Chapter 25: Lizards
Salamander had grown accustom now to hearing Wavern and Naga speak in their weird language quite often. He stretched his arms and retracted his wings into his body as he wandered into the main cavern. They immediately stopped their conversation and Wavern flashed a welcoming smile. Naga leered away from his sister and smiled smugly.
"Ready to go Salamander?" Naga asked as he proceeded past the newborn Mechtagon to the exit.
"Yeah gimme a second." Salamander called after making sure Naga couldn't see him saunter up to his sister, "I hope we won't be gone for too long."
He gave Wavern a peck on the cheek making her giggle a bit and then shove him away.
"Go. He doesn't like to be kept waiting." Wavern warned blushing slightly.
Salamander skidded a little and then flashed a smile before disappearing out with Naga.
Although Salamander didn't like the task at hand he couldn't argue with Naga that it wasn't completely unnecessary. For several days now Naga took Salamander out with him for most of the day to establish their territory from the Bakugan that dared to venture to close. Naga explained his reasoning for bullying these once humans was to keep them away from the Infinity Orb since it was the source of the spores, but lately it wasn't spewing as much so the Bakugan were growing hungry for its power. Many didn't have trace of humanity left in them and the ones that did, well barely would it show.
The group Naga was attack consisted of only three members. Two were of the Subterra subgroup and one of the Pyrus. Naga went after the Pyrus first and then looked over his shoulder to shout commands to Salamander, which surprised him since Naga went mostly solo.
"Go scare off those two while I deal with this one!" Naga hissed before Salamander took off.
"Yes, Naga." Salamander muttered before dashing at the two Subterras.
They yelped and scrambled to their feet to run away as fast as they could, but their subgroup wasn't meant for speed so the newborn Mechtagon was able to catch up to them and grab their shoulders before unleashing his wings to fly a bit with them.
"Taxi!" Salamander teased before tossing them down the street a ways.
He marveled at his strength for moment and then a screech behind him caught his attention. He whipped his head around and hoped that it wasn't Naga. He pumped his wings once more and flew back to the older Mechtagon hoping he wasn't hurt. He only got to be relieved halfway as he saw the dead Pyrus Bakugan being flung away and Naga stepped out of the building he had been crashed into. His white form was cover in fresh blood making Salamander a little nervous.
"Naga? What happened?" Salamander dared to question, "That isn't your blood is it?"
Naga narrowed his eyes and his gruff voice rang out, "NO. It's her blood, that stupid ingrate thought she could get the upper hand on me by trying to take my Silent Orb, but alas it wasn't meant for her."
Salamander tilted his head and glanced at the dead body of the female Pyrus laying in the middle of the street. Her hair was jet black and she looked like a warrior god in red armor. She still looked very human so Salamander guessed she wasn't too far evolved. He felt bad for her being up against Naga, but also that she had become one of the 'infected'.
"Was it swift?" Salamander asked turning away from the dead body to face Naga, who was busily dusting himself off.
"What?" Naga scoffed and Salamander noted the pride in his voice, "Do you not understand why I had to kill her? Of course it wasn't swift and you shouldn't feel any pity for her kind. They only seek to steal powers that don't belong to them."
A spore drift down by Salamander, but he didn't feel his body trying to absorb it and worriedly he looked down for his marking only to find it whited out.
"What's with you Salamander?" Naga grumbled, "Come on let's check the south."
Salamander nodded and followed him into the air. He wanted to bury her so badly, but knew Naga didn't allow it because they had to busy themselves with protecting Wavern and the Infinity Orb. At least that what Naga told him, but Salamander was beginning to suspect it was because he was inhumane, he didn't value life at all.
The boy dashed away his thoughts as Naga landed atop a building and crouched down behind the generator. Salamander quickly did the same and tried to ask why the stealth.
"Why are we hiding?" Salamander whispered earning a hiss to be silent from Naga.
"Look." Naga murmured as he pointed a claw to where they had been headed.
Salamander squinted his eyes and saw a speck in the distance circling, he guessed, the outer edge of the suburbia.
"Looks like a person or bird maybe." Salamander commented and relaxed a little, "It's so far away, how can you see it?"
Naga sneered at Salamander and chuckled a bit, "It's because I'm a full blown Mechtagon with the power of the Silent Orb imbedded in my body."
Salamander raised an eyebrow and shrugged before standing up straight. Naga yanked him back down and made an angered expression as he scolded the boy.
"Idiot." Naga hissed, "That speck has some device that enhances his vision so he could see as far as I do now stay down until I tell you not to."
Salamander was really starting to hate Naga, but did as he was told knowing it was for the benefit of Wavern. He tried his best to watch the speck as it continued to circle around.
"We should move Wavern and the Infinity Orb to some other place tomorrow or tonight." Naga informed Salamander as he glared at the speck, "I have a bad feeling about this one."
The speck then disappear or was now too far away for Salamander to glimpse at. He looked to Naga now for instruction.
