First and foremost, i bring my apologies to the reader for misuse of commas and grammatical errors which he is sure to stumble upon while reading my work. Also, there might be some inconsistencies, the reason for this is because i am writing fiction for the first time. Strong language is also present in some parts of the writing, so do not be suddenly angered or surprised by it. I hope you enjoy the first chapter of this short tale.
"The Dark Rebirth"
C H A P T E R 1
SHADOW OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
"The Holy Flame has been abolished but it's Shadow cannot be"
Near a fading fire two men were sitting, one was speaking, the other listening.
They were well hidden within the walls of a burned out tower-block building, which
provided a full view of what was beneath. Leaned against the wall close to them were
suppressed AK-112 assault rifles and a Rockwell Rocket Launcher - a destructive contrast of noise and silence. Both of the armor clad men wore two-colored pattern desert shade camouflage uniforms with insignia markings on the left shoulder pocket which depicted the letters "LS". By their overall appearance, it could have been said that they were both very familiar with the art of warfare. One of the men had a hood which rested on his head, while his facial appearance was covered by a bandana, revealing only his gray eyes, and it was he who was speaking. The one who was listening to him was young of age, a man with long dark hair the locks of which wildly rested on his mighty shoulders, falling on his armoured vest. His hazel brown eyes were half closed and calm, but something deep inside them was menacing and unrestful. The hood covered man spoke with a dry, hoarse sounding voice:
- I was born in 2156, the very same year when The New Faith saw the light of the wastes.
Back then it was called differently, and all who walked the earth of the wartorn Southwest
Commonwealth spoke in whispers about The Cathedral where a Dark God has arisen.
The hooded man ceased to speak and remained sitting silent for a long, straining moment. It was seen in the obscure thoughts which reflected in his eyes. He was reminiscing on the times which have long passed but the retained memory of which was crucial as never before... For every plague and every threat there must be those who are ever vigilant to stop it from growing. They sat together quietly, amongst the ruins where there was nothing except the inevitably vanishing remnants of the past - the crumbling shadows of once great buildings and skytowers, now they seemed to be carcasses of slain mythical beasts, corroded and fallen remains made of stone and steel. First drops of rain began to mark the lifeless soil beneath the sky, and the wind howled faintly throughout the desolate streets of the long since accursed city. The man who spoke raised his hood covered head to the clouds which drifted far above the broken ceiling. A small cinder of hope was now seen in his eyes, or perhaps merely the reflection of the heaven shined within them... there was no more obscurity in his sight, and he began to speak once more.
- They called themselves Children of The Cathedral. Of course back then there were not many
who could take thought or ponder, that this religion had an intentional beginning at all,
many embraced it as an absolute truth gifted as a blessing from the master which waited in
the Darkness below. The dogma of the children was very simple to understand, and what
they taught could not be disregarded. In many populated regions, they provided their
medical aid and care, they would help anyone who was in need of help. When it became
clear to them that their grip is strong in one particular place or the other, they began to
preach and outspread their "holy" teachings within the crowds, and people would always...
The listener, the young man supposedly payed great attention to every word, even though this was not so, and it was evident that his patience was ending. For the first time he interrupted his companion.
- Dwight, forgive me for being a reeking, ignorant asshole, (while saying this the young
man held back a smiling grimace, most likely finding his self-critical words to be a sharp
sarcasm) but what does this have to do with our mission? You haven't said a word to me
about our objective from the day you received it at the Undermount. The same night we
left the base, you still haven't told me anything and now you are sharing your childhood
memories with me? What's this about and what does this have to do with a long ago
obliterated cult of madmen? How in the hell can you say that their trash could not be
disregarded? They were a bunch of fanatical shitbags saying things that even many of their
own brothers by misfortune did not understand. Anyone who agrees even the slightest bit
with their brahmin crap is not worth of walking the wastes, and should be fed to the
cannibals.
The man who spoke of the past now in turn payed great attention to his younger listener with an outward calmness, and unlike the latter, he did not make a mere appearance of doing so. After hearing objections and skeptical ignorance, as well as foul words which were apparently meant to be humorous but turned out to be a waste of air, the hooded one replied.
- Iharius, believe me, you and your temper both need not an explanation, but rather a good
whipping. You are a fully grown man now, and even though you lack wisdom which can
only be obtained throughout the years in the wasteland, you still need to be more
reasonable. If you weren't like a son to me, i would be wearing your teeth as a necklace a
very, very long time ago.
