ODDWORLD: Jims Oddysee

[Rich]

He had already gone when Me, Nat and Ash began the acent in the elevator. About three minutes later we came to the top floor. We were greeted by the hum of machinery, but there was a slightly wierder sound coming from the roof. But still I didn't give it a thought and Nat soon found the main generator. "Here it is!" said Nat. I helped Ash into place in front of one of the three wheels. "Work 'em!" I said, The humming stopped, and the lights switched to emergency power. "What's that?" asked Ash as the sound I had heard started. "Errr Jim!" said Nat. "What is it?" I said wondering over to him. He pointed at the lift. It was moving, up, towards us...

[Teal]

Rek: Maybe we ought to get together for a fight...

No. Absolutely not. I don't want you killing any other people's characters...

Rek: Well, I've got to defend my kin...!

I said no.

Rek: *sniffily* Party pooper...

*sits and waits patiently for next chapter*

[Rich]

I go away for four days and a half and I only get one reply!!! Still anything counts.
Prepare for a Matrix style shoot out.

Nat grabbed Ash's arm and they both dived into a shadow as the door opened, however I wasn't so lucky. The Elevator had been carrying a big bro slig and three sligs, it was a standard Swat Team, the Brewmaster probably just suspected some Employee rivalry.
I ran for a metal pillar as the door opened. The three sligs opened fire on me as I dived behind the pillar, bullets bounced off and the sound of more guns being activated met my ears. I peaked behind the girder, another fourth slig was in the elevator. "Get over 'ere!" came the big bro's voice. Two of the sligs ran round on each side of my pillar firing their Uzi's, I ran and jumped and they reloaded the guns. The big bro appeared on my right, He blasted his Blitz packer cans at me, I did a cart wheel to the left out of the way. The third slig suddenly opened fire on my chest a few of the bullets hit, screaming in pain I turned and ran only to have my back raked with bullets. I continued to run, he shot at my legs making me fall over. He walked up to my bleeding body and kicked me in the side making me turn over and cough up some blood. He laughed and raised the butt of his gun, about to knock me out. I thought that I would never wake up if he dealed the blow, but suddenly the fourth slig from the elevator began shooting him. The slig yelled and dropped his gun, the noise stopped as his skull recieved some bullets. The other two appeared, the slig blasted one's pants, screaming as he was fried he touched the other killing him too.
Fially the big bro turned in just in time to be split in two by the bullets. The slig now calm walked over to me. Ash and Nat ran out of the shadow, but what happened next was very unexpected.....

[Silversnow]

Wow.... That was soooo cool, Rich. Ok, im overeacting again, on something... arg...

[Rich]

Thanks silver, my overall length of posts should contain more now.
I'm getting the hang of writing in first person.

As they stood around me I glanced at one of my wounds, there was blood everywhere. I wished that the third slig had knocked me out. It didn't matter anymore, I was going to die anyway. "Thank you..." I managed as the slig stood over me. He remained silent, he wasn't even looking at me. Nat and Ash suddenly stepped back in alarm. The slig was shaking, he dropped his gun. A lense in his mask shattered showing a shocked eye. All his veins stood out from his skin, blood dripped from his mouth and finger nails. His neck snapped and his pants broke under him. He fell out of them, squirming around like a fleech, cracks appeared in his skin. We had our eyes fixed on him, he finally stopped in one position. Then he exploded, streams of blood and bones filled the room. His internal organs showered us, nothing remained in his place. "Yuck!" cried Nat wiping goo of his face and body. I wasn't as bad as him, all the parts had flew over my head. I smiled weakly at Nat, although we had not known each other long being a mud he had a large heart. He held my hand, I began to cry, I didn't want to die. Ash also cried, tears bursting through gaps in the stitching. I heard something behind me I turned too see a Mud land on the floor, he looked at us and begn running too us.

[Rich]

"Sorry Guys!" he said stopping in front of me.
"Who's there?" asked Ash.
"I'm Ian" said the Mud. The hum of the elevator started again, Ian turned. His back was covered in scars two large ones descending from his shoulders. They weren't like scar-eyes they had been stitched back again, had he been a Vykker subject?
"Hey!" cried Nat "What's happening? Why did the slig explode? What are you doing here?" He gasped tears running down his cheeks. He was scared. Ash couldn't and never would see any of the things which had happened, but he was aware he knew I was injured.
"The slig exploded because I killed him, I can possess sligs" said Ian plainly. "But how?" asked Ash. "It's because I'm very abundant in spooce, I can chant single handedly" he said. A squeek came from the lift, it opened and tons of Fuzzles erupted from it.....

