Prologue

A small white rabbit sat in the midst of fire and destruction. Yet despite the chaos, the sounds of the dying and burning timbers he was not alone, the body of a woman in a uniform lay next to him. He is the sole survivor, she gave her life trying to save him. Reality has become a nightmare, the world seems to shift in a dream induced haze. Before him the ground began to ripple like water, a beast emerged before him. The fangs it bore were larger than the young kid himself. The monster had a piercing gaze, Its eyes shined bright like blinding headlamps. Its claws reach out toward the rabbit boy. A shimmering mass of absolute terror has appeared before this child. Yet the young rabbit only looks up with a grimace. He was scared, yes. Yet through the fear a feeling of defiance remained. However, he fainted.

Through the burning fire and flames out stepped a large stranger. His sole savior, a man of absolute renown. He shot an explosive out from a grenade launcher. In his other hand he emptied out the belt of his light machine gun. He fought with vengeance, tears in his eyes.

The roar of the man brought the small rabbit back from sub consciousness. 'Who were these men he wondered' as the chaos reigned on.

The strange creature took a smaller shape now. Man? Beast? He seemed to be a mixture of both. Scaly skin, a scraggly beard. His left eye is missing. From his chest glowed a cluster of crystals, glowing dark red and purple hues.

“We have what we need, mostly anyway. No need for more pointless death." The man said in a graveled voice.

“You have already killed many, what's one more to you, Monster?!" The large man yelled in reply.

Whoever this man was, he looked back at Sid, his stare burning on to him. A portal formed and in a flash of light he was gone.

“Damn you coward!" The man let out a shattering roar of anger, his vengeance for the fallen comrade and the innocent lives.. denied.

“Oh Valerie, why? You weren't supposed to be here.." he looked down sadly to the deceased woman. His fur flowed gently in the wind. Then he directed his gaze towards the rabbit child.

“We both have suffered tragedy. However, sometimes you can salvage something from it. It isn't safe here, come with me child."

He offers his hand, it glimmered in the fading fires. “What is your name?"

“I.. I'm Sid." the child responded, taking the hand with his tiny paw. Having taken the hand of the man, he responded gently to the child.

“I am James Ironhand. I will take you to my home in Valor. You will be safe there. I vow to raise you as my own little one."

Everything leading up from then was the beginning of a new life.

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Jungle

14 years later…

The back of the 5 ton transport vehicle rocked as it tread across terrain. A rabbit with white fur and amber and gray accents sat amongst the soldiers. The coat he wore bore an embroidered emblem on its shoulder. Stylized wings forming a V with a star in the middle of it. This is the first time he has been so far away from the main city ever since that day. For years he trained under that man, James Ironhand. The most prestigious war hero of their army. Sid, being the adopted child of the man, is sometimes looked down upon. Many question how this barely four foot tall rabbit could uphold a legacy such as his father's. He couldn't help but think back to the morning a few weeks ago. It started out quite unusually.. His father made breakfast.

I have made us pancakes!" his father proudly proclaimed.

“You?" Sid replied, making a sickly impression. “Oh my Zelithia, I would like to live through today!" Silence gripped the air as James stared down at the rabbit boy. After a moment he began to chuckle, which roared into a thunderous laugh. Sid laughed with him.

“Oh, don't you worry Sid!" he finally said, “I swear, it's edible. I can cook. When I want to."

“I would hope!" Sid smiled up at him. “I can't believe it took this long, but I get to join the guard today. Wouldn't be good to have food poisoning."

“Oh yeah, that. You sure have been looking forward to it" James said, scratching the back of his neck. As they sat down and had their food, Sid asked;

“Why do you think it took them so long to accept me anyway?"

“Well, you see.." James sipped his coffee and set it back down. The sheer force of this man made the ceramic tremble. “Well, uhm.. You see.."

“They were judging me because of how small I am huh?"

“Nooo, no. Not at all. It had nothing to do with that. And well, it's a process," James once again rubbed the back of his neck.

“You say that but you're not really explaining anything."

“It was just a process! Now finish your pancakes."

Whether or not James was making up a random excuse; it has been mandated that every anthromorph were to be treated equal to humans. Exceptions though have and will exist. Deep down Sid knew he might have had something to do with the delay. He trusted Dad though, without him none of this would at all be possible. The man had a tender heart, this Sid knew. It could have devastated him to lose his only thing left to yet more war. Sid pushed the thought aside for now looking up in front of himself. A kangaroo woman sat across from him. She seemed to have been thinking of something to say to the new soldier. She also wore a coat, with her own custom made tactical suit from what the rabbit could guess. Before she could actually say something, the vehicle hit a bump causing Sid to tumble forward and into her awkwardly.

“Ack! Sorry!" He quickly pushed himself back up.

