Memoirs of a RAFian

[Cloak]

'Nother chapter.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
Internal Conflict

Cloak had left Blue, who gazed after the Realm Walker, pretty much guessing his plan. But he was under the impression that Cloak's scheme would not work.

Cloak himself was unsure of the fruitfulness of this endeavor. He could be responsible for killing the Pootang. Granted, Horse would celebrate for a solid fortnight if this came to pass, Cloak's guilt would be too burdensome.

It wouldn't be fair to the Pootang, either. Never mind that it is a savage, bloodthirsty, rabid beast. It didn't really deserve to treated like a . . . like a . . . like a pawn.

Cloak stopped immediately when that crossed his mind. His eyes widened.

He was planning on using the Pootang to accomplish his goals. Using it, without any regard for its safety or any care of its preservation.

Cloak suddenly felt hollow, as if Van Pyrrhus had already fed on him. Cloak stood there frozen in epiphany.

Was he really better than Malice? Malice used Technarchy, Madre de Vampyra, dementors, those Xenomorphic Broods, the Bibliophaetos, Collector, Abomination, Dr. Gemini, and whoever this RAFian spy is. All to meet her goals, while she's uninterested and indifferent to their welfare, their well-being. She couldn't really care less if they died trying to accomplish her goals, fulfilling her motives.

And here was he, Cloak, Master of the Six Elements, granson of the great and noble Sage, just about to engage in a similarly despicable act.

Cloak's face soured at the thought. How could commit such an act of base selfishness, of such unfeeling cruelty?

But what choice was left to them? Pootang may very well be the only thing to be able to stand up to Van Pyrrhus. He could rationalize these worries away -- but Malice does that too. What right did Cloak have in using it against the beast anyway?

He had none.

Shadow's face swam before his face, and Cloak's expression darkened. How would he explain such an action to her? That lowering himself to Malice's standard he saved the day? How warped does that sound?

Cloak was wracked with indecision, afraid of becoming like Malice, of dishonoring his grandfather, of shaming his elder niece.

[theyoungphoenix]

good points...

[Cloak]

Not exactly the reaction I was expecting, Abby, but -- yes, they are.

Shortish chapter.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
Challenging Prey

Van Pyrrhus had just taken his thirteenth victim -- a football player on the victorious team after a game -- he was gorging. He had taken family members looking for the two boys, before he desired a "different taste".

He decided that he didn't want to finish off the whole team in their entirety, but he wondered away from the city -- which was in a delicious panic. But it was like gluttonously gobbling cookies for the vampire. This prey was too easy. He wasn't really hungry anymore. He was mostly hunting and feeding to have something to do. Because he was bored -- much like a bored human might turn to food for comfort.

Van Pyrrhus, ignoring the intoxicating panic that he helped to bring about, looked towards RAF.

He fantasized that the beings that dwelled there were stronger, wouldn't give up as easily. They'd be challenging prey, interesting prey -- if they were anything like that one fool who thought surpressing his emotions would make him invisible to Van Pyrrhus. That such a pitiful tactic would be sufficient to permit his destruction.

Van Pyrrhus found himself unconsciously heading towards RAF, towards delicious new challenges! Towards prey that would fight back!

The "invite-him-in" thing must have because he was not yet strong enough. He hadn't eaten then, he was weak . . .

Yes, that had to be it. There wasn't anything more than that.

***

Of course that wasn't it at all -- it was Code Avalon in its lowest setting. It was a measure to prevent the Pootang from ravaging the city, though it never has seemed to have an inkling or desire to do as such.

It mostly just wants to eat Horse, much to her chagrin.

Cloak was still on the grounds grappling with this epiphany. He very nearly became that which he and others despise.

Then he looked over, and saw that Van Pyrrhus at the threshold of RAF.

He crossed the barrier into the threshold.  There was no barrier.

Rotiart was supposed to be on-duty, watching it. He was clearly sleeping instead and it was disenga-- . . .

No . . . the spy.

The spy turned it off!

[theyoungphoenix]

Oh crap!!

[Cloak]

Too right "oh crap", Abby.

Short chapter.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN:
Defenseless and Senseless

"I knew your little shield wasn't enough," Van Pyrrhus gloated.

Cloak suppressed his emotions defensively.

"Haven't I already told you?" Van Pyrrhus taunted. "That doesn't work."

