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Chapter 17: Suspicion
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2024-10-29 19:42:56“The Banshee did that?” Lance Armistice said contemplatively from across the cluttered desk. The hard-nosed trainee captain, after listening patiently to Allen’s retelling of Morose’s story, roughly stroked the stubble on his chin thoughtfully.
Although not the giant that Frank Brunes was nor as beefy as some of the other Hunters, Lance possessed an appearance of constant agitation, which made him difficult to approach.
Anxiously reporting the incident with the Mare. Allen, Tristan, and Morose had arrived at the Captain’s office late within the afternoon. Standing in front of him now, they were made all the more uncomfortable by the fact that Captain Lance’s office appeared to be the obvious den of a hoarder.
Crammed with curious objects, artifacts, and documents there was barely enough space to accommodate the four of them. The chairs occupied by his collection of oddities; all were forced to stand while they conversed. “You did well to report this.” Lance s
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Shaking a small glass vile, a few pills fell out into Chiri’s palm. Concentrating on the scrolls in front of her, she did not spare a glance to consider the dosage before popping them into her mouth. Stolen from the medical unit, the pills eased the pain of the multiple injuries Chiri had received over the last two days. She chewed on them distractedly. They were large and bitter but were the only thing she had consumed that day, so she shallowed without minding the taste. The wounds proving too agonizing to allow her to sleep, Chiri had been granted ample time to plot her counterattack on the Mare. Sitting crossed legged on the corse wooden floor, Chiri’s eyes moved steadily between the documents and the overlapping hexes drawn across the closet room. Their dizzying patterns strewn over every wall, each were complex and meticulous by design. Her amber eyes narrowed as she compared each sigil and rune. Taking great care to scrutinize each protection, lure, and the re
Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 19: Sweet Dreams pt.1
“Chi Chi?” called a familiar voice “Hey Chi, wake up!” Chiri’s eyes fluttered open. Blinking away the sleep, she stared directly into the bright energetic blue eyes of her brother in bewilderment. Propping herself up, Chiri found herself sitting on the floor of what appeared to be a very well stocked closet. The size and form vaguely reminded her of somewhere she recognized, Chir thought for a fleeting moment of the Night Gate. Although, she was uncertain as to why. “Honestly, how could you fall asleep in such a place?” Horus reprimanded. Standing tall over her, he was dressed smartly in a crisp white and sky-blue Day Gate uniform. The Alliance crest emblazed proudly in gold thread on the breast of his jacket, evidence of his status as a full Guardian. It filled Chiri with an odd mixture of pride and sadness, which hung heavily in her chest. “We’re going to be late.” He urged again, taking Chiri by the elbow and lifting her to her feet. Exasperated, h
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Frantically looking around in the dark, Horus leapt into a defensive stance. Alarmed when he did not immediately see Chiri, he called out “Chi?” The sound of his voice pulled Chiri from the daze of her ruminations. Realizing she had fallen behind. Chiri paused, momentarily stumbling as if the lack of light had only just begun to affect her. Separated by some seven or eight paces, Horus stepped in her direction. Only to freeze mid stride, too terrified to progress further. The gap between them remaining, Chiri turned slowly to regard what had provoked such an extreme reaction from her brother. There, like floating lanterns, were two angry yellow eyes. Its pupils, merely thin slits, they darted between the intruders. Decidedly, coming to rest on Chiri, its eyes narrowed with a threatening hiss. Becoming painfully aware of her heart rate quickening, the giant serpent was very near to Chiri. Careful to take a few calm breaths in order to slow its tempo, she star
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Crossing over the threshold the shadows dispersed at Cazer’s feet. Fleeing to whence they came, only Chiri was left. Still writhing against the remnants of her lingering nightmare, Cazer could see the beads of sweat on her brow as he knelt next to her.Attempting to release Chiri from her daze, he placed a hand on her shoulder. However, startled by the sudden sensation of his touch, she jolted from her sleep. Slapping Cazer across his face in an act of defense, he felt the hot sting of a cut on his cheek. Unfazed, he looped an arm around her back calmly. Pulling her into him tightly, he secured Chiri’s arms at her sides to mitigate the risk of another injury to either of them.It was then that Cazer noticed with some fascination, the subtle gleam of a tear sliding down the curve of her face in the dim light. Captivated, he followed its course, watching as it quivered on her sharp chin. Shaking as though in trepidation, it teetered there for a moment, before
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Still slung over his shoulder. Chiri cursed between pained grunts, “Cazer, you rotten son of a bitch, put me down!”Ignoring her complaints, he kicked open the doors to the Director’s quarters forcefully to reveal a surprised Amelia. “What- “she suppressed a shriek upon their sudden and unconventional entry. Although Chiri could not see Amelia from her ungraceful perch atop Cazer’s shoulder. Chiri could easily imagine her expression as she began to take in the situation. She could sense the change from bewilderment to disgust the moment Amelia identified her.Composing herself, the swift modification in her voice as she addressed Cazer notable, it became sweeter than sugar. “Director, you’re injured!” she cried. “How dare someone hurt you.”“It’s just a scratch.” He replied dismissively, progressing further into the room.Putting the pieces together, she began “That
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Moon Gate Guardians Chapter 25: Challenge Issued
