Ignited, page 3
That moment that suddenly distracted not just the beast, but everyone else, all eyes looked to the mountain above. Once the shock had passed, though the sounds of trees collapsing was still present, the folks on the south end of camp remembered the immediate threat.
Turning back to the lizard, the guards readied themselves. Only, it wasn’t there anymore. Whatever made that rampage that Niles signaled about, terrified the Lizard so much, it started molting on the spot from stress. Large clumps of dead skin clung to broken branches and rocks where it once stood poised to strike.
People muttered and chattered, panicked and confused. The creature in the north seemed to be tearing through the forest but instead of heading towards the camp, it was heading further east.
Three individuals looked around, piecing together the scrambled thoughts in their minds when they noticed the missing person. One of those people being Dom, who knew full well that his best friend kept an air horn in his bag. After all, they’ve used one to prank his dad back in highschool. The other two only having limited yet recent or memorable interactions with Niles furrowed their brows when it clicked in their heads.
The three of them dropped what they were doing and ran up. Ignoring the worried shouts and faces telling them to stop.
***
After many minutes following the carnage of the unknown monster, Dominic, Bruce and Nadia stood silent and amazed. There, in a crater at the end of a trail of fallen trees, was Niles. Battered, beaten and unconscious. Beside him was the body of a creature like the one he found in his backyard. Only this one was the size of a really fat, african elephant. Its skin was a dark red and its legs thicker than any of the local trees, no matter their age. But what was most stunning, was the fact that it was laid out, not a drop of blood, missing its gargantuan head.
Upon closer inspection, they realized Niles was still breathing. His clothes torn and his shoes so worn down that there are holes exposing his toes and heels. Covered in scratches and bruises, head to toe.
Bruce, after being given the okay from the others, took the bloodied young man in his arms and started bringing him back to camp. Meanwhile, Dominic and Nadia stayed to check out the monster corpse.
It was completely hollow. The opening where it’s throat should be had no sign of organs. The spine and ribs holding the meat together have the appearance of a fish after having the head chopped off by a monger. This being plain to see after the last few days of eating fish primarily.
The body was certainly bigger than an elephant. Leading them to reason that it was slowed by the trees getting in its way and why Niles survived as long as he did. But that didn’t give any of them an idea as to how it was dead and Niles isn’t, despite both resting in a decent sized crater of equally unknown origin.
Once a second group arrived, they began to inspect the remains as well, only to have it dissolve and sink into the earth without a trace with the slightest touch.
Answers could only be gleaned by the unconscious Niles. It would take four days for him to wake up. And in that span of time, every passing day would feel oddly quiet and peaceful, yet again.
Chapter 2.1:
Political Collapse
October 15th. Day of collapse.
All the world leaders had received a briefing from their respective intelligence agencies detailing strange phenomena happening globally. Electrical shortages, missing firearms, and even missing people. An urgent summons of the United Nations was called to respond and discuss these events.
Unfortunately for the world leaders who were on there way, they would witness the terror for themselves.
The ones flying from overseas met with air turbulence, systems malfunction and aerial combat. Not by other aircrafts, but rather by large winged beasts. They used their claws to tear through the hulls and the bigger ones simply ate smaller crafts whole. Those involved in this one sided attack assumed that they were targeted as food. But no.
They were simply interrupting a territory dispute between a Wyverns, and a godless abomination, a mix of tentacles, insect parts and unknown, fluid-like substance holding its various limbs in place.
By water, ships and casual cruise vessels capsized out of nowhere, leaving no time to abandon ship for most. Those who did manage however, fell victim to barnacle-covered blades, razor sharp fins and toxins the likes of which have never been dreamed of across all of history.
Traversing the land might have been a dream by comparison. Those lucky few only had to meet monsters and creatures from myths and legends like everyone else.
Only three attended the meeting that day. Two melted skeletons that used to be employees tasked with preparing the hall, and the acrid scented fiend that did them in, eating the slotted off flesh which remained at their feet.
In the span of a day and a half, all those considered Presidents, Monarchs, Dictators, even religious leaders like the Pope, all met their end. And with the world's military suddenly forced to fight without their modern weapons, planet Earth quickly became no different than a lawless world, where only the strong and lucky survived.
But why exactly was the summons held?
Certainly some electrical shortages are too insignificant. And the missing weaponry would bring most countries to a point of desperation in order to make more instead of seeking a global conference. So why? What could have been so important that every single leader would have to be summoned at such an unfortunate time?
The answer, sadly, is currently lost in the annals of history.
Chapter 2.2:
Run through the Hills
Niles’ dad was a brilliant survivalist. Having been taught by his father and by the Military, he once lived in the fjords of the Queen Elizabeth isles, in the North of Canada, for three years on his own. His only contact was an annual check in with a satellite phone. One could also say however, that he was a bit eccentric considering that was how he celebrated his leave of the armed forces.
When Niles was born into the LeClaire family, any thought of returning he once had leapt out the window. Overnight he was turned into a devoted father and husband. If only his wife had the same feeling. For some unknown reason, after being discharged from the hospital, she left in the middle of the night. No note. No goodbye. She simply left the newborn Niles and his father without a word.
