Michael's boots made a soft sucking sound with each step, the wet ash clinging to his boots like quicksand. Rainwater pooled in the footprints he left, erasing them almost as quickly as he made them. He wiped away the droplets forming on the lenses of his mask, but it was a futile effort, as more drops soon replaced them. He could see the Fiendwall ahead of him through sheets of drizzle—a mountain of carved stone that seemed to stab the bruised underbelly of the rainy sky. Far behind him, the Franklin Mini-Carrier's hull gleamed, its dark metal skin drizzled with beads of flowing water.

Michael's bro, Nasty Nate, sloshed through the wet ash toward the Fiendwall right beside him. Things have been going well the past two days, McGraffe was a sensible guy, and he didn't try to throw his weight around with Gali to get his way. The mayor seemed to appreciate this, as well as the protection that McGraffe offered. Ternan personnel were guarding the Fiendwall now, awaiting Terlin's elves to return. They were hoping it would be more goons with stolen guns like before, but Michael informed him that no other forces may come by any time soon… mostly because Michael had literally ripped them limb from limb and had said that Hoplite had done it. Sure, the big guy hadn't, but the threat of that should be a good enough to keep Terbitch away.

It was his and Nate's turn to go on patrol, vampirism be damned, he was still a soldier and he followed orders, it helped that McGraffe wasn't a total ass like some other people he'd served under. He'd let him and Nate take a dozen patrol shifts together so they could spend time catching up. Of course, there was a caveat that, if Terlin appeared, or any threat really, Michael had to rush over as quickly as he could. In truth, most of his hours were spent on the other side of the wall already, only this brief time walking Nate back to the wall for patrol was pretty much the only time he was over here. Nate had told him about Kazon and how he'd been stuck in the Lord of Hate's 'S and M' dungeon shortly after he'd crashed into the Fiendwood. He still could hardly believe it sometimes, the fact that Nate had indeed not only survived, but was now right here with him, just like before the crash, before the aliens took Earth, when everything was right.

Except now Nate wouldn't stop buggin' him about turning into a damn vampire!

"Pinky swear." Nate coughed.

"Bro I know!" Michael snapped at Nate, unintentionally baring his fangs behind his mask,, "But ya don't know what yer asking me for!"

Nate sneered, "Can't believe you're going back on a pinky swear man. Can't believe it." He shook his head.

"I'm not, I'm tryin' to tell you to really think 'bout it, bout what'll happen afterward, this ain't something ya can just take back."

Nate looked at him, a glimmer of challenge in his flat black eyes. "I got the facts, Mike. You're a superhero, n' I want that too. So what if I gotta get a tan in the moonlight?"

"What the hell does that even mean?" Michael asked, lifting a brow.

"Moon tan, I dunno." Nate shrugged, "But I already made up my mind, ya ain't convincing me otherwise, dumbass. Or are ya gonna go back on a promise?" He asked as they drew closer to the Fiendwall.

"It ain't like that," Michael said, but the words felt weak in his mouth, like arguing with a force of nature. "You think you'll get used to the hunger? To feelin' like a monster?" He turned his mask away, voice dropping. "You remember that stray dog in fourth grade, the one tore up half the block before they put it down? It's like livin' like that dog, keeping yourself on a leash at all times. Can't even think straight sometimes, I'm wanting to drink people half the time, ya know how scary it is to have that in the back of yer head all day?"

"I'll drink deers or somethin'." Nate reasoned, "Think about it bro, we'd be able to live forever, eternibros, come on."

Michael's head rocked back and forth as he took that into consideration. Michael, unless he got killed by some outside force, was biologically immortal now… and Nate was not. He'd get old and die, just like normal people should. The thought of that filled Michael with despair, knowing his brother from another mother would die and leave him alone one day. As he had the thought, suddenly the idea of turning Nate didn't seem so bad- and that filled him with guilt. Making Nate a monster and keeping him alive would be selfish of him to do… but it was what he was asking for.

But even if he did turn Nate, he still had no idea how to do that. Thankfully, a distraction came as a few divers flew down from atop the wall. They spoke with other divers below, the women giving details on their shifts before the next crew flew to the top of the wall. This drew Nate's attention, a smile on his face as he spotted Cat among those who had been relieved, heading straight their way. Michael then realized that he actually had a way to convince Nate, and she was right there.

"…You become a vampire, ain't no way Cat will get with ya after that." Michael said.

