Chapter 4

Then it began. The white scenery I was getting used to was replaced by the image of me falling. Except it was for real. As clouds shot past me, and I saw the towers he was talking about. They were a dull gray that stretched above what I could see. Across the grand landscape I saw suns and moons the size of planets orbiting us. I wondered if it would ever be night on this wacky world. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins, and I was petrified. It was like skydiving, but from twice the height, at 10 times the speed, you didn’t want to do it, and in a box. Then I felt the vibration of what I assumed to be my pod hit the ground. It didn’t hurt but still freaked me out. I saw that red button and punched it. I was spit out of the machine gasping and wheezing. I heard some other pod doors open and saw Klith, Robin and Roman pop out of their pods and start gasping too. I was too freaked out to say anything, but at least they were alive. There were also a few people I didn’t know. Then the last few people got out of their pods, Lori being one of them, and there seemed to be 13 of us. We were in a clearing in a forest, which I hoped wasn’t part of the jungles. I stood up, shaken, and said, “Hell of a trip.” Then puked out my liver (not literally) as I got some dirty looks for the comment. Klith stood up with me.

“I assume the rest of you guys met the multi-colored, scaly, tentacle hentai monster?” He said deadpan, getting right down to business. A bunch of yeps, including mine came from the circle.

“Oh, reminds me,” I spat out. I went to the back of my pod and opened the techbox. “HOLY SHIT!!!!” I screamed as I pulled out a sniper with a scope, a bolt spitter, (kinda like an uzi but it shoots out tiny electrically charged pellets), a fuckin’ SWORD, a polearm that I didn’t recognize, a ton of knives, and a backpack full of stuff. There was also a belt and a few straps and scabbards to help carry the stuff. Everyone got their stuff and we all tried our best to wear it all at the same time. It was pretty heavy, but we managed. Someone I didn’t recognize from across me stood up.

“Okay, let’s all introduce ourselves. My name is Wrang, and-” he started off, but was abruptly cut off as we all heard a strange clicking sound that felt like it was coming from multiple places at once, like a whole bunch of katydids on crack distorted their clicks. I whipped out the sword, finding it balanced perfectly somehow for my skinny ass.

Then one of the creatures I would later call a Wolfion, slowly walked out of the dark trees surrounding us, like a superior predator that knew it had found free food. I could almost see the smug grin on it’s coyote-like muzzle, that was shorter like a cats. It had two bone like protrusions coming from it’s jaw, kind of like motorcycle handles. It would probably be fun as shit to ride one. It’s green predatory eyes stared into my soul, it’s bat-like ears twitching. It had tan fur, and short green plates running down its spine. It had six powerful legs, four front legs and two in the back. The paws were powerful, and as it slowly stalked towards me, it flicked it’s giant scorpion-like tail, hitting the plates together in a way that made the clicking sound earlier. It’s 4 foot tall body turned slightly, and the beast barked back into the forest. As other beasts stepped out of the trees, chills went down my spine, and I gripped my sword tighter. This was the alpha.

