Context

This story fits into my world-building as an example of how people of the tribe at Saàkirlaasiik name one another. It illustrates that names are given by men to one another within their trade groups. Women ask their potential husbands to name them at their binding ceremony. This story illustrates both of those things.
The story is about two characters - 'Rows-in-loud-waters' and 'Hatchling'. They are on a battlefield against a tribe that broke apart from them long ago. Things get rough and a naming ceremony happens in the end. This takes place between the border of Saàkirlaasiik and Saàronit. It takes place in the second age after the Great Sundering.

Spoiler TL;DR

Summary: Rows-in-loud-waters is something of a squad leader to Hatchling. The two of them are in the alligator clan and are waiting for the 'Deceived' to come and fight them. When they finally do, the men fight with one of the Deceived for the majority of the story. This leads to some banter back and forth, but in the end, Hatchling dies. Hatchling tells Rows-in-loud-waters what he would have named his would-be wife if she had asked him to wed her. At the final end, Rows-in-loud-waters gives Hatchling a true proper name.

If You Read / Enjoy

Please drop me a comment. Just hearing that someone liked it would be awesome.

What's In A Name

“Stand firm! Men of Nafóótkirriinhaa”, Leans-on-the-spirit, chief of their clan spoke over all present before him. Riding by on a horse, he raised a spear and pranced the line of warriors. “It saddens me that we will shed the blood of our cousins! But they come to steal, pillage, and destroy. Show no mercy, brothers. For, I assure you, the Deceived will not return it.” His dark hair streamed in the air behind him as his steed carried him far down the line of men and out of earshot from him. Men cheered as he galloped by and smacked the flat of their weapons against their chests.
Hide banners whipped as the wind bid them to their will and the trees bent with each gust. Each banner displayed the spirit patron of the clan lined up to do battle. Some tribes gathered hides from the animals that embodied the attributes of their families' skills and nature. Behind him, alligator scales bent against the howling air. They dyed the animal biting its tail with an eye in the middle. A single line split the banner in the middle horizontally, and the eye peered out from the line. It represented the watchful eye of the clan, looking from the lands around Eversun. Sniffing, he smelt the hint of trees mingled mostly with warpaint against his flesh. A drum rang out behind him, then another sounded in the distance echoing it, and further out another did the same. This echoed on for a few more raps. His heart pounded in his chest, but he steeled his face.
The dark brown hair smacked the back of his tanned neck and his dark eyes scanned the woods before him. Across the grassland, they stood like a wall in the distance, dense and ominous. He had fashioned leather armor from the scaled hide of his swamp-dwelling, neighbor beast. He added stone studs to it in places that stuck out. On either side, men stood around him and he glanced out of the corner of his eyes. Younger men stationed themselves on either side of him entirely still and they both wore similar garb.
Each man painted their body with different symbols to display their strength, ferocity, or, in his case, battles fought. He used the black dye they made to draw scales against his skin where it remained exposed to the elements. Each drawn shape represented the number of times that he challenged a Deceived in combat and won. To his right, Paako Saàchalkoorrich Tínafsorlor, whom he lovingly calls Hatchling, dyed his face with ferocious teeth in the hope of scaring his enemies.
Hatchling's eyes widened as a horn sounded in the distance. Lootookcholatnapàrooti placed his hand on the young man's shoulder and smiled. Not showing his teeth, the sparkle in his eyes faded as quickly as it came. Recalling his first battle, the now chief, captained his line then. He hoped he could offer as much hope as the chief did then.
"Hatchling, I understand. This is your first bout with the Deceived. The tales we've weaved of them are terrifying and vicious. I must tell you, those tales are half true, but the half is still terrible" Lootookcholatnapàrooti's eyes trained on the forest head of them across the clearing. Any motion in the trees hid from his view and he sensed it lingered beyond the tree line, in the underbrush.
“Rows-in-loud-waters”, which Lootookcholatnapárooti meant, said Hatchling, “I don’t like the nickname. I am strong and proven in the tests.” Rows-in-loud-waters almost heard the pout on the young warrior's face. Smirking, he gave the young soldier a soft elbow to the ribs. “You’ve fought them enough times. How well do you know their tactics?”
Choosing to ignore the dislike of the nickname and how proven he may or may not be, Rows-in-loud-waters answered, "More than fought them. I engaged the enemy when the sundering happened, those years ago, when the clans had made it across Saàronit and into the valleys of the east. When Kolotatliíchiit revealed himself as the spirit of lies and trickery known to us as Naríhììnanathìnafòò”, chortled Rows-in-loud-waters. His mind rowed back to the day on the ship of his mind through the sea of memories. Every day, the river of life eroded them from his mind and they became less and less tangible.
The young man remained silent but peered from the corner of his sockets with intent. The horn blew again and the wind howled against the dusk sky. Rows-in-loud-waters guarded the lands of the tribe for several years, being an ‘eye in the swamp’. The Deceived envied Eversun and believed it promised to them instead of the men around him now. They fell, though, tainted themselves with the lies of the evil their false god fed them. The land of ever-sun had been promised for believers of the beat-giver, not the nest-stealer.
The horn sounded again, this time a bit closer. Rows-in-loud-waters tensed his hand around the shoulder of the young man again, in an attempt to reassure him. He worried the giant they built in tales to keep children near the settlements, backfired in moments like these. Fear, if unchecked by faith and courage created by faith, ravaged a man and tore through his resolve like the monsters created in stories of the age past and gone. “I have heard the Deceived are industrialized people with forges and explosives.”
"They hold fewer explosives and kilns as they once operated in the realms of Setting-Sun and the Teal Forests. We all practiced forging or so I’m told. The sundering was a quick bout of brother against brother and clan against clan. At the base of the white-ridged mountain, where the Nòònchààrrílììsììnat dwelt, we fought for what seemed like hours. We fought until our muscles ached, until our bones hurt, and until our lungs screamed for relief. In the end, Kolotatliíchiit fell and their usurper king called the retreat", he retold the story, holding on to the ax in his hand, keeping it at the ready in his off-hand. "The spirit of Naríhììnanathìnafòò spread over those who lost their way and inhabited all of them. It spread like sickness and as they fled, it fled with them." He shook his head and removed his hand from the young man's shoulder. "Half the priests left with them, and four of the seven first tribes dictated by Wááchlachtat, the great beat-giver."
Hatchling murmured a short prayer, both, Rows-in-loud-waters thought, in reverence for the name of their god but also the fear his heart currently harbored. "And they come now astride giant wolves, Rows-in-loud-waters and hunt in the dusk to find weaknesses in our resolve and steal into the land of promise. There they hope to kill our king, our clan chiefs, and place themselves at the seat of it all. How many times have they tried?" Fear waivered in the voice of the young man, but he kept his eyes straight ahead. They both did. The last they needed, Rows-in-loud-waters thought, wolf-mounted cavalry running them down while they stared into one another's eyes.
"Since the sundering", Rows-in-loud-waters asked and pondered in silence. The horns dinned again and got a bit closer. "In a host of the size the scouts report? Here I face them a second time, but they have always sent scouts almost yearly and they try skirmishes against us almost every five years. So in the twenty years since the sundering, there have been four skirmishes and two battles. Neither side seemed eager to meet the other in open war." To keep the young man from falling deeper into despair, Rows-in-loud-waters kept to himself the assumed reason. The potential allied dark powers of the Deceived deterred the king and the clan leaders from open war. They feared, maybe rightfully so, that the enemy sought other children of Naríhììnanathìnafòò like the Chììktonààn with their horrid owl-shaped faces and wrinkled talon-like hands.
Though none have seen a Chììknààn in a generation, tales of their malice lingered around the fires of public areas. Elders spun tales of heroes fighting the demi-god-like beings. Their eyes could see a spirit walker, and their strength could wrestle to the ground men twice their size. The claws, razor-sharp on each wrinkled and pimpled hand, extended its arm into the spirit world itself and could yank a spirit walker out from between the realms.
He ventured to guess the enemy refused open war with them because of the fear of the great beat-giver intervening against them, as he had done at the sundering. Spirits of the eagle, the buffalo, and the snake descended from the skies and took shape around them. The eagle came to the aid of the great teacher and fought with him against the enemy. The sight still filled Rows-in-loud-waters with awe and fear. These great spirits with such power existed in their realm - the Wààchlachtatpààtiit. Who knew what else existed beyond the reaches of the seas and northern mountains? The horn blew again, but this time it had not moved. He grabbed the other hatchet on his belt with his right hand.
"They're stalling", Hatchling breathed out, almost in a whisper as if he dared not alert the enemy to his position...
"They are and it is not like them to do so. But remember the spirit of our clan. We watch like the eye in our banner. We wait. We strike. Let the panther clan hunt through the woods and draw them out. We are to wait here." Rows-in-loud-waters convinced himself but pondered what the spirit-walkers of the panther clan waited for, or worse if the Chììktonààn horde lingered within the enemy host and snatched them from between the material and immaterial. "We wait." He echoed again and stood at the ready. The scales on his armor glinted in the setting sun to their left as it sank over the rolling hills at the place where the mountains met the lowlands and fled into the prairies.
A sea of pinks, reds, and oranges washed over the sky to the left of them as they faced north. The sun sat at the bottom of it all, at the horizon in the planes before the Saàronit. He failed to see it but, past the seas of grass - it sank. The sun sought its evening home beyond the lands of teal forests and red cliffs. In the land of gold and beautiful ridged coastlines. It almost yanked him away from the battle before him. It almost drew him away from the moment.
"So they're not as bad as you've told me my whole life?"
"They're bad, but they're human. They bleed and die like you do. The tales your elders have taught you as a child have not been altogether false or altogether true. They *do* practice human sacrifice of those they capture", Rows-in-loud-waters stated. He hid the fact they often sacrificed young children of their clans in the event they captured no one. "But they are not able to speak with wolves or command spiders. These are lies for story-telling effectiveness."
The young man grinned, "Ah then I will bring back my weight in scalps and wolf heads to the feasts of the return party." The young man raised his hatchet in response. "Each being an honor to my family and a possible trophy to convince Fóó Pafààlktiit Tínafsorlor to ask me to give her a name. Been courting her for two years now, and she still hasn't asked me. Perhaps this shows her my ability to provide and protect." Rows-in-loud-waters nodded. Sometimes spoils of war could convince a woman to request a naming. He wondered if women had it better in their tradition of naming. A woman received her name from her husband at the naming ceremony, but a man got his name from his peers. One bad name could stick forever.
His eyes scanned over to Chàànatatnafsorhapààt, named for hiding during a skirmish with the Deceived a handful of years ago. At least his name, he thought, sat in the middle of the road. Not too over the top to be too ridiculous but not to note some character flaw. Once given a name, your name stuck with you for the rest of your life. Shaking his head, he heard screams in the woods before them. "Get ready", he squatted in his ready position. Silence oozed over the field as the sun made a half-eye like of their banner against a pink sky.
"Fóó pafààlktiit tínafsorlor, I will bring you back spoils! I will show you I am a man to father your children", the young man mimicked the position Rows-in-loud-waters took. The two of them stood side by side. "Wááchlachtat, please be with us. Guide our strikes. Smite our foes", the young man glanced up at the sky. Rows-in-loud-waters followed his gaze with his own eyes and witnessed a single eagle flying overhead. “A good omen”, he noted. "He is with us", the young man shouted and pointed up to the sky. "He. Is. With. Us." The fervor spread through the line as men glanced up to spot the eagle before it disappeared.
"Don't get too ahead of yourself, Hatchling. Have faith, but the battle is not yet over. Wááchlachtat is not ours to master. We are his. His will is not ours. He will do as he wishes with this day." Then they came. Oversized wolves burst from the treeline and the men in the front of the formation readied their spears. "When the charge breaks, move with me. Understood, Hatchling", Rows-in-loud-waters asked. The young man nodded a response and the two of them faced their full attention to the front. Drums around them wailed with each passing moment and the panther clan did their duty - pinching the Deceived and drawing them out.
Rows-in-loud-waters smelled them before they got close enough to attack. They reeked of sulfur, oxidized iron, and sweat. Of all the deceits sown by the evil spirit, the greatest blazed fire and iron. Though he lived too few years to have experienced the splendors in the teal forests. The forest they laid bare, the mountains and valleys they flattened to build large metal works. All of this culminated in the great lie the beat-giver gave them conquest as a purpose. Their people knew the truth as inherited from the great beat-giver. Upon creation, he gifted man with more than a heartbeat, but also a goal, a purpose, and a stewardship over the world. The Deceived abandoned it and clad themselves in metal armor atop their steeds.
Charging furred beasts broke against the spears of the stag clan who had adorned their heads with antlers and little white speckled furs along their backs. Wolves howled and snapped their jaws at them as they died against the spears. The drool from their large agape mouths dripped onto the stag clansmen and drenched their armor. The area around Rows-in-loud-waters filled with the reek of wet dogs, which, smelled more pleasant than their riders.
One Deceived soldier, overlapping plated armor, hopped from his beast as it hit the spears, and landed behind the line, rolling as he did so. Tumbling to his feet, he drew two swords made of crude metal and eyed around the Rows-in-loud-waters and Hatchling. He licked his filed-down teeth and stepped forward to the two of them. The smell shifted back to the scent of sulfur and rust. Evil, its stench, hung to the Deceived.
Rows-in-loud-waters turned to face him and tugged Hatchling to do the same. The two of them flicked their hatchets in their hands and semi-circled the Deceived man This outsider appeared like they did: dark tanned skin, darker hair, dark eyes, and markings along his skin denote his tribe. This one hailed from the wolf tribe, which drew its heraldry from the initial Coyote tribe of Kolotatliíchiit. "Traitors", the wolf warrior shouted and raised his sword to charge forward. Rows-in-loud-waters noted the warrior before them bore the scarred claws of the man-butcher on his face. Three scarred lines trailed down his face and missed his eyes by a half-inch.
Other men broke through the formation of spearmen at the front of the line. One by one, more Deceived lingered into the lines of their tribe and the tempest of blades and shields whirled to life. Swords clanked against hatchets, spears against armor, and maces against faces. He heard the crunch of bone under the pressure of horse hooves. The air filled with the smell of metallic liquid, not like rust but a bit more like copper.
Hatchling and Rows-in-loud-waters moved in and, like the jaws of the mighty alligator spirit, pinched the Deceived warrior between themselves. Hatchling threw a slashing move with one of his hatchets, preparing a parry with the other arm. As he did so, Rows-in-loud-waters lunged forward and hacked hard downward to put a severe dent in the helmet of the enemy. The outsider struggled between them. He blocked one blow from Rows-in-loud-waters, then turned around to parry a blow from Hatchling. Sparks flew off the crude metal weapon as their chiseled stone axes hit it. The two of them stepped back from the Deceived outsider before he could counterattack.
Charging in again Hatchling dented his armor, leaving scuffs and scratches, while the enemy pushed Rows-in-loud-waters back away. "Traitors? You fight for the enemy, cousin!" Regardless of how far out the family they believed all clans related through the first men created by the beat-giver. "Turn your heart to Wááchlachtat and see! See the error of your ways and your kindred, they betrayed our ways and clung to Kolotatliíchiit even when revealed himself as the enemy!"
"Kolotatliíchiit was a hero, a paragon of our people! He hunted and slew the Chììktonààn. He mastered the realm given to us and showed us how to bend it to our will", with each phrase the enemy slammed his sword against Hatchling. Raising both his axes to catch the oncoming slash, Hatchling grunted as each hit staggered him backward.
"Perhaps it is not ours to shape?" Hatchling posed the question now and pride welled up in Rows-in-loud-waters’s heart. The young one came to grasp the purpose, the great mission for all of the men on Laaliíoota, one of them anyway. They lived in harmony with nature, not against it, not bending mountains to their will. To protect the young soldier, he jabbed forward with the ax in his main hand and moved back. It acted as a deterrent to pressing the young soldier further.
Around them, the din of battle drowned out the sounds of any other thoughts or fears. The Deceived soldier before them held their full attention. Another enemy sped toward them but caught a spear in the back of the neck. It pierced through him and pinned him to the ground. Gurgling nearby, he struggled and flailed his arms against the ground. A pool of crimson soaked the grass.
"Why", he pushed back Hatchling with his foot. "Would the beat-giver", he slashed and cut a gash in Rows-in-loud-water’s arm. "Give us", he kicked again trying to keep Hatchling back. "a realm to exist in. He wants us to conquer it."
Glancing at the blood running from his arm, Rows-in-loud-waters shook his head. "Then you are lost, cousin. The beat-giver never commanded us to conquer anything. He asked us to live in love with one another, to defend the wilds and beauty he created, and to worship him." Rows-in-loud-waters spun his hatchets around his hands and stepped back. Love of nature, love of others, and love of Wááchlachtat existed as the key commands of their god. The spirits echoed this in their defined sub-goals for each clan.
"Cousin", Rows-in-loud-waters said, "I will ask you once more to lay down your arms and come to try and reform... And we will see to it you are integrated with your people. That you see the truth and the life." In all ways, if possible, he felt required to extend out to the lost and try and pull them back to the way. His eyes met the Deceived man’s eyes and they shared a moment. Contemplation washed over the features of the enemy for but a moment as he narrowed his eyes to Rows-in-loud-waters.
"Never. Your way is a lie. Designed to deceive us." He kicked Hatchling back away again when the gap between them closed, then turned and charged. Rows-in-loud-waters and the enemy met at full force. The two of them traded blows. A slash on the cheek of the Deceived, bleed and he could see the ivory teeth within his joules. He hissed with pain and stepped back again. Droplets of blood oozed from the wound of the enemy’s mouth and down his chin. He reached up and wiped the blood away and licked into the wound with his tongue.
Hatchling charged at him from behind and jumped up into the air to attempt to plunge his axes upon the Deceived's shoulders with two raking blows. Rows-in-loud-waters rose his axes to try and deter the young warrior from his actions against the Deceived. With sudden premonition and supernatural celerity, the Deceived turned around and jammed his sword upwards in a single motion. Hatchling stopped in his tracks, his body caved save for the spasms. The pain must have racked him as he shuddered when the enemy pulled the blade out and fell to the ground.
"No!" Rows-in-loud-waters shouted and charged, but even as he charged forward Hatchling continued to fight. Standing from his prone position, he struck the Deceived in the back of the leg with his hatchet and it bit into him. Crimson liquid sprayed out onto the ground, but he pressed against his abdomen with his left arm. Slashing with the other arm in rapid succession. They wasted too much time, thought Rows-in-loud-waters and he needed to press the combat now. The enemy must fall before Hatchling expired.
Rows-in-loud-waters smacked him with the flat side of his weapon so he turned back around. The blood of his fellow clan mate dripped from the crude metallic blade. The air smelled of rusted metal. Fuming inside, Rows-in-loud-waters swung his weapon again and cleaved through the enemy's collarbone. The Deceived’s neck slacked and the weapon fell to his side. Ringing against his armored thigh, the sword clacked there, tapping as the enemy struggled to hold on.
Heaving for breath, Hatchling continued slashing with his axes and making deep cuts against the enemy until he stopped moving. Blood, a mixture of his own and the Deceived’s covered his face and shoulders. His body rested over the Deceived’s body and he lay there motionless. The battle swirled around them, cousin against cousin. Night fell around them and the three sister moons lit the darkness. The pale, vulnerable light glinted off crude metal and seeped into obsidian weapons.
Rows-in-loud-waters dropped to his knees beside the two bodies as Hatchling gasped for breath. The battle waged on, but numbers weighed on their side. The Deceived brought a thousand men to this battle, where they fielded three times. His ally wrapped both arms around his stomach to try and slow the bleeding.
"Rows-in-loud-waters, tell Fóó Pafààlktiit Tínafsorlor I wish I could have made it back to her. This", he lifted the scalped hair of the enemy soldier on the ground beside him, "is for her." He placed the skin and braided hair into Rows-in-loud-waters’s hand. "Tell her", he coughed, "I would have named her... The most poetic names." The scalp’s blood leaked from the cracks in his hands and down his wrist.
Wrapping his fingers around the other man's hand, Rows-in-loud-waters nodded his head. "What would have named her, Hatchling?" He squeezed as the young man faded a bit more, though he looked far older now than he had ever looked at him before. The mission at the moment remained to keep the young man from dying in fear and panic. Blood gushed from the open wound under his rib cage.
"I would have named her for the way the crickets sing in the summer as the sun sets under the moss-draped trees - Saàriifòònaforchiínaforchiit. I could have named her for the light reflected in her eyes as the fire burns under a full moon and frogs croak out beats for our souls to dance to. I would have named her", he gurgled blood between the words, "queen of my heart - Kiwáátattalkti. Most importantly, Rows-in-loud-waters, I would have named her my wife..."
"I know, friend. I know. I will tell her", blood leaked from the scalp in his hand and down his wrists as he pulled Hatchling's head into his lap. "Rest now, friend." Rows-in-loud-waters leaned in close to his friend and embraced him. He wrapped his arms around the wound with him and tried to provide him warmth as all the blood left his body. The savage blade of the enemy, ripped as it came out. Shuddering, Hatchling closed his eyes, knowing the end came soon.
"Tell her", he whispered again.
"I will", Rows-in-loud-waters responded.
The battle wrestled to an end with the final Deceived being chased away from the battle lines and into the woods where the Panther clan decided to let them go further by themselves. Rows-in-loud-waters watched from his place on the ground and hand on the side of Hatchling's cheek. A set of footsteps jingled through the battlefield behind him, but he kept his face downcast. A clattering of bones against quartz rung with each step. Blotting out the light from the moon, a shadow towered over him.
"Rows-in-loud-waters, losing a soldier in your line is unforgettable and crushing of the spirit, but he is not gone forever. You will see him again when we return to the beat-giver and live with him in the land of peace. Do distress yourself." The chief of the alligator clan knelt and placed a hand on Rows-in-loud-waters’s shoulder. He remained silent for some time, and Rows-in-loud-waters continued to look at the young man who served beside him.
"He fought valiantly, but even in the halls of the beat-giver he will be unnamed."
"Because he has not earned a name? Do you believe he has not earned a name, Rows-in-loud-waters? I hardly think that is fair." The chief shook his head and clicked his tongue against his teeth disapprovingly. Rows-in-loud-waters placed both hands of his friend on his chest and then placed his arms at his sides to shake out the anxiety and pent-up energy there.
"But, Leans-on-the-spirit, no one named him in life. He would not know it when we meet him in the halls of the beat-givers home. How would he answer". At this question, the chief sat and nestled into the ground near Rows-in-loud-waters. Squeezing his shoulder with his hand, and looked into the warrior's eyes.
Removing his hand from the shoulder of Rows-in-loud-waters he lifted the hand of Hatchling to his lap and took in a deep breath. "Do you imagine the names we give one another are for them to know who they are? Do you think our understanding of self is so small we have to have our brothers explain our behavior to ourselves?"
"So the names we give one another are for those around us."
"They're not for the beat-giver to know us", the chief chortled in response. "He already knows who we are before any name is given." The chief looked into Rows-in-loud-waters’s eyes and Rows-in-loud-waters sensed a tenderness and joy in the life of the man which grew in him like a ripened fruit. Here, the fruit offered out to him in guidance and words. “He knew us before the foundation of Laaliíoota and before the breath of the first man”
“Then I have a name for him.”
The chief motioned his hand. “Go on, Rows-in-loud-waters. He fought his trial against the Decieved. He may not have survived, but as far as I am concerned. He passed the test.”
Rows-in-loud-waters pondered for a moment and then closed the eyes of Hatchling on his lap. The wreckage of the battle around them reeked of shit and blood. "Goodbye, Nilchiiltatnawànàt." He inhaled and let out a long sigh. It ripped through him. He sobbed and tears dropped. "Goodbye..." The name echoed in his mind, and the meaning of the syllables slammed together. *Goodbye*, he thought, *Goodbye Died-in-honors-of-all.*
The chief bent over him, wrapping his arms around him and holding his shoulders. "We will see him again. I promise." Standing, he turned his back to Rows-in-loud-waters and looked over the battlefield. "Many of the men who died here will be seen again. Some will be seen in the final moments of the Last End. When we line up before the beat-giver he unfurls the hide of our hearts and examines the colors we dyed there. Should he find there are more colors of lust, hatred, envy, or pride than of love for one another and Him... We will have to answer for that."
Rows-in-loud-waters rose behind him and looked over the battlefield, he knew even the Deceived, flawed, and wrong, stood before the judgment of the beat-giver, regardless of their beliefs. Mangled men lay with broken arms and legs twisted in unnatural directions. The great wolves splayed out with matted fur and broken jaws. He scanned the carnage and another tear came along the curve of his cheek. "Will they attack again?" The sound of men directing clean-up echoed throughout the mass grave before him.
"The enemy will continue to push, ever-escalating the power at his disposal until he is finally defeated in the final moment of the Last End." The chief of the alligator clan offered his words and it warmed Rows-in-loud-waters' heart.
"I don't understand why we must wait for the living spirit of the forest to take on human flesh to defeat Naríhììnanathìnafòò'', a hint of anger rose in Rows-in-loud-waters’s voice as he placed his hatchets back against the belt that held his pants in place. "Why can we not hunt the enemy." He kicked the head of one of the enemy soldiers near him, forgetting his place and not respecting the dead that now belonged to the spirits.
"Even if you hunted every vessel of evil. Even if you slaughtered all the clans of Chììktonààn. You would remain with yourself and the evil in your blood and heart." The chief’s mouth twitched a bit, as he knelt and placed the enemy’s head back where it lay before the kick.
Rows-in-loud-waters took a step back, staggered by the thought he harbored some part of Naríhììnanathìnafòò in himself. "What do you mean? I have never accepted the tenets of evil. I do not forsake my vow to stewardship. I do not forsake my family. I do not forsake my god." He listed out the beliefs every man of the tribe agreed in their ideology. But the chief shook his head in response.
"You are thinking too largely, my friend." The chief pointed softly to the muscles over the heart of Rows-in-loud-waters and pointed out to the battlefield for them both to see. "It is not these large acts, though terrible, that will weigh our hearts with the ink of debt. It is the small ones. Like putting your wants above your wife's needs. Or talking back to your parents. The taint of Naríhììnanathìnafòò is in all of us from the earliest days of his coming to us. Big and small all these evils stain our hearts the same. The smaller ones are easier to commit."
"I... I don't know what to say", Rows-in-loud-waters stammered and stared down at his own feet.
The chief shrugged his shoulders. "Seldom does anyone. It is hard to imagine the taint or the extent of contamination that exists in the world. What we can do is attempt to bring our cousins back into the fold, so to speak, and lead them to a life of stewardship over the realm Wááchlachtat has given to us." The chief’s eyes closed and he mumbled under his breath. Turning again, he left the battlefield and the warrior behind him.
The banners flapped against the wind as they packed up. Men from each clan gathered the dead they had and placed them either over the backs of horses or over their shoulders. The three sisters, moons each larger than the last, trailed across the sky in various phases. Rows-in-loud-waters chose to carry Nilchiiltatnawànàat instead of casting him to the side on the back of a horse. The man's limp arm fell down Rows-in-loud-waters’s back and blood dripped. It trickled the sections of bare skin on Rows-in-loud-waters’s back.
They marched on into the night, headed back south toward their families in Eversun and the drums played a slow, solemn tone with each step they made through the woods. His eyes scanned from person to person. All their eyes cast down to the ground as if looking to make sure they would not trip and fall, but he knew they felt the pain of losing a young one or an unnamed one, or even a brother or a friend.
As they marched, the air started to smell more like home and less like sulfur and metal. The hint of pines, the stench of swamplands, and the sound of water lapping against the sides of shallow ponds in the soft wind. An inhale drug air into his lungs and past his nose where he sniffed the familiar smell of rotted leaves. As they left, he heard a voice from his left. When he turned to face and looked at the voice, no one stood in the darkness of the trees. A voice in his ear, or his heart, told him all calmed for now.

