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Author Topic: Chasing the Storm  (Read 3032 times)

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Offline Lion

Chasing the Storm
« on: October 18, 2016, 09:59:41 pm »
[Open by request only.]

Whichever way there was to go, no one could see.  The expanse was covered in dust clouds rolling over the Wasteland.  A storm was coming, and lightning would rack the earth.  Already thunder was rolling across the sky and Erax didn't like the feel of it as it's vibration was rolling through him.  His helmet covered his face from the rancid clouds that rolled around him.  There was clearer air up north.

It was a matter of getting there without being attacked by raiders that was the challenge.  His car was fast, but he needed to conserve fuel.  He'd be able to take cover from the storm beneath the vista to the east.  There the badlands dropped off with a series of cliffs and caves.

Erax shifted off closer toward the ledge where he was perched, his vehicle not too far. He had some salvaged material that he fashioned into a set of binoculars. With some adjustment the vision far off down the carved road came into focus. The smoke that was obscured in the distance was visible closer to the source at the bottom of the road, a few miles away.

Wreckage. Clear as the coming storm. Erax felt his heart pound harder in his chest.

He slid down a few more lenses, the sight of crushed vehicles, trucks, and some bodies coming into view.  It seemed fairly recent. No crows now because of the coming storm, so the flesh remained largely intact. He wasn't going to pass up the chance to collect some supplies.  But chances were if he saw the smoke, so did someone else.

He was quick though and rushed to his vehicle.  A turn of the key, a roar of the engine, he put I in gear and the car – once black and sleek but now scratched and rusted – burned tread in the dirt and cruised hard down the cliff side. It roared down the hill until it reached flat surface and the ground to the road was becoming level.

The engine roared, going into high gear as the sight of the wreckage was growing closer. Thunder rolled again, the storm growing stronger.

« Last Edit: October 18, 2016, 10:03:08 pm by Lion »

Offline Nix

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #1 on: October 25, 2016, 08:41:37 pm »
It had been over a year since he had found any trace of Sendoa in the tunnels, so when he found his surrogate father's jacket in the abandoned, half caved in tunnel he was too reckless. It completely collapsed behind him. His link back to Teinar...

Fortunately the tunnel lead out and was not another dead end. Out into the wastelands. It was not his first-round time seeing the surface... But he had never been trapped out here. And the air... It was much harder to breath than the shallow stale air underground. It felt like it was burning his lungs... Bixente held Sendoa's jacket to his mouth and fastened his chains to his waist. He stepped to the mouth of the cave but dared not go out.

The storm was hardly a force he was familiar with and he was not prepared to deal with it. In the distance was that smoke? And the sound... An engine perhaps... A roar between the thunder that echoed through the cave...

Bixente shrugged off his pack. He had been exploring the tunnels for weeks now.. But he still had some supplies. No one else from Teinar would have wandered so far, especially not alone, but Bix had never been much like other Teinari. He ran his hand along the mouth of the cave, checking the structure before pulling out a beast skin tarp he had been using for rudimentary shelter. It was taut and leathery and in a pinch was a simple barrier and deterrent to many of the cave dwelling beasts he hunted. It stunk of a lark predatory beast and provided some measure of security while he slept. But now, hopefully it would help keep the storm at bay.

The mouth of the cave was structurally sound, so he took out his tools and hammered the metal pegs in place, pulling the tarp tight over the entrance to shield himself from dust and debris. He wondered how long storms raged out here. Hopefully not too long. He was running low on water.

Offline Lion

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2016, 09:17:15 pm »
The scent of burning rubber filled the air. With his helmet secured, Erax hit the gas, octane bursting into the engine of his car. It flared up from the six exhausts on either side of the rear tires, black smoke bursting up into the air.  Dirt and dust kicked up in his wake, obscuring only by the drifting dust that was already billowing out over the barren ground.

His armored vehicle was well equipped for long mileage, but the need for fuel was ever persistent. As it was for many out here in the Wastes. With the storm brewing up ahead, Erax needed to hurry because the wind would not wait for him. Nor would any others that might be seeking the pillage the corpse of that truck.  It was soon coming into view, Erax shifted, foot on the clutch, easing the gas, then shoved the gear down into fifth, adjusting the gas as the engine roared once more.

He didn't know how long but as soon as the truck was visible, growing larger as he approached, he hit the brakes on his car, slowing down to take a view of the place.  None seemed to be immediately visible, but he would take it slow enough just in case.

