The Culling (Side Story)

[Indigo]

Indigo clicked in firm steps towards what was unveiled with the name of “Lady.” With the expression on his face and that certain sparkle in his eyes there was no question...of course she was. It sent a little ripple of envy through her where she least expected it.Unsure why other than she felt she was stepping into some arena where she was sharing time with some sort of competition. How odd was that given the time and the tasks at hand. Her hands locked at the fingers around the cabin door frame once it was opened by Mr. Marshall for entry. The scent of what was there before the door opened, perhaps from times not so recent, rolled towards her in greeting. A limited sense of welcome encouraged her steps following him downward disappearing below the deck they didn’t waste time on to admire the view.

“Mmmm...this is looking pretty cozy.” She commented with a lingering pur at the end. It was impressive. “Guess I know where your hiding if you can’t be found. She is sweet.”

Her fingertips caressed one of the inviting chairs as she passed it by. If it could glove her body and cradle her long legs she would have to find out later. For now there was the agenda of playing Transporter in a backasswards sort of way. One thing was certain no matter the outcome. Crash was not going to get to forget this mission for a long time if she had anything to say about it.

“Show me what you got and I will see if I can handle it.”

As she was known for, her slow long steps had her moving through the cabin as if she been there a million times before. Like a exotic feline readying herself for the hunt she felt the confidence surging through her. In reality it most likely was brought on by the conviction that there was no other option but to get the guns and get going without fail.

“Smaller the better. I rather not go in like Rambo but more like holding the answer to worldly destruction in the palm of my hand.”

She shot a look towards Enver and where he was going through the motions of pulling out what he had to offer. She felt a shock of unexpected heat at the nape of her neck and it ultimately slithered down her back. Was she feeling some sense of power in the danger ahead or was this doing something to her, catching her in a moment where she was influenced by Enver’s power he applied? Whatever it was she was prepared to take full advantage of it and anything else she possibly could to have the night turn out in all of their good favor. Anything else was not about to be entertained.

“I will return whatever is left of what you give me once we get our hands on him and bring him back safely.” She felt the itch of her slower than a snails pace healing and reached back. Her hand rubbed just below the wound then returned in front of her. “You got Grace covered for the night?” Of course she was concerned and expected he had.

[Adley Reed]

Adley was no tracker, but even the daftest of trekkers could have caught the unmistakable whiff of ****. Fresh **** – or fresh enough for the sensitive vampiric nose. After he’d left Indigo and Enver, Adley had wiped as much of the Eucalyptus from beneath his nose as he could. He wouldn’t be able to track by scent at all with the pungent scent hindering him. Now all he could smell was the earthy woods and … well, ****.

Aside from the broken twigs and crushed undergrowth, Adley soon found a pair of jeans, out of place in this heavy part of the wilderness. How deep had he already come? How long was the trail of death behind him? How long would it take for the trees to recover and grow back, or would there always remain a path burnt where the vampire had been? There were more reasons than one why Adley Reed thought it best to stick to the cement jungle of the city streets.

Adley gingerly picked up the jeans and rifled through its pockets, a quiet urgh caught in his throat as his fingers brushed over a chunk of faeces. There was something in one of the pockets, and soon Adley retrieved a phone. Swiping it open, Adley was sure he would find nothing of use given most people protected their phones with a pin these days. However, the lock screen showed a picture of Crash, doing lord knew what. But it certainly looked like the tweaker Enver had previously shown Adley.

He was on the right track.

It wasn’t so hard to follow the scent of the guy, now. It drifted on the wind but continued to linger, and he must have lived up to his name. Crash. Like Crash Bandicoot, leaving a trail of destruction wherever he went. Was he alone? Could one man have done this much damage to the undergrowth? If Adley were a world-class tracker he might have been able to pick out the two sets of prints. But Adley was not a tracker, and he had only assumptions and guesses to work with.

And then he heard it. Shouts, followed by howls. The howls were inhuman. They were not human. They were something else entirely, and if there’d been any blood to drain from the Necromancer’s face, it would be gone. If this howl belonged not to the fae, so much for ‘myths’. If the Wendigo were real and Crash was out there tangled up with them, them, not just one – Adley clenched his teeth and tightened his grip on his sword.

