Castaway Planet

Calendar 259872/ 2000 [ Sol Year 4387/ Day 153 of 365. Sol standard year]

Days after of Crash landing/ 2

Uninhabited Island / Ruins / Corridor

Galactic Standard Time / 0835

As Zezill led the way, he scowled to himself. It had been smart to keep the monster from attacking the others, but still! If that thing hadn’t had a range attack, then his actions would have been pointless. And he couldn’t fault the others for what they did, that would be stupid. If there are things you don’t know attacking, hide. That was the wisdom of the Tribe, and it wasn’t their fault these monsters captured Nyl. But when they reached the monsters he would kill them with his claws if she was hurt. But the best thing they could do was split up. And because of the threat these things represented, they were all running on their hind legs only. While they were slower it was easier to defend if they were ambushed.

The group he was leading was Guricall and the Warriors. The Watchers with Sir Harill headed towards the place they had slept at. If the group didn’t come back for them in six hours, they were to think they were on their own. If they all died, the Watchers and Harill would have to get back to the Tribe on their own.

There was a chance that the others in their tribe might throw out the Bladetongues. The Tribe had to know the truths that had been found here. First, the Makers were dead, and the Enemy had also made it into the Forbidden Realm.

Even as he ran, he thought about what those could do here. They could send a war party and kill their kits, attack the Battle Line from behind, and slaughter all of them. And the ability to shapeshift? For the Enemy to have all those Power users with the same Ability, it was impossible. If they did, then the Tribe needed to find something to balance things out again. If they tried to negotiate a cease-fire from a position of weakness, who knows what would happen?

For now, he had to focus. If they found their friend, they would find who took her. If they found who took her, they would know where they had run to. And if they knew that, they would know how to kill them.

Just when he was going to say they should retreat, Zezill picked up Nyllia's scent at an intersection. He gazed at where the scent came from and saw drops of blood on the ground.

“That girl! She must have woken up and used her claws or fangs to leave a trail!” Guricall exclaimed and laughed.

All Zezzil could do was grin as he ran, soon they would find their friend, he was sure of it.

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Guricall smirked as he ran behind Zezill. He had always thought that Nyllia was one of the best Warriors in their group, and this proved it! But had her Power helped her wake up or was it because of how she was knocked out? What were they running into here? They had to do this right the first time, they wouldn’t have another chance.

Ahead of them, there was another intersection, just like he thought there would be. With a little effort, he sped up and grabbed Zezill’s arm.

As Zezill turned to him, Guricall made the sign of quiet. All Zezill could do was blink as he realized just his friend meant.

All Guricall did was grin before he walked towards the corner, moving as possible. Looking around the corner he winced. Farther down the hallway, he could see five of the Bulky large figures guarding a doorway. From the way that the things were, that had to be their base but were there more of them out here?

Turning around he looked at the others. Gesturing to move back a bit and to keep quiet, the others followed Guricall’s instructions. After moving back to about halfway down the hallway, Guricall sighed. “We found them. I saw five of those big ones outside the door. My problem is if those things have more patrols out here.”

“We can bring them into the room after we kill them,” One of the other warriors suggested.

“Smart. Not the best but then what else can we do?” Zezill said with a sigh.

Guricall looked at his friend and saw the look on his face. “Going to use that Power of yours to one-shot them?”

“Yeah, I think so. If we’re-“ Zezill began only to be interrupted.

“You’ve gained the Power!?” Anther of the Warroirs asked in shock.

Guricall only grunted as he saw the looks that his friend was being sent. Why did the Tribe have to believe that those who had the Power were better? Why…. Guricall went still as a terrible thought suddenly made itself known. If he was right, then they would have a lot of problems when they made contact with their people.

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As the five Figures stood there guarding the entrance to the base, one of them on the right burped. One of them glared at the burped who only chuckled.

“Better out than in, aye?” The burper said with a laugh.

“Keep that to yourself you fool! Why did you think you’re here!?” The glarer bellowed.

“Because is asked?” The burper said with a bored tone.

As the glaring Bulky figure raged and yelled at the burper, the others all sighed and looked away. The glarer was related to the Grand Priest, and even if they argued nothing would happen. The best thing to do was nothing at all.

“Don’t you have any honor or loyalty to the Great Beast?!” The glarer growled and the buper only looked at him before his body started to change. Within moments the burper had turned into a normal human with green hair and bluish-green eyes in a purple robe.

“WHAT. ARE. YOU. DOING!” The glarer growled and the burper only sighed.

“I’m heading to the punishment chamber. That is what you were going to do isn’t it?” The burper said before he turned around.

“Icotrix!!!” The glarer roared.

Icotrix only kept walking, a scowl on his face, that he kept hidden as he replied. “What? I figured I save us both some time! See you later.”