Cloak didn't really have any other option at the moment.  He would not use the Pootang like Malice uses people and things. He would prove to himself that he wasn't like her.

Besides . . . Van Pyrrhus couldn't kill him, just make him wish he was. Cloak knew this, but Van Pyrrhus didn't. Van Pyrrhus didn't know that he had pretty much inexhaustible food source in Cloak.

But it wasn't like Cloak was going to go down so easily.

Cloak tried to restrain Van Pyrrhus a la Aang with Yakone. But he somehow managed to squirm his way free.

Then Cloak stomped his foot and made a a swoopung gesture and a bunch of wooden stakes erupted from the ground. Van Pyrrhus used his superhuman flexibility to dodge.

"So you have a few tricks, I see," Van Pyrrhus's smile deepened. It made look more hideous than usual.

Cloak had another idea, but no idea if it would work -- it didn't work on Gaz. But, then again, Gaz is a very atypical vampire.

After a variety of quick movements, Cloak had placed running water between him and Van Pyrrhus in the form of a small river. Cloak wasn't even sure he could do such a thing.

It worked like a shield.

"Blast you!" Van Pyrrhus said, proving that even he, himself, was not immune to emotions.

Cloak made a mental note -- older vampires cannot cross running water. However, this was a temporary measure at best. He had best come up with another plan of action -- and soon.

[Underseen]

I am learning all these facts about Vampires from this book alone.

[theyoungphoenix]

^^ same here.

[Cloak]

And I learned it all from "Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire" direct-to-video movie, seen from Cartoon Network. 

[redtailedsaffa]

I remember watching that AGES ago - man, I was so young!

I've always wanted to b****-slap Rotiart ever since you introduced him (Hermione style ). Reminds me of this annoying little jealous twerp I knew in 7th grade.

[Cloak]

Yeah -- I don't like him much myself.  Although considering his fate . . . oops! I've said too much.

• Book XXXIV: Transformation Confrontation

The RAFians must confront some strange machines.

• Book XXXV: Richard's Horn

The RAFians must get Richard's Horn, a mystical musical instrument, back from Malice, who received it from a RAFian traitor.

• Book XXXVI: Feral Scream

A Wildwethel-centric book, he must deal with his feral side.

• Book XXXVII: Predators and Prey

The RAFians are being preyed upon by some sentient predators.

• Book XXXVIII: A Protean Problem

The RAFians must deal with a powerful snot-nosed kid who, quite literally, can do whatever he wants.

• Book XXXIX: The Horsemen

Four RAFians are captured and converted into four Horsemen of the ancient, rogue Realm Walker Cataclysm.

• Book XL: Sizeable Pain in the Necks

The RAFians must deal with Heinlein aliens.

• Book XLI: RAF's Nightmare

The RAFians must survive their own nightmares.

• Book XLII: Unlucky Charms

The RAFians must contend with a rather bloodthirsty leprechaun.

• Book XLIII: The Piper

The RAFians must contend with a pied piper.

• Book XLIV: Starlight Desire

The RAFians race Malice, Abomination, and the Banned to a wishing star (no, not Estelore).

• Book XLV: A War of Armor

Parker is outraged to see knockoffs of his rather unique armor and what they're being used for.

• Book XLVI: The Worst Plague

The RAFians must weather the worst plague to ever existed -- the Hate Plague.

• Book XLVII: Little Alien Napoleons

The RAFians are caught in the middle of a war between Helmacrons and Fmeks.

• Book XLVIII: Go Away!

The RAFians must deal with the paparazzi who are all of a sudden interested in them.

• Book XLIX: RAFian Tales

RAFians tell various RAFian-themed stories across a lunch table.

• Book L: Maul

The RAFians must deal with the result of one of Demos's experiments.

• Book LI: Erised Orbs

The RAFians must face their greatest desires.

• Book LII: RAFians Alive!

Read the "Mummies Alive" parody in the RAFize songs thread.

• Book LIII: The Pain Reliever

The RAFians must deal with an elderly Vulcan styling himself the "Pain Reliever".

• Book LIV: Beyond the Veils

Aquilai and Aila must confront old foes while the other RAFians must put up with a Czarinian bounty hunter.

• Book LV: Dangerous Deals

Demos meets up with his half-brother, Shenecron, who has a perchant for making deals.