Bright illuminescant flashes bolted through the dark-lit sky, rushing and raging through clouds seemingly made of gossamer and finely woven felt. You could almost reach out and touch them if not for the raging storm ripping and hollering. It shone and splintered along the sky, splitting into a thousand arcs, each converging and convexing along the stars. Electrical currents spun like lavender spider webs along a farmhouse wall. The arcs traveled, painting a vibrant tapestry along its wake before reaching their climax and releasing a wicked KRAK as the lights slowly faded.
The gossamer clouds wept tears of dull acidic rain that fell, cascading downwards. Down to the swampy fetid fields below. Their droplets splashed and sizzled against the sand, slowly fizzing before hardening into a thin velvet glass before beginning all over again. A sad display of god’s fury laid bare and plain for all to see. The rain had begun just a week prior, but its assault had persisted in a constant pattern ever since. The swamp ached and squirmed in an agonizing way as the rain melted away any sign of basic life.
Puddles of the acidic deluge collected along a road leading to the once fertile silver mine, just three miles from the town of Crestfall. Near the edge of the road, a fork splits off into multiple directions. South of the fork leads to the entrance of Deep Rock Mine. The mine’s entrance stands agape, resting at the base of a mountain. The mine’s layout, a cavern of crisscrossing and haphazardly formed tunnels, awaited past the thick darkness entrapping the entrance. They curve and wind up the spine of the mountain, as well as descend deep into the now dead earth.
The face of the mountain was bare but rough. Rocks jutted and sloped along its curvature, forming a near mesmeric pattern of spiked granite. Towards the peak, a malicious and not all entirely natural pattern emerged. As the acidic rain fell, framing the mountainous backdrop, the pattern watched and waited. An almost human-like visage stretched along the face of the mountain like canvas pulled over a wooden frame. It’s design scorn into the rock itself as if meticulously laid out to warn any who dared breach the confines of the swamp.
Silence lingered amongst the misty atmospheric dredge, save for the muffled and subtle ambietic sounds of the rain. Through the dead foliage and gnarled remains of creatures recently passed, a sound rang forth. Distant exclamation and reverberated clanging rhythmically sounded from deep within the mine. Up and down the mine laid stalactites and stalagmites haphazardly stationed around every corner. Their abrupt positioning cast shadows wherever light felt unable to reach. The mine walls were smooth from years of work and toilage, along with the long uninterrupted tunnels, created an almost echo chamber for sound.
Abrupt crashes and distant thrashes echoed through the winding chamber. Its sounds detailed a fierce battle between clashing swords and fervent blows.
Or so it would seem.
A sword, emblazoned with the sigil of a raven, flew across the dimly lit room. Its body crashes and clings as it skips along the floor, its blade slashing and carving thin lines into the granite flooring as it makes contact with the ground. A fierce shadow sprawls along the cave walls, depicting a struggle between foes.
The wanderer-and recent owner of the raven crested blade-crashes to the floor. Leather straps firmly tied around his shoulder blades catch most of the weight of the fall, but pain still echoed through his nerves.
“Hells! You slimy bastard!” The wanderer winces and yells in a blinded fury. “You don’t play fair, and here I thought we were having a nice sport of it.”
No reply immediately came from his opponent, still standing off near a downed torch. Flame wisped and flicked along the ground, casting shadows and dreaded omens as if they were ripped directly from a child’s nightmare.
At once, the foe stepped forward. The shadows sprawled across the walls painted a disturbing picture of horror and grotesque form. Imaginative figures born from shadows were always so much more terrible than the beings that cast them, but in this case it was clearly the other way around. The foe opposite The Wanderer lurched forward, it's body a gnarled vestige of exoskeleton and mandibles. It almost resembled a large insect, like a praying mantis that decided its evolutionary cycle had not quite finished yet.
On multi-socketed legs, it snapped and convulsed along. Every movement of its body felt agonizing, as if the creature was hastily thrown together by a quite absent god. Various olive and violet fluids oozed and dripped from its husk like body as it vocalized terrible sounds. The creature-seemingly unable to speak-produced noises from its mouth that resembled a mix of gargles and marbles being tossed along a wooden floor. All the while, its grotesque pincer like appendage snapped and clicked almost involuntarily.
The wanderer-still recovering from his fall-slowly pushed his body along the cold rocky ground, his arm still pulsing with pain.
“Oh my, what big mouths you have.” The wanderer teased sounding much more worried than he intended. ‘Always good to keep in control of the situation. Confidence is key.’ As he was always want to say, but this wasn’t an ordinary situation.
His arm traced along the ground, reaching and prodding for his recently lost weapon. Daring not look away from the oncoming threat, he felt nothing. His sword was currently resting near the opposite side of the cave room, resting flat along the ground. Away from The Wanderer’s grasp, far away from being of any further use here it seemed.
Doubt surged through his mind, but only for a short time. ‘Doubt breeds more doubt, and further doubt breeds ruin’, another favorite.
Clenched palms moved along the granite flooring. Leather gloves scraped and bruised as The Wanderer lifted back to his feet, regaining balance and fervor. The arm that had broken his fall felt numb and altogether absent.
‘Dislocated most likely, not a big enough fall to break.’
The insect-like foe-still closing the distance between them-snapped and gurgled in an almost territorial display of aggression.
The Wanderer grinned, placing his uninjured arm against its opposite’s elbow, before violently, yet methodically, pushing it upwards. A clear snap, followed by a dull pop echoed through the room. Feeling began pouring back into his arm as the vibrating itch of numbness faded. Both arms began to raise, fists clenched, the leather gloves creased and squelched from the sheer pressure as his hands formed tightly wounded fists. Fists pointed squarely towards the all not entirely normal creature still gurgling and jerking along the shadow filled room.
“Oh...” The Wanderer began. “I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t enjoy every second of this.” His fists raised up, reaching level with the bridge of his nose. “Come one now, give us yer best.”
As if understanding -and altogether disliking- the series of vulgar remarks thrusted toward it, the creature squealed through its deformed face. The jerking motion its movement seemed to have before was replaced with a fluid dash as it quickly closed the distance between the two adversaries. Arms outstretched as its gnarled and jagged hands opened and closed with violent snaps and twinges. Reaching out, grasping the air between them. The gap closed quickly, much quicker than he anticipated, but not enough to catch him entirely off guard as he shifts weight from right the left. The slender frame of his body flanking to the side of the creature.
Shadows arched and flailed with each movement, creating a strange optical illusion across the cave walls. The subtle shifting wind and osculation of the two fighters created an almost mural of events through the flames. Clashing swords, trumpeting horns and creatures that rivaled the tallest spires in Etheral began to converge into an unrecognizable painting of events. The fire loomed, gazing at the creature, at The Wanderer. Its gaze almost purposeful and full of intent. Neither the two beings made any note of the grand display unfolding around them. Fire is known to be a harsh mentor, and an even harsher ally. If one was to wander too deeply into its wounding gaze, one might find themselves trapped, forever living in the tapestry it painted.
The creature was fast, but nowhere as fast as him. Once useless, now repaired, the dislocated arm wrapped between the creatures glistening forearm, interlocking before weight shifted again. The creature stalled as if to reorient itself to face the man, but its movements were not its own. Quickly and deftly, The Wanderer placed immense weight on his forward foot, counterbalancing against the creature as their locked arms rotated and shifted sideways. Arching forward, the shift in balance quickly broke as the creature began to lift in the air as The Wanderer’s rear leg lifted to relegate pressure onward. Flailing and spewing its noxious fluid, the creature flipped entirely, finally crashing to the floor in a savage crunch. The Wanderer stands above, looking downward as it convulses in a fit of pain (could it even quantify pain) and anger.
A greyish foul-smelling slime coated The Wanderer’s chest and forearm. Small indentions formed along the hard leather surface of his jacket, most likely from the not entirely cosmetic spikes embedded into the creature.
“Alright, now I’d say we’re fairly close to a draw here.” The Wanderer began. “How’s say we handle the rest with a bit more diplomacy and grace? No point and making a bigger stink than we already got, but telling by the state of yourself, I’d say you know all about stink.”
The maddening gurgle of the creature slowed as its body began to calm. Its arms moving outward, sprawling along the hard granite rock as its legs raise along with the rest of it. Wet dew drips along the ground, rippling and casting weird reflections from all directions as the creature steps slowly along their puddles. Slow anxious steps it takes. Its demeanor changes from a wild and disturbed animal to a more methodic and wary being. Eyes of bluish gray sink into its head, pupils moving slowly, analyzing and taking in information. It stands straight, back locked into an opposing stance. God it was big. The man couldn’t much get a good measurement before with its body slouched over in a hermit like stance. It must be at least seven feet tall, equally proportioned from its legs to its torso. The head was rounded, almost human, with its bug-like mandibles protruding in a horrific fashion.
The Wanderer had dealt with creatures before. Along his travels he had come across a litany of monstrous beings; Wargs, Secrolants, Jittering Fiends, Goblins, Spiderlings. None of them quite matched the state of this one. Although he had heard of such beings, none had crossed paths before. The way it moved, the way it thought, it all was abnormal. It's quite simple to take a beast down, some you anger and gain the advantage, some you outsmart, others you can simply scare away. But this one.... oh, he was a different breed entirely. The way its mood could change mid-fight, or how it seemingly understood what was being said. And the way it stared. Thoughts were jutting along in the bug brain of its, and when monsters start thinking, all strategy and preparation goes out the window. Unpredictable is what they become, and prediction was The Wanderer’s bread and butter.
Wary now he waits, staring back at the creature. Locked eyes, they waited. Eyes filled with thought, filled with understanding and reasoning -but most egregiously- they were filled with malice. The fight was not over, they had just reached half-time.
“Let it not be stated that I did not strive for peace and harmony at every turn.” The Wanderer quipped, his hand raised once more, ready for another assault.
A flame flickers, casting shadows once again. Shadows of a man holding wolves at bay, hands outstretched to create a distance between them. The wolves circled and plotted, looking for weakness at every tune, but finding none. Leaves fell, becoming ash as they reached the ground. A fire spreads amongst the ash laden floor, consuming the visage, the man, the wolves. All in consumed in an immense concentrated heat, until the shadows fade to nothingness once more.
The creature meanders onward, just a few steps at a time; looking on as The Wanderer holds his footing, fists raised and ready. Each step of its hard glistening exoskeleton crunches against small rocks and debris sprawled along the cave floor, knocking them aside, producing echoed wails that seemingly bounced from surface to surface. After the third step it abruptly launches at the man, arms outstretched once more in a fit of animalistic fury. Thought seemingly left its eyes as they glazed over into a dull grey, the feeling and reasoning sinking further and further to the back of its mind. The Wanderer grinned, his stance loosening as the soles of his feet began to trace an outline of movement, preparing and readying for a counteroffensive. As its dripping breached the outline, The Wanderer shifted his weight once more, quickly flanking the creature to the side once again, but something was off. His eyes traced the movements of its body, of its arms, of its legs. The animosity in them seemed to almost shift mid attack, becoming lucid and methodical. As if the creature was dancing along with him. Even tracing down to the ground, the footing was wrong. Not his footing. He was always perfect. The dance was memorized, trained, honed to a sharp edge. No, it was the creature’s.
Abruptly the creature’s body shifted, its legs tracing backwards, its torso shifting to the side. A corrective action, a counterattack to his counterattack. Shadows of the pair danced along the cave wall, depicting a wickedly abstract waltz. The creature’s arm whipped outward, its claws barreling towards the thin leather separation between his elbow and forearm. God, it was fast. Faster than The Wanderer. Rip, flash, a bright light, then the crashing of feet as the two returned to their original standing.
It all happened so fast. Faster than he could articulate. He was used to speed, used to tracking and understanding battle situations, creating countermeasures, analyzing the most likely move and executing it within a fraction of a second. All of that was done, but it was all wrong. The creature moved in peculiar fashion, acted as if it were moving on instinct while simultaneously acting with thought and strategy. How could it possibly go both ways?
As he thought, mouth slightly open, breath pouring between his lips in a hot and heavy fashion, he hardly thought of anything else. They had made contact, but there was no feeling. Checking for wounds mid-encounter was generally out of the question with beasts. Often, they gave little time for thought or first aid, but the creature stood and waited. The dull grey look in its eyes were gone again, replaced with the methodical gaze of a strategist analyzing a battlefield. The Wanderer lowered his right arm and traced it along the path of his elbow, reaching his shoulder before he felt it. A definite gash traced about two inches wide, the depth of it couldn’t be guessed, but it had breached the leather. As his hand returned to a fist, warm fresh blood dripped between the fingers, falling and coagulating against the dust and pebbles along the ground. He had indeed been injured, but there was no feeling to it. All felt well, and that’s precisely why all was, in fact, not well.
“You’re a strange one. Not quite like anything I’ve seen before, but I’ll get to know you real well soon enough.”
His eyes moved from the creature, scanning along the ground. Before when this was a simple clean-up, a weapon would be handy, but hardly required of someone with his skills, but this was anything but simple. Parameters had changed, he’d very much like his sword back now.
It was nowhere to be seen initially. The room was dark, with little else than a soft glow from the fallen torch illuminating a small area and casting shadows that obscured others. Then it appeared. Near the feet of the creature, the raven crested blade sat where it had since the beginning of this strange dual. Thoughts echoed along in his head, casting suspicions and doubt in every facet of the encounter. Things were not as they appeared.
A slight grin crept along his face again, before quickly subsiding. “Think I have enough time for one more go of it. Care to lead?”
The creature stood, watching and plotting before the dull grey of its eyes appeared once again, launching it into another fury. It lunged, arms outstretched again, running full speed to the man. He simply stood, his hands loosening from tightly wound fists of rock to loosely packed fists of snow. His palms opened slightly; his footing loosened as the heels of his feet digging into the hard rocky floor. They began to move slightly, tracing a straight horizontal line where he stood as he slowly began to back away. The creature, still in a frenzy, closes the distance fast. Seemingly faster than any previous assault as The Wanderer ceased his slow backing retreat, his feet returning to a strong stance, soles digging deep into the earth. He takes in a breath, his heartrate slowing. The light sounds of the cave begin to grow, becoming more apparent and concentrated. Small droplets of dew falling from the ceiling, wind softly blowing along, echoing through the harrowed halls and the flickering of a flame slowly speaking its ancient language. They all converged, mirroring themselves as The Wanderer’s eyes closed. Time seemed to slow as the creature came closer, its steps further apart, its maddening gurgling seemingly floating away. It stepped, stepped and stepped along the ground, pushing pebbles and dust without thought.
Finally, it reached the line carved into the rock. Its foot crunched, making contact with the earth, and in an instant its eyes reverted again. The grey dullness seeping away to its methodically stategistic norm. In that instant, The Wanderers eyes erupted open. The chittering thing’s arms stretch out for his neck, hoping to seize his artery with its horrific claws. Quickly, quicker than anything that day, The Wanderer moved in a fast range of motions that all seemingly happened at once. His weight once again shifted, flanking the creature. His arms locked into a position of counterattack. The creature quickly issued its own countermeasure, once again whipping its body and throwing its claw outward, aiming higher than before, aiming for his neck.
A flame moved. Shadows formed along the walls once more, although they showed a different scene. A scene depicting two swordsman locked in deathly combat. Their swords swinging violently but with grace and purpose. They clashed a thousand times. Each time sending a spray of bright sparks that swelled through the air creating intricate patterns that lingered before slowly fading.
The creature was stuck, unable to move, unable to continue its assault and unable to return to its desired location. The Wanderer's palm grasped the creature's wrist tightly, locking it into a hold. The grey of the creature’s eyes were completely gone now as its pupils darted around in panic. His hand arched forward, his foot kicking –what would assumedly be- the creature’s calf, buckling its knees and forcing it to the ground. Cracking and popping erupted from the joints of its arm as his grip tightened. It’s gurgling became sporadic, as if pleading to be set free. He simply watched it, once against studying its behavior, its patterns, its mannerisms.
“You really are special. Not like anything in the world I imagine, but what makes you so special.” The Wanderer clenched his hold tighter, the creature falls lower, its face pushing into the cold rock. “You were playing a game, weren’t you? You understand what I’m saying too, and that I can assure you is indeed something special. Predicting my movements, using the techniques against me. You weren’t just fighting for a meal. You were learning, weren’t you?”
The creature clicked and gurgled, chittering against the ground as the hard surface of its arm began to crack.
“Now, I’m not opposed to teaching if I aim to gain something from it, but what I won’t abide is being played with. Now...” He plants his foot against the back of the creature's neck, both arms holding its locked appendage in a pulling motion. “I think I deserve to know a little more about you my foul-smelling friend, and if I’m right up until this point, you outta know exactly what I’m saying. I also assume you know a threat when you hear one. So...” His grip tightens, his leather boot slowly crunched against the creature’s skull. “Tell me what you are, and where you learned to be so damn special.”
The creature’s eyes widen, the dull grey returning, filling its retinas as it begins to violently convulse. A shrill screech fills the room, echoing along the walls, traveling through the twisting and winding tunnels of the long-forgotten mine. Shadows creep along the cave walls once more, scattering and convulsing, twisting into horrid and unimaginable shapes. Creatures that belong to fables and horror tales begin flooding along the shapes as the flame whips and crackles. The torch quickly combusts, the flames turning a sharp blackish violet. Heat bellows from the waves of ember emitting from the now monumental display of hellfire as the shadows multiply, taking over every inch of coverage. The Wanderer’s ears tremble at the immense noise, his vision begins to weaken as the shrill echo reaches a climactic crescendo. Any more of this and it’s all over, lights out.
He looks downward to the creature, its mind warped with whatever dark arts influenced it. His grip tightens as his foot presses firmly against the back of its head. Slow crunching and cracking sounds begin to intermingle with the terrible sounds of its cry. As the boot came down, harder and harder, the creature’s terrible screech began to thin and grow in pitch, like the air being slowly released from a balloon. Then, a horrendous snap before the head was no more. Violet and green brain matter covered the area around its neck as small fragments of skull of tissue caked along the sides of his boots. All at once the cry stopped, and along with it the room slowly began to darken. The flame began to slowly dwindle back to its original size, its color returning to a soft orange glow.
The Wanderer stepped back; his eyes firmly planted on the now deceased creature lying before him. A pool of its blood slowly trickled along the floor, reaching for his sword. Slowly, his body lumbered to the lost blade. Its handle was wrapped in scaled pitch blade leather, its blade a vibrant silver, still glistening with oil. The visage of a raven prominently scorn into the finish of the blade itself. Before the foul-smelling blood reaches the blade, the man slowly leans down to collect it. His body ached, his arms felt heavy and as the world around him began to dim, he retrieved the blade. Weighing it in his hand he felt secure, like a lost piece of him was restored with its retrieval. It felt so much heavier than before, or maybe he had just been weakened from the encounter. He gazed down upon it, his hand clenched hard around the dark leather handle. A dark fluid began to pool around his hand, streaming softly down from his arm.
The Wanderer turned his arm over, now looking at the wound he had taken from the creature’s first counterattack. It didn’t seem very bad, or at least not as bad as previous wounds he’d sustained, but the bleeding was alarming. It streamed softly, almost without notice. The blood itself was dark as well, as if it had already begun coagulation. A strange wound. A worrying wound. Suddenly his head became light, the room began to dim, and the walls started to blur. No, everything about this was wrong.
In the strange lucid state he was left in, he almost didn’t notice the changes around him. A quite fell over the room, the flickering flame seemed to even quite down to a faint whisper. A soft noise crept along the ground. Soft tapping, the sound of pebbles and rock being pushed aside, dust parting between single soft strides. The pain in his head grew louder, his heartbeat thumping from his chest to his forearm, ending finally against his forehead.
What is happening to me?
As if to answer, a rapid movement jostled him back to reality as he quickly turned, sword still gripped tightly in hand. A quick flash of movement rushed towards him, its motioned and sounds all too familiar to him. As nimbly as he can muster, he raises his blade outward in an attempt to impale the newfound enemy now barreling towards him, but a twinge of searing pain in his shoulder halts the attack. All he manages is a defensive stance, sword raised, arm placed behind the blade to prepare for impact as the creature crashes into him.
They both fall, splashing into the violet puddle of dank smelling blood that has pooled along the cave floor. A creature –almost identical to the one lying dead beside him- lies atop the blade protecting his body. Its arms crash against the leather bracers protecting his soft flesh. Claws come crashing down, scrapping against leather, making large slashes in them but not enough to break fully through the thick coating. Slime and mucus drip down from its maw, coating The Wanderer’s arms and neck. His arms are placed defensively against the side end of the blade, separating the two, but he can feel himself weakening further and further. Rough outlines of the creature emerge through blurred vision. Heat travels along his arm and forehead, casting confusion and sweat to pour over his body.
What the hell is happening!?
Suddenly, the creature lunges its head down, breaching the space between the blade and The Wanderer’s neck. Its snapping pincer like mandible opening and shutting in rapid and rabid bites. Before it has a chance to make contact, The Wanderer frees one of his trapped hands and grapples the creature’s head. With strength slowly fading from his body, he fruitlessly pushed back the creature's disgusting face. With every inch he pushes, the creature seemingly gains two. A battle of attrition begins. Snapping, clawing, drooling the creature continues its unending assault. Reach for the soft part of his neck in hopes of ending the encounter in a single bite. Just one slip, and its lights out. Forgotten and left to be fed on to a host of disgusting bugs. The thought rips through his mind, his veins fill with hot fire, his muscles contract creating energy that wasn’t there before. He pushes hard against the creature’s head, pushing it past the breach in the sword until his arm reaches full length.
The energy’s fading, the small window of opportunity’s closing, and for once in his miserable life, he can’t think of a thing to do. The hand not grappling with the creatures head pulls free from the back of the sword. His fingers slowly begin moving, drawing a pattern in the air. Faint lines form, like strokes from a dry paintbrush. Lines sparkle and faintly crackle with weak power, power being sapped away. The pattern is rough and unfinished, its edges not straight, its lines fumbling. The feeling in his fingers is weak. Strength fading, the pattern breaks as his hand twitches before returning to the blade. Fire begins erupting from the torch again, the strange violet flame re-emerges and casts strange shadows once again along the cave walls. Shadows depicting men falling in the thousands, figures standing above them. A strange light emits from the wrecked battlefield as the dominant figures rise, floating above, breaching unending clouds and sending a cleansing fire downward. Fire spreads along the walls, engulfing the shadows, casting them far away as it shrieks and flickers violently. The Wanderer’s vision begins to fade. The world around begins to dull. Rocky walls, granite floors, the creature all fade, losing color and becoming shadows themselves. Heat wells in his head, as tears stream down his cheek.
I can’t.
Shadows slowly engulf him as the energy drains from his arms.
I won’t
The creature’s face inches closer and closer to its target.
This is where it ends.
The fire erupts, banishing the shadows away once more, filling the room with soft orange light as the creature lunges uninterrupted at its prize.
Then nothing. The pain of stabbing pincers ripping along his throat never occurs. Instead, a loud CLAP echoes along the walls. It’s deafening and almost endless, but it's over in an instant. A river of fluid splashes along The Wanderer’s face and body. It’s warm and thick like syrup but smells like rotten apple cores. For a moment, he contemplates if this is death. A strange death, and a strange place to end up, but who’s to know. Before long his eyes opened. The creature that stood hunched over him was still there, but its head was entirely missing. Fragments of skull and viscera lined the walls and floor around him as the creature stood cold, dead. Seemingly out of nowhere, its head just seemed to explode.
“Did...” The Wanderer began quizzically. “Did I do that?”
Before an answer could be given, a shuffle could be heard across the room, hidden against the far wall deep within the dark. Slowly The Wanderer rose, knocking the deceased creature away from him, the feeling and strength slowly returning to his body. He stared off to the dark corner, waiting in vain for his eyes to adjust to the dark. They didn’t. Bending down, he grasped his sword in one hand, and what remained of the faint torch in the other as he cautiously meandered to the muffled sound coming from the dark corner.
“Gods, if it’s one more of these disgusting fucking things, I’m straight gone.”
Slowly, the image of a man appears. He almost seemed affixed to the wall due to some form of slightly translucent webbing sprawled across his body. His feet were a few inches raised from the floor as he hung limply against the wall. A thin layer of the same substance covered his mouth as he muffled violently to The Wanderer, his eyes red and spread as wide as they could go. Near the middle of the webbing his right hand was tightly bound, unable to move. On the other side, it seemed he was able to shake loose enough to free it. A silver revolver with gold carved inlays held tightly between his fingers. Faint trails of smoke emanated from the pistol’s barrel. The smell of spent gunpowder lingered In the air, a smell The Wanderer had memorized.
The Wanderer looked puzzlingly at the man stuck to the wall, before a spark of remembrance and realization came to life in his eyes. Sweat beaded down the side of his head, slowing before soaking into his shirt collar. That chance encounter had taken its toll, and had gone on for longer than he thought, longer than he had hoped.
“Hells man, I had forgotten entirely of you. Why not speak up next time?”
The stuck man convulsed in a fit of annoyance and fury as The Wanderer laughed heartily.

