Cerberus

[darthauthor]

Edit made

Cerberus the Mercenary Dog Boy Company

Mercenary Company: Cerberus

**Overview:**
Cerberus Pack is an independent specialized mercenary company operating in the perilous territories far from the Coalition States. Led by the honorable Dog Boy Wyatt, a sort of undercover Cyber Knight, this tight-knit group of 29 Dog Boys and 5 Psi-Stalkers have dedicated themselves to defending humans from the monstrous threats that lurk in the region. With a reputation for excellence, trustworthiness, and a strong bond amongst themselves, Cerberus Pack has become a beacon of hope for those living from civilization.

**Leadership:**
- Wyatt, the Dog Boy Cyber Knight: A seasoned warrior, Wyatt leads Cerberus Pack with a combination of combat expertise and a strong sense of justice. His unwavering commitment to protecting the innocent has earned him respect both within and outside the pack.

**Composition:**
- 29 Dog Boys: Skilled in combat, tracking, and survival, the Dog Boys of Cerberus Pack form the backbone of the mercenary company. Each member is a unique individual with specialized skills, making them a versatile force.
- 5 Psi-Stalkers:

**Base of Operations:**
**Atlantean Stone Power Pyramid:**
- The Cerberus Pack has established their headquarters in a new Atlantean Stone Power Pyramid. This place recharges their batteries and E-clips. It also provides clean running water to drink and bathe in, a refrigeration room for food, and induction (electric) cooking range.
In addition to this near the pyramid are barracks, an area for exercise, a mess hall, shooting range, medical station, a prison, a hospice, mental institution, a warehouse, stable for their horses, various defensive positions (fox holes, barricades, traps, etc).

**Surrounding Environment:**
- Surrounded by wilderness, with only a few scattered farmers daring to cultivate the land. The nearest village is days away, on foot, making Cerberus Pack the first line of defense against the monsters that roam the territory

**Reputation:**
- Cerberus Pack is renowned for its excellent track record in defending human settlements in the region from supernatural threats.
- Their success rate on missions is high, and they are widely respected for their integrity and loyalty.

**Daily Operations:**
- Standing Watch over the open Rift in the new Atlantean Pyramid.
- Regular patrols to keep the mining town safe from monsters.
- Training sessions to maintain and improve combat and survival skills.
- Liaising with local people to gather information and offer assistance.

**Challenges:**
- Balancing the needs of the mining town who rely on Cerberus for protection and defending whatever may come through the, for now, open Rift in the Atlantean Stone Pyramid.

**Future Goals:**
- Investigating and neutralizing major supernatural threats that pose a danger to humans and D-Bee alike.
- Roam the wild territories beyond the reach of mainstream civilization, offering their services to those in need.

Cerberus Pack's existence is a testament to the resilience of Dog Boys as survivors and defenders of the innocent. They stand as a bulwark against monsters and supernatural forces that threaten to enslave or destroy mortals. Wyatt and his pack, Cerberus, embody the spirit of the Cyber Knights, bringing justice and protection to those who need it the most.

**Purpose:**
Cerberus specializes in a variety of tasks including reconnaissance, search and rescue, and security detail. They are renowned for their expertise in tracking, scouting, and handling dangerous situations in the untamed wilderness.

**History:**
Seeking direction and purpose, they banded together under the leadership Sgt Wyatt and formed their own mercenary company. Together they have defend the region from whatever comes out of the Rifts that form during the equinox and soltices.

**Clientele:**
Cerberus caters to farmers and small settlements. They are known for their professionalism, reliability, and willingness to take on even the most dangerous contracts.

**Code of Conduct:**
While they may operate outside the strict laws of the Coalition States, Cerberus adhere to their own code of honor. They never betray a friend, they treat their clients with respect, and they always look out for their fellow pack members.

**Current Assignments:**
- Defending the community from any “threats” that come out of a Rift.
- Cerberus is currently contracted to provide security for a remote mining operation in the wilderness.

Cerberus Headquarters: The Stone Pyramid

The Dead Rise!

The Splugorths warrior slaves come pouring out of the Rift.
As they step on the dead they find the arms of the fallen grab hold of them. The Dog Boys open fire, cutting the slaves down.
Soon the dead rise and stand ready to attack with the swords they carry.

The Dog Boys arm them with the explosives the Sunaj left behind and have them march through the Rift.
Seeing their progress through binoculars the are being hacked up.
Then the bomb goes off.
A LOT of blood and body parts fly through the Rift.

A moment later more slaves come through the Rift.
The sight of the blood and dead and animated dead horrifies.
Then they are shot down.
The dead bodies are piling up!

The brushing aside of animated dead gives away the presence of invisible intruders.
What cannot be seen soon becomes two fields of darkness.
The animated dead are repelled from them.
The Dog Boys open fire into the two fields of darkness.
The dead on the floor reach up and grab the two intruders cloaked in Darkness.
The Dog Boys keep firing.
A Black Bolt leaps from the Necromancer's hand and strikes one of the warriors in the cloak of darkness.
The Dog Boys keep firing until they have to change clips and ask for spares.
The Necromancer shouts, “They aren’t dead yet.” Then cast some kind of curse or something on one of the field’s of darkness.
The Dog Boys continue to fire.
One field of darkness explodes. The parts of the dead are everywhere.
The other field of darkness is gone as well.
The defeated look of a handsome human slave with tattoos remains. His armor has been blown off. His flesh is scared and burnt. He must be one of those Sgt Wyatt spoke of, the kind with enough tattoos that they are no longer harmed by bullets and blades.
He would be shot at once but the pack must stop to reload.
One aggressive Dog Boy loses his cool and jumps at him..
Knock him down and around the handsome looking human is defeated and does little more than hold up his arms to block attacks.
“It’s my curse,” says the Necromancer. “And perhaps a little shock.”
Sgt Wyatt, “Wait, he looks Atlantean. Must have been taken as a slave or born into slavery. Cuff him and put him in the infirmary.”

The rest of the night is a standoff akin to that of the spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae.
They would have died without the help of the necromancer and his access to the unlimited power of the stone pyramid and its P.P.E. reserves and boosts. His spells provide magic armor and such for the Dog Boys when theirs is done.
With the coming dawn the Rift shifts to a new world.
3 Psi-stalker are KIA
3 Dog Boys are KIA

1 Psi-Stalker is suffering from trauma or PTSD

[darthauthor]

New beginnings

With DEEP sorrow the Dog Boys hold a funeral for their fallen.
They lost six in one day.
They didn't enjoy killing so many warrior slaves.
They honestly lost count of how many they killed.
The remains of the dead they killed are so beaten and hacked up they gave up on trying to get the count right.

The Necromancer did his best to reassemble the bodies of the Dog Boys and Psi-Stalkers.
His abilities are quite remarkable in restoring corpses.
He makes an excellent mortician.
The funeral is sorrowful.
The Dogs cry.

The Atlantean thanks the Dog Boys for rescuing him from slavery.
He claims he has no memory anything before this morning.
Empathy and Telepathy are blocked by a Mind Block
All his things appear to have been destroyed.

Sgt/Sir Wyatt:
"You are an Atlantean, of the Aerhiman Clan.
I can tell by the tattoo on your wrist.
One of your clan taught my master, who in turn taught me.
I was taught the Aerhiman Clan are the greatest of warriors; especially against the undead.
The clan is BOTH courageous, honorable, and loyal.
You MUST have either been born into slavery or taken as a slave.
What's important is, now you are FREE!
You are NOT our prisoner, may leave whenever you wish.
You should know, however, this stone pyramid was built by an Aerhiman Clan Stone Master.
Your people will be coming to this pyramid to defend it.
Staying here may be the easiest and fastest way of reuniting with your people.
Until then, we Dog Boys will defend it from being taken by the Splugorth and all others.
Just as we defend the land from any Evils that might come out of the Rift.
It has been stuck open since the Winter Solstice, except it keeps changing worlds.
The last one opened to Atlantis. The current one looks like an alternate Earth."

Cerberus

Leader: Sgt/Sir Wyatt a Cyber-Knight impersonating a CS Dog Boy

Size:
29 Dog Boys
5 psi-stalkers

A. Outfits: None. What they have left on their backs.

B. Equipment: Medical Equipment: 10 points

C. Vehicles: Basic Transportation: 3 points. A Hover Truck and a bunch of riding animals.

D. Weapons: Basic Weaponry Cost 10 points.

E. Communications: None. They have what they brought with them. Short range radios.

F. Internal Security: Tight. 10 points (Dog Boys & Psi-stalkers senses)

G. Permanent Base: Fortified Headquarters: 20 Points Stone Pyramid,
The pyramid provide for the recharging of all their electronic items and E-clips.
It also supplies water, lighting, long range radio, and environmental controls.

H. Intelligence Resources: None All have the skill “Intelligence.”

I. Special Budget: None

J. General Alignment: Unprincipled and Scrupulous. Cost 7 points.

K. Criminal Activity: None.

L. Reputation: Excellent Reputation. Cost 25 points.

M. Salary: Pittance Salary: 5 points. This pick has more to do with the benefits (food, E-clip recharge, etc.).
They sort of get a piece of the profits from the mine in the mining town.

(Cerberus) Dog Boy: 6th Level

Special Abilities:
Sense psychic and magic energy: 75%; 650 feet
Sensitivity to psychic or magic practitioner not using powers: 75 feet (23 m)
Sense supernatural beings: 72%
Track by Scent: 60%
identify by smell: 64% (150 feet) and keen hearing.

Psionics:
Sense Evil (2)
Sense Magic (3)
Sixth Sense (2)
Empathy (4),
Telepathy (4), and one additional Sensitive psionic (default See Invisible; 4)

Alignment: Most are Scrupulous or Unprincipled

Avearge Dog Boy

Attributes:
I.Q.: 14
M.E.: 13
M.A.: 13
P.S.: 26
P.P.: 19
P.E.: 26
P.B.: 13
Spd: 45

Hit Points: 45
S.D.C.: 74
P.P.E.: 10
I.S.P.: 98

Ave Height: Five feet, 10 inches (1.78 m). Weight: 180 pounds.

Breed (Any but Default Boxer): Boxer +4% to all track by smell, +1 on Perception Rolls, leap 15 feet (4.6 m) high or long after a short running start.

Typical Disposition:
Brave, dependable, and loyal.
Enjoy work that puts them in harm's way, the place where they can best serve and protect their humans.

O.C.C. Skills
Languages:
American: 93%
Spanish: 65%

Climbing: 75%/65%
Intelligence: 58%
Land Navigation: 66%
Pilot: Hovercraft: 85%
Radio: Basic: 80%
Read Sensory Equipment: 65%
Running
Wilderness Survival: 65%

W.P. Energy Pistol:
W.P. Energy Rifle:
W.P. Knife
Hand to Hand: Expert - 6th level

O.C.C. Related Skills (5):
Detect Ambush: 60%
Detect Concealment: 55%
Forced March
Lore: Demons & Monsters: 55%
Prowl: 52%

3rd Level:
Trap & Mine Detection: 40% (+10% to "sniff out" explosives)

6th Level:
Sniper or Outdoorsmanship

Secondary Skills (6):
Body Building
First Aid: 70%
Housekeeping: 60% (clean barracks)
Lore: Magic: 50%
Optic Systems: 55%
Swimming: 75%

2nd Level:
Photography: 50%
Lore: Psychics & Psionics: 40%

4th Level:
Hunting
Track & Trap Animals: 45%/55% (To eat in the wilderness)

Lore: Aliens: 35%
Horsemanship: Exotic: 35%/25%

Attacks Per Melee: 5
+2 to initiative
+3 strike hand to hand
+3 to strike Energy weapons
Can perform a Karate Kick, does 2D6 damage.
Critical Strike on an unmodified roll of 18, 19 or 20.
+4 to strike Knife, +9 to parry knife
+6 to parry and dodge
+5 on Perception
+4 to disarm
+2 to save vs disease
+2 to save vs possession, illusions
+6 to save vs magic
+1 to save vs psionic attack and all forms of mind control
10 to save vs psionic attack.

[darthauthor]

Cerberus Headquarters: The Stone Pyramid

Present:
The Necromancer and Sgt Wyatt.

Sgt Wyatt, “We ALL know you are a necromancer. I speak for the rest of the Dog Boys that you make us angry and scared. You stink of death and magic. We hated you and hated having to use you. But, you saved lives. Saved our lives. You fought against the minions of the Splugorth slave empire. Defended our pyramid. You were promised protection and reward. I can’t allow anyone to harm you.
The real issue is the dead bodies in the Rift chamber. We have to get them out. While we have ideas about bones, dead bodies, and necromancers. We don’t like the idea of giving you hundreds of dead bodies to do whatever you want with. We are afraid you are going to make a monster. You bought some good will with the funeral now don’t push it getting greedy. Ten percent of the bones are yours. The rest we want buried with safety from supernatural magic stuff. We don’t want them rising out of their graves or some restless spirit or ghosts haunting us or something.
The Dog Boys will dig the graves. We are GOOD at digging holes. You pick the grave site.”
Necromancer, “There are hundreds of dead bodies. Two people digging takes about four or five hours.”
Sgt Wyatt, “You have never seen a Dog Boy dig.”
Necromancer, “You wish for me to perform a funeral for ALL of them?”
Sgt Wyatt, “No coffins are required. Bury them all natural (naked).
Necromancer, “I have already been preserving as many of the parts as I can. Some are good for transplant and they are cheaper than cybernetics.
Sgt Wyatt, “I smell. I mean, SEE. Never let a good corpse go to waste.”
Necromancer, “My magic can preserve some corpses or their parts but without refrigeration they are going to smell. It will attract animals and insects.”
Sgt Wyatt, “What do you suggest we do?”
Necromancer, “Start digging!”

[darthauthor]

After the Necromancer used their magic and the limitless energy of the Atlantean Stone Pyramid, he had reassembled the pieces of the dead bodies. At least, as best they are able to with their magic and under the circumstances.
The Dog Boys actually came to appreciate the Necromancer’s results. They made a good mortician.
The Dog Boys carried the dead bodies by stretcher to the grave sites.
They had made a whole cemetery just for those who had fallen.

It is separate from the grave of the Dog Boys. They didn’t want them mixing.

The Necromancer takes the time to do some work.
A book.
It is a memorialization of the dead, written on sheets of their flesh. Inked with their blood, penned with their bone, the book is a gruesome work of art.
The Necromancer is quite educated on the history of the dead
Anthropodermic bibliopegy—the binding of books in human skin. A practice that peaked in the 19th century. First it was a punishment; many criminals were executed and dissected and their skins were sometimes used to bind books about their crimes. Second reason it was used was for its collectibility.
“Whatever you collect, everybody kinda wants to have that really strange object. So there were people who collected books bound in human skin.”
For the Necromancer it is a “memorialization.” Using his powers and the energy of the Stone Pyramid the Necromancer is able to glean bits and pieces of the dead. Their names at least or something about them are recovered and penned into “The Book” for posterity.

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ; The Altantean Stone Pyramid

The Full Wolf Moon rises!

A leafless, shadowy, crooked Tree with many sharp, angled branches appears as if for the first time.
It might be dismissed except it is so big; easily 45+ feet tall.

Sir Wyatt along with a squad of Dog Boys and the Necromancer investigate the Huge Tree on this night of a Full Moon.

They can all sense a supernatural presence and a large amount of P.P.E.
Upon closer inspection the Tree seems more ethereal; like a ghost.
They can't touch it. Paw passes right through it.
One of the Dog Boys loses his cool and jabs at it with his Vibro-Blade. It passes through it.
Then he shoots at the tree. The energy blast passes right through it and hit the trees in the distance.

