The Flames of Retribution
Chapter 4: The Lycan appears
It was on the fourth week as Raven was on the road to recovering his strength that the others arrived. The villagers had spoken of a beautiful woman who was at the ruins. How she was followed by massive metal beasts. That she would sometimes come into the village and buy food or other supplies. Several young men had tried to follow her back to her campsite but had come back terrified of her companions. They were given general directions and the group left. Fiona and her red blade Liger were in the lead followed by Irvine and his Zoid. They saw a shape dancing between pillars of the ageless buildings. They got out of their zoids and walked closer and stopped in shock. Astra was dancing alone, to music only she could hear. Yet Fiona seemed to hear it too as her fingers tapped to the silent beat. A moment later the blonde was dancing along, her movements almost perfectly in tune with her friend's. Black, Silver-blue, and white shapes rocked along to the music only the zoidians could hear.
"Elisi! I found her! My mother's organoid Helios!" The beautiful beast was something out of a dream. Like a fox but nearly the size of Damienth with blue eyes. Fiona had also noticed that Astra had changed into more of her traditional clothing stitched with a red dragon over a black banner. Damienth's silver eyes glittered in the light deeply also. He has happy his person was so overjoyed. This organoid was his person's mother's companion. But Damienth was also aware his person was sad too, Raven had departed when they had picked up the Liger's on the early warning devices left for that reason. The bracelet gem had faded only an hour before they had arrived. But she kept dancing to keep her mood up the music had been so wonderful. Karl and Thomas looked at the two laughing and were astonished by the beautifully performed dances, the organoids trying to dance along. When they finally were able to get the girls to settle, the boys fed them and asked about the music only they could hear. As they tried to explain Reese attacked in her double sworder.
Astra snarled and ran for her Zoid. The music's spell broken in her rage she got into her Zoid and strapped down. Fiona watched the zoid's eyes glow and change color. Saix struck from the side with the lesser back-mounted riffle. Reese looked up and gasped It was like a devil from her past had come to get her. "Specular!" "Damienth, Helios!" The organoids were in a two on one fight and Reese screamed out the pilot's name. "Astra it's me Reese Stop! You're going to push me into the ravine!" The two zoids were at one another with a tenacity rarely found, but the pure note of sadness rang through Astra's screamed words.
The Liger was finally able to separate the two zoids, hearing the screams from her friend. "Reese, I think it would be wise for you to try approaching her with only Specular she isn't rational right now." "Why Reese. Why did you show me Rafe's death again and again? I lost Rafe don't make me lose another." Reese was gone and so was Specular. Then they heard it Astra was crying in her cockpit. Mourning the loss of her near life-mate again, now the worry of Raven's injuries and being hunted also fed her tears. She heard someone's voice ask her to release the cockpit lock and she pressed the button. She felt someone unbuckling her and lifting her out. She clung to the man and was lost to her tears again. Blond hair tickled her nose and green eyes met lavender-blue. "I'm Astra. A zoidian" He smiled. "Karl Lycan Schubaltz at your service." She smiled at him and after whispering a few words to him was asleep. He carried her into the building the organoids pointed out to him. He saw the ready-made bed and stored food. Carefully he laid her in the bed and removed her shoes, tucking her in he left the house. Both organoids went inside after rubbing against him in gratitude.
Van and Thomas were in awe of the massive set of ruins they explored until they found a partially concealed tunnel. They followed the tunnel until they found the broken pod of the organoid and some scraps of material. They entered another room to find the smaller shattered pod. Within it, bones lay partially crushed by falling debris. They saw someone had brought flowers and laid them before the capsule. "Oh no..." Both men turned to see Fiona standing there. She walked over and knelt before the capsule and started to pray. "Fiona?" Van said. "This is Astra's mother Van. When she found her organoid Helios must have come to this room to wake her master only to find this... How sad." Both men promptly prayed for the woman's soul before continuing to search the ruins. They found some books Fiona said were written in the zoidian language. They found stone tablets and took as many pictures as possible. While Fiona sent the pictures to Doctor D, Van and Thomas cleaned out a couple more of the houses to stay in while they were at the ruins.
