Black Hole: The Book of Iratus, Episode 60

Chapter 581

Four days passed with relative peace, and the tower folk continued to show caution as the hostile group was still out there. Iratus finished reading one of the books in the library before heading down to see his four loves cook up another meal.

Iratus: "Once again, I must say thank you all for taking such good care of me."

Victoria: "Only because you can't cook for the life of us!" The raccoon girl flicked her tail in jest.

Aestus: "And we all love to cook anyway." The otter girl churped.

Resonantia and Ignis just smiled at the conversation. After a few minutes, the conversation continued again.

Ignis: "Surely, picking up hunting once again or scavenging select locations would fix what ailes us."

Iratus: "Until the blackest day event happens, I don't see any food stuff surviving at this point in time."

Resonantia: "Except for those canned foods."

Iratus: "Ah, right. Then I just need to find a fresh location."

Victoria: "Perhaps further north?"

Resonantia: "Oh, how about we travel to the southern beach?"

Iratus: "Honestly, I could use a break like walking on a beach."

There was a knock at the door, followed by Venatio walking in.

Venatio: "Pardon the intrusion; did I miss lunch yet?"

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Chapter 582

The girls got another small lunch for Venatio and invited some of the others around the tower.

Iratus: "Now that you have yourself a plate, how about you tell us where you have been? It is dangerous out there to go alone."

Venatio: "I've been working the people at Last Mistake to the bone. Now that I know the solar panels are the real deal, we can have actual electricity."

Ignis: "You have had this message once before. I had assumed it was crafting electricity yourself rather than solar panels from...where now?"

Venatio: "Around. Now, while I did say that I could re-invent elecricity, who the silver hells cares, I got these portible solar panels."

Iratus: "Last Mistkae, if you don't mind saying, what have you done?"

Venatio: "Oh, the usual. I got some batteries setup, I'm getting wires made soon, trying to figure out how radios work, and just making sure everything is going smoothly."

One of the younger people, Studium, spoke up. 

Studium: "I thought you had something else to generate electricity."

Venatio: "Making batteries just wasn't working out. Besides, I found solar panels, so that cuts out months worth of figuring out making electricity the hard way."

The fox woman finished up her food and, before she stood up, remembered something.

Venatio: "I can't believe I almost forgot. Iratus, everyone, gray masks are still around!"

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Chapter 583

Iratus: "You can't be serious."

Venatio: "I saw those things watching me on my way back. They are still here!"

The otter girl gave a sad moan.

Aestus: "Not more bad guys. I am so sick of them."

Resonantia: "We all are."

Aestus: "No, I mean, I don't want to fight them anymore. It is getting too much for me to bear."

Iratus: "Aestus, is this how you've felt the whole time?"

Aestus: "I've been fine with fighting for some time, but more and more I am finding just how dangerous it is, and I fought because I didn't want anyone to die. I just feel so tired and...kind of scared."

Iratus: "Then don't fight. Leave it to me and the others."

Aestus: "Maybe. With more bodies, it's more likely everyone will survive, right?"

Iratus: "Don't fight if it is negatively affecting you, for it will bring us all down." He reached over to give his otter lover a loving lick on her neck.

Studium: "How did the gray masks show back up? Didn't you guys kill the conduit and the main guy?"

Victoria: "This wouldn't be the first time. I'm sure many of us suspect the hostile group has succumbed to the gray mask deals."

Venatio: "Or at least one of them. Of course, all of this is still just theory; the only thing that matters is that we need to prepare for another fight."

Ignis: "Should our farm folk be informed of this development?"

Iratus: "And who would walk all the way over there with so many threats nearby?"

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Chapter 584

Iratus donned his backpack and checked over his gear once more. He looked over to see Studium finish coming over in his gear.

Iratus: "Hopefully, nothing bad happens on the way over, right?"

Studium: "And now you are scaring me."

Victoria: "Don't scare the boy, sheesh."