Needless to say, this was a great shock to his dad, who fell into a deep depression and gave Niles to his father.
Grandpa LeClaire would give his support where he could, but that only lasted until he turned 4, when grandpa passed away from lung cancer, following His deceased wife of 40 years. From then on, Niles’ dad, having his heart stomped on and forced back into reality with the passing of his last living relative, beat himself up and changed for his son. The only hope he had left.
He taught him how to hunt, fish, garden and forage. How to preserve food and even gave him basic combat training when he was in highschool to make sure he wasn’t getting too complacent or spoiled.
Niles thought nothing of it. It was his dad’s way of showing love. Nothing more. He was happy and content with everything he’d been taught. Growing a passion for wildlife and forestry in the process. After high school, Niles worked for a few years to save up money so that he could afford an apartment close to school.
Six months before Niles was accepted into college and got his scholarship, his dad passed away. The cause was lung cancer, just like grandpa LeClaire.
In his last moments, he told Niles how proud he was, and how much confidence he had in him taking on the world on his own. He left their house to his son in his will, along with his savings, enough to last through his time in school.
That was a major turning point for Niles. He’d only speak with his friends on special occasions, focusing on finding a good apartment and school for his preferred path. Of course, his reclusiveness didn’t stop the Fairbanks, who had been like a second family to him growing up, from showing up at his door to give him gifts and forcing him out for fishing or hunting trips.
So, why is all this relevant? Simple. Niles might die in a few seconds.
Going back a bit. Niles left the camp to the north. Aiming to find the source of a loud snap. To him, the best case scenario would be a bear or a moose. Bears may be territorial, but the ones in this area are black bears. Meaning that they can be pretty skittish and with the air horn in his hand, he could easily scare it.
Moose on the other hand are walking tanks. They are merciless when threatened, but so long as you stay clear of their path and try to not spook them, your chances of coming out alive are a fair bit higher.
In both cases, the animals wouldn’t even think of charging into a camp of people unless absolutely desperate for food or if something even more frightening were chasing them.
Just a couple minutes from camp, he found the source of the snap. A thin birch had tipped over. Standing on the trunk was a monster nearly the size of a house. Its posture and shape instantly brought back memories from a few days prior. The creature had its back turned this time too. Unlike the smaller one though, this one wasn’t eating a tree. Blood and viscera painted the beautiful white bark red, black and brown. The birch was only colateral. The one ton buck it slowly chewed through, the real prize.
A moose that size could easily stop a heavy duty pickup truck and walk away without a scratch. But this one is missing its front half and is being slurped like pasta by something that makes a tank look as frail as a paper boat.
Frozen in fear, Niles could do nothing but watch. A couple minutes felt like hours, and the ‘snack’ was gone.
It turned towards Niles, letting him see this monstrosity face to face. Two beady black eyes nestled at the top of its head. No visible mouth, though it certainly has one, there could be no doubt. Skin colored like the crimson horizon at sunset, wrapping the figure like a natural leather jacket.
Niles couldn’t move. For the first time in his life, he couldn’t think. If this thing wanted to eat him, it could without issue. And yet, it didn’t. It simply started to stroll past him, down the mountain. Seeing his life meaning nothing in comparison to the many more at the clearing, the young man bit his cheek, filling his mouth with that ever familiar metallic taste.
“There’s no way I’ll let it be that easy for you!” He shouted, pulling out the airhorn and turning to cut off the monster.
With his eyes adjusted to the night pretty well, he scanned its head for anything resembling ears. Small flaps near the neck bearing resemblance to hippo ears seemed like prime targets. He ran up and used all his strength to push down the trigger, releasing an incredibly loud high pitched noise compared to the size of the pocket air horn. The ringing stopped the behemoth in its tracks.
The tip of the head expanded, revealing a mouth full of teeth. Rows and rows of finger length daggers made of bone, shaped for the purpose of cutting and pulling food down a black hole-like gullet.
A roar so powerful, it blew Niles several feet, without even being aimed at him. All the trees and foliage in front of it got uprooted. Piling up into a wall of destruction. Barely picking himself up, Niles started running. Hoping that all the noise would have everyone evacuate. Anything would be better than this thing eating them in his mind. Unfortunately, he was getting chased. The sound of branches and more trees falling behind him, he didn’t need to look back.
“Fuuuuu-! Shit! Balls! Guess I’ve gotta distract it for a bit longer. Maybe I'll do my best to give it indigestion?” He reasoned to himself. He didn’t want to die, but there wasn’t much in the way of options in that situation.
The two ran, Niles tripping and stumbling. Narrowly avoiding its expanded jaws biting at him. Eventually, they made it past the second pond to the east, a fair distance from camp. Exhausted and covered in wounds, including a nasty cut from a rock on his back from falling a bit down hill, Niles felt it time to give in to fate. He jumped to the side, treating the monster like a bull and he the matador. Every little bit of time he could waste, the better. After a few passes, they cleared most of the trees in that spot, and Niles could stand any more.
