Strange

The air in the pub is thick with smoke, laughter, and chatter. One of the pub patrons inquires of the bartender, "Who is that man sitting in the corner over there?" Pointing at the stranger. The stranger then lights a long, elegant pipe and inhales deeply. The sweet scent of the burning herbs quickly fills the room as soft music starts to play. The talking and laughter ceased as he took another deep breath from his pipe. Everyone's attention was fixed on the stranger now. Lightening cracks outside of the pub window filling the room with a bright light revealing the stranger's face, Covered in many scars from years of torment. "He comes here every once and a while, but no one really knows who he is. He likes to pay using these odd looking coins." The barkeep says, holding out a solid gold coin. The coin was inscribed with an odd looking dragon. He lays the coin on the bar for the patrons to see.

As the patrons of the pub look in awe at the coin, the door slams open as a loud crack of thunder shakes the building. A cloaked figure walks into the pub. the door blows shut behind her. The figure stands there for a moment, letting the rain drip off her cloak. Silently the figure walks across the pub, all eyes watching. As the cloaked figure moves closer to where the stranger sat, he stands up. When the cloaked figure reaches the table, the stranger bows in greeting. The cloaked figure bows back and they both sit down together. Simultaneously they both take off their hoods. Showing their faces, the cloaked figure that just walked into the pub is a woman. Her long blond hair with bright red tips covers most of her face, except a small slit where her right eye and part of her mouth could be seen. A long, strange looking rifle on her back, and goggles around her neck gave away that she was a ranger.

She moves the hair away, revealing her beautiful face. The patrons stare in awe of her beauty. The male nods his head and a barmaid walks over to the table. He whispers something to her and she rushes off to the bar. She leans over to the bartender and asks "Do we have any… chicory?" The bartender looked confused at the barmaid. "Is that what he asked you for?" He asks looking over at the stranger and his friend. "What is it?" The barmaid asks. "It's kinda like coffee. But from a long time ago." The bartender was confused why the stranger wanted some of that, but none the less he made it. Topping it off with some whipped cream the barmaid brought the two their drinks. "Here you go." She says while setting down the hot cerramic cups. He looks at her and nods his head. The barmaid sheepishly walks away, sitting next to the bar, starting to shake.

"What's wrong, my dear?" The bartender asks her, walking up to her. "When he looked at me… I just felt like he could see right through me. Like he could see everything I have ever done. Like he know who I was. I'm…. I'm scared." She says as tears roll down her face. "I'll go as them to leave." The bartender says as he walks over to the stranger and his friend. As he approaches, they stop talking. "Excuse me. But I am going to have to ask you to leave. You are starting to scare my patrons." The bartender says in a stern but slightly frightened tone. Sweat starting to bead on his face. Both of the strangers stand at the same time. The male stranger speaks in a low voice. "They are coming." He says pulling a knife from his belt. As the bartender ducks he throws it at the door, pinning a black shadowy figure to it. The figure lets out an unearthly shriek. The tavern patrons back away from the figure as the strangers walk towards it. The dark shadow starts to thrash and claw at the stranger with long black talons. The creature starts to free itself. As it pulls the knife from its shoulder, the female stranger pulls out a pistol and shoots the creature in the head. It falls to the floor with a thunk.


The male turns to his counterpart and says, "Now what did you do that for? We could have used him." She holsters her pistol and stands up straight. "Sorry. I guess I got jumpy," she says as she walks up to the black figure. "Now what to you want to do with 'em?" She asks, kicking the black cloak. "Come on Merida, let's get this thing out of these good peoples tavern." He says grabbing the blackened figure with one hand and dragging it out the door. Leaving everyone in the pub speechless. They drag the body around the building, leaning it against the wall. The male starts taking off the black cloak to reveal a darkened, bony body. The carried black skin sickens him a little. Around the creatures waist is a carrier belt, it's pockets almost bulging.

