Fallen Faith - part 3 (635 hits)
Category: NoneLabels: Kaote
Rating: 2 on 19 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by kaos-king (antius777) (View user info) at 2005-09-23 15:05:15 EDT
Last Chapter - http://www.ubersite.com/m/75701
Vasquez had lost track of how long he had been traveling. The grassland had given way to another sparse forest, trees that looked like familiar evergreens dotting the landscape. Bits of shrubbery and rocks lined the ground beneath the cover of the trees and a more desperate sense of gloom had settled over the alien land. The road had widened some, making him believe that this was used for more than just foot travel. It was mid afternoon by the dark purple sun's position in the pale pink sky, and still those brilliant white clouds sped across it, leaving ripples in their wake.
During his journey, he had come to two conclusion. One, he was neither Mortal nor Angel. He was now something else entirely. Disconnected from the Heavenly Host, he no longer felt the Divine sense of being, but he no longer felt the bone crushing weight of humanness dragging him down. Had he not been solid, he would have believed himself to be a ghost. Two, that no matter what, his god be damned lighter would not work and if he didn't find fire soon, he was going to have to resort to eating the cigarettes in his pocket.
The Par-Uhmbra. That was what the voice inhabiting the corpse hanging from the gallows had called this place. How he could have never heard of it in his time in Heaven or Earth baffled him. The Uhmbra was sometimes called the Realm of the Mythic, a place where the Magick lay dormant. Most people knew it as the Astral Plane. It's denizens stayed to themselves and rarely interacted with those in the Archguard Trinity. He had only heard Lucinda's name mentioned a few times in Heaven before he had met her on Earth.
His thoughts ran around Lucinda and what little he knew about her world when he first heard the sounds. Thumping, like the irregular strike of a bass drum. Vasquez stopped and listened for a moment. Yes, like some child playing on drums, beating them at random intervals. It was getting louder. No, it was getting closer.
He looked around for something to hide behind, a tree, a bush. Finally, far off to the left, he saw a jagged rock that he could crawl under. Sprinting towards it, the sounds grew deafening. He slid under the protruding stone just as the sound became quick in proximity.
Vasquez tilted himself around and peered out at the monstrosities that made their way down the path. It was five creatures, much like frogs or toads, but gigantic. They had no front legs, but balanced on their massive back feet. Right at the top of their skulls, it appeared riders were buried waist deep into the creatures' heads. The rider were covered in brown and crimson armor and seemed to control the beasts with hooks driven into the eyelids of the animals. Far out of unison, the creatures hopped along, the ground shaking every time they landed.
The thick flat stone above him crumbled slightly, and Vasquez began to wonder about the luck in his choice of hiding places. But the beast disappeared down the path in the direction that he had came, and the stone above him held.
He stayed there for another minute to make sure that the things were gone. They may not have been malevolent in nature, but looking at them, he had to wonder. Best to err on the side of caution for the time being. He dusted himself off and turned to leave. He came face to face with a young woman.
She stood with her feet apart in an aggressive stance, her arm pointed at Vasquez. At the end of her fist was some kind of mechanical device combined with what looked like a slug. She yelled at him, the words gibberish.
"What," said Vasquez. "I can't understand you!"
She began to speak again, but this time as the words came from her mouth, they seemed to translate in his head. As an Angel, he had been able to understand any spoken or written language in creation. It appeared he could again.
"... just fine. Why have you been following me? Don't think I won't take off your head with this!"
"Honey, I don't even know what that is. I haven't been following you, I've just been traveling down this path for days. I didn't know anyone else was on it."
She didn't move or seem to believe his story. Vasquez examined her in their stand off. She was in quite short but very curvy. Probably older than she looked, possibly in her twenties. Her hair was cut into a mohawk, its length trailing down her back in multiple colors. Black kohl had been applied to her eyes in an Egyptian manner and she had two piercings in her bottom lip. She had the same style of clothing that the people who were hanging on the gallows had on, strips of ribbon and patches of cloth. Except this girl had an assortment of chains and spike adorning her person, too. She had the brands up and down her arms.
She showed no signs of backing down, so Vasquez tried a different approach. Remembering his days among the Angelic, he knew that compassion and honesty could be as formidable weapons as a flaming sword of righteousness. He held his hands apart in a sign of weakness.
"I apologize for frightening you. Seriously, I am probably by far more scared right now than you are. I'm a traveler from a long ways away. My name is Vasquez, and I would would be in your debt if you could just answer some of my questions for me. Please, can we sit?"
The young woman stood her ground for another moment before relaxing. "You don't look like one of the Grimmer. You're not dirty enough. Okay stranger, I'll answer your questions, but for every one you ask, I get to ask one of my own."
"Fair enough. First off, what's your name?"
