Topic: Cut By The Nick Of Time

Ember Wilson

Date: 2014-09-08 09:00 EST
There are secrets in everything, in everyone. Some great, and some small, and all guarded closely. There were few now who remembered that life had ever been anything but this. Few who paid attention to the stories of the world as it had been. No one looked back further than the Destruction, when earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions had almost destroyed the living population of the planet and sent its established societies into a downward spiral from which they had never recovered.

When the earth had finally stopped its shaking and changing, what was left of humanity had picked itself up and, as humanity tended to do, had immediately picked a fight with itself. These conflicts raged as factions split off from the traditional gatherings of race and religion, until finally peace was declared only with an uneasy understanding that to continue as they were would be to annihilate themselves. Each faction, large or small, sought out land to call their own, built their own form of society to live within, and guarded their territory fiercely.

Most settled into peaceful co-habitation, men and women and children gathered together, trading with this tribe or that clan, visiting with other villages out of friendship. Others isolated themselves deep in almost inaccessible places known only to them, choosing to subsist on their own efforts, accepting help from no one. Most of these struggled and died out, but some survived, establishing themselves and becoming almost legendary by word of mouth.

One such was named by its neighbors as a tribe of Amazons, a society that allowed only women within its ranks, though men were made use of when there was a need. They resided within a place known as the Hidden Valley, zealously guarded against all intrusion. It was well known that any man who strayed into their territory was rarely seen alive again.

Not far from the Amazon tribe was a small village where men and women lived together in relative peace, raising families, farming, and doing their best to co-exist peacefully with the rest of the small neighboring clans and tribes that called this area home. In the past, they had mostly kept to themselves, but lately, they found themselves facing a new threat to their peaceful existence and had ventured outside the safety of their own borders in order to establish alliances with neighboring tribes and clans to defend themselves against this greater threat.

Although they were mostly peaceful, they had learned that sometimes they had to fight to defend their own way of life against those who would try to disrupt them. They had been at odds with the so-called Amazons for years, but so long as they left them alone, the villagers were happy to do the same. Still, every now and then, some of their men went missing and rarely returned. Those who did return told of a utopian society, secluded and controlled completely by women, but none had ever tried to return. Sometimes male children were found abandoned, and the villagers were happy to take them in, care for them, and raise them as their own.

One such survivor was a young man named Ethan, who knew nothing of his parentage, neither mother nor father. He'd been found abandoned as an infant and would have perished if he had not been taken in by the villagers and raised as one of their own.

As the years passed, he'd grown into tall, handsome young man with a thick head of dark brown hair and sharp-sighted brown eyes. He was a quiet, serious young man who had shown an early interest in learning how to defend the villagers that had treated him with such kindness. As such, he had joined the ranks of the small militia whose duty it was to defend the village against all enemies. It was on a day in early fall when he was out on patrol that would forever change his life and his place in the world as he knew it. There were four of them on patrol that day, each going in separate directions so that they could cover more ground. As it happened, he was on patrol near the river, which was the westernmost border that belonged to the villagers before the land turned wild and overgrown with trees and shrubs.

Few ventured past that border, and even fewer had ever entered those woods, which were rumored to be the home of vile, hideous creatures that liked to feast on the flesh of humans. To some, they were just stories created to scare small children and keep them from wandering into the woods and getting lost, but to those who'd seen the creatures that roamed the woods, they were far too real. Ethan had drawn the short straw and it fell to him today to take up patrol near the river across from those fell woods. It wasn't a task he was fond of, and yet, someone had to do it.

It was a task he took seriously, however. He had been one of those who'd seen firsthand what roamed those woods, though not up close. Vile, foul things - twisted and hideous to look upon. Perhaps they had once been human, but they were human no longer. It was because of these mutated monsters that alliances had been sought with neighboring villages, but so far, no one had answer the call. It was because of these vile creatures that Ethan was especially wary, but also knew how vitally important it was to keep the border safe and secure against any and all threats. He moved as stealthily as a cougar through the small thicket that edged the river, unaware of the eyes that were following his every move.

But stealth counted for nothing when an ambush had been laid. Without warning, the surface of the river heaved, and three monstrous shapes rose at speed from the dark water. Mutated, clawed, fangs sharp and too long for their mouths, they clambered from the water, snarling, eager for his flesh.

If he'd had time, he would have cursed his own stupidity at allowing himself to be ambushed, but he only had a moment to react, to fight back and defend himself against the abominations that wanted to see him dead. He had two choices - fight or run. He knew if he ran and they caught him, he'd be dead before he had a chance to fight back, and so he chose to fight. Several shots rang out, echoing through the surrounding territory, alerting anyone within range that something was amiss. Birds flapped away from the trees, startled by the unexpected ruckus.

Less than a mile down river, someone heard those shots, and accelerated into action, shouting for her companions to join her. Three women, heavily armed and frighteningly focused, crashed through the undergrowth, zeroing in on the fight ensuing on the bank of the river. Shots rang out from their weapons as they came in sight of the altercation, aimed for the mutations clawing at the man they had cornered.

