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Chapter 11 - The Culling of Chentrilla

Location: New Haven

New Haven was a small town that lay on the edge of the Chentrilla Delta. It was surrounded by rich pasture and farmland that had been the agricultural backbone of Chentrilla for decades. The "ocean" that it was built next to was actually a great lake with Chentrilla City in the middle of that lake on a large island. It was sometimes misty in that region but the city could always be seen just over the water from the docks.

It was unusual to see a city perched on an island however Chentrilla was constantly expanding with artificial extensions all around the main hub of the island. However the city was nowhere as big as such modern day cities like Gia and had a relatively small population. The lake was part of the river Argon and was called Lake Domination, being the biggest natural lake on Terra, at about 125,000 square kilometres in surface area, about twice the size of Lake Superior on the human world of Earth. The lake had a calm nature, despite its massive size, very little in the way of storms had happened within almost a thousand years due to the northern climate of Chentrilla.

New Haven was one of many towns that provided shipping and import to Chentrilla City. In all there were seven coastal towns around Lake Domination and one city, called Araska that lay on the southern rim of the lake.

Many had speculated about the origin of Chentrilla City which had been the capital of Chentrilla Continent for all of recorded history. Terran scientists and historians had speculated that the city was originally constructed by the Beaver, a race that had gone extinct almost three thousand years ago. Chentrilla City was the only known city on Terra to be present from that period sort of like the ancient cities of Athens and Rome.

However whatever the city had been during those times, it had changed dramatically since then and was one of the major beauty spots and capital cities on Terra. Over time, it had seen many changes, for example, during the Battle of Gaspir Ridge almost a thousand years ago, a group of two hundred fox soldiers held out against an army of wolf that numbered in the thousands. The city was heavily damaged however they survived the assault and it was the turning battle of the War of Chentrilla.

Diamond flicked back his hair as he rode in the open top Jeep that sped up along the dirt track road that led between Adamanta and New Haven. He had been sat in this Jeep for almost an hour and was getting impatient. Aries had assured him that the journey would only last about thirty minutes. Lance was sat in the back of the Jeep, feeling the cool breeze fluttering through his hair. He had still not spoken to Diamond since they left Adamanta, he scratched his grey muzzle and sat back. What was he going to do when he got back to his small flat in Chentrilla, he was not sure but he was just glad to be home.

It was just approaching mid afternoon, the sun was still pretty high in the sky as they drove over the farmlands and up and down the various hills towards New Haven.

"If we don't hurry up... we're gonna miss the ferry!" shouted Diamond, trying to be heard over the roar of the engine.

Aries let out a grunt as he drove, he had taken off his jacket to show a small vest and his massive arms just waiting to bulge in front of Diamond. Almost too tantalising for Diamond to resist. "There is a speed limit on these roads, y'know... I'm already doing thirty... can't go any faster then that... besides we're bout five minutes away!"

Diamond sat back in his chair quietly and waited. He looked up at the horizon, it just seemed to be endless road. However there was something else too... strange dark clouds gathering on the horizon almost like some sort of bad omen.

After about four minutes of road, the Jeep effortlessly climbed a very large hill which was just behind New Haven docks. "We should be getting there right after this h... what the fuck!?" shouted Aries.

Diamond and Lance instantly looked up over the water at Chentrilla City that could just be made out in the distance as they approached New Haven. Aries grinded the Jeep to a halt as he stopped to get a better look as they came over the hill.

Diamond instantly stood up and looked at the magnificent view that he could see. At the bottom of the road was the small town of New Haven that consisted of a few buildings and a couple of small docks that stretched out slightly into the water. This was not a commercial dock but more of a personal one, it was Diamond's intention to re-enter Chentrilla quietly so that he could go straight home for rest before reporting to Phoenix Grace.

"Looks like a storms brewing?" questioned Lance, the first time that he had spoke for the entire journey. He looked slightly confused. It very rarely was stormy weather however what was odd about these clouds were just how localised they were. They seemed to only cover the city? The rest of the sky was clear?

Diamond had a bad feeling about this. He looked over at Lance and Aries who were both mesmerised and confused about the cloud cover. "Eh... I need to go to the bathroom..." he announced, looking over at both of them who were still staring at the clouds. He walked off in the general direction of the trees that were on top of the hill.

"Lance?" asked Aries after Diamond had disappeared. "This is some pretty freaky shit, what do you think is going on?"

"I...I... dunno" replied Lance, slightly jittery.

"I'll just turn on the radio and see whats going on..." sighed Aries as he approached his car which was still stopped on the top of the hill overlooking New Haven and Chentrilla. Lance just continued watching the black clouds gather over the calm lake.

He noticed a large patch of water seem to flex and sway unnaturally, almost as if something was coming up from the surface...

Something unnatural.

