A black van drives on the motor court, its tires spinning against the concrete path. An elegant manor is embedded into the land in front of the vehicle, its height staggering. Sylvatus Guards line the motor court and everywhere else, making an almost unbreakable formation of firepower.
The van comes to a halt near the main entrance, the parking gear switched on. A handsome man in a suit walks out from the passenger door, opening the back doors of the van. A man in his 20's jumps out of the vehicle, his boots colliding with the concrete, making a soft thud.
The man has brown hair, an M16-A1 slinged over his back. His dark green sweatpants and sweat shirt blow in the wind, he pats the man in the suit on the shoulder. "Thanks." Without a further word, the chauffeur gives him a salute and goes back inside the vehicle.
The van slowly creeps forward, before driving off. The man looks behind him, scanning the large lawn for anyone he knows. He's been here lot's of times, it is Liam's house after all.
After a moment, he walks inside the entrance. James Whittaker is standing against a wall in the grand entrance hall, he scans the room, and his gaze settles on the man under his visor. A woman in a suit attempts to ask the man where he'd like to go, but James walks over to the man and the woman, raising his hand.
"I've got this ma'am," James says, dismissing the woman. She nods and hurries towards the double doors, James's yellow and black dirt bike gear shines slightly from the golden chandelier on the ceiling. "Tyler! How ya been?"
The man, now identified as Tyler, nods slightly. "Great, actually. I heard we're gonna do business with Altus tonight?"
James nods, he pats Tyler's back and leads him into the manor. "I reckon. But let's not talk about business, not right now. It's boring." The two of them begin to walk to an unknown destination, the manor smells of freshly cut wood and other pleasant scents. Probably candles or something.
"Where we going?"
"Upstairs. Third floor, We're meeting Liam and Landon." James states, his boots thudding against the wooden floors. The walls are painted red, soft yellow light illuminates the halls as far as the eye can see.
After a while, we arrive at a wooden door. James creaks it open slowly, as both of them step in a large two story library.
(Insert image here.)
The side walls are lined with bookshelves, a loft separating the first and the second floor of the library. A elegant fireplace sits in the middle, along with five red seats in front of it. In the seat left, closest to the fireplace is Liam. Wearing his white ski gear, a blue visor covers his eyes, and a white schiesty covers the rest of his face.
Landon sits in the seat next to him, clad in his black and red dirt bike gear. "Glad you could both make it." Liam greets, holding a cup of something in his gloved hands.
Tyler takes a seat on the right, while James takes the biggest seat in the middle, spreading his body out. "So... what's this business we're doing with Altus?" Tyler asks, his head tilting. He takes his M16 out and sets in on the floor, putting one leg over the other.
[b]Landon POV[/b]
Before I can answer his question, Liam answers for me. "They want to talk to us about land. Land in Russia, they think we might be interested in buying."
James looks over to him and me. "How much land? They tell you?"
"No... They didn't give us much. Ismael is supposed to be here in... around dinner time." I inform, taking my helmet off. My hands move to take off my cloth mask, finally letting me breathe fully again. "And... the others. They're wrapping up getting the two fragments in Canada."
Tyler puts his dark green winter gloves inside his pocket, digging around for something. He then takes out a black vape pen, before giving it a small puff. "You fine letting me smoke in here?" He asks Liam, he gives a nod.
"Ismael will be staying here for tonight." Liam adds, James nods.
James takes off his tan scar 17 off his back, sitting it beside him. "Anybody ever notice..." James leans back in his seat. "Everytime someone says 'It's just business,' something always goes wrong?"
"Relax," Tyler stands up, grabbing a bottle of vodka off the coffee table. "Nothing bad's gonna happen. We've never had any land in Asia, this can be big for us..." Tyler pauses. "No, this WILL be big for us."
"He's always paranoid." I state, my gaze flickering over to him. "I don't get how you're paranoid, but you don't give a shit about consequences."
Liam chuckles, pointing to some glasses for Tyler to pour. "I know, right? He's always been a bit imprudent."
James throws his hands up, amused by the banter. "Number one, I do give a shit. I'm a very smart, intelligent, handsome, perfect individual. And number two, what the fuck does imprudent mean? Sounds like a poisonous berry you'd find and get sick for a couple days off of."
"Said you're smart then said you don't know what a word means. Checks out." Liam teases, watching the crackling fireplace.
"I mean... I am the pinnacle of a human being. Matter of fact, last night I went to this club. And I was really annoyed cause all the strippers kept trying to follow me home. You couldn't relate though." James says, sipping a glass that Tyler poured.
"He is right. When I saw him come through the door... I think my life was complete." I say, holding a glass as Tyler pours some of the clear vodka into the cup.
James nods and points to me. "At least someone's got some sense here."
Liam holds out his cup, and Tyler tilts his head. Liam holds the cup higher and Tyler snickers. "You sure you can handle this shit? It ain't not non alcoholic beer, like you used to."
Liam huffs and holds his hand out. Tyler obliges and pours it in a cup, Liam calmly sips the cup, staring Tyler in the eye. Tyler gives an impressed gaze, until Liam coughs, spitting the liquid onto the carpet. James nods, laughing at him.
After a few minutes, we keep talking until Liam tries to bring up the meeting again. "Let's not talk about that right now..." James says, smelling the strong scent of vodka wafting through the air.
"Well let's not be worried! We're gonna have a nice meal. Have a civil conversation, hopefully gain some land, and you're gonna admit that you're wrong. And then you're gonna cry, and say: 'Liam! You're always right,' because this always happens."
"My ass."
Tyler grabs a book from a book shelf, setting it in his lap. "Why you getting a book like you gonna read something?" I ask, knowing damn well he ain't reading shit.
He takes another hit of his vape, letting the smoke pour out of his mouth. "Gotta have something to read tonight."
