Episode Twenty Three - Razer, Razer, Where Are You?

Chapter Song Suggestion "Revenge by Synthwave Goose"

*note : all dialogues like so {example} are spoken from the predator's perspective

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PAST | Kaiser

He stumbled upon a bizarre, enclosed room with strange orientations of bottles and jars filled with preserved predator organs and deformed embryos lining the shelves. It was a cold and dark place. He had been in Ataxia for years, but he didn't know this mysterious laboratory existed. If it wasn't for his bullying senior who sent him down here to run errands in the basement, he wouldn't have found it.

It was quiet though, except for a soft, soothing hum coming from behind the lab. Boldly curious, he edged closer and heard a man's distinct muttering — like he was complaining to himself. But his attention was diverted to the cylindrical tank in the middle of the room. It was ginormous. Floating in the glowing green gunk was a predator he had never seen before, with long, colourful tubes attached to its torso. It had distinctive wings, webbed claws, and a prominent dorsal fin. How peculiar.

"What are you doing here?" The angry question was directed at him.

Oh, shit! He was caught. He whirled around to face a stern looking old man in a lab coat. He had thinning white hair, horrendous eyebags on a drooping face and gnarled fingers. The lack of light failed to illustrate him as anything less than a wicked, mad scientist.

Kaiser was too shocked to say anything except, "I-I'm sorry, I—"

"What's your name?" the old man fired, ignoring his stuttering. He advanced with each question, looming over Kaiser's shorter height. "Which division are you from? Did the Commander-in-Chief sent you?"

"I-I'm Kaiser Ruff. A research and development trainee." He then added for good measure. "Sir."

The smallest flicker of emotion appeared on the old man's face. He couldn't imagine what he was thinking. "I see. Well, as punishment for trespassing, you're going to serve as my assistant for one month. That'll teach you to go snooping around. Damned kids these days."

Kaiser wasn't the least bit put out. He was bored anyway, and this place was intriguing. "What is this place?"

The scientist's face lit up like a Christmas tree at the change of subject. "This my boy, is the weapons research and development lab." He pointed to himself. "I am Ciro Ramez and this is my paradise."

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PRESENT DAY

Aeolus reappeared with a lifeless, pale creature dangling from between its colossal beak. He dropped the bloody, mangled carcass before Lars's feet, preening at a job well done, silently expecting a reward. Sadly, his owner was rather preoccupied with the hideous predator Aeolus had killed.

Shining his light upon naked, pink flesh pulled tight across a bony half-humanoid, half-quadruped torso, Lars noticed the prominent claws on its forelimbs and two large toes for hind legs. The predator was noticeably blind, a layer of soft membrane shielding what should have been beady black eyes. "It's a prowler." He pointed at its star-shaped nose. "There's a possibility it was stalking us since we entered the caves."

"Is it dangerous?" Eira stared at the odd-looking creature, confounded by how nature could be twisted into something so ugly, no thanks to man's failed experiments. She wondered which animal origin it descended from. A mole? It was almost as large as a ten-year-old child.

"Not typically but, one scratch from its claw might put us at risk of an infection." Lars stood, lifting his reaper over the carcass. "Prowlers are blind and extremely notorious for their overall lack of hygiene. Needless to say, they have a keen sense of smell and are very competent diggers."

"We should keep moving," Kaiser urged anxiously, constantly checking their rear and front. "I don't want to risk more of its kind tracking us. All this noise might attract other unwanted predators. It'll be a waste of time and effort if we have to fight them off."

"You're right," Lars capitulated. "At least this dead prowler would keep them busy if they do catch onto our scent."

"Why is that?" Eira's brows pulled taut in bafflement.

"Prowlers are also cannibalistic scavengers. Food is scarce underground, so they aren't picky about what they eat, as long as it fills their stomach. Their appetites go a long way."

An involuntary shudder gripped her. Cannibalism was common in predation but, the concept of it still bothered her. She had heard stories of old era tribes that used to cannibalize their dead but, in retrospect, it only destroyed their health in the long-term ending in death.

Venturing deeper, they entered a glowing cavern dotted with thousands of tiny blue lights — as if they were walking under a starry night sky. Eira's expression was a mixture of curiosity, surprise, and awe. A delightful laugh escaped her. "How beautiful! What are these lights?"

"They're glowworms," Kaiser answered. "Strangely enough, glowworms are perhaps one of the known species that are unaffected by predation or the effects of Cell. They emit light to ensnare their prey and devour them alive. Don't be fooled by their beauty."

