Five Talons

Preface

In a universe where devotion and duty intersect, the elite Talon squad, comprised of the finest warriors from the Anuran Orders, embarks on a mission clouded with mystery and danger. Tasked with investigating the crash of an unknown vessel, the squad's unity is tested as they encounter treacherous terrains, cryptic warnings, and warriors seemingly lost to madness. Amidst the chaos, the heart of the story beats with the dilemmas of honor, faith, and betrayal. With the lush Anuran jungle as the backdrop, the squad's leader, Krieg, grapples with the weight of leadership and the challenges posed by their unique assignments. Meanwhile, Remus, a colossal warrior from the Order of Fury, showcases both might and vulnerability in the face of unforeseen adversaries. As the plot unravels, the mystical connection between the Priestess Amari and the deity Anura introduces layers of intrigue and spiritual conflict. However, as they inch closer to their objective, they encounter a revelation that shakes their very understanding of their world and their faith. A nefarious plot, spearheaded by an elusive figure, threatens not just the mission, but the very fabric of their beliefs. "Five Talons" is a tale of camaraderie, faith, and the battles — both internal and external — that define one's purpose. In a world where the line between friend and foe blurs, the Talon squad must rely on their unwavering bond and shared purpose to navigate the treacherous paths ahead. Join them on an epic journey that questions the nature of devotion, challenges the strength of unity, and tests the boundaries of sacrifice.

The Mission

Remus closed his eyes and listened to the dull roar of the HOP-R Dropship’s twin thrusters as it departed the city of Svarga and headed toward an unknown destination. He came to love the sound of those thrusters, because hearing them meant that he’d soon be dropped into battle, and as a warrior of the Order of Fury, there was no better place to be. He scanned the bay; the rest of Talon squad were dispersed into their own subsections of the squad’s personal transport. Joint Order Special Forces squads are composed of a member of each of the Anuran Orders: Devout, Fury, Shadow, Shaper, and above all, the Divine. Talon squad’s Shadow, Lathraía, sat cross legged in a dark corner of the main bay, she kept her cloak pulled over her bowed head as she meditated silently. The squad leader, Krieg, paced back and forth in front of the holo-table where mission briefings were usually held. He was a seasoned warrior of the Devout, and one of the few that Remus could say he respected. His concerned pacing, however, was certainly out of character. Remus approached him, setting down his massive plasma axe and placing a large green hand on the knight’s shoulder.

“What’s got your guts all twisted, boss?” he asked, expressing genuine concern, but the deep and booming voice of the gargantuan Fury often did not translate that well. Krieg turned and looked surprised for a moment, then responded.

“I do not like this,” he said, “Where are Ziton and Amari? Where is our briefing? I will not lead my squad unprepared into Anura-knows-what out there.”

Remus laughed, activating his Power Fist and hefting it into the air. The massive metal gauntlet that encased nearly his entire right arm began to hum as energy began to flow through it. He looked at it in reverence for a moment, flexing its fingers and feeling its power. “Don’t worry about it, it’s probably some Castellum scrappers that got a little too close to an installation. We’ll wipe the floor with ‘em and be back to Svarga in a quick hop. You’ll see.”

Krieg nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment, but before he could reply, the bay doors opened and Ziton stepped through. Shapers were a rare breed; they were an order comprised of hyper-intelligent and tactical minds that exceeded any other of their race. In a squad dynamic, however, this often made them appear secretive or pretentious when, in reality, they only spoke when their knowledge would be beneficial. Remus also liked to note that every shaper he’d ever met did not display any semblance of a sense of humor whatsoever.

“Where is the Priestess?” Krieg immediately asked. Ziton looked at him, showing no sign of emotion.

“She will be along shortly,” he said flatly. Krieg did not appear to like that answer as he immediately stepped past the Shaper and began to walk toward the bay doors. Ziton held a hand up to stop him, pressing it into Krieg’s chest, “She is conferring with Anura, it would not be wise to interrupt her.” Krieg stood for a moment with clenched fists. Remus smirked as he watched the scene unravel, secretly, he hoped the knight would strike Ziton but, regrettably, he did not.

“Devout’s and their precious honor,” Remus thought, “how incredibly boring.”

Despite his insistence that Krieg not pass, Ziton stepped aside and clasped his hands behind his back as if standing at attention. Unsure, Krieg inspected this sudden change of behavior curiously, then slowly took another step toward the door.

“Don’t bother,” Lathraía said from her shadowy enclave, “she is coming.”

“How would you know?” Remus asked, “You haven’t even opened your eyes to look.”

“Because unlike you, brute, my senses are sharper than my blade.”

Remus took offense to that, but before he had time to express it, sure enough, the bay doors opened once more and Amari, Priestess of the Divine, gracefully stepped through. She tapped the floor with the butt of her staff as she walked and her long robes fluttered behind her as if carried by an invisible force. Her face was nearly completely covered by her hood, it was a rare occasion for a Priestess of Anura to display her full visage openly, even in places that were considered private. She glanced at Krieg, who immediately bowed his head in reverence, and the rest of the squad followed suit.

The Priestess

“Be calm, Child of Anura,” she said. Her serene voice filled the room like a divine melody, she reached out and lifted Krieg’s chin with two fingers to meet her gaze, “I will provide you the answers you seek, brave knight, nor I or Anura would place your squad at unnecessary risk.” She clasped his cheek like a mother would a child and he felt himself lean into it. She smiled, retracting her hand and moving to the holo-table.

“Ziton, show them.”

“As you wish, your grace.” Stepping up to the holo-table, he activated it with a few taps on its touchpad. He then held his hand out to the side and a few moments later, his drone appeared in the room. The spherical machine buzzed through the air and landed gently into his palm; he tapped its large blue lens a few times and then inserted the drone into a round dataport mounted onto the side of the table. This port was of Ziton’s own design and allowed him to share vital intelligence much more effectively than a standard briefing. The table’s main display whirred to life and produced a holographic of what appeared to be a typical Anuran Jungle landscape.

“This is our destination,” Ziton said, “It is an uninhabited section of forest just outside Castellum.”

Remus jabbed Krieg with an elbow, “Told you.”

“Doesn’t look like anything out of the ordinary,” Lathraía said, stepping out of the shadows and into the dim blue light of the table’s projection.

