Apollus was in a very difficult situation. As chief servant of the Falcon household, he was the one to responsible to ensure that the estate was kept in order. Upon the return of Mrs. Falcon however the estate was anything but in order. The greenhouse was demolished, the lawn torn up with shelling holes scattered from the house to the landing strip at the back, the household in utter pandemonium and nearly every window broken. Hired workers had been putting up scaffolding when her car pulled up the driveway. Having his employer faint at the sight of their home on his watch was perhaps not the highlight of Apollus' career.
His only hope of evading unemployment was to get the house and grounds repaired and back in order before the mistress came home from her now extended stay in her brother's country estate. As such, out of his own wages he had paid the workers triple their fee to get the work down as quickly as they possible could. He and the staff who remained had done their best to clean the inside of the house after the raiders used it briefly for their headquarters. So far they had the downstairs more of less back to the way it was. None of them had the courage to start upstairs quite yet. With new windows on the way Apollus now had some time were he could afford to eat.
Preferring to avoid Gourmand's cooking, he took a tip from Edward's book of tricks and went off to have lunch at Mel's.
"Apollus, you look terrible." Mel remarked as the aging butler entered her shop. With the pirate raid so fresh in people's minds, there were few customers there. The only ones at the table were a few soldiers from the army who had moved into the city and one of the workers taking a lunch break.
"A pasty and two rolls if you please." Apollus began taking a seat near the window.
"Coming right up." The red haired woman replied with a short smile before disappearing to the back of the shop.
Ayame was at the counter as usual, her eyes cast down at the book in front of her; darting left to right as she read. The pleasing smell of cooking food drifting in past her from the kitchens lifted Apollus' spirit. Being so busy to get the estate back in order he hadn't had time to eat or sleep properly. He was beginning to kick himself not for taking Wang-Tang's place on the young master's trip east. "I take it you've been busy." Mel asked him returning swiftly with his order along with a cup off coffee on the house.
"Busy is hardly the word dear madam." Apollus replied bushing a few strands of grey hair out of the rims of his spectacles. "Thus far I've going for two days straight running around to get everything the estate needs to get back up. Twenty three new windows, three new doors, new plaster for the roof of the living room, mortar repairs and a few green house." Mel looked a little surprised.
"That's it? The pirates didn't take the food in the pantry?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Most of it was Gourmand's cooking." Apollus replied breaking into the pasty with his bare hands, too tired to care about etiquette. Mel smiled suppressing a short giggle.
"Just where is Gourmand?" She asked.
"He's assumed responsibly for feeding the men working on the repairs." The aging man paused for a moment and then shook his head. "Oh those poor souls."
"Edward went off in his plane didn't he?" Mel asked. Apollus nodded once, fishing the meat insides of his meal out with a fork. "I thought I saw the Hockenhiem fly overhead."
"The young master and Wang-Tang are off to the Middle east." He replied. "That delightful fellow Doctor Erode from the British Museum arrived yesterday with some more parchments on loan. He pointed something out to young Edward and then they took off." Mel suddenly looked a little concerned, putting a finger and thumb to her chin. "Something amiss?" Apollus asked noting the look.
"It's that Doctor Erode, something about him just doesn't strike me as true." Apollus glanced up at her, his large eyebrows knitted in puzzlement.
"Whatever do you mean? Doctor Erode's been a long friend of Pride the master and indeed of Edward." Mel shook her head.
"Call it woman's intuition perhaps, but something…" She paused tapping her finger to her chin several times. "Something I can't quite put my finger on seems wrong about the man."
"Can't image what it could be." Apollus replied before gently sipping his coffee. "Although…" Mel looked up seeing the butler pause, looking indecisive. "It did strike me as odd that he would just 'happen' to have the documents young Edward needed for his intention to collect the Power Stones and on two occasions I may add." Mel looked thoughtful for a moment. Apollus was right. Even if the good doctor studied the ancient legends for Atlantis, the odds of him coming up twice with keys to the stone's exact location seemed slim. "Of course it could just be coincidence." Apollus added swiftly, taking a bite of a roll soon after. Mel nodded slowly.
"I suppose…" She muttered staring off into space. Perhaps in the wake of the pirate's raid and Kraken's return from the dead she was being paranoid. Doctor Erode seemed like a perfectly respectable English gentleman. Cultured, sophisticated and well spoken; a beard like a bear but his well conducted behaviour outweighed the abundance of facial hair. Besides, there was no reason beyond speculation she could think of for him to be anything more than what he appeared to be.
Ayame really didn't notice Apollus enter, she was too engrossed in her book. Having learnt enough English from Mel in order to read it, she was enjoying a novel by someone called 'H.G Wells.' Sure there were a good few words that passed her by as completely nonsensical, but she understood enough to get the gist of it. She was so engrossed in the plot she didn't even hear the door open and the sounds of wooden sandals approach the counter. It was only when someone blocked her light did she finally look up.
