Boy am I spoiling you guys... Two chapters within 30 days of each other? Outrageous, I say.
I'm just kidding. I'm actually glad that I could finish this chapter at the time I did. Then again - 7 pages or so over the course of two evenings, will do something about it. So enjoy. Here is the 7th episode of Power Rangers: Atlantis Knights.
Episode 7: Unearthed Tombs
"...And now for the weather: The warm temperatures are going to stay with us for at least another week without any signs of rain or storms. We can expect a little wind though, but for those of you still wearing shorts, it shouldn't be a problem. We'll be back with more news in 15 minutes." The bartender turned down the volume a bit on the small TV and continued to polish the glass he had been working on before the forecast. He had a smile on his chubby face, he always had. He looked out over the floor, and while there were only few people now, he knew that the place would be buzzing in mere minutes.
The few people that were present, however, were divided in two groups. The first group were situated in the lower, further part of the centre. Here there were placed a variety of training machines and other workout facilities. The teenagers and young adults were training vigorously, but safely, making sure to take every precaution. It was one of the few rules he had; always train safely and with another watching over you. It seemed like a reasonable precaution and he never swayed from it. The other group was sitting at a few, scattered tables in the elevated, closer part of the centre. Here, tables and chairs were set up for youths who needed a place to relax and socialize or couples on a romantic dinner. A single, such couple was sitting at one of the tables, reminding him of his own youth, which only made his smile even broader.
He put down his glass and went over to them, taking their orders. After jolting it down on a small notepad, he walked back behind the bar. Blending their shakes took no time at all, and he even added a small plate of fruit for them to enjoy while waiting for the main course. The couple happily accepted it and the bartender left them to their privacy.
Just as he finished a series of glasses, the doors were opened and more than 30 teenagers entered. Some of them were carrying training bags, others already dressed in their workout clothes. Others again were clad in regular clothes, with their school bags filled with books and homework. It didn't take long for the teens to settle in, and in less than 5 minutes, the bartender was busy serving his customers.
Katherine appeared in the doorway and looked around. She was supposed to meet the gang here, but so far she seemed like the only one there. She walked up to the bar, still keeping a vivid lookout. She couldn't see any of them and sat down on one of the barstools. The stools were incredibly clean and comfortable.
"Hey Ernie" she said, greeting the bartender as he walked up to her.
"Hey there" he replied, wiping away sweat on his forehead. Even though he was only wearing a T-shirt and shorts and the air-conditioning was on, it was still amazingly hot.
"Have you seen Ben or any of the others?" she asked.
"Can't say I have" Ernie replied. "But then again, it is a little crowded."
"Yeah" Katherine sighed. She ordered a shake and walked over to the railing, looking out over the training area. Most of the many machines were occupied and their users going hard at it. Some of them were doing it for fun; she knew that as a fact, while others did it for their own reasons. In the middle of the area, some of the pupils at the Martial Arts Gym were training with each other, though neither Ben nor Travis was present. A little discouraged she walked back to the bar and sat down again.
She didn't wait long before Travis and Joseph came in. Katherine began to rise to greet them, but then noticed Joseph's mood and thought better of it. Travis noticed her, however, and guided Joseph over. The boys sat on a barstool and Joseph's head made immediate contact with the desk. He didn't move a muscle or complain about it.
"What's with him?" Katherine whispered to Travis.
"Frantz" he answered. "He was bullying Joseph into doing his homework again and things got a little rough before I could interrupt him."
Katherine nodded. She looked at Joseph again, who still had not moved a muscle. She got Ernie's attention and ordered Joseph a juice while Travis ordered his own. She sat the juice in front of Joseph, still without any reaction.
"Well" she said resigning. "I've tried about all I can think off."
"Let me" Ernie cut in before Travis had a chance. "Hey, buddy" he said slowly into Joseph's ear. "If you can drink that juice in five seconds, I'll give you a second one for free." The reaction came so abrupt that Ernie barely had time to move away. Joseph flung his head up, grabbed the juice and poured the content into his mouth. As soon as the glass was empty he put it down and gulped the last of the fluid.
"Done" he said with a smile. "So, did I make it?"
Ernie smiled and shook his head. "Sure, kid" he said grinning, then handed him another juice. "Here you go."
"Thanks" Joseph said and took a sip.
"That sure cheered you up" Katherine said smiling.
"Nothing like free food and drink" Joseph replied with a grin.
"That reminds me" Travis said suddenly. "Ben and Sarah couldn't come today."
"Huh? Why not?" Katherine asked.
"Well" Travis started. "Ben had to watch over his brother. I think their mom was out of town today and his brother is sick, so Ben went straight home after school to look after him. As for Sarah..." He paused, trying to remember. "Well, I can't remember what Sarah had to do, but I can remember that she wouldn't have time to come."
"Oh" Katherine replied. The y hadn't all been together since they lost the last fight. Today's get-together was supposed to change that. But apparently, things were going to be different.
"Well, I'd better get going" Travis said a few minutes later and got of the chair. "I have an assignment for my art class to complete."
"Art class?" Katherine asked choked.
"Don't ask" Travis said smiling.
"And we're back with more news" the TV-set sounded and a picture of a female reporter standing in a cemetery appeared. "Another strike of vandalism has hit the city cemetery" the reporter said.
"Hey, Ernie, could you turn the volume up a bit?" Travis asked and got down on the chair again.
"Sure" Ernie replied and turned the volume up a notch.
"I thought you said you had to leave?" Katherine asked.
"Ssh" Travis ushered and they focus on the TV.
"...fifth attack on the cemetery" the reporter explained. "The attacks all began a little over a week ago, but so far the attacks have been sporadic. The only visible pattern is that only new graves are attacked and vandalized." The screen shifted to show a picture of one of the defiled graves. The earth was dug up and scattered randomly, as if dug up by an animal. The flowers were ripped up and apart and their vases shattered. The headstone itself seemed undamaged, though mould and dirt was visible on it. "As you can see, everything is absolutely ruined" the reporter continued. The image shifted back to her. "So far, the police are without clues as to whom, or who, the perpetrator is. If anyone has any leads, they can call the police on the number on the screen. This is Claire Graham, GSTV."
