Chapter 4
Khar Ramsus paced restlessly on the gleaming white bridge of his ship. Around him soldiers attended their consoles. Although handsome with amber eyes and straw-blond hair his cold and hard expression made him look far older than he was. He adjusted the high black collar on his jacket and fingered the pommel of his sword.
"How long are they going to keep me waiting?" he demanded.
"They'll be here soon."
Ramsus turned to the woman who was always by his side. Miang Hawa wore her purple hair cut short and was dressed in a short white cape over a white spacesuit. Her expression was carefully neutral.
"It's not like them," he said scratching his face.
"They've lost their unity," said Miang reasonably, "Dominia held them together."
"She can be replaced," said Ramsus in a resigned tone.
"Do you really believe that?" asked Miang with a hint of amusement.
The doors opened behind them. They turned to see three of the Elements resplendent in their dress uniforms.
"Elements reporting as ordered!" said Tolone saluting.
"Report," said Ramsus.
"Nortune was a big goose egg," said Seraphita.
"Nothing around Ethos, " stated Kelvina flatly.
"I found no pertinent information on board the Thames," said Tolone.
"Incompetents!" roared Ramsus.
Seraphita flinched and Tolone's eyebrow twitched while Kelvina remained impassive.
"How hard is it to find a single gear?" he demanded.
"The odds of finding a gear are one in-" started Tolone.
"Don't!" said Ramsus holding up a warning finger.
"I'm really, really sorry!" said Seraphita on the verge of tears.
"Stop your sniveling!" snapped Ramsus.
He glanced at Miang who wordlessly shook her head.
Ramsus took a deep breath. "You did your best I guess," he said in a subdued tone.
"What are your orders?" asked Kelvina.
"Get some rest," he said waving a hand, "We can't waste any more time looking for her."
All of the Elements gasped.
"Commander!" said Tolone.
"Please no!" begged Seraphita, falling to her knees, "Give us another chance!"
Ramsus looked pained. "Sacrifices are necessary to achieve our dream," he said.
"Please reconsider," said Kelvina, also kneeling.
"Damn it, we can't give up now!" said Tolone, joining the others on the ground.
Ramsus pondered what to do when a nearby console began chiming audibly.
"Commander, we have a signal!" said a soldier.
"Identify!" he said striding over to his station.
The soldier frowned. "It's the transponder signal from Bladegash!"
Ramsus looked incredulous. "Why now all of a sudden?" he muttered.
"Location?" asked Miang.
The technician punched up a map of the planet. It dissolved into a three dimensional contour map of a small island with a lighthouse on one end.
"Right there," said the soldier pointing.
"Change course immediately!" said Ramsus as he returned to the commander's station, "Follow that signal!"
The ship began to veer toward the rising sun. Seraphita hugged Ramsus tightly.
"What the-" he said.
"Oh thank you Commander!" she said joyfully.
He pushed her off. Then he smirked slightly. "Stop being such a baby," he said.
She stood up straight and saluted. "Yes Commander!"
Kelvina put her hands together. "At last we'll find her."
"Well, here's hoping," said Tolone.
"How long will it take to get your gears ready?" asked Ramsus.
"Ten minutes at most," said Tolone.
"See to it," said Ramsus nodding to them, "Dismissed."
The Elements saluted and left the bridge. Ramsus looked troubled.
"You think this signal is too convenient?" asked Miang.
He smiled thinly. "If it's a trap, we'll make them pay."
Far away, in the elevator shaft aboard the Yggdrasil Bart leaned forward and stared intently at Sigurd.
"What?" asked Sigurd eventually.
Bart grinned and shook his head.
Sigurd sighed.
"I just never saw you as the lady-killer type," said Bart admiringly.
"Sire!" protested Sigurd.
Bart smirked cockily. "Just what went on between you and the ice queen?"
"Nothing that would compromise us," insisted Sigurd.
The elevator stopped and the doors parted to reveal the corridor on the crew deck.
