After his meeting with Councillor Sahlin, Heksis was returned to Giln. The withered veteran quickly moved him back outside, then onto a Skiff. The craft shuddered as it rose into the air, causing Heksis to whimper slightly as the vibrations hurt his wrapped leg. However, his whimpering never got louder than a silent cry, for whenever he got more vocal, a glare from Giln shut him up. He was begin to fear Giln, thinking that maybe he wasn't a friend. Not like the Lady Sahlin. She was pretty, and reminded him of his mother.

Once those thoughts entered his head, he couldn't stop tears from sliding down his cheeks. Upon spotting this, Giln went to shut him up, but stopped. He'd let the kid cry it out for now. Perhaps that would mean he'd have little to cry about once they arrived. Soon, he wouldn't be crying at all. He'd teach the boy to become a soldier. To honor the eliksni and protect their homes against the dark forces of space.

Another rumble shook the skiff, cause Heksis to release another whimper as Giln growled. What was that blasted pilot doing. If he could he would go and give that pilot a piece of his mind. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for the pilot, the crew compartment was separate from the cockpit, denying Giln the opportunity to chew out the pilot. He instead resorted to simply snarling in frustration. It couldn't be that much longer till they arrived.

It took another 5 minutes before they reached the Ketch, just long enough for Giln's patience to be stretched to the limit. However, his anger quickly dispersed as the Skiff landed with a thud, and the back opened up to the daylight beyond. Heksis, who had miraculously drifted off into sleep, released an annoyed hiss as the bright light woke him. Moments later, Giln appeared over him, glaring down as he undid the safety straps.

"Get up. We're here."

The child glanced up at him pitifully, causing the male to sigh. In a surprising show of care, he gently picked up Heksis and set him on the ground, being sure to hold his hand to keep him from falling. Then, together, they moved towards the descending door. Upon stepping outside, Heksis gasped in surprise at what he saw. He'd never seen a Ketch before. Few remained planetside for very long, most patroling in high atmosphere as they acted as research stations, analyzing space and the planets they were orbiting. The fact that there were so few of them didn't help much either. The little one's blue eyes went wide as he gazed up at the massive technical marvel. Though he didn't let it show, Giln scoffed at the sight of the craft. Not that he didn't find it impressive, but the fact that the boy would be staying here, which meant he would to, was frustrating. He can't a boy to be a true warrior within the metal confines of a ship. But, he would have to make do.

As they drew closer to the massive ramp that had been lowered, Heksis' picked up his pace, showing the growing excitement. However, he didn't get far before his injury, and Giln slower pace, kept him back. He glanced up at Giln before gesturing to the massive ship they were entering.

"W-what this?"

Giln glanced down at him, the kids timid tone annoying him slightly. He would have to get used to it, at least till the kid learned to respect and obey. Then his tone would grow in confidence and volume.

"This is where you you'll be staying pup. Under my charge. Better get used to it. You'll be here awhile."

Hekesis glanced at the ship again, his excitement leaving him as the sunlight was replaced with the dark interior of the Ketch. While it wasn't a dark place, per say, and was actually an adequate living environment, for a pup such as Heksis, it was an unknown and scary place. Giln continued to lead him through the ship, through far to many passages and halls then Heksis could remember. Then, finally, they came to a stop in front of a door, With a press of a button, the door slid upwards, revealing a darkened room beyond.

Giln flipped the lights on, and Heksis got a look at his new room. Small and enclosed, with little light. However, while his home had been warm and welcoming, this one seemed cold and empty. A bed, like the one he'd seen his mommy sleep on, yet smaller, sat in the corner. A few shelved lined the wall, and the light hung from the ceiling, but nothing else. Nothing else but the bed sat on the cold metal floor, and nothing interesting stood out to Hek. Giln gave him a light shove, not enough to knock him over, but still enough to move him into the room.

Heksis whirled round, eyes wide as he gazed up at Giln. The captain stared down at him, face blank save for his slightly cold eyes.

"Stay here until I return."

