Going Home!?

[Maharg67]

Prologue

 

Back to the future, through a sea of sadness, did walk the Eternal One transformed by blessings and curses!

 

Back home to a world of mortals, the immortal did try to make his-her-its way!

 

Step by step, ever focused on, from, the here and now!

 

Through burning supercities, across great green plains full of thriving wildlife, through space in massive craft bigger than the Sun of his first home world, experiencing great raging battles involving billions of supersoldiers in super power armor and much else! More neutrality than anything else and more of the quiet peaceful than the graces or the horrors.

 

What is it that burns deep inside?

 

What is it that drives one deep inside?

 

The one is slowly fading away and, though there is plenty of time, time is running out!

 

Contradictions but that is what the Eternal One is about.

 

The One is going home!?

Edited March 30, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Step One of Many Steps

 

The one stands alone, except for local flora and fauna, in typical local clothes in the shapeform of a human woman. She feels empty, feels strong, feels some fear at confronting the local humans.

 

What will happen?

 

There are big predators close but they are wiser than humans, in some ways, and they make no approach against her.

 

A cool breeze blows over her fake leather, flexible denim, clad body and plays a little with her dark blonde hair. She adjusts her dark sunglasses that are, in truth, far from sunglasses. It is very warm, by mortal standards, but she does not sweat. Her skin is smooth and cool looking.

 

When two big predator cats approach her slowly she strokes their heads as they sit next to her, either side, and purr with delight. She takes out hunks of fresh red meat from her backpack and feeds them. In turn she gently, firmly, gains knowledge from their feline minds.

 

Local humans have been encroaching on wilderness and the big cats are being threatened as are others; an ancient treaty has been ignored and the humans are pretending it never existed or that it is meaningless.

 

This is far too typical of human activity!

 

She chooses a name that hopefully fits local human culture; she is Lilila Gaia!

 

Lilila goes with the two big predator cats to a local pool and her gear vanishes; she swims nakedly in the cool, clear waters, with the felines. It feels good, it is refreshing! She is fully aware of the young man in a tree top ogling her, blushing red, and being awed by both her and the way she has befriended the wild panthers. He is not threat and she finds that she both likes him and has uses for him.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Step Two of Many Steps

 

A proud people they are, living in the great bowl shaped land that was created by a super weapon disintegrating a sphere of existence away into almost nothingness. Nature took over then and created, after a time, a very fertile area of surprisingly pleasant climate. The humans came there, refugees, to hide there away from other humans who were not quite like them.

 

The young man, in the treetop, has binoculars and a semiautomatic rifle. He wears leathers and pod-cloth made from the tree-pods of genetically engineered pod-trees. They grow plentiful, wild, in parts of the valley and the humans cultivate them also. The young man has pink-white skin, brown eyes and dark brown shoulder length hair.

 

He is there as a sentry of sorts looking out for rogue humans, 'primitive' tribal raiders and wilder beastfolk whose ancestors once served the Ancients. He was bored before she showed up suddenly, walking up to the pool, and her gear vanished in a magical fashion. He is reminded of the legendary stories of the powers of the Ancients with their reality effect abilities focused through headbands, rings, staffs and other such devices.

 

He is there because the frequency of dangerous intruders is increasing but so is the frequency of more harmless ones. Something bad is going on to the north, beyond the Tower Mountains that are dotted with great towers on high mountain tops, the towers plunging deep down into the mountains proper. Refugees are fleeing south and they are coming in a slowly growing trickle.

 

He would call himself a Craterlander, being a cadet of the Border Rangers very close to the northern rim of the great bowl shaped crater. This name he would hold with pride, perhaps too much pride. Right now he is not thinking of himself as being a Craterlander so much as being a man looking at a naked 'young woman'.

