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MacCloud
Super-Earth
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2021
- Location
- East Coast USA
He felt as if he was far far away when he heard a soft feminine voice. The voice is so sweet, actually captivating. Certainly no one sounding so sweet could be evil right? He was not sure exactly what was said but the voice was pleading, pleading for help? "Who are you, in what way do you require help?"
Ryder opened his eyes and rolled on his side as the bright sunlight nearly blinded him! He was laying on grass? As he focused on his surroundings he was in wooded area with rolling hills. Instead of city traffic he heard a nearby stream babbling. he stood slowly checking himself out and was reassured nothing was broken. He looked up and saw a clear blue sky, the air even smelled fresher. There was no sign of the building he had fallen from, hell there was no sign of the city! He looked down and realized his pistol, and all his police gear was gone. Just his uniform and it showed no signs of the landing he had expected? He took a few steps and everything felt real? Maybe he had a head injury, like in the movie Wizard of Oz? Dorothy had ended up in a fairy tale land with witches and talking animals. At least in her head. He was sort of hoping he didn't run into flying monkeys! So either something really weird had happened or he was dreaming back in Pittsburgh. "Well might as well treat this as real till I know otherwise." Ryder was not someone to look into something too deep most times. He had found you accept where you are and deal with it.
His six years in the Marines had proven that to just accept the current reality was a better way to keep alive. If you just reacted to what was going on, didn't worry about what should be or was suppose to happen. He felt thinking about the what if's just wasted time. When people were shooting at you time was a very valuable commodity. He had found thinking that way had helped him as a city cop as well. His last memory was chasing a robbery suspect to the roof of an apartment building. He had caught the guy, cuffed him but as Ryder tried to lead him back down, the guy had tried to trip him and jerked away. The guy lost his balance and was about to go off the edge of the roof. Ryder had grabbed him and pulled him back but as he tried to keep the guy from falling on his face he lost his own balance and went off the roof. He should be all busted up and dying right now? Maybe he was dead and this was heaven. After all that voice he had heard, it was surely the voice of an angel. It was a nice thought. He saw some animals as he walked and looked to the sky "say God if this is heaven mind sending me a dog? I mean if you have deer, squirrels and birds here why not a puppy?"
Ryder walked a while over a couple hills and saw nothing that looked like civilization. No people or buildings, not even ruins of buildings. That was till he topped the fourth hill. He saw smoke in the distance, lots of smoke. That was not a house fire, that was a village ablaze. He had seen that sight far too many times in way too many places. There was a war going on here. He sighed, "well there goes the idea this was heaven." He began walking toward the smoke to see just where he was when he saw figures moving among the trees? He stopped and dropped to the ground as one thing he was sure of those had not been human! He watched them move furtively among the trees and felt they were scouts or flankers perhaps. Now he was 6'3" and a solid 210 pounds. He had broad shoulders and long limbs, his hair was still short but he now sported a short beard. He was 27 years old and still in his prime. The green skinned warriors he saw were still daunting! They were mostly a little shorter than him but they looked heavier, some had a sort of gorilla build? They carried bows and axes and wore crude hides? This was like something from 'Lord of the Rings'? Where the hell was he.
Well they looked like trouble and he surmised they were likely part of the group that was burning the village in the distance. He began using available cover to get closer. Maybe he could get past them unseen. At least find out who was attacking whom. He had counted six thus far and he moved away from the direction they were heading. he would circle behind them and continue on to the place burning.
He felt he was past when an Archer Orc almost walked into him. he had his bow held low and was trotting, looking away from Ryder when Ryder stepped out from behind a large boulder. The Orc eyes grew large as his angry expression and snarl left no doubt he was not a friend! He was raising his bow when Ryder grabbed the hand holding the bow and shoved it toward the green skinned dude's chest. This was a thinner one and Ryder shoved his arm against his chest. The arrow fell free As Ryder punched him in the face. The Orc staggered backwards but shook and drew a long bladed battle knife. He stepped in stabbing for Ryder's face. Ryder side stepped and blocked with both hands at the blade wielder's wrist and elbow. Striking the nerves caused the Orc to loose his grip on the blade. Ryder caught the blade and slashed the Orc's throat with his own blade. It was not a thought out response but a battle trained experience that caused the orc's death.
