Chapter 55: Invasion

Fox's ears filled with the scratch of metal as he cleaned his armour. A soft-bristled brush scrubbed the grime and dust off, leaving polished bronze that he could see his reflection in. Yet Fox did not stop there. He continued to work his chest plate over until every little cranny was spotless. Being a high-ranking guardsman demanded great respect, so he needed to look like he was worthy of it.

Once Fox was satisfied, he set the piece aside to dry in the open air. He then picked up one of his greaves and began working on that as well. Though it was his day off, Fox couldn't keep his mind away from work. His thoughts lingered particularly on a series of strange and unnerving reports that the city guard received lately.

Over the past few weeks, travellers and merchants found villages completely empty across the region. Not one soul to be seen. Lythans went out to investigate but returned with little gleaned. All they discovered were broken and scorched houses. They didn't even find a single corpse. No tracks leading in or out of the villages gave any clue about who or what were behind the attacks. The sets that the lythans found inside the villages did not resemble anything they recognised. Scouting parties continue to search the surrounding mountains in case the villagers had been taken somewhere there.

Both the Lythan Jad and city guard stepped up patrols around Kezamat's territory as well. So far, there'd been no new leads. The lack of information troubled Fox more than he wanted to admit, especially since the team Andross sent to find the rocket's crash site had also disappeared. Many of Fox's comrades looked to him for guidance in their growing unease. He didn't know what answers to give them. He still knew so little about Cerinia. If this was the work of some new creature, he wasn't sure how they would deal with it.

As he sharpened his spearhead, Fox heard footsteps approaching quickly around the house. He looked up just in time to see Krystal arrive from behind the wall. A bright, excitable look adorned her face. Fox set the spear down.

"Welcome home," he smiled. "You look happy about something."

"Fox! I did it!" Krystal exclaimed. "I made this humungous barrier today."

Surprise filled Fox. "Really? How big are we talking?"

"Large enough that I could cover the whole shrine if I wanted to!" Krystal bounced on her toes as though she could jump to the stars that way. "At first, I thought I was going to lose control of it right away. But I managed to hold it for five whole minutes!"

Fox stood tall. "Krys… That's amazing!" he beamed. Five minutes would get them halfway through the arethansphere. "I'm so proud of you." Fox pulled Krystal into a tight embrace. Her tail whipped faster than his did. An aura of accomplishment radiated from her.

"You've come along so far since you started training," he said. Fox pulled away. "We should do something to celebrate."

"Like what?"

"How about we go out tonight? Wherever you want."

Krystal's tail kicked it up another gear. "There's this new restaurant past the marketplace that I really want to try out."

Fox grinned. "Then it's settled." He kissed her. "You really are doing so well. I am proud of you, Krystal."

She blushed. "Thank you, Fox."

He glanced back at his weapons and armour. "I'm almost done with fixing my gear. Is there anything you want to do before tonight?"

Krystal pondered briefly. "Well… I do have one idea." A mischievous grin formed on her face as several images uploaded into Fox's mind. He got onboard immediately.

"Alright," he chuckled. "Go get ready upstairs, and I'll join you once I've finished."

Quick as a sprite, Krystal pecked Fox's cheek. "Don't keep me waiting," she sang. She disappeared into the house, her tail wagging behind the door.

Grinning widely himself, Fox sorted through his equipment and picked up his blaster. He'd hardly used it over the last few years, yet Fox always made sure to keep it in peak condition. He cleaned the barrel and checked the charge. All in great shape for something that passed through a circuit-wrecking cloud of magic dust.

With that taken care off, Fox carried everything inside and set them near the front door. Then he locked both entrances, making sure that no one would disturb them. He walked upstairs, pulled his shirt over his head, and stepped into the bedroom. There, Krystal waited for him, looking the very image of a goddess beckoning her champion. A stray thought struck Fox as he approached her.

It's amazing how they don't already have kids yet.

High above the plains and mountains, several hundred metres away from Kezamat, one scouting drone stared over the city. Lenses within compound eyes adjusted continuously. Zooming in to see the fine details of its buildings, the drone assessed the city's defences. A great, stone wall protected its denizens better than any previous settlements. However, the city had no discernible countermeasures against an aerial assault. Patrolling warriors carried spears and metal shields. Scarcely a threat to superalloy armour.