Iratus would say his goodbyes, swear to come back soon, and head out with the fox boy. The two were on high alert as they traveled past the tower walls and headed down the dirt road. At first, they saw no sign of hostiles and were slowly becoming more relieved. By the time the two were nearly at the farmhouse, they had seen the gray masks. The creatures were, of course, always far off and watched from the trees, but it was enough for Iratus and Studium to stay on guard as they walked up to the farmhouse.

The farmhouse had the exra house nearby, built by the Umbra Ocean family of Procella Ocean Drinker and Iter of Sanguinem Umbra, and the farm itself had a large number of cows in their backyard.

Before Iratus could knock on the door, it was flung open by Commercium, the rabbit man, with his wife, Abrasione, close behind him.

Commercium: "First of all, I've told you way too many times that we have more milk than we can drink! Second, hello, how is it going? Thirdly, buddy, we have a gray mask infestation!"

Iratus: "That's why I am here."

Commercium: "Seriously, we have never had these creatures here before. What is going on?"

Iratus: "Let me give you the short version."

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Chapter 585

After a few minutes, Iratus and Commercium stood outside in some sort of guard as the gray masks continued to watch from afar.

Commercium: "So they got another conduit; that is the worst."

Abrasione: "Okay, but why here?" She said it from inside the house. "They have never shown up here, at least in force."

Iratus: "Well, they gather where people are. I guess there are enough people here."

Commercium: "Man, how are we supposed to live now?"

Iratus: "Maybe we need to install a proper guard? Speaking of which, where are Procella and Iter?"

Commercium: "Out back and guarding the cows. Luckily, those animals, if not all animals, seem to understand to stay out of the way of the gray masks."

Studium: "Iratus, can we even win this? We had a large group to deal with the gray masks the last time."

The fox boy was also inside with the hyena mother. Iratus gave the thumbs up back at the boy.

Iratus: "We have fought worse."

Commercium: "You more than everyone else here." He pointed at the mouse boy.

As the conversation droned on, Iratus noticed the sunlight fading. He looked up to see that the blue sky was slowly fading and giving way to the pure black that came with the night.

Iratus: "Hold on. What is going on here?"

Commercium: "Something bad, as always." The rabbit man ran back into his home. "Honey, get back with the baby!"

Iratus: "Hold on, we have to fight together and not bring the battlefield inside." He gave a sigh. "Okay then. Fricken, do this myself. Studium, come!"

Studium: "Sir!" His voice seemed to be trailing off.

Iratus turned to look and saw everything fade in a metallic smog, a literal fog thick as blue paste devoured all things in Iratus's sight.

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Chapter 586

Everything was gone except a single small sunbeam that centered around Iratus at all times, the grass, and the few trees around. Whenever Iratus took a step, the sunbeam followed, and as for what was beyond the light, it was nothing but shadow and the outline of the grass and trees with the road close by. The only things that weren't here were the farmhouse, farmyard, and barn.

Iratus: "Hello?" He waited for a few seconds. "Studium?"

Iratus's senses were on high alert, with his ears taking in every sound, but he could only hear his own heartbeat at best, and his breath was much louder than he thought. First, Iratus walked backwards, stretched out his hand, and tried to find the farmhouse, hoping it was still there and the light was just lying.

When he was sure nothing was there, he turned his attention back to the darkness around him, and when he searched with his eyes, he saw a bit of light being reflected from his eyes. Iratus already had his blade out, and when an arrow suddenly appeared in the light, it flew right at the mouse boy, who easily caught it.

Iratus: "Don't let my appearance deceive you. I am a cat and therefore cannot be hit by ranged projectiles."

With his literal cat reflexes, his stature wasn't all bravado. Iratus took a few steps forward, but then a large tiger ran straight into the light on his left, the beast wearing a mask that was very similar to the gray mask's. Iratus held up his sword to parry the creature's pounce, and the tiger kept running back into the darkness, fading into nothing. Iratus deftly swung his sword and deflected the arrow that came in, but only just barely.

