1. Want to get our most recent announcements - and XP codes - in your email?

    Sign up for our mailing list!

MineZ Descent to Madness Part 3: Triumph or Perish

Discussion in 'Roleplay' started by DarkApostle999, Jun 22, 2013.

MineZ - Descent to Madness Part 3: Triumph or Perish
?

Should I Keep Writing With This Schedule

Yes; this pace is ok. 13 vote(s) 92.9%
Yes; but write shorter chapters. 1 vote(s) 7.1%
No; write a chapter each week or so instead of each day. 0 vote(s) 0.0%
No; write short chapters and write one each week. 0 vote(s) 0.0%
Just stop writing your terrible story! 0 vote(s) 0.0%
  1. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    Part 3 already! I have made a poll for advice on how I should schedule my writing process to make these parts last, or if I should (am I making sense? Maybe not). You will understand, I hope. Anyway, here is Part 3:
    Link to Part 2: http://shotbow.net/forum/threads/27796/
    Part 1: http://shotbow.net/forum/threads/21115/
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Chapter 30 - Long Live the Undead
    A flash of bright orange. A figure in orange leather armour dashed through the breach and ran out the gates. He was obviously using adrenaline rushers. A horde of foul-spawn swarmed into the town. They stopped following him and went after each of us.
    “Retreat!” I yelled. My team and our bandit allies fled the town as undetected as possible. The noise of the Uprising bows fortunately had the zombies go to them. They were crippled now but not much blood was spilt, just a few casualties. It was just one retreat after another. I felt like this war would go nowhere if more intrusions came.
    The last of the zombies against us were cut down by our swords. I panted a bit. That girl was a tough foe. I still felt the touch of unholy power in her blade.
    “Apostle,” my radio buzzed.
    “Delfias?”
    “We are under siege here. Grimdale has some company from Equilibrium. I am sending back Sean’s group and I want you to help in the defense.”
    “Our group will come back but Sean’s group will press forward. We just made a blow on Uprising but not yet on Equilibrium. With our new allies, we could hold together while Sean’s group penetrates Equilibrium when they make their attack. Tell Sean for his group to press forward.”
    “It will be done.”
    I put the radio in my pocket and thought for a minute.
    “Equilibrium?” The bandit leader asked.
    “I’ll explain on the way.”
    ************************
    While Amia was gone, Jackson had loosened himself from the vines and crawled to his axe on the opposite side of the room. He was cutting the binds on his hands and feet. Melody was still tied up by the vines. Fortunately Amia did not imprison Jackson as thoroughly.
    The vine binds broke loose and he used his axe to chop the rest off himself. He walked towards Melody and shook her awake. “Lets go,” he said. Jackson used his axe to tear the vines off Melody.
    The two looked from the window. He recognized this; the Anti-Zombie Fortress: Yawpton’s speed building project to protect to shelter from the hordes when the outbreak was first heard of. Apparently, it failed due to the stupid architects staircase design, which allowed the hordes to break in and massacre the resistance. Jackson and his barely known colleagues, Joshua and Edward, protested against the staircase idea.
    Pushing the memories out of his head, he looked down the stairs before making his way out. There were dozens of zombies down there. For some reason, it seemed like too many for a natural horde to form and stay in one place. Melody signaled him to go to an upstairs balcony. There, they found vines to make their way down. The two were as careful as possible not to attract the horde or be spotted by Lucas or Amia.
    They finally reached the ground and they fled into the forest. The two found themselves at the Logging Camp. Looked like Uprising did not occupy this area. They stayed at a building to rest for the night. Melody told Jackson of how she kept Romero stabilized until a mysterious cunning bandit led a bandit revolt. When Equilibrium heard of this, they put Romero under siege by blockading all the entrances with troops along the walls. Anyone, even the innocent, who stepped even a foot out of an exit would have been killed on the spot. Apparently, the bandit who started this was Amia herself, who tricked Melody into an escape through the sewers. Amia imprisoned Melody for over a week since.
    “Uprising may be a threat but even the group from where I came from has also seen Equilibrium’s flaws,” Jackson responded to Melody’s story.
    “As much as I want my revenge on Uprising, my friends are still trapped in Romero, possibly dead,” she said. “And Equilibrium is also a threat due to their zealousness. I say we go back in there and make our own uprising.”
    “A bandit uprising?”
    “Just with my friends and the innocents. However, bandits may be necessary to suppress Equilibrium.”
    “In other words, they would be fodder in battle. It still seems so bandit-like.”
    “Best idea I can think of right now. Besides, the bandits will be killed off early and Romero may be restored.”
    “Ok, I’m with you, Melody.”
    “Are you sure you don’t want to return to your group?”
    “I do but this is a cunning tactic. Thankfully, I found my radio back there. I shall inform my leader tomorrow morning. Actually, it should be a surprise.”

