[Other FULL] Gunpowder (M) (IC)

JukeboxTheGhoul · Mar 15, 2016

ANIMA

[S-HIGHLIGHT]Music[/S-HIGHLIGHT]
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Spoiler:

Uncontrollably smiling, Anima was back in power, he could feel the torment of hallucinogenic isolation distancing from him. Gaudium was pleased. He felt like he could once again talk and be heard by his god that he has devoted his life to since youth. He looked up at the followers in front of him, Shadow stood behind him, watching him like an eagle. Anima's face was overcome with incredible satisfaction and an eager glint in his enthusiastic eye.
"Come, my children, behold his glory, suckle from his everlasting power." He held his hands out.
Anima shot a glance towards Shadow. "Send the girl away to cast the skull. Call for the boy."
Altan and Martirio stood. They bowed toward Anima.
"Oh, gracious Prophet." Martirio exclaimed.
"May Gaudium be exalted." Altan mirrored.
They stepped forward.

"I heard screaming... and chanting! How are you so calm?" Elliott flailed his hands around.
"They pay me, don't they?" She continued to look at her hand.
Shadow walked up the stairs and opened the door. She held the skull in her hands. She looked at Rawlings leaning against the wall. Elliott looked at Cassie with disbelief.
"Problem?" Shadow asked, raising an eyebrow.
Elliott noticed the skull in her hands. "Holy Crap-" He cut himself off, albeit too late.
Cassandra sighed, they said in unison, "No, Ma'am."
Shadow eyed the two with suspicion. She shook her head as if doubt could dry with the rays of the sun. "Rawlings, Anima wants you to get this moulded for him. Cast in Steel." She places the skull in to a box and passed it to the Mercenary. "Elliott," She turned to him, Cassandra walked out the door with the box under her arm. "Anima is someone you don't want to mess with, he wants you to go in there and look in to his eye, you just might learn something."
"Right, so you want me to go gaze in to your psycho boyfriend's ONE eye for you?" He chuckled at himself, in either denial or disbelief. "And if I don't?"
"One, do not dare suggest that I have a relationship with the Prophet. Two, if you don't, he'll kill you." She listed, speaking indignantly.
Elliott gulped, Shadow stepped aside, Elliott went through the door.

Anima felt incredible as his truthful eye began to activate.
The blue realm unfolded before them, the ground beneath their feat gave way, filling in was a neon blue plateau, The walls and ceiling swirled until it became a murky wash of mangled mush. Almost as if a bubble was created in an instance of an explosion, the tornado of intense colour was pushed back in to oblivion. They were greeted with a great expanse that was marine blue, with streaks of vibrant blue like nebulae that littered the awesome cosmos. Dull red spots spun in their place, too lazy to expand their horizon. They looked upon themselves and bubbles formed adhesively to the clothes of Altan and Martirio. The bubbles became many, becoming so plenty that their clothes were obscured. One by one, then many by many, the bubbles lifted off drifting in to a funnel like a cosmic umbilical cord. Beneath, the clothes disintegrated revealing mortal flesh. Yet there were no indecencies. There was no warmth nor lamenting cold, they were immaculate and pure.

Appearing in front of them was an apparition of Anima, in the Helioa state as the others were. His injuries were turned to cracks in which blinding light emanated. He faced them arms in the air, with bent elbows and apart fingers. "Hark! This way comes thee God." He grinned and clasped his hands. Swivelling on his heel, he saw the clouds convene. Lines of ghosts came together and formed the massive outline of a giant. The shell was filled with soul. The harsh and fulfilling light that radiated put the sun to shame. From the clouds in the background rose godly golden gates illuminating the land behind it.

In the foreground, the giant took actual form. Gaudium moved his arms from around his chest and held them out to the vastness in front of him. He moved his arm and face down. "Bless you, José. You have brought many to the embrace of my promise of eternal utopian life hereafter." As the deity formed all three dropped to one knee in total devotion.
"We have sacrificed one so that more shall live forever."
"Indeed. Xesus." Gaudium took an amused expression. "Yes, yes, yes. Mark me well, I am not as the false gods the heretics portray them. I know that you cannot avoid connecting me to that falsity, their lies are deep ingrained in to your very births and culture... For I know all."
Beside the titan, the soul of Xesus lifted out of the air and dispersed towards the beyond.

"Begone, grow the following of the one true faith." With that utterance, Martirio and Altan faded back in to reality.
"Why do you keep me?" Anima lifted his head.
"Tell them, I am real, and let it be known, my reign, come on Earth or in the Astral Planes, shall rise. Praise, Dartmoor, the Prophet's Throne awaits you."

Martirio and Altan found themselves among the mortal realm once again. Martirio stepped back, he felt Gaudium's presence in his heart. His god was real, and he did not know what was needed of him. He was cautious how to go forward, he needed carefully not incur the wrath of Gaudium. "Altan." He called out to the fellow Knight.
Altan's paralysed posture began to vibrate with a cackle. He threw his head back, staring in to the ceiling with an insane smile. He opened his palms out and let his arms swing back. His being was injected with intense ecstasy. He shot a glance towards Martirio, "Hail brother, Glory be to Gaudium." He was imbued with a joyful energy.
Anima returned from his vision. "Leave, Elliott stays."
Altan eyed the situation as his mind raced. He began to walk towards the stairs, struggling to keep in the energy. Martirio saluted, his fist hitting his breastplate made a clank, and bowed his head. He followed Altan out.

"Elliott." Anima stepped forward and looked in to his eyes. "You will meet Gaudium."
Elliott was afraid of what was to come. He reluctantly looked in to Anima's eye that started to activate. Elliott felt the build up of magical energy inside him.

Anima felt like an outsider peering in to a theatrical experience. The office had many cabinets, books, and miscellaneous items. On the walls were several shelves, all with boxes on them and trays. Tucked in the corner, was a big bulky metal safe. Elliott unlocked the door and walked in, he closed the door and locked it tightly. He moved aside his tailored blazer to slide the keys in to his pocket. He sat down on his chair and sat and stared at the wall for a moment pensively. He ran his palm up his forehead and through his hair. He tapped his foot incessantly. From a drawer, he picked up a binder that had the words on it: "Waltham Incorporated" and then in smaller letters beneath it "Branch: Earnest,", opening it and picking up his pen. He looked down the many lines of the grid. He sighed as he wrote a few numbers down along with names that looked very official. Antsy, Elliott got up again and went over to a table. He took out a sack of money and untied it, pouring out the rather anticlimactic amount of coins. He counted them. He then went back to the book, he wrote: "Serial: L43X, Type: Loan, To: Temere," He paused, his hands shaking, Anima felt doubt above him, he was about to put a person close to him in danger. "Sebastian. Sum: $3,000,000. Interest*," He quickly went over to the tick box at the end of the line with '* (If applicable' headed over it and ticked it. "0%, Repay*: – " He closed the binder and pushed it aside. With great difficultly, he lugged the steel safe on to the desk. Using his keys, he unlocked it. He drove his arm in to the safe, pulling great swathes of cash in to the awaiting sack. The sack quickly became full to the brim and he took out his flattened backpack and inflated it with cash. With it all filled, he walked out of the office. Anima tried to follow but the sunshine was quadruple the power and resisted him.

Anima delved deeper, Elliott's hands started to shake as his magical system rejected this intruder. His hands became charged with static. His entire body was shaking in order to repel Anima.

This time he saw snippets, the glimpses were bathed in bronze. A wheel spinning like a tornado. Numbers backed with a pattern of black and red. A white ball contradicting the spin. The next shimmering image was Elliott placing his head in his hands. Then a hand of cards, the shuffling of chips. The image recurred, a face full of hopelessness, despair and regret. Then this was much more clear, two men, with guns – Mercenaries. They attempted to mug Elliott, they took his blazer off before they caught alight in a fireball. The fireball intensified and forced Anima out.

A fiery pain seared in his chest as an electric blue bolt jumped from Elliott's finger tip to Anima's chest. As it collided, a massive discharge of energy expelled from Elliott's hand, sending Anima across the room, hitting the wall. At the sound of the commotion, Altan rushed in, summoning blood. He ran up to Elliott, grabbing him by the throat and held him up to the wall. The summoned blood took the shape of blades aimed for his head. Shadow walked in, observing the situation fully. "Traitor!" Altan growled.
Shadow beckoned Altan, "Altan, come here."
He looked back at her, "He blemished Prophet."
"He cannot control it." Shadow vouched for him. Anima got back up. She glanced at the Prophet, she conveyed a look that implored desperately. Similarly, Altan looked to him for an answer.
"He did not see Gaudium, I am not finished with him." Anima felt his chest, there was no wound. The spell must have served to repel someone and make them feel pain.
Altan dropped Elliott who coughed and spluttered. Altan shot Shadow a look of contempt.
As everyone left, one question still plagued Poloma's mind. She inquired, "Whose skull is it?"

"Anaconda."

Sonata · Mar 16, 2016

???

Jebediah Kleutsch
???
???

"Found ya old friend." A bullet ripped through Jeb's shoulder as the voice echoed from the path behind him.

Jeb turned around to look at the man who had shot him and recognized the man immediately. "Sombrero Rodriguez. I see... then it seems I really will be facing all of my sins here..."

"The hell ya talkin' about kid? I been waitin' on you to finally hit the dirt for what feels like years now. It ain't no sin that ya killed me boy, just another hazard of the occupation. You did what you had to do, and we were doing what we had to do. Ain't that right boys?" The deceased outlaw's gang rose up from the ground beside him, smiles plastered across their faces and chuckling as they came face to face with their killer once more. "See, I forgived ye already. But the boys still hold quite a bit of resentment. Seein' as how some of 'em even had families and all, they ain't believin' ye had the right."

The men chuckled and leveled their guns at Jeb, but took a step back when the guardian stepped forward. Drool dripped from his lower lip and he let out a low growl as Jeb stepped forward. "Sombrero... I'm sorry. I made a lot of mistakes in that past life... but... I'd like to make up for them now. In any way that I can."

"Har har har! Ye hear that boys? Old mister Sanders says he wants to make it up to us!"

"Actually... it's mister Kleutsch..."

"The hell's the difference? Yer still Jebediah, yer still the one that killed us, and as long as both those things hold true," Sombrero lifted both of his pistols up causing his gang to follow suit, "the only compensation you can provide us with is yer fuckin' death."

And with that a volley of one-hundred and eleven shots rang out throughout hell, and the body of Jebediah became riddled with holes. The man fell to his knees, eyes blank and blood pouring out from his many wounds. The guardian leapt at the gang members who had emptied their guns on Jeb. He opened his mouth and chomped down on arms, grabbing legs with his massive hands and pulling each in opposite directions until man ripped into two. The beast began to devour the pieces and used whatever he couldn't fit into his mouth to beat the other members into bloody stains on the ground.

Sombrero escaped detection, hiding behind one of the members of his gang until the beast-man was out of sight. Then he made his way over to Jebediah, knowing that the man was too strong to have died from something so simple. "That can't really be all you got can it?" Sombrero placed his boot on Jeb's chest and pushed him over onto his back.

Jeb stared up at the sky, wondering where the other him had gone. All of his strength, all of his skills, his power... all of it was gone with his other half. All that he had now was Mr. Truth and a single bullet... but that wouldn't solve anything, right now he'd be dead before he even managed to pull the gun out of its holster. Tears began to run down the sides of his face, knowing that he had failed. He was never intended to succeed in these trials. Facing all of his previous sins was definitely something more in line with his bounty hunter side. Had he still been mister Sanders, he was sure that he'd have taken great joy in killing Sombrero once more. Maybe he'd have even found a way to heal him and kill him again and again. But as he was now he just didn't have it in him, he had no desire to kill this man.

"Well if ye ain't goin' to fight back then I'll just put ye out of yer misery before that damned beast comes back." Sombrero spun the chamber of his revolver, having saved but one bullet to finish off the man who had damned him and his crew. He frowned as he pressed the barrel against Jeb's forehead. This is not how he had intended to inact his revenge... but...

"Is this really how you want it to end? Is this the revenge that you so desired?"

Sombrero spun around to look at where the voice had come from, and standing there next to the guardian was a more well known outlaw and his associate.

"Jeffrey and Bella... hell, he even got to you two?"

"More or less... he and some whore that he'd associated with killed my dear Jeffrey. And then when I found the charred remains of his body I just couldn't find it in myself to live on. I thought I had lost everything, so I took my life to be with him again. Turns out even though he'd died hours before, he had stayed around to wait for me. Sweet innit?" Bella twirled her umbrella with her right hand, her left hand being held firmly in the hand of her lover's.

Sombrero spat to the ground next to him. "So what then? Yer here to take yer own revenge on the sumbitch? Come to steal my glory away from me? Huh?" Sombrero cocked his head and pointed his gun up at Jeffrey. "Don't you think I won't do it if you even try a thing."

"Hush now child, we just came to see the man that lil Jeb had grown into. Shame I never actually got to meet the boy, but with all the stories I hear from that damned tower and from what Jeffrey's told me... seems to be worth looking into." Bella strode over to the body of Jeb and laid down next to him, the gun of Sombrero on her the entire time. The corner of Bella's mouth twitched as she placed her lips against Jeb's and pushed three small objects inside of it. "For saving our child from the abomination that we had made him into... even if you were the cause of our death we've come to realize that it was necessary. We had grown out of control at the time, even going so far as to attempt to bring our baby back to life with that crazy bounty hunter bitch's weird blend of science and magic... but it's all in the past now. Our son is in paradise, and we are where we belong. And we wouldn't rather have it any other way."

Jeffrey strode over and kneeled down on the other side of Jeb's head. His eyes glossed over the holed body of his killer and he shook his head. "Well, s'pose I gots to give ye something too then. They grow differently here - something bout the way magic works or I dunno, but I remember you asking me for one back when we first fought. So, figure it can't hurt to offer one here." The man snapped his fingers and a small plant sprouted up from the ground in front of him. The plant was whispy and thin, almost like a cloud, but dark and seemed to hang heavy like tar. A flower bloomed on the plant, revealing a black cigar within. Jeffrey plucked the smoke and lit it before placing it between Jeb's lips. Jeffrey pursed his lips as if he were wanting to say something before he left, but nothing came. He instead nodded his head and rose to his feet, pulling Bella up with him before walking away from the direction they'd come.

"Sometimes death is inescapable. Not always is killing someone purely an act of darkness, but sometimes a necessary course of action for the greater good Jebediah. Do what you must to grow." The beast man had taken a few steps forward and was now looming over the bodies of both Sombrero and Jebediah. The outlaw prodded the gun in his hand at the stomach of the guardian and made a shooing motion.

