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DOOMDAY 0

Intro

What help is hope in the face of certain doom? Some hoped they would not live to see the day; others hoped the Dogesh prophecies simply wouldn't come true. I haven't believed in prophecies for several cycles but hoped, in case the prophecies were true, we could free ourselves in time. Now, I'm caged, inside the Wall of Civility surrounding our Majorum, far above but no better off than the rest of my fellow doomed Anthrogyne.

I am the rabbit-type Anthrogyne, Chatter Docs: once respected Chronicler for noble executors of Anthrogyne Governance; en-subsequence, disgraced and ejected from the Chroniclers Guild; but those chronicles have been written and need not recounting here, for I am now the Dogesh Chronicler, chosen by Him to serve His whim and chronicle His centum, how ever long it may last. All that matters now is that we serve Him or die, so in that Dogesh spirit, I dust-off my digits and begin His chronicles on the day of His arrival.

Since being ostracized by the Chroniclers Guild, nearly a full cycle ago, I've been contributing in the southern farmlands, tending crops abandoned by their career farmer. It, like so many other Anthrogyne, gave up on normal life after the latest Dogesh prophecy, and locked Itself inside It's dwelling. As more and more able furs dropped out of the workforce each day, Anthrogyne Governance was forced to redistribute laboring contributors to keep Majorum running.

I never thought I'd go from chronicling in the luxury homes and offices of noble Anthrogyne to hard lonely labor in food crops; but after my fall from grace, I considered it a reprieve and soon became accustomed to my new routine.

This fateful day started like any other; while the suns still hung below The Wall, casting the morning shadow throughout Majorum, I departed from my abode in SurWest. The streets filled with more early risers as I made my way toward West HighRail Station.

As usual, upon boarding the South-West HighRail, I lowered my long ears to guard my face to keep from being recognized. Still, no Anthrogyne can resist the view of the first sun rising above the Governing Spire centered-en-Majorum. On this day however, the view was marred by a most unusual overcast.

*Major gets little rain during the cycle's summer-centum and even then the rain is light and at night and dissolves before sunrise. A cat sitting next to me on the train also noticed the low dark clouds and tried to start a conversation about what a late rain would bring. It supposed I would be 'extra enthused about the typically larger carrots borne after a late rain... seeing as you're a rabbit and all'. I resent the stereotype as much as I hate carrots, but I stayed quiet as It went on to speak of 'copious Purple Berries and particularly luscious lawns'. I listened to It purr over what It considered to be a good sign all the way to South HighRail Station, where we went our separate ways. *

I walked the to my assigned crops as the second sun joined the first in the sky above The Wall of Civility. After full dawn, the temperature rises to it's highest in the open air, so I was grateful for the extra shade done by thickening clouds. I toiled away and skipped lunch, figuring I could leave early with or without rain to excuse me.

Farming is a suns-up to suns-down job but, with the overcast leaving less light to work by with every passing minute, I left well before suns-down. Stricken by hunger after dismounting the HighRail, I stopped to eat at the only diner in SurWest with rooftop tables, to watch the sky churn as the suns fell back beneath The Wall.

It was unlike anything I'd ever seen and I found myself mesmerized by it, somewhat expecting... something else. I realized my minds direction and erected myself with such a suddenness, I bumped the table, scattered my dinner and startled the only other fur dining on the rooftop. The lemur started to protest but was silenced by a thunder in the sky so loud it shook the setting whole.

Looking out across Majorum toward the Governing Spire, time seemed to slow as I watched my world fall apart.

Dogesh Arrival

The downpour came en-swift; torrential to say the least. Through the haze, not far from this diner, I could see the Western Market Square. The Anthrogyne, thereabout, were getting wet, yet stood still, watching the sky as if knowing there was more to see. The rain soaked through my cloth and fur, yet I remained as well. The Spire disappeared in dusk and storm so I had to make a hood for my eyes with my paw to find it again.

A second later, as if on cue, lightning struck within the clouds causing my heart to skip. The rain halted as sudden as it started and the sky was left void of all but darkness and cloud. The Anthrogyne in the market were left saturated with awe.