    Chapter 31 - The Tale of Two Cities... Under Siege
    As we were walking back to Grimdale, I decided to get to know our new bandit allies. “So what is your name?” I asked the leader.
    “Cory, former general of the Western Kingdom of Grimdale,” he spoke.
    My eyes widened. “Wow, an honor to meet you. I did not expect one like you to become a bandit.”
    “I learned that it’s the only way to go these days. But my history has not left me. It’s partly the reason why Uprising wants our heads since I am military authority. Ironically, their leader was also a former general.”
    “Who?”
    “Lucas, that really tough looking guy. He didn’t support the peace and resigned his duties when the war ended. He was the best of us. Maybe if he stayed in command, we may have had a chance against these zeds.”
    “Is that the bad part?”
    “Worse still, when we came in Yawpton just now, I noticed that he had a Shotbow. It was an experimental weapon but was never put to use during the war. Only the generals of the west knew of its existence and only the general who forged it knew of it’s hiding place after the war.”
    “Lucas?”
    “No, which is why I was surprised that he had one. The general who invented the Shotbow disappeared when the outbreak began. Even his name was top secret.
    “Anyway, continuing with introductions, this here is Gurro,” he pointed at the iron bandit about half his age. “I like to call him my ‘champion’ since he was the first one I teamed up with when this all started. He loves using his own crafted grenades.
    “And this here is Brenda,” he pointed at the female iron bandit. “She was a lieutenant of mine since the war and I met up with her again a while after the outbreak. It was her who drove me into bandit-hood. She was a brutal leader of a pack of weaker bandits. After applying my leadership, her brutality, and Gurro’s inspiration, we made a good trio. The fourth leader you killed was Peter, who was supposed to be our diplomat to talk with other bandit clans. He was good until Uprising came in and killed our allies. We were driven out of Al Hasa and had to hide in Aspiremont.”
    After I introduced the high ranks of my group, we saw the walls of Grimdale. Equilibrium soldiers were guarding the entrances. Had Grimdale fallen? No; I heard the sound of arrows. Delfias must have the team holding up somewhere. We drew our weapons.
    “I guess teaming with your team will mark a real bad reputation for my team,” I said to Cory.
    “Well we share common goals, banditing is like a pastime when not trying to survive this rotten world.”
    “No worries, I can tell why people bandit.”
    “Really now?”
    “Yeah, I’m guessing it’s because it feels good to be feared by you kill count.”
    “That’s mostly the reason for us, yes.”
    “Well then, enough talk. Let us take back Grimdale.”
    Our archers fired from the flanks. Arrows pelted the Equilibrium guards on their sides. Facing enemies on both sides, they were having trouble making a counter-attack. Cory’s tactic was working. Us swordsmen shouted as we charged straight into our foe. Equilibrium, too busy with our archers, did not have time to react as our blades dug into the chinks of their armour. I sort of felt a rush of bloodlust. Grabbing an enemy by the neck, I smashed his head into the wall. After four repeated smashes, his head collapsed into a pulp of gore and brain matter. We lost one archer and I saw three of our team’s zombie forms charge out from behind the wall. They were the ones who defended this town before we arrived. I knocked on to the ground with a punch. A bandit with chain armour and spiked gloves punched the zombie again as it tried to get up again. This time, it was down for good.
    I thanked the bandit, “What’s your name?”
    “George, at your service,” he responded with a chuckle. “Lets kill some anti-bandits.”
    We ran along the streets and saw Equilibrium storming the church. They were firing arrows though the small entrance but were being hit by them as well. Our men were definitely in there. Gurro sneaked close to the fountain and threw a grenade into Equilibrium. The explosion really caught them by surprise. On the other side, close to the graveyard, our archers fired at the anti-bandits who were still standing after the explosion. The storm of arrows knocked them to the walls of the church. Before the pinned enemies could get back up, our close quarter men charged in. Cory kicked one in the face and then stabbed his diamond sword into the jaw. Brenda had an enemy pinned on the wall and was about to beat him to death. George intervened and socked the pinned anti-bandit dead with his his spiked gloves. The chain bandit had a smirked at Brenda until she punched him, knocking him out. I raised an eyebrow at Cory, signifying my confusion. He made a heart shape with his hands. I made a silent ‘oh,’ realizing George’s romantic interest.
    Delfias ran out of the church building, rapidly slashing his sword at the last anti-bandit. He looked at me after making his kill. “Welcome back, my Apostle,” he said. “I’m glad you met our new allies well.”
    “Thank you for allowing them to live. If you killed these bandits, we would all have died. It is they who deserve thanks.” Thanking a bandit, I thought, sounds so unusual.
    “Well then,” Cory interrupted, “lets go discuss battle plans, shall we?”
    ********************
    Melody placed an activation rune on the iron doors of the sewers. Jackson looked up while staying close to the wall. Thanks to the cover of night, Equilibrium patrols along the Romero walls did not spot the two survivors. They snuck inside and met the fouls stench of the filth under the city.
    After climbing up a small waterfall, they saw a man standing in front of them. He was in his teens and in leather armour; not much to be an Equilibrium guard. The sewer dueler grabbed Jackson and knocked him on the wall. Melody tried to slice him with her sword but he ducked and kicked her into the water.
    “We mean you no harm,” Jackson tried to reason. He felt the back of his head bleeding.
    “Why are you in my sewers?” He asked. “I don’t want them Equilibrium to notice....”
    A figure sneaked up from behind the man and knocked him out with the butt of a wooden sword. Another man entered as well. They were both about the same age. One gave Jackson a hand and the other helped Melody.
    “Sorry about that guy,” said the one who helped Jackson. “Brat there is just terrible to handle. Probably not a good idea to hide down here. What are your names?”
    “I am Jackson and this is Melody,” Jackson introduced.
    “Well, I am Valk and this here is my friend Stud. We will take you to the Night Watch HQ; we will discuss our stories there.”
    The four of them swam up a waterfall and found themselves emerging onto the streets of Romero. Valk signaled them to stay close to the buildings so they are not seen. Jackson saw zombies roaming all over the place. At one point, a bandit was mutilating a poor soul by the fountain and tried to loot his food. Arrows sprang from the Equilibrium soldiers along the walls and executed the bandit on the spot.
    The Night Watch HQ was in sight. Jackson was surprised that no one was running going inside. They reached the pressure pads and quickly entered inside. Two men stood at the sided with bows. They must have been protecting the place from people like that Brat guy in the sewers.
    “Why were you in the sewers anyway?” Jackson asked.
    “Brat stole some food from us and we went looking for it,” Stud answered. “I should be asking you the same question.”
    “We came from outside Romero,” Melody said. Valk and Stud seemed to freeze.
    “You should speak with our masters,” Valk said.
    They walked down the staircase and met two more men. Valk and Stud nodded to them. With that silent command, the guards stepped on the pressure pads to go inside. The walls opened into another room. They walked in and went into the last room. Who they met next made Melody smile.

