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Darkness falls over the forest of Jamurra sending long eerie shadows across the woodlands. A flock of birds fly for the forest edge as the last remnants of sunlight dropped below the horizon leaving only the light of the full moon to light their way. A wolf tracks his way across the giant roots from the gigantic Ironwood trees hunting for a meal to hold him over for the night. The wolf spots a small rabbit that is huddling in a crevice between two trees. It shakes in terror as the wolf stalks toward it; long drops of saliva dripping to the ground from its large serrated teeth. The wolf claws at the small creature its large paws trying to fight into the narrow opening. With hunger in its eyes it tries to dig into the small crawlspace but only succeeds in mussing up his fur. It glares once more at the terrified creature then stomps away resentment in his mind.
It goes around a corner and is confronted by a small snake. Its emerald scales shimmered from the faint moonlight shining onto it. Two red spots cover the temples of the snake's head, which makes the snake look fierce. It hisses and shows its long fangs trying to frighten the beast away, but the wolf doesn't flinch. It turns around and slithers quickly knowing that if it did not hurry that it would be the wolf's next meal. The wolf leaps into the bush and is confronted by a creature three times the size of it with crimson eyes, blood red hair, chrome skin and jet black claws.
����"You picked the wrong time to come in here boy, now you will pay with your life." Fate growled.
The wolf backs up a few steps but then jumps forward at the being. It's claws gouge into the chrome skin creating long silver streaks across Fate's chest. Black oil seeps from the wounds painting the ground with blackness. It moves slowly across the wooded floor and covers the wolf's feet. It tries to move but its feet are stuck engulfed by the jelly like substance. Fate backhands the creature knocking it free of the ooze. It slams into a tree and its limp body falls to the ground. The wolf regains its feet and its fury returns. It lunges at Fate and bites into his wrist right above his deadly claws. It pulls hard and a chunk of metal flesh from Fate's bones.
����"Enough of these games. It is time to end you pitiful life."
Fate swings at the animal and strikes it right between the eyes; blood appears from the corner of the wolf's eyes as if it were crying. More of the crimson substance drips from its muzzle. The animal lets out a strangled growl and staggers back collapsing to the ground; a pool of dark red flows from the wolf's head as it takes its last gurgled breath. Its gray fur turns a deep red as the blood spreads around coating it with its rich substance. Fate grabs the wolf by the nap of the neck and drags it into the forest a trail of red following behind him. The small snake slithers by the aftermath of the battle; continuing its way down the dark pathway continuing its journey on the long summer night.
����"So this is Jamurra" Autocrat begins as he leaps off the back of his masculine snow griffin "what a dump."
����"Hey! Don't talk about my home like that." Arkol yells.
����"Well what are you going to do about it?" Autocrat says and raises his fists ready for Arkol's next move.
Arkol kicks his foot up nailing Autocrat in the groin making him double over. He lays in a fetal position his head pressing against he ground as he waited for the pain to dissipate.
����"Will you two cut it out," Nethya yells back at them "we have a job to do remember."
����"He started it." Autocrat squeaks in a high-pitched voice as he leans back onto his legs.
����"Did not!" Arkol cries.
����"I don't care who started just get your butts moving we have a mission to complete."
Arkol swift kicks Autocrat in the groin again and then quickly follows Nethya and Galen leaving Autocrat lying in a futile position. Passing by a gathering of birch trees the group arrives at a large drop overlooking a large light blue bay. Its waters clear as glass slowly washing upon the mossy green floor. Small fish glide through it sending a small ripple across the top of the freshwater.
����"That's a beautiful sight." Galen says while looking at the glistening bay.
����"Maybe you should take a dip then." Arkol says and shoves Galen over the edge.
He waves his arms uselessly as he plunges toward the clear water. Galen slowly turns in the air and goes into a swan dive a few seconds before she splashes into the cold refreshing water. She stays under for a few seconds and then bobs to the surface whooping for joy raising one arm in triumph.
����"Why in the hell did you do that?" Nethya yells.
����"Just having a little fun." Arkol says and starts to giggle his pointy ears twitching slightly.
Nethya swings her fist and connects with a crushing blow to Arkol's chin. He backs up stunned and stumbles over the edge sending him screaming toward the freezing water. He splashes into it face first sending up a giant spray of water into the sky.
����"Now are you going to try something?" She asks Autocrat.
����"No." He says kneeling down before her.