Iratus only had a few seconds to prepare before the tiger came dashing back in. The tiger slammed into Iratus as it ran by, knocking him to the ground, and the tiger turned back to jump on him, with the mouse boy springing back up just in time. Iratus brought his sword up and shoved the edge into the mouth of the tiger. The masked tiger was too strong, and Iratus was forced to jump to the side with the anaimal taking a lazy swing at his leg, and though it had little power behind it, it managed to taer off a section of his jeans, and bits of blood started to spill out.

Iratus back peddled and took sights of his left and right to see if any sneak attack from the archer came. His focus jolted back to the masked tiger, who leapt forward in front of him, and with that, Iratus swung his blade, only to be met with the jaw of the beast. The tiger's claws tried to find a proper perch so that it could stand and gnaw on the mouse boy, but his armor was tough enough, the metal bronze breastplate more so, to hold up. Iratus could hear an arrow coming in from behind, and his eyes dilated to a painful point. Adrenaline flooded Iratus's system, with him himself putting on an annoyed expression as he tried to hyper-focus on all the threats to him.

The tiger pulled back at the last second, pulling another chunck of gambeson with blots of blood on it, while Iratus dropped down to have the arrow from behind slam fruitlessly against his bronze armor.

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Chapter 587

The tiger was about to pounce back, but Iratus held out his sword like a spear and maneuvered around to use the open plain to his advantage. His teeth were bared in annoyance still as the adreniline burned his body, the threat to his life focusing an unwieldy focus. The tiger foolishly dove back in and was stabbed by the blade, but forced itself through to bite down on Iratus's right arm. Iratus ignored the pain and brought around his longsword from the underbelly of the tiger to draw it across the bottom neck of the beast, and with one hand, it wasn't deadly, but it was enough to draw blood and force the tiger back.

With that, Iratus turned around and ran as fast as he could, the tiger fading back into the darkness as the light followed the mouse boy. The area of light wasn't too small nor too large, but it was workable, as the archer soon revealed. When the light came in to cover her form, Iratus saw the completely naked form of an attractive tiger woman wearing a mask, one like the gray masks but smoother, slicker, and artful with lines that were made to look good. This tiger person also only had a bow of the purest beautiful wood, but it was a size that indicated a considerable draw weight, perhaps one that the archer shouldn't be able to draw given her athletic but still womanly frame. 

Despite the mask, the tiger archer had body language that clearly indicated surprise as Iratus came in close. The archer held up her bow in defense, and Iratus's full wieght came in with his blade bashing, cutting right into the bow. Iratus's face then turned and revealed his wrathful anger, and then instantly, he went down and opened his mouth, showing off how his mousy looks are not compared to his feline bloodline with his mouth full of teeth that belonged to a predatory feline creature. His jaw bit down, and blood gushed forth from the right arm of the archer. In his fury, Iratus tried to pull the arm towards him while trying to force the weapon to bind in his favor. The tiger came back and stood up to claw and bite down on Iratus, forcing him away from the archer and making Iratus yell in pain because his previous shoulder wounds were not completely healed. Iratus turned to the tiger, lost in his wrath, and made a draw cut across the tiger's neck and made it back away. Then the mouse boy turned back to the archer, who was nearly out of the light and had already fired an arrow that was just about to hit his eye, but even so, Iratus's reactions at this point were in overdrive, so he easily swatted the arrow from the air.

Iratus: "Never!"

Iratus's heart was beating loudly, and his body was already beginning to tire. He wiped his mouth and discovered the blood from the tiger archer wasn't there.

Iratus: "An illusion?"

The mouse boy's vision was already straining to focus, but now that he was starting to breathe normally, he was slowly regaining his ability to think clearly. The tiger animal was staggered and was slowly going down, and at that, Iratus ran back towards the archer, who lowered her bow and accepted her fate as Iratus came in with his sword and cleaved right through the woman, her form fading into a thick blue cloud that dispersed, and then reality came back to normal with Iratus shaking and throwing himself all over the place.

