*The world of Gordac.*
Roxanne followed Galesh as the Sentinel led her, Fang and Skitter through the forest, they had entered the dense forest ten minutes ago and they had yet to find anything.
Roxanne pushed a branch aside so she could pass and once she was clear she let go, only for another brand to rebound from the same tree and whack her in her gut, she grit her teeth and resisted the urge to burn it down. 'I can't wait to get out of this annoying forest, if the fleas weren't bad enough, I have the trees themselves seemingly out to get me and I can't even use my powers to defend myself without burning the whole place down.' She mentally complained with a growl.
"What's wrong Roxie? can't handle the forest?" Skitter asked, Roxanne looked at the Changeling close to her and narrowed her eyes when she saw the smirk.
"Says the Changeling with no fur." Fang comments from up ahead.
"Can we keep quiet for five minutes? I don't know about you, but I have no desire to die." Galesh said with an irritated tone, Roxanne rolled her eyes but kept quiet anyway.
The group of four moved slowly and carefully through the forest for a few minutes before nearing a clearing beyond the treeline. "Hold up." Galesh ordered quietly as she stared intently at the clearing. "This is possibly a trap." She stated before elaborating. "A clearing this far into the forest where it should be denser?" She shook her head. "Bad idea to go out there."
"But, it's also possible that if we spring the trap, Acain will show up." Skitter pointed out while keeping her eyes on the area around them.
Galesh nodded and started to tap her knee as she knelt, she stared at the clearing for a while before sighing. "Well, if there is a trap, no sense in us all getting caught up in it, I'll go, you three stay here and if need be, keep close." She ordered before standing up and walking to the clearing.
Galesh walked to the center of the clearing and then looked around. 'I don't see anything, but if these creatures are as dangerous as Lyaroa claims, then they will be experts at hunting.' She thought to herself.
The Sentinel was about to call to the others when she heard the Computer but it was broken. "Ma-... We-... Ship." The communicator was cut off by heavy static and the words were choppy.
Galesh looked back to where Roxanne, Fang and Skitter were hiding only for them to burst out from the treeline, running at full speed and screaming, the Sentinel's eyes widened when about ten raptors charged after them, each of them easily four feet taller than them, survival instincts kicked in and Galesh started run with the others, she heard the raptors screech as they chased the group down.
*The Forest, Fang's POV*
I ran as fast as my feet could carry me which isn't as fast as I am used to, I silently curse my neglect to keep my body in shape as I run, I hop over a large tree root that stuck out of the ground and keep on running, I pass tree after tree and I hear the raptors behind me falling behind in the dense forest.
I jump over a fallen tree and look over my shoulder, three of the raptors are still hot on my trail and seem to have very little difficulty moving through the forest, I quickly focus forward and move to the side a little as I run, avoiding a tree, I check my sides and see that Roxanne, Galesh and Skitter are missing, I feel my heart beat faster but I don't stop running.
I sidestep to avoid a tree and cry out as a smaller raptor jumps out from my left with a screech, I quickly slide and change my direction a little to avoid the new raptor as long as I can, I push my legs to run faster and even though they burn from exertion, I don't stop running, I jump over fallen trees, giant roots and the odd large rock while avoiding running into trees.
I skid to a stop when another small raptor jumps out in front of me and I quickly start running again in a different direction that was away from the raptors, I feel my heart beating faster than it ever has and I soon hop over another giant root, only to end up tumbling down a large hill, my body lands over and over on the hard ground and I soon end up at the bottom, I groan and move my right arm, I use it and shakily push myself to my feet, I force myself to stand up even though my body protested every single motion, I look up and ahead of me, only to see Roxanne and Skitter turn the corner of the apparent corner.
I quickly take in the area around me, we are all in a large canyon, surrounded by walls behind me and to the sides with a large open area in front of us all, the ground was gravel and stone while the walls of the canyon were dirt and grass covered, I pant and look at Roxanne who has a look of terror on her face, a quick glance showed me that Skitter also had this expression on her face.
Skitter has cuts all over her body and Roxanne's body is covered in dirt and has some blood staining her fur.
A mere moment later and Galesh runs into the area and towards us while looking behind her.
'Even if I wasn't injured, I wouldn't be able to fight this many.' I watch helplessly as ten large raptors and twelve small raptors step into the canyon like area we were in, a few of them screech as they slowly stalk towards the four of us, I feel my blood chill a little as Roxanne, Skitter and Galesh back up towards me and closer to the wall. "This is stating the obvious, but we are in fact surrounded." I say quietly.
Galesh takes a breath and speaks. "Just keep calm, we can fight back." She says with a barely controlled voice.
"Yea, now that we are together, we can fight back easily, you alright Fang?" Skitter asks with concern.
I wince and look my body over, my arms, chest and legs have dirt and gravel all over and my left leg has some stones sticking out of them, and I have no idea how bad my head or back is. "No, I am not." I reply with a strained voice as I fight to keep myself from vomiting.
"Watch out!" Roxanne calls out as screeches fill the air.
I look to the entrance of the canyon and see all the raptors charging us as one, I brace for the inevitable and watch as my friends and Galesh ready themselves for a fight, Skitter's horn lit up, Roxanne ignited her arms and Galesh called up a few blades.
I hold my breath as the raptors reached lunging range only to stop as a booming voice resounds in my head. "Stand down!" It commanded with a no nonsense tone.
I gulp and watch as the raptors step back and glare at us with fierce and wild eyes, they stood with the ten large raptors In the center and the rest on the sides, the two large raptors in the middle parted and all the raptors lowered themselves in a kind of bow as a very large raptor that stood a few feet over the large ones stepped forward.