"Hello can I help…" Looking up into the stern emotionless face of Ryoma, she yelped out load and nearly fell back off her seat to the floor. The samurai cast her a brief glance before taking a seat down near the counter.
"What brings you here Ryoma?" Mel asked glancing over from Apollus' table. The samurai opened a single eye and glanced over.
"I need information." He stated. Mel slowly closed her mouth. She glanced over at the soldiers sitting at the far end of the shop. They were talking amongst themselves and appeared not be paying them any attention. She rose from Apollus table and crossed over.
"What sort of information?" She asked sitting down beside him. Ryoma glanced once over at Ayame, who was leaning over the counter listening intently. Quickly the girl looked away as if something else had captivated her interest.
"It's about Kraken." At this point Mel straightened her back and leaned into the chair, unpleasant memories clear on his face. "I've been thinking. Kraken may be after the Power Stones, but he's a pirate by nature. The Octopus gang should have it's tentacles in various criminal activities here and there."
"I'm afraid I've heard nothing of that." Mel stated with a sigh. She had anticipated Ryoma's plan already. His idea was to trace Kraken through the various crimes and heists he pulled off. That was how they followed him to the Skull Haven a year ago. "If I had, you'd be the first one I'd inform."
"Your connections with the underground grapevine put you in a flow of information." Ryoma reminded her. "All you have to do is watch for his sticking fingers. Falcon can concentrate on beating the pirate king to the stones and I can following the pirate's footprints at the same time." Mel put a finger and thumb to her chin, her eyes darting left to right as she seemed to study the grooves in the table surface. His idea had merit, but then she was unsure Kraken would fall for the same trick twice.
"Say, do you hear that?" Apollus asked all of a sudden glancing up towards the ceiling with a puzzled expression on his face. Mel paused, listening as well. It was faint at first, a loud whirring sound she did not recognise vibrating through the air. Ryoma opened one eye and glanced out the front window of the store just in time to catch sight of a long shadow casting itself over the alley, blocking out the sunlight completely.
Stepping outside for a moment he glanced up through the gap in the brick buildings to the sky. Eclipsing the sun was the hull of a colossal Turbine ship, moving through the air propelling by the fans on either side of its bow and by the set running vertically through its middle. Mel and Apollus followed him outside to watch it. There was a brief moment amongst them that they feared Kraken had returned, but upon closer inspection they could see that this was not the Price Octopus. In fact, the Turbine Ship was a different design to the others settled in the bay. It was sleeker, thinner in the middle with longer sails stretched over either side.
Once it cleared the roofs above and flew over the high street just beyond the alley they got a good view of the ship. It was styled very differently to other Turbine ships they had seen. It was almost cigar shaped with tapering ends and a curved underbelly.
"Well it isn't flying the jolly roger." Mel commented dryly as Ayame poked her head out the door as well. But it wasn't flying English colours either. Ryoma forged a frown at the sight of the stars and stripes on the flag trailing from the stern.
"Bah, Americans." He muttered to himself watching the ship head through the air head inland. Slowly it rotated until its bow was facing the river before gently lowering itself down over the Falcon estate on the cliff top.
"Oh not again." Apollus gasped, his face contorting in utter fear. The old man took off like a shot nearly leaving his hat behind, darting through the streets despite his age with acrobatics grace.
"I'd best keep my eye on this." Ryoma muttered mostly to himself taking off after him. Ayame and Mel watched them go. Mel simply sighed after a moment and retreated back into her store. Ayame stood very still before a brief second, then she just seemed to vanish; flying out so fast anyone who might have been watching her would have missed her movements.
As the British air force had not yet started opening fire the samurai supposed that the ship had permission to be here. Swifter than most men it took Ryoma little time to reach the Falcon Estate back up on the cliff. But the time he set foot on the grounds, the Ship had landed, deploying strange landing struts from the hull between the fans. Kraken's ship had had them. It had been forced to hover above the ground with an anchor. The fans slowly rotated to a stop and then a gang-plank was lowered, several large men making their way down from the deck. They were all clearly Americans, making no attempt to hide their nationality with their choice of clothing. Ryoma could pick out the accent as they chatted to each other from here.
Apollus arrived shortly after, his car swerving up the drive at near break neck speed. He nearly tumbled out of the door and onto the ground when he tried to step up out of the seat without undoing his seat belt. Ryoma cast him a glance as he picked himself back up and then looked back as someone else began to descend the catwalk.
