Healing Hearts Chapter Twenty-One
"So, any idea where we're going," Austin yelled over the roar of the plane engines.
"I'm following the scroll's directions," Sally shouted back. "According to it, we need to travel this way!"
Austin nodded and sat back in the plane seat, the wind whipping through his hair. They had been flying for several hours, the sun high in the sky. Trees and hills passed under them as they flew over. He had dozed for a little while during the flight and was now wide awake. He wondered just what awaited them. Would they find the sword when they arrived at their destination? Somehow, he doubted it would be that easy. If the sword had extraordinary properties, then the King would make sure it couldn't be found too easily.
"We're almost there," Sally shouted.
Austin looked as the plane began to descend. A large wooded area surrounded by a small range of mountains spread out below them. Sally pushed on the control and set the plane down in a large clearing, not too far from the mountains. Austin climbed out and jumped to the ground. Turning, he reached up and helped Sally down.
"Why, thank you," she said, as her feet touched the ground. She looked around, her eyes settling on the mountains. "I think our best bet is to start our search there."
Austin gazed at the mountains. They weren't gigantic like most other mountains, but still, there were probably lots of caverns to explore.
"It might take us a while to search this place," he said.
"Well, then, we'd better get started," Sally said. "We should reach them by late afternoon if we set a good pace."
Austin shouldered his pack and handed Sally her's. Then they set off through the trees, making their way towards their destination.
As Austin and Sally trekked through the woods, they were unaware of several individuals watching from the trees.
"There they are, just like he said."
The one who had spoken was a female fox with red fur and brown hair, dressed in a black tank-top shirt and black pants. Her name was Fiona, a former Freedom Fighter. Next to her was her team, the Suppression Squad. They comprised of Sgt. Simian, Lightning Lynx, Predator Hawk, and Flying Frog.
"And here I thought this would be a wild goose chase," Fiona said.
"So what are we waiting for," Lightning asked. "Let's take them."
"Negative, soldier," Simian grunted. "Our orders are to observe for now and wait for our commanding officer to show up."
"Can we knock it off with the military terms," Lightning said. "We're not in the army."
"He's right, though," Fiona spoke up. "For now, we watch and wait."
"Wonder what they're looking for," Flying Frog said, grinning.
"Who knows," Fiona said. "What I want to know is, why is Sally hanging with a human? And just who is he, anyway?"
"I'm certain we'll find out soon enough," Predator Hawk said, watching their quarry. "Still, I wish our benefactor had given us more details."
"Agreed," Simian said. "I prefer going into a mission with proper Intel."
"Can it," Fiona snapped. "They're getting ahead of us. Let's move."
They silently followed after Austin and Sally, keeping to the trees.
Austin stopped abruptly and glanced around.
"Something wrong," Sally asked, noticing his reaction.
"I don't know," Austin said, eyes scanning the area. "For a moment it felt like we were being watched."
Sally followed his gaze but saw nothing. Still, that didn't necessarily mean anything. If Austin had sensed something, then chances were there may very well be something out there.
"Let's keep moving," Austin said. "But stay on your guard. I've got a bad feeling."
Sally nodded and kept walking, Austin right behind her, constantly watching for trouble. After a little while, they finally reached the base of the mountain.
"Let's take a lunch break before we tackle this mountain," Sally suggested.
"Sounds good to me," Austin said, unpacking some sandwiches.
As they sat there eating, Austin gazed up at the rocky formation before them.
"We'll need to see if there's some sort of cave around here," he said.
Sally nodded. "If the sword is here, then more than likely it would be hidden inside the mountain."
"Does the scroll mention anything about a cave or cavern of some kind," Austin asked.
"Unfortunately, no," Sally said. "The scroll's pretty vague. It only pointed us to this location. I imagine Daddy didn't want the sword to be found so easily."
"That was wise of him," Austin said. "A sword of power would be dangerous in the wrong hands. And we're not even sure just how powerful the sword is."
"Powerful enough to make my father hide it from Robotnik," Sally replied. She stood up and shouldered her pack. "So, you ready?"
"Let's do this," Austin said, picking up his own pack.
They made their way up a path leading towards the mountain. They searched around the base first, seeking any openings or caves. Austin glanced up and spotted a ledge with a cave entrance.
"Sally! I found an entrance," he called out, pointing up.
Sally joined him and glanced up. "Alright," she said. "Let's get climbing."
Austin halted her and then picked her up. His wings appeared and he flapped upwards. Within a few seconds they reached the ledge and Austin sat her down.
"Or, we could fly up," Austin said, grinning.
He pulled out two lanterns and handed one to her. "Let's do some exploring," he said, switching it on.
With their lanterns lit, they entered the cave.
"Did you see that," Lightning Lynx gasped.
Fiona nodded, unable to speak. Watching from their hiding spot, she and her team had just witnessed Austin's transformation.