Nate stumbled a single step and corrected with a curse. Conflict entered his dark eyes then, uncertainty. Michael held in a sigh of relief, it seemed that might convince him to lay off the vampire talk, at least for a while. Nate's loved Cat ever since the guy first laid eyes on her, and her stubborn refusal to play into his lady killer persona had only seemed to amplify that. He didn't know how Cat felt about him, but she'd definitely seemed glad to see Nate after they had all rendevoused.

If Nate became a vampire, Cat would likely close herself off from him completely… at least that was what Michael hoped was running through Nate's mind right then. He couldn't say for sure. Hell, he didn't even know if Cat really would close that door for sure, but the idea of it would keep Nate from becoming a monster, at least Michael hoped.

Nate held his tongue for once as he and Michael made the final approach to the base of the Fiendwall. Cat's boots scuffed to a halt in the ash before them.

Her rifle strap creaked as she shifted her weight to one hip, the corners of her eyes crinkling with exhaustion as she looked at them.

"Your turn then?" She asked, "Nothing interesting's happened since my shift began."

Nate clicked his tongue, shaking his head firmly, "Girl, with you around there's always somethin' interesting goin' on." He winked.

Cat rolled her eyes but smiled, the exhaustion in her face softening for a moment. "Alright little buddy, put a cork in it."

"I ain't a 'little buddy'," Nate grinned, puffing out his chest beneath his breastplate, "I'm a big buddy."

"Why, cause yer fat?" Michael asked, smiling beneath his mask.

Nate struck him lightly on the shoulder with a hollow clang against the armor, "You're fat!" Nate accused sharply, his dark eyes narrowing.

"Nuh uh." Michael countered, crossing his massive arms over his chest plate.

"Yuh huh, dipshit, I can see the love-handles now, jackass." Nate's hands fluttered up and down as he gestured at Michael. "Who'd a thought there'd be so many calories in an all blood diet. And what's with them boots, who gets tungsteel all dirty like that?" He clicked his tongue again, shaking his head, flecks of sweat catching the light. "Nasty ass."

Michael grinned, his mask tilting to one side. "Who thought there would be so much bitch in one marine?" He asked, voice echoing slightly behind his faceplate. "It's been wah wah wah since you got here, thought your daddy smacked that outta you."

"Thought he smacked it outta you too but here you are still bitching." Nate shoved a finger against Michael's chest plate with a dull thud.

Michael smacked it away, the motion gentle despite his supernatural strength. "My pa did all that already, yer daddy had his hands full with you, he had no time to tell me to figure it out."

"Nuh uh, we both got the spoon from him that one time." Nate pointed out.

Michael's head hung back. "Oh right, yeah the beer."

"Yah, we were eight, you drank like a fatass even back then." Nate laughed, the sound carrying across the barren ground

"Bitch-" Michael began, his voice dropping an octave.

"Would you both go get a room and get this over with already?" Cat asked, shaking her head, her fingers drumming against the rifle slung across her chest.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Nate clicked his tongue, pivoting toward her with practiced smoothness. "Girl you're the only one I want a room with, this dumbass takes up too much air, too hard for him to breathe with all that extra weight."

"Bite me." Michael said with a rude gesture.

"Naw you bite me!" Nate shouted, before firming his jaw, eyes going wide for an instant.

He must have remembered what Michael had said about Cat, his expression shifting from playful to troubled in an instant. Cat giggled, the sound light against the suddenly heavy air. Nate's brow smoothed instantly, the tight lines around his eyes melting away as his lips curved upward, flashing her a wide grin.

Cat's giggle cut off abruptly when she noticed Nate's smile. She turned her face away, one hand rising to adjust her rifle strap with unnecessary precision, her eyes fixed on some invisible point along the Fiendwall's perimeter.

"Ya don't gotta hide it girl," Nate grinned, puffing out his chest, "I know ya like my jokes, I gotchu in stitches."

"I'm gonna put you in stitches." Cat said flatly, moving past him, though Michael could see a small smile on her face.

"I know ya would girl!" Nate called after her, "That's why I love ya!"

Cat then immediately picked up the pace, leaving them both in the dust—er, ash. Nate stared after her, his lips parted, eyes half-lidded, tracking the sway of her rifle strap against her back. Michael had seen that look before—in bars across three systems, in bunkers between firefights—but never with this intensity, like a man spotting an oasis after days in the desert. Back when things were more 'normal', Nate had been legendary in the barracks: "Nasty" Nate who'd charmed his way through every bar, every port, every shore leave. He'd take home the tall ones, the short ones, the quiet ones, the loud ones. "They're all pretty to me," he'd say when asked why, running his thumb along the rim of his glass, flashing that sideways smile that made even the most stone-faced lieutenant blush.