 

She is aware of his mind, of his thoughts, of his character and his knowledge and is amused by the idea of how shocked he would be if he learned of her real nature.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Step Three of Many Steps

When he awakes from the amazingly vivid dream, he learns it was not a dream, that he had swum naked with Lilila and that they had made love. He also knows that he has been enhanced of mind-body-spirt, has gained new abilities and has gained knowledge. As he sits quietly with the big male predator cat, he scratches the feline behind the ear. The big cats have also been enhanced and have gained new abilities. She has done this for her own needs but also because already she had become concerned about what is happening in that realm.

She has been there before but, unlike other times, can not make any clear memories arise of that time. Does that mean she has finally come home? There is hope but also fear of having hope dashed yet again; she had become very cautious, hardened, over a very very long time of visiting many realms of existence.

Dan, the young Border Ranger cadet, looks quietly out over the landscape. His old, louder, more excitable, sometimes darker, self is gone! Would his people even know him now? Will he be able to live amongst them? He is less worried about such matters than he previously would be.

A year has passed since he fell into the amazing dream! This news comes with a shock!

She speaks quietly but somehow her voice is easily heard by him as if she was speaking directly into both of his ears. "Messages were sent to your loved ones and received by some while others could not be reached. You dream linked with some such as a grandmother, a sister, a brother, three neobabies, a dozen cats and three dogs along with a parrot."

Of course, it somehow made much sense that they would be the ones reachable; somehow he knew just who the Eternal One was speaking of.

He would need to return home! He would need to learn more about what was going on in the Craterland! He just wants to sit there even as he wants to leap to his feet and race off to his home town of Woodraven. Woodraven is the largest metropolis in North High Craterland and is officially considered to be its capital. The Guard have a large garrison there, there is a Governor, there is a local Tricouncil, there is a big traffic hub with airships, road-trains and trains coming from the south and returning to there, of course. It has a big 'cultural centre' and well off folk who think they are better than other Craterlanders in the same area. He sees it differently now, is less proud of it though still proud and is more willing to see its dark side, its injustices, for he is a son of the Governor.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Step Four of Many Steps

 

Lilila is not just aware of the world around her; Lilila has flowed into, has become part of, that world in a way that no mortal can. She can 'sense' now that not all humans want to break the ancient treaty with the wildfolk. A large group has come recently from the south, reinforcing locals who feel the same, and have formed their own secure encampment. It has to be secure because of the aggression of other humans who wish to invade, to exploit, the territories of the wildfolk.

 

Air flows around her and she picks up a whole world of smells, of sounds, of other sensory data. Lilila is not just of the ancient, more natural forces; she has come to deeply understand the scientific, the technical, though she is not always impressed by how they are understood, are used, by others.

 

A steam-train locomotive is chugging along in the distance, large and powerful, pulling a long line of carriages. There are service carriages for the train itself, passenger carriages, a mail carriage, flatbeds hauling vehicles with tarps hiding them and even troop carriages. One carriage holds cavalry horses. There are even guard dogs with their handlers. Clearly there are many military personnel, along with their equipment-supplies, on the train.

 

She speaks to Dan in the local general language of Anglish. "The train locomotive is marked 3B1-NS."

 

Dan is somehow not surprised that she can detect the train moving on a quite distant railway line. "It is one of three locomotives that are very important to transportation between us and the more central parts of Craterland. I suppose it will be bringing trade goods manufactured to the south and perhaps tourists come to see the countryside delights."

 

Lilila shakes her head. "No tourists, just travelers who need to do so and who have Special Travel Permits. There is much military presence on the train."

 

Dan is not pleased. "That can only mean that trouble is brewing."

 

She speaks of the people who do not want the wildfolk territories to be invaded and who have created a large encampment. As she does, she studies the seemingly empty blue sky as if she is seeing a great deal; she is!

 

Dan is concerned. "Before you changed me I would have been against such people, seeing them as interfering in local affairs, but now I support them because of what you taught me."

 

Lilila smiles at him. "You changed yourself by agreeing positively to change and you learned by agreeing to learn in a positive manner. At first you took some convincing. Come to the Haventori with me."

