BNN:A Valley of One 02/01/16
A Valley of One
Posted by Unknown 02/01/16
An excerpt from the journal of Professor Ellie Rafkin,
The dim light from the campfire flickered against the canvass tent. In the still of night the jungle was alive with the howls of monkeys and the singing of crickets. A gentle breeze rustled the fronds of nearby palms. Even though it had been months since I'd left the Lycaeum, the jungles of Eodon still made me uneasy. I had seen such beauty in the Valley during my time here. Brilliant fauna gave Eodon character and intimacy. Meandering streams cutting through the verdant landscape made it feel alive and fertile. In the distance the towering caldera of a great volcano smoked confidently, owing to its wise past. On the surface, Eodon appeared inviting and warm, but a foreign and present danger lay hidden beneath.
I had been fortunate enough to only encounter the Myrmidex once. A gleam of sunshine had caught my eye, the reflection from their chitonous exoskeleton. Before I could focus on what I was seeing my escort let out a bellowing war cry and brought his axe down in front of me. The axe cut through the air and landed squarely in the thorax of the Myrmidex warrior. Greenish hemolymph oozed from the wound as the creature struggled and writhed. I tried to turn away but my curiosity drew me in. The creature was large, nearly twice the size of a man, insectoid in appearance with elongated, jointed appendages. The unmistakable crimson of blood spattered a set of pincers protruding from the head. As I moved closer to get a better look my escort cleaved his axe through the air once more, this time decapitating the beast. More greenish ooze leaked from the creature's neck and pooled onto the jungle floor.
I had not seen a Myrmidex since that day. I would come to learn the Myrmidex were a mostly subterranean species, coming to the surface only on occasion to hunt for food to return to the hive. Eodon was full of surprises and each day was rich with discovery. Such work had made me tired, a welcome benefit as it made it easier to fall asleep and assuage my unease. Just as I felt my mind begin to drift to the land of nod the jungle fell silent. Seconds later a chilling scream echoed throughout the Valley...
Back to 2016 BNN World News Archives
Back to BNN World News Archives