Ziton nodded, “That is correct, this visual was taken last night,” he tapped a few buttons and the holographic transformed into a near completely different image. The image switched to a real time satellite feed of the same scene, but the landscape had drastically changed. A large object now sat in the center of the display, bright orange sections of the hologram indicated that portions of it were on fire.

“This visual was taken this morning,” Ziton continued.

“What in Anura’s name is that?” Remus asked, leaning further into the table, “How did that wreckage just appear overnight?”

It is hard to discern with all of the damage,” Krieg said, “but this ‘wreckage’ appears to have a set of wings and thrusters.”

“So, Castellum folk tried their hand at what? Space travel? Come on now…” Remus scoffed.

“No,” Lathraía interjected, “The architecture is all wrong, Castellum designs have far harsher angles than this.”

“And the trajectory,” Krieg added, “the drag lines are northwest to southeast, this vessel did not come from Castellum.” Krieg looked to Amari who subsequently turned to Ziton and nodded once more, indicating he may continue.

“According to our data,” he said, “this craft did not come from any Anuran city.”

“It didn’t come from Anura at all…” Lathraía muttered under her breath, evidently loud enough for the others to hear because Ziton nodded.

“That is the current indication.”

Special Measures

The team discussed the precautions and special measures that would need to be taken to investigate the potentially extra planetary crash site safely and effectively. If this object was truly not from Anura, there’s no telling if whoever is onboard would be hostile, friendly, or even Anuran. Or at this point, even alive at all. Ziton emphasized the need for the squad to wear their respirators and make every effort to not physically interact with any unknown objects inside the ship. Since the vessel potentially came from another planet, it was probable that it contained foreign bacteria or pathogens not native to Anura. There was no telling how this bacterium would react to its new environment or how it would behave when introduced to a new species entirely, safety would be paramount here.

Satisfied with the briefing and precautions put in place, Krieg felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders. The only thing that meant more than honor and virtue to him was his squad’s wellbeing. While Amari, as priestess, held dominion over them all, the battlefield was his domain and the one thing he could control. The entirety of the squad, surprisingly including Remus, sat quiet for the remainder of the flight. Krieg suspected they were still digesting the significance of this mission as a potential first contact scenario. Despite his apprehension, Krieg had no doubt the squad would perform admirably, even in these ambiguous circumstances.

The red lights on the ceiling of the bay energized and began to strobe rapidly, indicating Talon Squad had reached its designated drop zone. The team immediately stood and pulled themselves into their individual drop pods and strapped in. As always, Remus had a diabolical grin on his face and as was his tradition, produced a large cigar from one of his utility pouches. He lit it with the thermal exhaust of his power fist and gave a hearty salute to Krieg across the bay.

Then, the pods dropped from the HOP-R and fell into a free fall, plunging through the air like steel rain. Moments later, the pods penetrated the thick jungle canopy and violently embedded themselves into the ground. With a hiss and a pop, the pod doors jettisoned themselves outward, detaching from the main chassis. One by one, Talon Squad emerged from their pods.

“WOOO, that never gets old,” Remus yelled, cigar in mouth.

Lathraía rolled her eyes, “I’d enjoy it much more if I didn’t have to listen to you howling over the comm the entire way down.”

Ziton emerged beside her and leaned in, conspiratorially, “I have installed a mute function in our comm system subroutines for this purpose, you will find it in the directory labeled ‘Remus’.”

“Why are you just NOW telling me this?!”

Ziton did not answer, but rather moved to assist Amari in the disembarking of her pod. Upon doing so, the squad members retrieved and equipped their loadouts from the drop pod’s storage compartments and gathered around Krieg, who projected a miniature holomap above his gauntlet. The map was marked with their position relative to the unknown vessel; they'd landed half a click away to not only leave the site undisturbed, but to allow the squad to approach quietly and on their own terms. Krieg plotted the most effective route to the site, and the team immediately set out toward their destination.

Krieg cut through the thick brush with his plasma blade as he led the way to their destination. The sun did its best to weave its light through the many leaves and branches, creating heavenly beams that illuminated patches of fauna and small pools of water beneath the dense rainforest canopy

“Can’t see a damn thing down ‘ere,” Remus said, swatting insects away from his face.

“Everything is clear as day to me,” Lathraía said from her position in the trees, she leapt from branch to branch, keeping an overwatch position above her squad, “I’m half convinced that Anura didn’t put you together correctly.”

“Pfft, at least I face my enemy when I fight them,” Remus replied, “Coward’s work in the shadows.”

“I recall this coward saving your tympanum on many occasions, and I for one am glad you face your enemies. The extra bit of disgust they exhibit makes them that much easier to kill.”

“Are you two quite done?” Krieg interjected, “let’s keep our heads on task.”

The silent traversal through the jungle only lasted a few more minutes before the comms crackled open again, it was Lathraía.

“Boss, I see some kind of wreckage to our east.”

“More pieces of the vessel?” Krieg asked.

“No, at least I don’t think so. This looks like one of ours.”

“How far?”

“I’d say about a quarter click.”

Krieg held up a fist, signaling the squad to halt. Remus always stayed immediately on his flank but Ziton typically lagged further behind with the Priestess. This is why Krieg preferred to operate with his fighters alone, while the Shaper and Priestess were useful, they often slowed the party down.

“Why have we stopped?” Ziton asked as he helped Amari over a fallen tree.

“Lathraía has spotted what she thinks is Anuran wreckage to our east,” Krieg said, “We should investigate and assist any survivors.”

Ziton looked to Amari with concern in his eyes, and then immediately back to Krieg, “She is probably mistaken, it is likely a fragment of the unknown vessel.”

“Lathraía is never mistaken, Ziton. We move east to assist.”

“No,” Ziton said firmly, “Anura demands we stay on task and investigate the wreckage.”

“My honor demands we assist our fellow Anurans,” Krieg said. Ziton looked to Amari again, hoping for some sort of backup on the issue. The combination of her cloak and the darkness of the forest made it impossible to see any emotion she may have been displaying. She spoke, slowly.

“I do not agree with this course of action, but I will not fracture our unit during this mission of great importance. We will investigate and assist as Krieg requests, but we can ill afford to dally. If triage is required, we must do it quickly.”

Krieg nodded, “thank you, blessed one.”

He signaled the team to move east toward the Anuran wreckage despite the muffled arguments Ziton was making to the priestess. In an effort to compromise, Krieg had the team move quickly but quietly. Which was a difficult feat, given the hulking figure that was Remus, but to his surprise he moved stealthy enough. Ziton and Amari would simply have to catch up, after all, they were the ones that suggested haste. In a matter of minutes, the squad had made its way to the site Lathraía had spotted. Krieg stepped through the brush and was shocked at what he found.

