Chapter 4: Base in the forest
Gasping for breath as he ran, Khalsin continued his rapid pace, his ragged grey tennis shoes flying beneath him. His arms pumped at his sides with jerky, verticle motion as he ran to the threshold of his physical ability, feeling his violet hair blown rapidly about in the breeze. Sprinting through the thickly vegetated forest path he was forced to juggle his feet rapidly and leap about as the forest thickened around him. The pilot took occasional, fleeting glances up into the sky, blotched and barely visible by the heavy foliage above. His face was always hopeful and excited, though slightly flushed from the rapid travel. With each brief check, he made sure the condensation trail of the Whale king's huge rocket boosters were still in present, tracking its hazy trail. His lungs burned for air as his chest heaved, running himself ragged in vigorous pursuit of his adventure, his quest, his new life. Khalsin winced slightly at the smoldering pain in his chest, before grinning slightly, speeding the rapid pace of his sprinting. It would not escape.
Working his feet with stunning agility, one pale fist gripped around the heavy shaft of the bamboo fishing pole, Khalsin leapt over dead branches and arched-up roots, avoiding what seemed to him as wooden fingers, grasping and lurching forward to stop his hasty gallop. He found himself performing a sort of high-velocity gallop, leaping from one flat area to the next, swerving skillfully to avoid the litter of obstructions on the path. Though the many wooden hands groped to reach him, to slow him, they would not. Nothing would stop him now. Adventure called to him and would be answered. One hand stayed still as he ran, the other swinging rapidly at his side. The long fishing pole bounced and bobbed along its long, deep yellow length, being carried along with his swift flight. His starving lungs gasped constantly, urgently inhaling the humid, thick air of the Romeo forest, a thickly wooded area infested with trees of every sort imaginable. The cool, almost moist feel of the thick, steamy air felt good on his lungs, something substantial to feed their burning need as he sprinted on. Lush green surrounded him as the forest blurred by, his vision a mess of deep, earthy browns and vividly verdant greens, before the occasional rush of speckled blue emerging from the trees. His horribly blurred vision bounced rapidly as he leapt through the forest, sprinting his fastest as he leaned forward, looking about constantly to keep his bearings. Just over the heavy thudding of his own heartbeat and his labored breaths, Khalsin could hear the furious roar of the Whale king's engines. His quarry grew nearer. Khalsin took a moment to consider this, before smiling; the Whale King was reaching it's destination, and also his. He panted heavily, grunting as a sharp thorned branch caught off his shin, tearing at his skin as sharp pain seared through him, drawing fourth a violent shiver down his spine. The young man hopped a few times, grunting a curse before he shook his head, immediately resuming his speedy pursuit.
Khalsin's grey eyes widened as he saw the sun grow stronger ahead, as the shade suddenly seemed to drop away, the trees ending. He closed rapidly in on the spot, as the sounds of the great Whale king had become deafening. Khalsin leapt over a large rock, landing firmly in the soft soil, before bracing his feet on landing, surging himself forward with the same great acceleration. He unexpectedly burst out of the forest suddenly, having reached its abrupt edge. The fisherman pumped his feet frantically to stop, skidding to an unsteady halt as his eyes went wide, the harsh sun suddenly bearing down upon him, its scalding rays a nasty surprise after running so long in the dank forest. His grey eyes shifted about for a fraction of a second, spotting the whale king not 70 feet above the huge, grassy clearing, and many people in black suits bustling about. After sliding through the dry earth to a standstill, he promptly cursed and scrambled backwards towards the thick, verdant brush through which he had emerged. Khalsin dove back into the forest, flattening himself instantly on his stomach inside a large, leafy rhododendron.
Mouth hanging agape, Khalsin took the time to rest. The heavy sprinting had required inhuman effort, completely distracting him from his thoughts. Making an attempt to collect himself, the pilot heaved himself onto his side, his chest still rising and falling with rapid repetition as he gasped for breath. He grimaced painfully, gritting his teeth a moment as burning stitches of pain shot through his side, a pain he had once ignored but now could no longer. Khalsin tried to focus his thoughts as he felt a rush of spinning sensation through his head, even a touch of nausea. He closed his eyes a moment, shaded by the thick, ovular leaves of the spacious yet sheltering shrub. He rested his head against one thick, flaky- barked branch, letting himself catch his breath as he gently ran his fingers through his violet hair.
Khalsin slowly allowed his eyes to open, letting them focus as he gazed through the space between the leaves of the shrub, finding himself quite securely hidden from view. A wide open, dry field of golden, tall grass expanded out before him, beginning just at the edge of the shrub containing him. He rubbed his eyes a little after watching the blurry dark forms moving about, before finally seeing his vision become sharp. The huge, black bulk of the whale king hovered steadily, unmoving in the air perhaps 50 feet above the area, as the men below paced about, constantly aware, always on guard. Khalsin swallowed slightly, his jaw going slack again as he viewed the large laser rifles gripped firmly by a few of the dark shapes. Only half the field was lit by now, and only so by a dim, vermillion glare cast down by the sun, pink, round, and low on the horizon. He moved onto his stomach again and propped himself up with his elbows, feeling the cool, moist soil touch his skin. He sighed happily, his grey and lupine gaze scanning constantly over the suspicious assembly.
With a sudden woosh of its engines, the massive dark Whale king began to descend. The great alloy behemoth lowered itself with a steady pace, using powerful thrusters at its belly to keep from plummeting too swiftly to the earth. Large landing ski's began to slowly unfold from the tail and either "flipper" of the great mechanized giant, grayish chrome rectangular surfaces held fast by hydraulic, telescoping cylinders that lead up towards the small hatch from which they emerged. The furious effort of the rocket thrusters caused circular shockwaves to repeatedly spread outwards through the tall grass, as it moved like an outwardly-spreading yellow ocean, the wind rattling the shrub Khalsin hid inside. The fisherman held the back of his wrist over his eyes to protect them from the rapid outburst of sand and debris, as the motors seemed to intensify to steady the landing of the titanic zoid. Its incredible, metallic bulk slowly descended in a careful, sluggish maneuver as the many black figures were forced to lean inwards, straining frantically against the constant, blustery gusts of air blasted away by the rocket thrusters. With a loud, sudden and shuddering thud, the enormous whale king settled majestically on the ground and lengthwise took up the majority of the field.
Khalsin could see the orange sun reflecting off of the glossy, beautifully polished black paint of the transport, its sharp, flat edges like enormous ebony mirrors. The glowing, trapezoidal tip of the whale's "nose" gradually faded. The great, blunt snout of the whale was lifted slowly, a low, hydraulic whine sounding clearly through the air as two pressure-driven telescopic bars slowly pried open the enormous jaws of the zoid. Sharp, teeth lined its mouth, but forming a smooth, long corridor and ramp from the internal chamber.