The door ground shut, cutting off his view from the captain and leaving him alone in this metal room. Also, without realizing it, Giln had turned off the lights, leaving the boy in darkness. Heksis shifted his weight in fear at the sudden darkness, eyes staring round the dark room as he wondered what would become of him. With nothing else to do, he simply sank to the floor, closing his eyes. Whether it was his memories or his dreams that brought tears to him, he couldn't tell.

...

The Ketch crew ran about, preparing the enormous ship for take off, including loading additional supplies and fuel on board. However, they ceased their work as a loud piercing sound split the air, rumbling the earth itself. A skiff approached, its hull golden with the emblem of the Kings House, throwing up dust as it slowly descended then landed on the ground. With a whine, the door opened slowly, and a figure exited that surprised all of the workers.

She wore a long yellow dress, trailing behind her regally. It was opened in the front by her knees, allowing her legs to move without difficulty. Fastening to a silver chain around her neck, it left her shoulders bare, but strips of cloth connected to transparent white fabric, forming sleeves over her lower arms. A silver belt, with golden details, wrapped around her waist, with additional decorative cloth hanging from the blet to form a pseudo loincloth. Her golden toed sandals moved up, connecting up high on her calves, the golden caps covering her toes and a decorative plate covering the top, leaving the rest, save for the sole, exposed. Her head was bare, allowing her long hair to tumble back. Golden eyeshadow surrounded her eyes, with white eyeliner matching the white markings on her dress. While her overall look was flashy and nice, it wasn't overly gaudy, and still was practical enough for it to be acceptable. This was Lady Skakar, daughter of Councilor Talish.

She glanced up at the Ketch, smiling softly and nodding before stepping out of the Skiff onto the hard ground. Moving forward, her feet padded softly, but quickly changed to loud clicks once she stepped on board the lowered ramp of the Skiff. The entire working crew stood immobilized, staring in stunned silence at the beautiful woman which had stepped on board their ship. Glancing around, she smiled at the workers, and approached one of them. He stiffened, becoming nervous as the well dressed women approached him.

"Hello there, my name is Skakar. I was hoping you could help me find Captain Giln. Is he hear?"

The worker coughed, shaking his head some before answer.

"Ahhh, yes. Yes he is. I'll go fetch him for you."

"Thank you." She smiled at him, nodding as he quickly turned and ran off, not wanting to leave the lady waiting. The other works slowly returned to work, though it was clear that they were distracted. A few minutes later, the heavy footsteps of Giln echoed into the room, and the older captain approached, a brow raised upon spotting Skakar. Stopping in front of her, he crossed his arms, mind raising.

Was that who he thought it was? Impossible. What was she doing here? She should be off babying homeless folk and comforting burn victims. She may be the daughter of his Kell, but that didn't mean he granted her the same level of respect. It had to be earned.

"What can I do you for ma'am? Shouldn't you be off giving another environmentalist speech or spewing political jargon about the failing economy or increase in orphan levels?"

She chuckled, amused by his comments.

"Not today my dear Giln. Today I have been tasked with something far more important. The care and protection of a child."

Giln eyes widened before narrowing, a growl forming in his throat as he glared at her.

"No. Unexceptable. I and I alone have the right to the boy. I am going to raise him as a warrior and I REFUSE to let you turn him into an egg sucking panderer."

Skakar's eyes narrowed, offended and hurt by not only his rude comment to her, including the growl, but also the way she spoke of the boy. He was treating him like a Shivara hound, not a scared and growing pup. She stepped forward, locking eyes with him. Despite his obvious muscle and bulk advantage, she was just as tall as him, allowing her to glare straight into his eyes.

"Well, for your information, Captain Giln. I didn't make this decision on my own. Despite your brutal treatment of those around the boy, and your rude treatment of a superior, your lack of respect for me would result in nothing being changed. Therefore, it pleases me to tell you that it was my fathers idea for me to watch over the boy."

"What?"

