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VALOUR: The Bravest (A Sci-fi) / Defectors - A Sci-fi Romance / Penastory: Timely Chaos (A Sci-fi) (2) (3) (4)

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. by Steelheart(m): 6:24pm On Sep 14, 2016
B R E A T H L E S S
Adeyemi Ohis
Copyright © 2016
This novel may not be copied or reproduced without the express permission of the author. Pls read novel from beginning to understand.
~For My Sister~

CONTENTS:
Chapter One: IT'S DAYBREAK WHEN I decide to sneak out. I take...
Chapter Two: THE BELL SOUNDS twice. The last time...
Re: . by freesinzu(m): 6:54pm On Sep 14, 2016
Following
Re: . by EEMOSCO(m): 8:12pm On Sep 14, 2016
FOLLOWING
Re: . by SmartestPopQUEEN(f): 10:53pm On Sep 14, 2016
A Sci-FI story?... Have gat to #FOLLOW... cheesy grin
Re: . by Steelheart(m): 2:50am On Oct 09, 2016
______________
Chapter One
______________
ISAAC
______________
IT'S DAYBREAK WHEN I decide to sneak out.

I take one last look at Jazmyn. She's still curled up in bed, book in her arms. It's in her best interest to wake up. Today is the day of her fencing test and I know she doesn't want to miss that. It's also her birthday. Birthday parties are stories from the history books. But that won't stop me from getting her a gift. I run a finger down her braided hair. Her face is as fresh as olives, as lovely as the fragrant flowers for which she was named.

A sleek white device is strapped to her wrist, it's an injector for oxygen. Locked into the injector is a replaceable small tube. We call it an oxy-tube. It's filled with pulsating blue liquid. The oxy-tube is how we respirate. Liquid oxygen injected straight into our bloodstream. It's the only way for any living creature to survive. At least above the water. It's light illuminates the dark and crampy room.

On the wall, a fake painting of the Four horsemen of the Apocalypse by Victor Vasnetsov symbolises the tale of how humans rendered the air unbreathable. Biological Apocalypse.

I pull out my almost empty tube, gasping for breath. A full grown adult can go three minutes before suffocating. I like to test that theory. My lungs kick in and I inhale but it's no use. It's like drowning in quicksand. Very coarse and painful. I begin to suffocate. I quickly insert another tube from my stock in the cupboard.
I exhale. What a relief, the rush excites me.

An Mp3 player thumps out one of it's three thousand songs. It's the gift I got Jazmyn for her last year when she became fifteen. A rare device. It's a testimony of my ability to surprise.
There are eight tubes in the cupboard. I pick six of them. The element inside bubble as they go into my sling bag. They'd surely come in handy for what am about to do.

An oxy-tube can last two days under stasis conditions.This means we'll have four more days if my plan fails and new tubes don't come.

A leather bracelet sits on top the cupboard, it ends in a locket. Emblazoned on it is the insignia of the city's wardens, a phoenix.

It makes me remember the day I joined their ranks. It's where I met Tyrus. A friend of mine and a Peacekeeper. Those were tough times. The phoenix symbol is still a source of hope to many in the Bay. I pocket the bracelet, it belongs with me.
Closing the cupboard, I slide into my boots. My trousers are already on. I pull on my jacket before tying a scarf round my neck. My wide brim hat comes on last. I grab my sling bag.

I have everything I need to get to the Warren without being noticed. And it's not because I want to suprise Jazmyn. Although that's a very good cover. I can't let Jazmyn know what I'm up to. It would only beak her heart.

If she wakes, there's food on the table by the windows, a steaming meal of boiled crabs and seaweed soup. Her favorite.
I like it too. Mostly because it's cheap and easy to prepare. I put a crab in my mouth as I slip outside. It's funny how food become a delicacy when you are hungry.

I'm in the street now, I dip my hat to blend in. Our part of Victor's Bay is crawling with people already. Most of them are workers heading for their morning shifts at the oxygen farms.

Men and women with hunched shoulders and sunken faces. Some wear plain clothes, most wear rags. They all have tubes, some filled, some midway, some almost empty. They have to work to survive.

