Gun shots rang out from behind him followed by more blasts. The figure that had lured Mitch snagged him with the staff and pulled him over to the center craft where the leader of these strange humanoids stood. Mitch was dropped on the deck like a piece of meat. His new captor stood over him and its black eyes looked down upon him with cold indifference. A strange buzzing sound emitted from what seemed like its mouth and Mitch felt himself being hoisted up again. To the rear of the craft were a series of small circular receptacles and the strange being hoisted Mitch into the air again using its staff and shoved Mitch over one of the circles. Four red tentacles of light blasted out of the circle and latched onto his legs and arms. The being turned away and left him there. He tried to struggle against his bonds, but his body did not respond in anyway.

  The gun shots had ceased and Mitch watched more of the glistening creatures approaching where he was held. Drak’s limp body was prodded forward by one of the people and Mitch could see Gaelin and Kate being dragged onto the deck of the other craft. Mitch watched helplessly as Drak was shoved into the receptacle beside him. He searched his face for any indication of acknowledgement, but all could see was a look of horror frozen on Drak’s face. The creatures all returned to the decks of the three ships and the leader thumped the deck with its staff once again. Mitch could hear the humming sound again and the craft rose out of the basin. After it cleared the lip of the basin it shot forward at an alarming rate over a strange and alien landscape.

  Mitch stared wide eyed at the terrain as it shot by. Massive mountains of metallic waste and debris surrounded husks of immense structures standing sentry over the pathway of the crafts. They seemed to be moving through an ancient city that had been destroyed eons ago. Giant craters pocked the sides of the buildings and a forbidding darkness loomed inside the hollow emptiness of the long vacant buildings. A cascade of blue, orange and purple leaf like organisms covered the buildings and thick roots could be seen intertwining with the debris and wreckage. The fauna stretched off in every direction and Mitch could see bird like creatures scattering as the craft hummed past. The buildings seemed to be growing taller as the craft wound their way through the Jungle of wreckage and decay. Soon a canopy of leaves had covered the pathway and enormous roots coiled in different directions. The crafts slowed their pace as the course became more treacherous. They seemed to be passing dangerously close to fauna.

  Mitch couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He felt like he was in a dream he couldn’t wake up from. He was so overwhelmed by the shock and trauma of the last few hours he was having difficulty making any sense of what he was experiencing. He tried to move his head to look at Drak, but he was fully incapacitated. In front of him the figures stood motionless as the vehicles rocketed forward. He had no idea what awaited him when these strange humanoids reached their destination. Although they had driven off the creature from the cave, Mitch wasn’t sure if he could say they had been rescued. They way he had been plucked off of the rock and shackled on board their craft made him feel more like some kind of livestock they planned on feeding to their Queen. There was a hint of daylight ahead and an opening appeared in front of them. The craft shot out into a large clearing and circled slowly to the ground.

  A steep circular wall lined the clearing and heavily fortified window like openings of various shapes and sizes were embedded into the ancient stones that made up the exterior of the wall. As they reached the bottom of the clearing a loud horn erupted from within the walls and Mitch heard the sound of metal screeching against rock. The rafts continued to lower themselves down. Mitch could see that a massive hatch had been opened and they were quickly ascending into an underground entrance. As soon as they were all inside the horn sounded again and the rafts rocketed down a long round cave. It was lit from above and its smooth walls seemed to have been cut by a massive machine. The tunnel seemed to come to an abrupt end, but the wall began to part as the rafts moved closer. They shot through the opening into a massive hall lined by thick columns with ornate designs. Hundreds of vehicles of all shapes and sizes sat idly in between the columns. Mitch could see more of the people moving back and forth among the vehicles. At the end of the hall a giant black stone stood within a relief. A soft blue glow could be seen emanating from its core.

