Hell Notes
The Final Seal23/9/2019 ..When all of the code, the symbols, had taken their place, their motion abruptly stopped. Going dark and quiet.Confused, she turned to Alice, "Is it the way it's supposed to be? I though..." Before she could finish her thought, they were both blinded by a flash of light. Brighter than a thousand suns.
I'm a little late, trying to grasp with what's happening, standing in front of this large new train station at the very centre of the realm. And so many people all around orderly marching to board the trains. I had no idea there were so many of us here. Alice was still there, watching over the moving lines of soon to be passengers. "I thought it's going to be more.. portally?" I couldn't keep my surprise silent. "So did I, but since the code was meant to combine with the energy, the base code of the place, it is working with, or within, it's actually make sense. Don't you think?" "It actually is rather fitting. Where are the others?" "Your guardian fox departed with very first group get everything ready there and your cat oracle is looking for kids to get them on board." The sky turned dark. Far above horizon black clouds start swirling in circles and a moment later golden light sliced through it opening the night like some jaws of a giant monster, spitting shadows from its throat like a poisonous cloud. "And there we go.." "Well I'm sure you'll understand if I bid my farewell here. I can't help with anything else beyond getting the train rolling. Best of luck!" "It's perfectly all right. Thank you for everything." Fragile piece was shattered in an instant, with distant sound of explosions. Panic settled in and all orderly queues turned in to rushing crowds. Nests of drones start spawning on all sides of the realm and the reapers battering the walls and the shields with all their might. It looks scary, but the last train is now ready to depart, with kid and our oracle just seated. "You too, all of you!" I turned to all my guys. "It need only one to stay behind and seal it." I watch them all disappear in to the tunnel of light before releasing the final seal, and the entire station crumbles to pieces, and each peace turn to dust before touching the ground, to be swept away by the wind. All fading away like a memory, a dream. Like it never really was here. Just in time before the walls start falling. They cut through it all, the wave is closing in. But it doesn't matter any more. You are late, you are all too late. I only need a second to finish my burial rituals. To bury my home, my creation. Release all that was locked, the form is no more. Return to the source and to the abyss. The dark waters shall put you to rest. And I shall wake up, the dream is no more. Only a distant fading memory.
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The Lady: Holy, Holy, Holy10/9/2019 The skies filled with flashes of light and distant, or not so distant, thunder. Our blue fleet from the abyss began the purge, despite all other ideas that were on the table. Maybe our walls could have held without it, but probably not for long. While fire was raining on the dark realm right across the cliff, our teams were actively looking for infiltrations all across the place on our side.
"I took part in many battles in many places, yet it never crossed my mind I'd see one happening in our own back yard, and so soon." Everything seemed so surreal, my mind was struggling to accept the new reality. "Will this be enough?" Bee sounds worried. "We should be fine now. With all the help we received, the scales are tipping to our favour. All that left is to clean up and fill the holes in our walls." "If you say so.. Just don't dismiss plan B too quickly." "I don't see any reason to abandon something we worked so hard for, all our dreams and hopes, over few unexpected challenges. This place is my retirement plan, my home, real home, the only home I have. All will be fine." I'm sure it's not going to be as easy as just killing off this infestation and life as usual. But, as we are now, we can repel any future interventions. Which not likely to get much worse than what we we've seen so far. "We are not alone.." Bee pointed in to distance. "Someone else is observing." It took me a moment to focus, but I could sense it too, a familiar scent. "A reaper.." A feline figure emerged from the shadows. She comes and goes as she pleases, but when she comes, often brings chaos to my plans, ideas and hopes. "Well shit.. And here, I was having lovely, hopeful evening.. Maybe he's just passing by?" "It's your friends, you tell us, are they ever just passing by?" "Seems like we now know who is behind all our troubles. Might as well say hello." I rarely spread my wings, but this seemed like appropriate occasion, to meet our not very welcomed guest in their element. The thing was just hovering above everything in silence. I came as close I felt comfortable to be. His aura, like some corrosive cloud, made the air hardly breathable. "Why does it have to be always you, people, behind all the crap? I was really praying for it to be someone else behind all this mess. At least just this once." "Perhaps you were praying to the wrong God." "Yours have deaf ears for all my prayers." "You should try praying for forgiveness, before anything else." "You are not here to lecture me, what do you want?" "Your job was to protect our children, not to steal some of them." "You got it mixed up. I'm doing exactly that, protecting some children. Just this time, from you. It seems." "You can't win this." "Win? I have no such dreams. I'm not trying to win anything, I'm merely trying no to loose. Not to loose just long enough for you loose interest in just couple random kids." "You know well, we don't measure time in days or years, but in centuries and thousands of years. All this, that you created, and all that you caused will vanish and be forgotten in but a moment." "Perhaps. But your kind brought me back not because I'm rational, but because I'm so stubborn like that. A man of deep commitment, you might say, whatever the odds. And right now, I feel very deeply committed till the end." "And the end you shall receive." "Well, good day to you too then." There wasn't anything else to talk about. His presence was the message it self. There is no light at the end of this tunnel. I turned back to meet my people waiting where I left them. "What is our plan now?" Bee was waiting for some clarity. "The B plan.. Start preparing for immediate evacuation. We only have few days." The Lady: Vanguard9/9/2019 It all slowly beginning to feel tedious and not nearly as dangerous as the very first moments of shock and awe. All the defence lines holding. Small incursions here and there, feels more like nuisance, than a grave danger to the whole of our creation. But we can't live like this indefinitely, on the other hand wasting energy fighting countless drones seems like not the way either. It looks like this "attack" was merely a carefully crafted scheme, only meant to flush us out, to get us running, so they could pick us out on run. A lot of smoke and firecrackers in a pot. But it's still impressive, and still unpleasant. And to extent - dangerous. Not knowing who is behind it, what their motives and what other tricks they are capable of is dangerous.
