Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Destiny's Call ❯ Entry the ninteeth ( Chapter 19 )

So yeah, sorry for the wait

 

Entry the Nineteenth

 

The world weeps, tears rain down always from the sky. The suffering continues unabated. Even when her children claim victory, she weeps, for the price they pay is so very high. The pain she bears, from the wounds this disease has inflicted upon her, both willingly and unwillingly, purposely and by accident. But the driving force was fully aware of what it was doing to her, and it could care less.

 

Just so it was with Jewels. It hurt inside, the pain, the visions, all of it, just knowing what was happening to this planet, and usually having to watch it twice… it was tearing her apart. And 3 times now, the only real anchor she had was almost taken away. This was not weakness, this pain, for few would have made it this far. She would hold onto that anchor, and it would never be allowed to get away again.

 

For Franky, it was all a burning fire that started at her feet, and just swept up her, and tried to sweep her away. Sometimes, she just wanted to sweep it all away. More accurately, burn it to a crisp. Her friends, her family, everything in life she used to know, gone. Her mother and sister stuck in a camp full of other refugees, where it was sometimes hard to get what you needed, and theft was common in many parts.

 

For Sprite, it was a refusal. A refusal to lose his family. His brother was gone, but not forgotten. And if Sprite had his way, pretty soon he wouldn't be gone either.

 

Me? I'm missing something, something I lost when I failed to keep a promise to people who were counting on me. I had given them hope, and then succeeded in destroying it. Now, to add to it, I had failed on a more personal lvl, too many times in so short a time. I could not stop till I found that missing piece, and once I found that missing piece, I would not be able to stop, for, I felt, I would hve what I needed, what would make me able to do what needed to do.

 

It was only Sprite who held nothing against me. I'd known him the longest by far, we understood each other on a different, though not necessarily deeper, level. Franky was mad at me for leaving Jewels, who had become like a sister to her. Jewels was mad at me for leaving her behind. I was that anchor. I was the last one who should have left.

 

The world is standing on the brink of oblivion, and I'm sitting here, round a fire, in the middle of the wounds, one eye on the faces of those around me, the other eye on the ground sonar, watching for incoming. If I had a third eye, it would be watching the sky, but I don't, so Sprite is doing that. Though really, I think he just liked the stars… which we could actually see for once…

 

Suddenly, tired of watching Franky and I exchange dagger glares, or rather, me getting dagger glares and do nothing but take it, Jewels stood up and spoke in a loud, clear, and frightening voice. “both of you stop act like Toddlers, Right Now! Corben, make up or I use THAT word.”

 

I stared at her, aghast, “You wouldn't…”

 

“I would. Franky, please, just let it go, he's a boy, and they're idiots, well, much of the time…” Sprite wisely kept his mouth shut and stayed out of it. He'd been expecting something like this for a while, had in fact told me so personally.

 

“Franky, I know I'm an idiot ok, but, if Jewels is willing to let me go freeish, can't you let it rest. I'm not leaving.”

 

“Oh sure, blame this on ME!”

 

“I'm not, I'm just tired of you glaring flaming daggers at me every day.”

 

“Well, I suppose I can understand that sentiment. Still friends then?”

 

“And Gladly.” We shook hands and nodded, and suddenly the whole campfire was lots more lively.

 

That night though, after we were all asleep, Franky shot out of her restless sleep. She was sweating and panting, and she shivered a little. Blood, so much blood, so good.. why?

 

Luckily, Jewels didn't wake up, but continued sleeping peacefully. Franky smiled and pulled the blanket up over her a little, and layed back down, wondering over her dreams.

 

In the morning, we prepared to set out, not quite sure of where. We had our minds made up for us. Jewels had another vision, of a huge camp, much larger than the others. Oddly, that didn't stop us or intimidate us.

 

The camp was 4 times the size of any of the ones we had seen thus far, and fully half of it was AD forces. Which meant several thousand enemies to be killed.

