The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Book I: War
It was hard to think of, a city with such majesty as St. Petersburg that there were some of the foulest things could be found. The fine marble of the wondrous capital of the former Tsar's empire provided the perfect mystique for the underground creatures to go about without fear of retaliation from above. The city was truly marvelous to visit. Its name was known all throughout Eastern and Western Europe. A famous page in history for the philosopher in some beings, but one only had to watch carefully them an on the corner and the young group moving rapidly in and out of stores to catch the play.
Chen Shin observed this unusually easily. His eyes caught the goons and the burglars without any real scrutiny. Just moving along the side walk gazing into a clothing store he saw the faint shimmer of the tin foil used to protect the unsold clothing from their security tags. He sometimes for amusement would stop and look into the store at these group shoplifters sometimes arousing their fear enough so they abandon their heist. Armatures were always a kick for him to watch. So worried about the simplest of the illegal vein of activities to be done, he himself would never bothered with such tasks as burglary, most of the time. He found intimidating other gangs for a price or gathering tax evasion information for some corporation that may bent the rules a little too far the risk being caught. Occasionally some case came along were he had to erase evidence that was in the state's hands. That always troubled Chen slightly. Going against the order of things somehow made him feel as a traitor. Only once did he ever refuse to take an assignment. An executive of some company had murdered his wife for cheating on him. His name had become well known in the hierarchy of the black markets and he was asked. He accepted it at first without much reluctance, but the immorality seemed a greater weapon on Chen than any amount of precious stones or cold American dollars. He did tweak the case but to the point were it was all too obvious to the State what this executive had done. He kept the money he was given in advance though, but instead gave it to all the men he felt the company had wrongly cheated from. Not only did he feel better about himself but it helped send a message that he was not to be taken lightly. He raised his prices since then. The irony later struck something in him. He lived his life by unjust deeds yet justice seemed the closest ideal to his heart. Chen Shin stopped and looked around. Even with the small immoralities and the corruption which he was sure to find, St. Petersburg still was as magnificent as it would have been under Peter the Great. He might consider staying for awhile.
Chen walked farther through the ice covered streets of the city. He passed scores of hordes of people being led by a tour guide. They would stop and he would point at one sculpture. They would become amazed and take photographs, which they could probably find better ones in a gift shop for a lesser price. He sometimes stopped to hear the history. Russia unlike some Western countries had a less than bright and beautiful past to speak of. First the Mongols conquering everything they see, then the Tsars, then Lennon. He would listen till he would attract more attention than the relic. Chen hated this. It was something that really kept him from making any friends. In the mooring he would stare into his mirror and try to find what was so different about him. What attracted people to think he was special. Chen knew he had been born lucky and even strangely. His genes didn't have the usual amount of flaws a person should have, a doctor told him once. Thinking more deeply he began to believe he had some demon traits. He had found out about demons on sort of assignation case. Some man had killed a bunch of the late shift of some small company. The authorities couldn't find anything to help and gave up. The owner wanted revenge for his fallen friends so he found Chen from a friend he had in big industry. The price he was offered wasn't usually what he would hope for, but the moral code that still breathed with the same rhythm as his heart made him to accept. Finding the man he found he had strange powers and could the very souls of a person. He killed the thing without much difficulty though the demon was probably much stronger than he. He thought he may have some lineage with the creature, but that wouldn't explain why his siblings were…normal. The attention didn't bother him that much at times. In Hungary Chen got a lot of female passes, though he never took any of them. He had never had as big as interest as most others he knew around his age. Of course he did think about it often but it he never had an obsession that most adolescents had. He dismissed it as he just hasn't found the right woman as to say. He tended to notice more about them than the feminine observers had about him. With not much as a glance he could determine how much strength they could push out, how much endurance they had and how they could run without dropping down. . It surprised him how with just one glance at their bodies he could figure out their weakness and possible strengths. The skill in scanning people was not always there. Chen knew that but he just couldn't remember when he changed, when these traits came in.
He didn't question all the good gifts he had. His superior strength, speed, reaction time, acceleration, agility, and even thought process he took as given, as for what they are. He had considered using his traits to become the world's greatest athlete but after his run in with the demon he began to question if a non-human deserved to win. Plus they were most likely to think he was taking illegal substances to increase his performance. The title sounded good to him, but the attention would not be what he would have wanted it to. Chen enjoyed just using his talents, his life of crime never brought much joy into his life nor did the money. The feeling he received from doing things at his young age of seventeen while athletes in their twenties at their peak of physical condition could barely come close to. That always felt good. More amazing was his mental capacities. In only a week a few years earlier than that time he memorized and spoke fluently twenty-five languages. He grew up only speaking Russian, at a library he found sections on English and Finish languages. He opened the books out of pure curiosity just to see what the language looked written. This frightened him even more than his absurd physique. Reading the first hundred pages in only five minutes and remembering almost every work written, he fell back into the self and broke a self knocking three hundred books on the floor. Each one he picked up he read and read. In only a sort time he had finished almost everything in the library and clearly the information still remained in his head. That night he sat down and thought of what he was. How could he memorize all that knowledge? The intelligence seemed too great for to handle, and he broke down. He heart raced and raced while his blood felt as though it was quite literally boiling. His eyes became fixed in one position and his mind felt as he was being split. His soul was feeling being pulled from two ends. He finally got control of himself a few hours later, rising off the floor of his room. From that point on he would never absorb so much at one time. He thought he had overwhelmed his head and he had some sever nervous breakdown He began to read at a much slower pace on brain chemistry once the fear of another experience such a that came. Others did come though not as tough but the same in nature. From time to time he had the pain. Chen began to limit his work not doing as much, so to keep stress down. He began to visit his younger brother more regularly, providing him with some distraction.
