FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The Nizani hospital's halls were very empty; I ran down the white-painted halls without seeing anything but a single empty stretcher and a door to my left; the hall curved to the right. I'd have to be fast; there'd be soldiers coming for me soon...

I stopped at the door; it was another room with a sign that said Nizani only. It was also marked as a recovery room- if Ganix was right, this was where Nilus was.

I tried the knob, and found it locked. I then kicked it; still nothing.

'What? Who's that?!' A voice shouted from the other side. Nilus!

'It's me, Azeus! You hear the radio?' I yelled, slamming my gun's butt into the knob. The knob bent.

'No, they don't have one in here!' Nilus yelled.

'I'll explain as we go!' I yelled. I smashed my gun into the knob again, and door swung open. Nilus was standing just behind, and she swiftly hugged me. I winced in pain, and pulled out. My arm was still broken, after all.

'As we go...? I know something's up; they were trying to give me sedatives. But what the hell's going on?' Nilus asked.

'Your father attempted to speak out against Chionne on radio and I presume television...' I started leading her out of the room. But I shoved her back in when I saw half a dozen Nizani soldiers coming down the hall; rifles ready.

'Shit- hide!' I whispered. I slid under one of the beds; the bedsheets hung most of the way down to the floor. Nilus got under another.

'That damn Vaux isn't in there!' A voice yelled. Two of the soldiers came into the room we were in.

'And the Disanti girl isn't here either! Rui damn it; they escaped!' One of the soldiers yelled. 'Go ahead! They couldn't of gone far! Commander Tolr told us they would have only heard the announcement a minute ago!'

The soldiers ran from our room; and the sound of their boots echoed down the hallway. Nilus got out and helped me out as well.

'There's soldiers after us...? Our own soldiers...?'

'As I was saying, your father tried to speak out against her, and she already had it planned. Framed him for treason- he was being taken off to jail...' I replied. Nilus's face turned to shock.

'...What...? Father...?'

'No matter what, everything crumbles in this damnable war...' I growled, clenching my one good fist. 'We need to get the hell out of here.'

'But... this is the Hauptstadt central hospital. The only way you can leave is with a nurse's approval. They control the doors.' Nilus replied.

'Remember Ganix? You know, that small, scared Hebii that was once Noemon's assistant...? He's a nurse here... And you don't know, do you...?'

'Don't know what...? Azeus? What don't I know?'

'That assassin- he was Noemon. Ganix validated it for me through a handwriting sample.'

'What...? No... Why...?' Nilus wept.

'I don't god damned know. I think Chionne hired him. But we need to get the hell out of here.'

'Right.' Nilus replied, and we darted out. We went down the opposite hall the soldiers had taken, and ran into a nurse who was coming down the hall with a tray of medical materials- and sedative, presumably intended for Nilus. She dropped the tray in shock when we came dashing around the bend, throwing the bottle of white pills everywhere.

'Help! The patients are escaping!' The nurse started screaming. I acted quickly, knocking her out as we passed. There was a window at the far end of the hall which may have been our escape route, but there was a hallway next to it and the sound of running boots could be heard. So I pulled Nilus with me into the nearest room; an unmarked metal door to my left. It swung open slowly, and clanged shut behind us. We were thrown into darkness when we landed on the ground- I quickly got up and fumbled for the lock; and found one. I slammed it shut and helped Nilus up. The room smelt horrible- and I could hear quiet moaning...

'...W-what did we just stumble into...?' Nilus muttered as I helped her up. I fumbled for the lightswitch and found it, but my hand hovered over the metal switch.

'I almost don't want to switch on the lights...' I whispered. There was a stench of meat; akin to a butcher's shop. It was also mixed with the smell of feces and urine, and general body odor. That moaning continued; it was the moan of pain; sheer agony.

Nilus almost said something, but I stopped her when I could hear muffled voices on the other side of the door. I placed my tattered ear to the door and listened.

'...Knocked her out! The damn brute, injuring a harmless nurse like that! Fucking Vaux, just like all the rest...' A voice growled.

'Get her rested.' Another voice added.

'...And for Rui's sake, check all the rooms.' The first voice added. I pulled away.

'They're checking the rooms.' I whispered.

'There's no windows in here... that door's our only exit.' Nilus commented. The moaning grew louder, so I drew my gun. I then hit the lightswitch with the weapon- and reeled back into a nearby table, the life nearly scared out of me.

This room was worse than a butcher's shop- a twisted, demon's butcher's shop. A Vaux was chained onto a raised and angled table, dead. His chest was cut open and many of the organs were removed, but the intestines hung loosely out. The ribs had been cut away, and the skin hung loose. Blood covered the floor.

More Vaux were in nearby cages; with little space to move. Nearly all of them were dead, but they weren't what they once were. Several had their skulls cut open right where they sat, with their brains removed. Another was missing its left arm and leg, and yet another was missing large chunks of fur and its eyes. What scared me the worst was what they did to some of them- a few of the corpses bore large clumps of fur that had fallen out, replaced with what looked like insectoid chitin. The ones that still had eyes now had colorless black orbs in their place, and several had lost teeth- mandibles crew on the sides of their ravaged snouts instead. The tails on some had started to develop like a stinger of sorts.

I clamped my good hand over Nilus's beak dropping my gun in the process. I didn't want her to scream in horror, lest we be found. I had a hard enough time subduing my urge to scream out for my fallen brothers. Why would they do this...? And how...?

'By the stars... Why... The pain they must of gone through, to be treated as nothing more than meat or experiments...' I wept, tears streaming down my face. I let my hand go from Nilus's beak.

'I didn't think my kind could even do this monstrous thing... This hospital seems to be under Chionne's control... I suppose this was her doing too.' Nilus muttered.

'That monster... These are my kin... How did he even do this? How did she change them like this?' I cried. The moans stopped, and a voice took their place.

'...A-A-Aze-us...?' The voice said. It was distorted; but it seemed familiar. Nilus and I stepped behind some of the cages to find a few more; the inhabitant of one was still alive.

Most of his clothing was gone, replaced with just rags. One side of his face was covered with chitin, the snout partially crushed, and the left eye a black orb. Bloodied mandibles moved on their own volition, and a lot of him was covered in blood from something. One hand had turned into a vicious three-fingered claw covered in the black chitin, and the tail had changed into a stinger-like appendage about four feet long. As the figure breathed, he wheezed heavily.

