• Chapter 1-The Princess of the Wastelands

    David, a teenage boy with unruly brown hair and a light complexion, frantically pedaled his bike around the abandoned city searching for her. His black jacket was unzipped and revealed a white t-shirt with a red and black logo on it as his speed made the jacket flap about his sides. His jeans were black and had a hole in the right knee due to an accident earlier that same day. His black sneakers with a silver wing logo printed on the sides were almost glued to the pedals from his frantic pace. The sun was starting to set and that was when the hunt began.
    David rolled through the wrecked streets until he found what he was looking for, the green mountain bike with red handlebars. He came to a stop and dropped his completely black bike next to it and ran into the door of the skyscraper before him.
    David wandered through the first floor looking for a way to the upper levels knowing that that would be the first thing Nelliel would do. He went behind the receptionist’s desk in the foyer and fumbled with the computer until it came on. He then went through the computer’s database until he found a building map and then he printed it out. David followed the map’s directions to the staircase nearest his position, knowing the likelihood that Nelliel would have taken this path.
    David rushed up three flights of stairs and finds a door slightly propped open at the landing. He proceeded down the following hallway, hearing a faint rustling from the room at the end. David cautiously approached the door and slowly pushed it open. As soon as he did, a black dashes past with Nelliel in hot pursuit. Nelliel was a girl about the same age as David with shoulder blade-length black hair. She was wearing a long sleeved red blouse with an accompanying hooded white jacket with black sleeves and the same wing logo on David’s shoes in black across the back. Nelliel was also currently wearing a black pleated miniskirt with accompanying bike shorts so that she could ride her bike. She had on a number of accessories ranging from rings and bracelets to the pair of black cat ears that she like to wear on occasion. Her shoes were an exact mirror of David’s but they were white with a black wing logo.
    “Oh hey David,” Nelliel greets in passing, “Help catch this cat!”
    “Nell, wait!” David shouts after her
    His reply was already too late seeing as Nelliel and the cat had both already escaped into the stairwell.
    David runs back to the stairwell and looks up to see Nelliel taking the steps three at a time trying to reach the cat. David knew that he shouldn’t go against his better judgment, but at this rate he would never be able to catch the girl at this rate. David checked his point count on his counter before finally teleporting to the next landing before Nelliel. Nelliel herself reached the landing as David materialized and he caught and held her as she struggled against his grasp.
    “Let me go! We have to get that kitty!” Nelliel protests
    “Nell calm down,” David warns, “What’s so important about that cat?”
    “Um,” Nelliel ponders, “I want it?”
    “Nice try but I don’t think John will let you keep the cat in the clubhouse and your dad is allergic to cats,” David says
    “Well can we at least find it and take it to a shelter?” Nelliel pleads
    Nelliel had finally ceased her struggle and David released her. She looked deeply into David’s eyes, her sincerity manifesting as overflowing waves of emotion yet to be unleashed. David only had to gaze upon her face once before he conceded.
    “One hour,” David says, “If you can’t find it in one hour then we leave.”
    “Yay!” Nelliel cheers, “It’s a deal then.”
    Nelliel firmly grasps David’s arm and they both proceed up to the next floor. With no luck finding the cat on that floor, they continuously navigate the floors, constantly having great difficulty with locating the cat.
    With only ten minutes remaining on David’s countdown, Nelliel was getting worried that they wouldn’t find the cat in time. The two reached the top floor and found that there was only one door at the end of the hallway.
    “’Kay, nowhere else for kitty be,” Nelliel says
    Both Nelliel David approached the door, but before Nelliel could open the door, David grabbed her wrist.