Then, the sirens came from the spire-tip bringing with them realization. Spotlights from atop The Wall scanned the sky above Majorum. Half of the crowded market snapped back into action while the other half and I stood still. Those fur moved by the sirens made to flee the open air as we've been conditioned to do since fuzzalhood, and I knew without turning to look that my fellow roof-side fur had gone.

Then He appeared from within the clouds and the spotlights locked on giving those still watching a most terrible sight to behold: a creature made from the stuff of night-terror; more cat-like than doggish, more squid than Anthro, and as black as a starless night. He hovered just below the clouds near the Spire, observing His destined dominion. Every Anthrogyne, not already moving, was then on the run. Mortified hollers accompanied trampled yelps and lost young whimpers in the chaos. I was in shock, glued to the vivid show before me.

What happened next will haunt me until the end of my days. The clouded sky fell, drenching the Anthrogyne in a dense fog. Above the fog, remained only rooftops; upon one I froze, and above all else, the Dogesh decided His first action as ruler of the realm. Once decided, expansive bolts of lightning reigned down from the Dogesh's tentacles through the fog and noise, striking places below unseen to me.

Then two larger Dogesh bolts thundered through Majorum; one zipped across the sky above East Majorum, striking atop The Wall, which blew every Major spotlight, raining down sparks on the outskirts; the other struck the spire-tip, sending it and it's dying sirens flying on a collision course with the Temple of Saint Sirah in the north. The halting crash of sirens left only the haunting sounds of doomed Anthrogyne in the dark of Dogesh's Majorum.

The Dogesh dived into the fog before continuing His terrible act, and I was left alone above it all. My instinct to flee finally caught up with me and I complied without another thought; until the terror I faced upon reaching the diner door almost trapped me there with the other panicked patrons. I would have to enter the fog where the beast was devastating target after target in Central Metropolis not far from this market. I decided I had to run, to join my familiar, Aorn, who'd assured me It'd have an escape plan ready.

As I left the market and ran through the streets of SurWest/Residential, I could see most Anthrogyne had no escape plan and were resigned to collect their familiars and hide in their dwellings. One fur I saw stood yelling over the noise, reciting verbatim several prophecies related to the Dogesh.

A beast is coming that shall become the destroyer of Majorum. All who deny Him will perish, those who live will worship Him and be thankful for their suffering. He is a nefariously whimsical creature.

The time is upon Anthrogyne, when He will come to show them their shame and end the life they know. He will end their peace with suffering, and for those who serve Him for His centum, end their suffering with death. Blessed be the Dogesh. Doomed are the Anthrogyne.

A few of those doomed had stopped to cry and listen to the prophecies but I'd heard them all before and didn't care to hear them again, so I kept moving.

I reached Aorn's apartment in the tallest apartment building in SurWest, just as It was leaving with a pack upon It's back. Aorn moved to this building not long ago, I suspect, for the buildings height and proximity to the Iyang Segregator Wall. Without a word, It urged me to follow It to the rooftop so I did. Once again out in the open, I felt vulnerable. I looked back toward the metropolis and could hear the chaos, which had subsided slightly while the thunder and lightening from the Dogesh had disappeared. Then, the Dogesh began again, now closer to the Western Market, causing amplified chaos.

A Failed Escape

As Aorn removed It's pack and retrieved a pile of cable from it, I thought of Cori, our other fuzzalhood-familiar, as I expected we would all be together in this event.

"Dial Cori!" I told Aorn.

"No use," Aorn spoke without turning from It's objective, "there won't be service for anyfur now; Major communication systems were housed in the Governing Spire-tip."

I looked back at the Governing Spire and the missing spire-tip, realizing the Dogesh is as strategic as He is chaotic. Then He rose up above the rooftops, flying past the Western Market into SurWest/Residential, then back down below.

"Well, Cori better hurry," I said, "the Dogesh is getting nearer."