    Chapter 32 - A Ranger’s Odyssey
    Pyros stood on top of another desert tower. His group had just slaughtered Equilibrium anti-bandits holding this tower. Two more men died, leaving only Pyros, Sean, Pius, Zack, and two other soldiers. Fortunately, their successes allowed everyone, except the ranger, to acquire full iron armour and good weapons. Their forces were small but mighty and they were spearheading into Portsmouth. Dawn broke and word was received that Grimdale held a siege successfully last night.
    Something peculiar caught Pyros’ eye. The wind blowing the sand grew faint and a figure was seen in the distance. He was cloaked with deep crimson leather and had an iron sword in its sheath. The figure turned to Pyros. Pyros could not see the man’s face as much as people could not see his own. The figure lifted a red hand. Da.. ouds... adnes... emon... ver... gni.
    “What’s wrong, Pyros?” The ranger turned to the voice, which was Sean. Pyros turned back to the figure, who disappeared before he could see him. “Someone out there?”
    “No,” Pyros responded. “It’s nothing. Hallucinations; I need water.”
    “Never thought one like you could succumb to such things but ok.”
    After Pyros had a refreshing drink of water, the team made their way to the shore to refill. Then, it was down the road to Portsmouth. The ranger rubbed his head still feeling bad after seeing the mysterious figure and hearing the creepy voices. He did not want to talk about it with anyone, fearing that they would see him as insane.
    The ranger was ahead of the group, scouting out the path ahead and the flanks. To the north of the team, he noticed a camp at Bazaar. He could not tell if they were Equilibrium but he wanted to warn his team so that they could investigate.
    Sean brought the rest of the group to meet these residents of Bazaar. Pyros kept to one side and Pius on the other. Sean walked up to do the talking.
    “I respectfully ask of your purpose here,” Sean said to the group. They all looked at him and some of them chuckled. Looks like they were just survivors.
    “They are merely here because they fear the power of a current clan war,” a voice came from the crowd. A man in chain and iron, the one with the best military gear in the group it seemed, walked out of the Bazaar group. “They came from Evergreen Manor, where they survived for a long time. Anti-bandits known as Equilibrium stormed in and infested the manor, driving these poor souls out.”
    “‘They,’ not ‘we’?” Pyros asked.
    “I take no part of this group. I am Inquisitor Ravion and I exist only to cleanse the undead and all who follow them. And you must be Pyros.”
    “How do you know me?”
    “We should discuss such a matter in private later. For now, I have done my duty with this group and now I think I should investigate your group.”
    “We are not hiding anything,” Pius said. “You can trust us.”
    “I see elements of this group that seem to puzzle me. I would cause no interference with any affairs you have. I will merely follow. If a threat was undermining your group, I would be glad to dispense of it for you.”
    “It seems like you see the zed as the true enemy,” Sean said. “Perhaps we can tolerate you. Can we trust you?”
    “Can I trust you?”
    That was a good point, Pyros thought. They always thought of how they should trust others but never really thought about if people trusted them. After all, their group was growing.
    “Very well, you can come,” Pyros said. And they headed off to Portsmouth. The ranger walked ahead of the group. ...ies... blasph... etrayer... kill. Pyros rubbed his head again. Now the words seemed to become clearer.
    When Portsmouth was in sight, the team halted by the river to discuss battle plans. While Sean handled the rest of the group, Pyros stood apart from the group watching the town from afar. Inquisitor Ravion walked up from behind him.
    “I know what you suspect me of,” Pyros said.
    “You may have released the undead from the Wizard’s Tower long ago, but I believe something else is happening.”
    “What do you mean.”
    “Your explosive should have had no effect on the tower.” Pyros turned to Ravion. “Yes, it is true. Many attempts to destroy the tower long ago all have failed but for some reason, your attempt was successful. I wanted to know if you had any way of breaching their magical barriers.”
    “Just TNT within the tower lit by a fire arrow, but I don’t think you believe me.”
    “I have lived long enough to tell when a man is lying. You are not. This is greatly peculiar. For some reason, you succeeded where many have failed. Even though you blew it up from the inside, many have tried before but the magic should have contained the explosion. I knew of this because I was hunting Galvin Starseer and eventually gained knowledge of your affair.”
    “Why were you hunting...?”
    “Pyros!” It was Sean who called out. Everyone gathered at the bridge to look at Portsmouth. It was already under attack.