����"Get up. We have to retrieve them from the bay before we can leave." She commands.
They climb down the hill cliff side watching for small holes that they may get trapped in. The continued down the side until they reached a small drop to the bank beside the bay. Nethya leaps and lands gracefully on her feet. Autocrat takes a running leap his muscles moving beneath his skin and he flies through the air his claws reached out for a nearby tree branch. His claw grips the branch but it breaks from the force of the tiger man. He continues falling forward and slams into the trunk of the giant tree. His limp body slides to the ground. His furry chin resting against one of the roots.
����"Are you ok Autocrat?" Nethya calls out.
����"Why is it that every time someone gets hurt that a nearby person asks if they are ok?" He calls back to her.
He pushes himself up into a sitting position and then leaps to his feet. He stalks toward her pulling out pieces of bark from his fur coat and flick them into the cold water. Around the corner from them Galen finally reaches the shore Arkol slowly swimming behind him. She pulls herself onto the mossy ground and lies on her back breathing deeply in exhaustion from the long swim. Arkol walks upon the green beach and collapses forward into the wet plants.
����"Now if you guys would kindly get up we can continue on our journey. Nethya says and walks away a smile on her face.
Laser Monkey pours a small amount of orange juice into his cup and takes a sip, which makes his lips pucker a bit. He sets the glass down upon the table and sidesteps a chair that lies before him. He picks up a weather beaten book and sits down. He pulls at the hard leather cover and views what is inside. Two small pictures lay pasted inside. One of his brother and him sitting in a tree and one of him and his ship gliding in the air. He lets out a sigh and flips to the next page. An article about the Vengeance lay folded near the spine. Yellowed from age he opens it and begins to read the familiar letters.
'Vengeance destroyed after battle with Phyrexians.' It read.
He folds the article up once more and turns the page and sees a picture of the crew.
����"My crew, the best of the best. Crusader my comrade in arms and also my navigator. White Knight my old and dear friend from the academy. Serra, oh Serra our repairmen of the ship, whenever something was broken she was always there to fix it. Freyalise are joyful medic who cheered everyone up when they were sick. And last but not least Nimrod the faithful cabin boy."How he regretted bringing them on that ill-fated voyage in which two of them had lost their lives in the battle.
����"I wonder where they are now? I know White Knight went onto owning his bar, and Crusader had gained importance by becoming an admiral, but Freyalise dropped out of sight a few years back when she had went to search for her mother in Yavimaya."
A knock on his red oak door startled him from his deep thoughts. He climbs to his feet off of his broken in leather chair fluff flying from a long tear in the seat cushion. He carefully steps around stacks of books lying on the floor trying not to knock them over. He successfully gets to his door and opens it. A robed figure stands in the doorway a black hood covering his face. The rain pours down upon him soaking his cotton coverings. A strain of lightning flashes lightening the shadows for a few seconds letting Laser get a few glimpses of the figures face.
����"May I come in."? A familiar voice asks him.
The figure pulls back his hood revealing the face of Crusader.
����"Yes come in you are getting drenched, would you like some tea?"
����"Yes, thank you."
Laser rushes toward the kitchen leaping over piles of books as he went. He goes into the kitchen and grabs a pot he fills it with cool water and sets it on the warm stove. He walks quickly into the living room and sits on a makeshift chair across from Crusader.
����"So how have you been old friend?" Laser asks Crusader.
����"I have been better, but I haven't come here to talk about my life. We need you Laser, the Phyrexians have returned. We don't have enough captains to command the skyships so we need you to be in charge of one of them."
����"What ship is it? The Freedom? Or maybe The Coalition?" Laser asks.
����"Better, you will be in charge of The Forge." Crusader says with enthusiasm.
Lasers smile droops down into a frown. His moment of happiness leaving him, but is replaced with anger.
����"That old rust bucket! That ship is the worst in the fleet. It has no maneuvering ability. Can't even out run an ornithopter, and you are giving that ship to me? I will do it on one condition."
����"What is that?" Crusader asks.
����"That I pick my own crew. No objections or I will not do it." Laser says.
����"�Alright it is a deal." Crusader says and holds out his hand.
Laser grabs it and gives him a handshake and then lets go.
����"Now for the crew." Laser says.
����"Who do you wish to accompany you?"
(First I would wish to get Freyalise back for the medic of the crew. She is in Llanowar at the moment improving her healing abilities.)