He pulled on his poncho, a leather skin that was sewn haphazardly with the tendons of a mudrake.  He grunted and kept his hand on the sawn-off shotgun at his side.  He wasn't a wild shot with that weapon, but it had a reputation for being rather persuasive.  Eyes wavered here and there beneath the visor of his helmet, catching onto the glint of a leaking gas tank.  Swiftly the pulled the gas cannister he had int he back seat from the window, creeping toward the spill and unscrewing the cap, letting it fill with each drip.

Offline Nix

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2016, 09:39:55 pm »
The tarp blew back at him from one of the bottom corners. He could see the black smoke in the distance. A vehicle. Someone was out there. Insane. He knew there were people who lived out on the wastelands but it baffled him. Sure he had spent more time in tunnels and underground ruins than in the proper city of Teinar but that was the life of a lone hunter. Especially one who wasn't exactly doing a job these days.

But this was a whole other world. Had Sendoa really come all the way out here? Had he been caught by surface raiders who wandered into the tunnels and dragged out? Or maybe Pilots caught him? Somehow he doubted those possibilities.

He shielded his eyes as he watched the vehicle move but it was hard to make out much else. He just hoped it didn't turn and come toward the cliffs and caves since he was in fact cornering himself to ride out the storm. Bixente pulled the tarp back across the cave entrance and made sure it was secure this time. Then he wrapped one of his chains around a rock and led it across the floor of the cave, ready to pull it taut and trip anything or one that might try and get in.

Offline Lion

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #4 on: October 26, 2016, 11:13:16 pm »
The leaking gas tank was filling the canister all too slowly for Erax' liking, but for his sake, he could take his time to look around a little more. He breathed slowly through the vents of his helmet, looking up at the side of the overturned truck. The back didn't seem to be filled with anything, just...leaking sand from bullet holes on the side. 

Maneuvering over to the front, Erax placed a boot into the rusted grill and climbed up onto the side of the toppled truck's hood.  The glass was smashed in on the passenger side window, the lock crushed in and unopenable.

With the window ajar, Erax propped himself onto his belly.  Something shuffled on the wind and he looked up, nothing so far.  But the storm was growing stronger and thunder rolled out across the sky once again.  He crawled through threw the window the see the bodies inside.  No crows yet.  But they would come.  For now though, he could pull up the body of the driver, pulling him and throwing him off to the side.

A scavver most likely, flesh already pale and half-rotted. The impact with the ground left maggots plopping down on the ground.  Erax grunted but looked through what remained inside the truck's cab. Nothing much of note. The main parts were already worn and bare. A spring poked up from the passenger seat, and looked loose enough to take.  With a grunt, Erax pried it off and threw that off to the side as well. The glove compartment...a few shells.

He took them into his gloved hand, carefully testing them.  The pressure was good in two of them.  And into his pocket they went.

Thunder rolled again.  Fuck, he couldn't wait around much longer.  Erax rolled off the truck, dropping from the rig's tire and landing with a kneel.  He crouched by the body, rummaging through the pockets.  A boltgun with no bolts. No screws, no metal bits to be salvaged.  Except that belt... He shifted the corpse around, careful of the maggots until the leather was wrapped firmly around his knuckles.

He collected what little he salvaged and stripped the body of the boltgun as well, throwing it into his bag when he heard it again.  Except this time it wasn't thunder.  Raiders.

Erax moved fast and threw the bag with supplies back into his car through the open window.  He rushed for the gas canister and snatched it from the tanker. Half-filled, but it would have to do for now.  The engines were roaring louder.  A snapped look over his shoulder and three bogies out from the west.  No time to waste.  He shoved himself back into his car, started the engine and rolled the window back up, turning round to the cliffs.

Offline Nix

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2017, 01:32:29 am »
Bixente sat against the wall of the cave, along side the mouth just... waiting. He closed his eyes and tried to filter out different sounds from outside over the rumble of thunder. Eventually he would have to leave this cave and find another way back to Teinar.. or someway to safely excavate the tunnel. Either way he would have to wait out the storm.

An engine. He could hear it roar, closer. He gripped the chain in his hand, ready in case someone tried to enter. So far the tarp was holding up at least.

Offline Lion

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2017, 11:49:41 pm »
The raiders were coming in hot and fast!  Even with the extra power under the hood, Erax had a feeling he wasn't going to get away unscathed. He'd gotten to the pick first, picked up whatever was valuable and took, but that wasn't going to stop them from running him off the road and picking his corpse clean, all the way down to the bone.

Fuck fuck!

