ERwolves

-=O- Erwolves -O=-

We flew in on great ships. Our crew was small, but we all knew each other well. We’d brought along minimal equipment - shields and artillery - due to the limited personnel. But we had confidence. This cold planet was rumoured to be the home of an old, eccentric, and famous inventor. His robot designs were top of the line, and from the chatter in the bar, we’d learned that the estimated value of his original designs, prototypes, and equipment was in the hundreds of trillions. So as one of the greatest raider companies in the galaxy, we jumped on the opportunity.

Planet KB-13277 had extensive ice caps, and from our preliminary visual scans, was covered in tall black monoliths in regular patterns. The inventor’s fortress was at the pole. And so our ships touched down on pristine untouched snow, as far from the monoliths as possible. We brought out our equipment, and started trudging towards the great treasure.

Two days later, as we set up a basecamp in the morning, we were approached by a sleek white hound, tall as a person, silent as the wind, and whiter than the snow. We’d not noticed it till it was mere meters from our camp.

"who is your leader?" It muttered, in smooth artificial tones.

I stepped up. Though it was beautiful and pure, its eyes had a cold emptiness that only a hound with a master could have.

"I am."

"what is your purpose here?"

I hesitated. I had to choose my words carefully, lest I betray my ill intent.

"I-"

It cut me off.

"your hesitance betrays your ill intent." Despite being robotic and cold, its voice had a sort of spite within it. Before I could defend myself, it trotted off, disappearing back into the snow.

That afternoon, we set up our weapons and shields. All pointed towards the north, where the fortress was. Where an attack against us would originate.

When night fell, I took the first guard shift. Tired and half-asleep, I sat watching the north, illuminated by moonlight and the soft glow of the shields, looking for any sign of light or activity. It was unlikely that an attack would come so quickly, but we had to play it safe.

As my eyes drooped from boredom, I caught a glimpse of light. Still half-asleep, I opened my eyes to see six of the most beautiful silvery elk surrounding our camp. Tall as the trees, I thought them to be apparitions - protector spirits, giving us their blessings. They circled, bowing their heads towards us. A prayer, perhaps…?

As my heart still fluttered from the sight, they charged. Each planted their great antlers under one of our cannons or shields, and with an effortless flick of their heads, delicately and gently flipped our brutal war machines on their sides. They were protectors, it seemed. But not of us. They were protectors of the fortress.

I rang the alarm.

I was awake now.

As my crew rushed out of their tents, I ran towards our main transport vehicle, thankfully still upright. The elk stood, seemingly dazed, as we scrambled.

“Everyone get in! We need to leave, now!”

From where the elk once were, came twelve great grey wolves. Sharp wicked spines raised up from their backs, making them seem impossibly large. They silently crept towards us, menacing looks in their eyes. All of a sudden, there was a bang. One of my crew had taken a quick shot. It ricocheted, the wolves unflinching, sending a ghostly bell reverberating through our camp.

The wolves crawled closer.

We piled into the vehicle. The wolves opened their jaws, revealing cold steel teeth. In harsh, grating growls, they spoke in unison.

“THE HUNT IS ON”

Stomping on the gas, our vehicle lurched and sped back towards the ship we arrived at. The wolves made chase, surrounding us in a U shape, and a few moments later, the elk caught up, flanking us. However, along our escape, neither elk nor wolf approached, keeping a few meters of distance. Were they merely cautious, or were they herding us? As we approached the ship, the wolves and elk split off, disappearing back into the snow.

We’ve avoided the planet ever since. That time, they’d been merciful. I knew that the next, there’d be bloodshed.