We, the loyal protectors, are charged with the defense of our homelands, the giving of aid to those in need, and the preservation of humankind. It is with great prejudice we execute these promises. Likewise, as Corps members we will pursue these goals no matter the cost, for all our actions are in the service of the greater good. We pledge our minds, our bodies, and our spirits to stopping the overwhelming tide of foes that would stamp us out, from now unto the ends of our days.

-Psyn Corps Pledge of Duty

Things like that always look good on paper don’t they? They sound even better when you hear it repeated by a hundred voices roaring out in the evening. It was enough to stir the eager turkey vultures that sat in the Maple boughs twenty feet above the central stage. When they all fell silent again the distant song of a Whip-poor-Will was the only remaining sound. Well, that and the soft putter of the transport’s motor. I recall leaning my shoulder against its bumper and staring up at the birds. A variety of thoughts preoccupied me at that moment. For one, I considered how strange it was that just a few years ago I was just as eager to join their ranks, but now...now I trusted them almost as little as I trusted the giants. Still, they had done some good out there. I guess organizations like that always do.

I had arrived at Echo not but an hour ago and it already left me feeling sick. Truth be told, I really enjoyed the change of scenery when I first arrived a few days prior. Maybe it was Amora’s chilling demeanor or the curious contrast between the two subjects’ personalities. Nevertheless, I could somehow feel the autumn chill a bit stronger here. It could’ve just been the cold lake air but who knows, right?

At the time I would’ve given anything to see a familiar face. Anything to escape the nagging sense of loneliness. The pervasive shroud of singularity in the face of growing uniformity. The rasp of old wooden boards sent a crippling shiver down my spinal chord. I cautiously turned in the direction of the noise and saw a haggard old couple stepping out of their tent. The woeful look on the middle-aged man’s face was much more than trampled melancholy. The bloody splotches around his eyes were evidence of something far more sinister at work. Drug abuse had been a problem of moderate concern since the invasion began. I mean, it made sense. With society breaking down and all, people dying left and right, drugs stopped being regulated. On one hand abuse spiked but supply dropped. Not many people have time to cook meth or grow opium when they’re constantly running for their lives. Still, something about this man and his wife...it was different.

“Try not to sell us out up there.” a gruff voice groaned behind me. Before I could turn to face my addresser, something rammed against my shoulder. Deck and the rest of his goons pushed past me, giving me a snide look as they passed. I wanted to say something. God, there was so much I wished I could just let out but once again my better judgment swayed me otherwise.

When the rest of the Blue Shirts filed into their lines I gathered my belongings and made for the main lodge. I didn’t actually know where I was suppose to report. For a bunch of control freaks these Psyn Corps guys didn’t seem to care much about what I did, so long as I showed up to my appointments on time. Eventually, after pondering it for another few more minutes I decided it was probably best to just go back to my old cabin.

The road there was crowded with people. The usual desolate sort with dull colored clothing and sunken faces. Or...at least most of them were that way. Some wandered around as happy as ever. It was a strange juxtaposition of emotions. I remember passing two women, who I presumed to be sisters. One sat in folding chair, her head tilted to the side and wide, unflinching grin plastered across her face. The other, meanwhile, stood by with tears in her eyes and both hands on the seated woman’s shoulders. She shook her and wailed. Saying something about ‘getting better’. The smiling woman did nothing, she just sort of limply lay there, like she was paralyzed. I don’t know what made my stomach turn more, the look on her face or her hysteric companion’s screaming.

I tried to push it from my mind as I wove my way through another crowd of people. I could see the roof of my building just ahead. If I could just get past those legions of wandering zombies, I’d be free. Each step was an ordeal. Each block a seemingly insurmountable crucible. It was enough tragedy and exhaustion to cripple most men. But I...I needed to keep going, it was my primary motivation back then.

When I finally did reach the building I found a troop of men in dark grey (almost black) vests waiting for me. In the center of the mass was the all too familiar round torso of Constable Speck. As I approached one of the men slapped the portly officer’s shoulder and pointed in my direction. The rest of the assembly turned in tandem with the round man, spinning casually on their heels until they faced me. Immediately his pupils lit up with a meager fire not unlike the spark in a child’s eye. A naging bitterness snagged the back of my tongue as I drew closer. Though he was much friendlier than most officers I had encountered, there was something about him I could not shake. It was a disgusting feeling, one that manifested across the senses in a variety of ways.

