Axius walked at a brisk pace to the Pool of Visions. The Guardians had requested everyone's presence there immediately. He threw the doors open with a resounding BANG and was met with looks of surprise at his entrance.
"What is it?" PT told them about what Armageddon's name meant, and what it could possibly mean.
"We have to find our remaining brothers and sisters, fast," Vylor said. Axius nodded.
"We'll have to divide and conquer. We'll split up and go after each one at the same time."
"The only question now is what the teams are going to be," PT said.
"We need to get moving as soon as possible," Jacob said. "Chances are Armageddon's already a few steps ahead of us."
"Who's compiling the teams?" Axius asked.
"PT," Jacob said, "this is just like one of your video games, right?" The human nodded.
"I don't have enough data, though." He patted Vylor on the shoulder. "I'd leave it to this guy to do that. I'd imagine that as we've been talking, he's already started."
"Finished actually." The Scimitar of Light turned to the others. "The first group will go after Wintrius. They will be Axius, Jacob, Storm, Caminus, Stratos, and Everithon. Next will be the ones going after Metusia, Scimitar of Fear. You all will be Karos, Venama, Vespex, Maelstrom, Samantha, and myself." He folded his hands behind his back and began to pace back and forth. "Then we have Tenuem. That team will be Spyro, Cynder, PT, Dynamo, Nyxis, Specter, and Omicron."
"He is the Scimitar of Shadow," Axius warned. "He'll probably be the hardest to find." Vylor nodded.
"Finally, comes Nautila. That is going to be Axos, Chronos, Raden, Diablo, and Samara."
"Everyone get some sleep," Axius said. "We leave tomorrow at dawn."
XXXXX
As the sun began to peek over the horizon and shine down on the waking city of Warfang, Axius stood before his friends on the front steps.
"What's that about?" PT asked, pointing to the Paladin Elementum. He had changed back into his old armor and donned his original black and gold.
"Not many know my face like this," he explained. "It will make things easier if I'm traveling in disguise. White armor also tends to draw attention." He turned to the others. "I have given each team leader the maps for your respective Scimitar. I wish you all luck on your quests, may you all return safely and together, we can bring a swift end to Armageddon's tyranny!" With that, each team mounted up and departed, bound for their last hope in this collapsing world.
Team Charlie: In pursuit of Tenuem
PT grunted in surprise as Spyro banked to the right.
"You alright up there, PT?" the purple dragon asked. He nodded.
"Yeah, just give me a little warning next time." Spyro chuckled.
"Nyxis," he called to the Scimitar, who was astride Cynder. "When do you want to set down?"
"My radar is pinging a clearing just up ahead," Dynamo said. He had donned a light set of armor. He told PT that it was a half inch of military-grade steel, but only protected his vitals. He had painted the thing black with a red dragon skull in the center of his cuirass. He wore a gauntlet of the same color on his right arm, metal greaves and a helmet that left his lower jaw exposed but protected his face.
"We'll set down there then," Nyxis said in his distorted voice. PT wanted to imagine him and Omicron performing a duet.
"Going in," Spyro said. He touched down and PT slid off. After two hours of flying, he needed to stretch his legs and Spyro, Cynder, and Specter needed to rest.
"You three take your time," Nyxis said. "I'll try and track down some food." He pointed to PT. "PT, you come with me. Omicron, Dynamo, you two collect some firewood and try to get a fire going." The two nodded. PT hauled himself to his feet and followed Nyxis deep into the forest. They walked in silence for a while until Nyxis held up his hand, freezing where he stood. PT glanced over the massive Scimitar and saw a bubbling stream up ahead.
"What now?" the human asked. Nyxis simply looked up. Suddenly, he shot upwards and landed gracefully on a large tree branch. PT grinned under his helmet and followed, his powers fueling his jump.