    Chapter 33 - The End of Tyrannical Justice
    One Night Ago....
    They all sat by the long table, enjoying what little cake was left. At the end of it was Elias, the old advisor of the king of Romero. He had lived through many events that Romero had faced throughout its harsh history. It had faced the most sieges than any other city in this world, even now it is taken by Equilibrium.
    Melody spoke to old friends. Their names were Benji and Lilly, who have kept Elias safe for however long Romero was under siege. Apparently, Melody had never noticed them because of their tight security. Unfortunately for them, their friend called Jade fell to the blades of Equilibrium. He refused to yield.
    Jackson sat between Valk and Stud; he listened to their heroic stories while he spoke of the war he was involved in today. The duo also had a stash of iron swords, bows, arrows, chain and even a few iron pieces of armour. They chose to keep them safe from external threats until they felt like a proper counter-attack was devised.
    “I think our time has come,” Elias spoke in a raised voice. “We have two newcomers on our side and one of them tells of his group waging war against these misguided anti-bandits. If this is so, they would be distracted and we can strike at them when their backs are turned. What say you, Valk and Stud? Let us combat this threat now!”
    “I guess we can wait no longer,” Valk said enthusiastically. “Gather the troops inside. Let us dispense our weapons now. And hurry; night’s cloak cannot be so generous for long.”
    The guards came inside the room and everyone was given an equal amount of gear. It was fortunate that Valk was a blacksmith. Without his expertise, we would not have the means to have retribution.
    Everyone had at least a stone or iron sword except for Jackson, who kept his axe. Elias left to talk with Brat. He believed that he could persuade the child to help them. Jackson doubted that. Everyone had mostly chain armour while Valk and Stud had the iron parts. They were the better swordsman here and need protection to get close. The plan was to send Lily, Benji, and Melody to key locations near the walls and cause disruption by grenades. Only three grenades to do it and none more so the rest was up to the bows and blades of the foot soldiers. Archers would use the distraction to get on the walls and provide cover fire for the soldiers storming the gates. Equilibrium would be driven out then.
    After a matter of minutes, they heard the explosions in the distance. The archers went to the walls. Following the sound of arrow fire, Jackson, Valk, and Stud made their way to the western gates. Benji, Lily, and Melody would handle the eastern gates in the meantime.
    Gate guards were trying to shoot at the archers up on the walls. They were distracted and the trio charged. Jackson noticed a few poor equipped bandits join up. Unfortunately, they managed only one blow with their wooden swords on the iron armour of Equilibrium before they were cut down. The anti-bandits stared at the trio but only for a moment before one was bitten by the zombie forms of the weak bandits. With the guards tied up again, Valk leaped in and slashed the legs of one enemy. Stud sliced the head off another with graceful skill. Jackson grabbed the infected one by the jaw, punched him, and then smashed his axe on the anti-bandit’s forehead.
    Distracted by his own feeling of triumph, Jackson was hit in the arm by an enemy archer who took refuge in the stables outside Romero’s walls. Jackson saw the bow aim at his head. Valk and Stud were caught with the zombies of the anti-bandit’s they have slain.
    Suddenly, Brat leaped from the walls and landed on a tree, then on the roof of the stables, and finally on the shoulders of the Equilibrium archer himself. The arrow missed slightly and Brat stabbed an iron sword down the anti-bandit’s throat repeatedly until the zombie form was down. Brat leaped off the corpse as it fell to the ground. He panted heavily and looked at Jackson with a smirk.
    Melody arrived at the scene. “We have secured the eastern gates. Equilibrium is retreating. Our plan worked!”
    Elias walked in as the sun rose. “It has been a while since I have seen the light of day.”
    “I concur, old friend,” Brat said. “I think I am done with the sewers. I think it’s time for a change. Elias, lets fix up this town. I’m tired of this poverty.”
    “What of Equilibrium? Surely they would have another attack soon.”
    “They are based at Portsmouth,” Jackson said. “My former group is fighting them and a clan called Uprising. We will defeat both and that will be two threats off your back.”
    “We’ll come,” Valk said and speaking for his friend, Stud, as well. “You’ll need more support for to fight those clans.”
    “I’m coming too,” Melody spoke. “After we deal with these guys, I will return to Romero to help out with my friends. And, I have plenty of health potions to heal you guys.”
    The four of them decided to move out. Passing by Camp Bell, it was abandoned. The group continued to Portsmouth. Equilibrium must have retreated back to their home base for a reason.

    Chapter 34 - Him
    Systems online.... H.A.C.K.E.R Toon 86 now activated.
    Scanning location - Portsmouth
    Scanning lifeforms.... processing.... 23% undead; 77% living.
    Operation: Total Annihilation
    Deploying weapons: bow and sword.
    Target Priority; identified: zombie.... Aiming.... target eliminated.
    Target Priority; identified: zombie.... Aiming.... target eliminated.
    Target Priority; identified: Julien of Equilibrium.... Aiming.... target eliminated.
    Target Priority; identified: Pyros of Rangers.... Aiming...
    Failure to kill but managed wound. Objective enemy: Pyros. Pursue and exterminate.
    **************
    Pyros was hit by the man’s arrow, which shot through his right side. It nearly missed his heart and lungs but the aim was too true to be human. But he had already made three clean head shots and was now coming for the ranger.
    Portsmouth was in disarray. Zombies were swarming by the sound of arrow fire and the strange man was killing everything on sight. The rest of the team was right behind him, ready to support.
    The man drew his arrow in a fast motion and had the bow aimed immediately into the hood of the ranger. Suddenly, in a nanosecond time, a figure intervened. Pyros recognized her. It was Melody. The man was not knocked down so easily by her intervention. Immediately, the man swiped his sword at her. It scraped her neck but not deep enough to be a killing blow. However, it was enough for her to die in time of bleeding. Worse still, after the sword struck her, a sudden shock wave emitted from the man and blasted Pyros and Melody’s three friends she had behind her.
    She lay on the ground trying to reach for her potions in her pack before the man could make the killing blow. Pyros threw one of his daggers at the man. In inhuman speed, the man dodged it and dashed towards an Equilibrium soldier behind him. This brought some time for Pyros to help Melody. She was losing strength but Pyros grabbed a splash potion and smashed it between their groups. The wounds on Melody’s neck and Pyros’ chest as well as those on the others were mending rapidly. They stood up and faced their adversary.
    The man stepped towards Stud and slashed him in the eye. Valk was able to knock the man back so the blow was not too deep. Pius smashed the man with his battle standard.
    Jackson was about to fight when Morgan from Equilibrium jumped at him. “You fool,” Jackson yelled. “The true threat is there. We have a common foe!”
    Morgan would not listen. “If I am to die today, I will die fighting for the good of this world, which you all ruined!”
    Jackson blocked the diamond sword of Morgan with his axe. The leader of Equilibrium was wearing iron armour he never wore during his visits to Grimdale. He zealously slashed at Jackson with much wrath and fury. Jackson grew tired fast and the blade was making cuts deeper into his flesh. The warrior of Grimdale tripped and was meeting the sharp end of the diamond sword.
    Out of nowhere, a flash of bright orange struck Morgan. It was a man in orange leather armour. He knocked Morgan into the water. This guy was prancing around the town attracting a large horde of zed behind him. The guy made his way into the crypt at the graveyard.
    Taking the chance, Jackson looked at Morgan, who was now trapped in the water and trying to draw his bow. Jackson threw his axe at Morgan’s head, ending his maddening philosophy forever. The sight of Morgan’s death must have caused the Equilibrium anti-bandits to start fleeing towards the east. Jackson punched the zombie form of Morgan to death before retrieving his axe.
    The superhuman was barely hit but was obviously not immortal. He began to falter at times and was bleeding out. Melody was being chased by him into the northern woods. Everyone tried to follow.
    *******************
    Pursuing Target: Melody of Rangers
    New Target Identified: Ar--------ERROR------ERROR-----DAMAGED------CRITICAL---******
    ******************
    A girl in dark clothing shot the superhuman to his death with her bow. His zombie form stood up and she shot another arrow through the undead’s head. Melody looked at her savior, who just stood looking at the corpse. The mysterious girl looked at Melody for a moment. Then, she ran off to the north.
    The rest of the group rendezvous with Melody. Inquisitor Ravion was the first to inspect the superhuman. “Just as I suspected,” he breathed. “This here is a H.A.C.K.E.R. It stands for Human And Cybernetic Killing Engine Robotic. I have encountered a few of these in my journeys.”
    “What exactly are they?” Stud asked with a bandage around his eye.
    “They were a project used to eliminate all zombies. Unfortunately, their part human form made them a target to the virus and their computer brains could corrode by the chemicals the virus carried. When the virus became airborne, all these toons malfunctioned and they targeted anything that moved.”
    “The important thing is that now, Equilibrium has scattered,” Valk said. “But I heard something about a bandit clan called ‘Uprising’ on the way over here.”
    “We should report back to the Apostle and prepare to make our next move,” Pyros suggested. “For now, we should head to the Evergreen Manor and camp there. I still have spare lock picks to get in and out. It would be most fortified for us against any of Uprising’s soldiers.”

