//------------------------------// // Final Frontier... // Story: The Adventure Continues // by Dragon Shimmer //------------------------------// Upon viewing the magnificent mountaintop shrine, the adventurers are mesmerized. Detailed frescoes and elaborate carvings decorate the building's exterior. Though they try hard to stay focused on their task, the team can't resist looking around. Natalie and Anna scan the route for traps while Lance sends Captain Eldaro a progress report. With the help of his red sword, Matt sends out pulses of earth magic into the path ahead to clear any booby traps. Overhead, Sunset circles the towers with Nolegs checking for any hidden monsters. Despite the danger, they playfully fly under the series of elegant archways before rejoining their friends. Finally, everyone ascends the last flight of stairs together and passes under a grand portico into an enormous entrance hall. Anna is especially delighted gazing at the beautiful artwork while pretending to scout for danger. Almost all of the interior sanctuary is composed of one long straight hallway. As Matt approaches the top of the stairs, he takes a moment to admire the view. Snow-capped mountains are adorned with wispy clouds punctuated by jagged pieces of dark gray rock. When the swordsman whistles, he notices that it takes a lot more effort than usual. Matt moves his hand over his heart and notices he is breathing hard for traveling such a short distance. Turning around he observes the rest of the team except for Sunset having similar issues. In Matt's estimation, this hall will lead to the godcats, but first, everyone must take time to rest. The swordsman likes to joke around but his observation is sharper than his weapons. The others are suffering in the thinner atmosphere at the top of the peak. In spite of the others' attempts to seem fine, Matt noticed they were also holding their chests in discomfort. Sunset is slightly ahead of the others running some diagnosis spells. Fighting to hide their fatigue, Anna and Matt walk up casually to their friend. The dragon acknowledges them with a nod. “The godcats must truly love this place.” There is a lot of time and energy invested into these preservation spells." Sunset remarks with discreet reverence as she gently touches the hall, "Good news and bad news though…" “Oh boy…” sighs Matt. “I really don’t like it when you say that.” As the archer uses her carving knife to loosen a strap on her shoe, she leans up against a pedestal. “We could use some good news,” Anna says. “Besides at least we are all finally out of that chilly wind. This hall does a great job of protecting us against the elements. Those tents are comfortable, but the biting air just seeps into everything after a while.” “Well….” Sunset replies as she scratches the back of her head. “That is part of the problem.” Sunset turns towards her companions and gestures at the elaborate interior. Anna and Matt look around for answers. “What do you mean? This building is perfectly unspoiled… It’s like the cats left it only yesterday. There are no cracks or deterioration even after hundreds of years," Anna states. Turning to an artwork featuring a school of blue fish. “Look, the paint is not even faded.” The archer accentuated her point by pointing to the creation with her knife. Although the green-haired girl is somewhat animated in her gesture, she stumbles forward. Anna cries out as her blade hits the decorated wall… “This is an amazing spell! Looks like a hybrid protection barrier combined with a defense spell." Natalie noted once the undamaged surface is examined. “So that's why my knife bounced off the painting without leaving a mark?” asked the still-amazed Anna. Natalie responds, "Yes." “Ok, so is there a magic shield around this entire hall?” asks Lance. “Ah, this is going to be a bigger problem than the trench fight with ye golems. Also the Valkyrie tank team wouldn’t be able to back ya up in case o trouble.” “What! So we’re TRAPPED? Oh, no! What are we planning to do? What if the cats attack while we're asleep? What if we cannot escape? What if…” Anna’s rant was suddenly stopped by Natalie’s and Nolegs's comforting hugs. Sunset adds. “Well I guess you could punch a hole in the shield, but it would take a lot of magic and effort. But we would still have nowhere to go but down as this site is on a cliff…” Matt tells the dragon, "Except you Sunset, you have wings while the rest of us don't." Sunset teases him, "Jealous~, I hope that you like the extra weights on your back." Taking a look down the gallery, Matt rolls his eyes. “Fine… I get it. Well, (sigh) I guess this means our team is not about to get lost.” Says Matt. “Well under the