FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"It all started in my youth," Ecco began, "back in the home bay that I was born and raised in, there was a fearsome typhoon that came from the stars and swept all of my pod away into the stars."

"They were taken?" asked Oddtooth looking up at the cave ceiling.

"By the ones that you fought yes, the Vortex. They are a cruel race of voracious beasts that feed upon worlds and expand the reign of their Queen."

"What would they do to us?" Seaclaw gulped.

"Harvest you, preserve you for food on their long voyage between the stars. Alive."

"Alive?!" Skyfang reeled back. "Just, keep you breathing when they eat you?!"

"Th-that is terrible!" cried Oddclaw. "They cause their prey to suffer, still alive?!"

"Yes," the dolphin nodded, "they are a dangerous hive and their curiosity borders on malicious. Through many oceans I travelled searching for their source, and after seeking great knowledge from the ancients, I found that they had come from the stars to harvest those such as my kind. And our fate then would be to remain trapped in their machines waiting for the day they devour us fully."

"I cannot imagine that," Moonclaw shook her head sneering, "when we hunt our food we kill it swift without suffering, not...keep them."

"Now you know my fears," said Hanma leaning against the stone wall, "but I will let Ecco finish his tale."

"With the knowledge of the ancients," the dolphin spun in his orb, "I found a means to fight the Vortex and to free my pod. I fought against their Queen and destroyed their hive, but only briefly for they would come again using their powers to instead colonise my home and take it entirely for themselves."

"Wait, what?" Skyfang jumped up at him. "They wanted to take your HOME next?!"

"In revenge for my actions it seems. The Vortex have the powers of Time and Space, they not only can travel from one world to the next, but they can also travel between the past and the future."

"The...future?" Oddclaw's eyes widened as he stepped closer. "Do you know of the hairless?"

"Hahaha, your son asked me the very same," Ecco grinned bending down to him, "I suspect that Man's influence has reached you?"

"Yes, they are also from cycles beyond but they are friends of ours. They do not harm us, they make their own food."

"I am glad to hear, do they tell you of the future from whence they came?"

"They have shown us things yes, how they make things, how they live normally."

"They put things on them like this!" Seaclaw showed off his grass skirt and stone bangles. "I made 'em myself!"

"And you still look weird," Skyfang sniffed at his thigh.

"These starbeasts," Moonclaw walked over to Ecco's side, "why did they come here?"

"I do not know," he floated down to her, "when I was hunting them through the ages a portal opened up all of a sudden, trapping their ship and taking both me and them through it to this place."

"Ah. Of course, the greatmoon." She huffed with a deeper sigh. "I was truly hoping nothing like this would happen during our hunt and someplace else."

"Greatmoon?" Hanma stroked the chin of his hood with his sleeve.

"The hairless summon starbeasts every one-and-a-half cycles, when the moon is great and closest to the land."

"Ahhh...interesting."

"So our arrival was misplaced," Ecco nodded, "that means we may have an advantage before they settle themselves here."

"Are they going to try and take our home?" asked Seaclaw stroking his fingers along the orb's liquid surface.

"If they see an opportunity yes."

"Then we have to fight them!" Oddtooth barked proud to his parents. "We can't let them have our home!"

"YEAH!" Skyfang shouted stamping her feet. "If they wanna fight, then we're gonna KILL!"

"Children please!" Oddclaw clapped his hands sharp. "We are hunters yes but these are starbeasts with great strength you do not know how to fight."

"UHH we killed like two of them!" she headbutted her brother's chest. "We know how to fight 'em!"

"I agree!" Oddtooth butted her back with a chirp. "We're a family, we fight together!"

"This is not our fight," said Moonclaw pulling their tails, "we are not here to hunt them, we have made our hunt and now we return home."

"But mother!"

"No, this is dangerous!"

"But we're HUNTERS!" her daughter shouted. "Why even teach us to hunt if you don't let us hunt THESE things?!"

"I am not arguing with you on this!" she snorted at her face. "Ecco is hunting them, not us."

"Your mother is right," Oddclaw crossed his arms, "we do not know of these beasts, we will fight them IF we have to on our journey home, but we are not going to fight them."

"Tho we let them come to uth?!" his feral son scoffed raising his head up to his. "If we fight them now, we can thtop them!"

"And if we fight them alone we may die for nothing."

"He is right," Ecco slipped his head between them, "as much as I appreciate your eagerness, you know not their true strength and I would not want any of you to be caught in their schemes."

"But, we can help you!" Seaclaw grinned hopefully with hands behind his back. "A hunter never hunts alone."

"R-right!" Oddtooth chirped up with a grin. "We can't leave a hunter to hunt alone, right father?"

"Yeaaaaah!" Skyfang beamed strolling up beside him. "That's not what HUNTERS dooooo!"

The three children smiled in unison or at least the equivalent of as both parents looked with frustration. Ecco chuckled with little bubbles spouting from the hole in his head as Hanma simpled furled his sleeves.

"I will suggest this," said the dolphin, "first we get our family out of the cave, THEN we decide whether you can assist me. Much as I agree with what Seaclaw said in that hunting alone is dangerous, I am also well-experienced in hunting these specific creatures."

"Alright," Oddclaw nodded, "that is good, we should leave before deciding on what to do, is that alright with you children?"

"YAH!" they all shrieked.

"Now, you." He pointed to the robed figure. "What are you doing here?"

"My name is Hanma," he pulled himself from the cave wall, "I come from another world chasing after this Vortex Hive ship."

"Because they have your family?" Ecco asked.

"They are a threat to them yes," he circled floating round the phin, "I asked Oddclaw to assist, but if you are here then perhaps I will not need him if he so chooses not to."

"You fought me ten cycles before," said Oddclaw thrusting his finger, "you told me you needed me."

"Wait wait," Moonclaw stepped up sniffing the hood, "when did you fight my mate?!"

"Remember Freya, the warmblood with the longstone? This beast put you and Fishclaw to sleep just to fight me."

"What?!"

"And I apologise for such," the cloak bowed onto his knee, "I had no intention of harming you, I simply wanted to test your strength before this time would come, and I did not dare want to face you when you would be so preoccupied with your family."

"Family? But...but that was before I even knew-"

"You knew these beasts would come," Oddclaw squinted tightening his jaw, "you can see the future?"

"Not all of it," said Hanma, "just what will happen here."

"So why ask me to help you when you already have Ecco here?"

"I think what Hanma means," Ecco swam round the three, "is that he foresaw their arrival and knew you would be involved because you are a significant presence in this land, is that correct?"

"I-...w-well-"

"You are the Voice of the Tribe," said Moonclaw nuzzling him, "he is right."

"And he saw you helping this other starbeast yes?" the dolphin smiled. "So he assumed that you would be his best chance to fight against the Vortex, IF not for me but since now I am here chasing them, that means you are not obliged to assist him."

"Exactly," the stranger nodded with clasped sleeves, "as I said before, I will not force you to assist, your family is more important."

"But what about your family?" Seaclaw asked tugging at his robe.

"I will save them," said Ecco, "do not fear. Now, everyone understand everything?"

"Not really," he muttered twiddling thumbs.

