《A Despot’s Redemption》


 Chapter 1 FERRIC: Gang Encounter

    The roar of thunder filled Ferric''s ears, jolting him awake. Water dripped from his brow as he rubbed the sleep off his eyes. As his vision cleared, he noticed a ray of light shining through the hole in the wooden ceiling.


    His gaze shifted to the right. Several shopping carts lay overturned, their contents scattered across the wet white tiles.


    This is the city''s main grocery store?What happened to this place?


    It was a far cry from the life of his previous host. The sight of the mansion remained fresh in his mind.


    He remembered himself at the banquet, enjoying the salty tang of the foreign cuisines before being dragged to a private room surrounded by his companions. Blood dripped from his mouth as they cackled and struck him with their heavy bats. He groaned in pain, unable to move as the sharp pain coursed through his wounded back.


    But that was in the past now. He had to move on.


    Ferric clutched his raincoat.


    His instincts were right, he was in a different body.


    This time it was a middle aged man dressed in a green raincoat, blue jeans and white shoes. He raised the cloth up to his nose and sniffed it. Ferric flinched. The jacket reeked of sweat and the shoes were caked in mud.


    He continued to make his way through the aisles of the grocery store as the lights flickered back and forth.


    On his right was the food section. Ferric grinned.


    I can finally get something to eat.


    He turned to his right and stopped dead in his tracks.


    Several bodies lay sprawled on the floor with entry wounds present on each. The scent of rotten flesh made Ferric sick to his stomach.


    It reminded him of the massacre that occurred in his town several years ago.


    Suddenly, memories of his past flooded back to him.


    The flames, the corpses, the screams of the dying and the roar of bullets echoing through the streets. All of this filled Ferric with unease.


    He sprinted to where the teller should have been, only to be met with the rotten corpse of a female employee with a folded parchment tucked under her left armpit.


    Ferric reached for the paper and began to unwrap it.


    It was a message to the police from a motorcycle gang to no longer interfere in their activities.


    His heart raced. It was no longer safe to stay here.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    He dashed towards the door beside him and clutched the knob. Cold wind whipped against his drenched raincoat, making it flutter like a sail. He hugged himself for warmth as the showers sent chills down his spine.


    In front of him was the city street where large skyscrapers towered above the ruined mall.On one side was the sign with the words ''bus stop'' etched onto it.


    He waited for a few minutes for the bus but it never arrived. He had to find shelter quickly otherwise the motorcycle gang would come after him.


    Ferric went to every house he could find. He knocked on every door but there was no response. All of them were locked.


    The sound of revving motorcycles echoed throughout the street. In the distance were the silhouettes of people seated on their bikes. His heart raced. Ferric''s instincts begged him to run but he knew it would be futile.


    The gang members braked before him,clothed in dark leather jackets as raindrops streaked across their visors with machine guns strapped to their backs.


    "Who are you and why have you come to our turf?!" said one of the cyclist''s.


    "I''m just a homeless person trying to seek shelter."


    "Search him!" said one whose voice and bodily figure were definitely those of a woman


    The rest of the gang hopped off their bikes and began to examine him.


    "Well, anything of value?" she asked


    "Sorry Eva. He''s clean. Not even a single penny on him."


    Eva sighed


    "Another old hermit. Very well. Let''s get him somewhere to sleep."


    Ferric breathed a sigh of relief as they hopped back onto their motorcycles.


    "Well, what are you waiting for?," asked Eva "Hop on!"


    30 minutes later


    Eva stomped her bike''s pedal, grinding it to a halt. Ferric eased his grip on one of the bikers and opened his eyes. Infront of him stood a building, similar to a fast food restaurant with cracks running down its concrete walls. On either side lay the remnants of battered cars parked near the sidewalk.


    His stomach grumbled. The savoury scent of soup caught his attention.


    He disembarked from the motorcycle and rushed to the the entrance.


    Eva clutched the door handle and pushed it open, revealing several people in tattered clothes resting under makeshift beds.


    "Who are these people?" asked Ferric


    "They''re refugees. Just like you."


    "Refugee? Was there a war I didn''t know about?"


    "Don''t tell me you haven''t heard of the border skirmish."


    Border skirmish. Wait, has my alternate self declared war?


    "I don''t think I have."