All analyses were relayed to the Queen. She then distributed orders to attack to 50 Aparoid units concealed on the ground. Harvest all organic life. Exterminate only those who pose a real threat to the swarm.

The drone heeded the directions and awaited input from the commanding unit. It ordered for immediate take off. Aparoids launched into the air. Vivid, multi-coloured wings fanned out. Silently, the swarm advanced upon the settlement.

150 meters from target…

100 meters…

50 meters…

Multiple vulpine organisms identified throughout a street below. The drone selected one and swooped. Frontal limbs shoved its prey to the ground. Its remaining legs cushion the landing. Foxes screamed all around. Several more fell as the other units claim their targets. The creature beneath the drone was alive but stunned. Scans indicated internal injuries, including fractured ribs and spine. Inconsequential to objective.

The fox began to squirm. Finding the optimal point for circulation, the drone drove its stinger into the fox's back. The fox screamed. Blood gurgled from the injection site. Target's response within expectations. Aparoidedation process commenced.

Veins bulged vibrant purple as nanobot cells flooded the fox's bloodstream. They began converting its organic matter into the desired hybrid structure. The fox screamed and begged help from its kind, yet those who evaded the first strike had already fled. The drone prioritised takeover of the fox's central nervous system. Within moments, the fox became still and silent. All other vital signals were normal.

Once a nanocore transmitter was installed inside, the drone removed itself from the fox. Probability of successful aparoidedation was 99.9999 percent. The drone scanned the area for its next target.

All is for Aparoid. All will become Aparoid.

An exhausted yet contented sigh expelled from Fox as he pulled his shirt back on. Krystal's scent was matted into his fur, just as his surely was in hers. Their antics upstairs left Fox famished. So, he stepped into the kitchen to prepare himself a light snack, as well as set the kettle on for Krystal's medicinal tea.

Tempted for something savoury, Fox cut a couple of slices of bread. The dough was twisted and baked with various herbs and an olive-like berry to give it a salted, earthy flavour. He considered brewing some green tea for himself to go with it. Fox then pondered whether he should take some food up to Krystal as well. Minds still linked, she appreciated his thoughtfulness.

The kettle soon whistled. Fox removed it from the heat but noticed that the faint, high pitch didn't stop afterwards. His brow furrowed. Fox then realised that the sound wasn't coming from the pot. He closed his eyes, trying to discern its source. It was like a kettle's whistling but irregular. Seemingly distant and from outside the house. When Fox concentrated, it sounded like…

Screams!

"Fox!" Krystal hurried down the stairs. She was barely modest upon her arrival. However, Fox's focus turned to her face once he saw Krystal's alarm. "Something's wrong! I can sense a panic nearby."

"Sounds like it too." Fox opened a window and stuck his head out. Nothing looked immediately out of place until he glanced at the sky. Countless bodies hung over the city. From the distance between them, they were too big to be any birds native to the region. The creatures flew in a coordinated fashion, swooping to the ground at intervals as though… As though they were hunting!

"The city is under attack!" Fox told Krystal. "Get dressed. Put your armour on. Be ready to leave in five minutes."

Krystal nodded before she rushed back upstairs. Fox then turned to his gear by the door and followed his own instructions. No sooner than he fastened his breastplate, a voice suddenly boomed inside his head.

"Fox!" It was Thalse. "The city is being attacked by some unknown creatures."

"Yeah. I noticed," Fox gritted his teeth, trying to put on his greaves.

"We're already taking casualties on the east side. I need you to rally as many soldiers as you can and confront the beasts. I'll pass on new orders once Captain Forn and the chief come up with a plan."

"Anything you can tell me about those things?"

"Not much, sorry. All I know is that there's at least a few dozen of them. They look like insects, but their shells are so tough that it's like they're made of metal."

Made of metal? That was unusual, even for Cerinian wildlife. "I'll move out and join the battle shortly. Krystal is with me. I'll fill her in as soon as we go."

"Take good care of her, Fox," Thalse broke protocol to ask. "I know she's capable, but this is something we've never seen before. Please keep each other safe."

Fox nodded. "I will. I promise." Thalse left him after that, seeming satisfied.

