Fanfic: The Odyssey of a Believer: Surviving Odds

Author: BariothQueen

Date Ended: N/A

Chapter 1: The missing link
The Christianson family were a loving group of people, who supported rights of all people. Ragnak Christianson worked as a blacksmith down in the town of Rockborrow. His wife, Margaret Christianson was a kind woman, and always put things out of her own way, to help people in need. At one time she even helped when the neighbor was going under labor. And at one time or another, she soon found herself helping tons of creatures, big, or small. Her cousin also had a Popo farm, which was hard to maintain up in the mountains. Of course, people would wonder why they would keep them up there. The answer was simple enough of course, the mountains were cold, due to elevation. The valley was under a slight drought, and sadly enough for poor Ragnak, Margaret would bring vast amount of Kelbi onto the property. Eating shrubs and getting her husband ticked off. At one point, they soon left remains of their lunch in the yard, which didn’t appeal to him. Or to Margaret anyhow. They also had a 4 and a half year old daughter named Kathleen. She was just like her mother in a way, and never new a stranger. At one point she ended up in the back of a wagon and scaring her father half to death, while talking to a customer. Kathleen always got into trouble..

Nonetheless, Ragnak was madly in love with Margaret, and his daughter. Margaret was a social person, and could hardly "keep her yap shut half the time", as her husband said. She would know everyone in a room full of 30 people in little over an hour, and still be talking. People would come by and visit, and take a load of her famous cake she had always made. Well, she never told what the secret was. That was locked away.

Margaret was the idol of the town, and was loved by all. That soon changed on that one fateful day. Margaret was cooking in the Kitchen when Ragnak burst through the door yelling out his wonderful day, and the usual peck on the cheek bit. "Oh, and you know what? I’m dang it* sick and tired of those stupid Kelbi, I swear, I’m going to mimic a dang it* Great Jaggi call somehow, and scare the crap outta them when they munch on the plants! I’m sick of them! SICK! YOU HEAR?! SICK!" Margaret simply shook her head and continued with her cooking and replied, "Then why are you yelling about it when you can do something about it? Like, do something smart and put a fence around the yard?" Kathleen walked in with her "snuggie" as she called it. It was just a simple blanket to cuddle with, but she carried it everywhere with her. "Where is booboo?" Her mother turned around and said, "Booboo went to the... to the vet sweetie, he’ll be back in a bit."

"Ok!" Kathleen gave her most biggest smile ever. She LOVED Booboo. Who is booboo you asked? The female kelbi that always roamed around the yard, along with her family. "Booboo... what’s next? She’s gonna call the cat Weewee?" Again, Margaret shook her head. "Watch it. You’ll wish you would have enjoyed this when she’s all grown up y’know." She stopped cooking and kissed him. "Can you watch that? I have to feed the 'rodents' you call for Kelbi." She walked out, leaving Ragnak to stand there stirring the pot of noodles.

A couple hours later, while chopping some wood for the fire, Ragnak saw his wife across the way feeding the young family of Kelbi again. Kathleen was there too. Hugging Booboo. ''Those two are gonna drive me nuts... all this hard work... with planting, and for what? I get a huge herd of pests in my yard... well, work is never done, fence will be a good idea.'' Ragnak sighed, and continued his work.

Ragnak was going to take a load of wood in, when he hard a Great Jaggi call. He stood up and listened again from where it could be. It called again, and he located to the valley opening into the town. "Pfft, too close to the gate. Little beasts are scared of humans.."

The call grew ever closer now, and he turned around toward the sound, and saw it’s frill stick up in the air. And 30 meters away... behind a big huge shrub... was Kathleen and his wife. He slowly dropped the hatchet and hunkered down, and crawled ever so carefully toward them. Margaret saw this, and looked at him funny. "HOUSE, GET IN THE HOUSE, IT’S A dang it* GREAT JAGGI!" He mouthed quietly. Her eyes widened, and she looked through the bush to see the pack of meat eaters. The Kelbi looked to where she was looking, and vanished. That wasn’t a good idea. The leader soon raised its head, and called orders. There was no time, before the Kelbi were slaughtered, and Margaret, was taken away. Leaving Ragnak and Kathleen, under the shrub.

