Descent of Nightmare (Chapter Five)
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saladloveChapter list: https://tanadin.dreamwidth.org/650.html
Map of Kaldriel: https://i.gyazo.com/332b0c0172dcc60acb46
Rough map of Hatu: https://i.gyazo.com/ea4f9f51b9dc7b9d8b86
Chapter Five
Merge
Mountains around Akrar, Kaldriel. November 4, 2277. Time instance 842N.
“Solace? Solace!”
Solace blearily blinked her eyes open, vision swimming and blurry. Someone leaned over her- someone who looked a bit like they were half toaster- until her vision focused and she recognized him as Everex. Of course. Who else looked that ridiculous?
She sat up, rubbing her head. “What happened?”
“We blacked out. Starren, Twelve, and I recovered first, and Kaldric’s been helping us wake you guys up.” Everex smiled and hugged her before moving on to try to wake up Nightgale. Solace watched him as unfamiliar light glinted off the metal left half of his face. He wasn’t metal all the way through, fortunately- the idea of having a boyfriend with a half-computer brain disturbed her and she decided to forget the idea immediately. It wasn’t worth her time. She got to her feet, stretching and looking around.
They were in some sort of room with unnaturally smooth walls, floor, and ceiling. A door led out of the room and light crept in through the cracks, but the temperature was cool- almost chilly- unlike what she would expect during the day. They weren’t in a cave, that was certain, but the idea of a room being built outside of a hill was ridiculous and Solace almost didn’t entertain the notion until she heard Lucy mumbling something about a building to Korrah.
Great. A building. Kaldric had taught them about those- structures built outside in the sun. The whole thing seemed unnecessarily difficult- why not just build inside a hill?- but she supposed it could work, if it kept them this cool.
She glanced around the room, stepping over someone’s unconscious form to tap Twelve on the shoulder. “Where are we?”
“I don’t know,” Twelve confessed. “I don’t think we’re in the desert anymore. It’s not hot enough.”
“Have you noticed the air?” Tavren asked, taking a deep breath. “It’s...different. I don’t know how to describe it.”
“The oxygen content is lower than you are used to,” Kaldric informed them, standing up from where he had awakened Gyrad. “I am uncertain as to where we are, but I propose that we take a look outside. I may get an idea once I can get a visual on the surrounding area.”
Twelve glanced around to make sure everyone was up before nodding. “Okay. Let’s see what’s out there.” She flexed her hands and metal claws extended from her fingertips. She opened the door and blinked at the light that poured in, stepping into a brighter room with the others not far behind. This room had broken windows here and there, and the door leading outside was half-broken and cracked. Twelve pushed it out of the way and stepped outside. Solace moved around her to get a better look, eyes widening.
They were high in the air, on the rocky edge of a cliff and surrounded by snow-capped mountains. The air was colder than they’d ever experienced and Solace shifted into her phoenix form almost on instinct, dual-colored flames licking along her wings. The sky seemed so much more open and alive, with white and gray clouds covering half of it and barely avoiding the sun. Wind tugged at them as they looked around in wonder, breathing the unusual air and reveling in the lack of blistering heat.
Lucy raised an eyebrow at an unheard voice- Sheva, probably, if she even existed- and Kaldric tilted his head as she whispered to him. His eyes flashed and he raised his voice, addressing the group at large.
“Sheva has identified where we are, and my data seems to confirm it. We are on Kaldriel, the home and staging area of most of your species, with half of Deathclaw being the notable exception.”
They all exchanged glances.
Kaldriel.
They’d heard of Kaldriel, of course. They didn’t know much, but Kaldric had told them how the raptors had failed to retake it after losing control once. He told them of the humans, the aven, the demons. He told them of the werewolves, the elementals, the vampires. The visper, the undead, everything he knew that could potentially help them understand each other and themselves. Then they, of course, knew of Hatu, the home of Zatar and the rest of the raptors.
But what he said next, they did not know.
“Sheva gave us coordinates to her home planet, and where your genetics originate from. Since we no longer have access to Zatar, and our circumstances have changed significantly, I feel it is important to inform you as to why Zatar did not visit as often as he seemed to think he did and why the world shook. We were not on a planet at all, despite what Zatar led you to believe- we were within a piece of experimental technology, called a timewarp.” Kaldric’s hand spun and his head twitched slightly, gears clicking. “The raptors found a way to slow a module sufficiently so that time seemed to travel faster for those within the timewarp, and then continually teleported it many times a second, without changing its velocity, so that it could keep up with and be moved with a ship.
“It is experimental technology and thus when the ship must accelerate, the timewarp is docked and sped back up to the normal flow of time. The rumbling was the engine of the ship, the sickness and disorientation a result of temporal distortion.”
