Tales of Alidaire: The Abyss

{India starts at H5}

The morning sun had just peaked itself over the horizon, casting a dazzling array of orange and purple across the day's earliest skies. The air outside was crisp, cool, and a much-needed refreshment from his home inside of the town of Benevolentia. Not that he could complain about his house, but sometimes a man just needed the room to stretch his legs. Bright and early, the time of day that best serves a craftsman. India Conundra had risen early, having taken on a contract job as a mercenary - business in the realm of construction was not exactly booming around this time of the year, and he found himself more and more frequently turning his skills as a hired hand in demolition into a side job - mark hunting. It was certainly an easy transition for the rugged man. Carving rock from the ground and construction had hardened him, and he was no easy target to eliminate by conventional means.

As he walked away from the town towards the specified meeting point, the sun beamed itself down upon his forest-green cloak. The garb itself was, perhaps, a little worse for wear. India did not have the time or the money to replace it these days, as the cost to live in the upscale town that he did was escalating to a point where he was struggling to keep up and pay the rent every month. He frowned at the thought, Never woulda pictured m'self getting into contract killing. He had always thought himself an honest man, just like his father and grandfather before him. Making a living off of their skills. It just so happened that India himself was a little down on the times lately. Commissions from the bounties were quite... bountiful. It made sense for a man of his physique - quite chiselled, just as the stone he cleaved and the objects he shaped through his trade of masonry - to put himself into the realm of fighting... but he did not like it.

This particular commissioner was looking for him to lend a hand in the bounty placed upon the head of some fishmen. India did not like to question the motives behind his employers, but he had heard whispers that the infamous bounty hunter by the name of Nox Tellerin was partaking in the elimination of the fishman threat. The stonemason tried his best to steer clear of buying into rumours wherever possible, but this was a special case. The particular bounty on the fishman plot was far more intriguing, solely based on the presence of the man. While India did not want to take it initially, it truly only made sense that he would go and investigate the spectre; the one who had cleared so many assassinations of his targets in such a short time, though nobody had ever truly witnessed him doing so. Maybe that's why I gotta be here, India thought idly, Keep the gent honest. Whoever he is. And in India's own opinion, honesty and integrity were values held higher than any other. Entirely without parallel. Perhaps atypical of someone who had chosen to simultaneously work in contract killing and stonemasonry, but such was the way of the world in its present state...

As he neared the lake - the destination point - he marvelled at the beauty of nature. The way the light was refracted in the placid, tranquil waters. Completely the antithesis of his purpose there today. Peace and tranquility, only to be disturbed by combat on the lake's shore. He approached, noting the presence of five others; three of which bore the resemblance to humanoids, but also had some features that one would only expect of a fish and brandished strange weapons that seemed to be mistreated somehow. They seemed prepared to fight, a fact that caused India to scowl as he lifted his pickaxe from his shoulder. Got a rat in our midst, he thought to himself, choosing not to piss off his fellow bounty hunters before the fray began. I'll do me, they can do them. All tryna make a quick buck, after all.

He gave a quick look over his allies. A girl with pink hair and blades that were probably once quite menacing and devastating, but were - like the fishmen's weapons - poorly treated and dulled by time. She seemed quite confident in her demeanour, especially her visage, which was adorned with the slightest trace of a confident smirk, but appearances were not to be thought of as an accurate display of character. Not to India, at least. More fascinating was the presence of the figure that seemed almost vaporous in nature. A shade. Not human. India gave the figure a hard look, Nox. Undoubtedly. Though no enemy of his had yet lived to tell the tale, it was not hard to know that he was... different from other hunters. His track record alone was proof of that.

India grunted as he slammed the tip of his pickaxe into the ground. He was not about to make conversation - not with complete strangers, at the very least. He was simply looking to get this over with, return home after giving his limbs a good stretch, and get on with his craft. No more, no less. And by the looks of things, the fishmen would not put up much of a fight. It was only a matter of who would put up the final blow to claim the mark for himself.

 

'Always the dirty jobs...'

The cynical thought resounded as tired eyes, earthen-colored and slow, brushed across the vibrant ground softly. Almost as if not to disturb anything. Tall black boots, edged with faux fur at the top, passed along the vague path that led to the lake. Sighing and drafting her hands along their respective opposite arms, Desare tried to pull her coat a little tighter, as if to help warm the unlit spirit inside. She was wearing a long, dark coat-- this garb lined with faux fur also-- but despite it, she shivered. Almost not even from the cold.

