Small projectiles pollute the air with lethal trajectory as a young hazel eyed man breathes heavily. Resting in a safe haven of wet dirt a blue eyed man of his age grabs his shoulder.
“Come on, we got this, if we just keep running ammunition to the turrets they can’t over run us,” he says.
“That’s right, the turrets,” he says grabbing the backside of an ammo box.
The two men run large canisters of ammunition between gun emplacements for hours as lethal projectiles whiz past them. Men in the emplacements begin to fall as enemy fire makes its mark. One of the gunners takes a hit, his brains splattering across the floor behind him as his body falls to the ground dead. The blue eyed man runs to the turret taking over it.
“Just keep running the ammunition Mateo,” he says with a bloody thumbs up.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let you down Dexter, and remember, you’ve got that feisty wife to get back to,” Mateo says with a desperate smile.
Mateo drags the heavy ammo box behind him struggling to load another machine gun nest as it near runs dry. After having run munitions to the three gun emplacements for hours, he’s exhausted. It’s midnight and the only things lighting the battlefield are moonlight and the tracers of small projectiles.
He slumps down to catch his breath before dragging another case of ammunition to the center turret Dexter is gunning, it goes silent. Mateo leaps to his feet gripping the case of ammunition before making a violent and desperate sprint toward the gun emplacement.
Bullets zip past him unnoticed spraying mud across his body as he bolts through what has now become a heavy downpour. The dirt turns to muck slowing his approach. His boots heavy with mud and his body slow to trudge through it he stumbles into the gun emplacement to see a blood trail from the gun leading to a young Dexter, his back against the wall as he struggles to hold up a pistol.
The muzzle flashes as casings rain down on the man. A few approaching soldiers drop to the ground dead as the pistol’s slide locks back. He tosses the empty gun aside. Mateo loads the machine gun. He pulls back the slide chambering a round before joining his companion on the floor.
“What happened?” He asks.
“They got me, took one to the shoulder, fuck it hurt,” he breathes heavily pulling his injured arm away from his side, “I can’t breath, it’s all just,” he coughs spraying blood onto Mateo’s chest.
“Dex you can’t leave me like this,” Mateo says his voice shaking with fear.
Dexter smiles struggling to take a deep breath that is near drowned in blood. He coughs loudly spitting blood all over his chest as he breathes heavily. Blood pours over his bottom lip as he pulls the dog tags off his neck and hands them to Mateo.
“Take these, they’ll give you a stamina buff,” he says as the light starts to fade from his eyes.
“Dex, Dex, don’t leave me here alone Dex,” Mateo says shaking him.
He gives off no response. Mateo releases his blood soaked uniform and Dexter’s body slumps onto the ground, dead.
Another one of the gun emplacements goes silent. Mateo takes hold of the gun at his emplacement and squeezes the trigger mowing down unknown numbers of enemies until the gun runs dry. He makes a mad dash to the next gun emplacement and fires the last few rounds before loading more and mowing down more enemies.
After hours of mowing down enemies the third gun emplacement falls. Mateo runs to it with his final box of ammunition. He loads the gun and fires amongst the enemy without mercy or remorse. They fall in scores, blood and body parts littering the battlefield. Ammunition runs dry and Mateo pulls his forty five and machete ready to make his last stand.
The following morning sunlight graces the earth and a blood soaked and mentally scarred Mateo wanders down an empty street holding only his pistol and machete, his chest bearing the dog tags of his fallen comrades.
“Holy shit, what the hell happened to that guy?” A soldier asks.
He approaches the commanding officer. There’s an unsettling clanking noise as he pulls dozens of dog tags off of his neck and hands them to him.
“Private first class Ryusane reporting for duty, Jade Hill has been lost, I am all that is left sir,” he says saluting the commanding officer before he collapses.
“What are you imbeciles doing, get a damn medic over here immediately,” the officer yells.
Mateo wakes in a strange room with Stitches clinging to him. He breathes heavily trying to calm himself as he runs his hands over her soft ears. She starts to purr softly and he sits up. He looks around the room noting that they are alone. Natalia appears above him seeming unsettled as he tries to remember what happened.
“Your memories came on so strong, I couldn’t do anything, Serenity tried, but you looked at her like a stranger, and then you just looked terrified, I didn’t know how to explain it to them, Stitches was able to calm you somehow,” Natalia says.
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Mateo runs his hand over Stitches’ soft catlike ears.
“I trust her, like I trust you Natalia,” he pauses.
“What is it?” Natalia asks.
“You could see my nightmare, feel it, I couldn’t save my friends and I took it out on those people, I killed them-.”
“Mateo, if you hadn’t killed those people they would have killed you and everyone else you were fighting for,” Natalia says.
Stitches grabs Mateo’s hand pulling him closer to her.
“Rest with me, we can always fight tomorrow,” Stitches says.
Ability activated: Rest In Peace. Use a small amount of soul energy to activate the calm effect on an ally.
Mateo breathes heavily staring into Stitches eyes.
“I don’t want to go back, the things people did to each other, not even children were spared, the fire consumed all,” Mateo says his eyes wide with horror.
“It’s ok Mateo, I’m here for you,” Stitches says pressing her soft ears against his chest.
Serenity returns finding Mateo and Stitches intertwined. She isn’t angry though, she’s the one that asked Stitches to help him. Her approach doesn’t go unnoticed as Stitches leans up.
