Naoko walked into the front room again. Yukari scrambled away from her in fright. “What the hell are you!?” she screamed at the teenager. The girl looked at the cowering woman and said, “Kyshen 729, failed physical and psychic experiment. I was taken a few months ago by these aliens. They call themselves the Lyracl. I was put on a time accelerated planet to give me more time to develop my abilities.”

She stopped for a moment before going on. “I was placed back on Earth after they had finished with me. They marked me as failed because I could not be controlled like the others.” Yukari interrupted her, “You mean there’s more like you?”

“Not of our race, but yes, with my abilities to a small extent. The Lyracl terminated all future experiments. They feared that the Kyshen experiments had become too dangerous to their people.” Naoko stopped, and went to the window. “They know me, and they fear me. It would be dangerous to you too if you continue to travel with me. They will stop at nothing to kill me if this army serves who that soldier was thinking of.”

Yukari sat there for a while longer before standing to leave. As she passed Naoko, the girl said through her mind, ‘No need to worry about me. I can protect myself against them’. Yukari sped down the street after the mind-to-mind message.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Eylmey hid behind a turned over car. The captive group was coming past. He looked over the top quickly and ducked back down. There were six Byrten and the seven soldiers he had seen on his scanner.

He brought his multi-laser rifle up to change the setting. Pressing the third button, he turned to the side of the car. He watched as the group got closer.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Sakaki stumbled as one of the aliens pushed her forward with their gun again. Chiyo had woken up and the aliens had bound her too. Osaka was now being carried by one of the patrolmen. She had fallen down several times, and they were tired of having to pull her back up. Minamo was walking quietly with a gun jammed into her back. Yomi was doing the same thing.

Sakaki began to get back into pace again. Suddenly, a small teal light appeared on her forehead. She ducked quickly as a thin laser shot strait through the place where her head was a second ago.

The patrolman that was guarding her fell to the ground in a slump as the rest of the group drew their weapons and scanned the surrounding ruins. Another laser shot from nowhere and another alien fell screaming.

The alien leader yelled to the other patrolmen in their own language. They began to scour the ruins for the one that was killing them all. Sakaki heard a yell and looked to see one of the patrolmen struggling against another alien wearing a cloak.

The new alien pulled a sword from its sheath on his back and sliced strait through the patrolman. Every other alien rushed over and began to fire at the newcomer.

He dodged every one of the lasers and charged the nearest alien. Cutting through that one, he charged strait through to the leader of the group. The leader pulled his sword out and parried the strike.

Before the new alien could attack again, he had every gun jammed against him. The humans finally recovered from their shock and began to flee.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Eylmey put his hands up as the soldiers pressed their rifles to him. The leader of the patrol came up to him and laughed, “The young prince shows his face.”

Eylmey looked at him and said, “Kill me, Jaryl. I know that it is your objective.” Jaryl laughed again, “Your brother put up a reward for whoever brings you in. He wants to see you before you die.”

The soldiers bound Eylmey’s hands behind his back and began to lead him to the captured Byrten. Jaryl looked at where the captives used to be. “Damn it! Hasyr, Vant, find them, now!”

Hasyr and Vant saluted him and took off in separate directions. Jaryl turned back to the prince. “You will come with me, prince,” he said as a soldier began to push Eylmey forward.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Sakaki, Tomo, Yomi, Chiyo, and Minamo, who was carrying Osaka, ran through the streets of Tokyo. They had been running for at least thirty minutes.

Sakaki had healed from her fight with the alien some, and was able to move with little trouble. Tomo ran next to her. Yomi was next to Minamo, in case of an emergency. Little Chiyo struggled to keep up with the rest of the group.

They ran past a pile of corpses, and Chiyo began to shiver. The invaders had taken to showing off their kills. There were bodies hanging from the tops of buildings.

Tomo held in a sob as she saw her parents hanging from one of them. Yomi tried not to pay attention to the death around her.

They passed another pile of corpses when two of the patrolmen who had captured them came from an alleyway in front of them. The girls scattered and ran from them.

The aliens split up and went after three girls each. Sakaki grabbed up a large alien weapon and turned on the alien chasing her, Tomo, and Chiyo. The patrolman rolled out of her sight and pulled out a weapon of his own.

Tomo and Chiyo continued to run as Sakaki prepared to fight against the alien.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Yomi ducked as a shot was fired at her head. Minamo, carrying the unconscious Osaka, ran ahead of her to get to the building ahead.

Yomi began to run faster as her sleeve was burnt by another laser from the alien’s weapon. She stumbled over an exposed pipe and the patrolman took advantage of it.

He grabbed her as she tried to get back up. Yomi screamed as he put electric binds on her. Every time she tired to move, her body was shocked with half the power of a lightning bolt.

The alien left her there with the binds and went after Minamo.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Kaorin walked quietly through a ruined house, looking for food. It had been a day since she had last seen any trace of food, and she needed something to help replenish her energy.

She had found a bottle of painkillers in another house that she had searched. She had been taking one or two every hour to keep the pain from the poison under control.

Quietly, Kaorin shoved a miscellaneous piece of ruin out of her way as she made her way into the basement of the house.

Suddenly, she heard a bang from upstairs. She turned towards the door quickly. Still watching the door, she stepped slowly to the nearby shadows. She could not see the door from here

Kaorin watched as a shadow stretched down the stairs. Holding her breath, she watched it move further down the stairs

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Hasyr poked his head around the corner of the wall to see one of the Hur’Byrten standing there with a Devastator. He ducked his head behind the wall again and thought ‘By Kyrcaceyl, she has a Devastator. Hopefully, she doesn’t know how to use it’ as he ran across the street. His hopes were shattered as a lightning-like laser struck the ground behind him.

