Hunting for a few hours by the forest, Mary was slowly getting tired. Knowing it will be a bad idea to take a rest in an active greenery filled with animals and unknown plants, it was only fair to find a nearby shelter. She wishes she could return to her favorite cave as a resting spot, but after the incident, the trauma inflicted from it only gave her the shivers down her spine. She would never return there until the time comes. Maybe a search for a shelter, its possible.
A long time ago, when she was still in her early years learning how to hunt and when her mother was still healthy and active, she gave Mary a secret that there would be a secret tree-house hideout by the forest's center. Though, first taking it as a joke. Her mother's words made her even more curious over the years. Using a small map she made out of some wood fiber, over time it got slowly filled with fountain pen ink giving the many directions and areas where Mary hunted and occasional marked it out for taken territory. Taking it like a fun treasure hunt, she headed off to an area where she hadn't search out properly. Though having a few sketches of having some animals living around that area, she haven't put up the time to find a tree-house over there as it was rather far from the village. But today's the day, when the sun is still up.
Over some time of a stroll, she started to feel a little odd. As always, it had to be the odd feeling of eyes. 'Great, what now, a rival tribesman? Are they going to kidnap me now.' She asked herself, a little pissed off that she can never walk around peacefully without someone in a corner trying to pry over a wandering maiden. Slowly pulling out her USP, she screws in her Silencer and walks slowly, trying to blend in with the trees and the slight sandy grounds. Sighing softly, she shuffles along from tree to tree, whispering softly her deity's prayer as she hopes she won't get into deep trouble.
Hearing a bush slowly make a shrug, she hid behind the tree by it, making sure its not a child of an animal or rarely, an ally tribesman hunting or resting, she takes a slow peek towards the direction. To her it was just a bush, she didn't notice any shadow nor a slight sound of an animal's squeak. For a second thought, she had a theory she might have loss her marbles. But she wasn't wrong, she did lose her marbles. Marbles of berries that she pocketed in her pocket.
'Whose there...' she asked mildly, not trying to scare the creature that is probably there.
Thinking that she was right, there was no one, she turned around to walk away. A voiced called out to her. 'Curious gal, over here.' A masculine voice, though familiar and recognizable.
'That voice... Mr.NZ?' She asked out looking back at the bush. 'After all, no one calls me that.' she whispered to herself.
'Yes, yes it's me. But stop talking to the bush, you look like a girl with imaginary friends. Next, someone will try to kidnap you because you are distracted.' The voice replied.
'Look above.'
As she too a few steps back and turned her head up, she notices a small wooden makeshift home, a tree-house! That's definitely one. From there, there was a balcony and a familiar figure is leaning by a railing, holding a mug of drink and looking down at Mary in return. With a small wave and a smile, he spurted his greeting. 'Hello there, curious gal. Fancy seeing you at this random parts of the forest.'
'Mr.NZ! It is you! This tree-house, did you build it?' she asked out of curiosity. 'What me? No, no no. Your mother built this tree-house ages ago, when she was still young and healthy. She originally made this for you and your siblings after you were born as a an area to hang out and play around but over time this place became abandoned because your village kept on moving further and further. Since this place is between both of our village turfs, we can share it as long as we are not rivaling on it like bratty children. ' He gives a wink.
'Come on up, I got some things to show you, perhaps also I know obviously you have quite an amount of questions for me in return too.' He says as he gives a small chuckle.
'Alright then, I trust you. How am I suppose to get up though?' She asked as she looked around with no way to get up.
'You see that bush over there? Yeah, the one you were talking to, there's a secret trapdoor which leads you to a sandstone corridor which leads to a ladder by the trunk of this tree and boom you will reach towards the entrance. Don't worry, I will light you a way and pull you up if you need help.'
'Now, I feel like you are going to abduct me.' She sighs.
'Me, nah. If I did, I could have done it back in the cave when you were most vulnerable. Doc wouldn't have been notified to help you either if I didn't call her up. Fairs?'
