Chapter23: Into the earth
The land of Mille Seseau was harsh. While continents such as Serdio and Tiberoa had driven out a lot of their monsters through the inevitable industrialization of the nation, Mille Seaseau still had many remaining especially in the wild south that Raga lived in. There were all sorts of creatures in that place that time had forgotten. While the world had moved on Mille Seseau had remained a place of secrets. Megufu was surprised at the gall of the monsters which would come straight out of the blue and attack him. Most common were the giant winged bugs that buzzed loudly with a sharp long beak or sucker that it used as a weapon to try and suck blood. The magic sword would cut the things in two easily and Megufu was thankful to have it with him.
He was not sure exactly where he was heading. The sea had passed away a long time since and was no longer in view. The uneven ground and barren trees just seemed to go on forever with no path to follow.
It was at morning that trouble started. Megufu had been right to be worried. The enforcers had not given up and they were looking for him. As the sun was only just coming up over the distant hills, in another direction the bright white lights of mech-platforms were searching the land for him. Technically the enforcers weren't allowed to go to different countries to hunt for escaped criminals. The country was supposed to negotiate with the courts first and then they could be caught by the local police, tried, or sent to be tried, in another country. The presence of the enforcers in Mille Seseau was probably slightly illegal but due to the confused issues of who was in charge of Mille Seseau it would be difficult to see who would object if the enforcers followed him all the way to Barfa. Out here in no-man's land anything could go. The law belonged to the locals and Raga was the only local.
Megufu thought briefly of fighting them but he didn't know how many there were in the area. Besides he had no wish to go up against their weapons again. That bright light had shaken him to the core. If he hadn't been a dragoon it probably would have killed him out right. Breaking into a run he headed for a tall rocky hill that was on the edge of a dark forest. Seemingly there had been some kind of landslide as the trees here and there were hanging out at angles. Large boulders and stones were strewn about the bottom of the hill and all up the sides.
Clambering up he grazed himself several times slipping on stones. The noise of the mech-platforms were getting closer. He could hear the noise of the blades distantly getting louder and louder. He prayed that they hadn't seen him.
In the dark he found a small hole in the rock fall and looked into it. It was very dark. He climbed through anyway. Bits of tree roots got in the way and he had to push them aside. Unable to see where he was going he took out the dark dragoon spirit and held it in his hand. Dark at first it gradually began to glow so that he could see dimly where he was. The tunnel went on further and seemed to widen. Looking back up the tunnel he saw the white headlight of a mech-platform pass over. The noise grew very loud for a brief second. In the distance a second one passed over the night sky very high up; a steady beam of light descending from it across the landscape.
"What am I going to do?" he said to himself in the dark. His hands hurt from cuts on the rocks and his jeans and raincoat was muddy and still damp from the night before.
Even so he continued until he came deep down into the heart of the hill where a large cave reached up high into the earth. There was an underground lake reaching out far into the darkness. It was here that Megufu rested and drank from the water. It tasted good and was very refreshing.
Finding a place where there were softer stones he lay down and eventually fell asleep. The dragoon spirit lightning him up in a bubble from the dark surrounding him. The water glistened by the shore in a purple glow.
When Megufu awoke it was to a noise of cracking earth. The lake rumbled and he shot up withdrawing his sword that burst into a yellow burning flame. There was a scream in the darkness and then silence as the noise subsided. Continually like rain rocks fell into the lake causing ripples from the after shock. A gentle orange light was emanating distantly from the mouth of the tunnel. It was morning outside.
"Who's there?" he called
There was silence. Nobody replied. He waved the sword twice and held out the dragoon spirit that flashed into bright light.
"Who's there!" he shouted
A weak fearful voice responded, "Is that you Megufu?"
"Who are you? Quick before I strike you down!"
"It's me!" she responded, "Me Raga… somehow I knew you'd have fled here"
"How did you find me? What's going on?" he demanded searching and squinting through the darkness to try and see.
"I've dropped my torch in the lake… I can't see a thing!" she stuttered
"Head towards the light," replied Megufu
He heard footsteps in the darkness stumbling on stones. The noise of footsteps carefully moved round the edge of the lake until he could see her a bow slung across her back.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to find you! There's enforcers everywhere looking for you. They asked me where you were and I replied I hadn't seen you"
"Why?"
"Megufu what have you don't that's so bad? Why are they trying to catch you?"
"I haven't done anything wrong!" insisted Megufu forcefully keeping her away with the sword, "They think I'm the one who robbed the museum"
"What are you talking about?"
"Never mind. Do you know the way out? Are there enforcers here in the cave?"
"Yes I do and … no there are no enforcers here. They moved on in the night. I used to come here to fish in the lake until it became too dangerous"
"What do you mean?"
"There's a monster down here. A creature that causes the quakes"
"What sort of monster?"
"I don't know – like nothing I've ever seen before. It's a statue … a big rock statue. I always used to fish out of its hand but one day while I was there the eye opened and… and I never returned until today"
"You know the way out though?"
"Yes…"
Megufu was silent and rested the sword by his side.
"What is that sword you have? It's amazing!" said Raga staring at it.
Megufu had forgotten completely about the supernatural nature of the objects he was carrying. He looked at it and tried to think of an answer.
"It doesn't matter," he said at length. He was curious. There was something about what she said that made him all the more curious.
"Where is this statue?"
"Across the far side of the lake," she replied, "The entrance is on the way"
"Lets go then… lets get out of here"