Stumbling from the shock of the hit, he fell to the ground. He looked up to the Hur’Byrten who looked just a surprised as he did. He began to scramble away from her as she recovered from her surprise and aimed the Devastator at him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Her surprise lasted a short time before she took aim once more. The alien looked to be afraid of her with this weapon. She pressed the small button under her thumb when her target stopped moving behind a turned-over car.

A massive bolt of energy burst from the barrel of the cannon thing in her hands to completely destroy the car. The patrolman yelled in fright as he was thrown seven meters from the blast.

Sakaki recovered from the after-shot shock and took aim once more. Before she could fire the final shot, however, something hard hit her head and she fell to the ground. As she began to pass out, she could hear two voices speaking in the aliens’ language.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Minamo ran as fast as she could to the mall up ahead. She had to make sure that Osaka would be alright. It would be unbearable if another one of her students were to die.

She could hear the alien chasing her. Passing through the door into the mall, she began to look for a hiding place. Before she could find one that would be good, the alien blew the door to pieces with his gun.

He entered the large shopping center with one of the military movie room checks. Minamo fell behind one of the counters of a shop. The alien crept pass her hiding place with another military movie style, the crouch-walk.

When she could no longer hear his footsteps, Minamo looked above the counter. She could not see him, so she left the store and headed for the exit. Suddenly, a large shadow appeared outside the door.

Minamo jumped through a broken window near the door, and hid behind a large block figure in the store. She listened as the figure stepped into the mall. Osaka chose this time to moan in her sleep.

Minamo clamped her hand over the teenager’s mouth and looked worriedly to the door. There was nothing there, and she could hear footsteps further down the hallway. Sighing with relief, she turned back behind the giant model toy.

“No hiding from me, pathetic creature,” said a large tiger-like creature that stood on two legs with a more cat-like face. It wore a dark cloth outfit the covered most of its arms, legs, and its entire torso. A small metal rod came up from the back of the suit.

Minamo screamed as she saw it standing in front of her. Osaka began to groan again and move more. The alien pulled its lips up as its race’s excuse for a smile and said, “This one’s mind is interesting, I will explore more once we arrive on the ship,” as it grabbed Minamo’s arms and yanked her to her feet.

The patrolman arrived after the tiger-alien forced her into the main hall. “You got her, Kar-kazan. Not bad for a prototype,” he said as he came up to the tiger. “She let her mind lay open to me, and the one that sleeps also thinks to freely,” replied Kar-kazan.

“We need to hurry and get them to the ship. The Emperor Prince is expecting plenty of sacrifices at the release,” said the patrolman as he led Kar-kazan out the rotating door.

Minamo closed her mind the best that she could, but the psychic tiger-alien pushed into her mind. ‘You have spent to long with an open mind. You cannot close it from me’.Minamo held her head as the thought pierced through her head. She could do nothing as the two aliens led her away.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Tomo held Chiyo’s hand as they ran through a crumbling building. They had given up waiting on Sakaki, though Chiyo did so reluctantly.

A small pillar finally gave way to the weight of the ceiling as it began to crash down on them. Tomo grabbed Chiyo in her arms and rolled away from the collapsing part of the building. They just managed to escape their deaths as they rolled out of the now pile of rubble that once was a building.

Tomo let Chiyo stand again as she stood up herself. She looked up to the sky to see the clouds gathered for rain. It began to fall soon after. Tomo closed her eyes and let the rain wet her face. She began to cry for her parents, and for Kagura. Silent sobs shook her as the rain disguised her tears. She would not let anyone see her crying.

When she finally calmed, she smiled at Chiyo and said, “Nothing better than rain to wash away your cares.”

Chiyo said nothing and walked over to shelter from the rain that was growing steadily into a downpour. Tomo lifted her face to feel the rain one more time before following Chiyo. The girls both sat under a door lying on a large slab of concrete.

Tomo sat and forced her feelings down once again. She had finally subdued them when Chiyo began to cry. Tomo turned to her and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Chiyo looked up at her before looking back at the ground and shaking her head. Tomo shrugged and said, “Whatever it is, it’s not gonna get better by keeping it all locked up inside.” She knew that from experience, and she still regretted keeping them forced into a corner in her mind.

Chiyo just shook her head again. Tomo sighed, “If you really don’t want to talk about it, I guess I can’t force you.”

They sat there for a while longer, and Chiyo’s crying began to calm. Soon, Tomo was supporting a sleeping eleven-year-old. She looked down at her and smiled one of those rare, true, smiles.

The moment was shattered by a laser shot flying right by Tomo’s head. Chiyo woke up from the noise of the shattering door and Tomo grabbed her and protected her from the shower of splinters.

Chiyo looked up at Tomo and Tomo smiled down at her. A small trail of blood was beginning to find its way out of her mouth. A hissing laugh could soon be heard. Chiyo turned her head quickly to see what had laughed. Standing next to the pile of wreckage was a large lizard man. He wore torn pants made out of leather like fabric. His nose had a small bone sticking from the top of it. He stood nearly two meters tall and looked twice as strong as any human.

His laugh sounded like a snake hissing through a sound muffler. Tomo rolled off of Chiyo as the creature spoke. “To easy,” he said with another inhuman laugh. He walked over to them and pulled out a pair of electric binds.

He put one on Chiyo and Tomo, threw Tomo over his shoulder, and grabbed Chiyo under his arms. “The Hakt named Kanyl said he would pay Takrsat many shulks for pink-skinned Hakts,” Takrsat said as he carried them away.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Yomi looked around at the intricate designs of alien creation as the leader of the patrol that had captured them led her through the ship. “Hur’Byrten, you all ‘r just so barbaric.” He spat at Yomi’s feat after he finished speaking.

