SABERS: Shadows of Ravena

Two hours later, the forest was a tomb of silence, broken only by the distant rustle of leaves stirred by a cold wind. Eilífr crouched low beside a fallen tree, his rifle angled toward the gloom. His armor was streaked with ichor, the scent acrid and metallic, clinging to the air like a curse.

His HUD flickered with faint signatures—traces of motion just beyond the tree line. Each blip appeared for an instant before vanishing, teasing his sensors as if whatever was out there was toying with him. He hadn't moved far since the last encounter, the weight of the shadows pressing heavier with each passing minute.

A faint growl rumbled in the distance, low and guttural. It carried through the forest like a predator's warning, vibrating in his chest. Eilífr's grip on his shotgun tightened as he exhaled slowly, his helmet hisses as it purges out his staling air, his breath misting in the frigid air.

Suddenly, his comm crackled to life, the static breaking the silence.

"Eilífr, status report," came a voice—calm but tense.

"Engaged and holding Icarus," he replied in a hushed tone, his gaze never leaving the treeline. "Hostiles are adapting. They're… waiting for something."

Another growl, closer this time.

Eilífr's finger hovered over the trigger as the forest seemed to draw a collective breath, the darkness pulsing like a living thing. Then, without warning, a shape burst forth from the underbrush—bigger, faster, and far more savage than the last.

"ENGAGE ICARUS!" He shouts lunging into a backwards dolphin dive.

"FIRING!"

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

The night was consumed by the overwhelming sound, a thunderous barrage that obliterated everything in its path. The dense forest ahead was reduced to splinters and dust, massive anti-armor rounds tearing through tree trunks as though they were paper. Each hit detonated with a sickening crack, the muzzle flashes strobing against the dark sky like lightning.

But the creatures kept coming.

Their forms, shadowed and serpentine, wove through the chaos with horrifying speed, their twisted bodies seeming to flow around the onslaught of firepower. Some were shredded mid-lunge, their remains scattered in blackened chunks, but others pressed on, leaping through the storm of death with unnatural agility.

Eilífr rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a massive round that smashed into the ground where he had just been. Dirt and debris rained down on him as he twisted and rolled again, dodging the relentless hail of gunfire. The Thunderbird's cannons didn't discriminate—anything caught in their path was obliterated, and Eilífr was fighting to stay out of their deadly arc.

One of the creatures lunged, its claws slicing through the air inches from his face. He fired a burst from his M203 mid-roll, the rounds tearing into the beast's chest, sending it sprawling in a flaming husk of glory. Another shadow loomed behind him, and he twisted violently, slamming his elbow into its head before it could strike.

The BRRRRRRRRRR of the cannons suddenly stopped. The silence was deafening, broken only by the hiss of the Thunderbird's cooling barrels. Eilífr's HUD flashed red—movement closing in fast.

"Guns dry!" came Icarus's urgent voice over the comm.

Eilífr didn't hesitate. He kicked off the ground in a single motion, rising to his feet with practised speed, his weapon already snapping to his shoulder. Around him, the shadows surged forward, their glowing eyes filled with primal hunger. His jaw clenched, his voice cold and resolute.

"Alright," he muttered, stepping back into a ready stance. "Let's finish this."

Eilífr grunted as he hauled the creature's lifeless form up the ramp of the Thunderbird, its grotesque tail dragging behind him, leaving a slick trail of dark ichor on the metal surface. The creature was a horrifying amalgam of sinew and shadow, its body elongated and serpentine, yet twisted with muscular bulk that spoke of lethal power.

Its scales were jagged and uneven, like shattered obsidian, glinting faintly under the gunship's dim interior lights. A network of bio-luminescent veins traced erratic patterns across its torso, still faintly glowing with a sickly green hue that pulsed irregularly, as though even in death the creature resisted surrender.

Its head was the stuff of nightmares—angular and predatory, with a maw lined with rows of needle-like teeth that gleamed faintly. The creature's eyes, once alive with a searing, unnatural glow, were now dull and empty, their sockets still radiating a faint heat that Eilífr could feel through his gauntlets.

The tail, thick and ridged with bony spines, scraped against the ramp as he pulled it. It ended in a hooked barb, jagged and glistening with venom that hissed softly when it met the metal surface.

Eilífr stopped at the edge of the cargo bay, dropping the creature unceremoniously. Its massive form slumped over with a wet thud, its clawed limbs twitching slightly in residual spasms. He stood over it for a moment, the stench of decay mingling with the acrid tang of burnt fuel.