"What is it?" Liam asks, itching his cheek.
"History of the place we're staying at. Biltmore Estate."
James stands up, sliding his Scar over his back again. "I'm hungry." He states, looking around. He looks out the window before Liam grabs his attention.
"How about we all eat some lunch?"
"Sure." I state, standing up alongside Liam.
[b]10 minutes later[/b]
Liam sits at the dining table, his ski helmet and cloth mask off. Tyler sighs and takes off his gloves, setting them onto the table. James unbuckle his helmet, leaning back in his seat.
"I'll never get used to this..." Tyler mutters, admiring the dining hall. The seventy foot tall ceiling towers over us all, creating an almost humbling experience.
A waiter walks up to us, and Liam looks to him. "Can I have a... a lobster with butter, and some rolls?"
We all then take our orders, and the waiter nods and goes through a door.
"You know... When we founded Sylvatus, I don't think any of us expected this shit." James states, motioning towards the grand dining hall.
"Yeah, but that's a good thing. Right?" Liam responds, sipping a glass of water.
Liam takes out his blue raspberry vape, as Tyler takes another breath of his pen. My phone rings with a notification, and I take it out. A picture of the front of Biltmore Estate was sent by Jason, seems they've arrived here. I call him, and James looks at me before going back to talking with the rest of them.
"Hey." I greet, his voice crackles through the phone as he greets me.
"Some of the rest didn't come, they're off somewhere. It's only me, Wyatt, Chris, and Saul."
"Okay, are-" The phone cuts off, and I'm left in confused silence. I stuff the device back into my pocket, and the waiter brings out our food. A plate of seafood is placed in front of Liam, and he thanks the waiter.
He gives us all our food, bows, and takes his leave. "So how much land you think we're talking about?" I ask.
Liam shrugs. Tyler saws a steak in half with a knife, he dips it into some garlic butter and slides it into his mouth. James points at him and looks at me, as if looking for conformation if he just saw what he thought he saw. I bite my tongue and eat a taco.
"So what fragment you going after next?" James asks, shovelling a fork of spaghetti in his mouth.
With a shake of my head, I tap on my plate. "Probably gonna send the fragments to the Hexagon for testing. Apparently the compass goes to the closest fragment, so we can't find anymore until it stops."
Tyler absentmindedly eats his food, while zoned out looking out a window on the ceiling. "Thatcher." James states, I groan at the name. He's been talking shit about him non stop, it's getting on my nerves. "You talked to 'em?" He says, looking at Tyler.
Tyler nods. "Yeah. I'm split on him."
"How so?"
Tyler takes another bite. "He's very... brutal I guess. But he is loyal, and I guess that's what matters most."
James recoils. "Loyal? Number one, no he ain't. Number two, Loyalty is important, but it ain't the most."
"Loyalty is everything! Do-"
"Cut the shit!" I interrupt, James leans back in his seat. Liam looks at me, putting his fork down.
Liam's eyes narrow, licking his lips. "Is this Thatcher guy someone I should worry about?"
"No... He's just been spouting some horseshit." I state, leaving no room for argument.
[b]Miles POV[/b]
Miles stands at a table in the Hexagon, the black walls creating a sense of isolation. He's clad in his black motorcycle gear, a ten gauge repeating shotgun slinged over his back.
At the other end of the table is Thatcher, Andrew, and Luke. Andrew is in his black and light blue dirt bike gear, Thatcher in his camo clothes, and Luke in his all black clothes with a black mask.
"I've gathered you all for one reason. A target."
The trio remains calm, only Andrew slightly shifting. "There's a target named John Karaoke. He's the leader of some Hiwassee's that have infiltrated our territory. You three can decline, but I want you to bring him back dead or alive. He has lot's of soldiers, so be ready for a fight." Miles says, walking around the room.
Thatcher's gravely voice breaks through the silence. "How much?"
"Fifty million dollars dead, sixty alive." Miles states, Luke whistles, Andrew nods, Thatcher remains still. "I'll give you the estimated location, and if all of you decline, I'll just send some soldiers. So who's in?"
Luke and Thatcher volunteer, Andrew shakes his head. "Alright then..." Miles says, grinning under his helmet.
[b]Landon POV[/b]
"Matter of fact..." James begins, grabbing a pool cue from the wall. He waves it the tip of the cue in my face, his boots thud against the hardwood floor as he sets the balls on the table. "I think we should go monster hunting. Before we have supper."
"Sure..." I state, getting up from the couch. He hands me a cue and breaks the set, the multicoloured spheres scattering throughout the table. A solid falls in a hole, and James nods. He unbuckles his yellow and black helmet, but doesn't take it off. "You know, why do we play pool so much?"
I shrug, hitting the cue against the scratch ball. "Like Liam says, it's a civil game for civil people." James rolls his eyes under his black visor, before stepping away from the table. With a tilt of my head, I silently ask what he's doing.
He doesn't respond, instead setting the cue down and walking into another open room. The room is just a leather couch facing towards the window, with a grandfather clock beside the window. He pushes open the curtains and looks outside, so do I over his shoulder.
A bunch of limousines are lined up in the courtyard, but one of the doors open. Someone in black and white dirt bike gear steps out, with a XM-8 and KS-12 on his back. Smoke grenades line up his belt, only broken by a handgun. Wyatt. "Guess they're back."
James steps back from the window, walking back towards the pool table. I follow him, as we continue our little game of pool. "Maybe they'll give us all of Russia." I state, and James hits another solid.
"Sure..."
"Actually, though. Maybe that one peninsula in Russia. What about that?"
James shakes his head, waiting for me to go. I poke a striped ball, and it bumps the edge. "Maybe they'll give us... China!"
"Well I reckon you ain't a good guesser. That'd be my guess."
