had enough sleep lately. His complexion was waxy and thin. I looked at his clothes, it was torn and dirt, I couldn’t even tell what make they had once been.
“Encampment? What do you mean?”
“He must have come from down town if he doesn’t know of the encampments.” This was the second voice.
I sat up and looked to where I had heard the voice. There sat another man, he must have been my age but muscular, like a weight lifter or something. He too had short cropped hair, red though, he too looked dirty and unkept. He had his back to us though so I couldn’t see his face.
“Look around kid.” Said the first man.
I looked around, there were wooden shelters all around us, they were actually more like lean-to’s, they leaned against the remenants of buildings. Beneath me was dirt and tar, it looked like something had ripped up the road here. I looked over my shoulder and stopped dead.
“W…what the hell is that!?” before me stood a huge stone castle! Larger than any I had ever seen on a documentary.
“Our new master’s dwelling.”
“But…but…”
“Calm down kid. You’ve been through hell.”
“Where did that come from!?”
“They built it.”
“They?”
“The creatures that brought you.”
“Why did they bring me here? What happened?”
“I assume we’re food, what else could they want from us? As for what happened I was hoping you’d clear that up for me. How come you have blood all over yourself?”
“I…I…”
“Get to your feet!” A loud voice commanded and I felt claws dig into my back, dragging me to my feet, “Now!”
I heard screams and the man that had been close to me now backed off while scrambling to his feet.
“Pitiful creatures, filthy, vile animals, you don’t deserve what the Master is doing for you.” I was thrown back to the floor and kicked, “Get to your feet!”
I quikly join the man and face the beast that had picked me up, it looked exactly like the one had killed my mother…
“You are all in luck! The Master has decided you are too good to be slop for us, he thinks you are actually worth something! You are to be his personal servents, attending to his every need and command. As long as you are fit you are to work, if not then…you become my evening snack and I will use your bones to pick my teeth clean of your foul flesh.” It seemed to grin, revealing many sets of teeth, each set sharper than the next, “I am sir to all of you…actually, don’t speak to me, I hate you, your language…in other words I hate humans, don’t piss me off and you’ll live long enough to die while serving the Master.”
He laughed, it sounded like metal scraping up against a wall, it set my teeth on edge.
“Work well or else…and another thing…leave these grounds and you are fair game to any other of my kind.”
I looked around me, there were few people here, mostly men but I saw some children and women within the crowd.
“You! Look here, not back there!” snarled the creature before me.
I snapped my attention back to it but it now wore a look of disgust, “You made it thus far? If it was up to me you’d be dead.”
He then opened his wings and flew off towards the castle.
“You made lizards lips angry.” Laughed the man next to me.
“What did he mean by work?”
“I don’t know. We’ll have to see what happens after this.”

Tomorrow I need you guys to tell me if it's too hecktic or what...when you see what the Daemons do you'll understand.
Enjoy guys because I did writing it.

[nikuwadoko]

(I hope you see this Lex)

The story grabbed me rightaway, with the disillusioned war-hero protagonist. the flashback was awesome. definitely has potential. I hope you go well into describing the Daemons. and detailed description would be nice. ^^ paint a picture with words. I hope that helps! Good story, keep writing!

[Icestorm]

yeah well done on the flash back i could imagine it well, great imagery again. I like the hectic sense to it, it spells chaos very well, which is what im guessing the scene is like

[Lex]

I'll try to go into more detail for you guys...at the moment there are only 2 Daemons that play a roll in this part of his past. Lizard-Lips and one other which has no name yet but you'll meet him tomorrow.
I'm away come Wensday so tomorrow will be a longer one for you. I'll try to 'paint' what the Daemons do just for kicks and how punishments are delt out. If it gets too detailed in those aspects tell me to slow down, I don't want my thread shut down. Thanks again for the great support guys, it's really encouraging!
I write for you.

[Lolable]

oh my really nice but i just started reading it so ill post more comments later and thx for telling me
i dunno how i missed it xD

[Sora]

I liked it very much !!!*adds this page to favourites*... I wanna know how it continues!!! It's very interesting, easy to read and plain... Very good job :D!!!

[RyuuKiba]

Keeps getting better and better. I guess not even the uber-macho dude would say anything to Lizard-Lips. Getting good REAL good... ur story's getting a fan right here.

[Lex]

We got a public holiday tomorrow where I am so I can't give a Wensday edition but as I promised yesterday this is a long one!
Thank you guys for the great comment! I'll keep this going for as long as I can, even with all the work I do. Now...the moment you have all been waiting for...the next edition.

Within the hour we found out what work was. Manual labour, back breaking work that caused more than one person to drop close to death that day. If it wasn’t moving various items, rocks and such, it was pulling carts that the creatures had brought to us, to the castle and back, we never asked what was in the carts, we didn’t need to know.
As I found after ‘Lizard-Lips’ had left, the man that had been with me was called Steve and the other Bret, both had been captured a few days ago and had been moved here recently. We eached suffered our loads in silence that day.
It must have been evening, or at least close to it before trouble started. We had been allowed a small break to drink some water and we watched a child fall under his load.
Quickly the mother, or so we assumed, was at his side helping him up, we could hear his crying from where we stood.
“This can’t be good.” Steve put the cup down and started making his way to the pair.
“Are you mad Steve!? We have enough of our own work to do to survive without helping those that fall behind.” Said Bret.
“Not mad Bret…not yet.” He just carried on walking.
I figured there could be no harm done so I put my cup down and went to help Steve. I heard Bret mumbling behind me, “Madness, he’s spreading it.”
But before we could reach the mother and child one of the other creatures swept in and landed behind them, this one had a head in the shape of a feline of some kind and his hands were nothing but clawed instuments of death.
“And this? I said you were to work another three runs…why are you stopping?”
“My son…he can’t take this sort of load, he’s no more than a baby!” screamed the terrified woman over her son’s cries.
“Can’t he?” the creature stood up and looked confused for a bit then a slow menacing smile spread across it’s lips, “If he can’t do the work then he’ll just have to learn.”
Without a warning one of those deadly clawed paws came down and there was a spray of blood.
“No!” exclaimed Steve and I had to run forward to stop him doing something stupid.
“See what you made me do…now you’ll have to do both of loads of the work.” The creature laughed and licked at it’s bloodied paws, “It’s your fault though.”
The cries of the boy had stopped now…he was too busy staring at the body of his mother, decapitated.
“Get back to work!” roared the beast at the other people who had stopped to witness the event, “Get to your feet and finish your job human.”
The creature looked this way and saw me trying to hold Steve back, “Good…done with your break and eager to work. Take this husk an dispose of it outside, I won’t have it stinking up my sector.”
It took a step back as I dragged Steve forward, “Hurry up, this stench makes my whiskers stand on end.”
In disgust I bent down to grab hold of the legs, “Steve…”
He was on his knees whispering to the boy very quicky when I looked up, when he was done he roughly took hold of the shoulders and helped me lift it.
“Outside! And take this.” The beast took the head and threw it at us, it landed squarely on the chest of it’s owner.
All I saw was the dead eyes looking at me…like those of my mother…
I felt dizzy for a second before Steve snapped me out of it, “Let’s go, we don’t have all day and we have work to do Jake.”
We had to walk far out of bounds before we stopped and put the body down.
“Damn them!” Steve cursed and went to his knees, his hands raked at the ground.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to bury her, isn’t it obvious!? Help me!”
“But…”
“If we don’t then the wild animals will get her.”
I didn’t know what to do…the dead eyes…what I had just see…my mother…
I found myself on my knees next to him, helping to deep a grave with my bare hands.
When we were done we found some large rocks to put over the grave to prevent scavangers digging up the remains.
“May your soul rest in peace.” Said Steve.
I found myself unable to hold it anymore and fell to my knees vomiting in disgust. After some time Steve patted me on the back, “You’re strong…you’ll live through this. Stop if you can, I don’t know if we’ll be lucky enough to get fed.”
I took a few deep breaths to calm my stomach and pounding heart.
“Let’s go.” He helped me to my feet and supported me back to camp.
“Since you two have so much energy to dig in the dirt you can work a few more runs. Get going!”
With each step of the extra work I just had Steve’s words echoing in my head, “You’re strong…you’ll live through this.”

That evening the young boy joined us, after finishing his and his mother’s work, we had finally finished our work and sat in one of the lean-to’s. He crawled into Steve’s lap and bust out crying, there was nothing we could do to make him feel any better.
“Quite it kid, we all…” started Bret but Steve stopped him by raising his hand.
Bret quietened down, with all the work he had done he was in no mood to talk either, he like the rst of us were exhausted.
After a few minute the boy went quiet and looked at Steve, “You said she was in a better place, was it the truth?”
“Yes…I’ll look after you now. We all will, right you two?” Steve looked at us for support, I didn’t think he knew what he had gotten himself in.
“I’m in…as soon as my arms stop hurting.” I said.
Bret just nodded his head.
“It’ll get better, you’ll see.”
If only Steve had known that it was never going to get better.

“How long was I there?” I said aloud to the wind as it stirred the ground near the graves.
It couldn’t have been more than a year…a year of hell, a new hell…
I turn back to the cave and made my way into it. Once I was inside I pulled a curtain of moss across the entrance and made my way to the back of the cave. Even if the Daemons were clever enough to find my hiding place they would never sniff me out in the caverns around here. Their smell was good but with stinking flesh piles of beasts I had killed to stay alive hidden in every cave it wasn’t going to be easy.
I carefully counted my turns and quickly found my way to my fire. Yes a fire, this cave so riddled with holes and caverns that the smoke never was visible from outside, it dwelled amongst the rocks until it’s will to live died.
Removing my scabbered from my side I sat down and sighed, “Getting cold again, might have to stock up soon.”
Winter had been harsh the last two years…we didn’t have what we needed the most, food, clothes…
I look around my cave, I had managed to get those essentials for myself. My bedding was made of some kind of wolf skin and dry grass I collect every week to keep it fresh. From the ceiling hung an all sortment of herbs and dried meats. Near to back I kept a few containers of water, near a natural brook that came from somewhere, I wasn’t one for exploring any further than I had to.
“Breakfast!” I put my hand into my chest plate and pull out an egg I had managed to steal from a spawn of some kind, I had learnt early on they were quite edible if you were willing to risk it!
Pulling over a slim rock slab I put it over half the fire and wait a few minutes before I crack the egg, that is at least the size of my fist, onto it. The blue yolked meal easily slipt from the shell and hit the rock with a sizzle. I leave it for a few minutes while I go to the back to get some water and one of my wooden bowls, I filled it to the brim with water and returned to the fire side. The smell of cooking egg made my mouth water, it had been a while since I could manage to get one of these!
Pulling some meat and herbs from the ceiling I put it into the bowl and put it into the flames.
“Now all I need now is some milk and this would make a killer breakfast!” there was no need to speak aloud but it was good to hear a human voice.
I carefully watched the level of the water in the bowl to make sure the water didn’t dip below the flame level.
The egg and broth finished more or less at the same time so I could enjoy both still warm.
Once that was done I washed it all down with fresh water from the brook and washed up.
That had been a feast! Even without the lucky egg find it was enough to fill me.
Again my past came to me, we never had this kind of food.

