As the airship descended to Swab I could see just how cold everything looked. It all looked frozen and was snowing outside with a thick layer of fog covering the surrounding area. As we landed down and the ramp was lowered we all started to go down with us seeing about 8 puffies and 2 fluffies waiting for us down below, Grandmaster Gavin speaks to them.
“The hero’s from Motor have agreed to come and help us again! An army will set out for The Garden tomorrow, it’s time we take the fight to them and break this siege!”
The crowd cheers as we take our first steps on the cold snow, as we walk to where we are going to stay for the night I notice something very strange… The complete lack of people anywhere. It’s like they completely vanished, the place was deserted! The last time I was here there were celebrations and parties going all around with lot’s of puffies and chicks(Young puffies) in the streets, I go to Torres who was walking with us and speak.
“What happened to ebewyone!”
Jay hearing what I said speaks.
“Yes I noticed that to Soul, where is everyone!”
Torres speaks not taking his eyes off the path.
“During the initial attack our forces were in complete chaos and during that time I had no idea if Chrysalis was going to attack Swab or not, so I sent everyone to the outskirts of Chicago just in case the worse were to come to us.”
Once we got inside I saw we were in a barracks with us having small bunks to sleep in. Getting into mine It felt stiff and uncomfortable and with the building having a few small holes throughout it cold was able to get in. Laying down I started to look at Excalibur with the blade still as shiny as the day I first saw it, I looked at that blade for a long time. Once I awoke in the morning we only had around 20 minutes to eat the breakfast they gave us, it being some sort of meant vegetable stew that didn’t smell to good(or taste that good either) Once we were finished we headed outside to see that an army of around 30 had been assembled and that we would be heading out to The Garden Immediately. The person leading this army was a Talon Knight by the name of Nuit, he had light gray colored fathers with his lower body being black he was also missing his right eye wearing a eyepatch. As we approached him he looked at us and spoke.
“Good finally! Gavin finally grew a pair and brought in some professionals, we wasted enough goddamn time let’s head out they need us!”
Oh great another one of those… How do I pus this? “Laius types” As we headed out of Swab I notice just how different everything looks.
I could see almost all the rubble from outside Swab had been removed, with there even being scaffolding some some of the more damaged buildings. Monica speaks seeing all the clean up.
“Wow dis pwace wooks su diffewent!”
Nuit who was walking speaks to us to add a bit of context.
“Yeah once you left it was a pretty big deal that with there being a unified government, to actually start improving the place. The first step was operation cleanup, with us and the fluffies being united we were able to clear out massive parts of the city and were able to kill almost all of the wild beasts. We were hoping that during spring that we would finally get this place to the point where we could start sending settlers inwards, and build this place up to the point where it would be a proper country with more than just 2 cities.”
we continued walking for hours only taking short breaks to escape from the cold and warm up.
we Neared the halfway point to The Garden, than Nuit and everyone in the front suddenly stopped. Than as the rest of us stopped we started hearing a voice coming from a nearby building.
“Is someone… approaching thank The One! We need help, I have several injured knights that need urgent medical attention!”
Nuit hearing this speaks with a stern voice.
“I need a few of you with me, let’s go check this out!”
Deciding to head inside I follow Nuit and a few knights, we enter the abandoned building seeing some the the floors and walls covered in blood and the voice speaks.
“Were upstairs!”
Going up we entered the upstairs room to see that there were several injured knights, and looking at the puffy speaking. I saw that he had bright red fathers with a silver lower body… And weird looking eyes that were bright cyan. It was not 2 seconds after that Nuit took out his sword, and beheaded the cyan eyed knight infront of me. Nuit screams
“IT"S THE CYAN EYES, IT"S A TRAP!”
As I look at the room I saw something unreal, all those “injured” knights started to transform into beings that resembled Chrysalis. With them having hairless black insect skin with the only color coming from their white fangs, cyan eyes and translucent wings, they shout as the run to attack us.
“DEATH TO ALL THAT OPPOSE OUR LORD QUEEN!”
My ears started to hurt as I heard Their voice, it sounding like sandpaper. As I pull out Excalibur one of them attacks me, with them still wearing Talon armor they were a tough opponent dodging several of their attacks before eventually being overwhelmed and defeated when the others from outside started coming in. Once they were all dead I looked at them and noticed something else about these creatures they didn’t have red blood with the color of it being a beige color and as Merlin entered the room he speaks seeing the bodies.
“What am these things!”
Nuit who was overlooking the bodies speaks in a upset tone.
“There called Changelings… There the troops of Chrysalis and are able to take the shape of almost anything and have no fear of death. But don’t worry about being snuck up on though, with there clocking ability having one major flaw those unnatural cyan eyes. I’m surprised there weren’t that many there usually in large numbers, but no matter we have to keep going!”
As we leave the abandoned house and resume our travels, I begin to see the first signs of war. A bunch of burned Wagons were infront of us, with whatever was in them burned to a crisp… Including the people on them, as we walk Nuit notices the wagons and walks up to one of them and speaks to us.
“Everyone look right here and listen! None of these poor bastards are holding weapons or have any seeable battle damage, that probably means they tried to surrender. NEVER SURRENDER, THESE BUGS ONLY HAVE ONE OBJECTIVE TO KILL US ALL BY ANY MEANS! Remember that! And for my lost comrades, may you rest in peace…”
There are several quick nods in the crowd as when Nuit shouts, and reality starts to set in for me. That this enemy is like nothing I had ever faced before. As we continued we were now only 2 hours from The Garden with it being dusk and us entering some sort of large plaza area covered in rubble, and as we start going in the ground began to shake and I started to hear not just footsteps but marching. What was happening, was another army joining us? We all looked pretty confused, the marching was getting louder and louder with it now sounding like what was marching was a large force, than Nuit trying his best not to be loud but still getting everyone attention spoke.
“Find cover now!”
Listening to his words and now feeling a bit afraid I go into an abandoned shop while others go into separate buildings, with me looking as the army began marching in. Changelings and not just that, over a hundred of them! All marching in formation with some in wagons while others ride racoons, all of them wore armor that was made of salvaged sewer pipes that were bent into chestplates, helmets and everything else you need for protection with all of it painted black. The Changelings on Racoons were slightly different though, they had black banners on their backs with the symbol of Chrysalises “crown” on it. And on their helmets there were two bright yellow spikes on both sides (guessing they were probably the commanders) Watching them march one of them began to sing, this quickly turned into all of them all singing in unison.
♫ O great Queen we march for you! ♫
♫ The oppressor’s face you’re wrath! ♫
♫ We’ll cleanse this city of it’s filth! ♫
♫ And erase it’s name Chicago ♫
♫ And you’re birthright Changelandia will be returned at last! ♫
Holy shit they don’t just want to rule over everyone, this is a whole damn… Extermination! The army now halfway in the plaza turns and heads west going away from The Garden. I don’t know if this is a good sign or… No it can’t be! Once the marching is finally gone we all leave our hiding spots and meet back up with Nuit speaking to us in haste.
“C’MON WE HAVE TO GET THERE NOW!” Fin
Thank you for reading my story! I hope to have the next part done in a few days, and of course constructive criticism is always appreciated. May you have a good day!