The door opened, scraping the floor as it went. Dust and other particulates billowed out of the new opening. Seth reached for the light bladder on his belt, shaking it before tossing it in. The bladder slowly lit up the room, revealing an old storefront fit with shelves and racks. Many seemed to only have dust and long decayed products. With nothing out of the ordinary, Seth entered. After gathering his light bladder, He hooked it on his belt and unsheathed his sword. It was a simple one-handed weapon with a bone cross guard and handle. The blade was a long, narrow tooth that came to a slightly curved point. It was a dark ebony that seemed to be slightly reflective. He held it ready as he cleared around the storefront, checking for anything of potential value. Any old tech parts or papers were swept into a bag slung over his shoulder.
Moving into the storage room, something lept at Seth from a dark corner. He quickly brought up his left hand to block the attack. Jaws clamped on the bone spurs of his forearm as the rabbit made itself known. Several large black eyes stared into his eyes. Its jaw was oversized for its head, and the gray fur was matted and splotched with infected blisters. He slammed the rabbit into the wall twice before it let go, staggering as it righted Itself. Seth took the chance to thrust with his sword, catching it in the side and skewering it. The rabbit trashed weakly for a few long seconds before dying still on his blade.
Using his foot, Seth gently pushed the rabbit off, stabbing it once more to make sure it was dead. Sadly, it was in a terrible condition, too sick to be of any use. With a sigh, Seth checked his arm. Luckily, no serious damage was evident. The bone exoskeleton that extended from his lower forearm to his hand could handle bites of mutated prey animals. His palm was still flesh, but his fingers on his left hand ended in bone claws. The result of accidental contact with an R.E.A catalyst. Not the most useful forced evolution he had come across, but far from the worst. He would rather have, enhanced eyesight or senses, but at the same time those could always cause problems if too foreign to your bodies current systems.
Seth gathered himself, heading out of the store and back onto the street. The muddled light of the sun diffused through the constant dark fog. Seth hopped over the muddy water that filled the large crevices of the asphalt street. Temperatures drop incredibly low at night, and the last thing he needs is hypothermia. Seth steadily travelled north towards his small home. The building of the ruined city loomed above him, sections eroded, some destroyed. Flora covered almost everything, the dark greens of plants, mingling with the light gray of the mutated fungus. On the right side of the street, a mutated deer stood eating some dead animal. Its antlers, covered in black veins, seemed to pulse as its tongue lapped up the blood of its prey. Seth moved to the left, quickly distancing himself. At last, he spotted the mound of dirt that signified the entrance to his home. With quick steps, he climbed the mound, entering the broken wall of the tall building. Pushing through the hanging vines, he jumped down a hole in one of the rooms. A short reinforced tunnel connected this building to the basement of the collapsed one next door.
Seth placed his right hand on the pulsing blob of flesh on the door. With a small shudder, the fleshy veins that lined the doors seemed to compress before the door slid open before him. “I’m home!” Seth called as the door burbled shut behind him. The basement and veins that spread over the walls and ceiling in an elaborate lattice. Light bladders hung from them, lighting the large room with a warm glow. Seth removed his bag, placing it by the door, sighing in relief. With a quick stretch, he walked to one of the small rooms on the right side of the basement. The wooden plank walls were something he added to give extra privacy to those sleeping. “Terra you awake?” Seth asked, knocking on the plain wooden door. There was a small thud from the room, followed quickly by light, and hasty footsteps. “One moment!” A voice practically squealed before the door opened slowly, and a small head poked from the door. Or tried as her small curved horns caught the frame. A surprised yelp and jerk of the door fully revealed the room's inhabitant. “Dad, I promise I did not just get up. I was just taking a nap.” Terra said, although her ears were drooping slightly, calling her bluff instantly. Seth just sighed and shook his head. “Come on, let's eat.”
Terra quickly ran towards their small kitchen, unfolding a seat before hopping on it. “What are we having?” she asked, all evidence of drowsiness in her voice gone. Seth pulled a couple metal cans out from the cabinet before lighting the small fire under the grates of the stove top. A small exhaust vent in the ceiling carrying away the smoke. “Just beans, every animal I saw seemed too sick to eat.” Seth said placing the cans over the grates. He turned to his daughter, examining her. She had clearly just gotten up. Her shirt wrinkled and her hair a mess. Her horns need a trim, he mused to himself as he gathered two metal sporks from a drawer. “That sucks, why can’t they all just be healthy.” she said, pouting. Seth just glanced at her as he walked over to his work area on the opposite wall. “You know why, Terra.” he said over his shoulder. “The spores are getting worse in the area, and they haven’t adapted yet. Give it time.” Seth pulled tools off their stands and set them on the table of his work area. He gathered metal parts, and a few jars of random Heartcores. She just mumbled an affirmation from her spot at the table. He pulled out his current project from its spot on the wall and set it on the table, looking over his progress. The weapon was a long metal pipe that acted as a barrel. A wooden stock and curved metal body formed the rest of the gun. An oblong hole was exposed in the chamber where the ammunition would be loaded. Multiple seemingly random lines of chalk covered the metal frame of the rifle, meeting at a large circle near the stock.