He reaches for one of the pouches. “What are you doing Donovan?” Merida asks pulling him away. Donovan looks up at her, not moving from where he was crouched. He takes out a knife and cuts the leather pouch belt. As he is pulling it off he sees something glittering just inside the creatures’ cloak. When his figure tips graze the object, he knows exactly what it was. “This creature was part of the Legion.” He says grabbing the gold plated dogtag, ripping it from the creatures’ neck. “If they can corrupt someone from the Legion...” He starts saying as he trails off. “What?” Merida asks trying to follow his gaze. Donovan is stuck in a thousand yard stare as he stands to his feet. “Don!” Merida yells as she snaps her fingers in front of his face.

He snaps out of his trance. “Are you okay Don?” She asks with carrying eyes. “We need to get out of here.” He says as he throws the leather belt onto his shoulder and starts running. “What's wrong?” She asks, trying to keep up with him. As they reach where their horses were tied in front of the tavern. He throws her on top of her horse, handing her the reins. “You keep riding and don't look back. They will not come after you. It's me they want.” He turns to leave, she grabs his shoulder, spinning him around. “You're coming with me!” She exclaims. “GO!” He yells as he slaps the horses flank. The horse takes off running, leaving Donovan in a cloud of dust. “This is personal.” He says as he turns to his horse. He pulls two ropes on the side of the saddle, revealing a hidden stash of light weaponry. Two makeshift pistols, a set of throwing knives, and one large rifle broken-down into two pieces. He puts the rifle together, twisting the barrel into place and sliding a large scope onto the scope rack on top of the gun. Loading the clip with all the bullets he has he unties his horse and mounts it.

Riding in the opposite direction out of town. He heads toward the frosty mountain tops. Just outside the town. Leaving his horse at the summit, he begins the near vertical climb up the mountain. Slipping once or twice, he made it to the flat top of the mountain. He sets up the rifle and looks down the scope. Turning the scope, increasing the magnification he sees off in the distance a group of soldiers. A small battalion of those black freaks. It's been awhile.' He thinks to himself. He lines the cross hairs of his scope on, what appeared to be the leader. He takes a deep breath, lets it out and squeezes the trigger. The resounding concussion from the gun makes the battalion stop. As they stop the commander of the battalion realizes what it was that they had heard. Before he could react, the bullet strikes him in the chest, making him slump over his horse. The rest of the battalion panics and scatters in every direction. “Those poor idiots.” Donovan says as he climbs back down the mountain. He mounts his horse and rides as fast as he can after Merida.

As Donovan approaches the town, he doesn't slow down. The patrons at the pub venture out, wondering what all the hurry was. The see Donovan riding a large black shire horse, its large hoofs sparking on the cobblestone as he quickly rides through the town. “What's his hurry?” The bartender asks after he passes. Everyone ventures out into the street. They turn to the direction that he came from. A noise, almost like thunder came from the other direction. A cloud of dust in the distance confuses them. The bartender, worried, corals everyone into the tavern. Everyone stares out the window as the cloud ventures closer to the town. The dark figures quickly marched through the town. Leaving the people worried and wondering.

Donovan finally catches up to Merida. “Hey, what are you doing here?” She asks him, kinda confused. Donovan tries to catch his breath as his horse slows to a trot. “We need to move.” Donovan says as he sits up in his saddle. The sweat sripping off of his face. He spurs his horse to get it moving again. Merida follows suit and they both guicky gain speed.

The scenary quickly changes from the bleak hill side barren of trees, to the night like atmosphere of the Old Growth Forest. "Where are we going?" Merida asks catching up to him. Donovan says nothing but instead he makes a sharp left turn into the think trees. "HEY! Wait for me!" She yells after him. As she jumps through the trees her horse stops, almost throwing her. "Easy Sadie. Easy." She says calmingly to her horse.

