City of IF

[Pattern]

Hey, maybe if you have enough votes and the highest 2 are a good and evil one, perhaps you can put them both coming out of the portal, say the good minotaur and the evil serpent, when they come out they both fight eachother and have one win. Since one would probably have more votes let that one win, but just to make the story more exciting make the second best vote fight the best. Just an idea don't have to use it.

Or if there is a tie make them both come out and fight, but the one that wins is the one that will make your story more interesting. I can't wait for the newest chapter, I'm excited. :D

[LordoftheNight]

Hey - what happened to the Hooded Figure? I know I put that in the poll.

*is confused*

[Pattern]

Maybe it can only hold a maximum of six poll choices?

[Guest]

My thoughts exactly Patter

@lordofthenight
I was wondering that too.

[LordoftheNight]

No - I know it can hold about 10 options.

[Guest]

Epic Proportions
Chapter Two-Part One
Rumble in the Park

My mouth is open and I'm afraid that a bug might fly in, but I can't find the strength to close it. What's happening before me is just too shocking. The trees, the wind, the mist, the forming gateway, it's all too much. I backpedal wildly, struggling up onto my feet. I had to get away from here, this was crazy, no way was I getting close to that thing!

I didn't even reach the parking lot before a gust of wind lifts me off my feet and tosses me back to my original position. Grass flies up in chunks as I hit the dirt hard. Pain arches up my back then settles as I lay there, breathing hard. The mist is thickening, stretching beyond to cover the entire park. I can feel the air beginning to dampen and already my shirt is beginning to stick to my skin.

Creaking sounds and whistling tunes float through the air, emitting from the trees and from the thickest part of the mist that is making up the gateway or archway or whatever the thing is. My muscles are tensed and I can't stop shaking, terror and excitement grip me both at once, struggling for rights of mind emotions. I push both back time and time again, but they keep coming. I fight a losing battle.

Suddenly, the rushing wind and the flowing mist stop. Everything becomes silent, as if time has taken a break and everything has stopped moving. Everything but my thumping heart. I can hear it in my chest, beating rapidly as fear and exhilaration energize it. What is coming out of that arch? Something is coming out, I can feel it in my bones. It's like a deep in set chill that travels up and down them, rattling them and making me shake.

The ground trembles, surprising me and making me jump out of my stillness. I clamber to my feet, wiping the collected dirt from my back pockets, shirt, and knees. Again, the earth moves under me, as if a giant is stomping on the ground. I glance at the trees, they shake with every rumble, the dead leaves fall to the floor, floating down gently.

I turn back to the mist covered arch way and what I see stuns me. A figure, deep within the mist. A large figure, gigantic in fact. I can't make out the full details but all I know is that it's big and it has two horns, like a bulls. My saliva runs cold in my mouth, making it hard to swallow, which I desperately need to do now.

The horned monster continues forward and the rumbling of the ground increases in volume and ferocity with each step the creature makes. Finally, in an explosion of mist and wind, the monster walks out in confidence, ax hanging loosely in its hand and horns dampened with the vapor that hangs in the air.

A minotaur. I recognize it instantly, having studied them in Mythological class back home. A bull like face, the torso and arms of a giant, the legs of an animal, like a goat or a bull. Hooves replace feet, and talons replace fingernails. The minotaur stares at me, the ax swinging softly, slicing into the tall grass, cutting the heads.

Impossible. Minotaurs didn't exist, they never have. This must be a dream. It is a dream. Time to wake up! I pinch myself, all I get out of it is a twinge of pain. No, no, no! This is not happening!

"Come on," I hiss angrily at myself. "Wake up!"

Glancing forward and above, I view the minotaur's face. It's staring at me, eyes narrowed and thin streams of vapor jetting out of its flaring nostrils. Probably eight to eight and a half feet tall. Pure muscle and fur. Something I wouldn't dream of messing with. I keep pinching myself harder as I stare a it. It's all a dream. "All a dream," I whisper.

"Are you Dante?" the thing asks. Its voice is deep and raspy, grating against the edges of my ears and making me frown. I hate those type of voices. It was a he judging by the pitch, it sounded like a he anyways. Ignoring the minotaur's question, I keep pinching and slapping. Soon my forearm is blood red and throbbing painfully.

"No, no, no!"

"You are not Dante?" he asks, confused.

"Wait, Yeah, I'm Dante," I gasp. This is one crazy dream. "You're not real right? Just a figment of my imagination! I must have fell while skateboarding, probably lying on the sidewalk right now. Like a bum." I laugh nervously. I had given up on pinching myself.

"I guided you here," growled the bull-man. His ax lifts up, supported by barrel like arms, corded with steel like muscle and thick fur. "Do you know who I am?"