[Rich]

The fuzzles swarmed around and over us, at first I thought it was a Glukkon trap, but a familiar body was in the elevator.
"What's taking you so long?" asked Scar-eye walking over to us, leaving a trail from his bloody katana. "What's with the fuzzles?" asked Ian. "Damn Bastards follow me everywhere!" Scar-eye replied. judging from what I could see he hadn't even been hit, he was invincible. I was glad he was with us.
"Ian" I said. "Yeah" said Ian, "can you heal me?" I asked.
"I'll try!" he said. White balls of light span round him and the humming started. Then a pair of huge yellow balls burst out from him engulfing me, then it stopped.
I sat up, I stopped bleeding, I began pulling bullets from the holes in my chest.
"Are we all ok now?" asked Scar-eye. "I think so.." I said. I looked at Ian. "Please will you come with us too?" I asked. "Yes I've got nothing to loose!" said Ian.
Despite his power he seemed very carefree, but that isn't a bad thing is it?
"Jim, there are Elite swat teams headed this way!" Scar-eye said "They're coming up in the lifts! the only way back down are the ventilation shafts!" He finished.
I groaned, this was getting anoying. "What about the fuzzles?" asked Ash, thousands of eyes surrounding him.
"They'll come too!" said Scar-eye
"Yay! I like Fuzzles!" said Nat.
We headed to a vent, "Jim as the leader of this operation I think It would be great if you led us!" said Ian
I shrugged and clambered into the hole.
The next forty minutes was like hell slipping and sliding down different passages. Suddenly I heard a slig voice "Give 'Em grenades!" he shouted and through a gap behind us several grenades appeared. I began crawling as fast as I could taking any path. The grenades exploded and I felt myself being pushed into a huge hole as the weight of Nat, Ash,
Scar-eye, Ian and the fuzzles crashed into my back....

[Rich]

Blackness, silence.

"Jim"
"Huh!"
"Can you hear me?"
"Yeah, who are you?"
"Your future"
"Huh? have we met before?"
"Only in the real world"
"What! what's that light?"
"Jim, do you remember me?"
"R... R. Rob?"
"You're a smart kid Jim!"
"What happened? one minute I'm in a shaft the next I'm... where am I?"
"This is your mind. It's empty, you're out cold"
"Arrgh! what's that, it's a Mudokon!"
"Jim, that's me don't you remember?"
"But It's got wings and a halo!"
"I died Jim"
"You mean you're a.. a..."
"An Angel?"
"Yeah!"
"Jim fate works in funny ways,"
"What do you mean?"
"Everyone has a small part to play in the world"
"Even me and you?"
"Yes. Jim you're chosen task is to spread the word of Abe beyond Mudos!"
"I do?"
"My fate is to help you Jim, I am returned as your Guardian Angel. I shall help you through out your journey....."

[Rich]

Where aremy replies? are they lost in the laundry?

I awoke spinning in a large dark room, millions of eyes looking at me. I immediateley asumed I was in hell. "Am I dead?" I said out loud.
"Naww!" said Ian. "Just a little bump on the head!" said Nat. I was sitting on a fan, the fuzzles around me. "Odd! do we have to have these fuzzles everywhere!" I said climbing to my feet. There was a bit of blood on the floor, some fuzzles must have been diced in the fan. A horrible thought ocurred to me, where was Abe?
"Maybe we should head back down to where I found you?" I gestured to Ash and Nat. "Yes" said Scar-eye. "It's cold in here, we'd be better down there, theres a passage over there".
Scar-eye walked ahead, me behind him, Ash and Nat behind me and Ian and the Fuzzles at the back. "I was getting worried, we were taking any turn, I thought we were getting lost. I decided to keep up a good spirit and keep our team together. "Hey Scar-eye, where did you get those fuzzles from?" Ash asked. "They seem to follow me everywhere!" said Scar-eye.
Suddenly I heard a voice, two voices, they weren't from our group.
They were Mud voices. further ahead two Muds were leaning against the wall of the shaft.
"Hey! where are we?" one shouted at me.
I went to speak but Scar-eye stopped me "Nutters" he said "Ignore them". We walked on through the tunnel. Nat was figeting "Is something wrong?" asked Ian.
"Yeah!" said Nat with a tone of fright in his voice. "I feel like I'm being watched, I'm scared!" He said. I heard him "Hey Nat don't worry we've got Scar-eye with us!" I said trying to reasure him.
After a while Scar-eye went to stand by Nat so he felt more secure, while me and Ash led the group. We walked quietly except for the squeek of the fuzzles. As we aprouched a corner I heard the sound of dripping, the sight of.. it made me shudder. Blood dripped from the walls and covered the floor. Two Mudokon bodies lay in a corner, huge gashes in their bodies, they were bullet ridden and had huge slog teeth marks over their arms and legs....

