Herosae Kitsune: Chapter 12: Crisis

Deafened sirens howled beyond the walls, muffled barriers that held the cage in, unable to escape. Each hallway edging on a cold whipped terror, the faint voices of intercoms culling the people away from a madman's vengeance. Musty, shallow echoed halls played off their footprints, cultivating the vexing panicked anger of isolation from the innocent. Full retreat returned them outside, the metal hatch slamming behind them. “Sorry the tunnles couldn't take us farther.” Lamenting, Tannor resolved, resuming lead to the elevator. Horrid noises erupting from above the work column balcony, pieces of metal clashing as workers rallied defences against the unmistakable whoosh of a lone loose sentry. “The elevator is going to take a while.”

Scampering away, Sarephel abandoned plan. “I'll take the stairs, it's probably less logged.”

“You're probably right.” Kaunzi followed, racing after her.

“Sorry again,” Leaning against the door, Tannor rested. “This is where we're going to part.” Waving them off.

“Don't get murdered now, I'll kill you if you go and die on me.”

“I love it when you talk dirty.”

Rush of workers strayed past them, huddling down the stairs to safety. The loud passing of destructing huddling them closer. Stopping back to the shopping hall, the streets laid bare, metal gates holding off the once busy stalls. Behind them, screeching death sighted them, charging forward. Without stopping, Kaunzi unsheathed her blade, following it's pursuit with her intercepting counter. Leaping over it's ramming haul, a deep incision rippled the skin festering boiling phosphorous blue aether to spill; lining a trail straight through the vacant wood barred gate elevator, frantically spasming to the depths glowing brightly. Looking up, one descending freedom to climb them up again.

Station Plaza sat in ruin, three monstrosities dismantling the walls while more swindled the market outside. The sentry cannons, freshly depleted of ammunition. Bullet holes and flack shrapnel causing a noticeable detriment. Outside was no wheres near more pleasant, turning from the carnage, Sarephel could not bare the grim sight of those who took the first wave of the apocalypse. Right outside, fast to his arrived, their ride busy dodging the suicide strikes of falling sentries to meet them. Jumping in, the hoard of somehow unscathed martyrs rallied on point. “Fearless monster's aren't they?” Sarephel agreed, watching the abominations rain farther, bevelling the pavement. “I can't believe how detrimental they are... Just think, two days ago we were fighting these things off while they were sleepy... Now they're fully awake.”

“Where do you need drop off?” The pilot called.

“To the top, I reckon fifteen floors above the highest freak you can find aught to do.”

Standing firmly, both spectating the shuttles side gaping doorway, they stood morning the destruction. Every monster capable to destroying their home infesting every corner sprouted rock pits of sickness in their guts. Parts of them flaking off as another glass window shattered, another gunshot fired, every beautiful grain of wood splintered before it's ripe age. The whole of it's entirety disgraced and polluted. Sarephel couldn't help her fury building.

“There's not much we can do but fight them off.” Kaunzi stated. “We'll work our way down, take out what we can and hope the rest of the guard can apply their training to charging trains.” Each passing floor, and the rising advantage over their enemies resonated deeper. The silence grew, and roaring propellers banging rambles became inattentive background noise. A gravitating pressure feathered about beside her. Circling maelstrom of deep purple aura like mist blossomed around her sister's feet, Sarephel's breath still and firm, a very living gaze in her eyes darting out dangerously. Her fury quelled, now before her wakened sibling was nothing more than unbreakable focus that manifested and poured off the floor like smoke. Kaunzi smiled, their height raiding near the hundred and sixties, almost peeking to the height as their untargeted ride pulled them nearer. Kaunzi's hand laid upon her sister, a blue light softly stroking Sarephel's back. In a calming tone, she nudged “Go get'em killer.” Pushing Sarephel gently off the the edge, and following her falling swan dive.

Rippling winds carried her along, as Sarephel homed into the tower walls, lifting off again to target her first unfortunate victim. Sighted, her step directing her blade drawn free fall. Dancing from the walls edge, Nathena burrowed it's fangs in a spinning motion, pulling out to claim it's kill. Falling in time, Kaunzi broke off, Sarephel mirroring to claim another. Diving down, her focus building inside the accelerating plummet that Sarephel trailed. Overwhelming strength flowed in her, her next victim feeling the numbing anguish of her impact and the ripe air which he blade exposed to. Though their size almost standardized, the largest mother she'd seen tore it's path in line of hers, shattering the decoration in it's blood lust rage. Shadowed by the tower's east facing fury, it's walls lit up. Spinning gravely the impact concussion eviscerating the flesh from the blackened core, rupturing it's back in a blinding light that warped the very rippling sight. Sweltering fiery determination that rolled off it's blistered corpse and landed rolling from the lower balcony.

