Castaway Planet

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

Days after of Crash landing/ 2

Uninhabited Island / Ruins / Scholar’s Rest/ Floor Two

Galactic Standard Time / 0915

As she waited for the door to open, Krisila kept her eyes scanning the corridor. So far more Beast Cultists hadn’t been here yet, but they find this place soon. Those Cultists had been spies, which meant they had to know about this place. To just send one of the Insect things down here to break into the Chapel? It didn’t make any sense at all! Just what was going on here, what goal were they after? It couldn’t have been a hunt or did they think this place only had easy prey? With the rumors about the people who were taking care of this place, they should have sent more! Did they just not listen to any of the gossip?

“Krisilla? Is that you?” A timid voice asked as the door opened outward. Krisilla saw a bluish-green eye look out and then the door slammed shut. She heard a muffled conversation before the doors slammed open.

In the doorway was a tall girl Krisilla’s age. She was in a first-year Scholar’s uniform. She had her jade green hair in a bun and her bluish green eyes that slowly started to cry.

“Krisilla!” She cried as she grabbed Krisilla in a hug.

“Hey Priscixlia, hey!” Krisilla said as she returned the hug. She was glad beyond words that her friend was okay, she had been so worried! “Don’t worry, I’ve come for all of you!”

Priscixlia stopped crying and drew back, looking at her friend. “What’s happening out there?! How did these things get into the school!?”

Krisilla looked away, trying to gather her courage. “It’s the Beast Cult. They’ll still alive!”

Priscixlia just gasped as her eyes winded in horror, and Krisilla felt a bit of shame. She knew the history that Priscixlia’s family had with the Cult. And to even consider telling her friend that the Cult was beyond unthinkable! But then this wasn’t a normal situation.

As Priscixlia started to pale, Krisilla grabbed her in a fierce hug. “Priscixlia, breath. Just take a deep breath, then let it out, just do that.”

As Krisilla looked into the chamber beyond. She could see ten people in there, most of them female students of the school. Behind them were the two priestesses holding staffs between her and the students.

“Good to see you Miss Krisilla,” One of the Priestesses said as she came forward, a scowl on her face. Like the other Priestesses, she wore a rob colored black with it covering her head in the tight material. There was a black eye mask on her face, and her lips were bare. This was because when they were supposed to be faceless doing their duty. It was so that people needed to talk to them and could feel at ease. It was a custom that had started over the last hundred years and seemed to be “But what’s going on, what is that? Is it truly the Beast Cult?”

Krisilla swallowed as she answered “Yeah, everything points to them. They're assaulting the grounds, it's terrible! They’ll probably have complete control soon! We have to get away fast!”

“But how did those monsters get by the guards? Surely they couldn’t breach the ground that easily!” The First Priestess declared in a tone of total convection.

“They have the ability to hide as normal people. Then they change by just their will or by a Power. But it can happen fast,” Krisilla explained as she looked around.

The Priestess looked at her, her face showing shock before she scowled and held her staff tighter. “So the filth have new tricks then? Very well, we will weather them and then cast them down into the earth!”

“No Casting! We‘re the ones who are running!” Krisilla exclaimed as she looked at the woman. This was why she usually stayed away from this place! The people who ran it were always so serious!

“Then what do you expect us to do then?” The Priestess asked coldly.

“And how did you get here alone?” The other Priestess asked with a cold tone and a strange look in her eyes.

“What, what do you mean?” Krisilla asked as shock reverberated through her. She couldn’t understand just what this Priestesses was talking about. What did she see in Krisilla that

The Second Priestess only looked at her before speaking. “If this is so terrible, that they could change into human and these ‘Beast’ forms, how can we trust you? I wouldn’t put it past this filth to sacrifice one of their own. So how did you get down here?”

Krisilla looked at her and swallowed, seeing the others behind her stare at her in suspicion. She couldn’t have this happen now. She needed them to trust her, if they didn’t then they wouldn’t follow her. “I came down in the Service Staircase! But please, we need to move!”

“And do what?” The Second Priestess asked coldly. “If it's as bad as you’re saying, then what are we to do? Hide on the roof?”

“Well, there are fliers among the enemy,” Krisilla admitted and everyone looked at her in horror. She just glared back at them before she took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. “Listen! We need to get out of here, fast. There’s a way out that the Cult isn’t blocking. I came to do a sweep, get everyone I could out as fast as possible.”

Everyone in the Chapel had come over, and as one they stared at her. They all knew the Scholar’s Rest, and the idea that there was a way out was shocking.

“Look, I know what I’m saying doesn’t make any sense. I know what you’re all thinking,” Krisilla said so her voice could project. “But you’re not safe here!”