'Anxious about starting the new job?' she asked herself. '...I could get killed,' she reasoned in response. Huffing a little through her nose, just to accentuate her despairing to herself, she kept on walking to her destination in vain of the grim thought. 'Is that really so much worse than what I go through on any other day?'

Prostitution never served Desare well. She had become accustomed to the sacrilege of it, as well as the torturous physical side, but she hated most every second of the job. Most every second of her life, nowadays... 'So what am I, turning into an immoral sociopath? Projecting my hatred of the world onto my victims?' She scoffed at the thought, knowing herself and that she wasn't the type to subject people to her feelings. 'I just need the better pay... this numbing rut in my life has got to end... if that means becoming a mercenary, then that's what I'll do. Anyone's success is built on another person's loss anyway.'

Desare surprised herself by refocusing on the world around her and seeing herself walking on the shore of the lake already. Looking around, she saw a large man striding towards a small group that was centered a fair distance away, right on the edge of the misty lake. Blinking and merely standing, watching the muscular man walk, Desare wondered at the situation.

Determining that these people were the only beings visible in the area, Desare soundlessly trailed the man. As she drew closer, she made out more of each figure in the group-- the farthest ones, the black-haired woman guessed ambivalently, were the fishmen; their targets. Desare slowed and stopped as the big man she was following halted nearby the people who must be the other mercenaries-- they all looked strong, at least. She hovered on the edge of the whole group, faint trepidation keeping her from melding along the front line. Smoothing a hand on her abdomen beneath her coat, she touched where she knew that idiotic tattoo of a heart was imprinted on her skin.

Taking some kind of devil's advocate against herself, Desare drawled in her mind 'At least now I have permission to fight back against what would hurt my body... How many times have I wished I could tear some greasy creep apart with the magic I've learned?'

Nowadays, Desare recognized that if she had a hope to return to a decent life, she would need to start fighting back.

{Desare starts at J5}

 

'Oh my god... that's a massacre, not a fight,' Desare judged, perturbed by the salvo of violent slashes she had witnessed. That silhouette-- whatever it was-- knew how to kill. 'That must be the mercenary we get the apparent "pleasure" to fight beside,' Desare mused caustically. From her angle, it seemed like the vague form would fit in well with the low, opaque mist that loitered above the calm waters of Lake Sospita. 'The infamous assassin Nox... Some sort of specter every man fears encountering. You've got stories told in small whispers in the dead of night about you, Tellerin. Hmph, would that flatter you? How does a person even introduce themselves to something like that? It would be like meeting the Grim Reaper...' 

Blinking and realizing she was still in the midst of a battle, Desare glanced around, at the two other mercenaries as well as the remaining, unsullied fishmen. Eyeing the large man a few paces in front of her, Desare tentatively stepped to the side and cautioned forward movement until she was standing next to the sturdy figure. Opening her mouth and glancing up, as if to greet him, she wondered what she would even say. Turning her head back to stare at the nearby fishman, Desare abandoned socializing and decided 'Might as well start off strong-- try to finish this quickly...'

With that thought, the black-haired woman recalled her basic lessons in magic, and raised her left hand into the air. Feeling a faint breeze, Desare focused on the small currents of air slipping by and caught them with her mind. Manipulating the element, she concentrated the wind energy and gave it purpose. Within a moment, she held a sharp gale-- a completed magic sleight. Encouraged by the success so far, Desare focused on the target. 'So I have to try to kill you now...' she thought ambivalently. Guiding her hand down and forwards in a smooth motion, Desare shot the Tornado Pike at the enemy. 'Nothing personal,' she added, wondering at her own action. Remembering what she endured every day, though, she bitingly thought 'But this kind of stuff never is personal, is it?'

{Desare moves to H4}
{Desare attacks Gill using Tornado Pike; 6 Wind Int. Damage; 6 MP (24/30)}

 

{India moves to F5 [H5 - G5 - F5]}
{India uses Stonecleaver on Gill (E5)! 6 Earth ATK Damage! 10% DEF Reduction!}
<MP: 7/15>

Immediately, the fight began without any further fanfare. India decided to not bother introducing himself to the dual-knifed girl or the woman who had an air about her that just seemed off. Something distant about her, as though she was not collectively in the present moment. No, in spite of the curious appearance of the two females, India's focus was on the ghastly, hellish, even nightmarish form of the rumoured bounty hunter. He quickly began to size up the opposition, as well. He had been summoned for a reason; contracted to be a part of putting a stop to the monstrous invasion from the lake so near the capital that he called his home... though he needed the money more than he needed the assurance of the safety. May not be th' honest livin' my father made, but it's somethin'. And something was all that a tradesman like India could hope for, especially with everything that had been going on lately. A man like Nox could just as easily put him out of work. In multiple ways, the burly stonemason added grimly in his mind, coupled with a slight smirk.

