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Description
Deep in The Core, there lay a series of caves that some creatures would use to reach the land up top. Usually, these areas were empty, as the dark quiet area was unnerving to most lifeforms. That is, except for one. There was one creature who liked the complete solitude of the caves, and was taking full advantage of it by sleeping away. Or at least it was, until its senses were tingling like never before.

A blue eye illuminates the darkness of the coves, and ever so slowly, begins to force himself up. Rocks and dirt cascaded down the massive body, and a long tail flipped up in the air. The creature shook off residue dust and lets out a loud yawn-like roar. This kaiju wasn’t any kaiju, it was one that many hoped to never see again.

Godzilla!

The King of the Monsters had not been seen since his battle with the wicked Krystosaur, and retreated here to recharge his batteries. Godzilla looked around the coves, for he sensed things have changed drastically since he left. For one, he could pick up all sorts of scents, old and new alike. Godzilla snarled. He didn’t like the fact that more troublemakers were out and about. With another flick of his tail, Godzilla began his journey to find these kaiju, and end them…

Back in the Core, Goliath circled around the waterfall caverns, worry etched on his face. Jookbayu, who had just returned from a day’s hunt, watched his comrade pace about, and purred quietly. The Manticore let out a short growl, gaining Goliath’s attention, then let out another growl, wondering what has Goliath worried. Goliath groaned, then let out a series of roars of his own. He tells Jookbayu that he sensed trouble in the Core, in that The King had awakened from his slumber. Jookbayu’s eyes widened, it had been ages since He came to the Core, and he had secretly hoped to never see him again. Goliath continued to roar to Jookbayu, saying that he was also worried about Anna, he hadn’t seen her since that morning, and with the King back, fears the worst. Jookbayu sighed, he’ll never understand Goliath’s love for the human, but nonetheless, he was sad that his old friend was worried. He let out a series of purrs and rumbles, assuring Goliath that Anna’s grown up now, and that she’ll return eventually. Goliath allows a smile to creep on his lips, then after glancing at the sky, unfurls his massive wings. He turned to Jookbayu with a stern expression, and roared that if Anna didn’t return by sundown, he’d have to go look for her himself.

Little did Goliath know that Anna was doing rather well. Linda and her family had brought her over to Steve’s workplace in the outpost facility. The feral woman oooed and ahhed at all the fancy equipment and test tubes on display. Linda couldn’t help but chuckle at the childlike innocence Anna displayed. Right now, the family had taken to the Terry’s pavilion, the crocodile basking in the light at the moment. Anna’s eyes widened at Terry, she’d never seen a crocodile like her before, at least one so small compared to the wild gators out in the swamps. Linda walked over to her and smiled.

Linda: {That’s Terry. She’s very nice, but she bites if you’re not careful.}
Anna: {Does she?}
Linda: {Daddy said she came from a bad place, and he saved her.}
Anna: {Why doesn’t she glow, like my friends?}
Linda: {Well, she’s not from here. She and Daddy came from up there. In the Surface.}
Anna: {Up top?}
Linda: {Yes. Up top.}

Anna mouth’s “Wow” in amazement. Linda smiles at this, she liked Anna. Then, suddenly, Anna’s eyes widens, then looks out to the windows of the pavilion. Her expression is that of worry, she turns to Linda, then runs towards the door.

Linda: Anna? Where are you going?!
Anna: {I have to go. It’s almost sundown. I don’t want to make Papa angry. Goodbye.}
Linda: {Papa?}

Anna doesn’t answer, she merely dashes out the door and towards the exit. Linda runs over to the main entrance just to see Anna disappear into the forest. She frowns. Steve walks over to his daughter.

Steve: Linda? Where’s Ms. Sinclair going?
Linda: Home, I guess. She mentioned someone she calls “Papa”.
Steve: “Papa”, huh?
Linda: I think she’ll come back. I trust her.
Steve: I most certainly hope so. Matt and Kubo want to learn more about her.