[Rich]

I am pissed, No replies in 4 whole days.

I don't know what anyone else thought but this threw Nat over the edge. He flew into a fit, screaming and kicking. Scar-eye hit him sending him unconscious, but it was to late. Already I could hear slogs running and barking, their slig masters not far behind.
It was just an advanced sport to them, like the ancient paramite hunts of long ago. They would release slogs into vaults to kill the paramites, sadistic bastards. Scar-eye picked up Nat and slung him across his shoulders "come on, lets get out of here!" he yelled as two slogs ran into the shaft. He swung his katana at one removing its head. A Slig walked in "Scar-eye so glad to see you again!" he smiled pulling out his grenade gun. I had never seen anything like it, scar-eye raised his sword. The tip turned blue and a bolt of lightning struck the ground. "Zelt! you bastard!" cried scar-eye. I had heard that name before, but Ian stopped me from remembering "Jim take the others and run! I'll help here!" He said giving the unconscious Nat to me. I was about to ask how he could help but he was about to show me anyway. He howled, his head turned green his eyes melting into his skin.
His mouth opened revealing a six foot tongue and sharp teeth. His arms bulged with muscles, two more arms burst out of his sides. His legs shrunk down into those of a slogs and large spikes burst from the stitches in his back. I was going to watch the fight but Rob's voice came in my head "Jim! run, get out and go to where you met Abe!" it said. I didn't hesitate in grabbing Ash's hand and picking up Nat and legging it as a battle of slig, Mud, wierdo and Fuzzle started....
"

[Teal]

Heeyyyy, gimme a break! I've got important exams to worry about, and sometimes I may forget to post, so shoosh, you!!

Besides, you're not exactly posting a lot of replies to other peoples fics, are you? *sighs* Just calm down, all right?

(BTW, I have read it, and it's good, just a little confusing toward the end. )

[Rich]

Yay! second page!
Sorry Teal ....
Oh and about the fic, sorry to all you slig lovers out there but this is a Mud fic and involves violence to sligs.
But the next hero Slup will be a slig.

We walked for about an hour, my legs aching as we walked on the cold, hard metal floor.
Nat had recovered, Ash listening to his own footsteps was able to tell where to go, something I will never understand.
I longed for the wild, for Leo for an Elum.
Eventually we reached a hatch, I opened it... It was a lift shaft.
I collapsed on the floor sweating, then Nat called me. "Jim the elevator is coming down!" he said. I scrambled to my feet thinking of a way to get down. Then the lift came by stopping just below us. "Jim, what are waiting for? go on the lift" said Rob.
"Let's go on the lift" I said. We jumped on top of the lift. "We'll get of at floor 7" I said. As we aproached seven I saw that the door was open. A sligs gun was wedged between the doors, the alarm on that floor was on. We jumped off landing in the zulag. Carved slig bodies littered the floor. Nat shuddered "Jim, did Scar-eye come here?" he asked. "Yes" I said. I was getting more serious by the minute, "Jim" came Ash's voice. "Yeah?" I said. "Did you see Ian transform?" he asked. "Yes, we all did except Nat" Nat tapped me. "Was I bad when I saw those Mud bodies?" he asked. I descided to lie "No you just went to sleep" I said as we trudged through the Zulag, we were getting closer...

I like posting!

[Rich]

It's been a while, Teal has exams, Drag is busy and Silversnow can only be here once a week.

I'm sure we had already slowed down the factory, voices kept hounding sligs and Glukkons to report to the main offices. But the Sligs were all being killed and with Abe and me around Mudokons were running out too...
"Wait! I've had an idea!" I said. "What?" asked Nat. "Shipment dates have been missed! I know how we can get out of here!" I said "How!" asked Ash and Nat eagerly.
"Feeco keeps it's trains here sometimes, we could board a train and get out of here!"
"What about Scar-eye and Ian?" asked Ash.
"Knowing them they'll fight their way out, or Abe'll get them!" I said.
"Where are the trains kept?" asked Ash. "Last but one floor!" I said. We were getting excited, we had worked hard to get this far....