• Book LVI: Of One Mind

Malice seeks out the Unimind.

• Book LVII: The End of Time

The RAFians must contend with two Kryptonians (who think they're Time Lords) and prevent them from ending time altogether.

• Book LVIII: Hematomimic

The RAFians must capture a Plasmavore and put up with it's rather stupid Judoon jailer.

• Book LIX: Sins of Youth

Estelore, Richard, Parker, and Cloak must survive when the entire city and forum have been reduced to two-year-olds.

• Book LX: The Replacements

The RAFians must contend with the fame-feeding Eidolon Consciousness.

• Book LXI: Arachnoids

The RAFians must contend with the Arachnoids and finding a cure for one of their own that was poisoned before it's too late.

• Book LXII: Personal Tissues

The RAFians must contend with some one misusing Bibliophaetos's discarded book shell.

• Book LXIII: Memory Today, Gone Tomorrow

The RAFians lose their memory and must find a way to regain it.

• Book LXIV: Appliance Armageddon

A superintelligent computer controls all electronics, and the RAFians must stop it.

• Book LXV: Prodigy and Composite

Some RAFians are merged into two separate entities.

• Book LXVI: The Merging

The Universes begin colliding and merging.

• Book LXVII: Be A Doll

The RAFians are confronted by a Super Chucky.

• Book LXVIII: They're Such Cards

The RAFians are sealed into cards, which end up trapped in an ancient leather-bound book, and it's up to three kids to free them.  An out-of-continuity book.

• Book LXIX: Dinosaur Island

Everyone, except those that bear a Mark, begin turning saurian.

• Book LXX: Corrupted

The RAFians must deal with the son of Cataclysm, Corruptor.

• Book LXXI: Artificial Skins

The RAFians must deal with symbiotes.

• Book LXXII: Separation Anxiety

The RAFians must contend with an ethereal virus.

• Book LXXIII: A Thing About RAFians

The RAFians must contend with Seekers, which home in onto their Marks.

• Book LXXIV: A Planted Idea

The RAFians must contend with a floramaniac.

• Book LXXV: Vacation Photos

The RAFians are sucked into a Polarisoid camera.

• Book LXXVI: A Personal Gremlin

The RAFians must contend with gremlins.

• Book LXXVII: The Rust is Silence

The Rafians must deal with an oxidation ray wielded by a criminal.

• Book LXXVIII: The Toyman Cometh

The RAFians deal with a Toyman-esque character.

• Book LXXIX: RAFian Idol

Yes, just another excuse to put in more of the (as of writing) nearly 800 parodies.

• Book LXXX: Savage Heart

Cloak battles an ancient being called Garrotik.

• Book LXXXI: Slave Islands and Juggernauts

Three RAFians are taken prisoners by the Knights and sold into the slavery of New Genoshia, while the others deal with a juggernaut.

• Book LXXXII: Shredding a King

The RAFians deal with a demonic Shredder-like ghost called Regiphaetos.

• Book LXXXIII: RAF -- The TV Show

The RAFians are forcibly recruited to Mojo's programs.

• Book LXXXIV: The Drinker

The RAFians must contend with a Spirit-Drinker.

• Book LXXXV: The Last Laugh

The RAFians must face Joker Gas.

• Book LXXXVI: It's A Mad, Mad, Mad Villain

The RAFians must contend with mind control cards which are ineffective on them.

• Book LXXXVII: Sight Unseen

Six RAFians are rendered functionally blind, optically-speaking.

• Book LXXXVIII: Don't Let It Snow

The RAFians must face a second Ice Age caused by a Diznee Ice Ifrit.

• Book LXXXIX: The Rachel Toxin

The RAFians must find a cure to a toxin that increases the fearlessness, hostility and aggressiveness induced in people which the Mark cannot protect the RAFians from.

• Book XC: Virus Alert!

The RAFians face a dangerous virus seeking a host.

• Book XCI: A Youthful Thief

The RAFians face a creature that siphons off the youth in its victims, provided they're younger than him.

• Book XCII: Calendar Creep

The RAFians face the Calendar Creep, a criminal whose crimes are holiday themed.

• Book XCIII: The Branding

Faerie fights a witch-boy named Salem (and his magical black cat, Saberhagen) for a magical branding iron in Faerie's possession.