'Fine, fine... I trust you Mr.NZ, I'm on my way.' She shakes her head off the indecent thoughts as she headed towards the bush. Following the directions he gave, she notices a ladder at the end of the corridor. Looking up she sees some light and familiar face poking in looking down towards her once again. 'Sup.' He waves.
'You know for an old man, you have quite a young face. Why is that?' She asks as she climbs up towards him. 'How old are you exactly anyway?'
'Me, well approximately...' He looks at his fingers and counted softly by his breathe. I am currently 50 to 60 years old.'
'What the fuck? Your old to the bone like my mother then.' She says as she reaches the top, with a guidance of hand from NZ. 'There yah go... old to the bone? I dare not say that to your mom, she's still quite a beauty. She's only like that currently because of her illness. Give her a little respect, would yah?'
'Alright alright... I mean she did teach me how to hunt and shoot a gun, so I guess that makes some fairness. But seriously though, why are you looking so young?'
'Have you listened on tape seven, eight yet or even nine?' He asks.
'Yes, I listened to seven, I heard you were shot with a deeply wound from a failed sniper attempt of a hostage situation.'
'Exactly and look at me, I am alive right here right now, so take a guess.' he asks a second question to a question.
'I assume, a guardian made you immortal?' she answers as she sits by a chair that NZ pulled out for her as he pours a cup of what looks to be black tea.
'Ehh, Wrong.' He replies. 'A guardian indeed help me to resuscitate me but it wasn't immortality, I am definitely not immortal. If you slice my head from my neck right now, I would definitely be considered dead.
'Then, what was it?'
'Listen to tape eight and nine, I know you have currently with you. I can see it. ' He answers as he serves her the tea with a smile.
'Wait, how do you know?' She got surprised.
'Aura energy, I can see it since I used to own Guardians. Sae-yong, remember her?' he replies as he sits too, pouring himself some extra content of tea.
'Ahh, Sae-yong I remember. Wait, used? You don't have them anymore?'
'I still do have their crystals and weapons but I haven't brought up the time to visit or summon them, it's just... not the time yet.' He replies as he smile slowly become a little more flat.
'Ah, I see... alright then. I would listen the tape with you right now, is that fine?' I would ask tons of questions later, would that also be fine?' She asks in a very desperate way, willing to know what happened in the past.
'I am fine as long as you don't pass yourself out, heh.' he chuckles. 'That's a Russian joke that someone told me.'
'Ehehehe, yeah...' Mary falsely laughs in slight misunderstanding in thought as she puts in the tape and starts to play it. 'Well, here goes nothing.'
---Tape Play---
[Area: Unknown]
[Source: Unknown]
"Ughh…~" A males voice sounding of being dragged could be felt.
Slowly opening his eyes, he saw a painfully bright light.
In response, he covers his face with his palms of his hands. It was rather soft as if all the old wounds have disappeared.
The dragging stopped, giving the instincts of the male to get up.
"Eugh~ Where am I? It's so bright and windy. What am I wearing?" He asked himself, surprise that he was in some sort of white sheet as a robe.
A figure walked towards his direction."Hello…Mr.Endicrite."
"Hello, do you know where am I?" He asks.
"Oh my, don't ask a silly question, you should know where you are. The place every human wants to be after their passing." The figure appeared before him.
It was a feminine figure. Rather voluptuous and elusive. She smirked at William, looking down at him as if a lower caste.
"Heaven, huh?" He asks himself.
"Why, yes. Welcome to Heaven Ol' servant of God. I am the gatekeeper of one of the Heaven's Gate. Nice to meet you." She makes a soft smile as her whitish eyes glow turns to normal sky blue.
"One of the gatekeepers. So I must be at one of the stages. Tell me, am I supposed to have my sins weighed, Maiden of heaven?" He asks as politely as he could to the Angelic Being standing before him.
"Your sins are already weighed as we brought you here my boy. Now, it's just a choice of whether we bring you into the gates or down to the pitfalls where you will reluctantly end up in hell." She smirks, probably underestimating his potential.
"Tell me ol' servant of God. What do you think of God." She asked a question which would confuse a few.