"Stand down," orders Sgt Wyatt. "Return to HQ. That's an order!" Sgt Wyatt taps another Dog Boy and orders him to escort him so he doesn't come back or go around willie nillie.

Sgt Wyatt, "Well, IF it wasn't so spooky to look at and this was not the edge of a cemetery, I'd say it was harmless. I can feel its energy. It's magic and it's psychic."

Then the hear the voice. "Speak what you desire and you may have the power to find it."
The sound of the voice is pleasing and seductive while it come from everywhere and nowhere . . .

Telepathy Sir Wyatt thought to himself.

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus Headquarters: Atlantean Stone Pyramid.

Waking Sgt Wyatt uses the bathroom and drinks some water.
After some stretching and a little running and push-ups with the Dog Boys they sit down for breakfast.

The discussion turns to the Rift. They have not seen or heard anything besides what they can learn coming and going. No one has just stepped forward and said what their world is like. Radio traffic is unbelievable. The Federation of Magic and the CS are working together to fight for their survival against some alien mechanical invaders or something.
They don't know what to say so they have not said anything.

One of the Dog Boys grumbled something about how they wanted to know how 'it' went and that they will control themselves better next time.
Sgt Wyatt, "We are all doing the best we can but I'm not in the mood to talk about Atlantis and battle to keep the minions of the Splugorth out."
Then seeing a magic pigeon coming his way he tries to find himself a private place to hear its message.
It seems that the gang of Knights is returning to collect their share of the mine's profits. They will tell me about their time in Hades Then turn around and go back to Lazlo. They will have a talk before they leave but they are determined to get both their men and back. if they have any time left over they might be able to save Lady Black.

[darthauthor]

After some radio challenges and rendezvous is arranged.

A squad comes to the Rifts edge:
A pair of humans; one is a spell caster.
Six pregnant Dog Girls.

Seeing the Dog Boys they smile.
The Dog Boys get a whiff of them and they know they are real Dog Girls and pregnant.
Then everyone hears the sound of something running.
That’s when they see and hear the fire of energy weapons. One of the humans is killed and his bottom half falls over.
The Dog Girls and human spell caster run through the Rift into the stone pyramid.

Turning to face the Rift the 13 foot tall humanoid robot stands with an energy rifle in each arm.
It fires first and misses hitting one of the walls behind the Dog Boys.
The Dog Boys fire back at the metal terminator. Half hit.
The machine shoots the ground.
Three of the Dog Boys rifles jam.
Three of the Dog Boys miss.
The rest shoot it.
The machine shoots again and misses.
The Dog Boys light the machine up exposing its inner mechanics.
It fires again but the Dog Boy dodges saving his life.
The Dog Boys aim true and damage it.
It turns and runs but not before it takes too many hits.
The machine falls.

Sgt Wyatt talks with the Dog Girls:
“What was that?”
A Dog Girl, “The Devourer of worlds. Their kind came to ours. We call them Mechanoids. They kill anything humanoid. They are so good at it, we stopped fighting each other and started fighting those things.
The spell caster, “Can you close the Rift?”
Sgt Wyatt, “It sort of runs itself.”
Spell Caster, “There are more of them out there.”

Sgt Wyatt takes a couple of Dog Boys and drags the robot body back through the Rift to the side with the Stone Pyramid.

After discussing more:

No one knows where the machines came from but they kill everything humanoid. Some fly. All are deadly. After great losses, the Federation of Magic, Lazlo, and the CS agreed to put aside their differences to work together to survive.
With so many dying the CS tossed all the rules and had Dog Boys make pups naturally. Besides, they could all be dead tomorrow.
There are rumors that some creatures of magic (The Splugorth) on the other side of the ocean are killing them back if they leave the East coast. Them and the “Bugs” (Xiticix) might be the only thing left alive on the planet in a year or two. Will you protect us? Please!

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ
An Atlantean Stone Pyramid

Sgt Wyatt, “Let's start with intelligence. Report.”
“Our powers of Empathy tell us they believe what they are telling us. Examining them, they are all Dog Girls and pregnant. Taking as much of the robot apart as we can, it is alien to us all. The weapon systems we understand enough to operate and fire but not how to build or repair them. We know from Object Reading the bot has killed many and was made to kill humanoids. There is no mark of the manufacturer but it doesn’t look like CS or NG. The human spell caster calls himself a Conjurer. Claims he’s from the Federation of Magic. Says the big guns of magic went to war leaving him to repair and provide things as they needed. The last battle was pretty bad. He fled and took the Dog Girls with him; women and children and all that. He’s smart but not particularly brave. His aura read shows his magic ability and that he is human; no sign of possession. He has a video. It shows some of the machines slaughter BOTH the CS and spell casters fighting side by side against them. The best fighters against them, on the video, are the ones they call Mystic Knights. The machine's energy weapons don’t hurt them. While they fight and can cast magic spells. They don’t dress the same but they remind me of those mercs that used to be around; One, Two, Three and Four.
For now, the only place humans and humanoids aren’t losing is near ley lines. The Conjurer claims a lot of people are fleeing their Earth to escape extermination. They take just about any Rift that offers a world that looks better than what is going on in theirs. Some even run to Mexico and Atlantis.
The Conjurer says he heard rumors that the machines were turned away from Mexico by vampires. The machines see them as enemies to be destroyed but they haven’t figured out how to kill them. Their supernatural invulnerability makes them impossible to kill even by high tech weapons. Their stake in the game is they need mortals to feed from so they can’t let the machines kill them all. Except they can’t defend humans during the day.
Sgt Wyatt, “Boy, things have to be pretty BAD when even the vampires are fighting to save lives. Anything else?”
“That’s all for now.”
Sgt Wyatt, “Transportation.”
“We are ready to take the Conjurer and Dog Girls to the mining town. Figure they will be safer there than here.”
Sgt Wyatt, “So that leaves us with guarding the Rift. Sending in scouts could get them killed or lead them back to the Rift. The only things we stand to gain are information. It is a gamble that we ‘might’ rescue more people or loot anything of value. We don’t need it and we are more valuable than anything we might find. From the description of these ‘machines’ there is nothing we can do that will destroy them before the Rift closes. The CS must have tried everything, at least everything they could do. IF we can make a difference it’s in saving lives not in destroying machines when they will only build more.”

[darthauthor]

Location: The Mining Town

Present:
Dog Girls and a Conjurer

The Conjurer, "Step right up. I have paper. Paper to wipe your back side. They used to call it toilet paper. Good for after you 'go' and it keeps your hands clean."

Not wanting to waste any time the Conjurer offers to his services for sale.
He is very experienced in conjuring:
Toilet Paper.
Boots, Blankets, Buckets, Canvas (for painting; makes good practice before it disappears), Clothes, Cutlery, Dental Floss, Exam gowns (medical), Games (boards, dice, and pieces), Gloves, Knifes, Ladders, Lock Picks, Makeup, Measuring Tape, Musical instruments (simple), Napkins, Needles, Paper, Plates, Rope, Shoes, Stethoscopes, String, Syringes (medical), Tools, Towels, Wench, Wheelbarrel, etc.
The only draw back is they don't last half a day.
The good news is there is nothing to clean or maintain (no biomedical waste). After a certain time it vanishes leaving nothing behind.

It keeps everyone dependent on the Conjurer but hey what do you need or are using while you are asleep.
It is really a quesiton of what is a good "lease" price for the Conjurer's temporary items?
Today the trade is leased labor for leased goods.

A lot of his skills are medical and engineering based
While his powers are geared towards survival in the wild.
He can, however, Purification (food & water),
Also he can create:
Create Bread and Milk
Create Clothing (permanent; 20 P.P.E.) citation : The Rifter #9 By Todd Sterrett
Create Parts (50) citation: The Rifter # 59 : By Anthony Lovato
Create Steel
Create Water
Create Wood

Can also cast:
Lantern Light
Globe of Daylight
Fool's Gold
Ignite Fire
Water to Wine
Superhuman Strength

He also has a few TW items and high tech items:

[darthauthor]

Location: Cerberus HQ
The Atlantean Stone Pyramid

The Rift has shifted from a world plagued by Mechanoids to a desolate world of rock.

The immediate threat over the Dog Boys breath a little easier.

After some discussion, the Conjurer is asked to return as a business arrangement.
Sgt Wyatt wants to see what the old man can do with the abundant P.P.E. from the pyramid.

The Conjurer examines the pyramid like an enthusiastic kid.
He is also very happy that Sgt Wyatt has shown him the way it is possible to access the energy of the pyramid and its ley line boosts.

The Conjurer is able to share that he believes the current Rift leads to the Elemental Plane of Earth.

While testing out the pyramid and demostrating the powers of his spells the Conjurer conjurers a few things and cast a few spells.

He makes some more toilet paper. .

Then uses his spells to create Bread and Milk.
Dogs love milk for its rich fat content. But that doesn't mean it's always good for ALL of them. Some are lactose intolerant and fart.
They like the bread too.

Next he creates some clothes and starts folding them and stacking them up like a clothing store.
He can create a set of a variety of different clothing but requires a successful "Sewing" skill roll.
A failed roll indicates that the clothing may be poorly made, not fit,
or even fall apart when worn, depending on how badly the roll has failed.
The greatest protection clothing created by this spell can provide is that of leather armor.

The Conjurer casts his spell on creates fresh new clothes (uniforms) for the Dog Boys.

Then he takes some of the some of the parts of the Dog Boys Energy Rifles and duplicates them like a Star Trek replicator. The pieces are spare parts. The same with some of their radios and electronic equipment.

He says his spell lets him sort of replicate a thing, non-living, inorganic matter only; nothing magical either.
Also, he can't create or replicate gems, jewels, gold, silver or other types of super precious metals IF it is a "part" of a the thing he is using the spell of "Create Part" to create. At best such materials must be on hand and added during are after the spell is cast.

Typically he needs an original "item" of anything to attempt to "Create the Part" and that is created is a copy so if the original is damaged or flawed so is the part created from the "Create Part." So if a broken flashlight lightbulb is used with the spell you get another broken lightbulb. You need to make the lightbulb before it gets broken or burned out.

He can only duplicate of a simple working part, or can re-create a part for a broken machine.
In ALL cases, he must have at least a basic understanding of machines and electronics, and
the necessary scrap/raw materials.

The Conjurer makes the Dog Boys a bunch of "spare" parts (assembly totally required).

After the show and tell demonstration the Conjurer makes some more stuff. The Dog Boys load it on the hover truck and take it and him back to the mining town.
He starts stocking his store.
"Bread for sale."

[darthauthor]

Location: The Mining Town

Present: Sgt Wyatt, Octavia (the mayor), and the Conjurer

Sgt Wyatt, “Lady Octavia I like to introduce . . . the Conjurer. Forgive me. I have been forgetting some things lately. What is your name again?”
The Conjurer, “Milton.”
Sgt Wyatt, “When you did that show and tell for us with your powers . . . gave us those new clothes . . . the spare parts . . . Why did you do that? I mean so many others with your powers expect a trade or something but you didn’t. Why?”
Milton, “For a time I was like that. That was before my world ended and I ran. The survivers band together and help each other when they can. Also, you and yours saved us from the robot Mech thing. I am grateful to the man who saves my life. Plus, I want to come back to your stone pyramid here to draw energy to cast my spells. I figured that wasn’t going to happen if I didn’t ‘play ball’ and cooperate. In the mining town, you Dog Boys are trusted. So if you don’t like me the town’s people aren’t either. Look at me now, I’ve got the town’s laber force building me a ranch and a mansion. Get me some livestock and some herding dogs and I’ll be pretty good.”

Lady Octavia shows him around town and introduces him to people.
She explains that she teaches many at her school house.
Also, how she is the mayor by democatic vote.

The town is growing in wealth and with it more people are coming.
The growth spirt is a result of the help from an Atlantean Stone Master Ictinus who disappeared.
Also, a Earth Warlock, Medae, who has a power to refine ore quickly and efficiently.
Many are waiting, hoping for her return that she might become a regular.
Last they heard she was in Lazlo.
In the meantime people are farming, fishing, and foraging.

When the Earth Warlock and the mercs she associated with were around the town was over stocked with clay, sand, stone, and wood. And for some reason, coal, too. A lot of cloths, food, and medical supplies over the Winter Holiday also; even books, pens and paper.

From the look of things, the Mayor, Octavia (a space Wolfen) believes, these came from the Rift or using the energies of the Stone Pyramid. Her guess is that the Conjurer is doing that sort of thing with his clothes and food.
Octavia feels the need to do some price fixing and taxation.
Since they don't have universal credits, they go by trade and vouchers for future goods and services the tax will be free food for children and clothes to follow.

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ: The Stone Pyramid.

The Rift shifts from the Elemental Plane of Earth to ?

The Rift is open . . .

Hours pass . . .

Then humans and D-Bees come to the Rift’s edge and gaze through it.
They see the Dog Boys.
The Dog Boys see them.

A lone human walks through. They look tired and hungry.
Sgt Wyatt hands the man some bread and water.
He scarfs it down and looks so happy.
The others come through and ask for food with a pleading look.
Sitting down they eat and talk.

Their story:
One day the Xiticix swarmed the small villages.
No one who couldn’t run away fast enough died.
Lazlo and the CS were BOTH attacked.
Their kingdoms were overrun.
Chi-Town Burbs was destroyed.
The fortress city of Chi-Town is surrounded and cut off by the Xiticix. No one hears from them. No one comes out or too their rescue.

Rumors abound but no one knows nothing.
People guess that the city was attacked from underground but no one knows.

Lazlo held its line but that is all it's doing with its magic force field.
The rumor is the people are Rifting out of the city to other dimensions and places on Rifts Earth.
Talk is there are millions of Bugs underground.
That the million we have seen and have been fighting is only a small portion. It doesn’t matter how many we kill, there isn’t any end to them.
We are out of everything. Armor. Energy rifles. Magic and psionics are the only constant; IF you have them. If you use them to defend anyone or provide food and healing, you are a hero. If not, you are selfish but you survive. Everyone is falling back and pulling out. The dragons got tired of fighting an unwinnable war and teleported out.
The cyber-knights died fighting along with the Tundra Rangers.
You have to let us stay or we are dead.

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ
The Atlantean Stone Pyramid.

After a day everyone's “Sixth Sense” flares up

The hunters find them.

The Xiticix have a new world to conquer.

The Dog Boys unload with all their firepower until the Rift is plugged with dead Xiticix.

These Xiticix don’t have much in the way of tactics; numbers but not better strategy.

The Dog Boys got this.
They guys stand at the sides of the Rift and shoot the Xiticix on their sides without a lot of direct attack vectors for the enemy.

After 14 hours and over a thousand Xiticix are killed they stop their attack.

By sun up the Rift shifts.

It is a dimension of spires.

The Dog Boys' nerves are exhausted. They have not lost any of their numbers but they are tired.

Their Dog Boy chappie cook cuts up what remains of the Xiticix for breakfast. He stores and preserves as much of the “meat” as he can.
The rest they stockpile as much as they can fit on the hover truck and send it to town.

They bits and pieces of what remains and weapons are put in storage to have a look at when they have time and aren’t tired or distracted.

For now, it's time for breakfast and a nap.

[darthauthor]

Location:
The Mining Town

The people are trying to cook and bake every which way they know and can figure with Xiticix meat.
With the right seasoning you can almost imagine it tastes like bad chicken with an even worse texture.
What is important is they contain high-quality protein, fiber, essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, healthy fats, iron, and calcium.
The day after people feel a lot better, like they were on a health food diet of organic steamed broccoli and carrots.