Both out of breath. Both tired, thirsty, and hungry. But Niles, he was done fighting, and the monster knew that. It trudged over, slowly opening its maw in a crescent shape, ready to grab and devour the tiny human who caused it so much pain and grievance. He stared into the black abyss beyond teeth, unable to see any sign of flesh further down.
After all that running, he could see his own breath. Even in the middle of fall, it was as visible as the dead of winter. He smiled. “Sorry dad. I think I did better than most would have thanks to you. But I guess even that wasn’t enough.” The jaws completely surround him on both sides, still moving ever so slowly. “Dom, take care of everyone. Even if you look like just some lanky metalhead sometimes, you're the smartest guy for miles, I guarantee you’ll do great things.” They began to close on him. His head became hazy and his vision blurred, tears pouring down his face. “Dammit! If anything... I kinda wanted to become a dad as good as you or grandpa before I had to go to see you.”
With that last regret out in the air, he blacked out. Waking up to see a fire beside him, a pile of dry wood, and a couple kids sitting on the other side.
Gasping, the kids shouted, “He’s awake! He’s awake!”
Through cracked lips and unbearably dazed, Niles couldn’t help but ask. “Am I... alive?”
Chapter 3:
Mysterious Aid, Accidental Discovery
Yet another windless day as Niles woke up from his anemic coma. Small people surrounded him. Two were around four or five while the other three were more like ten or eleven. They barrate him with questions until an adult finally stepped in, noticing his open eyes.
This was the seventh day after the collapse. Much work had been done on the encampment. Dirt and trees now encompassed the small haven. A number of people wholly unfamiliar to him stood watch as more and more of the people he’s been with arrive to make sure he’s okay. One of those people, of course, being Dominic. Seeing his best friend finally wake up, he pushed through the crowd. The rest of the Fairbanks followed closely behind with Bruce and his girlfriend, and Nadia in the rear.
“How you feeling?” Réal asked.
“Could really use a drink right about now.” He forced in response. Seeing someone go through his belongings for his canteen, he decided to break a bit of the tension in the air. “Make it a stiff one please, Miss Bartender.”
A couple of folks laughed, others simply smiled and shook their heads.
They let him drink and get a bit of strength, sitting him up against his bag and a log. The group dissipated, returning to the daily routine. Eventually, after settling down and Niles being more conscious of his surrounding, they got down to brass tax.
“What happened out there?” Nadia jumps it. “And how the hell did you kill it?”
“Kill? Me? Wait. First tell me what you all saw.” He inquired before getting a detailed explanation from the three individuals who showed up first. Bruce mentioned how he carried him back. Nadia and Dominic describe the state of the monster’s corpse. Denise and Réal went on to talk about how the body dissolved when someone from the second group touched it. Turning into a mush which quickly sank into the ground, completely unretrievable.
“Wow. Last thing I remember was running for my life. Grinning through that sharp pain in my back, dodging that thing by the skin of my teeth until I was too tired to move. Then... I should’ve been eaten after that.” The circle of friends listened quietly.
“Pain in your back?” asked Danica.
“I must have landed on a rock or something one of those times I fell over. It was burning and itchy.”
“You didn’t have any kind of cut or gash on your back though.” noted Denise. “I remember clearly, me and another mother were the ones patching you up. You only had wounds on your arms, legs and head.”
“I’m just saying what I remembered. At any rate, I didn’t kill that thing.” Niles admitted, shaking like a leaf. “To be honest, I still feel like I might just be dead, this being the afterlife’s way of giving me a good send off.”
“It’s not!” Shouted Danica, shocking Niles since this is the first time he’s ever heard her yell at him.
“She’s right. You’re alive. Somehow, you really are.” Bruce confirmed. Patting the younger man’s back. A few words exchanged hoping for Nile’s recovery to be swift, he then walked off with his girlfriend to do their own jobs involving fishing and guard duty.
“I meant to ask earlier, but, isn’t there a lot more people here then I remember? Or am I still screwy from this headache?”
“They came from the Sault.” Denise explained. “Apparently all hell broke loose down there far worse than here. There’s about twenty-three who managed to escape the chaos on the first day.”
“So they came here for safety?”
“Not exactly. They were running from a pack of monsters, only escaping them after hiking through the woods nonstop for three days straight in random directions.” Dom interjected. “The specifics are unclear, but from what I could tell they traveled in a circle around wawa for a bit and discovered us by accident.”
“Geez. Well, I’m glad they’re okay. Having more hands is going to help with general labor like patrolling and stuff, but doesn’t that mean food is also going to be an issue?”
The group fell silent again. Food can be gotten through trapping and fishing. But without guns, the only hunting weapon available is Niles’ bow. It would be too dangerous for them to go out in a small hunting party too.
“Listen, for now, you just need to rest up. Dom and Danica will stay close by so call them out if you need anything.” Réal notes in a very fatherly way. His two kids nod as everyone left Niles to recover.
The sound of axes chopping firewood and shovels breaking ground causes the young man to look all around as best he can. Inspecting from his vantage point what seemed to be going on.