Twelve stepped up to him, then, eyes narrowed. “If Zatar can’t reach us, and we weren’t in any danger, why did you allow us to leave?”
“My prime directive is to ensure that you all survive, not that you survive where Zatar can reach you.” The robot’s eyes seemed to twinkle. “And, in my opinion, you will do better off away from him.”
Twelve slowly grinned. “I knew you had a heart.”
“Oh, leave him alone.” Everex elbowed his sister. “We all knew it before now. The only reason you were so delayed is because you don’t have one.”
Twelve rolled her eyes. “I care about the safety and wellbeing of this group.”
“Do you care about our happiness?” Jack shot back.
Twelve nodded, looking at him like he was nuts. “What kind of leader doesn’t care about the happiness of the group?”
“Just making sure,” Jack mumbled.
“Our exact geographical location is currently unknown,” Kaldric continued, “but we appear to be high in the mountains. It’s early to mid winter, most likely, depending on where exactly we are. It will take me some time to analyze the surrounding area, so feel free to explore as long as you don’t go far. The locals may not take kindly to your presence, especially if you frighten them, and Deathclaw especially must be careful.” Kaldric knelt down and chipped at the freezing ground to try to pick up some dirt. “I wouldn’t recommend trying to climb anywhere. You could get yourselves killed.”
“We should stay here for now,” Twelve decided. “Set up a temporary base until we figure out what to do from here.”
“What, you didn’t have a plan?” Gyrad rolled his eyes, leaning against the wall of the building.
“She was pretty sure we were gonna die. We all were,” Tavren informed him, crossing his arms. “My calculations, while now inaccurate, said that we were probably extremely fucked. There wasn’t time to think of a plan.”
“I’m going to scout around,” Everex informed them, metallic wings swinging up from his back and clicking into position. “See if there’s anything useful around. Food, materials, whatever.” He glanced at Solace. “Come with?”
Solace rolled her eyes and flared her wings. “Of course.” She spoke in the language of the elementals- a language whose sounds could only be heard by elementals and were extraordinarily hard to explain-, which was the only way for her to speak in her phoenix form unless she wanted to try her luck cawing and shrieking.
Everex grinned and took off, Solace not far behind. She spread her wings and cawed happily as the cool air lifted her up, unfamiliar winds carrying her through the mountains and forcing her to focus on flying.
It was amazing.
She wasn’t sure if Everex could feel the same way about flight as she could, with his stiff metal wings, but she could hope as the wild and cool winds whipped around her. It wasn’t as effortless as flying over the desert had been, but in a way, it was easier, riding the winds that had been almost nonexistent before but fighting them when she turned. She didn’t pay attention to what was around her, only flying and turning to stay near Everex.
She felt more majestic than usual, and if she couldn’t show off to Everex, then she couldn’t show off to anybody. She flew around him and cawed happily, feeling warmer at his grin and flipping around to fly directly over him.
“Aren’t we supposed to be looking for anything that can help?” Everex’s voice was hard to hear over the wind.
“Nonsense.” The words of the elemental tongue cut through all sound barriers, to an extent. “We can just say we didn’t find anything. I don’t want to pay attention to anything else.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“I’m great and you know it.” She tilted her wings and soared upwards, watching the mountains shrink below her and a world more vast than she could imagine stretch out before her.
~~~
Corvus’ head snapped up, smooth metal twisting as dark lights that served as his eyes flickered and narrowed. “Did you feel that?”
Kyir slowly looked up from what he’d been tinkering with while sitting on the couch. “Feel what?”
“That disturbance. Something magical just happened that shouldn’t have happened.” Corvus sat forward, making the couch creak with his weight.
Kyir sighed. “I didn’t feel anything. Just like I didn’t feel the last one. That you imagined.”
“No, I felt it too.” Nathan got to his feet, glancing over at the twins. “Believe your brother. He has quite the gift.”
“Yeah, well, so do I.”
“And I believe you when you tell me crap about machines! You’re just grumpy because Jase is mad at you.”
“That’s irre-”
“It’s not irrelevant, and I’m leaving before this escalates,” Nathan informed them, setting his book on the table and heading towards the door.
“Where are you going?” Corvus asked, sitting up straighter.
“To investigate that magical flux.”
“Can I come with?”
Nathan snorted and turned around to look at him. “Absolutely not. You’ll bitch the whole way. I’m bringing Shawn along. At least he only complains about my driving.” He rolled his eyes and shut the door, leaving his grandsons to exchange glances and wonder what the hell he was thinking this time.
~~~
“Sometimes I really question why I help you out with things like this!” Shawn gripped his seat tightly and was silently grateful that he didn’t eat anymore because he definitely would have lost his most recent meal. “You do not know how to drive!”