    “What’s wrong?” Nelliel asks
    “The door is closed all the way,” David points out
    “So?” Nelliel responds
    “How would the cat be able to get into the room and close the door behind itself? Think Nell,” David says
    “Is it a psychic kitty?” Nelliel asks
    “It’s a psychic kitty,” David replies
    David places his right hand on the cool, metal doorknob and slightly turns it. In his right hand David forms a dancing flame that was the size of his hand. He looked back and saw that Nelliel had made some ice daggers and a small shield that was attached to her left forearm with ice and that she had a slightly serious, yet worried expression on her face. David smiled to reassure her and then he opened the door.
    The door opened into a dimly lit, yet still functional abandoned laboratory. David and Nelliel proceeded in with caution, David using his flame to help light the way. Nelliel followed David while her eyes wandered around and examined the obsolete technology of years past. Nelliel examined every corner of the room and still couldn’t find the cat when the timer on David’s countdown ran out.
    “Let’s go Nell, time’s up,” David announces
    “Wait a sec David,” Nelliel calls
    “You know we can’t afford to wait out here at this time of day!” David shouts silently
    “I said wait because I found this weird container over here the we missed on the first sweep of the room,” Nelliel says
    “What is it?” David asks coming closer
    “I think it’s some kind of chemical pod,” Nelliel replies
    David examines the pod closely. It was clearly old due to it’s location in an abandoned building as well as the pod itself being covered in a thick layer of dust. The technology supporting the pod was outdated by at least thirty years, and as Nelliel had said, it was isolated on its own in a difficult to notice place if you were not specifically looking for it. The display was dead but the pod itself still had power.
    “Wait…” David thinks, “There is no power in this room at all and this pod is at the very least thirty years old, so how is the power still functioning?”
    “David come and take a look at this quick!” Nelliel says excitedly
    David hurried over to the part of the pod where Nelliel was pointing. He moved his flame towards the glass and peered inside. The cat was in the pod lying next to something!
    “What the hell?” David says bewildered by the discovery
    “I know what you mean,” Nelliel says, “come on and help me dust this thing off.”
    The two started by working at the area where the cat was and moved across the entirety of the dome in less than two minutes. Despite the efforts of the children, the glass was frosted over on the inside of the dome with the exception of the area where the cat was visible. As David tried to comprehend the situation at hand, Nelliel was busy at the control panel of the pod punching in commands. The power on the display was on and Nelliel looked across it as she input more data.
    “Nell, knock it off!” David protests, “You have no idea what you’re doing.”
    “Yes I do David,” Nelliel replies, “so please stop bothering me until I’m done here.”
    “Then what are you doing?” David asks exasperatedly
    “Right now I’m cutting the power to the temperature stabilizers of the pod to slowly and safely thaw the cat. Next I’m going to initiate the reanimation process to prevent the cat and whatever else is in there from going into shock and possibly dying from being awakened as well as trying to prevent the frozen blood cells from rupturing the arterial walls as they regain blood flow. Then it’s just a matter of dealing with any after effects of the freezing,” Nelliel explains
    “I’m a little surprised, but do I even want to know how you know this?” David asks
    “Let’s just say I studied cryostasis in depth during my free time,” Nelliel replies
    “Cryostasis? You mean like ‘Cold Sleep’?” David asks
    “Exactly,” Nelliel answers
    “So now what do we- I mean you do?” David asks
    “We wait for the process to finish,” Nelliel says
    “But we don’t have that kind of time to waste,” David argues
    “I am not going to start this and not see it through!” Nelliel says determinedly, “Now you can either sit here and wait with me or you can go back on your own because unless there is something in that pod the needs to be left there, I’m not going to abandon the inhabitants of that pod like society abandoned this area!”
    David was taken aback by Nelliel’s outburst. She rarely ever raised her voice and the only time she did was when her mind was dead set on something. From all of his previous experience with the girl, David knew this was one fight he was not going to win.
    “Fine, we wait,” David says, “but we leave as soon as this is done and when never come back here without the others again agreed?”
    “Agreed,” Nelliel replies happily.
