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.