Monster of the Deep

Ath'enialla was drifting through the deep of Immezza, satisfied with a job well done. Everything had gone according to plan - the Immezzan and Camathu Starlords were ready to reignite the war between their people. And all it had taken was a couple of well timed attacks on Ath'enialla's part.

Ath'enialla had found a large cave, well away from where the Immezzans and Camathu frequented. She had been on this rock for the better part of three months, planning and plotting. When she had discovered how easy it would be to start this war, Ath'enialla had rejoiced - she would be able to return home much sooner than anticipated. So now she waited to hear from her people, and hopefully to return home.

She was just dozing off when something sharp struck her left flank. Ath'enialla let out a scream of rage and pain. Her head swung around on her long neck in time to see an Immezzan getting ready for a second attack, shell-tipped spear raised and ready to strike. As Ath'enialla was about to retaliate, something ripped a chunk out of her right pectoral fin. Her large head swiveled in time to see a Camathu swim off. She let off another hate-filled scream. A Camathu and Immezzan working together?

And then the third assailant stabbed her tail. There, directly behind her, was a human. A human! Ath'enialla, though enraged, knew she had to make a run for it. For a human to be beneath the waves of Immezza meant one thing: the new Spacelord was here! And the other two must be the local Starlords of Immezza. Ath'enialla knew she had to make a run for it; if she were lucky, she might be able to kill one of them, but not all three.

"Ath'enialla," a voice spoke suddenly within her mind, "a gate is ready. Return home immediately or you will die!"

"But Lord, I have failed! The Camathu and the Immezzan attack together! Somehow they have discovered that I killed their people!"

"That does not matter. It is a set back, but we can recover nonetheless. But, you must make it to the gate if you want to live! Swim!"

Ath'enialla swam. Her three assailants were fortunately caught off guard by the move, which meant that only the Camathu now had a chance of catching her. Luckily, Ath'enialla didn't have far to go. Normally she would have had no problem outracing the smaller Camathu, but that human must have known what he was doing when he stabbed her tail! It was bleeding freely and hurt like hell! If she could not make it to the gate, then she was done for; the Camathu would be able to follow her blood trail.

Luckily, she made it to the gate just as the Camathu started to gain on her. He had just entered the cavern when the gate disappeared, leaving only a small trace of her blood behind her.