Oooh, I'm really liking Nickel's pov! So good <3
Ah noo, Jehaa! Poor hut..
Ah noo, Jehaa! Poor hut..
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Ranger of the North - Posts: 9245
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Re: Periodic Tales of an Elemental Nature
by fg05281 » Tue Jul 04, 2017 2:36 am
I agree with the Ranger. I feel bad for the flurries(Aka sheep)
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fg05281 - Posts: 11383
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Chapter 8
by BucketORandomness » Tue Jul 04, 2017 9:33 am
┏━━┉┉┅┅╍╍
┃🝣 Nickel IV 🝣
┗━━┉┉┅┅╍╍
xxxxxxI woke up to a Hound’s howl as it pierced into our small cave. Something was wrong. Then, I heard it. The thunder came and went, but there was a sort of continuous rumble in the background.
xxxxxx“Nikki! Shell!” Alpha cried, racing in with her five Hounds. I scrambled out of my blanket and focused on turning everything to metal. I stretched, connected everything, made a sheet. My body covered the entrance in a solid, curving shell of metal, and soon I understood why.
xxxxxxSomething hit my back, and soon an almost continuous scraping continued down. “Alpha! What's happening out there?” I called into the cave. Whatever was happening, it hurt wherever it scraped.
xxxxxx“Mudslide. All the rain must have loosened the mountainside,” she explained, calming the Hounds and keeping them away from Cal. I almost smiled, but something else scraped down my protective shield and my smile turned into a grimace.
xxxxxx“How long is this likely to keep up?” Cal asked, probably upset that she had been woken. Beauty sleep and all that important stuff she loved to emphasize.
xxxxxx“Could be a couple hours, maybe more, maybe less. It could come in waves, though, so at the first chance we get, we need to get out of here and away,” Noble said, his brow wrinkled in consternation. That all sounded good and dandy, but I was beginning to worry about the magnet. It normally hung out in the background, but even as I felt something that must have been tree roots scrape by it grew.
xxxxxx“Noble, I think there's something wrong,” I said tentatively. I could feel the others staring at me, now, and I pulled out a brave face for them. “I can feel the project pulling at the metal in me, and it's getting closer,” I said, wincing slightly from something else shaving by.
xxxxxx“Maybe this wasn't caused by the rain. Alpha, how deep did the netting go around the outside?” Noble asked. I missed the answer as something screeched by, but I caught Noble’s response.
xxxxxx“If all of that metal moved, it would definitely destabilize the mountain terrain, wouldn't it?” he asked, probably to himself since he continued without waiting for a response, “Alright. The target probably recognizes that something infiltrated the net and is trying to do something for protection. We need to move toward the core, before this movement catches up with us.”
xxxxxxThat sounded pretty final, and I dissolved the metal I had saved for the appearance of my face and used it to strengthen the outside of the shell. The others spent the next seeming eternity gathering our supplies and preparing to leave while my body endured the beating. One of the Hounds graciously grabbed my prosthetic from its place on the ground, and I almost ignored the slobber that dripped all over it.
xxxxxx“How's it going out there, Nikki?” Noble asked.
xxxxxx“Well, fewer trees are hitting the outside, though my back is so numb I can't tell if the mud’s still moving or not,” I said, presenting my face out of the sheet of metal.
xxxxxx“Noble! The Hounds are ready,” Alpha reported from the back of the cave, and Cal seemed to huff slightly at the state of things as they were now.
xxxxxx“Alright. Try and see if you can make Cal a window,” Noble instructed. I obliged, pushing outward and separating what was probably my arm from my leg. Cal gazed out for a time before calling out his findings.
xxxxxx“Looks like the worst of it has passed, but some of the tree trunks are still shifting out there,” she said.
xxxxxx“Alright. Thank you, Cal,” Noble said. He contemplated the report briefly before calling out orders. “Alpha, we send the Hounds out first, you follow, then Cal. I’ll bring Nikki with me at the rear. Cal, I’ll need your help crossing, and Nikki won't have time to reattach her prosthetic while we move. Nikki, keep something metal and walk on those. We need to move fast, so let’s get a move on.”
xxxxxxNoble’s swift orders were followed smoothly, and after I had widened the window to a door, it was soon my turn before I knew it. I almost forgot to keep some metal as a temporary prosthetic, but I caught myself before I could have fallen.
xxxxxxOur travels were slow until we finally made it out of the minefield that was the mudslide. At one point, I had looked up to find the net disturbingly close. Noble appeared to have been right. Whatever project was inside that core knew something was wrong and was responding to the apparent threat. I began to wonder if there was a way I could possibly figure out that might signal to the project that my group and I meant no harm.
xxxxxxWe traveled slowly down the mountain, listening for the rumble of a coming mudslide. We paused for breaks, which I took advantage of. The first one I used to reattach my prosthetic and get rid of my remaining metal. The second I tried soothing scratches and burns. By the third, I just wanted to collapse and go to sleep, but I said nothing about it and just eased my sore muscles. The walking was silent and honestly gave me too much time to think.
xxxxxxAs we passed the remains of some planks and perhaps a roof, my thoughts turned from counting trees to the old herdsman. The only man-made construct we’d seen so far was his shack, and the mudslide seemed to have taken over that part of the mountains. I wondered if he was alright, then berated myself for thinking that. The old man had thrown us out like a campfire dispels cold.
xxxxxxStill, a part of me wanted to make sure he was alright. After all, he was just a defenseless old man.
xxxxxxJeha traveled with his flurries down the rest of the mountain as soon as the land stopped moving. Hurriedly, he moved his flock toward the small city held within the protective web. A couple of the flurries couldn’t keep up the pace, but Jeha simply picked them up and whispered apologies as they continued walking.
xxxxxx“There, there. I know we don’ move this quick on a normal day, but wit’ what’s goin’ on out here, somebody needs to tell Sirius what been happenin’ out here,” he said, stepping over yet another log. Looking back, he found another straggler and whistled the tired little flock around him. “Now, I got t’put you on yer footies and give little Franklin a break. Come here, Franklin,” he said, leaning over to put down one flurrie and pick up the next.
xxxxxxUsing this method, Jeha managed to get his flock into the city a little past lunch, and there he stopped, sitting in the central square with his flock, all of them catching their breaths. Sirius happened to walk by, and Jeha quickly pulled in a breath and called out to the young man.
xxxxxx“Sirius! Come here. Me flurries and me need t’tell you a story,” he said, waving his cane in the air to get Sirius’s attention. The young man did take notice and quickly came over to the old man.
xxxxxx“I thought you were staying in the mountains for the next few days. Why are you here?” he asked, not even waiting to sit down before launching into his question.
xxxxxxJeha chuckled slightly and patted the ground next to him. “That’s what I been meanin’ t’tell you. There’s strangers out in the mountains, and they be lookin’ for yer beauty,” the old man said, leaning in as if this were some great secret, “They say they’re from Project Anti-Atom from the War. Did I ever tell you that story?”
xxxxxx“Yes, Jeha, you did, but what does this have to do with Copper?” Sirius asked, his face straining slightly in what looked like confused concern.
xxxxxx“Well, the strangers, they ain’t normal, and they claim t’be the same as yer Copper. Then, last night, a mudslide took me shack up in the mountain there,” Jeha explained, gesturing as if this were some great tale, “Now, it was a lot of rain, but not nearly enough t’cause a mudslide. Somethin’ moved t’loosen the dirt last night. You should go check on yer girl, make sure she’s fine. Even if the strangers ain’t lookin’ t’do somethin’ terrible, the mudslide last night should be looked into.”
xxxxxxSirius contemplated Jeha’s words for a while before nodding his head firmly in some sort of decision. “Jeha, I’m going to go check on Copper. I need you to come up with a believable lie to tell my parents, since I’m supposed to be getting yarn for Mother,” he whispered, glancing around the square to make sure no passing ears might hear.
xxxxxx“I will do me best, Sirius. Now, go check on ‘er, and me and me flurries will tell yer parents somethin’ convincin’,” Jeha said, making a small shooing motion. Sirius smiled gratefully at the old man and waved slightly as he took off running toward Copper. Jeha smiled until the young man was out of sight then turned to his flock. “Marley, I will be needin’ yer wool,” he said lightly, standing up and starting his walk to Sirius’s house.
xxxxxxWhen he arrived at the door, Jeha knocked politely and waited for the door to open. “Oh! Jeha, what brings you here? I heard you were staying in the mountains again,” a charming lady of aging years said when she opened the door.
xxxxxx“I was, but the rain got me hankerin’ for yer chowder puffs,” Jeha said with a smile. Sirius’s mother invited the herdsman in, offering her small front room for the flock. The herdsman, recognizing the look of certain despair on the housewife’s face, told his wet flock to stay put out in the courtyard. Her look of relief was not lost to Jeha as she disappeared into the house to retrieve her husband and a few refreshments.
xxxxxx“Quite the storm last night, am I right? My wife’s going to be making us some more blankets in case this winter is more frigid than last year,” Sirius’s father said. He smiled at his wife as she walked in, carrying a warm tray with small biscuits that steamed as if freshly baked.
xxxxxx“Oh, the storm was a surprise, I’ll grant you that! Unfortunately, I think I came down the mountain too quickly and am missin’ a flurrie. Sirius was such a good boy and offered t’look for him so this old man can rest, even though his mother needed yarn for knittin’. I offered some wool off a few of me flurries next time I come to market as thanks, but he wouldn’ hear it,” Jeha said, grabbing one of the biscuits. His tone leaned on the more despondent side as he finished his story, saying, “I hope you’ll be willin’ to accept me offer, even if yer good boy Sirius said it was no bother.”
xxxxxxSirius’s parents seemed to glow with pride as they heard about how responsible and respectful their son was behaving, and they readily accepted Jeha’s offer. The herdsman smiled and ate the little soup-stuffed biscuits before making farewells and departing for the outer limits of the city. There, he waited for Sirius to return while his flock grazed on the sparse grasses. As soon as he told Sirius the story, he planned to start searching the mountain for the strangers and make sure they had made it.
xxxxxxJeha didn’t have to wait long before Sirius came back, walking as if the ground might break under him. The herdsman thought the posture was a little strange, but the face was even more disturbing. To Jeha, Sirius looked confused and pale, biting chapped lips and glancing around at the slightest noise.
xxxxxx“Sirius, what’s the matter? Yer parents were convinced, but you don’ look good,” the old man said, shuffling forward with his staff. Yes. Something was definitely wrong.
xxxxxx“Jeha, she’s in trouble.”