I groan, crossing my arms. "I'm just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks."
James nods, calculating where the ball will go before he hits it. "Sure... But instead of spaghetti you're throwing bouncy balls." He looks at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. He sets his cue on the table, before grabbing his tan Scar 17. He pulls on the charging handle and looks over to me. "You coming?"
"Coming where?"
James's helmet flicks over to the clock. "It's almost time to have that meeting. We'll go hunt some monsters until then."
With a shake of my head, I set my cue down as well. "Nah. Maybe tomorrow."
"You said you would!" He yells, pointing a finger at me.
My hands go to my side, and I scoff. "Well I'm sorry that I wanna look semi-fucking presentable while meeting the king of Altus!"
James puts his UZI mini on his belt, before giving a sigh like I killed his entire bloodline. "I knew you'd do this..." He mutters, before walking out the door.
"Seriously!?" I yell, he responds with a quick middle finger before he disappears from sight.
[b]Saul POV[/b]
Saul stands in front of a lieutenant, the man in front of him making wild gestures in front of his helmet. "Stand at attention when I'm speaking to you!" Saul cuts the man off.
The lieutenant gives a scoff, before getting back in Saul's face. "What now? Actin like ya all high in mighty. I'm not in the division you are. You cannot give me orders."
Saul draws his twenty gauge shotgun revolver, aiming the snub nose at the lieutenant's head. "My ass-" The man is cut off by a shell of buckshot piercing through his face. His body crumples like a piece of wet paper, before Saul looks to the other guards.
"Clean it." Without another word, Saul walks past the corpse, attending to further business.
[b]Thatcher POV[/b]
Thatcher wanders off the trail, still adorned in his camo clothes. A hatchet sits firmly in his grip, a backpack hugging his shoulders tightly. He climbs up the hill, setting his backpack down at a mostly flat location. The area is hidden in trees and brush, as is the rest of the forest.
After a while, he sets his hatchet down. A teepee made of mud, leaves, and sticks is now constructed in front of him. He takes a pot out of his bag, and hang it on a branch, under some unburned firewood. He takes his handgun, a silver desert eagle out of his holster.
Its shiny exterior glows in the rays of sunlight piercing through the forest canopy, before he slides the pistol into the bag. With a shrug of his shoulders, he unslings his camo deer rifle, holding it tightly in his grasp. He gazes at the trail in front of him, now all there's left to do is wait.
[b]Landon POV[/b]
Me and Tyler walk out of the main doors of Biltmore estate. Wyatt, Chris and Jason are standing in front of us. "Welcome! Glad ya'll made it." Jason gives me a quick fist bump. "Head on in."
We all walk into the grand entrance hall, and Wyatt bumps me in the shoulder. "How things been going?" He asks, following to wherever Tyler takes us.
"Good. We're doing a business deal with Altus tonight. About some land."
Wyatt tilts his helmet. "Can I come?"
I shake my head, eliciting a sigh from Wyatt. "Ya'll get to your rooms. Me and Landon are gonna have a chat." Tyler states, taking a puff from his vape pen.
After a few minutes, we reach our destination. We walk into the garden, a large sun roof looms above us.
"You ready for the meeting?" Tyler asks, sitting on a bench.
I nod. "I think so."
"What's our angle here? Like what are we trying to get?" Tyler asks, tilting his head. Wind chimes sound on the ceiling.
"Get the most land for the best price, I guess."
Tyler nods, leaning back in his seat. "What you doing after you leave here? Getting more fragments?"
I shake my head, putting a piece of gum in my mouth. "Just a lot more bullshit."
[b]1 hour later[/b]
Three soldiers walk on the trail, chatting idly on their patrol. The one holding a carbine talks about a new gun his commander gave him, and how it exploded on him in the first battle he fought with it.
The three share a laugh, while Thatcher gets into position. He kneels behind a bush, his camo clothes blending in well with the leaves. He steadies the barrel of the deer rifle on a small branch, before taking aim.
The serene sounds of wind are disrupted by a sharp gunshot, one of the soldiers falls down onto the dirt with a gaping hole in his lower back.
One attempts to take cover, before a bullet rips through his hip. The other turns towards the bush, expecting something to pop out. Thatcher walks behind a tree, before the man fires wildly in his direction. With a swift movement, Thatcher moves out of cover before putting a bullet in his head.
The last soldier attempts to crawl further into the trail, desperately grabbing onto nearby rocks and leaves. A boot steps on his calf, eliciting a groan from the man.
"Look at me." Thatcher commands, the man complies. The soldier puts his hands at his sides, avoiding eye contact. The scent of iron only grows stronger as the puddle of blood seeps through the soldier's pants.
Thatcher reloads his rifle, before holding it with one hand. "Mr. Karaoke, where is he?"
The man puts his hands towards his face, shaking slightly. He seems young, in his 20's. "Listen, I don't know man... Just-" His voice is cut off by Thatcher reaching for his throat. The soldier closes his eyes, before his dog collar is ripped off his neck.
He looks up at Thatcher in confusion, who is now paying attention to the words on the collar. "Mr Williams. Where is Karaoke?"
"I don't know!"
A mix of snot and blood spews out of his nose and mouth after Thatcher slams the stock against his face. "Okay, okay. There's a base near the creek down there. They'll probably know something..." He whispers, staring into his eyes. "I gave you what you wanted, right?"
Thatcher fires a shot through his skull, before standing beside him. The area near his skull is caved in, showing a glimpse of his brain. Thatcher slings the rifle over his shoulder, before grabbing the bodies of the other soldier's and hiding them off the trail.
He grabs the body of the man he talked to, back to his camp. After a short while, he tosses a strip of flesh in a pot of water, hanging above an open flame. The body of the soldier is stashed in a bush beside him, now missing a piece of his chest.
