In the shadows of the night/When you face the darkness/Call the power of the light/Let your heart be fearless
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!
There's a secret lost in time/There's an ancient story/One for all and all for one/Fighting for the glory
Never give it up never give it up, if you're strong enough, get the power!
Huntik, keep the faith and you'll survive/Huntik, is the seeker you're inside
Shout it out and make it loud, Everybody huntik go!
Ohh Yeahhhh... Everybody
Huntik!
Even while separated, the Huntik Team continues to handle themselves in various situations. Den meets up with his brother Harrison, and with help from Cherit proceeds to begin work on Medusa, with some unexpected complications. Lok and Sophie proceed with the team's original mission, determining the origins of artifacts held by the Guardians of Thor, with assistance from Hoffman. Zhalia finally speaks to her foster parent, Klaus, about how she's no longer the same person, while at the same time Dante confers with Grier over the Organization recovering Araknos' ring.
"Moving Forward"
Episode 81
Kerry, Ireland
Mmh, he believed the problem lies somewhere within Breakspell...
Eathon knew it wouldn't be that simple though; a curse like that upon The Oracle wouldn't be easy to break, yet he's still waiting inside that cave. There was an answer though, and if he could piece together the clues, then one day he could go back and free him, and perhaps even help the man adjust to the changed world.
A hand touched his shoulder then.
"You're supposed to be working on decoding" came her gentle voice.
Turning in his chair, Eathon couldn't resist a little smile, which was reflected upon Sandra's face. She'd gained a line or two since before his unintentional confinement in Huntik, much as he probably had, but was still the same woman he'd fallen in love with.
"I finished the decoding an hour ago" he answered, a little soft. "Right now, I'm just working in general."
It's technically true, but Sandra's gaze skimmed the contents of his desk, including his old journal, given back by their son Lok. It was currently open to the old pictures of his family: Sandra in her psuedo-younger days; Cathy, the little girl he still sometimes saw her as; and Lok, who was running around like a bundle of energy.
Several seconds passed as she stood there, before she leaned forward, hands coming to cup his cheeks... instinctively, his hands moved over hers, savoring this moment.
"Your work ethic was always admirable, Eathon" she whispered. "Still, it's a short path between hard work, and overworking yourself."
The multiple tones in her voice immediately stood out – one was sincerity, which he could appreciate. Another was a small warning, put in a way that only he could hear it; he'd been gone from this family a bunch during his exploring days, and then even worse when unwillingly trapped in The Spirit World, Huntik. Eathon was immediately reminded of their conversations upon reuniting, where he knew they'd been affected, that it was partly his fault, and that he needed to work things back to normal. Even with his family's happiness that he's back, that absence had plagued their time together - even now he remembered Lok and Cathy telling their stories, their growing up without him, which for the latter had been compounded with her recovery from recent events.
Sandra was a crafty woman, being able to say that without actually saying the words.
"I know" Eathon breathed, grasping her hands. "I know, Sandra. My time of running all over the field, going from one adventure to the next and physically getting swept away by the world's mysteries, is over."
It wasn't easy to say, but he said it anyway while standing up; Sandra immediately pulled him into a hug, which he welcomed.
"But at the same time, I'm not gonna stop working" he continued, gentle. "Even if I'm not as young as I used to be, I still have a lot to contribute, a lot I'd like to uncover about the Blood Spirals. So maybe I won't get into many adventures in the field, being semi-retired now, but I won't let my talents go to waste."
Sandra made a sound, close to him, but eyes shining. "I didn't say you should let them go to waste, Eathon."
"I know" he said, a little teasing. "And I'm not sure I could, even if I wanted to: for at least the next few years, I'm still the current authority on Huntik itself. But you're right; being here for our family is what's most important now. And it's certainly more fun anyway."
At that, she began to laugh, as did he after a moment - after that, Sandra took his face and kissed it, for which he easily returned the favor.
"Well, if there's any way I can help, let me know" she said, pulling away. "After you've taken a little break."
"Hmm. Yes, ma'am."
Just as he finished though, they both looked; Sandra's Holotome, which he was borrowing, began to beep with an incoming message.
Eathon glanced at Sandra. "If it's work, barring life-or-death, I'll tell them to give it a few hours" he slyly offered-
-Sandra chuckled a little. "Don't go that far."
/
Even as her call rang, Cathy almost thought about having Springer by her side.
Heh, but that'd be a little risky: someone could walk in and see him, and then what was she supposed to do? Even ignoring his appearance, these dorm rooms didn't allow pets, and she'd probably be chalked down with a black mark on her record (or something). Would almost be worth it though, as he's really cute... the thought made a bunch of memories swirl around in her head. She still wasn't sure that she'd completely recovered yet, but she'd certainly adjusted enough for normal life.
'Civilian' life, that is; not the life her family's part of.
Just as she had the thought, her Holotome finally formed the image:
"Cathy" dad breathed, pleased. "What a pleasant surprise."
Cathy managed a smile, pushing away her earlier thoughts. "Well, guess I just wanted to call, ask how things were going" she admitted... but what she didn't say out loud was that it's also because she'd missed him, that she wanted to hear him talk. After all, that reaction is more along the lines of a child, rather than a grown woman, and it's a little embarrassing to say.
Admittedly however, it was based on lingering feelings from her childhood.
