Starfall

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. They had taken back the northern part of the planet ever since the Namtud took place over half a millenia ago. Someone - or something - brought them back, and, fairly recently, have started spreading out over the rest of Arcaxor.

The once sprawling, advanced Arcaxor civilization that had been a part of the galactic community was reduced to ash, ruins, and a collection of overground safe havens and underground sanctuaries, and that was that. The world had been forever changed, yet, as the girl looked on, those were the last things on her mind.

Soot and ash held dominion as far as the eye could see - but not as far as she could see.

She surveyed the valley below and the sky above, searching and searching for any winged beasts, yet found nothing but crevices, jagged rock, and the occasional ice tree.

The pair of high-tech, old world binoculars were left to hang freely, dangling from her hip and lightly swaying from side to side as their owner scaled the imposing, frozen cliff face.

This was dragon country, and whatever awoke them from their slumber all those centuries ago seemed to favour the north as their base of operations. The place was teeming with them, yet they were only one of several extremely dangerous beasts you had to watch out for here, in this land of ice and stone.

Despite the altitude and frosty morning dew that latched onto the surrounding, sparse vegetation, the temperature was surprisingly cold. How such vegetation survived here, she didn’t know, presuming it to be something in the soil that did it. It usually was. Regardless, she was more focused on the task at hand than anything else.

Two rusted hatchets that were fashioned from the scrap of an old-world war machine were tied around her wrists and held in her hands, whilst her boots featured the sharpened claws of a Kraniz - both perfect for climbing.

She plunged one of the hatchets into the cliff-face, pulling a chunk of it out and narrowly missing her as she did so.

What the? She thought to herself. Stay cool Zora, stay cool. This has only happened a few times now, no biggie, not like this keeps happening more frequently, every single time you climb…

The woman was close to the top now, only a few steps from a point on the cliff face where it began to even out, yet she was seriously having her doubts. She was an experienced climber, yet her mind kept dragging her away from the climb. She thought of back home, to her brother, and to Kris, yet it was all overshadowed by the city of Borealis; the enormous walled region at the far north of Arcaxor.

The three suns of the Arcaxor system could shine here indefinitely for years during the winter season. Summer’s and winter’s usually lasted upwards of eight years, and eight years of constant sun, rolling green hills, and clear blue rivers sounded like a dream to her, a dream she would do anything to make a reality. It was left relatively untouched by the Namtud, and it was said to have burrowed deep into the earth. Whether the borehole was natural or not was far removed from her knowledge of the place, yet it was its crowning feature - and its crowning mystery. It was, from what she had heard, read, and found out about on her travels, a safe place to be, far removed from the ruins and the dirt of the rest of the planet. It was somewhere with order and hope, potential and promise.

The place had schools, houses, parks, hospitals; everything she or her brother could ever want or need, everything that reminded her about what she read and heard about the world before Namtud. Whispers and rumors were all she had, but she was determined to find out the truth about it. Yet, for now, it merely played on her mind, and she couldn’t help but let the dream overcome her every now and then.

Determined to push it to the back of her mind, she continued her climbing, and, eventually, made it out onto the plateau before her.

Fields full of exotic flowers, juicy multi-coloured fruits, and a plethora of root vegetables untouched by the Namtud lay before her. Past them, a few hundred metres away stood the dead titans of the old world; great spires made of metal that reached high into the Arcaxor sky like the great irradiated forests of Cerna.

There, opposite to the metallic titans and the vibrant fields lay her main cause for even coming there in the first place; crystal caves.

She knew to step carefully here, the lightest of tremors being enough to awaken any nearby Graggors or flying dragons. She had seen one flying overhead not an hour ago, its wings wider than most streams and its body as large as a field, yet it was still nowhere in sight. The threat of a Graggor was much more real and immediate at this moment, and, whilst the heads and tails of the Graggor’s and dragons were somewhat alike, that’s where their similarities ended. Graggor’s had sharpened tusks and bulky, powerful legs, something she'd definitely rather not deal with right now. Not that she couldn't necessarily take one per se, but a fight avoided is still a fight won (that had always been her motto anyway).

The more she tiptoed toward the cave entrance, the more imposing and impossibly enormous the stalactites hanging at the cave entrance appeared. Their ends were pointed and dangerous, every single one of them aiming downwards towards the entrance like sharpened teeth on jaws just waiting to snap shut on the cave’s careless visitors.

