Post by Casca on Apr 7, 2019 20:53:30 GMT -6
Several Years Ago ...
Casca,
I hope this letter reaches you well. Our girls’ birthday is approaching; they asked if you could attend. I know you said only contact you in cases of emergency, and I think this could be one. No, but really, my neighbors have reported an increase in missing livestock. I didn’t think anything of it until they said they found a large footprint. My people are superstitious and they believe it is from a Hirudegarn. We are farmers. If the Kashvar has returned, we may need your help.
With love,
Soda
Folding up the letter, Casca paused before tossing out her cigarette. The air was dry, the moisture burned away by the setting sun. The planet Konats, long scared from warfare and draught, was the not somewhere you visit on holiday.
“You said you’re looking for Soda?” The Konatsian indicated to the bar behind him. “He’s inside playing cards, sounds like he’s been winning too.” Casca nodded in thanks, she already could hear the muffled voices from inside.
The pungent scent of alcohol invaded Casca’s lungs as she slid into the establishment through a side door. Her vision halved by poor illumination, she moved through the bar with purpose until she found the inescapably loud table she was looking for. It also happened to be the one covered with the most Konatsian currency.
Seated at the table were four Konatsians, all of different ages. The oldest displayed a toothless grin while he harvested most of the table’s winnings. Apparently, this had upset his competitors. “You cheat! You deceitful son of a --!” Announced the largest of the four as he slammed his fist onto the table.
“You have to know when to hold ‘em!” The older Konatsian explained, pushing the last of the capital into his pockets. “And know when to fold ‘em!” The larger Konatsian rose to stop the winner from leaving.
“You’re not going anywhere. There’s no way you won five games in a row without cheating.”
The small elderly man reached up, as high as his decrepit body would allow, with an expression of mischief etched into his face. Resembling a thief who has resigned before law enforcement, the smaller man judiciously crept towards his accuser. He motioned with his air-born hands for the big brute to meet him face to face.
Almost touching nose to nose, the elder threw his hand behind the Konatsian’s ear and retracted it back quicker than anyone expected. As if magic, he opened his palm to reveal a single gold coin. Worth almost nothing, he flipped the coin at the expressionless face of his opponent. “It’s only a game. Nothing personal, kid.”
The younger Konatsian’s face immediately turned dark red as he watched the old trickster try to depart peacefully. His embarrassment reaching a boil, the big oaf rejected the condolence. “You’ll regret this Soda. You hear me!”
“You should have folded,” Casca answered, turning to follow Soda.
Roaring to life, the hefty Konats responded. “What did you say to me?” While his voice responded with humor, his posture suggested something entirely different.
Casca delivered her next words slowly. “You should have folded”.
Enraged past his breaking point, the Konatsian grabbed the collar of Casca’s coat. “Don’t take this personally,” the younger man manically laughed out loud as he prepared to throw a big pink fist drawn behind his back.
For the first time tonight, the room was silent.
Casca scanned the room. Possibly forty combatants, give or take the older ones. Two ways in and out, that’s if the windows don’t count. And the floor looks to be anything but reliable.
Still, in a matter of a second, Casca’s body naturally assumed a defensive stance. Her weight shifted to the balls of her feet. Her knees became slightly bent; legs no farther than a shoulder’s length apart. Breathing slowed. And she waited, for what would occur next would happen incredibly fast.
Casca watched as the time around her slowed. The Konatsian’s muscles flexed as he drew power from his wide frame. Initiating movement in his retracted arm, Casca studied her aggressor as he attacked. In one solid motion, Casca stepped into the attack, catching her opponent’s strike and returning with her own fist. Her punch landed squarely on the Konatsian’s chest, driving him backwards through the bar.
Immediately following the display, Casca felt something grab her by the arm. Branding a small ball of purple Ki from her fingers, she rotated towards the cause of the interruption to see the elder Konatsian pulling on her jacket. “Can’t stand the heat,” Soda questioned Casca. “Let’s leave the kitchen!”
Annoyed by the response, Casca tried to shrug the man’s hands from her arm. “I got this.” As the words left her mouth the younger Konatsian shook the dazed look off his face and began to regain his composure.
“But do you have them?” The little man asked, pointing at the crowd amassing behind Casca’s assailant. They were angry, and probably in their own right. One of their own, harassed by a foreigner. By this point, the crowd had engulfed the room, covering both of the exits. And with the noise reaching a new crescendo, it was clear this crowd wanted retribution.
And in a green puff of smoke, the two at the center of the conflict disappeared from sight.
“Out of sight, out of mind! Am I right?” The elder man nudged Casca in the thigh.
“I had it taken care of!” Casca implored, pushing the man off of her lap. Thudding to the ground, Soda bounced up and dusted himself off. Casca also stood, inspecting her surroundings with more and more disgust. “A bathroom?”
The old Konatsian man tripped over in embarrassment. “Well, ugh –,“ perspiration cascading from the man’s forehead, “you see, I’m very old!”
