...
*Incoming call from Willis Huntley*
"Willis, is that you?"
"Doc. I zeroed in on your other friend. One girl this time but a hit man who works for Hoyt purchased her. He's usually at the Spready Gold bar in Badtown."
"What's his name?"
"Buck."
...
----------------------------------------
"Are you Buck?"
Doctor returns to the bar where he first encountered Willis in Badtown. There he was talking to a beared man with an open floral show that shows his Elafia styled chest tattoo. Buck finished taking a swig of his beer and rebutted in a heavy Rim Bilitoner accent.
"Well, it's not birthday, but you must be Christmas."
"Right..." 'I gotta thank Savage and Asbestos about Rim Billiton phraseology after all this.' He was reminded about the lessons he received from the former, explaining the speech mannerisms of Rim Billy Victorian in detail and the latter physically showcasing it with her brutal civility. "I'm here for a Sarkaz woman you bought recently."
"Sarkaz... Sarkaz..." The mercenary rubbed his head with the bottle. "Nah sorry, doesn't ring a bell." Throwing it behind, he went to the bar station to grab another beer as Doctor continues to press him.
"Long, white hair. Black horns. Red eyes. You bought her from Hoyt!"
As he returned to his seat, he pointed his beer as if something clicked. "Right. Pain in the arse would've been a better description." He said in annoyance. Possibly something to do with Mudrock not being up to par with what he wanted in his purchase. Sitting down Buck shoved his blissful ignorance aside and confer with the now annoyed Doctor in front of him. "Right then. Let's get down to brass tacks, Ghost of Amanaki."
"That name's famous enough to get everyone's attention."
"Well, when you've been tickling Hoyt's arsehairs you should expect a little recognition." His profanities started to show. "Besides that, we'll deal like businessmen, responsible capitalists." He rested his arms on the table, hands flat together as Doctor crossed his. "I've got your girl, a product in Hoyt's underground market that I'm happy to sell, finally. You've got something that I want... worthy to be treated as a war deity by the locals."
"...Go on." What does he have that the mercenary want? Money? His weapons? They're easy to get in Rook Islands, so what...?
Buck brought out a folded paper from his pocket. He showed him a realistic portrayal of a... Wait. That's...
"Find this for me. You score that and you and I are even steven. Given your expertise, it'll be a piece of piss for you and the girl goes with her man." He said pointing to himself and the Rakyat.
The paper showed a knife. A knife that he...
"Bring me what has been lost..." He recollected Citra saying those same words to him when she first met him before they departed.
"I've seen this knife before..." The Doctor analyzed the paper laid across the table.
"Knife? A knife? It's not just a fucking knife!" Buck instantly swooped it away in anger. "It's art! There's more history in this than your sheila's ass that's for damn sure. That's my fucking fee, right?" He smacked the paper down.
"So where should I find it?" Doctor see him grab the bottle and explains.
"There's a treasure hunter, he knew where it was." Pointing the drink at him. "But Vaas? He got the wanker's boat, the Nostalgia. Research he was doing on some Yanese treasure and his crew. And you know what else he got?" He leaned in to the table.
"Your... art?" With gritted teeth Buck answered.
"No, not the fucking..." He paused a bit when he heard Doctor's cool response. "You're catching on mate." Pointing at him again.
"What's in the boat, Buck?" The Commander turned fighter not wanting to waste anymore time.
"Right, back to the Nostalgia. In it lies its location. You get on the goddamn boat, find out where that artefact is buried before Vaas' men nicks it. Last I checked it was cruising in the eastern sea." Planting his feet on the table he took a swig of his beer before saying. "Now on your bike, fuck off..."
Doctor fucks off. Leaving the drug pen of a bar and out into the sinful pit of the shanty town. His direction on the path eastward, at the very edge of Rook Island. As he walked out of Badtown and into a car his mind went back to the knife, or art piece as Buck puts it. Driving down on the dirt path he was stuck between bringing what has been lost to the Rakyat or to himself.
It was a difficult situation. However, he was here in the island, out of his own control, with one goal in mind. It was how he started to push to becoming stronger in the Rakyat, he's here for them. Though it'll mean losing what little credence Citra and the Temple Guards have in him alongside the majority of the Rakyat frontline warriors.
Dammit...
"I know... even if I don't like him..." She is far more valuable. They met later on when he first entered the Reunion movement but he gained so much value and trust from this one person to not let it go. During their voyage to Wolumonde, they were ambushed. At a forest path, powerful Leithanien Casters obscured their tracks with a thick fog and use terrifying Arts, including inhumane techniques like using their slaves as Arts units to cast spells. Without Doctor they would've been driven back with heavy losses. She was shocked to see how he and their squad were able to turn the tide, his tactical acumen coming into fruition so rapidly. They steamrolled the attacking Casters with little to no casualties and managed to reach the Nomadic city. Thus gaining their trust, especially Mudrock's.
Several minutes, and a few hundreds meters later he reached the beach. At a small pier there were jet ski's left there. In the horizon was a large boat moving slowly through the waters. Taking note of the clear dark skies, late post meridiem. It was a perfect opportunity for infiltration.
"I'll get you out..." The Doctor promised Mudrock.
He'll get that knife somehow but right now, her freedom's at stake.
----------------------------------------
The Nostalgia was empty. All the crew outside were either killed by the pirates or thrown overboard for the sharks to feed. It was probably the only result of what happened to the bodies he was seeing when he climbed up from the stern of the ship. Some of them looked like they put up a fight before they died, with their hands gripping their rifles as evidence. They were others murdered execution style.
Doctor circumvented the Nostalgia around to reach the bridge hatch door. Opening the door with both hands, he entered the Nostalgia and soon saw a pirate looking inside some boxes. He stabbed in through the back of his neck and proceeded. Through a hallway then a room leading to the next and he heard more voices.
"How long do we gotta stay here?" Doctor peered behind the wall as he saw two pirates talking.
"Until they find the knife with the data from that computer in the vault."
'Computer...' He made note of that as snuck through the dark shadows of the ship. Reaching one of the pirates, stabbing him through the chest, tossing him aside and lunged the other pirate who was kneeling, looting some dead crewmember before he looked up to see Doctor planted his knife into his head.
Going down the stairs he reached another part of the ship with two pirates. Same as before, sneaking behind one of them, perforated him, taking his knife and threw it at the unsuspected pirate as he clenched his neck in shock. Passing the room, another pirate to deal with in a quiet manner he reached a section filled with statues and pirates. He brought out both knives, piercing a pair of pirates standing around and like last time grabbed a knife from their scabbard and threw it in the direction of pirate who was leaning on a statue not knowing the knife aiming towards until he saw it up close, transfixed into his eye.
Bypassing the statues, their design reminiscent of the Yanese Terracotta Warriors, he saw a larger pirate behind a set of two open metal doors going over a table with an activated...