[Rich]

Floor 7 housed one of the main Brewery store rooms. Ash of course would never see the astounding sight of it. Judging quickly I said it was about two miles around the outside. Barrels and Boxes were stacked to the roof everywhere. We were on a high walkway near the ceiling but we would soon get a closer view of the room. Nat was leening over the handrail "Jim come look at this!" he called. I walked to him and peered over at the bottom there was a huge machine producing soulstorm brew bottles. As I looked at it something fell out of my loincloth. It was smooth and flat and fell straight down into the gears of the machine.
There was a click then a hiss "Jim What's that?" asked Ash. "Ummm, I dropped my cardkey in the Machine" I then heard a shout from behind me and once again we were greeted with bullets. A few hit Nat in the leg who lost his balance and fell over the rail, then they fired at Ash. I ran and pushed him over the rail diving to avoid the bullets. My hand fell on an empty brew bottle which a hurled at the enemy. It wasn't very afective but bought me enough time to jump the rail and fall into the maze...

[Rich]

It's been a while. My ambition is to get into the habit of writing again like in the old days.

I fell onto something hard. I looked down to see I was lying on a box. A rolled off and landed next to Ash.
"Where the hell am I?" Questioned Ash.
"THERE THEY ARE" yelled one of the sligs opening fire on us. I ducked pulling Ash with me then ran quickly behind the nearest crate. It was a bone crate and about 9 feet tall. I went to ask Ash about Nat but a bullet shot straigt through the crate narrowly missing me. It hit the opossite crate which started to leak brew. "God" I murmered. "Jim!" I heard Nat shout from somewhere to the right. "Come quickly".
I ran with Ash in the direction of the voice and dived behind a strangly shaped crate.
Nat sat beside me. Suddenly bullets came flying everywhere, smashing crates and barrels. A huge crate crashed sideways onto ours. A barrel crashed into some smaller crates which blocked our right. A barrel rolled right up to our left and got lodged in the gap. There were more crashes as crates piled on top of us. Finally everything went silent, we were on our own in our own small little hole.

Only a little since my inspiration well has dried up.

[Rich]

I awoke to darkness.
"Rob is this where we were before?" I whispered.
"Jim? is that you?" came Nat's voice from my right. I was surprised to find I wasn't dead and floating in heaven with Rob. After all we had been buryed by about twenty or more crates. "Nat where are we?" I asked looking in his direction. "Somewhere in the warehouse" said Nat. "Where's Ash?" I asked.
"Sleeping" Answered Nat. A bullet hole in the crate I was leaning against opened into what appeared to be scrab cakes. I took one and swallowed it whole. The crate on my left contained brew bottles. I took one. Ok I confess, I took about ten. I had missed Abe now, by far. The brewery was probably collapsing around us, we didn't know wether Scar-eye was dead or alive nor Ian. It was bad. Now, even by my standards, it was time to get pissed. I cracked open the first bottle and took a large swig. My head was spinning by the third swig. I think I heard Nat calling me but I couldn't grasp his words. I took another swig this time finishing the bottle. I cracked open the second with much trouble as my sight was going by now. I managed it and took a long swig. I continued to drink for what appeared to be a lifetime until, totally sick and exhausted I fell asleep.

*Sighs* 'Fragments' style aproach to it all.

[General Drippik]

Er, rich.... love ya sig...

[Rich]

I awoke to the sounds of footsteps outside. Nat and Ash were still asleep. I heard more footsteps, this time I could distinguish them as Mudokon steps. I wearily crawled to barrel and somehow over a 15 minute period squeezed through a small gap.
I stood in a murky red brown puddle, Slig blood and lots of it. Corpses too. They all appeared to have been stabbed, some repeatedly, blood oozing from their wounds. And yet, all of the corpses had something in common. Cut into their flesh was an ancient symbol of which I could only just remember the meaning.