Dad had an inkling, but also had the tact to not bring it up; he'd missed her too after all. "Well, things are certainly going well" he admitted, having a little smile. "But if you'd like, I can get Sandra to join us too."
"Mom's standing right beside you, isn't she?"
His eyebrow rose on the image. "Now that's a 'scary' good guess, Cathy" he said, but chuckling. "What gave it away?"
Cathy was a bit sheepish. "Your body language, dad" she admitted, a little soft. "I mean, ever since you got back, you were always at ease around mom... just like you are now."
"He certainly is, Cathy" came mom's voice, her image leaning over Dad's shoulder, who didn't mind the arrangement; in response to this, the image did it's best to expand. It showed both of them standing/sitting on a chair, and mom was smiling. "I certainly think Eathon's right; you got your understanding nature from me."
"And when our children get angry, your temper" dad added, rather mild- mom gave him a small look, but tried to hide a smirk.
Sitting there, Cathy was a bit sheepish, but couldn't really deny any of that... after all, she'd seen Lok get angry and it was like he was a different person. As for herself, she sometimes got miffed pretty easily, and back in the Spirit World had been that unpleasant, well, 'incident' with Shadow - who speaking of which, she hoped was doing well with her brother.
"The sense of adventure though, that came from you, dad" she breathed, slowly giggling. "Though stinker got more of it than I did."
Their expressions at 'stinker' made all the difference- they still remembered her calling Lok that when his 'adventuring' got him covered with mud, way back when they were kids. "No arguments there" dad admitted, nostalgic. "But if you're wondering who the Seeker prowess came from, I'd say it's an even split. Sandra here still has a number of her Titans, beyond Solar and Lunar- one could even match the power of a Legendary Titan, for a short time. And in her haste to find me - not that I'm complaining - she completely forgot to bring any amulets to Huntik."
Even as she felt surprised, mom glanced at dad. "Beyond the short period, you exaggerate a little, Eathon."
"Well, it has been awhile."
Cathy blinked, thinking that's something; she knew mom had been a Seeker, fully retired until recent events, but she'd never seen her in action until The Spirit World. And even then, apparently because she'd used a lot of energy pushing through the battlefield to find dad, Lok, and herself, hadn't had any Titans with her (that she saw). Lok had seen her in action a bit more, according to his stories, but had only seen her use Solar and Lunar... she wondered if maybe these Titans dad spoke of, exaggerated power or not, were more of a last-resort type of thing.
"Speaking of which though: how are you feeling, Cathy, about everything?"
Drawn back, she needed a few moments, as it was a bit sudden.
"Well... I'm okay and everything, but I'm still thinking" she admitted, fainter. "And if anything, I thought you'd be more in school stuff. After all, midterms will be coming very soon, and we'll be on break after that."
"You think you're ready for those exams?" mom asked, understanding.
Cathy smiled a bit. "More than ready; I'm not really worried" she answered. "And after the exams are done, a few more months of work, I could conceivably get enough done to relax the rest of the year. In fact, I'm more curious how my brother's doing right now; probably getting himself into some sort of trouble."
They shared a little laugh over that - Lok would be rueful if he ever heard this, she knew.
Iceland, Guardians' Temple
Lok jolted as a shrill alarm blazed through the temple, quickly filled with the shouting voices of the Guardians- beside him, Sophie nearly lost her balance from the sudden appearance of the alarm. "What happened!?" she demanded, even as she instinctively had them press against the wall.
"I don't know!" he answered, a bit louder to be heard over this alarm. "Wait, the detectors! Maybe they started fixing the glitched ones. One of them must've caught your magic-"
"Just what we needed" Sophie said, grunting. "We're so close, literally."
Lok knew the feeling, as they're literally standing in the room, the artifact waiting to be solved! Just as he was about to say something to that affect, someone apparently turned down the alarm, for it went from annoyingly-loud to more background level, if still audible... and at the same time, it allowed them to hear the Guardians group accusing Hoffman, because Sophie's Thoughtspectre illusion had faded entirely.
Basically, the usual stuff about having set them up.
He quickly looked at Sophie, who'd heard as well. "We have to get him out of here too" she said quickly, getting ready, "Or at least, we have to make it look like he was clueless about our ruse."
Lok smiled a bit, glancing at his cold-weather clothes, which didn't have any distinguishing marks.
"I've got just the thing."
And before Sophie could protest, he'd stood up and rushed out there - or if she did protest, he couldn't hear it.
"Wow, took you guys long enough to catch on!" he called, loud enough that all attention instantly turned on him. "Seriously, that took forever."
Even as he said it, Lok discreetly looked at Hoffman...
...who blinked, then gave off a good snarl.
"You miserable kids" he stated, stepping in front of several Guardians, several of whom shot him various looks. "As traitors to the Organization, I'll make sure you pay dearly for that trick!"
Yeah, sounded about right; just like old times, kind of.
Lok simply raised his hand, eyes briefly glowing. "Go ahead and try" he stated with conviction, "Fight with fury, Lindorm!"
Appearing from the engraved symbol on his hand, the wolf-dragon gave off an ominous growl, floating freely with the lights of the temple reflecting off his golden armor. "Powerbonded Lindorm, activate Spin Screen" Lok thought, and instantly Lindorm turned his entire body into a circle, arms and tails included - he spun at the Guardians before they could fully react, spewing smoke from his form and many were caught within it, coughing included, though Lok saw enough that Hoffman retreated further back. Despite this, many tried to clear it or blast Lindorm ("Thundercut!" - "Augerfrost!"). Lok had to duck when a wild Raypulse nearly hit him, but soon found Sophie and Sabriel by his side, so he stood back up even as Lindorm prepared to return to the fight.