Suddenly, Matt himself pops behind Steve, startling the doctor. Xenia is not far behind him.

Matt: You bet I do. Sorry to interrupt the family moment, but I finally got an ID on the giant ape.
Steve: Excellent! What did you find out?
Matt: You’re not gonna believe this, but this isn’t just an ordinary gorilla. This is none other than the one kaiju called “Kong”.
Linda: Kong?
Xenia: Oh, yes. For my people, Kong is what we’d call, a “Protector”. Oh, and Steve, I wanted to tell you that our scouts spotted strange flying vehicles following Kong.
Kubo: I wonder if it’s some new fancy tech from the Surface.
Xenia: Whatever they are, I’ll send scouts to find Kong and hopefully get some answers.
Steve: Well, I have more news you probably don’t believe. You know how Atreus has been looking for his friend Styx? Well, we found him around the time we found Anna. Let’s just say that he’s hit quite the growth spurt.
Xenia: Oh dear. I’ll inform him right away!

-----

Down in the bioluminescent zones of The Core, Styx found himself enjoying the local cycads. After all, now that he was ten times his original size, food was food, no matter what. He was just finishing up when a growling roar halted him in his tracks. The pet turned beast raised his head, a sense of familiarity coming back to him. Narrowing his eyes, he turned around to find none other than Kumadrax, the very same kaiju that had frightened him the previous day. The Bear Scorpion had made his way over to these catacombs searching for food, the last thing he expected was another kaiju on his feeding grounds! Snarling, Kumadrax reared up to his tallest height and roared angrily. Styx tried not to show fear, he was a kaiju now, and that meant he could actually challenge this big brute! Holding his ground, Styx rears up to his tallest height, which wasn’t very tall at all, only reaching the middle of Kumadrax’s waist. Nevertheless. The runt kaiju bobbed his head while bellowing his loudest roar. That had done it! Kumadrax growled, then charged towards his opponent, intent on teaching this pipsqueak a lesson! Styx smirked, though, for when Kumadrax was a few feet away, the Stygimoloch kaiju stepped out of the way, allowing Kumadrax to run past him and head towards the Cliffside! Eyes widened, Kumadrax reared on all fours to try and stop himself, which he did just in time!

Panting, Kumadrax turned back towards Styx and roars in indignation! Styx wasn’t deterred, for he charged dome first toward the bear scorpion, then with all his might, rammed Kumadrax square in the stomach! A small squeak was all Kumadrax could utter as he dropped to his knees in pain. Styx backed away from the bear kaiju, then took notice of the Cliffside just behind Kumadrax; he began making his plan. Slowly, Kumadrax got to his feet, anger prominently displayed on his face. This was it, he was really going to tear Styx a new one! Styx narrowed his eyes, then, kicking the dirt like a bull, ran over towards Kumadrax once more. Kumadrax roared, and raised his claws, but never got the chance to use them. Styx rammed Kumadrax so hard, the bear toppled from the Cliffside and tumbled over the bank! The fall wasn’t very long, but when Kumadrax hit the bottom, he didn’t get up. Styx peered down from his spot and found his opponent lying motionless on the ground. Content with victory, Styx let out a shrill roar, kicked some residue rocks over the edge, and went on his merry way. Kumadrax meanwhile, was far from dead. The fall did a number on him, but it wasn’t enough to kill him. All it did was fuel his anger, and made him feel unbridled hatred toward the Stygimoloch beast. Struggling to stand, Kumadrax limps away, growling that when he and the runt met again, he would have revenge!

