Chapter 9

I grimaced from the pain. I knew I am old, but I never realized I am that old. Navies have Net ops to help them recover their hit points. But I have the ability to heal my own hit points. Inspecting the wound on my shoulder, I decided it's not a serious. Looking around, I spotted the remains of the wall, I bent down to inspect it. The foundation is very old and it's crumbling into dust.

I rubbed the dust thoughtfully between my fingers. Taking a handful of dust, I rubbed it against my shoulder. Satisfied that it is fully concealed the wound on my shoulder, I followed the path Greiga and Falzer had taken.

I found the two Lords hunched over the ground in a heated argument. I walked up between them.

"What is it?" I asked.

Greiga looked up at me. "Falzer thinks he has founded something while he was in the air."

I sit down. "Oh?"

"Yes, after I destroyed the lasers I noticed something strange." He pointed at the map he had drawn. The map is a crude picture of a rectangle with odd shapes resembling the small cottages of the village. Falzer's finger was pointing at the center of the village.

"I noticed a satellite dish in the center of the village."

"That is odd," I murmured.

"Pardon?"

"The lasers and satellite dishes are new compared to this area. Do you suppose that it is inhabited?"

"Possibly," Falzer said.

"Maybe. But our information said this village has been uninhabited for many years. No one could survive that long with out a substance to support them."

"You could be right," I agreed. "Now we are here, how do we find the amulet?"

Falzer held out his hand in the air.

A hologram of a different map appeared before us with a red blip on the screen.

"It appears to be where the satellite is located."

"Then let us go into Beast Mode." Griega said.

"Wait! It could be dangerous." I protested.

Greiga shrugged, carelessly. "It will be dangerous if we don't."

"I agreed, we must make haste."

"But what about the traps?" I asked, the image of the pit clouded my vision.

They stared at me incredulously. They looked at eachother and laughed.

"We are Lords of Beyondard. We possess the ultimate program," Greiga said, wiping a tear of merriment from his eye.

"We are invincible," Falzer proclaimed. "No trap will harm us."

Not quiet, I thought, wincing from the pain.

Greiga and Falzer morphed into their beast modes.

Are you coming with us? Greiga asked.

"No, I think I'll walk."

But you will miss the opportunity to get the amulet. Falzer said.

"I would like to explore this place." I said, "There is something intriguing about it."

Falzer looked unconvinced. Greiga's ear twitched, he looked around inquisitively.

Did you hear something?

We listen intently.

"I don't hear anything," I said after a long pause of silence.

I thought it's coming from over there. Greiga said pointing at the direction with his head.

I will look. Falzer said, spreading his wings.

BOOM!

A building exploded behind me, I felt it's impact throwing me into the air. I crashed on the ground. As I laid there, my ears were still ringing from the explosion. When I came to my senses I tried to look for Greiga and Falzer. I could not see them through the smoke and fire. I tried to stand, but the pain from my wounds was unbearable.

Falzer, Greiga. I said. You must leave without me.

Silence.

Are they gone already? I wondered as I crawled away from the ruined area.

I painfully got up to view my surroundings. I had returned to the same courtyard that we had entered in.

Suddenly a black navi landed next to me, his hand turned into a sword and charged towards me. I caught the blade between my hands.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

The navi pulled his sword away from me. He stepped back, with his sword raised over his head. That is his mistake.

Summoning a little energy into my fist, I punched his stomach. He stared at me in astonishment.

My fist sparked a little, soon yellow electricity spread out from the Navi's stomach to the rest of his body.

Before I could infect him with more pain, I saw an image of Iris before my eyes. Startled, I released my hold on the Navi and stepped back.

What is going on here? I wondered, Why do I see my friend in a stranger who tried to harm me?

I heard a loud roar behind me. I turned around to see Greiga and Falzer with a human. The human is fighting valiantly against the two lords with his silver stick and dodging their attacks. The lords were moving awkwardly it almost as if they were performing a clumsy dance. I would have laughed if the situation were not serious.

With a final roar, Greiga battered the human aside with his great head. The human landed on the ground. Immediately I stood over him with my sword ready. The human blocked my sword with his stick.

Leave now! I ordered them.

The lords looked at eachother and nodded. They turned around and left me fighting the human and his navi.

Alone.