The Prophecy


All original characters in this story are copyright to me only.
The story plot itself is also copyright to me only.
Do not re-distribute without my permission.

*Michael Stewart Stephenson*

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Chapter 4 - Playing with fire.

My name is Cryptis, Cryptis Strype. Sixteen years old. I'm a raccoon. A male raccoon. So, as the generations go, male raccoons are the weaker sex.
Normally.
Apart from me of course.
Think about it, why else would I be telling this story?

"Kasumante Tepila!" Ancient Virgan for 'small blast'.
A similar cry came from the seventeen year old female raccoon next to me:
"Kasumante Tetilta!" Ancient Virgan for 'medium blast'.
As a result of the blasts being different sizes, mine was a blue / green colour and hers was a more fiery red.
Hers illuminated the place much more than it really should have done, bathing us both in bright yellow light. Well, that's what happens when you show off.
Nonetheless, she was challenging me, if she tries to outdo me, I just can't resist. "Kasumante…" I took a deep breath and focused my energies into the palm of my hand. "Tesulta!"
Nice. Beautiful white blast. Nearly blew the whole place up, really. I knew I'd be reprimanded for it later, but she started it. Don't show off in front of me and we'll be OK.
She stepped back to the edge of the room and pressed on a panel protruding from the wall.
The lights came on instantly.
"Oi!" I yelled. "We're not finished yet!"
"And still, I stopped it." Said Mystik Strype, my sister.
"Hmph." I mumbled. "You started it." I could sense a lecture coming on, I didn't need any powers to figure that one out. I materialized a small fireball and started to toss it up and down in my hand.
"You're not that good, y'know."
I just looked at her.
I was 'The One'.
Capital T, capital O.
Legends had told of me since olden days.
The One was told of to be born with an increased capacity to hold Virgan Magic, what the Raccoon tribe was famed for.
Energy from within, that with dedication, could be summoned at will to be used for fighting, competing, generally anything.
An extension of physical abilities.
I was The One.
I knew that, she knew that, everybody knew that.
Not that I ever let it go to my head. Just getting my point across.
"I'm more than your match, Myst." I gently threw my fireball to her and she caught it.
"Get real." She turned it from yellow to a pale green colour and threw it back.
I turned it a brilliant white and threw it high in the air, then made it explode and thus shower bright sparks all around us.
"Pretty." I said.
"Well, it's a good job they're not dangerous sparks." She paused to think. "Although if they were, I'm sure I could take shelter underneath your head. Me and half The Colony."
"Yeah? Well -" Suddenly, I was cut short by a rush of activity from the walkway above, looking out to our present position, the training room.
Mystik and I looked at each other and sprinted out of the training room.
Even if she is a pain in the arse sometimes, she does think on the same level as me.

( *NOTE* I hate writing in first-person perspective, it's so restricting. So, no matter how unprofessional this is, now that I've introduced Cryptis and Mystik and quickly got in a glimpse of their characters / personalities, I'm going back to third-person. Exactly what is second-person perspective anyway?* )

Cryptis and Mystik joined in the rush of raccoons hurrying down the long white corridor, seemingly all heading to the control centre.
It was uncommon for children to even be in this part of The Colony. Usually, children were raised in the East Sector and kept there until the age of eighteen, away from the main Colony.
Cryptis however, was not. Being 'The One', he was raised in the heart of The Colony.
Mystik was also raised there, for being a sibling of 'The One' also held the possibility of enhanced Virgan powers.
"What's happening?" Cryptis asked of a raccoon in a white lab coat as he emerged from one of the laboratory areas.
"Something's above The Colony, Cryptis. it's not clear what it is yet. They say it's thin and spread out, just like a low cloud. But it's dark red in colour…"
"So… why are we assuming that it poses a threat?" Mystik inquired.
"The energy signature it gives off is higher than Super Sonic's was."
"Ah."

"Send Delta Squad out to give it a warning shot!" The Tribe Leader shouted, an old raccoon by the name of John Fleetway.
Delta Squad was called and immediately left the hangar where they were waiting.
In the Tribe Control Centre, the heart of the Raccoon Tribe, the main viewscreen switched to a view from the camera planted in the helmet of the Delta Squad leader.
The sound transmission crackled through.
The Squad Leader gave his order.
"Delta Squad one to four, advance with a basic stun spell."
Four members of Delta Squad walked slowly underneath the red cloud. They all raised their arms in an arcing motion, then brought them together and yelled simultaneously.
"Daki Sma!"
A pale green beam of light lanced from four pairs of hands, meeting and merging into one, straight towards the cloud.
Towards it and then straight through it.
The Squad Leader cursed under his breath, only just audible to those viewing from the Control Centre.
"Try again. Plan B. Give it something offensive. Try Kasumante Tepila."
The Squad again moved in unison and fired off a mixed blue and green beam.
Four black objects shot out of the cloud, merged into one and absorbed the beam like a stone being dropped into jelly. Only just visible, because of their amazing speed.
The Squad Leader was slightly amazed by this:
"Shit!"
The camera was jolted as he reached up and scratched his head.
"That's it then. Delta Squad five to seven, join the rest of the squad. Give it the Kasumante Tesulta!"
The remaining members of Delta Squad quickly moved into formation with numbers one to four, the squad formed a small circle on the ground. They each lifted their arms to elbow height.
Seven voices started the spell: "Kasumante…"
Seven black objects flew from the cloud.
Seven screams were transmitted to the Control Centre.
Seven voices didn't get the chance to finish the spell.
Seven black objects flew back into the cloud.
Seven seconds passed in silence.
Seven metres were ran by the leader of Delta Squad.
Seven things happened in under nine seconds.
The Delta Squad Leader turned his head to face the cloud as he ran.
A small black object followed him, gradually becoming larger, then the screen went blank.