'Computer!' This Heavy pirate will be a different issue to handle. He brought out his anti-material, quietly snuck up behind him and at point blank range he had the barrel close to his head. In a explosion of grey matter and skull pieces that splattered the other statues, boxes and other items, the explosive bullet did short work of the pirate. Doctor entered this vault and began typing. Data, binary codes shown to start it up.
He went through its files, going over photos and some digital notes written by the treasure hunter. There he found an overview picture of the island, the knife, and an ancient wheel like object.
'A compass? Must be important.' The files refer to it as a compass that will lead to the whereabouts of the "Silver Dragon."
Apparently it was made in Ancient Yan and that some explorers left it here on Rook Island during the Great Hunt, thousands of years ago. Doctor began to pack up the treasure hunter's notes and computer, putting it all in his rucksack. When he did he heard a series of beeps and saw red lights blinking underneath the table. Looking down he saw...
00:03
00:02
00:01
"Are you kidding me?!"
Doctor ran out of the vault. The force of the explosion pushing him forward, slamming against a vent. Falling back down to the floor he started to feel the whole ship sink as water gushed forward and pushed him again, slamming against the wall behind him. He pushed himself off, swimming back to the statue room. Finding a spare dive tank, he breathes in a generous gulp of air from the demand valve as he escapes the room.
Going up and out into the ship that hadn't submerged he ran on the roof to another ship hatch where he sealed the room in hopes of stopping more water from coming in. He dashed quickly back to where he first entered, opening another hatch door, the walls around caving in with water streaming out and filling the floor. As he opened the door, a huge gush of seawater pushed him back though he didn't stop his attempts at escaping the sinking ship. When he reached the room he overheard the pirate's talking about a computer, one of them appeared out of nowhere trying to strangle the Doctor.
Grabbing both hands the Rakyat retaliated with a kick to his torso pushing the pirate off and allowing him to pull out his Tanto and ram it through his neck. With that out of the way Doctor continued swimming. Down the hallway, breathing deeply into another scuba tank, more swimming through crushed hallways as he reached a room where the ship was impaled by a large, ocean rock. Though he wasn't trapped, Doctor went to a window seeing it cracked. He kicked on it repeatedly until he was sucked out of the ship. The sinking of the Nostalgia was followed up by more explosions as rips away from the rock and dives deep into the ocean floor. Doctor took one last look at the devastated ship and swam up where a hungry group of sharks were feasting on the few survivors as the sea's natural blue was tainted red by the pirates.
The light of the sun beneath the waters blinded him.
The waves pulled him back to the island.
He then heard himself taking a deep breath, his body desperate for air.
----------------------------------------
"Oi, Doc..."
"..."
"Rise and shine!"
"..."
"C'mon..."
"..."
He saw Buck.
"I know the waves crashing are soft and soothing to the ear, mate..." The hit man's disturbingly dulcet tone shifted into a aggravated haste. "But get the fuck up, c'mon!"
Picking himself up Doctor came face to face with the mercenary who was anticipating for his. "There you go! Did you find my prize yet?"
Putting his rucksack down, he pulled out the notes, computer, and the ancient compass that miraculously survived being wet, thrashed around and gave the first two to Buck. "All the information... are in those notes and computer. Nostalgia also has this compass."
"You." Pointing a single finger at him. "Just made the search a lot easier for me mate. Think you can figure out that compass there?" The merc said, reading the notes and gesturing the relic in Doctor's hand.
"Why do you say that?"
"The research here says... to follow the compass."
He stared at it, the ancient device hummed and glowed a swaying blueish-green light, like the waters below shined by sunlight.
"Not a problem."
"Excellent, very good. Now, if you can handle being on your ownsome, I'll skim over this here info and you'll see me later..." Giving him a salute, his arms carrying the humid notebooks and laptop he ventured off. "Toodles."
Taking one last at the compass, its dial slowly spinning before setting in on one of the Yanese characters inscribed on it. Westward. He put it away and looked around the beach. To his disdain he saw smoke and a flag with a white eye, a dot for pupil and three small spikes for eyelashes in the distance. Taking his sniper out, shaking some water off he went to the outpost. A couple of meters to walk until he finally saw the pirates.
Hiding in the grass he poked his rifle out. Through his scope he saw a pirate on top of a building and the rest were doing whatever on the ground. There was also a bear trapped in a cage right in front of them. Sniping the higher garrison, he went in closer setting his rifle down, going to a pirate fixing up a car and slit his throat before dragging him behind the metal sheet wall. Returning to the rifle he aimed at the cage, shooting it to free the bear.
The rest fell up to the vengeful beast. Doctor lend a hand to the animal by shooting one of the barrels where a group of pirates were shooting it while it was ripping one of the pirate's head off. The blast startled the bear but killed the only pirates left on the outpost. With the beast running off and away from the explosion this, Doctor entered the outpost, Nate's Repair written on a fallen sign, taken for the Rakyat.
Like before. Undetected.
----------------------------------------
Buck sat down on a rock, flipping a page of the now his, taken by the Doctor, notes.
There was screaming behind, right above his head.
Another page. A barrage of gunfire.
Skimming over some irrelevant thoughts by the poor, deceased treasure hunter. The sounds of rocket being launched, hit and a boom erupted.
He finally reached the end portion of the now his, liberated by a brave Rakyat, doing so and so for his brave, albino princess, notes. The bunkers above are now quiet, save the crackling embers of a wildfire encasing it. From his rock he saw someone coming down from the hill. Doctor, covered in blood and soot, landed on the sand and walked up to Buck while dusting himself. He seemed agitated and full of adrenaline. It reminded him of his cherished, early mercenary days under a shrewd, moreso than the others, mining company back in Rim Billiton.
'Haaah... Cunts.'
"Alright Buck, what did you get out of those notes?" The Doctor asked to which the mercenary got out of his seat and explained.
"Quite simple really. A bit of a history lesson, you ready for this? Listen to this now." He walked to a pair of stairs leading to a metal door. Doctor just stood there as Buck pointed to the entrance. "Imagine, consider if you will, this monumental testament to irony. The bloody Higs, right? During one of their expeditions, there were a few of the samurai clans who wanted to..." Buck was looking for the right words, twirling his hands subtlety. "Find? Reclaim? The lost treasure and riches to feed their Daimyo Diarchs or themselves." He the grew quieter for the suspense. "But the wankers don't realize that this..." Pointing to the door. "They've built thr bloody mines right over the fucking stuff they were looking for! Come on, ask me: What're they looking for Buck?"
'I have to play along with this guy...?' "What are they looking for, Buck?" He questioned with exasperation.
"I'll tell you. They're after the Chao-Fucking-yang!"
"Chaoyang?"
"Right on! This flagship that used to belong to a... famous Yanese general called Zhang He. But the bloody thing..." Pausing for more suspense. "It just fucking disappeared with tons of riches on it including, yeah, my fucking knife!" He got up to his face but his student wasn't perturbed.
