Chronicles of Yugure: Plummeting into Uncharted Depths

Day Twenty-Five

I can't possibly describe how awful the experience has been waiting for the lights to come back on. The emergency steel doors had closed down on all exits, forcing us to sit and listen to the cries and explosions of the elf citizens and soldiers fighting for their lives and Krah screeching their judgement upon them. The electricity didn't return to us until long into the morning. It took Rilien and Tinco hours to access the wires and reroute them to the emergency power source.

We all solemnly rejoice when the lights burn to a low glow. Rilien blushes as we applaud his and Tinco's work. "I'm afraid that's all we can afford to spend on lighting, the rest is going into the door hydraulics." He says with a frown.

The steel doors creak as they inch upward. Bellsulion hops up to the top step and rallies everyone together. "My brothers and sisters, it seems fate has brought the battle to us. The Mist have slaughtered thousands, and they are out there right now slaughtering our brethren! Will you sit idly by and watch?"

"No!" We all cry out with sentiments.

He then leaps to the top of the steps that take us upstairs, "Then let us take back what they have stolen from us!"

Warrior cheers gradually become louder as we all stampede up the stairs to the outside world. What we see is a massacre in progress. Many are already dead, blood stains the streets and streaks across the walls like graffiti. It is all I can do to keep my lunch and emotions inside myself. Wolfwyres of all shapes and sizes trample through the streets howling gleefully as they maraud the town. I can see Krah engaged in warfare against a fleet of airships who aren't fairing well.

"Shall we, friend?" Hotaru growls with a mischievous grin. His stance is nothing more than fearsome, even with the metal boot attached to his injured leg. I nod silently to him, and we both charge into the swarm of angry beasts.

I roar, claw, and charge at anything that moves- enraged with the audacity of the League of Mist. Harming innocent civilians for nothing more than the fun of sport; it is putrid and revolting, making me nearly want to vomit with disgust.

Piercing shrieks from above let me know that shadones are now infiltrating the skies. A moment of distraction allows a wolfwyre to pounce atop my back, grabbing hold of my antlers as if they were reins and tries to straddle me like a pony. I indulge him for a mere moment, rampaging through streams of hairy wolf-like bodies.

"The ride stops here!" I hiss in a menacing tone I never knew I had and I buck him off of my back and into the wall of a cobbler's store. The dear owner looks out of the window in shock of the thud the body makes against his wall. I make an embarrassed face and a polite nod in apology for the disturbance. His wife appears and gives a loud shriek of fear and pulls him out of view.

I assume that it was me that frightened her, but to my surprise, it is the dark and looming creature behind me. Bulging shoulders and a massive cranium are the first two things that come into view. The rest is pure blurry horror as whatever this beast is plows straight toward me. My feathers puff up in response and I release another menacing sound. I can't quite explain how a lion roar and bird screech mend so horrificly well together, but that is the intimidating sound that emanates from my maw.

I do not think before I rear up on my hind legs, preparing to rush ahead at this new assailant. My antlers duck under the brute's massive forearms to strike at the chest of this mutant. It gurgles a sickening sound as it falls on its side. Wings now appear from its back and a whip-like scorpion tail lashes around, attempting to strike me. I now realize what this thing is: a wolfwyre hybrid.

'It must be one of the first batches the Mist cooked up.' I think to myself, now remembering the two manticores I faced before. Who knows what other creatures are willing to defile themselves for this unworthy cause of destruction and conquest.