circumstances, there is only one clear task ahead of us.” “Eh, Matt?” asks Anna nervously. “Why am I holding this?” The archer looked as perplexed as the rest of the team relaxing around the fire. She appreciates the team stopping after such a challenging journey. It still smells of the meal they just ate. No one said much about Matt's antics as everyone is just too tired to question the sudden introduction of these items. As Anna looks around she reminisces about all of the different places the team had camped. “This place is without a doubt the strangest of all the places we've been to so far, including the jungle, ice caves, lava plains, and a waste treatment plant.” After a brief glance at her friends, Sunset walks over to Matt with a slight hint of concern in her eyes. In search of additional items, the swordsman rummages through his hammer-space bags. There is only an occasional random item that he throws out that seems to capture his attention. “Matt what are you doing? Don’t tell me you are still mad about Lance and Nolegs jumping you while preparing dinner earlier?” “Yes, I’m still mad they stole my supply of super vitality supplements. If we are going to be fighting the godcats then our team is going to need all the power we can get. But this," said Matt, gesturing to the group, "is a much more important recharge… for our spirits!” “After knowing you for this long Matt, I am not even able to question why you have an entire barrel of concentrated garlic in your pack or have brought a variety of musical instruments on a quest to save the world.” Replied Sunset in astonishment. “But... this may not be a good time for a sing-along.” “What do you mean, Sun-girl?” Matt asks, spinning around in an excited manner. “This IS the time when music is needed most!” “I don’t know about this…” Mutters Sunset uncomfortably. The dragon steps back with a pose generally reserved for monster skirmishes as Matt jumps in front of her with a massive grin. “Besides I don’t have an instrument like everyone else.” “Of course not, you don’t silly! You’re not playing an instrument, you are going to sing.” Announces the overly enthusiastic teammate. “Eh… Ssssi… WHAT?” Cries the astonished dragon. The rest of the team duck for cover behind the cooking pot as fire leaks from the sides of the dragon's mouth. “That’s right!” the oblivious swordsman exclaims as he shoves a piece of music into her claws before distributing the rest. The rest of the team looks down at items currently in their possession. Anna has a guitar, Lance has a drum, Natalie has a flute, and Nolegs has a tambourine wrapped around his head. In the meantime, Matt has taken out a baton. At this point, no one wanted to question where the conductor's uniform had come from. Anna and Lance are about to say a few words to Matt, however, Natalie stops them. They notice Sunset staring intently at her music sheet. Several minutes pass without any sound from the dragon. Finally, Sunset snaps out of her stupor just enough to turn her teary eyes toward her friend. After an impressive effort, the dragon manages to gasp. “How?” Matt’s jubilant face becomes more serious. “Sunset, I always hear you mumbling in your sleep about home. When you first appeared in our world you were singing this tune when you thought no one was around… so I wrote it down. It's probably not the best copy and a few parts are guesswork. But I think it’s about time you performed the song properly and aloud.” No words were exchanged as Sunset and Matt wrapped each other in a hug. For the first time in centuries, a joyous melody reverberated inside the ornate hall alongside a song from another world. Music. Diana loved it. It is the ultimate expression of emotion. When listening to music her once bland lonely existence transforms into a beautiful landscape of color and movement. Wrapped in her dream world the snowy cat allows the soothing melody to carry her senses away. Diana purrs contently as she floats back and forth in the gentle tune’s wave. Another creature is also in her dream, but the figure is blurry. As the second being approaches, it extends a loving paw toward her. An invitation to dance. Diana shyly extends her paw toward her partner. Suddenly the cat pulls back. Scales cover the once furry paw. Claws break out of the ivory appendage as it slowly approaches closer and closer… A loud cry breaks the peace in Diana’s room. It is a splendid chamber decorated with the finest cat-made furnishings. A luxurious woven quilt decorated with silken embroidery and an elaborate fringe lay crumpled on the floor. This fabric once covered an iconic feline, but its task is now much more difficult due to its current state. Ripped apart by a sharp set