It was a woman, early twenties Ryoma guessed at. Her skin was creamy and completely unblemished as if she had survived teens without acne. Her eyes were aquamarine and her hair curly and golden blonde, curly and short around her shoulders. Her dress was that people might expect the women of nobility to wear at the best social occasions. A completely white old style dress with red silk patterned edges, gloves and even an umbrella sat almost perfect on her as if they were part of her own being. A straw hat with a flower pattern on the flat top fat neatly on the top of her head. She looked every part a lady of noble birth. What is until she open her mouth…
"Good mornin' Y'all." She greeted them with a heavy Louisianan accent, flicking her arm up in greeting with a sweep of her hand. Apollus and Ryoma cast each other a surprise glance as the woman descended the gangplank with none of the grace expected for one wearing a dress like that, skipping almost like a small child. "Hope ya don't mind us landing our little ol' ship down on yar lawn." Apollus was too stunned to say anything in return. "This is the Falcon residence ain't it?" She asked giving the old man a sudden stern stare. Remembering his place Apollus blinked to bring himself back to reality.
"Yes, of course my lady." He stated with a bow. The girl smiled again.
"Oh I love that accent." She glanced up and around as if looking so someone. "So where is that man then?" She asked.
"Who might that…" Apollus began but the girl cut him off.
"The man of the house, that romantic soul the angels named Edward." Ryoma tried to stifle a laugh but failed and ended up bursting out anyway. The girl shot him a sharp glare that could have cut through steal. "And what ya find so funny?"
"Edward Falcon, a romantic soul?" He wiped a tear away from the edge of his ear and paused to catch his breath. "This is 'THE' Edward Falcon you're talking about? Blue eyes, blond hair, red jacket?" She nodded gaining a suddenly dreamy looked, her eyes staring off into space with the edges of her cheeks turning a darker shade of red. Her hands clasped in front of herself as if in pray
"The vision of god himself." The girl sighed in contentment. Ryoma had to put a hand to his mouth to silence the laugh he felt surging up his throat. "The man I crossed the pond to see."
"I'm afraid the young master is…out for the day." Apollus cut in quickly with a cough. "May I have your name so I can leave him a message?"
"The name is Julia Whitepearl." The girl told him. "And there's no need, 'cause I'm staying until he gets back."
"Well I er…" Apollus stammered as Julia marched past him, her umbrella balanced on one shoulder. "Make yourself at home miss."
-
The ancient city of Atlantis was a fabled legend all over the world in the farthest reaches of civilisation. Most, even the scholars of the renowned British museum considered the story little more than a myth. There were of course those who knew better. Kraken himself had known better all his life. His family had raised him knowing the truth of the ancient city as that was the origin of their necromantic powers, powers Kraken had inherited. He was the Scion of the Cross family, heir to generations of dark magic. Heir to the greatest magic of Atlantis before too long. The walls of the underground tunnel told a story. The engraved runes old than Egyptian hieroglyphics had been craved to tell it an unthinkable time ago. They told of a falling star that crashed to the earth and once it did, separated into nine stones; each containing the power of an element. The pirate king grinned manically at the sight of the Power Stone of Wind in his hand. The story carried on, showing that these stones each had a god to represent them and the people of Atlantis, the first advanced civilisation, worshipped each of the nine in turn. Beneath the ancient city of Babylon was one of their shrines, dedicated to Hephaestus; the ancient god of flames. It was here his greatest prize, the Power Stone of fire, had been entombed by the Atlantean high priests.
The rune representing the ancient symbol of fire was carved on the walls, always with almost biblical reference in the imaginary. His Men had gone ahead to secure the corridor leading up to the chamber and to check for any traps. One of them came running up to his own group, meeting them halfway through the underground stone passage.
"Captain. We've found a sealed door into the chamber."
"Well break it down man." Was Kraken's impatient reply as he showed his rotting teeth in a bark. The crew member hesitated for a moment looking worried that his next words could earn him a keel hauling.
"We can't sir." Kraken raised his only good eyebrow questioningly, his face set into an emotionless stare. "We're tried everything to pry it open. Pick axes, sledgehammers, everything short of a stick of dynamite. It refuses to budge."
"Then use the stick of dynamite." Octo told him, both him and his shorter brother Puss stood at Kraken's right hand side. They were his senior officers; no one below the pirate king himself had more authority within the Octopus gang than they did.
"You air-headed idiot." Puss remarked; slapping the muscle bound sibling around the back of the head. "Dynamite'll bring the entire place caving in."
"Another thing captain." The messenger began. "The doors covering with carving of some kind. We can't read it. Maybe you can." Instructions of how to open the door safely perhaps? Kraken mussed for a moment, putting his good hand to his chin in thought. He had come this far, he would not be deprived of his prize.
"Show me." He ordered.
-
The use of Power Fusion began to exert consequences of fatigue and Falcon was relieved when he finally spotted the ruined city of Babylon from the air. But when he did however he saw a very familiar sight anchored down nearby. The Turbine Ship, the Prince Octopus; Kraken's vessel! Throwing himself into an instant hover, the Englishman watched from afar; keeping outside a good distance. Was it Kraken's ship? He had to be sure. Flying as closer as he dared without the possibly of the roar from his rocket alerting anyone, Falcon managed to get a glimpse of the flag flying from the top of the mast. A skull and cross bones, there was no question about it now.