Crash Site

“Drop pods,” he said under his breath. What were those doing here? Lathraía dropped from the trees and Remus emerged beside Krieg, he spat out his now spent cigar.

“What in Anura's name…”

“Five pods,” Lathraía said, “standard squad formation.”

The three moved in to investigate the site, four pods had landed as they should have, but the fifth pod seemed to have malfunctioned and crashed at an angle that did not bode well for its occupant. Its door had been cut open by a plasma weapon, but inside, an Anuran lay dead. Their Shaper had died on impact.

“Where have they gone?” Lathraía asked.

“More importantly, why are they even here?” Remus added.

“I do not know,” Krieg said, turning back to see Ziton and Amari emerging from the brush, “But I suspect someone here does.”

Remus was fuming as the two approached the trio, he could not see the priestesses face, but Ziton did not look surprised at this discovery whatsoever. That’s when the name ‘Fury’ came into play. Remus’ power fist whirred as he opened his hand and grabbed Ziton, shoving him against the outer hull of one of the drop pods. Remus’ hand was so large in comparison to a typical Anuran, that he could nearly wrap his fingers around Ziton’s entire torso. The Shaper writhed in his newfound vice, but with his arms pinned to his sides by the massive brutes’ gauntleted hand, he soon relented.

“What the hell is this?” Remus yelled, “I’ve had about enough of your secrets.”

Ziton struggled to speak with the great pressure being applied to his chest, but eventually, he managed to speak.

“I. Do. Not…Know”, he wheezed.

“Try again,” Remus said, pulling him from the drop pod hull and slamming him back into it.

“Remus, enough,” Krieg said, “this is not the way-”

Remus didn’t listen, in his rage he may not have even heard Krieg speak. Instead, he drew his face close to Ziton’s. “Do you know what they’d say back at the academy? The only way to get what you seek from a Shaper is to squeeze him until he pops, then the information just…falls out.”

Ziton grunted, “I don’t think that’d actually work–”

Remus moved to interrupt him but felt a small, warm hand touch his shoulder. He felt his rage slip away, as if pulled from him in an instant. He shook his head to clear the odd sensation.

“Release him, child,” Amari said, calm and serene. Remus looked to her, and back to Ziton. Sighing heavily as he released the Shaper and took a step back.

“I, I am sorry,” he said, “I do not know what came over me,”

The sunlight hit the bottom of Amari’s half shrouded face and he caught a glimpse of a patient smile, “Anura has blessed you with a wonderful gift, Remus. That is why she placed me here, to guide you on how and when to use it.

Ziton dusted himself off and stretched his limbs before Krieg led him to the failed drop pod, he then gestured to him to look inside. Upon doing so, the Shaper’s indifferent visage fell away and was immediately replaced with an anvil of grief.

“No,” he said, under his breath, “this cannot be.”

“Do you know this frog?” Krieg asked

Ziton nodded, “I do, his name is…was…Bremm. We grew up together in Svarga. I remember the day we both got accepted to the Shaper Academy. It was…an exciting moment.”Krieg put a gentle hand on his shoulder, “I am truly sorry for your loss, brother. He is with Anura now, but we are not. We need to know what he and his squad were doing out here.”

Ziton absently wiped a tear from his eye, this was the most emotion the team had ever seen out of him. He looked to Amari, who had taken a seat upon a rock with her head bowed in respect for the dead. She looked up to him and nodded.

“Their purpose was the same as ours. At least we think. Command was not particularly forthcoming on the matter.”

“Where are they now?” Lathraía asked.

Ziton shook his head, “Command doesn’t know, they lost contact just after entry, their last transmission was unsettling.”

“So an entire squad goes missing and the course of action is to send another and not say a damn thing?” Lathraía said, punching the side of the pod and walking away.

“These were the orders given,” Ziton said, “I could have chosen to tell you anyway, and perhaps I should have. I should have placed my squad above my duty, for that I am sorry.”

“Well, drape me in robes and call me a priestess, the big brained wonder has a heart,” Remus laughed.

“Uh, guys?” Lathraía said over the comms, in her frustration she’d retreated to her refuge among the trees, “One of them is coming back, looks like a Fury.”

Ziton looked to Krieg, “A survivor is highly improbable.”

“Why? What else do you know?”

“Their last transmission, it was…Unsettling.”

The Fallen

The unknown soldier approached Talon Squad’s position ever so slowly. His white and gold armor gleamed as it passed through the occasional beams of sunlight. Ziton noted that his color scheme matched that of the fallen shaper in the drop pod, indicating that this Anuran was also a member of the missing team, designated as Ivory Squad. Even at this distance, it was easy to tell something was amiss. Warriors of the Order of Fury were proud creatures. They stood tall at all times, even in defeat, this was especially important to their order’s doctrine as they revel in proving they are worthy of Anura’s divine blessings. This Fury, however, slumped as he walked, moving his colossal body lazily and often stumbling. He drug two active plasma axes beside him, causing the ground to hiss and singe as the weapons scraped its foliated surface.

“What’s wrong with him?” Lathraía asked from her perch.

“I do not know,” Remus said, taking a step forward, “But I intend to find out.” It pained him to see a member of his order behaving in this fashion, severe injury could be the only explanation. Krieg and Ziton immediately protested that Remus wait for a full SitRep before proceeding, but he would not have it. His comrade needed aid, and he’d be there to give it to him. As Remus approached, the warrior didn’t seem to react to his presence at all. In fact, if Remus hadn’t stepped aside, the frog would’ve walked right through him. He placed a massive, gauntleted hand on the Fury’s shoulder, hoping to shake him from whatever trance he was in.

“Brother, we are here. We can help you,” he said. Feeling the weight on his shoulder, the warrior paused. Remus took the opportunity to step back in front of him and talk face to face. The warrior just looked at him, eyes bloodshot and non-responsive.

“What is wrong?” Remus tried again, “Where is the rest of your squad?”

The Fury slowly raised his head to meet Remus’ gaze, but the words that escaped his mouth were nothing more than a pained mumble. “K… el…May.”

