Psychotic Exile

[Felix]

Ok A little explanation here. I removed the original little prologue bit. One, I didn't like it, two, I wanted to put this scene here. So ok. Just a little update. I'm still recovering from writer's block. Sorry I'm writing this so slow guys! Anyway, here ya go, I hope to get the next bit up soon.


Anji stared down the inside of his eyelids, fighting back the blackness that threatened to drag him under. He nearly succumbed, but clarity eventually crept back in.

He was sprawled face down on a thick plank of wood, drifting somewhere in the middle of a huge lake. The shore whatched him lazily from the foggy distance, and seagulls gently cooed their songs. Light flooded his pupils as he lifted his head and tried to oirentate himself. Ripples nudged against his shredded body, water and blood merging. His sanity faltered and flickered from the loss of fluids. Somewhere behind him the boy heard a muffled splash. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the board again. A hand wrapped about his ankle, then he was jerked under, and water enveloped him...

~§~

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Anji wondered if he had drowned. He felt like he was floating, high in the sky. His eyes flicked open. Was this a dream? He was perched on a large fluffy cloud, its soft embrace warming his soul. Far below him sat a lone quiet city. Its dim lights stretched up toward him, inviting him closer. His grip on the lacy cloud-bed softened. Anji toppled foward and fell. Air tore past his face as the city rose to meet his plummet. He snapped to a stop before a small dark house. A tiny fluttering light illuminated the musty windows. Anji took a tentative step foward. The door whipped open with a heavy thud and a young woman tumbled out. She scrambled backwards, slipped, and fell hard into the mud. "No! Stay away you slug! You can't have him!"

A carefree laugh drifted from within and a tall man stepped lightly through the doorway. Black markings formed odd symbols on his face. He sneered at her from beneath the dismal night-shaded cloak draped over his shoulders and head. "Isn't that grand? Because you already gave him to me." A scythe-like weapon appeared in his hand. "Oh wait, I'm getting ahead of myself." He let out an strange sound that resembled a giggle. The weapon flashed through the air. A scream sliced into Anji's mind and the woman crumpled.

"Mom!" He shouted from where he had hidden.

The man didn't flinch, didn't glance at Anji, didn't even notice him. He merely nudged the fresh corpse with his foot. "Huh...put up a better fight than the husband, I suppose."

Anji's heart cried out to the dead woman. Why did this happen?

The heartless man picked up a wad of blankets from the woman's lifeless grasp. The cloth fell away, revealing a small, calm baby. It stared unblinking into the man's eyes. He snarled with hatred. "Disgusting, retarded little thing. Barely worth the effort."

The man procured a knife from his cloak and none-to-gently proceeded to cut a small incision in the baby's side. It flinched but did not cry out. He touched two fingers to the wound, coming away with a dab of blood. "So young." He said to himself.

The man uttered a few words under his breath, then touched the same two fingers to the tip of his tongue. He ran his tongue across the roof of his mouth, then set the baby down in the mud. "Now, little one, you are mine." The man flashed a smile before stalking off into the night.

Anji shut his eyes tight to the scene. He subconciously touched his side. His old scar. Anji's head swam. He sat down hard, swaying. Sleep washed over him, and he toppled sidewise in the prickly grass.

[Photosoph]

That's a really cool opening, Felix. ^_^ It has a lot more mystery and intrigue than the other one, but I also liked how the other one introduced the idea of him having an illusion. Then again, if you've changed the idea from him having an illusion to something else, then that's not really applicable anymore. ^_^"

Don't worry about writing it slow -sometimes projects progress over a longer time rather than a shorter one -also sometimes, if you stop writing for a while, when you come back to it you can take it up again with fresh ideas.

[Felix]

Oh...well this isn't an opening. It's a continuation from where he just blacked out in the flood. I didn't want to start getting into his past till a little bit into the story, and I didn't take out the whole beginning, just the part with his parents at the very beggining. You can go see what I edited if you're still confused. Oh and thank you!

[Photosoph]

-No problem!
I see; but I'll go back and read where you tie it in.

[mastersquirrel]

Very interesting writing. I'm anticipating more great things! The way you described these scenes was very well done and I anxiously await the next update. Well done!

[Felix]

Thanks guys. ^^


Anji gulped down air. It felt like he hadn't breathed in days. How long had he been underwater? The sunlight felt strange and refracted as it touched him, spreading gentle warmth throughout his body. He lay still, letting the total silence wrap about him.

Suddenly he was aware of a strange sensation. Drifting? His eyes flicked open. Water suddenly brushed into his vision. The grey-blue depths swirled about him, tugging at his garments. Anji panicked.

He tried to swim up to the surface but if there even was a surface, he was far too deep to reach it. Strangely enough, there was no pressure in his mind, in fact the water was warm and comforting. He stopped thrashing. Am I going to die? His lungs were pounding in his ears now, screaming for sweet oxygen. Anji's body quivered in a final moment of dread, then he relaxed and let the water creep into his breath. Water flooded his throat and trachea. He jammed his eyes shut.

No pain. He wasn't suffocating. There was air in his lungs! Anji exhaled slowly, tentatively. Bubbles spread out from his mouth and skittered upward. In shock, Anji pulled in more water. It felt like water, tasted like water, but the moment it passed into his lungs it became air. Enthralled by this revelation, the boy greedily sucked in water and breathed it out. The air felt so crisp and clean. He grinned with joy and paddled through the water, exploring. It did not feel uncomfortable against his eyes, and he discovered as he drank it that it was the sweetest and freshest water he had tasted in his lifetime.

Yet nowhere could he see bottom nor surface to this endless sea. The thought scared him. Would he remain here, drifting aimlessly in the magic water, for an eternity? He had to get out.

As if on cue, a hand touched his shoulder gently. He whirled around.