Skakar lifted up a small PDA pad, her eyes still narrowed at Giln as he snatched the pad from her hand and glanced over it. There, in clear text, a decree that Lady Skakar would have shared possession of the boy along with himself, however she would have higher authority. And at the bottom, the signature of his Kell, along with the signatures of three other Kells, making this a council matter. Official, and mandatory.

His claws dug into the PDA, cracking the machine and causing it to spark some as his strength crushed it. His face turned purple with rage, and he glared at Skakar, who stared back, arms crossed with a disappointed look on her face. He threw the scraps of the shattered device to the floor, letting a snarl escape his mandibles. He would offer to pay for it again, after all, he was honor bound to obey the council's commands.

"This is utter Avia shit, The Council has no right stepping into a matter that has already been settled."

"The Council only agreed with the orders of my father. Your Kell. The boy is barely able to walk, even without the shattered limb. He requires a motherly figure to teach and comfort him, to make sure that he has a proper childhood. Under your care, I think he'd be dead or scarred in a month."

"Perhaps he doesn't deserve to live then."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes as she strode past him.

"And that is exactly what I'm talking about. He's a child Giln, not a piece of meat. And I'm going to make sure that he gets to stay a child, at least for a little while."

Giln groaned, following after her as he ground his teeth in frustration. She glanced back at him, shooting him a glare before continuing on.

"Stop your belly aching. You can survive not getting your way for once in your life."

That nearly set him off, and if it weren't for the fact that she was his Kell's daughter, he would slay her where she stood. Be that as it may, he simply crossed his arms and trudged on, praying to the Great Machine that she didn't make training this boy more difficult than it need be.

"Now. I would like to see him. Where is he."

Giln grumbled again, but then shoved past her, picking up his pace so he outdistanced her.

"Follow me." He glanced back at her, hissing through his nostrils before muttering again. "Bloody kitch."

That one caught Skakar off guard, and almost made her want to lash out. But, she knew such an outburst would compromise her integrity and personal beliefs, so she kept quiet. Hopefully Giln didn't talk that way around the child. Foul language was a difficult habit to break from a child.

After some more walking, Giln stopped before a metal room door. Standard design. Skakar released a huff. This seemed unlikely to be the proper place for a child. With a metallic grind, the door slide open, and Skakar gasped in shock and concern.

The lights were off, meaning that with the door closed, the room would be fully dark. A large bed, hardly fit for his small size, and a bare floor. Nothing child friendly. But worst of all was the child. He was curled up on the back wall, weakly hugging his legs as he lay on the floor, weeping.

Ignoring Giln, her heart nearly shattered as she rushed towards him, then dropping down to her knees next to him. She placed a hand on his head, stroking it before speaking in soft voice, trying to hold back tears.

"Heksis?"

…

It was so cold. So dark. He was scared.

Heksis hugged his legs tightly, or at least as tight as he could with a cast on one, both its bulk and the pain making it difficult to hold it tightly. He was scared. Alone again, in the dark. All he could do was cry. Cry and hope that it would end. But it didn't. How long he cried in the dark, he couldn't tell. It may have been only a few minutes, but it felt like hours to him.

The door opened with a grind and he flinched, pale light shining over him. Had Giln returned to do something to him? Was he in trouble?

The sound of footsteps running towards him caused him to flinch, fresh tears spilling out as is fear grew. But, instead of harsh words or painful hitting, he only felt a gentle hand rest on his head, soft and kind. Like…. like his mothers.

"Heksis?"

The voice was sweet. Soft and caring. A females. Memories of his mother came flooding back to him, soft and loving. Slowly, he turned, and glanced at her.

"Mommah?"

A female wasn't his mother, but her face, it was starred with concern and compassion, as if it was his mother. She was dressed in a beautiful yellow dress, with make up accenting her eyes. She was beautiful, even more than his mother, and a sweet smell seemed to come from her. He didn't recognize her, but something told him that he could trust her.

She smiled softly, stroking his face gently.

"No my child, I am not your mother. But I hope that you will trust me as if I was. My name is Skakar. I'm going to take care of you."