Cat, though—she was completely immune to his usual tactics. She'd deflect his lines with a raised eyebrow or sidestep his advances with military precision. And Michael could see it in the way Nate's fingers twitched at his sides now, in the slight hunch of his shoulders as he watched her go—the harder she was to catch, the deeper he fell. And that was what Michael was counting on, those feelings of his was the only thing protecting Michael from turning his friend into a horrible vampire like himself.

"Come on killer," Michael urged, "We gotta patrol and the guys are gonna be pissed if we don't show up soon."

"Yeah yeah." Nate blinked, eyes turning away from Cat hesitantely, "Let's get goin'."

With that, he and Nate made their way toward the Fiendwall, passing through the breach. A few Fiendwallers and Tongues acknowledged them as they passed, their eyes immediately returning to the treeline. The Tongues were as wild and rag-tag as ever, with every size and shape of person within their ranks, their gear being just as varied, all the way from loinclothes to plate-armor. He wasn't sure if they had actually wanted anything to do with fighting Terlin's elves, but he realized that they didn't really have a choice in the matter. The Watchers wouldn't allow them to leave, for the only safe path out of this situation was through the forest.

Bad situation all around, especially since food was getting scarce. Gali estimated a month from now would be when the larder emptied out, so this needed to be resolved before then. McGraffe had told them that he was working out a plan with Belaine, one that involved stealing back the gear Terlin had taken. He looked forward to hearin' it, nothing would make him happier than pissing off that twink bitch, what an asshole.

They took their places behind a portable barricade. It was a tall thing, made of dark, sturdy Tungsteel, sleek and practically impenetrable, at least for the most part. It was tall enough for full coverage, with a few shorter sections to make openings for heavy weaponry, as well as to fire from cover. The surface was smooth and free of any dents or scratches. It was either a testament to its durability or because this one hadn't gotten used much before. There were a few other ones with dried slag or deep dents on their sturdy surfaces. There was a line of them all along the Fiendwall, a dozen other Ternan's set up behind them. A few exo-troops stepped heavily along, twin Perforatus on each large arm. Divers too set up on top of the wall itself, keeping their scoped rifles fixed on the trees. Marines were set up behind cover for the most part, clad in standard tungsteel battle-plate as Nate and Michael both were, armed with Visus rifles.

An hour passed of Nate n' Michael shooting the shit, avoiding the subject of vampirism, much to Michael's relief, when he spotted Belaine floating over to them, the rain bouncing off an invisible field around her. He wasn't jealous or anything, their armor was all air-tight, ain't no wetness gonna get in anywhere in battle-plate. The floating though? Yeah, he was a bit jealous of that. He wondered if he would ever be able to use magic now that he was a vampire, but Belaine had already put him through a dozen tests and they couldn't seem to form a connection between him and the Flame. She said that was normal but Michael wasn't so sure.

"Good day." She said, landing beside Michael.

"Girl, saying good day in this rain?" Nate asked, quirking a brow.

"Do not refer to me as girl." Belaine said with a sharp glare.

Nate gave her a grin, and Michael had to suppress a groan. Here we go…

"Hey now, I didn't mean nothin' bad about it," Nate put up his hands, flashing her his best grin, "Is gorgous or breath taking better?"

Belaine sneered, "Your wiles will not work on me 'Nasty'. The divers here have told me all about you already, you would do best to hold your tongue."

"All the good things they said about me are true," He winked, "Kinda how you're truly one of the most beautiful gals I ever did see."

"I'll be sure to tell young miss Cat your opinion." Belaine gave a smug look.

All the color drained from Nate's face then, "Uh yeah so this weather is pretty bad." Nate said, clearing his throat.

Michael shook his head, grinning behind his mask. Guy was head over heels for Cat but he was still 'Nasty Nate'. He'd have to drop the 'Nasty' if he wanted any real shot with Cat. Really, if he—

A sharp, metallic buzz ripped through the rain, followed by the splintering snap of a Tungsteel barricade taking a direct hit. Michael saw a bullet flying straight for his face, like a baseball, quick but dodgeable. He dipped his head to the side, hearing as the round screamed past his helmet, impacting the ground behind him. A ragged shout went up from the line, and just like that, the forest edge erupted in muzzle flashes. Ternan rifles, and they were laying into the barricades with a hail of fire from the canopies ahead.