• Book XCIV: The Void Zone

Nothing like a "Subspace Emissary" parody.  Sorry.

• Book XCV: An Epic Yarn

The RAFians' world is turned into yarn and fabric.

• Book XCVI: RAFian Gladiators

RAFians are kidnapped by Gamesmaster, another rogue Realm Walker, and force to participate in gladiatorial games.

• Book XCVII: The Box

The RAFians must cage thirteen Revenants released from Pandora's Box -- each representing and amplifying a particular feeling (i.e. hatred), while looking for the perfect host.

• Book XCVIII: From the Shadows

The RAFians must save their shadows and the shadows of everyone else from being absorbed (eaten) by the Umbraraptors, but not everything is what it seems.

• Book XCIX: Grimm Prospects

The RAFians discover Malice controlling several "wesen" with control collars akin to April's in "Catwoman from Channel Six" and get stuck in one-on-one battles to the death with them.  One will die.

• Book C: Loop-De-Loop

Everyone's trapped in a temporal loop, but the only ones that realize it are Cloak, Aila, and Aquilai.

• Book CI: Get 'Em, Shaw

The RAFians face a creature native to the planet Gossamer, who's under the control of Malice.

• Book CII: Threadfall

The RAFians must exterminate an epidemic of Thread.

• Book CIII: Siren's Song

The RAFians must deal with a siren and her alluring song.

• Book CIV: Resistance is Futile

The RAFians must deal with a hybridization of the Borg and the Hive chips (Ben 10: Alien Swarm) -- which the Mark cannot protect them from, nor the Unity energy can destroy.

• Book CV: The Titan

The RAFians must contend with the Titan serum and its effects.

• Book CVI: A Stony Glare

The RAFians must deal with a hungry Stone-Biter and a petrifying venom of a Diznee Stone Ifrit.

• Book CVII: Spritely Pests

The RAFians must deal with irritating sprites, which Faerie has had some rather tenuous experiences with.

• Book CVIII: Destroy All . . . What?

The RAFians must contend with a Furon incursion, and it turns out the Nyacs have knowledge of Furons. . . .

• Book CIX: Going Backwards

A grievious malfunction in Aquilai's TARDIS causes time to reverse its flow and flow backwards.

• Book CX: Death Takes A Holiday

The RAFians must convince Death to take up his role again.  A RAFian will die in this book, and it is within the continuity.

• Book CXI: High Price Stakes

Shanker and Gaz must flee and elude Daphne, the vampire hunter.

• Book CXII: A Killer Housing Market

The RAFians must survive and either destroy or escape a killer house.

• Book CXIII: A Silenced World

The RAFians must cope with a world that has become muted and a young sorceress, Melissa Spellman.

• Book CXIV: The Bureau

The RAFians must save their own from the insideous Bureau of Lost.

• Book CXV: To Tell the Truth

Broken's apprentice, Melissa, accidentally casts a spell forcing everyone to tell the truth.

• Book CXVI: Skin Crawlers

The RAFians, repulsed and revolted, must contend with Hundred (who eventually becomes Thousand, then becomes Million, then Billion, and then, finally, Trillion).

• Book CXVII: School of Stepford Lies

The RAFians must save the children from a school that turns them into Stepford students at Terenia's school.

• Book CXVIII: Ol' Salty

The RAFians must deal with the Salt Man.

• Book CXIX: The Great Race

The RAFians hold a race that Aloth cons himself into.  Who will win?

• Book CXX: Ape Escape

The RAFians must help super intelligent apes -- Caesar the chimp, Brutus the gorilla, and Maestro the orangutan -- reconcil their misanthropy.

• Book CXXI: A Different Kind of Unity

The RAFians must contend with a parasitic "unity".

• Book CXXII: The Great Brain Robery

Someone is stealing brains for an unknown purpose.

• Book CXXIII: The Bounty Hunter

The Knights, in their hypocricy, hire a Tsul'Kalu bounty hunter to collect select RAFians (to taxidermy).

• Book CXXIV: New Controllers

The RAFians confront Zirconians.

• Book CXXV: Creeping Crystal

A wave of crystallizing energy is sweeping the land. . . .

• Book CXXVI: The Element Feeder

The RAFians deal with a creature who feeds on a specific element and matures to a different element each time as it matures. . . .