Dropping to the ground, Falcon let his Power Fusion drop. It needed time to recharge and charging in was not wise. Wang-Tang was still in there, along with all the English palaeontologists and hired local men. Kraken could be holding them all as hostages; this is if he hadn't killed them already. A flood of panic swept through the Englishman and he quelled it before it could grow any larger.
Running up the side of the sand dune, Falcon kept his head down low and from this vantage point watched. From here he could see pirates, more of the men who had raided Bristol; they had taken up patrols around the outside of the ruined city. They were all armed with rifles and one had taken up a position of the starboard turret on the front of the Turbine Ship. A charge was defiantly out of the question. Falcon would find himself riddled with holes before he was halfway down the other side of the dune.
If Kraken was here, then Erode was right. This ancient city housed a Power Stone. Edward growled angrily. Now he had to multi-task. Wang-Tang had to be rescued, Kraken stopped and the Power Stone taken out of his grasp. Suddenly a shadow fell over him from behind. Snapping up and around prepared to throw a punch, Falcon found himself looking at the face of the fortune teller from Mahdad.
"Seems you have a little trouble." Rouge stated, looking past him to the ruined city. Falcon looked a little confused. How could she have gotten here as fast as he did? She hadn't any car or horse. All she had with her was… his gaze travelled to the rolled Asian style carpet at her feet. A ridiculous thought entered his mind and instantly he dismissed it. No, she couldn't possible have. "Pirates? What interesting problems you encounter Mr. Falcon."
"Just how did you get here that quickly?" He finally asked. Rouge just smiled and kneeled down in the sand next to him, watching the ruins intently.
"The same way you did Mr. Falcon." She replied, gesturing out with her left hand. "Using magic." She clicked her fingers and a spark of energy that glowed bright pink floated along the lines in her palms before fading away to nothing. Edward glanced back at the carpet for a moment, then back at her. Suddenly he remembered why he was kneeling down in the sand and looked back at the city.
"Well then I don't suppose you have a spell that can get me down there without being seen?" Rouge just chuckled at his request.
"I am a fortune teller, not a magician." He growled in response. "Any spells I know are deceptive in nature. They alter the perception but none are strong enough to make you invisible." Falcon began to get annoyed. Every second lost was like a war hammer striking at him.
"Well you don't have to make me invisible." He suddenly stated, realizing it. "Just change their perception so I look like one of them." Rouge paused, considering the idea before she smiled lightly.
"This I can do." She replied. "It will not linger with aggressive behaviour on your part. The flimsy disguise will melt away and reveal your true face to all those around." Right, so throw a punch and get shot. That seemed simple enough.
"Alright then." The Englishman added. "If you can help, do it." Rouge managed a short smile and raised her left hand
There was a brief flash of purple and Falcon left his eyes sting a bit. He blinked then glanced around and down at himself. "I don't look any different." He remarked, studying his hands. He could still see his gloves and his clothes appeared the same. What sort of magic was this?
"It's a suggestive illusion only." Rouge reminded him, cupping his chin with her hand to stare him directly in the eyes. "You know who you are, so naturally you'll see yourself as you truly are. But to those less knowledgeable, you'll appear as the low ruffians down there." Falcon hesitated, unsure of what to say for a brief moment. "Remember little Englishman. No matter what, don't throw a punch."
-
Kraken could see why his men were having trouble getting past this door. This was no ordinary barrier.
Sealed thousands of years ago, this giant stone door was enchanted by the wizard priests of the sunken city. Not even a direct hit with the gun turrets of a Turbine ship were going to pry this open. He studied the door himself, glaring up with the aid of torch light at the various symbols and runes that covered the surface of the door, along with various small, almost miniscule scraps and scratches where his men had taken a few hammers and picks to it, only to find themselves hardly making a dent. Octo's suggestion of dynamite wouldn't have worked either. This was strong magic.
The door had been placed at the end of the passageway and by the way the ancient stone corridor widened before reaching it, this door had to lead to the tombs main chamber. The pirate kings prize surely lay within.
Kraken forged a frown at an unforeseen complication. He could read enough of the ancient language of the Atlanteans to understand the scrawling on the door. In stated in a literal translation; 'Only he who wields the element of Metal may pass through the gate to the tomb of fire.'
"Damn you Englishman." The pirate growled; sighting a slot in the door at head height, a slot perfectly carved for a Power Stone to fit. Apparently the door needed one to open, one with a specific element within it. Out of curiosity, Kraken pushed the Power Stone of Wind into the slot and waited. There was a brief crackle of energy and a bolt of green lightning passed up the ridge that divided the door. Then the stone was forcibly ejected from the slot, slamming back into the pirates waiting palm. He hadn't expected it to work, but had to at least try once.
