A bad choice, while Stary rolled his eyes mockingly, he noticed something peculiar, a thin ray of sunlight, echoing through the window, proving the truth, it was dawning, was it the end?
"What?" Stary chokes, "I think it's better… that's it."
But before he can say anything, a loud scream echoes around, followed by a strong earthquake, the walls of the abandoned school shake, freezing everyone's soul, especially Stary,
"Damn…" Stary falls to the ground in despair,
"What was this?" Ryn asks innocently,
Little by little, another tremor occurs and the sound of the machines intensifies, echoing throughout the city and filling the air with a dark aura, along with birdsong,
In the next window, everyone starts to hear a peculiar sound, it was like several metal knocks, coming from the wall, climbing the wall, an invasion,
The walls begin to shake more intensely, and the recently freed thieves join the group, looking at the window together,
The sound approaches, revealing the apparition, a patched being, with metallic parts, climbs the window, passing by them, ignoring the school, it was like a figure, fortunately he had not seen them,
"Devils?" Anaa cowers in fear, in a corner of the room,
"These, um, aren't demons, they're much worse things!" Stary states, "Now come on, we have to get out of here!"
Several screams begin to be heard, outside the prison, was the city under attack?
Without wasting time, they run towards the exit, guided by the survival instinct,
The scene in the streets is chaotic, blood in the snow, bodies scattered, a real massacre, but there was no fire or anything, which was also extremely strange,
There were no marks of shots or bombs, like in the tribe, why not send artillery machines? A direct attack instead? apart from the screams, there was nothing,
"Well, let's not waste time, Anaa, guide us to the passage!" Stary shouts, running again, "And take Ryn with you, don't let her look at the streets,"
The sound of the apparitions' screams and hurried footsteps echoed around them, it was as if they were invading the houses first,
Suddenly, one of the apparitions appears, breaking one of the windows, falling in the middle of the street, in front of the group,
She was trembling, in her claws was a man with a needle, the machine moved quickly through his head, in a miserable act, killing him in the process,
The apparition laughed, with incomprehensible creaks, it was a machine different from the others, with the purpose of scaring its victims. Its multiple arms were composed of sharp needles and its legs were as thin as brittle metal branches,
The creature watches them with its lifeless glowing eyes, emitting a metallic hum from its long, sharp steel teeth,
With clumsy and irregular movements, the apparition begins to scan the surroundings,
The group trembles with fear when they see this, but continues to run, towards an alley, getting close to where the passage out of the city was,
In an alley, they hear the sound of the monster behind, climbing the walls, ahead were the walls, the exit from that nightmare,
"Help!" one of the thieves shouted, as he ran, being pulled into one of the houses, breaking the window,
The group runs, one after the other, some thieves disappear behind, disappearing,
"What is happening?" Nyla asks, only to see the same figure from before in the distance, running after them,
In the middle of the square, there was a solitary barricade of sales, that was where the secret was!
"We do not have time! Quickly, enter the passage, it's under that tent over there!" Anaa screams, going to her revealing a passage below, a hidden wooden trapdoor, which led to a tunnel to the outside,
"Quickly, quickly, move forward, you will emerge next to the wall in the forest!" Anaa says, drawing her daggers from her back,
Ryn looks at it, and she notices that her robe is still full of gold, it was a shame, but she would have to throw it away,
"I'll try to delay them, go quickly!" Anaa screams, grabbing Ryn's bag of jewelry, and trying to throw it at the apparition, making a mistake in the process.
"Hey! I was going to use that, you know?" Ryn screams, before being thrown by one of the thieves into the passage,
"I'm staying too, you can go, I'm the leader here after all! And I'm good at fighting!" Raven also says, drawing a short sword,
"Raven! You can't…" Ryn tries to get up, before receiving a punch to the head, causing her to fall into the passage again,
"Hurry up you idiot, and Stary… take good care of her ok!" Raven says, turning her attention
Half of the thieves had already passed through the secret passage, and the rest passed quickly, Stary and Nyla were waiting their turn,
Raven and Anaa, took up a defensive position, an apparition arrives first,
The morning light was revealed over the city, the rays shone on the metal and blood of the machine, the same light also shone on the swords of the human and the wolf, now, they had to endure, and defend everyone,
Anaa launches herself against the apparition with dexterity, dodging its attacks and slashing with her daggers,
The machine was brutally murderous, and was willing to kill everyone there, with each attack, it found an opening, and stuck a needle into its target, making small blood marks on Anaa's fur, painting it red,
The battle is intense, with flames crackling in the air as weapons clash,
Anaa's body was, in just a few seconds, full of needle wounds, and Raven was struggling to stand, trying to overcome her extreme fear,
The apparition suffered damage, but that was the objective, to get closer, cause as much pain as possible to the target, tire him, and then kill,
"Ugh, ugh" Anaa, sighs in pain, feeling her senses disappear,
Stary and Nyla watched in fear, defending the rear from the rest of the group's escape,
"Anaa! Raven! Don't stay close, fight at a distance, that's what this machine does, don't fight close, retreat slowly, we can all escape!" Stary shouts, waiting for the last thief to pass through the secret passage,
"Stary, now it's our turn!" Nyla screams, calling him,
At the same moment, Raven throws her sword at the apparition, stabbing it in the chest, causing the monster to fall to the ground, defeated,
"It worked out!" Raven, scream with joy, Stary thanks for the tip,
In the distance, several other apparitions appeared, five in total, climbing houses and running, trying to get to them as quickly as possible. Despair grips them as they fight fatigue and fear,
Nyla tries to shoot as much as possible to try to knock someone down, but she quickly uses up all of the crossbow's darts,
"Damn… I ran out of ammo!" Nyla says, quickly grabbing her sword, protecting Stary,
Raven, seeing the imminent arrival of the apparitions, understands that they do not have enough time to escape safely. With a determined look, she turns to Stary and Nyla,
They go! I'll slow them down! I can't let them get to you!" Raven screams, grabbing her sword again from the apparition's body,
Stary and Nyla hesitate, reluctant to abandon their friend, but they know that every second is precious,
"Raven…" Anaa says reluctantly, moving closer to stay and fight too,
"NO! Not you!... I lived my life helping your people Anaa, GO!" Raven screams, pushing her away,
"More Raven, I'm a Lu-a warrior, I can help!" Anaa exclaims,
"Your Mother, Lanary, was a good queen, I can't… let you die, NOW GO! If not for me, for her, for her people…" Raven says, "Relax guys, I have a plan ok!, I'll catch up with you in a bit,"
"Raven…" Stary, Nyla and Anaa, look at her, before fleeing through the trapdoor,
"Stary! Nyla!, I know you don't care, it's okay,… those thieves… Ryn, they're my family, just like you, I want to protect them, so… TAKE CARE OF THEM OK!" Raven screams, retreating back,
The screams got louder, the apparitions got closer and closer to the square,
"I'm not angry, friends... we step over everyone, to protect the ones we love... that's how it should be!" Raven says sadly, but with a smile
"I never had a family, you know? I was always abandoned, left to die, but NOT TODAY! Today I am the one who will protect, that is my wish" Raven says her last words,
With a quick movement, she throws Stary, Nyla and Anaa down, and violently closes the Trapdoor, standing on top of her,
They both look at each other, listening to the noises above in fear, but they know, they had to run now, as quickly as possible, for her...