 

“Alright, Franky, I've got a plan, based on Jewel's dream. We already know we attacked this place, but according to the vision, they swarmed us on the hill when we started shooting, so, Franky, can you attack first? Hit them here, here, and here,” I pointed to three different spots on the map drawn up on the scanner. “do it from up hi, then dive down with those air raptors trailing you, while Sprite and I start taking out the leaders we can identify. Once we've been discovered, I'll move in on Leviathan while you keep heading this way. Sprite, as soon as I move in, get in the cat and start using the cannon.”

 

“ok, and I can remote the Hound too, so it can use the rocket launcher and its beams from a distance. I'll set it to make passes but stay clear.”

 

“Jewels, stay in the cat, watch the radar, and if you can, use the front cannon on anything that comes at that transport and you.”

 

“nothing will, I'm sure of that.”

 

“ok, then keep you're eyes on the sensor units and let us know if anything tries sneaking around. Once the camp starts fighting too, this should go really easily.”

 

“you sure?” Franky eyed me, wanting to know my reasoning.

 

“yep. Always has. There isn't a way we can save everyone in that camp though… damned creatures always start killing people in the camp when they come under attack. But we can save most of them. We have to…”

 

Jewels looked at me with concern in her gaze, noting the sudden drop in my tone, the note of desperation that had crept in. I still had not let go of my failure, still, inside, it tormented me, but I continually refused to let it show.

 

Ten minutes later…

 

“Take this, this and THIS BASTARDS!” she screamed as huge balls of flaming bakeness rained down upon the camp at three preselected locations. The transfiguring circles, the barracks, and what appeared to be some kind of weapons store. Which resulted in one hell of an explosion.

 

Once that happened, in the ensuing panic and shouting of orders, Sprite and I started picking off anybody shouting orders. Miraculously, things were going according to plan. I soon charged in on Leviathan, but I leave the slaugher inflicted to the imagination on this one, mostly. Lots of running things over, fire, slashing stuff, and shooting it full of laser holes. Plus Sprite on the cannon. Then…

 

I was airborne before I realized quite what had happened. I caught myself and levia in a field, and looked down at what threw me. A Reptildra.

 

He stared up at me, and what I can only assume was a sneer, was on his face. This would prove to be the most harrowing fight of my life, and the one that sent me… well we'll get there soon, but for now, be content with the pre fight curseout.

 

“I don't suppose you understand Bah Weep Grana Weep nini bong?” I asked as I stared down at him from on high… wow… anyways…

 

“Insult me as you like, human, but I am bound to the will of my masters, and they have ordered your death.”

 

“I'm oddly touched that they should show such concern over little old me.” Thank you Spiderman, thank you!

 

“Silence! I will not be mocked, I suffer enough being bound to them.”

 

“and you want to die, right? I think I can help.”

 

“You could never kill me, puny one.” Ok, now that is going too far. I am not puny.

 

I am, “The Reaper. That is what they call me. Do you know why, Fallen one?”

 

“I am impressed by your knowledge of us, but slaying a great number of canon fodder does not make you my equal.”

 

“Maybe not, but that sure as hell isn't going to stop me.” Dive Dive Dive! Which is quite literally what I did, blades pointing down, I dove straight for him. Bad move…

 

“That first line was a universal Greeting, Reptildra Dickhead!” and suddenly he was no longer below me. Yay for frictionless fields of sliding to a stop back up high… and him still coming down on top of me via leap of doom?

 

I rolled and slashed in a well timed move which would prove to be one of the last I would get in. His double halberd had suddenly and painfully hooked and tossed me before I saw it coming, and though I caught myself and he overshot, that changed little.