"So what now Captain?" Puss asked after a brief moment of unbearable silence had passed. Kraken didn't reply. He didn't know what now? The only way this door was going to open as if they had the Power Stone of Metal. Why hadn't the ancient documents said anything about this? Kraken had studied them extensively. According to them, this was the only entrance into the chamber.
A Power Stone lay probably less than a few feet away from him, although with this barrier in place it may just as well have been a thousand miles. Suddenly, a thick sneer spread across the pirate king's face. Wang-Tang had been here and it was unlikely he was alone. The samurai maybe; or that girl who somehow had the Power Stone of Water; but in all likely hood Edward Falcon himself was here as well.
It was a slim chance, but it certainly beat trying to take on the Royal air force to raid Bristol again, even with the aid of black magic.
How strange that their own quest to recover the stones before him could aid his own endeavour.
-
With his heart thudding in this throat Falcon made his way down towards the ruined city. He was struggling to keep himself calm as he neared a pirate armed with a rifle. The man glanced up dragging a bottle wrapped in brown paper away from his lips. He whipped his mouth on his sleeve and held his rifle at the ready. For a moment Falcon thought he was a goner.
"What's takin' so long in there?" The man asked with a gruff voice. Edward hesitated as he took another swig from the bottle. "The heats warming up the whisky. What's keeping them all?"
"The boss' still working." Falcon replied, stumbling for a moment. The man growled something under his breath but apparently he knew better as a member of Kraken's crew to bad mouth his captain.
"Be on with ya." He grumbled and The Englishman was more than happy to walk off further into the ruins. He paused behind a stone pillar to let out a giant sigh of relief. It had worked. It had actually worked. Rouge's magic had altered his perception by the other pirates so they saw him as one of them. More of Kraken's men were patrolling the ruin's, all of them armed with rifles or short blade sabres. They pretty much had most of the ancient city under control. As Falcon passed by each one they barely paid him any notice. Most of them had seen him before, usually with a punch following through but now they didn't recognise him.
"This is just too easy." He muttered to himself, working his way back to the temple entrance where he had left Wang-Tang and the Professor. Two guards stood outside the large entrance, both of them looking bored and bothered by the heat. As he approached, one of them stood up from the sandy ground and held up his rifle.
"Hey you heard the boss." He told the approaching Englishman. "No one goes in or out until he's finished down there."
"Hey outta the way." Falcon replied, trying to match the tone and hide his English accent to argue his way past. "I've got orders from the captain to show up, help the guys move some things." The two guards exchanged glances.
"No one told us anything about it." The other announced.
"Hey what's going on out here?" A voice asked and out of the shadows within the door came Kraken's first mate. Puss; Falcon recognised at once. He was one of the pirate king's original gang. He and the Englishman had meet on many occasions before.
"This guy wants in sir." The guard replied and Puss looked Falcon over, seeing only another pirate instead of one of the Octoupus gang's greatest enemies.
"Kraken says no one gets in besides whomever's already here. End of story." The short man replied, adjusting the short pair of tainted spectacles on the end of his nose.
"He says he was ordered here by the captain." The other guard added. Puss blinked, looking surprised.
"I've been with the captain all day. He most certainly did not." He stepped forward and studied Falcon more carefully. "What's your name?"
"Er… Jim." The Englishman replied, a random name popping into his head.
"Last name you pile of horse manure." Puss snapped.
"Perkins, sir. Jim Perkins." The name 'Jim Perkins' actually belonged to a part time gardener that trimmed the roses on the Falcon Estate every Tuesday. Falcon just prayed Puss didn't know that.
Luckily too, Puss did not know the name of every man on board the Prince Octopus. He grumbled something and turned away.
"You're now on latrine duty, two days." He stated. "Now get out of my sight." Just for the fun of it, one of the guards swung his rifle forward and smacked the butt of it into Falcon's chest forcing him backwards. The Englishman cursed out load, forgetting to disguise his voice and suddenly Puss stood rigidly to attention. "I know that damn voice!" He shot around, pistol drawn. "Falcon!" Seeing his cover was blown, the Englishman threw a punch forward knocking one of the guards sideways. The physical blow dissolved his disguise and he was shown as he truly way. Puss tried to fire a shot, but Falcon kicked his arm up so the bullet impacted the ancient stone roof above. Before he could do anything else, the English floored him with an upper cut across the chin. The second guard drew a dagger and launched at him. Falcon dodged under the swing and sent him flying backwards into the fall with a kick to the stomach.
