Where Dust Glows

Welcome everyone. I apologize if these notes are longer than the usual author's pre-amble, but given that this is my first submission and those reading this have no idea what to expect or what my preferences are, I figured I'd prewarn you.

This is a dark work. A lot of stories I find have some feel good elements where everyone winds up more or less happy -- this is not the case with this work. Main characters may be killed off and all might not end well. There is going to be some very dark and violent moments, which may involve sex. This is not meant as a point of arousal -- this is meant as plot and character development. There are some truly evil characters in this work and I want to do them justice. Regarding sex -> it obviously is in this story, but the main point of this work is the story itself, so it will not be sex packed and there may be various lengths of time when no such happens. If you're looking for quick gratification, this is not it. It is the also the first time I've incorporated such into my work, so please provide feedback and please keep it constructive.

This is a dark world -- you may recognize various works such as movies and games and books that this has borrowed from. It is meant strictly as creative license and a homage to the creative genius of the authors of the works used for inspiration -- this plot is all me. If you love the universe and want to collaborate, please get in touch.

I will continue writing so long as people are enjoying this. I do have a very good idea of where this all is going so you need not worry but I am busy so updated may be sparse. That's about it. Hope you all enjoy.

Chapter 1 -- End of the Line

** Prologue **

The fire burned slowly as Ali watched the children assembled in front of him, their faces lit up with anticipation of the story they all knew was coming from the elder. It had begun as part of their schooling and was met with resistance until it came to them that the history of their people was nowhere near as boring as they imaged it would be. The short stories at the end of their lessons were a refreshment compared to the boring things they were asked to do most of the day. Ali didn't shield the children from the truth -- he wanted them to identify with their people, to be proud of their accomplishments and to be wary of the dangers that lurked in the dark of the tunnels. And so he told them the truth, hoping that even in their young age they would take the morals of his tales to heart and not repeat history's mistakes, perhaps to one day live a better and truly free life.

"Father Ali, we're waiting for our story!" Ali looked up and saw Istvan, the son of his closest friend beaming at him, eyes full of anticipation. The little one was a treasure -- curious and full of zest for life despite having never known anything more than the tunnels. Perhaps it was time to tell the children about them, so that perhaps one day they would be motivated to find their way to the surface and survive the trek to the life sustaining lands in the far beyond. "Patience little one -- you will need it because today's lesson will be long and full of darkness and dark deeds. Unless you're scared and want to hear about the Free Man again?" Ali loved teasing little Istvan -- he knew they had to be told eventually, lest they become complacent in their current life, living in the cold and darkness and never knowing the rest of the world that was. Or was it still? He didn't know -- it had been ages since he had been to the surface, and his many years had made him doubt he would be able to make any significant trek out of their compound. He doubted himself for a second -- perhaps ignorance was indeed bliss, and if they learned to live happily as were, their lives would be kinder to them. "The Free Man is boring! We've heard about him before, and we can walk just as well as he can!", little Istvan's impatience with the older man starting to show. Istvan didn't care too much for stories of the Free Man. What was such a big deal about being able to walk around where you wanted to? He could walk anywhere just as well and no one was telling stories about him.

"You will respect the Free Man little one -- as you grow into a man yourself you will come to understand the significance of walking where you wish!" Ali's quiet tone betraying his slight irritation at the child's lack of understanding, but quickly softening as he understood that the children were too young to truly grasp the significance of their legend of hope. Little Istvan looked at him with mock apology and quipped: "can we still have a new story Father Ali?" "Indeed you can, little one. Now sit and listen. Many, many years ago, man didn't live in the tunnels. The earth about was full of his greatest creations and they were many. They had created many beautiful things, and were powerful and all wise..." "Can we go see them?!" little Istvan budded in yet again. He was very much like his father -- always on the go to get to the next exciting thing in his young life. "Silence and attention! I demand both, or you will be cleaning the kitchens for a week!" Ali raised his voice slightly to bring the little ones in line. So eager. So impatient.