 

Allow me to make something very clear to you. Halberds are not fun… they combine the stabbity death of a spear with the hackity death of an axe/pike, did I mention the stabbity death part? Of a spear? Which means reach? In some cases ridiculous? And that this is a double halberd, which means two ends? I did? Oh, er, good, cause this is not fun… for me… I'm sure you love this though, whoever you are…

 

I woke up 3 hours later, in extreme lvls of pain and agony, not remembering anything past the revaletion that halberds combine all the worst, and by worst I mean most effective, parts of many of the most lethal yet simplistic weapons of ancient war torn china, which made some of the most brutal and effective weapons of death to survive to the modern age. The agony was concentrated around several places where it felt like I was on fire… and where I was sure I had been badly slashed/stabbed.

 

“Oh Corben, you're awake!” Jewels voice echoed loudly, too loudly, in my head and I suddenly I felt a small, yet extremely painful and clingy, weight on my chest. “I'm so glad!”

 

“He won't be much longer if you don't get off him… just because the wounds are cauterized, that only means he won't bleed to death.” Sprite's voice floated into my head, just as loud as Jewels.

 

Short fight huh? I didn't get owned that badly even in the first fight against a reptildra… and I'm a better fighter now than I was then… <.< >.> though I'll admit it wasn't saying much in all consideration.

 

“What happened?”

 

“You got really really really hurt… and…”

 

“And… I had to burn all the wounds to stop the bleeding. And…”

 

“I think we should start from the beginning. You nearly died. He beat you bad. And then Franky got violent. REALLY violent. No offense…” he glanced at her apologetically.

 

“it's alright.” The voice probably would have been quiet under normal circumstances.

 

“Well…”

 

*

 

`“You fool… you could never have destroyed me. And now one of the last hopes of your race will die, and the world will belong to my masters. You have failed, and now, you die. Know that Cromel has killed you.” He raised his halberd and prepared to stab downward, to impale the heart of the bloody body at his feet, one bound to die even if he did not. “receive this final mercy.”

 

“NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” The voices, echoing from two directions, shattered the “peace” that had befallen the area.

 

“Get away from my Family! You will never touch my brother again!” An angel of fire, with wings upon her feet, flew through the air as a giant ball of flame shot towards the spot. The Cromel lept upwards, but this only forestalled the end. A laser beam shot through his shoulder, disabled his arm, and cut his halberd in half. He spun and tossed one as he chanted, calling on hidden power that healed his arm and sent a shockwave of energy outwards.

 

The Angel of Flame, Franky, was barely fazed by the shockwave and launched another series of flaming kicks then shot forward, nearly outpacing them. Another laser shot flies into the same shoulder, the right, as Franky burns the very air at hundreds of degrees above standard temperature. Already weakened by the heat, he attempts an Ice spell, but it melts and turns to steam before the fiery wrath of heaven.

 

Suddenly he is engulfed in flames of purest white. A figure is present in the flames. “He told me how you desire death. I'm giving it to you, enjoy this last act of mercy. Not that you deserve it.” An explosion engulfs the air, which can be seen from miles and miles away. To many, they believed it was a nuclear bomb.

 

Franky picked me up off the ground, where you lay, Corben.'

 

“I stared down at you, and then flew you away to the cat. You were still holding you blade. Tarius must be insane, the Levia followed us back… like it knew you were hurt or something. Jewels ran up while Sprite ran for the medical kit. He was coming back with it when he was attacked by these extra small raptors. I burned them, but the kit was gone… so… well I started crying, and Jewels was crying, I noticed I was crying. I tried to wipe the tears away, and just got blood on my face.”

 

“I don't know what it was, but Franky seized up and was having fit or something. I didn't understand it. We barely kept her calm enough too…” Jewels' face was more in focus now, her voice no longer so loud, not simply because she had lowered it.

 

“We had to burn the wounds closed, all of them, to stop the bleeding. I can't believe you're already awake, considering. You've got 15 major burns crisscrossing yourself…”

 

“Heh, *cough* Brittany still beats me. 80% of her body was burned as a 3 yr old.”

 

“We still need to get you to a proper doctor, this thing was not built to care for or handle the wounded…”

 

“Franky, thanks…”