Lian's Peculiar Journey: Starlight Paladins
Chapter 10
Death Race to the Finish
Lian spread her body over the wagon as it lumbered over a rocky mountain overpass.
"It's so cold up here…. Does anyone have a blanket to let me use?" she sat up and looked to her allies.
Sarah pulled out a blanket from on of the crates.
"I hope it doesn't snow up here…" she looked at the mountain peaks above them.
"I doubt it, we seem to be too low for snow." Zhin informed, "The mountains may appear tall, but they are nothing to the great mountain range of the Qian Long."
"Never took you for a weatherman." Lian told Zhin as she wrapped herself around with the blanket.
"It's not difficult to discern the times." Lex said from the front of the wagon, "One astute enough can master it with some time."
"I didn't doubt it." Lian smiled and looked at Sarah, who was eating an apple, "Say, how long until we reach Seris? The town, that is, or both."
"It should still be quite a distance, but I doubt my sister has enough power to call upon the Abyss yet." Sarah answered and threw the apple core away.
"We're almost out of bread." Zhin spoked as he looked in one of the crates, "We should restock supplies soon."
"At least we have water." Lian said and shook her canteen.
"Well, we're in luck." Lex said and pointed ahead, where a small diner was located next to a couple of cabins.
"Perhaps they have food for wanderers like us."
"I wouldn't call us wanderers. We do have a mission." Sarah told him.
"Speaking of the mission, care to divulge more?" Lex asked, "I still have not quite understood the whole journey."
"My sister Hannah was taken over by the Abyss long ago." Sarah said, "With that power, she did some terrible actions against me and my friends…" she looked down, "But after time, the Abyss granted her the power to gain a Stand. I had never heard of a stand until the Pyre granted my own- Furious Flame- and then I saw that monstrosity. I knew that she would use that for evil, and I traveled the Realm looking for others with powers like my own to bring her down."
"What did the Abyss do to her?" Zhin asked.
"The Abyss granted her power beyond normal humans… However, it comes at a cost." Sarah informed, "The Abyss needs darkness to thrive, if it gets exposed to sunlight or the Pyre, it will be reduced to ashes. As such, if my sister is touched by the sunlight, she will surely perish."
"Do… Do you want that to happen?" Lian asked.
"Unfortunately, my sister is far too gone to be saved." Sarah looked up to the sky, "We must stop her, no matter if it kills her."
"Do you know anything about that stand she developed?" Lex told her.
"No… I had to flee to avoid its wrath." Sarah said, "I do not know the secret to Seris' Stand."
The three murmured amongst themselves.
"Regardless, we are almost at the diner-" Lex stopped when something zoomed past their wagon, nearly capsizing their vehicle.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Lian yelled as she used Power Khan to push the wagon back down.
"Hrrr." Zhin snarled and saw a dust trail lead to the diner ahead.
"Whatever it was, it went to where we are heading to." He pointed at the cloud of dust rising up.
"I guess we should follow him. He was speeding." Lex said and urged his horses to go faster.
The four arrived at the diner and stepped down.
"Where is that- there it is." Lian pointed to the wagon that was previously surrounded by the dust cloud, "Who do you think owns that thing?" she murmured and clenched her fists.
"Hey you all!" Zhin pointed at the patrons eating outside, "Do you all know the driver of that wagon?"
The gruff men shook their heads and scoffed.
"I guess we'll have to beat it out of them." Lian stepped up and grabbed one of the men, then punched him across the face.
"Stop withholding information, criminal scum!" Lex kicked another in the shin and threw him at a wall.
"You tell us who is the driver right now!" Zhin kung-fu chopped a man on the shoulder.
Sarah stood back and watched the mayhem.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" she called out.
"Stop resisting!" Lex booted a man in the stomach.
"Everyone!" Sarah waved her hands.
Suddenly, a large roar sounded and the earth shook.
A huge dust cloud picked up.
"What was that?" Lian stopped punching two men and turned to see that the wagon was no longer there."
