Author's note: Finally! An update! Woo-hoo! Sorry. Thanks for all the reviews! I didn't like the way I ended my last chapter, so I redid it in this one. That's why it's backtracked a bit. Hope this clears up any confusion! Enjoy!
Dragonflame by Shelly
CHAPTER TEN
Tania lie within Karl's protective embrace, wondering at the sudden turn of events that had taken place in so short a time. Here they were aboard a Whale King, going somewhere that was completely unfamiliar to them and all because of a strange dream she had experienced. She was amazed at how easily they had agreed to come here and felt a tremendous amount of guilt as if anything were to happen to them then it would be her fault for dragging them out here.
Feeling a hand brush across her forehead, she looked up at him. "That's the second time you've done that," she pointed out. "What is it?"
He traced the mark with his fingertip. "Did you know that you have a mark on your forehead in the shape of a flame?" he asked.
She didn't know why, but she wasn't surprised. "No, I didn't. Does it bother you?"
He smiled. "Of course not," he answered, brushing his lips across it. "Although I am curious as to why it is there when you never had it before."
She sighed as she moved closer to him to tuck her head underneath his chin. "Your guess is as good as mine," she replied. "I'm just as confused about all this as you are."
Just then an explosion rocked the ship that had them rushing out of the room along with everyone else as they raced for the control room. "What's going on?" Van asked as he ran, his hand holding Fiona's as Thomas, Moonbay, and Irvine brought up the rear.
"I'm not sure, but I think we're under attack," Karl answered.
When they reached the control room, they saw sinker zoids and Pterasaurs locked in fierce combat, the Pterasaurs soon defeated which left the Whale King to defend itself. Then an even larger explosion knocked out their main engines that sent them all crashing to the floor, and as the ship rocketed towards the ground they were thrown around like dolls as they fought for something to hold onto.
Tania never let go of Karl until a vicious jolt broke them apart which could only be caused by the ship crash landing. Then Silver appeared above her, roaring its defiance and once again drawing her within itself, forming into a bright stream of energy that shot out of the ship to take her to safety. Karl cried out as he saw her disappear but thought of nothing more except staying alive as he landed against the consoles that lined the sides of the ship.
Sparks flew everywhere as the ship crashed into the dense forest, limbs and leaves appearing as the front sections were torn off. After what seemed an eternity, it stopped and the only sound heard was the popping of damaged circuitry and pained voices reaching his ears that told them that everyone was still alive. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief as he laid back, worried at what had happened to Tania and where she was if she had survived.
Silver landed some distance from the wreckage, seeing the plume of smoke that rose to the sky and glad that he had acted when he had. He opened the panels underneath him and released Tania, who fell to the ground gasping from exhaustion. She would be weak from her ordeal, he knew, and needed help from those he knew could do it which weren't far away.
Tania sat up and breathed deeply to catch her breath, her eyes widening when she saw the smoke that marred the sky. She struggled to her feet and started off towards the wreckage, but Silver stepped in front of her with a soft growl. "Silver, I need to know if everyone's okay," she protested.
He growled again, telling her that she could find help not far away if she would just look and listen.
She gazed at the smoke silently, her eyes tearing as she thought of Karl and hoped he was okay. "I guess you're right," she answered. "I can do nothing by myself, but maybe I can find someone who will." Then she faced the organoid. "I assume you know where to go since you got me into this mess."
Silver cried plaintively, a mixture of both a growl and a purr, but walked in the opposite direction of the wreck deep into the heart of the forest. The trees were dense and the canopy let in little sunlight, the light shining down on the forest floor in glowing spots. Soon she heard the sound of voices and saw what appeared to be a hunting party returning to their village. She crouched down behind a tree and waited for them to pass, crying out when she felt something brush against her leg and shooting a lethal glare at Silver when she realized he had done it with his tail.
That caught the hunters' attention, and they rushed over to find out what who they were, their eyes widening when they looked upon Silver then at her. A breeze passed by them and ruffled Tania's hair, revealing the mark for them to see. A surprised gasp emerged and they sank to their knees, blessing her return as she eyed them strangely and wondered what their problem was.
Karl rose slowly to his feet, looking around him at the wreckage of the Whale King and glad that it wasn't worse. The only thing bothering him was the fact that he didn't know what had happened to Tania after Silver had taken her from the ship, and he now wondered where they had crashlanded and if there were any inhabitants of the island that might offer them some help in getting back.