"Looks like you've got it handled" she noted, smirking.
Ignoring that, Lok motioned with his shoulder to the artifact room. "You were barely in there for ten seconds, Sophie. You good?"
Sophie mildly cracked her fingers. "I took care of business" she merely said, ready to move and hands going to her pocket. "For now though, we've got to get out while we still can."
"Armorbrand!" Lok called, protecting them from yet more stray spells, but Lindorm's Spin Screen was starting to clear up. "Sounds like a plan."
"Take flight, Icarus, Feyone!"
Humanoid yet with large bird-like wings, Icarus flew above the heads of the Guardians, the lights gleaming off the golden chest armor as well as the lining along her helmet. Hovering, Powerbonded Icarus used both arms to create a slew of energy ropes, each of which shot out at a different target and bound them tightly, including over some mouths to prevent casting more spells. Below her, Powerbonded Feyone charged in with her dual heavy swords, knocking away those who tried to shoot down Icarus, but at least two Guardians disarmed her of one sword with Thundercut. Unfazed, she threw her other sword at him, 'crushing' them underneath its force - behind her, Lindorm summoned a small tornado from it's mouth, throwing around a number of Titan amulets, but then he was struck in the back, making the Titan growl in anger.
"Ready, Sophie?"
"Always, Lok."
Lok ran forward, Sophie by his side and Sabriel following just behind, to fend off any flank attacks.
"Lindorm, Spinner Slash!" he called, and instantly his Titan responded, coming straight at him (Icarus and Feyone starting to follow), even as green energy gathered in his fists like swirling discs. They'd surprised the Guardians here, but if they got back up and organized, it'd be trouble... to say nothing of if they got cornered; their odds in a prolonged fight were terrible.
"It's not gonna be that easy" Hoffman called, still putting on the angry act - he stood with the few Guardians left of the group, trying to block the way they'd came. "Stand your ground, Myrmidon, Doberman!"
Giant in size, Myrmidon certainly looked the part of a powerful warrior, wearing armor that invoked all the images of Greek warriors, including the signature helmet and cavalry sword. Beside him, somewhat smaller, was the humanoid Titan with a dog's head, covered head-to-toe in an armored suit of obsidian, marked over with bronze ornaments, and not least wielded a formidable lance. Both Titans prepared to try and stop them... however, the Titans shared their owner's feelings, knowing they'd avoid a fight if possible, but would still do anything to maintain the guise of having been suckered.
Still running forward, Lok shared a brief glance with Sophie; they understood, but would do what they needed too.
At the same time, Sophie's other Titans were busy: Feyone moved at the fore, hands glowing with energy, before she pushed them forward - a burst of energy radiated outward, shoving the Guardians off their feet, though she briefly slowed and panted. Hoffman instinctively raised a hand as the brief 'gale' swept over them, grunting, even as Myrmidon barely intercepted the rolling Lindorm, sparks flying from collision. Up in the air, Icarus was about to bind the giant Titan, before narrowly missing Doberman's thrown lance... but just as she'd moved, Doberman had jumped high, and they crashed into a wall.
Lok heard all that, but had to focus on running forward; "Overslam!"
Hoffman was quick: "Earthband!"
It was too late to stop - upon collision with Hoffman's spell, Lok yelped as he was redirected involuntarily. He grunted as his momentum sent him into the wall, which definitely stung, but he half-turned in time to see Hoffman about to hit with a spell... before Sabriel hit him from the side, almost into the opposite wall, even as Sophie used a quick burst to trip up the others ("Touchram!"). Silently thinking that was brilliant - Hoffman redirecting him toward the way he wanted to go - Lok shook off the stinging sensations and kept moving, Sophie at his side.
Hoffman grumbled something, apparently about being too old for this, but could only raise his head-
-Sabriel stood beside him now, one sword leveled at him, and she smirked a little before she tried to hit him with the other's blunt edge.
"Trapcage!"
At the same time, Lindorm caught the side of a punch, but just as Myrimdon was gonna continue the assault, a sword was thrown into it's leg and sent the Titan to his knees. Lindorm growled and threw one claw against the Titan's armored head, even as Feyone's hands glowed again... her blast hit Doberman in the back, but the damage had been done, as Icarus lay unconscious (ie defeated) from the Titan's previous choke-hold/wall-slam.
Linked as he was to Lindorm, Lok got the gist of all that, as he did Sabriel putting all force into breaking Hoffman's magic bubble containing her (and since he's only acting serious, she began to crack it soon).
"Lindorm, follow us!" he commanded mentally, even as he glanced at Sophie.
"Feyone and Sabriel can hold the Guardians back, but not for too long" she warned.
He nodded, glad she's keeping in mind the Guardians they'd left in the dust. "Then I'll give them a little help" he said quickly, reaching inside his pocket. "No limits, Shadow!"
In an instant, the gray-skinned hooded Titan joined them, his dark color scheme almost making him blend into the shadows they passed through. Lok had to slow down, pointing behind them, while mentally he sent the images of the force he's expected to face; it wouldn't be easy... but for Shadow, agreement came almost as quickly as he thought it.
"Even with his help, I don't think Icarus can fight any longer" Sophie said, glancing back. "I better recall her."