Making his way out of the catacombs, Styx wandered the terrain trying to gain his new bearings. He wasn’t used to trees being eye level, or the loud stomps he made whenever he walked. That was when the stygimoloch was greeted with another visitor. Swooping from the air came a bright lime pteranodon creature with an orange beak, red mane, and yellow wings. It wasn’t very tall compared to Styx, but that didn’t mean it could still be dangerous. In fact, he knew this creature well, remembering his master calling is “Dimoradon”. Curiosity overtaking him, Styx inched closer to the flyer and eyes him all around. Dimoradon didn’t like the invasion of privacy and unfurled his wings in an attempt to intimidate Styx! The Stygimoloch was confused at first, until he heard a zapping noise, and a bright yellow glow emitting for Dimorodan’s horns. Styx had no time to react when an electrical attack zapped the ground in front of him! He howled in fright at this gesture, and realizing he wasn’t wanted, turned around and ran away.

Off in the fields of the Core, another battle was taking place. Dust and dirt flew everywhere as the two combatants wrestled each other relentlessly. One of them was Ares, the griffon spawned by Seraphine, and the other looked like a cross between a spider and a crustacean, with a chocolate brown carapace, two sharp horns, mandibles on its face, and four yellow eyes. This was Titanrus, and like Ares, he too had been created by the wicked alchemist. The two kaiju continued to wrestle, not resting until one submitted. Ares slashed Titanrus on the chest, who responded by aiming his pincers on the griffons wrist. Ares howled in pain and tried to kick the larger kaiju off of him, but only resulted in both of them tumbling to the ground. Before they could continue, a foreign roar caught their attention. The two turned to find another kaiju watching them. The kaiju, named Cephalus resembled a Therizinosaurus with long claws on its fingers, two stubby horns on its head, dark green skin that shone in the sun, and a long tail ending in a tentacle. Its red eyes narrowed at the two and let out a shorter but quieter roar. Ares and Titanrus rose up, and glanced at each other. What did their comrade find in the jungle? When they voiced this question, Cephalus didn’t answer, he just grinned.

From the forest, Styx gulped nervously. He didn’t like the look of these kaiju, vaguely remembering Ares from the night before. Without hesitation, he dashed out of the forests, not wanting to start another fight, unaware of a sinister shape watching him from the bushes. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath, until a cold chill blew through him. The stygimoloch looked up to see that in his escape, he had made it to the mountain regions of the Core! Styx was in awe of the size of the mountains, they made him feel even smaller than before. Now, he wanted to see the view of the Core from the top. Perhaps then, he wouldn’t be hopelessly lost! He was about to climb the mountains when a growling noise reached his ears. Styx’s expression darkened. How could he do anything when half of everything’s out to get him?! Turning around and striking a battle pose, he found another new kaiju staring him down.

It was none other than the ram beast that had fought The Mighty Kong only yesterday. He had been watching Styx for the day, and the little runt interested the ram. Saliva dripped from its maw, and an evil grin was plastered on its face. With a bleat like roar, Styx warned the ram to back off, but to no avail. Snarling, the ram charged horn fist into Styx, who barely had time to dodge out of the way. Styx turned to see the ram kicking dirt in the air, then with a gravely roar, charged again. This time, he managed to strike Styx in the chest and tossed him into the mountainside, dirt flying in all directions. Well and truly fed up, Styx ran dome first over to the ram, and collided with its mighty horns. The two kaiju pushed against each other trying to overwhelm the other. Styx had the tenacity, but the ram had the size, and used its strength to toss Styx onto a ledge overlooking the jungle. The ram gave a cocky smile, the reared his claws in the air. Styx bellowed in pain as the ram’s claws slashed his sides, drawing blood! The ram leaned forward to bit down on Styx’s neck to end the fight, but it didn’t expect Styx to lunge his dome in its face like a jack-in-the-box! As the ram stumbled about, Styx rolled to his feet, and noticed the fallen debris from when he crashed into the wall. Grinning, he grabbed one of the fallen boulders, and hurled it at the ram, striking him on the back hump. The ram snarled as Styx continued to bombard him with boulders and dirt. Smoke emitted from the ram’s nose and his pupils dilated in a feral manner. He was furious!