“Gulliver my boy!”

“Ellis, please” I swiftly corrected him. He furrowed his brow for a second but it soon gave way once again to his unbridled enthusiasm.

“Yes, yes of course. Good to see you my boy! I trust your journey went well?”

“I...suppose.”

“You sound so uncertain. Tell me wha-” but the Constable boisterous words were cut off by a distant cry in the camp. All heads turned in the direction of its origin. Despite its blood-chilling tone and piercing amplitude we could all tell it wasn’t too close. Not more than two seconds after it struck us that a resounding swarm of cries broke out at the same location. It was like a riot had suddenly broken out. Even now if I close my eyes I can still feel their angry bellows bouncing off the walls of my skull.

A nearby soldier jogged up to us. After slipping is rifle over he shoulder he addressed Constable Speck:

“Sir, there seems to be a disturbance in the area, I think it would be wise to relocate.”

“We’ll be fine here, this is a place of safety and…”

Then there were gunshots. Clear, distinct gunshots. Three, then five very rapidly, then one more. Of course it only served to make the distant crowd scream even louder. Before Speck could even voice his protest the soldier grabbed the back of his neck pushed it down. Two others joined him, shepherding him away from the building toward two nearby vans. The others took defensive positions behind cover. I, in the meantime, just sort of stood there.

What the hell was happening? How could this camp have fallen into such chaos. Just days ago it seemed perfectly fine. I guess the threat of another impending attack had people on edge. It was the only explanation that came to mind...at the moment at least. Whilst I stood there stupefied out in the open another soldier came running to my side.

“Sir, you need to get to the vehicles…”

I stared blankly back at him. At the time I guess my brain just didn’t register what he had said, it was still busy trying to decipher the cause for the sudden violence.

“Sir, what are you doing?”

“Oh, right, sorry, uhhh”

“This way sir”

He grabbed my arm and began dragging me away toward the open vehicle. Something whizzed by overhead. My first assumption was that it was a bullet, but I’ll admit I had no idea. I can’t even be sure it really happened.

When I was finally loaded into the backseat with the flustered Constable I noticed the rather violent tremors in my appendages. Now was not the time for my...condition...to flare up. If they others knew that I was well...ill, I’d lose my job for sure.

“You alright there lad?” The Constable asked.

I twisted my head in his direction a little too fast. For a second it felt like my eyes were gonna roll back in my head. My nausea didn’t help as I tried to formulate words.

“No, I mean, yes...I’m fine I mean”

Speck looked at me curiously. His mouth lay open in his myriad of uncertainties. I thought I saw a slight twitch his left eyelid, but it subsided rather quickly.

“I would hope so…”

Our mutual focus was then suddenly shattered when the passenger door shut. One of the soldier’s turned to the driver and, between fits of heavy breathing, cried out:

“Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

And so we did.

The harsh fluorescence of the hanging lights was seemingly harsher this time around. The interior of the monitoring facility was just as greasy and dismembered as I left it but the light….the light was worse. I don’t know how else to describe it. My retina burned from the unwavering radiation. I couldn’t keep myself from tearing up a bit in the razor glow. Luckily though it wasn’t enough to distract me from the matter at hand.

“So you have had no contact with him?” I asked. The Constable was signing something on a narrow desk behind me. I could hear the scratching of his pen as its tip skidded across the crumbled papers. When he was done he dropped it on the tabletop and looked back up to me.

“I’m sorry what was that?”

“Cinna, you haven’t heard from him at all?”

The Constable let out a defeated sigh and plopped down onto an unbalanced stool. He teetered a bit but finally managed to get the seat’s legs to rest on the cracked concrete. With his chubby hand he smooth out the wild strands of hair clinging to the back of his head.

“We got a few radio transmissions we assume to be from him, but we couldn’t understand them. We’ve just assumed that he’s out there plotting something for those two other giants.”

I bit my lip. Though the Constable was probably right I couldn’t help but feel sick thinking about all the horrible things that may have happened to him and how, secretly, I’d be relieved if he really was gone. Again, I knew that Cinna was not my enemy but of everyone I had met over the last few weeks he was one of the most unnerving. Perhaps it was because he represented the decline of the human mentality. He relished the chance to kill these giants, just as the giant’s loved to torment humans. He was a hero and villain all in one.

“How do you know he isn’t dead?”