Primera nearly collided with them.
"Hey watch your step!" chided Bart as he ruffled her hair.
She stared up at him solemnly and ran into a door to their left. They walked down to the end of the corridor through a large door. The hanger beyond was massive, stretching almost a third of the length of the Yggdrasil. Two rows of gear bays sat facing each other along the walls. About half the bays were filled with gears. They saw Billy talking to a technician, discussing ammunition.
"We'll get it loaded at once," said the technician before he scurried off.
"Bart, good timing," said Billy.
"When did you get here?" asked Bart as he grasped Billy's hand.
"Not long," said Billy, "We need to talk."
"Is it an emergency?" asked Sigurd.
Billy looked distant for a moment. "I don't think so, but it worries me…."
"We had our own adventure, didn't we Siggy?" asked Bart, wrapping his arm around Sigurd's shoulder.
Sigurd disengaged Bart's arm gingerly. "One that could have been avoided."
"I ran into one of the Elements," said Billy.
Sigurd and Bart exchanged a surprised glance.
"Where?" asked Sigurd evenly.
"Well, it was at the orphanage and I-" he began, "Wait, what happened to you guys?"
"Something similar," said Bart; "The Elements are on the move."
"But why?" speculated Sigurd rubbing his chin.
"Dominia's gone missing," stated Billy.
"How do you know?" demanded Bart.
"Well, unless Kelvina lied to me," said Billy defensively.
Ten minutes later they stood around a map of the world in the strategy room. The map eerily illuminated their faces from below.
"No enough information to fix their location," said Sigurd regarding the glowing points of light on the map.
"Still, we've narrowed it down," said Billy.
"So what's our next move?" asked Bart.
Both Sigurd and Billy looked at him expectantly.
"Why me?" he asked.
"We can't wait for Fei and Elly to return," said Sigurd.
"Of all the times for them to take off on us," muttered Billy.
"We agreed to give everyone some time off," reminded Sigurd, "Citan and Rico aren't back yet either."
"We're not helpless!" said Bart hitting his fist on the table, "We'll handle this on our own!"
"I'm open to suggestions," said Billy crossing his arms.
"We'll meet again tomorrow morning," suggested Sigurd, "We're stopping by Nortune and we may have more options by then."
"We'll have Rico's help at least," said Bart.
Billy walked out of the meeting room and waved to a dignified old man standing behind a bar. He wore his white hair tied back in a small ponytail and tinted reading glasses over his eyes and he was dressed in a violet jacket and pants with a black trim over a white starched shirt.
"Master Black, how may I be of service?" asked Maison.
Billy shook his head and took a seat next to Primera, who was busying coloring pieces of paper with crayons.
"How was the little imp?" asked Billy with a quiet smile.
"She was no trouble at all," said Maison warmly.
Billy nodded and put a hand on his little sister's shoulder. She solemnly looked up at him and handed him a picture she was working on. Billy had little trouble recognizing the childishly scrawled picture of a woman in blue. His face reddened a little.
"Who's that?" inquired Maison staring over his glasses.
Billy looked at Primera's other pictures. They were of a dark blue dolphin, a small house with a windmill and a strange island with a lighthouse at one end.
"Prim, what place is this?" he asked pointing to the lighthouse.
She shrugged. Billy stared hard at it.
"I think this may be where we're going," he said eventually.
In the morning light Ramsus couldn't help but smile grimly. The image of the lighthouse hovered on all the main monitors.
"Begin the operation!" he said.
There was a faint rumble making the walls of the bridge shake and the image of Skyghene appeared on the monitors followed closely by Marinebasher and Grandgrowl.
"Use deadly force if necessary," he stated.
"Understood!" said Tolone.
Strapped in the cockpit of Skyghene she flipped a switch on her console. Two small images of Kelvina and Seraphita appeared in the corners of her main screen.
"Seraphita, you'll take point," began Tolone.
"Roger!" said Seraphita happily.