'It's either art or a knife, Buck. Make up your mind.'
"That's it for today. Sun's coming down, look after yourself, eh? History lesson's over." He presented the Higashi steel door to him before leaving the Doctor alone. Seeing him walk off, he had only one thing to say in the appropriate language.
"Kusoyaro..."
----------------------------------------
"How the hell did these guys get in here?"
Doctor said as he saw as the body of a pirate hit by an arrow struck him in the back causing him to fall into the water. He himself going through the same water before coming back to solid ground and sinking a sentry down first. When he entered there was only decaying Higsahi infrastructure and boxes left behind. He wasn't notified about the pirate's presence from Buck leaving him to stealthily take them down as he proceeded into the Higashi sig site. Taking one down from the walkway with a good arrow to the body, stabbing and dragging one behind some crates and several more arrow shots to a duo of guards wandering around.
He looked around the site and saw the old stone architecture made by the treasure finder's peons along with their ship that's been stuck inside here somehow, and there was another pirate on top of it. Doctor shot another arrow to the balancing sentry. The painful force to his side caused him to lose his balance and join his fellow pirate in a watery grave. Going through a rectangular cave entrance he heard more pirates down at the cave. Doctor ran down and saw them planting explosives with some wiring the trigger.
Slowly encroaching from behind he stabbed one through the chest and the other, finished with setting the bombs up, had his throat slit open. Doctor saw how bunched up they were setting up the volatile solutions. When they were done they all saw the infiltrator pressing a button on a red box which triggered all of the explosives in their vicinity. Doctor had his arm up as fragmentations of stone, wood and metal went all around, a few reaching where he hid, behind some crates. With a new cave he went in.
An ancient secret door behind the rocks. To a cave hall with stone flooring encased in moss. Swimming beneath a sunken floor, and killing a waiting crocodile, to reach another pathway where a door blocked him. Pressing the seal in the middle, the door lowered as he swam again to a lower hallway. Passed that he reached slanted pathway to a Yanese gate with an opening in the middle.
Giving himself a running start he rushed down and jumped over landing on the other side. However, the sloping stairs were brittle, disintegrating knce he touched the ground as he fell into water.
"Wooooaaaahhhh!"
*Splash*
"Dammit..."
Fortunately he fell in steep water.
Climbing out and into solid land he saw a ledge with flanking wooden scaffoldings. He looked to the side and saw the same logo imprinted doors on both ends. Going to the one on his right, pressing the seal to lower the door he entered a room where several rotten poles were placed in front of a barrier. Cutting it down water immediately emerged and flooded the room. Doctor swam out, returning to the ledge.
"Still not high enough..." He said before swimming to the other room. Just as before, 3 rotten poles, cutting them with his knife, the water rises and when he returned to the ledge.
"Alright." Doctor grabbed the stone ledge and pulled himself up. He went past a door to a shrine.
"Woah, look at that..."
In front of him were ancient structures of previous Yan all in this one setting alone. From the shrine itself to the reconstruction processes of a ship. The Yanese characters were written on her dedicated to the Great Hunt. He saw the whole entire ship of old Yan just beyond the railing he's currently standing in. With his pictures taken and notes written he went back to the shrine. At a table there were cups, bowls and...
"Is this what I'm looking for?" Doctor inspected a ring with a similar craftsmanship as the compass. When he picked it up, the earth started to shake. His hands grabbed the table to hold steady before he saw the entrance behind him became blocked by an avalanche of boulders. More rocks begin to fall and Doctor ran to a narrow ridge.
'Nice and slow, Doctor. Nice and slow.' Pressing his back against the wall and having one boot at a time to cross this ridge. The rocks keeping it together also started to break away forcing Doctor hop away and narrowly escape from falling into a decrepit set of Siheyuan.
He continued to run and dodge from the rocks, climbing onto a slim crevice in the walls where more rocks are falling, vines entangling him and finally, a bright beam light blinded him.
----------------------------------------
"How did you find me...?" Doctor says to mercenary above standing there. The former was sleeping on a bed of grass near a marsh. He unfortunately had to lay down a bit when he, before he escaped the Yanese stone coffin, got hit by a stray yet sturdy rock on his shoulder. Buck could only chuckle at his temporary partner's luck and confusion.
"Haha! I know! Well, once you leave a trail of human breadcrumbs, mate! Even the deafblind can find you. Not that I mind the body count..." He then offered a hand. "You coming up? C'mon, up you go. That's right." Taking his hand with his good arm Buck picked Doctor up on his feet. "So what you got, mate?"
"A... ring. Probably would fit on the compass." The new treasure hunter answered, rolling his shoulder a bit.
"Well go on, stick it in!"
Taking both relics out Doctor placed the ring on the compass, fitting perfectly on. It started to glow a golden light and the dial moving on its own.
"Haha! I know! Well, once you leave a trail of human breadcrumbs, mate! Even the deafblind can find you. Not that I mind the body count..." He then offered a hand. "You coming up? C'mon, up you go. That's right." Taking his hand with his good arm Buck picked Doctor up on his feet. "So what you got, mate?"
"A... ring. Probably would fit on the compass." The new treasure hunter answered, rolling his shoulder a bit.
"Got our directions, Doc. I'll see you around." But before the mercenary can leave.
"The compass pointing northwest doesn't tell us much. Do you even know where you're going?"
"Nah, mate. I just know where we're headed."
----------------------------------------
An old mine that no-one uses anymore.
"How the hell did you-" Come before him is what Doctor was going to say before he was interrupted by the mercenary leaning on a metal sheet wall beside the mine's entrance.
"You reave Fucker!" Buck pointed at him in jest. "You took your time getting here, didn't you? Personally," With a hand to his tattooed heart. "I'm worried that your heart's not in it anymore. But c'mon Doc, it's all for your girl despite how much of a drag she is."
"Whatever, are you gonna let me go or-"
"Nononono, I got another little history lesson for you. Listen up! Remember Zheng He?"
"The Yanese general?"
"Righto, give this man a Tim Tam! Anyways, he with his treasure ships out trying to collect riches for the Emperor. Well he's got this captain called Lin Cong. And Lin Cong goes fucking AWOL with his ship's hold, the Chaoyang, full of sparklies right?!" His hand hovers over the dirt. "He then settles here, enslaves all the locals, but Zheng He... Ohoho! Fucking Zheng, he sinks his little empire in just a few years."
"So what happened to the treasure of Chaoyang? When I went to the previous site there was a ship but there no treasure." He asked his
"A very good question, Doctor, very astute. Well... the treasure, nobody knows where it is. It's not on the boat anymore hmm. And Lin Cong, that fucker's nowhere to be found. Treasure hunters like you and I have been after that crap ever since. Even the bloody Higs tore the island apart looking for it. But nobody knows where it is."