Ragnak left Kathy crying in the house and told her everything was going to be alright, and he would be back soon, and went for his bowgun. He wasn’t much of a hunter, but he HAD to do something. "dang it* it all, dang it* it all! Why God why?! dang it* flippin sons of.."

It started to rain, which meant that the soft soil further off down the hill where the Jaggi pack ran off to would be turned to mud, leaving tracks left behind by them. But only for so long. Ragnak ran out of the house, down the hill, and went in pursuit, all the while loading his light weight gun. In the rain, he felt something warm coming down his cheeks. It wasn’t only the rain soaking him down. It was his heavy heart, sodden with sadness. He knew it wasn’t going to be any use, no use at all fighting, but he couldn’t handle his anger. He hated them. He hated all of these monsters that were brought down here for a purpose. They had no purpose. He hated killing, but now, this was no exception. He had sheer hatred. He wanted to cut off the shameful beast’s heads, and stick them on pikes in there caves as a reminder.. But he knew they wouldn’t care. They weren’t animals, they weren’t creatures like the Kelbi, they were monsters. Made to kill and ruin lives. Ragnak knew this.

He finally got to the lair of which he followed the tracks and was hidden behind a boulder. In the distance, he heard screams... shrills screams. It was only a matter of time, before he could control his anger. He yelled. He screamed. He charged. He fired. She was the missing link in his past. But now, it was over. The link was gone, and so was his heart.

Chapter 2: The lovable Rebel
15 years later...

Ragnak looked at the photo of his wife, and closed his eyes, remembering the scenes. Kathleen gently put her hands on his shoulders. "There was... nothing I could do. I was too late.. To help.." Kathleen hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. "She still knows you love her. That’s all I can say Father." He looked into her eyes, and she looked straight back. He smiled, "Yes.. I know she’s looking out for us. Now, pack your things. She’s gonna be here any minute. I mean you always put things off to the last minute!" Kathleen muttered. "Not my fault I like your stories." She went to her room and packed her sleeping gear. Tonight, was going to be a special night, for a special person. Amber and her were going to go out camping in a safe area up on the West hillsides of town (Her house being located at the North East). There were also sentries among the area, for it was a common camp ground, due to a beautiful pond nearby.

Amber, however, was a... different character. She had gotten into trouble a couple of days ago, trashing out a couple of locals. "Pah! Yo, it ain’t my fault that guy is a jerk face, he wanna get in my face he can go right ahead, but he should know what’s coming to ‘im!" Apparently she was in the bar drinking no surprisingly, and having a good time, when some "jerk" as she said he was, claimed his seat she was sitting in. And recognized him as Michael’s friend. Michael and her were close in relations, and Kathleen would expect at some point, he would ask her out. "Bull crap! How you know he’s gonna ask me out, he’ll ask you out!" "Me? What would he have anything to do with me?" "Look babe, ya gotta look in the mirror! Have you seen that face of yours? Gosh, ya look like your ma. I’m surprised boys aren’t over ya like flies on crap!" "Nice... comparison. But honestly, I’m not looking for a date... I’m just looking for my Father and I to get by."

Kathleen carried her things into the living room, and set them on the floor. The door bell rang, and Kathleen walked over to the door. "Must be her." When she opened it, Amber burst in through the door yelling, "OF COURSE IT’S ME, who do’ya think I was eh? Some rich embassador or something?" She was wearing a leather jacket, leather pants, and basically everything punkish that Michael could get her. He was actually a good hunter as it were. She had black hair, and gothic like eyes, and a couple of piercings around the ears, and one on the lower lip. That was all done by Michael too. As Amber looked around, her friend muttered to herself, "Good ears.." Then she looked at her. "What... ya aren’t wearin’ that, are ya?" Kathleen was dressed in ripped jeans, with her brown wavy hair down, and a normal work shirt. "Something wrong with... this? I.. I could change if you want me to haha, not a problem... I don’t think.." Amber looked at her and simply replied. "Ya don’t have anything else... besides this right?" Before she could answer, her father came in the room with greetings. "How ya doin’ Amber? Mother keepin’ ya busy?" She shook her head. "Boy, you don’t know how much she has been tossing me this way and that, she’s been ridiculous!" Kathy folded her arms and smirked, "Knowing her, I’ll bet she has, hasn’t she?" She didn’t respond, but simply put a hand on her shoulder.