  The three craft continued their rapid pace through the hall before they came to an abrupt stop above a wide area at the base of the stone. They slowly lowered to the ground and Mitch could see several more figures rush forward. Mitch heard a loud clanking sound. The deck shook for a few seconds and then became steady. The leader made a few buzzing sounds and two soldiers approached Mitch and Drak with their staffs extended in front of them. Mitch felt himself being hoisted into the air again and he could see the other soldier was doing the same to Drak. His heart raced as they were lowered off of the deck of the raft and they were transferred into a dark metallic cube. The door was slammed shut by some unknown force and He and Drak were alone in the dark. The cube rocked from side to side for a moment and then a quick jerk indicated they were moving once again. Mitch wondered how they intended to eat him. Hopefully they would kill him fast, he didn’t like the idea of being eaten alive.

  After a short time the movement seemed to cease. Mitch could hear a high pitched whine and the sound of metal scrapping against metal. He heard a harsh click and the whirring sound retreated. The red tentacles which held his limbs vanished and he felt himself falling to the ground. The feeling slowly came back to his limbs and he was relieved he could move again. There wasn’t any light in the cube, but he could here Drak breathing on the other side.

  “Are you ok?” Mitch asked.

  “Yeah, I ok. See, I told you not to worry,” Drak said. Mitch could almost feel his grin through the darkness.

  “I am not going to respond to that,” Mitch said as he rubbed his aching limbs.

  A quick rumbling sound startled them and they backed away as the far wall began to rise. A green light filled the small cube and the door rose up to reveal a vast emptiness before them. Mitch waited for the big eyed people to return again and begin preparing he and Drak for slaughter or whatever it was they planned to do with them, but no one came. Drak slowly got to his feet and made his way to the edge of the cube. He reached out but, his hand shot back quickly and he winced in pain. Mitch watched as series of translucent green ripples spread across the opening of the cube and then slowly subsided.

  “Mitch, come look,” Drak said.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  ROBERT OPENED HIS eyes and he looked around in a panic. The beasts were no where to be seen. He let go a momentary sigh of relief. He looked down and saw his body was still intact. I must be dead, he thought to himself as he rolled over onto his knees. The last memory he had was the sound of the creatures jaw’s slashing into his flesh followed by a feeling of overwhelming pain. He felt his chest and abdomen. He was unwounded. It was a strange feeling for he was certain he had seen his intestines being dragged out of his guts moments before. He was still in the same desolate landscape and the wind continued to whip white mist across the damp and jagged rocks. Robert looked up and saw the blue and green lights had returned, rhythmic blinking reflecting off of a pale emptiness. Robert found the rusted pipe beside him and he picked it up knowing it afforded him no protection against the creatures that had attacked him, but having something solid in his hands made him feel better.

  He got to his feet and he peered into the mist in search of movement. The visibility was scant, but he couldn’t see any lurching figures coming at him, so he felt relatively safe for the time being. He began to look for a path way of any kind to lead him away from that forlorn and horrific place. He moved to the right of the lights and searched along the wall for a handhold so that he could climb up and get a better look around. Gaining some elevation would also give him some protection should the creatures come back. He found a place to stick his right foot in and he reached up and grabbed a hold of the rock. He pulled against it and tested its strength. It felt solid, so he pulled himself up and searched for a place to step with his left foot. The jagged face of the rock wall provided plenty of cracks and fissures to grab hold of and Robert was able to make his way up the wall without much difficulty. He looked back over his shoulder to see if he could make out anything in the distance, but all he saw was a white emptiness. He saw a slab of rock to his left where he could stand and he began to make his way towards it. His hand held a grip above his head and he could see a small ledge where he could place his left foot, but it was a bit of a stretch. He dug his fingers into the grip as firmly as possible and he stretched his leg out as far as he could. It hung in the air and he could feel his calf beginning to spasm as it reached for the ledge. He brought his leg back to its original position and it shook for a few seconds while his heart pumped in his chest. He looked down and saw how high up he was and he felt a pang of terror rip through him

