Planet X Pandora

Tracks

Kyle groaned. Ow! His breathing was shallow and it took effort to open his eyes. He looked around. Everything was white. The tree's were covered in heavy layers of what looked like ash. The bomb... Everything came rushing back to him in a wave of shock and sorrow. He slowly sat up and grimaced. He tried to see if he had any injuries. Gaah! My head... He ran his hand over his head and found a huge gash across his eyebrow and temple. His arms were bleeding from scratches and sharp metal shards stuck into his body. He slowly stood, testing his legs. His head throbbed and he felt faint, but he plucked out all the shards. His eyes adjusted to the brightness, and he took everything in. Everything was covered in a white and gray blanket of ash. Wherever he walked, a cloud of ash puffed up, and covered his shoes. The skies were covered in a huge cloud of soot. He coughed and winced. His throat was dry, and it hurt. Aaron? He combed the undergrowth searching for his friend. Where did he fall? He kept searching, until he kicked something soft. He knelt down and dug frantically. He saw Aarons face, covered in soot.

"Get up. C'mon! Get up Aaron! "
His voice was frantic. His friend had already been injured before he got flung off Kyle's back. Please let him be okay. Kyle carefully pulled Aaron up into a sitting position, and hit his back until Aaron started coughing.

" Duude! Ow! Gaah! Stop! Kyle! " Aaron screamed with pain as Kyle tried to apologize.

" What has gotten into you?! " Aaron yelled as rubbed the ash out of his face.

" Aaron yo-" Kyle started.

"I what? I pissed you off so you tried to kill me?! "

" No. Aaron, you weren't breathing. "

" So you tried to make sure I was dead? "

" No! Jesus Aaron"

"Whatever. Pick me up. "

Kyle obediently picked him back up and hoisted him on his back. He grimaced at the weight, his back still sore. With Kyle's head throbbing, he marched through the deep layer of ash, with Aaron groaning on his back. I think there's a clearing up ahead.
"Aaron? Do you see a clearing up ahead? "

" What? Uh, yeah. My head hurts. "

" Do you want me to stop? "

" No. Keep going. "

" Alright. "

Kyle marched forward, groaning with exhaustion. Aaron bobbed his head as he tried to get rid of his growing head ache. His eyes hurt, and his head ached.
Kyle stopped suddenly as they reached the clearing. The ash covered ground had three protruding shapes rising out of it.

"K- Kyle? " Aaron stuttered

" Yeah " he whispered

" Please tell me I'm not going crazy "

" You're not. "

Kyle immediately recognized the bodies of the Maktauwa. They lay across the clearing, covered in ash. Kyle couldn't believe his eyes. These were the only creatures that he hadn't seen. Zia had fought one once and he remembered her chilling words, " they're impossible to fight. That take cover in the darkness, they move like shadows. They bow to no one."
What had possibly killed three of them, he had no idea. Who fought them? Why? He carefully walked to one of the bodies, and looked for any hint of what could have done this.

"Why did you stop here? " Aaron complained.

"If something is powerful enough to kill three Maktauwa's, we should be wary of it."

He carefully observed it's body, and found scratch markes on it. It's eyes were poked out, and its stomach was torn. What could have done this? It's looks like something from a dart. He walked over to another one and found it's stomach split open. It sure is a violent killer. Aaron pointed at something and groaned. Kyle looked up. There was a thin trail, barely visible through the soot. He had to walk almost halfway through the clearing before he could make it out. Blood? It was a thin trail, and based on the signs of the trail, Kyle knew it was injured. It's leaning to the side. Possibly lying on another one. He carefully followed the faint trail to the edge of the jungle between them and the mountains. Aaron had started gasping for air, the ash burning into his opened cuts. I'll have to sit him down soon. He knew it would be dangerous to follow this creature, but curiosity got the better of him. He carefully followed the track through the jungle a few yards in, when he came across a tree. The first thing he saw was an old fire. Then glass shards lying around, tip covered in blood. He noticed sap dripping out of the tree, and a pile of leaves. That's when he noticed two slumped bodies, covered in soot, buried under a thin layer of ash.