Chapter eight - Dreams and Reality.
Darkness was crawling slowly in dark corners. Cold wind was blowing lightly, wailing quietly outside... The floor was dirty and dusty. It's wooden cover was cold and harsh. Young guard was leing there and was listening the silence. He didn't know where he was. He didn't know what was happening with him or what was that. Young man simply lay on the floor and breathed with dusty air.
He didn't know how much time have passed. He didn't try to think. The darkness and silence was whirling slowly near him and he was watching after it. By his back he knew that it was a dream, but this thought was so distant and unclear that he couldn't hear it mostly. He was getting pleasure from this dream and it was good. This relaxed state... this silence. The events of the last days were not the most calm days in his life. He needed time to think and he had it now. Air was so quiet and calm. It was cold and dusty down there, but he didn't care about it... The strange thing was that he could feel coldness. He thought that there were no feelings in dreams, but he felt it... and he felt strange wailing pain in his chest, as somebody was trying to crush his guts, but this pain was dull and unclear as all his feelings and he didn't care about it. He wanted to lie and listen. Young guard was so tired from this meaningless run by the mountains.
"Stand up..." - he suddenly heard quiet muttering, as it was coming from his own lips. Young guard started, but did nothing. He thought that it was only wailing of the wind or his rich imagination. He didn't want to interrupt this dream... but this voice didn't leave him. It became stronger and more confident - "Stand up, boy. I have a business for you..."
Voice... this voice... Nick shuddered and stood up quickly. He knew this voice. It's old, cracking sounds were wailing in his ears for so many years. It was commanding him, it was ruling him, making him to do things, he didn't want to do... It was a voice of his blasted father. Nick looked around with hatred and spitted to the floor:
"Leave me be, father. You are dead, history... your blasted bones are nothing, but dust for me and I hope that you are getting your piece of luck in hell. I have nothing to do with you."
The shadows began to move... Young guard couldn't understand where he was, but somehow he understood that he was in that cursed bar... in that place, where he met Daisy. He could swear that he saw the shadow of the dead bartender, lieing in the darkness somewhere downthere. He felt the smell of bad booze and recent fight. He could hear cries of the drunken raiders and flies, flying over the dead bodies... But it all was so unclear, as if he was looking at it through the blanket... blanket of reality.
"I am dead, but you are dead too... Spirits of this place orders me and I follow. Don't flatter yourself if you think that I want waste my time on your sorry ass. You was a bad son and I had to teach you a lot."
"Your every lesson ended in pain and broken limbs, drunken bastard... I wish I could kill you myself, but I was too young. There are few people, who I hate so much... father. Show your fucking face and tell my why have you dragged your sorry ass from deepest pits of hell. I am sure that you have quite a good warm place down there... Don't hide in this fucking shadows."
Darkness stoped for a while and than began to whirl slower. Nick began to notice unclear shadows, familiar surrounding of the bar... his unfinished bottle of booze. Yes, it was a bar. And somebody was sitting on his place and was drinking... His face, his voice weren't seen or heard. It was only a bleak shadow, but Nick knew who was he. Long ago, when he was a little boy, he often spent his nights in taverns with his father. He knew his every motion or expression. Young guard knew when his father was in bad mood and he should hide... In every motion of this shadow he saw the past... In a second the shadows became deeper and a whole bar disappeared in the darkness. Nick was standing now in the middle of nothing, but coldness didn't disappeared. It meant that the dream wasn't over...
"This shadows around you are the shadows of your own origin, boy... It is you, who cast shadows on this dream. This is your place..."
Unclear figure appeared near him, but his voice was quiet and tired now. Nick didn't remember him like this. His only memories were about drunken cries and painful lessons... he didn't remember anything else about father. When he was found dead with cut throat, Nick wasn't very disappointed about it. He had a good place as message boy in one of the local shops and he had enough money to live. The only problem was that he didn't find out who was his mother, but it wasn't so important now anyway. His father wasn't going to talk about it - every time, when Nick tried to talk about it, father was becoming as drunken devil and was ready to crush every head on his way... With time, Nick forgot about his father and about his past. It was past and it should be left alone...
"What do you want? Are you going to annoy me even after your death." - Nick didn't think about what was happening all around. The dream was running swiftly, but he didn't care about it. Hatred and pain began to arise again, as bloody red sun. Shadows were becoming deeper with every second, as young guard looked into the shadow of his father. The figure was becoming more and more clear. Than began to appear limbs and clothes... yes, it was he. The same strong body, harsh blue eyes, short black hair and rude voice... His clothes were untidy and torn as always. Several old signes of dried blood and booze were seen there. The remains of recent breakfast was seen there too...
"I came to help you, boy... I want to show you..." - the imagination began to shake and disappeared in the darkness. Nick closed his eyes and breathed deeply. His mind was full of new sounds. It were the sounds of the small town. The people were running by his business. Children were playing in their tricky games. The common noises of the town was running in the air. Small boy was running by the street to the bar. He was sent to bring a large bottle of good wine to the bartender. It was good and very expensive wine. Only few customers could afford it and it was a great sign of trust for the shop keeper to allow such a small boy to carry it. Small boy was happy, he was working hard for a whole month, trying to get a job in this place. The shopkeeper was a good man and paid enough. If he'll show that he can be trustworthy, than may be...
"Hey, Nick... Come here." - small boy looked around and saw his father. He was hurring to him and it looked like that he was agitated by something - "You know, I heard a funny thing, that you got a bottle... Oh, I came here to help you, boy. This bottle is heavy. Let me show you how make it lighter." - small boy didn't want to give it to his father. Some strange feeling tried to warn him, but he was not so quick or strong. Hands of the father grabed the bottle and Nick saw as his father is opening the bottle and... and... Nick opened his eyes and looked coldly into the eyes of the father.
"I need nothing of you. Leave me or I'll make you dead again."
Shadow laughed quietly, but it looked like that it was moaning:
"Ungratful git, I am your father. I gave you life and this is your thanks... This is a dream and you can't hurt me. This is YOU, who summoned me. I came here by the order of the spirits of this land and I'll give you my present." - his shadow became large and black. Darkness itself tried to avoid the endless blackness of this figure. The sounds of the town disappeared in his evil, twisted voice. There were heard no tiredness or any other human's feelings in it. This... creature was laughing. Even mad followers of the Holy fire were babies near this one. Nick shuddered and tried to fall back, but he had no place to do it. He was surrounded from all sides by darkness and he had nowhere to run.
"What's the matter, boy? You want to leave your poor old father? Don't you want to embrace me?" - his laugh changed to the evil hiss. The silence all around was filled with hatred. It was hitting as it was alive. The dream became alive on it's own and was going to consume him. Nick looked at his father with hatred and cried loudly:
"Come here, scum. I always wanted to spill your guts. It is good that hell gave you your true form..." - terrible laugh rushed at him and crushed his senses into dust.
"Foolish boy, it is your hatred, that summoned me. It was you, who gave me form and strengthes. I was a mere shadow sent to warn you, but now I will be you death... This is your dream... your nightmare and you have nowhere to run. Who will save you? Your hatred, your blind hatred on this holy grounds gave me enough to make you to join me... hahaha. Come, my boy, your father have a sweet warm place to share the eternity with you..." - wave of hot air hit in his face and Nick became blind for a second... but in his blindness he found something new. He saw the place, his father came from... he saw people... he saw suffering... Young guard didn't want to get there, at least for now, and opened his eyes hardly. Pain and hatred was whirling madly in his mind. His shoulder was hurt badly. He looked at it with surprise and noticed signs of teeth on it, as if it was torn by wolf... His father was standing nearby and was looking at him. He disappeared in the darkness again and only smile were gleaming with dark-red colour of blood and hatred.
"You are making your father to wait. Be a good boy and follow me..." - the voice was sweet and gentel, but poison of the snake was whirling in it. In the darkness before him appeared unclear, dark hand. The remains of rotten flesh were hanging on it as some kind of clothes. Waves of pure heat was coming from it and Nick could almost felt it... Young guard became so weak. Tiredness felt at him as huge rock. Why was he struggling? What was the point of it..? May be it was better? He looked into the eyes of the shadow and noticed... nothing. They were emtpy, as eyes of the dead. His father was dead and didn't talk with him. This shadow... this beast... It was not his father. It was not even a bleak shadow of himself - mindless and hurmless toy, which was used by some toy-maker. Nick took the shadowy hand and laughed... the shadow crumbled into aches on his eyes. Quiet cry of disappointment sounded in his mind and blackness surrounded him... Nick closed his eyes...
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Daisy was sitting near the fire and was watching after the moon, raising slowly over the western mountains. It's dead white-yellow colours as cover of the bones were gleaming grimly in the night. The snow stoped and sky was clear now. The few clouds were running to the north, chased by warm southern wind. The smells of spring could be felt clearly in the air, though it was long story yet. The sweet aromat of mountain's flowers was whirling in the air. The quiet muttering of light, gentel warm wind was making her relaxed. Calm cracking of the fire was bringing peace to her soul. She didn't want to send this guy to his death, but she had little choice. He decided on his own to leave here. This sacred grounds were a bad place to stay... and the time of full moon was twice bad because spirits of this place were restless. Somebody else could say that it was nonsense, but Daisy spent in this mountains quite some time to understand that sholdn't ignore this... and several packs of wolfes, who was following them, make her sure to do it. It was a mistake... in a few hours she tried not to think about it, but with every hour she began to feel herself more and more agitated, as some vital part of her was torn away from her. Only her tiredness and will were making her to stay. She wouldn't help him now anyway and make it even worser. Young woman didn't know what was waiting for this guard, but she was sure that she would be the next... and the failure in this game will mean her death. All this thoughts were crawling in her mind, but she didn't think about it much. Strange sense of peace was felt in the air and everything was surronded to it. The wind didn't wail evily anymore and hid in some dark cracks of the mountains. Dark ceatures of this place didn't hurry to leave their dens because it was a night of the spirits... Only barbarians and fools dared to anger the spirits of this place, by spilling blood. Daisy closed her eyes and felt the beatiful smell of the nearby flowers. It was so pleasant and unknown feeling for her. Her last(and the only boyfriend) was not very romantic soul and all his dates finished(and started ) with sex... Well, he was male, her second part and it was ok for her. All this feelings meant nothing for her. She laughed and grinned over this boy... this Nick, but in the heart she learnt from him. She looked at this mountains again and saw new unknown world for her...
"I hope I'll see you again... Nick" - she muttered quietly and her voice was not low or harsh... her voice was strangly gentel and kind as if it was coming from not the throat of this half-beast... she fell asleep.
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"Oh, it's you... finally. I began to wonder when you'll appear." - Daisy heard this young, strong voice and opened her eyes. Was it Nick?! How could it be that he was alive? Her happy smile disappeared as soon as she looked around and met with Nick's eyes. He dragged her in his nightmare... in his test... and he knew that she knew about it clearly.
"Daisy, you know. This test is very funny thing - you may learn a lot about you and your friends... if you survive..." - he grinned evily and looked at his body. It looked like that he was skinned alive. Skin in several places was torn harshly and his guts were seen clearly - "Heh, I am sure that it will be painful, when I'll wake up. I think I must thank you for this pleasure. I knew that you'll join me sooner or later. Your spirit in this place is felt too clearly..."
Daisy looked around with caution and looked at Nick with worry:
"What has happened with you?! And where are we?" - young guard grinned and looked at her with surprise:
"Don't tell me that you don't know. I saw several quite interesting pictures in this place and you were one of the main heroes there... You know clearly what is it and what is waiting for you. Well, it was pleasant, but I have my own unfinished businesses here. Let's talk about it later... if I'll see you again, but for now - good luck and don't allow your hatred to overhelm you. This place is feeding..." - his voice began to disappear in the darkness whirling all around. Daisy could feel the smell of the mountains yet, but she knew that she was in some other place... this place was... it was... the remains of an old tree was seen near her. An old rope was hanging on it and was making quiet hissing sounds. Large dark shadow was hanging on it... Dark unclear shadows of the past appeared from the darkness for some time to disappear in it once again. The shadow of Nick didn't disappear yet, but Daisy didn't look at him any more. All her attention was attracted by that unclear thing, hanging on the tree... She made one unsteady step to it, but it looked like that she walked a whole day. Her legs began to hurt, her breath became heavy and unsteady. Lungs were full of fire...
"Daisy..." - quiet whisper of the wind disappeared in the silence... "Daisy... help... me..." - young woman tried to make the second, but she couldn't. Suddenly she heard another voice and looked around. It was woman's voice and it sounded strong and self-sure. There were strengths and coldness in it and it looked like that it could domain everything and everyone...
"No, no, Daisy, don't try to chase your own shadow - this is pointless." - the voice sighed deeply, thinking about something, and than laughed - "Well, I think that your mother is guilty in it too..." - the shadow of Nick became clear again... but it wasn't Nick. Daisy looked at this older woman in leather armour and cold eyes... This woman was handsome. Her age didn't take away all her beaty. May be in her youth she was really beatiful... and she looked like her. Daisy could say it for sure... the same gleam in the eyes, the same form of the face.
"M... mother." - she whispered quietly, didn't knowing what to say.
"So, that's how we met... Strange way, but that's okey, I guess. More important that I finally see you... my baby... Let me see you clearly..." - she came closer and Daisy looked in her eyes... the eyes of her mother. She waited to see there fear or hatred. It would help her to do it... but she saw there only smile... and love. All that rumours... all that deeds, that she witnessed. Daisy couldn't believe that this woman made it all. No, it was mistake... it was some terrible mistake and she was acused falsely. The whole world was wrong. Her... her mother couldn't do it. She came closer and embraced her mother. Tears appeared in her eyes and she could say nothing. Daisy didn't know what was she doing, but she knew that it was right. This woman was her mother and she could do nothing else.
"Mother... I was waiting for you for so long, mother..." - she was whispering quietly, trying to say something, but her tears disappeared in soft gentel arms of an older woman.