“And drunk,” Casca added.
Relishing in the escape, Soda stretched his arms out wide. “Tomayto, tomahto. Potayto, potahto.” Casca gave the small man a piercing glance. “What? I might have messed up the calculations a little bit. Besides, we arrived together and in one piece.” As Soda finished speaking, a large thump could be heard on the bathroom door.
“You couldn’t calculate us out of the bar?” Casca said after realizing the fact that they only traveled to another room. Soda threw his hands in the sky in a surrendering gesture. As his robes shifted, multiple playing cards floated to the floor. “And you’re a cheater!” She insisted.
Soda flipped backwards in humiliation. “Well, ugh … you see. A penny saved is a penny earned? And I was going to give it back! I swear!” Soda declared to Casca. “Cross my heart and hope to die?”
Casca stared dumbfounded at the elder, once wise Konatsian. “Enough with all the Earthling colloquialisms. It’s good to see you again Soda.” The two embraced for a short moment.
Turning to hide his tears, Soda moved the conversation forward. “When I didn’t hear from ‘ya, I assumed the worse.” Another loud thud shook the small bathroom as well as Soda. “Let’s try those calculations again!”
Later that night …
“So it a fairy tale or what?” Casca intervened.
Home-brewed alcohol erupted from Soda’s mouth in disbelief. “A fairy tale! More like the biggest threat to Konatsian society that has ever existed.”
Sparking another cigarette, Casca stared out into the darkness surrounding Soda’s home. “And you think these creatures have returned?” Casca crouched at the edge of the property.
The old Konatsian man poured two more glasses. “You know. I knew back then that you and my boy, Pepsi, had something special.”
Casca interrupted, “I wanted to be here. Besides, I got something for your girls.” She motioned to a terribly wrapped parcel in the corner next to her things.
“Ah, yes. My girls! Dew and Fanta! We thought it was best to send them to bed early tonight.” Soda took a longer than usual sip before continuing. “I worry what is happening to my village could be more sinister than even the Hirudegarn. These Kashvar and their towering behemoths were thought to have been wiped out millennia ago. They were the cause for the collapse of Konatsian society and now we are worried about livestock?”
Casca could see the elder’s posture become more rigid as he continued talking. “What I mean is, whoever it is, I think they left a message for us. I think it could be the Company.”
Casca closed her eyes in disbelief. “You know I don’t work for them anymore. I wouldn’t know if they are part of the Connected or not. They can all rot in hell for all I care.” She dropped her partially smoked cig into the second glass. Rubbing her forehead, Casca tried to calm down.
“You know you can take a break. Anyone can see you haven’t been taking care of yourself. You smell like you haven’t bathed in weeks.” Casca gave him a sharp glance. “I’m mean days.” Soda cleared his throat. “We care about you. You don’t have to do this and don’t think you owe us anything. Pepsi knew the risks of working for the Company. You can’t blame yourself for what happened.”
“Soda!” A Konatsian woman cried from inside the house. “They’re gone!” Soda and Casca reacted immediately.
“The girls.” Soda whispered, staggering to his feet.
Casca motioned in the direction of the house. “Get Coco and as many people as you can. Set up a perimeter around your home. Look for anything that can help. I’ll meet up with you when I find something.” Watching the man be confronted by this new harsh reality crushed Casca. “We’ll find them, Soda. I promise you, we’ll find ‘em.”
Shouldering her rucksack, Casca headed downwind. She would know what she was looking for when she saw it. Slowly routine set in as Casca’s eyes adjusted to the night. The moon’s light was visible even through the canopy of clouds above. Even so, the terrain was not known to be overly treacherous in the dark.
Casca thought tracking at night was less about finding the next spoor and more about determining intent. Someone who knows how to track almost always try to instinctively cover his or her own tracks. It devolves into a strange game of – then it happened. Casca fell two feet into a depression in the ground.
Almost immediately, Casca knew what left the print. A target she was very familiar with. The kind you seek and destroy.
Assuming the gait of the creature was a deceitful one, possibly doubling back or purposely misleading, Casca continued back towards the village. It wasn’t hidden or camouflaged, but something told Casca it didn’t want to be.
And if Soda was right, this threat was real.
For one Oozaru could cause irreversible damage to a planet, Casca’s has witnessed it. So why hasn’t it? Will this planet be another of the Fleet’s acquisitions?
Tilting her head towards the ground, Casca noticed two separate tracks of footprints trailing the larger depression. She placed her hands in the tracks to get a better feel of how big the accessory characters where. Both sets exhibited enough knowledge to walk on their insoles, leaving as little a trace as possible. They also used the terrain to their advantage; walking through puddles and over larger rocks to further disguise their presence.
Sometimes the best thing to do when hunting something of a higher caliber is to just wait. And be still. And silent. Casca looked to the horizon, tracing the village’s shape against the dimly lit clouds.