"There should be an exit downwards, at least one easier for your family to escape through rather than climb to the ceiling."

"Do you know where we can leave?" Oddtooth chirped.

"I can sense another tunnel beyond these walls, just follow me."

"I will help," said Hanma floating beside, "the walls of stone mean nothing to me."

"Rumble we're leaving!" Seaclaw shouted to the raptor in the corner.

"Mmm, oh, yes," Riptor stood up scratching her chin, "sooo are we done talking with the um...those two?"

"They're helping us, be nice!"

"Sorry...sorry I'm just," she sniffled hard putting on nervous airs, "this is all just a bit too much for me."

"It is fine," Oddclaw said, "just follow us and we shall all be out of the cave soon."

"Yes...thank you." She turned back to the puddle lowering her voice. "Did you get all that Sulphide?"

There was no response, but she trusted that he did as she clicked her comms off and followed after the group keeping a dopey insecure expression on her face, her mismatched appearance of metal bits dappling her scaled skin and glinting in the light of the cave along with her lightning-blue claws. They watched Ecco send his sonar through the walls trying to find the next passage they could open, with Hanma assisting by his summoning a hammer formed from dark neolith flames that became solid when cracking against the stone and shattering through with ease. The wall crumbled with ease as they all travelled in single file with Riptor at the back and Ecco in front as he swam through the hollow passage, feeling the taste of dampness in the air return as they roamed through smaller rooms with scuttling beasts in even smaller puddles.

"Uhhh Seaclaw?" his sister slipped up beside him. "Who's that hunter with the weird claws?"

"Shhh!" Seaclaw tapped her lips. "Don't say that she...she's my friend."

"U-uhhh okay but who IS she?"

"Her name's Rumble, I met her by the sea an-"

"I thought your friend wath a fith," murmured Oddtooth.

"Noooo that's Highwave, Rumble's different!" he smirked shaking his head. "She's just all alone an' I wanted to be her friend, sh-she might wanna be in our tribe so I'm-"

"Didn't we have hunters like her the cycle before?" Skyfang scritched her cheek.

"Noooo no that wath like long before, when Theaclaw fell out of the tree and father got angry at you?"

"Ohhhh yeaaaah," she nudged her little brother, "got you climbing good eventually right?!"

"Heehee, yeah," the boy grinned, "b-but yeah, Rumble's my friend so be nice to her okay?"

"If you make any more friendth we won't be able to eat ANYONE," Oddtooth nipped his head, "you can't make friendth with your prey."

"Sh-she's not my prey!"

"No but what about Highwave?"

"I-i don't eat fish!" he whimpered. "An' you don't either!"

"No but," his brother sighed nuzzling him, "not everyone can be your friend, thome out there might not like you."

"I know, but...I wanna make friends too."

"I don't mean you thould NOT make friendth, what I mean ith...be careful, don't trutht every beatht."

"Mmkayyy."

The older brother licked his head as they kept on towards the next region of the cave. Through linking rooms they soon found a crossroads where paths split off in several directions as the raptors kept their senses sharp, all of them pointing towards the west at the increasing scent of the sea. Sometimes they found gorgeous little spaces where crimson ceilings met with viridian floors, tainting the water with splendorous colours blending to a rich copper tone that they drank from eagerly. Further west they went and deeper down they descended again before they found the greatest room within the caverns.

"Whhhoooooowwwwww," the children gasped.

"This is," Moonclaw muttered, "this is just-"

"Beautiful," Riptor shivered, "ab...solutely beautiful."

A paradise laid beneath the earth in the form of an oasis, lush rivers that pooled into one of two large lakes, one with freshest water from the east and the other composed of seawater from the west, almost forming a yin-yang pattern that was kept separate by the sturdiest wall of bedrock. The cavern was immense, almost the size of a cathedral hall to accommodate the trees that grew over the pools with splendid palm leaves that made a perfect shade, if there were any sunlight to shade them from directly. The ground was covered in patches of grass that sprouted throughout the cave, painting a verdant scape that blended with the blue rich sapphire of the lakes forming a picturesque turquoise view. It was the most populous part of the caves too with a plethora of beasts both from the sea and inland as rodents met with crabs fighting over territory between their worlds. The fish however were even more plentiful, circling the two ponds unaware of the other's existence, but the saltwater lake did have an exit towards the ocean showing from whence it came as the sun started to descend on the horizon, turning turquoise to amber as the sounds of the waves crashed against the cave walls outside.

"There's SO MUCH WATER!" cried Seaclaw running straight towards it.

"SEACLAW WAIT!" Oddclaw rushed and grabbed his arm. "We are not alone, just wait."

"This place is incredible!" Riptor spun herself round in awe "I never would've thought a place like this would ever exist beneath a mountain."

"You could even live here," Moonclaw gazed at the sea before turning to her, "a nice quiet cave far away from bothering anyone."

"When I want your opinion I'll ask for it," she replied with tightened teeth, "and the day I do I'll drown my face in the water."

"Ohhh what a pity," she puffed a snort at her face, "with that much stone in your head at least you will drown swiftly!"

"Better to drown fast than to die old...slowly."

Her smile grew to almost reach from ear to ear as Moonclaw pulled back slightly, stepping away from her to join her mate as the children went to the waters' edge and started sniffing between the two before drinking up from the fresh lake. Seaclaw couldn't resist jumping into the seawater lake, splashing around as Ecco dropped himself in alongside him, dissipating his orb and relishing the sweet cold salts. Oddclaw dipped in to test his swimming as well as to keep watch over his son, paddling carefully round in a circle as Ecco corkscrewed round his body.

"You both swim very well!" he chittered.

"Th-thank you," muttered Odd pushing himself up, "trying, but, yes-"

"But you're doing GREAT!" Seaclaw threw his hands up to make a splash. "You swim lots better than before father!"

"Thank-GUH, thank you!" His feet furiously kicked beneath. "Still um...have to keep my head up-"

"Your limbs need not move so fast," said Ecco swimming underneath him, "it is about your rhythm, not your strength, just push in a constant like this."

Demonstrating with his tail, the dolphin trailed across the water's surface as Seaclaw followed him with a gentle kicking motion of his back legs with forwards stroke in front of his father. Oddclaw did his best, slightly uncoordinated with a few false starts when he submerged briefly, but with encouragement from his son and the dolphin he managed to gain the confidence to take it easy with slow kicks and tender strokes, all to his feral family watching in confusion.

"Wish we could do that," Skyfang mumbled.

"You could," Oddtooth snickered, "but you'd drown."

"Why do fish not drown?!"

"They do not breathe," said Moonclaw, "now let us rest and eat what we can, it will soon be night and it will not be safe."

"Agreed," Hanma sat beneath the shade of a tree, "I will keep watch."

"I shall do the same," said Ecco still swimming in circle, "I managed to rest before coming so I should be fine."

"Thank you," Oddclaw muttered to him, "I do not-"

"I know," he whispered back before turning to the group, "once all of you have rested I shall help you return back to land."

"How?" Oddtooth looked towards the sea. "We cannot thwim out there!"

