《The Heroic Lines》 Chapter One: Changing Game The Heroic Lines Part One: Breaking Lines Chapter One: Changing Game He was awake, lying there looking up at the ceiling, the light streaming in through a window set high in the wall. He was late, but try as he might he couldn¡¯t spur himself to move, what was the point? Sliding off the edge of his bed he sat looking up to his computer set upon the table. The screen was on, it shouldn¡¯t have been. It was displaying a single word in golden light; Victory. That was all he needed, that one word displayed on a black screen, the sign that his effort had paid off in the end. That thrill was why he loved games, because he could see it, how the effort he put in created a result, how his talent or lack thereof didn¡¯t come into play. He dragged himself to his feet, a grin hanging from a sallow face, forty-two hours of strait gaming a new record even for him. he had prepared for it, setting up meals before hand and designating five minute brakes every ten hours to go to answer natures call, it had been magnificent, a brilliant way to end the summer holidays. He might not be able to join any of the successful guilds in the games he playe; due to time constraints from school and his part-time job. Instead he¡¯d played multiple characters in many games, starting and leveling over and over again. He may not have the time, finance or ability to be the best of the best, but his effort always brought him above that borderline of mediocrity and that was all he could ask for. Sleep deprivation was a small price to pay. He laughed rising to his feet, the first day of school, the first day of his final year. He moved with the speed and tenacity of turtle but he had begun to get dressed. No one would ever describe his efforts as neat or respectable but at the very least he wasn¡¯t indecent. He just needed to get to school and get the day over with, then he¡¯d have his shift at the corner shop and probably a bonus hour or two as well. Or maybe he should see his grandfather, the old man was laid up in the hospital due to a heart attack, but at least it would keep the old coot out of his hair. He left his room stepping out into the garden a yawn echoing through the chill air. His joints were stiff, he¡¯d forgotten to put the heater on last night so it made sense, sleeping in the garage was rough even if it had been modified to resemble an actual room, though he was used to it after nine-years of the life. Well he couldn¡¯t wait around forever, he had to get moving, at least that was what his clock said, he honestly couldn¡¯t feel motivated enough to try. The city streets were practically empty, though the traffic was still congested, getting worse as he neared London proper, leaving the urban area behind. He lived in an area surrounded by the wealthy, his house being old and small stood out, especially with the repair shop that sat out front. His grandfather ran the shop, and they lived together. Although the old codger usually lost more money gambling than he ever managed to make repairing things in that rundown little shop. It was the whole reason why Sampson had a part-time job in the first place, well that and he needed the funds to buy the magazines, books and figurines from the games he played. He¡¯d probably arrive at the school soon, then he¡¯d have to suffer through roughly half a day of classes. After that he¡¯d need to go to his part-time job and finally with all of that out of the way he could get back to gaming. That thought lightened his heart, he could power strait through the hardest day of the year and move swiftly onto gaming. With a weird grin on his face he approached the schools side gate to with the main entrances having already been locked. He was buzzed in without an issue, this happened a lot but the school was lenient with him, neither he nor his grandfather could drive and since he was practically supporting the old man they looked the other way, though in truth most times he was late it was his fault. Eh, as long as he kept his academic scores just above fail he¡¯d be fine. He approached the schools building moving in the direction of the main office where he had to sign in, He had best admit it was his fault. Lying never brought anything good in the long run. ¡°It¡¯ll be lunch soon that makes things easier, less time I have to spend here.¡± He muttered beneath his breath; dealing with school was a pain. He didn¡¯t have any real plans for his future, he wasn¡¯t aiming for anything big, like doctor or lawyer, gaming was enough, it would be nice if he could drop out of school. Well at least like a few years ago where he could have around four or five different jobs a day, most only an hour or two but still it had been hell. He sighed at the thought of having to go through that again, a dull thud registering against his ches, drawing him from the doldrums of his own head, and causing him to step back in surprise. He turned his gaze seeing a young boy, probably having started at the school just that day staring up at him, fear stricken. ¡°Ugh, there something you need?¡± He questioned looking down at the child. But before another word could slip past his teeth the child stepped back pushing off into the crowd of passersby, vanishing into the masse. He sighed, well that was depressing. Was he really that scary? ¡°Sampson!¡± A voice cried out approaching him with a speed that defied the congested hallways. Perhaps this was karmic punishment or something.? ¡°Hey Silvia what do you want?¡± He questioned turning to face her. She grinned back at him plowing head first into his chest her arms folding around his chest. ¡°Are you scarring the year-sevens again, you¡¯re so cruel!¡± She called a bout of giggling escaping her, like the idiot she was, ¡°Were you up gaming last night?¡± He glared back down at her attempting to pry her off his chest. ¡°Of course you were, it¡¯s you¡± She began to giggle again before gaining a more serious expression. ¡°I worry about you sometimes, try making friends sometimes, ones aside from m. You know you should try to be less scary, just don¡¯t try smiling that¡¯s creepy.¡± She admonished dragging him along. ¡°What is it you want now? And I never said I was your friend¡± He huffed following behind, lacking the will to argue with the buffoon. Silvia pouted continuing her march. ¡°I didn¡¯t want anything, I just felt like saying hi... Of course now that you mention it, why don¡¯t you come to our house tonight, my mum¡¯s inviting you over since your gramps is in the hospital, someone needs to take care of you. You know it¡¯ll be like...¡± Before she could continue on with her babble he stopped her short. ¡°No, and for the record my face isn¡¯t that scary.¡± He responded trying to shift the topic of the conversation as they went. ¡°Of course your scary, but don¡¯t worry I still love you.¡± She cooed up to him an idiotic smile spreading ever further across her face, ¡°So will you come over it¡¯ll be just like when we were children right?¡± She questioned leaning towards him. ¡°Oh looks like I¡¯m here.¡± She called rushing towards her classroom.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He didn¡¯t understand why people thought he was frightening in the least, he wasn¡¯t tall and he wasn¡¯t strong, no one had any reason to fear him. He sighed it didn¡¯t really matter anyway ¡°I¡¯ll see you tonight, oh and why are you wearing sandals?¡± Silvia called out before zipping into her class room with a snicker Sampson paused lowering his head to look at his toes exposed in the leather sandals he was wearing. Just perfect, now he was saddled with Silvia for the rest of the day and he¡¯d forgotten to put proper shoes on, well at least it was only half a day. Well he had better sign in now.