'Lycoris! Holy shit, what the hell is going on?!' I exclaimed, my hands grabbing onto the bars.

'The damn... Nizani threw us... into a van... found ourselves here...' Lycoris wheezed. His mutated claw grasped at the air. '...Files... there...'

Lycoris pointed with his mostly normal hand at a nearby desk.

'Check that!' I exclaimed. Nilus nodded and ran over to the desk, and started shuffling through it.

'Seems that... I'll never be an officer...' Lycoris muttered. He started laughing, but it turned into a coughing fit where blood was spat up. 'Fuck me... may actually be ...hacking up a lung...'

'Why did they do this...? And how long ago?' I asked.

'Hours... They work quick.'

Suddenly, someone tried the door, and then pounded on it a few times. A muffled voice yelled something about it being locked, and another replied with it being stuck. They started hitting it.

'Search faster!' I yelled to Nilus.

'They also said... something about the old... War machines of Lore... like they had found... tech from one...'

'Do you reckon they were testing it on all of you?'

Lycoris slowly shrugged. 'Open the... cage. I'll cover your... escape.'

The hammering grew louder, and the door was actually shaking with every slam. They were battering it down!

'Found something!' Nilus yelled, grabbed a few manila folders. The one of the top of the stack was labeled with the phrase "Body-Altering Technology".

'God damned twisted bastards.' I growled, undoing the three latches on Lycoris's cage. They clanged open, and he slowly got out and stretched. I now saw both of his feet had turned to three-clawed talons covered in chitin, and were deeply stained in blood.

'They were working for... a woman named... Chionne.' Lycoris said. He started walking towards the door, albeit slowly. 'Azeus, if you make it back to... Severnaya, tell my mother that... her son died with bravery in his heart... Not as an officer, but a warrior...'

'I will, Lycoris. Brother.' I said. Lycoris stood in front of the door, unflinching with every slam.

'And I'm sorry about... everything that I said, Nilus. People are the... problem, not the species... Peace is something we need...'

'You were forgiven already, Lycoris. Words cannot scar.' Nilus said, standing next to me.

The thumping on the door stopped for a moment, and then resumed at a much louder volume; they were breaking down the door with a ram!

'They'll be in... shortly... Escape in the... chaos.' Lycoris muttered. His mutated claw was raised high, and still clenching at the air.

'Are you sure that you can do this...?' I asked. Lycoris nodded.

'Just go... you two. Avenge our... fallen brothers...' Lycoris replied. The door blew open, and Lycoris charged. He screamed bloody murder, the mutated part of him unleashed. Nilus and I darted out just behind him; our feet pelting down the corridor as a symphony of screams and monstrous screeches echoed through the halls. We skidded around a corner and continued dashing down another hallway, leaping over a stretched as we went. The stairwell was ahead; but so was a window.

I was lucky; leaping out the window was a smart choice. We rolled to a landing on a nearby residential building, only falling a few feet. I helped Nilus back up.

The city around us was a network of tall, flat-roofed buildings stretching nearly a kilometer out. The trunk of the city was to our left.

Bullets started flying at us from the shattered window, and we darted away onto a lower building. We kept running.

We only stopped when we found a safe route to the ground, and then we managed to hide inside an abandoned shack. There were few people around, and the tin shack that was only ten feet wide and long hid us well. It was built onto the side of a battered shop; presumably once made to store tools of some sort. Nilus and I sat down on the stone floor, panting heavily.

'Why...? Why are my own people trying to kill me...?' Nilus cried.

'Chionne's henchmen are doing that; not your people...' I replied. 'I want to know what the fuck happened in there to my brothers. And why.'

Nilus silently handed me the folders, and I opened the top one.

I won't go into length of the file, but it told of how a group of Nizani ground soldiers found an old ruin on the forest floor, and it was later discovered to be part of one of the old War Engines of Lore- they had found one.

I almost dropped the file when I read that line. If it was resurrected by Chionne's soldiers, it could mean hell.

I continued reading. Further lines retold how this group called in reinforcements, and they started exploring the massive machine that once used to be nearly a mile long but was now buried. They found mostly rust and wreckage down there; but they also found technology. In the old days, the four species had much more powerful technologies, but we've since blown those technologies up and the historical records with them. But they found old books and some medical tech; which they realized that if they put remains of an organism in it and then injected the fluid; it would change the body of the injected. It was quick, but usually deadly.

'Those bastards...' I muttered. The next paragraph explained something- They intended to use it on one of the other species first to make it work; they wanted to give themselves wings, and to be stronger. But they had to make sure it worked on the other species. They had to dissect some to figure out how alike they were, and to make sure they were similar enough. But they couldn't be used on the non-Nizani citizens of Ablehenea- their disappearances would be suspicious; travellers would have to be used.

I threw the file to the side and started crying. They were there at the wrong place, at the wrong time. Why did this have to happen...?

'Azeus...? What did you discover...?' Nilus asked.

'My brethren were subjected to old tech- technology from one of the old War Engines. They had to test it on someone whose disappearance wouldn't arouse suspicion...'

'Oh, by Rui's name... What were they trying to do with them...?' Nilus asked.

'Give themselves wings, and probably flaunt them in the Murria's collective faces.' I replied. I collected the file. 'We should go. I don't know where to, though...'

'We'll find somewhere.' Nilus said. We exited to an empty street; windblown and dusty. We started walking down, without anywhere to go. No where to be; we were exiles. Outlaws.

With nothing left.

We walked on, being quiet and as stealthy as possible. We wanted to free Malek, but we were just two; there was no way we could save him. We just weren't strong enough.

As we walked, there were multiple times where we had to hide because one of us had spotted Noemon's new plane flying overhead- Why wasn't he shot down by now?

There was one route for us to go; the files contained the coordinates of the old War Engine of Lore, and where it was wrecked. I hoped that they would contain something that could stop Chionne or the mutants that her henchmen were making, and Nilus hoped that there would be something to save her father. We had no clue what was left down there.

But first, we needed a ride. No military plane going in that direction would possibly give us a lift, so we had to fly their ourselves. Nilus briefly suggested finding Ganix and Lex; Lex could get us there in a Rotor-cage. But that wouldn't have been the best idea; we could easily bring unwanted attention to the strange couple- that was even if we found them.