"As I said, this was many years ago. Man created a glorious civilization -- they reveled in their magnificence as they harnessed untold power. However, man's pride and ambition turned on them. Unable to agree how to govern themselves, they waged war in a blind quest for power and the world burned to ash under their feet. The few who survived fled underground where the air didn't choke them and the water didn't burn. By the time they saw the error of their ways, it was too late and many died. The few who lived had fled underground and stayed hidden from the poisons of the surface."

"Is that why we live in the tunnels Father Ali?" Ali turned to the doorway of the small room to see Kara, his sole daughter smiling from the doorway. He smiled at her, thanking her silently for moving the story in the direction he wanted it to go with a small nod. He loved her -- she was his most precious thing in the world, and seeing her grown into the beautiful woman before him was a blessing and a comfort -- he often doubted himself, and she reminded him that his guidance of his people may yet be a good thing.

"It indeed is. Our ancestors fled below ground to escape the devastation of the surface, learning that pride and ambition can not only lead you far but also astray. Remember that children: the greatest gift you can give yourself is learning when you've got enough. That is how we survived when others didn't -- dedication, honour, courage, and humility. But that's enough for one day. Run along and play!" He remained sitting as the little ones bolted from the room in search of a fun way to pass the rest of the day before the fires were dimmed and it was time to go sleep.

"Have you ever considered letting them make their own conclusions father?" Ali thought for a second and smiled wearily. "Kara, if all of us were as curious and free-willed as you, we would not have lasted this long. Consistency and caution of our ability to maintain ourselves within the boundaries of this compound instead of running off on foolish quests is what keeps us from being hunted to extinction by the Sabbat. Do you think I have these wrinkles and grey hair because I ran around foolishly like a blinded fool?" "Of course not daddy! But we can't stay here forever. One day we will be too many and we will need to find new living space or we'll starve ourselves as we hide." "We've had this discussion before Kara -- the current ways are best. The savagery of the Sabbat cannot be fought." Kara sighed loudly and lowered her head. "Yes father. I meant no disrespect to your wisdom." Ali rose and gave his daughter a hug as he walked out of the room, glad the ritual argument had not followed their discussion this time. He worried for his daughter -- worried that she would do something reckless and get hurt, something he couldn't bear thinking about. She was his precious jewel -- and he would keep her safe. Her thirst for freedom made him proud but worried him; the Free Man may have been a legend meant to inspire and motivate his people, but that beacon had to glow dimly lest it become a siren calling his people to their doom.

Kara watched her father leave the room and sighed. The old man would never change; his ways were best and despite the hypocrisy of his teachings of the importance of freedom, at least his ways kept their people safe. She glanced into the dirty and cracked mirror in the little room, studying herself. She was a gorgeous woman -- her trim and athletic frame being accentuated by just the right amount of curves to catch the eye of many a man. Her red hair was long and lightly wavy, falling down to two perfectly round breasts which perfectly fit her toned torso. The pale skin of her flat stomach peeked out slightly underneath the black tank top she wore -- the lack of sunlight made most of her people pale but her skin had a slight glow to it which made most of the men secretly dream of taking her to their bed and fantasize about making her scream in ecstasy while she wrapped her gorgeous long legs around them and shuddered in pleasure. They knew better than to touch her though -- Ali was notoriously protective of her and his sergeant-at-arms Malik wouldn't hesitate to punch them through the concrete walls which separated their little compound should they stare for even a second too long. She sighed, playing with her hair. She often wondered what it would be like to be with a man, two sweat covered bodies writhing against each other in absolute bliss. Maybe one day she would find out.

** Elsewhere **

Malik growled with irritation as he stared at the clock on the wall of his private quarters. She should have been here by now -- but then again, Kali was always late. If she didn't come soon, he would have to head out on patrol -- days of discomfort and danger were best faced relaxed instead of fighting the urge to rush things to get back to the compound and his tasty little peach. But he had to be there -- he was the leader of the Rangers -- the elite fighting force of the Freemen and if he didn't go out on patrol to hunt the tunnel animals and gather supplies, they would be in peril if the Sabbat decided to venture out of the depths of their lairs and attack.

