Xenoparasites!

#46

The white wolf growled angrily, spinning it's body the right way round it glared murderously at the downed insect thing "Aw, don't be so sentimental" he told it without pity "your master'll be fine... for now. I almost feel sorry for you"

The Underling rose into the air, but stopped when he reached one of the peacefully swaying, smooth grey branches covered in red leaves. Taking a hold of the branch in his jaw, the white wolf began to break it, the odd grey wood cracking as he forced it down. He didn't finish though, instead leaving it so that the branch would eventually break, drawn down by gravity until it snapped off completely.

"Wouldn't want you to have a boring day now would I?" he told the both of them "Say hello to my friends for me, I'm afraid I must dash off now. Places to be, lives to destroy, you understand"

Lykaios then floated higher, carrying his body over the tops of the red trees. He briefly looked to the black and blue aliens plus blob group by the large tree... But then he caught sight of something far more interesting. What looked to be some sort of ancient robot was draining one of the trees-judging from the dead leaves. Lykaios landed (right way up) in front of the thing, sniffing the air close by with some interest.

Jodie · #47

Fluffy cheeped fearfully when the Wolf looked at it, then tilted it's head slightley with a confused cheep as it wonderd who the wolf's freinds where then looked at the man and then looked back at Serah and did a sigh like chirp as it stood gurd

Fluffy knew it wouldn't be good at protecting serah with a damaged wing but It will try it's best

#48

Cp nodded, carefully listening to the voice of "Teacher" floating out through the translator, while smiling that he had managed to cheer her up somewhat, and her praise of his amazing alien language skills. He could probably write a book. "How to make friends with alien species". Definitely a best seller.

And while he daydreamed of that, Teacher continued, adding things about the trees and being nice to them. Not really listening, the little blob nodded. The trees were pretty cool, and he doubted he would be breaking them any time soon. In fact... his old resting spot on that leafy branch was looking quite good right now....

Giving the alien one last nod and smile, the blob began to wander off, happy that his mission of discovering the patting sound was completed, before turning back and gesturing as to where he was headed to the Teacher. He had assumed their conversation was done, but if she wanted to get away from the scary alien with the gun, he supposed it wouldn't hurt to invite her over some time. And with that, he eventually returned to his hiding tree where he quickly slipped up the bark and nestled back in to the familiar spot, thoughts of zombies and the others far from his mind.

"Well tree, looks like It's about time for ol' CP to finally catch some shut eye...." he said to no one in particular, watching the red leaves rustle in their odd way before slowly closing his eyes in the sunlight.

#49

((Just to keep things flowing, I think I'm gonna jump ahead a couple hours))

Inside the deceptively peaceful, red leaved patch of forest Teacher was leaning on the smooth grey bark of the large tree, her multifaceted eyes almost completely shut as she dozed. Lushik too, had lost his frantic energy-though he still stood guard, his gun arm twitching at every sudden movement.

Where the little blob slept, the tree waved it's branch peacefully... and then not so peacefully. Actually, it would almost feel like the tree was trying to get the creature that was nestled in it's branches attention-as indeed it was. CP would feel a pressure, a presence in his mind, one that was conveying past happiness but current urgency. Just for good measure, a small twig bent over and flicked itself at the little blob quite painfully.

On the edge of the red forest, nearby Serah, Caesar and Fluffy the branch Lykaios had broken finally, completely gave way and crashed to the floor, leaving a gaping hole where it had been. The tree was hollow, it's swaying motion stopped, and something began to crawl out of the opening.

In the dark spot where Lykaios sat in front of the Artificer, his head tilted in curiosity, the white wolfs eyes followed the very last dead leaf to the floor before the Underling spoke to it. "You must be nice and refreshed now, so let's have a proper look at you"

Jodie · #50

Serah slowley opend her eyes then put her hand on her head as she felt dizzy

"I feel like my energey was drained out of me..." She moaned then she quickley Jumped up "That did happen!" She shouted

Fluffy looked at serah happliy and then cheeped in pain from it's injured wing

"Oh no Fluffy if I had enugh energey I would heal yo-" She stopped as she turned around and saw somthing crawling out of the tree

"umm I don't think trees do that" Serah said nerviusley

Fluffy Cheeped a nervius Chirp

Serah picked Fluffy up and put it on her shoulder, But she didn't take her eyes off the thing coming out of the tree

"What is that?" Serah asked herself as she watched

#51

The thing crawling down the outside of the injured tree-which now stood deathly still-Serah should partially recognise, for she had been running from these creatures earlier in the melee. It had sickly grey skin, four legs that clung to the still bark, and a lizard like tail. But again, it's head was missing, replaced by a hook like protrusion. However unlike the ones that had been running around before, this ones hook was attached to the bark of the withering tree-as were the other Swarm members that were slowly making their way out and down.

It looked like it'd take a little while for them to reach the ground, so Serah had at least a few minutes to decide what to do now.

Jodie · #52

Serah Squeeked as she rememberd them and the way they kill and stepped back

"Um fluffy would you plese shoot the wob goop thing out again?" Serah Squeeked looking at Fluffy

Fluffy Chirped a sad Chirp as it was too weak to attack

Serah sighed "Great..." as she walked back faster and looked at the man

"If you want to Live RUN!" Serah Shouted as she ran as fast as she could

Fluffy screetched as Serah ran as it was trying to encurage the man to run

Tav · #53

Mostly recovered, Caesar put his mask back on, now that he wasn't vomiting anymore. Looking up at the creatures, he started searching his belt for things that would be of use.
"Explosive bolts, Noisemakers, flashbangs, scent mask, . . Ah, here it is."