"Go for it" Lok assured, while he got a brief insight; Lindorm nearly ran into Shadow, having been going fast, but he was only briefly annoyed before moving onward. Meanwhile, aside from Icarus returning to Sophie in his side-vision, he saw the large doorway up ahead; the one connected to the entrance, and the freezing weather that was Iceland.
One step away...
As soon as they passed the doorway itself, they skidded to a stop with gasps.
...and were faced by Ymir, a small army of Ice Creatures and Frost Minions, and another group of Guardians behind them.
"Well now, it's been a long time" one of them - Lok remembered; the 'Elder' Guardian who'd welcomed them - spoke. "And yet again, you've come to steal from us, the Guardians of Thor."
Lok felt small hints of Den's argument resurface, and struggled to think of something to say, even to stall; Sophie was faster than him though.
"We weren't here to steal; we were here for research" she stated, with complete authority... had to admit, that was pretty cool of-
-wait, not the time to be admiring that.
Even as the Elder responded, the other Guardians laughing, Lok tried to think of some way to get them out; they could beat Ymir given time, but surrounded like this, they'd probably be swarmed before they could summon anything. Then a mental touch ran through Lok... Lindorm had caught up to them behind the doorway, but he was hugging one wall, trying to keep himself hidden despite his own urge to continue fighting. Just then, Lok remembered what he'd discussed with Sophie before, about how their Titans had started to communicate with each other, despite not being their own. Thinking quickly, he had an idea, though it could potentially startle Sophie... but he could hardly whisper the plan, seeing as the Guardians would see that plain as day.
Carefully, trying not to look too outwardly-focused, Lok outlined his plan to Lindorm...
...with barely a touch, Lindorm started the unusual order, waiting till the Elder Guardian started speaking again.
"Sophie" Lok thought to her, through Lindorm; he could feel her surprise, including that she barely kept it off her face. "Can you hear me?"
"How-?"
"I'll explain later!" he continued quickly. "Lindorm is behind us, and can give some cover; we'll need some serious firepower to combat Ymir" Lok outlined, while half-subconsciously, he started deciding which Titan-
"No."
"Huh?"
"I know what you're thinking of doing, Lok; let me instead" Sophie thought back to him - despite the surprise, her mind was still sharp. "I have some serious firepower of my own, and she's better suited to an ice Titan. It'll take concentration though, and I won't be able to use many powers afterward."
Lok had a moment of surprise, which quickly turned to approval; this is why he liked Sophie, among other reasons.
"You got it" he thought back, before Lindorm then cut the link to Sophie, making a silent growl as he prepared to get out there.
"If you think we're letting you get out here, you're sadly mistaken" the Elder Guardian stated, considerably more annoyed now; Sophie just laughed, hard enough to draw the attention of everyone-
-and Lok took that opportunity:
"Lindorm, Spin Screen!" he commanded mentally, not taking a stance yet; instead, he tried to look at Sophie like she was crazy, though he's pretty sure it wasn't convincing.
Luckily it didn't have to be; as a blur of motion, Lindorm launched himself from the doorway a half-second before the Guardians could react... but Ymir was faster, aiming it's ice breath at Lindorm. Spinning fast, Lindorm spun an arc across the room, narrowly missing this and shrouding everything on the ground in that murky mist. Even as Sophie backed up, Lok held his hands into the air, knowing the Frost Minions could wing down through the dust, so he needed to (hopefully) give them more cover. "Doublespell! Darkfog!" he called, waving his hands in every direction he could, resulting in vocal chaos and considerably-dimmed lighting - not a second later though, Lindorm was back at his side, growling.
It didn't take long for the Ice Creatures to start approaching in droves; they were just lucky those same numbers prevented the Guardians from attacking up-close.
Lindorm roared and swiped a paw through the air, knocking them away in droves of two/three, while Lok tried to keep them back with Touchram. Just then, a giant foot cleared the immediate air upon stepping; Ymir was bearing down upon them - this distraction allowed quite a few to swarm Lindorm, who despite still knocking them away in droves, had more and more set upon him. "Raypulse!" Lok yelled, aimed at Ymir's head, but the giant merely blocked with an arm and raised it's foot- Lok made a sound, not thinking Armorbrand could stop that! Another roar - and many thrown creatures - before Lindorm was there; growling intensely as it kept Ymir's foot from crushing him. Even as Lok scrambled away, they were initially at a stalemate, but more Ice Creatures started to swarm Lindorm and quickly disrupted his effort.
Lok grunted, not being able to look even as Lindorm returned- a small breath nearly told him that Feyone returned to Sophie, which meant Shadow was back there fighting alone, but he couldn't help him.
"Sophie" Lok called, a little nervous at finding himself alone, faced with a small army - it didn't escape his notice that the Guardians hadn't blasted them from long-range, but maybe they didn't want to hit the smaller minions.
Just then, a rush went through the room: all nearby torches flickered wildly, their shadows dancing across the room even as the temperature suddenly got ten degrees warmer. Risking a glance behind him, Lok was surprised to see Sophie (slightly) glowing with red energy, both hands held together with the central point coming from the ring on her finger, and she smirked.
"Arise, Legendary Titan of Rebirth, Phoenix!"