While Eira and Xue Long admired the view, Kaiser unpacked his mini cooler box and proceeded to set up a bait trap. The second he lifted the cover, the most gruesome and foul stench permeated the air, cutting off Eira's moment of wonder. Pinching her nose in revulsion, she spun around and demanded, "What the hell is that smell?"

Xue Long released a gurgling sound and sniffed the air, so did Aeolus.

{Food. Hungry.}

Unlike their human partners, the two predators were literally salivating. It gave Eira a good idea of what Kaiser intended to do.

"Stand down, Aeolus," Lars warned the Gryphon, injecting a healthy dose of lethal command. Aeolus whined, clumsily settling back on its haunches with obvious reluctance.

Eira took a nauseated step back, swallowing the urge to cast out her accounts, her throat convulsing.

Grimly, Lars watched the scientist drenching the place with a wet, slimy substance that looked suspiciously like blood, chopped organs and chunks of meat. Whether it was of the animal or human origin…he would rather not know. Either way, it wasn't fresh.

"Once a Razer awakens from slumber, it is usually ravenous and it won't be able to resist the scent of a meal," Kaiser explained, completely unaffected. Eira had an inkling he had done this before. He stole a glance at Xue Long and Aeolus, a small quirk working its way on his lips, attesting to his theory. "It's a veritable buffet for predators."

"If that's the case, won't it attract other predators in the vicinity?" Eira asked doubtfully.

"If I'm right then we're most likely in the Razer's territory. Fortunately, other predators won't risk venturing into its lair for fear of being eaten. Their survival instincts won't allow it."

"I'm curious." She glanced at Aeolus and Xue Long who were visibly fighting to eat up the bait. "Why aren't those two affected by the Razer's influence?"

"Domesticated predators are a different category altogether. They probably realize the danger but," – Kaiser's face turned curious yet pensive, as if he had never encountered this situation before – "perhaps they have faith in their human counterparts." He sounded pleasantly surprised himself. "How peculiar."

Before he could say more, tremors rocked the cave, sending showers of rock shards and water droplets upon them. It escalated into a forceful quake, splitting the ground with hairline fractures racing passed their boots and up the walls before the earth literally fell apart. The sound was like a gunshot in the night, louder still in the confines of the cave.

Primal panic whipped through Lars. "Take cover!" he roared, sheltering Eira's smaller frame in his arms as he hurried them into a safe nook.

"Xue Long! Aeolus!" Eira cried, dread and worry clutching her chest when she saw them taking the brunt of the crumbling cave.

{Scared. What's happening?}

Xue Long was crouched low in reflexive fear and Eira's heart clenched with guilt, wanting to protect the dragon but Lars wouldn't let her go.

"Aeolus! Take cover!" Lars ordered the older predator.

Having experienced more than his fair share of battles, the Gryphon forcefully nudged the dragon towards a corner, spreading its armoured wing to protect the younger predator. {Hurry. Not safe.}

Something huge burst through the cracks of the ground, pulverizing the surrounding limestone. It was dark brown, extremely long, and destructive. The cloud of debris obstructed Eira's view of the creature but, she had no doubt it was the apex they were hunting. Its harrowing roar was enough to announce its appearance.

"Captain! Now!" Kaiser yelled hoarsely from somewhere.

"Eira, cover me. I'm going in," Lars declared, pumping his reaper. "Aeolus, attack mode!" he called out to the Gryphon that immediately swooped in to pick him up.

Eira didn't need to be told twice. Motioning for her dragon, she commanded, "Xue Long, I need you to pinpoint the Razer's location." She raised the huntress, her eyes centered to the front. "Use your fire and I'll manage the rest."

Its fear abandoned in the face of her master's bravery, the dragon observed the Razer's frantic thrashing, partially obscured by the clearing haze before firing – a fiery red glow erupting from its belly in a series of fire balls.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The concentrated attack slammed hard into the Razer's back – a smoky, charred dent appearing on its exoskeleton. The apex roared in annoyance. Hundreds of its spindly legs started for Xue Long, protruding feelers whipping furiously and a sharp pincer mouth snapping powerfully.

"Now I've got you." Eira aimed her arrows into the soft tissues of its underbelly, eliciting an excruciating scream, emphasizing its two-tone voice. Not waiting around to be ambushed, she hopped onto Xue Long's back and they flew away. From her vantage point, she saw the Razer's second head in repose, lying parallel to the ground. Like a serpent, it rose when its main torso backtracked, going in pursuit of Lars and Aeolus.

Her eyes widened when the apex released a large amount of dark mist, a dull purple in the meagre light. Was that the toxin Kaiser had warned them about?

