FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Alex glanced at Barnaby curiously. "What did he tell you?"

Barnaby shrugged dismissively. "A lot of it was stuff everyone knows already. I was unaware of the project while it was being executed. I was upset that I could miss something so important at the time, but the Assembly has a habit of hiring the right people. Making it impossible for any of my plants to be part of the inner circle, or so they told me."

"But what's so intriguing about Malevolence exactly?" Alex asked. "Why are you so interested with it?"

He nearly scoffed at the question. "What's so intriguing? The fact that it entirely broke the Assembly's choke hold on this region." he explained simply. "The fact that everyone found it so hard to accept that the experiments were done at all. It wasn't anything new by any means. But the power of that information took the people by surprise and shattered their faith in the Initiate. It started a bloody civil war!" Barnaby shook his head slightly. "Didn't you feel it when it happened?"

Alex was caught off guard at the question. "What do you mean?" He had a guess in his mind. But he wanted to be sure that he was thinking the same thing.

"The night they said the complex was attacked by the Plasma organization. It was a small feeling for me, but it seemed significant when it happened. I felt like I was being watched all of the sudden, like my life was threatened by something. Just a chill." Barnaby stared at him hard. Looking for any tells. It didn't take much to see a spark of recognition in Alex's eyes.

"Yeah... It happened that very night." Simply remembering that feeling seemed to summon the same icy flow through his veins. Along with the faint, but all too noticeable feeling of a terrible thing looking over his shoulder.

"Qagan told me of him. The one called Hatred." It felt like something forced him to pause for a moment. Forcing him to respect the name, treat it like it was sacred. "That poisonous seed that took root in that forsaken hole... That's what the Malevolence project was all about. They knew they couldn't control it and planned to terminate it. They couldn't if they tried."

"Untrue." Alex stated. "If they would've gassed the thing it would've been over."

Barnaby shook his head. "No. You don't understand. Did you read over the other Phoenix results?"

Alex thought for a moment. He was told multiple times that the only resulting 'Success' from the Phoenix trials was Malevolence. "There weren't any. Not to the Parlal's knowledge."

"Case number five, Truth." Barnaby said. "The entity called itself Truth, never said anything else. Not for a very long time. The creature was tested over and over again but failed every one of them. Only because he never fought and never answered any of their questions. They gassed him in a vacuum chamber for several hours. When he finally did flatline they cleared the room and went in to remove the corpse. They got halfway to the morgue when Truth began to draw breath again. According to the reports he said something to them. 'You cannot kill me. I will be set free.' Poor thing must have been in terrible pain."

Alex was confused. What did Truth have to do with the other entity, Hatred. Surely they could be killed. "So it came back to life? Even after all that?"

"It seems so. The other cases were similar, but Case 5 was the first to reject execution. As if it were nothing but a hindrance." Barnaby scratched his chin in thought. "If the pattern holds, Hatred will respond in a similar fashion."

"How often did they try to dispose of the entities?" Alex asked.

"Apparently they tried each one several times, in a variety of ways." he laughed to spite his own grim comment. "No dice. They always came back. One way or another."

Alex shook his head in disbelief. The very idea of these things were absurd. Creatures that can't be killed? What would possibly be the reason to continue making them? Especially when they were so powerful to begin with. How deluded would you have to be to want to do that work? "So the Phoenix trials were an attempt to control these things?"

"Nothing so easy as that. It was simply for study. To see if we could even begin to comprehend their power. To unleash it within ourselves." he looked Alex in the eye. "To become a god."

Alex gave him a flat stare, clearly not believing that they expected to become gods. "Bullshit."

"What would you call a man who could live forever?" Barnaby inquired. "After a certain amount of time, that man would become god." he let a smirk overcome his face. "Sure, we wouldn't see him as god. he would be babbling all kinds of nonsense."

"Anyway, what difference does it make what they intended. Because all we have now is what has happened." he stated as he slouched back in his seat. "And what has happened is an unforeseen backlash of something that should have been dismantled. This Charizard, Hatred, Zatsule... what have you. He is killing everyone and I may have the means to stall him."

"Only to stall?" Alex asked sarcastically.

"Yes, stall." he replied, mildly annoyed.

Recovery Effort

"Alright! Let's go, pile in!" Moss ordered. "We've got roughly forty-five minutes to get there and back with around three hundred survivors." he looked around at all the men and women around him. Only twenty soldiers. Along with the soldier named Talia, who had offered her services willingly, and the engineers refused to let anyone drive the vehicles but them. "Five large trucks. I want two in each, the rest will cover in the three mounted vehicles. A man on each gun. Move it!" They all dashed to their assigned positions. "Talia! You're up front with me and the 'mon."

