Rajiv – Alpha Zone #193 Level 1 – 20
IIt had been several months since General Rajesh had met with Rajiv and Lakshmi in person. If it had been the him that had first run stumbling into the now replaced Outpost #846, he would have probably soiled himself at a glance from the intimidating general. Yet they had met as equals, himself having been there to receive the promotion to a rank mirroring that of the legendary figure himself.
Once the pleasantries were dispensed with the man had even expressed his jealousy at Rajiv´s own prowess and accomplishments in battle.
Shaking his head in wonder at the memory that was yet by all reason should have not been his own, Rajiv´s thoughts then turned to the orders they had received that very same day.
At first he and Lakshmi both thought it some form of initiation prank for newly promoted Generals. Yet the more they queried the other three Generals about the specifics of the mission they were to undertake for the benefit of the Shakti and the survivors of the Indian people. The more he and his newly elevated co-general felt that the amount of force that they were to command was a complete waste of manpower.
Oh how foolish he had been in that not-so-little assumption.
Initially Rajiv didn’t protest because it would mean months of travel time in the company of his beloved Lakshmi, and though they were burdened with the shared responsibility that the command of thirty odd thousand men and women brought with it. They somehow made time for each other, bereft of oversight duties for precious and heated moments that seemed to stretch for hours of comfort.
But once the blissful stolen moments and languid days of travel had ended, the import and weight of their task had truly become manifest.
When the General had told them to secure a thing called a ‘Citadel’ from the current owner by the name of ‘Benjamin’, apparently on account of the fool of a man in question having refused access to anyone from the Shakti in any form to any of its amenities.
And not only that but to do so with tens of thousands of troops.
That should have been the first signal of the trouble ahead.
Upon their arrival, they had first thought to just march up to the thing and take it by force. After all what structure could withstand the might of thirty thousand magically empowered individuals alone?
Well for one thing the ´Citadel´ was gargantuan! Dwarfing even the ridiculously large jungle he had first been deposited into all those years ago.
So, employing his tried and tested command skills of subsequent years, Rajiv adapted as the battlefield dictated.
They first sent spy’s in to investigate while the main force remained as unobtrusively hidden as only some tens of thousands of people could, in the adjoining Beta Zone.
The reports generated from such efforts however, were confusing to say the least.
Where they both had expected to find a standing army and a tyrannical dictator, instead they discovered a mix of people who for the most part, had no affiliation or allegiance to each other or the Citadel's so called owner, ‘Benjamin’.
Having already read through the decidedly lacking briefing they had each been given before heading out, it seemed the Shakti´s recruiters attempts at converting segments of the population to their collective cause through peaceful and diplomatic means had resulted in swift teleportation and permanent banishment from the place.
Clearly unable to use the power of reason or direct force, Rajiv was embarrassingly all out of ideas.
However it was his beloved that came to the rescue once more.
Lakshmi proposed that they use a tactic that had worked in humanities past, when an all but impenetrable fortresses refused to succumb to an external force.
So at her behest, at a relatively safe remove of two kilometers, they set up rotating patrols to exterminate all the constantly spawning low level monsters in the area. With that proving effective, and more importantly safe, their forces went about setting up a permanent ring encampment come wall and annexed the citadel itself from the surrounding zone. Effectively starving out the petty despots enabling occupants and their cowardly ruler.
They had initially experienced a steady flow of people from the massive white mushroom of a building, looking to gather manamotes from easy monsters to pay for their accommodation.
Given that neither Rajiv or the Shakti had any interest in slaughtering the people for foolishly aligning themselves to such a unworthy cause, they relieved them of their manamotes before directing them to go to nearby Outpost’s for a new place of residence.
Thankfully, only a small handful had thus far been unwilling to see reason and tried to flee back to their home before being regrettably cut down.
That is when the human element of their current tactics hindered their encamped forces stratagem of capture or eliminate.
There had been a lax presence at the point a Party had tried to pass.
In the mad scramble to apprehend the lone surviving Party member, a Party of regular soldiers were fool enough to pursue her past the tree line, and just when the errant idiots were about to end the escapee's flight. A bolt of energy from one of the strange spires atop the citadels wall engulfed them whole. Leaving nothing but a smoking crater behind.