“I know how to drive!” Nathan protested, taking the next turn far too sharply and almost throwing them off the mountain. “I just don’t like to use that knowledge!”
“I’m going to learn to drive one of these days.”
“You and what car?!”
“This one, unless you crash it!”
“Oh, please! You know how I am!”
“I don’t know why people keep selling you cars with this track reco- are you speeding up?”
“Maybe! And who said anything about selling me a car? This isn’t mine!”
“Nathan,” Shawn said slowly, “who does this car belong to?”
Nathan flashed him a grin. “I have no idea.”
“You stole it?!”
“‘Stole’ is a strong word!”
“What would you call it?”
“Stealing, I guess! I’m the grandfather of Kyir Duru Lu’ann! Is this really surprising?”
“I’ve known you for five years and didn’t know you were a thief!”
“If you don’t stop talking you might lose your tongue,” Nathan warned as he went around another corner. Shawn gripped the seat tighter. “There we go! See? It’s fine.”
“You’re an asshole sometimes, you know that?”
“Well, yeah, I know that.” Nathan leaned back in his seat. “What did I do now?”
Shawn crossed his arms. “You’re driving with complete disregard for other people’s lives.”
Nathan slammed on the brakes, staring at Shawn until they stopped completely. “Shawn.”
“Yes?”
“Do you really think I drive like this when someone alive is in the car?”
“I’m-”
“Shawn. You’re a zombie. If we crash and you take severe damage, you take off the bracelet and put it back on. Fucking amazing! You’re healed. A car crash literally cannot kill you.”
“You could damage my trenchcoat. Or break my bracelet.”
“You can get a new one.” Nathan put his foot on the gas pedal and they sped off down the road again. “It’s way more fun to drive this way.”
Shawn groaned and held onto the seat once more. “I’m going to learn to drive and never let you behind the wheel again.”
“Are you done arguing with me like we’re married or can we talk about why I dragged you out here?”
“I’m not-”
“I feel sorry for Tac whenever you get around to proposing to her.”
“That’s not-”
“When are you getting around to that, by the way?” Nathan grinned at him.
Shawn crossed his arms moodily. “My romantic life is none of your business.”
“You only say that when you’re annoyed.”
“You only pry when I’m annoyed!”
“I only ask when I’m driving, and you’re always annoyed!”
“I wonder why!” Shawn glared at him.
Nathan shrugged. “Anyway. Are you done bitching about my driving?”
“No.”
“Great. So the reason I dragged you up here.”
Shawn sighed and leaned back in his seat, still holding on tightly.
“Corvus and I both felt a magical disturbance from this area, one unlike any we’d felt before. I wasn’t willing to haul his bitching metal ass up here so I grabbed you and off we went to investigate.”
“I doubt Corvus could possibly complain more than me.”
“He’s Kyir’s brother. Of course he can.”
“I’ve met him, Nathan. I’ve known him for almost five years. He’s really not that bad.”
“He sure can be.”
“No. I really think he can’t.”
“Well, whatever. Relative bitchiness levels aside, I figured you might be helpful or at least have some useful insight when we stumble across whatever it was that caused it. It was almost like a portal spell, and if I didn’t know better I’d say that something had teleported in. Teleportation is nearly impossible, though, something that we have yet to discover how to do.”
“Please spare me the teleportation talk, I’ve already gotten it from Gel- watch it!”
“Woops!” Nathan swerved to avoid the deer and kept driving. “Aren’t you glad I have inhuman reflexes?”
Shawn rolled his eyes. “Yeah. That’s it.”
“Anyway, if something did teleport in, that’s pretty concerning because the only people we know that can really teleport are…” He trailed off, raising an eyebrow.
“M and company?”
“Got it. If we’ve got aliens teleporting down, we need to deal with it.”
“So you, in all your wisdom, brought exactly one zombie to help you deal with this?”
“Not my smartest moment,” Nathan admitted, leaning on the brakes and slowing the car to a stop. “This is as close as we’ll get with this thing.” He shut it off and pocketed the keys. “C’mon.” He opened the door and stepped out of the car, Shawn not far behind.
Shawn followed him up the mountains, silently glad that he brought his shotgun with him. “Should I take off the bracelet?”
“Not yet. We don’t want to spook anyone we run into too badly.”
“You’re dressed like a goddamn Halloween decoration.”
“I’m not in my full necromancer getup! It’s just black!”
Shawn rolled his eyes but followed Nathan up the mountain, falling silent and concentrating on not tripping over rocks and sticks and whatever the hell else was along the mountainside.
He paused and tapped Nathan’s shoulder as something caught his attention. “Nathan.” He pointed.
The stone cliff nearby was scorched, and based on the smoldering log nearby, whatever had done it had been here recently.
