Sentient Guyver
A HORRIFIC NEW WORLD
By STEEL
The heat rained down on them like a blanket, their skin starting too tingle with sweat as they trekked on.
“Who's idea was it too travel in the middle off the day… we could of at least waited till the afternoon.” The young blonde man grumbled pushing his Oakley sunglasses back up his nose with his forefinger. His voice was distinctly American even though he was speaking mandarin... and butchering it.
“Hey if we left when you suggested it would be dark by the time we got too the ruins. What would be the point of that? Besides you'd be moaning about how those bugs like your pasty white skin.” Retorted the smaller Chinese man. The sweat glistening off his shaven head.
“Meh.. who wants too see some old ruined temple anyway? I'm not even Buddhist.”
“What does that matter Steve? Nether am I... You think because I'm Chinese that I'm Buddhist? That's ignorant... anyway this place is historical. You knew we were coming here for this sort of thing. What did you want too lounge around back at the hotel and hit on the locals?”
“..and drink... Don't forget the drink”
The two started laughing. Before looking up the rough trail like path too see their third companion storming away through the tropical wilderness as if it were a race.
“Hey Han, what is with the Terminator up there?” Steve asked his friend.
“What Xan?.. you know he's crazy like that. Probably thinks this is some sort of challenge too prove his worth. You know how he gets. Always got too be the best, the strongest, the fastest.”
“Yeah and he is willing too kill us too prove it.”
Up ahead Xan strided on, the heat just a reminder off his first days at the Sports University in Beijing.
People had thought him crazy for signing up for all those classes. At least twice as many as the other Martial Artists. They joked about how the “Westerner” would burn himself out in two weeks. Some off them even bet on the day it would happen, the day he would quit.
Three years on and he was still proving them wrong.
Those first few months were like hell. As strong and fit as he was he hadn't expected anything like the intensive training he had too go through at the university. The special carpets tore his feet open with friction. He had been so used too training on wooden floors that he had gotten complacent and had started too drag his feet. The smothering heat that choked the breath from his lungs, soaking his clothes and hair in sweat and stinging his eyes.
Even adapting too the food was difficult and risky eating had cause him too get food poisoning.
Everyone hated him because they knew he was there for the wrong reasons. He was a thug and a disgrace too martial arts. The teachers was it too and forced him into the hardest training regime.
Then there was the language. He only knew a few words and they would never repeat themselves. He had too remain sharp at all times.
Still, somehow he forced his way through. Overcoming his pervious physical limitations of pain and hardship. Adapting more with each day that passed.
He was forged anew through the years of dedication too his path. His body and spirit stronger than ever before. No longer did the fellow students look at him as if he was less than them. They too couldn't help but admire his fighting spirit and drive, and as his old teenage anger subsided a new self emerged. More calm, caring and disciplined.
And now that he felt finally happy with himself he had made some true friends.
Steve and Han were also members of the Beijing Sports University. Han, Tae Kwon Do expert and karaoke nut and Steve, an action star wannabe with a poor attention span.
The three off them shared a common bond. None off them had a family too go back too. So they spent their holidays lounging around the student apartments planning adventures.
This time Xan had won and managed too entice them too join him on a three week tour of Thailand. The first week was spent showing off their skills against some off the local kick boxers and trying to get Steve out off trouble from his almost compulsive gambling.
Xan had wanted too see more off the actual non tourist areas, and after hearing some backpackers talking about an old temple about 15 miles into the wilderness he had convinced the others that it would be a good break. He could hear them cursing him now but he actually found this fun.
They trudged along for another hour before Steve started too grumble again.
“Dude… are you sure you know where we are going… I can barely even see a trail anymore.”
Xan paused and pulled out a drawn map before checking his Suunto watch. The others used too laugh at its size but the fact it was a compass, altimeter and had a whole array of other ridiculous functions didn't quite seem so comical anymore.
“Looks like we have another mile or so. There is a river around here somewhere.” Xan grunted.
Han and Steve looked around as if it were about too appear out of thin air.
“This way.” Xan said taking off into the thick tree line.
“Should you be doing that… you said stick too the path. That there were snakes and stuff in there.” Han said as he rubbed his stubbly head.
“I said don't YOU go wandering off.” Xan added as he disappeared from view behind some trees.
Steve and Han looked at each other before gingerly taking after him.
“He's going too get us eaten. You do know that” Steve said.
“Well he's the largest. I say we feed him too the tigers. They will be full by the time they get too us”
“Good plan”
They trekked on. Scrambling over some fallen trees and stomping down the grass and vegetation.