• Book CXXVII: The Rider and the Walker

The RAFians come up against the Ghost Rider.

• Book CXXVIII: Headhunters

What will happen when RAFians lose their heads?  Seriously.

• Book CXXIX: The Color Purple, Man!

The RAFians confront the Purple Man, who manages to turn the entire government against them . . .

• Book CXXX: The Nemetrix Beetle

The RAFians confront the Black Beetle with Nemetrix properties.

• Book CXXXI: It's Tought to Be A Mod

The members of a primitive forum declare Demos and Blue to be mods. . . .

• Book CXXXII: Who-Zilla?

An energy reaction begins turning RAFians into monstrous creatures in 3XXX.  Out-of-continuity book.

• Book CXXXIII: Well, Techadon-ally . . .

The RAFians confront Techadons who assign them qualitive quatilities, and refuse to acknowledge any defeats.

• Book CXXXIV: The Mind's Eye

The RAFians face Spellbinder and his realistic illusions.

• Book CXXXV: Bas-ic Instincts

Bas awakens and attempts to take control of Cloak and other felines.

• Book CXXXVI: Midas Duck

The RAFians must contend with a very strange golden idol and a greedy sneak-thief.

• Book CXXXVII: War with the Warworlds

The RAFians must defeat two heavily-armed Warworlds.

• Book CXXXVIII: Solar Sucks

The RAFians must save Estelore from a device able to suck out her stellar substance and lifeforce.

• Book CXXXIX: Hounded

The RAFians are attacked by hellhounds that only Demos can see, although Cloak can "see" them via Earthsight.

• Book CXL: Politics

The RAFians, much to Cloak's chagrin and irritation, get caught up in the middle of Realm Walker politics.

• Book CXLI: Buggy Afternoon

A Bug is after Parker's blood, to "avenge" their brother slain by the SPARTAN.

• Book CXLII: Cloak's Nightmare

Cloak has an exceedingly vivid nightmare of the Great RAFian Purge. . . .

• Book CXLIII: Cloak and the Olympians

Cloak confronts and defies the Olympians.

• Book CXLIV: Down to Earth

The RAFians have gravity-related problems.

• Book CXLV: Hittin' the Dino-Sauce

The RAFians learn the dangers of Dino-Sauce.

• Book CXLVI: Blood Feud

Shanker's past comes into light. . . .

• Book CXLVII: She's Back! A Dino Story

Pretty much a shameless parody of "We're Back! A Dinosaur Story".

• Book CXLVIII: A Journey into Her Past

Delving into Noelle's pre-RAFian life and her relationship with Ardnalil-Shicom-Maar.

• Book CXLIX: Mortality and Morality

The RAFians face some rather conceited Leviathons.

• Book CL: Utter Pandemonium

Cloak, Gaz, Saffa, Underseen, and Hunter investigate odd goings-on at a theme park island named "Haunted Island".

• Book CLI: A Reality Rewrite

Cloak, Faerie, Broken, and Broken's protege discover a magical, reality-altering typewriter.  Cloak, being a Realm Walker and the other three, being magical, are immune to its rewrites of reality.

• Book CLII: The Coming of Galacticron

The RAFians must save Earth from Galacticron.

• Book CLIII: Theft of Intellectual Property

The RAFians must contend with Brainiac.

• Book CLIV: The Contingency

The RAFians must battle the Talos Project and their living weapon -- Weapon XLIX.

• Book CLV: Muppet, Muppet Man

Parker and Gaz are turned into Muppets. ()

• Book CLVI: Larval Ambush

The RAFians must deal with insectoid creatures who are parasitoids with humans.

• Book CLVII: As the World Doesn't Turn

The RAFians must stop a group of feline aliens from stopping the world from rotating.

• Book CLVIII: Princess Pearls

A few girls of RAf discover the Princess Pearls.

• Book CLVIX: Attack of the Killer Produce

The RAfians must deal and cope with killer produce.

• Book CLX: Moonscarred Menace

The RAfians investigate mysterious disappearances on Moonscar Island.

• Book CLXI: League of Assassins

The League of Assassins set a number of Assassins after Blue.

• Book CLXII: Dark RAFians

The RAFians come up against an evil team modeled after them, attempting to usurp their postions.

• Book CLXIII: Danger Rising

The RAFians' training sim gains sentience.