There was one option left. Steal one. There were a handful of aircraft dealers in Hauptstadt, and many sold military-grade planes similar to the old Blue Flame. There was even a possibility that we could find a Murria-designed plane similar to Noemon's.

Nilus, as the daughter of one of the big four, has access to just about anything, technically. Her face said that she should be offered anything, for it would later be repaid by the government. But as the daughter of a general convicted of treason, it may not work- that depended on the vendor, really. It also depended on the fact that people were taking sides.

We had been slowly crossing the city, staying to the shadows and away from crowds. But as we moved, we realized that the Nizani populous was split. Some supported Malek, and realized that he never committed any sort of treason. Most of these people were the non-Nizani inhabitants of Hauptstadt, or their friends. These were also supporters of the meak Agosti Deak, and they tried to get him to stand in Malek's stead. The other half of the inhabitants of this city were supporters of Chionne, who wanted a more traditional way of living that was very similar to the Murria. Many of these Nizani hated the other species, and a few knew of her plans.

A supporter of Malek would easily give us whatever we required- but a supporter of Chionne- a traditionalist- would try to stop us or even kill us. It was a gamble.

We soon spotted an aircraft dealer; each one was at the edge of the city so that the planes could be flown off easily. The building itself was small; but rows upon rows of smaller planes lined the runway outside. The planes were a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes.

The building was painted grey, made from metal, and part was built into a nearby massive branch. The name of the shop was Winging it Aircraft Retailers, and the name got a small chuckle from me. Problem was, the building had no windows, so we couldn't see who was inside. I stopped Nilus in front of the double doors.

'Hey, we need to know which plane we're taking if we need to get out quickly.' I said.

'They best have them labeled.' Nilus replied, entering first. I was hidden behind the doors.

'Welcome, customer- Shit, you're the daughter of that treasonous Disanti guy! Freeze right there, you bitch!' A man's voice yelled from the other side. I drew my gun and barged in, leveling it at the black feathered Nizani behind the counter. He was pointing a small pistol at Nilus.

'You freeze. This gun has enough power to blow you to shreds; I've seen it happen. That pistol would only kill if you got lucky.' I growled.

The Nizani pointed his gun at me, then Nilus again. He kept on moving it between us, confused. Nilus shrugged.

'All we need is a plane, that's it. Fast, agile, preferably two seats. You have plenty.' Nilus explained.

'I won't give anything to you. You want to pollute and destroy the old ways! Rui will lead us to victory, and thus you want us to be destroyed from the inside!' The Nizani yelled, angry. His gun was pointed at Nilus at the time; I took the chance to smash him over the head with the handle of my gun. He collapsed.

'Did you have to?' Nilus asked. She climbed over the counter to the rack of keys on the back wall.

'What else would we do?' I replied. Nilus shrugged again and grabbed half a dozen random keys- they were labeled by number, and the tags that hung from them were color-coded with a system we didn't understand. There were six colors; black, white, green, blue, red, and yellow. The keys Nilus grabbed were from random spots on the rack.

'We best figure out which ones are which before this guy gets up and calls for help.' Nilus stated, leaping over the counter. We ran out and to the large group of planes that line the long, nearly half kilometer runway. A row of planes lined one side, the other side also lined with various flying vehicles. Each plane was parked specifically in its own spot, and each spot had a number. The numbers ranged from one to one hundred.

We came out near plane number twenty-three, and nearby was plane nineteen, one of the keys Nilus grabbed. It was a single propeller, one seat, lightweight plane. Cheap, and not our thing. Nilus tossed the key as we went to the next.

The first five keys were without luck. They were either too slow, didn't have enough seats, or lacking the precision we needed. One of them was also a Rotor-cage, no clue how it ended up here.

The last one was plane number forty two; but we were a long ways from it. We started jogging for it, but gunfire rang out. We broke into a run- reinforcements had been called. A jeep bearing the green stripe that so many Nizani military forces bore skidded onto the runway- there was a soldier standing up in the passenger seat, firing at us.

I pulled Nilus and I behind the planes, and we started running behind them. The runway was on the very edge of the city; and only a flimsy railing stopped us from falling to our deaths hundreds of feet below.

'Stop your running, Azeus Vaux and Nilus Disanti!' The driver yelled from the jeep. 'Submit now, and your death will be quick; by General Tolr's command!'

Tolr knows about us. Great.

I gave the jeep's passengers the finger, and then leveled my gun at their engine. The jeep, in response, swerved at us. I stopped Nilus suddenly, and the jeep missed. It then crashed through a small glider-like plane, and went flying off the edge, taking part of the railing with it.

'Idiots.' I muttered. They flung themselves off, trying to kill us. 'Let's get going.'

We escaped Hauptstadt easily- the last plane we had gotten the keys for was a small plane painted a navy blue,with two seats- one behind the other- a single propeller engine, and a small space for cargo. Its single engine was very powerful, and when we started it I was sure the roar the engine made would attract attention. It had a good navigation system; a display just behind the controls held a map of Vitria, and there was a tiny dot that was moved by two copper poles that showed where the plane was. There were also two coordinate readouts with one of the newer readouts with the rotating numbers, and a built in compass. The altitude readout was next to the compass.

We gained flight quickly, heading towards the coordinates the files had listed. But as we were leaving, I made a flyby of Hauptstadt. Fighting could be seen breaking out in various spots across the massive, two-tiered city. A few buildings were on fire in one area, and there was gunfire in another.

'If Chionne's message was received the same way in other Nizani cities... this could mean civil war.' Nilus muttered as I turned away from the city. I didn't risk flying up to the second level in fear of encountering Chionne's pilots.

'War will always tear apart this world...' I muttered. Now, all that was ahead of us were massive trees; many of them pine trees grown to sizes much, much larger than any in other parts of Vitria. I kept just above their tops, to avoid detection.

'How does it feel to be back at the controls of a plane again?' Nilus asked me.

'It's a feeling I've missed.' I replied. 'I'm just glad they keep these things fueled.'

'You'd think they wouldn't.' Nilus commented. We went into silence. What was there to say?

'May I ask you something, Nilus?' I asked after a minute of silence.

'Of course, Azeus.'

'Do you have any idea what's going to happen to us? I've been a wanderer for a few years, but now, if you're to be with me, things will end up changing...' I responded.