Astra snuggled into the pillow that still carried Raven's scent. She woke up and was about to call for him when her memories caught up with her. She sighed and got out of bed. She realized that man had removed only her shoes and had tucked her in warmly. She smiled. Karl that's his name... She bustled around the house getting water in her pot and starting a fire. She pulled some of the cubed meat from the cold box and set it in to cook along with herbs and a few spices. She also grabbed a loosely woven bag and put several broken-up bones into it. The bag would keep the shards out of the soup while the bones boiled down and released their flavor. She tied the bag to the pot handle so it would stay partially submerged yet if she wanted to she could add more bones. She fingered her bracelet and decided to take a bath in the hot spring while dinner cooked. Both organoids watched her gather her clothing and grooming supplies and she asked Helios to remain behind to watch the house and keep the fire hot. Damienth took her to the hot spring and stood guard while she bathed, as she was soaking in the hot water she heard a voice echoing.
"What is over here." She knew it was that green-eyed boy that followed Elisi. "Don't come over here!" She called and heard the footsteps stop. "I am bathing and do not wish to be disturbed." Thomas heard her words and a fierce flush overcame his face. "I am very sorry ma'am. I won't disturb you again." He heard her laugh. "I think that's the nicest thing anyone from your group save Elisi has said to me." Thomas blushed again harder. "I am sorry for that too. The Schubaltz family has always been an honorable one... And I've only made a fool of myself." She smiled in the spring. "You really like Elisi don't you?" He sat down with his back to the rock dividing them and sighed. "Yes, but it seems she only has eyes for Flyheight." A snort surprised him. "Not really. She likes him, yes but he has not won her heart." Thomas was shocked. "How do you know this?" She chuckled.
"We have been friends since we were small, I know her like no other." He sighed. "Could you teach me... How to catch her attention?" Astra looked to the cave roof and sighed. "Possibly, but I don't even know your name and that man gets on my nerves for treating me like filth." Thomas winced. "My name is Thomas Schubaltz. Karl is my older brother." She giggled. "I'm Astra Guylos, Last of the Red-dragon clan. Nice to meet you, Thomas." He chuckled and they started to talk. She learned how he grew up in the shadow of his older brother and how he was gifted with an understanding of machines. He told her about beek and what it was designed for. She told him about growing up in the plains how when she was a child three moons had lit up the night sky. She told him about learning to pilot a Zoid when she was five due to the fact she had older brothers who picked on and tormented her. She also told him of the fierce fight between her and both of them. That her organoid had come at the last moment and given her strength to beat them. He laughed when she told him her mother had had both those boy's backsides paddled for forcing her to fight.
She told him she was getting out and would see him shortly. A few minutes later she came around the rocks and he was leaning against them looking up. "Have you found your dinner yet?" He seemed to shiver. "I will have to eat a packet of my brother's food." He told her about the nasty nutritional packs of food sent with the troops for long missions. Her nose wrinkled. "That's disgusting Thomas.. I'll tell you what. You and your brother come for dinner at my place. I will get Elisi there and we will have dinner together." He smiled and his eyes lit up. "You would do that for me?" She nodded and he thanked her before darting off. She yelled in which house she lived into his retreating form. He waived before turning the corner and was gone. Astra laughed. "Silly man." she entered the house and stirred the soup and after tasting it added a few other spices and herbs to it.
Thomas found Karl looking at his food container in distaste. "Karl!" The man turned and Thomas barely stopped in time from plowing into his brother. He told him that they had been invited to eat with Astra that night. "Really? Did she tell you what we are having?" Thomas told him she hadn't but mentioned that she tended to hunt for fresh foods over anything packed. Both brothers went to get cleaned up for dinner with a much lighter step. Astra stepped outside and saw Zekeial and waived to him. He came to her and she asked him to carry her message to Elisi about dinner that night.
He darted off towards the ruins. He returned nearly an hour later with Elisi who seemed grateful for the invitation. Elisi set out four bowls according to Astra they were having a couple more for dinner. She had just finished setting out the jug of water when a knock sounded. She left the dining room and opened the front door to see the Schubaltz brothers waiting outside. "Come in dinner will be ready soon." Astra called from the kitchen. They came in and seeing Fiona had removed her shoes did so as well. Once they were seated at the table Astra brought in the pot and set it on a small stand in the middle of the table. She went back to get the bread while Fiona dished everyone a full bowl of the hearty stew.