The first Vehicle in the convoy was a full sized truck complete with a mounted Harmonic Gatling. A reinforced front bumper painted a bright white. It was painted in sloppy camo and looked like it was flaking away in some places. The vehicles 'nickname' was carved into the doors; The Alabaster Lance. The engine rumbled heavily to life as it's driver twisted the ignition. The driver grinned widely as he revved the engine. "Le's get to it!" he said excitedly.

Moss shook his head with a smirk as he sat in the passengers seat. The drivers were always so gung-ho that it made everyone else seem like a buzz kill. Talia jumped in the rear seat right behind Shokan and slammed the door shut. "Should we be expecting any serious resistance, Commant?" she asked.

"Absolutely." he answered simply. "I doubt they'll let us just drive through."

She shrugged dismissively. "One can hope." she said with a smile.

The truck pulled ahead and the convoy followed suit. The trucks were large and covered with a canvas material. They had originally been conscripted to haul supplies to Dinsont, but the drivers volunteered to help any way they could. Which Norason had been relieved to hear. The reserves had no experience as mechanics and a lot of the vehicles they had needed a maintenance crew to keep them going. The pickings were slim indeed.

The road headed east had been cleared for the convoy. Talia made way to the mounted gun and readied the feed. The driver lifted his radio. "Listen up now, have all the guns ready! I don't want no ghoul's tearin' me up! You can bet they'll have some surprises for us out there!"

"I hear that!" One of the others replied. "They prolly been waitin' for a chance like this."

"Well do us a favor and keep these fuckers outta our axles then, Lance!"

The driver laughed. "You know I don't brake for pedestrians!"

Moss chuckled. "Shokan, are there any landmarks we should be looking for?"

"Yeah. There will be a couple rock formations just off the left side. We found a sizable cave about four hundred yards off the road that they should be holed up in. Give or take a dozen yards."

"Sounds good." Moss replied. The convoy drove from the town quickly and began to pass through the forests edge. The late afternoon overcast made the forest glow an eerie red that was slowly growing darker. The trees brushed each other lightly in the slow breeze as they drove past them. Every eye scanned the foliage carefully as it passed on their sides. None of them could see a single trace of the creatures that swarmed from them before. But each person knew they were in there, somewhere.

The cruel darkness of the forest hid the vicious creatures within. After the third mile of uneventful driving they had seen nothing, and said even less. They couldn't bring themselves to talk to each other. They simply watched their sides expectantly. The steady roar of the engines being the only barrier between them and the utter silence of the forest. Had they not seen them just minutes prior, they would have never guessed there were Ghouls present. But even so they could feel the presence of something out there. There was just no physical trace of them.

"There's... So many of them." Shokan whispered.

Moss looked over to him. "What do you mean?" he whispered back. He could barely even hear himself. "I can't see any of them."

"It's weird. I can't really explain it." Shokan paused a moment to think. "It's like I can feel that something is missing. Like I feel their absence but not their presence. It just feels like a lot is missing out there."

Moss tried to concentrate. To do as Shokan did. To feel the flow of the Aura around him. It was difficult with so many distractions but even so he could feel it. The emptiness of some around him, like there was a hole in the aura. It was unique as well as disturbing. "What is that?"

"It's them. The creatures."

"What?" he asked, disbelieving. "Then why aren't they trying to kill us?"

Shokan shook his head. "How would I know that? They have always tried before."

He didn't know what to make of it. If they were there they would be trying to kill them. Wouldn't they? If they were actually Ghoul's, they would at least give chase. "I don't know, I'll keep looking and try to see. But it's getting a little dark out there." Moss brought the radio to his mouth. "Anyone see anything out there yet?"

There were no responses for a long moment, as if everyone was double checking. "Negative."

"Nothing yet sir."

"There doesn't seem to be anything out here at all, Commant. Maybe we're just taking them off guard for now."

He had his reasons to doubt that. They wouldn't be able to miss a line of trucks driving past the front lines. The driver let out a snort. Moss gave him a sideways glance. "Something to say?"

Lance nodded. "You better bet they know we're here. Even that they know where we're going. Shit, I'd bet ol' Alabaster here that they're waiting for us to let down our guard."

That sounded more like something that would be possible. If only because it would be the most likely to succeed. But were these creatures capable of such tactical moves? It would explain their rapid domination of key defenses. Is it possible they had a sense of self preservation? Even after he witnessed their blind chase of the Pokemon earlier, literally throwing themselves into their targets and to their deaths. Their current actions were conflicting with what he had seen them do before. Was it possible they had developed any sort of plan?

"What makes you think that, Lance?" he asked. Almost eager to know his thoughts.