Instantly trembling back to her footing, the burning force that quaked her blind focused sense had set aside to recover. Sarephel gripping the railing returning notion yanked her back, kindling a fearful fire. An epiphany that threw her off the side, and cast a blazing purpose lit path. Each monster in her path only strengthened every step. Swift, clean, and unhindered, her shadow figure before the green illuminating outer forest reaches fell the countless unending levels of her trial. Dead, silent panes before an abandoned busy rest, now empty but the spilled panic rush that discarded food and papers fell. Like the time between breaths before the storm hit, the moment before the terror, and the moment after the warning. Breathing in, the void plaza cast her travelling decent, glistening a dotted radiant drop that floated with her decent. One abomination's tardy entrance to clean the counters.

Sarephel came crashing down, each step closer beating harder in her chest. Their rampage cutting short by her blade. Falling to her, the shattered roof tiles and splintered wood broke way, tripping the beast far below. It's climb slit along the railed edge on the lower platform, and fell back looking into the retribution of it's agnostic death that rid it's faltering half life. Whether instinct, or not, fear coursed it's volatile existence to cushion her fall. Sword enlodged between it's sensors, both angles mirroring equal fury.

Quivering loose held, wavering grip metal object, shocking electric sparks cut by wooden handle. Her voice failing whimpers as Aera's last stand rocked harshly before her. Standing stuck by the cracking wooden braces, the mass of the sentries' enormous body forcing it's way into her kitchen. Loud shattering explosions quaking behind the creature, a blue light and deathly squabbling horror arose to the splattering squirt of her assailants phosphorous blood that burned off her cheeks like fire. One glowing horn protruding presumably from it's forehead. Retracting to a lacerating gutted swipe which rippled the air shattering every glass object around her and lifting the very air. Sparking purple electric current leaped painless seeping from object and person. Between the two halves, Sarephel, glowing azure in aether and aura. Fading bright in the smokey illuminate kitchen, her love stepping over the sliding upper half of the now retired war slave to calm the shaken chef. “I said I'd stop by the restaurant later, didn't I?” *explain more about her appearance, light and glowing. Shaking her head as disbelief held Aera back, she was pulled into her warrior's chest, digging herself in deeper. “You are the worst!” Shivering fiercely “One of the most romantic entrances,” Jittering stuttered, she retorted, crying. “And that's what you got to say?”

“That's how you know it's really me...”

“You c-c-cam... You did...”

“Of course, I'd tare this town down myself if you ever got hurt... Why didn't you hide?”

“Th-th-ther was no where t-to go.”

“Is it dead yet?” Frightened, frantic cries jotting out of the pantry. Kayli noting her safty. Her sister soon following

“Your right, Halana... not cool, REALLY not cool”

“I d-don't know how,” Aera staggering trembled steps, explaining, having to balance along her counters. “But, Halana managed to fit in the fridge.”

“I've been in worse.” Halana defended

“I couldn't find anywhere else to go except the cluttered cupboards and it was too late, the stove was turned on.”

“Shhh, shh.” Sarephel hushed, holding Aera back to her “It's alright. You just need to find a place for now, while I stand guard. I need to get back out there and fight these things now that I know you're safe.”

Aera nodded, throwing the entirety of her bottom cupboards out to climb into breaking the inner wall to find leg space between the baking pans. “Sarephel!” Becking her attention. “I love you.”

Sarephel nodded, walking back over the rubble, scooping the fiery liquid from her enemies decaying spill. “I love you too... And I'll paint it on ever wall with their blood, if this is blood --So every one of those mothers knows, their not welcome here.” Disappearing out the door by the wrecked patio roof. Blazing brightly for all, She continued her stride, a warning sign burning “Exile” In olden text.

“Sarephel, Sarephel!” Irritated ringing, calling her out, Garath tapped through.

“Yeah?”

“Surveillance is picking up activity below you.”

“On route.”

“There's a massive swarm converging on the thirty second floor by your locations, there's a lot of them. It's organized, looks like their running a second phase, the calamity might have been a diversion. Kaunzi is held up above, you need to drop on this asap.”

“Affirmative.”

“And... Be careful, it's messy down there.”