Last week's post https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cl1pkm/roundup_ufos_and_bob_universal_object_tracke
Archive https://web.archive.org/web/20240505212215/https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cl1pkm/roundup_ufos_and_bob_universal_object_tracke
Moon phase waning crescent, three days before new
Mars Right Ascension 0h 17m 54s
.1 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cl2c9f/1st_postlondon_sighting_today/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, daytime, from airplane, over London England the UK 🇬🇧, single dark object, dark grey, metallic/glass material looking and probably a stereotypical “spinning top” shape., moving fast, interaction with airplane, flew under it,
.2 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cl52m9/the_dr_gary_nolan_post_earlier_has_me_thinking/ childhood experience description, no craft, at home, nighttime, light shining in bedroom, repeat visitor, flashing light coming from under my bed., physical effects paralysis, emotion of fear, has anyone seen?
.3 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cl5zaa/strange_metallic_color_object/ video, daytime sky, single object blackwhite, elongated, horizontal orientation, possible disk shape, Hanford California, near Lemoore navy base., horizontal trajectory, low over treeline, contemporaneous report
.4 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1clidos/uap_off_the_coast_of_virginia_beach_sept_14_2021/ photos, daytime cloudy sky, over water Atlantic Ocean, off Virginia Beach Virginia, single dark object, angular, not seen by eye, greenish glow, possible military response jet, OP comments downvoted, [GOODPOST], heptagon
.5 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1clogf2/observation_during_flight_unidentified_object/ video, daytime cloudy sky, from airplane, single dark object moving, elongated, diffuse trail, horizontal orientation, Palma Mallorca Balearic Islands Spain 🇪🇸 , observed exiting cloud, horizontal trajectory, contrails type, downvoted to zero in 1 hour, OP comments downvoted
.6 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cleqly/triangle_or_tr3b_sighting_in_colorado_about_20/ sighting description and drawing, nighttime sky, at home, urban area, Boulder Colorado, triangle 🔺️ observed, threelights with central red 🔴 light, lighting configuration change, butterfly 🦋, ⚪️🔴⚪️, physical effects paralysis, transfixed, trajectory change observed, the craft was ascending into the sky, but it would also dip back down and hold steady for a bit before heading up again., contemporaneous report,
.7 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cl77ee/personal_possible_sighting_2018/ video, nighttime sky, single light object moving erratically, zigzag movements, brightness change, flareup and dimming, over water, Belgrade Lakes Maine, duration 30 minutes, vanishing, possible cubensphere,
.8 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1clsdmw/all_the_relevant_uap_updates_from_april_29_may_5/ information, state of disclosure USA https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cl29t3/mexico_and_peruvian_ufo_disclosure_roundup/ state of disclosure, Mexico and Peru
.9 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1claaol/ufos_appearing_in_different_photos_on_different/ photos, daytime cloudy sky, two events, single object blackwhite, metallic sphere observed, twolights, Pima Air Museum and at my house, at home, backyard, observed vanishing,
.10 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1clg5nq/100_genuine_ufo_need_help/ video, daytime cloudy sky, from airplane, near Newark New Jersey, fleet, multiple objects, flashing erratically, not seen by eye
.11 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1clrp5a/ai_recreation_of_2010_las_vegas_summer_sighting/ sighting description and drawing, downvoted to zero in 1 hour, OP comments downvoted, two witnesses, twolights, nighttime, urban area, Las Vegas Nevada, single light object moving fast, possible reaction to being observed, trajectory change, approach, jumpy movement, wavy trajectory, haze, While it was descending it appeared to be teleporting or waving in an up and down motion while emitting a purple and green mist until it came to a stop. 🟣🟢, moving and stationary and moving, sudden departure upward, the white lights extended to the edges and the perimeter of the craft appeared to have “metal” plates evenly spaced around. The whole craft was a dark metallic purple., texture visible
.12 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/1cl9ryu/yall_ever_seen_a_tr3b/ discussion of sightings, threelights, triangle 🔺️
.13 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/1cl9xt0/i_just_saw_a_ufo/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, nighttime, at home, outside window, single light object, approach, The light seemed to be strobing instead of flashing, and would never fully go dark., trajectory change, wavy trajectory, almost swerving through the air., U-turn, moving fast, rural Wisconsin, has anyone seen?
.14 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cluf14/did_i_actually_see_a_ufo/ sighting description, Yosemite California, nighttime cloudy sky, near water, hottub, single light object, speed change, suddenly start to accelerate in one direction(close to the direction it was moving slowly), then it made a big U-turn in the sky, like it drew a check mark ✔️ in the sky., trajectory change, two witnesses, similar sightings in comments
.15 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1clwlpe/uap_july_22_2023_south_dakota/ photos, daytime sky, single object blackwhite, angular, heptagon, south Dakota , two witnesses, at home, backyard, flew over the witness home, horizontal trajectory,
.16 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1clxdne/lights_in_the_sky/ video, nighttime sky, from car, single object multiple lights, threelights, close formation, low over treeline, observed moving slowly
.17 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/1clx2z3/i_saw_a_ufo/ sighting description and drawing, Crescent 🌙 shaped with a pointed tip , geometric scaly rigid body , cloud like cloak, manta shape, texture observed, flew overhead, two witnesses, irregular shape, angular, gave a feeling of being old or out of time., felt compelled to follow it, refused cause I didn’t want to know what was inside the big thing.,silent, west Texas , similar sightings in comments, [GOODPOST]
.18 https://old.reddit.com/Skydentify/comments/1clv208/seen_some_trance_lights_i_cant_explain/ video, nighttime sky, twolights, angled from the horizon, stationary, powerlines, low over rooftop, western Kentucky, some moved kinda erratically and some moved straight https://old.reddit.com/Skydentify/comments/1cmeavl/better_view_of_the_lights_i_cant_explain/ more video
.19 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/1clbq63/ufo_sonoma_county/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, Sonoma County California, single light object, low over treeline, reaction to being observed, descending below treeline, As I was thinking to myself why is that light so bright, it got dimmer and seemed to drop down below the tree., repeat visitor or second object, flareup, ascending, trajectory change, U-turn, descending,
.20 https://old.reddit.com/UF0/comments/1clauxl/bright_color_changing_expanding_uap_above_my_yard/ video, nighttime sky, single light object, multicolored, flareup or size change, at home, possible smaller object accompanying it or emitting orb, blue 🔵, repeat visitor, similar sighting in comments
.21 https://old.reddit.com/Skydentify/comments/1clalrd/strange_lights_in_sky_is_this_normal/ video, nighttime sky, single light object, descending below rooftop, at home, urban area
.22 https://old.reddit.com/CLOUDS/comments/1cl9obd/volcano_above_the_clouds/ photo, daytime cloudy sky, cloud anomaly, tower, from airplane, southern USA, near water gulf of Mexico,
.23 https://old.reddit.com/atoptics/comments/1cl9kg0/what_is_this_over_vietnam/ photo, daytime cloudy sky, rainbow 🌈 anomaly, urban area, powerlines, Vietnam 🇻🇳
.24 https://old.reddit.com/UFOB/comments/1cl99el/just_saw_an_orb/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, nighttime, at home, West Yorkshire the UK 🇬🇧, single light object, descending, ball of white plasma with a central core that was comprised of green and rust orange filaments. 🟢🟠, disappeared behind treeline, similar sightings in comments , silent
.25 https://old.reddit.com/BackwoodsCreepy/comments/1cl5goq/strange_feeling_in_appalachia/ experience description, possible bigfoot, camping, Appalachia, footsteps, knocking, humming, Like as if a person was just humming a tune., felt observed, witness went to sleep
.26 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cm9jr3/ideas_on_what_this_is/ video, nighttime sky, Jeollabukdo south Korea 🇰🇷 , single light object, observed stationary and moving, possible reaction to being observed, oval-shaped, possibly illuminating clouds, overhead, silent, urban area, starlink?
.27 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cmhl2uaps_in_edmonton_ab_may_4_2024/ photo and video, daytime cloudy sky, photo shows twolights, angled from the horizon, Edmonton Alberta Canada 🇨🇦, 53° 32' 45.1788'' N,
.28 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/1cm2wio/anyone_in_dayton_ohio_see_a_ufo_on_friday_night/ sighting description, Dayton Ohio, has anyone seen?, single light object moving fast, illuminating sky, vanishing, All the sudden the sky lit up. I looked up and it appeared the moon was very full and very bright. Then it immediately shot across the sky and burned out., near USAF, Wright Patterson air force base, meteor?
.29 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/1clx1gd/an_experience_i_had/ experience description, at home, nighttime, single light object, size change or approach, flew overhead, moving and stationary, orange 🟠, vanished, emotion of happiness, repeat visitor
.30 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cmkfms/does_anyone_have_any_idea_what_this_could_be_my/ video, daytime cloudy sky, single dark object, elongated, diffuse trail, jellyfish 🪼 , from airplane, shape change, contrails type, submission statement issues, removed, lost data
.31 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/1cm44sl/peoples_reaction_to_when_i_tell_them_what_iv_seen/ sightings, ongoing, discussion of stigma
.32 https://old.reddit.com/Skydentify/comments/1cmpv22/can_anybody_tell_me_what_the_quick_flash_is_that/ timelapse video, nighttime sky, single light object, appearing and vanishing, low below treeline, directly in front
.33 https://www.reddit.com/useRollinnZaZa95/comments/1cmmhuq/2018_phoenix_lights_ups_hub/ video, nighttime sky, at work, threelights, flying in formation, low over rooftop, multiple witnesses, urban area, Phoenix Arizona
.34 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/1cmqyj1/what_is_this_found_it_at_indialantic_veach/ photos, possible metamaterial
.35 ➡️ https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cn2tqe/my_bil_just_experienced_contact_of_the_third_kind/ experience description, family story, brother in law, from car, nighttime, single light object, directly in front, cylindrical shape, metallic cigar shaped object. , followed the witness, approach, zigzag movements, emotion of fear, physical effects goosebumps, everything in his car suddenly felt charged with a huge amount of static electricity out of left field. All of his hair was sticking up - head, arms, entire body and when he would touch his dashboard or other parts of the car he would get shocked., felt observed, vibration, felt pulled, witness left the area, subsequent electronic effects car began locking and unlocking itself throughout the night in his garage- making the lock honk and unlock honk for hours., near Joshua Tree National Park California, camera can't detect it, dashcam goes from normal to seeing a bright white flash to being blurred out, to going back to normal again as he was driving away. , sleep disruption, having really bad nightmares about an abduction since, [GOODPOST] https://web.archive.org/web/20240508173925/https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cn2tqe/my_bil_just_experienced_contact_of_the_third_kind/ Archive
.36 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cmtbbw/possible_ufo_sighting_arizona/ photo, daytime cloudy sky, single object blackwhite, elongated, horizontal orientation, possible rectangle, not seen by eye, Arizona
.37 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cn5ntb/i_took_this_while_driving_through_nebraska/ photo, from car, daytime cloudy sky, single light object, not seen by eye, Nebraska
.38 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cmvnov/did_anybody_see_the_bright_flashing_lighting_up/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, from car, nighttime, driving east from wentville Missouri, single light object, flashing, very bright, illuminating sky, multiple witnesses, the whole highway slowed down., vanishing, has anyone seen?, similar sightings same area in comments
.39 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cn62ry/some_strange_experiences_ive_had_do_any_of_these/ experience descriptions, entity, inside bedroom, witness woke up, shadow figure, felt observed, witness went to sleep, subsequent dream description, entity, felt observed, subsequent information transfer, lying down in a room and having some information being put into my head and freaking out from whatever I had just learnt., emotion of fear,
.40 https://old.reddit.com/Skydentify/comments/1cmy6y2/what_is_this_light_moving_through_sky/ photo, nighttime sky, single light object, elongated, angled from the horizon
.41 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cnads9/wtf_is_that/ photo, daytime sky, powerlines, plane for comparison, single light object, not seen by eye, urban area, Miami Florida, near water Atlantic Ocean, downvoted to zero in 30 minutes, OP comments downvoted
.42 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cncumx/my_sons_drawing/ art 🎨, drawing , flying saucer
.43 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cnd105/phenomenon_related_dreams/ dream description, entity, The being/craft/king telepathically told us he was going to reveal himself to us and he ripped off his mask to reveal another plastic like clown mask., physical effects paralysis, vibration, I awoke in my bed (had to be 3am-4am) and I could not move but there were intense "electric" like pusles starting in my head and moving down my body through my feet.. They were extremely intense and slowly faded. It was not really painful but it was a little frightening, very intense and like nothing I have ever experienced.
.44 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cnbxpu/my_mom_saw_a_ufo/ video, nighttime sky, from car, single light object, central Texas., very bright, moving fast , pulsating
.45 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cnd42o/large_stationary_disk_ufo_over_north_atlantic/ sighting description, three witnesses, over water Atlantic Ocean, Myrtle Beach south Carolina, disk shape, very large, electronic effects camera can't detect it, stationary, nighttime https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cncxy4/large_stationary_disk_shaped_ufo_over_north/ reposted
.46 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/1cmxs3c/flying_object/ video, nighttime sky, single light object moving slowly, low over rooftop, the Netherlands 🇳🇱
.47 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cngbc7/spotted_this_evening_north_london/ sighting description and reference image, evening sky, threelights, orange 🟠, from car, urban area, London England the UK 🇬🇧, witness looked away and looked back, vanished, Went under a bridge and then they were gone.
.48 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cninhn/lantana_fl_ufo_or_something_over_ocean/ video, daytime cloudy sky, over water Atlantic Ocean, single object blackwhite, possibly rotating, moving slowly, vanishing and reappearing https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cnip7a/lantana_fl_ufo_pics_to_go_with_video/ photo, Lantana Florida, beetle 🪲 or doughnut 🍩 shaped , submission statement issues, removed https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cnv797/lantana_fl_ufo_or_something_in_sky_over_ocean/ photos reposted
.49 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cnja67/vulture_to_the_left_ufo_to_the_right/ photo, daytime sky, single light object, possible disk shape, bird for comparison, not seen by eye, overhead, reddish glow, near Medford Oregon, downvoted to zero
.50 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cnzjh1/introducing_anomaly_network_document_and_share/ original project, iPhone app, Anomaly Network, available at anomalynetwork.net, is a community-driven app where users can share their UFO sightings in real-time or document past encounters.
.51 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cnl49k/what_is_it/ video, nighttime sky, single dark object, reaction to being filmed, It saw I was filming and try to hide., low over treeline, downvoted to zero, OP comments downvoted, big debunker energy
.52 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cnlcz8/video_i_took_not_sure_if_it_is_a_ufo_please_tell/ video, daytime sky, plane for comparison, single light object moving fast, elongated, horizontal orientation, tictac, horizontal trajectory , Jefferson City Missouri
.53 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cnp5z4/sighting_report_south_of_niagara_triangle_craft/ sighting description, south of niagara Canada 🇨🇦, contemporaneous report, nighttime, triangle 🔺️, threelights, lights on each point, moving towards niagara from the south , trailed by a slow moving jet matching speed , interaction with airplane, followed by plane, both objects silent, The jet appeared to be a military design, one or two passenger and had lights on it as well it was silent as well and had no plume trail.,
.54 ➡️ https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/1cnnjg5/my_wife_sawsomething_strange/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, nighttime, two people at home, Camp Pendleton California, military, animal reaction dogs growling and hair standing up on their backs., twolights, vertical orientation, two bright white circle lights, kind of stacked up atop on one another. One smaller, one a little bigger. , moving, approach, similar sightings in comments and discussion of apathy, [GOODPOST]
.55 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/1cnpi63/i_just_had_my_first_experiance/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, British Columbia Canada 🇨🇦, nighttime, two witnesses, single light object, wtf_is_that, reaction to being observed, sudden departure, It swiftly shot away the moment I looked at it, hovering about 20 feet above ground, leaving behind a trail of orange flame-like glow as it moved. 🟠, silent, emotional reaction shock, similar sighting in comments, over the witness home, backyard
.56 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/1cnwr98/ufo_corrientes_argentina_090524/ photo, nighttime sky, single light object, elongated, haze, corrientes Argentina 🇦🇷, contemporaneous report, low over treeline, two witnesses, blue glow 🔵
.57 ➡️ https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cos8he/what_is_this_off_the_coast_of_walton_county_fl/ photo, daytime cloudy sky, Walton County Florida, over water, gulf of Mexico, single dark object, low over horizon, elongated, vertical orientation, possible haze or diffuse trail, rectangular shape, duration a couple minutes, vanished, contemporaneous report, [GOODPOST] https://old.reddit.com/MobileAL/comments/1cpskoc/military_helicopters/ possible military response helicopters
.58 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1codh6n/uap_close_encounte sighting description, at home, Brookline Missouri, nighttime, backyard, felt observed, single light object, metallic sphere, low over ground, silver colored spherical object about beach ball size. It was moving very slowly from my left to right., crossed directly in front, reaction to being observed, flareup, lighting configuration change, began flashing, moving and stationary and moving, jumpy movements, vanishing, silent, military aviation OP, telepathy, seemed to me like it could read my thoughts, [GOODPOST]
