Earth Protectors

--Begin Chapter--

There in the entrance of the cave stood a tall, gloomy, and hairy monster. It had white fur, and it stood on it's hind legs, it swiped at the air with a bear-like claw, it's face looked like a cougar's face, and it's fangs were bared, as it roared at the group of friends. Going down on all fours it walked in, slowly, and lethally it circled the group. It had a body like a leopard, arms and claws like a bear, and a wolf like tail. It looked horrid, and freaky. The group bunched up, the boys , Artemis, and Terry making a circle around the others. Though the girls were a little frightened, they did not want to be protected by the men, they all made a circle, fist poised and in fighting stance. The monster was growling, looking for one that was weak, one to be it's meal. All of a sudden it grew misty, and the cave filled with a fog, it helped the group, but at the same time, it was a downfall. Their sense of smell, not as good, as the beasts was, it attacked Ashleigh, Ashleigh let out a shriek as she tried to kick the beast with her left leg, and sent a barrage of punches as the beast bit into her right leg. Katrina came up and kicked the beast in its eye. The beast let out a growl of pain as it let go of Ashleigh's leg and recoiled. It recovered, and growled, its new target being Katrina. The group surrounded her and Ashleigh, as Khan started to apply herbs he had in a pouch to tend to the wound.

"Oh, man, I have a feeling that this things is not friendly," Alex said, shifting a bit.

"No shit, Sherlock. It just attacked Ashleigh, you think it came fore a cup of tea with us?" Artemis said to him angrily.

"Hey, no need to get mad, Artemis. Calm down a bit," Rain said. Artemis nodded, and Rain stood next to her, in fighting stance. Lyra immediately went between them, giving Artemis a look that said, 'stay away from him.' Artemis looked at her that said, 'no need to get mad at me. I ain't interested in him.'

"Too bad we didn't get in fighting lessons. Just stuff for strength!" Nny said, smirking, trying to remain calm. The others agreed. The beast just circled them, it eyes on Katrina in the center. The beast seemed to have smirked, and went straight in between a gap between Alex and Selena. The others were near shock, and frozen in place. The beast went straight for Katrina's foot, the one that kicked the beast. It's mouth agape to bite it off, and Katrina's face a picture of shock and fear was frozen. Then in a flash a fist, Khan's fist, connected with the beasts lower jaw, punching with enough force to near break it. The beast once again recoiled out of the circle, as it retreated, Alex stepped on it's tail, and beast was rendered powerless. It fell, whimpering, and near unconscious.

"Kill it! Kill Ra-damned thing!" Terry said. Alex stayed on the tail.

"How? What weapon do we have?" Artemis asked. They shrugged. They looked down at the now unconscious animal, Artemis pulled Alex aside, "Okay, I think it's safe."

Just as Alex's foot came off the tail the beasts eyes snapped open and it jumped up, growling, and with out moving it's injured jaw the beast said in a cold, deep, and evil voice, "You have angered me now. You will all die for what you have done to me! Zaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!"

It yelled out its war cry and charged the group, horns growing on its head, and groups split, and the beast ran into the wall, it's horns stuck. Then Ava grabbed her pot and ran up and struck the beast on its head. It fell unconscious. The group lifted a boulder between them and placed it on the beasts tail, after the pulled him near the fire. The horns then shrunk back to the head till it seemed had not had any horns on his head.

"What do you suppose he is?" Selena asked Artemis. Alex walked up to them.

"Seems he has a bit of Lion, bear, leopard and wolf in him," Alex said.

"Hmm, what was that he yelled out?" Artemis asked.

Then Ashleigh and Terry walked up, Ashleigh leaning on Terry, her leg in a bandage. Terry helped Ashleigh sit down then said, "'Zalaris' is what he yelled. Strange, I wonder what it is."

"It sounded as though it were a war cry," Katrina said, sitting next to them. The others were looking at he beast. "Usually from what I've read when some one yells a war cry, it's the name of their home, country, or leader."

They nodded, then Alex said, "I bet it's his leader."

"Maybe," they said at the same time.

~~~Somewhere near the cave on the Frost Mountains~~~

A dark figure hovered near the cave, it had red eyes, and it seemed to be looking in from a portal, it was completely black only it's eyes were visible, it hissed silently, and angrily, it said, "Ssssssolcassssss, hasssssss failed."

The thing disappeared to somewhere.

~~~In another part of Crypto-Earth, across the Dark Mountains, which is a thousand miles south west of the Frost Mountains.~~~

In a huge dark looming castle that covered ten hundred acres, was a huge room called, Dark Hall, where on a dark throne (notice how much I use dark) sat figure, slender, and muscular, shrouded in the shadows, its silver eyes showing as it sipped wine from a glass cup. It sat listening to its servant bowing before him.

"I sssssssorry, sssssssssire. Sssssssssssssssssssolcassssssssssss hasssssssss failed," The hissing black cloaked figure said. Another figure charged from the group of people around the throne and pointed at the figure accusingly.

"Sire!" It yelled in a male voice, "He has failed! He sent a bad vercan to kill these children! Let me take his place! I will bring their heads on a silver platter!"

The figure on the throne threw his wine glass at the figure that just spoke, "Silence! You failed."

"No, sir, we have one of the children's father. He radiates a great power, he could be useful!" The figure, White said, grinning. The other figure worried, but he covered it well.

"I object! It'sssss my chancccccccce! Remember, White! I gave my first chancccce! Watch your toungue around me! I'm your master too!" The black figure yelled. "In a way, Sssssssoketh failed too! He wasssssssss to make sure you did your job!"

Soketh then stepped out, "It's not my falt master!"

The figure on the throne had had enough, he blasted Soketh to hell, and yelled, "Shut-up! Silence! You, White, you're new, I can tell, Soketh hired you, and your vercans. Well, since you have the father of one of the children, I'll give you your chance."

"Thank you, Lord!" White bowed and went back in the crowd of vercans, and forkans.

"But Sssssssssire!" The black one pleaded.

"Silence, Sakhalin. You'll have your chance later, if White fails," The figure said. "Now leave, all of you! I wish to be left to my self."

To explain what Vercans and Forkans are. Vercans are monsters sent by Forkans to do work, and bring mayhem and disaster. The Forkans are like captains in an army, they all try to make it to be the right hand man of their ruler. They are the ones that come up with plans that the Vercans do. They are all different types of beasts, men, and things. A Vercan can be replaced easily, they are made by mixing Earth, and the blood of any animal(s) and/or human(s). A Forkan is specially made when three Vercans that are alike are successful they fuse into one, and make a Forkan. There fore there less Forkans than there are Vercans. Of course the Forkans are more powerful than the Vercans, but the ruler is the most powerful of all. Even if all the Vercans and Forkans were to up rise and attack him at once, he would only receive a few scrapes, and he could kill them easily. There's some background and useful info.

--End Chapter--

That's all for now. G2G

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