by Will Wallner
“Hold on, one second, I need to get my bag.” Taz carefully left Hunter, while he went back to the platform to retrieve his backpack. He looked in every direction and checked that Hunter wasn’t watching him. Then he quickly picked up one of the large jewels from the edge and placed it in his bag.
When they reached the tunnel, which led back up to the surface, Hunter needed to take a rest and leaned against the wall.
“What happened to you? It looked like you disappeared.” Taz offered him some water.
“It felt like an eternity,” Hunter looked at his hands. “I’m not sure if it was just a vision or if it really happened. I met someone inside. He was waiting for me.”
“Who was it?” Taz asked.
“I don’t know who he was, but he seemed familiar. He told me his name was…Toki. He said he had a gift for me. Then it was like a thousand images entered my mind. It looked like the most beautiful, peaceful place you could imagine. But then it changed. It started to burn and fade away. This person, Toki, was dueling with someone on a stairway that went into the sky. Then everything vanished and it was just me and Toki. He handed me a crystal shard and faded away.”
“That sounds intense. Do you want to rest here for the night?”
“No, I can make it. Help me up. My head is starting to feel better.” Taz helped Hunter to his feet, who then clicked his fingers back at him. It was a signal they both understood. A way for Hunter to tell Taz he was going to be fine.
They walked slowly up through the tunnel until they reached the entrance back at the surface. It had started to rain with thunder and lightning. The wind was blowing much harder and the sun had completely set. Shortly before they reached the top, Moja pulled hard on the rope Taz was using as a leash and broke free from his grip. She ran ahead out through the rocks, while Taz cried out in vain for her to come back. As Hunter and Taz quickened their pace, they could hear her growling and barking amongst the sounds of the wind and rain.
When they exited back out into the open, they saw Moja taking a defensive stance. They were then shocked to see a dark figure standing under the old tree.
“I sensed you were here.” The figure spoke with a deep, yet somewhat, withered voice. He was wearing a black cloak surrounded by a red shroud of mist. The figure was completely motionless until he reached up with his hands. The shroud faded and he revealed himself to Hunter and Taz. He looked old and pale. His face was partially covered by the hood of his cloak. His eyes were transparent and he stared directly at Hunter.
“Taz get behind me!” Hunter tried to strengthen his body.
“Now you are ready.” The figure looked down at Moja, as she growled at him.
“What are you talking about? Who are you? What are you doing here?” Hunter yelled, with a weakened voice.
“You still don’t remember?” The man let out a brief and controlled laugh.
“…Are you my enemy?” Hunter was confused and did not trust him.
“Don’t worry human, I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to fulfil a promise I made a long time ago and help you on your journey.”
“How can you help me?”
“You must travel to a place called Tech City. It’s far east from here. There you will find the answers.”
“Do you know who I am? Do you know where I come from?”
“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you. I have kept my promise, but I cannot stay here any longer, he is watching. Now I must return to my sanctuary and pay for my sins until the end of my days.” As the dark figure walked away, he paused and looked down towards the ground. “I am sorry for what I have done.” Then he faded into the dark night sky. Hunter, Taz, and Moja stood, as lightning struck the ground around them and the rain fell heavy.
~
“After the strange man left, we traveled back to Valley Village. We spent a few days there and I managed to convince my Uncle to let me go with Hunter to Tech City. We took a boat from Lyme Cove and traveled along the coast to get here. We sold the jewel I took to a local jeweler, who paid a ridiculously high price for it.”
“Was that Dante?” Nakita asked.
“Yeah, do you know him?”
“Not really, it doesn’t matter. Taz, your story is very interesting. Who was the man in the black cloak?” Nakita had finished her glass of milk.
“We don’t know. We never saw him again.” He shrugged his shoulders.
“So that’s why you originally came to Tech City. Do you think he knew about Alex and Project Overlord?”
“Possibly, but I think he may have also meant for us to meet you.” Taz placed the book from Nakita’s father on the table.
“Me? What could I possibly have to do with all this?”
“It’s all in this book. It’s full of symbols like the ones we saw inside the temple. I was able to use this to translate what they say. It doesn’t make much sense now, but I think if I study it for longer, it might help us in some way.”
