"Dagaz."
The glyphs on my arm stirred to life. What had been static markings now possessed a strange vitality to them—the black lines became alit with a cold-blue luminescence. Every character brightened in sequence until it reached the words enclosed by parentheticals.
The air around my arm appeared to get distorted, wavering spiral-like. A chill raised goosebumps all across my body as felt a tug at my navel, as if I was being reeled in by something far away. My sight began to "fragment", with my perception of my surroundings splitting into overlapping frames before finding my sight to be completely white. It all happened in a moment—the floor beneath my feet collapsed in the same instant like it'd been folded into itself, combining with my warped vision to create an overwhelming stimulation of sensations I never thought I could feel simultaneously.
…
For several breaths, I drifted in this space. Then, with an abrupt halt, I found myself stumbling forward into solid ground again.
"Ahh!!" I was on cracked concrete, surrounded entirely by towering trees behind. I caught myself just before I fell down, but I could sense that my legs were wobbling tremendously beneath me as I balanced myself. Then, like a delayed reaction, a wave of nausea rose from my stomach, crawling up my throat.
I braced myself against the rough surface of the nearest wall, retching, "kerugh-eck..! Cough, cough… Never- again…"
"Ha! You're quite resilient for a first-timer!" Hilgan's voice materialized behind me, followed by another rustle of air. I glanced up through watery eyes to see Nanik landing through rippling air, who looked completely unaffected by the teleportation.
"Everything alright?" Nanik asked with some concern.
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, noticing that the marker lettering had started to peel off on my arms like an old sticker. "I'm fine," I said raspily.
"No worries, the disorientation passes quickly," Hilgan assured me, clapping his hands together with enthusiasm.
"I'd like to introduce the both of you to my prized possession!" He spread his arms out,
"Former Trizen-Evrit military installment, abandoned for eight years, give or take. It's built to last though—that's government funding for you!"
It took me a few moments of deep breathing before my body stabilized itself, and I could better appreciate the magnitude of the place. Ahead laid a large concrete building that towered slightly above the treetops.
Following Hilgan, we reached what I could only assume to be the entrance. It was imposing: a pair of heavy metal doors that settled into the concrete exterior. To the side of them were what appeared to be some defunct machinery—likely the previous security station installed for the base.
'Why would Nanik's team need something like this? I know he alluded to something along the lines of 'secrecy'... Maybe he's planning to overturn this base into some headquarters,' I hypothesized.
Nature seemed to be scaling all over the place, with stubborn weeds pushing through cracks on the walkway and ivy climbing over the exterior walls, and even some covering the weathered security panel.
Hilgan produced a set of keys from his pocket, their metal jangling discordantly as he opened a secure padlock connecting the two door handles. Then, Hilgan grasped onto the handle of one steel door with both of his arms.
"Huu~..." With a deep, inward and steadied breath, he clenched both his hands, arching his body back as he tugged at the handle. Inch by inch, the door began to budge.
Crack-krrr~The metal creaked as the hinges turned. I could see Hilgan straining himself with effort as face became partly reddened, his taut back and shoulder being seen as faint outlines through his office shirt. After the door had been propped open about sixty degrees, Hilgan stopped and stepped aside, revealing a dimly lit corridor that branched off.
"Man~, that was a workout and a half… In we go!".
We walked through the main passage. "This place has three sections," Hilgan said, gesturing,
"Forward leads to what was once a vehicle hangar. Right takes you to medical facilities and living areas. Left…" he paused, his jovialness flickering momentarily,
"Left has the training facilities… Let's start with the hangar, shall we? Most spacious area of the compound, after all!"
…
We entered into the open space that was the hangar. It was cavernous—vast and vacant—with a high ceiling supported by bolted steel beams jutting into the floor. The hangar had to it an essence of dampness and artificial decay. The concrete floor was littered with browned rustic stains where vehicles and equipment likely had once stood. I looked up at the skylights. Some of them were cracked and covered with moss, but others remained mostly intact, allowing shafts of natural light to flourish into the hanger.
"Perfect for large-scale operations, wouldn't you say?" Hilgan's voice echoed slightly in the emptiness,
"—Could fit several transport vehicles and maybe even a small aircraft, depends on your needs. I went up there the other day to check the overhead doors; they require some manual operation, but it should still be functional."