“No problem" The Kangaroo woman said. “Erm, I recognize you from our first day's orientation. We shared the same bunk room. You really keep to yourself dontcha?"

“Oh, yeah. Most people look down on me, pun not intended. So I just keep to myself."

“Well no worries about that. I am a genuine soldier through and through. A Professional if you will, when the brass is looking anyway.. My name's Sarah, what's yours?"

“Sid, nice to meet you formally." The crystal dangled from the necklace Sid wore as the truck rumbled on. It glowed a pale yellow hue.

“That's a very interesting charm you got there." Sarah commented. “Where'd you find something like that?"

“This necklace? It's something I was given shortly before my village was attacked. It's a neat looking crystal, not sure what importance it served."

“Village?"

“Yeah, James Ironhand adopted me after it was burnt to the ground. I guess not everyone knows that I am his son."

“Wait, your whole village? That's actually kinda horrible."

“I had 14 years to cope with it. Sides that I don't remember a lot. So it's not a big weight on my mind or anything!"

“Still. Had no clue you were Ironhand's son though. Explains why I never saw you growing up. You were raised away from the general populace."

“Yep."

“Oi Sarah!" a Lynx called out to her from the other side of the truck. “What'cha doin wastin time with a small fry like him? You should chat with me, Ima real soldier here, unlike the shortie."

“That's rude. Suck yourself off Tank! Since you love yourself that much" She flips him off.

“Yeah! Screw off!" Sid retorted. “I am still taller than most rabbits.. I think."

The cat just starts howling out in laughter causing Sid to feel slightly flushed.

“Oh just shut it." Sid muttered. “Your name is kinda silly."

“Well ain't that a lame comeback!" the Lynx cackled.

He looks at the guy next to him.

“It's not that silly of a name innit?"

The soldier next to him just shrugged his shoulders in response.

After sometime the silence did come back to his relief. Moments pass as the truck's rumbling engine consumes the silence.

“So" Sid says. “About this war, just how did a small rebel group become such a huge problem?"

“Well, we have started calling them Betrayers now, but yeah.. They have been aided by Kilgerath. When they pledged allegiance to him their numbers have grown exponentially."

“Oh, so we are fighting a cult."

“Sure you could say that"

“Another thing-"

Sid is cut off by the sound of an explosion and everything crashes to a stillness. Coming too, Sarah is pulling him out from the wreckage.

“We hit a mine!" she shouted out. “Check for more survivors!"

Sid stumbled to his feet as the world violently shook and rumbled around him. Looking towards the driver's side of the truck he could see a human soldier trapped inside as the vehicle burned.

“Someones trapped in there!" Sid shouted.

He took his rifle and smashed the butt against the glass over and over. It was reinforced, he couldn't help the poor burning man. A sudden flurry of memories came back to Sid about his old village. The twisted images of people he once knew burning alive. All of which he thought he had forgotten. He hit the window harder and harder in the vain attempt to free him.

“Sid" Sarah put a hand on his shoulder. “The man is already dead."

Sid looked up and saw the burning corpse. Was he caught up so much in his own head that time passed slightly faster than he perceived?

“NO! Not again! I couldn't save one soldier from burning to death?! If my father was in this convoy he would have saved him!"

“I'm sorry Sid, but we can't just stay here. Get up and move with me now!"

Sid stood up and followed Sarah. He tried to stop feeling so shaken, however he couldn't help the trembling. Sarah turned to speak to him again, seeing this he attempted to compose himself. Trying in vain to stop the trembles he felt.

“Are you okay?" she asked.

“Yeah I'm fine."

“You didn't seem fine there. Are you sure?"

“I'll be fine. Speaking of fine, what about the rest?"

“Three others made it. Rest are dead."

“Man, where did that mine come from?"

“It was probably a left over from before we even breached the first gate. Before then the whole way towards it was a dead man's zone."

“I really hope there aren't too many more of those just lying in wait."

“Same here, I am pretty sure another convoy is coming our way. We shouldn't be stranded for too long."

The moment of peace the soldiers had was interrupted by a scream of murder. Behind the two of them one of the three remaining soldiers is being attacked. A dog soldier was caught unaware as a disgusting lizard creature exploded from the dirt and nearly tore him in half. He fell to the ground screaming in agony as his innards spilt out. The closest soldier took aim to fire but the bolt in his rifle jammed.

“Shit!" he shouted as the barbed tail of the lizard struck him in the gut.

Within a second the man was down, dead having been injected with a lethal acidic poison. Sid felt his stomach churn, the exposed guts of the downed soldier made him almost sick. The remaining soldier, Tank however was vomiting, he couldn't hold it back and now the lizard had its gaze set on the last remaining soldier.