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Chapter 588

Iratus looked over himself to see his wounds, only to see that all the damage he took from the dream was gone—not even real. However, his shoulder wounds had opened back up and were bleeding quite a bit. Iratus looked around to see the gray masks were gone and the sky was back to normal, so he turned and went back inside the farmhouse, where he saw Studium stand back up.

Studium: "Oh, I fell."

Iratus: "Are you okay?"

Studium: "Oh, I just had a really bad fall, that's all."

Iratus: "I had a terrible nightmare too. I got slapped around by a tiger and something like a conduit."

Studium: "Really? My mother was wearing a mask as she poisoned me, like always."

Iratus: "Uh, like always?"

Studium: "I suspect I died because she poisoned me. She couldn't stand that my father was going to take me away from her. My mother was pure evil, and I was happy to get away from her, but then I ended up in the Nexus Prime."

Iratus: "Geez. I thought I had family troubles."

Studium: "You? No way. What happened for you?"

Iratus: "My father had that alpha male energy, except instead of what you see in nature, he took it to an extreme. Anytime I couldn't lift something or ran out of energy before him, his response was to yell and scream at me, and when he fell to alcoholism again, he started to hit me and my mother."

Studium: "Woh. That's messed up. Where I am from, that's a crime."

Iratus: "Lucky you. My culture shouldn't be able to support such a thing; in fact, this level of abuse is unheard of. I think I was just unlucky because my mother chose a peaceful life while I was too young to stand up to my father. In normal families, mothers are expected to be strong fighters to defend the home, while the household would be filled with tens of children and likely over one hundred other family members. We were alone and vulnerable. That's that."

Studium looked sad for a second and opened his mouth, but then his eyes went wide and he chose to say something else.

Studium: "Oh crap, the others!"

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Chapter 589

From deeper within the farmhouse, the duo found Commercium and Abrasione.

Iratus: "Everyone alright?"

Commercium: "Just fine." He didn't sound fine.

Iratus: "Did you also have a nightmare?"

Commercium: "Is that what that was? I didn't even know gray masks could do that."

Iratus: "I don't think anyone did."

Abrasione: "My love here had to climb up a shattered version of our house to get to an empty baby carriage. I had to relive a past event when war came to my country. What happened to you guys?"

Studium: "Mother drowns me in poison."

Iratus: "I fought a tiger and an archer. It was difficult."

Abrasione: "A whole tiger? We had those things too; are yours the same as are tigers because I know not all animals end up the same?"

Iratus: "I don't think most animals across planets are genetically the same; even calling them part of the same evolutionary group I don't think is correct. However, I am sure our tigers are basically the same as every other animal."

Commercium: "I think I'm going to stay here for a minute. I am not feeling my best right now."

Iratus: "Wow, your thing must have been a true nightmare."

Commercium: "These gray masks are just the worst. I bled everywhere and screamed my heart out, and for what? A disappointing illusion. I...am really tired, and I'm going to sit down."

Iratus: "Okay. The rest of us will-"

Then Iter and Procella walked into the house.

Procella: "Is everyone alive?"

The weasel girl was looking around for threats.

Iratus: "Ah, we were just about to go look for you two."

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Chapter 590

Iratus and Studium were getting ready to head back out. The fox boy was carrying a small cart filled with wooden milk jugs, impressively made ones at that.

Iter: "You want one of us to follow you back?"

Iratus: "We don't know if this place will be targeted again or if you'll be attacked on the way back."

Iter: "Well, traveling in a group has always worked."

Iratus: "Yeah, but it is already going to be late when we get to the tower."

Procella: "Then I should travel with you. I may not have your cat eyes, but my people still have some impressive night vision."

Studium: "Weasels are night hunters."

Procella: "Oh yeah!"

Iter: "Just don't be late for dinner, my love."

The weasel woman smiled and walked up to her goatfolk husband and gave him a lick across his neck.

Procella: "Just in case I am late."