“What kind of meal is this!?” exclaimed Bret, “It looks like mud!”
“Oh shut up.” I was tired of his complaining, I was only too grateful for the food, it’s the most we’ve had this whole day, even if it was cold.
“I’m not going to eat this!”
“Then you can starve.” Said Steve.
We had waited for at least two hours to get the meal and this was all that it was, a murky coloured soup with things floating in it.
“Just eat it.” I said as I brought the bowl to my mouth, I nearly spat it out with disgust, “Ah…I think I’m going to be sick again.”
“You can’t afford it Jake. Pinch your nose if you have to but get it down. You too Mike.”
Mike still looked awful after his mother’s death but at Steve’s word life came to him and he swallowed the meal without thinking of it.
I followed suit and grimiced as something slipt down my throught that was as slimy as the worms we had to dig up today…
“Don’t tell me…Steve…” I said as I realised what we were eating.
“Don’t think about it. I’m going out for a bit, be back soon.” He got up and left.
“Where’s he going uncle Jake.” Mike had taken to calling us his uncles.
“I don’t know, he’ll be back soon.”
But he didn’t come back for hours. It was pitch black dark by the time he came back, both Mike and Bret were sound asleep. My muscles ached too much to go to sleep, even all the sports didn’t help. If I felt this bad how did everyone else feel?
The material flapp of the lean-to pulled back and in the dim fire light I saw Steve enter.
“Where hae you been!? You had all of worried!” I whispered.
“Sorry, I had to avoid the guards, twice, neither times were easy.”
“What do you mean? You left the grounds? And came back!?”
“Shh! I couldn’t leave you lot! I had to come back. Here.” He put something in my hand and sat down.
“And this?” in my hand rested an apple.
“If we don’t get some kind of fruit in we’ll start dropping like flies!”
“Where did you get this?”
“I remember seeing a shop near here and a few fruit trees. I’ve spent most of my time passing fruit out. Eat all of that, nothing must be found or they might kill all of us.”
“You’re either really brave or stupid.” I gratefully bit into the fruit and savoured it until the last bite, “But surely this can’t last forever?”
“No…it can’t, that’s why we need to kill the Daemons.”
“The what!?”
“Daemons, that’s a name I heard someone say before all this happened…Dooms day prophet I think.”
“Suits them.”
“Get some sleep, I’ll get those two to eat when they wake.”
“What of you, you worked just as hard as I, you need to rest as well.”
“I will…soon. You never told me why you came her with that blood on your face, that wasn’t yours was it?”
“No…at least I don’t think so…I was attacked by a…Daemon, it killed my mother…it didn’t even get hurt when I shot it in the face with a hunting rifle…it was going to kill me…then…then…” I fell silent thinking, what had happened, “There was a weapon…a sword I think…it had it…I think I might have killed it with the sword.”
“So thay can be killed, good.”
“But not with our weapons, that’s what it said. The weapon it carried must have been made to kill others of it’s kind. How else…”
“Go to sleep Jake, tomorrow we work again.”
I didn’t argue but as I lay down on the hard ground I saw his eyes glimmer, he was thinking about something.

There you have it. I tried pushing the human's mind to the limit and I hope I was able to paint the way this world is at the moment. I thought killing the mother instead of the boy a much better touch to showing the pain of this time.
Thanks again for the support you guys!
See you all again on Thursday for...well you'll just have to wait won't you?

[Icestorm]

very nicely done! You described the thoughts and situations well, i can imagine it very clearly. I look forward to your next installment.. haha i wish i had as much people as you looking at mine!

[nikuwadoko]

(I posted, but what happened to my post?!) *repeats self*

^_^ well done lex, I could tell you took the advice into thought. very nice scene describing the corruption of the time, nice flashback moment, great details! Looking forward to the next one.

icestorm: I will check out your story.

[Mugen]

you got some nice work here lex..........

[Lex]

Attention all readers, those that interisted please send in discribtions of a Daemon Lord you would like to be the Master, best one gets to be used! Only if you want guys, I'm still thinking of work for the poor little humans! :LOL:

[Icestorm]

ive given in my description! hope ya like it!

[Lex]

ive given in my description! hope ya like it!
Love it! You should be writing horrors!

[Lolable]

I finished reading the chapters before but not the last one <333333
I am growing addicted to it
its marvelous and reminds me of Eragon but your writing style is better
I imagine the scenes completely and now to read the last chapter YAY!
BTW I LOVE THE TITLE xD

[RyuuKiba]

This is just great! And yep it reminds me of Eragon too. Well not exacly Eragon, its a part of Eldest... the Roran and Carvahal stuff with the Raazak... But that's a different story. Damn I think I'll never write as good as you.

LEX RULZ!

To Fallen World RULZ 2!!!!!!!

Hey, um, are you gonna use the thing I suggested in the villains topic in the writers axe?

[Lex]

RyuuKiba I was planning to, you were the one to give me the idea to begin with! Guys you flatter me to much. I read Eragon...the guy that wrote it is my age and when I told my parents they freaked and asked why I didn't have a book yet, well, in fact I have two, not on shelves though mind you, can't afford to print...hopefully this will show the world even I can do this! Well, you guys have waited patiently and here it is! The weekend edition!!!!!



That’s how life went for us. Harsh days, one after another. Frequently people didn’t get up from their sleep and it was the job of the living to bury the husks of the departed. After the first week we no longer saw the corpses as people, just hunks of flesh to be discarded as soon as possible., after a month it became a daily job that needed to be done as soon as possible.
Some people even tried escaping during the night and each morning their bodies were left exposed on stakes or over the walls, the Daemons didn’t care, they just wanted to teach us a lesson in fear.
Soon no one tried to escape again, the only person to ever get out was Steve, and he always returned with something we needed.

“You’d think they’d want to keep us alive considering we’re working for them.” Said Bret after placing a huge stone at the head of a fresh grave, “Yet they treat us worse than slaves.”
“They don’t really need us…they just find it easier having us do the work then them doing it themselves, if all of us die it doesn’t make much of a difference to them.” Said Steve, “How many more do we have left?”
“Three more.” Said Mike, he had grown a lot stronger in the last month and refused to let anyone help him in his work.
“I’ll get them.” I moved off to the wagon that we had had to drag out with the dead.
Looking inside I had to sigh as I saw the small forms of children, I had known all of them.
Anna, a bright little girl of nine, always smiling as she worked, she had broken her leg and infection had taken her during the night.
Harry, a young teenager that had annoyed Lizard-Lips and paid dearly! He was in pieces wrapped up in a what looked to be an old torn sheet.
Lastly was Dan, he had come here a few days ago, on his own, he couldn’t manage under the stress load and just slipt away during the night.
“So?” Steve had snuck up behind me.
“Three, all kids. Steve this sucks!”
“I know but there isn’t much we can do at the moment. Give it time, it will get better.”
“I don’t see how it’s going to get better Steve…those monsters have killed everyone that has tried to leave these grounds, they can say it was the other Daemons but I’ve heard the screaming in the night. We’ve lost at least ten this week alone! Not to mention the ones that get killed and pass away during the night. How many times have we had to come out here this week? It can’t go on like this, soon there won’t be any of us left.”
“Shh! You don’t want to upset Mike.”
“Upset him? I don’t think you get it! I’m pretty damn upset myself having to do this everyday.”
“Hang on just a little longer, trust me.”
“Trust you…Steve, I don’t know about you but I’m not going to make it at this pace. I’m already finding it difficult to put one foot in front of the other. It’s not going to get easier. Each time we put another stiff under ground our work load doubles…”
“You need to calm down…let’s get this over and done with before Lizard-Lips comes out here and accuses us of not doing our work.”

We spent the last few hours of day light burying the dead and making sure they were safe from scavengers.
Once we were allowed back into camp me were granted extra water to clean ourselves of the stench of dead flesh, not that it really helped. We barely got any food for ‘taking too long’.
“Again with worm stew.” Sighed Bret, “Oh well…it’s better than nothing I guess.”
We ate in silence in the lean-to we had made our own. All around us we heard sounds of people making their way back to their places to eat.
“Winter will be here soon.” Said Steve looking up from his bowl, “If we don’t get some blankets and things we’re all going to die, even us strong ones.”
“Well what do you suppose we do?” I was annoyed about having to bury Anna, she had been the only real light here, “Demand that we need it? I don’t think that would help us.”
“We could always get Steve to go scavenging for us.” Said Bret with a mouth full of stew.
“I can’t get enough for all of us and still get here in one piece…” he pulled a nasty face and shuddered, “There is only one other way.”
“And that would be?” asked Mike.
“We start burying the dead without their clothes.”
“Surely you don’t mean…!” I looked at him in disgust, “No way!”
“Do you see any other way for us to survive Jake. They are worth nothing to the dead, we might as well put it to good use.”
“It just…doesn’t feel right.”
“It isn’t but I refuse to have to watch any of you die due to exposure.”
“Don’t you think they will notice something strange? Or that other people will freak out?”
“They have a choice, accept it or die. The human race at the moment only has one thing on their mind and that’s to survive.” Steve hung his head, “I know it’s wrong but we have no choice.”
“There has to be another way!”
“I can’t think of one, I…I’m sorry.”
“I’d rather freeze than do that to the dead!”
I never saw the blow and found myself looking up at Steve while lying on my back.
“You think I want to do this!? Well I don’t!” he then stormed out of the lean-to.
“Now you pissed him off.” Said Bret putting down his bowl, “I’ll go speak to him…”
“No…I will, anyway, it’s your turn to tell Mike a bed time story.”
“I’m not a kid anymore!” cried Mike.
I laughed as I got to my feet and left.
I found Steve sitting on a collapsed wall, white faced and shivering. Beening out here in our thread bare clothing helped me understand what he had said.
“I’m sorry Steve, I know you’re right, it’s just hard to accept it.”
“Look out there.” He pointed to the setting sun.
I saw a few specks flying around, too far away to see anything, “What are those?”
“Birds, free birds. One day…you will see…you will fly away.”
I never asked him what he meant about that, I never had time…

This is two pages worth of typing...enjoy. I wanted to include the next page but it's actually a whole new chapter when winter starts...I'll give that to you guys when I come back on monday.
Thanks again for all the support guys, you are the best!
The competition will hold till the end of the month because you guys are such good sports!

