The Stone Monuments Have Eyes
The van continued its journey down the foggy road just as the five friends got everything they needed for the journey ahead. Each of them now had a warm coat to keep themselves warm and from complaining about the cooler weather. Luigi managed to find a green one that suited his style, as did everyone else, with the exception of Yoshi (he did not need one, since he was adaptable to many exotic environments), who found one of their favorite color. They also stocked up on their food and drink supply to keep themselves energized, full, and hydrated. Luigi was also lucky enough to find a watch to keep track of time, as he would need one to ensure he would make it to Birabuto before the final countdown to the End of Days. As an added precaution, he set the watch to Birabuto Time to avoid any confusion and future discrepancies as a result of crossing into the Easton Time Zone (which was only one hour ahead of Birabuto). The information that the old man supplied them was more than enough to help them get to the lake, as well as provide some insight into what needed to be done to acquire gemstone number four. So far, Luigi had learned that Lake Hiyoihoi was surrounded by a group of mysterious statues that arguably should not exist, since they were standing next to sulfuric acid while being smothered in toxic sulfur dioxide gas. Clearly the ancients would have had a hard time dealing with the harsh environment, at least if they were sane enough to avoid it. What is more interesting was the secret of Mystery Island and the notion that there may have once been a bridge that crossed the acid lake from outside to the island. Luigi still could not get over that. But however the bridge may have been built, he knew that the fourth stone had to be on that island. The clue that had been given to him even established that fact. But there was still one part of the clue that did not make any sense to him: Seek the acidic lake with the central island, but don't forget to make it the center of attention. Only then will the stone see the light of day again. What did it mean to make the island the center of attention? It was clear that the stone was buried underneath the island, but how would he make it across if there was no bridge to cross? To make matters worse, even if he did make it to the island, there was no guarantee that Luigi would make it back, knowing that every attempt to reach the island in the past had ended prematurely. And what was that new ability that the voice had mentioned to him? Even though the odds were stacked against him, as it seemed since the ordeal started, Luigi was well aware of it and has adapted to it, and he knew that it would only get worse in the next couple of days.
Luigi was now behind the wheel of the van, with Toad in the front seat, Wario and Waluigi in the middle, and Yoshi in the back. Outside, the black sky was beginning to turn a dark blue as the light of day begin to seep through the overhead clouds. The fog was still fairly thick along the perilous road, but it was already showing some signs of improvement. The areas alongside the road were now easier to make out, revealing a landscape that was moderately populated by pine and evergreen trees. There were also huge rock structures scattered across the land, some of which seemed arbitrarily out of place as if they were deliberately moved there. There were some tall rock structures that were illuminated by artificial light alongside the road. Closer examination revealed that they were in fact ancient monuments, carvings of tall humanoid faces that have stood the test of time for thousands of years (think Easter Island). The farther the five friends ventured down the road, the more abundant they became and the more obvious it seemed that they were venturing into the remains of a lost and ancient civilization. Though Luigi had his eyes on the road, he was still able to see the tall structures out of the corners of his eyes. He could also see the strange facial features of the monolithic monuments. Something about the eyes seemed to make him nervous, but he could not quite identify what it was. It almost seemed that they were watching him…
A few minutes later, everyone inside the van started to become aware of a weird odor. It smelled of rotten eggs.
"Geez, Wario! Was that you?!" Waluigi asked.
"Was what me?" Wario replied.
"That smell!"
"I didn't fart! It was probably someone else."
"Alright, nimrods. Which one you farted?"
"Don't look at me!" Toad said.
"Yoshi! Yoshi!" Yoshi cried. It wasn't me.
"Alright, Luigi. I know it was you!" Waluigi said. "You're the only one that hasn't said anything."
"Relax, Waluigi!" Luigi said. "I didn't fart. What you're smelling is the sulfur dioxide gas coming from the lake. We must be getting close."
"Well, it's about time!" Wario said. "We still need gas masks to protect ourselves, though."
"You're right."
"Didn't the man at the convenience store say that there were gas masks at one of the visitor's center buildings along this road?" Toad asked. "Because it looks like we're about to approach one soon."
"Yes, Toad. He did say that." Luigi said as he saw the building come into focus through the thick fog. As he pulled into the parking lot, he saw that it was devoid of any other vehicles and the building itself looked as though it been attacked by an inner city gang faction.
"What the hell happened here?" Luigi asked out loud.
"Well, whatever it was, it was obviously not good." Waluigi said.
"I have a feeling that we're not alone here." Luigi said.
"What makes you say that?" Toad said.
"I'll be right back." Luigi replied, not even acknowledging Toad's question.
"You guys stay in the van. I'll go find the gas masks. If anyone or anything tries to attack you guys, just scream. I would let you guys come, but I can't guarantee that the inside of the building will be any safer than out here."
"Alright." Toad said. "Just get back quickly."
"Will do."
Luigi climbed out of the van and shut the van door before running inside the seemingly abandoned building. Everyone else nervously watched from inside the van.
