Seeing the cuts on Rio close up, the two-headed direhog yipped, jumping up and down. They were filled with happiness for several seconds, then their heads snapped to Catherine, and with a growl, they jumped off her thighs.
Suddenly, they remembered that she was on the other side, a member of the group that wanted to kill Rio.
Watching them growl at her, Catherine smirked in amusement. They were still cubs after all, their minds yet to mature.
She turned to Rio, mirth in her eyes as she observed the energies running through him, her mind going into thought.
"His actions saved him, but it was reckless and will cost him.
Should I help him?
There's no rush, let's first see if he'll wake up with a brain."
Keeping Catherine at a distance and in sight, the two-headed beast silently watched Rio's relentless rampage, staying with him till the sun set and the sky was dark.
It made no sense that a being should be in such a torturous and unrested state for such an extended period of time. Rio's state bordered on what could be called madness.
The night passed, and the next day came. The region surrounding Rio remained devoid of life that was not the two-headed direhog or Catherine, who often came and left, healing Rio whenever his state worsened.
It was on the fourth day, about an hour past the sun's appearance, that Rio's body suddenly collapsed, and he lay still on the floor.
The two-headed direhog, who had been watching him all this while—its body now skinny from the lack of nutrition over the past days—stood to its feet.
Somehow knowing there had been a change, the grand priestess popped up at that same time, standing to the side and watching as the beast moved over and nudged Rio.
Both heads whined when he didn't make any reaction.
"Don't go crying now, he's just resting."
The two heads looked at her and yipped, and she could only sigh at their request.
"You use me and then turn against me—have you two no shame?"
The two heads looked at each other, then barked at her, audaciously telling her it was her fault Rio was in this state and that she had to fix it.
Finding nothing but amusement in the antics of the beast, Catherine approached them in a blur, and the next second, all three of them were gone from the forest, their presences untraceable.
...
On a black-tarred road surrounded by wilderness, a convoy of heavy vehicles drove by.
There were several trucks, jeeps, armoured cars, tankers, missile carriers, and even bikes. The movement of this convoy caused the pebbles in the surroundings to vibrate off the ground, and the air was filled with the scary roar of engines.
Within one of the armoured jeeps was a middle-aged man in a military uniform who alone occupied its luxuriously modified back.
The man had a cigarette in his hand, and between his spread legs rested a long-sheathed katana.
As the convoy moved, the man let out a puff of smoke and looked at the barrenness that stood on both sides of the road.
"To think the good times are now gone and we are in a new era. Hopefully, the world doesn't become like this."
The man took a drink from a glass to his side, and as he looked at the numerous cars ahead, a radio in front of him beeped with a red light, prompting him to press a button on it.
"General, we have contact from Captain Han."
"Put him through immediately." A calm, deep voice sounded.
Beeep! Beeeeep!
"General Kane," a sharp voice came from across the radio.
"Captain," Kane answered straight away, his eyes narrowing.
"The portal—it's beginning to activate, Sir."
"What happened? I thought we had till tomorrow."
"The researchers are furiously going over their equipment, but they can't figure out what sped it up."
"What is the estimated time now before full activation?"
"Eight hours, Sir."
"We'll be there. How are the preparations with Lieutenant Gale?"
"Going smoothly, Sir."
"Good."
Switching off the radio, Kane let out a thick cloud of smoke, then picked up a radio phone by his side and pressed a button at its centre.
"Attention all units, we'll be continuing with formation SZ23."
The general's words caused surprise in all the vehicles, but there was no hesitation in the minds of the soldiers. The convoy immediately switched formation.
Formation SZ23 was an emergency rearrangement of a convoy in which all vehicles that could not match or keep a speed of 80 mph broke off, forming a secondary unit behind while the main one continued ahead at a much faster pace.
With the general's words, trucks, armoured cars, and jeeps rapidly sped up, other heavier vehicles moving off the road.
The now faster unit was quick to reach a speed of 65 mph, but after an hour of travel, there was a bright twinkle in the sky above them, and a strong beam of light fell from the heavens.
The light smashed on the ground just ahead of the convoy, tearing it apart and depositing its passenger.
"Roaaaaaaar!"
Before the light even went out, a powerful roar came from within, and when the glow disappeared, a ten-foot creature resembling a rhino but with horns all over its body like a porcupine and a much flatter head appeared.
"Sky fall!" the cry went through all vehicles in the convoy.
Without waiting for orders, every vehicle sped off the road, soldiers jumping out of them.
Unfortunately for the cars at the front of the convoy, they didn't have time to drive away from the beast as it ran forward and began rampaging, smashing and bulldozing through the vehicles in its path.
In a bid to halt its advancement, guns and RPGs were unleashed on it, the effort of the soldiers having no effect on the enemy until a sword slash flew from behind and slammed onto the forehead of the beast.
Though the attack caused no injury, it halted the creature's rampage.
"Sky fall" was the term used to describe the phenomenon of powerful beasts falling down from the sky.
This phenomenon typically happened in safe zones, safe zones being regions that were far removed from the danger of a portal.
Just because this was the second wave of the crystallisation and portals were few, didn't mean the universe planned to allow Earth a break.
Everywhere on Earth was a danger zone.
"We need to deal with this thing quick and get to Jacobs Street, we can't afford to lose that portal."
Taking a red glowing pill out of his pocket, General Kane popped it into his mouth, warmth filling his body.
Watching the beast regain its bearings from a distance, he gripped his blade with both hands, and when powerful energy erupted within him, he charged forward.