Battlefield Me

Ja'Lu had given the order that all women and children be sent into hiding deep within the Sanctuary.

Me on the other hand would be gaurded personally by Ja'Lu's elite soldiers.

I was escorted back to my room while the guards kept watch outside.

Once again I was being protected.

A knock came at the door. Before I could answer it the door swung open, it was Si'La.

"What's going on out there." I questioned.

"I don't know."

"Look Si'La I understand you want to keep me safe but if he's here for me I want to be the one to face him."

"I know but this is bigger than just you if Zo'Dul gets what he wants not only will my world suffer yours will too."

" I get that but I can't let anyone else die because of me."

She took a step towards me but then suddenly a explosion rocked the entire building.

"What the hell was that."

Above us the ceiling began to crack. With a loud boom the entire roof was ripped off. Chunks of rock rained down on us, knocking us to the ground. We looked up to one of the most terrifying sights I've ever behold.

It was Agru'Bala but this time he seemed to have fused with a Neverbeast. The gears and cogs were still present but large sections were replaced with makeshift organs. Oil still poured profusely from every orifice. Then to our horror he spoke.

"GIVE ME THE YULA'BULAI."

It let out a deafening screech.

Si'La got to her feet in an istant and raised her hand. It glowed a bright white. Agru'Bala screamed in pain, and almost like a reflex it slammed it's hand down to silence her. I managed to push her out the way before it crushed her.

I pulled us back to our feet and made a dash to the door. The guards on the other side had been knocked out by the falling debris. She attempted to revive them but I urged her to move on.

"We have to go.", I yelled.

"GIVE ME THE YULA'BULAI.", it screamed once again.

We began running down the hall dodging debris as it ripped it apart to get to us.

We were approaching the staircase that led to the dining hall when a figure stepped out.

It was him. Purpose.

We halted caught between a rock and a hard place.

Just like Agru'Bala he looked different, no longer was he wearing the baggy suit, he was now cloaked in a dark shroud, his smile stretched farther then ever before. His hair cycling through colors at an erratic pace.

"Let me guess here your name is Zo'Dul." I said trying to sound as much like an asshole as possible.

"Look at the big brain on Josh, your finally starting to understand,"

His voice drilled into my head with the force of a jackhammer.

"Come now". he said with his hand outstretched.

"Fuck you!" I yelled flipping him the bird.

"So crude, Agru take him."

"No!" Si'La screamed she raised her hand once more sending Agru'Bala into a pain induced rage. The behemoth fell backwards wailing his arm's about. She grabbed me and ran up the other set of stairs.

We came out into the open. We were on the roof.

"What do we do now." I exclaimed.

"There's a Arch up here we just have to get to it."

On the far side of the roof a metal platform could be seen.

"There!'

We ran with all our might. Once again she raised her hand and the Arch burst to life. We jumped through.

Stars and galaxies passed us by and then we landed.

I was back home. In the exact same place that I left before but something was different something was wrong.

All the trees were burned down and there was no sight of Muzen or the others.

"What happened here." Si'La asked.

"I have no idea."

I began leading us back in the direction of safehouse that is to say if it's still there.

We came over a hill to find that the house was in fact still there except that it looked like it suffered from a significant amount of damage. Muzen's car was still parked there but it seemed like it hadn't been driven in years. It was rusted badly and a few of the windows were blown out.

We approached cautiously.

I opened the door to see the house in tatters. The floor boards were torn up and bullet holes lined the walls.

"Josh what happened here."

"No idea."

I was starting to get nervous. Where is everybody.

"Put your fucking hands up!"

The cold steel of a gun was placed on the back of my head.

"Turn around."

I complied, I mean who wouldn't.

I turned to not only see a rifle pointed at me, but a man in his early twenties with a rugged beard and glasses with tape holding them together.

"Ronny?"

"J..,.Josh holy shit dude!"

He lowered the gun.

"Where have you been."

"I was in Crucible. Ronny what happened here where's Muzen and Tasha."

"I don't know I haven't seen them for at least three years."

"Three year's, how long I have been gone."

"Josh, it's been ten years since you left."

Ten years. Ten whole years.

"After you went into the Arch everything went straight to hell."

He started walking towards the back of the house. We followed close behind him.

Ten years. I couldn't believe. This must've been how Muzen felt when he got back.

He opened one of the doors I was kind of shocked at what I saw. Plastered all over the walls were newspapers, talking about. one horrific incident after the next.