"Sk-kar?"

She nodded, stroking his head like his mother did. Emotion welled up inside him, and he quickly threw himself on top of her, holding her tight. He just wanted to be held. It was practically instinctive, pups hugging their parents tightly, holding onto them as they traveled across the vast expanses of their planet. They'd been nomadic then, but it still brought comfort. When he felt her arms wrap round him in an embrace, he knew that he was going to be safe.

…

Many months went by; Hek's leg healed, his body grew and his mind expanded. Four days a week, Giln taught him physical strength and toughness, working him to the breaking point and often to tears. Giln taught him to dry those tears. He also taught Heksis his own personal code of honor, along with the history of many, but not all, Eliksni Houses.

But, it was the other three days the Heksis loved the most. Those days, lady Skakar would visit him, and he felt like a child again. They would play together for hours, running through the halls of the ketch or, if they were lucky, outside when it landed. The boy loved to travel. Any site he learned of, be it ancient temples, abandoned military forts, or massive complexes that had outlived their creators, he wanted to visit it all. She'd followed him throughout the visits, listening to him intently as the boy pulled page after page of archived information from his mind. He loved to talk, and he loved to learn, even if the knowledge contradicted or denied other information he'd learned. His understanding of things improved at a slow pace, yet the knowledge of things he'd found interesting was perfect. She'd taught him how to read and the culture of his people. However, she mostly played with him and was there for him. When he fell, she caught him. Injured, she healed him. Hungry, she fed him. She became like a mother to him.

During this time, the council continued its search for the "rouge servitors", but no evidence was found. The attacks continued, their frequency and scale increasing. Soon, not just mountain villages where being attacked, but valley ones as well. Forest villages burned and seaside homes flattened. Even with this, the council continued on, telling the public that everything was under control and that these attacks would end soon.

But then… the fateful day arrived, and things changed forever.

...

Lady Skakar walked down the streets of downtown Rivror, little Heksis at her side, holding her hand. Giln grumbled from behind, trying to keep up with the pair. Despite his best wishes, Skakar insisted that she take the boy out for walks, letting him see the city and get some fresh air. But, not wanting to leave them exposed, Giln came along, if only to make sure that they were not harmed in any way.

Stopping within one of the park areas, Skakar let the child go, allowing Heksis to run off and play in the curled grass and long, zigzaging leaves. She giggled to herself, finding great delight in the child's antics.

"You grow to attached. Do not forget that he is not yours. He is to become a warrior, as he should."

She turned, giving Giln a glare.

"And don't you forget that he is under my charge as well. I won't deny you the right to raise him as a warrior, but he is still a child. And a child deserves the opportunity to play."

He scoffed at her, but said nothing more, turning back to watch the boy. Perhaps she was right, but something just felt off today. He couldn't place it, but deep down, he knew it was foolish bringing the boy out today. And soon, he'd be proven right.

Quite suddenly, the sky overhead grew dark, and a foul wind blew across the city. Both caretakers glanced up, brows raised as they looked at the darkened sky. The clouds were boiling like a pot of water, writhing and thrashing as the wind howled. And the smell! The wind, it smelled old, bitter, and almost rotten. Something was wrong.

Skakar turned to Heksis, and found the child frozen, gazing up at the sky in confusion.

"Heksis! Come here right now."

The young child nodded vigorously before running back to Skakar, letting her pick him up in her arms. Giln growled, his hands gripping his weapons as he shifted his weight. Then…. Everything they had ever known changed.

A loud screech filled the air as suddenly, large green rifts, like some sort of freak maelstrom, tore into existence above the city. Like an approaching thunderstorm, black shapes slide out of these swirling green rifts before closing behind them. The shapes were a rough T shaped, and black like the night. Pale green lights ran down the objects, and the metal looked both ancient and dead at the same. There were about three of them, each around 30ft. in length, slicing through the air without a sound.