Chen walked passed the tour groups getting the usual stare from what appeared to be American girls. Their hooded sweatshirts and their hotel key around their necks made them attracted more attention than him for once. They watched him with their backs turned toward him, looking back from time to time to see him. They whisper to each other then giggled. Chen usually would have walked away from this but he had little to do that night, he had no assignments going. He stopped and sat down on a bench near them. The two girls became more excited and they turned toward themselves and began to talked faster than they appeared were capable of thinking.
Chen lay calmly against the frost covered back of the chair, staring off into the dense center of St. Petersburg. He thought he would them giggle to them selves before making a move on them. American dollars were always ahead of any other currency. With how easily Americans become distracted, he would even have to be that discrete. He wouldn't take too much from, for he didn't what them to give his profile to the police.
Their courage grew and they advanced on Chen. Standing by the side of the bench they spoke in crude Russian asking where exactly the Alexander Column was. With a smile Chen responded with Russian speech purposely spoken so fast that, as the Americans they are, would not understand. The girl looked very perplexed as she tried to make sense of the jumble of word s she had just been handed. Chen laughed aloud and stood reciting in perfect English, "The Alexander Column is at the entrance to the Winter Palace, I'm sure your tour group will take there eventually." He purposely spoke as to limit her options of a response.
"Well…..."
"Well we are tourist and don't know anything about St. Petersburg," her companion saved her.
"You're not the only one. I don't live here either," Chen said.
"Are you American too? You don't have a Russian accent."
"I've traveled to the United States several times, but know I was born in Eastern Russia."
"You're really good at English."
"I try to be, but I am only smart as I am fast."
One of the American girls was getting the joke. "…and how fast are you?"
Chen put his hand. He turned it from side to side as to show he had nothing in his hand. With the slightest movement of his fingers a red rose lay held between his middle and index fingers. He presented the rose to her, and with a face full of pleasure she accepted it. "Thank you."
"Only as fast as you are smart huh?"
"You can say that I am smarter than the average bear."
With a slight laugh, "I hope all Russians are as charming as you."
"Your tour group is leaving."
"Oh…yes ….thank you." They left whispering wildly to each other. Chen turned and continued on his way. He was very pleased with himself at he had just pulled. Sure I t was a tad dishonest but he and they had enjoyed the encounter. He continued walking with a bright smile on his face.
Chen walked swiftly over the ice. He starred at the white colored sky suddenly felt ashamed. The joy of meeting them faded and faded. His eyes feel to the ground and his chest was gripped in pain. Unreasonable despair had him. No…what is this? Why would… It became heavier and heavier as he slowly weakened. A strange noise he heard from a distance, something flying in the sky but too far beyond for him to see. He mind was filled with images he had never seen before memories that were not his. The same pulling that he had felt before but worse. Chen slowly sank to the ground. With one sudden jerk he fixed his eyes on some invisible being. That hovered before him. Chen could not see it; he could not why he was afraid. A loud cry that no one else heard echoed in his ears. His nearly lifeless body feel to the ice covered sidewalk.
Melanie Minako Mitsumoto struggled as she moved through the knee high snow. The going was very slow. Mel was not in good shape for moving through a blizzard. It was cold at the Moonscare but here she could at least see in front of her. The storm was so thick. A white blanket before her it seemed. Getting her foot caught in under a patch of ice she tripped onto her face.
I hate snow.
Mel lifted her self and hugged her self shivering from the cold. It wouldn't kill her but it was still miserable. Tanneth was going to for this once she found him. Having to put up with Sincion and Argon watching her relentlessly, she was glad to get away and planned to stay away as long as she could.
The wind filled with small ice crystals flew into her eyes and made brush them away much as she had on the Moonscare. Mel thought the Human World would be full of flowers and beautiful oceans not an ice wasteland. She realized she could be anywhere walking for all she knew into the opposite direction of where she needs to go. The world around her a white void she was hopelessly lost. She had to thank Tanneth now for all the tricks he had taught. She would not survive long if not for the training he had instituted on her. As she walked she heard the call of the wild, so to say the howl of a wolf.
The sweet high pitched lonely howl. Mel heard it clearly, not bothered by the fact that wolves were probably close to her. The howl had its own affect on her. She had always regarded wolves with respect. It was for the man she met only once. His cold exterior at first made her shake at a sight. His completely white hair, he had no signs of old age, much as the entire Dominion race never grew old really. The only scare which set him different from his peers was his one eye. She had seen many Dominions in her three hundred years, he the only with one eye. She would always hear Dominion scorn each other for showing weaknesses that the lower beings had. Maddened by this she usually would turn away. She later would learn that Dominions never considered memories to be that important. Meaning bad things in the past were better shrugged off. When meeting him she noticed that no other would dare ever to chastise him. Tanneth least of all would ever dare to contradict him. Perhaps it was this power he had over them that received her admiration. The one eye must have been made by something he wished the Dominion never to forget. She noticed his insignia, a wolf emblazed in red in front of some symbol important to their history. Mel then concentrated trying to remember his name. It was different form most Dominion names. Warlock…that was what he was called. Since then the call of the wolf always had some courageous sound to her.
Later after that first and only introduction she would later think about him in only glorified terms. She wondered if she loved him, but she didn't. Warlock to her was sort of a grand father figure. Someone to stand in awe of. To think about only in respect and even to boast about, though she never talked about him.