He looked over his weapons. Having thought to grab his usual bow and spear, Thalse's information made Fox reconsider. His guns would probably do more damage against armoured foes. So, Fox took both his blaster and assault rifle instead, along with as much spare ammo as he could carry.

Krystal then returned with her lythan armour and staff. Fox relayed everything that Thalse had told him. "We'll go together," she responded. "There's a good chance Uncle Randorn will send the Jad there as well."

Fortunately, their home was far from the fighting. Unfortunately, that meant it took longer for them to find the hordes of people fleeing for their lives. Fox and Krystal did their best to guide them to safety, but they were only two, and they couldn't spare time on evacuating. Struggling to push against the tide of terror, Krystal dragged Fox onto a side street where they made better progress.

A ring of steel caught Fox's ear. He halted Krystal and asked her to find it. She led them around several corners until they came across a group of soldiers fighting one of the beasts. It was like some kind of mechanical beetle. Easily bigger than an SUV.

The creature charged and swiped at the soldiers. They barely dodged each hit. Using their superior numbers, they struck at the bug's blind spots. Unfortunately, their spears and blades only glanced off its tough hide. They don't stand a chance against it.

Krystal pointed her staff and shot forward a fireball. It hit the beast hard enough to stagger it. Alas, she didn't do much more than scorch its side. The creature turned to face her. Fearing what would come next, Fox pulled up his blaster and fired upon its face. Compacted plasma punched through the shell, spilling sparks and fluid as the beast collapsed. Fox then turned to the soldiers and finally recognised them. Sheld, Hiumart, and Sabre. All panting for breath but still alive.

"Are you guys alright?" he asked. "Is anyone hurt?"

"We're fine," Sheld answered.

"Thanks for the rescue," Sabre said through a weak smile.

Hiumart waved his hand briefly. It returned to his other wrist, which looked as though it might be sprained. Krystal knelt to his side to try and soothe it. "What in the world was that thing?"

Fox wanted to know that as well. He crept to the fallen insect cautiously. There's a chance it could be still be alive, but peering into the hole in its head convinced Fox that wasn't likely. A dark, oily liquid bled out from it. Inside, Fox found sparking circuitry and… other parts which… he couldn't immediately identify. They looked almost like…

"Is it a spirit maybe?" Sheld asked.

"It can't be," Krystal replied. "I didn't sense any mana coming from it."

"No. It's some kind of robot, I think. A machine," Fox said. But how was that possible? This thing didn't look like anything he'd ever seen except for maybe Andross's creations. Yet even that was a stretch from what he was looking at right now. Certainly not something one would normally find on Cerinia.

Fox peered deeper into the robot's head. "I don't get it. Some of these parts look… fleshy. Like living tissue almost."

"What god would create something like that?" Hiumart asked, unnerved.

"I don't think gods had a hand in whatever this is." Fox turned back to the group. "Can you all still fight?"

The others rose to their feet. Sabre was the quickest. "There are still a lot more of those monsters flying around. Can't quit just yet."

Sheld turned to her mate. "Are you going to be alright?"

Hiumart flexed his newly healed wrist. "Feeling much better thanks to Krystal."

"Good," Fox nodded. "Change in plans. We need to find Andross as quickly as possible."

"Andross?" Krystal exclaimed. "But what about the battle?"

Fox pointed to the wrecked monstrosity. "These things run on wires and electricity. That means they're technology. If anyone can think of a way to stop what's happening, it'll be Andross."

Understanding lit up in Krystal's expression. "He was at his laboratory when I last saw him. He might still be there."

"Let's check there first." Fox then looked at everyone's weapons. Sheld spear and Hiumart's sword were chipped badly. "Blades don't look like they do much damage. Krystal, how much effort did you put into that fire spell?"

"Not as much as I should have. I could try something more powerful next time."

"I don't think fire will be a good match," Fox considered. "Those metal shells can probably withstand a lot of heat. Try different kinds of spells until you find something that works."

"I did get that thing's attention when I used earth magic earlier," Sabre said.

"Then give Krystal as much support as you can," Fox replied. He turned back to Sheld and Hiumart. As he recalled, neither of them knew much about magic. "Which of you is better at long-range?"

