AN (september): updates are beginning

Once there was a chance they could have had a normal life. A life free from oppression and fear where their children would grow tall and strong under a gentle sun. Sweet dreams to warm their hearts

But then the path was forked, the course was changed, the shadows filled with teeth and the world fell aflame

The rain fell in sheets. Cascading down from angry clouds that walked across the craggy land on legs of jagged lightning.

The forest was dark and deep and filled with darkness. A silver figure ran between the towering trees as the rain fell through the canopy and made sharp sounds against their armoured body. A tattered and torn cloak wrapped around the figure snapped in the wind.

Through the storm something heavy and with intent began pushing through the atmosphere. A low sinister droning slowly took over the rolling thunder and a scorching draft shook the trees as suddenly several shafts of light burst through the canopy searching the broken ground in rapid strokes.

The figure skidded to a stop when one of the lights swathed over them, iron feet slipping across the wet sod. A deep booming voice rang out through the forest as the airship came to rest above.

"In the name of his majesty, The Mighty and Merciful Kaiser. Surrender!" the voice demanded in rough German through the booming speakers. The dreadnought's engine pods swivelled upright and cycled down to a low but loud purr. Massive anchors were dropped. They crashed into the virgin earth dredging up the forest floor as they forced the warship to yield.

From the beast's gaping belly soldiers in dark blue uniforms were rappelling to the ground on long ropes. Crackling arc cannons and steam powered machine guns were pointed at the intruder's direction but the figure did not move expect for the steam that poured from between its joints in the cool night air. A man with captain stripes on his shoulders stepped forward with a megaphone and winced as the feedback screamed through the night when he switched it on.

"Thief!" his voice bellowed, "You are ordered to surrender for trial, power-down the armour and kneel or you will be fired upon!"

The figure stance changed slightly as if something had been triggered deep within. And then it happened: the bulletproof eye-slits lit up like blue-burning lanterns. Between the joints and cracks in the armour dots and pricks of lights switched on and off in strange mesmerising pattern while a low whine that sounded like a turbine starting up joined the night air.

"NO," said the figure in an odd harsh voice that sounded like two plates of lead grinding together. It cocked its head as if analysing the soldiers with its glowing eyes, "I MUST FIND HER!" It roared with a scorching anger. It eyes seemed to narrow as it stared at the commander. "YOU WILL TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE HIDING HER," It commanded.

The soldiers were startled at the things harsh voice and unconsciously fingers tightened slightly on triggers. Their leader was less intimidated; little shocked him after his three years on the Front.

"You are ordered to surrender. Deactivate the armour and prepare to be restrained!" He shouted back.

The ghost lowered his head ever so slightly, casting dark shadows across its face plate, "NO," the ghost spoke in a tone that should have been a whisper but came out in a deep rolling thunder, "BUT," and here the ghost tilted his head almost imploringly, "I AM KIND. SO I GIVE YOU, HERR COMMANDER, ONE CHANCE," he lifted one metal claw, "LET ME PASS. OR I SHALL BREAK YOU ALL." A silence spread through the men, they glanced to each other nervously, but then as one they checked their aim and made to fire. The ghost nodded with deep understanding, "WE MUST MAKE OUR CHOICES," he said, almost to himself, "AND STAND THE COST."

The low whine suddenly increased to a screaming shaking wave that ripped through the spectrums of audible noise. Men dropped to their knees as the sound tore out their eardrums. A radio set that had been strapped to a young private's back cackled and cried as the piercing shriek vanished into the ultrasonics and beyond into the ether yet unheard.

Above from within the open cargo bay of the dreadnought gunfire began spraying out. The sounds of dull cracks rang out as heavy rounds thudded into the ground and the oily smell of cordite began to fill the air as the confused men on the ground began firing wildly in all directions.

In a violent detonation the ghost vanished in a haze of steam that washed across the ground engulfing all. Then from the dark it came charging and with a powerful grip began to crush heads and break bones. Soon the gunfire fell silent and the men above tried desperately to pierce the gloom below with the dark red glow of flares.

Two blue dots stared up at them and something tall and dark was caught in the bright phosphorus light of falling flares. They should have payed attention to the mechanical War Hawks that nested in the rafters of the hanger, listening intently to the silent instructions that whispered to them high in the ultrasonics, that spoke to the tiny organic part of their brains. But sadly the only noise the soldiers heard came from the humming propellers and the freezing wind.

The rappel cables that had been used to deploy the ground troops were still swaying in the breeze then one tightened in a echoing twang as something heavy grabbed on. The men in the hangar looked at it as a sliver of fear danced like lightning down their backs.

A squawk was given through the ghost's speakers and the metal birds descended with talons out and beaks sharp.

The ghost watched the airship slowly burn from a nearby knoll. The bright red pyre cast a sullen reflection off its armoured body. The ghost had learned little at first from his interrogation of the bridge officers but the ghost had been methodical and patient and he had eventually learned of likely place to pick up the search again. A haunted ruin which lay far to the east deep in the Carpathian mountains. The ghost would fill the stone hewn fortress with enemy dead. He promised he would.

The armour's sensitive ears were already picking up signals and radio chatter form incoming patrol ships responding to the fire. With a final look at the burning hulk the ghost turned and moved to the other side of the knoll were it surveyed the landscape beyond. With one hand it reached up to its faceplate and clicked something just under where its ear would be and the front piece of metal slid apart with a hiss of air. The face beneath was young looking with intense green eyes and several weeks of growth about his jaw and his dark hair was matted from perspiration. After a few deep breaths of unfiltered air the man replaced the mask and a pressured hiss was heard as the suit cut the man off from the outside. The eerie blue glow returned to the circular hollow eyes.

High in the snow-streaked cliffs, guarded behind meters of ancient chiselled stone and machine polished steel a girl waited. Long dirty blond hair hanging across a terribly, terribly pale face. Hunched in the dark of her cell, thin arms splayed up on the wall by thick chains and feet tethered by chaffing ropes. Through the single grate set into the roof she turned her face to the freezing stars that twinkled at her from the stark night.

She opened her eyes showing black gems that dropped to hungering depths.

She smiled showing yellowed fangs sprouting from red-raw jaws.

And then she howled, a piercing scream that shook her wardens to their bones. They turned their glow-worm lamps to her door and set to fixing more freshly carved crosses to the great iron hatch that sealed her away. Bits of wood to hold back the genetic nightmare they had made.

And so.

The boy ran on and the girl struggled in the chains, and both let their minds go back to the time after the war. To when they sailed on a great ship that walked across the land. To better days when they were younger and had eachother.