Dry land.

He was on dry land now. Or so he assumed. The distinction between air and water had become fuzzy to him. He inhaled, feeling strangely dissapointed at how ordinary it felt to breathe air again. A revelation struck Anji as plainly as a stick to the head. He was healed. Eyes wide with amazement, Anji jerked off what remained of his shirt. His skin had a nice healthy tone to it, no wounds. No blood.

Anji observed the island he now found himself on. It seemed to be somewhere in the middle of the same lake he had awoken in earlier, and most likely the same lake he had just been breathing. He stared at the soft waves with a new respect. What kind of lake was this?

The air was eerily still. Muggy. Dragonflies flittered lazily about among the scattered flowers. Several young palm trees rested about the island, no breeze to stir the listless leaves. One tree in particular caught Anji's eye. It was considerably larger than the rest, positioned smack in the middle of the island. The thick, weather-worn trunk was riddled with wedge shaped grooves about the base. It was a time-keeping system. Several yards higher, large words were carved into the tree's husk. Anji took a step backwards and scanned the words.

Every passage will have a cause. Every choice will have a consequence. Every soul will have a demise. Every beginning will have an end.

The heavy silence weighed on Anji, infecting his thoughts. He whirled around at the sound of a soft footstep behind him.

"Have a nice nap?" There was an older-looking man sitting cross-legged on the sand and fiddling with a fishing pole. He had a greying beard, and thick eyebrows that framed his kind brown eyes.

"I'm sorry sir, I didn't see you there."

He chuckled. "That's cuz I weren't here till jus' now. I did see you snoozin' though. Seems you have a real nack for washin' up on beaches, no?"

"How did you know-?" Anji began

"Oh don't mind me, word gets around. The name's Bill, by the by. What's yours?"

"Um...it's Anji."

Bill wound a peice of string around the top of the pole and proceeded to bait a small hook. He smiled at Anji from behind his beard. "Anji, huh? I should have known."

Anji glanced up at the words on the tree again. "Do you live here, Mr. Bill?"

Bill had managed to get his fishing pole all set. "Oh no, not here." He replied as he got to his feet. "I jus' come here to fish, it's one of the best places around, and so serene." Bill tossed his line out into the water." You're sure lucky I chose today to come out and fish. I'll be going back to town before long, and Merlock said you might need a lift, so how's about it?"

Anji watched the string drift in the water, occasionally jerking or twitching as a fish somewhere decided to take a nibble. "Excuse me sir, Merlock?"

Bill nodded. "Mermaid king, or so he calls himself. Rarely shows himself. According to ol' Merley, his daughter found you floating in the lake, bleedin' like heck. It looks to me like they fixed you up good."

Anji glanced down at his chest. "Mermaids did this?"

"You bet. They're masters of the healing magic." Bill's line suddenly gave a sharp tug. "Woah!" He yelled, pulling hard on the pole. A few moments later, there was a flouder-like fish wriggling in the sand. Bill grinned. "Hey there's another pole over by the boat there on the other side. Wanna help me fish? Maybe you can tell me a bit more about yourself."

[Photosoph]

Thanks guys. ^^ And yes, the mermaids wear tops, in case anyone wonders. <.< >.>;

Muwhahaha, yes, plot advancement!

This is such a cool idea; I love the breathing water part, and your descriptions of the lake and his shock that he can breath underwater... very cool. ^_^ Often I have dreams where I'm drowning, then suddenly remember that I can breathe and it turns from a nightmare to a cool dream. This part of the story really brings that to mind.

[Felix]

Thank you kindly! *tips hat* I had fun writing this section.
Yeah I actually had those sorts of dreams in mind as I wrote. That's what got me to thinking of it. ^_^ I'll try and get going on the next installment very soon.

[Photosoph]

Sweet! It's so cool to know someone has those sorts of dreams too. ^_^ I was wondering while reading whether that was part of what had inspired you or not.

It'll be cool to see more when it's ready.

[mastersquirrel]

Interesting. I'm certainly starting to wonder about all these jumps to different worlds, it's certainly... interesting. I'm enjoying this a lot, and I await the next installment.

[Felix]

Sorry about the lull guys. I've been doing a lot of other things in my life like hockey and guitar and school and such. I've worked some on this, and I'll be taking my last post in a different direction, so heads up. It shouldn't take too long for me to have another section done, depending on when I find time and feel creative.

[Felix]

Alrighty. Finally got some stuff written. It's taken me a long time to actually move foward because I have been tweaking the rest of it a bit. I actually went back and changed the beginning. (I know, I'm sorry, just bear with me ^^; )
Explanation. I have taken out the old guy, um... Matthias, I think. You'll see why I took him out, but I introduce a character that is a lot like him (See the last section I posted before this one.) And I have changed around things between Anji and the girl. If you don't wanna be confused later, I suggest you go back and reread the beginning sections. ^^; Again, I'm sorry, I just like it better this way.
I might not leave the girl's name as Anna, because it's so close to Anji, but we'll see. Thanks guys.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The two of them sat side-by-side on the bank, fishing the afternoon away. At some point, Anji cast another glance at the tree. "Do you know what those words mean?"

Bill followed his gaze. "Them? I never could quite figger it out. I'm sure they mean something, though! What do you make of them?"

"Me? I don't know...I guess-"

"Hey looks like you've got one!" Bill interrupted.

Soon they were caught up in landing the fish, and Anji didn't give the words much more thought.

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

Towards the end of the day, Anji had grown to be good friends with the amiable fisherman. Bill was observing their catch of fish with a calculating eye. "Boy, having you here has sure been a great help! Thanks a million, pal. I'll have to make it up to you, maybe buy you a shirt?"

Anji looked down at himself, then grinned sheepishly.