"Darlin’, ya seriously gonna wear that?" Ragnak interrupted. "Well, I think she looks fine.. Well, put another shirt on at least, and I hope you got a couple of jackets in there, it’s gonna get cold." "Ya think she looks fine? I mean, the boys were hangin out-" Kathleen quickly stepped in "-with... for a WHILE," She glared at her friend while saying this, "Are going to provide everything, I mean, it’s only just going to be us girls.. That’s all, I promise hah."

Her father looked at her up and down, then at Amber, and then back on his daughter again. "What in God’s name are you going to do exactly with these boys?" "Nothing!!!" They both said while running out the door with the bags at hand.

They both entered the bar after having everything reserved for their camping spot. Amber, being the little rebel she was, decided to go all party girl, while Kathleen, being like her father, read the Loc Lac News article. Amber glanced over at her sitting at a table with the paper through the crowed, and walked over. "Hey, babe, watcha readin’." She looked up from her paper. "I think it would be called... the News..." Her friend cocked her head. "Alright, what’s wrong with ya, you seem down in the dumps, what’s the matta with ya? Ya makin’ me sick y’know." Michael walked up to the table they were both sitting at, and sat down with them.

"OH HEY! How ya doin’ Kath? Long time no see." Kathy gave a weak smile. "Oh, hey there Michael." "She’s down in the dumps pookie." Kath looked at Amber weird. "POOKIE? (that one place that bad people go to), that’s a new one, what’s next? Smookums?" "Oh no," Michael put in, "I already call her that, don’t I smookums?" The two kissed each other, and Kathleen simply rolled her eyes.''God... think I’m gonna puke.. I mean... the guy is a fake.. Easy to tell.. I mean.. Smookums? That’s like a baby calling their cat deedee. Ugh..''

"So anyway, what’s up tutes?" Amber leaned forward while asking this, and her close pal sighed. "Nothing. I just had a talked before you came to the house with my dad is all. Nothing special."

Amber put her feet on the table and criss-crossed them. "Well it’s gotta be if your down in the dumps, I mean, seriously... oh... I know.." She leaned forward in her ear and whispered. Almost immediately, Kathleen slammed down the paper and yelled. "NO! THAT AIN’T IT! HECK THAT’S PERSONAL! AND I EXCEPT IT."

"Ok, then what is it?"

"My m.."

"What?"

"M..m...th..r..."

"What? Babe, gotta speak up"

Michael was listening and rubbing his chin.

"MY MOTHER."

"Oh yea. I knew that. Man, I can imagine how tough it’s gotta be."

"You have no idea..." Kathleen picked up the paper and started to read again. Her friend shrugged, and grabbed Michael by the arm, and led him off. "Gotta let her cool off y’know?"

Kathleen looked up and saw her friend dirty dancing with her new guy, and soon to be boyfriend. "Well.. I suspect he’s going to be asking her out tonight.. That’s juuuust great."

Kathleen was leaning against the Alibi building, waiting for Amber when she heard shouting. "Oh no.." She put her hands on her face and expected the worse. Amber stomped out and grabbed her by the arm and started to drag her. "Com’on, lets get outta here, fricken jerks in there."

"Where’s Michael?"

"Dead."

"What?!"

"DEAD. Do I have to say it again?"

"He can’t be dead, the authorities would be here by now"

"He ain’t dead yet, but soon enough, babe."

Just then a mob of men came running out of the bar, and after the two gals. "Never mind speed walkin’, we runnin’!" Kathleen laughed and they started to run. Then Amber started to receive insults.

"*female dog*!"

"DRAMA QUEEN!"

"MAN STEALER!"

"Man stealer?" Kathleen looked at her weird. "Anything for a dang it* insult." She said back "DON’T COME BACK HERE LESS YOU GOT THE GUTS YA LITTLE TRAMP."

