Borough of Versi, Haddyn: 23rd century
"Moving Day"
Mel shifted the weight of her pack as she headed out of Versi, glaring at the crowd that had gathered to see her off.
It wasn't a happy occasion. At least not for her.
Sure... everyone's happy when the lurk population is kept down to a dull roar but you burn down one abandoned building and suddenly you're a pariah. And if dealing with the opinions of the riff-raff from Versi wasn't bad enough the riot act that Erin unleashed on her was even worse.
It didn't even matter to her that Harth was in that building. It was only a two second pause before the yelling started again.
So staying with the big sister? Definitely out.
It was a good three hours of hiking through Versi and Haddyn before she finally got back to the abandoned building she had been visiting the last few weeks. The trip usually takes about 20 minutes on her usual route, but nobody can lug over a hundred pounds of gear across the rooftops of Haddyn. Not even a slayer. So it took a few minutes to realize as she walked into the abandoned Watcher's library that she's wasn't alone.
She was just starting to pick through her stuff to get over to Gunther's when she first heard the creak of the floorboards. Out of reflex she pulled out her scythe and swung it at the first shadow she saw.
"GOD DAMMIT HARTH! GET OUT!" she screamed.
The figure jumped back and fell to the ground. "Melaka Fray."
It was only then that Mel caught a glimpse of who it was. A man dressed in an old tweed jacket struggled up from the floor. "We are here to help you."
Mel watched as other tweed figures began to surround her and the familiar scent of gasoline hit her in the face. "Help me do what? Burn the building down?"
The watchers slowly circled Mel as the man spoke. "You have been called but the link has been broken."
"The chain must be re-forged," the others chanted together.
"Look," Mel said reaching for her ray gun. "I'm doing just fine on my own. Without your help. So go back to wherever you came from and light yourself on fire on your own time."
"We have been here since the beginning," the group chanted, "We are here at the end."
"You're also soaked in a flammable liquid and this is the only place I can call home," Mel scowled. "Get out."
The men in tweed began to chant in a strange language and Mel could feel the temperature in the room begin to drop as she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.
"You have no choice in the matter Melaka Fray," the lead watcher called out. "To defeat the one who will lead you must reconnect with your destiny in the past. Only then can you return."
The chanting became louder and the room began to spin.
"What the ruttin' hell are you doing?!" Mel screamed as she fell to the floor.
If the man answered she didn't hear it. The next thing she saw was a flash of light.
And then she was gone.
Mel shifted the weight of her pack as she headed out of Versi, glaring at the crowd that had gathered to see her off.
It wasn't a happy occasion. At least not for her.
Sure... everyone's happy when the lurk population is kept down to a dull roar but you burn down one abandoned building and suddenly you're a pariah. And if dealing with the opinions of the riff-raff from Versi wasn't bad enough the riot act that Erin unleashed on her was even worse.
It didn't even matter to her that Harth was in that building. It was only a two second pause before the yelling started again.
So staying with the big sister? Definitely out.
It was a good three hours of hiking through Versi and Haddyn before she finally got back to the abandoned building she had been visiting the last few weeks. The trip usually takes about 20 minutes on her usual route, but nobody can lug over a hundred pounds of gear across the rooftops of Haddyn. Not even a slayer. So it took a few minutes to realize as she walked into the abandoned Watcher's library that she's wasn't alone.
She was just starting to pick through her stuff to get over to Gunther's when she first heard the creak of the floorboards. Out of reflex she pulled out her scythe and swung it at the first shadow she saw.
"GOD DAMMIT HARTH! GET OUT!" she screamed.
The figure jumped back and fell to the ground. "Melaka Fray."
It was only then that Mel caught a glimpse of who it was. A man dressed in an old tweed jacket struggled up from the floor. "We are here to help you."
Mel watched as other tweed figures began to surround her and the familiar scent of gasoline hit her in the face. "Help me do what? Burn the building down?"
The watchers slowly circled Mel as the man spoke. "You have been called but the link has been broken."
"The chain must be re-forged," the others chanted together.
"Look," Mel said reaching for her ray gun. "I'm doing just fine on my own. Without your help. So go back to wherever you came from and light yourself on fire on your own time."
"We have been here since the beginning," the group chanted, "We are here at the end."
"You're also soaked in a flammable liquid and this is the only place I can call home," Mel scowled. "Get out."
The men in tweed began to chant in a strange language and Mel could feel the temperature in the room begin to drop as she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.
"You have no choice in the matter Melaka Fray," the lead watcher called out. "To defeat the one who will lead you must reconnect with your destiny in the past. Only then can you return."
The chanting became louder and the room began to spin.
"What the ruttin' hell are you doing?!" Mel screamed as she fell to the floor.
If the man answered she didn't hear it. The next thing she saw was a flash of light.
And then she was gone.