.59 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cohyet/uap_over_burbank_ca/ video, nighttime sky, urban area, Burbank California, near airport, single light object, orange 🟠, approach, possible reaction to being filmed, trajectory change, vanishing and reappearing, contemporaneous report, downvoted to zero
.60 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1co544x/saw_a_weird_light_in_the_sky/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, evening sky, from car, single light object, splitting, lighting configuration change to twolights, dimming, vanishing, scardovari Italy 🇮🇹 , near water river Po, downvoted to zero, OP comments downvoted
.61 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1com61m/liberty_nc/ video, nighttime sky, from car, liberty north Carolina, fleet, low over treeline, orange 🟠, moving slowly, silent
.62 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cotyqj/3_flying_objects_found_in_night_sky_with/ video, nighttime sky, multiple objects, moving erratically, low over treeline
.63 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cowsz0/what_was_this/ video, daytime cloudy sky, from airplane, single object blackwhite, possible disk shape or possible island, approaching Seoul Incheon Airport., south Korea 🇰🇷
.64 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/1cos39a/people_always_ask_why_do_ufos_only_come_to_the/ sighting description and discussion of the Bahamas 🇧🇸 as a Hotspot, especially as of lately in the last few years it’s spiked. contemporaneous report, nighttime, three witnesses, threelights, smaller objects accompany it, previous news report entities observed, tall tridactyl owl like beings that were zooming around in pods.,
.65 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1coxv5o/i_experienced_an_orb_51024_621_utc_i_saw_it_drop/ photos, nighttime sky, contemporaneous report, single light object, possibly emitting orbs, possible telepathy,
.66 https://old.reddit.com/UFOscience/comments/1coz2gold_pictures_from_2009_showing_strange_objects/ description of photos, single light object moving, twolights, plane for comparison, near airport, Mantova Italy 🇮🇹, facing the mountain called Monte Baldo.
.67 https://old.reddit.com/StrangeEarth/comments/1coycsz/juno_spacecraft_took_this_picture_am_i_imagining/ photo, Jupiter anomaly, possible structure
.68 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/1conlyh/what_is_this_machine_preview_in_belgium_yesterday/ photos, daytime sky, contemporaneous report, single dark object, angular shape, blue glow, contemporaneous report, Gemmenich Belgium 🇧🇪, audio description funny noise, RC Wing/Plane
.69 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/1cohwgd/encounter_beyond_earth_unraveling_alien_tech/ detailed experience description, near Whitmore Lake, Michigan, possible abduction, location anomaly, ended up way off route, 40 miles north past my stop, right over the Zilwaukee Bridge. , subsequent telepathy, Since that night, my mind has been different. I’ve developed abilities I can't fully explain, like intense intuition and predictive dreams that actually come true https://old.reddit.com/AlienAbduction/comments/1codwhq/beyond_time_and_understanding/ same OP, more details
.70 https://old.reddit.com/space/comments/1cohf2x/iss_and_vsfb_rocket_flew_over_me_at_the_same_time/ reference ISS, reference rocket launch, video, nighttime sky, contemporaneous report, Vandenberg Space Force Base
.71 https://old.reddit.com/BackwoodsCreepy/comments/1co3xap/im_from_a_remote_village_in_northern_alaska_and/ sighting descriptions and local folklore, northern Alaska, entities, Innuligarraq (in-new-thli-gar-uck) (irrecenrat on my Yup’ik side), or the Little People. , In my personal experiences, I’ve seen the little ones and the big ones. They both can resemble humans, or just a blur on the land. I believe they’re part of another world or dimension and that’s why they cannot always be seen, similar sightings same area in comments , [GOODPOST]
.72 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cozlks/a_friend_of_mine_filmed_a_uap_with_greer_gree experience description friend of OP, human initiated contact, celebrity event, Greer confiscated video of single light object, it hovered a few feet over their head. They recorded the whole encounter, including it hovering over Greer and then flying off into the distance.
.83 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1coznlg/uap_spotted_after_spacex_launch/ video, nighttime sky, single light object, Central Valley California, at home, near rocket launch, observed moving and stationary and moving, sudden departure, vanishing, object moving left after the rocket, it seemed to stop, then started going off quickly to the right before completely disappearing
.84 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cp1sx7/i_witnessed_something_that_i_cant_explain/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, nighttime, at home, single light object stationary, very bright, two witnesses, witness looked away and looked back, vanished, near water, west coast of Denmark 🇩🇰
.85 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/1cp1kyk/night_flights_around_reserve_nm_weird_cluster_of/ video, nighttime sky, cosmic campground in Glenwood New Mexico, camping, duration 20-25 minutes, fleet, appeared out of nowhere
.86 https://old.reddit.com/StrangeEarth/comments/1cozhx1/uap_caught_on_camera_oc/ video, nighttime sky, single light object, vanishing, low over rooftop, central California, just after a space X falcon launch
.87 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cp8lsd/weird_uap_captured_tonight_in_south_dakota/ photo, nighttime sky, contemporaneous report, crooks south Dakota, threelights, elongated, yellowish 🟡, trail, at home, backyard, similar sighting same area in comments , horizontal trajectory , northern lights
.88 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cp8yv9/filmed_this_tonight/ video, nighttime cloudy sky, powerlines, Wayland Michigan, contemporaneous report, single object moving fast , northern lights
.89 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpggt2/could_this_movement_be_attributable_to_parallax/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, Walla Walla Washington state, single light object moving and stationary, possible trajectory change, it appeared to veer from its arc and turn to the left a bit and then… it stopped.
.90 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cp7b16/airplane_satellite/ video, nighttime sky, contemporaneous report, single light object moving, plane for comparison observed, video shows moving erratically, multicolored, white observed, low over rooftop, downvoted to zero , northern lights
.91 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpiwtg/northern_lights_ce5_contact_a2_michigan/ photos, nighttime sky, hard to see, contemporaneous report, human initiated contact, Michigan , northern lights
.92 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpiosv/am_i_crazy_or_is_this_weird/ video, nighttime sky, at home, single light object moving, multicolored, contemporaneous report, near Pawling new York state , northern lights
.93 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpjrp0/what_does_everyone_make_of_this_saw_this_last/ video, nighttime sky, contemporaneous report, single light object, low over treeline, Tennessee, moving slowly, descending below treeline, trampoline, appeared out of nowhere, similar sighting in comments, ISS? ,
.94 ➡️ https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cp82oq/did_i_see_the_triangle/ video, nighttime sky, contemporaneous report, from airplane, downvoted to zero, from Chicago to Austin , central USA, possible interaction with airplane, plane banked hard away causing me to drop the phone., dark shadow of the triangle with glowing light around it. https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpkybt/triangle_stills/ still images , removed, The rest of the flight was normal, we felt lower than before and landed ~30 mins later than we should have. When I landed in Austin, the Airport’s alarm system was going off and people were evacuating briefly.
.95 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cp90nh/saw_this_while_looking_at_the_aurora_satellite/ video, nighttime sky, single light object moving slowly and straight, flew over the witness home, Tennessee, disappeared behind treeline, similar sightings in comments , northern lights
.96 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpblvq/flashing_greenblue_light_moving_erratically/ video, nighttime sky, single light object flashing, contemporaneous report, northern lights, urban area, Calgary Alberta Canada 🇨🇦, observed green-blue 🟢🔵, moving erratically, trajectory change, right angle turn, started off very bright with a bit of a tail moving vertically. Started to change direction and move horizontally, at different speeds. , speed change, sudden departure downward, downvoted to zero
.97 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpbr3j/iron_city_tennessee/ sighting description, downvoted to zero, Iron City Tennessee, three witnesses, multiple objects, fleets, they would appear and travel in perfect formation. In two’s, 3’s, and the biggest I saw was 6 in a sideways U-shape formation., flying in formation, appeared out of nowhere, similar sighting in comments, contemporaneous report, northern lights,
.98 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpc3d7/orb_shaped_object_in_redding_ca/ video, nighttime sky, single light object, multicolored, plane for comparison, speed change observed, silent, low over rooftop,
.99 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpe5o5/orbs_in_the_sky/ video, hard to see, nighttime sky, contemporaneous report, Iowa, northern lights, human initiated contact, repeat visitors, sometimes i get blinks back or a small ball of light slowly or sometimes swiftly moving across the sky, in all different directions., physical effects goosebumps, the second i saw them tonight, i had tingles all up the entirety of my body and i felt electric, downvoted to zero
.100 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpjdd2/a_friend_got_some_cool_photos_of_the_sky_last/ photos, nighttime sky, contemporaneous report, northern lights, Tennessee, downvoted to zero, multiple objects, fleet, worm 🪱, blue 🔵, not seen by eye
.101 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpo1zg/ufo_spotted_in_holly_springs_nc_7282021/ video, daytime sky, single dark object, elongated, irregular shape, vertical orientation, at home, two witnesses, low over treeline, stationary, felt observed, texture visible, scaled with a texture like rust and was maroon in color. The bottom was like a corkscrew spiraling and resembled snakes moving around a pole. It was confusing and made no sense to observe., reddish glow, possibly rotating, shape change, reaction to being filmed, departing, Holly Springs north Carolina,
.102 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpr67m/weird_orange_lights/ video, nighttime sky, fleet, two pairs of twolights, low over treeline, orange 🟠, submission statement issues
.103 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpqay7/ufo_sighting_near_canada_usa_borde photos and videos, nighttime sky, camping, near the border of Montana and British Columbia Canada 🇨🇦, contemporaneous report, northern lights, single light object moving erratically, over water, river, loops, trajectory change, flying around in strange circular motions and could fly back and forth at unreasonably fast speeds and stop and turn around on a dime., red 🔴, color change observed, duration 20-30 minutes, vanishing, repeat visitor or second object, made three passes, low over ridgeline, zigzag movements, emotion of fear , [GOODPOST], decided to sleep in the locked car instead of my tent for the night.
.104 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cp8wig/green_blinking_lights/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, northern lights, nighttime, at home, backyard, southwest Ontario Canada 🇨🇦, twolights, flashing, green 🟢, possible diamond 💠 formation, low over rooftop, stationary and moving, almost diamond shaped on its side with two lights horizontal on the ends. Eventually the lights stopped blinking and it move East and I lost sight of it. , felt observed, downvoted to zero
.105 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cprste/no_idea_what_this_is/ video, nighttime sky, single light object, low over rooftop
.106 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpnzeg/51124_1208_am_cdt/ photo, nighttime sky, twolights, elongated, worm 🪱, blue 🔵, northern lights, prior single light object moving erratically, flashing, intermittently flashed like a disco ball and darted around in a very small area for approximately 10 seconds. , reaction to being filmed, vanishing, two witnesses
.107 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/1cp9v6a/low_hum_in_the_hudson_valley/ audio description, no craft, humming sound, at home, duration 30-40 minutes, The sound was undulating up and down in pitch, like a very slow vibrato, and it sounded like it was coming from the sky or just the air around us. It didn’t sound mechanical, or like wind or a plane, it had a very clear, almost musical tone. It felt like the air was vibrating, like we were inside a giant violin., Hudson Valley new York state, contemporaneous report, northern lights, sky trumpets, similar sightings in comments
.108 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/1cp7byz/saw_this_tonight_in_the_south_of_norway_at_first/ video, nighttime cloudy sky, contemporaneous report, cloud anomaly, fleet, flashing erratically, northern lights, southern Norway 🇳🇴
.109 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/1cpfggg/woke_up_to_hear_about_the_crazy_g5_storm_tried_to/ photo, nighttime sky, single light object, elongated, angled from the horizon, not seen by eye, moving fast , near Philadelphia Pennsylvania
.110 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/1cpmh65/any_maine_ufo_nerds_here_see_anything_a_few/ sighting description, nighttime, fleet, moving and stationary, all different directions, over water, Grand Manan Channel near Lubec Maine., duration 1 hour, sometimes in pairs, and they would move, stop, change direction and make sharp curves as if scanning or observing the enviroment, and although they all made different movements they would all eventually fly up into the same spot in the clouds and out of sight., has anyone seen?
.111 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/1cp82pz/what_did_i_just_witness_here_in_kentucky_watching/ video, nighttime sky, single light object, color change, red and green 🔴🟢, silent, observed moving erratically, contemporaneous report, northern lights, northern Kentucky
.112 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpsi34/ufos_over_uk_south_coast_right_now/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, nighttime, Northern lights, Duration 30 minutes, two witnesses, at home, curved trajectory, all different directions, All of them are flying in different directions, different speeds, some fly straight and some fly curved, some travel in pairs as if they're racing, with their speeds fluctuating! , Worthing the UK 🇬🇧, near water, similar sighting same day in Belgium 🇧🇪 in comments
.113 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/1cpnebi/spotted_last_night_brilliant_bright_light/ photo, nighttime sky, contemporaneous report, northern lights, single light object moving fast, haze, possible beetle 🪲 or rectangular shape, flew overhead, ISS?, Denver Colorado, similar sightings same day in comments, emitting brilliant sparkly light.
.114 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/1cnts0q/fastmoving_orange_light_over_tuscolagenesee/ sighting description, single light object moving fast, zigzag movements, orange 🟠, over Genesee or Tuscola counties, near Millington Missouri, has anyone seen?, nighttime, two witnesses, trail
.115 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/1cnszys/maybe_just_maybe/ photo, nighttime cloudy sky, single light object, elongated, angled from the horizon, disappeared into cloud, fleet observed, individual objects one behind other. Disappeared behind the cloud like it never existed. , low over rooftop, at home, urban area, Sydney Australia 🇦🇺
.116 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpt88u/white_light_moving_across_the_sky_satellite_o video, nighttime sky, at home, backyard, contemporaneous report, northern lights, single light object, silent, moving straight, the Netherlands 🇳🇱 , plane for comparison
.117 https://old.reddit.com/UFOB/comments/1cpqq54/very_bright_solid_white_round_light/ photos, nighttime sky, contemporaneous report, northern lights, single light object, Iowa City Iowa, silent, moving straight,
.118 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpvvgp/anyone_in_phoenix_see_pure_white_orbs_fading_in/ sighting description, has anyone seen?, urban area, Phoenix Arizona, from car, two witnesses, contemporaneous report, northern lights, nighttime, single light object, appeared out of nowhere, stationary, vanishing, repeat visitor or second object, made four passes, circle shaped, had a clearly defined end to the circular light source, a big circle of light that would fade in, hang around, then disappear., similar sightings in comments
.119 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cq6i6u/my_first_ufo_encounter_with_a_twist_a_whole_fleet/ sighting description, Eningen unter Achalm Germany 🇩🇪 , daytime cloudy sky, two witnesses, single dark object, lighting configuration change to metallic sphere, duration 5-10 minutes, hiking, black ⚫️, directly in front, moving slowly, eye 👁, physical effects paralysis, transfixed, flashes of light, ascending at an angle, haze, disappeared into clouds, photos show fleet and possible repeat visitor, [GOODPOST], emotional reaction feeling shook
.120 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpxi33/triangle_craft/ photo, OP is not the witness, witness is law enforcement friend who works near a major airport., nighttime sky, threelights, triangle formation, repeat visitor, he calls it in to the air traffic control tower every time. They tell him “they know about it and could he please quit calling.”, [GOODPOST], observed stationary, over powerlines, duration 10 minutes, similar sightings in comments
.120 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpycff/satellite_tough_to_tell_in_first_video_with_plane/ video, nighttime sky, single light object , contemporaneous report, Michigan
.121 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpyxou/anyone_else_seen_this_before/ sighting description and discussion of sightings, repeat visitor, has anyone seen?, single flash, it just flashes white once then… nothing., many similar sightings in comments, [GOODPOST]
.122 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cq1myc/just_spotted_this_in_auckland_nz/ video, nighttime sky, contemporaneous report, northern lights, single light object moving slowly, orange 🟠 horizontal trajectory, low over treeline, urban area, Auckland new zealand 🇳🇿, similar sighting same area in comments, downvoted to zero, OP comments downvoted
.123 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cq3h3c/ufo_swarm_spotted_near_elk_creek_ca_during_sola photos, nighttime sky, contemporaneous report, northern lights, elk creek California, multiple objects observed, zigzag movements , downvoted to zero, OP comments downvoted
.124 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cq832t/ufo_spotted_on_singapore_bay/ video, daytime sky, over water, Singapore 🇸🇬 bay, contemporaneous report, single dark object, irregular shape, tendrils, jellyfish 🪼, stationary, downvoted to zero, OP comments downvoted, big debunker energy
.125 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/1cpxjlf/possible_uap_sighting_dover_nh_51224_2200_edt/ video, nighttime sky, single light object moving slowly, powerlines, urban area, dover new Hampshire, contemporaneous report, northern lights
Continued...