"Now, we wait," Nyxis whispered. He held out his hands and in a burst of black flame, a bow made of pure black onyx materialized in his hand. He sat there, not moving. PT thought he had locked up, or fallen sleep, if he even slept. Suddenly, Nyxis gripped the top of the bow. He ran his hand down to the other end, a blurring black string forming between the two points. He drew it back and an arrow the color of the night sky appeared, knocked and ready to fire. The head of the arrow was shrouded in black flames.
"Watch this," the Scimitar of Darkness said. He raised the arrow and pulled the arrow back to his cheek. He exhaled and let the arrow go. Instead of the arrow making the normal whizz PT had heard from all other arrows, if made a low growling FWOOSH, like a roaring flame. Is target, a deer that had stopped by the stream for a drink, dropped silently as the arrow pierced its heart.
"Amazing shot!" PT complimented. Nyxis nodded.
"Each Scimitar carries a unique weapon. Mine is this bow with an unlimited supply of arrows. Only problem is that I have to draw upon my own power reserves to use it." He leapt down from the tree and approached the deer.
"That thing must be the leader," PT marveled as he got closer and saw the animal's real size." Nyxis nodded again.
"We'll be eating good tonight."
Team Alpha: In pursuit of Wintrius
"I don't like this place," Everithon muttered as he and his team walked through the streets of Haervir's Port. The little port town was run-down and decrepit, and always reeked of fish and week-old rum.
"I'm well aware of that," Axius replied through the helmet's comm system. The Scimitars wore their full armor as they made their way through the street next to the docks.
"Why are we here anyways?" Jacob asked.
"Wintrius isn't located on the mainland," the Paladin Elementum explained. "He's located somewhere in an archipelago known as the Crescent Fang Isle. We're here to find a captain, crew, and vessel."
"Where do you expect to find all that?" Caminus asked.
"I'd imagine that in between shipping jobs, several crews drink themselves half to death in these bars." Axius swept his hand out to the right, highlighting all the bars along the dock.
"Which bar?" Jacob asked. Axius pointed to one.
"Might as well start somewhere." Jacob nodded.
"We'll split up," Axius said. "Jacob, you and Everithon take this one. Stratos and I will go to one, and Storm and Caminus can take another. Radio in if you find a possible deal." They all split up.
"Who do you want to do the negotiation?" Jacob asked.
"You should probably do the talking," the Scimitar said. "My patience can wear quite thin with people like this." The human nodded as the door squeaked open. Several eyes looked up at the two. Jacob kept his eyes forward, not wanting to draw any more attention than he already had.
"What can I get you?" the bartender, a wolf with one white eye asked. Jacob leaned over and rested his elbows on the bar. Everithon stood behind him, not making a sound.
"Information," Jacob answered gruffly. The wolf grinned.
"That's still gonna cost ya." Jacob pinged a stack of gold coins down on the table. The wolf quickly scraped the gold coins away and jammed them into his apron. "Not even gonna to question my reliability, eh?"
"I can just have my associate here take those coins off your corpse if your info isn't reliable." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder to Everithon, who crossed his arms over his massive chest. The wolf gulped.
"What is it ya be lookin' fer?"
"A captain, crew, and vessel. An affordable captain, crew, and vessel." The wolf thought for a moment.
"If that's the kind of info ye be wantin', I'm not the one you should be askin'."
"Oh really?" Jacob looked over his shoulder to Everithon, who stretched his neck and growled. The wolf flushed.
"You said you need a captain and crew?" a new voice said. Jacob and Everithon turned to see a young and spindly wolf sitting at one of the booths, his torn boots kicked up on the table. He beckoned the two over.
"You know someone?" Jacob asked as he sat down. The wolf crossed his arms and grinned, showing that he was missing a tooth or two.
"That depends." Jacob sighed and reached into his pocket. He shoved ten coins across the table to the wolf, who flashed another grin. "I'm no cheapskate. This is gonna cost you extra."
"You will get the rest after our transaction," Jacob said. The wolf gave him a disappointed look.