of claws and thrown haphazardly about the room. The figure beneath the remnants slowly awakens. After removing her shredded bedspread, Diana gets up slowly. A soft chuckle escapes her as the cat realizes she has fallen out of bed. “Well, I am awake now.” Sighs Diana as she stretches. “At least Amelia didn’t see me destroying things in my sleep again. I haven’t done this kind of thing since I was a kitten. Oh, I would never have heard the end of it. Plus that was my favorite cover.” The cream-colored feline levitated herself into the other room in search of another warm quilt. The room is dark except for the all-seeing orb. The soft light of the sphere seems to pulse in time to the moving melody emulating from it. Diana is surprised as she did not remember leaving it set to active. Despite her tiredness, the music piqued her curiosity. While swiping over the sphere to enlarge the scene, her paw trembles slightly. Undoubtedly an extraordinary cat must be singing such a tender melody. The cat was stunned by the revelation. It was …the dragon-thing! How? How could that creature have such a soothing voice? Diana slowly spun in a circle trying to comprehend this new issue. "Another dragon, why are my foes always dragons?" she thinks. "It started this way the other time too..." Suddenly her concentration is broken by a loud noise followed by a quick tempo jig. Immediately, the godcat set the orb to mute in order to keep her sister from being disturbed. Just to make sure, the god cat slips into her sister Amelia’s room. A soft smile graced Diana’s face at the sight. The godcat, clutching the instruments for the upcoming machine and several empty bags of catnip energy snacks, is asleep on her desk. Gently, Diana levitates her sister onto the bed and tucks her in. Her happy sister's purring fills Diana with affection, but she knows her dream will soon come to an end. Soon the challengers would arrive. Just like before. Many leagues away is an equally tired Captain Eldaro. After the last surprise attack, he ordered the scout drones to the maximum altitude for added safety. However this does not lessen the crew’s anxiety. Eldaro shifts in his chair while contemplating how to effectively balance the latest report in one hand and an extra-large mug of coffee in the other. A creak from the door snaps Eldaro out of his deep thoughts as a familiar person enters. "Hello." Says Sabrina with a slightly fatigued smile. “Just checking to see how you were doing. Did you need any more coffee?” “Ugg! No more coffee, please…” replies the slightly uneasy Captain. “Any more and I will be able to fill the bathtub.” “Good news. No issues are reported by the ground crew and the repairs are almost complete. Also, the crew reloaded the sniper tank in record time and are on high alert,” replied Sabrina in a slightly uncomfortable tone. “But everyone seems to be on edge.” “Of course, they are on edge. Where do you think this tidal wave of coffee came from? Says Eldaro holding his cup up with a sigh. “Before you arrived, I think every officer on board came to my office bearing papers, apology faces, and pots of slow-roasted beans.” The captain leans back in his chair to reveal a small hill of stacked cups. “Is the pressure always like this?” Sabrina asks. The queen seemed nervous. “The uncertainly after a difficult fight?” “Yes. The waiting is the most difficult part.” Responded Eldaro. His head slightly bent downwards before he continued. “I forgot how frustrating it was to wait. Those younger pups that thought we were being too cautious before hopefully now understand the importance of never underestimating the enemy. This may have been their first real battle. Now they… no not them... all of us... have to learn patience or in some cases relearn it. However in the end it will benefit us all.” “True. Some of us who were lax before are now finally understanding how serious this is.” Sabrina raised her beverage mug to Eldaro’s. "Yes, time to deal with the pause and the tension, just like everyone else." Eldaro places his paper down on the table as if the surface were made of glass. “Oh Eldaro, I may not be an expert about tanks, demons, and battling godcats but I do understand how you feel." Declares Sabrina confidently. Gliding over to the table, she sits down on the opposite chair as if it were a gilded throne. The Queen starts to pick up the partially empty cups on Eldaro’s side and move them closer to herself. "To have people constantly watching your every move, but criticizing every one you make. Random strangers with overly high expectations waiting with bated breath for your every word who expect you to have the right answers to all the world’s problems. Leaders