She pointed her blade at the corpse of the insect Beast Cultist. “And that thing was out here, trying to get in! Please, trust me! I can lead all of you to safety!”

As one the group looked around at each other, trying to see what they thought. Krisilla could see the doubt in their minds.

“I’m in!” Priscixlia declares loudly. She looks around at the others. “She came to rescue us! If we stay, we die! There’s nothing else to say about this, and if you think there is! Well, then all that is, that’s just stupidity!”

Krisila looked at her friend and felt a spark of hope. Priscixlia was known for always doing what was right, and she was trusted by a lot of people. If she was speaking in favor of Krisila, then the others might follow her.

The two Priestess looked at each other before they nodded.

“As much as I think this might be wrong, we have no choice. We have to go,” The First Priestesses.

It was all Krisila could do to keep calm as she held back a sigh. “Thank you.”

Krisila turned around but went still as she felt something on both sides of her neck. She looked down and saw both staffs had her neck between them. She looked over her shoulder and saw the two Priestesses looking at her.

“But beware!” The First Priestess said coldly.

“If you are betraying us, we will kill you!” The Second Priestess

<>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

“Fine, but follow me!” Krisila said sternly with a scowl.

Priscixlia looked at her friend as she led the way down the corridor. The fact that the ancient enemy of her family was alive was so scary. The stories her family told of the War were terrifying in their detail. How her family had lost members to the raids and how only her ancestor survived. Part of her was scared that they had come here to get her. How the Beast Cult sent out trackers to

But the fact that her friend was here, and leading them to safety was something that she couldn’t ever thank her for.

Looking at the corpse as she followed her friend, she felt her heart seize. The last time, the Cult had only powerful Power users. They had worn masks of beasts, but they were just men. They used the fact that the Power was so new to scare people. It was luck and chance that someone had found the truth, that the tide turned! And her ancestor had been one of the people who found the truth.

But where did the Power to change into such forms come from? What dark and twisted deal did they make with whatever showed them this?!

“Don’t worry child, we’ll be okay,” A soft voice caused her to look up and see the First Priestess looking at her. For a second she felt a sense of peace, but that died as soon as she saw the look in the Priestess’s eyes.

“Priestess, I think you’re talking to me for a reason beyond my feelings. Aren’t you?”

The First Priestess sighed and nodded. “I am ashamed, but yes. I shouldn’t but needs must and all. You have to know how this looks. A girl without the Power killing one of these monsters that quickly?”

Priscixlia just looked away. Could it be possible? Was her friend leading them into a trap? Then she realized what she was thinking of, and then she felt such rage. To even think that of her friend, was beyond anything she would have done before! She turned her head and looked right at the Priestess’s face. “She was always a fighter! And her mom’s a healer, she knows where on the body to aim for!”

“So you say. But please, how well do you know that woman?” The Priestess asked with a hard line on her face.

“Very! We grew up in the same city, she was my minder for a while. And she’s someone I will always trust!” Priscixlia declared and looked at the mask of the

The Priestess nodded but her mouth was in a hard line. “I can respect that, but you must understand where I’m coming from here. We had to block the doors because they were almost broken down. There had to be more than one attacking us. So where are the rest of them?”

Priscixlia looked away, not wanting the Priestess to see her emotions. The way that woman talked, wasn’t normal. For a moment she wondered if it was a power, but then she threw the idea away. If a Power user was here, they wouldn’t be hiding as a Priestess in a shrine!

<>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

As she followed after Priscixlia, Ambritia forced down a scowl. She hadn’t known about the servant’s staircase, and that was a mistake. She had been sent here three months ago to find out every secret this place had after all.

Acting as one of the Kingdom’s Special Agents wasn’t as glamorous a job as the story books painted it as. But then her job was to protect the Kingdom from all enemies within, while the army dealt with the enemy without.

But how had the Beast Cult been able to hide? There were agents and informants that sent in what rumors they heard in all the places that Humans lived, so how? Where had they….. for a moment she stopped before she kept walking. The very idea was insane! There was no way they had found a way into the Devil’s Realm without those monsters killing them! Those scum were still there, watching the Kingdom. Those monsters had to have a reason they captured the Ship all those years ago!

But to make matters worse, she had been given the Mantle of the Interrogator, she had nothing that could help! Once they got out of this, she was going to learn a few Attack Powers. Maybe the might of Fire or Thunder would help. The only ability she had that could kill needed her to touch a person for a minute. In savage combat? Impossible!

“Keep calm sister,” A voice caused Ambritia to look up. The other, real Priestess was walking next to her.

“Shouldn’t you be with that girl?” Ambritia asked softly.

The Priestess only shrugged. “I was sure that something might come at us from behind, and we’re almost there anyway.”