    "Well it''s really messed up things for me and Pike." Eva pointed to the cyclist next to her


    "Let me guess," Ferric chuckled. It''s harder to steal nowadays."


    Pike shook his head


    "We haven''t always been crooks. There was a time when we had regular jobs just like everyone else."


    "Then why did you leave? Weren''t there other jobs you could choose from?"


    "Not any that pay well," said Eva as she sat down on the floor "Everything changed since the skirmish last month. Refugees filled the apartments, the rent went up, so much that our salary couldn''t make up for it. Pike and I got kicked out eventually. We had to make a living somehow , so we resorted to theft.''


    Ferric bowed his head. He imagined the echo of stomping boots growing louder and louder , the citizen''s shelters burnt to a crisp, all of this because of him.


    "I''m sorry about that. But that still doesn''t explain the bodies I saw in the grocery store."


    "We don''t talk about that"


    Suddenly, a light began to flash in Ferric''s jacket followed by the wailing of sirens echoing through the streets.


    "No way. You brought them here."


    "I didn''t mean to. It just went off on its own!"


    "Then get rid of it!"


    Ferric searched across his raincoat before pulling down the zip, revealing a black T-shirt and the flashing light underneath. He pulled the collar and checked his chest.


    He gasped.


    The device had been implanted deep into his body. Eva rushed to her machine gun laid on the floor and aimed it at his chest.


    "Sorry old timer. But we can''t have you revealing our location."


    An array of bullets ripped through his jacket. He fell to the ground, blood gushing from his wounds. Pike picked him up and tossed him out into the streets.


    The impact against the rough tar sent pain coursing through his body.


    Ferric glanced up to the dark night sky above him as the rain poured down on his raincoat. His vision blurred as the police cars came into view. But it was too late. The shots left him fatally wounded. His body grew numb until darkness engulfed him from all sides.

 Chapter 2 FERRIC:Enlisted

    In the blink of an eye, Ferric found himself gasping for air. He stood up and felt across his chest, looking for remnants of bullet wounds but found none.


    Ferric sighed. He wanted to believe he had just gone through a horrible nightmare. But that was far from the truth. His soul had simply been transferred to another body. All he could hope for was he would survive longer than before


    For the moment , he got off his bed and went to the nearby closet. He took some clothes to put on top of his white T-shirt, shorts and sneakers. On his right was a mirror that stood as tall as him. In the reflection Ferric caught a glimpse of his current body. His skin bore a light complexion along with unkempt hair and athletic build.


    The distant sound of glass shattered reached his room but he ignored it. He glanced to the window on his right and watched the red sun¡¯s descent to the horizon.


    His heart raced when he heard the slam of his door echo throughout the room. Behind him were three men dressed in green uniforms holding what seemed to be assault rifles and a middle aged woman whose eyes were overflowing with tears.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry son.¡± she said ¡°I couldn¡¯t hold them off.¡±


    Son. Wait? This is the host¡¯s mother.


    One of them bore a large golden insignia on his left shoulder. Ferric knew who he was. He was the sergeant of the squad.


    ¡°Who are you guys?¡± Ferric asked


    ¡°We¡¯re the press gang.¡± said the sergeant


    ¡°I¡¯m being conscripted?¡±


    ¡°Of course you are, the government ordered it a week ago.¡±


    ¡°But who¡¯s the enemy?¡±


    ¡°Have you been living under a rock lately? Our enemy is Ferric.¡±


    The mention of his name struck him like a bomb. He remembered the conversation he had with Eva. The refugees, the border skirmish, the coscription. It all made sense now. His alternate self had declared war on Pangea and now he was going to be forced to fight for the enemy. Ferric scanned the room for an escape. He was not going to die fighting for them.


    Outside the building and on the sidewalk was a green container filled with heaps of garbage bags. If he could jump out through the window, the bags might help to break his fall.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Son no!¡± said the middle aged woman


    But it was too late. Ferric was already sprinting towards the window. He stretched out his hands and pushed it open until a searing pain coursed through his body and now he was falling from the building. His new body lay motionless on the street and his clothes were soaked in a lake of blood.


    Ferric opened his eyes for the third time and was unable to see beyond his bed. He reached out for the lamp beside him and turned it on.


    ¡°Well Ferric I have to admit that was the shortest life you¡¯ve ever lived so far.¡±


    Behind Ferric stood a ghostly figure, clothed in grey with wings sprouting from his back and a scythe present in his left hand.