They continue running down the tunnel, Raven's battle cries ringing in their ears, before coming to a complete stop. They feel a mixture of gratitude and sadness when leaving their friend behind, but it was necessary to continue,
Stary's heart beats fast, adrenaline, euphoria, in a few moments, he sees the light of day, like a big crack in the wall, in one jump, they leave the city, joining the rest of the thieves,
Few were there, or those who managed to get there, the forest right behind them was immense, they finally got out, now it was time to run, and hope they wouldn't be chased,
"What do we do now?" one of the thieves bows to Anaa, before there were 30, now there are only 23 left,
"I'm not the leader, it's him, our Lyor!" Anaa says quickly, throwing the lead on Stary's back,
"He? why?" another thief asks angrily,
"It doesn't seem like it, but he is our god, I would follow him, until my death!" with a hand on her heart Anaa responds, without fear,
"Psss! I won't stay with him, being the leader, see you later!" one of the thieves shouts, leaving in the process, with a few others following him, leaving only 16 left,
"Thanks huh…" Stary sees this, with a neutral appearance, "Does anyone else want to go out?"
"Hey, guys, now is not the time, okay! Come on, let's run again, we have to get out of here," Nyla puts herself between Stary,
"I know Raven sacrificed herself…she saw you as family, so…I'll help in any way I can. Stary let's get out of here quickly, how about that direction on that mountain in the distance!" Nyla gives an amazing idea,
"Great idea Nyla! Ok there might be good, from there, I already have an idea where to go" Stary says,
A cold wind was blowing through the forest, and small snowflakes began to fall again, bringing the melancholy with it,
Stary looks up at the sky, deciding to turn his attention to running,
But another tremor happens, stronger this time, interrupting everyone's thoughts, throwing them violently to the ground,
The world falls, the earth shakes, everything collapses, a huge crack begins to form in the wall, and small stones fall from above,
An earthquake happens!
"Hey, Let's go quickly, towards… the… mountain…" Stary tries to run as much as possible, being followed by the group,
The unstable ground makes their progress difficult, but they persist, moving with determination amidst the chaos,
At some point they arrive at a large elevation, the agitation is interrupted again with a futuristic noise, putting an end to the earthquake,
Stary stops for a moment, trying to identify the source of the strange noise, looking around, and occasionally looking up,
In the sky, there was, like magic, a huge shadow, powerless, hovering over the city,
Giant, enough to stop some sun rays!. The group looked, their eyes did not believe the vision, was it an ancient god?
"Stary… what's that?" Nyla asks, mesmerized by the sight,
Stary also can't believe what her eyes see, from the distance, the object was immensely gigantic, and seemed to be very far from the ground, in space...
"A ship!?" Stary says confused, he was very surprised,
The innocent ship floated calmly over the city, in the distance, for everyone but him, it was an indescribable sight, something that shouldn't exist, obviously they would think it was a god, but no, it was something much more deadly,
"Guys! We have to keep going, that ship, it's not a good sign!" Stary tries to get everyone's attention, but in vain,
"How does something like this exist?" Ryn asks, losing her balance,
The ship moved slowly, swimming among the clouds in the sky,
In a moment of calm, another noise, agonizing this time, echoes throughout the region,
Stary looks again, it was as if something had activated, they had to run, he already knew what it was, most likely it was a weapon!
"Let's run! NOW!" Stary lets out a fierce scream, immediately running back,
The unstable ground shakes and crumbles beneath their feet, but they move quickly, avoiding falls and debris.
The snow begins to fall more intensely, creating a landscape that is both stunning and frightening at the same time,
Stary maintains the pace, urging the group to continue, ignoring the exhaustion that begins to weigh on them. Arriving at the mountain, the group climbs quickly, running between the elevations, trying to find a safe place,
Finally, a base between the mountain appears, the cold and pure air surrounds them, bringing brief relief. Looking back, they see the city, motionless,
A simple vision takes away all peace,
Fast, Unexpected, like lightning, a thin line of light, descends from the top of the spaceship, resting in the middle of the city,
Calm, and then, next to the sun, behind, a light as strong as, is thrown, breaking the air around, hitting the ground,
A huge blue laser descends on the city, previously splitting the vision,
Simply, in one second, creating a huge explosion, dismantling all matter in the impact radius, shooting lightning into the sky, and annihilating not only the city, but the entire region,
In a moment, houses, the palace, the nearby village, caves, shops, everything, are evaporated,
The group looks at this catatonic, unable to understand the scene in front of them. Except for Stary, he knew very well, it was an orbital bombardment, that ship, it must have been from the company!
As they watched, a large shock wave spread through the forest below, ripping some trees from the ground, reaching them within minutes, throwing them back with the wind,
The air was charged with electricity, Stary, Nyla and Anaa's hair stood on end, metal weapons acted strangely, giving small shocks to the thieves, a truly terrifying scene, it was like forbidden magic,
The city of Lost Rain, and the Province of Rain, on that day, will also disappear,
The world around trembles under its devastating force,
The group quickly recovers from the impact of the shockwave and stands up, covered in dirt and disoriented,
Some thieves are in shock, Ryn cries uncontrollably, Anaa, kneels on the ground paralyzed, and Nyla holds Stary tightly, hugging his tail,
He looks at the horizon, where the city once stood proud, now only burnt land remained, the forest was gone, there was only absolute nothing,
A reminder, of what true power was, demons, gods, machines, technology, could truly do, the whole world was under attack,
On that winter day, a real war began, a war that would change that world forever,
The day had turned into night, the smoke that evaporated the city, still cracked the skies, not letting the light pass through,
In this scenario, a small discouraged group walked through the long forest,
"Stary, do you still have a long way to go?" Ryn asks,
"After all, where we are going, everyone is hungry and tired" one of the thieves says, "And why are we following a talking animal?"