    Nelliel and David sit in chairs for the next hour, looking at the pod as the thawing process drags on due to a low power output. David sat the entire time pondering on the possibilities of where Nelliel could have learned all of this. He knew she was inquisitive and loved to explore and her constant habit of studying different things due to their long relationship together, but was she keeping something important from him? Before he could delve into the mystery any deeper, his concentration was broken by three chimes from the pod.
    There was a hiss as the seal of the airlock was broken. A fine white and chilly mist billowed from the interior of the pod as the glass dome lid rose from its closed position and creaked on its old hinges. Nelliel moved towards the pod and grabbed the cat as David stepped up behind her. David looked down into the pod and was shocked at what he saw.
    Inside of the pod was a young girl with long, overflowing light brown hair. She was fair skinned but was pale due to the freezing. She was dressed in a one piece beige dress that extended to her ankles and she wore a long sleeved white shirt underneath the one piece to cover the areas not covered by the dress. The remaining visible parts of her feet were clothed by dark brown socks and black dress shoes. On her left wrist was a bracelet that bore the name Melissa. At the same time that David observed this, the cat started to stir in Nelliel’s arms. The cat mewed and the girl responded.
    “Hmm? Tabitha is that you?” Melissa asks
    Tabitha jumps from Nelliel’s arms and back into the pod with the girl. The cat stretched before returning to her master’s side and rubbing against her hand affectionately. Melissa rubs the cat and she sits up before opening her eyes.
    “I can’t see!” Melissa says
    Melissa starts flailing around, looking for something to hold on and steady herself. She swung her legs around to what she had discovered was the outside of the pod. Melissa tried to stand but was off balance and she nearly would have fallen if Nelliel hadn’t stepped in and supported her by the waist.
    “Be careful,” Nelliel warns
    “Who are you?” Melissa asks
    “My name is Nelliel and my friend David is here too,” Nelliel informs
    Nelliel helps Melissa back into a sitting position on the edge of the pod.
    “What’s going on?” Melissa asks
    “Well would you like an explanation here or would you like it somewhere better suited?” Nelliel replies
    “Here? Aren’t we at my dad’s office building?” Melissa asks
    “We are currently located on the top floor of an abandoned R&D facility,” David answers
    “Abandoned? What do you mean?” Melissa asks with a puzzled expression crossing her face, “My dad just brought me here today for a demonstration.”
    “And when was this?” David asks
    “About- Wait, what time is it?” Melissa asks
    “Around 5p.m.” David replies
    “Then it was about three hours ago,” Melissa says
    “What year was that?” Nelliel asks
    “Year? Isn’t it 2XXX?” Melissa asks
    “It’s actually 2XXX,” David replies
    “Oh, oh wow…” Melissa says drifting off into a stunned silence
    Tabitha crawled back into Melissa’s lap as Nelliel and David moved closer to her. Nelliel and Tabitha did all they could to comfort Melissa seeing as the truth of her current situation wouldn’t change no matter how much she willed it. In the midst of the silence, a wolf’s howl could be heard in the distance. David immediately tensed up and grabbed Melissa by the wrist.
    The sudden movement by David caused Tabitha to lash out and scratch David in protection of her owner. David ignored the stinging pain he felt on his hand as he started to bleed and continued in his task of helping Melissa to her feet.
    “What’s going on?” Melissa ask worriedly
    “We need to leave here now!” David says
    “Why do we need to do that?” Melissa asks while retracting her hand from David’s
    “No time to explain, can you walk?” Nelliel replies
    “I think so,” Melissa says
    Melissa tries to stand but she immediately falls to the floor as her legs give way underneath her.
    “I thought something like this would happen,” Nelliel says, “David get her now so we can get out of here.”
    “I’m on it!” David says
    David quickly supports Melissa to her feet and places her on his back as Nelliel grabs a struggling Tabitha. Melissa commands the cat to calm down and she does. Then the four proceed to leave the building.