The village was located near water. Water can be seen as a deterrent, for it is a medium that most clearly separates those with skill from those with luck. Very little advantages take place underwater. And for that, Casca found herself standing on the village’s pier, inspecting the coastline. That’s when Casca saw the cave.
The cave was remote, a peninsula in itself, jutting out a dozen meters or so into the water. The cave’s mouth was also lined with grizzly boulders the size of a person, making the water difficult to navigate.
After a reluctant fight with the current, Casca surfaced deep inside the cave. Staring into almost complete darkness, Casca dropped two old chem-lights near the water’s perimeter. The green glow from the light sticks cascaded over the surfaces of the cavern, highlighting a fairly large subterranean cavity with two excavated tunnels.
Choices for anyone, even one as simple as proceeding left or right, could be the difference between life or death. Travel too far, get lost and starve to death. A wrong turn and the cave collapses. The scenarios ran through Casca’s mind as she took note of the walls near the water. Previous watermarks indicated that the cavern floods with the tides, something to look out for if she wasn’t brisk in her investigation.
Choosing the left tunnel, Casca slowly advanced. The tunnel under the city had varying widths, but for the most part, continued in a straight path. Soon enough, Casca again found herself in the darkness.
Staying tight to the wall, the small Saiyan felt her way through a good stretch of the tunnel. Crossing over what sounded like bones, Casca began to reassess her decision. She began to turn around when she heard a faint cough. Wanting to retain her anonymity, Casca approached the noise with extreme caution.
Well underground in a tight and confined space, while standing over the bones of last weeks dinner, Casca didn’t like the thought of doing combat against three trained individuals. Following the bend of the passage, Casca’s leg brushed up against something low to the ground. She immediately formed a violet sphere of Ki at the end of her hand.
The soft violet glow from the charged attack warmed the tunnel. What the light revealed took almost everything Casca had to contain herself. Fighting the urge to scream, Casca dropped to her knees and began to quickly determine the condition of the first of many Konatsian children.
Each child reported the same thing. The youth remember going to sleep and waking up here, wet, cold, with no idea how they got here. Beginning to become frantic in her search for Soda’s daughters, Casca called out to the room. “Dew? Fanta?”
A nasally but soft voice answered, “Casca. It’s you!”
Overwhelmed with relief, Casca responded. “Yeah, it’s me. Are you all right? How’s your sister?” Casca slowly made her way to their location.
“She won’t wake up?” Fanta responded.
Casca discovered the small child in the dimly lit tunnel and vigorously grabbed her. Releasing a small sob, the two hugged for a moment before turning her attention to the unconscious sibling. “She’s breathing. There’s nothing we can do for her here. We have to go.” Extinguishing the Ki sphere and the only source of light, Casca picked up the incapacitated child and placed her over her shoulder.
“Try not to be scared,” Casca told Fanta. “We are all getting out of here.” Casca raised her voice before continuing. “Hey everyone. We need to leave, now. Please hold onto me. It is better for us to remain in the dark a little longer.”
With the pull of many little hands, Casca directed the children back the way she came. Before long, the green glow from the chem-lights could be seen in the distance. “Do we need to know how to swim,” questioned one of the kids.
Casca looked down before realizing they have been treading through water for several minutes. Doubt set in as the water increased in height as they walked. It was apparent the tide was rising, and taking with it part of their escape.
By the time they reached the tunnel’s beginning, the cave was impassable. Making matters worse, the tunnel they left was also beginning to be overtaken by the current. Desperate for a way out, Casca pulled a lighter from her jacket. Without thinking, she sparked it and noticed something unusual.
The lighter’s flame flickered again and again. There was a breeze! Believing there was another way out of the cave, Casca steered the group of children down the opposite tunnel. To her surprise, the tunnel seemed to have a natural form of light at its conclusion.
Arriving under the light source, Casca drew the conclusion they were at the bottom of an old well. “Ok guys, hold on. We’ll be home in no time!” Gripping as many little arms as she could, Casca pushed off and launched into the air. She flew through the well and arrived again at a sight of horror.
Above ground, Casca released the kids to their parents and watched as the village in front of them burned. In the distance, a massive Great Ape could be seen uprooting buildings. “Get the kids out of here Soda! I will buy you some time.” Casca yelled, keeping her attention on the Oozaru while speaking. The young Saiyan launched into the air and took flight in pursuit of the beast.
Casca landed in the ape’s vicinity and it’s noticed its tactical armor looked related to her own. The ape paused in its destruction to greet Casca with a humongous fist. His hands repeatedly smashed into the earth in an unsuccessful attempt on Casca’s life. Casca after-imaged through one of the fists and reappeared unharmed and began to ascended the Oozaru’s arm. The ape withdrew backward, instinctively discharging a blast of Ki from its mouth.
Casca again after-imaged through her enemy’s attack to a safe distance in the opposite direction. “You have my attention, Lutein. Clever, using the urban legend as cover.” Casca quickly infused her hands with Ki and held them in front of her in a defensive manner. But she was too late as the Oozaru’s fists crushed her into the soil.
