Tremor City: RoTC part 2

Story by Kanonite on SoFurry

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#2 of Tremor City

Our two heroes continue the chase only for an unpleasent emotional detour to suddenly occur...


"There!" Orta shouted as she saw the armored figure and its hostage trying to sneak through the dense algae. The figure heard this and sped up accordingly, its hostage still thrashing about and futily trying to escape.

The figure inside the underwater city would loosen his grip slightly on his staff and escape up a nearby pillar, before the guardsmen saw him. Snowtalon, still with Orta, raced through the murky depths with the aid of his thruster pack and boots, towards the figure. "Gotta keep up with the bastard!"

Seeing Snow go after him Orta followed suit. They continue to chase the figure until they come across a cave with several lights from within visible from the distance. Orta opened a private channel with Snow and asked "You think its a trap?" "Looks like some sort of cave formation, I can't tell." Snow's thrusters slowed down, halting to a stop outside the cave. "Can you tell?"

β€žIt could be a lair of giant anglers for all we know." Orta responded.

I'd make a terrible snack, so I say, into the frying pan!" Snow activates his thrusters again, boosting himself into the cave.

Orta sighed and followed after. As they drew drove closer they were met with a peculiar sight: A beautiful domed city of never-before-seen futuristic architecture, with cetacean people, vehicles and assorted street signs visible through the glass dome. What was of more pressing concern though was the guards gathering underneath the two, all sporting the same runic power armor as the kidnapper and brandishing what looks like wrist-mounted energy guns and tridents with underslung energy guns.

"You sure we can take them?" Orta asked. "Even a single one gave us problems, imagine dozens."

"He was running in the other direction, honey, and he winded you. That was about it. However, I--" The sound of several daggers quickly flying through the air pierced the helmets of the guardsmen, causing the ones amassed to fall dead. A robed, but also runically armored warrior pulled back his hood and checked the bodies. One stray guard attempted to shoot him, but was interrupted by a bladed staff to the face. He was an ocean-dweller as well. A grey reef shark.

Orta closed her eyes and cringed as the daggers embedded themselves in the skulls of her attackers. To say she was disturbed would be an understatement. The dead guards went belly up, floating upward and stopping only upon hitting the cave's ceiling. Orta remained frozen in terror.

The shark, below, peered upward towards the dome, before pulling the hood back over moving away into the depths. "Well, I think we've got a nasty one on our hands." Snow jests.

"I-is it over?" Orta stutered, opening her eyes only slightly then closing them immediatly. She never could stomach the sight of a person dying, villainous or not. Snow gave her a reassuring hug, and a tight one at that. "S'okay, hon. You're good."

"I know the reason why its just.." Her voice grew more saddened. "I just cant see that, no matter how much they deserve it."

"You'll get used to it. I did." Snow said, with just the smallest lick of sad tone in his voice. "In here." The dragon zips down to the entrance below, opening it and heading inside.

Meanwhile, The Gray Wanderer, known by his real name as Grayson Millius, was the shark who had previously slaughtered the guards. More of them were coming from the halls.

"I-Im dont know if I want to get used to it." She said and slowly began to follow after Snow. It seems that upon seeing the welcoming comitee slaughtered the guards closed the exit door shut. Orta still seemed shaken. "Sh-should we get reinforcements u-uhm?"

Snow immediately turned around and places his hands on Orta's shoulders. "Look, honey. This is urgent. It's best I break it to you - you're going to have to get used to it sooner or later. You've got to - I know it isn't pleasant, but it does happen, and you need to stomach it before it gets worse. It really comes with the job, honey, you knew the risk you took when you started. Are you okay?"

She took deep, gasping breaths and answered . "I wanted to help people, not kill them." Another deep breath was taken. "He didnt have to kill any of them..."She crossed her arms,moving up and down in worry and concern."

"You're missing the point, hon. A way to help people is get rid of the ones that cause trouble. He really didn't have much of a point. Would you kill someone if they were trying to do so to you?" Snow takes a off a hand.

"N-no, Id arrest them or knock them out, n-n-not kill them."

"You're still missing it, hon. They were trying to kill you. The law doesn't matter in some places, hon. You have every right to take their lives in self-defense. Please, honey. One day, someone's going to take advantage of your honor."

"But those guards had families I mean..:" She began to move her hands up and down even faster. A gasp escaped her mouth and her helmet concelead a very worried expression.

She was quite apparently in a state of panic and reasoning would be hard to work on her.

Snow immediately flung his arms around her, in a desperate attempt to calm her down. "Nononono, hon, please..."

I just...I just..." Progressively louder sobbing could be heard emanating from her helmet; She was crying.

The dragon couldn't possibly hug tighter. "Take your time, honey...take your time." Meanwhile, down below, Gray was busy pursuing the armored figure. He slid up near a pillar, hiding behind it. He reached a hand inside his hood and pressed a button.

"Employer, the heir is being taken by the assailant. Continue pursuit?"

"Keep the VIP alive at any cost."

TO BE CONTINUED...