    The trip down the steps moved at a frantic, yet slightly sluggish pace seeing as Melissa was being carried by David. About seven stories down from the top floor, one of the staircases collapsed before David and Melissa just as Nelliel passed down it.
    “Dammit!” David swears
    “What is it?” Melissa asks
    “Nothing for now, Nell get over here,” David says
    Nelliel jumps the relatively small distance to the new edge of the staircase and stands next to David. He places his hand on her shoulder and teleports the four of them outside to where the bikes lay.
    As Nelliel swung her leg over her bike, a low, echoing growl sounded from all around the small group. A wolf pack emerged from all sides and closed in on the children slowly. David carefully placed Melissa, who was carrying Tabitha at the time, on the back of Nelliel’s bike with her and stepped in front of them.
    “I’m gonna clear a path for you, so go when I say so,” David whispers
    “Don’t be crazy David!” Nelliel protests
    “Just do it and get Melissa to the clubhouse!” David commands, “I’ll catch up when I’m done taking care of these puppies.”
    Nelliel glares at David with contempt for not considering her feelings as he looks back at her with a sorry expression written across his face. David was adamant in his intent to protect the girls and Nelliel could see that. She tried to fight back the bitter tears that were forming in her eyes while she prepared to ride.
    “Don’t die you hear?” Nelliel says
    “Just who the hell do you think I am?” David states confidently while igniting both of his hands, “Now get going!”
    “Hang on tight Melissa,” Nelliel says
    Melissa nods and Nelliel started pedaling as fast as she could. Nelliel went for a small gap in between two wolves directly in her path at full speed, causing those said wolves to lunge at her. The wolves’ dank stench and loud growls caused Melissa’s nearly tangible fear to manifest in a scream, but she kept herself calm just as Nelliel held firm to her belief in David to help them safely escape.
    The wolves were both hit in the chest by watermelon sized fireballs thrown by David. The blasts left the two dogs in a bad state, for they were gasping for air and they possessed nasty burns that had singed off all of the fur in the areas where they were hit.
    “So any of you other mutts want to end up a feast for the buzzards?” David asks with a sly grin on his face
    David glanced towards Nelliel’s general direction as he asked the question and saw that she was making excellent progress despite her passengers. He held off the remainder of the wolves with fireballs, flame barriers, and flamethrowers. When David saw that Nelliel had had made it to the highway on ramp, he got ready to finish up.
    Nelliel was pedaling her legs to death when she finally reached the highway on ramp. She braced herself for her next action and told Melissa to hold on as tight as she could. When she felt Melissa’s grip tighten, Nelliel glowed pink as she activated her Upgrade PsyX. All of her focus went to her legs where the energy pooled and gave her a speed boost equivalent to that of a speeding dragster.
    While Nelliel was speeding down the highway, David shot off a huge plume of flame that razed everything around him as it dissipated from the fiery vortex it was.
    Exhausted from his output, David collapsed to one knee while trying to catch his breath. He looked about the area to survey the amount of damage he had caused. The wolves were all still alive but were so badly burned that they would most likely die anyway. Some of the surrounding buildings were in flames and others just had blackened scorch marks in various places.
    David had almost fully recovered when a shadow passed over him from a distance away. When he saw who it was after looking up, he wished he was dead as the remaining color drained from his face.
    “Volg…” David gasps
    “It has been a while hasn’t it David?” Volg greets
    Volg was a tall, finely muscled man with wild silver hair. His eyes were a piercing yellow and his gaze could silence any being upon which he directed it. Volg had a habit of wearing a slight grin as to show off his abnormally long and sharp canines.
    “Last time I saw you was… oh yeah, when I was beating the crap out of you!” David states
    “You may have given me this scar,” Volg says whilst ripping off his shirt and revealing a large burn mark extending from his chest down to his navel, “Bu there is no one here to help you and you’re too tired to even protect yourself. I’m going to pay you back for my pain as well as the pain of my brothers!”
