"This is the dumbest idea you have ever come up with Chase!" Iris snapped as she ran to keep up with me. I bolted down the small alley with Iris at my flank, we were heading to the side street that Alpa'nagia was hiding and observing the soldiers in the square. Jane and Astrid were taking a different street to meet up with Bone-lasher so they could keep watch on the soldiers that had entered the city.
"Given the fact all my dumb ideas have worked I'll take that as a good sign!" I replied as I grabbed onto a pillar and used that to help skid into the side street. Alpa'nagia sat in the shadows of the buildings around us totally concealed except for his eyes, the two orbs glowed with a terrifyingly beautiful deep amber glow. I skidded to a stop and turned to wait for Iris.
Iris turned the corner and saw Alpa'nagia's eyes and nearly screamed but I grabbed her mouth and stopped her.
"Don't! That's Alpa'nagia!" I hissed at her.
"That thing's eyes are terrifying." Iris said.
"Ssssssorry to ssssscare you." Alpa'nagia apologizes quietly. Hearing his voice even though Iris was warned he could talk beforehand made her go completely rigid and her breath catch. I will admit the lisp and the low smokey tone that Alpa'nagia had did come off a bit as creepy and terrifying.
"Everything ready?" I said to Alpa'nagia. He nodded and slithered closer, bringing the top half of his body into the moonlight. I was pretty sure I could hear Iris heart beating through her chest at that point. "Good, let me see."
I patted Iris on the shoulder then let go of her and moved to look at the soldiers in the square. Iris stuck close to me, either out of fear of Alpa or curiosity of the soldiers.
The soldiers were pacing the square, occasionally checking a villager to make sure they were still asleep. All the soldiers looked like grunts, most around our age. Though there was one that seemed a little older than the rest, he was definitely more experienced. He stood with a air of jaded mystery and; unlike the rest of his fellow soldiers who all kept a eye on the sleeping villagers; he kept an eye turned to the shadows.
"That one's expecting a attack." I said pointing to the soldier. Iris sized him up then nodded in agreement.
"Those other ones are green, probably never seen combat before." Iris surmised.
My eyes left the soldiers and turned to the tower in the center of the square. I wasn't sure if I was seeing things or if it was actually there but there was a sort of haze around the top of the tower. A black shimmer almost, it gave me the creeps.
[The females are here…]
I could here Jane's voice thank to a axiom spell I cast just before we left the barracks. It allowed everyone to communicate telepathically using me as the communication hub. I wrote the spell sigil kind of hastily so it would only last a half hour at most, though admittedly I took a little more card with that sigil than I did with the other three I wrote.
I said.
[Alpa now!] I ordered.
[Yesssss Ssssstar Ssssshaper!]
I took a deep breath as I walked out of the alley. I kept my hands up, purposefully keeping the back of my hands out of view. It took the soldiers a few moments to notice me but when they did the jaded soldier noticed first. He pointed his gun at me then shouted something in a language I didn't understand. The rest of the soldiers all fell in line with him and aimed their weapons at me.
"Don't shoot!" I shouted in universal standard. That caught the soldiers attention they all looked at each other then the jaded soldier responded.
"Who are you? Are you from this city?" He asked in universal standard. I took a deep breath to calm myself before I replied.
"Yes! I am from here and I demand to know why you all have entered my city?!" I shouted back with all the authority I could muster. The soldiers all looked to one another then the jaded soldier shot at the ground in front of me.
"I'll ask the questions here!" He snapped.
[Sssssstar Ssssssshaper?] Alpa'nagia inquired. I could feel the malice flowing off of Alpa'nagia and directed at the soldier who shot at me.
[I'm fine. Focus on your job Alpa.] I replied. I heard a reluctant hiss in my mind and the malice vanished. The soldiers were totally unaware of the mental exchange happening between myself and everyone.
"Fine. What is your question?" I asked with a dismissive click of my tongue. The jaded soldier glared at me but made no further moves.