“Just a little longer, don’t worry I’m not stealing him away,” Stitches says.
“No, it’s fine, is he ok though?” Serenity asks.
“As long as I’m near him the Rest In Peace spell will continue its effect,” Stitches replies.
Serenity moves over to Stitches running her hand over her soft catlike ears. Stitches sighs audibly holding Mateo tight.
“I don’t suppose you’re ready to surrender him to me?” she asks.
“No, my feelings for him run quite deep, it surprised even me, but you can enjoy his warmth for tonight, he needs yours,” Serenity replies.
The guns run dry, enemies are all around. Mateo shoots and cuts his way through young men until the sun rises. His body covered in gore he falls to his knees exhausted as a young woman approaches him.
“Mateo, it’s me Stitches,” the woman says.
“Stitches, I know you, but who are you?” He replies.
“Someone who loves you,” she says holding out her hand.
Mateo drops his weapons and reaches out a hand painted with dried blood to take hers. She grabs it and pulls him into her bosom. Memory fades away and reality replaces it as Mateo turns his eyes up toward Stitches. He’s lying on a quilt wrapped in her embrace, his face pressed against her large breast. She runs her hands through his dark hair, her face stricken with worry. His lips twist into a perverse grin.
“Damn, Barbara had some nice tits,” Mateo says breaking the tension.
Stitches giggles biting her lip.
“Careful, Serenity might kill you in your sleep, she’s known to be a man eater,” Stitches replies.
“I doubt it, I’m usually eating her.”
Stitches blushes just in time for Serenity to return to the tent.
“What happened, is Mateo ok, are those Barbara’s tits?” Serenity asks.
Mateo stands and Stitches slumps down disappointed she is no longer receiving Mateo’s attention.
“I am absolutely not ok, but, Stitches has helped me trudge through dark times for the moment.”
Serenity glares over at Stitches and she covers her large breasts that have faded from caramel to pale to match her skin tone. They are still perky and firm like the young barbarian’s though.
“Well, at-least I didn’t find you nuzzled in Beatrice’s breasts, that young lady is a lustful menace, voidscape, after a few drinks she was even hitting on me, I don’t see how her brother stands it,” Serenity says.
“Voidscape?” Mateo asks.
Natalia appears above him.
“I could translate it as hell, voidscape seems to be the best replacement in terms of translation, although, I believe hell is coming very soon, Rick and Beatrice were talking about something called the Hellbent who seem to be followers of the Cult of the Abyss,” Natalia states.
“Natalia, why are you spying on Rick and Beatrice?”
“I’m not spying on them, I was enjoying honey snacks when Beatrice stumbled over to my table drunk, she kept talking about how pretty I was so I complimented her, then she requisitioned me for fornication and I had to deny her and she got very emotional, so I tried to calm her and she got very physical and started kissing me and talking about some strange cult, she’s not a bad kisser by the way, anyway her brother came to drag her off me, a shame since I was kind of enjoying her company, even if it was lustfully innapropriate, we pixie’s don’t get much in the way of pleasure, so he pulls her away and she starts spitting nonsense about some cultists from the abyss called the hellbent, apparently the abyss has a profit from a new cult call the Cult of the Immortal Father, they have combined forces and seek to spread the word of the father across the land.”
Mateo sights audibly.
“This cult of the Immortal Father, how did it come along?” Mateo asks.
The door to the room opens and a worried Rick enters. He shuts the door behind him so as to shelter them from prying ears.
“The cult of the Immortal Father was created by a realm-walker, one that preaches of the kingdom of heaven and eternal life, a gift from Yahweh, the coming of his son will usher in a new era, a peace won by an iron fist pounding nonbelievers into submission or death,” Rick explains.
“Sounds like a crusade,” Mateo replies.
“That is what they’re calling it.”
The next morning Mateo and his party meet Yasmina by the bounty board in Satsuki. She hands several high profile bounties to Mateo and pulls him away from his team. Her words a whisper she voices her concern.
“I was directed by my sister to give you these, I worry about how close she is to the Cult of Drakvania, their beliefs and operations can be, unsettling, I warn you to be wary of her,” Yasmina whispers.
“Thanks, I’ll keep an eye out, what about you?”
“I will continue to keep an eye on my sister, I worry about how Drakvania has influenced her and I,” Yasmina blushes a little, “it would be a lie if I said I didn’t worry about you a little bit, I mean, uh, Charlotte finds Rayo to be a pleasant ‘friend’.”
Mateo smiles as the dragon knight Yasmina takes her leave. Serenity places her hand on Mateo’s shoulder startling him and he turns toward her quickly.
“Oh, didn’t know you where there,” he stutters.
“I’ll let you alone with Stitches because she’s cute and I trust her, that drop dead gorgeous dragon woman is a threat though,” she says gripping his shoulder firmly.
“I assure you, I only have eyes for your beauty,” Mateo says trying to pry her hand off his shoulder.
Serenity watches Yasmina leave tracking her with an ominous glare.
“I’m not worried about a dragon knight seducing you, a woman with that much power can just take whatever she wants.”
Serenity releases Mateo from her grasp and steps away. She looks over her shoulder with a broken smile.
“We should get to those bounties.”
Bounty acquired- Hunt down and eliminate a flock of Razor Talons.
Bounty acquired- Hunt down and eliminate a Tyrantaterror.