[b]Landon POV[/b]
We wait in front of the dining hall, me and James trying to find something to keep ourselves busy. Liam appears from the other side of the doors, as he opens them. "We're ready." He states, we both nod and walk in.
We take our seats in the dining hall, and James steels himself for what's to come. "So... if we get a lot of land, who's gonna be the manager of it?" I ask, adjusting my tie.
Liam adjusts his blonde hair, before crossing his legs. "Well let's not get our hopes up yet. And if it happens to come to that... I think we need to get the Co-Leaders involved in that talk anyways."
"When's Ismael coming?" James asks as he look at the ceiling, seventy feet above him.
"Any second." As if on cue, James's phone rings. Liam flinches, before staring at James. "What was that?"
James puts his phone in the air, above his head. "Instagram," He says, Liam opens his mouth, probably to scold him on proper etiquette while meeting an Altus official, no less their leader. "I get being nervous, but damn, chill out."
"Needs to hurry up..." I mutter. As if on cue, the doors open slightly, and a man with a suit and tie. He confidently sits down, and Liam squints.
"Sorry sir, but who may you be?" Liam questions, keeping his voice polite despite the fact that a stranger is now at the table.
"Vladimir Hutnik." He says, with an accent I've never heard before.
Liam nods, seeming to gather some information that remains unknown to me, and it looks the same to James judging by his confused expression. "I'm with Altus."
The table is cast into a spell of silence, the manor now more silent than a night inside the Grand Canyon or something. "Do you know when Mr. Ismael is coming?" Liam musters.
"I will be representing him tonight. He has chosen me due to his confidence that I will adequately represent his desires." Vladimir says, putting his hands on the table.
A waiter walks to the table, holding menus and a notepad. He asks what everyone would like, and we place our orders. After a few minutes of talking about each of our affairs, our entree's are brought out. Liam goes to take a bite of his Alfredo, but Vladimir pipes up. "Ismael would like to offer one point nine billion acres in Russia."
Liam slowly drops his fork, and straightens up. "Billion?" I ask, Vladimir nods.
James looks around the table, a grin plastered on his face. Raising my utensil, I take a bite off my plate, attempting to appear unfazed. "What subjects?" I question, taking a sip of my water.
Vladimir wipes his face with a paper towel, before clearing his throat. "Kamchatka, Chukotka, Magadan, Khabarovsk, Amur, Sakhalin, Sakha, Irkutsk, and subjects fifty hour and fifty nine."
James seems to frown at that, looking to Liam as if to ask what the hell the representative just said. Liam flashes a glare at him, before going back to his polite expression. "I assume this will come at a steep price."
Vladimir shakes his head. "It may seem so, but we have no doubt you can afford it. Nonetheless, the profits of this new land would surely make your purchase very profitable."
Liam opens his mouth, but is cut off by James. "Why are you selling it then?"
Liam stares at James, but Vladimir takes the time to answer. "We are in need of resources for a major project, however I cannot go in detail."
James looks at him, but Liam says something before James can. "How much are you wanting?"
"Five hundred billion dollars." Liams eyes widen, and he quickly nods.
"Yeah. We can... definitely do that."
"In gold."
James doesn't react at all, but Liam flinches from the new context. After a few minutes of silence, the dinner is called off, and Liam arranges for Vladimir to rest in a guest bedroom. As soon as he leaves, James starts pumping his fist in the air. "Hell yeah bitch!" He yells, and Liam puts his face in his palm.
"So, we gonna take that deal?" I ask, standing up.
Liam shakes his head, slowly getting up. "I think... we should all at least take tonight to think about it. Besides, I think we should at least get Tyler's input."
"You right." I state, taking the last bite of my steak off the plate and into my mouth. It tastes amazing, you could tell it's the skill of the chef in every bite.
After saying goodnight, I leave the dining hall. I immediately start going to my room, and after a few minutes I reach it. It's extravagant, but not too much. My hands carefully close all the curtains, before getting dressed into sleepwear.
Plopping onto bed, I take out my phone and ring Tyler's number. I think he'll love this.
[b]Miles POV[/b]
Miles sits at his desk, still clad in his black motorcycle gear. He fills out paperwork on his luxurious cocobolo desk, his pen scribbling away absentmindedly.
Miles's office was a step above ordinary. The room itself was a rectangular shape, with dark wood flooring that gleamed under the soft light from the buzzing fan above. The lower half of the walls matched the floor, while the upper portion consisted of dry wall painted a deep rich green.
The desk was at the back of the room, his desk stretched to both sides like a command centre, its polished surface not betraying the price of the piece. On the hutch of the desk, a golden plaque read the name: "MILES FAIRBANKS," making it visible from the door across the room.
Behind his desk was window overlooking a garden at the Hexagon, while another window on the right wall let sunlight spill through the room. To the left of his desk, a stained glass door was hidden unassumingly.
Miles puts the telephone that is built into his desk back, most likely after calling somebody. He presses a button, and an assistant of his opens the door across the room. "Bring me a milkshake, please." The woman nods, before closing the door.
He checks the time, almost at the end of his shift. The smell of cinnamon wafts through the room, from his candle warmer, and he stares at a paper.
His thoughts are interrupted by the telephone ringing once again, and he swiftly picks it up. "Yes?"
A voice comes through the other side, unmistakable of who it belongs to. "Tyler! What'cha doin?"
Miles listens for a moment. "A deal? A... oh. Well..." He gathers his thoughts, they converse for a second until Miles thinks of question to ask. "So have they finished the deal yet?"
After a few moments, he says goodbye and hangs up. He sits straighter, and puts his fist to his mouth, fiddling with his fingers. All that gold... But for all that land.