They started too hear water and pushed on. Kind of glad that at least the trees blocked out some off the baking sunlight.
They saw the river glisten as the light danced off its surface. It was flowing quite fast but giving off an air of coolness as they stopped beside it.
Steve pulled out his water bottle and took a big swig before pouring the rest over his head and bending down too fill it up again from the river.
“Man just give me five minutes ok?” he said falling backwards onto the ground and staring up at the sky.
Xan looked at the map again as he sat down on a rock. Pausing he looked up into the air as if he was trying too work out an intense mathematical question.
“What?” Asked Han as he slumped down.
“I don't know… you hear that?”
“Those voices in your head telling you too kill?” Steve joked.
“No its like…” Xan was cut off as a large helicopter type craft shot over head. A second later it had disappeared across the other side of the river, over the tree tops.
“Woh!” Steve said shooting up.
“What's a helicopter doing all the way out here. We are miles away from the nearest village” Han added as he stood up and stared after it.
“Dunno.. want too go check it out?” Steve said eagerly.
“No, its probably just some rich guy flying around. Besides I thought we came out here for a reason?” Xan added in an unimpressed fashion.
“Nah man, that thing was a personnel chopper. Hi tech and all. Got too have room for about 15 guys in that thing. Was all military spec and all.” Steve said sounding like a school boy.
“You sure? Didn't look military. It was white?” Han said
“Yeah exactly. That was a private chopper… but it DID have a set of .50 cals”
“What?”
“guns man… it had guns.. aw come on? Maybe its some wacky area 51 type base or something”
Xan stood up shaking his head
“Then surely that is even more reasons not too check it out. Besides that thing could be flying for miles?”
“I dunno about that. It was flying pretty low. Awww come on… just a quick look. I swear if we don't see anything in the next ten minutes we can go see your boring ruins.” Steve pleaded.
Han just shrugged.
“Ok fine… but we have too cross this river so don't go complaining of you get eaten by a giant anaconda or something” Xan muttered as he folded up his map and rammed it in his pocket.
They wandered up stream a little way till it looked reasonably shallow and waded across. It was hard work, the current was a lot stronger than it appeared.
They hauled themselves up the other side and shook their soaking legs. Steve eagerly rushed off in the direction he thought the helicopter had been heading. With a shrug Xan followed him, stomping down the heavy undergrowth.
They struggled on through the dense forest until Xan felt that enough was enough.
“Steve, give up man. This is just a waste of time. We're going too get lost at this rate.” He called out only too get Steve's hand thrown up as he stopped, staring at something.
Catching up too him they looked down out off the forest. The ground dropped off in front of them like a cliff. It fell down near 200 feet into a large almost circular area of excavated earth.
Sure enough the Helicopter was there, sitting motionless on a built platform. Tents lay scattered around as well as area's that had been cordoned off by tape and planks.
Several odd looking men wandered wearing what looked like navy blue jumpsuits with white helmets, boots and shoulder pads. They weren't the only people though, some regular looking individuals seemed too be in the various pits, digging and dusting the ground.
“Looks like some sort of archaeological dig.” Han said as he squinted against the sun.
“Something's not right…” Xan grumbled
Steve leaned closer too the edge for a better look. His foot slipped off a rock and dislodged it from the cliff. It spiralled down too the ground below. Landing next too one of the strangely dressed men.
“Oh crap..” Steve chuckled.
There was a shout from below as the man called out and pointed too them.
“WE'RE SORRY!” Steve called down.
Three off the men pulled off their helmets and cast them aside. Their faces suddenly started too distort and their bodies bulged, ripping through their blue cloth as fur started too sprout. Claws ripped from their hands as they hulled off their former clothes. Their whole form swelling up into feral abominations. Their yellow eyes catching the unfortunate trio with a chilling gaze.
“…oh my god...” Xan gasped.
There was a roar and the three beastmen sprang forward, heading for the cliff.
The horror hadn't frozen the travellers limbs as they instinctively turned too flee. Taking off into the forest as fast as their legs could carry them, stumbling over clumps of vegetation and scrambling over fallen trees with desperation.
Xan's height and powerful legs carried him fast through the tree's, his heart pounding in his ears. He glanced over his shoulder too realise the others weren't with him. He paused, scanning the area desperately.
“HAAAN!, STEEVE!” He yelled with wild eyed panic.
His only reply was a blood chilling shriek from somewhere in the darkness. A roar followed it, but it was from no human throat.
