The Avatar controlled by the AI (Artificial Intelligence) known as
Probe bows his head and pinches the Bridge of his nose, just as if the
unit was actually experiencing a migraine headache. Probe himself felt
the Cybernetic equivalent of one as he looked up again at the strange cluster
in front of him.
His group was nervously looking back and forth between each other, not
sure what this all meant. The AI had a sinking feeling that HE had a very
good idea what it all meant. It all had been going so WELL, and Probe was
seeing visions of another mission well done….and perhaps his name written
in the history books! The AI wasn't really a glory hound, but was as prone
to wanting to make a name for himself…..to be famous and admired just as
the next guy, mechanical or biological.
It had happened thusly……
"So you want to leave this small….."thermonuclear" hand grenade behind
and detonate it in case we can't bring Minestus to heel? By this 'remote
control' built into the thing?" Fred asks, with an odd smile. "An insurance
policy of sorts?"
"Well, yes." Probe says, puzzled. He'd expected the manfox to be…..less
calm about this? After all, he had come here to the Southern Cavern in
the hopes to finding a cure. If the device was used, it was a sure bet
that whatever answers to his quest would be burned away. The saving grace
to this crime was that it was sure, according to Synizn, be a fatal blow
to the dragon they were now hunting!
"Well," Fred says. "I'd rather we just blow this place and then finish
what is left of Minestus once and for all!"
The adventurers are looking at Fred funny. Fred actually laughs ands
explains as Probe sets his grenade, a device who's design came from a place
called France (and the running joke was that a soldier of that time couldn't
throw the dang thing far enough to be safe from detonation). The AI could
throw it hard and far enough to not be caught in the detonation, but it's
actually primary use was for more surgical strikes where mere high explosive
plastique wouldn't do!
"But…..," Alicia asks, suddenly confused. "I thought you wanted to
be human again!" She had been ready to rejoin Fred, not out of a burning
desire to actually BE human, but rather out of the sense of love she had
for her sometimes confusing (but lovable) husband. She rather liked being
a vixen, some of the reason being the heightened reflexes, strength, endurance,
and senses. She loved how a simple "scritching" behind her ears was just
as pleasurable as a deep body message! But the deepest thing she would
miss being a humanoid vixen was…..it would be something like a divorce
from the Pack, a group of people who'd she'd come to love as a family.
But she'd give it all away just to be with Frederigo because that was how
their relation was. Now, though…….something had changed. She feared for
Fred's sanity.
"It's simply this," Fred chuckles. "It finally dawned on me why I
wanted to be human again. I wanted to go back and protect what was left
of Allaria. Live up to my vows of knighthood and all that. But now……there's
no reason at all." The last part is delivered in a sad voice.
"So," Fred finally finishes after a pause, on a less depressed note.
"I will now go and live up to my vows of knighthood as a manfox…..protecting
the Pack from Minestus and all who would harm us. It no longer makes me……anxious
to think of my children walking through life with a tail.
"Just as long as I walk through life with you," Fred says tenderly
as he hugs Alicia. She hugs back and their tails entwine. A gentle cough
breaks the mood.
"I'm really sorry to interrupt," says Probe regretfully. "But we're
ready to go. I just hope that Minestus doesn't have another ace up his
sleave!"
The group huddled together to be within the reflective gaze of the
mirror. Fred does the honors:
…….Mirror, mirror on the wall…………
…….Take us quickly to that fall………..
…….Don't be slow, and don't sass……..
…….We're going to kick Minestus' a**……….
Probe is the only one who blinks at the last part, surprised at Lord
Frederigo's language. The others know exactly why Fred said it. They feel
like having a little "fun" with the wyrm themselves!
The group lands hard, and Probe is the first back on his feet (the
beast men being a close second).
"MINESTUS!!" screams Synizn, pointing at a human in dark robes holding
a bloody dagger to the nonexistant light above. The manbear begins to chant
something, but the AI can see that the figure in front of him appears to
be about done with whatever he's doing.
