Loser´s Coin

Hooves of the horse made silent noise every time they landed on dry ground under them. Where ever you looked, there was nothing to be seen, only more of this orange-ish red ground. Nobody remembered the time when the world was still green, when the plants, animals and people flourished. The apocalypse had met the civilized world few hundred years back, when the lust for knowledge overflowed. The whole planet was analyzed, everything that was worth knowing, was known, and if there isn´t anything in this world anymore, what next? The other worlds that co-exist with our own, in alternate timelines and dimensions. The great magicians from every city on the globe gathered and casted gate spell to create a portal that would make it possible to travel beetween worlds. The fabric of that universe is made from, is very unstable and sensitive for changes. The giant hole in that fabric that the gate created, caused it to twist whit apocalyptic consecuenses. Now that the wall beetween our world and theirs had been punctured, the worlds started to flow into each other, creating a new single world that became known as the "Earhagen". The rumor says that the name comes from the fused names of the of worlds. But what is the name of the other one? We do not know. Faith is very powerful thing, if enough people have faith that the certain character exists, a new world is created where it is true. In this case, the world contained mythical and fantasical creatures like dragons, elves, trolls and magic. The people of former Earth never came to like the ones they called "invaders", even though it was us that caused this and the beasts that came here, don´t like Earthlings too much either. As for me, I kinda like how things turned out. Nowadays the chaos has settled and people have learned the ways of Earhagen and can survive everyday lives with ease. Me and my faithful mount travel around, exploring the vast deserts of our planet. I knew that there was settlement near here, but it was nowhere to be seen. Maybe it has been ravaged by the dragons, they can be very aggressive and violent if they think they are threatened. Anyhow, I don´t have better plan so it couldn´t hurt to check things out. Maybe there would be something useful like guns and ammo. I check my own weapons, and continue. Few minutes, maybe ten to twenty, later the settlement comes to my sight. It seems to be okay, for now. You never know how long something that looks firm and eternal can last. With all these beasts, even the strongest stronghold can be reduced to rubble in only a few days. The scarf is on it´s place, covering my face. I don´t want to create hassle, or thing might get violent. The sun sets before I reach the settlement, and the guards are suspicious, but who wouldn´t. After all, I´m alone and that means you are either scout, insane or very strong. People often guess the middle one, as I often come to the gates after sundown. "Halt, who are you? State your bussines or we will open fire" the guard shouts and I look up. "I´m just a lone rider without a name who is looking for place to replenishment for my supplies" I shouted back and waited. The chances of getting in were slim, but I prefer that more than starving to death. After a long minute full of whispering to his supervisor, the guard turned back to me and said "Okay, you can come in, but we will send an armed personels to check you before we let you in". I simply nodded and dismounted when the small door right next to the gate opened and few guards walked out. I simply lifted my hand on top of my head, and tried to whistle while they did complete body search for me. "No weapons?" they asked and I nodded towards the ground in front me. A revolver, few knives (I still had few of them hidden in places they would never find them) and a plasma whip lied there. The guards were astonished that I traveled with such light weaponry, but I had few other things they didn´t have any idea of. After another bodysearch to make that I really didn´t have anything else, they shrugged and let me in. The settlement was build in western style, without electricity, the big cities died away and the culture went back to the times of Wild West, at least that´s what I know. There´s a lot of places I haven´t seen, so I can´t speak for the whole situation of the Earhagen furry population. I carefully watch where they take my weapons, but only with my eyes. I don´t want them to notice it, it could cause horrible misundestandings. We silently walk into the sleeping town, but I know it´s only a curtain to distract possible enemies. True, some people are sleeping, but most of them are awake and have guns in their arms reach. The sleeping quarters for the outsiders are right next the headquarters of the armed forces, in case something happens. They go back to their post after escorting me to the door of my short-term home, but I