Chapter 12 – Noork's Elbow
Outside of the door they appeared into a small metal compartment that was situated high above the ground level. There was some scattered ammunition lying around in some broken up wooden crates and they took a while to reload their weapons which had been drained somewhat with killing the heavily armoured Mercenaries in the Terraniux Compound. Kargoth looked around and peered down through the bars to the ground below, spying two Mercs wondering around.
"Can I take out just one?" she asked.
Malik turned to look. "Do you have to?"
"I want to see them jump!"
He sighed and rolled his eyes skyward. "If you have to."
Smiling to herself, Kargoth lay down and rested the 8-ball launcher on the ground, locking the Mercenary furthest away into the targeting system. She fired the rocket, watching as it sped towards the Merc, followed its path of motion and slammed into him. Due to the velocity it had carried forwards, it was able to kill it with one shot, the gibs shooting away and bouncing off a nearby Nali house.
"Wicked!" she laughed.
She got to her feet and followed Malik and Riker down the ramp. Her companions had walked off a while ago after she'd fired the rocket and were already attacking the second Mercenary. Clearly it hadn't missed its counterpart being killed by a rocket of an unknown origin. Malik managed to pin it with a large blob of bio fluid which exploded on contact with the alien and blew it into shreds. He noticed the smirk on Kargoth's face; well why shouldn't he have some fun in a while?
They approached the two Nali houses which were desolate and their occupants no longer here. Kargoth collected some more flares while Riker found some more ammunition for his ASMD. Malik, after reloading his Stinger with some more ammo, approached one of the tables which had a book on it. He held his Translator over it, listening to Riker as he shot down a giant fly with his Shock Rifle.
"I wonder where that is," Malik wondered aloud.
"Where what is?" Kargoth asked. "The mysterious ISV-Kran?"
"No! This book says 'We have abandoned our settlement here since the agents of the Sky Demons built their noise factory here. By retreating to the Temple of Vandora the Lightning God, we will hopefully be able to make it to the Sunspire alive."
"Which one? The Temple of Vandora or the Sunspire?"
Malik shrugged. "Which ever is closer."
"The Nali sure like their temples," Riker commented.
"We should get further down Noork's Elbow and see," Kargoth suggested.
They left the deserted Nali village behind and headed along down the slope away from the noisy Terraniux Complex. Once they turned a corner, they came face to face with a large, old looking stone building. They slowed their pace in awe of the huge structure, walking over a stone bridge across the water.
"I'm guessing this is the Temple of Vandora," Malik stated.
"Why not the Sunspire?" Riker asked.
"Riker, does that look like a spire to you?" Kargoth asked.
"I assumed the Sunspire is only a name. It could be another temple."
"I think Malik's reasoning is sounder. It looks like a temple."
"We'll soon see."
Malik shook his head, his companions not noticing. At least their constant bickering meant they were not changing their personalities too much. He liked his friends exactly the way they were and he wouldn't have wanted to change them for a free ride off this planet. Above all they needed to stick together and he hoped that slightly rivalry between Riker and Kargoth wouldn't force them to separate. If he left Na Pali alive, so would the others.
As they approached the temple, a wooden drawbridge lowered ahead of them and permitted them access to the front platform. Malik approached the main doors of the temple, which didn't open as was to be expected. He took out his Translator and read what the message said.
"Temple of Vandora," he stated. "Nali Lightning God."
"Told you," Kargoth sighed.
"Alright, so what about this Sunspire?" Riker asked.
"I say not to worry about it until we find ISV-Kran."
"We haven't found any more dead people at all. Only aliens."
"Then perhaps that's a good sign the ISV-Kran's crew is still alive."
"So, you're all up for finding the Russian ship now?" Malik asked.
"Of course. I spent the journey through Terraniux hoping it may have crash landed at Noork's Elbow!"
That had been futile.
With Malik in the lead, the three of them entered the temple via a side entrance which so far devoid of Skaarj, Mercenaries and even Nali. For once, it was even devoid of dead things.