Iratus did not object, so the group headed for the tower immediately. During the walk, Iratus started up a conversation.

Iratus: "You two also had a nightmare, right?"

Procella: "A shared one. Both of us found ourselves in our future selves while a fusion of our homes was burning down all around us. Our bodies looked old and shot pain into us with every movement, but our combat abilities never dulled. Our enemies were some... old gray masks; their masks were broken, but they had faces."

The fox boy gasped.

Studium: "Do we finally get to know their faces?"

Iratus: "Doubt it. We have seen a number of masks that fit many kinds of species."

Procella: "And it's the same in the nightmare. Hey, the gray masks and these nightmares—what is it? How do they do it?"

Iratus: "Kollektivi isn't real, just like any gray mask. That thing is just a nightmare that has infected all our minds. These nightmares are his true power, or at least I suspect."

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EPISDOE 60: END

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Episode 60 End Character Sheet
Name: Iratus Lionheart
Species: Mousefolk
Age: 16
Coverings: blonde fur, white gambeson (many repairs, some leather patchwork), leather gloves, tactical vest, tailorcraft backpack, leather plate helmet, delicate gold chain with a small pendant shaped like a lion's glare, flashlight, bronze breastplate
Weapons: long sword, 3 knifes, short sword, hammer, 1 dagger
Equipment: belt, belt bag, water skin, leathercraft backpack, 2 bags, 5 copper coins, 1 small silver bricks, 20 silver coins, 30 gold coins

Wounds: a leg cut (moderate stab wound, mostly healed), shoulders (deep stab wounds, left sholder slight burn), face (tiny cut)

Relevant Community Stash: a fire starter, whetstone, several leather items, 2 glass jar, 12 bottles, 1 fish net, primitive sewing kit, a bunch of small wooden figures, wooden dice, metal scrap, lots of rusted metal, several small fish nets, sextant, some bedrolls, a tent, a large barrel, writing material, 68 cloaks and other clothing materials, some fabrics, 4 carts, 4 stitched tents, skin drum, beautiful arts of tropical scenery, floatation devices, wildlife figures, lots of tropical clothing, ancient era hyenafolk clothes, gas generator, four flood lights

Armory: 40 short swords, 34 knifes, 19 daggers, 26 metal spears, 4 arming swords, 4 long swords, 2 extra gambeson, semi-automatic rifle (no ammo), 3 hunting traps, 6 snares, 12 backpacks, 3 katanas, 3 short katanas, crossbow, several pounds of C4
Aestus: gambeson, bronze breastplate, leather helmet, metal spear, 2 knives, short sword, bronze long sword.
Victoria: bronze breastplate, gambeson, leather helmet, metal spear, short sword, crossbow, 2 daggers, flashlight
Resonanita: steel breastplate, gambeson, metal helmet, metal spear, short sword, 1 knife, compound bow, flashlight
Ignis: bronze breastplate, gambeson, leather helmet, metal spear, crowbar, 1 knife

Treasure: 13 copper coins, 2 silver coins 12 iron coins, a tarnished silver brooch, a small ornamental figurine, a few antfolk tapestries, some antfolk art, bronze lantern, bronze idol, some jeweled trinkets, iron lantern

Home Base, Tower: Large Storage Area (many crates, clay pots, and wooden chests), Basic Workshop Area (lots of tools, woodcarving tools, glue, sandpaper), Kitchen Area (many tools, many cutlery items, pots&pans, makeshift grill), Library, Armory, Infirmary Room (surgery tools, first aid kit, plenty of medicine and equipment), Children's Quarters, Master Bedroom (proper bedding, sensual antfolk sculpture), Six Bedrooms (proper bedding)

Outside Base: Butchering Hut (modern butchery kit, smoking rack), Tannery Hut, Underground Storage Area, Garden Area (fenced in), Tool Shed (fishing gear and supplies, trowel, woodcutting axe, woodworking tools, lots of rope, rope ladder, plows, hoes, sickles, rakes, shovels, scythes, chisels, anvils), Wooden Wall, Small Cabin (Venatio), Large Cabin (Winter Winds), Large Cabin (Dark Sky Family), Gravestone