"Wow, how much you complain" Anaa enters next to Stary, "Look he's almost a god, he knows what he's doing, now you just because you walked a little want to stop?... you want to go back there with... what's the name again? Stary? Machines?"
"Yes, yes, machines…" Stary responds, walking again,
"See… do you want it?" Anaa asked, making everyone silent,
Everyone's morale was below zero, literally, at least Anaa and Nyla were giving them all the support to keep them calm,
Stary, in turn, analyzed, this was not good at all, they had to leave this region, it was a mining company, in a short time, they would mine everything around here, we have to go far away, the temple from before... was a day trip, it was a good place,
He looks at the horizon, where the city once stood proud, now only burnt land remained, the forest was gone, there was only absolute nothing,
All of this, technology, robots, weapons, this world, every day Stary felt a deep sadness for this world. In the end they didn't have the slightest chance of fighting against it, it was the end, not just cities, but this company wanted the whole world, that was strange and oppressive,
"Look, we're getting close, ok! A few more minutes of travel" Stary says, breaking the silence,
"Stary… is there really going to be a war?" Nyla asks, shivering, walking right behind,
"Let's think, okay, does Anaa have any other tribes of humans and wolves?" Stary asks,
"For humans there are 4 large regions, Rain, Stone, Tree and Iron… well now only 3, for wolves… there are a few, ours only one!" Anaa is scared when she remembers, "The only thing left is the Ice Rune, to the north, the rest, it no longer exists…"
"Ice Rune… and what are they like?" Staty asks, receiving the simplest answer of all,
"Worse than Lunar Light, among all, the strictest" Anaa trembles, were they that bad?
"Vish… what about humans? There's not even another kingdom to help?" Stary seemed completely hopeless now,
"Not one…" one of the thieves cuts off the conversation, "At least, as far as I know the other kings don't owe us anything, besides, they are very far away… miles away"
"We need a plan…" Stary mutters,
However, amidst the darkness and sadness, small rays of light began to filter through the dense fog. They lit the way, revealing the hidden beauty of the surrounding landscape,
Snow-covered trees began to stand out, and the chirping of birds echoed softly in the ears of weary travelers,
tary met with his group and shared his reflections and ideas, trying to cheer them up,
"We are going to the temple ofKirysiny… where I… oh forget it, from there we will set up a base," Stary stamps his paw hard on the ground, assuming a leader's stance,
"I know it seems like a losing fight, but we're going to make it, this company, they... they're not gods, all of us, we're going to find our place in this world, and we're going to be safe," Stary says, hoping this will keep everyone's morale up,
Now, with their spirits revitalized, Stary and his companions moved forward. With every step, the nature around him seemed to come to life again, promising that in the end, everything would get better,
With determined steps, and half a day, at dusk they finally reached the ancient temple of the Kirysiny, where Stary awoke,
When they got close, the middle mountain rose majestically, they surrounded it, enough to find the entrance to the temple, the giant ice crystal had already melted. The entrance was still collapsed, further to the side there was a large passage, into the temple, that wall without a pillar, which collapsed,
Everything was there, as if it were the first time, it didn't even seem like it had been that long, apart from the snow covering everything, everything was the same,
"Wow, everything is just the way I remember it…" Stary looks around, entering the temple,
Looking around he sees, the fox statues, the vases with magic gunpowder, and the unforgettable stalactite, still aimed deadly at where he slept,
"Hihi, I miss you…" Stary lets out a cute laugh, "Come Nyla, I want to show you something!"
"Hey Lyor, what do we do?" Anaa asks,
All the thieves moved in, trying to get out of the cold, settling down in some corner of the temple,
"Well, I know you're tired, but do what you want, okay, rest, we'll have this talk tomorrow, okay!" Stary says, turning her attention to Nyla,
"Nyla! Come, come" Stary murmurs, jumping up and down, calling her to see,
"Look Nyla, this is where I woke up… without memories, I don't know why, I don't know… but what about the curiosity?" Stary says, standing on top of where he slept before,
"Here? You didn't get cold, did you?" Nyla says worrying,
"Cold? there is! You can't even imagine!" Stary lets out a laugh, "You didn't even see, I was sleeping under that stalactite!"
The two laugh together, it was a really funny situation, until Nyla caressed him,
"Idiot, it's not funny, you could have gotten hurt, don't ever sleep in random places again, okay?" Nyla says, controlling her laughter,
"Look…" Nyla pulls the sword from her back, and with little strength she throws the sword with precision, hitting the stalactite, making it fall, cracking the ground, "See Stary, now you can sleep peacefully, I defeated her for you, "
"Phew, haha, you saved me Nyla!" Stary laughs, making a funny scene,
The two of them spend long enough cracking up together, and playing stupid pranks, long enough that they don't notice, Ryn, Anaa and the thieves, all looking at them with shame,
After all, they were in a cave, a temple, their laughter echoed throughout the place,
"Aiai, these two…" Anaa shakes her head, laughing a little too,
"Wow, they're really friends, I'm going there with them," Ryn says, running over to them,
"Stary, Nyla, do you guys want to play something?" Ryn asks,
"Well… we don't have anything much to do…" Stary says, with a playful tone, "Of course! What do you think of tag?"
