It was mid-afternoon by the time Dunban and his team arrived at the Roost. Though the sun had happily guided their travels, the clouds pulled it behind them, smothering its yellow glow, casting a grey shadow over the land below. As the speeder rolled to a stop and Shulk killed the engine, Dunban could feel the warm air turn cold and heavy. A sulfur smell reached his nose, its stench oozing into the atmosphere, oppressive and cloying. As he emerged from the speeder, a layer of grime settled on his skin: detritus from the dirty air. A tiny bit of bile traveled up the back of his neck, hot and acidic, but he forced it back down and strode forward to get a closer look.
Goosebumps prickled on Dunban's arms and the back of his neck as he stopped fifty feet from the gaping entrance, the only path inside the Roost due to the fortress-like mountainous surroundings. The opening afforded a direct view of the red tree he'd seen hours ago from his perch atop the semi-mountain. His eyes took in its size and shape and a tremor of horror crept over him. The bark was blood read; the branches spread outward and upward, warped and twisted; the trunk swelled in the middle like a tumor. With these elements put together, the tree looked like a heart, disembodied, cut from the chest of an ill person. An ill person both in mind and body.
A thumping sound reverberated within the mountainous walls, small at first. It grew louder and louder with each passing moment. It filled the Roost and funneled out into the open. It surrounded Dunban, wrapping itself around him. It clamored in his mind, loud and angry, overwhelming all senses he had. BANG. BANG. BANG.
He clapped his hands over his ears. Squeezed his eyes shut as the thumping pounded against his temples. Against his eyes. Against his heart. Unrelenting. Roaring.
Then it was gone.
Slowly Dunban removed his hands. Had he just imagined the noise? Blinking, he looked around. There were no signs of any such sound. There were no sounds at all save for the conversations happening between the team members behind him. Dunga had warned him about the beast in the Roost. But that was not all that was dangerous it seemed. He wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
Dunban pivoted and strode for the life pod, trying to shake off the unsettling feeling left in the wake of the thumping sounds. Shulk and the others were already busy examining it.
"I'm running a diagnostic to make sure that we can open it without issues, sir," Shulk explained to Dunban but did not look up from his tablet as he connected with the mainframe of the life pod.
"Um, Dunban? You're gonna wanna take a look at this." Reyn called from the other side.
Dunban rounded towards the back and stopped as soon as he saw it. A lump grew in his throat. The back wall of the pod had been smashed inward. The metal was crunched, silver flakes ripped off at a high speed, and scratches covered the hull. Even some of the electrical wiring of the pod had been exposed, though it was supposedly encased in the strongest armor possible. It was clear that the life pod had sustained extensive damage. That didn't bode well for the passenger inside.
The man cursed and returned to Shulk. His voice dropped to a whisper. "The back is badly damaged. It's bent inward."
Shulk's hands stopped tapping on the tablet. He looked up at Dunban, his eyes wide with horror. Nothing needed to be said. They both knew what it meant.
"Work as quickly as you can."
Shulk hesitated, then nodded and resumed what he had been doing. Dunban knew the young man was attempting to stay calm, but he could see the tremble in Shulk's hand.
A knot tied itself in Dunban's stomach and the urge to vomit grew within him again. This was the last thing he wanted for his team to witness. With the visit to Frontier Village and the successful discovery of Gadot's lab, their spirits were high. Rattling them so soon would make them disheartened. He especially didn't want Fiora to be exposed to it. But there was nothing he could do.
Frustrated, he turned away and waved at the others, ordering them to stay alert and keep watch for any possible danger. Between the passenger and the beast, Dunban had the sickening realization that this journey had been a mistake. A huge one. And it was all his fault. He clenched his hands into fists. He knew he should have ordered them to stay behind, restrained them if need be. Now, they were all in danger. And for what? A man who wa—
A loud beeping sound cut through the air, blaring and jerky. Dunban snapped his attention to Shulk, who frantically pressed the control pad on the life pod. "What's going on?" He demanded.
"I-I-I don't know. It should open but its just shutting me out!"