“Aww, you're worried about me.”

“Just get your ass moving.”

Crawling loosly, their numbers fell, most having already infesting the inner walls. Planted firmly, her blade mounted bridal ugly steed rushed her to the ground, off kiltering it's balance while it fell. She leaped her spring board, taking to the last unfortunate freak in her path, severing it's play time any further. Falling before her graceful roll landing few recovering steps, the true chaos had become very real. Broken arches and caved walls before broken pipe and wire alike. A serviced guard retired along a broken shell building. Flask bent bleeding the unmet ichor of his parched fading lips, staining the splintered ground instead, the cap still taught. Dark, unlit corridors and passages from the skinned walls and torn wire veins. The holomatrix inactive. Floor thirty two, now a decimated war zone failure, hopelessly abandoned desolate wasteland. “Sis, I'm on my way now...” Her sister informed as Sarephel's decent into the abyss folded her the blatant apprehension that held her firmly aware. Creaking tiles, and splattering metal pipes running water, movement somewhere carelessly rubbing jagged edges. Playing faintly, dimmed behind the distant walls the wretched beating of drumming battery. “Hold on, Sarephel, you take care of the baddies, I've got a development happening out here.”

“What's going on?” Slowly tapping back her responded. Her !*X coloured eyes ever fixated down the dark halls, gardening swaths of sight surveying her surroundings.

“I can't tell.” Kaunzi paused, gauging articulately. “The !* river name, river is boiling, or... It looks like something is rising out of it, kinda big by the looks of it.”

“Got it!” Sarephel replied, breaking pose. Rattles of noise clashing over the wire. Two more converging freaks making headway to show face. Breaking formation, her adversary approached full frontal, flailing furiously before her with shocking tipped stingers; only to loose it's fingers. Sarephel vanishing when it's walled defence flung back in flame, her stance ducking under the second's dog pile dive over both of them, slicing it's underbelly. Then slung off her armless opponent's blistering topside. The approaching howl of another paddling up the hall.

*Assume intermission

Plastering, broken jointless mass collided below, the carrier down to the depths. Hopping off her ride into the depth, her bloodied blade lighting the rocky cavity. Sparking wires exposed to the running pipes, ugly tinted maintenance level lights still somehow working as they flickered dark green. The hole lead down below off on the side, a gathered swarm to meet her at it's point, crawling in from it's orifice, somehow even more from atop where she emigrated. Shrapnel and debris flying from the impact, joining the party as they fell all around her. A small pool of mist gathering around the soles of her feet, purple wisping aura that gravitated the shambled room and dispersed quickly.

Her first move, slicing upward in a leaping lunge, vaulting it's on coming tendrils and severing them before it's discharge. Down it's center with a spun strike before retreating behind the blistering mass. Another following behind, loosing it's target who's movement launched her over the first victims back, and head first to her next jousting victory. Frontally assaulting through his brother, one solid cut down it's center top plowing the back line as Sarephel's course lead her to the encroaching circle. One lunged forward, only to be dodged, and cut as she side stepped towards another. The next falling pray to her agile dexterity, wrapping his side, returning herself to battle from the shield of the hulking mass as before. Her speed increasing with every step, their attacks becoming programmed into her muscles. Before it's hugging grasp, she already closed in face to face, both grabbing sides splattering aetherial fire. Process did not compute, slowly collapsing with a gushing gash horizontal below it's sensor. It's target abandoning him for another to weep internally silent. Bypassing her next, Sarephel tumbled over the last standing in her hell path, the denied combatant chasing through the fellied door guard. It's emotionless husk flooding out, Sarephel emerging from behind, the stooped haulk crashing into it's friend. Flanked from it's side. Both corpses sliding out from the road of shattered junk down the chamber which they came.

Lifting off the top plateau Sarephel descended a tall helix staircase of outreaching platforms that cascaded to the war ground below. Holograms of rippling art flashed dimly, the loud echos of turret fire and soldier falling back. Receiving the blunt of it's attack, holograms played cleaver distractions while the guard waited for their opportunity to sever their next assailant. Flack cannons stunning the hardly mortal machines, to get a hit in with something that counts. A glint of pride filling in her to see the progress that communications passed for the fresh of taught guard in order to fight these monsters. Engaging to assist, Sarephel halted a dangler from it's crawl to the call to arms above, lifting off to the lower levels falling six floors. Decimating the target with her quaking impact, it's topside gave way under her stable feet as she leaped back. It's corpse drifting down the stairs and falling out through a hole in along the railed pathway. Sarephel leading the battalion back into the fray of war, the guiding sight of her tails engulfed by light and the composure of a veteran without hesitation.

