Taylor didn't notice but the two pills she ingested were absorbed by Eve, who knowing her thoughts, wouldn't let Taylor harm herself any longer. Yet the tin was still there, and Taylor decided to be more careful. In her mind the conflict about whether she was her best friend there or a sanctimonious chaperone. Plus, Tay didn't know how far she had to be from Eve so she could use her 'succourses'. "Maybe they have something in here....who knows....." Billiam seemed impressed at the sight of Eve, slightly keeping the shape of Taylor's body, but still with lights and colors making way and then leaving her body as if she was a prism. "Are you a Satoorian?! I met a few of your kind before, fabulous people... What brings you to this side of the universe?" Eve looked at Billiam and the telepathical convo could be heard by anyone there. Yes, I am. Though I cannot say that times like this are very pleasant. I was sucked by a black hole to here. I have no idea how to get back to my herd either... And oddly enough whatever dragged us all here seem to prefer your kind- I'm the only one who doesn't have four limbs and an internal skeleton. How strange... For a moment, Taylor was having somewhat of an identity crisis....she felt great, and Eve was definitely her best friend there, but she couldn't go on if she kept using the opioid.] "Here Eve" she said throwing the Altoids box to her "Catch. And thank you. Do what you want with these - you were right." "Now, not having a skeleton or whatever doesn't matter to me here - consider me as a vessel to you Eve. I know about the power that you yield, and it's not because of that power either - we can help each other, and I'm thankful with all my heart. I'll never know how will I be able to repay you, but here am I - at your services." She however picked her pack of Newports and lit up a cigarette; "Now this is private property. If you respect me you won't take it from me" she smiled
Schadenfreude cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but now that Taylor's addition is gone, shall we get on with our journey? Find where these men are from and maybe some answers?" He asked, eager to get out of the forest. The skin on his cheek was mostly back, surely it might startle a few of his new friends. He hoped nobody would start attacking him. He looked around at the trees, and remembered the bird people. 'I wonder if I could control them. They could probably be so much more fearsome with an intelligent mind such as my own commanding them' He thought, his intentions mischievous.
As Schadenfreude looked around and his skin started groing back, he looked around at the trees. Taylor didn't have a clue of what the enigmatic smile meant but felt a bond to the man as well as she noticed he had the same self healing powers as him. "That's why I took my drugs orally", said Taylor, as she approached him. He barely seemed to pay much attention as Taylor picked one of her knives and slit her left wrist. Schadenfreude looked stolid and rolled his eyes as Taylor guessed what he would say, and hushed him with a finger at his lips. "Look" she said, as her deep wrist wound just healed in a single minute.
"Amazing." Schadenfreude said, sincerely, but followed up with "Now set something on fire with your mind and I will be impressed." He joked "Really though, I don't see many who can do that. May I ask where you're from?" He asked politely.
"Amazing." Schadenfreude said, sincerely, but followed up with "Now set something on fire with your mind and I will be impressed." He joked. "Really though, I don't see many who can do that. May I ask where you're from?" He asked politely. "Haha, I can set you on fire in a much diferene way that you could possibly think....", said Taylor, with a smile indicating she had a LOT of interest in Schadenfreude. She had noticed from the first moment he was this handsome man, with those eyes that mesmerized her, much different from the people back in the wastelands. "I come from a planet named 'Earth', or that's how they call it at least. I was born in an island, not far away from this place they called the 'Wastelands'. As far as I'm concerned, none of what I'm seeing here I've seen before, but my computer shows old photos....we had trees, a clear blue sky....now it's just all foggy, lighter in the day, dark as coal in the night. I've read about the subject and it was war. Between all the places there. Those old photos show Earth shown from space - it used to be blue. Nowadays it looks like a giant grey globe. I've been raised by many people, most of what I look back in anger, due to what they made me do....I didn't know the significance of the word 'humiliation' then, but soon enough I've found out. If I'm here it's because either because I'm dead, or that there's a purpose to my life, or I've been saved..." she sighed deeply "and I've never seen a man like you...so elegant, a true gentleman. And you have beautiful eyes..."
Taylor obviously had a crush on Schadenfreude, much to the amusement of himself. He never had interest in sex. His kind didn't reproduce, they just lived for a very, very long time. Oftentimes, however, he played along with the desire of the human. "I have been to Earth myself. Nice place, I must say. Never been to any wasteland." He said, with a flirtatious smile "I figure you are from a dimension where Earth has been destroyed. The Earth I'm from is much better off. Perhaps we could speak on it sometime if you're interested."