Since that day not a single person had left the white confines of the mega structure and it had been a good month since their siege of attrition had begun. Rajiv consoled himself that the loss of the soldiers would be more then offset by the owners upcoming lynching or failing that, tearful surrender of his precious Citadel.
However it was at this point when things began to deviate even more drastically from Lakshmi’s once seemingly flawless stratagem.
Rajiv rose in the morning as was usual, before heading from his personal tent to one of the recently constructed log buildings that served as a mess for a tenth of their entrentched forces.
Looking at the sturdily constructed building, he mused that having had to clear a patch of gigantic jungle, while on the face of it was an excessive undertaking, even with the aid of increased attributes and deadly skills. Had had the added benefit of providing them with an excess of lumber with which to construct their fortifications and requisite amenities.
Making his way to stand in line for rations, he received a couple of nods and the odd amiable smile.
This routine had begun as a way to get a feel for the mood of his subordinates, but as the weeks dragged on Rajiv realized it was actually more so he didn’t go completely insane from living the near solitary existence that was a General of The Shakti’s armed forces.
Yet for all the companionship his routine afforded him, he cursed the fact that in doing so, he couldn’t bunk with his beloved Lakshmi.
Lamentably, her matching rank dictated that she be stationed on the other side of the encirclement, which infuriatingly led to a tyranny of distance stoppering their recently rekindled love life for the immediate future.
So it was that he was just about to receive his serve of roti and vegetable curry for breakfast, that he heard a *BOOM* followed by alarmed yells from close by.
Grumbling to himself, as he assumed it was probably just an Initiate Fire Mage showing off again, Rajiv grudgingly followed the flow of troops outside to discover which idiot thought it was a good idea to interrupt his sacrosanct breakfast!
But at fifty or so meters from the mess hall, just inside the wall of lashed logs that denoted their territory, what he discovered was a ring of armed men and women with spells readied and weapons leveled at a singular armoured individual.
Easily pushing aside the rapidly growing throng between him and the person, Rajiv sighted captain Jalal stepping forward confidently as he demanded.
“Surrender your manamotes and head to a nearby Outpost. This area is off limits by decree of The Shakti!”
He was close enough to make out the man’s unnaturally white hair and grey skin as he replied in an Australian accent.
“Alright I’ll bite...Who exactly made this decree of yours?”
This reply seemed to cause the captain a slight confusion as he rejoined incredulously an awkward moment later.
“Mahder chod, Do you live under a rock?! The mighty Generals of The Shakti of course!”
As Rajiv came to the edge of his forces, he could see the strange man’s disconcertingly red irises seem to weigh the captain for a moment before countering.
“Where I live has nothing to do with it mate, so just let me speak with whoever’s in charge of you idiots?”
When the lone man said the last words the captain went scarlet due to barely contained rage. Jalal was a great captain, but once a soldier was foolish enough to challenge him the results were never ever in the challengers favor.
True to form Jalal was about to unsheathe his tabar when Rajiv thought it best to intercede, leading him to step into the impromptu ring and offer.
“And what would you like to speak about friend?”
The strange man’s black and orange tinted plate armor rasped as he turned his red gaze on him. At this Rajiv’s blood ran cold whilst his intuition screamed at him to run as far away as possible.
Marshaling himself he ignored his instincts as the man queried while gesticulating with his index finger.
“So you’re the guy who thought it was a brilliant idea to put together this fucking giant beaver damn of bloody sticks are you?”
Letting his annoyance at the man’s dismissal of their impressive construction get the better of him, Rajiv snapped back.
“And what business is it of yours fool?”
The man quirked his eyebrow and he cocked his head before shrugging as he instructed in a matter of fact manner.
“Move it or lose it.”
Rajiv was stunned to silence for a moment, before incredulity forced laughter to escape from his throat, following his lead the surrounding troops joined in, some even going so far as to ridicule the man’s sanity.
Composing himself as the laughter rippled through the surrounding forces, he asked.
