[spoiler]Was gonna make you wait but what the hell![/spoiler] THE HATEFUL MIRE [quote]The Raiders were stuck, this barren wasteland held little to behold, except for fallen mummified trees, deadly catching quagmires and the ever creeping corruption of the deep teeming with parasites and alien organisms, feeding off the excess of the Deeps consummation of the land. Ronin tried desperately to establish communications in vain as he puzzled with Acro over ways to boost his equipment. Warlock stood silently by puzzling over a way forward, he preferred to do his thinking away from the group as he shook off the pesky corruption of the land.[/quote] [quote]That was the constant here; never time to stop; never time to collect only the time to act and the ever reaching will of the corruption, in the form of searching, slithering and unsatiable decay. The thought troubled him; idleness was its opium, and acceptance was its meal. Warlock turned to observe his nearby but distanced companions… would they all be able to resist its lure. They were trapped with no escape route in a dark reality. How long until it became theirs.[/quote] [quote]Wripperoni maintained his Titan watching the rest. ‘Definitely not what I signed up for…’ he thought as he scanned them carefully from his open -blam!-. He decided to remain aboard, instead of walk for reasons he thought would be obvious. He remembered the cold grip around his neck. Raptor and Jade conversed in hushed purrs and whistles, constantly shaking away the corruption; that seemed to desire them both greatly, it was always reaching for their claws. Raptor stomped angrily upon a particularly pesky root and bellowed in anger, the group took frantic cover as he peppered the ground with his war rig pulse cannons, burning the ground until a neat circle of craters and scorched earth bordered the two Raptors and the corruption. [/quote] [quote]“A WARNING WOULD BE NICE NEXT TIME!” Nighthawk screamed from behind his mech. Raptor barked unapologetic, and Jade snapped at him disapprovingly. Nighthawk gathered his broken senses, scowling at Raptor and resumed lighting his now snapped-in-half cigar ‘for -blam!-’s sake, that was my last stogie… rabba… can’t even have… damn smoke before I go crazy and die. He pitched the broken cigar over the a nearby crop of rock. Acro shook his head to Ronin… “It’s no use, we might as well start talking to the static.” “Do you think that would help?” “No!” Acro gave him a sideways look, [/quote] [quote]The one calm head was the ever-enigmatic Virus; He leaned lazily on his scythe observing the group, his fascination with their interactions and behaviors had not gone unnoticed. Warlock for one had taken to checking on him occasionally with a reproachful glare. The rest were less than inclined to converse with him about it. Virus watched them carefully as he simultaneously continued to catalogue all of the living organisms in this realm; but even he had a hard time classifying them as living, the genetic structure, the chemical makeup was more than alien, it was absurd. In this place all things bonded to a very specific protein, and Virus had his theories… but sharing them was likely a mistake he thought to himself. No one took kindly to those who spoke highly of ultimate forms of control… And Virus was just that. Control.[/quote] [quote]“Its no use” Warlock said suddenly drawing the gaze of the party. He turned to look at Ronin and Acro. “We didn’t land here to wait for rescue; we are on a rescue mission.” “Holmes is right” Wripperoni said hopping down. “what’s our first move?” Acro flashed his jets to burn away the creeping corruption. “The presidents emergency beacon.” Ronin played the twinkling SOS signal over his Communicator. Warlock grinned. “Brilliant”[/quote] [quote]“I was able to triangulate the origin in that direction.” Acro pointed to a nearby hill. “It is unmistakably Elder Ring’s frequency.” Ronin added. The far off roar of the beast called to them from over the hill “Sure!” Nighthawk guffawed, “Lets go towards the shrieking hell beasts! Been a good day so far!” Nighthawk jumped into his mech and closed the -blam!- hatch. “why ruin it!!? ”Wripper boarded his mech as well and the group made their start through the hateful mireland…[/quote] [quote]As they climbed the hill their progress was slow; the mud was thick and the ever reaching corruption was constantly testing them. Once or twice a foothold would give way or sneaky root we ensnare ones hands, they began to anticipate the weeds; instinctively jerking their limbs to slap away the Corruption. Even the unsympathetic Virus, found their progress thus-far lacking. The beasts cries echoed loudly from the other side of the hill; whatever it was- it was getting close… “Where have I heard that noise before?” Acro wondered; panting; his hands against his hips. “Your worst nightmares?” Ronin questioned with forced levity. “No… I think it’s a bear.” “A bear?”[/quote] [quote]“Can’t be certain, shhh… listen!” They listened closely, and the roar seemed different, it sounded like crying; like whimpering… “He-he-help me-e-e-e” The Party jumped to action charging over the hill,’ who could that possibly be, as they got closer the sound of the bear roared again and they slowed as the whimpering continued, Acro, Warlock and Ronin crept closer; carefully, while the other s waited. They came upon a pitiful sight, an innocent offtopickle being slowly constricted as he whimpered and despaired… It was BurlyBarrBaine, and he still was clearly… Not a bear.[/quote] [quote]“Oh thank the woods! P-p-please… help… me.” The three called the others over and together they cut Burly free, he stood up; shaky and still sobbing. “What are you doing here?” BurlyBarrBaine’s eyes were glazed and blank. “How did you get here?” “I-I was here… My bear cubs… they…” He began sobbing uncontrollably. Ronin placed a hand on his arm “Burly you are not a father, and you’re not a bea-“[/quote] [quote]“YOU THINK I DON’T KNOW THAT!?” burly slapped it away. his eyes suddenly blazing with fire “I was a bear, I was a beautiful bear… And then…” His eyes glazed again… “It showed me the truth… The 7 left… and It made me see it… I wasn’t a bear anymore… just another weak… pathetic-“ his crying resumed. Warlock stepped forward, “Burly, what do you mean 7?” “They left through the gate… and it came” “What came? the deep? How did you get here from Offtopic?”[/quote] [quote]Burly looked at him with blank eyes. “we’re in offtopic… aren’t we?” A deathly hush fell over the party ‘how?’[/quote] [quote]Nighthawk spoke. “Barr- if you want to be a bear, you can-“ “I CAN NEVER BE A BEAR! It took it away… Leave me alone!!!” collapsing in emotional anguish the corruption slowly overtook him again as if comforting him in his moment of darkness… The 7 Heroes reflected before resuming their journey one by one Ronin remained looking with pity on the weeping non-bear… Burly had always been irritating, but to see him so broken- touched a place in his heart he had not remembered in years. He pitied the creature.[/quote] [quote]He felt the hand of Warlock on his Shoulder “Come Ronin, you can’t help him now; his spirit and mind have been broken.” Ronin nodded with a grim countenance. And the two followed together to catch up. [/quote] [quote]As they crested the next hill they beheld the center of the sprawling marsh, there at the center of all the corruption, all of the decay, stood their target destination; The black walls and battlements of the Fortress of the Vault. Somewhere inside Elder Ring and Girraffalope were enduring torments they could barely imagine, or maybe they didn’t want to. Seeing BurlyBarrBaine in such a state had changed their outlook on the Deep; their individual feelings varied, but the Seven were united by one Truth, if the Will of the Deep was the ultimate power in this realm… 'we're in offtopic, aren't we?'.... their will would have to be stronger… And with the soporific and desperate qualities of this land; that would be no easy task. [/quote] [spoiler]Thanks for reading! Chapter 3 Part 3 Coming soon!![/spoiler]