At long last a silver and blue shuttle appeared in the canopy above them. Due to the thick foliage it was unable to land so it dropped a ladder instead. "Our transport has arrived." The Commander said. "If you will get inside we'll get you the answers your looking for." And hopefully the help Theta Prime needs. ---- Theta Prime's Capital city. It gleamed like a thousand jewels, sitting on and around a hill near an ocean that could be seen in the distance. It wasn't small by any means, in fact it seemed to stretch for miles around. It was an amazing sight to behold. If one looked out the window, people with jet packs could be seen flying or walking around. Smiles were alight most every face and it seemed for a moment as if these foreigners had just stepped into an advanced Utopia. But all was not well if the creatures they had fought were any inclination. The foreigners were brought into the largest building of the city, the Capital Building, and sat at a table loaded with all sorts of foods and drinks. At the head of the table was a thin man with white hair and tired eyes. He looked as if he hadn't slept the past few weeks, but despite that he offered up a wide hopeful smile. "Foreigners, I am Mayor Wellbridge and I welcome you all to Theta Prime!" The Mayor's booming voice discounted his originally weak appearance. "Please, eat, drink. And while you do I will do my best to explain the current situation." The Mayor took a sip of wine and then began his story, "Three years ago our scientists were working on a serum that could change the human race forever. But there was an accident and our head scientist, Gree, was exposed to a mixture of chemicals that...well, altered him. He turned into this raging creature, killed all the scientists in the lab and disappeared. Up until a few months ago we thought that he had died in the wilds; but then the mutants appeared. Beast, not fully human or fully man. They came in all manner of shapes. Some like snakes, or bears and some like birds...like those you encountered in the Forest of Tears. Some don't look like any sort of animal at all...they are just grossly mutated." The Mayor took another drink of wine, his eyes betraying his fear as he thought back on the horror of that day. "We killed the creatures that attacked our city. But it wasn't until later that we found out they were once citizens of Theta Prime. We sent out soldiers to kill Gree, to stop him from transforming anyone else...but he has this...Orb with him. It is extremely powerful and enables him to turn into a giant beast. Thus far no one has been able to stop him." Mayor Wellbridge leaned forward, his eyes filled with desperation. "That's where you come in. We believe this Orb is the legendary Orb of Pyritus. It is extremely powerful and capable of opening portals to other worlds, even other dimensions. It's obviously the thing that brought you here. Here is my proposal...if you kill Gree and bring the Orb to us...we will use it to send you back home, or if you prefer we will reward you with your own mansion and riches beyond your dreams. What do you think?" He asked eagerly.
"I'd like a mansion and riches here", said Taylor, "But what do you have here that is fun, besides this wine here...?"
"I'd like a mansion and riches here", said Taylor, "But what do you have here that is fun, besides this wine here...?" "All sorts of things!" The Mayor stretched out his hands. "This is, after all, a resort world. Where people can rest, enjoy life and not have to experience hardships like on other worlds. In fact we've even altered the gravity here in some places to make it unlike any world in the entire galaxy. For example, the Forest of Tears, where we found you. Named such because the gravity is weak there allowing light things like leaves and water to float in the air. Then there is the Sky Ocean where the sea floats above you and you can walk on the ocean floor and experience it's wonders without special equipment. In other places gravity will shoot you into the sky or bring the clouds low to you." Mayor Wellbridge leaned back with a wide smile on his face. "Yes...there is no end to the entertainment here...but it is only available to those who are citizens of Theta Prime."
Schadenfreude listened with great interest to the Mayor. 'I will find my own way back to my world, who can resist riches? And this world sounds much to fun to simply leave.' He thought, with a smirk on his face. "It would be my pleasure to help you with this Gree problem. Would you happen to know where this monster is?" He asked in a friendly voice, though a particularly wise person would have sensed that he had ulterior motives.
Eve Eve watched everyone carefully, but Taylor in particular. How could she put toxins in her body, all the while knowing it may kill her? Oh well, if she wants to do it, i can't stop her. Sad really... she thought. Then she looked up at the Mayor. If this Orb is so powerful, then how do you expect us to retrieve it? A predator guarding his egg is much more ferocious than even a hungry predator.