Erax floored it. The cliff's were coming in fast, and as dirt was thrown up wildly, the storm gathering above him, those bogies threw larger and larger in his rearview mirror. Their dots expanding the closer they got proved them to be three bikes zooming over the blasted terrain at breakneck speed. They spread out behind him and one raised a jango spear, a grenade fastened to the end of a long metal pole, and threw it as they came closer toward the rear of his car.

The explosion threw the vehicle forward and flipped it over onto it's hood. In the tumble, Erax flipped from the driver seat, slamming hard against the roof of the car. As it turned over once again, he cried out, feeling his shoulder twist in the damage. Even with the roll cage installed within, it didn't stop the car from coming through completely unscathed. The car landed upright on all fours but with one badly damaged tire on the rear right, and with burns scarring the steel along that same side.

Erax was dizzy from the tumble, face bleed from an open wound on his forehead and he could hear the motors closing in from one of the tree bikes.

A savage laugh echoed off the closed in cliffs. Erax turned on his  side, having landed lopsided, wiggling for the shotgun at his thigh and carefully pried it from it's holster.  He struggled to shove one of the found shells he found and he lifted his uninjured arm and raised it toward the window. The glass was already damaged, but when the raider's head appeared in close view, the glass was replaced by the white-hot fire from the shotgun blast.

Offline Nix

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2017, 09:43:09 pm »
Shit. There was really something happening out there now... and close. Every sensible bone in his body said don't move. Stay put. But if then again he wouldn't be on the surface if he were sensible. He wasn't stupid, just more than a bit reckless.

Bix moved to peek out between the gap in the tarp. The wind was still whipping about and he had to squint to see. He would have considered three on one a bit unfair but in his experience life was far from it- fuck.

The crash was one thing, but thoughts that echoing laugh punctuated made even his stomach turn. He couldn't get a read on the one in the car and wasn't about to put himself on the raider's radar just to help out some stranger that could already be half dead in the wreck.

And then the shotgun blast as the one with the loud fucking thoughts stopped thinking. Well... that was pleasant. For a moment the other two were dumbfounded. It was moments like this that made hearing thoughts actually amusing. The dumbfounding... the sound, or lack of sound, of minds being blown... or wheels turning. Bixente got to his feet and stayed close to the wall of the cave as he moved to his pack. Long range weaponry was not something he was used to using... his chains were much more intimate. He preferred them even if they seemed impractical to others... but he did have a few other tools.

He always had a knife in his boot but the other main thing he kept in his pack. Ahh there it was. He pulled out what appeared to be a black pistol and moved quietly back to watch through the divide again.

Offline Lion

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #8 on: February 02, 2017, 10:13:19 pm »
The face exploded in a blob of gore. Erax breathed heavily and tried to sit up.  As the body slumped away, another raider came toward the car door, one with a crossbow.  Erax shoved his boot hard against the door and it swung open, slamming into the woman, and she yelped as she was thrown backwards. Erax shuffled himself out of the seat, the bolt narrowly missing him. 

As he stepped out however, his leg was met with a blade, and he tumbled backwards. Still another shot in the gun.  Max reeled backwards, leaning against the side of the car as he blasted the second shot into her chest, sending her rolling into the dust.

The third raider stayed back on the bike and aimed the point of his own crossbow forward, launching one deep into Erax's side.

Offline Nix

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #9 on: February 02, 2017, 11:05:58 pm »
Well well well. Car wreck guy had some fight in him after all. Bix tsked softly to himself as he watched the third one sit pretty on that bike with that crossbow. That was cheap and cowardly as far as he was concerned. Projectiles were cheap in general, but perhaps that just came from being Teinari. After all, down in the caves a stray shot from a weapon like that could do some real structural damage depending on where you were hunting. Ironic since he was holding one such weapon now.

Fortunately enough he had a good vantage point here, with the raider having his back mostly to the cave, Bixente's real dilemma was his exposure to the elements out there. Those kind of winds with dust dirt and debris kicking up still was not something he was accustomed to, which just meant he would have to be quick.

He untacked his tarp and stepped to the side of the entrance for a moment, wrapping it around his head, mouth and shoulders to form at least a meager bit of protection before going out there. One shot from the crossbow into the other's side. Shit that guy might be done for soon but it was still advantageous to take out the one on the bike; and now, while the raider was reloading, was the best chance he'd have.