With the distraction that the dog had created, Jeb reached down slowly and pulled out Mr.Truth with its one bullet. The sound of clicking as Jeb pulled the hammer back caught Sombrero's attention. The man turned back around just in time to see Jeb pull the trigger, putting a bullet through his head and ending the outlaws life for the second and last time.

Jeb propped himself up as the holes in his body slowly began to fade. He pulled the cigar out of his mouth and spat the three bullets that Bella had given him into his hand before loading them into Mr.Truth. The guardian brought over Sombrero's gun as well, pulling out the final bullet in it. Jeb's gun no had four shots in it, and he had no idea just how many more sins he had to right before this was all over. There was no telling just how many more times he would be put into that life or death situation or how many more times he would have to force himself to take the lives of others when he didn't even deserve it... but this was as the guardian had put it a necessary evil. If he was to meet back up with himself he would have to endure this and much more it seemed.

The guardian walked away for a moment and waved his hand at the air in front of him. When once there was only an insanely long bridge and the tower at the end, the bridge had been whisked away and only the tower remained ahead. It loomed over the defeated would be bounty hunter and guardian. And at the top it seemed a storm had begun to form.

"It seems your other half has already made it. In that case we've not much time to lose... we must move whether you're ready or not. Brace yourself for what's to come, for you'll be facing the tragedy which you created in Wrench."

Foxrally · Apr 7, 2016

Hudson Greaves
National Guard

Achilles Nimbus
Status - Bounty Hunter
Sorcery Level - 2
Element - Electricity
Money - $3200 ($27, 800 to go)

Near Larkin
National Guard Base

Royal Guard Flush

"I told ya to shut yer yap when the cap'n's around, Hudson. Making snarky-ass comments when he's next to ya's the most surefire way to get your ass booted."

"Could you tone it down with the language?"

"There, see what I mean?"

"I know, man... I got a problem paying attention to that kind of stuff. Just can't stop myself, y'know."

"Hah! Well ya won't be able to stop the cap'n either when he throws yer sorry ass out with nothin' but yer panties a can o' dog food." the guard laughed.

"Yeah, yeah." Hudson, the second guard, replied absentmindedly. They turned the corner and stopped at the corridor leading to entrance of the guard headquarters, where a pair of chairs as well as a 'reception' desk with two crude-looking mugs were placed. Taking a seat, Hudson lit a cigarette. His partner grabbed a mug, the latter instantly filling up with coffee as he touched it - a useful spell, albeit not so much in combat.

Hudson sighed. "You know, I've been thinking... I've just been here for around a month, so you could just call it culture shock or something, but... the way the captain handled those captives earlier... it wasn't right, man!"

"What, you mean what he did with the outlaw bitch?" the fellow guard asked jokingly.

"Yeah. I mean, she's an outlaw and all, but you don't do that shit to women! It ain't christian!" Hudson replied, his tone clearly serious. "I joined the force to help innocents and clean this- this cesspool of all its criminals, not to... watch that happen!"

There was a short silence before the other guard responded as he took a puff out of his cigarette. "Fuckin' hell, you young'uns and yer idealistic bullshit. Maybe that's what they taught ya in yer little sissy school - and hell, maybe that's how the fuckers work up north - but that ain't how everythin' operates 'round here. You'll learn that eventually. Keep yer trap shut and follow orders and ya won't get yerself in any trouble."

Hudson sighed again. "Still doesn't defend what the captain did. Taking advantage of a sleeping captive like that..."

The second guard chuckled. "Heh, can't blame him though. Girl's a fine piece of- ah, shit!" he yelled. He had accidentally knocked over his mug, causing scalding hot coffee to spill onto his uniform.

Hudson chuckled. "Serves you right."

"Yeah, yeah, fuck you. Cap'n's gonna give me a fuckin' earful if he sees me with a dirty uniform again."

"You could try checking with Williams at the east wing. He's pretty good at water spells, I reckon he'd be able to clean it up." Hudson suggested.

"Oh, right. Thanks. You can handle this spot on yer own for now, can ya? If the cap'n asks for some reason, tell the bastard I'm takin' a shit or somethin'." the older guard mentioned before heading off down the corridor and into the adjacent building.

"You really need to tone down on the language, man!" Hudson called out.

A few minutes passed in complete silence as the young guard smoked his cigarette quietly. He suddenly felt the cold steel edge of a blade on his neck, and the sound of a voice whispering into his ear from behind him.

"Drop your gun." the woman said. "Make a sound and you die."

"W-whoa, okay, easy..." Hudson replied quietly, his voice trembling. Who was this woman? How had he not seen her come down the corridor? He put his cigarette on the desk and slowly pulled his gun out of its holster.

"On the ground." the woman commanded, pushing the blade slightly into his neck and causing him to squirm a little. The guard's pistol dropped to the floor with a clank. "Turn around."

Hudson froze. "Turn around? How many degrees? Ninety? Half circle? Full cir- agh!" he almost cried out in pain as he felt the person grab him by the hair and turn him around to face her. The figure wore dark clothes, dusty and torn from travelling the desert on foot, as well hood and a mask covering her nose and mouth. However the most noticeable aspect of her outfit was the strange glow emanating from under her right sleeve, reaching all the way up to her shoulder. Hudson gulped. "I'm sorry, but my life is on the line here, I can't afford to make mistakes... " his voice trailed off as the woman pulled back her hood and removed her mask.

"Listen to me carefully if you don't want my dagger into your neck." Marzia ordered.

"Uh huh..." Hudson mumbled.

"You will get the keys to the Sangres' cells. The blade I just touched you with contains a deadly poison. I can activate that poison from anywhere I want to. Do as I say and you live." she ordered, picking up the guard's gun from the ground.

"Yes, yes... You have... marvelous eyes..." the young guard replied.

"Listen!" the Sangre Assassin hissed as she slapped him across the face. The sting of pain seemed to bring the man back to reality.

"O-okay! I..." he stammered.

"There's a spare key room in the next building. I would infiltrate myself but it is guarded by two of your guards. Get rid of them." Marzia commanded as she. "Turn around again. Wait for your partner to return. Find a way to leave your spot and get the keys - I will know when you have done so. Until then, do not speak of this conversation or I will kill you."

"Wait! I don't even know your n-" Hudson began and turned back around to face her again, but the woman was gone.

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

Stay calm, Hudson. You speak to the boys every day. No way you can mess up this simple task. the guard thought to himself as he walked down the corridor leading to the storage room. Heck, if getting fired means seeing her again, I'd reckon it's worth it. God, she has the prettiest eyes... But that arm... what was that about? "I wonder what her name is, though..." he mumbled to himself as he reached the end of the corridor, where a couple of guards were playing poker in front of the storage room.

"Hey Huds!" one of them called out as he noticed him approaching. "You free of duty right now?"

Hudson cleared his throat and tipped his hat. "G'd'afternoon, boys. 'fraid not, the captain's assigned me a new training task."

"Again? Damn, those are a pain in the ass. Pretty standard for you new recruits, though."

"Yeah... But hey, nothing I can do. He wants me to learn, ah... 'prisoner handling and interrogation'."

The first guard laughed. "Ho, that's a fun one. Well, depending on how loud they scream!"

"Haha, yeah..." Hudson rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"So what'chu here for? You didn't come all the way here just to say hi, did ya? How sweet of you!" the first guard laughed again.

"Heh, if that makes you happy. I just need to get a couple of the spare keys for the captain, nothing much."

The second guard raised his eyebrow. "Wait a sec, though. I don't remember that being in rookie initiation."

Hudson flinched. "N-no no, I assure you! I guess the big bosses must've changed the rules since then."

"Weird. Thought the captain and his hired muscle were the only ones who took care of interrogation." the guard said, scratching his chin.

"I guess they must've taken a liking to me, eh?" Hudson laughed nervously as sweat began trickling down his face.

The second guard opened his mouth to speak, but the first one cut him off. "Hah, who wouldn't? Go in and get what you need, bud. I'm kicking this guy's ass, so make it quick!" he laughed, tapping his cards and giving his opponent a nearly-toothless grin.

"Thanks! I will!" Hudson replied. Thank the Lord above! They suspect nothing. he thought. He entered the storage room. It was larger than he has expected, with boxes of ammo, explosives and firearms stacked almost to the ceiling; confiscated items thrown carelessly on desks and shelves; and a wall upon which rows and rows of keys were hanging - some even labeled with rooms for other National Guard bases. In the corner of the room, next to the wall of keys, was a medium-sized incinerator, its fire put out but not quite dead. Next to it was a box marked with the current date and 'SPELLBOOKS' scribbled in crude writing on the side.'

Those must be the outlaws' spellbooks... Hudson thought to himself. She didn't tell me to get them, but... he shook his head. "What am I saying?" he muttered. "I have a protocol to follow! I must report her as soon as I give her the key! I can't assist her in freeing these... these..." he stopped. A sick girl, an old man and someone who claims not to know them... Why is she so keen on freeing them? Are they not outlaws? There's no way she could be helping a gang of- of- filthy outlaws... Not someone with that face! No, I must risk it. I have to see her again. If I help her, then she will trust me.

Hudson sighed, and picked up the box. Quickly snatching the keys to the cells, he exited the storage room. Politely nodding at the two guards at the door again, he began making his way towards the corridor.

"Wait a minute... Hey, hold up a sec!" one of the guards called.

Hudson froze. "Y-yes?" he asked, turning around and trying to his best to hide his fear.

"What's that box you're holding there? Thought you said you'd be coming for keys only?"

"I- oh, my bad! I completely forgot to tell you I was meant to bring the... captain's supply of glazed muffins!" he exclaimed.

"Shit, we keep the food in there? No wonder everyone's been hitting the shitters this week." the other guard asked. "Also, it says something about an incinerator on that box. Can't read the rest of this writing..." he added, squinting.

"Eh? I-Incin-?" Hudson stammered. "Oh! All that means is that they're to be put in the oven. Captain likes his muffins toasted. Incinerate, toast, same thing, right?" he said, laughing nervously.

"Damn, you mind passing me one of those? Bastard won't notice." the guard joked.

"And risk losing my job? No thank you!" Hudson replied. "Well then, g'day to the both of you!" And with a tip of his hat, he turned around and headed back to his post.

This had better be worth it.

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

"Hey there! How's it going boys?" Isaac grinned as he stepped through the front door to the poker playing guards. There was a shared look of disdain about the uniformed men as they looked over the strange man and the smaller man who accompanied him. "Don't worry about greeting us. We already had..." He stopped to think about what the right word would be. "...a word with your captain." There was a moment of silence following his announcement.

"Who the hell are you?" One of the guards blurted out, carelessly dropping his royal flush. His outburst drew another smirk from Isaac's face.

"My friend here has been called in as a special request." He smiled as he pulled out Achilles' old ID. The guards seemed unsure of what was the appropriate response to the senior National Guard identification card that was being held out before them. You asked for reinforcements, right?" Isaac asked with an air of authority.

"Y-yeah. Of course, um...you wanted to see the captain, right? He'll probably be in his office, I'll escor-"

"No, no. No need for that, I'll...do it myself." Isaac said inattentively, already drifting away before the guard could stop him.

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

"Cant believe you kept this thing. You know that's illegal, right?" Isaac raised his brow obviously harbouring conflicted thoughts about what just happened.

"And what we're doing now isn't? I saved a lot of lives by keeping that thing. They should be thankful." Achilles sighed, stuffing the ID back into his jacket's inner pocket.

"Wanted one last swing, huh?" he mocked.

"Shut up."

A joint post of Foxrally, Shak and Sephear

gimmepie · Apr 19, 2016

Alex Rose

Bitch, Where's My Money?

Covered in almost-dry blood and ash, a touch sweaty and just generally a touch messed-up-looking, Alex exited the Ironhaven Sheriff's department. What had begun as an unfortunate mess had quickly turned into a rather profitable situation. He had now collected the bounties of his original targets and Emmett Holliday (subsequently getting revenge for the debacle back in Spider's Hollow) and would soon be picking up an additional three thousand dollars from Elias, whom he had left standing next to a flaming house.

Alex turned to where several horses were picketed, walking over to the black stallion that had once belonged to Dead-Eye's associate, William Chesterfield. His own borrowed horse now rotting somewhere between Ironhaven and the Chasm, he had taken the animal as his own. It wasn't like the outlaw was going to need it anymore, and he didn't think anyone would be particularly bothered by him stealing from a dead criminal.

Ensuring that his earnings, the collective bounties of Emmett and the Dead-Eye gang totalling $4600, were tucked safely in his new saddlebags, Alex untied the horse from the stump it was tethered to and grabbed its reins, using them to lead it through the enormous town towards the walls. He would have preferred to ride the animal, he had to make sure he got back to Elias quickly before he tried to run, but there was just too many people about Ironhaven's streets for that to be a viable option.
"Well, even if I don't find him I've hopefully made enough to appease Janet. Still, the extra three thousand would set me up for a while… and I don't like the idea of letting anyone skip out on a deal with me. That shit is paying me what he agreed to."

Alex struggled through the gradually diminishing throngs of people along Ironhaven's main streets, towards the cloud of dark smoke on the horizon. He figured the house was likely still ablaze, that fire-fighting efforts were in place and that as soon as other people had showed up on the scene the cowardly Elias had ran back towards the city. Alex didn't have the slightest clue how fast or far Elias could run, but he was confident he didn't have to try and factor any magic into the equation. It was likely then, that he'd notice his employer as he backtracked his steps.

Sure enough, not too long after he saw the thin, wimpy-looking man skulking through the crowd in his direction. His shifty brown eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of Alex, having not yet noticed the bounty hunter walking towards him. Then, finally, Elias spotted Alex and froze in place. Alex smirked at the shorter man, knowing full well he'd just realised he'd been caught trying to sneak away. Elias grinned sheepishly, before his expression immediately turned to one of fear and he turned and sprinted down a side street.
"Oh for fucks sake." Alex groaned, grabbing a random kid's shoulder as they walked passed and jamming the reins into his hand. "Hold my horse here. Don't go anywhere. Steal it and I'll find you and put a hole in your head."

Without waiting for a response, Alex took off after Elias, dashing into the side street just in time to see Elias rounding a corner into another one. Swearing to himself again, Alex hurried after him. Rushing around the corner and down a shorter and narrower alley back out onto one of the main streets, Alex swept his head around. His eyes catching faint footprints in the dirt in the fading light, the young bounty hunter smirking once more. Following the faint prints, something that was admittedly not exactly easy as there was still something of a crowd to get through, Alex soon found himself at the door of a saloon at the other side of the street.
"Why am I not shocked that he'd hide in a bar of all places." Alex sighed, pushing open the door to the establishment.

