Alastor:Evergreen

## Prologue

A jet black male Vanara named Kirji picked his way through a massacre, the once near idealic rocky lake shore that sat at the edge of a thick and steamy greenery of the jungle was now littered with the sparking corpses of a around a dozen of the horned herbivores known as Borgvines. The roaring of the near by waterfall that fed the lake was a welcome auditory blackout from the pained mooing of the few borgvines that were not quiet yet dead but for which nothing could possibly be done to save. Still nothing could block out the grizzly sight of the mechanical beasts shredded internals as if and thousands blades had stormed through the area, nor the rank stench of of machine internal fluids spilled across the ground. In front of Kirji and small spherical robot with a long, protruding, worm-like neck scanned the corpses. A Sleen, a race of effectively living supercomputers.

"What in Rhya's name could have done this Ourubis," muttered Kirji looking up expectantly at the smaller floating robot. Ouribis made a distinct humming sound as his neck swayed back and fourth between corpses before replying, "upon first inspection it appears these wounds were made by Vextures."

Kirji had to raise a metallic brow at that, "but Vextures are scavengers, they don't eat living metal. Its impossible for them to attack a living creatures."

"That would be my conclusion to," responded Ouribis, "but look around, all these dead corpses, and are there any in sight."

Kirji had to admit that the Sleen was right, this amount of dead would be an absolute feast for the scavengers but none where present. For that matter there was no other scavengers or even large predators that would have been drawn in by the scent. The more he thought about the more he realized how absolutely eerily silent the jungle was. He stood up from the corpse he was examining.

"We need to go deeper," he said and proceed to walk towards the jungle's edge.

It didn't take the two long before they had been swallowed up by the tangle of thorns, vines, and roots, picking their way along the worn animal trails. Kirji was grateful for having brought the Sleen with him as the smaller bot was able to pick up on the microscopic trails of oil and grease that he could not. Following this trail eventually lead to a large clearing dominated by a large, rotting, moss covered log. Kirji leaped up on the log, careful to avoid the areas rotten enough to give out from under him, to get a better view of the surrounding area. Ourubis floated up beside him, "sir I've lost the fuel trail, but I am detecting increased seismic activity in our general area."

"What kind of seismic activity?"

"I do not know sir, but it appears to be getting...," whatever the little robot was going to say was suddenly cut off when thick green vines erupted from the ground and wrapped around Kirji's body, constricting him so as to prevent any movement from his body. They then began dragging him off into the forest. As more vines emerged to grab Ourubis Kirji shouted at the little robot, "run, get back to base!"

"But sire," Ourubis called back distress creeping into his voice as he desperately weaved through vines to get to his master.

"I ORDER YOU TO GO!" Kirji yelled as load as he could. Unable to disobey an order Ourubis turned and fled quickly outpacing the vines. As guilt weld up in his being he started to shack until he could not take it anymore and collapsed trembling and sobbing by the rocky lake shore as the thunder waterfall drowned the sounds of his lament.

## Chapter 01

Inside the belly of the ship all was warm and golden, the lounge alive with the warm glow of lights that flicker to and fro illuminating a finally crafted bar made from the wood of some bronze metal tree. Out from the bar stretched a great red carpet from which more bronze tables sprung up, tables full of rowdy robotic men and women of every race in the Ferrum Federation laughing, dancing, singing, and generally making merry to the cheery and up beat tunes played upon the lute of the bard upon a raised stage and the far end of the lounge. At one of the tables, alone sat a young female Vanara with a red exoskeleton, golden markings, fiery orange hair cables, and a sapphire blue eye and mouth lights. She was not joining in on the activities but was tapping her foot along with the music while thoroughly engrossed in the shooter game she was playing on her portable game system while taking occasional swigs of the frothy mug of ale that sat at her table, her mouth light lite up in a grin. So engrossed was she that she failed to notice the small, brown, female Nyrn creeping up her with a massive pile of books in her arms. The Nyrn hopped upon one of the seats and slammed the books down jolting the mug and sending ale spilling all over the table. The red Vanara sputtered and held her game system up over the table so as to prevent it from getting it wet.

"Geezus Hoki," she cried out angrily, "what the fuck was that for?!"

"Sorry Akanri," replied Hoki looking mortified "I was busy taking inventory of what we would need once we got to Alastor, the books were heavy and I got tired."

Akanri sighed and scowled slightly but held no real malice behind her glare, she really didn't have it in her to be mad at her friend for long but she was rather annoyed. She'd been enjoying that ale and almost had the highest score in all the Ferrum Federation. 'Guess there's always next time' she though grumpily before shaking her head, "don't worry about I can get more ale, but you're paying for it."

"Are you really sure you should be drinking more," asked Hoki suspiciously, "you were on your third mug of that when I left to take stock."