As the Orc fell holding his throat another came running toward Ryder, sword in hand. https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d9/f8/f1/d9f8f158c93ac9437f298ec0d76fc504.jpg Ryder hurled the blade in his hand and it buried to the hilt in the orc's chest knocking him backwards onto his back from mid step. Ryder was glad now for the hours he had spent in camp throwing bayonets at a dart board! A skill he had never expected to use. he picked up the Orc's bow and took the quiver, it had twelve arrows. The arrows had crude iron or flint warheads but the shafts were straight and well fletched. The bow was rather crude but had a strong pull. It would do if he needed it. Armed with the bow he felt far less vulnerable. He had hunted back home with a bow, much better then this one but still. He felt confident at fifty paces he could hit a target. He hoped to get past the rest but that was a forlorn hope. He had taken no more then five steps when a barbaric warcry sounded. The sound made Ryder duck and an arrow flashed past over him. Standing he looked back as the orc was notching another arrow. https://i.pinimg.com/236x/d9/f1/ed/d9f1edda0f53880c971703a8055d93cd.jpg
Ryder was quicker as he notched the arrow to the orc bow in his hand, raised, aimed, and loosed in a single motion. The arrow flew true and struck the Orc in the throat. He fell from his perch atop the boulder and was dead before he hit the ground. Ryder had killed three he was pretty sure he had not seen before! So there were six coming back toward him and he had no idea how many were in the direction he had planned to take! The Orcs returning spotted him, at least from the noise they made Ryder figured they had. He looked in that direction and saw four stand too and raise bows! https://i.pinimg.com/564x/0b/e1/eb/0be1eb907bec0fb145fc251838ecf94d.jpg
He jumped behind a thick tree trunk as arrows thumped into the ground all around! He notched an arrow and spun from behind the tree and let fly before running to the next tree. He missed but so did the four Orcs so he felt that was a good omen. he weaved among the trees away from the Orcs but toward the smoking village! Was he running from the pan to the fire? The four Orc archers were following and sending arrows toward him every so often. Ryder had seen at least two Orcs on his right trying to get ahead of him and one on his left. The four archers were just slowing him down to be encircled and trapped. Ryder moved to his left to try to escape their trap. Stopping to send an arrow back. He saw it hit an Orc in the chest, the orc went down but he had no idea if that one was dead. He was too busy ducking behind a tree trunk to avoid the arrows coming in his direction. His change in direction meant the remaining three Orc archers were closer. Ryder managed to take down another after two misses. He still had six arrows but he had five Orcs he knew off. When he saw the Orc he was moving toward on his left he was not so sure that had been the right direction to go! He was the biggest of the lot and had a metal breast plate to boot! https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a8/b2/72/a8b27273f0c3c9f1a1da41227fa20100.jpg
Ryder shifted his direction again, this time heading back toward the Archers! His shift caught them by surprise and he put an arrow through the eye of the nearest at only twenty yards. He was debating if he should just make a run for it and run away from the burning village. Maybe they were only intent on killing him because he was moving toward the battle? He barely ducked the last arrow, it tore his shirt and left a thin streak of blood. Ryder knew his luck was not going to last forever and he had that big Orc closing from behind him. It wounded to him like a charging rhino was chasing him!
Ryder opened his eyes and rolled on his side as the bright sunlight nearly blinded him! He was laying on grass? As he focused on his surroundings he was in wooded area with rolling hills. Instead of city traffic he heard a nearby stream babbling. he stood slowly checking himself out and was reassured nothing was broken. He looked up and saw a clear blue sky, the air even smelled fresher. There was no sign of the building he had fallen from, hell there was no sign of the city! He looked down and realized his pistol, and all his police gear was gone. Just his uniform and it showed no signs of the landing he had expected? He took a few steps and everything felt real? Maybe he had a head injury, like in the movie Wizard of Oz? Dorothy had ended up in a fairy tale land with witches and talking animals. At least in her head. He was sort of hoping he didn't run into flying monkeys! So either something really weird had happened or he was dreaming back in Pittsburgh. "Well might as well treat this as real till I know otherwise." Ryder was not someone to look into something too deep most times. He had found you accept where you are and deal with it.
His six years in the Marines had proven that to just accept the current reality was a better way to keep alive. If you just reacted to what was going on, didn't worry about what should be or was suppose to happen. He felt thinking about the what if's just wasted time. When people were shooting at you time was a very valuable commodity. He had found thinking that way had helped him as a city cop as well. His last memory was chasing a robbery suspect to the roof of an apartment building. He had caught the guy, cuffed him but as Ryder tried to lead him back down, the guy had tried to trip him and jerked away. The guy lost his balance and was about to go off the edge of the roof. Ryder had grabbed him and pulled him back but as he tried to keep the guy from falling on his face he lost his own balance and went off the roof. He should be all busted up and dying right now? Maybe he was dead and this was heaven. After all that voice he had heard, it was surely the voice of an angel. It was a nice thought. He saw some animals as he walked and looked to the sky "say God if this is heaven mind sending me a dog? I mean if you have deer, squirrels and birds here why not a puppy?"