“Are these lines up to date?” Seth asked, placing the gun back down and checking on the food. Terra's long furred ears, shaped similar to bunnies, perked up. “Of course!” she exclaimed, looking toward him, and away from the paper she was drawing on. “The Heartcore in the third jar should produce the most potent explosive chemical. Oh! And-” She jumped off the chair, her pawed feet carrying her over the floor with light steps. Terra’s biological parents most likely had many R.E.A’s that affected them for her appearance to be how it is. Terra had the upper body of a normal human, her legs and below, as well as some part of her hips, were nearly the same as a rabbit. They were clearly somewhat altered, for holding a body in a constant upright bipedal position. Her hair and fur on her legs, and ears, are a light amber brown with darker highlights mixed through. She also had incredible eyesight and much better hearing due to her lineage. Although, Seth has no idea what caused the small horns that curved from her forehead and a few inched over her head. Luckily, since the R.E.A’s were a part of her DNA from birth, she has no abnormal proportions to work around.
Terra looked through the assorted jars that sat on the floor and shelves next to the work area before plucking one up and running back over to him. Extending her arm and smiling at him as if she just won a lottery. “I was able to merge these two Heartcores, and it should be compatible with the main Core of the gun.” She said proudly as Seth took the jar from her and looked inside. A small fleshy ball rested inside, a small glow of heat seemed to originate from the center of the heart. Two distinct shades of red cut a line through the middle in uneven lines. Two tubes of metal extended from either side, their ends capped. “Great work!” Seth chuckled, happily handing the jar back to Terra's waiting hands. She giggled as she practically hopped over to the work table, setting the jar back down. “I know right, this will be the best weapon ever!” She exclaimed, jumping up and latching herself to his side. Seth just laughed and ruffled her hair. After detaching the big ole’ fur ball, he opened the cans of beans as he smothered the remaining fire, placing some still hot charcoal in the hearth by the dining table. Seth and Terra talked and went over schoolwork as they ate.
Seth and Terra crowded around the work table, Terra standing on a small stool. After double-checking that they had everything they needed, they began constructing their new weapon. With a chisel, Seth began creating small divots, following the lines of chalk. Terra on the other hand was checking over two Heartcores. She was making sure that all connections were secure and healthy. After the divots were in-place, Terra handed over the main Heartcore. This was the one that produced the liquid that would cause a small explosion when in contact with a flame. Seth rubbed a powdery substance on the circle indentation where the Heartcore would rest. This powder will cause the Heartcore to adhere, and attach itself to the gun as an artificial body. After carefully attaching the core, they let it stick while they gathered a series of veins of varying thickness. They rubbed powder in the grooves along the body, placing the veins in their correct positions. Once this was done, they grabbed the second Heartcore and attached it next to the main one. This one produced a gas that would combust when in contact with oxygen. After everything was in place, they connected all the veins to their respective Heartcores. Three thicker tubes of flesh were attached to the metal tubes that extended out of the Heartcores. One routed from the main one towards the back of the gun's chamber. This tube would pump a small amount of the liquid into the combustion chamber. The second tube connected a small tank of liquid solution that would provide the nutrients required to keep the cores healthy. The third tube ran from the second Core into the combustion chamber, funneling in a small amount of gas.
When the trigger is pulled, a small vent is exposed in the combustion chamber that lets in a small amount of air, causing the gas to ignite. Seth put in the firing chamber and made sure all the mechanical parts worked as intended. After cleaning up the table and any excess fragments of metal and powder from the gun, they left it there to grow each part together overnight. Seth cleaned the house as Terra got her schoolwork put up and got ready for bed.
Seth slumped onto the couch, thinking of the future. Terra was already twelve, and her connection to Heartcores made him nervous. He was glad that her skills were improving and that she enjoyed It, but many of the so-called gifted went either crazy, or ended up killing themselves from accidents. Heartcores may be a natural part of their new world, but they are unpredictable and constantly changing. It would take one accident from an unknown Core effect, one too heavily developed, consuming her. He shook his head, removing the negative thoughts from his mind. He looked toward the workbench where the gun sat. A smile crept onto his face as he drifted off into blissful sleep.
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***
Seth and Terra stood next to each other on the roof of the building that served as the entrance to their home. It would have been used as a home for a great hundred of people as it stretched into the sky. A wooden plank with a target Covered In red paint laid against the wall of the stairwell. Wind and ash blew past in great swirls, carried by erratic currents. Terra was hopping from one foot to the other, staring up at the gun in Seth’s hand.