Edited March 29, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Step Five of Many Steps

 

Lorina rises up only briefly, takes a bead on a cannibal invader with her powerful bolt-action rifle, and blows a hole in his rather ugly head. The cannibal drops his musket pistol and falls backwards, already dead.

 

Phil grins and goes to claim the pistol as a trophy, which the coward has no right to do, but scowls from other militia soldiers stops him in his tracks. Phil is like that, that is a nasty selfish young man with apparently no real goodness to him.

 

Phil will not be joining the militia after this, his first and last test.

 

The forest is oddly quiet because of the ended skirmish. An old rusting truck is on the side of the dirt highway, full of bullet holes from some long ago civil war.

 

Lorina is handsomely attractive, slimly muscular, and she hates Phil for he 'jokes' about her lack of 'femininity'. She has already punched him down, once, but it did not seem to have much effect on him. There is something very 'dark and even evil' about Phil.

 

The cannibal subhumans, muties from the north, came in a scouting hunting party. Despite being cannibals their main aim would have been to take livestock and not humanoid enemies. The tribal subhumans are brutal, brutalized, creatures with a berserker savagery to their fighting style, if the word 'style' could be used for them. They have an odd assortment of mostly primitive weapons and hardened leather armor from animals not found in Craterland.

 

Phil grins and speaks. "We got them good, we did, and I am the best hero of all. I will be militia commander."

 

Lieutenant Aratta scowls at Phil, looking grimly as if he was tempted to shoot the mad fool dead on the spot. "Go away, go away now, or I will kill you." Aratta is holding his lever-action rifle in a menacing manner.

 

Even Phil gets the point. He scowls as if he is the victim of some kind of bullying and begins marching off homeward. Abruptly he stops, drops his pants and underpants, then bends over to 'moon' the militia soldiers. Aratta slips out his revolver pistol and shoots Phil in one buttock.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Step Six of Many Steps

The Haventori exists but not in the same way, the same timespace, that the world exists. Dan knows he has been there, as soon as he enters it, has been there for just over a year. He has spent much time, effort, in quasirealities where he has learned, changed, much.

In a great chamber of crystalline glasses, shining metals and fine marble (the appearance is deceptive for the chamber is actually made of something else very exotic) Dan studies a great floating 3Dmap of Craterland and areas bordering it. The Haventori has picked up what information it can and the result is mixed being rich in some ways and poor in others. Dan's knowledge has been added to it. 3D-datasymbols float in the air.

Dan is impressed. "So they have the new 2way radio network up and running at a basic level. The telephone network is expanded and is running though the telegraph network still runs in many areas. 1way radio broadcasting has improved and they have TV broadcasting in Woodraven. They have expanded, improved, the airport in Woodraven. Fort Woodraven is at least five times bigger. Where are the Border Rangers based? Not so good for they have been forced to move to the old fort now called Fort Ranger. The militia does not seem to have a base, which is strange! The local parliamentary building is unused and sealed off because of what reason? Odd things have happened in just a year in a place where change is normally slow to happen. There is even an Airbase Woodraven. There are gaps in the map but I note a line of new border forts are being built and some kind of large encampments. Something 'feels' wrong about this whole situation and I need to go back to Woodraven."

He almost said 'home' but somehow it did not come out in that fashion. It is as if he has become 'alienated' to his old way of life, to his old place of life and even to the people he has always known. He hopes not.

Edited April 1, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Step Seven of Many Steps

 

Where the Devilman walks there is always death, destruction and disruption followed by despair!

 

The StarRangers, elite special law enforcers, get to the town of Avastville almost too late. They come fast, and hard, on their powerful steeds to find the surviving settlers, soldiers, and others defending themselves against brutal beastfolk. The beastfolk turn fearfully to see the StarRangers turn and begin to flee.