The children are wearing clean new clothes thanks to Milton the Conjurer.
The men are working on Milton's mason and ranch with the wood he create by spell.

Meanwhile back at Cerberus HQ: The Stone Pyramid.

Looking through the Rift the vast space of the spires give the Dog Boys a fear of heights.
No one wants to set foot in the place for fear of falling.
At least there are no invaders at their gates for now.

Sir Wyatt scratches his head, "I've forgotten something and I can't remember what it is. But I have to focus on the mission of defending this world's people and looking after my brothers. My bothers are tired but not beat. We have new clothes. Until our Sixth Senses warn us of danger I should let my Boys know I care. Then ask the new arrivals a few questions."

They seem to have left the building and taken off.
They must have been afraid.
Survived this long by running away at every opportunity.
SIr Wyatt will have to track them if he is to find them.
They are refugees from their dimension.
A place where the Xiticix are becoming the dominating species on the planet at the expenses of all others.
It is a warning of what might come.
Our world will turn out like their's if the Xiticix mulitply in large enough numbers.
It doesn't matter if you are CS, Lazlo, merc or just a bystander.
The Xiticix can and will kill us all.
My Cyber-Knight brothers and sisters.
My enemies too.
It makes everything else seem unimportant.
Except yesterday, yesterday we keep a bunch of Xiticix from coming out of this Rift.
They would have made a colony here.
Then multiplied until they were enough to conquor this world or were destroyed by it.

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ

Sgt Wyatt:
"The Dog Girls at the mining town are going to be delivering soon. They have no dads around to protect and provide for them. I propose we adopt them. I have a soft spot for orphans. Besides, we need some new blood after we lost our brothers. No! I want them to grow up to be free to grow up and follow their own ideas instead of forcing them to be what we need. Some might choose to be the guardians of humanity, like we are. Some might find their calling is a doctor or some other healer. One of us already has a nose for it and can smell illness.
We are all in a different place now. This is a different time. A time when Dog Boys need to be more than just soldiers and scouts. We need Dog Boys who can treat us when we get sick, repair our weapons and gear, and keep our hover truck trucking before it breaks down. I don't want us to rely on 'Athena' all the time or anyone else.
Dog Boys should look out for Dog Boys.
A Dog Boy can learn to do more than only what our humans have let us do in the past.
This is the here and now.
I want there to be hope for these new born Dog puppies to do what we were never allowed.
It is something we should all talk about with each other.
No matter what, I'm going to be a father to them.
I hope we can all be an example for them to look up and be inspired by our courage."

[darthauthor]

The Dog Girls give birth.
Milton, the Conjurer, helped with the delivery. He’s good with animal husbandry and veterinary medicine.

The litter totals to 22 newborns. Half Dog Boys; half Dog Girls.
Their mom’s are protective of them.
The Dog Boys of Cerberus are excited and humbled by the birth of their people. The smell of them brings out primal instincts in the Dog Boys. They agree to protect their innocent pups and provide for them. They will all be sort of dads to them and a good example of what they can do.
In a few years some of them might even work alongside them.

The Dog Boys have always had courage.
They have had faith too, that what they defend is good.
When they worked for the CS, they fought what they were taught to hate.
Now they fight to protect who they love.

[darthauthor]

Location: The Mining Town

The Dog Mothers hold their new borns while the Dog Boys watch and take turns give them breaks.
They bring food and water.

Much of the time is spent sleeping, feeding, and keeping warm

The Conjurer, Milton, says the first 48 hours are all about bonding time and making your pups feel safe.
Don’t stress about training, socialisation, or anything other than building trust and getting to know one another.

The puppies sleep a lot and get lots of snuggles (and regular toilet trips)

The Dog Girls come to trust the Dog Boys.

The town's folk celebrate the birth of the Dog Girls new borns.
Everyone wants to see them.
The excitement is too much and the pups start crying.

The Wolfen mayor, Octavia, calms the people down and has them move along.
Then helps with the new borns.
Some musics sooths them and everyone begins to relax again.
Octavia speaks of educating the new borns when they come of age.
For now a place to stay and healthy food will be provided.
Many feel the Stone Pyramid might be too dangerous.
What if the Xiticix came again or worse?
Better to keep the new borns far from danger.

Some of the Dog Boys start to think thoughts that scare them.
These new born Dog Boys and Girls are free born.
The CS would not approve.
In fact, some would consider them to be D-Bees as they are from an alternate Earth.
The CS would destroy them.
That or at least take them from their mothers and raise them in a Dog Boy training school in Lone Star.
IF they are loyal CS Dog Boys they would turn them over or put them down.
The thought makes them sick.
They will defend these pups with their last breathe.
Not just their lives but their mother's right to keep them.
As CS approved Dog Boys they were made without mothers.
These new borns were, well, born.
The sight and smell of them brings out something so strong and primal in the Dog Boys they cannot deny.
Their human ancestry makes them protective.
The canine ancestry makes the need time to adjust.
The human and even D-Bee public are excited about them.
They also trust and respect the Dog Boys.
IF what they are doing does not meat with the approval of the CS, it does with the people.

It has been a long time coming but the Dog Boys are more aware than ever and admit that they are changing.
Now it is a lot more about doing what they think is right, what their fellow Dog Boys go along with, and the people around them approve of happening.

[darthauthor]

Location:
The Mining Town

Over the next month:
The Dog boys pups and Dog girl pups are walking and running but in a clumsy manner.
They have grown around the sights, smells, and sounds of Dog Boys, D-Bees, humans, and wilderness.
They say in another two and a half years they will be old enough to work or fight.

The Conjurer's, Milton's, mansion sort of turned into a Dog Baby nursery and home for Dog Girl Mothers. He's got a soft spot for Bog Boys and especially these who survived until they escaped here from their home dimension.
He's got live stock and has to hire a lot of hands to herd them to and from grazing land.

The people of the town have been getting a bit of an education from their scholar mayor Octavia.
Many have learned a few basic skills. Mostly they are entertained by her storytelling and holographic films.
Most of the peoples quality of life have improved greatly.
Among those they have attracted are a spell caster who has been hired by the mayor and paid by the town's mining profits. They use either a TW device or the cleanse spell directly but they do the laundry and bathe the town's people.
Most of them consider it excessive and grumble out loud about it.
But the Mayor insists it is for the health of the town to bathe. This magical way of doing it makes up for the cost and lack of materials for soap along with the clean water, carrying it, and the wood or coal to heat it along with a pot to boil it.
Regardless, the people are learning to use TW devices and share Personal Potential Energy with spell casters.
Since they continued the use of cleanse spell sicknesses are only one in 10 of what they once were.
Thanks to the Dog Boys of Cerberus, human / D-Bee bandit raids, monster attacks, and supernatural troubles are one in 100 what they were.
The only people who are starving are those who refuse to do any work.
The currency may be bread but until the crops are mature and the livestock is fat that and what they can hunt and forage is all that they have.
They have sun dials, a bar, a sherifs office (with a cell), a medical clinic, a communal kitchen, a school house with a library, two towers, and a lot of developed farm land.

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ - The Atlantean Stone Pyramid (built by Ictinus)

The Rift has shifted from the Dimension of Spires to the Elemental Plane of Fire.

Heat comes off the Rift raising the internal temp of the pyramid to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 Celsius).
The room smells of sulfer.
The background sound is that of something burning.
The sight through the Rift is a land with rivers of lava and fire tornados.
There is enough oxygen to breath.
The atmosphere pressure can support human life.
Looks like you could go out there and scavenge for some coal if you didn't drop from heat exhaustion before you got back.
The Dog Boys, with their fur coats, are not up to weathering the heat of the plane of Fire.

They make dares to each other to run out there real quick and run back!

So far, no one's Six Sense goes off and there are no radio signals or transponders beeping.
Nothing supernatural is pinging on their Dog Boy radar within the limits of their range.

The eat Xiticix meat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner while their Dog Boy cook prepares it.
At first, it wasn't that great. Now no one can argue about the benefits of Xiticix as a source of food.
Their coats have never been "Shinier" and the protein has been wonderful for their muscles and bones.

Sgt / Sir Wyatt asks, "Hey does anyone remember what happened to that Necromancer? or Athena? I don't see them around here anymore."

Replies vary but the over all guess is the necromancer returned to the Mining town and no one knows where Athena went or why she has not come around.
There is some confusion about the night of the full moon.
One of the Dog Boys was waiting for a lecture and/or discipline for lossing his cool around the spooky ghost tree.
Sgt Wyatt had him escorted back to HQ.
After he hears it Sgt Wyatt tracks him down and asks him all about it.
Wyatt can't remember it at all.
That's very suspicious to Sgt / Sir Wyatt.
Asking others who were supposedly with him, they can't remember either.
Going out and looking around for the supposed ghost tree, during the day, and they can't find it.
So they try it at night and still can't find it.

Suspicious

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ

The Rift in the Stone Pyramid Shifts to an Earth like setting of a forest with a road through it.
No sense of danger or threats.
The radio catches music stations and news radio.
Their's is a world of humans.

A Dog Boy squad is sent out to explore.
They come across a road

Hiking the road they come across a gas station and restaurant.
The locals start to gawk at them but their Sixth Sense does not go off.

A Dog Boy (Boxer) speaks, “We are explorers from another land. We aren’t dangerous. We will leave soon but before we go we would like to trade.”

Some people laugh. Others take pictures with their phones.
People murmur things like, “Cross Players. Must be a convention somewhere. What new movie are they in?”

Frustrated, the Dog Boys turn around and go back the way they came.
They begin to notice cars passing them and taking their picture.
Soon a car begins to follow them and notices the Rift and them going into it.

A couple in their 20s gets out and streams the Rift and the Dog Boys on the other side of the Rift.
They are amazed and a little playful believing it is some kind of magic trick or hidden video 8k monitor. At least, until the guy steps through it.
“It’s impossible!” he says.
Standing in the open chamber of the stone pyramid on Rifts Earth the man’s jaw drops. Surrounded by Dog Boys staring at him he slowly pivots while getting it on his phone video.
Then he backs up and steps out of the Rift back into his world.
He looks around. Pokes his head in and out of the Rift. Then jumps back and forth like a kid playing hopscotch while getting it with his phone.
“This is unreal,” he says. “What is all this?”
A Dog Boy steps up and tries to explain:
“There are many different worlds. Sometimes these sorta of tunnels open up and randomly connect our world to them. This time it is your world the tunnel opened to. Every 10 or 12 hours or so the tunnel or Rift as we call them has a chance of changing to another world. Sometimes it is open for days, sometimes it changes in less than a day. No telling when it will change or what world it will open up to or what people will think of us when we go out to explore.”
“So haven’t come to our world on purpose, for any reason, your tunnel, sorry, Rift just opened and you are just looking around?”
“Yes.”
The woman says, “No one is ever going to believe this, even with video. Do you have some computer or something with your people's science on it like an encyclopedia?”
The Dog Boy, “I don’t know that word, encyclopedia, but I do understand trade. We like to trade with humans. We traded with another world, with friendly people like you. Food, clothes, and first aid stuff. Our leader gave them an energy weapon.”

What follows is a demonstration of their energy rifles with a few blasts at things around. All while the man and woman video it and upload their video.

The woman asks about medical treatments and other things but sadly the Dog Boy doesn’t understand much of what she asks him. They come away with the notion that Dog Boys don’t have much in the way of high technology medical devices or treatments.
After talking for tens of minutes another Dog Boy runs out.
He shows some looking like a tube of toothpaste. The Dog Boy says, "This is Protein Healing Salve. We use it on cuts and burns to heal twice as fast."
The humans thank the Dog Boys for their gift and ask what they can gift them in return.
He replies, “We usually get food and medicine but if you come back in a few hours our leader will be here. You can talk to him.”

[darthauthor]

A few hours later cars are lining the road with people taking selfies with the Dog Boys next to the Rift.

Sgt Wyatt has Dog Boys escort human families on a tour around the stone pyramid.
Hearing their oohs and Ahhs.

Headquarters of the Merc Platoon Cerberus:

The stone pyramid outpost stands as a resilient fortress against the
unpredictable challenges of Rifts Earth, guarded by the loyal and capable Dog Boys
and Psi-Stalkers who call it home.

The pyramid, with its smooth, weathered stone surface, is a testimoney of Atlantean craftsmanship.

Surrounding Stone Buildings:
Encircling the pyramid, a series of stone buildings form a fortified outpost.
These structures include:

Stone Barracks: Living quarters for the Dog Boys and Psi-Stalkers, designed for both security and comfort.

Exercise Area: An open courtyard for physical training, drills, and combat exercises.

Firing Range: A designated area for honing marksmanship skills, equipped with targets
and ample space for live-fire exercises.

Mess Hall: A communal gathering place for meals and camaraderie, constructed with
sturdy stone walls and tables.

Stables: Stone enclosures for horses used by the Dog Boys for transportation and patrol duties.

Garage: A secure structure for housing their hover truck, a versatile vehicle crucial for navigating
the treacherous wilderness landscape.
The people gawk at the hover trucks ability to, well, hover.

Warehouse: A stone storage facility for weapons, supplies, and other essentials.

Defensive Measures:
The outpost is surrounded by a network of developed defensive features:

Foxholes: Strategically positioned around the perimeter, these dugouts offer cover for sentries and marksmen during patrols.
Traps: Tradition traps are scattered throughout the immediate vicinity to deter and catch intruders.
Barricades: Stone barriers and walls create chokepoints, enhancing the outpost's defensibility against potential threats.

Inhabitants:
A dedicated force of Psi-Stalkers and Dog Boys, patrol and defend the outpost.

Adjacent Features:
A small lake lies adjacent to the outpost, providing a serene contrast to the rugged landscape. The land surrounding pyramid and stone structures is wide open before giving way to a dense forest, a natural buffer that conceals the outpost from casual observers and potential adversaries.

A cemetery for the Dog Boys, psi-stalkers and their fallen enemies.

Then law enforcement shows up on the modern Earth like side of the Rift.

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ: The Atlantean Stone Pyramid

The law enforcement officers who arrived are:
Bewildered by the appearance of a Rift and the strange humanoid figure (Dog Boy Wyatt) standing near it.
The officers attempt to communicate with Sgt Wyatt, asking questions to understand the situation.
Wyatt's Response:
Communicate peacefully, Wyatt identifies himself, explains the nature of the Rift, and assures the officers that there is no immediate danger.
The law enforcement calls for additional support. Then they contact higher authorities to report the unusual occurrence.
Maintain a safe distance until they wait to receive further instructions.

Law enforcement demands the return of the people who went through the Rift and evacuates the immediate area and establishes a perimeter until the situation is better understood.

Authorities from various agencies, including government organizations are called in to assess the situation.

Within a few hours some government types arrive with gas masks and chemical warefare MOPP gear suits.

They have a talk with Sgt Wyatt.
This is NOT the first time a portal to another world has opened in this one.
Their government's policy is defend Sovereignty of theor world from “outside” influences.

“It is the decision of our leaders that our civilization’s identity and development depend upon our isolation. We need to be on our own to grow and make our own way. Whatever gifts you give us, no matter how well intended, will diminish our people's motivation to create remedies for our own problems. It’s NOT just about technology but the process of figuring things out for ourselves also. WE refuse to become dependent on a technology we can’t build and maintain on our own. There are also fears of monsters coming through these quantum tunnels. Man size insects (the Xiticix) that would devour us and our world theirs if we had not hunted them down and killed them all. Now, I must ask you to leave this world, this dimension and never return.”

Sir Wyatt, “As you wish.”

He returns through the Rift.

A while later

The Dog Boys hearing can make out the faint sound of people gasping and dropping.