    Chapter 35 - The Weak Fight Back
    Strovsky ran for fun. He always liked attracting zombies to make others angry. The man was just a prankster and was one all his life. Everyone hated him, and he liked it.
    But now, he ran for his life. Now, he was scared. Now, the joke was on him. What prank was this? He somehow caught fire. It felt all too real. He was burning and it was killing him. The man ran out of the crypt to get to the water. The zombies did not even follow Strovsky.
    He was about to leap into the water until an arrow hit him in the back. The flames wore out but he was going to die. The foe who struck him in the crypt was standing over him but Strovsky was too afraid to look. And the blade of burning iron punched straight through his orange tunic and splitting his spine.
    ********************
    Amia just brought the last zed to the anti-zombie fortress. Lucas was gathering the Uprising soldiers of Yawpton. They were preparing to depart and perform scorched earth against their enemies. Uprising will gather at Al Hasa and prepare a master plan that will emit bloodshed all across the map. At least that was Lucas’ insane grand plan. Amia had something else in mind.
    She walked to the igloos to meet Galvin and Tosh. They just returned from the great caves where they found someone unique. For some reason, they wanted Amia to meet him.
    The girl found herself walking through the ice cold region again. She always felt pleasure in walking barefoot through the icy ground. Amia arrived at the igloos and saw the fire lit. Galvin and Tosh sat cross legged around the campfire. Another figure sat there. He was not living, Amia realized, he was a zombie. An iron blade replaced his right hand and he wore a blacksmith’s suit.
    “Amia, meet Scarface,” Galvin said. “Scarface, Amia.”
    “Scarface?” Amia found the name rediculous.
    “His idea, not mine,” Tosh pointed at Galvin.
    Scarface slowly lifted his head and turned to Amia. He did not speak but moved his mouth. Reading his lips, it seemed as though he said, “How do you do?”
    Amia smiled and shook his undead hand. She had always adored the zombies for their unlife but now saw one who thought almost like one of the living. A perfect symbiosis of the ‘evolution’ between the two stages. Once her time comes to ascend into their ranks, she hopes to become like Scarface.
    “I still don’t understand how this is possible,” she said.
    “Don’t you see?” Galvin said excitedly. “He returns. Our lord and master.”
    “He died. During the early stages of the apocalypse. He was slain....”
    “When the time comes, he will tell us everything. But we were given a message by Scarface here.”
    The zombie motioned his mouth again. Amia studied the soundless words. “Fire within ice.”
    Amia shook her head. “I don’t get it.”
    “I do,” Galvin spoke.
    ******************
    Lucas and his men were waiting for Amia and her friends to return from the igloos. They waited at Whitehaven, where they gathered food for Al Hasa. “The time has come to call for alliances,” he told his Scribe and Chief Medic Doctor Def. “Inform the lords of Zerbia, Saward, Elliom, Pileus, Grayvale, and whoever else you can find to our aid.”
    “Most will deny, if not all, for they are far too concerned with their own agenda,” Def argued. “Why are we even calling for their aid? A call for help is weakness. Our clan won Al Hasa by a narrow margin but has proved us the mightiest for the past month. If we call for aid now, they will see us struggling and take advantage of our struggle.”
    “I don’t mean to cry for help! This is exactly what I want. If we gather the whole clan, there would be only two outcomes. We either hold successfully and prove our might against this new enemy. Or, if we are vanquished by the weak, the other bandit clans shall be welcome to join a bloody feast on our foes. Either way, we will be victorious, for as long as these interlopers of Grimdale die at Al Hasa, it shall be our great victory, even if it is our last. Anymore news?”
    “Nothing more except that our foes have destroyed Equilibrium.”
    Lucas said nothing. He only laughed maniacally. “Excellent,” he spoke finally. “They will feel arrogance in their victory and falter when they find themselves caught in our gauntlet.”
    Amia and her friends emerged from the snowy trees. With everyone together, they headed for Al Hasa. Lucas spoke one last phrase before they left Whitehaven. “THE WEAK FIGHT BACK AND THEY WILL DIE TRYING!”