 

StarMarshals draw out powerful artifact guns and fire off pulses of devastating energy but mostly to drive off the beastfolk and not to destroy them. Smoke billows around them from burning structures. There are the dead, dying and more lightly wounded to attend to.

 

This time the StarMarshals almost caught up with the dreaded Devilman and have gotten closer than ever before. That means they are becoming a real threat to the monstrous entity who appears to want to cause devastation across the lands north of Craterland for no apparent good reason. The StarRangers know there is a good reason, or more than one; they have only gained strong hints, so far, of what they could be.

 

Thirteen StarRangers spread out enough to fire off pulses, of energy, at the fleeing beastfolk. The artifact multipistols fire off electrical, fire and other elemental pulses. Some do little but terrify the beastfolk with many frightening special effects.

 

Avastville has mostly been saved. The three healers, of the StarRangers, begin to help the dying first with their very special skills and other 'abilities'.

 

Jackman speaks to the others through mind-talking. "Devilman is heading towards Craterland. Avastville is much like dozens of Free Alliance towns in this area. We have to find if he took from here and what he has left here, for us, as nasty surprises."

 

The overly rugged man is only too correct about the 'nasty surprises' left by the Devilman.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Step Eight of Many Steps

 

Lorina returns home in the old steamtruck that is the militia's only 'military vehicle'. Since the Border Rangers suffered heavy losses in the Crossit Creek Incident, also known as the Cross Creeks Betrayal, the militia has been forced to do more despite its lack of resources. The Border Rangers have given over equipment and supplies but do not have a great amount to spare; this is also largely due to the Crossit Creek Incident where much of their equipment was stolen.

 

Lorina is happy to get back to the family home, one of eight all placed quite close together for mutual support and security. Even as she moves through a airlock style security entrance. An armed guard is there, a rather muscular middle aged man who she has only moderate regard for. He has a bad habit of staring at the breasts of the younger women.

 

Fortified buildings, special walled in crop gardens, and other structures make for little spare room. There are some attempts at decoration and even flower beds for the sake of keeping up moral. Yet there is also tension in the air for the incursions of dangerous northerners have increased.

 

Lorina ignores the guard, giving him only a nod, and then she is heading towards her family house. Some people there frown at her for many farmholders think that she should spend less time with the militia and more time guarding the actual farmhold. She can not seem to convince them of how selfish, and narrow minded, that they are being. The whole area needs to be secured or the farmholds will be picked off one by one. The militia also tries to protect others, who are not farmholders.

 

Her father is standing at the front door of the house and does not look happy but he rarely does otherwise, at least with Lorina. He is a large, heavy set man who rarely smiles. Farin is wearing typical tough, reliable, farming gear. "Out wasting time and energy when you could have been here serving Agrotiera (the farmhold). The Agrotiera Leadership Council has been reviewing your being part of this community."

 

Lorina is not phased. "Has the council reviewed its signing of an agreement with the government that it would gain funds to support at least five farmholders serving the militia? Instead you have been spending the funds on other things while not even supporting me, the only militia member from Agrotiera."

Edited April 4, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Step Eight of Many Steps (Continued)

 

Lorina's father scowled as if his daughter's words are treacherous. "We farmholders are the core of the north and we deserve special treatment. The militia funds would be wasted on the militia."

 

Lorina shook her head in wonder. "I hear the government is doing a review of its own, on what it calls farmholder petty corruption, and is in no mood to take such arguments seriously. You could at least provide me with a few bits of equipment and some supplies each week. That is stuff from the Farmhold Guard armory."

 

Her father scowls. "We do not fear the damned government. They do not dare to a thing against us." But even as he speaks it is clear that he is not as certain as he is pretending to be.

 

The government has increased its military, paramilitary and law enforcement forces in the area but also, whispers speak of, security intelligence forces.

 

She nods at him and goes into the very old fortified house that has seen more than its fair share of violence.

Edited April 4, 2014 by Maharg67