"We're here." Donovan says looking ahead. Merida stands beside him. "Where are we?" She asks confused. All she saw was a tree that looked older than time itself. Donovan lets out a happy sigh. "This place was once a thiriving place, many years ago, around this very tree a town stood. This town was the epicenter of wealth in this whole land. Donovan waves his hand infront of where a large branch used to be. The wood began to shimmer as if a mirror. The mirror pictured what the area used to look like. Merida's eyes grow wide in amazment. "Men from all around the world would come here to sell their goods. From Persia to China, Poland to Chile, from Turkey to Russia. The gold would run like rivers through the streets. Poor men would walk away from here with full bellies and pockets. Not one was turned away. Everything was perfect in this magnificent place."

"What happened to this paradise?" She asks looking around at the current surroundings with a worried look on her face. "Greed. It was greed that became center of it all. Each country wanted to control this wonderful place. They declared war on each other. That's when the bombs started dropping." Donovan lowers his head. In the mirror, chaos insues. "What happened next?" She asks looking at him. A look of anger comes across his face. "We held a meeting of every world leader. But it didn't work. Instead of fixing everything, it made it worse. I fled, back to this very tree.

Everything was gone. They blew up everything. The radiation has tainted this land into what it has become today. The 'Black Riders' as you like to call them. They are what's left of the old world. They are the tainted bodies of those who survived the war on the surface. Families like yours where underground when this war started. But that was many years ago." Donovan falls to his knees.

"So what you are telling me is that you were..." She looks back to the mirror as it reflects an image of Donavan. "You were there?" She asks. She turns back to Donavan, who is now looking at his hands. "Don? Are you ok?" She asks sheepishly. "So much blood spilled." He stares at his hands. Letting out a sigh, he stands to his feet. "I'm sorry Merida. It was so long ago. But God has a reason for me being here. I must find out what it is. I don't remember who I was. These are the only memeories that I have to look back upon. After the smoke cleared, this tree was the only one left for many many miles. After it was all over. I was alone. I wandered the wastlands of this world for what seemed like an eternity. Every where I went, only destruction I found. Shadows of people on the crumbling walls. I scavanged what I could and never looked back." He looks back at his hands.

"There was one town that I came across. The charred remains of what appeared to be people were all that was left. I heard a noise comming from in between two houses. I followed it. I came across a small child huddled in the smoldering rubble. Sputtering and coughing. "Don't hurt me!" He yells as I aproach him. 'Be at ease my child.' I say, taking him in my arms. He lets out one last cough before passing away in my arms. I watched the light leave his eyes as he faded away into yet another corpse surrounding me. I carry him to the outskirts of the town and bury him with a little cross on his grave." Tears begin running down Donavan's face. "Those people didn't deserve to die. That little boys face has been playing through my mind every day since then." He lets out and angered sigh. Opening his eyes, he looks at Merida. His face covered in anger. "Then those damned Dark Riders began to show up. Nothing but damned souls roaming the earth wanting to inflict pain and suffering on what's left of mankind. They are anything but human. If you ever meet one, kill it. For it shall do worse unto you." Donovan puts his face in his hands.

Merida walks up to him and puts her hand on his shoulder. He looks up at her with tears in his eyes. She says with a smile, "It's ok. I will never leave you. Remember the day that we met?" She looks at the mirror which now reflects her memory of their meeting. "I was captured by those buggers. Blind folded and bound to a chair. All I could hear was them laughing. And then I heard them screaming and grunting. The sound of flesh tearing and guns shooting. I could hear them dropping outside the tent they had me in. One by one until they were all dead. And then you entered the tent and began to untie me. I shouted at you, 'Don't touch me! I will not be violated!' 'It's alright, I'm a friend.' I hear you say as you cut my bindings and take my blind fold off. I was stunned at how handsom you were. And how brave you were to take on all of them yourself. I asked you a million questions and you never answered any of them as we escaped the encampment. Then they started chasing us. And you pulled the pin on a grenade. 'Catch!' you yelled at them and the we both chuckled at them as they actually caught it and started to fight over it as it exploded. We made it out of there together, and we've been together as a pair ever since." Merida smiles at Donovan who was now standing. He vaves his hand infront of the mirror again and it disapears.