Upon hearing such words, the younger man did not even attempt to withhold his anger, his eyes were quickly ablaze with madness and hate, fury covered his face, and he was eagerly ready to say something against such boldness, but was stopped by a grim, yet rightful and silent glaze of his companion. His temper was unstable, and as quickly as Iharius turned to anger, with even quicker speed he could forget anything that seemed to insult him. Deep inside, he knew that Dwight had a point and there was no reason to anger him, for it is he who found him and raised him, it was he who was his tutor and guardian all these years. And even after teaching him all that he knew and saving his life countlessly, Dwight was with him and has always kept him by his side. What was equally important is that when Dwight spoke, there was always a deep meaning in his words. He never told him why they have come to this forsaken place, and what matters they had here to partake. The younger follower decided to listen heedfully to his teacher from now on. He felt that within the shortest amount of time he will know everything needed for him to know. Dwight never hid away anything as long as they knew each other, he was indeed like a father to him. For a moment Iharius lost himself in his own troublesome thoughts. He did not remember much from that sinister day, only one memory lived as a nightmare in his mind, a memory which he hated and feared the most, but also a memory which he would never willingly forget - the memory of his mothers death. The most painful thought was that the vision of his mothers death was the only memory of her, and he missed her deeply with all of his soul. A warband of raiders ravaged a small town in which they lived, and his mother sacrificed her life so that he could live by covering him from the bullets which were fired endlessly. The last breath and the last look in those eyes which he missed so much, before they finally closed, never opening again... This very last breath and this very last glaze in her eyes lived on in him, for as long as he was alive. Soon after the marauders have left the town, a lonesome wanderer found him, a silent little child sitting near the breathless body of his mother. The traveler, who was back then even younger than Iharius had been now raised him as a true father which the little boy had never known. That was 20 years ago, but that day... Iharius wanted it back, but could not conceive why.
- Do you remember what i have taught you about The Great War? Countless have perished,
and our future will never be the same as our past was. I never have seen the past, but
Iharius, before, when a man had everything for the day which would come to him
tomorrow, he foolishly gave it away in blind lust to have more. Now, when a man has
nothing save for his own life, tomorrow that awaits him is death hidden behind every rock
and shadow... constant uncertainty of whether or not mankind will live on.
Iharius pulled himself up to sit straight and while listening asked:
- So what are you getting at?
- I do not stand for the plague which haunted the past, Iharius, i am explaining it to you. You
do not know anything about who, or should i say what was behind the fanatical movement
of The Cathedral. Right now i am about to share with you as much as i know about those
days, for there is a grave danger of their return, but regretfully a very few are aware of
this..
Iharius sat hesitantly, he did not grasp why he was being told of these things. Yes, they were both mercenaries of the "Lead Spitter" detachment, and he suspected that they are were going on an assignment which would require killing skill, but what did this have to do with a failed religion, he could not perceive. Dwight realized this and while still sitting across the dim tongues of the fire, he bent himself towards Iharius and took him firmly by the shoulders. While looking directly into his eyes he said:
- You must know your enemy before you face it. I have told you these words a thousand
times, and right now they are truly important. We live not only to kill and earn from
murder, we live also to bring justice and hope to this shattered world. This time, im not here
for caps Iharius, and neither are you.
He sat back against the wall like previously, letting go of Iharius. Turning his head towards
the window, he yet again looked at the sky. It was getting much darker, the rain stopped falling. His gray eyes looked very tired of life as he continued to speak.
- When we returned to Undermount, as you remember, the guns from our detachment sent
word that Tarnuts needed to have a chitchat with me. As suddenly as i heard this i knew
that old numskull had something serious to say, because after all, not every day the leader
of a mercenary group wants to see you for a discussion. When i finally found him in the l
lowest cavern chambers, he was interrogating a pale young lad with a crazed look on his
face. The poor fellow must have been beaten senselessly for a few hours, he would soon
die from his injuries. Coughing up thick strings of blood, he sneered at us and murmured
something about a shadow which has come to avenge the holy flame. At first I didn't pay
atte...
Dwight looked back at Iharius again. Seeing that confusion dominated his follower , he stopped speaking and simply shut his weary eyes. As if in some other world, he was now deeply within his own self, searching for something. Finally, he came back to his previous self.
- I feel your confusion, Iharius. That is why i was harsh in my words to you. You need to
learn how to listen, and you will need to listen carefully, then you will understand what
awaits us. It will be dark soon, and rest is needed for the day which is ahead of us, but
before you rest, listen to every word that i say to you, understand?
Iharius silently nodded. He began to see, that when Dwight spoke of his childhood
and The Cathedral, there was was an interrelated meaning to his tale. Feeling that the young soldier of fortune is ready for his story, Dwight spoke in a softer manner, with his eyes now again closed.
- Before i begin, i will answer to your question about how could you possibly not disregard
the brainwashing nonsense of The Cathedral. I spoke of the Great War, did i not? The flaws
of humanity led to its doom. The wise will tell you that the human being reached it's zenith
of triumph not only through perfection but through error as well. We are who we ar...
Iharius suddenly cried out with a tone of childish joy:
- For fucks sakes, that's what i've been tryin' to say! I couldn't have put it better myself, we
are who we are, with our upsides and downsides in one can of shit which we call a soul!
And those bastards forgot that! Instead they preferred to get brainwashed.
Dwight continued to speak further on:
- As i was saying, the flaws of humanity led to it's downfall. An atomic light engulfed the
world, and the Children of the Cathedral believed that this catastrophe was a Sacred Fire
which gave forth from the heavens a new beginning. The earth was cleansed by this Holy
Flame as they said, and there was no more dominance of human incompleteness in it. But if
the atomic blaze birthed a new reality, there would have to be a leader which would
preserve this reality, and that leader was The Master.