Bill chuckled. "Gimme a hand getting these beauties into the boat, then we can be off!"

Anji ran over and grabbed the other end of the net. They hauled the fish into the little wood boat, then climbed inside. Bill looked back at the island. "I always hate leavin this little place. An island within an island, almost poetic, isn't it?" He gave the boy a playful nudge, then took a paddle and pushed the boat off into the water.

Anji watched the water glide past the sides of the boat. "Are there none of those fish here? The ones that are dangerous?"

Bill tossed him an odd look. "Oh...no, not in the lake. The lake is protected... from most things. You don't need to worry, anyway. You seem to have enough on your plate as it is."

Anji frowned slightly, watching the water still. The setting sun sent glimmery patterns of light dancing across the wavering surface. The sky darkened slowly, evening approaching. The only sound was the repeating dull splash as the wooden oars turned in their arc, pushing the little boat along on it's course. A fog started to drift in as land approached. They tied the boat down at a small dock, that ended in a dirt path, winding it's way up into the town barely visible beyond the thick fog. The gentle hill they were now on grew upward sharply to their left, delving into a broad cliff that supported half of the sea-side town. The lake's waters were choppy now, wave after wave throwing itself mercilessly against the sentinel cliff.

Bill swore beneath his breath against the cold air. "Looks like there'll be a storm tonight." He commented to Anji. "Let's get this stuff tied down and get indoors!"

They secured everything to the boat and rechecked the knots, then carried the fish between them up the hill. A sign swinging in the wind read 'Welcome to Port Town.'

They set the net down and Bill turned to Anji. "Here," He handed him some money. "There's an inn down the street called The Mason. Get us a room there. I'll take this fish down to the meat shop and see what I can get for it." A heavy rain started to pound down on them, and Bill had to shout to be heard. "I'll meet you there in an hour, ok?"

Anji nodded, shivering against the cold rain. He turned his back on Bill and made his way down the soggy street. There was an old-looking building huddled near the cliff and framed by the dark skyline. A sign tottered in the wind and denoted the inn's name: The Mason. Anji dashed out of the downpour and into the broad doorway. He shouldered open the door and stepped inside.

[Felix]

Rain spattered hard on the outside window. It had been two hours and it was still pouring. Anji sat on the saggy matress with his back pressed against the wall. Bill was late, obviously, or he wasn't coming at all. Anji sighed and blew out the candle beside the bed.

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

Matted fur pressed slick against a thin, corded back, and sharp eyes stared blankly through the opressive night. The creature dangled its wiry legs over the cliff edge, not heeding the unpredictable winds that would love to remove it from its perch. It clacked its claws against one another impatiently.

"How long?" A gravelly voice hissed from beside the predator. A second creature paced back and forth nearby, muttering under its breath.

"Just be patient." The first one returned. "And stop mumbling, it's pathetic."

The rain had stopped before midnight, leaving the landscape muggy and wet. There was a soft footstep in the darkness.

"Get in line, you slobs." A man dressed in a fine suit emerged from the shadows. His colorless eyes stared at the two creatures from behind his long black bangs.

The two predators snapped to attention. "Master."

"Is he inside?"

"The boy? Yes." The first one replied

"Just as planned." The second one added.

"Good. Now kill him."

Razor teeth flashed into a smile. The predator's were the image of a nightmare as they stalked across the swampy field and towards the inn...

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

Anji was sleeping, but he didn't dream of his past again. That would remain a mystery for now. Still, something weighed at the back of his mind, and he subconcsiously woke himself up. It was so dark that Anji had to blink a few times to make sure his eyes were open. He sat up, yawned, and rubbed his eyes. What was it? His gaze drifted towards the window, then he fell out of bed backwards, in shock. A pair of yellow eyes gleamed in the night, fixed on him.

Anji fought his way from the tangle of sheets just as the glass shattered and footclaws ripped into the matress. Anji scrambled to his feet and leapt for the door. He jerked it open and threw himself into the hall, then his face collided with Bill's chest.

Bill had a heavy stick clasped in his hand. "What happened?"

As if in answer, several succesive crashes echoed from the room, and something pummeled against the now-closed door. Heavy scrabbling and the sound of splintering wood resonated into the hall.

Bill grabbed his arm. "Get out of here, quick! Get as far away as you can!"

"But you-"

"Just run!"

Anji raced down the narrow hall, then stopped when he heard a scream from the foreroom. A body soared through the doorway and thumped against the wall, leaving bloody stains.

An angry hiss was heard, and something crept down the dark corridor. "Come here, you little brat."

Anji turned and fled back the way he came. He heard a crack, and watched in horror as Bill crumpled to the carpeted floor. The assassin stepped over his body, clutching the stick. It snapped it in half and flung the peices at Bill's face.

Anji whirled around again. A black shadow crept across the ceiling, snickering. He darted into the adjacent room, the only escape, but now he was cornered. Anji slammed the door and bolted it, hoping it would buy him some time. He fumbled with the window, trying to undo the lock, then opted to go a different route.

Anji smashed the window with the candlestick by the bed and climbed through, ignoring the gashes that the sharp edges left him. The city streets stretched ahead of him, and he took them by strides. He could hear a hateful screech, and the sound of pursuit. The predators pounded the ground with their powerful legs, quickly overtaking him.

Anji couldn't see where he was going, and it was inevitable that he trip and fall on his face, which he did. He spit out mud and tried to get back to his feet, but a talon-like foot pressed itself into his back and pushed down hard. Anji's face was shoved back into the mud, which was all that kept him from screaming.

"Just snap his neck." He heard one of them say.

A shotgun blast ripped through the air, and the smaller assassin was blown away. Somebody was yelling and running. Anji heard a dull thump, then he lost conciousness.