[Icestorm]

another awesome entry into this story.. it just gets better and better, your developing the characters really well. I cant wait for the next part.

[Sanzora]

How do you manage to always leave us on a cliff hanger? :p

It's really coming along nicely Imoto. I love your jumping between past a present. It's establishing everything rather well

[Lolable]

I totally agree with sanzy..the way you go from the present to the past we don't get lost xD
and I allready have afav character :p
Steve xD
WE DEMAND THE NEXT PART!

[RyuuKiba]

I just damn LOVE THIS OS! it's so damn cool. Can't wait for the next part. Bet someone's gonna die... And if I were to guess I think Steve's gonna die. Well, I won't be sure till I read next chapter!

[Lex]

Enjoy guys, I've just been told to leave the pc lab because pracs are being done sorry talk later.

Monday edition:

For weeks we had managed to barely scrap through on what the Daemons gave us and what Steve managed to steal for us but we were dwindling.
Within four months there were barely a hundred of us left, most of us had been young, fit men and women, there were a few children and elderly people that refused point blank to die under the stain of work we had to do every day.
At least now the body counts were slowing down, there was hardly one death a day now, it was easier on us…we had managed to collect the extra clothing we so desperately needed in just a short time previously.
Winter had come hard and unforgiving upon us. The lean-to’s were not suited to block the wind out nor to keep the heat in. People crowded into the lean-to’s which made it an excellent breeding grounds for diseases and infections.

“How many are effected by the cough going around?” asked Steve while he was shovelling snow for a path to the castle.
“At least half of us and it’s getting worse. Bret came down with it last night, woke me up and he still insists on working!” I dug the spade deeply into the snow, even with extra clothing wrapped around my legs, arms and torso it didn’t keep me warm, only the work did.
“I heard.” Steve looked over to where Bret was panting as snow flew over his shoulder, “He’s going to die at this rate.”
“I heard the first lot all died last night.” The first lot was the first lean-to in our section, “A whole family in one night.”
“What happened?”
“The parents couldn’t take their children’s suffering anymore and ‘put them out of their misery’ then they ran. I saw the frozen bodies on the stakes this morning when I went to check on second lot. But when I asked if we were to bury them the Daemons shook their heads saying the grounds too hard and it’ll have to wait until it thaws. When I wanted to argue they said that they would feed them to us if I didn’t drop the subject.”
“We’ll have too keep an eye on our food then…wearing dead men’s clothes is one thing, eating a human is quite another!” Steve rested against his shovel, “I think you should tell Bret to take a break, we should be able to handle the last stretch on our own.”
I nodded my head and drew in a deep breath, it hurt my lungs so badly but it was better than being dead.
I lumbered towards Steve, having to lift my legs high to get out of the snow but sinking each time.
“Hey Bret, Steve says to take a break, we’ll finish it from here.” I said reaching him.
“Yeah maybe…” he was panting a lot more than I had noticed earlier and sweat was rolling down his face, “Maybe…”
“I told you not to work so hard! You’re going to die of cold if that sweat freezes, I need to get you out of here.” I look around frantically, hoping that no Daemon was close by to see what I was going to do.
“Don’t…I’ll go in a second…” he collapsed into the snow.
“Bret!” I go to my knees and try to pick him up but he was too heavy for me, “Not now you ogre, we still need you!”
“Is there a problem here?” a cold voice asked behind me, Lizard-Lips.
“N…no, nothing…” I turn to face him, half supporting Bret.
“Am I interrupting a private moment between you two?”
“No.”
“Then why on earth are you NOT WORKING!?” he screamed in my face and pulled me up by my shoulders, his claws dug deep into the flesh and I screamed in agony as the claws made it all the way through to the bone.
“Stupid human…you should be grateful that you are fed and cared for, you have a place to sleep and still in good health, the Master supplies it all but you won’t do the one thing that he asks of you. Why? WHY? Is it that you do not work?” he starts squeezing, “Do you not want to serve the Master? Do you not think you owe him your life? Well…say something!”
The agony that ripped through my body was so intense I couldn’t even speak, my breath came out in short bursts of pain.
“That’s right…you bleed…bet this hurts.” It sneered as it twisted one of it’s claws out of my shoulder in a spray of blood and flesh, “Oops…nearly lost an arm there human.”
“Why? Why are you doing this?” I managed to say, not really knowing why.
“Why? What a strange question?” he releases me and I fall down into the snow with a painful thud.
The cold snow on the open flesh numbed the pain and cleared my mind, I saw Bret getting up with a snarl on his face, I shook my head and he sat down, still breathing hard.
“Why? That really is a fascinating question…why am I doing this?” Lizard-Lips seemed to be in deep thought, his one clawed hand, covered in my blood, rubbed his chin, “Why?”
He smiled at a silent thought and brought his hand down from his chin, “I know the answer…”
He raised his foot and placed it on my chest, I could see the individual scales, green in colour but shimmered blue as he moved.
“The answer…is…because I can.” He pushed my down into the snow, “I can thus I do.”
I couldn’t help but scream as new agony laced through my chest as he stepped heavily on it, it felt as if all my ribs had been snapped in half. He stayed like that until my screams faded, as that happened he just applied more pressure.
After a few minutes, that felt more like hours, of torture he stopped and got off, “Learn your place human…you are worth less than dirt to me but the Master has plans for your people and you don’t have to be part of that number…remember that.”
Throwing his head back he laughed and spread his wings, “You will make fine sport one day.”
Then he turned to Bret and an anxious Steve, “Get back to work and take you fellow worm with you.”
They picked me up from the snow and held me up-right until Lizard-Lips laughed again, “We’ll see how long you survive human. You are rebellious…I like that…in a few members of my clan…it’s wasted on a creature like yourself. Get back to work!”
Even through all my pain I felt something starting up in my chest, at first I thought it was the pain from my broken ribs but it quickly changed to a burning feeling that gave me new strength. I felt it powering my tired and hurt muscles.
“If we’re the worms why is it you only come out of the wood work now?” I said slowly as Lizard-Lips started getting ready to fly off.
“What did you just say?” he turned to look at me.
He stood his full height and regarded me with his cold, yellow, reptilian eyes, I watched them narrow and felt a shiver of fear. What was I doing!? Don’t be stupid…back away…run…do something but don’t stand here and annoy the Daemon.
After some tense moments I saw a smile playing on the Daemon’s faces, he was hard pressed to keep it hidden but I saw a glimmer there.
“You two should be wise enough to tell your friends to keep his tongue in his mouth or he might lose it.” With a single flap of his leathery wings he took off in a flurry of snow.
All I saw was white snow then black darkness.

[Lolable]

oh man another excellent chaptie <333
no dont let bret die ;_;
hold on...Steve if he dies....;_;

[Sanzora]

I don't want to know about Bret, I wanna know what's gonna happen to Steve! Dammit Imoto! :p

Nice chapter though :D

[Lex]

I can't tell you guys what happens to Bret or Steve, don't bully me into it! It'll happen within the next two weeks...maybe, I've been typing ahead when I have time during my studies.
But...because you guys are some of my biggest fans I'll let you in on some news...Steve is left with a choice but would get revealed until much later and Bret...still deciding what to do with him.
I think Sanz and Yoruichi_sama will enjoy Grif alot, I just started writing about her...won't tell you who she is yet though.
Don't you all just hate me now?

[Sanzora]

You have no idea... :p:

[RyuuKiba]

I have come to hate Lizard-Lips. C'mon Jake! Beat the flying creep up! ok that's a bit impossible... or is it? Oh well, excelent chapter. Can't wait for the next one.

[Lex]

Don't be so quick to judge Lizard-Lips, you'll see later what happens. Today I'm intraducing a new character for you lot to enjoy...you guys can tell me what you think of it and where it comes from...Ice I think you'll like this one!


“Stupid, stupid, stupid…” a soft voice repeated again and again.
“Mother?” my head hurt and my throat was dry.
“No you fool, she’s dead.”
Harsh reality fell upon me and I struggled to get my eyes open, it was Bret that had spoken. Looking around I saw I was back in our lean-to, “What…?”
“Just stay down…you had us all worried the last few days, we thought we were going to lose you back there. What in God’s holy name were you thinking trying to pull a stunt like that!?”
“I don’t know…my head’s sore…”
“You’ve been out cold for the last few days. Here, drink.”
He dragged me to a semi sitting position and supported me with a knee while handing me a cup, “You think you can take that?”
I took the cup and took a sip, the ice cold water stun my throat and I nearly gagged.
“Not so fast! Calm down, you aren’t immortal you know.”
I slowly finished the cup and put it down, “I feel like crap.”
“Not surprised, you ran Steve ragged with what you needed. You were lucky he could find everything he need for you.”
“What…?”
Bret explained that Steve, being unable to help me with the fight, had taken it upon himself to try and heal me. He walked as far as the next town to try and get medical supplies for my wounds and clean bandages.
“And you call me stupid? What was he thinking?”
“Of you mate! You are one of the people that make up our group, we can’t help the others without you. You just get some rest for now. I have work to do but I’ll be back later. Stay put, my orders!”
After he left I felt myself slipping back into unconsciousness and nothing I did could stop it. My eye’s slowly closed and it all went dark.