This raptor had a large golden scaled body with a strange jagged brown pattern running along its body, it's glowing reptilian eyes were cyan and it had a large scar on its left claw, it stared us down intently for a time before the voice returned. "Who are you, and why have you come to our forest?" The voice asked, demanding an immediate answer while revealing it was a telepath.
I find any words I would have said caught in my throat, I feel unable to answer as I stare at the raptor, now recognizing it from my visions. "You're Acain, the son of Lyaroa." I say without thinking.
The raptor turned its gaze to me and I feel it's eyes gazing through me. "I am...now who are you?" The voice of Acain asked again.
Galesh stepped forward and spoke. "My name is Galesh, I am Lyaroa's mother...she is dying to Void Poison." She explained calmly.
Acain looked at Galesh and the large raptors slowly rose with a slight growl, Acain's eyes glowed and he said nothing for a few seconds before speaking. "Hmm...my mother holds much resentment and hatred for you Galesh, but it is all founded on a lie, but for now, you require my mother's Sentinel form to save her life from a poison." Acain went silent before looking to one of the raptors and speaking to it with a series of vocal sounds that I can't understand.
Soon enough, the large raptor looked at us all, his eyes glowing for each of us except Galesh and then spoke. "Very well, I shall help you, but in return, I need to speak to my mother, there is much for us to discuss." His words were more of a command than a deal and I simply nod in agreement.
"Good, we will not waste time." Acain said before his eyes shined bright enough to force us to cover our eyes.
A few moments later the light dimmed and I lower my arms, I blink and look around, we were now at a rocky cliffside by the ocean with a cave near us down a sloped hill while lightning struck all around us as it downpoured, lighting up the dark sky and ocean, Acain walked toward the cave and spoke in our minds. "The Thundering Ravine my pack calls this place, for millions of years I have guarded this place, and now my task will finally come to an end, and with it I shall be free." His voice was one of longing and relief.
We all follow in silence as Acain leads us down and towards the cave, we pass by as few raptors who focus their gazes on us, ensuring we do not act against them. "Do not fear my pack, they will not attack you because of my command." For some reason, I did not feel at ease.
Acain leads us through a long and winding cavern that I am sure I would have gotten lost in, I was in the rear because of my injury and when we reached a circular room with a sliding stone door that would roll to the left, I had to stop. "I need a minute." I say before looking at my left leg, I reach down and grab the rock that was still in my leg, I grit my teeth and yank it out, letting out a pained cry as I fall to the floor.
"Fang!" Skitter and Roxanne say as they run up to me, I look at them and upon seeing the concern on their faces, I can't help but chuckle even though I feel immense pain.
"This door can only be opened by my mother's power, I may be able to open it, but I cannot move the body anymore." Acain said before looking at us, which I noticed.
"Fang, you must open the door, doing so will free my mother's Sentinel body from its seal." The raptor explains to me before stepping away from us and off to the side.
I nod and try to stand up, only for Skitter to hold me down, I look at the Changeling who lit her horn, I watch as her yellow aura flows across my leg, I feel the pain fade quickly and I realize that Skitter healed me. "Thanks." I say.
"No problem." Skitter replied before helping me stand.
As soon as I'm standing, I walk to the door which has a carving of a bipedal body floating on it, I place my hands on the door and start to pull it open, as it moves I feel some of my strength being sapped away, I grit my teeth and soon enough the door is wide open. "Hurry now, retrieve my mother's body so you may return it to her." Acain says as he walks out of the room.
I walk through the doorway and follow the path, it turns out to be a short path and I soon enter a small room with nothing but a stone table and a body on it, I walk up to it and look the body over.
The body is obviously Lyaroa's, it's face was in a resting expression, an angular jaw, closed eyes and a small nose, the body itself was in remarkable condition considering its age, dark green coloration, cyan lines were going vertically all over its body, I take a deep breath and go to pick the body up, only for a golden barrier to appear before me, I pause for a second and reach out anyway, my hands pass through the barrier but I feel a burning sensation as a pick up Lyaroa's Sentinel body, as soon as I am holding the body, the burning stops, I hold it with one arm under her leg and gripping its lower leg, my other arm was holding its shoulder.
"So, this is what Lyaroa really looks like." Roxanne says as I turn around.
Galesh sighs as she stares for a time before shaking her head. "We have the body, now come on, we have to get back to the ship so we can find the rest of her powers." The Sentinel said.
I nod and follow the four as we make our way out of the cavern and outside the cave, when we are outside, I see Acain staring out towards the ocean, we walk toward the raptor and he speaks before we say anything or even get close. "If you are ready, I will send you back to your ship, inform my mother of our arrangement, if she survives this poison, we will have words." He says in a calm voice.
"Send us back." Galesh said, making the large raptor turn and face us, his eyes then glowed again and we were forced to cover our eyes once more.
*The canyon.*
Roxanne shook her head and held her head, dizzy from the teleport, she looked up and gasped, completely forgetting about her dizziness as she stared at the devastation.
The ship was heavily damaged, with bite and claw marks all over it, as well as holes that couldn't have been from the locals, everyone was currently outside working to fix the damage with the exception of Lyaroa who was sitting off to the side on a gurney. "My ship!" Galesh said with a shocked voice. "What happened!?" The older Sentinel asked with anger.
Everyone looked over at the group of four and Nightmare was the one to speak after a minute of unbearable silence.
"Hunters."