Mel drugged further through the thick covered snow of where ever she was. She heard the wolf call several more times but never thought of it as anything important. An hour or so went by of walking. The wind only seemed to pick up strength and landscape slipped further and further into whiteness.
I hate snow.
Mel stopped and sank to her knees. She almost couldn't feel her toes. Looking around it all seemed just to get more and more desolate, nothing but snow was around her. The wolf call was heard again. The memory of Warlock came and Tanneth their sturdiness grew within her. She stood up again keeping her wits about her. The wolf call sounded again, accompanied by a whistle. She now realized that must be people. People traveling. She could pass of a person lost. Maybe they would help.
She closed her yes and focused her telepathy. The sounds of wolves growling and the jumbled thoughts of men she heard silently. The thoughts became strange quickly. Malevolence and hatred came into her head.
Revenge.
The voice became more and more clear.
Revenge. Revenge!
Mel began to panic trying to separate the link. She couldn't. It brought her back.
Dominion….at last!
Finding what strength she had left she tried to shield herself sending her own messages into their minds.
Revenge on the Dominion. Payback for long time past. Call to all who will understand. Destroy the false masters. Bring back the darkness. Bring back the power. Bring back the demon control over our own. Revenge. Don't you understand what I say?
A faint laughter grew in Mel's head.
Kill 'em all!
The link severed she fell to the ground. Quickly getting up she ran in what direction she could. Desperately trying to get away.
Mel stopped and starred a head as if death himself had come. His was very pale almost sickly. Deep violet eyes starred down at her with a malevolence passed only by Sincion. He stood close to seven feet tall surpassing her greatly.
"Who are you?"
"I am what will finally bring justice for all. The death of the masters. You, I think can tell me where they are." Without any time wasted Mel had drew her twin katanas and slashed at his head. He caught each in one hand. "You do have impressive speed." Mel felt his strike her head before she could think to move into the shadows. Her body hit the snow much the same way Chen's did.
A horrid scream came out of the green skinned demon as he flew threw the air into the wall. He hit face first then rolled as limp as a sack of potatoes into the concrete. His limbs waved in the air as he panicked, much resembling a bug struggle to regain flight.
Yusuke walked impatiently toward. His eyes were burning in frustration. "Look you snot nosed piece of shit, my patience is running low."
"I said I didn't do anything!"
Yusuke growled and bashed his face a few times with his fist. Purple colored blood oozed from his pores and his nostrils. "That wasn't the question idiot!" The green demon soared into the wall once again. He pressed against the door nearly knocked out. Yusuke's hand then grabbed the neck of his coat and reputably rammed his head into the wall. "Now tell me what you know a Dominion named Tanneth!"
"I said I know nothin! Ya hear, nothing!"
"Wrong again." Thrice more he bashed. The wall began to satin with the demon's blood. Apparently Yusuke had been smart and found out the location of one of the demon world's, let's say, "Bookies." A shadowy weakling who coordinated between the bounty hunters and the bounty setters was easier to go after than the setters them selves. Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara stood to the side as the sort demon was getting abused. "Come one before you loose more brain cells." Yusuke raised his fist in a threatening fashion.
A high squeal came from the battered head of the bookie. "All right! All right, already, huh. I get the picture. You can stop turning my head into pudding now."
Yusuke got off him allowing him to sit up. "I have heard of this really heavy deal that had gone down. Apparently a rogue had gotten away with some valuable merchandize. But ya see, he escaped into this world before they could nab him, and rather than risk let's say you coming and giving them a face lift they put a grand old price on his head."
"Fine what else," Kurama asked from the side?
"Well you see pretty boy these guys are high profile and they didn't give us too much information…"
Another fist cracked over the back of his skull. "Okay! They said he would be traveling alone and would be surprisingly strong. And he was not to be killed but taken alive."
"Ok now get to the part where you tell me where his headed," said Yusuke.
"Hey, I'm just the envoy here…"
Yusuke hit him again.
"Okay. He was last seen heading somewhere into Russia, a band of some sort of tiger demons got close but he got away in some air plane. They think he is headed to Moscow ore something."
"That makes sense that guy in Egypt said he would head for large cities," said Kuwabara.
"So he seems to be getting sloppy." Hiei said.
"Still, Moscow is huge and he could easily head to another city," said Kurama.
"His probably already there and left, if he keeps in tune with what he has been doing. Why did Koenma have to lay this one on me, this guy will obviously never be found!"
Yusuke pounded his fist into the brick wall causing it to crack "We have to find this guy Urameshi." Kuwabara walked after him.
"Why let those dominion freaks kill each other as long as they leave us alone. The barrier stops most of them anyway."
"No it's important to us! It could mean the end of the world!"
Yusuke stopped in his tracks. The attention of the Spirit Detectives turned to him as well. "Kuwabara, what do you know what I don't."
"It is just a feeling I've been having lately. Strange dream too, but then they are not really dreams. I don't know it's hard to explain."
"Why don't you try luge head?"
Yusuke recognized the old hag's voice immediately. "So you're hearing now."
"You need some elderly wisdom on this, because you're too thick headed to see what is happening. Haven't you ever been curious to wonder when strange things happen? UFOs, sudden natural disasters huh?"
"So you're saying the Dominion is behind aliens?"
Yusuke felt a hand slap him upside the head but it appeared that Genkai had never moved. "No dimwit. But wouldn't you think that an ancient race that once ruled this world and any other you can think to have some impact on what goes on here?"
"Yes they would have an impact supposedly. But what do you mean Genkai," asked Kurama.
