"Why do we exist?

We're here, but what does that mean?We're not mortal, but we can die. Yes, even I can die.

We were all born into this world. And this world bred us to suffer. It tortures us simply because we're here. But is that why we exist? To be tortured?

Heaven seems to think so.

They call us sinners. They punish us for being different! They tell us we have no choice but to suffer.

They're wrong ...

... because we have a choice.

Our ability to choose is what makes us sinners! And that makes us greater than them! They invade us, force their rules on us! They try to eradicate us out of fear! And despite all that, we thrive! We're a testament to the power of choice! You, all of you chose to survive! Which is why I choose to fight for you!

Together we'll show them our strength! Show them that we deserve more than pain! Show them that our existence is not invalid!

And if they refuse to see that ...

... we'll show them what real suffering is."

Cheers surge throughout the Deep Continent as the queen addresses her subjects for Starve and Tempy's send-off. Everyone celebrates the Head Hunter and her troops, chanting her title with rhythmic stomps as her convoy makes its ascent through the city streets to the main exit where Starve waits with his own set of troops. The rest of her family stands just off to the side accompanied by Тиган. She brings her beast to a stop and hops down to hug Pop and Sleaze. Going down the line, she high fives Rock before punching Тиган in the gut. He playfully overreacts, bending over and holding his stomach, putting his cheek in range for Tempy to plant a tiny kiss on it. "Don't die while I'm gone." she says. Wraith is last, standing as poised as ever with her arms behind her back. Tempy walks to her and salutes but isn't saluted in turn. Instead, the colonel holds out her arms, welcoming a hug from her little sister which she immediately receives.

"Stay sharp out there, soldier." whispers Wraith.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." she says, giving one last squeeze before returning to her ride. She shoots Wraith a look and points to Тиган so quickly that no one else notices as it transitions into a wave. With that, she departs with Starve.

"Heaven has no right to rule us! Our souls are free! Our hearts are free! Remember this! Remember those who ride today! They ride for fucking freedom! Our fucking freedom! Sing with me!"

The entire city joins the queen in song. They all salute as they sing the anthem of the Deep Continent.

Bitter. Rotten. Sweet to sour.

These lips forgotten, speak

for hours with you.

Written. Jotted. Seek the power

Of visions not yet preached.

A tower of truth.

All I've seen,

All I've ever seen

Is a greedy, demanding love.

Take it away.

Take it all away.

"The queen sure knows how to get everybody pumped." says Тиган to Rock through the noise of the joyous city.

"We believe in her, in her message. She stands for something no other ruler here stands for." says Rock.

"Freedom?" It'd be easier to not be ruled at all.

"Ah, but it's more than just freedom. It's the freedom of life eternal. This place is proof that we're not all deranged abominations. It's the calm in the shitstorm that is our reality."

"Well said, uncle." says Wraith. "This city was built on the foundation of her beliefs and we defend it with our loyalty."

"Si. We all owe our lives here to Quinn." says Rock just as he's tapped on the shoulder by Pop. She tilts her head in the classic let's go fashion and winks at Тиган before turning to leave with Sleaze. "It seems I'm needed elsewhere." He salutes Wraith and Тиган with a stupid grin then joins his sister and nephew.

"Mi hija bonita!" calls Pop while continuing to walk away. "If you're off duty you should show Тиган around! I'm sure there's lots of things he hasn't seen, if you know what I mean!" she sings, swinging her hips and tail with each step.

"I do know what you mean! You're terrible!" Wraith calmly shouts back with the smallest of smirks.

"Love you too! Byeeee!"

Тиган laughs. "Your mom's not one for subtlety, huh?"

"Correct." says Wraith. "Given recent developments, I understand why they would attempt to get you and I alone."

"Their attempt worked. So, I've been meaning to talk to you if you got a moment."

"Unfortunately, I am not off duty."

"Oh, cool." Of course she's on duty.

"However, there are some issues we need to discuss. You may come with me to the barracks if you like."