"EEEEWW! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU BRING ONTO OUR SHIP NOW?!" Icarus exclaims as she covers her nose in disgust as she looks at the creature.

"Another one for the scientists," he muttered, his voice low as he wiped ichor from his gauntlets. The Thunderbird's engines hummed steadily in the background, ready to carry them away from the cursed forest—and whatever else might still be lurking within it.

"Looks like we caused quite the scare eh?" Icarus asks over the comms playfully as they approach the base again. Its alarms blared and lights flashed as if they were under assault. Eilífr made his way to the cockpit and scoffed to himself. After they landed Icarus immediately told him she wanted that smelly beast out of the ship. Which of course he intended to do anyway. He didn't want the ship smelling horrid either. He grabs the creature by its tail and disembarks from the Thunderbird while Icarus goes about requesting all the maintenance she requires for the ship.

As he made his way across the base and through all of the facilities, everyone in his path quickly ducked or avoided his path. He was thankful for his helmet's ventilation system. Judging from not only Icarus's face but everyone who he passed, it was obvious this thing smelt horrendous.

A pair of double doors hiss open and he strolls in.

DECONTAMINATION PROTOCOL INITIATED. PLEASE DO NOT EXIT THE CHAMBER UNTIL INSTRUCTED OTHERWISE TO DO SO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.

He obediently stood in the chamber as an intense misty spray filled the compact room. The slight snap, crackle, and pops of the sterilizing spray making contact with all of the blood and gore on his armor slowly crescendoed. This thing was a biohazard as well apparently he thought looking down at it.

"I hope I didn't bring any new disease or pandemic onto the base." He thinks to himself. He would actually feel bad if he was the cause of some new and uncurable outbreak.

DECONTAMINATION COMPLETE. YOU ARE NOW FREE TO EXIT THE CHAMBER AND CARRY ON WITH YOUR ORIGINALLY PLANNED BUSINESS.

As he walks through the research facility, scientists of every kind either steal glances or just fully become excited over this unknown creature that was being dragged across the facility. Finally, he reaches the Wildlife Biologists department.

The door opens and he walks in. He takes a quick look around and walks up to the first person who looks important.

SQUALUNK

The squishy wet thud of the creature hitting the floor caused the young lady to jump slightly.

"Eeek." She squeaks in surprise, but soon, her shock turns to excitement. "HEY, HEY SABER-1, WHAT IS THIS? DID YOU JUST RECENTLY KILL IT? OH MY GOSH, IT'S SUCH A CLEAN KILL TOO! IT'S ALMOST AS IF YOU HAD US IN MIND WHEN YOU KILLED IT!"

She continues yapping on and bombarding him with questions before seemingly running out of breath. "Oh my goodness." She huffs. "Please forgive me SABER-1. I just got so excited. I'm Dr. Christine Premier. You may call anything you want... within reason of course. I'm an Apprentice here." She explains stretching out her hand.

"Ah. So you aren't a lead scientist." He asks bluntly and she giggles nervously.

"Nope. Just arrived here a few days ago." She answers slightly hurt. He furrowed his brow as he instantly thought over their entire interaction in an attempt to see what went wrong.

"That's fine. You're an apprentice which means you're knowledgeable enough to work hands-on alongside Senior, Head, and Lead researchers. Don't ever let anyone take away your accomplishments just because of titles or experience. Be proud of what you've done."

She smiles and brightens back up at his words. "Thanks SABER." She says and he nods slightly. He was glad she had become more relaxed. If he intended on having an inside person on the scientific side, it would make future operations a lot easier.

"No problem. Anyway, I was hoping either yourself or your mentor could do some digging into this thing. There was an entire horde of them in the forest."

"What do you mean was as if it was past tense?" She asks raising an eyebrow.

"Because it was past tense. I killed every creature out there. Don't worry. You can't miss the carnage of the battlefield we left behind." He tells her and her jaw drops.

"Ain't no way."

"Take a team out tomorrow. They ain't going anywhere." He says flatly as she seems to start heavily about his words. "That aside, can you do it?'

"Do what?" She asks looking up at him.

"Look into this creature. It's diet, anatomy, habits, everything about it." He explains.

"Oh of course! Leave it to me. My mentor will tell you everything about this bad boy lickity split." She assures him.

"Thank you." He says and holds out his palm. A tiny holographic envelope appears. "You can use this to establish a comm link with me."

"OOOH BET!" She exclaims. "I'll definitely hit you up once we learn all we can."

"Thanks." He says and she waves him off.