┃🝣 Nickel IV 🝣
┗━━┉┉┅┅╍╍
xxxxxx“VIIIB.10-28? What are you doing here?” she asks, looking at me as I stand in the doorway. It hurts to hear her call me that, but I don’t know what else she could call me.
xxxxxx“Can’t you hear it? The big noises?” I say, clutching my blanket to my chest. Another one, loud and sudden and rumbling through me, makes me cry out and look around, scared.
xxxxxx“Oh! Silly. That’s just the god,” she says, sashaying over to me in the dark. I can see her green hair, even in the dark. “Oh, I get it. Your bunkers were deeper than this one, right? I bet you never heard the rumbles before,” she says quietly.
xxxxxxI can hear a small clinking sound, and soon she’s back beside me, holding a box before her. From the light filtering through the door, I see her pull a string of metal beads out of the box. They dance in her hand, and she whispers quietly, “There’s an old history book I found once. It talks about gods who live above us.”
xxxxxxThe thunder rumbles once more, and the beads turn into a figure. “You see, I think there’s a really clumsy one up there somewhere, and every time they fall, we can hear it. Gods are bigger than we are, so that’s why it’s so loud, and sometimes the clumsy god drops books and plates and things when they fall,” she says. Next time the thunder claps, the figure in her hand tumbles, and I smile.
xxxxxx“That makes more sense. I thought those big bombs were going off all over the place,” I say, reaching out and poking the little god.
xxxxxx“I would never let my friend think something so wrong!” she whispers a little proudly. My hand stops poking the small metal figure, and I’m glad it’s dark. Blushing is not something a strong project does, but neither is coming to admit that a clumsy god scares me.
xxxxxxI woke up to a Hound’s howl as it pierced into our small cave. Something was wrong. Then, I heard it. The thunder came and went, but there was a sort of continuous rumble in the background.
xxxxxx“Nikki! Shell!” Alpha cried, racing in with her five Hounds. I scrambled out of my blanket and focused on turning everything to metal. I stretched, connected everything, made a sheet. My body covered the entrance in a solid, curving shell of metal, and soon I understood why.
xxxxxxSomething hit my back, and soon an almost continuous scraping continued down. “Alpha! What's happening out there?” I called into the cave. Whatever was happening, it hurt wherever it scraped.
xxxxxx“Mudslide. All the rain must have loosened the mountainside,” she explained, calming the Hounds and keeping them away from Cal. I almost smiled, but something else scraped down my protective shield and my smile turned into a grimace.
xxxxxx“How long is this likely to keep up?” Cal asked, probably upset that she had been woken. Beauty sleep and all that important stuff she loved to emphasize.
xxxxxx“Could be a couple hours, maybe more, maybe less. It could come in waves, though, so at the first chance we get, we need to get out of here and away,” Noble said, his brow wrinkled in consternation. That all sounded good and dandy, but I was beginning to worry about the magnet. It normally hung out in the background, but even as I felt something that must have been tree roots scrape by it grew.
xxxxxx“Noble, I think there's something wrong,” I said tentatively. I could feel the others staring at me, now, and I pulled out a brave face for them. “I can feel the project pulling at the metal in me, and it's getting closer,” I said, wincing slightly from something else shaving by.
xxxxxx“Maybe this wasn't caused by the rain. Alpha, how deep did the netting go around the outside?” Noble asked. I missed the answer as something screeched by, but I caught Noble’s response.
xxxxxx“If all of that metal moved, it would definitely destabilize the mountain terrain, wouldn't it?” he asked, probably to himself since he continued without waiting for a response, “Alright. The target probably recognizes that something infiltrated the net and is trying to do something for protection. We need to move toward the core, before this movement catches up with us.”
xxxxxxThat sounded pretty final, and I dissolved the metal I had saved for the appearance of my face and used it to strengthen the outside of the shell. The others spent the next seeming eternity gathering our supplies and preparing to leave while my body endured the beating. One of the Hounds graciously grabbed my prosthetic from its place on the ground, and I almost ignored the slobber that dripped all over it.
xxxxxx“How's it going out there, Nikki?” Noble asked.
xxxxxx“Well, fewer trees are hitting the outside, though my back is so numb I can't tell if the mud’s still moving or not,” I said, presenting my face out of the sheet of metal.
xxxxxx“Noble! The Hounds are ready,” Alpha reported from the back of the cave, and Cal seemed to huff slightly at the state of things as they were now.
xxxxxx“Alright. Try and see if you can make Cal a window,” Noble instructed. I obliged, pushing outward and separating what was probably my arm from my leg. Cal gazed out for a time before calling out his findings.
xxxxxx“Looks like the worst of it has passed, but some of the tree trunks are still shifting out there,” she said.
xxxxxx“Alright. Thank you, Cal,” Noble said. He contemplated the report briefly before calling out orders. “Alpha, we send the Hounds out first, you follow, then Cal. I’ll bring Nikki with me at the rear. Cal, I’ll need your help crossing, and Nikki won't have time to reattach her prosthetic while we move. Nikki, keep something metal and walk on those. We need to move fast, so let’s get a move on.”
xxxxxxNoble’s swift orders were followed smoothly, and after I had widened the window to a door, it was soon my turn before I knew it. I almost forgot to keep some metal as a temporary prosthetic, but I caught myself before I could have fallen.
xxxxxxOur travels were slow until we finally made it out of the minefield that was the mudslide. At one point, I had looked up to find the net disturbingly close. Noble appeared to have been right. Whatever project was inside that core knew something was wrong and was responding to the apparent threat. I began to wonder if there was a way I could possibly figure out that might signal to the project that my group and I meant no harm.
xxxxxxWe traveled slowly down the mountain, listening for the rumble of a coming mudslide. We paused for breaks, which I took advantage of. The first one I used to reattach my prosthetic and get rid of my remaining metal. The second I tried soothing scratches and burns. By the third, I just wanted to collapse and go to sleep, but I said nothing about it and just eased my sore muscles. The walking was silent and honestly gave me too much time to think.
xxxxxxAs we passed the remains of some planks and perhaps a roof, my thoughts turned from counting trees to the old herdsman. The only man-made construct we’d seen so far was his shack, and the mudslide seemed to have taken over that part of the mountains. I wondered if he was alright, then berated myself for thinking that. The old man had thrown us out like a campfire dispels cold.
xxxxxxStill, a part of me wanted to make sure he was alright. After all, he was just a defenseless old man.
🝢🜢🝢
xxxxxxJeha traveled with his flurries down the rest of the mountain as soon as the land stopped moving. Hurriedly, he moved his flock toward the small city held within the protective web. A couple of the flurries couldn’t keep up the pace, but Jeha simply picked them up and whispered apologies as they continued walking.
xxxxxx“There, there. I know we don’ move this quick on a normal day, but wit’ what’s goin’ on out here, somebody needs to tell Sirius what been happenin’ out here,” he said, stepping over yet another log. Looking back, he found another straggler and whistled the tired little flock around him. “Now, I got t’put you on yer footies and give little Franklin a break. Come here, Franklin,” he said, leaning over to put down one flurrie and pick up the next.
xxxxxxUsing this method, Jeha managed to get his flock into the city a little past lunch, and there he stopped, sitting in the central square with his flock, all of them catching their breaths. Sirius happened to walk by, and Jeha quickly pulled in a breath and called out to the young man.
xxxxxx“Sirius! Come here. Me flurries and me need t’tell you a story,” he said, waving his cane in the air to get Sirius’s attention. The young man did take notice and quickly came over to the old man.
xxxxxx“I thought you were staying in the mountains for the next few days. Why are you here?” he asked, not even waiting to sit down before launching into his question.
xxxxxxJeha chuckled slightly and patted the ground next to him. “That’s what I been meanin’ t’tell you. There’s strangers out in the mountains, and they be lookin’ for yer beauty,” the old man said, leaning in as if this were some great secret, “They say they’re from Project Anti-Atom from the War. Did I ever tell you that story?”
xxxxxx“Yes, Jeha, you did, but what does this have to do with Copper?” Sirius asked, his face straining slightly in what looked like confused concern.
xxxxxx“Well, the strangers, they ain’t normal, and they claim t’be the same as yer Copper. Then, last night, a mudslide took me shack up in the mountain there,” Jeha explained, gesturing as if this were some great tale, “Now, it was a lot of rain, but not nearly enough t’cause a mudslide. Somethin’ moved t’loosen the dirt last night. You should go check on yer girl, make sure she’s fine. Even if the strangers ain’t lookin’ t’do somethin’ terrible, the mudslide last night should be looked into.”
xxxxxxSirius contemplated Jeha’s words for a while before nodding his head firmly in some sort of decision. “Jeha, I’m going to go check on Copper. I need you to come up with a believable lie to tell my parents, since I’m supposed to be getting yarn for Mother,” he whispered, glancing around the square to make sure no passing ears might hear.
xxxxxx“I will do me best, Sirius. Now, go check on ‘er, and me and me flurries will tell yer parents somethin’ convincin’,” Jeha said, making a small shooing motion. Sirius smiled gratefully at the old man and waved slightly as he took off running toward Copper. Jeha smiled until the young man was out of sight then turned to his flock. “Marley, I will be needin’ yer wool,” he said lightly, standing up and starting his walk to Sirius’s house.
xxxxxxWhen he arrived at the door, Jeha knocked politely and waited for the door to open. “Oh! Jeha, what brings you here? I heard you were staying in the mountains again,” a charming lady of aging years said when she opened the door.
xxxxxx“I was, but the rain got me hankerin’ for yer chowder puffs,” Jeha said with a smile. Sirius’s mother invited the herdsman in, offering her small front room for the flock. The herdsman, recognizing the look of certain despair on the housewife’s face, told his wet flock to stay put out in the courtyard. Her look of relief was not lost to Jeha as she disappeared into the house to retrieve her husband and a few refreshments.
xxxxxx“Quite the storm last night, am I right? My wife’s going to be making us some more blankets in case this winter is more frigid than last year,” Sirius’s father said. He smiled at his wife as she walked in, carrying a warm tray with small biscuits that steamed as if freshly baked.
xxxxxx“Oh, the storm was a surprise, I’ll grant you that! Unfortunately, I think I came down the mountain too quickly and am missin’ a flurrie. Sirius was such a good boy and offered t’look for him so this old man can rest, even though his mother needed yarn for knittin’. I offered some wool off a few of me flurries next time I come to market as thanks, but he wouldn’ hear it,” Jeha said, grabbing one of the biscuits. His tone leaned on the more despondent side as he finished his story, saying, “I hope you’ll be willin’ to accept me offer, even if yer good boy Sirius said it was no bother.”
xxxxxxSirius’s parents seemed to glow with pride as they heard about how responsible and respectful their son was behaving, and they readily accepted Jeha’s offer. The herdsman smiled and ate the little soup-stuffed biscuits before making farewells and departing for the outer limits of the city. There, he waited for Sirius to return while his flock grazed on the sparse grasses. As soon as he told Sirius the story, he planned to start searching the mountain for the strangers and make sure they had made it.
xxxxxxJeha didn’t have to wait long before Sirius came back, walking as if the ground might break under him. The herdsman thought the posture was a little strange, but the face was even more disturbing. To Jeha, Sirius looked confused and pale, biting chapped lips and glancing around at the slightest noise.
xxxxxx“Sirius, what’s the matter? Yer parents were convinced, but you don’ look good,” the old man said, shuffling forward with his staff. Yes. Something was definitely wrong.
xxxxxx“Jeha, she’s in trouble.”