"God. Hmm, God is my guide master towards the paths that he shows to me as I make my choice of accepting or denying. He prevents me from sinning but also allows me to do the things that are in need of acceptance. God is a higher being and I am just his servant." He answers as he nods and places his hand on his heart.
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The Angelic Being nods as she smiles in a very impressive way. "Right you may enter." She said as the gate started to open. It was rather tall and probably quite heavy to open physically.
"Your journey begins with God, Mr.Endicrite. He/She will lead you there." As William passed through the gates, her shouting was covered by a cloud of mist.
Quite dark, he walks over yonder aimlessly.
"It's pretty … windy, ugh~ I guess no one expects Heaven to be what it is. Even the being earlier was rather looking down towards me. Tell me, is this place highly on law and order" He talks to himself, bracing himself against the heavy cold winds.
("I can do this ...!") He shouts in his head as the wind suddenly stopped.
The darkness was swept away as he ended up at a tall building that looks similar to a palace. It had quite an amount of stairs that led to high up.
"Am I supposed to get up here? It looks rather slippery and steep with it looking like pure gold. Do I have to? I don't know if this leads anywhere. It's not like I expect a prize anyway. Let's just go." He was questioning himself.
Taking a few steps, what he said was rather true the stairs was really slippery and steep. "I don't expect anything and I won't give up. Come on this is like Training. This is a test of strength and beliefs." He shouted to himself as he crawled up the stairs, gripping his arm to one step while holding his leg to its flat surface.
Somehow managing to get up the stairs, he was greeted by a few angelic figures again.
"Well well, look who we have here." An angelic being partially robed and armored stared down at him as she makes disgusting regard.
"The boy who failed his one task as a second chance of living...by a minuscule." Another one said, this time her voice was deeper.
"There, there… We have to do the tasks that God gave us. There is no time to be looking down at people. It's already a crisis back at earth land and the two planes." A woman who looked 6 to 7 feet tall walked towards William.
"Care to get a lift up?" She lowered herself as she gave her hand.
William nods and gave a smile, handing his hand. Standing upright again.
"Welcome Endicrite. Servant number #17863883772920. Welcome to the Palace of Justice and Balance. Sorry, but there won't be introductions as we are pretty rushed on our objectives." The tall angelic being said as she bows towards William.
William bows back. Understanding his current situation, he just accepted what was coming. "I understand."
"As you know, you had passed the body's boundary. Now, you are in a soul like state. You may not have a physical body but your mind makes up what you think. The same as what you see us as. We may be angelic beings but we are just light. Neither female nor male. Everything here is up to the imagination. Even God is what you see as but you may never see God as God sees no one except his messengers and us servers of God." The being said. It sounded like a tongue twister that she somehow managed to say it properly.
"Sorry, William… but as per our record, you have quite a many amounts of sins. You broke one of the commandments of God and followed the ways of hell. Our apologies but you may have to go to hell and face your punishment." She said as she looks down towards him, her eyes glowed fiery gold as if dripping lava through her eyes.
Seconds before the lava hits him, an angelic being pushes him aside and grabs hold of him, rolling him over. "Wait!"
The voice screamed out from the angelic savior.
William being brought up by the savior, she looks towards him and back at the Tall Angelic Being. "There is another way!" She shouts at the Tall Angelic Being.
"Oracle, what are you doing!? Are you trying to break the laws?" One of the Armored Angelic Being shouted.
Oracle had no eyes, she wore a simple white robe and was pretty fair. She was pretty short and she had a familiar attitude. She had wings which were quite short compared to the guards.
"There is another way Mother, as his Guardian Angel, I propose him to just receive The Test! There's no reason for him to go to hell. Heaven's at stake and he is our only saviour." She shouts to the Tall Angelic Being.
William confused, he just stood there quietly watching the Beings having an argument of what to do with him. ("My Guardian Angel?") He asked himself in his head again.
"Well, I suppose we could propose that. You, send a message to God and come back a reply this immediately. There are many more servants to bring in line alright!" The Tall Angelic Being shakes her head.