'I don't know what will happen, but I think I know where we should go. Try to get father back.'

'If there's some way to, we will. I just hope there's space to land at these coordinates.'

'I was reviewing the file. Says there's a clearing covered in a strange growth.' Nilus stated.

'Huh. Best hope it's not the type that would stop us from landing.'

It most certainly wasn't. As we got near to the coordinates- after about an hour's flight- we saw the clearing. A few of the massive trees had fallen, and it was covered in white in the area. At first glance, I thought it was snow- Severnaya was only another hour's flight away, after all. But then I also realized that it was isolated to about a half-kilometer space. I started heading downwards to find a place to land.

'What in the world...?' Nilus muttered. I dipped between two trees and managed to land, albeit a bit jarringly. But we got out of the plane, not even caring. We were in awe.

The white substance I first thought was snow was hardly that; they were flowers. Thousands of them, with about six petals each. They seemed to grow directly from the ground, and on vines that covered the fallen trees. Every time a gust of wind blew, the thousands of flowers would almost sway in unison.

As we walked into the center of the opening, we realized something- there was an item in the center that wasn't covered by these mysterious flowers, at least, not completely. The corner of an ancient metal machine stood from the ground, with several shattered windows. It was at an awkward angle, and the corner alone was several hundred feet long. A rounded piece of metal nearby- looked like a joint- also stood out. It was about a hundred feet wide and it dipped into the ground. It was about five hundred feet away, and both had flowery vines growing up them, but only scarcely. The corner had multiple guns bristling from it; but all had collapsed or fallen off. One; a massive cannon nearly fifty feet long, had totally fallen off and was mostly covered by the flowers.

As we walked, the flowers that we stepped on were not crushed; at least, they didn't stay that way. The tire tracks from the landing gear of my new plane were slowly closing up, and becoming the flowers once again.

'These flowers...' I muttered. Their powerful scent floated through the air, but the smell wasn't anything strange or otherworldly, unlike the landscape itself.

'It has to be because of the War Engine. Has to.' Nilus replied.

'But what type of war machine would produce flowers when destroyed...?'

Soon, we were standing at the precipice of the makeshift entrance to the War Engine. Chionne's goons were here before us, and even though they took most of their planes and gear, their makeshift walkways remained. A boardwalk into the room was set up from the wood of one of the fallen trees, and we carefully walked down it.

'We need a flashlight.' Nilus commented. As soon as she said that, I made out something in the dark. A generator, put here by the soldiers here before us.

'Hang on a tick.' I told Nilus, crossing another rickety boardwalk and stopping at the little metal generator. They had even left some fuel there, so I poured it in and started yanking the ripcord. The generator growled into life, and rows of widely spaced lights in the halls flicked on, powered by this one little engine. Wires were strapped to the walls, connecting them. There was even a duffel bag behind the generator with a bunch of flares within. I picked it up and tossed it to Nilus, who caught it.

'Good spot. I guess they didn't have the space to remove that.' Nilus said as I rejoined her.

'Or they didn't even bother.' I replied as Nilus put the bag on over her shoulder.

The hallway ahead of us was slanted so far over to the side that there was a rope running down it. We slid down, and found ourselves in another room. The lights ran up, across the angled ceiling, and down into another hallway. The room itself was barren, with a collapse of dirt taking up most of the room. From what we could see, there used to be turrets there, but when the War Engine was destroyed and somehow buried, dirt flooded the space.

We then had two pathways; one was at the same angle as the previous corridor, but the other, due to its placement, was actually nearly flat. The lights only went down that corridor, and we chose it.

We travelled deep into the old War Engine, walking for nearly thirty minutes before the lights ended. They ended in a large room full of these massive, solid metal capsules that could easily hold a man. All were hanging open, and most were empty. A few bore ancient, dusty bones of what appeared to be Vaux. At the center of the room was a violated mechanism, with most of its intricate parts removed. I could tell there was once a place to hold syringes, vats, and various other scientific equipment. All that remained were some pipes, with many reaching from the empty machine bearings to the chambers.

'...Were they trying to modify their own bodies?' I questioned.

'The motives of our ancestors are strange.' Nilus said. 'I don't understand it.'

'You act like they're thousands of years old. This may not be older than four hundred.' I replied.

Nilus, during this time, was searching the room. She found nothing- until she found a single, glowing button on a table in a cubicle pushed off to the side. The table was covered in dust, and there was a small conical obtrusion on the top of the table.

'Hey, Azeus... look at this.' Nilus said, beckoning me over. I jogged to her side.

'What do you reckon it does?' I asked.

'May as well find out.' Nilus said, pushing the button gently. The conical structure lit up, and a small man appeared in front of us. He was Hebii with dark brown scales and an officer's uniform, but he was being projected a few inches off of the cone. He was only two feet tall, transparent, and we weren't able to touch him- he was also recorded. Such strange technology.

'~Continue the siege.' The projected officer said; the recording starting with some static in the audio.

'But sir, the~' The audio broke out again for a few seconds before resuming. This voice was from someone off the projection. '~Armor is breached, and the damage is substantial. We're also taking casualties! Rear left leg damage~'

'Just keep fighting.' The projected officer said. He actually turned to face us, now.

'Well, to whoever finds this, we have lost. Somehow, a lone Vaux has crippled us, and the Nizani are finishing us off. Their altered brethren, the Murria, are working alongside~' The officer spoke. The rest of his statement was consumed by static. When sound returned, The other voice was talking.

'Sir! We've lost the main cannon!' The voice exclaimed. The projection sighed.

'This machine is gone. A few of us will try to change our mortal forms, perhaps escape~' The commander continued. His visage and voice turned to static for a few seconds, and then fixed itself. '~All of those experiments we kept in here may just find their way out- they shouldn't cause much trouble.'

The commander shook, and then stumbled when an explosion echoed through the tinny speakers. He seemed to fall out of camera view, and then clambered back into it, almost unshaken.

'Massive engine damage, sir! Collapse imminent!' The other voice cried.

'Well, smoke them while you've got them, eh?' The commander replied, taking a cigar from his jacket and lighting it. Another explosion rocked his virtual War Engine, and then he gave one final salute before the projection cut out entirely. The salute was him placing his right fist on his sternum, and standing tall- a salute I had never seen.

