Clouds

Feeding the dogs whatever rations he had. Laying there, tired, unable to move. Reflecting and thinking.

They had lost so much, and for what? All his promises were empty lies. Not a single one of them made it, not a single one survived. He had lost them all. He had lost...

He couldn't eat, he couldn't think of the food in his hands. He barely drank anything; he was dehydrated and lucid. His mind was foggy, and his hands shook. He just kept thinking of how he failed, how no one made it. He didn't even have the determination to get himself out of there, wherever there was. He was so tired and didn't want to move.

He would just lay there, wouldn't get up and let whatever was out there, eat or kill him. He had given up. All those people... they were dead. Everyone was dead. He wasn't too sure if he was alive anymore either.

The wind howled outside, and the snow began to fall. So much snow, all the time. All there was snow. That's all there ever was. He hated it. He hated the snow. How it had taken so much. How it had stolen everything from him. Even when he wanted to start over, it would take and take. Until there was nothing left. He couldn't feel the cold or knew where the hail came from. All he knew was that he alone, and tired. The world outside, already so far and distant. He had trouble remembering the people he once knew and their faces.

Then the whispering returned. The whispering outside the tent was soft and quiet, but distinct. They called him. The voices were there, beckoning him to the outside. He opened his eyes and sat up. He unfastened the tent and stepped outside. There was not a trace of anything out there, he was just tired and lost. So tired.

He did not see hundreds of those shadow things, he only saw the one. He looked at it standing before him, small and alone. His mind didn't catch up yet, but he could feel the hot tears fall down his face. That one little shadow being took a form. It was the form of a small boy. A boy that he no longer had. The child's face was Colby's.

Ryan didn't react right away, he just stood there, staring at the familiar face. The sight of him made Ryan realize that he was close. But he wasn't afraid. He sat down, not moving, not running. He just sat in front of the creature that took the form of his son. He didn't bother to escape, he just gazed at the creature and two words left his mouth, "Thank you."

The creature didn't not react, just stared at him. He waited for it to take him, to grab him and bring him to who knows where. He just sat there and the creature who looked like Colby stood before him, neither of them moved. Ryan just waited for it to act or talk, but it did nothing. They just were there, not challenging the other. Not instigating the other, Ryan accepted that it was there.

Suddenly, the creature stepped forward. Ryan's heart could have jumped and steeled itself if it wasn't so broken. He sighed, not moving, waiting for it to do him harm. He closed his eyes, letting it do its worst.

He stayed for a while and then felt pressure on his side. It didn't do much, so Ryan took a peek and saw that Colby was leaning on his arm. He didn't do anything else, didn't even look up at Ryan. Just sat there, peering out into the snowy landscape. They were there for a long time and then the child spoke, "I'm sorry."

Ryan felt his heart jump, something he didn't think it would do. He leaned into Colby, "It wasn't your fault."

A silence fell and the child said, "Not yours either."

-

Ryan woke up to the inside of his tent, sweat falling on his face. He groaned and picked himself up. When he sat up, he felt something stir inside of him. His eyes lowered than grew with a tinge of life in them. He got up.

-

Ryan rose up, stumbled forward, every step felt like he was being engulfed in tar. His body demanded him to slow down, to stop and rest more. He got up, everything felt awful, his head was hot, his eyes were heavy. But he got up.

He moved to the dogs, they were the last ones left. Ryan pet some of them; they had lost so many. The dogs whimpered and panted. He sighed.

He dragged his feet and collected his things. He took it all and put it on the sled.

He rode off.

The wind was whipping all around him, crackling, making him move forward. He moved and moved, guiding the dogs to where they had come from. The tunnel wasn't far, he could make that at least. He heard noises in the air and saw gigantic birds with human faces soar over. They had not noticed his sled and were sailing over the mountains. Ryan ignored them, still heading forward. He saw to his left, far in the distance, were dogs. But they weren't dogs. He knew they were the ones from before, the ones that dragged Roberto off the cliff. He rode a little faster. To his right he saw a colossal creature on four legs, it slowly moved about. Its feet were like human hands and its neck and face were long and angular. It seemed to be sifting in the snow for something, but Ryan didn't intend to be on the menu.

