1st Ritual: The Call
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It was a warm and humid day. In a jungle rustling could be heard as well as whining pleads.
"Milady please stop", A beautiful young woman with glasses shouted she was running through the forest in pursuit of something... or someone. She wore a violet beret that seemed to accent her very dark pink hair as well as her reddish pink colored irises. She wore a large blue coat that went to her legs. She wore white gloves and regular travel boots. She had a bag slung over one of her shoulders.
"Come and catch me if you can Momo", A winged girl chirped happily in the air as she weaved through the branches of the large trees. She looked like a teenager, wore a light pink blouse and wore a jacket with a darker shade of pink to it on the outside and she also wore a skirt with the same shade of pink as her jacket as well as black leggings. She had innocent ocean blue eyes and short blond hair. She had large white wings so one could actually mistake her as an angel. She flew through the trees and gave an exhilarated shriek as she dodged another mass of tangled branches.
"Lady Nina please don't do anything reckless. You nearly gave me a heart attack.", Momo voiced out worriedly as she kept running to keep up with the blue-eyed angel.
"Aww... don't worry Momo your young so I'm sure your heart can take it.", Nina giggled at Momo as she faced Momo in mid-flight and flew backwards and at high speeds may I add.
"Lady Nina I'm 129 years old but that's not the issue here", Momo yelled as she jumped onto the trunk of a tree and hopped from branch to branch deciding it was better to be able to travel at least on level with her charge so it would be easier to keep an eye on her as well as the fact her neck was killing her from looking up.
"Let's just keep going till the valley where the ligers and griffins roam", Nina shouted loudly as she sped up with only the sound of the wind whistling in her ears. Momo heard this and sped up to keep pace with her charge with no words to utter.
They finally arrived at the valley of the fang. It was easy to identify cause in the middle of the valley large cliffs jutted out that looked like fangs not to mention most of the creatures in the valley had fangs. Both the blond girl and pink-haired woman stood on the edge of the valley watching as griffins, beatiful creatures with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion, stood proudly upon their peaks and watched for intruders while below ligers, fierce creatures that had a main like a lion's but had stripes like a tiger's but magnificent all the same, hunted for food for their pride or pack.
"Shall we go back home Lady Nina?", Momo asked resting her gaze upon the winged girls small frame.
"It is getting near noon I guess we should head back", Nina agreed as both females turned around they both paused in midstep as they heard a whistling sort of sound. Both looked around and searched for the source of the noise. Then...
BOOM!
The noise was deafening. "What was that?", Nina asked Momo as she uncovered her ears.
"I don't know milady", Momo didn't cover her ears instead tried to locate the explosion.
BOOM!
"What the-?", Nina looked around and as her gaze flew upwards her heart stopped for a second. "Momo", Nina voiced shakily.
"Yes", Momo agreed as they watched meteors fall towards the areas near them and Momo noticed two things. One the meteors or comets didn't seem to be dissolving in reentry and the fact that one certain comet was heading straight for them. Without another word they ran away as fast as they could. Nina flying at speeds that many would consider speeding while Momo was running at speeds that no human would ever be capable of.
BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!
The flames spread throughout the forest. Even as they tried to escape from the rampaging destruction the flames licked at their skin and clothes as well as burned the trail of dust and foliage that Momo left as well as the trail of feathers Nina left.
'The valley', both thought as they saw the edge of the drop. Momo jumped over the edge and Nina dove downward as soon as she could and the flames roared and raged over them as if angered by the fact that it's prey had escaped.
"thank God we got out alright", Momo breathed out heavily as she brushed off the dirt and soot off of her coat and beret.
"That's not true look at my wings", Nina cried cutely as she rubbed her wings gray with dust and soot.
"There, there princess once we get back to Winlan you can take a bath and get cleaned up", Momo smiled as she ruffled Nina's hair.
"Any way what do you think that was?", Nina asked as she hovered around her guardian.
"I don't know milady but we should report to your father", Momo spoke as she made her way towards Winlan.
"Okay!", she screamed out gleefuly at the thought of going home and getting a good bath which caused a couple of griffins and ligers to hide back into their dens after venturing out to see if the explosions had stopped.
As they went onwards something seemed to call out to Nina. Nina suddenly stopped and Momo noticed so she stopped even if she was a couple of paces ahead. Nina stood transfixed at the sounds. They sounded like hushed whispering. As she listened the whispering intensified and pain. Pain that she never knew and never wanted to know came to her and her head felt like it would split in two. She closed her eyes and through the haze she could make out certain words
'Release...Freedom..."it"...out...there...destroy...'
Suddenly the pain ceased and she somehow found herself lying on the ground Momo's face filled with concern her and her own eyes filled with unshed tears.
"Lady Nina are you okay?", Momo asked gently though that concern was evident in her voice.