In the streets only about 15ft. beneath them, people screamed, running in terror from the strange shapes that slowly sliced through the air. Skakar stood in stunned silence, her mouth hanging agape as she stared at the black shapes. Even Giln stood in stunned silence, tongue tied by the sight before him. Meanwhile, Heksis watched in confusion, a brow raised as his small mane stood on end. Then, something happened. Small tube like shapes on the side of the vessel, on near the front and one near the rear, suddenly flashed before releasing large orbs of swirling purple light. Recognizing it, Heksis's face paled and his eyes widened, pointing at the shape he recognized from the day his mother died.

"Servetor! Sevitor!"

Skakar flinched when the orbs appeared, then glanced at Heksis when she heard him yell. Seeing his pale face and wide eyes, her own faced palled, realization dawning on her. That purple sphere that Heksis had seen, the one that his mother had hid him from, hadn't been a servitor at all. The child had mistaken it's appearance, the circular front had been believed to be a servitor.

The spheres slammed into the buildings and the ground, causing massive explosions of clear Void energy to envelop the impact zone. People screamed in horror as the orbs slammed into a crowd, sending bodies flying, the vile energy turning their flesh to sludge which fell to the ground, churning and bubbling on the ground as if some subtle urge to flee still lingered. The shapes continued to slice forward, releasing more of these spheres as they went, and the screams rose in kind as an alarm finally blared. They were being attacked. Fast as she could, Skakar turned and sprinted towards where they had left their transport, clutching a now screaming Heksis tightly in her arms. Giln quickly followed from behind, too much in shock to do much else, let alone speak. A new sound came to Skakar's ears and she turned, gasping at what she saw.

The base of the black vessels began to glow orange, a strange mist like substance being released from it as it moved on. The mist began materializing into monstrous forms straight out of her nightmares. Dozens of small, frail forms, their heads little more than snarling mouths and their hands curved into wicked claws. They stood idly for a few seconds, the one in the lead scanning the area, and seeing the nearby eliksni. In unison, they opened their jaws, withered and reawakened flesh being torn and stretched as they screamed horribly before diving towards the surrounding people, leaping atop them and ripping them apart with glowing, radiant claws. Larger forms emerged, about the size of the average Eliksni, and they were far different. They wore what looked ancient, star stained metal or chitin armor, and three blazing green eyes glared out from over a fanged mouth. They snarled, lifting strange devices in their hands before blasting out bolts of void energy at the crowd.

Finally, one more form was revealed. A towering brute, larger than any captain she'd ever seen, its body covered in thick bulky armor and massive weapons in its hands. One was a large gun like device, but the other was a large pale sword, the blade coated with old stains of blood. It bellowed the charged the civilians, slicing them to ribbons. Many of the older adults among the crowd, were expectant enough to carry aged, rust touched blades of their own. But these did nothing against the horde of thrall, and as the brute of a creature slashed at one of the fleeing residents, they ducked, and had one of their fingers cut off by the massive blade. Even though that was but a minor wound for an eliksni, the vandal dropped dead just seconds after, as if merely being struck by the creature's blade would poison the system of it's victim. Despite what she wanted to do, she simply ran, ran with the child, a speechless Giln on her heels as they leapt aboard their vehicle, which quickly took off towards the Capital. Even in the safety of their craft, they could do little more but stare in horrific silence, watching as their people were butchered by the monstrous creatures and their black ships. The ship's pilot was grateful that the engines muffled the screams. Giln stared out the window, not saying a word.

…

The council was in an uproar, shock, horror and fear rocking them like an earthquake. The culprit of the attacked had shown itself, revealing to be monstrous, undead abominations. Like a bad fictional projection, these creatures were slaughters thousands. But this was no projection and this wasn't fictional. Their people were being slaughtered, and he number of dead was increasing by the minute.

"We must mobilize immediately! Every second we wait is another hundreds of lives lost!"

Brother Brevik stood tall, his face darkened with anger as he bellowed his opinion to the rest of the council. His bombastic but normally calm demeanor was shattered, replaced by feelings of rage and anger. Talish, usually a stable figure head on the council, was sweating profusely, his fear boiling high.