"Kelvina, back me up," Tolone added.
"Roger," intoned Kelvina quietly.
They circled the lighthouse twice, Grandgrowl landing first in front of the main entrance.
"Looks clear!" said Seraphita.
"Stay on your toes," warned Tolone.
Grandgrowl reached out and touched a console next to the rusted out doors. They creaked open slowly.
"There's still power," said Kelvina.
"Amazing, considering how ancient this place is," said Tolone; "It may even date to the Zeboim culture."
"What's the zamboni culture?" inquired Seraphita innocently.
"Zeboim you idiot!" snapped Tolone irritably.
"Sorry," replied Seraphita contritely.
Grandgrowl walked into the large elevator, followed by Marinebasher and Skyghene. Marinebasher pressed the down button with its nose. The elevator rumbled as it descended down into the depths of the earth.
"It's kind of creepy," said Seraphita.
"Just as well I can't see it then," said Kelvina dryly.
The doors opened at the bottom. Reluctantly they disembarked into the vast darkness.
Aboard the Yggdrasil's bridge Bart openly gaped at Rico.
"You met Seraphita?" asked Bart in wonder.
Rico folded his arms across his chest. "Do I stutter?" he grumbled.
"Amazing," said Sigurd.
"We can analyze the situation later," said Billy, "If Primera's right, Dominia's on the island with the lighthouse.
They glanced at Primera, staring quietly back at them.
"This is one hell of a shot in the dark," breathed Bart.
"I trust her instincts," said Sigurd firmly.
"What are the odds of us running into the Elements separately?" asked Billy.
"What were the odds of us meeting each other?" responded Sigurd.
"Almost diddly squat," rumbled Rico.
"Well, we're getting close," said Bart, "Time to give our love to the girls."
At that Primera quietly left through the door.
"We'll use Brigand, Stier, and Renozukan for this operation, agreed?" asked Bart.
Rico and Billy nodded. Sigurd walked toward the communications station.
"Franz, any contacts?" he asked.
A small dolphin demi-human glanced up. "Just one, a Gebler ship."
"Give us a visual, " said Bart.
The ship appeared hovering over the lighthouse.
"Damn, they beat us to it!" said Rico.
"I'll drop you off on the far side of the island," said Sigurd, his mind whirling, "Then the Yggdrasil will surface and lure them away.
"That's pretty dangerous," said Billy.
"Nonsense," said Sigurd with a smile, "This is child's play."
"Let's get to our gears!" said Bart punching a fist into his palm.
They made it down to the gear bay and clambered into the gears. A massive door opened at the far end of the room and they rocketed out onto the shoreline of the island. They hid among the rocks and waited.
"New contact!" yelled a soldier.
"What?" demanded Ramsus, "Identify!"
"Commander it's the Yggdrasil!" said another soldier.
"It's him!" Ramsus snarled, "I knew it!"
"Commander, what about the Elements?" inquired Miang.
"They can look after themselves!" he snapped, "Pursue the Yggdrasil at once!"
Bart whistled appreciatively as he watched the floating ship slowly recede across the horizon. "He's a bigger dope than I thought!"
"He's just impulsive," said Billy, "Like certain people we know."
"Let's rumble," said Rico, pushing levers that made Stier rocket forward.
They reached the lighthouse doors in record time. Billy inspected the control panel.
"It's been accessed recently," he reported.
Stier rumbled forward and pushed the button. The elevator doors opened. They flew inside pressed the button inside. The doors shut behind them as the elevator moved down.
"Any final thoughts gentlemen?" inquired Billy.
"Check your cape," said Rico suppressing a chuckle.
The single green eye of Renozukan scanned both shoulders and quickly zoomed in on the figure of a small girl clutching the cape on the left shoulder.
"Primera!" echoed Billy's voice angrily, "What are you doing here?"
Primera glared back silently.
Billy sighed deeply. "You wanted to see Kelvina again, didn't you?"