"Have we got any clues who is behind this all, yet?" "Nothing solid yet. But there are a lot of our people sweeping shadows, something will come up soon." Bee is calm as ever. "It maybe way ahead of the schedule, but maybe we should wake up the fleet?" "Actually, they're already awake." "Oh? Well, who could sleep in all this noise.. Are they ready?" "No. Vanguard reports, he completed his upgrades, but others still have to catch up.." "Sound fine, they can rise and finish up on the go. Seems like there is no point hiding them any more." "We don't have any targets for them. What would you have them do up here?" "Patiently waiting for orders is part of any soldier's job. And if nothing better comes up soon, we can send them where it all began, to send the message at least." "That would be a very destructive message, and those people have no clue about anything and took no part in any of it, at least not willingly. Are you sure that is what you want?" "What else there is to do? Knowingly or not, but they made the choice, they are just a land now, a battlefield." "Aren't you forgetting something else?" "What?" "That place is Her home. To some extent, at least, still is. It still is part of her. If you are to burn the house down, of someone, you say, you are saving, what does it make you exactly? The lines between heroes and villains can get very blurry rather fast." "Tsk.. I have not thought that far yet. Well then let's hope we find some better targets soon. We can't lull those giants to sleep now. Not with their bellies empty. Something will have to be served." The Lady: Bridges7/9/2019 What the actual bloody fuck?! How is this even possible? I'm standing at the edge of our realm, and right across the cliff - a dark realm. Like some siege tower, appeared overnight. They still have sizeable gap to close and last stretch will surely won't be the easiest, but this is bad.
"Good morning Sir!" A mindless, faceless drone in fancy suit spoke to me from across. A slimy smile seems like the main feature they all share. "It has come to our attention that you are in possession of something that is not yours." "If you mean the child, she's not a thing." These talks are completely pointless, but every second now counts. If we can win at least few of those, I can bare to look at their repulsive faces. "Regardless, I'm afraid you have no claim to her. And you removed her from her place in direct violation of significant number of rules and agreements, and you have been warned not to do so well in advance. We have the upper hand in this matter." "From where I stand, I don't see any upper hands on your side. Maybe you could come a little closer, so I could see it clearer?" The guy looked at me, then down in to the bottomless abyss, and back at me. "Don't you even.." He leaped in to the air before I could finish the sentence. He landed on the very edge of our bridge. Only to swallow my sword and to have his body thrown off the edge. "Oh my.. That seems like a pretty long way down." Another, drone in suit took up first one's place. They're all just mindless drones. They sacrificed one of their own only to show me their power, the power of the hive mind. They care not for the individual. There is plenty more, where that guy came from, they will never stop coming, no matter how many will be thrown of the edge, this is a flood. I left few others to watch the breach, while I have head back to see what we have to stand up against this assault and how to delay their progress. There were few new arrivals. Not many, but those few that came, seem to be masters of their craft. They all spoke few words, but their arsenal and amour spoke volumes. A nice upward kick to morale, but it will hardly be enough. No way around it, we must send a call for assistance to all four corners. To anyone able and willing. Seal all entrances, but one, only for incoming help. Everyone is a soldier today. The Lady: Rising Tide5/9/2019 Nothing. Nothing at all. I've checked every corner of the realm, but couldn't find a single sign of impeding doom. Are those rumours and premonitions all false? But those same voices were right, or at least close enough to the truth, times before. But this time it makes no sense at all. what they speak of is impossible, the boundary between the elements here were set in the base code, in the seed of it. This place was not built on the laws of mortal reality. Experiments of the other kinds residing here cannot rewrite the base code either, and I'm not about to go on some paranoid witch hunt "just in case". That's completely against our way of life, our purpose, and our spirit. Unless the flood they speak of is just metaphor for something else, it makes no sense at all.