"No, no... baby, you shouldn't cry. You are a big girl, you are fighter... Leave your tears for other time... I am here and everything is good now. I was looking for you for so long and finally you are here... Now everything will be fine..." - they were whispering quietly and didn't want to hear the other world, though the world has changed... New and new shadows began to arise around them and began to mutter something about Jace... about her sins... and tree didn't disappear and it's terrible package on the old rope began to wail louder with every new shadow...
Chasing the Sun
(Damn, it looks like I once again fell into the embrace of semi-psycologi's theme. Sorry, but I have such demands sometimes.)
"Mother..." - she whispered with fear and looked around. The darkness was gathering around them with terrible speed. Moaning and cursing of long-dead people were heard all around. Every piece of free space around them was full of shadows, hatred... and pain. Daisy could feel the pain of this shadows, as if it was their cloak. They suffered... they suffered greatly and the source of their suffering was near them. Young woman looked with fear at her mother and didn't know what to do. She was confused and frightened as if she was a small girl... somehow she began to feel herself like this. She wanted to be protected, she wanted to be safe from this harsh and unwelcome world. Many times Daisy wanted to hide in some dark hole to be left alone, but she had to struggle and face her own fears... And she did it to survive, but now... her mother was with her and she will protect her. Young girl was sure in it.
"Don't worry, Daisy... I am here and you shouldn't worry. Nobody will be able to make me to leave you." - her voice was so soft and warm, as summer's sun on the mountain's slopes... Daisy closed her eyes to hide tears. She didn't want to cry, but her eyes didn't follow her orders. By that time an older woman rose her eyes and cried loudly:
"Who the hell are you?! Leave us alone NOW or I..." - her voice disappeared in quiet and uncommon whisper...
"She doesn't know... You don't know... YOU don't know..?!" - in their whisper was heard surprise and wonder, pain and laugh... hatred and death... Women felt dreadly coldness, coming from the darkness surrounding them. This black endless whirlpool was ready to consume women's sanity... Bleack, colourless, endless - the reality began to shudder and wail, as if it was alive. Suddenly all was stoped. Darkness stoped and began to listen someone's quiet unheard for the living whisper. Only a quiet moaning of the rope was heard in the air...
"Jace... your crimes and sins began to annoy even the eternal spirits of this place..." - words sounded in the silence of the air as thunder. They were falling from all sides and nowhere the same time. Hundreds... thousands of shadows were surrounding them and were looking at the alive women with hatred and jealousness. An older woman looked around, grinned and laughed:
"You have no right to talk about my crimes. Nobody does... Show me your bloody face or run away, you cowardly piece of shit."
Dead silence continued for a second and it looked like that heavy sigh hanged in the air.
"Does the victim have a right to judge the killer? Does the slave have a right to kill the slaver?! Nobody can say for sure... Was it their destiny? May be the killer followed some infernal law... But now you will be judged, Jace the Terrible, and your own victims will fullfil the will of the law..." - his voice exploded with hatred and large dark shadow appeared near Jace. It's unclear face was gleaming with hatred and lust for blood, so it was hard to notice any humanity in it... Daisy looked at it once, but immidiatly hid her face on mother's shoulder. She didn't feel such fear in her whole life. Her guts were ready to leave her body, but warm, strong body of her mother was supporting her. She heard her quiet, gentel whisper all the time and it was making her calm.
"So, you will be my judge?" - Jace grinned and spitted into the darkness, where she thought was this shadow, but nothing had happened... The spit disappeared in the endless darkness surrouding all this place. Quiet muttering and whisper of thousands of shadows were heard all around. It looked like some public judge, Jace took part one time. The results of it was the public hanging, but she didn't care about it - she steped forward and looked directly into the face of this shadow:
"I am not going to take part in this circus leave me - I have more important business to discuss than blab with deadmen and ghousts." - she tried to grab the shadow, but her hand found only air. There were nothing there, but in several feets was standing the same shadow and it looked like that it was grinning:
"You will go nowhere, killer... You have no place to run away now. This is a cage of the will and there can be only one exit. The spirits ordered and blood called. Your daughter... your blood will witness every your crime... every dead soul you sent into eternity. You will pay for every one of them and than you'll join us and your own spawn will do it in the name of justice. Nobody will dare not to fullfil the law - only than you will be free, Daisy. This is your own will and I'll help you to see it; Look what your mother have done and cry... cry with me and every other of thousands of her victims..."
The voice disappeared in the echo of voices. Every voice was telling it's own history. Every shadow was talking about every new and new of many of Jace's sins. Human's mind could collapse from the pain and hatred, that fell on their shoulders, but they endured. Jace was listening grimly and steady. She tried to look into the eyes of every shadow and there were no sorry or regret in it. Her lips were smiling harshly and her hands were ready to fight, as if it was her opponent... Near her was standing her daughter. Daisy looked at every shadow and saw it's pain. She saw hundreds of deathes. Young woman saw her mother... and she was different. Sometimes she was cold and emotionless. Sometimes she was mad and furious. Blood and pain, hatred and depression, fear and bloodlust - all this feelings were changing place in her mind as were changing the pictures of another crime. Daisy thought that she had seen the harshness of the world, but it was not true. She didn't saw endless, hopeless and pointless death; she didn't feel emptyness and senseless of pain; she wasn't ready to see the face of the death, when she was so young. Her blood was warm and her heart was beating strongly - she didn't want to see or hear it... But she couldn't turn away. From every side new and new shadows were looking at her. Their words were piercing her mind with cold and senseless truth. The chill wind of hatred was promising to make her unconscious...
"Take my hand, Daisy... Take and remembered that I always loved you..." - she heard quiet whisper of her mother and grabed her hand strongly, as the last chance to survive. Now she felt some kind of peace and sighed deeply. The words were sounding in her mind yet, but now it was nothing, but annoyance. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply - all was fine...
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Nick was wandering in the darkness... He lost any meaning and sense of surrounding his things. In the first time young guard remembered that he left his half-deathclaw in his back. In that time he was going here. Nick supposed that he will find several interesting answeres here... At least he thought so, but he couldn't say where this idea came from. May be it was some inner voice or something like this. In life he prefered not to listen all this stuff, but this place... Well, it was rather strange for his liking, but nevertheless it could prove to be useful too. He looked around and sighed deeply. Where was he and what a hell was going on around here. He felt himself as he was tearing apart by thousands of hands. Strange chill feeling chained his heart and he could breath barely... but all this feelings were bare, unclear. Nick felt that his body was dyeing. He felt it's pain, but he didn't care about it. It looked like that it was different life and he didn't want to mess with it... Finally Nick stoped and looked around. He wasn't sure, but he thought that he arrived. All was the same around him - the same darkness was whirling slowly all around. The same silence was hanged in the air and nothing interrupted it... But this strange annoying feeling that he was there, was following him. Nick sighed deeply and tried to think what to do next - he saw a lot in this strange place, many pictures of his past and past of his friend came near him, but he didn't see the only one thing, he cared for... Nick wanted to see his parents... he wanted to see how he was born. Of corse, he could imagine that he was born in some dirty fun-house among the raiders and drunkards, like his father, but he must be sure... It was not so important for him all this time, but now he suddenly felt that he must do it. Nick felt fear and agitation... Sometime he wanted to return to that place, because he didn't want to see the truth, but it was his only chance. The blanket of reality could fell on his head every minute and he knew that he wouldn't forgive himself if he'll lose such a chance... Young guard sighed deeply and looked into the darkness, surrounding him. It looked like that there were nothing, but it was wrong feeling. Nick already understood that this place... it was some kind of collection of memories of the past. One could find shadows of every moment in history, but he must be very attentive and interested in it. The shadows didn't follow the person - person had to follow shadow.
"Show me... show me my birth, blasted brain, if this is really my fucking bonebox." - he muttered quietly, looking into the darkness.
From the very beginning he saw nothing. Endless blackness surrounded from every side and it looked like that even his body consisted from this blackness. But than something began to change... Some of the shadows began to grow darker and got a forms and figures. They began to whirl and fly around Nick with surprise and fear, as alive creatures. The other shadows remained dark and silent. They looked quietly at this strange person, who tried to command in their realm. They didn't feel hatred, wonder or some other human's feeling. Pure shadows didn't know this feelings or any other. This alive being brought agitation there... and they wanted to solve it.
"Are you sure that you want to see it, human..." - one of the shadows came closer to him and whispered. Nick could almost feel it's unreal cold body - "Sometimes past must be left alone - this is wise words and they belong to you. Return to your friend. She needs your help - you will find nothing here, except pain and suffer."
Nick looked at him coldly and said nothing. All his figure expressed stubbornness and determination. In the air sounded heavy sigh and voice said:
"This is a way of every human, I suppose... even your's, master. Do, as you wish..." - the darkest of shadows began to disappear and light, quick shadows began to whirl quickly around Nick. Young guard almost felt joyness and happiness of the childhood, when he was watching after this strange spirits. They were whirling around him, whispering, muttering, singing something. His head began to fill with strange, unknown sounds. He hadn't felt anything like this. It looked like... like... it was impossible to describe this feeling, as impossible to describe the joyness to see the first sunrise or make your first step... Nick was overwhelmed by endless amount of vairous feelings and colours. Different voices and noises were whirling in his mind and it looked like that a whole world was in his small mind. For the first several seconds he thought that his mind would be torn apart, but with time Nick began to feel more clearly. The noises stoped to sound as chaos and became more calm. He heard someone's voices and cries... he heard as somebody was laughing. The colours... first of all he saw only black colour. Than suddenly as spark, he saw white. It made him blind for a second and made him to start, but he was happy to see at least this colour in this realm of blackness and shadows. From the black and white began to born the others, different colours... gray, white-blue, white-yellow... It looked like that a new world began to born on his eyes. Nick looked after this with interest, though all his attention was attrected by something else... The voices... he listen the sounds in his mind and suddenly began to understand that it was exactly what he wanted to find... The colours, pictures were an interesting stuff, but he didn't care about it. He wanted to gain knowledge as sooner as possible and his eyes didn't follow after his ears...
He heard the cries of the woman. He heard the worry voices of some other women... Sometimes he heard quiet and gentel voice of a man. Who was they? How were they connected with him? Nick didn't know it, but wanted to know. He was sure... he knew that all the surroudning concerned him somehow, but how... Colours were dancing around him madly, gathering in mad, unknown rainbows. Even the crasiest of painters couldn't even imagine to describe something like this because it meant to express all the existence in it's glory and variousity... From the colours began to appear shadows... forms... figures. Distant houses... deserted wildnerness... wasteland. It was gray and lifeless... Nothing so uncommon was seen there, so Nick continued to look after the unseen pictures. Yellow colour of the sun began to mix with blue colours of the water and appeared new... strange and unknown colour. It was called green... this colour was a colour of desease and death, but it was a colour of life. With surprise Nick saw strange green alive plants. They were alive and were bringing warmth. The fresh, green as emeralds, grass was sparking under the bright warm sunrays... White, clean houses were seen here and there and people were working there. Nick came to one of the houses and saw there the gathering of people. Who were they? What was that place, where life appeared renew?! May be it was a dream..? A good dream from the past... But no. Nick knew that it was real. His light smile disappeared when he looked at one of the people, standing in the mob. It was his father... He looked stronger, younger and more clean than usual, but it was he. Young guard remembered him too good to forget... His father and dozen of the people was standing outside one of the buildings and was waiting for something. Terrible cries were heard sometimes from this building as somebody was torn apart there. Was it some kind of savage sacrifice. Nick grinned - even this eden has it's price... but suddenly... suddenly he heard another cry. This cry was a cry of baby... Smiles and happy muttering began to travel by the mob. Everybody congratulated his father... and to Nick's surprise he saw strange, kind smile on father's face. Young guard saw him grinning, he saw his drunken smile, Nick saw his satisfied wild smile, but he never saw this strage feeling on his face... May be he was wrong... may be... Suddenly he understood what was that. It was his birth... He got exactly what he wanted, but it didn't bring him peace. To tell the truth it arose a new wave of chaos. What has happened? Why did they leave this place and settled in that hell? What has happened with mother and why his father became like... like this..?! Nick prepared himself to saw his birth in dirt and misery of this post-nuclear world, as everybody else, but this picture... it torn apart his sanity. He began to feel that he is losing the grip of reality and he had to use all his willpower to remain conscious... The picture became bleak and began to disappear in the mist of the past. Shadows were whirling around Nick with anticiptation as if they were waiting for commands. Young guard sighed deeply and shook his head - he will get his answeres even if that meant to die:
"Show me the truth... What has changed?"
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Nick was coming grimly by the darkness. The answer on his quietion was burning in the back of his mind as hot iron. He was ready to kill any alive thing, but there were nobody. His body could move barely - all his skin was covered with scars and wounds. His face was red from blood and tears. It was he, who tried to tear his eyes away not to see the truth, but it's cold words were piercing his mind and he couldn't escape from it. Even unconscious couldn't offer shelter and now he had to endure it on his own. He felt hatred, pain and tiredness all the same. Nick didn't know what to do - to kill somebody to end the pain of the body or to kill himself to end the pain of the soul... He turned back and noticed dark shadow - it was looking after him with interest and it's black emotionless eyes were examining him. Nick didn't want to talk with somebody so he wanted to turn away, but this slow low voice reached him and made to stop:
"Have you found the truth, human?"
Nick looked at him grimly - he didn't want to talk and especially he didn't want to talk about it, but he knew that he had no choice but to answer him, because this shadow was his own mind... strange stuff, but not strange than human's mind or whole this place.
"Yes..." - Nick answered quietly. He had nothing to say and wanted now only to leave this fucking place. It began to annoy him.
"It was your will and I showed you it... Few dare to look into the past, but you survived... barely..." - shadow hissed quietly, what looked like laugh, and continued - "You are looking for the way out. If it were you own test, you would leave long ago, but the others shared your dream with you... and you are sharing their pain. You must find them... her, if you want to survive or their pain will kill you. Find her and leave with her. She must leave, not they. Cursed one must find her side..."