As the glarer roared, all Icotrix did was keep silent. It was all he could do to keep from killing all of them. For years now, he had thought something was wrong. But then once he learned what the place he had grown up in was, he knew he was right. The way those fools all seemed to worship that sleeping monster, he knew they were all beyond saving!

The only thing that kept him going was his sister, she had been his rock. And thankfully when he had spoken about his doubts, she had agreed with him. For the last few months, he had used the time he was in the halls of the prison to map a route to escape. And his sister had fund records about the surface. Everything was ready, but then she had been selected as a sacrifice! And he only learned that after when who they were sacrificing was announced. And since he was here, he couldn’t save her!

Why did he have this Power if he couldn’t use it!? He had awoken it when that monster had tried to brutalize his sister, and he had only used a small part of it. He could do so much more than what he was. If he could only figure out what to do now.

He scowled as he looked down, trying to think. He was so far away, and he had no way to get there. The inner area was for the Priests only, and he had no idea where the sacrifices were. Besides the Beasts were used as objects of worship, who knows what else was in there? And there were the Guards. He would need a distraction to even scout out a route and where would that come from?

Looking up he saw the chamber that the Cult had set aside for punishment. With a scowl, he walked into the door. Suddenly he heard a roar from right behind him. He looked around, seeing nothing looking at him, and willed his flesh to change. Within moments he had changed his shape. Activated his Power of Concealment he felt the shield form over him. Looking out the door he paled in shock. The Bulky ones that were guarding the door were all on the ground dead! He saw the beings that the Kingdom was fighting at the Front Line run down the hall towards the bodies. He had seen one of the scouting parties come back with a new Sacrifice, and it had been one of these beings!

Looking down the corridor, all he could do was stare in shock. It seemed that his prayer had been answered, but then he looked down the hallway. The Cult had sent out two scouting groups, and the other was coming back. Maybe he should go tell them he quit the Cult?

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As Zezill ran towards the corpses he made, he grinned. The ambush had worked perfectly, with one shot they had killed all of the Bulky figures in one shot! And he was shocked to feel even stronger than ever. The last time he had used his Ability he had almost collapsed, now he felt amazing! If he had to he could fire off another two, maybe three of his strikes!

As soon as he reached the doorway he looked in. He saw twenty figures in purple robes and strange symbols on banners on the walls of the chamber. At the far end was a doorway, and that was his goal.

“Rush them!” He roared as he ran in, the others behind him.

Two of the robed ones close together fell after Guricall’s stones hit their heads. As the other warriors fell on them, Zezill ran past them. Some of the enemy had started to change and he needed to kill them fast. Before he knew it he was there and slashed through the neck of one starting to grow longer.

Another of the figures roared something Zezill couldn’t understand and charged, only one of his arms changed into a claw. Zezill blocked the blow and pulled back once he felt the weight of the enemy on his blade. As his foe fell forward, he killed the figure with one cut of his sword.

All around him were the sounds of combat. Looking around, he saw the chaos the chamber had become. Half of the figures had drawn weapons and the others had changed parts of their bodies. But his people were working together and already they had killed at least five of them! Adding the three already dead, they had almost slain half of them in a short time.

Zezill heard the Enemy’s strange language being shouted and something told him it was at him. Looking up, he saw a large figure that had enlarged their legs holding a lance of some kind. From what he had learned, this one was a male and the look of a noble about him. The figure’s mouth was opening and it was from him that the strange words were coming from.

All Zezill could do was sigh, he had heard about this but he was shocked it was real. Some foes thought that just because they spoke a tongue, everyone would understand it. But then again, that might work. If he could kill this one fast enough, then maybe….

As the enemy kept talking, Zezill rushed forward. He leaped and screamed a battle cry, slashing down with his blade. The lancer raised his weapon and to Zezill’s shock, blocked the blow. In the moments he had before the lancer set him flying away, he saw the lance was made of Creator Steel.

As he landed he charged forward, knowing that he had to keep this one at bay. If a weapon of Creator Steal was thrown into the chaos of battle, then the others would die! With a roar, he slashed at the lancer's right leg. The lancer blocked again, but this time Zezill jumped over the throw and slashed down. The lancer jumped backwards and spun his lance, looking right at the Zezill and growling low in his throat. Zezill only grinned and took a hand off his blade’s hilt to make a ‘come-hither’ gesture.

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As he slit the throat of a figure with a single wing, Guircall could only smirk. So far the team has been able to handle these. Why was the Battle Line having such trouble? The armies of the Chiefs should have overrun the lines years ago! As something screamed, he jumped up. Looking towards the sound, he saw Zezill in battle against something wielding a lance. He almost ran but for an instant, he caught Zezill’s eyes.