.jpg)
𝕭𝖚𝖈𝖐𝖊𝖙
▶ Not disclosing gender or age
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....► Periodic Tales of an Elemental Nature
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BucketORandomness - Posts: 2284
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Re: Periodic Tales of an Elemental Nature
by Ranger of the North » Tue Jul 04, 2017 2:57 pm
fg05281 wrote:I agree with the Ranger. I feel bad for the flurries(Aka sheep)
Trust me though, they're a darn sight smarter than mere sheep ;p
@Jeha — LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE
Aaaah, Nikki is officially adorable <3 c':
Where's the next chapteeeeeer?! Coppeeeeeer!! D:
@Jeha — LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE
Aaaah, Nikki is officially adorable <3 c':
Where's the next chapteeeeeer?! Coppeeeeeer!! D:
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Re: Periodic Tales of an Elemental Nature
by fg05281 » Fri Jul 07, 2017 9:33 am
I agree with da Ranger! I NEED MORE COPPER!
(Lol, i'm three days late.
)
(Lol, i'm three days late.
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Chapter 9
by BucketORandomness » Sat Jul 08, 2017 9:16 am
┏━━┉┉┅┅╍╍
┃🝣 Nickel V 🝣
┗━━┉┉┅┅╍╍
xxxxxx“I told her about the strangers, and the whole Orb began to ring and tremble, but when I tried suggesting she leave the Orb as a decoy and try hiding elsewhere…” Sirius’s voice trailed off, his gaze growing distant and his face showing slightly less color.
xxxxxxJeha straightened and drew the young man close. Sirius took in a shaking breath and said, “The metal screamed at me, and then it turned to liquid beneath me. Jeha, the look on her face, she was terrified. It wasn’t what she wanted. That metal, it’s part of her, but it did something she didn’t want it to.” Jeha just stood with the trembling young man beside him. For the Orb to reject him, Jeha was sure that falling had been terrible.
xxxxxx“You ain’t dead, which is somethin’ she wanted. If she did that much, there’s still hope,” Jeha said soothingly. A couple of his flurries bounced up and bumped their heads against the two men. “Me flurries were close to dead last night, but look! They make the best of the grass here, and even Franklin is content. You’re smarter than a flurrie. Right now, wait, but don’t forget to plan for next time,” the herdsman said. Sirius looked at the older man and gave a weak smile and a nod before taking a deep breath and visibly relaxing.
xxxxxx“You’re right. I am smarter than a flurrie,” Sirius said with a small forced smile. The smile was more genuine when one of the flock by their feet gave an indignant chuff and hopped to join her fellows. Jeha laughed at the antics and was soon joined by Sirius’s soft chuckle. “So, what did you tell my parents?” he asked, looking away from Jeha’s flock.
xxxxxx“You just saved me flurrie from the wild, bein’ the good boy you are. Yer mother is goin’ t’get some of me flurrie wool when next I come t’market,” Jeha said, taking on a dramatic tone and pulling away slightly from the younger man. Sirius smiled and rolled his eyes before saying farewell and making for home.
xxxxxxJeha sighed and watched after Sirius. The boy was still young. His flurries, however, were starting to get antsy, moving around and exploring further and further away. Jeha leaned against his staff once more and whistled for his flurries to follow. Now he had to find out if those strangers got caught in the mudslide.
xxxxxxHe planned to start searching at the base of the mudslide quite a distance away, but Jeha met a very intimidating beast after only a few hours of walking with his flock. It walked on two feet further up the valley, though its front paws hung down low enough to scrape the ground. Even hunched over as it was, the beast was easily taller than the ceilings in most houses. It was covered in long, shaggy fur, and the snout that emerged from it dripped with sharp teeth. Jeha quickly whistled to his flock as the beast seemed to catch wind of them and moved slowly to look in their direction. For a moment, the thing stood there, just staring, before it let out a chilling howl and leaned further forward.
xxxxxxFront paws touched the ground and dug in, propelling the beast forward and quickly toward them. Jeha hurried his flock behind him and held out his staff. As the beast closed in, Jeha swung the staff, hitting it in the nose with a large knot on the end and earning a high-pitched whine from the attacking animal. Jeha prepared to swing again at the predator, but there was suddenly another body in front of him. It barked at the thing and growled in low tones, holding up large hands with claws for fingernails and stepping towards the beast in a threatening manner.
xxxxxx“The others are coming, Alpha. You better get that one calmed down soon,” a familiar voice said. Jeha turned to see a tall young man using a slim cane and staring at the herdsman with white eyes.
xxxxxx“Oh! Looks like the old geezer is fine,” Cal said, disagreeable as ever. Jeha whistled his flock close. Glancing around, he saw that all of the strangers had made it through the night, which was at once a relief and a pain. These outsiders also talked about others coming, which confused the old man. He had only met these four, so who were the others?
xxxxxxJeha did not have to wait long to get the answer to that question. Soon, more of the creatures who had attacked emerged from tees nearby, running on all fours toward their position. The old man turned again to observe the group before him.
xxxxxx“Alpha” he knew to be tall and had more than enough hair. Though he looked like a man, the others referred to him as a her, and the lady-man seemed to be in charge of the beasts that now crowded around her. Cal was disagreeable, but also seemed to favor muscle work more often than not. The girl he knew could turn to metal, and although she was more likely to talk, she had been the one to give away their mission. The last one seemed to be the leader. His voice was calm and sure, and though he had blind eyes, Jeha felt as if the young man could see without them. That added to the curious ability to know the other beasts were coming made for an interesting group of outsiders. Especially if they had all come for Sirius’s lady friend.
xxxxxx“We saw your shack in the mudslide this morning. I hope you weren’t injured,” the girl said. Jeha contemplated not answering and going on his way, but her statement seemed to have been genuine.
xxxxxx“I did me best t’keep safe. Bein’ out in the mountains for so long, you get t’know what t’expect,” Jeha said, directing his attention at the girl. Even if she had revealed their intentions, she was the most trustworthy of the group.
xxxxxx“Whatever you did to my Hound, she’s complaining of a sore snout, and at least one tooth is chipped thanks to you,” the lady-man said, turning away from the group of beasts to accuse him. Jeha plastered on a kindly and appropriately regretful smile and turned his attention to the lady-man.
xxxxxx“I apologize t’the little missy, then. It was me mistake t’think ‘er intentions were violent actions t’me flurries,” Jeha said politely. His voice echoed something that sounded like true regret. If given the opportunity again, he thought he might just try again and swing a little harder. These outsiders had made Sirius’s little lady upset, after all. That little lady was the one protecting them, so maybe she could use a little protecting herself.
xxxxxx“Let me get this straight,” Cal said, pushing his way forward, “This old geezer was able to chip a Hound’s tooth.”
xxxxxx“Not just any Hound. 14 is the one complaining of the chipped tooth,” Alpha said, looking the old man up and down. The girl whistled, but said nothing, and their leader remained silent as well.
xxxxxx“It’d be more impressive if he’d chipped a Monster’s tooth, don’t you think?” Cal said again, turning to the young man in charge. It almost seemed as if he was covering something, so Jeha made a mental note of the curious fact. Cal cowered back slightly when he saw the leader’s frown, which Jeha also took note of.
xxxxxx“How old are you?” the young man with the cane asked.
xxxxxxJeha gave a small chortle and answered casually, “I been livin’ here 87 years and defendin’ me flurries 67 of them.” He watched their reactions, careful to keep the genial smile on his face. Alpha seemed to look him over once more before turning back to her Hounds. The girl quickly whispered something to the leader who whispered back and seemed to take the information in stride. Cal, however, did not take the information in silence.
xxxxxx“No! Don’t lie to us!” he yelled in Jeha’s face, “That’s really old for normal people, right? Normal people can’t do that unless they’re really strong or specially trained! When people get old, they get weak, right? You’ve got to be joking! We’d never believe such a lie!”
xxxxxxJeha felt his smile turn sour as the upbraiding continued. They asked a question, then didn’t like the answer it seemed. Had no-one taught these youngsters respect? As the yelling continued, the herdsman adjusted his grip on his staff, moving his hands down its length to give him more leverage. With a sudden burst of speed, the old man swung the staff and hit the angry ogre in the shin.
xxxxxxSuddenly, everyone moved. Cal went quiet and hit the ground. He cradled his leg and watched the forming bruise with watering eyes. Alpha’s eyes widened and she tensed for action. The Hounds yipped in excitement. The girl became metal and moved forward. The leader stuck out a hand to hold her back.
xxxxxx“Cal, I think you know how this man gave the Hound pause,” the young leader said loudly. Everyone quieted, even the Hounds behind Alpha. “Now, I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot. I am called Noble, and I am in charge of this expedition,” the young man said, holding out his hand.
xxxxxxJeha raised a bushy eyebrow before taking his hand and shaking it firmly. “Me name’s Jeha, herdsman t’the flurries,” the old man said, “and the lady-man there is Alpha, and the one I just tapped is Cal.” He released Noble’s hand and looked to the girl with a gentle smile, expecting her name as well.
xxxxxx“I’m Nikki,” she said simply. Jeha was a little surprised that she did not extend a hand to shake, but he turned back to Noble instead.
xxxxxx“I hear you been lookin’ for somethin’. This ain’t exactly the best place t’be searchin’ for things. What couldn’ yer group find outside the wall?” Jeha asked. He leaned against his staff comfortably, keeping an eye on the others. He suddenly stiffened and turned his head. “Marley! Marley, this way,” he called, making the adventurous flurrie turn from Alpha’s group of Hounds and hop back to the herdsman. Jeha leaned down and patted the small fluffy head before looking back to the leader and apologizing quietly.
xxxxxx“Don’t worry about doing your job, Jeha,” Noble said, “you’re just looking out for your animals.” Here he paused, as if searching his mind for the right words. “Jeha, you know of Project Anti-Atom, correct? You should know that there were many projects that did not make it through the War. My team is trying to find all of the projects that did make it and bring them home.”
xxxxxxJeha looked skeptically at Noble, though he conceded that it sounded like a grand quest made only for the most worthy of participants. His attention was split, trying to watch his flock and decide whether or not to reveal anything about Sirius’s green-haired beauty.
xxxxxx“Jeha, last night you mentioned that someone never attacked or squealed before. We think that might be one of the projects we’re looking for,” Nikki said, her voice hard but her gaze soft. Jeha was confused by the contradiction. He sighed and leaned his head against his staff.
xxxxxx“It ain’t me place t’tell you about ‘er. What I know is the Orb been protectin’ this place since before the founders came. The Orb keeps out people and things that should stay out, and it doesn’ bother us any, so we don’ bother it,” Jeha said, dancing around what he thought was safe information.
xxxxxxNoble looked like he was about to make a response when a loud screeching pierced the air. Jeha, knowing what the sound meant, looked to his flock, but the adventuring party all looked to the source as it seemed to float, cherry red, above the trees.
xxxxxxI liked Jeha, and not just because he managed to shut Cal up without breaking a sweat. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but I knew there was a reason for my liking him. Maybe it was the way he talked that endeared him. My contemplation of this crazy old man was cut short by a high-pitched shrieking. I turned toward the direction of the noise, trying to ignore how the magnet felt like it grew stronger with the chilling sound.