The inside was more or less what Alex expected from a local watering hole, a decent sized room with a counter at the back, shelves full of bottles and a bunch of wooden tables around the room gradually filling up with men and women who'd just gotten off work. A quick look around revealed Elias, sitting in the darkest corner he could find with a large glass of something that looked toxic.

Alex took his time to stroll across the room, Elias seemingly oblivious to his arrival. Eventually arriving at the other man's table he grabbed him by his hair and slammed his head down onto the table.
"What the fuck man?!" Elias shouted, variants of the phrase quickly becoming something of a catchphrase for the man. "Holy shit, what was that f- oh."
"Did you seriously think that you were going to get away without paying me?"
"I was just looking for you!"
"You fucking ran."
"I… uh" Elias looked queezy, his skin pale and sweat quickly building up on his skin.
"I told you not to fuck with me Elias. Where's my money? You better hope you've got my fucking money."

It was at this moment that the bartender, an old but stocky man, called out across the room.
"Oi, I don't give a shit what your beef is but I don't want it in here. Take it outside or shut the hell up." Alex, now suddenly aware of the room full of onlookers, grabbed Elias by his collar and proceeded to all but drag him outside and down the alley between the saloon and its neighbouring business. Alex slammed the other man into the wall of the saloon.
"Start talking."

Elias was shaking in Alex's grasp, he tried to formulate an acceptable lie but he was caving in under the pressure. He had two options, pay Alex or pay Bell. Either way someone was going to want him to be less than alive, and despite Alex being a bounty hunter he wasn't totally sure he could trust the man to not make it so his body had a few extra holes.
"I'm getting impatient." Alex pulled his revolver from its holster and pressed it into Elias' head.
"Jesus! Alright!" he gasped, "Fuck. I have the money."
"Then why did you run? Are you really that stupid?"
"I ain't fucking stupid. That's why I'm running. I owe people money and –"
"You owe me money" Alex interjected with a scowl
"Isn't the money from Demon Guy enough?"
"It's never enough." Alex pushed the gun harder against Elias.
"Okay! Shit. Thanks a fucking lot Alex. Thanks. I have to hang myself now. Wasn't really a part of my fucking plans for the day." Elias dropped a wad of cash at Alex's feet. "Happy? Now I have to go find somewhere to die so these guys don't torture me first."

Alex removed his weapon from the side of Elias' head and picked up the cash.
"These guys have bounties?"
"I wish. I'd have just sicked you on them then, wouldn't I? No they don't have fucking bounties."
"Well stiff shit then." Alex said with a shrug, turning and walking out of the alleyway. Elias blinked in shock for several second before taking off after the bounty hunter.
"What the fuck man?! I tell you that people are going to torture and kill me and you say "stiff shit". Are you fucking human?"
"It's not my problem. If they don't have bounties, I don't care." Alex called back without even looking at the cowardly man now following him down the street.
"Fucking wonderful..." Elias muttered, still following after the bounty hunter.

Ice1 · Apr 20, 2016

Emmett Holliday
Status - Outlaw – Roped and Ready - Handsfree
Sorcery Level - 2
Element - Water
Bounty - 2000$

The Cowboy, Pt.2

"I guess I'll just have to think on my feet," Emmett said, as he turned around and started running towards Cowboy. He took a leap towards the horse, and blinked away. He had launched himself headfirst towards Cowboy, with pouting lips and a daring wink. Like a bullet with a bad day Emmett flew towards cowboy, who tried to dodge his captive as best as possible. Emmett flew right past him, and Cowboy quickly recovered his original position, only to get hit by Emmett.

"Surprise!" He yelled, as they came down on the ground. An audible crack gave away that at least one bone broke in the fall. Emmett now had to figure out which bone it was, and if it his, or if Cowboy's. He raised himself effortlessly from the ground, by pushing himself up from his foe's face.

"Aren't you supposed to be really badass or something? You don't introduce yourself sitting in an empty mansion room if you aren't at least a teeny weeny bit bada-" There were multiple signs that Emmett's nose just broke- again -, namely the audible crack, but maybe more importantly, the god-awful pain, and the gushing blood.

"Can we not?" Emmett said, "I was doing my quirky line."

Cowboy clenched his fist and went in for another strike. Emmett ducked away, and quickly blinked around. Punches weren't his typical weakness. "I'm not allowed to kill him, I'm not allowed to kill him," Emmett repeated, as he tried to imitate Cowboy, "I can't kill that very good looking very funny guy. I'm not allowed to. I smell like farts." Emmett was sure to stretch out the fart as long as possible. That technique was called comedy, and he was a master at it.

The next thing that hit Emmett wasn't a fist, but rather a piece of rope, shaped like a fist. From cowboy's waist four thick pieces of rope with weird knots arose, all quickly attacking Emmett. He tried to blink away, but the ropes wouldn't let him go. Just being near him was enough for them to get blinked with him, and the barrage of whips and punches was quick to wear him down.

"I'm not allowed to kill him," Cowboy said, and Emmett realized his impression could still use a lot of work. The rope hit him again, but this time there was a lot of force behind the punch, instead of a quick strike. Emmett flew back, and hit his head on the ground.

"I'm not allowed to kill him." Another piece of rope rose up, and quickly whipped down, making a knot come down on the area Emmett delicately called his privates. He screamed out in pain, and disappeared. The ropes shot around at incredibly speed, as they transported from one place to another. They came awfully close to Cowboy, as Emmett appeared only centimeters before him, and kicked him in the shin with full force.

"I'm sick of playing," he said, as he disappeared again. Cowboy fell down on the ground screaming. His shin was the bone that just broke from the fall, and the kick had snapped it in half completely. Luckily for Cowboy he didn't have to suffer too long, as Emmett appeared above his head, with the fist-shaped rope wrapped around his neck, choking him. He let his boot make full impact with Cowboy's face, as it burst open, and his body went lifeless, as did the ropes.

"I'm," Emmett screamed, and he jumped, splattering the insides of Cowboy's head.

"Sick," He jumped again.

"Of." Again.

"Playing." Again.

"No mercy," Emmett said out of breath, as he wiped the gore of his face. "Holy moly that turned nasty in the end." He caringly held his crotch.

He sat down on the ground next to the body, and started searching it. He found two small leather bound books, and a keychain. One of the books was clearly a spellbook, but the other was more mysterious. It was as if Cowboy had been jotting down conversation he and his associates had been having. Random snippets of conversations.

Emmett quickly let the pages slide past his thumb. Half the book was empty, and the other half was ink-cladded. He turned the pages back to the halfway point, where the writing stopped. It quickly became clear what the books purpose was. Cowboy didn't log conversations, the book was used for communication. New words appeared on the page as he was looking at it.

Seems like Crane also couldn't handle it. He's peeling. I'm going to dump the body in the cellar.

Any clues as to why? He seemed fine yesterday.

I don't know. Doesn't seem like we changed too much from the attempt on Emmett. We'll just have to go back to the older recipe.

The old one didn't work-

Emmett had wiped the blood from under his nose, and started writing in big red capital letters.

NANANANANA

The messages stopped after that.

Sonata · Apr 20, 2016

???

Jebediah Sanders
???
???

Jebediah Kleutsch approached the tower's door. A golden handle cemented in an assortment of wooden planks with no discernible beginning or end. The entire first level seemed to be made in a similar fashion, birch, mahogany, oak and many others curved all the way around. Yet, glancing upwards the sight immediately changed to marble. Even just slightly tilting his head, lifting his gaze not even an inch everything changed the same. But to glance even that centimeter down, all in his sight became that same assortment of wood. As he circled around the tower, the golden knob followed in front of him.

"Just go in. The tower cares not where you enter, only that you do indeed enter." The guardian approached the wall in front of Jebediah and placed his hand against the wood. "Only you can open this door. From here on, we guardians are but simple followers." The dog-headed man turned to Jebediah as a globule of saliva dropped from his lip. "Please, deliver me to my brothers. Complete your trial and accept your judgement Jebediah."

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

"So then this is the tower? Outward appearances leave much to be desired." Jebediah shook his head and lit a cigar.

"Once you enter all that will await you is pain. Pain of your own creation, both unto yourself and from yourself." The eagle-headed man plucked at his chest feathers as he waited for his escort to move on.

Jebediah looked up the tower's length, seeing that its top disappeared in the clouds. The entire length of the building was made from what seemed to be black onyx. In front of the bounty hunter was a crimson knob, the handle to the tower's interior. Jeb took a final puff from his cigar before tossing it off the chasm beneath him. He looked back at the bridge behind him and the carnage he had rought. Bits and pieces of bodies torn and strewn across the rope rails and the once white wood planks stained a muddy red. The man smiled to himself as he reached out and took the door's handle.

The tower's door opened itself. The handle darkened in the bounty hunter's hand and turned to ash, as a segment of the wall creaked open inwards. The tower was circular in shape, with a spiral staircase pressed against the wall starting beside the doorway. A platform hung roughly fifty meters above him, and one hundred meters in front of him three men leaned up against a stained glass window.

"Jebediah Sanders. King of Hell huh?" One man chuckled and took a few steps forward.

"Weeeelll shit, ain't that just a bitch huh? The Russel brothers here to join me already? Fuck, what sorry piece of shit did you two in? I'd really hoped to kill you two sumbitches when I came back, but here you fuckin' are right in front of me." Jeb chuckled lightly, suppressing an annoyed tone in his voice as he bit down on his lip. The bounty hunter removed his hat and ran his hand through his, slicking it back with the blood from those that he'd killed on his way to this place.

"Don't you go forgettin' me now y'hear!" A portly man walked forward from between the two brothers. Several of his teeth were missing and he gave off the stench of rot.

"And who the hell'd you be," Jeb questioned as he pulled his sword from its holster and began to wipe the blade clean.

"Well, I'm the one that killed your daughter! Don't you recognize me? You tracked me down and then when Jed -"

Before the man could finish, Jeb's blade was in his throat and his body crashed through the window. The man clutched on to Jeb's hand as he hung out over the abyss below. Blood sputtered from his mouth as he frantically attempted to speak. Jeb looked away from the man and back at the two brothers. "I believe we've a debt to be settled then?" Jeb whispered as he released the handle of the sword, dropping it and the other man into the abyss.

The two brothers looked at each other and then cracked a smile. The two pulled out guns and leveled them at the bounty hunter, who responded simply by raising his fists. As the shots went off and the bullets began to fly, Jebediah kicked off of the ground leaping to the ceiling. The two outlaws followed lethargically, firing off more rounds as their guns trailed behind the man. Jeb kicked off from the ceiling and leaped directly at the taller of the brothers. The shots continued, barely grazing past the skin of the bounty hunter's face as he tore man's non-dominant arm off.

Jeb smiled at the two as Law began to scream out in pain. The bounty hunter had dug his bare hands into the man's shoulder and ripped the arm almost completely off, leaving only shards of bone and torn muscles dangling from the outlaw's socket.

"You son of a fucking whore! I swear I'll fucking kill you! I'll... fuck! Just fucking die!" Law screamed out at Jeb as he let loose the last three bullets in his gun which were easily dodged.

The outlaw fell to the ground, screaming out in pain as he clutched his shoulder which was pouring out blood at a rapid pace. Thomas snarled at Jeb as he picked up his brother's gun and reloaded it along with his own. The brother rushed at the bounty hunter with both guns loaded and pointed in his direction. "I'll kill you again you piece of shit! You'll never be anything but for the trash beneath our feet!"

Jeb shook his head as the man began to let loose a volley of bullets. Jeb stood there, taking each as it came until the outlaw was standing there in front of him, pulling the trigger of guns pressed against the bounty hunters chest and receiving only clicks. Jeb pressed his forehead against the outlaw's as blood poured from the multiple holes in his chest.

A wicked smile crossed the bounty hunter's face and his eyes opened wide. "This. This is my world now."

The outlaw coughed, blood shooting out from his mouth and splattering across Jeb's face. His eyes fell to his stomach, where he saw both of the bounty hunter's hands inside of him. The outlaw tensed up as Jeb clutched on to his intestines and pulled them out from his body. Jeb let out a high-pitched laughter from between clenched teeth, his smile still spread wide across his face. The outlaw staggered backwards and fell over the curled up form of his brother. The two looked up at the demon towering over them as their vision grew blurry.

"Fear me. Worship me. Strive, to become more like me. Stand up! Stand, and face me! Offer to me both body and soul! I crave it! I desire it! I demand it! Give to me all that you have or disappear from this existence!" Jeb lifted up the two bodies as the life slowly began to fade from them. His face pressed against theirs, his voice grew into a demented scream as he stated his desires.

Thomas' eyes clouded over and the bounty hunter's voice slowly faded from his mind as he felt something fall on to him. It was cold and sticky, it felt as if it were sinking in to his skin. He felt his soul begin to disperse, but then this something grabbed hold of it. It began to bring it all back together, and then his eyes peeled open. Jebediah's expression had changed to that of disgust and he had backed away several feet. The bounty hunter's upper lip curled as he pulled out Mr. Truth and leveled it at the outlaw. A single shot was fired and without even knowing what he was doing, Thomas swatted the bullet away with a tentacle that seemed to be made of a tar-like substance. Whispers began to invade his head as he eyes grew heavy. He looked over to the form of his brother and saw a black ooze in the middle of stretching from the ceiling and attaching itself to his body.

Jebediah pulled another cigar out and lit it up. He took a couple of quick drags as he waited for the men's transformation to conclude. He glanced around the room, looking for the so-called guardian he had flown up to this world with. The eagle-headed man was sitting in a corner, staring at the two brothers as he absentmindedly plucked at his chest feathers.

"Hey, birdman." Jeb called out, "Is this what I have to expect the whole way up this damn tower then?"

The guardian sighed and rubbed the back of his hand against his chest, flattening out his plumage. "This is the demon that you created - the monster that you set free. If you wish to become ruler of this kingdom then you must subjugate all that which resides in it. So yes, that includes the demon and his spawn."

"That's not the question that I asked, but alright. Any suggestions on how to kill these things besides a stab with a sharp object that I no longer have?"

"Did you not just rip that man's arm off with your bare hands? Why not tear through the darkness as well?"

Jeb scowled as he looked at his fingers already layered with dried blood and entrails. "I'd rather not dirty my hands."