“I cannot understand you, brother,” Remus replied, “Please, sit down.” He attempted to apply pressure to the frog’s shoulder to guide him to the ground, but this did not have the desired effect. Remus noted his veins seemed darker and more prominent than they should’ve been, and as the Fury became enraged by the pressure to his shoulder, they began to bulge furiously. The laziness of his movements fell away in an instance, replaced by calculated and ferocious attacks with his axes. Remus backstepped quickly, dodging the first swing just before it slashed his throat, he then raised his own axe and parried the behemoth’s off hand cleaver.

“Brother, we are on the same side. I am here to help you, please allow me-“ Remus was cut off by another volley of attacks, he repeatedly parried, as the Ivory soldier’s attacks grew more sporadic as the fight continued. The lack of technique made them difficult to predict and more than a few blows left searing scorches on Remus’ armor. Remus sidestepped and retreated as often as he could, making an effort to not harm the enraged warrior, but rather find an opening to subdue him. Moments later, that opening finally came. The warrior swung his chopper downward viciously and Remus used this opportunity to hook the weapon's blade with his, using the leverage to forcefully disarm his opponent’s main hand weapon. The other axe, however, was now on its way toward Remus’ head at a blazing speed. With a little skill and a whole lot of luck, Remus was able to narrowly deflect the attack with his power fist. This staggered the Ivory warrior and allowed Remus to strike him in the chest with his powerful gauntlet, sending him barreling into a nearby tree. Leaves and splinters flew as the brute forcefully collided with the trunk, and before he could recover, Remus was upon him again. He seized the warrior's wrist with his gauntlet and squeezed until the remaining axe fell from his hand. He let out an exasperated breath, he’d won. Now, he’d just have to hold him here until the others arrived to assist.

Taking a quick glance back, he noted they were closing the distance and were about fifty yards away. Which is why it took him by complete surprise when the blade of a shadow seared its way through his right shoulder. Remus howled and released his grip on the Fury, instead attempting to rip the attacker from his back, but before he could do so, the now-free Fury struck him hard across the face. Remus fell to the ground, which jarred the blade still stuck through his shoulder, sending bursts of pain throughout his entire body. Two Ivory squad members now stood over him, spittle dripping from their lips and the Shadow’s eyes mirrored the Fury’s gaze of insanity. Remus spat blood, “What in the name of the Leviathan is wrong with you?”

The two absently looked at him, as if unable to comprehend his speech. The Fury stepped onto Remus’ chest with one foot, holding him in place while the Shadow raised her second blade for the killing blow. The weapon began its descent and Remus, unable to move, closed his eyes in preparation to meet Anura. But at that moment, he felt Amari’s divine blessing surge through his veins. The pain in his shoulder faded and something far more powerful than adrenaline coursed through his body. His eyes snapped open, bursting with newfound purpose. The Shadow’s blade had nearly finished its arc, but something interrupted it. A small metallic orb flew at an incredible speed and struck the blade head on, it exploded and staggered the Shadow backward.

Ziton’s drone lay shattered beside Remus as Krieg smashed into the Shadow with the flat of his shield, forcing her to the ground. Krieg then deflected a series of bare-knuckled blows from the opposing Fury while scoring multiple shallow cuts on the giant’s leg with his blade. Eventually, the Fury relented and resorted to grabbing Krieg by his shield (which was strapped to his arm) and tossed him a clear twenty yards into the jungle. Lathraía revealed herself, dropping onto the Fury’s back and wrapped her arms around his neck in an attempt to choke him unconscious. Remus knew this wouldn’t work, the Fury simply reached back, grabbed her by the head and threw her forcefully to the ground. Remus heard the air leave her lungs, she laid there for a moment unable to recover as the Fury raised a heavy foot to deliver a fatal stomp.

That was the moment Remus felt an anguished moment of clarity. Whatever had happened to these Anuran’s, there was no saving them. The rage coursing through their veins could not be sated and it was clear they were no longer in control, if he didn’t do something his squad would perish. Feeling the divine blessing coursing within him, Remus climbed to his feet. He had no idea where his axe had gone and his power fist seemed to have been damaged, it was nothing more than a burdensome gauntlet now. He unstrapped it from his arm and let it fall to the ground with a metallic thud before beginning his sprint toward the Fury who aimed to kill Lathraía.

Remus leapt through the air and let out an enraged cry, causing the hulking Ivory Fury to hesitate and step back into a defensive posture, preparing for hand-to-hand combat. Remus, however, had no intention of fighting unarmed. He wrapped his fingers around the blade that still protruded from his shoulder and pulled it clean through his body, and on his descent, embedded it directly into the enemy Fury’s head. Remus’s weight brought his opponent’s body to the ground and for a moment, those bloodshot and crazed eyes looked relieved.

“Th..an…k…y..oo”, he slurred, before the light faded from his eyes and his body went limp. Despite the thrill of victory and the rage flowing through his veins, Remus still felt somber as he looked upon the corpse of his fallen comrade. However, the sound of plasma on plasma brought his head back into the fight as Lathraía had regained her footing and entered into combat with the Ivory Shadow. She fought elegantly, dancing between strikes and parrying others as if it were an interpretive dance of death. It was a shame she lurked in the shadows, Remus thought, she’d make an excellent front line duelist. As the fight went on, it had become apparent that she too, had come to the same conclusion as Remus; taking action, Lathraía deflected her opponents final blow and spun round in one fluid motion, rotating her blade into reverse grip and piercing it through the side of her foe with the characteristic precision of an ordained blademaster. The Shadow looked down at the blade now protruding through her ribcage, Remus observed that same relief wash over her face as Lathraía pulled the blade free and allowed the Ivory Shadow to fall lifelessly to the ground.

Serum

To his dismay, Krieg found the lifeless body of the Ivory squads’ Devout upon his forceful landing, it was apparent from the extensive damage to his cybernetic armor that he'd seen heavy battle before submitting to Anura's final embrace. It did not appear that he was infected by whatever madness had struck Ivory, but his wounds made it clear that the knight had been slain by his own squad members. The idea of that pained Krieg to his core as he looked over his own squad. Amari was tending to Remus’ many injuries, he groaned as her rejuvenation orb did its work, stitching tendons and muscle back together before finally sealing the wounds. Ziton and Lathraía knelt beside the fallen Ivory squad members, trying to make sense of what had happened to these highly decorated warriors.

“Have you found anything?” Krieg asked, kneeling beside Ziton, “Do you think the ship had anything to do with this?”