All of a sudden, soft, barely audible vibrations began to permeate through the ground below. At first, Zora simply thought it was her mind playing tricks on her, its over-active, over-cautionary nature making itself known once again. However, once they continued and even seemed to become stronger, there was no doubt in her mind that something - or someone - was coming.

Two choices lay before her; run for the cave for refuge, or try to hide and let them or it pass. Neither seemed appealing to her, after all, the cave entrance was still far away and she was out in the open, on open ground, alone. There was nowhere for her to hide.

The planet began to rumble as whatever was heading her way drew closer and closer. It could have been a dragon, their skulking mass having the ability to shake the ground if they’re low enough, but It could have been a Graggor or even a pack of Kraniz. Either way, she had to act, and act now.

Zora finally took off, thundering through the last vestiges of colourful crops - petals and stems kicked up all around her as she went.

Two steps, then four, but by the sixth, she knew it was done. At least two dozen pairs of legs were her best guess, and they were about to be on top of her.

They came atop the crest of the hill, not ten metres away, a herd of Faura's.

Herbivores...thank the suns, but they don't need to be hunting me to squash me…

She gripped her crystal spear tighter - its weight all too familiar and strangely soothing in her hands - and extended it outward to the oncoming herd, and waited.

The planet growled at her as small rocks and pebbles bounced around her, the ferocity of nature coming ever closer as her heart began to beat incredibly fast. Within a few moments, the pink, four-legged, wooly animals adjusted their course, sandwiching between herself and the cave entrance - opting to charge down the no man's land between them.

Their high-pitched chirping - the sound of submission - echoed through the valley as they heeded her Fuuji crystal's silent warning. They continued to obey its command, skirting around its owner like diverted water and passing dangerously close to the cave, yet far enough to not be a threat to herself.

As they came to within several feet of the entrance, their heavy footfall was close enough to cause a couple of the stalactites to fall earthward, whilst loosening several others. Luck must have been on the animal's side, however, as all except one were struck by the falling rock.

Within a few moments, the frantic herd had passed and were on their way as quickly as they had come, leaving one of their own there all alone.

It was breathing heavily as it attempted to stand up, yet fell back down as quickly as it had started.

You poor thing, She thought as she got nearer to the animal, You’re beautiful aren’t you…and worth some money…

Covered in fur and featuring large eyes, for lack of a better term, it was cute. Yet, it was a death’s door as it slowly bled out onto the cavern floor below.

"I’m sorry." She said solemnly, although she knew she would scavenge its most lucrative parts once she came back through the cave - there was little need to let its passing go in vain, Zora thought so at least.

The way was finally clear for her to enter the cave - save for a few troublesome stalactites that is. Looking upward, she spotted the loosened stalactite formation, some reaching farther and farther into the cave, and her heart sank.

Would it even be worth the risk? The crystals she was after were invaluable, their magical properties having the potential to secure her more wealth than she had seen in a long while. It wasn’t something she wished to dwell on - those were memories she didn’t need dredging up, especially not right now.

Who was to say there wouldn’t be another cave exit within? Who was to say that the stalactites would even fall anytime soon? She had come all this way, having put her younger brother in danger, leaving him all on his own to fend for himself for a few days. It was only the second time she had allowed him to look after himself for once, free from the grip of a friend or Kris watching over him, yet it was just as gut-wrenchingly horrible as the first time she allowed it. Nevertheless, turning up empty handed simply wasn’t an option she was going to entertain, neither was turning up any later than she had told him.

Neither was not turning up at all… She thought, silently cursing the situation that she had gotten herself into.

Time wasn’t on her side, and, clearly, neither was luck. A decision had to be made, and she made it.

It wasn’t long before the light of the three suns no longer lit the cave, forcing her hand and heart yet again. She hadn’t found what she was after. There were crystals, yes, beautiful and no doubt worth some money, but not the ones she was after. There was no mistaking those when you come across them.

Sighing deeply, and cursing once again, Zora reached into her bag, searching for the two Yhur crystals. They were thick and chunky, not to mention bright purple in colour, but they didn’t glow naturally, resorting to her sense of touch to find them in the large, overflowing bag.

Within a few moments, she had them in her hands, outstretched before her, ready to be activated.

“Here goes nothing…”.

She smashed the pair together, the collision causing small purple sparks to be sent flying as she did so - but it worked.

The two crystals were suddenly, for want of a better word, ‘lit’. A brilliant, royal purple illuminated the cave around her, in turn triggering nearby crystals to also brighten in response.

