//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - The First of the Four* // Story: Fallen Stars // by Zachurra //------------------------------// The sun rose silently over the horizon. The man opened his eyes slowly as the bright rays glided up his body. He had had the oddest dream. He remembered being with his brothers, talking about something or another. He tended to tune out the conversations that related to petty politics. Then there had been a blinding light, and the next thing he knew he was soaring through the air and landed in a hole in the ground. Then some creepy looking bug horse things tried to attack him while some village was on fire. It certainly wasn’t the strangest dream he had ever had, but still. He let out a yawn and tried to stand, only to hit his head on something hard above him. Cursing under his breath, and now fully awake, he looked at his surroundings. Rubble. There really wasn’t much else to describe it. Being more careful this time, he eased his way out of the hole he had hidden himself in and saw nothing but the burnt remains of the village from his dream. Alright, so maybe it wasn’t a dream. He grabbed his wide brimmed hat and placed it comfortably on his head. He slowly made his way out of the wreckage he had called home for the night and scanned the area. It looked like a bomb had gone off. Destroyed homes and knocked down trees littered the area. He sighed softly as he noticed more than just a few bodies lying on the ground. He quietly made his way towards the center of town, hoping to find anyone who may be able to tell him what had happened. Figuring there was no better way to start, he decided to start checking the bodies. It wasn’t until he could see them in the light of day that he realized there were no human bodies. Only those of horses. “Now why would those things kill only horses…” he muttered to himself. He rolled the limp body onto its side and cocked an eyebrow. The horse’s coat was a lime green and had a snowy white mane. On its flank was the image of a hammer and nails. He had certainly seen his fair share of weird creatures in his lifetime, but never a green horse with an odd picture for a brand. Giving up on getting any answers from the body, he moved on. He continued to see more and more of the strangely colored horses, each with a different image printed on their flanks. He noticed a few of those bug-like horses too, which made him smirk. At least they could put up a fight… whoever “they” was. "Perhaps the villagers were taken away, and the animals were left to rot?" He said to no one in particular. He continued on until he found one area that was surprisingly more intact. It was a small but long, relatively open building. He passed by a few booths and benches before already reaching the end. Looking down, he saw tracks that stretched in both directions. They have working trains, but live in small, rather secluded villages? A little behind on the times. He glanced over at the long claymore sword that was strapped to his back and chucked lightly to himself. Well, I guess I can’t say much. He hopped down onto the tracks and began walking in the direction that looked like it might actually lead somewhere. ------------- The man whistled a tune as he walked. It had been several hours and he hadn’t seen any sign of civilization. He had already come this far, though, so turning back was not an option. He looked up and saw that the sun had already passed its high point and was beginning to set once again. He lifted his hat off his head and slid a hand through his black hair. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to clear his mind. There was nothing but silence and the soft blow of the wind to accompany him. “So,” he said to no one in particular, “what do you think of this, Carnage?” Well, considering we just flew through the air and slammed into the ground—I still have a headache—and there doesn’t seem to be anything for miles, and the only locals we’ve met tried to kill us… I’d say we’re royally fu— “Ah, language.” He called almost feel the being in his mind sighing and rolling its eyes. I’d say we have an issue. “Just a slight one.” So what do you plan to do? Just look around you: the colors, those horses' odd figures, those strange creatures that attacked us... This obviously isn't our home. "Well, these tracks have gotta lead somewhere, right? I figure we'll just find someone and then ask where the hell we are." And if they don't speak our language? "We'll cross that bridge when we get there." The man opened his eyes halfway, disconnecting with the being in his head. No, he was not insane. He was just simply a man who had two souls. He and his brothers had been blessed (he’d rather think of it as more of a curse) with the sharing a body with a soul that had lived long before them. These souls had trained them to be what they were today. When the time called for it, he could temporarily release control of his body, unshackling the other being within him. The other being, who’s name was Carnage, could display its power, which was legendary during the time it was alive. Whenever he or his brothers released their “other side” it often led to a room with a lot of dead bodies. Or, in the case of his oldest brother, an entire city being leveled. The sun had fallen lower during his talk with Carnage. From its position, he could make out what looked like smoke in the distance. His mind automatically coming to the worst possible scenario, he put his hat back on and raced towards what lied ahead. ------------- He reached the town to find it being attacked by the same things that had attacked him at the previous town. Large, black horses with insect-like features swarmed the area. To his surprise, he still saw no other humans. Instead, he only saw more of those strange horses. However, these horses were not what he had expected. They were running, screaming, and shouting. They seemed too frightened by the horde to notice him. The same could not be said of the creatures, as several turned towards him and began charging. He wished he didn't have to fight, but since when did life play fair? He pulled back his arm and connecting his fist with the creature in front. It flew back, face bleeding. The others circled him, growling and hissing as they tried to intimidate him. He heard a voice in the back of his mind speak, As expected, they have rather simple animal instincts. He reached behind his back and grabbed the short staff that sat adjacent to his sword. It was black with golden tips. One end was sharp while the other was rounded and molded to look like a little skull. He planted it firmly in the ground before taking off his hat and placing it on the ball end. He then reached back for the sword and put a finger on either side of the guard. Slowly he raised it up before flicking it upwards, causing it to unsheathe completely. It planted in the ground a few inches behind him. He pried it out and rested the blade on his shoulder. He smiled his familiar small smile, “So tell me, who’s first?”