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(Charles' perspective)
He stood behind the wall of a house as soldiers walked past. A quick look told him the soldiers were searching for him.
He had to face it: He was a criminal. If they found him, they would kill him. He remembered being pushed out of the way as gunshots threw his friends from the wall.
Remembered the sting of a bullet grazing his cheek as he jumped and landed on soft hay below. He closed his eyes. Losing himself in the past wouldn't help him.
Charles had been living in the shadows for two days, trying to find a way out of the city. Soldiers were everywhere. Puro and Colin... They weren't able to find what remained of the two.
He knew that much from listening in on people. Life was even worse for him, on the run but nowhere to run to. He shook his head and darted into the darkness between two houses,
pulling a peach from the market stall next to the house as he went. Supplies were going missing. Charles was getting ready. Food, weapons, everything he needed to survive outside of the wall.
The death of his two friends had sparked in him a rage. He would leave the Stronghold, and seek a new life. He jumped, catching hold of the roof above him and climbing up.
Crouching on the roof of the house closest to the wall, Charles pulled out his pack to make sure he had everything. Food enough to last a fortnight, clothes, an array of knives.
His sword. He swung it, listening to the blade's swish. He grinned, for just a moment. A relic of his family. Now, the blade of Charles Soundlaw. He wondered if it would taste blood. And... The crystal.
He stared into it, the green surface charged with power.
Yes... that's right. Touch it.
His eyes widened. He could hear a voice, speaking in his head.
Touch the crystal. You want to be like your friends, don't you?
He blinked. The crystal drew to him, and he wanted to answer hit.
Join me, let me control you. I could help you get revenge...
Charles reached for the crystal. As he did, he had a vision of green eyes, a dragon staring into his soul.
"You tried to kill me! I won't do it." He said and backed away from the bag.
The crystal shimmered red. Anger. Charles slammed the bag shut and zipped it. He'd throw it away once he was outside the city. For now, he had to climb.
In a few small spots, the wall was covered with bits of ivy and chipped. It was small, but it let Charles gain his footing. He moved slowly, and it was many minutes before he could stand up,
on top of the wall, and he nearly fell right back down when he saw what was waiting for him. A dark latex creature, its white mask facing him.
Behind it stood another, two, three, four- An army stood, looking up at him. They were crawling up, using the tree that Charles would always use. And in the center of it...
The dragon. The rage inside him sharpened into a weapon, when the beast met his eyes. He drew his blade, and cut down the wolf approaching him.
Charles sliced through all the latex creatures on the wall, and the dragon flew towards him.
"I will defend this place!" He vowed as his death flew towards him. Sword met claw, and Charles was caught in the dragon's fist as wolves swarmed the wall.
The dragon remarked "The place you earlier renounced? You don't care about them. Or you won't soon, anyway."
Charles struggled as it perched on the wall.
"You want to transform me yourself. Why?" He said.
"I'd like to have your memories. You're a very interesting human, and I would rather absorb your mind then have a mindless creature control you." The dragon said.
Sticky latex crawled into his boots, fusing them to the dragon's claw. it splattered over his right arm, trapping it.
"No!" He yelled.
It would be latex, not blood, his sword would taste.
"Charles Soundlaw. I know everything about you. I am you." The dragon said, triumphant.
He tore his sword from the latex claw around him with his left hand.
Charles yelled "Not... Yet!"
He swung his sword behind him, and there was a savage roar as the dragon reared back, and it pulled its claw away from Charles, sticky goop stretching between them.
The sword was impaled in the green eye of the dragon. He claimed the sword, jabbing the dragon's other eye. The dragon rose, wings beating. The force of the wind pushed him backwards.
His foot slid backwards and-
"What?" He gasped.
His friends were there, to pull him up. To stand with him.
He said "How are you both alive?"
"Trust me, we can survive a lot." Said Colin.
They stood to either side of him, fur matted with blood-like latex. Alive. A bit of dark latex crawled up Charles' arm, but Puro knocked it off.
Charles couldn't express how much he was happy his friends were alive, and he didn't have time to show it. Together, they worked to cut down the hordes climbing up the log.
He danced between the wolves, cutting them apart with renewed energy. With a savage strike, he cut down the log using the blade.
No more creatures would enter the city. Not that it was needed. Wolves tore The Stronghold apart in mere minutes, and soon the survivors were few.
The military had no chance to group together and put up a solid defense. It would be the end of Charles' home.
The three watched from the wall as a pocket of humanity was conquered. Remaining military forces gathered, firing upon the growing army of wolves. Latex flew everywhere.
"You tried to escape this place, then tried to help it. What do you really want to do?" Colin asked.
Charles said "It may not be right, but I want to leave. I want to go with you two."
They set off into the woods as the last bullet rang out.
Charles said "So, you come from a lab, huh? Tell me about it."