The decimated halves of skyscrapers line the streets of the Bay. Rusted vehicles are a common sight. In the background is the high wall of steel that surrounds the city as its last line of defense. Our tiny makeshift apartment sits on the edge of the Warren.

This mean I only have to descend past a few tents to get into the Warren.

The Warren is a dangerous place to be even for Peacekeepers and Wardens, more for wardens. It's where goods are exchanged for oxy tubes and local currency called Centorae. In the Bay, the penalty for any crime is death. Because it'd be expensive to run a prison. People would commit crimes just to get in if it meant getting food and oxy-tubes.

Time passed and we wardens learnt to be lenient. Even smugglers are essential for the Bay to survive. So we brokered a deal. The ilicit trade stays in the Warren and the wardens stay out of it. This is why it gets messy when a warden enters the Warren. This is why I need to blend in.

The first thing I see when I enter is a sign post above the street. It says: Free Trade Zone. Wardens, Kip Out. The sign is expectedly riddled with holes.

I'm halfway in when my ear registers a sudden crash. My gaze immediately tracks it. A midget sized man lies in a heap of broken utensils. He's writhing in pains, either from his injuries or the agony of being thrown at his goods.
A burly man stands over him. A man with a patch over one eye stands on his left, a lady is on his right. They both wear menacing looks. They are the burly man's triad.
Re: . by Nobody: 1:33pm On Oct 09, 2016
what av bin craving for.. for a long time
Re: . by Nobody: 5:13pm On Oct 09, 2016
As good as Fk....I would like us to Collabo.
Would u mind?
Re: . by Steelheart(m): 2:06am On Oct 10, 2016
kazuna:
As good as Fk....I would like us to Collabo.

Would u mind?
U on whatsapp
Re: . by Nobody: 8:48am On Oct 10, 2016
Steelheart:

U on whatsapp

yup, 07087592421
Re: . by Steelheart(m): 3:08am On Oct 13, 2016
The market quiets down as people notice the gang. Traders and merchants abandon their business to take a look. There are scared looks on people's faces. Nobody dares to intervene. Down here, gangs are the law.

The midget is barely able to stand up when the burly man lifts him up by the neck. "How do you like that?" The midget groans. "That's right, pay up or lose your tube," the burly man says.

I feel like turning a blind eye to this. The midget is possibly a criminal too, looking at his trade. But now it's not the time to be self righteous. Nobody deserves such treatment.

A sharp sigh escapes my lips knowing I can't ignore this.

The burly man is about to throw a punch at the midget when he notices me. He drops the midget and turns around. "What are you looking at?" he says, staring me down. His gang instantly surrounds me.

He comes closer to me, jabbing a finger at my chest. "You have to pay too. In the Warren, everybody pays to us."

"No, you ruin his stall. You get to pay." I say, grabbing his outstretched hand. I quickly squeeze his fingers in a vice, crushing them. He screams as the bones crunch. A heavy haymaker with my left blinds him, forcing him backwards.

The lady goes into a mad rage, her oxy-tube brightens. She draws a knife and lungs at me.

I sidestep her, avoiding the attack. My left fist collides with her face. She stumbles backwards holding her head only to fall over a wine barrel.

I sighs. I can't find the man with the eyepatch. The sound of his footsteps rushing behind me gives him away. I instinctively thrust out my elbow, catching him somewhere in the breadbasket. Eye Patch goes down squirming.

I'm about to leave when a trader heaves and points at me. "Behind you!"

Too late. Two big arms wrap around my neck before I can react. It's the burly man. He has me in a headlock. Beads of sweat form on my face as circulation to my head cuts.

"I'm going to gut you," the burly man says, tightening his grip. I try to struggle but it's no use. I begin to choke when I hear something heavy crash on what sounds like back of a human head. And it wasn't mine.

The burly man's arms immediately slip off my neck. He crumples downwards, hitting the ground with a thud.

Regaining myself, I adjust my jacket. Someone just struck down the burly man for me. It would be rude not to find out who. "Not that I needed it, but who can I thank for that?" I say turning around to take a look.

