The Scourge

Skylar caught up with Veyra in less than a minute, his glider skimming just above the fractured earth.

She was crouched behind a boulder, her body was tense, and her eyes were fixed on something ahead.

Skylar dismounted in one smooth motion, his glider folding into itself before locking onto the magnetic straps at the back of his battlesuit. The quiet clink of metal against metal barely registered as he stepped beside her.

{What happened?} he asked, his voice low.

Veyra didn't answer immediately. Instead, she pointed past the boulder, her jaw tight. {Look ahead}

Skylar shifted, just enough to get a line of sight above the boulder. His breath slowed as he took in what lay beyond.

About a hundred meters ahead, the ground dipped into a massive crater—unnatural in shape. Its edges were uneven as if torn apart rather than formed naturally. And within it were machines—Gigantic ones.

They were towering constructs of metal and pulsating energy. Their limbs moved with an eerie precision as they dug into the cracked earth, excavating something hidden beneath the surface.

But it wasn't just the machines... Operators moved between them. They looked humanoid in shape but unmistakably foreign.

Their bodies were covered in dark, hardened growths, almost like obsidian plates fused with their skin. Crystalline patches jutted out at random, catching the dim light and casting fractured reflections across the crater floor.

Skylar's eyes narrowed at the sight of those beings and a slow exhale left his lips.

{The Scourge,} he muttered.

Veyra glanced at him, her brow furrowing. {You sure?}

Skylar didn't respond immediately. He knew the Scourge when he saw them. Knew the way they moved, the way their presence alone made the air feel heavier.

The name wasn't just a label—it was a curse, a warning whispered across colonies and worlds within the Eryndor Star System.

They were one of the many inhabitants of the outer worlds of the Eryndor Star System. Places that barely clung to life—Kaelus, Iskara, Zethron, Quorath, and countless other planets.

Planets too far from Solara Eryndra, the system's lone star. Worlds of ice, isolation, destruction, and long, unforgiving nights.

And those who lived there… they adapted, gaining unnatural features like these creatures in front.

Not in ways the Luminari race or other inner and middle world races did—not with arcane technology or engineered survival suits—but with something far worse.

Skylar pulled back slightly, his eyes flicking between the machines and their operators. {What the hell are they excavating?}

Veyra exhaled sharply. {That's the part that worries me}

They stayed silent for a moment, both watching as the Scourge continued their work, oblivious to the two observers hidden just beyond the crater's edge.

Skylar's mind worked fast, running through possible reasons for their presence. The Scourge didn't move without reason, crazy ones at that.

They didn't build, they didn't dig. Not unless it served a purpose, and such purpose doesn't always bode well for Eryndor.

And whatever that purpose was… It wasn't good.

Skylar's grip on his Helix Blasters tightened as he made his decision after much thought. His breathing was steady, and his stance firm. {I'm going in,} he said.

Veyra turned sharply, her eyes widening. {What?!} she hissed, her voice barely above a whisper but laced with disbelief.

Skylar didn't look at her. His focus remained locked on the crater below, his mind already forming a virtual plan. {Have you forgotten why we're here? Team-B is still missing. This could be one of the Eclipse Syndicate's outposts, and for all we know, they might be locked up somewhere in that plant}

He activated his primal core, slowly rotating it and the energy stabilizers on his suit; a soft hum slowly vibrated through his limbs as power coursed through his body and armor.

His weapons systems flickered to life—The Helix Blasters primed, and his energy reserves were full.

Veyra fumbled for a moment, clearly hesitating her next action. She clenched her jaw. {Then I'm going with you}

{No,} Skylar cut her off. His tone left no room for argument. {You stay here and keep watch. If I don't come out in a few hours, contact backup. Don't come in after me}

She opened her mouth to protest his decision, but the look in his eyes silenced her. Skylar was hardheaded, unemotional, and unwavering. She hated it, but she knew he wouldn't change his mind.

A frustrated sigh escaped her lips. {Fine. But you better come out, or I'm dragging your stubborn ass back myself}

Skylar gave a small nod before turning toward the crater. He moved with practiced efficiency, using the boulders and jagged terrain as cover.