Submission (#6216) Approved

Through twilight-shrouded Terrah, an unsettling stillness had fallen. The air was heavy with tension, like the world held its breath. The calls of wildlife were mute; instead, some sort of strange, almost melodic hum seemed to issue forth from the earth itself. These last few days, something foreign had taken root and spread; the silent plague.

Two giant seagongs, Wraith and Spirit, swam through the black waters near the wilderness area the satellite had gone down in. Wraith took the lead, his onyx fur a perfect camouflage against the dark depths. His very bones, visible under his skin, shone with an ethereal light as he moved, casting a ghostly glow. Scars, tokens of the hundred battles he had endured-most of them against Spirit-stood out against his thick coat. By his side, Spirit swam with fluid ease and elegance, his dark greyish-cyan eyes scanning their environs curiously and cautiously combined. The fishing line wrapped around his tail trailed behind him, a relic of some past encounter that he wears with pride.

The sight that greeted them as they broke surface near the shore was unlike anything they had ever seen. Once lush and teeming with life, the landscape was now overrun by some form of strange, plant-like growths. These plants, if at all they could be called that, were nothing like those on Terrah. The roots merged and connected into an elaborate network; sometimes, it seemed as though they pulsed with a soft, radiating green light, almost as if they were alive. The tendrils reached out, twisting and curling, as if palpating for some sort of presence-particularly, the seagongs.

Wraith growled low in his throat; a deep, resonant sound that was carried through the shallow water. He extended his claws as he regarded the strange plants with disdain. "Looks like this place went downhill fast," he snarled, his voice thick with the promise of a fight.

Spirit snorted, cocking an eyebrow. "What's the matter? Afraid of a few weeds?" There was a little gleam in his voice, but beneath that, he could detect the competitive underedge that always managed to flare between them.

Wraith gave him a glare. "We'll see who's scared when I'm ripping through this mess and you're still trying to figure out which way is up.

Spirit chuckled, imperturbable. "Talk all you want, Wraith. But let's not pretend you're not already thinking about backing out."

Scarcely had Wraith been able to snap back, when a shadow moved in the distance: a huge shape, only indistinctly visible through the heavy growths. The thing loomed, shifting and blending into the darkness-so big it was impossible to fully grasp. Instantly, both seagongs stiffened; the competitive banter was replaced by tense silence.

For one moment, the earth was torn beneath Wraith's claws, his massive body tensed to launch himself at the shadowy figure. But something stayed him back-some intuition that told him it was no ordinary opponent and brute force would be insufficient. The growl was low and without the usual confidence. "I'm not liking this, Spirit.

Spirit's eyes narrowed, his earlier cockiness tempered with caution. "For once, we agree. Let's get out of here before we bite off more than we can chew.

Wraith snorted but did not argue. With a parting glance toward the shadow that was back to its shifting form, he turned back toward the water. Spirit was already moving: his sleek form cut through the waves and down home to safety. Wraith followed, though not without a lingering glance over his shoulder-his pride wounded by the retreat.

The humming in the air seemed to follow them as they swam away, a constant reminder of this strange new presence on Terrah. Wraith's claws retracted, his bravado fading as the tension slowly ebbed. Beside him, Spirit swam in silence, his jabs at Wraith forgotten in the face of what they'd seen.

But once they were well away from the shore, Spirit finally broke the silence. "Maybe next time, huh?"

Wraith grunted, eyes forward. "Next time, I'll be ready."

Spirit's lips twitched in a faint smile. "I'll hold you to that."