The Dog Boy on the radio reports the message of a chemical spill causing hallucinations and then the deaths of hundreds of people.
It is believed to be either an accident. One theory is that it was a terrorist cell working on a chemical weapon.
The area is quarantined for a 10 mile radius.
They have a therapy they can attempt to treat victims but the side effects are hallucinations and memory loss.

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ
The Atlantean Stone Pyramid

Sgt Wyatt sits down with his Dog Boys and they have a meeting.
Cerberus Intelligence Assessment:

“The world on the other side of the Rift is an Earth from a long time ago before the Golden Age of Man. Its government has specialized agencies trained to deal with Rift-related incidents. These agencies have been dispatched to gather information about the Rift and the world beyond it.”
“Understandable,” Sgt Wyatt says.
“The government’s aim is to keep information about the Rift contained.”
Sgt Wyatt, “They don’t want people coming and going.”
“They have deployed specialized units trained to deal with supernatural or dimensional threats. Scientific and military teams trained to study the Rift, gather data, and carry out strategies for containment. They have set up facilities near the Rift and are trying to close it from their side and will neutralize any potential threats that emerge.
IF the worst should happen they will set off a bomb that will mist all life within a mile of the Rift.”
Sgt Wyatt has a very uncomfortable look on his face.
“The government's actions are shaped by their understanding of Rift phenomena, their level of available technology and their perception of potential dangers presented by the open Rift.”
Sgt Wyatt, “Sounds like we wait for the Rift to shift to another dimension or disappear.”
“One thing is that three human people are still on our side. Hearing about what happened they are afraid. One is afraid they will kill them if they go back and has asked for asylum. Another wants to use our radioes to negotiate a deal with his government. To sweeten the deal he has asked us for an energy weapon to trade as part of the terms of his return. Our Dog Boy empathy gets the feeling he would like to do some shooting with it. The last one wants to stay. They believe that if they go back they will be killed or taken to some prison to make them disappear.”
Sgt Wyatt, “Those humans on the other side order that ALL their people be returned. They may or may not have gotten an accurate count. IF we don’t return them we don’t know what they will do but my guess is they will be afraid of us. Best to have a sit down with everyone and talk about the matter.”
“One more thing, whatever their technology is their scientists and technicians are snooping around. They ask to put their computer sensory things on our side of the Rift. They have armed men who look like special forces and exchanging looks with them sets off our Sixth Sense a bit.”
Sgt Wyatt, “It’s something I can talk with them about at our meeting.”
“What about the mercs on our side (Knights One, Two and Four)?
Sgt Wyatt, “I will have a talk with them as well but their focus is on rescuing their people.”

Later . . .

Stone Pyramid
Present: Sir Wyatt and the Mystic Knights

Knight One:
“First, I will accept your contract with us to rescue Lady Black. Payment in advance with the jewels you took back with you from Atlantis.
Second, I can’t help you with your Rift problem. Our powers don’t and spells can’t change the Rift.
Third, as a man I can be your liaison to them so they see a human face. Fourth, they sound afraid. From the radio chatter they have killed or at least gassed and drugged a lot of their own people to stay in control of the situation. I can’t imagine they would not do the same to you if you gave them the chance. They probably haven’t because they don’t know if it will work and if it doesn’t it might start a war or at least a firefight. You have energy weapons. Their rifles shoot bullets.”

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerbersu HQ
The Atlantean stone pyramid.

An atmosphere of camaraderie and lightheartedness, providing a glimpse into the more playful side of the Dog Boys.

The lake, nestled within the rugged wilderness, reflects the azure sky and surrounding greenery. The Dog Boys splash water and hold each other down. Then got out their tails wagging with infectious enthusiasm only to run back and jump to see who can jump the farthest.

Some Dog Boys engage in a lively game of fetch, leaping into the water to retrieve sticks thrown by their comrades. The splash of water and the joyful barks echo through the tranquil surroundings.
Others engage in a friendly wrestling match on the shore, showcasing their strength and agility. Wet fur clings to their bodies as they roll and tumble, each movement exuding the playful energy of carefree spirits momentarily liberated from the stress of the guarding the Rift.
In the midst of the play, a couple of Dog Boys sit by the water's edge, dipping their paws into the refreshing lake. Their keen senses are momentarily dulled by the simple pleasure of cool water against their fur, providing a brief respite.
The laughter and howls of delight harmonize with the rustling leaves and the distant calls of wildlife, creating a symphony of joy. Endulging in this carefree moment the Dog Boys do not know when they will get their next.

As the sun begins, casting a warm golden glow over the landscape, the Dog Boys gradually wrap up their playful escapade. Wet and content, they make their way back, ready to resume their vigilant watch over the New West and defend against the ever-present threats that could come through their Rift.

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ
The Atlantean Stone Pyramid

"I hear there are wonders to be found in this world of yours. Advanced medicine, cutting-edge technology, weapons beyond anything we've ever dreamed of. Tell me, what do the poor souls of your Rifts Earth need most?"
Said the man in a level 4 MOPP gear suit.

Definition - MOPP is a flexible system of protection against chemical agents,.

Knight One's lips curled into a grim smile as he used his psionic power of empathy and telepathy to learn about the man. His spell of “Tongues” already active, Knight One would know if the man’s thoughts and feelings matched his words.

Sir Wyatt (standing next to Knight One), "The people of our Earth need hope, more than anything else," he replied, his voice rough with years of experience. "They need a chance to rebuild their shattered lives, to carve out a future in a world consumed by chaos."
The MOPP geared man nodded thoughtfully.
Both Sir Wyatt and Knight One could feel the man’s greed.
Knight One hears the man’s thoughts calculating the potential profits to be made.
The man in a MOPP suit, “Hope. I don’t know about that. I do have the list filled. I hope that is enough for our exchange.”
Sir Wyatt, “What about your government? I thought they didn’t do ‘this’ sort of thing.”
MOPP gear man, “They don’t, and are not now. I am. You are talking to the man they allowed in to do what they won’t. Then they trade with me. Now, I need your side of the merchandise to come over to my side first. It's a sign of good faith. We have our own list but for now we agree to what you wrote in your note. IF what you wrote is true, nothing magical will work as well on our Earth as it does in yours. No one would be able to cast spells who didn’t have a deep belief and understanding of the magic in your world.”

Knight One carries over:
Book (on Demons and monsters), cybernetic parts, energy weapons, Juicer “juice” for those who need their Bio-Comp System refilled, medical devices (IRMSS Internal Robot Medical Surgeon System, Protein Healing Salve, etc.), a PDD-V Pocket Digital Disc Audio and Video Player, pieces of Dog Boy Mega Damage armor, a Vibro blade, video recordings of Knight One’s travels, fighting vampires, etc).

“Now, your side of the trade,” said Knight One.
“I still need a few hours, things are on their way. Also, I need my lab-coats to inspect these things to be certain it is what, and as you described it to be in your note.”

Knight One's gaze hardened on the man.

Knight One, "I need to get paid," he said, his voice low and intense.
The MOPP suit man nods (he is trying to hide his fear, he doesn’t trust us but he is sincere in turning over the items Knight One listed in his notes).
His eyes reflected his thoughts, in the back of his mind he’s thinking about his employer. A billionaire. He’s going to be the richest man in the world after the tech is reverse engineered.
The MOPP suited man replies, "Consider it done.”
Knight One, “Consider yourself our guest until our items are delivered.”
The MOPP suited man, “This is not what we agreed.”
Knight One, “We never talked about, and I never agreed to you people withholding your side of the trade while inspecting our merchandise. Besides, what are you afraid of?
Your people aren’t going to turn on you, are they?”

The man stood silent. His feelings - anxiety. His thoughts - they don’t need me anymore.

Knight One, “If you don’t like this last second change, then call to your people back. Have them bring our merchandise back to us.”
The MOPP suited man, “Everything is fine. Sure, I’ll stay with you.” (Feels: fear. Thoughts: Oh S@$t!)

The two armed guards in MOPP gear come out from behind the bright lights and brandish their automatic rifles.

Knight One, “IF you are NOT robbing us, you will call off your armed men or return our merchandise.”
The MOPP suited man, “This is a misunderstanding. You stay here and I’ll fix this. (feeling: fear, thinking: I have to get out of here).
Sir Wyatt, “EVERYONE STOP!”

Sir Wyatt looks at Knight one.

Sir Wyatt, “I’m the highest ranking here. He will go back. Fear is not guilt or dishonesty. We won’t know if they are liars until after they have had a chance to pay us back. They leave us knowing we trusted them and let them go free.”

One of the armed guard’s slips a chuckle from behind his gas mask.
Knight One turns his head to him, then back to one he let.

Knight One, “You need to get our side of the trade to us.”

The MOPP geared man leaves with his two armed guards.

Three hours pass.
When someone in MOPP gear appears.
He says, “Another hour or so and it ought to be here. We are having some challenges with the technology you gave us. They are battery charged. We need a recharger or at least the designs for one. It could take years of trial and error to figure out.”
Knight One, “Those things cost millions and would take weeks to get and back here. Every day there is a chance the Rift will close or switch to a different dimension. That’s not a good bet but if you want to make it is your gold and silver to gamble.”
The MOPP suited man, “The cybernetics. We don’t know exactly how to surgically install them on people. We need one of your doctors to show us or at least a video of the operation.”
Knight One, “Same as the E-clip recharger. It is your gamble to make.”
The MOPP suited man, “Your video mentions a mom implant.”
Knight One, “A mom is a Mind Over Matter cybernetic device to be surgically installed in the brain. Half a million.”
The MOPP suited man, “Our understanding of genetic engineering. One of the Dog Boy pups would advance the science, and of their creation.”
Sir Wyatt, “NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! You can NOT have ANY. You will not touch a single hair on their heads. They WILL grow up with their mothers.”
MOPP man, “Perhaps, just a sample of some of the Dog Mens blood then?”
Sir Wyatt, “I don’t think I like you anymore.”
The MOPP suited man, “Let’s all calm down. I got a little too excited. We can talk about it after you have had a bite to eat. We brought the food.

More MOPP men move large boxes with a pallet jack towards the Rift.

NOTE: Gaylord boxes (named after the Gaylord Container Company; also known as bulk bins) are large boxes on pallets used to ship large items or items in bulk."

Reading his mind, the Mystic Knight could tell these items are cheap/inexpensive in the world he lives in. While what he is getting, if he can mass produce it will make him RICH.

Tools: axes, buckets, chisels, drills, hammers, pikes, hoes, saws, shovels, etc.
Camping gear
Cooking tools: Pots, pans, plates, forks, knives, and spoons.
Clothing: Durable cold weather Wilderness clothing.
Dawn Dishwashing soap.
Footwear: Boots, socks, and shoes.
Light Sources: Candles and lanterns to hold them. Flashlights w/ batteries.
Medical:
-Preventatives and remedies for common ailments.
-Strong medicine in pill and injection form (pyramid has refrigeration).
-Insulin and such.
Loads of soap, Dog Shampoo, baby safe shampoo
Tooth brushes and paste, dental floss
Battery powered electric hair clippers and haircutting scissors, shaving razors.
Dog nail files
Food: Dried beans, Flour, potatoes, salt, sugar, rice, and cooking spices.
Hundreds of gallons of olive oil
Frozen Meats
A cooked Rotisserie Chicken for each Dog Boy
Nails for building
Livestock and Poultry: Chickens, cows, goats, pigs, and sheep
Bee hives and beekeeper tools and clothes.
Seeds: Various seeds for vegetables, fruits, grains, and herbs
Cooking: stoves including grates and grills
Books (bought out the bookstore, the raided the library)
Blankets
Towels
Paper, paper notebooks, ink pens, mechanical pencils
Solar panels, converters, adapters, and small eclectic generating windmills
Lumber mill machinery and carpentry tools
Finished wood of mulitple sizes.


The guys from old Earth basically raided the nearby CVS, Home Depot, Grocery stores, REI (camping gear) Wal-Mart


The is a slight tinggle in a few of the Dog Boys senses but it is short lives as they chow down on their cooked chickens. It makes for a nice dinner. And mashed potatoes; with gravy.

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ
The Stone Pyramid


The cramped confines of the box pressed in on the two operatives as they huddled together, their breaths shallow and labored behind the oxygen masks. In the dim light filtering through the cracks, they exchanged silent nods.

Their mission is clear:
-Infiltrate the headquarters of the Dog Boy mercenary company known as Cerberus
-Eliminate everyone in the pyramid.
-Their secondary objectives include sending information wirelessly to their Earth’s command center.
Their scientist, say there is a lot to learn about Rifts. It is NOT known if too big of an explosion will cause the Rift to explode or make it broken or open permanently or open more Rifts.
-Destroy all records, video, and witnesses of their Earth dimension existence and location. This includes the three humans from the operative's home dimension.
-Destroy any magic or technology that allows anyone to find or travel to their home dimension.
-Signal home if a full frontal assualt is necessary.

Weapons available:
-Disease warfare, Explosives, Knives, Poison Gas, silencer handguns, sniper fire rifles.
-Use explosives to ensure total destruction if necessary.
Better to take our enemies with us then leave them our homeland. They don't know about this dimension or the Dog Boys so they don't know if they are immune to a virus. IF they use it days will have to go by before and IF it works. The operatives are not immune out of fear their bodies could be used to figure it out. While gas may or may not work either. A direct assult through the RIft might work but their is no element of surprise and it is the most visible and defended positions.
-This mission is a one way trip. They can’t take the chances of any disease or infected person returning (they had a zombie outbreak they contained and covered up). The operatives know there is NO GOING BACK! No hope of return or rescue.

With practiced ease, the operatives checked their equipment one last time, ensuring their knives are razor-sharp and their explosives and poisoned gas primed and ready. They know the mission and are prepared to do whatever it takes.

As the sounds of footsteps echo outside their hiding spot, the operatives wait in perfect silence for their opening.
As the single Dog Boy passes by and pauses, bewilderedly he looks around for some threat or danger.
Finally, their moment, the operatives strike. With lightning-fast movement one sprays the Dog Boys face with a gas with the other striking his throat with his knife. They swiftly dispatched their target with swift deadly strikes.

They kept their kill silent except for the sickening thud of the body hitting the ground. He was heavier than they expected. The operatives move with ruthless efficiency; they hide the body and dismember using the Dog Boys own vibro-blade. They video record their work and take samples. Then spray the sample containers.
Securing the Dog Boys weapons, one guy takes an energy rifle. The other has the Dog Boys energy pistol.
With one last glance at each other, the operatives turn on their short range radio earpieces, look at their map made from the information extracted from the fools who strolled through here like they are at an amusement park.

Their hearts race as they press towards their final objective. If they are caught, their government would disavow any knowledge of their actions, leaving them to face the consequences alone.

[darthauthor]

Cerberus HQ
The stone pyramid

Sgt Wyatt at lunch with his fellow Dog Boy sargeants.
The meal:
Pizza from the other Earth. Double meat and cheese toppings. They love the fresh tomatoes, cheese and bacon.
“We need a pizza oven.”
Pizza, the food that delights both the human and dog side of a Dog Boys nature.

The lunch is disturbed by the distracting smell of fresh blood.
Checking on the radio the Dog Boys at the Rift report with the proper passwords and report no problems. They say they can smell the Dog Boy blood also. Radioing into medical, no one has reported any incident or injuries. The only patient is the Atlantean with amnesia we check once a day. Still no change. Has no recollection of his past history only his skills as a tattooed slave warrior of the aliens who occupy the land of Atlantis. He likes looking around the area and pyramid. As ordered he is free to come and go when and where he wants, unescorted.
Other then that the CS Grunt is slowly getting better but is under observation when not in bed or the bathroom.
Sgt Wyatt, “Let’s do a head count, in five. Time to finish lunch.”