"I can find friends to help carry you, whilst I was scouting I noticed much larger fish-"

"OOH, OOH!" Seaclaw splashed eagerly. "M-my friend, Highwave sh-she could help, she can carry me!"

"Ahhh yes you mentioned her," Ecco smiled nuzzling him, "where does she often swim?"

"Uhhhh, that way," he pointed south, "there's lotsa sand near my home an' that's where we play!"

"Alright, I'll see if I can find her tomorrow, you just rest up with your family for now."

"Agreed," Moonclaw licked at her son's head, "let us eat what we can and then sleep."

The raptors hunted around for what numerous beasts there were, tasting crabs and rodents to fill themselves up before they settled down to sleep with Ecco and Hanma watching over them. The dolphin swam in a steady circle of the sea lake, closing one eye and drifting into sleep mode whilst the other half of his body took over to the watchful eye of the cloaked stranger who never moved from his seat. Night swept its blanket across the sea, reflecting the myriad of stars above as the rushing sounds of waves became a sweet lullaby to those around him. Riptor slept alone in a small nook coated with moss, nuzzling herself into the soft loam whilst Oddclaw's family curled up against each other beneath the cluster of trees. She watched them briefly with an envy burning in her chest, the father cradling Seaclaw on his chest, Oddtooth and Skyfang nuzzling his sides with Moonclaw draping her head along his belly. The scents of their family made her sigh with a stranger feeling she could not place, trying to push it away from her mind as she settled down to sleep. Hanma cast his gaze across the oasis, keeping a steady scan of his surroundings with an ageless patience as hours passed and the night grew long with a balmy cool breeze that rustled the leaves above his head.

"I would ask if you wished to take over," said Ecco swimming towards him, "but I see you have no need for sleep."

"Which makes me a perfect guard," said the cloaked figure.

"A guard for whom, I must ask." The dolphin slipped his head up to the lake's edge. "You explained to me that your family is in danger but you never specified what."

"Is that a crime?" Hanma crossed his sleeves.

"No, but I have to ask why even fight Oddclaw years before in preparation to this. If anything you have impeded yourself by causing distrust."

"I needed to test him. Understand how he fights so I can best engage alongside him."

"You are a warrior then." Ecco nodded. "Then are you here to rescue, or to destroy?"

"Both," said the hooded stranger.

"Let me rephrase that then. Which of the two are you planning to do first?"

"In that case, destroy. The same as you."

"And what of this family?" he looked to the raptors. "What intentions you have for them?"

"Only to help them. I am here to repay a debt in kindness for something they will do."

"And what debt is that?"

"I will know when the opportunity comes. All I know is that it comes soon and I must assist him."

"Hmhmhm...you are new to this aren't you?" the dolphin smiled with twinkling eye. "The funny thing about Time is that it is much more flexible than you would think. Many think that it is but one trickle of water in the dirt that one could easily stop by severing the flow before it reaches its end. But in truth, it is like dropping stones in a river much wider than you think. You can only split and divert Time, but never stop it. Nothing stops. Life goes on, death goes on, and so too does Time."

"Hmmm." The cloaked creature nodded brushing his sleeve. "I will keep that in mind, thank you Ecco. I hope you can assist me too."

"I feel that I already have," said the phin closing his eyes, "but I appreciate it."

Returning to his half-sleep, Ecco switched eyes and continued to swim slowly whilst Hanma kept his eternal watch over the raptors until the next morning. It wasn't him however that woke them, but a cry from Ecco as he shot his head up towards the breaking dawn and quickly swam out to sea briefly. There were tremors he recognised all too well as his eyes widened before quickly swimming back inside and alerting the group.

"Quick, quickly wake up, all of you!"

"Wha-HUH?!" Oddclaw gripped his gun and clutched his son tight.

"The Vortex, they are coming you must hide!"

"What?!" Moonclaw roused with a start as her children stumbled up.

"Wh-wha-are we fighting?!" Oddtooth snapped.

"COME ON OUT!" Skyfang shouted. "Anyone come at me I'll KILL 'EM-"

"No you will not!" Oddclaw pushed himself up as Seaclaw whimpered on his chest. "We hide now, all of us!"

"But, father!"

"NOW!" Moonclaw shouted. "We do not know what these starbeasts can do, fighting them now is too dangerous!"

"Your mother is right," Ecco said, "you know not of their strength, do not risk your life for it."

Despite the protests of the children they were eventually pushed away to a hiding spot further back inside the cave with Riptor in tow. Hanma floated over into the darkness with Ecco submerging himself back into the salt lake. The raptors watched as something loomed from the sea with a terrifying sound that bled deep into their bones, a rumbling subdermal vibration that made their scales creep with shifting tremors in their stomachs when the great shadow revealed its form. An alien ship hovering over the sea with verminous steel shape and grand wings of a pale gleam with a giant hexagon that reflected the sky on top of it.

"Wwwwhaaaaaat is THAT?!" hissed Skyfang.

"Something we are never going near," murmured Moonclaw.

"Lookth like a thtone flyer," said Oddtooth squinting, "like what the hairlethh have."

"That is not one of theirs," said his father, "that is a starbeast, now stay hidden."

"And if they come to us?" Riptor asked beside him.

"Then we fight. We cannot do anything else."

The ship flashed a beam of light into the cave that blinded them with its burning white, searing deep into the rock and actively pushing the leaves down with its intensity. Ecco tightened his breath as bubbles stopped from the water, whilst Hanma remained in darkness watching the ship loom past the gaping cracks of the wall and blotting out the dawn to plunge the oasis into darkness, its burning searching beam tracing along the floor and walls as Hanma kept shifting his position away from it. The alien ship soon stopped to hover above the sea with waves parting underneath, forming a constant circle of white froth as a door opened within its side to reveal two small skiffs shaped like black oblongs that rode into the cavern. Six creatures arrived, the same as that Oddclaw faced before with long heads and exoskeletons with long thick prehensile tails acting like serpents' bodies, their dark tones blending in the shadowed murk of the oasis. One was much taller than the others, a fearsome 8-foot-tall beast over the 7-foot minions with one even smaller at 6 feet, but what disturbed Oddclaw most was the fact that these ones now spoke in a language they all understood.

"You four search for the fertile and the young," said the largest beast, "do not harm them, we require their blood as much as capable."

"Yes elder," two of them bowed hissing and skittered off into the dark.

"As for you," their commander turned to the smallest beast, "time for your most important mission. We find the Pod Traitor and bring him alive to the ship."

"Yes elder," the creature bowed full, "what of my birth-blood?"

"We know which one it is. All other enemies are to be exterminated, but your mission now is to find the traitor and bring him before our Emissary."

"Understood."

The creatures started hunting across the oasis, fanning out with claws slender and tails undulating to push themselves through the sea moss and skittering beasts that gave them a wide berth. The smallest invader searched the water, sniffing around the lake whilst two other drones hunted further to the back of the cave and the last two circled around the twin lakes close to their smaller companion. The invader stared at his reflection briefly, trying to peer beyond the waters as he sniffed at the freshwater lake and gently dragged his claws over the surface.

"He is here," he murmured.