Nanik marched around the perimeter, his footsteps making tappings- as he assessed the space with a calculative gaze. He appeared to mentally cataloging what all to repair or refurbish. I couldn't even begin to imagine what this place would be filled with in regards to the "operations" that were mentioned by Hilgan.
"How about the ventilation systems?" Asked Nanik.
"Fully functional!" Hilgan replied promptly,
"Needs a thorough cleaning, of course, but the infrastructure is sound and should still be sustainable for at least a decade longer."
Nanik nodded. "Passable."
…
From the hangar, we made our way back and went to the right corridor, checking an empty meeting area along the way.
The medical facility here consisted of a relatively large clinic, separated into examination rooms and a suite that Hilgan said was used previously for surgical procedures. Everything of value had been removed, leaving behind only some built-in counters and a few well-mounted fixtures of light.
Encircling and beyond the medical area laid the living quarters and kitchen/dining areas—a series of rooms that were designed to house and provide some hospice for personnel. Unlike the rest of the base, these had been already partially refitted.
As for the quarters; there were simple linen beds lined the walls of the dormitory-esque rooms. "This area has been my focus as of recent in terms of basic rehabilitation. I figured it would be good to outfit these rooms and leave the rest to you." Hilgan explained,
"I've brought in new mattresses, running water, and checked for functional plumbing—bathrooms' not luxury, but it just works~." The far ends were where the shared facilities were, containing the bathroom areas and washers.
I gave one of the beds a try, and I found it to be quite comfy. "It's not bad," I commented. It wasn't as good as the ones at Annual, obviously, but they gave a nice and firm feeling. I would've taken a power nap had Nanik not told me to get off and follow them.
"Are we going to the left side, now? I heard you talking about training rooms over there, Hilgan." I asked with moderate curiosity.
"A-ah, actually… I think we should take a closer look at the water system of the living quarters. I bet it would be an important detail for the miss here, since you'd be staying in one of these rooms," Hilgan proposed, examining one of the living quarters's light fixtures.
"We can circle back to that," Nanik replied without looking up,
"I would also like to see the entirety of the layout first."
Hilgan was silent for a moment before he looked at Nanik with a grin. "Yes, of course, of course! I just thought you two'd want to know about the water pressure situation. But, you're right—complete tour first, details later."
After Hilgan eeked in some last tangent about kitchenware, we headed down the left corridor. Despite having no air-conditioning, it was noticeably cooler around here, carrying with it the faint mineral scent of old concrete and dust. The doors in this hallway, particularly, were marked by rusted metal placards. "All of these rooms over here: they were multi-purpose combat training rooms and ," Hilgan specified,
"They were built to perfect one's capability on the field."
My gaze flitted from door to door, memorizing each space. The ones on the right beared labels such as "Physical Training" whilst the left side's placards had their letterings mostly worn out. The only thing that was readable from the signs was the first one to our left.
"Weapon room…" I muttered.
"Oh, that?" Hilgan said, glancing briefly where I was looking,
"Nothing particularly interesting there—just old storage; it was cleared out long before I even got a hold of this place, haha!" He waved dismissively, his hands pointing instead to another room on the right side.
"Now… The shooting range~. That's something worth seeing." Nanik stood, watching Hilgan for a moment with an unreadable expression before he followed along. I followed along whilst crossing my arms, my hairs risen a bit due to the temperature change.
Hilgan guided us towards the last room on the right-hand side of the hallway and directed us inside. We were presented with shooting stalls that spanned the width of the room up to the far right wall, where there was a gate to enter the range. Beyond the stalls, hanging on overhead railings, were faded targets—torn, curled at the edges, and riddled with countless bullet holes.
Following Hilgan, we walked over bullet casings that littered the ground. The acrid smell of smoke and gunpowder pervaded the room, scratching at my throat and making my nose slightly irritable.
Hilgan breathed in, "Haah… You can almost taste the countless hours spent here."
'I can smell it, alright…' For some reason, the air wanted to make me sneeze.
Nanik looked around amusedly, rubbing his chin, "What kind of bullet trap is fitted in this shooting range?"
Upon hearing Nanik's inquiry, Hilgan's eyes widened, as if he'd met a kindred soul. "Oh! I'm glad you asked! It has an aeronite-enhanced steel bullet trap, which can handle up to the largest caliber round I know of, the .975 Regresier!"