Books: 3x woodworking books, weathered leather-bound journal, war game booklet, sketch book (from warband), Bathhouse Reviewers (entire 80 book series), cards, Fractura's Notes, Tempestas's Notes, 12 survival guides, 3 technical manuals, 46 fiction novels, 11 encyclopedias, 4 dictionaries, 22 cookbooks, 2 gardening guides, 3 crafting books, 20 educational textbooks, 5 religious texts, 4 diaries

Year 2, Day 19

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TOWER FOLK:
Iratus of House Lionheart
mouse, male, blonde fur, blonde hair, gold eyes, 6'6, age: 16, b day 350
-
Victoria Mother of House Lionheart
raccoon, female, gray fur, black hair, brown eyes, 6'3, age: 16, b day: 5
-
Aestus of clan Riversinger
otter, female, red fur, red hair, blue eyes, 6'1, age: 15, b day: 99, (preg 24 days)
-
Ignis Yang
red panda, female, reddish-brown/white fur, black hair, golden eye, 6'4, age: 16, b day: 344
-
Resonantia Diamond Heart Steel
shark, female, blue-gray hue skin, white hair, blue eyes, 6'5, age: 16, b day: 2, (preg 53 days)
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CHILDREN:
Negligere Lionheart
shark, male, steel gray skin, white hair, gold eyes, age: 1, b day: 2
-
Ruina Lionheart
otter, female, orange fur, vibrant orange hair, blue eyes, age: 1, b day: 330
-
Gula Lionheart
red panda, male, brown fur, dark brown hair, gold eyes, age: 1, b day: 340
-
Tenacitas Lionheart
raccoon, female, silver fur, dark blonde hair, amber eyes, age: 1, b day: 345

Frustra Lionheart
raccoon, male, gray fur, blonde hair, gold eyes, age: 0, b day: 338
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NEIGHBORS:
Venatio of Wise Storms, Mother of House Black Jewel
fox, female, red fur, red hair, brown eyes, 6'6, age: 72, b day: 299
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WINTER WINDS CLAN:
Studium of Winter Winds
fox, male, gray fur, black hair, blue eyes, 5'8, age 13, b day: 190

Fuligo Leaf Shadow
otter, female, black fur, blonde hair, blue eyes, 5'6, age 13, b day: 245

Bellum of House War Knuckles
cheetah, female, blonde fur, blonde hair, blue eyes, 5'11, age 14, b day: 91
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DARK SKY FAMILY:
Salvos Dark Sky
wolf, male, black fur, white hair, copper eyes, 6'8, age 26, b day: 66

Leitmotif Schlange
snake, female, yellow and red scales, naga bodied, gold  eyes, age 24, b day: 229, (preg 64 days)

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(farm)
UMBRA OCEAN FAMILY:
Procella Ocean Drinker
weasel , female, blonde fur, black hair, green eyes, 6'5, age 22, b day: 207

Iter of Sanguinem Umbra
goat, male, white fur, blonde hair, brown eyes, 6'7, age 20, b day: 334
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(farm)
THE COBALTS:
Commercium Jade Blue Cobalt
rabbit, male, white fur, black hair, gray eyes, 6'8, age: 25, b day: 221

-
Abrasione
hyena, female, tan fur, blonde hair, gold eyes, 6'5, age: 20, b day: 4, (preg 107 days)

-
Kuxatura
hyena, male, tan fur, black hair, gold eyes, age: 1, b day: 284

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LAST MISTAKE
Deficio
lion, male, gray fur, rich gray hair, green eyes, 6'6, age: 46, b day 111

Confodere Oculi Acuti
hyena, male, dark brown fur, black hair, gold eyes, 6'9, age 26, b day: 239

Malignitas of House Brokensand
feline, male, light black fur, light black hair, brown eyes (single eye), 6'7, age 29, b day 343