"Mush!" he moved the dogs straight ahead, guiding them to the dome. He didn't want to go back there, but he'd have to. He heard a snarl behind him, but didn't look. He decided he would just make the dogs go faster. Whatever was there, he wouldn't let the fear of seeing it distract him. He listened to the sound of pattering and growls. Something big was panting loudly behind them, trying to catch up. Ryan steeled himself and focused forward, not daring to look how close it was.

They emerged over a hill and saw the mound. Ryan didn't stop, he pushed the dogs straight to it, to an entrance that darkened the mound. A whistle of the creature pounded into his ears and he gritted his teeth as he yelled forward.

The entrance was there, they slipped through. The creature howled in protest as it stopped at the cave, unable to catch its prey. Ryan smirked at that, but quickly pulled it down when he remembered what was down at the end of this tunnel.

As he was riding through, he noticed his light was dying. He didn't mind too much because it was just a straight path, they would soon reach that disgusting room and there should be some natural light.

After a minute or so, the light died. The sound of the dog's footsteps dashed across the ice and their panting filled the silence. Ryan hung on, just waiting for them to reach the room. He saw ahead was a bluish light and he narrowed his eyes as his dogs entered the space.

His skin flinched when he realized that the place he was in was not the room. He whipped around, glancing everywhere, not seeing the same chamber. It wasn't warm, there weren't any bulbous flesh balls, and human corpses. It was more like an ice room, completely void of any of that.

He confusingly glanced around until he saw something near the wall. There was a figure, who almost looked like a statue, standing before him. It was long and stood almost eight feet tall. It had a dark yellow cloak and a deer skull on its head. The skull had long protruding antlers that crawl upwards. It stood there, it's skull face watching him. It showed no features of a face under that skull. It whispered to him, "You have lived a rather long time."

Ryan had no words for this being. He felt cold air fill his lungs as he stared up at it.

"You have also faced many challenges and tribulation," he stepped forward, a slit of its cloak revealing claw-like feet. Ryan went for the rifle, grabbing it and pointed it at the beast.

"I just want to get out of here," Ryan growled.

"Of course," the figure said, "But this is only the beginning, remember that."

"... The beginning?" Ryan questioned.

"You know we are here," the figure stated. "We have always been here." It stepped forward to Ryan saying, "You and I, we are going to remember each other for the rest of our lives. This world..." The figure stopped, trailing off as he gazed to the tunnel Ryan came from, "It is already mine. Your world will soon know of our kind."

"We can handle it," Ryan responded.

"Can you?" the figure asked. "So many that came here have either changed or are dead. Are you certain that the few who do survive, will be able to live knowing we are here?"

"Of course."

"And why is that?"

"I'm still here," Ryan answered, cocking his gun's barrel up at the deer skull. "I am not dying."

The figure stared at him then made a sound like a chuckle, "No, I suppose you're not."

Ryan heard a crackling and saw ice form on the gun. He fired it, blasting into the creature's chest, but the creature did not fall. It instead grabbed Ryan's arm and burned something into it. Ryan gasped from the pain and reared back to see a hole in his sleeve and a marking on his skin. It was the same marking from before, of the Branded.

The figure stumbled back from the blast and it had a soft laugh about it, "Then flee, flee Ryan."

Ryan quickly mushed the dogs forward, not looking back at the stranger. He fled down the tunnel. As he ventured away, lights in the ice walls of the tunnel began to grow. They appeared, wistfully floating inside, then became more and more vibrant. With the light came more whispers, but they were harsh and ear splitting. Their words were completely incomprensible, swirling together with the blinding shine. The noise made his ears deafen and he had to seal his eyes shut to protect them from that powerful glow.

It was so loud, so bright.