"Sure."

With no sense of urgency whatsoever, Wraith casually strolls to a few hitched travel beasts with her arms once again behind her back. The creatures nod their heads to indicate that they're ready to be boarded but Wraith simply gives them each a small kiss on the nose before continuing on foot. Тиган smiles and follows her into the city.

They walk together for a bit. Neither can seem to start a conversation with the other without being interrupted by someone recognizing them. Civilians approach them with excitement, geeking out over seeing the pair amidst the city folk, especially because the colonel is rarely spotted outside of the barracks. Many flock to Тиган while keeping a respectful distance from Wraith who proceeds to walk as if no one else is around. Тиган does his best to politely diffuse the admirers until he tails Wraith into a small military lookout tower. The second floor is made of two way windows all around. Wraith orders the guard on duty to get out, which pretty much means she's being given the rest of the day off. The guard accepts this opportunity to stretch all five of her legs and leaves her post in the colonel's capable hands.

"That was wild." says Тиган. "Someone grabbed my ass like they were trying to steal it." Pretty sure it was a guy too.

"Your duel has made you the talk of the town." says Wraith as she surveys the city. "It's a fair alternative to not becoming a general."

"Yeah, well the fame is literally becoming a pain in my ass." he laughs.

"Fame is part of the job. As prominent soldiers in the queen's army we are constantly in the public eye. If you are anything like my siblings, you will learn to enjoy it."

"I take it you don't?"

"I am used to it. My physical appearance has attracted a considerable amount of attention for as long as I can remember."

"Basically you've been a dime your whole life."

"That's one way of looking at it."

"Heh. What's the other way?"

"Sometimes others see in me what they want to see. Tell me, Тиган. What do you see?" asks Wraith as she waits attentively for his answer.

"I see someone incredible. You're like winter on Earth. Everything dies and becomes still under the white snow, but that stillness can become a storm at any moment. It's tranquil and intimidating, the only place I've seen death be beautiful." Is this … right?

"Such words rival the very beauty you describe. Pity, that stillness will never hear them, nor will it know of the way it captivated you. For it seems, I am but a reminder of that alluring image, not its origin."

"That maybe true, but truer still might be that nothing else I've seen comes close to you. Yours is a beauty that competes with the elements of a land you've only heard stories of. If you went there, you'd extinguish them. No endless skies, raging seas or fiery rocks can compare to the awe you create wherever you go."

"Your lips must taste like honey with musings so sweet." Wraith moves closer to Тиган and places her hands on his face. They're uncomfortably warm as she gently pulls him in for a-

Wait. Be professional.

Тиган puts his hand in between their faces.

"What are you doing?" Wraith asks with a whisper.

You don't like this.

"Are you sure?" Wraith … answers?

How-

Cheers surge throughout the Deep Continent as the queen addresses her subjects for Starve and Tempy’s send-off. Everyone celebrates the Head Hunter and her troops, chanting her title with rhythmic stomps as her convoy makes its ascent through the city streets to the main exit where Starve waits with his own set of troops. The rest of her family stands just off to the side accompanied by Тиган. She brings her beast to a stop and hops down to hug Pop and Sleaze. Going down the line, she high fives Rock before punching Тиган in the gut. What's going on? He playfully overreacts, bending over and holding his stomach, putting his cheek in range for Tempy to plant a tiny kiss on it. "Don't die while I'm gone." She says. Wraith is last, standing as poised as ever with her arms behind her back. Tempy walks to her and salutes but isn’t saluted in turn. Instead, the colonel holds out her arms, welcoming a hug from her little sister which she immediately receives.

"Stay sharp out there, soldier." Whispers Wraith.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." She says, giving one last squeeze before returning to her ride. She shoots Wraith a look and points to Тиган so quickly that no one else notices as it transitions into a wave. With that, she departs with Starve.

"Heaven has no right to rule us! Our souls are free! Our hearts are free! Remember this! Sing with me!"