Primera nodded stubbornly. Renozukan reached up and gently picked her up.
"You're in big trouble Prim," warned Billy.
The elevator doors opened. The vista of a ruined underground city stretched before them. Grandgrowl sat perched on a crumbling building opposite the elevator entrance.
"Crap!" snarled Rico.
Grandgrowl shot out a ring of energy that sent Brigand reeling over backward. Stier and Renozukan scattered down side streets on either side.
"They're here!" yelled Seraphita into her intercom.
Halfway across the city Skyghene turned to Marinebasher.
"They followed us!" said Tolone angrily.
"Should we help Seraphita?" inquired Kelvina.
"We'll have to," said Tolone, "Spread out."
They rocketed down different streets. Brigand slowly got up.
"You'll pay for that bitch!" growled Bart as another energy ring slammed into his gear.
By now Stier had reached Grandgrowl, which took off and rebounded against the ceiling.
"Owie!" said Seraphita.
"We got you now bunny girl!" taunted Rico.
Skyghene swooped in from overhead and knocked Stier over. It then expertly dodged fire coming from Renozukan, which was shooting with one arm and cradling the other against its chest. Marinebasher plowed sideways into Renozukan, knocking it through a building and out the other side. Brigand had brought out the whips and lashed Marinebasher's flanks.
"I need backup," said Kelvina, still calm.
Renozukan stood up slowly and deposited Primera on top of a building.
"Stay down Prim," said Billy's voice.
Primera ran over to the edge of the building and looked down. She spied a gear sitting in the middle of a partially collapsed building. It was painted a majestic purple with a long curved sword a visor obscuring the single lifeless eye. At once Primera knew it was Bladegash.
Renozukan raked fire across on Marinebasher, still held in the grips of Brigand's whips. Skyghene knocked the gun out of Renozukan's grip.
"Curse you!" said Billy, drawing out his back up pistols.
Brigand retracted the whips for a moment as Marinebasher fell sideways on the ground.
"Kelvina!" shouted Tolone.
Brigand lashed out the whip again but found them wrapped around the blade of a long sword wielded by Bladegash, it's single eye glowing a menacing crimson.
"What the hell?" sputtered Bart.
"Dominia!" said Seraphita, "Thank goodness!"
Grandgrowl tackled Renozukan from behind. Stier caught Skyghene and flung it into the side of a skyscraper.
"Something's wrong," said Kelvina weakly.
Bladegash stood over Marinebasher and pulled on the whips, drawing Brigand closer. Bart disengaged his whips.
Renozukan managed to throw off Grandgrowl and glanced at a nearby rooftop. He saw Primera raise her right hand. He then turned and saw Bladegash raise its sword arm.
"Wait Bart!" cried out Billy, "Primera's trying to protect Kelvina!"
In Skyghene Tolone followed Renozukan's gaze. "Amazing," she muttered.
Brigand lunged forward and began lashing Bladegash vigorously with the whips. Bladegash cut one of the whips off at the base then struck Brigand across the chest. Skyghene flew over to the rooftop and caught Primera in its clutches. Primera began to scream wildly.
"Elements, retreat!" ordered Tolone.
Grandgrowl and Marinebasher fired their engines and rocketed toward the exit. Bladegash pulled itself free and took off after Skyghene.
"Primera!" shouted Billy.
Renozukan took off after the Elements. Billy got there just in time for the elevator doors to close.
"No!" he shouted, opening fire. Stier caught up and managed to restrain him.
"Billy calm down!" roared Rico.
"They have Primera!" said Billy, nearly hysterical.
"We'll get her back!" said Bart.
In the elevator Grandgrowl and Marinebasher struggled to restrain Bladegash.
"Dominia please, it's us!" begged Seraphita.
Primera fainted and Bladegash suddenly fell limp in their grip. Seraphita climbed out of Grandgrowl and managed to pry open the cockpit hatch. She gasped when she peered inside.
It was empty.