He snorted again. "Besides the obvious you mean?" he replied sarcastically. "If they wanted to kill us right now they would definitely be trying to. We all know their out there and have us surrounded. So you tell me. You add up those numbers and tell me what you come up with. If the answer sounds stupid, you got the wrong one." he explained with a firm nod. Though he said it in a demeaning fashion, Moss had to admit he was right. They must be waiting for the right moment. Which means he would have to wait for that same moment and be ready for it.

The convoy rounded a corner and the road winded farther along. Off to the sides of the road there were some large boulders and a jutting rock that leaned over the shoulder. "This is it." Shokan declared. "They're not far now."

Moss nodded. "Alright, pull off here."

Lance pulled to the side and the rest followed suit. The soldiers piled out and formed a perimeter. Each of the mounted guns scanned the clearing carefully. Moss stepped from the truck and turned back to Lance. "Make sure these trucks get turned around before we come back."

"Aye aye, Commant." he replied with a grin. "Just try to make it quick. I don't wanna be parked here any longer than I have to."

Moss gave him a nod and shut the door after Shokan jumped out. The soldiers on the left side checked around the outcroppings for any sign of Ghouls. But there turned out to be nothing at all threatening. Moss gathered up all the soldiers on the ground as the drivers readjusted their vehicles slowly.

"Alright everyone, this is it. With such a small number of us I'll only be taking five of you with me to recover the refugees." Moss explained.

Some of the soldiers were surprised by the number. "But sir," one of them said. "Why not take more than just five?"

"Because by the look of things, we might want the majority of us here. We need these trucks functional if any of us hope to get back at all. I won't pretend to know what these things are up to. But I have a feeling they are going to try to take out the trucks. Plus, with just six men we can move faster." he noted. He counted off five men with his finger. "You five are with me and Shokan. The rest of you, keep these trucks going. Above all else, stay alive. Corpses don't help anyone." There were a few grim chuckles at his comment. "And if we get killed out there we'll try to let you know. But don't be afraid to leave... if things start getting bad. It would be better for you all to retreat and rejoin the front line."

One of the higher ranking soldiers spat on the ground at the statement. "Don't count on us leaving. When you get back, we'll be right where you left us." he assured. "Otherwise we shouldn't have been brought at all."

Moss breathed a short sigh of relief. "Well then. Let's get on with it." he looked to Shokan and he nodded.

"Follow me. I can see them from here." Shokan said as he turned and began to run toward the trees.

"Form up behind the 'Mon and double time!" Moss ordered. He took off after him. The sound of five soldiers following him sounded clearly in the otherwise silent evening. The rocks and thin dry evergreens creating dim outlines against the ever blackening sky. The dull gray light barely lit the ground before them. Each one of them had turned on their flashlights simultaneously. They jogged lightly behind the Raichu as he sped on ahead, but seeming to take care he was always in clear sight. Some of the boulders around were nearly as large as a house. Some even larger. They were oxidized a light orange color and looked well weathered. The trees were thin and with branches only on the tops. There was no underbrush for them to cut through thankfully. This place seemed a little arid compared to the surrounding forests.

They twisted and turned around the rocks and trees. Each of them becoming a little more unnerved with each step. They knew this place was just crawling with the creatures of nightmares. But still, nothing hindered their progress. Not even the slightest attempt on their lives was being made. They just kept moving. They began to sweat but not just from the jogging. The cold sweat of fear began to dot their brows. What were the Ghouls waiting for?

After a little while of running, Shokan stopped for a moment and signaled the rest to stop behind him. They each approached and Moss took a knee next to him as the rest scanned the clearing around them with their weapons. "Why did you stop?" Moss asked, a bit short of breath.

"I'm waiting for an opening." Shokan replied simply.

His face showed a glimpse of worry. "Is it the Ghouls?"

He didn't answer for a couple seconds. He couldn't feel individual shapes anymore. It all seemed to be random tangents of nothing and something. "I don't know. There's something messing with my head out here." Shokan seemed a little shaken.

"Can you tell if there's still survivors out there?"

"I think so, but I only catch flashes of them. We're not too far away now but I want to be sure we're not going to be jumped when we move up."

Moss nodded. "Good call. But try not to take too long." he warned. "I would feel better if we keep moving."

"Roger that, boss man." he replied with a grin. "Won't be long now."

They all waited and caught their breath. Not one of them lowered their guns at any time. Now that they had stopped moving the noise around them had dulled to nonexistence. There wasn't even the sound of a slight breeze through the trees or a bird of the night singing. This was the sound of death. The sound of being buried in a coffin six feet under the ground. It was stifling, as if the very air was absolutely still. Each of their heartbeats and steady breaths the only audible sound. Each of them watched their surroundings with wide eyes. Failing to catch even a glimpse of the enemy that must be watching them with hungry smiles, cruel smiles.