Felix Previous Intro Post “Well? How are you gonna get it?” Zaxir stammered, while his eyes stayed with the crystal. “I want what’s mine.” Felix wiped away the sweat on his brow and turned his attention to the clues in his hand. The crumbled pieces of paper sat delicately in his palm, cracked and stained in ancient yellow. He gazed over the ink, mumbling the instructions to himself. “Do not fall for the sky. The answer lies in the fire.” However Zaxir was starting to become impatient. “Come on, figure it out already!” He snatched the crumbled clues and began scouting through them, throwing away the pieces he believed to be useless. “Yes, because that’s helpful.” Felix said with layer of sarcasm, still stood staring. He switched between the red flames and the giant crystal floating above and then back again. The answer lies in the fire. Surely it couldn’t mean… “I don’t get it.” Zaxir said, turning his head at the clues like a confused dog. “It’s just a load of lines and markings… whoa, what are you doing!?” His eyes caught Felix edging closer and closer to the fire with his arms raised up, shielding himself from the blinding glare and heat. The crimson flames spat and hissed, licking the unwelcome visitor with a lashing tongue. The heat was exhausting. The fire’s bite searing. Felix finally made it to the edge of the flames and in a sweat covered haze he stared into the abyss while his skin cooked, looking underneath the fire and searching… for something. The answer lies in the fire. Each crackle and spit scarred into his skin and all he wanted to do was to sprint away, upstairs into the chilling crypts above. A whiteflash. He blinked, but it was gone as soon as he had seen it, the burning flames hiding the truth within. His eyes squinted and he peered closer to the fire, leaning over the edge. A white flash. A shimmer. Suddenly it all became so clear. He stepped away slightly and looked over his shoulder at Zaxir, giving the space pirate a beaming smile. And then he dived into the flames. Zaxir’s eyes widened in horror, his big payday vanishing in a puff of smoke. Felix was probably dead too, burnt to a crisp, but now Zaxir would never get the giant crystal and he threw his hands on his head and stared at the treasure hopelessly. Every gentle swing in the air taunted him and all he could do was curse and stammer at the riches he had let slip out of his grasp. Or so he thought. Suddenly the flames burst up in all directions, exploding fiery debris onto the floor and revealing a jumping Felix, rocketing from out of a hidden pool underneath the fire. He fell onto the edge, drenched and shivering in a pile with his right hand cupped around a sparkling object. Diving into the flames had been excruciating – for about a second – and then after that it was serene heaven. The cool underneath brought relief to his skin, submerging himself in midnight blue silk. In the water there was silence, only his soft wading movements could be heard and he descended into the pool, where the heart sized Capstone lay. The white diamond rested gently on the sediment, still sparkling in the depths. And now it rested tightly in his fingers while his body shivered and his lungs begged for air. Zaxir’s eyes bulged out at the marvellous piece and he hounded for it, diving to his knees to snatch it. But Felix was too quick, slipping his hand away underneath him and turning over to reveal his energy revolver aimed at the space scum. “I don’t think so pal.” He breathed sluggishly, edging away from Zaxir. The pirate grimaced, spitting on the sandstone floor. “We had a deal, you two timing piece o–“ “We still have a deal.” Felix said, standing up gingerly with the gun aimed. “The stone is yours – once we get back to the ship.” He wrapped the diamond in a black cloth, put it in his satchel and holstered the gun, but froze at the sound of voices echoing from the stairwell. Torch beams sliced back and forth across the landing and he exchanged looks with Zaxir, only to see the pirate with a wicked grin on his face. Oh no… “Friends of yours?” Felix went for his revolver but this time it was Zaxir who was too quick. He drew his pistol at lightning speed and aimed it, twitching it up a few times until Felix put his hands around his head. “More ‘associates’ than friends really.” Zaxir jested, loosely swaying his weapon towards his target. “But more reliable than you. Now… hand it over.” He outstretched his hand, the gun barrel still aimed readily. Felix sighed and glumly closed his eyes while feeling around in his satchel. How could have been so careless? He had even told himself beforehand that Zaxir would do this, especially since he had done it to Zaxir on the Kestel job. That was the whole reason he was in this mess in the first place. Felix grabbed the black cloth and pulled it out. “Excellent.” Zaxir was a kid at Christmas, shaking with excitement and ogling at the present he couldn’t wait to have. “Now give it. Nice and slow.” Felix stepped closer