The alarms continued to screech, filling the dead air. No, no, no. This is exactly what Dunban didn't want to happen. They would attract attention.
"Can you turn it off?"
"I'm trying! I'm trying!"
The alarms cut off abruptly. The air was silent once more. Shulk breathed a sigh of relief and shot Dunban a weary look. "Sorry."
The man shook his head and turned away, though he his heart still hammered in his chest. It didn't matter that the sounds were gone. They had alerted anything in the vicinity to their presence. The life pod was out in the open and he and his team were completely exposed.
Seconds passed, turning into minutes. Nothing moved in their proximity. No predator emerged to attack them. No wayward animal passed them by. Nothing. But the sinister atmosphere did not recede. Dunban kept his eyes trained on the red tree, checking in his periphery to ensure that his team still kept watch. Maybe they hadn't attracted any attention. Maybe they would get out of this alive.
"Ugh, finally!" Shulk rejoiced, fist pumping the sky. "I got it!"
All eyes swiveled to him and the group crowded around the life pod. Dunban's gut clenched and he locked eyes with Shulk for a second. He gave the young man a subtle nod. Shulk's finger hovered over the button, then pressed the tablet. The door of the life pod opened with a hiss. Slowly, it moved upward towards the sky, a billowing cloud of white smoke obscuring the view of the pod's insides. A powerful odor burst forth. The stench of decay permeated the air. Fiora gagged, covering her nose and turning away. Riki gasped and clapped his paws over his eyes.
"What is that?" Reyn murmured.
As the cloud cleared, they could see that a young man, no older than twenty, lay in the stasis pod, his body deteriorating due to damaged life support controls. By the looks of it, he'd been dead for a month. His skull was split. Dried blood had trickled down the sides of his face. The right side of his body was bent inward; bones were broken in his leg and chest. But his eyes were closed. The young man had felt no pain in his death. His body had still been in suspended animation and his mind would not have registered anything was wrong until it was too late. If anything that was a comfort.
But Dunban didn't believe it would be enough for his team.
Silence fell over the group as one by one they gazed upon the dead man. Fiora let out a whimper when she turned back around, her eyes taking in the bodily damage. His heartstrings tugged and he began to reach out to her but noticed Shulk was doing the same. Dunban stopped, letting his arm fall to his side. Both Fiora and Shulk were new to facing death head-on like this. Dunban knew they would find solace in each other as they absorbed their emotions and attempted to find a reason for the unexpected carnage. It still didn't change that Dunban was troubled that his sister had to face the situation at all.
Moving his attention away, Dunban noticed that Reyn's eyes were glued to the body, uncomprehending the sight in front of him. Sharla was grim, her lips pressed into a line and her gaze somber. But she pulled her eyes away and focused on Reyn. Gently, she placed an arm on his shoulder and drew him into a hug. Slowly, he returned it, closing his eyes. No doubt he was trying to erase what he had seen.
Staring death in the face was horrifying, Dunban knew. Especially when it was random, unexpected, accidental. In that way, it was simultaneously numbing and terrifying. A reminder that no one could control his or her own fate. Moments like this still shook him, though not as seriously as they once had when he was a new recruit. And he knew that was another effect of his long-term service in the military.
Another part of his humanity slowly slipping away.
Dunban felt a pull on his pant leg and looked down to see Riki wearing a sober expression. The frown spanned from ear to ear and was especially distressful given how cheery and full of life Riki usually was. At that moment though, Dunban could see that Riki was almost as familiar with death as he was. Neither said anything, and they both turned back to stare at the dead man in companionable silence.
A blood-curdling shriek from above broke the silence. It sounded again and Dunban eyed the sky, his heart skipping a beat.
"What was that?!" Sharla pulled away from Reyn.
"Dino beast," Riki answered, breathless.
Adrenaline burst through Dunban as he glanced from Riki back to the sky. "Shit." He pulled out his swords and shouted to his team. "ARM YOURSELVES!" As he looked up into the endless blue sky once more, he saw it diving from over the mountain range: a large blue and green-winged creature.