While mentioning the last word Dwight infolded in silence, and opened his eyes once more.
As always they were tired, but has something different come to his mind wondered Iharius? it seemed to be so.
- He had many names and titles... Dark God was a very common one as far as i know. He
united himself with the title of the Sacred Fire, hiding behind it in the obscurity of his lair.
This bothers me for one particular reason which i will tell you later on. The Master desired to
see a new reality, a new age where there would be no taint or error, only his Unity. In this
age, which would last for an eternity, he would be the all ruling and the all seeing
mastermind, there would be no more war and death, no more suffering and grief - The Age
of Peace would finally ensure itself.
Last gleams of light which hid behind the dark horizon of rainclouds were slowly dispersing.
Amusing it seemed to be... The world ended, or so it was thought, but the speed of light,
the warmth of the sun still circulated around this broken planet, gifting it's shining hope to
all those whose heart was worth to receive this very feeling...
- The Master has striven to make one race which would bow before him, one goal which was his
to lead and carry, one Unity that was in his grasp to foresee for as long as he desired to...
And all of his illusionary dreams were destroyed along with him by a single man - The Vault
Dweller.
Iharius has heard this name an innumerable amount of times, and not only from Dwight, but also from many others who lived in the wasteland. For some he was a guardian - the embodiment of justice and benignancy that was still left somewhere in this world. For others he was merely a myth, a legend which lived in the whispers of the wretched and the oppressed. But all who spoke and to this very day speak of him esteem The Vault Dweller for two great deeds - He saved his people from a great thirst and he brought an end to a great
evil which came from the north. Iharius continued to listen as carefully as he could.
- The Dweller isn't some fairytale hero, Iharius, and perhaps he still wanders the barren lands
somewhere... When i was a small child, i saw him with my very own two eyes. As i have told
you before, i was born in Vault 13. I do not remember much, but when i was small, a great
thirst had occurred in the mighty shelter which was a home to many people. My parents had
sold everything they had, by illegal means of course, so that they would have more spare
water. During this time, my mother had died and soon afterwards my father followed her. I
was too small to blame myself for the cause of their death, but when i grew older, i came to
a conclusion that they died because nearly all water they had they gave to me, for i was
their only child and they literally lived for me. The Overseer said that there would be enough
water for everyone, but there wasn't. Back then those who inhabited the vault did not
understand that The Overseer was a crazed man who was obsessed with power and
control, and i can't blame them, because in appearance, he was a brilliant individual, very
calm and responsible... I can only say that from what i have heard about The Master... In
some ways The Overseer was very much like him.
Rats, several of them, wet and hideous, crawled frightfully through the cracks of a wall near the corridor which was at the end of the room where the mercenaries sat. Noticing them, Dwight said with a pleased tone in his voice:
- Good to see that this place is full of rodents. This is a sign of safety, because trust me, when
Necropolis was full of ghouls, rats were a rare delicacy amongst them.
Iharius replied:
- So this is The City of The Dead! Why didn't you say that to me before i started to get
all angry and shit? I didn't even know where we are! Although you do know me... I had my
suspected guesses.
Not paying attention to these words, Dwight proceeded with his story of the past:
- The Vault Dweller left unexpectedly, several days before all of us were told that a vital
part in the water filtering mechanism was broken... As i recall, not many knew him well,
as he was rather close to The Overseer only. By the time he had returned, my parents have
died, but as a child, i didn't hold any anger against that young venturer, because i didn't
even know that he was supposed to be our salvation. Later i asked myself, could he arrive
sooner, just in time to save my parents from thirsting to death? I reckon that if he could
return in time than he definitely would. Within that time, i myself was near death, and so
were my adopters, but one night we were woken up, the whole vault was raised from sleep
by an intercom announcement. We heard the voice of The Overseer which simply said to all
of us, as if nothing happened, that the mechanism for the water purifier has finally been
found by one of the scouts. He congratulated us, and gave word to all through the
intercom broadcast, that no matter the cost, Vault 13 will prevail and will survive. Many
have thought that his speech was tied to the water crisis which has finally ended and was
now in the past... But fear was in his voice, and fear not of the past, but fear of the future. I
saw the Vault Dweller for the last time the next morning after that night. As he was about
the leave the vault once more, he looked right at me, and his eyes seemed to me, a child, to
be very different than they were before. He was discussing something with The Overseer
while walking through the main corridor leading to the cavern exit. Do you have any
questions?
Iharius was listening very carefully this time, and quickly replied:
- No, go on.
- Days passed, and i was immersed in my childish fantasies, playing with the other children.
My adopters recovered quickly and were doing well, although Jimm was somewhat hard
on the bottle from time to time.
- Who's Jimm? Asked Iharius.
- My stepfather.May he rest in peace...
- How do you know that he is dead?
- After all the booze he took up his whistle, i would be suprised to hear that he still lives.