Bright lights flash onto the fallen man as his wounds begin to heal. Long deep gashes are sealed up by skin. The broken leg is placed and mended as if weeks had passed by in mere seconds.
����"There you go Yawgy." Freyalise says touching the light pink spots where his injuries once had been.
����"Thank you for your generosity." Yawgy says a slight smile on his face.
Two heavily armed guards walk into the florescent-lit room. Their steel plated armor covers them from head to toe with a small opening for their mouths to appear through. The walk forward their small armor making a ringing noise as it hits the carpeted floors of the room.
����"You are to come with us." One of them says and reaches one hand toward her trying to grasp her shoulder.
Freyalise moves quickly out of reach of the man. She backs into her desk knocking writing utensils to the floor. The two men come swiftly at her trying to grab her but she spins away to the right, tripping one of them in the act. The soldier falls onto the desk splintering it down the center cutting it into two halves. Freyalise moves quickly to the open doorway and runs out at a full sprint. The ground rumbles and Freyalise falls to the ground tripping from the vibration. A huge shadow flows across the ground as the sun is blotted out. She looks up and sees a large giant standing before her. His huge tooth grin out lines his face. Red hair swings down from his head lying onto his shoulders. He reaches one grisly hand down to her and she begins to scream. It grips her and lifts her into the air. He begins to walk away toward the old castle in the distance holding her gently in one hand.
����"The second person I would like back on my crew is White Knight." Laser says.
����"That can be arranged." Crusader says.
Laser ponders for a moment thinking of whom else he could bring onto the ship. He looks back to the early days in the Academy where he and his friends terrorized for the four years they had studied. Crusader had been one of the study freaks then. Laser used to cast spells which would give him a wedge or hang him on coat hangers because of his small stature. The best prank he had pulled was lighting the cloak of Glacian whom was the one of the masters of magic at the time on fire during one of the classes.
Remembering about brought back the feelings he had felt about his school year. His true love that he had forgotten for many years, Lilith.
����"You know Serra, you really got to get that powder back in the bag before it loses its magic." The young Laser says his greasy red hair standing on end as he talks.
The young Serra starts to scoop the powder away from the lizard, which they had tried to use for the experiment except that they had forgotten to get the spell book to try it. The skin of her hand begins to glow faintly as the powder settled upon the exposed skin.
Laser creeps from the room casting a watchful eye down the empty hallway of the academy. The smell was of roses, which drifted from the garden in the dormitory east of the sleeping quarters. He begins to amble down the deserted corridor weary of the shadows formed by the lunar light coming from the rising moon. A loud snort makes him freeze for a moment and then he relaxes.
����"You still have that snoring problem Crovax." He whispers to the door to his right; spasms of small snorts reply to him and he smiles.
He continues on through the moon lit hall passing by the doors of other classmates. As he turns the corner he see Stratadon and Sinnertwin coming swiftly down the passageway but not making a sound as their hooves hit the rugged floors. A small figure stands on the opposite side of them following quickly behind. Laser jumps back trying to hide himself from the view of the other creature, but he sees that it was Flying Monkey, the class clown at the time.
����"Hurry up, before we get caught," He says waving them forward frantically.
Stratadon reaches him first and quickly takes cover behind a statue of Bjan Ray, the original leader of the Red Faction. A door opens behind Sinnertwin illuminating the dark passage dimly. He gathers speed and slides around the corner with his hooves on their sides.
Flying Monkey on the other hand leaps forward his imp like wings gliding him over the doorway and down the corridor. He hangs a right and lands lightly onto the floor next to Sinnertwin. He simply smiles at Laser with his small teeth and then grows solemn as a voice calls out.
����"Who's out there?"
����"Ssshh, its Fernsy. If he catches us we will be in tutorials for the rest of our known lives." Laser whispers to them.
They look at him with fear, but stay still. Flying Monkey steps back accidentally knocking into the statue making dust spread over them. Sinnertwin's face quenches his face growing red instantly. Laser sees Sinnertwin's pained face and holds one finger to the minotaur's nose. The redness from his face begins to go down fading to a dull pink. Laser pulls his hand back relaxing as the door closes down the hall. They get to their feet and begin to walk away when Sinnertwin sneezes causing rapid footsteps to come from the previous passage. They try to run, but a hand grabs a hold of one of Sinnertwin's ivory horns keeping him from moving.
to be continued.....
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