The Raichu waved over his shoulder. "C'mon." he said in a whisper, but even that seemed to split the air with it's sudden loudness. Their footfalls resumed and they also seemed far louder than they should be. Pounding into the ground with gravelly crunching. They all winced at the noise as if it offended the silence and challenged the darkness.

It didn't take much more running before Shokan stopped again. Moss skidded to a stop and stumbled to avoid tripping over him. The others stopped close behind him. "What now?" One of them asked.

"We're here." Shokan stated. "They're all in that cave up there." he gestured to a large cave opening across a clearing.

Moss tilted his head curiously. "Three hundred Pokemon are in there?" It looked like a large cave. Just not that large.

"Yeah. It's a lot bigger deeper in." he explained. "They're all still alive too." he said with a smile.

"Good, is it clear to move in?"

"As far as I can tell."

Moss motioned to move forward and they all carefully made their way to the entrance.

Still no Ghoul's cursed their vision or impeded them. The creatures were either playing at something or totally ignorant. At the moment it was impossible to determine which it was. But his gut refused to allow him to believe nothing would happen. The anxiety was omnipresent. Every eye was wide with fear as one by one they made their way into the cave. The entrance was clear of any loose rock or foliage. The cave itself was some sort of solid rock and was dark as pitch. Flashlights dashed along the walls and floors, searching for any sign of the Pokemon that were said to dwell within.

Moss didn't see any sign of them. The Raichu bounded through the tunnel carefully, never seeming to doubt his steps. After just a minute of walking a dim light began to appear ahead. Seeming just around the next corner. "Hold up." Moss whispered ahead to Shokan. He signaled the soldiers to hold position, instantly they stopped dead in their tracks. The Raichu stopped and looked back to him curiously as he took a knee next to him again. "Is it possible that there's Ghouls up there?" he asked as quietly as he could manage.

Shokan shook his head resolutely. "No. I can feel that it isn't them." he replied. "How could it be?"

"This whole thing just doesn't feel right." he confessed. "It's been like a goddamned Sunday drive out here. Something is going on and I just feel like we're walking into a trap."

The Raichu put a paw on his shoulder. "I get it. But we really don't have the time to discuss this, do we? If the convoy is under attack we need to hurry this up or no one is going to survive."

Moss bit his lip and mulled his thoughts. As much as he could argue, Shokan was right. They didn't have time to plan this out as carefully as he would like. He nodded begrudgingly and signaled everyone to move behind him carefully. Quiet footsteps approached from behind as he moved up cautiously. His gun was leveled in front of him as the Raichu rounded the corner with little regard of his safety. Moss followed and put his finger to the trigger as came around.

The room was massive, stalactites dotted the ceiling and their were more than a few stalagmite of massive stature. Some parts of the walls glittered in the faint fire light of the room. Weaved throughout the room were hundreds of Pokemon. Of all types and kinds gathered around puny crackling fires. However, several Raichu and Blastoise were crowded near the front. Appearing to stand as a guard for the weaker Pokemon. They watched with surprise as Humans filed in behind Shokan.

Shokan approached the largest Blastoise. "I got us a ride. Round everyone up! We leave now!"

Lost Soul

The Pokemon seemed eager to finally be able to leave. Moss didn't know how long they had been there. But the place reeked of filth and more than a few of them looked undernourished. Especially the smaller ones. There were 322 Pokemon at count and none of them were unbearably large. The largest ones being the Blastoise, They didn't speak much, but Shokan had explained that the Humans were here to take them back beyond their lines. None of them seemed to care much where they would be going as much as when they would be going.

They were all rounded up as quickly as they could manage. Then the strongest Pokemon were instructed to take the sides of the pack when they exited the cave in case protection became necessary. The children were to keep near the center, any that were incapable of running at a decent speed would be carried by those who could manage to. It seemed they had all been thinking about their escape for quite a time before their arrival. The Pokemon were ready to move far more quickly than he had expected.

"We're ready." Shokan said behind him. Moss watched them as they formed a line to the tunnels.

"Good. I want you leading up front, make sure we get to the convoy. If the convoy is incapacitated for any reason it'll be a long walk back..." Moss shuddered to think it.

"What about you?" Shokan wondered.

"I'll be covering the back with two others. Meaning you'll have three of my men along with you." he explained. "If any of us fall behind I want you to keep going, understand?"

Shokan's jaw dropped at the order. "You can't ask me to do that! If anyone falls back I'll-"

"Keep running, because if none of us get to the convoy they'll all die there." Moss gave him a hard stare. "The Pokemon are the ones following you, Shokan. They need you to make it there with them. We can handle ourselves if worse comes to worse. Please keep them all moving, trust me when I say it will make our jobs a lot easier if we only have to worry about protecting them. Not directing them."