Lo and behold, it's a peacekeeper but people would miss it with the trenchcoat he had on. I knew this because he was Tyrus, my old friend. He's clearly been following me. His hand holds the weapon hat brought down the gang leader. It has the size of a pump-action shotgun, sharing the same smooth and white technology used in the injectors. The barrels look solid, unable to spit out lead. It's a concussive rifle called the Peacemaker. "So what brings you to these parts, warden?"

My blending in charade is definitely over. I dip my hand into my pocket, emerging with the bracelet which I lift up high. The locket glistens in the sunlight.

It's a suprise to the traders, but they are too awestruck to mob us.

I quickly tuck it back into my pocket. "Even after all that training. I still can't blend in from a Peacekeeper." I mutter under my breath.

Tyrus laughs, holstering his peacemaker in his coat. "Just like old times." His face became serious. "But why would you risk coming down here," he asks.

Peacekeepers are good at asking questions, even better at keeping secrets. Which is why the only thing we know about them is that they were sent from a far continent to help defend the Bay. "Care to keep a secret?"

Tyrus hesistates, "Yes, for the right reasons," he replies.

Tyrus is in the clear to know. I don't want him passing it on to Jazmyn. But he's someone I can trust. I decide to give in. "This is somethin' you want to see." I say, leading the way.


______________
JAZMYN
______________
Here I go. I breeze into the class without breaking stride. It's almost an agoge. The students all squat on the opposite sides of a sand filled square. Old bookshelves surround the room. I head for them to empty my heavy pouch. I'm almost there when a booming voice stops me in my track.

"You're late."

Head teacher Seth is standing behind me. His face demands an explanation. There's none. "Oops?" I take out the books from my bag and begin to replace them in a shelf. They are so many. Most of them are on fencing, but books can only teach you so much.

The bane of my existence comes up beside me and drops a book. Her name's Corinne."Hey, how's class best?" she says sarcastically.

"I'm good."

"Great, cause this test gonna hurt a whole lot."

"Why?" I ask. It's no use though. She basically hates me because the teachers think I'm the finest student in years. And she's not alone, pretty much the whole class. Damien, my ally, is the only person who cares to differ. Corinne likes him. Which is why she takes it out on me whenever there's a test where books don't give me an advantage.

She pats me on the back. "Just wanna give you a headups," she says coldly before leaving me.

Intimidation, it's working but I try not to show it. So today is my birthday and the first activity I participate in might leave me injured. I find a spot to squat beside the square.

The fencing test is a basically a match. You have to defeat two opponents to pass. I want to win, prove to the other students that I'm more than a bookworm.

Kai, a sumo sized boy stares at me menacingly. Intimidation, but this time it's not working. I flash my cheekiest smile to show it. I'm going to take him. He's my first opponent for the test.

Head teacher Seth claps. Damien and Isha stand up. They approach Seth, each of them carrying a tough looking stick. Seth begins to speak.

"You'll use these as in your test. We've learnt a lot in the areas of the Arts, Math and Aquaponics. But your mastery of self defense is important in this era. You will prove yourselves today" Seth glances at me, then at Kai. "Kai, Jazmyn...begin!"

Damien and Isha throw both sticks at us.
Sticks aren't my ideal weapon but I will just have to take mine.
We immediately leap into the air, catch a stick and touch down on the sand.

Our battle stances are set.

Kai attacks first, his stick swinging in. I quickly use mine to parry. Kai keeps striking, each strike more powerful than the last. I'm on the defensive, trying to wear him out. Make him overtax his oxy-tube.

Kai slows down for a second and I seize the chance. My stick is about to crash into his face when his comes up. Splinters of wood fly off. Growls escape our lips as we push our sticks in a show of strength.

The audience is cheering Kai on. I'm happy that Seth doesn't stop them. But I know Corinne is praying for me to win. So she can get her chance.

I try to press against Kai but it's a losing battle. There's so much strain on my muscles. Kai uses his size. He moves like lightning, pressing down hard on me. I go down to the sand on one knee.

"I seem to have you at a disadvantage, Jazmyn. Yield to me or I'll snap your back under my might."

I didn't want to this, but now I have to. Kai has a cute nose. I summon every last ounce of strength in me to launch my head at it. We both reel from the impart. But Kai doesn't look so good.