“I cannot say for certain,” Ziton said, “without my drone I cannot analyze the squad members blood samples but with these visual indicators, I’d say I have a viable theory.”

“I’m listening,” Krieg replied. Ziton nodded and moved beside the Devout

“See here,” Ziton said, pointing to abnormal facial features of the fallen, listing them one by one with the clinical detail of an expert pathologist: “subconjunctival hemorrhaging, vein distention, glossitis. While exaggerated, these are all distinct symptoms of exposure to-“

“BZ-RK,” Krieg interrupted.

“Precisely. Although, for it to get this severe the exposure levels would have to be immense.”

Lathraía listened to Ziton’s explanation, but did not interject, instead, she took the time to close the Ivory Shadow’s eyes after Ziton had moved on from his initial examination. It seemed like a lifetime ago that she’d been on assignments involving BZ-RK, and she’d hoped to never see it again. The substance itself was a failed attempt at replicating an Anuran Priestesses battle blessing through science, the project was driven by a renegade group of heretics that sought to stoke the flames of rebellion amongst malcontent frogs. Members of the cult-like organization renounced their faith in Anura and instead, placed it in the misguided teaching of their enigmatic founder known only as “The Seraph.” BZ-RK was meant to level the playing field as the tides of their battles with Anuran forces were often decisively turned by the strength of the blessed Fury’s. The rebellion itself was thought to have failed generations ago with the disappearance of The Seraph. Any remnants of BZ-RK should have long decayed due to its short half-life.

“But why?” Krieg continued, “Why BZ-RK and why here?”

“There are several viable possibilities,” Ziton continued, “However, the one with the most merit is that this jungle contains an old rebel facility that is still capable of producing the serum. Their exposure to it is another variable entirely, one that I am still processing.”

Krieg nodded, “There are a lot of variables here, too many unknown. We’ll signal the HOP-R and bring this information back to the council. They can decide how best to proceed.”

“No,” Lathraía said sternly, “We have to finish this.”

“Lathraía,” Krieg said, “I know your history with BZ-RK, but we can’t-“

“Damn my history, look around you. Look at what they’ve done,” she gestured to their fallen comrades, “I won’t run just so some other squad can fall into the same trap, or worse, they unleash this on Anuran cities. Remus, back me up, what was that old saying of yours?”

Remus looked over at her from his seat by the tree and grinned, “The only way you can trust that your enemy is dead, is if you squeeze the life out of ‘em yourself.”

“Duly noted,” Krieg said, looking to Ziton, “And what do you think?”

Ziton looked thoughtful for a long moment before opening his mouth to speak, however, Amari spoke first.

“Should you choose to continue, know that you would do so without Remus. While my healing coaxes the body to renew itself, the strength to do so comes from within. He will be too weak to travel for hours.”

“Bah, that’s nonsense,” Remus said, attempting to stand, “Oh, oh no…she’s right.” He slumped back down and slammed the back of his head onto the tree in frustration. “Damn it.”

“If you wish for me to accompany you further,” Amari continued, “we will need to load Remus onto the HOP-R. We cannot risk leaving him here, defenseless and exposed.”

“Agreed,” Krieg said, “But before we make the final call, Ziton, I’d hear what you have to say.”

Lathraía exchanged a knowing glance with Krieg after the question had left his lips, Ziton’s internal calculations would no doubt lead him to the conclusion that the mission could not go on. The frog operated strictly on rationality and facts. However, to their surprise, his deliberation took much longer than either of them expected. The supercomputer that was Ziton’s brain often produced predictable output, his calls lacked the emotional or empathetic aspects of decisions that would otherwise be made by members of the other Orders. While a Shaper’s opinions were almost never the popular ones, they were usually the correct ones. The Shaper’s were the brightest of all Anurans, and the Orders knew it was wise to heed their advice.

“I have come to a conclusion, should you still wish to hear it,” he said.

“Out with it,” Krieg replied.

“Very well. I do not believe it wise to add mission parameters while the team is now fractured and nowhere near its original strength.”

Lathraía audibly scoffed and turned to leave, she knew this is how it’d go and quite frankly, she didn’t want to hear it.

“Please,” Ziton said, “allow me to finish.”

Lathraía looked to Krieg, who nodded in agreement and despite her annoyance, she stayed.

“As I was saying,” Ziton continued, “I do not believe it is wise. But this team has taught me that what is wise, is not always right. The facts at this time suggest we have an unknown spacecraft, a missing priestess, and a forgotten bioweapons lab in this very jungle. Should we take the time to retreat and recoup, it is very likely we lose all three of these things for good. With that in mind, my vote is to proceed with the mission. With utmost care, of course.”

Lathraía was so shocked she thought she might faint. Krieg simply smiled.

“Well then, looks like we’re pressing on,” he said as he activated his wrist comms, “HOP-R, this is Talon-1. I am sending you our coordinates now, we are in need of a medical extraction.”

The HOP-R pilot confirmed and moments later the massive personnel carrier appeared above them. After finding a suitable opening in the jungles’ canopy, it landed and opened its bay doors as the force of the thrusters sent dust and debris flying in all directions. Talon squad worked as a team and hefted Remus into the ship. They laid him on his bunk and the massive bruiser seemed to immediately fall out of consciousness. But as the team turned to leave, they heard his voice again. Weak, but distinct.

“For Ivory,” Remus said, raising a shaky fist to the sky. Talon squad turned back to him and echoed the sentiment all together.

“For Ivory.”

Priestess of Fire

The team looked on wordlessly as the HOP-R ascended back into the sky and disappeared over the trees once more. Because Remus was not in mortal danger, he would be plugged into the ship’s med unit and the transport would remain nearby for potential air support or if the need for an immediate extraction arose. Reinvigorated and more determined than ever, the Talon’s pressed on toward the operation’s original objective. Sunset was fast approaching, and the team would need to make haste before what little light they had disappeared under the horizon. The squad moved as efficiently as possible, even Amari worked to keep pace as the team sought to make up for the valuable time they’d lost.

As they closed in on the target area the trees grew less dense and scattered bits of debris were strewed across portions of the grass covered ground. The small, metallic objects left scorched black trails where they’d impacted and created small fires. The squad's pace slowed to a halt as Amari’s voice broke the everlong silence, asking them to pause for a moment.

“What is it?” Krieg replied, “Do you need a moment to rest?”