    “Well you wouldn’t have to if you and your stupid pack would chill,” David quips, “I mean why send underlings to fight me when you can just do it yourself? Unless the mighty Volg is just a coward who hides behind his puppies!”
    “No one insults my pack!” Volg roars
    David knew he had done a stupid thing to invoke Volg’s wrath in his condition, but he was just stalling for time until he could generate flames again. David just sat in his same position and waited for he knew what the next action of the man in front of him would be.
    Volg’s muscles bulged and his gaze grew even fiercer as his transformation began. He changed his posture as certain parts formed and others disappeared. Slowly, Volg’s wild silver hair started to lengthen and cover his entire body. His face elongated into a wolf’s snout; a tail forming at his rear. In less than a minute, Volg had transformed into his true form of a great silver wolf.
    “Say your prayers to whatever god you worship boy and tell them to grant you instant death because I plan on making my revenge long and painful for you,” Volg threatens
    David leaned on the wall behind him and sat down. He thought back on the many events in his short life seeing as these would be his last moments. He thought of his family, his friends, his triumphs, his mistakes, but most importantly he thought of Nelliel.
    “Sorry Nell, I couldn’t keep that promise,” David thinks
    Volg charged and David resigned to his impending doom. He looked into the beautifully radiant sunset, trying to distract himself from the pain he would soon feel as he was ripped to shreds by an angry alpha male. David sat braced for the impact until he heard a dull thud in front of him. He readjusted his gaze to find that a panther was facing down Volg in his stead.
    “Who are you?” Volg asks
    The panther simply growls in reply.
    “I see,” Volg says, “remove yourself from my path so that I may partake in my revenge against this boy.”
    The panther roars in reply and stands its ground.
    “Very well then,” Volg growls
    Volg charges at the panther, gaining what little speed he could in the small distance between them. Volg attempts to tackle the panther and makes contact but the panther doesn’t move an inch. Volg’s next attack was directed as a bite to the panther’s neck and his attempt was met with a claw to the face from the panther.
    Volg backed away from the panther after the swipe and assessed his injury. He had three deep gashes where the claw had made contact on the right side of his face and they were bleeding profusely. Volg licked some of the blood away and matted fur over the wounds with his right paw to help slow the bleeding. With a fierce glare he looked over to the panther who returned the gesture with an equally powerful glare.
    The panther then returned its gaze towards its paw as it licked the blood from it. Volg repeated his assault on the panther thinking it to busy to take notice of him, only to find that the panther had anticipated his action and dodged the incoming attack. The panther quickly turned around and pounced on Volg from behind whilst simultaneously clamping its jaws around the wolf’s neck.
    Volg howled in pain as the teeth quickly sank into the flesh of his neck due to his struggling. Blood oozed from the wounds, aiding in the teeth’s journey to the jugular. Volg tensed up, and while helping the teeth slide in farther, he slapped his tail in the panther’s face which managed to help him escape. Volg’s condition was unsure seeing as he had slight puncture wounds in his jugular and his breathing was ragged.
    Volg musters up the strength to charge one last time and aims for the panther once more only to be hit in the side with one of David’s fireballs. Volg hits the ground hard and twitches uncontrollably. After his little display, Volg manages to rise shakily to his paws. He sees the hopelessness in continuing this fight and he decides to retreat.
    “Next time boy,” Volg snarls while staking off
    After Volg was out of sight, the panther turned towards David. David grew increasingly nervous as the panther approached him. He was prepared to throw a fireball if the panther came any closer when the big cat turned into a small, black cat. David was bewildered at this development.
    “Tabitha?” David asks cautiously
    The cat was indeed Tabitha and she curled up in David’s lap after walking over to him. David picked the cat up and looked around for his bike. After some searching he found it under some rubble and stood it up. The bike was perfectly fine with only minimal scratches.
    “This has been a weird day,” David says
    And with that last statement, David teleported.