After Stary, Nyla and Ryn spent a lot of time playing, the night approached,
With their combined skills, Stary and his group began to set up the base inside the temple. Each person contributes their knowledge and talents, creating a functional and welcoming environment,
Luckily, some of the thieves had brought tents. Several of these were erected, supplies organized and a designated training area was established,
Anaa collected some fruit with the help of the thieves, enough to satisfy everyone's hunger,
Little by little, the abandoned place created a welcoming atmosphere for everyone,
Some began to create improvised fires near the tents, warming the place,
"Hey, be careful with the vases, they have a magical substance that explodes, take it from me!" Stary screams at everyone, scaring some, and making others laugh,
"Hey Stray Thanks! Thanks!" one of the thieves, shouts in the distance,
Inside the improvised base, everyone found a comfortable corner to rest. The tents offered shelter from the cold of night and winter, and the fire pits dotted around the area provided a soft, comforting light, they even reused the braziers,
It was time to sleep, and everyone was in their tents, well, almost everyone, there wasn't enough for the 20, so some would have to sleep outside, at least for today,
"LET'S GO! Stary comes in soon!" Anaa says, pushing the fox into a tent,
"NO! EU NO I GO!" Stary shouts back, with even more force,
Nyla was on the side with her arms crossed, laughing at the whole situation,
"Hey, what's going on here?" Ryn asks,
"This stubborn fox, he wants to sleep on the ground instead of accepting my tent!" Anaa responds, angrily,
"I, no, I'm going to sleep there, Anaa relax, there's no need, IT'S AN ORDER... ok? I'm fine sleeping… with Nyla!" Stary says blushing a little at that ending,
Nyla in a corner of the temple, couldn't help but laugh victoriously when she heard this sentence,
"Okay Lyor, if you need anything… just talk," Anaa growls, looking at Nyla, "But you know, I'm not going to sleep in a tent either,"
"I'm not going either!" Ryn shouts along with Anaa, trying to sound funny,
"Aaaa but yes you will!" Stary says, giving a gesture to Nyla, making the white wolf simply pick up Ryn with ease, and throw her into the empty tent,
He felt a rush of gratitude to be surrounded by loyal friends, courageous individuals who chose to face adversity by his side.
"Well Nyla, shall we go to bed? I'm already sleepy!" Stary yawns, being followed by her,
Nyla lay down next to Stary, resting her head on her front paws,
"You were really cool, you know? refusing the tent just to sleep… with me…" Nyla says blushing, covering him with her fluffy tail,
While the group was resting, a sound was heard in the distance. Anaa, talented with her flute, played a soft and calming melody. Music filled the air, calming tired minds and easing worries. Everyone slept, forgetting the day and the problems,
The night advanced, and the group surrendered to restful sleep. Dreams and hopes intertwine in their minds, fueling their determinations for tomorrow,
As dawn broke, sunlight filtered into the cave, dispelling the darkness of the night. Stary and his companions awakened, renewed and full of energy to continue their journey,
"Stary… Stary… wake up… I know it's good to sleep, but you always wake up last… Stary, everyone is outside waiting for you, come on!" a voice says, poking the fox, and letting out small, affectionate giggles,
"Who…Nyla! Yesterday… I mean… was it real?" Stary wakes up, looking around, seeing the wolf in front of him, gently biting his face, trying to wake him up calmly,
"Yes… it's me, Nyla remember? your friend…" Nyla says, looking at the floor in absolute shame,
"Ha… hihi thanks for waking me up!" Stary says, standing up, shaking her body, "Did I sleep much?"
"Hmm… how do I say this…" Nyla rubs her ears thoughtfully, "Yes! Look, there was time for me to make even more arrows for my crossbow… so shall we? You have to get up!"
Around the base, equipment was arranged. The thieves skillfully set up strategic traps, ensuring the camp's safety. Anaa and Ryn, inspected the supplies, making sure everything was in order,
Everyone worked in sync, united by a common goal: to create a safe place where they could grow stronger,
They were gathered outside, ready to come up with a plan about everything, everyone was awake, and Stary as always, was the last one to wake up,
Outside the view was incredible, for some reason they had set up a big table, and Anaa was shouting at everyone, along with some men, trying to make an incredible plan, but it seemed like everyone wanted to do it differently,
"I'M SPEAKING! We have to hide!" a thief shouted,
"WHAT? And do you want to die? WE HAVE TO ATTACK!" Anaa replied,
"IT AND ATTACK WITHWHAT?! Two wolves, and half a dozen men?!" another thief screams,
There was an endless discussion, Stary seeing this couldn't help but approach, coughing a little, drawing attention to him,
"..." Stary, walks towards the table, stopping just in front of everyone, it was a mess, everyone had an idea of what to do...
"Lyor…" Anaa stops shouting at everyone, and remains silent
"Hmm here it comes… what's your big idea talking fox?" one of the thieves makes fun of him,
"... you can do whatever you want... you..." Stary says despondently looking at the thieves, "You're going to do whatever you want, right? I don't care… go wherever you want!"