    Chapter 36 - Scorched Earth
    It was time to make a spearhead into the heart of Uprising itself, Al Hasa. I have never been there before and wanted to investigate it before we charged. Unfortunately, I succumbed to rage. One of our healers, Zack, was murdered in his sleep. Thaddius found cloth bearing the Uprising blooded omega; probably torn from their armour when they killed him.
    I was glad to hear, however, that we found new allies after the defeat of Portsmouth. Jackson was found along with Pyros’ friend, Melody, and many others. After looting Equilibrium, most of us were in full iron and a quarter of us with diamond swords.
    Pyros’ group would make their way to Al Hasa by flanking the east side from Romero. My group would follow the chain from Yawpton to Whitehaven to Paluster to Frostbain. Finally, we would catch Uprising on both flanks and crush them.
    Our bandit allies scouted ahead as we moved along. This was for two reasons, to watch in case they betray us and because they are the toughest fighters in our team. Earn, Delfias, and I stayed in the center of the group. Thaddius and Locke were in front of us while Ezra kept behind us. Four others kept at the sides of us.
    We passed Yawpton and found nothing. When we crossed a large tower known as the anti-zombie fortress, I saw the first attack. An Uprising bandit in leather armour sprinted at us. Cory and Guerro immediately shot him down. His zombie form charged at us but our attention was drawn to a massive horde he attracted. There were too many for that horde to be natural. We all grabbed our bows and pelted the undead in a storm of arrow fire. Zombie corpses on the front fell on their knees as they were slain but those behind them trampled the bodies as they charged. George and Earn were the first to attack the zombies in close quarters. Earn’s sword cleaved every limb off a zombie before decapitating its head off. George’s spiked gloves pounded into zombies faces as he turned to face another one momentarily before going back to the one he did not kill first. I held off a large part of the horde until I tripped and fell on the ground. My sword lay too far for me to reach. I kicked the foul-spawn back but they were beginning to overwhelm me. One suddenly bit my leg. I screamed in pain as their claws scratched at me. I felt dizzy before I passed out.
    ***************
    I woke up in a bed. There were snowy trees outside a window. It was night. My leg was bandaged up. A girl sat in a chair in the room. She was one of our bandit allies. Across from her was Delfias. They both noticed me wake up.
    “Jenna here healed you,” Delfias spoke. “She used some Antidote in the form of antibiotics to stop the virus from causing you to... turn. We are in Whitehaven, but there is no food. Nothing at all; picked clean. Our own supply is growing low.”
    “We should move fast before we starve to death,” I said. “Uprising is performing some sort of scorched earth tactic. Let’s keep going.”
    “Ok, ‘Napoleon’,” Delfias joked. But maybe I might be making a mistake. If we continue, we could die before we get there or be too weak to fight. I hope Pyros’ group does not have the same problem.
    We were gathering at Paluster and again, no food in sight. On our way to Frostbain, we were trying to spare what little food we had left.
    I walked to Jenna, who was slowing down a bit due to the cold. “I don’t mean to push you but the faster we get to Frostbain, the faster we could find shelter and maybe food,” I said. She picked up the pace a little. “Thanks, by the way, for saving me.”
    “No problem,” she answered. “But how do you know if Uprising took everything from Frostbain or not? I’m starting to doubt this journey.”
    “It’s too late to go back now. Triumph or perish; have faith. You really are not like other bandit’s I have met.”
    “I was a student of Consillo University and then a military medic. When the outbreak came, I joined up with my patients, who chose the path of bandit-hood. That’s how I came to be in this group. I don’t really fight much.” I nodded as a sign of understanding. “But sometimes, I do enjoy seeing the kill made, especially if I bow them in the face of an arrogant enemy.”
    I laughed a bit. “How true. Sometimes, killing really builds up blood lust. However, you, unlike many bandits, seem to keep it in check much more easily.”
    “More than you. I've seen you fight. Quite a lot of enraged fury.”
    I had some flashbacks of myself making gruesome kills. “I guess you’re right.”
    We stopped talking when we saw the massive statue of Agni. It was a magnificent landmark. I once made a pilgrimage here. I’m glad I could see it again. Like those years before, I went to the blade sticking in the ground and meditated in front of it. Everyone else went to Frostbain to hopefully find something.
    The sun rose and my radio buzzed. “Hello, anyone out there?”

    Chapter 37 - The Sergeant of the East
    I took out my radio and answered it. “I can hear you.”
    “Identify yourself.”
    “I am the Apostle of the east.”
    There was a pause. “I’m also from the east. Sergeant Dezerath of Fort Rockwood. I heard you disappeared from Mount Longton.”
    “I was a coward then but no longer. Why have you made contact with me?”
    “A bandit clan called Uprising is gathering at Al Hasa for a call to arms....”
    “I already know that. My team is making it’s way there now. We are in a fight against them. That is why they are massing.”
    “Yes, but if they could have had other methods of destroying you. If they are collecting up there, then their armies must be setting up for complete total war. That is why we are calling out for reinforcements. But since you’re going up there, I would help with my team.”
    “Where are you know?”
    “We’re at Zerbia, where we killed off some bandits holding the place down.”
    “Do you have any food?”
    “Yes, a lot. Why? Are you low on it?”
    “Uprising is doing some scorched earth tactic against us. We are at Frostbain currently.”
    “Meet us down at the abandoned farm in the canyon. That will be the best launching point of an attack on Al Hasa from where you are. They most likely have the bridges well defended and the only better maneuver is too far from your position. We will give you what you need and help you fight your way up. It will be defended but I have a plan.”
    “Ok, see you there.”
    “Meet us there at midnight. The cloak of darkness should keep you covered.”
    Contact was lost and I went to join up with the group. I gathered everyone in the church. After telling everyone about the good news, we headed off to the canyons.
    ******************
    Sean decided that the group should flank Al Hasa by staying close to the intercontinental ocean shore. It would lead them to the heart of Uprising and would catch them by surprise.
    By the time they reached the first canyon edge, Pyros returned from scouting ahead. Nobody saw it from under his hood but the ranger had a grin on his face. “Farther up here, you better see this.”
    Valk and Stud were mumbling and making predictions on what he found. Ravion and Pius were engaged in a conversation about Al Hasa. Apparently, the Inquisitor had some connection with his past to it. It was one of the reasons he decided to join along with them. Jackson was all too curious and stayed close to Pyros. Sean was discussing battle plans to everyone and was currently talking to Melody about her part in the fight.
    Pyros and Jackson were the first to reach the location. They crouched behind some rubble. Jackson’s eyes widened. “What is that thing?”
    “Our handy tool to send Uprising jumping from their seats,” Pyros answered. “They’ll never know what we’re bringing.”
    Everyone else caught up and also looked up in awe. “You can’t be serious,” Ravion protested. “I do not advise this course of action. It is blasphemous.”
    “Don’t worry, Inquisitor,” the ranger spoke confidently. “We’ll kill it once we are done with it or Uprising may do it for us. It is a tool, nothing more, and quite an effective one.”
    Sean was the first to stand up. “Let’s get to it then. Follow my lead.”