Then it clicked it’s tail once more and the other creatures jumped toward us. Before I could react, one of the creatures tackled someone, then dragged him back into the forest. His screams were suddenly cut short with a ripping sound. Meanwhile, Klith fired his shotgun and blew the face off one of the creatures, it dying instantly. I swung my sword at one that had jumped at me. The thing I had just now named a Wolfion in my head saw the blade slash at the beast dodged, missing me as a result. Others weren’t so lucky. As Wrang avoided a hit, two other people I didn’t yet know got tackled and dragged into the forest. There were 15, not including the alpha, who was just watching, of them left now. And only 10 of us. 3 were circling Robin and Roman, who were back to back. There was a one on one going on between me and a wolfion. The same was true for Wrang, Lori, and six others. However, Klith was surrounded by two. There was a moment of silence before the leader clicked its tail, and they jumped at us. I pulled out my bolt spitter like a guy in a western and blasted the thing’s head off. I then turned towards Klith, just in time. To see him get ripped open by one, as the other was on ground, chest blasted open. I yelled, “Fuck you!” and pelted the thing with shots from my bolt spitter. It died fast, but not fast enough. Klith and Zyke were dead now. I had to live though, so I moved on, saving the emotions for later. I caught a glimpse of two others getting dragged off, as I tried to shoot them. Then I heard a scream of pain, as I saw Robin, crying on the ground. She was holding the body of her brother, surrounded by corpses. Helluva way to go out. Now I was PISSED. I pulled out the huge sniper and shot at a wolfion. Then the alpha clicked it’s tail, and all the other six surged out of the forest towards us. There were 5 of us, me, Robin, Wrang, Lori, and someone else I didn’t know. We were back to back, and we were all pissed. I blasted one of the Wolfions’ head off with my sniper, right before they hit us. One tackled me to the ground, launching my gun out my hand. It tried to bite my face off, all while scratching me with it’s front two paws, while I held it’s jaw. I heard the blast of a revolver, and the beast suddenly dropped on top of me, limp. As I pushed it on me, I saw Wrang slash at one, and Lori get impaled by one’s tail. Robin was going berserk, and blasting everything she saw. I ran at one that was going for Robin, and hit at top speed with my shoulder. It rolled over, belly exposed, and I realized it couldn’t get up. I took out my bolt spitter, seizing the opportunity. It filled with the electricity charged bolts for a solid second. One final gunshot rang out, and it seemed we had won. Wolfion and human corpses alike littered the clearing. Robin still crazy shot a few shots at the fleeing alpha, I heard a yip from it, and then nothing. Robin, satisfied dropped the gun, and kneeled to the ground and started sobbing her eyes out. My mind was racing a million miles an hour.

“Fuck.” Wrang said.

“Hi, my names Rade, and she’s Robin,” I frowned. I knew twins had some powerful bonds so it made sense she was devastated. That’s a fucking understatement. I had gotten pretty numb at this point. My brain was processing things, and I knew there wouldn’t be time to mourn now, if ever. Wrang meanwhile was slowly crying over the corpses of a few people. They were all similar looking to him, so probably family. He then looked off to the trees, in the general direction of where a girl was dragged off. Girlfriend? Boyfriend? Who knew?

“Hey guys, we should stay here for the night. We’ll take shifts. I’ll go first, Wrang second, and Robin third.” I deadpanned. We all had been given small timers, so we could figure out when to switch off. Each person ended up getting 4 hours. As soon as it got dark,(how the fuck), everyone else went to bed. Robin hadn’t said a word to me or Wrang. Hopefully she’d be ok. I sat on a stump near the tents that had been given to us. I got tired of sitting though, so I reloaded my guns, sharpened my weapons, and looked at what I had. Then I thought might as well take what they don’t need. I looted all the corpses that weren’t in the trees, Roman or Wrang’s family. I ended choosing to grab a pistol, a shotgun, a hatchet, and some more food and supplies.

“Why?” I moaned. “Why did they all have to die?” I rested my face against my hands, and just thought about it all. I could get over death pretty easy, but this still felt like I was getting ripped open. My chances of survival had drastically dropped. During my shift I contemplated suicide multiple times, and almost did it at one point.

“Nope, can’t do it. I won’t leave them alone. I can’t. Besides who else would make jokes?” I laughed nervously as I turned the pistol from my head. Then I could’ve sworn I heard the clicking sound. I turned the pistol and pointed it towards the direction where I heard it from. The Alpha was just standing there, staring at me with it’s beady eyes. It was definitely The Alpha, because it was bigger than the others I had fought, and had a wound on one of the six legs. The wound didn’t seem to slow it down though, because I didn’t see it limp, stumble or even move somewhat abnormally as it circled around me. Then it jumped at me and slapped the gun out of my hands, not before I shot though. Even though it missed, the main goal wasn’t even to hit it. Just as it began to circle me again, Robin came running out of her tent screaming in her underwear with a fucking machete that she was probably sleeping with beside her.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!” She screamed, breaking the Wolfion’s bravado, and I still cherish the sight of that things eyes widening and I saw fear. I saw the thing afraid. It ran, fast, like motorcycle fast. Into the trees it went, scared for it’s life.

“Hey Wrang, it’s your turn.” I said. Then I went towards my bed, and passed out on it.