“Hurry up!” She squealed, eyes staring daggers at him. “We went over the gun enough times already!” Seth just sighed. She was correct, of course, but the last thing he needed was to blow himself up. “Fine.” Seth relented, pulling a plain metal cylinder about the size of his thumb out of a pouch at his waist. The point was shaped down to a point, sanded round. He loaded the round into the rifle's chamber, pulling back the lever, sealing it closed. Unlike the ancient weapons of history that were made with machines and gunpowder, his imitation was more of a handheld cannon. Which was, rather understandably in Seth's opinion, making him nervous. With a sigh, and a swat at Terra's poking finger, he aimed down the two prongs that acted as a sight. He placed the target between them and took a deep breath, steadying his body. On the exhalation, he pulled the trigger.
A loud boom echoed through the broken city. Birds cawed and scattered into the air. Terra yelped, her ears falling flat against her head. The gun on the other hand had a small sputtering of flames as the pressure and any excess gas was vented from both sides. The flesh of the gun tightened and relaxed as it loaded the next mixture into the combustion chamber. Other than the flames, the gun seemed to be fine. The barrel was hot, but as long as Seth gave it a good half a minute or so to cool down, there shouldn't be any permanent damage from sustained fire. "Hopefully." He muttered under his breath. He looked back up toward the target. Slightly off center of where he was aiming to hit, the wood had splintered as the round barreled through. Terra gaped at the hole in the target, before barreling towards it. She hopped to a stop, crouching down to inspect the destruction. Seth walked over to the still giggling Terra, shaking his head in amusement. “It Worked! It Worked!” Terra laughed out, poking around the hole. It was a little larger than the round, which seemed to squish in on itself after hitting the concrete of the stairwells wall. “I would definitely say that was a success.” Seth said, checking his pouch of ammo. He did not have many round, only seven more. They were time-consuming to make if he wanted any form of uniformity.
As they were setting up the target again, deciding how else to stress test it, Terra’s ears shot straight up as she stilled. She stood like a statue for a good few seconds before she paled. “There's a Marshall heading this way.” Terra said quietly, turning to Seth. As soon as she stopped speaking, a deafening screech echoed off the nearby buildings. Seth rushed over and scooped up the still form Terra, and ran for the stairwell. He pulled the door open and rushed inside. The stairwell shook as something gigantic landed on the roof above them. Seth ran faster. Another deafening Caw sounded out through the building as a new source of light sprang into being above them. “It's breaking through the roof!” Terra whimpered in his ear, shaking against his chest. Seth pushed his legs to go faster, jumping over the gaps of the broken stairwell. Seth slammed to a stop and jumped through a hole in the wall of the stairwell. As soon as he landed, a large crash sounding out from the stairwell. Seth looked over his shoulder and got a look at the Marshall. It was a crow of unholy proportions. The avian was the size of a van, its jet black wings over double that. The Marshall screeched at him, gleaming white teeth glistened in its beak, jutting out like stalactites. Seth ducked from room to room, Terra wailing into his shoulder all the while. His heartbeat was pulsing through his whole body like a gong. Walls exploded out only a dozen feet behind him as he evaded the avian.
Seth entered a large lobby that marked the entrance of the building. Old furniture were covered in sprouting nature. He ran out into the street and towards the sewage cover that sat in the middle. Using his left hand, he gripped the cover and ripped it free from the asphalt. The bottom of the hole was an old sewage system that had partly crumpled. An old mattress laid at the bottom, this was one of Seth's oldest backup safe rooms. He turned over his shoulder, checking on the Marshall’s progress. It was almost out. Seth cursed under his breath and pulled Terra off of his shoulder. She was still crying, but she seemed a little more composed now that they were outside. Seth set her down and just smiled at her, the Marshall was almost free. Terra just stared at him, her eyes full of instinctive fear. “Terra I need you too be strong okay.” Seth paused until she gave him a shaky nod. “Good! That's good.” He said cheerily as he removed his backpack and the new gun. He looked at her again, and at that moment he had the most genuine smile Terra had ever seen on him. Pride radiated from him as placed his jacket over her shoulder, followed by the backpack and gun. Terra just sat, her knees shaking and confused.
