Edge of the Ocean

The creature from hell comes into what little light is left in the atomic sky.

A troll sized monster from hell, probably 12 or 13 feet tall.

A massive huge, naked blob. Like a hairless bear on its hind legs, but with claws and appendages and horrific nail like blades and tumors erupting from its flesh.

The Demon Lord straight from hell screams again.

Ran freezes at the sight of it.

Orion shoves her farther down into the ground, almost hurting her.

Suddenly, Orion sees what the Demon Lord is looking for.

A naked man is running from the creature, screaming.

Skinny and malnourished but alive. Huge beard and long hair.

"Help!!! Help!!!"

The fallen soldiers keep walking, patrolling the island.

The Demon Lord stomps after the human, screaming for its lunch.

The naked man then runs towards the temple.

XP NOT HIGH ENOUGH FOR THREAT

XP NOT HIGH ENOUGH FOR THREAT

XP NOT HIGH ENOUGH FOR THREAT

DEMON LORD BOSS. HIGH XP. RARE BOSS.

LEGEND ENEMY

Legend.

"Stay here," Orion whispers to Ran.

"No. I gotta help...I've seen it before...why is...it's gotten bigger?"

"It's getting stronger. It's got a healthy diet," Orion says, not knowing if anything he speaks of is true. "It's a legend. I'll take care of it."

"No," Ran pleads.

"I got it," Orion lies, and runs off towards the naked man going into the temple courtyard square, then turns over his shoulder. "Just watch for me."

Orion sprints across the darkness, as the Demon Lord stomps around angrily, looking for the bait.

It briefly sees Orion and screams a louder, high pitched, surprised scream.

Orion jumps into the courtyard, finding the naked man cowering in the corner.

"Hey!"

The man looks up, elated.

"You...you're not one of them?!"

"No. When I tell you, run directly that way. You see? Right over there. There is a woman there who can hel - "

The troll like creature smashes through the ancient courtyard, knocking its walls over.

The temple spires then start to fall and collapse.

Orion slides across the courtyard, as the creature's massive head and body comes crashing through. "Now! Go!! Now!!!"

The naked man jumps up and sprints past the Demon Lord, who has its sights on Orion.

Orion opens fire with its massive gun.

The troll screams as its flesh becomes torn and seared, but it becomes angrier.

The walking flesh like tree creature then breaks into supernatural speed, running at Orion.

Orion jumps out of the way as the creature, like a mad bull, slams into the other side of the temple walls and collapses on the other side.

Seeing the opportunity, Orion pulls his largest knife from his belt and runs to stab the beast to death.

COMBAT ELEVATED

BRAVERY ELEVATED

HONOR ELEVATED

OVERALL XP ELEVATED

Orion smiles at his displays glowing with points and new information, but is stopped as the fallen soldiers run upon the scene.

They scream and grunt and open fire.

Orion runs out of the broken tunnel, away from his prized enemy.

They turn to follow, but then the fallen soldiers start falling in a heap, as their arms and legs and heads are blown to pieces from behind.

Orion looks to see Ran standing with her massive gun, screaming and firing at them, as the naked man cowers behind her.

With that done, Orion turns to go finish the Demon Lord. As he turns, the creature is already waiting for him, and lowers its voice and screams even louder a deafening blow.

It's jaw unhinges as rows of teeth and bone are exposed, and with a bigger mouth, the scream echoes harder and penetrates faster, almost pushing Orion over.

The creature, once done screaming, then swings its massive clawed arms at Orion, who ducks out of the way.

Orion then runs underneath the massive creature and opens fire under it.

The Demon Lord screams in pain and agony from the gunfire and stomps its hands down on the ground, trying to smack Orion down like a small bug.

Orion then comes out the other side of the stomping creature and tries to leap on its grotesque, hairless and burnt back for a final blow.

But the creature swings its massive claw and knocks Orion off his feet.

He hits a part of the broken temple and then comes back to the ground with a pain inducing crack.

Orion looks up to see the creature nearly smile, knowing it's meal is ready for consumption.

But the Demon Lord's head then explodes, as the sound of massive gunfire fills the island.

The creature collapses on itself and nearly falls on Orion with a final bloody slump.

Then, all is quiet.

There went my legend.

Orion pulls himself up, as he sees Ran running towards him, elated.

The naked man stays in the shadows, now embarrassed since he isn't running for his life.

"Thanks," Orion says, limping.

"You okay?" Ran asks.

"Yeah. Hey. Sir. Come on out," Orion waves to the freed man.

"Please. Some clothes. There are some on the other side. Right there. I'll take these pants from one of the ones you killed. But please."

Orion nods and slowly walks towards where the man talked about, and stops cold. Piles of clothes seem to be littered all along the side of the temple.

Modern clothes. Old clothes. Home made clothes. Cloths and religious outfits.

"What is this?" Orion asks.

Ran has a cold face. "I told you, Orion. They brought them here. To torture and make new, or to feed to the Demon Lord. You did a great thing. But this place is horrid."

Orion stares at all the clothes with an overwhelming sadness, knowing all these people were dead, food, or now fallen. He gently picks up some shirts and coats.

"Were all brought here?" Orion asks.

"No. I told you. It's a patrol island. They just made good use of it," Ran says, voice still low and sad. "Thank you."

"You're the one that killed it," Orion snaps back, and Ran is almost offended.

Orion brings the clothes to the man, who is putting on some military fatigues from one of the dead fallen.

The horribly skinny man takes the jacket and shirt in the darkness and quickly puts them on, then comes out of the darkness.

Like a walking skeleton. Eyes sunken. Cheeks thin. No fat on any of his arms and legs.

"Thank you," the man says, smiling.

"What happened to you?" Orion asks.

"I was from the Moon Isle. A fisherman. The fallen kidnapped some of our people. But that wasn't me. I literally got lost out here fishing. I am Memphis."

Orion sticks his hand out and shakes Memphis' hand. "I am Orion. This is Ran."

Memphis nearly breaks into tears, now that it is all over. "I'm just a fisherman. I'm not a warrior. I'm not a hunter. I wanted nothing to do with them. Or this war. I just got off track."

"The Moon Isle is very far away," Orion tries calming the man down.

"I know! I know!" Memphis says, almost breaking into a wheeze. "They took me. They were going to take me to their island. They did. But I escaped. I swam as hard as I could to a small inlet."

Memphis' eyes look far out into nothing, like he has temporarily become blind.

"They said I would be a good addition. They needed someone who could fish. They were going to break me so I was one of them, but could still function as a fisherman. Take all my humanity, but give me an occupation."

Memphis breaks into crying and falls on the ground.

Ran kneels with him.

"Come. We'll get out of here."

Memphis loses all emotions and control. Like a child, he wails and stomps and cries. Survivor, but to what price?

Orion stares at him with empathy, as his own anger rises within him.