"Oh, really? How intriguing… Have you tested that?"
"Oh, no! Not yet. You see, I don't got a rifle of that caliber myself, as much as I'd like one."
"Well, if you do ever decide to get one, I would recommend the .975 Grand Tempest from Caliber Industries. It can be difficult to get your hands on, though; sellers are really stingy about it, since it's only manufactured in Arden."
"I see, I see! Speaking of which…"
…
Seeing the two of them completely immersed in their conversation about ballistics, I quietly slipped out of the firing range. My steps carried me back, far down the hall, toward the room labeled "Weapons", which we'd passed earlier.
I paused at the door, my hand hovering over the handle as I debated with myself. 'There must have been something awesome in here, but should I really be poking around without Nanik? …Ehhh, it should be fine.' I gave it a push, and it opened a lot easier than I had anticipated. It seemed that it hadn't been closed properly, with the latch being misaligned from the hole of the door.
Creak-
Darkness swallowed the room beyond the threshold of the outside. I couldn't see much past a few feet, just vague shapes barely outlined by the hall light behind me. Reaching out, I slid my palm along the wall, searching for a switch. After a moment of feeling cold metal and chipped paint, I found it and gave it a flick.
Click.
Nothing.
I flicked it again. Still nothing.
'Great. Busted lights. That's definitely going on the negotiation list,' I thought, letting out a soft sigh. Peering into the shadows, I took a tentative step forward and pushed the door full open.
Inside, the room slowly took shape before my eyes as they adjusted to the low light. The flooring was still concrete, but it had blotches of divots scattered about, showing the degradation was especially significant here.
To my right, tall metal racks loomed in neat rows, empty for the most part, but with a few still holding the silhouettes of firearms. On the left, a glass case stood against the wall, faintly catching what little light bled in from the hallway. Inside it, I could just make out the glint of steel—swords, a few lining the rack sparsely.
A few wooden crates were scattered around the center of the room, barely visible in the gloom. One nearly caught my foot. I stumbled, catching myself on something upright. I looked up, jumping a little as I saw what I had leaned on.
"Fuck..!"
It was a headless riot armor mannequin stand, and beside it was another stand that was fully outfitted. They looked nearly human, but the smoothened and glossy interior form of the dullahan reminded me otherwise.₍₁₎
'Okay... Getting real spooky vibes right now,' I thought, letting my hand trail off the cold, padded armor. The stand wobbled slightly.
I moved deeper in, careful not to trip again. As I neared the far wall, something caught my eye—just barely illuminated by a soft, ambient glow. There, tucked into the back of the room, was an elevator. Its doors were partially ajar, like someone had tried to open them but had given up halfway. It sat there, unmoving, like it had been abandoned mid-operation. To the left of it, another door. No label, no keypad. Just a door.
I took several hesitant steps forward, my snoopiness overcoming my apprehension, until I stood close enough to peer through the narrow opening.
Instead of seeing a dilapidated elevator cabin like I'd expected, when I looked between the sliver of space, I could only see the inner workings of the elevator shaft, its black interior yawning down into an endless void. I traced the rough, metallic edges of the frames, then, the hoisting ropes…
Slik…
I forcefully caught my breath.
'Something moved.' I instinctively kept my movement to a minimum, and examined the ropes more closely. Integrated along the ropes was something writhing with unsettling, rhythmic movements.
Dark, sinuous tendrils, like living vines, wrapped down the rope, resembling impossibly elongated fingers. Its body was a clear but dark obsidian that pitched to a pulsing crimson-red tip, protruding outward and into helices of smaller sinews. It looked like a budding spider lily that continued to stretch outward slowly.
Drip. drip…
'Nope. Nope. I'm good; no more.'
I immediately started backing away the moment I saw the red tip dripping some kind of reddish, viscous "nectar".I didn't take my eyes away from the elevator for one moment, waving both of my hands behind me to feel out my surroundings.
As I kept backing away, I could see the red-tendril "bud" poking out from the elevator doors. The liquid dribbled onto the concrete floor, making a small pool of ooze-red.
Drip—Fzzzt~. The liquid fizzled as it made contact onto the floor. It quickly dissipated, however, leaving behind a small depression.
My heart pounded as I tried to find my way to the closest exit. Thunk~. My right hand collided into glass, producing a tinkling sound—it was one of the sword cases.