"It is just a theory but it is based on very good grounds. The reason ordinary humans and creatures can at times use power unimaginable is because they are somehow touched by the Dominion."
"What does that mean," Yusuke called out but he was quickly ignored?
"So you're saying that people are some how related to the Dominion," asked Hiei?
"Yes and demons as well. The fact is that they are so old that they saw the making of most races. It is impossible to say how they could have interfered."
"Considering how great the old legends say their power was, yes, it could be much different for all the races," said Kurama.
"Ok grandma, you say that human spirit power is similar to the spirit power of the Dominion," Yusuke said.
"That is the first problem solving statement you have ever told me. Yes it seems so. I only once I saw a dominion. I am not sure he was one either. It was just passing by, but his spirit seemed unlike any other. It's hard to explain but it felt as though it was focused to a point where it could reach unimaginable heights."
"Still what would the Dominion have to do with Kuwabara's dream?" Another slap went across Yusuke's head.
"If his powers come from dominion traits he has he could be affected by let's say a dominion."
"I think its true Urameshi. They are like some sort of portal to another mind or plane or something. The first one I had a few weeks ago. I was just standing in this huge room. All round me there was strange machines and devices. The only light there was in the center of the room. I would always look round hearing this strange sound coming from all around me. Then at the center of the room by the strange there was a man. I only saw the back of him but he wore a long cape decorated with this picture of a blue and red dragon creatures with their tales combined. Then I got the feeling there was something lurking behind, then the man says 'Never…never again.' I don't know why but the room felt real."
"That doesn't make any sense. Who knows what it could mean?"
"Shut up dimwit."
"The next one was really strange. I find myself in some strange grave yard. Around me are statues of people decorated with designs and writing I have never seen. It the center there is a huge statue representing some battle or something. As I walk I hear this whispering summing from the statues. When I get close to the statue I her the same voice from behind me, only this time he says 'You're going too close,' then it ends."
"A graveyard…"
"Yeah it's real creepy. I get feeling like I am about die as I walk further into the center of it."
"That still means little. The buffoon might just have watched too many scary movies," said Hiei.
"Hey why don't you try to imagine that place?"
"Ok enough with the bickering tell us of any others." As Genkai spoke the bookie demon stood up and made a run for the alley. A blue bolt came from behind and his head soon wasn't there anymore.
"His gambling days are over," a snide remark from Yusuke.
"The next dream is the scariest. It's like the end the world has come. I am in this city, alright, it's some weird city kinda like ancient Egypt combined with Star Wars stuff."
"Isn't this reliable," remarked Yusuke again.
"Quiet Urameshi!...any way it's deserted. No one in any part of it. It was like everyone had picked up and left it as a ghost town. It's all silent for a while. Then I hear sounds like demons are all around me. I sense them too and fell them breathing on me, but nothing is there. I take out my sword and swat at them but I hit nothing. Then I fell claw and scrape my skin. Then up in the sky this huge red light comes down and destroys everything."
"A happy ending..."
"Quite, but what could this have to do with the Dominion and what could this have to do with Tanneth," Kurama said.
"It's hard to say, but these places you're seeing in your head Kuwabara may be actual locations," said Genkai.
"You mean some guy is giving him visions from Makai?"
"Yes Yusuke, you've heard of telepathy, a link formed between two minds isn't bound by the same rules as matter is."
"But how,' spoke their resident telepath, "telepathy from any mind can't just read out over vast distance of space time, and definitely not through dimensions."
"Maybe it is something different then," spoke Kurama, "the Dominion could have a power beyond telepathy. Some more advanced form or seeing perhaps. If they are truly the most advanced race…"
"More likely the fool just had a dream," said Hiei.
"Quiet Hiei, you and I don't anything about those masters. These defiantly aren't dreams. You say the same thing if you had them."
"This Tanneth will know something about them, since he is dominion," Kurama said.
"Yes, in that case the lot better pack your bags with something warm, your going to Eastern Europe. At this time of the year there is a lot of snow." Genkai joked.
"First I thin a nights rest in the hotel will be nice."
The four detectives and one elderly woman made their way down the busy streets of New York City. It was a shame they had to leave so soon. Yusuke was looking forward to seeing the famous city. Tanneth kept coming back to his mind. This guy seemed to have all three worlds win the same pockets whatever he stole from whoever he stole it from. Where ever he was going everyone was trying to catch up. At the same time he wondered about Genkai had said. If all human and demon power is similar to the Dominions then is he somehow one of them as well. The fact also was why this was all happening. Why he spending all this time to find someone he doesn't care about. The idea of another fight kept creeping into his head too. If Tanneth was supposed to be the best of the greatest would they even have a chance in taking him down? He went up into his room much quieter then usual. This will be rough. I would rather have this time relax then chance down old empires. I wonder what Kayko would think of this. The young schoolgirl he'd left at home, Kayko always was a subject of confusion for him. What he felt or what she felt he couldn't understand if he wanted to. After taking a shower he lay on his bed with his eyes starring into the black sky. The end of the world, he had to stop a few of those, but this time he wasn't as sure he could.