and lowered the cloth into the pirate’s hand. The instant it touched his palm it vanished; Zaxir pocketing it away in one of his webbing pouches. Yet in his moment of triumph he let his guard down and Felix capitalised. A swift knee to his crown jewels and the pirate scum went down like an anvil, dropping the pistol instantly and assuming the fetal position. Felix whipped out his gun and aimed it down, “Ooo, that’s gotta hurt. I’d put some ice on that.” He said it with a smile, pulling out a second black cloth from his satchel and revealing the real Menkaure Capstone. Zaxir couldn’t answer; he just reeled about, his face stuck like he’d walked into a wall. The moment was short lived however. The goons from the stairs dashed in like a swarm, a group of five mercs armed to the teeth with automatic blaster rifles. They caught sight of him and charged, firing manically at the treasure hunter. Felix sprinted towards one of the pillars that circled the flames and shot back, catching one of them in the thigh. But the thugs still fired, tearing apart the finely crafted sandstone on the floors and walls, causing dust and debris to fill the air, while energy shots skimmed past Felix’s back by inches as he dived behind the pillar. He tucked his limbs in tight and prayed the wide column would take the heat, but the blaster fire was melting it away. Felix looked around to catch a glimpse of Zaxir who was now back on his feet, shooting at the pillar as well, still bent double with a face of painful anger. But Felix looked for too long and one energy bolt zipped towards him, barely missing his nose as he reeled back in behind the pillar. He gritted his teeth together, trying to think of a way out of this. There was no exit on the other side of the chamber, only the stairs where the mercs were pouring from. A secret passage maybe? No, the whole room was completely empty save for the pillars, the floating fake and the burning flames he now sat beside. But something caught his eye. Suddenly the shooting stopped. “Felix!” Zaxir screamed. “Now you have really pissed me off, but – and I say this ‘but’ thinly – maybe we can come to an agreement.” “I’m listening.” “Then listen good, Im’a only say this once. Give me the Capstone, the real one, and I will generously… and graciously… kill you now. That’s a good offer right boys?” The mercs mocked Felix in agreement, calling out in a chorus of yes’ and overly nodding their heads. “Or if you don’t like that I can just leave you in this underground crypt, cave in the doors with explosives and let you rot with your… history.” Felix kept quiet. His eyes were still locked with the flames, where something strange was happening underneath. Splashes of purple were bubbling below, growing larger and larger and swirling wildly. Yet strangely, Felix was not afraid of it. In fact he felt slightly drawn to the churning chasm now sitting about the bottom of the fire pool. It was calling him. “Well?” Zaxir asked. “What say you?” Felix gazed around the pillar quickly to catch the pirates edging closer, turning back to stare at the abyss in the flames below. “It’s an awfully kind offer, I must admit. Dying right here does sound like a stellar deal.” He stood himself up with his back resting on the pillar and scooted slowly towards the flames. “But I do have a counter offer, Zaxir.” “I’m sorry but there are no counter offers, my friend.” “I thought I was an associate?” Felix shouted back. “Good point. But there’s still no counter offers.” “Actually, I think there is.” Felix dived into the flames, popping out one last shot with his revolver as he fell underneath, catching another merc in the chest. The moment he hit the water the blaster fire resumed, zipping past him as he descended into the swirling purple below. The abyss pulled him downwards, flushing him into the darkness while the muffled shouts of Zaxir and his men became quieter. Soon enough the shouts were gone and Felix could only hear the sounds of his own heartbeat. The purple tornado pulled him down, lower and lower. He could see a dot of light below, which grew larger as he continued down. He wasn’t swimming anymore, just floating through nothingness until the dot of light flashed wide open. It was a bright as a supernova, bursting with white and burning his eyes closed. He shielded his face with his hands, but in seconds the light was gone, replaced by the soft trickle of sunshine through green leaves and the cooling hand of the wind stroking his face. The gentle smell of dirt and bark carried in the breeze and he sat up to find himself laying on grass. The soft touch tickled him as he glided his fingers across the green blades, and he looked out of the treeline to see skies of milky blue and stone carved mountains that touched the sun. No sandstone. No pools of fire. No crazed pirates trying to murder him. Felix smiled and laid back down on the soft grass, crossed his feet together and rested his hands behind his head. Not bad. Not bad at all.
