//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: That Which Doesn't Kill You... // Story: The Reaper // by Blade Trail //------------------------------// As Daring Do flew in a circuit around the ancient temple’s wide ritual chamber, dodging arrows from Ahuizotl’s tribespony lackeys all the while, she scanned the room and wracked her brain for something - anything - that could help her turn the situation around. “Yes, fly while you can, Daring Do! Once the ritual is complete, I will be filled with the power of the air itself!” Ahuizotl shouted while making threatening gestures at his arch-nemesis from the center of the room. “Oh, Ahuizotl. You don’t need to try some fancy ritual. You’re filled with enough hot air as it is!” Daring Do replied. Ahuizotl opened his mouth, but found that he was unable to come up with a suitably witty reply, so he settled for a wordless scream of rage instead. Afterwards, he turned to the unicorn shaman proding the green jade orb on the pedestal behind him. “How much longer until the ritual is complete?” Ahuizotl demanded. “Soon!” the shaman replied, ecstatic. “I can feel the ancient dragons’ power swelling through the Soul of the Wind! They have heard the call!” Daring Do grit her teeth. Despite her banter, the situation was grim. Ahuizotl had thrown everything he had into this plan. He had set more than three times the number of traps he usually did, and that was on top of the traps already built into the temple itself. It also looked like he’d called on every last one of his henchponies to help him this time around. He was going all or nothing, and it looked like it was going to work. Just getting to the ritual chamber had exhausted Daring Do both physically and mentally. She had used every trick in her books to get this far, but she had still arrived way later than she usually did. The ritual to summon the Dragon Lords of the Wind was almost done, and it was all she could do just to keep from getting skewered by spears and arrows. I hate to say it, but he might finally have me this time, Daring thought to herself. On the pedestal, the jade orb glowed brighter, causing the shaman to giggle maniacally. “The Dragon Lords come!” the shaman declared. “Yes!” cried Ahuizotl. “No!” cried Daring Do. Daring Do took a calculated risk and dived. An spear grazed her barrel and an arrow knocked off her pith helmet, but she managed to make it through the tribesponies’ attacks. She made a beeline for the Soul of the Wind. Ahuizotl moved to block her. Just as the two were about to clash, the orb let out a flash of light followed by a shockwave that knocked Daring Do out of the air and knocked everyone else onto the floor. ~~~ Reaper materialized on a pedestal. He was in control of his senses again, but he had no idea how long he had been out, where he had ended up, or how he had gotten there. He looked around and quickly registered that he was in some sort of ancient temple. That was interesting, but hardly surprising. He had been in such temples before. What was surprising was that he was surrounded on all sides by animals - giant, crudely armed, and distinctly unnatural animals. The animals were all getting up from the floor, and all of their eyes were on him. Reaper’s instincts told him that he was in trouble. He gathered from the weapons and positions of the animals that there was a fight going on until just now, and given his hunger’s violent nature and the fact that he was the only non-animal here, he figured that he was the enemy. Most of the animals were some kind of horse, while the biggest one appeared to be a giant blue monkey with an extra hand at the end of its tail. Another genetically modified monkey? Gabriel Reyes’ voice commented in Reaper’s head. Great. Just great. We just reformed, and we’re already dead again. Reaper scowled and materialized his shotguns. No mist accompanied them, and no hunger struck him, but they materialized all the same. He didn’t question it. He didn’t have time. The monkey was about to move. Reaper fired. He saw the pellets shoot out of his gun and impact the giant monkey, but felt...nothing. No relief. No rush as energy flowed into him. Nothing. Not even hunger. For a moment he doubted if his shot really had hit its mark. “Ow!” the monkey cried out. “Shaman! What is the meaning of this? What is this tiny creature that dares attack the great Ahuizotl? Where are the Dragon Lords? Where is the Soul of the Wind?” Great, it talks, Reyes’ voice said. And it’s after the same thing we are. And it shrugged off our shot like it was a minor annoyance. This is going to be the Numbani museum all over again, isn’t it? Reaper growled and resumed his attack. His position on the pedestal meant he couldn’t move, but the sheer size of his target also meant that he couldn’t miss. Shot after shot connected with “the great Ahuizotl”, but they only seemed to make the creature angry. Do we really want to antagonize a monkey the size of a house? Reyes’ voice asked. What if it has primal rage? Just because we can’t die doesn’t mean - oh, here comes the pain! With a cry of rage, Ahuizotl launched himself at Reaper. Reaper tossed aside his now empty guns and reached into the darkness inside him. He felt his body quiver, but he remained whole. Unable to fade into mist and trapped on the narrow pedestal with nowhere to go, Reaper realized that the voice in his head was right: this was going to hurt. Ahuizotl’s massive fist impacted with Reaper’s entire body and sent him tumbling through the air. Pain filled Reaper’s senses, but he did not lose control. There was nothing to lose control to. The hunger did not react. The darkness did not overwhelm. But it was still there. He could feel it repairing the damage to his body even as he fell. What the hell is going on? Reyes’ voice groaned. ~~~ Daring Do darted forward and caught the small black creature before it hit the ground. She didn’t know what it was, but it had attacked Ahuizotl and seemingly foiled his plans when she couldn’t, so she was on its side for now. “Another one of your little friends, Daring Do?” Ahuizotl screamed. “I should have known! You replaced the orb, didn’t you? How did you do it? Where is the real Soul of the Wind?” Daring gave her best coy smile. “A girl’s gotta have some secrets, Ahuizotl! It’s why guys like you are always chasing after me. Or is there some other reason why you’re always just one step behind me?” Daring turned, letting her tail swish suggestively as she did so, and flew towards the exit. Ahuizotl found himself momentarily disoriented by the gesture, and was unable to recover in time to order his henchponies to stop her. With the ritual completed, the temple began to fall apart, as the temples always do. Ahuizotl knew that he had lost again, so it was all he could to let out one last shout before making his own escape. “CURSE YOU, DARING DO!”