"Muzen wasn't kidding when he said they were all coming because they sure as hell did."

Some of the headlines were; MYSTERIOUS DISEASE SWEEPS THE NATION!

HORRIFIC CREATURES SIGHTED NEAR THE GULF OF MEXICO!

MASS DISAPPEARANCES OF CHILDREN REPORTED ALL OVER THE GLOBE!

"I've been researching this stuff for some time now. At first it was small things disappearance here, killings there you know the usual. Then about six years ago shit escalated. Large groups of animals started dying off I mean thousands of species wiped out in the manner of a few weeks. People vanishing only to be found again completely massacred. Entire populations of people slaughtered overnight, Josh this has gone way beyond just frightening people, this is an extinction."

"Josh, this exactly what happened back home.", Si'La added.

"Who's this." Ronny asked just noticing her standing there.

"This is Si'La, she's from Crucible."

"Do you have any information as to how to stop them."

"It's the same thing that helped our people you have to stop fearing them, without fear they have nothing to feed on."

"That might be easy for us but the rest of the world is in a state of permanent panic. Anything else."

"Nothing ,I'm sorry."

"Great, were fucked then." Ronny sighed plopping down onto nearby chair.

"Now we're not."  I started. "Muzen fought against these things while he was in Crucible he might know a way."

"What are you talking about." He asked while removing his glasses to clean them.

"Muzen fought a war against them he might have a way to stop them for good."

"Well good luck finding him, he could literally be anywhere."

"We've got try."

"Do you even understand what you're saying right now. You want to know why I haven't left the safehouse?"

Ronny gets up and heads back to the living room. He points out the window into the distance. The only thing out there was Muzen's car and a.....door. Just a plain white door.

"What is that." Si'La questions.

"That my friends is the Empty City. A Fear."

"But it's just a door."

"Not exactly. You see I've tried leaving a few times only to be greeted by door after door after door. And just when I thought I was getting away I would only end up back here at the house. The only way to get past is to go through that door."

"I know of this one our people call it "Muna'Dera", the Last Walk."

"Well whatever you call it, I call it suicide. No one goes in the Empty City and comes out to talk about it."

"There's a first time for everything."

I made my way outside more determined then I've ever been. I turn around to see Si'La right behind. She placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Josh if you walk through that door you'll be playing right into Zo'Dul's hand."

"I know but what other choice do I have, either I go to him or he comes to me."

I turn and face the door.

"Hold on just a second."

I turn to see Ronny walking towards us with a dufflebag and several rifles draped over his shoulders.

"What's in the bag."

"Supplies. Even if there is a way out of the Empty City, which it isn't, it's best to go prepared besides your still a kid.", he says with huge grin on his face.

"Fuck off."

He tosses me one of the rifles.

This time I'm going to use it.

The Stories They Tell

I woke up in a daze.

Images of the day before played out in my head over and over again.

I was getting sick of this. Not knowing anything, just blindly walking into situation after situation, I had to know the truth.

I got up and headed to the door determined to get the answers I deserved. I pulled open the door with such force it threw me off balance. I caught myself and looked up to see Si'La standing there. She seemed even prettier then before.

I blushed a little.

"Good morning, I hope you slept well", she smiled.

"I did", I said even though I was lying.

She smiled and turned to walk away motioning me to follow.

She led me down a dimly lit hallway lined with beautiful murals. They seemed to depict some kind of battle.

"What's all this about"? I exclaimed.

"This is the Battle of Iti'Nusra, it was fought back when the Lower Ones first appeared here in Crucible. It's said that it lasted for over three hundred years".

"That's incredible."

I could recognize a few figures shown on the wall. The most notable of them was Slenderman, he seemed much different then does now. Everything was pretty much the same except instead of a suit he was wearing what looked like armor. Then their was that Agru'Bala thing from yesterday.

Then I saw someone else. Someone that should have no business there. Someone that just can't be there.

It was Muzen. The drawing wasn't that detailed but I could tell. The same expression, same everything.

"Who's this." I said pointing at the painting, even though I knew who it was.

"That's Vera'Lu "The One Who Came". He appeared towards the end of war and fought against the Lower Ones. If it wasn't for him we would of have been defeated"

Now those markings on his face make sense, Muzen's a war hero.

"After the Lower Ones retreated he vanished, we didn't even have a chance to thank him."