The swarm, sparse and distracted took notice, slowly converging towards her as though a compelling force gravitated them to her presence. Retracting confidently from her side, *!mirage* came to hand, initializing it's startup brightly and waving it enticingly. The oncoming came without thought, blindly rushing in numbers from every corner of the overwhelmed chamber. Dancing her red flag, grazing the death machines as they passed. The convergence pilling up, intensifying their hive mentality and conglomerated onto her as a whole. The mess of bogies narrowly scraping her as Sarephel began to struggle with whatever cuts she could get away with. Facing to take one out, another struck simultaneously, forcing Sarephel to disengage; taking refuge along the back side of a shrapnel feed sentry who's limbs pinned by piercing bars flopped weakly. The onslaught fell upon their crippled comrade, with one good cut into the first freak to climb aboard. The rest began to dog pile, Sarephel climbing the stack of squirming abominations, severing their limbs along the hasty ascension, pulling off while more fell in from the sky. Another came from behind, as she danced over top, carving her bowling ball into the scrambling pile. Only half escaping the burning wreck that piled and more charging her.

Sidestepping, she took the next that came, a tendril flying through her image. The first bleeding out, the second uncovering Sarephel's true form from behind. “Took you long enough to turn on...” Twin images flickered, *! mirage* finally operational. Two more routed in front to take her life, deceived and dispatched on a silver platter, a round of cheers coming from the sidelines. Abandoning her noble footing, she leaped above the confused sentry that she stood on, her cast image faded to the large mass that managed to clear his friend to reach her. Another illusion dissipating, Sarephel only slightly higher than her mirage, lobotomizing the confirmed brainless wreck. Impaling as she landed, crippling her footstool to it's burning grave in the completely engulfed field of putrefied blue flame that surrounded her on all sides.

Arms shaking, her grounded saunter towards the onslaught hallowed her mortal power. Still motivated by the fuel of adrenaline, their bore tactics droned on, each edging closer past her blade. The cuts digging more shallow, and their numbers once again rising above her. Mirage danced, hollow image sweat tear ripped off her face to another surprise attack. Her position compromised, one large electrified tendril tickled her nose overhead, barely rolling back to avoid it's collision. A paper cut slap to the wrist, leaving the sentry to stew over it's actions and Sarephel reoriented her surroundings. Breaking into her reserves, she caught her next catch soon knowing her brute force was waning her abled legs. Twisting her sword blade up along her side, she thrusted it into the unfortunate fool who came head on. Leaping for it's back, it's tendrils narrowly missing. The newly christened unicorn faltered, it's horn being yanked up taring the skin along it's meaty forehead. She stumbled, cutting clean the tendrils of a vengeful spirit that crawled upon the un-corned monster. In her attempts to flank, many more came onto her thwarting her back overhead the new pile of corpses and finishing her vengeful antagonist with the rest.

Her pedestal shook, the slop of whatever mess made them melting under the pressure and burning husks. Sarephel gazed out into the following, at least seven still here and dripping in less frequently. Her footing shifting to fall back, sword held to defend. One little surprise fallowing in from the side of her stack, cutting into the unknowing tree climber, then retreating in behind her. “So you decided to show up?” Calling to her comrade.

“You gave me the opportunity to rest, I am greatful, now it is time for me to return the favour. Sorry, fifth Tier guard Daradal Kenuith, it is an honour to fight by your side.”

“What's your count?”

“Three under yours, hard earned.”

“I offed near twenty before showing here.”

“Ay, you can use all the rest you can get then.”

“You think they'll fall for that trick again?” More piling near the sinking iceberg.

“I hope so.” Their number fanning wider. The sidelines catching sight of his next move. “But I'm thinking not.” With sight, the sentry slid in, forwarding the march behind the desperate squire. Picking up on Sarephel's bull fighting, Daradal abandoned the melting shield from the charging path to be robbed by a dropping strike by his higher up. Sarephel reconvening behind the shield, Daradal nicking back to back for the not long guests. Both sides encroached by peeping vanguards. Sarephel quick on her strike, felt the falling off of her partner who's only recent experience fighting the creatures head on left him befuddled in blocking defence

“Switch.” Sarephel rerouted, yanking him to the armless foe behind him. Sarephel darting to intercept and regain their shallow footing, blade first into her newly deemed meat barricade. To her surprise, Daradal had already made headway onto his second. Another crawling damnation reached the walls summit, crushing their mushy defence down into an raging inferno that engulfed the predator with the high ground, crashing their party promptly. Gathering some height on her new barrier, Sarephle leaped back, cornered by two uglies and landed along the burning blood covered assailant, cutting it in the process.