No, **** it. He’d been in the catacombs and dealt with Mooncalves before. He’d killed vampires in the sewers and survived an alpha fadebeast attack. He hadn’t come out unscathed and he hadn’t won, of course, but he had survived. Could these things really be worse? With this in mind he surged forward, all the time wondering why the hell he was putting himself in danger for this fuckwit. A reasonable voice told him he should wait for Indigo and Enver. But the sounds up ahead didn’t sound good, and what if they were too late?

[Enver Marshall II]

Crash: There was a cool breeze against his bare skin that brought Crash back to his senses as he looked down at the ground that was moving. Moving. The ground was moving. How the **** was the ground moving?! He realized too little too late that his *** was high in the air, a second pale moon in the air above someone’s or...something’s shoulders. Who, and what the fuckwas it?! Crash craned his neck to see square shoulders and a very human person carrying him over their left shoulder, leading him further into the woods.

His second thought and glance was to Skid Mark. Where the hell did that guy go? He looked to his left and then to his right, not seeing the guy anywhere. Not in front of him, not to his sides...did he leave him high and dry? Not that he could blame the guy, he had evidence of Crash’s dinner on his lower extremity but Crash wondered if he was alive, or if he was dead. And what the hell was that thing he saw? What the hell was in that little bag his friend gave him? This was a trip he wasn’t enjoying the ride of and would demand his money back. Some of it. Probably not any of it, but Crash was pretty pissed off that he was lost, being held hostage more or less, and had **** dried on his *** and leg. What a ******* night.

Davion: “Seriously we got to get our **** together or we are truly fucked,man.”

Davion was feeling the weight of what was becoming cumbersome to carry holding him down a little more with each new step he took. His boots slipped over the damp spots of soft earth and more than once he had to shift the **** bag on his shoulder to ease the attempt for another step. How did they ever get to this point and of all things...together. He was half tempted to drop what was holding him back and get on with confronting whatever had driven him to the insanity of hiking into a dark forest.

“No offense but this isn’t the marines.” He released the left hand fixed on the warm sweat glazed legs dangling in front of his chest. It was the only cue Crash was going to get that the free ride was over. “I didn’t sign up for this call of duty. I got my own demons to deal with and if you want to tag along then…”

That was the last words he got out before he felt the razor sharp glide of something ride up his back and rip what he thought was Crash on his shoulder. In a blinding spin and flip of his own body he caught a visual of the stars in the night sky, something bright and then the crushing blow of his chest sinking into the ground. It wasn’t half as soft and forgiving as he first assumed.

[Indigo]

Davion: “What the…” Next thing he knew he was airborne and flying into a tree. Over several branches and painfully between where there was literally no space for him he managed to come out the other side and land with an excruciating thud. “Holy ****!”

He wheezed and bolted upright to his feet out of sheer shock. Davion wasn’t waiting around to find out what the hell was tossing him around like a frisbee. His long legs took to running like he had at least three cars with flashing lights chasing his *** down.

Crash: Where was Skid Mark? Crash couldn’t see the guy anywhere. Or hear him. He left him...again! The fur of the monster that had him imprisoned irritated his thighs and calves, Crash flailing his legs against the creature. “You’re not my type, *****.” Crash said as he he tried to shove his way off the large monster. “I draw the line at beastiality.” He said with a solid kick into the large muscle mass, sending himself flying off the thing. He landed, on his ***, for the third time tonight, twigs, rocks and even pebbles chaffing his *** when he landed on the ground. “OWWWWW!” He cried out, realizing too little too late, that he should never have his *** hanging out for too long.

A voice, off in the distant, from behind the beast that was coming for him again. Crash crawled away in horror movie fashion, zig zagging around as the guy looked for a place to hide. ****! The trees were as bare as his *** (sans ****), and there was nothing else around him that he could see. Nothing like a cave, a house...he was so screwed. He got up and and started to make a runner for it, but not before screaming to the unrecognizable voice (words missed), “FIND ME! ANYONE!” Tree branches snapped against his thighs, a sapling slapped his boys as he ran over it, Crash yelping in pain as both hands found them and covered them, the thrall hobbling along as steps charged after him. He probably should have been more subtle.