"Who would do such a thing?" Ernie asked himself out loud as he turned the volume back down. At the bar behind him the three teens had already stuck their heads together.
"Could it be Wyrmina?" Joseph whispered.
"Probably" Katherine answered, her voice shaking a bit.
"Maybe we should go check it out" Travis asked.
"Didn't you have an assignment to do?" Katherine asked sceptic.
"Yeah, I had" Travis replied. "But art class can wait." The teenagers got off the chairs slowly and made their way out of the bar. When Ernie finally turned around again the teens were gone, leaving only money to pay for the drinks.
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Even though the sun had begun its slow descent towards the western horizon, it was still bright when they made it to the cemetery. They parked their bicycles and entered through the iron-wrought gate. The church connected to the graveyard, was located in the western part of the area, beautifully illuminated by the sun. The headstones were arranged in various patterns. Here they formed a series of circles with a small monument in the centre; there a series of rows and columns.
The three teenagers walked slowly through the gravel filled paths. The gravel rattled underneath their feet and the occasional dry twig gave a loud snap when stepped on.
"Shouldn't we call the others" Joseph asked, sounding just a little scared.
"No" Travis replied calm. "As said, Ben's taking care of his brother and Sarah is otherwise occupied. We can't just call them without a good reason." They followed the path into a circular pattern and followed it a little while, then stopped.
"This is where the first attack appeared" Katherine said. Even though it had been a little over a week ago, the site still showed clear signs of the attack. The actual grave had been covered again and the gravestone cleaned. There had even been placed new flowers in new vases. The only visible signs were the hedge around the gravesite. Many of the small branches were torn or broken off entirely.
"I don't see anything unusual" Joseph said after about a minute.
"Nor do I" Travis agreed.
"Hmm... let's try the next one" Katherine said.
The boys followed her around until they found the second site. They walked in stillness; the only sounds they could hear were those of birds in the distance and the gravel crunching beneath them. They found the second one which looked no different than the other. The soil had been dug up and replaced, as had the flowers. The hedge here too was a mess of broken twigs and branches.
"Nope" Joseph said. "I don't see anything on this one either. Maybe it's all just a prank?"
"Maybe" Katherine said reluctantly. "Though I can't imagine who would do such a thing."
"Frantz" Joseph coughed, forcing a smile on the other's lips.
"Well, even if it is just a prank, and then a rather cruel one at that, we should still check out the others, just to make sure there's no foul play involved" Katherine said as she began to go. Joseph followed her, and then Travis, though he stopped right away. He thought he had seen something in the corner of his eye and bend down to check it out.
"I don't think we have to" he said loud enough for the others to hear, who in turn came running back. Travis was hunching over the grave and dusted some of the mould off the headstone. "See these?" he asked and pointed at the corner of the stone. There were small rifts in the stone. The small trenches were rough and seemed to be made from claws or the like. The trenches were about a fingers' width apart.
Joseph sank. "What are those?"
"I don't know" Travis said. "But I bet they have been caused by whatever was here." The three teenagers went quiet. There was no doubt about it anymore. There was definitely foul play involved.
"We should probably tell Haslan about this" Katherine said and reached for her morpher in her bag.
"Why tell him when we can show him?" Travis asked as he took a small camera from his bag.
"Why are you running around with a camera?" Joseph asked. He couldn't imagine Travis as the type who took pictures for fun.
"It's for my art project" he answered distracted and took a few pictures. "Alright, let's go" he said when he was done. The three teenagers got up and left the cemetery as quietly as they had come, got on their bikes and headed north.
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"Rangers, good to see you" Haslan said smiling as they entered the throne room. The giant room was as always adorned with paintings and tapestries on the coral, blue-green walls. A long, purple carpet stretched from the elevated thrones to the huge double doors. From the ceiling hung a giant chandelier, with over a hundred candles that never burned out. There were unusually many people in the room, however; many of which the Rangers had not met before. Only few of them seemed slightly familiar. The Captain which they knew and another Atlantian they had almost bumped into a few weeks ago.
"Hey, Haslan" Travis replied.
"Why have you come today?" he asked still smiling. His eyes showed concern, though the Rangers had a feeling that it was completely unrelated to their visit.
"We hope you can identify something for us" Katherine said.
"Like what?"
"Like these claw-marks" Travis said as he turned on his camera and found the pictures in the internal memory.
"Fascinating" Haslan mumbled as he took the device and studied it. The small digital camera was a silvery-grey colour, with black text and symbols explaining every button. He turned and twisted it, studying it closely, until Travis led his attention to the picture. Haslan looked at the headstone and the claw-marks a little, then called the Captain of the Guard, Janza, over. Janza took one look on the picture, and grew stiff.
"What is it?" Joseph asked after a minute.
"These pictures" Janza asked slowly. "Where did you get them?"
"From the local cemetery" Katherine said and explained the situation.
"Hmm... From the looks of it, this one has been on the loose for nearly two weeks now" Janza said slowly.
"But what is it?" Joseph asked, now dying with curiosity.
"These marks are left by an abomination to nature; a being so twisted that it should never have walked the earth." The Rangers sank, now genuinely frightened. "This being is called a Ghoul" Janza explained. "The reason the graves are dug up, is that it feasts on the newly dead and even on occasion those still alive." A shiver ran down the Rangers' backs.
"Where are the other two?" Haslan asked, just noting that there were only three of them.
"Ben and Sarah are occupied" Joseph replied.
"Should we look in to this" Katherine asked, referring to the Ghoul.
"You should" Haslan said hesitantly. "But I would not advice it just the three of you."
"Alright" Travis said, taking back his camera. "We'll make sure to call them if we need them."
"Well, we're off" Joseph said and turned around. Katherine and Travis turned as well and the three Rangers started to walk.