"Oracle, You are really a time-waster of a bothersome daughter." The Tall Angelic Being said.
"We were given orders to punish this human as per he had sinned and now you are proposing The Test, why, so he could break the laws of humans and raise from his body again!?" She shouted.
"It's the only way mother. The Humankind is at risk of extinction and it disrupted our tasks because it's corrupting the server. An artificial man-made element has been killing humans yet ends up still alive in our records!" Oracle raised her voice back.
"Well, it is their problem! Humans were already a pain as they were always a weak species!" The Tall Angelic Being raised her voice back.
A loud boom and vibration could be heard throughout, it shuddered the Tall Angelic Being. "My apologies God...I may have gone too far."
Another boom could be heard. "You want me to give him The Test?" She asks as she looks surprised towards the cloudy sky.
A few vibrations could be heard until it was still silence.
"Fine…Mr.Endicrite, you are going to do a test to prove Heaven and God. Amuse me." She said in a very cunning way.
Oracle looks at William somehow, maybe she could sense his presence easily. "Sorry William but … this will be rather painful."
William was about to turn towards Oracle before he suddenly felt a heavy push.
He fell from a rather high area. He felt himself going heavier by the second. The sky started to turn black as he dropped onto a hard surface.
"Aghhhh!~" He felt a heavy force on his back yet he wasn't injured nor broken anywhere.
He got up as if he had woken up from a dream but here he was in some unknown realm. It was rather dreamy similar to The Guardian's realm but this time it was dark and stormy.
"I feel thirsty, why…?" He picked his lips as he wandered in this unknown place.
"This place is limited… I am like in a box. Wait for a second, is this a test of my strength to hold hunger and thirst? I read about this in books. One who passed gets a chance in life again. Is that what they meant by The Test?" He was surprised as he sat at a small boulder in this small pocket dimension of a box.
"I have to hold the urge as long as I can…this will be easy I guess." He was about to find out the truth.
…
A few hours later
"I can't take it ...I am going mental! Please god, help me. Show me a way, please! Ehhhh… I feel sick but I have to hold it in." He starts to breathe heavily as he placed his hands on the boulder and dug his legs into the sand.
Something suddenly hugs him from behind. "Huh!? What!"
"Calm down… William, It's me Oracle, I have come to pick you up." As she holds onto William, he felt a heavy force again as he was lifted up quickly.
While he was being pulled back up, he didn't feel the urge to eat or drink again.
He dropped softly onto a puff of cloud as he was back to square one. The Palace of Justice and Balance.
"Well, it seems he passed the test though he was rather going to fail if he was there for another second " She laughed softly.
"Mother, there is no time for games. We need to bring him back to life this instant! Time works differently in Heaven, you know !" Oracle shouted as the necklace she suddenly wore shone a bright light.
She turned towards William and he suddenly flashed to an unknown room. It looked rather feminine, having lovely shades of pink and red.
"Am I in a girl's room?" He asked himself surprised. The scent of the room smelled purely of Lavender.
"It feels so calming…" he was just about to sleep as he heard a shriek in his ear.
"Don't sleep! Something is wrong!" Oracle who is now in the room with him was spamming a white keyboard towards a light that he could not see anything on. Perhaps it had a special security function to not work on Humans.
"Oh No, Time past too long. Mother is going to make you alive again no worries, but there will be complications and conflicts. Please bear with me and give all your strength. Also, I will bypass your neuron firewalls and give you some abilities while you are passing down the dimensions and stages of heaven and hell!. You might also change physically and mentally. But, you won't be as powerful nor weak as your current self."
As Oracle shouted, William was giving up and about to ask what in bloody hell what was going on but before he could she pressed the enter button. "Initiating Body Transfer! Permission access is given by God !"
William's eyes flashed fragments of unknown memories. Once that he had never seen before. It could be a power of Clairvoyance but it was more of alternate realities. As his eyes widened, his body felt weak and his pain gone.
"Aghhhh!~" He woke up on a bed, sounds of beeping and a soft static of a heartbeat monitor.
...beep~ beep~...