Dracian Orden "Okay Drake, ready?" the familliar voice of the instructor buzzed in his ear, and he nodded, eyes adjusting to the dimness in the chute. If he didn't pass this, Drake didn't know what he would do. Feck -I'm the fastest flyer here, and the only one who can carry missiles just like the Squad One Dracos. If I don't pass this, it's only because I killed myself doing a new stunt. he chuckled, the sound echoing hollowly down the tube. The there was a clang behind him, and Drake felt the straps being tightened around his chest one more time. This was the first time he was going to be in full relegae for a test drive -not in any practice gear. If he dropped out of the sky... Well, there certainly won't be anything left of me but soot. Drake grinned as his heart pounded and the thrrill fo the risk set in. He clenched his fore-claws into smooth, round balls and crouched, allowing his belly to spread over the smooth bottom of the chute. "Okay. Three, two, one, go!" An explosion richocheed behind him, and Drake sensed the heat of unleashed rocket flame just behind him. Wings folded tight against his body, he gritted his teeth and lifted the back just a bit, just like in training. Then the hot air filled his wings, screaming past him for a split second before they filled and he launched out of the tube like a rocket. Only he wasn't a rocket. Two thousand, three thousand. His internal sense of height finally ended at five-thousand feet and he snapped his wings wide, catching the cool air and circling for a moment before he dropped into a dive. The icy mountain air screamed past his face, and Drake opened his jaws wide in a huge, draconian smile. He loved flying. Loved everything about the air. Even though he was human, or had a human brain, he had been created to serve his country and would do anything for it regardless of the body he had been born in. Having wings and a keen sense of smell were just an added bonus. Besides, he hadn't known any other body, so why would he think to miss hands and rounded ears? "Yeeeehaaaaa!" The examiners below scattered as he came within a mere ten feet before he pulled up sharply, swirling away in a dangerous corkscrew. Then his wings snapped open again and he backflipped, his black scales sparkling in the noon-day sun. There was nothing better than flying. Even under the weight of all the ammo he was carrying, Drake felt hardly any strain in his wings. He would pass this, he was sure of it. But before he could swoop into another dive, the sky... tore. Roaring in alarm, drake tried to backpedal, but he'd been going too fast and could not do much more than tuck his wings in and slide through, a shadow vanishing in the blink of an eye. * * * "Whoaaaaaa!" Drake yelped when he darted out into a room. And saw the wall right in front of his face. "Back back back!" panicking, he jerked one wing sideways and abruptly turned, his belly skimming the wall as he spun in a quick circle all around the room. The shouts of alarmed people filled his hears, and his nose flooded with new and unfamiliar scents. What had happened? Where was he? Confused, the shadowy Draco could do little more than circle around the room at close to a hundred miles an hour, unable to slow down for fear of crashing into something and breaking his wings or killing someone. The missiles strapped under his wings suddenly became a much more threatening object than a mere joke.
If this Orb is so powerful, then how do you expect us to retrieve it? A predator guarding his egg is much more ferocious than even a hungry predator Before the mayor could respond a massive black shadow appeared and began to race around the room. The strange dragon like creature startled the group, none more than the mayor, and began to circle the room in confusion. From the many doors of the oversized conference room armed troops of the Theta Prime special forces team burst forward. “Its bad enough you brought a band of transients to the capital, now they are popping up in your own conference center!” bellowed a commanding voice. Captain Blanger entered the room. Of all the troops he was the only one who wore no helmet. Approaching the conference table he stepped onto it with one strong motion, and bellowed louder still. “You there, you’ve got two second to get on the floor and disarm before my men assist you by force!” Blanger paid no attention to the rest of the group assembled and glared at the flying creature. His tightly cut silver hair and braid shoulders gave him an authoritative appearance, but it was the large burn scar that consumed his left cheek and ear before running down his neck that made him imposing.