"He's not human," she whispered. "What is he? I've never seen anything like that before."
"This could complicate things," Predator Hawk said.
"So he's not human," Lightning said. "That doesn't mean anything."
"Never underestimate an unknown target," Sgt. Simian said.
"So what do we do," Flying Frog asked, still grinning. "That's the Million Dollar question, isn't it?"
Fiona remained silent, pondering what to do. She wasn't sure just what this might do to their plan. Without any information to go on, moving in against an unknown factor would be foolish. Who knew what Sally's companion was capable of? The guy had a sword with him and she knew it wasn't just for decoration. Not only that, but somehow, despite their best efforts to remain undetected, the mystery man seemed to have noticed their presence, indicating he had some powerful senses.
"We're going to wait," she spoke aloud. "Sooner or later they'll come back out. And when they do, we'll jump them and take them by surprise. I'll deal with Sally. You four subdue her friend. Think you can handle that?"
"No problem," Lightning said, as Sgt. Simian cracked his knuckles. "I think between the four of us we can manage it."
Fiona nodded and then turned her attention back to the cave. Hopefully, by the time it came to the ambush, their leader would show up. If anything, he could handle this mystery man.
Crystal Lake...
"Look at that," Darren said, admiring the vast lake, crystal clear and sparkling in the sunlight. "Beautiful."
Rotor stood beside him, gazing out over the water. They had just been dropped off by Tails and were preparing to begin their search for the emerald. The lake was huge and seemed to stretch for miles. No doubt it was also very deep.
"Crystal Lake," Rotor said. "One of the few places on Mobius untouched by Robotnik. Let's hope it stays that way. Now, where do we start?"
"If the emerald is here, it's gotta be underwater," Darren surmised. "Meaning, we're going for a swim."
He stripped off his shirt and pants, leaving only his swim shorts on. He strapped his trident to his back and removed his shoes.
"Ready," he asked Rotor.
"Ready when you are," he replied.
Together, they walked into the water and began swimming out into deeper waters. After going several feet out, Darren peered down into the crystal clear depths.
"Let's check out the bottom," he suggested.
Rotor nodded and then they dived underwater.
The water closed around them as they plunged deeper. Around them, various fish swam past them, darting away as they came close. Darren marveled at the underwater domain. Because of his Atlantian heritage, he had always felt at home in the water. Gazing around, he watched for the tell-tale sparkle of the Chaos Emerald. Rotor swam a little ways from Darren to search one side of the area. For a second, he thought he'd seen something flash. Could it be the emerald? He swam down further, the shining object getting closer. Rotor reached out and grabbed it. Pulling it free of the wet sand, he brought it closer for a look...and felt disappointed. It was just a crystalline rock. Not the emerald. Dropping the rock, he turned to swim back towards Darren, unaware of the metallic tentacle snaking out from the sand. Rotor was just a few feet away from Darren when something grabbed his foot. He tried to call out as he was yanked backwards into the depths.
Darren was checking out some rock outcroppings, peering into crevices, hoping to find the emerald. Nothing. This was going to take a while. Suddenly, he tensed. Something felt wrong. The currents had been disturbed by something huge. Whirling around, he spotted Rotor in the clutches of a large tentacle...and it was metallic, too. He also saw seven more metal tentacles emerge from the sand. Darren wasted no time. Reaching around, he grabbed his trident and dived after Rotor, cutting through the water like a missile.
Rotor struggled against the cold, metal grip. But the tentacle only tightened it's hold, squeezing him. Rotor felt the air escaping from his lungs. He could last underwater for a while, but he needed air none the less. He continued to fight it, pulling and straining, hoping to get a little leeway, just enough to slip free and get to the surface. Then, just when it seemed like he wouldn't make it, something swam into view. It was Darren! He charged at the tentacle and lashed out, striking the metal appendage with his trident.
A muffled clang sounded and the tentacle loosened it's grip on Rotor. Seizing his chance, Rotor slipped from the tentacle's grasp and swam up towards the surface. Darren, meanwhile, found himself facing the eight tentacles. They lashed out, trying to grab him. He darted through water, swimming around the incoming appendages. Any that got close enough, he fended off with his trident. Down below, he noted the tentacles were emerging from the lake bottom. Something was buried in the sand. Whatever it was, it had to be the source of the appendages.
Diving down, he made his way towards the spot where the tentacles converged. The tentacles followed after him, as if sensing his intentions. Darren put on a burst of speed and managed to get a few feet ahead of his pursuers. He pointed his trident at the spot on the river bed and unleashed a bolt of blue energy. The attack struck, stirring up sand and silt. Something big erupted from the sand and Darren caught a brief glimpse before it was obscured by the silt. Taking the opportunity, he swam towards the surface to join up with Rotor.