Appearing in a whirl of fiery air, Phoenix almost appeared to be part of the vortex for a moment, before her form coalesced into a very large bird-of-prey. Her feathers were mainly a fiery red, though they flickered between red, orange, and yellow as as the light glinted off them - armor covered small sections of the legs, torso, and hard-to-see spots above the eyes, mainly golden yet also having subtle color flickers. Powerbonded Phoenix keened, loud enough that they all felt it as the Legendary Titan literally radiated heat throughout the room- you could see that the way Ymir, Ice Creatures, and Frost Minions negatively reacted.
"Darkfog!" Lok called again, managing to hit Ymir's face, causing it to stumble around trying to clear the air.
This got its minions out of their shock, about to turn on him, but before they could a literal wall of fire roared to life. Lok had to stumble back, as while it wasn't dangerous to him, it was still bright on the eyes - he briefly got a mental glimpse of Shadow fighting together with Sabriel, with the latter taking the heavy blows while Shadow would strike at an opponent's most unguarded moment; they were being 'pushed back' closer to the entrance, fighting hard but ready to run and help if needed. It was also brief, but apparently, Hoffman was no longer anywhere to be seen; he appeared to have escaped, or at least hidden himself until he could actually do so.
"Let's head for the door!" he called, though Sophie was already ahead of him.
It wasn't that easy of course... while the Guardians and the Ice Creatures/Frost Minions couldn't approach due to Phoenix's Enhanced Firewall (dozens had melted due to close proximity), Ymir was still sturdy enough to walk through it, painfully. A stomp from it's foot nearly knocked them off-balance, but before Ymir could do more than raise an arm, Phoenix was suddenly there- even with only a short burst of momentum, she head-butted the Frost Giant hard enough to send a shock-wave through the air. The colossal Titan staggered backward, Phoenix keening in response... until Ymir grabbed her out of the air, apparently having retained enough sense despite the Darkfog spell.
Next thing they knew, she was thrown from the Titan's position-
-upon impact, there was a huge shattering of rock and debris, some of which nearly rained upon them. "Armorbrand!" Lok called in a hurry, Sophie helping with Honorguard- but to their shock, they saw that Ymir had thrown Phoenix at the entrance, and literally demolished it- there was a giant gaping hole in the wall now, cold air visibly seeping inside! Phoenix was dazed from impact, but managed to right herself in mid-air... and to make matters worse, the rainbow bridge was gone. With Phoenix still regathering herself, the Firewall was starting to fade, and Ymir was coming toward him.
"We're gonna have to jump!" Sophie said in a hurry.
His first instinct was 'What!?', but Ymir's next stomp drove it from his mind; quickly, he grabbed Sophie's hand and they just ran... jumping off the temple, falling down a very-fatal drop into a ravine. Only later would he realize that subconsciously, instinctively - whatever - the two of them had managed to call back their Titans, simply from muscle memory. Somewhere in the rush of mortal panic and energy-drainage, Lok saw that Phoenix was still a fair distance away; they needed to slow their descent, so he groped around inside his pocket, being extremely careful about it.
"Let's go, Kipperin!"
The winged moth-like Titan was instantly flying down with them, knowing what to do; with a small rush, Kipperin did his 'Winged Fusion', enveloping him with his body like he'd become a suit. Feeling a little less panicky, Lok looked at Sophie- she reached for him with her other hand and he took it, taking care to do this properly. Knowing the basic laws of physics, he couldn't have Kipperin just yank them upward with all his might; the force would probably tear their arms out of their sockets at best. Eventually he had Sophie holding onto him, her body level with his despite the rush of wind... so carefully, turning into the right direction, Lok began to turn their dive into a curving descent.
Kipperin strained the more they turned into this, but was confident... wind howling in their ears, Lok trusted him with it, as he knew Sophie trusted him with their lives. At times it felt like gravity was trying to crush them, but then it abruptly stopped; they were still going really fast, but Kipperin was gliding now, nearly panting from the strain of their stunt.
"It's working!" Lok called, straining to be heard over the wind!
"Thank goodness!"
Even still, having to carry himself and Sophie now, to pull up would take more strength than Kipperin has after such a maneuver. Luckily, when Lok looked back (which Sophie did as well), he saw what he'd been hoping for: Phoenix racing after them, her form literally causing the air around her to steam, even as Kipperin sent some sort of understanding to the Legendary Titan.
So, after a bit more work and careful maneuvering, Lok and Sophie safely 'landed' upon Phoenix, who was almost like a built-in seat warmer. Hanging onto Sophie's waist, Lok called the tired Kipperin back for a well-deserved rest... then he realized that in the whole falling thing, they'd lost both of their cold weather hats.
Ah man...
Sophie half-turned toward him, a hand rubbing along her ears, which were already turning red from cold weather exposure (probably like his). "I really liked that hat" she said, tone half-serious, which helped undermine the fact that that'd been close. "Why can't things ever be easy for us?"
Lok breathed out, which became visible in the air, even with Phoenix's heat - he got her complaints, but she's also understandably blowing off some steam.
"Search me" he answered, shrugging. "We didn't even get to scan the second artifact."
"Oh, didn't we?" Sophie asked, a little playful; when he felt confused, she held up her hands. "Cyphercall."
Even as it materialized, Lok continued feeling confused... until he remembered the ten seconds Sophie had spent inside the room.
"You didn't" he merely said, playfully disbelieving.
Sophie just smirked at him, clearly pleased.
Lok laughed, feeling a lot.
