Welcome to Gaia! ::

Kard frowned. It was a relief that things didn't go south, but this person was a bit of a jerk. Though it was rude to tell that to a lady he was very free to think it. Knight yawned and continued forward at his pilot's command. He couldn't care less how fast they went, he was just happy to be moving again.

Still no sign of Ander at this point. The sands remained unturned and there was no mucking his from Saga. Everything was quiet once more, but a most unsettling quiet. something on the air was not right...

The temperature seemed to drop a little as a swift southward wind blew over the lands. Sands shifted by the force of the wind, but still no sign of the former king of bandits.

Scanners would start to malfunction, sensors and video feed from anything would also begin to prove useless. Sitting blind in the day light, or what was left of it.

Dark clouds begun to mass overhead. The menacing clouds thickened above and soon threatened to pour rain mercilessly on the desert floor.

The clouds burst with a clap of thunder and a flash of lightning. At the moment the sky was illuminated a rather large snake-like ZOID erupted from the sands a few miles away. Details were hard to see from the distance.

It plowed back into the sands, but not before firing a few charged shots from what looked to be a head at the end of its tail. Behind the shadowy ZOID a large plume of black fog quickly perused. A nightmarish screech echoed over the sands.

White flames spewed from the fog toward the fleeing serpent, just barely missing its tail.

As they drew near the sands begun to shift under the strain of the oncoming Saga. The fog gaining on it quickly. Blazing eyes could be seen inside the thick fog, all four embodying they very essence of fear. They seemed to be peering right into Marcia, judging her.

White flame shot from its mouth again with a loud screech. It was becoming more obvious that whatever was in the fog was herding Saga rather than trying to obliterate it.

Ander had tried to send a warning to Marcia to flee, but the com-link would not get through to the bone ZOID.

Saga had its sights on ramming Catastrophe out of the way before it did something it would regret, but black fog engulfed the tail and soon the entire ZOID. The instant the tail was touched by the first bit of black fog the entire colossus of a ZOID shut down. Marcia would be able to see the horns of the ZOID protruding from the sands. The rest of the ZOID created a nice mound in the wet sands.

Jury continued forward for the bone ZOID with the back fog in the lead. It let out another banshee like screech.

The clouds above again released a terrible clap of thunder with a brilliant display of purple and white bolts of lightning.

The black fog completely engulfed the attack as it stretched out toward the bone ZOID. It gave it no chance to even approach the downed Saga before every shred of consciousness was taken from the aggressive ZOID and organoid.

The ground would begin to crack and pillars of fire would pelt the cockpit of the ZOID. Or that what it would seem like in any case. The pilot would begin to feel an immense heat followed by terrible screams of agony coming from outside the cockpit of the ZOID. People, familiar people crying out in pain for some unknown reason. Everything would get pitch black as the fog thickened.

As if the screaming were not enough it would than begin to sound as if something was scratching the outside of the cockpit to get in. Scratching and growling like a rabid animal.

It would seem as though hell was unleashed outside of the cockpit...

Jury loomed over the downed bio ZOID. Fire poured from its nostrils as it snorted at the sight. It could have easily sliced the ZOID there, ended the lives of both pilots. It could have, but it didn't. Their judgment was not to be passed yet, not in this manner.

The fog thickened and begun to swirl wildly. Both pilots of both ZOIDs would begin to feel consciousness slipping away from them. Soon the world would be black and all feeling of the world would be gone for the moment.

Fate would now decide the next step in this cruel turn of events...

Ander shook his head as the wold came back to him. The colors blurred together before any shape could be made out. He winced at the bright flicker of fire on either side of him and Marcia...

This was not Saga's cockpit. The room was fairly large with four tall columns in every corner of the room. They were positioned between the two columns on the far end of the room away from the two doors. At least the shadow made them look like doors. There were strange symbols on the walls. Most notably was the one on the wall behind the two. A strange four armed creature above a mass of fire spewing creatures.

Ander looked around and caught sight of the rogue he had run into countless times before. Perhaps it was not such a good thing their fate seemed to be so entwined. Ander was one to believe that everything happens for a reason, but why was this happening. And why didn't the black fog take their lives?

"Marcia, wake up..." Ander struggled to get up and see if she was alright, but found it impossible to move. When he got a better look at Marcia he could see thick and thin rope used to bind her to a loop in the floor. He struggled again. He was bound the same way... Hands, feet, even fingers were bound so that it would be impossible to use them.

"M-" He started to call her again, but than the sound of foot steps echoed thought the torch lit room. Someone was coming.