Hello. I was just in Nashville for a week for work and while there, stuck to cardio workouts in my room as the hotel gym was tiny. I suspect that this injury is from doing cross jacks but cannot fully be sure. I had some minor discomfort after doing them but it went away until the next day. I’m now on day 4 of pain and it is excruciating. Alternating Tylenol and ibuprofen and they are doing nothing to alleviate the pain, nor does ice or heat. I cannot cross my right arm over my body at all. I can raise it up slowly in front of me but only until my elbow is level with my shoulder. I also cannot lift my arm out to the side beyond an inch or two. I’ve been reading up in both of these injuries but it sounds more like rotator cuff to me. I have sharp pain that takes my breath away when I move it too far, and an intense dull ache that goes down below my elbow when resting.
What does this sound like? Either of what I mentioned or something else entirely?

I randomly got very sick a few years ago. I am not sure of the cause, but I believe it may have been COVID, which I believe unfortunately spurred on a pretty severe autoimmune/inflammatory reaction. It came on very sudden, first with brain fog, then a dull pressure headache, and then muscle twitching, what felt like a fever, neuropathy on the left side of my body (It began in my face and went downwards, used to affect both sides but only the left side now), ear ringing, throbbing headaches, upper body burning pain, dizziness, memory issues, neck stiffness, sinus inflammation that caused watery mucus, and other issues. I remember one day about a month into my issues, I had an extreme warmness in my face and nearly constant ear ringing on and off. It was the strangest thing.
I was able to see a PCP about a month into my issues. My PCP did not seem to consider my issues of an urgent nature, even with sudden neuropathy, memory loss, dizziness, etc. I had a CT scan of my brain 3 months after initial illness which showed mild volume loss and possible encephalomalacia.
It took me a year to finally see a neurologist for it due to waiting times. The first one I saw was dismissive and literally told me to "wait it out" and see if I got better (I didn't). The second one I saw, and saw the longest, didn't even see me personally the first time, and had his nurse look at me instead, and did really nothing for my issues save for trying a very small dosage of Gabapentin for a few months as well as vitamin supplements, which I stopped taking due to it not doing anything for me. The third one I saw for a second opinion of the second one told me "I don't know what's causing your symptoms" and just left it at that. I saw a rheumatologist in 2022 who also didn't do anything for my neuropathy, just more blood work testing.
I recently found out the second neurologist I saw who I saw for years was successfully sued for malpractice while I saw him, but in another state. I believe he does telehealth neurology. He was sued in Georgia and settled for 175,000 dollars in late 2022. I had been seeing him since late 2021, and last saw him in person in late 2023 where he blamed my issues on "stress" and left it at that.
I told numerous doctors/specialists about chronic body inflammation feelings, such as intense upper body burning, head pressure, dizziness/vertigo, memory issues, neuropathy, etc. and they have never ordered a spinal tap to see if there was something in the CSF causing the chronic feeling. I have had brain MRIs that showed possible idiopathic intracranial hypertension with mild CSF buildup in the optic nerve and a partially empty sella turcica, but again, no spinal tap was ordered because my eye exam by a neuro-ophthalmologist was clean and showed no swelling. My brain MRIs also showed volume loss possibly caused by encephalomalacia, again, no spinal tap done.
I've had blood work for lupus and celiac that was negative, and an ANA rating that was barely positive. Normal rheumatoid factor and negative for Sjogren's as well. I just checked and I believe I am negative for vasculitis as well, Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody test was negative looking back at my testing in 2022. I also had a sinus CT scan a year into my issues that showed mild sinusitis. I am not diabetic but I was pre-diabetic when this began. Glucose testing has been normal, cholesterol is fine, lipids are fine. B12 is normal, but vitamin D is low.
It has been almost 3 years now and I still have neuropathy in certain parts of the left side of my body (mainly my face and genitals, I'm male and was born male) and again, nothing was done for me regarding a spinal tap, which is the only test outside of a PET scan that I haven't done which could be helpful for me as far as I know. I saw that third neurologist for a second opinion, and all he did was say maybe to get a spinal tap if I have chronic headaches, but other than that, like I said, he said outright he didn't know what was causing my symptoms.
I cannot work with how I feel, and it feels like neurologists and doctors in general left me to rot and deal with the chronic issues on my own, and now I'm going to be stuck with long-term, permanent issues such as nerve damage in my face and genitals because no doctor cares. I have ED and anorgasmia now along with the neuropathy that affects my genital area. It's just on the left side for some reason. It used to be tingling/burning on the left side of my genital area and face and now is reduced sensitivity issues. In 2021 I had a very sharp pain on the left side of my penis when I touched the right side of it, it was very scary and made me believe the nerve may have died, but that went away with very slow improvement, but that side is still not back to normal.
I still sometimes have dizziness and headaches, for instance, if I'm in a car and I watch the cars speed by us at an intersection, I'll feel sort of dizzy. It's not as bad as it was, but it's still not normal to feel like that, and no doctor has done anything for that or suggested it.
Am I wrong to think a spinal tap should have been ordered? Is there any reason they didn't, even after I asked? 0 out of the 3 neurologists I've seen in the past three years or so recommended one, so I did try getting second and even third opinions. The first neurologist genuinely just brushed me off, he didn't even order any testing. Just sent me on my way without a follow up appointment after saying to "wait it out".
I live in America and am on my state's Medicaid. I recently switched PCPs (my previous one was condescending and didn't seem interested in my issues) and the new PCP referred me to a new neurologist I'm going to see later this year, but it just feels at this point all they can do is assess the damage and not fix it due to it being so long since I got sick and my issues never really totally fixing itself.
I had an MRA of my head last month that was clean thankfully, so I think I didn't have a hemorrhagic stroke or some sort of blood vessel damage in my arteries. I saw a neurosurgeon about two weeks ago that I last saw in 2021 who still believes my cerebral atrophy (which I'm guessing is the volume loss likely caused by encephalomalacia) is abnormal for my age (mid-20s). The neurosurgeon's notes say my current neurologist believes I may have small fiber neuropathy as well as a cognitive disorder, but he has not prescribed a single thing since the low dosage of Gabapentin over two years ago.
The only real testing I have left is neuropsychological testing which will be a few hours. I am 90% positive that my issues are from something, likely a virus, causing severe chronic inflammation all over my body including my head. I was never in the past 3.5 years given anything to treat that inflammation.
I recently saw a new neurologist which is my 4th neurologist since 2021. He seemed genuinely interested in what had happened to me and found the symptoms frustrating because of how vague they were/are, but it was in a "I wish i knew so I could help you" way, which I've never seen with a previous doctor I've seen. He said a spinal tap in 2021 may have been useful but didn't think it was essential testing for my issues, said he might have tried Prednisone for a couple of weeks to see if it helped with inflammation, but that was it. He said since I'm still seeing very slow improvement, my nerves may still heal, but is that true, even this late into it? I feel the previous neurologists I saw didn't care at all, and I finally found one that does, but it's too late to make a difference. He said trying B12 supplements and Cymbalta might help. He wants me to get a lumbar MRI to see why I have nerve issues in my genital area. He didn't think I had GBS/AIDP or something like that either, but he did think a viral cause could be possible. He was all I could ask for a specialist like this, but again, seems too late to matter. I just don't know what to do.
TL;DR: Got very sick years ago, told doctors of body weakness and pain, what felt like inflammation in my body, nerve damage, memory issues, etc. was not given any real treatment for what was still occurring in my body, which seemed to be chronic severe inflammation going on. If I get told I have permanent nerve damage/brain damage that was most likely from what I believe it to be, what would constitute the doctors I saw falling below the acceptable standard of care? Does anything in my story so far seem like negligence from doctors?
Please feel free to ask questions, and apologies for the length of my post.

Hello ostomates,
I have only had my ileostomy for about 9 weeks and have had zero issues with pain or output up to this point.
Yesterday evening a few hours after eating my dinner, I began experiencing left-sided pain below my rib cage. The pain extends downward toward just above my hip bone. This is not near my stoma and I am not having pain around my stoma. The pain feels like trapped air almost, it's sharp but not intense I would say 5/10. It's more uncomfortable if anything.
I have tried heating pad, hot liquids, no solid food since the pain started, massage, laying on my left side and nothing seems to get rid of it. I'm worried of a partial blockage or something worse. I am having output and passing gas, but my output is fully liquid and with bile present. I am really trying to push oral fluids, my urine is running clear. Not having nausea or vomiting.
Should I go to the ER? I am scared to eat anything besides clear liquids. Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience or thoughts. I appreciate this community so much.

Jason Alexander Coyle was dead… Again. Gods’ above this was such an inconvenience. And he hadn’t even managed to go out in some cool display of power and glory. Nooooo, he had died to a MOTHER… F***ING… DEMI-HUMAN. A GODS’ DAMNED GOBLIN of all things. The sheer audacity of it caused him to wallow in shame and seethe in rage. He closed his eyes and once more replayed the events leading up to his downfall. The disgusting little thing hadn’t even had the decency to best him in combat. No, that vile puss skinned whelp had played dead, then stabbed Jason in the back once the battle was over.

Grarothian Powder. Clever little shit. Cover yourself in that stuff and all Jason’s magically enhanced senses meant nothing. He should have known better. I mean, if no one could sense your vitals, what difference was there really between you and just another corpse littering the battlefield? How hadn’t he thought of something so simple? How had he been outsmarted by a goblin?!

The powder was a common enough anti magical tool in that world. A light layer was often applied to armor and weapons as a means to disperse the effects of magic. Strong enough to save you from an otherwise lethal direct hit of a lesser spell, it was more often more useful as a protection from splash effects of a fireball or other large area of effect spells. A nasty sunburn or a few bruised ribs tends to be more acceptable than third-degree burns or being impaled when your mate got turned into a dystopian bit of shrubbery or an ice sculpture. The problem is that once it does its job, the stuff crumbles away. So, most soldiers had taken to carrying around pouches of the stuff, reapplying it before making any mad dashes towards enemy spell casters.

It had been a work of absolute genius, or more likely dumb luck, that the creature had been coated in the stuff. Jason was hard pressed to believe that a sub sapient mongrel was smart enough to come up with such an elaborate plan. He further suspected luck, given that even wild animals knew to avoid heavy direct contact with the stuff, much less to risk ingesting it. Doing so caused a fast-acting cancer to take hold. He’d once had the unfortunate experience of seeing a street mutt be pelted with a full pouch of the stuff. Covered the dog in a heavy bit of powder, but also coated the food the pup had been feasting on. Poor bastard had been found dead the next morning. Apparently, it had developed multiple melon sized tumors in the twelve or so hours between when Jason had last seen it, and its body being found.

Then there was the matter of how the goblin had somehow managed to get its grubby little mitts on a Dathon Disrupter blade. Jason had little doubt the weapon was looted from one of the fallen kingdom soldiers. The maggot’s simplistic animal-like brain must have been captivated by how sparkly the blade was. If he understood goblins even half as well as he thought, the stupid little thing was probably straining its brain to understand that the thing it had picked up was both shiny, AND sharp. “Shiny made it valuable, and anything sharp was good for stabbing.” That was the extent of how deep the goblin's thinking went, Jason was sure.

Sure, if he had noticed the creature, the blade would have been useless against his omnidirectional invincibility. He’d seen much finer weapons shatter when they came into contact with his protective abilities. BUT, despite what people might think, all those superhuman protections had a stifling cost. And what kind of insane fool bothered to keep invincibility turned on when everyone who was anyone of importance in the area was deader than a doornail.

He could still remember the metallic iron taste in the back of his throat as his lungs had filled with blood. He’d of course tried to heal himself, but the disruptor had done its job. Jason’s ability to cast magic had been rendered entirely useless, the arcane energies coming apart as he tried to weave them into even the simplest of spells. The only small justice he could find in the situation was that the assailant had botched their landing. He could only assume the beast had thought the surprise would paralyze him, while he drowned in his own fluids. If that had been the first or even fifth time he’d died, the little monster would have been correct. The realization that you are dying, and there’s nothing you can do about it, was a hell of a thing to cope with. Lucky for Jason, you kind of got ‘better’ at handling the whole impending demise thing, after you’d faced death a dozen times.

The time bought from NOT having your life flash before your eyes, had given him just enough of an opportunity to land a heavy haymaker against the goblin. It wasn’t the cleanest of blows, but it still brought a smile to his face remembering the feeling of the creature’s bones breaking under his empowered fist. He wasn’t sure if it had been enough to kill the thing, but he did know that if it didn’t kill the goblin, it had at least permanently crippled the right side of the beast. Watching the goblin crumple, then begin to twitch, had been the best sight he could imagine as his world faded to blackness.

When he next opened his eyes, he was sitting in his usual seat within the Agency. The room was sparsely decorated, he’d never really seen the point in investing in decorations for a place that held such... complex, emotional significance. Much less a place that he did his best to spend as little time in as possible. Jason was a bit annoyed that his handler wasn’t present to greet him, but then she was never good at doing her job. Sighing, he leaned back in the chair and waited, he knew that she had been paged when he arrived, and he also knew the door wouldn’t open until he had submitted his mission summary.