Feeling something sticky on his forehead, he touched his fingers to his forehead and they came away covered in dried blood. Apparently something had struck him during the crash, but there were more important matters to attend to right now. He stepped over to where his brother was getting to his own feet, happy to see him unharmed. "Are you all right, Thomas?" he asked.
His younger brother nodded. "I'm okay," he replied then looked around. "Where's Tania?" he asked, his voice conveying the worry he felt at seeing her missing.
Karl looked around and noticed everyone else waiting for an answer from him. "Shortly before the ship crashed, Silver bonded with her and disappeared, I'm assuming to save her life. The only thing is, there's no telling where he took her, or whether there are people here that are friendly that might help her."
Irvine's fists clenched at his sides, Moonbay at his side a little shaken but okay. "I don't even want to think of what the alternative may be," he said, his voice holding the barest hint of fear, fear of what might happen to her out there all by herself.
"Don't worry," Van assured them all, Fiona nodding her support at his side. "Tania's been in worse situations than this. I'm sure she can take care of anything that gets in her way. Besides, she's probably out there on her way back to us even as we speak."
Karl sighed heavily, worry weighing down his heart for his beloved. "In that case, we'll wait here for the remainder of the day. If she's not back by morning, then we're going to look for her. There's no way I'm going to let her stay out there by herself for long."
Tania followed behind the small party, having been invited to join them on their way back to the village. They were a strange lot, speaking of much that she didn't understand and wasn't sure that she wanted to. Silver padded along quietly at her side, at times pausing and looking around before catching back up to her, and she would lay her hand on his head in a gesture of friendship, touched that the organoid was so protective of her.
Suddenly, Silver growled and roared just as they were surrounded by figures in dark clothing, one of them casting a net over him and bright sparks of electricity shocked the organoid into silence. Tania cried out as the hunters she had been following were killed swiftly and quietly, the only sound being that of her heart beating in her ears as she wondered what was going on. But she soon had her answer as she saw one of them step towards her and throw back the hood covering his face, the red mark under his right eye giving him away, and she slumped to the ground in defeat as she saw Shadow appear at his side.
******************
Ahhh! It's Raven! What's he doing here? And what's he going to do with Tania? Believe me, you won't believe it! Raven's not himself in the next chapter. Thought I'd warn you. Hee-hee! Thanks for reading and please review!
Dragonflame by Shelly
CHAPTER TEN
Tania lie within Karl's protective embrace, wondering at the sudden turn of events that had taken place in so short a time. Here they were aboard a Whale King, going somewhere that was completely unfamiliar to them and all because of a strange dream she had experienced. She was amazed at how easily they had agreed to come here and felt a tremendous amount of guilt as if anything were to happen to them then it would be her fault for dragging them out here.
Feeling a hand brush across her forehead, she looked up at him. "That's the second time you've done that," she pointed out. "What is it?"
He traced the mark with his fingertip. "Did you know that you have a mark on your forehead in the shape of a flame?" he asked.
She didn't know why, but she wasn't surprised. "No, I didn't. Does it bother you?"
He smiled. "Of course not," he answered, brushing his lips across it. "Although I am curious as to why it is there when you never had it before."
She sighed as she moved closer to him to tuck her head underneath his chin. "Your guess is as good as mine," she replied. "I'm just as confused about all this as you are."
Just then an explosion rocked the ship that had them rushing out of the room along with everyone else as they raced for the control room. "What's going on?" Van asked as he ran, his hand holding Fiona's as Thomas, Moonbay, and Irvine brought up the rear.
"I'm not sure, but I think we're under attack," Karl answered.
When they reached the control room, they saw sinker zoids and Pterasaurs locked in fierce combat, the Pterasaurs soon defeated which left the Whale King to defend itself. Then an even larger explosion knocked out their main engines that sent them all crashing to the floor, and as the ship rocketed towards the ground they were thrown around like dolls as they fought for something to hold onto.
Tania never let go of Karl until a vicious jolt broke them apart which could only be caused by the ship crash landing. Then Silver appeared above her, roaring its defiance and once again drawing her within itself, forming into a bright stream of energy that shot out of the ship to take her to safety. Karl cried out as he saw her disappear but thought of nothing more except staying alive as he landed against the consoles that lined the sides of the ship.