are expected to be infallible but we are only mortals." The Captain and the Queen exchange understanding expressions. “Point taken.” Sighs Eldaro. “Sometimes I feel the troops can observe me even through the walls. It’s even more frustrating now that I have proved my suspicions to be right.” “It’s like being empowered and helpless at the same time?” Added Sabrina. Eldaro nodded so she continued. “When I first took the throne, you were always telling me about the importance of not only radiating inspiration and confidence but also having a neat outer appearance. Well, it’s about time you took your own advice.” “So… I need a shower?” replied Eldaro. “Yes, with water, and I would advise some sleep too. It will help relieve those puffy red eyes. When people see our leader resting, they may understand it is ok for them to relax too during their down periods.” Suggested Sabrina. The queen turned her head to the sea of coffee cups. Eldaro slowly looked at the dark liquid-ringed papers that filled his already cluttered table. “Nap in the tank?” “Deal!” “Wow! Thank you again Sunset!” Remarked Anna. “That song was so beautiful.” "No, thank you so much!" replied Sunset joyfully. Harmonious melodious is my favorite song. It means a lot to me that everyone has listened to my mediocre singing. It took me a long time to realize how much I needed to release those bottled up emotions. My apologies for being so moody." “We all needed to let off some steam. All right Matt, you were right about us needing a break,” Natalie added. Nolegs hopped up and down. Anna and Lance nodded in agreement. Anna shivered nervously as she observed the hall's statues. “No offence to the artisan cats, but this place is a bit creepy after dark.” “Well then let's do something about that!” Says Sunset. They shout together as they raise their instruments. Strange shadows move across the large hall originating from a fire and several floating fireballs. They are the only lights now that illuminate an extraordinary scene. Joyful music emanates from a guitar and flute duet. A blue cat somehow keeps time to the music while simultaneously playing a tambourine and dancing with a dragon. A pair of normally muscular and imposing figures is sitting on either side of the players, clapping to the music. "That was so fun" Anna laughs, "It’s been a long time since we have all just relaxed. I've been so focused on the mission that I forgot we're on an adventure." The first watch is taken by Sunset so the team can rest. Even though she feels better than she has in years, she is a bit envious of her friends who are napping peacefully nearby. To counter the high altitude, Natalie cast a custom healing spell, but it took some time to fully work. A chuckle escaped the dragon's lips as she saw Lance asleep hugging his technology pack. His walkie-talkie crowned the stack. When Sunset turned to walk the perimeter of the camp, she did not notice the unit was on. Thousands of leagues away, a figure in a tank smiles. The rest of the night passes without incident. As she is still trying to process the cat's power, Sunset is more than happy to take the watch. “Anna is right,” the dragon ponders, “this place is creepy at night. It must be affecting me more than I thought. My exile hasn’t bothered me in years.” Sunset tries to calm the energies swimming inside her by looking at the artwork. She shutters involuntarily watching the moving shadows with her improved night vision. Although Sunset studied as a mage, the now dragon secretly dreams of being a painter. Her footsteps echo across the empty hall. Many of the newer-looking paintings subjects show playful kittens but are overshadowed by the heavily carved gothic arches with figures that look more like gargoyles. Lance is the first to be alerted by the perimeter alarm. With his prepared pack in hand, the experienced gunner rolls over to awaken everyone. He is surprised to see them already stirring. There is a glowing figure flying toward the group, but after a moment of tension, it is revealed to be Sunset in her fire form. The only signal the team needs is her worried face. Nolegs hisses and tries to pull Anna down the corridor. Suddenly portals appear over their heads, causing them to scurry down the hall. Anna glances back to see their former campsite covered in boulders. Team members dodge spikes and meteors rained down by additional gateways. As a result, the archer becomes distracted enough to land beneath a spike. Just in time, Sunset pushes her friend out of the way. Anna screams when she sees Sunset get hit. Soon part of the team is resting behind a large pedestal, guarded by Lance. Seeing her friend get hit gives Anna a panic attack. To aid in