Elsewhere

The operatives transmit, with encryption, their codes. Then send the video file and improved map. Report the stone pyramid defies scientific explanation in how it generates environmental controls (heating and cooling), light and clean water. Power source unknown; its a mystery. We know it's not coal, gas, geothermal, nuclear, oil, solar, wind or wood.

One Dog Boy terminated.
18 to go.
5 psi-stalkers
2 humans

For whatever reason there are only these few dozens of enemies.
Maybe there are more in hiding or underground bunkers.

Four of the Dog Boys and one Psi-stalker are in the chamber with the Rift.
Three are somewhere else in the pyramid.
And the two humans of this world leaving with a crate of silver.
The rest are outside.
Will ‘subtract’ starting at what we believe will be the control room in case of video surveillance and to neutralize communications and prevent alarm from being sounded.
Next the gate guards in the chamber with the Rift.
With hope there will be no backup security room outside the pyramid getting a live video feed from the chamber with the Rift in it.
Regardless, we will pop the flash bang grenades, gas, and smoke. Then toss the Dog Boy samples and their energy weapons through the Rift regardless of termination.

Special Note: Found weapons of the giant insects we fought on our world (the Xiticix). They were holding out on us. Maybe they sent them to our world. Maybe they even created them as weapons of war and sent them to our world as weapons of mass destruction. The facts are they have some of Bug mens weapons.

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ
The Atlantean Stone Pyramid

Standing before the Rift, in front of the camera, Knight One, brandishing the syringe with Dog Boy's blood, he calls out for the MOPP suit man.

Three MOPP suited men come out:
The man in charge.
A guard with a gun.
Another with a crate filled with 100 ounce (2834 gram) silver bars, on a dolly (a platform with four wheels and two axles that can be used to transport heavy items). The men motioned their bodies for the exchange when the lights go out on the Stone Pyramid side.

Elsewhere : just before the lights went out

Clad in sleek, environmentally sealed body armor with vision protection, the two operatives move with silent grace and masked by the shadows. They made their way to the control room. The door slid open to the control room and the two operatives strike.

Across the room, Sgt Wyatt stands with his vibro-blade in one hand and psi-shield in the other (his sixth sense warned him before the opertives came into the room).

The attacking operatives throw a flash-bang and a gas grenade into the room, the deafening explosion filling the air with blinding light and disorienting noise. Wyatt's senses reeled at the sound of the grenades. As the room filled with thick, choking gas, the second operative throws a barrage of throwing knives, their deadly blades flashing through the air with lethal precision. Wyatt moved with lightning-fast reflexes to parry the knives with his psi-shield.

The fight unfolds in a blur of motion, the combatants move with uncanny speed. Darting and weaving around the control room, they look like dancers, as the operatives strike at Sir Wyatt the Dog Boy Cyber-Knight. They aim for Wyatt's eyes.
Anticipating their every move, Wyatt’s vibro-blade cuts through the air then a man's wrist. In a second, Sir Wyatt had disarmed the man, literally.
Sensing his eminant capture or kill, the operative shouted, “Get out of here!”

The uninjuried operative puts on a burst of speed out of the control room.
Sir Wyatt runs and leaps out of the room before the explosion goes off inside it.
It’s noise is deafened by the walls. Also the explosives are no so designed to make noise.

That's when the lights go out.

With the ringing in his ears and smoke still in his nose and eyes Wyatt assumed a defensive position with his psi-shield. A few bullets bounce off of it while Wyatt pours water over his face and catch his breath. It is enough time to allow the uninjured operative to get away.

Wyatt shouted into his radio, “Intruders!”

All was static.

[darthauthor]

Sir Wyatt drank some more from his canteen. Then splashed some more on his face.

In the dark of the hallway Sir Wyatt called forth his Psi-sword for light.
The blue-white illumination from the shaft of his blade dispelled the darkness that lay before him.
Getting up Wyatt started to feel better.
Step by step he moved forward.
His head cleared up.
Cautiously he moved weary of a surprise attack from the shadows.
Arriving outside the main chamber with the Rift in it a squad of Dog Boys came out. Two carried by the others.
“Gas,” a Dog Boy said.
Sgt Wyatt, “Radios down. Intruders set a bomb off in the control room.
“Anyone left in the gas filled Rift Chamber?”
Dog Boy, “Those merc, One and Four. And a lot of those guys from the other Earth. MOPP suits.”

Sgt Wyatt, “I’ll stand guard here. You tell the rest of the Boys to come join me.”

Almost as soon as they leave the Atlantean Tattooed man appears.
“Danger,” the man says.
“Intruders,” Sir Wyatt replies. “They are suited up, covered from head to toe in environmental protective gear. Knives, gas, grenades, and that’s just what I know about. If I had a gasmask I’d be in the main chamber. I’m waiting for the mercs to come out.”
Touching one of his tattoos a slight blue aura came over the Aerhiman Atlantean warrior slave.
“I’ve got this,” he said before he went in.

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ
The Atlantean Stone Pyramid

Sir Wyatt, "What has been going on?"

The Mystic Knights One and Four stand 20 feet from Sir Wyatt in MOPP suits.
They pass along Decontamination systems.
Sir Wyatt can hear the voice of Knight One in his head.
We will "clean" the room but the bodies have to be removed.
The Atlantean T-Ma counter attacked the MOPP suited men.
He seems satisfied that the job he did was "enough" to make things so the will not be attacking us any time soon.
We are taking thing from their side to clean up the mess them made on ours.
I must confess, I made a side deal with one of them. I supplied them with "things" in exchange for silver.
I "collected" on my end of the deal. Taking my payment, and the some, and from their camp after the Atlanteans couter attack.
Now to fully keep my end of the bargain I must ask you for something.
The damaged robot you Dog Boys shot up.
It should more than make up for the trouble from this encounter.
Studying it will give them the means to make robots themselves; power armor too.
I have been talking to them on their radios about it.
Their leaders have disavowed any knowledge of an attack. They said it was all them acting out of paranoia or xenophobia.
I brought some of their communications equipment so you can talk to them yourself. You can be certain I'm telling the truth.
I'll be salvaging whatever else my team can manage.
The real things of importance are their means of decontamination and medical treatement.
A lot of "us" could be poisoned or infected. It looks like their were planning on having their fans chemical or bacteria in the air into our side.
They have treatments to clean up after its use for after the Rift closes.
Also, injections for their own people in case of accidental contamination.
However, it might NOT work on Dog Boys. They were made exclusively for themselves; humans.
No matter what we have to clean up the Rift Chamber of biological and chemical hazards.
So Unless you Dog Boys can find gas masks to fit your noses, you will have to let us do it.
We need you to move out and guard our "valuables."
We can discuss what you will need to keep after the clean up and your Boys have been checked or treated for "anything" they may have caught sick from or been poisoned by."

Sir Wyatt, "You are not leaving me with much of choice, our you?"
Knight One, "IF you have a better idea. I'd like to hear it. Until you do. My way is the best way. So stay out of my way and we WILL get through this with the least loss of life."

Sir Wyatt turned around, gathered the Dog Boys of Cerberus and explained things:

We have to let the human merc to the clean up job.
After the mercs scrub the MOPP suited mens bodies we will give them a funeral.
Their own people won't take them back for fear of getting sick.
We also have to be medically inspected and watched signs of sickness.
Organizing them the Dog Boys worked methodically and carefully under Sgt Wyatts watchful noise.

They buried the bodies with diginity in they had made cementary before.

They keep the humans graves separate from the Dog Boys.
The most recent loss of Ajax is causing more than a little grief.
Wyatt and the rest of the Dog Boys would be a little more objectionable to what the mercs are doing if it were not for the loss of Ajax.

Then the Dog Boys Sixth Sense kicks in.
It upsets their grief.
Looking all about them they don't see it until it is too late.
The man in black sets off gas grenades.
Opening fire back his is gunned downed.
Wyatt recongizes him as the one he fight outside of the control room.

The Dog Boys have been contaminated are are showing signs of sickness.
He reports it to Knights One and Four.
The Knights do their best to treat them.
They carry most to the infirmary.

Sir Wyatt recovers and stands. His is one of the few whose physical endurance is genetically superior giving him virtual immunity to non-magical disease.

While they are doing this the Atlantean is alone in the stone pyramid standing guard.

That night the Ley Line appears to flicker back. On and off again.

Investigating:
They find the Atlantean has been "working" on the stone pyramid.
He tells a story that ALL Atlanteans are taught the basics of stone pyramid operations.
This one has suffered some damage and needs to be reset.
He was turning it off and on again.

Sir Wyatt ask the knights and the Atlantean if there is anything they can do to help the Dog Boys recover.
The Atlantean says, "No. But I will release them from their suffereing."

[darthauthor]

Defend the weak
Never abandon a friend, ally or noble cause

"I won't give up on my brothers," Sir Wyatt said. "They are sick. Not lost. Not beyond hope. Some may survive even without a doctor, magic or psychic healing.
"I asked if you could help. Seems like all you can do is kill."

The Atlantean T-Man didn't move or even look like he cared.

Then he said, "The strong survive. The weak perish."

Sir Wyatt and the Mystic Knights stood their with a bit of a shock passing through them.

Sir Wyatt, "You used to be a slave of the Splugorth. They used you to fight their battles. When you were at your weakest, instead of killing you, I took you in, being the victim of amnesia that you are . . . It's not your fault . . . you were a slave . . . a warrior slave . . . they showed you no mercy . . . no you've forgotten or never understood it just as important to save lives as it is to take them, from those who would take ours.

Sir Wyatt devotes himself to caring for his platoon of Dog Boys.

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ

Medical

Sir Wyatt is tending to his Dog Boys. He has never felt more helpless.

A supernatural being approaches him. He can sense him in spite of his own feelings.

The cloaked humanoid:
"You can save them. Save the all. You didn't need help before. You do now. Accept our tree's offer. Prove the success of saving the lives of your fellow Dog Boys and you will be free."

Sir Wyatt, "What's in it for you?"
Cloaked humanoid, "We like what you do for us."
Sir Wyatt, "What do I do, for you?"
Cloaked humanoid, "You fill our graveyard with bodies. We want you to keep on supplying it. IF all of you die the run of corpses will be over."
Sir Wyatt, "You want my brothers to live so we will keep killing?"
Cloaked humanoid, "Burying dead bodies in the cemetery."
Sir Wyatt, "You are a necomancer cult?"
Cloaked humanoid, "Follow me. I will show you to my master. Only they can grant you the power to save your boys. You do want to save them all, don't you?"

[darthauthor]

Location:
Somewhere in the woods

In the ghostly embrace of the moonlit night, Sir Wyatt, a Free Born Dog Boy and Cyber-Knight, stood before the enigmatic and ethereal tree whose presence dominated the landscape. Its branches, bare and stretching towards the sky,

I am master of this domain.
My name is the Benefactor.
I can give you what you need to make your brothers well again.
Accept my help.
Complete your mission and return to me by the night of the Snow Moon.
Then I will take back my power; the power I lend tonight.
Do you accept my offer?

Sir Wyatt, “What are you?”
The Benefactor (Soul Tree), “Your only chance to save your family.”
Sir Wyatt, “Why are you doing this?”
The Benefactor, “You fill the cemetery.”
Sir Wyatt, “Why do you want that?”
The Benefactor, “It is your nature to protect the innocent. It is mine to collect the dead.”
Sir Wyatt, “You can’t have my soul.”
The Benefactor, “I’m interested in corpses; not souls.”
Sir Wyatt, “How do I know this isn’t a trick and you are not lying?”
The Benefactor, “Sense my feelings. If I was lying you’d know it.”
Sir Wyatt, “I’m not killing or sacrificing anyone for you.”
The Benefactor, “I told you why I’m doing this. I’m not your enemy. You are my greatest provider. I can only give you the power if you accept it and promise to return it. I don’t take. I make deals. If you don’t trust me enough you are free to go. Know that you have risked the lives of you men many times. If you won’t risk your’s for them you don’t deserve their friendship or loyalty. The choice is yours.”

Sir Wyatt, “I’ll take the deal.”

The Benefactor, “Take the end of my branch. When you touch it, it will become a pen. Write your name on my trunk and when you are down you will have the power you need to save your Dog Boys at the stone pyramid.”

Touching the branch it transforms into a wooden pin.
Writing on the truck pinches Wyatt.
Then he notices his writing is in blood; his own.
Blinking it feels like more time has passed then he remembers.
The night grew quieter as the agreement was sealed, the pall moonlight fell gently over them both.
The Benefactor, “It is done. The power is now yours. You can now psychically clease your Dog Boys from what's killing them. If I were you I would not waste any time getting back to them and using it.”

Racing back Sir Wyatt finds his Dog Boys in the infirmary.
Laying his paws on the one in the worst condition he intuitively begins to meditate. Twenty minutes or so later the Dog Boys fever has broken. Ten minutes Sir Wyatt can tell he has gotten over it.

Over the course of the next seven and a half hours Sir Wyatt performs a marathon of Psychic Purifications until he is out of inner strength.
He has saved the lives of 15 Dog Boys who are optimistic. The break discipline hug Sgt Wyatt. They pick him up on their shoulders and parade around with him.

Sgt Wyatt, “I need to meditate to regain my strength. There are more I need to ‘treat’ medically.”
Dog Boys, “Sgt Wyatt, we all know you can do medicine. How can you psychically heal us now?”
Sgt Wyatt, “That’s not important right now. What’s important is saving the rest of us.”

Sir Wyatt begins to meditate.
Four hours and refreshed later Sir Wyatt heals six more Dog Boys.

The pack rejoices at their brother's return.
Spirits are high as everyone is made well again thanks to Sgt Wyatt new power.

As Sgt Wyatt falls asleep to the smiles of his Dog Boy platoon he can’t help but think:
It was worth it.

[darthauthor]

In the moonlit expanse of Rifts Earth, Sergeant Wyatt stood before the ethereal, leafless tree that towered into the night sky. It shimmered with a ghostly presence, its branches swaying without a breeze.

Sir Wyatt, a battle-hardened veteran of countless skirmishes, approached. He was here to return the psychic power bestowed upon him—a power that had saved his men from whatever chemicals or poison was killing them.

Behind him, two dozen figures emerged from the shadows, each one a testament to the miraculous healing they had undergone. These were Wyatt's Dog Boys, their lives saved by the psychic energy the Benefactor had lent.

The Benefactor, through tendrils of thought that caressed the edges of the mind rather than piercing it, imparted a new desire.
"Sergeant Wyatt, your honor brings you back to me before the time we agreed upon. You intend to return the power I lent you, yet I desire you to keep it until the night of the Snow Moon."

Wyatt, taken aback by this. He thinks to himself:
Return the power by the time of the Snow Moon.
I have no further need for it.
I want our deal to be done and over with.

"Why?" Wyatt asked, his voice steady despite the unease that flickered within him. "Why do you wish to wait?"

The Benefactor's response was a murmur that seemed to echo from the depths of the Earth.
"The deals I make are bound by honor, and it is in the choices mortals make that the power ebbs and flows. As I must honor our agreement, so must you. If you truly wish to return my power you must wait until the agreed upon day. The night of the Snow Moon. If you can wait, you will have demonstrated a will strong enough to defy the temptation of keeping such power."

Wyatt pondered this:
The Benefactor, the tree doesn’t really want the power back. The tree wants to test or tempt me. Maybe the tree wants to trick me into breaking my word. I have a bad feeling about this.

Sir Wyatt, “What would happen if I was late or don’t return your power on the day of the Snow Moon?”

