Hithlo is a garden world that hangs back, second in position in the Daori system. It is here that Arctacia and his companion, Rikku, were on the prowl during the night to investigate strange fires that had erupted in the lands. Moments before, during a pleasant outing of star gazing, several meteors hit the planet from space. The impacts shook the ground and caused various fires near the sites. Alarmed, the Tythran and his feral friend decided to check it out.

Rikku was a feral who went beyond the norm for a creature of his type. He could actually speak and do things that anthros could, only with the limitations of said feral body. Rikku was a faithful mount for Arctacia, who rode upon Rikku this night to their destination.

As the two approached near where some of meteors had hit, several clouds of billowing smoke could be seen ahead, marking the very places of activity. There was something uneasy about this place that Arctacia could feel as they closed in. He then instinctively lifted a paw to the sky, just beside him, palm turned up as a series of ice shards suddenly formed into being from the vaporous mist that rose from his paw. Rikku would always joke with Arctacia and called the spell "Lightcicle" as it did in fact give off a source of light when readied. Rikku also snarled as he could also feel something off. Cautiously, the two continued to approach one of the impact sites.

Upon drawing near the fire, it was obvious the result of the meteor hit from the large crater that surrounded the blaze taking place. Rikku stopped as they both scanned the area for anything unusual. Then, that feeling hit again. This time, it was stronger than the previous. It was a vile sensation that started somewhere in the gut, then sent a strange uneasy feeling that jolted throughout the rest of the body. Arctacia gasped out a bit from it as he grimaced, "Gah...what is that?", he asked.

Rikku growled out in his low voice, "I don't know, but I don't like it any more than you. Is the fire bothering you any?"

Arctacia shook his head as the irides of his eyes shifted about in unnatural ways, seeming to scan the area more through uncertain means to the idle observer, "No...I am fine, Rikku. Just give me a moment to--I see something!".

A brief moment later, long, slender sets of four metal beams rise up from the fire, glossy in appearance. Soon, they move about, as if long legs, emerging from the fire and heading towards the two felines. Rikku took a step back and grimaced in alarm as he stared down this strange phenomenon, growling out even louder. Arctacia looked on with a gaped open mouth, carefully studying whatever it was moving closer still.

The strange form was now better seen as it moved from the last bit of fire that enshrouded it moments before. The four metal beams were quite close together, probably no more than six feet apart from each other. Between them was some strange flat square platform that had four bulbous electrodes, one at each edge, that interacted with similar looking electrodes that were on the metallic beams themselves. Apparently, some hidden way to keep the platform held up and moving with the beams. Electrical looking arcs kept dancing about between each node on the platform and the appropriate leg it associated with. In the center of this platform was a strange spinning disc that had what appeared to be a large eye upon it. The eye was mostly black in appearance with a red iris and a few red dots around the outer edge that helped clue in to its spinning nature.

"What the hell is that thing?" Arctacia asked as he found it difficult to identify with this strange construct.

The construct came to a stop as it finished climbing up the edge of the crater, its long metallic legs stood there like pylons of otherworldly existence. Their mere appearance, while ordinary, sent a shiver down Arctacia's spine as he could swear some alien sound could be heard from them that only made the feeling worse. Suddenly, the two front-most legs shifted away from the platform and join up right beside the other two legs. The platform then tilted down and caused the eye to face directly at the two lions, the platform now giving the impression of a diamond with its current orientation. The spinning eye then slowly crawled to a stop as its piercing gaze could be felt deep down to the soul. There was a slight shimmer to the deep red iris as it silently stared on unnervingly.

Arctacia shook his head in overwhelm as he tried to call out to whatever this thing was, "What are you? What do you want--". Arctacia's questions were suddenly cut off by a high pitched screech that the strange alien construct let out, followed and intermixed with strange metallic warbling sounds, very artificial and incomprehensible in nature. It was so loud that the two recoiled in agony. Arctacia reached up and covered his ears. Rikku leaned down and tried to cover his ears as well, crying out. The construct then lifted and slammed its legs in place in random succession, causing the earth to shake once more. Arctacia suddenly flew off Rikku and landed with a painful grunt, his spell dispersed from his paw. Rikku gasped and turned around, trying to make his way to his fallen companion, but stumbling and falling himself as the shaking ground continued. Finally, there was respite in this madness as the construct stopped in its sound and actions. The two felines grunted as they slowly tried to stand back up and gazed up at the alien construct, wondering now what to expect, if anything.

There was a long pause now as that red eye continued to stare on without doing anything further. Then, the construct spoke out in a deep, distorted voice. It sounded almost like a primitive radio-transmitted voice, but with a dark, demonic tone to it that made it hard to listen to. "You are...of flesh and bone...", it said in what could be interpreted as a masculine voice. Even though its eye did not move, Arctacia could feel like the construct's focus shifted on him as it spoke the next line, "...and in some cases, more than meets the eye."

Rikku shook his head a little, "Did he seriously have to put it that way?"

Arctacia hushed Rikku as he waved his paw at him, but his gaze never leaving the alien creature, addressing it now, "Yes...but what have you come here for? I have never seen your kind before."

The alien construct reverberated a strange low bass sound that practically cancelled out any other sound in the area as he replied with an unnerving tone. What's worse, was that it was a mix of bile and joy. "TO MAKE THIS PLANET A NEW SUN FOR OUR CHILDREN. TO SET EVERY CORNER OF THIS WORLD ABLAZE AND LET ITS PATHETIC LIFE BE CONSUMED. THEIR CORPSES SHALL BEAUTIFULLY FUEL THE FLAMES OF OUR EXISTENCE!" As those last words were spoken, other constructs at all the other sites quickly emerged and began to stomp their legs, the fire from all areas began to spread at an alarming rate.

"WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!", Arctacia screamed out as he dashed over at Rikku and immediately hopped onto him. Rikku roared out as wings spread from his back. He crouched down and leaped into the air, taking flight with Arctacia in tow. As the two rocketed off to the sky, the blaze of fire completely took over the entire planet and caused a violent reaction that turned the planet into a sun as was foretold. Arctacia growled out as he lifted his paws and surrounded them in a shield, several flames rushing past them now. A few moments later they broke free from the shroud of flames and escaped into the depths of space.

Hithlo now burned bright as a star, nothing remaining of its former glory. The two lions stopped after a moment from a safe distance and looked back. For whatever reason, they could now hear the sounds of screaming forms of life from the newly formed star. Screams and sounds of agony, suffering, and pain, all echoing about their minds. It was enough to cause the sensations of goosebumps all over, and a moment later, the sounds of life died out completely. Arctacia narrowed his brows in hatred at what he just witnessed, a couple tears rolled down his cheeks as he spoke out in a soft, broken voice. "...let's go home..."

Rikku looked on at Hithlo and shook his head in disbelief. "We could have done something!"

"We didn't know what we were up against.", Arctacia stated. "But, that will change soon. Whatever they are, they will pay for this act of...murder." Arctacia pet at Rikku softly. "Come...I can't stand the sight of this graveyard anymore. We need to start figuring out what we're up against."

Rikku sighed out softly and lowered his head with a gentle nod. "Alright...let's go.", he said before he soared off into the distance.

Once the two had departed, one of the constructs emerged from the star, its eye stared off in the direction they went, unwavering, silent, cold, and patiently...