"Oh, and Rangers" Haslan called as they reached the doors. They stopped and turned to listen. "When you get back... could you teach me how that device works?" There was real curiosity in Haslan's voice.
"Sure" Travis said smiling. Shaking his head, he and his fellow two Rangers stepped out through the double doors.
"Do you think they can do it?" a concerned Haslan asked Janza.
"If you had asked me a few weeks ago, I would have said no" Janza replied, staring at the door they had left through. "But... they have grown. Even though they don't know it yet, the defeat they suffered last week will only fuel their desire to work better and harder." Now he turned to look at the King. "So yes. I believe they can defeat it."
Haslan smiled with relief and relaxed a bit. Now if only I could get MY work done he thought as he smiled for himself. He walked back to the throne and sat down, ready to drown himself in administrative work. "Have you made any progress in regards to Wyrmina?" he asked the Atlantian he had been talking to before the Rangers had come. The man was tall and wore a long, white lab-coat and glasses. His white hair was cut short in front and reached his neck in the back. He held a paper report in his slim, bony hands.
"Not as such, sire" he replied in a raspy voice. "All we have been able to determine is that the energy measured by our scientists through the past few months has started climbing again." He handed the king the papers and explain the graphs and figures. "As you can see, there is definitely talk about a pattern. We are close to uncovering the reason for all of this."
"Keep working on it" Haslan said as he handed back the papers. Even after the explanation, the figures and graphs were still an undecipherable mess to him. "I want to know whenever the situation changes; no matter how insignificant."
"Yes, sire" the scientist rasped, bowed and left the room. The king slumped in his throne and sighed. Today was going to be a long day.
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About an hour later, the three teenagers were back at the cemetery. They had each stopped by at their homes, alerting their parents that they would be out late. Now that the sun had gotten closer to the horizon, the black metal gate flared in red and orange hues, as were it made of flames. A soft wind blew through the parking lot, sending a shiver up their spines. The three Rangers simply stood there on the parking lot, staring at the flaring gate.
"This is the first time we're not doing this as a team" Katherine said with a hint of sadness in her voice. Joseph and Travis knew how she felt. Ever since they had become Rangers, they had done everything together, but after the loss last week, nothing had been the same. What was their friendship and teamwork coming to, if they couldn't even fight the common demons together anymore?
"Well" Joseph said after a minute. "Shall we enter?"
"Let us" Travis said and opened the gate. The iron hinges gave a soft shriek as old hinges do, but it still sent another shiver down their backs. The three Rangers slowly walked through the paths of the graveyard, looking for clues, staying alert in case of traps or attacks. Even though it was still warm and the air still, even the slightest gust made the leaves rattle and sent yet another shiver up their backs. Another gust blew and a small, bare bush tapped on a nearby headstone. After half an hour of searching they had found no trace of the Ghoul and were now standing in front of one of the disgraced headstones.
"Well that went well" Joseph said relieved. "It's not here, so we can leave now." Joseph turned his back to the grave and was about to leave when Travis caught him by the collar. "Hey" he choked.
"We're staying" he said, mimicking the determination Ben usually had.
"But it's not here" Joseph said. "We've hit a dead end. Literally!" Joseph flung out his arms.
"Maybe it's still too bright" Katherine mused. "After all, if it unearths graves in order to..." she shuddered "...find food, then it might only come out when it's dark."
"I was thinking the same thing" Travis said.
"I was thinking how nice my bed seems right now" Joseph mumbled but stopped struggling. He knew they had to stay, even before the others made their case. "Well, since we'll be here for a while, we might as well find shelter, or at least somewhere cosy." As cosy as it can be at a cemetery.
"Good thinking, Joseph" Travis said. "If I'm right, the north-western part of the cemetery holds a few mausoleums. We might be able to find shelter there." The others couldn't agree more. They made their way back to the entrance, a fairly simple trip that did not take much more than five minutes. They found a map and, after consulting it, made their way towards the north-west area. The path there was a little more difficult. The mausoleums were over a hundred years old, if not more, and the graves around the area, a maze. The three teenagers slowly walked though the gravel-laid paths, walking as softly and quietly as they could, keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity.
After about ten minutes they stood before the mausoleums. None of them had ever been in that part of the cemetery before and were surprised to see over ten of them, scattered around a large area, with smaller graves in between. Most of the mausoleums were in decent condition, despite the lack of maintenance. They all had most of their roof, if not all of it and only on a few of the mausoleums were any of the walls visibly damaged. On most of the crypts were carved creatures; gargoyles, angels and other guardians.
"It's like a small, undead community" Joseph said quietly, staring at the scene.
"Just how big is this area?" Katherine asked. The cemetery was located in the western part of the city, but it had never seemed so big from the outside.
"I don't know" Travis said. Then, with a sudden curiosity, he asked: "What time is it?"
"Let me check" Joseph replied. "8:40 pm. Why?"
"Look around you. It's usually not this dark until at least 10:00 pm." Katherine and Joseph looked around them and realised what Travis meant. It had indeed grown dark. The sky above, which had housed the setting sun only ten minutes ago, was now pitch-black and clouded, letting not a single ray of light through. There was not a trace of a moon and even if the sky above was filled with stars, it would be impossible to detect them through the clouds. The tree-line that surrounded the area was now bare and barren, rather than the lush green that had been there before. Even the ground beneath them had gone from a soft green to a broken, blackish plain, toppled with cracks and small rocks. The winds also blew more frequently and stronger; a sudden gust nearly knocked over the three teenagers.
"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore" Joseph uttered astounded.
"But where are we?" Katherine added. "Not Golden Springs, that's for sure."
"Let's see if Haslan has an answer" Travis said. The other two got over to him and Travis raised his morpher, which doubled as a communication device to Atlantis. "Haslan, this is Travis. Come in." The three teenagers held their breath as they awaited Haslan's reply. Ten seconds passed by without anything. Twenty seconds. Thirty. "Haslan, do you read us?" Travis tried again, but to no avail. The morpher was as silent as before.
"I'm thinking no" Joseph said, stating the obvious.
