Chapter 5: Falling From The Sky

Hundreds of strange buildings twirled inside of a brewing storm clouds, ripples of white lightning flashed everywhere and struck the desert floor while dozens of rusted vehicles crashed onto the craggy earth and burst into flames.

Howard looked up from inside of the swirling storm as Monica walked in front of him while holding an ice spear in her hands.

A large building with ancient pillars crashed into a nearby mountain and shattered into thousands of pieces. A few strange creatures rolled out of the ancient mausoleum, and rushed towards Howards' group with a lust for death and destruction.

"These storms occur everywhere in the Furnace," Teacher Annibel walked towards the eye of the storm. "We have to come here to salvage supplies, and occasionally buildings in order to survive. However, what's the most important thing in a storm, Blake?"

"Run if they arrive."

"Right," Annibel said with a head nod, walking towards a building that sent thousands of pounds of debris in all directions. "Our enemies outnumber us a thousand to one. They create the zombies, the storms, and all the monsters that fill the Furnace. You must always be careful if they arrive."

"Can you be more specific?" Howard created a small fire ball that burst through the skull of a zombie, sending it falling onto the floor. "Who are the enemies?"

"They are us from other places. They are them from other places" Annibel walked over to a large white building full of broken pillars and leaned over, causing her beautiful dress to flicker behind her. Using her full strength, the building soon appeared above her, eventually ended up on the palm of one of her hands as she walked towards the exit of the storm. "Basically, our enemies are whatever want to kill us. Sometimes, thousand meter tall beasts get summoned from different plains."

"The Furnace is different than the surface," Blake pulled out a pair of glasses and donned them on his face. "I've been studying the fluctuations in these storms. The Furnace is underneath the surface, and also has the highest concentration of Ki. That's why on the surface you could barely make a small fireball while here you can make a gigantic flaming sphere."

"Your horns are like antennas for Ki. They help you sense it, absorb it, and also use it to strengthen your body. It's why those who have grown horns for millennia have been killed. Everyone who grows horns gains preternatural abilities." Blake stopped taking and picked his nose. "What? Something got in my nose."

"Anyways, the Furnace has more pressure than the surface, so Ki tends to gather here in much greater amounts. It causes things that are impossible on the surface to exist here. For instance, these clouds are high density Ki formations that cause distortions in space. Occasionally, these distortions create alternate realities. Like the large store that teacher is carrying."

"Blake is a genius," Monica quipped and grabbed Howards hand. "He figured out that on his first year here. However, he's been here for 3 years."

"He looks thirteen!" Howard watched a large truck's oil rig slam into the ground and burst into an orange burst of flames. "Do you age differently down here too?"

"They're coming," Teacher Annibell pointed towards an opening in the storm, "Thousands of zombies, skeletons, and beasts are drawn towards these storms for the same reason we are. The high concentrations of Ki in these storms act like compasses that guide those beasts in our direction. However, once in a while, one of these creatures will be sentient, and dangerous."

"Those are what you run from. Of course, unless you think you're stronger than it," Blake slammed his hand into the ground as thousands of zombies rushed in his direction. A large abyss appeared, splitting apart the ground, and causing hundreds of zombies to fall beneath the earth.

Blake held out his hand, and caused dozens of spiked rocks to shoot from the ground, sending hundreds of zombies shooting into the distance.

He sighed and wiped the sweat off his head, wobbling behind teacher Annibell as she walked closer and closer to the edge of the storm. Nearing the edge, a strange beast with spikes charged into the darkness, only for Monica to turn it into an icicle.

Boom!

Hundreds of more skeletons and zombies rushed towards the storm. A few avoided their gang all together and got struck by lightning bolts that sent them flying into the air.

Annibell sighed and walked out of the storm, making it all the way back by the obelisk before she dropped the large building. She turned around, and stared at the thousands and thousands of creatures rushing into the storm before a large implosion occurred. The storm that had been brewing in the distance, seemed to disappear, while thousands of bones and skulls flew in various directions.

"Another rule, if you stay in the storm for too long, it will explode and rip you to smithereens." Annibell opened the doors to the new building she found, finding a meatshop full of dangling poultry and beef in front of her. "Anyways, do you feel like you learned something Howard."

