The Fallen World Part II

Chapter 16: Dangerous Territory

The more we walk, the more trees appear within the city. We arrived in Copper street, it's getting dark and we're in the middle of the cultist grounds. "Tom, keep an eye out for cultists. But where could Faye be?" I asked, "Well, we can interrogate someone around here, let's look around." Tom said.

I found a body of a croc nailed to the wall with his guts out, the stench is too strong for me to bear, I cover my mouth and walk away from the body. "Disgusting," Tom murmured. We're starting to see holy symbols and diagrams painted all over the walls. The streetlights have charms and talismans hanged around them, I hear the rustling of leaves.

We quickly crouch to the grass, there are torchlights moving ahead. The cultists are passing through, one of them's dragging a tied up crow, the crow's crying. Some of them are chanting a prayer, and the falcon's wielding a massive scythe.

We wait for them to pass through, then one stops and said: "All of you can go ahead, I will keep watch on the bodies here." A cat said. "Now's our chance." I crouch slowly, and Tom finds a way to corner him. The cat's checking the bodies from the ground, he pierced one with his spear.

I get closer and aim my crossbow at him. "You. Stay quiet." I said, "What is this? An intruder?!" The cat got tackled by Tom, "You're coming with us." Tom ties him up and tape his mouth.

We settle inside a post office and put the tied up cat on a chair, Tom rips out the tape and the cat starts to speak. "You, where do you assholes keep a golden retriever hostage?" I stand in front of him holding a knife, "I do not feel threatened by you." He said, "Oh for fucks sake." I cover his mouth and stabbed his leg, he screamed. Right after he stopped, I put my paw away. "Where is she!" I said, "She is an angel who lost her way." He said.

"This is getting us nowhere, Tom." I said, "Just keep going, he'll open up." Tom said, I punched the cat's face again and again, his teeth fell off and his face is bruised. I stab his thigh and said: "Last chance buddy, where is she?", "They are sending her to the Forester Bank for the ritual. You are too late." He said.

"Shit." I kick the cat and he fell to the ground then I stomped his face, he's dead. "Nell, let's go, quick!" Tom gets outside and look around for the bank, he pointed out, "Over there, that's the bank!" He said, I get out of the post office and quickly follow him.

It's really dark out here, using a flashlight's as good as being caught. There's a cultist at the entrance of the bank, I aim my crossbow and slow down my breathing, right after I exhale I shot his chest. His torch fell to the ground, gladly it didn't touch the grass.

The bottom half of the bank is buried to the ground, what I'm facing at is the top. "Tom, see any entrances?" I asked, "Hmm... over there?" He pointed at the barricaded door. "It's boarded, we need a crowbar to pry them ope-" Tom stopped talking as I rip out the boards by hand. "Or we could just do that." Tom said.

Once I open the door a cloud of spawn came out, it's an infestation there. "Nell, masks on." Tom wears his mask and I brought out mine then get inside.

I barricaded the door with a metal shelf, I hope it didn't cause that much noise. The whole bank glows faintly from the corals, I don't see any Reefed around, that's good. "No Reefed around?" I asked Tom, "Perhaps." He replied as he wears his blindfold.

Faye must be in here, she must be. "Where could Faye be?" I asked as we take down the stairs, "I get the feeling someone's watching us... do you feel that too, Nell?" Tom asked, "Yeah... it's creeping me out." I replied.

Tom suddenly grabbed my arm and lead me behind a wall, "Shit, there's something crawling on the ceiling!" Tom whispered, "What? Where?!" I asked, he pointed at the chandelier—it's a large crawling beast covered in corals, there are bodies glued to the ceiling. "Shit, what the hell is that?" I said.

I get under a desk and radio Mara, "You there?" I said, "I'm here, what do you need?" She said, "There's a large crawling Reefed on the ceiling of a bank, do you know what kind of Reefed is that?" I asked, "Ah! A weaver. Stay away from the sticky flat corals on the floor, those things'll alert it. The weaver's not blind so be careful." She explained, "Gotcha." I turn of the radio and look at the weaver crawling around the ceiling.

"Please tell me Faye isn't one of those bodies." I said, "I don't think so, none of them looks like her." Tom replied. The weaver landed and growled, it's starting to wander. "Shit, that thing's down here with us." I whispered, we crouch around the bank with and take cover from the desks. "Could Faye be in the staff room?" I asked, "That's likely, let's go.".

The staff room door's locked from the inside, "Shit, it's locked." I said, "Should we find the key?" He asked then we heard a voice in the room, "Tom? Nell?" A girl's voice is heard. "Faye! Open the door, we're here." I said quietly, the door unlocks and Faye slowly opens it. "Shit, you guys came to rescue me. Those cultists tortured everyone and dumped me here." She said, "I'm glad you're safe, now let's get out of here." Tom holds her paw, and we all try to sneak our way out.

I accidentally stepped on the flat corals on the floor and the weaver roared, "Oh fuck oh fuck!" I said as it charges at me, "Nell! Look out!" Faye screamed, I dodged its attack and I fell to the floor. Faye started shooting it with her revolver, Tom shoots with his rifle behind the long desk.

The weaver spits out acid from both of their lurker heads but gladly we're all taking cover. I brought out my shotgun and started shooting, it's still not down. "Dammit, I'll go kill it with my own paws." I vault over the desk and grab the computer, "Nell! That's suicide!" Faye warned me, "Just keep shooting, I'll take it down!" I said, they followed my order.

I threw the computer to their faces and it screeched, I approached it and ripped one of its head apart. I roared as it crawled to the ceiling like a coward. My party keeps shooting at it, I broke a massive chunk of coral and aim at the weaver. "Get down from here." I threw the chunk and I knock the weaver down!

The weaver's stunned, I'm gonna end this. I started ripping its limbs and shove them at the weaver's mouth then smashed its body with an ATM machine. The weaver's dead.

Tom and Faye got out and took a closer look, "Geez Nell..." Faye squatted and looked at the weaver head. "Don't mention it, let's get out of here, the gunshots probably alert the cultists outside.".