The Benefactor,
“Why think of such things? You are a Dog Boy of your word. The platoon of Dog Boys who stand behind you are a testimony to it. Now you just need to return, with them, on the night of the Snow Moon, and you will have kept your word to me and our deal will be done. You will be free to go. You have my word of honor on that.”

Something was quickly becoming clear to Sir Wyatt:
The tree, it doesn't want its power but the return of Wyatt on the night of the Snow Moon.
It’s a trap. It's a trap or something else.
Maybe I’m imagining things and it can’t act like a human being. Maybe its branches are as tied as my paws are by the deal. I should have been more careful they way I word things.
Still the way the tree avoided explaining what would happen if I didn’t show up on the night of the Snow Moon makes me think something bad, for me. I have this feeling that the tree wants that to happen.

“How many deals have you made with others?” ask Sir Wyatt.

“I don’t ask how many people you killed. Why you killed them or if any of them could have been taken alive is none of my concern. Your ways and reasons are your own. Now, we both have other things to spend our attention on. I will ask you and your Dog Boys to move along until our appointed time.”

Wyatt thinking:
Again the tree evades answering my questions.
The tree is a supernatural thing.
It makes deals with mortals.
It imparts power.
I get the feeling it can’t break the deals it makes.
It is safer, for me, to assume the tree is evil.
I’ve given my word to an evil tree that gives powers.
The tree won’t answer for what happens to me if I fail or break my word. Why?
Because it's bad, for me.
Which means, if the tree is evil, it's good for the tree.
The tree’s going to try and steal my soul or something.
I could cut it down and burn it.
No, wait, it is ethereal. Like some ghost. Everything passes through it.
Sir Wyatt looks at his hand. He can create a Psi-Sword. It can strike ethereal beings.
It’s not honorable.
Keeping my word is honorable.
The tree kept its word when it gave me the power of psychic purification.
I will keep mine to the tree.

"Benefactor," Wyatt finally spoke, his decision made, "By my honor I will return this power of yours to you on the day of the Snow Moon."

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ
The Atlantean Stone Pyramid

The Rift to the alternate Earth has shifted.

The new Rift shows no sign of hostility.

No one's Sixth Sense goes off.

The new radio equipment reveals some news stories.

The is a war going on:

The CS attacked Tolkien.
90% of the Cyber-Knight rallied to aid the people of Tolkien in one way or another.
They eradicated decimated the CS militiary's Skel-bot army.
Then stepped up as ambassadors of peace talks between the CS and Free Quebec.
When that broke down they defended the Free Quebec from attacks without starting any fights.

The CS continued its war of unification with Free Quebec.

The multiple powers in the Federation of Magic fight for their own revenge and plunder against CS military forces on a different fronts.

Lazlo allied with Tolkeen, first with medical help, then supplies, then military intelligence, until they ultimately joined the war.

Dragons created a secret army of dragon juicers and had them execute search and destroy attacks. Their strategy is to draw the war out.

The Jorukeva brothers destroy the CS navy in the great lakes with the help of major Elementals.

An adult great horned dragon by the name of Aurelor the Magnificent and his followers destroyed a CS base (Air Station Alpha), its ships guarding it, destroyed one of its experimental planes (the CAF-1), and became a crusader against the CS.

The Juicer Army of Liberation has time to join the fight against the CS.

The Black Market pulls off hijackings on CS supply shipments.

A blight ruins the crops of the CS causing rationing, shortages, and civil unrest in Chi-Town.
The rememdy is promised if the CS withdraws.
When the CS refuses there are mass desertions to amnesty zones near ley lines.
They provide food banks, shelter, and water (with magic and the energy of the Ley Line)..

General Jericho Holmes made a huge tactical mistake and was wiped out in the Xiticix Hivelands taking many Xiticix with them.

Tolkeen allows the CS a cease fire to perform a search and rescue for their men.
They cite that they are no ally of the Xiticix and that no one deserve to be eaten alive by those bugs.

Investigations discover a larger number of Xiticix than originally estimated.
Also, that the Xiticix could be used as a food source and temporary solution to their famine.

The CS government publicly discloses their discoveries about the Xiticix numbers and location as well as estimated growth rates.
They call for cease fire to verify the Xiticix threat.

Meanwhile

Back at The Mining Town

Sgt Wyatt goes around using his psychic purification power on the people.

The hover trucks have returned with goods from the city of Silvereno.

A magic pigeon arrives telling Wyatt, "The Earth Warlock will be coming back."
He shares the news.

Then he feels like someone is spying on him from around every corner and his sixth sense go off.

[darthauthor]

Location:

The Mining Town.

Sgt Wyatt spins around until he gets back to back with his Dog Boys; noses in every direction.

Then nothing.

They search town.

They find the hover truck has been damaged.
Someone damaged it on purpose. It no longer flys and no one in town is an aircraft mechanic.
There is still one hover truck but its back at Ceberus HQ (The Atlantean Stone Pyramid)

The snow moon will be in two days!

Wyatt, "What are the chances someone take the truck out while I was here? They never did it before. Someone might try to steal it but people would see it. Shot who did it. Or track it. I should ask around to try and find out who did it. What I need to do is get back to the ghost tree like I gave my word I would. I'll have to ride the horses hard. Feel bad for them. I don't see any other choice."

[darthauthor]

Location:
Between the MIning Town and the stony pyramid

Sir Wyatt grooms the horses and the light of dawn illuminates the moring.

Wyatt (talking to the horses): "I'm sorry I pushed you all so hard before I lost the sun went down."

Nose to nose, they sniff each other.

Wyatt walks them for a while to warm them up.
After that he gallops the horses and changes between the five of them as they get tired.

Stopping here and there to give the horses water and give them a rest before running again.

Along the way, Wyatt can feel his Sixth Sense go off, then a as sort of psychic attack but he brushes it off and keeps riding.

A while later Sir Wyatt feels his Sixth Sense tingle again. This time his horse is shot by a rifle.

Seeing the horse go down something goes off in Wyatt.

Creating his Psi-Shield
Wyatt runs to toward the rifle fire taking cover behind trees and uisng his binoculars every now and again.
Turning on his powers of Sense Evil and Sense Presense he can't detect any thing.
So he reaches out with Empathy hoping to feel what his attacker feels.

A while later

Rifle shell casings are at the bottom.
Looking up Wyatt can see the man had climbed up in a tree to shoot down on him.
Finding his tracks Wyatt goes hunting.

Then horse tracks. The man had mounted up.
Wyatt's horses had scattered. He allowed them to flee for fear they might be shot.

Going back to his wounded horse, Wyatt cried.
He could feel the animals pain. Blaze (the horse) was scared too but at the sight and strokes of Wyatt he was calmer. He trusts me.

Wyatt "releases" the horse from his pain.

Wyatt collapses and cries.
Wyatt, "Today of all days, why did you you have to die?"
Crying.
Then thinking.
Next medicating.
Wyatt, "What are the chances? A lone sniper at in the woods who shoots my horse then mounts up and runs away?Before that someone sabotagued my hover truck . . .
"I either round up my horses who ran away or run the rest of the way.
"If I leave the horses out here they could get killed or taken. I've got to go back for them."

2 hours later Wyatt has round up the horses.

He walks them easy.
Then saddles up and rides them easy until he no longer has day light.

Wyatt stays up all night watching the horses and guarding camp.

Come first light he warms up the horses and rides them with caution on the look out for ambushes.

[darthauthor]

Location: Stone Pyramid

Sir Wyatt had to push to get back to the stone pyramid. All day and into the night he travels. Fortunately he has the light of the full moon the see by. He only stops for the horse. The smell of the lake water movtivates them until they are at last at the stone pyramid.

Looking up Wyatt can see the full moon.

It is the Snow Moon.
He checks in with the Dog Boys and drinks down their canteens of water.
Together they share a few stories of what happened.
After his sit down and water gulping session Wyatt picks himself up.
The Dog Boys pass the word along and they assemble.
Together they march with Wyatt to the ghost tree.

Making their way to the ghost tree the Dog Boys Sixth Sense goes off but whatever it was must have been scared off by their numbers and presence.

Then they arrive, Sergeant Wyatt can feel the pulsing psychic energy that emanates from the Tree.
It stood naked (without leafs) and tall, its branches crooked and dark. The tree was not merely a part of the landscape; it was a psychic entity, alive with a consciousness that emminated out.

The tree, that calls itself the Benefactor, had made a deal with Wyatt, lending him the power to save his platoon from a deadly chemicals or disease, a power that Wyatt had now come to return. As the platoon stood before the Benefactor, the tree communicated in a voice that resonated within the minds of all who were present.

The Tree, "What do you come to me for now?"

Sgt Wyatt, "It is the night of the Snow Moon. I came to keep my word of honor. Then return your power."

The Tree, "What proof do you offer that you used it for the reason for which you asked for it?"

Sgt Wyatt, "My brothers will speak the truth. They were sick. I used your power on them. Now they are well."

What follows is the tree asking each of the Dog Boys, telepathically, if Wyatt used the power it gave Wyatt to make them well again.
It rattles the nevres of the Dog Boys something fierce.

After the last Dog Boy testified, the tree's telepathic voice filled the air once more, a note of respect threading through its ancient tone. "Very well, Sergeant Wyatt. Your honor stands intact, as does our agreement. With your release of my power our arrangement is satisfied."

Wyatt reached out, the psychic energy flowing from him like a river of light, returning to the tree. Legio, for a moment, seemed to shimmer more brightly, as if acknowledging the strength of the man before it.

The Tree, "Go forth, with my blessing and you free. IF ever, you or your Dog Boys should desire the same or something else, knowledge or power, I will be here to make another deal."

Sgt Wyatt, "Knowledge. There is something I'd like to know. I'd like to know who sabotaged my hover truck. Who shot my horse? And why they did it? Well, ALL knowing tree, can you tell me that?"

The Tree, "I can grant you the powers to find out for yourself, if you have the ingeniuty and resolve to use them. Do you want such powers? Do you want to make another deal?"

Turning to face his Boys, Wyatt saw in their eyes a reflection of his own resolve. They had been through hell and back, saved by a power that was not their own. The decision lay heavy on him, but clarity began to dawn. This was not just about returning a borrowed power; it was a temptation or even a curse or something,
The Tree's nature was aberrant, bound by a code of honor that governed it's deals. The power it offered was not without peril, but what was that peril?
The loss of honor?
Is that what it is about?
Does the tree want to corrupt me?
Is this how the tree has fun?
Is it a game and Sir Wyatt the tree's game piece?

Sir Wyatt, "Not this time. I thank you deal and for keeping your end of it. Now I will say goodbye Mr Tree."

As Wyatt and his men departed, the ethereal tree stood silent in the moonlight. It's deal was honored, the power returned, and the temptation of more was turned down. Wyatt and his Dog Boys had walked away from it all without yielding their honor.

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ
The Atlantean Stone Pyramid.

The main chamber with a Rift in it.

Sgt Wyatt gazed at the world beyond the Rift.
It looks like an enclosed chamber with pipes on the walls and artificial lighting.
It may or may not be underground but it is definitely inside.
The air smells of machines.
No one's Sixth Sense is going off.
They have yet to send patrols to look around inside.
Too much going on and too many losses to jump in and stir things up.
Playing defensive.

Besides, the Atlantean T-man has been acting very high and might lately.
He has been giving orders when he talks.
Most of it is about staying away from him.
Don't follow him.
Leave the room when he comes in it.
He appears to have moved into the old control room.
He has restored the power and water supply.
It also looks like he is controlling it.
The things he says, when he talks, imply the power and water stops if anything were to happen to him or if things don't go his way.

Finally, Sir Wyatt and the T-Man talk.

Sir Wyatt, "I'm glad to see you are up and about."
The Atlantean T-Man stares at Sir Wyatt silently.
Sir Wyatt, "It appears you have restored the pyramid to working order again. Thanks for that too."
T-Man, "The pyramid is mine. What I do with it is none of your concern. The Aerhiman Clan, my Clan, are the
rightful owners of this pyramid. Aerhiman laws and rule will dictate what goes on here. As the ONLY Atlantean and Aerhiman Clan member here what I say is how it will be. Now get OUT!"
Sir Wyatt, "What?"
T-Man, "I am here now. I will defend this pyramid without your help. I have no need of your help or anyone else who is not an Atlantean and not of my clan. You may leave now. Leave my pyramid. Leave the grounds. I don't want you with 10 miles of my Clan's property. Return to the mining town or wherever. I don't care as long as you are not here. You have 24 hours to leave before I take MEASURES. Now go away."
Sir Wyatt, "I have video. The Mystic Knights gave it to me. It shows the Atlantean Stone Master who built this pyramid; an Aerhiman Clan Stone Master. He gave us permission to be here and to guard it. As far as I am concerned his permission is of greater authority then you. You don't even remember your own name or who you are. And as far as defending this pyramid, we have been here from the beginning. Lost brothers in battle here. You were taken prisoner by the Splugorth. Fight their enemies and conquored lands, took slaves in their name. You say you can't remember anything from before you woke up from our attack which stopped you; only your skills and tattoo powers. I acknowledge you as Atlantean and of the Aerhiman Clan but NOT someone who has the right to run me off over the express permission and trust of the Aerhiman Clan man who built it. I will stand down to your clan's tattooed Defenders, after they arrive, but NOT to YOU.

T-Man, "Step outside!"

A moment later

The Dog Boys and Psi-Stalkers are assembled in formation.

Across from each other the T-Man and Sir Wyatt stand.

They aren't talking but the way the stand and move says a lot.

The T-Man taps his tattoos and everyone can feel the spells going off.
They feel the magical armor surrounding the T-Man.
They see the flaming sword appear in his hand.
The T-Man motions with it inviting Sir Wyatt to attack.

Sir Wyatt, "I don't want to fight you. I'm a Cyber-Knight. I fight to defend the innocent and vanquish evil. You are not my enemy."
The T-Man strikes at Sir Wyatt who instantly creates a Psi-Sword to parry the attack.
Sir Wyatt, "It doesn't have to be this way!"
The T-Man strikes again and Sir Wyatt creates another Psi-Sword in his left hand as he parries.
Sir Wyatt, "We freed you from the Splugorth."
The T-Man hesitates.
Sir Wyatt, "We treated you in our clinic. Feed you."
He strikes again.
Sir Wyatt parries.
T-Man, "FIGHT! FIGHT YOU COWARD!"
He strikes again and again Sir Wyatt parries.
SIr Wyatt uses his psionic power of Empathy and find the Atlantean has an inner conflict.
He's twisted up inside. Feels anger, duty, fear, loyalities are in opposition.
"WE have defend this pyramid with our lives. This Aerhiman pyramid. Would you punish us for that?"
T-Man, "STOP TALKING. FIGHT ME!"
Sir Wyatt, "You are Aerhiman Clan. I defend your clan. Not attack it."
T-Man, "YOU ARE A SLAVE!"
Sir Wyatt, "You are FREE, NO LONGER a slave of the Splugorth."
T-Man, "FREAK! WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF DUTY OR HONOR?"
Sir Wyatt, "It is my duty and honor, given to me by your Clansman, Ictinus, to defend the Aerhiman pyramid."
T-Man, "I relieve you of your duty."
Sir Wyatt, "IF, you were me, would you ABANDON your post to you?
T-Man, "QUIT MAKING ME THINK. I WANT A FIGHT!
Touching a tattoo of a chained cloud the T-Man unleashes a rush of wind that knocks everyone down.

The Dog Boys get too rustled and scared. They start shooting the Atlantean.
He is bathed in energy weapons fire that never makes it past his spell of his magical armor.
He leaps at them but is tackled by Sir Wyatt in mid air and knocked down.