I stopped, not daring to exhale too harshly. The tendril twitched at the noise, but then withdrew itself slightly back into the elevator doors.
After making sure it hadn't seen me, I resumed my retreat sideways, my fumbling steps carrying me to that second door on the left wall. My left palm managed to find its handle, and I twisted desperately, but only to be met with resistance. I took a short glance at the door, and found that the deadbolt gap was completely encased in plaster.
I felt a drop in my chest, but I continued shimmying along the perimeter of the sword cases, trying to trace my way back towards the entrance through which I'd come using just its dim light.
Gluk-slii~...
But a slippery sound made my head swivel back to the elevator. The gap between the doors had widened up slightly—perhaps a foot.
Multiple tendrils had emerged, extending forward like veins suspended in the air. They split, dividing into a disgusting, bloody, fractal-like mesh that squirmed.
"What is that..?!"
The caustic scent of dissolving concrete stung my nostrils. I quickened to a bursting sprint, no longer concerned with maintaining stealth.
I booked it for the door. Ten feet, six feet—
[Lethal Sethnic Levels: Drop.]
"What—?!"
I wasn't even able to process the immaterial sound that rang from nowhere when I felt my right leg buckle, making me slip. My hands caught the floor as I heard a sharp whistling sound that sliced the air above me; the movement was so rapid that it disturbed the atmosphere itself, creating a muted rumbling aftersound.
Whiss-Crack!
I twisted to face the threat, barely holding back a scream. One massive cirrus had embedded itself into the wall, causing concrete dust to be released. Its surface rippled as it tried to dislodge itself, but it was to no avail.
Krtek-!
I watched in horror-struck astonishment as it began to deform. The obsidian length bulged and stretched, forming a number of "digits"—they extended like mockeries of human fingers that were too sinuous and articulated, sharpened completely at the fingertips.
The protuberant appendages, extending along the length of the large tendril, flailed, dragging wildly through the air with a terrible speed.
Smash!
Its arced extensions struck against the sword case to my right. The glass shattered, raining crystalline shards across the floor as the carefully-displayed blades were clattered against the ground.
[Right Quadriceps Femoris Re-engaged: Lunge.]
Again, a distant and disembodied voice spoke. Unwittingly, I could feel my previously-mush leg revitalize, tensing up suddenly as it stamped on the floor, pushing with explosiveness.
Swish-Krr!
As I found myself situated between the two armored mannequins, the tendril-hand swept sideways, catching one of the metal racks and sending it toppling with a deafening CRASH!
'Think quick—think quick..!' At this point, if I tried my hand at escaping through the door with that thing's attention on me, I'd surely get flayed.
…I turned my attention to the head-full mannequin. "..."
'I'm sorry, Brime,' I poured every ounce of strength into my arm and tore the helmet off of the mannequin, popping the mannequin's head along with it,₍₂₎
'But it's for my greater good!'
I flung the head-helmet towards the smarmy appendages. In an instant, the hands all stretched back as they immediately leaped for the head, puncturing right through the polycarbonate and other durable materials of the armor and mannequin.
Stab—Crack!
I didn't for long as it started to dismember the mannequin's head, swiftly using my newly granted time to pry the door open, slamming(!) it behind me as I left.
Thump..! skrr…
I could hear the creature slamming itself against the metallic door. I leaned back on the concrete wall, heaving bated pants."Hah… Hah… Hah…"
'I made it out… That voice, who was—'
"—There you are, Tokei. What was that commotion about?"
I heard hurried footsteps and Nanik's urgent voice from my right. Turning, I saw that Nanik and Hilgan had come rushing over from all the way down the gun range.
They arrived in front of me, but before I could say anything or apologize for running off, there was a wriggling(~) noise that came from behind the door.
Seep~...
We all looked over. Thin venules oozed from the narrow slit beneath the door; its movement would've been almost imperceptible had it not been for the corrosive noise it made.
"Kyrrt..!"
It bellowed from seemingly no orifices, followed by a wet susurration.
Before our eyes, the amorphous venules contorted again, morphing into a swarm of chitinous forms. Small, spindly appendages quickly sprouted, until what had been a singular, creeping web had fractured into countless finger-sized spiders, each emerging with a thin vein that connected them back through the slit of the door.
