07-27-2016, 01:01 PM
Forty minutes later, the Barrel Train was on its way back to where the astronomer’s were camped. Behind the heavily armored kart, Seventeen was followed by several go-carts shaped like green and red koopa shells. Behind the controls of each little turtle-themed buggie was a trooper who had been sent to accompany Seventeen on his mission. Because he had been in such a rush to make it back before Julius and the rest of the astronomers moved camp, the machine-hybrid hadn’t been able to ‘meet and greet’ with the five troopers that Von had picked to go with him.
I’m sure they’re competent… That big dude wouldn’t send a bunch of scrubs with me if he wanted to make sure he gets the shiny thing, right? Seventeen scowled, unable to wholly convince himself that he hadn’t been saddled with a bunch of castaways. No point worrying about it right now, I guess.
Up ahead, Seventeen spied what remained of the Astronomer’s encampment. The walls that ringed the area had been dismantled along with all of the structures and tents, but there was no indication of where they had stashed the materials. With the camp gone, the astronomers all looked busy either packing up their belongings or getting ready for the trip to Mount Escorial. As he drew closer, Seventeen spotted Mr. Peppers reviewing what appeared to be a normal person’s map. When he heard the belching of the Barrel Train, the behemoth of a nerd glanced up and flashed his associate a ‘thumbs up.’
Shifting off the engine, Seventeen put his vehicle into park and hopped over the door onto the barren soil. “How long was I gone?”
Julius lifted his sleeve to reveal a simple-looking watch around his right wrist. “About six hours or so,” he remarked as he tapped on the glass. “Can’t tell if the heat got to this or not.”
“I’m sure going from inferno to igloo and back again a few dozen times a day works wonders on small machinery,” Seventeen remarked as the man fixed his sleeve and glanced at the five vehicles idling behind the machine-hybrid.
“Are they yours?”
The cyborg nodded his head. “Yea, the Koopa’s king personally sent ‘em with me. I’m operating under the assumption that they’re like, the Green Berets of the Koopa Kingdom.” When Julius furrowed his brow, Seventeen recalled that the man was from some fantasy city floating in the sky. “Doesn’t Dalaran have some sort of special ops wizard battalion or something?”
Julius nodded his head. “I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I imagine they have something like that. King Aragorn has a collection of highly trained knights that he sends out on the most life-threatening ordeals.” The astronomer glanced passed his associate and toward the parked koopas. “That’s what you got?”
“I hope so,” Seventeen grinned as he glanced around the empty stretch of steppe that had once been a palisaded encampment. “So where’d you pack everything?”
With a chuckle, Julius waved his hand in the air between them, leaving a faint trail of sparkling dust wherever he moved. “Magic,” he casually remarked as the sparkles faded back into oblivion.
By the kais, this is getting stupid. The cyborg put on a smile before asking the important question. “You guys always ready to move out and find that little dead volcano? Do you have scooters powered by fairy dust hidden somewhere?”
Oblivious to the tone of the machine-hybrid’s quandary, Julius nodded his head. “No one uses fairy dust anymore, but yes, we’re ready to continue on to the destination. The journey to Mount Escorial will not be an easy one. We’ll have to contend with some very rough terrain, and the destruction of Volvagia has made the area we are headed to a little more violent than normal. Feral drakes infest the mountain passes. Are your soldiers prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice in the name of this cause?”
Seventeen glanced back at the idled koopa karts and shrugged his shoulders. “Yea, I guess.”
Julius smiled and smacked a hand down upon the cyborg’s back in a show of camaraderie that instantly made the smaller man’s skin turn a vibrant shade of red beneath his clothes. “Then let us ‘roll out,’ my friend!”
I’m sure they’re competent… That big dude wouldn’t send a bunch of scrubs with me if he wanted to make sure he gets the shiny thing, right? Seventeen scowled, unable to wholly convince himself that he hadn’t been saddled with a bunch of castaways. No point worrying about it right now, I guess.
Up ahead, Seventeen spied what remained of the Astronomer’s encampment. The walls that ringed the area had been dismantled along with all of the structures and tents, but there was no indication of where they had stashed the materials. With the camp gone, the astronomers all looked busy either packing up their belongings or getting ready for the trip to Mount Escorial. As he drew closer, Seventeen spotted Mr. Peppers reviewing what appeared to be a normal person’s map. When he heard the belching of the Barrel Train, the behemoth of a nerd glanced up and flashed his associate a ‘thumbs up.’
Shifting off the engine, Seventeen put his vehicle into park and hopped over the door onto the barren soil. “How long was I gone?”
Julius lifted his sleeve to reveal a simple-looking watch around his right wrist. “About six hours or so,” he remarked as he tapped on the glass. “Can’t tell if the heat got to this or not.”
“I’m sure going from inferno to igloo and back again a few dozen times a day works wonders on small machinery,” Seventeen remarked as the man fixed his sleeve and glanced at the five vehicles idling behind the machine-hybrid.
“Are they yours?”
The cyborg nodded his head. “Yea, the Koopa’s king personally sent ‘em with me. I’m operating under the assumption that they’re like, the Green Berets of the Koopa Kingdom.” When Julius furrowed his brow, Seventeen recalled that the man was from some fantasy city floating in the sky. “Doesn’t Dalaran have some sort of special ops wizard battalion or something?”
Julius nodded his head. “I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I imagine they have something like that. King Aragorn has a collection of highly trained knights that he sends out on the most life-threatening ordeals.” The astronomer glanced passed his associate and toward the parked koopas. “That’s what you got?”
“I hope so,” Seventeen grinned as he glanced around the empty stretch of steppe that had once been a palisaded encampment. “So where’d you pack everything?”
With a chuckle, Julius waved his hand in the air between them, leaving a faint trail of sparkling dust wherever he moved. “Magic,” he casually remarked as the sparkles faded back into oblivion.
By the kais, this is getting stupid. The cyborg put on a smile before asking the important question. “You guys always ready to move out and find that little dead volcano? Do you have scooters powered by fairy dust hidden somewhere?”
Oblivious to the tone of the machine-hybrid’s quandary, Julius nodded his head. “No one uses fairy dust anymore, but yes, we’re ready to continue on to the destination. The journey to Mount Escorial will not be an easy one. We’ll have to contend with some very rough terrain, and the destruction of Volvagia has made the area we are headed to a little more violent than normal. Feral drakes infest the mountain passes. Are your soldiers prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice in the name of this cause?”
Seventeen glanced back at the idled koopa karts and shrugged his shoulders. “Yea, I guess.”
Julius smiled and smacked a hand down upon the cyborg’s back in a show of camaraderie that instantly made the smaller man’s skin turn a vibrant shade of red beneath his clothes. “Then let us ‘roll out,’ my friend!”
![[Image: 17.jpg]](http://omniverse-rpg.com/images/17.jpg)