"What? How could he get away from us?" Zhin asked, "We covered the front! You were watching, right?" he asked Sarah.
"I didn't see anyone!" Sarah shook her head.
"Well he's a danger to anyone on the road." Lex said and jumped on the wagon, "I may be on this journey to help you, but I am still a Lawman. Come, let us follow him!"
The three clambered on the wagon and Lex set course to follow the dirt trail that led up the mountain.
00000000000
"Hyah!" Lex urged his horses to travel faster as they followed the dust trail.
"We're going to get that good for nothing scum!" Lian sat next to him and pointed, "He almost knocked us off the mountain!"
"We're in pursuit of a wooden wagon." Lex picked up a nearby potato and placed it near his mouth, "Currently going 40 in a 20 mile per hour road. We're in pursuit in a code 9-0-4, subject is not stopping, requesting assistance."
Lian looked at him oddly.
"Oh…" Lex noticed he was just holding a potato.
Lian sighed and shifted her tiara side to side, "What a pain…"
"Was I wrong?" Lex asked her, "We are in pursuit of a criminal scum."
The wagon continued charging down the mountain path.
"What?" Lex saw as the dust clouds made by their assailant just vanished.
"HRAH!" he pulled back on the reins, causing the horses to slow down and neigh.
The wagon came to a sudden halt.
"What was that for?" Zhin asked as he fixed himself up.
"What happened?" Sarah added.
"There's nothing more." Lex said as he saw that the tracks also ended a few meters away, ending at a circular imprint on the ground.
"Was it a ghost wagon?" Lian asked.
"Don't be preposterous." Lex said, "There's no such things as ghosts, especially ghosts of things that are not alive." He murmured and got off the carriage.
The enforcer looked around and walked over to the end of the tracks.
"What is this circular thing?" he inspected the imprint on the ground.
"Why would you think it's a ghost wagon?" Zhin smirked and patted Lian's back.
"I was giving him a reason to get off and inspect it." Lian responded, "If I didn't, then he would have told me to do so."
"You two are the worst." Sarah sighed and grabbed a banana.
"I'm a princess, I can't be dirtying my hands with mud and dirt." Lian showed off her red nails, "Plus, it is his job to investigate, no?"
"It doesn't appear you're very nice to him." Zhin chuckled.
"Why would I?" Lian laughed and looked up as she stretched out her arms, but then noticed something dark in the sky.
"What is that?" she peered.
"What are you talking about?" Sarah looked up as well, "What is that dark spot?"
"Hmmm." Zhin joined it, "It appears to be a…"
"A shadow?" Lian brought out Power Khan, who looked for her, "Hey! Something's coming down from that cliff!"
Lex turned back, "Lian! Zhin! Sarah! Get out of there!" he yelled.
Sarah and Zhin bailed, but Lian's high heels made her trip from such quick actions.
Lex growled and ran to the wagon and pulled her out.
An object fell from the sky and smashed into the wagon with such force it broke off into planks and splinters.
The horses shrieked and ran off, nearly running over Sarah and Zhin as they stampeded down the trail.
"Lian! Lex!" Sarah called out into the dust cloud of the impact site.
"Are you alright!?"
Out of the dust came Lex carrying Lian.
"That's the last time I save your hide." Lex grumbled.
"It's the first time." Lian crossed her arms and stood on her own.
"Did you forget the train and river?" Lex responded.
"Calm down, you two." Zhin said, "What was that?" he said and saw the dust clear.
"HEY HEY HEY!" a shrill voice called out, and a large bidepal robot made of wood and steel stood before them.
"Looks like you all got out safe and sound!"
The four Paladins looked at the robot as it spread out its legs.
"But just like a fish, from the hook and into the frying pan!" the voice from inside the robot said, and a window opened up to reveal the face of a goblin.
"That disgusting creature can drive a robot?" Lian grunted as she pointed at it, "Who are you!?"
The goblin chuckled.
"Since you all are about to die for my freedom, I guess I should be thankful enough to tell you. I am Ruckus, and this is my stand BLASTED BOLT."