Tanneth touched down the craft very carefully in a circle of trees. True he wasn't the most skilled pilot, but the craft was not one he had been trained to fly either. .A jet fighter from the proud Russian Air Force modified with dominion knowledge and technology. It certainly surpassed any thing human had but he would like Xavier to see it, or any others of his old companions. He had redesigned the engines rather hastily. Apparently a small group had caught his trail when traveling the other way across the mountains. Tanneth was forced to stop and let the young Skyler heal from her encounter with the cherub. That was disturbed him more though. Beside the fact he was close to being found by Sincion. Cherubs never flew between the worlds. It was unheard of. Why would it be there in all places? How the small spirit came to the Human World was not something he wanted to trouble him now. The cherub slipping through the barrier could mean anything from a small rip or faded area where apparitions could pass through to a catastrophic failure or malfunction of a sphere stone, which could mean the end of Earth. The former would be more likely. Someone came through near him recently from Makai and the cherub tagged along with him, her, or it. That would mean dominion besides himself and Gaol was there to cause more hazard. He didn't tell Skyler what it meant, he needed her calm if he was going to be able to get them into a safe hiding place alive. The jet was a good idea. He would get to another city much faster than any could come after him. Moscow was out of the picture by then. Too close.
The shock absorbers of the enhanced fighter's landing gear slowly bent under the weight if the aircraft. Tanneth shut down the guiding instruments, instruments. He removed several of the human devices he thought they could be a liability. Humans were naturally greedy and would defiantly have some means of tracking their aircraft. He couldn't use them anyway. The interactive display with the pilot was too primitive for his advanced mind to regain. He felt foolish not being able to use their machinery. It proves humans can do things no one else can.
Skyler was asleep in the set to his back along with nine small wolf cubs running around her. She had worn her self out on the journey having the most embarrassing conversation with a member of a super race.
She had asked, "Could you turn on the radio? This machine has to have one."
He had responded, "Excuse me?"
"Could you please turn the radio on?"
"Radio of what?"
"The radio, tune it to some channel."
"Tune a channel? What do you mean? What's radio?"
"The machine has Fm and AM on the side."
"AM and FM are radio."
"No radio is the machine."
"You call a machine radio?"
"Yeah, could you perhaps turn it on?"
"Specify the device."
Skyler then had grumbled the growled loudly. "Never mind I think I see one back here."
Tanneth now remembered why commando units travel alone usually. He opened the canopy of the jet. Looking west he saw the night lights of the grand city of St. Petersburg. A sigh a relief came from him. It wasn't perhaps sanctuary but it would protect them for a short amount of time in any case. His yes ran quickly over the streets and buildings of the city, making a mental map of the area. It was always the first thing he did when ever going into new area of combat or recreation and in this case emancipation. He would have time to come up with a strategy to perhaps solve the conflict he was having with his former friend and ally.
The back canopy opened behind him and nine white wolves came rushing out to him. The jumped on his legs and ran about the open space. Skyler was not far behind them.
Her black hair was all over her face, she flung her head back to get it out of her eyes. She yawned, "We are finally here."
"I hope you're rested, we may not get some sleep for some time."
"Why, Tanneth?"
"You see how dense this city is. It will take me sometime of searching to find the best location to rest."
"We are here, and no one really knows we are here, so can't we just stay in the city and be safe"
"Don't worry. We will be safe here for a while. What I need is some place I can have quick access to, is well shrouded and has a view."
"A view."
"This may be a permanent residence for me for some time. I can't remember how long ithas been,but I used to live where I could see a longaway asto the ocean, and the entire valley in between. It's nothing necessary."
"That's not unusual. I'm the same way, most people are too."
In some ways that comforted and others it didn't. He had waited too long. Why didn't he see what was happening sooner. Tabr was right to question his methods like that on the day he ran. This really could spell his doom, maybe the doom for all. He needed help. He couldn't avoid it then. The lights of St. Petersburg reminded him of what made the Dominion so powerful under the Master, the skill in using all of their combined strength to conquer. Tanneth closed his eyes thinking to the future. We all must pay a price, nothing is free from bonds. It was the grim truth that took him a lifetime of pain to learn.
The city was large. Its history was wholly unknown to Tanneth but he could guess it had been a long and eventful one, the kind that more often than not had a lot of unhappy chapters to it. The architecture was far more impressive than what he had seen so far. The art and beauty of it resembled his race's somewhat, but it lacked the advanced mechanics. Though it was still as foreign to him as the radio was, it gave some comfort to him. The rest of the city seemed generic with all the others he had seen. Motor driven vehicles ran on wheels down dual lane streets, side walks on both sides with hordes of humans walking any way they wished. Save the fact it was much colder there in St. Petersburg the people dressed in similar fashions, though their natural appearances differed. He began to notice the different in skin tone and color. That was something Dominion never could imagine. The Master had controlled their breeding so much as any traits such as to have dark skin was lost in the long eons in which the Master had ruled over all space. Humans though where different in the way that they all were very selfish and looked out for themselves above each other. It made it so that one odd one could not come and take advantage over them so easily. Tanneth reasoned that was why when a human showed great compassion or loving to another over themselves it was regarded with high respect and awe. Every human seemed too long to be a hero in their own right to Tanneth, or wanted to live their lives the way they wanted to. That was the theme of the art he saw that progressed and survived in all areas and all forms of their art. Human culture a new interest he had discovered on arriving at St. Petersburg, for a moment Sincion and Argon could not touch him and he was free to see how humans are what they are. Tanneth had spent much time with Demons. Mel was one he saw often. He had fought and killed many of them under the old empire. Their philosophy was true anarchy, the strongest rules. The most true and primitive of what Tanneth had been taught to regard as social order. Humans to contrast were more like Dominions. Having some of the same ideals. Humans just were lower on the chain to civilization. The Dominion's younger brother so to speak. Tanneth spent most of the night contemplating the relationship and the more he did the more he was driven to succeed in convincing his old friend Sincion. At the same time was fueled by his thoughts something bothered him. He didn't have Sincion's prescience, or telepathy even so his experience always led him to have a feel of what he could not see. He dismissed it as just his stress getting to him or perhaps his frustration on keeping track of a teenage girl and her nine pets. In any case, sleep would do him well.