The raspy voice that could only belong to the spectral form of Nox barked out short, to-the-point orders for the three bounty hunters that had come to impinge on what could only be defined as his mark. India raised an eyebrow at his demeanour, unsure of just how far this was going to go. Immediately, Nox surged forth towards the trio of fishmen, targeting what could only be the 'support' that he had mentioned moments prior. 'Ere it is. Get to see the lad's true shine. And in a flurry of slices and gouges, what had once been a living fishman holding a pearl was shredded to nary more than ribbons of flesh and blood staining the banks of the lake. India's eyes widened at the spectacle, and he immediately understood why he had been called to the lake on this early morning; not to eliminate the threat, but to keep tabs on the man. The guise of the contractual job was merely a formality. "Well I'll be damned." India stated, still in awe of the way that Nox had wasted the fishman. It seemed that the two girls had a stomach for the gore, because the one had only barely flinched at the spectacle, and the other seemed almost impressed by it. Strange people... takes all kinds, I guess.

But as before, the girls were not India's prerogative. The man wanted nothing more than to cleave through his opponents, and earn the quick buck that he had been promised... though the more he thought back to Nox's abilities, the more he realized that such a man could not be left unchecked. He stepped forward, entering the fray himself as a player. "Don't mind if I do..." he muttered to himself in a hoarse voice, finally meriting a response to the command posed by Nox before he sliced the target fishman to bits. The stonemason lifted his pickaxe high above his head, and in a mighty display of force, brought it down heavily upon the fishman with the weathered swords, just as though he were preparing to carve out stone from the ground. "HrrraAAGH!" India interjected as he cleaved through the minuscule defenses of the fishman. This fight would not last long, to be certain. Not if Nox kept up his powerful assault... but what of the girl with the twin blades? Did she intend to enter the fight...? And what was underneath those piles of sand? India could not help but wonder if this were an ambush - if more monsters hid just beneath the surfaces, waiting for an opportune moment to strike...

 

{India activates Trigger Command: Search on Pile of Sand (F4)!}
{India moves to F3 [F5 - F4 - F3]}

Despite being directly available to be the target of the fishman's attack, it seemed more occupied with preparing itself to strike against him than it did with tackling him head-on. Mayhaps it sees how pointless it'd be, India chuckled cynically to himself. Indeed, he felt that he was quite adequately prepared to fend off any of the attacks that could be thrown at him by the seemingly impotent fishmen, especially with how much work he had poured into perfecting his craft of masonry. India was confident that his labourious work over the carving of stone had rendered him rugged, but polished in his defenses. This brief battle was certainly going to be finished within a matter of minutes; his own defenses far outmatched any attack that could be thrown his way... and then the fishmen had to worry about Nox Tellerin. Yes, the infamous bounty hunter's reputation had preceded him quite accurately.

The thin rasp of the spectre's voice seemed to trail out mockingly towards the maid-girl, who had been standing by in an alert sort of way just moments previous when he had looked at her last. The taunt was interesting, considering the man had singlehandedly done away with the support, and was now moving on to the target that India himself had been chipping away at, excavating bone as if it were the boulders he had to clear from rugged terrain, in order to create anything himself. The craftsman braced himself, his brow furrowing as Nox relieved him of his duties. The crimson of the fishman's blood spewed upon his clothing and his face, drawn free and spattering from the twin blades of the shadowy spectre. India wiped clean his visage as he gave a solemn, curt nod to the other bounty hunter. One of the two blades wielded by Nox glinted in the rising sun as India passed his gaze over it. A particular aspect caught his eye - a yellow gemstone embedded in the middle. It seemed to speak out to the man... Beautiful piece o' work... he shook such thoughts from his mind for the time being. The ornamental nature of the blades would have to wait - India was not entirely sure what would happen once Nox was finished with his mark. He kept a wary eye on the spectre as he dismissed India and the seemingly not-all-there woman behind him from their 'duties,' asking them to perform some brief recon. It was fine with India - he was a simple craftsman, after all, not entirely cut out for the business of massacre like half of his allies appeared.