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

Anji came back to reality slowly. He was beginning to get used to blacking out so often. His hands were fastened behind his back, and he was being carried by the larger predator. It's warm breath wafted over Anji's face, and he almost choked from the peutrid smell. The sky was a little lighter now, despite the fog, and morning seemed to be coming. The creature was panting heavily, as if it had come a long way. There was fear in its eyes.

Something suddenly struck it in the back, and Anji tumbled into some brush. He struggled to get his hands free. It seemed to be a slipshod knot, and it only took a moment for the rope to fall slack. Anji crawled across the ground and tried to see what was happening. A large black wolf was lunging at the predator again and again. It relentlessly attacked the exhuasted creature until it finally collapsed with a horrid squeal.

The wolf calmly walked towards Anji. He was terrified, but knew that he couldn't run. Dark blood dripped from the wolf's mouth. It smiled faintly. No use in letting you die yet.

Anji tried to meet its gaze. "You saved me?"

Hardly. Those fools didn't know what they were doing. Your fate will certainly be more.... fun.

Anji shivered. "Why are you doing this to me?"

The wolf didn't answer. It simply stared and smiled, that same cold stare that was infectiously unnerving. Then the wolf was gone.

[Felix]

Even if it hadn't been muggy and dark, Anji doubted he would have a clue where he was. He started walking in the direction he hoped would lead him to somewhere safe, some place where he could rest. Featureless plains spread out in all directions, sparse tufts of grass being the only way to distinguish one yard of turf from the next. During the following hour, Anji became well aware of the biting hunger that gnawed at his stomach. He hadn't eaten a thing since he first woke up the day before, and it was starting to show. His face had a slightly pale tone to it, and his hands were beginning to shake a little. Anji blinked and shook his head, trying to wake up his senses. Dry blood lay in tendrils on his hands and forearms, and his cuts burned dimly with ignored pain.

Before long, the sun glanced out cautiously from behind the lumbering mountains, then relcutantly climbed higher in the sky to awaken the world. Sunrays flitted through the air, eating away at the thick fog. Anji observed the vast wastelands now that there was clear daylight. Groundhog-like creatures ventured out from their concealed holes and peeked about, batting the air with their tiny paws as if they were testing the new day for anything contrary to God's orchestral design.

Then the flowers began to bloom. Anji barely noticed at first, but it became increasingly obvious as the entirety of the plains burst into vivid color. Plants of all shapes and sizes sprung up in every shade of green and brown concievable, even small saplings seemed to grow out of nothing. The wildlife multiplied as well. Elk and fawns and foxes and lemurs and many types of beast and fowl that Anji had never laid eyes on leapt and played and ate and bathed as if they had been there the whole time. The deserted wastelands had mophed into a massive ecosystem in just a blink of an eye. It was like a desert after a rainstorm, life and beauty from death.

Anji tried to comprehend what exactly had happened, but he was too tired; too hungry. He dropped to his knees by a tiny sapling and rolled over onto his back. The air was warm and pleasant; the ground was soft. His eyes fluttered and closed, and Anji began to fall into a deep sleep.

~

"Don't sleep! Don't sleep!!" Something was screeching in Anji's ear. He cracked his eyes open and looked up, thankful for the shade of the tree above him. Wait, a tree? He had only been lying there for a minute or two, but the small sapling had already grown into quite a large tree. Anji ceased to even try to wonder anymore, and turned his attention to the current annoyance. A small bird that looked like a cross-breed of a pidgeon and a hawk was jumping up and down on his chest.

When it saw that Anji was awake, it stopped yelling and beamed contentedly. "Very good." It hopped down to the ground and started to waddle away.

"Wait." Anji said as he struggled to his feet. "Why can't I sleep?"

The pidgeon-hawk rolled its eyes the best that a bird could do so, and shuffled around to face Anji. "Are you that thick? Sorry, forgive me, where are my manners?" It preened at its wing for a moment. "You've never been in the wastelands have you? True, they don't look like a wastelands during the day, but that's just because they're even more dangerous during the day. See, as soon as daylight runs out, everything here dies, everything, even you or me, but see, that's part of the enchantment. As long as we're awake and on our feet then there's no way the death can take us. Pretty much everything you see here," it gestured with its wings as it spoke, denoting the creatures and plants that were growing and multiplying at a vastly unusual rate and quickly turning the meadow into a rainforest, "loses its will to live, right around suppertime." The pidgeon started pacing now and every-so-often would scratch at its beak with a feathered wing. "Don't see why or how, I'm usually most lively at suppertime. Anyhoo, everything just lies down, it gives up, and death takes it all, it all dissapears just as quickly as it first appeared. Do you get it now? This place is cursed, more or less, although it's a pleasant neighborhood to pass through during the day." It pointed a wing straight at Anji. "You're lucky I came along when I did or you'd end up like him." The pidgeon then pointed to a racoon skull nestled down amongst some daffodils. "Oh and another thing!" It spun back to Anji. "Don't even think of eating any fruit. It's all drugged. You just take one bite and you'll be sleeping like a baby before you can say 'read me a bedtime story.'

Anji glanced at an apple that hung from the tree beside him. He took a step backwards and reverted his attention to the long-winded bird. "Um...thanks."

It nodded with a grunt. "Anything else I can do you for?"

"I...uh, I don't know how to get out of here. I want to get to a city or something so I can get food and sleep. Can you help me?"

The pidgeon scratched its beak. "Course I can, question is, will I? Course I will, drat this soft heart." It hopped over and thrust its wing out to Anji. "Trevor. You are?"

Anji tentatively took the bird's wing and shook with it. I would say that he shook hands with the bird, but that would be untrue, since birds, in fact, have wings.

"My name's Anji."

"Anji. Splendid, splendid," Trevor repeated as he tottered about. "C'mon, this way. Hurry."