The large boy drops to the sand with a whimper.

I quickly roll away. Kai tries to standup. I push through the excruciating pain around my temple. It's time to deliver the finishing blow. I go easy on Kai, using the soft end of the stick to whack him across the face. He goes down unconscious.

Now I have to face Corinne, my nightmare.

Seth looks at me to make sure I can go on. I grit my teeth in an attempt to shake the knock off. Seth makes the announcement.

"Jazmyn wins! Corinne you're next."

Isha throws her a stick. Corinne quickly leaps into the square with the weapon in hand. "It's not really gonna be a biggie to defeat you now," she says, stalking me.

I'm not giving up that easily, "Just like you, to declare victory early."

Corinne rushes at me. I quickly go on the defensive, using my speed and agility to thwart her every blow. She goes into a mad rage. Her strikes are powerful yet exceptionally skilled. There's pressure on me from all sides. Corinne doesn't even give me time to think. My head aches even more.

I'm about to go on the offensive when Corinne kicks up sand, blinding me. I decide to go through with my attack anyway. My stick swings out in a blow. It's sluggish, I knew it the second I launch it.

Corinne simply ducks under it. Before I can even register the dodge, her own stick crashes against my wrist forcing me to drop mine. That attack barely misses my oxy-tube. I feel the most agonizing pain when her stick strikes gain, crashing into my abdomen. A sweeping move knocks me to the sand. I try to pull up when Corinne's feet pins me down.

She swings up her stick to strike the finishing blow. I barely manage to clasp thebstick within my palms, inches from my face.

"And so it ends," she says in a laugh. She squeezes her fist and brings it down on me. It's an illegal finishing move.

I recoil to feel the blow but it never lands. Instead Damien is there holding Corinne's fist. But Corinne always has an alternative when it comes to me. She lifts her feet and plunges it down.

I quickly move my head. The feet hits sand. Some of the younger audience gasp.

Damien holds her. "This isn't an injury match."
"It should be." Corinne rolls her eyes. "She only booksmart," she adds under her breath.
Head Teacher Seth quickly takes charge of the situation. "Enough! This test is over! Corinne wins!"

It hits me hard. I've failed.

Corinne steps back, there's an evil smirk on her face. She got just the effect she wanted. I so much want to wipe that grin off, but I'm too weak to. Damien extends his arm to help me up. I'm so angry I push it aside.
Re: . by Steelheart(m): 1:26am On Oct 14, 2016
______________
ISAAC
______________

We pass the gallows before descending into the shadiest part of the Warren. Very close to the steel wall that shuts the Bay from outsiders.

There's one last tent here. It's old and patchy.

"This is not what I want to see." says Peacekeeper Tyrus, weighing in the area. It's not the neatest place.

A bearded man with a hunch emerges from the tent. It's almost as if he sensed us coming. This man is Hugo the Elk. The merchant who is going to give me what I'm here for.

Hugo beckons us in. "Isaac, come in, come in. I finally have it," he says before disappearing back into the tent.

Tyrus has a look of contempt on his face. Hugo might be a no good keister but he also has his good side. Jazmyn's Mp3 player came from him and at a good bargain. Maybe Tyrus need to know more of him.

"Hug's here sells certain hard to find technology."

"You mean black market items."

"More than that" I say, leading the way into the tent.

It's almost a different world inside, a rusty one. Different range of antiquities line the room. Cobwebs and dust covers them.
"This stuff is mostly from out there, the Wastelands," I say. Tyrus looks around.

A compound bow and it's quiver hangs from the roof. It interests me. This would make a good birthday present for Jazmyn.

Tyrus looks disappointed, especially at all the scrap metal. "So this is why you are here?"

I let Hugo take the stage.

Hugo walks towards a covered stand and takes the tarp right off it. His voice is smooth. "No, this is why he is here."

A circuitous device sits on the stand. It's pristine and beautiful with its many symbol. The device has a panel on it. I know what it is. It's a holographic map. A map that I ordered Hugo to find a long time ago. A map that makes me hope that one day, we won't have to use oxy-tubes.

