Van Nightmare

This story is part of the community effort on the Emperor's Nightmare chapter.

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1

Van Charn hid in the shadows of the alley, possessing nothing but the rags that clad him. The street urchin had lived his entire life in these shadows, in the Hive streets. No family. No gang. Just himself. Until now. Salvation lie before him, in the form of a flower. Not just any flower, this flower would grant him eternal glory, family, and a life. An actual life.

The young boy watched the shop owner from afar. The man wearing the clothes of a noble. He disgusted Van. Van had studied his movements the past few days, even before the recruitment had begun. He bit his lip, and waited for the shop owner to leave to feed his pet at his hab unit down the street. Now it was the moment to strike.

Van crept out silently, then quickened his pace. The street below his bare feet was warm on this day. He approached the door of the shop and entered, and there it was. The flower. He wrapped his hands around the pot. "Going somewhere?" He turned. It was Turlin, another of the aspirants, and a gang member at that. "I see you've found my flower, boyo. Give it here."

Van was quiet for a moment. He heard the click of the laspistol at his back. "Give me the plant, and you will not die." Van's grip on the pot went cold.

"Look..." He said "We don't have much time, soon the owner will be back and he'll have both of our heads... This is my one chance...."

"Nope. Not gonna happen. One last chance to give it up before I blast your brains out and leave myself." Van closed his eyes. "The pot..." Said Turlin.

"Alright..." Van picked up the pot, swiveling on his foot, knocking the outstretched arm holding the pistol away and knocking the gun from the hand, he held the pot over his head and brought it down, smashing it upon Turlin's skull and sending the boy down with a bloody crown. Van stuffed the pistol in his rope belt and then scooped up the flower and ran out of the shop.

2

Van ran, the dirt falling from his hands as he turned the corner, leaving just the flower in-hand. He picked up a bag and placed the plant into the bag, tying it to his belt. He then continued to run down the street. The lights fizzled out. It was a sector black-out. And not good, because it was dusk, and the sun was sinking fast on the lip of the hive. Van wiped sweat from his forehead, and walked down the darkening street. Then an explosion filled his vision. A car had been blasted by a missile. When he came-to, Van was on the ground, with a ringing in his ear. A bald man with the tattoo of a serpent grabbed him and pulled him behind a low wall, where there were two more identical men, clutching autoguns. Another explosion rocked the earth around them. "Kid? Kid? Can you hear me?" Said the man. "Name's Caln, and you've just entered a gang war zone. Seems one of their members went missing, and they're blaming us... I-"

"I need to get out of the hive..." Van said to the ganger, fully coming to his senses. Caln smiled.

"Just so happens we have a tunnel network that can get ya out into the wastes in no-time kid. Follow me, keep your head down." He followed him to a manhole, and began his descent into darkness...

• * *

"What about your men?" Van asked as they crawled through the dirty bowels of the hive. Caln was ahead of him, holding out a torch to lead them.

"Eh, they can hold their own. They're the Sewer-dragons, after all, rulers of the underworld!" Van rolled his eyes as they continued down the tunnel. Then he heard a chirping.

"What is that?" He asked.

"Throne dammit." Caln cursed as three yellow snake-like things slithered out of the darkness and snapped at him. he drew a knife and stabbed one. The second jumped at him and bit him in the arm, and he yelled out a loud curse, ripping it free, blood poured from the wound. He slammed it against the wall. The third bit into his leg and he stabbed it. He panted heavily. "Kid...." Caln handed him the torch. "Go on ahead. Go. The slitherats've poisoned me. T-take my knife too..." He handed Van his bloody knife. "We've past their territory, don't worry. Shouldn't be long til you make it... to the wasteland..."

Van left him, crawling down the pipes. Eventually he did make it out into the wastes outside the city, now all he had to do was trek his way to the fortress monastery. He began his walk. He wondered where the other aspirants were...

3

Hours past, and eventually it was morning. Van wandered aimlessly through the wastes. He had taken his shirt off and wrapped it around his face to keep the dust from entering his eyes. Then he came to a rock. He sat on it, and pulled out the flower. His salvation. He then decided he could not give up. He pressed on. He came to a mountain, and began to climb it. At its peak, he saw the Fortress Monastery's tallest spires reaching up to the clouds.

"Kid." He heard behind him, he turned. It was Turlin, naked save for short undergarments, and covered in dust and sweat. Turlin held a short sabre in his hand, one of the local PDF. "I want that damn flower." Van drew his knife. The two circled a few times before clashing. They exchanged blows a few times before falling back into a circle. They eyed one another. "GIVE ME THE FLOWER!!" Screamed Turlin, holding the sabre above his head and charging. Van dove, slitting Turlin's leg, and causing him to fall, dropping the sabre. As he reached for his weapon, Van dug his knife into Turlin's arm. He then abandoned the ganger, and continued to the monastery.

• * *

He made it, finally. The gates were before Van, vast and welcoming, and he was parched. Would they give him a drink? What possibly could he say? He knew not. The great gates opened and a large human took up his form, clad in gold and purple armor. He placed his hands on Van's shoulders. "You are first of the new batch. We have been monitoring you. Welcome."

He was brought inside, and his future, his life, began.