Ekobean: So, this chapter I promise will be an update from the crappiness
of the last one. Like I said, I wrote that one in a hurry.
The Metal Heads surged into the entrance hall like one of the tidal waves that would break upon the shores of Sandover Village. Every wall was crawling with the same glowing purple hue, every pillar and ceiling tile was crawling, as if the entire room were a sentient being. The very air was thick and humid in the presence of the Dark Eco infested creatures.
The hundred remaining elves gathered into a tight circle, every gun drawn and locked on one squirming target. The elves could see perfectly in the normally gloomily lighten hall. The dark auras that resonated from the Metal Heads' flesh lit the room like a miniature sun. Keira's gun was shaking dangerously in her hands. The small experience of battle she had tasted on the surface and in the halls was a warm up compared to this.
If only Jak, or even her father were there, they would give reassurance to her! Then something came to her mind that she had not noticed before. Where was her father? She had been too upset about the loss of Jak to notice that the small elf was nowhere to be seen. She would have asked if the situation were not so deadly.
"What're you all standing around for!?" Torn shouted to the rest of the elves, "Fire!" On his one simple command the air was alive rapidly flying Red Eco beams. Metal Heads fell from every direction. They fell from the ceiling, from the pillars and from the walls, yet for every one that fell it seemed two took its place. One small sliver of hope began to shine within the hearts of every remaining elf. Though the Metal Heads possessed superior numbers, it appeared that they lacked coordination. If they kept this up was it possible that they could slowly chip them down until Ax hopefully found the burial chamber.
That momentary hope was swept away in one swift move as the Metal Heads began to climb slowly from the walls, ignoring the death cries of their still-falling comrades. The water sloshed noisily between their feet as they slowly crept closer and closer to the desperately firing elves. Saliva oozed from their gaping, glowing jaws; snakelike tongues slowly moving across their lines of crooked teeth in anticipation. They were obviously expecting a meal. None of them even seemed to notice that the small patch of elves was firing now more than ever, and that more and more of their own kind were still falling from the stone rafters of the Tomb.
They began to encircle the elves in a sickeningly slow movement. When the circle was complete they began to move in as one. The water splashed up in miniature explosions as their feet fell into it. The twenty feet that separated the elves from the Hora-Quan shrank dramatically.
A flurry of clicks became audible amongst the endless sounds of gunshots and death screams. Both elves and Metal Heads knew what it meant. The elves were slowly running out of ammo. More and more clicks rose up from the flurries of gunshots. The Metal Heads were moving in faster and faster. Even their beady eyes seemed to glow yellow with hunger. As they moved in those who had hands drew their own weapons, wicked, curved blades, shock staffs, and other cruel implements of slow death. Not seven feet from their prize, the Metal Heads stopped. Every head whipped about. A wave of utter confusion seemed to have struck down upon the advancing forces.
To the surprise of the elves, looks of moderate confusion and anxiety gleamed clearly in the soulless eyes of the creatures. And then suddenly in one swift motion every head turned to the entrance. They began shrieking and yelling in that direction almost in fits of panic.
The Tomb's ceiling began to shake. Small fountains of dust fell down from the ceiling in many parts of the hall. There was sound, no, many sounds above like thousands of people beating drums. But these were not drums, they were footsteps of large, powerful creatures. The sounds suddenly moved to the elevator room. Whoops and grunts could be heard amongst the endless footsteps.
What creatures could cause Metal Heads this much fear? The elves' questions were soon answered as the mostly apelike creatures paraded into the hall. Lurkers. The creatures rampaged into the Tomb much the same way as the Metal Heads. They moved as one, leaping from the winding ramp down into the glowing metal scourge below. Many Lurkers were impaled on Metal Head spears, yet they kept coming.
Many Metal Heads were crushed with the first wave of creatures. Every Metal Head turned to try and mount an effective defense, but the Lurkers' brute force and the shear idea of a surprise attack pushed them back greatly. The presence of the Lurkers nearly tripled the defensive numbers.