With a great, whirring clank the jaw touched the ground, as several of the personnel who had previously be on land jogged up to the unloading ramp, standing at its base and waving their arms a bit. A mob of more black clothed men jogged quietly out of the mouth of the transport. Khalsin squinted quietly, leaning forward to get a better look, before he noticed the glint of deep grey gunmetal. These were soldiers. A deep, sinking feeling set in Khalsin's stomach, he swallowed quietly as he brought one leg forward, setting his feet in the dirt. He stared transfixed at the shadowy figures moving about in the dim light, as the smoldering sun had finally retreated down below the black horizon, leaving only a fleeting remnant of its previous glory, a dull, pinkish glow off to the west. Khalsin could already see the two glowing green moons of Zi hovering above the area, giving a dim, iridescent light to the whole ordeal. Khalsin braced his hands on his knees, quietly rising to his feet as grey eyes gawked unblinking at the secret arrival of soldiers. Soon after, he could hear soft, metallic, ringing thuds from within, a chorus of these strange clanging noises emanating from the hull of the whale king.
The fisherman stood both aghast and perplexed at what he saw as a strange and incredibly faint red glow could be seen from the inside of the whale king, the scarlet light shining out to the left, out of the machines enormous gullet; it was more apparent due to his profile side view of the transport. The mysterious clanging seemed to have intensified, both in magnitude and in the amount of the shrill, puttering clanks noises sounding. He leaned forward slightly behind the tall bush, a few soft, deep green leaves brushing against his skin. They felt cool and smooth, a gentle caress of the forest as it so graciously concealed him from the protective eyes of the watchmen. Khalsin wrenched his jaw idly, shifting his feet nervously in the dirt, the smooth, worn soles of his seemingly ancient tennis shoes scraping at the soft earth. The young man watched in awe as he saw a long, smoothly curved and bright green claw suddenly glide from the very opening of the whale's mouth, followed by a long, slender body with four spindly legs, the armor of which was painted a bright, synthetic green. The leg joints, underbelly, and "neck" of the zoid were all a deep black. The machine was light and quite small compared to other zoids, but looked sleek and fast. Four agile, thin legs moved quickly beneath the mantis-like android as it rapidly scuttled down the ramplike jaw of the whale king. Khalsin could now see the source of the eerie crimson radiance, two enormous, bright red and bulbous glowing eyes perched atop the insect's lofty skull, accompanied by two small antennae just above them. Between these great eyes was a large red circle—a signifier of rank, Khalsin thought to himself. The soft clunks of the Demantis' metallic feet quietly softened as the small zoid moved off of the ramp, taking up a space in the open field perhaps 10 feet by 50 feet. A few dark-clothed men rushed about the Demantis, barking inaudible orders at its pilot, before the machine lurched into action again, its claws seeming to bob nervously up and down as it walked toward the edge of the clearing, at constant alert. The same glow once again appeared at the mouth of the shadowy giant, the rapid clunks of Demantis' feet thudding harshly against the heavy floor of the transport. Several demantis could be seen traveling down out of the Whale king's black maw, all moving in perfect unison with one another, at the exact same pace. None of these—Khalsin realized—wore the same red dot. His assumption had been more than accurate. The unsettling jade zoids continued to stream out of the whale king, their numbers increasing by the second as Khalsin's jaw suddenly dropped, the man's eyes going wide. Two, three, four....five, six, seven...ten...twelve... Their rapid pace continued as the small zoids streamed from the Whale king's great cargo bay, the zoids all flocking in perfect formation around the commanding Demantis. Khalsin had long since last count from the redundant, unending flow of the black-and-green insectoids, simply staring in stunned silence as the huge force was released from the astounding capacity of the dark Whale king. The dark-uniformed men on the field ushered the zoids into their formation, as the zoids themselves, despite their pilots, chitterred and hissed in the darkness, only their bewitching crimson gaze could be seen. Before him, in the field, sat in wait a legion of Demantis, an incredible army, easily larger than fifty or sixty zoids, all hissing and clicking in the darkness, though all that could be seen was an ocean of glowing scarlet lights. Whoever was organizing this, he imagined they had to be incomprehensibly rich. This was obviously not the zoid battle federation, he thought, casting a wary glance at the intimidating whale king. Pitch Black. Could anyone have picked a more sinister color? Crime was most obviously afoot when an unpublicated zoid army was being brought into a highly populated area. But what did they want? What had they come for? This he had to discover.
As the demantis army had finally been fully assembled, the Whale king gradually closed its gargantuan maw. The huge teeth clenched together with a loud, cavernous and rumbling clank, steam shooting from the hydraulic jaw compressors with an ear-piercing hiss, flying out in whitish, straight jets. As the whale king seemed to heave a steamy, gushing sigh of relief having been liberated of its incredible load. The huge engines began to start up again, as a low, guttural whirring slowly sounded from within. As the Demantis group noisily scuttled off down a small dirt road, Khalsin saw the men in black uniforms fan out into the woods. The heavy tramping of boots savagely crushing twigs and earth alike filled his ears as the burly soldiers went upon their scouting duty, moving about with little consideration for the forest itself. The enormous whale king began to slowly lift off, the heavy thrusters suddenly resuming with a deafening rumble, their enormous blue flames bursting fourth as the gargantuan black form moved upwards into the night sky, almost completely invisible except for the creamy green of Zi's two moons and the glowing, neon green nose lantern which gradually re-illuminated during takeoff. Khalsin grunted as the deafening engines spewed glittering cascades of sapphire flame downwards, straining to lift the leviathan bulk of the transport as it rose above the clearing, causing the same waves to propagate swiftly through the tall grass of the field. The thunderous roar of the engines pulsed painfully in his ears as he winced quietly, watching the huge black zoid block out the light of the moons, before enormous engines at the wide, horizontal tail suddenly flared into action. The whale king abruptly accelerated with a raucous blast of smoldering blue air, rumbling off into the night. The shadowy guardians had all disappeared by now, presumably join the massive convoy of Demantis Their barbaric trampling could no longer be heard, instead, the night time air was still and utterly silent.. Khalsin smirked quietly, raising his long bamboo fishing pole to lean casually across his shoulders. Though the danger of following sent a shiver of terror through his form, it also summoned up a tingling rush of sheer, unbridled thrill. This was the adventure within him, the feeling he had sought for so long. Though it lacked the rush of zoid battle, his "explorations" proved more than adequate for the time being. He could hear the soft pattering of the Demantis convoy in the distance. They'd have an uninvited guest.