[b]Darren POV[/b]
Darren stands in front of the door to the cabin. The cabin is in the middle of the woods, one story, but looks like it's in nice shape. His left hand moves upwards, his fist making a smooth motion knocking on the door.
He stares at the door until it opens after a moment. A large burly and bearded man stares at him from inside with tired eyes. "Whaddya want." He grunts, looking to Darren.
Darren puts on a smile. "Do you live here?" He asks, making eye contact with the man.
The man eyes the sniper rifle on his back, before returning back to Darren's eyes. "Yep. What of it?"
"You own the land north of you?" Darren asks, although he says it more like a statement.
The man nods, eating the ritz cracker in his hand. "Yeah, I own it. Why you askin'? You ain't from 'round here."
"No, I'm not."
He chuckles, leaning against the doorframe. "Clearly," He looks behind Darren. The rain hits the driveway behind the porch, creating a soft noise. "You here to hunt?"
Darren shakes his head. "No. I request permission to go on your property."
"What for?"
"Nothing you need to know." Darren breaks eye contact, looking at the floor. Darren looks back at the man, breathing slowly, at a perfect synchronized pace.
The man crosses his arms, a frown plastered on his face. "I think I fuckin do. You wanna step on my land you need a damn good reason to."
"It's a yes or no question." Darren says, the smile returning to his face.
"Well then it's a no."
With a sigh, Darren reaches in his pocket. His gloved hand moves towards his gun, the man flinches. His hand moves past his pistol and into his pocket, fetching a cigarette and a lighter. The man sees the odd knuckle duster on his right glove, with sharp claws attached to it. The metal surface is slightly stained with dried blood and dirt.
Darren lights the cigarette and puts it in his mouth.
"What the hell is that thing?" The man asks, his face pale motioning to the claw.
"Sir, let me use your land…"
The man's shoulders slump. "Fine. But you ain't messin with no wildlife or destroyin nothin, ya hear?"
Darren looks behind him. "That truck back there… It's yours, correct?"
The man nods. "Well I'll be using it for a while." Darren states, looking at the old truck with chipped red paint.
"The hell you think you are? You ain't using that."
"Yes, I am."
The man's face reddens. "You ain't taking my goddamn truck like no thief!"
Darren stares at the man, his smile now gone. "You got kids?"
"Yeah… Why you askin'?" The man says, annoyed. The man stares at Darren, fighting the urge to sock him in the face.
"You want them to know their father died from not letting a man burrow his truck?"
The man steps on the porch, maintaining eye contact with Darren. "You threatening me?"
Darren stays silent.
The man cracks his knuckles, breathing heavily. "I ain't gonna take no threat to my family, son. No way in he-"
The man is cut off by Darren's claw scratching his arm. He grunts and Darren twists it. The man kicks at him but he grabs the back of the man's neck. "You did this to yourself!"
After a couple minutes, the man is dragged into his bathroom by Darren. The man is cut and bruised, with Darren sustaining a bruise on his cheek. Darren puts the man in the bathtub and turns it on.
"The fuck…" The man coughs out, trying to sit up. His throat is met with a swift slice from the claw, his arms trying to fend away what has already happened. Darren blocks the bath with the shower curtain and turns the light off, leaving the cabin, ready to return after getting the second fragment.
[b]Landon POV[/b]
Before I can make an attempt to sleep, my phone dings with a text. It says that we'll talk about more during breakfast, and Vladimir will be staying for lunch to hear our decision.
I see a notification was left by James, and it's an essay clearly written by chatgpt about how he is permanently scarred because I refused to go monster hunting.
Betrayal, trust issues, physiological fallout, even questioning how he found the energy to supposedly write all this with his newfound depression. Once I scroll to the end, it shows an image of a bear's rear and it has an arrow saying my name. Pain in the ass.
[b]Twelve hours later[/b]
We are all in the library, with plates of food on our laps. "I know right?" James says, responding to something Tyler said.
Tyler takes a quick bite of his phillicheese steak, before sipping his coffee. "You still going monster hunting?" I ask James.
James scoffs, before slouching. "Hell no, should've done it yesterday."
Tyler finishes his sandwich, and sets the plate on the coffee table. "I'll go for some hunting," He states, sipping from his mug.
After a beat of silence, I notice Liam staring at the floor, not eating. "Yo, you good?"
Liam shrugs, tapping his wine glass filled with water. "Yeah."
"What're you thinking about?"
"The deal."
James throws his hands up, looking confused. "It's a good deal! An amazing deal! Two billion acres for five hundred billion dollars of gold."
Liam shakes his head. "That's a lot of gold. You don't understand."
I sit there, putting my fork down. "So we gonna take it, right?"
Tyler exhales, looking to me and James. "He's not saying no, just not saying yes yet."
James swiftly takes a bite of his pasta, before setting it on the table. He looks to Liam before returning his gaze back to Tyler. "Why... Why wouldn't we? I mean, it's that much land, for a decent amount of our gold. I get it fucks some economy shit up or something but, it's worth it!" He says, leaning back in the couch.
Liam takes his leg off his other, taking a sip of the water. He swirls it in his cup, before looking to James. "Nobody offers that much unless they're doing something."
"Like?"
Liam stays silent, his brain clearly working overtime. "We should take it." James states.
"We should stall." Tyler says.
I stay silent, and Liam looks to me. The fireplace crackles, the sound growing more noticeable with each second of silence. "What do you think?"
Taking a moment to consider, I try to make up my mind. We would make so much money with all that land. Although, Liam does have a point. What are they trying to do here? They wouldn't be doing this if they didn't expect profit. "We should take it. Me and James agree."
With that, Liam nods. He stands up and sets his glass on the table. "Well then. I guess it's two to one... We'll take it, come to lunch at 12:30. Vladimir should be there." He then sits down, and we all get up. James walks out, same with Tyler. Before I walk out the door, I turn around.
