*(Preview)* Ravenlight: Book 1- Embers of the Past

Chapter III

"Warning, warning, security breach on the South end of the facility. All non-military personnel must take shelter immediately. All able fighters report to defensive positions and lock down the facility. This is not a drill, repeat, this is not a drill!"

That was the voice over the loudspeakers as a high pitched shrieking alarm went on. Within the halls of the facility men and women ran with rifles primarily, steel doors dropping behind and in front of them sealing off various sections of the base. The facility was quick to rumble, the sound of a massive explosion going off somewhere within that shook viciously leading to some of the soldiers falling over. Many of those in lab coats ran around quickly with notes flying everywhere, some turning corners to run right into one another and fall backwards.

Lights began to flicker on and off repeatedly until the main lights went down entirely leaving only emergency lights on. Soldiers rushed along the corridors turning in various directions at each fork with doors slamming down behind them. Many turned down a passage, running down quick soon entering the Hub grounds with the various pathways where many others had entered. It was from one of these that Wesley ran down from with others in the same robe as him, all meeting up, "What happened?"

"Sir, we've had a breach. It's them."

"Dammit, how many?"

"At least a battalion's worth sir-"

"What? Damn it all. How did they gather so many and sneak up on us? All of you with me."

They turned and flew quickly down a passageway with a sign hanging above that read South. They ran quickly, vigilantly, all with a fierce look in their eyes. Ahead an inhuman moaning roar was heard, then a shriek of some form of creature, followed by the sounds of gunfire as another explosion rocked the facility. With this one all of those running behind Wesley stumbled and collapsed, quick to get back up with fright however, "General, what the hell is going on?"

"It's The Hive so I haven't a damn clue. How close are we?"

"Not far sir, they should be just ahead."

All of them skidded to a halt as in front of them were several soldiers on one knee each, firing their rifles off into the darkness. Wesley's eyes danced around from one side to the other then back down the middle before widening as another roar was heard. Charging at them from up front taking round after round of ammo fire was a wolf-type creature with blazing sapphire eyes, black in color though covered with splotches of blood all over, it being many meters tall.

"Take that thing!" Wesley shouted though as he did there was a crash to his right.

The wall ripped open with an explosion of fire flying out, one that would quickly engulf the general. His body flew in these flames, flung through the other wall of the hallway.

The soldiers looked on, mouths hanging and eyes swollen, "General!"

One man flew out wearing the robe of The Hive, his hair shoulder length and pure white, his eyes that of a simple blue. His eyes shifted left towards the soldiers, sharpening upon sighting. With screams they opened fire upon the individual, shots that would never reach. Bullets stopped within the air before the man, all rounds just freezing with no visible damage or hold. His eyes rolled, the soldiers continuing their fire even as the frozen bullets shifted. A snap of his fingers, then came the screams of pain as every bullet flew straight back into the bodies of their owners.

Many dropped, many continued fire stumbling away. The man launched himself forth, his body a blur of color as he went. Purple flames flew from his body, breaking off as his arms flew forward with black rods extending from his sleeves. There came more screams followed by the sound of flesh being ripped clean from bodies and of blood splattering the floor, walls, and ceiling. Bodies were flung everywhere littered with holes from both the rods and bullets. Behind the wolf howled out, blood flowing from both of its eyes which now had begun to glow orange and blue both.

More figures in Hive uniform flew from the hole, following the man of white hair down the hall. Behind a few of the new comers stopped, not in Hive uniform yet marked with red stars, all chuckling, "Well I guess that takes care of-"

Metal clanged again, blood spraying out as the individual fell backwards collapsing on the ground. Before him stood Wesley all a sudden back on his feet with some tears to his outfit, a white aura surrounding him as he looked upon the individual. Wesley's eyes drifted down the hall to where the white haired man had run, "Dammit! How could I have let myself be taken by that crap?"

THWACK!

Wesley flew, crashing to the tiled floor riddled with dents and holes. Before him stood another individual, a laughing individual, "Haha, too slow old man."

Wesley back flipped and landed securely on his feet in a single motion, "And who might you be, sunshine?"

"Heh heh, they call me Rohwer," the individual spoke, high pitched.

Behind him cartwheeled two more marked with the red stars of the Hive, flipping up to land on their feet. Both female and identical, both with green hair smiling looking upon Wesley, "Oh he looks like fun," one spoke.

Rohwer chuckled, "Cindy, Sidney, shall we get down to it and roast this turkey?"

"Sounds fun Rohwer."

"Oh yeah I call dibs on his legs."

"Hmph, a bunch of children who think they can tangle with me? Normally I'd be up for a little fun but right now I have no time for you," Wesley spat charging forward at them.

The twins quickly leaped back, Rowher also taking a quick step back with his arms flying up, "Alright we can do this, come on old man!"

"Nope-" Wesley muttered, skidding with a turn.

Bolting away, he shot down the hall in the white haired man's direction. Rowher blinked, head turning with a mouth slightly open, "Uhhh."

"You blockhead, he's going after Lord Shadow!" came the bark of Sidney.

"What? That snake- I thought he was going to take us on. Bah, stop him now or it'll be the ax for the lot of us!"

Ahead Wesley ran, passing bodies strung about on the floor and through walls; many his own soldiers, some of the rest being those marked by The Hive. His eyes darted back and forth as he ran, passing to the right at a fork in the hall. Ahead came roaring of a beast of some sort, loud footsteps, and gun shots. Then thuds, redundant thuds, almost like something stomping upon the ground.

All at once he came to a halt at another fork, eyes glowing big, "{Alright now what the living hell is that then?}"

A creature stomped forth, large enough to take up much of the hallway. A very big green beak flying open, the body and legs of a wolf, tail of a reptile, head of a pterodactyl, and small wings upon its back. A roar left it at once as it spotted Wesley, the same roar Wesley had heard the moment prior, loud enough the shake everything in its general vicinity. All at once it then shot forward right at Wesley, who at that point stepped a single pace back, "Oh you have got to be shitting me!" he shouted turning down another hall with a quick dash.

Behind the creature crashed in an attempt to turn, the walls and ceiling behind falling straight down atop its body like an avalanche. In seconds it shot forward through the rubble, down the same hallway as Wesley with its roar. Right passed this creature crawled Rohwer across the ceiling with a glow behind his eyes and a wide grin, while along the walls the two twins ran with smiles and a happy look to their eyes.

Glancing back ahead his right hand moved to his ear pressing against it, "This is General Wesley Ezdorth to all available units near the South Twenty-First Passage. Meet at the East Twenty-Fifth Passage immediately. I have a whole herd of trouble on my tail and I'm not having it."