“Dad, wha…what are you doing?” She asked between a sniffle. Her heart felt like it was being eaten by her stomach. Something was wrong. A loud crashing of glass, followed by a caw, sounded from the building they had just left. The large bird was staring daggers in their direction. Seth never took his eyes off her. Time seemed to slow as he pulled the straps tight around her. Then he nodded. “I love you, Terra. Always remember that no matter what.” He said calmly to her as the bird started to them. That pit in her stomach seemed to become endless, as her shaking grew even worse. “Da-” she tried to get out, but Seth cut her off. “You are special, Terra. I mean that in every way I can. You're smart, and have an amazing soul. Even the Heartcores seem to love you.” That last bit came out with a chuckle. “But you are still young, too young. I wish we had longer, but the world had other plans.” He started frowning towards then end, but that radiate smile returned as he looked back into her eyes. “I love you, Terra. Be good, little bunny.” With that final word, he pushed the crying Terra into the hole. Terra fell on to the dusty mattress waiting below, her world turning black as Seth covered the hole back up. Her only companion seemed to be her tears, as she clutched the gun tightly against her chest.
***
Seth sighed as he stood up. His heart ached something fierce, but he had to be strong. The Marshall was almost here. He looked at it, his face wet with tears, with an unshakable will. The crow stared back with its pitch black eyes. Its wings raised, feathers disheveled, and covered in various shades of dust. Even if he dies here, Terra will live, and that's all that matters. He pulled his sword from his waist and ran away from the hole, shouting at the Marshall. Luckily, a few steps later, it followed. With that done, he ran faster. He had no destination except away from Terra. He should have known that the gun would bring unwanted attention, but he never thought the Marshall was around. The bird was a terror in the city, but that was not even the worst bit. It was one of the beasts of the Raven faction. Seth only met a member once in his life, and they were just as bad as the Marshall itself. They had no remorse or regard for humanity, and seemed to worship death. They could be spotted easily as they always had a flock of crows around them. Normal-sized ones luckily. They also were pitch black masks, shaped in the form of a beak.
Seth darted through an alley as he heard the crack of a beak catching nothing but air. He kept up his sprint as the bird followed along, only getting barely slowed by the narrow alley. Then he heard the Marshall screech, louder than ever. He winced at the sound, then almost tripped as he heard it. Another screech responded. His legs were burning, but he sped up all the same. There were two here! He screamed internally as his heart pumped. He had an idea that there was more than one, but he did not think they would hunt anywhere close to each other. Seth leapt over rubble as the ally entered another main street. He needed to find an open building that was not accessible by the birds. They could always break through, but he would be gone by then. The Marshall shot forward and struck the ground inches behind him. Seth went stumbling before regaining his balance. The crow was shaking its beak out of the asphalt, its eyes never leaving him. As he was running, he caught sight of an open door and a mostly intact building up ahead. His hope soaring, he cleared the remain distance before leaping up the stairs and into the red brick building.
As soon as stepped in, a figure stepped out of the darkness on the opposite end of the hall he found himself in. The man had long black hair that seemed to flow over his head and shoulders. His eyes were wrapped in a black cloth like a blindfold. He wore a mask of gleaming black, shaped as a curving beak. Seth froze before the Marshall’s beak bit into his left arm and shoulder, pulling him out of the building. As he was carried into the air, wind flapping against his clothes, he saw another oversized crow drifting down from the air. The newcomer was slightly smaller than the Marshall, but that did not make it any less intimidating. He tried to wrench himself free of the beak, but it was futile. The human member of the Ravens’ marched out of the building looking directly at him despite the blindfold he wore.
“Would you like to join us?” The man asked, his voice was deep but airy, like he was struggling to breathe. Now that he was in the light, he clothes were visible. He wore a simple shirt and pants, with a cloak of dark purple feathers that flowed over his shoulders and back. The man had no boots, but what looked to be an R.E.A of crow feet.
Seth was confused, that was not what he thought the man would say. Although, it did not take long for him to come up with a response. Blood was dripping from the ivory of his left hand, and he could feel a creeping coldness in his arm. Despite that, a cold laugh burbled out of him. He spit out of wad of blood and looked directly at the Raven. “Go to hell.” he said calmly, resigned. The man just nodded as if he had heard it many times. “Pity.” The man said simply, before waving his taloned hand dismissively.
The Marshall flapped its wings twice before shaking Seth back and forth like a rag. Seth screamed in pain as he could feel his flesh tearing and bones breaking. Then is stopped as he seemed to be launched from a cannon. Time slowed as he watched the world around him speed by from high above. The sun had just hit noon and its rays seemed to be welcoming him. Time sped back to normal as he crashed into a wall, cracking it, and breaking him. He flopped through the branches of a tree on the road and fell into a gaping cavern that seemed to stretch down for miles. With a final thud, he lay there. Broken. The world was dark, and he could feel death gripping him in a vice, his life flashing by him. From when he found the small form of Terra no older than a few months clutched in the arms of a dead mother. To each birthday and school lesson in-between. She was everything to him, and as much as he wanted to continue to teach and raise her, to see just what she would become. Only he could not, he corrected himself. He smiled to himself as his last thoughts echoed through his head.
Show them why you are special, little bunny.