    ¡°Raithiel!¡±. Ferric yelled


    He was the angel who sealed him in this dimension. All the pain and death he experienced was his doing.


    He gritted his teeth and ran straight towards Raithiel, his hands stretched out, ready to strangle him.


    The angel smirked at him and knocked the wooden end of his sycthe against the floor.


    Ferric sprang to his feet and leaped through the air. Suddenly, a cloud of grey smoke materialised infront of him. He slammed face first onto the blankets followed by creaking sounds as the bed bent under his weight. An acrid scent filled his nostrils, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.


    The fumes that obscured his vision began to dissipate.


    Raithiel chuckled ¡°Oh Ferric. Even after all this time, you still remain the same.¡±


    ¡° Why are you here?¡± Ferric growled


    ¡°There is a squad downstairs that is about to burst into your room. Are you not concerned?¡± Raithiel answered


    ¡°You should know me by now, Raithiel. I¡¯m just gonna get out of the building and evade the authorities.¡±


    ¡°And get shot at repeatedly? Are you not weary of this cycle?¡±


    ¡° I can deal with it.¡±


    ¡°And let your alternate self endure the same torture. Do you not wish to spare him from trial?¡±


    ¡°I thought I can¡¯t alter the past.¡±


    ¡°You would be surprised.¡±


    Raithiel started to distort and flicker.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening with you?¡±


    ¡° The city¡­ is under siege. I have to make haste. Remember, fleeing will not help you here.¡±


    As soon as Raithiel vanished the door infront of Ferric swung wide open Ferric raised his left hand to shield his eyes from the blinding light that penetrated his room.


    He was only able to make out two silhouettes that stood beside the entrance.


    Ferric jolted back as a sharp pain hit his leg. He dropped down to the ground, groaning as his muscles continued to contract.


    Oh no. Not again.

 Chapter 3 FERRIC: Boot Camp

    Ferric fluttered his eyes open as he felt a sudden jerk to the right. He glanced to his left, noticing a transparent cylinder surrounding the transport and a series of rail tracks beneath its metallic wheels. He was on one of many trains used by the Pangean army to transport new recruits.


    Looks like I still got conscripted after all. Oh well, it happens. I''ll just have to play along until I find a way to escape this place.


    Several cadets roamed the aisles, each bearing names stitched onto their military uniforms. Most of them seemed to be in their late teens or early twenties.


    Ferric held his which read : Lloyd age 18 Rank: Cadet


    He could feel the train slowing down as it reached their location. After passing by the trees he noticed the multiple obstacle courses that dominated the field. This was it. This was the military training camp.


    The train door swung open and the recruits flocked to the exit. Ferric followed suit.


    He slowed down his pace and took the chance to enjoy the sweet scent of the grassy plain. It was just like all those years when he would be on the field with his parents. He remembered playing soccer with his father , always aiding him to master dribbling, passing and goalkeeping. His mother would always take him on horse rides across the vast grasslands. Each day she would teach Ferric on how to shoot and cook game.


    Every day he wished he could reunite with his mother and father. But his parents were no longer with him, and now he was surrounded by strangers who might not make it past their first day in battle.


    He sat down on the wooden bench next to him that was one of many dotted across the field. Beside him was a young man who bore a dark complexion and black hair clutching a book close to his face.


    His name "Timothy" had been stitched onto his uniform just like Ferric''s.


    "Hey Timothy, what are you reading?" Ferric asked


    " Oh nothing much. Just a book about military strategy."


    "That sounds interesting. Can I see it?"


    "Go ahead."


    Ferric traced his fingers across the book . The cover featured golden block letters patched onto its rough surface.


    It read :


    The Art of War


    By


    Sun Tzu


    He opened the book and flipped through the yellowed pages. It was full of quotes regarding tactics which he wished he used during his time as the ruler of Lumea.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Well, do you like it?"


    " I do. Where did you get this book?"


    "From our captain Emily. She said it came from some planet called Earth?"


    Ferric giggled. "She must be joking. There''s no way anyone would name their world after dirt. So where is she now?"


    "I''m not too sure. My friends said that they saw her going to the archives."


    "Oh no!" Ferric thought to himself


    He snatched Timothy by the wrist and sprinted off towards the nearby forest.


    "Wait where are we going?"


    "The captain you were talking about is a spy."


