And so it came to pass, that I,traveling abounds,came upon the wreckage of some large township,the walls were boulders and brittle pummeled pumice. there was a strong stench of some unknown agent akin to the rotten odour that emanates from time to time from the alchemical laboratories that operate out of some of the larger communities in the west of this giant land.A land that seems to go on forever. I was out of my element for sure.this story taking place well after I left the lands of stone castles and making my way slowly floating over the vast sulphorous ocean in a queer floating raft that was bequeathed by the strange tribe I stumbled upon and helped re-educate in the ways of coaxing the seed from the Earth in abundance. For even with the Knowledge of the strange dead, yet not dead, metal men that they coveted. they no longer seemed to remember the rituals of Earth and were slowly starving. So I took the strange humming vessel that ne'er touched the wet, and determined to cross the Ocean in search of new lands to travel. Cause LO! for one reason or another I seemed fated to never remain in one place for longer than a day in sight of where I slept the last(it's just as well for sleep and dreams seldom come to me these long strange days, alas).So over countless moons I travel, and rest or no, I travel again with the blinding dawns light.

So there I stood outside of this toppled graveyard of lost civilization and culture.Scratching my head I pondered My situation.
Rusting metals of countless varieties littered the almost too quiet,disintegrating crackling blackened roads. I thought to myself that there was enough metal here to arm the world with glaive and broadsword. then wondered how such a rich culture as this could perish like it had. Too quiet, not even the sound of birds nor the tiny, scurrying, furry feet of rodents could be discerned.I pulled my rawhide long coat from my ruck,donned it, then searched its pockets for the only thing I kept for my defense.I rummaged about till I found it. It was a long hollowed out piece of A rust proof and lightweight metal. the weird object was,(I had learned earlier from the strange sage of the wyss mountains. The one that lived in his giant glowing box of which it is whispered he has never come out of, and whose voice grumbled like gravel.)He told me that it was a digi-something weapon that was worn on the index finger and was repowered like the legendary fire-bird by the glowing rays of the suns light.I learned that by manipulating the finger inside of the hollow metal, that I was able to create a burning flash of light akin to a storms bolt,but without the sounds of the rolling thunder that accompanies such wet.

Placing the strange albeit subtle weapon upon my right index finger, I began to cautiously stroll through littered gartuan alleys.Sticking to the late days lengthening shadows when I could, I made my way deeper into the dead city.A city that began more and more to reminded me of the coastal indo-lands bizarre above ground graves gilded in their ancient tarnished silver. That is what this monster city should be, A gigantic grave of metal and mortar. I scanned a large structure in the distance, not as tall by far as some of the drooping metal towers of yore.This, large?( words like large or giant do it no justice)Dome was the one singulsr installation that appeared to be largely intact. as I made my way towards it I realized finally what had been bugging me about this place......No sounds of insects at all, and this decrepancy sent shivers of goosebumps along my flesh, until about three-hundred yards from the dome.then, that very sound I was missing just minutes before began to filter through my ears. It began to get more audibl,A sound like a plague swarm of 'frican locusts started in a rumbling bass like sound that seemed to vibrate the air around me and I knew I was about to find out what this now strengthening din was..........

See you next time for part 2 (sometime next week)


-S.R.R. Apr'12