Yak Attack

A being slowly emerged over the ridge - a yak. It was a maginificent specimen, with yellowruby fur and huge twining horns. Its black eyes glistened with intelligence, and it walked proudly on its four prehensile feet.

The yak, who's name was Lerf, looked around carefully and took a bite out a hyberiontrestle. He knew he had to be careful. Lerf was a powerful yak, stronger than all but some of the Elders he had encountered, but he could still be overtaken by sheer numbers. He was different from the other yaks, and he knew it. They were the Herd, but Lerf was separate from the Herd, and for this they hated him.

Lerf raised his head and lowed his lonely sorrow into the sky.

Suddenly he heard a sound behind him - a crunch. Lerf's worst fears were realized. It was a Man-creature, come to kill or tag him - it was hard to tell which was worse. The monster wore silvery clothes and had massive yellow hair which towered two feet into the sky.

"At last I've found you." said the Man. "Prepare yourself, Yak!"

Lerf screamed in horror and spun about, running. On terrain like this he could easily achieve speeds of 800-1000 kilometers per hour. The ground flashed past him in a dizzying blur. Bursting into the safety of the woods Lerf started burrowing, the loose earth flying over his head in great dark bursts. Seconds later he hit volcanic rock and stopped. He was breathing hard, his veins pulsating with adrenalin. Was he truly safe now? There had been many Hunters of late, far too many. Some were Men, others even worse if possible - creatures of pure shadow which whispered nightmares with each slow, poisonous breath.

"You can't hide from me so easily!" the Man's voice suddenly laughed behind Lerf.

Lerf shrieked and took off digging upward at a 45 degree angle. He burst out onto the surface of the plains and spun around as he landed on his feet. The man hovered in the air behind him, yellow hair glowing.

"You can't escape." the Man said. "Fight me!"

Damn it, Lerf thought. It looked like there really was no other way. He growled and stamped at the ground, then launched himself toward his enemy. Lerf began to spin like a top as he whistled through the air, his horns spinning in front of him fast enough to drill a hole through solid sheet metal.

The Man sidestepped in midair and landed a kick to Lerf's abdomen, so hard Lerf grunted in pain and flew 150 miles to smash into a mountain.

"Not too impressive!" the Man said, already hovering over him again.

Now Lerf was angry. Roaring in rage, he snapped into an upward lunge and grabbed the Man around the waist. "What the..." the Man gasped. Then Lerf flipped over and flew downward headfirst, to slam the Man's brain into the ground with the force of several megatons. Lerf jumped back, breathing hard. The ground was cracked for miles around, and at the center of it was the Man, his head imbedded firmly into the earth, his legs kicking ineffectually in the air.

Lerf turned to leave, when he heard the Man's voice behind him. "Ugh. Not bad. Not bad at all. You might just be the One."

"Leave me alone." Lerf said. "I've beaten you, what more do you want?"

"I want a new dawn for all of Life, and the destruction of an ultimate evil that cannot be stopped. I want to return the Gigaverse to what it once was."

"I cannot help you." Lerf said. "I only want to enjoy a peaceful life here on Evanescence. I am no hero, or destroyer of evil."

"Oh, but you are!" the man exhorted. "Listen, Lerf there is not much time left. The Offices are gone, and Life has no protectors left except for beings such as us, inheritors of an even older legacy than the Eternal Champions. If you say no, you will continue your peaceful life here for a little while. You may even die a peaceful death surrounded by your offspring. But how will you rest peacefully when you know that Evanescence will be destroyed, not just once, but for all of eternity, never to be reformed, the Gigaverse transformed into the playground of shadows?"

Suddenly Lerf wasn't so sure. "What do you want me to do?"

"Come with me, Lerf." the Man said. "I will show you."

Lerf knew he was going to regret it. But something deep within him made him say "Allright. I will do it. Show me what you have."

1. Meanwhile, on Alternia 8-Z, a degenerate half-Celestrial world on the verge of total disintegration...

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