'By Rui's name...' Nilus muttered.

'History that we thought records were lost of. Somehow, some way, one survived...' I said. 'That lone Vaux that was mentioned... was that Vaux my namesake? Was that the mythical Azeus?'

'Too many questions. Too, too many. We should get out of here, Azeus.' Nilus spoke. She did have a point; the generator was running down and the lights were dimming. It was rather dark already.

'You're right. Come on.' I replied, pulling out a flare and lighting it. The red light it produced guided us out of there.

There was little else salvageable from the War Engine of Lore. The other rooms that we could access were either barracks, armories that were emptied, or gun control stations. There were many more paths blocked off by collapses or dirt; no one knew what waited down there, beyond the dirt.

When we exited, night was falling. the moon was full, the sky clear, and the moonlight shone brightly off of the petals of the flowers. Were these flowers one of those mentioned "experiments"...?

'Can we take a rest, Azeus?' Nilus asked, climbing onto the wing of our new plane. I nodded, and sat down on the wing with my legs crossed. Nilus sat down and leaned on me.

'I've had enough of these horrors... Why must everyone I know and love be thrust in their way...?' Nilus muttered. She was shivering- it was a cold night. I took off my jacket and put it around her shoulders- my fur that wasn't covered by bandages was enough to keep me warm here. I still had those bandages wrapped around my stomach, but I had no actual shirt- hadn't a chance to get one.

'You get cold, too...' Nilus said, looking up at me.

'Not as quickly. you're still missing feathers in places, Nilus. Not like they were that insulative anyhow.' I replied.

'I guess you're right.' Nilus added. We were silent for a minute, watching the stars and the massive moon that hung high above us.

'They said the Murria were altered somehow... Were the Murria once Nizani?' I asked.

'How could they have such a complicated religion with its temples and things in just a few hundred years?' Nilus questioned.

'Well, many of you still pray or give homage to Rui. A few or a bit more devoted, look at Chionne, after all. Perhaps some religious split happened between the more casual worshippers and the zealots, and thus the Murria were born. Hatched.' I corrected.

'You sound so sure of yourself.' Nilus replied.

'An educated guess.' I added.

I almost fell asleep where we were sitting, but Nilus asked me a question a few minutes later.

'We know each other's fathers- well, I've heard of yours- but never spoken a word about our mothers.' Nilus suggested.

'She's why I try to stop the war...' I answered, clenching a fist. 'Mother was always good to me, always kind- but she was killed by a stray rocket. I watched her get blown up when I was just a kit, barely nine years old.'

Nilus gave me a sad stare and then leaned a little further onto me. Thankfully, she was leaning on the good arm.

'We've both lost our mothers, then.' Nilus sighed.

'Yes, I heard about yours from the radio, when Malek was explaining what happened. An assassin- I'm sorry.'

'The Disanti family has always been strong. We've lost family members, homes, fortunes, and power many times. But we keep going- we were also once a large family. I had three cousins and a whole other part of the family at one point- they were all slain when one of our fringe cities was attacked. Mother's gone, too. Father's probably gone...'

Nilus hugged me tightly, tears streaming from her eyes. 'I don't know if I can hang on, Azeus. I really don't. I don't want to see more people I care about die- it's just too much. Don't leave me, Azeus. Please.'

I adjusted my position and hugged her back. 'I have no intention to, Nilus. I try to hang on, for those who have fallen. And believe me, the feeling's mutual.'

The moon rose high above us as we sat there, resting in the reflected light the flowers were creating. For a moment, even just for a moment, it seemed like we had nothing to worry about, with thousands of flowers around us, a beautiful moon above, and just the two of us together.

I woke up the next day was Nilus resting her head on my lap; I had fallen asleep sitting up. But it was still dark out, and the sound of a plane's engines woke me up. I glanced up to the night sky- a grey, unpainted fighter flew over. Propellers were built into the wings. Oh no...

Nilus, get up!' I yelled, slipping out from under her. She banged her head on the surface of the wing.

'Ow! What the hell's going on?!' Nilus exclaimed, rubbing her head. I slid into the cockpit and started up the engine. The propeller roared into life, and Nilus threw me my jacket. I slipped on my goggles.

'Noemon's near!' I yelled.

'Did you see his plane?' Nilus asked. She got into the rear seat and strapper herself in.

The radio answered her question.

'...Found you, plaything...'

That was a voice I never thought I would hear again. The pure sound of it struck terror in my heart... I didn't want a replay of Hametsu.

I slammed the ignition and sped down the field of flowers, creating a floating trail of dismembered petals behind us. I then took flight, dodging a tree and arching up into the sky.

'How the hell are we going to get out of here?' Nilus asked. 'We don't have-'

'...You scarred me, plaything. I'll repay it tenfold.' Noemon growled.

I whimpered in fear. 'Nilus, grab my gun. Get ready to use it.' I muttered. 'It's hard enough to fly with one arm.'

'Right.' Nilus said, slipping her arm under my jacket and grabbing the gun. She pulled it out.

'...Hehe, We'll have so much fun again...' Noemon laughed. We passed over to above the trees, and he burst out of the leaves just behind us. His plane's guns were firing rapidly, the bullets flying right past us. Several tore holes in the wings, and one cracked the windshield.

I looped around, and for a second, I saw Noemon's face. His cloak was down, and his face contorted into a twisted smile, his eyes burning red with lust. The cheek where I had shot him was torn wide open, and rough, loose stitches held it together in a monstrous grin.

I dived down into the canopy, crashing down through the branches. I zoomed out below the branches, dodging the trunks as I went away from the old War Engine- Noemon followed close behind.

'Plaything! Your body is mine, stop trying to flee...!' Noemon roared.

'Twisted bastard...; I muttered. I sped around the next tree, almost grinding my wing on the trunk. Noemon launched missiles at it as he passed- and it caught fire.

'I still carry a memento of our times together, hehe... Weren't those wonderful, plaything?'

'What the hell is that madman talking about?!' Nilus yelled. I boosted ahead and then took a wide turn back at him.

'Get ready to duck down and then shoot him, Nilus.' I added. Nilus nodded.

'I don't throw away those bits I... liberate, hahaha... I carry a part of you close, plaything...'