A cross inside a star, which was inside a circle. This was the ancient symbol of mudokon spiritual fighters. I quickly followed the trail with joy, thinking Scar-eye must have visited, but as I turned the corner I a frightening sight met my eyes.
Three Mudokons sat praying on the floor in front of a slig. This slig looked different from other sligs because he had no mask. On his back he had a large tattoo bearing the symbol. He held a sword in his hands also bearing Mudokon symbols I couldn't make out.
He cried "stupid sligs! always working for Glukkons just for the money," he spat on a corpse "But we are different, my kind we're here to show both Muds and Glukkons they can stop arguing because neither of them are the chosen species, this you fools is the day of the SLIG!" He began to laugh hysterically until the end of a blade emmerged from his stomach...

[Al the Vykker]

Great story Rich! I have taken an hour to read the whole thing. Can't wait for you to keep writing.

Note : check out my fan fic the Fallen temple.

[Rich]

Thanks, I will...

This time however the blade DID belong to Scar-eye.
"Thank odd" I said tripping over a corpse as I stepped back. I looked down seeing, instead of a Slig corpse the dead body of a Mudokon met my eyes. I stood up hastily to see that the three Muds that had just been praying were now all dead. Each of their bodies bore the symbol. I looked at nearby crates, the symbol painted on them in blood. I looked down, We were standing on a huge symbol.
"Scar-eye where's Ian?" I asked.
"Dead"
"Wh..W..What?!"
"You heard"
"But... how?"
"Same as these guys, he was marked by a 'Dark Mudokon Star' "
"A what?"
"A dark mudokon star, the symbol you see right now all around you"
"What does the symbol of a dark mud star represent?" I asked nervously.
"Someone marked by the star never escapes death by the Dark mudokon hand, oh and before you ask they are like those mudokons you see there now, marked by a tattoo of the symbol".

I was going to ask why Ian had been marked but then I remembered the slig also having the tattoo.

"Scar-eye, what about that slig?"
"Now that I cannot explain"
"Hmm, you seem quite knolegeable in this area of dark muds, why?"

He sighed,
"I too have been marked by a star, that is why I learned the sword techniques you see, to fend off any dark warriors"

"did they come?" I asked
"Yes, one night I was here working when a dark warrior appeared and tried to kill me, of course I won, but I lost an eye
in the process, then they thought I had killed another imployee and locked me up with all the nutters in the brig".

Suddely I felt overwelmed be a sudden pain in my back. I jerked around and saw nothing but the pain didn't stop.

"What's wrong?" Asked Scar-eye worriedly
"I..."
"What?"

The pain increased until I fell down in agony. Then the voice came into my head.

"Jim, get the hell out of there with the others, they're trying to kill you!"

"What?!"

"Jim, don't worry about me, just get out of there fast!"

"Rob! is that you"

"Don't worry about it..."

I got to my feet and turned to Scar-eye.
"What was all that in aid of?"
"Come on," I said "We must leave here now..."



That'll do for now alright?

[Al the Vykker]

Excellent, I was waiting for an explanation about scareye. I also like how Jim's friend talks to him from the grave. Reminds me of Obiwan.

[Rich]

Yes.

It took us an hour to get through the storeroom. We climbed up a ladder at the exit that bought us out in a vast room of pipes. Nat sneezed and it echoed about twenty times.
"I think I cought a cold in there" he said looking embarrassed.
"Ok, now every God damn rat, mud, sliggin' fool in the place knows we're here" scowled Scar-eye.
"Relax," said Ash "I mean who's gonna look for us in here?" he finished.

However I felt differently, I could almost hear whispering.
"Let's just hurry and get out" I said
"Well said" agreed Nat
So we walked through the great steel palace of macinery and pipes. Often I heard wispers, 'He's dead this time for sure' and 'Yes the weak one'
In the dark corners big rats moved quietly and above us great spiders spun massive webs from pipe to pipe.
I could hear footsteps echoing off the floor and I asked Scar-eye who just said they were from the rats.
Against one of the large pipes was a map. It had all the propers areas graffitied over but one name had been added on the area we were standing on. 'Ice's palace'

Scar-eye laughed "some place ey?"
I put on a fake smile and turned face the shadows, but I jumped back into the others startling them and making Ash fall over.
I was face to face with a mud shrouded in a black, hooded garment.

"How dare you insult King Ice and his followers" came his blank unemotional voice. "You must now face the consequences"
"Huh?" asked Ash
"No questions, you are coming with me, Dac" he said.

I turned to make run for it but I fell to my knees in pain. The stabbing feeling came again in my back. This time it increased beond belief, as if someone were cutting through my flesh with a molten hot poker. I heard gasps around me from the others as smoke appeared to be coming from my back. Gradually the pain became less until it was about the strength of your average headache.