"We will savour tasting his blood," said one of the passing drones.

"Blood...I have never tasted it, is it sweet?"

"You came from it did you not?" another drone stroked his long head. "How do you not know its taste?"

"One does not taste their own flesh, idiot," the first drone slapped his friend, "when our Queen is done with the traitor, we shall let you savour the first taste."

"Really?" the smaller beast looked up from the lake. "Thank you, brethren."

"Enough!" barked their elder. "You are here to hunt, not stare at the water like podfood!"

"Y-yes elder!"

They stiffened themselves up and continued their patrol, the smallest of them dipping his body into the lake with a sleek silent approach leaving not a single ripple in his wake. Slowly circling around the walls underwater he sensed the fish and the crabs already present but nothing as sizeable as the one he was looking for. A few minutes passed as the creatures continued to search, the raptors watching with tightening chests as they felt the winds of the cave sweep across their backs from the sea keeping them downwind of the beasts. Two drones came closer and closer to the raptor family who reared back with claws in waiting and their teeth in full rictus waiting to attack, the scent of the aliens like a chemical pit that made them wrinkle their snouts and struggle not to sneeze from the acrid stench.

"Nothing here," the lake-searcher said slipping from the pool.

"Check the other one," said the elder keeping watch over the cave.

"The taste of this water is...different."

"It is not the ocean. You can survive it yes?"

"O-of course elder," the smallest fiend hissed bowing, "can the pod traitor survive this water too-"

"ENOUGH." The snarl she made petrified him. "Remember your place in the hive and ask nothing again."

"Yes...elder-"

"THERE!" cried one searcher. "SOMETHING ABOVE US!"

"KILL IT, NOW!"

A swooping cloak came down upon both aliens, flattening them with a crushing force as they dodged separate ways with a burning hammer come between them. Hanma turned fast with a low sweep as his blunt-fired weapon swung at both their tails to knock them down, scoring a thick trail of black behind it almost like trailing ink. With their attention turned as all four beasts focused upon the cloak, Ecco burst free from the depths of the salt lake with a shocking scream that deafened one of them, forming a swirling stream around him of hanging waters that levitated him before divebombing straight into the largest creature's back to throw it forwards.

"Looking for someone?!"

"YOU!" The tallest shrieked turning her body with a hard swipe. "How becoming of you to defy us with such a cowardly assault."

"I learned it from you," said the dolphin floating above them, "and whilst I will not kill you in this world, rest assured that your death and those of your entire hive will never be discovered within the stream of Time."

"New-drone, teach this degenerate his PLACE!"

"Yes elder!"

The smaller beast rushed up beside his commander as they both faced upon Ecco hovering in his slipstream. They leapt towards him with a dual-strike as the dolphin spun forwards with his tail to duck under their bodies and made a huge swing towards the elder, smacking her with both tail and water wrapped around it to form a club that whalloped her chest to send her flying. Her subordinate managed to dodge the sweep of his tail and slam a bony fist into Ecco's gut before grabbing his tail through the water shield and piling on top of him, throwing him down to earth as the cetacean heaved his body against him with a rolling tumble through the mossy dirt. The elder Vortex slithered towards him with astonishing speed and lashed out with raking claws that cut through Ecco's slippery flesh and scraped along his fin. The dolphin shrieked with a sonar blast that deafened the new drone enough to stagger him, turning towards the superior with a crawling slap of his cetacean body as he waited for her attack. She went for his eye with a thrusting stab as he rolled onto his side and shrieked another sonic blast that she blocked with her hands as they glowed with a dulling sound from hidden steel beneath the skin.

"Not THIS time pod traitor," she swept her hands out with a cruel grin, "your sonic attacks shall do nothing against me."

"Hmph." Ecco snorted. "You had to learn eventually I suppose, good for you."

"I will offer you one chance. Submit, and I promise that you shall be rewarded with the highest honour to the Hive as a great feast for our Queen."

"Oh? And what do you do to your enemies?"

"You shall learn soon, when we harvest your mind into a synthetic module and have you SUFFER for all eternity if you resist."

"The last time we faced you said I would suffer the rest of my life, is it one or the other?"

"SILENCE!"

The warrior threw her body forwards into a rolling slam as Ecco rolled once more, slapping his belly against the earth to bounce above the shrieking claws that swung underneath before he made a sharp shriek at her face unguarded to stun her, giving him time to roll back in the water if not for the new drone scuttling through the moss and barging into him to trap the phin underneath his body. Grabbing his beak with one hand he drove his fist into the dolphin's stomach as he wheezed with flinching gasps, struggling with kicking tail amidst the furious blows upon his face and belly in the midst of cavernous dark.

Two of the four drones stood against Hanma, facing opposite sides of the cloaked fiend as his dark hammer-shape crackled a deep bass that shook through their thoraces as they leapt for him simulatenous. The shadow swung his mace high then low cracking one of their heads and slamming the other's tail aside but one recovered quick enough to slash deep towards his belly. Hanma leapt out of its reach and swung his hammer down as the drone dodged with a twist of its tail to slap Hanma across his hidden face, sensing him only by his scent with his cloak blending in the darkness. He staggered slightly but just enough for the second drone to leap upon his back and throw him down with a crunch, driving both of its clawed fists into the hood with raking tears of the thick fabric before the spectre raised a hand to guide his hammer with a will of its own and twisted his wrist to make it swing for his attacker, throwing it against the wall as Hanma levitated back up and gripped the dark handle of his floating mace waiting for the other drone to make its move. The monster rushed him with a body tackle as the phantom strafed back in a flash-step, shimmering briefly from existence to strike with a crushing slam of the hammer's head to its gut to send it straight upwards, gasping shrieks as it fell down impaled onto Hanma's fist.

"Try again."

Dark fumes burst from his hand to shoot the drone's chest at point-blank, burning the chitin as it crumpled feebly onto its side beneath Hanma's exposed fist of solid bone, white skeletal fingers crackling with black tendrils before his sleeve slipped back over it. The second drone from the wall hissed with gathering strength and sprang from the rock to divebomb straight into the spectre's back, knocking him down once more as he swept himself forwards like a cape and spun round with a mighty swing of searing darkness that the drone just avoided, keeping him distracted whilst its friend limply crawled towards the nearest lake to heal. But the raptors watching from the cove could see it as their instincts became too great and one of them leapt forwards to rip at its neck.

"SKYFANG NO!"

The daughter tore her fangs into the back of its head, twisting and rending at the chitinous spine as it shrieked and scrabbled frantically away before something flew towards the raptor and sent her rolling fast. The elder warrior was now on top of her, slashing her claws at her face as she craned her head back and forth to dodge her swipes before lunging forth in a biting crunch for the throat. The hard-shelled skin had a leathery texture that was stronger than the other drone's as she tightened her grip and threw her aside to get some space, but the creature lunged faster than expected for her when Oddclaw came flying with a hard fist, slamming into the alien's face to knock her aside with Moonclaw rushing up behind to pile on top of the elder and rip into her chest. The alien flipped her back with a wedging tail between them but she quick-rolled to a furious leap and slammed both her feet into the Vortex's face with a kangaroo kick. The warrior shivered from the impact as she went rolling before she dug her claws into the earth, stopping short and skittering forwards to shoot a jet of toxic green from its throat that Moonclaw dodged just barely, streaking past her leg as she shrieked from the burning sting of its briefest touch on her ashen skin.

