《The Outsider》


 Chapter 1 Betrayed

    The last thing I remember hearing are sirens. Loud and alarming, a signal telling that something is wrong. I remember death, fire, sadness and betrayal. I watched with tears in my eyes as I began to fall.


    30 minutes earlier ~


    AWOOOO! AWOOOO! AWOOOO! AWOOO!


    "MARSTON! MARSTON ANSWER ME DAMN IT!"


    *BANG!*


    I jump out of my bunk from the noise to find my door now lying on the ground, and Sanders yelling at me from the doorway.


    "Sanders? Whats goin on, and why is the alarm going off?"


    "No time! Get dressed and get armed, Kael, we got a mutiny happening at the mess hall. Some idiots thought it a good idea to try and take out the captain now of all times."


    This ship, the Pexuz is a messenger ship, me, my best friend Sanders and among many others were assigned as guards to protect the cargo that''s on this ship. The thing was, this wasn''t any ordinary cargo, I don''t know what in the hell it is, only that it''s so important, that it has to be guarded by soldiers so elite, that not even the Head Council themselves exist. We answer to no one and everyone at the exact same time. We don''t know who gives us our orders, and I''m pretty sure that nobody knows how we get our orders. They just show up in our minds, as if they were always there, that we always knew what to do when the time came for whatever it is we need to do. Usually we are told what we''re guarding if we are to be assigned something like this, but this time, no. We have no clue what''s inside that cube, only that its so shocken important that not even "we of no name" (seriously that''s what we''re called)  aren''t allowed to know what it is.


    "WHAT?!" I rush to my locker in the corner of the room, and grab my shock suit, and Star Rifle .


    I quickly squeeze myself in the suit, and hear the familiar sound of energy flowing through the suit, I minimize my rifle and magna-clamp it to my waist. The shock suit is amazing, this suit is so protective, that it can survive atmospheric entry with little to no injury to the wearer, at worst a light concussion. The armor was made to resemble the Flusions, the most bad-ass race of warriors that punch first, ask later. The Flusions are the strongest beings in the known universe, they literally have jet engines built inside their arms, they can charge kinetic energy from their surroundings and of themselves and create a force so powerful that not even the hardest of Rhukonium, the strongest material and what makes up this suits composition, can withstand, and I''ve seen these suits survive getting sucked into a black hole, only to be spat out on the other side of the cosmos through a white hole. Now the Flusions are covered from head to toe in a carapace composed of bone that looks like a suit of primitive plate armor. On the head is a single curved, flat, helmet-like structure, there are no openings whatsoever besides the mouth. While seemingly blind, the carapace around the eyes acts like a one-way window, allowing only the viewer to see but not be seen. The rest looks a lot what you''d expect a regular suit of armor would be like, except with layered shoulder plates, and giant protrusions on the side of the arms, where the jet like appendage is.


    After I was geared up and ready to go, I grab my Photon pistol on my night stand and run out into the hallway where Sanders is waiting.


    "Sanders, who started this, and do we know why?"


    "It was Ha''l, that shifty krawn is after the box. He plans to take over the ship and use whatever is inside the box for ransom."


    "Ransom? Whatever is inside that thing is so important that now even we know whats inside it. For all we know it''s what could trigger another big bang, why would he just ransom off something that could potentially make him the most powerful being in the cosmos? Seriously though, why Ha''l, he''s the most honorable man I''ve ever met, there''s no way he would do something like this."


    "Well Kael, seems he just proved you wrong, seems he''s much stupider than he seems."


    We regroup with some of other guards and finally get to the mess hall, to find Ha''l and a bunch of other crew mates, I believed to be my friends, and.... Karou, the love of my life, my wife, on the side of the mutineers.


    "Kael?! No, not you too, why are you trying to go against us?" (Karou)


    "Karou? Why what''s goin on? Ha''l where''s the captain, why are you doing this?!"


    "He''s already dead Kael, I''m sorry, there''s nothing I could''ve done." (Ha''l)


    "Nothing you could''ve done?! You killed him you murderer!"


    "What, Kael, listen I didn''t kill the Captain, Sanders did! Seriously, do think I would''ve done that to my own husband?! I don''t know what Sanders told you Marston, but he''s tricking you. Listen to me."


    "Kael, don''t listen to him, he''s been lying to you, he''s trying to trick you and turn him to his side, I''m sorry about Karou, but we have to end this now, one way or another." (Sanders)


    "I...I don''t understand. What''s going on here?"


    "Kael, honey, listen to me! Sanders is trying to get the box for his own gain, he went as far as killing the captain to obtain it. He-" (Karou)


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "LIES! Listen to me Kael! Karou''s been in on this the whole time, they''re using her to trick you into helping them. I know its hard but you have to listen to me, we have to do this. Who are you going to believe, the best friend who was grew up by your side or the woman who is trying to help a man commit a crime that could possibly destroy all of creation? Who do you trust?" (Sanders)


    "I trust you Sanders. I don''t know why you''re doing this Karou, but I''m sorry, I have to do what''s right."