Night? It wasn’t night last time? Where am I? I’m running…why am I running? Where am I going to? Am I being chased? Am I…chasing? What was that? Nothing is the way I remember!
Moon? Yes…there is a moon, it is beautiful, not full but just as beautiful. There are trees, they’re white…what is this white? It’s cold…why? Snow? Yes that makes sense…snow…winter. I want to fly but I can’t, why not? Where are my wings!? No! This can’t be! Where are they? I don’t remember anything! Wait…I smell blood, it’s fresh, but in the cold I can’t be sure…where is it coming from?
Fire? I see lanterns…warmth…food…blood. This must be it.
I smell them…humans…food. Light…warmth…terror!
The screaming woke me up and I sat to too fast, my head spun and I barely managed to get my stomach under control. Slowly I got to my feet, discarding a thread bare blanket and making my way outside. It’s dark and cold, it looks like it’s been snowing.
Standing outside I see there are lanterns moving and people shouting, I was so confused!
“What are you doing out in your condition?” said the harsh voice of Steve in my ear, “Get back inside, there is nothing you can do.”
“What happened?” I was still scanning when my eyes came to rest on the body of a Daemon, it was the same one that had killed Mike’s mother. His head ripped clean from his shoulders, blood…bright red all over the fresh snow. A little further on there were at least five other dead humans, the only reason I could count five was the amounts of heads lying around…the bodies were in pieces.
“Get inside and I’ll fill you in. If you don’t hurry they’ll think you had something to do with it.” He pushed me roughly back into the lean-to.
After I was seated he dug around in his corner of the lean to and pulled something out, I couldn’t be sure of what it was in the dim light of the lanterns moving around.
“Here, you should get some more liquid into you, I see your fever isn’t down yet.” He handed me a can of some kind.
“I’m not even going to ask where you managed to get the soda from.” I opened it slowly to prevent too much noise and drained half the contents, it burnt my throat.
After some time Steve spoke again, “I have no idea how you managed to survive.”
“Huh?”
“People died from less than what you received from Lizard-Lips…you should be dead Jake, how did you survive?”
“You’re asking me when you were the one that went out during the night to pick up what I needed. I survived because of you.”
Steve shook his head slowly, “What I did couldn’t…shouldn’t have saved you, even if I did try…”
“What happened out there?” I didn’t like where Steve’s conversation was going.
“That?” he looked over his shoulder, “Something broke into camp and killed the people, the big Daemon came to see what was going on and had his head ripped off for his effort. What goes around comes around hey?”
I heard him chuckle, “Did you see it?”
“I saw something but what it was I couldn’t tell you. I’m just happy I didn’t decide to go out to get supplies tonight.”
I looked around to do a quick head count in our lean-to, four, that was all of us.
“No one here is stupid enough to leave after dark, it was none of our own that died.”
“Who was it?”
“Not sure…you okay? You’re shaking.”
“Not 100% at the moment.” I leaned back to pick up the blanket behind me and wrapped myself up in it.
What was it with me? It felt like I had been hit by a sledge hammer right in the stomach and I couldn’t stop shaking.
“You go back to sleep…this is obviously not the time to be discussing anything.” Steve crawled over to his own sleeping place and lay down, “You’re going to have to start working again soon, we can’t cover anyone any more with those deaths.”
I lay back and stared out into space…there was something…on the edge of my mind but my tired brain couldn’t grasp it, what had it been? Something familiar, but what?
It was long after Steve’s breathing slowed that sleep finally caught up to me and once again I slipped into the darkness.

The hunt had gone well. The measly humans hadn’t had much meat on them…it was by pure chance that the idiot had stumbled in on my feeding and he had filled me well, I wouldn’t have to feed for a few days now. His head would be my prize for a long time.
The blood calmed my confused brain and now put it into a sombre state…it’s time to sleep now. Where? Trees? Cave? No…I would be found to easily.
Damn! What’s this? Nearly fell…it’s hard, cold…I hear something under it. Water? Yes…it’s water…the cold…water…ice! No one would find me under here for a long time, at least until the warmer weather came and that is still far off.
Hard! Claws can’t scrape through it…need a place to stay. There! Through at last! Cold…I’ll live…yes…I’ll live. Sleep…water is like a cocoon, no problem…sleep…comes…easily…

Hope you guys like the newbie, you're going to hear a lot more about him in the next few days, he becomes very important later on.
Enjoy!

[Sanzora]

O.o Hectic Stuff that... It reminds me of Harry's dreams in Harry Potter and the Chamber of secrets I think it was? Anyways, I'm looking forward to see what you do with him (the new character I mean) :eek13:

[Lolable]

Lol indeed hectic xD..but as usual the way you describe is so perfect we cant help being engrossed in it :p

[Lex]

It's only, hopefully, going to get better! As long as I have dedicated fans like you guys then I'll write for you.

[Icestorm]

yes lex ! I read the latest chapters and they are as good as always! i cant wait to read the next one, i like the frantic thoughts of the new comer sounds interesting..

and about writing more of brother of the nightflower.. im a bit busy atm with some school stuff.. so it might be a little while till the next one comes out.. damit i wish i had as many fans as you! but i thank you kindly for being one of them!

[Undying]

That story is so good. I can't believe it. I got totaly hanged on it from the first sentence. You. Are. Good.

[RyuuKiba]

Once again I am amazed. This story is so freak'n good!!!!! Can't wait for the next chapter... My story feels insignificant compared to this one...XD

[Lex]

I see I have a new fan! Welcom to the reading club Undying! Good to see I'm still keeping you on your toes guys. Ryuukiba I don't know what you PM ed me but I can't open it, it's banned by my varsity!
Okay here's the next chapter guys, enjoy! Now it starts getting interisting.

Wensday edition:
The cracking of wood brought me back to reality and back to the present.
“Damn! Why does the past have such a grip on me!? I want to forget! Let me forget!” I grab my head in my hands and shake it, “I won’t allow it, not again. It’s over, done, leave me be!”
I rush to my feet…water…yes, maybe it’s time I take a bath, it has been a while.
Slowly I unbuckle the clasps along my forearm protectors, once they were undone the armour fell away and hit the floor hard. It took me ten minutes to leisurely strip the armour from my body, the dull red metal caught the flames perfectly, illuminating scratches I knew I’d have to fix soon or the armour might buckle in my next fight.
“Damn and I was hoping I wouldn’t have to go find a damn Drake to help me out. Maybe Grif can find someone.”
Grif? I hadn’t seen her in ages, wonder if she finally left me for good…
“I don’t mind that memory.” I smile as I pull off the last of the metal surrounding my legs and feet.
Before I met Grif my life had been hell…when she came into my life everything had changed!

This had been the worst winter I had had to live through…after fully recovering with nothing more than a few scars, it straight back to work. The bitter cold and the extra amount of work, due to the people that had died, made it hard to come by with what we had with us. More deaths came about now due to the cold and we couldn’t even get the clothes for ourselves because the Daemons now disposed of the bodies for us since the ground was too hard to dig in. Steve had been very hard pressed to try and keep us ala alive.
One night I got woken up by him, he had been shaking so hard my shoulder felt like it had been ripped out of the socket, “What!? What’s up?”
“Come with me.” He crawled toward the lean-to’s opening.
“Are you mad?”
“Come on, we don’t have much time.” He crawled out and I quickly crawled out with him.
The cold night air went right through my clothes to my bones, now both my shoulders ached, “Steve? What the hell man?”
“Shh, follow me.”
I followed him as we hugged the shadows, lanterns had been put around the encampment to try and scare off the beast that had killed the Daemon a few weeks ago, and by the looks of it, it had worked because it hadn’t been back. He led me out of the encampment and started running for the tree line, it was so dark I could hardly follow him.
“Remember everything Jake.” He said as we ran.
Trees to our left, river to our right, snow everywhere else, “Steve, what is going on?”
“I’m taking you on my nightly run. I need someone to help me carry the stuff back. I couldn’t ask Bret, he’s no stealthy enough to do it. Quiet now and follow.”
We were on the run for almost an hour before we stopped in what looked like old town, not destroyed, just falling to pieces.
“Here.” He stopped at a shop that looked like it had seen better days, “There were blankets here the last time I checked. We should be able to carry a few back if we get hold of some bags.”
“Why did you really bring me along, you haven’t ever asked anyone to help?”
“Jake…don’t ask questions, just accept that I showed you because I believe that you will keep us alive sooner or later. Grab what you see as a necessity and do it quick, we’re going to need more time getting back.” He vanished into the shop and left me on my own.
I found a place that looked like it could have food in it and ventured in. The stench of rotting meat and mouldy food nearly made me gag but I held my breath for a few minutes then slowly started breathing through my mouth, the air even tasted bad.
I looked around and saw cans, would have been a good idea if it wasn’t for the fact that I didn’t have a can opener. Walking between the different aisles I found myself in front of the junk food section, things like chocolate bars and crisps, these had managed to last.
“Figured I’d find a teenager by the junk food section.” Chuckled Steve, “Go ahead, I help myself to something here every time I come through here.”
I looked about, when was the last time I had had chocolate? I couldn’t even remember.
Numbly I take a bar of something that looked like an energy bar.
“Grab a few more of those, it’ll do the people good for a few days. Leave the crisps, the oil will bring the Daemons running. You see anything else we could use?”
“Toilet-paper.” I laughed.
“No kidding…you have no idea how I had wanted to take some but it’s not something I would like to try and explain to our giant friends. You see any bags?”
“Nothing except the few plastic ones, you find some blankets.”
“A few, not enough to go around but it’ll have to do for now. Look around for a bag, otherwise we have to come out here tomorrow night and I don’t want to attempt two runs so close to one another.”
We split up once again and searched until I managed to find what we were looking for. Back-packs, large ones.
“That should do it.” Said Steve after we finally managed to cram all the blankets in, “There’s barely place to cram the food we need!”
“Let’s just go for warmth for the time being and worry about food later.” I said, “I think our time is nearly up.”
“You’re right. Eat that before we leave, slowly, I don’t want to stop for you if you get a cramp.”
How can I describe the pleasure I felt as I took one single bite? There were no words I could use to describe it…it was just…perfect. Though it hurt my teeth I finished it without a moan.
“Good, let’s go.”

It took us a good two hours getting back with our loads but we managed it without getting caught or eaten by something or other.
“Hand out can wait till tomorrow, I’m exhausted!” Steve just about collapsed when we got back into our lean-to.
“I have to hand it to you Steve, you must be the strongest guy here to be able to do this at least four times a week. Why didn’t you ask for help earlier?”
I never got an answer and when I went to go check on him he was out like a light. I removed his pack and got him covered up, just in time because the wind came up.