"You kept it in that room, scanning while we were escaping, then just summoned it back like no big deal" he said with a little grin. "That's my girlfriend."
Among the playfulness and pleasure, a trace of red appeared on Sophie's cheeks, and her expression softened a little. "Well, I'm glad to be of help" she said, her hand rubbing against his cheek; he held her a little closer. "After all, this is like the traditional hero-takes-his-girl-into-the-sunset ending, except reversed."
He could've easily pointed out this isn't quite like that, but Lok just sheepishly kept up the little grin- Sophie giggled, right before she kissed him. He returned it eagerly, though they were careful not to get too into things; they are riding on the back of Phoenix with no saddle or restraints of any kind.
Speaking of Phoenix though, there was almost a flicker of amusement from her as she soared through the frigid air.
Foundation Prison
New York, USA
All things considered, Klaus took the news pretty well, but then again he'd had a lot of time to think about her sudden change in loyalties. If anything, he was more sad at his being in prison, and they couldn't see each other much - Zhalia felt for him, but knew she couldn't just get him out so easily.
"You must love him very much."
Subconsciously, some part of her had expected this... but otherwise she was flat-footed; Zhalia quickly turned away, her breath a little heavier, and she could feel her heart-beat in her throat for a time. It was at least several moments before she got control of herself again, and even longer before she could force herself to turn back to Klaus...
Her foster father had a small smile, glancing past her a bit.
"There's no need for you to say it, Zhalia" he said, more gentle. "I'm not opposed; I'm proud of you."
Yet again, she didn't have the words...
"When I think about what's happened, and how everything's changed, I thought about you" Klaus continued, one hand upon the bars, though he didn't step closer. "Even if I remained a stubborn old fool clinging to my ways, I didn't have the heart to be mad at you, even for betraying me, or the Organization. So I instead focused upon the woman you've become... Dante was most kind that way, when he visited me occasionally."
Somehow, she wasn't that surprised to hear about that.
"What- what did he tell you about me?" Zhalia asked, wanting to hear this.
He closed his eyes for a little, as if remembering. "He said what you just told me; that you weren't the same woman anymore" her foster father confirmed. "Personality-wise, you were the same, but otherwise you were different, Zhalia - he said you'd finally found your place among friends, among family even. Things didn't always go smoothly, but you've stayed with them."
A little of the earlier warmth came back. "He would say that stuff" she breathed, before shaking her head. "Yes, I- there were troubles, where I thought I wasn't useful to the team. Dante was the only one who didn't ask me to go..."
Even as she said it though, Zhalia distinctively remembered the cause of that new-found inadequacy: her failure to infiltrate the Blood Spiral solider, which then got herself and the team ambushed by Kiel, and then later the feeling was compounded exponentially by the visions Arc gave her. And while her infiltration of the Blood Spirals did give them valuable information, it left her feeling empty, and only keeping Harrison off the knife's edge had helped her. Once she got back with everyone on the team, those feelings of inadequacy just gradually disappeared... and during the events of the Spirit World, had finally solidified back to having found her place.
"That sounds just like him" Klaus admitted, bringing her back. "When I asked Dante, about if he'd talk to you about visiting me, he said it wasn't his place to pressure you."
Heh- yeah, that's Dante.
"Has he kept you up-to-date though?" Zhalia asked after a moment.
Her foster father's expression changed, becoming more serious. "Yes, he has" he whispered, looking straight at her. "The various actions of the Blood Spirals, the combined Foundation-Casterwill offensive against them, the eventual search-and-found for entry into the Spirit World, the near Nullifier incursion... a lot to take in, with many theories and thoughts rattling around up here" Klaus continued, making a vague gesture to his own head. "And also... how they burned down my lab."
Slowly, Zhalia glanced down; she didn't answer.
"Was anything recovered?"
Despite the question's broad nature, Zhalia knew what he's really asking: "did you recover the picture of us?". Even now she remembered that old thing, just sitting there in her former room, and something she could've easily taken with her but chose not to (even after Sophie said that she should)...
It had been a link to her past, but it also reflected a person that she no longer was.
Slowly, Zhalia lifted her head, looking at her foster father.
"It was too late."
Her statement made his shoulders slump as the weighted implications sank in, and he looked down for a bit. "A shame" he answered, heavy but understanding-
-which made all the difference to her.
...
Just outside the entrance to the cells, Dante let out a breath as his call ended - apparently many of the Casterwill Elders are busy.
He knew Sophie's probably still on that mission that he'd heard from Guggenheim; he'd gotten nothing from Lucas thus far, his team, or Viviane; Teien's currently involved in the States, getting the lay of things from the families there. That left Focauld, the Rune Guardian, and the woman who'd thus far taken over Lucas' seat; Aisha. Mmh, guess he could try her; compared to the other choices, she's the most reasonable - dialing her took a few seconds, at least- but her image came up pretty fast.
At first glance, you'd say she was from the Middle East, and you'd be half-right; her lineage came from there. Dark hair, brown eyes, similar-enough facial structure in the cheekbones, and a resting smile that wasn't incomparable to Mona Lisa's - but of course, there's more to her than what you might expect, as he's sure the Elders have discovered since her appointment.
Some seconds later:
"Yes, Dante?" Aisha spoke - she spoke excellent English, with only a hint of an accent.
