Chapter VI: Starfire's Revival
Robin was in the lead of everyone else as he rode to the Altar of Kaniqua. He was going to get Starfire back. Then we can finish our mission. Wait, what the hell was that? I don't know any mission! Grr, I shouldn't have watched that gang movie eight days ago. In fact, no TV for me when I get back. Only Starfire and I.
Beast Boy by now had gotten tired of just riding, and was talking to Jack and Fayrii. Being the kids they were with their history, his jokes made them laugh. Off from a distance, Raven watched silently and smiled at what Beast Boy said. Cyborg was running alongside everyone, saying he was too heavy. At one point, one of the Ludiquil had muttered in English a bit loud for everyone to hear, "Too bad he can't stop exercising his jaw."
The temple was like a Greek temple, except it had a door and the pillars were fused together. Fayrii called everyone to a halt. They dismounted, and began to walk in. They were but twenty feet from the door when the sand rumbled. Monsters rose out of the sands. They were dragons, ten of them. Each was 50 feet long, with four legs, spikes on their spine, four large needles coming out of their tail, a huge wing span, and was colored tan. One of them roared, and blew fire at the company. Everyone jumped out of the way.
"Give 100 yards!" Fayrii shouted, and the Ludiquil fell back that much. The Teen Titans were quick to follow, although Robin seemed hesitant at first to do so. Until one of them tried to step on them.
The dragons didn't try to follow them. They just stood at the entrance to the temple, roaring.
"Advance 30 yards," Fayrii said. Tentatively, everyone did so. According to Fayrii, they were just out of the dragon's flame by 20 yards. No one seemed to want to move up to the limit. Jack took over for his older brother quick, and asked for half of the riders to dig a trench. Fayrii ordered five to dig an area for the raptors, while the remaining five walked over to Fayrii and helped him begin to build something. The Teen Titans just stood there for a while. Raven suddenly announced she was going to dig the trench, and Beast Boy was quick to follow her. Cyborg walked over to Fayrii. Robin apprehensively joined him.
"Listen, we're gonna need to construct some catapults. I don't have sufficient power to make them, so I'll make timber. Cyborg, Robin, anything I missed?" Fayrii spoke. The five Ludiquil turned their attention to Robin and Cyborg.
"First off," Robin began, "We have to be able to hit only the dragons, so make short, stout catapults. They'll hit the dragons but will stay out of reach of the temple."
"Secondly," Cyborg continued for him, "What are you planning to throw at 'em? You don't want to just throw rocks. Do you all know what grape shot is?"
Everyone nodded their heads.
"Good," Cyborg said, "Then here's what you'll do for ammo: Find some rocks, and sharpen a point into them. Fuse about ten together. When they're fired, use you mumbo jumbo to split them." Instantly, the eight began doing so. Fayrii created supplies, while the others built.
"Hey Robin?" Cyborg asked.
"Yeah Cyborg?" Robin answered, helping him.
"Does it bother you how much we've become involved like this?"
"A little. Why?"'
"I don't know. Maybe it's we used to be different that this."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, before Starfire died, we would have never acted like this. We used to be much more...cheerful is the word. Now we're preparing to kill something and we didn't think twice about it."
Robin stopped to think for a while, then sighed. "You're right. Before Starfire d...left, we never acted like this."
"Hey, maybe it'll leave when it comes back," Cyborg said. Robin nodded.
Night fell, and five catapults were completed. The grapeshot looked different than Cyborg had intended, but Fayrii explained, "We decided to do something more effective."
Raven and Beast Boy stood in the trench with ten Ludiquil. Robin, Cyborg, and Fayrii joined them. Jack stood with the other Ludiquil at the catapults. Fayrii nodded affectionately to his little brother.
"Open fire!" the child yelled, and grapeshot was projected toward the dragons. Upon impact, smoke leaked out of the shots, confusing the dragons. They roared, and Fayrii ordered the trench people to prepare to charge. He whispered to Robin, making Starfire visible and giving her body to Robin, releasing the barrier.
"Robin listen, this is all a distraction. You need to take her inside and lay her on the Altar. Then put the Orbs on the pillars next to it," Fayrii instructed. Robin held her body gently, as if cradling a baby.
"CHARGE!" Fayrii shouted at the top of his lungs, and they did. Into the smoke. Robin looked to his left and saw a Ludiquil get stepped on. The smoke was blinding to him, and he could barely see his nose in front of his face. A dragon appeared in front of him, and Robin darted out of the way. He saw the temple's entrance ahead, and ran in.
Once inside, Robin slowed to a walk, and spotted the only things in the temple.
There sat the Altar of Kaniqua. It was golden with four legs and a flat, rectangular surface. To the sides and behind it were three pillars, each either red, blue, or green. Robin walked over and laid Starfire on it. He took out the three orbs and placed them on the pillars, then backed off a foot.
Green static, red liquid, and blue mist came from the three orbs and into Starfire. It continued for a minute, then suddenly sped up, and as if out of control. Fearing for her safety, Robin ran up and clasped her hand in both of his.
Abruptly something smashed into Robin. He felt like part of him had been ripped out. He looked down but didn't see anything wrong. He began to feel weak, and got down on his knees. He let go of Starfire's hand and fell on the floor in front of the Altar. Robin started to black out. Just before he completely blacked out, he heard a voice:
"Robin! Is that you?"