“Switch.” Daradal requested, a fresh hell rolling in the tide from beyond his second kill. Stabbing nicely from behind, the burning man began to burn himself. One more tendril horror crawling the burning mess. Sarephel, and Daradel flanking in from under the sides, catching the corpse hopper from behind. One very unfortunate victim rolling in with the tide, spilling out an blue ocean. The last freak making a final stand, charged from the rooms centre, and was given a viking funeral; burning in the ocean of warriors blood, no further accolade was given.

A roar of cheers erupted from the rally of supporting guard who rushed to the hero's aid. The leaky faucet seemed to have ran dry. Their brigade urging onward, Sarephel merging with them. Leaving the glorified residential recreation tunnel.

“Good work, that seems to be the bulk of them for now.” Her wire congratulated. “We've got a few minor cases just below you, see what you can do about them.” Garath slung dryly. “Oh, and Kaunzi is unreachable, the signals still there though. Most likely she's abandoned her comms to see what's in the lake.

Below her, Kaunzi came past their pickup, beyond the ransacked stalls and discarding her devices, plowing into the rippling tides. A solid mass irrupting from the surface, tainted dark hues dying the water like the birth of a baby whale or the blood lusting frenzy of killer fish. Erupting from the soiled surface, peeking it's flesh head, and elongated limp tendrils; Kaunzi's blood chilled, skimming the tides with great haste. An aching gut swarming panic urged her to it's waterlogged dissonance. It's form, distorted, evolved and harrowing laced anger. Resonating a strange, frightening atmosphere that enveloped her senses. The flesh of this beast stretched firm thick skin, that seemed weak and rested in anguish. Climbing aboard the massive log, it seemed almost docile, flopping only to it's surging agony. Her presence burning a deep frightened anger aside her steps as she walked closer to it's apex. An acrid taste of disgust overcame her senses, curdling the tears that fell off her without a whimper. Fire cultivated behind her eyes, churning ravished sympathy from howling sorrow stung heart. The bright haze by her side, a white festering light wavering in a trembling hand. The acrid taste biting down on her lips enough to tare the skin. The tears burning as they damned her cheeks. Her soaring angel withered above her, falling with her hands and her knees gave way. The sharp regret swirling throughout her silver tainted aura, spilling her guts from the release.

This was the first time that taking life ever touched her so strongly. To kill a child, born innocent in a dying devil's laughing husk of circumstance. Calming the gurgled cries, frantically hushing the beast to sleep and failing.

The hallway littered three more atrocities before broken wooden archways, Blades drawn, Sarephel stood strong. The overwhelming pressure falling over her. The sentries, they had crawled to a standstill. A blue haze rippled in through the open hall door at the end just beyond her adversary. Her adversary that stopped. She could almost feel it, feel them, feel herself. Everything stopped. In this brief moment she came to realize the pressure that had lifted. Time felt meaningless, her senses tranquil, not numb. Slowly, she began to walk towards the hallowed light flowing inwards. Past the sentries, past the broken arch. Her voice open and freely uttering softly refelctive. “Is this what you saw?” Her bewilderment shivering her tension into limp retained balance “What is this? I feel... Lighter.” Combing over, it was as though she heard the loud screaming inside her suddenly vanish. She had not realized that all this time, there was such a voice, whaling on her. It seemed so very gradual that she hadn't noticed how it effected her. The silent screams that she ignored, now a tranquil serene of peace. Whatever happened out there, Sarephel knew inside her that Kaunzi was responsible. The comm spoke deafly, unheard. Uttering it's astonishment. Every sentinel had stopped but Sarephel was oblivious. Confounded in the hazy blue mist that rolled in like wisps of smoke, she felt the subtle shift turn to her. Slowly reanimating, the abominations returned to life. Their direction unguided, converging to eliminate her. Her strength renewed briefly long enough to dispatch them from existence. Her comm returning their astonishment to the next development. Her peace coming to an end.

“The convergence is separating, their going rampid on everything.” Their misguided attacks, falling onto one final request. The day fell onto evening, the silence of the wolves came to a close.