Okay, second chapter.
I know, I know, it's pretty much a wall of text, and, some of it may seem a bit dull.
This is really just describing the romp through the Temple of Trials, so, of –course- it's going to be dull!
-
-
The sunlight made my vision dance for a moment, seeing as I was stupid enough to try and look into it. Typical of me.
My vision cleared, and the sight that stood before me was what I'd been anticipating, and dreading for the past month.
The huge stone monument before me, chipped and darkened by the harsh wastes, the Temple of Trials.
The Elder had thought it was finally my time to go through the Trials, to prove my birthright as the great-grandson of the Vault Dweller.
Klint, my old friend, stood behind me, the huge stone obelisk behind him blocking the only way back into the village.
I started up the old steps, and it hit me. I forgot my damn spear!
I already knew it was too late to go back, and, squaring my shoulders, I walked into the darkened recesses of the temple.
I had to blink as my eyes tried to adjust to the darkness and, seeing the old columns and ages-old walls brought a chill to my spine. Well, that, and, the sounds of crawling –things-.
"This.. is going to be fun…"
I walked forward, my eyes still adjusting, and stopped when I saw two huge ants scuttling near the door leading to the temple proper.
"I just had to forget the gods-damned spear!" Chastising myself, I glanced around, hoping to find –something- laying about that I could use.
A glint of metal caught my eye, and I rushed to it, picking it up, and groaned.
"A -bolt-?!" I had known what it was, from an old 'automobile magazine' Slik, the trader, had brought to the village years ago.
Still, it was better than nothing, and, while holding it to brace my hand when I started to beat the ants to death with my fists, I was shocked that it worked surpassingly well.
I opened the huge steel doors, and faced two paths, one to my right, and one continuing on. Fearing more insects, I headed on, but, stopped when I noticed a room to my left. My curiosity (Damn it to hell!) got the better of me, and, I slowly stepped in. Nothing seemed amiss, until I spied a pile of bones in the corner. I was too shocked to move, until the largest scorpion I'd ever seen bowled me over, and turned to stare me down.
It was huge, even by it's kin's standards, and was the color of death.
Stinger swaying menacingly, it started to move towards me.
All of my fear that had paralyzed me suddenly turned into rage, I was –NOT- going to let a damn scorpion kill –ME-, the spirit of the Vault Dweller!
Vaulting off of the stone-slab floor, I roared like the deathclaws in stories meant to scare the children, and rushed into the beast, using all of my rage given strength to ignore the sting and pincers ripping into me, and beating my way through it's tough carapace, crushing everything in it's 'head'.
As quickly as it started, the 'battle' ended, the black scorpion laying with it's head matter oozing from it's ruptured chitinous shell, and my own wounds bleeding and reeking of poison.
Using the last of my adrenaline given strength to my advantage, I rush down the corridor I didn't check, crushing the ants in the room, ripping open the top of the chest I found, and cried in relief: not only was there antidote, but, there were also Brujho Mushrooms, that had the power to make one feel even stronger than they were… well, if you believed everything Hakunin said, anyway.
I walked back to the hall I had found the scorpion's room off of, and reached it's end, finding another door, only, even if it was slightly ajar, it was jammed.
Cursing my luck again, I turned to the right, where, yet -another- hall lay. I hated to pass up an opportunity, so, I crushed the three scorpions on the way and in the strange room afterwards.
I searched, trying to find something that may help me, then, I saw it: the skeleton of a fallen warrior, clenching 2 sticks, one of metal, one wood.
I snatched them up as quickly as I could, and ran back to the jammed door, ramming the metal pole into a slightly opened area, and twisting it with all my might.
Slowly, with a hellish squeal, the door opened, and I walked through, eager to be nearing my goal's end.
The room I stepped in to was huge, with bones littering the floor. I strapped the metal pole, now too bent to be used as a weapon, to my back, and held my wooden one as a spear, ready for more foes.
Stepping slowly and lightly, I made my way through the room, thinking nothing was wrong, until I felt a tile shift under foot, and a strange chnk noise from a nearby wall. I turned to look, and that was what saved me: a sharpened pole came flying by, grazing my arm just as I turned.