As Luigi walked inside the visitor's center, he immediately greeted by the site of chaos. Judging by the blue sparks coming from the ceiling, it was clear that there was no electricity inside the dark building. Glass cases displaying curious rock samples and other artifacts had since been shattered, filling the floor with shards of glass. Ceiling tiles were also seen strewn across the tiled floor, portions of which appeared to have been uprooted from their foundation. Even the windows leading outside were demolished. Despite all of this, the building was very quiet. Nothing except shorted electrical wiring could be heard, giving the inside a creepy and foreboding atmosphere. Something was here recently.
"I hate this place already." Luigi said. "Looks like those menacing creatures I encountered in Muda have already made their way here… Damn…"
Luigi suddenly jumped when he heard a sound coming from across the room. He looked around to see what it was, but he could not see anything. Maybe Mr. M. was back to torture him again? As much he hated Mr. L., Luigi hoped that it was just him and not an army of monsters. Nevertheless, he continued across the room and down a small dark hall past the restrooms and into an abandoned office. He stepped inside and found that it was no better condition than the rest of the building. The furniture was pretty much destroyed, while the inside contents of what was once a desk were strewn all across the floor.
"Those gas masks have to be around here somewhere." Luigi said. "I wonder if there is anything inside this cabinet."
He searched inside the large chest that was resting against the wall and started looking through the shelves to find anything that could be of use. Sure enough, he was able to find an entire row of gas masks, as well as an entire set of semi-automatic weapons.
Those should come in handy. Luigi thought. Still not as handy as my usual power-ups though. Damn… I'm surprised I haven't even come across one yet.
As he continued sifting through the contents of the shelves, he came across two stray pieces of high quality paper that had a typed message on the front page. Taking a closer look, Luigi found that it was a fax message… a message that had been written to none other than King Richard himself from the head director of the Easton Department of Archaeology. He began reading the message out of curiosity:
FAX
To: Richard, His Royal Highness
Destination Phone number: 1-800-664-7345
Date: March 11, 2014
From: Dr. Richard Anderson, Easton Department of Archaeology
Sender Phone number: 1-800-846-8946
Subject: New Developments at Lake Hiyoihoi
Total Pages: 2
Your highness,
It has come to my attention that you have recently ceased all archaeological diggings across Sarasaland in the hopes of preserving its ancient sites, and I respect your concern. However, me and my team here in Easton have recently performed sonar screenings on Lake Hiyoihoi and have made a startling discovery under the acidic surface, suggesting that there may have once been a bridge connecting Mystery Island to the outskirts of the flooded crater lake. I have enclosed a computer-generated model, assembled based on our recent readings, for you to examine for yourself. Perhaps you might reconsider your decision? Please reply as soon as possible. We at the Easton Department of Archaeology are eager for your input.
Luigi flipped the page and revealed a glossy print showing the model that was mentioned on the first page. It showed the entire layout of the bottom of Lake Hiyoihoi based on the sonar readings, with the area of interest circled in red. There was no question that it was a submerged bridge.
"That confirms it!" Luigi said. "I wonder if Richard ever even received this message, or if the people running the archaeology department were too scared to deal with his harsh criticism… I wouldn't blame them if they were. But why would King Richard close down all of the archaeological sites in Sarasaland? Surely there has to be another reason other than protecting the sites, knowing him. I wonder if this is related to what I read in the journal about the person not being able to perform any digs on the sites I need to explore… Whatever the reason, I know there's something very fishy about all of this… I should probably save these papers for reference so I know where it is exactly."
Luigi carefully put the documents inside his backpack and started gathering up five gas masks for him and the others to use. Since there was only enough room to carry three inside his bag, Luigi had to settle with carrying the last two. As soon he grabbed the final gas mask, Luigi suddenly heard what sounded like screaming coming from outside. Alarmed, Luigi grabbed one of the semi-automatic weapons that were inside the cabinet, making sure that it was loaded with enough bullets, and hurried of down the hall and towards the front entrance to see what the commotion was all about. Upon reaching the parking lot, Luigi was shocked to see three large monstrous beings attacking the van, two of which had wings and were flying in the air like giant vampire bats. Wario, Waluigi, Toad, and Yoshi were trapped inside.
"Luigi! Help us!" Wario cried. "These things are going to kill us!"
"Waaaaaaaaaa!" Waluigi cried. "Get me out here!"
Luigi the weapon in his right hand and aimed at each of the creatures' heads just as they turned around to see him standing there. Almost immediately, the creatures stopped what they were doing and hurried towards Luigi at an alarming rate. He started firing the weapon in multiple bursts at the creatures, killing the one of the ground just as it was about to pin Luigi to the ground. The two winged creatures tried to swoop down and bite Luigi's head off, but he was able to jump out of the way just before he met his death and started firing the weapon once more. He was bale to take out both creatures' wings with one burst of gunfire before he was able to reduce them to dead corpses. With his heart pounding, Luigi ran back to the van to inspect the damage that had been done by the creatures. There were only a couple of dents on the van and none of the windows were broken.
"Are you guys alright?!" Luigi asked.
"For a second, I thought we were dead for sure!" Toad said. "Are those the creatures you saw back in Muda?"
"Yes, but I've never seen the winged variety before." Luigi replied.
"Do you think they could be mutating?" Wario asked.