"Calm yourself brother Brevik! We will need to keep our heads if we wish to handle this crisis."

"Forgive me brother Talish, but I fear keeping our heads will be more difficult than we expect. These…creatures. Aliens, whatever they are, seem capable of appearing anywhere they wish."

Talish glanced as Kasvis. His old friend looked even more withered than he did. No doubt the fear and realization of losing so many was weighing on him.

"Which is precisely why we need to retaliate now! They could be planning on attacking here next! We should be taking the fight to them!"

"House Devils is already fighting them on multiple fronts, boy. These things do not have a place to call their own. We can only engage when they engage first. Your logic is as flawed as it is rash."

Brevik glared at Viksis, but he didn't retaliate. He was smart enough to know it would be foolish.

"We appreciate your help with this Viksis" councilor Kaltriz said.

"And he is right. Our primary focus should be with protecting our people and finding the source of this invasion, not hunting them down."

Sevis nodded in agreement. "She's right. If we can wall in our people, we might be able to draw out these… Screamers, as Viksis has taken to calling them. It might sound terrible, but using our people as living bait might be our best bet on destroying these things."

Several of the councilors gasped loudly, shocked that Sevis would suggest such a thing. Their eyes were wide, especially those of Talish.

"How can you recommend such a thing!? Using our people as live bait! We're not barbarians! We could never…"

"It has already started my dear Talish. Why do you think the Devils are moving our people around large cities instead of in them."

Everyone blinked at Viksis, stunned by the revelation. It made sense, in a horrible way, but it did. Even so, not all of the councilors decided to do nothing about it.

"Viksis, while an honorable, if appalling gesture, the lives of our people are to be our priority. Killing off this threat will mean nothing if our people don't survive it."

Brevik sneered, glaring at Sahlin, face still shuddering.

"While I cant believe I'm saying this, I agree with Viksis. We cannot simply sit here and do nothing while this enemy slaughters us! For too long, we have sat her stagnating under the thumb of you and Talish!"

He jabbed his finger accusingly at the two councilors, who starred back in shock. How long has he wanted to say this, but not yet had the guts to do it.

"But no more! If we need to defy you and sacrifice our people to save them, I say we do it! But I refuse to simply sit-"

Brother Brevik never got to finish his sentence, for at that moment, blood erupted from his chest as a slightly blunt object burst through. He gagged on his own blood, glancing down in horror at the dull blade that protruded from his chest. The others simply starred in stunned horror, the air sucked from their lungs.

Like a phantom, a form materialized behind Brevik, starting with fanged metallic teeth and three glowing green eyes. From there, the towering form of a so called "Brute Screamer" melted out from the darkness, it's armor black as night, with a faded green cloth dangling from its right shoulder and waist. The eyes were little more than glowing slits, buried deep within the horned helmet. The metallic teeth seemed to gleam, standing out from its exposed tendons and black abyss of a throat. A large sword was in its hand, currently embedded with the chest of the young councilor, the blood staining the dark metal and accenting its jagged shape and form.

The other hand emerged from behind him, and grabbed the lads face, the metallic teeth clattering before splitting open into a split jawed snarl. With a savage and horrific tug, the beast ripped Brevik's body in two, throwing the two halves to either side as it lifted its head and roared, three tendril like tongues writhing within its split mouth.

The top half of the body, consisting of his left arm and head, landed within the booth of Wind Counselor Kaltriz, causing her to scream in horror and fear as she was coated in Brevik's hot blood. The lower half fell to the floor with a sickening thud, just as a massive, explosion shook the outside of the buildings. It was only then that the other councilors snapped out of their stupor and reacted.

Jumping to her feet, Councilor Sahlin threw her hands forward, the blue psionic energy that her House was known for swirling to life as she twirled her hands, then thrust them at the Brute.