“Look stranger...I understand the world has changed and all of us are more than a little different than we used to be... But I can assure you friend that you stand amongst mighty legends of the new world and though you may not yet know it yet...You are but a lowly mouse.”
Still unmoved or amused by his statement the grey skinned man countered.
“I´m not here to swap dick sizes mate, just pack up your shit and clear out. Once you’ve finished doing that you can tell all your buddies back in Shakti or whatever the fuck you call it, that you made a mistake in coming here and the Citadel is off limits.”
More laughter broke out around him, however Rajiv was un-amused this time as he demanded in a warning tone.
“What is your name lunatic?”
The man gave a far too toothy grin before rejoining.
“Me? I’m Benjamin, and you emu humpers are blocking my fuckin drive.”
The mirth and relaxed atmosphere evaporated as silence descended and weapons were re-leveled, whilst spells also blossomed back into existence.
Holding up his hand in a halting gesture Rajiv informed the madman with a scowl.
“You call us idiots, yet you come into the heart of our camp by yourself! Not only this but you then insult us while making outlandish demands without any means to back it up… If you are in fact who you claim to be, it is you sir who is the biggest chutia I have ever met!”
This led to a series of far darker chuckles and barbs springing up from the surrounding forces. As a runner pushed through the throng and handed him his spear, he shared his own feral grin with the madman who was about retort when thudding sounds, of something drumming rhythmically on wood, emanated from near the wall.
The sound grew in intensity from his right before he turned to see Lakshmi astride Simba traversing the walkway of their wall, before she leapt high into the air and caused those gathered to scramble, so as not to get crushed by the few hundred kilos of tiger and general rocketing toward them.
The tiger in question landed with a thump near the man and lithely prowled around him whilst Lakshmi jumped off and landed next to Rajiv.
However the supposed Benjamin appeared saddened as opposed to frightened. Which was strange in itself considering at the sight of the giant white tiger was not something Rajiv would even for a second consider to be sad...well only after the beast had finished mauling him maybe?
Weirder still however, a trickle of moisture traversed the freaks grey cheeks as he said in barely audible and chocked whisper.
“Dammit maxy...We woulda chased so many giant fuckin killer bunnies...”
The two generals shared a moment of confusion before Lakshmi cleared her throat and asked of her counterpart.
“Would you mind introducing our guest please, General Rajiv.”
Caught off guard for a moment he recovered from his muddled thoughts and supplied.
“Certainly General Lakshmi. This vulgar jackass of a man, claims to go by the name Benjamin and also claims that we are ‘Blocking his fucking drive’ if you can believe such a thing?”
Quirking her eyebrow at this she turned to the man who seemed to have recovered himself as he completely ignored the still prowling giant cat and looked Lakshmi up and down before admitting unrepentantly.
“Guilty as charged lady. So…you two idiots are the ‘Generals’ in charge of this invasion force then?”
Scowling at his words Lakshmi rejoined.
“I am no idiot you cur! And this is certainly not a force of invasion!”
The man looked skeptically from Rajiv to Lakshmi then back again a few times more before he asked incredulously.
“So what exactly are you doing with a couple of thousand troops on my doorstep then? Just a magical rain forest picnic or some shit I suppose?”
Letting out an exasperated huff she countered.
“We would not be here at all if you had let our people take shelter in the Citadel….”
Scowling slightly he shot back.
“Oh yeah sure, just having fanatics set up camp in my streets, telling anyone who’ll listen to join the Shakti or they’ll die in the coming final battle is completely acceptable!...Then there’s the not-so-insubstantial matter of you lot flagrantly chasing down and murdering my people...”
Her eye twitched as Rajiv put a calming hand on her shoulder and chimed in.
“Look! We regret the necessity of this greatly and we would not have had to kill people if they had not tried to flee from us!
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The structure behind you will help not just The Shakti, but potentially all humanity survive this madness!...You cannot expect to keep it all to yourself! And such selfish behavior will only get us all killed!”
Clearly angered, the man snapped.