Aorn continued It's work, attaching a harness to Itself then one to me, without addressing the coming threat. "I'll leave It's harness behind in case It shows up later. We aren't waiting."

Aorn removed a gun-like contraption from It's pack, connected it to one end of the cable and fired into the roof, before connecting to the other end and firing over the Iyang Segregator Wall. Before I could grasp what we were about to do, the cable was taut and Cori connected our harnesses to it, along with another contraption that, when started, propelled us from the roof, outward and upward toward the top of the Segregator Wall.

Afraid to look down, I looked back. The Dogesh was unseen but I could hear the devastation He was causing. We reached the Segregator Wall and climbed upon it and removed our harnesses. I was terrified, higher than I'd ever been, on the Segregator Wall which is no more than three arms wide at the top. We then ran along it toward the Wall of Civility and despite my fear I couldn't help but venture a glance down into Iyang. All was calm there, most likely due to the Segregator keeping the fertile Anthrogyne therein from the chaos en-Majorum.

My focus was on Aorn again then we reached The Wall of Civility. It took from It's pack a grappling hook and rope, threw the hook over The Wall's edge, started to climb and I followed behind It. Atop The Wall of Civility, it was a relief to find no Iron Scales; but Aorn remained on guard, drawing from It's pack a modified Policifur's baton.

We ran to The Wall's outer edge and peered over. With an unobstructed view of Minor for the first time in my life, I observed the dark forest stretching as far as I could see. Bringing my attention back to The Wall but far below, I could see countless Iron Scales, carrying electric torches, escaping from the bottom of The Wall and disappearing into the wilderness.

"Look..." I mustered through my shortage of breath, directing Aorn's attention to the base of the Wall, "the Iron Scales are fleeing."

It replied, "Good. Maybe with the Iron Scales in Minor, we won't have to worry about the feral beasts."

"Or we'll just have Iron Scales and the feral beasts to contend with." I was beginning to dread the thought of a successful escape.

"Would you rather stay?" Aorn asked. It directed my attention to four Iron Scales now atop The Wall further north. They noticed us as we noticed them and they charged giving Aorn only a few seconds to prepare. It directed me to lay low before It charged back at the coming Iron Scales.

Maybe It wasn't aware of how dangerous the Iron Scales were, or maybe It was just confident in It's own wolfish ferocity. The latter seemed more-so as It barreled into the gang of iron plated lizard brutes, moving en-quick and with such agility, the poor brutes could do little against It. It struck them down with It's baton wrapped in wire which exerted amplified striking force.

After only a moment of battle, two Iron Scales were down beside Aorn, unmoving, and the other two were struggling to stand; one was too stricken to finish getting to it's feet but the last rose to face Aorn again, ready for battle. The action unfolding before me was enough to strike the Dogesh from my mind until the beast Himself rose above the inner edge of The Wall of Civility behind the Iron Scale.

Aorn reacted, rushing forward and thrusting It's powered baton into the Iron Scale's now-bent chest-plate. The scale flew backward but maintained it's precarious footing until it came close to falling over the edge. It was only stopped from falling by a bolt from the Dogesh, which reduced it to ash and sent bits of The Wall's edge flying in every direction.

The Dogesh flinched to avoid the debris and Aorn took the opportunity to throw a smoke bomb, hindering the Dogesh. En-haste, Aorn ran back to me and pulled me by the paw. Behind us, another group of Iron Scales had made it to the top of The Wall and were headed our way. Without realizing our own beast-like state, we ran four-long until we found a stairwell that led to a door inside The Wall of Civility. There beneath the surface, seemingly out of sight, we stood panting outside the entrance.

The Dogesh now issued more bolts at the approaching Iron Scales so Aorn had to holler to be heard. "We have to go through the lizard lair!"

Aghast, I replied, "Are you kidding? If there are still Iron Scales in there, that'd be suicide!"

"How else are we were gonna get off this Wall?!"

"I don't know; this was your plan... You don't have ropes to get us down?"

