I stalked through the hallways and streets of the tower and the city. I couldn’t comm for assistance, so for all HQ new, we were doing a-OK. I’ve seen corpses with slash marks, agony on their faces, and thankfully, also quite a few of the Juncathari too. But what was the worst, was the eaten. It wasn’t uncommon to see a hollow husk of a body, skin pinched to the skeleton. They would have proboscis scars where their life had been taken away, one sip at a time. Once, I found someone dead, but being finished off by one. I slit its throat on the spot. A single gunshot could give away my position, but, just in case, I had a Wrath gun I’d picked up, and gathered as much ammo as I could. I’d already taken out a few encampments by sneaking up, and using my air magic to silence them. However, I was running low on food and mana, and I hadn’t rested in what felt like days. However, not many days, for I had only seen night come and go twice now, with the sunlight seeming to fade into evening at the moment. I had had to leave the tower earlier, just before reaching a comm station. A few Juncathari were already there, and they spotted me. They rang an alarm, but my ultimate goal was to get back there and tell the rest of The Infinite Councils what had happened here. I crept through the alleys, through streets, clearing houses, looking for others.

“Arrogant of them to assume they could take a tower, and then guard it with just those measly defences? Hah! They never had a chance.” One Juncathari said to another guard on patrol. I slid into a hiding spot, in an alley, and listened.

“Yet, they did take out all of our kites, and it was a much costlier battle than what was predicted.” The other responded lost in thought. “I think personally, this may be one of the bigger threats.”

“Well with the Hash’Yoth slowly falling, we should be able to be more aggressive.” They flew around a bit more before leaving their patrol of the area, flying out of sight.

“Close one.” I mumbled to myself. I waited another 30 seconds before peaking around the corner. No one. Well, that message won’t send itself. I continued tiptoeing through the city, meeting another patrol or two, but nothing interesting. I continued to head towards the tower. When I got to it, I checked every door I knew of, and sure enough it was guarded. Here we go then, no pain no gain. I had only one other way to reach the comm unit. Fly. It’d diminish my remaining mana, but it was the only way. I hovered to the top of the building nearest to me. Looking out over the city, I saw no nearby patrols. I quickly flew as fast as I could to one of the large holes we’d cut into the side of the tower to build a turret. The hole was unguarded, so I slipped right on in. There was sounds of speech and a few soft bangs. Slipping into the room the noise was coming from, realized what was going on. It was a kitchen, and the two Juncathari seemed to be having some friendly banter. They heard the door open, and looked in my direction. Shit.

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I launched myself in a tackle at the nearest one, with the other one coming at me with some sort of strange blade. I was half the height and length of these bitches, but I was no ordinary human. I slammed it into a table, and while it recovered, I ran at the other, parrying it’s blade with a bowie knife, then kicked its face in, breaking it’s weak, hollow, avian bones. The other strange orange creature tackled me from behind, lashing at me with the claws on its wings, and in return, using my strength enchantment, I threw it over my head, pounding it into the ground so hard it was knocked out. I finished off the filthy creature with a stab in the head. Someone must’ve heard the tussel, and burst through the door, with two more in tow.

“Let’s do this.”

I threw my knife, completely missing them, because who the fuck can accurately throw a knife into a head from ten feet away. But, it distracted them. With runes on my arm, I became surrounded with red energy, and dashed ahead, putting a fist right through the closest ones head. I grabbed my bowie knife, and as I came up, got slashed across the face with a claw, and was grabbed by one with two of it’s three legs. I released the energy around me, knocking back both. I then, the moment I got free, buried my bowie knife to the hilt in the head of the asshole that had slashed me. The one that grabbed me tried to do so again, which I responded to be flinging it by it’s arm into a table, then cracking it’s neck. “Damn. That’ll leave a scar…” I said wiping the blood off my face. Then I proceeded to realize what they were most likely preparing in this kitchen, and got the fuck out before I saw something really yucky. Sneaking my way to the comm room, I saw it unoccupied. I quickly jumped on the comm, sending out a message to the others.

“The tower has fallen, bomb the hell out of this bitch.” Hearing yells, I took out my gun. The bodies had been found. I’d been found. Now, my bullets were about to find a couple of Juncathari.