"Yes", Nina sat up blinking away the tears. She viewed her surroundings and looked towards a certain patch of trees. "Momo?", Nina called out her eyes not leaving the patch of foliage.
"Yes milady?", Momo asked her eyes following Nina's gaze as she stood beside her.
"Where did the nearest comet land?", Nina asked flatly.
"A few miles in that direction milady", Momo pointed at the patch of trees that they were looking at.
"Let's go", Nina commanded as she swallowed hard and followed the force that attracted her in that direction. She couldn't explain what was happening it was like something was calling out to her like if she went there something would happen... something that would change her life forever. She turned her head to address Momo since she realized that Momo had been calling her attention for a while.
"Milady milady are you listening milady?", Momo asked still concerned wether her charge was in good health.
"I'm sorry Momo what's wrong?", Nina asked Momo with a nervous smile.
"You seem to have lost your shine milady", Momo commented.
"Hm?", Nina was confused by this statement as they walked on.
"I mean you seem to have lost all that energy you just had it might be because of that migraine you just had", Momo meant the incident that happened only moments ago. "It might be wise for us to return to the vllage first and inform your father of what has happened I'm sure he will send a search party and you'll be given news of the findings", Momo advised.
"No Momo I'm alright come on I'll even race you there", Nina smiled slyly as she flew off in the direction they were walking in. Momo just sighed shook her head and ran through the forest after her charge.
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She flapped her wings once more as she sped through the forest so fast that everything was like a blur to her. Seconds past and she finally saw a light at the end of the endless maze of trees. She beat her wings once more and flew faster eager to reach the end.
"Ha I win", she shrieked out happily as she got out of the forest and landed. She saw Momo and pouted, "Aww... you always beat me". But Momo didn't acknowledge her as she looked over the edge of a cliff. "Momo what's wrong?", Nina asked sensing something was wrong. She stood beside Momo and her eyes grew into the size of saucers as she saw the huge crater. Everything in the blast of that comet landing was completely obliterated. The surrounding trees were reduceed to nothing more than ash and the unmoved earth was scorched as well as the fact some parts of the forest near the crater there were flames still scattered about. "So much destruction", Nina spoke with a trembling voice as she sunk to her knees but Momo was not paying attention to those at all she was paying attention to the huge chunk of metal that was sticking out of the middle of the crater.
"Lady Nina this might be dangerous I'll investigate myself", advised intrigue overwriting her common sense.
"No Momo if it really is dangrous it's best if it's the two of us", Nina spoke as she got up and dusted herself from all the dirt.
"Milady you might not be ready for what is up ahead. I know you are a formidable warrior but you've never been in actual combat before you might breakdown like you just did after seeing only this", Momo gestured to the whole crater.
"Don't worry Momo I can take it", Nina smiled. "Let's just say this is for my field experience okay?", Nina added as she jumped into the air and flew towards the piece of metal.
"Boy, she never listens", Momo sighed as she jumped over the cliff and skid down the slope.
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'Saying the inside of this crater is warm is pretty much the understatement of the year', Momo thought as she walked around the metallic object searching for clues on what the thing might be as she wiped the sweat on her fore-head with her sleeve. It was huge and it was at the center of the crater meaning it should be a meteorite of sorts but something told Momo that it wan't for one meteorites disintegrate during reentry this thing didn't plus with the size of this thing the whole forest including them should have been destroyed. She walked closer and observed that the shape was like an egg's and it was large enough to fit ten people inside. She felt compelled to touch it and she did. A couple of seconds after her hand made contact the gears in her mind clicked and she withdrew her hand from the meteorite which was supposed to be extremely hot didn't burn her hand. She carefully removed the glove from her left hand and hesitantly placed her hand on surface of the object. It wasn't hot enough to turn stone into molten rock but it wasn't cold either, it was warm almost like it was... at body temperature! Momo quickly ran around the object scanning for any opening or cracks of sorts and she something. She went closer and kneeled since half of it was embedded in the ground. She brushed the spot where she thought she saw something. and quickly got excited as she uncovered a door. "Lady Nina! Over here!", Momo waved at the winged girl who was scouting the area from the air.
"What is it Momo?", Nina excitedly asked the energetic guardian as she flew down beside her.
"Lady Nina I need to extract the object from the ground can you help?", Momo asked.
"Of course Momo but do you think you and I will be enough", Nina asked uncertainly.
"Of course we can with your psychic powers and my strength we can pull this thing out no problem.", Momo said her personality as a mechanic and scientist overwriting sense of duty as a guardian.
"But most of the strain will still be on you do you think your cybernetic components be able to take the stress,
Nina asked uncertain.
"Don't worry my cybernetic parts were built very strong", Momo assured her.
"Then let's do it", Nina nodded and took her position. Momo grabbed hold of as much of the thing as she could.
"On the count of three.", Momo said. Nina nodded again in agreement.
"1..."