Ruby had of course lost her metaphorical shit when Jason arrived back at the Agency. The bloody lush had laughed herself into a mini coma when she learned that a lowly goblin, using a glorified butter knife, had been the thing to bring Jason down. Gods, he hated her, no matter when he ran into her, she always reeked like she’d just gotten done bathing in a pool of liquor. He was still not really sure WHERE or HOW she got her hands on Earth booze. Plucking a soul from Earth was troublesome enough, but trying to get physical objects from the place? That was far beyond even Ruby’s power. He did know for a fact that it was Earth liquor, and not some kind of divine proximity, since he’d yet to find a single bar in the entirety of the Agency. Hell, he’d yet to find another being that even understood what alcohol was.

After recovering enough that she could breathe without wheezing, Ruby had gone ahead and made sure that the contract hadn’t been refunded due to Jason’s untimely demise. As luck would have it, it did appear that he had fulfilled just enough of the order so that the client could still be charged for services rendered. Which meant that Jason got his commission, a fair bit smaller than he would have liked after all the fees, but that was the cost one paid to subvert the usual limitations of a mortal body. Not that it mattered, that last job had finally put him over the top. After dozens upon dozens of quests, Jason had finally managed to scrape together enough to buy what he’d been lusting after since he first woke up in this shithole.

A mad smile curled on his lips, as he opened up the shop screen. Navigating through dozens of pages of bog-standard contracts, an asinine level of ads for luxury services, and more high-class cuisine than he could eat in a thousand thousand lifetimes, he finally found the loose thread he had been looking for. Dragging his finger along the lower left-hand side of the screen, he made a series of increasingly complex designs. With a click the screen faded away to a new darker overlay. Moving quickly, he bought the token he was looking for and slipped out of the system.

He’d stumbled across the dark site ages ago, while killing time between missions. The prices were exorbitant if not outright extortive in nature. But it did give one access to certain... choices that would not have otherwise been accessible via the normal shop. It was why Jason had bought the system admin privileges, he needed to access the real good shit. Sure, the base shop allowed agents to pick their own assignments, but the good missions, well those could only be accessed by the admin staff AKA handlers.

The biggest issue was that management did not take too kindly to their staff’s access codes being used by unauthorized individuals. This meant that Jason only had a limited amount of time to peruse the catalog before the system would kick him out and block that access code from being used again. He’d had to burn through three different sets of privileges before he found what he was looking for. A modifiable mission token for an honest to goodness Isekai.

The fact that Isekai were even a real thing, had thrown Jason for a bit of a loop. Well, perhaps more the fact that he had died in a tragic way that even the gods couldn’t seem to explain, and all he’d gotten for his trouble was a small “sign on bonus''. Not that he was complaining too much, the limited New Game+ skill had proven useful in more than one mission. But apparently, some people got a date with Truck-kun and suddenly they are given an entire freaking wish fulfillment fantasy. He would have pissed and moaned to upper management but thought better of it when he remembered that he only knew what he knew by using exploits within the system. There had been rumors about what happened to those who had their access codes stolen, it was not pleasant, and he didn’t want to imagine what would happen if people found out who had been using those stolen codes.

As Ruby droned on and on about whatever it was that drunk was talking about. Jason began calibrating the token to his specifications. The basic token itself had drained an exceedingly large amount of his credits, Isekai missions were... difficult to get a hold of, even for handlers, but it was the add-ons that were really going to strain his budget. He tapped through the various options. It wouldn’t be a proper Isekai without the deluxe harem package.

[click]

After the cluster fuck that was his last mission, he decided to take things on easy mode for his wish fulfillment. It was insanely costly, but the entire Divine Protection suite made him resistant if not straight up immune to every offensive ability that could reasonably be thrown at him.

[click]

Can’t live out your hero fantasy dreams without having to crush a Demon Lord.

[click]

He had deeply enjoyed the incarnations where he had had access to magic. But he couldn’t for the life of him seem to decide what to specialize in. Hemming and hawing for a bit, he finally decided to just splurge and get a little bit of everything. It would give him maximum versatility without over committing one way or another.

[click]

It stands to reason that a proper Demon Lord should be able to bypass divine protections, and might be resistant to magic, so it is probably best to fortify one’s body and boost the crap out of one’s stats.

[click] [click]

Not really looking forward to having to do the whole baby with the mind of an adult trope. He decides to just spawn in with his body already at its apex. He never really understood why the grown ass adults in the shows and manga always seemed to end up as some kid. Like yeah, wish fulfillment for young readers/watchers, but a guy in his twenties is going to wipe the floor with some punk ass sixteen-year-old. Whatever, it didn’t really matter; to each their own he guessed.

[click]

Jason looked at his credit balance; it was painfully low, but he shrugged it off. All he needed to do was complete the mission to get it back to a respectable level. He looked at the payout for completing the mission. It wasn’t impressive, Isekai almost never paid more than a pittance, but it should be enough to tide him over once he’d had his fun and squeezed every drop of wish fulfillment out of whatever backwater world, he ended up in.

Jason’s attention was pulled from the status screen by the sound of a large *CLUNK*. Looking over he saw that Ruby had apparently finally grown bored with her one-sided conversation. To combat this boredom, she had pulled out an entire mothering fucking hogshead of whiskey. From her pocket dimension, she pulls out two crystal glasses and fills both glasses with a hefty amount of liquor. She sets one down in front of herself and puts the other one in front of Jason.

“Drink”

“Thanks, but no thanks, I’m not inclined to degr....”

“I said, DRINK!” Ruby says again, her eyes filled with rage. Her words reinforced with magical power, compel Jason to take a large gulp of the auburn liquid. He’s amazed at the rich flavor of the whiskey. The rich honey notes give the drink a sublime sweetness, without overshadowing the subtle dried red fruit. The decades of barrel aging have left the drink smoother than silk. The vague hints of oak and cinnamon leave him wanting more. Time seems to melt away as he is compelled to have ‘just another sip’... ‘Maybe just a finger’s worth more’... ‘What’s one more drink for the road?’. The world around him seeps away, as he is lost in the complex rich flavors of Ruby’s private stash.

When he next wakes, he’s once more found himself in the Void.

Wave Scars by Joel Lane
Originally Published in Sugar Sleep (1993) edited by Chris Kenworthy
Excerpted from The Earth Wire and Other Short Stories (1999) by Joel Lane

After a while, he stopped and pointed down towards the sea. 'Look,' he said quietly. The mist was rising to expose patches of grey shimmering water. Sharp fragments of rock broke the surface, distorting it into a network of tiny ripples. The wind's teeth combed through the dark waves, bringing up highlights of spray. Then I could see what Steven was pointing at: a boat coming rapidly inland, between us and the promontory. It was like an elongated yacht, or a barge with a sail; the jib swung erratically as the boat tried to slow down. There were several people on board, and for an insane moment I could make out their terrified shiny faces.
A few yards ahead of us, a very steep flight of stone steps led down to the beach. Steven ran down ahead of me, gripping the rail for support. The boat was lurching closer, coming in to land. They had some kind of lamp on board, but they didn't appear to be navigating with its help. At the head of the beach, Steven lost his footing and fell over a rock. I helped him up; he was shaking, and seemed about to pass out. In spite of the cold, his face was drenched in sweat. We were still standing there when the boat hit something, rode up out of the water and then capsized. At first, I thought nobody had surivied.
By the time Steven and I reached the water, a few dark figures were struggling towards us over the rocks. They appeared to be badly hurt. The nearest of them was covering his face with one arm. I pulled him up onto the sand before realising that his head was in some way joined to his forearm, so that there was no face to cover. Both his arms ended in smoothly healed stumps.
I turned back to the water, where Steven had caught hold of somebody and was trying to lift him. More of the survivors were emerging from the wreck. Some were holding onto each other. One of them collapsed as a wave struck him from behind; I caught his arms and helped him to stand up. A rock had gashed his shoulder, but there was no blood. His eyes and mouth appeared to be incapable of opening, so that his sealed face gave an impression of peace. He stepped past me onto the sand, and fell again. From behind him, a woman reached up with a child in her arms. I caught hold of the child; but her arms were joined to its body, her fingers spread across the child's shoulders like embryonic wings. A few yards away, Steven was carrying someone whose back was crusted with broken ribs. He looked at me, and I could see in his face the same question I was asking myself. How could there be so many of them?
But there was no question of what to do about the survivors when they were on the beach. They simply came apart. Their faces, if any, misted over with a pain so great it left them no identity. They became glass, snow, driftwood. They wrapped their damaged limbs around themselves, and bled their own substance into the sand. In less than an hour, the beach was empty. The only marks on the sand were the long curved ridges left by the outgoing tide. I looked out towards the rocks; but there was no sign of the boat. Then I turned and followed Steven up the stone steps to the cliff top. It was getting light; I could just see the outlines of trees and distant buildings inland.

Vote on a match featuring the detective teams allied against a masked vigilante having gone berserk!

(Shoutouts to u/ShimoDragon and Heart of the Rose for the match!)
Scenario: The Kamala Rose International, Vasitanagarh — 2:06PM
Weeks ago, in the very center of The Kamala Rose International lay the fantastical garden known as the Heart of the Rose, in the center of that garden stood a gazebo, and in the center of that gazebo was a table surrounded by four individuals in a heated discussion.
“That was sloppy work, Margherita!” Sulka slammed their fist against the table in an uncharacteristically loud fit of rage, “I told you to get rid of that man last week! Now because of your pointless delays he was able to leak that scandal to the news!”
“Hey hey, levati dai coglioni! I don’t appreciate the blame being thrown onto me here,” Margo threw up his arms in response, looking more annoyed than upset, “You never told me there was any urgency. Besides, it takes a bit of time to frame an accidental death. What, do you think you can just shoot a guy in the head and call it a suicide? You watch too many movies if you think that kind of thing can just happen overnight, mammalucco.”
“Do you even care that our operation here is in jeopardy now that that video is drawing prying eyes our way?!” Sulka almost spat at the italian man, “Your nonchalance is insulting!”
“Easy, Sulka,” Jim Peckle interjected, “Margo did his best. No way for him to know that things would turn this way.”
“You’re both right, actually,” Margo sneered, “I did my best, as I do with every job, but I honestly couldn’t care less if this little crime ring collapses. You lot are nothing more than a side hustle to me, my allegiances lie back in Italy. In other words, stop pestering me and vai a cagare.”
With a swish of his apron Margo left, leaving Sulka to smolder in a more recognizable quiet anger.
“That’s the last time we give him a time sensitive job, if you ask me,” Pluto spoke up for the first time since arriving (late), “The unwanted attention is a problem, don’t get me wrong, but I’m more concerned with how we even got to this in the first place, hey? That guy in the video was talking about missing people, Kiisseli. Just what the hell have you been up to?”
“Need I remind you, Hendrix,” Sulka’s cold gaze turned to meet Pluto’s, “that part of our arrangement involves the right to privacy. I do not intend to pry about what you use our resources for so I expect that you will do me the same decency.”
“Excuse me…?” Pluto straightened up from his relaxed position, “You don’t get to just shrug this off after bringing the feds to our damn doorste-”
“To be curt,” Sulka cut him off, “It’s none of your damn business, Pluto. So drop it.”
Behind Sulka’s back, Jim quietly scoped his nearest emergency exit.
Pluto’s vein bulged visibly at Sulka’s words, “You’ve got people paying attention to the airport cuz you’ve been pulling some shady bullshit and you just managed to get your ass handed to you by a cat and some whackjob in a mask, hey. Obviously this is my fucking business!”
“I may have been beaten by a “whackjob” as you put it,” Sulka slowly rose from their chair, “but I could certainly beat you if you’re going to keep acting like a thorn in my side.”
“You could beat who?” Pluto’s voice raised an octave in sheer frustration and confusion, “Trust me, you don’t want this smoke, Kiisseli.”
“What’s this about smoke?” Dark Disquiet shimmered into view and lit a fire in its palm behind Sulka as they spoke, “Because from where I stand you’re the only one who should fear getting burned, Hendrix.”
“This isn’t the time or place for a fight,” Jim stepped in between the two, holding up his hands. Behind his dark sunglasses, his eyes flicked cautiously over to Sulka. “Everything just goes up in flames. Nobody wins… Best cool things down and make peace.”
An uneasy silence hung over the gazebo until Pluto clicked his tongue in frustration, “Yeah. Fine. Better an ally than an enemy, I suppose. But let it be known that next time I have to deal with problems caused by your actions I’ll be expecting a damn good explanation, hey? Now I’m getting out of here before your self important face pisses me off any more than it already has.”
Once Pluto had left earshot, Sulka let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of their nose, “I hate to admit it but I too am in a state where I still need to rely on Hendrix’s assistance. Oh how I despise co-leadership…”
“I like having him around,” Jim replied, shrugging minutely, “He brings a lot to the Heart. He’s easygoing, and a lot more dedicated than he seems on the surface. It would be a shame to drive him away.”
“You’ve already deescalated the situation, Jim Peckle. Any further arbitration would be pointless, unless you mean to crawl your way back onto my good side. In which case you have a long way to go,” Sulka made a dispassionate gesture towards the exit, “You may leave as well, but don’t assume that this means you’re off the hook. You’ve not yet been forgiven for leaving me in the dirt and running off with that costumed clown after our fight.”
Jim hesitated for a moment before deciding to swallow his pride and take his own advice. Instead, he simply gave a light nod in response and scurried out of the gazebo.
For a time Sulka sat in silence, partially to gather their thoughts and partially to make sure their team members had cleared out. “Marko, Olli, come here now.”
Barely missing a beat, the Runoilija brothers ran in to greet Sulka, “Right here boss!” Marko, the bigger of the two, responded, “Sorry we weren’t here for the meeting–that kid you hired a while back was break dancing in the halls outside the garden and we were entranced by the little guy!”
“Enough!” Sulka was all too familiar with how the brothers could prattle on if left unchecked, “I didn’t call you over to have you discuss your simplistic entertainment. I have a job for the two of you.”
“Lay it on us boss, we’ll get it done in no time,” Olli rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
“To be more accurate it’s closer to a reassignment than a job,” Sulka tucked their hands behind their back, beginning to pace across the raised dais. “Thanks to this mess we’re in, I’ll be forced to decrease, if not totally halt, my… cultivation, we’ll call it, her at the Rose. In order to make up for the drop-off in offerings we will need to expand operations outside of the airport. I’ve already made the arrangements. Starting tomorrow, you two will be stationed at Club Naraka over in Port Konwar. You will remain vigilant for any and all stand users that enter the building. I don’t care how you do it but make sure you check every guest. Once you find a stand user you are to restrain them and call for me. This is by far the most promising location I’ve managed to get a hold of, so I am expecting big things. Are there any questions?”
“Uh, it’s a club, yeah?” Marko cocked his head, “That means there’ll be booze, right?”
“...Yes Marko,” Sulka sighed, “There will be drinks of all kinds.”
“Alright! We won’t let you down boss! You can count on us!” Olli beamed—and promptly tripped on Marko’s heels in his haste as the two of them rushed for the door.
Sulka sighed again, if that pair of fools weren’t so loyal they would’ve discarded them long ago.
Scenario: ???, ??? — 1:20 AM
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
Reese’s eyes slowly opened, his vision hazy. His head stung—that was the first thing he noticed, the dull throbbing pain in his temple. He couldn’t think straight. Where was he? Why was he here? What was-
God, his head.
“Ghhh...” He massaged his temples, blearily trying to force some sense into his brain. He was... Where was he...
Memories came back to him slowly, filtered through heavy bass and the scraping of a rusty fan overhead. He was looking for leads on something... His father was looking into Nightblooms... There were rumors of knowledgeable Stand users here... His teammates had told him not to go, but he-
The door creaked open, slamming against a dingy, degraded concrete wall. Reese lifted his head, slowly. His head felt like a ten ton weight on his shoulders. He could hardly see. What the fuck happened?
Through the now open door a stream of light poured in highlighting the silhouettes of two men. The bigger man on the right spoke first, “So this kid is the fresh meat, huh? And you’re sure he’s one of us this time?”
“Oh definitely,” The skinny man on the left replied, “This guy’s a stand user, no doubt about it.”
Reese could hear what the men were saying but his mind was covered in a fog and it was difficult to comprehend the words. Fresh meat? Stand user? Did these two bring him here? What did they want?
The skinny man kneeled down to bring himself face to face with Reese. Even in the darkness of the room he was close enough that Reese could make out his distinctly crooked nose , “I’m gonna make this real simple for you, pal. You see our boss is a very important person. They are the type with big plans that some people might not agree with. Because of that, they like to make powerful friends whenever possible. Friends like you, for example. For that very reason the boss is on their way here right now to meet you! I’m sure the two of you will get along great but I thought I should give you a bit of a warning. The boss doesn’t like it when their offer of friendship gets turned down, you see. There’s only one thing they hate more than that. Unnecessary risk. If they can’t have you as a friend… Well, I’m sure you’ll make the right choice once you meet them.”
“Uhhh, Olli?” The bigger one tapped the skinny man on the shoulder, “I don’t think this kid is hearing you. Look at his eyes, it’s like he’s still asleep.”
“Wha-?” Olli aggressively grabbed Reese’s head and forcefully opened his eyelids all the way to stare into the boy’s pupils, “Goddamnit, the drugs still haven’t worn off! Urgh, just put him back to sleep Marko. I’ll give him the speech again once he wakes up.”
Reese wanted to run or fight or something but he could barely move as the skinny man- Olli let go of his head. Drugs? Had these two drugged him? His mind was swimming with Olli’s monologue creating a whirlpool of words and phrases that he recognized but could not focus on. With every ounce of his available strength he lifted his body onto his elbows and looked up to his captors.
“W-wait a se-” He couldn’t even form a full sentence before the bigger man- Marko reeled back and threw out a punch.
There was a violent shake.
A loud thud.
And then black.
Scenario: Club Naraka, Port Konwar — 1:22 AM
Club Naraka was, if nothing else, accurately named.
When you first stepped into the subterranean hell pit of human desire, you were greeted with the thick smell of booze and cigarettes and other far less legal things. It had a way of overwhelming every sense, actually. Harsh lights strobed against the otherwise dim chambers of each floor, and the bass thumped hard enough to feel in your ribs. When you eventually found yourself in a place where it didn’t smell so harshly of booze, it was because it smelled like vomit instead, or some other thing you didn’t really want to figure out the source of.
Emile Gulati, 27 years old, stared with half lidded eyes at the air freshener she’d hung behind the bar, wishing with all of her heart that it actually worked. It was her last little rebellion against this place. She tried wearing earbuds, but she couldn’t hear her own music over the stuff they played in the club. She tried normal earplugs, but those hardly worked, and just made it harder to bartend. She considered nose plugs, but that’d just make her look weird - customers gave her enough shit already.
“Evening, bartender~.” A sleazy looking man had somehow wandered over to the bar without her noticing, splaying himself over the counter. Emile tried her best to hide her immediate disdain. “You, uh, wow, huh, eheh.” He pointed at her. “Nnnn~ice outfit. Eheh.”
She scowled.
“You gonna order something or what?” Emile made sure to step back a few feet. Best not to stand too close to guys like this - she’d learned that the hard way just a week ago. “I don’t work here as a fucking model. Get a drink.”
“Bitch.” The man sneered. “You people should be more agreeable. Tsch.” He wandered off, having seemingly forgotten what he came for in the first place. Emile sighed in relief. She idly looked back at the little bottle under the counter, and winced. She’d made a routine of reminding herself it was there and feeling like shit about it.
Being a bartender here was bad enough, but every now and then she’d get a lovely text from a higher up on the burner phone they’d given her to slip a few drops of that into their drink. Within moments a security guard would drag them away, leaving Emile with no explanation. Not that she was expecting one, granted. But she would’ve liked to know what exactly she was doing here. For closure, or something. Maybe.
Couldn’t pay rent in Mist City without a job, she reminded herself for the fourth time that night. The latest one really got to her - some bright eyed youngster filled with determination who was trying so hard not to look like he was there on some sort of mission. She had hope that whatever job it was would succeed, but that hope seemed to evaporate like a fine mist when she watched him disappear behind the elevator doors.
She rubbed her temples.
“...”
And exhaled. This place got in the way of her reason, the music keeping her from thinking. Was next month’s rent worth the people she’d screwed over? Hell if she knew.
“I’m taking my fifteen,” said Emile, to no one in particular. She marched away from the bar, stalking towards the elevator. When the doors closed behind her, she found herself blessed by something close to peace and quiet. It reassured her.
Equally reassuring was the golden coin beneath her feet, glinting in harsh LED light.
“...Lucky coin, huh?” She picked it up, admiring it for a moment before pressing down on the lowest button on the elevator keypad. She didn’t know what she was actually going to do - but it’d probably be better than doing nothing.
When the doors opened, Emile found the floor was completely barren. No one wandered through the dusty concrete halls; the only thing that gave her company was the thick, noxious smell that clung to the air. Preferring not to investigate its source, Emile began walking through the halls…until her eye caught on an open door. Unsure where else to go, she peeked inside.
Curled on the cold floor was a body. Emile’s stomach dropped–until she saw movement in the person’s chest. Still alive. That she could work with. Rushing over, Emile knelt next to the unconscious person, as she had with countless blackout drunks. She made sure he was on his side, and then gently stirred him until he woke. All the while, dread tangled her organs in knots. Who would do such a thing? Why? Still, the answers didn’t matter. What mattered is that something was very wrong with this place, and they needed to leave as fast as possible.
Yet, when the young man opened his eyes, he didn’t look at her with shock or fear, but anger. A righteous fury that had him just about jumping to his feet.
“Woah! Woah, settle down, you were unconscious, your body needs time-” Emile began, before the man shook his head. That alone seemed to dizzy him, as he braced himself against the wall.
“I don’t have time. I need to- I can’t have been the only one. I need to-”
Emile stepped closer, trying to put a hand on his shoulder, but he immediately bristled at the touch, as if on reflex.
“You’re hurt- look, man… something’s up with this place. We need to get out of here.”
But he just shrugged her off, moving towards the nearest unlocked door. Without hesitation, he flung it open, frantically looking for other survivors. Yet, what he and Emile found…were rows of bathtubs. That horrid, sharpened smell was even stronger now, nearly overwhelming. It was all Reese could do to not keel over. Instead, Emile moved to support him, and the two crept closer, peering over the edge.
Inside the tub, something boiled, bubbled, churned.
The thing inside could barely be called human. The acid gnawed at the corpse like a desperate, starving animal, stripping the charred flesh off of its bones. Unable to support itself, it collapsed further, head sinking under the liquid. Soon, its blank, lifeless expression was stripped down to its gleaming bone. Gone. All gone.
Reese felt like he was standing in a tunnel. Lightless. Empty. Infinite. The feeling of Emile letting go, the sound of sharp retching, something splattering against the tile, all of it was muffled.
What cruel animal is man.
It was the twin jolts of fear and rage that hit him like an IED. Pounding adrenaline restarted his heart, clicking the world into focus. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Emile heaving, shuddering, pulling at her hair. All the unconscious drunkards, for all the rowdy bar fights, none of it could have prepared her for these horrors. That adrenaline pumped through her in turn, she could feel that fear grow sharp and jagged-
She could feel something take that fear, guiding it towards a sound. Footsteps. Reese didn’t seem to hear them, only her. She tried to speak- nothing. No sound could escape her lips. The fear that gripped her chest was unlike anything she had ever felt before. She couldn’t make a whisper but with the full force of her adrenaline she could still move.
The next few moments were a blur. A bottle on a shelf, shouting from the previous room, a desperate lunge, and the distinct sound of rending flesh. Suddenly everything was vivid and clear again. She felt the guards blood trickle through her fingers as Emile looked down and witnessed what she had done. The bottle had become a knife, and she had stabbed someone.
The guard fell to the ground as Emile stared at her shaking, blood stained hands, “I- that wasn’t- I didn’t mean-” She was stammering all while Reese watched on in silent shock.
“He’s not dead Emile,” a feminine voice echoed through her skull, “You have to finish it. You have to make sure.”
Her eyes darted from one end of the room to the other, trying desperately to find the source, but the longer she delayed the louder it got.
“Kill him. Kill Him. KILL HIM. KILL HIM.”
What happens when an animal is backed into a corner?
It attacks.
Suddenly, something in Emile snapped- no, it shattered like a broken bottle. A low scream escaped her throat betwixt clenched jaws as she savaged upon the barely breathing man.The knife became her teeth, raised into the air and plunged into red flesh. A wet schlllrk rang as she pulled it back out, only to bury it down again and again and again.
Reese moved quickly, instinctually- tackling her to the ground. A desperate move- to break this haze that she was in, end whatever vile urge had overcome her.
His eyes widened as they tumbled onto the floor, spotting several pairs of feet. Guards. He had tackled them into the direct view of more guards.
”Shit.”
A snapping noise split the air. An ethereal crocodile came from the ether, ready to defend its user.
A cornered animal attacked.
Meanwhile in the upper floors of the club the Runoilija brothers sat at a bar. Olli casually nursed an elaborate cocktail as he criticized his larger brother, “I think you hit that guy a little too hard, he should be awake again by now but there’s no news from the guards… You better not have killed him by accident like that last guy, Sulka’s already pissed enough at us as is.”
“That was not my fault!” Marko slammed his beer mug on the counter, “That last one wouldn’t stay down, so I just kept hitting him until he did. How was I supposed to know that he’d die so easily!”
“You literally just gave a textbook description of negligence, you moron. Of course it was your fault!” Olli smacked Marko on the side of his head to emphasize his point.
“Why’d you always gotta hit me…” Marko grumbled as he rubbed his head, “If you’re so sure that I’m the moron then let's bet on whether the fresh meat has gone cold or not. Whoever loses pays for the other’s drinks for the rest of the night.”
“Alright deal,” Olli snickered as they shook hands, “I’ll go take a look.”
Olli’s hand restlessly gripped the switchblade in his pocket as he descended through the floors of the nightclub. He fully intended to finish off the drugged up kid in the basement, assuming he refused to work for the boss like most did. He would pin the blame on his dumbass brother and have him pay for his drinks for the whole night. A win-win scenario.
Suddenly, a vibration from his phone. An update from the guards:
The prisoner got out. There are two of them now.
Marko received the same message back at the bar above. In a fit of rage he chucked his mug of beer at the wall with his full strength, just barely missing the skull of the bartender who was serving him. Before he had a chance to cause any more senseless damage another message addressed to himself and all the other guards came through, this time from his brother.
Find them both, NOW! Kill them if you have to, just make sure they don’t leave! If they’re gone when Sulka gets here we’ll all be fucked!
Marko stood up from the bar and began to push through the flirting couples and stumbling drunkards of the nightclub as his Ultraviolet materialized. The fresh meat had a helper and the two were trying to scurry away like rats? That was fine by him. Marko specialized in hunting down rats.

