The Mak Toras Chronicles

Chapter 6 - Zero Hour

Nothing could disturb Tanner in his realm of slumber. Dreams took him away like a carriage enroute to the promised lands. There was nothing in between him and his haven of dreams to hold him stymied. For he was a wanderer of great intentions to explore whatever need be. Locked away within his head, he woke up to a world filled with lush grass and sparse tree cover. It seemed as if life was at a stand-still; the trees blew gently in the passing wind and the flora in waves to the curl of currents. The crisp, cool air filled his lungs with a brief, icy chill which simmered his gut in bliss. The sky overhead, was just like tonight. Stars shone in vast numbers like an array of paint splatters on a wall-sloppy yet unique. Some glowed brighter than others, yet were unable to match the moon. The moon itself, by far, still held title as the brightest object in the night sky. Nothing could match its majesty as its rays flayed upon the landscape, lighting it up to half of what day time could. From where Tanner awoke, he appeared to be on a hill, over looking a flat, uncomprised plain of pure elegance as far as the eye can see. The horizon let a small hue to be seen as a faint glow in proportion to the moon. Above his perch on the hill, a meteor shower took over the sky in small factions, displaying their beauty in swift streams of light. Tanner was truly amazed at the divinity of night. His memories took time to recuperate his past events and encounters of astronomical phenomena including now. He couldn't describe it, though. Not even could comprehend at such a wonderous sight. Everything around him was flawless. Although he couldn't spot any animals, the plant life and form of the sky was elegant. There was nothing more he could ask for such a perfect world. However, amongst the landscape below, he spotted a humanoid shape as it navigated its way across the land. At first, Tanner was concerned and rather curious. Perhaps he could interact with this mysterious shape. Flooded with curiosity, he raced down the hill to greet the strange being. However, a gut feeling within was telling him to go back as if danger lurked nearby. Completely ignoring the warning, he approached the being, who now stood much taller than him. It was unrecognizable by any related feature on animals he has ever seen or known. The entity's skin was smooth, less scaley than a reptile, but delicate. All over its back where the skin became gradually tougher like a chitin carapace. Along the bottom, was a remarkably, long tail, looking much like a crocodiles tail at the base but with the spikes slowly shrinking as it continued to the end. The entity's legs were shaped like a stereotypical lightning bolt; a zig-zag with the middle line shortened to compensate for the longer shin and thigh bones. He couldn't see more of the being as its back was turned to Tanner. From the waist up, over all, he looked in similarity to a human. Tanner was now in total bedazzlement yet confused. No one could have such a body and still retain a previous form other than fauna. Unfortunately, this strange being was not faunus but something different and menacing. Struggling to speak, he managed to stiff out a few words, hoping to get its attention. "H-hey. How are you?" No response. He tried again. "Hello? Can you hear me? I'm just wondering who you are." The entity then gave a signal it was listening, raising its head, but still keeping his current state of stillness. "May I speak to you?" At that moment, it turned around slowly to face him. The sight of what Tanner caught next turned his thoughts upside down. The being's muscles were easily noticable with sections highlighted in purple, leaving the rest of its hide in a brown to a maroon color. Although it seemed thin in the arms and torso, the muscles were refined to look stronger than they actually were. Its feet weren't like Tanner's but similar to a bird's foot. They each were equipped with toe claws like an emu and were attached to a thicker base as well as the foot itself. Looking upward, what he saw next, was unreal. The being was him-in his adolescent years. Despite the neck and entire body looking non-existent, its face remained the same as his. The orange eyes pierced into his soul. He was now terrified by his own reflection and wanted to run away. But as felt before, another gut feeling came about, immoblizing his attempts to run. As the entity got closer, it stepped infront of him and began to kneel down to his level. Tanner felt like screaming, but held back his tempting voice. The glare of its eyes were now locked completely with his, only inches away. Even more astonishing than its appearance came to be, the entity spoke with a one word directive-nothing more. "Prepare" it said with a dark voice, echoing with unrelenting power. Inside, Tanner felt an odd feeling as if he needed to obey. As he gazed down at his hands, they too, matched the entity: creature-like skin with a toughened hide on his forearms, and vicious, ghastly hands tipped with claws. Soon, he collapsed onto the ground with his final thought staring blankly at the sky. Then, it all went dark...