[Cloak]

Now, a new chapter . . . maybe -- just maybe I will finish this book today.  Granted, I won't reveal the identity of the spy until the book after next, in "Richard's Horn", itself a parody of "All Dogs Go To Heaven 2".
 

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:
Sunrise Again

Van Pyrrhus pounded on the force field created due the fact that he couldn't cross the running water. He was ticked, but, at the same time, he was thrilled.  He was thwarted.  He was actually thwarted! This just proved that these RAFians were the only truly challenging prey there was.  There was no need to feed on any other for any other reason than to fend off starvation.
 
But he knew that he would come back, and back, and back again until he managed to overwhelm or out think these RAFians. He never expected to feel this exhilarated at being brought to a stalemate.  He wanted a challenge, and, by Jove, he got it!  He worked his way around the running water -- but it wasn't any good.  It circled paradoxically around the form, as if a moving moat.  The creature in the cloak must be actively moving it.
 
Van Pyrrhus's perma-smirk deepened with malicious joy.  The cloaked one could not maintain such a defense indefinately.  He would tire, and then Van Pyrrhus would triumph!! He would deal with the problem of having to find another challenging prey later -- although he still did not know that he would be able to feed off of Cloak ceaselessly, as he would be unable to kill the feline Realm Walker.
 
Fortunately, Cloak had the presence of mind not to point this little fact out to the emotion vampire.  Van Pyrrhus waited for Cloak's strength to wane . . . but he neglected one flaw in this plan.  A rather big flaw.
 
The sun was rising up, slowly, but inevitably higher. Soon it's rays would be upon him, causing him unbearable pain.  So he gave up his pursuit -- for the moment -- and returned back to his hidey-hole in the city.
 
Cloak relaxed his efforts, lowering his arms, and letting out a huge sigh.  He felt a burden was lifted temporarily from his shoulders.  He would need to rest -- but he would need to have a word or two with Rotiart first. . . .
 

***

"What happened?" Abby asked, noticing Cloak's weariness after he finished reading Rotiart the riot act, and turned him over to the mods for proper discipline -- although making sure Phoenix knew who Cloak really thought was responsible.

Part of him made him want to question if even that was the proper thing to do, as Phoenix could have been the spy. But then again, so could any other RAFian -- but Cloak did not want to believe any of his friends, the people he knew throughout his nearly five year tenure as a RAFian, were capable of being so duplicitous. He hated the wondering . . . the wondering of whether or not any of his friends could be such a thing.

It was the not knowing that was horrible. Sure, he could use his Earthsight as a means of divining the truth -- but the fact of the matter is that even this was not foolproof. This uncertainty was certainly nothing he liked.

"Cloak?" Abby prompted.

"Huh? What?"

"What happened?" Abby repeated, somewhat less patiently.

"What do you mean?"

"That was that emotional vampire right?"

"Yes, the shield was down." Cloak said.  Then he found himself explaining the necessity of it and the Pootang.

"Why was the shield down?"

Cloak hesitated for a moment, wondering . . . then he answered, "Rotiart was being lazy again."

[Cloak]

Now, to finish off this book . . .

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:
Final Sundown

Cloak had rested most of the day, having reawakened a few minutes before sundown. Je hydrokinetically created the moving moat around RAF again.

It was about six hours after sundown that Gaz, Saffa, Underseen, and Noelle came over to help. Rotiart tagged along, but it was clear to everyone except Rotiart himself that he was unwelcome.

"This isn't going to work," Rotiart insisted.

Noelle, Gaz and Underseen threw him a very ugly look -- and Underseen made his deliberately grotesque. Rotiart visibly recoiled at Underseen's look, but did not quell at it.

"Well, it's the truth!"

"Shut up, Rotiart," Saffa, who was no big fan of Rotiart.

"You don't ever speak to me like that again!" Rotiart snarled, acting as if his minor seniority gave him a right to say that to Saffa.

Saffa got right into his face -- it didn't help that Rotiart reminded her of someone she wasn't particularly fond of -- and she said, something of the hawk lingering in her voice, "I'll speak to you in any manner I see fit. You do not order me around as if I'm lesser than you."

Saffa would not normally do such a thing, but Rotiart had been irritating her ever since she had the misfortune to meet him.