Sparks flew everywhere as the ship crashed into the dense forest, limbs and leaves appearing as the front sections were torn off. After what seemed an eternity, it stopped and the only sound heard was the popping of damaged circuitry and pained voices reaching his ears that told them that everyone was still alive. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief as he laid back, worried at what had happened to Tania and where she was if she had survived.
Silver landed some distance from the wreckage, seeing the plume of smoke that rose to the sky and glad that he had acted when he had. He opened the panels underneath him and released Tania, who fell to the ground gasping from exhaustion. She would be weak from her ordeal, he knew, and needed help from those he knew could do it which weren't far away.
Tania sat up and breathed deeply to catch her breath, her eyes widening when she saw the smoke that marred the sky. She struggled to her feet and started off towards the wreckage, but Silver stepped in front of her with a soft growl. "Silver, I need to know if everyone's okay," she protested.
He growled again, telling her that she could find help not far away if she would just look and listen.
She gazed at the smoke silently, her eyes tearing as she thought of Karl and hoped he was okay. "I guess you're right," she answered. "I can do nothing by myself, but maybe I can find someone who will." Then she faced the organoid. "I assume you know where to go since you got me into this mess."
Silver cried plaintively, a mixture of both a growl and a purr, but walked in the opposite direction of the wreck deep into the heart of the forest. The trees were dense and the canopy let in little sunlight, the light shining down on the forest floor in glowing spots. Soon she heard the sound of voices and saw what appeared to be a hunting party returning to their village. She crouched down behind a tree and waited for them to pass, crying out when she felt something brush against her leg and shooting a lethal glare at Silver when she realized he had done it with his tail.
That caught the hunters' attention, and they rushed over to find out what who they were, their eyes widening when they looked upon Silver then at her. A breeze passed by them and ruffled Tania's hair, revealing the mark for them to see. A surprised gasp emerged and they sank to their knees, blessing her return as she eyed them strangely and wondered what their problem was.
Karl rose slowly to his feet, looking around him at the wreckage of the Whale King and glad that it wasn't worse. The only thing bothering him was the fact that he didn't know what had happened to Tania after Silver had taken her from the ship, and he now wondered where they had crashlanded and if there were any inhabitants of the island that might offer them some help in getting back.
Feeling something sticky on his forehead, he touched his fingers to his forehead and they came away covered in dried blood. Apparently something had struck him during the crash, but there were more important matters to attend to right now. He stepped over to where his brother was getting to his own feet, happy to see him unharmed. "Are you all right, Thomas?" he asked.
His younger brother nodded. "I'm okay," he replied then looked around. "Where's Tania?" he asked, his voice conveying the worry he felt at seeing her missing.
Karl looked around and noticed everyone else waiting for an answer from him. "Shortly before the ship crashed, Silver bonded with her and disappeared, I'm assuming to save her life. The only thing is, there's no telling where he took her, or whether there are people here that are friendly that might help her."
Irvine's fists clenched at his sides, Moonbay at his side a little shaken but okay. "I don't even want to think of what the alternative may be," he said, his voice holding the barest hint of fear, fear of what might happen to her out there all by herself.
"Don't worry," Van assured them all, Fiona nodding her support at his side. "Tania's been in worse situations than this. I'm sure she can take care of anything that gets in her way. Besides, she's probably out there on her way back to us even as we speak."
Karl sighed heavily, worry weighing down his heart for his beloved. "In that case, we'll wait here for the remainder of the day. If she's not back by morning, then we're going to look for her. There's no way I'm going to let her stay out there by herself for long."
Tania followed behind the small party, having been invited to join them on their way back to the village. They were a strange lot, speaking of much that she didn't understand and wasn't sure that she wanted to. Silver padded along quietly at her side, at times pausing and looking around before catching back up to her, and she would lay her hand on his head in a gesture of friendship, touched that the organoid was so protective of her.
Suddenly, Silver growled and roared just as they were surrounded by figures in dark clothing, one of them casting a net over him and bright sparks of electricity shocked the organoid into silence. Tania cried out as the hunters she had been following were killed swiftly and quietly, the only sound being that of her heart beating in her ears as she wondered what was going on. But she soon had her answer as she saw one of them step towards her and throw back the hood covering his face, the red mark under his right eye giving him away, and she slumped to the ground in defeat as she saw Shadow appear at his side.
******************
Ahhh! It's Raven! What's he doing here? And what's he going to do with Tania? Believe me, you won't believe it! Raven's not himself in the next chapter. Thought I'd warn you. Hee-hee! Thanks for reading and please review!