xxxxxxWhat I saw was a sphere of metal apparently floating above the trees, supported by a single column. The core glowed a cherry red, and I could see steam rising from it as the sound grew in pitch. It was unnerving, and I could feel magnets pulling at everything I was.
xxxxxx“Noble, this is getting out of hand,” I said, needing to focus on not turning to metal, which was new. I tried to take a step toward Jeha, but as soon as I took my weight off my prosthetic, it moved from under me. It slid distinctly toward the core, taking me with it until it fell off and flew away.
xxxxxx“Whatever the heck is happening, make it stop!” Alpha cried, covering her ears as the Hounds whined behind her. I watched as my prosthetic leg skittered off toward the core and out of sight.
xxxxxxCal made a motion, and suddenly the noise was gone. The sharp piercing from before vanished, and in its place was an oppressive silence. I stood carefully, balancing on the one leg left, and looked around, slightly confused.
xxxxxxNoble tried to say something, but nothing came out. I tried to respond, but that held no sound either. I looked in surprise at Cal. She was from the IIA bunkers, though she didn’t flaunt it. Her power was to eliminate sound vibrations, though it had a way of unnerving people. Noble made a motion, and suddenly the noise was back.
xxxxxx“Whatever you just did, don’ do it again. Scared me flurries more than the Orb,” Jeha said, whistling strangely. The animals around him lifted their heads and hopped over to the herdsman, which I thought would have been cool if I hadn’t been busy trying not to turn to metal.
xxxxxx“Noble, the core is pulling at everything metal around here. What happened?” I said, kneeling to keep from falling over. Jeha seemed to look sharply at me for a moment, but then he called out a name and one of his animals bounced by me.
xxxxxxThe screeching from the core stopped as quickly as it had come, though when I looked, it still glowed cherry red and gave off some steam.
xxxxxx“Jeha, right?” Cal said, “What does it mean when the core does that?” All of us looked at the old man, who looked at his animals like they might hold the answers.
xxxxxx“It happened when you first tried t’pass somethin’ through the wall. It happened right before I met you. Seems t’me that the orb screams when somethin’s wrong,” he finally said, “It didn’ do that before yer group came here. Now the Orb been makin’ screeches a lot and scarin’ the people.”
xxxxxxI was confused, mainly because we had done nothing for this warning signal to happen this time around. “Noble,” I said. I meant to continue the thought, but suddenly I was sliding away.
xxxxxxI stopped moving. The magnet was still there. I slid.
xxxxxx“Young miss! Young miss, I got you!” someone called. I opened my eyes to wrinkled hands on my shoulders. A discarded cane lay on the ground. Little animals bounced around in a little frightened mass. I slid.
xxxxxxMore hands grabbed my arms, pulling back. I slid. The magnet disappeared, and I dropped to the ground. “Young miss? Nikki? Are you hurt?” Jeha asked, looking genuinely worried.
xxxxxxI resisted the urge to break down and cry in front of my team and this old man. That would be weak of me. “I’m fine. Let go,” I said, trying to stand on my own. The herdsman looked unconvinced, but I didn’t particularly care. I just wanted to rest.
┃🝣 Nickel V 🝣
┗━━┉┉┅┅╍╍
xxxxxx“I told her about the strangers, and the whole Orb began to ring and tremble, but when I tried suggesting she leave the Orb as a decoy and try hiding elsewhere…” Sirius’s voice trailed off, his gaze growing distant and his face showing slightly less color.
xxxxxxJeha straightened and drew the young man close. Sirius took in a shaking breath and said, “The metal screamed at me, and then it turned to liquid beneath me. Jeha, the look on her face, she was terrified. It wasn’t what she wanted. That metal, it’s part of her, but it did something she didn’t want it to.” Jeha just stood with the trembling young man beside him. For the Orb to reject him, Jeha was sure that falling had been terrible.
xxxxxx“You ain’t dead, which is somethin’ she wanted. If she did that much, there’s still hope,” Jeha said soothingly. A couple of his flurries bounced up and bumped their heads against the two men. “Me flurries were close to dead last night, but look! They make the best of the grass here, and even Franklin is content. You’re smarter than a flurrie. Right now, wait, but don’t forget to plan for next time,” the herdsman said. Sirius looked at the older man and gave a weak smile and a nod before taking a deep breath and visibly relaxing.
xxxxxx“You’re right. I am smarter than a flurrie,” Sirius said with a small forced smile. The smile was more genuine when one of the flock by their feet gave an indignant chuff and hopped to join her fellows. Jeha laughed at the antics and was soon joined by Sirius’s soft chuckle. “So, what did you tell my parents?” he asked, looking away from Jeha’s flock.
xxxxxx“You just saved me flurrie from the wild, bein’ the good boy you are. Yer mother is goin’ t’get some of me flurrie wool when next I come t’market,” Jeha said, taking on a dramatic tone and pulling away slightly from the younger man. Sirius smiled and rolled his eyes before saying farewell and making for home.
xxxxxxJeha sighed and watched after Sirius. The boy was still young. His flurries, however, were starting to get antsy, moving around and exploring further and further away. Jeha leaned against his staff once more and whistled for his flurries to follow. Now he had to find out if those strangers got caught in the mudslide.
xxxxxxHe planned to start searching at the base of the mudslide quite a distance away, but Jeha met a very intimidating beast after only a few hours of walking with his flock. It walked on two feet further up the valley, though its front paws hung down low enough to scrape the ground. Even hunched over as it was, the beast was easily taller than the ceilings in most houses. It was covered in long, shaggy fur, and the snout that emerged from it dripped with sharp teeth. Jeha quickly whistled to his flock as the beast seemed to catch wind of them and moved slowly to look in their direction. For a moment, the thing stood there, just staring, before it let out a chilling howl and leaned further forward.
xxxxxxFront paws touched the ground and dug in, propelling the beast forward and quickly toward them. Jeha hurried his flock behind him and held out his staff. As the beast closed in, Jeha swung the staff, hitting it in the nose with a large knot on the end and earning a high-pitched whine from the attacking animal. Jeha prepared to swing again at the predator, but there was suddenly another body in front of him. It barked at the thing and growled in low tones, holding up large hands with claws for fingernails and stepping towards the beast in a threatening manner.
xxxxxx“The others are coming, Alpha. You better get that one calmed down soon,” a familiar voice said. Jeha turned to see a tall young man using a slim cane and staring at the herdsman with white eyes.
xxxxxx“Oh! Looks like the old geezer is fine,” Cal said, disagreeable as ever. Jeha whistled his flock close. Glancing around, he saw that all of the strangers had made it through the night, which was at once a relief and a pain. These outsiders also talked about others coming, which confused the old man. He had only met these four, so who were the others?
xxxxxxJeha did not have to wait long to get the answer to that question. Soon, more of the creatures who had attacked emerged from tees nearby, running on all fours toward their position. The old man turned again to observe the group before him.
xxxxxx“Alpha” he knew to be tall and had more than enough hair. Though he looked like a man, the others referred to him as a her, and the lady-man seemed to be in charge of the beasts that now crowded around her. Cal was disagreeable, but also seemed to favor muscle work more often than not. The girl he knew could turn to metal, and although she was more likely to talk, she had been the one to give away their mission. The last one seemed to be the leader. His voice was calm and sure, and though he had blind eyes, Jeha felt as if the young man could see without them. That added to the curious ability to know the other beasts were coming made for an interesting group of outsiders. Especially if they had all come for Sirius’s lady friend.
xxxxxx“We saw your shack in the mudslide this morning. I hope you weren’t injured,” the girl said. Jeha contemplated not answering and going on his way, but her statement seemed to have been genuine.
xxxxxx“I did me best t’keep safe. Bein’ out in the mountains for so long, you get t’know what t’expect,” Jeha said, directing his attention at the girl. Even if she had revealed their intentions, she was the most trustworthy of the group.
xxxxxx“Whatever you did to my Hound, she’s complaining of a sore snout, and at least one tooth is chipped thanks to you,” the lady-man said, turning away from the group of beasts to accuse him. Jeha plastered on a kindly and appropriately regretful smile and turned his attention to the lady-man.
xxxxxx“I apologize t’the little missy, then. It was me mistake t’think ‘er intentions were violent actions t’me flurries,” Jeha said politely. His voice echoed something that sounded like true regret. If given the opportunity again, he thought he might just try again and swing a little harder. These outsiders had made Sirius’s little lady upset, after all. That little lady was the one protecting them, so maybe she could use a little protecting herself.
xxxxxx“Let me get this straight,” Cal said, pushing his way forward, “This old geezer was able to chip a Hound’s tooth.”
xxxxxx“Not just any Hound. 14 is the one complaining of the chipped tooth,” Alpha said, looking the old man up and down. The girl whistled, but said nothing, and their leader remained silent as well.
xxxxxx“It’d be more impressive if he’d chipped a Monster’s tooth, don’t you think?” Cal said again, turning to the young man in charge. It almost seemed as if he was covering something, so Jeha made a mental note of the curious fact. Cal cowered back slightly when he saw the leader’s frown, which Jeha also took note of.
xxxxxx“How old are you?” the young man with the cane asked.
xxxxxxJeha gave a small chortle and answered casually, “I been livin’ here 87 years and defendin’ me flurries 67 of them.” He watched their reactions, careful to keep the genial smile on his face. Alpha seemed to look him over once more before turning back to her Hounds. The girl quickly whispered something to the leader who whispered back and seemed to take the information in stride. Cal, however, did not take the information in silence.
xxxxxx“No! Don’t lie to us!” he yelled in Jeha’s face, “That’s really old for normal people, right? Normal people can’t do that unless they’re really strong or specially trained! When people get old, they get weak, right? You’ve got to be joking! We’d never believe such a lie!”
xxxxxxJeha felt his smile turn sour as the upbraiding continued. They asked a question, then didn’t like the answer it seemed. Had no-one taught these youngsters respect? As the yelling continued, the herdsman adjusted his grip on his staff, moving his hands down its length to give him more leverage. With a sudden burst of speed, the old man swung the staff and hit the angry ogre in the shin.
xxxxxxSuddenly, everyone moved. Cal went quiet and hit the ground. He cradled his leg and watched the forming bruise with watering eyes. Alpha’s eyes widened and she tensed for action. The Hounds yipped in excitement. The girl became metal and moved forward. The leader stuck out a hand to hold her back.
xxxxxx“Cal, I think you know how this man gave the Hound pause,” the young leader said loudly. Everyone quieted, even the Hounds behind Alpha. “Now, I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot. I am called Noble, and I am in charge of this expedition,” the young man said, holding out his hand.
xxxxxxJeha raised a bushy eyebrow before taking his hand and shaking it firmly. “Me name’s Jeha, herdsman t’the flurries,” the old man said, “and the lady-man there is Alpha, and the one I just tapped is Cal.” He released Noble’s hand and looked to the girl with a gentle smile, expecting her name as well.
