The masked guard wished he could wipe the sweat from his brow. His cumbersome wooden mask prevented it, however. It was annoying having to keep the mask on when he had an itch on his nose or something in his eye, but rule 3246 clearly stated tha masks must remain on at all times. Desperately trying to ignore an itch now growing on his nose, the guard squinted, looking into the distance at an approaching dust cloud. "Do you see that?" he asked his partner, who was standing on the other side of Facade's main gate. His fellow nodded. "Sandstorm coming, it looks like," he said. The guard nodded, then turned his attention back to the cloud. Now that he thought about it, he could almost see shapes in that dust cloud...the sound of snarling confirmed what the guard was now suspecting. "The wolves!" he yelled to his partner, bringing his spear to bear, too late to stop the fangs that flashed towards his throat.
The wolves tore through the streets of Facade, killing any who stood in their way. There weren't many humans about, however. Most seemed to be gathered in the main plaza in front of the palace. Roc snarled and turned to look at his pack brothers. "Forward, brothers!" he growled. "We shall have vengeance!" The wolf shade led the charge into the plaza.
Kalil had watched in horror as the wolves tore through the gestalt guards-for the young shade knew they weren't true humans-leaving none alive. Their ferocity stunned the child, even though he knew they had reason for it. "B-Beepy," he said to P-33. "M-maybe we should stay behind." From his guardian and friend came no sound except for a slight whirring, then a clang. "Beepy?" the young shade repeatd. He looked down from his perch atop the android's head to look his friend in the face. "Did your voice box just short out?" P-33 nodded, almost causing Kalil to fall from his perch. "Whoooa!" he cried, holding on for dear life. When he regained his balance, the young shade hopped down from his friends head. "We'll stay here for now, alright, Beepy?" P-33 nodded again, and Kalil sat down by his friends foot. P-33 sat as well, staring straight ahead. "Beepy?" Kalil asked. "Do you think it's right to kill someone, even if they've done bad things?" The robot hesitated, thinking, then shook his massive head. "Yeah. Me neither." The young shade put his head against P-33's foot and, despite himself, began falling asleep as the hours of staying awake at night caught up with him. "Beepy? Can you promise me that no matter what happens, you'll never kill anyone?" This time, P-33 nodded without hesitation. "Thanks..." Kalil murmured as he fell asleep.
"Fyraaaaaa!" screamed the king of Facade as his bride was tossed against the wall like a giant chew toy. The king could see Fyra's wounds from here, great gaping red holes in her side. Nier hefted his Phoenix Spear, rage filling him at the site of his young friend lying there, dying. "You bastard! You're gonna pay!" Roc turned to Nier, snarling. "Filthy humans! You will pay!" And then the two rushed each other, rage burning inside of them. Nier stabbed straight for the wolf with his spear, but Roc dodged at the last second and leaped for the silver-haired man's throat, fangs glinting in the sunlight. Nier sidestepped and jabbed Roc in the side wounding him. The wolf shade growled and whirled around, batting Nier's spear fom his hands and leaping straight for him, claws extended to gouge out his heart. A strange, curved sword intercepted his, hitting him in the muzzle and drawing blood. The wolf shade drew back, snarling. Kaine stood defiantly next to Nier. "Get away from him, you bitch!" she yelled. Roc growled, then noticed Kaine's inky black hand. "You...you are a shade!" he snarled. "You would betray your own kind for a human?!" Tyrann laughed and spoke through Kaine. "My own kind? I don't care who's side I'm on, as long as the killing is good. All this death and suffering already...it's almost too good to be true!" Roc's eyes flashed with rage. "Honorless humans attract honorless shades, I see," he snarled. Around him, his wolves were falling, the full force of the men of the mask falling upon them. He cast one last hateful glare at Nier and Kaine, then howled."Pack! Retreat!" He and what little remained of his pack took off into the city streets as the king of Facade set down his bloody spear and held his dying bride, listening with rapt attention to her last words. "Fyraaaaaaaaa!"