Nick looked after the disappearing shadow and grinned. It looked like that somebody understood his blabing. He spitted into the darkness and continued - he cursed all this shit. He will think about it later in more calm situation, but now he needed rest, to eat something... and find this blasted Daisy. He felt that something bad was going to happen with her. He looked around, but now he was alone for sure. All this shadows left him alone and he continued his way...
*****************
"Mother..." - Daisy cried with terror. She saw as her mother fell to her knees and began to shake greatly. All her strengths, all her power left her as mask. Now young woman saw weak... and frightened child. She needed calmness on her own. The older woman began to moan and wail quietly, as small animal. Her eyes were large and frightened now and looked around herself with panic. Daisy understood that her mother couldn't think clearly now and tried to calm her, though she needed it too. Shadows were crawling around her and whispering... muttering... saying... crying... Her past, present and future mixed. Her crimes and revenge were terrible. Even the iron heart could feel the terror of this punishment, but Jace... this old woman became almost mad. Her mask fell from her. Her iron will left her in this place of terror and nightmare and truth was gleaming madly. Daisy looked at the tree with terror and read there her destiny. This rope... this rope she used to hang that boy will be used to kill her.
"The law is clear... you are guilty, Jace..." - the sounds of the words disappeared in her consciousness. She knew what would happen. An older woman knew it all, as if it happened already. Wild mad cry of rage pierced the shadows as bloody thunder and Jace tried to run away. She jumped away from Daisy into the darkness, but her daughter held her:
"No, mother... don't run away... you must face it... we must face it." - the wild fear was read in the face of an older woman. Daisy wanted to turn away, but she couldn't. She must hold her or whole will be lost.
"Daisy... Do it! You saw it all on it's own... hang her. She deserved it..." - quiet whispers were coming from everywhere. Dead black eyes were watching after her grimly. Young woman felt their cold breath and felt terror... but she felt the shaking frightened body of her mother and she knew what must be done.
"Fuck off, bag of dead flash... I don't care about you or any of this asshole. If they were too weak to die, than it's their problems. She is my mother and I am not going to do it..." - she grinned evily and showed her shrap teeth. Daisy knew that she couldn't hurt shadows, but it gave her some strengths.
"Daisy... you don't know what you are saying. Your soul... your identity demand justice. Allow your holy fury to rush over her... this woman doesn't deserve life... this beast have no right to breath." - large shadow came closer and his voice began to sound strangely familiar... Young woman looked at him with hatred and answered simply:
"You can say the same thing about me. I am not going to die here and surely I am not going to follow the commands of some fucking shadow. Return to your grave, dried piece of shit. I have..." - she suddenly stopped and look ahead. This shadow... it began to take different... more clear form. It was... him... the one, who was killed so long ago. Daisy almost forgot it. Her boyfriend... he was killed by her. And she wanted to kill her... not matter what were the costs.
"Daisy... you sweared by your blood that you'll kill her... on my grave you said. Was it lie? Was it empty words for you..?"
Daisy looked into the empty dead eyes of this man and turn away. She became confused for a while, but quiet frightened muttering of her mother gave her strengthes:
"I said - fuck off... I don't care about you and I don't want to be judged by anybody. Specially by some dead freaks, like you. My words are my words and I am going to follow them as I wish..." - she grinned and tried to turn away, but found that she can't move. The shadow came so closer that Daisy could feel the smell of rotten flesh and gleam of his yellow dirty teeth:
"I am sorry to say it, my former love, but you have no option in this matter... The deal is done. You sweared by blood and in this place you will fullfil it by one way or another..." - with hatred Daisy tried to push this shadow and suddenly felt as her hand is flying forward. She tried to stop it, but she couldn't. It looked like that thousands of arms pushing it forward. She felt the coldness of steel in this hand and with terrible feeling look ahead... The time was running terribly slowly. Daisy rose her eyes and found... her mother. She was standing before her and she was strong once again. Her tired eyes were following after the hands. She didn't try to dodge or run away. Jace simply looked after her daughter and disappointment and sadness was felt in her eyes... and than wave of warm blood consumed the consciousness of Daisy. She couldn't... she didn't want to open her eyes. Young woman didn't want to hear anything, but she heard quiet moaning and slow breath of dyeing woman... Daisy shut her ears and cried. Her cry was mad and furious. Strength of dozens of deathclaw was heard in it. She was ready to tear apart everything. Terrible rage was firing in her...
"Daisy... Daisy..." - quiet muttering disappeared in the air.
****************
"Daisy, Damn - what the hell is going on with you. We must get out of here or... Hey, do you hear me?" - young woman was lieing on the ground and tried not to hear anything. Her blood was raging madly in her and claws were ready to kill. Her eyes were looking for a good target...
Nick sighed and spitted to the floor, if it was floor. In the darkness it was difficult to say what was it. He tried to touch this woman, but she jumped away as some fucking mantis. Nick cursed all the eternity and looked at her with pity:
"Hey, Are you okey or local dwellers made you total mad?" - as answer Daisy rushed at him with terrible speed and her claw aimed in his throat and heart. Nick only sighed and smiled tiredly:
"You have no chances here, sweetheart. This is my realm... and I am god here." - he caught her claws easily and pushed her away - "I thought that you prefer knife. Here, catch..." - from the darkness to her knees fell small bloodstained knife... and quiet moanings appeared again.
"NO... don't do it." - young woman moaned and fell to the ground again. Nick came to her and smiled evily:
"You must face the results of your actions... Look, she is dead. Your fury made it and I shalln't allow you to forget it. Your wildness willn't help you..." - he laughed evily and turned back. Meanwhile Daisy stoon up slowly and took the knife. It was warm and sticky, but it didn't stop her. She wanted to kill. She must get rid of this rage and only somebody's death could bring peace. Her inner voice was whispering it and she knew it. She began to come closer to her victim and he looked like that he didn't see her. His back was gleaming grimly near her blade. She even could feel his warm, young blood.
"Kill... kill him..." - was muttering somebody.
"Yes, kill me..." - Nick looked at her and grined - "Show everybody that you are only another stupid toy and that every shadow can make you to dance under their melody." - Daisy looked into his eyes... and all her rage disappeared. Under his smile she read pain... he changed greatly in this place. Something terrible happened with him. Something more terrible even, her business... She looked around tiredly and put away a knife:
"Yeah... you are right. Show is over... That's enough for me. I want to leave all this shit."
"As you wish." - Nick grinned slowly and looked at the lifeless body of the woman, lieing before her. It was Daisy... but something different was in the look of her dead eyes... something wild.
"You willn't leave... she willn't leave this place. Jace ran away, but her child will pay for her... for her crimesssss..." - terrible hissing was heard everywhere. Shadows and darkness, sounds and colours - a whole world rushed at them. Nick was coming forward and was draging weak Daisy with himself. Thousands of invisible hands were tearing and cuting him, thousands of mouthes were tearing him apart, but he laughed. This pain was a release. Nick felt as soul's pain is leaving him slowly and body's pain is nothing, but a weak shadow. He laughed and came forward. Daisy was following him and was quiet. Something changed in her too, but she didn't know it. She felt herself so hollow and helpless, as a small child... but the strong hands of Nick helped her to go and she followed him.
"Soon enough we'll wake up - another bunch of this dead morons and that's all..." - she heard his quiet cheerful voice, though something sad was sounding in it. Daisy sighed deeply and closed her eyes. She wanted to find herself on the slope of the mountain once again. She wanted to feel the smell of moutain's flowers and fresh warm wind. Young woman was tired of this false and unreal world. She closed her eyes and woke up...
"Well, she departed... I think it's time to wake up too." - Nick said grimly. When he was left alone, the heaviness of truth fell on his shoulder once again. He wanted to leave with Daisy, but it was impossible. He had to return into his bloodstained body... What will he do than? How will he survive? Suddenly he felt pain! Real pain... He shuddered and noticed that he woke up already. Somebody wasn't happy about it - he saw two yellow evil eyes near him and felt bad smell of fresh blood and flesh... It was his flesh. Huge wolf was standing on him and was ready to tear his throat. Only seconds left to make something and Nick had only one thing to do - with hatred and fury of last strengthes he rushed at this wolf. This creature was large and strong. It's white furr showed that it was old wolf - may be pack leader... Nick didn't care. He had no choice - there were no signs of his weapon all around and he had no time to use it anyway. His only chance was to broke the neck or spin of this blasted beast and he will do it even if it meant his death... blood mist covered his mind and his consciousness fell in mad rage of the fight for survivalness...
"Mother..." - she whispered with fear and looked around. The darkness was gathering around them with terrible speed. Moaning and cursing of long-dead people were heard all around. Every piece of free space around them was full of shadows, hatred... and pain. Daisy could feel the pain of this shadows, as if it was their cloak. They suffered... they suffered greatly and the source of their suffering was near them. Young woman looked with fear at her mother and didn't know what to do. She was confused and frightened as if she was a small girl... somehow she began to feel herself like this. She wanted to be protected, she wanted to be safe from this harsh and unwelcome world. Many times Daisy wanted to hide in some dark hole to be left alone, but she had to struggle and face her own fears... And she did it to survive, but now... her mother was with her and she will protect her. Young girl was sure in it.
"Don't worry, Daisy... I am here and you shouldn't worry. Nobody will be able to make me to leave you." - her voice was so soft and warm, as summer's sun on the mountain's slopes... Daisy closed her eyes to hide tears. She didn't want to cry, but her eyes didn't follow her orders. By that time an older woman rose her eyes and cried loudly:
"Who the hell are you?! Leave us alone NOW or I..." - her voice disappeared in quiet and uncommon whisper...
"She doesn't know... You don't know... YOU don't know..?!" - in their whisper was heard surprise and wonder, pain and laugh... hatred and death... Women felt dreadly coldness, coming from the darkness surrounding them. This black endless whirlpool was ready to consume women's sanity... Bleack, colourless, endless - the reality began to shudder and wail, as if it was alive. Suddenly all was stoped. Darkness stoped and began to listen someone's quiet unheard for the living whisper. Only a quiet moaning of the rope was heard in the air...
"Jace... your crimes and sins began to annoy even the eternal spirits of this place..." - words sounded in the silence of the air as thunder. They were falling from all sides and nowhere the same time. Hundreds... thousands of shadows were surrounding them and were looking at the alive women with hatred and jealousness. An older woman looked around, grinned and laughed:
"You have no right to talk about my crimes. Nobody does... Show me your bloody face or run away, you cowardly piece of shit."
Dead silence continued for a second and it looked like that heavy sigh hanged in the air.
"Does the victim have a right to judge the killer? Does the slave have a right to kill the slaver?! Nobody can say for sure... Was it their destiny? May be the killer followed some infernal law... But now you will be judged, Jace the Terrible, and your own victims will fullfil the will of the law..." - his voice exploded with hatred and large dark shadow appeared near Jace. It's unclear face was gleaming with hatred and lust for blood, so it was hard to notice any humanity in it... Daisy looked at it once, but immidiatly hid her face on mother's shoulder. She didn't feel such fear in her whole life. Her guts were ready to leave her body, but warm, strong body of her mother was supporting her. She heard her quiet, gentel whisper all the time and it was making her calm.
"So, you will be my judge?" - Jace grinned and spitted into the darkness, where she thought was this shadow, but nothing had happened... The spit disappeared in the endless darkness surrouding all this place. Quiet muttering and whisper of thousands of shadows were heard all around. It looked like some public judge, Jace took part one time. The results of it was the public hanging, but she didn't care about it - she steped forward and looked directly into the face of this shadow:
"I am not going to take part in this circus leave me - I have more important business to discuss than blab with deadmen and ghousts." - she tried to grab the shadow, but her hand found only air. There were nothing there, but in several feets was standing the same shadow and it looked like that it was grinning:
"You will go nowhere, killer... You have no place to run away now. This is a cage of the will and there can be only one exit. The spirits ordered and blood called. Your daughter... your blood will witness every your crime... every dead soul you sent into eternity. You will pay for every one of them and than you'll join us and your own spawn will do it in the name of justice. Nobody will dare not to fullfil the law - only than you will be free, Daisy. This is your own will and I'll help you to see it; Look what your mother have done and cry... cry with me and every other of thousands of her victims..."
The voice disappeared in the echo of voices. Every voice was telling it's own history. Every shadow was talking about every new and new of many of Jace's sins. Human's mind could collapse from the pain and hatred, that fell on their shoulders, but they endured. Jace was listening grimly and steady. She tried to look into the eyes of every shadow and there were no sorry or regret in it. Her lips were smiling harshly and her hands were ready to fight, as if it was her opponent... Near her was standing her daughter. Daisy looked at every shadow and saw it's pain. She saw hundreds of deathes. Young woman saw her mother... and she was different. Sometimes she was cold and emotionless. Sometimes she was mad and furious. Blood and pain, hatred and depression, fear and bloodlust - all this feelings were changing place in her mind as were changing the pictures of another crime. Daisy thought that she had seen the harshness of the world, but it was not true. She didn't saw endless, hopeless and pointless death; she didn't feel emptyness and senseless of pain; she wasn't ready to see the face of the death, when she was so young. Her blood was warm and her heart was beating strongly - she didn't want to see or hear it... But she couldn't turn away. From every side new and new shadows were looking at her. Their words were piercing her mind with cold and senseless truth. The chill wind of hatred was promising to make her unconscious...
"Take my hand, Daisy... Take and remembered that I always loved you..." - she heard quiet whisper of her mother and grabed her hand strongly, as the last chance to survive. Now she felt some kind of peace and sighed deeply. The words were sounding in her mind yet, but now it was nothing, but annoyance. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply - all was fine...