Davion: Could anything be worse than this? The huffing and puffing of his chest and open lips were loud and clearly all the signs needed for anyone to hear him coming through the heavily wooded area. Like a locomotive way off it’s course he found the energy he needed fueled by pure fear gaining on him each time he thought of giving in to the burn in his muscles trying to freeze up and make him stop.

“Where are you?”

He breathed out the question on his mind and felt the sharp slice of thorns ripping at the material on his fast moving legs. He jumped over a bush barrier and rolled into a thicket of dense hard branches. Popping back up and spitting out the sour remnants of what was likely not meant to be edible he discovered the noise of Crash nearby.

“A-N-S-W-E-R M-E M-O-T-H-E-R F-U-C-K-E-R!”

Davion screamed until he felt the fractured ribs in his side poke into the flesh barely covering their pieces. It was then that he felt like he had been slapped into another realm with a force so hard he swore he lost all his teeth. He knew then and there. He was going to die tonight. No question about it.

[Adley Reed]

Adley felt like he was stepping into a warzone. One second he was enveloped by the wilderness, noises muffled and seemingly safe. Next, he could hear everyone loud as day. Someone shouting to be found, another answering and hollering for a reply. It was the latter that Adley stumbled onto – another man, not crash, someone different. Adley stumbled to a halting stop at the edge of the action, a creature not unlike those that Enver had been researching earlier knocked the stranger back, sending him flying. Adley flinched. That had to have hurt, especially if the other male was human. Humans were frail and breakable, unlike their supercharged cousins – the vampires were like cockroaches. Cut off their heads and they were still liable to survive, depending on how quick you were at getting that head back in place.

Maybe not, but limbs could be lost, at the very least. Organs could be spilling from one’s guts but a week later he’ll be good as new again. Humans? Not so much. If organs spilled from that hot human body, chances were he’d be dead in minutes.

It wasn’t Adley’s job to save a stranger. It was Adley’s job to find Crash, and to keep Indigo out of danger. That wasn’t going to happen, was it? Things just got a hell of a lot more complicated, and Adley wasn’t sure whether he should be stumbling into whatever mess these guys had gotten themselves into. There was no point putting an unnecessary target on his back. He ducked behind a tree and fished his phone from his pocket. A quick message was sent to Indigo, assuming Enver would get it via Indigo.

I found something. Wendigos real. Maybe stay away.

The text was sent and Adley, resisting the urge to turn tail and leave, instead turned back to the action. Beyond anything else, he was actually rather curious, too. Maybe he could just watch from a distance? When he turned back around, however, he was faced with an ugly countenance. He’d been seen, or heard. Or maybe it was the halo of dead foliage spreading out from where he stood that had slowly given him away. With a shout, Adley leapt backwards, sword arching through the air. It made no impact.

The creature lunged after Adley, who dropped and rolled into a clearing. The fallen body of the stranger was nearby, and it was to him that Adley went. He didn’t touch the guy – to touch him would only further his trip to death’s hallowed halls.

”Hey,” he said, breathing hard.

”Hey, know a guy called Crash?” he asked, but it wasn’t as if he could wait around for an answer. The Wendigo was swiftly coming after its vampire prey, focusing on what it hated the most. A vampire, in its territory! It almost looked angry, but how could Adley tell? The thing was almost beautiful in its grotesqueness, but any urge to hang around and admire the thing’s features was halted. Not a good idea, Adley.

Without meaning to be a hero, Adley led the creature away from the fallen human and bounded through the undergrowth. He could hear the thing snapping at his heels – but he could also hear shouting up ahead, something else, with someone else. Crash.

[Enver Marshall II]

Hiding. Did Enver do that anymore? It seemed almost impossible, given he had thrusted himself from has been actor, to being in the limelight for the last few months due to his decision to 'come out' as a vampire by making a book and then working towards producing a movie with his long time and only Hollywood friend. “If I was on her, you wouldn't find me. We'd be out to sea...or river.” Enver corrected himself as he moved to one of two work spaces in the boat that sold all things nautical, while on occasion, he tinkered with some metal to make guns, or swords. The other space was for Megan, one of his newest hirees at 'Great Sails,' and who probably spent the most time here outside of him.