Aries turned on the radio however he could only her the fizzles and crackles of static. "Gah... no signal... could be anything" he sighed looking back at Lance who was standing rooted to spot, his eyes wide with fear. "What's wro--" he demanded as he turned to look out into the lake and his eyes widened.

Something had risen out of Lake Domination, a massive dragon-like creature that was absolutely huge by Terran standards. It rose out of the air, its wingspan easily two miles long. It was a beautiful shade of cerulean blue and razor sharp, blue crystals emerged from its back. Lance recognised the beast from one of the oldest myths amongst his people's beliefs.

It was Leviathan.

The calamity. The beast that was to devour the world on judgement day, the mother of all dragon life on Terra and formidable myth to say the least. Only that it was not a myth. She was real?

Aries saw the panic screams of the people, running in fear from New Haven as the beast flew up into the air and hovered over Chentrilla. "What the fuck is that!?" he shouted. "Lance... get in the car!"

Aries's words were not even registered by Lance who just stood, rooted on the spot as he watched another figure emerge from the water and hover beside the mighty Leviathan. This one was a hell of a lot smaller and seemed to be glowing an astral white. With his good lupine sight he could just make it out, it was a female, a species that he had never seen before.

"Lance!?" shouted Aries again, looking back at Leviathan. "Lance! We have to get out of here, get Diamond and lets go!"

Lance did not even reply, he was deeply rooted in fear and mystery. "It just can't be..." he muttered to himself.

There was a rustle in the trees behind them as Diamond can rushing out. "Lance... Aries!" he panted as he stopped to catch his breath. "Thank the Divine your ok... What the hell is that thing!?"

"Its Leviathan..." chanted Lance, almost as if he was in a trance and was being mesmerised by the creature. "My people believe its the beast that will devour the world on Judgement Day... this is my fault... I disgraced the gods by giving in to physical pleasure with another male... This is retribution!"

"Dude...!" shouted Aries. "What you two do in your spare time is none of my business!"

Diamond just tried to hide his embarrassment. He did not know if to laugh at the absurdity of what Lance had just said or smack Lance for even mentioning that in front of another.

"Its me... I'm being punished! OVER HERE!" shouted Lance to the dragon that was floating above the city. "KILL ME! TAKE YOUR RETRIBUTION AND FEEL SATISFIED! COME ON! WHAT ARE YOU WAIT---"

Too late. Diamond fully punched Lance in the face, making him drop into Aries arms. "We don't have time for this religious shit" he said, looking over at Aries. "We need to help out the people trapped in the city..."

Diamond thought to himself that he sounded utterly ridiculous, he was a cryptologist, not a dragon slayer. How was the two of them going to save millions?

The other figure clapped together her hands as she floated in the air beside Leviathan, spawning massive white wings from her back as she did. She looked like an angel from ancient Terran mythology, she send out a pulse of light a bubble that started at the centre of the city and quickly expanded.

Both Diamond and Aries looked on in fear. They were both surprised to see that after the bubble of light had passed over the city, there had been no damage to the tall skyscrapers until...

A low rumbling sound filled the air as the skyscrapers of the city began to collapse in on each other, massive explosions and smoke poured from the buildings as they rumbled to the ground.

The woman spoke in a voice so loud, it echoed in the minds of everyone nearby. Maybe it was just a telepathic message but everyone in the area heard it which made it seem like a shout.

"Mortals... The time of your dominion has ended. In accordance to the will of the Asgard, this city must be razed. This planet will become ours."

"Kestra..." muttered Diamond, recalling the faded holo-image aboard the wreckage of the Valkyrie. So what he had been told was true. She was here!

The city shook as the great beast flew down onto the service of the water. The navy, who barely had any time to mobilise were attempting to deploy ships to defend Chentrilla. However it was all in vain.

With one beat of her mighty wings, Leviathan conjured up the most powerful tidal wave ever seen, it covered the absolutely width of the lake and could be seen from anywhere around Lake Domination. It moved towards the city with great force, destroying all the stood in its way, boats were simply engulfed in this wall of water as it reach almost forty feet high.

Diamond looked away as Aries put his hand on his shoulder. There was nothing they could do but watch the devastation and annihilation of an entire city. Helicopters, obviously including government officials quickly scrambled from the roofs of buildings that were still standing, a few of them engulfed by the water.

As for the other two million inhabitants, there was no escape as the wall of water came crashing down over the city, wiping the entire city apart. A cataclysm that would never would recover.

After a few seconds it was over. But the panicked screams did not stop, water had also damaged New Haven below them. Both Aries and Diamond stopped and stared in completely disbelief of what just happened.

Leviathan then returned down into the seemingly bottomless lake and Kestra had disappeared up into the sky. In their wake, an island that had more in common with ancient ruins then with a thriving city. There was literally nothing left standing, a collection of rubble and death was all that existed on that island.

Chentrilla City and its two million inhabitants... was gone.