"My name is Wendollyn Saclaire of the Dox. What's your full name, Vasquez?"
"I'm just Vasquez."
"You have to have an affiliation. What is it?"
"That's a second question."
"Fine, go ahead with yours."
"Where am I?"
"In the Regimented Dox Region A."
"That doesn't help me much. And, no, I have no 'affiliation.' I'm not from around here. Next question, is this the Par-Uhmbra?"
"Of course it is, where else would it be?"
Vasquez leaned back on the rock he had been under just a short time ago and sighed. It would seem the voice was telling him the truth, at least about his location. He really needed a smoke now.
"Do you have any means on you to create a small fire?"
"Um, yes..." replied the girl, looking into one of her pouches. She removed a small worm and gripped the end of it. Shortly, the mouth began to spit sparks, then a small flame.
"Wow, that's gross," said Vasquez, rummaging for his cigarettes.
He lit one up and slowly exhaled. That helped. Further proof he wasn't a ghost.
"My turn. Where are you from?"
Vasquez rolled the answer around in his head. Should he tell the truth? The voice had made it seem as if these people would not want anything to do with him if they knew the truth of his origins. But what else was he to say? He would have to find out at some point, and better to deal with one lone girl than a town full of people.
"I'm from the Archguard, Wendollyn. First from Heaven, then from Earth."
Without waiting a beat, her arm came up again and she was pointing the strange weapon of sorts at him.
"Liar! No one can travel to the Par-Uhmbra from the Archguard! Not only is it impossible, it is forbidden by the Majestrix."
"You mean Lucinda?"
"Who? Majestrix Lacuna rules here. She has..."
Just then a screech came out of the sky. They looked up to see a group of small forms swooping in from the east towards them. Vasquez staggered backwards. They looked like human babies, but with bat wings and adult size genitalia swinging in the wind. Their jaws unhooked like snakes to reveal jagged rows of teeth. The squadron of nightmarish things howled in unison.
He looked to Wendollyn who was already stepping off in the opposite direction.
"The Bitter Born!" she cried. "Run, you fool!"
Once again proving he was no longer an Angel, Vasquez swore out loud.
User Reviews
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-10-26 13:51:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Good story, liked the end of the installment especially.
Submitted by munkeypants (user info) at 2006-10-01 10:14:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by RyuFu (user info) at 2005-09-28 12:56:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Just a couple more...
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2005-09-26 14:59:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
ooooooooooooooh.. Chills up the spine. Good descriptors.. On to the next part!
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2005-09-26 09:42:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-09-25 20:32:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Again, you show you have a knack for imagining some twisted fucking creatures. Bat-babies with man-wangs. Biped frogs with human corks in their blow-holes. Good stuff, dude. That sort of thing really gives your stuff a unique flair.
To criticise the artwork though: that girl has no chin.
Submitted by Magic_Monkey (user info) at 2005-09-24 02:32:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
* Drools all over the place in awe *
Submitted by Benny (user info) at 2005-09-23 20:51:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm really digging this Fallen Faith series. Those bitter born are twisted motherfuckers.
Submitted by iradney (user info) at 2005-09-23 18:53:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by ajanssen (user info) at 2005-09-23 17:52:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Ah fuck it, the Roflcoptor is out of the shop and ready for the Artic Circle. Ive stocked it well with pork flavored Similac. I want a seal fur ashtray and beer coozie.
Great fucking post, looking forward to more.
Submitted by ahumblefool (user info) at 2005-09-23 17:46:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
One word: Damn.
Okay, that is three.
Submitted by Barnymeinhoff (user info) at 2005-09-23 17:35:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
And you will know me by the trail of dead.
Submitted by LadyPlural (user info) at 2005-09-23 15:59:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Oh, you'll love this, right up until you expire from pure pleasure, leaving me free to channel your soul into, say, my cat. I will then train you/the cat to use apostrophes correctly. I will do this with the help of a shock collar and possibly the assistance of a large German Shepard.
Submitted by kaos-king (user info) at 2005-09-23 15:41:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Lady Plural, don't tease me like that! You know I dig the kinky shit...
Submitted by LadyPlural (user info) at 2005-09-23 15:36:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I swear to god if you don't stop with the it's-its confusions I am going to come after you with some ether, a bowling ball, and a plumber's snake.
I'll do it, you know.
Submitted by Average_Dan (user info) at 2005-09-23 15:32:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I think this is my favorte chapter yet,
the description of the setting in the first paragraph is one of the best I have ever read.
You are a bad mammajamma!!
The artwork is fuckin sweet as well.
Submitted by nitty34 (user info) at 2005-09-23 15:24:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I got your back.
+2
Submitted by Yes (user info) at 2005-09-23 15:24:35 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
52 flavors of awesome.
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2005-09-23 15:15:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
coolness