Journey of the soul chapter 52
THIS IS IT PEOPLE! THE NEW YEAR! I NEED ALL THESE DECORATIONS UP ASAP!
Hunter: spinax, Hand me that glue-gun.
Spinax: righto, here's the confetti cannon while you're at it.
Hunter: wait, who ordered the confetti canon?
Spinax: the better question is, why hasn't the second one arrived yet.
Hunter:…cross, you need to stop enabling him.
DON'T CARE! ENJOY THE CHAPTER!
Hunter was walking through a dimly lit stone hallway. He ran one hand along the roughly carved walls and held a torch in front of him with the other.
"What sort of dream is this?" Hunter has had strange dreams like this before, but never was he aware of a dream before he woke up. Still he had no control over the situation. His only option was to walk in this hallway until he woke up. It was almost comforting, knowing that he could stop worrying for a while.
Hunter continued down the path until the scenery started to morph. The stone walls became metallic and purple. Whirring noises could be heard in the background and multiple lines of power could be viewed from above on the ceiling. Before Hunter knew it, he had walked right into the idolcomp room on the dinaurian ship. The familiar setting layer out before him, but was it really all that familiar. Instead of the four idolcomps, four souls adorned the tops of the metal pillars. Each was a brilliant flame that burned a different color. One was pure white, the other was a bright emerald green. What caught Hunter's attention the most was that the two souls closest to the main idolcomp were both a deep blue.
"One of those is mine." He thought to himself.
"Interested?" A voice mumbled. Hunter looked around, trying to find its source…nope nothing. There was no one on his bed but him…wait a minute.
"Oh c'mon." Hunter begrudgingly opened his eyes further as the sun peaked through the blinds. He rolled over to check his clock and was met with a faded green wall.
"Right, not the same room," Hunter sat up, banged his head on Todd's top bunk, debates whether or not he should wake up Todd with an air horn, then decided to start making breakfast.
"Hey spinax!" he called out with his mind.
"Good morning sunshine," spinax commented, "what's for breakfast?"
"You're in a good mood this morning." Hunter lay three strips of bacon onto a pan.
"I'm just happy you haven't looked in a mirror yet." Hunter contemplated what Spinax had said, then dashed to the bathroom. Yep, bed hair. Really bad bed head.
"Oh man, gonna need a fire extinguisher put out this mess."
"That's not the only thing you'll need a fire extinguisher for." Spinax replied, sounding much more like spinax usually did in the morning.
"Hey Hunter!" He heard Todd call, now awake, from the kitchen, "is something burning?" Hunter smelled what would've been bacon being burned to ash in the kitchen.
"This was your plan all along huh." Hunter grumbled. Spinax laughed, then yawned.
After some clean up and a hearty breakfast of toaster waffles, Hunter and Todd changed into their regular attire and set out for the day.
"So," Hunter clasped his hands behind his head as they walked to the plaza, "what was the new dig site again?"
"Uh, Mt. Krakanak. I think," Todd checked his paleopager, "oh hey, says here that the new dig site is on cranial island!"
"The one that's shaped like a skull?"
"Yep, I guess we'll take a helicopter."
"Sounds like a dandy place for children." Spinax remarked, "I should take my grandkids there someday."
"Aren't your grandkids dead?"
"Probably." Hunter gave a nervous laugh. The two boys tried to move to the front of a large crowd around the helipad. After waiting for the crowd to die down, they had a clear shot to get on the helicopter.
"Let's go!" Todd dashed towards the awaiting helicopter. Hunter attempted to follow him, but had to stop abruptly when someone ran by him.
"Hey, watch out!" Hunter spun to the left and almost fell.
"Sorry!" That person called as they continued running.
"Red alert! Spinax overboard!" Spinax shouted as his medal fell out of Hunter's holder and began to careen down the street.
"Crap!" Hunter chased after spinax, who was attempting to use bursts of wind to slow himself. This really only made him harder to catch.
"Spinax, calm down! It's not like you're going to fall into the ocean."
"WHATDODYOUSAY?!" Spinax shouted back, launching himself into the air. Hunter grabbed the medal in mid-flight and snapped it back into his holder. Hunter was about to tell spinax to stop shouting when he heard rotor blades revving up rapidly. The helicopter was already off the ground by the time he ran back to the helipad.
"Hunter!" He heard Todd shout over the noise.
"Don't worry! I'll catch the next one!" Hunter had no idea whether or not Todd had actually heard him or not over the now fully active rotor blades. Hunter watched the helicopter lift higher off the ground and eventually fly off to the north.
"Well, guess we'll just wait for the next one." Hunter parked himself on a park bench.
"…wanna play cards?" Spinax asked.
"How do you even…sure." Playing cards with spinax usually entails looking like a loser that plays 2-player card games by himself. After several lost rounds due to spinax being able to see Hunter's thoughts, the card game was abruptly ended when someone moved to sit down at the end.
"Oh, sorry." Hunter quickly moved the cards without looking up at the person.
"Hey!" Spinax protested, "I was winning!"
"You always win." The person who just sat down laughed. Both Hunter and Spinax froze. It was Alvis.