Wyatt shouts, "EVERYONE STOP!"
but not before the second round of shots are fired.
His magic force field bursts.
The Atlantean unleashed another Rush of Wind that knocks the energy weapons firing Dog Boys back and down.
Sir Wyatt and the Atlantean stand from their knocked down position.
Their swords clash.
Sir Wyatt, "You are scaring my men. They fired only out of fear and in defense."
T-Man, "RUN OR DIE!"
Sir Wyatt slowly backs away. He motions with his arms for the Dog Boys to withdraw.
Sir Wyatt, "Fall back to the rendezvous point. That's an ORDER."
To the Atlantean, "We WILL speak later. After everyone is calmer. IF you need help, I'm a radio call away.

With great reluctance

The Dog Boys withdrawl.

[darthauthor]

Location:
The Mining Town

Present: The Dog Boys and Psi-Stalkers of Cerberus

The Boys are back in town.

Morale is low.

Without the Stone pyramid they can't recharge their hover truck.
One of their Dog Boys however, #1210, can recharge their E-Clips.

Sgt Wyatt, "Today's mission is to help with the farming. We will line up and pick weeds and insects; one basket for three Dog Boys so go slow. Then we go back over and water them."

Later

Medae, The Earth Warlock arrives.

The town's people catch up with her..
Her powers are limited by her P.P.E. reserves and the P.P.E. batteries she brought.
Her ore refinement is limited but highly efficient.

Soon the Dog Boys are being looked at to securely transport the goods to Silvereno by horseback.

Sir Wyatt sees it as a good thing to keep the Boys busy.
Attempts at contacting the Atlantean T-Man go unanswered.
He either doesn't know how to use a radio or he doesn't want to listen.

After a few days and a lot of talking with the Dog Boys Wyatt picks his posse to make the ride.
Has to have Dog Boys who have made the run once in the hover trucks and #1210 to make sure they
can recharge their E-Clips. He makes a great trail took too.

After a week Wyatt takes the Hover Truck back to have a talk with the Atlantean. At the very least he expects to pick up some of what they left behind.

Approaching the Pyramid he gets no radio signals or replies to his hails.

Walking inside the pyramid it appears to be vacant.
Then Sir Wyatt and his Dog Boy crew find the Atlantean's Body.
He's dead.
No marks are on him.
Cause of death is unknown.
They do a thorough inspection of his body and the pyramid but they don't find any signs of a fight or anyone else who was here.

The medic Dog Boy "tries" to do an autopsy but the corpse is Mega-Damage.

Inspecting the Pyramid, whatever the Atlantean did it is working.
The Rift is still open to the dimension inside a machine.

Later that night, the medic Dog Boy radios in that the Atlantean's dead but got up and took off.

Sgt Wyatt tells the Dog Boys to hold down the fort while he stays in pursuit.

Tracking him down Wyatt runs right to the Ghost Tree.

Sir Wyatt, "What did you do?" He asks of the Ghost Tree.

The Tree, "I have done nothing."

Sir Wyatt, "Then why did the Atlantean come here?"

The Tree, "If you want knowledge we can come to an arrangement."

Sir Wyatt, "I didn't come here to make any deals."

The Tree, "And yet here you are."

Sir Wyatt, "I was following . . . some one . . . I am looking for . . "

The Tree, "This is my domain. I can help you find what you are looking for or you can leave. This isn't a tourist site. I don't exist to amuse you. And you are annoying me."

Wyatt sniffs around and begins to move around the graves.

The Tree, "You TRESPASS!"

Wyatt begins to dig a little.

The Tree, "I won't tolerate grave robbers."

Wyatt's Sixth Sense begins to go off. He can feel the magical energy rise all around him.
He stops and turns around.

Sir Wyatt, "How did you do it? How did you kill him? Why?"
Sir Wyatt's Psi-Sword sprang forth.

The Tree, "I have killed anyone. Sense my feeling, you know this to be true."

Sir Wyatt, "His corpse got up and came here."

20 or so ethereal humanoids appear like a flash of lightning.
They are armed with swords that look like jagged tree bark.

The Tree, "I am 'asking' you to leave."

Wyatt thinks:
"The Atlantean's body is around here somewhere. Probably in one of these graves. The tree told me, himself, he collects corpses. But he's dead. Nothing I can do will change that."

Sir Wyatt, "Just tell me one thing and I'll leave. How did he die? If you tell me I'll leave. I promise."

The Tree rattled then whispered, "Arrogance . . . impatience . . . and the poison in what he ate."

Sir Wyatt marched away.

Later, back at the Stone Pyramid

The Dog Boy medic talks to Sgt Wyatt.

The Boys were about to eat some of the food in the inventory but we wanted to wait for you.
He smelled the food over and stopped when his nose was able to smell something wrong with it.

"It's poisoned," Wyatt said.

Medic, "It's what killed the Atlantean. It must have been in small amounts, so its hard to detect. Unless you have the nose of a Dog Boy. Say, did you find him? Was he faking being dead? Like that one psionic power. That was my first guess after I thought about it. I just didn't understand why he would fake his own death or run away. I didn't sense any possessing entity."

Sir Wyatt, "I had a discussion about it. He won't be coming back."

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ
The Atlantean Stone Pyramid

They bring Medae to the stone pyramid, being an Earth Warlock allows her magic to tap into the pyramid's power.
Among her spells are those that allow her to mend stone.
She restore the control room and seals the cracks, tares, and ware.

The Dog Boys recharge their batteries.

Next the Conjurer who came along for the ride uses his magical spell of purification to purify all the food at the pyramid.
Again he uses his power to stock pile bread, clothes, milk, parts, water than the water to high quality wine.
That's what's in it for him and the transportation. He has to check up on the hover truck and tune it up. Cost of doing business. Can't let the truck that supplies the town break down. Makes a few spare parts for it. Changes out those that are closer to expiring.

He says he can't help with the pyramid as it is stone and magic in a way he can't repair.

They take him and his goods back to the Mining Town.
He restocks his general store.

After, he repairs the sabotuaged hover truck. Replaces the parts.

Now they have two hover trucks up and running.

The two hover trucks go back and forth carrying Medae to create, clay, sand, refined ore and wood.

The Rift is still open to the inside of the machine dimension.

The Dog Boys, after traveling back by hover truck, set up radio communications and try to listen in across the frequencies. They hear some signals but don't know what to make of them. It's doesn't sound like any language they know. It could be a coded message. The Dog Boys just don't know.

Sir Wyatt journals:

"It appears the Atlantean T-Man died after he repeatedly ate poisoned food until the poison overpowered him. Without anyone here to find him and treat him for poison he succumbed to it. Those humans from the other dimension are clever and ruthless. They only poisoned some of the food and in doses too small for a human to notice. No wonder they were so easy and generous about giving us food. It was their way of sneaking poison in.
"Yet somehow the Atlantean T-Man got up again and went to the ghost tree. Maybe he had a psionic power that made him appear dead. When he woke up he still went to the Ghost Tree. Maybe he had made a deal with the Tree. The Tree makes deals. Maybe he didn't get back to the Tree on time and the Tree got him. I wonder what would have happened to me if I did not make it back to the Tree by the night of the Snow Moon.
"I believe bad things happen to those who make deals with the Tree and can't or won't meet their side of the deal.
"I have a feeling there is more to it than that. Like with the hover truck that was disabled. The sniper who shot my horse. Someone or thing didn't want me to make it back to the Ghost Tree in time.
"On a personal side, it feels good to be home again. I don't know when I started to think of the pyramid as my home but I felt it not long after I left. I didn't see any other way to prevent a fight that would have maimed or killed the Atlantean and or my Dog Boys and myself. It was nice to see the Towns people liked us visiting. They weren't the least bit afraid of us. I kind of miss the children and the head scratches from the girls. I wonder if humans get as much stress relief if someone pets with their hair. Gave us all haircuts too. Feels like I lost 10 pounds even though I know that can't be."

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ
Atlantean Stone Pyramid

The Dog Boys woke Sgt Wyatt up.

The Rift had changed to someplace else.
For days it had stayed in the machine world.
Now it looked like a jungle.

No one sixth sense goes off so there is no immediate danger.

It is decided to just stand guard for now.
They go through the radio frequencies to hear anything they can pick up.

The Dog Boy manning the radio gets something but says it is from a city called El Paso.
The radio equipment is from that alternate Earth so he doesn’t know for sure what is what about it.

The radio chatter is about a gang in El Paso called the Kay-Nines (K-9s). The guy on the other end, his name’s Sigmund. We got to talking. His old master, a CS scientist, taught him things the CS didn’t like. So they killed his human. Sigmund escaped. Asked if we are escapees like him. Says they are hundreds of escapees from their abusers; like him. Some treated them like an experiment, like property. Now they are free. IF we like we can come join them in El Paso. Says he has heard of others who got away. Went their own way. Settled down on a ranch; shepherding cattle and goats and sheep. Fights the local monsters who threaten to eat his flock. He says that his own life began when he stopped being cannon fodder for the CS. Now he protects the humans he wants when he wants. He doesn’t risk his neck for anyone who wouldn’t do the same for him.

The Dog Boys talk about the message and replay the recording of it.
It shakes them up a bit. Some think it's a human impersonating a Dog Boy to trick them and sow treasonous thoughts. Others believe Sigmund is a real Dog Boy and that what he says is true. Still others don’t want to think about it. It doesn’t change their mission to protect humankind from monsters who could come out of the Rift. They talk about reinforcements. IF the K-9s are real, why not ask them for help? Ask them to come here and back Cerberus' platoon up.

Sgt Wyatt,
“Asking for help when we need it is not wrong.
“Security wise, drawing attention to our location, our inventory, and the Atlantean Stone Pyramid that can power mages and machines is dangerous. The Atlantean who built this pyramid smells human, looks human, he damned up the ley line so our noses are not overpowered by the blue lines. Now evil mages can’t come around and use the power of the ley line to dominate.
“WE make a difference. What we do makes a difference. All of us see it in the mining town when we rotate to guard it. I see it, you see it, the look on their faces. It’s hope but it's more than that. No ones going to sleep hungry or worried about where their next bite to eat is going to come from. They don’t stay up all night afraid of someone going to rob them or take them for slavery. They are washing their hands and faces with soap and it shows.
“Look at us, we are stronger and tougher than we have ever been. No hours of guard duty or rousting through neighborhoods for deviant psychics, magic users or supernatural creatures.
“There is no difference we can make bigger than the one we make here.”

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ

The Dog Boys do some targer practice.

Then spar to workout the tension.

It is an exercise, when they run out of E-Clips they have to fight with blades then hand to hand combat.

A lot has been happening.

Focusing on drills helps distract them.

Over lunch the Dog Boys gossip about what they can do about the Ghost Tree.
It is beyond touch.
Guesses are that only magic can harm it.
Some make another guess, psionics, but none of them have any that can do any damage.
Some think they can't do anything so they should just stay away from it.
Other wonder if they should set up a perimeter around the tree. Build some traps or obstacles.
Maybe some kind of sign with a danger symbol on it.
The idea of it feels better than doing nothing.

The Rift has not had any visitors come through it and the Dog Boys have just had too much lately to go through it to do recon.

Every now and again the Dog Boys hear or smell someone having a look at the stone pyramid. It has been her too long. The mining town's people must have gossiped about it. They know which direction to go to find it.

It is worriesome, their numbers are fewer than ever at the pyramid.

They only have three weeks until the spring equionx.
That's when they will have to repel any invaders from the Rifts that will open on the other ley lines.
We need more Dog Boys or there won't be enough of us left to defend ourselves let alone the pyramid.
And some day, when the Atlanteans return, well, then what?
Do they kick us out?
Do they fix the pyramid so the Rift will close?
One team of Atlanteans attacked them.
Another single Atlantean with tattoos banished us.
What will the next one do?

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ
The Atlantean Stone Pyramid

The giant Three Headed Dog with a Snake for a tail sticks its head through the Rift and sniffs.

The Dog Boys sense of things Supernatural goes off but NOT their Sixth Sense.

Sgt Wyatt signals the Boys to hold their fire.

With a VERY open posture, arms extended to his sides, without weapons, Wyatt slowly steps forward.
He turns on his psionic Empathy.
<Curiousity>

One of the heads speaks, "You called me?"
Wyatt feels confused.
"I have not the power," Wyatt relies. "I am but a humble guardian of this Rift between worlds."
Smiles cross the faces of all the dog's heads.
"My name is Wyatt. My brothers and I stand together as a platoon in solidarity and service to our cause. Together we call our platoon Cerberus. A name my master taught me stood for a beautiful, brave, faithful, kind, loyal and stalwart of a guardian."
The three headed dog put its right paw over its noises in a blushing motion, "I'm Cerberus. I heard my name. Didn't know it wasn't me you were talking about"
"That doesn't me we can't talk," said Wyatt.

One by one each of the Dog Boys, at the lip of the Rift, takes turns telling the giant three headed Dog stories and share food.
They find out:
Cerberus is not evil; he is very kind and friendly, to the Dog Boys. He says he is a working dog. His job, is to keep the dead from escaping. He is intelligent with each of its three heads having different personalities. Still, only one of them speaks even though they can all hear and feel. Every now and then, they get lonely and want someone to talk to them.

At sunset the Rift shifts to a new world.

The Dog Boys radios pick up music.
They like the tunes and pump up the volume.

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ
The Atlantean Stone Pyramid

With relief the humans from the Mining Town and the psi-stalker return from the Rift.
They come bearing gifts.

“It worked,” said Sgt Wyatt. “Okay. Time for After Action Review.”

The men from the mining town drink
The Psi-Stalker reports.
“As planned, the clothes we wore from the dimension before. Their dollar bills worked too. Then real quiet and polite like we bought what we could carry and brought it back without giving ourselves away. No stealing. No trouble. No telling anyone we come from this dimension or that theirs is not the only one. Just a simple honest business transaction. The dollars that are worthless in this world for things that are worth a lot in ours. We are just lucky the people from the mining town know a little basic math and some Spanish. They assumed we were stupid or something. Paid more attention to what we were buying and our money than us.
They have stores. A place called Friends of the library where you can get books for one dollar. Grocery store with dry foods. Got some cereal, coffee, cornbread mix, dental floss, flour, himalayan pink salt, hot sauce, oatmeal, oil, over the counter meds, toothpaste & brushes, and soap.”

Sgt Wyatt, “Well, that’s a relief. No one dies or gets hurt. Everybody gets something good. IF we get another world like this we might just keep it this way.”
Wyatt stops and thinks.
“Having money, the kind they use, doesn’t hurt either. We don’t steal. We didn’t try to trade weapons for food and medicine like we did before. This was real safe. Now we just have to wait for the Rift to Shift.”

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ
The Atlantean Stone Pyramid

The Rift to the Earth world of the 2000s is still open.

Wyatt thinks to himself: Well what do we do now?

Wyatt's morning meeting with the Dog Boys.

Wyatt, "Roll call is good. The Rift has been open a couple of days now. We have spent all the U.S. dollars we had. Judging by the Rifts History it will be open until at least sundown. No one on that other world appears to know the Rift even exists. More trade would be good but their world, from the reports of our psi-stalkers and humans, does not appear to openly trade. They have a thing call the internet. You have to have a computer and such. It allows you to read, order things, pay you bills, and watch stuff.
Getting a little frustrated
"The real question is, what more do we risk getting and if and how we should risk getting it?
In the past, humans as individuals are safe to talk and trade with. Their governments and militaries are afraid of us and start pointing guns and fear invasion or contamination. We all feel safer if we don't involve them. So let's hear some ideas."