[Time: 15:19] Free at last. He was free from both the drudgeries of school and Silvia¡¯s rampant insanity. She had the mind of a child, most of the time, but the annoying part was she was incredibly intelligent and athletically unparalleled. Still she lacked the slightest hint of commonsense. He had no idea how he¡¯d survived almost ten years in her company. Well he¡¯d have to visit her house later unless he wanted her coming over to break into his (which she had done before). But it¡¯d be fine as long as he didn¡¯t stay the night. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem they were neighbours after all. He nodded to himself, he could bring his laptop over as well so it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d lose that much game time, though there was always the risk she¡¯d attempt to play a game with him and he¡¯d end up having to guide her through everything from basic controls to enemy attack patterns, but there were worst things to do than reviewing a games basics. He smiled to himself as he meandered through the city heading towards his part-time job. It was a half-hour walk from his house to school, and one he made twice most days. Upon reaching the halfway point of his journey, with the help of a little detour towards the main road, he could find corner shop that supplied his part-time job. The shop was nameless only a neon sign above declaring it was open while a poster for the national lottery was placed on the board stand outside, along with the headline from the day¡¯s news. It seemed people were going on about the recent shift in climate change again. Slow news week. With a sigh of relief he entered a bell chiming above as he pushed the door aside, the old man at the counter raising an eyebrow as he entered. ¡°Sampson good to see ya.¡± Mr. Stohess grinned pushing his chair away from the register, rising to his feet, ¡°I¡¯d been meaning to do inventory so needed you to watch tha counter. By the way how¡¯s your¡¯ grandpa, will he be able to make it to this week¡¯s game?¡± His name was Ferth Stohess, forty-two years old with a portly figure his height around five foot seven, or eight at an estimate. His head possessed a thin ring of hair that seemed to grow sparser with each passing month. He also happened to be a friend of his grandfathers. ¡°The old man¡¯s fine, he already wants to get out of the hospital, you probably won¡¯t be seeing him for the next week or more. But at least like this I can relax a bit.¡± Mr. Stohess gave a wan smile before wiping his forehead with a small kerchief and turning in the direction of storage yelling back his orders. ¡°We¡¯ll switch out half way. After I¡¯ve done inventory you can start restocking everything. If you don¡¯t put your back into it you¡¯ll never repay the old man¡¯s debts.¡± He chuckled at that disappearing into the back as Sampson took his position at the counter his attention turning, as per usual, to the small screen TV mounted in the far corner. Mr. Stohess was an old friend of his grandfather and father, he was also one of the three people in his grandfather¡¯s gambling collective along with a woman named Lucy Enfield; Silvia¡¯s mother. The trio met every Wednesday and gambled some negligible sum, though the fact his grandfather kept losing and even more was added on the side whenever they caught him cheating (which happened every other week or so), resulted in around three-hundred-and-eighty pounds worth of debt. It wasn¡¯t very much but trying to earn that with part time jobs while attempting to support yourself was hell. But thankfully when the group figured out the old man wasn¡¯t the one paying the debts everything was smoothed out. As long as he kept an eye on Silvia and took a minimum wage job with Mr. Stohess the debt would be slowly whittled away while his grandfather was banned from betting money he didn¡¯t earn himself. Useless deadbeat. Sampson sighed preparing himself mentally for running down the clock on the rest of the day. The news was still running some more information on the whole climate change debacle, and how it was incredibly unnatural, most scientists blaming how the earth had moved into a slightly different orbit around the sun. From here on out the year would be increasing in length to nearly five-hundred days and the difference in the seasons were about to become more dramatic. Explained why it was so damn cold. Well at least it would be putting global warming out of commission for a while. Sampson prepared for the influx of people coming from finishing their jobs, it would likely be within ten or twenty minutes now, but at least it was easier than the tidal wave of customers from when the schools got out. Even now the last dregs of the students were trickling in. Then the bell rang and everything changed... Sampson turned, his gaze catching the figure, a silhouette in the early noon light. A body that stood over six-feet tall, even with its shoulders hunched, a head leering forwards turned away towards the freezer aisle. An immense gut distended from its body and short arms that barely reached its waist hung, bulging with muscle, were clutched in close. ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡± He questioned rising from his chair to stand. The man turned to face him and in that moment he could feel his heart stop. The blood in his veins turning cold as ice, fear streaking through his mind The scent that radiated towards him was like raw meat left out in the sun. Lank hair spilled down its face the colour of ash, wrinkled warped skin twisting as it glared at him with bloodshot eyes that seemed so small within its head, it wasn¡¯t human not in the least. It had a snout like that of a pig but filled with pointed teeth each as thick and long as his thumb, it¡¯s skin the shade of worn paper covered in warts and abrasions. He couldn¡¯t move, not as the beast loomed nearer not until he saw what it clutched in its hand. A blade, a metre in length, a cleaver as thick as his palm the edge catching in the light, the strokes of the hammer that forged it clearly visible, cuts and notches running along the weapon besides faded shadows of blood. Sampson stepped back his chair clattering to the floor. And then; the creature attacked. It¡¯s movements were fast, a speed that its form belay, a hand closing around his collar the other raising the killing blade higher overhead, to begin a death parabola. The creature screeched as it swung the blade down, but as it began its arc everything began to shake. And nothing would ever be the same again. Chapter Two: New Game Chapter Two: New game Emma Rolland [Year: 2018] [Day: September 8th] [Time: 16:08] [Location: Earth; Britain; England; London; Metropolitan police station] The world had been shaken; or rather it was jolted. A burst of light brilliant as the dawn had shone through the city running in lines across the map, contained within colour of every shade imaginable, Like magic. And now this... Monsters, that¡¯s what the report said, that¡¯s what all the reports were saying, the particulars didn¡¯t matter, what it boiled down to was monsters running loose in the middle of London. Whatever the hell that meant. Well actually it was London¡¯s northwest area that was under attack. She couldn¡¯t go in with that report ¡®there was a big flash of light and then monsters attacked¡¯ not unless she wanted to take a one way trip straight to bedlam*. She sighed scratching at her scalp marching back and forth before the door, the eyes of the other officers drawing near to her, at least when they weren¡¯t dealing with the current surge of panic. ¡°Emma, get in here already.¡± Jacob¡¯s voice called out from within the office, the twenty year old waving to him through the window set in the top of the door. She felt a frown grow more prominent across her face. She shook her head stepping in, she needed to make this report or everything would go straight to hell some needed to take charge and she was glad it wasn¡¯t her. Of course that didn¡¯t make her prospects better especially when the one they were relying on was that man. And there he sat, the metropolitan police department¡¯s commissioner, the man in charge of the greater London area and beyond Jacob Hummer. Perhaps that description was too grandiose for the man currently couched at his desk his face buried in a book. He had brown hair and a fair complexion, his clothes were worn loosely, his stubble going unshaven and his glasses resting on the table were murky, in need of a good clean. If one were to find this individual walking around town there would be little to no features distinguishing him from the homeless, especially since he was wearing the same stained shirt he had been yesterday. Emma sighed pushing the door aside and stepping into the office, a grin spreading across Jacobs face. ¡°Ah, my dear Emma, I¡¯m guessing you have the latest reports. So what have we got is it interesting?¡± How on earth had this man been given authority over nearly thirty-two thousand police officers He leaned forwards setting his book down and placing his phone before him expectance shimmering in his eyes. She took a deep breath looking down at the reports that had been submitted, she had taken thirty different example to prove that she was not going insane. ¡°We¡¯ve received a total of One-hundred-and-sixteen reports that seem to be generally consistent but can be divided into two groups. The first group are those from people who were caught up in the shake a few minutes ago. The rest are from people who have encountered one of two groups that are fighting in the city.¡± She reported placing the report to her side hoping he wouldn¡¯t ask anything more, and knowing that wouldn¡¯t happen. ¡°Come now, I¡¯ve been listening in to quite a few of the reports we¡¯ve been getting myself. Tell me about the monsters.¡± He grinned tilting his head towards her an idiotic grin on his face. She sighed inwardly as she looked down to the report resting at the top of the pile. ¡°As far as we can tell there are two groups of monsters fighting each other in London¡¯s northwest though they seem to be moving towards the cities centre. We don¡¯t understand the situation but they appear to be armed with melee weapons and moving in groups of three to five at average though larger groups can consist of up to twenty individuals. There have currently been no reported casualties among the civilians though numerous attackers have died or been gravely injured.¡± She finished her report, waiting for the man to say something. He nodded the idiotic expression fading for a moment as his computer began to chime. He raised an eyebrow turning to the screen before looking over the display a weary smile appearing across his face accompanied by a slow shake of the head. ¡°What is it?¡± She questioned moving aside as one of the deputy assistant commissioners entered the office with another set of reports in hand. ¡°We have officially declared this an emergency situation, the media will handle informing the public and the military will suppress the foreign forces.¡± The commander yawned, sliding his hands into his pockets and rocking out of his chair. He gave a strange smile turning around to wander forwards stopping before the window looking down into the street. ¡°The Cabinet will be convening to function as an emergency command centre. We have been requested to remain on standby until requested. It seems we have no dog in this fight. If I don¡¯t miss my guess we¡¯ll be dealing with the cleanup¡± ¡°Why is the cabinet convening, if it¡¯s just a terrorist attack shouldn¡¯t M.I.5 be placed in command?