They started to scuttle out in a frenzied, synchronized movement towards us.
"Shit! How did Flowey get out here?!" Hilgan yelled with a panicked voice. Hilgan hurriedly dug into his right pocket, hoisting out his marker. He swung his hand quickly to and fro in the air.
Fwick—Clack-cli~. With a flick of his wrist, the marker cap was sent loose, bouncing and then rolling down along the floor. He then started scribbling hastily onto his left palm.
(ᚦ)
The single glyph that Hilgan drew was different from the previous; it was more jagged, giving a more ancient quality to it. The moment the marker left his hand, the ink seemed to want to disintegrate, sporing off of his palm like a mote-cloud of dust.
He held out his palm towards the spreading mass of arachnids.
"Hagalaz!"
His incantation only seemed to speed up the process of the glyph's dissolution, as it became completely erased.
Now, however, the dusty cloud started to compress overhead, darkening.
Whirr-…
Energy coalesced inside of it, sending out dangerous arcs of electricity that rained on the creature.
Crackle… Bang! Boom!The sound reverberated in the corridor, which was essentially a makeshift echo chamber.
"Rekh..!" The spiders all reeled as they were pelted with lightning, sending smoky bits of tendril-flesh everywhere.
Bang! Boom!
…
The barrage soon quieted, and the clouds lost their cohesion, dispersing.
"Is-is it dead..?" Hilgan retracted his hand and looked warily down at the door.
"No. There's more of it behind there," Nanik responded. He approached the door,
"Stand back, you two."
I didn't question him, taking a few steps behind him, as his focused gaze told me that he was about to do something.
Hilgan, however, seemed to still be fixated on what had just happened, a tinge of fear escaping as he stammered, "W-wait, be caref—!"
"Shut up."
"..." Hilgan couldn't say anything.
BAM! ₍₃₎
Nanik pulled back, and with a powerful shove of his foot, the door was kicked in.
Immediately, a pungent, decaying smell perfused over us. In the room, the horror laid itself bare. The creature was no longer mere tendrils, but it became an entanglement of fibers that branched, covering all surfaces—the walls, ceiling, and floor—in an intricate web that defied logic.
Along the walls, the tendrils had converged at bulbous nodes, some being as large as heads. Some of them had ruptured, revealing gelatinous interiors housing beating hearts; it was spreading, and fast.
"Disgusting."
Nanik's posture shifted. In the moment I'd taken my eyes off of him, he'd manifested into his right hand some metal implement. It gleamed with a red-tinged brilliance, shaped roughly like a slender baton, terminating in two prongs that curved away from each other at the end.
Nanik lifted the prong, and the creature seemed to have sensed Nanik. Its "bodies" became suddenly animated, some trying to withdraw, whilst others slithered forward.
Swing.
Nanik brought the instrument down in a precise arc, its ends barely touching the floor.
Rumble…POOM!
From beneath Nanik's feet, the concrete appeared to liquefy, but instead of flowing out as molten stone, it exploded, flooding out as swirling waves of unearthly flames.
They moved with a myriad of patterns, spiraling with currents of ember, crimson, and a deep, blue hue that bordered on black. It resembled liquid more than fire, creating vortices that spread across the room with supernatural tenacity.
Throoo~!
The mass of tendrils inside herniated violently. Their nodes melted in sequence as the unusual flames engulfed them, unable to utter any cries.
'Urk—Hot, hot!' Although the attack had been directed at the room, me and Hilgan were still washed over with extreme heat, forcing us to shield our faces as the temperature in the room soared.
Roar…The flames continued to dance for several seconds before subsiding, flickering out as though they were never there.
The weapon room had been scorched beyond recognition. Everything, including the metal racks and elevator door, had become mushed as rivulets that combined into now glass-like glazed concrete.
I stared in disbelief whilst Hilgan just gaped his mouth.
Nanik ignored our looks, casually leaning in and closing the messed-up door back up. He then dragged the hand-held implement around the edges of the door, welding it shut before dissipating the instrument.
…
Nanik made me collect samples of the creature in a container that he conjured and welded the other door. Then, we came to the main entrance to confront Hilgan.
Instead of making excuses, Hilgan gave a very deep bow to both me and Nanik. "I'm sorry!"