They ran around a corner, and found a small opening between two large buildings. "In here." Kathleen pulled her friend into the crevice and they waited it out. It was almost 30 minutes before they even had the chance to even look out safely. "Bastards." Amber was brushing herself off from all of the dirt and dust in the small hide out. "And Kathy, remind me to tell Michael if he’s alive, to have him come here if he’s in a crap load of trouble."

"Will do.."

.... "... So what now?"

They didn’t respond to each other for a while, replaying the events that just happened in their minds.

"Well, back to camp I suppose?"

"I think ya right babe.. Let’s get outta here."

They walked out down the path, past the shops, and on toward the gate. But it wasn’t long before the mob found them again, and they ran, and found themselves safely, behind the gate guarded by 10 sentries.

Chapter 3: No easy way out
Sebastian Alabard was a crazy old coot, and had an obsession in medicine, which made his character seem all the worse. He opened his case and took out a thermometer, shook it hard and put it up against the light. He squinted as he clarified that it was clear, and the fever test would begin. He went back into Ragnak's bedroom, where he layed moaning. "Alright, let's see how this turns out.. Shall we?" Kathleen's father opened his mouth and let the doctor slip the thermometer under his tongue. These days, even though the thermometer was getting better in quality, it was a bit bulky, and not so accurate. Most times, when people thought they were sick, it turned out to be they were perfectly healthy, and when they were ill... Well, it would show the reading of normal. The device.. was always inaccurate... and risked lives.

5 minutes later, Sebastian came back to see the results.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.."

His patient looked up at his doctor and asked for the answer.

"103"

"103?

That thing has got to be false! it has to be!"

He looked at Ragnak and shook his head, "This thing doesn't lie... at least... I hope not."

"What?! are you wanting me to die you idiot?! You're mad! You and I both know it, it doesn't say 103 does it?!" Everyone knew... if you had even above 100 degrees in temperture, your body was in the fight for its life. And very few doctors knew how to treat such things. Yes, you could put a wet cold cloth on the forehead, but now that more and more cases of new epidemics have arrived, like the so called FLUE as it was called (some debate the spelling should be FLU), was very deadly. Most medicines only treated for stomach aches, head aches, minor hay fevers, or as some called it, the cold. Most of those cases were treated with the expensive dose of Kelbi horns. They were a custom of remidies.. they were.

Both of them fighting wasn't to be unexpected. The two had conflicts before. When Margaret got sick way back when. Sebastian was always trying to please Margaret, and when every time her husband got sick, well, he gave false alarms to try to scare the living daylights out of him. "Well, the thing isn't usually correct... I don't think.." Sebastian.. had always been a nutcase. He gave diagnoses to the wrong people, and at the wrong time, and to different illnesses. Usually, when Ragnak walked around town, and heard someone coughing he would hear cries of despair pleading to not let Sebastian in the house. Period.

He lost his lover long ago, ironically while trying to cure her of a chronic illness. Not surprisingly, he wasn't even ALLOWED, to practice medicine. Sharon was her name, and Margaret met her only once.

He put his hands on his face and moaned. Mr. Alabard looked at him when he did this. "Sir, I'm not TRYING to kill you, I just hope this is accurate... Since... well... we don't want a scare, now do we?"

"Oh I'll give you a scare you dang it* idiot... Where's Kathy?" He seemed to start sweating knowing that it was a 50/50 solution to knowing if he was ill or not, then a 1/10 chance of surviving even a mere cold.. Or so the rumors said. And he wanted Kathy to be there, just in case he needed a 'hand' with Alabard in giving the correct diagnoses. Sebastian, not surprisingly, was fond of Kathy, since her being the daughter of Margaret.

"Wasn't she camping you said?" Sebastian took out an instrument of his and started to tap his own knee gently.

"Should be back by now, she said she was going to come back around noon." He coughed.

"Hm." His doctor wasn't much of a talker, but more of a thinker. He still didn't like Ragnak for God knows what reason. Some say it's that he thinks Ragnak was a fool and couldn't save Margaret, when Sebastian said even he could have done the saving himself.