    Chapter 38 - Spearhead
    Continued on Part 4: http://shotbow.net/forum/threads/36517/
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Character Application:
    Name:
    Gender (Age):
    Background:
    Archetype (friendly, bandit, neutral, anti-bandit, etc):
    Fate (how you die or move on):
    Anything Else:

  2. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    Since no background stories have been added to our new bandit allies, I would request ideas from you guys for who exactly are our unexpected new friends. Use the character applications to fill in their unknown personality.
    Remember, two males and one female in full iron and diamond swords. Half a dozen others in chain.
    Appreciate your cooperation, if you can.
  3. NikkoTheNeko Gold

    XP:
    33,265xp
    Sorry for the extremely similar application but this character type is hardly seen

    Name: Marco
    Gender (Age):Male Early 30s
    Background: Marco used to be a healer even after the dead began to walk, he went around assisting those in need. But then something changed in the people he would assist. Eventually more often then not, Marco's patients would turn their sword onto him as soon as he finished his work. Later on he would be used to the aspect of blocking his attacker's sword with his shears before swiftly thrusting them into the would-be attacker with a bit of a twist to make the last heart beats just a tad bit more agonizing. Eventually Marco decided to himself that he could only stand for himself with this new state of human nature. He no longer practices medicine, but murder
    Archetype (friendly, bandit, neutral, anti-bandit, etc):anti everyone
    Fate (how you die or move on): You decide
    Anything Else: Marco approaches his victims by offering to heal them before subjecting them to either his sharpened shears, poison ointments, or paralyzing them with an overdose injection of an anesthetic then brutally goring them while they watch if the victim has truly spited him.
    DarkApostle999 likes this.
  4. NikkoTheNeko Gold

    XP:
    33,265xp
    Name:Cory
    Gender (Age):Male late 40s
    Background: A former general of the west, Cory lead plenty of assaults around the world. His mantra was "stamp out the weak, to make way for the strong", this led to his urges to ravage the lands around him. Despite this, Cory isn't afraid to call together allies to dominate the battlefield. Nor does he uncrememoniously murder his enemies. Unlike most bandits, Cory shows a twinge of respect for combatants on both sides. As a tactician he excels above many and is known for his wide flank maneuvers as a bluff against larger forces.
    Archetype (friendly, bandit, neutral, anti-bandit, etc):Bandit
    Fate (how you die or move on):You decide
    Anything Else: Armed in full iron and with one diamond sword,
  5. NikkoTheNeko Gold

    XP:
    33,265xp
    Name: Guerro
    Gender (Age): Male late 20s
    Background: Guerro was never truly sane. As a child he would play around with the embers from his father's furnace, as an adolescent he would burn things with a flint and steel he stole from the local store. When the apocalypse hit, Guerro was poking around the meteorite crash site playing with bits of the meteor. Lo and behold he soon discovered a more efficient method to manufacture grenades than the military did with bits of meteor and zombie flesh. Now he puts his volatile talents to work assisting his new mentor in surviving this new found chaos, Cory.
    Archetype (friendly, bandit, neutral, anti-bandit, etc): Bandit
    Fate (how you die or move on):You decide
    Anything Else:Armed in iron armor with a diamond sword, prefers explosives however due to pyromania
  6. NikkoTheNeko Gold

    XP:
    33,265xp
    Name:Brenda
    Gender (Age):Female Early 30s
    Background: Being the daughter of a blacksmith expecting boys, Brenda always sought to please her father. Whether it was strength training everyday despite her slender build, to learning the works of a smithy, she followed through with it. Eventually she had earned her father's favor long ago when he mentioned it from his deathbed. From that point on she followed in his foot steps and continued forging armor for the local military outpost headed by General Cory. That is until the dead began to walk. Now she follows General Cory as his top lieutenant, competing for her new father figure's attention with Guerro.
    Archetype (friendly, bandit, neutral, anti-bandit, etc): Bandit
    Fate (how you die or move on): you decide
    Anything Else: Although she looks harmless without her bulky iron armor, Brenda is an adept brawler and is known to host fights at her bandit encampments when she feels the soldiers under her command are bored or tempted to question her authority. There have been occasions where a bandit recruit has truly pissed her off by insulting her combatative prowess and she has beat them inches away from death as a messege.
  7. NikkoTheNeko Gold

    XP:
    33,265xp
    Name: George
    Gender (Age): Male Late 20s
    Background: George loved to fight and never really learned to back down from one. As a teenager he would host little fight clubs in the windmill beside the farm fields. As he physically matured, he was still a wannabe tough guy as an adult. When the zombies hit, he took advantage of those around him that didn't want to fight and eventually became a local known bandit. Thinking he was hot shit, he waundered into a bandit camp to join in on one of their fight rings for respect and humor. Unfortunatly for him he chose to fight Brenda. Despite the royal ass whupping he was given he was oddly smitten by Brenda and has been part of her ranks ever since.
    Archetype (friendly, bandit, neutral, anti-bandit, etc):Bandit
    Fate (how you die or move on): You decide
    Anything Else: As mentioned has a crush on Brenda. However with his personality he let's her know about it all the time despite her shooting him down every time or even slugging him in the jaw. Very full of himself and doesn't care what others say. armed in full chain with spiked leather gloves that he treasures as much as he does the idea of beign romantically involved with Brenda.
  8. NikkoTheNeko Gold