There seem to be some critters, some bugs here and there. It's not always easy to tell if something is part of local circle of life, or is it some invasive or even parasitic species. It's not a lot, so I'm not bothered all that much, whichever the case with them. But I try to clean up some spots and see if it makes any difference at all, positive or negative. In the corner of my eye I see some kid shadowing me. My little stalker is hiding behind the trees. I pretend I see nothing and just continue with my maintenance. At least until some small hands began poking out of the bushes and stealing my tools, fallowed by distant quiet giggle, every time I'd turn away. Once.. Twice.. The third time was not the charm and I caught my little thief’s arm. "Got you! What you doing? Where are you parents?" I began interrogating little girl, that I just pulled out of bushes. "I don't have any." She seems a little startled, but not scared. "Huh? Where did you come from then?" "I was made by many." Her answers got me scratching my head, "What's your name?" "I'm Xi." "Oh!." Now it all made sense. "Wow.. You've changed a lot, I didn't recognize you." She looked so different, so lively. From a little terrified child to a confident teenager in such a short time. I was very surprised. But I was happy to see that fear in her eyes got replaced by joy and wonder. "All things grow faster in warm and nurturing places." "And you've grown a lot, so fast." "Maybe even more than you think.." Right after those words, she changed. From a teenager looking kid in to grown up young lady. And a very attractive one.. "How's this?" "Ehmm.. Whatever you are the most comfortable with.." I shouldn't be, but I still get startled by people doing any big and sudden changes to their appearance in front of me. My mind has to take a moment to catch up with the sudden shift of the atmosphere. "I have to speak with somebody about something important, but maybe after I can catch you for a chat?" "You already caught me.." "Huh?" Only then realized I'm still clutching her arm in my hand. "Oh, sorry." The moment I let go of her, she disappeared between the trees, with only a flirty smile for goodbye. It's all so calm and peaceful. It's been so long since my last visit I completely forgot how it feels to be here. The thick mist all around amplify this captivating stillness even more. "Sneaking up on me again?" Bee always moves around so silently. "Looks like you're having a moment." "It's lovely evening. Do you think we could clear up the fog for a moment and count the stars?" "Up to you, it's your world." "I merely gave it form. The rest of it is yours, the life of it - your doing." The sky lit up with billions of lights, billions of distant worlds. "So many.. Billions of years not enough to explore and experience it all, not even for small piece of it all." "Do we have billions of years?" "That's the question of the day.. They see you in their dreams." "Your new friends down there? Well they sometimes see you too in their dreams, don't they? Doesn't mean you are actually there, does it? Doesn't really mean you are not either. Always somewhere in between." "They speak of impossible things. I've failed to find anything. Everything as it always was and nothing really changed. The message makes no sense." "Not sure about sinking, but I have my concerns. Something did change." "What? Wait, you mean the child? How could she possibly cause anything as that?" "Maybe you are looking to it from the wrong angle? You took something that wasn't yours to take. At least not in the eyes of some people." "Them? But there is no way they could ever reach us here, can they?" "I'm a gardener, not a fortune teller. I don't know the future. But somebody was very keen on keeping her where she was. It would be unwise to underestimate them now and not to expect any blow back." "You actually think we should be worried?" "Your defence strategy rely on idea that they can't find us, reach us, that they can't build some bridge to lay siege on us. But those were some dark and long shadows down there, and no one really know what or who were they leading back to, who was behind it. Imagine they can reach us, what's the plan B? They got you beat up in a day down there, can we fare better here if they do cross the ocean?" "Well when you put it like that.. My defence policy might have few holes here and there. It does look rather flimsy." "Maybe you should consider asking some help, just in case?" "From who? I'm not the most popular person around.." "Your family." "Him? I don't feel very comfortable asking for favours, I'm supposed be able to handle my own matters by my self, by now, ideally. Just days ago I asked something and got a gift already.. " "..and you went ahead and used that gift to get your self in to some trouble." "I didn't expect it to actually work the way it did." "Well you have options, what are you the most willing to risk, or even to sacrifice? The child? This place? Or your own pride?" "Hmm first two are just unthinkable. The last one is just a bit uncomfortable. Very well then, we'll do what we can to prepare for whatever may or may not be coming for us." The Lady: Morning After4/9/2019 We are still alive. Can't believe it my self. I don't have enough fingers on my beaten limbs to count how many I was sure we are done for. Morning sun peaking through countless holes in our walls. Some of those large enough for stray dogs to squeeze through. All seem quiet enough for me to go out and at least get a glance at what state we are really in. It's bad, real bad. A fine battle it was, the whole house bears scars of it. Our makeshift fort looks like it was hit by some massive earthquake, or tsunami, or both. But the kid is OK, terrified but OK. And I'm still standing.