"You gonna stay here?"
"Yeah, just gotta think of some things."
We all go to the hall, and Tyler waits for me. He hands me his vape, offering a quick puff. I take it, and softly inhale my lungs. Tyler watches me get thrown into a coughing fit, earning a laugh from him. "Haven't had a hit in a while, huh?"
"Yeah..." My voice cracks, still raspy.
We start walking down the hall, and Tyler puts the the vape pen in his pocket. "So you going hunting?"
"Yep, with Jason."
Tyler nods continuing to lead me somewhere. "Good, let's get some practice in. There's a balcony over there."
After a couple minutes of walking through the grand halls of the estate we reach a huge balcony overlooking the backyard of the estate. A shotgun, elephant rifle, and an odd looking rifle is on a table.
"What's this?" I ask, and Tyler picks the shotgun up. He carefully loads shells of buckshot into the loading tube, before pulling the pump back and forward. "We doing target practice?"
"Yeah," Tyler confirms, making sure the gun is on safety. "Guards!" He yells in a commanding voice, and they immediately stand at attention. "I want all of ya'll to leave, but get me and Landon here a Caesar salad."
The guards, all in suits, immediately comply and evacuate the area. Tyler yells a quick thank you before shouldering the shotgun. I fiddle with the rifle on the table, it looks new, never seen anything like it.
Tyler seems to sense that I'm about to ask a question. "That's a prototype made by black vale armaments. Thought it'd be cool to test."
Tyler hands me the rifle, tells me it's loaded, and asks for me to shoot at a tree down range. I unload 5 shots, but am quickly stopped by an explosion, and a metal piece flying backwards. I quickly drop the gun and Tyler stares at it.
"You good?" He asks, I nod.
The charging handle is now missing, and the Eotech sight is nowhere to be seen, Tyler carefully picks it up and unlatches the magazine. "Prototype failed... I guess." He says as he tosses the rifle from the balcony.
After a few minutes, he shoots the elephant rifle, the kick shoving his shoulder backwards. "Damn!" He exclaims, before he whistles and hands me it. "I was thinking about taking that hunting with us, and the Smoky Mountains."
Shouldering the rifle, I aim before I comprehend what he said. "You going to the Smokies?" I ask, a bit confused since I thought he'd wanna help with the details after the meeting.
"Yeah, haven't heard the news?" He asks, incredulously.
"No."
Tyler sighs, before leaning on the guardrail. "Well someone you sent took that compass to some testing facility, thought it'd be useful for them." Before I can get angry, he puts his hand wrapped in a dark winter glove near my face.
"They ran some tests, and the compass always points to the Blackstone. Or at least the nearest one. After some process of elimination they put it in a box made of some material that blocks the compass."
"Okay? So can we have the compass back?"
Tyler holds his hands up. "Hold on. They followed the compass and after a bit, it pointed right to the Smoky mountains... Close to some of our houses." He says, probably talking about the cabins we own. Mostly for vacations, but they're ours none the less.
Taking a breath, I set the rifle down on the table. "So a fragment is near our houses."
He nods. "Everyone else is coming, besides Liam. Didn't even ask him, he's gonna be busy with that deal."
"Ain't he gonna need some help though, it'd be best to help him a little."
Tyler shrugs, looking out the balcony. "You can help him, on a computer, virtually, or... in spirit I guess. Plus you missed getting the last two, don't you want something to do besides paperwork?"
He has a point... Gazing outside, I face the direction to the Smokies. The sprawling hills of North Carolina, as far as the eye can see. "You know what, I'll go."
He nods, before nudging me. A butler approaches us with a freshly cut Caesar salad on a shiny silver plate. "Just in time."
[b]30 minutes later[/b]
The dining hall felt different this time. Golden sunlight spilled through the towering windows above, pooling on the dining table like liquid gold. Vladimir was already seated when we entered. He sat midway down the table, posture straight, hands folded neatly in front of him. His suit was charcoal black today, sharper than last night, tie pulled tight against his collar.
Liam takes a seat, and we follow suit. He takes a sip of wine that was already placed on the table by a waiter. James leans back in his seat, ready to finish the deal and get started on the land.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Hutnik." I say, trying to start the conversation. My voice was slightly raspy, I attempt to remedy it with a glass of water.
"Gentlemen." He says politely, a smile on his face.
Liam looks to the ceiling. Five hundred billion in gold. "We've come to a decision, sir."
Vladimir nods, his eyes staring at us in anticipation.
"We've thought hard about this. And we do think this deal would be very beneficial to us both. With that said, we will take the deal."
Vladimir nods calmly. "We've reviewed your offer," Liam says, nudging James to read the paper in his hands.
"The territories listed — Kamchatka, Chukotka, Magadan, Khabarovsk, Amur, Sakhalin, Sakha, Irkutsk, and Subjects Fifty-Eight and Fifty-Nine." James repeats, before putting the paper down.
Liam nods, before a waiter approaches us. We take our orders, and Vladimir orders a steak. "So... The subjects listed will be subject under our jurisdiction after this deal, correct?"
"Correct."
"Then we accept your terms." Liam states with a voice of finality.
James leaned back in his chair, exhaling through his nose like he'd just won something. I kept my face neutral, though I felt that pulse in your chest when something massive tips forward and there's no pulling it back.
Vladimir grins. "Then it is settled." He pauses, setting his glass down. "However, I have a new proposition for you."
We go silent.
"Altus would like to form an alliance with Sylvatus. A treaty that will show we stand in good faith with you."
I nod, watching our food come out. "I don't see why not. Anything else?"
Vladimir nods. "If you all would like, we can keep our military in the territory for the next month. In order for you to move in and settle, and if anyone attacks, like Hiwassee, we will be the ones to defend."