“That is a very strange coincidence.” Nakita held the book in her hands.
“Hunter doesn’t think this is related to our mission in Capitol City, but it’s too big of a coincidence to ignore.” Taz said.
“It’s strange, I didn’t keep anything from my father except for this book…Taz, I’m pretty tired. I think I’m going to go to sleep. Does Moja sleep in your room?”
“Yeah, I’ll take her. I’m pretty tired too. I’ll see you tomorrow Nakita.”
“Goodnight Taz, thank you for telling me your story.”
Upstairs, Hunter lay in his bed. His body had almost recovered and was in a deep sleep. Although his body was resting peacefully, his mind was highly active. He was having a vivid dream. A woman who resembled Nakita was kneeling by a river. She was washing her clothes and noticed Hunter staring at her. She smiled at him and then everything around her went pitch black. The smile left her face and was replaced by fear. She looked directly at Hunter, as her face began to mutate into a grotesque monster. She laughed hysterically at him, while her eyes burned with Alizarin Crimson. When she spoke, it was not her voice, but the voice of someone else. She ridiculed and taunted him.
“You’ll never beat me. I’ve already won.”
Hunter woke up at the sound of his door opening.
“Taz, is that you?” The room was dark. When he sat up, he could see the silhouette was much too tall to be Taz. It was Nakita. She walked slowly into his room and closed the door behind her.
“Nakita? Is everything ok?” She slid her small black jacket down her arms and placed it on a chair. Her white tank top and black miniskirt hugged the contours of her body. She knew exactly how to stand to make men want her.
“I’m fine, I’m just feeling a little strange. Can I talk to you?” She stood at the foot of his bed and looked into his eyes. He slowly stood up and pointed to an armchair in the corner of his room.
“Why don’t you sit down. I’ll turn the lights on.” She sat in the chair and leaned forward towards him while he sat on the edge of his bed.
“You know, when I said that I had no idea about Alex and Project Overlord, I was lying. I knew he was up to something. There were so many clues, but I chose to ignore them. I didn’t care. All I thought about, was that I needed to stay with him because he was rich and powerful. I ignored so many bad things he did. At some point, I lost myself in all of it. I don’t know who I am anymore. I need to make things right. At first, I thought I wanted to come with you to Capitol City so I could help rescue the children. But that was also a lie. I’m not going for them. I’m going for me. I want to go so I can redeem myself. So I can prove to myself that I can do good things and change my life. It all probably sounds very egotistical.” She couldn’t look at Hunter while she spoke.
“At least you’re being honest. I can’t say that my reasons for doing all this are completely selfless either. I’m also partly doing this for myself. To try and find out who I am and where I come from. We may have our own vested interest in this, but if we also help t
o save those children, then I think there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Nakita looked at Hunter with a smile and nodded her head. She felt genuinely positive about what Hunter had just said. He paused for a moment and then decided the time was right.
“Nakita, I need to tell you something. You can’t come with me to Capitol City.” She stopped smiling. “This is going to be very dangerous. I need you to take Taz back to Valley Village. He won’t listen to me if I tell him to go. That’s why I’m leaving tonight by myself. In the morning, I need you to explain to him that I’m sorry, but that I’ll be back as soon as it’s over. He can’t come after me. On top of that skyscraper I realized that I was incredibly foolish. If these people are targeting children, that puts Taz in incredible danger. They’re very smart for targeting war orphans because no one would notice if they disappeared. It would be the same for Taz and I can’t let that happen. Nakita, when I first saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I need you to help me. You can do something good without actually having to fight. Just make sure Taz gets home safely. I’ll take care of the rest."
Nakita understood what he was saying. She felt sad, but deep down, she knew he was right.
“…what about Moja?” She asked softly.
“Make sure Taz takes good care of her. She’s a special dog. I’ll miss her. Taz really loves her, but he won’t admit it.” Hunter laughed slightly and stood up. “You can take a boat from here all the way to Lyme Cove. Valley Village isn’t far from there. After that, you’re free to do whatever you want. Goodbye Nakita, I hope I’ll see you again.”
She stood up, walked towards him, and reached out to hold his hands. She leaned in and kissed him on the lips.