Cloak was sure that Rotiart couldn't be the spy because it was too obvious. But there were times, such as these, that Cloak doubted his initial assumption. But he tried not focus on that, but the task at hand.

"Still at it?" Van Pyrrhus said, and Cloak heard Rotiart whimper. Cloak said nothing. Van Pyrrhus laughed, he had fed on a woman and her young baby (which he vilely thought tasted "underdone" or "undercooked"), so he wasn't ravenous.

"The silent treatment, eh?" Van Pyrrhus goaded. "You would just how old that tactic is."

Rotiart whimpered again, and this time Van Pyrrhus took notice. He laughed again, heartily.

"I see you brought friends this time!"

Cloak wanted to quip that Rotiart wasn't his friend, but he remained silent, stubbornly maintaining the river.

"You can't keep this up forever," Van Pyrrhus threatened.

"Try me," snarled the Realm Walker.

This stalemate only lasted for about three hours. Then something rather unexpected happened.

There was a vibration, a clatter, and a monstrous beast bursted onto the scene.

It was roughly six, seven feet tall. It had mangy yellow fur, demonically red, glowing eyes, and teeth like a Scraplet*.

It roared its defiance as Rotiart cowered against the wall of the mess hall/cafeteria, whimpering uncontrollably.

"What is that?!" Saffa yelled.

"Oh no -- the Pootang! It's free!" Gaz said.

The Pootang looked around for Horse, but could not seem to find her. But it saw Van Pyrrhus.

It attacked.

---
*Transformers reference.

[Gaz]

This is quite exciting!

[theyoungphoenix]

It is!! I love your writing.

[Cloak]

And it will just keep up until the end of the book, I think, Gaz.

Thanks, Abby. I do love doing the writing as well.

CHAPTER NINETEEN:
A Dawning Attack

Van Pyrrhus managed to dodge the initial attack. He tried to feed off of the Pootang . . . but could see it as more than a shadow -- a very dangerous position to be in where the Pootang is concerned. How could Van Pyrrhus fight a beast that he could not see?

"What manner of invisible beast is this?!" the emotion vampire demanded.

<Invisible?> Noelle inquired. <The Pootang is perfectly visible.>

The Pootang made another charge, sinking its fangs deep into Van Pyrrhus's flesh.

"Not to him," Cloak said, in response to Noelle's query. "Van Pyrrhus doesn't see like we do. He apparently only has rudimentary sight when it comes to the visible light spectrum. But his sight in the emotional spectrum is pretty acute."

Van Pyrrhus managed to extricate the Pootang fron its bicept, having to relinguish the flesh already within the Pootang's mouth, revealing sulphur yellow muscle beneath his skin and blood as black as ink.

Saffa had a furrowed brow, thinking if Van Pyrrhus and the Pootang, "So . . . the Pootang hasn't any emotions? Is that why he can't be seen?"

The Pootang launched itself at Van Pyrrhus again, just missing his thigh, but nabbing him by his tail.

"'It'." Gaz corrected Saffa. "It is neither male nor female."

Van Pyrrhus's tail snapped off. But, unlike lizards capable of a similar feat, his tail wasn't supposed to snap off.

"But . . . it's an overlarge Pikachu -- an overlarge, rabid Pikachu with fangs and a certain bloodlust, but a Pikachu, nonetheless." Underseen said.

The Pootang soon lost interest in the spasming tail, and launched another attack at Van Pyrrhus who screamed, "CALL OFF YOUR BEAST AND I'LL LET YOU LIVE!"

The RAFians promptly ignored him. He was done for, and afterall he did, he was receiving his karmic reward.

Besides the Pootang needed a little exercise. Why not on an amoral emotion vampire?

"Gaz, Cloak, my question," Underseen prompted.

"Don't look at me," Cloak said, still maintsining the river, "the Pootang was before my tenure here."

"Hey, I don't know anymore on that then you do, Cloaky." Gaz said, as the darkness seemed to lessen.

"NO!!" Van Pyrrhus screamed, and it gave Cloak a note of satisfaction to hear the note of terror in the monster's voice. "Let me go, beast! I must get to my lair! Let me go, I say!!"

The Pootang, who had seized him round the middle, would not let go of his new chew toy.

Eventually, the sun reduced the Pootang's new snack into sulphurous dust.

Van Pyrrhus was dead. The Pootang was dazed.