    "No, Kael." (Karou)


    I see Karou''s eyes begin to swell up with tears, and it pains me so much, but this seems to be the right thing to do, I don''t know why Karou is doing something like this, I hope its Ha''l using his psychic ability to control her, I guess maybe that claim that he willingly wears a dampener to prevent him from doing so was a lie to begin with. I have to put a stop to this. I trust Sanders with my life, and he''s a great many things, but he''s not the type of person who would trick his best friend into betraying his wife and friends.


    "I''m sorry Karou, this has to be done."


    An epic fight begins when someone randomly fires their gun. Don''t know who, but at that moment, both sides freaked out and plasma, and star-matter went flying through the air and many were killed. After a good 2 hours of fighting through the mess hall and the hallways leading past it, we managed to acquire the box and we seem to have lost sight of them until we arrive at the hanger bay, but it looks empty at first, all ships still intact and untouched, until I hear the familiar sound of star-matter charging in the barrel of a Star Rifle. I turn around to find Karou pointing a gun at me with Ha''l and a few others still coming into the bay.


    "Kael, honey, please, just step aside, stop this, and we can all go home and forget this ever happened. It doesn''t have to be this way, but if you choose to continue on with this, I will be forced to pull this trigger, please don''t make me do this Kael."


    "CHAW!"


    A star rifle near me went off, and the next thing I knew, there was a hole, where one of her hearts should be. I fall on my knees, tears running down my face as I watch Karou slump down and gargle her last choking breath as her last remaining heart tries desperately to keep her alive without the help of its twin. All sound seemed to have drowned out at that instant. Nothing seemed to exist except me, and the what soon will be the corpse of my wife. I can''t manage to utter a cry, a scream, nothing, no sound escapes my throat.


    "I''m sorry Kael, I really am, but there was nothing that could''ve been done this far in."


    I hear Sanders mutter behind me as he places his hand on my shoulder, I''m still at a loss for words and action. I barely noticed that the hand left my shoulder. Then after what seemed like seconds, I begin to try and gather my bearings, when a hand pulls me up and pulls me eye level with Sanders.


    "Time to get going Kael, this ship is set to blow, and I wanna be out of here before it does, c''mon."


    He pats my back and begins to lead me to a ship, I turn my head and see that everyone had been killed, Karou, Ha''l, our men and that of the mutineers''. Blood of all colors splattered everywhere. I turn back in silence and let Sanders lead me towards our ship, when for some reason we walk past it and to the force-shield keeping us from flying out into the vacuum of space.


    "Thanks Kael, you helped a good cause, but loose lips and all that."


    *CHAW!*


    Sanders shoots me in the chest, although the shock suit is damn near invulnerable, the wearer is unfortunately not, we still suffer from shock and pain, and its at most a glorified, super thick coating of the stuff on a regular battle-suit. It''s powerful but only to a point. The blast weakens the spot it hit, and knocks me to the ground, before I can stand back up and realize what happened. Sanders grabs me and throws me through the shield, and I begin flying through and drifting out into space.


    *Chzzk*


    "Well, although you''re going to die, I at least want you to see the beautiful scenery of space  as you die. Later."


    *Chzzk*


    The communications were cut, and I begin to black out from the pain in my chest.


    --


    A warp-hole opens up behind the Kael''s body as he drifts ever slowly towards it. Sucking him up entirely in the end.


    It opens up somewhere in uncharted space, and launches him towards a planet looming below it.


    --


    When I awoke, I felt hot, as if I was on fire. When I open my eyes I realize why I feel this. I AM on fire, I look up to find out I''m falling through the atmosphere of an unknown planet.


    I wonder how I got to this point, until it all flashed back to me, and I begin to cry as I remember Karou''s death, funny how I''m more upset over her death instead of what could be my own. With my suit damaged, I''m not sure if it can withstand atmospheric entry. Well, too late worry about it now I guess, I hope this kills me so I can see Karou once more.

 Chapter 2 - The Healer

    BOOOM!


    It was early in the morning when the alarms were raised, and everyone went into panic as we all heard an earth shattering explosion nearby. I run out of my house to check on the situation, after me and a few other calmed the other villagers down and decided it was safe, we gathered a handful of those who knew at least some combat, and the only healer in the village. We ran to the location of the explosion to scout out the area, and make sure no possible threat is nearby. When we arrived, we were baffled beyond words, what we saw was simply out of this world. There was a crater about half the size of the village, and a figure of a man laying in the center of it. He was covered in the destroyed, crumbled, charred remains of a suit of armor, when we approached the man, Theressa, our healer, discovered that the man was still alive, but just barely. What ever happened to this man must have been terrifying, so terrifying that it caused this man to end up in this situation, I pray that we may never have to experience whatever caused this.