"The map to the last city with breathable air," I say, marveling at its sight.

Tyrus scoffs. "Isn't that a myth. We sent General Windsor on that quest two years ago and he's still not yet back."

General Windsor will surely return. He's the head of the Bay's warden. We share the belief that a city with breathable air exists. Hugo thinks the General has his own motives.

Hugo laughs."Maybe he found it and wants it all to himself."

I take the device, shaking it at Tyrus "You think this is a myth?"

"I think it's a fake people like him sell to people like you. It's not for free, is it?"

"No no no, It's not," Hugo stammers, taking the device from me. "I went through hell and highwater to get this. An order you made two years ago. The price hasn't changed. I'll give you for six tubes, especially with your unbelieving friend around."

My hand dips into the bag to hold an oxy-tube. It's a familiar warm feeling. It feels just like yesterday when I held Jazmyn's mum, Lenore. I was an explorer back then, searching for the last breathable city.

Our jeep came to a stop beside the ocean, a dead end. The feeling of failure rocked me after all our months of planning.
"I've failed, the only thing here is water," I say, trembling at the sight.

Lenore holds me tight. "No, you'll always have me."

One look at her catlike blue eyes drives me crazy. My oxy-tube unleashes bright. light. My zeal to complete this quest almost made me forget the damsel I had by my side all this time.

We were back in Victor's Bay within weeks, the results of high speed driving. The Bay used to be an amazing place. There were no decimated buildings back then. The city was magnificient, it's towers glistened in different hues. Shiny cars roll down its paved streets.

Lenore giggles when I carry her into our apartment, dropping her on the bed. I'm with her in seconds. My hand flicks back a strand of her braid."One day, I'll find the breathable city. For us," I say leaning forward. Our lips lock in a passionate kiss. We enjoy it before parting. The taste of orangers lingers on. My first kiss.

Years later, My joy is cut short when the Bay is invaded. Lenore is blown to bits when a bomb drops over her wworkplace.
Here I am today, about to make a decision. It's a tough one. But I've made up my mind to protect Jazmyn ever since her mum died. That includes her future. There's not much future in a place where you count oxy-tubes to know how long you'll live. I pour out the contents of my sling bag on the table. Six oxy-tubes roll out.

Tyrus looks at me with disbelief. "You really 're going to give him six tubes. Don't you know what that is worth!"

"Unlike you I have hope in the future. I do this for my daughter."

Tyrus shakes his head disapprovingly. He begins to walk towards the exit. "You know, it would hurt Jazmyn if she knew."

I try to stop him. "Tyrus, wait!"

But Tyrus doesn't stop. He's gone

______________
JAZMYN
______________
The Atlantic is where the bay ends. I sit at its sandy banks. This is the place I come to every time I'm angry. Small craft ply its waves, driven by hunters out for prey. The Ocean is one of the most importance resource of the bay. It's how the Oxy-farms source the element for making oxy-tubes. We grow food in it through Aquaponics. It's also how we get our meat.

I can't help feeling bad for my actions towards Damien earlier in the day. I'm feeling the sand when I hear a voice behind me.

"Happy birthday, Jazmyn."

I'd recognise that baritone anytime. A smile lits up my face. I look at Damien. It lit up his too. There's a jasmine in his hand.

"This is for you, princess," he says handing the flower to me.

I take it. He just had to get me 'myself'. The flower smells great.

Damien sits beside me and we watch the water. My gaze drifts to him, Damien and I resemble each other in more ways than one. The black hair, olive skin. But he brown eyes with which most families in the Bay resemble each other. Which is why my dad and I always look out of place with our green eyes.

"I surely don't fight like one," I refer to him calling me princess. My dad is kind of overprotective. Maybe that's where Damien gets it. Although there's a handful of people who call me that too, Soldier Jon, Mayor Hennessey.

"We could make it out there, you know," Damien says quietly.

"What?" I ask.

"Build a ship, sail away. There's a whole different world out there," says Damien. There's this wild look of adventure in his eyes.
I don't know how to respond. The idea is so preposterous. It's exactly what my dad seems to have in mind. Like he sees a storm coming.

"My dad would prefer going through the wasteland."