"Let's go back to her and get this sorted out." Naga said as he stood up and walked to the edge of the building.
Sadly for the boy it would be a night long argument between the two in their own language and he was left completely out of the conversation. He grimaced and groaned as it went on. He wanted to yell for them both to be silent, but that would anger them both. It was early morning when they finished.
"So what's the decision?" Salamander asked Wavern as she came to him with a sad smile.
"Naga says we move, now." Wavern said as she past him to the ledge.
Naga strolled out to the ledge and then positioned himself to leap away, but paused to speak to the boy.
"We're leaving this city, you're to carry Wavern most of the way. I don't know where we are going, but definitely not south." Naga told him before taking to the sky.
Salamander looked at Wavern and then blushed as their eyes met.
"Come on!" Naga insisted.
Wavern walked to Salamander, who then picked her up bridal style while his wings jutted out from hiding in his body. He gave them a few good flaps before leaping out into the air current. Wavern was surprisingly light, but the Infinity Orb gave her more weight and it also started glowing brighter than Salamander had ever seen it do so. He scrunched his eyes to try and block the light from his field of vision, but only when Wavern covered it with her arm wings did it fade enough. Naga was far ahead as he headed east and Salamander didn't waste time in pumping his wings to catch up with the stronger Mechtagon.
It was an hour later when it all began.
Salamander readjusted his grip on Wavern and she gulped a bit as the fog rolled into the city. Even with the power of the Silent Orb, Naga couldn't see too well through the thick fog that now blanketed the city.
"Curses." Naga hissed hovering a bit to gain his bearings.
As Naga did so, Salamander for the first time ever noticed that the Infinity Orb was spewing something out.
"Are those spores?" Salamander question Wavern and her grip tightened.
"Yes." Wavern replied in a hushed tone, "The Infinity Orb spills these out because it has no host and is trying to create one suitable for it by spewing out these 'spores'."
Salamander was awestruck by what he had just learned and now felt a greater need to know who it needed exactly.
"So this is why these things are happening." Salamander murmured and then snapped to Naga's attention.
"Someone is close by us." Naga whispered, "Get Wavern out of sight. Go!"
Salamander didn't waste any time in flying back to a glass building he had spied earlier. Wavern slipped out of his grip and took to flying herself and held the orb with her tail as she flew with him. Her wings were as silent as an owls so the two were able to slip by. He led her back to one of the buildings windows.
The boy jabbed a window with his tail and fluttered backwards as the glass shattered and fell away. He ushered the pale dragon like being next to him to proceed into the building. She nodded clutching the blue luminous orb tighter as she glided in and he followed suit to make sure it would be a safe haven.
"Hide here while I go help Naga." Salamander instructed Wavern sternly as he strutted towards the broken window.
"Wait Salamander." Wavern begged the boy tugging on his arm as her left claw clutched the blue orb tenderly.
He stopped and turned around to embrace her in his arms.
"Yes, Lady Wavern?" He murmured as their faces became closer and she looked deeply into his.
"Kiss me." She whispered as the orb began to glow faintly.
"As you wish." He murmured not wasting a second to place his lips over her lips.
A moan of pleasure emitted from her throat as the kiss deepened and he closed his eyes. Wavern desperately tried to hide a sneer as her tail snaked around as it tried to pinpoint the perfect strike. He started to pull away and then she jabbed her tail through him. He cringed at the abrupt pain and then felt the young beauty step back with a snicker.
He looked down at his left hip to see a silver spiky tail rammed straight through him.
"Lady Wavern?" He asked in misunderstanding as she sneered at him.
He searched her black and red eyes for answers, but a guffaw was all he received as she drove her tail in deeper.
"Sorry Salamander, but I can't let you take the Infinity orb. It belongs to me all its power shall be mine." Wavern said as he tried to pull out her tail, but she was quick to wrap it around his waist and squeeze him, "As a Mechtagon I deserve its power not you a weak pathetic human. Legend told of this world being saved by a boy with the power of fire and drenched in crimson. Killing others with the same power as you was what my brother and I did until you came to our hideout seeking your 'truth', but instead you provided us with the perfect opportunity. I've been waiting eons to absorb it while exiled to the dimension inbetween. Sad that I had to trick you, but I had my fun."
"Wavern…..stop it." Salamander said weakly as he writhed in pain.
"No. Never will I let anyone stand in my way of gaining infinite power." Wavern spat as she held the orb forward slightly and he felt his power being drained, "Now I will take back the mutation of a Mechtagon and return you to that pathetic excuse."
His hair turned back to its dark brown shade and his skin darkened to tan as well his form reverted to human now. She smirked and lifted him off his feet and in one swift flick of her tail she sent him flying out the unbroken window. He screamed in anguish as her tail was ripped out of him and then the shards of glass scraping at him.
Things aren't always as they seem to be dear Salamander, or rather Daniel Kuso. Women are tricky.