Bixente's movements were fast and quiet, especially with the thunder roaring as if by some grand design to aid his task, though the wind made it difficult to see. He had managed to hop on the back of the bike before the other knew what was happening. His metal chain pressed against the other's throat as he pulled the raider back against his chest, the chain taut as it wrapped around the thick armband on Bix's right forearm and was pulled tight in his left hand. The pistol in his right hand pressed against the raider's temple as the other was forced to drop the crossbow, the chain choking him some.

Bixente squinted to see the other. "You still alive over there?"

Offline Lion

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #10 on: February 02, 2017, 11:17:33 pm »
The leather of his jacket had only slowed the bolt so much, and the padding had been caught underneath as well. The sharpened head of it dug deep and he writhed underneath his helmet.  Erax hadn't even realized another had come to join the party before he turned his head to look at his third assailant, only to vaguely see a shape behind him.  Something shiny and long around the bastard's neck.

Oh god, why didn't he just shoot him!  Get it over with! Erax tried to staunch the flow of blood, his hand loosely trying to wrap around the bolt, but the injury to his shoulder prevented him from moving into his desired position.  He strained himself to sit up against the tire and leaned weakly against it, the blood coming faster now.

He couldn't muster the words, but he nodded sharply, feeling panic set in, and yet the light before his eyes fading away.

Offline Nix

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #11 on: February 03, 2017, 08:08:34 pm »
Shit. Well with that guy out of commission he was going to have to take this guy down himself, and before the raider realized he was bluffing and the pistol was just a flare gun that he didn't really want to set off out here and draw even more attention down on them. He crossed the chains behind the back of the raider's neck and brought a leg up, digging his foot into the other's back as the raider tried to grab at the chain and keep from being strangled, struggling against him.

The raider managed to twist and topple off the bike with the chains still firmly against this throat but his own weight and motion only aided Bixente's endeavor. Dead. Heh, even managed to snap his own neck in the process. Bix released the body and let it fall with a soft thud the rest of the distance to the ground. Ok if he could figure out how to drive the damn thing he was keeping the bike. At least for the remainder of his time above ground. The crossbow too. He put the flare gun in his pocket and wrapped the chain around his arm guard again and picked up the cross bow before making his way over to the other.

Was he dead now too? He had seemed to nod before. He definitely was in bad shape though. It was more apparent the closer Bix got to him. Well one thing was for certain... he didn't look like much of a threat right now. Still, Bixente kicked away the shotgun and kept a bit of distance as he knelt down to look at the other. "..Do you want help or mercy?" The Teinari asked just loud enough to be sure he was heard clearly, and it was clear that mercy meant death.

Offline Lion

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #12 on: February 04, 2017, 12:25:52 am »
Did he have to kick away his shotgun?  His own lifeline in a place as fucked up as the Wasteland?  Erax was in too much pain to protest. In fact to avoid coughing up blood, he panted hard and avoided responding.  Because in actuality he couldn't and his vision began to condense, like moisture gathering on a windshield just as a storm raged on.

Much like the one behind this chained stranger.

He breathed gently before feeling his body go limp against the tire of his car.  So much for trying to stay awake.

Offline Nix

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #13 on: February 04, 2017, 07:43:43 pm »
((Let me know if you want me to change any of this ok?))

Well... after some brief consideration Bixente decided it was worth trying to save the man.

Getting him into the cave was hard enough, doing it without exacerbating injuries was even more difficult. He managed and the guy was still breathing... well first thing was first. That bolt had to come out. He made as short work of pulling the bolt out clean and wrapping the guy's wounds tight with bandages from his pack. Shit... now there was a lot to do before that storm got full force out there and less time to do shit in.

Bixente was pretty confident that he fucked up the order he should have done shit in but it was all done now. It had taken a few hours and he had managed to get smacked in the cheek by debris while out there, but at least he procured all the weapons, and managed to hide the majority of the wreck in the abandoned and adjacent cave. He was pretty sure if he could clear a bit of the rubble from the cave in he could get to that one from the inside of this one. For now he was content with it like this. The tarp was stretched across the mouth of the cave again and he sat holding his bruised cheek as he boiled some water over the tiny fire he had started. He was going to need to find more water soon... but in the mean time he needed to eat and the soup stock was also going to be good for his guest since the herbs in it were medicinal.

Bix looked at the guy he had patched up. Still breathing at least. He had wrapped the dudes wounds, redressed him and put a beast fur over him... well over the chains at least. He didn't trust this guy, he had no reason to, so chaining him to one of the boulders from the cave in seemed logical. Just tight enough to keep him from wriggling out. If anything they probably helped tourniquet the injuries some. All of the weapons from the raiders and this guy as well were in a pile to Bix's right side... his new bike was to the left of him, against the wall of the cave. It didn't have a lot of fuel in it but they had been pretty reckless in wasting it... they probably had a source somewhere. Not too far either by his estimate of what was left. Which meant there were more of them out there somewhere not too far.