Cold…where I am? There was something but I don’t recall what it was. Water? Yes I remember now. I had hunted then I went to sleep. How long ago was that? Hungry…wonder if that camp is still there, hungry enough to eat human again.
The wind is cold out of the water. Shivering? Why am I shivering? I’ve never done it before. The snow is still here…I didn’t sleep long enough.
No blood on the air tonight…will I find them? I need to eat…need to live…eat to live.
Sun will be up soon…don’t want to bee seen. Quick!
There is the camp, they haven’t moved after all! Where…where are you!?

Let me appoligise for the cliff hanger guys but it was getting a bit long and the next important part is a few pages and need to be given to you in one shot! Weekend edition is going to be a long one!
Ice if you want more people to read your stuff go and PM a few people, I did that at first and now everyone comes to read here.
Thanks to all of your continuation of support, I write only for you, my fans!
:headbang:

[Lolable]

YAY!I love this one..and lol but my eyes teared xD for their miserable conditions xD
but oh myyyyyyy i am going to wait for the weekend edition xD

[Lex]

It's going to be about three pages worth of typing and I might add the bit on why you shouldn't judge the Daemon Lizard-Lips so badly...but you'll have to wait till tomorrow.

[Sanzora]

*Checks watch...*
>.>
<.<
-_-
*Checks watch again...*

Dammit! Weekend's not here yet!

I CAN'T WAIT!!!

[RyuuKiba]

Ryuu: Cliffhangers are gooooooood.
Kiba: Yeah, can't wait for weekend edition. Wanna know why I shouldn't judge Lizard-Lips so badly.
Ryuu: Me wants me know what happen next.
Kiba: We'll know soon enough.
Ryuu: Me wants me knows NOW!
Kiba: *sigh*

[Undying]

Your cliffhangers are so good, I swear it makes me want to stab you. I just can't stop thinking what the hell will happen next. Argh!

[Lex]

Guys you might be in luck today and tomorrow, I have a semester test tomorrow in the afternoon, in a subject I'm fail...:p: so this might not be the weekend edition but it'sstill a long one, enjoy, the first section of the story is nearly over!

There was a strange noise outside that woke me. It had sounded like a choked gurgle followed by a spray of water.
I got up and went to look at what was going on.
“What the hell!?” before me lay more human bodies, all ripped to pieces, their blood looking fresh in the morning sun.
I looked around to see what had made the mess but saw nothing except giant foot prints. They looked like the prints that Lizard-Lips usually left behind but I hadn’t seen him in a while.
“Guys! Get up and see this!” I called behind me.
Soon all four the occupants were standing in the snow looking at the bodies.
“What is doing this Uncle Jake?” asked Mike as he was being shielded from the sight by Steve.
“I don’t know but if I had to guess it would have to be something roughly Lizard-Lips size and general shape. God what a mess!”
“What should we do? Carry them off somewhere or send for the Daemons?” asked Bret.
“Do you see anyone brave enough in this camp to go and call the Daemons?” I asked, “Because I’m not going to do it.”
“Do what?” On turning we saw Lizard-Lips flying in, we could see his eyes narrow as he saw the bodies, “Again! Was it you lot this time? I swear…”
“It wasn’t…” I got cut off by a black shape leaping at the Daemon.
Both landed in a flurry of snow and an unearthly scream leapt to the air.
“Get back inside, now!” Steve shoved Mike and Bret back inside and followed suit, “Jake! Now!”
I looked over to where the Daemon had fallen…it looked like her was trying to wrestle with a giant fur ball…with teeth at least as long as my fore arm!
It screamed and Lizard-Lips screamed in pain as green blood appeared on in face as slashes opened the skin over his eye.
I was all for running and letting this beast have him but I stopped…where would that beast stop? If a powerful Daemon could fall to it, we humans stood no chance against it! I had to do something.
Looking around frantically for a weapon of some kind my eyes came to rest on a sword that lay on the ground. It’s black metal looked so harsh on the snow…again the screaming started…I needed to act now!
Though the sword was nearly the same length of my body I somehow found the strength to lift it and manoeuvre it. Once I was close enough I swung the sword out and it caught the side of the beast, tearing it away from it’s prey. It hit the ground rolling and quickly got to its feet growling.
It had no eyes, just red pits of fire and where I had thought it a ball of fluff was actually a winter coat covering the beasts large body, I saw two pairs of feet sticking out under it. Its teeth shone white against the black hole of abyss that formed its throat, a red tongue hanging out of it while it panted.
It swung its head around to see what had hit it and soon they rested on me. I just about had a heart attack as it came loping towards me. I tried to raise the sword but it simply clawed it away and snapped its teeth in my face, I smelt rotten blood…was this the thing that had attacked our people?
The weight of the beast caused me to stumble and fall over. It rolled free as I hit the snow with a thud, all the air that had been in my lungs had been knocked out, I lay gasping for breath until I heard the crunching of snow behind me. Quickly I leap to my feet and come face to snout with the beast, the heat from the flames of its eyes burned my face and I found myself taking off at a speed. I didn’t know where I was running to but I just wanted to get away from the terrible mistake I had made.
I felt it’s hot breath on my legs the whole time, it wasn’t letting up. In a split of a second my mind decided on its own that it had had enough.
It’s better to die this way than in the Daemon’s grasp.
I turned and found myself ramming my shoulder deep into the beast’s chest, it reared and fell to its back where a giant sword pinned it to the ground. It screamed in agony, it almost sounded human.
I watched it for a minute before it gave it’s final twitch and slumped.
I looked up at the person who had delivered the final blow and was surprised to see Lizard-Lips there. He looked awful, covered in the green stuff I took for his blood, and it looked like he had lost an eye.
“Just so that we’re clear…we’re even human.” He removed the weapon from the carcass and swung it my way, “Touch my sword again and you’re a dead human, are we clear?”
“Yes…”
“Get back to camp and no funny business.”
Trudging through the snow back I couldn’t help but get a glance of the beast that lay in the snow, it’s once glowing eyes were now slowly dimming.
“It’s a Hell Hound.”
“Excuse me?”
“Thought you asked what it was.” The Daemon refused to look me in the eye.
Once back in camp the work started again…and with that the questions.
“What happened?” Steve kept asking.
“I think Lizard-Lips saved my life.”
He laughed, “Lizard-Lips? No way, he probably did it to save his own life and you were lucky enough to get in the way. Well…what ever the reason you’re safe and that’s all that counts in the end.”

Later that evening as we were getting ready to get fed Lizard-Lips took hold of my shoulders and steered me away from the group, “Come!”
I didn’t argue.
“What have you been telling your friends?”
“Nothing…I said…you saved my life…” I was too tired to lie to him.
“Hmm…you were lucky, I was just trying to kill the beast.” He looked to the castle and growled, “Do…do…you like animals?”
“I guess…I had a dog…long ago.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“Yes, I like animals.”
“Come.” He strode ahead heading for the castle, I had trouble following him in the snow, “Hurry it up, it’ll be dark soon.”
On reaching the castle gates he looked up and said, “Humans aren’t allowed in here, remember that and our business will go well.”
“Business?”
“Come.” He turned to his left and marched around the castle’s perimeter until we came to another enclosure.
At first I thought there might be more humans in it but I heard wings flapping and squawking.
“Before I was ordered to round up your kind this was what I did. I breed them for the Master. They were my pride and joy! I hardly have time for them now and the Master grows impatient with me…” he shuddered, “It would seem that…that you might be someone I could trust with this important job.”
“But you hate humans, why trust me with a job that would seen to be very important to your life. I could screw up and get you killed…”
“Then you’re dead.” He turned and spat, “I hate this as much as what you do…trust me…I wouldn’t even have considered a human to do this but another one of my kind would just eat them. So…do you think you can handle this?”
“What is this?”
He picked me up by my shirt and lifted me so that I could see what was beyond the tall, wooded fence. My mouth dropped when I saw what was in it.
Hind quarters like a lion and torso like an eagle, beaks a bright orange, some black, all quite capable of tearing flesh from bone I was sure. On their furred backs were a pair of giant wings, there were all kinds of natural colours there.
“Oh my God! Are those…Griffons?” I asked, “I didn’t think they’d exist.”
“Like us?” Lizard-Lips stretched his neck so that he could see over the fence, he cooed softly and several griffons came of to the fence, each squeaking in delight at seeing their old Master again, “My babies…it’s been too long.”
“Oh wow…wow…I don’t know what to say.”
“Will you or will you not help me out?”
I thought a bit…the beasts looked a little too vicious for me, each was at least the size of a large horse, a very large, large horse.
“I…I don’t…”
“Let me make the decision easier for you.” He proceeded to hang me over the fence so that the griffons just had to jump to rip one of my legs off, no, not jump…skip!
“They haven’t been fed in days you know…”
“Alright! Alright! I’ll do it!” I wasn’t prepared to get eaten at the moment., I grabbed hold of the Daemon’s hand and pulled myself up to try and get away from the beasts.
The Daemon laughed and brought me back up over the fence, “Get back to your little friends, I’ll show you tomorrow what is needed of you.”
He threw me down and I hit the ground running, I few more than once on the way back.
“Oh…nearly didn’t make it there puny one.” Said a Daemon that looked as if it’s mismatched face had been sown together by a drunk with too many spare parts, it’s body shape was similar to that of Lizard-Lips but with more scars, “Lucky for you we expected to feed more of you but with the deaths this morning there is some spare food for you. Take and be grateful!”
I had a bowl shoved in my hand and I stumbled back to the lean-to.
No one asked questions about where I was during the meal, afterwards it was another story.
“What did he want?” asked Mike.
“Watch it!” said Steve, “You should be careful when speaking like that kid, really!”
“So what did happen Jake, you were gone for some time, we thought that Lizard-Lips had eaten you.” Said Bret.
I told them the weird story and it left them with gaping mouths.
“So what now? You do extra work or is this your work now?” asked Steve.
“I don’t know…it’s all to weird for me. This has been one of the worst days ever!”
“Well, not much we can do about your problem now, it’ll have to be sorted out by tomorrow.” Said Steve holding a finger to his mouth, “They’re lighting the lanterns now and looks like they are going to start putting guards on round the clock.”
Long after everyone had settled down to sleep I still found myself staring up into space.
I don’t understand…why did the Daemon do this? He had said we were equal…why give me this important job?
“I’ll never understand Daemons.” I whispered and rolled over onto my side and closed my eyes.

