Yuni leapt of the log and thrust her knives forward. The wolf leapt from the spot and her knives only caught the form of the mangled meal. The wolf lust forward and Yuni quickly dodged to one side, the two circled each other. Yuni dashed forward and began to swing her blades, the creature thrust itself into the air towards Yuni. Yuni dived down, and as the creature sailed over, thrust the knives into the underside. A quick spray of blood and the creature laid down and ceased to breathe. Yuni retrieved the knives and headed back to the tower.
"Where is she, and what was all that noise!? LET ME GO HEAT CHARGE!" I shouted.
"Negative, you are to remain here. You take a step I'll kill you now." Heat charge responded.
"CALM DOWN EVERYONE!" Akino attempted to calm the situation.
"Akino, stay out of this! SHOOT ME IF YOU WILL BUT IM GOING!" I began to run towards the stairs.
Heat Charge 9 shouldered his rifle, muttered something and pulled the trigger. A sharp pain went through my shoulder, my vision began to blur, I fell into unconsciousness.
Day 4-
When I next awoke we were still in the tower. It was morning, golden light shone through the windows as Heat Charge 9 made some adjustments to his rifle. Akino was sitting next to me, treating my wound.
"He's awake! Are you alright?" Akino asked quickly.
"Ugh… I think so…" I responded.
"You idiot, why did you come after me?" Yuni asked harshly.
"I… didn't want you to get hurt." I answered.
"Heat Charge 9 never bluffs, besides anything out there that I couldn't handle would have killed you too. Your lucky he had his rifle on stun, otherwise you'd be in several pieces. There's no room to worry about other people out here, worry about yourself and that's it." Yuni coldly stated.
I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, I lied down for what seemed forever before the word was given to move out. We left the tomb behind, empty and open. Even after we had left the feeling of death was about us. Following us, no, haunting us.
We continued through the forest, it was a nice warm day. Birds flew from tree to tree, colorful nimble birds. Akino looked depressed, the pain in my shoulder lingered. Yuni was expressionless, and Heat Charge 9 was focused on where we were going.
"Akino, are you alright?" I asked her.
"I'm fine." Akino said without emotion.
"You sure?" I asked again.
"Please don't let it concern you, I'm alright." She smiled.
"alright, if you need to talk, I'm here." I announced.
"Ok, thanks. I'm sorry for being so depressing… It's just that…" Akino responded.
"Just… what?" I asked.
"I… had a lot of good friends aboard that ship, Pioneer 1. And it doesn't seem anyone down here is still alive." Akino admitted.
"Im sorry, anything I can do to help?"
"It's alright. Just don't die, I've had enough friends do that…" Akino said.
"I promise you, I won't leave you." I said.
"Thanks" Akino leaned over and hugged me.
Through the rest of the day we walked non-stop, just forest. No signs of civilization. No more outposts, just forest. All day it was the same, green, green, green. At nightfall, we decided to stay in a large tree. It took a bit of work to climb it. But it was roomy and the branches were very large. I fell asleep with Akino leaning her head on my shoulder and Heat Charge 9 taking watch, and Yuni doing pull ups on a smaller branch.
Day-5
We awoke early, just as the sun was rising. We began to walk again, through the forest. About half way through the day we arrived at a large field. The tall grass swayed in the light breeze. On the other side of the field, a concrete wall about ten foot tall with a large gate. Beyond it a huge dome, stretching out for as far as I could see. We began to walk towards it through the field.
"Keep your guard up…" I said.
"Heat Charge, do you remember what they said the found at the out skirts of the central dome. Something about a large beast-like creatures with huge claws and teeth." Yuni recalled.
"I recall something of the sort. They called them Booma's I think." Heat Charge 9 said.
Suddenly a low, blood-cuddling roar came from the forest around us. Our group made a half-circle in the field. Straight ahead the bushes and underbrush was shaking. An 8 foot hairy beast stepped out into the field. Its claws about a foot long and teeth six inches long. Another stepped out slightly to the left. Then another, then another. Soon we were surrounded with about 12 Booma's. They began to close in. Slow, lumbering beasts.
"What's the plan?" I asked Heat Charge as he shouldered his rifle.
"Take this and shoot." He handed me an autogun and then he fired into a Booma's head. Its head snapped back and it fell down. He turned to the next one and fired at that one. As they closed in I began to fire as well. Akino fired with her rifle, and Yuni struggled to open the gate.
"This accursed things firewall is top of the line, even for seven years ago, its hard to get through!" Yuni explained. "Hold 'em off a bit longer."