"Then you're shit out of luck mate." The eagle retorted as he rose to his feet. The man stretched out, reaching for the ceiling and let out a yawn. "If you're not going to fight two then you're not going to fight a thousand. Best for us to just leap into the abyss now if that's truly-"

"Fine. For fuck's sake. You don't have to get all whatever about it. I'll just rip their fuckin' heads off. It's just really no fun. This tar things don't even bleed. It's just... it's really underwhelmin' to be honest."

The bounty hunter lazily raised his open fists to the creatures in front of him. He shook his head as he walked up to the one with only one arm, grabbing it by that single arm and launching it out of the open window. The bounty hunter waited a few seconds afterwards, but nothing happened.

"So... I can throw them out there right? That seemed to be as good an option as tearing their heads off right?"

"I wouldn't recommend it. It'd be best to just behead them now than to wait for them to form a titan after you throw a few hundred down that chasm."

Jeb sighed as he approached the other demon in the room and shoved his fist through its head. This was going to be a less than exciting journey. At least whatever lay in wait at the top held promise.

Ice1 · Apr 24, 2016

Emmett Holliday
Status - Outlaw – Self-reflecting – Being expositioned too
Sorcery Level - 2
Element - Water
Bounty - 2000$

The Part of the Story that has a lot of Setup but not a lot of Action

As the sun set, Emmett slowed down. He was getting tired, hungry and thirsty. He should've gone after Cowboy's horse, but instead decided to, well, not. Which, in hindsight, was a really bad idea, because water and food are needed to survive.

Emmett slowly pushed away the earth, as he dug a hole for him to sleep in. The upper layers of sand would heat up and cool down incredibly quickly, but the ground underneath would retain a good amount of heat. The desert got cold at night, which didn't bother Emmett that much, but some source of warmth was always welcome. What was going to bother him was the insecty-ness of this hole.

The night sky was cloudless, as it was most of the nights, because rain didn't have any business being in a desert, and revealed the starry images. In his head, Emmett always drew lines between stars, and created images. He even named them for what they resembled. They were useful for navigating in the desert, as they generally gave a good sense of direction. For example, he knew that in this time of year, "the family dog I killed on accident but not really when I was nine" was at the Northern most point of the night sky. If he wanted to go south, he should try to find "Sheep with two heads riding a turtle."

He raised his hand up to the night sky. The only reason you could see it was because it blackened out the stars, but it was just an obsidian black otherwise. He didn't like his new appearance that much, although he could probably scare the jeepers out of some kids with it. He would have trouble blending in from now on, with his unnatural skin and hair colour, and just melding into crowds was a big part of his original shtick. It seemed like he would just have to adapt to it, though.

Emmett didn't sleep comfortably, but he hadn't slept well ever since he was fused with his spellbook. His dreams were not visions into his imagination, but just a sensation of pressure. Sometimes it felt like he was falling, and sometimes he would wake himself up with painful coughs, as black smoke left his body. It happened less and less over the last two months, but he would still get attacks. Just the black smoke draining out of all the crevices in his face, and a burning pain in his body. He theorized it was his body rejecting the spell, but so far it didn't seem like it was harming him in any other way.

When Emmett awoke it was still dark. His whole body hurt from his sleeping position, and he felt hungry as a lion. And not just a lion, a lion who hadn't had anything to eat for like a week. His mouth felt dry, and he could taste sand on his tongue. He started walking north, towards Ironhaven. The city was probably big enough to not get discovered in, considering the only person who knew about his black skin was Alex. And that sheriff, but it just didn't feel right to call someone with that kind of facial hair a person.

As the sun rose, Emmett got the book out. He wasn't the typically reader type- he was more a fan of throwing picture books at people –but this book seemed to pertain to him, and he didn't have anything else to kill the time with. He skimread the pages and just kept repeating 'boring' over and over again, sometimes even yelling it when a page was really really dull.

The main take-away seemed to be that those people weren't really good at what they did. They were trying to make squibbly-tiny-writer a living spellbook, and blocky-ugly-writer, using-capital-letters-just-randomly-in-the-middle-of-words, and cowboy were trying to help. If he had to guess, then squibbly-tiny-writer was Goblin. He seemed to be the one in charge when he was at the manor. The other two were just side characters anyway. He didn't even remember Beasty Boy's face, just that off his bulldog. That dog was probably prettier than him anyway.

The plan was to find extensive magic users and keep fusing them with their books until it worked. They used a copy of an old spell they found, but somehow they weren't able to replicate it. It seemed like the spell was meant to leave no marks of the fusion, so Emmett clearly was a failure. He was left alive, though, which a lot of others clearly weren't.

In interesting story that seemed to pop in the middle of the conversation was that of just a completely other method. Leatherface they called him, and he seemed to be Emmett's type. A madman that acted on pure instinct. Emmett loved a good dangerous lunatic.

How exactly the process worked, Emmett couldn't find, but Leatherface had apparently stitched the pages of his spellbook to his body, which just sounded dumb. But, hey, apparently it had worked, so all power to him, Emmett thought.

Currently, he was locked up in dungeons in Ironhaven, chained and locked. Goblin certainly seemed to be annoyed by it, and discussion shifted to his situation. Cowboy wrote that they would probably kill him, but Goblin was of the opinion that he would still be alive.

Leatherface's captors were Buzzard goons, which was a name Emmett was vaguely familiar with. He knew it because he had spent hours jealously looking at the bounty the man had, and he dreamt of a future of notoriety. Buzzard was old, ugly, and wanted, that's about all Emmett could recall, but it was good enough for him. The big bad bosses of the Barren Lands seemed to take their crimes way too seriously, and Emmett loved that.

Ironhaven's walls were a sign to stop reading, and start looking for a disguise of some sorts. You couldn't hide in crowds well with a complexion like Emmett's. He'd stick out like a sore thumb. He slowly paced around the walls. Small buildings were put against it. Guard barracks, and housing for the poor, mainly. It was in one of those houses that Emmett found a right outfit. A hooded cloak with a high collar, shrouding his face in shadows completely. The cloak itself could draw some attention to him, but at least he didn't look like the obsidian-skinned boy on the wanted posters. He would go through Ironhaven unnoticed. A bit against his usual style, but hey, sometimes you gotta have priorities.

Sonata · Apr 27, 2016

???

Jebediah Kleutsch
???
???

"Jebediah!" Law screamed out for the man as the dark beings converged on him. Thomas looked back at his brother from the other side of the room. The man's eyes filled with sorrow as Law was ripped in half and drug down the stairs towards the floor below. Law's fingernails scraped across, chipped and finally broke against the marble of the floor as upper half of his body was being torn away at by the tendrils of darkness. His eyes began to glaze over as he reached for his throat. A gold plated chain link necklace snapped against the back of the man's neck as he tore it off with his last bit of strength.

The necklace piled up on the ground with the bullet it was laced through laying on top of it. A loud screech echoed from several floors below, but Thomas rushed over to retrieve the necklace. The man held it tight against his chest as he fought back tears. Jebediah hurried over and placed his hand on the surviving brother's shoulder, urging him to continue up the stairs before the demons could catch up to them.

"We've got to go. If you don't hurry now, the door will be sealed forever." The dog-headed man took a few steps down the staircase leading to the floor above.

Thomas and Jeb looked at each other and then nodded. They had to continue on. They'd already climbed so high on the sacrifices of the others, they couldn't just give up and let them be in vain now. The two made their way over to the stairs and ascended to the next floor.

When they came out into the open platform the two men were forced to shield their eyes. The ceiling glowed brilliantly, and like every other level so far - on the opposite wall began a flight of stairs. Their prize was within reach, and it seemed that this would be their final battle. In the center of the room was a tear - a gash hanging in the air in the shape of an eye. Staring in to the portal caused Jebediah to grow light-headed and dizzy, the endless void that it opened up to was nauseating. Darkness seeped from the opening in waves, covering the room's floor in a heavy black fog.

As the two stared six charred black fingers reached out from the void and grasped the edges of the cut, pulling the portal open wide and revealing a massive armored monster. The beast stood eight feet tall, with arms and legs covered in blood red plates. Magma seemed to flow across its black skin as black smoke wafted upwards off of its body along with the smell of burning flesh. Six purple eyes formed a circle around a seventh in the center of the demon's face, making them the only distinguishable features upon its head.

As the creature exited the portal from which it had come the hole fused into its chest, tearing open wider as a slew of tentacles shot forth from it. The monster reached into its chest - its arm disappearing into the void before returning with a set of curved swords nearly as long as the being was tall.

"The mother." The dog-headed man turned around to face Jebediah and Thomas. "She has waited long for your arrival. Show her the way by which you have reached this point. Prove that you are worthy or the title wished to be bestowed upon you."

"That fuckin' things a chick?" Thomas wrinkled his nose in disgust as he pulled out his pistols.

The creature shook violently, causing the ground beneath them to crack and sway. Tentacles ripped through the floor in various places between the two men and the demon woman. The tentacles in her chest flew out around her, crashing through the stained glass windows of the room and wrapping around the building, slowly constricting and trying to pull the entire floor into her chest.

"Jebediah." Thomas turned towards the man with a solemn look upon his face. "I need you to take these and finish this journey for us. I know you're not the same man that we killed, that other Jeb should be waiting for you at the top of this tower already. I know I won't be able to make it there with you in this form, so at least take these two bullets." Thomas pulled at the chain around his neck what was the same as the one Law had worn, only it was made from silver. The outlaw placed both in Jebediah's hands and closed his fingers around them.

Thomas looked as if he'd wanted to say something else. His mouth opened and closed several times before simply resting in a slight smile. The man patted Jebediah's shoulder and then turned away. The dog-headed man walked up to the side of the man and placed something in the outlaw's hand before turning away to walk back over to Jeb.

"This tower was built on the sacrifices of all those that you've wronged. Your ascension through it was ensured in the same fashion. However, you will find that you cannot always rely on the sacrifices of others to further your own progression. Sometimes, regardless of how strongly someone feels about your goals or motivations their sacrifice to your name will not be enough. You must take matters into your own hands. There is no religion higher than truth. There is no power greater than your own will."

Thomas looked over his shoulder at Jebediah and the dog man one final time as the guardian's speech ended. The outlaw knew that his sacrifice wouldn't make any difference to the demon in front of him, but the act would still bear fruit. The man approached the demon as she lifted her arms above her head in an X. The two swords scrapped against each other as she swung her arms around and ripped the man into three portions. His head spun around, separated from his shoulders and his waist separated from the rest of him. His eyes were wide, but his smile was firm. A dark orb glowed in his dominant hand, pulling the tendrils from around the room into it before he was sucked into the endless void of the woman's chest.

The room began to shake once more as the woman stomped around it, clutching at her chest which was slowly stitching itself shut. In the space below her eyes a hole opened, releasing an ear shattering scream as she fell to her knees.

The sword at Jebediah's waist began to glow a brilliant white as the demon writhed in pain. He pulled the weapon from its sheath, seeing the symbol for absolution glowing upon the flat of the blade. He approached the demon which was now crawling away from the weapon in his hand. Jebediah lifted the sword above his head and looked back at the dog-headed man, who simply nodded. The sword was plunged into the nape of the monster's neck, piercing through armor and skin alike before sticking itself into the floor beneath them.

The screams stopped, and an eerie silenced hung in the air. The dog man approached the demon and placed his hand on its shoulder for a moment before making his way towards the stairs leading to the next floor. Jebediah attempted to pull the sword free from the monster's neck but it yielded no results. The blade was stuck for now. He decided to come back for the weapon later, and followed the dog up the stairs until it stopped. Just before his head would have poked out to the next floor the guardian froze. Jebediah waved his hand in front of the man's face, but there was no reaction.

"Jebediah, come. The guardians cannot see me, nor even approach me. However, you, the ruler of this world are able to come and go where you please. Come, Jebediah. I must speak with you."

Jeb turned his head slightly and took a few more steps upwards until he saw the man who had been speaking to him. Skin as pure as the winter's snow, and a radiance rivaling that of the sun. A crown sat upon his head and a sword was skewered through his chest.

"Who... are you," Jeb questioned as he strained his eyes, trying to take in every detail of the man.

"I am Vereryl. Or I should say, the purity of a heart left behind by a man of that name. I should require something of you before your journey is complete. You must make to me a promise."

JukeboxTheGhoul · May 7, 2016

ANIMA

[S-HIGHLIGHT]Music[/S-HIGHLIGHT]
Information
Information

Spoiler:

The arid sands before him gave an indication that he had wandered too far. Every so often a gust of wind would impact the torrid land and kick up gritty particles in to the air for which tormented the young boy. The boy was no more than 4 feet tall, yet his little bone felt weak from thirst. The unforgiving lands tricked him with a jester's mirage. Horizons blended in to a mesh of eternal stream of intense sunlight sapping energy from his body and the cracked clay, like hexes were sliced across the surroundings. His shoulder ached from the weight of the stick slung behind him. He was sent out to fetch water from the further out well, because the pump on the farm was playing up. He must have gotten lost. Was that the sun? Is it morn or noon? Which way was east or west? Papa never got to that lesson.

He was thirsty, yet the water in the bucket was for the farm. Without this water... He fell down to the ground, a slight catch on a rock made him trip. He wiped the sand from his face and looked up. That wasn't there before... Was it? Was it simply a mirage? His mother had warned him of the ghosts of the mirage, they snatched you away and turned you in to a mere wisp that could only exist on the horizon of other people's lives. He touched the corrugate metal in front of him, this was real... A shack. He didn't know there were any settlements out here, nor any sign of a nearby farm. What was this shack doing in the middle of nowhere?

Someone was inside. No, Something was inside. A click chimed. The wall slung down like a drawbridge. And inside, veiled by a sinister solemn darkness, a face of pure evil. Their two crimson eyes opened.

Anima returned to the mortal hell. He sat cross-legged. His arms out stretched. The midnight drew to a close. He felt well rested, despite meditating for a majority of the night. It was all going so well until... That damned girl appeared for just a second, in front of him, restraining his god. Outraged, he took to his feet, but yet the apparition faded away. He was still in the mortal plane... Was it that Shillace was becoming more powerful? Or simply was the Noble Crusader still seething from his time in solitude?

Neither mattered now, Shillace was no longer here. Anima walked to the door and opened it, Shadow and Cassandra were conversing. Anima had already regained his composure. He nodded to Shadow. He turned left to the door to the back room. Shadow in tow. The loud door opening and sunlight peering in to the bunk rooms awoke the followers of the Prophet. Shadow placed a pile of flattened crates. Martirio rubbed his eyes, "What's this?"

