Prologue: Sabbath
There is nothing like a written future.
I've learned that, no matter how much you fight; there simply isn't a Happily EVER After.
Those words are just pretty words to finish some half-assed child's bedtime story.
Thinking these thoughts is the only thing keeping me distracted from the blazing sun of southern Mexico.
"Looks like one of those days, huh…"
My voice is so quiet that even I can barely hear it, it's always been a problem for me, I simply cannot speak loudly anymore. Mom used to tell me that is was almost like I shit for mouth, until she learned the truth about that problem.
Walking along the streets, I simply ignore the stares my greying hair gets me.
Really, I'm just nineteen and I've got white hair already.
She used to tell me it was part of my charm.
Right.
Better not think about her.
I'm a bit short I must admit, my only passions are swimming, banned by the doctors due the same illness that took away my voice, and baseball, which took almost one fifth of my sight.
Really, my life kinda sucks.
Every single friend I had entering school has dumped me for joining the more 'popular' part of the school, my first girlfriend dumped me for the school jock just two weeks after we started dating. I found her crying later with her entire left side covered in bruises.
I like to think of myself as a non-resentful person. Like that guy in sixth grade, preaching that I would never understand love, all because I asked him why he was snogging some poor fifth-grader. Both failed primary and I got into junior high in third place on the entrance exam.
I've always had a strange fascination with the art of assassination.
The ways you train your body to most effectively end another life…
I find it exciting…
So I liked to learn about that craft, read the materials, practice with a dummy I made myself when my parents weren't home.
I think the school prefects feared me for that reason.
I dunno, but there are times when I cannot remember, yet my classmates or closer acquaintances told me about almost superhuman feats I made.
Like using a plastic lunch box to beat a bully an inch to death, or ripping a chair's leg and using it to impale some idiot's hand trying to steal from my bag while I was using the loo, or throwing a drawing square like a shuriken and nailing a girl right between the eyes for taking a school project I made and claiming it as he own.
In the last case I was like ten meters away from that bitch.
And while I can't remember, I always found comfort by being alone.
They called me 'a weird-ass loser'
I liked to think that I'm just a lone wolf.
And alone, is how I died.
Simply walking on the street, a random car crash a few meters away from me, at least I think one of the trucks involves was carrying aluminum tubes, cause last thing I saw was one of those nailing me to the concrete wall behind me, right through the heart, pain flooding everything…
And the last thing I thought was…
"I didn't want to stick around…"
Finally, peace came.
…
…
…
…
Curiously, I waited for some religious shit to happen, you know?
Saint peter waiting for me at heaven's door, the old YHVH judging me…
Even Lucifer laughing as I burned my ass off in hell.
But I never thought I would always in some random forest in the middle of nowhere.
But whatever happened…
I felt so good…
I think this is how those junkies feel when high…
There is nothing else but peace and that beautiful sensation…
"Finally awake, are you?"
I looked towards whoever talked to me.
He was a bit taller than me, going by his looks, he was twenty-ish or something, his onyx colored eyes were deep, like the entrance to eternal abyss that you couldn't get out. His hair was black, with a part in the front completely white, his hair looked pixie-like, and his skin was pale as hell.
Goddammit, He almost looked beautiful.
"Finished ogling me, are you? Not that I mind, but I'm not swinging that way at the moment, this body isn't suited for that part, you know?"
His voice sounded weird, like there was this weird after-echo coming from billions of people talking at the same time.
"Who are you?" I asked, not minding his little jab, cause really, I'm not going gay anytime soon, one of my longest-lasting friend came out of the closet right before we became seniors.
"Ah… good question… I simply gave up my name eons ago, child, using a human name from time to time, before I ascended; I tried to live a life like you mortals do…
But we're not talking about me, yet if you need to call me anything, hmm… call me ER."
I blinked at that totally random name.
"Why ER?"
"And why not?"
I simply knew I wouldn't get anywhere in that front…
"How am I… alive? I remember the crash…"
"Ah, yes, I pulled your soul from going into back to the root for the recycling process, truly, you are interesting"
"Interesting?"
"Yes, something was wrong with you in that world, haven't you noticed yet?
"What are you talking about? The only things wrong were…"
Then I noticed, I was talking, talking, to another person, or whatever ER was, I could talk again… and looking toward him again, I noticed I wasn't wearing the glasses that I'd always worn since I was six.
"How?"
"Your little time in that world wasn't as fulfilling as it would, seems like one of my fellow Deathless or someone close to that level messed up with you in during your VITAE-AXIS"
"Vi-what now?"
"You know them as those life-changing events, haven't you got quite some?"
"…"
"Look, I don't have enough time to explain all, but tell me, if you could live again… your life… around that what you searched for so long? Finally finding your happily ever after?"
"There is no such thing at that, ER."
"There is, my friend, you just got to earn it."
I seethed a little…
"Remember those series you liked to watch so many years ago?"
"Which one? I liked a lot"
"hmm… can you really not remember? 'I don't have a dream. But, you know, I can protect dreams.' That one"
"That's…"
"Aha! So you remember! Now. There is a mirror right next to you, by your hand, to the right, that is one of my gifts, boy."
Ignoring that little quip… I reached for the mirror, but unlike my reflection…
"What… the hell?"
"Sweet, aint it? Oh, don't look at me like that, where I'm sending you, you will need that… and use it well. While I fixed that little problem of overwhelming your body with such rapid evolution, it will still knock you out if you use that power…"
"then why give it to me at all?"
"Because you wouldn't be able to use… these…"
Looking at is hands I recognized the briefcases, and going by the logons printed on top of them, I could guess what their contents were.
"wait, if I'm going to live a new life, can I use my name at all?"
"Dunno, why, you don't like your old one?"
"it… doesn't fit… anymore. How about Carter I. Slade?"
"What's the 'I' stands for?"
"Inui, a tribute to my ancestor.
"I give you all this, even the nice motorcycles that come with these,, yet I only ask one thing from you, Carter."
"Yeah…?"
"Entertain me."
Sixth Ranger BetaHalo Presents
Howl: Tales of Lonely Wolves
Prologue: Sabbath
I woke up again, in a forest, again, but unlike last time, I felt myself at peace, nothing like my first death or those times I just went to sit under a tree at the park near home.
I felt like I belonged here.
Of course, my gift from ER might have to do something with that.
A glint from my left caught my attention, I looked towards it and in a little clearing, the rest of the gifts from ER were standing.
I remember each one of them, and also I knew the contents of five out of seven briefcases secured onto them. The ones I didn't know about turned to be a bank card and several outfits.
I simply took off my clothes and let the power flow.
Oh…
I stood on four legs now, I can tell many scents that shouldn't exist…
There is so much… that I can't describe with words…
I need… to let go…
…
…
…
RUN?
…
…
NOT FOOD, ANGRY? YES?
…
…
HUMANS; FIRE, CANNOT GET CLOSE…
…
…
HUMAN, SMELLS LIKE ENEMY…
…
MUST KILL.