The Lost Future

Another chapter.

     I opened my eyes and sat up, I was on the ground the rays of sunlight shining through the burning holes in the tent. I pushed my way to my feet and looked around, chaos, complete and utter chaos, bodies lay broken and bloody, soldiers ran around me, avoiding me still in the chaos. I could see soldiers writing in pain, but couldn't hear anything, I ran my hand over my ear and looked at it, blood filled my palm. I made sure no one saw me and laid back down under the tent and closed my eyes.

     Turn.

     The sound of chaos filled the air and I stopped myself from ripping through the fabric. I closed my eyes and visualized the camp, and saw the chaos unfold. I opened my eyes and saw a few approaching.

     Return.

     I pulled my way out of the tent and saw enemy soldiers back away, staring at me. I saw them start to raise their guns and I jumped at them, I tore ones arm off and crushed another's throat with it, I grabbed a fallne gun and fired into the skull of the remaining one. I dropped it on the ground and looked down at my hands, I saw small wisps of smoke flowing from a closing hole. I held my arm still and pushed my fingers into the hole and pulled out the bullet and threw it away. I closed my eyes and visualize the camp and found the generals. I opened my eyes and walked towards them. I stayed behind a tent a few feet away until my wounds stopped smoking.

     "You will surrender, you are no match for us, surrender and your troops live, at least unless they're responsible for any mass crimes."

     I peeked around the corner and saw a man standing in front of the generals, all on their knees. the head general nodded and swallowed hard and nodded again.

     "I think I'm a match."

     I walked into the clearing, the man stared at me and stared at the tears in my clothes.

     "Healing...how?"

     "Don't-" the head general started.

     The man slapped him across his face, he stayed silent.

     "Answer."

     "A challenge of the greatest stakes, our heard for yours...loyalty, for loyalty, or death, in my case."

     "Your of the kind?"

     "Not of yours, not of your creed, but of the species yes."

     "Ah...wound healing...resurrection perhaps?"

     "Not for others...for myself, yes...I've lived millions of lives, as long as even a fragment of bone survives I make my way back to life."

     "Impressive...millions...ah, you're the one who destroyed one of my creeds."

     "If you wish to be a coward, then by all means, sacrifice control of a creed or two, and leave, then I'll leave you alone, till battlefield alone."

     "Coward...no...you indulge in the plain's pleasures...why?"

     "Of all lives...the one I lived before this night, was the most filled with regret, nightmares plagued me, but now, as a new man, the last of my creed, the final of my species, I am ready to face you, and the consequences of the actions of tonight...leave them out of this...and I will leave the soldiers behind me with limbs."

     The man waved and I felt the soldiers lower their guns.

     "Go...I will give you the advantage."

     I stared at the head general, he shook his head and started to speak, I shook my head and closed my eyes.

     Release, full, and utter.

     I opened my eyes under my full strength, I felt my body shift, my bones broke and rearranged themselves to compensate. I stared at the man throughout. I stared down at my hand, fur covered and white as bone, I stared at it, tilting my head and staring at it. I roared at the man, and nodded, holding the beast back. The generals, no more than annoyingly beating vibrations got up and ran to the side, away from us. I stepped forwards as the man completed the turn. His deep cyan fur contrasted mine, he stared at himself and nodded.

     We circled each other, still walking as man does, I was the first to shift to natural state, I licked my fangs and let the hot breath fill the air, releasing steam into the air. He continued his fallen instinct, but eventually joined me and breathed out a breath and we stopped, letting the steam fade and waiting for the first move. A bullet bounced off my fur and flew away into the air, a minor annoyance, a small itch alone. 

     I jumped back and flung myself at him, he jumped away and tried landing on me, I rolled away from him and managed to slash him across his belly. I stared down and saw a small slash across mine. He stared at the wound and roared, he charged me. I jumped over him and grabbed onto his back and slammed my weight into him, I bit deep into his neck, he struggled underneath me and then became still. I let go and jumped away. Steam filled the air, I breathed deeply and blew the steam away. He lay there, his spine was exposed and smoking, he managed to sit, he stared at me. I howled and stood on two legs and painfully made my way back to my humanoid form. I stared over at him, he looked over at me. I looked down and saw the smoke vanishing from the healed wound.

     "I win this fight."

     "Yes...yes you do...you spared my life...why?"

     "The creed I won won't blindly follow me, you'll order them to leave you, and join my command."

     "If your people will allow my life, and freedom...yes."

     "Done."

     "You have no authority here." a general said.

     I stared over at him and he shrank away. The head general nodded.

     "Leave...with your soldiers...you've lost the fight today."

     He nodded and got to his feet and limped away, soldier after soldier followed him away. I stared over at the head general and smiled.

     "The creed, if you intent to dissect them I'll warn them and order them to stay away from the war, else they'll be a good asset, if I'm not shot."

     "You'll...you said you died...didn't you?"

     "I did...I won't be plagued by nightmares of the past anymore...didn't happen to me, doesn't matter much to me."

     "You don't regret it?"

     "Remorse is little concern to an immortal...besides, your people don't have the ability to destroy me fully."

     "Is that a threat?"

     "Are you going to shoot me in the head...like the first time?"

     "No...you and...you and your creed will...just stay outside camp...guard, don't kill us."

     "I won't allow it."

     "You have to shoot it!" a general yelled.

     "If I shoot him-"

     A bullet entered and passed through my shoulder, my arm hung limp, useless. I stared up at the general and he dropped the gun after a glare, he backed away and fell into the tent.

     "I'll be outside the camp...to greet my creed."

     "Will you...you know?"

     "Not yet...till I know my fate...we'll be in the woods nearby...near the creek...next to the creek even...come to the edge of the forest and I'll emerge."

     "Do you forgive the general?"

     I stared over at him and stared at my arm, smoke pouring from the wound.

     "I forgive you for your transgression against me and my creed."

     He shrugged. I smiled and laughed, relaxing fully.

     "That means my creed doesn't have a reason to slowly tear you apart anymore...goodbye...generals."

     The head general nodded, I nodded at him and smiled, breathing in the air and walking out towards the outskirts of the camp.

Author's Note

Any suggestions or questions are appreciated, just editing with spell check, and a quick reread, expect errors, still slightly drunk.