It took a rope from It's pack and threw it on the stairs en-frustration. "It won't reach from here! I'd intended for us to get down nearer the Sole Gate, where the top of The Wall is not so far from the ground, but with the Dogesh on our tails, we won't make it. Finding and following the Iron Scales' way out is our only hope."

Looking back, we should have never tried to escape; maybe Aorn would still be alive. As soon as we put paw inside lizard lair, we were met by Iron Scales. Aorn struck at one with It's powered-baton, and the rest converged, disarming It then carrying It to the nearest window and throwing It out into Minor. I tried to holler after It but was frozen en-shock, knowing I would be next.

However, instead of throwing me to my death, an Iron Scale picked me up over it's shoulder, and carried me away, deeper into The Wall. I struggled and banged my fisted paws against the scale's iron-plated back, which pained my paws and had no effect on the brute whatsoever. It carried me through corridor after corridor, down four flights of stairs, past more scales than I even knew existed. They scurried in every direction, seeming to prepare for evacuation.

When the Iron Scale that carried me finally stopped in a cell chamber, it threw me into a cell and locked me therein. It then left to join the hustle and soon the lizard lair went quiet. I realized the grim possibility that I'd been locked up and left for dead. With the only light here from a single candle dwindling and the only sound the distant muffled chaos in Majorum, I replayed the past hour in my head.

The Dogesh has arrived. Anthrogyne throughout Majorum have died and are dying. My own familiar, and fuzzalhood companion, Aorn, the last to know my whereabouts, was dropped from one of the highest places in the realm; and I was in a cell, lost deep within The Wall's abandoned lizard lair.

I sat for a time, tears flowing, helpless and hopeless and cold. Inside the lizard lair feels much like the Temple of St. Sirah during winter-centum. Through a window beyond the entrance to this chamber I could see the night sky and remembered the spire-tip flying toward that very beloved temple. The sound of it crashing into what could only be The Temple's bell tower, was a soul crushing sound, no doubt heard throughout Majorum.

The cries of my fellow Anthrogyne echoed up the Wall of Civility and through my head until I fell unconscious on the cold stone floor.

Becoming the Dogesh Chronicler

Sometime during the night, I awoke to the candlelit face of the Dogesh. The vision jolted me off the cell floor against the wall. My heart raced and I tried to scream but nothing came out. He was just sitting there outside of my cell, looking at me with His demonic yellow eyes, smiling with His sharp yellow teeth, holding the candle in His paw lighting His face more than the room.

"H-h-help!" I tried but made only the slightest sound.

The Dogesh sprung forward through the cell bars as though they weren't even there and wrapped my muzzle with a slimy black tentacle that reeked of death, forcing me to face Him.

"Help?" His voice was deeper than any Anthrogyne, common or fertile, I've ever heard. "You seem to be suffering, you pathetic thing. Would you like me to end your suffering now?"

I thought of the prophecy and tried to answer but my muzzle was so gripped by tentacle, I tried shaking my head instead.

"Of course not," he said wrapping another tentacle around my waist and pulling me nearer to Him. "You will serve me."

I nearly fainted from fear and the pressure of His tentacles squeezing my body and muzzle but as my eyes rolled back, He released me and I fell onto the floor. I prostrated myself en-offering to Him. "How shall I serve you?" 'Appease the beast', I thought.

An electronic tablet fell next to my head and I jumped aside then looked up at the Dogesh.

"Write in it," he commanded, "chronicle everything you've seen this day and everything you see from this moment forward. You will chronicle my centum."

He turned to the cell bars and with two tentacles pulled them apart just enough for me to get through, but not enough for Him. He got out of my cell the way He got in, and this time I saw what happened; His mass moved through the bars and glowed electric blue where the different matters met.

"Leave here and return to my Majorum. Do not hide away! My chronicles must be written, and if you fail to serve me in this regard... I needn't tell you what will happen then." He turned to me and grinned His evil grin, then blew out the candle still held in His paw plunging us into complete darkness. I could only hear Him exit the cell chamber, leaving me behind with only the stench of wet ash, the tablet, and my purpose.