[SorasOathkeeper]

HA!!!! \*0*/ I have finally read and cought myself up in this!!! _-.-_ Oh yeah! lol. SO far so good man. I'm really enjoying it!^^ Keep it up Felix!!!

[Felix]

Yay ^_^ Thanks!! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

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

"Not too shabby, if I do say so myself."

It was past midday now, and they were a good ways from the blooming wastelands. Trevor had flapped and hopped his way to a large pile of brush and sticks cluttered against the rising slope of the mountain that they were now near.

Anji looked it over. "What is it?" He asked weakly, tiredly.

Trevor sent Anji a deadpan expression. "My home. Your enthusiasm is noted."

Anji sat down and rested his head in his hands. He was too tired to care anymore. "I thought you said you were taking me to a town."

The pidgeon grunted. "Well Outlook City is up the mountain, but it's a ways to get there. You'd be better off here for the time being. Won't you come inside?" Trevor scuttled through a door in the side of the pile of sticks, although how anyone could know there was even a door there, might never be known.

"How?" Anji said without moving.

Trevor peeked his head out. "Um, just crawl through the door."

"I don't think I'll fit inside." Anji persisted.

"Aw c'mon! There's more room than you'd think. Just come, come, come."

Anji sighed in resignation and dropped to his hands and knees. He squeezed through the door with a bit of difficulty, surprised by how sturdy the walls were, considering that they looked for all the world like a beaver dam after a hurricane. Anji gasped in shock as he dropped about 5 feet and landed hard on a dirt floor below. He sat up and brushed himself off. Trevor's home was completely dug out of the earth, the pile of sticks forming a kind of roof over their heads.

"Wow." Anji glanced around. "Big."

"Told ya so." Trevor said with a humph. "Nobody every finds me here, either, no matter how hard they look. It's almost weird that they don't, but they don't."

"Looking for you? Who?"

Trevor waved it off with a gesture of his wing. "Not important. Anyway, make yourself right at home."

There was a small mat in the corner and Anji willingly flopped down on it. Trevor watched him until Anji's eyes fluttered shut and his breathing slowed, then he crawled back outside.

~~

Anji woke up and stared at the dirt wall in front of him. Meagre evening sunlight played across the room as it filtered through the mesh of roof. It was very quiet.

He rubbed at his eyes and propped himself up on an elbow. "How long have I been asleep?"

The place was deserted.

"Trevor?"

There was some food on the ground by the bed. Anji assumed it was for him and ate it, immediately feeling better. He climbed out from the nest-like home and glanced around. The only scenery was a scattering of bushes and the odd tree. There was a scrabbling noise nearby, then Trevor appeared. "Good morning good morning. Sleep well? Eat well?" The little bird wasn't making eye contact.

Anji nodded and opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut in on by Trevor. "Look, I'm sorry, ok? I didn't have a choice. He's coming to get you, now. I had to turn you in. I'm sorry. If you leave now you might be able to get away. I'm already in trouble, just get out of here, ok?"

"Who?"

"Lord Raimond. Now GO!"

Anji didn't question, he ran.

Back at the clearing, a horse walked slowly towards the pile of sticks, bearing a lone rider. The man was dressed in a fine black suit, and he had black markings on his face. He dismounted from the horse and glared at Trevor. "He is not here?"

If a bird could grovel, then that is what Trevor would have done. He did, at least, do the best impression of grovelling possible. "My Lord Rai, he wasn't here, not when I returned. I am terrib-"

Trevor was cut off by the sound of Raimond's boot connecting with his side. The bird was sent sprawling. Raimond glared through the forest. His one eyes was a deep, rich shade of purple, his other eye was pure dead white, emanating the same lifelessness that Raimond always carried about his person.

Anji continued to run, not sure exactly what it was that he was running from. He could hear a horse behind him, then a rope snagged his foot and his face got much closer to the earth. Anji lay still where he had fallen, not bothering to try and get up.

"It has been a while, Anji."

That was the voice from his dream, Anji shuddered, then blacked out as Raimond socked him in the face with a closed fist. His last thought was of how familiar he was now with the feeling of losing conciousness.

[Felix]

Casiel glanced over his shoulder nervously. He fiddled with the hilt of his sword, "Are you sure that's where he took the boy?"

"I told you," Ralph repeated slowly, "I watched them take him. I know it's there."

Ralph looked very much like Casiel in most ways, except his wings were dark blue in color, and he still had both of them. His hair was also a rusty red, and he stood a bit taller.

What was left of Casiel's left wing was wrapped in a guaze-like bandage, and the rest of his wounds were bound in red cloth. Despite looking a bit paler, Casiel seemed to be recovering quickly.

"Fine. I just don't like it." He cast his eyes over the camp below them. It was nestled down between two low hills, looking somewhat like a concentration camp out of World War II.

Ralph blinked. "I don't like it either, but he is the one in the legends, right? You said so yourself."

Casiel nodded slightly, without taking his eyes off of the camp. "Ralph, I would know him blindfolded." He sighed, leaned against a tree, and wrung his hands. "How did he get into a mess like this anyway?"

"Trevor turned him over in exchange for his own life. Mighty poor of him, if you ask me. That's not what matters, we have to get the kid away from Raimond before things get out of control."

"You know, Ralph, sometimes it seems like Ean is the only one who knows what's going on around here."

"Then it's a good thing he's on our side."

"Is he?"

Ralph shrugged and started walking down the hill. "Either way, I just know what we have to do now. You better get in position."

Casiel ran his hands through his hair and uttered a prayer at the sky. It'd be a miracle if they actually pulled this off.

~~

Trevor watched Ralph stride fearlessly into the camp from where he sat, high in a tree. Several emotions tugged at him. Is that boy really that important? Why are they doing this? What have I done? He preened at himself in agitation, not knowing what to do. His side still stung from where he had been kicked.