    " Really? How can you be sure?"


    "Just trust me, okay. We have to stop her from accessing the archives."


    Sweat trickled down their brows as they ran towards the computer centre. Their hearts pounding quicker with each step.


    They had to make it. Or else the other Ferric would get crucial information about the Pangean army.


    Ferric noticed a small building on the nearby hill. Its walls and roof had been painted in hues of green and brown to blend more with the surroundings. The two halted their run to catch their bearings. Timothy knelt down and clutched his chest.


    "Lloyd. I think this whole spy thing is too big for us. Couldn''t we just get our superiors instead.


    "I doubt they would listen . We''re just a couple of new recruits after all."


    "Fair enough. I just hope you didn''t make me sprint for nothing. "


    Ferric stretched out his hand and pulled Timothy up from the ground.


    He glanced at the window beside him and peeked through it. The room inside was filled with computers , each containing important information on the Pangean army.


    Seated by one of the desktops was a young woman whose long white hair flowed down her shoulders as she typed on the keyboard.


    Timothy''s friends were right. Emily did go to the archives.


    Ferric knew who she was. He remembered meeting her during his reign, where he formed an alliance with the Rapturians. She was sent to gather data in order to gain an edge in the war. But that didn''t stop Ferric from being defeated.


    Their supreme leader was better than I thought. I underestimated him, it won''t happen again!


    The two stayed silent as Emily unzipped her backpack. She searched for a few seconds and retrieved a glowing fist sized sphere.


    It was the orb used by the Rapturians, an alien insectoid race that had attempted to invade Asherah years earlier.


    Timothy stood outside and kept watch for any drill sergeants that might pass by. For now they were the only ones in the forest.


    Ferric pressed his hands against the window and slowly pushed it open. So far Emily hadn''t noticed them. He stretched out his hand for Timothy as they entered the room.


    Ferric sighed.


    "I thought I told them to keep everyone else from the computer lab. Shouldn''t you be doing drills right now." said Emily


    "Sorry, madam, but our commanders ordered us to find you." said Timothy


    "Do you think I was born yesterday? They would have called me ages ago. Admit it. You came in here without permission."


    "Maybe, but I''m a bit curious about how you got that orb." Ferric asked


    "From the battlefield of course. Can a captain not keep her own souvenirs?"


    "But it only interacts with humans raised by the Rapturians. Which means you must have been as well."


    Emily chuckled. Her tone changed from soft to a sinister growl.


    "For a new recruit, you know too much. Which is why we have to kill you,"


    Chloe held up the orb and whispered to it


    Serena I''ll let you have control for now. Let us deal with them before they expose us."

 Chapter 4 FERRIC: Interrogation

    "Serena, I''ll let you have control for now."


    Emily''s sphere flashed in response as the floor rumbled under their feet. A blue swirl of energy began to surround her followed by a bright aura that lit up the entire room. Ferric''s clothes fluttered like a sail as a powerful wind swept through the room. The wide grin on Emily''s face along with her glowing pupiless eyes shook Ferric to the core. Suddenly, a blinding flash of light filled the room. Ferric raised his hands to his face and closed his eyes.


    He glanced to the floor after the light had subsided. But Emily was no longer there.


    Ferric sprinted back to the window and leaped back into the forest. He followed Timothy through the forest and chased after her.


    As they ran stones and branches were hurled in their direction. Ferric winced in pain as the objects cut through his skin , leaving gashes on his arms and legs. But despite the pain they pressed on and took refuge at a nearby tree.


    Ferric lay down on the ground, his injured leg stretched out before him and ripped of a piece of his clothing before wrapping it around his leg.


    "When did you learn that you only came here today?"


    "My father taught me. He was a paramedic."


    Timothy reached for Ferric''s hand and picked him up. The two continued to chase after Emily who was sprinting towards the boot camp.


    Ferric reached for Emily''s wrist and tackled her to the ground. He attempted to snatch her orb but got tossed aside. Timothy found it hard to reach without getting struck by the flying branches. The two continued to exchange blows , their fists and kicks landing with force. The metallic taste of blood filled Ferric''s mouth with each strike that he received. Emily seized the oppurtunity and slammed Ferric''s head against the nearby pine tree.


    Ferric screamed in pain as his temple collided against the rough and sharp bark.,


    Timothy had finally evaded all that Emily had thrown at him and tackled her to the ground.