He stopped at a large door with a runic symbol in a circle on the door. He pressed a small plate on the wall and the door opened. Following the man as he stepped in, Yomi began to examine her current surroundings.

Energy gates stood blocking entrance or exit of the cells the guard. Some cells held Humans, and others held aliens of the same race as the one leading her through the prison block. Most of the cells, however, had many different aliens that she had never seen before.

The patrol leader led her to an empty cell, pressed a small plate next to it. Yomi watched as the energy gate powered down. The alien pushed her into the cell and pressed the plate again.

Yomi’s energy binds dissipated as soon as the gate came back up. Feeling soon returned to her hands, and she looked out through the gate. She saw the alien who had first saved them in the cell across from hers. He noticed her and sighed.

Yomi turned her attention away from him as the door to the room opened again. A tiger-like alien stepped through carrying Osaka with Minamo in energy binds. He put them in nearby cells.

Minamo looked through the energy gate to Yomi’s cell. “Where’s everyone else?” she asked. Yomi shook her head, “I don’t know.”

After she said that, the door to the room opened once more. A lizard-alien and one of the patrolmen came in. The lizard man carried Tomo over his shoulder and Chiyo under his arm. The patrolman had Sakaki, unconscious, on a hovering bed.

Yomi looked back at Minamo and said, “There they are.” Tomo and Chiyo were put in a cell next to Yomi, and Sakaki was taken to one near the back of the room. Tomo sat and comforted a crying Chiyo. Yomi saw the tiger-alien come back into the room.

He pressed the plate to open Minamo and Osaka’s cell. Grabbing Osaka, he said, “I have been given permission from Emperor Prince Kanyl to further explore her mind.” He left the cell, closed it again, and left the room.

The cloak-wearing alien looked at her, “It is almost time, prepare yourself.” Yomi just stared at him. The alien pulled out a small object. He pressed in the top and set it on the floor of his cell.

The part that he pressed began to flash short lights. He leaned against the wall and looked at it. Yomi still stared at him. Suddenly, the object radiated a bright blue light, and all of the energy gates powered down.

All of the captives began to charge to the exit. Alarms began to go off when they got to the door. Hundreds of different people ran through the door into the hallway. Yomi stepped slowly out of her cell. Tomo and Chiyo were already out of theirs.

Minamo ran to the cell that Sakaki was in as soon as she got out of hers. The alien who had disabled the gates stepped up to them. He gestured for them to follow him when Minamo returned with a now awake Sakaki.

Figuring they had no better idea, the girls followed him. They left the holding room to see another lizard man losing a fight against three small rat-like aliens. As they ran down the hallway, they saw an insect alien pull its scythe-like hand from the corpse of an alien of the same race as the patrolmen.

Soon, after they had ran through many other fights, they ran into a large corridor with many transparent tubes on the walls. The alien held up his hand and said, “We should rest here.” Minamo went over to one of the tubes. Tomo walked over to the alien who had his eyes closed and was lent up against the wall, yet again.

As she approached him, the alien opened his eyes and looked at her. She stepped slightly closer and asked, “Who are you?” The alien lowered his head and replied, “Eylmey Synrlasti, former Lord Prince of the Lyracl.”

“If you’re one of them, why did you help us?” Eylmey sighed and looked back up, and he explained the story behind the Dryka Mirkat. Tomo stood there after he was done. Minamo walked up to him also. Shaking, she said, “What else has your brother done?”

Eylmey looked to the ceiling, and said, “He used to take specific individuals from races he defeated. He still takes several corpses of people his soldiers felled during the invasion. I do not know why he does this, however.”

Minamo pointed back to the tube she had been at earlier and said, “There are people who I saw die in those.” Eylmey stood straight and walked over to it. Looking in he said, “Her body is regenerating, so she is going to be whole again. Why would Kanyl want that?” After he said that, everyone came over to look.

Their reactions were all different, but they were all about the same thing. Inside of the tube, was Kagura.

The girls walked from tube to tube, looking in to see who could be floating in the pale green liquid. They found Chihiro in one near the door, along with many other people.

Eylmey stood against the wall, allowing them to look over these no-longer dead people. He still could not imagine why Kanyl would bring the dead of a people he despised back into the world of the living.

Suddenly, the door next to them eased into four pieces, and two black-clad warriors ran through the opening. Eylmey drew his sword and blocked a knife that flew for his head. Sakaki brought up her arm to deflect a punch from the other one. Minamo gathered away from the door, and went to join the fight.

Sakaki grabbed her opponent’s foot and spun him in the air. The alien super soldier landed on his feet and knocked Sakaki’s out from under her. He had no time to react as Minamo brought her foot down on his head. The man fell forward from the heavy blow, unconscious.

Eylmey jabbed his sword at an opening that he found on the other Pyrsi, but he was too slow, and the armored foe moved away from the tip of the blade. He returned quickly with a knife in hand. The prince brought his sword up in a fighting stance before charging at the Pyrsi once more. Eylmey brought his sword in a horizontal cut. The Pyrsi stopped it with his knife, but was knock off balance as Eylmey brought his foot to the side of his head. He slashed down as the Pyrsi began to stand straight again.

The dead body hit the floor with an audible thump. Minamo rushed back over to the rest of the girls after helping Sakaki back up. Eylmey motioned for them to follow as he walked carefully out the open door, sword still drawn.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Kaorin slipped further back into the shadows as the figure came further down the steps. As it reached the bottom of the stairs, it reached a hand up to its head. Taking a step further, Kaorin began to shiver as the dreaded face of Kimura came into view, pushing his glasses further up his face.