"Gods... this is what we are facing, many of you are going to die... it's the truth... the most I did was show you this shelter, to protect you... that was Raven's last request after all... now, I don't want to get involved in your stupid choices," Stary finishes, ignoring the rest, walking past them,
There were 16 thieves, 12 men, and 4 women, at that moment, they all lowered their heads, in the end, the truth is that neither they had a plan for all this, nor did they know what to do next,
"I'm going to the lake nearby to drink water, when you want to talk, I'll be there" Stary finishes, leaving a little depressed,
The fox walks a few meters, entering between the trees, being followed by Nyla, who was worried about his attitude,
The small lake had been half frozen, the water was cold, crystal clear, enough to reflect its reflection and sunlight, conveying a feeling of calm and serenity,
Nyla lies down next to him, watching him with loving, understanding eyes. She knows that Stary is going through a difficult time, struggling with the expectations and responsibilities placed on him as leader of the group,
"Stary… all that, you never wanted to be a leader, right? Ialso I wanted to live an adventure just with you, I wasn't expecting a war," Nyla lowers her head looking next to him at the lake,
Stary sighs and looks at the calm water of the lake, a slight headache starts to happen, but he ignores it,
"You don't have to face everything alone, I'll always be here!" Nyla comforts him,
"Thank you…" Stary says, putting a paw on his head, "Oh…"
"Hey… what's up!" Nyla jumps when she sees the scene, he looks like he's in pain,
"I don't know… I'm just a little dizzy," Stary responds, feeling her head throbbing in pain,
The water in the lake began to sway in the wind, ruining his reflection, making him feel more and more headaches,
"I… I don't know…" Stary, crouches on the floor, unable to form thoughts, in extreme pain,
In the midst of his grounded vision, on the other side of the river, he sees a figure, amidst the shadows, with a skeletal, almost astral appearance, the head was a wolf skull, it was pointed to the side, heading south, whispers echo the forest, a voice,
"South… a broken soul… the last one to trust… broken… alone… save…" the being says, disappearing along with the headaches,
"South…" Stary, he says, getting up, but everything around him was still normal, apart from Nyla, who was at his side, completely desperate,
"Hey Nyla, did you see anything there?" Stary asks, recovering from the shock,
"YOU FOOL! Of course!" Nyla runs over hugging him, "Do you realize how much I worried? I thought you were going to faint…"
"Nha, I'm fine, see… Nyla! I already know what to do!" Stary, says stretching, showing her that he was fine,
"What?" Nyla asks,
Before he can explain anything, a quick and sharp noise echoes through the forest, giving them both goosebumps, they already knew what it meant,
It was a machine! An imposing-looking robot emerges from the trees, blocking the path to the lake, it was gigantic, with four metallic legs, the same one that attacked them the first time,
Nyla growled and assumed a defensive stance, ready to protect Stary at all costs, drawing her crossbow and sword,
The mining robot seemed to have not yet been identified, but its sensors were analyzing everything around it, it was a matter of time,
Stary analyzes, he had no weapons! Good thing... it would be much easier that way, instead there were only mining drills,
"Nyla… he has no weapons, when he sees us, let's run, to the clearing remember?" Stary whispers, with her nodding then,
Various noises happen, the machine analyzes everything, and quickly turns towards them. She had captured them, the robot quickly advances towards them with determination, emitting threatening mechanical sounds,
"NOW!" Stary screams, running quickly, through the trees,
The two move with agility and dexterity, jumping over fallen trunks and dodging branches, arriving at a beautiful clearing,
"Do you have any plans Stary?" Nyla asks, catching her breath,
"Well, I can't attack, I distract him, and you try to attack him from behind!" He explains,
"Haha, no problem, I've always wanted to kill one of those machines!" Nyla, smiles, sharpening her sword in her claws, assuming an attack pose,
The robot runs into the middle of the clearing, apparently not locating them with the sensors,
Nyla quickly fires a shot from her crossbow, hitting some circuits,
The machine moves back, starting to rotate the drills, and runs towards her,
Stary then picks up a rock from the ground in his mouth, and throws it towards him, catching his attention,
The machine runs somewhat clumsily, trying to pierce him, its gears move, releasing smoke to the sides, giving him energy,
Nyla goes around it at incredible speed, and with all her anger, she jumps on the robot's back, stabbing her sword, making the machine swing with her weight,
"What Nyla, try to find some kind of boiler… a giant iron barrel, light it there!" Stary screams, retreating as far as possible,
Upon seeing this, the automaton retreats, and starts a combat module, it contracts the drills, steam, and then, to the side, something resembling a gun appears,
"FAST!" Stary runs after a mean stone,
The robot shoots a powerful laser, rotating, and cutting out some trees in the middle, drawing a scribble on the stone where Stary was standing,
"I thought!" Nyla screams, preparing her claws,
With one hand firmly on her sword, she holds on to avoid falling, and with the other, she makes several scratches into the boiler, releasing a stream of water,
The machine spins, throwing it away and then activates a second method of attack, a compartment emerges from its back, with several mini missiles,
Its gears moved like crazy, the body began to overheat, burning the metal of its housing,
"Nyla, try to aim for one of the legs!" Stary shouts, with her readying another bolt at the crossbow,
A shot happens, from Nyla, she fires at it, the wooden arrow travels, staying in a gear on one of the metal legs, blocking it, making the robot unbalance,
Steam and noise, the machine shook, trying to activate modules and protocolssecondary, too later, with a thud, Nyla runs up, scratching her so hard that she knocks her to the ground,
Ending the battle with a small jet of steam, the machine then deactivates, falling to the ground, becoming inanimate,
Stary and Nyla approach cautiously, observing the inert robot,
"Phew… did we make it?" Nyla asks, withdrawing her sword and throwing it on the ground, "They're easier to defeat than I thought!"
"That wasn't a Nyla combat robot… it was just a mining one, that explains why it didn't have many firearms… the cooling system was unprotected, thank goodness…" Stary analyzes the dead machine,
The clearing offers a wide view of the surrounding environment, allowing them to observe the trees cut in half and the half-burnt ground, it was a close call.
"HEY YOU GUYS" a voice shouts in the distance, it was Anaa, running with some thieves,
"Anaa!" Nyla shouts back, waving her presence, "Look we defeated a robot!"
Anaa and the thieves approach the clearing, panting and full of curiosity. His eyes fix on the inert mining robot, lying on the ground, as the smoke dissipates around him,
"Wow…" Anaa whispers, fearfully approaching to touch the machine,
"Anaa, relax, she's disabled, see… Nyla and I make a great team!" Stary boasts, both giving a high five!
The thieves watch the robot with a mixture of surprise and fascination, they did not expect Stary and Nyla to be able to defeat such a formidable opponent. Some of them even come closer to examine the wreckage and exposed gears up close,
"You guys!… you are amazing! I never thought I would see something like this!" says one of the thieves, his eyes shining with admiration,
"This victory shows that we are on the right path, if we can beat a machine like this, we can face any challenge that comes our way," Another thief adds,
Everyone stays around the machine, talking a little and filling them both with questions,
"Well… Nyla, can you help me here? I want to analyze his back!" Stary turns to her,
She helps Stary remove the iron plate from the back of the mining robot, revealing a complex network of wires and circuits. Everyone was intrigued by the inner workings of the machine and began to examine it more closely,
They approach the group, forming a small circle around Stary, Nyla and the machine,
"Well, I don't know… anymore! I remember the basics of these things, the cooling system is here, look! But that's not what I'm after, I want to find, ha… the sensor module, here's where the robot was produced and what its task is!" Stary, with a proud expression, explains,
"And how did you guys know that? You guys are really smart!" A fascinated thief asks,
"Well, let me see…" Stary removes the sensor module, and starts moving it, activating a small screen,
There was a small map of the region, it looked like they were in the northern part of the planet, the coldest, and guess what... just to the south, the company had set up a warehouse, separate from the main base,
Probably to separate the arsenal and ores from the main base, where they would transport the resources to the ship orbiting the planet,
"Hey, I found out where their base is! Apparently there's a giant antenna, kind of… something that controls all the robots!" Stary tries to explaingeneric,
"Wow!" Everyone in the place talks together,
"Wow, right? Not only that, but I think I have something to show you…" Stary says, with a mysterious look on his face, "I just need a bucket from one of the temple vases!"
