Vanbrook and Hrake were just turning away from the Lake with their prize when the water exploded behind them. They turned to see a massive form bursting out of the surface, a school of the blubbery little creatures swallowed by its long, toothy beak of a maw. The creature exited the water in the shape of a torpedo, spreading its wings as it rose, icy water running off the slick, feathery surface. With powerful strokes, its wings hauled its sleek black body skyward, nearly forty feet from tip to tip. Webbed feet stretched out below the creature’s body, ending in slick, sharp talons. Wide golden eyes looked down towards Vanbrook and Hrake, greedy with hunger even as it swallowed its prey.
“We’ve got a predator!” shouted Vanbrook over the comms. “Head back for the shuttle!” He ran for cover, looking back to make sure Hrake was following him. Seeing a dark spot in the ice, he ran towards it, praying it would provide cover. As he approached, he saw it was a narrow opening in the ice that fell down into a small cave. His prayer answered, he slid down in, Hrake directly behind him. Unfortunately for Vanbrook, the Progenitor had a sense of humor. Rather than being a small cave they could escape into, the opening continued downward soon after a small shelf. Vanbrook found his momentum carrying him past the shelf and on into the icy depths of the cave.
“Van!” Raivyn called into her comms. “Where are you!” From where she stood she could only see the raptor pecking at the ground with its toothy beak.
“Uh,” came Vanbrook’s answer. “Not sure. Just came to a stop somewhere below the surface and- ow!- yeah, I twisted my ankle.”
“What?” asked Raivyn. “You’re not under water, right?”
“No,” he answered. “It’s some kind of odd geologic formation. Likely volcanic, given that it’s actually a bit warmer down here. It seems like some kind of watertight system that goes down below sea level. Strange. Oh, what about the bird!?”
“It’s trying to peck its way into the cave,” said Raivyn. As she watched, it stood back, squawked at the stubborn opening and slinking back to the lake, slipping into the water like a massive penguin. “Oh, actually, it gave up. Looks like it’s gone for now. Can you climb back out?”
Vanbrook sighed. “I’m not sure we can. It’s pretty slick. We’ve got some basic climbing gear, but with a busted ankle I think we might want to go in a bit further and look for an easier exit. Place looks to be worth exploring anyway.”
“Well, don’t go far,” said Raivyn. “We’ll see if we can’t set up some guide ropes and come down for you.”
“Okay, just look out for that ice raptor thing,” said Vanbrook. Turning on his shoulder-mounted flashlight, he turned to Hrake and helped him do the same. “Just you and me for now, bud,” he said.
Hrake nodded, looking around the strange cavern. He saw that some kind of fungus was growing on the ceiling, networks of white mycelium spreading out from rubbery red nodes. Among the strange fungal foliage he saw some kind of crustaceans picking at the nodes. Their bodies were about a foot across and crab-like, with spiny, bone-colored armor and tiny stalked eyes that retracted from the light of the flashlights. Their spindly legs included, they were about four feet across, with massive pincers that they used to pick at the fungus.
“Uh, Hrake?” said Vanbrook, pointing to a group of crabs that had crawled down the walls and was moving towards them, pincers outstretched. They had crawled down behind them, cutting them off from the entrance they came in through. “I think we might want to get moving.”
“And so, the departed’s belongings are bequeathed entirely to you, Hoon-Kra of Clan Zyrp,” said the lawyer. Hoon-Kra smiled mildly and walked out of the family mansion’s drawing room. It had been a long game, but his parents were finally dead and buried, preserved for time immemorial in the peat bogs, as was Krauqian custom. First his mother a few months ago, now his father. With their passing, Hoon-Kra could finally use the family fortune to support the Koomite cause. He had done what he could to prepare as the poison took effect. Once their minds had deteriorated enough to be malleable, but not so deteriorated as to be considered incompetent by the lawyers, he had gotten back into their good graces and regained his inheritance rights. He even managed to get his deadbeat brothers off the will.
The fleet of personal starships had been physically reinforced and made ready to serve as an exploratory naval fleet. Getting the guns would be relatively simple now.
Resisting the urge to jump for joy as he exited the mansion and stepped into the rain, he turned and looked at his childhood home. Like most Krauqian buildings, it was low and wide, never taller than two stories, and made mostly of wood and clay. He considered burning the place to the ground, but that would draw unwanted attention. Instead, he climbed into the amphibious hovercraft that waited by the front door and instructed the driver to go directly to the spaceport.
“I’m afraid I can’t, sir,” responded the driver.
“Excuse me?” demanded Hoon-Kra.
“There’s a vehicle blocking the gate, sir,” he answered apologetically.
Hoon-Kra turned to see an unmarked, black hovercraft blocking the gate. A Talpidarian in a long gray coat stepped out into the rain, crossing his arms and leaning against the craft. A Wabuluban walked out of the other side of the vehicle. Hoon-Kra could see a badge flashing on the thigh of one of her metal legs. RIS.
“Hoon-Kra of clan Zyrp?” she asked. “We’d like a word.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
***
Hrake and Vanbrook moved slowly away from the crabs, towards a pale blue glow that was visible further in the cave. As they picked up speed, the crabs did, too, pincers raised menacingly.
"Guess this is gonna end violently," said Vanbrook, pulling his revolver. Hrake shouldered his rifle and fired, hitting center mass on one of the crabs. As its limbs scattered across the cave floor, its companions skittered back into the darkness. Hrake nodded and set the butt of his weapon back on the ground, turning to walk deeper into the cave. However, when he turned he found himself staring into another crowd of crabs that stood blinking in the beam of his flashlight.