“It’s not just for me ya bloody donuts! Anyone is welcome so long as they don’t try to pester the other residents with sycophantic mumbo-jumbo! Besides! I paid for it, so I can damn well do what I like with it!”
Rajiv gripped his spear shaft tightly whilst his knuckles creaked, and it was Lakshmi’s turn to intercede as she put a hand to his chest and stated.
“This is all academic now anyway Benjamin…You said it yourself, we have tens of thousands of troops at your door, and here you stand. Alone and lamely debating ethics like a student undertaking an arts degree...Surrender the structure now or we shall end you.”
The man let out a chuckle as if genuinely amused, before he shook his head and rejoined.
“Alright then, if it’s a might makes right situation, let’s have a bloody wager shall we?...I was never down with that needs of the many malarkey anyway… So it’s like this…If I beat you guys, the survivor will get a chance to convince the rest of your Shakti mob that this place is off limits...If you guys win, well you get the Citadel free and clear...
Sound fair?”
Sharing a glance the Generals both shook their heads in unified disagreement that lead Lakshmi to swiftly counter.
“No lunatic, this matter is far too big to have a simple duel over something so important.
Turn it over now... Or die... These are your only options”
The man let out a raucous laugh and it was his turn to shake his head as he retorted.
“Ah sorry, I always forget to be explicit don’t I...What I meant was. I will take on all of you and give a survivor a chance to convince your cult or whatever to give up their half baked ideas of trying to steal my shit and kill my people...”
Throwing up her hands in frustration, Lakshmi looked helplessly at her counterpart and stated in exasperation.
“We tried our best for the clean and easy way with this lodu didn’t we…I suppose we will have to settle for brute force.”
Before turning to their eagerly awaiting troops and adding.
“The one who deals the killing blow gets to keep half his manamotes!”
However, despite Rajiv´s expectations of what was about to take place, a loud *BOOM*ing sound followed by a popping sound that drowned out everything as a blast of wind buffeted those present except for two individuals.
One Initiate Man at Arms who was the first to step forward, was standing stock still, missing his head. Its remains splattered those behind him while a fragment of his skull took out an unfortunate souls eye, causing them to clutch their head as they screamed.
The second was the grey skinned man who was sporting and unsettling grin, whilst his heavy looking armor scraped as he relaxed his reach from where the man’s head had been, before he asked of those gathered.
“So, who’s next?”
Releasing a roar Simba leapt.
One split second it was lunging midair, next it was flying through the shouting and confused melee, knocking those in its way aside like straw. The gaping wound in its chest cavity stained its once pristine coat as it finally came to a thudding rest, against the dented mess hall’s bloodied wall.
Lakshmi’s scream of anguished rage drowned out the chaos for but a moment, as more troops fell prey to the armored man’s instantly fatalistic booming assaults:
Anui has left the Raid Party.
Through the flashes of spells and blurs of movement skills, Rajiv watched helplessly as his men fell to some hitherto unknown ability, before he managed to recover his wits and bellowed.
“SUWAR KI AULARD, DEFENSIVE FORMATIONS!”
Some of the gathered melee managed to collect themselves and struggle to form some semblance of a shield wall, whilst others still seemed determined to score a blow on the apparition the man had become.
After several distress arrows went up to signal for reinforcements, more fraught and chaotic moments of bloody mayhem ensued:
Sujal has left the Party.
Then there was a lull in the one sided combat as the man appeared atop the wall and taunted.
“Is that really the best you guys can do? And here I thought you guys were all mighty leg end´s or something?”
Angered and aggrieved voices joined the whistling sounds of all manner of projectiles as they rained down upon where the taunting man had once been.
He announced his position a couple of meters to the right of the now smoking hole in the wall of the mess, by way of adding in a casual tone that was barely audible above the chaos he had instigated.
“This is really inefficient…”
The ranged attackers were far quicker to target him this time as they unleashed another collective volley, yet despite their preparedness, their skills always landed where the man used to be.
Burnt timber smoked and crackled into the silence that was broken when the voice of the lunatic bellowed from beyond the wall.
“KNOCK KNOCK!”
Before a deafening *BOOOOM* sounded and a section of wall the Shakti’s forces had spent several long days constructing, exploded in an eruption of shattered timber.