“Oh Gulliver, he’s done this before. His methods are...unorthodox sure, but he gets the job done. We should show more respect, he saved our asses once already, now we just have to trust that he’ll do it again.”

The Constable put a lot of faith in that man. Many people did I suppose. I didn’t like the idea that they were buying into his mild psychosis. Just because the situation was dire didn’t excuse his behavior. But at the same time he was right. We did need him.

“Now, I suggest you push such thoughts from your mind, you’ve got a job to do, and who knows how long you have to do it!”

There he went again, changing the subject. Maybe it was a defense mechanism of mine, trying my best not to think about my duties. Maybe I was the only sane person left in that camp. Either way the last thing I wanted to do was go into that depressing room and speak with that blonde devil.

“But I- I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do!”

Speck chuckled. He clearly thought I was kidding. “Nonsense boy, you do what you do best. Find out what you can about these two coming for her, where they came from then you can get the hell out of there and we’ll gas her!”

I should’ve been content with that but I wasn’t. I knew her execution was supposed to be my call but I doubted they’d give a damn if I said I needed more time. I guess the only thing to do was wait and see.

Deja Vu is a strange phenomenon isn’t it? Some psychologists think that most of it arises from temporary lapses in memory. Basically you repeat an experience in your head right after it occurs and you assume that the experience happened a long time ago. That was not the case this time though. I felt like the short stroll through circular portal and down the narrow entrance hall was seemingly identical to my first time coming through. The only aspect that was really different was that. for some reason, I was twice as terrified now as I had been before. The terror left me stupefied. I forgot my name, I forgot my questions, I forgot everything!

Through an apparent mist I could see the dark shapes moving. There was a yellow glimmer which was mingled with a muted brown. The first thing I heard was the heavy crash of water on tile. It echoed like the beating of wings or the clapping of a maddened crowd. By the time I reached the edge of the outer platform I saw the main floor was flooded by at least three feet of water. It had a slight murkiness to it, likely because it was pumped directly from the lake.

Amora sat in the middle of it all with her left thigh half covering the drain. The stream of water cascading out of the opening in the wall was much more pitiful than the one in Juliet. The spout seemed to barely cast its water onto her. She was facing away from me, with her head tilted slightly to the side, allowing the stream to slide down the length of her neck. To the right of her head, she ran her fingers through her soaked, tangled locks.

I was going to say something. Secretly in my mind, however, I began to tell myself things that would dissuade further action. She wouldn’t hear me. She would care if I was there. I would be killed if she knew. Things such as this stunted my progress. Then...she turned around completely.

Her whole body twisted. It was about this point I noticed that they had given her a set of poorly manufactured clothes similar to those worn by Vera. These were, however, purely grey. Again they looked very uncomfortable and to be honest I was surprised she even consented to wearing them.

As her face passed over my position I could hear the audible thump of my heart. The temperature of my skin modulated in patches such that as one part of my arm was clammy elsewhere it produced a steaming sweat. But, as if by a miracle, she did not see me. Or maybe she chose not to see me. While we are speaking realistically I suppose I should say I hardly ever expected her to notice me as I was, after all, quite small comparatively. Again her vision passed over the point where I stood and again she did not make any gesture to suggest that she saw me. This back and forth was more nauseating than her direct scrutiny. It had to end...by any means. So I called to her:

“Uhh, hello?”

Nothing. So I called again.

“HELLO? Amor-” but my words were severed like a limb hacked away by a dull cleaver. My words weakened further as she spoke.

“I heard you the first time.”

That was it. We fell back into our uncomfortable silence. Or, at least I did. Nothing seemed to stave off Amora’s quiet disdain and simultaneous glee at my discomfort. She was like Vera in that respect. You see, many of the giants wished for abject, observable terror. But these two, they liked drinking in the subtle miseries. They seemed to favor in imperceptible internal gnawing in my stomach than the sounds of my screams. It got them their sick high.

“Oh…” I said in whisper. Amora continued combing through her hair with her sharp digits. I watched as both finger and water sliced through the intertwining ropes of her golden locks. Then, once smoothed again she let her head fall down so that her chin touched her chest. The falling water warped around the back of her neck in two cold rivers laden with the lake’s silt.

“You’ve come then to ask me more questions?”

I hesitated to respond at first. My probing paranoia led me to believe this was some sort of rhetorical trap. I would not be bested in words, not by her. With Vera it had become a common occurrence, but Amora, from what I could tell, was much less refined in verbal exchanges. She was far more abrasive than eloquent.