"So what you're saying..." He saw the mines in front of him as the mercenary shrugs.
"Best not dawdle, Doc. Hmm, chin up; good luck!" Patting his back, he left the Doctor alone once again. The Rakyat could only shake his head as he entered the mines and down it's unexpectedly functional elevator.
"Lin Cong, Ni zhège hùn dàn..."
----------------------------------------
Doctor pushed a railcar filled with Higashi made explosives. Beforehand he drenched it with some of the pirate's firebomb liquors, leaving a few to pour at the ground like a wet trail as it rode down. He got out Vaas' lighter, whom he brought to a villager to fix whatever's wrong with it, and light the trail. When the railcar hit the fire reached and blew up all the pirates that were in the other side.
"Snipers, gotta take this slow..." Going down past the incinerated pirates he saw red lines peering down at a series of railway tracks. Taking his sniper out he went to another railcar and pushed it, going along with it. Peeking out quickly he saw two pirates with their long range rifles and hid back to aim his gun up. A quiet shot came out hitting one in the chest. He went to railcar beside him and saw more pirates coming out of their provisional quarters on the side of the cave's gorge. Placing one shot of his high powered rifle in each emerging pirate, the silencer not letting any of them know of where the shots are coming from.
As soon as they weren't any more pirates, he pushed the railcar to get in closer at the last pirate sniper who was hiding behind the watchtower a floor above the one he killed. The pirate took one last look down at the tracks until he saw Doctor through his lens, a bullet piercing his scope, his eye and finally his brain which parts of it erupted in the back of his head. Doctor went to a familiarly built wooden-rope bridge to cross over which didn't last long as firebombs were thrown on him. Reaching the pirate barracks he saw the bridge burn away as more pirates bumrushing down. More shots rung out from the anti-material rifle, hitting two more firebomb tossers and a heavy pirate shooting at his direction, the large explosive round ripping the latter's armor to shreds.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Going further into the cave and through the watchtower he heard more pirates coming. In this section of the cave there are beams of wood with crumbling rocks being held in place.
"Hmm..." Getting out some of his own explosives, he threw them near the beams and waited in plain sight with his guns down. His hand gripping the trigger, shadows from a campfire afar were seen and a surge of pirates were in sight.
"Closer..."
"Get him!"
"Closer..."
"Don't let leave here alive!"
"Closer..."
"RRRRAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"
*Beep*
*BOOM*
The rocks fall. Several pirates were thrown to the ground by the blasts but the heaviest damage was the landslide coming down on all of them, crushing them with the sheer amount of weight pressed on them or bludgeoning them quickly to the head or neck. Doctor climbed over the remains and went to a corner of cave. More pirates arrived, the ones closest to him were on top of more beams. Throwing one grenade at the beams he let another rockslide fall on them as he shifted positions into some crates that the pirates took notice and shot at him. He placed his rifle back for rocket launcher, going up with his weapon ready he shot at the ceiling above the pirates taking cover. Large broken rocks surged, pummeling the twice horrified pirates who at first hid from the Ghost's rocket but soon realized he aimed at the collapsing rocks above.
With the encampment cleared, Doctor soon found another sealed door. This one was different where instead of a seal to press down on there is a hole with rings around it the has lines going in differing places. The hole itself is in the shape of a...
"Maybe..." He took his compass out, seeing the handle on the opposite side and inserted into the hole. Turning it around so that the lines match. The rings twirled, the lines going vertical and the doors opened by itself.
"Heh, amazing." Doctor commented on the old Yanese ability to make self-opening doors like this. Going down a pathway he reached a room that lead to an arena like location.
"How deep is this place?" He looked around, there are large steps that leads into more rooms and broken pieces of wall that roots are coming from the crevices. Looking down he saw a stone made Yin Yang symbol with a hoop shaped lever in the middle. With a little bit of effort he pulled on it, the earth shaked as the rooms began to open and one of the fold down to another passageway. He took more photographic/written notes on the mechanisms.
Seeing the other rooms open he couldn't help but inspect each room, though he had to swim in one of them that had been submerged. In them he found a few handmade trinkets covered in dust and moss. Sancai Statuettes, translating it to mean "Three Colors" though time had eventually faded such colors from them, Funery Urns and some Earthenware Figurines of the Imperial Guard.
Once he was done collecting he proceeded to the open passage, down some stairs lit up by laterns adorned on the wall. It was down there he saw a cavern, any mistakes he'll make would send him down in shallow water deep down. Jumping from section to the other, taking considerable amount of time for the distance to reach, and crossing over some wooden planks acting as small bridges Doctor looked up to see the sun beaming down with a slimmer of blue-white light. He pressed onward, more Yanese architecture on the walls and more trinkets to pluck, some ancient coins.
Soon he reached a cage made from old logs and entwined rope.
"Fuck, please let it don't kill me..." Stepping in the cage started to move down. An early form of an elevator he observed as he saw a plie of rocks on a platform come up. He then saw from the other side a temple, still intact after all these years. When the rocks passed him the rope tied to it snapped.
"Oh no!" A log almost impaled him. The construct then began to fall apart as more logs fall on the platform he was in, the whole weight and force brought it down to and entrapped the cage in dead wood. Doctor was fortunate to only having one of his leg slightly in the remains. Pushing the broken log off of him he climbed out of the wreckage as more logs continue to fall.
"Can't go back now..." He said while walking down to the temple. Jumping on one of the rock spires and through a bridge, he took more notes on the outside structure. As he entered the building through another set of spires, the laterns inside suddenly illuminated. Large bells was seen on the ground, older versions of wooden scaffoldings and more architectural designs, he took notes on all of them.
When he stopped at a table he saw an assortment of items. Clay water dropper, a Dragon Brooch, Jade Figurine, intricately made hand carved bowls and ceramic pots which he collected. Though there was one that stood as the table's centerpiece. It was a funnel that had a dual animal handle its core. Pulling the handle a spire emerged to reveal...
"Another piece of the compass!" Grabbing the ring, the centerpiece depressed into the table. Soon blocks of the temple toppled over and the lanterns collapsed. Fire engulfing the dead leaves and roots clung close the building. "Not again!"
He ran to the nearest stairway out since the previous way back is blocked. Looking back the Yanese structure is now fully on fire. A tragic end to a beautifully made building. Soon a large bell almost fell on top of him alongside more rocks from the ceiling of the cavern. It was a call to escape, now!
Sprinting to another set of stairs, he had his eyes upward. Dodging any falling boulders while taking a few seconds to look forward to not trip or fall on any split open ground. He jumped over a breaking cleft, pressed forward and almost descended into the abyss. Quick thinking saved him as he ran on a temple gate's brace to propel himself over a collapsed section of the ground. Rolling over his jump he continued to run, turning left and there was light at the end that blinded him like before.