Dracian Orden “You there, you’ve got two seconds to get on the floor and disarm before my men assist you by force!” Drake gulped and jerked to one side before his razor-edged wing could clip one of the men on another of his turns. Well, at least they speak english, but for god's sake they are stupid! Gritting his teeth in distaste, Drake couldn't help but note that the military where he had originally been would have reacted the same way. Well... if they act the same way, maybe they'll behave the same way once they figure out I have fekking bombs strapped to my sides! Drake snorted, then turned his head to glance at the Captain before he swung around again. His wings were starting to burn. Drake could only hold this up for another ten minutes at most. "My name is Dracian Orden. I am a Third-Year Draco from Squad 8. My apologies, but if i try to stop, the missiles attached to my sides are liable to go off in such tight quarters." he rolled over, skimming the wall with his back to reveal the gleaming silver cannisters. Then Drake rolled again just in time to regain control, and sparks flew when one of the tubes grazed the wall. Too close. "I was in the middle of a final training examination when I was taken unwillingly to this place, sir!" Drake kept his gaze fixated primarily on the wall, a never ending circle. Hopefully his military protocol would soothe any nerves. If there was one place he did not want to be, it was in a cage. But if he made one mistake... Drake gulped, deciding he'd prefer the cage. "Besides... I can't use any of these weapons myself." he admitted, embarassed. * * * Eve Eve ducked when the other creatures burst into the room, shouting at the strange shadowy creature that had darted in seemingly from nowhere. But the the looks of it, it couldn't stop, and Eve wasn't about to touch anything or do anything that would set off everyone else. Oh dear... No, for once, she stayed out of it.
Schadenfreude studied the dragon that encircled the building. 'Seems he is in a bit of a predicament.' He thought with a smirk 'I wish I could send him to his death somehow, or maybe even make him blow himself and a few city blocks. Unfortunately, this would lose the trust of everyone here, and I can't have that now can I?' He thought again. He learned in close to the Mayor "Perhaps it is best you get him somewhere safe. He doesn't appear hostile, and seems to be in a similar situation as myself and the others you call foreigners." He said to the mayor so he could hear over the chaos.
Roland sat on the couch, watching the mayor and his guards intently. Very basic technology; Roland could probably overpower any of them right now if he wished. However, that was not his intent. He was listening to an interesting predicament. "We killed the creatures that attacked our city. But it wasn't until later that we found out they were once citizens of Theta Prime. We sent out soldiers to kill Gree, to stop him from transforming anyone else...but he has this...Orb with him. It is extremely powerful and enables him to turn into a giant beast. Thus far no one has been able to stop him. That's where you come in. We believe this Orb is the legendary Orb of Pyritus. It is extremely powerful and capable of opening portals to other worlds, even other dimensions. It's obviously the thing that brought you here. Here is my proposal...if you kill Gree and bring the Orb to us...we will use it to send you back home, or if you prefer we will reward you with your own mansion and riches beyond your dreams. What do you think?" Gree: A strange, foreign name. It was unlikely to have the same meaning here as it did on his planet. The word was slang for something dirty and disgusting on Sauron. Wellbridge would probably love that. He ignored the blonde girl as she asked him about riches. Greed, one of the worst qualities for a scientist to have. Although, he couldn't quite draw his eyes from her. These white women were exotic, so different from the women on his planet. Especially this Clara woman he was sitting near. He was looking forward to talking with her sometime. Wellbridge spoke of a mysterious, powerful orb. It could open portals in between dimensions and worlds... that would be amazing. When he returned home, he would have finished his project. The last frontier of humankind would be accomplished by him! Well, if he could defeat Gree and get the Orb. He was so caught up in his thoughts he almost didn't notice when that thing came flying into the room. He scanned it quickly, following it's trajectory, and saw it flying towards the woman Clara. Thinking fast, he boosted his hind legs off the sofa, grabbing Clara strongly in his arms, throwing himself and Clara out of the way, while the flying man was confronted by security. Lifting himself off of her, he asked, "Are you alright, Clara?"
"Are you alright, Clara?" Another shriek flew from her lips as she managed to rise to her feet. Hiding a blush beneath her hat, Clara dusted herself off, not that would do any good being still soaked to the bone. "Am I...alright? Do you call that a query, Sir? How could I be alright with all of these...these....SPECIES!" She put her nose high in the air as a sign of distaste. "I cannot tolerate such nonsense. It is highly disrespectful and I will not tolerate it!" Her heel hit the floor in a childish stomp. "This 'Gree' and 'Orb' are not important to me. Killing is horrid and I have no interest in it, nor being in this prison world. I must go back. I need Jane. I need my life, that is, if I am still living at all." As Clara's rant echoed off the walls, her chin quivered. Walking over to the couch, she alighted on its cushions, crossing her feet with grace. While she cast another quick glance over the unique figures in the room, Clara let out a wince. With her face in a mixture of confusion and frustration, her eyes snapped back to Roland's. "Must you simply stand there and gawk? Do something about my predicament!" A sudden thought struck Clara, causing her to lower her voice. "Please."