“Yes, I had something especially-”

“Ughhh,” she groaned, cutting me off once more. I recoiled, though I’m not sure for what reason. “Tell me little man…” she began again. “How the fuck are you able to carry on conversations with that brown haired bitch if you can’t even talk to me?”

I shifted from side to side. When I looked up I saw her razorous green irises peeking out from behind tendrils of soaked hair. She sat cross legged with her shoulders pushed up toward one another like a frightened cat.

Ignoring the question I went on. “So I wanted to talk about your life before you came here. If you don’t-”

“No.” she stammered impatiently. The outburst was accompanied by an unsettling thud brought about by her curled fist being slammed against the ground.

“Answer me first!” she growled at me. Before I could even consider her question though I noted how curiously animal like she had become. Her appearance, her gestures, even her words gave her the aspect of some angry dog.

“I -uh, I, well I don’t know how to answer that really…”

She rolled her eyes at me and let her torso drop toward the ground.

“Also how does she even hear you? You’re so...shaky and quiet and...just small. Speak up dammit!”

“I-I’m trying” I responded in the loudest volume I could bring myself to speak in.

“Wha-? I, fuck it”

That is when I saw her right hand shoot out from underneath her. Though it was massive it moved with the speed of a striking viper. My immediate terror did little to aid me though. For some reason my torso began to move long before my legs, essentially causing me to suddenly teeter over onto my right side. I smacked onto the floor with great force, no doubt adding another layer of bruises to my already battered flesh.

I shut my eyes and waited for whatever was to occur. A tremendous  pressure seized the lower half of my body, leading me to think at first that I had be ripped in two. My lower half was suddenly hauled upward, leaving my upper body dangling along behind it. Both arms whipped from side to side. The force and the pain did quick work on me, washing my brain in blood and adrenaline which, thankfully, knocked me out in a matter of seconds.

When I came to I found myself on skin. Everything below my abdomen was completely numb, everything above was shaking furiously. Up to that point I never really appreciated Vera’s careful handling of me, from now on I would be quietly thankful in future encounters. Looking down at my legs I saw they seem to be mostly together. I knew that when the numbness faded and the blood returned to their veins the trauma would be immense. I pushed myself up so that I could get a better idea as to where I was at the moment. Before me was small bump and behind me, a very similar protrusion. To my left I saw fingers curled downward toward what I assumed to be the ground. Unfortunately my vision was still spinning so directions were still unclear. Then I looked up I found myself peering up into the imposing visage of my captress. The neurons in my brain fired as fast as they could, helping me to stumble through simple logical orientation to discern what the hell was going on.

Whereas Vera would hold me in her palm to preserve my safety and ensure more direct conversation, it would appear that Amora had mounted me on the back of her hand as one would a wandering insect. The gesture was much more impersonal, and twice as unnerving as Vera’s own treament. Not only that but I felt completely insecure in such a position. I braced myself against the bony surface of her knuckles.

“You were saying?”

“Uhh I-I-I” God I must’ve sounded like such an idiot. Nothing shielded me from Amora’s grating judgment. It only served to fuel my momentary terror.

“You’re no better closer. Why do they even send you?”

“I- Sorry I don’t know, this is all...just so much. How long was I-?”

‘Unconscious, hmph, long enough for your little friends to come screaming at me down from the ceiling. Oh they were so concerned about you, how adorable. But don’t worry, I assured them you’d be peeeeerfectly fine.” Her voice was smooth and haunting. The obvious taunting flecks of sarcasm helped flush the blood back into my limbs as my heart picked up its hasty rhythm once more.

“Amora I-”

“Ugh, you use my name like you are worthy to say it!”

“I was just-”

“Now answer my damn question!”

I swallowed hard and searched for the proper counter. It was not within my power to retrieve it. So I decided to bargain. They always said that bargaining was the tool of dead men. I guess that meant my end must have been near.

“Ok, I will, if you answer mine…”

Amora’s eye’s narrowed, but there was not hate in them. “Fine” was her only response.

“Ok, well. I guess...we talk a lot I mean. She likes it. She says its the only interesting thing she gets to do.”

“Oh? She would lower herself like that. Pandering to you? To them!?” she suddenly screamed at the ceiling. I was about to continue but her attention dropped back down to me. Her eyes paralyzed me and her voice sent another chill down my spine.