"So what do we do?" Katherine asked, brushing away a lock of hair from her forehead.
"I guess we should try and find our way back" Travis said, though he had no idea how they had gotten to wherever they were or how to get away.
"For the record, this never would have happened if we had just gone home like I suggested" Joseph pointed out. The others ignored him. They started looking around for an exit, but none of the places they looked offered even the slightest trace of a way back. At first they tried to retrace their steps, but the path they had used to enter the area seemed to have vanished, and the other few paths that were there lead right back to the area. Travis wanted to search the paths one more time, while Katherine started examining the tree-line. Joseph walked over to the closest mausoleum.
The stone walls were cold to the touch. He tried the door but it didn't budge. He walked around it slowly. The dark stones were as cold and uninviting as the ones on the front. There were no windows or rifts; just a cold, solid wall. Joseph sank down behind the mausoleum, taking a break. He learned his head against the cold stone and looked up. The clouds were as thick as before, if not thicker, and a lightning flared in the distance. Just what we need Joseph thought. A storm. Perfect! The teenager got up and was just about to go alert his friends, when he saw something in the corner of his eye.
Joseph turned around and looked, but saw nothing. He started to walk towards the others again, but once more caught something in the corner of his eye; a shadow moving from one crypt to the other. The teen turned again but the only movement he could see were the branches bending in a gust. Still, Joseph walked towards where he had seen movement. He approached the front of one of the mausoleums and went around the corner. A shadow swiftly ducked behind the back of the building and Joseph crept closer, trying not to make a noise.
As he neared the corner he took a deep breath. Maybe the Ghoul was lurking just on the other side. Maybe a far more powerful and sinister beast? Joseph tried not to choke as that possibility dawned for him. Whatever was lurking behind there, he was the only one nearby. Joseph let out his breath, took a new one and sprang around the corner.
Nothing could prepare him for the sight that awaited him. In front of him, only a few meters away, stood a creature, resembling a grown person. But it was nothing more than that; a resemblance. The skin was blue-gray and wrinkled. Every bone and muscle could be seen flex beneath the thin skin. The eyes were white balls, sunk into black crevices. The nails were stained red with dried blood, just like its teeth which looked like they had been sharpened with a file. It was naked but for a loincloth around its waist. Worse than its looks, was the smell. Not only did its body bear traces of past dinners, the creature itself smelled like a hundred corpses, all decomposing at the same time. Joseph immediately raised his hands to protect his nose, but even through his hands the smell was just as strong.
For a moment, both of them just stood there, looking at each other. The Ghoul looked at him as were he its next supper. At least, Joseph thought it did. Slowly, Joseph moved a single leg behind him, edging away as slowly as he could. Joseph took another small step. Then another. He finally got back to the corner. Just as he started to duck behind it, the Ghoul launched. It charged at Joseph with a terrifying speed; so fast that Joseph was paralyzed with fear and awe. The blow hit Joseph harder than he had expected and the teenager was flung backwards, landing at a small headstone.
The Ghoul jumped and descended towards Joseph, its sharp nails resembling claws. For an instant, Joseph recalled the tombstone back in Golden Springs. He could clearly visualize how those nails had slashed at the stone, digging deep, claw-like trenches in material as sturdy as marble. If they could cut through solid stone like butter, what couldn't they do to human flesh? A mental picture came into Joseph's mind; a picture he would have preferred to be without.
In the last possible second, Joseph gathered his courage and rolled away. The Ghoul landed with a soft thump, its nails clawing the ground where he lay only seconds ago. The Ghoul quickly retracted its arms and threw itself at Joseph, arms and nails flailing madly. Its eyes had a mad look to. Joseph managed to get his arms up in time, but the impact still hurt. He tried to raise a leg to kick the monster away, but it had robbed him the use of his legs. The Ghoul pressed harder, trying to get to claw at his face. Joseph had to use all his strength just to keep it at bay.
I have to think of something, fast. Otherwise, I'm done for he thought. The Ghoul moved a little, and suddenly a sharp pain shot up through Joseph's stomach. The creature had planted its knee in it, in an attempt to weaken his defence. A spasm went over his face, his eyes closed and his arms weakened, as the full force of the blow hit him. Joseph coughed and thought he tasted blood in the air that passed through his mouth. Not... fast enough...
Suddenly the pressure disappeared and he heard a loud cracking noise. Joseph forced his eyes open and saw that the Ghoul had been kicked away, into another headstone. The cracking sound had been the stone that broke. Joseph looked above him and saw an extended hand. It was Katherine!
"Are you okay?" she asked concerned. Joseph raised a weak arm and grasped her hand.
"I'll live" he said, as she helped him back on his feet. "When did you guys get here?"
"We heard a sound" Sarah explained. "Since you weren't with us we ran around here and found you."
"And just in time it seems" Travis joined in. "Can you fight?" Joseph sank and nodded. He could try, at least. "Good, cause we have company." Katherine and Joseph looked over at the Ghoul and gasped. Surrounding the filthy, smelly demon were ten smaller, winged creatures. Their grey scales resembled that of the Ghoul; their claws equal to the demons nails.
"Imps!" Katherine spat. "For once, I'd like to fight a demon without these pesky, little things."
"Maybe so, but not today" Travis remarked. He positioned himself between the Imps and Joseph, with Katherine at his side. "Try and stay out the fight" Travis said over his shoulder. "We'll keep you safe. Only engage if they come behind us. Got that?" Joseph nodded, knowing that even if he did fight he would probably only bring them in further danger.
Without warning the first four Imps rushed at Travis and Katherine. One of them clawed at Travis, but he blocked the attack with his left arm and threw a punch with his right before the Imp had a chance to defend itself. The other kicked at Katherine who caught the kick and threw its leg upwards, sending the Imp into an unwilling somersault. The Imp crashed on the ground, but another quickly took its place. It sent a small, scaly punch towards Katherine but she grabbed the punch inches from her stomach. Holding the arm locked, she kicked at the Imps head. The small creature ducked and sent a punch towards exposed tummy. The punch connected and Katherine skidded back a few feet.
