//------------------------------// // Adventure: You're Hot and You're Cold // Story: My Own Wings // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// Fox, Sunset, and Tricky quickly made their way to Shabunga's shop. "We hear you have something new for sale?" Fox asked curiously as they entered. Shabunga smiled softly. "Well, rumor travels fast," he observed calmly as he floated into one of the side rooms, guiding the group to what looked like a Alpine Root - the preferred food of the Snowhorn Tribe - carved out of gold. "I found this Snowhorn Artifact while searching the Snowhorn Wastes for more of your technology. For you...65 Scarabs." Sunset blinked in shock. "But it says 130 here..." she pointed out, indicating the runes on the pedestal the artifact sat on. "Do you want generosity or not?" Shabunga snapped irritably. "It's not stolen, is it?" Tricky asked worriedly. "Lost and found at worst," Shabunga insisted waspishly. "Do you want it or not?" "We do want it," Fox spoke up firmly, giving Sunset and Tricky a look to silence them both. "Charge it to Sunset's account?" "As usual," Shabunga agreed, marking down the charge as he handed the artifact over. "And is there anything you want us to tell Tink from you?" Fox continued as he put the artifact away. Shabunga hesitated. He then glanced from Fox to Sunset. "...it shows, doesn't it?" he offered awkwardly. "It does," Fox confirmed softly. "At least, to those who know what to look for." "If you actually manage to beat General Scales...bring her here," Shabunga offered softly. "Until then...beat it!" He aggressively shooed the trio out of the shop. Turning, Fox led the children out, much to their confusion. "Let's get back to the Snowhorn Wastes," he stated firmly, giving them a look that told them not to question just now. To his relief, they heeded it. ...at least, about not questioning Shabunga's behavior. "Where are we going?" "Are we there yet?" "Where are we going?" "Are we there yet?" "Slippy, please tell me how to turn the translator on and off," Fox groaned ruefully. "Wouldn't do any good, Sunset knows a translation spell that uses ambient magic instead of her own, and there's more than enough there to use it," Slippy offered apologetically. "...fantastic..." To Fox's relief, the trip to Snowhorn Wastes left the youngsters with little energy to keep up their hijinks once they exited the Hollow. In the Wastes, it didn't take long to find a blue furred Snowhorn who was bemoaning the loss of his 'Gold Root'. On sight of the artifact Fox was carrying, he crowed happily. "My Gold Root! It has been missing for so long...I am so glad you have found it! In return, let me give you the chance to prove yourself." Taking the Root, he caused a Snowhorn Call platform - one of the platforms that responded magically to the Snowhorn call that Fox and Sunset had acquired on the way to the Darkice Mines - to rise out of the snow. "Blow the horn here, and the challenge will begin." Stepping up onto the platform, Fox blew the horn, causing the platform to build up a magic charge that slowly dropped. In his mind's eye, he saw another platform reveal itself elsewhere nearby. "Activate all the platforms to clear the trial," the blue-furred Snowhorn instructed. "Then a new path will open." Fox raced against the clock, activating each platform before the built up magic charge could run out, following the mind's eye picture of the next one as he moved. Sunset attempted to help by making her way to one platform that raised near her, but as accurate as her Snowhorn call was, it did not carry the proper magic to activate the platform. Still, it wasn't long before Fox activated the last platform and a gate opened, revealing a Krazoa Shrine. Seeing that the trial was only just beginning, Fox made his way onto the Warp Pad while Sunset and Tricky waited outside. Before long, Fox returned with the Krazoa Spirit, and the group made their way back to Thorntail Hollow. Once Fox returned from Krazoa Palace, the Warpstone spoke up. "Well done, you three!" he praised happily. "Three Spellstones down, and only one to go! It's time for you lot ta head to Dragon Rock!" "The three Gatekeepers so far have been Snowhorn for Fire, Skyrunner for Air, Earthwalker for Earth..." Sunset began carefully. "So would it be the Lightfoot or the Thorntail for Water? Those are the only two tribes of the alliance organized into a heirarchy of any sort..." "The Gatekeeper for Dragon Rock is closer than ye think!" the Warpstone insisted happily. "Though yer analytical mind will serve ye well in findin' him. One with no voice has much to say." "Doesn't one of the Thorntails barely talk to anyone?" Tricky suggested helpfully. "At least, since General Scales' campaign?" "Oh yeah!" Sunset said eagerly, quickly leading the way to the Thorntail who stood just outside the entrance to the old well. "Let me talk to him," Fox insisted before they got there. "He might have a reason why he hasn't been talking..." "That'd be because I have a lot I don't like talking about," the Thorntail spoke up. "But you need to know now. The truth is...I led a campaign against General Scales back when the war started...but he caught wind of it and crushed our attempt, and three of my friends were imprisoned on Dragon Rock, where the fourth Spellstone now lies." He nodded towards Sunset and Tricky. "And yes, your surmise is correct. Having seen all that you three have proven capable of, I am confident in sending you on your way...to Dragon Rock." Lifting his head, a stream of blue light shot into the sky, joined by matching streams from the other Thorntail in the Hollow and opening a whirlpool of light in the sky. "The path to Dragon Rock is open. Good luck, and please...save my friends." "You can count on it," Fox stated firmly as the group rushed to the Ar-Wing, all three eager and ready as they set course for Dragon Rock.