Someone stepped through the bushes nearby. Trevor spun towards the noise as Casiel came into view. He had a bow clenched in his left hand and a quiver of arrows slung over his back. His right hand rested on the pommel of his broadsword where it was lashed to his side.

"Hey, you!" Trevor cawed bravely.

Casiel barely flinched. "Hello, Trevor." He stared straight up at the bird.

"How did you know my name?"

"Everyone knows you, the wasteland pidgeon."

"I'm not a pidgeon, I'm a hawk!"

"Right. Look, I'm busy here. If you're not gonna betray me too, then just go somewhere else."

Trevor looked hurt. "Hey, I didn't want to do it. It was Lord Rai, he-"

"Please don't use 'Lord' with his name, it makes me sick."

Trevor paused. "I want to help."

There was a sharp whistle from the camp. "Drat it!" Casiel whirled around and took off down the hill.

Trevor sighed. "Fine, I'll do it my own way." He flapped his wings and caught a draft into the air.

[Felix]

Something had gone wrong with their plans. Ralph would have entered the camp, appearing unarmed. Ralph would have delayed the dim-witted predators. Casiel would have sprung the trap. Ralph would have slipped past them and to the prison cells while Casiel kept the patrol's attention. They would have made a clean get away, but none of that happened. It started to go down hill the moment that Ralph stepped through the gates. The larger portion of the predators in the camp were gather in a circle around two smaller predators. Both of the smaller creatures seemed to be mad, and were lunging at each other in a rabid frenzy. The crowd of onlookers was finding great sport in this, and cheered on one or the other of the crazed gladiators. This would have been a perfect oppourtunity to slip past without being noticed at all, if it had not been for the Captain that sauntered over to the group. "Aht, boys, thas' enuff," it slurred, drunkenly, then it noticed Ralph. "... 'loody rottun hooman, betta d-die." It swaggered over towards Ralph, listing dangerously as it nearly tripped over itself. "Whus yur nam, worm?" It sniveled in his face.

Ralph cringed from the captain's already horrid breath, made much worse by the thick stench of alchohol. "Look, I'm not trying to hurt you, I just want to speak with your leader." He glanced towards the mountain to the left, reassuring himself.

"Ah con't do that. Hi's bussy. 'ut you con alwayss speak wiff me if you wan'." The captain was practically leaning on Ralph now.

Ralph tried to push the creature off of himself. "Thank you, anyway." At least I'm distracting them.

Then the captain threw himself on Ralph. "Ussa matter? You don' lek meh? Gurds.. ah wan' you ta kell him.." Then the captain passed out.

The group of predators sneered at Ralph with malicious grins. Their captain may have been drunk, but they were more than ready to follow his orders. The predators attacked Ralph.

Ralph had a spear in his hand. A moment later it was in the nearest creature's heart. He grabbed a small shell horn from his belt and raised it to his lips. The small horn sent out a relatively huge squeal, then it was knocked from Ralph's grasp. His spear got cleaved in two, and he used both halves of it as seperate weapons. He realized that he had to do something or he would die. Ralph lept into the air, spread his wings, and hovered the best he could, but he was tired and would have to land very soon.

~~

Casiel hurtled down the hill towards the camp. Bushes ripped at his clothes. He almost jumped into the air, but remembered his wing was gone. "Blast!" He clenched his fists tight and kept running. As Casiel got close to the camp's walls, he lunged at them, slamming into teh side with a heavy thunk. He scrambled up the side of the wall, using his tail for balance, and dropped to the other side. Ralph was doing his best to keep himself out of reach of the mob of predators.

Casiel took a step foward, then was bowled over as one of the rabid predator's tackled him from the side. It buried its teeth into his shoulder, and then his sword erupted through its skull. He jerked the blade free from the carcass just as the other frenzied predator pounced at him. The shiny edge of his sword shimmered through the air, then the weapon turned a blotted shade of red. A headless body crumpled to one side, spewing black blood, while the head spun off in the other direction.

Ralph dropped back to the ground and chucked the bladed half of his spear into a creature's face. He clubbed another one in the crotch with the other half, then connected his knee with its face.

Three predators raced for Ralph. Three arrows found each of them in the heart, back, and jugular, respectively. Casiel notched another arrow and made a home for it in another creature's body. He nodded his head at Ralph. "Go find him. I'll clean up here."

Ralph took down one more creature with his spear-stick, then vaulted for the buildings clustered to one side of the camp.

[CreatureArt]

It's been far too long since I last caught up with everything, but I'm very glad that I have now. Its just getting better and better and your writing style (which was already good at the start) is refining itself as you go, also.
The way you write flows easily and your storytelling really hooks the reader (e.g. me ) into the story and leaves them waiting for the mystery to be revealed.

So what I'm really trying to say is that it's really cool, and I like all the new plot developments. I'll look forward to seeing more!

[Felix]

Oh, thank you so much! ^__^ It really means a lot for you to read and comment on this! I'm glad you're enjoying it (And it probably won't end up being as deep or mysterious as it seems. My thoughts ramble as I write so I never really know exactly what I'm doing, if I have one thing planned out it always ends up as something else, so I guess we'll just have to see ^^

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

The incessant drip-drip of water from the roof of Anji's cell was beginning to drive him crazy. He crouched in the corner with his head in his arms, trying to tune out everything around him, not that there was much around him anyway. Just 3 walls, a metal grate, and a dirt floor. The ceiling was soggy earth with slimy roots growing out of it.

Drip.

Drip.

Anji clenched his fists. A single guard paced outside his cell. At one point it crouched down by Anji. "You're ugly, even for a human. Don't see what The Master would want with something as pathetic as you, but whatever it is, I'm sure it will be fun to watch. I hope he at least tortures you before he kills you."