Realizing he made a whoopsie, Styx took off, the ram giving chase. The two kaiju ran all across the mountainside and made it all the way back to the jungle. Styx tried to run faster, but his adrenaline had worn off, his breaths were becoming pants, and his legs hurt him. The ram meanwhile, was fueled by hatred, and was gaining on Styx like a bullet train. With a loud roar, the ram used his horns to slash Styx on the side, sending him crashing into trees. When the dust settled, the ram shook its head, and silently walked over to the fallen Styx, blood seeping from his side. The ram’s smile was so wide, it was unnatural! Now, it was time to end this charade! Right before he could rip the runt kaiju a new one, a green blur sped past, and tackled the ram to the ground! The ram choked and wheezed, feeling something grip onto his windpipe, then felt himself being hoisted in the air. The ram opened his eyes and found an angry Goliath glaring at him with absolute hatred. His wings were unfurled, his tail was curled, and his teeth were exposed. Goliath bellowed a warning to the ram and unceremoniously threw him to the ground! Grunting, the ram slowly forced himself to stand, and gave a matching glare to Goliath. With a raspy roar, he shook his head and disappeared into the jungle, off to find a spot to lick his wounds.

Goliath nodded at that. This ram was trouble, and it was his job to put him in his place. He heard a small whimper, and turned to find Styx looking up at him. Despite his slashed side, the stygimoloch was up and about, although he was intimidated at the much larger kaiju. Golaith leaned down to look Styx in the eye, he had never seen this kaiju before. Styx tried not to show fear, but Goliath’s piercing gaze was rather difficult to avoid. A whole minute passed until Goliath reared up again and gave a soft purring noise. Styx tilted his head, why didn’t this kaiju try to kill him like the others? Closing his eyes, Goliath unfurled his wings, and took off into the sky. Styx watched him go, then looked around the jungle. With a small sigh, Styx continued his walk, hoping to find a spot he could rest in.

----
Down in the hidden catacombs of The Core, Xanatos sat alone in his chambers. He had been reading a series of scrolls he took from his days in Atlantis, reviewing everything he needed to know about his former homeland. A knock interrupted his thoughts.

Xanatos: Enter!

The sound of footsteps enter the man’s ears, and turns to find Seraphine walking towards him. She had her hood down, revealing her short hair and pale face.

Seraphine: Begging your pardon, sir, but May I have a word with you?
Xanatos: Sit down, child. Tell me, what’s on your mind.
Seraphine: I believe this should cover it.

Seraphine then presents a sculpture of the stature resembling Kong. Xanatos has no reaction.

Seraphine: There are rumors, sir. Rumors of one of the protectors have spread across the Core. I need to know, sir. Will this affect your objective in any way?

Xanatos is silent, placing a hand to his chin. Seraphine winces. Did she strike a nerve? The last thing she needed was to anger her Superior. At last, he answered with a neutral expression.

He remains silent, but turns to her

Xanatos: Let him come. For this mountain was where his species thrived before the Mahar took over. .
Seraphine: So, we just let him come here? What then?

Xanatos narrows his eyes and turns to the statue. Raising his staff, it glows brightly, then fires a beam of pure energy, destroying it with ease. Seraphine gulps.

Seraphine: You make your point quite clear, sir.
Xanatos: I have a new objective. Take a few of our soldiers and make sure the Queen’s scouts are eliminated. Perhaps this can be a chance to test out your new centaur beast. He may ravage the land, but he is not to kill the ape.
Seraphine: I’m not so sure about that, sir. Nemothius has proven rather… unpredictable. Suppose he unintentionally kills the Protector?
Xanatos: Then make sure it DOESN’T! I have made my intentions clear! Do not fail me again.
Seraphine: A-a-As you wish… sir..

She bows her head and leaves, leaving Xanatos alone once again. The man turns to a crystal ball on his desk, then places his hands on it. Images of the children Styx, Kong, Goliath, and even Godzilla appear. Xanatos narrows his eyes.

Xanatos: All the pieces are coming together as I have foreseen. Soon everything will be ready. The Second Coming of Bagan will commence, and the surface world shall be mine!

to be continued.....

