HADAGERY, Book of Elysium

Hadagery

By: Teresa VanMeter

 Copyright 2013 Teresa Vanmeter

 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Published by: Teresa Vanmeter

Copyright 2013 Teresa Vanmeter

HADAGERY: Imaginary chaos    

Chapter 1:  Hadge!

 Aarrrrrgggrrrhhhh! A beastly sound twisted amongst a peculiar undying cold, like a beacon to all things that may dwell in the darkness, things born out of evil, ripened by the sum of all fears.

 Thereafter a wild thrashing echoed through the remains of a town called Harbinger, left in ruins by some catastrophic event. Strange shadows shifted uneasily, through the fields of mysterious blood flora. Unseen voices stirred from out of nowhere, beyond the crumbling graveyard, where creepers crept nervously over the dead. Across the lifeless river left stagnant and polluted, as something churned just below the surface. Throughout the gnarled dead wood pines, where the sinister reavors lurked, drawn to the frantic noise of the living. Up the treacherous mountainside, in the vicinity of the abnormally large red cap mushrooms, where a gray fog lifted upwards, and the thrashing had promptly ceased. Seeing that a murky hulking creature emerged within the gray matter, silhouetted by an obscured inconsistent glow escaping the widow's weeds growing far above. The creature breathed quite fiercely in the dark cold silent face of this anomalous world.

 Aaaakkk! The shadowy creature hacked. Even as the widow's weeds above swished aimlessly, followed by the subtle sounds of departing footsteps, and an inconsistent glow that had faded, leaving only darkness behind.

 "Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" The shadowy creature roared, "I'm going to kill you!" as its angry voice wheezed amidst the cloud of fungal dust. Which wickedly billowed up from a wild mutated patch of dried crimson soama, a red cap mushroom commonly known for its mind-altering capabilities. One of the few plants that had survived the constant dark cold, colonizing the entire dead pine ridge of Ennead Mountains, a cluster of nine mountains separating the valley from the rest of the ill-fated world.

 The hulking shadow stumbled through the cloud. Its exaggerated size quickly shrunk down to an undersized solid form of a male, just over three feet in height, considered to be quite tall in his tiny populated group, and one of the oldest at the ripe old age of 19, nearly 20. Most in this bitter world didn't survive beyond age 25. His pale roughened skin had reddened patches from the cold temperatures, and stained with years of dirt. Unruly dark brown hair matted his head, and went on to prickle his entire body, covering every wrinkle and crack. He had an unusual indent on his right temple, which caused the nearby eye to be sluggish. Strangely his sight was nocturnal, however he had a thin milky membrane over the eyes, as if the gods were playing a trick on life. He was gimp on the right side from birth, still no one could tell with his oversized dirty clothing, since he'd learned how to use the leg quite well. He is simply known as the Hadge. And the remnant of this terrible world is called Elysium.

 Hadge coughed, hacked, and furiously swore revenge upon the mischievous perpetrator under his breath, "Uweeeee...." He barked, "You grubb!" He often came here alone to the Cliffside for roots and herbs. Having no idea the rambunctious Uwee had followed, scarcely age 14. At what time his thoughts grumbled, "With friends like him, who needs enemies?" Even as the scene replayed in his mind, from out of nowhere Uwee nimbly leaped onto his back, like a stepping-stone he hurdled directly over the crimson soama, forcing Hadge down within the rotting mushroom remains. Then laughed like an impish child, while he climbed higher and higher up the Cliffside. Riskily yelling "Eat my dust!" It all compounded Hadge's fears that the noise could attract danger, and may even worse draw the deadly reavers.