'You bastard!' I screamed as I sped right at him. He stopped to fire at us, and as bullets flew by- they scraped the metal and threw up a storm of sparks- we got close. At the very last second, I dipped down and Nilus fired at Noemon's plane, blowing out one of the propellers. He started spiralling, but Noemon pulled out of it and into pursuit.

'Plaything, your fight is futile. You don't have weapons, and that gun won't kill me.' Noemon chuckled.

'Where's the ammo?!' Nilus yelled, blowing out the old shells.

'Other side of the jacket!' I replied. I flew around another tree back towards where we came- the forest was starting to burn.

'Smell that, plaything...?' Noemon said. '...Ah... The smell of victory. Do you like fire, plaything? Shall I use fire to play with you...?'

I gritted my teeth and tried to focus. Noemon was the worst of the worst, twisted and mind-numbingly insane. Why is he still alive... why...?

'That devil's burning down the forest!' Nilus screamed. 'It's reloaded, too!'

A tree collapsed with a massive crack, falling down behind us, carrying huge amounts of burning wood with it.

'...HahahaHAHAHA! I don't care if this whole damn forest burns! You're mine!' Noemon cackled.

'I'm glad he's not after me, at least...' Nilus muttered, keeping the gun aimed at Noemon.

'You're mine too, feathered thing... Mementos, mementos.... hahaha...' Noemon laughed.

Nilus's face showed utter terror. Noemon had tortured both of us, and scared our memories. I thought she may have been less affected, but I guess not.

'Next time, aim for the cockpit. I don't give two shits how he dies, but he better die. And I want to see the body.' I growled. Another tree collapsed, and I narrowly avoided the falling trunk as I flew. Burning leaves were tumbling from the sky.

'Oh, playthings... Your fear is so enjoyable...' Noemon growled through the radio. More bullets flew past us; one struck my shoulder, making me lose grip of the steering. I grabbed back on, whimpering in pain.

'You're hurt! Careful, Azeus!' Nilus cried. Another blast of bullets flew past us.

'I know!' I yelled, checking the map quickly. There was nothing around us but trees for nearly forty miles... except a lake.

Quickly, I dropped us back below the leaf cover, dodging branches in the process and flying low to the ground. Noemon followed close behind, engines roaring. His bullets flew past us, tearing into the trees and throwing leaves everywhere. Suddenly, when we passed over the lake, I slammed into an almost vertical upward climb. Noemon followed suit.

'Hang onto something!' I yelled. I spun the plane, dodging the bullets as well as I could. A missile flew past, nearly hitting the wing. I dodged again and again, the metal getting torn up. But I kept flying.

I performed a corkscrew turn, dodging more of his shots and another missile. We were high above the forest now, the winds whistling through our ears. And yet, we kept going up.

Now, his plane was Murria built, mine was Nizani. Nizani planes are some of the highest flying planes, easily flying above all the rest. Even though his was Murria-built, it still couldn't reach our altitude. The plane's engine would give out before then.

'You can't run forever, Plaything!' Noemon roared.

'I can certainly try.' I replied, watching the altitude meter. Twelve thousand feet and counting.

'Oh, I love the ones that try to flee... hehe...'

Another volley of bullets flew past us, and then one more missile before there was a loud bang from behind us- and that wasn't a bullet. Noemon's front propeller slowed down and stopped, and he started to fall. I began a slow descent.

'I should've seen that coming... hehehe...' Noemon giggled.

'Burn in the Abyss, you bastard.' I growled.

'Already been there, haha... They didn't want me... But know this, Plaything; you will be mine.... hahahaHAHAHA~' Noemon cackled, ending with a burst of static and then silence. There was a massive splash from below.

'Well, I don't think he's going to burn in a watery grave.' Nilus commented.

'He deserves worse.' I replied. 'That monster- I dare not even call him a man- tormented so many souls; he should know their pain. Our pain.'

'Should we go search for his body?' Nilus asked.

'There is no way- monster from the pits of the underworld or no- that any living thing could survive a fall like that...' I replied, exhausted. 'Speaking of falls, that's what's going to happen to us if we don't land soon...'

'Then land!' Nilus exclaimed as we passed through the trees. I crashed to a landing and then tried to get out, but tumbled from the cockpit, unconscious from exhaustion and blood loss.

'...Azeus...? Wake up, sleepyhead.'

I opened my eyes to find myself gazing up at a sky full of stars, and a massive full moon hanging above me. I was sitting on a foldable lawn chair with my mother next to me. I was clad in my current gear- torn up pants and jacket, goggles with a broken lens, my old pilot's cap hanging awkwardly, and blood staining all of it.

My mother was sitting next to me on another chair. She was wearing a long, billowing yellow dress.

'...Mother...?'

'Yes, it's me. You must of had a long day at school, silly.' My mother replied, smiling. Her teeth gleamed.

'Yeah... I suppose I must have...'

'You feeling alright, dear? You don't seem like yourself.'

'No, I'm fine...' I replied, looking down at my hand, which I flexed. It was covered in warm, oozing blood that stretched between my fingers... my blood. Did she not see this?

'So, what did they teach you in school this time?' Mother asked, getting up and walking over to the grill we had behind the chairs. Father must have been away, and it was dinnertime after all.

'Nothing of use, mother.' I replied. I didn't want to say that. I wanted to say what I had discovered, about the relation between the Nizani and Murria, about the loss of father...

'Ha, sometimes I wonder why I even bother to send you to school. I should just homeschool you.'

'But I like my friends, mother.' I didn't want to say that either.

'Well, that's good, at least.'

I struggled to force my dream body from the chair, and then onto my feet. Blood dripped from my hands and down my legs, and off the end of my snout. I started walking towards my mother, Theon, trying to actually see if she was there. My legs felt like lead, and I struggled to move them.

'Azeus, you alright? Azeus?' My mother said, turning to me. My scarred psyche rendered her with a blown open torso, and a shattered skull. It was like she was brutally dissected, though. Chunks floated from her, including the eyes, unblinking and bloodshot. I fell back on my tail in fright.

'Wake up, Azeus!' She yelled at me, her shattered jaw's pieces moving in unison, the teeth scraping against each other from where they floated. 'Wake up!'

I opened my eyes suddenly, and found Nilus sitting next to me, leaning over my face. She was doing CPR.