"I'm back? I'm back!!!" He shouted and leaned himself up. Feeling he had eyes on him, he turned his head left and right. 'Huh?'
In his room was a typical hospital room, filled to the brim in his room were bouquets of flowers and some paper cards filled with get well soon messages. Though senders unknown, they could have belonged to his echelon and the Continuum members. Perhaps also his only two childhood friends that are still alive and his only sister. Other than those, a few pairs of eyes looked at him, both in shock and also in joy.
'William...you have awoken? What took you so long?' A familiar mono-toned voice asked him as she noticed a slight shadow by the window-side looking back at him. It was Shanina, donned in a more casual clothing of a pair of shorts and a blouse. Other than her, there was also his mother, his sister and Chau-min who took her only free time today to visit the hospital.
'Brother? Mother, Brother is awake. Can you see that? ' She made a happy smile as she slowly drowned in tears, jumping towards the railings of his bed as she held his arm. 'Welcome back Bro.'
'Hey there, Ela. Been a long while hasn't it? You too, mother. My apologies also you guys for the effort, Chau and Captain.' He smiles slowly as he slowly weeps.
'Hey now, don't cry. We already seen enough. Come Will, make a smile. Your mother waited hours and days, and took so much of her business times just to see your face again.'
'Alright, I will then.' He makes a short laugh as he wipes his tears away. Patting Elaine and looking towards his mother who slowly walked towards him. Gently wiping his tears with her dress and smiling at him. 'You fool. You took risk just to save your comrades. Haven't you thought about the occurrence of death? You almost stood by its door. The doctors took ages to keep your vitals normal, luckily guardians existed....' she started to slowly cry as she hugs him. 'Because of the guardians, you were able to breathe another day. We waited so many days, just for you to wake up from this....coma. We feared it could have been years but the doctor said it would take only a few days, thanks to the others.'
'I really am sorry mother, I too am a fool. I may be a soldier, but I am still rather a teenager. If this was back in normal times, I would have to be twenty plus to join the military. Maybe eighteen even if I was lucky. ' He gave a small chuckle.
'Glad you are back, look here. Your two friends are here to see you. Though I should more respectfully say comrades.'
'Aww, don't say that Mrs.Endicrite, I meant Miss Akamatsu. We are his friends. Right, Stal?' She looks at her as she was still looking at the window.
With a sigh, Shanina turns around and makes a small smile. 'Yeah, we are. Welcome back, Dummkopf.'
'See, even Stal likes you, you know. My sister too. Don't know about Sher though.' Chau-min smirks out.
'Sherrinford huh? Where's that missy anyway? I don't see her anywhere. Is she playing hide and seek. Hello! Come out come out, wherever you are!' She raised his voice a little.
'Nah, shes at the lobby downstairs, eating something. Maybe you can go surprise her afterwards. Well, after you put on some clothes, that is and call up your doctor in-charge.'
'Mother, Elaine, Chau, Shanina, thank you. Thank you for coming. I am really grateful. Also this bouquets and gifts. I am grateful for everyone's care.'
'No, thank you Will. If the attempt didn't even happened, we would all have been dead. There were bombs planted by the base. If we didn't manage to spare time to defuse them, everyone could have died, even the civilian staffs.' Shanina replied. 'You really are a godsend, I guess for you to be alive. But I may sound a little exaggerated.'
'You sounded like one of those, cult practitioners for a second there Stal.' Chau blandly looks at her.
Shanina smirks and takes her seat by the couch.
'Tell you what, let me tell you, a dream I had while I was asleep. It was really strange, I bet Elaine would want to hear it. If Rikae was here, she would have too, here is how it goes.' He clears his throat.
...
[A few minutes later as the doctor came to check up and Sherrinford finally returns.]
A pop sound came out as confetti went flying everywhere, Sherrinford just walked in at the sudden commotion as enters the already opened door. 'Whats the big ruckus?' Clearly clueless and unnoticed, she made a confused face till she looks towards the hospital bed. 'Will?! You, you're alive!'