They exchanged glances and continued, this time more ready.
Nathan held up a hand for them to stop, listening. Quiet footsteps crunching along the rocks came from up ahead and they carefully progressed, Shawn grateful once again for his shotgun’s presence in his hands. Sure, he had Nathan with him, but he wasn’t holding onto Nathan.
They went around the corner and froze. The figure’s head snapped up and he stared back at them, confusion written across all three of their faces.
He looked to be around sixteen, but what was really remarkable was how familiar he looked. The left half of his face was replaced with metal, as were both of his arms. His left eye glowed with red light and Steelwing-like wings were folded against his back, over a brown trenchcoat. Short brown-blond hair stopped right above his eyes, red and green staring.
“Who the hell-”
Nathan was interrupted by the unfamiliar cyborg noticing Shawn’s shotgun. He took several steps back, baring his teeth, and extended blades from his arms. “Solace!”
Shawn raised his shotgun as a warning but he didn’t get the opportuinity to shoot as a phoenix descended upon them, red and blue and screeching. He scrambled back, away from the flames, as it circled quickly around them. It shrieked one final time, blasted a wave of fire at them, and disappeared behind the wall of flames.
By the time it had faded, both the phoenix and the cyborg had vanished.
Nathan and Shawn exchanged looks.
“Now, it might just be me going crazy, but they looked an awful lot like a sixteen-year-old-Seven and a smaller Clash.”
“No, I saw it too.”
“Great. We’re both nuts.” Nathan leaned against the rock wall. “I don’t...I don’t know what that was, but I don’t like it. I think I want to get back to the car. Tell someone about this.”
Shawn nodded in agreement and followed Nathan back down the mountain, looking over his shoulder occasionally.
What the hell had that been?
no subject
Date: 2016-11-01 11:12 pm (UTC)So is that what happened to Q's toaster it got made into Everex's head? XP
Solace watched him as unfamiliar light glinted off the metal left half of his face. He wasn’t metal all the way through, fortunately- the idea of having a boyfriend with a half-computer brain disturbed her and she decided to forget the idea immediately.
First ship of the story? Solace and Everex.
Corvus’ head snapped up, smooth metal twisting as dark lights that served as his eyes flickered and narrowed. “Did you feel that?”
Kyir slowly looked up from what he’d been tinkering with while sitting on the couch. “Feel what?”
“That disturbance. Something magical just happened that shouldn’t have happened.” Corvus sat forward, making the couch creak with his weight.
Yay for Corvus! Is his new golum body coated with metal then?
“Where are you going?” Corvus asked, sitting up straighter.
“To investigate that magical flux.”
“Can I come with?”
Nathan snorted and turned around to look at him. “Absolutely not. You’ll bitch the whole way. I’m bringing Shawn along. At least he only complains about my driving.” He rolled his eyes and shut the door, leaving his grandsons to exchange glances and wonder what the hell he was thinking this time.
Woo time for Nathan and Shawn buddy detective drama! XD
“You’re an asshole sometimes, you know that?”
“Well, yeah, I know that.” Nathan leaned back in his seat. “What did I do now?”
Shawn crossed his arms. “You’re driving with complete disregard for other people’s lives.”
Nathan slammed on the brakes, staring at Shawn until they stopped completely. “Shawn.”
“Yes?”
“Do you really think I drive like this when someone alive is in the car?”
“I’m-”
“Shawn. You’re a zombie. If we crash and you take severe damage, you take off the bracelet and put it back on. Fucking amazing! You’re healed. A car crash literally cannot kill you.”
Confirmed Nathan is a perfect driver if there is someone alive in the car, otherwise he drives like a lunatic XD
Shawn followed him up the mountains, silently glad that he brought his shotgun with him. “Should I take off the bracelet?”
“Not yet. We don’t want to spook anyone we run into too badly.”
“You’re dressed like a goddamn Halloween decoration.”
“I’m not in my full necromancer getup! It’s just black!”
This seems like the set up to a bad Halloween joke...
A zombie and Necromancer go for a walk up a mountain, the zombie starts slowing down as they walk and the Necromancer turns round and says "Hurry up you lazy sack of bones!" XP
I said it was the set up for a bad Halloween joke.....
no subject
Date: 2016-11-01 11:39 pm (UTC)Solace and Everex are adorable <3
Corvus is a metal golem as opposed to a clay golem.
Nathan and Shawn are good friends. I love it. :P
no subject
Date: 2016-11-01 11:51 pm (UTC)Solarex are adorkable <3
Oooo cool, so Shawn comparing Corvus to Alphonse Elric is a good comparison, both are souls bound to metal suits.
Nathan and Shawn are the new BroTP.