Chapter 19
After half an hour they finally found a small cave entrance partly hidden by large boulders. Ramuh ran his hand along one.
"Hmm, these boulders were placed here on purpose," he said. "I wonder how they could move them?"
"Maybe by magic?" suggested Shiva.
"Who cares?" said Ifrit striding into the cave.
Ifrit almost immediately stopped in his tracks. Shiva tried to peer over his shoulder.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Ifrit frowned. "Dead end."
Ramuh mumbled and his staff began to softly glow. He scanned the small cave. "Hmm, it appears that the floor was leveled at some point. It was definitely modified. Ah-ha!"
He lowered his staff close to the floor illuminating a square tile carved into the floor. Inscribed in the tile was the image of a Cirpius in a circle.
"The Magic Academy," he said triumphantly.
"It looks like a trap," said Shiva, pulling Ramuh away.
"There's no other choice," said Ifrit. "How do we activate it?"
Ramuh stroked his beard. "I'm not sure. Try stepping on it."
Ifrit gingerly pushed on the tile with the tip of his boot. The tile sank so it was flush with the floor. A distant hollow thud resounded throughout the cave and the cave seemed to shimmer and swirl around them. They could see now that the cave was now angled.
Shiva frowned. "Where's the entrance?"
Ramuh smiled. "I see now. We need to find another one." He handed his staff to Ifrit, who began inspecting the floor.
"I see one!" yelled Ifrit. "I just step on it, right?"
"Hold on," cautioned Ramuh. "There may be more than one."
Ifrit walked past them to the other end of the cave. "You're right old man. There's one here too."
Shiva looked to Ramuh. "One takes us further in and one takes us back?" she asked.
Ramuh shrugged. "Possibly. I'm not sure."
"No time to flip a coin," muttered Ifrit, stamping on the tile.
Another hollow sound and they materialized in a semicircular room. Ahead of them a hulking figure loomed. Ifrit brought the staff closer and the light fell on a strange humanoid figure made out of metal. It had a hunched appearance and goggle like eyes mounted over a large protruding lower jaw. From it's back two pipes jutted out. It was in a sitting position with a chain bolted to its ankle.
Ifrit tossed the staff to Ramuh and climbed onto the machine's knee and wiped dust from the goggles. It sat twice as tall as even him.
"Ifrit, don't do that," said Shiva.
Ifrit half turned. "It looks dead Shiva. Help me move it."
Both Ramuh and Shiva gasped as the machine's eyes dimly lit up. Steam hissed noisily out of the joints and it rose, knocking Ifrit to the ground.
"Intrudes detected!" roared the machine. It raised its hands making harsh shrieking sounds.
"Yikes!" yelled Ifrit rolling backwards and drawing out his scimitar.
"Earth Guard!" called out the machine, causing a metallic hand to materialize and sink into the ground.
Ifrit lunged forward and swung his blade down. As the sword made contact the hand reappeared and caught the blade. Ifrit jumped back again cursing under his breath.
"Don't attack Ifrit!" said Shiva. "It's an Esper!"
Ifrit inspected his sword for cracks. "Really?" he asked.
Ramuh chuckled. "Very impressive there," he said to the machine. "What's your name?"
"I have no reason to tell you," replied the machine.
Ramuh nodded to Shiva and Ifrit and all three of them materialized in their Esper forms. The light reflected off of the machine's armor, illuminating the surprise on its face.
"You are Espers as well?" it said. "Why have you come?"
Shiva stepped forward. "We're here to save you."
The machine slumped back to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. "I was called Golem by my creators," it said.
"Why are you chained down here then?" asked Ramuh.
"I have been replaced by a newer model. Alexander is their new toy. It is defending the Academy from the roof. But how did you get past its Holy Light?"
Ramuh smiled. "We didn't. It's a long story Golem."
"We'll release you," said Shiva.
"No," said Golem rising slowly. "My creators may have left me down here to rust, but I have orders to stop intruders."
"Great," said Ifrit raising his scimitar.
Ramuh glanced to Ifrit. "Distract him!"
Ifrit ran forward and slashed from the side. Again the giant hand raised and absorbed the blow. At the same time Shiva jumped over Golem's shoulder and Ramuh ran between its legs. Golem tried to turn but was distracted by another sword blow. This time Golem had to block the sword with an arm. Just then a bolt of electricity arced across the floor striking around Golem's foot. It shrieked and fell to one knee. Ifrit jumped onto its shoulder and leapt into the darkness behind it. Golem slammed a fist into a wall above Ifrit, causing the ceiling to cave in on top of him. Rocks and more rocks fell in, sealing off the passageway. It slowly got up and checked for damage. The leg was fine but the chain was broken off.
