What Devoured The Stars

Prologue

Kasar cried. 

He cried at his father's yells of defiance and pain.

He cried at his mother's screams of terror and sorrow.

He cried at the heat of the flames burning all around him.

Mostly, though, Kasar cried at the rumbling voice of the giant form. Even as an infant, Kasar knew instinctual fear of that form. Something primal in him recognized danger, and so Kasar cried even as the hot air burned his lungs and each tear-filled wail hurt him.

"You fought well; that much can be said for your wretched kind, human. You always fight well, even as you inevitably lose. It is your greatest sin, that your kind fight so well, and why I have chosen to eradicate you."

Kasar could hear the wet coughing of his mother as she attempted to speak, though he could not see her. Only the giant form was visible silhouetted against the spreading flames. Still, the sound of his mother made Kasar cry harder; hoping for the familiar comfort of her touch to ease the fear of the thing standing just in front of his crib.

"Even now you struggle, human, with your fluids pooling around you and your body torn by my claws. I have chased you across this forsaken solar system for far too long; the last of  your kind. It is rare for a species to refuse to die. Your kind could have been dangerous, if given more time to develop. This is your crime, and why I end you now."

Pain now added to the reasons Kasar cried; searing pain as the fire began to creep up the sides of his crib and lick at his exposed limbs. Even worse was the confusion of why, unlike every other time before, no one came to help or comfort him. He could hear his mother laying somewhere on the floor, though he was too young to understand her words. But despite his increasingly distressed cries, no one came.

"Worry not for your offspring, human. I will keep it alive; a trophy of the species that dared fight back against my rule. I will raise it to hate its heritage and despise itself, so that it will never grow to challenge me. It will be a weak, lost thing that I bring out to show the other races what happens to those who oppose me. I will tell them see, even the mythical humans could not stand against my might; what chance have the other pacifist races?"

Kasar's cries became wails of pain as the fire began to overtake his crib. He had no words, but through his cries he begged those he had always depended upon to come and save him from the hurt he couldn't fully understand. To save him from the looming figure that instinctively he knew was the cause.

The giant figure raised one massive, clawed foot before stamping it down with terrible force and speed. The wet crunch was jarring, but more-so was the sudden silencing of his mother's voice. It was enough to shock Kasar into momentary quiet. His wails started back quickly, though, at the pain of the fire. 

Massive, clawed hands reached down and slowly removed Kasar from the burning crib. The fire did not seem to bother the giant form nor did the smoke seem to hurt it's lungs. The relief of finally being taken from the place that was causing him pain was enough to over-ride Kasar's instinctual fear. With no other context of what had happened in that room that day, he found himself grateful to the creature that had rescued him from the flames. His father may have forgotten him and his mother may have abandoned him, but the frightening form had taken him from the scary place. In time, it would even give him a home.