recovery, Natalie is rubbing Anna’s back. The pair is dwarfed by the gunner in his full combat gear. His experience allows him to remain calm. After the stones stop falling, there is an eerie combination of sounds emanating from the settling stones, rubbing plates in Lance’s armor and static from the walkie-talkie. “That’s it Anna. Take deep breaths.” Says Natalie. Lance involuntarily smirks watching his two friends Sunset and Matt fighting against a mini tornado. Nolegs is behind them chasing a large moth. The battle ends with Sunset slicing the storm in two with "Wyvern Slash" in annoyance. “Only with this group is this a normal occurrence…” The team has regrouped further down the gallery. Anna is looking apologetically at Sunset who responds with a warm smile. Nolegs is back in his pouch on her back with a large smile and a full belly after successfully dispatching his winged foe. “Pretty clever of those godcats. The stones were real but the spikes were illusions.” Says Matt. Anna blurted out, "They seemed real to me." Her face turned bright red as she quickly covered her mouth. Anna abruptly stops and Nolegs pops his head. She quickly puts her finger to her lip and carefully looks around the area. "Oh, I know that look." Matt grabs his sword. “Heads up everyone.” An odd noise is emanating from down the hall. Nothing appears even as the noise gets closer. Sunset closes her eyes to cast a second-sight spell. It reveals a strange cloud that is two mana rivers combined. Natalie is quickly signaled for a spell by the dragon. Clouds appear as the mage creates a soft rain to fall, exposing a bird-shaped outline. Anna and Nolegs quickly attack the figure, revealing an odd white bird wearing a hat. As the uncloaked creature hits the floor, it suddenly shatters into numerous smaller birds. Lance quickly dispatches many of the fowls but some of the monsters scatter and camouflage themselves. A better plan is hatched by Natalie, who funnels the birds into a small ball by using her cloud-shaping spell. The mage pushes the flock towards her awaiting teammate. A short burst of dragon fire eliminates the threat. “Roasted chameleon birds!” exclaims Matt excitedly. “Yum. Yum.” “This will taste delicious with the leftover cactus.” Adds Anna in anticipation. Matt nodded, "we just need some slime." He slid behind Lance and reached into his pouch. "...and some special energy enhancement." An instant later, Lance turns to Matt and gives him a warning look. A guilty expression appears on the swordsman's face. Anna's face turns green when she imagines eating slime, then she glares at Matt, "Suddenly I’m not so hungry anymore." "Bah! You guys have no appreciation for fine food...” responds Matt. Sunset recruits Matt and Lance to help her place the statues back on the pedestals under the excuse that they are checking for stray birds. The others secretly admire the surrounding statues. Some pieces of art are not protected by the same spell that protects the building. As a result of the recent battle, artwork has been knocked over and damaged. As the rest of the team picks up the birds, they discreetly tidy up the hall. As their stomachs settle, the group travels deeper into the realm of the god-cats. Despite walking for a while, they don't encounter any monsters. However, the hall is very quiet. Sunset feels herself becoming nervous again. With only her thoughts and footsteps echoing in her ears, she finds it increasingly difficult to dismiss her feelings. In order not to think of the endless statues watching her, the dragon pinches herself. As the team reaches the top of some stairs, the hall changes into an expansive open courtyard decorated with a mosaic floor. After spending so much time inside, the bright sun is dazzling. Despite Matt's leadership, the swordsman fails to notice a switch on the floor due to the sudden change in light. There is no time to react, as the illusion on the floor dissipates to reveal a magic circle in its place. Magic walls rise up to form a square-shaped cage complete with a roof. Several team members try to break the cube's barriers but with no success. Above the trap, another magic circle appears and begins to drop knives. Suddenly the walls begin to grow spikes and the entire energy prison begins to shrink. Natalie and Sunset put up a circular protective shield that disintegrates incoming projectiles. Projectiles continue to strike despite the combined barrier. “Gunner 1, Gunner 1. This is Valkyrie C. Do you copy?” Among the din of the continued attacks, Lance hears a new voice on his walkie-talkie. “Our scanners are registering a large energy source in your vicinity. Please move south to avoid.” “Ah!” Groans Lance. Using his