    After a short debate, we brought the man back to village so Theressa can tend to him, and may perhaps gain knowledge of who he is, and why he was in that crater.


    --


    3 weeks later


    --


    (Kael''s POV)


    When I woke up, I was shocked, I never thought that I would live after that fall. Maybe some mysterious force out there decided to give me another chance. As I look around, I notice that I appear to be in a midevail Europe style house. I''m not to knowledgable on Earth history but Karou loved it, and I remember her showing me a hologram of a basic medevail home. I try to sit up to feel a sharp pain in my chest.


    "Agh!"


    As I scream in pain, a human woman runs up to me and tries to lay me back down.


    "Wow there, lay back down. You were seriously injured, its a miracle really that you survived. Although, at a price. You know one thing I''m curious about is, there was a hole in your chest, all the way through where your heart should have been. How could you have possibly lived through that?" (Mystery Woman)


    Weird, who would have thought that english existed even here of all places, on an unknown, uncharted planet. I raise my right hand and point to the left side of my chest, where I notice a scar sitting across from it, and say.


    "My heart is over here. I''m not exactly human if you noticed."


    She makes a face that tells me she''s both amazed, and shocked at the same time, which soon changes to one that matches one''s face when they''re sure they''ve won something.


    "That''s amazing, never in my life have I ever heard or met a being who''s heart is not where one usually is. I also figured you weren''t human when you were regenerating that missing chunk of your chest while back. Also your ears are somewhat pointed and you have slightly purple tinted skin. If you don''t mind me asking, what exactly are you? Some form of dark elf?"If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "I''m called a Quinlin. Also, if you don''t mind me asking. Who the shock are you, and where am I, and what exactly is a dark elf?"


    "Oh, my apologies, I completely forgot due to my curiosity. My name is Theressa Fairwhether. I am the healer that looked after you while you were recuperating. This village on the other hand is called Haythem, its a small rural place on the outskirts of the Alora Kingdom, and it doesn''t surprise me you don''t know about dark elves, they rarely let themselves be seen, let alone leave their caves."


    "I see. Another question, where is my arm?"


    I look to my left and find an empty spot where my arm should be, part of my shoulder is even gone.


    "Whatever happened to you caused incredibly severe burns on your left arm, what was left of it when we fished you out of the crater was already shriveled and charred black. Although some burns on your side weren''t as bad as your arm so it was healable, but you will have a big scar around where your shoulder used to be. I''m sorry."


    "Don''t be, but.. thank you. Now, am I fine enough to move around?" I ask her with hopes of being able to stretch my legs.


    She gives me a worried look and says.


    "Well, with your regenerative capabilities it may be fine, but as your doctor, I must implore you to proceed with caution, you did just barely escape death after all."


    "Alright."


    I slide out of bed, and stand up, just as Theressa hands me a shirt, some socks, and shoes. "Its not much, but you can wear these for now."


    "Thank you." I put on the clothes and she leads me out to the door, when I remember..


    "Where''s my armor, or what''s left of it."


    "Oh its in the storage crate by your bed, although I don''t believe you''ll be able to use it again."


    I can probably do something to it later, but that''s not something she needs to know.


    As I''m lead out of the house, I see an old european style village, complete with farmers, small time merchant stores, children playing in the streets, and I can hear the faint sounds of a blacksmith''s hammer in the background. Although I may not be from Earth, my wife was, and she was a major history buff. There wasn''t a day wasted where she would tell me all about the histories of nations, and the cultures and people that were originally there.


    As Theressa shows me around, I see people stop and stare at me for a moment before turning away as I look towards them.


    "They''re not used to people falling from the sky, and crashing into their fields." Said Theressa with a hint of amusement.


    "I''m sorry about that."


    "Don''t worry about it, at least you didn''t hit anyone or damage any crops."


    "That''s good at least."


    As we continue on a couple of kids playing in the street, stop and look at me before running up and bombarding me with stares of awe, and questions.


    "Who are you mister?" (Kid 1)


    "How''d you fall from the sky" (Kid 2)


    "You look funny, why are you purple?" (Kid 3)


    "Are you undead? If you are can you eat my brother?" (Kid 4)


    Uh.. one of these questions needs some therapy.


    Theresse comes over and saves me from the childrens'' attacks, and says.


    "Alright, move along guys before you scare him off with your questions, especially you Timothy." Theressa says as she wards them off.


    "First things first, I should take you to the village chief, he told me to bring you to him when you wake up, if you ever did."


    "Alright then, carry on."