The night grew long as Tanneth paced through the streets of St, Petersburg. Even at the early hour he was traveling many people still walked the streets. The public instillations and most of any privately owned businesses had closed but still there was one activity to keep them busy enough.
Tanneth for another hour buying time to gather his thoughts. I may still have some options left to me. I must find a way back safely into Makai. I must see Warlock and even Osiris. The Praetors' of the Dominion powers were minor compared to what influence and force they had under the Master, but their and maybe only their voices would be heard by the Dominion in the whole. The action to take became clear at last to him. Even the will of Sincion would bow to the voices of the all his people as one once again. At the same time it seemed promising it was almost imaginary. Could they possibly find some ground to come together again? After all this time? …if they are not locked in some conflict vengeful races they may agree. It may seem that the dominion could just join once again and destroy their enemies in one great strike, but what the Master had done to them, what they had done to each to her and too others. They lived too long to forget or forgive anything. Tanneth leaned against a traffic post and starred into the sphere stone. This one device could end their problems. Destroy the legacy which would haungh5t them for an eternity and perhaps restore what they had lost. Tanneth closed his eyes in regret. He had become too much like Warlock as and old friend had warned him. He saw Skyler doing her best to control her flock. He cared for humanity. When does an elite commando become a philosopher of justice and righteousness? Ironic for one who was trained by the best to kill not to care. Gaol had little respect for others not of our race. Why should I be showing this kind of compassion? Sometimes people must see the darkness to know the light. What changed was pain, the kind he bore for lost comrades and friends. Warping his mind he saw the absurdity all around him and drove to change.
Tanneth began to walked again. A sharp cold came into his chest. Not a pain but a change. Tanneth suddenly felt surrounded. Energy levels produced by his own were going up and down, but he was the only dominion for three thousand miles. So he knew, but even the presence of another wouldn't produce what he was experiencing. He turned his heads around and around, focusing on different parts of the sky and space surrounding him. It wasn't right. Nothing he knew did that.
In the emergency room of a hospital around nine city blocks from where he had collapsed, Chen Sin lay unconscious in his bed. His body was perpetrating madly. Several IV tubes were pierced into his veins pumping water into his body to prevent dehydration. His heart rate was also out of control. Though his condition was not nearly as serious as many of the other patients there on that day he was defiantly acquiring much attention. The nightly news which notified the local residents of St. Petersburg had special piece on his condition. For nearly a half a day his heart was running twice as fast as a normal person would running a marathon his body had sweated out its fluids probably on three occasions in that time. The emergency doctors which stood by him for the first third of his stay had left and were replaced by local biologist fascinated by his superb physical condition. They took his blood pressure almost every few minutes. They wanted to take him into the lab to have a cat scan of his brain while he was in this state, but the state laws prohibited that. They murmured to each other as Chen lay in a sleep dreaming terrible thoughts.
"This is incredible he could be the next link in evolution or something."
"There is no possible way he will stay in this condition for very long. No animal creature can."
"He must have had some freaky mutation to produce this kind of condition. He virtually has no physical flaws!"
"Not even a trace of acne on his skin. Like he was breed from the best of the best of people."
"I like to see himrun track. His red blood cell count is not that much more significant than most people, but his cells you would expect to find in superman. We can't even begin to calculate the number of DNA in the cells, and the RNA transitions are almost as fast as lightning."
"He could literally break every human fitness record d while he is sleeping."
"…and once he wakes up we will ask him his name." The men turned to see a middle aged man in a white overcoat. A tag showing his authority at that hospital hung from his left coat pocket. "Gentlemen I allowed you to do some tests out of generosity, but your really must leave him to recover."
"Doctor this man does not need to recover he needs to wake up. You certainly did a lot of biology papers, you can understand what ground breaking news this is to the….."
"The Scientific Community can wait for a fainted man to open his eyes."
"It's not just important to the Scientific Community, doctor, to the human race, to the entire animal kingdom."
"Please, sir. Your curiosity and amazement is shared but all of you standing around will get in the nurses' way and the only thing keeping this man from running himself to death are those IV tubes which much be changed rapidly, please leave."
The scientist were a little unwilling to let the discovery of the 21st centaury to go unwatched by them, but men of knowledge that they were, understood the doctors message they quietly and slowly began to exit the room.
Chen felt his head become more and more dazed as he laid back paralyzed. He heard it. The commotion running around him but his eyes seemed to be blind to it all. At times he felt as to be spinning but not being able to tell. He heard whispers of men and people he didn't know. They spoke as though he was strange and should not be. One seemed more potent. When he spoke the others silenced. His voice seemed to be not about Chen himself but something more general. Feeling helpless he tried to scream, let the others know he was. A truth came over him then. He had little friends, who would come to save him? Despair whaled around him as though it were a ghost, at this time he would have renounced the life he had and take new one contrary to his identity.