****************
Nick was wandering in the darkness... He lost any meaning and sense of surrounding his things. In the first time young guard remembered that he left his half-deathclaw in his back. In that time he was going here. Nick supposed that he will find several interesting answeres here... At least he thought so, but he couldn't say where this idea came from. May be it was some inner voice or something like this. In life he prefered not to listen all this stuff, but this place... Well, it was rather strange for his liking, but nevertheless it could prove to be useful too. He looked around and sighed deeply. Where was he and what a hell was going on around here. He felt himself as he was tearing apart by thousands of hands. Strange chill feeling chained his heart and he could breath barely... but all this feelings were bare, unclear. Nick felt that his body was dyeing. He felt it's pain, but he didn't care about it. It looked like that it was different life and he didn't want to mess with it... Finally Nick stoped and looked around. He wasn't sure, but he thought that he arrived. All was the same around him - the same darkness was whirling slowly all around. The same silence was hanged in the air and nothing interrupted it... But this strange annoying feeling that he was there, was following him. Nick sighed deeply and tried to think what to do next - he saw a lot in this strange place, many pictures of his past and past of his friend came near him, but he didn't see the only one thing, he cared for... Nick wanted to see his parents... he wanted to see how he was born. Of corse, he could imagine that he was born in some dirty fun-house among the raiders and drunkards, like his father, but he must be sure... It was not so important for him all this time, but now he suddenly felt that he must do it. Nick felt fear and agitation... Sometime he wanted to return to that place, because he didn't want to see the truth, but it was his only chance. The blanket of reality could fell on his head every minute and he knew that he wouldn't forgive himself if he'll lose such a chance... Young guard sighed deeply and looked into the darkness, surrounding him. It looked like that there were nothing, but it was wrong feeling. Nick already understood that this place... it was some kind of collection of memories of the past. One could find shadows of every moment in history, but he must be very attentive and interested in it. The shadows didn't follow the person - person had to follow shadow.
"Show me... show me my birth, blasted brain, if this is really my fucking bonebox." - he muttered quietly, looking into the darkness.
From the very beginning he saw nothing. Endless blackness surrounded from every side and it looked like that even his body consisted from this blackness. But than something began to change... Some of the shadows began to grow darker and got a forms and figures. They began to whirl and fly around Nick with surprise and fear, as alive creatures. The other shadows remained dark and silent. They looked quietly at this strange person, who tried to command in their realm. They didn't feel hatred, wonder or some other human's feeling. Pure shadows didn't know this feelings or any other. This alive being brought agitation there... and they wanted to solve it.
"Are you sure that you want to see it, human..." - one of the shadows came closer to him and whispered. Nick could almost feel it's unreal cold body - "Sometimes past must be left alone - this is wise words and they belong to you. Return to your friend. She needs your help - you will find nothing here, except pain and suffer."
Nick looked at him coldly and said nothing. All his figure expressed stubbornness and determination. In the air sounded heavy sigh and voice said:
"This is a way of every human, I suppose... even your's, master. Do, as you wish..." - the darkest of shadows began to disappear and light, quick shadows began to whirl quickly around Nick. Young guard almost felt joyness and happiness of the childhood, when he was watching after this strange spirits. They were whirling around him, whispering, muttering, singing something. His head began to fill with strange, unknown sounds. He hadn't felt anything like this. It looked like... like... it was impossible to describe this feeling, as impossible to describe the joyness to see the first sunrise or make your first step... Nick was overwhelmed by endless amount of vairous feelings and colours. Different voices and noises were whirling in his mind and it looked like that a whole world was in his small mind. For the first several seconds he thought that his mind would be torn apart, but with time Nick began to feel more clearly. The noises stoped to sound as chaos and became more calm. He heard someone's voices and cries... he heard as somebody was laughing. The colours... first of all he saw only black colour. Than suddenly as spark, he saw white. It made him blind for a second and made him to start, but he was happy to see at least this colour in this realm of blackness and shadows. From the black and white began to born the others, different colours... gray, white-blue, white-yellow... It looked like that a new world began to born on his eyes. Nick looked after this with interest, though all his attention was attrected by something else... The voices... he listen the sounds in his mind and suddenly began to understand that it was exactly what he wanted to find... The colours, pictures were an interesting stuff, but he didn't care about it. He wanted to gain knowledge as sooner as possible and his eyes didn't follow after his ears...
He heard the cries of the woman. He heard the worry voices of some other women... Sometimes he heard quiet and gentel voice of a man. Who was they? How were they connected with him? Nick didn't know it, but wanted to know. He was sure... he knew that all the surroudning concerned him somehow, but how... Colours were dancing around him madly, gathering in mad, unknown rainbows. Even the crasiest of painters couldn't even imagine to describe something like this because it meant to express all the existence in it's glory and variousity... From the colours began to appear shadows... forms... figures. Distant houses... deserted wildnerness... wasteland. It was gray and lifeless... Nothing so uncommon was seen there, so Nick continued to look after the unseen pictures. Yellow colour of the sun began to mix with blue colours of the water and appeared new... strange and unknown colour. It was called green... this colour was a colour of desease and death, but it was a colour of life. With surprise Nick saw strange green alive plants. They were alive and were bringing warmth. The fresh, green as emeralds, grass was sparking under the bright warm sunrays... White, clean houses were seen here and there and people were working there. Nick came to one of the houses and saw there the gathering of people. Who were they? What was that place, where life appeared renew?! May be it was a dream..? A good dream from the past... But no. Nick knew that it was real. His light smile disappeared when he looked at one of the people, standing in the mob. It was his father... He looked stronger, younger and more clean than usual, but it was he. Young guard remembered him too good to forget... His father and dozen of the people was standing outside one of the buildings and was waiting for something. Terrible cries were heard sometimes from this building as somebody was torn apart there. Was it some kind of savage sacrifice. Nick grinned - even this eden has it's price... but suddenly... suddenly he heard another cry. This cry was a cry of baby... Smiles and happy muttering began to travel by the mob. Everybody congratulated his father... and to Nick's surprise he saw strange, kind smile on father's face. Young guard saw him grinning, he saw his drunken smile, Nick saw his satisfied wild smile, but he never saw this strage feeling on his face... May be he was wrong... may be... Suddenly he understood what was that. It was his birth... He got exactly what he wanted, but it didn't bring him peace. To tell the truth it arose a new wave of chaos. What has happened? Why did they leave this place and settled in that hell? What has happened with mother and why his father became like... like this..?! Nick prepared himself to saw his birth in dirt and misery of this post-nuclear world, as everybody else, but this picture... it torn apart his sanity. He began to feel that he is losing the grip of reality and he had to use all his willpower to remain conscious... The picture became bleak and began to disappear in the mist of the past. Shadows were whirling around Nick with anticiptation as if they were waiting for commands. Young guard sighed deeply and shook his head - he will get his answeres even if that meant to die:
"Show me the truth... What has changed?"
****************
Nick was coming grimly by the darkness. The answer on his quietion was burning in the back of his mind as hot iron. He was ready to kill any alive thing, but there were nobody. His body could move barely - all his skin was covered with scars and wounds. His face was red from blood and tears. It was he, who tried to tear his eyes away not to see the truth, but it's cold words were piercing his mind and he couldn't escape from it. Even unconscious couldn't offer shelter and now he had to endure it on his own. He felt hatred, pain and tiredness all the same. Nick didn't know what to do - to kill somebody to end the pain of the body or to kill himself to end the pain of the soul... He turned back and noticed dark shadow - it was looking after him with interest and it's black emotionless eyes were examining him. Nick didn't want to talk with somebody so he wanted to turn away, but this slow low voice reached him and made to stop:
"Have you found the truth, human?"
Nick looked at him grimly - he didn't want to talk and especially he didn't want to talk about it, but he knew that he had no choice but to answer him, because this shadow was his own mind... strange stuff, but not strange than human's mind or whole this place.
"Yes..." - Nick answered quietly. He had nothing to say and wanted now only to leave this fucking place. It began to annoy him.
"It was your will and I showed you it... Few dare to look into the past, but you survived... barely..." - shadow hissed quietly, what looked like laugh, and continued - "You are looking for the way out. If it were you own test, you would leave long ago, but the others shared your dream with you... and you are sharing their pain. You must find them... her, if you want to survive or their pain will kill you. Find her and leave with her. She must leave, not they. Cursed one must find her side..."
Nick looked after the disappearing shadow and grinned. It looked like that somebody understood his blabing. He spitted into the darkness and continued - he cursed all this shit. He will think about it later in more calm situation, but now he needed rest, to eat something... and find this blasted Daisy. He felt that something bad was going to happen with her. He looked around, but now he was alone for sure. All this shadows left him alone and he continued his way...
*****************
"Mother..." - Daisy cried with terror. She saw as her mother fell to her knees and began to shake greatly. All her strengths, all her power left her as mask. Now young woman saw weak... and frightened child. She needed calmness on her own. The older woman began to moan and wail quietly, as small animal. Her eyes were large and frightened now and looked around herself with panic. Daisy understood that her mother couldn't think clearly now and tried to calm her, though she needed it too. Shadows were crawling around her and whispering... muttering... saying... crying... Her past, present and future mixed. Her crimes and revenge were terrible. Even the iron heart could feel the terror of this punishment, but Jace... this old woman became almost mad. Her mask fell from her. Her iron will left her in this place of terror and nightmare and truth was gleaming madly. Daisy looked at the tree with terror and read there her destiny. This rope... this rope she used to hang that boy will be used to kill her.
"The law is clear... you are guilty, Jace..." - the sounds of the words disappeared in her consciousness. She knew what would happen. An older woman knew it all, as if it happened already. Wild mad cry of rage pierced the shadows as bloody thunder and Jace tried to run away. She jumped away from Daisy into the darkness, but her daughter held her:
"No, mother... don't run away... you must face it... we must face it." - the wild fear was read in the face of an older woman. Daisy wanted to turn away, but she couldn't. She must hold her or whole will be lost.
"Daisy... Do it! You saw it all on it's own... hang her. She deserved it..." - quiet whispers were coming from everywhere. Dead black eyes were watching after her grimly. Young woman felt their cold breath and felt terror... but she felt the shaking frightened body of her mother and she knew what must be done.
"Fuck off, bag of dead flash... I don't care about you or any of this asshole. If they were too weak to die, than it's their problems. She is my mother and I am not going to do it..." - she grinned evily and showed her shrap teeth. Daisy knew that she couldn't hurt shadows, but it gave her some strengths.
"Daisy... you don't know what you are saying. Your soul... your identity demand justice. Allow your holy fury to rush over her... this woman doesn't deserve life... this beast have no right to breath." - large shadow came closer and his voice began to sound strangely familiar... Young woman looked at him with hatred and answered simply:
"You can say the same thing about me. I am not going to die here and surely I am not going to follow the commands of some fucking shadow. Return to your grave, dried piece of shit. I have..." - she suddenly stopped and look ahead. This shadow... it began to take different... more clear form. It was... him... the one, who was killed so long ago. Daisy almost forgot it. Her boyfriend... he was killed by her. And she wanted to kill her... not matter what were the costs.
"Daisy... you sweared by your blood that you'll kill her... on my grave you said. Was it lie? Was it empty words for you..?"
Daisy looked into the empty dead eyes of this man and turn away. She became confused for a while, but quiet frightened muttering of her mother gave her strengthes:
"I said - fuck off... I don't care about you and I don't want to be judged by anybody. Specially by some dead freaks, like you. My words are my words and I am going to follow them as I wish..." - she grinned and tried to turn away, but found that she can't move. The shadow came so closer that Daisy could feel the smell of rotten flesh and gleam of his yellow dirty teeth:
"I am sorry to say it, my former love, but you have no option in this matter... The deal is done. You sweared by blood and in this place you will fullfil it by one way or another..." - with hatred Daisy tried to push this shadow and suddenly felt as her hand is flying forward. She tried to stop it, but she couldn't. It looked like that thousands of arms pushing it forward. She felt the coldness of steel in this hand and with terrible feeling look ahead... The time was running terribly slowly. Daisy rose her eyes and found... her mother. She was standing before her and she was strong once again. Her tired eyes were following after the hands. She didn't try to dodge or run away. Jace simply looked after her daughter and disappointment and sadness was felt in her eyes... and than wave of warm blood consumed the consciousness of Daisy. She couldn't... she didn't want to open her eyes. Young woman didn't want to hear anything, but she heard quiet moaning and slow breath of dyeing woman... Daisy shut her ears and cried. Her cry was mad and furious. Strength of dozens of deathclaw was heard in it. She was ready to tear apart everything. Terrible rage was firing in her...
"Daisy... Daisy..." - quiet muttering disappeared in the air.
****************
"Daisy, Damn - what the hell is going on with you. We must get out of here or... Hey, do you hear me?" - young woman was lieing on the ground and tried not to hear anything. Her blood was raging madly in her and claws were ready to kill. Her eyes were looking for a good target...
Nick sighed and spitted to the floor, if it was floor. In the darkness it was difficult to say what was it. He tried to touch this woman, but she jumped away as some fucking mantis. Nick cursed all the eternity and looked at her with pity:
"Hey, Are you okey or local dwellers made you total mad?" - as answer Daisy rushed at him with terrible speed and her claw aimed in his throat and heart. Nick only sighed and smiled tiredly:
"You have no chances here, sweetheart. This is my realm... and I am god here." - he caught her claws easily and pushed her away - "I thought that you prefer knife. Here, catch..." - from the darkness to her knees fell small bloodstained knife... and quiet moanings appeared again.
"NO... don't do it." - young woman moaned and fell to the ground again. Nick came to her and smiled evily:
"You must face the results of your actions... Look, she is dead. Your fury made it and I shalln't allow you to forget it. Your wildness willn't help you..." - he laughed evily and turned back. Meanwhile Daisy stoon up slowly and took the knife. It was warm and sticky, but it didn't stop her. She wanted to kill. She must get rid of this rage and only somebody's death could bring peace. Her inner voice was whispering it and she knew it. She began to come closer to her victim and he looked like that he didn't see her. His back was gleaming grimly near her blade. She even could feel his warm, young blood.