It shrieked again as it plunged downward, the sound ear-splitting, making each of them wince. It tore through the clouds, heading straight for them. A predator sighting its prey.
"SCATTER!"
The team darted every which way, separating themselves, creating a loose circle on the field. The creature dropped into the center with a thunk, spreading and shaking its spindly, green wings. It swung around in a circle, taking stock of each of their positions, howling at each. Although Dunban could see no eyes on the beast, he could feel its sharp gaze assessing his body, his strengths, and his weaknesses.
The beast stood upright on two legs, shaped like those of a tyrannosaurus rex: knees bent outward, but ankle bent inward. Its blue and green scales glimmered in the sunlight. But they were not soft like a fish. They were hard, like armor, and their edges sharp like blades. An exoskeleton that looked utterly impenetrable. A snort emitted from its snout and it opened its mouth to reveal razor-like teeth. The purple talons on its claws flexed like fingers. It sneered at him.
Dunban's chest tightened. This creature was unlike anything he had ever seen.
It bellowed and the sound waves of the guttural noise crashed into him and the others nearby — Sharla and Rikki — sending them spiraling backward, skidding into the ground.
"Dunban!" Fiora called out from the other side.
The beast began to turn towards her when Dunban jumped up. "Here! Focus on me!" He shouted, bringing the blades of his swords together to emit a pulsing sound. His heart pounded as the creature turned towards him. It studied him, tilting its head from side to side. There was no concern or worry in its posture. It was taking its time to understand him.
Then it growled and bent its neck down, preparing to attack. Dunban braced himself, crouching into a defensive position. His mind ran quickly dragging pieces of a plan together. He would distract it, direct the others to flank it as he'd done before, and hopefully, that woul—
"STOP!"
An explosion of blue energy in the shape of a lightning bolt burst forth into the space between Dunban, Sharla, Riki, and the beast. The beast backpedaled, yelping in surprise. A young woman with three armored guards charged forward and slid to a stop where the blue beam had been only seconds before. But instead of facing the beast, they faced Dunban and the others.
"Put down your weapons!" She shouted at Dunban and his team.
Dunban did not. He had no idea who this woman was or what she wanted. And with that beast behind her, there was no way he would be left defenseless should it choose to attack. He could feel Sharla and Riki gave him a sideways glance, and follow his silent order, keeping their weapons at the ready.
"You have no business here. Turn around and leave this place." Her posture was firm, but Dunban heard the slightest entreaty in her voice. But why?
"Who are you?" Dunban answered, his hands clenching around the hilts of his swords.
"If you don't listen, I will have no choice but to hurt you." No entreaty this time. Pure command.
The creature behind her roared, expelling green fire into the air. The woman and her guards whipped around, diving out of the way as it spout another bout of fire in their direction. Quickly, she recovered and rose to her feet, throwing her hands up in the air to gain its attention.
"Stop!" She shouted.
The creature ignored her, inhaling and blowing a column of fire at her. The green flames her consumed her. Eyes wide, Dunban felt his breath hitch in his throat.
A beam of purple light parted the flames. As the flames died out, the young woman appeared, holding up a staff with a ring of purple light surrounding her. Some sort of shield.
"Please, stop this. Listen to me!" She yelled, maintaining her grip on the staff.
Again the creature threw a gust of fire at her. But her guards appeared at her side now, flinging up purple shields of their own. Dunban watched the scene, stunned. How were they creating that shield? Why was she speaking to the beast?
What was happening?
"No! I know you're in there! Fight it! Fight now!" She cried out.
The creature howled and raised a claw in the air, ready to slash down at her. But it stopped. The creature twitched. First in its shoulders, then in its eyes. A shiver ran down its back and it screeched. It whipped its head back and forth, growling and fuming.
Dunban glanced at the woman, who watched the creature intently. Her brow was creased, her mouth slightly open. The hand she held the staff in clenched it harder than necessary. The way her features knit together showed pain. The beast meant something to her. But how? And why?