It crept up over his back then, the fear. He heard the heavy breathing and became deathly afraid. Sounds of creatures that he never heard before came, like the sensation he had on the street. Then like a godsend in all the darkness a light came. It was faint the light glimmer of a torch as it moved. The direction of its sourced changed. Then he saw it. Its crimson body was shrouded in this mystical aura given the light he saw. As it moved the light also revealed a man standing before him. To dim to see his face but his voice spoke clearly. "Find your denomination." Blunt he spoke. In his head he didn't understand, but Chen was so ready to accept it. He wouldn't this fain of helplessness. He wanted to live. This was a tomb to him though it seemed to go on without end, void of all thought and hope. Chen wanted to see this man. He felt close to him but then distant some part of him belonged while the other didn't what. He chose to live. Control regained, he stood on the black ground. Seeing him he walked but only goes so far. Something pulled him back. He took another step and his own being seemed to double. He tried to step again but fell to the ground. Slowly he raised his head. The man slowly disappeared and a much more malignant sense replaced him. It starred down at him in some kind of disgust. This force he couldn't see but would not let himself in that damned place. He tried to get up. Malice set in on him pushing down not wanting him to leave. He wouldn't have it. With a great cry he broke the wicked bond holding him down.
"Who brought him in here?"
"It was two American girls on a holiday." The doctor was being honest when he told the biologists that their feelings of excitement were shared. He couldn't help but wonder how a man could be like this. How he could posses something that is deemed impossible was the potent question. In all appearances he was English with his jet black hair and grey eyes, yet he had every trait that was boasted by people from African, Asian, German, and all other continents. The world's greatest athlete at least he was. A person would die in less than a fourth of the time he had spent under that kind of continual burden.
"Did they leave any clue to what his name is or where he comes from?"
"No doctor, they said they had just met him on the street. They said he seemed fine then he got up walked a few paces and acted like he was having a panic attack. Then he collapsed into this state."
"Did you have any progress with awakening him?"
"No doctor, ammonia just made it look he was going faster. Nothing seemed to get him to wake, even the hot temperatures his body is generating."
"I see, keep a sharp eye. I have a feeling he4 won't stay in that state for much longer. If he goes to arrest, have the desk phone me. I'm leaving for the night."
"Yes sir, good night."
It wasn't that long once the doctor turned his feet to the door that Chen awoke in a stream of fear. The nurse gasped, dropping the IV tube she was reattaching to his arm. The young physician turned his feet and ran to him. "It's all right young man. You're fine." Chen continued to fight, an unimaginable picture fresh in his mind. Even he wasn't sure why he was so afraid. "Sir please calm down. You're fine. You're in the hospital. There is nothing wrong with you."
"Where is he? Where is he?"
"Who, your father? Sir please calm down we will help find him."
"Where is he? Where did he fly to?"
"What….sir please!"
"I have to….I have to….where…."
"Sir I am Doctor Ramius I will help you. Please calm down. You will be fine."
Chen began to look about the room franticly. His self came back partially. He saw him as in a hospital. He saw he was alive. The sense of hopelessness faded and a strong sense of question came.
"I have to go."
"I understand that sir, but we must take care of some things first. If you could please give me your name and then rest for a bit I can…."
The three biologists came into the room, having heard the noise from Chen's panic. "He's awake! Jesus, can we please talk to you?"
Doctor Ramius scoffed when they arrived, "No please wait outside."
"Doctor we must talk to this man. It is vital to…."
Ramius didn't wait for him to finish. "He his in this hospital I must take care of him to make sure he is fit for activity."
"Fit for activity," another of the scientist exclaimed, "he is fit for more than any activity could give him."
The nurse was holding Chen up on his bed. His head was pounding with pressure and rational thought was not coming that easily to him. The feeling was still strong; he had to get out, to find answers or to get away. Chen couldn't understand it. He got up struggling from the bed to stand. "I must leave."
The nurse tired to calm him down. "You're very tired sir. You can sleep on this bed and can sing your self out in the morning." Chen slowly fell to his knees finding it difficult to focus.
"Please, just leave me."
The attention of Dr. Ramius and the other men shifted to him, wanting to hear what words he had to say. Ramius left the scientists at the door and went to help the nurse lift Chen back to his bed. "You'll be fine in the morning."
"No, I need to…to leave now."
Ramius placed his hand on Chen's shoulder, to try and stop him but Chen pushed him off. "Just leave me be."
"Excuse me sir, my name is Professor Walters of the University of…"
Chen pushed him to the side. The Professor stumbled and knocked the other. Chen began to walk out of the emergency room of the hospital, not realizing that he had no shirt and no shoes and the cold temperature outside. He had to leave.
"Sir please I need to take care of some legal matter before I can allow you to leave my care," Dr. Ramius called after him. Chen ignored all the shouts behind him. He walked toward the front doors of the hospital. His mind was still buried in the thought of the dream. He had concluded it to such by that time. Even if it was dream and not something other, it was the most moving and disturbing dream he had ever experienced. The emotion, the fear, the feeling of the creatures around him and the strange figures that stood before him, they all were so imposing in his mind. This he would not forget in all of the years that lay ahead of him. He walked further to the doors, not noticing all the attention he was getting from other doctors and patients of the hospital. Some paces from the room he was in he saw the exit and backed on step away. He saw reporters and camera men following with the microphone holders behind. They looked this way and that in the lobby then a few pointed towards him and they began to move through the crowds of people between Chen and them.
Chen didn't need this attention. He turned around and walked back into the hospital. He wasn't sure where he would go. Further on he saw Dr. Ramius and other nurses walking around looking fro him. He was in pickle. He had to get out with as low as profile as he could get. His record wasn't exactly spotless and it would be much better if his name was left unknown to the general public view then. He ran further down the hospital and stopped in front on the elevator. He pushed the up button over dozen times, starring over shoulders at the people hunting him. The few seconds seemed longer than they were before the door opened. He was alone in the cabin and pressed a random floor near the top of the hospital. He leaned against the mirror behind him. His head still pounded. He was dreaming for over half a day and was more tired than he had ever been in his lifetime. He moved his hands through his sweat filled hair combing it back. Why did he collapse like that? He had had pains but none with that kind of sensation and none that ever made him hallucinate. He couldn't understand it. What caused a human being to become so insane in a moment? His confusion only contributed to his headache. A ping was heard and the metal doors of the elevator moved aside dot reveal the seventh floor of the hospital. Holding his head in his hands he walked out. Luckily enough no one on that floor seemed to be interested so much in him.