His mouth twisted with dissatisfaction. "... Fine." he replied, defeated. "Just don't fall behind and we'll be good." With that he ran to the front of the group. All eyes followed him to the front of the cave. Everyone was quiet and expectant. He turned to face all the Pokemon. "Alright, everyone stick close behind me! The Humans will have our backs and front both covered! Just keep going until we reach the vehicles then we'll be home free!" He turned and ran down the tunnel.

Three soldiers followed him and then the Pokemon began to flow into the tunnel. Moss watched as slowly the cave became empty. The soldiers next to him shifted nervously as their time to follow came nearer. "I've got a terrible feeling about this..." One of them muttered.

Moss smirked to him. "We all do. Don't get cold feet on me now."

The soldier chuckled. "Think we'll all make it back?"

"I'm not in the habit of making promises. Maybe you should flip a coin." he replied.

The man looked surprised by the suggestion. He dug through his jacket pocket and produced a silver coin. He flipped it through the air and let it land on his palm. "Tails!" He said with tone of relief, he slipped the coin back into his pocket. "We'll make it." The last of the Pokemon ran ahead of them and the soldiers took off behind it.

Moss looked after them for a moment and jumped into a light jog. He had always preferred heads over tails.

They all ran from the tunnels and into the open air. Moss hadn't realized how stale the air was in the cavern until he was back outside. The air was crisp and cool as he took his first deep breath. The Pokemon were all scrambling after each other. Moss couldn't see Shokan ahead of the group, but he could see the Soldiers that were up front. They slowed their pace to allow the group to regain some ground lost to the narrow caves. The sky was dark and the forest around them was darker still. Their flashlights were the only things to see by. No one spoke to each other, no one stopped. Everyone just kept moving.

Moss scanned the forest around him with his flashlight. Trying to catch a glimpse of the creatures potentially moving in on them. He wasn't seeing anything though. Just the trees and scattered rocks over the ground. Everything just as still as it had been when they passed the first time. His mind continued to expect something to happen. This place seemed to be peaceful in spite of his thinking. As if everything would shatter the instant he thought he was home-free. The Pokemon all stared to their side with wide eyes, trying to pierce the darkness with their vision. Each of them seemed just as disturbed as him.

He saw something on the edge of his flashlights radius. At first he couldn't make out what he saw, but whatever it was ran along with them. Far off to their left side and barely visible through the trees. He strained to see as it came just a bit closer. The thing he was seeing nearly caused him to stumble, it was a Lucario! It was hard to tell for sure without actually approaching it, but he was pretty sure it was Qagan! The spike that was supposed to be on it's right paw was missing. "Qagan!" he called out to him.

The Lucario stopped and turned away, running further into the woods. Immediately Moss stopped in his tracks. One of the Soldiers noticed he dropped off and turned to him. "What are you doing?! Let's go!"

Moss didn't know why Qagan would run away from him. But he couldn't leave him out here alone. "Keep going! I saw another survivor and I'm going to try to bring him back! I'll catch up! Go!" The man nodded with an unsure frown, but resumed his run regardless.

He broke from the group at a full sprint and ran after Qagan. His gut twisted in fear as he ran into the darkness of the trees. The barren branches reached for the sky of black, seeming to beg for just a drop of the rain the clouds could provide. The dry air was becoming harsh in his lungs the farther he ran. The rocky ground showed a single track stretching before him. So far it didn't seem he was gaining on the Lucario. He knew Qagan was capable of outpacing him by far. "Qagan!" he called out again. His breaths were getting raspy and short. Moss slowed his pace and coughed roughly. "What are you doing!?" he yelled to the darkness. He stopped completely and worked to regain his lost breath. The coughs felt like a punch to his stomach. He could taste the blood in his mouth. Once he gained control of himself again, he looked around himself in a hopeless daze. Everything seemed blanketed in a haze of darkness.

The tracks continued off, deeper into the forest. He looked at them with a suspicious gaze. Why would Qagan run off like this? Did he even hear him call out his name? "Qagan!" No answer, not even echoes in the distance. It was like his voice was absorbed. There wasn't the slightest sound coming from anywhere around him. That was when he realized he had just walked into a trap. There was no breeze, no light save for the one he brought and not a single hint of anything alive around him. Above all things, he had never felt more alone.

He swung his light around to look for any of the creatures he could feel moving closer to him. But there was nothing to see. Only fleeting glimpses of shadows dashing around on the ground and trees. His fear began to slowly melt away, because he was slowly filled with a sense of absolution. That whatever happened next would be an unavoidable fate. A sound of a missed step scattering loose gravel sounded behind him. He turned to the noise with his gun raised. In the center of the circle of light. Qagan was walking clumsily toward him. His paws seemed unsure as they struck the ground and wobbled with strained effort to keep himself upright.