Now yes! We are all super mega, curious about what Stary would do, a man brings the vase, with the freezing powder inside, and hands it to the fox,
With some magic tricks on the sensor module screen, several numbers and letters appear scrambled,
"Okay, I reprogrammed the basics… actually… I just removed the programming for attacking humanoid targets and fauna, that would be a problem, right?" Stary says, making no one understand anything,
Stary instructs them to throw some water and powder into the boiler, and cover it with nailed wood, after some effort, and the wood firmly, the magic was ready,
"Watch!" Stary screams, messing with some wires with her mouth, ripping out the module.
First, the lights in his eyes turn on, glowing an intense blue hue, then his gears begin to slowly move, regaining life. The machine emits mechanical sounds and, finally, its engines roar, causing it to rise from the ground,
Everyone is left open-mouthed, witnessing the rebirth of the machine they themselves defeated. The clearing is filled with admiration and surprise at Stary's skill,
Believe me, haha I can control it now!" Stary exclaimed, proud of his accomplishment,
The machine obeys Stary, walking across the clearing in an impressive display of power and control,
"What the fuck…" Anaa says, with her jaw on the floor,
"Stary… Wow!" Nyla says, proud to have a friend like him,
They witness the fox overpower the robot that threatened them before, now transformed into a tool,
"That's amazing! You're a true genius, Stary!" exclaims Anaa, amazed,
With the machine under their control, they have a significant advantage against the enemy company,
"Now, let's go back to base, I already know where to go! Let's go South!" Stary screams, straddling the robot,
He had gained everyone's trust now, a wizard, that's how the thieves saw him, the only one who knew the truth there was Nyla, now Anaa, she saw him more as a god now, and Ryn isn't even talking, the little girl I was shaking on the floor with excitement when I saw this,
As night approaches again, the clearing is lit up by the glow of the bonfire, the group celebrates their victory and plans their next steps,
"Let's call him Guardian", proposes one of the thieves. "He will be the protector of our group!"
"Stary, speaking of which, what will our group be called?" Anaa asks,
"It's true, I don't think we're thieves anymore!" a woman says happily,
"A name…" Stary thinks, making everyone look at him "I think I already know one!"
"How about it, super fox god evil group?" Stary says with a glamorous pose,
"…" Everyone looks at each other,
"No…" Everyone responds,
"Okay, okay, wow… you guys are demanding!" Stary says thinking further, "How about…"
"Fragments of the Moon!" Stary speaks, thoughtfully, surprising everyone,
"..." Everyone looks at each other again, more with hope this time,
"I liked this one!" Ryn says excitedly,
"Okay from today onwards, we are from the group, Fragments of the Moon, Our goal is to expel the invaders, from our planet!" Anaa raises her daggers, motivating everyone,
The battle has just begun, and Stary and his companions are ready to fight for their freedom and a future where everyone can live in peace, but for now, it was best to enjoy it, as a party was going on,
Everyone drinks, laughs, and talks together, enjoying today, they even draw pictures on the guardian, and create a symbol for their flag, everyone was having fun,
They had time to clear the debris from the entrance! And harvest a stock of ice star fruit, Everything was wonderful!
At dawn, Stary, the two wolves, and some thieves, meet at the top of the mountain, to decide the next step, the log that Stary placed was still there, being at the top they could see everything around,
The stars were still as beautiful as ever, the days were so busy that Stary didn't even look at the sky anymore, sometimes he even forgot he was on another planet,
With the Fragmentos da Lua group meeting, the following was decided,
The base at the temple looked great! It felt like home, but unfortunately, the group couldn't stay there long, they had to attack,
Altogether they were a group of 20, enough to make a difference,
The company's goal was to mine the planet, so within a few days, they arrived and invaded the temple, killing everyone,
Their objective would be to attack the warehouse first, equip everyone with firearms, and attack the main base, taking down the antenna, or retreat to the temple,
Stary and Nyla, with half the group, would go south, towards the forest of blue trees, and with the guardian, attack the warehouse, and wait for reinforcements,
Anaa and Ryn, along with 3, would seek help from the remaining Rune Wolves, the Ice Rune Wolves, to the north, and get as much reinforcement as possible for the final attack,
The remaining 5 will try to rebuild the Moon temple, with as many resources as possible, weapons and food, and wait for the wolves that Anaa and Ryn will bring, to prepare them for battle,
Stary explains to everyone present what firearms are, he shows them by asking Nyla to make some illustrations that demonstrate how these weapons work,
He emphasizes the importance of keeping safety first and instructs everyone to be careful when handling, and if they find any, it was to keep them, and avoid wasting bullets, it would be impossible to win the battle, without having weapons,
"Okay, everything is planned! You can go to sleep, we leave at dawn with the first drops of dew!" Stary Speaks, like a true leader, encouraging everyone,
Everyone sleeps calmly, in happy dreams, their minds desire a worthy end, that in the end this war will be simple, and that not one of them will die, now in the world of dreams, everything was perfect, it was time to enjoy,
In the end, wolves, men, foxes, everyone dreamed, it was their divine right after all, everyone dreams of a better tomorrow, whoever doesn't, could only be sleepwalking,
As the night turns to dawn, the Fragments of the Moon group gathers again at the temple of the Moon, ready to set off towards their respective goals,
"I know… I also didn't want to be fighting with a crazy intergalactic company, but right? This is the life! When someone wants to tell you what to do, the only choice is to scratch their face!" Stary climbs onto a statue and speaks,
"The next time we see each other, everything will be normal, remember, if you don't want to go, you don't have to, it's okay to run away… whoever wants to continue, we'll see you on the battlefield!" Stary emerges all in his voice, saying goodbye,
Meanwhile, Anaa, Ryn, and the other three members of the group prepare for the journey north,
Stary watches the group separate, feeling a mix of emotions, he knew that the battle would be hard and that it would not be easy to achieve freedom, but it was better this way, the deaths would not stop,
In the end, wasn't he different from Raven, selfish? Yes, except with their friends, they just wanted to protect them… and Nyla! The entire planet, and this company was just among them,
As the night progresses, Stary and Nyla lead their group towards the forest of blue trees, walking through the snow,
Walking alongside the wolf once again, they were ready for another journey,
"Nyla… I would die in this useless war, just to save you…" Stary says in a whisper, as she walks, knowing that she heard,
Nyla, in turn, didn't want any of this either, but if everything was going to be destroyed anyway, it would be an honor to die with him,
As they walk away from the temple, the snow-covered landscape begins to mysteriously disappear, as if it weren't winter,
In the forest, they came across the majestic and lush landscape of blue trees, whose leaves shine like sapphires under the moonlight, and beautiful green grass, it was as if the trees chased away the winter,
One week, in one week, would be enough for the company to destroy the planet, in a short time, these forests, animals, it would be a bombed and burned desert,
It was a race against time, who would arrive and attack first? fire or ice?