Sheld pointed to Hiumart. Fox turned his blaster in his hand and offered it to him. "It's different from a bow, but it does the same job." He quickly taught Hiumart how to shoot it safely and hoped that would be enough. Fox them unslung the rifle from his back. "Sheld, you stay behind us and scan for anything worth knowing with your telepathy. If you can find any of our comrades, tell them to focus on evacuating. They're not to fight the enemy head-on unless there's no other choice."

Sheld nodded dutifully before shifting into the centre of their formation. Fox glanced over to Krystal. "See if you can track down Thene as well. There's a good chance Andross is with her." She agreed without question. Telepaths who link often can sniff out each other's minds more easily in a sea of people. Krystal's practice with Thene should help lead them to Andross.

Alas, they didn't make a foot of headway before two more of those cyborg insects landed heavily around them. Krystal immediately washed ice magic over the first one's face while Sabre slammed a stone pillar up against its abdomen. Fox aimed his rifle at the other bot and opened fire. Hiumart, however, hesitated with the unfamiliar weapon. He eventually pulled the trigger and yelped as the blaster sank two haphazard shots into the machine's leg and shoulder. It staggered and shuddered for a moment before Fox put a final round between its eyes. He then saw Krystal and Sabre still struggling with the first bug and shot it down as well.

Sabre braced his hands atop his knees. "How the hell are we supposed to fight all these things off?" he panted. "It's a pain in the ass just dealing with one!"

"You said it yourself. There's still plenty more, so don't quit yet," Fox told him sternly. He checked on Hiumart, who stared at the blaster in shocked disbelief. "How's the weapon?" Hiumart glanced up. Fox offered a smile. "Has a bigger kick than a bow and arrow, doesn't it?"

Sheld then touched Hiumart's shoulder. Their eyes met, and something unspoken exchanged between them. It eased Hiumart's tension. He soon stood straighter and looked ready to keep going. Fox approved as he turned to march north through unknown danger.

"Alright, Star Fox! Move out!"

"Huh…?" Sabre cocked his head.

"Um…" Fox flushed. He sighed and waved his hand dismissively. "Never mind. Let's… Let's just go…"

A commotion from the construction yard became Andross's first clue that something was amiss. He stepped outside his workshop to find the workers chattering anxiously to each other. Fingers and gazes pointed towards the city. From their hill, Andross could see the sky filled with flying creatures.

"Thene, what's happening over there?" he asked.

Arriving at his right side, Thene closed her eyes for several moments. "There's panic in the streets. The city is under attack. Those creatures… Their thought patterns are unlike anything I've ever experienced. I can't understand what they're after."

Not much to go on. "Keep gathering information. I'll be back in a moment."

Andross hurried inside the laboratory. He searched through drawers until he found a telescope. With it in hand, he returned to the yard. Andross peered back towards the city through the lens. He could now identify the attackers as a species of giant, violet insects. Fireballs and lightning struck one from ground level, yet they seemed to do little against the creature's gleaming exoskeleton. Andross's eyes widened as the insect then spat a burst of energy back at the defending spellcasters. Smoke billowed from the point of impact. Something cold and terrible itched in his memory.

"It can't be…" Adjusting the telescope's focus, Andross examined the insects more keenly. Vivid colours and sharp edges that couldn't be natural. They looked like something out of a science fiction movie. Or rather, leaked intelligence reports that Andross hoped he'd never see a live subject of.

"Aparoids…"

"Pardon?" Thene asked, confused.

"All of you! Inside now!" Andross called to the workers. After a moment's hesitation, the Cerinians quickly hurried down the rocket's scaffolding and into the lab. Andross then grabbed Thene's shoulders.

"Quickly! Turn off all our devices and gather their hard drives."

Thene stared agape at him. "Simon… What are those things?"

"Later," he said sternly. "It won't be long before the Aparoids notice the rocket. Once they realise that most of the city's technology is right here, they'll swarm us in seconds. We need to be long gone before then."

Worry formed in Thene's eyes, and fresh fear crept into his heart. She nodded quickly then ran inside. Andross then turned to the satellite dish mounted on the lab's roof. Ancestral agility helped him scale the wall to disconnect it. Regrettably, he had to toss the dish to the ground. It clanged loudly upon landing. Andross winced. There'd be time to hammer out dents and damages after the danger had passed. For now, he enlisted a Cerinian's help to drag it out of sight. The less that the Aparoids knew about their capabilities, the less of a target the laboratory would be. A hastily thrown tarp was going to have to be the best they could manage to conceal the satellite dish.