“No. It is not that. It’s…” she trailed off and leaned onto her staff, concentrating intently, “Anura is trying to communicate something, it feels like a warning but…no it is a plea.”

“What does it mean?” Ziton asked, “How can it be both?”

She took a long moment to respond, “I do not know,” she said, “Anura’s guidance is normally clear. This is different, it feels as if her guidance is being suppressed.”

This concerned Krieg, he’d never seen Amari unsure about her communes with Anura and he’d certainly never heard of anything that could suppress the word of their Goddess. The events of this mission only grew more peculiar as they neared their destination and he began to wonder if perhaps they all should have boarded that HOP-R and left the cleanup on this one to high command. However, before he could make that distinction, Lathraía emerged from seemingly nowhere. Krieg did find it mildly amusing how casually Shadows were able to dance on the periphery, shrouding themselves from plain view until they wished themselves to be noticed.

“Someone is approaching,” Lathraía said. A short distance away, a robed figure strode towards them, its graceful movement bellied an air of confidence and authority indicative of The Divine. The garment was unmistakable, elegant robes draped down the figure's body, accented in the same white and gold scheme of the squad they’d come to know as Ivory. The priestess pulled back her hood as she stepped into the light, revealing her youthful, but weary face. They’d found her, Anura be praised, they’d found her.

“It is a great relief to have found you safe,” Krieg said, bowing before the Priestess, “Are you injured?”

Her orange eyes met his for a painstakingly long moment, after a while, he felt himself shift uncomfortably as he began to wonder if he’d somehow offended her. But Amari appeared beside her and put a soft hand on her fellow priestesses shoulder.

“Sister, it is ok. You are safe now. We are here to help.”

It was shocking to find that the first thing to emerge from The Ivory Priestesses mouth was an amused laugh, but that’s what happened nonetheless. “You cannot help me,” she said, “surely you can feel it too, sister. Anura has abandoned us, her word is but a whisper in the wind now. And my squad, all dead. This mission was doomed from the start.”

Empathy was new to Ziton, but despite that, he still felt the urge to point out that up until recently, her squad was not dead. At least not all of them. The Fury and Shadow were still very much alive, and had they been treated by a Priestess’ orb immediately, they may have actually had a chance at recovery.

“Yes, the BZ-RK,” Ziton said, “That must have been very hard to witness. I’m sorry.”

The priestess nodded.

“Although,” Ziton continued, “we are still piecing together how they came into contact with such a concentrated dose. Do you have any light to shed on that?”

She looked at him as if he’d asked the most ridiculous question she’d ever heard and followed with, “Tell me, what is your objective here?”

“To investigate and report on an unknown vessel that appears to have crashed here in the jungle.” Krieg replied.

The priestess laughed again, much louder this time as it could be heard echoing through the trees above, “Oh, you poor fools. Allow me to show you the real reason that you are here.”

The Priestess, who identified herself as Fiera, led the team to a nearby outcropping of mountainous terrain that overlooked a large valley. Within that valley, a massive, albeit severely damaged, ship could be spotted. Plumes of smoke rose from its breached hull and sparks from active drone welding teams could be seen rapidly stitching the damaged vessel back together. By Ziton’s calculations, the ship was nearly ready for flight again and despite the fact that it had landed under unforeseen circumstances , it seemed to be exactly where it intended to be. Several figures rushed in and out of a nearby facility that was hidden beneath the trees, but they were still too far to see what exactly they were up to.

“They’re repairing the ship,” Ziton noted, and more importantly, “They’re Anuran.”

“Of course they’re Anuran,” Fiera said, “What were you expecting?”

“Space primates, reptilians, the little gray men Remus swears abducted him?” Lathraía said half mockingly, kicking a rock over the ledge in disappointment.

Fiera shook her head, “Our objective was to infiltrate that facility, the ship didn’t appear until we were already en route.”

“Your objective was to infiltrate the lab?” Ziton asked.

“Yes, command wanted to know what it was being used for, and by whom. The ship complicated things, but Bremm, Anura rest his soul, was able to hack into its systems and overload the engines. If it weren’t for him, the mission would’ve been over before it started.”

Ziton smiled, Bremm was always good at that sort of thing. His brilliant mind could turn the tides of any battle through cunning and ingenuity alone. Ziton’s smile only faded with the grim reminder that not only did he lose his childhood friend today, but his Order lost one of its most talented Shapers.

“Bremm was among the best of us,” Ziton said, “this mission has been shrouded in mystery and misdirection since it began. I endeavor to find why command made no mention of this lab to us, or the potential dangers inside.”

Fiera smiled, “They didn’t? How very peculiar. It is of no matter now. You have come this far, Talon squad. What say you to finishing what Ivory could not?”

Lathraía drew her blades and ignited them in response; if they were manufacturing BZ-RK at a clandestine lab, she’d want, no, she would be at the tip of the spear. Krieg had several choice words he’d like to relay to command at the moment, but unfortunately those would have to wait. If whoever was manufacturing the BZ-RK had access to this level of technology and a facility of this caliber, all Anurans were truly in danger. It was his sworn duty as a Knight of The Devout to protect his people and take action immediately.

“We will do it,” he said.

“Excellent ,” Fiera said, “Amari and I shall remain here and provide ranged support , I do not believe we’d be of any use to you in a bloody melee.”

Krieg nodded his agreement and despite Ziton’s apprehension to leave Amari, he led his fighters down the rocky slope toward the ship and the lab it had mysteriously come to berth with. Stealth would be important, as the now three Talons would be massively outnumbered by their enemy. With Lathraía’s determination to destroy BZ-RK and her expertise in the art of espionage, Krieg allowed her to formulate the plan to infiltrate and destroy the lab from within. Seeing as Remus and his infamous demolition expertise were safely aboard the HOP-R, their best bet would be to overload the lab's energy source. Defenses appeared to be light. The enemy soldiers clad in unidentified black and silver uniforms seemed to be more focused on hastily loading containers onto the ship rather than maintaining sentry positions.

“Looks like they’re clearing out,” Lathraía said.

“Of course,” Ziton added, “With Ivory’s attack, they now know that JOSF is aware of this site’s existence. They will pack up and set up shop elsewhere, or worse, move up their timetable and release what they have onto the cities of Anura.”

“If we lose them, the consequences could be more dire than any of us could imagine. Exactly why we must stop them here and now, no matter the cost” said Krieg.