Many elves were hesitant however. Lurkers and Elves had never been friendly, and this could be an attempt at seizing the city for the Lurkers.
Several species of Lurker could be seen within the bubbling turmoil of purple fur and glowing metal. Twenty-foot-long centipede Lurkers crawled about on the ceiling devouring any Metal Head that had dared to stay above. Small leaping Lurkers bit at the heels of unsuspecting creatures and destroyed them when they fell in surprise.
As the elves stared in awe at their sudden good fortune, a familiar Lurker face appeared out of the rumbling sides. "Hello, citypeoples!" hooted Brutter who was causally spinning a severed Metal Head cranium on his five inch finger. "It looks like Lurker people come just in time."
"Brutter, you da man!!" cried Daxter as he leaped joyfully on Tess' shoulder.
"What wrong with Governess?" asked Brutter worriedly when he spotted Ashelin's limp body on Torn's shoulder.
"Torn knocked her out," Daxter said casually while Torn shot him a deadly glare.
"She was delirious," said Keira, "we think the Metal Heads were pumping small quantities of Dark Eco into her. We don't know why though."
"Brutter have just the thing," muttered the bespectacled Lurker as he fumbled with a pouch on his belt, "we Lurkers make good medicine." He walked over to Ashelin and gently tipped her head up. A thick, pungent substance slid from the pouch and into Ashelin's mouth. Ashelin's eyes shot wide open and she leapt up spitting the black substance from her mouth.
"Get that shit away from me!" she gasped.
"Ashelin are you alright?" asked Torn worriedly.
"As soon as I get this stuff out of my mouth I'll be fine," she said, still spitting the medicine from her mouth. She then looked about her for the first time to see what was truly happening, "what the...?"
"After you flipped out and tried to kill Shady" – (Shady snorted and turned away) – "The Metal Heads came in and almost killed us. Then the Lurkers came and, well, here we are," Daxter answered.
"Brutter, how?" Ashelin asked dumbfounded.
"Brother Jak told Brutter to do it," said Brutter, "he ask 'Brutter, do you think we could get help from the Lurkers?' Brutter say 'No, Lurker peoples not want to help elves. Elves and Lurkers not like each other.' Then Jak think for a while before speaking again. He say 'Brutter, remember when me and Dax saved those Lurkers? Didn't you say that the Lurkers were indebted to us? Couldn't you say that...er...Brother Jak and Brother Daxter are in trouble and need help.' Brutter remembers and tries. Lurkers not want to help but when Brutter says that blonde brother and little orangey warrior are in trouble, Lurker Council say that we help."
"So that's why you left," said Ashelin, thoughtfully stroking her chin.
"Say, where are Brother Jak?" asked Brutter.
Shady sighed before answering. "We don't know. He got, er, separated from our group. We haven't seen him since."
Brutter's ears lowered slightly, "Oh no. Brutter hopes he's okay."
"We all do," sighed Torn.
There was a slight crackle as a signal came through on Ashelin's radio. "Gov – ess?" said Ax.
"Ax! We lost contact some time ago. What is your progress?"
"Er, we found it, Governess. The Eco is flowing right now. I – ow! – can't believe it. It – er – it's amazing. We are speechless."
"Ax, are you alright? You sound shaky," said Ashelin.
"I, er, just can't believe it. I'm programming the map into your radio now." There was a click as the radio went dead on the other end.
"Come on!" said Ashelin.
"Something doesn't feel right," muttered Sig.
"What?"
"He sounded nervous. It just doesn't feel right."
"Sig, we are this close! Come on!"
"Lurker peoples will hold off Metal Headers for you. Do good!" with that Brutter leapt with super human strength into the very center of the brawl.
"Come on, let's go!"
Without wasting another second the hundred elves raced off to the Burial Chamber of Mar and the White Eco within.
