Hello friends.

Been a while.


The air was crisp, almost autumn. The pollen in the air, the sound of animals foraging, it was the perfect time.

Luz was crouched behind a bush, hidden from sight. Her hoodie and cargo pants protected her from the slight chill, helped her to blend into her surroundings. She was being hunted, she knew that. She had seen him twice now, prowling through the woods like some great beast.

He had passed within ten feet of her almost half an hour ago. In that time she had not moved an inch, had not even dreamed of twitching. She lay there, motionless, seemingly dead to the whole world.

But she was not unaware. To be unaware out here, in the wild, in nature, is a death sentence. And Luz was too old to be caught unaware out here.

She breathed calmly and evenly through her nose. She reckoned it was only a few hundred yards to her home, or the place she had been calling home. She held her breathe and forced her heart to slow, and listened.

She could hear it all, the breeze through the trees, the soft rustle of leaves as they brushed against each other.

She smelled the earthy foliage underneath her, the dark musty sent of decay and renewal that was the forest floor.

It was now or never, she moved, shifting her body to crawl without lifting herself. The slow low crawl was quiet, indistinguashable from the noise of other creatures prowling about. Soon, soon she would make it back home.

She crept forward, slowly, willfully, diligently. No movement was a mistake, no action unthought of. She crawled, on her belly, shifting like some kind of primeval serpent, moving throught the darkness of the brush.

Luz focused her mind, willed herself to be silent, she was darkness, she was silence itself, she was-

"Found you," and a high intensity beam of red light poked through the foliage and down at her head. Dammit.

She sighed and went limp, her head plopping onto the moist dirt theatrically. Her body, so tense these last hours, also went limp and she sprawled. Then she collected herself.

Luz, age eleven, stood and brushed herself off, pouting. "How?" she asked, incredulous.

Uncle Sharpe looked down on her, that near constant arrogant grin on his face, "You're not as stealthy as you think. Better than most kids, mind you, but still not hard to find if you know what to do."

She pulled the hoodie down and shivered as the chill air passed over her neck. "How far did I make it?"

Sharpe rolled his eyes up and jostled his head side to side, calculating, "I'd say, probably 200 feet better than last week, still about a half mile from the cabin though." Sharpe rolled his shoulders and motioned for her to follow. "Now c'mon, I'm starving and we still gotta prepare the rest of that deer," he said.

Luz's stomach growled and her mouth watered at the thought of hot venison. Dad didn't like deer, "Too gamy" he said, whatever gamy even meant.

Luz trotted alongside her uncle. The tall, bearded man, lithe and sinewy, walked with a slight limp, you'd never guess he was missing the entire lower half of his leg. If you did know you'd never guess he lived about a fifty miles from the nearest civilization in Montana, almost completely self sufficient. You'd also never guess from his friends, cocky and charming exterior he had killed more men than most in the world would dare claim.

Sharpe was an old buddy of Luz's father's, a man he regarded as a brother, and someone he trusted with the most precious thing in the world: his daughter. And like most of her "uncles" Luz was put through a crash course of real world experience, and personal philosophy.

All of Luz's uncles were different, Shortman lived in the city, dedicated his time to helping the community and believed in the "brotherhood of men" while Sharpe believed in the "Supremacy of the Individual".

Luz didn't really get most it, she figured she would when she was older.

As they walked Sharpe offered some rather mild critiques on her stealthiness, "You also do this thing, where when you think someone is near you do an intake of air. It's a natural enough reaction, your body is prepping for fight or flight, however, it's still audible. Thirty or so minutes ago I passed by you close enough to hear it, just barely. But barely is all you need if you got good ears."

He steps carefully over a log on the trail, and takes a couple small steps to regain his stride. If you look at him as he walks on a street, you'd never know he was missing a leg from nearly the knee down, but once you watch him long enough you can see the slight limp that never quite goes away. Sharpe was very good on his new leg, courtesy of the VA, but climbing over rugged terrain still gave him some trouble.

"And on that note, you also still tense up, like a whole body tense, like a little kid that gets caught in the cookie jar. And again, you can hear it just barely, all the leaves and grass under you just goes crunch. Work on it and practice your relaxation techniques. We'll try again in a week or two."

The enter into a clearing, and a small but elegant cabin sits in it. Luz runs on ahead, "I call carving! You can cook tonight!"

Luz hated cooking, she much preferred the act of carving the meat up, practicing with the cutlery.

"Won't hear me complain. I hate knives."

It was a good day.