"What the fuck?!" Was heard a few times when the scenes reached the Control Centre.
The Tribe leader seemed unaffected, because although not completely ruthless, he knew the way to go was not to mourn now, but to mourn later.
"Skip Beta and Gamma Squad, Alpha Squad: Advance."
The viewscreen switched to a camera located in a treetop somewhere around The Colony.
Alpha Squad Advanced. There were only four of them and they took orders directly from the Tribe Leader.
"Alpha Squad. Use the Final Wave Spell."
Alpha Squad were advanced enough in Virgan Magic to not have to use body motions to gather their energies.
They pressed their palms together and shouted.
"Tooyat Sma!!"


"Holy Shit!!"
This time, even the Tribe Leader joined in the curses.
Mystik stood next to the raccoon she and Cryptis had entered with.
"I don't believe this!" She squeaked. " That thing just wiped out Alpha Squad! As if they were nothing!"
"I know." The raccoon in the lab coat whispered.
"Cryptis, What do you think will happen next? Alpha Squad's gone…"
"…Cryptis?

Cryptis had taken off, un-noticed after the defeat of Delta Squad. He was running at full speed, through the deserted corridors of The Colony.
"If I'm The One and I've got a destiny to fulfill, then now's gotta be the time to do it."

Mystik launched out of the door to the Control Centre.
"Cryptis!"
She legged it after her brother.
"Come back you daft little shit!"

Cryptis burst out of the door hatch planted in the ground above the colony, most of which was underground.
He looked up, the cloud was directly above him.
From this view, it looked more orange than crimson. Strange little flashes, like lightning, kept appearing within it.
Still staring upwards, he took a step forward and bumped into something. He looked down to see the seven green banded members of Delta Squad.
He forcefully resisted the urge to violently throw up all over them.
They all lay, face up, eyes and mouths wide open, arms splayed out and legs straight, each member resembling a crucifix.
Then, something even scarier, four figures, blue banded, lying in the same way.
Alpha Squad.
The elite soldiers of The Colony.
All dead.
"Fine. Play it hard ball."

"Cryptis!" Mystik had followed his trail from the Control Room, she spotted the open hatch in the wall and leaped out of it.
The cloud was hovering triumphantly above The Colony site.
She searched frantically for Cryptis, then she saw him.
He was sitting, cross-legged with his eyes tightly closed, straight under the cloud, both arms were raised above his head.
Even from where she was stood, about one hundred metres away from him, she could see his eyes snap open, glowing bright red.
And she could hear his voice, magically amplified at least five times more than normal.
"Ancient Virgans!" He stood up, eyes still glowing like fire, and raised his arms higher.
"Heed me!" The regular clouds (above the crimson one) turned jet black and booming thunder started.
Mystik could sense the energy level from the cloud rising.
"Hafyr!" Cryptis yelled as a black object flew at him from the cloud. A turquoise bubble appeared around him for just long enough to deflect the thing.
The thing retreated back into its crimson base.
Suddenly, another black thing shot from the cloud at him, he blocked the attack again, then another came flying.
And another.
And another.
Hundreds of the things, flying at him.
The shield was holding up, for now.
Mystik made her mind up, she gathered the energy she could and stretched her arms out in front of her, hands touching at the wrists, fingers making a shape that suggested she was holding a large ball.
"Kasumante Tooyat!!!"
The beam sailed through the thick air, the first attack to actually make contact with the cloud.
Mystik knew why the attack wasn't defended against, the black things that defended the cloud were all around Cryptis.
A horrendous screeching sound, higher than anything imaginable tore through the noise of the thunder.
The cloud dispersed into the air and the black things scattered in all directions, accelerating so fast, it was impossible to track them for more than a moment.
Apart from maybe one, and only because it was carrying a female raccoon.
That one took just over three seconds to vanish.
In the middle of a huge empty field, Cryptis Strype dropped to his knees.
And died.

End of chapter 4…


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