With a nod, Liam confirms. He looks to us and We both nod. "After the month your forces would leave, correct?"
"Indeed. However, Ismael said he would like you to make me a regional manager in a territory that borders your border with Altus. To uphold our relationship."
"We'll have to think on that." James pipes up, Vladimir nods understandingly.
After we all get our plates, the tension feels relieved, albeit sightly. After a few moments of eating, we all sign a paper that finishes the deal. Vladimir pockets it, and raises his wine glass. "To a newfound relationship between two empires, that I hope will prosper." He says, all our glasses collide with a soft clink.
After we finish our meals, Vladimir is escorted to his room. James messages someone on his phone, and then we all leave the dining room. Tyler is leaning against a wall right in front of the doors, and he smiles when he sees us.
Before we can react, James yells a vulgar celebration, and Tyler chuckles. "I'm guessing it went good?"
"You could say that." I state, adjusting my suit.
"You got the land right?"
"Yep." Liam confirms, before taking a long exhale.
After twenty or so minutes of conversation, they all walk off, beside me and Tyler. "So... wanna go hunting?"
"Let me go get my stuff."
[b]30 minutes later[/b]
After gearing up, I am back in my black and red motocross gear. Exiting my bedroom, Tyler now has a 500 smith and Wesson on his belt instead of his usual 1911. "Jason's waiting for us outside."
We walk down the hallway, and make our way outside. A truck is sitting in front of the manor, and I can see Jason in the back. I sit in the passenger seat, and Tyler in the driver seat.
"What you bring?" I ask Jason. He responds by showing a standard twelve gauge shotgun, pump action.
Tyler puts the truck in drive, and begins to drive through a gravel road on the side of Biltmore. "Why aren't we going left?" Jason asks, looking out the window.
"We gotta go across the river. There's not a lot of forest this side of the river." Tyler says, just as we pass on a bridge. "How'd that deal go anyway?"
With a shrug, I turn to him. "I don't know really. It was great up until that guy said he wanted to be a regional manager. Some relationship thing."
"Like a partnership?"
"I guess... It's just politics, they're confusing."
Jason leans foward. "With all this land, does it mean I get a raise?"
"I can give you an extra dollar on Sunday."
Jason smirks. "You're too generous..."
We keep on the trail, the truck's tires producing a low rumbling sound against the gravel. The forest chirps with birds, wind making the trees flow sightly with the wind.
We slowly drive on a bridge, the creek bubbling below. Tyler looks down, but does a double take and parks the vehicle on the bridge. "See something?" Jason asks. Tyler nods quickly before opening his door.
Me and Jason hop out, and I take my Benilli M4 shotgun and pull the charging handle. Scanning the area, I don't see anything, but Tyler motions for me to get on the other side of the bridge.
Jason mutters something, and I walk beside them. Below the bridge, in the creek, there's two odd looking wooden statues.
"The fuck..." I whisper, and Tyler takes his revolver out.
"Haven't seen those in a while." Tyler says calmly. The statues stay still, not moving at all.
Jason looks away and snickers. "Guess the old owners of the estate were a bit weird."
I laugh and nod, but Tyler shakes his head. "No, those are monsters. We call em' Karths."
With a confused gaze, I stare at Tyler. "Really? Then why haven't I seen them before?"
"They're rare, and also they don't live in much places. I've never fought one before..." Tyler says, loading the gun in his hands, before putting the cylinder back in its place.
"Let's go get it then." Jason exclaims, and we make our way down there. The first to jump in the creek is me, and they follow suit. My motocross boots get damp, but my focus remains on these 'Karths'.
The creek is shallow, clear, and calm, with slow moving water flowing over a rocky bed. The water is pretty clean, I can see the smooth stones underneath.
The creek is surrounded by dense green trees and moss covered rocks. There's a darker rocky overhand or a cave of some sort behind the statues.
The mud sucks on the sole of my boot, slowing me down, but I hear another monster in the distance. It sounds like a Bolster, but we can get that one later.
We get close, almost close enough where I can touch one of them with the muzzle break. With a click of the trigger, I fire a shot off in one of them, but they stay completely still. Jason lowers his shotgun, and mutters something again.
The second statue rumbles to life, slowly stomping towards us. Me and Jason open fire on it, while Tyler shoots the one that isn't moving for some reason.
Both of them start to move, and Tyler and Jason fire at one while I keep firing at the one that moved first. My bullets don't seem to phase it, but I'm forced to take a couple slugs from my belt to load back into my shotgun.
Tyler backs up, the water vibrating around him from each step of the statue.
Tyler runs towards the truck, forcing me and Jason to keep shooting. Jason slips, falling into the water and the Karth towers over him, ready to deliver a blow. A bullet from me stops it, and Jason gets enough time to get up and reload. "Tyler!"
Before I can ask what he's doing, I feel something clamp around my arm. Rough, hard, like bark. I try to use my left arm to fire the shotgun, but only two shots connect and the rest go into the water.
The creek is shallow, clear, and calm, with slow moving water flowing over a rocky bed. The water is pretty clean, I can see the smooth stones underneath.
The creek is surrounded by dense green trees and moss covered rocks. There's a darker rocky overhand or a cave of some sort behind the statues.
The mud sucks on the sole of my boot, slowing me down, but I hear another monster in the distance. It sounds like a Bolster, but we can get that one later.
We get close, almost close enough where I can touch one of them with the muzzle break. With a click of the trigger, I fire a shot off in one of them, but they stay completely still. Jason lowers his shotgun, and mutters something again.
The second statue rumbles to life, slowly stomping towards us. Me and Jason open fire on it, while Tyler shoots the one that isn't moving for some reason.