"All sorts of things!" The Mayor stretched out his hands. "This is, after all, a resort world. Where people can rest, enjoy life and not have to experience hardships like on other worlds. In fact we've even altered the gravity here in some places to make it unlike any world in the entire galaxy. For example, the Forest of Tears, where we found you. Named such because the gravity is weak there allowing light things like leaves and water to float in the air. Then there is the Sky Ocean where the sea floats above you and you can walk on the ocean floor and experience it's wonders without special equipment. In other places gravity will shoot you into the sky or bring the clouds low to you." Mayor Wellbridge leaned back with a wide smile on his face. "Yes...there is no end to the entertainment here...but it is only available to those who are citizens of Theta Prime." Taylor remembered her past life, selling her body and soul for crumbs and that awful soda/jelly bean/syrup she took to forget she was just a whore. She started smoking at 11, stealing cigarettes from whoever was raising her at the time..she thought it was cool. Someone picked her on the gutter singing Led Zeppelin's Kashmir and took her off that life, but there so many men and women involved, next thing she knows she owes nobody sexual favors anymore, but still had to go there and sing with this band, the 22's. Sure, they rocked but the craving for a fix of something that would take her out of this world had already overcome her newfound 'life'. A Gentleman Jack, Pabst Blue Ribbon, her trusty vanilla vodka, didn't matter...she just didn't shoot herself in the veins because dude to her fast healing, the needles wouldn't go past her skin. Once, a dissatisfied customer shot her in the back twice...only to see her turning back and running towards him, as he tried to flee, and then, holding a knife in his throat, told him to drop his pants and underwear, and swiftly cut the man's penis. Suddenly she sees herself drinking with an apple on the tip of her knife, her mind drifting by....everybody seemed startled by whatever circled the room, she didn't care, did she have to fight? Suddenly, from all the doors soldiers after soldiers came in - the special forces? “Its bad enough you brought a band of transients to the capital, now they are popping up in your own conference center!” . Entered the only man without a helmet and silver grayed hair.
“You there, you’ve got two second to get on the floor and disarm before my men assist you by force!” said the man with the silver gray hair, and upon further in spection, a scar on his face, while Taylor, now by the sixth glass of wine, with just a teeny teeny tipsiness, smirked, drop her belt of butterly knives and muttered to the soldier "These are from a special friend, any scratches or dings will be repaid"Oh yeah and how is that so?" said the soldier, particularly eyeballing Taylor's shapes accentuated by that black latex jumpsuit "You''ll die" she whispered much to the guards amusement.
Blanger grimaced but didn't flinch. An armed flying reptile, a knife brandishing model, and a room full of other various freaks. For a moment he considered walking back out and letting the mayor deal with the frak he had created. "You three, make put the brakes on that flying lizard," he barked to the nearest of his men. "The rest take positions, we're locking this place down!" Drake found himself suddenly slowed. It was as though his body were in slow motion, his limbs grew heavy and he found himseld suspended in space above the onlooking group. Three of the armed guards were pointing curious weapons at him. The moment the dragon stopped its endless circling Captain Blanger pulled a small device from his tactical vest and pressed the button on it. Everyone in the room suddenly felt themselves pulled down, and held in position, including the mayor. Blanger and his men were unaffected, and the Captain moved toward the Mayor and handed him a device that freed him from the binding gravity. "This is not the first time we have had incedent with this Orb, or the first time we've had to deal with uninvited visitors from strange places." Blanger addressed the captive audience. "But I swear that this will be the last." "The mayor's offer stands, but what he hasn't told you yet is that you, or the more human of you, are susceptible to Gree's infection. Those willing to accept our offer can recieve a vaccine on your way out of this room. But either way, I want you all out of this city within one hour or you will locked up and shipped to the nearest deserted asteroid."
Felix The double doors burst open, revealing two more guards holding a man between them. They shoved him hard into the middle of the room and quickly pointed their weapons, freezing their captive in mid-air. One of the guards nodded, “Captain. Mayor,” he went on, “Found this one scamming guests at the Orouge Casino Hotel down by Lakeside. He was pretending to be maintenance to gain access to their rooms.” The other one continued, “We were going to throw him in the brig but his attire seemed a little funny, and we knew you were rounding up… visitors. He wouldn't tell us his name though, so we confiscate–“ “Illegally.” Felix’s blue eyes fixed on the guards with loathing. They scarcely seemed to hear him. “We confiscated his satchel and found a heap of fake IDs: Sam Edwards, Richard Baker, Neil Thompson, Johnny Dees, Ricky Marley... we even found one called Frederick Von Snafflehatch.” Felix cleared his throat, “It’s Baron Frederick Von Snafflehatch, actually.” The guard played deaf to his sarcasm. “We also found this,” The other one rummaged through the satchel and pulled out a large white diamond the size of a man’s heart. “Hey, that’s mine!” Felix feebly waved his hands towards it, still stuck in the suspended gravity. His body went stiff as the others in the room gazed at the dazzling Capstone, the attention surrounding it rising sharply. “I-It’s nothing really. Just some dumb old rock I found. Seriously – stop looking at it.” “Well regardless of what it is, it’s been confiscated and will stay in Military custody until the Captain deems it safe to return.” And with that the guards handed the satchel over to Blanger, leaving Felix cross armed and moody, like a spoilt child that didn’t get his way.
"This is not the first time we have had incedent with this Orb, or the first time we've had to deal with uninvited visitors from strange places." Blanger addressed the captive audience. "But I swear that this will be the last." "The mayor's offer stands, but what he hasn't told you yet is that you, or the more human of you, are susceptible to Gree's infection. Those willing to accept our offer can recieve a vaccine on your way out of this room. But either way, I want you all out of this city within one hour or you will locked up and shipped to the nearest deserted asteroid." If it would be an asteroid near Saturn, i would not mind at all -I need to get back to my herd. Eve said, though when the soldiers glanced at her in surprise she merely shrugged. The gravity had had no effect on her whatsoever due to her anti-gravity field, but she wasn't about to attack them. Instead, she was more curious about the odd metal things in their hands. But a deep-throated growl caused her to paused and glance at Drake. The Draco's gaze was burning with a deep, red color now other than the usual amber. Plus his pupils had dilated to slits. "We will train you to the utmost, Dracian. Both mentally and instinctively. If you ever get pinned, you will fight, regardless of the situation. No enemy will be allowed to hold you captive and use you for information. You will kill yourself before you allow that to happen. Do you understand?" the commander gazed at the small, black serpent before it nodded. "Yes. I do. And i will." The growl grew louder in Drake's chest, thrumming like a pulse engine throughout his body and making the floor vibrate. His legs quivered against the increasing gravity, straining to lift his long, lean body off the floor. His jaws curled to reveal rows of shiny pearl-white teeth, and his eyes glinted where they had fixed on the far wall. Dark muscles bulged beneath his smooth, scaly hide, and the tip of his tail lashed. His wings remained pinned to the floor, though, helpless, and he struggled to try and tuck them in. All in all though, he was perfectly unable to move from his place. "Apologies.... but I do not... have... the ability to stay still when pinned down..." he gritted out, and one taloned paw clenched in the carpet. "I... have been trained.... to fight all bonds.... but the ones that my Commander has ordered me to allow...."
"Oh, Dear. Oh dear." The mayor said. He seemed flustered, perhaps even frightened of the intimidating commander but it was obvious he was trying to maintain his illusion of control. "If you would all remain calm and in your seats then none of this would have to happen. Dragon-creature, do you swear to sit still and not attack anyone if we release you?"
"If you would all remain calm and in your seats then none of this would have to happen. Dragon-creature, do you swear to sit still and not attack anyone if we release you?" Taylor was still pretty amused at the whole shindig. She was pinned to the ground but somehow she hovered about 6 inches above the floor. Same with her belt. Could a bit of the essence of Eve had passed to her? Eve did I get this from you? she sent her thoughts to the Satoorian as the guard that just smirked at the nice lookin' gal-we-don't-get-too-many-of-these-in-this-city noticed, her knife belt was floating.