"Hello there young man, don't worry about the cards. I was quite the player myself back in the day."
"What kind of games did you play sir?" Hunter feigned ignorance. Maybe Alvis wouldn't pick up on it.
"Quite a few, although my favorite would have to be X marks the spot."
"Wow, am I that obvious?" Hunter cut the act immediately.
"Incredibly obvious. To me at least." Alvis winked under his sunglasses, "so Hunter, what brings you to the caliosteo islands. Have you decided to fulfill my request?" Alvis was of course, referring to when Hunter was still on the run. They had met up on the mainland. Alvis asked Hunter to go to the caliosteo islands before. He said he had someone he wanted Hunter to meet.
"Maybe I'll take you up on that. But as to the reason I'm here, the caliosteo cup."
"Ah, yes. That does make sense, especially with the reward being what it is. You and Spinax must be excited yes?"
"Weren't you at my matches?" Hunter asked.
"Yeah," spinax added, "third row down from the top. The guy giving us the stink eye." Alvis smiled.
"I had my suspicions about you when I saw the way you were fighting. I came here to confirm my suspicions."
"Hmm," Hunter wasn't sure he bought that, "so, this person you want me to meet," he said the next part in his mind, "they wouldn't happen to have anything to do with specimen Z, would they?"
"Still haven't forgotten about us specimens?"
"Hardly," this confirmed what Hunter had been thinking for a long time. Alvis was another specimen, a Human-Dinaurian hybrid just like him. Not only that, he knew where the last specimen is.
"Then again. If you are competing in the cup, then you will meet soon enough." Alvis shuffles in place, "I think you'll find her quite likable,"
"Her?" But when Hunter turned, Alvis had already disappeared.
"Damn it. I'll never understand that guy."
"He is quite mysterious, isn't he." Hunter froze at the sound of that voice. He recognized it immediately.
"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!" Spinax slammed his head against the walls of Hunter's mind. Duna had just sat down where Alvis had left. Hunter could hear his heart in his head.
"Duna, right?" Hunter desperately tried to calm his nerves, "you were with Rosie the other day."
"Yes, that is correct," Duna studied the ground for a moment, "and you are…Todd, correct?"
"Yes, absolutely." He didn't bother concealing his devilish smile.
"You shouldn't smile like that. People will be afraid of you."
"What? Oh, I guess so," Hunter chuckled a bit. This turned out better than he could've hoped for. He and Duna talked to pass the time. Hunter, true to the act, was very interested in dinaurian life, and Duna had no problem with telling him. It was nice to be able to talk to her again. Hunter loved how she could be genuinely interested in the most minute things, or how she's never afraid to speak her mind. The conversation continued even as they both boarded the helicopter.
"Wait," Hunter feigned surprise, "so you actually encased yourselves in stone?"
"Yes, it was actually quite simple."
"….I'll take your word for it." Hunter stared out the window at the ocean. He smiled to himself.
"Why do you stare at the ocean so often?" Duna asked him suddenly.
"Huh? Oh, I don't know. I guess…" he closed his eyes and remembered the cool breeze of ocean air on captain travers' boat.
"It brings back good memories." Hunter gave a genuine smile. He picked a bottle of water out of his backpack.
"I see. I can understand that, I get the same feeling when I look at you."
"Than-ggzzrts!" Hunter spat the water in his mouth back into the bottle, "what?!" His mind began racing. Has he been figured out?
"You remind me of a friend of mine." Duna explained. Both Hunter and spinax's sighs were audible.
"So I guess that means we're friends then?" Duna then did something that Hunter never would've expected. She giggled.
"I suppose we are." The helicopter slowly touched down on solid ground once again. Hunter jumped off and scanned the surrounding area for Todd. No luck, he probably already went to the new dig site.
"Well, see ya." Hunter held out a hand and Duna promptly shook it.
"Farewell Todd." She turned and walked towards the fighters station. Hunter watched her disappear behind the doors.
"You can talk now." He told spinax.
"Revival machine Christ." Spinax whispered, "try cutting it a little closer next time."
"Yeah, I know. That one's on me. I just…wanted to talk to her."
"…"
"…"
"Ok then,"
"Don't say it."
"Turtle dove."
"Dammit!"
"Mwhahahahahahahaoh hey, isn't that the old guy that passed out in the jungle?" Spinax directed Hunter's attention to professor Scatterly, who was bounding his way towards him.
"If it isn't Hunter! How are you lad?" The professor gave Hunter a pat on the back.
"Doing pretty good doc," he replied.
"What's this guys name again?" Spinax began raking his brain.
"C'mon, we didn't meet him that long ago."
"I've got it!...doctor…scrambled?"
"Professor Scatterly."
"Potato, potato….wait a minute." Hunter turned his attention back to the professor, who was gesturing for him to follow.
"Come along my boy! If you are on cranial island, you simply must come and see my museum!" Hunter nodded, a museum sounded genuinely interesting to him.
"I'll be napping if you need me," spinax yawned.