"For the fabled breathable city?"

"Yeah, he thinks the Bay is bad. He should see Badagry."

Badagry is a city I read about in a book. No, was a city. It's half desolate now. A company of Peacekeepers were sent to defend the place but they got there too late. It's mainly popular for its fortress which is a den of criminals.

"They didn't have Peacekeepers." Damien pauses, "But what if your dad's right? What if one day the oxy farm grinds to a halt. And there are no more tubes?"

I know Damien has a lot of family. He also happens to be the major breadwinner. I doubt every chance of him leaving them behind. "Will you bring your people on such a quest?" I ask.

"Yes, I'd do just that. I'd do anything for family."

The city's bell suddenly goes off. Something has happened at the city gates.

1 Like 1 Share

Re: . by Steelheart(m): 3:45pm On Oct 14, 2016
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olatex25, ysadiq, Rajesh, Mrlemuel, FlordFlorex, ritababe, TheBlessedMAN, SmartestPopQUEEN, cherrybrown, bamiradex, mindfrick
Re: . by Tuhndhay(m): 9:08pm On Oct 16, 2016
Presence Registered...... Good work Bro..... I appreciate the effort
Re: . by Nobody: 11:24pm On Oct 17, 2016
carry on sir
Re: . by Nobody: 1:56pm On Oct 22, 2016
I know d lack of comments is discouraging But u have to keep updating if u haven't made a name yet on Nairaland u just don't expect pple to flood ur post with comments steelheart
Re: . by olite93(m): 2:35pm On Oct 22, 2016
Steelheart:
lipsrsealed tongue Not even a single like or comment
shey u no c say we de follow u? u berra com update n do justice to dis ya story
Re: . by bigbauer(m): 7:47pm On Oct 22, 2016
post your updates, comments, likes, shares, derailing, trolling etc, is bound to follow. Be consistent in your updates (my 10kobo)
Re: . by Bhadsoul123(m): 9:50pm On Oct 25, 2016
m in.. oya pass me the popcorn... show's about to start... I love that... SUSPENCE
Re: . by Steelheart(m): 4:37pm On Oct 26, 2016
______________
Chapter Two
______________
ISAAC
______________
THE BELL SOUNDS twice. The last time that happened there was an incursion into the bay by the Harbingers. The dreaded eidritch abominations that roam the wasteland in eternal loyalty to their god king. Harbingers are superhuman in strength and speed. But less in mind and morality. Most of them have bald heads with the tattoo of dark Valkyrie wings running down their backs.

They are the harbingers of doom. The most believed story about them is that they were an experiment to improve the suvival ability of man. These human clones could use oxy-tubes for extended periods. Eventually, they went out of control.
They were the ones who invaded the Bay. The bombings, Lenore's death. All the results of their fights for our resources.

They better not be the reason for the bell 'cause it will not end well for them.

I ascend up the Watchtower in a hurry. Some wardens are already here with Mayor Hennessey.

The Warden on duty looks into the distance with a monocular. "They are still approaching," he bellows.

All I can see is a big shiny speck travelling down the dusty road that leads from the wasteland into the Bay. It gives off light, like the material used in making oxy-tubes. A sort of contraption is carrying the speck. Some dots are pulling it. Smoke billows out of the contraption. Probably an engine. This is not something you see everyday.

The Mayor curiously takes the monocular and peers down it. He suddenly becomes excited. "It can't be. It can't be. At long last!"

Within minutes the Bay's gates are opened. We drive out into the open on an old Humvee piloted by the Mayor himself. Tyrus and a group of Peacekeepers are with us.

I can see it clearly now. During my time as an explorer, I saw a lot of things. But nothing like the likes of this.

Ahead of us is the biggest mound of glazed rock I've ever see. A smoking wheeling contraption bearing the flag of the wardens carries it. A pack of enslaved Harbingers help in pulling it. The Harbingers almost look alike, with only their scars and sizes differentiating them. The ground quakes as they match, dragging the ropes.

Riding alongside them, is another suprise. General Windsor is on a brown horse, beating it by the reins towards us. A tough armor covers the General's chest.