Moss watched him incredulously. It was indeed Qagan, there was no doubt. But his eyes were lifeless and glazed. Like he was dead on his feet. "Qagan?" Moss asked the seemingly shambling corpse. The Lucario seized and fell to the ground. Not even attempting to catch himself as he struck the gravel. Moss hesitated to move even though he desperately wanted to go check if he was alright. It felt like he was in some horror movie where corpses feasted on the living. Just waiting for him to make a mistake and approach. But the longer he waited for the corpse to react in some way. The more clear it was that the corpse wasn't going to be moving again. He decided to approach cautiously, appearance notwithstanding. He didn't trust his own eyes at this point. The lifeless flesh didn't react as he nudged it with the barrel of his gun.

He dropped to his knees and set his gun to the side. Moss checked for a pulse on his neck. Even before he could move his hand to the proper spot, he could feel that his brother's life ended long before getting here. Qagan's fur and skin were cold. As cold as he could expect from the air around him. His throat tightened with sorrow and tears found their way to his eyes. What cruel force would make his dearest friend a puppet on display? Even after the life had been taken from him. Moss ran his hand through the matted fur of the Lucario that lay before him. Trying to bring the memory of him back through the gesture. But without life flowing through his veins. It was an oddly empty feeling that filled him. One that reminded him further, that there was no replacement for Qagan. Everything he shared with him would still be there with Moss. Now though, the thoughts would never bring a smile to his face. Nor would they lighten a particularly burdensome day. Now they would only add to his misery.

Moss sucked a breath through his teeth. Trying to keep himself from sobbing uncontrollably. "Guess you finally got what you wanted... Eh, buddy?" He dropped back on his legs and brought his hands back to his lap. "You always wanted to die. Because you just couldn't bring yourself to forget what was done to you." he stared to the body accusingly. "Even when me, you and Alex were kids. You always told us what happened. We vowed to be your brothers, because otherwise you wouldn't trust us. Because even when we fed you and kept you safe you still thought we were terrible people. Allowing the Assembly to do those things to Pokemon." Moss just shook his head and chuckled grimly. "Like we had any idea of it back then. Alex and I were kids. Just some dumb kids with a Pokemon friend. Dad always told me things were more serious than I could have realized. He was more right than I thought when it finally clicked for me. You left for the reserve while I finished up High School. Uncle Eric always said I could do whatever I wanted. So I studied Pokemon and dedicated myself to finding a way to help you."

Moss knew why he was talking to the lifeless husk before him. He was trying to make his peace with Qagan. But he found himself becoming more angry with him. "That's when you started coming back around again. You saw what I was doing and you began to love me for it. That's when we truly became brothers. I'm sure that was the first time you ever saw anyone bend over backwards to help Pokemon. But even so, our conversations always drifted back to the place you claimed to hate so much. How you always used to wish for death... I knew better, you've never stopped wanting to die. Like your life was a mistake waiting to be corrected." Moss looked to the black sky, which seemed to match his mood so well. "But however much you would hate to admit it. There are people who love you. They always wished for your safe return whenever you left. Me more than anyone." he looked back to the corpse with a strange indifference. "Only you never wanted that. You got what you wanted now and you've left more behind than you could know. For that, I'm more sorry than anything. I pray you find rest, wherever you may be."

He whispered a short prayer he had learned from his family's old book. "May God guide you through the valley of Death. You should not look to the sides with fear in your eye's, nor should your feet stumble upon themselves. You should walk straight, my child. Do not deviate, do not distract and do not know sorrow of the ones behind you. For they too will walk this path one day and they shall look to you for guidance. You are strong my children. I know you will not falter with my name in your minds. Rejoice."

Nothing seemed to come of his prayer. But it was something he felt he had to say, whether or not God listened. His hand brushed through the fur absently.

"He did come to us, you know?" a strange hollow voice said behind him.

Moss didn't want to turn and see the face behind him. His blood chilled and he lowered his head. "I know." was all he could manage to say. It was strange that the presence felt so familiar. Like it was someone he knew whom approached.

"I'm sorry, Ryan. I truly am. I know how much you loved him." The creature spoke like it was constantly inhaling. Giving it a cold and raspy sounding voice.

Moss slowly dragged himself to his feet. The added weight of sorrow making it seem to take a long time. He turned to the creature. The face it carried sent his jaw slack. "Eric?" It was the Professor. But his face was far more wrinkled and old. His eyes were black, not even reflecting the light of the flashlight pointed toward him. Moss could barely recognize him but his features were still there, the thin jawline and skinny cheeks. Along with his sunken eyes that looked ever tired. His clothes looked like tattered robes but were really just several pieces of shredded up Kevlar armor and other cloth. The man slouched in the extra weight of the thick clothes but his gaze was locked to Moss. The Professor was frowning with sincere sympathy.

"Yes. It's me." he replied. "I'm glad you came."