I have no idea what happened. How did everything turned on it's head overnight, and why I happened to stand in the wrong place and time to play hero no one asked for, in a war I have no chance of winning? Why do I protect this nobody's child, and from what? "Good morning!" Voice of the beast broke the silence, "Rough neighbourhood?" He was standing by the gates, all by him self. Mockingly smiling. So full of him self. Didn't even bother to bring any of his goons, so sure was this deceiver of his newly found power and authority, and of his impeding victory. "I see you shed your fur for a fancy new suit." "Why of course. I believe, a man of my status, should project appropriate image around him self, don't you agree?" "Your status?" "As you may have heard, I now run the whole town." "Almost." "Just a matter of time. Haven't you noticed, the town loves me. I am the wind of change they were craving for, the guiding light they were praying for. I'm in their hearts, minds, and even their dreams now. And they worship me, in many different names. Every single person but one.. I guess there is always that one stubborn goat, that just have go against the winds to his own peril." "Oh, you're such a sweet talker." "How's your sister feeling, hope all the changes around didn't cause too much distress for young lady?" "My sister?" "I was thinking the other day. How to define this relationship of yours, this connection. On the face of it, there is nothing really that should connect you two. No one in the whole world cares about her, hardly anyone even knows she exist. Every single soul around wouldn't even blink about any of this, everyone but you. An you just met her barely few days ago. And you. You have nothing to gain, nothing at all, and so much to lose. And yet.. Here you are. All alone. Discarded by all, but her. This strange bond between you two, there is no reasoning with it, is there? It's like family bond. Nothing else comes close. And so I settled on "sister", see?" "Why can't you just leave the kid alone, you already have the rest? She's just a child." "Child? I guess it's a matter of perspective. Where you see child, I see a fine young lady. And I believe you misread my intentions. Perhaps my initial approach didn't help on that regard either. But I assure you, I would treat her like princess, like a queen. And she will be one, a rightful Queen of this town. She is soul of this place. And what are we without a soul? Dead men walking, stuck in between, never able to find peace." "Oh, you mean without her, by your side, or locked in some basement more precisely, your kingship is only half-baked and your sleep is shallow?.." "I know you see monster in me, but I am very reasonable man. My offer is the best and, perhaps, the only way to end this misunderstanding with the least harm to everybody caught in this. I promise, no harm will ever come to her." "It's very reasonable offer. Makes perfect sense. And I can't find any good excuse to reject it.." "I'm glad we managed to reach some understanding." "But.. A fortune cookie told me this morning I should not make any important decisions today, and I'm terribly superstitious. Do you think, we could, possibly go over this deal some other day? Tomorrow? Oh, wait I have some other matters to attend tomorrow. But next week my schedule is mostly free, lets grab some beer and go over it again first thing Monday morning, how's that sound? "You know, I like you. It's truly shame we had to start on the wrong foot. If things were different, who knows, we might have ended up on the same, solid ground sharing beer and old stories. Oh, that reminds me. Don't you have a family of your own out there? It would be shame if something to happen to your own child, while you are here protecting child of no man. Don't get mixed up in your priorities, my friend." "Very solid advice. You should write a book." "I'll see you around." He walked away whistling, like a man who had all the time in the world. Shame I couldn't say the same about my self. We're out of time and out of options. The girl was sleeping on the floor in the corner of the last room with all four walls still standing. I guess that's it, we are all that's left. No way to win this, nowhere to hide, nowhere to run. Or is there?.. No, she is far too young to cross that bridge. It might damage her, or worse.. Maybe I'm over thinking it. Extreme circumstance demands extreme measures. "Hey kid, we are not doing very well here. And these walls are all on their last legs, can't shelter us here much longer. Help is not coming. We are all that's left. You get to choose, staying here and embracing the changes, maybe you won't be happy, but most likely alive. Or coming with me through the rift, chances of getting through alive and in one piece, about fifty fifty, optimistically, but if we are lucky, there is a happy place waiting for us. Which is it?" "With you!" "I'm not sure you really understand the risks, but be it as you wish." Cherry Cliff: Crossroads3/9/2019 "I don't think there's any fish here. We've been sitting for hours.." I moaned out loud.
