Ruins would be the best words for what had become of the place. We find Captain Arcadia stood in the ruins of where he started, standing over the graves of his brothers. Wear has gotten down here, and the various assaults have turned the once vibrant home for Arcadia’s animals into ruin. Here, he takes a moment to pause, mourn and reflect away from the crowds in privacy. He speaks to the graves, talking to the fallen he called brother.
“I’m still working on finding him. You will be avenged.”
A sound behind, of breaking glass beneath a foot pulls Captain Arcadia from his focus, shield in hand. From the darkened, shadowed hallway a growl emerges. Deep, loud. Claws click on the concrete pathways as something lurks forward from the shadows.
In his mind, Captain Arcadia can’t place what it is. Parts seem to be from a bear, feathers like a falcon, and from its mouth there are rows of teeth like a shark’s. It growls, the massive form blocking the way out. Arcadia grabs his shield, locking eyes with the thing. Staring into the soulless black pits, a chord of fear strikes through him.
What happened to this? Why is it here? What is it?
No answer comes from the creature as it charges forward, a roar from the pits of hell meeting with the claws and jaws of death itself. Captain Arcadia barely gets his shield up as it hits, pushing him to the ground. Talons wrap around the edges of the shield as it tries to bite him, leaving bite marks piercing through.
Panic sets in for the hero as he struggles, fighting desperately to get out from the force of this beast. A well placed kick causes the monster to cry in pain, pushing it off of him. He gasps, the constrictive weight giving air as he scrambles to his feet. Instinct screams at him, and he does what any person would do.
He bolts.
Running down once familiar hallways that are seemingly more and more cluttered, he runs from where once was home. Behind, the snarling beast of feather and fur and jagged teeth follows. Captain Arcadia ducks and weaves over ruined pieces, it charges forward smashing behind him.
On one of the obstacles, he falters for just a second, stumbling a landing between some old furniture. As he regains his footing, he feels talons slice into his back. A scream of pain comes from him, and in pure instinct alone he swings back with his scratched and dented shield. The beast cries, stopping as Captain Arcadia pushes forward.
He hits the entrance, not daring to look back as he dives in through the broken hole he snuck into the area for. The monster is not so successful, slamming into the door with enough force to shake it. A single, taloned paw scratches furvitiely as Captain Arcadia lays on the ground outside, panting. He rises, looking back to see the dull black eye staring back before both retreat into the shadows they came.