This was a dream. This was a dream. Please let it be a dream!

"Uh, no," I say uncertainly. I watch the ax carefully, if that monster even so jerked it my way I would dive to the left. The minotaur snorts, another stream of vapor spraying into the damp air. The mist seemed to have increased. Stepping forward, the minotaur lurches closer to me, his hooves crushing the grass and small twigs below.

"I am Sergoth," he hisses. His breath stinks, like some rotten meat. I try hard not to gag and instead breathe deeply. This can't be happening...but why the smell. In dreams you usually don't smell things so clearly. Am I going crazy?

"And you," he says, jabbing his thick finger into my chest. "Are scum of Evil. Your presence is a bane here in these worlds. I have been sent to eliminate you, such evil as yours should not be allowed to exist."

I open my mouth in protest. Evil? What evil? I had done some bad things but hardly any of them would have been dubbed evil. This was too weird, no way was this really happening. "What evil? I hadn't done anything!"

"No, but you will, along with the Chosen," he growls.

The Chosen! Like in my dreams! Oh crap...

Sergoth roars, saliva hits my face along with a fresh blast of rotten flesh smell. But the roar is terrifying and it literally blows me back. The battle cry sounds in my ear, echoing and growing louder. I fly back and hit the ground for the third time within the thirty minutes I had been in the park.

Disoriented, I struggle up, shaking my head. What was happening? This was no dream. A blow to the chest knocks the wind out of me and sets me sailing in the air. My back slams into a tree, knocking loose bark and making leaves rain down on me, like funeral flowers. Pain engulfs my whole torso, as if it was on fire. I can't breathe! I need air! I take in deep gulps, as if the air was water.

Glancing up, I spy the minotaur walking slowly towards me. Sergoth had hit me wit the flat of his ax, putting my like a gold ball. Compared to him, I was a golf ball. I needed to get away! I struggle up, my legs almost giving out from under me. My shoes hit the grass and I speed up.

Sergoth roars again, making me stumble and fall. I can feel the ground shake underneath his hooves. I'm a dead man. Sergoth stops in front of me and kicks out, catching me in the ribs. The blow causes agony, I gasp as I fly again. I might as well become a bird. Tree limbs shake as I hit another tree trunk and I cough up blood.

I should be dead right now. No way could I have survived that! My ribs weren't even broken. Everything was blurry as I neared unconsciousness. I couldn't take another blow before blacking out.

"You are very strong in that form!" roars Sergoth angrily. He rumbles forward, his thick hooves smashing the ground as he walks towards me, twirling his ax. "Let us see if your thin hide can resist the edge of my blade."

"Get up," screeches a voice above me. Great, now I MUST be imagining this voice. No one had come into the park with me, and if someone had, they were probably allies with the lumbering minotaur over there.

"Actually I'm not. I hate that cow's guts," responds the voice above as if reading my mind.

"I did read you mind," says the screechy voice.

Curiosity forces me to look up, into the twisting limbs of the oak tree. All I see is a raven staring down at me. It couldn't be the raven, it wasn't logical.

"Screw logic," screeches the raven. "You think that-," says the raven, using the tip of its wing as a finger to point at the approaching minotaur, "-is logical?"

"Definitely not," I manage to wheeze. God, my ribs hurt.

"Get up," says the raven. I obey, something wills me to. I stand on shaky legs, firm though and steadfast. It's as if the bird is lending me strength. I curl my fists and glare a the minotaur. Sergoth laughs uproariously. "So, the mighty Dante decides to fight."

Sergoth lifts up his huge battle ax. He's getting closer with every giant step. "This will not last long."

"What are we gonna do?" I whisper to the raven. I hear a flutter of wings and something alights on my shoulder, pressing down on my shirt. Its the raven, looking something fierce. Sergoth stops cold in his tracks at the sight of the big black bird and uncertainty plays on his ugly features.

The raven seems to chuckle. "Welcome to Ass-Kicking 101. Class is in session."

>>><<<

Hope you guys enjoyed this first part of this chapter! The rest will be up shortly, but I need to go to bed!!!


Thanks Rai for the first part of the last line!

[Kalanna Rai]

Ah good old Ass-Kicking 101...

You are forgiven Fenny...can't wait to see what happens...

[Guest]

Next Part will be up shortly!

[Guest]

GAH! I'm sorry guys! I've been really busy and homework has reared its butt ugly head. The chapter parts must be postponed and posted on friday. I'll make it's good and it will be introducing our vampire.

[Pattern]

Fenris if I could show you, you'd be getting an applause, that was awesome.