Shadow went to speak but a look from Anima reminded her that she wasn't the leader any more. Anima looked to the others. "Operation Open Season. This following is not enough, more people need to know the hell they live in is not worth it. They need to know the love of their god. We have to increase our following. This is why we'll be hosting a rally." He looked at Cassandra and Elliott. "Here's the plan, Elliott and Rawlings, you will be in the crowd. Kick-start their support." He looked to Altan and Martirio, "You will be some of the testifiers, plain clothes." He turned his attention to Shadow, "Make sure you prepare them for me." He turned and exited.

Shadow bit her lip, "Showtime!" She smirked devilishly.

Wooden crates were slotted together, intertwined. Large white cloths stitched together spread out over the crates like a humongous table cloth. A door was behind the stage, the preparation room. Shadow walked about on stage. A reasonably-sized crowd had already formed, like the irresistible pull of a vortex.

"These doctrines of the established church invade every day life. They steal 10% of all your incomes in something they call tithing. You know what we call it? Theft!" A cheer of approval came from someone in the crowd. "They have monopolised this town. Fairbell! Where's your sovereignty? They are wealthy already. They have the money to build some of the tallest buildings on Jeimas! Think! Think for yourselves!" Shadow scanned her audience, she felt her approval was rising.

"They hog information, they hold some of the best trained magic users in their arsenal. They are responsible for the killing of one thousand, five hundred and fifty Jeiman familes including: Women, girls and boys! All by endorsing the efforts to eradicate these people." The anger towards the church was rising. "They headhunt those they believe to be infidels! We offer different paths only to be hunted to be tortured." It was time to bring out the Testament. "I have a few advocates of our cause here."
Altan and Martirio in peasant garbs came out. They started to testify. Shadow quickly hurried in to the back, meeting Anima. He was wearing simple clothes and he was wrapping a bandage around his face and put a bandage eye patch on. Anima winced slightly, "Make sure they are ready for me. I will shock them with my mutilated face." Shadow nodded and walked swiftly back out.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, as a special appearance today. We have the leader of our cause here. Do not be afraid of his appearance."

Anima walked out on to the stage. The crowd is slightly startled by the amount of bandages on his face. His voice was slightly more muffled than usual because the bandages were simple white cloth, with no holes like his belts. He pulled down one bandage so he could speak. His lips barely showing. "You see these bandages? This is because of the mutilation and barbarity of the Church! They burnt me, cut me, they gauged out my eye!" He pointed to his eye patch, His voice was full of rage and passion. "This is why I searched for the one true way. This place... This life is a hell! It is a world of suffering, regret and sadness. The only reason we are here is because we are on a journey to the afterlife! Where we live with our God, Gaudium! His name is joy, because that is all he is, joy and happiness." His one good eye began to produce tears. "We must worship him in order to be saved from his hell. Those who die, do not die in vain!" He inhales deeply. "Behold what Ezekiel and his wretched crones have done."

He attacked the cloth on his face with divine ferocity, shredding in with his fingers. Below the bandages was his horrible disfigured face with cuts and burns. He ripped out his eye patch revealing skin stretched over where his eye would be. Pieces of skin sowed together as if he was a sack doll.
He stepped forward and threw back his arms, lifting up his head, smiling to the crowds. Martirio punched his hand in to the air and cheered. The crowd was alive with anger. Altan and Shadow followed suit.

Anima activated his truthful eye, it didn't work on most of the crowd but it did show them a few images of the peacefulness of the Astral Planes.

In the back of the crowd, next to a wall, a bounty hunter put down his empty bottle of beer, next to the five other glass bottles.

Ice1 · May 8, 2016

Emmett Holliday
Status - Outlaw – Breaking - Entering
Sorcery Level - 2
Element - Water
Bounty - 2000$

Leatherface I: The Avian Menace

Buzzard's nest, as people called it, was a small brick extension to a bar. Emmett had some trouble finding his way in. There didn't seem to be a door to enter, and it lacked a passage from the bar too. It was only on close inspection that he noticed that the roofing could be lifted. It was quite a clever way to hide a criminal gang in the middle of town, as it basically hidden twice. Nobody would notice it wasn't just part of the bar, and it was built in such a spot that no one could see you leave or enter.

The entrance was uncomfortably small, and Emmett quickly got stuck as he tried to lower himself. Luckily for him, he could just blink down, but he wondered how anyone was supposed to enter this place, unless Buzzard only employed infants.

The hole in the roof let to a hole in the floor, which led even further down. Emmett could see the stone tiling be lit up by a torch. It had an eerie atmosphere, as if this place was home to some religious sacrifice. Knowing Jeimas it probably was, too.

Emmett blinked in and left the cloak behind immediately.

"Don't need it, did not fit my style," he said out loud.

He was standing in a hallway that felt claustrophobic and old. The roof arched, and the walls stood close. The hallway was very dimly lit by the torch, revealing that the floor was filled with straw and twigs.

Emmett was caught off guard by a crow flying at him. He jumped up, and with a forceful kick he swatted the bird to the ground.

"Crows?" He asked himself. They definitely weren't birds you'd find in the Barren Lands. It had been a long time since he had seen one. The one he just kicked down seemed very agitated, pecking around on the ground wildly.

"Sorry, buddy," Emmett said, "but I think you broke your everything." He picked the bird off the ground, firmly placed his hand around the neck, and twisted it in a full circle.

"Wasn't that nostalgic," he said.

From the distance he heard voices, which meant that Emmett had to run towards them and introduce himself. He missed this way of interacting with people. He ran down the hallway till it split in two equally narrow pathways. There, he stopped and took a good look to both sides. On his left, a big wooden door with a big beautiful lock begging to be kicked down. On his right, two guys. Emmett did the only logical thing one could do in this situation.

"Hey, I'm Emmett," he said, and he waved to them. They both started running towards him and yelling immediately.

"Damn, how did someone get in?" one of them said, as he jumped towards Emmett. In the middle of the jump he morphed and shrunk, and flew towards Emmett in the form of a vulture. As he grabbed the boy's chest with his talons, he morphed back into a man. He weighed down Emmett's chest, and the boy felt an incredibly pain in his chest. Broken ribs. Ouch.

Emmett proceeded to get beaten up. He tried to blink away, but his attackers both morphed into birds and dug their talons in. After only thirty seconds or so he was too worn out to even fight back, and the men dragged him away.

"Man, this is a first."

"Yeah, that black skin is freaking me out."

"No, no, no…. well yes, but that's not what I meant."

"A break-in, you mean?"

"Yeah, I thought for sure we were hidden away good."

"What do you think he came here for?"

"I bet he wants some of the smoke Crow keeps around."

"What makes you think that?"

"That little green fucker has been after it for a while now. This kid is one of his experiments. You know that man is too arrogant to go after stuff himself."

"Guess so…"

They went through various corridors, and opened multiple big wooden doors to arrive at, well, another big wooden door. This one could be slightly bigger than other doors, but really, who'd know? Emmett certainly wasn't going to check it.

The men dropped Emmett to the ground, and opened the door into a small and narrow hallway. At the other side was an identical door, with a big steel wheel mounted onto the middle of it. Emmett was thrown inside as the vulture-man followed him. He pulled the door close behind him, and turned a similar wheel to lock it. He then opened the opposite door, revealing a huge cathedral-like room, with a man chained up, hanging from the ceiling.

gimmepie · May 14, 2016

Alex Rose

The Oddest Couple

The sun now completing the setting process, Alex walked briskly through Ironhaven towards the southernmost gate. There'd soon be few enough people about that he'd be able to ride his new horse off towards the Chasm, which suited Alex just fine because there was still a snivelling and whining Elias Stork trailing behind the bounty hunter.
"Do you have no compassion?!" he cried out after Alex, to which the young hunter rolled his eyes. This was not the first time the question, or many similar ones, had been asked of him. He was quickly coming to understand why some people became murderers.
"Evidently the answer to that question is still no." Alex replied.
"You're a bastard, Alex. Aren't bounty hunters meant to stop criminals from hurting people?!"
"Nope. If we did that we couldn't collect bounties."
"What the fuck!" that one was an exclamation, not a question. It was also a phrase that Alex had come to understand was something of a catchphrase for Elias.
"It's my job to take lives. Not save them. If you're that desperate for protection, go back and talk to the Sheriff or see if there's any National Guard hanging about. There's been a few more of the shits hanging around the Barren Lands getting in the way of hunters lately."
"Good idea!" Elias remarked with near excessive amounts of sarcasm "I'll go and tell the authorities that I stole a shitload of money from people who are now going to kill me. I'm sure I'll be nice and safe in prison if the fucking government doesn't decide hanging me is more appropriate."
"This is why you don't do stupid shit like steal."
"Oh come one! They might not have bounties but they're still criminals. It wasn't even their money to start with!"
"That's an even better reason to not steal from them."
"So I've learned." Elias mumbled under his breath "I need a drink."

A pleasant silence hung over the unlikely duo for a while after that. Although Elias continued to follow Alex, something bounty hunter was irritably aware of. It seemed as though Elias was going to cling to him like a parasite until he got on the horse and got as far away from Ironhaven and the beggar as quickly as possible. Elias however, was intent on not being dead. So he decided to mount one last argument.
"Look man…" he begun
"Here we go again."
"Just hear me out okay. I'm not asking you to turn into a hitman or whatever. Just let me go back to the Chasm with you. I'll get a job in Gilded Brook or something to pay off the brothers. Just get me there safely because I would really like to not be tortured and fucking killed in the near future, or ever actually." Alex stopped, sighed and turned to face the quivering Elias, who was probably wondering if Alex could get away with just shooting him. Alex was wondering much the same thing.
"I'm not walking and I'm not sharing my horse with you. So how do you plan on keeping up?" Elias looked around the area.
"Uh…" Evidently, Elias had not considered this part of things and was momentarily at a loss before his gaze settled on a trio of horses picketed outside a small tavern. Alex followed Elias' line of sight until he too settled on the group of horses.
"Absolutely not."
"Do you have a better idea?"
"I don't need to have a better idea. I'm not the one who's going to die."
"You're still an ass. Good to know." Elias retorted drily
"I'm the ass you want to follow for several days."
"You're better than nothing. I'll be back in a minute."
"What did I say about stealing like five fucking minutes ago!" Alex shouted only for Elias, who was already heading rapidly towards the horses to call back
"If it bothers you so much, close your eyes!"

Elias crept up to the horses, patting the rump of the closest – a chestnut mare. He quietly untethered the animal and began to lead it away, trying to look as natural as possible even though he was pretty much shitting himself. He soon re-joined Alex, who had grudgingly resigned himself to the thief's company at this point and, with Elias now leading his stolen horse, the two resumed their walk towards the exit. Which was about when the door to the tavern burst open and a drunk man staggered out and headed towards the picketed horses.
"Please don't tell me…" Alex muttered. Sure enough, his suspicions were quickly confirmed. The drunk realised that the picket, and he by extension, was now minus one chestnut mare. He looked over towards the now somewhat faster moving Alex and Elias.
"Ay… ay you fuckers! That's ma fuckin' horse! Gimme back ma fuckin' horse!"
"What an expansive vocabulary." Alex remarked, only for Elias to speak sense for the first time in history.
"Forget that man, fucking run!"
"Good point." Alex remarked, the pair hastily mounting their horses – neither of which really belonged to them – and proceeding to gallop the hell out of there with a drunken man stumbling off behind them.

Sonata · May 14, 2016

???

Jebediah Sanders & Kleutsch
???
???

Jebediah Sanders was sitting on a small staircase, staring at the door above him. The room he was in now seemed to be the point where the two worlds met. It was circular in shape, with stairs leading halfway up the walls on both sides of the reflection. The dragon floated in the center, its body torn in half at the waist and mirroring perfectly from the waist up on both sides of the reflection.

Hours passed, the anger within the bounty hunter growing as he waited. His patience was wearing thin and just when he thought that he would snap, the symbol for Absolution burned brightly on the door and then disappeared as a man pushed it open. A baby-faced, frail looking excuse for a man. He looked as if the mere thought of pulling the trigger of the gun at his waist would send him reeling into shock. Sanders smiled as he stared up at the man, who eventually met his gaze.

"Glad you could finally make it Mr. Kleutsch. Here I was, thinking you'd gone off and died before I'd even gotten the chance to tell ya thanks."

The dog-headed man and eagle-headed man looked up the the dragon and began to ascend towards it, floating through the sky until their hands locked with the dragon's. As the beings moved the two worlds slowly collapsed in to each other, fusing back into the one world which it had originally been as the three beings recombined.

A blinding light erupted from the guardians' body, completely blinding both Jebediahs. As the light faded, a man stood at the center of a scale. The room had changed to and open area, consisting of a giant scale with three platforms - the one which this man stood on, the one which Mr. Kleutsch stood on and the one which Mr. Sanders stood on.

"F-father!" Jebediah Kleutsch called out to the man standing between the bounty hunter and himself.

The man looked over at the bounty hunter, his face contorting into one of disgust as he looked gazed upon the blood and tar caked form of a man. The bounty hunter continued to smile wickedly as he wiped the liquids from his face and revealed the scars upon it, only causing the judge to look on in even more disgust. The man turned his head over to the other pedestal, near instantly recognizing the unmarred face of his son.

"Jebediah!" The man leapt from the platform he was standing on, causing the scales to unbalance as he lighted on Jebediah Kleutsch's platform. "What are you doing here? Why are you here? Oh my, it's been so terribly long. I can't believe it. I can't believe it." The man wrapped his arms around his son, pursing his lips as he fought to keep them from quivering. Tears streamed down his face and his whole body shook as he crawled his fingers across his son's back, grasping at skin and cloth ever tighter to ensure that he was actually there in front of him.

"It's been too long." Jebediah returned the embrace, placing face in the man's shoulder as he began to weep. "I'm so sorry. I should have never left. I know it wasn't your fault..."

"Don't speak. Just... just let me hold you some more. It's been so long my son."

Jebediah Sanders looked down at the couple from his own platform which now towered above them after the judge abandoned his position. His smile had changed to a frown, his nose wrinkled in disgust and his began to shake lightly.

"I just... I just need to hold you. I don't care what happened in our past, I just need you to be here with me now son. Oh, I've missed you so dearly."

"Weak..."

"But... everything that's happened to you has been all my fault. I left you, I caused trouble, I made you worry and in the end I even caused your death... I just..."

"Weak..."

"Don't worry. I should have listened to your wishes more. All I thought of was my own self. It's my own fault that I drove you away."

"Weak..."

"But..."

"Weak!"

The two men turned to face Jebediah Sanders who had been whispering to himself the whole time they'd been having their reunion.