"Gee, that's too bad," he said with mock pity. "I guess we'll have to get our hands dirty then… and take it anyway." He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Several large wolves in the bar all stood.
"Please! Mr. Skar!" the bartender begged. "Not in here!"
"Sir," Jacob said flatly, "you and anyone else who doesn't want to get hurt should leave now." Only three patrons left. As the bartender left, he turned back to the confrontation.
"You break it, you buy it!" he called before slamming the door. The wolf, Mr. Skar, clapped his hands together.
"Now," he said, "what were you saying about not handing over the money?" Jacob felt hot breath on his neck and saw a blade levelled at his throat.
"Yeah," the massive canine holding the knife cackled in his ear. He glanced at Everithon, who was also being held at knifepoint. The Scimitar just nodded.
"Is there anything you'd like to say before I gut you open like a fish?" Skar asked, his lips curling over his fangs in a menacing grin. Jacob grinned underneath his hood.
"Yeah," he said. "I'm gonna put that money where your mouth is." Skar raised an eyebrow and pulled out the sack of coins. He pulled them out and held them up to his face. His eyes widened when he saw the yellow-orange bolt of energy leap from one coin to the other. Jacob raised his hand.
"Ka-ching." He snapped his hands and the coins flew out of the wolf's hand, bouncing around the room with the force of shrapnel from an explosion. The coins each struck a target, crippling them instantly.
"Now," the human said, kneeling down next to a prone Skar, "care to repeat that?" He simply whimpered and shook his head. Jacob stood and stalked out towards the door. "Oh," he said over his shoulder, "and keep the change." He tossed a coin to the gaping bartender as he closed the door behind him.
"How'd it go?" Axius asked over the comms. Everithon just shook his head.
"Jacob may have started a fight and killed several people with a stack of gold scrip." Axius cursed under his breath.
"Have you heard from Caminus and Storm yet?"
"Negative. They appear to be a few doors down, making their way to you as well, but I'm in the dark otherwise."
"Go and back them up. Strength in numbers is the only kind of strength here."
"Did you find anything?"
"No, but I did find some valuable intel. Meet at the rendezvous point and I'll explain."
Approximately ten minutes later…
"Good, you're all here," Axius said. They were a ways outside the town's limits. It was obvious that the Paladin Elementum didn't trust the locals.
"What is it you brought us all the way out here for?" Everithon asked. He leaned against the trunk of a massive tree with his arms crossed, appearing rather bothered by this.
"To tell you why there's no one willing to take us out there."
"Why?" Axius looked up at the Scimitar of Lightning.
"Because all the currents have stopped." Everithon looked down, as if he was thinking.
"Why?" Jacob snapped his fingers.
"Because something got rid of the massive drafts." Everyone gave him a confused look. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Currents are created by winds and temperature changes. Winds are caused by rapid changes in air pressure, which can be caused by changes in water temperature."
"Low temps, no winds," Axius said. Jacob nodded.
"No winds, no currents." He began to pace back and forth. "But what could change the temperature of a whole region of ocean?" They all looked up at each other and their eyes widened.
"WINTRIUS!" they all exclaimed in unison.
"How can we get out there?" Storm asked. "No one will take us." Jacob crossed his arms.
"Then we'll have to do it ourselves." He turned to Caminus. "Caminus, can you sense precious metals in the ground like iron?" He shook his head.
"Is there any other way to get enough resources to build a boat?"
"We're too far from the mines at Mount Boyzitbig to get a shipment in time," Storm said. Jacob paced in silence. He finally spoke up after a few moments of silence.
"Everithon, can you use electromagnets." The Scimitar of Lightning, who was balancing a knife on his finger, nodded.
"What are you getting at?" Axius asked.
"Different minerals resonate electromagnetic waves differently. If we can fire some into the ground, we can have Caminus pull them up." Axius looked to his brothers.
"That just might work." Caminus nodded.
"Certainly crazy enough to." Jacob rubbed his hands together and grinned.
"Alright boys! Let's get to work!"