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The office filled with the serenity of the subtle white noise of each person’s solitary or otherwise mundane activities. It was the frustrated sigh which stood out amongst them as Chiri stared at the black and white squares of the board in front of her. The mild amusement that her opponent as he derived some enjoyment at her expense, evident by the sly smirk on his face. Chiri finally plucked her bishop from the board, her brow furrowing as she placed the piece in the last movement available to her, she slouched back onto the soft leather couch in resignation.Aware of her defeat without him having to state it, Cazer still smiled as he declared smugly, “Check mate.” Sulking as she sustained another loss, Chiri crossed her arms in front of her chest as she muttered back at him sourly, “I hate this game.” The smirk of confidence he possessed from beating her repeatedly at chess that morning, unrelenting as he continued to stare back at her. The expression would have irked her more had s
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The small wooden frame of the bed moaning as someone shifted on its lumpy twin mattress, the noise prompted Chiri’s eyelids to flutter open slowly. Awoken from her deep sleep, she rolled onto her back to observe the person who sat on the edge of the bed they had shared. Her long hair tangled beneath her, she watched his broad back silently as he pulled on the few articles of the uniform that had been scattered about the floor during the night. Her gaze, apparently felt by him after a while, Allen Pierce turned. Greeting Chiri with an affectionate smile as she blinked the sleep away from her eyes, the skin around his blue gray irises crinkled from the extent of the contentment within this moment. The springs of the mattress displaced again as he leaned towards Chiri, Allen cupped her cheek tenderly in his hand to say gently, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” His thumb caressing her cheekbone lightly as he spoke, Chiri smiled back at him tiredly from the pillow. Her hand, rising
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The final weeks of summer saturated by a persistent drizzle, it left gray pools on the footpath. Branching out into different avenues between the headstones, Cazer did not pause to consider the names etched on each nor did he become weighed down by solemn reflection as he progressed past them determinedly. The patent leather of his shoes, marred by the dirt of the cemetery as he entered into the more ancient part of the Alliance burial grounds that was shaded by the gnarled branches of a few mature trees. Cazer proceeded past the mossy and worn graves until he came to the one he sought.A sandstone mausoleum to one of the Alliance’s founders, Regus Sieg. The foreboding bars, clamped shut over the structure’s hollow opening, were only made more grim by the effects that time had over its once pristine stones and columns. Weathered and darkened by centuries of dreary days, such as this, Cazer mounted the few steps that led up to its gates. Placing a hand onto its cold metal, there was a
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The rank smell of decay and mildew immediately enveloping her, Chiri knew that she had rejoined the dark catacombs where the cohorts of the Moon Gate’s malicious hoard gathered. Hissing as her form solidified again in the tunnel, Chiri again grasped at her side. Unsteady, the weight of her body found some stability as her back slumped onto the damp wall beside her. Expecting to be met with some snide remark in regard to her injury instantly upon her arrival, Chiri was to discover instead that her entrance had hardly been noticed amidst the affairs that had preceded her. Voices heard in the large junction between the tunnels, Chiri turned her head lazily in their direction. Leaning wearily against the dark tunnel, her eyes pinched together mildly as she squinted at the figures in the opening. Most of them the usual suspects that collected around Ryker Crouse, there was one amongst them that was only vaguely familiar to her. The woman’s hair matted and clothes dirty and torn from the t
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Hurried steps and panicked voices arising from outside the Dawn Gate, the source of their alarm was indeterminate from what corner of the empty ward Chiri occupied. Disinterested by the distant sounds of their mingled unease faded into a buzz of unrest as she closed her eyes against the persistent pain which plagued her. Clutching the saturated fabric more closely to the gouge at her side, Chiri grimaced as blood oozed out from between her fingers and onto the pestine floor beneath her. The wound, not having cut deep enough to touch any vital arteries or organs. It only posed the immediate threat of blood loss as she remained a solitary entity amongst the empty cots of the infirmary. The injury’s presence, no less vexing in the least, this was to be the reward Chiri enjoyed from another one of Ryker’s misguided assignments. Reclining against the wall slowly, she hissed an embittered curse through gritted teeth, “Sodded slug suckers!” Fortunate enough to find that no one else should b
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“Those damn toothy bastards can burn in Hell for all of eternity!” Cazer roared, the doors slamming shut behind him in order to punctuate the vehemence of this outburst. They were then battered again as he landed a ferocious kick onto the barrier of the office. The eruption of his fury causing the solid doors to shake, Cazer barely regarded the man who sat observing the dramatic display from his position on the couch.Allen’s eyes following him warily as he stormed into the room, Cazer found the silent pressure of his judgemental stare of little consequence as he marched over to his desk. Breathing agitated and his hair disorderly, he jerked open a drawer on the bureau. Withdrawing a half-full decanter and wiping the rim of a glass on the desk that had previously been used for water, Cazer poured himself a sizable portion of the spirit. Not offering any to the Hunter, he waited for Cazer to down the drink before asking, “No luck, I take it?” In too foul a temper to accept the smugness