"You okay?" Travis asked as he kicked the Imp away.
"That hurt" Katherine gasped, holding her stomach. She took a step forward and caught an Imp just in time. She twisted and the small creature was flung on its back. Katherine gave the Imp a hard kick, causing it to fly into another Imp, who was just getting up. The two Imps fell over and crashed. Another one lunged itself at the teenagers, but Travis intercepted it and sent it flying.
Now the remaining six Imps threw themselves into the fray. The first two went directly towards Katherine. She protected herself with her arms, but the Imps grabbed them and held her steady. In a coordinated move the two of them heaved and Katherine tumbled to the ground. Before she could get up, the two Imps had already pinned her to the ground. Travis moved to free her, but another two Imps got in his way. Travis kicked at them, but the first one caught his leg, clearing the way for the second to attack. The attack came in form of a scaly punch directly in Travis' abdomen. Travis gasped as the air was pushed out of his lungs and stumbled to the ground. The final two Imps ran towards a now unguarded Joseph. They bypassed the pinned down Rangers in a few leaps; standing in front of Joseph after only another. The first Imp threw a punch at Joseph. He was still weak after the assault from before, but he managed to dodge the first punch. The other quickly dropped down, supported itself on its hands and made a low sweep, which took Joseph by surprise. He fell over, and landed hard on his back. The Imps wasted no time, quickly pinning him to the ground too.
The three helpless Rangers could do nothing but watch, as the wicked Ghoul crept closer. Saliva seemed to drop from its teeth, but whether it was in apprehension of the forthcoming meal or an ugly force of habit was not clear. Travis tried to move, but despite their small size, the Imps were surprisingly heavy when on-top of you. As the wrinkled demon slowly crept closer, Travis knew there was only one thing to do. He had to morph. But both of his arms were immobilised, how was he to do it?
Dammit! He thought. I need to morph. My friends are in danger, but I can't reach the sphere and morpher. Travis struggled, but no matter what, he could not get free. The wrinkled creature crept ever closer, the threat of impending doom got ever stronger. Travis cleansed his fists. There was nothing he could do at all.
Then, suddenly, a small light emanated from his right hand, and he felt something. He opened it slightly, and saw that the little, green sphere had appeared in his hand. The sphere had a translucent colour, letting him see through it in a distorted way. He had no idea how it had gotten there, but he knew that he couldn't afford to waste any time. He wrestled his right arm free and yanked his elbow into the Imp on top of him. It slid back a bit and Travis got his left arm free as well. He quickly brought his arms together and let the sphere pass by the dark display on the morpher. As they did, he felt a stingy sensation in his hand, as if hundreds of small lightning had passed between the morpher and sphere. Not wasting any time, the teenager brought the two items together, slamming the sphere into the morpher.
A bright, white light emanated from the glass-like surface on the morpher and quickly enveloped him. No sooner was he covered by the light, before it began to retreat. Once gone, Travis appeared in a green and white suit. The green and white made diamond patterns on the legs. The upper part of the suit was all green, with the exception of the white gloves and a small emblem on the left chest. The emblem was a white circle with a green 'A' in the middle. In less than a second, a green helmet appeared around Travis' head, and Travis' field of vision suddenly grew darker.
The two Imps that were sitting on top of him were knocked away when Travis used his new-found strength to push himself off the ground. As soon as he was back on his feet, Travis kicked at the Imp. The small, scaly creature flew away and crashed into a headstone. The other attacked, but Travis blocked the punch. It threw another but Travis caught that one too. With a swift motion, Travis yanked its arms out from its body, stretching them. He proceeded to let go of the Imp, only to deliver another swift kick in its chest, sending it crashing into the first.
Another Imp flung itself at Travis. The Green Ranger jumped and landed about 5 metres above, on the top of a mausoleum. He turned around and got a quick overview of the battlefield. Joseph was pinned down by two Imps, as were Katherine. They were roughly ten meters apart. The Ghoul was still keeping out of battle, presumably waiting for the Imps to tire the Rangers out.
Travis let out a battle cry as he jumped back down. He landed, and ran towards Katherine. He jumped again before he reached her, and knocked away one of the Imps with a flying kick. He landed on the other side of Katherine and kicked as he turned around, sending the other tumbling back. He extended a hand and Katherine grabbed it, and got to her feet.
"You okay?" Travis asked courtly.
"I will be" Katherine said. Then added: "Duck!" Travis did and Katherine sent a punch flying right above his head, taking out a foolhardy Imp. Travis got up again. Before either of them could do anything, another Imp came at them. Katherine blocked the attack and gave the creature a punch in the stomach. It bent over a little and Katherine planted an elbow in its neck.
As the Imp fell down, Katherine had a weird feeling in her right hand. She looked and in it were her yellow sphere, the object that, once combined with the morpher, unleashed all of her powers. She looked at Travis who looked back behind the visor. The same had happened for him, but he had no answers for the questions Katherine was about to ask. As she understood, she nodded.
Katherine threw her arms down her side, then raised the left above her head. In a single movement, she brought the left arm down and the right arm up. The sphere passed the black display and Katherine felt a jolt in her hand. As the right arm was at its pinnacle she retracted it backwards and moved the left arm straight ahead, as were she punching an invisible foe. Finally, she bent her left arm and thrust her right forward, slamming the sphere right into the display.
The sphere and display melted into one and a bright light shone from it, covering her body inch by inch. As soon as it covered her entirely, the light retreated back into the display. It left Katherine in a white and yellow suit. The colours made diamond-shaped patterns on the legs, from the hips to the white boots. Her hands were covered by white gloves, her torso by a yellow suit with an emblem similar to the one Travis had, only hers was yellow on a white background. A helmet followed right away, covering her head, and a darkened visor slid in front of her face, darkening her view.