A cry of pain escaped Casca’s lips as the Oozaru ground her deeper into the ground. The beast let out a grotesque laugh before releasing its weight. “I told them you were alive. You’ve always been,” he paused, lifting his hand off of Casca. “Durable!”
The ape raised its fist to strike again, laughing during the swing. Braced up on her elbow, Casca aimed her fingers towards the Oozaru’s oncoming attack. A purple ball of Ki quickly ignited from her fingertips.
“Boom.” Casca mouthed, dropping her aim to the ape’s forward leg. The Ki blast was not strong enough to damage the Oozaru, but it did cause the ape to topple forward and missing Casca by mere meters.
Before she could react again, green smoke erupted around Casca. “Looked like you need some help!” A toothless Soda grinned at Casca, teleporting them to the water line. Casca stood up, thankful to see the little Konatsian.
“Those were some good calculations,” Casca said putting an arm on Soda’s shoulder.
“How touching! If I didn’t already know, I’d think you two were family.” Casca turned to see a member of her former Company. The Namekian continued, “the chimp thought up the idea of checking in with Pepsi’s family. He always thought you two had a thing goin’ and if you were alive, he bet you’d come to their rescue.”
“Nice to see you again too, Hohner.”
“This will be just like old times!” Hohner jested before closing the distance to Casca. “I bet you still favor your dominant side!” Hohner launched a kick at Casca’s left knee. She countered by shifting her weight and meeting the kick with the outside of her right shin. “Ah! Indeed! You haven’t changed at all!” Hohner put his words to the test, throwing combinations Casca would remember.
Fighting with extreme confidence, Hohner propelled his body forward with ease and followed his victim into the water. Even knee deep in water, Casca could see the Namekian’s technique was flawless. He was particularly good at keeping Casca out of reach, extending his limbs if need be.
“You know, if you would just apologize to the Company, I’m sure they’d have you back!” Hohner suggested, pushing Casca away with a heavy Ki barrier. He stared at her face, continuing where he left off. “What is a mouth with no teeth?”
Casca clapped, forcing Ki outwardly around her, dispersing the barrier before her. “A fist!” Casca raged forward, right hand extended behind her head. A gold shimmer rippled through her arm, radiating a little brighter before leaving her fist. “For all of those who didn’t have a choice.” Casca cautioned, approaching Hohner at a staggering pace. “For the innocence lost!” Casca threatened, abandoning the sprint for full speed flight. “For –“, Casca abruptly stopped in the air.
Floating mid-air, Casca no longer saw the Namekian in front of her. At the same time, she didn’t stop under her own volition.
The Namekian moved at godly speeds, striking multiple pressure points in Casca’s empowered arm. The movements were delicate, precise, and practiced. With four contact points in a blink of an eye, Casca lost control of her arm. The built up energy from her attack wildly twisted and contorted her arm. The energy did disperse, but not before breaking the bones in her forearm.
Casca released a long gasp of pain, immediately clenching her damaged arm and plummeting into the water.
“You think you could Dragon Fist me? Seriously? I’m from the Dragon Clan!” Hohner boasted. Standing at Casca’s side, he swung his leg in the air, flexing his toes outward before smashing his foot across her back. “Funny, I thought I’d get more enjoyment outta this,” he said lifting Casca’s head above the water. He outstretched his free arm, collapsing his hand into the shape of a gun. A small ball of violet Ki formed at his fingertips. “A serpent changes its skin, not its fangs. Remember that, Casca.”
Frozen, glued to the seafloor, Casca no longer had the acumen to continue. Was this it? Did surviving Arcose mean nothing? Was reuniting with the ones she loved mean nothing?
A distant cry pierced the battlefield. Growing in volume, a female’s voice, obstructed by a space helmet, could be heard rocketing into the melee. “Dragon!” The stranger closed in on Hohner, a burning fist primed behind her back, bolting across the water in a purple blur. “Fist!” She exclaimed, delivering the blow.
The mysterious fighter’s strike connected, releasing a blast of Ki in the shape of a giant, gold dragon. The power behind the impact was enormous, exerting forces so strong Casca lost consciousness and blacked out.
“That’s all I can remember.” Casca recanted, lying down in Soda’s home.
“She did great, didn’t she dad!” Exclaimed Fanta.
Dew chimed in, “Casca showed ‘em! They can all rot in –” before their mother Coco interrupted.
“Language.” Coco laughed. “Let’s let Casca and your father talk. Plus, I hear there are two presents waiting to be opened in the other room.” The two little ones hopped up from the bed and sprinted out of the room. Watching the two leave, the gratitude on Coco’s face could not be more apparent. “I don’t know how to thank you,” she said, leaning down to kiss Casca on the forehead. “After what you did for Pepsi and now our girls.”