Ziton nodded, “Precisely, might I suggest-” he cut off, hearing a familiar buzz in the air. Instinctively, he looked to his belt and immediately felt silly in doing so. His drone was destroyed, it would not be hanging there and it certainly would not be flying in its current state, but the sound was unmistakable. He searched the trees above them, and sure enough, a Shaper’s drone descended from one of them. Lathraía drew her blades and prepared to slash it from the air, but Ziton implored her to stop. He recognized this drone, in fact, he’d helped build it. The drone slowly descended, its intricate wings twisted and turned around its spherical center before arranging themselves flat and landing gently into Ziton’s hand.

“What is this?” Krieg immediately asked.

“It is…Bremm’s,” Ziton replied, poking and prodding at its display.

“How exactly does a dead Shaper’s drone appear here, Ziton?” Lathraía asked, still suspicious of the device and the timing of its arrival. Ziton kept fiddling with it, until finally, he seemed to have an answer.

“It was programmed to find…me,” he said.

“Why?” Krieg asked.

“I suspect we are about to find out,” Ziton replied, before tapping the drone’s display again, causing the hologram of an Anuran to appear in his hand. It was the Shaper, Bremm.

“Hello, old friend,” the hologram said, “I am sorry to have drug you out into this forest from the comforts of your library, but I had to be sure that the team that arrived after us was trustworthy. So I made a few adjustments to the deployment recommendations. I know you hate the cliche, but unfortunately, if you are seeing this, it means that she has forsaken Anura and betrayed us all.”

Absolution

Amari stood, leaning on her staff as she watched her Talon’s disappear into the treeline below. However outnumbered they may be, she did not worry for them. She was quite proud of the team she’d assembled all those years ago. Time and time again they displayed their aptitude and ability for all of Anura to see. She had little doubt that this mission would be any different. At the moment, her worries lied elsewhere. Anura’s warnings danced in her mind like a song barely audible in a distant room. If only she could get closer to that room. But before she could try, she sensed Fiera approaching.

“Tell me,” Amari said, “why is it that you believe Anura has abandoned us?”

“Because she has, dear sister,” the woman responded, “If she has not, then how could Khyber possess such power? Real power. Righteous power.”

“Khyber?”

“He has shown us the truth, The Divine monopolize power against the true will of Anura.”

“You are a priestess of this, Khyber, then?” Amari said, “I’ve heard whispers of a false prophet, but thought these to be only rumors until today; I could tell from the moment you emerged from the jungle that you were no longer a priestess of Anura.”

Fiera laughed, “So you sensed my enlightenment? Oh sister, if only the council were as astute as you. Tell me then, if you knew what I was, why have you allowed your team to walk into my trap and leave you defenseless?”

Amari smiled softly, “My faith protects me, I do not fear death, young one. I have served Anura for many years and will continue to do so long after my soul departs this world.” Fiera rolled her eyes, but Amari continued, “And as for my team, I have faith Ziton will have figured it out and I suspect they will be rejoining us shortly.”

Fiera spat in disgust, “That’s the problem with Shapers, always thinking, always digging, sticking their drones where they don’t belong.. Bremm was onto me too, you know. That’s why I had to sabotage his pod. Poor fool.”

That pained Amari as she knew it’d pain Ziton, a brilliant life wasted, and for what? She supposed she was about to find out as she sensed more movement behind her. That couldn’t be her squad, not yet anyway. She turned to see and for the first time in a long time, she could say she was truly surprised at what she saw. An Anuran stood in the clearing behind her, at first glance one would assume it was yet another priestess, but this was no priestess, it was a man, and Anura did not confide in men. Despite this, he held a staff much like her own and his robes shimmered, rippling like black and silver waves in a cold, dark sea. He was surrounded by armed guards, more than were probably necessary but perhaps Talon squad’s reputation preceded them.

“My lord,” Fiera said, bowing deeply. He smiled softly and embraced her.

“Well done, child. Well done,” he said, then turned to the Talon’s priestess, “and you must be Amari, I’ve heard quite a bit about you. So many years of service. So much sacrifice. Dedication such as this should be rewarded.”

Amari stood tall, “Serving Anura has been my reward.”

“Oh?” Khyber smiled and softly exclaimed “You may be surprised to know that I serve her too,,” He held out his arms and pleaded to the sky, “oh great Goddess, show your loyal priestess that what she has been taught is a lie! We believe that Anura’s gifts are obtainable by any who seeks her blessing,” He held out a hand toward Amari and a small flame appeared within it, “I can show you the true path.”

Amari’s visage remained calm on the outside, but inside her stomach churned. How could a male channel power like this? It should not be, no, it could not be possible.

“Join me, priestess,” he said, “you have been sold a lie, let us unite and enlighten the masses.”

Adamant, Amari raised her chin in defiance, “Whatever it is that you worship, it is not Anura. If it is enlightenment you seek, return with me to Svarga and seek the wisdom of the elder council.” Khyber sighed heavily at that, his expression turning somber as he spoke. “I had hoped you’d see the light. Very well,” he said, turning to Fiera, “deal with her and the rest of her squad. I want them found and eliminated. For now, we must remain hidden. No loose ends.”

Fiera nodded and bowed once more, Khyber gave her a weary grin before ramming his staff into the ground. A wild burst of fire erupted from his feet, consuming every part of him before imploding back in on itself and leaving nothing but empty space. Just like that, Khyber was gone. Only Fiera and Khyber’s guards remained now, and Fiera did not look pleased.

“He gave you a chance and you rejected true enlightenment, it is unfortunate. Therefore, you have been judged and found wanting. For that, you must burn, Divine Priestess.” She pointed the tip of her staff at Amari and uttered words Amari could not understand. The staff’s tip suddenly lit ablaze, unleashing a massive torrent of angry flame toward the Priestess. Amari had nothing in her arsenal to combat fire, and unfortunately, the only direction she could step to avoid the incoming blaze was backward off the cliff. So instead, she closed her eyes and began to pray. Before the flames could overcome her, she heard an all too familiar battlecry and she couldn’t help but smile, the Talon’s had arrived. She opened her eyes to find that Krieg had leapt between her and Fiera’s attack. He held his shield before him, diverting the flames like a stubborn stone in a raging river.

Krieg groaned against the plume of flame that battered against his shield, his feet were planted firmly but he began to slide backward through the dirt as Fiera’s power intensified. Amari wanted to assist, but she was helpless against this violent force. Her specializations lied in rejuvenation and of course, the battle blessing. However, she could not bestow that upon Krieg without driving him mad, or worse, killing him. Fury’s were simply the only Anuran’s capable of wielding and withstanding such strength without devastating damage to the mind and body..