He walked slowly past her not even paying attention. Kaorin waited until he walked to the back of the basement before she ran out of her hiding place and up the stairs. When she had gotten to the top, she ran out of the building.

Kimura was crouched down, still in the basement. He stood back up with a small book in hand. Smiling, he walked back up the stairs.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Naoko sat with her eyes closed in the back room of her current resting building. Outside the door, two Lyracl soldiers were hardly recognizable with the injuries that they had sustained at the hands of Naoko.

She reached out for any Human mind within her distance. She felt her way across the minds of the animals that go unnoticed, and those even farther than that. Soon, she felt a sentient mind.

Interested, she dug into it. As she soared through the feelings of this creature, she saw that it was a Human. The person’s mind was strange. It had massive holes all throughout it. Immaterially, she ran into a wall. Soon after this she was cast from the mind of the person, and all the way back into her own mind.

The force of the return threw her back. Naoko sat back up in time to see the door burst in. She acted on reflex and sprung to her feet. Three Lyracl soldiers stood there with there rifles pointed at her.

She soon ended that threat as she tore each of the aliens’ minds in two. They fell to the ground shaking uncontrollably, and holding their head. Naoko stepped over them. She had to find that Human.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Kanyl watched the reports fly across the flashing screen. The Syralri Kurous had a massive breakout. Every cell had opened at once, and the prisoners were quickly overrunning the ship.

He heard the door open and turned around. Standing in the doorway were two Lyracl soldiers carrying a Pyrsi. They walked forward, sat the Pyrsi down, and bowed to their Emperor Prince. Kanyl looked down at the motionless Pyrsi.

One of the soldiers looked up at Kanyl and said, “Your highness, we bring you the Sur’Pyrs-Ureyli, Iyrael Kastyr. We believed you would be interested in seeing him.” Kanyl turned back around.

“M-my lord?” stuttered the soldier. “He has failed me. He shall be given no second chance,” Kanyl said to the two Lyracl. They bowed shakily and took the dead Iyrael away.

Kanyl walked back to the screens and continued watching them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

The girls and their alien protector, Eylmey, ran down the long hallway of the Lyracl ship. Eylmey had said nothing about where they were going. They had passed many fights between different alien races and Lyracl and the lizard men.

Minamo ran up next to Eylmey, who was leading the group through the massive cruiser. “We need to find Osaka,” she said to him. Eylmey nodded and turned left at an intersection.

He stopped at a door with another symbol on it. When they walked in front of it, it slid open. Eylmey led them inside. It was a small room with a few tables scattered around it. Before long, they saw Osaka laying on one of the tables.

The group ran over to her. She looked like she was in pain, though there was no injuries on her whatsoever. Eylmey picked her up and motioned to the exit. The girls began to run without question back out the door.

Before they could reach it, the door slid open again. Kar-kazan stepped into the room, lips curled in his peoples’ excuse for a smile. Eylmey put Osaka on a table and pulled out the small disruptor again.

He pressed the button and drew his sword.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Kaorin fell face first on the asphalt of the road. She had used the last of the painkillers an hour ago, and the poison was beginning to take effect again.

Her body resisting to the movement the entire time, Kaorin struggled to push herself back up. Suddenly, her entire body was struck by pain. She coughed before vomiting on the ground in front of her.

She saw blood mixed in it. Wiping her mouth she stood and tried to walk. She walked for ten seconds before she fell against the wall of a nearby building.

She covered her mouth with her hand when she felt the urge to vomit again. Her small attempts against it were useless, though. After three more piles of blood and puke, she fell onto a pile of rubble.

She lay there breathing heavily for some time before her eyes began to close. The last thing she remembered before falling to dreams were footsteps coming towards her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x
Kar-kazan took a step into the room. Eylmey and the girls took a step back away from him. The tiger-alien began to laugh, a loud, growl kind of laugh. “Fools! You thought you could steal thisone from me? HA! Her mind screams to me!”

Eylmey handed the unconscious Osaka to Minamo and drew his sword. Kar-kazan let out another short laugh and crouched into a tiger like attack stance. Eylmey took a deep breath and charged. Kar-kazan swiped at him with one large claw.

The prince barely managed to dodge it. Kar-kazan took advantage of his foe’s momentary opening and tore into his mind. Eylmey dropped his sword to grab his head. Kar-kazan stepped towards him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

The teenaged girl slowly opened her eyes. ‘Where am I?’ she thought as she sat up. Looking around, she saw that she was in a small room with silver walls. Many lights overhead had lights a shade of blue so light, that she could barely tell the difference from white.

The door in the corner of the room slid open quietly and a pale-skinned woman walked in, wearing a dark blue robe. She walked over to the girl on the bed. “You are finally awake. Good,” she said as she walked over to a small panel on the wall.

She pressed a button that appeared on it and walked back to the girl on the bed. “Rest,” she said,” Soon, everything will be over.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

A bright blue flash filled the room. Kar-kazan stopped mid-step as Eylmey’s disruptor went off. His hold on Eylmey was broken, and the prince launched a kick at the tiger-alien’s head.

Kar-kazan just barely managed to stop him. The psychic tiger-alien attempted once more to enter Eylmey’s mind. He stood, surprised, when he could not reach out to anything. Eylmey smiled. “I know what you are, Kyshen, and you shouldn’t exist. Kanyl terminated the experiments years ago.”

Kar-kazan roared at the prince, “What have you done to me?!” as he charged with anger. Eylmey pulled out a dagger and cut across the tiger-alien’s face. Kar-kazan jumped back from Eylmey after he had cut him.