“Not worried about it.” Enver said in reply to Indigo giving back what she used. “I can make others. Probably different and better than what is on this boat.” He said with a sidelong grin, before opening the crafting bench drawers and pulling out a small handgun for Indigo and then one for him. This is a Smith and Wesson. Pulled the parts from a variety of guns like it, sometime last year. It's a 9mm. Not much of a kick to it, especially for us vampires. Holds seven rounds.” He stated as he showed her how to load it, while going on. “It's pretty concealable since it's tiny, so make sure you make your shots count with this girl. She's tiny, but can do some damage if you hit the right places. Where those places are on a wendigo...” He trailed off with a shrug, not really knowing. “Go for the head. Everything dies if you hit it a couple times.” He chuckled, then pulled out some 9mm bullets. “Don't squeeze it like you would the neck of your enemy. Just hold it, give it a little pressure and she'll be at your beck and call.” He said, putting two handfuls of 9mm bullets on the counter. Enver looked on his display walls and grabbed a nylon portable first aid kit. He unzipped it, dumped everything out of it and then put her bullets in the bag, before zipping it up. “Made them myself. They'll do the job.” Enver assured her, as he handed Indigo the bag for her to take.

Once the tan colored bag was out of his hands, he once again grabbed another bag, just like hers, in the color of rustic orange and emptied it. He grabbed a handful of bullets for his gun; a 10 mm that Enver had also made—one of his earlier ones that had only had three-fourth's the quality Indigo's had and dropped them in there. He was a good aim, even with a poor gun, having spent some time training with both his vampire ex-wives. The gun was tucked in the back of his waist, and covered with his shirt and suit coat, before he looked at Miss Knight. “Got anywhere to put that thing...or?” The Allurist asked, as he grabbed his bag of bullets and tossed the strap around his shoulders. A nod towards the door indicated he was ready to go once she was sorted, Enver setting his fedora on the counter, not wanting it to get ruined tonight-or any night, if he were honest.

[Indigo]

The bag was slung over her shoulder like any worthy accessory while her hand fished around inside retrieving the bullets. While the cool stainless steel of the gun rested against the palm of her left hand her right went to work with pulling the magazine with a click and release. It would appear as if she had performed the routine of weapon handling as much as she did art supplies and setting up the studio for the nightly open art sessions.

Quickly and without missing a beat her long fingers fed the bullets in tightening the resistance on the spring within responsible for keeping them lined up and ready. There was no need to second guess what she was doing. Using the fast guiding thrust of the heel of her opposite hand the magazine was sliding into place. Her fingers curled once around the grip while her wrist rotated just enough that she could eye the positioning of her hand with the weapon while taking a few seconds to aim for comfort. The muzzle was pointed to the opposite wall of where her boss was standing and she was as good as gold with what she had to work with. If fit like a glove.

“This will do just fine.” She confirmed as made her way towards the door he made a point of nodding to. The weapon slid into the medium inside pocket at her right hip and she was on her way up the stairs leading to the deck. “If I run out of ammo I will pull out whatever I have in my other bag of tricks make it work.”

Once outside she gave another glance to the sky above her while Enver did whatever it was a boat owner does to secure their investment from being burglarized or worse in their absence. The sounds of his footsteps on the same deck as her own signaled they were on their and that much closer to rejoining Adley. Hopefully he was in one piece and making some headway in getting closer to locating the rather troubling bewitched human gone bullistic.

“I know this isn’t exactly what any of us had in mind to do tonight.”

She felt the spring air flowing through the cloud of curls topping her head lifting them randomly with the rhythm of her steps. Her search for Davion was put on hold but with the gains she made she believed she was closer than ever to finally locating him. In what shape was the only thing that still weighed heavily in her thoughts. It boiled down to if he would even be salvageable. Or had the streets and prison taken more of him than was worth the effort in finding?

“For what it is worth I appreciate your response in dealing with him. I know the last thing you need is the trouble he can bring when he is out of his mind.” She glanced to her boss and then focused on their path ahead that had him leading the way.