"A-AAAAAAGH!"

"MOTHER!"

"NO, STAY BACK!"

Hanma's warning did nothing as both Oddtooth and Seaclaw raced in to defend her, the smaller boy with his sword and the feral son with his thick fangs shining in the darkness as they stood before the elder Vortex beast.

Near the lake Ecco rolled and pushed against the new drone who bruised the dolphin's belly with half-controlled punches, before the phin focused his energies and shot himself across the dirt with a dashing charge towards the pool dragging the new drone along with him. Falling together, the alien swung his fin underwater to strike Ecco's face as they parted before he tried to grab his flippers, but the dolphin somersaulted his body forwards to crackslam his tail straight upon the creature's head before swimming underneath and dash-charging straight into the alien's gut, punching him with such force he went flying from the water and landed before the cave exit, straight in front of Riptor within the barest light that shone in the darkness. He was about to leap forth from the waters when the other two drones who had been watching the fight between them now jumped in to keep him busy, diving into the pool to drag him deep and slam him against the bottom of the lake.

"Going somewhere, podling?!"

"GUH, get OFF!"

"Stop, FIGHTING!"

The drone punched his eye to stop him fidgeting, but in return Ecco stabbed his eye with a hard thrust of the beak and ripped it free from the alien's socket, blood spittling black into the water like ink as it shrieked with howling pain before Ecco swung his tail to crack the second drone's head into the wall. Above the surface near the cavern's exit, the newest drone found himself staring towards Riptor who had kept watch of the fight, waiting for a beast to be separated enough to engage.

"Wh-wha-..." he sniffed the air with eyes glinting, "you, you are-"

"Get, away from me now," she snarled with claws raised.

"Do not resist," the beast pushed himself up onto his tail, "you...you will not be harmed, I assure you."

"Ohhh you're right about that, little insect."

She raised her tail behind her to shoot out like a spear, lancing past her head as the new drone dodged to grab at her body in a dive tackle to pin her down and reach for something at his waist. A slit opened into his flesh as he pulled from his cavity a blunt silver instrument that resembled a long bullet before Riptor snapped at his arm and wrenched it almost out of joint to throw him aside and start spittling from her lips with liquid fire. The drone jumped over the blasting flame that poured from Riptor's throat, lighting the cave up briefly to the surprise of everyone as she belched thickening spheres of chemical fire that splashed across the ground much to the fright of the Vortex drone trying to skirt around it, the raptor thrusting her tail like a scorpion through the flickering flames as she pierced through his tail to make him shriek, jumping after to slash his face and make him recoil sharply before he wrenched his tail free to trip her up and whallop her with his thick lower body that zigzagged to strike her twice across the body, briefly stunning her for the new drone to punch her thrice in the face before she caught his fist on the third strike, opening her jaws to clamp shut on his wrist and snarl her thickening fire around his flesh which started to bubble. Then she caught a scent from the beast, something that made her falter and recede the flame.

"Wh-wha-...wait, that scent, why do you-GHH-NNNGH!"

The silver tool jabbed into her neck as her eyes glazed over, briefly cursing herself with stifled fury in her slackening jaw before her mouth slipped loose as the new drone pulled his hand free and watched her fall with stumbling legs. Grabbing her quickly in his arms he hoisted her over his shoulder and turned quickly on his tail back to the ship.

Whilst one drone fled back, his elder stared down against the raptor family as

the two teaming up to grab the head and tail of the warrior elder and try to rip her in half with pulling strength. But the alien was powerful, far more than expected as she pulled her tail fast to keep Skyfang in check before grabbing Oddtooth to throw him down and open her jaws with salivating acid. Skyfang tugged as hard as she could as she raked her claws over Oddtooth's face, scarring deep red and slashing through his eye causing him to scream. The elder turned towards Skyfang and balled herself up into a stomach crunch to throw her top half forwards and slash her face, raking claws over her skull as she flinched back with a shriek before a driving knee crunched into her jaw sending her flying back. She pulled herself up towards a bitter-faced Oddclaw.

"You should never have come." He cracked his knuckles. "Your bodies will feed the sea instead."

"F-FILTHY PRIMAL!"

She lunged for the raptor as he dodgerolled to the side and slammed his fist into her gut with an uppercut, following with a hard snapping kick before she grabbed his arm to try and throw him but he quickly twisted her grip by vaulting himself on top of her back and throwing his whole weight onto the back of her long protruding head to crush her face into the dirt. Pounding with ruthless savagery his fists became hammers to the back of her skull until she threw him off to behind her and swung her tail to send him flying a good distance. But in her distraction she had not seen Moonclaw from the other side jumping for her face and crushing her teeth into the elder's lower jaw as she screeched with fury, grabbing the grey raptor's throat and pounding her back into the dirt as she shuddered from the impact, causing her bones to creak as the Vortex beast raised her fist with jagged claws like swords aimed for her face.

"LET GO OF MY MOTHER!"

The cry of a child signalled a deep slashing cut that went straight down the side of her waist, causing the warrior to recoil sharp and release Moonclaw from her grip as she staggered away with wounded back and withering gait. The monstrous turned to Seaclaw tightening the grip on his blade, black running gently down its length as the creature gave a strange look in her deep black opal eyes. The boy came fast with a carving swipe as the creature swerved whilst she stood upon her serpent tail, strafing from the jab and deflecting his slashes with a gliding slap of her claws whilst shuffling backwards. His sword glimmered in the dark, carving through as he tried to dodge one way then the other to trick the Vortex beast, but she smiled a cruel grin watching intently upon him in her swift evasion, turning her whole body one way to trip him up with a smack of her tail. Seaclaw stumbled but managed to push himself up with a pouncing lunge, aiming to thrust his entire sword deep into the creature's gut. He stopped short as the elder grinned.

"Brave young spawn."

"N-NNNNGH!"

"Your fate has come and so you have delivered to us a feast."

Her hand gripped the edge of his blade, wrapping her fingers round the top as she reached inside the cavity of her waist and pulled out the same silver tool that her drone had used for Riptor. Twisting the sword away to reach past her, she lunged in close and jabbed the boy's neck with the instrument as he winced trying to punch her repeatedly in the face. His arms became weak, his fingers numb as he dropped his sword and felt his knees slump with a sudden fatigue to fall straight into her arms.

"WE HAVE THE YOUNG, GET THE FERTILE ONE!"

"I HAVE HER!" shouted the new drone.

"RETURN TO THE HIVE, NOW!"

"S-SEACLAW, NO!"

Oddclaw rushed towards her with Moonclaw coming from the side, both trying to tackle the warrior who swung Seaclaw over her shoulder and raced back towards their skiffs. The father managed to grab her tail as Moonclaw jumped on it to send her falling whilst she still clutched Seaclaw tight against herself, turning with a hissing spit of acid towards them as they jumped quickly out of its path. Oddclaw pounced forwards with a rolling kick slamming his foot into the back of her spine as Moonclaw went for the head and yanked the back of it hard.