"You have made the mistake fool" said Dac
"No-one escapes from the Dark Mud Hand, you have been marked!"

I got to my feet and reflected by the pipes looking at me from all around was a huge red and black symbol, tattooed on my back...

[Al the Vykker]

Spooky, gives me chills cn't wait!

[Rich]

Thanks...

We found ourselves sitting on a hard metal floor in what seemed to be the throne room. Muds stood around all wearing hooded robes of dark colours. Cobwebs draped the walls of pipes and in front of a massive pipe was the throne. It appeared to be a combination of a barrel and an old pipe, it too was draped in webs. Of course, you could heasily overlook the fact that someone or something was sitting on it as it appeared to just be another hooded garment just without a wearer.

Then it moved, the hood turned and looked at us. Inside the blackness were a pair of small, glinting, yellow eyes.
The figure seemed to stretch out it's neck revealing the shape of it's long up-pointing head. It then poked out it's feet from under the robes. They were handfeet, it was unmistakeably a Glukkon. It stood up and the robes evened out revealing it's incredibly thin, frail body.He hobbled over to us slowly as his thin legs looked very weak. One kick would have probably made him fall apart, So I have no idea what damage Scar-eye's blade would have done. He went to speak but instead he coughed a pathetic old man cough. He removed his hood revealing an ancient face, skin stretched tight across his bones revealing the shape of his withered skull. He pulled off his robes completely showing he was dressed in mere rags. His chest was hardly there and his arms and legs were all skin and bone. He coughed again and began speech.

"I am Ice, king of the great realm you see before you," came his low voice.
His eyes fell on Scar-eye.
"And leader of the Dark Mudokon Hand".
My heart sank, this Glukkon, Ice was the leader of the group who had killed Ian and marked me and Scar-eye. His henchmen were all around too, All muds in hoods. I felt that I was expected to speak.
"Good day to you" I managed.
"Oh," he said "but is it, indeed a good day may I ask? No for you have deliberately trespassed into the land of my people, that my friend is a very serious crime"

Ash tapped me, "This guy means buisness!" He wispered.
Ice spun around and looked at Scar-eye.
"You were born into our 'organisation' weren't you Fin?" He said smirking.
"You're a real fool Ice!" said Scar-eye
"Oh am I, No, I didn't try to run from my destiny did I Fin, but you did, and you paid for it severely," He smirked again and walked closer to Scar-eye "That's a terrible scar, I can't believe that that rookie managed to Scar you so badly!"
Scar-eye gripped his Katana
"Don't even think about it!" Yelled Dac, pointing his finger at
Scar-eye.
I took this moment to step in.
"What is it exactly that your group do?" I asked uneasily.
"Well," said Ice " that is difficult to explain, I hate to use the word Necromancers but I wouldn't consider you to think any less".
"That's the wrong word for it!," piped in Scar-eye "You're just plain evil, brainwashing young naive mudokons into becoming Dark Mages"

A scowl came across Ice's ancient face. "I wouldn't say those kind of things if I were you, if you were to escape your own unavoidable death!"
Dac stepped up "Master, don't let them forget that I could kill them with one spell"

"Don't forget boy that we have more slow and painful methods," He said "Bring in the rack"

I gulped and I heard Scar-eye too.

Two Muds carried in a huge table like object with spikes on it.
The spikes were rusted with blood. Nat fainted in a fit.

"Now who first?" Pondered Ice
He pointed at me. "I think you will do nicely"
Ash gulped and my stomach churned.
I went very shakily over to the torture device and was hit heavily with a metal bar. Dizzily I felt myself being lifted, then something amazing happened. A black beam shot from the tattoo on my back to Ice. It cleanly removed half of his arm. He screamed. More black beams shot into most of the surrounding guards. I found that I was becoming less and less contious. The last thing I remember hearing was "You'll pay later my friend!"........

Wasn't that the greatest chapter ever! I really enjoyed it!

[Al the Vykker]

That was an awesome chapter! Not to mention a cliffhanger.

[Rich]

So there I was, stuck in a makeshift cell. Like everthing else in Ice's kingdom it was made of pipes. I had been completely separated from the others. Scar-eye and I were both marked and could use some sort of black magic as defence but Ash and Nat probably were already dead. My meeting with Ice had aroused many questions in my mind.