After my adrenaline-rush had been washed away, my immediate reaction to even looking at Hilgan was anger—I'd nearly lost my life back there, after all. But, amid my fury, I knew I couldn't absolve myself, either; I'd waltzed in there unattended.
I let out a long-drawn sigh. "...Why didn't you tell us about that?"
Hilgan hesitated before revealing the truth. "I… I was afraid that you guys would drop the deal immediately after finding out… Pops entrusted me to sell this within a time frame, and Mr. Iman was the most promising client. I was getting desperate."
'That old man is involved in this debacle, too?' There seemed to be more facets to the friendly bookstore owner than I thought.
I crossed my arms. "Still, that doesn't mean you had to deceive us."
"I know… It's just that—" He swept his hand over his face,
"Flowey wasn't that aggressive when I saw it!" He sounded genuinely upset.
"Someone must've also left the door unlocked… Knew I shouldn't have hired that electrician; I had the elevators tarped over and everything…" Hilgan's voice trailed off, his fingers tapping against his legs as he glanced alternatively between us.
"I suppose that brings our arrangement to a close." Nanik remained surprisingly composed, neither flaring up at Hilgan nor being friendly with him anymore.
"So, the deal is…"
"I'm still purchasing the base." Nanik said.
"...Really?" Hilgan gave him an incredulous look as though he couldn't believe it.
"Yes. Liability or not, this fits exactly what I need. 'Flowey' can be dealt with at a later note. After installing Sethnine barriers, it shouldn't be a problem."
'Are we really calling it that, now? Why'd Hilgan have to give a ferocious thing such a cutesy name?'
Hilgan's downcast expression lifted, his shoulders visibly relaxing. He straightened his posture and smiled brightly at Nanik. "Yes, yes!" Hilgan was delighted.
"You won't regret this! Just for your troubles today—I'll sell it to you for 6,000 Aero; ten percent of the initial offer. Whatd'ya say?"
"I'm fine with that, as long as I get a chat with your father later."
"That can be arranged! Thank you for giving me another chance..! I'm indebted to you this time, really!" Hilgan looked like he wanted to give Nanik a hug, but Nanik just stepped back, instead acknowledging his gratitude by nodding.
"It's nothing. Oh, right. Hilgan, could you give us some room? I need to talk to Tokei."
"Of course, Mr. Iman! Let me know when you and Miss Tokei are done discussing!" We watched Hilgan doing a little victory pump with his fists while walking over to the side.
"…Good going, Tokei."
Nanik's sudden praise baffled me. "What do you mean?"
"You went there because you felt something was off about the room, right? I didn't think you would do anything to push the bet in my favor, but that helped me out quite a lot. Thank you."
"Ahaha, yeah, it was no biggie…" I was going to also apologize to Nanik, but his misunderstanding made me swallow my words.
"Do you still have the container?"
"Yeah." I brought it out. The said "container" was just a solid steel cube—only a couple inches in length—that had no visibility to the inside of it. Nanik had told me that he'd hand this to Eve the next time we meet up with her, but I had a hard time grasping how she was even brought up to begin with.
"How's she supposed to do anything with this?" Isn't she a sorcera that does beauty how-to's?
"She specialized in biology before she became an influencer. She can dissect it for us and tell us what exactly we're dealing with down in the underground."
"Makes sense… Is that all you wanted to say?"
"No. Since I won the bet…"
"Oh… Yeah, true. You did win fair and square; alright, that means I have to consider joining right? Well, I guess I'll do just that, joining—umm, what's the name of the team, exactly?"
"It's called… Shadow Phoenix."
"Interesting… When do I start?"
"Tomorrow. The two of us have a lot of work cut out for us—base should be refurbished by the end of the week."
"Oh, okay—"
I stopped, realizing what Nanik had just said.
"Wait, just us two?"
"Yes."
"Then…"
'It can't be that…' Nanik never mentioned any potential coworkers.
"It's exactly what you're thinking."
"You…"
"Welcome, first member of Shadow Phoenix."
…
Footnotes:
"Dullahan" is referring to the legendary figure, "Headless Horseman", folklore of Ireland.
"Brime's" name is a reference to the character "Brom" from "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving. Although it has similarities to the depiction of Dullahan, they have different derivations.
Author Note: I noticed that this should be explained; the way I change up onomatopoeias to display relative loudness scales like this (quietest to loudest): Ex.EX.Ex.EX.