Cursed hound, stole my meal! All I got for my efforts was getting bitten. You wait…I’ll get you soon, you and all your off-spring. I’ll have to go to sleep hungry tonight…
Unless…yes, there’s an idea…hunt the Hell Hounds for food…some had escape the Daemons…where?
The air is cold again…smells like snow...Wait! I’ve picked up something…smells like hound.
Cave? I had wanted to sleep here, would have been eaten for all my trouble. No sound coming out of it but the scent is fresh…there’s another smell here…milk? Well…looks like I’ll be having young tonight…

The howls woke me from my sleep and I shivered, the Hell Hounds were on the loose again.

Like I promised, a long one! Enjoy guys. In about a weeks time you'll find out about the second part of Baldax's life before he became what he is today...

[Sanzora]

Hmmm... Interesting. Griffons sound nice :D I want one! Lol. But I see what you meant about Lizard-Lips. Nice Cahpter :)

[Undying]

Griffons O_o. But its great, and your characters also gain the complexity required to give the story more depth. Go on...

[Lex]

For those that don't know...

Griffons: Half eagle, half lion creatures, a type of Chimera.
Manticores: A type of chimera with a human face, lion body, snake/poison spike/stinger like tail.
Hydras: Snake like creature, with removal of head two grow in it's place.
Phoenix: the fire bird for those that don't know. The ever living bird that will always rise from it's ashes.

Sorry guys, I've written about these creatures for so long I have forget that some people don't know what they actually are.

[RyuuKiba]

I did know ^^. Only that manticores are too creepy for me and I re-design them when i use them.
Now I see that Lizard-Lips isn't such a bad Daemon... unless... OMFG! Lizard lips is actually a chick and fell in love with Jake! O_O... XD

The griffon thing's cool, maybe Daemons have all kinds of mythological creatures in their pens... I hope they got dragons. Hell Hounds are scary....

CAN'T WAIT FOR NEXT EDITION!

[Lex]

Luck's in guys! I'm here early and before my test so here's the next installment!

“They are tough creatures to get use to but you will.” Lizard-Lips had come to fetch me before work could even begin, pulled me right out of the lean-to.
He had then dragged me to the encampment by the castle and dropped me off near a huge door.
“All you need is in there, food, water, brushes, careful of brushing the feathers and fur the wrong way, you’re likely to lose an arm for that and I can’t afford to lose more brushes than I already have.”
I winched at the thought.
“I’ll show you how to handle them once, then you’re on your own so pay attention.” He opened the door and nudged me in with his foot.
The place was huge inside, also dark, smelled of horse manure and some kind of dry grass, kinda nice the grass. On looking around I saw stalls, like the kind you would expect at the stables but bigger.
“You didn’t think we ate them do you?”
“N…no.”
“Liar. But to tell the truth most of these are breed for the Master’s table, those that perform well are used in the fights or used to draw carriages for the high ups. Here.”
He opened another door and there stood several cows and cages upon cages of rodents.
“I’m having trouble breeding those big things but the little ones breed fast so I keep them handy for snacks.”
I looked at the cows and started laughing.
“What’s so funny human!? Did I say something amusing?”
“No…it’s just that…the fact that you’ve been having trouble breeding with the cows is that they’re all females.”
“Cows? So that’s what they’re called!” he rubbed his chin, “All females, that would explain a lot. Where to find a male? I wonder if any of the farms still stand somewhere. Maybe I must go trade some of mine…”
He was lost in thought so I went to have look at what was in the cages.
There hadn’t just been rodents like rats and mice but mammals like rabbits and what looked to be ferrets.
“Human!”
I turned to face the giant lizard.
“The door to your left leads to a platform where you can stand in safety to feed the griffons, do that until I return.” He turns to leave.
“How much do I feed them?”
“Three cages of the little fluffy things should do.”
“Three! Of those things? I can’t…” I stopped myself as I saw him touch his sword, “I’ll make do.”
“Good.” He grabbed one of the cows, that bellowed in terror and walked off.
Not sure of what I had to do I put my hand in the cage and caught one of the mice by the tail and quickly regretted it as it turned to bite me, I dropped it at once.
“Shit!” I ripped some fabric off of my coverings and wrapped the cloth around both of my hands and tried again.
This time I caught one and even though it tried to bite it only got a mouthful of cloth. Taking the door the Daemon had indicated I quickly found myself looking out over a pen full of griffons that lay huddled against the cold.
I looked at the mouse then at the griffons, “I should have let them eat me…”
I closed my eyes and threw the mouse into the pen. The pen came alive with snapping beaks and excited chatter. Slowly I opened my eyes to see to griffons trying to rip the dead mouse from the others beak.
Quickly I turned away and made my way back down the ramp to the cages. I was sickened at what I had had to do and found it difficult to hold my stomach contents down.
I sat down in front of the cage with one less mouse and hugged my legs, I was so tired of this! The pain of living just wasn’t worth it any more.
“It’s better to be dead than to do this!” I said putting my head to my knees.
“It’ll get better soon honey.”
I looked up but saw no one but someone had spoken. I got up and looked behind the cage, nothing.
“Am I finally going mad?”
“If you are then so am I…I’m hearing voices, you?” the voice sounded female and seemed to be coming from a stall at the back of the cages, right against the wall.
Slowly I made my way there and peered around stalls walls and froze, there in the straw lay a sand coloured griffon, orange beaked and white wings.
“Oh…you’re a human…so I wasn’t hearing voices.” She stood up and walked out of the stall to face me.
I feel to my rear end and sat quivering in fear.
“Did Salzoor tell you we eat human flesh or did he try to feed you to the others?”
“Ah…” I could find no words to communicate with, they lay frozen somewhere in my throat, seeing this beast from sitting position was enough to make me cry, she was huge.
“Don’t mind Salzoor, he might seem intimidating but he’s a real softy, trust me.”
“So you’re not going to eat me?”
“Heavens no! Not unless you want me to…do you?”
“No!”
“Calm down. What are you doing here anyway? Salzoor rarely lets anyone in here.”
“I’m supposed to be feed those out side but…but…” I stumbled to a stop, surprised to find tears of fear falling to my cheeks.
“I’ve gone and scared you…I’m so sorry…and I’m usually the timid one.” She laughed, it sounded like some kind of exotic bird song, “Come…let me help you feed the ruffians outside.”
She strode to the cages and started pushing the one I had been at, “Come on, Salzoor is a softy but if you don’t do what he has asked you then you will be killed.”

Not much of a cliff hanger but I think these editions are getting a bit long...but if you like...first person to ask for the next edition gets me to put it up today in stead of monday...

[Sanzora]

Ooo, oo, pick me! I'll ask! Could we have the next edition? PLLLLLLLEEEEEEAAAASSSSSSSEEEEEEE???????

Really nice griffon... I'm guessing that's Grif? Her personality seems familiar. I like the way you chose her colours, she sounds beautiful. Yet another awsome chapter :D

[Lex]

Nope, not Grif! I'm writing that part now. This is someone else...
Next edition! Yeah!

Some how I found the strength to stand up and go to her. Between the two of us we were able to get the cage to the top of the platform.
She put her head over the side and gave a squeak, the others came running, all busy with their own language.
“Forgive them, they can’t speak your language like I can. They say one mouse isn’t enough to feed them all.”
I laughed out of nervousness.
She and I spent a good hour tipping the cages contents into the pen and once that was done we went back inside her stall.
“Forgive the mess, I’m not much of a cleaner.” She padded around in the stall for a bit and lay down, “That’s better, it’s not easy being a mother of a brood.”
“Brood?” I looked around, I didn’t see any young..
“Eggs deary, we lay eggs.” She said wearily, she slowly rose to her feet again, “Look…you know what eggs are though, right?”
There is the hay lay three eggs, all a light cream colour.
“Oh wow, how long till they hatch?”
“A few weeks or so.” She sat down again with a grunt, “I’m too old to carry on doing this.”
“You don’t look so old.”
“I’m older then you that’s for sure! I’m older than even your natural life span. This will be my last brood…”
“Human!”
Jumped to my feet and turned to see Lizard-Lips, Salzoor, entering the building, this time with a bull in tow.
“This is the male correct?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” He dumps the bull in with the cows and turns to me, “And this? Don’t tell me you are done already?”
“I am. Three cages of mice to the outside Griffons.”
“Hmm…” he didn’t seem impressed, “Get away from there before she bites your head off.”
I inclined my head to the female griffon in thanks and made my way to Salzoor.
“Let’s get you better kitted out, the threads you are wearing will not protect you from the others.”
“Others?”
“The Manticors, Drakes, I heard some dragons were brought in the other night…and a single breeding pair of Phoenix’s…did I miss something?”
”The Hydra’s Salzoor.” Said the Griffon.
“Of course! What would I do without you Gehetah?”
“Forget to feed us is what.” She came out of her stall, “They haven’t had their swamps cleaned in weeks! I’ve had to keep order amongst them and I tell you it wasn’t easy.”
“Gehetah, not in the boy’s language.” He snarled.
“I will speak in whatever language I wish and if you want him to live longer than what he already has I suggest you let him learn yours or he’ll never learn what to do with the others.”
“I don’t know why I let you speak to me like this…” he sighed, “Fine, fine! Kitted out tomorrow…for now you can practice brushing Gehetah.”

For weeks Salzoor and Gehetah taught me how to look after the menagerie of creatures that were kept here. I was also lucky enough to start learning the language of the Daemons, it was difficult to learn but with threats on one side of me and reassurance on the other side it helped a lot!
I was even lucky enough to meet Gehetah’s brood, three perfectly ugly babies. The top have looking like a baby bird and the lower part of a young lion, each at least the size of my forearm!
“How beautiful.” Cooed Gehetah, “My most beautiful to date.”
“If you say so.”
“What do you know human?” she laughed, “Your young look ugly to me! So I guess that makes us equal. What do you say that I let you name one?”
“Salzoor will never allow it!”
“He won’t know you named it. I’ll say I came up with the name. So..?”
“How about Griffith, this one!” I pointed to a young one that had it’s white feathers rimmed by black.
“Very well, strange name but Griffith it is. Griffith, meet your uncle.” We had laughed then.
Though I had been given new closes, mostly to protect me from the manticore’s tails, that looked a lot like a mace, I never took it back with me to the Encampment, I couldn’t do that to the other people who weren’t so lucky.