----------------------------------------
"There's my favorite pupil!"
Doctor sat in front of the temple's exit waiting for the merc to come. When he did he was eerily joyful as he went to close to try and embrace. His "pupil" however raised his hands, backed away slightly and responded.
"We're just business associates Buck, just like you said. Nothing more, nothing less..."
"Oh you think you're calling the shots then?"
"No."
"You better not, otherwise I would've called my buddy Hector to gut your pretty little princess back at my place..."
"Is that so?" He marched up in front of the crazy merc.
"Yeah, so?"
"Then we both lose..." Buck and Doctor stared at each other with steeled eyes. For the former it was hard to push this man's buttons. He's too smart for his own good. Sorta reminds him more and more of the arrogant mercenary officer twats with a great track record.
Not so smug now with a knife in their throats.
"That stick up your arse won't save ya for long, Doc..." Rubbing his hands together. "Beside that, any closer to finding me knife yet? Hm?"
"Got another ring for the compass so we're almost there..."
Doctor revealed the piece to the knife hunter. Putting it in place the compass, completing the whole relic as it hummed, the previous glow dimmed a little.
"Right then, I'll sod off now shall I? Keep safe." Another pat on the back and he left him again.
Doctor looked behind one more time at the closed off temple before he headed west.
----------------------------------------
"Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me..."
At first, finding those compass pieces was simple enough. Using the relic he located and found each pieces through various trials. One of them included killing pirates, which he still was perplexed at them being in the same ruins he and Buck were heading. Solving puzzling scenarios, jumping or swimming through obstacles and finally escaping a triggered death trap. It was a case of the treasure hunter to rummage through trapped ruins.
Now the compass led him to the same location where he found his few relics of the Rakyat north of Amanaki. Passing by the bamboo forest the Doctor found Buck resting on rock neara cliff with a point towards a deep sinkhole. The knife is down there. He still couldn't tell how deep it was from both the elevation of the hole and the water below. He stood at the edge wondering how to get down there.
No vines for him to rappel down. No ancient ruin stairs. No descending edges from the earth. He has to fall into the water. And pray that he doesn't hit shallow water. Assuming that the water evaporated.
"Fuck..."
"What?" Buck spoke up from his sunbathing. Raising his head he looked at the cursing Doctor with an amused face. "No, hello?"
"No..."
"Aw, that's too bad."
'Blow me...'
"History time!"
'Of course.' Hopping off the rock, Buck told the story.
"Captain Lin Cong's tomb. Now, legend has it that this guy, he went all Pharoah; got the locals build him one before Zheng He came along and sank his little empire. But, nobody knew where the tomb was, but uh... my guess is..." They both looked down at the water. "Bon voyage, mate!
Before he could leave a whistle caught his attention. Turning around he saw Doctor at the edge with his back facing the waterhole. Giving him a two finger salute.
"Hooroo you fuckwit cunt..."
Doctor then leaned back to fall headfirst into the depths leaving Buck alone. He can only chuckle at the balls of this maniac.
"Bloody hectic bloke."
The Rakyat's head popped out of the water as swam to a vine cluster. Climbing up the incline then the vines he headed into a cave where he found the Yanese ruin door, something he never took notice while finding his relics. Pushing the doors aside the Doctor went in.
The last of his knife hunting ventures started here.
----------------------------------------
*Bang*
*Bang*
*Bnag*
Sliding down on a zipline, overgrown branches smacking him in the face it didn't deter him as he took a few shots with his pistol at a pirate so close to killing him off the thread. He and the pirates are in a web of handmade/natural ledges, ziplines and descents that all interconnect to a vital path below. He took more pistol shots at a pirate blind firing from a temple gate, a bullet hitting the back of his leg than a few more on his exposed head. Several more were firing from below, some even throwing all of their grenades and firebombs at him. They were suppressing him with all they got forcing him to run and jump off the platform he was in.
He readied his pistol and brought out one of his knife as two pirates below saw lunge at them. Jabbing one through the shoulder as part of his landing strategy and placing a single shot to the shocked pirate behind him. The others soon saw him change locations. Doctor threw as many grenades as he can at them after he holstered his pistol and fired wildly with his machine gun, driving them to take cover. They notice the large amount of cooked grenades thrown at them before they all detonated, the wooden structure unable to withstand the sheer force from the explosion collapsed sending the pirates on it down in the gorge.
With no other way down and more pirates below this left Doctor with another idea in mind.
"Fuck me..." He slung his weapon and unsheathed both knives. Pacing back a few meters he sprinted to the ledge, jumping off and into a duo of pirates who are busy contemplating on how to return to the surface. They never saw him coming as Doctor landed on them with both knives piercing their chests. Rolling off them he was faced with another zipline alongside more pirates. Hopping and gliding down, a pirate was shooting while his companion was throwing his incendiary cocktails in hopes of hitting the fast approaching target.
Once he was close Doctor unlocked the hook for a second landing takedown. Stabbing the shooter in chest as he landed before he shanked the bottle of fire thrower the same way. Where he's in currently is compact, the Rakyat saw as he turned the corner with his knives still out. Inside he saw ammo and a spare bullet-resistant vest to which he immediately grabbed and replaced his used one. That done and no other pirates around he proceeded down on a series wooden made banks.
*cough* *cough* "Oh jeez, smells like acid..." The Doctor's nose was instantly hit by a strong odor. Looking down he saw the ground bubbling with an unidentifiable liquid that can probably burn anything it makes contact with. In the corner of his eyes he saw a group of pirates arriving in the distance though heedless of where he's at. Setting his bow ready, Doctor pulled out a sole arrow with a uniquely made arrowhead. Ever since his apocalyptic immolating blitz the fire arrow invention led him to discover another way to make specially crafted arrows.
Using the contents from the grenades he collected, carefully disassembling a few, fastening a yellow and black cylinder to hold with the stuff and attach it to an arrow shaft. He had to experiment first, trying to make these arrows explode on contact instead of a timer, have enough filler to match or surpass his own grenade's blast radius and damage.
Nocking an arrow back, seeing the pirates behind the bow's marksman sight attachment, waiting for the perfect time to let go. When they stopped at some crates he let the arrow loose. The projectile flew and hit the ground between them, exploding and thrusting them into the surplus boxes.
Proceeding on, down the slopes and through the blasted pirates while grabbing some of their grenades laying there, Doctor went down another set of wooden plank inclines and a river of the hot, acidic water. Hopping from one stone piece to the other he heard more pirates ahead. They were garrisoning a large wall along a derelict ruin watchtower. He quickly aimed his bow and shot a explosive arrow at an alarmed pirate with a rocket launcher, throwing him over the wall. Hiding behind the rocks as the pirates opened fire from the tower. When they were reloading the archer emerged and let loose two more arrows for each pirate taking cover, the old slabs of the tower blowing apart added as extra fragmentation.