¡± The newcomer questioned placing his pile of reports on Jacob¡¯s desk before stepping back towards the side of the doorway, Emma had to agree with him, in an emergency a government department was supposed to be given command, and it was M.I.5 that dealt with threats on the home front. ¡°Come to the window and you¡¯ll understand.¡± He declared grinning back at them. Emma placed her own stack of reports on the desk moving to stand by the window. The young man moved to join them as they stared down at a scene, one that did not come to a reasonable solution. What she saw... What she saw defied rational thought. ¡°Well at least things will be interesting for a while.¡± Jacob laughed turning away from the streets, ¡°no matter what, watching this will be fun!¡±
Sampson Cold [Year: 2018] [Day: September 8th] [Time: 16:05] [Location: Earth; Britain; England; London] This was it the end, he could see it, see it in those bloodshot eyes, in the glaring light ricocheting off a sharpened edge And then everything began to shake. The ground bucked beneath his feet causing him to stumble backwards into the shelves as a pulsating light rushed through the streets. It blared through the shops window turning his world into a canvass of colours; vibrant and beautiful and blinding. Sampson stumbled backwards pressing the crook of his arm to his face to cover his eyes his back slamming into the shelves hard the sound of the merchandise clattering to the floor around him. But even as he stumbled searching for a way out his vision cleared patches of colour still smeared across his view.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. But at least he was moving again. He¡¯d woken from the shock and now he could see it the creature, the monster standing before him holding its head in meaty palms muttering guttural calls. Sampson turned his gaze around the shop searching for it, the weapon that the creature had held now embedded deep within the till shredding through the metal as if it were cardboard. And as the smoke cleared and the fallen bottles and packets lay still, there eyes met once more. The creature moved with haste, grabbing its weapon and tugging it free from the till stumbling backwards with the motion. The he felt it, a firm grasp upon his shoulder tugging him backwards as he fell to his rear against the floor looking upwards at him. Mr. Stohess, he stood there a grim line cut across his face, eyes cold as the grave exuding calm and confidence, a kind he¡¯d never known from the man, even as the monstrosity moved towards them weapon held over head for another swing. The shop keeper moved with a grace that could only be instilled by intense training and polished through practical use; stepping into the creature swing and grabbing its wrist. He pulled it close and when they were but a few inches apart, their eyes locked mixing fear with fury, his fist barrelled forwards striking the monster beneath its jaw. A boom rang through out the shop the air being blown backwards with enough force to send Sampson tumbling away as the pig-creature was hurled to the rear end of the shop to crash against a freezer, metal crumpling the monsters body heavily marked with lacerations. ¡°God damn orcs.¡± He muttered wiping the blood from his knuckles before sighing and giving Sampson a wan grin, ¡°that was something eh?¡± Sampson rose to his feet eyes focused on the man who he had known as nothing more than a shop keeper for the last nine years. ¡°You said orc?¡± He questioned a dull static buzzing in his mind, his words finally snapping him out of the daze as he grasped their meaning. ¡°What the hell is going on!¡± The old man grinned grabbing the fallen cleaver and placing it on the counter. ¡°Calm down, I¡¯m going to make a few calls, don¡¯t get into any trouble kid. Tell me if our guest wakes up and I¡¯ll give you a proper explanation when I get back.¡± Mr. Stohess chuckled wiping a hand through short lank hair stepping once more into storage leaving Sampson standing amidst the wreckage. He had probably better clean up. He sighed kneeling down reaching out to restock the shelves with fallen merchandise. He moved slowly working down the aisle placing an assortment of random items back on their shelves working ever closer to rear of the store. The shop sold a bizarre number of things from stationary to computer software; even for a corner store it had a bizarre variety, he didn¡¯t understand how the old man stayed in business. His shift would end in two hours; it was funny how he was thinking about that now, his life had been in danger just moment ago and he was getting hung up on his shift. He gave a small smile trying to comfort the fear that lingered in him. He shook his head, he needed to think about what was really going on, that creature Mr. Stohess had called it an Orc. Frankly speaking it did match the description of an orc, well at least one variety of orc. It had a pig like head and humanoid body, was tall and strong and its¡¯ general appearance was uncivilised. Orcs usually took the role as barbarians and monster, though occasionally could be a playable race. This one looked like the former. He stood up from his crouched position at the end of the aisle approaching the fallen monster, the ¡®orc¡¯. It was ugly and smelly, and still alive. He shivered thinking about what the creature had just tried to do to him. But now it was lying there bleeding from the back of its head... Helpless.