The tiger-alien had blood leaking into his vision. He roared again as Eylmey began to speak. “These disruptors are for more than disabling electric devices. They were also designed as a weapon against your kind, incase they ever got… out of hand,” Eylmey said as he pulled another disruptor from his suit.

Eylmey stepped towards Kar-kazan while talking, “Now, we will be going, and there’s not much you can do to stop us from doing so.” Eylmey motioned for the girls to follow him and walked out the door.

Kar-kazan stood there, growling at the girls as they passed. Sakaki had no intention of going near this cat.

Eylmey led them down the hallway towards the docking bay. There were several alien corpses littering the path. The deep blue lights seemed to be having electrical problems, as most of them were flickering. Tomo stepped around a tiger-alien of the same species as Kar-kazan.

The group walked further down the hallway until they came to a bulkhead door. Eylmey swiped his hand across the panel to make the door open, and walked, girls following. Inside the docking bay were several fighter craft. Eylmey led them to another section of the docks. When they arrived, they saw a half-dozen personnel transports.

They walked to the one closest to an airlock. As they were getting into it, the door to the docks opened and seven Lyracl soldiers stepped through, supported by two of the lizard men. Eylmey hurried the girls into the shuttle and pulled out his rifle. Firing at the hostiles, he backed into the shuttle as well.

He pressed the panel next to the hatch to close it and rushed to the pilot’s seat. Sitting down, he instantly began pressing buttons and pulling levers. Soon they were above the floor. “Hang on!” yelled Eylmey as the shuttle shot out the airlock tunnel. Small lasers could be seen bouncing off the exterior of the transport.

The shuttle shook as it began to go through the atmosphere. Eylmey stared in weak horror as the front of the transport began to peel back. “The plating is to thin! Brace yourselves!” he yelled to the girls as he began to push several buttons and pull a lever. He leaned forward with heat in his eyes. They would make it through if it killed him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Kanyl growled in his throat as he walked down the halls of the Herin Sylanti. One of the remaining patrols on the prison barge had just reported that his brother had once again escaped to the surface of the Hur’Byrtens’ home world.

Eylmey was escaping every time he was captured, and it was he who was responsible every time. ‘Just like on Hyreth… No. It will not happen again. I know what to do if that is his plan.’ He smiled. ‘I will not lose to you this time, Jykren.’ His remaining Pyrs-Ureyl stood at attention as he walked past them. ‘Pity that Iyrael had to die. He was the best.’

Kanyl turned sharply to the left into a brightly lit room. The old woman, Vaera, he believed her name was, turned to him from a computer screen. She bowed deeply to him while saying, “My lord.” She stood back up strait and continued talking. “The subject has been nullified from physical and mental stress. The power of the Mark will not become available again until Tyreyl’s Moon.”

Kanyl smiled, “Good. If the power is available on Tyreyl’s Moon, then we will have more power than we could ever have imagined.” Vaera bowed again as he turned and walked out the door. ‘Dyrel orype teyn, Jykren.’

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Naoko pushed the dead Haruksa off of the end of her hand. The damn lizard-men had been popping up everywhere. The Lyracl must have found one of their posts. The Haruksa were mercenaries that mainly worked for the Lyracl, though they have been known to work for other races.

She pulled up the coat that she had taken from a Lyracl soldier’s corpse further around her neck. Cold winds were blowing during summer. 4000 years have passed. Naoko closed her eyes, trying to remember what that meant.

She walked down an alley while still trying to remember. As soon as she reached the end, it came to her. Tyreyl’s Moon, the one day every 4000 years, which the Lyracl race would be granted many times their power. Cold winds blow when this day approaches.

Naoko’s eyes widened and she hurried her pace. They must be defeated before the Moon comes to pass.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Osaka groaned. The landing had been terrible. She looked around at what had happened. The ship was a pile of wreckage scattered about the local area. The once silver metal was charred from the heat of the impact. Apparently, Lyracl personnel transports were not made to enter atmospheres at such a speed that they were thrown with. She looked down at her lower body and nearly screamed. There were no legs there. Pain at last gripped her mind and blanketed it. Uncontrollable spasms of pain and fear shook her as she realized what happened to the others.

Sakaki was hanging limply from the braches of a tree, and it looked like every bone in her body had been broken. Minamo was lying face down on the ground, the side hatch of the transport lying on top of her. Yomi was pinned to the ground by the tip of one of the wings, blood leaking out from beneath her, and half of her face ripped to shreds by some unknown cause. Tomo’s hand could roughly be seen out from under the half of the ship that had flipped over when they had landed. Chiyo was laying on her side, her body cut strait up the middle, blood flowing out like a river from it. Eylmey, if that was his name, was sitting in the pilot’s chair, which was in the amazingly intact front part of the ship, head smashed through the control panel and his back filled with shards of the transparent metal the Lyracl use to make the windows in space-going vessels.

‘Brace yourselves!’ She roughly remembered Eylmey yelling that soon before they had crashed, but it was all foggy. She tried sitting up with out her legs, and failed. Dimly, she was aware of the pain fading away. She could feel her life being pulled from her, and closed her eyes in welcome to death.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Yukari stood up from behind the small ruined wall she was hiding behind and looked around. The hulking dog-thing seemed to have left. She walked carefully over towards a small exit that led to the alley. It had been at least 2 hours since she had left Naoko, that freak of nature, created by these aliens, the Lyracl. Yukari hated her for being one of them, but still…

She shook her head. She shouldn’t be worrying about an honorary alien. They were evil, that was sure. Yukari stepped around the corner of the doorway. The alley had a Human corpse lying stretched out across the end, burn marks covering it. Yukari was unable to make out a gender from the burns that covered it, and she didn’t really care, for lying next to its hand, was, though a tad bit burned, a XD-45 Compact handgun. She shook as she approached it.