"You're weak Jebediah! How you managed to make it this far in this hell, much less in life is a mystery! Without me you are nothing! I am everything that makes you who you are! Throw that old fool aside and rule in this world with me! Damn the seals! Damn the heavens! Rejoin with me my brother and let us return to the world outside and wreak havoc just as we always have!"

The judge was taken back, afraid of the man standing over them. He turned over to his son, his eyes filled with worry. "Jebediah, who is this man? What is he saying? There's... what does it mean?"

Jebediah Kleutsch looked between his father and the bounty hunter standing over them. "He's nobody, father. He is simply something that doesn't need to exist in this world any longer."

"Ha! I am something that doesn't need to exist in this world? Don't make me laugh! I have the strength necessary, the power required to put an end to all of the darkness in the world outside! I have the ability to take revenge for the wrongs we've been done! I have the power to make everything right again! I have the power to make the world pure again! I will baptize this world in darkness so that it may once again shine in the purity of the light! And I'll be fuckin' damned if you or that lyin' piece of shit stand in my way!"

The bounty hunter pulled Mr. Truth from it's holster and fired off all six rounds at the judge. Jebediah's eyes widened as the bullets flew through the air, but now being in the same world as his counterpart he held some semblance of the power which was ripped from him when the two initially split. With all of his strength, Jebediah quickly drew his own Mr. Truth from it's holster and shot the six rounds out of the air with his own six rounds. But that was all that he managed before the demon was upon his father.

"We don't need you to be strong! We don't need you to be complete! All we need to succeed, all we need to live is each other! You're just a useless old man!"

The bounty hunter lifted his fists above his head, readying to slam them down on the skull of the judge.

"I... I don't want you to see me like this. I refuse to let you see me like this!"

Jebediah rushed at the bounty hunter who straddled his father. With all of the strength he had in his body - yet to be hardened by the years of hunting outlaws - he tackled his dark counterpart and leapt off from the top of the tower. Jebediah clenched his fist around a portion of the bounty hunter's shirt, refusing to let go as they fell into the abyss.

"You fool!" Sanders began to laugh as he spun around, taking the dominant position over his lighter counterpart. "You should know better! You can't kill me!"

"And what makes you say that?"

Jebediah put Mr. Truth back it's holster and then placed his other hand on the bounty hunter's chest before throwing him up against the crags next to them. After giving them some distance from each other, Kleutsch placed both of his hands over his own chest. A brilliant white light began to radiate from behind his cupped hands, causing his hands to glow and catch a white fire.

"W-what the fuck is that Jebediah? You been fuckin' holdin' out on me?" The bounty hunter screamed at the little man as he tried to put himself into a position to kick off from the rocks he had been thrown in to.

"I may not have been the best son. I may have been a bit of a rebel. I may have lied about my motivations my entire life. But I'll be God damned if I let my father's final memories of my be of whatever the fuck you're supposed to be beating the shit out of him right in front of me. Killing may not always be the answer, but there are just some things that can't be allowed to exist. Goodbye Jebediah."

The man pulled Mr. Truth back from its holster and pushed the glowing bullet into the cylinder. He leveled the sights at the bounty hunter slowly, the symbol for Understanding flashed above the gun's barrel and then Jebediah pulled the trigger.

Ice1 · May 15, 2016

Emmett Holliday
Status - Outlaw – Locked Away – Not The Craziest Person in the Room, Apparently
Sorcery Level - 2
Element - Water
Bounty - 2000$

Leatherface II: Emmett Through The Looking Glass

The door closed behind him, and Emmett heard the wheel turning to lock it. He looked around the room in confusion. The room was decorated extensively, with statues of angels hidden away in the alcoves. The ceiling had to be at least 30 feet above him, and came together in a pointed dome. From the ceiling iron shackles came down, as they twisted and turned around a figure that hung in the middle of the room. From there, the chains spread to the walls around it, in a complicated web of steel. From the bottom of the chain cocoon a head was visible. It was a dark and wrinkled brown color, as if the cover of a book had dried in the sun, and had writing in messy black ink all over it. He seemed to be sleeping.

Emmett pushed against the door with full force, but it didn't give in at all. The wood was solid, and very thick. He didn't recognize what kind of wood it was. Living in the desert made him only really recognize dead wood, anyway. Behind him, the chain cocoon slowly descended, as the chains walked downwards silently, as a spider nearing a fly caught in its web. The chains slowly spun around the figure in it, hanging upside down, as he floated towards the ground, the chains still attached to his back.

"It seems I have company," he said, with a raspy voice that sounded like an illness. He hang on eye-height with Emmett. Emmett turned around and patted upwards on the bald head of the man hanging in front of him.

"Well, yeah, I guess you have!" Emmett exclaimed with excitement. "I'm Emmett!"

Something felt off about the room, and it wasn't just the spiderlike chains and the man hanging inside them. It was as if he was being watching. From the corner of his eye he could see things move, scurry away. He couldn't see what was happening, but he had the feeling the angels were dancing away in their alcoves, but as soon as he looked their way, they stopped.

"My name is…" the figure started. He stopped. A chain come loose of the wall and swung with full force towards him and Emmett, only to slow down in the last moment, and scratch his head. "Wanna make a suggestion? I'm always up for something new."

Emmett had already decided on who this actually was. Leatherface, of course. But, no way that he'd let a chance like this slide.

"Okay, okay, okay," Emmett started, "just throwing this out there, it's just a suggestion. But… what about Bob?"

Leatherface looked up in a thinking fashion. Or down rather. "I like Bob."

"Great, Bob it is then!"

"Bob it is."

"But, let's get to business, because I'm not here for tea time."

Leatherface, or Bob, raised his eyebrows. He quickly spinned around, and suddenly stood up straight.

"Aren't you?" He said, and as he stepped aside, Emmett noticed a small table, with chairs that seemed to be uncomfortably small. On the table stood a porcelain pot of tea, decorated with mosaic. Two cups stood next to it. "I had prepared for it," he said in a sad tone.

Emmett looked around confused. "That table, you know, wasn't here, like, a second ago, right?"

Bob ignored him, as he went to sit down. He grabbed the teapot and poured into his cup. Emmett stayed standing though.

"I'm an all hilarity guy and stuff. But there's no crazy fun in tea," he said, as he kept standing. "I'm just here to talk about bigger things. Some real real reeeaaal fun!"

Bob started pouring tea into Emmett's cup. It quickly filled up to the brim and started overflowing. The table let the water slide of the sides, and on the floor water started rising. Within seconds it stood at Emmett's ankles and the endless teapot stream seemed to continue still. Bob put on his puppy-eyes and stared begging at Emmett.

"Puh-lease?" He asked.

"Who does it hurt anyway?" Said Emmett, and he blinked towards the chair.

"Could you pull the plug out? " Bob asked. "It's in the middle of the room. It's big black, and has a chain on it."

Emmett stood up confused and walked to the middle of the room. A big black cork stuck in the room, with a big iron shackles attached to it. With a powerful yank Emmett pulled it out. The water quickly got pulled to the hole, and got sucked into darkness. Even the contents of the teapot shot out and disappeared into the hole.

"I'm not gonna ask questions, am I?" Emmett said to Bob.

"No need to, I think. Just roll with it."

"I kinda like it, anway."

Bob grinned a big, uneasy, slightly creepy grin.

"Tell me about yourself."

"Well, ehm, as I said, I'm Emmett. And, ehm, well, my biggest weakness is being put on the spot." He shook his fist. "Why must you fail me now, quick wit."

"Ugh," Bob said, "I guess we're skipping past that then. Any good stories?"

"Oh, I get plenty. But, trust me, they're more fun to tell outside a prison cell."

"Are you insulting my prison cell?"

"… Yes?"

"Not appreciated."

"Note taken."

"Maybe I should tell a story?" Bob asked. He didn't await an answer, but instead started right away. He lifted the teapot up, and the mosaic started to shift, grown and change. Slowly it walked off the teapot, and onto the walls.

"The universe was born from absence…"

Ice1 · May 20, 2016

Emmett Holliday
Status - Outlaw – Ventriloquist - Gardener
Sorcery Level - 2
Element - Water
Bounty - 2000$

Leatherface III: The Prisoner of Ironhaven

"The universe was born from absence. A lack of anything. Complete and total nothing. Nothing that drifted through more nothing, collided with other nothing, and clutched together with other nothing, until there was everything.

The universe was raised in chaos. A lack of order. Complete and total cacophony. As matter drifted through more matter, collided with other matter, and clutched together with other matter, order was created.

The universe was maintained in order. A lack of chaos. Complete and total structure."

Bob stopped with talking. Emmett looked full of awe at the mosaic that had just wandered from the teapot, as they danced around, and created the imagery. It all formed a weirdly otherworldy story, and the colours kept pulsating and reforming.

"Oh, didn't we enjoy our structure, our order? I know I did," Bob sighed, "I had some friends, you know. But, they stayed, stayed behind in order."

He stood up, and slowly seemed to grow. Emmett's head started to feel heavy.

"The universe is being razed in madness. You know why I know?"

"Female intuition?"

"I am the madness," he said, and he stood up, now towering over Emmett. He had turned into a giant, not even being able to stand up straight. He grabbed Emmett, and threw him against the door with full force. A loud thump came from the door. A loud scream came from Emmett. Bob cackled.

"The universe will end in death. In the meantime, we're just here waiting for it, as order slowly, slowly decays."

His voice was loud and thunderous. He grabbed Emmett again, his thick fingers pressing the air out of him, as he threw him against the door again. Another thump, although this time it was accompanied by a crack. Emmett could also hear mumbling coming from the outside. Next to the door, the stone started to mold itself into a human form, as it slowly pushed out a robed figure. As it stepped out from the wall, it dusted itself off, and walked up to the giant Leatherface.

"It seems you're busy," the man said.

"Well, you know, finally got some actual company, instead of birds flying around," Bob answered back.

The man just shook his head, and walked up to Bob, put his hand against his giant shin, and Emmett just felt the world around him change.

Suddenly Bob was his regular old size again, sitting on the ground with a shackle to his leg. The room was a stone square, undecorated. The man went and sat next to Bob.

"Let's just calm down for a second, okay. If someone's meant to keep you locked here, it's us." He stood up, and walked up to Emmett. "I'm sorry. This is going to happen on a regular base, so I just hope you're ready to deal with it until we've decided what to do with you." Without waiting for Emmett's response, the man changed into a dove and flew upwards, and disappeared in the ceiling, as if he just swam through the stone.

Emmett had just given up on comprehending the situation.

"So, done anything fun this weekend?" he asked Bob, but he merely received a spiteful glare.

Bob started humming. It was a weird tune, otherworldly almost. It jumped notes too quickly, to places it shouldn't go. The rhythm was off, the key was non-existent. Then he stopped humming, although the sound continued. Black lines appeared in the air, and notes started to form on them.

"You see that door?" Bob said, and he pointed at the only thing that wasn't wall or Emmett in the room. "I've been spiting it for so long now. I have reality at my fingers"- a frog crawled up from his skin, and started skipping through the room, growing with each skip- "but still that stupid door is keeping me here. It's made for me. To keep my locked up. To keep my miserable and unhappy, and slowly tear away at my patience. I don't know what's behind that door."

He stood up, walked towards the door, and put his eye against it, as if he could look through it.

"I tried to see the other side so many times. I used to know what was beyond it, at one point. Although maybe beyond it isn't the right way to say it. I've always been able to go beyond it."

The walls crept backwards around the door. He walked around it, knocking on every side.

"I can just never go through it…"

He slacked down against the door, as the room shrunk back to box-form again.

"I think I remember grass, but I don't know the details."

The room now disappeared around Emmett, and turned into a meadow, with a door standing in the middle of it. The whole picture was just slightly off. The grass was too spiky, and standing perfectly straight. It did still have the dry and arid colour that all desert grass had, but it lacked definition. It was too flat of a colour, as if someone just made one big paint stroke and decided that was good enough. The sky was a very intense and dark blue, with both a moon, a sun, stars, and sheep filling it. Just slowly grassing through the air, eating away at the stars, which seemed to be two white lines crossing each other.

"I think you have some serious issues, man," Emmett said. "You seem bored as hell. You know what's a good sign of leading a bad life? Having your arch-nemesis be a door. A boring old wooden door with no face you can bash, and no strict upright personality you can disturb. And that's something we should fix."

He walked up to the door and knocked on it.

"Mister door?" He asked.

"Yes, Emmett?" He replied himself, although obfuscating his mouth, and talking higher. It was still awfully clear it was just Emmett doing a voice though. It could not be stretched enough how abundantly clear it was.

"Would you wanna open for me?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I wouldn't, Emmett. But good golly, you're free to try!"

Emmett turned around to Bob.

"I think that's an invitation."

Ice1 · May 29, 2016

Emmett Holliday
Status - Outlaw – Door Whisperer - Little Helper
Sorcery Level - 2
Element - Water
Bounty - 2000$

Leatherface IV: The Boy, The Madmen and the Prison Door

"I think that's an invitation."

Bob grinned. The room around them shrunk, until he was sitting just in front of Emmett, leaning against a purple wall in the suddenly very small arid meadow.

"I think he's just mocking you."

"Oh yeah?" Emmett said, "I bet he hasn't met my boots yet!"

A kick with full force came against the door, which resulted in no damage to the door, and a shock of pain through Emmett's leg.

"Sometimes it cracks a bit, but that's just the door laughing."

"What is up with that thing?!" Emmett yelled out.

"It's immune to all forms of spellcasting," Bob set, "and physicality too."

"Man, this isn't a door. It's a bore," Emmett said. "So, throwing me against it over and over won't work?"

"No, but I like trying it anyway."

"Yeah, good point."

Emmett let himself fall on his back, but the grass-ish that Bob created was not a soft landing surface.

"If I start running now, could you call me a rascal and chase after me?"

Bob sighed, "can't say that's something I'm up for. Try to entertain yourself with spells and slowly going mad. It's what I've been doing for fifteen years."

"That can't be everything you want, though. I'm telling you, there's some real stuff to mess up above ground"- "We're underground?" –"Yeah, but I don't wanna talk about that. But, seriously, this place is boring as heaven. Nobody to bother, nothing to break. I'm telling you we're breaking that door, even if it means you smashing me against it."

Emmett just paced around for an hour after that, twitching and aching from boredom. He started jumping, and tried to kick the grass-ish, but it retracted into the ground before his feet made contact.

"Would freezing the door work?" Emmett asked after an hour or so.

"No clue, never had ice here."

"Yeah, but, like, I mean, you know, me freezing something is not magic, and it isn't just smashing into something either. We could at least try right?"