"Uhm, I kind of get it. However, I still don't get who are enemy is."

"Are enemy is on the surface." Annibell smiled and pointed at the ground. "Now why don't you start a fire for us so we can eat well tonight. It's not every day that I haul in a butcher shop!"

"Teacher, where is the rest of the class?" Monica said with her arms crossed. "Shouldn't they be back from the other mission already?"

"Rest of the class? How many people are in the class?"

"In our school, roughly 10,000." Teacher Annibell smiled and began to cook a massive pig that she stuck over the fire Howard had created. "However, enough about that. Let's eat Howard. Before your dreams come and find you, you should have a full stomach!"

###

Howard hadn't slept without a woman in his bed for over five years.

In the back of the convenience store, two bean bags had been placed side by side.

Monica slept in the convenience store every night while Blake and Lera each had their own place to call home. However, since Howard just got here, Monica convinced Teacher Annibell to let him stay in the storage room with her.

Turning towards him in her bean bag, Monica blushed and saw his beady, green eyes staring towards him with a large smile on his face. He turned around, still expecting Vicky to appear with a gun around the corner, however, all he felt was the gentle touch of Monica's pearl skin.

"I'm sixteen years old, so think of me as a big sister," Monica held his hands and smiled. "You're only thirteen right? You better not try anything weird, Howard, or I'll hit you!"

"You're pretty. Can we at least cuddle," Howard wormed closer to Monica, and gently placed his head on her blanket. "I did well in the obelisk today like you asked!"

"No! You're lucky you're close to me!" Monica blushed and turned to the side. "I never let a man sleep with me ever! If you try and get any closer, I'll freeze you!"

"So mean. What about a kiss?"

"No!" Monica turned away and bit her lip while trying to hold in all the rage she'd acquired over the years. "You-you are already taking too much from me! How am I going to tell the man I marry I cuddled with another man?"

"Just marry me then. You can be my first wife!" Howard giggled and wormed closer to her, resting his head against his pillow and smiling. "Heh, this is so much better than getting shot to sleep! You're my favorite girl, Monica."

"They really shot you?" Monica turned over with starlight in her eyes as tears formed showing her growing sadness. She'd heard Howard had gotten placed in a high security prison created for special individuals. "When I got captured, they made me sleep under led blankets, however, they never shot me."

"Yup, Vicky would cuddle with me every night, and shoot me before we went to sleep. Then she'd kiss me, and we'd fall asleep," Howard said with a laugh. "I woke up every morning seeing her sleeping next to me."

"I'm so sorry. If it makes you feel better, I can hit you." Monica pinched him on the cheeks, and winked at him. "However, I don't see any reason to hurt you. You seem so innocent."

"Vicky told me that because of my horns they called me the demon king." Howard leaned in closer to Monica and grabbed her other hand. He could feel her breath and feel the heat emitting from her gorgeous, toned body. "However, I don't get it. I never attacked a single person! They killed my family and then forced me into that cell!"

"I heard from my family that you killed your family. You mean it was all a lie?" Monica sighed and leaned in closer and closer to Howard's face before she kissed him on the forehead. "Damn it. I'm so sorry for all you had to go through. When I grew my horn, they just put me in a normal prison. I ended up here a few years later, teacher Annibell woke me up."

"I was so scared when I first saw her, but she brought me to this place and has protected me every day since."

"I like you," Howard said with a smile. "Tomorrow, can I sleep even closer to you. Your body is so warm."

"NO, GO TO BED!" Monica turned around, but turned just enough to grab his hand. "I'll hold your hand, but that's it. Now, be careful what you dream. Try and think happy thoughts before you go to sleep okay."

"I already am happy. I have you!" Howard laughed and went to sleep. "The prettiest girl in the world is holding my hand! Tomorrow, she'll be my wife!"

"Goodnight idiot." Monica laughed and tucked herself into the darkness.

The sound of strange creatures could be heard howling in the distance while the sound of the fire burning and crackling echoed through the night.

Outside the convenience store, Teacher Annibell looked into the distant expanse, watching a cloud of dust travel at a great speed in their direction.

"Una, so nice for you to finally come back."