My eyes blink to make sure it's not illusion. A horse! A true Equus Caballus. I thought these were extinct like every other land animal. The gasps of others in the Humvee echoes behind me, they haven't seen any of this in a long time. The heels of the horse digs into the sand as it throttles at us.

The Humvee screeches to a stop few meters short of the horse, which also stomps to a stop. There's an oxy-tube in an injector strapped to its thigh.

Mayor Hennessey jumps out, abandoning the wheel. "Windsor," he calls out, walking towards the well muscled rider of the horse. Windsor speaks in his usual boastful demeanour. "I come with glaze rock. It's not much but it should help with the oxy-tube production." The General jumps down. Mayor Hennessey meets Windsor as they embrace warmly. They have a quick talk. From what I can hear the talk is mostly about the horse.

Windsor's return surely means he found the city with breathable air. New hope lifts my spirits up. I come up beside the Mayor to shake the General. "How was the fresh air?"

Windsor laughs. "Fresh air is a thing of the past. What are you talking about?"

I'm almost at loss for words. Windsor's denial unsettles me. It's not possible. I know that there's still a place with enough oxygen in this world. "The city with breathable air?"

Windsor shakes his head negatively to confirm my worst fears. "I encountered all manner of beast and warrior. I discovered more glaze stone. I even enslaved this pack of Harbingers. But there was nothing like a breathable city."

Windsor dips his hand into the pack hanging by the horse. It's a round devkce. Exactly like the holographic map I bought from Hugo. He hands it to the Mayor. "I did everything I could."

Windsor looks at me. "I should have known the truth after you failed to find it. The city doesn't exist."

______________
EYE PATCH
______________
I had my butt handed to me this morning by a warden. This is why the burly man shouldn't run this triad. I can't continue taking orders from someone with such low intellect. Which is why I'm going to take over the hideout.I try to find my way there with the one useful eye I have when I discover some fighting in the Warren.

It's the burly man. What does this guy see in fights? This time he's wrestling someone his own size. His opponent is a bald fighter with a long scar running down the left side of his face. He has a set of tattoos on his back but his swift movement stops me from taking a clear glance.

Blows exchange between the two brawlers as a crowd gathers. The burly man takes a lot of hits. He is dazed when the bald fighter leaps into the air to bring down an elbow on him. Several bones snap as the elbow brings down the burly man. He's dead before he even hits the ground.

I realise how impossible the leap by the bald man was. As if on cue, the Valkyrie tatoo on the bald man's back comes into view. I can't help screaming. "He's a harbinger!"

The Warren suddenly goes chaotic. People grab weapons in a rush to mob the Harbinger. They are suprised when more Harbingers explode from under several disguises among them. It's a total bloodbath as the Harbingers try to quell the riot.

I'm trying to get away when a Harbinger levels a Peacemaker at me. There's a whir as the peacemaker winds up to fire. It releases a devastating sonic blast. A bright fiery light is the last thing I see before everything goes black.

**********
More to come. Enjoy this
Re: . by Bhadsoul123(m): 11:29pm On Oct 26, 2016
ONE PATCHED EYE LOL.. WAITING FOR AN UPDATE O.. SOMETHING TELLS ME THE GENERAL LIED
Re: . by Steelheart(m): 1:12am On Oct 28, 2016
______________
ISAAC
______________

The city doesn't exist. It hits me like a bombshell. Sweat forms on my forehead. My oxy-tube dims. This is not what I expected.

The mayor is saddened by this too but not to my degree. He gives me a look of condolence before placing his hand on Windsor's shoulder. "We must never lose faith. So today, we still have something to celebrate. We'll celebrate the return of the Bay's greatest general."

A look of uncertainty fills Windsor's face at that.

At last, the mental haze begins to clear. I spend a moment wondering how much I truly believe in the existence of a breathable place. There's still a chance. What now? I could return the map to Hugo. If he hasn't made a run for it yet. Pretend I didn't spend the best years of my life on a hopeful quest. Or I could open it. Find out what pandora's box actually holds.

General Windsor remounts his stead while the Mayor and others rejoin the Humvee.

My mind is made up. I'm unlocking the map.

****
P.S. I know it's a short update

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