Ryder walked a while over a couple hills and saw nothing that looked like civilization. No people or buildings, not even ruins of buildings. That was till he topped the fourth hill. He saw smoke in the distance, lots of smoke. That was not a house fire, that was a village ablaze. He had seen that sight far too many times in way too many places. There was a war going on here. He sighed, "well there goes the idea this was heaven." He began walking toward the smoke to see just where he was when he saw figures moving among the trees? He stopped and dropped to the ground as one thing he was sure of those had not been human! He watched them move furtively among the trees and felt they were scouts or flankers perhaps. Now he was 6'3" and a solid 210 pounds. He had broad shoulders and long limbs, his hair was still short but he now sported a short beard. He was 27 years old and still in his prime. The green skinned warriors he saw were still daunting! They were mostly a little shorter than him but they looked heavier, some had a sort of gorilla build? They carried bows and axes and wore crude hides? This was like something from 'Lord of the Rings'? Where the hell was he.
Well they looked like trouble and he surmised they were likely part of the group that was burning the village in the distance. He began using available cover to get closer. Maybe he could get past them unseen. At least find out who was attacking whom. He had counted six thus far and he moved away from the direction they were heading. he would circle behind them and continue on to the place burning.
He felt he was past when an Archer Orc almost walked into him. he had his bow held low and was trotting, looking away from Ryder when Ryder stepped out from behind a large boulder. The Orc eyes grew large as his angry expression and snarl left no doubt he was not a friend! He was raising his bow when Ryder grabbed the hand holding the bow and shoved it toward the green skinned dude's chest. This was a thinner one and Ryder shoved his arm against his chest. The arrow fell free As Ryder punched him in the face. The Orc staggered backwards but shook and drew a long bladed battle knife. He stepped in stabbing for Ryder's face. Ryder side stepped and blocked with both hands at the blade wielder's wrist and elbow. Striking the nerves caused the Orc to loose his grip on the blade. Ryder caught the blade and slashed the Orc's throat with his own blade. It was not a thought out response but a battle trained experience that caused the orc's death.
As the Orc fell holding his throat another came running toward Ryder, sword in hand. https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d9/f8/f1/d9f8f158c93ac9437f298ec0d76fc504.jpg Ryder hurled the blade in his hand and it buried to the hilt in the orc's chest knocking him backwards onto his back from mid step. Ryder was glad now for the hours he had spent in camp throwing bayonets at a dart board! A skill he had never expected to use. he picked up the Orc's bow and took the quiver, it had twelve arrows. The arrows had crude iron or flint warheads but the shafts were straight and well fletched. The bow was rather crude but had a strong pull. It would do if he needed it. Armed with the bow he felt far less vulnerable. He had hunted back home with a bow, much better then this one but still. He felt confident at fifty paces he could hit a target. He hoped to get past the rest but that was a forlorn hope. He had taken no more then five steps when a barbaric warcry sounded. The sound made Ryder duck and an arrow flashed past over him. Standing he looked back as the orc was notching another arrow. https://i.pinimg.com/236x/d9/f1/ed/d9f1edda0f53880c971703a8055d93cd.jpg
Ryder was quicker as he notched the arrow to the orc bow in his hand, raised, aimed, and loosed in a single motion. The arrow flew true and struck the Orc in the throat. He fell from his perch atop the boulder and was dead before he hit the ground. Ryder had killed three he was pretty sure he had not seen before! So there were six coming back toward him and he had no idea how many were in the direction he had planned to take! The Orcs returning spotted him, at least from the noise they made Ryder figured they had. He looked in that direction and saw four stand too and raise bows! https://i.pinimg.com/564x/0b/e1/eb/0be1eb907bec0fb145fc251838ecf94d.jpg
He jumped behind a thick tree trunk as arrows thumped into the ground all around! He notched an arrow and spun from behind the tree and let fly before running to the next tree. He missed but so did the four Orcs so he felt that was a good omen. he weaved among the trees away from the Orcs but toward the smoking village! Was he running from the pan to the fire? The four Orc archers were following and sending arrows toward him every so often. Ryder had seen at least two Orcs on his right trying to get ahead of him and one on his left. The four archers were just slowing him down to be encircled and trapped. Ryder moved to his left to try to escape their trap. Stopping to send an arrow back. He saw it hit an Orc in the chest, the orc went down but he had no idea if that one was dead. He was too busy ducking behind a tree trunk to avoid the arrows coming in his direction. His change in direction meant the remaining three Orc archers were closer. Ryder managed to take down another after two misses. He still had six arrows but he had five Orcs he knew off. When he saw the Orc he was moving toward on his left he was not so sure that had been the right direction to go! He was the biggest of the lot and had a metal breast plate to boot! https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a8/b2/72/a8b27273f0c3c9f1a1da41227fa20100.jpg
Ryder shifted his direction again, this time heading back toward the Archers! His shift caught them by surprise and he put an arrow through the eye of the nearest at only twenty yards. He was debating if he should just make a run for it and run away from the burning village. Maybe they were only intent on killing him because he was moving toward the battle? He barely ducked the last arrow, it tore his shirt and left a thin streak of blood. Ryder knew his luck was not going to last forever and he had that big Orc closing from behind him. It wounded to him like a charging rhino was chasing him!