Moss looked at him with indifference. He couldn't bring himself to raise his weapon to Keldan. "What are you doing here? Why do you look like that?" he gestured at him with his free hand.

"Don't worry my boy." Keldan said. "I wanted to talk to you about it." He didn't come any closer to him. "I have joined with Zatsule."

He wasn't entirely sure what Keldan meant. "You joined him?"

"Yes. I've come to understand what he intends to do." the Professor explained. "I agree with him and he has allowed me to approach you, to ask for your assistance."

He still didn't understand. His mind screamed of danger and his blood seemed to be chilling as he stood there. "Assistance with what?"

Keldan flinched at the question. "To free everyone from their suffering. To free us from the gods themselves." Moss watched him with a suspicious gaze. He fought the urge to bring the weapon to level. "I want to help."

Moss shook his head. "So you joined the Ghouls..."

"You don't understand." Keldan said simply. "We're slaves here. We can take everyone back. That's what Zatsule is trying to do."

He couldn't say he was surprised by Keldan's reasoning. "So that's it, eh?" Moss stared to the ground. "After everything you claimed to learn from your studies. After the failure of Phoenix and Malevolence. After everyone you've already hurt. This is your idea of helping everyone? You joined the creature you created." He leveled his stare back to Keldan. Trying to see any hint of doubt or regret. He didn't.

"This is the result." he replied. "I can't stop what is happening, neither can you or anyone else. But we can choose to aid or hinder our freedom. You've helped me more than anyone else understand that what I've done is unforgivable. Now I'm helping them, just like you've always wanted."

"Don't twist my words, Keldan." Moss said with an angry growl. A fire lit inside of him. "If you think killing people is going to help them then you haven't learned a fucking thing." he pointed to Qagan. "You think he is thankful? You were the reason his life was so horrible to begin with! His life was crafted by you! Now he was ended by you!" The fire seemed to be fed by his own words. His anger grew by the truth that spilled forth to Keldan's ears. All his life Moss had been trying to help him be a better person, a good man. Now to see him fall back to a creature of death... It snapped something in him. "You can't make something right by destroying it."

The Professor showed no feeling at his words. "Will you join me? Or are you going to resist?"

At that moment Moss knew that Keldan wouldn't be coming back from the darkness. Regardless of his logic and reasoning, he was a different man now. Or maybe he wasn't. Moss lifted his gun and pulled the trigger. The gun spat the rounds with deafening noise that shattered the silence of the forest. The weapon kicked against his shoulder at every shot and the smell of expended powder assaulted his nose. The muzzle flash was like a strobe, leaving him blind and unable to see his target after the first few shots. The clip emptied swiftly and ended with a hollow click. The smoke slowly swirled into the air as he strained to see what was made of Keldan.

As his vision returned, it was clear that he still stood. More than that, there were some Ghoul's standing near Keldan. They all watched Moss, no hungry smiles visible on their pitch faces. Moss was totally surrounded in the small clearing. Suddenly the fire in his gut seemed to be stamped out. A frown formed on his face as he looked around nervously.

"I'm only asking because I know you can help us." Keldan said calmly as if nothing happened. "Don't misunderstand though. Zatsule thinks it would be unwise to let you go. So as I agree, you will be staying here until you decide to help."

Moss focused back on Keldan. "You know I won't change my mind."

"You will, because it's that or you die a slow death. Don't worry though..." he said, trying to be comforting. "I won't let them kill you."

He hardly felt calmed by the words. "So I'm a prisoner here?"

"In a sense. Only until you see the error of your choice. I want you to think about what has been happening."

He looked over the empty gun in his hands. He remembered what the woman had told him before he left Dinsont. 'That will do you no good.' The guns used against the creatures had never seemed very effective. She had offered him an alternative though. One that seemed odd at the time. It was still tied to his waist, sheathed in it's black scabbard. Would it really be as effective as she said? He tossed the gun to the ground and watched the creatures around him carefully. So far it seemed Keldan was telling the truth. He wondered just how much control he actually had of the Ghouls.

Moss grabbed the hilt of the sword and withdrew it carefully. He had never actually used one before. The thing was long and heavy, he swung it away from himself awkwardly. Keldan wasn't impressed. Two of the creatures broke the line and approached slowly, showing no intention to attack. Moss put himself on the defensive anyway.

One of the creatures stood before him. The other stood to his side. "Don't be a fool." the creature said with an inward hiss. "You don't belong here."

"I will cut my way out if I have to." he said with an unwavering voice. Knowing it was all but impossible.

The creature smiled slightly. "You will not." it said. "Rightful demands we keep you here, here you will stay. You will submit. Then you will be truly free."