[Time: 16:21] Well that had been a pain. he stood up from where the orc once lay, his hands drenched in blood. It had only been the natural thing to do in that situation only natural. He¡¯d patched the fallen monster up, he couldn¡¯t say it wouldn¡¯t die, but he could say it wasn¡¯t his fault for not doing anything. He¡¯d taken a first aid kit and wrapped the injury on the back of the head after sterilising it. Frankly he hoped it hurt, it was a natural feeling, and he couldn¡¯t lie and say the thought of killing the beast didn¡¯t cross his mind but he didn¡¯t know why the creature attacked him and couldn¡¯t judge. Well that or he¡¯d just been soft. If he were in a game he¡¯d have killed it without a second thought. But this was real life. As he leaned back against the counter for a brake the television mounted in the wall above blurred to life. He turned his direction towards it, where once had been displayed only static a young man and woman, news presenters, sat. There expressions were haggard and their complexions sallow, lacking any form of makeup or preparation: they began to speak. ¡°Thirteen minutes ago, a state of emergency was passed encompassing the entirety of Britain. We will work to bring you information as it becomes available.¡± The man declared wiping the sweat from his brow the woman taking over, ¡°we would like to warn all people to remain inside their homes or places of business. Those in the streets move to the nearest building and request shelter. At the moment we believe there to be two armed groups fighting in the city. They have not targeted civilians so far but their aims are unknown as they remain unidentified. Confirm the safety of all family members and friends and wait for information. Do not attempt to make contact with any armed individuals.¡± Sampson watched as they repeated the message a few times over. His grandfather would be fine, he was in a hospital so he didn¡¯t have to worry about the old codger getting caught up in the problem, especially as he was stuck on the highest floor, he doubted any orcs would get to him. But then there was Silvia. He needed to check on her, she should have arrived home so he could just call her house. No! Today was a Monday that would mean she¡¯d have netball practice afterschool and that lasted for nearly an hour. She would be leaving about now, or perhaps she had already left. He needed to call her. Sampson grit his teeth rushing behind the counter to pull his satchel from beneath his chair removing the phone from the side pocket. He switched it on the screen blurring hazily to life as he searched for his contact details. There it was her name standing proud at the top of his long list (of five) contacts. He did not hesitate to call. He never used the phone, it had actually been a gift from Silvia on his last birthday after she had gotten frustrated she couldn¡¯t call him whenever she wanted. He waited the dial tone blaring on the other side. He waited, his expression growing more dire with each passing second, Then when he thought it was hopeless monotone voice declared that he couldn¡¯t contact her. He tried again and again but it didn¡¯t work no matter how many times he called. It wasn¡¯t god damn working! Sampson looked out to the streets, they were practically empty, of both man and beast, but it just put him further on edge. He needed to go see her, he needed to make sure she was safe. He could feel rationality warring against the fear that she would be hurt. Perhaps it was guilt, or that somewhere deep within his game loving heart he had the smallest sense of feeling for that idiot, no matter what it was he knew he had to go. Sampson turned his bag upside down emptying the contents and replacing it with bottles of water and snacks, mainly consisting of nuts and chocolate before stuffing a pair of first aid kits into the side pockets. He rushed past the counter moving towards the door and the empty street beyond. He should go, go out there and prove to himself that she was okay, that he could relax, that tragedy wouldn¡¯t strike. For a moment he considered, what was he really doing? He was rushing into danger like a madman and just increasing the chance of a fatality, but somehow he knew he needed to do this consequences be damned. Call it the spurring of fate. But what could he do if he found her and she was facing off against more monsters, nothing that¡¯s what. Sampson turned back to where the orc was lying. He couldn¡¯t fight against monsters like that, not bare handed, not a chance. And then his eyes caught it the cleaver lying against the counter, it was better than nothing. He reached out his hand grasping at the handle the cold iron digging into his palm. There was no time to wait, no time to hesitate or regret, he just needed to know she was alright. He burst through the door and did not look back Chapter Three: Confusion Game Chapter Three: Confusion game Sarah Cold [Year: 2018] [Day: September 8th] [Time: 16:20] [Location: Earth; Britain; England; London] Of course this would happen now, while she was on vacation, the first vacation she had since she finished training, but what else could she expect joining the military. She sighed her grandfather warned her of this, he¡¯d said exactly what would happen to her if she became a soldier. Still she didn¡¯t expect to be called in to duty so quickly, to be armed like this for purposes not yet described to her. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ that was the common complaint, hushed and whispered beneath baited breath, almost two thousand people had been gathered in the mess hall either standing or sitting, all military personnel whether they were pilots or foot soldiers all had been called and armed, even the mechanics. Each and every one of them would have been on leave, resting in their time away from whatever hell hole they¡¯d just escaped from and were now facing the prospect of fighting another bloody battle in the city of London. Needless to say no one was optimistic about their prospects. ¡°How long are we going to have to wait?¡± Sarah began to mutter to herself her foot tapping against the leg of her chair with an ever increasing speed. ¡°Ah It¡¯s been ten minutes so far, a lot of people started coming here after the shake. Apparently it¡¯s something big, have you seen the news?¡± A woman gave reply, she was petite with strawberry-blonde hair. Sarah nodded slowly looking down at her watch, she¡¯d seen the news, enough of it to know they were keeping the facts to themselves. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re keeping things secret to stop the public from panicking, it can¡¯t be good if they¡¯re arming us before an explanation, whatever it is we¡¯ll need to react quickly if we don¡¯t want everything to fall to hell.¡± She muttered ¡°I was planning on relaxing before I went out into active service too.¡± ¡°huh, ¡®sthat so?¡± a voice brimming with sarcasm and mocking undertones approached through the crowd his footsteps light as air. ¡°If I were to make my guess; we probably have a large number of foreign forces in the city, they don¡¯t know much about it otherwise they¡¯d probably use armed police so they¡¯re going in with all guns blazing. They¡¯re trying to protect the people and more importantly for them, the civilians won¡¯t start complaining when this mess is over. The top brass are just trying to cover their¡¯ arses.¡± The man speaking was tall and thin. He had a haggard face and the complexion of a corpse. This man had seen combat without a doubt. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit cynical?¡± The woman besides her questioned glaring at the man arms crossed over her chest. The man chuckled taking a seat next to her. Sarah sighed, it kind of reminded her of how she and her brother used to argue, not that they¡¯d seen each other in years. She should probably pay him a visit at some point before her vacation was over. ¡°We¡¯re not paid for optimism, besides you¡¯ll probably lose that innocent side after your first kill.¡± The duo continued to argue around her their conversation growing in intensity. ¡°I¡¯m just a field mechanic.¡± She yelled slamming her hands down in front of them. Their¡¯ conversation was put on hold, the rooms atmosphere becoming stiff as a door was thrown aside a group of men and women in uniform stepped forwards to take centre stage. The huddles of soldiers dispersing in a heartbeat, those standing taking a rigid posture, those sitting perfecting their¡¯ impression of statues. Of the six individuals that now stood at the front of the hall, four had taken a step back to allow the briefing to begin. The first was clearly military; a man in his early forties, short cut brown hair beginning to grey, his face wizened his jaw running with thin scrapes and scars pale against heavily tanned skin, his uniform was immaculate and his movements stiff. The second however was far more casual, she was a young woman carrying a clip-board and dressed in black office attire, she couldn¡¯t be much over thirty years old and exuded a had gentle aura. Though she didn¡¯t even seem to notice that the others taken a step back to let the man speak. ¡°For those not aware at ten-minutes-past-four today a state of emergency was declared covering England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The reason: a geological phenomenon that resulted in a single massive jolt of the earth followed by dramatic topographical change. This event was accompanied by a bright light which current reports say extended past the borders of Britain in many directions. Of course this would not be a concern of the military, however following this event Two forces were immediately identified, our current information on them is hazy at best, we believe them to be masked, or wearing some kind of costume. Despite this they are dangerous, armed with various melee weapons. Currently there are no reported casualties. Miss Janice Bodkin will give a report on what we can currently confirm about the enemies size and numbers.¡± The finished his long winded explanation and handed over to the woman that had stood by his side. Miss Bodkin, the woman in question had in fact realised what had been going on halfway through the speech and stepped in line with the others, and now stepped forwards to take a position at the front, the man stepping back to let her speak. The woman cleared her throat looking down at her clipboard a heavy sweat slowly appearing across her forehead. ¡°Ah I am Janice Bodkin, I work for M.I.5 as a clerical assistant and was requested to give you a briefing due to the lack of available staff. I... I w-will.¡± The woman paused, the pressure clearly getting to her ¡°I will be giving you the current confirmed and suspected statistics.¡± She was speaking properly now, but even so she was clearly reading off the board her finger tracing the lines before her. ¡°We can currently confirm fifteen small groups of around five or six armed men, in the first faction whom we call group A, they possess no armour and simple melee weapons. There also happen to be four larger groups of up to thirty individuals among them, there was a fifth but it was destroyed after engaging with Group B. Group B consists of eight medium sized forces, in historical armour and carrying weapons such as spears, and swords. They also possess a number of men armed with shields that are likely bullet proof, and a small portion also carry bows. Both factions A and B are located in London¡¯s northwest.¡± The woman paused take a long breath before continuing, ¡°finally we discovered a third force a couple of minutes ago, these men are well armed and armour with spears, swords and bows, they also happen to be using cavalry, uh horses... Oh yeah and they were sighted by the river.¡± The woman finished placing the clipboard by her side and waiting for something to happen. The man besides her shook his head stepping forwards and patting her on the shoulder. ¡°You will be divided into five men squads and sent to either the northwest or the Thames. If you encounter any of these groups do not attack unless they show direct hostility, give them a chance to surrender. If they show direct hostility you have permission to shoot. That is all.¡± The man finished moving towards the exit the young woman following behind hanging her head. Sarah looked up the sound of laughing ringing in her ears as she turned to see the man besides her chuckling. ¡°Well that was god damned cute. So you two, my names Harris Foil, nice to meet ya, I guess we¡¯ll be working together.¡± ¡°My name¡¯s Sarah Cold.¡± She responded with a nod looking back to the petite woman on her other side. ¡°I''m Issabelle Olham, and I really don¡¯t like you.¡± She declared jabbing a finger at Harris. ¡°Fair enough, let¡¯s go get this over with.¡± Harris laughed rising from his position a weary grin on his face.