    Despite his disorientation , Ferric assisted him in restraining her as Timothy attempted to snatch her orb.


    As Timothy seized the orb from her grip, he felt its heat searing his palm, the sizzling growing louder in his ears. In a decisive move, he shattered it against the tough bark with the shards spewing small columns of acrid smoke that rose into the air. Emily let out a final scream before passing out.


    "Are these orbs really that easy to destroy?" Timothy asked while collecting the sphere fragments.


    "Yes, if you can get close enough but it will just reform and fly back to the wielder. Emily connected herself to it so she won''t be getting up for a while."


    Ferric ripped a piece of his shirt and pressed it against his bleeding temple.


    "So where do we keep it?"


    "Somewhere where she won''t have access , but we''ll have to get our superiors first."


    Timothy knelt down to pick up Emily and carried her on his shoulder. Ferric and Timothy made their way back to the fields and encountered two drill sergeants sprinting towards their direction.


    Both wore badges on their chest with their names etched onto its surface. On it was written George and the other Faraday.


    George inspected the dark burn on Timothy''s palm. It was nothing that the doctors couldn''t fix but what piqued his interest was the blue shards that he held."


    "Where did you get these from and what happened to Emily?" George asked


    "From her and Emily''s unconscious right now. She was trying to get info from our digital files , but we were able to stop her before she could leak it to our enemy."


    Timothy reached out for his pocket and pulled out a black hard d rive which had a symbol on it that resembled an ant.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "But how did you know about this?" asked Faraday


    "It was me. I told him." Ferric replied


    "Who are you?"


    Ferric checked the stitching on his uniform


    "My name is Lloyd, sir."


    "Alright Lloyd thanks for helping us. We''ll take you to the clinic so that the meds can patch up your wounds. As for Emily, we''re going to take her to a resting room so that she''ll be ready for interrogation tomorrow."


    Two weeks later


    Timothy and Ferric stood by the hallway as they waited for George and Faraday to arrive. Ferric glanced to the window beside him and watched the recruits practicing their battlefield drills. Everyone else had gone off for training except for him and Timothy whose burnt hand was still wrapped up in bandages.


    The walls , ceiling and floor were painted in white and right beside them was a metallic door that had been locked.


    Suddenly, loud footsteps echoed through the hallway. Faraday had finally arrived with his keys strapped beside his waist.


    "Have you been waiting for me this whole time? I thought you two were doing drills with the other recruits."


    "You told us that we would be going to meet up with Emily. So we waited here."


    Faraday sighed. He reached for his pocket and took a silver key which he inserted into the door hole. With a firm grip he clutched the handle and opened the door.


    Ferric followed Faraday into the room with the walls, floor and ceiling coated in black hues. To his right, stood a metallic table with Emily seated beside it whose long hair had been cut short.


    "So what did you get from her?" asked Timothy


    "Well we know that her real name is Chloe and she was sent by the Rapturians to steal our data , just like how Ferric described it."


    "But why do you need us?"


    "You two were the ones who stopped her so I wanted you to have time with her as a reward."


    Ferric went to the chair adjacent to Chloe''s and sat down. Shivers ran down his spine as he hugged his arms with a faint mist spewing from his mouth. A nearby soldier offered him a jacket which Ferric quickly put on.


    "So, Chloe, is there anything you would like to share with us."


    "Not with that type of voice. You will need to be far more threatening to get information out of me."


    "Here''s a remote." said Faraday


    "And what is this for?"


    "You see those restraints on her wrists, you can increase the tightness on them."


    "Is that how you''ve been getting information from her?"


    Faraday nodded.


    "Alright fine, I''ll talk."


    "Good, I want to get some knowledge of your past.""You mean when the Rapturians raised me.""No before that. Back when your parents were still looking after you."


    "I don''t remember that far back. The Rapturians abducted me when I was little."


    "I''m sorry to hear that. It must have been a rough childhood when all your guardians are insects."


    "Not really. There were some people of my age who I would spend time with. But it''s just not the same, they always look so menacing and if you attempt to leave they just take you right back."


    Timothy intervened and slammed his hand against the table.


    "Alright enough to talk about the past. What did you do to the real Emily?"


    Chloe chuckled "Emily never existed. It was just an alias to help me infiltrate the base."


