Paradigm Mine

The Pools Of Sorrow

As the squad of 4 moved forward towards the gates of the courtyard, they discovered a deceased Nirashti. It wasn't the last one they would see that day. As they got the sense of what happened; it became apparent. This planet had been attacked.

Zephyr raised her arm as the creature known as Alaric lept from her body and expanded to full size. His tail snapped the air as it charged the atoms in the air. A iridescent ripple of energy swept his body and washed over his master.

Grabbing his beak like face, Zephyr looked into his black eyes. The colour of in their eyes changed till Alarics black eyes were silver. "Now," Zephyr spoke to her closest companion. "Go show me what's going on here." He spun around and waited for a command. She stood and engaged her helmet. "Seek!" His body whipped around again and he darted off ahead of them.

"Our minds are linked, I see what he.." she paused as she observed through Alaric the carnage. As she had not seen this type of violence expressed on one race she paused painfully; "Sees...Cred?" He responded and approached her side. "Take point." Engaging his helmet he winked and said, "As you wish." Drawing his sword he marched towards the gates.

Cred out of all of the hunters; could take the most violence. They silently hoped that wouldn't be the case. But; they had been wrong before. It was clear to all that this spire had been all but destroyed.

While the spire had multiple power signals- the decision was made to look for survivors rather than allies. As the great double gates of the fortress opened- so were their eyes.

"They fought what ever it was;" Cred squatted down looking at the remains. "Would you agree there's multiple atomic signatures here?" She ask Cred.
"Yes Zephyr." He greyrocked his emotions, as he hadn't seen the likes of this in hundreds of years.

There was more than a singular attacker; the residual energy told them a different story. "A swarm?" Mia asked as their minds were linked.

Cred nodded and pointed. "They fought here but they lost." Zephyr nodded- and only observed the aftermath.

Cred looked past the carnage and down the scorched tunnels. He noticed smoke rising from the one pathway down- and to the left. The call to investigate could not be denied.

The pathway burrowed down nearly a kilometre. All along the way, Nirashti Soldiers lay in various stages of atomic disintegration. Whatever rank of soldiers it seemed to encounter- they appeared to be no match.

Mia, Cred, Leviathan, and Zypher slowed as the pathway opened into a large cavity. A constant irregular dripping could be heard. Cred focused and created a small orb of light.

Underneath a fallen stalagmite crumbed over the fallen Great Yellow Dragon. The entire cave had been thrashes around in. It fought and lost too. Its wings were folded over its body as if trying to protect itself.

"Lots of atomic residue here." Mia spoke up. As they picked apart the scene they were able to decipher; The yellow dragon stopped the attack.

"In fact" Zypher spoke "it's almost like the largest dragon was the focus. She stood still and felt an emotional transfer from her Mordar. She was amazed he could feel such anger and hatred.

"Alaric found something." She reported to her squad it seemed important as she turned towards the tunnel looking towards him. A moment of silence passed till Mia chuckled slightly. Slowly they turned and stared at the android. She blinked and realized- "sorry Im... I mean... I hacked their main frame; like all of it. It was easier than I thought." She smiled slightly again and looked at the remains of the Dragon.  Trying not to look like a crazy AI program. "This is not funny at all;" she looked over the body and identified her. "Illisis, she's this Worlds protector." Mia looked around at the pool near by. Beneath the murky water, a slight glow could be seen.

Mia moved her small frame near the pools edge. "They placed her here to protect the world gate below... she did well."

She approached the body of Illisis, and touched it. The cells closed, but there was no response of life.  Her cells had been poisoned.

"Lacerations and tainted wounds. Blackened blood." Her eyes lit up and spun like wheels as she accessed a specific mainframe. "I do believe this is what's left after a titan class species meets a swarm of Alicren."

Zephyr had begun to walk her way back up the tunnel to check on Alaric. Cred watched her disappear around the long pathway back up. He stayed and watched his favourite crazy AI program.

"You find anything else sparkles?" Cred asked loudly in the general direction of Mia. Freezing she looked at him. "Why are you calling me that?" He chuckled and kicked at the dirt below his boot. "Its something humans do they; find something that their friend does all the time. So like-" she interrupted Pan-faced.

"If my friend limped I'd call him limpy?" Smiling Cred laughed "Yeah-" as he felt her awkward blank stare.
"Yeah. I got it." She sighed realizing there was nothing more to learn from him.
He smiled as he was at least informative; and marvelled at the sharp item he had discovered. He squatted down and picked it up.

"Hey look at this-" he looked up to her as she had drawn very close to him. Just to confirm her new name he pushed the issue; "Hey sparkles look at this." He grinned in the privacy of his helmet.

Leviathan looking up from a distance away was occupied looking at the dragon. Seeing the device at a glance, yelled abruptly; "No! Put that down!!" The device powered up and exploded.