"Kill... kill him..." - was muttering somebody.
"Yes, kill me..." - Nick looked at her and grined - "Show everybody that you are only another stupid toy and that every shadow can make you to dance under their melody." - Daisy looked into his eyes... and all her rage disappeared. Under his smile she read pain... he changed greatly in this place. Something terrible happened with him. Something more terrible even, her business... She looked around tiredly and put away a knife:
"Yeah... you are right. Show is over... That's enough for me. I want to leave all this shit."
"As you wish." - Nick grinned slowly and looked at the lifeless body of the woman, lieing before her. It was Daisy... but something different was in the look of her dead eyes... something wild.
"You willn't leave... she willn't leave this place. Jace ran away, but her child will pay for her... for her crimesssss..." - terrible hissing was heard everywhere. Shadows and darkness, sounds and colours - a whole world rushed at them. Nick was coming forward and was draging weak Daisy with himself. Thousands of invisible hands were tearing and cuting him, thousands of mouthes were tearing him apart, but he laughed. This pain was a release. Nick felt as soul's pain is leaving him slowly and body's pain is nothing, but a weak shadow. He laughed and came forward. Daisy was following him and was quiet. Something changed in her too, but she didn't know it. She felt herself so hollow and helpless, as a small child... but the strong hands of Nick helped her to go and she followed him.
"Soon enough we'll wake up - another bunch of this dead morons and that's all..." - she heard his quiet cheerful voice, though something sad was sounding in it. Daisy sighed deeply and closed her eyes. She wanted to find herself on the slope of the mountain once again. She wanted to feel the smell of moutain's flowers and fresh warm wind. Young woman was tired of this false and unreal world. She closed her eyes and woke up...
"Well, she departed... I think it's time to wake up too." - Nick said grimly. When he was left alone, the heaviness of truth fell on his shoulder once again. He wanted to leave with Daisy, but it was impossible. He had to return into his bloodstained body... What will he do than? How will he survive? Suddenly he felt pain! Real pain... He shuddered and noticed that he woke up already. Somebody wasn't happy about it - he saw two yellow evil eyes near him and felt bad smell of fresh blood and flesh... It was his flesh. Huge wolf was standing on him and was ready to tear his throat. Only seconds left to make something and Nick had only one thing to do - with hatred and fury of last strengthes he rushed at this wolf. This creature was large and strong. It's white furr showed that it was old wolf - may be pack leader... Nick didn't care. He had no choice - there were no signs of his weapon all around and he had no time to use it anyway. His only chance was to broke the neck or spin of this blasted beast and he will do it even if it meant his death... blood mist covered his mind and his consciousness fell in mad rage of the fight for survivalness...
World of FO is coming... too fast for my liking
An older woman shuddered and woke up. Chill wind was wailing somewhere near in the darkness. Cold rock didn't warm her old bones too. She had to hid in a small crack of the mountain to get a rest. Jace was hiding in the darkness for a whole night and wanted to get some rest... but something was wrong. She saw quite a strange dream... and she saw her child. May be it was a simple dream, but it was true. Somehow she knew it. An older woman wanted to believe it... Jace sighed deeply and looked around. Her whole body was wailing as wounded deathclaw. Chest was gonna to explode, bones were hurting greatly, but she had to wake up. If she spend some more time on this cold stones, she'll never leave this blasted place. Jace stood up.
The sun was rising slowly over the horizon. Grim, misty morning was greeting her. Snow was laying all around, hiding all signs of danger or recent fight. The last guards and survivers from the dead town left to the West. They continued their way, leaving all wounded, weak and dead in this cursed place. Well, jace could only wonder how this weak assholes had enough steel to do it. Usually they tried to save every worthless ass... but it looked like that now even this people was changed by grim reality of this world... of this place. Jace looked around.
Gray and white snow was seen on black slopes of the mountains all around. Here and there were seen dark shadows of motionless bodies. Were they guards or cannibals? Who cared?! Soon enough they will be found by wild animals or people and will be used... nothing will be waste in this place. Jace grinned and walked to the North. She had one unfinished business there... this old bastard, Jess, was captured by cannibals. An old woman saw it by her own eyes, while she was hiding in the darkness. She wanted to help him somehow, but there were a whole bunch of people, who needed to be saved. To tell the truth, Jace didn't care about them and wanted to kill them all on her own, but this old fool - Jess - will be pissed off, if they all die. So, she decided to help them... at least for a while, distracting and killing several most annoying enemies. Jace did her job quite nicely, though there were nobody to say it. The survivers were running to the West and most of them were unhurmed. Of course, soon enough they all will be dead - mutants ahead were a thought bunch, but she didn't care. Jace will save this old moron Jess and will run away... An old woman sighed and grinned. Well, she has also another reason to visit the main base of canibals and tribals... There was one of her most favorite friends. He could survive for so long somehow, but she wanted to change this small problem. Jace wanted to find that old bastard and fill his guts with steel...
Sky was gray and dark. Heavy clouds consumed a whole sky. The high snow peaks were not seen under thier cover. Chill and warm wind were changing places, blowing strongly. The sense of spring was felt clearly. Jace felt the death of eastern black deserts, she felt the rotting flesh of southern deadly jungles... The smell of blood and terror was roaming free in the air in that place or may be it was here imagination. She spent all her life, killing and robbing and now she couldn't stop. This grim thought made her to stop and think a little...
"What now? What is it for..?" - Jace closed her eyes tiredly. Ahead only death and dispear was waiting for her. She could bring only hatred and misery. An older woman could only kill and it was her job. She didn't know anything else... What will she do, when she see her daughter. Quiet, tired sigh sounded in the silence of the mountains and was raised by strong wind. It didn't disappeared yet in the air, but Jace continued her way again. She didn't want to think or worry about it. Time will show everything and she didn't want to hurry it. Somehow she was sure that all will be fine. She will find her baby alife and safe. She will talk with her and than... dream arose in her mind again. Jace was standing in the darkness and was looking at bleak shadow of her daughter. Her feathers were unclear and unsteady. She was whirling lightly, as mist, but Jace knew that she was her baby. An older woman could feel it by her heart, though many thought that this old hag hadn't it... Jace didn't know what has happened than. Pain and darkness didn't allow her to see through darkness. Memories left her and there were only emptiness there now... cold and lifeless darkness. Jace shook her head and grinned - she had much more important stuff now, than think about dreams. She will think about it, when she'll get warm bed or spill someone's warm guts to warm her old bones. An older woman looked around carefully and disappeared in the murky air of the rising sun.
******************
"Jess..." - quiet voice once again appeared in the mind of an old guard. He didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to move or think. All his body was hurting and wailing madly. His heart was strong, but even it was beating slowly and tiredly. This time he got into the big mess... Jess didn't want to wake up. He knew that he will fell terrible pain. An old guard wanted to remain unconsciousness. He tried to push away this voice, but it didn't disappear. It became more clear and stronger. This sound didn't leave his mind and holdind him strongly... and with every new move Jess was returning more and more into consciousness:
"Hey, old asshole, time to wake up..." - he heard loud, rude voice. This sound was harsh and unwelcome, but an old guard smiled anyway. He knew this guy and knew that everything will be okey now.
"Damn, Jess, I really thought that you would die. This wounds were really bad and you lost a lot of blood... I think that herbs, that shaman of this blasted cannibals gave me, helped you a lot..." - this sound was ringing in his mind as ACP, but he tried to answer. An old guard opened his eyes, but he saw nothing blackness consumed his vision... Jess knew that vision will return to him with time, right now he was too tired for this. With low wheeze he opened his mouth and asked quietly:
"Where are we? What has happened?!"
In answer he got a loud and evil laugh:
"What has happened, my old friend? You was nailed to the earth by some fucking spear as bloody gecko... your dear men left you and me to die. I was knocked unconscious for several moments and they threw my body away... Bastards. They'll pay for this, I swear... Now we are in the middle of their main camp. Soon enough we will be their breakfast. I don't know why we are alive yet... Anyway, you'd better get up as quickly as possible. In a few days all will be lost... I wish I could run away, but I couldn't."
"Why?" - Jess asked quietly.
"Why?" - the unseen man asked and sighed - "I don't know. May be because I am chained or may be because this bastards torn away my eyes."
Man became silent for some time and than laughed grimly:
"It looks like that somebody is having a great fun with me - first of all I lost my home and family, than my own friends left me to die... now I lost my vision and soon enough I'll lose my life. Very... very funny." - the hatred of this voice made Jess to shudder.
"You shouldn't... <cough> allow your hatred to cloud your vision... It will make you... blind..." - old guard whispered and became silent. He didn't want to say it like this, but it sounded so harsh now. In an answer he heard quiet angry whisper:
"I help you, old man, only because I need you. I am in one boat with you now, but I need my vengence... they all will pay for this... they all..." - the man sighed deeply and than said calm and coldly - "Jess, you must eat. If you willn't eat anything you will die. You can't sleep all the time."
"How many days have passed since attack?" - Jess said hardly. Every new word was leaving his mouth with great struggle.
"Three of four... I didn't count... and it is difficult in my current condition. Blasted cannibals - they'll pay first..." - Jess left this man to his hatred and reached the bowl with warm food. What was it? Some fruits... or meat. He didn't care. He wanted to eat and he wanted to regain his strengthes. What was waiting for him in the future concerned him lightly...
****************
Water was flowing slowly by his bloodstained body. He didn't feel pain... all his feeling left him with his thoughts. Now he was far away from all this stuff. Life and death, pain and struggle - all was left on the Earth, near the small dead lake. Hardly beatn body was lieing in the lake. Huge wolf with broken neck and crushed skull was seen near. It looked like that his jaws exploded from within. It was very bloody mess, but he didn't care. Nick didn't care about anything else now. His mind was far from it... like some druggy or drunkard, he was flying... flying in the sky among the stars. May be it was the effect of radioactive water or large loss of blood, but Nick felt himself good and didn't care about it. He was swimming in the sunrays and ran with clouds. Stars were singing him and moon showed the way... the way to eden. Nick was standing there and was listening the perfect, unreal sounds of this strange world. He didn't want to leave it, but he knew that he'll have to do it. All this world was false. Sun was hot and deadly, moon was cold and unwelcome, stars were far away and didn't care about him. All was false and dead. Only that world, which was left under his feets, was real. It was harsh and cursed, but it was his world and Nick didn't want to leave it... not now, when he knew the truth. Nick shuddered and opened his eyes. Fire was raging there and hatred was rushing from every his move. Young guard tried to stand up, but he couldn't. He was too weak...
"Xarn, you fucking bastard, put me away from this lake. Are you going to kill me?!"
Cold, fresh water was whirling slowly around him, bringing him calmness and strengthes. He didn't felt the coldness... this water somehow bringing warmth in his bones... and Nick knew what warmth it was. Radiation... it couldn't be felt, but Nick could swear that he felt as death was crawling near him. It always waited it's victims in places like this.
"Xarn..." - his weak voice disappeared in the silence. His strengths left him and he couldn't struggle any more... he closed his eyes tiredly and cursed this blasted monster. This mad freak was playing with him... Suddenly he felt someone's huge shadow over himself and shuddered. All was over - now he will finish Nick and throw his guts over this fucking lake...
"You are strong fighter, human... but time for fight has left. Don't resist the spirits of this place. They mean no hurm to you and you deserved their present..." - low sad voice was whispering quietly in the darkness. Now Nick wanted only to grab the neck of this mad monster and smash it. His voice was making him mad. He opened his eyes tiredly and looked at him grimly.
"Leave me alone... this water is poison... it will..." - the air rushed from his lungs with loud sound and he coughed. He couldn't speak any more. Young guard was like a toy now. Helpless toy.
"This water will help you... it will heal your body wounds and make easy with your soul wounds. You hurt yourself more than anybody could imagine. Don't push away this help..." - Nick looked at this creater with hatred, but said nothing. He was helpless as baby now... He had left only to die in this cursed place. Nick wanted to say something. Young guard wanted to spill into the face of this overgrown lizard, but he couldn't... he was so weak now. Nick closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Dark shadow was standing over the young body of the guard. His quiet breath was disappearing in the silence of the night. Nobody dared to interrupt it. Even wind tried not the reach this far remoted place. Water was hissing quietly, sparking by dark colours over the moon. Stars were gleaming in it's calm covering and dancing with silence. Light, warm wind was blowing from the south, bringing smell of green jungles and endless cyrcle of life. Nothing could ruin it. Fire, desease, wars... life was overhelming it all. Nature was crushing all chains and rushing free. Large deathclaw was standing over the small guard and was looking at him grimly. His pack... his whole pack was killed by people, like this one. They smelt with iron and blood. Their black covering brough nothing, except death and pain to him and all his friend. Large claw appeared over the sleeping face of this boy... one death. Is it a good price for his pack? No, he wasn't one of that men, who did it. They all were dead now. But their death didn't bring calmness to his soul... he couldn't make himself to stop killing this small annoyance of the world. This humans... they were weak, stupid, they didn't care about family... why were they living while his people were dead. Huge deathclaw sighed deeply and went away over the other side of the lake. Dead body of the wolf was lieing there... It was a strong animal. It's jaws could pierce even thick hide of deathclaw, but it was dead. Large bloodcovered rock was lieing nearby... Was it luck, that this puny human could kill such a strong creature. Was it will of spirits?! Deathclaw closed his eyes and growled tiredly. He was so tired. All this countless years was harsh to him and didn't bring peace. It was harsh time and he wanted only peace now... but exactly now he had to suffer most of all. This human - it was a sign to him. Xarn knew it. It was challange to test him... his spirit. Madness of this creature was raging withing him, but now he was calm. He entered the lake slowly and came to the human. Claws were shaking slowly in the water, as if it was biting him. Huge beast was standing there, looking at this man for some time. Hatred was gleaming in his bloody eyes as mad fire, but he didn't move. He only watched. Suddenly he opened his jaws... and began to sing. Some could say that his words were harsh or meaningless, but there were nobody to judge him. It was his own song, song of his soul and it was addressed only to this human and his companion... Xarn's daughter.