The seventh floor wasn't that much different than the other floors. It was set up for people who planned stay only a few nights in the hospital. The hall was mainly empty save for a nurse walking between some of the occupied rooms. White marble tile floor and plainly decorated walls made it more pleasant to move through than what he had imagined a hospital would feel. He walked ten more paces and the feel gradually changed.
His heart began to sink into his chest again, giving a sharp pain. The fear came back. The sense of some undesirable coming toward him was there once again. Chen back away, but it came stronger and stronger. The invisible presence advanced slowly as if it wanted to see Chen tremble in fear. His nerves burned with anxiety. He was almost paralyzed, frozen in place and starring into a lit hallway and not seeing the beast he was so fearful of. Again he lost to why. He knew there was nothing here. He saw nothing there with his own two eyes. The marble had no shadow, the air no stench of a presence of another. No noise was heard to cause alarm. One step back again he took. He lost control of his breathing; each breath became more staggered and displaced. He tried to recollect tell his mind to let his control come back. His skin then went cold as if some energy came from down the hall onto him. Step and step he regressed down the hall, wanting to move forward but unable. It seemed to stop and scan him, as if it was targeting him. What was targeting him? He felt so afraid. He began panic personally. He thought he was losing his mind. The ends of his sanity coming unwoven in the course of a day. That day! .Questioning himself he found the strength to move forward. One step and more confidence went into him. Another after another the invisible enemy became more potent but he became the more willed. Faster and faster he walked and the being melted from his senses.
Triumphantly he proceeded normally down the hall, convinced he had conquered the irrational fear in his mind. Saintly regained he pondered as how to get out of that hospital without too much notice, but as he began to wary the fear came back. This time it wasn't in his mind or as he thought. He heard the low hoarse growl of the predator. It's spirit energy emanating from around him. He heard the faint wisp of the air as it stalked him. This was true he knew. He couldn't imagine this. His eyes wide with the fear, the beast came to shape. The light on the wall trembled moving in ripples of darkness. Shadows danced as the growl came closer. The shadows came down from their walls and mingled their darkness. The blacker and blacker they came to be, until the monster was in full shape. Chen watched his doom with disbelief. He knew of demons but not this, not the Stephen King invisionments manifesting their power before his sight. It formed showing its dexterity in stealth. The shadow lifted it self from the bonds of the ground, free in the open air the evil found its desire. Out from the shadow bore a hideous beast. Its body long and snake like its legs armed with gray claws of steel. Its blackened eyes starring at him with the intent of destruction. It gave a low hiss at Chen, bobbing its head up and down. Chen saw it and could not believe. Why did it want him why was he important. The creature had no answers only pain to give to him.
Chen faced that thing that should not be. Starring directly into its dark soul or whatever lay inside its heart. The creature drew back and few straight at Chen, its jaw wide open to receive the new morsel. Chen himself stood paralyzed with fear, to conquer by the beast to defend, something inside pulled him. He turned and ran down the hall hearing the roars of the creature behind him. With such speed he ran almost faster that the cameras could pick up. He saw the window into the street. He burst through it shattering the glass. His bound almost seemed to fly. The cold air hit his bare skin like needles. Time was paused for a second floating in the air over the street he heard the sound of many beast following him, not just the shadow.
What is this? I must still be in a dream. A dream….It was the only thing he could accept these things to be real. His feet reached the roof of the neighboring building and Chen ran on the roof tops. He was lost to catch up in instinct. Animals of sorts even the most evolved had an instinct to fall onto when in great fear. It was almost the same for all, to run.
His adrenalin pumped as he soared over and over running from his enemy. Heard his heart pump. The sound of a drum, it drove him to go on. His body carried him to new heights in his previous mind he would had considered impossible for him, but in this dream he grew into a better power. He ran and ran, not resting. The fear began to lose speed and trail behind him. He had won. He had escaped his death. A smile of relief came onto his face as he continued to run despite the cold. Despair came next.
He heard it like all the other sounds it came quietly growing with strength and quickly. He felt as though as knife was in his heart. The pain was so real, but no blood left him. His foot then fell sort as he tried to leap over on more space. He fell into the wall, rolling off it into a dumpster, hitting the snow with a crack and helpless posture.
He lay there, broken by creatures of insanity. His heart seemingly was failing. It tried to beat causing him great pain. It beat once and energy was released from Chen. It traveled in a wave from him all directions over the city of St. Petersburg.
-Special thanks to Virgil for creating the character Chen Shin.
Author's Note: I am not too happy with this chapter. Mainly because it ran on so long that I didn't get to finish the design I had and meet my deadline. Please send your opinion on this chapter, all those who don't review. I tried some knew styles and I want to know how I did in writing.
-If any one is interested please apply for a staff position on my new C2 community.
-Finally I need some criticism on my OCs (aka Tanneth, Sincion, Argon, Kyra, Gaol, Bashar, Osiris). All opinions wanted even flamers.
If I am focusing too little on Yusuke and company for some of you, I promise that the next two chapters will be better.
Rock on guys!
Thanks for reading.