xxxxxx“I’m Nikki,” she said simply. Jeha was a little surprised that she did not extend a hand to shake, but he turned back to Noble instead.
xxxxxx“I hear you been lookin’ for somethin’. This ain’t exactly the best place t’be searchin’ for things. What couldn’ yer group find outside the wall?” Jeha asked. He leaned against his staff comfortably, keeping an eye on the others. He suddenly stiffened and turned his head. “Marley! Marley, this way,” he called, making the adventurous flurrie turn from Alpha’s group of Hounds and hop back to the herdsman. Jeha leaned down and patted the small fluffy head before looking back to the leader and apologizing quietly.
xxxxxx“Don’t worry about doing your job, Jeha,” Noble said, “you’re just looking out for your animals.” Here he paused, as if searching his mind for the right words. “Jeha, you know of Project Anti-Atom, correct? You should know that there were many projects that did not make it through the War. My team is trying to find all of the projects that did make it and bring them home.”
xxxxxxJeha looked skeptically at Noble, though he conceded that it sounded like a grand quest made only for the most worthy of participants. His attention was split, trying to watch his flock and decide whether or not to reveal anything about Sirius’s green-haired beauty.
xxxxxx“Jeha, last night you mentioned that someone never attacked or squealed before. We think that might be one of the projects we’re looking for,” Nikki said, her voice hard but her gaze soft. Jeha was confused by the contradiction. He sighed and leaned his head against his staff.
xxxxxx“It ain’t me place t’tell you about ‘er. What I know is the Orb been protectin’ this place since before the founders came. The Orb keeps out people and things that should stay out, and it doesn’ bother us any, so we don’ bother it,” Jeha said, dancing around what he thought was safe information.
xxxxxxNoble looked like he was about to make a response when a loud screeching pierced the air. Jeha, knowing what the sound meant, looked to his flock, but the adventuring party all looked to the source as it seemed to float, cherry red, above the trees.
🝢🜢🝢
xxxxxxI liked Jeha, and not just because he managed to shut Cal up without breaking a sweat. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but I knew there was a reason for my liking him. Maybe it was the way he talked that endeared him. My contemplation of this crazy old man was cut short by a high-pitched shrieking. I turned toward the direction of the noise, trying to ignore how the magnet felt like it grew stronger with the chilling sound.
xxxxxxWhat I saw was a sphere of metal apparently floating above the trees, supported by a single column. The core glowed a cherry red, and I could see steam rising from it as the sound grew in pitch. It was unnerving, and I could feel magnets pulling at everything I was.
xxxxxx“Noble, this is getting out of hand,” I said, needing to focus on not turning to metal, which was new. I tried to take a step toward Jeha, but as soon as I took my weight off my prosthetic, it moved from under me. It slid distinctly toward the core, taking me with it until it fell off and flew away.
xxxxxx“Whatever the heck is happening, make it stop!” Alpha cried, covering her ears as the Hounds whined behind her. I watched as my prosthetic leg skittered off toward the core and out of sight.
xxxxxxCal made a motion, and suddenly the noise was gone. The sharp piercing from before vanished, and in its place was an oppressive silence. I stood carefully, balancing on the one leg left, and looked around, slightly confused.
xxxxxxNoble tried to say something, but nothing came out. I tried to respond, but that held no sound either. I looked in surprise at Cal. She was from the IIA bunkers, though she didn’t flaunt it. Her power was to eliminate sound vibrations, though it had a way of unnerving people. Noble made a motion, and suddenly the noise was back.
xxxxxx“Whatever you just did, don’ do it again. Scared me flurries more than the Orb,” Jeha said, whistling strangely. The animals around him lifted their heads and hopped over to the herdsman, which I thought would have been cool if I hadn’t been busy trying not to turn to metal.
xxxxxx“Noble, the core is pulling at everything metal around here. What happened?” I said, kneeling to keep from falling over. Jeha seemed to look sharply at me for a moment, but then he called out a name and one of his animals bounced by me.
xxxxxxThe screeching from the core stopped as quickly as it had come, though when I looked, it still glowed cherry red and gave off some steam.
xxxxxx“Jeha, right?” Cal said, “What does it mean when the core does that?” All of us looked at the old man, who looked at his animals like they might hold the answers.
xxxxxx“It happened when you first tried t’pass somethin’ through the wall. It happened right before I met you. Seems t’me that the orb screams when somethin’s wrong,” he finally said, “It didn’ do that before yer group came here. Now the Orb been makin’ screeches a lot and scarin’ the people.”
xxxxxxI was confused, mainly because we had done nothing for this warning signal to happen this time around. “Noble,” I said. I meant to continue the thought, but suddenly I was sliding away.
xxxxxxI am moving! I slide out of shape and towards the wall. It hurts! It hurts! I resist! It feels like a magnet, pulling me in so many directions. “Stop it!” I cry.
xxxxxxI stopped moving. The magnet was still there. I slid.
xxxxxx“Young miss! Young miss, I got you!” someone called. I opened my eyes to wrinkled hands on my shoulders. A discarded cane lay on the ground. Little animals bounced around in a little frightened mass. I slid.
xxxxxxMore hands grabbed my arms, pulling back. I slid. The magnet disappeared, and I dropped to the ground. “Young miss? Nikki? Are you hurt?” Jeha asked, looking genuinely worried.
xxxxxx“28? 28, are you alright?” my mentor calls. She was outside a moment ago, so why is she here now? Was it my training that brought her? “See? I told you she wasn’t ready! She’s still half metal!” my mentor yells.
xxxxxx“I’m okay,” I say, moving my fingers. They’re in the right place this time!
xxxxxx“28! 28, look at me!” I do as my mentor asks, looking at her with my eye that isn’t metal. “28, calm down. Remember what flesh feels like? Remember where your heart goes?” Why is she asking such silly questions? I nod anyway and show her, turning things back to what they should be.
xxxxxx“See?” I ask, even though something feels strange inside.
xxxxxx“Your heart goes under the ribs, remember?” my mentor asks. Her voice sounds strained and shaky for some reason. I look down and watch my heartbeat quicken just below my skin. Under the ribs. I carefully put it back where it should be and smile at my mentor.
xxxxxx“Better?”
xxxxxxI resisted the urge to break down and cry in front of my team and this old man. That would be weak of me. “I’m fine. Let go,” I said, trying to stand on my own. The herdsman looked unconvinced, but I didn’t particularly care. I just wanted to rest.
🝢🜢🝢
𝕭𝖚𝖈𝖐𝖊𝖙
▶ Not disclosing gender or age
▶ Yes, I role play
▶ Hey, I write! Coolio!
....► Periodic Tales of an Elemental Nature
....► More by Bucket
▶ Open to making new friends!
▶ It's my sig, but not my images
▶ Mind. Blown. >^.^<
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BucketORandomness - Posts: 2284
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Re: Periodic Tales of an Elemental Nature
by BucketORandomness » Sat Jul 08, 2017 9:20 am
Ranger of the North wrote:fg05281 wrote:I agree with the Ranger. I feel bad for the flurries(Aka sheep)Trust me though, they're a darn sight smarter than mere sheep ;p
@Jeha — LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE
Aaaah, Nikki is officially adorable <3 c':
Where's the next chapteeeeeer?! Coppeeeeeer!! D:
Yes, they're smarter than sheep >^.^< I'll see if I can't draw apicture of one for Jeha's file at some point
fg05281 wrote:I agree with da Ranger! I NEED MORE COPPER!
(Lol, i'm three days late.
Sorry there's no Copper in this one, but I promise, we see her again soon c:
𝕭𝖚𝖈𝖐𝖊𝖙
▶ Not disclosing gender or age
▶ Yes, I role play
▶ Hey, I write! Coolio!
....► Periodic Tales of an Elemental Nature
....► More by Bucket
▶ Open to making new friends!
▶ It's my sig, but not my images
▶ Mind. Blown. >^.^<
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BucketORandomness - Posts: 2284
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Re: Periodic Tales of an Elemental Nature
by Ranger of the North » Sun Jul 09, 2017 12:49 pm
Poor Nikki! Jeha is getting better and better the more I see of him XD
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Ranger of the North - Posts: 9245
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Chapter 10
by BucketORandomness » Tue Jul 11, 2017 12:22 am
┏━━┉┉┅┅╍╍
┃🝣 Nickel VI 🝣
┗━━┉┉┅┅╍╍
xxxxxxJeha caught Nikki as she fell, gently laying her on the ground. The lady-man, Alpha, backed away and observed their comatose teammate. Some of Jeha’s flurries bounded over, and one of the older ones let out a soft huff. Jeha patted the head of the worried flurrie and turned to the girl’s team.
xxxxxx“What happened?” he asked simply, waiting for some kind of explanation. Her actions had not seemed like she made them, and her leg just flying off into nowhere was a little disarming. Still, even for a group of ancient super-powered humans, passing out was not a good sign of health.
xxxxxx“She’s been fighting the pull of your Orb since last night. She turns into metal, it eats metal, so it wants to eat her,” Noble said. Jeha was not sure he liked how cold the young man sounded, but he smiled anyway. Smile at something, and it might get better.
xxxxxx“Well, she must be strong t’fight for so long. ‘Er body needs rest, now,” Jeha said. Alpha seemed to agree, but Noble and Cal did not react the same way.
xxxxxx“What we need is to finish the mission!” Cal retorted, pointing at the Orb. Jeha frowned and went to reply, but Noble spoke up again.
xxxxxx“Nikki is a soldier, and Cal’s right. Since you know this area so well, you need to lead us to the core, the Orb you spoke of. It will help Nikki in the long run,” Noble said. Jeha doubted that particular statement, but Cal was looking like he wanted to pay him back for that hit he’d gotten in earlier.
xxxxxxJeha bought himself some time by retrieving his walking staff from where he’d dropped it, then called his flurries in close. He could feel Cal’s gaze trying to burn holes in the back of his shirt. When he glanced over his shoulder, Alpha had picked up Nikki and stood waiting for him. With a sigh, Jeha said, “This way.”
xxxxxxThey walked for a number of hours, Jeha using multiple small detours and some breaks to “rest his old bones” in an attempt to delay them, but nothing seemed to work. Cal simply kept getting more and more noisy in his complaints, and the lady-man’s Hounds gave him more frequent and more hungry looks. When they finally reached the outskirts of the small city, the sun was setting.
xxxxxx“This way,” Jeha said, veering away from the city and climbing a small hill where a single lone house stood. “Don’ go t’the city. Yer reception wouldn’ be friendly. Wait in me house overnight, and I’ll be back to finish in the mornin’,” he said, ushering the outsiders into his small house. The Hounds he shooed toward the sheltered paddock behind the house he normally put his flurries in for the night.
xxxxxx“Where are you going?” Noble asked as Alpha found a small couch for Nikki to lie down on. It had worried Jeha that she was still asleep, but maybe that had been for the best.
xxxxxx“There ain’t enough beds for all of us here. You’re sleepin’ here, I’ll sleep in the city and get you in the mornin’,” Jeha said, hovering in the doorway and watching his flurries out of the corner of his eye.