"Hello, Aisha. I thought the Elders should know something" Dante started. "Just now, Grier's men have found the ring of Araknos in Huntik. Pretty soon, I believe that we'll able to start tracing it's energies, and hopefully find a hint of the Amulet of Will's location, or at least the rings of Behemoth and Tao - it's a long shot, but we believe it's one worth taking."
As he spoke, Aisha held a finger near her lip, a gesture he'd seen a few times when in thought. "There were some scattered reports about you being able to follow the missing Organization Suits' traces to Huntik" she stated. "However, I wonder if you can find such a trace, Dante. Araknos' energy would first go straight to Huntik, right to the Titan itself, and a tenuous connection to the Amulet of Will might be impossible to detect in addition to this."
He smiled a bit. "I never said it'd be easy, ma'am" Dante answered, mildly sincere. "Nonetheless, The Amulet of Will is one of the most important Casterwill artifacts there is, and with our access to Huntik now, I think it should be on our do-to lists."
A curved lip. "As always, your choice of words is very effective" Aisha noted, almost amused. "I'll inform the others about Araknos, but I think I'll keep the other part silent for awhile longer. At the least, the others will not be that enthusiastic about your chances, or perhaps they might even try to interfere."
"Fair enough."
Inwardly, Dante almost wanted to know what Aisha's story was; she definitely knew about Casterwill customs, yet her personality didn't have many of the usual molds. Heck, even Sophie had been raised away from said molds, and she'd still grown to be a lot like her brother and the others, prior to all the adventures anyway.
"Don't worry; I'll let it slip at some point, just not yet."
Dante chuckled. "I'm not worried about that" he said mildly, seeing Aisha's lip curve again even as her image faded away, after which he put his Holotome back into his bag. Thus far, Grier seemed to still be busy (otherwise he'd have joined him), so he still had some time to kill... and he believes the best use of that time is being near Zhalia. About thirty seconds later, he started coming up toward the cell, where Zhalia still stood outside Klaus' cell - she didn't appear to have noticed him yet, but he knew she would soon. So he made himself comfortable by leaning against the wall, knowing if he interrupted her during an important moment, she'd be irritated... just like she was at Lok, way back when, when they almost-kissed.
The memory caused him to smile.
Roughly fifteen seconds later, Zhalia's gaze moved a bit in his direction; now he's 'caught' hehe.
"Well" she said. "Looks like our private conversation isn't so private."
Dante silently chuckled, walking forward now. "I think that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it's your opinion, Zhalia" he said mildly, even as her lip curved. As he got closer, Dante could see Klaus standing on the other side, and he looked better now than he had during previous visits. "Knowing you though, she's said a lot already, Klaus."
"Yes, quite" the older man admitted, glancing at her. "And having had time to think, I wish I could be around more. I may not be young, but I think I'm still useful."
He looked at Zhalia again, gauging her reactions - she hid it well, but he could tell she might not be completely ready.
"Judging by those drawn calculations in your cell, I wouldn't try to argue" Dante noted. "But Klaus, the Organization has changed quite a lot since you were petrified. Grier is a man of honor, with order and general obedience being the highest expectations for him. I imagine your darker interests would be curbed quite a bit, if he let you back in."
At least several seconds passed, before Klaus sighed.
"A regrettable restriction" he said, voice heavier. "But... compared to the destructive evil of the Blood Spirals, a manageable one."
Zhalia didn't say anything, but when she glanced at Klaus, her expression was lighter- that sight got a little smile out of him.
"Still Dante, I wish more than anything, you could discuss your insights on death."
Almost immediately his smile fell, and his insides went colder... Dante had to keep his fist from clenching, but he still looked away.
Barely a second passed before Zhalia slipped closer, one hand on his shoulder, and the other hovering near his fingers; there was a lot packed into her expression.
That helped more than he could say...
"One day, I might speak those insights, Klaus" he eventually said, utterly quiet. "But for now, I'd sooner keep them locked up for a long time."
He wouldn't become aware of this until later, but Zhalia stopped just next to him, rubbing her hand along his shoulder/arm. In fact, she slowly leaned her head there after some hesitation, but even knowing that Klaus is watching didn't stop her- Dante subconsciously held her close, just resting against her frame.
For the older man himself, seeing this was the final proof about his daughter.
/
Harrison's residence
"Bro, are you sure about this?" Harrison questioned. "You saw that purple energy, whatever it was; the Spirals were trying something with Medusa. What if they're making her impossible to control, or something more sinister? Why risk any more training?"
Den sighed, not liking it, but knowing they had to try.
"Because at the least, we have to find out what it is, Harrison" he said simply, if darker. "I don't like it either, but I want a hint of what's going on."
After all, he still remembered learning that Lok's Holotome had been Demigorgan, and that most things they did was part of the Betrayer's plan - but despite that, it still worked out, thanks to Zhalia.
"Den makes a good point" Cherit spoke up, on the table near them. "Even if you're being herded down an unknown path, if you can get even a glimpse of how, why, and so forth, perhaps you can divert it just in time. That's what we all did, when the Blood Spirals awoke the Spiral Mark - I wished we've could've stopped things sooner, of course, but it's not always that easy."
Harrison made a motion, but nodded. "We all do" he said, fainter, before looking at him. "So you mean to do the same here, Den?"
"Pretty much."
After a moment, his brother nodded, before going over to his place opposite them. "Well then, I'm with you" he said, determined. "Just be ready Cherit, in case Medusa tries to chew our faces off again."
"You got it!"