As soon as the transformation was completed, she stood beside Travis as a mirror image. The two looked at each other and nodded. Only one ranger remained down, but not for much longer. The Green and Yellow Ranger readied themselves and ran towards Josephs and his captivators. They both jumped simultaneously, knocking away the Imps holding him down. Before the Imps could retaliate, the two Rangers punched them as one and they flew backwards, into one of the mausoleums. They didn't rise again. Travis and Katherine turned to their fallen comrade and helped him to his feet.
"I've had it" Joseph panted. "I've been bullied, thrown around and knocked down, but no more. Today cannot possibly become any worse. So let's take him down!" At once, the blue gem appeared in his right hand. As the others it was translucent and vivid. Joseph threw his arms past each other, curving his right arm upwards, just so the sphere passed the black display on the morpher. Then, in a sudden movement, he flung his arm backwards, only to thrust it forward. "Ancient Powers, ready to fight!" he screamed as the sphere connected with the display.
Immediately, Joseph was covered by a bright light, which retreated again, only to leave Joseph dressed in a blue and white suit. The gloves and boots were white as snow, and the diamond-shaped pattern on his legs looked like ice floes on the ocean. On his chest was an emblem similar to the others' only blue in colour. The helmet appeared last of all, darkening his vision a little.
Now all three Rangers were morphed, and a quick view across the battlefield told them all they needed to know. Most of the Imps were unconscious, and those still awake were doing their best to flee the scene. The only enemy left was the Ghoul. It was still nearly motionless, looking at them with its blank, white eyeballs in their deepened hollows. Its blood-red nails looked as sharp as knives; its teeth sharp enough to chew through bone. Its muscles flexed visibly underneath its pale-green, wrinkled skin.
"Watch out for its strength" Joseph advised. "A single blow was enough to send me flying."
"No offense, but you're not really all that hard to push around" Travis remarked.
"I'm serious" Joseph said, ignoring Travis comment. Then smirked. "Dead serious."
"Oh, stop it" Katherine said smiling. "You're killing me."
Joseph was about to think up another witty reply, when the Ghoul suddenly sprung into action. It raced towards the Rangers, skipping past headstones and fallen Imps as were they not there. The Rangers' eyes grew wide with astonishment. The creature was racing faster than anything they had ever seen. Before they could even think of jumping away, the creature reached them. It slashed once, a mighty, broad sweep that hit all three of them, and the teenagers was flung backwards. Joseph made contact with another mausoleum, Travis landed to further away to his left and Katherine was stopped by a headstone to his right.
"What in the world?" Katherine panted as she looked towards the Ghoul. But the space it had occupied just before was already empty. She looked around frantically. Where was it? A movement caught her eye and she turned her head, only to stare directly into the Ghoul. Before she could react the Ghoul had already slashed her once with its mighty arm. Katherine shrieked as the nails penetrated her suit and scratched her arm. The Ghoul took advantage of her distraction and swung a leg at her head. It connected and Katherine was sent skidding sideways.
Meanwhile, Joseph and Travis had gotten back on their feet, only to see Katherine sent flying.
"You take care of Kathy, I'll take the monster" Travis said.
"Right!" Joseph replied and ran towards their friend.
Travis turned his attention to the Ghoul, but it was missing again. Where is it? Travis looked around him, but the Ghoul was nowhere in sight. He looked at Joseph who was helping Katherine to her feet. It wasn't there either. Travis was getting increasingly frustrated. He looked around frantically, but no matter what he couldn't see it. Calm down, Travis he thought. He took a deep breath, and then let it out. Something moved to his right. He turned, but nothing. Now to his left. He turned, but only a leaf moved in the still wind. That's it! Travis realised. He turned to face the others.
"Guys!" he yelled. "Behind you!" Joseph and Katherine turned their heads at the same time and looked directly into the face of the Ghoul. It moved an arm and was about to bring it down on them, when a green energy pellet hit it in its forehead. The demon fell over, clutching its head. Joseph and Katherine ran over to Travis.
"How did you know?" Katherine asked as Travis put back his blaster.
"It wasn't easy" Travis said. "But I realised that the creature isn't invisible, just really fast. Since it moves so fast, it generates tail wind, which in turn makes the leaves fly and grass bend."
"I don't mean to be a bother" Joseph said, "but that thing is getting up again." The others looked and saw he was right. The creature had stopped tending to its wound and was already up and starting to move.
"Oh, great!" Travis muttered.
"Ready yourselves" Katherine said. They all did, raising their arms to protect themselves from an attack while steeling them for the impact. The Ghoul rushed at them at its blinding speed and the three Rangers didn't catch sight of it before it was standing right in front of them. The Ghoul made a single sweep with its arms, and the Rangers were flung backwards, landing in a clear patch of dirt. Great. Now I risk an infection too Katherine thought.
"There's got to be something we can do!" Travis spat out, as he fought to get up.
"I can't think of anything" Katherine said. "We could try our weapons, but I doubt they'll be effective."
"They won't" Joseph said. "But there's one option we haven't tried yet."
"What?" Travis asked curiously.
"The Boosters" Joseph replied cryptically.
"The Boosters!?"Katherine cried.
"The Boosters?" Travis asked, genuinely confused.
"No way!" Katherine said. "No way, Joseph. You know what Haslan has said!"
"Yeah, I do, but I also realise that we have no other option."
"Would someone care to fill me in?" Travis interjected before Katherine could reply.
"Sure" Joseph said, and began to explain gravely. "The Boosters are modifications made to the morphers for our sake. They do, as the name implies, give a small energy boost. This boost increases our strength, speed, dexterity, everything."
"If it's that good, then why don't we use it more often?"
"Because of the drawbacks" Katherine said. "The boost it gives is taxing on the body. The Boosters are designed to give up to two minutes of boosted effect, but even such short time still brings a tremendous stress on the body. In the worst case scenario, using the boosters could kill you." Travis sunk. He hadn't expected that kind of answer.
"But still" Joseph said. "It should be safe as long as we stay within the two minute limit. Besides, what have we got to lose?" The Rangers grew silent and looked around them. "Oh, right. Graveyard. Forgot that."