Down below, Lars commanded Aeolus to stay back, darting to the other end of the cave to lure the Razer away from his Gryphon. The malicious mist surrounded him, eclipsing his vision. Legs braced, he waited for the Razer to show itself. And then, he felt the vibrations, relying on his instincts and muscle memory to defend himself.

Lars was taken aback by the massive brown ball exploding through the mist, threatening to mow him down. Thankfully, his reflexes had never failed him before, and he lunged to the side, hitting the ground painfully. That was nothing compared to being flattened by a Razer ball.

"You won't be able to damage it in that state!" Kaiser magically appeared, helping the Captain to his feet, inviting him into his defensive dome shield. "When the Razer curls up into a ball, it's almost impossible to kill. It's how it protects itself. We need to get it to unfurl."

"I have an idea!" Eira shouted from above. "Leave it to us!" She directed the dragon to Aeolus and fed the predators her plan.

Lars watched them dispersed in the air and circled back with full force, diving rapidly towards the rolling mass.

"She's going to throw it off balance," Kaiser surmised, a hint of amazement in his voice. He quickly dug his bag pack for a grenade. "If we can get it to unfurl in mid-air, you can disarm it with your reaper. Blasts don't work on its exoskeleton but, if you destroy the underplates, we might have a chance to wound it." Kaiser shoved the egg-shaped explosive into Lars's hand. "When the time's right, you'll know when to throw this."

Eira tightened her grip around Xue Long's neck as they plunged at breakneck speed, her eyes squeezing shut as they crashed into the massive Razer, sending it toppling over.

Lars realized this was the only chance they had and hurled the unpinned grenade at the apex.

Three…Two…One…

BOOM!

The apex went airborne, and Lars sprinted into the chaos, dropping into a rapid back slide. Right on cue, the Razer unfurled, revealing its vulnerable underbelly. Lars fired at will. In slow motion, he witnessed his shots shattering the plates and the Razer squirming in mid-air. He blinked and it was all over. The apex crashed forcefully, spilling a mass of green slime and unfamiliar guts.

Kaiser who had been waiting patiently, approached the wounded Razer and sealed it within his engineered bubble prison, a device he had invented. Eira landed Xue Long and fluidly dismounted, watching in fascination as the bubble shrank to the size of a walnut. "That's amazing, Kaiser! How is that even possible?"

"Molecular manipulation. It's only safe to use on predators and smaller animals or plants." He showed her the bubble. "This was one of my first inventions."

Before Eira could touch the bubble, a black figure swooped in and snatched the Razer away. "Hey!" Kaiser shouted angrily.

A series of stilted claps echoed in the ruined cavern. "That was quite an impressive show. I didn't know the government dogs had it in them to take down an apex. You have our thanks for saving us the trouble to capture it."

The creature that had stolen their apex was a noctera – a gargoyle like creature with feline features and protruding fangs. Landing beside a pair of silhouetted figures, Eira noticed the predator was the size of a human toddler. It handed the bubble to its master, who finally stepped into the scant light.

It was a man and a woman.

A sharp gasp tore from her lips when she saw the noctera's eyes - nothing but empty eye sockets. Eira knew it wasn't born this way. Were the couple responsible for its horrible disfigurement? Who the hell were these strangers?

Their origins were unclear – tanned skin with fairly large eyes yet their fine-bone features and lilted accent hinted of Asian descent. Their vagabond attire reminded Eira of those wandering gypsies in the desert. Were they part of the gypsy tribe? Gypsies were infamous for their mixed heritage.

CLICK! Lars had his reaper cocked at their heads, one second away from pulling the trigger. "I'll give that back if I were you."

Unperturbed, the man merely chuckled. "I can see why this Razer wasn't a challenge for you."

"I wasn't asking." A final warning.

"Well then, you'll just have to—"

BANG! Lars pulled the trigger – an explosion of shattered skull and brain matter splattered onto the woman's cheek. He directed his reaper on her. She was next.

"Tsk!" The woman crouched in time to avoid her partner's fate, escaping into the shadows. She wasn't even concerned that he was dead. The noctera screeched and attacked, only for Aeolus to pounce and pin it down. It was as harmless as a fly under the Gryphon's weight.

Lars noticed the bubble had fallen from the dead man's grip and bent to retrieve it.

"Lars, behind you!" Eira screamed.

"That was rude of you, sir. I wasn't done talking." The accented voice whispered into his ear. "Now you're going to pay the price of knowing what happens when someone tries to kill a dragon. But I'll give you credit for blowing my head off. No one's ever come close before."

Twisting around, Lars's eyes widened significantly. He didn't even have time to process how this man was still alive when the jagged spear drove towards his heart.