Ekobean: Another chapter down the tube. Not many more to go. I hope you enjoyed this one, read and review!
The Metal Heads surged into the entrance hall like one of the tidal waves that would break upon the shores of Sandover Village. Every wall was crawling with the same glowing purple hue, every pillar and ceiling tile was crawling, as if the entire room were a sentient being. The very air was thick and humid in the presence of the Dark Eco infested creatures.
The hundred remaining elves gathered into a tight circle, every gun drawn and locked on one squirming target. The elves could see perfectly in the normally gloomily lighten hall. The dark auras that resonated from the Metal Heads' flesh lit the room like a miniature sun. Keira's gun was shaking dangerously in her hands. The small experience of battle she had tasted on the surface and in the halls was a warm up compared to this.
If only Jak, or even her father were there, they would give reassurance to her! Then something came to her mind that she had not noticed before. Where was her father? She had been too upset about the loss of Jak to notice that the small elf was nowhere to be seen. She would have asked if the situation were not so deadly.
"What're you all standing around for!?" Torn shouted to the rest of the elves, "Fire!" On his one simple command the air was alive rapidly flying Red Eco beams. Metal Heads fell from every direction. They fell from the ceiling, from the pillars and from the walls, yet for every one that fell it seemed two took its place. One small sliver of hope began to shine within the hearts of every remaining elf. Though the Metal Heads possessed superior numbers, it appeared that they lacked coordination. If they kept this up was it possible that they could slowly chip them down until Ax hopefully found the burial chamber.
That momentary hope was swept away in one swift move as the Metal Heads began to climb slowly from the walls, ignoring the death cries of their still-falling comrades. The water sloshed noisily between their feet as they slowly crept closer and closer to the desperately firing elves. Saliva oozed from their gaping, glowing jaws; snakelike tongues slowly moving across their lines of crooked teeth in anticipation. They were obviously expecting a meal. None of them even seemed to notice that the small patch of elves was firing now more than ever, and that more and more of their own kind were still falling from the stone rafters of the Tomb.
They began to encircle the elves in a sickeningly slow movement. When the circle was complete they began to move in as one. The water splashed up in miniature explosions as their feet fell into it. The twenty feet that separated the elves from the Hora-Quan shrank dramatically.
A flurry of clicks became audible amongst the endless sounds of gunshots and death screams. Both elves and Metal Heads knew what it meant. The elves were slowly running out of ammo. More and more clicks rose up from the flurries of gunshots. The Metal Heads were moving in faster and faster. Even their beady eyes seemed to glow yellow with hunger. As they moved in those who had hands drew their own weapons, wicked, curved blades, shock staffs, and other cruel implements of slow death. Not seven feet from their prize, the Metal Heads stopped. Every head whipped about. A wave of utter confusion seemed to have struck down upon the advancing forces.
To the surprise of the elves, looks of moderate confusion and anxiety gleamed clearly in the soulless eyes of the creatures. And then suddenly in one swift motion every head turned to the entrance. They began shrieking and yelling in that direction almost in fits of panic.
The Tomb's ceiling began to shake. Small fountains of dust fell down from the ceiling in many parts of the hall. There was sound, no, many sounds above like thousands of people beating drums. But these were not drums, they were footsteps of large, powerful creatures. The sounds suddenly moved to the elevator room. Whoops and grunts could be heard amongst the endless footsteps.
What creatures could cause Metal Heads this much fear? The elves' questions were soon answered as the mostly apelike creatures paraded into the hall. Lurkers. The creatures rampaged into the Tomb much the same way as the Metal Heads. They moved as one, leaping from the winding ramp down into the glowing metal scourge below. Many Lurkers were impaled on Metal Head spears, yet they kept coming.
Many Metal Heads were crushed with the first wave of creatures. Every Metal Head turned to try and mount an effective defense, but the Lurkers' brute force and the shear idea of a surprise attack pushed them back greatly. The presence of the Lurkers nearly tripled the defensive numbers.