After that, Guircall turned nan with a roar and attacked one of the cultists with an oversized arm. Before it could turn, Guircall had impaled the figure’s throat and pulled it free. As the figure started to choke, Guircall drove his dagger through the figure’s brain. Looking at his comrade, Guircall nodded. “Go help the others! Then have them help the rest!”

Before the Warrior could respond, Guircall grabbed the fallen figure’s sword and ran towards another battle. This one had no altered limbs and was wielding two swords. But the figure realized that Guircall was coming to attack and leaped backwards, turning to look at Guircall. As the Warrior the figure had fighting tried to attack from behind, the figure blocked the Warrior’s sword.

Guircall stared, realizing that the figure had a limb on its back that ended in a large chitin claw. Without even looking at the Warrior, each blow was parried. At the same time, Guircall attacked from the front. But the figure only blocked the blows with their two swords and seemed to be grinning.

All Guircall felt was rage, this one was playing with them! Somehow, this monster was handling two opponents while only looking at one of them! With a snarl, he lunged backwards to get away from the figure’s range. As he watched, he saw the figure’s body start to ripple around its arms. But it was something else that he saw that made Guircall smirk.

With a yell, Guircall ran. The figure prepared to defend against Guircall, but it missed the other two Warriors that impaled its head and torso from its sides.

Guircall looked around, seeing that only Zezill was still fighting. “Everyone, let's help our friend!”

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Zezill jumped to the side, dodging a kick from the lancer. So far, he had been holding his own and that was enough. If he could keep this monstrosity away from the others. And it worked, this scum was only looking at him. Now all he had to do was keep fighting.

Suddenly, a stone flew and hit the lancer in the head. He stumbled for a moment, but that was all it took.

Zezill leaped forward and with a roar cut off the lancer’s right arm at the shoulder. As blue blood gushed out the lancer went to one knee. With a savage roar, Zezill landed and dashed back, slicing off the other arm at the elbow. As the lancer stumbled Zezill jumped up, grabbed his head, and slammed it to the ground. Slamming it back into the ground a few more times he looked up.

Seeing the others had all dealt with the others, Zezill sighed as he looked around. “Everyone, get those corpses from the Realm into here! Then follow me and Guircall!”

Without a word he dashed through the door, knowing that Guircall was behind him. As they ran down the corridor, they kept following their friend’s scent. Ahead of them, they saw a robed figure walking down a corridor across an intersection. Without a sound, Zezill jumped forward and beheaded the figure. Looking back, he saw Guircall behind him, and the others were running to catch up. He turned, followed the scent, and moved on.

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Icotrix whistled as he walked into the chambers. He had stayed hidden until he was sure that the Felines were all gone, but he didn’t expect this! The guards that had been left here had all been killed, and they had moved the Bulky ones into the room. Now if anyone came here, all they would see was the blood outside. But then he had finished that with an Ability he had gained once while hunting.

“Icotrix!” A raspy voice cried out.

Icotrix looked towards it and smirked as he saw the source. “So you survived captain? Well done!”

“Don’t talk!” The bellowed. He had lost both limbs and his legs were broken. By his side was a lancer made of Creator Steel.

Icotrix had always liked the lance and had trained to use one most of his life. With a smirk, he picked up the weapon and gave it a whirl. “Nice balance, point and feel. Say what you will about the Master Smiths, they do good work!”

“Put down my lance! Get me some of the dead, I need to feed!” The captain said with a glare and Icotrix only chuckled. The captain looked at him and only grew more angry as Icotrix’s chuckles grew into laughter “What’s so funny???!!!”

Icotrix finally stopped laughing and then he looked at the Captain. The longer the silence lasted, the more the Captain grew more worried. Finally, Icotrix spoke as he glared down at the Captain. “What’s so funny is that you’re so eager to desecrate our own. Doesn’t the laws of the Cult say that you consumers can never eat our own? Something about a terrible catastrophe? And shouldn’t you know that better than most of us?”

The Captain only glared up at Icotrix, his teeth bared. “As your next High Priest, I demanded that you bring me to one of the dead now! By the Beast, If you don’t get me food right now!” The Captain growled.

“And what will you do to me?” Icotrix asked as he put the lance on his shoulders.

“I’ll make sure that you are fed to our God in pieces!” The captain snarled and Icotrix only laughed.

“That won’t work, as I’m going to go and kill that thing,” Icotrix said as he looked at the captain with a glare.

“What?!” The captain asked in a whisper.

Icotrix looked at him and shook his head. “I’ve thought for a while now that you, the leaders? You’re only out for your selves. This is your end!”

Before the captain could speak, Icotrix impaled him through the brain with the lance. Pulling the weapon free, Icotrix pointed his free hand at the blood and a small flame engulfed the lancer’s head.

Without a word, Icotrix ran down through the doorway. The only thoughts in his head were to get to his sister soon.