Once Andross returned to the lab, Thene met him with a satchel full of hard drives. If the Aparoids got their claws on their equipment, any of the other computer parts could be replaced. The drives, however, contained months and even years' worth of precious data, much of it vital to their escape from Cerinia. Losing them would be catastrophic.

"Good work," Andross told Thene. He then pushed through the crowd of nervous bodies and threw back a rug in the rear of the room. A sturdy hatch laid underneath. Andross pulled it open, revealing a dark chute and a ladder within.

"If you value your lives, you'll get your tails down there right this second," he told the Cerinians. Several murmured to each other, wasting precious time.

"What about our families?" one fretted.

Andross frowned. "The best you can do is pray to your gods. But if we don't go right now, they won't save you from whatever the Aparoids have in store. Now start climbing."

The workers continued to stand around like frightened squirrels. Andross had half a mind to simply leave them. To their fortune, Thene smacked her staff behind one man's shoulder, making him yelp. He discovered new incentive to heed Andross's advice and carefully lower himself into the hole. The rest then grasped the idea as well. One by one, they each descended into the depths below.

As Andross's thoughts churned for their next move, Thene's interrupted him. "Simon. What are these Aparoids? I need to understand what it is we are up against."

It was rare for Thene to be unsettled by anything. The unknown usually excited her. But this particular unknown scared her instead. Andross could tell through their link that his own distress didn't help either. Might as well make use of their time waiting for the other Cerinians to escape.

"They are something far more dangerous than anything we can fight head-on. Just one of those things is enough to destroy an entire Cornerian fleet with ease. Swords and arrows will do nothing to slow the Aparoids down, and magic seems to have limited effect on them. If we don't do something quickly, they'll destroy the city within an hour."

Thene's terror grew. "How can we stop them then?"

"First, we run for our lives. We'll figure the rest out once we're somewhere safer." Andross then heard a mechanical whine approaching from outside. "There's no more time! Climb down now. Quickly!"

The last worker had barely taken their hand off the top rung before Thene began her descent. As soon as there was space, Andross grabbed hold of the hatch and followed her. Several heavy landings outside made the earth tremble and the light fixtures swing. With his heart in his throat, Andross closed the lid just as he saw the first shadows. Someone below had made light, allowing Andross to see the inside of the trapdoor. He barred it from this side using a short, sturdy plank. It wouldn't stop the Aparoids for long, but it would buy them precious time.

Five metres beneath the laboratory, Andross joined the Cerinians inside a stone tunnel. This was the northern fringe of Kezamat's sewer system. When it was first dug, Andross designed the passage to double as an escape route, should the Cerinians ever turn on him. He never expected this to be how he ended up using it. Andross cast a wary glance to the chute above their heads then turned it to the group.

"Alright. Everyone, listen to my thoughts," he instructed in a soft tone. He soon felt a dozen or so skittish minds flood his own. They almost smothered him. "We are going to follow the tunnels until we get to the palace. You'll all be able to take shelter there."

"Will we be safe?" one Cerinian asked. Many more parroted that same question in a distracting echo.

"It will be much safer than staying here," Andross pushed through it all. He made an effort not to think how nowhere would be safe unless they could turn this situation around. A loud clang then struck overhead. Everyone became still and alert. The Aparoids were directly above them.

Andross relieved the bag from Thene's burden. "Go! Now," he ordered. He led the Cerinians along the canal under the meagre light crystals they carried.

The sewers began from there as a single stretch. If they were pursued, it wouldn't take long for the Aparoids to track them down. Andross glanced behind on brief occasions. Ice filled his veins at seeing a column of light where they entered from. However, no Aparoids appeared to have climbed down yet. It was possible that they were too large to fit through the narrow hatch. A fortunate blessing. Yet Andross did not slow the Cerinians' pace. The Aparoids could still find their own way underground.

"Ugh! It stinks down here," one person whined.

"Deal with it," Thene snapped. "Unless you'd rather go back outside where the monsters are." That silenced any further complaints. In fairness, the canal's odour was indeed abhorrent, even for an ape's duller sense of smell.