Then he suddenly heard his dogs barking and felt something tackle his side. He fell hard off his sled as something was beginning to fight him. They struggled and scratched at one and another, the light made it too difficult to see and the sound made it impossible to hear who they were. Ryan hit and kicked at his assailant, then felt another grab at his head. They wrapped their hands on his jaw, as if trying to rip his head off. Then there was more and more, grabbing, clawing, hitting. He felt something slimy brush against his mouth. Ryan bit down a scream from the struggle and pain.

A noise exploded, shattering the previous suffocating sound. The light suddenly died down as another noise blasted through. Ryan opened his eyes to see a familiar mask.

It was Jack on top of him, with his tentacle-like extremity trying to reach down Ryan's throat. Ryan kicked his side and used his elbow to crack down on his face. More Jacks pulled at him and he thrashed about until he heard another loud bang.

It sounded like a gunshot. Ryan twisted around, but the Jacks held him down. They spoke to him, "You made it, you survived. You have lived and will live here. Live to give us more of me."

"Fuck off!" Ryan shouted.

The Jacks talked to him in a soothing voice, "Oh but Ryan, you were so concerned about one of us before. You should care about me now. All of us."

One held his hand on Ryan's stomach. "Here will home all of the new us. Here you will create life in this cold, desolate place."

"Let me go!" Ryan screamed.

"You have lived to take us," he grabbed Ryan's mouth and squeezed it open. "Take us!"

A bang echoed through the cave. Ryan looked to see the Jack on top of him had his head explode into. Ryan felt the splatter and blood fall onto his face. Another Jack that was on his leg was shot into, then another. Ryan saw a figure quickly bash into the one Jack that held him from behind. The butt of the gun caved into his face, having him fall to the ground dead.

Ryan gasped and wheezed from the moment and whipped around to see who saved him. The person's back was turned to him, they were screaming as they fired on more and more Jacks. It was like the room was crawling with, like some sort of hive. His savior pushed him forward to where his sled sat, and they climbed on as the person fired into multiple Jacks.

Ryan mushed the sled forward, hearing all the Jacks' eerie cries and protests for him to stay, but his savior wouldn't let them near. His gun's bang resonated in the icy chamber and the bullets tore through every Jack that came near.

The dogs ran them out, through the tunnel and quickly away from the horrors. The darkness soon faded away and Ryan could finally see sunlight, a sun that he knew and was familiar with. He sighed in relief but to his surprise felt two arms wrap around him. A familiar voice whispered, "I found you."

Ryan whipped around to see a beaming face, one covered in exhaustion and blood. Ryan's heart jumped as he speedily stopped the sled, grabbing Virgil and swinging him around. They spun around, tripping in the snow as they fell onto each other, laughing. They smiled and deeply stared at each other, finally unable to hold themselves back and kiss.

Ryan cheered, his lips on Virgils, "You're alive! Thank god, you're alive!"

-

That night they sled as far away as they could from those mounds, heading north. They set up camp in their last remaining tent, huddling together to stay warm. Ryan whispered, "Where were you? Where did you go?"

Virgil sat on his lap, consuming a couple canned rations because he hadn't eaten in a couple days, "The dogs and I fell into an underwater river. I couldn't get the dogs out; they were attached to the sled and all drowned... I lost most of that supplies too."

Ryan sighed into him, breathing into his neck, "You're here, I'm glad at least you made it."

"Hm," Virgil leaned into him. "I was able to grab the gun, and found some ammo, but it took awhile for me to dry it. The water wasn't cold, so I didn't have to fear hypothermia. When I got out, I found a lot of tunnels to go through. They were all strange, but I made it... I really made it..."

Ryan hugged him tighter, "Don't be some weird hallucination."

"I'm not!" Virgil laughed as Ryan kissed into his neck.

Ryan's embrace loosened as he said, "I really thought you died."

"I'm okay," Virgil nudged him with his head, laying on him. "I am."

"Virgil..." Ryan's voice cracked, tears relentlessly beginning to escape his eyes.

Virgil held his face and kissed those tears, "It's okay, I'm here."

"But..." Ryan slightly pulled away, searching for sadness in Virgil's face, "But Kathlyne."

Virgil froze, then pulled his hands in as he let his face sink into Ryan's chest, "She didn't hear me..." his voice trembled. "She didn't even look at me."

