10-09-2016, 11:01 PM
“Ugh,” the machine-hybrid groaned into the dirt as a dust and grim washed over him following the final collapse of the antechamber. After a short coughing fit, he felt a hand pat him on the shoulder.
“You all right?”
“I’m good, Julius,” Seventeen muttered as he planted his hands into the ground and pushed himself off his chest. A few beats later, the cyborg was standing next to the oversized astronomer. “Is this the place?” He asked as he turned and glanced into the cavernous room. In his last volcanic expedition, the magma chamber had been rather underwhelming, but Mount Escorial’s heart traded flair for scope. The room was massive, and while there were a few veins of glowing magma, it was obvious that the business had been closed down for a while.
“The magma chamber,” the lead astronomer muttered as he glanced around the cavern. “All the reports and all the data we analyzed indicate that this has to be the spot where the star crashed into the mountain.”
“Of course it is,” Seventeen said as he lifted a hand and pointed up at the ceiling nearly four stories above their heads. “I can’t imagine that the giant hole in the side of this room was cause by a rogue comet.”
Julius followed the cyborg’s finger up toward the ceiling of the room. Although the actual hole was partially obscured by the slope of the chamber, there was a clear shaft of light shining through into Mount Escorial. “That is some helpful evidence,” the astronomer said with the faintest trace of a smile as he turned his focus back to the surviving members of the expedition. “We need to track down the star as quickly as we can. It’s quite possible that those flans will reconstitute themselves, and if that happens, I’d like for us to be as far from here as we can be… agreed?”
“Aye!” The survivors remarked as they started to spread out into the large room.
“Should we do the same thing?” One of the koopas asked a few moments later, eliciting a nod from the cyborg.
“Yea,” Seventeen instructed. “The sooner we can get out of this place, the better.”
Before he could get so much as a half-hearted response from his team, there was a horrible shriek from somewhere nearby. The cyborg and his koopa troupe turned in time to watch as something came erupting up out of the ground near two of the astronomers. One of the wizarding men managed to throw himself clear of the upheaval, but the other astronomer, who had burned his arm earlier against the flans, moved too slow to escape. As Seventeen and the others watched in horror, he was pulled down into the ground, and a beat later, they heard the horrible noise of breaking bones. A moment later, the floor fell away as a giant, brown-red mass liberated itself from the volcanic rock.
Reaching back for the Power Sword, the cyborg scowled at the sight of the big rig-sized dragon as it shook clumps of ash from its wings and cleared away chunks of rock partially stuck to its scales.
“You said it was dead,” the raven-haired warrior barked as he glanced over his shoulder at Marie Koopa.
“I don’t lie!” The sassy reptile snapped back as she reached for the bedazzled magic wand still hanging from her waist.
“Then tell her that!” Seventeen shouted as the dragon threw its head back and let out a roar that shook the walls of the magma chamber.
“You all right?”
“I’m good, Julius,” Seventeen muttered as he planted his hands into the ground and pushed himself off his chest. A few beats later, the cyborg was standing next to the oversized astronomer. “Is this the place?” He asked as he turned and glanced into the cavernous room. In his last volcanic expedition, the magma chamber had been rather underwhelming, but Mount Escorial’s heart traded flair for scope. The room was massive, and while there were a few veins of glowing magma, it was obvious that the business had been closed down for a while.
“The magma chamber,” the lead astronomer muttered as he glanced around the cavern. “All the reports and all the data we analyzed indicate that this has to be the spot where the star crashed into the mountain.”
“Of course it is,” Seventeen said as he lifted a hand and pointed up at the ceiling nearly four stories above their heads. “I can’t imagine that the giant hole in the side of this room was cause by a rogue comet.”
Julius followed the cyborg’s finger up toward the ceiling of the room. Although the actual hole was partially obscured by the slope of the chamber, there was a clear shaft of light shining through into Mount Escorial. “That is some helpful evidence,” the astronomer said with the faintest trace of a smile as he turned his focus back to the surviving members of the expedition. “We need to track down the star as quickly as we can. It’s quite possible that those flans will reconstitute themselves, and if that happens, I’d like for us to be as far from here as we can be… agreed?”
“Aye!” The survivors remarked as they started to spread out into the large room.
“Should we do the same thing?” One of the koopas asked a few moments later, eliciting a nod from the cyborg.
“Yea,” Seventeen instructed. “The sooner we can get out of this place, the better.”
Before he could get so much as a half-hearted response from his team, there was a horrible shriek from somewhere nearby. The cyborg and his koopa troupe turned in time to watch as something came erupting up out of the ground near two of the astronomers. One of the wizarding men managed to throw himself clear of the upheaval, but the other astronomer, who had burned his arm earlier against the flans, moved too slow to escape. As Seventeen and the others watched in horror, he was pulled down into the ground, and a beat later, they heard the horrible noise of breaking bones. A moment later, the floor fell away as a giant, brown-red mass liberated itself from the volcanic rock.
Reaching back for the Power Sword, the cyborg scowled at the sight of the big rig-sized dragon as it shook clumps of ash from its wings and cleared away chunks of rock partially stuck to its scales.
“You said it was dead,” the raven-haired warrior barked as he glanced over his shoulder at Marie Koopa.
“I don’t lie!” The sassy reptile snapped back as she reached for the bedazzled magic wand still hanging from her waist.
“Then tell her that!” Seventeen shouted as the dragon threw its head back and let out a roar that shook the walls of the magma chamber.