- I see.
- Anyway, i saw how strongly The Overseer had changed. Everyone saw the
change in him. The man had fear written all over his face, and he was waiting, it was evident.
He was waiting for The Vault Dweller to come back, i felt it, but why, i did not know. Time kept
passing by and one day, he was just like before, calm and very self controlled. A slim grin
was on his lips and dark satisfaction was in his eyes, but that wasn't to be for long. I don't
know how exactly, but the people have learned of The Vault Dwellers exile, and when they
did, they brought rough justice upon the Overseer. Before they executed him, the people have
learned everything what their former leader was hiding from them. They learned of a Mutant
God which transformed humans into hideous beasts by dipping them into a mutating virus.
They learned of a religion which covered up this very Dark God who was behind it. And lastly
they learned that The Vault Dweller destroyed this "God" and ended a threat which could
overwhelm not only them, but the entire world. When they did, it was obvious that The
Overseer exiled their savior in fear of losing power, in fear that the people will from here
on listen to their protector and not their rightful ruler. Many have since then left the Vault to find the
one who brought life back to it.
Dwight turned quiet for a split second. It was absolutely dark now, and only the slightest pieces of coal were still burning with wisps of dim flame. Iharius looked into his eyes closely... No, he didn't see the reflection of the sky within his eyes a a while ago, it really
was hope that shined within them... Hope that there is still humanity within the human being.
- When i turned sixteen years old, i decided to leave the Vault as well. As i have said, many
left, but none returned, because The Vault split into those who preferred to keep things the
way they were, even regretting the death of the old overseer, and into those who wanted
changes... changes which The Vault could not provide. It became a rule that once you leave,
there is no turning back. I thought many days, and felt that i want to see changes too, i
could not live there anymore. I realized my deep hate for The Vault, my guilt of my parents
death grew and became almost unbearable. My stepmother died of an illness and nothing
seemed to hold me back anymore. After speaking with the only two people which were close
to me; Jimm, which by now gave his will away to the bottle entirely, and Victoria, my
childhood friend, i took my things and left the Vault. It was hard to leave Victoria, because she
felt something for me which i never have felt for her. She even proposed to go with me into
the wastes, explaining to me that if i die, i at least won't die alone. I dismissed this without any
objections from her, for i knew that death is far not the worst thing which can await in the
wasteland. I have never felt regret for this decision, especially after seeing what the barren
world really was like. She was a beautiful person, and was worthy of gladness, even in these
broken times which we live in. To this very day i hope that she found her joy in life...
Iharius interrupted Dwight with a rather irrelevant question:
- So what was life back then, were the times any different?
- That's an interesting question, Iharius... Almost a philosophical one. I suppose they were and
yet at the same time i suppose they weren't. There was always injustice and suffering, but
now the times are much more peaceful. There was a time when raider clans became boldly
aggressive (While hearing these words Iharius remembered his past again) because no one
put them in their place, since The Brotherhood of Steel had its own share of problems
with the remnants of The Masters Army. Eventually however, The Brotherhood was able
pacify the bandit groups, and to this day they can't recover their power completely.
The last coals in the fire died out and the men were sitting in complete darkness, above them the mistful light of the moon shone through the dense clouds. Dwight spoke quietly, almost soundlessly, but Iharius heard him well.
- Time is running out before tomorrows light will bless The City of The Dead once more. I have
told you of the past days, and by now you have most likely grasped the idea, that they are
in threat of returning.
- You mean to say that The Master lives again, resurrected?
- No, Iharius... He was mortal, and his days, thankfully, are over. Remember what i have
said about the prisoner at The Undermount?
- Yes, what about him?
- Do you know what The New Faith is?
- All i know is that it's some religion that has a few followers in The Hub.
- The New Faith is a remainder of The Unity, Iharius, and while i am unfamiliar with their
teachings, they praise The Only Flame. They also believe in The Shadow which controls
this so called Flame. From what we have managed to obtain, it seems that this Flame, just
like before, is a metaphor of some force, most likely the force of nuclear devastation... The
Shadow, judging by what we know, is a live individual. The prisoner that i told you about
was a cultist of this so called New Faith, whom the "Dead Ted" detachment found in The
Hub outskirts. He was preaching to a group of bystanders, and well... As far as i am
informed our men had an objective to capture him. They a found a flask with a virus in his
possessions, the very same virus which The Master used over 40 years ago to create his
abominations.
Iharius was shocked to hear this, but managed to be silent.
- The prisoner murmured strange things..."The Holy Flame has been abolished but it's Shadow
cannot be" he said. The Master was often undistinguished from the The Sacred Fire, and
this bothers me now the most, as i have said to you before... Does this mean that a new,
powerful successor of The Master has emerged from the wastes? We are to find out what
this is all about... The Masters vision has never died along with him and the danger of it
arising with new strength is at hand.
Iharius, finally understood what he was being told of. He asked:
- What is our plan?