"Would an actual opponent help this time?" Harrison then asked.
Den considered it, before shrugging. "I'd think so, and it's better than trying to attack us."
"Sure thing" Harrison agreed, pulling out an amulet- Den didn't recognize it, but it's stark-white color stood out pretty good, as did the purple gem.
"See a different angle, Tenome!"
The 'creature' soon materialized as literally wafts of air, which then came together to form a human shape. He could've almost passed for them... were he not entirely white, clothes, skin, and all. Floating in mid-air, Tenome strikingly had no eyes whatsoever, his face featureless in that area entirely. The Titan raised his hands, palms out and... wait, scratch that; he did have eyes, but both were embedded in his palms, unblinking.
"Woah" Cherit breathed, interested. "That's quite a place to put your eyes, brother."
Den agreed, unnerved for a few moments. "Where'd you pick up this Titan, bro?"
"Japan" Harrison explained, crossing his arms with a little smirk. "I think this one was what inspired a local legend there - a pretty simple one too - about an eyeless man, with those being on his palm. But he can't actually see out of them."
He slowly nodded, getting the logic for this choice of Titan. "This should be interesting then" Den noted, before pulling out his sunglasses. "But we still have to be ready."
A few seconds later, everyone save Tenome were outfitted with the sunglasses again - Den pulled out Medusa's amulet, slowly sighing. He reviewed what he'd learned from his last attempt, including about the cycle-of-hatred angle... it'd certainly worked to an extent, but clearly that wasn't all that Medusa needed to bond. But what else? Positive emotions had done squat, and aside from cycle-of-hatred stuff, negative had seemed to do little themselves... what else is he missing here? Medusa is just fixated on everything she does, and little got her attention (much less her loyalty), even when he tried-
Wait...
"Fixation" Den thought slowly; Medusa was always fixated on whatever her target was, and tended to ignore anything else, even other enemies. "Could it be?"
Well, only one way to find out... he just hoped this worked...
"Petrify, Medusa!"
In no time, Medusa joined them... and first thing she attempted upon seeing Tenome, was to try and petrify him. Den and Harrison both tensed a little (despite their sunglasses), but Tenome made no move, even keeping his eye-palms open... after a few seconds, it quickly became clear she was having no effect.
"Like I said" Harrison said, a little smug now, which didn't improve Medusa's mood. "His eyes aren't like the normal types."
"So they probably have a few surprises" Den thought, before closing his eyes, trying to immerse himself in the bond. Medusa recoiled slightly as expected, though his (reluctant) sensation of a cycle-of-hatred did seem to mollify her... yet she still had little interest in what he had to say. He'd expected that, so instead he reluctantly focused elsewhere while keeping a grip on the base hatred stuff- sadly, he didn't think she'd even pay attention. Memories washed over him: Harrison being wrongfully turned toward the Blood Spirals, his grief and desperation in trying to get him back, and even when angry he still just wanted his brother back.
For awhile, he hadn't thought of anything else at the time...
A bit, just a bit, that seemed to get Medusa's attention... her mental-image self half-turned toward him, the red eyes still slits yet inscrutable.
"Is it working?" Den wondered, surprised.
Just then though, another touch ran through the bond, prompted by another Titan - Medusa tensed when a very large mental version of Hermos appeared between them, and Den couldn't say he didn't jump either. The Legendary Titan's image regarded them both with glowing amber eyes, her wooden-style armor gleaming... she snorted a bit, before promptly disappearing. Medusa remained wary, perhaps anticipating some other interference, while Den slowly thought about Hermos' appearance. Her brief appearance was a warning to the other Titan, not to mess with him in any way; that much was clear, but for himself?
Den thought it might be a a reminder - that he best not approach this half-heartedly, that he shouldn't waver in trying to tame Medusa. He slowly chuckled, thinking it's a heck of an encouragement... but maybe not surprising for the Legendary Titan of Resolve.
"Den? Den?"
Brought out of it, Den realized he'd been internally-focused a little too long - no one had moved from their spots, but everyone save the Titans were looking at him. He quickly noticed Medusa was more still than before, and decided to take that a good sign.
"Uh, sorry Harrison" he said, a little sheepish. "Just... just trying things. Now, Medusa."
No visual acknowledgement, but no rejection/ignoring either- hmm.
"Attack" he said, just saying the simple command.
She moved, but not too much-
-"I said 'attack'" he commanded, more forceful.
After a second, Medusa actually obeyed him, to all their surprise - in a blur, she raked her claws across Tenome's chest. Or rather, she tried to; Tenome gracefully floated out of the way like a ghost, leaving her to hiss as she whirled around, and the two Titans simply regarded each other.
Something which Harrison was clearly familiar with, because he didn't comment: "Alright, Den!" he cheered, pumping his fists. "You did it!"
"I guess so?" Den said, wondered that he'd actually made progress after all this time. "Barely."
"Even still, this is very good news!" Cherit cheered, grinning. "Well worth the trip!"
Den wryly thought they're cheering too soon; this is only one time so far, so it's not like he's got her complete cooperation or anything... and the lack of obvious Blood Spiral tampering was still a big question mark. But even despite that, he knew this was actually a big step, and intended to keep going - still, he sent a 'thank-you' to Hermos, feeling to her that he'd do his best.
To be continued...
Still going to be separated for a little longer, but all setting up for when they're reunited, and the elements that follow.
Stay tuned.