Reasoning that the dark man completing his spell would be a bad thing,
Probe grabs one of his favorite --nonleathal-weapons, pulls the pin and
throws it at the corpse of the Duke of Suffex (an apparent human sacrifice).
Minestus screams in agony as the flash of light and the explosion
blind and deafen him. He is also screaming because he was distracted during
a crucial point in the transference. He feels the spell slip out of control
and mutate into something he never intended it being. It reaches out….and
drags several nearby parallel inhabitant that just happen to be in the
vicinity of a Crystallic…..to this fell city of Atlantis. The dark man
falls in a boneless heap, stunned by a combination of spell shock and the
effects of the grenade! His body, no longer quiet under his control for
the momment, reverts to it's natural, default form. As his furry companions
rub their eyes in pain, he begins to chant a solemn set of verses used
only on those who are capture, and deemed too dangerous to let live. Oh,
from the hurried discussion with the bear mage, the wyrm would not immediately
die…..but in his weakened…..near death state…..interrogation should be
as simple as pie for the intel AI (who wouldn't be shy about using whatever
means necessary to gain information on a cure for the Phage)! But, Probe
was a traditionalist, with the rest of his "family" blaring through the
Avatar's PA system (built into the unit's stomach of all places) set up
a chant that echoes throughout the submerged city:
"...Careful what ye say... someone could get burned...burned...burned...
what ye say... there be a fire in words... a fatal fire in words... what
ye say... careful... could get... burned... the pain can be eternal....
burned... fatal... burned... because once ye say it... say it... say it...
ye can't really take it back... back... burned... burned... back... take
it back."
That having been said……
"Learn to burn, Minestus!" whispers Probe fiercely as he pushes a
button on his radio, for the near extinction of one intelligent race…..and
the death of his human comrades in arms of Shuttlecraft 12. Books, swords,
and the ruins of an ancient race's magical tool are vaporized in a miniture
imitation of the sun. Now, since dragons are mystically linked with their
treasure.... and their lifeforce is measured by the ammount of treasure
their is in the lair..... The shock of the sudden destruction hits Minestus
like a sledgehammer at the base of his spine!
The maninmals eyesight clears just in time to see the now fully formed
ebony dragon's body suddenly jacknifes. It trembles and a drawn out whimper
comes from the beast (Well, what is is actually a failed attempt at a scream
that can't quiet…..make it past the locked jaws of the dragon). A weak
flame fizzles from the dragon's nostrils, and the dragon collapses. Ragged…..shallow
gasps of air can be heard from the beast before them. Tears of black blood
run from the pain glazed eyes. They focus on the figures before him, and
hatred can be seen in them. The dragon tries to speak….cast a spell….rise
and smash them! But…..he can't. He feels the coldness of death approaching….and
is suddenly racked by a fit of coughs. Only bouts of smoke come from the
weak coughs.
A sudden gurgling scream causes the adventurers to jump nearly out
of their skins (synthetic or furry). "Jesus!" Pall shouts in shock. "Did
you hear that scream, Fred?! Synizn, do you have anything prepared for
what might have caused that?"
"Of COURSE!" a Synizn shoutes, annoyed at such a silly question (and
just as unnerved as the rest of the adventures).
"Quiet!" Fred hisses out. Commanding for quiet! "We need to be quiet
or else whatever just caused that scream might pay US a visit!"
The others nod in agreement, and are about to look for a defensible
position. Probe sighs and looks for a position to quickly snuff out the
approaching danger (so as to be able to return and begin interrogating
the damn wyrm). All stop when they suddenly sense…..they are being watched.
The adventurer turn to find…..they are being watched by…..a surprised
pair of people!
Fred, Astra, Willian, and Synizn look sandbagged, because they recognize
the faces!
"How…..," Fred begins, then tries again. "Who are you people?!"
"Should have never kept my eyes off of that dragon." mutters Probe.
"Never should have happened.
-
 Point of view change..........
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