Even to Rajiv, and his ridiculously enhanced senses, all he could make out was a large streak of black zipping through where the upright massive timber logs were once lashed.
Whatever it was’ passage, had obliterated a grouping of tens of their front line and ranged attackers, to leave behind smears of red and a furrow in the ground that disappeared into the jungle behind:
Ryka has left the Raid Party.
Dasya has left the Party.
The lucky ones close to where it had passed had suffered abrasions as their shredded armor seemed to have borne the brunt of the friction to deposit them in a muddle of their unaffected companions.
Those unlucky amongst their number however, were strewn along the edge of the furrow as the stumps of their missing limbs pumped blood onto the ground where they lay.
Into the silence of the fresh catastrophe, the gut wrenching screams and howls of the injured were first to join the burnt stench of ozone as the survivors attempted to mentally adjust to their new reality.
Mind whirling at this unforeseen threat the best he could do was try to triage his soldiers, thus Rajiv screamed above the chaos.
“GET THE INJURED TO A HEALERS TENT AND FORM INTO GROUPS OF-“
But he trailed off as he noticed the creator of the fresh smoking rent in his troops and the landscape, crouched, with his platemail creaking as he inspected his fowl handy work in the center of what was once their defensive formation, before casually musing.
“Would probably be more effective from up rather than sideways….”
The more battle-hardened veterans of his troops whom had not yet succumbed to shock, decapitation or maiming, shot their ranged skills at the place, where infuriatingly the inhuman thing no longer was.
Then from above, in the space they had worked so hard to carve between the once whole canopy, the fiendish Benjamin’s unerringly loud voice echoed.
“THERE ONCE WAS A BOY FROM NANTUCKET.”
Instantly a round black hole, but a couple of meters across, appeared bellow his feet with a glowing blue hue at its lip as the Shakti’s forces stared up in confused terror.
Then a round black something, nosed its way out of the void below the man before it blurred and a *BOOOOM* was released only to be drowned out as the ground where their reinforcements were mutely standing, exploded upward.
Bits of what were once men, women and ground, rained down on the knocked over and deafened witnesses as the collective absence of people and ground exposed a newly made crater. In what by all that was good should have been part of the Shakti´s near impregnable camp.
The next thing Rajiv knew someone was next to him and trying to pull his arm, causing him to turn jerkily in his befuddled state, to demand who was foolish enough to attempt to drag General Rajiv away from a fight. His stinging eyes met the tear streaked and ashen face of Lakshmi as she screamed something his ringing ears could not understand:
Bhuv has left the Party.
Gulika has left the Raid Party.
His labored breathing accompanied the incessant white noise as he stared in an effort to make out what she was presumably screaming when all of a sudden his hearing recovered whilst she screamed.
“-EED TO RETREAT! AT LEAST UNTI-“
Then another *BOOM* buffeted the remains of their camp as the earth beneath him shuddered in protest while a fresh fountain of displaced dirt, human flesh and armor fragments peppered him along with the rest of the shell shocked survivors:
Parminder has left the Raid Party.
Jash has left the Raid Party.
Himanshu has left the Raid Party.
Having his perspective forcibly changed as they were knocked down by another blast wave, Rajiv didn’t wait for his ears to discover the new hell that had been visited upon them.
Instead he desperately scrambled to his feet and took Lakshmi’s hand in his as they sprinted for the outer jungle edge like some of the other of the more cognizant survivors.
They were a mere ten meters from the tree line when the monster appeared but a few feet from them and smiled whilst waving, as if it was greeting a friend.
Skidding to a halt and trying to grip a spear which wasn’t there, Rajiv felt true terror grip his heart as the inhuman thing smiled and said something that was swallowed by his ringing ears.
Pushing his fear aside, he let go of his beloveds hand and activated [Lesser Leap], taking to the air as the skill willed him with super human speed toward his target.
Then he was flying backward, along with other would be escapees, as they unceremoniously visited themselves upon unresponsive soldiers and upturned landscape alike.