"Everything is set. We are ready to attack the Eterna compound, over. Awaiting your order to engage, sir." "Good, good. It's about time. Brothers and sisters of the Whitefang, this is our moment, our time at last to strike at this menace; this oppression to our race. The time has finally come to end the Eterna once and for all. No longer will we be subject to discrimination. No longer will we be beaten senseless by this human cruelty. For we, proud faunus, stand as a rock-a tree-a hill to stand against the wind. We will not only destroy their power, but kill every last one of them. You have your orders. Go, hunt them all down. I want to see every body infront of me by the time this is over. Kill them all."

He snapped awake suddenly with his heart racing in fear and agony. Tanner was back in his bedroom once more filled with silence. The dream stood with in his mind as clear as day. It haunted him with every breath. However, his awakening was not entirely caused by the dream itself, nor was it his duration in sleep. A smell of smoked reigned in the air he took in. It only meant one thing alone: fire. Surprisingly still dressed in his clothes for the day, he quickly raced downstairs to find the source. In the distant halls, he could hear gunfire and shouts. With his blood running in anxiety, he ran to the balcony. Something was definitely wrong. On his arrival, Tanner looked below in terror to find what was waiting below in the assembly. His family members and valiant soldiers fighting against the Whitefang with a fire starting nearby. It was just as he feared-his home and company were under attack. In a state of total panic, he raced down the stairs until he reached another hall, only to find it blocked off by combating soldiers and Whitefang. Paranoia consumed him for as he was a target on these grounds. The soldiers were diminishing by the minute and the Whitefang, pouring into the doorways, seemed to be numberless. With no where to run let alone escape, he tried to make his way down a different corridor. His travel was stopped as a faunus crossed his path. Upon sight, the faunus raised a sword, ready to strike him down. Luckily, Chad arrived just in time to save his little brother, slashing the enemy into pieces. "Tanner! There you are. We have to get out of here now!" Tanner was in an engulfed state of panic. "What's going on?! Where's mom?!" There was no time for questions as more adversaries came into the blue. Chad grunted and got infront of his view. "Just go. Get out of here and get help. I'll cover you." "But Chad-" he was interrupted by a yell. "Get out of here now!" Struck in the heart and trembling with fear, he had to listen, and ran for the nearest exit. However, he wanted to find his mother first-above all else. As he looked back to his fighting brother, Chad was eventually overwhelmed by enemy forces and slowly collapsed. There was no turning back now. An echo rang in his head in a dark shroud, coming in a familiar voice. "Run, and don't look back. Go, be free. Survive. Survive..." it said as it faded away out of his mind. Everywhere he looked, the mansions guards and family alike were falling to their demise at the hands of the faunus. There were just too many. His surroundings were falling apart. Despite the final stand of his brothers and sisters, they all gave their last breath. Tanner couldn't bear to watch as many were brutally slaughtered. Approaching his goal, the entire left portion of the mansion was up in flames. Amongst the burning rooms, he heard a faint groan in pain: it was his mother. His heart immediately sank and submitted to despair. Rushing into the fire, he found his mother, lodgef beneath a pile of burning rubble. At that moment, Tanner bursted into tears, darting over to his dying mother shouting at the top of his lungs. "No no no!" Instinctively, he tried to get her out by removing scrap by scrap, but no avail. "Tanner...go...there's no point. Save yourself" the mother said, already rasping to the edge of death. "I-I...no!" He, now blinded by tears, was unable to bear the vision before him. All around him, the family were flayed to rest in the tiding of death. The family was almost wiped out and would be in a matter of hours. His mother managed to etch out her lasting words. "Tanner, please, go. Be free. You'll die here. Do what you can to survive. Do what you will to survive." The same words repeated in his head from earlier: "Survive." She was right. With more Whitefang arriving and the royal guard falling, he had to leave. "I love you, mom" said Tanner, and gave her one last hug in farewell. "I love you too, honey" she responded before the faunus spotted him. His directive was now a necessity to obey. Running from the burning home and into the darkness, giving one last glance at his life crumbling down upon him. All that remained was Tanner. Empty and devastated from the inside, nothing left stood but a mere memory. "No turning back now. Run, or die." No further delay stood in his path as the voice declared, and within a moments notice, he was gone, disappearing from the underbrush.