While Krieg battled with the rebel priestess, the Shadow brought silent death to the enemy ranks. Lathraía sliced her way through enemy troops, her blades and body together weaving in grim cadence that efficiently balanced precision and lethality. She made a point to push her way toward Fiera, chopping one warrior down through his collarbone and striking another with a well timed riposte. She then hurled a blade straight through the mouth of a trooper that rushed toward her and spun to release the other in Fiera’s direction. To her dismay, the priestess felt it coming and momentarily paused her fiery onslaught of Krieg and Amari to deflect the sword with her staff. She screamed, and in retaliation, hurled a massive fireball at Lathraía, who was now unarmed, vulnerable, and completely exposed.

Ziton had just finished cutting down his share of the fighters when he saw the fiery comet approaching Lathraía, he knew that normally she could dodge something like this with ease. However, due to the force she had put into throwing her sword, she was completely off-balance and would not be able to avoid being struck . As he often did, Ziton calculated his options and came to a conclusion quickly. With all of the swiftness he could muster, he propelled his body inbetween Lathraía and the fireball. Searing flames washed over him as armor and flesh melted away, he resisted, pressing himself against the flames' fury until his legs finally gave out. He collapsed to the ground in a sizzling heap.

Krieg wasted no time tossing aside his now half-useless shield once the torrent of flame had stopped. Despite the initial protection from the shield, his arms were badly burned, as well as the right side of his face. Fighting through the pain, he lept at Fiera and slashed at her throat. She caught the blade with her staff and twisted it toward the ground, before kicking Krieg in the chest. He stumbled, but recovered quickly, catching her with a left hook and following through with a quick slash. She threw herself backward to avoid being decapitated and fell to the ground, however, Krieg’s strike still had enough range to open a large cut across the entirety of the woman’s face. She writhed in pain as Krieg stepped closer to finish the job, he raised his blade high above his head, but before he could bring it down, the ground began to rumble violently. Parts of the rocky ground collapsed and Krieg lost his footing. The massive ship that had been resting in the valley rose slowly above the cliff. It hovered, unleashing suppressive fire from its starboard cannons as a squad of enemy Fury’s descended its already extended cargo ramp. Lathraía cried out as gatling rounds peppered the ground around her, the impacts propelled dirt and shards of rock that cut into her as she tried with all of her might to pull Ziton’s body to safety.

Krieg regained his footing and rushed the squad of Fury’s as they closed in on Amari. Sliding, he cut one down at the back of the knees before standing and clashing blades with another. The two warriors sparred for a long moment, but Krieg knew he could not keep the pace up against the brute strength of a Fury for long, especially without his shield. He watched as the other Fury’s closed in around him and his opponent, locking them into what he assumed was a makeshift arena. Despite their allegiance, it seemed that these Fury’s maintained their sense of honor. The outsiders did not attempt to interfere in this battle of single combat. After dispatching three of his foes, Krieg felt what was left of his strength beginning to fade. His parries grew lazy and his sword felt heavier than it ever had. He knew it’d be over soon, he only hoped that he’d bought Amari enough time to escape. A fully charged powerfist struck his chest, ejecting the air from his lungs and sending him sputtering to the ground. The brute stood over him, raising the chopper that he held in his offhand as the other Fury’s chanted. Krieg let his head lay back against the ground as Anura’s embrace approached him. He turned his head, attempting to see the fate of his squadmates, hoping they at least were in a position to escape with their lives. At the treeline, he could barely make out Lathraía’s figure. She held an open wound in her gut with one hand while holding Ziton’s hand with the other, his chest raised and lowered rapidly, quick but shallow breaths.

Explosions echoed through the valley as the ship’s gunfire suddenly cut off, 40mm shells ripped through the enemy turrets as Talon’s HOP-R crested the trees and unleashed the full fury of its forward mounted cannons upon the enemy vessel. Fiera, recovering from the trauma to her face, immediately called for a retreat, “we cannot lose the BZ-RK!”

The Fury above Krieg suddenly grunted and dropped his ax before stumbling and falling over, revealing a blade that had been rammed straight through his spine. Krieg was momentarily baffled until the Fury that stood behind stepped forward, his arms swelled and his eyes turned blood red as he screamed his guttural warcry. He tore into his own squad with unbridled rage. Blood spilled and limbs flew as he cut his way toward his own ship. Krieg suddenly found himself alone, but Amari quickly appeared beside him.

“Wha-?” he said, “was that you?”

“Yes,” she replied, “I normally have reservations about blessing an enemy, but I believe the situation warranted it. I gave him a little…something extra.”

Krieg laughed as he spat blood, “Thank you, priestess. Thank you.”

With the continued strafing runs from the HOP-R and heavy damage sustained by the rebels vessel, the ramp quickly retracted when the last of the survivors boarded the ship. Its thrusters blazed to life, releasing a deafening roar as they began to lift the massive ship further into the sky, leaving only a small trail of black smoke in its wake.

Lathraía cried out once more. Amari rushed to her aid and found that Ziton had stopped breathing. She couldn’t see an inch of his body that hadn’t been severely burned.

“Can you save him?” Lathraía asked, sobbing.

“I don’t know,” Amari said, “the body requires strength from within and-” she paused, “perhaps, I can lend mine.”

“Try, you have to try. Please.”

Amari nodded, closing her eyes and placing her hand on Ziton’s still chest. She quietly concentrated for what felt like an eternity to the team. Then, she smiled softly, “Yes, yes of course.”

“There is something you must do for me, Talons,” Amari said.

“What is it?” Krieg replied, “speak it and it will be done.”

“Return to Svarga, seek the one who bears the Orb of the Astral. Where my journey ends, hers begins.”

“What? What are you talking about?” Krieg said, “Where are you going?”

Amari smiled again, “To fulfill my destiny.”

She raised her hand from Ziton’s chest and a translucent, glowing sphere appeared within it. What looked like white smoke slowly poured from her hand and into the sphere. As it did so, her body began to shrivel and fade while the orb only grew brighter. Once it was full, she used the last of her strength to press it into Ziton’s chest. His body convulsed and his eyes suddenly snapped open, while Amari smiled and exhaled her final breath, softly whispering “Trust in Anura…”