“Damn, a Drakion!" Sarah shouted, holding steadfast she aimed her pistol and shot the creature dead. “Get over here, soldier!" Tank nodded and stuck close to Sarah and Sid.

“I didn't eat a good breakfast this morning okay I wouldn't hav-" Tank began to babble but Sarah interrupted him.

“Shut it, for now we need to stay on guard! Is there anymore?"

“Most likely, they hunt in packs!" Sid was quick to respond, recalling what he learned from his classes back in school.

Behind Sarah Sid saw a tail rise up from the sand. Before he could think to speak he just shoves her aside and begins firing his gun. He missed four of the seven shots he fired.

“Damn Sid, you missed most of those shots!"

“How about thanks for savin ya?! These things are way faster not tied up to a pole."

Many Drakions started to rise up from the ground. Over a dozen of them at least.

“This isn't how I wanted to go out." Sarah commented seeing just how many have begun to surround them. There were more waiting lower from the surface, those things moved like fish in water underground.

One lunged at Sarah but she killed it before it got too close. Another bodied Sid and knocked him off his feet. He nearly got stung but Sarah sliced the tail before it could find its mark.

“Do you think we can shoot them all down?"

“I am going to damn well try!" Sid responded.

“Same here, let's see who kills the most!" Sarah shouted.

As they began attacking the creatures once more one of them rose from under Tank and chomped his foot. His bone audibly cracked in half

“It got on my foot! Aaagh kill it!" he shouted frantically.

Sid using all of his strength pulls Tank away as Sarah shoots the Drakion latched on to him. With a wretched, squelching, tearing of flesh and tendon Tank's foot was severed off.

“Oh shit! Maybe I shouldn't have pulled him." Sid says to himself as he watches Tank scream out and cuss.

Just as things seemed to be getting worse the convoy that was trailing behind them finally arrived. The sound of a belt fed machine gun filled the air.

“Well" Sid exhaled, "saved by the support, thank goodness."

It wasn't long until the area was cleared and the soldiers left were secured. They would once again be on their way to The First City, Arketh.

Once again the familiar hum of a heavy truck filled the silence as Sid and Sarah sat beside one another.

“Man, talk about a crazy first day huh?" Sarah asked. How are you holding up?"

“Better than that other guy with us. Still, I guess I wasn't ready for any of that."

“Most people aren't."

“Does it get any easier seeing people die?"

“As long as you still have feelings, then no. Never."

The transport finally arrived at one of the bases that had been set up beyond the first gate. Sid exited from the truck and took a good look at the base camp. Tank was wheeled away to medical meanwhile.

“Augh! Fuck man.." he groaned, his bloody stub bandaged. “Did anyone find my foot? I mean they can just stick it back on right?"

Well, maybe they would see him again. Maybe.

Looking at the camp, soldiers were everywhere doing various things. He took notice of a group of soldiers, they looked to be of an ops group. Sid already knew that he would be joining one of these smaller teams. He was designated to work with a sniper. It is somewhat disappointing to not be part of the active fighting. However it's better than having no part at all. Suddenly, Sid felt a hand on his shoulder. Sarah is behind him.

“Oh, was I in the way?"

“Nah, I just thought I would get your attention. Do you even know where we should be reporting too?" she asked teasingly.

“Well, of course! I got word from my dad that he'd be meeting and assigning me here. He didn't say where specifically just here. I'm supposed to work with a sniper, doing spotting or recon or something, I don't know yet.

“Well, I am a sniper sometimes. Maybe it's me! Then again I also do infantry. I also managed an armory once and piloted a tank. Oh and I also-"

“Okay, so what are you doing now?"

“Uh, whatever they need. I'm a specialist of sorts. My main profession is with this sniper rifle here though." She equipped and showed the gun off.

“That's some neat iron. So you just do a little bit of almost everything?" Sid scratched behind one of his ears. “How old are you again?"

“Rude to ask a lady her age but I'm twenty-four.

“Wow."

“Yeah it's impressive.. I guess. I never really tried to be a prodigy in any way but I am good at uhm.. Soldiering, I guess." A few seconds of silence hung between them. Sarah looked down the path seeing a familiar figure.

“By the way, isn't that your dad?"

Sid looked back out to the encampment and sure enough it was him, James Ironhand. The man is built like a tank, he wore a flowing trench coat with the mark of their city, Valor. Underneath the coat was armor padding.

“Sid! Are you okay?" he hurriedly rushed over. “I heard about the attack" he knelt down and tried to lower himself as much as he could to talk to Sid face to face. He checked him over for wounds, meanwhile Sid fussed and swat his hands.

“I came out of that just fine. Stop it dad, are you trying to make me embarrassed? Sarah and some other guy were the only ones to make it."