Description
Deep in The Core, there lay a series of caves that some creatures would use to reach the land up top. Usually, these areas were empty, as the dark quiet area was unnerving to most lifeforms. That is, except for one. There was one creature who liked the complete solitude of the caves, and was taking full advantage of it by sleeping away. Or at least it was, until its senses were tingling like never before.

A blue eye illuminates the darkness of the coves, and ever so slowly, begins to force himself up. Rocks and dirt cascaded down the massive body, and a long tail flipped up in the air. The creature shook off residue dust and lets out a loud yawn-like roar. This kaiju wasn’t any kaiju, it was one that many hoped to never see again.

Godzilla!

The King of the Monsters had not been seen since his battle with the wicked Krystosaur, and retreated here to recharge his batteries. Godzilla looked around the coves, for he sensed things have changed drastically since he left. For one, he could pick up all sorts of scents, old and new alike. Godzilla snarled. He didn’t like the fact that more troublemakers were out and about. With another flick of his tail, Godzilla began his journey to find these kaiju, and end them…

Back in the Core, Goliath circled around the waterfall caverns, worry etched on his face. Jookbayu, who had just returned from a day’s hunt, watched his comrade pace about, and purred quietly. The Manticore let out a short growl, gaining Goliath’s attention, then let out another growl, wondering what has Goliath worried. Goliath groaned, then let out a series of roars of his own. He tells Jookbayu that he sensed trouble in the Core, in that The King had awakened from his slumber. Jookbayu’s eyes widened, it had been ages since He came to the Core, and he had secretly hoped to never see him again. Goliath continued to roar to Jookbayu, saying that he was also worried about Anna, he hadn’t seen her since that morning, and with the King back, fears the worst. Jookbayu sighed, he’ll never understand Goliath’s love for the human, but nonetheless, he was sad that his old friend was worried. He let out a series of purrs and rumbles, assuring Goliath that Anna’s grown up now, and that she’ll return eventually. Goliath allows a smile to creep on his lips, then after glancing at the sky, unfurls his massive wings. He turned to Jookbayu with a stern expression, and roared that if Anna didn’t return by sundown, he’d have to go look for her himself.

Little did Goliath know that Anna was doing rather well. Linda and her family had brought her over to Steve’s workplace in the outpost facility. The feral woman oooed and ahhed at all the fancy equipment and test tubes on display. Linda couldn’t help but chuckle at the childlike innocence Anna displayed. Right now, the family had taken to the Terry’s pavilion, the crocodile basking in the light at the moment. Anna’s eyes widened at Terry, she’d never seen a crocodile like her before, at least one so small compared to the wild gators out in the swamps. Linda walked over to her and smiled.

Linda: {That’s Terry. She’s very nice, but she bites if you’re not careful.}
Anna: {Does she?}
Linda: {Daddy said she came from a bad place, and he saved her.}
Anna: {Why doesn’t she glow, like my friends?}
Linda: {Well, she’s not from here. She and Daddy came from up there. In the Surface.}
Anna: {Up top?}
Linda: {Yes. Up top.}

Anna mouth’s “Wow” in amazement. Linda smiles at this, she liked Anna. Then, suddenly, Anna’s eyes widens, then looks out to the windows of the pavilion. Her expression is that of worry, she turns to Linda, then runs towards the door.

Linda: Anna? Where are you going?!
Anna: {I have to go. It’s almost sundown. I don’t want to make Papa angry. Goodbye.}
Linda: {Papa?}

Anna doesn’t answer, she merely dashes out the door and towards the exit. Linda runs over to the main entrance just to see Anna disappear into the forest. She frowns. Steve walks over to his daughter.

Steve: Linda? Where’s Ms. Sinclair going?
Linda: Home, I guess. She mentioned someone she calls “Papa”.
Steve: “Papa”, huh?
Linda: I think she’ll come back. I trust her.
Steve: I most certainly hope so. Matt and Kubo want to learn more about her.