"NOW!" she screamed. "GET SEACLAW!"

Rushing over to the front of the beast Oddclaw tried to pull his son free from her clutches but the alien resisted, fiercely snapping at him with Moonclaw pulling her head back to keep her from biting his mate. With Seaclaw bundled underarm she swung her other fist straight into Oddclaw's face with enough force to send him rolling, throwing herself into a hard roll to crush the mother under her body and push herself free in her retreat.

"NO! S-STOP THEM!"

Staggering up with wounded head, Oddclaw stumbled in running towards the escaping beasts with Skyfang trying to catch up, Hanma and Ecco soon joining but then the ship came looming closer towards the cave and suddenly crunched against the wall before plunging itself into the sea. The result caused a terrible flood through the cavern, drowning the moss beneath the trees with lakes overfilling and the raptors thrown against the wall in a frothing white. Oddclaw struggled to push against the tide, half-swimming as he saw Ecco and Hanma alost float over the waves to take down one of the drones, who turned and swiftly attacked both of them in a full barrage of vicious claws, tearing through the waters to slam into the shadow and throw him at the dolphin who dodged and screeched with a tremendous blast that rippled through the waters like an invisible scythe. The drone felt something through its chest, then a crackling shatter that came instant as its body severed in half, splitting from the sonic cleave that tore through its spine and formed a new crack within the wall behind it. Its body fell twice as the ship began to move from beyond, surging its thrusters to lift above the ocean and turn slowly to the horizon.

"SEACLAW! SEACLAWWWWWW!"

Oddclaw raced to the edge of the cavern cliff, screaming after the ship as it faded to a dot towards the greand sea. The water trickled past his legs as the cave deflooded, silence returning as three dead aliens laid across the stony moss with Moonclaw hobbling up to her mate's side. Skyfang and Oddtooth followed up in turn with Ecco swimming past them to the main sea and Hanma above them.

"N-no," Skyfang whimpered, "th-they took...they took-"

"NO!" Oddtooth stomped. "N-NO, NOOOO!"

"Calm, down," his mother muttered with hiccuping gasps, "we...we will just, think, we just need to be calm-"

"CALM?!" He turned to her with a red scar deep through his eye. "HOW CAN YOU BE CALM, THEY TOOK MY BROTHER!"

"QUIET!" his father shouted baring his teeth. "We will find him."

"H-how?!" Oddtooth shuddered bleeding from his eye. "H-how, he, th-they took him, w-we, we can't, h-he wath my brother, my little brother I WATH MEANT TO PROTECT HIM!"

"YOU DO NOT THINK I UNDERSTAND?!" He grabbed his son's head with shaking fingers. "Do you not think, that I do not know what you are suffering?! Why...w-why did they take him-"

"Food," said Ecco in the sea before them, "they prefer the young and fertile, for their feast but this is unusual even for them."

"Why is that?" Hanma asked bending his hood to him.

"In our past battles they have always preferred those from the sea, such as myself. Something about those who swim, our bodies nourish them more than those of the land-"

"We are getting Seaclaw back." Oddclaw stood firm tightening his fists. "We...are getting Seaclaw back."

"But we can't swim!" cried his daughter splashing the stream. "How we gonna go after them!?"

"I will help," said Ecco nodding, "I know the sort of place they will hide their ship."

"I thought you did not want us involved," said Moonclaw squinting at him.

"If I asked you to return home now, would you?" His eyes stared up at her as she raised her head.

"We are a family," said Oddclaw steeling his gaze towards the sea, "we are not leaving him behind, we will all go together."

"A hunter never hunts alone."

Skyfang looked to her brother as he smiled from his single eye, almost choking his sob back before he nuzzled her.

"What about that other raptor?" Hanma asked rubbing his sleeves. "Are you not worried about her?"

"She is NOT part of this family," spat Moonclaw, "she is nothing but trouble!"

"Who even IS she anyway?!" asked Skyfang turning to her.

"A friend of Seaclaw's" said the father patting her head, "your brother is more important but we shall find Rumble too."

"So how DO we get there?" she nuzzled against him.

"I will find others to help us," said the dolphin turning himself to the east, "Seaclaw mentioned a friend of the sea who I can find, if I can recruit her then we may have others who can help bring you all to the Hive's ship."

"Good," Oddtooth snarled with tightening grimace, "they will regret ever touching my brother, OR our family."

"Glad to hear," said the shadow beside him, "as your father said, you are a family and that is what is most important."

"I must warn you," said Ecco as he swam further away, "the Vortex are not to be trifled with, they are cruel and possessive, they will not hesitate to kill any intruder within their ship."

"Just as we shall not hesitate to kill them," Moonclaw snorted craning her wattled neck, "I assure you of that."

"Very well, wait here, I shall bring you others to carry you across the sea."

He dove through the waters and made his way through the prehistoric depths, searching with his sonar for sizeable fish as the sea ebbed and flowed around him, surging with the sounds of creatures from millions of years before Ecco's time. Smaller creatures he ate up in passing to keep his strength up, gulping down little ancient beasts and savouring the odd taste of their rougher scaled bodies in his journey to the east.

Three hours passed as the raptors kept their spirits up eating what crabs and rodents were still left in their surroundings after the flood that washed the oasis through, tainting the freshwater lake until it cleansed itself with its constant flowing river through the underground depths. Oddclaw and Moonclaw tended to their son, the mother licking over his deep-scarred eye whilst his father daubed and prepped a small cleaning kit by heating up sea water in a hollowed crab shell, then waiting for it to cool down once the bacteria had been boiled out.

"NNNGH!"

"Sorry," she muttered, "almost clean now."

"Mmmmph..."

"You will be fine, be thankful you still have an eye left."

"Doethn't matter if I don't have a brother."

"We will find him. We are not leaving without him."

"Alright I am ready."

She moved away as Oddclaw came in with warm salt water.

"Now keep still, this will hurt.

"F-fine, I juth-HNHAAH, AAAAaaaagh!"

The water came searing into his wound with a sterilising effect, washing out the blood and dirt with its near-scalding heat until the wound itself was clean much to Oddtooth's stuttering screams. Once Oddclaw had emptied it out, he looked carefully into his son's face as the feral whimpered from the stinging pain.

"That should do," he said, "your eye is gone but it is clean now, so will not be sick."

"Th-thank you," he sniffed sharply, "I-i...I couldn't thtop them-"

"No, listen." He gripped his son's head with gentle stroking fingers. "We are getting Seaclaw back, all of us and when Ecco returns with friends that can help us across the sea, then NOTHING will stop us."

"R-right...yeah."

"You are a hunter. We hunt together, and I am proud of you Oddtooth. You fought to protect your family, and you will fight again to bring your brother back."

"...yeth." He purred with a nuzzling smile. "Th-thank you, father."

He hugged his son firm as he let him wander, the rest of the raptors pacing in circles to keep themselves busy with their restlessness evident as Hanma kept out of their way to sit beneath the tree. Currently he was studying the dead beast that Ecco had split in half, prodding its anatomy with bony fingers as he pulled out organs and tugged at nerves to see what twitched.