Ryan gazed at him, lifted his head up and kissed those lips. Virgil sighed into him and Ryan noted, "At least she's alive."

"Mm..."

"At least we're alive."

"...Yes," Virgil sobbed into that, a whine pouring out of his mouth. "We're okay."

"We survived."

"Uh-huh," Virgil cried. "We're here."

Ryan nodded then brushed Virgil's tears away, "Virgil."

"Yes, Ryan," Virgil gazed at him, a desire blooming from within.

"Look at me," Ryan said.

Virgil stared then his expression broke as he replied, "As long as you look at me."

"I will."

"You better," Virgil muttered.

"Virgil..." Ryan slowly sank in and kissed him. This time longer and deeper, reaching to him. Their tongues slid into each other, causing saliva to fall down the sides of their mouths. Virgil hooked his arms around Ryan's shoulders, letting his legs spread underneath him. Ryan traced a hand on top of his shirt, sliding it all over to feel the shape of Virgil's body. Virgil panted, but kept a steady pace with the constant assault of kisses from above. He took a moment to catch the bottom of Ryan's lips with his teeth, playfully gnawing into them.

Ryan slithered his hands onto Virgil's hips, pulling him up more and closer to his pelvis. He grinded into him as he took his whole body into his arms, having his large fingers trail all over Virgil's skin. Virgil gritted his teeth, but then let go and twisted Ryan's head to nibble into his ear. He started tearing Ryan's shirt off, and Ryan quickly obliged as Virgil removed the obstacle. There was a moment where Virgil froze, seeing Ryan's shirtless chest for the first time. He let his hands touch him, travel on all the scratches and scars, on all the bruises and long chest hair. He kneaded the thickness of his chest, and the firmness of his stomach. He reached up and kissed the indented skin and licked his collarbone. He felt the warmth seeping from Ryan's body and desired it.

Ryan let him hang onto his shoulders and watched him bite and chew on his neck and collar. Creating deep marks to complement the already existing scars. Virgil's hands moved down to Ryan's biceps, tightening on them, feeling the strength they imbedded. Ryan grunted at Virgil's service, happy on how eager he was, but the man was becoming impatient from having to hold back.

He scooped up Virgil and placed him in his lap. Their lips were rejoined, and their kisses continued. They were fast with sparks melting the world away. Virgil sunk onto his hips, grinding on top of him, using the friction of their clothes to get Ryan to want him. His breath was showing, but he didn't feel any of the cold. All he could feel was this. Virgil gasped into the air, his voice nicely carrying off. Ryan watched him, his drive halting for a bit as he said, "Play with yourself."

Virgil hazily blinked at him and nodded as he pulled up his shirt and held it in his mouth. He took his hands and started to fiddle with his nipples. His sensitivity was building from being watched, moaning as he touched his body. His saliva built as it drooled, desperation making him tremble and lust having him pant. Ryan took his hips and licked his chest, sucking and lightly biting on Virgil's nipples.

Virgil yelped but then eased into Ryan sucking fiercely on his body. Ryan eventually tore the redhead's shirt off and started worshipping Virgil's body to every inch. He gasped at Ryan's tongue dominating anywhere he wanted, and flinched as those hands groped at his ass. Virgil bucked up at the touches, weak to every fondle, every grasp.

Ryan heard Virgil unbuckling his pants, dragging them down a bit to reveal his hard cock. Ryan took it in turn to pull out his and press it on top of Virgil's. Virgil begged for it as they started to rub together, creating a craving that they both wanted to bite into. Pushing and sliding, pressing onto Virgil as their slick cocks dress each of them with precum. Virgil gasped, begging, "Ryan, I want it inside!"

"I could hurt you," Ryan gritted his teeth.

"I don't care," Virgil's face was almost as red as his hair, hair that was messy and tossed around. "I don't care even if it kills me. I want you. I want you now." Ryan felt a sort of hesitation, but Virgil reached to him, whispering, "It's alright, I'm tough, I can handle you big cock."