"As far as I'm concerned it might be possible, but I'm just glad you guys aren't hurt."
"Yoshi!" Yoshi replied. Me too.
"Did you get the gas masks?" Waluigi asked.
"Yes. Let me get them out for you guys. Don't put them on yet, because we'll need them for when we reach the lake."
"Alright." Wario said. "Also, are there any more weapons inside the building? If so, we should pack some around in case more those things try to attack us!"
"I was already beginning to think the same thing. Let me go get them."
Luigi ran back inside the dark building and ran towards the open cabinet where the rest of the guns were standing. He grabbed the weapons, along with fresh cases of ammunition that were also resting inside. Once he got us much as he could carry, Luigi ran back outside and immediately jumped inside the van and drove out of the parking lot and onto the road towards Lake Hiyoihoi.
"Remind me not to leave you guys in the van like that again." Luigi said. "From now on, we stick to together no matter what!"
"What took you so long anyway?" Toad asked.
"Well, when I was searching the building, I came across a fax message that had been written to King Richard from the head of the Easton Department of Archaeology." Luigi said. "In it, there was mention of the secret bridge underneath the surface of the lake, as well as a sonar depiction of the whole lake bottom with the identified bridge structure. If you look inside my backpack, you should find it."
"Here let me take a look at it." Wario said as he searched the bag. He pulled out the document and skimmed the front page before turning to the glossy second page and examined the sonar map. Waluigi, Toad, and Yoshi also got a good look at it and were intrigued by what it showed them.
"Who would've known that there could've been a bridge going across the acidic lake?" Waluigi asked. "I guess the old man knew what he was talking about."
"Did King Richard ever send back a return fax?" Toad asked.
"I'm not sure." Luigi replied. "If he did, I never came across it. I also thought that the people working for the department might have been too scared to send the message in the first place, simply because the king has such a bad temper. I still don't understand why he deliberately close down very archaeological site across Sarasaland. It might be the case that he really wanted to preserve the ancient sites for what they were, but for some reason reason I feel it is connected to what the other person wrote in the journal that I found."
"Interesting…" Toad said. "It seems as though you may be on to something."
"Indeed. But right now, I'm starting to think about how we're supposed to get to Mystery Island without losing our losing our lives in the process. I know the answer is inside the riddle that was given to me, but I still don't understand what it means. It mentioned something about making the island the center of attention…"
"Well, it sure beats the hell out of me." Wario said. "I'll think about it."
"Let me know if you have any ideas."
"Will do, cousin."
The five friends continued down the road as the sky continued to grow brighter and the fog continued to dissipate. Even more creepy stone monuments could be seen across the semi-frozen landscape as they continued to near the lake and the rotten smell seemed to grow exponentially stronger. Luigi rounded another corner around a nearby mountainside cliff and was immediately able to make out the lake in the distance just down the sloping hill. From their vantage point, Lake Hiyoihoi looked like any other lake, but with a slightly greener hue. But the landscape around the lake, particularly the towering mountain structures and surrounding flat areas as well as the yellowish sulfur gas clouds, told a different story. The rock structures themselves displayed brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red and also exhibited a strange, rippled, sharp and unforgiving terrain that contrasted greatly with surrounding bluish-gray, snow-capped mountain terrain all around it. It was almost like looking onto the surface of another planet. In the middle of the acidic, Luigi could make out Mystery Island resting right in the middle of the lake, as well as the many large monuments that surrounded it. He guessed that there were around ten of them.
"I can see the lake." Toad said. "It looks so alien."
"Yoshi!" Whoa!
"We should probably think about putting on our gas masks soon." Wario said. "Those sulfur plumes are starting to give me a headache."
"Same here." Waluigi said. "I think I'll go ahead and put mine on now."
"I guess it wouldn't hurt." Luigi replied. "I think we should all put our masks on now."
"Good call, Luigi." Toad said.
With that said, the five friends quickly put on their masks as they prepared to brace themselves for the dangerous environment that was just ahead them. Is this what it's like to be on another world? Luigi thought to himself. Either way, this will definitely be a challenge to figure out. I just hope we figure it out in time.
Finally, first chapter of the month (hopefully not the last). Sorry for the long wait once again (school is keeping me really busy!).
A lot going on in this chapter as you could well imagine. The five friends haven't even reached the lake yet and they have already run into some trouble with three monsters. Luckily, Luigi was able to grab gas masks from the visitor's center in order to face the poisonous gases surrounding the lake. While inside the building, he also came across a fax that had apparently been sent to King Richard from the head of the Easton Department of Archaeology regarding the discovery of the submerged bridge. More than ever, Luigi is convinced that there's something suspicious about the king and his decision to close down every ancient site in Sarasaland. But now, with Lake Hiyoihoi just down the road, will Luigi be able to figure out the riddle before succumbing to the sulfuric environment? What is his new ability (as mentioned by the voice earlier) and how will it help him? Will it help him? Is there more danger lurking near the lake? As always, stay tuned for the next chapter. I'll should be able to make some more progress next week, since I'll be having my Thanksgiving break. But until then, just sit tight. And don't worry, I am NOT giving up on this story ;)
saturn95