The music seemed to distort more intensely the longer Reese listened. Maybe it was the dull ache of the base, punctuated by a hundred frenzied footfalls, a rhythm that toppled over itself. Maybe it was the rage that sent his own heart racing. He could feel it pound against ｢Magenta Mountain｣ as he held the hourglass close to his chest. Still, there was no time to rest.
Finally, the two of them found the source of the noise. A dark, dingy dancefloor. It stunk of sweat and mildew, and the dancing bodies seemed to twist in the low light. Even as the two entered, splattered in blood, no one took notice. They were too caught up in dance, alcohol, god knows what else. In this moment of respite, Reese turned to Emile. Her gaze was as vacant as his own, she seemed to look right past him.
“Hey, focus.” Impatience had made his voice sharp. There wasn’t time for niceties, not for her. Emile’s eyes readjusted, finding him. In the dark, he could not see that was shone in her expression wasn’t malice, but fear.
“What the hell was that!?” he pressed. She shrunk away in turn.
“...I had to get out.”
“I know that,” Reese frowned, “We’re in the same boat. But that’s not an excuse- I could have helped! You didn’t have to-”
“I have to get out,” Emile continued. Her gaze went past him yet again. Her body shuddered. “Please, please just let me out. I’ll do anything, anything you want, I can’t stand this hell- just let me out!”
“I…” Reese swallowed, hugging his Stand tight. “What?”
His mind reeled, trying to process his next steps. This woman was unstable, that was clear. Unstable, violent, dangerous—not just to others, but herself. If Reese allowed her to simply leave, without understanding what was happening, who knew how many would suffer? Yet, the crowd shifted in strange ways, the beat becoming frantic, the music growing warped and mutilated. Should he stop the woman? Should he protect her from these maddening halls? What should he do? What should he do?
The moment Reese looked up, trying to make a call–Emile was gone. She had vanished deep into the crowd, following that horrid, golden voice. The music reminded Reese of the howl of coyotes in the night. The raucous celebrations of beasts who found their meal.
Against his beating heart, he felt ｢Magenta Mountain｣. Inside those grains lay the vast expanse of evolution, and its uniting link: the will to survive at any cost. His beasts had all failed, each one had faced death, and lost. At this moment, Reese understood them. He knew what it was to be a cornered animal. He would deal with the moral quandaries of man once he escaped. But first, he had to escape. The grains of sand were slipping through the hourglass. He knew he would not die like all those beasts that came before him. He would escape. He would survive. He had to.
Nothing else mattered.
Lost in the crowd, he and Emile reached that same conclusion.
Nothing else mattered.
Open the Game.
Location: Club Naraka, with the players currently on the second basement floor. Throughout the stage, the brown sections of the map are doors, furniture, lockers, crates, and whatever makes sense for the location. The players may interpret the map to read furniture as what would make sense for the location and may find any items that would be reasonable to find in that area of a club; if these ever would conflict in strategies, treat both readings as, somehow, correct.
Green circles are guards, each of which have 333 physicals, Guard: 3, and Basic Weapon Use: 3. These are overall competent operatives who aren’t going to be utterly trivial to get past, and each is armed with a handgun loaded with 9mm bullets and a baton.
The 2nd basement floor has MARKOV on one side in the bar, and Reese on the other in the boiler room. A few guards are already on the map; neither has immediate line of sight on either player.
North of MARKOV is a storage closet, which opens into a bathroom. North of this is the backrooms of the club, with the currently full dance floor in the middle. North of the boiler rooms is the security guard room, and at the far northeast of the map is the office of the club’s owner, filled with various trophies.
Of note for Reese, there are a few dead rats (purple triangles) in the boiler room, and a piece of coral (purple circle) in the office. This chunk of coral is 8 kg, and when reanimated by ｢Magenta Mountain｣ forms as a sort of hemisphere 2m across and 1.5m high.
The 1st basement floor is mostly for club business, with speakers and various technical material spread around. Of note, the many, many guards on the south of the first level will, if the players choose not to fight through the closest stairways, slowly fill into the lowest level, chasing the players. In essence, there will be significantly less guards around the stairs to the ground floor if the players take the longer path.
Finally, the Ground Floor is an open warehouse space with no traditional obstacles- as everything in this room is currently floating airborne, with a gloating Sulka armed with a fire extinguisher acting as the final obstacle. Between Sulka’s mobility, their guards acting as easier targets, and the needs of the match, they may not be RETIRED, but attacks launched at them will temporarily distract them and force them to block or avoid them. Otherwise, Sulka will alternate between launching single massive crates and flurries of small objects at the players as they fight their way through the ground floor, up to the doors at the north.
Goal: Fight your way out of Club Naraka! In particular, leave the club in better shape than your opponent.
While combat is allowed and expected, for the most part guards won’t leave too far from their base location; they can be snuck past. The winner of the match is who gets out of the club in the overall best condition.
Combat between players with the intent or foreseeable result of RETIREMENT is not recommended, though other types of interference are.
Additional Information: MARKOV’s current user is Emile Gulati, who has 233 physicals and 3 Bartending; Bartending gives Emile a thorough understanding of the layout of the club as well as preternatural skill in being able to throw around glass bottles or other similarly hefty items.
As for other NPCs besides the guards, the clubgoers have 222 physicals, Ignoring Any Chaos Around Them 5, and Mostly Irrelevant To The Match 4. Essentially they can act as a sort of cover in the dance floor, but besides hiding among them, don’t worry about anyone besides guards too much.

Team	Combatant	JoJolity
Gallery of Wayward Reverie	Markov	“Come on, what are you doing anyway? Calm down—got up on the wrong side of the bed or something?” Use a variety of tools, items, and tactics during your escape!
I.M.P.A.C.T.	Reese McGuffin	“What I have to do is look for the bone using my strings…” Use a variety of tools, items, and tactics during your escape!

Link to Official Player Spreadsheet
Link to Match Schedule
As always, if you would like to interact with the tournament community and be among the first to get updates for the tournament, please feel free to PM a member of our Judge staff for an invite to our Official Discord Server!