The sounds were whirling in the air lightly and warm wind was rising it to the skies. They were roaming there free among high snow peaks and were reaching stars and even moon. The white blanket of snow was reflecting it's sounds and it was travelling further with fresh blows of wind. Land was lieing ahead, grim and dark. Shadows and foul beasts were hiding in it's depthes, but the song continued over it to the person it was meant to sound... to Daisy. Young woman was sleeping. She didn't hear this strange unclear, but familiar sounds. She didn't know it, but her face became calm and relaxed. This song brough peace for her soul... at least for some time.
**************
Nick yawned deeply and opened his eyes. He felt himself fresh and strong again. The memories of the last night didn't return to him yet and he was trying to understand where he was. The lake was hissing slowly near his feets. His clothes and package was lieing nearby. All was good and fine. Young guard stood up quickly and noticed that he felt himself quite good. Whatever has happened with him, he was healthy mostly... Only dark shadow of the last night was crawling in his mind, but it was weak and unclear now, as nightmare. Memories of the past began to return to him as soon as he woke up, but he didn't feel hatred or anger now. It brought only some kind of tiredness to him, but he felt himself now so good, that he didn't want to be annoyed by this. It was so good day, that he didn't to spoil it with some nonsense. He looked around, looking for the keeper of this strange lake, but there were no signs of him. Sunrays were running swiftly by the slopes of the mountains, but there were seen no alive creatures there. Nick shook his head and began to dress. He will have a small talk with Daisy about this and she'll have to explain a lot... but it wasn't so bad after all. He sighed and looked to the West. Huge mountains were hanging there, as silent guards. It looked like they didn't want to allow them to pass so easily... but somewhere downthere over the mountains was lieing small green town with white houses. He remembered it and knew that he would find it there... Young guard grinned lighly and began to gather his package, while quiet sounds of the night was whirling high in the mountains yet. It's words were unclear and murky, as the mist of the morning, but it brough the spark of the sun with it...
The sun was rising slowly over the horizon. Grim, misty morning was greeting her. Snow was laying all around, hiding all signs of danger or recent fight. The last guards and survivers from the dead town left to the West. They continued their way, leaving all wounded, weak and dead in this cursed place. Well, jace could only wonder how this weak assholes had enough steel to do it. Usually they tried to save every worthless ass... but it looked like that now even this people was changed by grim reality of this world... of this place. Jace looked around.
Gray and white snow was seen on black slopes of the mountains all around. Here and there were seen dark shadows of motionless bodies. Were they guards or cannibals? Who cared?! Soon enough they will be found by wild animals or people and will be used... nothing will be waste in this place. Jace grinned and walked to the North. She had one unfinished business there... this old bastard, Jess, was captured by cannibals. An old woman saw it by her own eyes, while she was hiding in the darkness. She wanted to help him somehow, but there were a whole bunch of people, who needed to be saved. To tell the truth, Jace didn't care about them and wanted to kill them all on her own, but this old fool - Jess - will be pissed off, if they all die. So, she decided to help them... at least for a while, distracting and killing several most annoying enemies. Jace did her job quite nicely, though there were nobody to say it. The survivers were running to the West and most of them were unhurmed. Of course, soon enough they all will be dead - mutants ahead were a thought bunch, but she didn't care. Jace will save this old moron Jess and will run away... An old woman sighed and grinned. Well, she has also another reason to visit the main base of canibals and tribals... There was one of her most favorite friends. He could survive for so long somehow, but she wanted to change this small problem. Jace wanted to find that old bastard and fill his guts with steel...
Sky was gray and dark. Heavy clouds consumed a whole sky. The high snow peaks were not seen under thier cover. Chill and warm wind were changing places, blowing strongly. The sense of spring was felt clearly. Jace felt the death of eastern black deserts, she felt the rotting flesh of southern deadly jungles... The smell of blood and terror was roaming free in the air in that place or may be it was here imagination. She spent all her life, killing and robbing and now she couldn't stop. This grim thought made her to stop and think a little...
"What now? What is it for..?" - Jace closed her eyes tiredly. Ahead only death and dispear was waiting for her. She could bring only hatred and misery. An older woman could only kill and it was her job. She didn't know anything else... What will she do, when she see her daughter. Quiet, tired sigh sounded in the silence of the mountains and was raised by strong wind. It didn't disappeared yet in the air, but Jace continued her way again. She didn't want to think or worry about it. Time will show everything and she didn't want to hurry it. Somehow she was sure that all will be fine. She will find her baby alife and safe. She will talk with her and than... dream arose in her mind again. Jace was standing in the darkness and was looking at bleak shadow of her daughter. Her feathers were unclear and unsteady. She was whirling lightly, as mist, but Jace knew that she was her baby. An older woman could feel it by her heart, though many thought that this old hag hadn't it... Jace didn't know what has happened than. Pain and darkness didn't allow her to see through darkness. Memories left her and there were only emptiness there now... cold and lifeless darkness. Jace shook her head and grinned - she had much more important stuff now, than think about dreams. She will think about it, when she'll get warm bed or spill someone's warm guts to warm her old bones. An older woman looked around carefully and disappeared in the murky air of the rising sun.
******************
"Jess..." - quiet voice once again appeared in the mind of an old guard. He didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to move or think. All his body was hurting and wailing madly. His heart was strong, but even it was beating slowly and tiredly. This time he got into the big mess... Jess didn't want to wake up. He knew that he will fell terrible pain. An old guard wanted to remain unconsciousness. He tried to push away this voice, but it didn't disappear. It became more clear and stronger. This sound didn't leave his mind and holdind him strongly... and with every new move Jess was returning more and more into consciousness:
"Hey, old asshole, time to wake up..." - he heard loud, rude voice. This sound was harsh and unwelcome, but an old guard smiled anyway. He knew this guy and knew that everything will be okey now.
"Damn, Jess, I really thought that you would die. This wounds were really bad and you lost a lot of blood... I think that herbs, that shaman of this blasted cannibals gave me, helped you a lot..." - this sound was ringing in his mind as ACP, but he tried to answer. An old guard opened his eyes, but he saw nothing blackness consumed his vision... Jess knew that vision will return to him with time, right now he was too tired for this. With low wheeze he opened his mouth and asked quietly:
"Where are we? What has happened?!"
In answer he got a loud and evil laugh:
"What has happened, my old friend? You was nailed to the earth by some fucking spear as bloody gecko... your dear men left you and me to die. I was knocked unconscious for several moments and they threw my body away... Bastards. They'll pay for this, I swear... Now we are in the middle of their main camp. Soon enough we will be their breakfast. I don't know why we are alive yet... Anyway, you'd better get up as quickly as possible. In a few days all will be lost... I wish I could run away, but I couldn't."
"Why?" - Jess asked quietly.
"Why?" - the unseen man asked and sighed - "I don't know. May be because I am chained or may be because this bastards torn away my eyes."
Man became silent for some time and than laughed grimly:
"It looks like that somebody is having a great fun with me - first of all I lost my home and family, than my own friends left me to die... now I lost my vision and soon enough I'll lose my life. Very... very funny." - the hatred of this voice made Jess to shudder.
"You shouldn't... <cough> allow your hatred to cloud your vision... It will make you... blind..." - old guard whispered and became silent. He didn't want to say it like this, but it sounded so harsh now. In an answer he heard quiet angry whisper:
"I help you, old man, only because I need you. I am in one boat with you now, but I need my vengence... they all will pay for this... they all..." - the man sighed deeply and than said calm and coldly - "Jess, you must eat. If you willn't eat anything you will die. You can't sleep all the time."
"How many days have passed since attack?" - Jess said hardly. Every new word was leaving his mouth with great struggle.
"Three of four... I didn't count... and it is difficult in my current condition. Blasted cannibals - they'll pay first..." - Jess left this man to his hatred and reached the bowl with warm food. What was it? Some fruits... or meat. He didn't care. He wanted to eat and he wanted to regain his strengthes. What was waiting for him in the future concerned him lightly...
****************
Water was flowing slowly by his bloodstained body. He didn't feel pain... all his feeling left him with his thoughts. Now he was far away from all this stuff. Life and death, pain and struggle - all was left on the Earth, near the small dead lake. Hardly beatn body was lieing in the lake. Huge wolf with broken neck and crushed skull was seen near. It looked like that his jaws exploded from within. It was very bloody mess, but he didn't care. Nick didn't care about anything else now. His mind was far from it... like some druggy or drunkard, he was flying... flying in the sky among the stars. May be it was the effect of radioactive water or large loss of blood, but Nick felt himself good and didn't care about it. He was swimming in the sunrays and ran with clouds. Stars were singing him and moon showed the way... the way to eden. Nick was standing there and was listening the perfect, unreal sounds of this strange world. He didn't want to leave it, but he knew that he'll have to do it. All this world was false. Sun was hot and deadly, moon was cold and unwelcome, stars were far away and didn't care about him. All was false and dead. Only that world, which was left under his feets, was real. It was harsh and cursed, but it was his world and Nick didn't want to leave it... not now, when he knew the truth. Nick shuddered and opened his eyes. Fire was raging there and hatred was rushing from every his move. Young guard tried to stand up, but he couldn't. He was too weak...
"Xarn, you fucking bastard, put me away from this lake. Are you going to kill me?!"
Cold, fresh water was whirling slowly around him, bringing him calmness and strengthes. He didn't felt the coldness... this water somehow bringing warmth in his bones... and Nick knew what warmth it was. Radiation... it couldn't be felt, but Nick could swear that he felt as death was crawling near him. It always waited it's victims in places like this.
"Xarn..." - his weak voice disappeared in the silence. His strengths left him and he couldn't struggle any more... he closed his eyes tiredly and cursed this blasted monster. This mad freak was playing with him... Suddenly he felt someone's huge shadow over himself and shuddered. All was over - now he will finish Nick and throw his guts over this fucking lake...
"You are strong fighter, human... but time for fight has left. Don't resist the spirits of this place. They mean no hurm to you and you deserved their present..." - low sad voice was whispering quietly in the darkness. Now Nick wanted only to grab the neck of this mad monster and smash it. His voice was making him mad. He opened his eyes tiredly and looked at him grimly.
"Leave me alone... this water is poison... it will..." - the air rushed from his lungs with loud sound and he coughed. He couldn't speak any more. Young guard was like a toy now. Helpless toy.
"This water will help you... it will heal your body wounds and make easy with your soul wounds. You hurt yourself more than anybody could imagine. Don't push away this help..." - Nick looked at this creater with hatred, but said nothing. He was helpless as baby now... He had left only to die in this cursed place. Nick wanted to say something. Young guard wanted to spill into the face of this overgrown lizard, but he couldn't... he was so weak now. Nick closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Dark shadow was standing over the young body of the guard. His quiet breath was disappearing in the silence of the night. Nobody dared to interrupt it. Even wind tried not the reach this far remoted place. Water was hissing quietly, sparking by dark colours over the moon. Stars were gleaming in it's calm covering and dancing with silence. Light, warm wind was blowing from the south, bringing smell of green jungles and endless cyrcle of life. Nothing could ruin it. Fire, desease, wars... life was overhelming it all. Nature was crushing all chains and rushing free. Large deathclaw was standing over the small guard and was looking at him grimly. His pack... his whole pack was killed by people, like this one. They smelt with iron and blood. Their black covering brough nothing, except death and pain to him and all his friend. Large claw appeared over the sleeping face of this boy... one death. Is it a good price for his pack? No, he wasn't one of that men, who did it. They all were dead now. But their death didn't bring calmness to his soul... he couldn't make himself to stop killing this small annoyance of the world. This humans... they were weak, stupid, they didn't care about family... why were they living while his people were dead. Huge deathclaw sighed deeply and went away over the other side of the lake. Dead body of the wolf was lieing there... It was a strong animal. It's jaws could pierce even thick hide of deathclaw, but it was dead. Large bloodcovered rock was lieing nearby... Was it luck, that this puny human could kill such a strong creature. Was it will of spirits?! Deathclaw closed his eyes and growled tiredly. He was so tired. All this countless years was harsh to him and didn't bring peace. It was harsh time and he wanted only peace now... but exactly now he had to suffer most of all. This human - it was a sign to him. Xarn knew it. It was challange to test him... his spirit. Madness of this creature was raging withing him, but now he was calm. He entered the lake slowly and came to the human. Claws were shaking slowly in the water, as if it was biting him. Huge beast was standing there, looking at this man for some time. Hatred was gleaming in his bloody eyes as mad fire, but he didn't move. He only watched. Suddenly he opened his jaws... and began to sing. Some could say that his words were harsh or meaningless, but there were nobody to judge him. It was his own song, song of his soul and it was addressed only to this human and his companion... Xarn's daughter.
The sounds were whirling in the air lightly and warm wind was rising it to the skies. They were roaming there free among high snow peaks and were reaching stars and even moon. The white blanket of snow was reflecting it's sounds and it was travelling further with fresh blows of wind. Land was lieing ahead, grim and dark. Shadows and foul beasts were hiding in it's depthes, but the song continued over it to the person it was meant to sound... to Daisy. Young woman was sleeping. She didn't hear this strange unclear, but familiar sounds. She didn't know it, but her face became calm and relaxed. This song brough peace for her soul... at least for some time.