He pulled out two small canisters that had a single word on them; Napalm. Pulling the pins on both of them, he lobbed the small canisters into the opening, then stepped back.

"I'm not sure if fire will do anything, so we'd best leave." He said to Serah, and followed her. "And don't shout!" He hissed at her. "We don't want those things coming here from miles away."

He jogged, trying not to jostle his broken and bound arm; Already, the auto-doc had bound it tightly, and had started coaxing the breaks to heal. It would be functional by about the end of the day; Not healed yet, but functional.

Jodie · #54

Serah whisperd "Sorry" as she ran

Fluffy Cheeped quietley evan through it was terrified and in pain, usraley Fluffy would be Squeeching but it kept quiet

Serah looked at the Medallion tanslater thing she had and sighed

"If I onley had enugh energey those things won't still be chasing us but nooo A strange Energey eating wolf had to steal my energey" She Mumbled as she ran

Fluffy tilted it's head at serah and cheeped in a confused fashion

Serah Sighed "And how long do I have to wait for my energey to recover back to normle?" She asked herself sarcasticley

"A whole day" she then mumbled shortley after asking herself

Fluffy did a sigh like chirp

Serah then grumbled "Atleast I wait and I don't drain energey from other like that Wanderer" Serah was clearley annoyed

"Next time that Thing trys to take my energey again, I will Give it my energey alright, Like that evil Robot got my energey" She was quetley mumbling to herself as she ran

Tav · #55

"Don't worry, kiddo. If that wolf shows up again, I'll throw it into a volcano or something." Caesar said, holding his arm. He looked back to see if the napalm canisters had detonated, and prepared to use explosive crossbow bolts at whatever had made it out before the canisters did.

Jodie · #56

Serah Gulped as she looked at Him

"No I want my revenge on that Wolf Creature" Serah Grumbled as she ran

Serah then looked at the Hook headed Lizerds that where chasing them then mumbeld "If I onley had enugh Energey"

Fluffy Cheeped tierdley and dozed off on Serahs Shoulder

#57

The Artificer, still plugged into the tree, could hear a voice in the back of it's digital mind.

"You must be nice and refreshed now, so let's have a proper look at you"

[SILENT ACTIVATION]

The machine quietly and slowly activated it's systems whilst making sure it looked deactivated. Though murky, half activated visual sensors, the Artificer could see a wolf, which was currently too close for what living creatures call comfort. Assessing the creature revealed limited information, this was a creature the Artificer Empire hadn't encountered before. It was no matter, for the creature would be dead in moment. In a swift, fluid movement, it grabbed the scythe and swiped at the wolf.

It was life, and life needs to be extinguished. All life must be extinguished, and fed to the great star gods.

#58

The two napalm canisters went off inside the hollow tree, the chemical flame cleansing it and it's inner horrors, the smoke billowing into the air and it's fellows leaning as far away from it as possible. Only a single one of the hook headed lizard creatures escaped from the carnage, the very first to emerge, bounded after Serah and Caesar in earnest.

In the dark part of the red forest, Lykaios tilted it's head the other way, still watching the apparently still deactivated machine... Until it took a swipe at him that is.

The white wolf looked down at the accurate slash across his chest, wincing since that had caused a lot of pain as it'd sliced through his body's ribs, lungs and heart, then back up at the robot. "How rude" he impossibly said, then noticed something else-firstly, the bloody blade was still in his glowing ethereal substance, and secondly, it appeared to be draining his energy. Lykaios sent the ethereal substance down the blade, he would coat the robot in it and take what the rude robot wanted off him back "I don't take kindly to anyone taking what I worked so hard to steal, you know. But since you interest me I'll let you keep what!s already yours"

#59

The Artificer looked at the wolf, and noted the lack of harvested energy. This creature was indeed powerful... maybe something to be exploited. A possibly unending energy source to power a new base of operations. After calculating for a few moments, it briefly analysed the creatures language, and spoke back in a chilling, emotionless and monotone, the voice cracking out from a speaker in the Artificers mouth, ancient and dusty technology powering to life.

"You are naught but subsistence for the gods. But you are of use to the Artificer Empire. Your energy is required to set up a foothold. You will comply."

An unearthly fire blazed the in the Artificers eyes. Some raw materials and the arcane power of the Artificers would be enough to begin the harvest here proper.

#60

The white wolf stared at the Artificers unearthly glowing eyes, opened his lupine jaw, and started to laugh. Long, hard, loud and quite deranged, Lykaios didn't stop until tears began to well up in his wolfish eyes.
"Oh, that's a good one. I haven't laughed so hard in eons. I will comply. Ha!" the Underling stood up, despite the dripping wound that was staining his white fur crimson, his expression and tone turning serious "Now you look here. I have plans and being plugged into for eternity like that tree behind you isn't one of them. However, you sound like you need some help to establish this foothold of yours, if you want to wipe out the lifeforms here perhaps we can work out a deal? If not, well, I can always walk away"