This is awesome, action packed and hilarious. One thing I saw

Quote: I glance at the trees, they shake with every rumble, the dead leaves fall to the floor, floating down gently.

Is there a floor in the park?

Anyways, that was awesome... "Welcome to Ass-Kicking 101, class is now in session." That was the best quote ever. I started laughing when the raven could read Dante's mind and he's like screw logic, or whatever.

You've impressed me and for that, I'll keep reading. (I'd keep reading anyway :))

EDIT: Forgot to say, the vote was for a good minotaur, is the minotaur good? Or Dante evil? Or the raven evil? I think it says that the minotaur is sent to kill Dante because he is the Chosen one and he's the chosen one for the evil side? Care to explain to me a bit more, I'm kinda slow lately...

[Guest]

lol, in the school's compiter lab so forgive me if this is a bit hurried.

Dante is on the lesser evil's side, but evil nonetheless. The good side, the side of light justice, virtue, blah blah blah has sent a miniotaur to kill Dante since he is born of evil and will soon be the darkness's most powerful warrior. Kill him while he's young.

This is how the story is weird since most of the time the hero is on the good side and fighting evil for the sake of all mankind.

[Kalanna Rai]

Ass-Kicking 101...I really should post those stories. Still I can't wait. I love anti-heros, normally evil people doing good because they have to, or they feel like it, or maybe just because they're sick of doing evil.

Although if anyone plays Fable they'll know what I mean when I say being good 100% of the time is a pain in the ass.

[Guest]

Epic Proportions
Chapter Two-Part Two
Rumble in the Park

The minotaur opens his mouth then closes it again. His eyes that had once displayed such sureness and ferocity have suddenly become full of uncertainty and yes, even fear. The great beast growls something inaudible and eyes both of us carefully.

The raven caws once in amusement and hops up and down on my shoulder. "Ain't so tough now you furry piece of sh-"

"Enough," snarls Sergoth, his eyes blazing red suddenly. The ax trembles in his hands and he takes a step forward. The mist curls around him and us, thickening with every minute. It's cold, that I know. The strange winter chill crawls up and down my skin, making me shiver slightly in cold.

"What are you doing here, darkling? Realms call you, you bastard son of a god."

The raven seems to smile and his claws trace a line on my shirt's shoulder. The feathers float up and down, running with the chilly breeze that seems to flow around us. "I've been sent, to guard the Chosen."

Sergoth growls, he is disturbed and he fingers his ax nervously. This raven scares the bejeezes out of him. That's saying something. Though, I didn't know how this fat, smart alek bird could scare a minotaur.

"I can still read your thoughts, fool," chirps the raven sullenly. "My name is Raven, not the raven....and why are you narrating?"

I don't get a chance to answer. Before I could even open my mouth to say something, Sergoth suddenly charges and twirls, bring his ax around. I stand still in fear and in confusion? What was happening? Instinct tells me to duck, and to duck quickly. I obey, dropping to the floor and rolling to the left.

I feel the blade sweep over me with its own wind currents following after it. Sergoth doesn't falter. He jumps forward and brings his ax down in full force, intending to split me in two. "Catch the ax, Felen!!!"

Who the hell is Felen? "YOU! That's you, you nincompoop!"

The ground explodes in a shower of dirt and grass and a buffet of wind. I stumble backwards, having barely avoiding the fatal blow. Dirt rises to a small height then falls, the moistured mist weighing down the thick cloud of dust and leaves.

Sergoth snorts, and steam rushes out of his nostrils like a freight train. With a determined tug, the ax comes loose out of the dirt, sending a small shower of black, brown, green, and faded orange back to the violated dirt. The minotaur laughs, a deep chuckle rumbling in his throat. In mid laughter, he suddenly rushes me, ax slashing for my small head. Duck, the voice screams at me. Again, I duck, and again I avoid having my head being handed to me.

I fall to the floor, arms covering my head and using my legs to desperately scrabble against the grass and gain a few feet. "Idiot," screeches Raven. I uncover my head, just in time to see the talking black bird fly from the trees at an amazing speed and slam into Sergoth.

Regularly, the normal outcome would have the raven crush itself against the minotaur's muscle covered chest and fall to the bottom twitching. This isn't normal however, and instead, Sergoth grunts in pain and surprise and flies back, ax tumbling from his hand and embed itself in the dirt. Raven spins and complete a turn then corkscrew and piledrives the still standing minotaur.

To say that Sergoth's eyes grew as wide as dinner plates would be an understatement. Wind seem to rush from his mouth as it was knocked out of him by the force of the blow. His heavy body is lifted off the ground, his hooves seeming to hover over the crushed green grass. Then, he sails backwards, knocked far by the blow. The minotaur lands hard, making the little air that was left in him leave in a rush.

