“It’s a cave!” exclaims Apollo questioningly,The three of us peer down into the abyss beneath the mansion
Plop!
Himari throws some rocks down and a resounding splash comes back up,
“There’s water there, Apollo drop your sword in we can ride it,”
“Ride de sword she say?” Behind us the two immobile Poseidon members mumble with each other,
(No use asking them anything)
“We will find out ourselves…”
………..
Dropping down to Apollo’s sword below, we land in what seems to be a naturally formed cavern, the walls are grey and rugged with random pieces of stone jutting out, Bats fly around annoyedly at their night being disrupted.
….
The sword flows steadily on the grey stream, Himari keeps her eyes peeled on very little detail we come across…
“It appears this mansion must have originally built over this cave,” She surmises
“How Poseidon found out about this, I have no clue,”
“Maybe they know the owner,” Apollo suggests
“Yeah, who is the real owner…?” I ponder,
“I have a few hunches,” Himari replies and leaves it that
….
Slowly the stream level lowers the further we flow,Rocky ground starts to appear at the sides near the equally rocky walls,
“Look there’s some boats up ahead,” Apollo points out the plastic rowboats moored near a walkable part of the cavern,
“That must be where they are hiding” Himari hops off the sword as soon as we get close enough to the boats, Apollo and I follow behind.
Traversing the linear pathway, we begin to come across many stacks of broken and rusted tools and parts piled near the side of the walls.
(Seems this was used as an engineering lab)
Churrrnrnn ~
The rumble of an engine sounds as we get closer…
…..
“It’s not working!No matter what we try!”
“Well, yuh hadda hurry up hoarseDem men get attack upstairs,”
“Relax, this is complicated, I can’t rush it,”
“Complicated? I thought you learn mechanical engineering homie?”
“Do they teach how to handle foundation energy in mechanical engineering!?”
“”I dunno you tell me dawggy”
“If we die tonight I blame you.”
“And uze d science man?Best you keep working and cut d small talk”
………
The three of us silently approach a peculiar craft docked in the water, It’s shaped like a torpedo with wings that curve inwards towards its tip.
(Is this some kind of weapon?)
“Are they building a weapon?” Apollo reads my mind,
“They haven’t spotted us yet; we can take them out quickly!” whispers Himari
“Pirate, what else can you make from you Tielium?”
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
“What else can I make?”
“I mean besides the bow,Tielium can take up other formsI can make the two pistol blasters with mine, if I want I can make them into a bigger more compact blaster-rifles for heavier shots, and I can also combine them to make a short canon for big blasts,Surely you can do more than a bow and arrow?”
“…Err I don’t think I got that update,”
(……)
“Can’t’ you use your magic in the bow Kage?’ Apollo suggests
“I don’t have an attribute it would be an arrow coated in nothing,Although, back there on that mountain, I was able to channel Karina’s magic…..”
(Karina looked so drained after that maybe I shouldn’t suggest the same to Apollo)
“Alright lets—"
“—Don’t bother again,” Himari impatiently leaps ahead of us gunning straight towards the small group of about four men working on the ‘weapon’
Pezow!
Pressing her hand down to the floor Himari fires a blast strong enough to propel herself into the air, using the momentum she front flips forward landing on her feet gracefully, right in front of the surprised ‘gangsters’
Pezow!
Setting her blasters to stun she fires one blast taking out the first foe,
“Hey—"
Pezow!
Second one down
“Why was I needed here again?” I turn to Apollo,
(Both of them could have handled this just fine without me)
“Higher ups wanted to see you inaction I guess,” Apollo shrugs,
(Guess they won’t be impressed)
“You do know our helmets record everything we do….So are going to help Himari, orr keep talking here?”
“You’re the officer not me,” this time it’s my turn to shrug
……
****
“Yo-yo-yo!I’m unarmed!” opposed to the other plainly and roughly dressed Poseidon members, a man dressed in overalls with big red goggles strapped on to his equally big brown eyes, raises his hands in submission as Himari just ran through the rest of his comrades
“Where is the generator!?” she demands holding him by the collar
“We already built it in to the diver,” he feebly points
“What is that!?A terrorist weapon?”
“What?No, it’s a protype submarine-airship, it’s been here years we acquired the generator to repair it.”
“This is a ship?” I curiously query
“Have you ever heard of the Holy Diver?The first love of the scientist named—”
{“—Agent Nara, Apollo and Kage of the first,This is Official Stanton, and your mission will be considered complete once you seize the ship and bring it back to the plastic beach.”}
“Official Stanton?I thought Chief Kiefer’s was in our comms?” Apollo looks puzzled
“I thought that too,” Himari grits her teeth,
(Was this ‘Stanton watching us this whole time?)
“What is the purpose of you wanting to repair this?” Himari continues to interrogate the Poseidon engineer
“It’s old technology, at least fifty years, it’s been kept here all these years,” he replies vaguely
“That was not my question,” the woman presses harder
“O..only two of these were ever made the first was unfinished and the second though completed ran on an unrefined version of foundation…With the new foundation energy that the government keeps hiding all to their selfWe can finally complete it,” the man babbles still avoiding the original question
“Have you?” I ask
“No, so far it can travel like a regular boat, but air or undersea travel is still not possible,”
“How did you find out about this?”
{“This is official Stanton speaking to you once more, the objective of this mission is to acquire our property and leave,”}
(This guy is starting to annoy me)
“We have our methods,” the man smirks,
Apollo shuffles about slightly at that statement,
(Does he know something?)
“Our job is to re-obtain the stolen government property,” Himari sighs admittedly as if she is trying to convince herself of that
“Since you already built it into this craft,This now belongs to the UCA government,As for your crimes,I am not at liberty to arrest any of you now, Just know that your dues will come in time.”
I can somehow feel the frustration in the young woman’s voce
The Poseidon engineer scurries away leaving his other disabled allies behind, as he realizes we won’t be taking him in,
………
(The holy diver huh)
The craft is not even that large, the size of a helicopter maybe,
From afar it looks like a large torpedo due to its pointed nose, Although it does have queer wings that curve inward towards said nose…
…..
“This really is a prototype,” I mumble as we step into its interior, which is basically an empty enclosure of wires and exposed parts, no seats have been added nor is there insulation or sealing, only a control panel up front to steer the craft…
(That guy said this was fifty-year-old technology)
Churrnn ~
“At least they were able to make it drive,” Himari comments setting the ship into motion,
“We can ride this back to the plastic beach, after that our mission will be complete, I will see to the briefing you two can go to your designated area of stay,” Himari informs still sounding a bit sour
“Will anyone be giving me a briefing as to what this Holy Diver is?” I question
“Seeing as you two aren’t from this ring, you wouldn’t have known this,The Holy Diver is an urban legend of sorts,”
Chuurrrrmrmm
The ship rumbles beginning to move
“An urban legend?”
“Some people don’t think it actually exists,Judging from where we found this I gather that the owner of the mansion,No, of this entire island,Is probably that mad scientist,Alfonso Einstein I think his name is.”