"Can't you just let me enjoy my moment of lucidity for a moment?" Bob answered, as he swatted flies out of the air with a long reptilian tongue.

"No, I'm serious, this can work," Emmett urged. "Create water, like with that teapot, and I'll freeze it, and maybe the door, I don't know, does something. I don't like to think things through too much, that takes the fun out of it."

Bob didn't answer, but a raincloud appeared above the door, and it started pouring rain above the door, which collected in a bubble tightly packed against it. Emmett started blowing on it, as his frost breath froze the water stuck to the door. It seemed like nothing happened.

"Well, it was worth a try," Emmett said, as he fell down on the ground again.

Bob had a different reaction, however, as he rose up, he wiped his leathery forehead. The writing on his skin seemed to glow.

"Oh my…" he said, as he walked up to the door. He put his hand on the ice, and then stepped aside. Emmett suddenly was grabbed by strains of grass, which held him down forcefully. The door was blown away by a big stone fist. "Blown off its hinges…"

Leatherface started growing chains from his back, which grappled into the ground, and like a spider he walked out of the room.

When he was out of sight, the room snapped back into its base state. Emmett had freedom of movement again, and immediately blinked into the hallway. He was lost in the maze of hallways. He turned open the other door that made up the hallway, and ran ahead.

It took around six seconds for Emmett to get lost. The hallways curled and connected in strange ways, and there was way too many splits and doors. It was very quiet though. No sign of Leatherface, and he only encountered Buzzard's men after a good minute or two of blinking and running around in confusion. The two men he had before him were new faces, and Emmett went about it as you would with every introduction.

"Hey, I'm Emmett," he said, as he blinked between them and kicked them both in the head, launching them against the wall. They quickly got up, though, and one of them leapt and changed into a gargantuan woodpecker.

"Come back," yelled the other man, as he held the side of his head. Emmett quickly blinked back, and the woodpecker turned around immediately. He flew towards Emmett, who led out a shriek as he grabbed the hands of the other man, and pulled him before him as a human shield. The woodpecker straightened his wings, and flew straight through his ally, leaving a big bloody hole in his stomach.

"Holy moly!" Emmett exclaimed, as he blinked away through the hallway. The bird just angrily chirped as he chased him.

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Emmett said, as he made a quick right, and closed a door behind him. He kept on running. If a woodpecker could fly through a flesh man, a woodpecker could most likely fly straight through a wooden door. Behind him he heard three loud bangs, and with the third bang the woodpecker started chasing him again.

Emmett was in a hallway he recognized, though. At least he hoped he did. He ran towards the ladder the straw at the end, looked up and waved at the bird as he blinked up, and left the hideout.

The woodpecker chased him up, but once it arrived at the secret entrance, Emmett was long gone. Another bird flew out of the hole, and two others came from the buildings around him. They all changed into people, and sat down on the rooftop.

"Two breakouts. One's the prisoner, extremely dangerous once you got close, best taken out from a distance. The other has obsidian black skin, and wears a poncho. Just do whatever with him."

The leader pointed at the man who was a woodpecker just seconds ago.

"Go to the sheriff, and tell them we have dangerous escapees."

"Request lockdown?"

"Demand lockdown. The prisoner is not allowed to get away."

JukeboxTheGhoul · May 30, 2016

Shayne Jacobs & Siren

Reliving History
The Old Man

It seemed a little darker that night. When you live in places like this, your home, your things are what supports the family. To lose a home is to lose a person. The wooden carriage wheels squeaked as it turned. The hooves of the horse clacked against the firm cobblestone road. The horse slowly sauntered forward, Its head down conveying the sombre tone. Driving it forward was Benjamin. On rear of the carriage rattling around were his boys and his wife.

Jane gently stroked the hair of her youngest son. Her face was stoic but, you could tell that she knew about the house. Composure in the face of adversity was a key pillar to her ability to control children. It gave her authority. As the wagon wobbled, the people atop it followed the motion. Ben put the reins in one hand and placed his head in his left hand. He was told about that the house had burned down when they stopped off at the previous town. They had just went to sell their produce at the market. He wasn't wealthy by any means but now his house was gone, and the bad harvest meant they only had a meagre amount of money. Jane picked up the kid and woke the other. Ben dismounted the front of the carriage they rented, Jane gently slid off the open trailer. The Sheriff was standing by the house awaiting them.
Ben walked up to the Sheriff, "What's the verdict?"

Their door swung open, coming off the one hinge it had left. Windows smashed, the place smelled of smoke and ash. All valuables had been taken. The Sheriff walked in as if he owned the place, "Arson and Petty Theft"
Gobsmacked, Ben stepped forward, "Petty?" he shouted in outrage.

The Sheriff wrote down on his clipboard, "Yes, sir, petty. Theft of a few household items and damage of pretty much a shithole isn't the biggest we have on our plate."

Ben spat at the ground disrespectfully. "This is my house! Four people live here. My sons, my wife and me, you're telling me that protection from a master criminal isn't big?!"

The smallest child started to bawl, the woman crouched and picked him up and put him in her arms, "Shhh, it's alright, Shayne. Daddy is just trying to..." She shot a glance at Ben, "Tell them how to get every back the way it was."

The Sheriff scoffed, "Master Criminal? Look, boy-o, do you think your damage is worth more that $2,540? Because that's the worth of Anaconda, that's the master criminal. He's murdered plenty, heck, he strung people up on a clothes line! He's impossible to track down! You want us to deal with this? Money always comes first, you don't earn squat. Earn some cash then we'll give a shit."

Shayne stirred in his sleep.

Everyday over the last few years, Shayne had been training. His father, determined to train Shayne in order to wreak revenge upon the criminal population for destroying their home. Ben didn't care if it started raining. If the barren soil turned to slush, he didn't care. If the southern Sun scorched his back, he didn't care. It was because the world didn't care. A common exercise he would do to train endurance and resilience would be telling his son to take a plank position. He would hit his arms, trying to make him fall.

He didn't care that his son was only a young adolescent. He would make him strong.

He grimaced as his sore knuckles impacted the hanging sack of hay. It rippled and recoiled, shuddering backwards. The ceiling beam creaked. "Again." barked Benjamin.
Knowing better than to disobey Sir, he began punching the bag.
Seeing his son fail as he did forced him to say it, "Stop." Shayne stopped and looked to his father for direction. "You aren't a boxer, you aren't a physical fighter." He paused and took out his revolver and threw it at Shayne. "You've seen me do it."
Shayne held it naturally and copied what he saw in the past of his father. He stood sideways holding it up. He brought it down and gripped it with both hands. Ben drank the last of his bitter and then let go of it mid air. It stayed in the air. The bottle moved over to the hay bale the other side of the room.
Shayne eagerly shot the bottle as it was moving. The bottle smashed in to a thousand pieces. Ben smirked.

Shayne's eyelids bulged with a quick movement from side to side.

Now, a young adult, he assaulted the targets with extreme precision. Ben opened the door. He beckoned Shayne through the door. He turned around and grabbed a candle he lit it on a nearby lamp. He took it to a door and he unlocked the door. He took the candle and lit the lamps in the room. In the centre of the room was an undecorated undisturbed bed. "My old bedroom, when you started your training." He reached under the bed and pulled out a charred chest. He preempted Shayne's reaction. "From the fire." He took his set of keys and found the correct one. He opened the chest. "I stopped when you were born." He took out the unscathed book and put in on the bed. "An heirloom, my father passed it to me, and you will pass it on to your children when you find a nice girl."

Shocked Shayne looked at Ben "You're giving this to me?"
"Yes, son, my spellbook." He tapped it.
"But I'm not your first born son."
"That doesn't matter, I don't trust him. I trust you." He sighed. "I want you to know, our family spellbook, comes a great price with it's power." He undid his shirt. He pulled away his shirt to reveal a large metal ring the size of a wheel with four chains connected to it. The chains are pressed against his body with sore grooves around where it rubbed. "As you command the chains, the chains shall enthrall you. When this is unlocked there is little ways to go back."

"Do you accept this heirloom, Shayne, Great Grandson of Jacob?"

"Yes."

Shayne opened his eyes, light streamed in. He moved Siren's arm and got up. Jacobs slid off the side of his mattress and stretched out his leg. He placed his foot on the floor. He walked in to the next room, the bathroom. He walked up to the mirror and pumped the lever to fill the water supply.

He grabbed the sides of the sink, looking at himself in the reflection. through his white t-shirt a little outline of bumps created a cross shape. He sighed and pulled off his shirt, revealing the metal dug in to his skin. Across his chest, chains that made an X shape, meeting at a ring in the middle of his chest. He turned slightly, looking at how the chains on his back recede and disappear under his skin. There were deep indents large metal links. He felt the chains, they moved to the touch. He grimaced from the pain of the chains rubbing as they moved. He turned on the tap, collecting water in his hand and throwing it in to his face. Two words of his father stuck on his tongue. "Kill Anaconda."

Ice1 · May 30, 2016

Emmett Holliday
Status - Outlaw – Preacher - Scary
Sorcery Level - 2
Element - Water
Bounty - 2000$

Leatherface V: Attack on Ironhaven

Ironhaven's walls have stood there for a long time. Longer than anyone has lived there. They're the stability of the town. Every night the sun sets, the moon rises, and Ironhaven still has its wall. What many have failed to notice, however, is how the walls change. If one could see the walls now and the walls then, it would be so clear, but alas, nobody remembers that well. Once something is new, the memory of old slowly fades. Fifteen years ago the wall started changing. Its stone expanded ever so slightly for night upon night. The thick walls made room for people, crawling through walls unnoticed, like the rats as their toes scratch the wooden floors of houses. Unlike rats though, the people in the walls were good intentioned, and they were almost never there. They were there for safe keeping. They all knew there place, as puzzle pieces they fit. It happened one night before, as they see if their spells worked. All eight crept into place, and since then the walls did not only keep Ironhaven safe from the outer world, but they also kept the outer world safe from Ironhaven, for the city is not only a home, but also a prison.

It was only the second time now that Ironhaven would be locked, and the eight 'keys' were all running towards their holes. A bird had told them it was off great importance. No names were spoken, but all assumed it was the prisoner who had gone out. He was the reason Ironhaven had transformed. All this was built for him. The keys themselves did not play particularly big roles, and therefor they did not know particularly much. All they knew is that when the birds called, they had to run, run faster than they ever had in the last fifteen years. It was easy money to be made.

Earl Brooks had not spent much of his wealth yet. He had hoped to save up for a bigger home. If tonight went well, he would probably still get it. If tonight went wrong, well, his son might. Earl was key five, and he had his route etched into his brain. Such a shame that his route was on the path of Emmett Holliday.

Emmett was an unknown to Earl, but he stood out. His obsidian black skin, his snowwhite hair, and his not colourmatching poncho were all particular giveaways. Also, the fact that he came running and blinking through the street while kicking and pushing people that weren't even close to being in his way.

"Have mercy, have mercy," he yelled, as he passed by. "For the leathery fellow will doom us all."

The people in the streets just looked confused. A skinny man yelled after him: "what are you even talking about?"

Emmett turned around and blinked towards him, grabbed a box and stood on it.

"I'm telling you, before the sun rises, a demon will come and consume us all!" He fell unto his knees and prayed towards the heavens. "It's the day the book of God has spoken about. I've only gazed upon him, and my skin turned foul!" He yelled out.

Earl continued walking. He was curious as to what this person knew about the prisoner, but he had to get to the keyhole as quickly as he could.

"Hey, you there, baldspot!" Emmett yelled. Earl let his hand run over the bald spot, and turned around.

"Me?"

"Yes, you!" Emmett yelled back. "I'm doing a very dramatic scene here, could you not just walk by without at least some applause?"

He stepped of his box, and blinked towards Earl.

"I practiced a lot on the way here. And that has been an awfully long way," Emmett said, and he pointed, "I mean, you see the end of the street over there? I came all the way from there."

Earl pushed him aside.

"Look, young man, I've got no time for lollygagging. Especially not at this time of day."

Emmett grabbed him by the cheeks.

"I gazed upon him, you know, that was what I was saying. My skin turned foul, yadi yadi ya. Look at it!" Emmett raised his arm.

"Black as night, at least have some sympathy, man. Ugh, you know what, just walk off. They're clearly the better audience," he said, and he waved towards the crowd that had gathered. He pushed Earl aside and walked back to his box. "Where was I?" He said, as Earl scrambled off.

"The big, bad boy will come to take us all! It's the Christian apoca- wait, everyone here is Christian, right?" Emmett said. One native man shook his head, and Emmett nodded. "It's the mostly Christian but also a bit native apocalypse we've all been worrying about!"

He fell from the box on his hands and knees and started coughing, and scratching his throat. With twitches he moved over the floor, as the bystanders yelled out, some thinking it was an act, others actually afraid.

"It… it's changing me!" Emmett yelled out, and he started coughing louder. "Tell me mother I… I… I thought she didn't do a great job!"

As he said that he dropped to the ground, and stopped moving. Then out of nowhere, he sprung up, although he suddenly had two big icy horns on his forehead.

"I am Azazmaz… ellus… frostbite… itus…" he said with a low and threatening voice. "Yes, Azazmezellusfrostbiteitus! The forsaken! The awoken! The really funny one!"

In the distance Emmett could hear screams, and everybody turned around, as bodies fell from a tower in the middle of town. As that happened, a tear in the air opened up behind Emmett, and a man jumped out. He grabbed Emmett and pulled him down on the ground before he had time to react. When his head hit the ground he blinked away, and reappeared in the crowd.

"This whole thing is just a big give-away, right?" Emmett said, referring to his appearance.

"It is," the man grunted. He was wearing a grey cowboy hat, a black dust covered cape, and a grey pants held up with a rope. He was shirtless, but his body was covered with purple markings.

"Oh well, we'll deal," Emmett said, and he started running through the streets. The man grinned and threw his hat, and as soon as it disappeared from his head, he was gone too. It flew at an insane speed, catching up to Emmett and flew straight into the hand of the man, as he appeared before him.

"I thought you were locked up?" He said.

"Well, I was, and then I wasn't, but then I was again, but no I wasn't again. It's a looong story that I'd love to reenact through sock puppets for you."

"Can't say I'm really into those," the man said, and he grabbed a gun, and fired to the sky. Emmett stared up in confusion, but he quickly realized what was happening as a purple star-filled tear opened up, and the bullet flew through it, and another tear opened just inches from his head. He blinked away, and started running.

"C'mon, man, I'm supposed to be scary," he yelled back.

Sonata · Jun 23, 2016

???

Jebediah Kleutsch
???
???