Casca, briefly squeezing Coco’s hand, said, “That’s what family is for.” Turning her head, she watched the kids playing with their new toys outside. “Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
Casca,
I hope this letter reaches you well. Our girls’ birthday is approaching; they asked if you could attend. I know you said only contact you in cases of emergency, and I think this could be one. No, but really, my neighbors have reported an increase in missing livestock. I didn’t think anything of it until they said they found a large footprint. My people are superstitious and they believe it is from a Hirudegarn. We are farmers. If the Kashvar has returned, we may need your help.
With love,
Soda
Folding up the letter, Casca paused before tossing out her cigarette. The air was dry, the moisture burned away by the setting sun. The planet Konats, long scared from warfare and draught, was the not somewhere you visit on holiday.
“You said you’re looking for Soda?” The Konatsian indicated to the bar behind him. “He’s inside playing cards, sounds like he’s been winning too.” Casca nodded in thanks, she already could hear the muffled voices from inside.
The pungent scent of alcohol invaded Casca’s lungs as she slid into the establishment through a side door. Her vision halved by poor illumination, she moved through the bar with purpose until she found the inescapably loud table she was looking for. It also happened to be the one covered with the most Konatsian currency.
Seated at the table were four Konatsians, all of different ages. The oldest displayed a toothless grin while he harvested most of the table’s winnings. Apparently, this had upset his competitors. “You cheat! You deceitful son of a --!” Announced the largest of the four as he slammed his fist onto the table.
“You have to know when to hold ‘em!” The older Konatsian explained, pushing the last of the capital into his pockets. “And know when to fold ‘em!” The larger Konatsian rose to stop the winner from leaving.
“You’re not going anywhere. There’s no way you won five games in a row without cheating.”
The small elderly man reached up, as high as his decrepit body would allow, with an expression of mischief etched into his face. Resembling a thief who has resigned before law enforcement, the smaller man judiciously crept towards his accuser. He motioned with his air-born hands for the big brute to meet him face to face.
Almost touching nose to nose, the elder threw his hand behind the Konatsian’s ear and retracted it back quicker than anyone expected. As if magic, he opened his palm to reveal a single gold coin. Worth almost nothing, he flipped the coin at the expressionless face of his opponent. “It’s only a game. Nothing personal, kid.”
The younger Konatsian’s face immediately turned dark red as he watched the old trickster try to depart peacefully. His embarrassment reaching a boil, the big oaf rejected the condolence. “You’ll regret this Soda. You hear me!”
“You should have folded,” Casca answered, turning to follow Soda.
Roaring to life, the hefty Konats responded. “What did you say to me?” While his voice responded with humor, his posture suggested something entirely different.
Casca delivered her next words slowly. “You should have folded”.
Enraged past his breaking point, the Konatsian grabbed the collar of Casca’s coat. “Don’t take this personally,” the younger man manically laughed out loud as he prepared to throw a big pink fist drawn behind his back.
For the first time tonight, the room was silent.
Casca scanned the room. Possibly forty combatants, give or take the older ones. Two ways in and out, that’s if the windows don’t count. And the floor looks to be anything but reliable.
Still, in a matter of a second, Casca’s body naturally assumed a defensive stance. Her weight shifted to the balls of her feet. Her knees became slightly bent; legs no farther than a shoulder’s length apart. Breathing slowed. And she waited, for what would occur next would happen incredibly fast.
Casca watched as the time around her slowed. The Konatsian’s muscles flexed as he drew power from his wide frame. Initiating movement in his retracted arm, Casca studied her aggressor as he attacked. In one solid motion, Casca stepped into the attack, catching her opponent’s strike and returning with her own fist. Her punch landed squarely on the Konatsian’s chest, driving him backwards through the bar.
Immediately following the display, Casca felt something grab her by the arm. Branding a small ball of purple Ki from her fingers, she rotated towards the cause of the interruption to see the elder Konatsian pulling on her jacket. “Can’t stand the heat,” Soda questioned Casca. “Let’s leave the kitchen!”
Annoyed by the response, Casca tried to shrug the man’s hands from her arm. “I got this.” As the words left her mouth the younger Konatsian shook the dazed look off his face and began to regain his composure.
“But do you have them?” The little man asked, pointing at the crowd amassing behind Casca’s assailant. They were angry, and probably in their own right. One of their own, harassed by a foreigner. By this point, the crowd had engulfed the room, covering both of the exits. And with the noise reaching a new crescendo, it was clear this crowd wanted retribution.
And in a green puff of smoke, the two at the center of the conflict disappeared from sight.
“Out of sight, out of mind! Am I right?” The elder man nudged Casca in the thigh.
“I had it taken care of!” Casca implored, pushing the man off of her lap. Thudding to the ground, Soda bounced up and dusted himself off. Casca also stood, inspecting her surroundings with more and more disgust. “A bathroom?”
The old Konatsian man tripped over in embarrassment. “Well, ugh –,“ perspiration cascading from the man’s forehead, “you see, I’m very old!”
“And drunk,” Casca added.