Why was Scar-eye born a Necromancer?,
Who possibly could have attacked him and nearly won?,
Who was Ian?,
How had Ice existed so long in this piperoom with the Glukkons getting to him?,
Who was Ice exactly?

I spent a period of three days in the cell, worrying myself sick, I mean Abe could blow up the brewery any minute! It didn't help that the mud 'looking after me' was Dac. I had many bruises, I must have been messed around after I had fallen uncontios. I heard that Ice had permanently lost an arm and I smiled but the heat increased in my tattoo till it bled.

"Who attacked Sc.. Fin?" I asked Dac one day.
"Some rookie"
"What was his name?"
"Leo"
"Wha..."

My heart sank.

"Yes his master, Rob was a right goody twoshoes, best thing we ever did, throw him out!"

My heart sank into my stomach.
I had been dealing with Necromancers.
I had been dealing with Murderers.
I had been dealing with pure evil itself...

I had no friends.
Scar-eye was just a cold hardened killer.
Leo had been a member of the dark hand.
So had Rob.
Nat was just a stupid young follower.
Ash was just a blind old man.
Ian was just a death wish and he got it.

I stood up and yelled.
"I hate them! they hate me It's all just a big mess!"
I continued yelling shit like this until the pain in my back died and my head started to sting. I couldn't stop, I just had to scream...

[Silversnow]

Hey, hey, I'm back anyway... Great story! Kind of reminds me of Fragments. But anyway, it was... surprising! Leo? Heh, would anyone know?

[Rich]

Nice to see you here again.

I was standing in the piperoom, on my own. The rats and Spiders seemed way more menacing now I was alone. I heard voices again and spun around, my heart pounding. I walked for hours, lost among great monsters of machines and... pipes. Until I turned a corner and saw a gruesome sight. A dead Mudokon body lay against a pipes. huge gashes and holes in it's chest. It's face has been burned and mutilated beond recognition. But one feature made it unmistakeably clear to who it was.
On It's arms were chain marks and two simple tattoos. They bore the word 'Ash'.

I quickly left that place and walked further untilI came upon a great spider web hanging like a curtain. I pulled it aside and found myself in the throneroom of Ice's palace. Ice sat in his chair his body normal, he had two perfectly fine arms. The regulars were there too but there were two additions to the group. One seemed to undergoing some kind of initiation seremony. The figures seemed to be oblivious to my prescence so I felt no fear in removing the hood of the mud. I stood back alarmed. This red eyed figure was Nat. No doubt about it. I hastily turned and looked to the other figure. He had been called by some other muds. I decided to follow. They went behind a set of pipes. I froze.
A mud with a scarred eye was held up on a rack. The mud was handed a whip and together the muds whipped Scar-eye who screamed in pain. He looked weak now. Much more than before.
"Go on Leo!" said one of the other muds.
I turned and ran. What could possibly be happening here?
I suddenly hit a wall and found myself in a different place. I turned and saw that I was in a Forest. I had run into a tree. Further up the path a mud was walking along. He looked just like me except he had red eyes. He turned and I saw his tattoo. Just like mine. He was alone and lost, except for a restless aparition floating above him.
Then everything melted into blackness. A blurred figure appeared before my eyes. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It was an Angel of Rob. Then he caught my gaze... and changed.
The feathery wings dissapeared, His body turned black and his feather shrank, His eyes closed and he drooped horribly. A six foot spike impaled him and stuck into the ground which resembled a stockyard. He just stood there dead, without even an angel. Then Rob's voice came into my head.

"Jim, you must understand that you cannot avoid fate. Although you are trying to resist the black magic you will find it incredibly hard. It even made you forget your friends."

The images flashed in front of me one by one.

"Look what would have happened to everyone if you hadn't helped them."

"You mean this is just my imagination?"

"No boy! this is reality IF you don't help your friends and get out!"

I woke up suddenly, sweating. The pain in my back was increasing. I stood up trying to control it. I could feel it struggling with me then it suddenly maxed out. It was unimaginable. Like being burned, stretched, tickled, shot, ripped and impaled all at once. I was going to faint again but then...

[Silversnow]

Uuh, that chapter was spooky... Sends creeps down my spine... You sure have some talent. Keep it up, I want to read the next odd thing in this fic...

[dark_xinos]

Hi! I just read you're fic, and allot if fun it was . CEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!!! Im gonna start my own, only different... You gave me Ideas (but i am not going to copy what you have done... that wouldent be nice) I look forewerd to the next chapter.