xxxxxx“And we’re supposed to trust you?” Cal said, sounding extremely wounded about some personal matter. Alpha held out a hand for silence, looking to Noble for some sort of order.
xxxxxx“We’ll give you until six. If you are not here by then, we go into the city and look for another guide,” Noble said, seeming to satisfy Alpha. Jeha smiled and nodded before he left. He called his flurries for one last trek that day and descended into the city. He needed to talk with Sirius.
xxxxxxJeha and his tired flurries made it to the main square before dark, and he waited there for Sirius as his flock fell asleep. Sirius needed to know about the outsiders. He needed…
xxxxxxJeha was woken up with a gentle shake early in the morning. “Jeha? Why aren’t you at your house?” Sirius said, his arms full of morning groceries, minus some yarn.
xxxxxx“Sirius? I need t’tell you somethin’,” Jeha said, fighting back a yawn. What had he needed to tell Sirius? Suddenly remembering, he widened his eyes and said, “The outsiders are stayin’ there. They want me t’lead them t’yer girl. Don’ know why, but I don’ like some of them.” Sirius looked surprised, then scared.
xxxxxx“Jeha, I have to warn her! Can't you keep them away from her?” Sirius said. He had put down his groceries and had begun running his hands through his hair.
xxxxxx“Sirius, I got t’get them by six, but I’ll do me best t’delay. Bring yer goodies home, then warn yer little miss,” Jeha said, his voice calming and sure. Sirius slowed his frantic pacing in response, but it did not cease altogether.
xxxxxx“Keep them away as long as possible. I need as much time as you can give me,” Sirius said, gathering his bags and taking off toward his house. Jeha nodded solemnly and stood up. One glance at the sun told him all he needed to know before gathering his flock and moving out.
xxxxxxI woke from a dreamless sleep to a bright light in my eyes and a loud noise from nearby.
xxxxxx“I’m telling you, he’s not going to show! The coward left us here and ran for the hills.” That sounded like something Cal would say if she was cranky.
xxxxxx“But he left us his home here. We should respect that.” If that wasn't Alpha’s respectful side of the conversation, I obviously wasn't awake.
xxxxxx“Nikki, I’m glad you're feeling better, but you should really let the others know,” Noble whispered from somewhere nearby.
xxxxxx“But they're having such a good argument. Wouldn't want to mess that up,” I mumbled, cracking open my eyes and looking around. The room was small, but it exuded a homey atmosphere that seemed to make me relax, even if I had woken up in a strange place. That was, it did until something crashed in the next room over.
xxxxxx“Cal! Stop it! This is not proper behavior!” I groaned and sat up on the couch, wondering how long I had been out. More crashing and yelling came from the other room, and Noble eventually stood with a sigh.
xxxxxx“You two, this is no way to treat someone else's home. If you need to blow some steam, go wrestle Hound 14. I’m sure it will make her feel so much better,” Noble called into the next room. Cal soon emerged from the next room, propelled by a fuming Alpha.
xxxxxxI enjoyed a leisurely few minutes before deciding I needed to explore. I stood up and hobbled over to the wall, exploring the doors as I found them. One of them led to a large bed with a rather rumpled quilt covering it. Another went to a small kitchen with the remains of plates smashed on the floor. I braved the shards to gather some rations for breakfast. The next one led to some kind of enclosed back yard where the Hounds were wrestling with each other and Cal. The last one was the door out, and I stopped to look at what lay beyond it.
xxxxxxThere in the valley lay a small city of simple homes. It glowed in the morning light, with crisscrossing shadows from an unseen wall. Little people wandered in and out of the square in the middle, and more herdsmen filtered out with groups of animals. A glance up revealed how startlingly close we had gotten to the core. It surprised me, considering there was almost no pull from the magnet.
xxxxxxI had dealt with the magnet force since before I had moved to the IB bunkers.
xxxxxxFor the magnet to be gone just like that, I suddenly felt very strange, off somehow. Some key part of me was missing, and I couldn’t control that, which was stupid. Strong projects control themselves without letting others determine what happened or how they felt.
xxxxxxMovement on the road caught my attention as I reminisced about the past. An old hunched figure walking with a rather large staff. I recognized him a moment later, though it was a little strange considering he seemed to have lost his little animals.
xxxxxx“Jeha! See? I told you he’d come,” Alpha said, popping out from around the edge of the house.
xxxxxx“Oh! Let’s not mention the fact that he’s almost late,” Cal said. I winced at the memory of shattered plates on the floor of Jeha’s small kitchen.
xxxxxx“Alpha, Cal, I hope all of our things are ready. They should be, especially since we’ll be getting toward the end of our goal,” Noble called, moving forward cautiously on the new ground.
xxxxxx“It’s alright if you need me t’wait. I ain’t in any hurry,” Jeha said, climbing the rest of the hill toward the front door. “Nikki! I got somethin’ for you. Wait here for just a minute,” the old man said, disregarding the other three.
xxxxxxCurious, I hobbled out of the front door so he could wander inside, and I turned to see what he was doing. The old man disappeared into the bedroom if memory served me well, and he soon emerged with a staff. It was distinctly different from his own, especially since it was smaller, more slender, and had a good deal of polish on it. He held it out to me, and I stared at it, confused.
xxxxxx“Why are you giving this to me? I don’t need it,” I said, looking at it askance.
xxxxxx“You need t’walk, don’ you? It’s no trouble,” he said, extending it further. I finally gave in and took the glorified stick. Jeha seemed glad I had, and he turned to the rest of the group while I tried to figure out how to use the gift.
xxxxxxI muffle another cry as I hit the floor again. “VIIIB.10-28, what did I tell you? We have to take it slow. It takes a while to recover from losing a limb,” he says again. As if I don't know that already! This is taking far too long!
xxxxxxA stumble reminded me to pay attention to the present. I focused on using the staff Jeha had given me like a kind of awkward leg as I practiced. Noble had said we were almost there, but from what I could tell, we still had quite a bit of walking left to do.
xxxxxxAs the others emerged and gave me a pack to carry, something trembled through the ground, sending me into a panic to try and stay upright. Jeha thankfully managed to steady me in time, but I looked around, wondering what could have happened. The core looked about as normal as a giant floating ball of metal could, but I thought the beams radiating from it had been larger yesterday.
xxxxxxDismissing my fantastical imagination, I focused on walking upright for as long as I could without resting for a breath. Jeha gladly accommodated my rest breaks, and though I enjoyed the breathers and scenery, I could feel at least two sets of eyes glaring at at me each time we stopped.
xxxxxxJeha led us around the city, carefully avoiding shepherds and their animals. Though we felt a few aftershocks, nothing seemed to really be wrong,and Jeha told us stories of the valley. I found them interesting, but Cal was practically pulling her teeth out in boredom. It would have been funny to watch if Cal wasn’t the kind of person to hit things when she got bored.
xxxxxxAfter an eternity of walking, we finally approached something that set my teeth on edge. The core rose above the canopy, but beneath the leaves there were disturbing pods clustered around the column. Some were larger than others, and as I watched, some metal from the column lashed out at a nearby bird and dragged it in, encasing it in a new pod of metal.
xxxxxx“Noble, there are--” Alpha started to say.
xxxxxx“I know. I can sense the consciousnesses inside them. This has gotten out of hand. Jeha, how many people are in this city here?” Noble said. The herdsman fumbled, looking like his eyes were glued to the pods on the column. “Jeha!”
xxxxxx“A-about-- Somewhere around-- A hundred-fifty thousand, if I had t’guess,” the old man said, still staring at the pods. I began to worry for the old man. Even when he was threatened, he had remained calm and collected. Now, faced with this, he was pale as snow, and his hands shook as if he were freezing. “Me own fault. I told him t’go. All me own fault. He’s up there. I know it,” the old man began to mumble.
xxxxxx“Jeha? Jeha what’s wrong?” I said, hobbling closer. He continued to mumble, his eyes lost to the pods. “Jeha! Look at me!” I said, dropping the stick and making him face me. His skin felt clammy, but his eyes focused on me. “Jeha, what’s going on?” I tried again, my firm voice hopefully getting through to him.
xxxxxx“Sirius. I told him t’go back. He made friends wit’ ‘er, but somethin’ went wrong last time, but I told him t’go back. He’s up there! Sirius has t’be up there! I din’ think she’d do this--react so badly--I thought it couldn’ go this wrong,” the herdsman said in a rush. His words fell over each other and making his accent more pronounced, and he kept trying to glance back at the pods behind me.
xxxxxx“Jeha, listen. We need to know everything, okay? Everything. What haven’t you told us?” I asked. I could feel Alpha’s gaze and didn’t have to look to see Cal’s triumphant posture. What he said next surprised even Noble.
xxxxxx“Sirius, he been seein’ a girl in the Orb. Calls ‘erself ‘Copper’ and protects the valley. He made friends wit’ ‘er, but last time, he said she should leave ‘er Orb and come down here wit’ us. The Orb turned t’air beneath him. He said she didn’ want it. I warned him about you, thinkin’ it wouldn’ hurt any, but now look! Somethin’s wrong, and it’s me own fault. He told ‘er about you, because I told him about you, and now it’s all wrong,” Jeha said, and I could see the sheen of unshed tears in his eyes. I contemplated giving the old man a hug, but dismissed the idea, since the others were there.
xxxxxx“Noble, what do we do?” Alpha asked. I tried to tell Jeha with my eyes that it would be alright. I’m not sure it worked. Noble looked stunned, as if Jeha’s outburst had flipped a switch.
xxxxxx“Alpha, take the Hounds and get the citizens as far away as you can. After that, go to the camp and get Commander’s attention. Take Jeha with you. He can explain once you’re all there. This has gotten out of hand. Cal, I need you to get me and Nikki up to the core of this thing. If it’s really Copper in there, she might recognize me, and Nikki can make the doorway to get in, like in the wall,” Noble said.
xxxxxx“Noble, what about the metal?” Cal asked, “Won’t it just fall in on us if the target loses contact? That is how Copper’s ability works, right?”
xxxxxx“If we can calm her down and get her to bring all of the metal to one place, then we can avoid that scenario,” Noble answered. Everyone nodded, but as we moved out, another tremor passed through the ground below us.
xxxxxxExploding in a cascade of dirt, a vein of metal rose up and grabbed one of the Hounds. With sudden force, Alpha barked out orders, grabbing Jeha and running. Before I could think, Cal had me and Noble flying through the air. I changed to metal and latched onto a supporting beam, feeling the pull of the magnet increase with my touch. I grabbed Noble, glancing down to make sure I had him securely.
xxxxxx“Noble!” I cried again, trying desperately to keep my grip. I had the strange urge to drop him, to leave him behind again. With a grunt, I managed to pull the two of us onto the supporting beam.
xxxxxx“Quickly, Nikki!” Noble said, and I didn’t have to be reminded. I became completely metal and tried to dissolve into the metal, but something resisted. It was slower than at the wall, and now the magnet fluxed, like it was spinning and out of control.