She wipes the tears from his eyes. He lays down in the grass, and Merida follows. He rolls onto his back, his head in her hands. "Your hands are so soft." He says with a smile. Merida starts to blush. "It's so adorable when you blush." He says looking at her pink cheeks. "I'm..I'm not blushing!" She says awkwardly as she looks to the side and lets go of his face. He sits up on his elbows and twists around to face the girl. He puts his nose up to hers and stares into her eyes. "I love you Merida," he says softly. He gives her a quick kiss on the lips. She backs away with a gasp blushing. She covers her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide. "That's what I thought." He says with a sigh, his head hung low. He starts walking away. Merida runs up behind him and wraps her arms around his neck. "I didn't leave you then. And I will not leave you now." She says with a smile. He turns around and starts to say something but is stopped mid-word by the soft, tender female lips pressing against his. They melt into each other's arms, becoming a single figure for a moment as the seconds tick by. Neither of them wanting to let go, but knowing they should. Both loving the feel other the other's body so close, but knowing it was wrong.

They hestitantly let go of one another, both of them blushing. "Umm, we should go." Donovan says quietly.

They both jump into their saddles. "Where are we going?" Merida asks. Donovan turns to face her and with a smile he says, "I don't know." He starts laughing as he spurs his horse and starts riding off. She giggles and follows him. Donovan slows so Merida can catch up. She rides up beside him and smiles. For the first time in his life, Donovan felt truly happy. But this moment was short lived...

Chapter two: Captured

The unmistakable sound of gun shots ring out behind them. "GO!" Donovan shouts at his companion as her horse begins to take off. "But?" She says in protest. Donovan slaps her horses flank making it take off. "DONAVAN!" She yells as her horse runs off into the distance. Donovan slows his horse a little. Waiting for the Dark Riders to come upon him. He draws a set of pistols from his shoulder holsters. Turning around in his saddle, he spurs his horse. His eyes trained behind him. The dark shadows comming up behind him began to take form. "Perfect." He says with a smile. Unloading both clips of ammo into the oncoming crowd. One after another they fall off their horses as he replaces the clips.

Unloading the next two clips one of the pistols jam. "Great." He says sarcasticly as the Dark Riders start getting closer. "They are not getting her again." He says thinking to himself. He pulls out a 44 magnum revolver. With each round it sounds like a cannon shot. It spooks his horse which in turn bucks him off. He wipes the dust off as he stands up. The Dark Riders begin to surround him. He pulls out his twin short swords. "Come on! Who's first?" He asks with a grin on his face. All of them jump off of their horses and surround Donavan. They start cheering as one of them steps into the ring and pulls his mangled blade from its side. The crowd continues to cheer as our blades meet. "Ready yourself. For today is the day you die." Donovan says with a smile.

The Dark Rider matches Donavans' blade with every slice. "Hmph. Nice blade work." Donovan says switching his tactic. He holds his swords backhanded. "But let's see you match this." He says with a grin as he lunges forward catching the black figure with his sword. The Dark Rider falls with a satisfying thud behing Donavan. He lets a grin as he stands up straight. "Alright. Who's next?" He asks, spinning his swords around in his hands.

There was one Dark Rider still on his horse. He rides up to the edge of the circle. The other Dark Riders move out of his way as he approaches. Then fill back in around the circle. He was different from the others. He was taller, and wider than a normal Rider. The dark figure begins to go around the circle with Donavan. Neither of them taking their eyes off of eachother. "You're a little strange. Who in this forsaken world are you?" Donovan asks the strange figure.