Continuing on a clear trail, bypassing the geysers that erupted from the rocks Doctor entered a hole on the lower corner of the wall. He found another garrison but out in the open. It made easy for him to unleash a barrage of explosive arrows at the pirates. Several blasts blew them off the ledge and into the acidic or hard floor, clearing a way for him to go and climb the wall layered in overgrown vines without anyone shooting at him as he crossed the geyser spewing pathway.
Heading up the stairs to another watchtower.
"Ghost!"
*Boom*
That was the last of his explosive arrows.
Doctor took one last look at his regular arrow prior to returning it in his quiver and putting his bow away.
The tower was in front of a familiar door from the mines. Putting the compass in the center, rearranging its position and waited until the door opened. Greeting him was a skeleton from who knows when.
"Hey..."
He ventured upward, climbing over a broken section of a structure. Before him he saw a massive architectural marvel built into a giant spire. Photographing it, he hopped down to more platforms and wooden slants until he reached the floor where a noxious smell hit him.
"Sulphur..." The water here is full of it. He made a run to the spire when the fuming liquid started to rise, hopping over some rocks and almost melting his boot off when he reached the outer wall that had been torn down. Climbing on the vines grown there then a ledge he saw how high this statue can reach. Approaching the entrance he took more photos and notes on the inside structural designs as he ascended up the stairs, lamp torches burned his way in each side of the wall. Doctor came to an sculpture of a man, its base holding the same circular inserts for the compass. Putting the artifact in, realigning it and the sculpture moved back revealing it's hidden stairs beneath.
A spiral of steps led him to a hallway with a delicately placed tomb on one end. Interacting with it via pulling the stone cover off he saw inside a skeleton holding...
"Lin Cong wo xiāngxìn? I'll take this off of you."
At last he found the knife sought-after by so many. When he took the knife, a stone dragon head breathed out fire, dusting him a little as several more heads began to set fire to the tomb. On the other end he saw a hole closing, possibly his only way out. Sprinting pass the bleching flames he threw himself into the closing hole as it began to slowly come down. Crawling out of the crushing stone, his foot almost caught by the heavy slab, he dragged himself a little bit further into a narrow-gauged hole leading to the outside.
Forcing out of the hole he was met by no-one. In front of a little pond with nothing but trees and rocks, surely he should here-
*Ring*
*Ring*
His earpiece rang. Tapping on it he heard his caller.
"Ehhhhh... What's up, Doc?"
"Where the fuck are you?!"
"Ah c'mon, you don't get the reference?"
"I'm not here for your damn games Buck! I got your knife!"
"That so? Right, I'll send you coordinates. Meet me in my place."
He hung up.
Looking at his phone, the Doctor's frown deepened when he saw that the merc's place aas right behind Badtown.
"If only I searched a little bit more..." Putting the phone away, his gaze turned to the knife once again. All this trouble. The close calls with death and leaps of danger for this knife.
But it'll be worth it.
"Bring me what has been lost..."
"I'm getting what's lost to me first..."
----------------------------------------
The Sarkaz, Mudrock is familiar with their species being chained.
It was a precaution their opponents must do whenever they captured somr of them in battle due to their extraordinary measure of strength or Arts.
Currently, she is no exception.
Having to escape a human trafficking camp as a sole survivor, the rest sadly dying from the abuse, she made a break for the jungle. Anything is better than in the camp. She was determined to find Doctor and the others. Days pass as she was all by herself, hunting for scraps, searching for any signs of her leader and the Operators of Rhodes Island, even at the rarest occasion she had to fight some of these "pirates" with a giant makeshift club in place of her hammer. Eventually her fatigue have gotten the best of her. With little food in her belly, countless hours spent in a islandwide search on foot, sacrificing her sleep in the process and the fights she's in against the bloodthirsty pillagers.
Stopping at a camp she recently cleared out Mudrock couldn't help but collapse, letting her body rest a few. The only thing she saw before drifting into a nice long sleep is a red painted stone with black outlines circling an inscription in white: [UBI] M-P. Aubin. As a Gargoyle she has an innate ability of communicating with the earth. The rock, from her ears, is chanting in a language she's completely foreign to. Her eyelids were becoming heavier. The rest of her consciousness floating away as she heard grass ruffling and a voice.
"Yeah, that's her alright. Chain her up and let's get to Buck before sundown."
This was how she encountered the Rim Billitoner mercenary Buck.
Chained in his basement walls, good quality steel to keep the Sarkaz in place and he just left her there. The latter in part because of her Warding ability. She immediately caught the disgusting look on his face and didn't give him a lick of pleasure.
This put Buck in an irritated fit of anger.
Threatening to rip her in twine with his rusted chainsaw. Calling his pirate friends to come and rape her, fill her with bullets or burn her alive, feed the remains to the hounds.
She didn't budge. Or rather she didn't say a word to him. Focusing more on her own protection than his little threats. Her time in the Kazdel civil war and with Reunion hardened her posture in such scenarios. Now a few days and no signs of anyone coming for her...
Mudrock heard the door open from the upper floor.
"Hahaha, you found it!" She heard Buck laughed in eagerness. "Go on, give it over."
The Gargoyle listened in closely, as she heard a blade being twirled in the air and another voice emerged but it was low. "Mudrock first..."
"...All right." A metal clinking against the wood. "She's through the door, key works for her locks too." A knife hitting the same wooden place. She waited for who's coming down for as Buck pointed out the fascinating ways the Yanese disembowel people, saying how stylish and poetic they can be on their mutilation methods. As soon as the newcomer came down the stairs she couldn't believe her tired eyes.
"Doctor...!" She lowered her ward as he came over to release the girl from her chains. Looking him over, her leader had a different jacket, a thin raincoat in deep dark blue. He was also equipped with several pouches wrapped around his armoured torso and a varying assortment of weapons clung to his person as well as some fresh bandages tied around his arm and head. When he unlocked the chains Doctor went to check on her blistered wrists.
There was an addition to him, Mudrock noticed. Both of his forearms were tattooed. They're detailed perfectly into his skin yet have differing styles with left having depictions of several animals, a winding line of dots and a knife in the center while the right from his wrist up to the elbow is a joint between a totem like straightforward design on the front and an esoteric union of spirals on the other side.
"Are you alright Mudrock...?" Doctor bringing the woman out of her analysis as he tended to the sores.
"Oh... sorry Doctor. I'm a little taken aback."
"From what?"
She touched his inked arms. Feeling how sturdy they developed as well as the scars he has on them. She didn't say anything, Mudrock was just happy that he was here. Looking up and giving him a small smile. "Just, seeing you here..."
"Mudrock..."
"As much as I enjoy a happy reunion between couples." Buck came down, minus his pants, holding the knife in a reverse grip. "Look, I am grateful about the knife mate. And uh... Well I'd really like to show my appreciation, you know, proper, like a man should..." The freed Sarkaz saw behind Doctor's shoulder her captor fondling himself.