Khalsin quietly shifted his right foot to the side, hearing the satisfying, soft crunch of a tiny leaf crushed underfoot. He turned his shoulders into the step, his eyes lingering on the path down which the convoy had traveled. He began to pivot his form to turn and follow the convoy when he heard the loud, distinctive click of a photon rifle being cocked. Though the noise itself was faint, in the midst of the horrifying silence, the tiny sound caused a wave of nausea to flow through him, the bitter shock of terror jolting through his very being. Khalsin turned quietly to meet the gaze of a grinning soldier, dressed in a black jumpsuit, a set of night vision goggles over his eyes. The haunting green glow of the three lenses over the mask seemed to intensify as the cylinders, varying in lengths, began to shift quietly forward and back, adjusting their focus to better view the target. Khalsin's grey eyes were wide, watching the man in black as he kept the photon rifle pinned firmly to his shoulder, its glossy barrel kept on its mark. Its long, glistening length was pointed straight towards him, and with an apprehensive glance downwards he could make out a glowing red bead on his chest. The soldier took several confident steps forward, crouched slightly as he moved through the woods, his tall, black tech boots crunching loudly on a twig beneath him. It was curious, Khalsin thought to himself, that this man could have so effectively snuck up on him. He bit his lip a moment as the realization dawned upon him. The noise from the whale king's engines had drowned out all other sound.
"Keep your hands where I can see them." Muttered the soldier redundantly, shifting the butt of the rifle upwards slightly to indicate where he his hands should be placed.. Khalsin gradually moved both arms upwards, gripping his fingers tightly around the thick fishing pole behind his back, keeping his wrists loose to look like he was surrendering the weapon. His grey eyes nervously watched the soldiers boots as he continued to step forward, carefully studying his displacement by stealing surreptitious and brief glances towards the metal tech boots, watching the small, glowing bars on the inside of the foot. Five steps away. Four. Three. Two. One!
Khalsin suddenly brought the great fishing pole around in a swift, brutal arc, its heavy bamboo bulk whistling through the air with astounding speed. As time seemed to slow, Khalsin twisted his body sideways, both adding power and momentum to the blow, but shifting himself out of the rifle's aim. The pole collided with the soldier's skull in a sudden, fluid movement, a loud, resonating crack echoing through the crisp, cool nighttime air. Khalsin completed his sidestep within the smooth movement, carrying through with the unbroken fishing pole as its white-and-red bobber trailed quietly behind it. The soldier let out a muffled, painful grunt, unable to loose a single round before he was knocked unconscious. He crumpled to the ground in an instant, sprawling out over the soft forest floor with a muffled thud.
Khalsin kneeled beside the man, quickly tearing the night vision goggles from his head. The soldier's arrogant grin had faded, as he now lay, eyes closed, his blonde, messy hair scattered in all directions. A large, red bump had risen on the side of his head, as a small trail of blood trickled slowly down infront of his ear. Khalsin stretched back the elastic, black ribbon on the goggles, wrapping it around his head and fitting them firmly to his skull. He squinted a bit, and in moments the goggles had responded to his vision, showing the forest vividly in a green- and-black color scheme. Trees and bushes, forest creatures and rocks he had not seen before now lay in the open before him, perfectly visible and in great detail. With his newly enhanced vision, the fisherman looked around briefly and chortled delightedly at his swift victory over the heavily armed soldier. He promptly snatched up his fishing pole, shifting it upwards and leaning it easily over his shoulder. Glancing about once again, Khalsin nodded a little bit, quirking a brow. The convoy had left already, there was no time to lose. He would give chase. The pilot promptly began to run through the woods again, this time more slowly as he avoided obstacles detected by the heavy night vision goggles, finding that they bounced heavily unless he slowed to a gradual trot. Khalsin paused for a moment, his head rotating constantly as he searched for the road, looking about quietly in the forest as he could hear the soft whirring of the ever-shifting lenses atop his head. The soft, eerie call of a night owl pierced the humid air, seeming to slice through the thick, wet, sweltering essence of it.
The long, grayish road appeared as a blazing, hot green stripe through the thickly wooded area, somehow highlighted by the goggles, presumably because patrolling the road was a priority for these sentinels. Now, of course, the goggles were being used to follow the road. A tool of his enemy had become an invaluable one for himself. Amazed at how much easier the goggles made his task, Khalsin quietly stalked through the woods down the path, pursuing the great convoy as it continually marched away. Though he moved at a fair-paced jog, Khalsin was careful to keep his footfalls silent, and to keep a constant eye out for another sentinel guard. His friend back at the clearing wouldn't be conscious for another few hours, he guessed, and even then, without a natural sense for the forest, would be lost until daybreak. By then, Khalsin swaggered to himself, he would be nowhere in sight.
Finding himself at the chase again, Khalsin snorted in annoyance as he moved through the still woods. Though well lit, the repetitive environment and coloring began to bore him. The convoy had not been sited for nearly a half hour by now, and boredom was already setting in. Khalsin grunted as he leapt over a large rock outcropping, landing lightly on his feet as he continued to run through the woods. He had to continue the chase. The shadowy trees and shrubs, ragged undergrowth and stubborn, upgrown roots continually attempted to snare him. He could not give up. He would catch his quarry.
Just as this occurred the dirt road began to curve sharply and Khalsin found himself starting for a moment at the sudden irregularity in the glowing green band in his vision. Following the road so illuminated by his goggles, the pilot found himself rapidly approaching a source of much light and movement. Squinting into the goggles and waiting patiently while they adjusted, Khalsin saw through the bouncing compilation of lenses a bustling station. A great, steel gate marked what looked like the only entrance to a heavily fenced-in area of forest. Huge piles of felled trees lay to either side, all still holding their leaves. Khalsin stopped in the woods perhaps twenty yards outside the huge base, narrowing his eyes slightly. He crouched in that same moment, trying to stay out of sight. The fisherman examined the many piled up trees just outside the fence. All still held fresh, perky leaves, indicating that their relative dooms had occurred just recently. Scowling furiously at this abomination of nature, he gazed quietly out at the rest of the base, squinting at the blurry images through the goggles. Nothing was clear but movement and light. Khalsin removed the goggles for a moment, using one hand to pull them back and rest them on his forehead. Though the rubbery contraption nearly slipped down again from the heavy drenching of sweat, Khalsin's grey, lupine gaze could make out the many red, glowing orbs of the Demantis through the heavy chain-link fence, along with a few other dim, whitish lights, all of these unfamiliar.
The young man quietly approached the fence, moving close to its side but keeping himself in the shadow of a huge sycamore tree near one of the large floodlights off to the right. Its enormous branches crept infront of the lights ever so slightly, giving him the opportune shadowy crevice to lurk into unnoticed, his slender form concealed in a cloak of gloom. Crouched there in the darkness, Khalsin let his eyes take in all there was to be seen of the complex. The base seemed to chafe with the bright, unnatural light cast over it, filled with the same dark commandos he had seen before. A few men in more sophisticated garb, such as officers trenchcoats and heavy black leather boots walked slowly about, overseeing the activities. These men, with their cold, merciless eyes and stern faces gave him the chills. In the center of the large establishment was a great hole, an indentation in the earth itself. Khalsin's flared brows furrowed as he watched a gisac scorpion-type zoid slowly make its way across the dirt clearing towards the hole. Squinting, he could see the tails of several more of the zoids sticking out from the deep fissure, as well as a scintillating white, flickering light flashing from deep within. The sandy brown zoid moved the same way a beach scorpion would, with swift, sudden movements of its eight arched, slender legs, moving upwards then arcing downwards from a flat, slightly rounded body. Two nimble, thin and almost articulate pincers and a moved from its front, the weapons outfitted with excavation lasers, Khalsin guessed. Mesmerized by the graceful zoid, his dull grey gaze quietly watched the bright orange dome cockpit near the front. The zoid's agile legs let out a chorus of loud, mechanical whines as it quietly descended into the gap, disappearing from sight, joining its furiously tunneling brethren. But what was it they dug for? Was there something this important beneath the ground? The entire base seemed centered about this activity, guarding and digging the hole.