By the time the women reached him, he had already taken down one of the vile creatures who'd fallen heavily in the brush, its blood soaking the ground. Taken by surprise and outnumbered as he was, a second had knocked the rifle from his hands, the shot going wild, before knocking him to the ground. Claws dug deep into his leg, tearing through cloth and flesh and drawing blood. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he fumbled for a knife at his hip, as the third shambled up to join the other.

Ember Wilson

Date: 2014-09-08 09:02 EST
Savage though they might be, the creatures that had once been human were skittish when outnumbered. As the three women burst into view, the two things intent upon eating Ethan began to scramble away, only to be cut down by bullets as they turned to run. He had been rescued, it seemed, at the very last moment ....but not by anyone he might have wished to see. A gun was placed against his head.

"Disarm yourself," the woman holding it ordered him.

It seemed he had been rescued from one enemy only to be cornered by another. The rifle was lying somewhere nearby, not close enough for him to reach it. The only weapon he had at his disposal was the knife and his own wits, though he was already starting to feel light-headed from loss of blood. "You've gotta be kidding me," he murmured, mostly to himself, turning the knife so that the sharp tip was pointing downward.

The barrel of the handgun pushed harder against his head. "Do not think I will ask again," she said, and given the way the other women deferred to her, it was clear that she was their leader. It was also clear that this was a group of so-called Amazons - out of the frying pan and into the fire for Ethan. "You have a choice. Live or die. Choose."

"You can put the gun away. I'm not an idiot," he said, carefully handing the hunting knife over. Under normal circumstances, he would have probably chosen to resist, but with his leg the way it was, he wasn't even sure he'd be able to stand on it without help. He was caught like a mouse in a trap, with no choice but to surrender, at least, for now. "You rescue me so you can kill me?"

There was a snort from one of the others, who took his knife as well as his rifle. The third member of their party crouched, tying a tourniquet tight about his thigh to keep him from bleeding out. The leader simply stared down at him impassively. "Lucky for you, we are looking for specimens. Get him up." Ethan was heaved onto his feet, heedless of his injury, as the little group headed back the way they had come,

"I'm not a..." He broke off as he was pulled to his feet, clenching his teeth against the throbbing pain in his leg so he wouldn't cry out. He didn't want to show them any weakness, even as his head reeled dizzily for a moment. He swore under his breath, more angry at himself than anything for his situation. If it wasn't for his leg, he might have been able to take them on, but as it was he was hobbling along as half his normal pace and each step was pure torture.

Whether he was angry at himself or not, he was captured and injured, in no fit state to fight back or to free himself. Twenty minutes of painful movement brought them to a vehicle, carefully concealed, in which two of his fellow militia-men lay, senseless, under the watchful eye of a fourth woman. The leader nodded to her companions, barely even glancing at Ethan. "Dose him," she ordered, and a moment later, a cloth was pressed over his mouth and nose, encouraging him forcibly to sleep.

Ethan was startled to find two of his comrades captured, as well, and lying senseless in the back of the vehicle, and he knew he was about to become the third. As injured as he was, if he was going to try and escape, it was now or never and so he stumbled forward, intending to make a break for it, though he knew it was hopeless. The injured leg gave out, and he stumbled to the ground, with just enough time to mumble a muffled, "No!" before the drug took effect. He tried to fight it, but there was no use, and before he knew it, his sight grew foggy and then everything went black.

When he roused, he could almost have been on a different planet. The open vehicle was traveling through carefully maintained fields, in which men were harvesting the crop, watched over by armed women. Everywhere was green or decorated in the shades of autumn come early. His companions were rousing, too, but none had the strength to do more than lie still as the vehicle came to a halt in the midst of buildings made of wood and stone, set beneath the rising face of a stony hill set in the center of the valley to which they had been brought. The women who had captured them leaped from the truck, reaching in to pull each man to his feet, regardless of how conscious he was.

Barely conscious, Ethan had no idea where he was, though he knew he must not be too far from the village. It was still daylight, and though he was hungry, his stomach told him it hadn't been more than a few hours since he'd last eaten. He felt weak and woozy, but wasn't sure how much of that was the drug and how much was blood loss. As things stood, he barely had the strength to stand on his own two feet, much less fight back. "Where are we?" he managed to murmur.

"Speak when you're spoken to," the leader of his captors snapped at him, but her eyes were on another woman who had come into view.

A tall blonde with stern eyes, this one seemed very much in charge around here - even the woman deferred to her. She eyed the three captive men thoughtfully. "That one is too old," she said, pointing at the man to Ethan's left. "Set him to work in the fields. That one ....hmm." She studied Ethan with narrowed eyes, striding forward suddenly to pinch his mouth open and inspect his teeth, as though he were a horse. "How old are you?" she demanded to know, releasing him.