“Sarah? It's good to see you made a friend! Thank goodness you weren't injured though. I nearly had a heart attack hearing about your desperate struggle! If that convoy wasn't on its way I would have ran out there myself, no vehicle just running I tell you!"

“Oh come on dad.." Sid groaned. “Anyway I'm all here, so you don't have to worry anymore for now anyway."

“I think it's nice you have a loving parent," Sarah said, smiling down at Sid. “I know I would have liked having a mom or dad."

“Really?" Sid asked.

“Well yeah, you see I was born and raised as part of.."

“Errmhhm!" James coughed interrupting. “Perhaps now isn't the time, sorry. We have made great progress in our efforts to secure Arketh. Speaking of which, it's good you and Sarah here are acquainted. I asked for her specifically for the next recon group."

“Huh, almost like it was destiny eh Sid?" Sarah asked.

“I think it's more like you already knew" Sid rolled his eyes.

“Aw what? Don't like surprises?" Sarah asked. “Anyway let's get the mission details and get to work.

There wasn't any time to be wasted. Sid and Sarah were set to work together to do reconnaissance. It would be just the two of them, less the better. As the mission briefing stated, the two of them were sent to look for any weakness or vulnerability in the defenses of the second gate. The city had three gates in total. After more preparation, Sid and Sarah were soon on their way.

Hours Later..

It has been an arduous trek pushing deeper into the first district behind the enemy lines. Sarah was like a ghost, whatever she said to do, Sid did as told. Her skill and sense was admirable. They quietly trekked back alleys and through dilapidated buildings pushing their way in and towards the Second Gate. After some time exploring along the gate walls no obvious weakness could be seen. They would need to get higher up and see the gate itself..

Sid leaned over and peered down the alleyway. The buildings looming overhead were about three stories up. It took them a long time to seek a position to view the next gate safely, these buildings were the key.

“The alley is lookin clear for now" Sid reported.

“Yeah, keep low though" Sarah replied, “we just need to get into the building on the right." She pulled the map up and began to double check their coordinates. “We gotta find a window or something."

“How bout this one?" Sid asked, pointing up at a window that was broken out. However it is about two feet higher up than a standard human.

“I can jump up to that, but you're going to need a boost"

“I'm glad I didn't have to ask you for it at least"

Sarah giggled, and positioned herself by the window. “Step on my hand, I will throw you up to the window."

Sid did as she asked and he launched up towards the window, he caught the edge and hulled himself inside. Sarah followed after him.

They carefully crept down the hall, Sid pushed open the door and was caught by surprise by the enemy. A man with scars and tattered rags held a knife pointed at Sid's neck. The struggle didn't last long, Sarah took him out with a shot to the man's head from her silenced pistol.

“Jeez, you almost got stabbed there."

“I noticed!" he shouted, his voice cracking slightly. “I'm fine though." He quickly composes himself and stands up.

“You're welcome, but if there's anyone else nearby you totally just gave our position away" She began to carefully scan each room.

“Oh, right.." Sid stood up and shook the remaining shock off. They made their way up without any more incident.

“It's hard to think that this many people turned away from Zelithia for her mortal enemy, Kilgerath."

“You know, I never really thought about it." Sid admitted. “A cult is one thing, but there's so many of these guys.. Where are these numbers coming from?"

“You thinkin they have reached that other side? That, realm or whatever?"

“Otherside?" Sid asked, taking pause. “There was something about another world in history class. It seemed like myth."

“So did I. We have seen some of their summoning practices already, things could be worse than we thought."

They opened the door to the roof. From atop its a clear view of the second gate from the left hand side. The enemy had a camp set up in front of it. A couple of enemy snipers scanned the area on the top of the gate walls. From what Sarah could tell they couldn't see the two of them with that sight line. Sid took out a pair of binoculars from his pack.

“Alright let me start lookin around."

He scanned the area, from what he was seeing there was no way in than through the front. Troubling news, so far their recon hasn't found much. The other recon teams on the radio have confirmed the same. The gates were huge cast iron doors. Considerable force would be needed to force them open. Another way past the gate would be climbing over it. However the top of the walls are guarded.

“So, lemme guess. More bad news?" Sarah asked.

“Yeah" Sid took his gaze away from the binoculars. “From the inside they have a fortress. How did they even do this? Was there no one around to fend for this city?

“Rumors have it that they appeared from the inside. There's a series of sewers under the city, maybe they tunneled in."

Sid looked through the binoculars again. Taking another look around his heart stood still, looking through the binoculars he saw someone familiar. The scaly skin, the missing eye.. The crystals on his neck! That man from all those years ago. The one who burned his village down. Sid gripped the binoculars tighter. Until now, he never even had a feeling for revenge. However, seeing that man again, remembering what he had lost.. Sid knew he had to get his closure..