The Ghoul, which apparently had grown tired of waiting, charged at them. But this time the Rangers were able to avoid the attack.
"Well, are we going to do it?" Travis asked.
Katherine sighed. "It looks like we really have no choice."
"Alright" Joseph said. "Boosters, activate!" All at once, the three Rangers pressed a small button on their morphers. The black display flashed for less than a second, and suddenly, the Rangers felt a strange power flow through them. The power was strong, vivid, intoxicating. On the morpher, a digital clock started counting.
"Wow, this is fantastic" Travis said as the powerful feeling spread through his system.
"Don't get carried away" Joseph said. "We have to defeat that Ghoul."
"Let's go!" Katherine shouted.
The three Rangers set off and sprinted towards the Ghoul. For just a second, the Ghoul was surprised about their increased speed, but a second was all that the team needed. They jumped and each readied a punch. They punched at the same time and three fists hit the Ghoul right in the chest. Time seemed to slow down around the Rangers, as the Ghoul was slowly lifted from the ground by the force of their attack. Travis quickly dropped down, supported himself on his hands, only to thrust his legs and feet into the creature's stomach. The Ghoul bent over in midair, still flying backwards.
Katherine ran after it and stopped it by grapping hold of its arm. She spun around, swinging the Ghoul round and round. Suddenly she stopped and let go and the Ghoul was flung into a mausoleum. The impact left a dent, but the creature hadn't landed on the ground when Katherine summoned her lance. She gave a thrust and placed the lance between the Ghoul and the ground. With a mighty swing, Katherine catapulted the creature away horizontally.
Joseph sat after it and overtook it. He stopped a little past it and caught the Ghoul as it flew towards him. He lowered himself, then flung the Ghoul into the air. Joseph jumped and turned around in midair, flying upwards with his legs first. He kicked at the Ghoul, which shrieked whenever his feet were planted in its back. Another kick, another scream. He gave a final kick and the Ghoul finally stopped flying upwards. As it begun its descend, Joseph dodged it and just before they hit the ground he slammed his heel into its abdominal. The Ghoul gasped as the air in its lungs was pressed out of it and crashed to the ground.
Joseph jumped backwards and the Ghoul got up. It swung its arm at Joseph who leaned backwards to avoid the blow. The Ghoul followed up with a kick, but Joseph beat it to it, by back flipping, hitting the demons jaw in the flip. The Ghoul howled as it relocated its jaw, and rushed at the other two. It swung a clawed hand at them, but both Travis and Katherine ducked the blow. Before the Ghoul could follow up, the two Rangers had already punched it in the stomach, sending it flying yet again.
Travis summoned his axe and went after it. It had almost been a minute already since they activated the boosters, and he could feel that, even now, his muscles were getting strained. Travis pushed the pain away and sprinted faster. He caught up and with a series of flying kicks, sent it into a wall. It crashed into the wall where it made another dent and fell down. Travis jumped and brought his axe down. The Ghoul looked up and if its so called eyes could display terror, they would do so now.
The axe fell from Travis's hands. Not because of the plea for mercy in the creatures eyes, as it was doubtful that it knew the meaning of the word mercy, but because he himself was shaking. His body had broken down from the strain and all of his muscles were in cramps. He tried to move an arm, but nothing happened. He had fallen in mid jump, the axe had fallen from his hands and he was completely immobilised for the moment. Not that he would have much more than that, as the Ghoul was already getting up again, staring hungrily at its next meal.
Travis looked around him. About fifteen metres away, Joseph and Katherine were suffering from the same afflictions. They too were shaking all over, Katherine's lance lying just out of her reach. Travis turned his head and looked at the morpher. They should still have another 30 seconds, but his body was aching all over. He willed himself to move his right arm and deactivate the Boosters, noticing that the other two Rangers had done the same. Travis gasped as the surge of power he had felt earlier vanished and was replaced by simple pain. All of his muscles were aching, though already the cramps had subsided a bit. Another minute and he should be able to walk again. Not that I have a minute, he thought grimly. The Ghoul jumped at him and he closed his eyes.
A sharp sound cut through the area, a sound reminiscent that of a projectile. Travis opened his eyes and saw the creature lie next to him, tossing in pain. He looked over at Katherine and Joseph, and was about to thank them, when he saw that they were also unable to move so much. He turned his head the other way, and looked right into two pairs of white boots. He looked a little higher and smiled behind the visor as he saw the owners.
"Sorry we couldn't come any sooner" Ben said, offering a hand which Travis tried to accept. He couldn't move his arm that much though, and let it fell.
"It's okay" Travis said through his teeth. Talking hurt more than he thought it would.
"What is that thing?" Sarah asked, pointing her blaster at the Ghoul.
"Dangerous" Travis croaked.
"So I see" Ben remarked, as the creature slowly got up. Its mouth was covered in froth; its eyeballs showed pure malice. "We'll take care of the rest" Benjamin assured his friend. Travis smiled and let his head fall again.
Ben and Sarah directed their full attention to the Ghoul. It lunged at them and the two Rangers barely dodged the attack. It came around for another swing at Sarah, who barely had time to block it. The Pink Ranger tried kicking it, but the Ghoul blocked and aimed for her arm with its mouth. Sarah pushed it away in the last possible moment and quickly pointed her blaster at the creature, and fired. Three energy pellets left the blaster and the Ghoul was turned over.
"Red Knight Sword!" the Red Ranger called out and a lightning struck his hand. Immediately, a crimson longsword appeared in his hand. The blade was lucid with a crimson hue, though its true colours were dampened in the unnatural blackness around them. Ben swung the sword in front of him, testing it. It seemed heavier than usual. Ignoring that for now, he once again turned his attention to the Ghoul.
The Ghoul lunged at him but Ben back flipped and avoided the blow. It swung another arm but this time Ben blocked the attack. The Red Ranger kicked at the Ghoul which jumped away. Ben smirked; the demon was right where he wanted it. The Red Ranger took a step forth and slashed with the sword. The Demon was easily able to deflect the blow. Ben followed it up, this time slashing a lot harder. The Ghoul tried to deflect it, but Ben's sword cut into its arm, causing the demon to cry again. Ben kicked it away, then charged at it.