hand, the gunner mutes the unit’s crackling speakers. He gives the other adventurers a stern look. “Not a peep out of any of ye… (Throat clearing) Valkyrie C please stand by.” “It's really dangerous out here, so we have to get out of this trap. This spell is not indefinite.” Says Sunset. “You’re right Sunset. Anna, do you have any more blank enchanted arrows?” Natalie asked. “Yes. Why?” asked Anna “We should be able to break the barrier with an arrow charged with earth magic as it has been arranged in a loop. This should overload the barrier and cause it to break apart.” Says Natalie. “Wow! Let’s do it!” responds Anna. Matt is given a reinforced arrow by the archer in order to cast the earth's magic incantation. A rock-smasher-infused arrow is difficult for Anna to control. Despite her best efforts, the archer cannot keep her hands from shaking. It is fortunate that Nolegs assists in steadying her arm so that the shot flies exactly where it should. It turns out that the trap spell has more power than the two mages anticipated, so they must reinforce the dome-shaped shield in order to safeguard everyone. Upon collapsing, the enchantment sends shockwaves that knock nearby pillars over, causing dirt clouds and piles of debris to fall. The only thing left standing after the dust settles is the team. "Great job everyone!" Announces Matt. "Now let's move before anything else happens. You two can drop the spell now." "But we've already canceled it," Natalie replied. "Um, is the shield supposed to be solid like this?" asked Anna timidly. Taps from the players reverberate out on the compacted shield. “Gunner 1, Gunner 1. This is Valkyrie C. We heard some commotion. Do you need some assistance?” Crackled Vince’s walkie-talkie. The gunner's groan was joined by the rest of the adventurers. "Well... now we know what it feels like to be a hamster, “Matt huffs,” Looks like we have to move this... sphere around." “The shockwave must have combined the spells. We will just need to wait for the magic to dissipate.” Says Sunset. "And how can we move?" Anna asks as Lance and Matt step forward, making the ball move a bit. Anna glares when she trips over her teammates' feet. "Hey, at least you should give me a warning." The team attempts to stand but slip frequently on the sphere's steep sides. Anna senses another attack approaching so encourages urgently on getting to safety. Finally, a coordinated strategy is developed to move the ball. Not a moment too soon as a pair of giant red golems appear halfway across the courtyard. They are accompanied by a cloud of chameleon birds. The golems soon spot the trapped group. The ground begins to tremble as they move towards them. Raising a spiked club high, the first monster charges at the sphere. The team tries desperately to evade, but they are too slow. After a squishy thud, the team finds themselves surrounded by red clay pieces. As a result of the monster's attack rebounding off the shield, the club is now embedded in the golem's head. The powerful beast disintegrates into a mound of clay. After its companion is defeated, the second monster attacks undeterred. The second golem pulses with light and transforms into a tank. Several cannons are fired at the team, but they cannot penetrate the overcharged shield. Detonations cause the team to be jostled around inside due to the attack. Seeing no results from its first assault, the cannon monster rhythmically continues firing. As the ball is jerked around the team is repeatedly piled together. Despite their best efforts, the team cannot stay out of each other's way. “Ah, you’re heavy!” “Get your leg out of my face." “Meow!” “Ow! That’s my tail.” “Gunner 1, Gunner 1…” “AH! THAT’S IT!” screams Natalie. He grabs the walkie-talkie and yells, "FIRE!" Several high-pitched whistles announce the incoming explosions that rock the area. Soon the courtyard is pocked with craters. The monster itself takes a direct hit and is scattered all over the area. As the fragments fall, they decimate the flock of birds. A few golem pieces also land on the shield but they have no effect on its inhabitants. The remaining birds that dive at the team are disintegrated. Things slowly calm down. Lance manages to pull back the walkie-talkie to order a cease-fire from the remote tank crew. Shortly thereafter, the spell mercifully stops. Flopping on the ruined ground, the exhausted group of teammates sigh in relief. From a cramped and hot environment, the cool mountain air is a welcome relief. Everyone is so grateful no one says a word for a long time. “You know what?” Says Matt “I’ve learned something very important today…” “Oh?” Asks Sunset who is still short of breath. “We need a bath.” Replied Matt.