After the world had stopped spinning and he had righted himself Rajiv fearfully scanned the smoking wreck that was the remains of their camp for the familiar outline of Lakshmi.
In a daze he wandered the haze of the battlefield in search of his beloved as desperate hands of the incapacitated reached for him. His hearing sprung back into being and in that instant, he wished he had been rendered irrevocably deaf instead.
The incoherent screams mingled with the sobbing pleas for help in ending the petitioners suffering, in one form or another incessantly assaulted him from all sides.
Looking toward the jungles edge, he noted that some still had the foolish notion to make a break for it. Then sure as night would follow day, the demon was there to reap their heads.
Fearfully orientating on the valiant cries of more of their reinforcements about to join this hell, Rajiv began to cry out in alarmed anguish.
“RUN! SAVE YOUR-“
Only for an echoing *BOOOOM* to swallow his plea and the ground to erupt once more into gore and destruction.
Like a leaf taken by the wind, Rajiv was tossed to his side and the pressure wave brought him parallel with the ground whilst his arm broke itself as well as his fall. The mélange of iron, dirt and ash in his mouth was a fitting entrée to match his overwhelmed senses as time blurred to lose all meaning.
He was unsure when he had given up the thought of escaping the battlefield, though he vaguely remembered trying several times, the mirage of the abomination with grey flesh refused him even this cowardly mercy as it found him every time. Without fail.
The earth was violated over and over as it bucked and quaked its resistance to the relentless assaults of the madman´s impossible magic.
Soon, all that filled Rajiv´s sight was an impenetrable brown hued fog as his red health bar sat at around 80% and his mana remained impotently full. Yet despite his apparent good health, he could hear nothing but ringing and screams.
Stumbling as he traversed the uneven and shrouded terrain, he saw bits a pieces of his once dutiful subordinates. Their remains grotesquely studding what little ground he could perceive, like so many tufts of grass.
Wanting to be free of the nightmare, he trudged forward unsteadily and realized that either the sounds of incessant ringing had ceased or he had lost his hearing once and for all.
A hysterical laugh escaped Rajiv´s lips at the thought of finally being free of that indecency, but his face contorted in anger as he registered the sheer wrongness of his levity. Doubly so, as he considered the horrific prospect that he alone was still cursed with such potential.
Attempting to focus on the small glimmer of hope and the fact that there was no longer any assault, he took a few more steps and broke from the cloying haze. His ragged breaths halted as he gazed upon the uneven mounds where the Shakti´s camp had once stood.
Rajiv continued to stare brokenly as the clearing film like fog revealed the newly tilled mounds of his people’s remains and the upturned earth, hemmed either side by gargantuan and uncaring trees, as they stood indifferent witness to the horror for as far as his stinging eyes would allow.
There was a *BOOM* and a rush of wind and dust as his motionless reverie was interrupted by the apparition of the grinning monster. Tripping on something, Rajiv fell backwards before landing on the soft and displaced earth, only to recoil in renewed horror as he found the thing he had tripped on was half of someone’s still bleeding leg.
Transfixed, he stared as blood oozed from the torn and burnt flesh, when his attention was ripped away from the grotesquery as the thing in grey skin with the shape of a human asked.
“So what do you say little mouse?”
He involuntarily shook as he met the red eyed gaze of the fiend, and could only stammer.
“W-w-what?”
Benjamin quirked an eyebrow as he continued.
“I said I’d leave one of you alive to give your masters a chance to rethink things... So it looks like you get to be the messenger.”
Blinking as his battered body shook despite his demands for it to cease, Rajiv begged.
“W-where are m-my soldiers...W-were is L-Lakshmi?!”
Shaking his head the monster sighed, before supplying.
“Your soldiers are gone mate...As for the tiger lady?...Well I was gonna leave her as the messenger because she seemed a bit smarter than you and also I’m a bit sexist...But it woulda been kinda cruel to leave her alive after I killed her giant cat and made her loose her class…
On the bright side you get to live!”
Rajiv stared slack jawed at the abomination standing indifferently in front of him amidst the sea of carnage.
Anger for the loss of men was ignited by his loves unjust death, spurring him to shoot to his feet and charge at the monster who had taken his everything.