Relishing in the escape, Soda stretched his arms out wide. “Tomayto, tomahto. Potayto, potahto.” Casca gave the small man a piercing glance. “What? I might have messed up the calculations a little bit. Besides, we arrived together and in one piece.” As Soda finished speaking, a large thump could be heard on the bathroom door.
“You couldn’t calculate us out of the bar?” Casca said after realizing the fact that they only traveled to another room. Soda threw his hands in the sky in a surrendering gesture. As his robes shifted, multiple playing cards floated to the floor. “And you’re a cheater!” She insisted.
Soda flipped backwards in humiliation. “Well, ugh … you see. A penny saved is a penny earned? And I was going to give it back! I swear!” Soda declared to Casca. “Cross my heart and hope to die?”
Casca stared dumbfounded at the elder, once wise Konatsian. “Enough with all the Earthling colloquialisms. It’s good to see you again Soda.” The two embraced for a short moment.
Turning to hide his tears, Soda moved the conversation forward. “When I didn’t hear from ‘ya, I assumed the worse.” Another loud thud shook the small bathroom as well as Soda. “Let’s try those calculations again!”
Later that night …
“So it a fairy tale or what?” Casca intervened.
Home-brewed alcohol erupted from Soda’s mouth in disbelief. “A fairy tale! More like the biggest threat to Konatsian society that has ever existed.”
Sparking another cigarette, Casca stared out into the darkness surrounding Soda’s home. “And you think these creatures have returned?” Casca crouched at the edge of the property.
The old Konatsian man poured two more glasses. “You know. I knew back then that you and my boy, Pepsi, had something special.”
Casca interrupted, “I wanted to be here. Besides, I got something for your girls.” She motioned to a terribly wrapped parcel in the corner next to her things.
“Ah, yes. My girls! Dew and Fanta! We thought it was best to send them to bed early tonight.” Soda took a longer than usual sip before continuing. “I worry what is happening to my village could be more sinister than even the Hirudegarn. These Kashvar and their towering behemoths were thought to have been wiped out millennia ago. They were the cause for the collapse of Konatsian society and now we are worried about livestock?”
Casca could see the elder’s posture become more rigid as he continued talking. “What I mean is, whoever it is, I think they left a message for us. I think it could be the Company.”
Casca closed her eyes in disbelief. “You know I don’t work for them anymore. I wouldn’t know if they are part of the Connected or not. They can all rot in hell for all I care.” She dropped her partially smoked cig into the second glass. Rubbing her forehead, Casca tried to calm down.
“You know you can take a break. Anyone can see you haven’t been taking care of yourself. You smell like you haven’t bathed in weeks.” Casca gave him a sharp glance. “I’m mean days.” Soda cleared his throat. “We care about you. You don’t have to do this and don’t think you owe us anything. Pepsi knew the risks of working for the Company. You can’t blame yourself for what happened.”
“Soda!” A Konatsian woman cried from inside the house. “They’re gone!” Soda and Casca reacted immediately.
“The girls.” Soda whispered, staggering to his feet.
Casca motioned in the direction of the house. “Get Coco and as many people as you can. Set up a perimeter around your home. Look for anything that can help. I’ll meet up with you when I find something.” Watching the man be confronted by this new harsh reality crushed Casca. “We’ll find them, Soda. I promise you, we’ll find ‘em.”
Shouldering her rucksack, Casca headed downwind. She would know what she was looking for when she saw it. Slowly routine set in as Casca’s eyes adjusted to the night. The moon’s light was visible even through the canopy of clouds above. Even so, the terrain was not known to be overly treacherous in the dark.
Casca thought tracking at night was less about finding the next spoor and more about determining intent. Someone who knows how to track almost always try to instinctively cover his or her own tracks. It devolves into a strange game of – then it happened. Casca fell two feet into a depression in the ground.
Almost immediately, Casca knew what left the print. A target she was very familiar with. The kind you seek and destroy.
Assuming the gait of the creature was a deceitful one, possibly doubling back or purposely misleading, Casca continued back towards the village. It wasn’t hidden or camouflaged, but something told Casca it didn’t want to be.
And if Soda was right, this threat was real.
For one Oozaru could cause irreversible damage to a planet, Casca’s has witnessed it. So why hasn’t it? Will this planet be another of the Fleet’s acquisitions?
Tilting her head towards the ground, Casca noticed two separate tracks of footprints trailing the larger depression. She placed her hands in the tracks to get a better feel of how big the accessory characters where. Both sets exhibited enough knowledge to walk on their insoles, leaving as little a trace as possible. They also used the terrain to their advantage; walking through puddles and over larger rocks to further disguise their presence.
Sometimes the best thing to do when hunting something of a higher caliber is to just wait. And be still. And silent. Casca looked to the horizon, tracing the village’s shape against the dimly lit clouds.