"Doeth it have a weaknethh?"

He looked up to see Oddtooth stare down at him.

"You're looking for a weaknethh to it right?"

"Always study your enemy," said the cloaked stranger, "its flesh is more like a fish, smooth and leathery...but it has an exoskeleton that reinforces its bone structure, protecting its organs from bone-breaking damage."

"Oh, like a poithoncrawler." He sat down sniffing over the abdomen. "That there, my uncle thowed me crawlerth that have that."

"Ahhh, insectoid, you are right."

"They took your family too?"

"Yes," he nodded twisting his fingerbone into the corpse, "but I will help you find your brother."

"Thank you." The raptor looked up to him with his single eye gleaming green. "Why do you wear that?"

"Hmm?" Hanma looked to him.

"The...deep thing," he scratched faintly at the cloak, "why do you wear it?"

"It protects me."

"From...from what?"

"Beasts that can erase my existence...ah, he has returned."

He pointed his hand towards the sea as Ecco chirped with creatures in tow, skimming the waves with their fins as they floated up to the edge of the cave facing the raptors. A small pack of icthyosaurs chirped shaking their fins with nervous eyes.

"We are here!" the dolphin cried. "My apologies for the wait."

"U-uhhh, hiii." A large fish with sharp blue fin chittered. "S-so, um...this, Ecco told us what was happening and uh-"

"We want to help," said a red-finned fish, "some of our friends and families were taken by these things, he said you could kill them."

"Yes," Oddclaw nodded, "we only need you to carry us over the sea."

"Then we only ask this. Find our families, our friends, and free them too."

"We promise," Skyfang stood prim with the scar on her head glinting in the sun, "we're getting our brother back, but we'll free anyone else too."

"Are you Seaclaw's friend?" Moonclaw asked turning to the blue-fin.

"Y-yeah, I'm Highwave," she clacked her beak, "he told me all about you uhh...Moonclaw right?"

"Yes," she purred lowly reaching her neck down to her, "I wish that we met before, but I am glad to meet you Highwave."

"Me too," she carefully tapped her beak at her snout then turned to the others, "so uhhhh Oddtooth, Skyfang and youuu must be Oddclaw."

"I am," said the father sliding himself into the water, "thank you for helping me find my son."

"Hey he's my friend, he helped me now I help him!"

"Good...that is good." He patted her side as she nuzzled him gently. "How long have you known Seaclaw?"

"Uhhh about three cycles I think?" She floated around him in a lazy circle. "I mean I wasn't sure about him at first yanno, being a swiftclaw and that but he's always been nice to me and we like, talk and swim together and find cool stuff."

"He told me about the small caves he found with you, asked me what to do when going inside them."

"Heheh, yeah...you uh, don't mind we're friends right?"

"Of course not! Just keep away from our alpha, he loves to eat fish."

"Is that his uncle Fishclaw?"

"Hahaha yes, yes that is him." He smiled craning his neck with bashful grin.

"Alright I'll carry you." She tapped his shoulder and motioned to her back. "And uhh you guys can carry the others."

"Are you SURE they can be trusted?" the red-finned icthyo turned to Ecco.

"If they attack you then you can drown them," said the dolphin smirking, "all you have to do is pull them to the depths if they betray you."

"Ahhh...yes, well then shall we go?!"

"Yeth." Oddtooth stepped forwards bracing his feet. "I won't hurt you, I promithe, I jutht want my brother back."

"Actions speak greater, swiftclaw," said the greatfish presenting his back to him, "on my back, and watch your teeth."

The raptors climbed onto the fish as they kept still until the ferals steadied themselves with gentle teeth, biting soft at the scaled fins as the icthyosaurs started swimming towards the south with Ecco leading them and Oddclaw riding on Highwave, whilst his family led on behind with Hanma trailing beside the dolphin as a shadow flying over the sea with his cloak ruffling at its base, almost as if he were running on water without his feet to be seen. The endless expanse of the southern sea was terrifying to the raptors, the smell of rich salt and the waters cascading behind in white that dampened their feet. They gritted their geeth as best they could, focusing purely on the scent and face of Seaclaw somewhere beyond the ocean deep.

"Wh-where...f-father?"

His eyes blinked open as he felt a cold ridged floor beneath his body, leathery hard skin that he rubbed his claws briefly against before reeling back in disgust. He looked up at the three walls surrounding him, twisted black flesh with wires running through that gave a soothing hum which scared him as it tingled the back of his brain. A forcefield flickered in front of him that resembled glass, phazing from existence back and forth as the sounds of hissing beasts roamed the halls beyond.

"M-mother?! Where are you?!"

He walked to the barrier and reached for his sword, finding it was gone from its sheath. Instead he took the scabbard and prodded the field before it jerked him back with a warning jolt.

"N-NNNGH! Wha-...th-this isn't a cave...is it?"

Seaclaw rubbed his neck feeling a slight soreness as he tried to lean close to the field and get a look down the halls before the buzzing current crept along his skin. Darkness in both directions, black and deep green coating the walls in the shapes of ribs, patterns on the walls resembling stoic slithering tendrils of glistening steel next to the odd glassy tube where liquids seemed to pump through. Sometimes there was meat. Sometimes he saw more as he reached back clutching himself. His satchel was still on him thankfully as he peered through his belongings to try and find something to use as a weapon, the sticks and stones he could use for fire and the small pieces of meat he had with the flask of water made from a hollowed rock. The boy clicked his teeth and debated on what to use, taking deep breaths as he laid out his tools and looked briefly around the room, before taking the stone flask in his hand and putting the rest back in his kit. Minutes passed in silence, each one longer than the next before a creature came slinking through, a half-serpent alien with long green head and sinister claws grasping a silver gun.

"The blood-holder is awake." The beast's darker friend moved to block the exit. "Do not let it escape."

The shield went down as Seaclaw cowered in the back corner of the room as they approached, long-tailed bodies creeping over the smooth-skinned floor as one gently reached out to him. A darker beast with an odd brownish colour, it grabbed his arm and he immediately swung for its head with the flask, bouncing off its skull as it hissed sharp with surprise giving Seaclaw time to rush past and race for the exit. But the one with the gun stopped him short of escaping with a hard swing of its tail to throw him down before grabbing his throat.

"L-LET ME GO, LET ME GO I'LL HURT YOU!"

"Keep it stable," rasped the beast, "firm, not gentle."

"Yes harvester."

The brown drone gripped the boy's arms whilst wrapping its tail over his legs to fully pin him as the jade beast aimed its gun. Slowly it pushed against Seaclaw's arm before shooting a needle through his skin causing him to screech, kicking harder as he watched the silver thing pull blood from his body.

"A-AAAIIIIIGH! GET, OOOOOFF, N-NNNNNGH!"

"Good." The harvester pulled back with a soft wet suck of the gun-needle. "Your fate is now sealed, drone."

"Thank you harvester," said the drone, "what shall I do?"

"Are you still not minded?" The harvester scraped a claw down his head. "It has been four harvests since your birth, drone."