'Clearly, why would I would I be dead? There's obviously a reason why I survived the many awful events that happened throughout my time already alive.'
'You little. Ugh, fine. I am glad you are alive Will.' She nears him and gives him a kiss at the cheek and a hug.
William thinking that was some imagination, blinked twice. 'Ooh, seems that Sher missed you.' Chau-min snickered.
'Don't tell me, she's your girlfriend?' Will's mother asked curiously and teasingly.
'What? Bro got a girlfriend. Didn't expected that in a million years.' Elaine teased too. Like mother, like daughter so to speak.
William gave a smile at Sherrinford. 'What are you grinning at? What if i was? Wouldn't you be introducing me to them.'
'Heh.' Shanina snickers. Sherrinford surprised, looks towards Shanina. 'What are you laughing about?'
'If I was a guy, no one would want to date you to be honest. Unless they were sexually desperate.' Shanina makes a small dark joke.
'What do you mean by that?' Sherrinford made a displeased face and looked at Will. 'Tell me, give your reasons.'
'I smell a cat fight.' Chau-min sneakily gets in between Elain and Miss Akamatsu and whispers towards William. 'Could you do something about it? Before it becomes a commotion. I mean there are nurses literally here in this room right now.' William whispers back.
'Nah nah, let the doctor come in and stop them.'
Through the muffled whispers, Sherrinford and Shanina had a small berrate of why would she won't be able to date a guy whether personality, bodily or overall sex appeal. This time, it's not even on Will, it's just guys in general or females if they were more open.
After some time, a subtle knock in the door sounded as a Lamia in a doctor's lab-coat slithered in beside another fellow doctor (whose human, of course). 'We heard the news. Congratulations on your recovery Mr.Endicrite, glad to have you back. Also would you two individuals quit arguing? We have elderly and children here. '
Shanina stayed quiet and took a seat as Sherrinford. "But she...ugh, fine~." She takes a seat too, trying to not call up security to drag her out.
'Well, upon his healthy recovery, he may have to take a small rehabilitation to get activate his muscles and walk again. Though, it's his choice where he wants to take it. He could do it in Continuum if he wants, or he could go for one our of personal rehabilitation trainers too. As stated, its his choice.' The human doctor said.
Though irrelevant, she had a tag written Dr. Sara B. in chicken scratches of permanent marker ink.
'Well, I wouldn't mind doing it in Continuum, I do need to be watched over after all by the soldiers. Guess my family will need a pass to visit me from time to time then.' William replied. 'That's fine right?'
'I mean, I guess its fine. The base is nearer to our home compared to the hospital, makes sense. Right doctor, is that alright? He made his decision.' Will's mother replied.
'Alright then, well I will go sign some documents with Doctor Lamia here and we can call up transport to guide him to the infirmary of Continuum. Deal?'
William nodded. 'Deal.'
As the doctors and nurses left after giving him a blood pressure and medicine dosage check, the door was closed. 'You girls. Sher. Over the next few days, this might be a little selfish but, would you like to help me in my recovery? It could help to know each other better.' He smiles.
Sherrinford shifts her gaze, slight embarrassed. 'Sure, then.' Shanina nods as her arms crossed and Chau-min gave a smile. 'Gladly, though... let your mother and sister help you too when they're there. Don't have us all for yourself. We got a job too.' She chuckles.
Will laugh alongside her. 'I will remember that.'
---Tape End---
Mary wipes her tears with her robe as she looks at Will. 'You have such wonderful friends and family. I wish I could have some friends. But this didn't explain how the procedure went for your current looks.'
'Ahh, that's the tick. You have to listen to tape nine for that to understand more. You know its confirmed it was a doctor and a guardian's doing but, you don't know the full details. That you have to read on my notebooks and documents too. Not now though, its getting late. I will have to walk you home then.'
Mary nods. 'Alright, kind sir.'
As the two climbed off the tree-house, the two had a slow stroll home. 'Have you ever considered your mother as a friend? She was there for you all the time whether you cried, laughed or felt gone.' NZ asked.
'Huh, now that you mentioned it. That actually makes sense.'