Khalsin's grey eyes scanned across the huge, bustling base again, as the many lightly armed Demantis' seemed to move about on patrol. He could see a line of Godos over at the far right, though all of the huge, dinosoid machines were perfectly still. Tall and slightly awkward in appearance, the patrol units stood completely upright like a tower with legs, powerful arms covered in heavy firearms turned at sharp angles at the elbow, pointing straight forward. Their bodies grew thicker at the legs, forming wide, stable, heavy square feet which sat powerfully on the hard earth. The majority were painted white with their joints being left a dark, sullied chrome.
A loud, husky voice sounded suddenly as Khalsin jumped in terrified bewilderment, looking off in the direction of the incomprehensibly slurred cry. His eyes widened in confusion as he heard a rush of heavy-footed footsteps rushing towards him through the woods, the same swift thrashing crashing swiftly through the snarled underbrush. Squinting into the darkness, Khalsin could see nothing, but his ears could not be lying to him. Fear trickling like a cold drop of liquid evil down his spine, he quickly lowered the heavy, rubber night vision spectacles over his eyes. Khalsin gasped as he spotted several soldiers rushing through the woods towards him, rifles drawn. The fisherman cursed loudly. He had been found out. He grunted, throwing aside the goggles as he suddenly lifted his bamboo pole and scrambled to his feet. He sprinted quickly into the forest, free of the heavy weight from the goggles, dodging the many large stones and branches as he rushed through the heavily wooded area.
Khalsin winced in pain as another thorned vine caught viciously off his shin, dragging out an agonized yelp. He could feel a thin film of warm red blood dripping down his pale calf, but had not the time nor the will to do anything about it. The soldier somewhere behind him began barking out frantic orders again, having heard the noise and therefore found his location. The constant trampling behind him constantly spurred him on, an ongoing warning to the dangers of slowing down. Khalsin raised an arm to deflect a low-hanging branch, smacking it aside carelessly as he continued to sprint, once the stealthy hunter, now the fleeing prey. His legs pumped vigorously, but it was a different kind of run. It was no longer the eager gallop of the arrogant pursuer, but the frantic, tactless sprinting of the hunted, the threatened, that which had to escape at all costs. Khalsin took a winding escape route, heading nowhere in particular, simply wanting to elude the men. He felt the air cool considerably as he continued to run, his mind devoid of all things but escape. The fishing pole bobbed at his side as his hand kept an iron grip upon it, fingers powerfully curled around its broad length. His most valuable tool of all would not be lost. He could cling to his pole till the very end. It had saved his life on more occasions than the swift beating hours earlier.
Khalsin felt his chest already burning with the same furious need for air, his chest heaving as he sucked in the now cool, nighttime air. The constant, irritating buzz of crickets and nighttime insects flew by as he felt himself soaring through the forest, yet the loud, urgent orders and raucous stomping failed to completely elude him. The men were still quite tightly on his tail, nearly impossible to evade. What they protected must have been incredibly important to them.
Khalsin's head bobbed, his entire body moving with the swift, fluid rhythm of the running, his violet hair being manipulated and blown about as he moved through the air. He loved to run, he loved the feeling of such rapid, furious grace. His legs burned from the frantic effort, as did his lungs, his chest. Pain spiraled up his legs from the constant wear and tear of the day, but he would not falter. The pleasure—not to mention the sheer urgency—of his glorious flight was too much. He gritted his teeth, bending down as he ran and quickly snatching a fist-sized stone in one hand. He twirled around to run backwards, using this motion to hurl the huge rock behind him into the dark abyss of the woods. The huge rock whistled through the air as he rotated gracefully in air, his slender form resuming its previous position, his legs working swiftly, his thin, exposed ankles a pale blurr in the darkness, his puffy bronze pants brushing against each other constantly with each rapid motion, creating a soft sound much akin to the forests crickets in the darkness.
As he turned, Khalsin found his environment had changed considerably. Hearing a muffled, hollow thud, and a grunt of pain, before another crumpled thud, Khalsin smirked a little. The rock had done its job. He paused, letting his eyes take in what was before him, as his cocky grin faded rapidly, replaced almost instantly by a look of despair. He moved out onto a grassy hill-like vicinity, the many trees having disappeared. He slowed to a trot, seeing the land simply end a few yards ahead of him. His trot slowed to a walk, a deep, horrified sinking feeling being materialized in his gut as he groaned in sheer dismay. The grassy cliff ended at his feet. Leaning over it slightly, he gazed down nearly forty feet to a deep, blue river which ran swiftly through the same grassy fields. He wrenched his jaw slightly, his grey eyes scanning down the snaking length of the river. He found its length serrated with jagged rocks, surrounded in white, frothing bubbles which shot over its black, glistening bulk repetitively.
The soldiers had continued to advance despite the brief rock-based assault, their crashing footsteps came closer and closer. It was too late to change directions now. He was trapped. Khalsin wrenched his jaw nervously, biting his lip as he leaned his great fishing pole over his shoulders. He panted softly, gasping to regain his breath after the steady sprint. He found himself shifting his dull grey tennis shoes in the dirt, scraping at the grassy earth. He knew what he was going to do. Insane as it was, it was definitely more logical than being caught by such savage sentinels. If what they guarded was as important to them as this, they would most certainly kill him without a hint of regret. Now was not the time for his adventure to end. No one, not even these high-tech guardians of the mystery complex would stop him. His adventure would not be taken from him. He took a glance back, as the haunting emerald stares of the night vision goggles began to emerge from the forest, clearly visible, bouncing from side to side as the soldiers came running after him. They all sounded miserably winded from the run. Khalsin's smirk returned as he raised a flared, deep violet eyebrow, his soft, lilting chuckle sifting through the cool, nighttime air. The promising scent of the cool stream below tempted his nostrils. The soldiers continued their approach, he heard a loud, husky order to stop where he was, as he quietly sprinted two steps forward. Not a chance, he thought. Not a chance in hell.
He launched himself out over the cliff, grunting sharply as his legs propelled him with great force out into the fresh air of darkness. He pressed his arms to his sides as he fell down towards the river, feeling his violet hair ruffling about in the silent air. The river closed in rapidly, along with his adventure, his destiny, his purpose.