xxxxxxI made it in! I could open Noble’s door! I was moving. Down? I wasn’t being split up like last time. Hastily, I checked for Noble. He wasn’t there anymore. I exited the metal to remove some magnet force. I found myself inside, face to face with a girl I knew.
xxxxxx“Copper,” I breathed. I would have said more, but the metal beneath me turned to the consistency of water, and I lost sight of the girl with green hair, hanging like a rag doll half eaten by metal. When I blinked again, I was in total darkness. I stretched out, and to either side my hands hit cold, strong metal. I followed the curving walls up, only to find the metal closed just out of reach above me. I dared not jump. From what I could tell, the bottom of this thing bowed like a bowl beneath me, and I was not sure I could stick the landing with only one foot and no sight.
xxxxxx“Hello? Hey! Can you hear me?! Copper, let us go! We don't want to hurt you!” I yelled, pounding on the sides of my casing. I continued like this for a while, trying to get Copper’s attention. At some point, I turned to metal and tried to integrate into the core again.
xxxxxxIt rejected me. I pushed against it, but it was an unyielding wall. Small holes formed in the top of my pod, letting in light and illuminating the wall I pushed against.
xxxxxxWhere is your Life Giver? The words appeared large and bold, staring at me as if indignant. You have no trailing sustenance to your Life Giver. How are you alive?
xxxxxx“What's going on? Copper, whatever you're doing, it's not funny. Please, stop this and come home,” I said, staring at the words as if they were some kind of telephone line.
xxxxxxCopper? She is my Life Giver, the one who lets me live. Now you and that boy and those others, you all want to take my Life Giver away, make me dead. I looked at the words, confusion setting in with panic.
xxxxxx“You’re not Copper, are you?” I whispered, turning around in a circle to view my pod. My guess was met with a soft chime that vibrated the entire pod slightly. “You’re the metal she touched.” The chime came again, a little stronger this time. “You must want what's best for Copper--your Life Giver--right?” The chime came a little hesitantly this time, but I kept going forward. “Don't you know we want that, too? We want to bring her home.”
xxxxxxWhat I was going to say next was interrupted by a piercing cry and violent shaking of my pod. You want to take away my Life Giver! I cannot live without my Life Giver! You may have done it, but I cannot, even as immense as I am! You think I would give up my Life Giver?! You think I would willingly die?!
xxxxxxThe words blazed themselves around my pod, and I spun to keep up with them. They glowed eerily in the dimness of the pod, and I realized my mistake. “We don’t want to separate you from your Life Giver! We want to move her somewhere she will belong, where she’s known and safe! We would bring you, too! You just have to let Copper know. There are others there, and one who can give you life away from your Life Giver,” I said, becoming a little concerned about Copper.
xxxxxxLife away from my Life Giver? Is that what happened to you? The words floated up to the surface of the metal. I placed a hand over them, and the words shifted as if uncomfortable.
xxxxxx“Maybe. They can animate inanimate objects, but if we get you to them while still in contact with your Life Giver, it might make the change permanent,” I said, not entirely sure where to go from there. As it turns out, I was not the one who would make the next move.
┃🝣 Nickel VI 🝣
┗━━┉┉┅┅╍╍
xxxxxxJeha caught Nikki as she fell, gently laying her on the ground. The lady-man, Alpha, backed away and observed their comatose teammate. Some of Jeha’s flurries bounded over, and one of the older ones let out a soft huff. Jeha patted the head of the worried flurrie and turned to the girl’s team.
xxxxxx“What happened?” he asked simply, waiting for some kind of explanation. Her actions had not seemed like she made them, and her leg just flying off into nowhere was a little disarming. Still, even for a group of ancient super-powered humans, passing out was not a good sign of health.
xxxxxx“She’s been fighting the pull of your Orb since last night. She turns into metal, it eats metal, so it wants to eat her,” Noble said. Jeha was not sure he liked how cold the young man sounded, but he smiled anyway. Smile at something, and it might get better.
xxxxxx“Well, she must be strong t’fight for so long. ‘Er body needs rest, now,” Jeha said. Alpha seemed to agree, but Noble and Cal did not react the same way.
xxxxxx“What we need is to finish the mission!” Cal retorted, pointing at the Orb. Jeha frowned and went to reply, but Noble spoke up again.
xxxxxx“Nikki is a soldier, and Cal’s right. Since you know this area so well, you need to lead us to the core, the Orb you spoke of. It will help Nikki in the long run,” Noble said. Jeha doubted that particular statement, but Cal was looking like he wanted to pay him back for that hit he’d gotten in earlier.
xxxxxxJeha bought himself some time by retrieving his walking staff from where he’d dropped it, then called his flurries in close. He could feel Cal’s gaze trying to burn holes in the back of his shirt. When he glanced over his shoulder, Alpha had picked up Nikki and stood waiting for him. With a sigh, Jeha said, “This way.”
xxxxxxThey walked for a number of hours, Jeha using multiple small detours and some breaks to “rest his old bones” in an attempt to delay them, but nothing seemed to work. Cal simply kept getting more and more noisy in his complaints, and the lady-man’s Hounds gave him more frequent and more hungry looks. When they finally reached the outskirts of the small city, the sun was setting.
xxxxxx“This way,” Jeha said, veering away from the city and climbing a small hill where a single lone house stood. “Don’ go t’the city. Yer reception wouldn’ be friendly. Wait in me house overnight, and I’ll be back to finish in the mornin’,” he said, ushering the outsiders into his small house. The Hounds he shooed toward the sheltered paddock behind the house he normally put his flurries in for the night.
xxxxxx“Where are you going?” Noble asked as Alpha found a small couch for Nikki to lie down on. It had worried Jeha that she was still asleep, but maybe that had been for the best.
xxxxxx“There ain’t enough beds for all of us here. You’re sleepin’ here, I’ll sleep in the city and get you in the mornin’,” Jeha said, hovering in the doorway and watching his flurries out of the corner of his eye.
xxxxxx“And we’re supposed to trust you?” Cal said, sounding extremely wounded about some personal matter. Alpha held out a hand for silence, looking to Noble for some sort of order.
xxxxxx“We’ll give you until six. If you are not here by then, we go into the city and look for another guide,” Noble said, seeming to satisfy Alpha. Jeha smiled and nodded before he left. He called his flurries for one last trek that day and descended into the city. He needed to talk with Sirius.
xxxxxxJeha and his tired flurries made it to the main square before dark, and he waited there for Sirius as his flock fell asleep. Sirius needed to know about the outsiders. He needed…
xxxxxxJeha was woken up with a gentle shake early in the morning. “Jeha? Why aren’t you at your house?” Sirius said, his arms full of morning groceries, minus some yarn.
xxxxxx“Sirius? I need t’tell you somethin’,” Jeha said, fighting back a yawn. What had he needed to tell Sirius? Suddenly remembering, he widened his eyes and said, “The outsiders are stayin’ there. They want me t’lead them t’yer girl. Don’ know why, but I don’ like some of them.” Sirius looked surprised, then scared.
xxxxxx“Jeha, I have to warn her! Can't you keep them away from her?” Sirius said. He had put down his groceries and had begun running his hands through his hair.
xxxxxx“Sirius, I got t’get them by six, but I’ll do me best t’delay. Bring yer goodies home, then warn yer little miss,” Jeha said, his voice calming and sure. Sirius slowed his frantic pacing in response, but it did not cease altogether.
xxxxxx“Keep them away as long as possible. I need as much time as you can give me,” Sirius said, gathering his bags and taking off toward his house. Jeha nodded solemnly and stood up. One glance at the sun told him all he needed to know before gathering his flock and moving out.
🝢🜢🝢
xxxxxxI woke from a dreamless sleep to a bright light in my eyes and a loud noise from nearby.
xxxxxx“I’m telling you, he’s not going to show! The coward left us here and ran for the hills.” That sounded like something Cal would say if she was cranky.
xxxxxx“But he left us his home here. We should respect that.” If that wasn't Alpha’s respectful side of the conversation, I obviously wasn't awake.
xxxxxx“Nikki, I’m glad you're feeling better, but you should really let the others know,” Noble whispered from somewhere nearby.
xxxxxx“But they're having such a good argument. Wouldn't want to mess that up,” I mumbled, cracking open my eyes and looking around. The room was small, but it exuded a homey atmosphere that seemed to make me relax, even if I had woken up in a strange place. That was, it did until something crashed in the next room over.
xxxxxx“Cal! Stop it! This is not proper behavior!” I groaned and sat up on the couch, wondering how long I had been out. More crashing and yelling came from the other room, and Noble eventually stood with a sigh.
xxxxxx“You two, this is no way to treat someone else's home. If you need to blow some steam, go wrestle Hound 14. I’m sure it will make her feel so much better,” Noble called into the next room. Cal soon emerged from the next room, propelled by a fuming Alpha.
xxxxxxI enjoyed a leisurely few minutes before deciding I needed to explore. I stood up and hobbled over to the wall, exploring the doors as I found them. One of them led to a large bed with a rather rumpled quilt covering it. Another went to a small kitchen with the remains of plates smashed on the floor. I braved the shards to gather some rations for breakfast. The next one led to some kind of enclosed back yard where the Hounds were wrestling with each other and Cal. The last one was the door out, and I stopped to look at what lay beyond it.
xxxxxxThere in the valley lay a small city of simple homes. It glowed in the morning light, with crisscrossing shadows from an unseen wall. Little people wandered in and out of the square in the middle, and more herdsmen filtered out with groups of animals. A glance up revealed how startlingly close we had gotten to the core. It surprised me, considering there was almost no pull from the magnet.
xxxxxxI had dealt with the magnet force since before I had moved to the IB bunkers.
xxxxxx“What are you talking about?” 26 says, a look of complete confusion on his face.
xxxxxx“I feel like there’s a thing pulling from behind me. Kind of like my insides are drifting to one side,” I say, demonstrating by moving my hands in the direction the thing pulled at me.
xxxxxx“Drifting, huh? You sure you put your insides together right this time?”26 says, laughing to himself before drifting off in the mess hall with his bland supper.
xxxxxxFor the magnet to be gone just like that, I suddenly felt very strange, off somehow. Some key part of me was missing, and I couldn’t control that, which was stupid. Strong projects control themselves without letting others determine what happened or how they felt.
xxxxxxMovement on the road caught my attention as I reminisced about the past. An old hunched figure walking with a rather large staff. I recognized him a moment later, though it was a little strange considering he seemed to have lost his little animals.
xxxxxx“Jeha! See? I told you he’d come,” Alpha said, popping out from around the edge of the house.
xxxxxx“Oh! Let’s not mention the fact that he’s almost late,” Cal said. I winced at the memory of shattered plates on the floor of Jeha’s small kitchen.
xxxxxx“Alpha, Cal, I hope all of our things are ready. They should be, especially since we’ll be getting toward the end of our goal,” Noble called, moving forward cautiously on the new ground.
xxxxxx“It’s alright if you need me t’wait. I ain’t in any hurry,” Jeha said, climbing the rest of the hill toward the front door. “Nikki! I got somethin’ for you. Wait here for just a minute,” the old man said, disregarding the other three.