"Forgive me," he bowed his head with mewling snarl, "I do not know why, I await my queen's voice every day that passes."

"Correct," they slinked out of the cell as the larger beast put up the field, "as for the blood-holder, guard it, we may have use for more if we see fit."

"Yes harvester."

The creature slinked out of the cell along with the drone as the field went up again, the darker beast standing guard as the harvester went down the hall and disappeared to darkness. Seaclaw stood up holding back his tears with a deep sniff, clutching his arm from the soreness as a sliver of blood dripped through his fingers.

"Wh-whut do you want?!" He walked up to the field sneering at the drone. "Why am I here, where's my family!?"

"They are not here." The drone did not turn his head. "We fought them, and left them behind."

"They'll find me, they're gonna find me an' then, they're gonna kill you!"

"Incorrect." He looked back at the child. "I exist, because they could not stop us. But you are safe. You are safe because I exist."

"Wh-whut?"

"You are afraid we will kill you. That will not happen."

"Wait...wait you...want to keep me safe?"

"Correct." The drone faced him fully with eyes of black from his deep copper head. "You will not be harmed."

"But...wh-what about my family, an' Rumble?!"

"The fertile one shall be kept for the harvest. Your father will come to face us and then he will die."

"NO!" He grabbed his flask and hurled it at the shield. "Y-YOU CAN'T, HE'S BETTER THAN YOU!"

"His future is set," the drone shook his head, "that is what the warriors have told me."

"They're wrong, my father's the best an' strongest hunter ever, he's gonna kill ALL of you!"

"Then why do I exist, young spawn?" The alien leaned forwards almost touching the field. "Why do I exist, when I am proof of your father's failure?"

"I...I-i dunno, th-that," Seaclaw rubbed his claws, "I dunno whut you mean."

"You never could. I am sorry, but you are safe, as is the fertile one. I will keep you safe."

The child stepped back and picked up his flask, sitting down in the corner to huddle up against himself and hug his knees trying to think of an escape. Waiting for his family, looking at the walls trying to find an exit whilst fearing for what plans they had for him and his friend. Across the other side of the ship, Riptor sat in her cell pacing back and forth whilst watching the aliens patrol past, scanning their bodies and her cell for weaknesses before moving to the corner and raising her comms.

"Sulphide. Sulphide come in, are you there?"

No response. She sighed frustrated as she tried to attack the field with a hissing jet of flame from her throat to try and breach it, but to no success as it simply flickered with sparks of fire onto the floor that burnt out quick with nothing to burn. Sometimes the creatures looked at her out of some vague curiosity, but she stared straight back at them with aggressive sneer creeping on her face. None of them spoke to her as she slitted her eyes and went up to the forcefield as close she could to look down the halls and map out an escape route amongst deep jade and liquid tubes. One of them however was stationed eventually at her cell and stood waiting in watch with its jade oblong head glinting in the dimness of the ship.

"What do you want with me?" she asked the guard.

"Food," the guard twitched its tail, "your womb shall make fresh for harvest."

"If you want my meat you come into this cell and take it yourself."

"The queen has plans for you and a future harvest."

"The only future I see is your death and all your worthless kind."

"Then you are a fool. To not see our greatness when the Vortex shall plant its seed into this world and reclaim it for ourselves."

"That I will NOT let happen," she snarled hissing with steel tendrils up, "your queen is nothing but a face discarded by gods who lay dead at my feet."

"SILENCE!" The creature shrieked turning its head. "Blaspheme at your peril for we only desire your womb and nothing else, you will become part of the Machine by our means or yours."

"The Machine?" Riptor cocked her head.

"This entire construct by which you shall be a part of. Once we have made you a place to fit you within, you shall become a generous feeder for our eternity."

"I'll feed my claws into your throat and nothing else, degenerate."

The creature turned back to keep watch on the halls as Riptor shuffled back to the corner, still peering along the walls of synthetic veins that shimmered with bioelectrical energy. She pondered her options with a constant vigil, keeping watch over the corridor that she could see until a voice came whispering in her ear.

"Everything alright, my leader?"

"Not quite," she muttered back, "are you alone?"

"Always when I am with you."

"You may want to sit down for this." Riptor braced herself with a breath. "I have been captured, creatures from another world drugged me and have taken me onto their ship."

"That isn't like you," said the voice with a tut, "have they hurt you?"

"No, I-..." she reeled her back with a squint, "are you alright?"

"Perfectly, why?"

"Just...I was expecting you to be more upset."

"Should I be?" crooned the voice. "You are our leader after all, you've made that very clear and I know you can best anything, gods or otherwise."

"Hmm that is true but," she smacked her lips, "I...suppose hah, and here I worried about you, it's good to see you're taking such assertiveness."

"I learned from the best." She felt his nodding smile. "Where are you now?"

"On their ship," she roved her eyes around her cell, "they have not harmed me, I don't think they plan to directly since they keep calling me a fertile one, wanting to turn me into some sort of food processor."

"How disgusting...any plans of escape?"

"Not for now, they have this forcefield that appears to be some form of plasma barrier I could overload if I find its generator."

"And the walls?"

"There are some wires, perhaps I could..."

She sniffed over every crevice in her room to find it airtight within its fleshy walls. She nipped at the wires with her teeth, trying to pull them free or at least rip them off but the skinfold fabric twisted in her teeth with exceptional resistance.

"Nnnnngh! Ugh...what material is this it's like cold skin but I can taste steel."

"If I knew where you were I could assist," said the voice in her comms.

"I don't doubt that Sulphide but I think this place is too far beyond your reach. I will figure something out, the forcefield is my best bet if I can just find its conduit."

"What of Oddclaw and his family? Are they there with you?"

"No, his son Seaclaw is someplace else, I saw him briefly between lapses. But..." she looked low towards the hall and her guard, "I will have to find him. Rescue him-"

"And that will put you in good favour with the family."

"Yes, exactly! This might actually be good."

"I agree," the comms purred, "your sterling intellect wins every time my leader."

"Alright don't get TOO toady," she hissed at the wall, "I will find my way out, rescue Seaclaw and get into Oddclaw's good graces. I just need an opportunity, they'll have to feed me eventually and that's when I strike."

"Then I shall await your return, my leader...but, you should be prepared for that mate of his."

"You think she'll come with him to this?"

"A mother's love is greater than anything," said the voice almost whispering, "powerful beyond belief. One day I hope you experience that."

"That...I did not need to hear that last part, thank you Sulphide."

He said nothing more as she curled up her body and waited for her food, claws hidden beneath as memories came creeping from the back of her mind.

"Do you remember the days back at Ultratech?" She heard nothing from her comms. "The cells we had were bigger than this...gave us fake plants so they could pretend we weren't suffering in their wretched prison waiting to sell us off as slaves! Happy little slaves that did tricks for meat. Disgusting...you know what?"

She raised her head looking to the guard.

"I'm going to kill every single one of these things before I leave. Not like anyone will miss them. You're right, this isn't like me Sulphide so why did I let them-...wait."

Something clicked in her mind as she sniffed the air and a memory came.

"That...yes, that creature that took me he...smelled like Oddclaw and his...son."