Something in his stomach churned as the thing spoke. Every part of him resisted the thoughts it was trying to sow in his mind. He had seen what these things were going to do to people and he would have no part in it. Moss swung the sword in front of him. The beast didn't scream or fight back, but rather fell into ash as it was sliced in half. There was no resistance through the creature. Like there was nothing there at all. The other creature ducked below his second swing and brought it's fist into his chest.

The hit was solid and sent him reeling, trying to catch the breath stolen from him. He stumbled back two paces and coughed raggedly. Lungs burning in the extra damage applied. Each cough ripped through him and carried the taste of blood.

Moss fell to his knees and managed to stop himself from toppling to the ground.

"Please... Don't force them to hurt you." Keldan pleaded sympathetically. "I don't want to bring you to harm."

"But you'll force me to join you." he noted, trying his damnedest to keep his voice steady. "Do me a favor and get it over with. I won't be changing my mind... I'll make sure of it if I have to."

Keldan shook his head in frustration. "You don't have a choice. We won't let you leave until you do." his voice demanding. "I trust you to make the right decision. I'm the only reason you're even alive right now! I asked Zastsule to make you as he has made me. He will, if you would just listen to yourself. Hear a voice of reason!" He looked at the younger man as he lifted his gaze to his own. What he saw was pain and stubbornness. Blood drooled from his mouth and dripped from his chin. Even his skin looked pale in the dim light from the flashlight. Something looked seriously wrong with him, like he was on his deathbed. Why wouldn't he just give in?

He let the sword drop to the side with disinterest. There would be no fighting out of this situation. None of the creatures around him moved in for the kill. Moss let his head hang in a mixture of pain and defeat. He didn't know what else he could do anymore. There was no way out, trapped by ashes in the middle of the woods. Unless he swore himself to them. The creatures that took his brother...

The 9mm pistol was still in his holster. Ready for him to use. He grabbed it and inspected it for a moment. The thing's dark metal surface reflected a little bit of light. It's grip was cool in his hand and it's weight was solid. The gun was ready to fire. He lifted it at Keldan and smirked hopelessly. "You survived a barrage of bullets, but I wonder if you can survive one to the head. How much of you is still human?"

Several Ghouls moved in front of Keldan. Making it seem like his hunch was right. But he didn't have a clear shot anymore, he could barely see the professor's wrinkled old face. Leaving him with no options.

"You can't kill me." Keldan stated. "Please, don't fight me anymore. I need you."

Moss mind flooded with emotions in that last second. Never to see his family again, never to feel the touch of Isis. Being forced to kill them, he refused. He brought the pistol to his chin with a resolute swiftness. "No, uncle. I will not be like you."

Keldan watched with wide eyes at his unexpected move. Everything he held dear was with that boy. His hopes, dreams of better days ahead. Gone with the flash of the muzzle, the sound of the shot and the tumbling of his body. Everything shattered in that moment.

Stalling the Inevitable

"What else can you expect me to do?" Barnaby asked. "Do you know what these things are? How they operate? What they need to survive?"

Alex shook his head. "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that I would think you would set your target a bit higher." he corrected. "Like for victory or something."

The dapper man scoffed. "Oh, well excuse me. Maybe if I realized I could sweep them all under a rug." he said sarcastically. "You don't understand. I've seen these things before. I know what they're going to do and I know that it's too late to stop them now."

Alex shot him an incredulous glance. "How?"

Barnaby returned a serious gaze. "This has happened before." he said. "Just before the Great War, these same creatures were alive. But were wiped out by ensuing hostilities." he paused and thought for a moment. "I found some books that depicted them. Seemed similar tests were brought about, even back then. Those tests were conducted on terrorists and dissidents of the most powerful nation of the time. Almost like the Assembly in many ways. But they held in the problem and eliminated most of them."

"You have books from that era?" Alex asked in a surprised tone. "Where did you find them?"

"I'm afraid that's top secret." Barnaby said with a wicked grin. "Though I suppose I could show them to you when we get the chance."

"So how do you know we can't stop them?" he wondered. "If they sealed the problem then they couldn't have gotten far enough along to make an irreversible impact."

"They sealed most of them." Barnaby corrected him. "It only takes one." He lifted a finger and pointed outside. "To start an avalanche."

"So he broke loose." Alex pointed out.

"Someone did, yes. But he didn't give himself as much time as he has now. At least, from what I read." he replied thoughtfully. "The last creature pressed the offensive quickly. This one has prepared and is ready for anything we can throw at him. Judging by how quickly it's been able to progress. Hopefully though these weapons will be as effective at eliminating them as explosives."

Alex was wholly confused on how this man was so informed and prepared. There was a lot riding on him. Yet he seemed as confident as could be. Given what he knows, Alex was feeling relieved to have him on his side.

"I guess we'll know for sure when we get to Reftur." Barnaby said offhandedly.