Sampson Cold [Time: 16:23] [Location: Earth; Britain; England; London; en-route to St Andrew¡¯s COE School] London, a grey city, formed from concrete, cement and asphalt. In England most days were gloomy to say the least, it was wet and cold and in the cities it was worst, crowded and cramped. So that left a question. One question that lingered at the back of his mind, one that forced him to grapple with the idea of the ¡®impossible¡¯. The question; ¡®just why in the hell was there a forest in the middle of London?¡¯ A small laugh escaped his lips. He¡¯d rushed through alleys and byways to get there, taking every shortcut he knew to gain that extra second, all to reach this road leading from the suburbs into the heart of the city. But now, standing there he stood dead in his tracks. It was pure confusion. It was the reasonable reaction to this unreasonable situation, to the forest that had sprouted from the concrete, It wasn¡¯t just a forest either, the trees grew far and wide in some places even sprouted out of buildings and windows, beyond the woods were hills rising high in the distance peppered with high rises making for a rather abnormal scene. Not even the roads remained, but he was lucky, he was lucky that the fragments of asphalt remained creating a pathway for him to follow. He took a deep breath, in some attempt to steady his heart, staring down in the dark boles of the woods. It seemed peaceful enough at first blush but said peace just set him further on edge. Trying to slow his breathing from the hasty rush through the alleys he stepped into the sea of the trees. He moved as quietly as possible, keeping his breathing low and raising his feet high to avoid ploughing through wildly overgrown undergrowth. Still the bushes and roots scratched at his exposed feet, as he trekked deeper through the primeval wilderness, he really shouldn¡¯t be wearing sandals in the current situation. He tried to remain calm his heart rate rising the longer he stayed within the confines of the trees, where any monstrosity could go unseen. Who was to say he would be fighting orcs anyway, he could be facing ogres or trolls, or giants or dragons, or something he couldn¡¯t even imagine. He was beginning to shake the weapon held in his hands quivering the weight enough to bend his back. He probably should have just taken a knife from the shop or something, there was no way he¡¯d be able to lug this all the way to the school. He was feeling sick his task growing ever more daunting, his stomach spinning. He could always turn back, that was an option.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. No he had to keep going, knowing Silvia she was probably right in the thick of it. He had to help, there was no choice in the matter, else he would never have a peaceful night again. He had to hurry Of course it was as that thought crossed his mind he heard it. It rang through the deep woods clanging steel and a high pitched cry, a pig like squeal that rent through the air stopping him in place. Sampson froze his blood running cold as he turned in the direction of the sound. He couldn¡¯t see anything beyond the gentle shift of the leaves in the breeze, he couldn¡¯t feel anything but the sun; warm against his skin. He couldn¡¯t describe it; the fear that wormed its way into his heart as he stood there waiting. Waiting to see if the source of that noise had noticed him and hoping that if it had it wouldn¡¯t care enough to seek him out. He stood there, still as statuary, only his eyes moving, darting away with each sound; the imagined footfall of a foe. But there was nothing not a peep or squeal or clash, he could just leave, he should just leave. Not that fate would let him A chorus of squeals rose from the forest followed by heavy foot falls in the far distance accompanied by shouts in some foreign tongue. Sampson peered through the foliage to see it. A distant glade sparse of trees and shrubbery two young women running through the wood a small child led by the arm a group of armed men following up the rear. But they carried no guns, instead they were equipped with swords, axes and bows each and everyone leagues above in quality, when compared to the cleaver he was holding in arms to weak to carry the weapon. Sampson sighed, there was no need for him to get involved in the fight, people who were so well armed obviously knew what they were doing. Still a sense of foreboding hung over him, driving him onwards by the dictates of his conscience. Then it happened, a wave of squealing cries ripped through the air fixing him in place crouched beneath the bushes. One of the young women leading the charge began to shout her voice piercing through the woods, the language was strange almost lyrical in its composition but edged with a harsh roughness and blunt accent. Sampson was edging closer his body reacting to the situation before his brain could. The distance between him and the scene closed rapidly as he caught a better look at the battles participants The gigantic soldiers had formed a wall around the women and the child, shield bearers took the front, while men armed with spears stood behind them and mixed in were groups of archers. The leader of the soldiers stood tall behind them his skin was tanned like old leather, his eyes an emerald green, his figure bulky and standing over seven feet in height, his mouth a grim line a pair of tusks erupting from the corners of his mouth. And it made Sampson realise these people weren¡¯t human. Their faces were blunt and at first glance human enough, even with their broad features and heavy complexions. But from the bottom of their jaws erupted fangs, many of which were etched with black symbols swirling across an ivory surface. The closer he looked the more he could spot the differences between the individual members. Those carrying the large tower-shields1* were broad and slightly shorter than the rest armed with hatchets at their sides. Those wielding spears were the most non-descript, they were tall and thin appearing weaker, clearly possessing a speed the others lacked. But it was the archers that seemed most fearsome, tall and muscular clad in boiled leather with steel guards on their arms and legs each carried a composite recurve bow2* crafted from a mix of wood and what was most likely spring steel. Their leader stood stalwart at the rear behind the women and child, barking out orders the defence tightening and shifting in seconds of its formation. The man nodded at least unsheathing a claymore3* to be held in his right hand and grasping a round-shield4* in his left. He shouted out commands in that foreign tongue his men tensing waiting for the attack. The shield wall locked in tight, the spearmen taking a steady stance, the archers with arrows knocked to their bows. And then they came like the wind, passing through the woods. They moved without formation charging with abandon, wielding crude weapons; clubs, axes, swords and knives roughly worn from lack of care and overuse. They howled down through the boles of the wood screeching in that high pitch tone that shook his bones, even though he knew he wasn¡¯t their target. It was around that point he realised, even as the orcs noticed the shield wall and the amassed death waiting for them, they did not