Rotor had surfaced and took in a big lungful of air. Gasping, he tread water and peered down into the lake. He could see Darren fending off the tentacles. After a few moments, he swam down towards the bottom of the lake and sent a blast of energy at the river bed. The next thing he saw was a large object emerging and then the disturbed silt hid it from view. Then Rotor saw Darren swimming back up towards him. Soon, he broke the surface, gasping.
"You okay," Darren asked Rotor.
"Fine, thanks to you," he replied. "What was that?"
Suddenly, the eight tentacles broke the surface, thrashing and cutting the air.
"I think we're about to find out," Darren said.
They watched as a large cylindrical shape rose up. The cylinder opened and revealed a humanoid shape inside. It was a feminine shaped robot with metallic tendrils trailing down from the head. The body was curved, with two arms and no legs past the torso, but rather several metal tentacles, all connected to the larger squid-like body. A womanly face with glowing green eyes and dark-blue metal lips stared at Darren and Rotor. The robot smiled coldly.
"That was rather naughty of you," she said, addressing Darren. "Scratching up my tentacles and then hitting me with that energy bolt. Have you no respect for a lady's appearance?"
"Who are you," Darren demanded.
"Oh, where are my manners," she said. "I am SCYLLA." She bowed to them. "I serve Dr. Robotnik."
"Yeah, I figured that already," Darren said.
"What do you want here," Rotor asked.
"Why the same thing you want," SCYLLA replied. "The Chaos Emerald."
"Not happening," Darren said. "We're getting that emerald!"
"We'll see about that," SCYLLA said.
The cylinder closed around her and the giant squid body raised it's tentacles, ready to attack.
"Nothing can ever be easy," Darren growled. Wielding his trident, he prepared himself for the incoming attack.
Elsewhere...
Austin and Sally continued their trek through the cave. The going was easy and the path straight, with no side tunnels. Still, it seemed to go on forever.
"I wonder how far this cave goes," Sally said, echoing Austin's own thoughts.
"Hopefully we're getting closer to wherever the sword is hidden," Austin replied.
Assuming, of course, it was even here. That he kept to himself, not wanting to dash Sally's hopes. After a few more feet, Sally called a halt.
"Let's rest for a minute," she suggested. "I feel like we've been going for miles."
"For all we know, we have," Austin said.
They sat down and leaned back against the cave wall. Austin pulled out a canteen and took a drink, Sally following suit. As they sat there in the dim light of the cave, Austin thought back to his earlier suspicions of being watched. He hadn't felt anything since they had entered the cave. Either he had been paranoid or whoever was watching had remained outside and might be waiting for them.
"We'll need to be cautious when we leave here," he spoke aloud.
Sally looked up at him. "You still think someone was watching us?"
"I've learned to trust my instincts over the years," he said. "I don't think anyone followed us in here. But..."
"We could have company waiting outside," Sally finished. "Great. This is all we need."
"One step at a time," Austin said, standing up. "Let's see what we can find in here." He held his hand out and helped her to her feet.
Picking up their lanterns, they continued onwards. Further into the tunnel, they came to a dead end. Sally moaned in despair.
"Seriously," Austin said. "A dead end,"
Sally said. "And we saw no other tunnels along the way." She slammed her palm on the rock wall. It remained as it was, as if mocking them. "We came all this way and for nothing."
"Now, now," Austin said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "There might be other caves around here. Let's make our way back to the exit and we'll regroup."
"I suppose you're right," Sally sighed. "I...Oh, my gosh. Austin, look!"
Austin watched as Sally went over to the inner wall of the cave. She shone her lantern on the rock surface. Austin peered at the wall and noticed something. There was a carved image on the wall. And it looked like an acorn.
"My father must have carved this," Sally exclaimed, excitement tinging her voice. "There must be something behind this wall."
Austin placed his hand on the wall and then rapped his fist against it. He heard a slight hollow noise.
"I think you're right," he said. "There might be a chamber beyond here." He ran his hand along the wall, searching. "Hopefully there's some button or switch to open the way." He pressed against several spots and rocks jutting out. Finally, he stopped. "Nothing," he said. "If there is a chamber past here, then the door's well hidden."
Sally stared at the wall, mind racing. The sword could be just on the other side. They had to get in there.
"Could you break through," she asked.
"That's pretty thick rock," Austin said. "And I could cause the tunnel to collapse if I use that much power to break through. There has to be a way in."
Sally backed away from the wall, staring up and down, hoping to find some clue. She didn't notice the stalagmite behind her until she bumped into it. The rock formation moved and then a loud scarping noise filled the air. The wall in front of them slid aside, dust stirring.
"Well, how about that," Austin said. "Nicely done, Sally."
"Talk about an accidental discovery," Sally said. She walked over and gazed at the opening before them. "Let's take a look."
They entered the doorway and traversed the tunnel. It wasn't long before they entered a chamber. And there, just in front of them, resting on a pedestal, was the Sword of Acorn!
End of Chapter Twenty-One...