"Red Knight Slash!" he cried out and swung the sword with all his might. The blade cut through the Ghoul, leaving visible traces in the air for just a second, before the Ghoul exploded. A small, initial explosion, followed by a larger. With the Ghoul soundly defeated, Benjamin and Sarah turned to their comrades.
"I told you we would take care of it" Ben said with a smile behind the visor as he helped Travis up again.
"And you did" Travis replied. He still hurt a little, but at least he could walk again. "Remind me never to doubt you in the future."
"I will" Ben said smiling and helped him over to the others.
"So, how did you two know how to get here?" Katherine asked.
"Haslan and the others monitored your progress" Sarah started. "But at some point you dropped of their radar and they couldn't find you. So they called us to retrace your steps."
"Wait, back up a bit" Joseph interrupted. "Atlantis has radars?"
"Apparently" Ben said and shrugged. "They have alarms too, remember?" Joseph was momentarily confused, then recalled their first meeting in Atlantis.
"Anyway" Sarah continued. "We were told to go here as quickly as possible, and once at the cemetery, we simply begun to look around."
"Okay, I can keep up this far" Travis said. "But could someone please explain to me how we got here?" The five Rangers looked around. It was night; the sun had set a long time ago. The stars were out, forming well-known constellations. The trees around them were green and vigorous.
"Correction" Joseph said, dumbfounded. "Where we were?"
"I think Haslan owes us an explanation" Ben said and reached for his morpher.
"And you shall have it" Haslan's voice sounded through the device.
"Okay" Ben said. None of the Ranger's had realised they were now demorphed. "Where were we just now?"
"You were in another world, known as the Shadowfell" Haslan replied. "It is much like your world, only a darker and warped reality of it. Think of it as a dark future for your world if you cannot safe it."
Thanks for clearing that up Travis thought. "So we were in another dimension?"
"No, it can't be called that" Haslan said. "An alternate dimension would be completely free from anything that happens in your world. The Shadowfell, however, is a mirrored representation, that reflects the worst possible outcome from the current situation. Let's say an earthquake occurs. It might not happen in an alternate dimension, but it would happen in the Shadowfell. Do you understand?"
"Not really" Sarah said. "But what about the demon-thingie?"
"Ghoul" Joseph corrected her.
"The Shadowfell is home to many variations of demons" Haslan said. "Amongst them, Wyrmina and her crew."
"We were in Wyrmina's world?!" Katherine said shocked.
"Yes, though I believe it to be an accident. Had she known you were there you would not have survived. I will gladly tell you more later, but it is getting late and as I understand you have other duties."
"I wouldn't call school for a duty" Joseph mumbled low enough for the other Rangers to hear.
"One last question" Travis said. "Back when we were fighting. We got into a bit of trouble and I couldn't reach either the power-sphere or the morpher. But somehow the sphere appeared in my hand. It happened for the others too."
"Interesting" Haslan said slowly. "It would seem that you have become more attuned to your powers than we could predict. As you grow in strength and learn to use all of your abilities, you will slowly be able to unlock the more... complicated powers of the morphers. Summoning the power-sphere is just the first step on a long way that could take decades, if not centuries to master. But if you can already summon the sphere by will, then you are indeed the best team we have ever had."
The Rangers smiled at his praise. Though Haslan usually praised them for a job well done, he had never praised them like this.
"Goodnight Haslan" Ben said and turned off his morpher.
"So now what?" Joseph asked as they slowly walked out of the cemetery.
"Now we go home, get some sleep, go to school and tomorrow we'll all meet up to get that dinner we had talked about" Ben said. "How does that sound?" The others laughed and agreed. As they split up Katherine's final thought was how wonderful it would be to get the team together again.
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It was dark in Wyrmina's throne room. The purple, velvet carpet were only briefly lit by the flashing lightning which came from outside. Wyrmina herself was sitting on her father's throne, the very same she had occupied for nearly two months. The walls in the room were mainly bare, only sparsely decorated with paintings and tapestries. The ceiling was mostly intact, but the weather had managed to make a few cracks over the millennia.
"So, the Ghoul was, ultimately, a failure" she mused aloud. In the nearly empty room her voice boomed back on her, rising from a whisper to something near a roar. "Even though we had it gather strength for two weeks, the Rangers still found a way to destroy it." Wyrmina hissed at the thought. She couldn't stand to lose a battle; in fact, she hated it. "But it have not been for nothing" she continued. "While the foolish Rangers and those stupid Atlantians focus on a single attack every now and then, I have far grander schemes in play." Wyrmina got up and paced back and forth. "But then again, they might see the threat right away."
"Do you not think that I can pull it off, milady?" a voice sounded from the shadows behind the chair. Wyrmina stopped and looked at the person. The shadows clad the women well and hid her completely. Had Wyrmina not handpicked her earlier on the day, she would not have known the person was a female, nor how she looked. She recalled her appearance. The woman had long red hair, which extended all the way to her hips. She was dressed in a torn, red dress, though her entire upper body were covered. A belt kept the dress close to her hips. The belt had a golden scarab as a lock.
"Of course I do" Wyrmina hissed. "In fact, I'm counting on you." The woman in the shadows smiled, not that Wyrmina could see it. Then, much sterner, Wyrmina added. "Don't let me down."
"I will not" the woman said and disappeared in a bright, purple flash. With the woman gone, Wyrmina sat down again. In only a week the third Gargoyle would be filled and her father's resurrection one step closer.
And that concludes the 7th episode. On a semi-related note: How many of you have seen Thunderbirds? If that's not a Power Rangers rip-off, I don't know what is. My brother and I saw it the other day, and there weren't five minutes between the Ranger references. Oh, and by the way, you guys should really look forward to the next episode. That one's going to be a blast! Well, see you guys then. Hopefully, it will be within the next 30 days.