'Oh, thank Rui! You collapsed, and your heart actually stopped beating for a moment...' Nilus cried, hugging me. '...One bullet hit you in the shoulder, but another hit you in the stomach. Had to rebandage you there. Thankfully, the plane had a first aid kit, but I used all of the bandages for it. Had to use your pant leg for the shoulder...'

'Heh, it seems to have worked... damn good work...' I replied, trying to get up. Nilus gave me a hand, and I stood up. We were still next to the plane. My leg was now bare, and some of the dirty bandages were still on it. I was still a bit weak.

'We need to get you to a hospital.' Nilus commented as I climbed back into the plane.

'Did the bullets go through?' I questioned.

'The one that hit you in the shoulder just grazed you. The other bullet did go through; passed through the flesh pretty roughly.'

'You may be right. Get in; I'm not risking any Nizani hospitals; not in the current political state.' I replied, revving the engine. The plane, although battered, roared into life.

'Then where to?' Nilus asked. 'You need medical attention. Seriously.'

'In this plane, I reckon it'd take most of the day, if not the night, to reach the edge of Vaux territory that isn't under the Murria-Nizani coalition.' I said.

'Do we have enough fuel?' Nilus asked.

'We should.' I replied, taking off. I passed through the canopy and headed towards the clouds; if we stayed above them we would be safe from most attackers.

'I guess it's too risky to go get some food?' Nilus asked.

'Sadly, yes. We'll have to wait until we make it to Vaux territory.'

'You sure you'll be fine until we get there?' Nilus questioned.

I was silent as we passed through a cloud, barely able to see anything as the moisture surrounded us. We came out over the top, with nothing but the cotton-like clouds below us and the sun above.

'Yes, I'll be fine.' I answered, straightening us out.

'Hey, you don't seem it. You got shot in the stomach and almost lost too much blood; again. You just seem a bit distracted. Perturbed, too.'

'I...' I started, wondering how to explain that dream. 'When I lose consciousness like that, my subconscious mind tends to throw dreamscapes at me. And these aren't the nonsensical ones you find in normal dreams. My mother's visage remains in my mind, and sometimes my father. They urge me on, but they're dead already. I don't know why my mind does this to me...'

'We're both badly scarred, mentally and physically. I think you bear many more than me, though. Hey, I know what you need. A nice, long rest. Let that arm heal, and try to pull everything into some semblance of a whole.' Nilus replied.

'But... We have to save your father.' I said.

'You Vaux heal the quickest of the four species. How long will it take that arm to repair itself? A week?'

'At the most.' I replied. Vaux were the quickest healers; there were even cases of Vaux who got full body third degree burns, survived, and then healed them in two weeks, fur and all.

'Well, good. It's a high-strung belief among Nizani that executions should only happen on a full moon, and we've got nearly three weeks until the next one. We'll be fine.' Nilus said, trying to reassure me.

'You better be right.'

As we travelled, Nilus mostly slept, conserving some energy. I continued to fly, but I listened into the local radio as we went.

The land stolen from my brothers was renamed New Daksina, and both the Murria and Nizani were allowed to exist in it. They were constructing new cities in the ruins and bodies of my dead kin... and much of it was in the name of Rui. The symbol of Rui, the pair wings under a sun, became its flag; same thing as the original Daksina. And all across the burned landscape, my kins' bodies were unceremoniously tossed into ditches to get them out of the way, like one would with the rubble.

Many of the Nizani in New Daksina praised Chionne for getting them this "New Territory", saying they deserved it better than my Brethren. But we had lived there for so long; and yet, they claim it to be rightfully theirs. Just the thought made me grind my teeth.

Severnaya itself was now only slightly larger than half of its original size, and the new borders very heavily guarded. When we passed over them, I had to yell for clearance to nearly six different gunners and then stop a battalion of patrolling fighter planes from shooting me down. And as I entered, I heard the news...

The fall of Nurakami and the surrounding territory resulted in the deaths of nearly twenty two million Vaux. When the radio spokesperson said that solemnly, I let out a cry of rage that woke up Nilus.

'Azeus...? What's wrong?'

'I just heard the number dead from the Nurakami takeover...' I replied, crying. '...Twenty two Million of my brothers and sisters...'

'That... that's horrible...' Nilus muttered.

'They threw the bodies out like they were rubbish... Nilus, so many have died! So, so many!'

'I don't even know what to say, Azeus... I know the Vaux are really close to each other...'

'Just... just don't say anything, Nilus. We've still got a long ways to go before we make it to Otdykh.' I explained. Nilus nodded silently and leaned back in her chair, trying to rest again.

The radio continued. A large chunk of the Vaux military had been totally destroyed; half of the Air Force, a third of the ground troops, and almost all of the Navy. Supplies were now low because many of the farms were in the Nurakami part of Severnaya- they were now either eradicated or under enemy control. Anyone who can fight is being given a weapon to help defend their land, for if another attack happened... it could spell doom for Severnaya, and probably the Vaux if the attack was successful.

Night fell, but we were nearing a landing area in Otdykh. The communications radio crackled into life.

'Unmarked aircraft, please reply.' A voice said.

'I hear you, Otdykh Air Control. I'm just a civilian craft, carrying no weapons but my own handheld one. Passengers; myself, Azeus Vaux, and Nilus Disanti, a Trustworthy Nizani. Both of us are injured and require medical attention.' I replied.

'Disanti? Isn't that the surname of one of their generals? And you can land at landing strip seven, brother.'

'Yes, she's his daughter. We barely escaped the current civil war with our lives.' I answered, heading down towards the seventh of the eight landing strips. There was a large seven flashing at the front of it, glowing brightly in the dark night.

'Civil War? So that's what's going on in there.' The Air Control responded.

'Are you saying you didn't know?' I asked.

'Affirmative. We haven't heard any word from our operatives within Hauptstadt in the past several days; that must be why. Do you have more info like this?'

'Plenty, Air Control. I was there when the takeover happened.' I stated as I landed. The tires screeched on the old concrete, and the jarring landing woke Nilus up.

'Azeus, right? I'll try to get an officer to listen to you, this info can save lives. Over.'

'Send him to me; I need to recover. Over and out.' I finished. I parked my small plane between several larger military fighters, shutting off the engine.

'Hey, we made it in one piece. Now can we get some food?' Nilus asked. I could hear her stomach grumbling.

