Thursday, September 10, 2009

There Is No Aggro Reset

Momentarily blinded by the dust kicked up in the late afternoon wind, he let out a quiet grunt and closed his eyes, throwing his head to the side.  The sun beat down upon the desert city mercilessly, casting long eerie shadows over all he could see.  The warrior’s slow, passive walk betrayed his alert senses.  His eyes searched every corner; ears wide open at attention.  But the city was quiet, uncaring for the intruder.  He noticed the thick layer of swirling sand in the street, the open doors and broken glass in the buildings, cobblestones cracked and missing.  The loud cry of a lonely wind whipped through the walls and alleys.  This city had been dead for many years.

He could see echoes of what had been as he turned into the old beaten alley.  Backyards of families long gone; old, broken toys of children nowhere to be seen.  He made the turns through the neighborhood naturally, as if guided along.  This bothered him, although for what reason he did not know.  The increasing beat of his heart attracted his attention.  His instincts were trying to tell him something.  A wolf always trusts his instincts.  Still, the lone warrior felt a duty to continue the investigation.  He pressed forward cautiously.

Suddenly, a screeching howl erupted through the city.  He leapt to the side, taking cover behind a fence and unsheathed his weapon.  His senses kicked into overdrive.  His eyes searched but saw nothing.  His ears listened but heard, nothing.  His nose sniffed but smelled…nothing.  The sun was bright in his eyes, blurring his vision.  His heart pounded in his chest.  A mirage?  Wind?  Despite the calmness he sensed, he could not explain his anxiety.  The city remained dead. 

Curiously, he took relief from the burning sun into the remains of the house behind the fence.  He moved deliberately and cautiously as he pushed the rotting door, feeling it give way easily.  Small creatures, probably mice scurried through the halls in the distance.  He navigated through the small house with ease, taking the familiar right turn through the kitchen to a set of steep, broken stairs standing almost vertically.  Taking the staircase in a single bound, the shack shuddered as his weight hit the second floor.  A single room with what looked like the remains of a sleeping area.  A whole family probably slept here. 

The wall to the left was stained, cracked and falling apart, letting the sun light a corner of the otherwise dark, hot and musty room.  He peeked out of the hole, seeing the rest of the quiet city.  There were hundreds of abandoned houses just like this one.  A shiver went through his spine and his fur stood up straight as he thought about the possibilities.  He could search all of them and find no answers.  Why did it seem so familiar?  He thought back as far as he could.  Fighting was always a way of life.  His pack was always fighting with someone.  He hated it.  But in the end, they gave their lives to protect him.  To honor their sacrifice, he had shaped himself in their image.  He dedicated his life to achieving what they could not.  Maybe he could prevent the same from happening again. 

Frustrated, he let out a mad howl and punched the wall.  It crumbled easily from the force of impact, the orange sun flooding the dark room.  What had happened here?  Was he too late?  Could he have stopped it?  The lack of answers infuriated him.  He crouched down on the floor, glaring at the quiet sun as it neared the horizon.  The sun knew the answer.  The sun watched everything but told no secrets.  He growled loudly at it, jumping out onto the street.  He could feel the anger inside him growing as he ran down the alley towards the center of the city.  He was useless here.  Everything he had worked so hard for was of no help to these people.  He closed his eyes, putting his shoulders forward as he smashed through another broken fence with a loud cry.  The pieces flew in all directions, the warrior didn’t even slow down.

His vision was red and blurred, his head felt like thousand spikes were driving through his head.  Without remorse he let the anger take control.  Limitless power burning inside his body was allowed to surface, the anger in turn took control.  He growled and he howled!  Barking, raving, hurting, hating, destroying!  He kicked over debris, knocked over walls, smashed anything in his path.  Reaching the city wall, he charged ahead, heaving the mighty battle axe over his head.  It crashed against the heavy doors with an echo heard across the entire desert.  The doors burst open, he flew through them, intent on reaching whatever he could find.  Leaving the city as alone as he found it, his heart pounded with rage. He wouldn’t be made powerless by an enemy that couldn’t be found.  If he could find no answers there, this wolf without his pack would make his own.

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