A few weeks after the birth I came back down to the lean-to and collapsed, I was exhausted! Those young Griffons had tired me out with their new ability to fly. Salzoor had to teach me to clip their wings.
“You look beat Uncle Jake.” Said Mike coming into the lean-to.
“Tell me about it! I have sore muscles where I didn’t think even existed.” I rolled over to my stomach, even that hurt, “I wish I could show you how active those little things are!”
“Love to see them but with work...and not to mention Salzoor threatening to rip your head off, I doubt I’ll be able to see them.” He sits down, nursing a new cut.
“You better have that looked at by Steve or it’ll infect.”
“Don’t you know?” he looked at me in surprise.
“Know what?”
“Steve’s gone.”

Told you'd hate me Sanz...it gets better next week!

[Sanzora]

Yep yep... That's me hating you round about now... Thanks for putting up the next edition so soon though! :p Ok, so Griffith is the baby one. Cool. I like! Can't wait to see how she turns out!

[Lolable]

OMG!LEX ill kill you ;_;
thx for the two chapters but why did you stop when steve left?;_;
we need one soon
and finally we know Grif xD

[Undying]

Poor Steve. I don't think I'll ever understand how losing a friend feels (I pray to whatever God is listening that such a thing never happens to me!) but this sure makes the story real.

BTW Lex, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind seperating speech with a space? This amkes reading a lot easier.

[RyuuKiba]

O.O WOAH! So that's griff... I was expecting... something else, but a Griffon's cool too! Hey, they said Steve was gone... not dead... I mean, gone might mean dead, but Steve isn't dead... is he?

[Lex]

Morning all! Glad you people are liking what's happening...except the Steve lovers, guys this has to happen for Baldax to get on with the next part of his life.
Undying I'll try the extra spacing for you but I pretype most of this at home I don't get a lot of time on the internet. I'll try soon.
Well guys here's the next edition!

“What do you mean gone? You mean gone or gone, gone?”
“He left before you left this morning and by the time we got up this morning he hadn’t come back…later this afternoon I over heard some Daemons talking about a body that lay in the forest, totally chewed apart!”
“But…it can’t be Steve, he’d never get caught!” I sat up, “How sure are you that it was Steve’s body?”
“No one else was missing this morning…I thought you knew…” he looked to his feet and I saw tears hit the ground.
“I have to see this for myself.” I got to my feet and made my way to the exit.
“It’s no use, the body was taken to the castle.”
“But why?”
“I don’t know…I wish I did.”
We sat in silence for a long time before Bret came in, from his face I could tell that what Mike had said was true.
“We’ll have to make due without him. He was a good man but I doubt he’d like to see us like this. He gave his life for us so the least we could do is repaying him by living it!” was all he had said before he had turned over and gone to sleep.
The silence hung like a death shroud over the lean-to that night and I even had to stay up to comfort Mike. Eventually he fell asleep and I was left wondering what was going to happen now…I was the only one that knew the route to the food and clothes and if that was no longer safe then how was I going to support these people.
“Hate to say it Steve but I don’t think we’re going to make it without you, I’ll try but no promises…” then I too fell asleep.

They had grown well, become very strong…good hounds. Their mother had been a feast on her own and the pups had shown great courage trying to protect her…but I was too strong. They were now my hunting hounds, they brought the food to me…this was like my old life…what had my old life been?
I hear them howling…they had gone hungry the last few days, the food was getting scarce as the winter season waned on, even I had started to feel my bones protruding.
Enough! I refuse to go hungry…the camp? Yes, it should still be there…there are still humans there…probably as bony as us but a meal none the less.
Come my hounds, the time is now! Let us feast!

There was a tearing sound right by my ear and I jumped sky high!
“What the…” the rest of my sentence died as I saw the creature.
A Hell Hound at least as big as the last one I had had to fight.
“Everyone up!” I screamed and stormed to my feet but nothing else stirred.
I looked over to where Mike and Bret lay but only saw more Hell Hounds.
“No…” there wasn’t anything I could do…my mind was screaming at me to run but my legs wouldn’t work.
Then the screams started out side, horrible sounds that cut through my head like a knife. My brain shut down in fear and my legs started working. I rushed past the beast out into the snow. It was still dark, the only light to be seen was that of the lanterns and in all of the light spots were Hell Hounds.
Where had they come from? What were they doing here?
That was answered by a person running by me and the Hound that had been behind me leapt over my head to drag the screaming woman down. The screams were cut short by the sickening crunch of teeth on bone…I struggled to come to terms with what was happening. It was like a kaleidoscope of death images and furry creatures.
“Don’t stand there you fool, I still need you to do my work! Defend yourself.” Shouted a Salzoor as he came swooping in and forcing me into the snow as another beast tried to take my head off, “Come on!”
Blood…snow…everywhere, my brain didn’t want to see what was happening and slowly I felt consciousness slipping from me…the blackness…all consuming…
Then there was pain…a sharp pain…and it only got worse…so bad that I screamed and consciousness was granted to me.
I was on my stomach in the snow, what had happened? Then the pain started again…it was in my leg.
I roll to my back and see that a Hell Hound was busy trying to tear my left leg to pieces with its teeth, I could already see some bone.
“Kill my family then try to eat me? I won’t forgive you!” I used my good leg to kick it in the face.
It gave a shrill whine and backed off…looking at me with hate burning in its eyes. I got to my feet, painfully aware of my half eaten leg.
“Eat me will you, eat me!” I don’t know what came over me! I attacked it.
The beast was so surprised it didn’t even move1 I wrapped my arms around its muscular throat and squeezed. Once it realized what was happening it tried to struggle but I tightened my grip and that caused it to snap its own neck.
I let the limp body fall to the ground and looked around, the Daemons had all arrived and were trying to keep the beasts back but were having a hard time doing it.
Need something…something…I looked around, I had no weapon and if I didn’t get one soon that would be the end of me.
My eyes caught sight of the castle and with that the enclosure of the animals.
“Of course! The Manticors!”
I remembered what Salzoor had told me about them. They were the beasts that ate everything, whether it was dead or alive. And nothing would be left of a creature they consumed…but would it work? Salzoor had also warned me that they were sly and very intelligent. But I was desperate.
“Human! Protect the beasts.” Shouted Salzoor, “Go!”
I ran, pain or no pain I had to get there. Either side of me ran Hell Hounds, they were hunting me! The air burnt as it entered my lungs and my muscles protested under the strain but I had to get there! Several times I fell and the beasts would jump and some how every time I managed to dodge them.
By the time I reached the castle walls I had at least 5 of the beasts just about on top of me. I stopped to catch my breath a two flew at me, I ducked and they flew into the wall with a sickening crunch and didn’t get up from ground again. Fear gnawed at my insides and my stomach threatened to expel what I had last eaten. Cold sweat slid down my face and I heard every heart beat and breathe.
“This one is clever, he will make a fine meal for our master.” Said one
“Yes, master will like very much.”
I looked at the two in surprise, they had both spoken Daemon tongue, no beast could learn it without a master to teach it to them.
“Come now human, it’s not that bad to be killed…a little nip here a GIANT BITE THERE!” another leapt but I was running already.

Well there you have it! I'm starting a ramdom fan club so you guys can post more ideas or ask questions if you like.
By the way competion closes this friday, so send in those describtions while you can!
Enjoy!

[Sanzora]

Another great addition to the story :D Pity Steve left... But somehow I don't think that was his body in the forrest... :eek13:

[Lolable]

I have abad feeling about this chapttie :3
since the pm you sent me :(
but ill read it later when I save it then tell you what is my impression ;3

but i have abad feeling its Steve..;_;


EDIT:why?;_; you killed them all ;_;
meanie :3
comeon waiting for the next chaptie ;3
btw consider me one of your FC members ;3

[Kootje]

It's really good, looking forward to more of your work

[Lex]

Sorry to tell you guys but it was Steve's body in the forest but there is a story about it later. You should actually be asking why was the body taken to the castle, really captain, thought you'd see through my plot, you always do :rolleye09

[SLVR]

My first time sharing any kind of work with the world so don't be too harsh on it.

I stand here...alone, the way it had always been in the past. My sword, now stained with the blood of the innocent...now damned. My armour, no more than a memory as it barely hangs on by sheer will.
This reflects the world around me. There is nothing here though there once was.
"How did this come to pass?" I ask myself, "Where did it all go wrong?"
Slowly...the past reveals itself once more to me.
War...but not just any war, it couldn't have been, it was too quick, too deadly.
It took less than a week and the human populace was chopped in half!
In order to survive? Fight, kill...or at least learn to...fast!
But who were these that killed with precision that left a mouth gaping but no soul was longer there?

That's the opening paragraph...I haven't gotten any further. Tell me what you think.Very good story. So good I gave you rep

[RyuuKiba]

So Steve's dead... and probably Bret and Mike are dead too. Everyone's dying! X_X I bet griffith won't die, she can't die. Salzoor might not die too. Can't wait for next ep.!!!!!!!

[Lex]

I see I have a new member to my reading club, welcome SLVR, V.C you are more than welcome to join my FC. Anytime, you can even ask questions if you like...it just depends on whether I answer them or not.
Next edition guys!