"2..."
"3!"
They both pulled Momo pushing her cyborg body to it's limits as she pulled as hard as she could on the object while Nina was using her psychic powers to help pull the thing out. After a couple of minutes of tug of war with the ground they finally got it raised up enough that only a tenth of the object was underground.
"So what do you think it is Momo?", Nina asked curiously as she lightly tapped the sides of the thing with her foot.
"I believe it's an escape pod", Momo stated as she observed the door.
"Escape pod?", Nina asked bewildered.
"I'm pretty sure because it seems to have heat shields for things such as reentry as well as a life support system for the occupants.", Momo said this as she caressed the door with her hand deep in thought of how to open the object.
"Hmm? What's this?", Nina asked Momo as she pointed towards a small glass covered peephole beside the door. Momo immediately rushed towards that spot and examined it.
Bzzzzt!
Both females were sudeenly taken aback as the thing suddenly began to power-up.
"REBOOTING SYSTEMS!", a deep robotic voice spoke from the thing.
"SYSTEMS CHECK. LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS... CHECK. CRYOSLEEP SYSTEMS...CHECK. ENHANCEMENT SYSTEMS... CHECK. DISTRESS BEACON... DEACTIVATED. SCANNING SURROUNDING AREA", a small drone like object was released from the pod and it silently hovered above the pod and then a net like laser shot from all of its sides it scanned from up to down.
"ORGANISMS FOUND... CREATURES DESIGNATED HUMAN AND GENIC... DATABASE CHECK CONFIRMS HOSTILITY DEFENSWE MEASURES ARE BEING UNDERTAKEN.", the pod suddenly released more drones but these drones clearly weren't scanners. They were round spheres the size of baseballs then they expanded. Slits opened at their sides and gun arms grew out.
"Lady Nina I believe we are in for a fight", Momo took a metal shaft from underneath her coat and it extended.
"Then let's stop with the formalities Momo and get with the program", Nina spoke nervously as she put on her gloves.
"Ten drones against two of us", Momo muttered. She took something from her bag and loaded it into the cannon and a handle came out from underneath. She gripped the handle and rested it under her right arm. Two drones came at her and she barely had time to dodge. She heard gunfire and strafed right just in time to keep herself from being filled with holes. She turneed a full one-eighty and shot the drone who tried to shoot her from behind. As she landed on her feet a drone was charging towards her this one built for melee combat. She tried to raise her cannon to stop the attack but there was no more time. A blur of pink and white came into her field of vision and knocked the drone away with a well placed flying kick.
"Come on Momo I'm not the guardian here am I?", Nina joked as she flew of to charge another drone.
"heh", Momo breathed as she stood up and loaded her cannon yet again and joined in the fray. Nina had taken out three drones already while Momo only destroyed one. Momo ran towards a melee drone and ducked its attempt to slice her head off and whacked it hard from behind with her cannon which promptly detroyed it. Sensing another drone from behind turned around and used her cannon as a baseball bat and hit the drone which flew into another drone which destroyed both. She surveyed her surroundings. 'Two long-range drones one melee', Momo counted and smiled as she shouted, "Hey Nina I got four while you only got three".
"We can't have that now can't we?", Nina smiled as she dodged the melee drone. She looked at the drone and concentrated. "Ha!", Nina screamed as some force pushed the melee clone into another clone and both blew up. "How's that!", Nina triumphantly smirked.
"Not bad", Momo spoke as she shot the last one. "Man it's a draw", Momo chuckled.
"No fair I should have gotten the last one", Nina pouted.
"Come on princess your the daughter of the leader of the wing tribe your not expected to be a great fighter", Momo kept on chuckling.
"You know your very unladylike", Nina still pouted.
"That's because I was raised as a soldier and scientist not a princess", Momo kept on chuckling as she approached the pod.
"Now how can you be opened?", Momo thought as she hid her weaponry in her coat again with Nina beside her.
"EMERGENCY COMPLETE SYSTEMS FAILURE... RELEASING CONTAINED LIFE FORM DESIGNATED AS D... FROM DATABASE CONFIRMED PART OF PROJECT DIVA DESIGNATED EVOLUTION COMPONENT. RELEASING."
pssshhhhhhhh!
Smoke appeared as the pod's doors opened and the sound of a body hitting the ground could be heard. As soon as the smoke cleared Nina and Momo immediately went to help/examine the person who came from the pod. It was a boy. He looked no older than sixteen. They saw he had blue hair and it was a bit long especially the bangs. He was lean. Not muscular with those bulging muscles but he wasn't too skinny either. Momo examined if he was in good health.
"M-m-m-m-Momo?", Nina asked as she fell flat on her bottom, knees together and her finger pointing at the boy as she looked at him with a red face.
"What?", I asked. With both her hands on her collar she screamed.
"HEE'S NAAAAAAKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDD!"