The one's we gunned down were replaced by more. Closing in, 60 ft…50 ft…40 ft…
"TAKE THIS" I fired three or four rounds into one. It fell back and one took it's place, "Hurry it up Yuni!"
"Got it!" The door slid open just as they reached us. We scattered in as the door shut behind us.
"That was close." I said breathing hard.
"That's only the start of our trouble." Heat Charge said as he pointed towards the central dome. The entire plaza we were standing in was covered in Booma's. Another wall with a gate was behind them.
"Make a path to that gate!" Yuni shouted.
We all opened fire. Tearing the creatures to shreds, they still closed in. Stupid animals, I felt pity for these creatures as I pulled the trigger and took their breath away. We managed to make a path to the gate. We stepped over the bleeding corpses and arrived. Yuni managed to open this quickly. I took one last look at the massacre before I was pulled through the gate and it closed.
The next plaza was covered in vines and plants. It looked like a jungle. I could barely make out the wall on the other side with the gate. It seemed to get through the maze we would have to get through this maze of gates and walls. The next plaza was empty as well, no body's, no monsters, just vines and damaged walls.
We made our way through the maze. After a great deal of searching we arrived at a room with a large red teleporter. We began to walk towards it. About half-way there I heard a heavy breathing from above. I slowly looked up, a huge purple, monkey like creature sat on a tree branch. Its cold dark eyes stared into me.
"Get out da' way!" I jumped forward and pushed everyone down.
The creature jumped down from the tree and landed with a loud smash. It began to walk towards us. I got to my feet and helped Akino up. Heat Charge 9 and Yuni also got up. We began to back away from it.
"It's a Hildabear!" Akino yelled. "I saw it a book once, they're incredibly strong!"
"Fire!" Yuni commanded.
The group started pummeling it with rounds, but it kept coming. Yuni unsheathed her knives. She jumped forward and slashed into it's stomach. It didn't seem to effect it too much. It reached back, and backhanded Yuni across the plaza. Heat Charge 9 aimed up at it's head. Everything seemed to stop, focusing on Heat Charge. He took his time as the creature lumbered forward. It threw me a good 20 feet. Heat Charge 9 slowly pulled the trigger. The creatures head snapped back. It fell forward, leaving a gaping hole in it's forehead.
On through the scarred walls and ancient passageways of the outdoor section of the central dome. No reminisce of any survivors, mystery befouled the area. It seemed sorrow and darkness followed us everywhere on Ragol, in my thoughts I could feel the pain of the passengers, no…victims of Pioneer 1. It tore away at me slowly, and the downfall began.
"This place sucks." Yuni frankly stated as we walked across the moss-infected base.
"Keep focused and stop complaining." Heat Charge commanded.
"No… I'll complain as much as I feel like it." Yuni responded.
"Hey, what's that ahead?" Akino asked shakily.
A large red teleportation platform lay ahead of us. Nothing more, nothing less.
"What do we do? Take it?" I
asked eagerly.
"I say we take it, It's a dead end past it, and we know what's behind us…" Yuni commented.
"It's the best COA" Heat Charge announced and started towards the teleporter. One by one we stepped in, taking one last look at the wretched forest before us. I will never miss this place I thought, and yet…
Chapter 2
Once Heat Charge had activated the teleporter, our molecules were sent to a different area. This one much darker, much more unsound then the deadly forest.. Deep within the bowels of the caves of Ragol, we appeared in a small circle like stone room. There seemed to be markings of other hunters recently traveling along this path. There was plainly enough light to see a large door before us. The lights on it shone a bright green color, obviously the door was unlocked.
"Let's move out, stay close and watch your back." Heat Charge advised.
"I've traveled these caves before, I know what waits for us." Yuni responded.
What waited for us I had no knowledge of. Never had I heard of what lurked in the dark caves. It was kept very secret. I wish I had never had to find out…
Yuni activated the door and the large metallic wall slid open. Behind a very large, open room with staircases lining the small cliffs of the cave room. It was poorly lit, but enough to see. Across the room a dark figure stood motionless. It didn't seem human, it was large and its presence was cold.
I stepped in first, very quietly, slowly. I made my way toward the figure, it still did not move, just stood. As I drew nearer I suddenly stopped, the creature slowly reared its head into my direction. One glowing red eye pierced through me. It stared with the hatred of a thousand hells, one red eye where it seemed two had once been. It took a step towards me, a loud crash of it's foot. It loomed over eight feet tall, and must have weighed at least five hundred pounds. Its head resembled something of a shark, and its arms bore to razor sharp blades. It drew nearer.