Both of them start to move, and Tyler and Jason fire at one while I keep firing at the one that moved first. My bullets don't seem to phase it, but I'm forced to take a couple slugs from my belt to load back into my shotgun.
Tyler backs up, the water vibrating around him from each step of the statue.
Tyler runs towards the truck, forcing me and Jason to keep shooting. Jason slips, falling into the water and the Karth towers over him, ready to deliver a blow. A bullet from me stops it, and Jason gets enough time to get up and reload. "Tyler!"
Before I can ask what he's doing, the karth grabs my right arm. I try to use my left arm to fire the shotgun, but only two shots connect and the rest go into the water. The statue throws me twenty feet away, but my gear protects me from the force of the throw.
Water clings to my visor, blurring my vision. My back hurts, probably from my rifle stabbing my back on the fall. I sludge through the water, now disoriented, and grab my shotgun once more.
Tyler runs back down, a soaked handkerchief in his hand, and a lighter in the other. Jason gets backed into the creek wall, and slam fires his shotgun, but it's no use.
Jason hits the Karth with the end of his barrel, but loses his footing on a slippery rock below the water. He leans back on the creek wall for support, but the Karth is too close. It slams one of its arms against him and he is sent flying to the other side of the creek, where Tyler is. He lands in the water, grunting loudly.
The Karth lumbers towards him, but is stopped by Tyler lighting the handkerchief on fire, then throwing it at the statue. It's set ablaze, but it keeps walking, clearly not feeling any of it. Right before it can reach Jason, it crumbles apart, the wooden statue now black, the ash pieces falling into the creek.
I try to run out of the creek, and Tyler fires at the Karth chasing me with his revolver. Climbing up the creek wall, I stand up and start blasting with my shotgun. "Get Jason!" I yell, before snatching a grenade off Tyler's belt.
He senses what I'm about to do, and he drags Jason away as he groans. Pulling the pin, I toss it in front of the Karth. The explosive bounces on a rock before getting stuck on it.
I drop to the ground, and the explosion rings out. The Karth isn't there anymore, just fragments of it, a burnt smell lingering in the air, and the water making small circles from the impact.
Jason is left on the ground, his legs bent at unnatural angles, and he holds his ribcage. We both pick him up and carry him to the truck. We put him in the back, and Me and Tyler sit in the front. "You bleeding Jason?"
Jason gulps, before shaking his head. "Broken bones?" Tyler asks, Jason nods. Tyler starts the car, attempting to be gentle turning it around.
"Jesus Christ..." I mutter, wiping my visor off. "What the hell were those?"
"Karths." Tyler says.
"And what are Karths?"
"They're... like sentinels I guess." He says, looking in the rearview mirror. "They're like trees that learned to kill. They ain't got no chemical life, at least I think. What they do is when they kill people, they don't eat em', they just go back to being still and waiting for the next guy."
He's interrupted by a sigh from Jason. "They say they're made from loose dirt and sediment swilring around in ponds and creeks. Made from rotten carcasses, hollow logs, and forgotten remains. My gramps used to call 'em dryborn, it's the country way of saying it."
"I thought they didn't have them where you're from." I state, confused and concerned.
Tyler shakes his head. "Only saw them once, but heard a lot of stories about 'em. My dad used to talk about them a lot."
Water clings to my visor, blurring my vision. My back hurts, probably from my rifle stabbing my back on the fall. I sludge through the water, now disoriented, and grab my shotgun once more.
Tyler runs back down, a soaked handkerchief in his hand, and a lighter in the other. Jason gets backed into the creek wall, and slam fires his shotgun, but it's no use.
Jason hits the Karth with the end of his barrel, but loses his footing on a slippery rock below the water. He leans back on the creek wall for support, but the Karth is too close. It slams one of its arms against him and he is sent flying to the other side of the creek, where Tyler is. He lands in the water, grunting loudly.
The Karth lumbers towards him, but is stopped by Tyler lighting the handkerchief on fire, then throwing it at the statue. It's set ablaze, but it keeps walking, clearly not feeling any of it. Right before it can reach Jason, it crumbles apart, the wooden statue now black, the ash pieces falling into the creek.
I try to run out of the creek, and Tyler fires at the Karth chasing me with his revolver. Climbing up the creek wall, I stand up and start blasting with my shotgun. "Get Jason!" I yell, before snatching a grenade off Tyler's belt.
He senses what I'm about to do, and he drags Jason away as he groans. Pulling the pin, I toss it in front of the Karth. The explosive bounces on a rock before getting stuck on it.
I drop to the ground, and the explosion rings out. The Karth isn't there anymore, just fragments of it, a burnt smell lingering in the air, and the water making small circles from the impact.
Jason is left on the ground, his legs bent at unnatural angles, and he holds his ribcage. We both pick him up and carry him to the truck. We put him in the back, and Me and Tyler sit in the front. "You bleeding Jason?"
Jason gulps, before shaking his head. "Broken bones?" Tyler asks, Jason nods. Tyler starts the car, attempting to be gentle turning it around.
"Jesus Christ..." I mutter, wiping my visor off. "What the hell were those?"
"Karths." Tyler says.
"And what are Karths?"
"They're... like sentinels I guess." He says, looking in the rearview mirror. "They're like trees that learned to kill. They ain't got no chemical life, at least I think. What they do is when they kill people, they don't eat em', they just go back to being still and waiting for the next guy."
He's interrupted by a sigh from Jason. "They say they're made from loose dirt and sediment swilring around in ponds and creeks. Made from rotten carcasses, hollow logs, and forgotten remains. My gramps used to call 'em dryborn, it's the country way of saying it."
"I thought they didn't have them where you're from." I state, confused and concerned.
Tyler shakes his head. "Only saw them once, but heard a lot of stories about 'em. My dad used to talk about them a lot."