  “EEEEEEEEOOOOOONNNNNGGGGGGG,” the same horn form before erupted all around him and his heart jumped in his chest. He looked down and saw the light had turned red again. A feeling of dread passed over him and he looked out into the mist again. He couldn’t see anything moving, but he was sure the horn singled the return of the creatures. He looked back at the ledge again. He gritted his teeth and swung his leg out. He felt his toes make contact with the rock and he let out a deep breath as he stepped over. He was able to shimmy across the face and step onto the rock slab. He sat down on the ground, relieved he hadn’t fallen to his death. He sat on the ledge for a second and looked down at his leg which was still spasming slightly. He went to his knees and peered into the white mist again, nothing seemed to be moving. A deep howl ripped across the empty expanse and he jerked backwards in shock. He shot to his feet, grabbed the pipe from his waist cloth and leaned out over the ledge. The wind howled all around him. Through the mist Robert could see several of the figures clambering over the stones. They gathered at the base of the cliff under the red light and one of them let out another howl. Robert looked down upon them, confident that they couldn’t see him, but he had to jump back when one of the creatures looked up. As he pressed himself against the ledge he accidentally kicked a few stones near his feet and he watched in silent horror as they fell off of the ledge. He could hear the soft patter of the stones smacking into the cliff as they tumbled down. One of the creatures howled again and the others joined in. Robert didn’t bother looking down to see if they had caught his scent. He spun around and searched for a handhold. He grabbed the closest crack he could find and started to haul himself up the cliff again. The sound of claws scraping against rock drew nearer as Robert desperately made his way up the face. He could hear the creatures snarling beneath him. He was certain they would snag him at any moment and toss him off of the rock wall. After he had met his grisly end, dashed upon the rocks, they would squabble over who got to suck back his guts.

  He came to another small ledge and looked down. One of the creatures was right below him and it snarled as it saw him looking down upon it. It swung one of its long limbs at Robert, but he was able to step back away from harm. He pulled the pipe out of his waist band and brought it down onto the creatures bony hand as it attempted to pull itself up onto the ledge. It screeched in agony and Robert struck at it again. This time he went for the creatures skull and he felt a satisfying thud as the pipe connected with flesh. The blow surprised the beast and it lost its grip on the rock and tumbled backwards. It let loose another howl as it fell to the rock floor at the base of the cliff. Robert watched as a pale green liquid seeped from the creature’s head and torso and he smiled for what felt like the first time in a long time.

  Robert only a had a moment to bask in his glory. The other creatures had continued to scramble up the rock face undeterred by their fallen comrade. More howls echoed out into the mist and he knew he had to move fast or be eaten alive again. As frightening as they were, Robert had learned the creatures could be killed. It also appeared they were much stronger as a group than on their own. If he could keep ahead of them and take them on individually, he thought he stood a chance of surviving. He looked down and he saw one of the creatures gaining on him again. He needed to strike before it got close and he looked above him for a place to stand his ground. A thin ledge to his left caught his eye and he changed his course so he could pull himself up. He pushed off with his foot and the edge that had served as his stepping stone broke away from the cliff. He watched wide eyed as a large boulder bounced off of a rock and slammed into one of the pursuing creatures. The creature barely had a chance to react and Robert heard a hollow gushing sound as the rock and the creature’s body hit the base of the cliff.

  The other beasts continued to come after him, the fate of their brethren hadn’t phased them in the least, either that or their deaths urged them onward. Robert didn’t pause to contemplate the perspective of the creatures. Empathy wasn't one of his strong points and he was sure the creatures hadn’t put much time into emotional development. He landed safely on the ledge and when he looked back he came face to face with one the beasts. It howled again as it leapt onto the ledge. Rotten flesh hung from its teeth and Robert nearly gagged as the stench of the creature wafted over him. It swung at him with its long arms and he ducked down and lunged forward. He plunged the blunt end of the pipe into the creatures eye. It shrieked and swung at Robert, but he shoved his foot into its chest and sent it over the ledge. He let out a shout of rage as he watched it tumble down the cliff.