Suddenly, Matt himself pops behind Steve, startling the doctor. Xenia is not far behind him.

Matt: You bet I do. Sorry to interrupt the family moment, but I finally got an ID on the giant ape.
Steve: Excellent! What did you find out?
Matt: You’re not gonna believe this, but this isn’t just an ordinary gorilla. This is none other than the one kaiju called “Kong”.
Linda: Kong?
Xenia: Oh, yes. For my people, Kong is what we’d call, a “Protector”. Oh, and Steve, I wanted to tell you that our scouts spotted strange flying vehicles following Kong.
Kubo: I wonder if it’s some new fancy tech from the Surface.
Xenia: Whatever they are, I’ll send scouts to find Kong and hopefully get some answers.
Steve: Well, I have more news you probably don’t believe. You know how Atreus has been looking for his friend Styx? Well, we found him around the time we found Anna. Let’s just say that he’s hit quite the growth spurt.
Xenia: Oh dear. I’ll inform him right away!

-----

Down in the bioluminescent zones of The Core, Styx found himself enjoying the local cycads. After all, now that he was ten times his original size, food was food, no matter what. He was just finishing up when a growling roar halted him in his tracks. The pet turned beast raised his head, a sense of familiarity coming back to him. Narrowing his eyes, he turned around to find none other than Kumadrax, the very same kaiju that had frightened him the previous day. The Bear Scorpion had made his way over to these catacombs searching for food, the last thing he expected was another kaiju on his feeding grounds! Snarling, Kumadrax reared up to his tallest height and roared angrily. Styx tried not to show fear, he was a kaiju now, and that meant he could actually challenge this big brute! Holding his ground, Styx rears up to his tallest height, which wasn’t very tall at all, only reaching the middle of Kumadrax’s waist. Nevertheless. The runt kaiju bobbed his head while bellowing his loudest roar. That had done it! Kumadrax growled, then charged towards his opponent, intent on teaching this pipsqueak a lesson! Styx smirked, though, for when Kumadrax was a few feet away, the Stygimoloch kaiju stepped out of the way, allowing Kumadrax to run past him and head towards the Cliffside! Eyes widened, Kumadrax reared on all fours to try and stop himself, which he did just in time!

Panting, Kumadrax turned back towards Styx and roars in indignation! Styx wasn’t deterred, for he charged dome first toward the bear scorpion, then with all his might, rammed Kumadrax square in the stomach! A small squeak was all Kumadrax could utter as he dropped to his knees in pain. Styx backed away from the bear kaiju, then took notice of the Cliffside just behind Kumadrax; he began making his plan. Slowly, Kumadrax got to his feet, anger prominently displayed on his face. This was it, he was really going to tear Styx a new one! Styx narrowed his eyes, then, kicking the dirt like a bull, ran over towards Kumadrax once more. Kumadrax roared, and raised his claws, but never got the chance to use them. Styx rammed Kumadrax so hard, the bear toppled from the Cliffside and tumbled over the bank! The fall wasn’t very long, but when Kumadrax hit the bottom, he didn’t get up. Styx peered down from his spot and found his opponent lying motionless on the ground. Content with victory, Styx let out a shrill roar, kicked some residue rocks over the edge, and went on his merry way. Kumadrax meanwhile, was far from dead. The fall did a number on him, but it wasn’t enough to kill him. All it did was fuel his anger, and made him feel unbridled hatred toward the Stygimoloch beast. Struggling to stand, Kumadrax limps away, growling that when he and the runt met again, he would have revenge!