Counting my luck, I hurried out of the room into a branch of two -more- corridors. Taking a chance, I went left, and killed the three hideous ants next to a giant hole in the floor. Not looking back, I run to the door in the adjoining room, only to find no lock.
Dismayed, I started walking back, when another plate shifted under my foot. Ducking I glance around to see what happened, but, the sound of the huge door opening caught my attention.
Running to it, the plate slipped back, and the door closed just as I reached it. It hit me, I needed to weigh the plate down….
"Gods thrice-damned… This is getting really, -really- old.."
Going back to the corridor I passed, and killing the scorpions in the room, I found just what I needed, a big ass slab from the wall, sitting on the floor.
Lugging the damn thing back wasn't fun, but, with the door opened, I walked through feeling triumphant.
What lay for me on the other side shocked me.
"More fucking hallways?!"
Cursing and muttering to myself, I walk down the closest one, and step into a columned room, with stone that seemed much older than the rest of the temple, and a chest next to another giant metal door.
After spearing the ants, I decided to give the chest a try, and was puzzled when I pulled out a strange package with 'LMD cigarettes' on it. What took my breath away, was what I pulled out next. A long, rusted tube with strange, cracked pieces of material, and more metal coming off of it. I remembered the Elder's and Slik's words now. This -thing- was a 'firebringer', one of the strong magics the Vault Dweller used to slay the Master.
Holding it reverently, I walked into the next room, to find a firepit, and Cameron standing in front of yet another door.
"Dimitri, you've made it!"
"Yes… It was a hard task, though"
"Well, it –is- the temple of Trials. But, are you ready for your final task"
"I've fought beasts, and avoided deadly traps.. it would make sense that my final task is to defeat another in combat, right?'
"Uhm… you've been spending –way- too much time with Hakunin, you know that, right? But, no, the final task is a test, a riddle, to see if you properly revere the Vault Dweller's spirit!"
"Oh, hell, this should be easy" I said, grinning, seeing as my task was nearly done.
-5 minutes later-
"Eh, you did good enough"
"Can I go now?"
"Yeah, go on, you made it through"
"VICTORY!!!!!"
"Calm down, you still have to talk to the Elder, and fulfill the prophecy, you know."
"Ack… damn!"
As Cameron sighs, and walks away, I gleam impatiently at the door, waiting for it to open. I stepped through, and I stood before the suit from the legendary Vault 13, the suit my ancestor wore before me.
I took time putting it on, amazed that anything could last so long, and marveling at the feel of the strange material.
I collected myself, and walked back to the entrance of the temple, and to the Elder's tent in the village.
-Long conversation later-
I stood in front of the Elder's tent, ready to leave for the outside world, but, I remembered, I should at least let Klint know that I was leaving the village.
He'd get angry otherwise, and probably throw a rock or two at me when I got back if I didn't.
He stood near the entrance to the temple, but shocked me with what he said; He wanted to go on my journey with me!
After taking the time to do my final good-byes to those around the village, saving my cousin's, Nagor, dog, Smoke, and getting told by Hakunin that I was basically too blind to be a shaman (Damn old man… I wanted to learn how to roll my –own- 'medicine'!), Klint and I stood near the end of the bridge, and stared at the vast expanse before us.
"Well, Klint, let's have some fun, eh?"
"I imagine we will… Just lay off Hakunin's herbs a little bit, okay?"
" Yeah… Sure…mumble-bastard-mutter…"
And so, that is how we first came to leave the safety of the village.
The only thing we knew to do, was seek a place called 'Klamath' and find someone to help our ailing crops.
You would think that the Elder could be just a –bit- more descriptive…
-
Okay, second chapter done!
I know, I said earlier, it may be a bit boring, but, things should start picking up on Dimitri and Klint's journey to Klamath, and, once they reach there, I'm hoping to have some fun with it.
Things should –really- get interesting in The Den, and Modoc…. Heh… you know that place no one ever goes?
Don't ask….