Unlike today, which was a very very bad day. Possibly the worst day. That was still up in the air. For one, Luz had nearly died suffocating in a bog in North Carolina, and then somehow she had found herself in a forest very clearly not North Carolina. Nevermind the fact that none of the air was cooler, the trees were purple. Fucking purple! What the hell was that about?

Luz tredged through the brush, thinking. The rocks were wrong too, less like a sediment and more like some kind of calcification. All of them. Luz had assumed at first she had died in that bog, sucked to the bottom of some stupid sandpit. Then she got scraped by some of the weird purple foliage and it had drawn blood.

As Luz looked at the bleeding back of her hand she contemplated reality, and ultimately determined that, no, she was not dead, she was actually just somewhere else. Luz was fairly certain dead people can't bleed, being a spirit or whatever would pass on.

She looked up and saw some weird bird thing. Ah, so the flora isn't the only thing that is weird, the fauna is horrific and bizarre too. The bird thing cawed at her, almost like a raven, but not quite, then blinked it's one large horrifying eye at her and flew away.

Good. Weird place. She continued moving, following the sun, hoping that in Weird Place the sun also set the same, and not in the north, or the south, or some other third unknown thing.

She figured she wouldn't be rescued, so she had to keep moving, preferably in a straight line, working under the assumption that Weird Place also had Weird People, and hopefully they would make Weird Roads, and she could follow one to a Weird Town where she could be Weird Safe.

But as the hours drew on, she figured she'd need to camp. It wasn't too cool, so hopefully Weird Place wouldn't freeze spontaneously overnight and she could sleep in a grave. Then in the morning she would keep looking. As the sun went down Luz resolved to settle before it got too dark, and began preparing a makeshit fighting hole, and covering it with branches.

Sharpe had taught her how to do this much, Young Marines taught her some more. So hopefully it would be enough and not too uncomfortable. But something wasn't quite right.

All day, the forest, for as weird as it was, still seemed like a forest, alive and alert with creatures. They moved about, foraging and hunting, but now, it was quiet. Too quiet. Even for the night. And now she was getting that ache in her stomach. The burn on her neck.

She was being watched.

Luz didn't like it. She didn't like that she didn't know what it was, what it wanted, or where it was. Felt like it was everywhere. Moving, fast, nimble.

It was in the tops of the trees, then it was in the bushes. Circling, like some kind of predator.

That is just what she needed.

Slowly, acting as though she was still preparing her bed, she moved her hand up her thigh, and felt the handle of the Kabar fighting knife on her hip.

Luz thought if it was a badger, or maybe a bobcat sized creature she could scare it off, maybe fight it off, but that would be expensive. You never knew with animals. Anything bigger and she'd have to run and take her chances trying the forest. Risks there too, a sprained or broken ankle, embankments she couldn't see. Broken neck maybe.

Well, Luz figured, a broken neck is better than a mauling, or being eaten alive. Hopefully.

She looked over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of it, large, lumbering, it's eyes reflective, almost luminescent. It was watching her. Judging her.

Luz relaxed and focused her eyes, the forest was dark, but stray beams of moonlight illuminated the foliage. She could do it, she could run, just far enough to hide. Wait out the predator. It couldn't risk calories hunting prey it lost, it would move on to find easier meals.

Ok. Good. Just need to find the right time.

But the time found her. The thing, the monster it bolted from it's hiding spot, maw open, eyes wide, it's long gangly thimb limbs tore at the forest, pushing pulling, climbing towards her. Luz took off, perpendicular to it's charge, hoping she would gain precious moments as it recalculated it's pursuit, and also stay out of range of those long claws the thing had.

She did, she managed to get out of range and ran, vaulting a log, and sidestepping troublesome foliage. She could hear the thing, but did not dare take her eyes from what was in front of her. No unnecessary risks, not even small ones. The thing was frantic, it made awful roaring noises, somewhere between a bear and elk, but the more she heard it the more it sounded like a scream then a roar. It chilled her bones, set fear into her stomach, prickled her hairs. She needed to get away.

The only bet was outrunning it long enough to find a hiding spot, just had to stay aware, just had to keep moving, she was on her own, and there was no help coming,

"Get down!" a voice yelled, and a bright flash of light roared out of the darkness. Luz dropped instinctively and rolled. The light, a bright ball, flew passed and hit the monster. It roared and in the brief glimpse of light Luz saw the monster in it's entirety. It reminded Luz of a monster from legend. Like a corpse given life by some malevolent spirits. It roared and charged the source of the light. Luz heard more voices now, in the darkness, dancing around her.