Ambritia looked at her, not understanding what she meant for a few moments. Then she did and she felt so shocked her mouth dropped open. Then she felt such rage that only her training kept her from making a scene and screaming. She knew that if there were any members of the Beast Cult nearby they would have called them here, but for a second she didn’t care.

“You knew about them!? Why didn’t you trust that girl if you knew there was a way to get us out!?” Ambritia whispered, anger dripping from her voice.

The Priestess shrugged. “You would have known about them in two months. And no, there aren’t any of them in the Chapel. And she’s a student, there is no reason that she should know about them. Someone comes and tells me information that only a spy could have found? Tell me that isn’t suspicious?”

Ambritia was going to say something when she heard a howl echo off the walls. Her training told her where that came from, but her cover wouldn’t know. So she looked at the Priestess who was looking behind them. “Sister, do you know where that’s coming from?”

“Behind us. I want you to get the others moving faster. Do it now,” The Priestess said as she looked behind her.

For a second Ambritia almost stopped and broke cover. But then she realized that the girls would only have her and the girl leading them to protect. But what could she do against two of the Cultists on her own? Could they escape fast enough to the staircase? Then she wondered if the Beast Cult could taint a person, and that would force the Priestess to betray them! Without a word, she grabbed the Priestess and pulled her after them. Looking ahead at the girls she called out a bit louder. “Move now, we have to get to the staircase fast!”

“What are you doing!? I have to protect the girls so let me stay!” The Priestess demanded and Ambritia only laughed darkly.

“And if these things can capture and taint you? Will you be able to keep from telling them where and how we escaped?” Ambritia asked with a hard edge to her voice. From the way the Priestess gasped and started to run, she saw the truth in what Ambritia had guessed.

“Then we have to move faster! We should be close!” The Priestess cried out but then there heard another howl. And to Ambritia’s horror, it sounded closer.

Ambritia listened to the sounds of something coming behind them and looked back. At the Chapel, there were three figures moving on all fours towards them.

“We have to hold them here,” The Priestess said with a hard edge to her voice. As Ambritia stopped, knowing that they had to do this she nodded.

The Priestess looked at the others, only one of them had stopped and looked at them. With her mouth set in a line, she looked at the lone girl and nodded. “Tell her to close the Staircase tight. You all have to live!”

Without a word the girl nodded and ran off, not looking back.

Ambritia stopped and looked at the monsters as they came closer to them. “Two on three, not too bad I guess.”

“And we will be remembered in the records of our order after all. And that is sometimes the only thing that people like us can get.”

Ambritia only chuckled as she gripped her staff. “Let’s just make this last as long as possible. And a last stand isn’t the worst way to go out I guess.”

Another roar came from farther behind the first group. Around the corner came three large bulky figures. They thundered down the hallway after the first Cultists. And to her horror, the first group had almost reached them. Ambritia guessed that one of the Cultists would slip by the two women while the other two fought them.

“This is bad. Listen, please. I was going to try to awaken your Power through meditation, but we don’t have time. You might awaken in battle, so listen and pay attention. If you feel a burning within you, force it to your weapon. That will let you empower your weapon. If you're lucky, this might save you,” The Priestess said softly.

Ambritia felt her heart seize. Suddenly it was as if everything had slowed down. The explanation, made everything suddenly make sense. It was as if she had only been looking at the world with one eye, but now she had two. In that one moment, she suddenly felt as if she was as strong as a general. But her moment of clarity was broken when the Priestess roared and charged at the figures.

Without a word, Ambritia followed after. The two beast-like mutants rose to their back legs and charged at them, roaring. With a single motion, one of them lunged at her and pushed her to the floor! As she looked up at the beast, its muzzle came down at her. She threw her hands up and grabbed its neck. Calling up her Power, she felt it activate. Without a word, it went to work. As the Beast Cultist tried to bite her, she saw her Power start to work. In an instant, the Cultist started to move slower, once it realized what was happening, it tried to escape. But she just clenched down harder until it stopped moving and its eyes went white.

Pushing it off her, she looked around. She saw the Priestess killing one of them, but where was the other one? She gazed down the corridor and saw the last one reach the turn that the others had gone down. But as soon as she got back to her feet, the Cultist roared and then she heard a human voice cry out. The Cultist stumbled back and then it fell to the ground.

Walking around the corner came Krisila and someone else, a man who looked so strange! He had short black hair above black eyes and the beginning of a mustache. He was holding a strange-looking device in his right hand, maybe some crossbow invention. On his right was a sword but what he was wearing was the most shocking. It was some kind of full-body covering suit colored orange. Something about the color of that outfit made her think of something. But it was as if that was at the edge of her mind, something that she had heard once before. But she couldn’t even think of where it had been. But she knew that this man heralded a great change.