Many elves were hesitant however. Lurkers and Elves had never been friendly, and this could be an attempt at seizing the city for the Lurkers.
Several species of Lurker could be seen within the bubbling turmoil of purple fur and glowing metal. Twenty-foot-long centipede Lurkers crawled about on the ceiling devouring any Metal Head that had dared to stay above. Small leaping Lurkers bit at the heels of unsuspecting creatures and destroyed them when they fell in surprise.
As the elves stared in awe at their sudden good fortune, a familiar Lurker face appeared out of the rumbling sides. "Hello, citypeoples!" hooted Brutter who was causally spinning a severed Metal Head cranium on his five inch finger. "It looks like Lurker people come just in time."
"Brutter, you da man!!" cried Daxter as he leaped joyfully on Tess' shoulder.
"What wrong with Governess?" asked Brutter worriedly when he spotted Ashelin's limp body on Torn's shoulder.
"Torn knocked her out," Daxter said casually while Torn shot him a deadly glare.
"She was delirious," said Keira, "we think the Metal Heads were pumping small quantities of Dark Eco into her. We don't know why though."
"Brutter have just the thing," muttered the bespectacled Lurker as he fumbled with a pouch on his belt, "we Lurkers make good medicine." He walked over to Ashelin and gently tipped her head up. A thick, pungent substance slid from the pouch and into Ashelin's mouth. Ashelin's eyes shot wide open and she leapt up spitting the black substance from her mouth.
"Get that shit away from me!" she gasped.
"Ashelin are you alright?" asked Torn worriedly.
"As soon as I get this stuff out of my mouth I'll be fine," she said, still spitting the medicine from her mouth. She then looked about her for the first time to see what was truly happening, "what the...?"
"After you flipped out and tried to kill Shady" – (Shady snorted and turned away) – "The Metal Heads came in and almost killed us. Then the Lurkers came and, well, here we are," Daxter answered.
"Brutter, how?" Ashelin asked dumbfounded.
"Brother Jak told Brutter to do it," said Brutter, "he ask 'Brutter, do you think we could get help from the Lurkers?' Brutter say 'No, Lurker peoples not want to help elves. Elves and Lurkers not like each other.' Then Jak think for a while before speaking again. He say 'Brutter, remember when me and Dax saved those Lurkers? Didn't you say that the Lurkers were indebted to us? Couldn't you say that...er...Brother Jak and Brother Daxter are in trouble and need help.' Brutter remembers and tries. Lurkers not want to help but when Brutter says that blonde brother and little orangey warrior are in trouble, Lurker Council say that we help."
"So that's why you left," said Ashelin, thoughtfully stroking her chin.
"Say, where are Brother Jak?" asked Brutter.
Shady sighed before answering. "We don't know. He got, er, separated from our group. We haven't seen him since."
Brutter's ears lowered slightly, "Oh no. Brutter hopes he's okay."
"We all do," sighed Torn.
There was a slight crackle as a signal came through on Ashelin's radio. "Gov – ess?" said Ax.
"Ax! We lost contact some time ago. What is your progress?"
"Er, we found it, Governess. The Eco is flowing right now. I – ow! – can't believe it. It – er – it's amazing. We are speechless."
"Ax, are you alright? You sound shaky," said Ashelin.
"I, er, just can't believe it. I'm programming the map into your radio now." There was a click as the radio went dead on the other end.
"Come on!" said Ashelin.
"Something doesn't feel right," muttered Sig.
"What?"
"He sounded nervous. It just doesn't feel right."
"Sig, we are this close! Come on!"
"Lurker peoples will hold off Metal Headers for you. Do good!" with that Brutter leapt with super human strength into the very center of the brawl.
"Come on, let's go!"
Without wasting another second the hundred elves raced off to the Burial Chamber of Mar and the White Eco within.
Ekobean: Another chapter down the tube. Not many more to go. I hope you enjoyed this one, read and review!