Gasping for breath as he ran, Khalsin continued his rapid pace, his ragged grey tennis shoes flying beneath him. His arms pumped at his sides with jerky, verticle motion as he ran to the threshold of his physical ability, feeling his violet hair blown rapidly about in the breeze. Sprinting through the thickly vegetated forest path he was forced to juggle his feet rapidly and leap about as the forest thickened around him. The pilot took occasional, fleeting glances up into the sky, blotched and barely visible by the heavy foliage above. His face was always hopeful and excited, though slightly flushed from the rapid travel. With each brief check, he made sure the condensation trail of the Whale king's huge rocket boosters were still in present, tracking its hazy trail. His lungs burned for air as his chest heaved, running himself ragged in vigorous pursuit of his adventure, his quest, his new life. Khalsin winced slightly at the smoldering pain in his chest, before grinning slightly, speeding the rapid pace of his sprinting. It would not escape.
Working his feet with stunning agility, one pale fist gripped around the heavy shaft of the bamboo fishing pole, Khalsin leapt over dead branches and arched-up roots, avoiding what seemed to him as wooden fingers, grasping and lurching forward to stop his hasty gallop. He found himself performing a sort of high-velocity gallop, leaping from one flat area to the next, swerving skillfully to avoid the litter of obstructions on the path. Though the many wooden hands groped to reach him, to slow him, they would not. Nothing would stop him now. Adventure called to him and would be answered. One hand stayed still as he ran, the other swinging rapidly at his side. The long fishing pole bounced and bobbed along its long, deep yellow length, being carried along with his swift flight. His starving lungs gasped constantly, urgently inhaling the humid, thick air of the Romeo forest, a thickly wooded area infested with trees of every sort imaginable. The cool, almost moist feel of the thick, steamy air felt good on his lungs, something substantial to feed their burning need as he sprinted on. Lush green surrounded him as the forest blurred by, his vision a mess of deep, earthy browns and vividly verdant greens, before the occasional rush of speckled blue emerging from the trees. His horribly blurred vision bounced rapidly as he leapt through the forest, sprinting his fastest as he leaned forward, looking about constantly to keep his bearings. Just over the heavy thudding of his own heartbeat and his labored breaths, Khalsin could hear the furious roar of the Whale king's engines. His quarry grew nearer. Khalsin took a moment to consider this, before smiling; the Whale King was reaching it's destination, and also his. He panted heavily, grunting as a sharp thorned branch caught off his shin, tearing at his skin as sharp pain seared through him, drawing fourth a violent shiver down his spine. The young man hopped a few times, grunting a curse before he shook his head, immediately resuming his speedy pursuit.
Khalsin's grey eyes widened as he saw the sun grow stronger ahead, as the shade suddenly seemed to drop away, the trees ending. He closed rapidly in on the spot, as the sounds of the great Whale king had become deafening. Khalsin leapt over a large rock, landing firmly in the soft soil, before bracing his feet on landing, surging himself forward with the same great acceleration. He unexpectedly burst out of the forest suddenly, having reached its abrupt edge. The fisherman pumped his feet frantically to stop, skidding to an unsteady halt as his eyes went wide, the harsh sun suddenly bearing down upon him, its scalding rays a nasty surprise after running so long in the dank forest. His grey eyes shifted about for a fraction of a second, spotting the whale king not 70 feet above the huge, grassy clearing, and many people in black suits bustling about. After sliding through the dry earth to a standstill, he promptly cursed and scrambled backwards towards the thick, verdant brush through which he had emerged. Khalsin dove back into the forest, flattening himself instantly on his stomach inside a large, leafy rhododendron.
Mouth hanging agape, Khalsin took the time to rest. The heavy sprinting had required inhuman effort, completely distracting him from his thoughts. Making an attempt to collect himself, the pilot heaved himself onto his side, his chest still rising and falling with rapid repetition as he gasped for breath. He grimaced painfully, gritting his teeth a moment as burning stitches of pain shot through his side, a pain he had once ignored but now could no longer. Khalsin tried to focus his thoughts as he felt a rush of spinning sensation through his head, even a touch of nausea. He closed his eyes a moment, shaded by the thick, ovular leaves of the spacious yet sheltering shrub. He rested his head against one thick, flaky- barked branch, letting himself catch his breath as he gently ran his fingers through his violet hair.
Khalsin slowly allowed his eyes to open, letting them focus as he gazed through the space between the leaves of the shrub, finding himself quite securely hidden from view. A wide open, dry field of golden, tall grass expanded out before him, beginning just at the edge of the shrub containing him. He rubbed his eyes a little after watching the blurry dark forms moving about, before finally seeing his vision become sharp. The huge, black bulk of the whale king hovered steadily, unmoving in the air perhaps 50 feet above the area, as the men below paced about, constantly aware, always on guard. Khalsin swallowed slightly, his jaw going slack again as he viewed the large laser rifles gripped firmly by a few of the dark shapes. Only half the field was lit by now, and only so by a dim, vermillion glare cast down by the sun, pink, round, and low on the horizon. He moved onto his stomach again and propped himself up with his elbows, feeling the cool, moist soil touch his skin. He sighed happily, his grey and lupine gaze scanning constantly over the suspicious assembly.
With a sudden woosh of its engines, the massive dark Whale king began to descend. The great alloy behemoth lowered itself with a steady pace, using powerful thrusters at its belly to keep from plummeting too swiftly to the earth. Large landing ski's began to slowly unfold from the tail and either "flipper" of the great mechanized giant, grayish chrome rectangular surfaces held fast by hydraulic, telescoping cylinders that lead up towards the small hatch from which they emerged. The furious effort of the rocket thrusters caused circular shockwaves to repeatedly spread outwards through the tall grass, as it moved like an outwardly-spreading yellow ocean, the wind rattling the shrub Khalsin hid inside. The fisherman held the back of his wrist over his eyes to protect them from the rapid outburst of sand and debris, as the motors seemed to intensify to steady the landing of the titanic zoid. Its incredible, metallic bulk slowly descended in a careful, sluggish maneuver as the many black figures were forced to lean inwards, straining frantically against the constant, blustery gusts of air blasted away by the rocket thrusters. With a loud, sudden and shuddering thud, the enormous whale king settled majestically on the ground and lengthwise took up the majority of the field.
Khalsin could see the orange sun reflecting off of the glossy, beautifully polished black paint of the transport, its sharp, flat edges like enormous ebony mirrors. The glowing, trapezoidal tip of the whale's "nose" gradually faded. The great, blunt snout of the whale was lifted slowly, a low, hydraulic whine sounding clearly through the air as two pressure-driven telescopic bars slowly pried open the enormous jaws of the zoid. Sharp, teeth lined its mouth, but forming a smooth, long corridor and ramp from the internal chamber.