Making his way out of the catacombs, Styx wandered the terrain trying to gain his new bearings. He wasn’t used to trees being eye level, or the loud stomps he made whenever he walked. That was when the stygimoloch was greeted with another visitor. Swooping from the air came a bright lime pteranodon creature with an orange beak, red mane, and yellow wings. It wasn’t very tall compared to Styx, but that didn’t mean it could still be dangerous. In fact, he knew this creature well, remembering his master calling is “Dimoradon”. Curiosity overtaking him, Styx inched closer to the flyer and eyes him all around. Dimoradon didn’t like the invasion of privacy and unfurled his wings in an attempt to intimidate Styx! The Stygimoloch was confused at first, until he heard a zapping noise, and a bright yellow glow emitting for Dimorodan’s horns. Styx had no time to react when an electrical attack zapped the ground in front of him! He howled in fright at this gesture, and realizing he wasn’t wanted, turned around and ran away.

Off in the fields of the Core, another battle was taking place. Dust and dirt flew everywhere as the two combatants wrestled each other relentlessly. One of them was Ares, the griffon spawned by Seraphine, and the other looked like a cross between a spider and a crustacean, with a chocolate brown carapace, two sharp horns, mandibles on its face, and four yellow eyes. This was Titanrus, and like Ares, he too had been created by the wicked alchemist. The two kaiju continued to wrestle, not resting until one submitted. Ares slashed Titanrus on the chest, who responded by aiming his pincers on the griffons wrist. Ares howled in pain and tried to kick the larger kaiju off of him, but only resulted in both of them tumbling to the ground. Before they could continue, a foreign roar caught their attention. The two turned to find another kaiju watching them. The kaiju, named Cephalus resembled a Therizinosaurus with long claws on its fingers, two stubby horns on its head, dark green skin that shone in the sun, and a long tail ending in a tentacle. Its red eyes narrowed at the two and let out a shorter but quieter roar. Ares and Titanrus rose up, and glanced at each other. What did their comrade find in the jungle? When they voiced this question, Cephalus didn’t answer, he just grinned.

From the forest, Styx gulped nervously. He didn’t like the look of these kaiju, vaguely remembering Ares from the night before. Without hesitation, he dashed out of the forests, not wanting to start another fight, unaware of a sinister shape watching him from the bushes. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath, until a cold chill blew through him. The stygimoloch looked up to see that in his escape, he had made it to the mountain regions of the Core! Styx was in awe of the size of the mountains, they made him feel even smaller than before. Now, he wanted to see the view of the Core from the top. Perhaps then, he wouldn’t be hopelessly lost! He was about to climb the mountains when a growling noise reached his ears. Styx’s expression darkened. How could he do anything when half of everything’s out to get him?! Turning around and striking a battle pose, he found another new kaiju staring him down.

It was none other than the ram beast that had fought The Mighty Kong only yesterday. He had been watching Styx for the day, and the little runt interested the ram. Saliva dripped from its maw, and an evil grin was plastered on its face. With a bleat like roar, Styx warned the ram to back off, but to no avail. Snarling, the ram charged horn fist into Styx, who barely had time to dodge out of the way. Styx turned to see the ram kicking dirt in the air, then with a gravely roar, charged again. This time, he managed to strike Styx in the chest and tossed him into the mountainside, dirt flying in all directions. Well and truly fed up, Styx ran dome first over to the ram, and collided with its mighty horns. The two kaiju pushed against each other trying to overwhelm the other. Styx had the tenacity, but the ram had the size, and used its strength to toss Styx onto a ledge overlooking the jungle. The ram gave a cocky smile, the reared his claws in the air. Styx bellowed in pain as the ram’s claws slashed his sides, drawing blood! The ram leaned forward to bit down on Styx’s neck to end the fight, but it didn’t expect Styx to lunge his dome in its face like a jack-in-the-box! As the ram stumbled about, Styx rolled to his feet, and noticed the fallen debris from when he crashed into the wall. Grinning, he grabbed one of the fallen boulders, and hurled it at the ram, striking him on the back hump. The ram snarled as Styx continued to bombard him with boulders and dirt. Smoke emitted from the ram’s nose and his pupils dilated in a feral manner. He was furious!