New tunnels branched out as their group neared the city proper. Andross nearly breathed a sigh of relief. The diverging paths might make it easier to avoid confrontation. Now he just needed to recall which ones would lead them to the palace; and hope that the place hadn't already been overrun.

Kezamat was in chaos. An enemy that they knew nothing about had attacked them suddenly. The fiends spread their destruction throughout the city within minutes, using overwhelming power to render early attempts to repel them worthless. Every monster could take on a dozen warriors without breaking a sweat. Thalse lost track of the casualties they suffered so far.

It's simply good fortune that there aren't many more of the creatures. Fifty seemed the sound estimate of their numbers. The city could potentially turn the battle around if they could just find a way to kill those demons. Until then, Thalse bore the taste of bile in his throat as he sent his brave soldiers to fight and die with only one attainable goal: Give their people a chance to flee.

Thalse returned his attention to the palace courtroom. Captain Forn loomed over a map of the city alongside Chief Gylis and Grandmaster Randorn. The gods blessed them well by drawing all individuals to the same place before the invasion started. Urgent discussion passed between the three tods. Worry and anger both plagued and fuelled them to devise a strategy to combat the enemy's advances.

Thoughts belonging to one of Thalse's subordinates suddenly barged into his head. Visions flooding in ran his blood several degrees colder. "Sirs! The Temple of Cerinia is under siege!" he called out.

The other men looked up towards him. Gylis swore. "Damned beasts! Blasphemers, the lot of them!"

Ordinarily, one would question the merit of accusing animals of affronting the gods. Yet with all that Thalse had learned in the last hour, these armoured insects were certainly intelligent enough to know where his people would try to seek safety; and deliberate enough to focus their attacks on those locations. That simply added to the mystery surrounding their invaders.

"It gets worse, I'm afraid," Thalse went on. "According to the report I just received, some of our own people have sided with the enemy."

Not a single jaw remained shut. "Unbelievable…." Gylis shook his head. "How? Why?"

"I wish I understood, Chief," Thalse said. "All I know is what my men saw. There were foxes grabbing others and dragging them towards the insects. The only sane reason I can think of is that they're being controlled through some telepathic skill."

"If that's true, it would be incredible," Randorn grimaced. "There are tales of dominating others through thought alone, but I've never heard of anyone actually being capable of it. We're dealing with an extraordinarily powerful foe indeed."

Forn moved figurines across the map. "Thalse, how many of us can defend the temple?"

Thalse ran through the knowledge he'd just received. "At best, we have two soldiers on site. Another three on their way to support. There are also a few spellcasters among the priests, and they are barricading themselves inside as best as they can."

Randorn growled. "That won't be nearly enough. Our weapons aren't effective at all, and our forces are stretched too thin." He ran his claws through his speckled, lapis fur. "What is happening from Nomar's end?"

As Forn's second-in-command and bond mate to a lythan master, Thalse held the unique ability to communicate freely with both the city guard and the Lythan Jad. This allowed him to coordinate Kezamat's forces on their leaders' behalf. Through their ehn, Thalse could see the Jad's activities unfold before Nomar's eyes, just as easily as she heard Randorn's question.

"We've started the summoning ritual," she reported. "I don't know how many will answer us, but we'll try to call on as many spirits as we can."

Thalse saw runed circles and lythans in deep prayer. Magic stones illuminated the shrine as incense burned to soothe and promote focus. Thalse relayed his beloved's words to her brother. Randorn nodded, the frown his face only easing marginally.

"I fear that we'll need much more to defeat this enemy," Gylis said in a rough sigh. "Where is Doctor Andross? His expertise might be what we desperately need right now."

"My daughter was meant to meet him today for training," Thalse replied. "He may still be at his laboratory."

"Assuming that the monsters haven't attacked there as well," Forn grumbled.

Thalse hoped not. He was glad knowing that Krystal was no longer there when he contacted Fox earlier. However, that did little to ease his worry for her. He could feel Nomar's fear compound with his own. Those two were out there fighting for their lives and everyone else's, same as the rest of their comrades. The danger was even greater for them compared to anyone taking shelter in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I hope that they'll be okay," Nomar fretted.

"As do I, my love. Krystal and Fox will stick together. They'll do their best to protect each other, I'm sure of it."

Nomar supressed the whimper building inside her chest. "Let's pray that will be enough."

That was exactly what Thalse then did.