I couldn't believe it he was only gone for a few hours, to think he fought an entire war in that short time.

I noticed that his grandfather wasn't shown anywhere on the mural. He must've died before Muzen got involved with the war.

How many more have to die because of me?

We walked about another five minutes before we reached a set of staircases. One leading up and another leading downwards. We took the one going down.

As we descended the stairs the pain in my leg returned. This was beginning to annoy me.

"Si'La, that thing you did to my leg is starting to wear off I think."

She turned around and smiled. Even in the dim light her eye's glistened brightly.

"I need you to bear the pain for now once we speak with my father I heal it completely."

"But how exactly are you doing this."

"I was going to let my father explain but since you insist. Here in Crucible the laws of nature greatly diffee from the ones in your world."

"In your world you need technology and machines to harness the energy around you but here were able to manipulate it to certain degree for our own personal use, like so."

She kneeled down and placed her hand on my leg but this time a green light shined from her hand. It was warm and soothing, for a second my leg went numb and then suddenly the pain was gone.

"Now that should do it."

I stood there completely awe struck. And completely confused at the same time. Molly did this exact same thing back in the safehouse, and I'm pretty sure she's not part of the Denil.

I followed soon after to find myself stepping into the one of the biggest rooms I'd ever seen. I mean it was huge. It was lined with burgundy curtains, with tables placed from one corner to the next. A giant chandelier fashioned from the same glowing rock as the outside of the building.Hundreds of people strolled past me all wearing similar clothing as Si'La. The smell of food was overwhelming, and I sure as hell was hungry.

"You just going to stand there or are going to eat." Si'La smiled

We headed to a table situated in the dead center of the room. It was adorned with candles and flowers. Plates stacked with unrecognizable food littered it.

"Good morning.", said a voice behind me. I turned to see her father standing there. He was wearing a blue robe this time with a jeweled necklace layed loosely around his neck.

"My name is Ja'Lu, and I am the chieftain of the Denil people and I welcome you.

"My name is Josh and I'm confused as hell."

"I'm sure you are, take a seat. So let's not waste anymore time ask me any question and I'll answer them to best of my abilities."

I hope this guy has his schedule cleared cause this is going to take a while.

"Why are they after me, what do they want from me, and how do I stop them."

Ja'Lu chuckles repositions himself to face me directly and says, "They want to understand."

"What does that even mean.", I question trying not to sound annoyed with such a vague answer.

"Let me start with this, The Lower Ones appeared in our world several thousand years ago. Death and disease followed close behind, the world as you see it now is not what it's always been. Their leader Zo'Dul was ruthless in his rule, he slaughtered our livestock and polluted our skies. They reigned unopposed for six hundred years before the chieftain at the time, my ancestor, figured out there one and only weakness; They're hunger."

He picked up some kind of fruit as if to emphasize his point.

"They do not eat like you and I.", he continued. "Instead they feed off of energy, a specific kind to be exact and that's fear. Emotions of any kind give off very high amounts of physical, mental, and spiritual energy, but emotions dedicated to fear are stronger and more potent.

"So what exactly did he figure out.", I questioned.

"He learned that if we were to stop fearing them we would respectively starve them. With this information he began the first offensives against them which in time culminated into the Battle of Iti'Nusra.

"The battle raged for three hundred years. Towards the end of the my people had grown weary of war, many of generations had fallen in our quest for independence. Our hope began to wane, that was until he showed Vera'Lu "The One Who Came" did our spirits rise once more. With his help we drove the Lower Ones back. But before the Lower Ones fled Zo'Dul spoke of another one to come one that would signal there return. "When the Tower walks and the light has shown only then will our knowledge grow.". You are that light Josh, there "Yula'Bulai" their savior.

My heart fell. It does that a lot these days. I'm some type herald of the end. I stood up knocking my chair over in the process.

"But how, how!" I stuttered.

This is really all my fault. Maybe the entire reason the Fears are in my world is because of me.

"I'm pretty sure after Zo'Dul became aware of there flaw he looked for ways to fix it. And the only way to do that is to Understand." Ja'Lu stated.

"But that's the thing I don't understand anything I'm pretty stupid if you ask me."

Si'La stood up, she had this look in her eye that seemed way too familiar.

"Father...this....this is bad."

"What is Si'La.", he asked with an equally worried look on his face.

"It's Zo'Dul....he's here."

The whole room grew silent.

Here we go again.