With a great, whirring clank the jaw touched the ground, as several of the personnel who had previously be on land jogged up to the unloading ramp, standing at its base and waving their arms a bit. A mob of more black clothed men jogged quietly out of the mouth of the transport. Khalsin squinted quietly, leaning forward to get a better look, before he noticed the glint of deep grey gunmetal. These were soldiers. A deep, sinking feeling set in Khalsin's stomach, he swallowed quietly as he brought one leg forward, setting his feet in the dirt. He stared transfixed at the shadowy figures moving about in the dim light, as the smoldering sun had finally retreated down below the black horizon, leaving only a fleeting remnant of its previous glory, a dull, pinkish glow off to the west. Khalsin could already see the two glowing green moons of Zi hovering above the area, giving a dim, iridescent light to the whole ordeal. Khalsin braced his hands on his knees, quietly rising to his feet as grey eyes gawked unblinking at the secret arrival of soldiers. Soon after, he could hear soft, metallic, ringing thuds from within, a chorus of these strange clanging noises emanating from the hull of the whale king.
The fisherman stood both aghast and perplexed at what he saw as a strange and incredibly faint red glow could be seen from the inside of the whale king, the scarlet light shining out to the left, out of the machines enormous gullet; it was more apparent due to his profile side view of the transport. The mysterious clanging seemed to have intensified, both in magnitude and in the amount of the shrill, puttering clanks noises sounding. He leaned forward slightly behind the tall bush, a few soft, deep green leaves brushing against his skin. They felt cool and smooth, a gentle caress of the forest as it so graciously concealed him from the protective eyes of the watchmen. Khalsin wrenched his jaw idly, shifting his feet nervously in the dirt, the smooth, worn soles of his seemingly ancient tennis shoes scraping at the soft earth. The young man watched in awe as he saw a long, smoothly curved and bright green claw suddenly glide from the very opening of the whale's mouth, followed by a long, slender body with four spindly legs, the armor of which was painted a bright, synthetic green. The leg joints, underbelly, and "neck" of the zoid were all a deep black. The machine was light and quite small compared to other zoids, but looked sleek and fast. Four agile, thin legs moved quickly beneath the mantis-like android as it rapidly scuttled down the ramplike jaw of the whale king. Khalsin could now see the source of the eerie crimson radiance, two enormous, bright red and bulbous glowing eyes perched atop the insect's lofty skull, accompanied by two small antennae just above them. Between these great eyes was a large red circle—a signifier of rank, Khalsin thought to himself. The soft clunks of the Demantis' metallic feet quietly softened as the small zoid moved off of the ramp, taking up a space in the open field perhaps 10 feet by 50 feet. A few dark-clothed men rushed about the Demantis, barking inaudible orders at its pilot, before the machine lurched into action again, its claws seeming to bob nervously up and down as it walked toward the edge of the clearing, at constant alert. The same glow once again appeared at the mouth of the shadowy giant, the rapid clunks of Demantis' feet thudding harshly against the heavy floor of the transport. Several demantis could be seen traveling down out of the Whale king's black maw, all moving in perfect unison with one another, at the exact same pace. None of these—Khalsin realized—wore the same red dot. His assumption had been more than accurate. The unsettling jade zoids continued to stream out of the whale king, their numbers increasing by the second as Khalsin's jaw suddenly dropped, the man's eyes going wide. Two, three, four....five, six, seven...ten...twelve... Their rapid pace continued as the small zoids streamed from the Whale king's great cargo bay, the zoids all flocking in perfect formation around the commanding Demantis. Khalsin had long since last count from the redundant, unending flow of the black-and-green insectoids, simply staring in stunned silence as the huge force was released from the astounding capacity of the dark Whale king. The dark-uniformed men on the field ushered the zoids into their formation, as the zoids themselves, despite their pilots, chitterred and hissed in the darkness, only their bewitching crimson gaze could be seen. Before him, in the field, sat in wait a legion of Demantis, an incredible army, easily larger than fifty or sixty zoids, all hissing and clicking in the darkness, though all that could be seen was an ocean of glowing scarlet lights. Whoever was organizing this, he imagined they had to be incomprehensibly rich. This was obviously not the zoid battle federation, he thought, casting a wary glance at the intimidating whale king. Pitch Black. Could anyone have picked a more sinister color? Crime was most obviously afoot when an unpublicated zoid army was being brought into a highly populated area. But what did they want? What had they come for? This he had to discover.
As the demantis army had finally been fully assembled, the Whale king gradually closed its gargantuan maw. The huge teeth clenched together with a loud, cavernous and rumbling clank, steam shooting from the hydraulic jaw compressors with an ear-piercing hiss, flying out in whitish, straight jets. As the whale king seemed to heave a steamy, gushing sigh of relief having been liberated of its incredible load. The huge engines began to start up again, as a low, guttural whirring slowly sounded from within. As the Demantis group noisily scuttled off down a small dirt road, Khalsin saw the men in black uniforms fan out into the woods. The heavy tramping of boots savagely crushing twigs and earth alike filled his ears as the burly soldiers went upon their scouting duty, moving about with little consideration for the forest itself. The enormous whale king began to slowly lift off, the heavy thrusters suddenly resuming with a deafening rumble, their enormous blue flames bursting fourth as the gargantuan black form moved upwards into the night sky, almost completely invisible except for the creamy green of Zi's two moons and the glowing, neon green nose lantern which gradually re-illuminated during takeoff. Khalsin grunted as the deafening engines spewed glittering cascades of sapphire flame downwards, straining to lift the leviathan bulk of the transport as it rose above the clearing, causing the same waves to propagate swiftly through the tall grass of the field. The thunderous roar of the engines pulsed painfully in his ears as he winced quietly, watching the huge black zoid block out the light of the moons, before enormous engines at the wide, horizontal tail suddenly flared into action. The whale king abruptly accelerated with a raucous blast of smoldering blue air, rumbling off into the night. The shadowy guardians had all disappeared by now, presumably join the massive convoy of Demantis Their barbaric trampling could no longer be heard, instead, the night time air was still and utterly silent.. Khalsin smirked quietly, raising his long bamboo fishing pole to lean casually across his shoulders. Though the danger of following sent a shiver of terror through his form, it also summoned up a tingling rush of sheer, unbridled thrill. This was the adventure within him, the feeling he had sought for so long. Though it lacked the rush of zoid battle, his "explorations" proved more than adequate for the time being. He could hear the soft pattering of the Demantis convoy in the distance. They'd have an uninvited guest.