And speaking of massacre, the maid girl had gone on to show her prowess in the murder arts. Her previously passive nature was shown no more, as India observed from his position. A glint of silver crossed a trajectory between her and her target as she leapt in for the kill, shredding the last fishman standing with ease not dissimilar to Nox himself, as though she were offering a taunt in response to his prior calling out. Reckless hacking and slashing had brought the final fishman - and their apparent plot - to a swift end. The girl smiled at her handiwork, clearly proud of what she had accomplished. India could understand that pride... and for a moment, he almost wanted to celebrate with her. But that was foolish, for their crafts were leagues apart. "Helluva job this was..." he muttered to himself, turning back to the pile of sand that stood nearest him.

He lifted his pickaxe, giving a forceful shove into the pile. It was enough of a push to either collapse the sand pile, or at least unearth whatever lay beneath its veil, India reckoned. He was well aware of his strengths, and while they did not lie in the techniques of murder like the maid girl and the infamous spectral being known to him as Nox, he could certainly dig up treasure... or trouble, if that is what the Fates had in store. He inhaled a bit, almost exuding a half-sigh afterward. "S'time to get going. The deed's been done."

 

Making a point to avoid looking at the gruesome corpses of the Fishmen, Desare gazed up at the morning sky, sighing wearily. Apathetic eyes scanned the burgeoning canvas-- as it was, vibrant and comforting hues were accruing, radiated pridefully by the sun as it drifted further towards the apex of the roof of the world. 'It's not like it was so horrible,' she admitted. 'They're just fishmen-- not even humans...' And yet she felt a stone of contrition beneath her heart. 'What were they even doing... Probably just trying to help their own chances of survival. And then we came, ordered to eliminate them, to protect our own society... when I'm wondering if it's even worth fighting for.' Yet, why did the sky look a little brighter today, from her perspective?

"We're not done yet," Desare heard Nox state with certainty. She returned her gaze parallel to the ground, staring at Tellerin and taking in his new form-- that of a human, striking in appearance. 'A shapeshifter,' Desare mused, a little interested. 'Wonder what his life's been like...' She almost wanted to ask about it; a spectacle like him didn't come by every day, and she was intrigued by the mystery that surrounded him more thickly than the mist of the lake and the fog of his Specter form combined and multiplied several times over. Nox's was the type of story nobody could resist desiring to hear, even if it could give them nightmares for weeks or cast a new shadow of perspective on their world view. "Please tell me that you all know that?"

'Suddenly there's supposed to be more to the picture than a couple of slaughtered Fishmen?' Desare wondered dubiously. "It seems to me that certain information has been withheld from us," said the dangerous-looking girl who had cut one of the Fishmen to pieces on her own. It occurred to Desare right then. Speaking aloud, voice clear, she asked, "You think there's a larger force somewhere nearby? We're only getting paid for the Fishmen, but there'd be no choice but to eliminate anything else that attacks us. Is it usual for mercenaries to get conned like that?"

'Figures that something like that would happen on my first day as a mercenary. Getting tricked into more work like that... then again, this is still on the dirty side of the business spectrum.' Thinking at the sentiment for a moment, Desare added cynically, 'Then again, is there even such a thing as a straightforward business? Honest men don't get mountains of gold.'

 

Kyte ran feverishly through the town, as it was battered and torn before his eyes. Strange creatures the likes his young eyes had never seen before raped and pillaged the town. He vaulted a small section of crumbling wall and sprinted though the fire, dusting off the embers that clung to his clothes, lining them with soot.

Running through the streets his thoughts were scattered. The small Vulpine boy knew he needed to get help, but from who? He turned around a corner quickly, giving himself a few moments to collect his thoughts. ”Think Kyte, think...” He clamped his eyelids shut, straining his memory to remember anything that could be of use.

He little fox remembered tell of a small group of mercenaries; and something about a Nox. He couldn't exactly put his finger on why that name was so important... Suddenly, he heard a loud shriek from behind him. Kyte didn't much care what caused it, however he did know that it didn't sound good – that got him running.

He sped through the last portion of the burning city, the sounds of cries and screams were deafening to his sensitive ears as he neared a wall that led to the beach. He could feel his throat burning from all the running, and his legs ached. He used up the rest of his energy to sprint to the low stone wall and give a mighty leap.

soaring over...

catching his leg...

falling

faceplant!​

“Oof!” The fox gasped as his face hit hard sand, giving him a clear idea of what the beach tasted like. Kyte stood up and spat in disgust, wiping his tongue off with his paws. He made a cursory examination of his surroundings, happy to see that he had at least gotten to the other side of the wall. He gave one last spit before he began walking along the beach, not bothering to be quiet seeing as the citizen's seemed much more entertaining to – whatever they were...