That was why he had to get rid of the bodies and why he should get moving as soon as the storm broke.

Offline Lion

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #14 on: February 05, 2017, 11:16:49 pm »
There was a respite in being dead. But there was also terror in it. Visions flashed before his eyes, skulls having flesh shorn away slowly and delicately, the eyes being carved out with exquisite precision. The skin turning green and rancid with the toxic storms, dust collecting in the pockets of bones that were thrown out into the desert sands.

Metal on metal, the sounds of diesel burning and warmth and fire as the tread of tires ran over your limp and useless body.  Gods, he hoped he was dead, because another day of being alive only made the nightmares continue.

Erax felt his body start breathing, air sucking in through worn and withered nostrils, raw with sand and dirt. And he coughed, choking a little on collected saliva.  But when it was freed from his throat, he opened his eyes and felt that drool seeping from the edges of his lips. He didn't jerk, trying to get a feel back on his body.  Instead he blinked hard and slowly turned his head and saw his hands were chained.

He grunted, even growled softly.  No he wasn't dead.  But for some reason he was now a captive.

Offline Nix

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #15 on: February 05, 2017, 11:52:24 pm »
Bix just finished eating his half of the soup when he heard the grunt. "You're awake. Got a name?" Bix got up from his crouched position by the fire. Damn. He really hated sharing but... well this guy better be as useful as he hoped.

He moved to the guy's side and tipped the bowl into his own mouth taking one last sip before putting it to the other's lips. "It's soup. Eat." He looked at the jacket he left on the bike.

Sendoa. Was that asshole really out in the Wastelands somewhere? Shit. How was he ever going to find him out there? He would be better off just finding a way back to Teinar. The air out here burned his lungs and that dust storm was insane. He side eyed the guy again. Hopefully he was actually gunna eat. It was getting annoying holding the bowl for him.

Offline Lion

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #16 on: February 06, 2017, 11:01:41 pm »
What was this?  This stranger was trying to feed him?  Did he expect that he would just take the bowl and drink whatever was inside without thinking?  Oh, he was a fool indeed.  Erax was barely coming to when this man started to try and feed him. So when the bowl came to his lips he nudged it away with a weak shove.  And the bowl and the contents clattered to the cave ground.

He didn't say anything and he just stared at him for a good long second.  Oh, he looked somewhat familiar.  He was the one that took out the last raider, wasn't he?  The view had been obscured through his helmet. And the fact that he'd been bleeding to death.

Except he wasn't dead and his wound had been sewn up.  He grunted and reached up, or tried to only to have the chains impede his movements.

Offline Nix

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #17 on: February 07, 2017, 12:31:52 am »
Bixente sighed and picked up the bowl. "Well. You are going to regret that. I'm not offering you any more food and the herbs in there would have helped you out." He muttered moving one of the longer pieces of hair out of his face. He probably shouldn't have tried to force the guy like that but he wasn't adept at dealing with people either. What was starting to unnerve him was he wasn't getting much out of the guy... not talking was one thing but he wasn't getting much thought wise either.

Seemed the guy recognized him as killing the raider at least. "I'm Bixente. You got a name?" He muttered as he kicked some dirt onto the fire to keep it low.

Offline Lion

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #18 on: February 07, 2017, 05:10:31 pm »
He said a thing.  A name, apparently and seemed to be getting irritated when he wasn't getting any response from him.  Erax was weakened and still dazed, but he wasn't going to respond to unwanted pressure.  He couldn't really.  His tongue felt thick in his mouth and he did his best to sit up.  What he could really use was something to drink.

"Nobody," he murmured. "Call me Nobody. Sorry."  He pointed to the bowl and strewn soup.  "Too hot.  Do you have water? Can't go anywhere...chains considered."

Offline Nix

Re: Chasing the Storm
« Reply #19 on: February 14, 2017, 12:37:45 am »
Ok this guy was irking him for no good reason. He didn't do anything unreasonable really but that combined with being a hard read and just the situation of everything made it all bothersome. He saved the guy though and he needed him so some level of civility would probably help this go along.

"Ok Nobody. That's a shitty name but whatever. I don't have too much so don't go chugging it." He took his canteen and brought it over, putting it to the guy's lips since the other couldn't hold it.

 

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