**************
Nick yawned deeply and opened his eyes. He felt himself fresh and strong again. The memories of the last night didn't return to him yet and he was trying to understand where he was. The lake was hissing slowly near his feets. His clothes and package was lieing nearby. All was good and fine. Young guard stood up quickly and noticed that he felt himself quite good. Whatever has happened with him, he was healthy mostly... Only dark shadow of the last night was crawling in his mind, but it was weak and unclear now, as nightmare. Memories of the past began to return to him as soon as he woke up, but he didn't feel hatred or anger now. It brought only some kind of tiredness to him, but he felt himself now so good, that he didn't want to be annoyed by this. It was so good day, that he didn't to spoil it with some nonsense. He looked around, looking for the keeper of this strange lake, but there were no signs of him. Sunrays were running swiftly by the slopes of the mountains, but there were seen no alive creatures there. Nick shook his head and began to dress. He will have a small talk with Daisy about this and she'll have to explain a lot... but it wasn't so bad after all. He sighed and looked to the West. Huge mountains were hanging there, as silent guards. It looked like they didn't want to allow them to pass so easily... but somewhere downthere over the mountains was lieing small green town with white houses. He remembered it and knew that he would find it there... Young guard grinned lighly and began to gather his package, while quiet sounds of the night was whirling high in the mountains yet. It's words were unclear and murky, as the mist of the morning, but it brough the spark of the sun with it...
World of FO is coming... too fast for my liking
Chapter nine - Tales of the Dead.
Huge man was standing on a small hill and was watching after the ruins of the town. The black buildings of that place were hiding in the darkness of the night and looked like silent monsters. Huge man could swear that they were waiting only a good moment to rush at his boys and tear them apart. He shook his head and spited. All this mess began to annoy him.
The darkness of the night was crawling from one house to the other. The chill wind was blowing strongly and few raiders had to hid in the remained buildings. The smell of blood and death brought a whole bunch of fucking deadly monsters in that parts and every day Max lost a bunch of his people. It was a bad idea to stay in this god forsaken place, but he had no choice... He was commanded to make an outpost in this mountains on the Western side and it was a best place for it. The problem was that his masters didn't hurry to send help to him and with such speed soon enough he will lost all his boys or his own head. Raiders were not the very peacful people and they didn't like to be hunted as bloody gecko. Huge raider looked at the town, lieing under his feet. It was consumed by darkness mostly. All his people were resting or was sent to scout western passes. There were seen fire only in several guard posts here and there... Max sighed deeply and turned around. He was in a big ass - he lost his target - blasted deathclaw... and that bitch Jace was able to run away somehow. It was promising a load of problems. His masters were unsatisfied with him and his people began to growl louder with every new day. They wanted to leave this dead town, but they couldn't. This place should be their main base, but it's location was meaningless mostly. All main trading routes were running far to the East. No rich towns or villages around. Only dead land and hordes of bloodthirsty monsters... Max closed his eyes and sat to the ground. Several days have passed since the atack on this blasted town, but he felt already as steel fingers of death began to grab his throat. His people began to feel his weakness. Max was losing in this battle and he had to do something very quickly or they'll gut him alive. Huge raider grinned quietly into the darkness and went away. He didn't want to surrender so easily...
Quiet footsteps were hissing in the silence. Small shadow was crawling by the stony pass to the ruined town. It's dark shadow was hanging ahead and smell of permanent death was felt around so clearly, as if it was a cloak. The dark figure didn't hurry to enter the town and was waiting for something, hissing quietly with anticiptation. It looked like that it hurt it to stay in that place. Loud footsteps and crack of metal armour informed the unclear shadow that somebody was coming there. It shuddered, but stayed there, waiting with anticiptation...
Huge raider was walking by the rocky pass to the foots of this hill. He was said that he would find an interesting information there. He didn't get a price for this information, but he knew that it will cost him a lot. Huge raider grinned. He didn't care. If this information is worthy, he will take it... by force. If this is waste of time, he will use the skull of this messenger as his mug. He came closer to the meeting point and looked around with anticiptation. As he was said, he came here alone and was looking around. Max didn't afraid anybody in his whole life... except this bitch Jace may be, but it was their own business... Huge raider drew his gun and looked into the darkness suspiciously. The quiet darkness and black stone was seen all around. The pass was running further into the wasteland or through the Western mountains...
"You there... come here, if you really have something to say... I really hope that it is true." - huge raider cried into the darkness. He didn't see anything there, but he felt someone's presence. Quiet hiss was heard clear in the darkness.
"You needed see our face, Max... It is not so pleasant at all for your kind." - this voice was low and harsh, as if the owner of this voice had a broken throat. Huge raider felt the smell of rotten flesh and grinned. It was smell of ghoul. Half-dead mad victims of their own flesh. They were falling apart in their life and were as walking zombies.
"What do you want to say, mutie..." - huge raider said and grinned evily. He had imagined already how beatiful it will be fire alive this rotten bag of flesh. This small show of savage could bring some sense into the heads of his boys... Max didn't care what this ghoul will say. They were nothing. Useless remains of the past and even as slaves they were bad. Nobody wanted to deal with them, so he couldn't have any serious power after his back.
The dark shadow hissed quietly and laughed. It's laugh was unpleasant and evil. The madness was felt in it...
"Max... your hatred... your hatred made your mind open to me. I see it... I see everything... and I can help you... if you'll help me." - the words were disappearing in her mindless blabering and laugh. Huge raider understood that it was a waste of his time and came closer. Evil smile appeared on his lips. He was gonna to do something bad... but suddenly something stoped him. The eyes... the eyes of this creature was looking at him strangely. It looked like that they were tearing him apart... Almost unwillingless he turned away and fell back.
"What do you need?" - he asked quietly. In response he heard a quiet satisfied laugh and tried to rush forward. Max wanted to crush the skull of this fucking ghoul... but he couldn't; something was holding him. His own fear, may be...
"We need the same stuff, what you and your masters need... Jace and her foul spawn. We need to get her black heart... We want to tear your head and consume her warm guts... We will get it." - Max shook his head and tried to put away this strange feeling. There was something wrong with that ghoul. He looked like completly mad, as some of their kin from the western mountains...
"You... you are one of the followers..?" - huge raiders asked and looked at this ghoul suspiciously. They were mad even for their own kin.
"Yes, we are the followers. Great Holy Fire gave as part of it endless fury and we follow it. There is no I, there is only we... And we have something to offer you." - Max was thinking about if for a while. He didn't like to deal with mad people, though he was dealing with them all the time. Huge raider sighed tiredly. Sometimes he thought that he was the only sane man in this blasted world. Well, he knew that sooner or later this freaks from western caves will send somebody to him. He had a good business lately with their kin and he'll have to leave this blasted ghoul alive... at least for some time more.
"What do you have?" - he asked grimly, looking into the darkness.
******************
Gray snow was lieing calmly on the high peaks. It was gleaming grimly in the warm sunrays and was promising nothing good. Daisy looked at the sun and cursed it. Snow began to melt and sudden warmth could brough the snowfall. To tell it was sure thing that it will happen. Now it was only matter of time... They had to hurry or the pass will be blocked, but this blasted guard didn't appear yet. Daisy looked with anticiptation on the North and spited. If they'll waste at least one more day on this place, they'll be a fine meal for some fucking monster. Even her heritage couldn't save her from every danger of this place. Some kinds of beasts were too much even for deathclaw. Daisy didn't know what were they, but she saw torn remains or crushed bodies of deathclaws and surely she didn't want to take their place. Young woman stood up and began to pack her things. Fire was dancing poorly and small clouds of white smoke was rising from it. The fresh meat was hissing on it, making a damn tasty smell all around.
Rocky pass was running up all the time. The surrounding didn't change much, but Nick knew that he was near now. He could hear the smell of smoke and cooking meal. Young guard grinned. Daisy was behaving herself as if it was the safest place to stop. Nick looked around nervously. The mountains were looking at him from all sides. Heavy gray clouds were gathering in the sky, though the wind was warm... He shuddered thinking about snowfall, but prefered not to think about it. They should hurry. Surely, he didn't want to stay alone with hungry Daisy and all monsters of this place. He checked his package and went faster.
Young girl was sitting and was looking after the small shadow, appeared over the small rocks not so long ago. She heard his smell long ago and now was waiting for him with anticiptation. Sometimes Daisy was growling something unpleasant, but didn't show any other signs of bad mood. When the figure of the young guard appeared close enough, she stood up and came to him grimly:
"Finally you showed up. I thought that you have decided to stay in this mountains for a whole blasted winter." - she said grimly and looked at the face of Nick. Young guard looked at her with strange feeling... and laughed.
"What's so funny?" - she asked suspiciously and looked around. She narrowed her eyes and continued with warning - "Are you laughing at me?!"
"Sure. For a person, who sent you into the hell, you are damn self-sure..."
"What a hell are you talking about?" - Daisy looked at him grimly and shook her head - "It looks like that you became total mad here. Listen, we don't have enough time. I see that you have our water... Good. Let's eat and depart as soon as possible."
Nick looked at young woman for some time with interest and than shook his head. This person couldn't be confused so easily... Well, he had a good mood now and didn't want to push her. At least for now. It could be quite dangerous and messy stuff... He put down his package, opened one of the leather bags with drinking stuff and began to eat.
Daisy was standing near him and was watching after him silenly. She didn't want to talk about something and this man surely was not the best person to talk with, but... This strange feeling was making her to act. It was tormenting her with every day more and more. She wanted to talk with sane person. Young woman wanted to hear the human's speech... and, what was far more important, this strange dream, which she saw lately, made her restless. What was she doing in the dream? Was it your words? And Nick... How could he join her dream? She remembered it all rather clearly, but it began to disappear from her mind as mist. Daisy tried to catch it, but it was like to catch a wind... She knew that she should talk with somebody about it.
"Nick... I, er..." - young guard looked at her with interest, but said nothing. His mouth was full of meat, but his eyes were watching after the girl all the time. Light smile appeared on his face. In a minute his swallowed his food and put it away for some time, though he was very hungry.
"Come'on, Daisy... make me happy. I am ready to hear you."
"What do you mean?" - she asked grimly and turned away. Nick looked at her tiredly and sighed. It began to annoy him:
"May be I should start? Is it really so difficult to talk about it... Ok, you spent your first several years in this mountains, killing and scavanging. Humans, ghouls, wolfs... they all were tasty enough for you. Than band of hunters caught you and you found out about your human's heritage. You began to use your mind, because you was chained and couldn't use your strengthes... In a few weeks you were able to learn enough to break free and kill them all. It was quite a bloody picture, I must say..."
Young woman was looking at him with fear. Her shoulders were shaking lightly:
"How did you know about it?" - she whispered quietly. Nick looked at her and laughed.
"You told... at least you wanted to tell it somebody and I was near to listen it. In a dream... last night, if you remember anything. Anyway, when you was about fifteen years old you began to leave mountains in search for something new. Blood of humans... demand to explore or something. In this new world you found a lot of interest things. Raiders, mutants, towns, people... you was learning all time, finding something new. All was fine and interest for you. Your human's mind was open for it all. Hunger for knowledge... but than your wild and human's heritage began to argue in your soul." - he stoped and looked at Daisy with interest. Young woman was sitting quietly and didn't make a sound - "May be you want to continue?" - Half-deathclaw looked at him grimly and grinned:
"Why should I say something? You it all already."
"Me?! This is your life. I simply saw pictures, but I don't know what it mean to you... I simply try to help you. After all, all this business with lake helped me a lot and I want to return a favour... even if you didn't want to make it." - he smiled lightly and looked at Daisy with interest. Young woman was sitting quietly for some time, looking into the dyeing fire of the burnt wood and than began:
"In that time I knew nothing and didn't want anything. I wanted to live and was happy with it. My blood gave me strengthes and my mind allow me to use it. I was smart enough not to fight with other deathclaws or smart high-tech guys. They could cook me alive. So I tried to avoid them and learn. I was roaming the wilderness, looking after raiders. Hunting over brahmins or geckos... Than... than I blasted blood began to rage."
"Breeding time - fifteen or sixteen... hard age for every alive being. Your body was ready for all this stuff, but your mind... Call of nature... heh, I remember my time... but your problem was worse. You had DNA of different creature..."
"It was hell... my mind and body was tearing apart, fighting for sanity. Clearity of the vision was lost for several monthes for me... and I find myself only later near the lake of that... guy... Xarn. I don't know who or what is he. He is a deathclaw, but he is as intelligent, as me. Some sort of experiments, may be... He told me that he lost all his people long ago. They were killed by his fault and he couldn't forget or forgive it to himself. His tortured spirit found some rest, when he became half-mad and believed that he serves spirits of the mountains. I don't know, may be it helped him to accept the reality and somehow repaid his fault... Anyway, I met him and spent some time with him. He told me a lot about this mountains and ways of life... he gave me some kind of peace, but I couldn't thank him. He disappeared soon after... I send you to this fella, because I know that you will survive. Otherwise we all would be dead. May be you didn't notice, but we were followed by at least hundred of wolfes. It was the only way to get rid of them, though I don't for sure how it works..." - Daisy looked at him with hatred and sighed deeply. In a minute her face became pale for some time and than she smiled lightly... Nick smiled in response:
"That's okey, I understood it all already... I simply wanted to hear it by your own words. Do you feel yourself better now?" - she nodded quietly and he smiled wider. I knew that if you'll tell it to me, you'll feel yourself better. Ok, this business is finished. I don't care what has happened with you in this dream and I hope that you feel the same... because I am not going to chat about it." - his smile disappeared and his voice became cold and harsh. For a second he stuggled with himself and than continued with sad sigh - "Ok, let's move on. We have a long day ahead and a long way is waiting us..."
The pass was running swiftly to the West, whirling in the mountains. The huge mountains were seen all around and the cold air was felt from their icy embrace. The air was becoming colder with every minute. They were climbing further and further into the it. High peaks didn't look so high now and were gleaming ahead with white snow. Wasteland was lieing far away under their feets. In a few feets were seen endless void and small pass was the only mean to cross this blasted place. Nick coughed lighly and smiled. Daisy was not so nervous now and even offered to help him. It was such a surprise that he almost fell from the pass. At least, she wasn't so pain in ass now, so Nick was satisfied... He had the other reason for his good mood now too. He looked to the West and smiled lightly, thinking about something. Suddenly he stoped and asked quietly, as if he was asking himself:
"Do you know place, called Vaultcity..."