Ryan snapped at that, tearing Virgil's pants off and throwing them to the side. He was going to devour Virgil. He lifted Virgil's legs and spat into his hole. Virgil shivered as he wet his fingers and used his tongue to get inside. He fingered Virgil's ass, not as delicately as he should, but Virgil seemed to have wanted it rough. He bit on the insides of Virgil's thighs as he played with his asshole, licking his dripping dick. Virgil whimpered, "Y-Your cock!"

Ryan mumbled into his marked skin, "What about it?"

Virgil made a lewd gesture, "Let me play with it."

Ryan went underneath Virgil as he continued to loosen the hole and Virgil was above, facing his large dick, kissing and widening his mouth to engulf it. He moaned into the head, sucking it up and down to completely take in the hard cock.

He tasted the salt precum and drank any that wanted to travel down his throat. His cheeks were flushed red as sweat dampened his skin. The noises he made were sweet and loud, encouraging Ryan to rim him.

They eagerly devoured each other for some time, playing and preparing, but Virgil let the cock go and gasped, "Now, do it now..."

Ryan pulled himself up and kneeled behind Virgil who was whining for it. He saw him biting into the blankets, his hole dripping and desperate. Ryan laid his cock on it, rubbing it against his entrance. Virgil begged, "Please, Ryan... Please..."

Ryan huffed then lined it up to the hole, he slipped the tip in with Virgil reacting below him. He twitched and whimpered, his hair tossed onto the ground. Ryan only put a little in, but he sensed the fear, the trembling. He leaned forward and kissed Virgil's back, whispering, "I got you... I got you..."

Virgil sighed, his tense muscles beginning to relax, letting Ryan slide more inside. Virgil inhaled, his body accepting him. He pushed a little back and Ryan pushed more forward. He pulled his cock out and then slammed it back in, having Virgil cry out. Ryan continued to kiss him as he let his hips get into a rhythm, carefully thrusting into Virgil's body.

They found that besides the fiery heat from before, that when they actually got down to the act, that they were rather gentle. Going slow, feeling each other. Ryan could feel Virgil's warm walls wrap around him, squeezing him as he tightened. Virgil felt the thick cock edge into him, opening him up. They continued, their pants becoming louder, their sighs becoming more constant.

Ryan hit something that made Virgil jump a bit, having him cry out in pleasure. Ryan continued to hit that spot, making Virgil beg for more and more. He slid his hands down Virgil's body, traveling and tracing every part. Feeling the heat emanating from him, the sweat drained from every inch. He played with his nipples, while beginning to bite on his neck. Creating marks all over his back.

He grabbed his arms, and thrusted forward, hard and powerfully. He slammed his hips onto Virgil, making him drool from the pressure. His movements became faster and more relentless, the precum from their cocks dripping down Virgil's legs. His legs that shivered and collapsed under him.

Ryan turned him around and pushed himself back into Virgil's hole. Facing him, he could see every flushed cheek, every teary eyes, every loud moan that escaped his mouth. He saw the drool and the expression, the loosened expression of lust. The eyes that were unfocused, the tossed red hair that dashed about with every thrust, the marks that littered his collarbone and neck. Ryan kissed into him, not feeling a single care, not a single worry.

He whispered into Virgil's mouth, "I love you... I love you, Virgil!"

Virgil moaned, calling back to him, "Me too! I love you too!"

Ryan teared up, he pulled Virgil into his lap, railing into him from below. Wrapping his arms around him, squeezing tight. He wanted this man so badly, and never wanted to let him go again. Virgil hung onto Ryan, his voice breaking from the heat and flurry of thrusts going inside. He balled his fists on Ryan's shirt, crying out, "Cu-Cumming! I'm cumming, Ryan!"

Ryan kissed his forehead, saying, "Me too, I'm cumming..."

Virgil howled out as Ryan bucked his hip up, letting his cum shoot inside of Virgil. The hot cum filled him, immediately weakening Virgil as he collapsed on Ryan's chest. His pants were soft, and Ryan held him close as he finished releasing inside. He noticed Virgil had passed out from it all and kissed his forehead to sleep.