xxxxxxCurious, I hobbled out of the front door so he could wander inside, and I turned to see what he was doing. The old man disappeared into the bedroom if memory served me well, and he soon emerged with a staff. It was distinctly different from his own, especially since it was smaller, more slender, and had a good deal of polish on it. He held it out to me, and I stared at it, confused.
xxxxxx“A gift for you, Copper! I hope you like it.”
xxxxxx“Why are you giving this to me? I don’t need it,” I said, looking at it askance.
xxxxxx“You need t’walk, don’ you? It’s no trouble,” he said, extending it further. I finally gave in and took the glorified stick. Jeha seemed glad I had, and he turned to the rest of the group while I tried to figure out how to use the gift.
xxxxxxI cry out as I hit the floor, more bruises forming on top of my old bruises. “VIIIB.10-28, you don't have to get ahead of yourself. Take it easy. Let's start with just standing in place,” IIA.4-2 says. His voice carries easily from so far away, and I almost hate him.
xxxxxxStand? He expects me to just stand in place like some weakling? It was embarrassing enough to have to start over, to only survive because someone else hadn't. When am I going to be strong? I don't want to have to lean on anyone else like some weak project worth nothing more than the resources I can provide. I want to protect myself for once, and maybe others. But, this is just taking too long!
xxxxxxI muffle another cry as I hit the floor again. “VIIIB.10-28, what did I tell you? We have to take it slow. It takes a while to recover from losing a limb,” he says again. As if I don't know that already! This is taking far too long!
xxxxxxA stumble reminded me to pay attention to the present. I focused on using the staff Jeha had given me like a kind of awkward leg as I practiced. Noble had said we were almost there, but from what I could tell, we still had quite a bit of walking left to do.
xxxxxxAs the others emerged and gave me a pack to carry, something trembled through the ground, sending me into a panic to try and stay upright. Jeha thankfully managed to steady me in time, but I looked around, wondering what could have happened. The core looked about as normal as a giant floating ball of metal could, but I thought the beams radiating from it had been larger yesterday.
xxxxxxDismissing my fantastical imagination, I focused on walking upright for as long as I could without resting for a breath. Jeha gladly accommodated my rest breaks, and though I enjoyed the breathers and scenery, I could feel at least two sets of eyes glaring at at me each time we stopped.
xxxxxxJeha led us around the city, carefully avoiding shepherds and their animals. Though we felt a few aftershocks, nothing seemed to really be wrong,and Jeha told us stories of the valley. I found them interesting, but Cal was practically pulling her teeth out in boredom. It would have been funny to watch if Cal wasn’t the kind of person to hit things when she got bored.
xxxxxxAfter an eternity of walking, we finally approached something that set my teeth on edge. The core rose above the canopy, but beneath the leaves there were disturbing pods clustered around the column. Some were larger than others, and as I watched, some metal from the column lashed out at a nearby bird and dragged it in, encasing it in a new pod of metal.
xxxxxx“Noble, there are--” Alpha started to say.
xxxxxx“I know. I can sense the consciousnesses inside them. This has gotten out of hand. Jeha, how many people are in this city here?” Noble said. The herdsman fumbled, looking like his eyes were glued to the pods on the column. “Jeha!”
xxxxxx“A-about-- Somewhere around-- A hundred-fifty thousand, if I had t’guess,” the old man said, still staring at the pods. I began to worry for the old man. Even when he was threatened, he had remained calm and collected. Now, faced with this, he was pale as snow, and his hands shook as if he were freezing. “Me own fault. I told him t’go. All me own fault. He’s up there. I know it,” the old man began to mumble.
xxxxxx“Jeha? Jeha what’s wrong?” I said, hobbling closer. He continued to mumble, his eyes lost to the pods. “Jeha! Look at me!” I said, dropping the stick and making him face me. His skin felt clammy, but his eyes focused on me. “Jeha, what’s going on?” I tried again, my firm voice hopefully getting through to him.
xxxxxx“Sirius. I told him t’go back. He made friends wit’ ‘er, but somethin’ went wrong last time, but I told him t’go back. He’s up there! Sirius has t’be up there! I din’ think she’d do this--react so badly--I thought it couldn’ go this wrong,” the herdsman said in a rush. His words fell over each other and making his accent more pronounced, and he kept trying to glance back at the pods behind me.
xxxxxx“Jeha, listen. We need to know everything, okay? Everything. What haven’t you told us?” I asked. I could feel Alpha’s gaze and didn’t have to look to see Cal’s triumphant posture. What he said next surprised even Noble.
xxxxxx“Sirius, he been seein’ a girl in the Orb. Calls ‘erself ‘Copper’ and protects the valley. He made friends wit’ ‘er, but last time, he said she should leave ‘er Orb and come down here wit’ us. The Orb turned t’air beneath him. He said she didn’ want it. I warned him about you, thinkin’ it wouldn’ hurt any, but now look! Somethin’s wrong, and it’s me own fault. He told ‘er about you, because I told him about you, and now it’s all wrong,” Jeha said, and I could see the sheen of unshed tears in his eyes. I contemplated giving the old man a hug, but dismissed the idea, since the others were there.
xxxxxx“Noble, what do we do?” Alpha asked. I tried to tell Jeha with my eyes that it would be alright. I’m not sure it worked. Noble looked stunned, as if Jeha’s outburst had flipped a switch.
xxxxxx“Alpha, take the Hounds and get the citizens as far away as you can. After that, go to the camp and get Commander’s attention. Take Jeha with you. He can explain once you’re all there. This has gotten out of hand. Cal, I need you to get me and Nikki up to the core of this thing. If it’s really Copper in there, she might recognize me, and Nikki can make the doorway to get in, like in the wall,” Noble said.
xxxxxx“Noble, what about the metal?” Cal asked, “Won’t it just fall in on us if the target loses contact? That is how Copper’s ability works, right?”
xxxxxx“If we can calm her down and get her to bring all of the metal to one place, then we can avoid that scenario,” Noble answered. Everyone nodded, but as we moved out, another tremor passed through the ground below us.
xxxxxxExploding in a cascade of dirt, a vein of metal rose up and grabbed one of the Hounds. With sudden force, Alpha barked out orders, grabbing Jeha and running. Before I could think, Cal had me and Noble flying through the air. I changed to metal and latched onto a supporting beam, feeling the pull of the magnet increase with my touch. I grabbed Noble, glancing down to make sure I had him securely.
xxxxxxI kindly smile at Noble for the last time and drop him as I jump. My metal becomes a springboard that catapults me towards that dark dome so far above. Shots fire beneath me. My metal becomes a shield instead. It quickly loses contact and falls toward the ground now far, far below. A lifeless slab.
xxxxxx"Noble!" I cry. It's falling right toward Noble! I have no more time to think, though. I hit the dome. The metal support beams come alive at my touch.
xxxxxx“Noble!” I cried again, trying desperately to keep my grip. I had the strange urge to drop him, to leave him behind again. With a grunt, I managed to pull the two of us onto the supporting beam.
xxxxxx“Quickly, Nikki!” Noble said, and I didn’t have to be reminded. I became completely metal and tried to dissolve into the metal, but something resisted. It was slower than at the wall, and now the magnet fluxed, like it was spinning and out of control.
xxxxxxI made it in! I could open Noble’s door! I was moving. Down? I wasn’t being split up like last time. Hastily, I checked for Noble. He wasn’t there anymore. I exited the metal to remove some magnet force. I found myself inside, face to face with a girl I knew.
xxxxxxAll of the others look up at Noble when he walks in with a girl I recognize. Others go up to greet her and recommend names while I sit, staring at my mechanics textbook. My neighbor, Casi, pulls me up and into line. And then I face her. Her eyes! They seem to recognize me! I fumble out my name, then realize I don’t have one to suggest. Panicked, I blurt out the first word that comes to mind.
xxxxxx“Copper,” I breathed. I would have said more, but the metal beneath me turned to the consistency of water, and I lost sight of the girl with green hair, hanging like a rag doll half eaten by metal. When I blinked again, I was in total darkness. I stretched out, and to either side my hands hit cold, strong metal. I followed the curving walls up, only to find the metal closed just out of reach above me. I dared not jump. From what I could tell, the bottom of this thing bowed like a bowl beneath me, and I was not sure I could stick the landing with only one foot and no sight.
xxxxxx“Hello? Hey! Can you hear me?! Copper, let us go! We don't want to hurt you!” I yelled, pounding on the sides of my casing. I continued like this for a while, trying to get Copper’s attention. At some point, I turned to metal and tried to integrate into the core again.
xxxxxxIt rejected me. I pushed against it, but it was an unyielding wall. Small holes formed in the top of my pod, letting in light and illuminating the wall I pushed against.
xxxxxxWhere is your Life Giver? The words appeared large and bold, staring at me as if indignant. You have no trailing sustenance to your Life Giver. How are you alive?
xxxxxx“What's going on? Copper, whatever you're doing, it's not funny. Please, stop this and come home,” I said, staring at the words as if they were some kind of telephone line.
xxxxxxCopper? She is my Life Giver, the one who lets me live. Now you and that boy and those others, you all want to take my Life Giver away, make me dead. I looked at the words, confusion setting in with panic.
xxxxxx“You’re not Copper, are you?” I whispered, turning around in a circle to view my pod. My guess was met with a soft chime that vibrated the entire pod slightly. “You’re the metal she touched.” The chime came again, a little stronger this time. “You must want what's best for Copper--your Life Giver--right?” The chime came a little hesitantly this time, but I kept going forward. “Don't you know we want that, too? We want to bring her home.”
xxxxxxWhat I was going to say next was interrupted by a piercing cry and violent shaking of my pod. You want to take away my Life Giver! I cannot live without my Life Giver! You may have done it, but I cannot, even as immense as I am! You think I would give up my Life Giver?! You think I would willingly die?!
xxxxxxThe words blazed themselves around my pod, and I spun to keep up with them. They glowed eerily in the dimness of the pod, and I realized my mistake. “We don’t want to separate you from your Life Giver! We want to move her somewhere she will belong, where she’s known and safe! We would bring you, too! You just have to let Copper know. There are others there, and one who can give you life away from your Life Giver,” I said, becoming a little concerned about Copper.
xxxxxxLife away from my Life Giver? Is that what happened to you? The words floated up to the surface of the metal. I placed a hand over them, and the words shifted as if uncomfortable.
xxxxxx“Maybe. They can animate inanimate objects, but if we get you to them while still in contact with your Life Giver, it might make the change permanent,” I said, not entirely sure where to go from there. As it turns out, I was not the one who would make the next move.
𝕭𝖚𝖈𝖐𝖊𝖙
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....► Periodic Tales of an Elemental Nature
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BucketORandomness - Posts: 2284
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Re: Periodic Tales of an Elemental Nature
by Ranger of the North » Tue Jul 11, 2017 4:59 pm
The metal is alive?! 
Also, is Cal a girl or a boy? o.o
Also, is Cal a girl or a boy? o.o
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Ranger of the North - Posts: 9245
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