The movement of the fast pace in which they maintained was accompanied by the chorus of clicks from her out of place shoes. They were hardly ideal for the ground cover that would be welcoming them to soft ground that would replace the concrete jungle they were currently hiking though but she would adapt. She could always ditch the shoes and replace them later. Shopping was great therapy after a hard day's night. Nothing about what they were walking into sounded like it was going to be a tip toe through the tulips. She didn't have that kind of luck. Hopefully her employer did.

[Enver Marshall II]

Enver hadn't answered Indigo about Grace, because while she was with her nanny, he had hoped this wouldn't take longer than her scheduled shift. But...what if it had? As he started leaving, he grabbed his phone and sent a text to the woman that felt like an extended member of his family, being she worked for him for just around a year now and he notice the bond between Grace and the Hispanic woman almost instantly. Then again, what girl didn't crave the attention of a mother figure, over a father figure at this age? Sure, Enver got a lot of the now four year old's attention, but at a young age, Enver remembered how he tried to please his old man, until Enver was old enough to realize he could never manage that, and started carrying the 'screw you' attitude.

Might be late. Work stuff. I'll pay you triple if that happens if you stay with Grace until I get back. Please. With that hopefully taken care of, Enver pocketed his phone once again and then looked to Miss Knight. he had noticed the way she handled the gun and had it surprised him? Damn right it had. He hadn't said anything because Grace and her well being had been on his mind, but now..."You're familiar with a gun." He stated, glancing at her while they walked off the boat. "Learn something new every day." Enver phrased, thinking back to a saying his mother used to say whenever he came home from school and shared with her the things he learned about. How cold the response was, now that he thought about it. Almost condescending. Not that he could blame her. She had been the victim to her own drug-booze. Enver had watched her sipping 'mommy juice,' every day since he was about eight years old; needing it due to his dick of an old man. Why did she stay with him? Was it pride, or was it the money? He shook his head, knowing damn well what it was. He took after his mom a lot; pride it was. She had come from a pretty influential family before she married his old man, so she could have left. But, reputation was everything to her. Only on death's door did the woman toss caution to the wind and come clean with a lot of **** in regards to the Marshall family.

"Grace is fine." He assured Indigo, before his strides picked up in speed and length. Enough to prompt her to walk a little faster, but not so fast as to lose her. He was tall, which meant his strides were naturally longer, but as Indigo said before. Limited time and Enver didn't really want to leave Adley all alone in the woods IF the rumors were true. "I take it you're no novice." He said with a chuckle as they headed east once again to the woods.

---

Crash heard the scream of Skid Mark while he ran in no real pattern. Sometimes left for a good while, then straight and then right short. And then left short, straight for a good while and then right long. "Heeeeere!" He screamed, sounding like a *****. But here he was being chased by who knows what? That probably wanted to make him dinner. There would be no second (theoretically fifth or sixth) chance at life (Due to near overdoses), because Enver wasn't here. He grabbed a branch along the way and started swinging it to and fro, as if a branch, as thick as his thumb at best would chase a monster off. A monster. He was being chased by a ******* monster!

[Indigo]

Once they arrived to the last of the clearing before the treeline she paused briefly. It was just enough that the dancing of the cell finally served it’s purpose of alerting her that she had a message. Pulling the device from where she carried it she looked to her boss who just happened to comment on her not being a novice. It was a rather broad assessment which was hardly inaccurate depending on where it was intending to be applied.

“Depends on what. It is.” She winked at him then glanced down to the screen that was glowing with the sweep of her thumb. “I have a hell of a lot to learn, Mr. Marshall.”

Her thumb lifted from the screen while the rest of her fingers cradled the device in her open hand for both of them to see. It had been awhile since she felt what could only be described as her insides dropping to her toes but there it was making a return appearance and she found her mouth going dry with the results. Adley’s warning was there for Enver to read.

“Adley.” His name left her lips in a whisper that could be mistaken for the sound of a thoughtful prayer. Her free hand patted her hip in confirmation that her loaner gun was still there while her mind went through the possibilities of just what it was that he was encountering. “Let’s go.”