    Without warning, the door beside them swung open, bringing rays of light that made them squint. Once their eyes had adjusted they noticed George standing by the entrance with a submachine gun in his right hand.


    "Sorry to disturb you, but the camp is under attack!"


    "By whom?!" Ferric asked


    "Mercenaries."


    The floor shook violently as the windows behind them shattered. Ferric raced to the table to evade the shards flying towards them. His heart raced as he heard a projectile cutting through the air.


    A burst of orange flame erupted from the wall followed by a blinding light that illuminated the room.


    The sound of ringing echoed in his ears as he squinted. Ferric gritted his teeth and painfully opened his eyes. The pain equivalent to his eyes being dipped in acid.


    With his blurred vision, he noticed a military jeep with a mounted machine gun towering above the heap of rubble.


    Ferric recognised the white scorpion markings present on the vehicle. They were the markings of the mercenary gang that raised him after the death of his parents. Chloe emerged from under the table and climbed onto the jeep.


    She glanced at the table where Ferric and the others were hiding.


    "I''m sorry Lloyd. I hope we meet again sometime."


    The driver revved the jeep''s engine and began to reverse. Ferric sprinted up to the rubble heap as the car drove off into the forest.


    His heart sank at the sight of the base. The field was scarred with craters and bullet holes along with large flames that ate away at the last remnants of grass and tents. He wrinkled his nose at the horrid scent of smoke and gunpowder that filled the air.


    He checked his pockets for the hard drive but couldn''t find it.


    "She must have taken it while I was still under the table."


    Ferric clenched his fists .Chloe had gotten away with the info on the base and was now heading towards the Rapturian colony.

 Chapter 5 FERRIC:The Family Reunion

    "What will we do now , George?" asked Ferric


    "We''ll search the camp for survivors."


    "And what if we find none? What will you do then?"


    "Then I''ll have to get in the contact with the nearest general. Hopefully they might be able to spare us a searching party."


    3 days later


    Ferric went to the nearby infirmary to check on the soldiers. He was still waiting for Faraday but he had not arrived yet. Shivers ran down his spine after he pulled back the curtain.


    In front of him were several soldiers laid in stretches with bandages soaked in blood and many of them moaning in pain. Several medics flocked the wounded , applying medicine , shots and removing shrapnel embedded deep into their wounds.


    Th He saw one man lying on the floor with his intestines poking out from his stomach as the medics wrapped bandages across his bleeding belly. The sight of it made him nauseous, forcing him to leave the infirmary.


    That was the worst sight I''ve seen in a while. All this death, because of me trying to get revenge on the people that burnt my village to the ground. But is it really worth it? Am I even better than they are? If this is what I caused then I need to end this war as quick as possible.


    Ferric shifted his gaze back to the forest where he noticed Timothy along with their drill sergeants standing in front of him.


    "So this is where you''ve been?" said George


    "I was looking out for the wounded." said Ferric "Have you found any soldiers for our retrieval mission?"


    "We have, they''re right behind us."


    The rev of a nearby car sent echoes through the forest, sending flocks of birds flying from the trees. The stench of the fumes filled his nostrils , leaving a bitter taste in Ferric''s mouth.


    Once the dust had settled a military jeep painted green stood before them with Faraday in the driver''s seat.


    "Like the jeep?" asked Faraday "You better cause this baby is the only one that can still function."


    "That''s great, but where will you be?" asked Timothy


    "I''ll be assisting the medics. But don''t worry about me. I gave you one goal. Find Chloe, defeat the Scorpios and bring her back. Do not let me down."


    Faraday reached out for the door and swung it open. He raised his hand and tossed the keys to Timothy.


    Ferric hopped onto the passenger''s seat and checked the new teammates. He noticed the golden badges pinned onto their uniforms. Each one bearing their 1st names : Micah , James and Leo.


    He glanced back to the screen on the jeep that showcased a red arrow and a cluster of trees shaped like a C. Ferric pressed his finger against the screen and checked for all the possible ways through the forest before setting the best possible route which led to the Rapturian colony. He stretched out his hands and took out a backpack left under their chairs.


    Timothy pulled the zip , revealing several weapons, grenades and other types of equipment needed for their mission. Once they were done ,Timothy hit the accelerator.