"Had a feeling you would stab me in the back, Buck." Doctor said while finished wrapping Mudrock's bandages. He didn't even bother looking back.
"Well, it's better for her to leave since I never got anything out of her... At all. However you're not going anywhere."
"...So this is how you wanna go."
"Hehehe, mate. I didn't think it was going to be this easy."
In an instant Doctor brought his handgun out, aiming it between his free arm and shot both of Buck's knees. The mercenary fell and shouted in pain. Doctor stood over him, stomped his hand holding the knife and kicked it to Mudrock once he let go.
"Neither did I..." He murmured before kicking him over. Going to the chainsaw after holstering his pistol he revved a few times til it roared. It's rusted teet spinning rapidly as he brought it to the crawling Buck. "The Yanese may have their own style in disemboweling people..." He brought down the wounded captor's undergarments, showing his ass as the Rakyat brought it up with his boot; the sole pressuring down his scrotum.
*BRRRRRRRRRRRR*
"But I like to add my own..." Doctor positioned the tree cutting tool directly behind him.
And...
"Doctor..."
*BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR*
*CRUNCH*
*TEAR*
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"
Doctor ignored the merc's screams.
He was fucking pissed.
This filthy fucking cunt thought he could fuck with him, literally, and say or try that conniving drivel behind his back, literally.
Too bad for poor old Buck it went the other way around.
He wants a good fuck.
He dug the chainsaw deeper.
He'll give him what he please.
"Doctor."
Deeper!
"Doctor!"
He sadistically thrashed his colon up and down while keeping it in.
"DOCTOR, STOP!"
More! C'mon! Almost there!
"THAT'S ENOUGH DOCTOR!"
...Mudrock.
With whatever strength she had, Mudrock stopped the Doctor by hugging him and holding his arms. She was shivering. He snapped back from his blinding rage. His hands were painted red, the chainsaw: out of fuel and drenched. Buck...
Unrecognizable.
He removed his shaking hands from the tool and just looked at them.
"Mudrock... I..."
Her hug tightened, stopping him from talking. He then kneeled down with some help from the woman behind him. His heartbeat still pumping like crazy, his teeth gnashing, dark crimson colored his eyes.
"It's okay, Doctor. It's okay..."
Grabbing her with these stained hands didn't sit right yet he couldn't help it. Mudrock kept hugging him, Doctor started to take deep breaths. His fury breaking away into a calm.
"Thanks... Mudrock. I'm fine." Tapping her arms softly he turned his head from the gore to the Sarkaz who looked at him closely. She nodded and stood up, behind her Doctor saw the prone knife. Following his gaze the Sarkaz saw the ancient blade on the ground and recalled the similar looking design on Doctor's arm.
'Must be important.' She thought while picking the knife up to her liberator who stared at it for a moment. Though she did hear an echo coming from it.
"Bring me what has been lost..."
Done.
Grabbing the Silver Dragon he then looked at Mudrock.
"Let's get the hell out of here..."
----------------------------------------
They arrived at the cave underneath Dr. Earnhardt's mansion. The ride back using Buck's parked truck was mostly quiet with an extensive distance from one side of the island to another. For the Gargoyle she knew why but it was up to him to talk about it. Seeing him do such a... disturbing action scared her slightly. She never seen him so full of... hatred. Not even shown to the likes of Mephisto and his followers, it was always a silent disappointment.
And yet somehow, Buck brought out a monster meant for other monsters like him.
"Listen, Mudrock..." She turned around and saw Doctor with a troubled expression. They both entered the cave after he led her in. The blood on his face has fully dried and he was standing there, trying to concoct a correct phrasing for what happened back at Badtown. "I... I don't know what... came over me... Really... I-"
The Gargoyle stopped him. Putting a sole finger on his lips as she gave him a reassuring smile. "I understand Doctor. You don't have to explain your actions. Nor will I ever see you any different from the man who led us."
"I..." She stopped him with a peck on his cheek.
"Just do what you always do best Doctor and thank you for saving me."
"Mudrock!"
"Mudrock's here!"
The rest of the cave dwellers met up to greet her, offering the woman food and drinks which she was happy to receive. Doctor held his kissed cheek, sitting down near the campfire to carry on mitigating his bloodlust. He looked to all the people he had rescued. Content and safe they were enjoying what little enjoyment they have in this harrowing moment. It was something that put a calm smile on his face. This scene in front of him was everything he was aiming for.
Now there's only person left, Gavial...
"Don't push yourself Doctor, remember what Blaze and Warfarin said." He muttered to himself as he saw the familiar red and violet bowls laid there. Thinking about it, trying two wouldn't be so bad... it hadn't killed him.
Yet.
Grabbing one of each he ingested the two supplements. Letting the effects take place as he dozed off.
Not noticing that either Ceobe, Blaze or Red were in front of him poking his cheek.
----------------------------------------
He suddenly woke up from his slumber. Doctor looked around the scene of cliffs with steel towers and domes built into them. He looked down and saw that he was out of his attire. In place are army fatigues with an officer style duster, the clothes themselves having a jungle/desert mix camouflage and the coat has a photosensitive, colour-shifting fabric complete with a head covering. It was a few among the various other equipment stored in his person.
The awakened commander took note of a sheathed blade of sort on his waist and a necklace of sharp teeth around his neck. He was also equipped with a suit of modified, most likely experimental, complete combat armor with large rigid plates of some strong material molded to fit parts of the body, the main vest having an eerie black sheen. His rugged gloved hands were holding a skull masked helmet with a respirator and high tech lenses, his right gripping a heavy, sturdy firearm with a metallic fang near the barrel as a sort of improvised combat blade.
Putting the helmet on, rubbing some dust of the lense, he got up from his sitting position and looked around some more. This whole place is drab brownish in color, there are buildings either floating or lodged into the rocky spires. In front of him is what seems like a fusion between a hanger and workshop. Boxes stacked on top of one another, metal parts for an unnamed vehicle and a poster of a muscular person wearing an all green costume were seen inside. Turning around to see what he was sleeping on, it appears to be a plane. Tan in color, paler colored strips adorned with the numbers "II" near its thrusters and "3" at the nose beneath its guns. There was also an inscription near the cockpit:
"490th Imperial Navy Fighter Wing, Wyvern Squadron"
"Imperial Navy?"
*WHISH*
*BOOM*
Doctor flinched when he saw random aircraft crashed near him. Curiosity taking place, he went to the crash site with the blocky gun in hand. "Better than nothing." He said out loud. Trying the weapon out on some hopping toadbeasts, he realized how much damage this thkng can do as it obliterated the creatures into a green mist. Despite that it's recoil was a helluva punch to handle but he'll have to make it work for this moment.