A gun. A projectile weapon which was made for the purpose of defense, but now shall be used to retaliate. Yukari smiled. Now she would get revenge on those alien bastards.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Osaka’s eyes opened. ‘Wasn’t Ah supposed to be dead?’ she thought. Eyes fully opened, she looked around. She was back in the ship, the heat of it bursting through Earth’s atmosphere. All of the other girls were around her, holding themselves down. Eylmey was looking through the pilot’s window with extreme determination.

She sat up and heard, “Osaka!” She turned her head towards the voice and saw Tomo, holding to the bottom of her chair. “Get down!” she yelled again. Osaka looked around. ‘Ah didn’t die… GAH!’ “Everyone, get in the middle! Mr. Alien, don’t land in that open space!” She yelled getting up.

“I have to. It’s the only one nearby.” “Land in those trees over there, the branches will cushion our landing.” “We will die!” Osaka looked down at the land quickly approaching them. “We’re gonna die anyway, so why not try?”

Eylmey’s face showed doubt for a second, soon replaced by the same determination. “Alright,” he said pulling the controls to the right. Looking back a second at the unprotected girls he took off his dark blue cloak. “Give this to them. You get under it too. It was made to resist heat at 75 degrees Celsius. It might not be much protection, but it’s better than nothing.”

Osaka nodded and walked back into the transport’s main part. Covering herself up in the process, she covered all the other girls with the cloak. Seeing no other alternative, she closed her eyes and wished for the best.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Vaera walked into the girl’s room. The Human herself was looking through one of the books from the shelf, looking very confused. Hearing Vaera walk in, she looked up and ask, “Do you have anything in Japanese?” Holding up the book, she showed that it was nothing but Lyracl letters. Vaera laughed slightly and responded, “I’m very sorry, little one, but we couldn’t manage to find any.”

“Ah. I see…” the girl trailed off, a cloudy expression crawling across her face. Suddenly a cheerful look appeared again and she started talking again. “You know Raen, the man who comes through here and puts everything back where it’s supposed to be?” Vaera nodded.” Well last night he brought in this,” she said holding up a small crystal. “I don’t know what it is, but I think he thinks it’s important.”

Vaera’s breath caught at the sight of the crystal. ‘A Dyven-Hel. How could a janitor get one of those?’ She grabbed itwith a smile at the teenaged girl and examined it. On all sides, she saw the runes: Life, Death, Heaven, Hell, Light, Dark, and Universe. With a Dyven-Hel, a person could become a master of the afterlife. Only four were known to be in existence.

She closed her hand around it and said, “I need to take a good look at this,” and she walked out the door. The girl sat there, unhappy that the crystal was taken, but fully occupied with making a city out of many little wooden blocks.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Blam. A Lyracl soldier clutched the hole in his chest while falling over, his companions instantly on alert. Blam. Another soldier fell dead, missing an eye. Blam. A third alien’s life ended with his heart punctured by a bullet. The remaining Lyracl scattered in fear of what was responsible for their comrades’ deaths. Once they had gotten far enough away, Yukari judged it safe enough to come out of the dark alley.

She walked over to the fallen bodies of the three Lyracl soldiers and picked up one of their rifles. Hefting it up onto her shoulder, she began to walk across the road to the next alley. The streets were littered with all sorts of rubbish. Yukari walked past a pile of dead Humans without giving it a glance. She had become immune to the carnage.

Her stomach began to rumble as she stepped into the alley. She looked up and saw that the sun was already on the other side of the sky. ’18 hours is long enough without food’ she thought. Turning back out of the alley, she turned and went into the large building next to her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Vaera walked down the halls of the Herin Sylanti ate a quick pace. She had to find Raen. Clutching the Dyven-Hel harder, she walked past a pair of bowing servants. She finally stopped in front of one of the maintenance ways. Stepping into it, her genetically altered vision changed to allow her to see in the dim teal light. Up ahead, Raen shooed away a small group of Teyr rats.

Turning, Raen saw her and smiled. “Lady Vaera, it is good to see you,” he said, bowing. Vaera moved towards him to grab him by his suit’s color. Whispering with venom, she asked,” Where did this come from?” holding up the Dyven-Hel. “Ah, that. I brought it with me from Lyrai. It is a family heirloom. We have been guarding that Dyven-Hel for generations.”

“Why give it to that Human girl, then, if it is so important?” Vaera asked. “She reminds me of my own daughter back on Lyrai. I felt like it belonged to her,” Raen responded. “Whatever you felt, it is mine now,” Vaera said, turning away. Walking out of the maintenance way, she began to return to her post by the girl.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Muryl watched Vaera walk out of the maintenance way. As soon as she left, he pressed a small button fused to his ear. Speaking into it, he said, “She has taken the stone, my Lady.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Jaryl stepped into the regeneration chamber. ‘Damn Byrten. So troublesome. I can’t see why the Prince, Kan’l, of all people, would let ‘em live. I will show him his mistake,’ he thought as he walked to the regeneration tanks’ master control. After pressing a combination of buttons, he turned to watch the light in the tanks fade.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Eylmey’s vision was blurred. ‘Why did I listen to her?’ the former prince thought as he rubbed his head. He waited for his vision to return before sitting up. Looking around, he saw the wreckage of the sip. Laying around him were the Byrtel girls, unconscious but all in reasonably good shape, aside from a few scratches. He stood and looked over himself.

It seemed as though he was in the worst shape. The cloak actually did the Byrten some good, as none of them were badly bleeding. Eylmey bent down to pick up his cloak off the ground. Putting it back around his shoulders, Eylmey turned to wake up the girls.