- Tomorrow we must locate and join the "Broken Muzzle" detachment. They know where a
cultist hideout is located... Supposedly, it is somewhere deep within this city. We must
capture their high priest and find as much information in this hideout as possible. Rest
now, while i prepare for the mission and inject the morphine... The pain is getting sharper
again.
"The Dark Rebirth"
C H A P T E R 1
SHADOW OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
"The Holy Flame has been abolished but it's Shadow cannot be"
Near a fading fire two men were sitting, one was speaking, the other listening.
They were well hidden within the walls of a burned out tower-block building, which
provided a full view of what was beneath. Leaned against the wall close to them were
suppressed AK-112 assault rifles and a Rockwell Rocket Launcher - a destructive contrast of noise and silence. Both of the armor clad men wore two-colored pattern desert shade camouflage uniforms with insignia markings on the left shoulder pocket which depicted the letters "LS". By their overall appearance, it could have been said that they were both very familiar with the art of warfare. One of the men had a hood which rested on his head, while his facial appearance was covered by a bandana, revealing only his gray eyes, and it was he who was speaking. The one who was listening to him was young of age, a man with long dark hair the locks of which wildly rested on his mighty shoulders, falling on his armoured vest. His hazel brown eyes were half closed and calm, but something deep inside them was menacing and unrestful. The hood covered man spoke with a dry, hoarse sounding voice:
- I was born in 2156, the very same year when The New Faith saw the light of the wastes.
Back then it was called differently, and all who walked the earth of the wartorn Southwest
Commonwealth spoke in whispers about The Cathedral where a Dark God has arisen.
The hooded man ceased to speak and remained sitting silent for a long, straining moment. It was seen in the obscure thoughts which reflected in his eyes. He was reminiscing on the times which have long passed but the retained memory of which was crucial as never before... For every plague and every threat there must be those who are ever vigilant to stop it from growing. They sat together quietly, amongst the ruins where there was nothing except the inevitably vanishing remnants of the past - the crumbling shadows of once great buildings and skytowers, now they seemed to be carcasses of slain mythical beasts, corroded and fallen remains made of stone and steel. First drops of rain began to mark the lifeless soil beneath the sky, and the wind howled faintly throughout the desolate streets of the long since accursed city. The man who spoke raised his hood covered head to the clouds which drifted far above the broken ceiling. A small cinder of hope was now seen in his eyes, or perhaps merely the reflection of the heaven shined within them... there was no more obscurity in his sight, and he began to speak once more.
- They called themselves Children of The Cathedral. Of course back then there were not many
who could take thought or ponder, that this religion had an intentional beginning at all,
many embraced it as an absolute truth gifted as a blessing from the master which waited in
the Darkness below. The dogma of the children was very simple to understand, and what
they taught could not be disregarded. In many populated regions, they provided their
medical aid and care, they would help anyone who was in need of help. When it became
clear to them that their grip is strong in one particular place or the other, they began to
preach and outspread their "holy" teachings within the crowds, and people would always...
The listener, the young man supposedly payed great attention to every word, even though this was not so, and it was evident that his patience was ending. For the first time he interrupted his companion.
- Dwight, forgive me for being a reeking, ignorant asshole, (while saying this the young
man held back a smiling grimace, most likely finding his self-critical words to be a sharp
sarcasm) but what does this have to do with our mission? You haven't said a word to me
about our objective from the day you received it at the Undermount. The same night we
left the base, you still haven't told me anything and now you are sharing your childhood
memories with me? What's this about and what does this have to do with a long ago
obliterated cult of madmen? How in the hell can you say that their trash could not be
disregarded? They were a bunch of fanatical shitbags saying things that even many of their
own brothers by misfortune did not understand. Anyone who agrees even the slightest bit
with their brahmin crap is not worth of walking the wastes, and should be fed to the
cannibals.
The man who spoke of the past now in turn payed great attention to his younger listener with an outward calmness, and unlike the latter, he did not make a mere appearance of doing so. After hearing objections and skeptical ignorance, as well as foul words which were apparently meant to be humorous but turned out to be a waste of air, the hooded one replied.
- Iharius, believe me, you and your temper both need not an explanation, but rather a good
whipping. You are a fully grown man now, and even though you lack wisdom which can
only be obtained throughout the years in the wasteland, you still need to be more
reasonable. If you weren't like a son to me, i would be wearing your teeth as a necklace a
very, very long time ago.