One moment he was about to grasp the beasts throat with his outstretched hands, the next Benjamin disappeared with a *BOOM*.
Stumbling lamely to grasp at that which was not, the rush of displaced air washed over him as he heard the monster’s voice from behind him.
“I said I would leave you alive guy, and I am nothing if not a man of my word... Which is something you are going to relay for me as per our wager.”
Anger flaring anew at the devil at his back, Rajiv spun to charge at him and the man appeared with a *BOOM* a few meters further away.
At his wits end, Rajiv bellowed.
“I WILL NEVER DO YOUR BIDDING, YOU MONSTER! I WOULD SOONER DIE THAN GIVE YOU WHAT YOU DESIRE GAANDU!”
Unimpressed with his soul deep defiance, the plate armored man shrugged and countered.
“You don’t get to have a choice anymore mate, that train left the station when you refused my offer of negotiations and tried to kill me. Now the next stop for you is New New Delhi…weird name if you ask me but whatever floats your post apocalyptic boat I guess… Oh and I’ll be coming in person to check on your progress in a couple of days…”
Snorting at the lunatic’s dictation, Rajiv gave him the finger as he raged.
“LIKE HELL MAHDER CH-“
Then the wind was knocked from him and he was traveling backwards for a moment before he was swallowed by something that began to stretch his senses in ways that only a dimensional siphon's accursed entrance could.
Gasping for air, the world snapped back into focus as he experienced what felt like water falling on his head.
Blinking in confusion Rajiv saw a notification obscuring his sight and focused on it:
You have entered Alpha Zone #7934 Level 1 – 20
Willing away the bafflingly familiar notification, he wiped at the muddy grime that the rain had made on his face. This in turn lead it to only clot and tangle his now thoroughly matted beard further as he dazedly took in the ramshackle outskirts of New New Delhi.
Hysterical laughter escaped his throat before it quickly morphed into pitiful gut wrenching sobs.
Thinking of Lakshmi he began to pound the ground at how useless he felt while he screamed incoherently between his sobs. This only served to make the confused to give him an even wider and warier berth.
Eventually some patrolling guards took interest in his apparent loss of sanity as one demanded.
“Citizen, refrain from obstructing the public thoroughfare!”
Lost to the sweet release that thumping the mud while laughing brought, he paid their inconsequential warning no mind.
Refusing to be ignored one guard used the butt of his spear to knock him over where he knelt, as payment for his continued indifference.
Reflexively Rajiv’s hand snapped out and grasped the bottom of the shaft as his wild eyes met that of the guard, causing its owner to flinch back.
Rising to his feet as the rain traced rivulets of water on his mud stained ashen leather, he took in calming breaths before he demanded of the guard.
“Where is General Rajesh?”
Recovering from his shock the guard sneered.
“The General has no time for the likes of deserting trash like you!”
What little patience he had regained left him in an instant and he closed on the guard, smashing his fist unceremoniously into the man’s temple resulting in him crumpling into an unceremonious heap in the mud.
Forcing more calming breaths down his ragged throat he turned to the stunned remaining guard and offered.
“This day has been the most foul i have ever encountered friend….My name General Rajiv of the Shakti’s armed forces, now tell me the whereabouts of General Rajesh soldier!”
Emotions warred on the guards face for a moment before distrust and discipline won out as he countered while drawing his sword and shield.
“Citizen, General Rajiv is thousands of Zones away… if you surrender yourself to the Shakti’s justice, I promise I will do my best to see you are treated fairly.”
Roaring in annoyance Rajiv shot back.
“Soldier! This is no time for this insubordination! TELL ME WHERE HE IS!”
The guards face paled and his weapon shook at the clearly stronger individual’s outburst before doubt began to erode his resolve and he queried.
“W-what is so urgent that y-you need the General?”
Anger swelling, Rajiv chastened.
“This is no time for pointless questions you chutia!”
Leading the perplexed guard to counter.
“W-what do y-yo-”
Bereft of all patience and reason now, Rajiv could only scream.
“HE IS COMING!!!”