    XP:
    33,265xp
    Name: Jenna
    Gender (Age): Female early 20s
    Background: One of the newly educated from Consillio University, Jenna wanted to be a healer that could easily get by mending broken bones and applying healing salve from a clinic. This path led her to be a behind the front lines medic for a Western military base. When the dead became not so dead, she donned some chain armor and put her skills from the Consillio archery club to use. Fighting alongside patients who be ame bandits, she more or less joined General Cory's cause of conquering the lands.
    Archetype (friendly, bandit, neutral, anti-bandit, etc): Bandit
    Fate (how you die or move on): you decide
    Anything Else: She prefers not to fight and rather heal people n the midst of battle, however when need be she will draw her bow to slay the undead or an approaching adversary. Thanks to her participation in archery club, she is also adept at fighting in close quarters combat using an arrow.
  9. NikkoTheNeko Gold

    XP:
    33,265xp
    I know the characters are kinda hard to sympathize with but there's 5 bandit side and 1 Neutral lawless for you.
    Also what are the chances of me being allowed to copy paste all of this into a few ingame books and publish it ingame?
  10. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    Well well, Nikko, you have made a large contribution to my story. You have my thanks. I think you tie with Pyros as most dedicated to my story (if that was a poor choice of words, blame my poor vocabulary).
    As for this, I don't really understand what you're asking of me.
  11. NikkoTheNeko Gold

    XP:
    33,265xp
    On the server I play I run a large ingame library dedicated to ingame books, I was wondering if I could publish your story there in your name
  12. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    The answer might be no but I will think it over.
    valkyrieX888 likes this.
  13. NikkoTheNeko Gold

    XP:
    33,265xp
    alright thanks for considering it, also need anymore character backgrounds? or is that good for now?
  14. InquisitorEslaf Regular Member

    XP:
    118,505xp
    I may need 1 or 2 characters for the city of Romero. They should be leather folk teamed with some group within the city.
    As for the next chapter, it should be out later today.
  15. valkyrieX888 Regular Member

    XP:
    24,275xp
    Name: Valk
    Gender (Age): Male late 20s
    Background: Blacksmith from Romero. He was the one of remainings of the Great War of MineZ soldiers. He stayed at Romero with his only friend, Stud. Until the zombies comes up, he used his battle skills from Great War of MineZ to fight the undeads to stop the madness
    Archetype (friendly, bandit, neutral, anti-bandit, etc): Friend
    Fate (how you die or move on): Up To You ( If you want him to die, make him die honourable. )
    Anything Else: Check up my story for more details
  16. valkyrieX888 Regular Member

    XP:
    24,275xp
    Name: Stud
    Gender (Age): Male late 20s
    Background: Lived at Romero with Valk, his best friend. One of the remainings of Great War of MineZ same as Valk. Followed Valk's path to stop the madness of these evil-spawns.
    Archetype (friendly, bandit, neutral, anti-bandit, etc): Friend
    Fate (how you die or move on): Up to you ( Don't make Stud die by zombies pleeeeasee? )
    Anything Else: Check my story for more details

    Giving away xX_studmuffin_Xx's character from my story :)
  17. NikkoTheNeko Gold

    XP:
    33,265xp
    Name:Elias
    Gender (Age): Male late 70s
    Background: Elias has been the main advisor of the kings of Romero ever since the establishment of the city. Elias has always been a man of simple tastes wanting merely peace tending his horses outside the city walls. Generation after generation of hierarchies and democracies would go to him asking about how to deal with the latest cause of turmoil. Elias has always been kind and willing to help those in need, however due to his lack of physical strength and combative prowess he merely hands out supply and advice to those who pass his hut.
    Archetype (friendly, bandit, neutral, anti-bandit, etc): Neutral (helps everyone)
    Fate (how you die or move on): Maybe he helps the wrong man who decides to kill him? Again you decide what happens
    Anything Else: looks ragged by time, very bony and wrinkled, his hair is white and thin, missing half his teeth. The only thing that seems healthy about him is his hearty laugh and ability to entice anyone with a fable of adventurers he has met.
  18. valkyrieX888 Regular Member

    XP:
    24,275xp
    Nikko, you should realize that you posted too many characters application D: it's good but, how can DarkApostle deal with all of them?? He can't just pop them up in one chapter all once :stuck_out_tongue: post some after each chapter, don't rapidly posting.
  19. NikkoTheNeko Gold

    XP:
    33,265xp
    Name:Brat
    Gender (Age): Male teens
    Backgro
    und: Brat has lived in the sewers for as long as he can remember, fighting for his life for scraps and garbage in the sewer or running from Romero city guards when he feels adventurous enough to steal an apple or two for a meal. His name comes from the one time he was almost caught by city guards when a market vendor grabbed him and called him "a thieving brat". His skills involve running, hiding, and knowing the entire town of romero and the connections to the romero sewers like the back of his hand, he can also fight with anything the enviorment gives him except for traditional weapons.
    Archetype (friendly, bandit, neutral, anti-bandit, etc): You decide he could attack the protagonist(s) for entering the sewer, or become allies with them after p!ssing off the bandits trying to take over
    Fate (how you die or move on): as always you decide
    Anything Else: The closest thing he has to friends are a handful of rats and Elias who he visits once in a blue moon to hear his tall tales of the past.
  20. NikkoTheNeko Gold

    XP:
    33,265xp
    I'm just posting a bunch for him to use whenever dude
    Besides the first 5 characters were bandit leaders and subordinates he asked for

Share This Page