Prince of Arcadia
There was once a strong group of humans, known by some as the K'tar. Others called them simply by their given name, Humans, or demons from another time. They tended to call themselves Arcadians. No other group of humans could match their intellect, technology, and strength, though they were lacking in body size and they knew too much for their own good. Some groups revered them as gods; almost rightfully so, given their almost senseless lucidism and their tendency to watch and observe, instead of getting directly involved in foreign affairs. They were quite large, and strong for a group of humans, placed in several self-entitled provinces across the continent. It seemed as if nothing would be able to stop the Arcadians. Ironic, given the tragedy that occurred.
Ignorant in the belief that they were invincible, the Arcadians reverted to dangerous and sometimes explosive methods of energy. Combining thermal energy with a dangerous and radioactive form of magic, they got something called Sentos, something that gave off more energy than an atomic bomb and gave off no waste. The only drawback, it seemed for the longest time, was maintenance and storage. But little did the people know of the true destructive qualities of Sentos...
16 years before...
In the morning light, the town shone brightly, the sun dancing off the colored metals and plastics that made up the majority of the buildings. Shops were strewn across the plaza of the enormous town, ribbons and signs showing prices hanging off of posts or underhangs. People hurriedly went across the plaza floor, stopping to look at merchandise or to buy something, and for the most part, it was quite busy. Cars floated in a parking area, gleaming in every color imaginable, and active taxis whizzed quickly over and around buildings, hurrying to get their passengers to their destination. The air was calm, the faint smell of sap and metal hanging in the air as a slight breeze rustled through the bustling town of Cloud.
And, just as suddenly as the peace was there, it was shattered in a millisecond.
The ground shook heavily, something cracking in the distance, and people fell, plastar raining from buildings. Smoke rose from one of the main Sentos containers, yellow and foul, and the people stared in horror, petrified. When the warning claxons went off, though, they shot off like a rocket, jumbling across each other and scrambling to get to any mode of transportation. Houses were left behind in the mad scramble to get to safety. Alas, the people nearest the catastrophe were not as smart to leave.
In the Sentos container facility...
A woman ran down the long hall that lead to the main containment room, stopping as the building shook again, chunks of the ceiling falling. Her long dark-brown hair flew past her shoulders as she ran, waving and snapping like a flag on a windy day, tangling in some areas. Her skin was a light tan color, and her eyes were a hodgepodge of colors, the azure color in them the most brightest. She wore a white labcoat, her nametag clutched in her petite hands, and her glasses had long since broken. Her name was Launa Cantos-Martin. Stopping for a moment, she watched as the main door flew open, smoke pouring out. Her husband ran out, coughing, along with other scientists.
The man seemed to be only 24 or so, his body larger than most people. He had bright blonde hair and a scrufy goatee on his face, red marks strewn across his cheeks. He was wearing a lab coat as well, but it was stained black in many places. His nametag had snapped off, and his shirt was bundled up, carrying a frail package.
"Martin, please tell me you have this under control. Please!" Launa sobbed, clutching Martin's arms, nearly shaking him.
"Launa, I wish I could. I truly do. But this was planned sabotage. We can't find anything to get the fluctuations under control, its almost as if it's sentient!" He said, clutching his wife as another tremor shook the building. Klaxons had started going off, added to the wailing of the bundle Martin was holding. Wildly looking around, he grabbed it and pushed it into Launa's hands, revealing a swaddled child. It's hair was bright blonde and spiky, and its face was streaked with tears.
"The least I can do is stall, honey! Take Finn and get out of here before it's too late!" He grabbed Launa and turned her around, tears falling down his face.
"I love you." Martin whispered, the message conveyed to both of the people, and as another tremor shook the building, Launa took one look back, watching Martin disappear into the main room for the last time.
"You stupid, stupid man! When will you ever learn?!" She yelled, running through the crumbling hallway quickly. Jumping to the safety of the outside, the doors slid shut, sparks flying from the closing mechanism. A man gruffly pulled her up, dickweed sticking out of his mouth. He wore a stained suit, and ragged pants. The eyes that peeked out from the low-hanging hat he was wearing were a dark blue, black in some areas. Pushing Launa into the nearest car without uttering a word, he climbed into the driver's seat, locking the doors.
"What do you want with me?!" Launa yelled, shivering in terror. The man nearly exuded evil.
"For now? You and your child safe. Now buckle up and shut up." The man said, his voice low and melodic, in the seductive and entrancing way. Launa took the hint, buckling herself into the seat, and the man revved the engine, the car taking off quickly. They sped through the town, going above traffic and past the city line, into the desert. Multiple times they faced turbulence, but the man kept driving, seemingly oblivious to the dangers. The car finally sputtered and died, hovering and thumping to the ground. They were in a pumpkin patch.
"Out." The man said, unlocking Launa's door. She opened it tentatively, shivering. The air here was different than she was used to, windy and fresh. She inhaled a large breath, smiling. It had... Been a while. But a cold, sharp click of a gun diverted her attention, causing her to turn.
"The child, Launa. Give me him." She shook her head, tears flying, and the man sighed, turning off the safety. Launa jumped just as the man shot the gun, the bullet skimming her forehead, tracing a line through her skin. She cried out, getting up quickly; the man was unfortunately quicker. His boot struck Launa's head, knocking her out, and he picked Finn up, chuckling. A dart hit him in the arm, causing him to raise an eyebrow.
"Locals?" His eyes drooped, his gaze growing more tired.
"Well, fuck." And with that, he dropped Finn and fell, sedated for the moment. Finn started to cry, soft at first but the volume steadily rising. A figure walked out of the shadows: a Wild Person from Wild Kingdom. It walked over to Finn, picking him up softly. Pulling a white bearskin hat over his head, it wrote the name Finn on his forehead, setting him down softly. He stumbled for a moment, but started walking away, babbling. The Wild Person continued on its path, picking Launa up gingerly and walking off. The Joshua ad Margaret dogs would be here soon to take the boy. He would be in good hands... It thought, and with that, it walked into the recesses of the forest.
Well, that was exciting to rewrite. I decided to rewrite all this, since I don't like the way it originally turned out. The epilogue's gonna get it's own chapter, though, since it's so long. XD
Couldn't have done it without TheFlameRose's support!
Keep watching for more updates!
Ciaou!~