Swarms of fireflies floated in between the dark green ocean of pines and conifers. The minute insects slip between the towering monoliths of bark like a miniature river of stars, soothing the forests to their sleep with their symphony of buzzes and chirps. Dancing in the darkness, one by one the lightning bugs find their pairs: and disappear into the undergrowth.

Before suddenly erupting from the leaf litter in one gout of light and noise, the entire forest shaking with the rhythmic trembling of an earthquake.

Flocks of birds took off, chittering and chirping to one another in a panic as other distant mountain peaks rose from the Earth. A river of rocky debris fell from the side of a gargantuan armored titan, wheezing and blinking lethargically. One of its legs is held close, having been broken years ago by an old foe. Ignoring the cataracts on the edges of her vision, the titan roars into the din of the night- signaling to her family that she had awoken. The titan notices an ocean of clouds forming above them, hints of thunder echoing from the distant heavens. She squints, noticing a faint red glow among the black and gray. Lighting, then a peal of thunder: though the Old Titan hears a distant screech. One unfamiliar to even her, who had migrated across the Mainland and back. She becomes uneasy. Unfamiliar was not good. Unfamiliar meant danger.

Smelling the air, the Old Titan of the familiar smell of ozone and petrichor before an oncoming rainstorm, there is the scent of blood.

The smell stings her nostrils, and it is clear that the rest of the herd could feel the tension in the air as the red and black clouds rolled over their nesting ground. Mothers began to pick up their children, most of which mewled and chirped in irritation at being awoken from their daily rest The more awake among them began to make their trudge to the tunnels, and the Matriarch of their herd swifty grunted at the others to do the same.

"GAAOOOOOOOO!"

One particularly foolish among the younger bull-headed males growled in frustration, huffing and puffing at the Alpha's command to retreat. His newly developed spines rattled, the titan puffing up his chest and snapping his jaws. A few cycles ago, his older brother left the herd as he came of age: and the younger Armorhide had taken the example to heart.

Why would they need to leave? He says scathingly. There was no threat! Just water!

Narrowing her glare, the Matriarch slams one foot onto the ground: flexing her broad shoulders and rattling her armor plates. Like a great elephant, her trumpetting bellow shakes the sky and the Earth below. Musth or not, the younger bull had overstepped: and she was eager to put him back into his place beneath her feet.

DRIP

A drop of crimson liquid falls onto the nose of the larger titan. The Matriarch and her herd watches in confusion as the site of the impact begins to boil and simmer. Like a needle, it burns through flesh in seconds.

DRIP.

DRIP.

DRIP.

The old titan's view of the others slowly fades into a vague shadow within the red, and now she can feel a light sting on her scales. The titan attempts to move, but her limbs fail to obey. It was as if the strength was being sapped directly from her body, bleeding out into the air.

Unnerved, the titan grunts; then roars at the others to move out as the storm reaches its crescendo. The Old Titan can barely hear herself think, only the constant thrum and drum around her. It is as if the whole world had vanished, leaving her alone in the red rain.

Then comes the burning, a flame growing hotter and hotter with every moment it spread across her body. Shadows in the distance begin to move, large silhouettes that cried and roared in pain among the smoke. The Old Titan screeches in shock as her other arm gives way, rotted down to scraps of flesh on the bone. Falling to one side and crushing her injured side, the titan roars out for aid from her herd-

Instead, she hears their screams of agony.