The dark figure lowers his hood to reveal that he was infact, not a Dark Rider. "Long time no see brother." The figure says. "Dimitri." Donovan says with growl. "Why such hostility and hate towards your baby brother?" He asks Donavan with a smirk and darkness in his eyes. Donovan doesn't say anything. He stares at his brother with growing anger. "What has it been Don? Three, four hundred years?" Dimitri asks with a knowing grin. "This time I will finish what I started." Donovan says with anger.

Donovan hurles himself ay Dimitri. He pulls his swords out blocking Donovans attack. Then all becomes a blur. Donovan and Dimitri are fighting at such speeds that the untrained eye can not follow. All that can be heard is the clang of their swords smashing together. Donovan sees and opening and he takes it, landing a cripeling blow to Dimitri's side. Donovan walks over to his brother who is now laying on the ground. "This time, it's over. Goodbye, brother." Donovan lifts up his sword to finish off Dimitri. As he does one of the Dark Riders comes up behind Donovan and strikes him on the back of the head, making him fall to the ground unconcious.

Donovan awakes, tied to a chair."Not this again" his groans to himself. His eyes are blurry at first, but eventually they adjust to the low light of the tent he was traped in. "But, I've been in worse situations." He thinks to himself outloud. He moves his hands feeling what he was tied to the chair with. "Eight inch nylon rope. Hmm. Where did they find this stuff. It's paracord. Stong stuff." He stops moving as some one enter the tent. "Look who's awake." Dimitri says as he limps into the tent holding his side. He sits down in the chair across from Donovan. Groaning as he lowers himself down.

"I should have killed hyou when I had the chance." Donovan growls at Dimitri. "Oh don't be such a killjoy. I am willing to forgive you. I will make my offer to you once more. Join me, and we shall rule this world together." Donovan lets out a long sigh. He lifts his head up with a smile. And begins to laugh. "You really have lost your mind. Haven't you?" Dimitri asks. Donovan stops laughing. "You really have forgotten about me haven't you." He puts a big smile on his face. "What are you smiling about now?" Dimitri asks angerly. "You still can't tie knots to save your life." Donovan says with a smile, showing Dimitri. He leaps from the chair, and punches Dimitri on his wound. He falls to the floor squirming in pain. Donovan picks up his weapons from the table nearby. "I'll finish you some other time. I have bigger problems on my hands."

Meanwhile, Merida, not knowing what had happened, is franticaly searching for Donovan. She finds a cave to hide in and wait for Donovan. His horse wasn't far behind her at finding the cave. "There's his horse. But where is he?" She asks worried.

Back at the tent, Donovan runs out quickly. Taking in his surroundings in a few seconds, he notices some barrels next to the tents marked flamable. "Perfect." He says as he sets up a trip line connected to a granade pin set ontop of the barrels. "COME AND GET ME!" Donovan yells as he makes a run for it. Dimitri finally regains himself and starts to walk out of the tent as he sees the booby trap. "NO!" He yells as the Dark Riders run into it. He ducks back inside of the tent and hides behind a table as the barrels start going off. One tent after another goes up in a bang.

Merida hears the explosions in the distance. "That's got to be him." She says worried. She mounts her horse and sarts riding.

Donovan doesn't look back as the entire encampment is now up in flames. More explosions go off as the flames hit the armory tent. Donovan smiles as he hears the sound of the bullets exploding in the fire. "Love that sound." He says out loud to himself. He keeps running. After a short while he hears hooves on the cobblestone road.

"Great, they've caught up with me already. He climbs the closest tree and waits there. A single horse comes running from the other direction. "I know that figure anywhere." Donovan says with a smile as he jumps onto the back of the horse. Merida screaches as he wraps his arms around her. She flails around trying to knock him off. Through the stuggle she manages to hit him in the eye. Not knowing that it was Donovan. "Slow down. It's me." He says as he puts his arms around her neck and kisses the back of her head. "Am I glad to see you." He says as she stops the horse. She turns around in the saddle and wraps her arms around his neck. "What happened to you?" She asks letting go of him.

"We'll talk later. But right now we have to go." He says as he spurs the horse.