After half an hour they finally found a small cave entrance partly hidden by large boulders. Ramuh ran his hand along one.
"Hmm, these boulders were placed here on purpose," he said. "I wonder how they could move them?"
"Maybe by magic?" suggested Shiva.
"Who cares?" said Ifrit striding into the cave.
Ifrit almost immediately stopped in his tracks. Shiva tried to peer over his shoulder.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Ifrit frowned. "Dead end."
Ramuh mumbled and his staff began to softly glow. He scanned the small cave. "Hmm, it appears that the floor was leveled at some point. It was definitely modified. Ah-ha!"
He lowered his staff close to the floor illuminating a square tile carved into the floor. Inscribed in the tile was the image of a Cirpius in a circle.
"The Magic Academy," he said triumphantly.
"It looks like a trap," said Shiva, pulling Ramuh away.
"There's no other choice," said Ifrit. "How do we activate it?"
Ramuh stroked his beard. "I'm not sure. Try stepping on it."
Ifrit gingerly pushed on the tile with the tip of his boot. The tile sank so it was flush with the floor. A distant hollow thud resounded throughout the cave and the cave seemed to shimmer and swirl around them. They could see now that the cave was now angled.
Shiva frowned. "Where's the entrance?"
Ramuh smiled. "I see now. We need to find another one." He handed his staff to Ifrit, who began inspecting the floor.
"I see one!" yelled Ifrit. "I just step on it, right?"
"Hold on," cautioned Ramuh. "There may be more than one."
Ifrit walked past them to the other end of the cave. "You're right old man. There's one here too."
Shiva looked to Ramuh. "One takes us further in and one takes us back?" she asked.
Ramuh shrugged. "Possibly. I'm not sure."
"No time to flip a coin," muttered Ifrit, stamping on the tile.
Another hollow sound and they materialized in a semicircular room. Ahead of them a hulking figure loomed. Ifrit brought the staff closer and the light fell on a strange humanoid figure made out of metal. It had a hunched appearance and goggle like eyes mounted over a large protruding lower jaw. From it's back two pipes jutted out. It was in a sitting position with a chain bolted to its ankle.
Ifrit tossed the staff to Ramuh and climbed onto the machine's knee and wiped dust from the goggles. It sat twice as tall as even him.
"Ifrit, don't do that," said Shiva.
Ifrit half turned. "It looks dead Shiva. Help me move it."
Both Ramuh and Shiva gasped as the machine's eyes dimly lit up. Steam hissed noisily out of the joints and it rose, knocking Ifrit to the ground.
"Intrudes detected!" roared the machine. It raised its hands making harsh shrieking sounds.
"Yikes!" yelled Ifrit rolling backwards and drawing out his scimitar.
"Earth Guard!" called out the machine, causing a metallic hand to materialize and sink into the ground.
Ifrit lunged forward and swung his blade down. As the sword made contact the hand reappeared and caught the blade. Ifrit jumped back again cursing under his breath.
"Don't attack Ifrit!" said Shiva. "It's an Esper!"
Ifrit inspected his sword for cracks. "Really?" he asked.
Ramuh chuckled. "Very impressive there," he said to the machine. "What's your name?"
"I have no reason to tell you," replied the machine.
Ramuh nodded to Shiva and Ifrit and all three of them materialized in their Esper forms. The light reflected off of the machine's armor, illuminating the surprise on its face.
"You are Espers as well?" it said. "Why have you come?"
Shiva stepped forward. "We're here to save you."
The machine slumped back to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. "I was called Golem by my creators," it said.
"Why are you chained down here then?" asked Ramuh.
"I have been replaced by a newer model. Alexander is their new toy. It is defending the Academy from the roof. But how did you get past its Holy Light?"
Ramuh smiled. "We didn't. It's a long story Golem."
"We'll release you," said Shiva.
"No," said Golem rising slowly. "My creators may have left me down here to rust, but I have orders to stop intruders."
"Great," said Ifrit raising his scimitar.
Ramuh glanced to Ifrit. "Distract him!"
Ifrit ran forward and slashed from the side. Again the giant hand raised and absorbed the blow. At the same time Shiva jumped over Golem's shoulder and Ramuh ran between its legs. Golem tried to turn but was distracted by another sword blow. This time Golem had to block the sword with an arm. Just then a bolt of electricity arced across the floor striking around Golem's foot. It shrieked and fell to one knee. Ifrit jumped onto its shoulder and leapt into the darkness behind it. Golem slammed a fist into a wall above Ifrit, causing the ceiling to cave in on top of him. Rocks and more rocks fell in, sealing off the passageway. It slowly got up and checked for damage. The leg was fine but the chain was broken off.