Cyphers, the peak of human arcana research, made after the first calamity that nearly wiped out humanity. David knew what they were and what they were used for. But he didn’t know how they were made. Nor how they were first designed, he just knew that they were the key to humanity’s survival in this new world.
Why was he telling him this, why he was even alive at this point. Does he like to see him struggle?
“Heh, I can see your expression you know? I’m just… interested in how you might escape this place, no need to look at me like that.” Said the man, staring down at David amusingly like he was a zoo animal.
The man turned his attention back to the ball, letting out a sigh as he puts it in his shirt pocket, looking back at him with a smile. Reaching out to pull out the gag.
David licked his lips, about to open his mouth to speak, his attempt was interrupted by a ring on the watch on Kane’s wrist.
“Yeah?”
“We got an issue, sir. Two of our guys disappeared, last reported scouting northward. No response had been received from 30 minutes ago, I think it’s time we go, sir.”
"All right, gather everyone. We are leaving, now.” Quickly was the message relayed, and the soldier packed up with immediacy.
“Sir, what about him?” Said the driver, his gaze pointing at David.
“Leave him be, we have bigger things to deal with.” Kane tapped on a tablet, his eyes focusing on the views from the various cameras on the convoys. Moving through the wilds at night is extremely dangerous, even with a fully armed caravan, let alone this small convoy.
But with the possibility of an android tailing them, they had no other choice. The engines whirred and they began moving, the headlight cutting through the darkness of the road. Moving up the sloping hill. Soldiers raised their guns through the port holes of the vehicles, ready to shoot down anything that showed up.
A shrill voice screamed aloud by the right, as turned around there was a dark shadow whizzing by, matching speed for speed. A closer look reveals a ghastly sight. The shadows cast by this thing would make one mistake it for a centaur, though such things did not exist, a closer look would make one realize that it was anything but.
It was the android, now fused with the body of a massive tiger, its upper torso laid where its head should be. The thing, now lost its lower half had somehow attached itself to the decapitated body. Muscle and sinew, fused with metal and wires. Black tendrils transporting black liquid to and fro, the body itself also seemed wrong. Its belly looked torn opened and resowed together, possibly to add more weight to balance out the now heavier ‘head’ of the thing. Black wisps of smoke streamed out of every orifice, everywhere it walked left behind a black sludge, turning the grass black and dead.
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“Khunduled save us…” said one of the soldiers, his mouth shivering, his eyes were immediately covered by the partner by his side.
“Close your eyes, moron, don’t look directly at it. Anyone looking at that thing too long will go mad.”
The horrid thing lets out another shrill scream, David who sat inside could also hear it, and feel its effect.
“SaVe UuUsSsS”
“GIve Us SAlvATiON”
“JoiN US”
“KILL US”
David clenched his teeth, a barrage of distorted voices rang out from the back of his head as if the voices came from behind him. he could feel it crawling through his ears, like maggots borrowing in dead flesh. Digging deeper and deeper into his ear and brain, he breathed heavily, a stream of sweat falling down.
Oh shit, the driver.
David shot up in a panic, if the driver went mad they would be really on a highway to hell. He could see the drive, his head dripping with sweat, the smell of shit and piss waif through the air within the vehicle. With bloodshot eyes, the driver was still there. Driving the vehicles straight and true, he could tell whatever the android did would have been enough to destroy a full convoy of people.
What’s worse was that whatever it did, it didn’t do it this early afternoon. David shivered at the thought, what the hell was that chase earlier? Was it just toying with him?
Oh… oh no...
It was, these things were like that. Corrupted machines don’t feed on Mana, they fed on pain, suffering, and despair. If they did capture a living being they wouldn’t kill it, they would torture it and drive it to despair to feed.
“Shit” Kane uttered by his side, a bead of sweat fell down the side of his cheek, so something that made him sweat bucket, and the driver to even shat himself, was only enough to cause him utter the word ‘shit’?
With a sigh, Kane moved to the right side of the vehicle. Practically pushing David back, leaning his body out of the window as he chants an incantation.
“Khunduled, the golden owl
The guardian of the earth-born
The eyes that see through the void
I pray for the darkness
I pray for the eternal night
I pray for the echoing abyss
Grant me a shadow, to maim and harm
By the darkness, by the eternal night
By the abyss beneath.”
David was startled. Staring with wide eyes as he sees the man’s eyes turned pitch black, a stream of golden liquid pours like tears. Small golden feathers materialize around him, quickly swirling together like a small tornado, and flow outward, sinking to the ground. A crack flowed behind as the spot where the feathers landed erupted, revealing a massive and pitch black owl with 3 golden feathered wings