Rich golds, bright whites, and electric blues were just a few of the colours of the crystals, with the entire visible light spectrum making up the available colour choices. Some were rarer than others, but all colours were represented here; the difficulty was finding all of them in one single cave, a feat that was nearly impossible.

She walked on, her two Yhur crystals - coupled with any of the surrounding crystals - illuminating her path into the cave for several metres around her.

The purpose of the excursion was to specifically look for two types of crystals - the Ilu and the Arthar crystals. Both were rare, both were exceedingly valuable, but, if she had to choose, the Arthar crystal would come out on top. With her luck, however, she was doubtful as to whether she would even find it.

This was a relatively new find, this cave that is. If it hadn’t been for the avalanches tearing up areas all over this mountain range last summer - well over a year ago now - she wouldn’t have even known of this place's existence. As far as she was aware, most didn’t, and that’s just how she liked it.

Her backpack had two makeshift slots on it, just big enough for her two crystals to sit in comfortably, which is exactly where she put them.

She came across several smaller animals and beasts the longer she traversed the cavern, from small, rodent-like creatures to the scaled bats found in caves and old ruins. Neither were dangerous and were actually helpful in a way. Their existence down here meant she likely wouldn’t need to wear her gas mask if these creatures were alive and well down here.

The cave quickly began to open up, larger and larger the further in she went, until the lumination from her crystals no longer reached the cave ceiling. Several different caverns now jutted out from the main chamber, taking the direction she always did in these situations.

Right...always the right…

Rocks falling against rock joined the soundtrack of her cave insurrection, with an occasional harsh gust of wind piercing through the subterranean landscape like a ghostly phantom announcing its presence.

Strange, distant sounds further contributed to the soundscape, some that instilled a sense of something otherworldly. Maybe it was just the eerieness of being deep underground and all of the tricks the sounds of such a place bring with it, yet, there was still the constant feeling of unease. The way the reflection of the bright crystals were cast on the surrounding cavernous walls created stark, sharp shadows that barely seemed to play by the rules of reality. It all created an incredibly creepy vibe now, and she couldn’t wait to find what she came all this way for so she could get out of there.

After a few more minutes of searching - and a lot of positive affirmations she told herself - she found it. Well, she found at least one of the things she was looking for. Nestled in a small nook was the unmistakable electric blue glow of the Ilu crystals.

Of course...not Arthar, but still, better than nothing.

The mining of crystals wasn’t the hard part - her primitive, hand-made laser cutter saw to that - but keeping it focused for a smooth, clean cut was. The crystals were graded on their perfection, some people even going so far as to say they performed better if more perfect, as if their beauty and aesthetics themselves were a force to be reckoned with. She wasn’t so sure though, but it wasn’t like she ever got to use most of the crystals she dealt in. There was a decent amount here (possibly a dozen or more), that were generously sized and in particularly good condition; each one beginning to weigh down her satchel as she continued to cut them.

Her mind began to wander to her experiences with the crystals, all the different varieties she’s come across in her excavations and expeditions. Each one with its unique ability and colour, something that seemed beyond the world of possibility, yet, it was possible. However, something happened that made all of these thoughts quickly exit once she noticed something about one of the remaining crystals she was currently cutting; It was glowing fiercer.

Within a split second, she spun around, dropping the cutter and raising her spear in defense, only for it to violently clash with an incoming sword.

The man who owned the sword worked up another attack - his own Yhur crystals attached to his back illuminating the group of people behind him ominously - to which she deflected too. A myriad of clangs and clashes followed as she was backed into a corner, her metal-shafted spear doing well to absorb the continuous blows.

She dispatched the first contender after a few moments of back and forth blows, pushing his fallen body back into the crowd with all her might. A chance was presented to her, so she took it.

Zora took off running, heading past the scrambling group and down the same cavern she came in, all the while awkwardly trying to reprise one of the glowing gems from her weighted bag.

Taunts and shouts followed her loud, hurried footsteps as she quickly, albeit awkwardly, wrestled one of the crystals from the bag and, with great effort, managed to fit it onto a spare crystal slot on her backpack. In the darkness she failed to spot any sort of projectile weapons on the group, but she wasn’t taking any chances. With a press of the button on one of her backpack straps, a brilliant blue aura surrounded her for a few feet.

She was a fast runner, nimble and almost cat-like on her feet, but she could hear them gaining ground, not to mention what must have been the sound of an arrow pinging off of her newly created defensive shield. These aura shields were dangerous and unstable, especially on first use, but it was more dangerous to do nothing. There was no fighting such a large group, no matter how gifted she was with her spear. Escape was the only real option, and she had no choice but to take it.