Upon hearing such words, the younger man did not even attempt to withhold his anger, his eyes were quickly ablaze with madness and hate, fury covered his face, and he was eagerly ready to say something against such boldness, but was stopped by a grim, yet rightful and silent glaze of his companion. His temper was unstable, and as quickly as Iharius turned to anger, with even quicker speed he could forget anything that seemed to insult him. Deep inside, he knew that Dwight had a point and there was no reason to anger him, for it is he who found him and raised him, it was he who was his tutor and guardian all these years. And even after teaching him all that he knew and saving his life countlessly, Dwight was with him and has always kept him by his side. What was equally important is that when Dwight spoke, there was always a deep meaning in his words. He never told him why they have come to this forsaken place, and what matters they had here to partake. The younger follower decided to listen heedfully to his teacher from now on. He felt that within the shortest amount of time he will know everything needed for him to know. Dwight never hid away anything as long as they knew each other, he was indeed like a father to him. For a moment Iharius lost himself in his own troublesome thoughts. He did not remember much from that sinister day, only one memory lived as a nightmare in his mind, a memory which he hated and feared the most, but also a memory which he would never willingly forget - the memory of his mothers death. The most painful thought was that the vision of his mothers death was the only memory of her, and he missed her deeply with all of his soul. A warband of raiders ravaged a small town in which they lived, and his mother sacrificed her life so that he could live by covering him from the bullets which were fired endlessly. The last breath and the last look in those eyes which he missed so much, before they finally closed, never opening again... This very last breath and this very last glaze in her eyes lived on in him, for as long as he was alive. Soon after the marauders have left the town, a lonesome wanderer found him, a silent little child sitting near the breathless body of his mother. The traveler, who was back then even younger than Iharius had been now raised him as a true father which the little boy had never known. That was 20 years ago, but that day... Iharius wanted it back, but could not conceive why.
- Do you remember what i have taught you about The Great War? Countless have perished,
and our future will never be the same as our past was. I never have seen the past, but
Iharius, before, when a man had everything for the day which would come to him
tomorrow, he foolishly gave it away in blind lust to have more. Now, when a man has
nothing save for his own life, tomorrow that awaits him is death hidden behind every rock
and shadow... constant uncertainty of whether or not mankind will live on.
Iharius pulled himself up to sit straight and while listening asked:
- So what are you getting at?
- I do not stand for the plague which haunted the past, Iharius, i am explaining it to you. You
do not know anything about who, or should i say what was behind the fanatical movement
of The Cathedral. Right now i am about to share with you as much as i know about those
days, for there is a grave danger of their return, but regretfully a very few are aware of
this..
Iharius sat hesitantly, he did not grasp why he was being told of these things. Yes, they were both mercenaries of the "Lead Spitter" detachment, and he suspected that they are were going on an assignment which would require killing skill, but what did this have to do with a failed religion, he could not perceive. Dwight realized this and while still sitting across the dim tongues of the fire, he bent himself towards Iharius and took him firmly by the shoulders. While looking directly into his eyes he said:
- You must know your enemy before you face it. I have told you these words a thousand
times, and right now they are truly important. We live not only to kill and earn from
murder, we live also to bring justice and hope to this shattered world. This time, im not here
for caps Iharius, and neither are you.
He sat back against the wall like previously, letting go of Iharius. Turning his head towards
the window, he yet again looked at the sky. It was getting much darker, the rain stopped falling. His gray eyes looked very tired of life as he continued to speak.
- When we returned to Undermount, as you remember, the guns from our detachment sent
word that Tarnuts needed to have a chitchat with me. As suddenly as i heard this i knew
that old numskull had something serious to say, because after all, not every day the leader
of a mercenary group wants to see you for a discussion. When i finally found him in the l
lowest cavern chambers, he was interrogating a pale young lad with a crazed look on his
face. The poor fellow must have been beaten senselessly for a few hours, he would soon
die from his injuries. Coughing up thick strings of blood, he sneered at us and murmured
something about a shadow which has come to avenge the holy flame. At first I didn't pay
atte...
Dwight looked back at Iharius again. Seeing that confusion dominated his follower , he stopped speaking and simply shut his weary eyes. As if in some other world, he was now deeply within his own self, searching for something. Finally, he came back to his previous self.
- I feel your confusion, Iharius. That is why i was harsh in my words to you. You need to
learn how to listen, and you will need to listen carefully, then you will understand what
awaits us. It will be dark soon, and rest is needed for the day which is ahead of us, but
before you rest, listen to every word that i say to you, understand?
Iharius silently nodded. He began to see, that when Dwight spoke of his childhood
and The Cathedral, there was was an interrelated meaning to his tale. Feeling that the young soldier of fortune is ready for his story, Dwight spoke in a softer manner, with his eyes now again closed.
- Before i begin, i will answer to your question about how could you possibly not disregard
the brainwashing nonsense of The Cathedral. I spoke of the Great War, did i not? The flaws
of humanity led to its doom. The wise will tell you that the human being reached it's zenith
of triumph not only through perfection but through error as well. We are who we ar...
Iharius suddenly cried out with a tone of childish joy:
- For fucks sakes, that's what i've been tryin' to say! I couldn't have put it better myself, we
are who we are, with our upsides and downsides in one can of shit which we call a soul!
And those bastards forgot that! Instead they preferred to get brainwashed.
Dwight continued to speak further on:
- As i was saying, the flaws of humanity led to it's downfall. An atomic light engulfed the
world, and the Children of the Cathedral believed that this catastrophe was a Sacred Fire
which gave forth from the heavens a new beginning. The earth was cleansed by this Holy
Flame as they said, and there was no more dominance of human incompleteness in it. But if
the atomic blaze birthed a new reality, there would have to be a leader which would
preserve this reality, and that leader was The Master.