The Conversation about the ruins carried them through most of dinner. "I found several tablets when I arrived but almost all the writing was worn off so I couldn't read them. But I did find a picture of something I remember all too well." They turned to look at her. "The Deathsaurer..." Eyes widened and the other three asked what she remembered. "The Deathsaurer is a Zoid with the power to annihilate the world. I know you don't remember this Elisi but one of the people who worked on the project asked if he could place at least four people into capsules to hopefully ensure the survival of our race if the Deathsaurer did as he expected it to. I have not finished his journal but from what I have read so far it seems like even early on in the project the Deathsaurer seemed to have a dislike almost hatred of zoidians. As if it was afraid someone would terminate it before it got strong enough to wipe them out. The book also speaks of zoids created to fight the Deathsaurer but it has not yet explained what they were. Or where they were hidden."
Elisi sighed. "You know Astra I don't remember much about myself or what happened before we were put in those capsules. But your right about the Deathsaurer and its hate. Prozen tried to take over the empire with a Deathsaurer but Van destroyed it. I have a feeling it's not over yet. This darkness has the same feeling to it as before." The older zoidian growled. "Flyheight is a fool Elisi. He will not listen even if I told him what I know. His dislike of me runs to deep." Both the brothers nodded at what the women had said. "But you now have an ally in me Astra. I will do what I can to help you." Thomas said and Fiona smiled at him. He flushed slightly but his brother saved him from saying anything else. "You also have an ally in me, I am an empire soldier contracted to the guardian force." They talked over trivial things until late that night Fiona and Thomas washed the dishes while Karl and Astra cleaned the table. When the other three departed for the night leaving only Astra and her two organoids she sighed and retreated to bed for the night.
The next day she got up late but didn't bother to rush around, she lay in bed in only her undergarments and the shirt of Raven's she had found under the bed. It smelled like him and she had slept alright. Though she had been forced to put another blanket on the bed. She missed him, his sarcastic comments and Shadere. A soft sigh came from her as she buried herself in the blankets but before she realized it she drifted back to sleep. She was startled awake sometime later by someone banging on her door. She got out of bed and changed clothes before walking to the door. She opened it suddenly to see Thomas standing there. "Sorry about the banging but if you want to get any fresh food you better go out now. We got reports of a bad storm building south of here and it's due to hit in a few hours." After thanking him she finished getting dressed and left with both organoids and her hunting supplies. When she returned some hours later dragging her kills behind them the snow was already beginning to fall.
She was in the middle of cleaning her kills when Thomas showed up with a knife to help. They finished in a decent amount of time and had barely gotten everything put away when a brutal wind swept through the cavern. "That's cold!" She said rubbing her arms and he nodded. They retreated into her house and he watched her decide on what to have for dinner. She pulled a few of the wrapped rabbit meat out and got it started to cook while she made a heavy herb broth to sip. They were talking about Thomas spending the entire day helping Fiona when another knock came at her door. She opened it and Elisi stood there trying to support Karl's weight. "Great Eve! What happened?" She called to Thomas and together they got him to her bed where she pulled his shirt from him to see the gashes in his side and the heavily bruised shoulder. "He was helping me in the tablet room when part of the floor started to give way. He tossed me away and the floor collapsed around him. He dropped about twelve to fifteen feet and well you see his injuries. I brought him here cause you're the closest thing to a doctor we have here." Astra growled and had Fiona boil some water and had Thomas run to get the medkits from both his Zoid and Karl's. When he returned she was in the middle of cleaning the wounds. She finished sometime later and began to sew them up after injecting Karl with a painkiller from the kits. It took her over two hours to sew the gashes closed then put salve on them then wrapping them with bandages. She felt over his bruised shoulder and with a sigh had Thomas help her pop it back into place.
She made a small bed on the floor next to the bed and crawled in. She knew there was nothing more she could do until he woke up. Thomas was sleeping in the other bedroom and Fiona said she would check in on them in the morning.