A forest frozen in time, forever experiencing autumn, trees filled with bluish leaves, it was neither so light nor dark, simply the perfect blue, branches as black as the night, and beautiful shining flowers,
"Wow… this forest, it's beautiful" Stary comments in awe, walking with the group,
"Hey Stary, do you want to know something fun? This forest is called Fallen Night, legends say that the first Runic Wolves came from here…" Nyla speaks, admiring every corner,
The two were mounted on top of the mining robot, relaxing in the breeze, while the machine carried them, looking around and commenting on how beautiful the forest was,
Small giggles were heard from Stary and Nyla, while the group of 8 thieves continued walking down, entering the forest, looking for the best route,
"What exactly are we looking for Stary?" Nyla asks, pouring some into the machine,
The trees provide shade all along the way, the group was traveling at a good speed, in a few days, Stary hoped to get close to the base, but that wasn't all he was looking for...
"Something broken… I think," Stary replied, scratching behind her ears, with a confused face,
"Speaking of square… I have something to tell you… I'm sorry," Nyla says discouraged, taking her crossbow off her back, apparently she had broken it in the previous fight,
"Wow, what a shame… I was already planning several improvements for her Nyla, like explosive arrows and everything…" Stary says, stroking the wolf's leg, comforting her,
"Relax, one day, I'll make you an amazing weapon!" he says, with a huge smile,
"You've already done… the best one ever," Nyla says softly, holding the sword to her back tenderly,
After a few hours of walking, enough for the landscape to change three times, next to a river, next to a cool breeze, the guardian they were in suddenly stopped, together with the entire group,
"Stary… I mean, I think you better see this!" a woman in the group screams,
It turns out that Stary and Nyla, an hour ago, had decided to eat some of the fruit, and this whole time, they were hiding upstairs, comfortably taking a long nap,
"A…Me?" Stary says a little sleepily, still waking up, with a fright, "Me, right! Yes, we arrived then... haha, I'm the leader, I'll check, what do you think?"
"Aiai, nothing good lasts forever," Nyla also wakes up, a little blushing, for some reason,
Ahead, a huge clearing followed, surrounding the river, in the center, a huge stone pillar, with a circle, ancient runes filled the ancestral place, along with flowers and vines,
"I've never seen anything like it…" some men in the group begin to explore the place, with swords and daggers in hand,
"That… was simply in the way?" Stary asks, descending with Nyla from the guardian,
"Yes, along the way there were always rocks, small statues, then a little while later, we found this…" a woman says, right next to them on the ground, N
In the center of the circle, there was a small pillar, with runes carved on top,
Stary approaches the group, supporting himself, trying to read the mysterious markings,
"A single sparkling flower will call me to talk…" Stary stands aside, amazed,
"Since when do you know how to read runes? What are you? One does it all?" a man in the group makes fun of him,
"Well, let's obey then… a flower, right?" Nyla ignores the comment, feeling like punching whoever made it in the face, leaving the circle,
She goes towards some, picking one up abruptly, returning and simply throwing it on top of the pillar,
"And now? It was just that…" Nyla says, crossing her arms, waiting for something to happen,
Something happens, scaring everyone, the flower shines! a strong wind blows through the trees, and a flute melody begins to play,
A brief, beautiful song plays for a few seconds, with the ending, triggering a quick tremor, cracking the floor, in the middle of the circle,
Everyone retreats back, another small tremor occurs, only the ground inside the circle collapses below, following a fierce noise, like a wild beast,,
"Rrrrrr" a growl passes through the air, coming from the center,
Fast and lethal, a large, shiny metal claw comes out of the ground, as if something dead is trying to crawl out of the earth. It was gigantic, stones broke, and with great force, the being stood up, throwing rubble everywhere,
"Finally…" The being says, in a tired tone,
It was a Metal Wolf! Giant, like a machine, but conscious, runes spread across its body, it had vines and earth spread out, it was something ancient, everyone was sure of that,
"Who woke me up? Now, where is my education…" a noise runs through the day, along with speech,
Upon activation, the creature's eye glowed green, sharp teeth and claws like blades, it was a literal wolf!
"Sorry for the bad translation, but… who is the leader here?" The wolf lies on the ground, shaking the ground around him, just with his size,
Everyone looks at each other in fear, retreating back, leaving Stary and Nyla in front,
"Hmm, do you talk? like… I mean, hi!" Stary says shaking a little,
"Curious, 9 humans… 1 wolf, and you?" the wolf approaches with its metallic face,
"Nine?!" Stary steps back curiously,
"Machine!" one of the group shouts, shooting a bow and arrow, towards the robot, with the project being countered by an invisible shield,
The being recoils from the attack, a strong glow runs through its body, towards its large sharp metal ears, and with a shake of its head, it launches a sonic attack,
A strong noise passes through everyone, adjusting the right frequency, at times fainting, all the men and women of Stary's group,
"Sorry… your friends will wake up soon… now you! I don't sense any aggressive intentions from you!" the metallic wolf approaches again,
Her voice was feminine, I knew, but sometimes, she sang in a masculine tone too, as if she was changing it, for everyone's better understanding,
"So, you are the leader here? curious little creature… thanks for waking me up" The wolf says, bending down to talk to Stary,
"Ehh…why did you say nine? There are only eight here…" Stary says, trying to retreat with Nyla, distracting the machine,
"Oh, that one over there… is that yours? impressive! Do you already have automatons? Has it been that long? There... there's a human being, piloting that one..." the wolf says, noticing the two retreating,
Stary signals Ela to go check it out, as an excuse to get away from danger. Once there, she quickly searches among the guardian's gears, finding a lock of red hair,
"Stary… look what I found here!" Nyla screams, pulling the sleeping little girl,
"Ryn?!" Stary shouted in amazement, "How… ha, I see… she hid, right?"