"Alright!" He said eagerly, "I'm going to check your reflexes with this... this... uh... pounding thingy." Kathleen's father stared at him. "The (that one place that bad people go to) you're not!" The man shrugged. "Hey, I'm the doctor, you're the defenseless person. I'm the only doctor who is known to be crazy, and there is no one that can help you, for miles and miles around." Ragnak yelled as Sebastian pounded away on his kneecap. "Least you're honest..." Ragnak murmured angerly.

"Well, at least we know your lungs are good, and your throat.." He joked.

"You're nuts.."

"Oh," He began, "I'm only just starting with the tests... my good friend, now hold still.." Ragnak groaned. Kathleen, PLEASE for the love of God, hurry UP!!

Amber woke, and sat up inside the tent. She then looked beside her and saw Kathleen fast asleep in her blankets. Amber sighed. "Well. I'm not gonna like what's comin' to me.. stupid mobs.." Quite frankly, she was surprised the sentries let her through. She had been pulling pranks on them for years, and had always been treated poorly by them in return. She could vaguely recall the guards looking directly at her, but then at her companion running in panic along side her.

She looked at Kathleen and muttered. "dang it*... you get away with anything... don't you?"

"Well that's because I don't get myself into trouble, 'babe'."

Kathleen rose and stretched. She smiled at Amber. "Yea, didn't think we would get through, did ya?" She looked back and stuttered. "Well... I uh, ... Well a little.. But I'm serious! You're Daddy's little girl! Crap, you get away with anythin'. And quite honestly, I'm jealous." Kathy rolled her eyes. "Please, what is there to be jealous? If you quit acting like a dang it* chaotic rebel, this wouldn't have happened!" The rebel gril looked away and pulled her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them then resting her head on her knees. "Yea, yea. Even if I was like you, they'd hate me, I garuntee it. So what are we gonna do? Just sit here like ducks and wait for our butts getting handed to us? The sentries are gonna get bombarded by Popo dung bombs soon, then they'll come at us and put us in the stocks!"

"When... in BLAZES... do you get all these ideas?! At prank soap operas? OH, no wait, you get them from Michael... right?"

"Gee, how d'ya know? And prank soap operas? Kathleen, I've heard of those fancy shin digs over and Loc Lac, but prank operas? And you say I come up with crappy ideas.." She shook her head.

Katheen crawled toward the opening of the tent, pushing away the flaps. Other people were getting up too. Across the way, she could see a father, and his son fishing, with the boy's mother watching them both. Kathleen watched a while, watching them laughing, and having a wonderful time. Amber got right next to her face and looked in her direction. "Whatch'a lookin' at tutes?" Amber's friend stayed silent for a while, then spoke. "Don't you ever just... wonder.. What it would be like to just sit and think about how lucky you are?" Amber stared at her. "You depressed or somethin'?" Kathy smirked back. "Oooh... yes, I'm so depressed, you have nooo idea."

It was noon when the two girls started packing. Kathleen was cursing to herself, knowing how nervous her father would be. She couldn't blame him at all. He was protective, and she was the other half of his world that was left over. All he had in memory of her mother was her and that nothing would stop him from keeping her safe. "Ugh.. should be home by now.."

"Relax, we'll get going here in a minute darlin'." Kathleen, with her wavy brown hair swaying with the breeze folded her arms and looked around the campus. It was a very green area. Full of trees, some big, some small, huge tops, small thin tops. And having a pond in the middle of the area brought the beauty in it all. There was also a flower garden around it, which brought even more peacefulnesss to it. The local town brought in extra fish to the pond that wasn't needed, and put it in there for the locals to catch. It was a nice thing to do, though the fish weren't exactly the best thing to eat. They hardly provided any significant source of nutrients. But it was a good way to spend some time with family, and just kick back and enjoy life.

"Hey Kathy, you coming?" The sentries were standing by the gate with ehr own bags, but not surprisingly, amber had to carry her own. "Oh right! Yea, coming."

When they reached the street that led out of town to her house, Amber gave her a hug. "Tell your father I said hi, y'hear? and tay OUT of trouble." Kathy shook her head and smirked "Ha, and you're the one to talk Amber." Her friend joked.

More of the chapter will continue...