The village was located near water. Water can be seen as a deterrent, for it is a medium that most clearly separates those with skill from those with luck. Very little advantages take place underwater. And for that, Casca found herself standing on the village’s pier, inspecting the coastline. That’s when Casca saw the cave.
The cave was remote, a peninsula in itself, jutting out a dozen meters or so into the water. The cave’s mouth was also lined with grizzly boulders the size of a person, making the water difficult to navigate.
After a reluctant fight with the current, Casca surfaced deep inside the cave. Staring into almost complete darkness, Casca dropped two old chem-lights near the water’s perimeter. The green glow from the light sticks cascaded over the surfaces of the cavern, highlighting a fairly large subterranean cavity with two excavated tunnels.
Choices for anyone, even one as simple as proceeding left or right, could be the difference between life or death. Travel too far, get lost and starve to death. A wrong turn and the cave collapses. The scenarios ran through Casca’s mind as she took note of the walls near the water. Previous watermarks indicated that the cavern floods with the tides, something to look out for if she wasn’t brisk in her investigation.
Choosing the left tunnel, Casca slowly advanced. The tunnel under the city had varying widths, but for the most part, continued in a straight path. Soon enough, Casca again found herself in the darkness.
Staying tight to the wall, the small Saiyan felt her way through a good stretch of the tunnel. Crossing over what sounded like bones, Casca began to reassess her decision. She began to turn around when she heard a faint cough. Wanting to retain her anonymity, Casca approached the noise with extreme caution.
Well underground in a tight and confined space, while standing over the bones of last weeks dinner, Casca didn’t like the thought of doing combat against three trained individuals. Following the bend of the passage, Casca’s leg brushed up against something low to the ground. She immediately formed a violet sphere of Ki at the end of her hand.
The soft violet glow from the charged attack warmed the tunnel. What the light revealed took almost everything Casca had to contain herself. Fighting the urge to scream, Casca dropped to her knees and began to quickly determine the condition of the first of many Konatsian children.
Each child reported the same thing. The youth remember going to sleep and waking up here, wet, cold, with no idea how they got here. Beginning to become frantic in her search for Soda’s daughters, Casca called out to the room. “Dew? Fanta?”
A nasally but soft voice answered, “Casca. It’s you!”
Overwhelmed with relief, Casca responded. “Yeah, it’s me. Are you all right? How’s your sister?” Casca slowly made her way to their location.
“She won’t wake up?” Fanta responded.
Casca discovered the small child in the dimly lit tunnel and vigorously grabbed her. Releasing a small sob, the two hugged for a moment before turning her attention to the unconscious sibling. “She’s breathing. There’s nothing we can do for her here. We have to go.” Extinguishing the Ki sphere and the only source of light, Casca picked up the incapacitated child and placed her over her shoulder.
“Try not to be scared,” Casca told Fanta. “We are all getting out of here.” Casca raised her voice before continuing. “Hey everyone. We need to leave, now. Please hold onto me. It is better for us to remain in the dark a little longer.”
With the pull of many little hands, Casca directed the children back the way she came. Before long, the green glow from the chem-lights could be seen in the distance. “Do we need to know how to swim,” questioned one of the kids.
Casca looked down before realizing they have been treading through water for several minutes. Doubt set in as the water increased in height as they walked. It was apparent the tide was rising, and taking with it part of their escape.
By the time they reached the tunnel’s beginning, the cave was impassable. Making matters worse, the tunnel they left was also beginning to be overtaken by the current. Desperate for a way out, Casca pulled a lighter from her jacket. Without thinking, she sparked it and noticed something unusual.
The lighter’s flame flickered again and again. There was a breeze! Believing there was another way out of the cave, Casca steered the group of children down the opposite tunnel. To her surprise, the tunnel seemed to have a natural form of light at its conclusion.
Arriving under the light source, Casca drew the conclusion they were at the bottom of an old well. “Ok guys, hold on. We’ll be home in no time!” Gripping as many little arms as she could, Casca pushed off and launched into the air. She flew through the well and arrived again at a sight of horror.
Above ground, Casca released the kids to their parents and watched as the village in front of them burned. In the distance, a massive Great Ape could be seen uprooting buildings. “Get the kids out of here Soda! I will buy you some time.” Casca yelled, keeping her attention on the Oozaru while speaking. The young Saiyan launched into the air and took flight in pursuit of the beast.
Casca landed in the ape’s vicinity and it’s noticed its tactical armor looked related to her own. The ape paused in its destruction to greet Casca with a humongous fist. His hands repeatedly smashed into the earth in an unsuccessful attempt on Casca’s life. Casca after-imaged through one of the fists and reappeared unharmed and began to ascended the Oozaru’s arm. The ape withdrew backward, instinctively discharging a blast of Ki from its mouth.
Casca again after-imaged through her enemy’s attack to a safe distance in the opposite direction. “You have my attention, Lutein. Clever, using the urban legend as cover.” Casca quickly infused her hands with Ki and held them in front of her in a defensive manner. But she was too late as the Oozaru’s fists crushed her into the soil.