Indigo was stepping faster than she could get out her words. Each heel sank into the sponge-like ground and less than a yard was all it took for her to begin a full sprint towards the massive tower of trees in front of them. There was no way she was staying out. Not as long as she was still moving on her own two feet.

_________________________

The sounds of howling returned and Davion scarcely made out the sound of Crash’s voice which was close by. He lifted his head up from the ground beneath it. Slowly the fresh spring blades of green traced the surface of his skin as he brought his weight to rest on one elbow so his opposite hand could curl briefly at his damaged side. A deep inhale in with the purpose of yelling for Crash was interrupted by the torment of a scalp tingling cough erupting in his chest.

“O-V-E-R H-E-R-E!”

He found his knees beneath him and balanced alternating between each while trying to get a foot flat to the ground. It was hard to decide which was his best bet. His struggle with making up his mind didn’t last long. The decision was made for him with the appearance of what first the first time was clear as day. He felt the rush of panic wash over him as he craned his head up to take in what grabbed hold him. It was so quick and hard that he heard his skeleton popping like a bowl of puffed rice getting the first flood of cold milk. Instantly his feet swung forward and delivered a dual line drive of his heels into a face straight out of a sci-fi horror flick. The give of his boots sliding over something solid as a brick wall gave way to a cloud of unforgettable stench. A sharp gash tore across his abdomen then he felt the weightlessness of free falling. His hands clawed at the air and his eyes locked at the focal point of ground coming at him.

[Adley Reed]

It was like a real life action movie, chasing someone through the undergrowth while also being chased himself. It should have been terrifying but Adley laughed. Adrenaline kicked through his limbs, spiking his heart as he leapt over a fallen log. Green leaves slapped him on the cheeks and promptly turned crisp and dead, fluttering to the forest floor in his wake. There was a shout ahead – Crash – and Adley sharply changed course to run after it.

The glee was short lived.

The Necromancer should not have turned to look, but his confidence got the better of him. A glance over his shoulder revealed the creature bathed in a beam of moonlight. It stood on two legs but looked like an animal; it had horns like a deer sprouting from its proud and monstrous head. Its teeth were sharp as were the claws of its grotesque fingers, its ribs sprouting from its chest looking both ruined and like there was no other way they should be. The Wendigo’s state didn’t slow it down. It thrust a hand in Adley’s direction, its monstrous lips hissing a curse. Adley went rigid and stumbled backward. The Wendigo was on him in seconds, a barrage of merciless assaults pounded against his body.

Regaining his composure, Adley fought back but not before something sharp gouged his cheek, slicing him from chin to temple. Blood poured from his forehead and half blinded him, but that did not stop him from charging. Fighting for his life – for Indigo’s life should she choose to join him regardless of his warning. The two grappled and fought, the Wendigo much larger than Adley. Much stronger. The vampire could feel it. Despite his never-ending confidence he knew when he was bested.

But he had not been bested yet.

Adley roared and though most of his blows came to absolutely nothing, he eventually got hold of the creature’s neck and pummelled, with all his strength, the head between the antler’s. The round, metal pummel of sword cracked the Wendigo’s skull, and the Wendigo screamed in response. By ‘scream’, it actually let loose another of those inhuman howls that had all warmth leeching from Adley’s skin. Thinking he had the better of the creature, against all odds, Adley flew at it. Him? Her? Who the **** knew.

The slashes and stabs came to nothing. The Wendigo surged to its full height and again attacked Adley. Another gash flayed his cheekbone and, admitting defeat, Adley rolled away. He crawled underneath the same fallen log as before, and launched himself into the undergrowth. He spat crimson blood from his mouth and wiped it from his eyes. A deep breath was pulled into his lungs and now he focused only on running. There would be no shame in running from this… thing.

How long did he run for? He didn’t know. Before long, he saw a flash of white up ahead. And another. Someone else crashing through the undergrowth – and then he saw the pink her. Crash. Half naked? Adley launched himself at the zig-zagging body, sending the two of them tumbling to the ground.

”What the **** are you doing?!” he hissed, all good humour now lost.

”You’re running the wrong way! The city is that way!” he said, hauling Crash up by the shoulder and shoving him in the right direction. They’d have to try to get around the Wendigo. Adley wasn’t looking forward to running into that thing again.