I pushed the door of the enclosure open and slammed it shut on the snout of the leader, with a howl he retreated as I closed and locked the door fully. I heard banging on the other end, the beasts were throwing themselves against the door trying to break it down.
“What is going on!?” demanded a sleepy Gehetah, she came padding towards me with her three young ones in tow.
“Hell Hounds, in a huge pack…or whatever their collective is. They’re everywhere, they are killing anything that moves! I…I think everyone is dead…”
“Your people or mine?”
“I don’t know…I don’t know…” my brain was on the verge of failing again.
“Pull yourself together boy! This isn’t the time to panic! You three go back to the stall and stay there! You’re with me!” she caught her beak on my arm and pulled me towards the feeding ramp, “Come on!”
Once outside again I could see the mayhem going on below us. Fires had started in or on the lean-to’s. The only things still standing were the Daemons and the Hell Hounds, I saw no humans. I found Gehetah busily talking to here companions.
“What are we going to do?”
“Not we, you.” She ran down the ramp again, “There isn’t much we can do since we can’t fly but you on the other hand have fingers, pardon pun, where we have useless wings. Come on! No time to waste.”
She took me round to the other pens and stopped at the Manticors, “Tell them.”
“Why me?”
“Because I don’t like the way they look at me.” She cowered.
I sighed and peered over the wall at the sleeping Manticors, “Wake up you lot!”
“Go away human, we are trying to rest.” Mumbled one.
“Yes go away.”
One got up and padded towards us, “You disturb us by day and night now? What is your problem?”
The human faces still creeped me out but I swallowed my fear and spoke up, “I need your help.”
“What!?” was the reaction of both Gehetah and the Manticors.
“You didn’t say you needed their help.” Gehetah pulled at my pants leg, “What did Salzoor teach you!?”
“Look Gehetah! I’m not ready to die yet…”
“We smell blood…is it yours? Can we have it?” purred the Manticors.
“No! Butt out! Let me open the argument by saying this is a really back idea! Don’t do it.”
“Gehetah I must. I don’t know what else to do.”
“Is there death outside?” asked the Manticors, “I smell death, of your kind and our masters.”
“Death?”
“Yes with blood and chaos.”
Morbid murmurs echoed through the pen and the creatures stirred to stand before me.
“You’ve started something I can’t stop.” Said Gehetah, “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“So do I…” I mumbled.
“What is it you wish of us human?” asked the one that had stood before me, “Hurry for I hear claws scratching away at the front gate…”
“Gehetah your babies!”
“I’m going!” she turned and ran off.
“Is there a gate down there that will lead you guys outside?” I asked the creatures.
“Yes…but the control panel is in here…with no protection and bleeding…do you want to risk it?”
“Stop playing games, I’m being serious!”
“So are we…so are we…”
With Gehetah gone I couldn’t find out the truth but I couldn’t trust them…could I?
“Alright…” I pulled myself up onto the gate and dropped over into the pen, the way I had always done it but without protection this time, “Where?”
The front Manticors padded towards me, I could see it’s spiked tail swinging in glee and I hoped if it was going to eat me it would at least give me the chance to open the gate for them.
“Oh…so much faith…makes me want to help you.” It purred and rubbed up against my shoulder, “Let this be the last time you ask us a favour.”
“Yes, it’ll be as you wish..”
“The panel is this way.” He, I think it was a he, showed me the wheel I had to turn to raise their gate, “Turn it this way.”
I didn’t even ask if I could trust him I just did. The cogs were rusted, even in the short time that it had been here, so it was tough going at first.
“Put some back into it!”
Finally I got the door open and they stormed out, except the one that had spoken to me.
“Let it be known that we could have killed you if we saw fit.”
“It is known.” I nodded my head.
Then he was gone.


Hope you enjoyed, it gets interisting from here.

[Sanzora]

/me Shivers.
Geez... those things are creepy... I can't wait to see what happens! Pity he now owes the Manticors one though...

[Lex]

You'll see how it ends...there's a reason I put Baldax in the Manticores debt, later he'll need it to snap out of a an illution he had put himself in, busy with that now...glad you like it though.

[MasterWordSmith]

Heh, I just read the whole thing from beginning to end! o.O

Overall I thought it was pretty good. You are much better at writing stories my friend. :)

I thought the dashes of elipses (otherwise known as "...") were EXTREMELY overdone. Not just like you used them too much, WAY too much. Nobody talks with that much mystery and pauses, at least, not anyone I know. Narate for the pauses insted of just puting a "...". Also, I think you should run through it with your own eyes and just look for grammer mistakes. I saw quite a few.

It's not really my ideal place for a story, but it's still well written, GJ bro. :)

[RyuuKiba]

Damn, manticores frak me out X_X. But at least they didn't kill Baldax. But kow he owes them. I wonder if the payment will be... bloody.

Did the master eat manticores?! EWWWWWwwwww

[Lex]

I was waiting for you MasterWordSmith...you might not like the way I write but this is an actual story I want to get published soon, thus the talking. Narrating only really works well in short stories...I'll try and find my short story on Revenge is sweet and post that, then you'll see what I mean...Any way, next editon, enjoy!

I had trouble getting back over the fence with my leg but eventually I made it and stumbled my way down to the main holding area, where Gehetah was.
When I got there all I heard was the bellowing of the cows and furious shrill squeaks of the rodents. There was blood here, I could smell it but in the dim light I could see nothing.
“Then let me be your eyes.” Something jumped against my chest and I went straight to my back with the weight still on me, “Struggle and it’ll hurt more.”I tried to roll one way but found a set of teeth deeply embedded in my right shoulder, the pain was so intense I couldn’t help but scream.
“That’s right, the master likes his prey to scream…gives him a kick!” the teeth had let go but the pain didn’t.
“Let go you flea bitten dog!” I tried digging my free hand into it’s chest but was only met by hard muscle, I couldn’t make it budge!
It roared in laughter and snarled in my face, “It is of no use! This is the end for you.”“No…” the desperation of not wanting to die caused tears to flow freely across my face, “I don’t want to die yet!”
“Boy!” it was Gehetah but I could see her nowhere but felt something get placed on my chest.
“Back off freak!” it reared to swipe at something.
For a second the beast was off of my chest and I grabbed the object that lay there. It was a dirk of some kind., I knew what I had to do.
Turning the blade up I waited to the Hell Hound to use it’s own weight to impale it.
It screamed in pain and reared, tearing the blade from my grip. I found myself crawling to a wall to have something to protect my back and looked around. I saw nothing but heard the sounds of a fight. I assumed it was that of Gehetah and the last two Hell Hounds that had followed me.
I looked over to where I had left the injured Hell Hound, it now was lying on the floor twitching in death spasms, whining as it did so.
Finding some deeply buried courage I approached it and took hold of the knife and pulled it free.
“The master…he…he…is…here.” And with that it died.
“Master? Surely not ours…” I turned to see another beast, this one smaller than the one I had just killed, and I stood ready to defend myself.
“It is done, the master will have you.” It howled, such a spine chilling sound, then ran off.
Once I was sure it was gone I fumbled around to find flint and some rags. Once I had that there was some light, I quickly lit the nearby torches.
“Gehetah!” I called but there came no answer.
I ran to the stall and stopped, blood and feathers littered the area, “No…”
Slowly I walked to the stall, still with my eyes on the floor with all the blood. I looked into the stale and my heart shattered! Two broken little bodies of Gehetah’s youngest, I felt the tears threatening to spill but I wouldn’t let it! I refused!
“Gehetah!?” I called with more urgency but there was still no answer, “GEHETAH!?”
Then…softly at first then louder I heard little squeaks…I follow them and come across another sad sight. Gehetah…without her wings nursing her last baby.
“It’s alright.” She cooed in Daemon to the baby, “It’s alright…I can live like this.”
“Oh man…Gehetah.” I knelt next to her, trying not to see the horrible wounds on her back.”
“I’ll live.” She said and tried to get to her feet, “The fighting has stopped.”
“Gehetah…I’m…”
“My babies…are they alright?” she looked around and called for them.
“Stop it, they’re gone, they were killed.”
“My babies…my babies!” she cried and tried running to the stall, I tried to hang on but she pulled free of me.
I notice the baby left was Griffith as he too tried to run after his mother, him I could at least hang onto. Good thing I did.
As Gehetah entered the stall and cried out in anguish at the sight of her dead children something stepped out of the shadows. My heart stopped dead when I saw the sheer size of it, “GEHETAH!”
But it was too late, one clawed hand came down and easily cleaved her head from her shoulders, as the head rolled it took the body a few seconds to realize it was now dead and then it too dropped.

If it makes you cry or swear in fury I have done my job, enjoy, remeber there in now a FC so that you can ask questions or challenge my actions.

[Sanzora]

That's sad... I can understand why Grif and Baldax become so close, they've both lost everything now.

[Icestorm]

ok i just read three of the latest entries, and wow you've put everything together so well! You connected everyone's places and created a flowing storyline, that is very much at its climax right now! and by story i ofcourse mean the short story he is retelling, because I expect the main story to go longer :D cant wait till your next entry!

[Lolable]

Lex..;_;
man you are torturing me :/
why first steve now..;_;
dammit
NEXT EDITION
Hurry!!!! :p

[Lex]

Guys what is it with you guys and Steve...? At this rate you're going to make me give away the secret! It's too good to give away yet! Alot still has to happen before...can't tell you yet!

[MasterWordSmith]

Interesting stuff. There was a bit too much repitition in one of the sections it gave me a headache lol. Too much use of the word "babies"!
but that's just nit-picking. Good writing, hope to see more soon.

[Undying]

Pssh. Good. Not superultra good though. Cliffhanging ok, but...

[RyuuKiba]

That was quite the bloodshed... Grifith didn't die, as I had thought, Salzoor hasn't been seen and there's a freakin huge griffonkillingmonster of a kind. Great cliffhanger! The edition's a bit short... I bet that anyone reading it from start till now will cry. Awsome once again ^^

[Lex]

Sorry for the bad writing lately guys, I've had to pretypr most of the stuff late at night with all the tests I've been having and there might not have been an edition today due to my martial arts class last night but I got it done...try to enjoy this time round.

“Meat…meat, fresh meat. It is good, very good.” The beast went to it’s haunches and stuck it’s face into the wounds on Gehetah’s back, “Nice, yes…nice, still warm…”
The young Griffon huddled closer to me as the scent of his mother and blood filled the air. Slowly I edged him to the door and slowly I followed him.
“And where do you think you are going?” said the beast, not even looking up, “You didn’t think it would be that easy to kill one of my little ones and get away with it did you?”
So it had noticed me…I stood still and kept Griffith close. The tearing of flesh sickened me but what else could I do?
“You…you smell…like something of my past…something I can’t grasp but it’s there.” It looked up at me and I felt my heart stop for a second.
I had seen that face before…nightmares of a time I wanted to forget…never to relive! Ever! But could it be…I…I was…sure…so sure that…no…it couldn’t be!
Griffith scratched at my good leg, sensing my sudden change but I was too…terrified to even move.
“Not just in smell…I’ve seen you but…where? And when? Makes no difference…you are just a human and of no value.” It gets up from it’s meal, it’s reptilian teeth shining in blood, “All that is left now if for you to roll over…and play dead.”
I watched this lumbering creature approaching me, refusing to believe it still lived, yet with every step it came closer I saw that my assumption had been wrong, all th