The Beast convulsed, flying backward and slamming into the wall as the blue energy swirled round it. Sahlin's eyes narrowed, and she drew her hands together, clenching them. The beast snarled, it's chitin armor bending some before imploding with a crunch. The body suddenly erupted into embers with a bright flash, scattering the burning shards into the air.

Lowering her arms, Sahlin glanced at the others, who starred in shock before finally moving. As one, the ran down from their booths to the main level, arriving just as guards burst through the door. Two heavily armored Kings guards, and two lightly armored Rain "psi guards", wielding pikes in their upper hands while their lower swirled with energy.

Quickly guiding the councilors out the door and into the Hall, Talish was shocked to see Skakar, running down the hall towards him. She was dressed in a more casual dress, but still nicely. Over her shoulders, she wore a cradle sling, and Talish could see that the young boy Heksis was sitting within. Behind her, Captain Giln followed, a Solar-Shot (shotgun) in his hands, eyes wide. Skakar's face was pale, her eyes wide like Giln's. The young boy currently had his face buried within Skakar's collar, no doubt more scared then all the rest.

"Father! The Screamers, the Council Chamber! It's…."

Another explosion cut her off, and all present glanced out the side window and saw what Skakar was trying to say. Out on the lawn, one of the black vessels hung low, and it's Screamer cargo was tearing across the lawn, fighting the Council guard in a brutal melee. Captains locked blades with the towering Brutes. Vandals exchanged fire with the standar Screamers, but worst of all, feral Screamers sprinted everywhere, tearing into servants and guards alike, their claws alight with arc energy and splattered with blood. A few of the beasts glowed a sickly green, shuffled forward at a slower pace before throwing themselves at Eliksni and exploding in a flash of green smoke and gore. Talish flinched visibly, gesturing for his guards before turning to his daughter.

"Skakar. Listen to me closely. Viksis has compromised the area! He's using this compound as bait. You must get out of here! Immediately! Take your research, hour archives, and begin storing them. We need to protect our culture, and I'm trusting you."

Another explosion sounded, and he placed his hand on her shoulder. She gazed at him, wide eyed, but nodded slowly.

The wall beside them suddenly burst, staggering them both and coating them with dust. Talish then cried out in pain as Void shots flew through the new opening, one tearing through his side.

"Father!"

…

Giln flinched when the wall exploded, surprised by the flash of light and smoke. Then, he saw the Screamers beyond, and a void shot strike his kell.

Within him, a rage he'd barely surpass for years surfaced. These beasts dared attack him Kell?! He'd make them pay!

With a roar befitting an Avashni, he raced passed Skakar and Talish. The captain's roar grew louder, and he fired his Solar Shot at the charging Screamer. The black armored beast wailed as the blasts ripped through its armor, before it finally collapsed, dissolving into ash. A second charged, firing a more traditional looking weapon with green bolts, but Giln dodged the shots and retaliated in kind. It barely reached the door before the final blast struck its face and launched it back, the corpse bursting into embers.

Turning back to Skakar, he sneered, gesturing for the exit.

"Go! Get out of here! I'll cover your escape!"

She nodded, then helped her father stand as they moved to the door. A louder roar drew Giln's attention, and he turned, spotting a Brute Screamer charging at him with a blade.

"Shit!"

He lept backwards, barely dodging the downward swing that cracked the ground. He could only fire twice before the beast swung again, slicing his gun in two.

Giln's eyes widened in terror as he leapt aside to dodge another blow, now weaponless. However, before the beast could finish him off, it seized up, its body going rigid as something like a worm was pulled from its chest. The beast wailed, then collapsed into ash. With a spurt, the worm thing burst into green goo.

Baffled by the sight, Giln turned, and spotted Lady Sahlin, her glowing fist clenched. She turned, thrusting her hand forward and launching another Screamer back before turning to him.

"Have the other Councilors made it out?"

Giln nodded, scooping up the nearby weapon of a dead guard. Sahlin sighed, then nodded.

"Stay close Giln. We may not agree on things, but we need fighters like you, come."