hesitate, a living barrage. They hit against the shield wall at least five of the monstrosities impaled on the spears which shattered under the weight, their wielders drawing short-swords from their hips, in a vain attempt to beat back the horde. The leader was shouting out orders his words tinged with panic and anger, as a wave of arrows mowed the beasts down. The speed that the orcs had moved at was frightening, the archers hadn¡¯t had time to fire a pre-emptive volley, but as they released their arrows now they span through the air cutting down over a dozen orcs in the process, but it was too late. The creatures had pressed down on the shields with utter disregard for their lives the former spearmen hacking at them with their swords, the shield bearers joining the fight as they tried to support themselves and overturn the scrambling orcs. But they were overrun in moments, trampled underfoot as an assortment of brutality rained down on their heads. The archers fell next, an assortment of crude weapons lashing out towards them. The dozen soldiers being whittled down to a single man. The last line of defence between the beasts and the innocents he protected Their leader stood proud, for all the bloody carnage that surrounded him. Even now he did not waver fending off an orc with his shield and disarming another with his blade. He fought with a bloody grace, moving and responding to each attack, blocking with his shield, countering with his sword and butchering each foe that crossed him. His face showed no hesitation, no fear, just rage and furry as he roared what had to be curses upon his foe. The young women stood in place, they had tried to flee when the battle turned south but the young boy wouldn¡¯t let them he had grasped hold of a mass of brambles and held on for dear life. Even now as the last soldier fought. Then it stopped for a brief moment it was over. The last of the orcs fell his stomach open letting out the contents onto the forest floor, bloody viscera staining the woods. The large man was panting now, his eyes turning to his fallen comrades. Sampson stared on, what he¡¯d just seen... It belonged in a nightmare, the bloodshed and bitter fighting, death after death, it made him sick to his core. If he¡¯d seen it on a screen perhaps he¡¯d be able to stomach it, but standing there as the corpses cooled, the scent of blood heavy in the air. He¡¯d already wretched out the contents of his stomach as the fight began and again now that it was over, he just felt cold, his body covered in a chill sense of danger. A crunch rang through the air, drawing his attention away from his musings to see the last soldier standing in the glade facing down the women and child. He muttered some strange words a trickle of blood escaping his lips. The boy released his death grasp the two women turning to flee into the woods. As they left disappearing into the woods, at last the soldier fell, his palm grasping at a knife buried up to the hilt in its chest. And as he lay face turned skywards, rising from its crouched position a deformed orc was revealed. Half of its head had been caved in by blunt force a wicked smile staining its face none the less. Sampson stood in horror as he watched it kick the corpse of the man stamping down hard on his wrist grabbing the fallen sword, to replace the dagger he¡¯d buried in foe¡¯s chest. Sampson held his breath his heart straining as he watched the creature run into the woods following after the women. He rose from where he crouched within the bushes and approached his footsteps heavy in his ears as he passed through the field of the dead. No this wasn¡¯t a game, most of the people there weren¡¯t dead at all, but injured to the point they would bleed out in moments, many having already succumbed to shock. He looked down towards the leader, the only one who currently maintained a truly conscious state. Their eyes met, and he knew he could do nothing for the man. A wave of sorrow burning in his chest at his own worthlessness. The knife had probably punctured the creature¡¯s lung he would die soon, at least if he didn¡¯t get to a hospital. Sampson looked out with teary eyes as the man stared up at him eyes clear as sunlight, his teeth grit against the pain. He spoke then his voice mumbled and harsh, flecks of blood escaping with his breath. ¡°Ahos, aln ahos vier, ahos vier.¡± His words made no sense, none at all. But the meaning was clear as day held in such a sorrowful gaze. Sampson nodded hefting the cleaver onto his shoulder and running in the direction that the orc had taken.
Silvia Faun [Time: 16:23] She didn¡¯t know what was going on, she just couldn¡¯t understand it. She¡¯d left school to meet up with her mother in town and pick up groceries, but now this had happened, she didn¡¯t understand it at all. Everything began to shake and there had been a blast of colour, and now she was lost somewhere in the middle of London. She¡¯d tried to find the bakery her mother owned but had gotten lost when she reached the Thames and started walking up hill. Though there shouldn¡¯t have been hills there in the first place, she really didn¡¯t understand what was going on. It made no sense, she was in the middle of London, she could see the palace of Westminster, and Big Ben in the distance (even if they were lopsided right now). But there she was standing on the top of a grassy hill, one that reminded her of the countryside, except for the strange people in costumes running towards her. She stood there staring outwards watching the weird people on horseback approaching, they were wearing armour, like the kind knights wore, except it looked really baggy and most of it was cloth except for the helmets. They were carrying spears and swords, all of which they swiftly pointed to her. Silvia stood in awe as they rushed past her, quickly forming a circle their spears pointed inwards aiming at her chest along with the arrows of the mounted archers. The man leading them removed his helmet bright eyes glaring down at her, he had a severe face running with small scars his eyes a strange shade of brown that appeared orange in the light. But as soon as he had removed his helm he began to shout. He was talking in a strange language, one directed at her, one she couldn¡¯t understand. Not that she was paying attention to what he was saying anyway. Her attention was focused instead on the man himself, mainly the fact that from the top of his head a pair of cat ears poked out from close cropped hair coloured a dirty orange with dark highlights. She stood transfixed for a long time before a sharp chime rang through the air a pale image appearing before her. Like the screen of one of Sampson¡¯s games
[Congratulations: New skill available]
Common Language (spoken): Lv1 The ability to understand the common language and those speaking it at the most basic level, and well as providing the user the ability to speak it as well. Requirements: Intelligence: 5+ Skill points: 1 (Accept/Decline)
Silvia blinked staring at the screen in front of her. The man that was yelling at her growing louder with each passing second. ¡°Accept?¡± She wondered aloud to herself before a secondary chime rang through her head. The cat eared man¡¯s voice cutting through. ¡°That¡¯s it, you¡¯re coming with us!¡±