Someone detached himself from the shadows nearby, "Myself, I wouldn't give you that honor."

Ralph leapt onto the guard's shoulders and twisted its neck. He stepped over its corpse and knelt beside the cell. "Hello?"

Anji crawled over to the grate. "Casiel?"

"He's outside." Ralph pulled a small bit of wire from his pocket. He started fiddling with the latch, and it sprung open a moment later. Ralph grabbed Anji's hand. "You can walk, I'm assuming?"

Anji had a black eye, but otherwise he seemed fine. "Yeah."

"Good, c'mon." Ralph led Anji back up and they headed for the gate.

Casiel had finished off most of the predators out front. He wiped off his sword with his cloak, and looked back towards the buildings. It was a surprise that reinforcements hadn't come from the barracks, yet.

"Got 'im," Ralph commented, "Let's get out of here."

"Wait. There he is."

Raimond stepped out from the shade of a large tent. He was dressed in a fine suit. "Where are you going with my trophy?"

Casiel narrowed his eyes. "Shut up." Ralph pushed Anji behind him and backed towards the gate.

"Very bold, you idiot." Rai returned calmly. "I hear that you Kyri are powerful, but are you invincible?" He nodded to Casiel's wing stub. "Hmm...."

"I'm not afraid of you."

"Good." Rai drew a black pistol from inside his coat and leveled it at Casiel's head. "Now bring me the boy."

Casiel took a step backwards. "No-"

The trigger moved, the hammer fell, the powder lit, and a bullet ripped through Casiel's chest...

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

I already have the next few sections written out, but I'm not sure yet if it's where I want to take the story, so I'm gonna wait a bit before I post ^^;

[SorasOathkeeper]

o.o! YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE IT LIKE THAT!!!! IT'S NOT FARE!!!! TToTT j/k Cool! Can't wait to see what happens next! 0.0

[Felix]

Ok just so I won't leave you TOTALLY hanging.

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

"First your wing, and now your life." Rai was saying calmly.

Casiel slumped to his knees, leaking blood from his chest where the bullet had gone in, and from his back where the bullet had come out. His lung was pierced, and he gasped like a fish out of water. The life slowly drained from his face; his eyes glazed over, and gravity pulled him to the earth.

Ralph knelt down slowly, expressionless. He placed a finger against Casiel's neck, closed his eyes, then stood back up and glared at Raimond. "Death is too good for you," His voice cracked slightly. "I will make you suffer for an eternity, then when you're almost dead, I will heal you and make you suffer again."

Raimond turned his head slightly, "Oh, you want one too? How selfish of me." He cocked the hammer and aimed it at Ralph. A second gunshot echoed through the bloodied camp. Ralph threw up his arms, but nothing hit him. There was a loud sqawking.

It was Trevor. He had latched onto Raimond's head and was clawing at him. A gloved hand grabbed the bird by the tail-feathers and slung him. Trevor tumbled through the air, got his wings under him, and flapped away as fast as he could. Ralph and Anji had disappeared, and so had Casiel's body.

Raimond watched the bird fly away. A smile twitched at his mouth. "The chase continues, I suppose." He turned around and strode back towards his tent, barely heeding his massacred guard.

[CreatureArt]

Yay! Even more! I'm glad to have tuned in just in time to catch some new updates. ^_^

I'm still enjoying it. I know you said that it might not turn out as deep as it seems but all I can say is that I like reading it and just seeing how its going to turn out. If it turns out as something else then it'll be cool reading the twists that get it to go a different direction.

[PHSYCOAT]

Very nice descriptions of surroundings. good choic of character. mental people make it more interesting!

[Felix]

^_^ Thanks CR! And I will certainly try to make it turn out good ^^ And thanks, Phsycoat *refuses to write out your name in all caps* ^^;;
Ok now here's the next bit. There is coming up (what I hope to be) a twist, and after some deliberating, I think this is how I wanna take the story, just don't hold it against me if I end up changing my mind, anyway, I do hope you enjoy.

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Ralph stalked up the side of the hill with Casiel's body braced across his back. A fan of blood spread down his cloak and soaked into the fabric. Anji was quiet. They passed through the tree line at the top of the hill and came to a sort of drop-off. It overlooked the plains below. Anji could see the wastelands. Already it was dwindling from its former flourish. There was a sea of dead leaves, trees toppled, and an animal would spontaneously drop dead. In the distance he could barely see the cliffs, and the town huddled nearby. He must have traveled quite far while he was unconscious.

Ralph laid down the limp form by a patch of flowers. He uttered something under his breath, laid a small wooden cross on Casiel's chest, then wiped at his eyes.

Anji looked down at Casiel, and suddenly felt responsible. He felt grieved at the thought. Ralph stared at him and seemed to know what he was thinking. "It's just the price that has to be paid."

Anji didn't quite know what he meant. he glanced back at the hilltop. "Isn't he going to follow us?"

"Probably not. Not yet. Come, I want to leave this place." He took a final look at Casiel. "..he deserves better than this." Ralph sighed and turned his eyes away. He retrieved some items from behind a tree: A sword and a satchel. "C'mon.."

Anji cringed with guilt. They walked a good ways down the side of the mountain, then changed their course and headed up a path that wound around the neighboring mountain. Presently, Ralph sat down by some boulders to rest.

Anji ventured to break the silence. "Um, what's your name?"

Ralph was rummaging through the pack. "Ralph."

"Are you my friend?"

"Well, I rescued you, didn't I?" Ralph took out an apple and tossed to Anji, then got one for himself.

He caught the apple. "Yes, but are you my friend?"

"You could say that."

"Then you're probably going to get hurt, or die."

Ralph stopped mid-bite. "What?"