He nodded, then ran after the tall female, firing at anything un-Eliksni that got close. Soon, they made there way outside, weaving between bodies and blasts, Sahlin smashing the large ones while Giln mopped up the smaller beasts.

Finally, Giln found himself staring at an oddly shaped boulder, and was baffled to spot Sahlin racing down a hidden door. Beyond, his shape vision could just make out another councilor disappearing into the blackness before Sahlin. A secret passage! They were going to make it.

Stepping into the doorway, he moved to close it, but stopped when he heard a weak voice.

"Wait! Hold the door! Please!"

About 20 yards away, Wind Councilor Kaltriz was limping towards him, clutching the melting wound of a void bolt. Her lower right arm had been torn away, the stump dissolving into a thick purple sludge that oozed down her arm, steaming and bubbling like hot water. It was dripping down her side, and stretched like snot strands from her other arm. She was covered in blood, and tears ran from her bloodshot eyes like rivers. She was desperately limping forward, almost clawing for the safety of the buker.

"Please help! Don't leave me."

But Giln didn't help. He simply watched her as she trudged forward. Watched at her foot caught on a dead body and bent at an odd angle. Only watched as she slammed into the ground, unable she to stand. Her pleas turned to weeping and she clawed at the ground, but he only watched.

"No! P-please! Don't leave me! PLEASE!"

Giln looked away as a glowing green Feral Screamer lurched from the smoke and leapt a top Kaltriz. His eyes closed as her screams of help turned to screams of terror, joined by the Screamers snarl of hunger. He closed the door just as the screams were silenced by a wet explosion.

….

Confusion.

Terror.

These are what cloaked Heksis' mind as his friend and "mother", Skakar, raised around, carrying him on her back as she rushed towards the massive ship he called Home.

His mind was abuzz with the noises and images that flooded his mind. Three eyed monsters where attacking people. Hurting them! Doing horrible things he couldn't understand. His tears and cries went unnoticed, drowned with in the screams of others.

When he wasn't screaming, he tried to understand. But the big words where as difficult to hear as they were to understand.

"...it ready yet? We do… time!"

"Pre…. freeze. It's the only….. safe."

"Will he…. such a thing?"

"Unclear. We can…. vive."

"How lo…"

"Few mo…. No more."

"Alright. Get the people on…. ttle time."

Heksis helped as he was pulled from his back, and hurriedly placed within a tube of some kind. He panicked, glancing around at the glass walls. Then, Skakar's face appeared over him, a hand resting on his.

"Shhh. It's ok Heksis. You're going to be ok. You're going to be taking a nap now. When you wake up, all of this will be better. I promise. We can be a family again."

"F-Family?"

"Yes. Family. I promise. I'll be right here when you wake up. I will never leave you alone again. Now rest."

Heksis didn't understand. He whined, then cried out as the tube closed round him. Skakar's sad face stared at him through the glass, tears running down her eyes.

One of his small hands slammed against the glass, and he cried out again. But, the tube didn't open.

Slowly, Skakar raised a hand and rested if atop the window, right where his hand was. A drowsiness came over Heksis, and his hand began to slip from the glass. But Skakar didn't move. She simply stared at him, fresh tears running down her eyes as the drowsiness caused Heksis' eyes to close.

The darkness of sleep came over Heksis but he didn't fight it. Peace and rest flooded his mind, and he sniffed a final tear before slowly drifting off. A sensation of cold came over him, but he ignored it. With a final blast of cold, Heksis knew no more.

Authors Note: Happy day or night to everyone! A good thanks to my readers for enjoying my fanfiction and urging me onto continuing it. But, if you, dear reader, are reading this (the reader reads something what a surprise BLE-) then please make sure to go praise and acknowledge ZOMAN338 for his support. I am not overstating the fact that without his assistance/rescue it would've taken much longer to get these replies out. In any event, hope you enjoyed the story. If you'd like to contact me for future ideas and suggestions, message my skype.

Username:redfishcam

Hope your having a lovely time, wherever you are, and I wish you all the best.