"Contact!" Nate bellowed, voice already shrill with excitement as he dove fully behind the barrier, bringing his rifle up and aiming at the forest.

Michael's hands worked the rifle up over the barricade, sighting a cluster of dark figures darting between the trees. He squeezed off two quick bursts, one shot pinging off a stone, the second knocking an elf flat on their back, arms flailing as they hit the mud. Nate fired off his own shots, most finding their marks and knocking elves from trees. Some bullets, not just Nate's however, ended up embedding themselves in the trees, splintering bark.

"Belaine, get down!" he shouted, but the woman was already braced against the back of the barricade, her eyes aglow as she grit her teeth.

Sweat poured from her brow as McGraffe came over the comms, "All trains, open fire!"

"Wait!" Belaine shouted, "Wait!" She repeated, sounding strained, "Please!"

"Conductor McGraffe, Belaine is asking to hold." Michael said quickly over the radio.

"Disregard, we're under fire." McGraffe said, "Tell her we're already trying our best to shoot around the trees, but I can't risk Ternan lives for them."

Belaine then stepped out from behind the barricade before Michael could relay what McGraffe had said, the gunfire from the trees halting for an instant as the elves saw her.

With a pained scream, Belaine's rain barrier vanished, and on the trees ahead, a prismatic field outlined the trees, the bullets bouncing off of them and leaving them unharmed.

"I see!" McGraffe shouted, impressed, "Exo-troops, send these bastards to hell!"

Michael heard, the Perforatus chain guns revving up, before opening fire, lighting up the dark field like a prolonged lightning strike. The bullets bounced off the barriers surrounding the trees. Michael braced himself as a storm of bullets whined overhead,the exo-troop that had been behind them. The sound was so intense he could feel his fangs rattling in his skull. He reloaded his rifle, watching how the exo-troopers lit up the forest with pure volume, their Perforatus' spitting out rounds in a perfectly-calibrated arc that never wavered, even as smoke and spent brass poured down around their boots like rain drops.

He saw the elves in the trees, their silhouettes flickering like ghosts as they dashed between trunks and tangled roots. Some hovered above the ground, moving with a manic, adrenalin-stoked grace that reminded Michael of hornets. Even under cover, the elves couldn't outpace the exo-troopers' fire. He saw three go down in a single sweep—one got torn in half, another folded backwards, the third seemed to vanish in a spray of crimson mist.

The other elves, the ones with the rifles, didn't hesitate. They fired right back, their aim true enough to keep every Ternan on the line ducking low behind their barricades. Michael, however, returned fire, popping one in the skull and sending the elf to the ground as a twitching mess. He caught the flickering blue of a spell as a Watcher spun out from behind a tangle of roots, hands cupped and thrust forward. The bolt it loosed was glassy-bright, shimmering wetly in the rain—a sphere of light that zipped straight at the nearest Ternan exo-troop. The armor's mag-shields caught most of it, but the bolt ricocheted, splitting into a blossom of smaller motes that licked at the Ternan's helmet and shoulders.

Nate was howling with laughter, even as he ducked a streamer of blue-white energy that crackled through the air. "Wizard wars, baby!" he shouted, teeth wide in a grin. "Love it!" The Ternan exo-troops pressed the advantage, and the elves in the trees began to return fire with more than just bullets: arcs of green fire stitched across the open field, and a sudden gust of wind whipped up, strong enough to nearly flatten Michael and Nate against their barricade.

Belaine's voice cut through the mounting chaos. "Down!" She barked, and Michael felt a wave of pressure slam into his back, pinning him to cover.

A shifting haze like oily vapor came next, and Michael had to blink hard to keep his vision from going blurry. Shapes moved in the mirage, shadows with too many arms or mouths, and for a moment, he thought he saw a row of needle-fanged elves crawling across the ground toward him and Nate. He tried to shake it off, but a sick dread crawled up inside him, and he felt his fangs pushing out further. Was this illusion magic?

Belaine was standing now, arms flung wide. Sweat shimmered on her forehead, but her gaze never left the elven sorcerers across the field. "Michael!" she called, voice ragged. "If you have to go, do it now!"

He didn't need to be told twice. Michael vaulted the barricade, the ground surrendering beneath his feet as he pounded straight toward the treeline. The world narrowed into a tunnel: all Michael could see was the shimmer of spells, the strobe of gunfire, the slick wet grass underfoot and the shapes—real or not—rushing at him from the rain.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.