"Hey I'm Stoker Tribe," snorted Akanri both dismissively and indignantly, "my coolant is practically made of alcohol."

Hoki rolled her eyelights at that one and grumbled, "fine, I guess I do owe you one."

"I'll probably buy myself another as well," said Akanri nonchalantly ignoring Hoki's exasperated chock. As the two stood up a massive tremor rocked the ship and the light turned red and flashed as a klaxon gave a high pitch blare. Akanri covered her auditory sensors and snarled at the noise. The klaxons continued in blare as everyone in the bar stood at attention as the captain came in looking grim.

"Apologies ladies and gentlemen," he said, "but we were just struck by an Illhveli."

"What kind?", someone called out.

"A Katthveli by the looks of it," was the captain's reply, "we don't have armaments powerful enough to repel the beast so we are going to attempt to outrun it and radio for help."

Everyone about the bar began to mutter in shock Illhveli were not known to wander this far south, to see one in these regions was beyond unusual. Long-Necks and Atherlizards were common and occasionally a threat to ships being larger territorial predators, but Illhveli of all kinds were known to be active hunters of ships that fed upon what they killed, seemingly sustained off pure malice alone. Foul star whales that dissolved into poisonous and extremely radioactive oil upon death.

Hoki for her part was looking up at Akanri and did not like what she saw. Her friend and pilot's eye lights were narrowed and her mouth lights were spread into a savage grin. Hoki gulped before asking, "Akanri, what are you thinking?"

Akanri's grin just became wider and more savage as she whispered, "my chance!"

"I can't believe you talked the captain into this," complained Hoki while sitting in the back seat of Zweihander's (Akanri's tamed Turborex) which was currently sitting on the hull of the ship observing its fleshy opponent hungry. The Katthveli was a blubbery mass of brown, wrinkled flesh with a worn like tail that ended in a jagged fin, clawed four limbs, amd head that looked like that of a skinned teeth. It eyes were a piercing and burning yellow and its mouth was a needle fanged gaping gash in its maw bubbling with black tar.

"Well I guess I'm just persuasive," replied Akanri cheerily while eyeing the beast before them with a hungry gaze, it was significantly bigger then Zweihander but that wasn't really a deterrent to Akanri. 'After all,' she thought, 'the bigger they are the better the prize!'

"It's charging," gulped Hoki looking down at her radar screen. Akanri lite up a savage grin and replied, "can you neutralize it's shields?"

"Should be," came the reply causing her grin to glow brighter as she roar, "THEN LET'S BRING IT!"

A lumpy streak of brown landed upon the hull of the ship with shocking speeds, scrabbling at and sliding about the cold metal as it clumsily chargers forward, gnashing its teeth the whole way. Akanri deftly dodged Zwei out of the way of its charge forcing the evil whale to make a sharp turn almost throwing from the side of the ship, but it writed itself quickly enough and came charging again. Akanri kept up this bull fight came for about two more rounds before sending Zwei spinning on its next charge and swatting the Katthveli in the face with Zwei's tail sending it reeling. Wasting no time Akanri sent Zwei leaping upon the evil whale's back and Zwei began to tear into it. While Zwei could not employ his laser cannon and missile while the etheric monster's shields were up he could still use his teeth and claws to rip chucks from its flesh making in bleed and thrash in pain. The Katthveli bucked and writhed trying to throw Zwei off, but the Turborex had dug in and refused to move.

"I've got its shields neutralized," cried Hoki while getting tossed out in the sattle. Akanri grunted and affirmative and had Zwei leap off the evil whale's back, his claws sending up sparks and leaving gashes in the ship. Akanri cream as the Katthveli came charging at them again, "Hoki do it now!"

"FOX TWO," cried Hoki pressing a button that sent a sidewinder missile flying into the side of the beast where it exploded into the evil whale's flesh sending black blood spouting every where as the creature was thrown towards the far end of the ship where it lay dying.

"Finish it off yourself," urged Hoki pointing to the flettcher mounted on Akanri's back, "you could get your slayer name!"

Akanri regard the Katthveli for a bit before shaking her head and snorting in derision, "nah."

She then walked over to the Katthveli and pried open its bottom jaw with one of Zwei's claws. Zwei fired his oral laser down the katthveli's throat shredding its jugular and killing it instantly.

"Why," screamed Hoki in exasperation, "you always do this, passing up a perfect chance to kill a monster yourself and get a slayer name!"

"It's not a good enough kill, not a worthy enough slayer name."

"Why? A katthveli, hell any Illhveli, would make for a worthy slayer name! what more could you want.

Akanri looked back at her friend and Hoki could swear she saw fire dancing behind the red vanara's blue eyes as she replied, "that's why we're going to Alastor, I'm after something special, I'm after the Lindwyrm."