While mentioning the last word Dwight infolded in silence, and opened his eyes once more.
As always they were tired, but has something different come to his mind wondered Iharius? it seemed to be so.
- He had many names and titles... Dark God was a very common one as far as i know. He
united himself with the title of the Sacred Fire, hiding behind it in the obscurity of his lair.
This bothers me for one particular reason which i will tell you later on. The Master desired to
see a new reality, a new age where there would be no taint or error, only his Unity. In this
age, which would last for an eternity, he would be the all ruling and the all seeing
mastermind, there would be no more war and death, no more suffering and grief - The Age
of Peace would finally ensure itself.
Last gleams of light which hid behind the dark horizon of rainclouds were slowly dispersing.
Amusing it seemed to be... The world ended, or so it was thought, but the speed of light,
the warmth of the sun still circulated around this broken planet, gifting it's shining hope to
all those whose heart was worth to receive this very feeling...
- The Master has striven to make one race which would bow before him, one goal which was his
to lead and carry, one Unity that was in his grasp to foresee for as long as he desired to...
And all of his illusionary dreams were destroyed along with him by a single man - The Vault
Dweller.
Iharius has heard this name an innumerable amount of times, and not only from Dwight, but also from many others who lived in the wasteland. For some he was a guardian - the embodiment of justice and benignancy that was still left somewhere in this world. For others he was merely a myth, a legend which lived in the whispers of the wretched and the oppressed. But all who spoke and to this very day speak of him esteem The Vault Dweller for two great deeds - He saved his people from a great thirst and he brought an end to a great
evil which came from the north. Iharius continued to listen as carefully as he could.
- The Dweller isn't some fairytale hero, Iharius, and perhaps he still wanders the barren lands
somewhere... When i was a small child, i saw him with my very own two eyes. As i have told
you before, i was born in Vault 13. I do not remember much, but when i was small, a great
thirst had occurred in the mighty shelter which was a home to many people. My parents had
sold everything they had, by illegal means of course, so that they would have more spare
water. During this time, my mother had died and soon afterwards my father followed her. I
was too small to blame myself for the cause of their death, but when i grew older, i came to
a conclusion that they died because nearly all water they had they gave to me, for i was
their only child and they literally lived for me. The Overseer said that there would be enough
water for everyone, but there wasn't. Back then those who inhabited the vault did not
understand that The Overseer was a crazed man who was obsessed with power and
control, and i can't blame them, because in appearance, he was a brilliant individual, very
calm and responsible... I can only say that from what i have heard about The Master... In
some ways The Overseer was very much like him.
Rats, several of them, wet and hideous, crawled frightfully through the cracks of a wall near the corridor which was at the end of the room where the mercenaries sat. Noticing them, Dwight said with a pleased tone in his voice:
- Good to see that this place is full of rodents. This is a sign of safety, because trust me, when
Necropolis was full of ghouls, rats were a rare delicacy amongst them.
Iharius replied:
- So this is The City of The Dead! Why didn't you say that to me before i started to get
all angry and shit? I didn't even know where we are! Although you do know me... I had my
suspected guesses.
Not paying attention to these words, Dwight proceeded with his story of the past:
- The Vault Dweller left unexpectedly, several days before all of us were told that a vital
part in the water filtering mechanism was broken... As i recall, not many knew him well,
as he was rather close to The Overseer only. By the time he had returned, my parents have
died, but as a child, i didn't hold any anger against that young venturer, because i didn't
even know that he was supposed to be our salvation. Later i asked myself, could he arrive
sooner, just in time to save my parents from thirsting to death? I reckon that if he could
return in time than he definitely would. Within that time, i myself was near death, and so
were my adopters, but one night we were woken up, the whole vault was raised from sleep
by an intercom announcement. We heard the voice of The Overseer which simply said to all
of us, as if nothing happened, that the mechanism for the water purifier has finally been
found by one of the scouts. He congratulated us, and gave word to all through the
intercom broadcast, that no matter the cost, Vault 13 will prevail and will survive. Many
have thought that his speech was tied to the water crisis which has finally ended and was
now in the past... But fear was in his voice, and fear not of the past, but fear of the future. I
saw the Vault Dweller for the last time the next morning after that night. As he was about
the leave the vault once more, he looked right at me, and his eyes seemed to me, a child, to
be very different than they were before. He was discussing something with The Overseer
while walking through the main corridor leading to the cavern exit. Do you have any
questions?
Iharius was listening very carefully this time, and quickly replied:
- No, go on.
- Days passed, and i was immersed in my childish fantasies, playing with the other children.
My adopters recovered quickly and were doing well, although Jimm was somewhat hard
on the bottle from time to time.
- Who's Jimm? Asked Iharius.
- My stepfather.May he rest in peace...
- How do you know that he is dead?
- After all the booze he took up his whistle, i would be suprised to hear that he still lives.
- I see.
- Anyway, i saw how strongly The Overseer had changed. Everyone saw the
change in him. The man had fear written all over his face, and he was waiting, it was evident.
