Rodentia Adventures

CHAPTER 10: THE LOW ROAD

"Long have I been exploring in search of the dark lords, with successes few, and failures many. As fortune would have it, I have not only I encountered one of the great beasts on this fateful night, but two. To my surprise, the two terrifying creatures engaged in battle almost immediately, not the usual brief wrestling matches involving fang and claw, but, instead, clearly going all out. It is so rare to see such creatures utilize the full extent of their powers, that I regret being unable to take a closer look. It is simply not an option, however. 

The sky beast is unlike anything I have ever seen before. Deep black and of red eyes, strange wisps of dark energy drifting and swirling about it as though they have minds of their own. These floating deep red orbs orbs regularly burst into hideous torrents of chaotic power which rip through the skies and tear up the earth beneath them, torrents which could very well have claimed my life as well, were it not for the shelter I had taken behind a massive metal canister. Even with this secure barricade between myself and the clash ahead, I feel little sense of safety, and my death never feels far very away. Still, retreat is not an option, for more reasons than one. 

Then, there is the other dark lord. Ground based, of glowing white fur, and seemingly unconcerned with the embodiment of destruction within the skies. Not one of those arcs of fiery red energy stuck the feline, each melting away against her light, no matter how relentlessly they rain down. Not only do the blows fail to land, they are readily pushed back. Is the black winged entity significantly weaker than their opponent? No, when it comes to sheer power, I don't believe this to be the case. The way the black entity ripped open the very skies themselves, the overwhelmingly oppressive air emitting from it, the level of destruction that it so effortlessly inflicts all around. This is no common monster. This is simply a case of poor elemental affinities. Even the most oppressive darkness is pushed away, at least briefly, by a single spark of light, and the large feline sitting on the ground ahead is no mere spark. 

It is radiant, beautiful, even sitting still with closed eyes, long tail curled about its heavy paws. Then, it reveals its true power, revealing to me that what I had seen as radiant before was merely a minor shimmer in comparison. It opens its golden eyes, bathing its opponent, bathing everything in luminous yellow light. Even from my hiding place, I could feel the calming energy of it, but it has a significantly less calming effect on her strange opponent. It shrieks in a terrible metallic whine, the wisps circling about it struggling to fight back against the spray of light, instead crumbling away entirely. 

Then, as quickly as the battle had begun, it ends. The light begins to fade, and no trace of the bizarre black monstrosity remains within the night sky. I do not see a corpse fall to the earth. Perhaps it simply disintegrated, along with its many glowing red minions? Still, I find myself skeptical that a dark lord, especially that dark lord could die so easily. Regardless of what exactly has happened, the outcome remains the same. The victor remains seated, not so much as a single strand of its long, beautiful coat out of place. I know I should run, but I cannot bring myself to do so. I need to get a closer look at this majestic creature, and will never forgive myself should I allow this opportunity to pass. Just a little bit closer."  

This was the final entry of researcher Nostrom's notebook, discovered nearly one year ago, far from the walls of the mouse kingdom. The researcher himself was never found. 

<3~ <3~ <3~ <3~ 

"Hey, no fighting in here! Take it outside!" the tavern owner barked at Aaron, who was currently holding the terrified scavenger up by the neck. 

"Where did you get this?" he growled. 

"I, uh, um..." the pale, old looking mouse stammered, his entire body shaking as he looked to the older sibling with wide, distant eyes.