The mech suit extended both its arms.
"His stand is that machine?" Sarah asked.
"Hey, I've seen a stand that was a bow." Lex grumbled, "This is nothing strange."
"Seris promised me freedom for me and my people." Ruckus chuckled, "But only if I got rid of you!" he said and closed the window of the stand.
"And that's what I intend to do! Time to Destroy my enemies!"
Blasted Bolt powered up lowered its legs, forming two rocket boosters with them.
"Uhh…. I don't think I like that." Zhin murmured as he heard the loud humming coming from the boosters.
"I think we need to run." Sarah said.
Blasted Bolt revved up.
"Oh yeah, we definitely need to run." Lian nodded, and the four bolted down the mountain trail.
"HEHEHEHEHEHE!" Ruckus laughed as he took off behind them.
"How can a stand be so fast!?" Lex asked as the stand easily caught up to them.
"If we stay on the trail, it'll run us over!" Sarah said, "We need to get out of here!"
"How? There's a crevice to our left and a sheer cliff to our right!" Lian said as she looked over to her sides.
"I'm going to run you all over!" Ruckus called out from inside his robot stand, "Here I go- Hey!" he yelled when the four slid down the crevice.
"No you don't!" he said and launched steam from the grills on the side of his robot.
"Argh!" Lian grunted as something stabbed her in the shoulder, "AGH!" she tumbled down.
"Lian!" Zhin yelled as Lian hit the bottom right next to him.
"Are you alright!?" he said and helped her up.
"What… Stabbed me!?" Lian grumbled as she saw a hole on the back of her shoulder, "I didn't even see anything!"
"No time to talk!" Lex said and pointed at Blasted Bolt, who had returned to its bipedal form and jumped down to follow them.
"You can't get away from me that easily!" Ruckus laughed and transformed his stand back to its speedy form.
"Enough of this!" Lian yelled, "Power Khan!" she said and brought out her stand.
Power Khan appeared and looked at the sides of the crevice, then punched one side and made a large slab of rock cover part of the path.
"What are you doing!?" Lex yelled at her.
"It won't be able to pass through there, numbskull!" Lian started to run, "But we can!"
The three nodded and started to follow behind her, able to slip through the opening left behind.
Ruckus, however, had to slow down as his Blasted Bolt could not fit through.
"Hrrr. Bolt!" he started reconfiguring his robot.
"Keep running! Who knows what that will do next!" Lex told them.
"You can't get away!" Ruckus yelled.
A drill appeared in the place of Blasted Bolt's left hand and started to destroy the rock that blocked its path.
"What can't that robot do!?" Sarah cried out.
"Heeeeere's Ruckus!" Ruckus exclaimed as Blasted Bolt burst through the opening and rocketed towards them.
"Hrrr." Lian snarled, "Power Khan!" she called out her stand and stood still.
"Lian! What are you doing!?" Lex turned back.
"RAH! RAH! RAH! RAH! RAH! RAH! RAH!" Power Khan punched the side of the crevice as Ruckus zeroed in on Lian.
"Now I have you!" Ruckus yelled.
"Power Khan! Bring it down!" Lian shouted.
"RAH!" Power Khan wave one mighty punch and a huge rockslide tumbled down.
"WHAT?!" Ruckus gasped as he saw he was right under it, "NO!"
The rocks fell on him and his stand, covering them whole.
The dust cleared to reveal a large pile stones where Ruckus and Blasted Bolt once where.
"There, now its done." Lian dusted off her dress and walked towards her allies, "It's best we get back on the trail before we get lost down here.
"Wow! That was incredible!" Sarah cheered.
"Excellent work." Zhin nodded and patted her back.
Lex walked up to Lian and nodded.
"I should not have doubted you." He said and grabbed her by the waist, "The Law! Retrieve!"
His stand appeared and shot the top of the crevice, then pulled them upwards by the beam of blue light.
"Awww." Sarah said as she called out her stand, "Want to ride with me, Zhin?"