    Ferric clutched his chair as the jeep drove off into the forest. Timothy spun his wheel and turned towards the rocky road, the wind whipping against his dark hair. He could feel the vibrations from the jeep, making him sick to the stomach. After a few minutes the jeep''s shaking stopped. Ferric motioned to the plateau on their right.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    That should make a good vantage point for the time being. I did it I finally earned their trust. Now I just have to wait for the right time.


    Several hours had passed since they had left the base with dusk being just around the corner. Ferric swung open his door and disembarked from the vehicle.


    They had parked their jeep on the plateau that overlooked the rest of the woodlands.


    Ferric knelt down near the edge and took out his binoculars.


    He peered through and noticed a pillar of smoke rising towards the cloudless sky. With a swift motion, Ferric spun the handle and zoomed in.


    It wasn''t clear, but he could make out a few people standing by the fire.Ferric grinned. This was where the Scorpios would be resting for the night.


    "Have you found the mercenaries yet?" James asked


    He pointed towards the rising trail of smoke.


    "Great. We''ll raid them tonight. Do you want to go hunting with us Lloyd."


    "No, thanks. I''d rather keep watch."


    Ferric zoomed in further and noticed the leader Enyo stirring the stew in her makeshift pot. As he watched, he caught a glimpse of the braided bracelet on her right arm with each having a different colour from the last. It was the bracelet he had made for her back when he was a child.


    ******


    He remembered sprinting through the forest when he was 9 years old after his town had been burnt down to a crisp. Ferric dropped to the ground. He was exhausted after being on the run for several days. But before long a whiff of stew caught his attention.


    He crawled towards the source, his stomach growling like a beast. Once he had made it through the trees he noticed a blond-haired woman sitting on a log. Ferric reached out and held her shirt.


    He staggered back as she pulled out the knife from her pocket. She sighed.


    " Oh you''re just a boy. What are you doing out here all alone? Shouldn''t you be with your parents."


    "I , I don''t have any. Not anymore."


    "Oh sorry. I''ve had loved ones who also shared the same fate as yours. Don''t worry, I''ll take care of you from now on. Just be careful about some of my teammates. They''re not really fond of children, but I''ll make it work. I promise."


    Ever since then the Scorpios took Ferric under their wing and taught him everything he needed to survive. He felt the urge to return to them but was uncertain if they would embrace him again with open arms.


    Ferric changed his focus to his companions. Micah and James had returned from their hunt with two deer that they held on their shoulders,


    The two laid them down on the ground and reached out for their knives. After a few minutes the fur had been removed. Timothy snatched the cut up meat and placed it in the stew.


    Its scent sent smiles across everyone''s face.


    After some minutes the deer was finally ready. Ferric smiled as he ate the meat and sipped the remaining stew. The tender texture reminded him of Enyo''s cooking during his childhood.


    He moved his eyes to check on his teammates.


    Alright. They''re all distracted. This is my chance.


    Ferric put his plate aside and snatched the nearby assault rifle.


    He squeezed the trigger, sending an array of bullets towards their direction. Timothy had returned and dropped his plate as the bodies of his teammates lay motionless on the ground.


    His heart raced as he realised the culprit. It was his companion Lloyd.


    "Why are you doing this Lloyd?" asked Timothy


    "Sorry to tell you Tim, but I''m defecting."


    "But why now of all times? Wait, are you saying that you manipulated us this whole time?"


    Ferric nodded. He raised his assault rifle and aimed it at his chest. Timothy searched around his belt looking for something to deter him.


    "I''m sorry Timothy. But I can''t have you interfering."


    Timothy raised his right hand and tossed a green device into the air. Ferric flinched. A hand grenade had been thrown in his direction.


    He darted to the nearest rock and hid behind it. Hands pressed against his ears for the loud explosion that was about to come. But all he heard was the revving of the jeep nearby.


    White smoke enveloped around him, blurring his vision.


    Ferric cursed. "It was just a smoke bomb."


    Tears welled up in his eyes as the fumes travelled down his throat, making him cough.


    He jumped over the rock and sprinted to escape the cloud. His throat aching more and more with each passing footstep.


    A ray of moonlight cut through the smoke and shone into his eyes. Regardless, he continued to run to the end of the plumes.


    The acrid scent was finally gone and replaced with the smell of sweet green gas and fresh air.


    He looked to his left and found a pathway of track marks left by the jeep''s tyres. Ferric was now all by himself, with nowhere else to go except for the mercenary camp below.