Vanbrook fired into the crowd and stepped forward, limping through the opening as the crowd parted, Hrake right on his heels. He continued firing back into the skittering darkness as he tried to keep an eye on his footing.
"I pick you up," said Hrake. Without any further explanation, he scooped Vanbrook up and slung him over his shoulder. Now facing backwards, he could see the crabs gathering behind them. He fired into them again, but had a hard time hitting the target while being jostled around on Hrake's shoulder. It hardly mattered, though, as the noise was enough to make the crabs withdraw, at least momentarily.
"Van," said Raivyn over the comms. "We're hearing gunfire. What's going on?"
"Oh, just some giant crabs," said Vanbrook. He noticed that the walls of the cave were getting brighter. The crabs slowed down, not willing to brave the daylight.
"Hrake, I think you can set me down now."
Hrake nodded and did so. Vanbrook noted that the lower gravity made walking on his bad foot doable, at least in the short term.
When he turned around, his eyes were met by a wide, green, sun-dappled prairie, a wide expanse of ice hanging like a crystal sky a hundred yards above the surface, the sun shining through gaps in the ice. All over the prairie, spindly grazing animals chewed on the wispy grass and large pollinators fluttered from colorful bloom to colorful bloom.
Vanbrook spoke into his comm, awe in his voice. "Woah, Rai, you guys gotta get down here."
"Okay," said Raivyn in a patronizing tone. "I take it you got away from the killer crabs?"
"Yes," responded Vanbrook more soberly. "They seem to like the dark entryway, but the main body of the cave is a mile or two across and the ceiling is a translucent sheet of ice with holes in it. Some of the holes might even be big enough to fly the shuttle down into."
The icy roof overhead began to darken suddenly, and Vanbrook looked up to see that it was growing dark on one side of the ceiling and spreading over.
"Who turned out the lights?" he asked.
"Planetary eclipse," answered Raivyn. "Not sure how long it'll last."
"Alright," said Vanbrook nervously. "Lock in on our position and come get us now. I don't feel great about being here in the dark."
"On our way. It'll be a minute, we're still trying to set up a rope to get down to you guys."
Vanbrook saw the grazers dart into burrows and pollinators fly towards the ceiling as the darkness encroached. Looking back the way they came, a mass of crabs was skittering over the darkening prairie.
"Yeah, well, quick as you can, please," said Vanbrook. "The crabs are back."
***
Hoon-Kra stared blankly at the RIS agent that had dared to saunter up to him at his own home. “My lawyer is just inside, seeing to the affairs of my recently deceased father. If this cannot wait until my period of mourning is over, then I suppose now is as good a time as any. She is on retainer and I’m sure she won’t mind the billable hours. Feel free to have your partner pull his car in. I understand you Republic officials may not understand local law, but blocking a residential exit is illegal on Krauqia.”
Showing neither fear nor humor, the Wabuluban turned and waved her partner in. He climbed into his craft and pulled in.
“Hoon-Kra’s lawyer is onsight, and he would like her to be involved in our chat,” said Huluna as Chully stepped back out of the craft.
“That’s a bit of overkill in this case,” said Chully to Hoon-Kra, “but I suppose you can spend your money as you like.”
Hoon-Kra’s driver settled in as he realized he wouldn’t be needed in the foreseeable future. The two agents followed the cult leader as he walked back into the mansion.
“Kwi-Kri?” Hoon-Kra called out. “I’m afraid I still have need of your services.”
The young Krauqian lawyer stepped out of a back room, surprised to see two RIS agents behind her client.
“Oh?” she asked in her most nonchalant voice. “What’s this about?”
“You’ll have to ask the agents,” said Hoon-Kra dismissively.
“You’re not under investigation, Hoon-Kra kw’Zyrp,” said Chully, using the Krauqian’s full title. “As I’m sure you’re aware, a branch of the religious order you founded became violent in Shredvrak, leaving many dead and wounded in their wake.”
“And, tragically, every misled member of that congregation was killed by Republic Marines,” said Hoon-Kra. “Priest Treshank’s conduct was unconscionable, and does not reflect the beliefs and teachings of the Koomites.”
“And what are the beliefs and teachings of the Koomites?” asked Chully.
“The Koomites trace their beliefs back to pre-Astralbian teachings that centered around the worship of what are called ‘aether beasts’ in Talpaertan,” said Hoon-Kra, putting his hands behind his back and adopting the posture of a professor. “It recognizes the holy nature of power, and worships the power found in such beasts, Koo L’Koom being the most powerful.”
“And what do Koomites think of those it deems less powerful than themselves?” inquired Chully.
“That they are lesser,” said Hoon-Kra, casting a judgemental look towards the Talpidarian agent. “Yet they, too, may worship that which is greater than themselves.”
“So, ideally, the Koomites would rule over those they deem weak?” asked Chully.
“This line of questioning smells of religious discrimination, Agent,” said Kwi-Kri. “My client has been more than hospitable to you, given his current state of mourning, and we are done answering questions at present.”
“Again, Master Zyrp, you are not under investigation. There are dozens dead. The Republic would like to understand why.”
“I understand that, Agent,” said Hoon-Kra carelessly. “And I’m afraid I have no such answers for you. If you find you have other questions that I may be able to help you with, please reach out to Mistress Kwi-Kri.”
Kwi-Kri handed Chully a small card with her contact information on it. Chully put the card in his jacket pocket and nodded.
“Thank you for your time, both of you,” said Huluna as she turned to leave with her partner.
As they climbed into their craft, she noted, “For a person in mourning, he did not seem overly mournful.”
“Yeah,” said Chully. “I think we’ll be keeping an eye on this one.”