His eyes flutter once, twice then close.

I get up, wiping clinging wet dirt from my shirt and pants. I glance up to find Raven glaring at me, his beady eyes shoving daggers at my own pupils.

"Fool! Why did you not catch the ax?"

Laughter escapes my lips and dances through the air. "Catch the ax? Are you insane? That...weapon, probably weighs more than me! If I tried to catch it, I would still be split in half, except my hands would be in strips of meat!"

"Ye of little faith," grunts the bird. He looks over to the coughing Sergoth then smiles. "Your faith will have to have a growth spurt, Felen...for, you will still be fighting him."

....what? This is crazy! I know he can hear my thoughts and stream them back to him, adding several vulgar words attached to each sentence.

Raven snorts, a little puff of air ejects out of his nose. "You will. He awakens. Just...go with the flow."

I gawk at him. Go with the flow? That was the advice. Damned bird! Raven cocks his head and his gaze grows serious. "Damned bird, indeed." With that, he spreads his winds and glides over to the oak tree, alighting on a branch and prepares to watch. Like a spectator in a Roman gladiator arena.

Sergoth lifts a hairy arm and pulls himself up, using an invisible bar as it seems. Weird. The minotaur groans something then opens his red eyes and centers on me. Crap! The beats growls, anger boiling up inside to spew out in a uncomfortably loud roar. His gets up completely and his chest heaves in anger. Saliva drips from his maw and his horns seem to glisten even more.

"Stupid fowl! Interference cannot be accepted. Swear bu the Oaths that you will not interfere in this fight!"

Raven remains silent, mulling this over. Coming to a decsion, he speaks. "Fine."

Satisfied, Sergoth turns from the oak tree and settles on me. With each breath he takes a step, large strides soon bring him to the buried ax and he places one furry hand on it. The gray claws scrape against the leather long handle and the minotaur snarls.

"Dante, your time is neigh at hand. You blood shall flow through the ground and form rivers. Your bones will be used as incense and yo-"

"Would you shut the hell up and attack?"

Sergoth pauses, stunned, I am too stunned at the quick remark I just made. Recovering, the beast grunts, impressed. "You have coura-"

"ATTACK! ATTACK!" screams Raven in my head.

"Isn't that dishonorable? And how are you talking to me without actually speaking?"

"Telepathy...oh, great, you blew your chance, here he comes."

I snap back into reality, just in time to see the minotaur bare down on me. I view his ugly face up close. Not a pleasant sight. "Punch!" screams Raven in my head once again. And shatter my fist against his skull? No.

His ax misses, slashing blank air where I used to be. Sergoth looks confused then looks ahead, at me. Only then do I realize that I had leaped backwards, way backwards. I was at least fifteen to twenty feet away from Sergoth. I gap in amazement and the minotaur snorts. This was taking way longer than he expected.

"Now you fool! You must strike, we may live long but not forever! This fight goes nowhere! You must end it!"

Another swing, another miss as Sergoth jumps at me and swipes at my head. I dodge blows, weaving, ducking and side stepping. The minotaur's ax and arms are a blur and so am I. He always come a hair's reach from slicing me open, but I always escape. Exilheration rushes through me, filling my lungs and chest.

This was awesome! I was above normal, I could move faster than anyo-

Pain flares in my chest and I cough in surprise as I fly to the right. While I had been day dreaming, Sergoth had caught me with the flat of his ax. I wince as the throbbing begins.

"As I have said, boy. Time to end this," whispers Raven. "Concentrate! Which hand do you use?"

"I'm ambidextrous!"

"Oh good! Use both then!"

I dodge another arcing blow. The ground surges upwards like a geyser and dirt and grass is tossed in the air like confetti. We are tearing up the park badly.

"Why!"

"Energy, you idiot! You are from a first rate blood line of Kylans! Use your imagination! I thought lycans were viscous!"

"LYCANS?" I yell out loud. This was just getting too weird. Sergoth is getting tired, I can see that. His swings are becoming slower and slower, but they were still dauntingly fast. I leaped in and out, dodging and weaving. I see openings, but have no idea what to do with them. What did Raven mean by concentrate? Damn!


PART 3 WILL BE COMING SOON!!!

[Kalanna Rai]

Humm more like Ass-Kicked 101 but I suppose he's got to start at the bottom...looking forward to part three Fenny.

[Pattern]

Pretty awesome. :D

Can't wait for part 3. Is part 3 the final part to the chapter?

[Guest]

Yes it is. Like I said, I want to finish this chapter before California's Monday, so, the final part and DP should be up by Sunday if not earlier.

:D