Monsters in the City

Hours passed swiftly, and the horde of travelling warriors sorted themselves into different groups on the road.

The tail of the stampede is the slow moving beasts, and the creatures with low stamina or the heaviest burdens. The middle is the mounted riders, and beasts with lighter burdens. Ahead of them dash the mercenaries and other voluntary citizens - the alarm had spread through the city, and every person with a combat ability was racing into danger with the guards to protect the city.

At the front of the horde, leading the crowd, were the swiftest response units - these people were specially recruited and contracted with specific beasts that had been bred for speed, stamina and combat ability. They were the elites, and the uncontested best in Florinad city.

The further the horde travelled, the more these distinctions became visible.

Finally, after being bounced around by the high speed on an unsteady rickshaw, Mateus saw the walls in sight above the dust.

Those tall, thick strong walls that had protected him all his life in this world - once a solid reassurance, now a source of endless anxiety as he got closer, and closer to the distant screaming.

The wall had been breached. Distant specks of black rushed over it like a tide, pouring down into the city in a living wave of death.

Strange Mutant Beasts appeared on the road ahead - most no larger than a horse, and many smaller than a Cattle-dog.

Puddles of pus, filth, strange acids and brilliant red human blood forced the dust back to the road. The buildings Mateus passed were all in a state of serious disrepair, and these new invaders had damaged them further.

The aggressive Mutant Beasts tried to attack anything in sight, and they formed a massive blockade in the road. The chittering snarls these strange things cried made Mateus' hair stand on end.

Finally, the arrogant Roobit stopped running and nearly collapsed on the road. "I'm not (gasp) not going any further!" He panted in exhaustion. The thick Angora fur on him had become matted with dirt and sweat, and mud with worse things kicked up from the broken road covered in travellers. The white beast looked as though he had become one with all the world's filth.

Traffic continued passing Mateus and the rickshaw, running headlong into danger, and now they had stopped running with the stampede they were in danger of becoming roadkill.

Quickly Mateus jumped off the rickshaw, and braved the dangerous filth to lead the Roobit off the wide road to an alley. The dim slit between broken buildings looked like the stinking gap between rotten teeth, but at this moment it beckoned safety.

No sooner was the rickshaw inside than the arrogant, exhausted Roobit charged his way back into the tattoo and refused to go back out. The now empty harness fell to the ground, still attached to the vehicle. Quickly Mateus unhooked it and stowed it on the tray. Thinking hard, he leant against the tray, trying to think how to transport these supplies to the wall.

And then he heard it - a chittering, a clattering, a monster creeping closer up the alley…

Staring into the dim light and shifting shadows, Mateus caught his breath in horror.

He thought this place would be safe…