The pair from nine were instantly laughed at by the carrers and the pairs from 4 and 7 causing Keith and particularly Winnow to embarrassingly walk further on. Keith embarked upon the chariot first before Winnow find Mayfair and Julia both from 12 chatting away with there mentor Harley Davidson victor of the 107th hunger games. WInnow soon befriended julia with the 2 bonding over there ridiculous outfits. Mayfair in particular found there conversation quite amusing before joining in. Harley seemed a little annoyed at his tributes lack of attention to what he was trying to tell his tributes but soon smiled before giving a knowing nod to junnius. However Keith remained rooted to the carriage apparently having his “Tough guy persona” wiped from his face as Silca put it. Junnius smirked before asking Keith if he “wanted to listen now?”
As Keith nodded Winnow soon returned as Frida did some final touch ups with the pair’s outfits. Pluto and Ariana were approached by London and Wyoming both from 6 marveling at the pairs outfits. Wyoming even gigled to herself before London complemented Pluto’s and Ariana’s outfits. He smiled before signing ‘thanks”
The boys soon signed to each other about there lives in there own districts London then asked the pair if they would be interested in a potential alliance, After Pluto looked back at Regina she nodded as Ariana and PLuto accepted this. London smiled before returning his loopy district partner back to there own horse carriage as Pluto and Ariana hopped back on there own carriage as the parade then begun.
After the usual fanfare for the carrers and the total contrast of outfits for the pair from 4 viewres seemed entranced with the pair from 5s garud themed outfits with Nico Anderson commentated that “A for effort at the title.” Pluto regaly waved to many audience members as they signed his name. Ariana looked at him before grinning signing “Sorry for the attuide I didnt mean the way I acted.’ Pluto smiled and nodded before taking her hand as they waved to the audience. Further down the parade line up the pairwere very embarrassed at there outfits with there faces of disgust being posted over future “captiol memes” on Golden 24. Still they did there best efforts in making a second impression as few captial citzens through roses and chocolates at the pair out of pure pity. As the parade came to an end president mcaine did his usual speech about the importance of panem before welcoming nico Anderson to the stage. He congratulated the stylists on a good job before crowning district 2 the title of Anderson fashions best dressed with there stunning stonemason inspired outfits.
The next day without to much fanfare from the night prior all mentors and brought there tributes to the training hall at percisly 10 am per usual. Head master Price gave his usual stern greeting before ‘reminding the tributes” about the consequences of tongfouleraly by turning on his taser as the training staff followed before dismissing the tributes to there own stations.
As per there argeement Ariana Pluto Wyoming and London practiced together mainly staying at the camouflage station for most of the first and second day until being ordered to practice at a different station. However when Ariana refused to a training staff member tasered her in the back before being removed from training for a day. Pluto turned to London before signing “She’s gonna get us killed before we even get into the arena.” London laughed before taking him to the toxilogical station as Wyoming somehow remained hidden in the camfolouage station until the end of the second day. When Apollo was shooing the tributes to the accesors room Wyoming jumped out at him causing Apollo to shreik before peacekeepers soon escorted Wyoming to the asscors room alone as most of the other tributes lauhjed.
As for Keith and Winnow Keith mainly practiced with Sailor from 4 at the trident station. However training staff had to break up a fight after Sailor after he angrily accused Keith of purposley distracting him after he coughed rather loudly after sailor missed his trident has it nearly projectiled back at him. Meanwhile Winow mainly stayed with Mayfair and Julia at the medic station watching Mayfair and Julia explain the basics of sowing a wound and cpr. At the end of the 2 days a rather angry training master price then escorted price to the training hall.
After the strong displays of the carrers and the mediocre displays of the outliers Pluto was welcomed in. As he was permitted an interpreter he signed that ‘he'd show his camouflage skills.” The game makers soon groaned before he also signed he’d “Like the lights off”. Curious sounds of intreigue went through out teh accors box as game maker monty allowed this as the assors room went dark. As his interpreter moved close to him as he begun his “camfoluage experties”. After 5 minutes the lights were turned on many of the assorcs were quiet suprised where the only spots that were seen was his white eyes. He then waved as the assecors appluaded. Ariana was welcomed in next unforeanutly for her knife display went poor as the game makers soon dismissed her,
Later on the line up Keith performed a rather decent sword display with poor accuracy. Winnow on the other hand bored the asscors with the typical toxical quiz.
As evening soon falled in the results were displayed on capital tv. WIth the usual good scores of the carrers Keith scored a 8 Pluto scored a 7 . London a 6 and Slip from 8 also scoring a 6 Winnow and Wyoming from 6 both scoring a 4 and at the bottom of the pack Ariana and Ignatia from 3 scoring a 3.
Regina was somewhat pleased with Pluto score but saractsicaly reminded Ariana that “Better scores more sponsors.” Ariana snarled back saying “Bite me im going to be dead in a few days anyway.” Regina grumbled to herself beofre Francis approached the pair with there uniforms for the interviews.
As Junnius he was pleased with both of his tributes scores awarding them with some captial cake before Frida quickly made her tributes interview outfits for her tributes as Junnius soon quizzed the 2 on “Propper interview edicate.”
Silca MOnty welcomed the excited capital audience regally waving and modeling her tropical dress consisting of real palm tree leaves and the top consisting of a light beige and to top it off Silca hair was dyed a light green making her a real life palm tree. After some comedic banterring session with the front audience members she welcomed in the carrers. After there successful interviews and the rather boring interviews from the pairs from3 and 4 Ariana was welcomed in. She walked dimly into the studious fashiong a silver gown with newly dyed silver hair. Even though this was Silca’s one of few years commentating she had to put on a strong face as she was unable to get any word to her as she was shouting obscenities at the capital and Silca in particular nearly tackled Ariana to the ground after she was shouting obscenities about the Monty family. After peace keepers escorted Ariana out Pluto was welcomed to the stage.
He was adorned in a silver suit with a light brown bountier and his reddish brown hair with her hair also dyed a crisp white. He was also allowed an interpreter she was adorned in a similar dress to Silca to commenterate the games. Pluto’s interview went rather dully at first but he soon “came out his shell’ before signing about how his district partner acted like a “Rotten brat’’ and how he’d “want to get the short holiday” done and over with as soon as possible. The audience was in a mix between jeers and cheers as Silca was pleased with the rather quick interview she then shooed the boy off the stage before continuing on. After the interview of Slip from 8 Winnow was welcomed to the stage. Winnow was adorned with a beige gown with corn themed embleshents littering her hair which had been put up into a bun.
Winnow gracefully chatted with Silca about every topic besides the games a fact that “Greatly surprised” many members of the audience. Even Silca tried her best to get a word in about the games Winnow would only talk louder completely erasing her graceful entrance. Soon the interview host shooed the girl of the stage before Keith was also welcomed in sporting the same scowl as Ariana had shown. He mainly insulted Silca through out his interview leading she and the audience to jeer Keith of the stage. After the easy interviews of the pairs from 10 11 12 and the and the popular interviews from the pair from 14 she happily welcomed her husband to the stage. As rapid cheers followed he kissed his wife before she rather “Akwardly” asked her husband for a hint on the arena. Game maker monty sniggered before surprisingly offering a small hint up. ‘An old game character from the time before spent most of his time on this beach trying to save a damsel in distress.’
Curious sounds of intrigue and shouts of “OOOOOOO” sounded as both husband and wife bowed as the audience cheered on. Back at the apartments both mentors seemed rather furious with there tributes Regina in particular became defeated after stopping an argument Ariana started with pluto.
The next day the tributes were given a breif breakfest before being flown to this years arena. This years arena’s outfits featured a light yellow tank top with a short sleeved over coat and shorts. Regina ultmaitley did not want to vist both of her tributes however Francis opted to vist Ariana which made Regina smile. Beofre Pluto got into his tube Regina smiled before signing “Stay out of trouble”. Pluto laughed before nodding as the pair had shock her hand Regina soon stooped him before saying “Love is the worse enemy of them all.” Pluto had become rather confused before he soon walked into his tube. As for Ariana she made on final attempt to escaping the games but Francis imedtlay swooped in and particularly yanked Ariana in her tube before he ordered peacekeepers to garud her tubes as ariana angrily bashed against her tube.
Unforeanutly for the pair from 9 Junnius did not vist them as Keith and Winnow nodded at each other the pair got dressed in there uniforms before being rose into the humid beachy arena.
This years games took place in Delfino Plaza
To many in the excited members in snow square this years arena was a reference to a very popular game from the time before known as “Super Mario Sunshine”. The corncopuia was below the shine sprite tower featuring mini knives swords and blow guns,. With a handful of foods in the heart of the corncopuia however tributes did not know this but these food items were highly vemnous. Outside the cornocpuia small boats were known to slowly go out to the islands that were connected to the arena. The first island featured a large mansion that featured many non venomous foods however every hour a large electric manta ray would regularly swim through the arena which would cause a near fatal electric shock if a tribute were to touch it. On the second island featured a bustling amusement park with rides that would cause a “Quick death” or “Nausea’ if these rides werent handled with care, Many yellow snapping turtles with green shells were also notted to freguent teh arena which these shells were called as “Koppas’ by SIlca.
Back in the main island featured many palm trees and buildings that also had many market places with more poisonous foods. Finally on top of the arena featured a large volcano that would reagulry pour only small amount of lava and “Unwanted Pests”. Such as many long raccoons with sharp teeth and walking bombs
Day 1
As the tributes rose into this years arena winnow imedtlay flagged down Julia from 12. She smiled dimmly pointed at the pair from 2 Marcus and Hera flagging the pair from 1 and surprisingly the pair from 4 as well. Keith was also flagged down by Mayfair from 12. Apparently realizing that the pairs district partners were friends Keith smirked before pointing at Slip from 8 walling loudly. However with the pair from 5 they were put next to each other as Ariana scowled as Pluto became relived seeing London and Wyoming from 6 giving them a careful nod, And as the gong trialed down to the final 10 seconds ariana begun shouting more verbal taunts resulting in many of the audience members to shout “Shut up”.
As the gong sounded the games finally begun. Surprisingly all 24 tributes barrled into the corncopuia building. Ariana darted in first with Wyoming soon following as London signed at Pluto to run in. He did this before pushing aside Slip from 8 as he was stabbed by Brock from 3 in the heart. Pluto soon grabbed a sword before being crashed into by the boy from 1 holding a dager to his throat. London shoutted out before unforenautly becoming the girl from ones target the 2 fighting very vicosuly . Thankfully for Pluto the boy from 1 was soon bashed into the wall by Arogrio from 11. He then got up before running away with Wyoming soon following him rapidly shouting “Come back there still in the hell bath.” Wyoming soon dashed after before being hit with a sword in the back by Hera from 2. Ariana soon grinned at seeing many of the knives before pocketing nearly every one of them resulting in Silca calling her “Selfish.” London gave a grim stare at Wyoming before grabbing Ariana’s hand running toward PLuto but in a diffrent direction nearly being hit with a knife by the furious girl from 1 who had been unable to save her district partner from Agorio. Keith then was the 14th tribute to dash in alongside Mayfair unforeanutly as the remaing tributes started to scatter Both Sailor and AnaMaria from 4 soon through there knives simtaneisouly into there backs as Julia and Winnow grimly looked on. However to avoid being the carrers next targets they only grabbed 2 knives before running away to the near by gondola as it brought them to island 2.
As the blood bath soon dyed out the 5 blood bath cannons sounded signfing the deaths of the boy from 1 Wyoming from 6 Slip from 8 Keith from 9 and Mayfair from 12. Pluto frantically ran into a near by market grabbing many fruits before running further away to the near by buildings climbing to the top of one curling up into a ball and looking concerningly out. However as Ariana and London soon came toward the building they soon yelped seeing PLuto standing toward the edge griping on for dear life. With a heavy effort London soon gripped onto Pluto’s body however as London successfully yanked Pluto down the 3 sat down in a disorganized heep. Ariana soon laughed before signing Pluto should “Not be such a wimp.”
Pluto snarrled back before tossing some fruit to Ariana. As she walked over and looked like she was about to eat some of it many viewers in snow square laughed hysterically with Silca recounting “She must be dnese.”
Before Ariana was about to eat the mango fruit a knife came whistling into Ariana’s shoulder. She winced as she saw Gerogio and Frida both from 10 hurling many near by koopas at the pair. However this idea soon back fired as the koopa Gerogio was holding chomped his hand he ket out a large yelp as Pluto soon barrled into Ariana removing the knife from her shoukder and throwing it into Frida’s heart, Her cannon soon sounded follwoing by his district partner. Ariana soon shouted “are you crazy!”. Pluto rolled his eyes before smiling as London fist bumped him.
The 3 of them soon surveyed the area nearly being found by the carrers however as London had grew hungry he grabbed a near by pineapple fruit. Beofre slicing it cleanly open. He soon was about to drink the liquids of this pinapple however Pluto angrily slapped London in the face. However as London soon was about to sign why he had just slapped him he brought a rather angry Ariana before dumping the liquid on her hand. As Ariana;s hand soon sweled PLuto signed “Put it in water youll be fine”. Ariana scowled as London laughed before signing back “Thanks.”
Pluto smiled before grinning as 2 sponsor gifts then flew down. Pluto smiled before opening his gift a blow gun with a hand ful of darts with a note attached saying “Keep that brat at an arms length” from R. He smiled dimmly before his eyes turned to a shade of suprise seeing Londons sponsor gift some morphine and an assorment of foods.
Pluto turned to London signing “You do this stuff?”
London nodded dully before saying “I have and still kinda do.”
Pluto dully looked forward before London asked “Something wrong.”
The boys did not say much for the next 10 minutes before Pluto signed “I knew someone who did those in the past.” Londons face whitened before pouring most of the context out as he smiled and nodded “ Pluto smiled however Viewers could see London’s face turned a grim shade of grey as he poured the remaining liquid into a near capsule before muttering to hismelf. Pluto soon tapped him on the shoulderi as the boys giggled seeing Ariana angrily fighting with some of the none violet koopas.
The boys soon helped Arianaout before cleaning her wound on her shoulder. Ariana gruffly walked in the other direction sleeping behind a near by palm tree. As Evening fell on the arena the boys soon rejoined there sleeping ally. With Pluto keeping watch for the night. As for Winnow and Julia they succesfuly ran aout the corncopuia fray hoping on the gondola. As the island arrived at the island they heard a sharp scream as Brock and Ignatia both from 3 went screaming in the opposite direction. As both of the girls looked on in horror as teh pair from 2 went running after them with knives at the ready. As Julia encouraged Winnow to hurry up before both girls screamed as the pair from 4 wet chassing after them.
Winnow soon hoped up toward the ferris wheel ride which had suprsingly been going slow. As she successfully boarded one of them Winnow soon shouted for Julia to hurry up. Foretanutly for the girl from 12 she successfully grabbed on to Winnows hand as the girls soon panted in exhaustion both the pair from 4 soon swore as the pair 2 and the girl from 1 angrily yelled at the pair for letting the outliars get away. However as Sailor shoutted at Marcus in particular for chassing down “The geeky brats” Marcus sighed before snapping Salior’s neck. As his cannon sounded Ana maria shoutted out in horror before she to had her neck snapped cleanly by the girl from 1. As 2 cannons sounded Winnow and Julia clinged on to each other for dear life as the carrers continued to search for them.
As the carrers soon gave up some viewers in snow square cheered as a sponsor gift soon flew in for the pair. Winnow and Julia smiled at the small feast that they were provided as they ate and talked about there own home lives with Winnow in particular being quiet surprised hearing about the recent changes that have happened in districts 12 that theyre mentor Harley Davidson had implemented.
As the girls fell asleep on the feris wheel horn of plently played featuring the 9 fallen tributes leaving 17 remaing.
Day 2
As the early morning sunrise entered the arena game maker monty made a live announcement to the arena. He congratulated the 17 remaining tributes on making it too the second day of the games before announcing that the tributes had 5 minutes to arrive at island 1 or 2 before the volcano woulf eurpt killing anyone in its way. As game maker monty signed off the remaining tributes stampeded to the near by gongdelas. Monica from 8 had been the first casuality to the event as the pair from3 enegerneered the walking bombs as Monica picked one up it exploded leaving nothing left.
Ariana Pluto and London soon darted out of there hiding spot as they imedtlay hopped on the gondola to island 1. However as the 3 painted in exhaustion Ashley and the boy from 7 hoped out at the pair with knives at the ready. Ariana soon shoved Pluto out of the way as she through her kife as it landed in the boy from 7s heart. As his cannon sounded Ashley caught London unspectedly off garud as she then threw her kinfe toward London’s head. Luckily fr London the knife only hit him in the lower adomen. Ariana soon charged into Ashley the 2 girls soon begun a viscous fist fight however as the volcano soon euerpted Ariana then got the upper hand pushing Ashley out of the gondola. As her cannon sounded Pluto imedtlay ran over to Lodon before taking out the knife from his adomen,
As London screamed out Pluto signed to him to “SHH”. However as another cannon sounded the three hid behind one of the walls for the time being. Silca explained to the captial audience that this was Daisy from 11 after she had a run in with the pair from 14 as they chased Daisy up into the volcano area as Hanah soon pushed the girl into the lava. As for the aliance of Winnow and Julia both girls stayed hidden on the ferris wheel as the reaming 3 carrers stayed below watching the ferris wheel intently.
As a suspenseful quiet soon crossed the arena and in snow square Julia gently climbed to the top of the box. As she quietly hoped out Winnow noticed before saying “The death pits down there and were 25ft in the air.”
Julia smiled before saying to “trust her”.
Winnow sighed before grabbing Julia’s hand. However unforeanytly for the girls the ferris wheel creaked rather loudly waking Hera. As she rubbed her eyes in a tired heep she alerted her other carrer allys as they begun hurling many of there weapons at the pair.
Winnow then looked back at Julia before pointing at Arogio from 11 who had about to attack Marcus. The girl from 1 soon noticed Arogio and shoutted in a rather horse tone that “he’d pay for killing her district partner.”

Arogio laughed and taunted the girl to try as the carrers soon changed there target to the boy from 11 allowing bith girls to make a mad dash to gongdela 1 with out the carrers noticing. Silca later recounted that “This year may be the werdist year in history.”
As Arogio’s cannon sounded the 2 outliar girls soon jumped off the ferris wheel only having a scraped knee between the both of them. After a short gomgdela ride they had arrived at the island. Due to it being noon and the captial being pleased with the amount of bloodshed teh tributes were allowed to have a rest “For now.”
Julia in particular was rather exhausted for the mormings events so the girls rested in the mansions first floor. The girls kept each other from boredoom by playing a popular childrens game called “Eye spy.” With most of there objects they wanted the other to look for being rather impoosible to find leaving both the girls laughing. However this laughter turned to horror as the manta ray soon mad her hourly appearnce as one cannon sounded.
After the run in the aliance of Ariana Pluto and London with the pair from 7 they imedtlay ran into the mansion and hid hwoever they triggered the next arena event.
As teh 3 went screaming they fell down into a casino room. However the three of them did not what was happening a ghostly voice soon eerily said. “Score 7777 and you’ll be free failure to do so one of you will be dead.”
As many casino machines popped up. PLuto imedtlay grabbed onto his blow gun and darts as London weakly rested on the ground as Ariana went to the near by cassino machine. As London begun to bleed out more Pluto screamed before trying to apply pressure on his friends wound however as London weakly grabbed onto Pluto before screamingas Ariana stabbed London in throat. Pluto screamed out before grabbing his blow gun and huffing 2 darts out. She soon signed and shouted that London would of been “Dead anyway.”
However Pluto then huffed into his blow gun as a dart when whistling into Ariana’s arm. She sighed before getting the 7777 number on the near by machine. As the ghost like figure nodded Ariana grinned before rather vindectively signing “You’’ll be London soon”. As the pair from 5 begun battling many citzens in the captial were shoutting at Pluto to win this “Fight” but unfroeanutly for him Ariana manged to steal the blow gun before pointing it over Pluto’s neck.
As Ariana held the blow gun to Pluto's neck, the tension in the room escalated. The citizens in the Capitol watched intently, their excitement palpable. Pluto's eyes darted around, searching for any possible escape route, but he found himself cornered with nowhere to go.
Suddenly, a loud alarm blared through the casino room, signaling the end of the event. The ghostly voice echoed once again, announcing that time was up and the game was over. Ariana hesitated for a moment, torn between her desire to eliminate Pluto and getting hell out of the casino.
Ariana then sighed in angry huff before helping PLuto up signing “Stop for now.”
However Pluto did not listen and continued teh fight as he held his knife to Ariana’s throat. Hwoever Ariana got the upper hand again as she then huffed into blow gun behind her as an dart flew into Plutos nose. He screamed out in pain before Ariana then blew another dart as it landed in Pluto’s heart.
His cannon sounded as many jeers sounded in snow square with Silca rolling her eyes saying “the girl will never change.”
The ghost soon pushered her back into the manison as Ariana returned to the dock of the island resting in a tired heep.
She then noticed Julia and Winnow making there way back to the main island. Another cannon sounded un the late evening signfing the death of Victente from 14 after he was betrayed by his own ally Hannah.
Julia kept watch as Winnow slept with Horn of plenty playing at midnight featuring the fallen tributes. Pluto from 5 London from 6 the pair from 7 monica from 8 the pair from 11 and Vicente from 14 leaving 8 tributes remaing.
Day 3
Ariana and Winnow awoke rather early making them the first 2 tributes to awake. Ariana in particular spent most of her time traversing the mansion becoming bored as she then tried to re enter the gambling room but she soon given blast area as she tried to open the shut door. She stood around in huff before quietly before rather suprisngly falling bacj to sleep in plain sight. As for the girls Julia smirked as Winnow had appeard to be talking in her sleep.
As she gently placed her hand through WInnow hair she woke up. Julia appokigezed before Winnow saying to “not worry.” As Julia’s face turned bright red Winnow laugehd As a some sponor gifts flew down for the pair they soon fell onto each other in amusment as 3 cannons osunded. This was proven to be the pair from 3. They were ambushed by teh carrers with Ignatia being able to throw a near by raccon at the girl from1 however. As the girls cannon sound the pair from 3 were then taken down by the pair from 2.
The girls soon opted to not move from there location as they rested in each others arms for the remainder of the day, Ariana on the other hand awoke from round 2 of her slumber before notcing one of the near by Koppas wandering near by. She then killed it as she then found a near bomb. After succesfuly diffused it she heard another cannon sound.
This was Marcus from 2 after Hera from 2 betrayed him on the second island while they were running as one of the near by rides when whistling into pair. Hera got to higher ground as she then pushed Marcus off the ride they were on resulting in a rather painful death for the boy from 2.
As Ariana returned to the corncopuia silca sighed in sacrastic manner saying she’d did not want to know what was going through the girls mind.
At midnight the fallen were shown dispkaying the portaits of the girl from 1 Marcus from 2 and both of the tributes from 3 leaving 4 tributes remaing. Hera from 2 Ariana from 5 Winnow from 9 and Julia from 12 remaing.
Day 4
In the early morning one cannon sounded. This was shown to the captial audience to be Hera from 2 after she fell into the shell trap set by Ariana from 5.
Game maker monty congratulated the final 3 tributes on making it to the finally before telling them they had 5 minutes to return to the coroncoupia towere before having there tracker denoated. As Julia and WInnow made there journey to the tower Winnow looked into Julia’s eyes as the gongdela arrived at the main island both of the girls took caution as they saw the sprite shine very brightly. Soon a voice was heard saying “Come closer.” Julia made the rather stupid desscion as she steeped on one of teh many shells that were put up in the corncopuia. Many of her supporters in snow square shoutted at her to walk back it was to late as she soon blasted into the air before landing rather on her back. Ariana laughed before huffing into her blow gun as an arrow flew into the barley conocius Julia’s throat. Her cannon sounded as WInnow looked on in horor.
She grinned saying “You look like you havent been (Alive enough).” Ariana barked out in laughter saying that “this was the time where she could be free from the pure horror room.”
WInnow imedtlay grabbed onto her remaing knife before dogding ,any of the darts ariana was blowing at her. However Ariana soon tackled Winnow to ground before a brutal fust fight took place. Many viewrs in snow square were shoutting at Winnow to get up. Rather surprisingly Ariana suddenly stopped. She looked up at Ariana before laughing horsely before throwing the turtle’s at Winnow.
Winnow sighed and then screamed “Stop throwing your toys at me there explodable.”
Ariana laughed before soon catching her breath in exhaustion shouting at her to come out.
As Winnow was no where to be found viewers in the captial sighed disparingly as many thought she had been exploded. But rather suprsingly Winnow had been right been Ariana before saying “Suprise”.
Ariana yelped as Winnow then hurled her knife into Ariana’s brain. Her cannon sounded imedtlay as Winnow smiled saying “Seeya physco.” As respectable appluse soundded game make rmonty crowned Winnow Fraiser of District 9 to be the victor of the 113th hunger games Winnow smiled before taking the peacekeepers hands as she was escorted out of the arena.
Winnow was delcared to have no major injuries in the arena before being brought to her victors interview with Silca Monty. Silca was adorned in a formal gown which resmbled a chinesse princess. A land that would be captured by the captial. Please see story 138 true history’s begings.
Winnow was also welcomed on with respctable appluse fashioning a heige gown with golden spirtes resmebling the corcnoupia littering the dress. Unforeanutly Winnow had been rather quiet during her victors interview leaving a rather uncomfortable silence within the studios however. Silca managed to gear the interview to a less depressing point by talking about Winnow’s time in the arena.
After going over her time in the arena Silca reavled her victors nickname to be teh sunshine shadow.
Winnow smilled saying she’d “take it.”

She then waved as the audience cheered respectively as Silca welcomed her husband Cyrus to the stage.
Many cheers soon sounded as game maker monty regarly waved at the audience before kissing his wife. She then turned on a complamtion of his past 5 years of game making. Even showing a video of Quintin Mahoney Herminia Gold Ezra Montario Amanda mils Belle Figoura and even Winnow congratulating him on a succesful 6 years of game making. Cyrus smiled before bowing as the capital crowd cheered on as Silca ended the interview there.
Winnow returned home to district 9 the follwoing day, She alledly refused to stay for even party many genrous captial lights had offered to her. However she would return once year to the captial for her suty as an mentor. However she was adorned as hero throught district 9 as she moved into the victors village with her mother and grandmother.
When she became an adult she married a baker named Donmic Tanzi as the pair married and had two kids unforeanutly one of them would be chosen for a later games. She was known to be not to much of an helpful mentor but liked when her tributes “Actually shown the strength she approved of” Leading to have some what of an better track record in the games.
And that is the end of story 113 I hope you all enjoyed . This was one of my longer tales but one of my favorites to write. But yep after 114th games the european chrocnicle files will be out. As this shows what happens with Panems eueropean allies;. So i hope you all have a wonderful morning noon or night or what ever time it is for you and as we always say. Panem today panem tomrow panem forever.