"That's it! This way! This way!" one said, and a similar voiced responded, "Keep him corralled, we can't let him escape!" There were rushing noises overhead, and a thud as boots landed near her. "Get the civilian! Get her to safety! We'll handle Belos!" A sharp "Aye!" was all she heard. Luz pushed herself up, and felt a hand on her arm, she wheeled on it, breaking the grip and readied to fight.

The figure who had grabbed her, wearing a grey mask, almost like a bird, and a white cloak raised gloved hands defensively, palms open, facing out. A sign of peace, "Woah woah, it's okay, we're the good guys!" Luz relaxed slightly at the voice, "My name is Hunter, I'm going to get you out of here, okay?"

Luz swallowed and lowered her guard, "I'm Luz… I just got here."

The masked man's head tilted in question at that statement, but then he reached into a pocket on his cloak and pulled out something, whatever it was, it was bright and illuminated the woods well.

"Follow me," he said, and started to walk slowly.

Luz followed and resisted the urge to ask question after question. She pulled her hood tighter around her head. Information consolidation. Don't give away more than you get, especially with someone you don't know.

After some time the masked man spoke up again, "You don't talk much do you?"

"Not if I don't have to."

"Fair enough, but like I said, we're the good guys. No need to be afraid."

"I'm not afraid. And who are you anyway?"

The man jerked a thumb over his shoulder to his cloak, bright white in the darkness, and on it was grey sigil. It meant nothing to Luz.

"Thanks. And that would mean?"

"Did you hit your head? Oh no you must be from one of the autonomous zones right?"

These were basically gibberish. So Luz went with the easier answer. "Yeah… hit my head and got lost. Where am I? And who are you?"

"You're on the Lower East Fibula. And like I said, I'm Hunter. I'm with the Grey Guard. Or I will be. Tonight's my first night out." He reached back and scratched the back of his head. "Heck of a first mission huh?"

"Yeah.." Luz still had no idea what was going on.

"Camp is up ahead, only a few dozen more meters."

As they pushed through the brush, Luz found herself suddenly in a clearing, a small one, with a couple dozen dark tents and a single small fire at the center.

"Halt. Who goes there?" a voice called out from the edge of the camp.

"Guardsman Hunter. Salutations brother," Hunter called back to the Guard.

"Salutations to you. Where is your team, Guardsman? Is our Uncle returned to us?"

"I was separated. We found a civilian wandering, pursued by the Emperor. I don't know about the rest."

"Very well. Welcome home, Little Brother, and guest."

As they drew near, Luz could see a taller man in a similar uniform. He held a staff, or stick, presumably a weapon of some kind, adorned with a mechanism.

"Report to Commander Butcher, he'll want an update, as small as it is, and show him your new friend."

"We aren't friends," Luz muttered. She was uncertain about this whole series of events.

"Too bad, no better friend then a Grimwalker."

Again with the nonsense words.

"Come on," Hunter said, pulling down his hood and removing the mask.

Only now did Luz realize how young he was. Not much older than her. He was blonde, with close cropped hair, faded to a longer portion on top, but his eyes, they were a blood red. Unnatural. He had several small scars across his face, and where he smiled, there was a chip in his tooth.

His ears too, they were pointed, mishappen.

As they progressed through the camp Luz spied several other Guards, all the same, all with red eyes and pointed ears. All similar, but different. Like a family.

They came to a large tent with two masked guards.

"State your purpose," one asked.

"Guardsman Hunter, returning from a hunt, with a civilian, and a field report for Commander Butcher."

"Very well, enter."

They pushed through the flaps and Luz found herself warmer. It was a spacious tent, with maps, a bunk, a chest, several tools or instuments and one very large Guardsman at the center behind a makeshift table.

"Guardsman, what brings you back so early, I trust our Uncle has not been brought back to the fold so easily."

"No sir," Hunter stated, "While tracking the Emperor we located a lone civilian in the woods being pursued by him. I was instructed by Sgt. Walker to escort her back to camp. Last I saw, the team was hounding the Emperor east, towards the outer Fibula."

"Titan willing we will run him off a cliff into the Boiling Sea. Let's see your find." The Commander motioned to Luz to come forward.

Tenuously Luz took steps and stood in front of him, eyes bowed.

"No need to be shy Lass, you're among friends here. I assure you the rumors of the Guard are only that. Now please, take the hood off, and lets have a look at you."

Luz slowly reached up and lowered her dirty hoodie, then looked up in the unsettling red eyes of the large man. He had a large burn going across his face, corner to corner. His eyes widened and he raised a hand to rub at his chin. Luz heard Hunter utter a small gasp.

"A human," the Commander said, "Aye, well that is very interesting."