A cry of pain escaped Casca’s lips as the Oozaru ground her deeper into the ground. The beast let out a grotesque laugh before releasing its weight. “I told them you were alive. You’ve always been,” he paused, lifting his hand off of Casca. “Durable!”
The ape raised its fist to strike again, laughing during the swing. Braced up on her elbow, Casca aimed her fingers towards the Oozaru’s oncoming attack. A purple ball of Ki quickly ignited from her fingertips.
“Boom.” Casca mouthed, dropping her aim to the ape’s forward leg. The Ki blast was not strong enough to damage the Oozaru, but it did cause the ape to topple forward and missing Casca by mere meters.
Before she could react again, green smoke erupted around Casca. “Looked like you need some help!” A toothless Soda grinned at Casca, teleporting them to the water line. Casca stood up, thankful to see the little Konatsian.
“Those were some good calculations,” Casca said putting an arm on Soda’s shoulder.
“How touching! If I didn’t already know, I’d think you two were family.” Casca turned to see a member of her former Company. The Namekian continued, “the chimp thought up the idea of checking in with Pepsi’s family. He always thought you two had a thing goin’ and if you were alive, he bet you’d come to their rescue.”
“Nice to see you again too, Hohner.”
“This will be just like old times!” Hohner jested before closing the distance to Casca. “I bet you still favor your dominant side!” Hohner launched a kick at Casca’s left knee. She countered by shifting her weight and meeting the kick with the outside of her right shin. “Ah! Indeed! You haven’t changed at all!” Hohner put his words to the test, throwing combinations Casca would remember.
Fighting with extreme confidence, Hohner propelled his body forward with ease and followed his victim into the water. Even knee deep in water, Casca could see the Namekian’s technique was flawless. He was particularly good at keeping Casca out of reach, extending his limbs if need be.
“You know, if you would just apologize to the Company, I’m sure they’d have you back!” Hohner suggested, pushing Casca away with a heavy Ki barrier. He stared at her face, continuing where he left off. “What is a mouth with no teeth?”
Casca clapped, forcing Ki outwardly around her, dispersing the barrier before her. “A fist!” Casca raged forward, right hand extended behind her head. A gold shimmer rippled through her arm, radiating a little brighter before leaving her fist. “For all of those who didn’t have a choice.” Casca cautioned, approaching Hohner at a staggering pace. “For the innocence lost!” Casca threatened, abandoning the sprint for full speed flight. “For –“, Casca abruptly stopped in the air.
Floating mid-air, Casca no longer saw the Namekian in front of her. At the same time, she didn’t stop under her own volition.
The Namekian moved at godly speeds, striking multiple pressure points in Casca’s empowered arm. The movements were delicate, precise, and practiced. With four contact points in a blink of an eye, Casca lost control of her arm. The built up energy from her attack wildly twisted and contorted her arm. The energy did disperse, but not before breaking the bones in her forearm.
Casca released a long gasp of pain, immediately clenching her damaged arm and plummeting into the water.
“You think you could Dragon Fist me? Seriously? I’m from the Dragon Clan!” Hohner boasted. Standing at Casca’s side, he swung his leg in the air, flexing his toes outward before smashing his foot across her back. “Funny, I thought I’d get more enjoyment outta this,” he said lifting Casca’s head above the water. He outstretched his free arm, collapsing his hand into the shape of a gun. A small ball of violet Ki formed at his fingertips. “A serpent changes its skin, not its fangs. Remember that, Casca.”
Frozen, glued to the seafloor, Casca no longer had the acumen to continue. Was this it? Did surviving Arcose mean nothing? Was reuniting with the ones she loved mean nothing?
A distant cry pierced the battlefield. Growing in volume, a female’s voice, obstructed by a space helmet, could be heard rocketing into the melee. “Dragon!” The stranger closed in on Hohner, a burning fist primed behind her back, bolting across the water in a purple blur. “Fist!” She exclaimed, delivering the blow.
The mysterious fighter’s strike connected, releasing a blast of Ki in the shape of a giant, gold dragon. The power behind the impact was enormous, exerting forces so strong Casca lost consciousness and blacked out.
“That’s all I can remember.” Casca recanted, lying down in Soda’s home.
“She did great, didn’t she dad!” Exclaimed Fanta.
Dew chimed in, “Casca showed ‘em! They can all rot in –” before their mother Coco interrupted.
“Language.” Coco laughed. “Let’s let Casca and your father talk. Plus, I hear there are two presents waiting to be opened in the other room.” The two little ones hopped up from the bed and sprinted out of the room. Watching the two leave, the gratitude on Coco’s face could not be more apparent. “I don’t know how to thank you,” she said, leaning down to kiss Casca on the forehead. “After what you did for Pepsi and now our girls.”
Casca, briefly squeezing Coco’s hand, said, “That’s what family is for.” Turning her head, she watched the kids playing with their new toys outside. “Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