A Dog Boy spoke up, "We could have our humans go door to door offering stuff we have for stuff they have."
Another Dog Boy, "What do we have that they evern want? Besides guns. Seems like everywhere someone wants those."
Sgt Wyatt, "We could bring in Octavia. She's good with computers and neogotations. Maybe she could do something with their internet."

The next day the Amazon Prime delivers have arrived.
Outside of a house the Dog Boys started grabbing boxes and running back to the Rift.

"How are we paying for this?" asks Sir Wyatt.
"We aren't. I am. Now relax. I've got this." said Octavia.

[darthauthor]

Location:
Cerberus HQ
Atlantean Stone Pyramid.

Sir Wyatt gets a magic pigeon.

"The Atlantean Defenders are at the Mining Town and have taken it over. Your Dog Boys are their prisoners. They want to fight not listen."

Next Magic Pigeon

"I can give you the power to keep the people you love from dying. Yes and even a platoon to distract them while you rescue the children."

Next

"IF you give me your word of honor that I will get the bodies of any who die in the village during your rescue. The Tree."

Sir Wyatt and the rest of the Dog Boys present look wide eyed.
Sir Wyatt, "It explains why my Boys haven't come back yet. Get everyone ready for a meeting in 20."

20 minutes later.

Sgt Wyatt, "The Atlanteans sent another squad to check in on and rotate out with the last bunch of guys. They will be as tough as the last ones. We lost good Dog Boys that day. I won't lose any more. Their kind are stubborn. I predict they asked about us in town. People talked. They probably figured they could take our Boys, then the Dog Girls and their children, then the next rotation. IF they are still alive, they are probably using them as hostages and shields. I expect they will want us to leave. It is the safest thing to do to save lives; both theirs and ours. I can't take any chances with the pups or their Dog Girl moms.
I didn't count on them taking the Mining Town hostage. I thought the kids would be safe there. The Atlanteans of the Aerhiman Clan are probably scared of us here at their pyramind or that they will damage it. So they fixed it so we would come to them.
We will bunch up in the hover truck bed. Head to the town.
I'll go in alone. Show them the video the mercs left. See if I can get them to let my Boys go, leave the town for the pyramid."

A Dog Boy raises his paw.
Sgt Wyatt nodds to him.
"I can't let you go alone, Sarge."
All the Dog Boys take one step forward.
"They crossed the line when they start using little baby Dog Boys and Girls as hostages. We can't abandon them or you. We won't run away and hide. We protect our humans and our pack. And if we die trying, then we will be true to ourselves, and faithful to each other, to the end."

[darthauthor]

Location:
The Mining Town.

Present the Dog Boys and Psi-Stalkers of Cerberus.

Sgt Wyatt, "Report."

Reconnaissance:
"We can feel and spot 12-member Atlantean Team of tattooed Defenders. The humans who helped us radio back confirming the count. Our pups are in the stone towers with they moms. The Dog Boys who survived are in the other stone tower. They killed some zombies they found in the mine. Don't know how long they have been down there but the Atlanteans made a big deal about it. Something about death to the undead. They have a big thing about killing the undead. They have been interrogating the towns people. They have been asking questions about Dog Boys. They want to know how many of us there are. Asked about the stone pyramid. What has been going on there and its defenses. They heard about the Atlantean Ictinus being taken away and his mercs going with or after him."

Sgt Wyatt, "Alright. We talked about this. I have the magic scroll from the Ghost Tree. I'll have the wire in my shorts. When you hear I am in trouble or I say the would 'grave', the Necromancer read the scrool and it will from a cloud over the town. ALL MAGIC (except for the Necromancers) will stop working including those tattoos that turn them into walking power armor. They will still be armed. I don't expect them to abandon their post or retreat. I expect they will to their mission first and fight to the end. Offer them surrender if you can. IF in doubt, kill. I won't risk your lives for theirs."

Wyatt walks into the town.

At the town square Sir Wyatt stands out in the open without armor or guns or melee weapons of any kind.
Shirt-less with his arms extended he waits waiving the white flag.

Three Atlanteans walk out of the saloon armored (EBA) and armed with energy rifles and pistols.
Their faces concealed behind face mask that are a part of their armor.

Sir Wyatt, "I have a video for you to watch."

The Atlanteans surround Wyatt and cuff him like they are arresting him.
They search him for weapons and find none.
Pushing play on the video they Atlanteans hear and see the presentation by the Mystic Knights and Ictinus.

"FAKE NEWS!" Shouts the Atlantean. "LIAR. This is a forgery. You must think we're fools."
The Atlantean throw the player to the ground. When it bounces he kicks it with supernatural strength sending it flying and in pieces.

"I'm a Cyber-Knight. On my honor and the honor of my order. This video is real," Sir Wyatt pleaded.
"I know all about Cyber-Knights," the Atlantean Tattooed Defender scoffed. "And No CS Dog Boy ever has been or will be one. Your a fraud. Your Clan might have given you powers to conjure a Psi-Sword or Psi-Shield to fool others but you can't fool me. I see through your fake feelings and rehearsed act of scripted lines. Now where are my Atlantean borthers, the squad that came before ours. Tell me or I'll make you suffer."
"As the many Dog Boys they killed, I regret that they are all dead. I hope it will turn out different for us."
"LIES!"
"I can take you to their graves."
The Atlantean Defenders look intense and grip their weapons with ire.

An ominous, dark gray cloud appears to hang over an entire Mining Town.

"Then one of yours will die for every one of my brothers."
The Atlantean reaches for his radio.
"Wait!" Shouts Sir Wyatt. "I challenge you to a duel."
The Defenders all laugh.
"You don't believe I could have killed your men in a fair fight. I will prove you wrong. Unless . . . you are afraid."
"This is a trick. You stalling for time."
"You don't feel your Sixth Sense go off. Do you?"
"Why should I give you a chance or even take a chance?"
"The honor of your Clan Aerihman. I'm calling you out. If you are not a coward, you will fight me."
"What are you going to do? Bite me. I'm a superior being. So far above you, you couldn't even scratch me. And I'd be a fool to put a weapon in your hands to use against me or my men."
"I need no weapon. My Psi-Sword is my weapon."
Sir Wyatt creates his Psi-Sword cuting off his cuffs freeing himself.
Then promptly and formaly salutes the Tattooed Defender
"Impressive, what will the CS scientist at Lone Star think of next?"
Taking off his helmet. The blond haired tall muscular Atlantean stands like a goliath.
"All the ways I have to kill you, I honor you with this duel and show you my true face."
Handing his rifle to the sargeant next to him, he touchs the tattoo of a flaming sword on his wrist to no result.
"Its a trap. Kill him!"
With the speed of a quckdraw Wyatt creates a second Psi-Sword impaling the Atlanteans face.
The Psi-Sword disappear leaving only the hole in the Atlanteans head.
His two comrades are taken by surprise.
Wyatt punches swiftly (rolls Natural 20) creating a Psi-Sword in the process upper-cutting the man's head with a psi-sword through it. The other his merely punched. His armor leaves the Atlantean undamaged.
He quicky points his energy rifle in Wyatt's direction but not before Wyatt's Psi-Sword cuts the rifle in two.
Wyatt's Sixth Sensing Danger he tackles the Atlantean before the sniper's energy weapon fire blasts into the back of the Atlantean's head leaving a smoking half of it left.
Spotting the sniper. Wyatt grabs the Tattooed Defender energy rifle and returns fire.
Called shot to the rifle. Roll Natural 17. Rifle is out.

Wyatt sprints to the man with a body language of surprise and empty handedness.
"IF you listen, I can explain." says Wyatt his Psi-Sword point at him. An energy rifle in the other.
"Surrender or your pups will be executed!"
Wyatt could feel something go off inside of him.
Eye-ing the energy pistol on the man's holster.
"You have to touch your helmet to radio the message," Wyatt said. "IF you do, you die. Or we could have a sit down?"
"We don't negotiate." Then draws his pistol.
Wyatt beats him to the draw.
Blows a hole through the man with the ion rifle.
Looking over his shoulder Wyatt could see the corpses of the Tattooed Defenders holding a living one while the invisible Necromancer blasted him with a death bolt until he stops screaming.
"There's no time," Wyatt says to himself as he grabs the energy pistol and runs to the stone towers.

Sensing the smell the Dog Girls and pups Wyatt climbs the tower and jumps in through the window.
Shattered glass on floor he tackles the Tattooed Defender to the ground.
The Dog Girl mothers soon join in and tackle the other one while he's distracted.
He is at a loss not expecting his Supernatural strength to be gone.
The Girls pull the armored man's limbs in four directions while the fifth shoots him in the throat with his energy rifle at point blank range.
The Tattooed Defender wrestles with Wyatt. He's a martial artist and wrestler who gets on top and frees his hand for a grenade. That's when the Dog Girls dog pile on him. One pries the grenade away and hold it secure then takes off with it. The rest of the kills stab and shoot the Defender in the throat.

Rushing out Wyatt looks around the stone quartyard and runs to the other tower.
The Dog Boys of Cerberus have alread been here.
The two Atlantean Tattooed Defenders are dead.
The Dog Boys are uncuffing their brothers. They have been badly beaten for information.
Wyatt races to the top of the tower to get a birds eye view of the town.
Trying to spot any more Atlantean Defenders he only sees the towns people and his Dog Boys.

Wyatt thinks to himself: Nine. I only count nine Defenders down. There were 12. Three remain. Somewhere.

[darthauthor]

Location:
The Mining Town

Wyatt could see down from the top of the stone tower.

His Dog Boy brothers of Cerberus are quickly closing in on the Mining town from all directions surrounding it.

Dog Boys sticks his head up and says, "Confirm kills on two more Atlanteans. We found one of their armored suits. He must have shed it and is hiding. Also found some bombs. Busy disarming them."
Sgt Wyatt, "He will be a handsome young man. Tall. Strong."
"We've had a lot of new people come in. That could be anyone of 5 or 10."
"Round them up and HURRY. The Anti Magic Cloud is going to disappear soon. He's powers will come back and he could easily kill one of us."

A moment later the whole town is gathered together.

They push the new people into a circle everyone stands around.

Wyatt, the Dog Boys and the towns people quickly separate people it could not be until they are down to three.

Slapping his head Wyatt remembers.

"Show me your WRISTS!"

He bolts.
The people in his way he knocks down effortlessly.
The Dog Boys can't get a shot without risking casualties.
He darts like a master of evation.
Tackles a Dog Boy and body flips him before running off.

Wyatt is hot on his trial and does not lose sight of him.

He sees him running as fast as he can go for the tree line.

I can shoot him before he goes out of range of the Anti Magic Cloud.
I'd have to shoot him in the BACK.
An unarmed man. Retreating. Running away.

"WAIT! STOP!" Wyatt Shouted.

The Dog Boys to the left and right of him fire their energy rifles.
One hits destroying the Atlanteans left forearm before he disappears behind the tree line.

Wyatt wants to lecture his Dog Boys but their is no time.
The Atlantean will die from his injuries if not treated.

Chasing after him, he makes no effort to conceal his tracks.

Then the Dog Boys feel the casting of a spell and magic flair.

Finding him the Dog Boys are carried away and empty their energy rifles E-clips on him but it does not make a dent in his magical force field.
His body appears to be healing the stub where his left arm used to be.
Reloading the Dog Boys ready to fire.
"Ictinus gave us his blessing to guard th Aerihman pyramid. Now that we have are Dog Boy pups and their moms safe, WE WILL LEAVE. You can have it. It's yours."

The Atlantean stands up on his feat.
Wyatt turns on his psioic empathy.
He's physical pain is gone but its been replaced with RAGE.
He's all feeling.
One of his magic tattoos is saving his life. Stopped the pain. But I can see it in his eyes.
He's OVERWHELMED!
He lost his arm, his leader, his pride, and his squad.
He's GONE!
Nothing there but LOSS and PAIN and its filling in with HATE.
He can't hold the stone pyramid by himself.
He can't go back to his leadership in humilation and defeat as the only survivor of his squad.

Wyatt created his Psi-Shield and Psi-Sword, then said, "Flank him."

He conjured his flamming sword and the two went at it.
Wyatt's strikes whittled away at the Atlantean's force field.
When Wyatt's shield gave way he replaced it with another Psi-Sword.
After that it was no contest.
In desperation he struck out at the other Dog Boys.
They opened fire and broke through what remained of the force field.
His body is still as tough as steel and regenerated damage.
When other Dog Boys arrived they joined in.
It took them all to give him the warriors death he was desired.

They all sat down and just breathed.

Carrying the body back with him Wyatt met with the towns people.
They all drank some water and discussed the events.

The Dog Boys report that the Atlantean's gear and weapons are gone.
Their dead bodies too.
Looking around Wyatt can't see or find the Necromancer.
Wyatt, "There is a chance some of he towns people picked it up. I'll have a talk with the Mayor about it. Let's do a head count and inspect everyone for injury. Also, have a smell at the people, smell for spies or undercover Atlanteans or informers. Shapeshifters. Double check for explosives."

Not long after, Wyatt hears from the Dog Girl moms.
They feel if the are not going to be safe anywhere they might as well be where the Dog Boys are.
They want to move to the Stone Pyramid.

With the zombie miners destroyed people don't know what to make of it except they are hiring again for miners.
Some look at their remaining fingers and kiss them goodbye as they pick up a pickaxe and go down the mine with their canary in a bird cage.

[darthauthor]

Location:
The Ghost Tree

Present Sir Wyatt buring a body by himself.

A promise made. A promise kept.

Sir Wyatt, "The dead I promised."

The Tree, "I know 12 died."

Sir Wyatt, "You Necromancer will bring you the rest. IF he has not already."

The Tree, "ALL 12 belong to me."

Sir Wyatt, "And your Necromancer took them."

The Tree, "Just because he is a Necromancer does not mean he was following my orders."

Sir Wyatt, "You don't order people to do anything. You make deals. You made him a deal so he took the bodies."

The Tree, "Our deal was, I get the dead. I did not get them. You didn't fulfill you end of the deal."

Sir Wyatt, "Yet. Our very vaguely worded deal, which I hurriedly agreed with, never specified a time limit or who would bring you the bodies. Nothing in our deal says I, Sir Wyatt, have to bring all the bodies to you personally. Only that I did and succeed at what I asked you for and came back with proof."

The Tree, "That wasn't all of our deal."

Sir Wyatt, "I'm not in the mood to argue this with you. IF you want me drive back to the mining town and track the Necromancer down. Then find the other 11 bodies and bring them to you I want you to say so. Just like I also want you to say you put the Necromancer up to something, like maybe you and he made a deal to keep the bodies from me so I wouldn't be able to bring ALL of them back to you. Or maybe it was more like he can keep the bodies for himself or bring them to you for something he wants. I don't know. I'm just tired of these deals of yours were you pit others against me. I don't believe it is a coincidence that the Necromancer came along when he did just when he was needed the most to read the magic scroll of anti magic cloud.
If you are so weak you have to cheat, deceive, and lie I will stop burying anyone within 50 miles of here and never make a deal with you again. And I've been a VERY good customer."

The Tree, "You proved you used the scroll for what you said you would. (pausing) Give me your word you will bring me 11 more bodies before you die or leave forever and I will agree to release us both from our old deal in the place of new deal."

Wyatt thinks about it.
His mind wonders to the dead Atlantean Tattooed Defenders. The way that one Atlantean destroyed Wyatt's video. That one believed what he wanted. I don't know how different the rest were but they were there to take out the ones who took out their men. And take back the pyramid. Not discover the truth or listen to anything they didn't want to be true.
I don't know if those Atlanteans were good or evil but there were aggressive and arrogant.
I should have tracked the Necromancer right then and there while the trail was fresh and he was nearby.

"It's a deal," said Wyatt.