He had always thought himself a brave man, but surely this was more horrifying than anyone could imagine. He could feel his eyes watering and the rasp of his throat as he gasped at the air.
There was another cry, this one long and drawn out, fading off into an agonizing moan. Even in his state of horror Xan knew his friends were no more. His breath becoming an uncontrollable shallow spasm in his chest.
“Yourrr turrrn!” snarled a beastile voice from behind him. He spun round too meet the hideous half animal man looming over him. It was huge, Built like some sort of massive gorilla, with a flat feral face full of sharp teeth. Huge ears sprouted from the side off its head and fiendish yellow eyes transfixed his stare.
“No one sees us and lives” It snarled through its toothy maw.
Xan's heart was thumping in his ears. Adrenaline coursing round his system. His shallow breathing slowing, becoming a throaty grunt. All he could think was that this thing was some sort of werewolf. A twisted creature set on killing him.
He knew he couldn't run. This thing was inhumanly fast. He didn't want too die fleeing in terror. He'd trained since a child to be a fighter, and that is what he would do. If he were too die today then he wouldn't make it easy.
His hand slipped down too his knife. Whipping it out in a swift motion and holding it in front of him.
The beast seemed too grin.
“What do you think you will do with that.” It snarled, cocking its head slightly.
Xan lowered his head, his mouth drawing up into a snarl as he lunged forward too drive the knife into his hunter's chest.
Its scraped off as if the creatures skin was somehow too thick too be penetrated, only a white scratch and some severed hairs were the only sign of damage.
The beast brought up its arm and hammered it down onto Xan's back, smashing him too the ground. He was by no means a small man. At almost six and a half feet and over sixteen stone, Xan was an intimidating and sturdy figure, but he was knocked down like a small child.
Some how he managed too still hold onto the knife and roll away. Getting up with a snap kick too the beasts left knee.
“HAW HAW HAWWW!” it roared as the kick had no affect.
Xan was up with startling speed as he fired off several full force punches into its abdomen, only too feel it was like punching rock. Not stopping he snapped off a reverse kick than would off knocked any man off his feet, but again it was like striking a wall.
“Idiot… you can not hurt me!”
Xan cried out in rage as he leapt into the air and thrust his knife into the beasts eye socket like a hammer.
The creature shrieked, its arms lashing out. A clawed hand raking across Xan's chest, shredding his t-shirt and ripping into his flesh. Xan fell back and clutched his bleeding chest.
The beast held its face as blood spurted out off its eyes socket, The knife hilt could still be seen.
Xan looked down and grabbed a rock before driving it into the butt of the knife with all his might.
There was a stifled noise as the beasts throat closed. Its arms fell limp as it fell too the floor, stone dead.
Xan collapsed against a tree as he gasped through the pain. He was kicked back too his senses as he heard another animalistic howl from somewhere in the forest. The others were coming.
He lunged forward and tried too pull the knife would of the still leaking eye socket but it was stuck fast. The creatures skin started too bubble and its other eye leaked our like fluid.
Xan pulled back as the creature seemed too be decomposing before his eyes, but he had no time too stay and watch as he caught a glimpse of something through the corner of his eye.
He turned and ran. Maybe there was a chance. If he could make it too the river them perhaps these things wouldn't be able too track him. It was a long shot but it seemed worth it.
The pain from his chest was blinding, the light seeming too flash in his eyes with every beat of his heart. His arm was slick and sticky from his own blood. He could hear them, the branches breaking as they raced towards him.
He saw a glint in the distance. It was the river. He forced himself on as fast as his legs could carry him. The noises were getting closer, but he dared not look. With one last push he burst out of the tree line and crashing into the river.
Its powerful current sweeping him under before he knew what was happening. He lashed out with his legs too try and stop himself from taking water into his lungs. Confused and disorientated he wasn't sure what way was up till his head burst out off the water and gasped for breath.
He was pulled under again. He couldn't feel the bottom off the river. It was far deeper than the section they had crossed at. It pulled him along at what felt like great speed. Fighting his way too the surface again he righted himself and tried too fight the current.
There was a rumbling coming from somewhere but his eyes stung from the bright sun. The sound grew in intensity till realisation struck him, but it was too late as he was pulled under once more and cast off the edge of a massive waterfall.
The weight of the water drove him down hundreds of feet. He wasn't aware of anything but the panic before he struck the water far below. The last thing he felt was a crack as his head hit the rock bead off the bottom.