"What happened here?" He asked motioning to all the unconscious villagers. I frowned and cocked my head.
"The Zolas got them." I said looking down at my feet.
"Zolas? What is zolas?"
"Sound stalkers…fiends…monsters." I replied. I let my eyes stare off into the distance and made my voice sound a little monotone. "They are the true masters of this place."
"What is this place?" The soldier asked.
[Now Alpa!]
"It is our hunting ground." I said cocking my head to the side.
Alpa'nagia slithered out of the shadows and rose to full height. The soldiers all startled and jumped back as Alpa'nagia screeched into the sky letting loose a sonic blast that echoed into the night. Just then hundreds of thousands of sonic vipers funneled out of the wells throughout the village and blackened the skies.
The swarm flew towards the town square and engulfed everyone. I smirked as the soldiers started screaming and shooting randomly around them, Alpa'nagia grabbed me and slithered back into the ally then grabbed Iris and flew up to the top of the village wall.
From our new spot we watched as the vipers attacked the soldiers with venom bites. Only a small number of vipers attacked, the rest worked together to carry villagers out of the square and to safety in the side streets. Once the last soldier fell and all the villagers were gone they started moving up the main streets moving the villagers as they found them.
From our position on the wall we could just barely make out where the soldiers and the splicer was in the city. The sonic viper swarm was heading directly for them.
There was suddenly a bright flash of light, electricity arched and struck the first viper in the swarm and branched off hitting the next and the next and the next, reducing everything struck to dust. We watched as the entire swarm was reduced to ash in a matter of moments.
[My brethren!] Alpa'nagia cried. I reached up and patted Alpa'nagia's head as waves of sorrow washed over me. It took all my strength to not scream with him.
Jane replied.
[That bastard smells of blood! DANGEROUS!] Bone-lasher growled.
[Grab Jane and Astrid then get away from there! I'm not risking that string of a splicer finding you!] I ordered Bone-lasher.
"Chase look!" Iris exclaimed. She pointed back at the main square to the tower. I watched as the front doors opened and Raziri and Tarrika walked out of the tower. Levitating close behind them was Luna'lana, Dwarm'moo, and Abra'bo. The three elders were suspended in mid-air by chains made of light.
"Auntie!" I exclaimed. I tried to to move but I was still in Alpa'nagia's grasp.
"Chase wait! Something is going on!" Iris said. I stilled and watched as Anansi and his guards walked into the village square. Anansi and company stopped in front of the tower steps. We were too far away to hear what was being said but their body langue spoke volumes.
Tarrika looked extremely calm and cocky, I got that there was a feeling of familiarity between Anansi and Tarrika. Tarrika looked like he snapped at his daughter and told her to go do something. She looked calm as she seemingly turned to do as she was told but spun back around and rushed her father.
He froze and stiffened before falling down the steps at Anansi's feet. Tarrika crawled towards Anansi seeming you cry for help, even reaching for Anansi's feet. The Paragon stepped out of the way and motioned for one of his guards. The soldier stepped forward and handed Anansi his sidearm. Without another thought the Paragon shot Tarrika in the head.
<[What the fuck is going on!]> I broadcasted to both the girls and the evos.
[Dangerousssssss mussssssst flee!] Alpa'nagia screeched in my head.
[Bad bad! Bad feeling!] Bone-lasher growled, his voice edged with worry.
Alpa'nagia suddenly jumped off the wall and flew away from the village. With both Iris and I in his hands we were dragged along with him.
"Alpa wait!" I yelled.
"What's going on!" Iris demanded.
I suddenly felt a chill run up my spine and looked back to see a beam of black energy shoot into the sky and encompass the protective dome around the village. The whole dome turned black and Alpa'nagia crashed into the ground to avoid touching the dome.
"Dangerousssssss!" Alpa'nagia hissed as he glared at the dome.
"Chase what's going on?"
<[Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!]> I groaned.