He was waiting for The Vault Dweller to come back, i felt it, but why, i did not know. Time kept
passing by and one day, he was just like before, calm and very self controlled. A slim grin
was on his lips and dark satisfaction was in his eyes, but that wasn't to be for long. I don't
know how exactly, but the people have learned of The Vault Dwellers exile, and when they
did, they brought rough justice upon the Overseer. Before they executed him, the people have
learned everything what their former leader was hiding from them. They learned of a Mutant
God which transformed humans into hideous beasts by dipping them into a mutating virus.
They learned of a religion which covered up this very Dark God who was behind it. And lastly
they learned that The Vault Dweller destroyed this "God" and ended a threat which could
overwhelm not only them, but the entire world. When they did, it was obvious that The
Overseer exiled their savior in fear of losing power, in fear that the people will from here
on listen to their protector and not their rightful ruler. Many have since then left the Vault to find the
one who brought life back to it.
Dwight turned quiet for a split second. It was absolutely dark now, and only the slightest pieces of coal were still burning with wisps of dim flame. Iharius looked into his eyes closely... No, he didn't see the reflection of the sky within his eyes a a while ago, it really
was hope that shined within them... Hope that there is still humanity within the human being.
- When i turned sixteen years old, i decided to leave the Vault as well. As i have said, many
left, but none returned, because The Vault split into those who preferred to keep things the
way they were, even regretting the death of the old overseer, and into those who wanted
changes... changes which The Vault could not provide. It became a rule that once you leave,
there is no turning back. I thought many days, and felt that i want to see changes too, i
could not live there anymore. I realized my deep hate for The Vault, my guilt of my parents
death grew and became almost unbearable. My stepmother died of an illness and nothing
seemed to hold me back anymore. After speaking with the only two people which were close
to me; Jimm, which by now gave his will away to the bottle entirely, and Victoria, my
childhood friend, i took my things and left the Vault. It was hard to leave Victoria, because she
felt something for me which i never have felt for her. She even proposed to go with me into
the wastes, explaining to me that if i die, i at least won't die alone. I dismissed this without any
objections from her, for i knew that death is far not the worst thing which can await in the
wasteland. I have never felt regret for this decision, especially after seeing what the barren
world really was like. She was a beautiful person, and was worthy of gladness, even in these
broken times which we live in. To this very day i hope that she found her joy in life...
Iharius interrupted Dwight with a rather irrelevant question:
- So what was life back then, were the times any different?
- That's an interesting question, Iharius... Almost a philosophical one. I suppose they were and
yet at the same time i suppose they weren't. There was always injustice and suffering, but
now the times are much more peaceful. There was a time when raider clans became boldly
aggressive (While hearing these words Iharius remembered his past again) because no one
put them in their place, since The Brotherhood of Steel had its own share of problems
with the remnants of The Masters Army. Eventually however, The Brotherhood was able
pacify the bandit groups, and to this day they can't recover their power completely.
The last coals in the fire died out and the men were sitting in complete darkness, above them the mistful light of the moon shone through the dense clouds. Dwight spoke quietly, almost soundlessly, but Iharius heard him well.
- Time is running out before tomorrows light will bless The City of The Dead once more. I have
told you of the past days, and by now you have most likely grasped the idea, that they are
in threat of returning.
- You mean to say that The Master lives again, resurrected?
- No, Iharius... He was mortal, and his days, thankfully, are over. Remember what i have
said about the prisoner at The Undermount?
- Yes, what about him?
- Do you know what The New Faith is?
- All i know is that it's some religion that has a few followers in The Hub.
- The New Faith is a remainder of The Unity, Iharius, and while i am unfamiliar with their
teachings, they praise The Only Flame. They also believe in The Shadow which controls
this so called Flame. From what we have managed to obtain, it seems that this Flame, just
like before, is a metaphor of some force, most likely the force of nuclear devastation... The
Shadow, judging by what we know, is a live individual. The prisoner that i told you about
was a cultist of this so called New Faith, whom the "Dead Ted" detachment found in The
Hub outskirts. He was preaching to a group of bystanders, and well... As far as i am
informed our men had an objective to capture him. They a found a flask with a virus in his
possessions, the very same virus which The Master used over 40 years ago to create his
abominations.
Iharius was shocked to hear this, but managed to be silent.
- The prisoner murmured strange things..."The Holy Flame has been abolished but it's Shadow
cannot be" he said. The Master was often undistinguished from the The Sacred Fire, and
this bothers me now the most, as i have said to you before... Does this mean that a new,
powerful successor of The Master has emerged from the wastes? We are to find out what
this is all about... The Masters vision has never died along with him and the danger of it
arising with new strength is at hand.
Iharius, finally understood what he was being told of. He asked:
- What is our plan?
- Tomorrow we must locate and join the "Broken Muzzle" detachment. They know where a
cultist hideout is located... Supposedly, it is somewhere deep within this city. We must
capture their high priest and find as much information in this hideout as possible. Rest
now, while i prepare for the mission and inject the morphine... The pain is getting sharper
again.