Doubt began to form in her mind, a whirlwind of thoughts swirling around it; would she make it out alive? Would she die here, all for some crystals in a dingy cave? What would happen to her brother if she never returned?

Her thoughts would likely be answered soon as she spotted the dim daylight bleeding through the cave exit; welcoming her with open, blazing arms. If she could just survive the next twenty seconds or so, if she could just reach the open ground, she might have a chance of getting out of this alive.

The girl reached into the side of her left boot - the golden skin of her exposed hand shimmering in the wake of the equally golden light of the three suns - and pulled out a clunky, new-world handgun. She had one plan in mind, one goal that might save her skin. She had to try it.

One shot at this… She thought to herself, Don’t screw this up now Zora...

Zora took aim, trying to line up her bright, silver eyes with the primitive iron-sights as she was running, her target the loosened stalactites a dozen feet in front of her. The timing had to be impeccable for this to work, almost perfect. Seconds later, she fired shot after shot into the ceiling as she drew to within a few feet of it. They began to loosen and fall, sliding underneath the falling shards and picking up speed once again as she clambered to her legs.

Zora couldn’t see - she dare not take a moment to look back - but she could hear, and it frightened her to her core.

A deep roar emerged from the cave entrance as countless stalactites fell to the ground, the muffled screams of some members being the only thing to escape the doomed cave. Their cries faded away into the wind as quickly as they had come.

A large collection of dust and soot was kicked up following what might have been a total cave-in, stretching further into the caverns than she had originally planned.

Either way, there was nothing she could do now. She had escaped, but only just. She might have lost access to an incredibly lucrative cave system, but she made it out with her life.

Feeling like there wasn’t much else she could do right now, Zora lied down to catch her breath. The light blue skies met her eyes, their beauty feeling almost like a reward for making it out alive, and with her objective firmly clutched to her tired body, she couldn’t help but smile.

At least I have these…although I don’t remember the bag feeling this light...

Puzzled, her right hand pushed through the satchel entrance, searching through it as she continued to stare up at the sky, heavy, ragged breaths in tow. She still hadn’t discounted the dragon returning again, just one of the pale beasts hell-bent on tearing the north and lower regions asunder, yet she saw nothing and heard nothing.

Ignoring her surroundings for a moment, Zora counted only two of the crystals - a far-cry from the half dozen or so she remembered putting in there. She surmised that they must have fallen in her escape, leaving her to curse herself and the would-be assailants for giving her more of a headache than she already currently had.

“Who...who even were they?”. She said between staggered breaths. “Can’t...can’t believe they -”.

She was interrupted before she could finish her sentence, feeling the soil around her with mounting fear. There it was again, vibrations in the ground, interjecting and causing her to listen carefully. Barely noticeable at first, but they quickly made themselves known to her. Something was coming again, something big.

She quickly got to her feet, spear yet again in hand. The vibrations were different this time though, her experience in the wastelands of Arcaxor leading her to believe they belonged to just two pairs of legs - not two dozen.

After backing up a few feet, her eyes were drawn to the same hill the herd had crossed over before. The sound of the cave-in must have attracted it and who knows what else; she wouldn’t stick around to find out if she could help it. Yet, in her current predicament, she had no choice but to face it, whatever it was that was coming over the hill. A few moments later it appeared, failing to stifle the groan that emerged from her lips when she realised what it was; a Graggor.

Oh yes, of course it is.

She re-equipped her sidearm, bringing it to bare and aiming towards the oncoming beast, its large head in her sights. Zora fired a dozen or so shots towards the creature, perhaps only half of that striking it with even fewer finding their mark on the Graggor’s head.

The Graggor’s pointed tusks were only a few feet away when she rolled out of its direction and away from the destroyed cave entrance. Her plan was two-fold; she would either try and get it to collide with the mountain - its jagged tusks becoming ingrained in the stone wall, giving her ample time to escape - or, failing that, take it down herself. Either eventuality were incredibly optimistic, even delusional, but it’s all she could think of in the short amount of time that she had.

The ground shook violently as it skidded to a halt, its large legs awkwardly dancing as it attempted to turn to stern and power up another charge at her, allowing her to get in several more shots to her target. She had yet to fell a Graggor, but, if hunters back home were to be believed (which wasn’t exactly a common occurrence), they were at least killable.