'Yes, yes we can.'

A few days passed in peace. Otdykh was accepting to Nilus, although the officers kept pestering us for info. I gave them some about the civil war going on in the Nizani territories, and they said something vague about a counterattack.

For those three days, we rested in a small room with a single bed; it was what little housing that we were even able to get into; refugees packed the city and took up most of the empty housing. The city itself was a mess, with a military takeover in place. Many men had nowhere to go, and just about anything that was able to be converted for military use was being done so. They even attached guns to my plane while I was away, but they didn't steal it.

My arm did heal on the fourth day, and I was able to finally use it again. But the fourth day brought back old memories...

Nilus and I were sitting together on the rooftop of the hotel we were staying in; it was one of the few open areas available. I needed a chance to think.

'They say they're going to counterattack...' Nilus muttered.

'I don't think it'll work.' I responded.

'Oh? Why is that?'

'They must think that because of the civil war, Nizani defenses are weakened. But they're attacking the stolen territory; that's where Chionne's supporters are almost completely located- so defenses are just as strong.' I stated.

'Have faith in your people, Azeus. They've been knocked back, but I'm sure they'll get back up and take back their lands.' Nilus said, trying to reassure me.

'I wouldn't be so sure.' I replied. Suddenly, the access door opened behind us and a Vaux soldier stepped out. The old man had greying fur, a scar on his exposed right forearm, and a black band around his tail that signified the rank of captain.

'Azeus Vaux. I didn't expect to see you again.' The old Vaux said. I did know him; he was my old sergeant from when I used to be part of the Vaux Air Force.

'Captain Erruki. The feeling is mutual.' I replied.

'You know this guy?' Nilus asked.

'After he abandoned his unit.' Erruki explained. He sat down next to me.

'Abandoned your unit...?' Nilus asked.

'Nilus, I told you about my past with the military. I couldn't take the death and destruction, so I left.' I answered.

'That's what Vitria has become, boy. Death, destruction, and devastation.' Erruki growled. 'But I guess you leaving wasn't so much in vain, was it? You've brought us info that may just save this city, even if you couldn't save the last.'

'Hey, cut that out! That wasn't his fault! And anyways, the civil war only began because of that attack!' Nilus exclaimed, irritated at Erruki's abusive personality.

'Please, you don't know the shit I've had to deal with recently.' I added.

'Our boys have been dying in the streets, protecting the innocents as you've been out there lollygagging and being a bloody pacifist. Peace isn't going to bring an end to this conflict.'

'Why the fuck are you here, man? Stop this shit and tell us!' Nilus cried.

'What the hell could even happen to you out there? Have to repair a blown landing tire? Run out of food for a day? Oh, boohoo-' Erruki started.

'For fuck's sake, Erruki!' I snapped, crying once again. 'I was framed for spying, tortured, raped, then I watched my father die, I nearly died several times, lost everything that I own, and then just learned that my torturer is still alive, and he's out to get me with half of the damn world!' I screamed. I then hung my head low, sobbing. Nilus hugged me.

'Get the hell out of here if you have nothing to say...' Nilus spat at Erruki.

'I... I'm sorry, I didn't expect that. I guess my old drill sergeant days came back then...' Erruki explained. '... I apologize. Several years of anger at you leaving just came out then. You were a good pilot, and I reckon you're a lot better now. I did come here for a reason, though. My superiors know that you were once part of the Air Force, and they also know of your skills and your intel. Thus, they're willing to let you back in under the rank of lieutenant.'

'I have no intention of killing those that I don't have to...' I muttered.

'As a lieutenant you'll get command of your own battalion, and they'll follow your command to the letter. So, if you want those twenty four planes to just aim for the enemy's engines or something, they will. They know what they're doing.' Erruki continued.

'...And why do you think I'd return? ...Why, exactly?' I asked.

'We've had enough suffering for several lifetimes...' Nilus added.

'Azeus, my superiors have heard of your feats. You command a battalion, it may just end up being the one that makes a difference. And I know that's what you wanted to make. A difference.'

'He's right, Nilus...' I stated, standing up. Nilus got up right afterwards, and so did Erruki. 'I have always tried to make a difference, but I just haven't had the ability to...'

'Exactly. You'll be able to pick who your subordinates are and what they use, and tell them how to do it too. Either that or stay here while we attack.' Erruki continued.

'And how long is that until the attack happens?' I asked.

'Two weeks. Plenty enough time to prepare. If you join us, you'll be on the front lines, as one of the offensive squadrons, tasked with protecting our bombers. You'll also have a say in the strategies.'

'Good, because it looks like I'll be using it. I'll join you, Erruki. I'll bloody well join you.' I replied.

'Excellent.' Erruki replied, smiling. He tossed me a tail band that he had been keeping in his pocket the whole time; a band that was black with a red stripe.

'What about me?' Nilus asked.

'We can't risk you. We'll try to send out a plane to get you back to your family in Hauptstadt-' Erruki started.

'Whoa, hang on- the civil war is revolving around her family. The only part of her family that's even alive is on death row, and about half of the populace wants her head. She's safer here.'

'I'll have to take your word for it. You know the intel. Alright, we can get her a room in one of the bunkers.' Erruki said.

'I'll be alright, Azeus. Don't worry about me, for once in this long struggle.' Nilus added. I nodded and then slipped on the tail band.

'When do we start?'

The next three days were hectic. My new status as an officer- one of the youngest- meant that I had a few more responsibilities, and that was to my battalion. The twenty four Vaux that were part of it were good men, but they seemed skeptical about being led by a Vaux that was younger than half of them. But my scars kept them in their place.

Each plane was made for evasive maneuvers, built after the designs of a salvaged Murrian built aircraft. They all also carried high caliber machine guns mounted on the wings, and each one had a single high-powered propeller.The planes were painted red with a single black stripe running down the center of the body, signifying their place in the battalion. Thankfully, the pilots were already trained to fight but not for some of the moves I wanted them to use, so two of those days were training sessions.

And, of course, I picked up new gear for myself. I replaced my torn up cap with a new one, got a new pair of goggles, and even a new coat and scarf. My plane was repainted, but otherwise it wasn't changed much apart from the guns that were still mounted on it.

But all of that didn't matter on the fourth day. We weren't ready when the city came under fire... the Nizani-Murria coalition had attacked first.