"It happened to everyone else. There was this girl, Anna. When I first, uh, met her, we got attacked, and I don't know if she's ok. Then there was Casiel." Ralph flinched at the mention of his name. "He protected me from these spiders. He called them Regnas. But then he lost his wing, and now..."

"Go on."

"Ok... then there was this man named Bill. And I think he's dead now too. I don't know what's going on. Someone keeps trying to kill me, or catch me, but it's the people around me that get hurt."

Ralph stuck the point of his sword into the ground and stood up. "Someone does want a piece of you, I have no doubt. My job is just to take you back to the grounds. You should be relatively safe there."

"Am I ever really safe?"

"I said relatively." Ralph started back up the trail, then turned back. "Oh, and I don't plan on dying just yet. Casiel....his blood was enough to be spilt today."

Anji followed behind. He hated this world. He just wanted to go back home.

[Felix]

Creamy clouds wandered along the skyline, otherwise the sky was a massive sheet of deep blue. As they walked along, Ralph tried to get the quiet boy he had rescued to talk. "You said his name was Bill, right?"

"Yeah." Anji had his arms wrapped around his chest, trying to keep himself warm. It was chilly up on top of the mountain. "Why?"

"Oh, I don't know. The name sounds familiar."

There was a sudden flapping of wings over their heads, and something crashed into a tree nearby. After a fair amount of awkward rustling, Trevor flopped from the low branches. "Thank goodness! I thought I would never catch you two." He breathed, while panting as only a bird could.

Ralph eyed him coldly. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to come with you. I probably have the death-sentence anyway, now. And besides, I saved you, didn't I?"

"If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened in the first place. It's your fault that Casiel is dead."

Actually, it's mine. The shapeshifter was back in its leopard form. It sat on a rock up ahead, licking itself. Indirectly, of course.

Anji stepped backwards in fear, and Ralph drew his sword. Then Ralph placed the weapon on the ground and bowed his head slightly. "Ean, it's you."

Ean stopped licking. He dropped down from his perch and walked towards Ralph. "Pick up your weapon, you owe me no respect."

That was the first time Anji had heard the shapeshifter speak. He had a deep, mellow, and reassuring voice.

"I have been out of my league these past two days," Ean continued, "chasing all the wrong motives." He walked past Ralph and stood beside Anji. "Forgive me, young master. I thought I could protect this world by making you hate it. Hate yourself. It's... complicated. I will explain everything in due time. Let it be enough to know that I mean you no harm. After those Tomars attacked you at the inn, I could see through Raimond's motives."

Anji stared. "What are you?"

"To be precise, I'm a bullcat. To you, that's a leopard. This is my real form, but I can change into most anything, anything but people."

"You're not trying to kill me anymore?"

"I never was. But I was trying to hurt you, and for that, I apologize. Oh and I'm sure you will be glad to know that Anna is alright." He turned to Trevor. "And you, my friend, were very brave, and I don't hold it against you for turning the boy over." The bird smiled awkwardly.

Anji's head swam. All he had now was more questions. "Do you know why or how I am even here? Where I came from?"

Ean put a paw across his mouth. "No, not here." He pointed up at the trees nearby. "They listen, and you never know who they might tell." He turned his head toward Ralph who had picked up his sword and seemed quite comfortable with the presence of the bullcat. "Ralph, I understand you were on your way to the grounds? I should like to accompany you." Ralph seemed to think. "Don't worry," Ean went on, "You have nothing to fear from me, now. This should all be over before long."

Anji still wasn’t sure he could trust Ean. This was the same Leopard that had caused him so much trouble since he first woke up on the beach, or was it his fault? Maybe he was protecting Anji from something? The questions swirled, seeking answers that weren't there. Ralph and Trevor seemed to trust Ean, and Anji didn't have much of a choice anyway, so he decided to trust him as well.

OOC: I tried to create a sort of contrast between the shapeshifter's old personality and his new one. If you have anything to comment about this, or any feedback, please do so, because I'm still unsure on if I should keep this twist in the story ^^;; thanks!

[CreatureArt]

Ooo I like it, I really, really like it. I think I'm starting to understand a few of the mysteries and its really interesting. I really like the change between the shapeshifter from being perceived as evil to the revelation of him (probably ) being good. I guess if I'd have any requests they would be, if possible, to keep him kind of 'borderline' good - seeing as he's willing to go to extreme lengths in regards to Anji in order to protect his world....

I'm really glad you've been updating recently and am looking forward to more when it comes. I hope you have a great Christmas (tomorrow for me!) and thanks for sharing your writing talent with us. I am truly and honestly enjoying this. Usually I find it hard to get into people's writing but I have had no problem with your story. Although not the biggest thing, I appreciate your use of punction and grammar. I hardly ever notice errors - if they're there they aren't ones that jarr the reader out of the story - and that's something that I find off-putting about a klot of people's writing. (Not that my grammar is perfect.... ) So I appreciate how well-written your story is.

Seasons Greetings and may God bless you, especially on Christmas Day.

[Felix]

^__^ Thanks!! I hope you have a great Christmas too! I'm glad you likey, and thanks so much for the feedback. I'll try to get some more written, but I'm kind of busy at the moment. ^^; Thanks again, and God bless!

[Felix]

As they continued up the well-worn path, the peak of the mountain grew closer. It was nothing more than a grassy ledge, poking out from the light woods. Ean leapt from rock to rock, whipping his tail back and forth to keep his balance, while Trevor flew in a wide circle over their heads before coming down for a soft landing on the mossy outcropping. Anji and Ralph climbed up beside the two animals. They were on one of the taller mountains of the range. A good dozen more mountains of a similar altitude crowded outward in a rough semi-circle, radiating green color through the evening light.

“It will take us a while to descend the mountain.â€

[Felix]

“Slow down and speak clearly!â€