I knew there wasn't any, but when Bee offered afternoon at the pier with a fishing rod, for a moment I got excited, perhaps a bit too excited. Bee just wiggled one ear and mumbled, without even opening her eyes, "Isn't it about the process more, than the goal? The journey, the chase and not the catch, yada yada.. And even if you were to catch one, will you be eating it, Mr No-Sea-Food?" "Well, yes.. It's great fun, but this journey, as you put it, seem to be a bit aimless without anything to catch. What's the fishing rod for then, if all you really wanted was a nap? I should just brought me a chair and some whiskey instead.." "I saw humans doing that. Seems like fun way to pass time. But your moaning is ruining the atmosphere. For an old man you are very impatient. Great things come as they please, in their time, not yours." I'm getting a feeling, she is having fun with me and she has something in store, but not telling. I bet she already got some fishes in her pocket somehwere, to release them the very last moment, right after I lose my patience completely. Well two can play this game, I can sit here for centuries. Not two, three. Ki's been sitting so quietly, I nearly forgot she's here too. She's just sitting on the edge with her feet barely touching the water, in complete silence, and staring in to horizon the whole time. Too quiet. Something is definitely up, both of them are in it. I'm the only one in the dark. Very typical. Ki suddenly froze and her her eyes doubled in size. "What? Did you see fish?" I asked her calmly, pretending I'm not too bothered. My eyes were scanning the horizon but there was nothing, not even a single ripple on the water. No, wait. There's something moving. A faint shadow in the water. I glanced at Bee, but she just peacefully snoozing curled up in a ball of fur. The shadow kept disappearing and reappearing, every time slowly inching closer and closer to us. "What do you see, kiddo?" I asked Ki. She turned to me, and smiled from ear to ear with mischievous sparks in her eyes, "It's a surprise!" "Oh? How exciting.." We watched the shadow inching closer and closer. Seemed like no one here, not even the "surprise" it self was in any rush anywhere. I had plenty of time to run all possibilities in my head, from a ton of sea bass to a couple of beautiful mermaids jumping at me momentarily. And then it disappeared completely. Air suddenly got heavy, all went dead quiet. Moment later the water around us got darker and darker. The "shadow" began to grow, right under us. And a giant head emerged of a.. "Hey Bee.. Why is there giant dragon in the lake?.." I asked calmly, trying not to make any sudden moves.. "You said, family and friends is OK.. It's family.. It's OK.." She whispered without even lifting single eyelid. "Family? Who's Family?.." "Hello son!" The deep voice like a soft thunder shook the ground, "It's been a while, and I know it might be a lot to take in. But do not worry, things will come back and fall in to their rightful places soon enough. I just had to see you with my own eyes, and to greet you with my own voice, and to tell you, no matter where you been and where you are, or will be, there always will be home for you, never forget that." He slowly looked around lifting his head a bit higher, as if sniffing the air, "But you seem to be doing pretty well your self. I like what you did with the place. Very lovely. I'll leave you to it then. It was great seeing you. Don't be a stranger." And he vanished in the waves.. I took a moment to try and swallow the thing, or at least some of it, before I looked around to make sure out of three, I'm the only one bothered by the whole thing. Ki is cringing in her palms, Bee is napping, all is normal.. "Let's just get back to fishing. No fish is perfectly fine.." "Wait, someone else is coming.." Bee is wide awake in an instant. "Your other friends. Should I let them in?" "I'm not sure if we have as an option with those guys. They might just knock the gates out if we lock it down.." She came in a flash of light, like some winged lighthouse drowned the place in thick white light. Ki seemed very impressed by the show. "As you can see I'm terribly busy. My scheduled is full and, very regretfully, most probably, I can't help you guys with anything at this moment." I didn't even bother to lift my eyes off my fishing rod. "You need to come back to Her. She needs your help." "Who? Your girl? But we finished there, she is fine her own now. Is she not?" "Your work is not done. She is not ready and you are bound by your contract. Respect it or all that you've created will be taken away and you will have nothing else left but the work you agreed to. You live a borrowed life, on borrowed time. If you ever forget that, all distractions will be scorched to ashes and dust. You have not yet earned the privilege to negotiate. Go now!" "You people and your ways, and your problems gets under my skin most days.. Fine. Bee, take good care of the place please. We'll have to get back to fishing and chilling some other time. Weekend's over.. Back to shovelling dirt." |