"Spinax, you're the one that needs a history lesson way more than I do. It could be enrich-"
"NEEEEEEEEEEEEEERD!" Spinax screeched. Hunter rolled his eyes and followed Scatterly into a rectangular building. Inside was an assortment of odd artifacts from a strange purple mask with slightly glowing red eyes to a large bone that undoubtedly belonged to a dinosaur.
"And here we are!" Professor Scatterly proudly presented four pedestals bear the back of the room. On two of the pedestals were Calio tablets.
"In all its glory, the first of the four calio tablets!" Scatterly presented the tablet to the far left, "you simply must read it! The translation is on the plaque under it." Hunter studied the ancient depictions on the tablet before turning his attention to the plaque.
"Among the vast land of the three islands of caliosteo, all three were ruled by the sorcerer Zongazonga. Claiming to be a god, Zongazonga used dark magic to force his subjects into a fearful submission."
"Sounds like an everyday asshole," spinax commented.
"How many assholes do you know with dark magic?"
"In order for me to answer that, we need to time to leave."
"…fine." After saying goodbye to Professor, Hunter left the museum and walked out into the blazing hot sun.
"Sheesh," Hunter took off his jacket and place it in his bag, "we haven't even gotten to the volcano yet."
"… … …"
"What's wrong?"
"You and Todd are both minors by human standards right?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"This place is letting minors go to active volcanoes!"
"Chill, this isn't even the first time we've been somewhere covered in lava."
"HOLY CRAP YOU'RE RIGHT!" Hunter ignored the screaming and continued down the path that l ad to mt. Krakanak. Instead of a path, however, it led to a large blue machine. Hunter slowly walked into the door compartment of the machine, which was big enough to fit about twenty people.
"What's this thing?" Hunter studied the interior and looked out through the glass door.
"…portapotty?" Spinax suggested.
"What kind of a portapotty has…" Hunter trailed off. He had blink mid sentence. But when he opened his eyes, the outside world was now a mountainous path that led to a massive volcano in the distance.
"Well, that's a new one." Hunter walked out of the machine and studied it, "I guess the dinaurian's warping technology catches on quick."
"Makes sense, they did evolve from my species after all," spinax took on a pompous accent, "it's no wonder they're geniuses."
"If they're anything like you, it's a wonder they haven't all killed each other."
"I WILL GUT YOU LIKE A FISH!"
"I'll stick your medal in my back pocket."
"…what did you have for lunch again."
"Chili, with about a gallon of hot sauce."
"…Todd's up ahead." Satisfied with "winning" the conversation, Hunter walked up the trail and slowly made his way to the green blob in the distance that was undoubtedly Todd, stopping occasionally to uncover some fossils. When Hunter did reach him, Todd waved him over.
"Hey Hunter, digging hard or hardly digging?" Todd himself was covered In dirt smudges and scuff Marks.
"I don't think it matters how much I've been digging. From the looks of it, it's not nearly as much as you have."
"Huh? Oh." Todd looked over himself, "guess my clothes have seen better days huh?"
"Yeah, like any day other than this one."
"I thought I heard high pitched noises of excitement, there was little doubt it was you two." Hunter and Todd turned to see that Rupert had walked up behind them. Further behind Rupert was a floating robot that was similar in structure to a KL-33N, only it was a dark purple color.
"Rupert! Are you looking for fossil rocks for round three?" Todd nervously eyed the robot.
"Don't be ridiculous, my vivosaurs are already skilled enough for the third round," Rupert walked aside to display the robot, "I came here to test DI66-R, a prototype digging assistant developed by fossildig inc.."
"Greetings sir or madam." The robot beeped, "pleased to make your acquaintance."
"This contraption has a built in sonar and full excavating capabilities," Rupert went on to explain.
"Cool, does it do smoke signals too?" Hunter asked, "or should I be worried about that." DI66-R had started smoking from the back and was uttering a long line of random numbers.
"What the-" Rupert started.
"ERROR ERROR." The robot spun rapidly, striking Rupert in the stomach and knocking him backwards. It glided away up the bridge that led to the volcano itself.
"No no no no NO!" Rupert struggled to push himself off the ground, "that machine has my Dino medals and an auto battle system!" He got to his knees before collapsing.
"Woah hey!" Todd pulled Rupert back up to his knees, "take it easy, you took a big hit there."
"But, I must! For the good of the company…ugh." Hunter stared at the bridge and the volcano behind it.
"Todd, make sure Rupert gets help, I'll stop the robot."
"You sure Hunter?"
"Don't worry," Hunter grinned, "I've got this."
"Just another day at the office Eh?" Spinax mused.
"Pretty much."
Done! And done with decorating too.
Hunter: that definitely took a while.
It would've been less time if SOMEONE didn't order confetti cannons.
Spinax: you said you didn't care!
I say that about a lot of things! Most of which I don't really mean!
Spinax: how am I supposed to pick up on sarcasm?
Hunter: said the pot to the kettle.
…at any rate. Gentlemen, a toast, to the new year and anything it may bring.
All three: Cheers!
Hunter:…hey spinax, is the confetti cannon supposed to glow red?
Spinax: only when it's about to explode
Well then…thanks for reading…we should run.