Khalsin quietly shifted his right foot to the side, hearing the satisfying, soft crunch of a tiny leaf crushed underfoot. He turned his shoulders into the step, his eyes lingering on the path down which the convoy had traveled. He began to pivot his form to turn and follow the convoy when he heard the loud, distinctive click of a photon rifle being cocked. Though the noise itself was faint, in the midst of the horrifying silence, the tiny sound caused a wave of nausea to flow through him, the bitter shock of terror jolting through his very being. Khalsin turned quietly to meet the gaze of a grinning soldier, dressed in a black jumpsuit, a set of night vision goggles over his eyes. The haunting green glow of the three lenses over the mask seemed to intensify as the cylinders, varying in lengths, began to shift quietly forward and back, adjusting their focus to better view the target. Khalsin's grey eyes were wide, watching the man in black as he kept the photon rifle pinned firmly to his shoulder, its glossy barrel kept on its mark. Its long, glistening length was pointed straight towards him, and with an apprehensive glance downwards he could make out a glowing red bead on his chest. The soldier took several confident steps forward, crouched slightly as he moved through the woods, his tall, black tech boots crunching loudly on a twig beneath him. It was curious, Khalsin thought to himself, that this man could have so effectively snuck up on him. He bit his lip a moment as the realization dawned upon him. The noise from the whale king's engines had drowned out all other sound.
"Keep your hands where I can see them." Muttered the soldier redundantly, shifting the butt of the rifle upwards slightly to indicate where he his hands should be placed.. Khalsin gradually moved both arms upwards, gripping his fingers tightly around the thick fishing pole behind his back, keeping his wrists loose to look like he was surrendering the weapon. His grey eyes nervously watched the soldiers boots as he continued to step forward, carefully studying his displacement by stealing surreptitious and brief glances towards the metal tech boots, watching the small, glowing bars on the inside of the foot. Five steps away. Four. Three. Two. One!
Khalsin suddenly brought the great fishing pole around in a swift, brutal arc, its heavy bamboo bulk whistling through the air with astounding speed. As time seemed to slow, Khalsin twisted his body sideways, both adding power and momentum to the blow, but shifting himself out of the rifle's aim. The pole collided with the soldier's skull in a sudden, fluid movement, a loud, resonating crack echoing through the crisp, cool nighttime air. Khalsin completed his sidestep within the smooth movement, carrying through with the unbroken fishing pole as its white-and-red bobber trailed quietly behind it. The soldier let out a muffled, painful grunt, unable to loose a single round before he was knocked unconscious. He crumpled to the ground in an instant, sprawling out over the soft forest floor with a muffled thud.
Khalsin kneeled beside the man, quickly tearing the night vision goggles from his head. The soldier's arrogant grin had faded, as he now lay, eyes closed, his blonde, messy hair scattered in all directions. A large, red bump had risen on the side of his head, as a small trail of blood trickled slowly down infront of his ear. Khalsin stretched back the elastic, black ribbon on the goggles, wrapping it around his head and fitting them firmly to his skull. He squinted a bit, and in moments the goggles had responded to his vision, showing the forest vividly in a green- and-black color scheme. Trees and bushes, forest creatures and rocks he had not seen before now lay in the open before him, perfectly visible and in great detail. With his newly enhanced vision, the fisherman looked around briefly and chortled delightedly at his swift victory over the heavily armed soldier. He promptly snatched up his fishing pole, shifting it upwards and leaning it easily over his shoulder. Glancing about once again, Khalsin nodded a little bit, quirking a brow. The convoy had left already, there was no time to lose. He would give chase. The pilot promptly began to run through the woods again, this time more slowly as he avoided obstacles detected by the heavy night vision goggles, finding that they bounced heavily unless he slowed to a gradual trot. Khalsin paused for a moment, his head rotating constantly as he searched for the road, looking about quietly in the forest as he could hear the soft whirring of the ever-shifting lenses atop his head. The soft, eerie call of a night owl pierced the humid air, seeming to slice through the thick, wet, sweltering essence of it.
The long, grayish road appeared as a blazing, hot green stripe through the thickly wooded area, somehow highlighted by the goggles, presumably because patrolling the road was a priority for these sentinels. Now, of course, the goggles were being used to follow the road. A tool of his enemy had become an invaluable one for himself. Amazed at how much easier the goggles made his task, Khalsin quietly stalked through the woods down the path, pursuing the great convoy as it continually marched away. Though he moved at a fair-paced jog, Khalsin was careful to keep his footfalls silent, and to keep a constant eye out for another sentinel guard. His friend back at the clearing wouldn't be conscious for another few hours, he guessed, and even then, without a natural sense for the forest, would be lost until daybreak. By then, Khalsin swaggered to himself, he would be nowhere in sight.
Finding himself at the chase again, Khalsin snorted in annoyance as he moved through the still woods. Though well lit, the repetitive environment and coloring began to bore him. The convoy had not been sited for nearly a half hour by now, and boredom was already setting in. Khalsin grunted as he leapt over a large rock outcropping, landing lightly on his feet as he continued to run through the woods. He had to continue the chase. The shadowy trees and shrubs, ragged undergrowth and stubborn, upgrown roots continually attempted to snare him. He could not give up. He would catch his quarry.
Just as this occurred the dirt road began to curve sharply and Khalsin found himself starting for a moment at the sudden irregularity in the glowing green band in his vision. Following the road so illuminated by his goggles, the pilot found himself rapidly approaching a source of much light and movement. Squinting into the goggles and waiting patiently while they adjusted, Khalsin saw through the bouncing compilation of lenses a bustling station. A great, steel gate marked what looked like the only entrance to a heavily fenced-in area of forest. Huge piles of felled trees lay to either side, all still holding their leaves. Khalsin stopped in the woods perhaps twenty yards outside the huge base, narrowing his eyes slightly. He crouched in that same moment, trying to stay out of sight. The fisherman examined the many piled up trees just outside the fence. All still held fresh, perky leaves, indicating that their relative dooms had occurred just recently. Scowling furiously at this abomination of nature, he gazed quietly out at the rest of the base, squinting at the blurry images through the goggles. Nothing was clear but movement and light. Khalsin removed the goggles for a moment, using one hand to pull them back and rest them on his forehead. Though the rubbery contraption nearly slipped down again from the heavy drenching of sweat, Khalsin's grey, lupine gaze could make out the many red, glowing orbs of the Demantis through the heavy chain-link fence, along with a few other dim, whitish lights, all of these unfamiliar.
The young man quietly approached the fence, moving close to its side but keeping himself in the shadow of a huge sycamore tree near one of the large floodlights off to the right. Its enormous branches crept infront of the lights ever so slightly, giving him the opportune shadowy crevice to lurk into unnoticed, his slender form concealed in a cloak of gloom. Crouched there in the darkness, Khalsin let his eyes take in all there was to be seen of the complex. The base seemed to chafe with the bright, unnatural light cast over it, filled with the same dark commandos he had seen before. A few men in more sophisticated garb, such as officers trenchcoats and heavy black leather boots walked slowly about, overseeing the activities. These men, with their cold, merciless eyes and stern faces gave him the chills. In the center of the large establishment was a great hole, an indentation in the earth itself. Khalsin's flared brows furrowed as he watched a gisac scorpion-type zoid slowly make its way across the dirt clearing towards the hole. Squinting, he could see the tails of several more of the zoids sticking out from the deep fissure, as well as a scintillating white, flickering light flashing from deep within. The sandy brown zoid moved the same way a beach scorpion would, with swift, sudden movements of its eight arched, slender legs, moving upwards then arcing downwards from a flat, slightly rounded body. Two nimble, thin and almost articulate pincers and a moved from its front, the weapons outfitted with excavation lasers, Khalsin guessed. Mesmerized by the graceful zoid, his dull grey gaze quietly watched the bright orange dome cockpit near the front. The zoid's agile legs let out a chorus of loud, mechanical whines as it quietly descended into the gap, disappearing from sight, joining its furiously tunneling brethren. But what was it they dug for? Was there something this important beneath the ground? The entire base seemed centered about this activity, guarding and digging the hole.