The entire city joins the queen in song. They all salute as they sing the anthem of the Deep Continent.

Wicked. Wanting. Leech the crowd.

My mirror knows this speech.

It's calling for food.

Howling to feed.

Sickened. Coughing. Pieces found

Of victims. Oh, their screams

Get louder and louder,

Devouring me.

All I've seen,

All I've ever seen

Is the greed that abandons love.

Don't take it away.

I'll take it all with me.

"Uh … am I crazy or something?" Says Тиган to Rock through the noise of the joyous city.

"We believe in her, in her message. She stands for something no other ruler here stands for." Says Rock.

"Why'd you say that?"

"Ah, but it's more than just freedom. It's the promise to swim in blood eternal. This place is proof that we're not all deranged abominations. It's the calm in the shitstorm that is our reality."

"Well said, uncle." Says Wraith. "This city was built on the foundation of her beliefs and we defend it with our loyalty."

"Si. We all owe our lives here to Quinn." Says Rock just as he's tapped on the shoulder by Pop. She tilts her head in the classic let's go fashion and winks at Тиган before turning to leave with Sleaze. "It seems I'm needed elsewhere." He salutes Wraith and Тиган with a stupid grin then joins his sister and nephew.

"Mi hija bonita!" calls Pop while continuing to walk away. "If you're off duty you should show Тиган around! I'm sure there’s lots of things he hasn't seen, if you know what I mean!" she sings, swinging her hips and tail with each step.

"I do know what you mean! You're terrible!" Wraith calmly shouts back with the smallest of smirks.

"Love you too! Byeeee!"

Тиган laughs. No. I don't. "You're just gonna say what you said before, aren't you?"

"Correct." Says Wraith. "Given recent developments, I understand why they'd attempt to get us alone."

"…."

"Unfortunately, I am not off duty."

"Uh huh."

"However, there are some issues we need to discuss. You may come with me to the barracks if you like."

"Sure."

With no sense of urgency whatsoever, Wraith casually strolls to a few hitched travel beasts with her arms once again behind her back. The creatures nod their heads to indicate that they're ready to be boarded but Wraith simply passes them by before continuing on foot. Тиган follows her into the city.

They walk at a fair pace a short distance away from each other. The surrounding civilians hustle about normally until Wraith passes them by, at which point they stop whatever they're doing to stare at her with eerie longing smiles. It must be because she's so breathtaking. It's not often this jaw dropping creature graces the commoners with her visage. Despite being well acquainted with her, Тиган also can't help but be smitten as well. What? He hopes that wherever they're headed, they'll be alone so that he can confess his true feelings to her. I mean … sorta but- He yearns to embrace her and execute his savage desires. Nothing will stand in his way. He is a hunter and he will have his prey no matter the cost. Ok that's kinda fucked up and not true at all- They reach a small military lookout tower and go inside. The guard on duty sits at the bottom of a staircase and stares at Wraith in awe as she ascends to the second floor. Тиган approaches the guard and taps her shoulder.

"Are you alright? Can you hear me?" he asks but gets no response. His determination won't be shaken and he stalks his prey upstairs. No! I don't. "Hey! Can you hear me?" he asks as he taps the guard again to no avail. He realizes talking to her is pointless and stalks his prey upstairs. Stop saying that! "HEY! ANSWER ME!"

The guard turns to him and says "You stalk your prey upstairs."

Тиган jumps backwards into the door behind him and looks up to see Wraith in her undergarments doing some light stretches. They're in her well lit, sterile room filled with racks of various weapons leading to a grand balcony overlooking the city.

"Nope. Fuck this bullshit." He opens the door to find nothing on the other side.

"Leaving already?" Wraith whispers. Тиган spins around to respond but pauses to stare at the colonel who's standing with her arms behind her back. She's bent forward enough to show off her goods in her abnormally small undershirt and shorts. She's almost pouring out of her clothes. "Did I offend you somehow? It's not my intention to insult you." she says before touching her toes.

"What … are your intentions?" he asks as she performs a perfect front walkover, resting the back of her left foot on his right shoulder.

"I intend to train you as per your request." She slowly cups her own breasts and squeezes them together. Her lips part slightly and a thin line of saliva escapes to travel down and past her chin, eventually hitting its mark between her cleavage.

"Is that so?" Тиган runs his right hand across Wraith's raised left thigh to her waist, pulling her closer as he steps toward her. She bends her leg over his shoulder and places her hands behind his neck as he tilts her backwards until she's suspended just inches from the floor. "I think I'll train you instead."

Wraith has a subtle but playful glimmer in her eyes as she starts to grind into him. Her lips pucker slightly. Her face and chest become a tiny bit rosy. "What makes you think you can?" She closes her eyes and pulls herself up to kiss him but just before their lips touch-

"Simple. You're not Wraith." he whispers. He lifts her arms over his head, dropping her on the floor as he stands and heads back to the exit …

… but the door still leads to nothing.

"Тиган."

A new voice calls to him. Its echo coats his skin like freezing cold lotion. He doesn't answer and continues to walk toward the void. Just before he crosses the threshold, he sees them. Countless faceless women stand in the darkness. They don't move. They don't make a sound. He wouldn't have noticed them if it weren't for the bit of light shining from the room he's in.

"So that's what this is." He sighs as he looks upon his victims. "I get it. They're here because of me." Odd cracking and popping sounds come from behind him. He ignores it. "What I did to them … it wasn't personal. It was necessary." The sounds get closer. So if you're what I think you are, let me fucking go.

The door slams shut!

The room sharply spins around and Тиган is made to face his captor. The not Wraith stares into him. Her blue irises leak into the air in front of her, leaving glossy solid black eyeballs. A smile with pointy ivory teeth that wriggle like maggots frames her face up to her forehead. It almost disappears into her golden hair that now floats as if she's underwater, swaying like seaweed as it creeps outward and transitions from blonde into a blackish mossy green. Her head and torso remain steady as her neck and arms elongate, snapping violently in random directions. The flesh on her legs peel up from her feet to her waist, revealing muscle tissue and tendons that unravel, rearrange and weave themselves back together again to form one thick limb.

"You can go." She whispers through her smile.

Hair latches onto him, holding him in place!

"You can all go."

Her face launches forward and her mouth suctions onto his! Her slimy warm teeth hook past his lips prying them open. A rumbling lurching sound rises up from inside her until-

"HHHRRRRGG!"

Тиган gags as volumes of an unknown icy fluid rush down his throat. He can feel his stomach swell and shrink every time the slushy bile surges into him. His reflexes cause him to vomit but it's useless as he's forced to immediately swallow it again. Over and over. It doesn't stop. Helplessly unable to fight back, he passes out.

----

Tegan opens his eyes to the familiar sight of the MD. He’s once again strapped to a post surrounded by a moat of black liquid.

How? We were … Ren?

He frantically looks for her but there’s no one else around. He glances down and catches the reflection of his face in the dark pool under him. It squints at him and stares back as if it's waiting for something.

You. What did you do?

It doesn't answer.

"WHAT DID YOU DO!" he yells.

The reflection opens its mouth wide and Tegan involuntarily mimics it. He can feel something rising from inside him. It slithers up and out of his throat until he can clearly see a blood coated mucky arm reaching from his face. He hurls what feels like all of his organs until the whole body of what appears to be a woman crawls down to his feet.

What in the fuck?

The faceless gooey woman stands up and focuses on Tegan's reflection in the moat. It smiles at her eerily before it fades away. The woman then turns her attention to Tegan himself. She climbs back up the post, rests an ear to his stomach and waits. The rising feeling returns and the woman follows it as it creeps up his esophagus. As another arm emerges from his mouth, the woman grabs onto it and yanks out a second woman. Then a third and fourth.

"S'stop. Please stop." Tegan manages to beg.

The four women pause for a moment … then they all climb onto him and shove their arms down his throat simultaneously. They each pull out more faceless women.

"AARRRGH!" Tegan thrashes about with multiple arms in his mouth. He slams the back of his head into the post repeatedly but they continue to reach into him. Their arms disappearing only to reappear with even more sludge-like bodies.

CRAAHM!

CRAAHM!

CRAAHMSH!

CRAAHMSH!

Before he can turn his skull into paste, the pillar cracks into pieces and he falls to the ground on the other side of the moat with the four women still attached to him. Now free from his restraints, he wrestles the women off and shuffles away from them. They all face him but stay in place.

"This isn't right." he says as he stands. "None of us should be here … but we are." He looks at his victims. Their bodies contort sporadically but their heads remain still. "And it's my fault."

They stop moving.

"You've all danced without me for too long." The back of his head is a bloody mess. His insides still ache and churn but he ignores all that as he walks toward the crowd. "Let's change that." He says extending a hand.

The women hesitate but eventually one steps out and accepts his hand. When she does, Tegan's thoughts are flooded with a wave of memories. This woman was named Natalie. Her life plays out like a movie in fast forward before reaching the end. After a night of unnatural passionate intimacy, she gives in to exhaustion and dies. He was the last thing she saw.

"Natalie. Thank you."

Natalie looks at him. Even though she doesn’t have a face, something about her seems at ease. She moves in closer … and hugs him. The others begin to approach and gently place their hands on her. Their memories and names rush through Tegan's mind. Each of their movies are vastly different but all end with their lives being taken to prolong his stay in another world. They were thankless sacrifices until now.

It'd be nice if Tegan and these ladies could enjoy this tender attempt at closure. However, this doesn't last long as their moment is walked in on by nurse Valerie.

"What's all that noise about- woah. What the fuck?" she mumbles as she sees the broken pillar.

The women release each other and Tegan to hone in on Valerie who's now slowly backing away.

"It's ok Val." Tegan says cautiously. "They’re with me."

"Who's with you? Did someone let you out?" she asks as she waves a mantis buddy to her hand and whispers something to it before it flutters off.

"Please tell me you didn't just call the guards." says Tegan.

"Ok. I didn't just call the guards." she says.

"You did." he sighs.

"Yeah. I did." she confirms and Tegan's ladies start shaking again.

"Fuck. You should go. Now. I don't know if they'll try to hurt you."

"Huh? Whoever you're talking about, call them off."

"Don't think I can." he says as the shaking women inch toward her.

"You literally just said it's ok cause they're with you!"

"That was before you called the fucking guards!"

"I'm just doing my job! We had to clear out this whole floor to make sure you don't escape again so you're not leaving on MY watch."

Multiple arms begin to burst out of the back of Tegan's head!

"AAGH! WHUH- WHUT!" he yells.

"WHAAAT! WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING!" Valerie yells back.

"DO YOU NOT SEE THIS!" The arms grab out in all directions until Tegan loses his balance and falls to the floor.

"DO I SEE YOU ACTING LIKE A LUNATIC! YES! AND I'VE SEEN ENOUGH!"

The unseen ladies scream in unison! The wild, unhinged chorus causes Tegan and Valerie to cover their ears.

They both look at each other but her expression of horror doesn't match his of morbid affirmation as they realize they're hearing the same thing. Valerie bolts back the way she came and the screeching women give chase. Five guards enter through a large doorway as she pushes past them while shouting to retreat and seal off the exit. The door slams shut behind her … but the guards remain on the other side. She slowly backs away from the doors. The sound of the guards cries of agony echo through the empty hallway she's in … until all she can hear is her own light footsteps. The thing that functions as her heart sends a steady heavy pulse throughout her core. She pauses for a moment, listening for anything.

She hears the door lock from the inside. Then … he speaks.

"Val. Don't let me out." Tegan sounds exhausted.

"What's happening to you?" she asks.

"I'm a gate."