“You must think you’re so clever. When I get out of here I won’t spare anyone ever again. No life left untrampled. It will be nothing but bodies from now on!”

As harrowing as her words were I couldn’t help but feel the urge to rise up against them. Was it all that adrenaline pumping through my veins? Was it some smouldering ember of bravery that I had been secretly kindling all these years? Who knows, maybe it was just my common human stupidity but I couldn’t help myself from saying something.

“Keep in mind Amora, I’m here to see if you’re worth keeping around. Making threats won’t help your case.”

All I got in return was a homicidal stare. I could see ceaseless carnage reflecting in her eyes. I could never imagine something so human in appearance wishing such evil upon the world. I knew it was just a dangerous  manifestation of anger and fear, she was, after all, close to a human being. My experience told me that everything I was seeing now had been in humanity for centuries. It just seemed different. Having such large, piercing eyes does that.

“Anyway…” I started. “I thought we’d go over a few things and then I’ll leave you alone. Ok?”

At first she only grunted. I tried to straighten myself out. After all, being assertive is pretty hard when half your body doesn’t even work. Anyway, I sat myself up a little further but she reacted by tilting her hand forward slightly. My body began to slide down. I panicked and flailed desperately in an attempt to stop my descent. I only fell about ten feet before she leveled her hand out again. The relief was so great that I nearly vomited.

“I won’t be spoken to in such a manner.” she hissed. Earlier I felt compelled to try and at least act brave. But, as soon as she finished speaking, I reflexively nodded and squeaked out some timid response.

“Good, now before I answer your stupid little question I want to know what Vera told you…”

Again I tried to straighten myself out. Some power returned to my legs, allowing me to shuffle back up to my original position.

“She said some giant had found a cave, an impossibly dark cave, and that you came from all over to see it. She said that he promised you the chance to become powerful.”

Amora smirked. Another majestic but sinister flame started to burn along the edges of her eyes. I looked down and saw her steadily open and shut her lips, as if mouthing words.

“Is that all true?” I eventually asked. Amora laughed more audibly this time and turned her face away. She looked off to the far corner and a somberness overtook her. When she turned around she was far more serious.

“Before I tell you I want to know...do you think not giving the whole truth is as good as lying?”

I didn’t know what she was getting at. I assumed the only way to find out was to answer her.

“I suppose.”

“Hmph, well then the bitch lied.”

This seized my attention. A sudden surge of strength allowed me to pull myself up further. She caught my festering fascination and grew curious herself.

“What did happen then?”

“Its difficult to describe, I don’t think you’d understand. But, if it means you’ll leave me the hell alone I guess I might as well tell you.” she paused and let out another weary groan. She straightened out her back and brought me up a bit closer. All the while her eyes wandered around the chamber, never once resting on me while she spoke. “I lived in a small canyon. It was just me. Year after year I’d have to fight for food and supplies just to keep myself alive through the winter. Gurn lived not far from me and...well...Vera a bit further out. One day, he comes to me and says that this guy has some special thing to show people.” Again, Amora stopped and took a second to gather her breath. As she did her pupils flashed onto me for a second. She looked disgusted at my keen interest. Whatever, I stopped caring. “Anyway, it gets pretty boring there so I go down with him one evening. Sun is just about to set and there’s at least fifty people waiting at this little grotto. One is up talking about our future or some shit, he called himself Asphalt or something…”

“Asphod?” I interrupted. I expected her to respond in anger but she simply nodded and continued her tale.

“I can’t remember everything he said, but all of a sudden everyone started pushing past one another, trying to get inside this little hole in the cliff. People are trampled, beaten, heh it was crazy.”

For a moment I thought I detected a hint of empathy for her own kind. It was subtle though, like she was trying to bury it beneath layers of words.

“Somehow I got through. I don’t know why I wanted to go, I just felt like I’d be left back there all by myself if I didn’t. I was pushed into the blackness. And everything’s seemed a little darker since. But I’m glad I came. There is so much more for me here.”

Then she stopped and stared at me for a while. Was I supposed to say something? If so what? Her scrutiny wasn’t unexpected but it was especially crippling.

“And what of Vera, was she there?”

“She was in the back, I remember that. I remember one thing in particular.”

“What was that?”

Amora shuffled back and let her head fall into her other hand. One eye glared up at me as if to convey her growing impatience. Normally I’d have been stressed by such a gesture but I was too elated by her story.

“She was crying”

“Why?”