Realizing he made a whoopsie, Styx took off, the ram giving chase. The two kaiju ran all across the mountainside and made it all the way back to the jungle. Styx tried to run faster, but his adrenaline had worn off, his breaths were becoming pants, and his legs hurt him. The ram meanwhile, was fueled by hatred, and was gaining on Styx like a bullet train. With a loud roar, the ram used his horns to slash Styx on the side, sending him crashing into trees. When the dust settled, the ram shook its head, and silently walked over to the fallen Styx, blood seeping from his side. The ram’s smile was so wide, it was unnatural! Now, it was time to end this charade! Right before he could rip the runt kaiju a new one, a green blur sped past, and tackled the ram to the ground! The ram choked and wheezed, feeling something grip onto his windpipe, then felt himself being hoisted in the air. The ram opened his eyes and found an angry Goliath glaring at him with absolute hatred. His wings were unfurled, his tail was curled, and his teeth were exposed. Goliath bellowed a warning to the ram and unceremoniously threw him to the ground! Grunting, the ram slowly forced himself to stand, and gave a matching glare to Goliath. With a raspy roar, he shook his head and disappeared into the jungle, off to find a spot to lick his wounds.

Goliath nodded at that. This ram was trouble, and it was his job to put him in his place. He heard a small whimper, and turned to find Styx looking up at him. Despite his slashed side, the stygimoloch was up and about, although he was intimidated at the much larger kaiju. Golaith leaned down to look Styx in the eye, he had never seen this kaiju before. Styx tried not to show fear, but Goliath’s piercing gaze was rather difficult to avoid. A whole minute passed until Goliath reared up again and gave a soft purring noise. Styx tilted his head, why didn’t this kaiju try to kill him like the others? Closing his eyes, Goliath unfurled his wings, and took off into the sky. Styx watched him go, then looked around the jungle. With a small sigh, Styx continued his walk, hoping to find a spot he could rest in.

----
Down in the hidden catacombs of The Core, Xanatos sat alone in his chambers. He had been reading a series of scrolls he took from his days in Atlantis, reviewing everything he needed to know about his former homeland. A knock interrupted his thoughts.

Xanatos: Enter!

The sound of footsteps enter the man’s ears, and turns to find Seraphine walking towards him. She had her hood down, revealing her short hair and pale face.

Seraphine: Begging your pardon, sir, but May I have a word with you?
Xanatos: Sit down, child. Tell me, what’s on your mind.
Seraphine: I believe this should cover it.

Seraphine then presents a sculpture of the stature resembling Kong. Xanatos has no reaction.

Seraphine: There are rumors, sir. Rumors of one of the protectors have spread across the Core. I need to know, sir. Will this affect your objective in any way?

Xanatos is silent, placing a hand to his chin. Seraphine winces. Did she strike a nerve? The last thing she needed was to anger her Superior. At last, he answered with a neutral expression.

He remains silent, but turns to her

Xanatos: Let him come. For this mountain was where his species thrived before the Mahar took over. .
Seraphine: So, we just let him come here? What then?

Xanatos narrows his eyes and turns to the statue. Raising his staff, it glows brightly, then fires a beam of pure energy, destroying it with ease. Seraphine gulps.

Seraphine: You make your point quite clear, sir.
Xanatos: I have a new objective. Take a few of our soldiers and make sure the Queen’s scouts are eliminated. Perhaps this can be a chance to test out your new centaur beast. He may ravage the land, but he is not to kill the ape.
Seraphine: I’m not so sure about that, sir. Nemothius has proven rather… unpredictable. Suppose he unintentionally kills the Protector?
Xanatos: Then make sure it DOESN’T! I have made my intentions clear! Do not fail me again.
Seraphine: A-a-As you wish… sir..

She bows her head and leaves, leaving Xanatos alone once again. The man turns to a crystal ball on his desk, then places his hands on it. Images of the children Styx, Kong, Goliath, and even Godzilla appear. Xanatos narrows his eyes.

Xanatos: All the pieces are coming together as I have foreseen. Soon everything will be ready. The Second Coming of Bagan will commence, and the surface world shall be mine!

to be continued.....