"Given Wang-Tang was here, I supposed you might be around too." Whipping around, Falcon reached up in time to block the swing of a large heavy blunt metal instrument. Kraken snarled angrily and brought his leg sharply around trying to knock Falcon's feet out from under him. The Englishman back flipped and while in the air landed a punch against the pirate kings chin.
Kraken staggered backwards, found his footing again and stood back up straight. He paused to wipe the trail of blood away from his chin with the back of his sleeve. "My my, aren't we aggravated?" There was a loud clicking of guns cocking and Falcon glanced around, to find that the pirate king was not alone. At the moment the Englishman was surrounded by half a dozen men, all armed with rifles; the bayonets pointed directly at him.
Judging how many there was and how they were arranged, Falcon estimated that even if he attempted to use one of them as a shield, he wasn't going to get away without being shot. Realizing he was beaten and with an unlimited amount of reluctance, he raised his hands into the air. "That's a good boy." Kraken sneered, reaching into his coat and withdrawing a pistol. He raised it to the long fashioned brass barrel was placed directly at the Englishman's head. "Now, the Power Stone of Metal if you please."
Falcon, silently fuming, reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew the stone. Slowly he placed it on the ground and then kicked it over in the pirate kings direction. Kraken reached down and picked it up with his metal pincer, the features of his ugly, unshaven face highlighted by its glow as it sensed another stone close by. "You know this is strangely fortunate." The pirate king began, walking away putting his gun back into his jacket while the other pirates kept their guns on the Englishman. He held the stone up to his face in his good hand, examining its shape and form. "I need this exact stone to enter the chamber and suddenly you appear." The sneer on his face spread wide as he glanced back over his shoulder. "Fate's little delivery boy." He flipped the stone up like a coin between his fingers, caught it again and stuffed it into his pocket. "Put him in with the others. I'll deal with him once I have the Power Stone of Fire." Someone swung the shoulder brace of a rifle hard against the back of his head and the blow sent Falcon toppling over. Everything went dark and he was out before he hit the stone floor.
Bubbling up from the flat state of sleep back to consensuses the first thing Falcon found himself finding was the thudding pain at the back of his head. He hissed and tried to put a hand to the area, but found that his hands had been tied behind him. He struggled against the rope by the bindings were far too tight. Hoisting himself off a sandy floor, he sat up as best he could with both his hands and feet tied together. His jacket and goggles had been removed leaving him in just the white shirt underneath. The white scarf lay a few feet away with someone's foot print stamped on it. "Falcon!" A familiar voice began. Looking around through the gloom Falcon could see he was surrounded by a lot of people. All the hired local men from the dig site, the British archaeologists and a man in a white coat bending over another man who was lying down. All of their hands accept those of the man in the white coat were bound. Sitting nearby was Wang-Tang, his own hands tied behind his back. "Are you unharmed? We've been trying to take you for sometime."
"Yes I think so." The Englishman replied; pausing until the dull thudding at the back of his head subsided a little. "Just where am I?" Glancing around, he saw they were in a sealed room of some kind. The walls were all made of stone and the ground was dirty and sandy under foot. A wooden door at the far side of the room was shut, most probably locked. The shadow of someone's foot was being cast with the light under the door showing the entrance was being guarded.
"This is one of the living chambers in the old city." One of the Arabic men explained, his English could have done with a little work. "The men from the Turbine ship forced us here at gun point."
"And Kraken shot the professor." Wang-Tang added, gesturing with his head towards the man lying on the floor. Nudging his way over, Falcon could see the old man with a piece of clothe pressed over a bleeding wound in his left shoulder.
"Is he alright?" The Englishman asked. Judging by the soaked state of both his shirt and the clothe he had lost quite a bit of blood.
"I've removed the bullet." The man in the white coat replied and falcon realized he must be the expedition's doctor. "He was lucky to take it in the shoulder. The bleedings stopped for now but I need to get this man to a hospital as soon as possible"
"Grand chance of that happening any time soon." Falcon muttered sarcastically, glancing back at the door.
"What's happening out there?" Wang-Tang asked. Falcon sighed and leaned back against the side of the wall.
"They must have found where the next Power Stone was." He replied. "Kraken needed my Power Stone to get to it." Wang-Tang forced an unimpressed expression.
"And I suppose he has it now?" Falcon just nodded with a glum look, letting his shoulders drop a little. "Well since bad news is piling up have you anything more to add?" "And just who took my jacket?" Falcon asked looking up and around almost accusingly at the men around to see if any of them had recently acquired a new item of clothing. "The pirate who dragged you in here relieved you off it." Wang-Tang replied.
"Bastard." Falcon muttered and tried flexing his arms, trying to break the ropes around his wrists. They had also taken the liberty of removing both his boots and his gloves so that he couldn't slip out of them and escape the ropes that way. "Damn it whoever tied these sure knew what he was doing.
"So now what do we do?" Wang-Tang asked "Kraken could have the new Power Stone by now." Suddenly there was aloud exclamation and someone swore in Russian outside the door. Then there was a loud thud and the light under the door was blocked completely as someone's body fell down behind it. The body was dragged aside quickly. The men inside looked up in surprise as the door began to open.
"Rouge!" Falcon began seeing the fortune teller standing in the doorway. The beauty winked at him, flicking some chocolate brown hair out of her face.
"I thought I told you not to make any violent moves?" She asked with a sly tone to her voice, advancing into the room. Falcon just chuckled nervously with a looped grin.
"You know this woman Falcon?" Wang-Tang asked giving the Englishman a side glance with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah but not THAT way." Falcon added quickly picking up on what Wang-Tang was implying. Recognising the fortune teller who sold them their ward charms, the men began frantically asking the women to set them loose. She went to Falcon first and it didn't take her long to free his hands. His arms flung forward, hurting after being held back for a while.
"Let the men loose." She told him as he undid the ropes around his feet himself, sketching out his legs and standing up. "Then we must move quickly." Without another word she went to Wang-Tang and let him loose. Untying all the men did not take too long and once they were all untied they seemed frantic to leave as quickly as possible. Rouge spoke to them in Arabic. Falcon reminded himself to learn more foreign languages when he had the time. One of men shook her hand and they made for the door at once. Several of them helped the doctor carry Professor Patterson out, careful not to aggravate the wound on his shoulder.
"What did you tell them?" Wang-Tang asked, rubbing his wrists to restore the feeling.
"They're to keep quiet until they reach Mahdad, then to call the local law enforcement to come here at once." The fortune teller replied, before glancing back at them. "You must be Wang-Tang." The Chinese boy looked a confused.
"How'd you know my name?" He asked. Falcon clasped a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't ask." He told him and by the expression on his face Wang-Tang decided it was probably in the best interests to take his advice.
"Your pirate friend had found the central chamber beneath the city." Rouge told them both. "He is unlocking the door with the Power Stone of Metal as we speak. We must move quickly to stop him from acquiring the stone of Fire." Wang-Tang opened his mouth to ask how she knew all this but Falcon just shook his head with an expression that said; 'just take her word for it.'
Outside, the guard rouge had waylaid unconscious was beginning to pick himself back up. Glancing down on his way out the door, Falcon could see the man was wearing all the clothes the Englishman was missing; gloves, boots jacket and even the goggles.
"One moment." The blonde man went to the others with a grin cracking his knuckles, before throwing a tight fist forward into the pirates face knocking him back against the wall and out cold again. The jacket, boots, gloves and goggles were once again back in their proper place. "Sorry about that." Falcon added, dusting the foot print out of his scarf and placing it back around his neck.
-
The element of metal within the stone crackled like lightning up and the length of the stone surface and slowly the door moved aside. As if did, a thick smirk spread over Kraken's face. The chamber beyond was a large oval shaped room with an arched pyramid shaped ceiling that reached its apex directly in the middle. At the far end was a statue of a man holding a smiths hammer aloft over an alter shaped like an anvil. From the shape of the arm, the man the statue was depicting was clearly a cripple. This was Hephaestus, the god of the fire and the forge, worshiped by the Greeks and civilisations even older. The ceiling, floor, walls and even the surface of the nine pillars holding up the roof were covered with flame like patterns and elbems.
Placed upon the alter, a thick layer of dust showing that it had not been disturbed for centuries; lay a Power Stone. Its surface was a bright orange and even from this distance, Kraken could feel the raw elemental energy burning from it.
"There it boss." Octo began, stating the obvious. "Go ahead, it's all yours." Kraken's smirk widened.
"Don't mind if I do." He began, slowing walking towards it.
"Well we do!" Someone announced and the pirate gang turned just in time to see a flurry of kicks and punches coming their way. Kraken shot back around by even his speed wasn't enough to save himself from an upper cut across the chin. He tipped to the side at the blow, the Power Stone of Metal flying from his pincers grasp. Another attack came from the opposite side in the form of a kick, a foot driving itself across his chin forcing him to the floor and at the same time; the Power Stone of Wind flew from his good hand and rolled across the floor. Both stones were scooped up at the same time, back in the hands of their rightful owners.
"Power Fusion!" Both Falcon and Wang-Tang cried at the same time, their stones glowing brightly for a single instant, before each slamming into their chests. The clothes around the Englishman twisted and contorted, becoming metallic red plates of armour that covered his entire body. A rocket formed on his back, a spear head of flame thrusting from the funnel.
Wang-Tang's transformation was more visibly impressive. From the stone lodged inside his chest emerged a translucent golden Chinese style dragon. It twisted out like a gigantic snake, filling the air around with its colossal form, before turning its head around and sinking back into the Chinese boy. As it did so, Wang-Tang's skin began golden and scaly. Jade and silver armour appeared over his waist, shins and forearms. His jet black hair changed to a yellow, sparking upwards like jagged peaks; the ponytail twisting like a serpent behind his head. Slowly he opened his eyes, showing their colour had changed to brown from black.
"Open fire!" Octo shouted, the last word drowned out a volley of shots as Kraken's assembled pirates fired their rifles straight at them. The armour of both Wang-Tang and Falcon was nearly impenetrable. The bullets just bounced off. Rouge watched from the shadows almost memorised. She was looking at a magic stronger than any she had seen in her entire life. So wonder everyone, especially Valgas, was after it with such passion.
The two fusion warriors turned their heads to glance at each other, as if they hadn't even noticed the bullets bouncing off them. They each grinned at each other, before clasping hands in the air.
"Get back you idiots!" Kraken called out, hoisting himself off the cavern floor. By then it was too late.
"Power Hurricane!" Falcon shouted into the air and started spinning.
"Dragon Typhoon!" Was Wang-Tang proclamation as he started twisting in the air. With their hands holding onto one another, their spins and their attacks merged into one. Instant the chamber was filled with a burning cyclone, the combined elemental powers of Wind and Metal burning in chorus. Kraken swung his clamp down, sinking it into the ground and using it as an anchor. His mariner's hat was torn from his head and lost to the swirling abyss. His men went with it. Those who couldn't make it to the safety of the corridor was thrown violently into the air, swirled around began being bashed hard against any solid object. Rouge had to cling onto a stone pillar for dear life to prevent herself from being torn up. The orange power stone of fire was swept off its pedestal and dropped un-ceremonially into the centre of the chamber.
"You are mine!" Kraken growled, hoisting himself up angrily, before drawing his claw back and launching forward.
"Dragon Fang Bomb!" Throwing his curved palm forward, Wang-Tang unleashed an attack of focused chi energy. A golden bolt that flew like the wind echoed away from his hand to strike hard at the pirate king, throwing the man backward in an explosion of yellow light. Kraken was thrown backwards until he struck one of the stone pillars and he sank to the ground.
Falcon followed through by charging in with a fist drawn back.
"Power Missile!" Kraken barely had enough time to dodge to avoid behind hit by a flying metallic fist, but even then he was too slow to avoid Wang-Tang on the rebound.
Sent flying by a kick across the jaw Kraken stumbled right into the path of Falcon's attack. "Power EXPLOSION!" Dozens of small compartments on the transformed Englishman's body opened up and in one sudden blast, dozens of missiles launched forth into the air to course towards the pirate. Some of them Kraken was able to dodge, others he smacked aside with his metallic claw but a total of five struck him hard against the front of his torso and he was sent spiralling backwards to slam directly into the side of the shrine. "Two to nothing Kraken." Falcon stated; his eyes kept firmly on the pirate king as Kraken hoisted himself back up, his clothes blackened by the exploding missiles. Kraken forged a scowl, his large clamp arm held at the ready. "Face it old chum, we've got you this time." Kraken knew all the secrets of their power stones but even so, they currently had the advantage over him. His good eye darted to the side, sighting the Power Stone of Fire lying on the ground. He didn't know the first thing about how that stone worked expect by what the scrolls said and they were especially vague but driven by desperation he didn't have a choice.
Wang-Tang and Falcon noticed his glance and instantly guessed his intention. The silence between the three of them endured, so quiet it appeared as if they weren't even breathing.
Suddenly Kraken darted to the side and Wang-tang with him, both of them moving towards the stone with an arm outstretched towards it. In his Power Fusion form the Chinese boy could move at a faster speed that Kraken as it looked like he was going to reach it first. The pirate king however had other ideas. Grabbing the sandy dust from the floor, Kraken tossed it with his good hand back into Wang-Tang face and as he staged back blinded the pirate reached for the stone.
Falcon moved to intercept, but even with the rocket on his back enhancing his speed he was too late. Kraken's clamp snatched the Power Stone of Fire up in an instant.
Instantly, darkness began to swirl around his body as the elemental energy within was unleashed. Shadows entwined with elemental fire began to burn around the pirates form; engulfing him completely in a vortex of the blackest night. Slowly the cyclone took shape, become a torso with a rib cage inside flapping black rags. A skeletal arm branched out the left hand side, the bony fingers curled around the trigger of a cannon like pistol. The second arm emerged, nothing more than a vice with a serrated edge lining the inside with thick metallic teeth.
The head a skull devoid of flesh, the mariner's hat transformed into an admirals and turned bright purple. Burning between the thick teeth of the skulls mouth and in the eye sockets were flames, elemental fire of the strongest kind. Fire was even burning within the barrel of the gun.
"Let us see which the stronger element is!" Kraken challenged, his sword accompanied by burning embers floating from between his teeth. "Feel the burn!"