Khalsin's grey eyes scanned across the huge, bustling base again, as the many lightly armed Demantis' seemed to move about on patrol. He could see a line of Godos over at the far right, though all of the huge, dinosoid machines were perfectly still. Tall and slightly awkward in appearance, the patrol units stood completely upright like a tower with legs, powerful arms covered in heavy firearms turned at sharp angles at the elbow, pointing straight forward. Their bodies grew thicker at the legs, forming wide, stable, heavy square feet which sat powerfully on the hard earth. The majority were painted white with their joints being left a dark, sullied chrome.
A loud, husky voice sounded suddenly as Khalsin jumped in terrified bewilderment, looking off in the direction of the incomprehensibly slurred cry. His eyes widened in confusion as he heard a rush of heavy-footed footsteps rushing towards him through the woods, the same swift thrashing crashing swiftly through the snarled underbrush. Squinting into the darkness, Khalsin could see nothing, but his ears could not be lying to him. Fear trickling like a cold drop of liquid evil down his spine, he quickly lowered the heavy, rubber night vision spectacles over his eyes. Khalsin gasped as he spotted several soldiers rushing through the woods towards him, rifles drawn. The fisherman cursed loudly. He had been found out. He grunted, throwing aside the goggles as he suddenly lifted his bamboo pole and scrambled to his feet. He sprinted quickly into the forest, free of the heavy weight from the goggles, dodging the many large stones and branches as he rushed through the heavily wooded area.
Khalsin winced in pain as another thorned vine caught viciously off his shin, dragging out an agonized yelp. He could feel a thin film of warm red blood dripping down his pale calf, but had not the time nor the will to do anything about it. The soldier somewhere behind him began barking out frantic orders again, having heard the noise and therefore found his location. The constant trampling behind him constantly spurred him on, an ongoing warning to the dangers of slowing down. Khalsin raised an arm to deflect a low-hanging branch, smacking it aside carelessly as he continued to sprint, once the stealthy hunter, now the fleeing prey. His legs pumped vigorously, but it was a different kind of run. It was no longer the eager gallop of the arrogant pursuer, but the frantic, tactless sprinting of the hunted, the threatened, that which had to escape at all costs. Khalsin took a winding escape route, heading nowhere in particular, simply wanting to elude the men. He felt the air cool considerably as he continued to run, his mind devoid of all things but escape. The fishing pole bobbed at his side as his hand kept an iron grip upon it, fingers powerfully curled around its broad length. His most valuable tool of all would not be lost. He could cling to his pole till the very end. It had saved his life on more occasions than the swift beating hours earlier.
Khalsin felt his chest already burning with the same furious need for air, his chest heaving as he sucked in the now cool, nighttime air. The constant, irritating buzz of crickets and nighttime insects flew by as he felt himself soaring through the forest, yet the loud, urgent orders and raucous stomping failed to completely elude him. The men were still quite tightly on his tail, nearly impossible to evade. What they protected must have been incredibly important to them.
Khalsin's head bobbed, his entire body moving with the swift, fluid rhythm of the running, his violet hair being manipulated and blown about as he moved through the air. He loved to run, he loved the feeling of such rapid, furious grace. His legs burned from the frantic effort, as did his lungs, his chest. Pain spiraled up his legs from the constant wear and tear of the day, but he would not falter. The pleasure—not to mention the sheer urgency—of his glorious flight was too much. He gritted his teeth, bending down as he ran and quickly snatching a fist-sized stone in one hand. He twirled around to run backwards, using this motion to hurl the huge rock behind him into the dark abyss of the woods. The huge rock whistled through the air as he rotated gracefully in air, his slender form resuming its previous position, his legs working swiftly, his thin, exposed ankles a pale blurr in the darkness, his puffy bronze pants brushing against each other constantly with each rapid motion, creating a soft sound much akin to the forests crickets in the darkness.
As he turned, Khalsin found his environment had changed considerably. Hearing a muffled, hollow thud, and a grunt of pain, before another crumpled thud, Khalsin smirked a little. The rock had done its job. He paused, letting his eyes take in what was before him, as his cocky grin faded rapidly, replaced almost instantly by a look of despair. He moved out onto a grassy hill-like vicinity, the many trees having disappeared. He slowed to a trot, seeing the land simply end a few yards ahead of him. His trot slowed to a walk, a deep, horrified sinking feeling being materialized in his gut as he groaned in sheer dismay. The grassy cliff ended at his feet. Leaning over it slightly, he gazed down nearly forty feet to a deep, blue river which ran swiftly through the same grassy fields. He wrenched his jaw slightly, his grey eyes scanning down the snaking length of the river. He found its length serrated with jagged rocks, surrounded in white, frothing bubbles which shot over its black, glistening bulk repetitively.
The soldiers had continued to advance despite the brief rock-based assault, their crashing footsteps came closer and closer. It was too late to change directions now. He was trapped. Khalsin wrenched his jaw nervously, biting his lip as he leaned his great fishing pole over his shoulders. He panted softly, gasping to regain his breath after the steady sprint. He found himself shifting his dull grey tennis shoes in the dirt, scraping at the grassy earth. He knew what he was going to do. Insane as it was, it was definitely more logical than being caught by such savage sentinels. If what they guarded was as important to them as this, they would most certainly kill him without a hint of regret. Now was not the time for his adventure to end. No one, not even these high-tech guardians of the mystery complex would stop him. His adventure would not be taken from him. He took a glance back, as the haunting emerald stares of the night vision goggles began to emerge from the forest, clearly visible, bouncing from side to side as the soldiers came running after him. They all sounded miserably winded from the run. Khalsin's smirk returned as he raised a flared, deep violet eyebrow, his soft, lilting chuckle sifting through the cool, nighttime air. The promising scent of the cool stream below tempted his nostrils. The soldiers continued their approach, he heard a loud, husky order to stop where he was, as he quietly sprinted two steps forward. Not a chance, he thought. Not a chance in hell.
He launched himself out over the cliff, grunting sharply as his legs propelled him with great force out into the fresh air of darkness. He pressed his arms to his sides as he fell down towards the river, feeling his violet hair ruffling about in the silent air. The river closed in rapidly, along with his adventure, his destiny, his purpose.