“Goodbye Hunter, until we meet again.”
Hunter reached into his bag and pulled out an envelope.
“Give this to Taz. He’ll know what it means.”
Hunter left his room and quietly walked down the stairs past Taz’s room. Inside, Taz was fast asleep and snoring loudly. Moja woke up and lifted her head, while her ears pointed straight up. She felt something was not right.
Hunter left the tavern and walked through the streets of Berlin alone in the pale moonlight. The air had a slight mist and he faded out of sight into the black, ready to embark on the next chapter of his journey.
Capitol City
The planet of Eros is made up of three huge continents. To the south is a desolate wasteland considered the most dangerous place on the planet. In the middle is a continent divided into two halves. The western side is a mixture of towns and cities scattered amongst great wildlife, mountains, and rivers. The dominant city in this part of the world is Kunsthof. The eastern side of Middle Continent is a vast desert where the great city of Tiberia once stood. Tech City lies in the center between the two halves of Middle Continent. To the north is a continent filled almost completely by a single city.
The city is so large that it is divided into many sub-divisions called districts. They are like cities within the city. It is far greater in size and population than Tech City. On the outskirts are slums that extend for hundreds of miles. As you approach the center the buildings grow taller and the streets become more densely populated. It’s a place where corporations are the most powerful entities in society. Corruption rules this place. It’s a place where dreams are made and hopes can be shattered in an instant. The name of the place is Capitol City.
Deep in the capitol is a large corporate facility, which is part of the governments military. General Ryuu is sitting at his desk inside a large executive office on the top floor. He stands up and looks out of the floor to ceiling windows at the city below him. From here, he can see far and wide across Capitol City. Ryuu is a tall man with short dark hair and a large scar on the right side of his face. His eyes are full of darkness.
“Sir, we have some important news.” A high-ranking official enters the office. Ryuu turns from the window to face him. He’s silent but nods his head. “General Ryuu, we’ve lost contact with our operatives in Tech City. They’ve all been killed.” Ryuu turns back to look at the city again and speaks with a deep slow voice.
“That’s not a problem. We have enough samples for the project. What’s the latest from Professor Arturo?”
“Everything is proceeding according to plan, sir.”
“And what about the specimen?” The General narrows his eyes.
“Arturo reports it is reacting within normal parameters, sir.”
“Good, tell the board we will begin as soon as possible.” Ryuu signals the officer to leave the room.
“Of course, thank you General.” The officer leaves, closing the door behind him. General Ryuu stands staring out of the window. He is not looking at the city beneath him, but rather at his own reflection. In his eyes he sees the image of a burning fortress in the sky. It consumes him.
“Where are you?”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Will Wallner is a musician, entrepreneur, and author. He grew up in South West England and spent many years living in Los Angeles as a rock musician. Now he resides in Berlin, Germany where he manages several companies throughout Europe.
He loves nothing more than to spend time with his animals, and to plug a Les Paul into a loud Marshall amplifier. Whether he’s recording new music, starting a new business, or writing a new book, he is always in the process of creating something new. That is what inspires him. For more information visit www.willwallner.com
ALSO AVAILABLE
PHTHALO BLUES: THE SOUNDTRACK
Music inspired by the story of Phthalo Blues. Written and Produced by Will Wallner. Featuring Vivien Vain and Vinny Appice. This EP combines thunderous Marshall driven riffs, soaring vocals, and a legendary drummers feel, to create a style of hard rock rarely seen in modern times. For more information visit www.phthalo-blues.com
COMIC SERIES - COMING SOON
A series of brutal murders are terrorizing the citizens of Capitol City. Detective Sykes is sent to investigate and uncovers a deadly conspiracy within his own police department.
Wild Frontier tells the story of Detective Sykes who has recently been promoted and hand-picked by the President to catch a serial killer, who is terrorizing the citizens of Capitol City. As he delves deeper into the case, Sykes uncovers a sinister plot within his own police department to conceal evidence related to the murders. As Sykes visits each new crime scene, he learns more about the killer and the conspiracy against him. Sykes doesn’t know who he can trust but one thing is clear, this killer is unlike anything he’s ever seen before and must be stopped.
For more information visit www.phthalo-blues.com