Two minutes passed as Kyte walked, scanning the beach for a sign of life. Conveniently, there in the distance – 4 figures. They looked to be human, hopefully they were the understanding type. ”Hey... heeeeey!” he yelled as he sprinted towards them, waving his arms frantically. He made good pace, his stubby legs making deep impressions in the sand.

He skidded to a stop as he was in arms reach from the group, tilting his muzzle away due to the smell of fresh - “Dead bodies!?” He exclaimed. He averted his eyes from the horrific scene, and tried his best to pretend they weren't there as young boy looked to each person in turn, contemplating who would be the best one to talk to.

In the end, Kyte settled on the large man wearing a green cloak, brandishing a large pickaxe. He seemed amiable enough. Umm, dude – err, S-sir!” he corrected himself, trying his best to be mature, but even that was hard – he'd never really done it before. ”The- Um, the city, it's being attacked! The people, err... the monsters – the things, THOSE THINGS!” He pointed to the shredded corpses of the fishmen. ”They' attacked the city, they're everywhere! They're clever too, I bet those ones wanted you to kill them – yeah, just so the other ones could sneak in!”

The small vulpine boy danced from hindpaw to hindpaw, trying to give some clarity to himself and what he was trying to say. He stopped and took a breath, calming himself slightly. ”The guards are overrun – I bet they're all dead and its getting worse – you have to help them, err... me, you have to help me! You... do know where the city is right?” He said raising a brow at the large man. ”C'mon, I'll show you anyway – Just, I wanna be at the back, OK?”

 

{India starts at I6}

India looked on as he easily cleared away the sand, uncovering a small potion that seemed to have been placed without any true care. It didn't matter how it got there, but seeing as nobody was in any real rush to take it from its present location, India decided it would be best to take the liquid for later. After all, who knew when something like that would come in handy... Heh, these days, it's hard to tell. Rough times had fallen on him of late - hence his reason for turning to the profession of bounty hunting. Worst came to worst, the rugged, grizzled man would be able to sell it back to turn a half decent profit. Yes... that'll do me well enough, he thought with a slight grimace. It was no cakewalk living these days...

As he turned back from the pile, he saw a very large mass of darkness where he had last been looking at the spectral being he now identified as Nox... but the famed bounty hunter was nowhere to be found. As the twisted conglomerate of shadow began to disperse, in the place of the blazing flames and mass of vaguely-humanoid shadows stood a normal, dark-skinned man. Entirely human, save for the stunning, passion-filled azure eyes, twinkling in the morning sun. India was taken aback entirely - was this still Nox? The rasping voice gave the newly-human man away, though India found it incredibly hard to believe that such a man had been an abomination of shadows just moments before. "That's one helluva magic trick you've got there, Tellerin," India spoke, hoarsely at first, but cleanly as he continued. "I'm not sure I know whatcha mean, however. We've finished our job. Why not just go home...?" His question had been voiced by the maid-girl, who seemed skeptical, but not enough to be at all concerned. Just who the hell are these people...? India thought to himself. Nox's transformation, the deathly calm of the assassin-maid, and the still-peculiar third girl who seemed incredibly new to the whole business of mercenary work confounded India. Never before had he needed to work with such an odd bunch...

Turning to the rather quiet woman, distant as ever, but still quite beautiful in appearance, India spoke, "We're not gettin' conned. Nox just seems to think somethin's up elsewhere, I s'pose." And in India's mind, he was completely accurate in his assumption. He wanted to get home to open up shop before the midday rose, so he could still make a few dollars from his true profession, instead of wasting his time outside of the city... but until they came to an exact consensus that they would be heading home, India would be stuck outside of the town of Benevolentia. Such a waste of my time... better to reap the rewards of my quick labours than to not. But in the back of his mind, something told India that he was not quite finished yet. A nagging suspicion that there was something amiss with the request... had they truly been sent solely to keep tabs on Nox? Why would it take three of them to simply observe him dice a few of the fishmen? And why the fishmen in the first place...?