After some time, he had them all up and ready to move. Tomo stretched and yawned rather loudly. Yomi was cleaning off her glasses with her sleeve. Minamo was checking to see what they still had. Sakaki was standing near Chiyo, who was helping Minamo. Osaka was standing by herself, looking into the clouds. Eylmey took out a small device and pressed a button on it. He then put it back into the endless space inside his shirt and turned back to the girls.

“We had best start off,” he said. They gathered everything together quickly, and began to walk off towards Tokyo.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx

Rylan stood in front of the experiment’s transport. He yawned and turned to his fellow guard. “How long ‘till we’re done?” he asked. Talya shrugged and responded, “Whenever the Kyshen gets here, I guess.” Rylan sighed and turned away from his female partner. They had been standing guard for hours now, and he was starting to lose his patience with the Kyshen, no matter what they were.

That experiment had proven to be a problem for him and Talya. When it first arrived, they had looked in to see what it was. Rylan’s body still hurt from when it had grabbed him and slammed him against the wall.

He yawned again and looked around. The sun was overhead, lighting up the silver metal of the temporary outpost around them. Over the small wall, he could see a dead Byrtel hanging from one the buildings. The Lyracl that were teamed with Hakrsat had a habit of showing off their kills.

“Did you hear that?” he heard Talya ask. He turned and said, “Hear what?” Talya looked around and responded, “Nothing,” Rylan shrugged and turned back around. After a while he said, “I need to walk.” He took a few steps and turned the corner of the transport, and collided with another body.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx

Naoko prepared to fight as the Lyracl stood. He gasped as he saw her, obviously knowing who she was. The guard scrambled to bow as the other walked around the corner. The Lyracl woman smiled and made a small bow. “Muryl said it would be a Byrtel. I am Talya, and this is Rylan,” she said, straitening her back. Naoko tilted her head as she peaked into their minds. ‘I’m sorry, but you’re not allowed in here,’ was the thought she received as she was pushed out of Talya’s mind.

“We are part of the Dryka Mirkat, working inside Kanyl’s forces. We were given this experiment to guard. We used this-,” she said, holding up a small device, “-to attract only the most powerful Kyshen. You. There is something we need to show you.” Talya turned and beckoned for Naoko to follow.

She walked around the side to the front of the transport and pressed a few buttons on the small panel next to the door. Rylan walked next to her with his rifle in hand. The panel sunk into the door and the Lyracl stepped back. “I suggest you do the same. The experiment is very dangerous,” she said to Naoko as Rylan shivered. Slowly, the door slid open, light spilling into the darkness inside the transport. Naoko could see a pair of black shoed feet in the corner, the rest of the body concealed by the shadows.

Talya turned her head to Naoko. “This is the first in line of a new breed of soldier, the Sylrsel 1.” The figure in the corner stood and walked into the light. “Hello, Naoko.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx

Eylmey and the girls walked through the outer part of Tokyo. The wreckage was lighter here, and not as many dead bodies were littering the street. It was sometime after noon, but the heat of summer was not present. Cold winds blew, making Eylmey flinch. ‘It approaches,’ he thought as he pulled on the side of his cloak.

The girls had accepted the fact that there was death, and that there was a good chance that they would all die as well. Tomo walked with her hands behind her head. Osaka had fully recovered, and was able to walk by herself. Chiyo walked alongside Sakaki. Minamo was near Eylmey. Yomi sighed as she walked up to Tomo. “Do you trust him?” she asked her wildcat friend. “He’s gotten us this far, so why not?” was Tomo’s reply, a question for a question.

“He’s one of them,” Yomi said, “How do we know we can?” Tomo pulled her hands down long enough to shrug, “He seems like he’s on our side. Besides, what could we do without him? He knows more about what’s happening.” Yomi sighed again. She didn’t trust Eylmey, even if he said he was friendly.

Osaka was thinking to herself. ‘How did Ah know what was gonna happen? Am Ah psychic now or somethin’?’ She continued to ponder that as the group moved through the ruins of a former shop. Eylmey ducked under a fallen support beam that had fallen across the building. He looked back at the girls for a second before continuing.

The tall one, called Sakaki, had small cuts across her arms and legs, and a long one across her cheek. Chiyo wasn’t badly hurt, mainly scrapes. Tomo had a long cut up the side of her leg. ‘That will scar,’ Eylmey thought, seeing that. Yomi had several bruises along with a burn on her shoulder from a light laser shot that she hadn’t noticed. Osaka still had a small burn on her shoulder from the day before, along with new cuts from the crash. Minamo, the one who followed him, had one of her sleeves sliced to ribbons, though still a part of the shirt, and a cut stretching down her forehead to the left to the bottom of her cheek.

He himself had small burns spotting the front of his clothing and armor. His gloves were gone, as was the top of his left boot. Eylmey again pulled at his cloak as his small group of survivors stopped to rest in the alley next to the store.

They hid behind some stray rubble piled around in it. It had been a little over an hour and a half since they had crashed, and they had run half of the way back, which was around six miles. During their rest, they jumped at the sound of footsteps coming closer. They stopped right outside it and the girls all froze. Eylmey peeked his head slowly around the side of the rubble he had hid behind to see what had stopped.

He saw a pair of Lyracl soldiers stopped in front of the alley, obviously sure that they had secured the city and its surrounding area. They started talking almost as soon as Eylmey had seen them. “Have you seen what these Hakrsat do with their kills?” asked one of the soldiers. “Don’t they hang them from high places?” was the questioning answer. “Besides that. I saw one of them eating a dead female,” the first soldier explained.

“Not even these Hur’Byrten deserve that their dead be eaten by some lizard.” “I agree. We shouldn’t even have offered these beasts their pay, but it is the Prince’s will, and we should try to tolerate them, at least until this world is cleansed of the Hur’Byrten filth and brought into the Empire.”