The Sabbat -- disgusting, filthy tunnel rats. He wished they had the capacity to kill them all off, to be able to finally live and salvage in peace, but the bastards were sneaky. No one knew exactly where they lived -- no one knew much about them because meeting one and surviving to tell the tale was not a very common occurrence. Most of the time, the only encounter most people were privy to was hearing the loud spine chilling crack of their rifles and watching those around them fall to ground in a cloud of red mist. They've tried hunting them down if one attacked a salvaging squad before, but unless a large veteran group of Rangers engaged, the slimy bastards would either take them all down one by one or vanish as if they were some evil scepters. He knew they weren't though, being one of the few Rangers to manage to kill one in an encounter. He was shocked by what he saw -- pale ashen grey skin with very light willowy hair and toxic yellow eyes. They mutilated their bodies -- piercings, scars, and ink design covered their bodies after they were stripped of their rags and clothes. He did learn about them though -- the five he took down over the years have all carried the same equipment -- two long range bolt action rifles and a long / short sword pair. Engaging the Sabbat had thus evolved into a science. Don't stay far, and don't get close. Engaging them with the Ranger's automatic weapons at medium range was enough to force them to go scampering back into whatever dirty hole they called home, and if they were lucky enough, to kill them. But killing them involved seeing them and that was tricky. Sneaky fuckers.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting baby." Malik turned towards the sound of the sweet, sultry voice and saw Kali standing in his doorway. He was going to tell her off, but he just couldn't bring himself to. Ever since his wife had died, Kali had been his comfort and his release. She was a shorter girl, but had a mischievous pixie like grin adoring her cute face that instantly won most people over. She wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but her blue eyes sparkled with genuine love and compassion for those around her and made her the compound's sweetheart. Right now though, her blue eyes sparkled with something much more sensual as her full, soft puffy lips turned into a small pout while she played with her long shiny black hair. God, how Malik loved that contrast of her dark hair and light eyes. Something about the way she looked at him made him forget about the hardships of everyday life and want to spend the rest of his days on top of her...or under her, or beside her, really any position where he could savor her body without inhibition. And what a body it was -- her tiny frame held two large round breasts adorned with cute little raspberry colored nipples right above a gorgeous stomach with just the slightest feminine curve to it which one could only spot when looking at Kali sideways. And that ass -- somehow, it made any cheap homemade garment that was available to the Freemen in the compound look like it was made just to accentuate her curves.

"You're late," he retorted in mock disapproval. "Good things are worth waiting for, lover" she cooed in a sultry voice as she slowly walked over to him, taking her time and accentuating the swing of her hips as she walked. "Fuck waiting!" he growled as he pulled her down beside him on his bed and rolled over top of her, kissing her soft full lips hard. Kali moaned in pleasure as she felt a surge of excitement course through her: she loved being taken hard by her lover, the way his tongue invaded her mouth and pushed hers into submission causing her to shiver with excitement as her arousal grew.

Malik didn't have much time, otherwise he would have taken his time with her. He hated having to rush things with Kali. Seeing the way she arched her back and moaned while he feasted between her legs always turned him on; the taunt muscles of her legs becoming a bit more defined, her hands squeezing her gorgeous round breasts and playing with her cute little nipples while she ground herself against his face made him never want to stop. But no time for that today. He kept kissing her as one hand snuck up under her shirt and gently but firmly twisting and pulling an already rock hard nipple. No bra today he noticed, meaning she must have the day off. Bras were a rarity in the tunnels as the material to make comfortable ones was hard to come by, so women mostly went without on their days off. He definitely didn't mind as Kali was blessed with a chest that seemed to completely disregard gravity and stayed perky and upright while still being delightfully soft to the touch. He continued kissing her and playing with her nipple, listening to her muffled groans get louder as she started rubbing herself against one of his legs with ever increasing tempo. He knew her nipples were extremely sensitive and enjoyed teasing her as much as possible -- for as long as it could last.