Though he was injured and woozy from being drugged, they'd left his hands free, and he jerked his head away from the woman's grasp and shoved her roughly away from him. "We're men, not animals," he told her. If she wanted to know his age, she could figure it out for herself.

Far from being shocked or angered by his reaction, despite the urging of her women to strike back, this queen among them simply smirked, one brow rising as she looked him over. "Men have their uses," she agreed with him. "Uses that are unique to men." She chuckled lightly, turning to the woman standing on her right. "Have this one bathed and his injury seen to. It is about time Ember did her duty by us, don't you think?" Her eyes returned to Ethan with a deadly warning in her gaze. "After all, if any harm comes to her at his hands, there are far worse fates than death."

"Some say death is preferable to slavery," he countered, eyes flashing with anger. This one was a soldier and not about to bend so easily to anyone's will, despite her threats. Whatever she wanted to call it, slavery was still slavery, and he was too stubborn to bow down to anyone.

Ember Wilson

Date: 2014-09-08 09:03 EST
"Which is why you do not have the option of death," she informed him, moving on to send his other companion to the fields as well.

As she walked away, yet another woman - this one homely and definitely past her best years - snapped her fingers. Ethan was pulled forward to follow her into the stony hill that rose above them, into a complex series of caves and caverns that twisted and turned enough to make his head spin.

"You are designated for breeding," he was told as they reached their destination, a place where men took charge of him. "You will do as you are expected, without causing harm, or you will made to suffer for many long years before the Madam allows you to die." To her credit, this woman didn't sound as though she agreed with this decree. She sighed regretfully, gesturing to the men who helped him. "Bind his wound, feed him, clean him up. He is marked for Ember."

This older woman was one Ethan thought he wouldn't have any trouble over-powering, but even if he did, where would he go' He had no idea where he was or how to get home, and so long as his leg was injured, he knew he wouldn't make it far, even if he could somehow get past the sentries. His best bet for now was biding his time, until his leg was healed and he could devise a plan of escape. He wasn't too keen on cooperating with them, but he might learn more cooperating than he would otherwise.

A heavy door closed behind him, and he found himself in a surprisingly well appointed cavern of sorts. Water steamed in baths cut from the rock itself, and though it was clearly a well guarded place, there were no women in evidence. Five men were present, one of whom had taken his arm as he was handed over.

"Believe it or not, you're one of the lucky ones," he said in a resigned voice, leading Ethan over to a rough-hewn bench. "Let's have a look at your leg."

"Why?" he asked as he hobbled over and took a seat on the bench with a barely-repressed wince. "Because I'm alive or because I've been chosen for stud duty?" he asked, dripping sarcasm.

"Stud duty, as you put it, is the highest any man can hope for in this matriarchal society," the other man explained. Though he was clearly strong, he was surprisingly gentle as he removed Ethan's pants, wincing at the sight of the clawed gash in his leg. "You impressed Marka. She chose you for her daughter. If you don't cause trouble, you could raise your own daughters yourself."

Ethan winced, every small movement making his leg ache worse than before. Who knew what kind of disease the mutants carried that might have already made its way into his bloodstream' The gash was deep enough to show muscle and bone, but not so deep that it wouldn't heal with proper care. "I don't plan on sticking around long enough for that," he said through clenched teeth.

"Well, you're not going to get far on this leg for a while," his companion informed him. "I'm Rob, by the way." He looked up, calling for one of the other men to help him, and between them, they gathered together a small pile of everything they would need to make Ethan healthy and presentable. "With an injury like this, it'll be a couple of days before they expect you to do your duty, anyway," Rob assured him, wiping the dirt away from the wound before dousing it in something deeply astringent and horribly painful.

"That's not very..." He broke off with a hiss of breath as the antiseptic or whatever it was the man was pouring on the wound made his leg burn like fire. He visibly tensed as he tried to withstand the pain. Whatever he'd been about to say was lost, forgotten in a haze of agony.

"Sorry," Rob apologized, shrugging as the pain eased away. "Hurts like a bastard, doesn't it' It does the trick though - whatever those mutants have in them can't stand up to it. The women make it from one of the plants in the hills; naturally, they don't tell us how to make it." He sat back, watching as the wound puckered, emitting a horrible black goo which he wiped away cleanly. Whatever else the potion he'd used did, it had stopped the bleeding, too. "We can get you into one of the baths now without you bleeding all over the place."

Ethan hardly heard a word the other man was saying, too lost in the grip of his torment. He was trying hard to withstand it and to remain conscious, but he was only human, after all. There were questions he wanted to ask, things he needed to know. Where had they taken his friends" Why weren't they here, too' What did they know about the mutants" Why were the men so subservient' Why didn't they try to rebel? But as soon as he laid eyes on that black goo that was bubbling up from his own flesh, he felt his stomach lurch and all the blood drained from his face just before the world went dark.

((The Menagerie has a new storyline! Stay tuned to find out all about Ethan and his odd little post-apocalyptic world!))