Climbing over a ridge, blasting more toadbeasts he walked over a metal bridge to more of those creatures and a series of ledges on top. Shooting, climbing than hopping over, pressing forward, more shooting at those toadbeasts in a group he soon entered a tunnel. Crossing over he saw a trio of turquoise machinas zapping a handful of toadbeasts that came in contact with them. As they were done electrocuting the animals to char, the robots soon saw the newcomer emerging from the tunnel they aimed their barreled arms at him with a flow of electricity ready to be escape.
"Great..." Doctor fired one shot for each robot. They proven to be no match for the weapon's large caliber, explosive kinetic rounds. Proceeding forward and firing more of those hostile machines he had to stop underneath a hoop like gate. He kept his distance from the crashed ship when he saw how outnumbered he is between him and the blue machinas. Steadying his gun he fired one round for each, seeing how their zap weapons are mostly for close range while his work well in further ranges.
Now clear he slowly went to the still burning ship. There he carefully retrieved a small brown droid. Inspecting the little thing for damage the robot's flickered and it's head displayed a screen. Flicking from black to a recording of a white, neck-length straight haired woman with lynx ears on top of her head equipped with small receivers and a tattoo beneath her left emerald green eye. The woman wore a white sleeveless dress beneath a heavy coat of the same color and a respirator placed around her neck. Her right arm looks to be a black, adamantine prosthetic accompanied by a white armband bearing a deep red iconography of a hammer gripped by a fist with a gear piece and the number "VII" underneath.
Even though she was in a completely different attire there was no doubt on who this person is.
"Commander."
"Kal'tsit?!"
"I've managed to retrieve this minute xenotech to send you a message about a threat coming towards this odd sub-sector that the Orks teleported us into." The Feline pressed a few buttons out of sight. She was acting more feverish and in a hurry as she continued. "Currently I'm with your Skull Takers regiment. The Colonel insisted on the merits of me being a Genetor for Metalica to be the leading Chirurgeon for the Guards here. Regardless, when I was securing some of the medical supplies left on this planet I've encountered a ship and a machine that some Mekboys were toying around. Due in part of the temporary truce against the Warptear they allowed me to borrow it. We reviewed the machine's codes and there is a disturbing message dedicated to this part of the galaxy. It has been sanctified by our Tech-Priests and Command has allowed me to send the information machina for you to see it. Not only that, but at the end of this recording there will be coordinates for your Auspex to scan so you can regroup with us. Omnissiah bless your path, Commander." This Kal'tsit had her metal arm come up to end her recording as the tiny robot then showed another.
The screen presented an unknown orange-red skinned, black mane, three finger person? Alien? with glowing teal, pupiless eyes in a suit addressing to those watching with this visual message inside the confines of his spacecraft.
"Hello, citizens of-
On-screen (all caps), showing a majority ocean planet. The name "Novalis" is shown beneath.
"My race, the Blarg, have a small problem. Our planet has become so polluted, overpopulated, and poisonous, that we are no longer able to dwell here, but I, Chairman Drek, have a solution." He stated after he has shown a murky green planet with several of these "Blargs" in it.
"I don't like the sound of this..." First he's in a uncharted location with robots, toadbeasts and limb ripping weapons then he spoke to a cyborg version of Kal'tsit who seemed more hysteric, in contrast to her original stoic demeanor. Now he's listening to a video of an overpopulation, planet polluted problem solving solution for this "Drek's" fellow "Blargs." The video revealed a blueprint for the planet mentioned.
"We are constructing a pristine new world using the choices of planetary components available. So, what does this mean to you, you might ask?" Drek then showed another blueprint but for a claw like construct. "Using highly sophisticated technology, which you couldn't possibly understand, we will be extracting a large portion of your planet and adding it to our new one." He snobbishly stated as the giant interplanetary claw and its uncanny procedure of ripping a large chunk of the world's surface.
"Unfortunately, this change in mass will cause your planet to spin out of control and drift into the sun where it will explode into a flaming ball of gas, but, of course, sacrifices must be made. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Cut!" His director shouted, the camera still recording him jabbing a finger with his tone sounding more aggressive than professional.
"And if you don't like it, you can take your whiny, sniveling, snot nosed populations, form a line behind me and kiss my- We're still on? Well turn it off, you idiot!"
...
"What the actual zogging, frakking-"
----------------------------------------
He suddenly woke up from his slumber. Doctor looked around to see he sitting in a lemonade stand at a vast dock for ships. He looked down at his attire which is a black long coat with golden buttons overlapping a naval officer suit. In one of the pins placed in front of the breast pocket, there was a title: Commander. Rubbing his face he took notice of the welding hood that remained on his face. It wasn't his mask per se but it felt intrinsic to have on.
By his side he saw another stand but someone else was manning it. It was woman, she had long silver hair and deep lilac eyes, wearing a white sleeveless collared and buttoned shirt with a black belt wrapped around her midsection and a black necktie, a black miniskirt with yellow linings, thigh-highs with gray belt strap and black boots. She also wore a loose black long-sleeve coat with white detached sleeves underneath the folded cuffs, and a white navy cap with a black visor.
She's a beauty, very much so however she is one that stood out to him as someone unfamiliar yet he can easily recognize her.
"Wait... How long have we been sitting here?" Doctor asked the woman. Her response was going behind her stand and bringing out a large plush version of Amiya, her head larger than the rest of her body, holding a Starfish style alarm clock. While giving her a small hug she looked at the time and frowned. A slight change from her neutral expression. "Hmmm... I should ask Akashi to give me new batteries for this." The woman poked the clock.
Her stand compatriot soon slammed his head against the wood as he gripped and scrambled for any sense that he could muster. "What the hell is happening...?"
"You seem to be in distress Commander, do you want a hug too?" She put forward the Amiya plush to him as he looked at her from the surface. For whatever reason, it reminded him of Skadi's offerings. With a wave of his gloved hand.
"Maybe later. I'm alright, just in a loop that's all..." His attempt to defuse didn't convince her as she continued press him while pressing herself on the plush.
"Commander, sometimes, we have to go deep inside ourselves to solve our problems."
"That sounds scary when you put it that way."
"Then I'm going in for you." Setting the plush aside she mounted inside the Doctor's longcoat and tried to find anything that bothered him. As she went in a large brown wing smacked him in the face. A bald eagle emerged and flew away into the bright blue sky. "Sorry, Grim wanted to come too..."
After the woman was done searching she popped up from the coat and came face to mask with her Commander.
"Did you find anything Enterprise?"
"Huh?"
Her head tilt was just so gosh darn adorable.
----------------------------------------
He suddenly woke up from his slumber. Doctor looked around to see that he was outside on a rocky hilltop. In his hand he was holding a Heron relic that just appeared in his grasp for some reason. He turned his gaze up to a makeshift figure for the Lateran Church, shadowing him from the rising sun.
It is now Day 23.
'What the hell were those dreams...?'