The creature stilled its seizure, training its eyes on the young woman. It stared at her for a minute, unmoving as if frozen in time. Then it roared. The young woman straightened her back, preparing herself again. But as she opened her mouth to speak, the beast crouched and leaped into the air, ascending into the sky and disappearing above the clouds.
Nobody moved. The air went still and the only noise was the singing of the breeze. Dunban's mind attempted to wrestle with what he'd just witnessed. A creature with lethal capabilities and high intelligence. A woman who could communicate with it and did ma—
No. That wasn't possible.
Was it?
Mira had too many mysteries. What was one more?
The young woman turned to Dunban once more, regal and resolute. She had lavender hair that fell to her shoulders and curled in almost perfect circles, bouncing in the wind. Her ice blue eyes looked at him unwavering. Visible behind a beaded headband were hand-sized wings that sprouted from her head and twitched in the breeze. She wore a sky blue armored jumpsuit, and her guards wore the same in black. At her side, she held her staff (or was it a wand?). But most importantly he saw the silver heart necklace glittering around her neck.
Dunban's breath caught in his throat as he looked from the necklace to her eyes. All suspicion disappeared replaced with a desire to know who she was. This person who had saved him from death, not once, but twice.
"Thank you."
She didn't respond, but he believed she knew what he was referencing. Hesitant, he took a step forward. The guards sprung to attention, surrounding her and lowering their swords at him.
Calmly, Dunban sheathed his swords and held up his hands in peace. "I just want to talk." He paused then continued, "What was that creature?"
Still, she didn't answer. But her eyes did not leave him and continued piercing into his. He did not look away.
Then she turned and walked away, her guards in tow, disappearing below the bluff. Sharla made a move to follow, but Dunban put up his hand. She stopped. It would do no good to pursue. Certainly, the young woman would cover her tracks. Besides, he wanted her to trust him. Following her would do the opposite.
"Wow, she's cool," Fiora said in awe.
"Did you see her armor? I wonder what kind of metal that is. I would love to get my hands on it." Shulk said, eager. Dunban could see the gears in the young man's mind turning, trying to make sense of it scientifically.
Fiora pursed her lips. "You want to get your hands on her...armor?"
"I mean yeah!" A beat. Then Shulk's eyes widened in panic. "Just to study!"
Dunban turned his attention away from the would-be couple to the Nopon, who was oddly quiet.
"Riki? Do you know who she is?"
Riki gave a hapless shrug and apologetic grimace. "Riki don't know. But she one of Bird People."
"These are the people that Dunga said keep to themselves?"
"Yes."
"I doubt they're called bird people." Reyn snorted, crossing his arms over his chest, his spiky hair moving back and forth in the breeze.
"Whoever they are, we need to be careful," Sharla noted. "That was a powerful weapon she had."
"I wonder how it's powered..." Shulk trailed off before snapping his mouth shut as he eyed a fuming Fiora.
"Reyn. Get the shovels out of the speeder. We need to dig a hole." Dunban directed. "I'll get my gloves."
The mood immediately turned bleak. The realization that the dead man still lay in the pod surfaced to the forefront of everyone's mind. A minute passed before anyone made a move. Reyn went to the speeder and Fiora moved to a nearby flower bed and began making a bouquet. Shulk made his way back to the life pod and returned to his investigation of the pod's database. Meanwhile, Sharla grabbed her medical pack from the speeder and Riki helped her unfold a gurney.
Quietly, Reyn returned with the shovels and handed one to Dunban. Together, they moved a few feet away from the life pod and began to dig. As Dunban pushed the shovel into the dirt, his thoughts floated elsewhere. He knew he ought to be thinking about the dead man, but he wasn't. He wasn't thinking about how it was a terrible accident what had happened to the unsuspecting young man. He wasn't thinking about the fact that if their mysterious attackers hadn't forced the White Whale to crash on Mira, then the young man might still be alive. He wasn't thinking about how vehemently enraged he was at the bastards that had destroyed Earth.
No. Instead, Dunban was thinking about her. He was thinking about the young woman with the ice blue eyes.
A/N: Juicy stuff ahead! I'm trying to get out as much as possible since I go back to school in five days -_- Anyway, leave some love :)
