Defending through time-A TDS x HOURS Fanbook

SIDECHAPTER 2

Sledger

Sledger sighed as he continued walking. He was barely out of the swamp area, trudging through mud, water, basically everything of annoyance. He was determined to reach Outpost 32, no matter the time, no matter the cost. Not only did he know that something had happened, he could feel it. Just that something was wrong, and that he had to fix it. Unfortunately, the trip was going to be harder thn usual.

"Ugh.. And as if trekking through a four-foot snowfall nearly every time I did this wasn't hard enough. At least then I was in my element."

Sledger knew the route by heart. He had been there and back more times than he could count, but when the Eclipse began, almost all the terrain shifted in some form. He distinctly remembered seeing a mountain dissapear overnight, turning into some sort of pumpkin patch.

"If I recall, I should be just a day's trip away.. It might take longer. I've already been walking for almost seven hours."

Sledger found a space under a tree that was out of the swampy area, and took out a sandwich that he had packed. Despite his overall annoyance for the areas that the Eclipse had created, he couldn't argue with the fact that they made otherwise boring areas quite the sight to see. 
A forested area, turned into a swamp bursting with life.
A snowy mountain, flattened and turned into a pumpkin patch which was maybe the most colorful thing in the area.

As he was eating, a caterpillar that was oddly glowing with a bluish tint crawled onto his shoulder. Sledger let a small grin escape as it crawled down his arm. Turning his head away for barely three seconds, Sledger heard a squeal as the caterpillar crawled onto his sandwich.

"Hey! No, no, no. You're not allowed to eat my sandwich."

Sledger picked it up with one hand, and put it back onto his shoulder. The caterpillar made some sort of growling noise, and crawled up Sledger's neck, where it laid on his ear. 

"Well, I guess I have a pet now..", Sledger muttered to himself.

After finishing his sandwich, Sledger continued to walk. He felt a crippling uneasiness as he continued, however.

Sledger had been walking for about thirteen hours, and he was getting a bit tired. Nonetheless, he kept on going, listening to some music with one earbud.

"Man.. This place is cool."

He was walking in an area that looked like the outskirts of a battleground, where everything had a slight purplish tint. His caterpillar buddy hadn't made any noise in a while, Sledger assumed it was asleep.

After walking for a little longer, Sledger sat down for another break. Quietly singing to the song he was listening to, he took in the surroundings as he made a makeshift camp.

"Yes, it's a hard life lived, on that hard-light-br-"

Sledger was interrupted by the caterpillar on his ear making a squealing noise. But unlike the one that it made for Sledger's sandwich, this one had fear behind it. Sledger had just put two and two together when he was grabbed by the throat, lifted into the air, and encircled by about a dozen figures. Sledger looked around in panic as all of the figures drew their swords. The hand choking him was a slightly transparent purple, as if it wasn't really there. Sledger's vision got blurry.

"Hello, tower."

Sledger could barely see three glowing eyes in front of him as the person spoke.

"You're going to tell us everything."

The hand released him, but then held him against a tree as they started to interrogate him. The three-eyed one was doing most of the questions while the glowing knights sat motionless.

"Where is the tower's base?"

Sledger kept silent. The person sighed.

"What are you doing here?"

Sledger remained quiet. The person was getting annoyed.

"Where is the Executioner? We know you found him."

Sledger's continued silence was the straw that broke the camel's back.
The hand quickly picked him up and slammed him against the tree.

"TELL ME."

The person got closer to him. With his darkening vision, Sledger could see not only annoyance, but interest in its eyes. With each passing moment it became harder to breathe. Sledger began to claw at his neck, trying to get the hand off, but it was incorporeal. The person muttered under its breath.

"Useless. Oh well. She told me to do what is necessary when it comes to it."

The person began to walk away, leaving Sledger to be choked out.
Sledger managed to get one word out.

"F..ros.t..."

Sledger went limp and was dropped to the ground. The glowing knights picked him up and dragged him after the person.

***

"Penumbras."

Penumbras stood in the crown hall, his squad of Ghost Knights standing behind him.

"Did you get the tower?"

"Yes, we did. We have him here."

Penumbras tossed the motionless body of Sledger in front of him. The Umbra smiled. 

"Come with me, and bring the tower with you. I have a plan."

***

Two months and two weeks later

Toxic Gunner sat down as Slasher walked into the tent.

"Hey, Slasher?"

"What's up?"

Toxic Gunner sighed and looked out of the tent.

"Do you ever wonder where Sledger went? He just up and left during the night one day."

"I guess. It's been so long, though."

"Yeah. Weird that we're thinking about it now and not maybe, a week after he left."

Slasher jumped onto his bunk and laid down.

"I'll miss his stupid electricity jokes."

"Yup.. But I wish I knew what happened.."

word count: 889 words