City of IF

[Phang]

Despite the strange urge to reveal her true past to this Alpha, Winger knew it was best to keep quiet – at least for now. Maybe if she proved she was useful enough to the tribe…they couldn’t kill her when she was their only hope. But this creature was not something she knew about – she hadn’t even seen it. If it was something the Master had planned for a long time, she had known nothing. Like every other human in the Factory, she had been completely ignorant to the evil force just above them, experimenting and tampering with their lives constantly, waiting for the moment to wipe them out and start again with a new race.

The Alpha waited expectantly. Winger took a deep breath, and begun.

“This beast – the Master did not speak of it, and I do not know if it has been a long-planned creation or not. When I escaped, all seemed chaos, and I thought he was dead.”

“He made other creations – he made you how you are now. Surely you must know something?”

“His aim was always to combine animals with humans. He had many years’ experiments before me, and every time there are fewer weaknesses. May I…” Winger began to panic. It was obvious she knew little, and this might seal her fate. “May I see what information you have of this beast?”

A paw pushed tattered parchments across the table. Taking them with her own grey-fleshed hand, she noticed the similarity, but pushed it out of her mind almost as soon as it appeared. She glanced down at the parchments, and what seemed to stand in front of her, crude though the markings were, was a spider-like thing of pale, yellowing skin, smeared with thick, black blood. Finger-like legs sprouted out from everywhere on its body, but none touched the ground. Instead, long talons arched from the tips. Another one of these limbs was raised up, and unlike the others was split into two talons, dripping with more blood and venom, and on top rested two orbs, marked by brilliant blue juice to show their gleaming colour. It was too weird to be anything from the surface – it even looked like it could terrify an Echoer into submission. And something about it reminded her of a memory, burned into her mind – the Master, hand outstretched, blue light shooting from it into the tiny figure of Mern. The hand…his right hand…that was it! He had sacrificed his most powerful hand, his tool for making his power physical, and had turned it into a killing machine! His most powerful hand – its power could be near unstoppable.

“What is it?” Winger looked up at the glittering eyes across from her. “You seem…agitated.”

“This creature…it is nothing natural…it is part of the Master himself. It could have unbelievable power!”

“If it does, it has not yet used it. One tribe was reported to have brought it down by force. What it does have is cunning – as they were about to kill it, it broke the bonds and slashed the Alpha in two. And dishonour breeds dishonour, Winger. By the time the ritual knife hit the ground, every single wolf had gone. Even the other Alphas dared not hesitate to flee.”

Winger considered this last piece of information. The Master must control it…but it hadn’t as much power as him.

“What powers does it have?”

“Unbelievable speed and strength seem to be all it is blessed with. The magic abilities of the Down Below have not been shown in it yet, wherever this Master came from.
“Winger, none know of any way to defeat this thing. The only way seems to be to fight it, and hope we succeed by some miracle. If we die, may our hearts rest in the gems of the sky. But you can help. We need to defeat this thing before everything we know is eradicated or enslaved by it.
“What do we do, Winger?”

[Shady Stoat]

Oooh, excellent chapter! :D

I think the best chance of attack in this case is to target the Master. The Alphas need to create as big a distraction as possible. Once the Master is intent on controlling his creature, oblivious to much else, Winger (either leading a team or on her own, whatever she feels she can get away with) can go back to his domain and give him something to worry about there.

He can't defend adequately on two fronts at once. One way or another, he will lose one of the battles. It's a risk, but against this creature, all we have is numbers. Against the Master, we have guile and the ability to attack him where it hurts.

She should come clean with the Alphas now. Tell them what she is, and what she's planning to do. They'll need her - perhaps they can even help her. It's time to face this.

[Phang]

Something about the way you wrote that just made me want to shout "Woooooooo yeah, baby!"

...what do you know, I just did.

[Shady Stoat]

*grins* I could write it again if you like? :P

[ethereal_fauna]

You should attack the Master- go straight for the source. Try to rally all the packs together, and forge uneasy alliances if that's what's necessary. Hopefully fast bonds will form, and if not initially then definitely when the fur starts to fly.

[Phang]

So it shall be. But just to be sure, I'll put up a poll anyway because I feel like it and I'm in charge round here!


This ain't a democracy! Then why are people voting?

[Phang]

Arrrgh! We need more votes!

[Vampireidiot]

Wow, good chapter phang.
I've read the catch up but i think I'm gonna have to read all the other chapters anbyway :biggrin:
Voted for the big ol' brawl to descide the fate of the world :D

[Ravagerrr]

Actually... this is a good story... I'm not sure why it hasn't gotten much attention of late...

I noticed your complaints in the chat history. I hadn't realized you were suffering for readers... sorry I haven't been in here earlier.

Well, reading the catchup proved a bit confusing in this case, but jumping into the chapter, it seems that the previous suggestions from our more loyal readers would be the way to go. Looking at the poll, I thought that gathering the tribes for the big fight sounds good.

[Phang]

Hurrah!

The poll is now closed before another tie can reform, and I shall begin work on the next chapter almost immediately!