  There were only two more of the creatures left. They were still pursuing him, but they appeared to be approaching with caution after seeing what had become of the others. Instead of coming at him from the rear as the others had, they had flanked him on either side. He knew he wouldn’t stand a chance if he took them on together and the ledge was far to narrow to hold them off. The creatures were closing in on him from the side, he looked up and saw what he thought was the top of cliff. If he could make it there before they did he could possibly club one of them down before they overwhelmed him. He began to climb again with the beasts hot on his tail. He could hear them scratching and snarling below him as he scaled the rock face. The summit was a few more steps away and he looked down and saw one of the creatures swing at his leg. He pulled it up just in time and the creature lost its grip and fell down a few feet before it’s claws dug into the rocks. Robert looked up and saw a white expanse above him and a large overhanging rock. He lunged for the ledge and his fingers caught hold as he pushed up hard with his right leg. His chest scraped against the rock as he pulled himself up onto a flat surface. He had reached the top and he saw a wide clearing. The mist was too thick to make out any landmarks, but he could see a red light flashing in through the fog. He didn’t have much time to ponder the view, however, he saw the creatures bony arm come over the ledge and he slashed at it with the pipe. He heard the creature wince and its arm shot back off of the ledge. He looked to his right and saw the other beast pulling itself up nearby. He charged at it and swung the pipe as it got to its feet. It lunged to the right as Robert brought the pipe down, narrowly missing its back. He was off balance and he fell forward to his knees. He heard the creature snarl beside him and he jumped out of the way as it swung at him. He turned around to face the monster and he saw the other one pull itself over the ledge and begin to stalk towards him. He dodged another swing and countered with the pipe. He connected with creatures torso and it fell to the left. The other creature charged at him swinging its arms ape like as it came. It shrieked and leapt into the air. Robert ducked down as it flew at him and he lunged upwards and sunk the sharp end of the pipe into its guts. Green body fluid gushed over Robert as the body of the creature fell onto him. They rolled over in a twist of limbs and Robert came out on top. He yanked the pipe out of the creatures guts and stabbed it down two handed into the creatures gnashing jaws. He snarled with delight as the stabbed into the monster repeatedly. As he raised his arms up to stab again he shrieked in agony as he felt sharp teeth bite into his arm. The pain caused him to drop the pipe and he fell over with the beast on top of him. Its jaws bit at him, but he was able to hold it off with his hands and he attempted to grab its throat. He could see the pipe to his right. It was close enough that he could reach it, but if he let go of the creature it would tear into his face before he could get his hands on his weapon. The beast pushed up off of Robert, breaking free of his grip and reared up to its full height. It tried to smash back down into him, but he rolled to his right and he was able to grab the pipe. It rose up again and smashed down on him, but he pulled the pipe up as it did and he sunk it into the creatures throat. It collapsed onto him and dug it’s claws into his limbs, but Robert shoved the pipe further into its throat. He screamed in pain as the creatures claws tore at his flesh, but he kept digging the pipe into its throat until he heard a gurgling sound. Its body had gone limp and the green liquid was oozing out of the hole in its throat covering Robert and the ground all around him. He shoved the beast’s gangly body off of him and he rolled over to his knees and stood up. He was covered from head to toe in green body fluid. He shook his hands to get rid of the goo, but it didn’t make much of a difference. He walked a few a feet away from the stinking body and collapsed down to the ground. A grin spread across his face and he laughed out loud. “Not so tough after all,” he shouted out.

  “EEEEEEEEOOOOOONNNNNGGGGGGG,” the horn rang out again and Robert jumped to his feet. He had just killed a whole gang of them. Did the horn signal that more were on their way? The horn went off again and he saw the red light flashing through the mist again. The light pulsed a few more times while the horn went off and then it changed back to blue and green. Robert looked around cautiously as the horn subsided. He looked down and saw that the pipe was still in his hands. His knuckles were pale white. The green goo dripped off of the pipe onto the ground and a small pool had formed underneath it as Robert stood motionless and stared at the blinking green and blue lights. The wind howled over the rocks and the mist swirled around him.

 

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