"It's not like I have a choice." Zhin chuckled and grabbed on to Sarah's stand with his own, then the two flew upwards and caught up to Lian and Lex on the trail.
"Good job." Lex placed his hand on Lian's shoulder.
"No need to mention it." Lian smirked, "I know. A princess always does a good job."
"Now now, let's not get too cuddled up." Zhin shook his head, "We still need to find a way out of these mountains."
"Easier said than done." Sarah murmured as she saw the trail still winded for long distance down the mountains, "In fact, who-" she stopped when she felt the ground shake.
"What is that?" Lex looked down, "Why is the earth trembling?"
The shaking intensified with each passing moment.
"What the!?" Lian gasped when she saw cracks under her feet, but was then blasted away by a sudden burst of steam.
The earth erupted as Ruckus and Blasted Bolt shot out of it, the robot stand leading with a large drill made from both hands fusing.
"OH NO!" Sarah screamed as she saw their enemy had returned.
"There's no one like me!" Ruckus chuckled and looked at Lian, then drove his robot over to her.
"Ha… Ha…" Lian panted as she recuperated from the blow, then saw Blasted Bolt looming over.
"Why you-" she paused when she saw two miniguns appear at the robot's sides.
"It's time to end you!" Ruckus laughed, then started to fire.
"Lian!" Lex yelled and was about to fire, but Ruckus brought out rocket launchers from his stand and the explosion stunned him.
"Lian!" Sarah shrieked as the firepower lay waste to its target.
"Yeahahahahaha!" Ruckus jeered and started to slow down his onslaught until it finally stopped with smoke, ashes, and a charred crater as its witnesses.
"I win! This story ends on Chapter 10!" he taunted and turned to them.
Lian's smoking tiara landed in front of him.
"Lian…" Lex fell to his knees.
"It… can't be…" Zhin stammered.
However, the ground started to shake.
"Hmmm?" Ruckus murmured.
A crack suddenly appeared next to him.
"And who will replace me on the main title?" a feminine voice sound, and a light skinned arm appeared from that crack.
"W-w-what!?" Ruckus gasped as Lian appeared from a hole in the earth.
"You're not the only one who has the strength to dig through solid rock." Lian growled as she stood up, "Power Khan too!" she showed off her stand, who flexed behind her.
"That's impossible! I hit you with everything I had!" Ruckus cried out as he walked Blasted Bolt back.
Lian picked up her tiara and shifted it side to side.
"What a pain…." She murmured, "Well, I must commend you. You did burn my dress." She pointed to the burn marks on her waist, "But I must say that makes me very angry."
"ANGRY ENOUGH TO BEAT YOUR STUPID MACHINE TO NUTS AND BOLTS!"
Power Khan grabbed Blasted Bolt from the top and beat it with its other hand senselessly, causing it to dent and crack under its immense power.
"RAH! RAH! RAH! RAH! RAH! RAH! RAH!"
"Augh!" Ruckus groaned as he was ejected from his stand and landed right in front of Lex, Zhin, and Sarah.
"And this!" Lian made Power Khan slam Blasted Bolt down to the ground and stopped, shattering the enemy stand into planks and wood splinters which appeared to be from an old wagon.
"Well well well… Will you look at that?" Zhin said as he walked over to Ruckus, "You aren't a big goblin at all!"
Ruckus revealed himself to be very tiny, not much bigger than a toy dog.
"It's all in the head, I can tell." Lex chuckled and crossed his arms.
"Ah… ah…." Ruckus stammered, "Please! I was doing it for the money! I didn't have anything against you!"
"I thought you were trying to free your people." Sarah frowned.
Ruckus gasped, but then yelped when a hand grabbed him by the top of the head.
It was Power Khan.
"You're not only a scum, but a liar too." Lian grunted, "And what's the punishment for perjury, Lex?"
"Exile from the town it was committed." Lex responded.
"Exile it is." Lian smirked, "Exile far away!"
Power Khan turned around and threw Ruckus into the mountains in the distance.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ruckus screamed until his screams faded with his body.