Daisy stoped and looked at him with interest.
"Yeah, I was there once. That place is full of morons and bastards. They don't like our kind and prefer to use as whores or slaves... or targets for shooting. Do you have some business there?"
"Not at all..." - Nick whispered quietly, but his smile didn't disappear. He was looking to the West.
The end
Huge man was standing on a small hill and was watching after the ruins of the town. The black buildings of that place were hiding in the darkness of the night and looked like silent monsters. Huge man could swear that they were waiting only a good moment to rush at his boys and tear them apart. He shook his head and spited. All this mess began to annoy him.
The darkness of the night was crawling from one house to the other. The chill wind was blowing strongly and few raiders had to hid in the remained buildings. The smell of blood and death brought a whole bunch of fucking deadly monsters in that parts and every day Max lost a bunch of his people. It was a bad idea to stay in this god forsaken place, but he had no choice... He was commanded to make an outpost in this mountains on the Western side and it was a best place for it. The problem was that his masters didn't hurry to send help to him and with such speed soon enough he will lost all his boys or his own head. Raiders were not the very peacful people and they didn't like to be hunted as bloody gecko. Huge raider looked at the town, lieing under his feet. It was consumed by darkness mostly. All his people were resting or was sent to scout western passes. There were seen fire only in several guard posts here and there... Max sighed deeply and turned around. He was in a big ass - he lost his target - blasted deathclaw... and that bitch Jace was able to run away somehow. It was promising a load of problems. His masters were unsatisfied with him and his people began to growl louder with every new day. They wanted to leave this dead town, but they couldn't. This place should be their main base, but it's location was meaningless mostly. All main trading routes were running far to the East. No rich towns or villages around. Only dead land and hordes of bloodthirsty monsters... Max closed his eyes and sat to the ground. Several days have passed since the atack on this blasted town, but he felt already as steel fingers of death began to grab his throat. His people began to feel his weakness. Max was losing in this battle and he had to do something very quickly or they'll gut him alive. Huge raider grinned quietly into the darkness and went away. He didn't want to surrender so easily...
Quiet footsteps were hissing in the silence. Small shadow was crawling by the stony pass to the ruined town. It's dark shadow was hanging ahead and smell of permanent death was felt around so clearly, as if it was a cloak. The dark figure didn't hurry to enter the town and was waiting for something, hissing quietly with anticiptation. It looked like that it hurt it to stay in that place. Loud footsteps and crack of metal armour informed the unclear shadow that somebody was coming there. It shuddered, but stayed there, waiting with anticiptation...
Huge raider was walking by the rocky pass to the foots of this hill. He was said that he would find an interesting information there. He didn't get a price for this information, but he knew that it will cost him a lot. Huge raider grinned. He didn't care. If this information is worthy, he will take it... by force. If this is waste of time, he will use the skull of this messenger as his mug. He came closer to the meeting point and looked around with anticiptation. As he was said, he came here alone and was looking around. Max didn't afraid anybody in his whole life... except this bitch Jace may be, but it was their own business... Huge raider drew his gun and looked into the darkness suspiciously. The quiet darkness and black stone was seen all around. The pass was running further into the wasteland or through the Western mountains...
"You there... come here, if you really have something to say... I really hope that it is true." - huge raider cried into the darkness. He didn't see anything there, but he felt someone's presence. Quiet hiss was heard clear in the darkness.
"You needed see our face, Max... It is not so pleasant at all for your kind." - this voice was low and harsh, as if the owner of this voice had a broken throat. Huge raider felt the smell of rotten flesh and grinned. It was smell of ghoul. Half-dead mad victims of their own flesh. They were falling apart in their life and were as walking zombies.
"What do you want to say, mutie..." - huge raider said and grinned evily. He had imagined already how beatiful it will be fire alive this rotten bag of flesh. This small show of savage could bring some sense into the heads of his boys... Max didn't care what this ghoul will say. They were nothing. Useless remains of the past and even as slaves they were bad. Nobody wanted to deal with them, so he couldn't have any serious power after his back.
The dark shadow hissed quietly and laughed. It's laugh was unpleasant and evil. The madness was felt in it...
"Max... your hatred... your hatred made your mind open to me. I see it... I see everything... and I can help you... if you'll help me." - the words were disappearing in her mindless blabering and laugh. Huge raider understood that it was a waste of his time and came closer. Evil smile appeared on his lips. He was gonna to do something bad... but suddenly something stoped him. The eyes... the eyes of this creature was looking at him strangely. It looked like that they were tearing him apart... Almost unwillingless he turned away and fell back.
"What do you need?" - he asked quietly. In response he heard a quiet satisfied laugh and tried to rush forward. Max wanted to crush the skull of this fucking ghoul... but he couldn't; something was holding him. His own fear, may be...
"We need the same stuff, what you and your masters need... Jace and her foul spawn. We need to get her black heart... We want to tear your head and consume her warm guts... We will get it." - Max shook his head and tried to put away this strange feeling. There was something wrong with that ghoul. He looked like completly mad, as some of their kin from the western mountains...
"You... you are one of the followers..?" - huge raiders asked and looked at this ghoul suspiciously. They were mad even for their own kin.
"Yes, we are the followers. Great Holy Fire gave as part of it endless fury and we follow it. There is no I, there is only we... And we have something to offer you." - Max was thinking about if for a while. He didn't like to deal with mad people, though he was dealing with them all the time. Huge raider sighed tiredly. Sometimes he thought that he was the only sane man in this blasted world. Well, he knew that sooner or later this freaks from western caves will send somebody to him. He had a good business lately with their kin and he'll have to leave this blasted ghoul alive... at least for some time more.
"What do you have?" - he asked grimly, looking into the darkness.
******************
Gray snow was lieing calmly on the high peaks. It was gleaming grimly in the warm sunrays and was promising nothing good. Daisy looked at the sun and cursed it. Snow began to melt and sudden warmth could brough the snowfall. To tell it was sure thing that it will happen. Now it was only matter of time... They had to hurry or the pass will be blocked, but this blasted guard didn't appear yet. Daisy looked with anticiptation on the North and spited. If they'll waste at least one more day on this place, they'll be a fine meal for some fucking monster. Even her heritage couldn't save her from every danger of this place. Some kinds of beasts were too much even for deathclaw. Daisy didn't know what were they, but she saw torn remains or crushed bodies of deathclaws and surely she didn't want to take their place. Young woman stood up and began to pack her things. Fire was dancing poorly and small clouds of white smoke was rising from it. The fresh meat was hissing on it, making a damn tasty smell all around.
Rocky pass was running up all the time. The surrounding didn't change much, but Nick knew that he was near now. He could hear the smell of smoke and cooking meal. Young guard grinned. Daisy was behaving herself as if it was the safest place to stop. Nick looked around nervously. The mountains were looking at him from all sides. Heavy gray clouds were gathering in the sky, though the wind was warm... He shuddered thinking about snowfall, but prefered not to think about it. They should hurry. Surely, he didn't want to stay alone with hungry Daisy and all monsters of this place. He checked his package and went faster.
Young girl was sitting and was looking after the small shadow, appeared over the small rocks not so long ago. She heard his smell long ago and now was waiting for him with anticiptation. Sometimes Daisy was growling something unpleasant, but didn't show any other signs of bad mood. When the figure of the young guard appeared close enough, she stood up and came to him grimly:
"Finally you showed up. I thought that you have decided to stay in this mountains for a whole blasted winter." - she said grimly and looked at the face of Nick. Young guard looked at her with strange feeling... and laughed.
"What's so funny?" - she asked suspiciously and looked around. She narrowed her eyes and continued with warning - "Are you laughing at me?!"
"Sure. For a person, who sent you into the hell, you are damn self-sure..."
"What a hell are you talking about?" - Daisy looked at him grimly and shook her head - "It looks like that you became total mad here. Listen, we don't have enough time. I see that you have our water... Good. Let's eat and depart as soon as possible."
Nick looked at young woman for some time with interest and than shook his head. This person couldn't be confused so easily... Well, he had a good mood now and didn't want to push her. At least for now. It could be quite dangerous and messy stuff... He put down his package, opened one of the leather bags with drinking stuff and began to eat.
Daisy was standing near him and was watching after him silenly. She didn't want to talk about something and this man surely was not the best person to talk with, but... This strange feeling was making her to act. It was tormenting her with every day more and more. She wanted to talk with sane person. Young woman wanted to hear the human's speech... and, what was far more important, this strange dream, which she saw lately, made her restless. What was she doing in the dream? Was it your words? And Nick... How could he join her dream? She remembered it all rather clearly, but it began to disappear from her mind as mist. Daisy tried to catch it, but it was like to catch a wind... She knew that she should talk with somebody about it.
"Nick... I, er..." - young guard looked at her with interest, but said nothing. His mouth was full of meat, but his eyes were watching after the girl all the time. Light smile appeared on his face. In a minute his swallowed his food and put it away for some time, though he was very hungry.
"Come'on, Daisy... make me happy. I am ready to hear you."
"What do you mean?" - she asked grimly and turned away. Nick looked at her tiredly and sighed. It began to annoy him:
"May be I should start? Is it really so difficult to talk about it... Ok, you spent your first several years in this mountains, killing and scavanging. Humans, ghouls, wolfs... they all were tasty enough for you. Than band of hunters caught you and you found out about your human's heritage. You began to use your mind, because you was chained and couldn't use your strengthes... In a few weeks you were able to learn enough to break free and kill them all. It was quite a bloody picture, I must say..."
Young woman was looking at him with fear. Her shoulders were shaking lightly:
"How did you know about it?" - she whispered quietly. Nick looked at her and laughed.
"You told... at least you wanted to tell it somebody and I was near to listen it. In a dream... last night, if you remember anything. Anyway, when you was about fifteen years old you began to leave mountains in search for something new. Blood of humans... demand to explore or something. In this new world you found a lot of interest things. Raiders, mutants, towns, people... you was learning all time, finding something new. All was fine and interest for you. Your human's mind was open for it all. Hunger for knowledge... but than your wild and human's heritage began to argue in your soul." - he stoped and looked at Daisy with interest. Young woman was sitting quietly and didn't make a sound - "May be you want to continue?" - Half-deathclaw looked at him grimly and grinned:
"Why should I say something? You it all already."
"Me?! This is your life. I simply saw pictures, but I don't know what it mean to you... I simply try to help you. After all, all this business with lake helped me a lot and I want to return a favour... even if you didn't want to make it." - he smiled lightly and looked at Daisy with interest. Young woman was sitting quietly for some time, looking into the dyeing fire of the burnt wood and than began:
"In that time I knew nothing and didn't want anything. I wanted to live and was happy with it. My blood gave me strengthes and my mind allow me to use it. I was smart enough not to fight with other deathclaws or smart high-tech guys. They could cook me alive. So I tried to avoid them and learn. I was roaming the wilderness, looking after raiders. Hunting over brahmins or geckos... Than... than I blasted blood began to rage."
"Breeding time - fifteen or sixteen... hard age for every alive being. Your body was ready for all this stuff, but your mind... Call of nature... heh, I remember my time... but your problem was worse. You had DNA of different creature..."
"It was hell... my mind and body was tearing apart, fighting for sanity. Clearity of the vision was lost for several monthes for me... and I find myself only later near the lake of that... guy... Xarn. I don't know who or what is he. He is a deathclaw, but he is as intelligent, as me. Some sort of experiments, may be... He told me that he lost all his people long ago. They were killed by his fault and he couldn't forget or forgive it to himself. His tortured spirit found some rest, when he became half-mad and believed that he serves spirits of the mountains. I don't know, may be it helped him to accept the reality and somehow repaid his fault... Anyway, I met him and spent some time with him. He told me a lot about this mountains and ways of life... he gave me some kind of peace, but I couldn't thank him. He disappeared soon after... I send you to this fella, because I know that you will survive. Otherwise we all would be dead. May be you didn't notice, but we were followed by at least hundred of wolfes. It was the only way to get rid of them, though I don't for sure how it works..." - Daisy looked at him with hatred and sighed deeply. In a minute her face became pale for some time and than she smiled lightly... Nick smiled in response:
"That's okey, I understood it all already... I simply wanted to hear it by your own words. Do you feel yourself better now?" - she nodded quietly and he smiled wider. I knew that if you'll tell it to me, you'll feel yourself better. Ok, this business is finished. I don't care what has happened with you in this dream and I hope that you feel the same... because I am not going to chat about it." - his smile disappeared and his voice became cold and harsh. For a second he stuggled with himself and than continued with sad sigh - "Ok, let's move on. We have a long day ahead and a long way is waiting us..."
The pass was running swiftly to the West, whirling in the mountains. The huge mountains were seen all around and the cold air was felt from their icy embrace. The air was becoming colder with every minute. They were climbing further and further into the it. High peaks didn't look so high now and were gleaming ahead with white snow. Wasteland was lieing far away under their feets. In a few feets were seen endless void and small pass was the only mean to cross this blasted place. Nick coughed lighly and smiled. Daisy was not so nervous now and even offered to help him. It was such a surprise that he almost fell from the pass. At least, she wasn't so pain in ass now, so Nick was satisfied... He had the other reason for his good mood now too. He looked to the West and smiled lightly, thinking about something. Suddenly he stoped and asked quietly, as if he was asking himself:
"Do you know place, called Vaultcity..."
Daisy stoped and looked at him with interest.
"Yeah, I was there once. That place is full of morons and bastards. They don't like our kind and prefer to use as whores or slaves... or targets for shooting. Do you have some business there?"
"Not at all..." - Nick whispered quietly, but his smile didn't disappear. He was looking to the West.
The end
World of FO is coming... too fast for my liking
Strange... I was sitting and writing a story and than I suddenly understood that I have nothing to say. My story is finished... everything else I leave to you to finish... This story shouldn't have an end. It is only a moment of life - what will happen than is unknown. Your imagination must finish it. Yeah, strange feeling...
World of FO is coming... too fast for my liking