Robin was in the lead of everyone else as he rode to the Altar of Kaniqua. He was going to get Starfire back. Then we can finish our mission. Wait, what the hell was that? I don't know any mission! Grr, I shouldn't have watched that gang movie eight days ago. In fact, no TV for me when I get back. Only Starfire and I.
Beast Boy by now had gotten tired of just riding, and was talking to Jack and Fayrii. Being the kids they were with their history, his jokes made them laugh. Off from a distance, Raven watched silently and smiled at what Beast Boy said. Cyborg was running alongside everyone, saying he was too heavy. At one point, one of the Ludiquil had muttered in English a bit loud for everyone to hear, "Too bad he can't stop exercising his jaw."
The temple was like a Greek temple, except it had a door and the pillars were fused together. Fayrii called everyone to a halt. They dismounted, and began to walk in. They were but twenty feet from the door when the sand rumbled. Monsters rose out of the sands. They were dragons, ten of them. Each was 50 feet long, with four legs, spikes on their spine, four large needles coming out of their tail, a huge wing span, and was colored tan. One of them roared, and blew fire at the company. Everyone jumped out of the way.
"Give 100 yards!" Fayrii shouted, and the Ludiquil fell back that much. The Teen Titans were quick to follow, although Robin seemed hesitant at first to do so. Until one of them tried to step on them.
The dragons didn't try to follow them. They just stood at the entrance to the temple, roaring.
"Advance 30 yards," Fayrii said. Tentatively, everyone did so. According to Fayrii, they were just out of the dragon's flame by 20 yards. No one seemed to want to move up to the limit. Jack took over for his older brother quick, and asked for half of the riders to dig a trench. Fayrii ordered five to dig an area for the raptors, while the remaining five walked over to Fayrii and helped him begin to build something. The Teen Titans just stood there for a while. Raven suddenly announced she was going to dig the trench, and Beast Boy was quick to follow her. Cyborg walked over to Fayrii. Robin apprehensively joined him.
"Listen, we're gonna need to construct some catapults. I don't have sufficient power to make them, so I'll make timber. Cyborg, Robin, anything I missed?" Fayrii spoke. The five Ludiquil turned their attention to Robin and Cyborg.
"First off," Robin began, "We have to be able to hit only the dragons, so make short, stout catapults. They'll hit the dragons but will stay out of reach of the temple."
"Secondly," Cyborg continued for him, "What are you planning to throw at 'em? You don't want to just throw rocks. Do you all know what grape shot is?"
Everyone nodded their heads.
"Good," Cyborg said, "Then here's what you'll do for ammo: Find some rocks, and sharpen a point into them. Fuse about ten together. When they're fired, use you mumbo jumbo to split them." Instantly, the eight began doing so. Fayrii created supplies, while the others built.
"Hey Robin?" Cyborg asked.
"Yeah Cyborg?" Robin answered, helping him.
"Does it bother you how much we've become involved like this?"
"A little. Why?"'
"I don't know. Maybe it's we used to be different that this."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, before Starfire died, we would have never acted like this. We used to be much more...cheerful is the word. Now we're preparing to kill something and we didn't think twice about it."
Robin stopped to think for a while, then sighed. "You're right. Before Starfire d...left, we never acted like this."
"Hey, maybe it'll leave when it comes back," Cyborg said. Robin nodded.
Night fell, and five catapults were completed. The grapeshot looked different than Cyborg had intended, but Fayrii explained, "We decided to do something more effective."
Raven and Beast Boy stood in the trench with ten Ludiquil. Robin, Cyborg, and Fayrii joined them. Jack stood with the other Ludiquil at the catapults. Fayrii nodded affectionately to his little brother.
"Open fire!" the child yelled, and grapeshot was projected toward the dragons. Upon impact, smoke leaked out of the shots, confusing the dragons. They roared, and Fayrii ordered the trench people to prepare to charge. He whispered to Robin, making Starfire visible and giving her body to Robin, releasing the barrier.
"Robin listen, this is all a distraction. You need to take her inside and lay her on the Altar. Then put the Orbs on the pillars next to it," Fayrii instructed. Robin held her body gently, as if cradling a baby.
"CHARGE!" Fayrii shouted at the top of his lungs, and they did. Into the smoke. Robin looked to his left and saw a Ludiquil get stepped on. The smoke was blinding to him, and he could barely see his nose in front of his face. A dragon appeared in front of him, and Robin darted out of the way. He saw the temple's entrance ahead, and ran in.
Once inside, Robin slowed to a walk, and spotted the only things in the temple.
There sat the Altar of Kaniqua. It was golden with four legs and a flat, rectangular surface. To the sides and behind it were three pillars, each either red, blue, or green. Robin walked over and laid Starfire on it. He took out the three orbs and placed them on the pillars, then backed off a foot.
Green static, red liquid, and blue mist came from the three orbs and into Starfire. It continued for a minute, then suddenly sped up, and as if out of control. Fearing for her safety, Robin ran up and clasped her hand in both of his.
Abruptly something smashed into Robin. He felt like part of him had been ripped out. He looked down but didn't see anything wrong. He began to feel weak, and got down on his knees. He let go of Starfire's hand and fell on the floor in front of the Altar. Robin started to black out. Just before he completely blacked out, he heard a voice:
"Robin! Is that you?"