She pushed him away from her, her eyes bright with desire as she took him in. His physique was rough and chiseled from years of training and patrols, his 6'2 frame towering over her as she lay on his bed. Like all the Rangers, he kept his black hair cut very short and his body was covered in a litany of scars and calluses, one of the many prices of being a soldier. But it was his eyes and personality that most attracted her to him. Most people who looked at him only saw the cold, hard man who had been fighting for too long and had seen too many terrible things, the color of life's wonder being bleached from his soul by the harshness of tunnel life. A man who walked the tunnels looking for death ever since his darling wife was slain by a Sabbat bullet. But she knew better; she knew of the devotion to his people, his love for the little ones, his obsessive need to stand between the darkness outside and their little compound and the way his inner convictions - which he kept mostly to himself so as not to ruin his "manly image" - burned so fiercely in his dark brown eyes.

"Are you going to spend the rest of our short time together playing with me like you've never touched a woman before?" she teased, prompting a quick and harsh response. "Fuck you." "I've been hoping you'd do that for the last 15 minutes but apparently you just want to cuddle." She knew she was egging him on, as she loved it when he stopped holding back and took her hard. She loved it when her soldier took her as his, with no regard for time and etiquette. Just a raw, hard, emotional conquest which always left her satisfied.

Malik growled in mock anger as he stripped of his shirt, the display of his muscled and scarred chest causing Kali's juices to start flowing between her legs in anticipation of what she knew was coming. Malik had lost all patience to her taunting and quickly stripped off her top as his mouth descended to her chest and he started nibbling and playfully biting her nipples, meanwhile his hand fumbling with her belt as he worked to free Kali of her clothes. Kali moaned and writhed underneath him, her hands taking a break from holding his hand at her breast to start reaching for his belt clasp, only to find it too far out of reach even as her own pants started sliding down her gorgeous toned legs. Malik took a break from teasing her nipples with his tongue and made his way downward, his tongue moving off her nipple and slowly travelling down to the valley between her breasts, eliciting more moans from the extremely aroused Kali.

Malik kept slowly running his tongue downwards, over the soft milky skin of her stomach, the taste of her sweat and skin mixing on his tongue and fueling his own arousal. He stopped as his tongue reached the light blonde curls covering her most private area and he inhaled, the smell of her arousal driving him wild as his self-control snapped and he dove his tongue right between her slick wet folds, aggressively running it up and down, basking in her taste. Kali's eyes snapped wide open at the sudden change of sensation as she let out a loud shriek of pleasure, grabbed his head and pushed it against her gleaming pussy. This is what she wanted...hard, rough, aggressive, and her soldier was certainly going to oblige her today.

Malik kept licking up and down her slit, her tang and honey taste driving him wild as his cock threatened to rip through his pants. Remembering his time constraints, he roughly pulled his pants off and crawled up Kali's squirming body, kissing her hard as his raging hard-on started rubbing against her entrance, driving her wild. "Would you stop messing around and finally put that dick in me?" Kali demanded, not wanting to wait any longer to get her fill of sexual bliss. Malik propped himself up on his arms, once again towering over her, a look of pure lust adorning his hard, edged face as he suddenly surged forward, driving himself into Kali's hot, wet hole.

Kali groaned loudly as she felt the walls of her pussy being driven apart by Malik's rock hard dick, the friction of his head rubbing against her inner walls and spearing into her causing her to see stars. Malik paused just for a second to savor the feeling of her warmth and wetness wrapping around him tightly, before he pulled back and began a fast and hard series of back and forth thrusts as Kali wrapped her legs around his waist and started pushing herself against him, lost in her own bliss. Malik looked down at her, still propped up by his arms and delighted in the view of her perfect breasts jiggling back and forth with their back and forth motion, her eyes shut tight and her perfect little mouth hanging open as she moaned obscenities in a way that would make a Ranger blush, lost in a world of pleasure. He lowered himself onto her, his mouth connecting with hers as their tongues danced together and the two lovers rocked back forth in an ever increasing tempo, sweat dripping off of their skin as the scents of their lovemaking filled the room.