know they watch me, they always do with strangers. I undo the knot of my scarf and let it fall to my bunk. The starlight lightens the room and makes my face shine in pure white. But it´s not because my fur, since I don´t have any of it. Not anymore, not in years. I pull the gloves from my hands and look at the bony fingers. It´s been ages since I last breathed and were alive. Thanks to the magic that came along with Earhagas birth, I still walk on these lands, as a undead. I don´t need actual food that most people eat, I need to devour souls of others to continue my tortured existence. I don´t hate it, but I don´t like either. I´m actually not that much different from the rest of furries, my food just happens to be something else. I wait for the midnight to come, before I stand up. One of the hidden weapons they didn´t know about, is my magic. I cast simple illusion spell of me sleeping, and another one to reflect the light around me, making invisible for most of the people. Since the eyesight is the most used of the five senses, disabling it gives the greatest advantage. I slip from the front door, moving silently from shadow to shadow. There are windows, but they are small and the glass is reinforced, therefore not an option as entrance. I sense the presence of living things, and carefuly search for the house that has the smalles ammount of people awake. The doors can be sealed for defensive purpose, so I have time to devour the souls of only one households before others are alarmed. I pull two of my hidden knives from their cases, and jump. Two quick strikes and they sink to the wall making a foothold for me. I pull my self to them, and continue to the roof. Thse kind of building have terraces for gunmen in case that the streets are invaded. I slip to the door, and pick the lock silently. Two at the upper floor sleeping, and three ones awake at the lower floor. If I still had lips, I´d grin, but as it is, I can´t. Silent movements bring me to the first room. I slip in to the room, and silently stand watching the sleeping girl. She´s so cute and innocent that she almost affects my feelings, just almost. I silently tore her soul from her body, and devour it. I feel my strenght coming back the more I eat. The body of the girl is still alive, but now it´s just a piece of flesh without mind. I shrug, and walk to the room opposite this one. This time, it´s a boy, ugly as hell. I´ll do just a favor to let him go from this world. Few minutes, and I walk the stairs down. My strenght is back almost completely, I don´t have to fear them anymore. Three adults? Oh please, you need at least three-fold that ammount of men to beat me in my current state. The first one says "Go to bed Marta, you´re too small to stay awake this time of day" without looking back. I silently walk behind him and grab his head beetween my hands "Oh really daddy? Maybe you should go to sleep too" I whisper and turn his head 180 degrees. The sound of craking bone gets the other two look what happens. "No need to interrupt what you were doing because of me" I said lifting my hands to show that I was "unarmed". They lifted their rifles and pointed at me, "Your choice, violent death it is" I said laughing and bursted forward grabbing both gun muzzles and pushed them to their chest. Ribs were broken instanly and lungs punctured in only few seconds. The morning is coming, sun is slowly rising over the horizon. I quickly devour the three remaining souls and start the final step of my plan. I disember one of the bodies, and throw the pieces to cellar closet. After that, I use my illusion spells to mask my self to look like the person I just chopped. Not a moment too late I laid down, since the door was thrown open almost immeaditely. My illusion of sleeping me had disappeared while ago, and now seeing the dead bodies could only mean one thing. They searched everywhere for me, but as I was already dead, and looked like the dead person, they had no way to realize that I was right in front of their eyes. The burial ceremony was on the same days evening, and in the relatives hold their tears while laying their final sight to the faces of dead ones. I barely could hold my laugh, but I managed somehow. I waited for few days, and then digged my way to surface. I stoof for a moment, and then pushed my fingers to my eyes. I grabbed something and then opened my fist to see what it was. Coins. "The Loser´s Coin, aye?" With the five souls I devoured, I´d manage for few months, enough time to find another settlement. I called my mount with silent spell, and mounted him. "It works every time. Adios, amigos" I laughed and rode to the sunrise.

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Wow, it came out differently than I thought. Believe it or not, the idea for this story came from the dream I had last night. The only thing I can remember is poster that says "Loser´s Coin"