Dark
PrologueInto The Belly of the Beast
Maria stood before the large clear doors that lead into the Drakel Super City of Ren T'kak. Quite the disturbing sight. The only reason she would find herself in such hot water is because Warlic and Atrix had, almost literaly, tossed her into it.
It started five days ago. Maria was having lunch with Natalya; her sister, when Warlic appeared out of nowhere, right behind the X-Guardian. He explained that the Drakel had made off with a very potent magical item: The Head of Carnax the Scourge. This hit Maria like a ton of bricks. "Drakel" and "Carnax" were two things she didn't want to hear linked together in any way in the same sentence. He continued to speculate they had entended on reviving the monstrosity using Magiscience. If that was true, it would make Carnax thirty times stronger. No one save the Mage of Despair could even hope to defeat it. Warlic wanted her to find and destroy the head.
He explained on the way back that he placed an enchantment on the head which would tell him exactly where it was, provided it stayed on Lore. It was moving very swiftly towards the Dragonspine Mountians, over them, and into the Dwarfhold Mountains. Maria jumped at the challenge to bash some Drakel heads. Warlic calmly gave her the access code to the door and explained how to work the Drakel doors. After that, she took off.
And now she's here, with about fifteen second thoughts in her head. This city was far larger then any she had ever encountered. But, she swallowed her stomach, liver and about three other vital organs and punched in the access code using the small panel. The door opened with a groan. She stepped in. After a little minute of looking, the door behind her slammed shut with a deafening crash. The panel on her side of the door exploded, sending a shower of sparks littering the floor. Trapped. Trapped like a BURP. She sighed. Warlic also told her that the Head would most likely be held in the center of the city, where all of the Drakel did their research. How Warlic knew this, was beyond Maria. She just wanted to do her job.
She spent four hours searching the city, until she smelt it. The rancid stench that was a combination of wet BURP, Blackhawke after dinner, and Robina's sawmill gravy (Poor girl. Tries day in and day out, but her gravy still smells putrid. Tastes worse, too). She looked into one last door and, lo and behold. There it was. The Head of Carnax. Just as ugly as she remembered it. She advanced upon it, tripping on a tube-like object laying on the ground. She looked down to see a Drakel Tube Launcher laying discarded on the ground. She picked it up and checked the ammo storage place. The clip was full. All five rounds were present. She took it up, aimed and fired at the head twice. The second time, the grotesque once-creature exploded, spraying blood and brains onto every wall. Satisfied all was well, Maria headed for the exit. Not too hard. But where were all the Drakel? Then she heard it.
An un-Lorly scream pierced the silence, her ears and her soul. She shivered at the sound. She was not alone. And these, were definenatly not Drakel. Or, at least, were no longer Drakel.