"Vykk? … Vykk!… VYKK! Get up!"
The female voice called out through the small house, attempting to rouse its owner's son from his slumber. Liana Eurkos wandered toward Vykk's room, pushing the door open.
"Your friends are here… get up," the woman lovingly informed her son.
"Alright… alright…" Vykk replied groggily. "What time is it, anyway?"
"11:40."
"They're late."
After a little while, Vykk emerged from his room, dressed in a plain black t-shirt, a pair of olive colored pants, and a pair of nondescript sandals. He hadn't touched his hair since he woke up, nor did he care to. Once outside, he was greeted by a small group of kids. Maise Finealta, her younger brother Dris, as well as Vykk's best friend, Leigh Dearg.
They immediately set out to do what they did every day: explore the 'cave'. A short distance from the town (out of eye-sight), an odd sort of hole was in the ground in the fields. It wasn't marked as anything important, but it was rather large. It took them a little while to work up the courage, but they eventually went into the hole, which opened into a slanted path downward, into a network of tunnels. Every day, they went a little farther.
This time, they decided to bring a flashlight with them, since the light didn't reach as far as they planned on going. "Hey… are you sure we should do this?" Maise asked the others. She was usually the 'wet blanket' of the group, and tried to be the voice of reason. But, to a group of early-teenaged boys, there was no reason.
"Aww, c'mon Mai… don't wuss out now," Leigh replied. "What kind of example would that set?" Leigh enjoyed pointing out that Mai was older than the other three whenever possible, even if it was only by a year.
"Hey… let's just go, ok?" Vykk suggested, not really wanting to stand around by the mouth of the cave while Mai and Leigh bickered with each other. If anyone else had made the same suggestion, Mai would've refused. But Vykk… well, he was the whole reason she went along with them at all… ever. But she would never let him know that.
They needed the flashlight soon after entering the cave, which seemed odd to them. They'd gone this far in before without it… why did they need it now? Trying not to worry too much, they pushed on, eager to see where the cave led. They didn't get far into unexplored territory before Mai's worries were proven to be warranted. Leigh began to fall behind, and none of the other three payed it any mind. That is, until they heard his stifled scream.
Back in town, the bustle of a newcomer filled the square. There was a man, covered in blood. Rumors instantly began to fill the town: "I heard that he's a spy, sent to kill us… we should be careful." "But I'm pretty sure he's just a farmer from the next town over… he can't be a spy…"
After the man got some rest, the Elders went to talk to him. The only information that the man was willing to give was his name, rank, and the fact that he was a pilot. Neither Elder was happy at all with this man's presence, because they knew that a "pilot" in the area meant only one thing.
The Bringers of Destruction had found their town.