"There is no religion higher than truth. There is no power greater than your own will. Uncertainty, and the fear of the unknown. To overcome these and accept your own limitations..."

The darkness surrounded Jebediah. His fall continued, the wind rushed past his face and pressed his clothes against his body. His counterpart had faded into nothingness, and he was alone with only the voices in his head which had greeted him in the darkness before. A light began to shine straight ahead. A weak light, ever so lightly reaching out to Jebediah. The darkness held a tight grip around it, strangling it as it pleaded for help while only barely managing to glow. Jebediah reached out his hand, hoping to answer the light's plea.

The darkness released its hold on the light, letting it shine in full force. It blinded Jebediah, and only through the partings of his fingers could he begin to glimpse at its glory. The light was like a sun, but moved randomly in all directions, changing its form hundreds of times each second. After several seconds, the light stopped and solidified in the form of a door. As the light transformed into the opaline door only a few feet below the man, his descent drew to a halt. His clothes fell from his chest, no longer being forced against his body. The world around Jebediah seemed to turn, as his clothes and hair fell free and loose, but then straightened out into more natural positions shortly after.

Jebediah was still facing the door, but now instead of the falling sensation he had felt before, he now felt as if he were standing. There was an invisible path beneath his feet, yet everything around him remained hidden in the darkness - the door the only thing visible to him.

As he made his way along the path and closed the distance between himself and the door, the voices in his head grew louder. They remained completely jumbled together - an incoherent mess - but he could now tell that there were far more than he had originally thought. A dozen at first, then hundreds, thousands and most likely millions. Though he stopped being able to distinguish each voice from the last after they numbered in the hundreds, he was able to acknowledge each additional voice that appeared after. Some were familiar; family and friends, those who he had helped and those who he had hurt. Others were foreign; speaking languages unknown to him and some not even speaking at all.

The one word that was clear to him from the clusterfuck that was his mind, was Truth. The voices which he could understand repeated it, over and over and over making it almost like an echo trying to overpower the host as the voices continued on their own individual speeches. Truth. Truth. Truth. It nearly had begun to sound like a sort of chant. Like they were all begging for him to understand. Though there were voices he couldn't understand, their words mixed in with the others and eventually joined the conglomerate. Udein. Waarheid. Dnidr. Sanning. Verdad. Truth. Many other languages crowded his mind, but these were most prominent in his mind.

As Jeb focused more on the voices in his mind, he had failed to realize that he had already closed the distance on the door. The man stumbled backwards after having knocked his head against the glowing wood. Rubbing his forehead which was now slightly more in pain than it was before simply due to the multitude of new and unknown voices all screaming inside of it, he pressed his hand agains the door. On first examination, it seemed that there was actually no way to open this door. There was no handle. Pressing against it, or pulling at it from the sides yielded no results either. The symbol for Belief was etched into the center of the door, but it showed no signs of dispersing as the others before it.

"What do you want from me?" Jebediah whispered as he turned around, looking in all directions as he did so. "Have I not done all that I was supposed to up until this point? What more do you require of me? This is clearly the path I am to be on, so why stop me now? Why would you not allow me to simply continue on this journey?"

Silence. This was his answer. As the man spoke, the voices in his head died away. There was no echo, there was no whisper. He was alone once more, with only the door and the dark for company.

"There is no religion higher than truth. There is no power greater than your own will. Uncertainty, and the fear of the unknown."

Jebediah scratched his head and turned in a circle, his eyes darting every which way as he scanned his surroundings.

"To overcome these, and to accept your own limitations... that is to become God."

"What do you want from me?"

"To overcome these-"

"I heard you... but..."

"Accept your own limitations."

"But... have I not already?"

"There is no religion higher than truth."

"Why do you simply keep repeating yourself?"

"There is no power greater..."

"What are you trying to tell me?"

"Uncertainty and the fear of the unknown."

"Why will you not simply show yourself to me?"

"That is, to become God."

"I don't understand..."

Jebediah fell to his knees. His face scrunched up as he fought against his own tears. He felt defeated, and there was no one around to help him now. He was alone, with only the disembodied voice which he now believed belonged to the darkness itself. The light of the door began to fade, but the symbol for Belief remained strong, perhaps even etching itself deeper into the wood.

Slowly, the door opened. Its glow had weakened, but still as it opened an even brighter light shone through. Jebediah shielded his eyes once more as he rose slowly to his feet. He made his way to the opening, still unsure of himself. As he began to pass through the door, his fingers ran across the wood and felt that the symbol for belief had still yet to fade. Jeb opened his eyes and began to turn back, but just as he did the door slammed shut, pushing him the rest of the way through it.

He now found himself on what seemed to be the top of a rather high building. As he looked over the edge he saw an ocean of darkness, followed by the tower which he had climbed as well as the parallel world which his counterpart had gone through. He realized now that he was not actually on top of anything, but beneath everything. From this place, he could see all that there was and all that there would be. The kingdom that the other half could have ruled. It seemed... empty, from where he was now.

"Do you only ever look behind you Jebediah?"

A warm voice came from behind him. A voice that he recognized. A smile spread across his face as he turned to face her. The woman he had been fighting to avenge. The woman that he had loved and lost. The woman he had been waiting all this time to see.

"Lucretia."

Ice1 · Jun 26, 2016

Emmett Holliday
Status - Outlaw – JOKES
Sorcery Level - 2
Element - Water
Bounty - 2000$

Leatherface VI: Weirdworld

"C'mon, man, I'm supposed to be scary," Emmett yelled back.

"Well, keep trying."

As they jumped and dodged around, the two neared the center of Ironhaven.

"I'm trying to cause havoc here, could you leave me alone for a while?" Emmett asked.

"No dice," Emmett heard as two hands pulled his neck down.

"That's the answer I wanted to hear!"

He blinked away, appearing on one of the rooftops. A loud crack signified the rotten wood, and a loud scream made it clear Emmett had fallen through it. A loud and high-pitched scream told everyone that the lady living there was still at home.

"I'm sorry!" Emmett said as he ran through the front door, and straight into his opponent's arms.

"Aaaand, back inside we go!" The man grabbed nothing, as Emmett waved at him through the window.

"What's your name?"

"Clyde. Remember it well."

"Fartface? I bet your parents didn't' love you if they gave you that name." He jumped up through the hole and pulled himself onto the rooftop. Clyde swiftly threw his hat towards him and faded into nothing. Emmett reacted on impulse, and kicked the hat. Clyde screamed it out, as he suddenly appeared on the ground again.

"Mine named me Emmett and didn't either, so don't worry about." He let himself fall through the hole again, aiming with his boots on Clyde's arms. A loud snap signified the broken bones, and a loud scream made it clear Clyde felt it. A loud laughter told everyone Emmett was enjoying it.

"I like you, Clyde," Emmett said, and he kneeled, pressing his icy horns against Clyde's forehead. "I think it'd be better if you practiced a while before we met again, though. I like my playdates to last longer than five minutes."

He sat down. Clyde gasped for air. His stomach was not a great place for someone to take seat.

"How old are you?"

"…"

"If you're not going to answer I'm just going to make up stuff, you know. And I'm really good at making up stuff. When I'm done answering my questions for you, you'll wish you was my version of you."

He stood up, and grabbed Clyde's nose.

"Boop."

He blinked onto the rooftop.

"What's your name? Fartface. How old are you? Ten million gazillion. Where are you from? Fart town of course."

Emmett continued his questionnaire while he happily walked over the rooftops. He didn't know what he should do now. Leatherface didn't really amount to anything other than just being a weird guy, and Emmett was a bit done with Ironhaven already. Maybe chasing Goblin and his people again would be the way to go. He still wanted to find out what had happened to him. Or maybe he should go off and find Ezekiel again. He hadn't seen that fellow in a good few weeks. His thoughts continued to rattle off as he tried to plan his future days. Every step brought him closer to the clocktower in the center of Ironhaven.

Under the bell sat Liam Sykes. Once sought after outlaw, now legally dead man for fifteen years. It felt like it too. The world had changed, even if it was just slightly. Ironhaven's walls had gotten thicker. The air smelled fresher. The sun felt duller. Or maybe it was just the leather book pages stitched to his skin. He stood up, and walked over to one of the people he had gagged and bound. He slapped their face.

"Miss?" He said, as she opened her eyes. "Good to have you back! I'm your doctor for tonight. I'll be surgically removing the life out of you." He undid the gag, grabbed her face, and started wiggling with his other hand in her mouth. Her eyes started change into a dark purple, with clouds drifting through them. Slowly the purple started running through her veins.

"Let's see. I've got one next to the tower already, so where do I want you?" He put his hand on his brow and scanned the city.

"There!"

The bell morphed into a catapult, and he strapped the woman in.

"Any last words? No? May I suggest AAAAAAH?"

He launched her with quite some force. She must've flown over four or five rows of buildings, as she landed in the street. A loud thunk signified she landed, and the loud screams made it clear everyone saw it. A loud ring from the bell tower told everyone Leatherface was watching. He started whistling his eerie tune.

The woman landed close to the sheriff's station. She had expected to splatter on impact. To have the landing be the last thing she'd ever do. Instead she landed relatively harmless, as if landing on a pillow. She tried to see what was happening around her, but it was difficult to see anything. She could barely move her neck, or anything for that matter, and all she saw was a purple haze. It looked as if she was stuck in a purple bubble with the vague suggestion of the building of Ironhaven inside.

Bystanders rushed towards her. At first she welcomed their help, but she quickly wanted to scream for them to leave. It was a confusing sight, as if two different realities were shown to her. A woman grabbed her and sat her upright, but the stone pavement turned into a big tentacle, that lashed out and pulled her away. The woman was the only thing she could see clearly. The rest was all vague. The stone-paved tentacle was blurry and see-through, just as the other people around her. The only thing that was clear was the woman that kept being lifted higher and higher. All of a sudden, the tentacle changed into a wooden strut, and the end wrapped around its captive changed into a rope. She was being hung. The snap of the neck felt like the loudest sound she had ever heard. The bystanders yelled out in fear. As if the hanging woman was more of a threat than the huge tentacle they had ignored just moments ago. Crazy.

Leatherface stood upright in the clocktower, his arms stretched outwards. "From Ironhaven to my own Heaven," he said with a wide grin.

gimmepie · Jul 4, 2016

Alex Rose

No Sleep - Part One

The pair had been riding for over an hour, the sun hand long since set and the drunkard chasing them had given up a good fifty or so minutes ago. People tended to not be able to outrun horses, especially when drunk off their asses. That left Alex and Elias riding across the desert in near silence as the last of the environment's scorching heat faded away and a chilling cold begun to take hold. It was always like that in the Barren Lands, devilish heat during the daylight hours and then bitter cold at night.
"F-f-f-fuck m-me it-it's f-f-f-freezing!" Elias managed to say through constantly chattering teeth, his attire not quite as resistant to the cold as Alex's.
"How observant." Alex remarked drily, his breath condensing in the air as he spoke.
"Oh f-f-f-fuck y-y-y-y-you."
"You couldn't pay me enough." Alex retorted. He hated to admit it, but he was starting to get used to Elias' company. He was a thief, a drunk and a whiner but he was not intolerable. In fact, he was a damn lot more tolerable than a lot of the bounty hunters he'd been forced to attempt to work with.

"C-c-can't we s-s-set up c-c-camp o-or s-something?" Elias asked, his limbs aching from the cold. Alex turned towards Elias; from what he could see through the dark he was shivering heavily and deathly pale. At this point however, his own fingers were beginning to ache. They'd have to stop soon, but it was better to get as far as they could whilst it was cool.
"We should go a bit farther." Alex responded, "It'll be harder to travel at speed in the heat, the horses won't like it. Let's pick up the pace for another ten minutes or so, then we can stop and sleep."
"F-f-f-f-f-fine b-but i-if I die I w-w-w-won't b-be h-happy."
"Like I give a shit." Alex shrugged, spurring his horse into a gallop. Elias swore, or tried to through chattering teeth, and clumsily brought his own mount up to speed.

The two ended up riding on for closer to thirty minutes that ten before finally settling down by a lone, rather dead, tree by the dirt road. Alex collected several dry branches from the former tree and set fire to them with a quick spell. It wasn't much longer before he was sitting next to Elias, chewing on dried meat.
"What's the d-deal with you anyway, man?" Elias said, the chattering of his teeth having lessened significantly by the warmth of the fire.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Alex answered,
"I m-mean, what kind of p-person decides that t-they want to spend all of t-there time killin' people. H-how do you even end up on that fucked up-p road." Alex shrugged,
"I like the work. There's a special kind of thrill in hunting someone down."
"Fucking hell. You're one messed up s-son of a bitch."
"It's not like the people don't deserve it."
"You get some sort of sick pleasure from murdering people. That's not normal!"
"It's legal. That's one up on being a thief. A cowardly one at that."
"You're still an asshole."
"That wasn't going to change in the space of a couple of hours." Elias nodded and gave a shrug, indicating Alex had something of a point.

The two men continued to chew on their meagre meal for a while longer in silence before Elias, who was not very good at silence, started speaking again.
"It's not like I grew up with drunken thief as my goal in life you know. Drunken maybe but I wanted to do something fuckin' decent."
"That went well."
"Thanks for the support, jackass. Funny thing about the big cities up North, down here it's considered perfectly normal to be a drunk fucker with no education. Up there they won't pay you enough to eat."
"Must have been horrible up there with the nice weather, good food and all those different jobs." Alex quipped.
"Yeah it's great if you don't fuck it up for yourself like I did. Ended up with no hope, so I had to come down to this shithole. There's no work down here for anyone at all though. So of course I end up doing shady shit and stealing."
"How is stealing not shady?"
"You get the fucking point."

The two spoke a little more after that, but not overly much. Mostly Alex just watched the fire before settling back against the dead wood behind them. Which was when Alex noticed something off in the distance. It seemed like a shadow was flitting – or rather blinking – across the landscape.
"There's no fucking way." He found himself saying as he shot to his feet and grabbed his shotgun from his horse's saddlebag. He took two or three steps when suddenly Elias spoke.
"Alex, what the fuck is that."
"That's what I'm trying to find ou-"
"Not whatever the fuck you think is over there, what is that thing coming towards us from the direction of the chasm!"

Alex whirled around and raised his gun, a hulking figure with pitch black skin was walking towards them, a halo of spinning water floating over its head. It was a man in a former life maybe, but it wasn't quite that anymore.
"Oh fuck, out the way!" Alex screamed at Elias as a torrent of water flew at them.

[Other FULL] Gunpowder (M) (IC)

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