The other soldier nodded slightly. The Lyracl stood for a while longer before continuing on. Eylmey breathed out as he turned back to the girls. “We need to keep moving,” he said to them as he stood, straitening his cloak. The group was off back into the city within a short time.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx

Vaera rolled the Dyven-Hel in between her fingers, thinking over what she had found. Raen’s story seemed to be correct, as she could not find any missing information on the crew files. ‘Damn that Raen,’ the Lyracl woman thought as she turned the Dyven-Hel around again. Sighing, annoyed, she sat the crystal on her desk and stood up. ‘Those Human’s take constant care, frail things,’ Vaera thought.

She walked out of her observation office and into the girl’s room. The girl was busing herself with a small piece of paper and a pencil. She seemed to be humming. “Hum humhum humHUM! Hum humhum humHUM! Humhum humhum humHUM, Hum humhum humhum! Oh, hi!” she said cheerfully, finally realizing that Vaera was there. Vaera smiled warmly and said, “You seem to be having fun.”

The girl nodded and said, “Umhum! I’m drawing a picture, see?” The girl held up the picture for Vaera to see. In amazing detail, it showed a burning star, with a Ravager Ballistic Barge flying above the ruins of a large building. Vaera inwardly gasped at the drawing. ‘This girl shouldn’t know what a Ravager looks like! How could someone with the mentality of a 15 year old have the ability anyway?’ (A/N: Remember, Lyracl age three times slower than Humans, so the age really is 5)

Outwardly, she smiled and said, “It is very nice.” The Human girl grinned happily and went back to drawing. Vaera stood and left the room. These Humans were becoming more and more interesting.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx

Kagura coughed as she fell forward onto her knees. She coughed for a short time more and looked up. Just ahead of her, was one of the invaders. Growling, Kagura leapt up and charged straight towards the alien. The alien just watched her with and angry-annoyed look on his face. Kagura approached him rapidly. Just as she got within arm’s length of the alien, a small laser pistol appeared in front of her face.

She stopped almost instantly while the alien said in a rough voice, “Is that how you Byrten show you gratitude to those who save you? Right now, I could end your life with a single movement of my finger, but I won’, by Eylmey’s order.” He had the gun back up and turned away almost instantly. For the first time, Kagura noticed that other people were in the room with her and the alien.

She also notice that she was soaked, as were the others. Shaking, she finally straitened her back, though she did not relax. The alien was speaking to the other people in the room. She couldn’t hear him, so she walked towards the group. All she caught was the end of the last sentence. “-need to get off’a this ship, n’ I’m the only one who knows how,” was what she heard.

The group, although reluctantly, gathered behind the alien. Kagura stood off to the side and stared until they began to walk towards the alien auto-door. She then followed them. It seemed as thought there was only one way off the ship, if the alien wasn’t lying.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx

Yukari stepped into the large building. She was in the lobby of some sort of office building. The woman walked up to the Receptionist’s desk. There was a large piece of the wood missing from it. Looking over the desk, she saw the fate that had befallen the unfortunate receptionist. The body was lying on the floor, the desk chair tipped over on it. There were several laser burns covering the body as well.

Yukari turned back around to see a splintered door. She walked up to it, stopping when she heard noise from inside the room. Throwing herself against the wall, lightly, she pulled the handgun into, surprise, her hand. She peeked slowly around the corner of the door and looked in,

Inside the room was one of those dog-things. It was eating a dead one, and every now and then, it would sniff the air. It smelled the air again, and stopped. Turning around, Yukari saw that the creature had a look to kill on its face. It growled and ran towards the door, barking madly. Yukari turned away from the corner as the beast broke through what was left of the door.

She began to run towards the flight of stairs on the opposite side of the room. The thing could easily be heard behind her. She turned her head over her shoulder and fired a pair of rounds from her XD-45 Compact at the beast. It just shrugged off the wounds and kept running. Damn, what does it take to kill that thing?!” she thought as she turned back around.

Yukari started up the stairs, still running. The beast was faster than her, and she could hear it catching up to her. Up ahead, she spotted a small chunk of the stairs that were ripped up from its foundation. She changed the part of the stairs she was running up. ‘Just a little farther…’ she thought quickly, as she could hear the beast just right behind her.

She jumped over the stair chunk and pushed it down with her legs as she passed over it. Turning around, she saw the dog-thing be hit by the falling stone chunk. It fell down the stairs, howling loudly as it did so. Yukari waited for a few seconds before turning and continuing up the stairs.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx

Kar-kazan stomped down the halls of the Syralri Kurous towards the docking bay. The traitor prince had humiliated him, and no sensible Tirgriza could allow their honor to take that damage. Lyracl servants scattered away from him in fear as the tiger-alien stormed past. Three Hakrsat mercenaries stepped aside, but eyed him angrily.

Kar-kazan stepped through the auto-door into the docking bay, where there was much action happening. The bay was wrecked, most of the ships destroyed or flipped. Repair teams scurried back and forth, trying to fix the destroyed ships and the small parts of the walls that were torn. Since the breakout, the Lyracl had been trying to repair the massive damage done.

Kar-kazan stepped down the stairs from the catwalk that connected the doors of the upper levels of the ship together here. He headed for the nearest available transport and stepped inside it.

The crew inside were startled at his appearance. They started out the door. Kar-kazan growled as he grabbed one of them by their shirt. “You will drive me to the planet, NOW!” he yelled as he threw the terrified Lyracl towards the cockpit of the transport. ‘I will have my vengeance!’ he thought angrily, looking out the steelglass panel to the planet below them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx