World Filter

Mark was resting on one of the beds thinking things over. He thought back to a couple of hours ago.

“You’d only have to keep watch for me. I know they can only make the sacrifice when the first rays of light touch my friends. I also saw them preparing some kind of pit out back. I think that's where they’re gonna do it” Andy said, his words coming out in a rush.

Mark didn't respond.

He was thinking things through. Normally he would want to help and Andy hadn't given him any reason to mistrust him, so he believed his story.

The problem came in the form of timing. Right now, dawn was around 6 AM and the first rays of light weren't far from that.

Meaning, he would be cutting it very close if he had to drop his ward for any reason to cast a spell.

If he could just wait it out, his mark would expire, but the decision came down to his safety or theirs.

“You are going to have to give me some time to think about it,” he said.

Andy bit his lip and nodded.

“I’m going to move at ten past five, it takes about 20 min to reach there if we travel on the rooftops”

Mark nodded to show he'd give him an answer soon.

It was now 5:00 AM. Mark had spent the time thinking things over and resting. As it turned out he couldn’t sleep, the ward required a small amount of concentration to maintain. If he relaxed, the ward would start leaking energy. Luckily he caught it in time and made sure to reinforce the weakened areas.

Over the last couple of hours, he’d felt a gradual pressure building up in his chest. It was nothing he couldn't ignore but it was definitely still noticeable.

Mark heard the sound of movement in the room. Looking over he saw Andy getting his weapons ready.

Sitting up Mark opened his Market place and navigated the tabs looking for something.

He’d decided to help.

For a number of reasons really.

The first was if these people were actual fanatics then they wouldn't stop here. He’d seen what happened when he turned a blind eye to something like this. It could quickly grow out of control.

The second was he want to help Andy, he seemed like a nice enough kid, a little loud, but he was a genuinely good guy.

When everything was so messed up right now Mark wanted to be able to do something to make it a little less fucked.

If these people were as deranged as Andy said they were, then there was no reason to hold back.

Finding the things he wanted Mark bought them for 87sp. Andy looked over as Mark took out a bulletproof vest and a bolt-action rifle from his inventory. He’d gotten a Winchester with a scope and grabbed a pack of 20, .308 rounds.

He went for a vest that still gave him a good range of motion and wasn't too heavy but didn't compromise the protection too much. The rifle was the same one he’d used back home.

Seeing Mark fitting the velcro to himself, Andy nodded in thanks.

When Mark was done loading everything and had slung the rifle to his back moving to follow Andy.

Boe snorted and got up from his bundle of blankets.

“Yeah, I know boy, it’s been a long night,” Mark said.

The morning air was a crisp change in comparison to the inside. Traveling from building to building gave them a direct shot straight to the church. As it turned out it was the very same one he’d seen on the map a couple of hours ago.

They move quickly and quietly, arriving ahead of schedule. Stopping on a roof that overlooked the cemetery.

There was a road and a short wrought iron fence in between them but otherwise, they had an unobstructed view. Down below they could see figures working in the dark. Mark could just make out a pit that matched Andy’s description with the exception of what looked like a pyre with and pole sticking out of the center of the pit.

Mark's expression was grim.

Moving down to ground level, they crossed the street and approached the fence. With no Corruted in sight, they went ahead and scaled the short fence.

Suddenly Andy jumped forward with a burst of speed, Mark whipped his head around in time to see him punch a man in the jaw, neither of them had seen the hidden sentry. The man didn't go down easily, but Andy was there beating his face repeatedly until he went unconscious. Not even able to get out a scream.

“I know this man he was one of the men that attacked us. He just laughed while tying us up” Andy panted with a murderous light in his eyes.

“I’m gonna kill him” Andy reached down towards his neck.

Mark put his hand on Andy’s shoulder and said

“You’re angry and you have every right to be, but just give me one second to try something and then you can do what you like”

The anger in his eyes was evident, but his body language relaxed a hair before he nodded.

Mark looked down at the man once more, he had to be sure of one thing.

Bending down Mark put both his hand on either side of the man's head. He looked to be in his mid-forties, his whole face was beginning to turn a deep reddish purple from the bruising.

Closing his eyes, Mark attempted to extend his ward into the man's body.

Moving one's will into the world without Mana caused it to fall apart as it left the confines of the body. That was what his ward was based on.

He wanted to see if that same rule held true in someone else's body.

As his will approached the boundary he came into contact with an opposing force, pushing back at Mark. With no time to spare Mark brought his will forward with full strength, crushing whatever resistance the man had. Extending his ward to cover the man’s mind, linking the two of them.

Mark heard little sounds of pain and he felt the man twitching in his grip. The link he’d created was a cheap imitation of the one he’d seen between Boe and Ethel. He sent Mana to reinforce the connection.

He could tell it worked by the fact that no Mana escaped. Emboldened by the success he then cast [Cleansing Surge].

He needed to know if this was a situation like the one with Grace. If these people were being controlled, their actions would make sense, if not, well then these people were lost to the world anyway.

Seeing as he couldn't just cast the spell out in the open without attracting the entire Corrupted population, this was the best he could do.

Prana moved forward surging into the mind and searching for mental influences to clear out.

It found none.

Mark's face became icy.

Static appeared in the connection and like the expansion of a world, the man's mind revealed itself to him.

His name is Ivan Denet he’d had a series of loves and losses in his life. Pain became a regular occurrence until he found the church. His life flashed before Mark but no memory stood out as much as the joy he’d felt these last few days. Becoming one of the hands of the head priest had not been easy. Father Thimbeth and the others had shown him the beauty of the morning cleansings. The filth they had removed from this world. The purpose Mark had felt in following their great cause.

The sound of a ping woke him.

Mark ripped himself away from the man drawing all of his Prana and will back with him.

The sight of burning bodies still flicked behind his eyes.

Mark rubbed at his chest.

Getting up, Mark took a step back from the twitching man.

“What the heck did you do to him man, that gave off real villain vibes” Andy hissed at Mark.

Mark looked at him and said.

“Getting some answers...You should know, he wasn't a good man and I know what they did to you wasn't right, but I hope you understand that once you kill a man he becomes a part of you. You’ll carry his ghost on your back for the rest of your life” Mark said while looking back up at the roof they’d just come from.

“So. What, I should just let him go?” Andy hissed anger coursing through his body.

Mark shrugged.

“Leave him out here, the zombies with get to him soon enough” Mark could see that answer didn't sit well with Andy at all.

“The decision is yours at the end of the day and I have a plan. Meet me back up there when you’re done here, but don't be long we’ve only got a few minutes left till first light” Mark said as he moved back the way they’d come.

Mark arrived back on the roof overlooking the pyre. He unslung his rifle from his shoulder a braced the gun on the ledge.

The sky was beginning to brighten ever so slightly.

Andy appeared next to him with puffy eyes.

“What’s your plan?” he asked.

Mark looked through his rifle sight. Below had become a hive of activity. About twenty people were running about with preparations.

Mark could feel Andy was waiting for an answer, instead, he asked him a question.

“You said that you were all great at parkour, right?”

Mark saw the church's doors open and three teenagers were dragged out kicking and screaming. Mark was glad they still had so much energy.

“Yeah all four picked Aura, we can really move when we get going” he answered shortly.

Mark identified the five ringleaders, all talking fervently to a man in long red robes.

Father Thimbeth.

“Good, In four minutes I’m going to create a distraction, any longer and they’ll be in real danger. Your job is to get in position and when you see my signal, you run faster than you've ever run and free everyone. I'll make sure you can get to them. Then you guys get the fuck out of Dodge, don’t come back this way, run straight to Prospect Park, cus I’m going to ring the dinner bell and you don’t want to be around here when that happens” Mark said, his voice remaining level the whole time.

“Wait what does that mean? I can't leave you to deal with this alone. Let me free my friends and we’ll turn and face them together” Andy said confused.

The ache in Mark’s chest was building, he let it.

Mark grinned and said.

“You gotta trust me here, I’ll make sure to give you the window. In exchange, I’ll promise you if guys head north we’ll meet up later and laugh about this”

Through the scope, Mark could see them being tied to the pyre.

“Trust me, man, I got Boe to keep me safe. You got your friends, now let's go get them” Mark smiled into the sight never moving it off his target.

“...Fine, but you had better get there just after us,” Andy said.

“Three minutes and counting Andy,” Mark said.

Mark heard his form retreating east.

Now over the years, Mark had hunted many things and with time he become a great shot with the rifle. He’d made longer shots than this easily. So with the with the wind from the storm last night completely gone these were perfect conditions.

Father Thimbeth was approaching the pyre with a burning torch, talking to his flock. Time was up, he hoped Andy was in position.

Mark took a deep breath and slowly released it, his finger wrapped around the trigger and gently squeezed.

The sound of the bolt action rifle going off echoed out across the rooftops. Father Thimbeth’s skull detonated scattering bone chips and grey matter onto the spectators. Screams of shock and horror went up into the air.

At about this time, he brought his will to the front and collected the building pressure from the mark. All at once he released the ward completely and used Mana to his advantage to carry his energy further, enhancing the mark’s effect greatly. A veritable tidal wave of energy exploded outward into the world, calling to the Corrupted.

Mark had been fighting this thing for hours. It was about time he started using it to his advantage and just go with the flow.

Lining up his next shot, he saw Andy crossing from another direction. Making a beeline straight through the fleeing people.

Mark pulled back the bolt and took aim again, dropping a woman in Andy's way. She had begun some kind of brilliant fire spell, which blinked out as she dropped to the ground dead.

With his second shot, he gave away his position.

The five ringleaders looked straight up at Mark with absolute hate in their eyes. They started making their way through the crowd pushing people out of the way. Slowly at first, but then running at full tilt. Soon arriving in the road.

Mark fired a third shot downing one of the ringleaders. Then a wall of brilliant white fire went up blocking his vision of the approaching group.

Mark turned his sight toward the unlit pyre. Where only empty ropes remained.

Nodding, Mark slung the rifle over his shoulder and looked over the edge.

He could hear the screams of rage and curses coming from the charging ringleaders.

Then he couldn't hear anything at all over the sound of raising moans, as a wall of sound rose up behind him like a physical wave and Corrupted pored from the streets in swaths of carpeting gray.