Disturbed from his thoughts, India saw a small figure running at full speed towards them... and falling flat on its face. He puzzled over the sight before the silhouetted figure bolted towards them, running straight to him. Immediately, the little kid called him 'dude,' before attempting to correct himself. India smirked nonchalantly - it was not like he hadn't been the kid's age before... but then he caught sight of the boy's strange features, and his smile faded. The boy was not a boy at all - no, he was strangely humanoid... but he bore strong resemblance to a fox. Perhaps, in fact, the orange-furred boy was an animal brought into human form. After all, stranger things had happened today. A sidelong glance to Nox was cast by the burly man, before he knelt down to be face-to-face with the small boy.

"What is i-" No sooner had the words escaped his mouth, half-formed, before the boy launched into a tirade of quick, sputtered, and fragmented information. India found himself trying to cling onto the boy's thought process as he talked about the fishmen, and speculated that these had been bait for the entire operation. They had been conned - nobody was asking them to keep tabs on Nox at all. It had all been a lure to remove them - a talented group of mercenaries - from the city, so that they could invade. "Shit." India cursed allowed. "Steaming bloody pile o' shit." He turned his head away from the boy, standing up, and looking back to the girl, "Seems we've been conned after all, m'lady," he nodded his head at her, signifying his respects, "Good call o' yer's, that." He turned back to the boy, looking down at him, "Let's go then. Lead the way. Can't have mere weak fishmen breakin' the hard-built walls..." A grim thought crossed his mind, however, as he spoke those words. Even though that ought ta give me some work for the future.

Nox seized the boy's shoulder, which was odd to India, as he had not seen Nox creeping up in his field of vision. Apparently Nox already had figured out what was going on, and felt that the boy's lead would only slow them down. Fair assumption, India supposed, given the boy's rather graceless entrance to their little beach party. As they moved towards the city, India could understand the scope and the depth of the damage. It did not bode well for his business if his craft store was destroyed in the process of the invasion of these fishmen... but the walls were laid to rubble, and smoke billowed high into the sky, painting the scene for a battle. The guards had easily been overpowered... perhaps the sea people had gotten their worst to lure away the group. How easily we were double-crossed... India thought, more than a little frustrated with himself. Brandishing his pickaxe, he prepared himself to face the myriad of fishmen. They wouldn't give up the city without any fight.

 

Kyte starts in J1!

Kyte followed the group nervously, afraid that they were planning to use his as a distraction for the fishmen. How could he be sure that they didn't see him as a little furry expendable? He definitely didn't like the look of the one in the maid outfit, and Kyte was pretty sure that following someone like that was sure to get him in trouble. The small fox twiddled his thumbs as he paced himself slowly, making sure to give himself a large amount of distance, but still staying within range of them in case he was attacked.

He knew they were headed back into the city, he also remembered that he offered to lead them back. However, the little fox knew that he didn't really wish to be back at the city at all, he simply wished to run away - hide from the chaos and be safe from whatever those scaly freaks that attacked the city. He could feel fear building up inside him, anxiety that would've easily warranted tears if he weren't surrounded by complete strangers. He sucked a breath in through his lips to quell the tears.

As they neared the city, he saw the fire, the smoke and the smell of death. There was still fear inside him, but it was accompanied by a source of anger, a sense of realization that he was too small and insignificant to do anything about it - that he was just a small pawn sent to warn the bigger pieces that trouble was approaching, and that all pawns had to fall... Kyte shook his head, erasing the thought of his own demise. "I can't die yet... I have to wait until I'm an old man and die in a hospital... no, no... I won't die ever... not ever." He began mumbling to himself as they enterd the town, the small fox's gaze set at his feet, to afraid to look at the masses of rubble and corpses that surrounded him.

Kyte senses snapped into action as he heard foriegn sounds, and other strange aquatic noises his ears didn't understand. He gazed around, seeing burning buildings and a mixture of smoke and strange milky-eyed fishmen holding large round objects, cradling them like their next of kin. These were the things that attacked the town - the things that destroyed the only place Kyte ever knew. The little fox was angry, he wanted to do something, make them pay for what they had done. But how could he? He was just a boy, nothing more. He clenched his fists and let out a high-pitched growl, showing his distaste for these monsters. "Those things... MAKE THEM CRY!" Kyte yelled at the group, venting his anger in the only way he could.

Kyte moved himself into a corner, the place he felt most safe knowing he was the farthest from the fishmen. He stood his ground and looked to the others, still wondering why they wanted him to come along - did they expect him to help? Did they assume he wanted to be back in the city? Kyte wasn't sure, but he just knew that the farther he was from the fishmen, the better.