"Hmm, you guys are so fun…" The wolf says, reminding the two of his presence, "I can wake your friend up if you want…"
The machine was as tall as a tree, another sound, different, more harmonious, waking only the girl, now scared by everything. The wolf turns its attention to Stary, stealing the attention,
"And you? What is your name?" The wolf asks,
"It's good… Stary!" Stary moves away, crashing against a rock,
"Your bone structure, your organism, is not in my database… are you an alien? I won't have to kill you, right?" The wolf stands up, with its eyes analyzing him from top to bottom,
"Well, I'm not from here… and it would be nice if you didn't kill me! You know, I'm helping them, there's a much greater danger attacking this planet, a mining company, and it's destroying everything…" Stary says, using all his non-existent charisma,
"Hmm, are you helping humans? But what about this lupine… is she your friend?" The wolf in a few steps comes close to Nyla, "I'm happy! That your species went forward, I remember when you didn't even have tails, and here you are, you are an incredible female!"
"My kind… is almost dead, in a few days, I think so am I," Nyla responds, being rude,
"Haha, don't be rude little girl, my job has always been, to give life, I will help you!" The wolf rises, dancing backwards, each step shaking the earth, and with a glorious pose he says,
"My name is Jade! Project Life, for my creators, now Jade, I invented it myself! Did you like it?" Jade says proudly,
"What are you? an artificial intelligence?" Stary asks, putting her fear aside,
"Oh, do you know what this is? Yes! Now the question is, where did you come from? My analyzes may be flawed, I have been inert for a long time, but based on the graphs, the next planet with the possibility of life is 115 light years away…" Jade, it was difficult to believe that life existed like that,
"Sorry for the delay…enough with the introductions," Jade, moves some runes on her body, releasing another sound, to wake up all the humans this time,
"I… will help you, I don't guarantee victory! Time hasn't helped me much, my secondary systems are inoperative… I couldn't create or modify the genetics of a bird like that, but I can fight with you, that's my duty!" Jade speaks, looking around,
Stary looked at this in disbelief, not even he knew what this Life Protocol was, apparently it wasn't something dangerous, it seems that this planet was created by someone before, Kirysiny?
Stary, Nyla and Ryn look at each other, doubting what just happened, this was so strange, what's more, but strange still, was Stary having seen this in a vision, was this broken being he had to find?
"I thought she was cute, I'm going to go talk!" Ryn, shouts, running towards the giant being,
Little by little the humans wake up, Stary takes the lead to explain the new ally, which makes them worship the fox triple, thinking he was really a god!
Ryn spends some time playing and talking with Jade, it seems like she didn't really care about the detail of her being a giant wolf, but that's okay...
Stary approaches, after talking to everyone about the change in plans, and decides to clarify the situation with Jade,
"Jade! Hi, so... I'll tell you the truth, ok, a few days ago, half of the Runic Wolves were killed, and a human city exploded with a laser, this company, MinerSpaceMS, they have an army, ready to decimate this place, I All I know is that their base is here, in the south… you… help us?" Embarrassed stary plays his charm,
"Hmm, well the air is more electrified than usual… so it's true! So is this machine theirs? And you reprogrammed it?" Jade asks, pointing a claw at the guardian,
"Yes, it was a mining robot, but it's pretty old and worn out, we just tinkered with the heat… thing, to adjust… the temperature," Stary replied, trying to sound intelligent,
"Hmm, apparently, their technological level is still 2, I see sensors, modifiers, but nothing more advanced than that, you are still at level 1, daily for swords, you already know how to work with steel, but not with alchemy or electricity…" Jade analyzes,
"I'll be honest, it's going to be difficult! But first… is that there on the machine a mini antenna?" Jade says, letting out a laugh, standing up,
Without much effort she raises a claw, and simply slams it against the machine, flattening it against the ground, and exploding,
Everyone looks scared, at the show of strength, cables come out and connect to the former guardian, collecting information,
"Sorry about that, Stary... it should have taken work to fix this robot, but now... I managed to access the main antenna via transmission! This base is closer than you think, a little to the west now, the warehouse is, close by, beyond that valley!" Jade says, removing her claw from the rubble,
"No problem…" Stary says, perplexed, "Come on then! Attack the warehouse!"
It's the perfect opportunity to attack and disable the robots' control system,
Stary and his companions quickly prepare. Jade, with her imposing presence and unique abilities, is a valuable ally on this journey,
"Well, I was thinking, these resident machines probably come from there, there must be some way to access them all, and cut communication with the main antenna, right? Jade, can you hack it?" Stary asks, standing on top of her head,
The huge robot wolf walks between the trees, its simple presence is enough to push some out of the way, Stary, Nyla and Ryn were holding on to vines, avoiding falling from above,
"It's a good plan! I'll come with you to the main room," Jade says, cautiously dodging obstacles,
As they head to the warehouse, the group remains cautious and in constant communication,
Stary leads with determination, using her intelligence and strategic skills to avoid unnecessary deaths,
"Okay group, it's time, me, Nyla and Ryn, will follow behind Jade, to the control room. Let's clear the way for all of you to the weapons room, there remember what I taught you about them, get equipped, and look for a place to shoot from afar!" Stary screams,
In the middle of the valley, Jade lowers herself close to the ground, letting them climb out, then assuming a combat stance, activating the large shield, which surrounded her entire body, almost magical!
As they approach the warehouse, they can see a tall security fence and mechanical guards positioned,
With the information provided by Jade, they plan a stealthy approach to enter the place without arousing suspicion,
With enviable speed, she climbs a hill next to it, jumping into the fence. With a simple scratch, she uses her claws, tearing the electric fence, opening a passage,
His imposing presence is enough to intimidate any enemy that may come his way,
The group enters the path, lowering themselves onto an iron wall,
The battle begins with the entry of the Fragmentos da Lua group into the MinerSpaceMS warehouse,
"OK, let's go! ADVANCE!" Stary shouts, with everyone immediately shooting arrows,