It was a sunny day in Japan near the entrance of one very dangerous looking cave entrance. So nice in fact that Gina Digger was having afterthoughts about going from a so nice place to a creepy, dark, cold and most certainly traps filled dungeon.
But it was a necessity, the possible treasure rumored to lay here, a powerful staff, whose abilities were to increase a hundred fold any form of energy going trough it, would be a really incredible discovery for her carrier as well as a big help in creating that hyperdrive that they were still lacking to finish the spaceship that would lead them to Aebra and to Strypp.
Well, at last she was not alone, her two sister having choose to go with her, Brittany because anything to take her mind of the image of a dying Strypp was a very good plan and Brianna because that kind of expedition generally offer a lot of targets to blow up in incredible fire (and plasma too come to think of it) display of destruction.
« So…that’s the place ? Don’t look that impressive to me. » Said the gun-wielding lycanthropoid in a bored tone.
« Neither was Dreadwing place from the outside, but that change quickly afterward… » Replied Gina curtly while checking her equipment, battery failure and other little misshape wouldn’t do if the place was as dangerous that the rumors said.
« Can we go in now ? Were losing time. » Gina quickly nod to Brittany, all too aware of her more and more shortening patience ever since Strypp (and the entire city of El Dorado for that matter) disappear without a trace.
Brittany was felling edgy, a all too common occurrence lately, but for once, it wasn’t because of Strypp. The cave they were about to enter…it was reeking of darkness and malevolence, like some of the more sinister and dangerous crypts that she had explore with Gina in the last years.
Finishing with her armada of gadgets, Gina gave a nod toward Brianna who promptly take the lead of the little party of adventurers, her battle armor deployed and plasma riffle at the ready.
It was 5 minutes latter that the heavy, boring and oppressive silence was broken by Brianna who was still wondering the reason of that little exploration since her sister dearest STILL had to explain it to her and Brittany.
« So…what’s the big prize this time anyway ? Untold amount of treasure ? New unknown civilization ? »
« Magical artifact actually…a staff suppose to boost energy source to a ridiculously big amount of power. But unfortunately, No one seem to know what kind of energy can be use. » Answered Gina while checking the surrounding with her scanner and torch.
Brittany didn’t comment the conversation, far too engrossed in the felling of imminent doom making her fur stand on end like never before. It was like a 6th sense in a way, a result of her werecheetah nature that apparently hadn’t be pass down to Brianna during the cloning process.
It was the same felling than inside Dreadwing lair, the same felling just before she and Gina end up cursed, the felling that had take her just before Strypp disappear.
She really hate that felling.
The Digger sister were still walking down in the darkness of the cave, wondering if there anything else here than the monotonous rock walls mushrooms after 20 good minutes.
Which explain why they were rather surprise when the cave suddenly leaved place to a chamber worthy of a palace. A ceiling disappearing in the darkness at 30 feet high minimum, grand columns engraved with representation of mystic being, epic quests and divinities, a polished obsidian floor to the point you could see your reflection on it…no, that wasn’t right…the reflection weren’t coming from the floor itself, but from the layer of ice covering it.
In fact there was a whole lot of ice here, covering the floor, some of the columns, forming columns of their owns or ice shards here and there…yep, a whole lot of ice alright…and strangely the temperature on Gina sensors was of 10°C, far too hot for ice to form like that particularly in so great structures.
There was only one word to describe the place.
« Jinkies ! »
No need to explain from who came that exclamation.
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However, what Gina was completely unaware of and Brittany only slightly thank to her 6th sense, was that they were far from being alone.
Yes, because their mere presence was now awakening a being that would have been better left sleeping for all eternity.
He could feel them from his deep prison of ice, 3 life forms, exuding the chi he so desperately need in order to break that trice accursed seal and at last proclaim his greatness to rest of world…before of course turning it to ash for daring opposing him.
Well, alright, there had been only one guy to oppose him, true, but he had been one major pain in the butt, going so far has sealing himself in the ice alongside his nemesis.
Fucking human and their moral sense, their honor…
But now, these young humans, females if his chi-detecting ability didn’t trick him and they never trick him when females were concerned, were coming closer and closer to his throne room, feeding him more and more chi to break the seal with.
Yes, for the first time since his imprisonment, he was delightfully happy…and impatient to make the rest of the world know it.
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« It shouldn’t be possible ! »
« You’re such a nerd Gina » was the dual reply coming from both of Gina’s sisters, making their opinions quite clear about the subject at hand…not that that deter Gina in anyway.
« How can you say that ? From the scan, that ice is made of water, no problem here, but the room temperature is 10°C too high for any ice to form, it is absolutely not natural ! » Replied the over agitated archeologist, waving her arms around to illustrate her point.
« Gina, dear sister of mine… » Began Cheetah in a all too condescending tone of voice. « Look at me, I am a werecheetah, our other sister was suppose to be an inanimate blob of DNA waste coming from us… »
« Hey !!! » Cried the affronted lycanthropoid.
« …that was suddenly given its own life force and soul by a curse, our father is an archmage, our mother is the Arm-Master of a completely different realm and we ourselves get regularly in life or death situation were the world at large is in the balance…do you think that’s ‘natural’, like situation, hum ? » Finished the werecheetah, looking down toward her nerdy sister.
« Well…from that point of view…eheh… » Embarrasly replied the archeologist.
« Good, now get moving, that place give me the creeps… »
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Not far from them, encased in high in his prison of ice, another being stir, sleep slowly drifting away from him.
He had been held here by his own device for years. How many do you ask ? He didn’t know himself, because here in the ice and the peace he had so longed for before the whole ordeal, time mean nothing, only the Eteral Stream and the great Dragons Lines count where he truly lay.
Not in his body, no, he would have die if he had cling to it in its actual state. No, his refuge was the very depth of his own psyche, formerly a tortured place create by years of abuse as long as he could remember and the seeds of doubts place here by his sadistically stupid father.
That place that had been pure chaos had change after the years, finally in peace, and nothing better to do as well, he had been able to work the most lacking of his ability : his mind, spirit and soul.
That is why even thought he was only emerging from the slumber of the sleep of ice, his grip on his weapon was already tightening around its handle, ready for the battle that was waiting for him bellow.
He would be ready…and that accursed demon would not get away this time around.
That is why in the heart of the prison of ice, two glowing blue orbs of chilling determination slowly open themselves.
Yes…this time he would definitely succeed…and finally become whole.
He would finally complette that duality of his...
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(Posted Tue, 06 Feb 2007 20:22)
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