Zora fired another round of shots in its direction, their familiar sound temporarily providing her reassurance and confidence as they did so. This time, however, more shots found their mark on the target than before. A bloodcurdling growl emerged from the Graggor’s maw as a reward, both giving her hope and causing her to shudder. It wasn’t over yet though, it was still coming for her, no matter how many shots she fired and no matter how far she backed up. She would need a miracle if she were to get out of this alive, but no one other than her brother and Kris even knew she was here, and they were far, far away from here. There was no cavalry, no allies coming to save her. Zora would die here if she wasn’t careful.

She rolled away again, this time the beast came even closer to piercing her with one of its large tusk’s, and the cycle repeated all over again. If it wasn’t one of its four tusks piercing her, its tree-like legs crushing her or its razor-sharp teeth tearing her to pieces, it would be its sheer mass colliding with her.

Sheer mass… She thought, gunshot after gunshot continuing to smash against its head ineffectively, Sheer mass...there’s something to this.

Zora redirected her firing, switching from the beast’s head and to its back legs. Several found their mark whilst several missed, but it was seemingly enough for her previously hypothetical idea, now made a reality.

The Graggor growled in pain, rearing back on its hind legs as she continued to fire with one hand, giving her an opportunity she may never get again.

She ran at it, throwing her gun to the ground and taking the crystal spear in two hands - its texture and weight feeling like home within her hands.

Another growl emerged from the Graggor as she spotted something new in its eyes; fear, the last emotion it would ever feel, all by the golden hands of Zora.

Her inconceivably sharp spear tip found its mark - an area no larger than a manhole cover - between the beast’s armoured neck and chest. It speared clean through, pushing up and out through the creature's upper spinal column, blue blood gushing out and onto her as she did so. Time stood completely still for a few moments, bowing before the champion of the life or death situation. It quickly returned to normal as she pushed further, falling forward and on top of the now overturned Graggor, its ridged back now firmly grounded into the dirt, unmoving, unbreathing, dead.

Somehow, Zora had done it. She had killed one, she had killed a Graggor - not to mention escaping relatively unharmed from an encounter with the rare creature. It was barely believable, yet it’s what happened.

Finally releasing her death-grip on the spear, she wiped the blue blood from her eyes and face. She pulled the spear free from its tough innards, however, it proved to be a challenge, and, after several heavy tugs, she didn’t think she’d ever get it out. Yet, persistent and angry at the entire situation finally allowed her to yank it free, much to her relief.

The girl slid off its belly, her feet finding the now blood-soaked ground as her back found the side of the Graggor as she leaned against it. Her platinum hair had splatters of blue blood on it, so she didn’t care about leaning back against the grubby, continuously bleeding creature. Enough damage had been done to it anyway.

Zora would take as many of its teeth as she could, as well as part of a tusk (the pointy end for sure, always the best), burying the rest to come back to another day, if she decided to come back this way north that is. It didn’t completely make up for the lost crystals, but at least it makes it a more profitable outing than it would have been otherwise.

A sharp pain shot through her side, causing her to look down to its source. It was only a small scratch, yet it was bleeding lightly.

How in the…really?

As the adrenaline left her system, the pain increased, yet it really wasn’t that bad. She had little idea who or what caused it, but it would need seeing to in some way, slowing her down significantly regardless of the action she took. Not by a huge amount, but getting back to her brother even an extra hour or two later wouldn’t be good. Regardless, she’d do what she needed to do, and just hope it wouldn’t be much of a hindrance.

After patching herself up as quickly as she could, near-silence began to surround her, finally being left to her thoughts again.

The fear of imminent death introduced a few questions in her mind - was the group in the cave after her specifically, or simply after her crystals? Who’s to say there weren’t a whole bunch of other crystals in there, why would they need to chase her in that case anyway?

Questions without answers...no surprise there. Lets get this done and get back, sooner rather than later. She vowed, picking herself and her spear up and making her way to the Graggor’s mouth.

Setting aside the spear, she removed a simple but sharp metal knife from her boot, taking it to the beast's gums and teeth.

Now, lets see what we have here…

An enormous, nearly ear-splitting roar suddenly thundered through the Valley, unapologetic and uncompromising in its nature. It was that same dragon she saw flying earlier, and she cursed to herself silently. After all she had endured so far, this was the last thing she needed.

Armed with nothing but her spear and sidearm in either hand; whatever action she took next would either save her or kill her; and she had to make that choice, and make it now.

Here goes nothing…