Chapter 8: "By the Power! And I Brought Her Here!"
The ceremony began with William chanting strange cryptic spells from the tablet. He continued, starting to make signs in the air. He then cut his own hand with the knife he pulled out. He rubbed his hands, and placed one on his face, and another on Geegaw's, spreading blood. The tablet began to glow, as he started the summoning spell.
"ASANT UUS, ASANT UUS, DERO DE MALO!" The spell complete, he turned to the pit. Nothing happened. "NO! NOOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOOOO! WHAT WENT WRONG! I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT!" He turned to Geegaw. "YOU! YOU'RE NOT THE KEY!!!"
"I tried to tell you. But no, mister high and mighty wouldn't listen to me." Geegaw said.
"Well, that's bad for you." William said.
"How so?"
"Because now I don't need you." William punched Geegaw in the stomach. Geegaw doubled over, and an object fell out of his pocket. William picked it up. "What's this."
"No." Geegaw said weakly.
"A daughter. She will obviously follow in her father's footsteps. To become a pilot. Probably as good as her father." William continued. "A great pilot named Hackwrench. I think I have the wrong sized 'wrench." William chuckled. "You may be useful after all."
"YOU LAY ONE HAND ON MY DAUGHTER, I SWEAR I'LL…" Geegaw's excitement rose.
"You're not in the position to be making threats, now are you? Now, why don't you tell me where she is?" William said.
"Because I have a heart. And I don't want to see you hurt my daughter." Geegaw remained defiant.
"Fine, I'll find her myself." William said, charging a shot. "And you're worthless!" He fired a shot strait through Geegaw, who fell limp.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Taryn and Gadget were now flying due north above Indonesia. It was just about dawn, and they had to find Geegaw before it was too late. Suddenly, Taryn stopped, and scanned the sky.
"I've got a signal!" Taryn said.
"What kind of signal?" Gadget asked.
"An energy blast!" Taryn became excited and concerned.
"Where?"
"Due north. Hang tight, I'm gonna try to go faster." Gadget tightened her grip on the squirrel, and Taryn hastened his flight speed as he flashed through the air.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hmm. It would appear Bastion underestimated the little whelp." William stood at the mouth of the cave, facing south. "It looks like he may have found me. Curse my anger. I gave him my position…wait! He's carrying another life force with him. It seems similar to the pilot's. Maybe I don't have to look for her, after all. Those LWC fools don't realize what they've done. They've done the work for me." William laughed as he reentered the cave to prepare for visitors.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"We're getting close." Taryn said. "It appears to be coming from Mount Fuji."
"Why would he want to go there?" Gadget asked.
"You need a place for the Lock to rise from the core. So, he chose a volcano. But why he chose Mount Fuji has even me puzzled." Taryn said.
"He needed a place where there would be little interference." Ty said over the communicator. "Since Mount Fuji is a long dormant volcano, he knew there would be very little going on there. Volcano studies aren't as active there as they are elsewhere. He could do his deed with little but a few thrill seekers to stand in his way."
"All the more reason to find him fast." Taryn said.
"Look! It's my dad's plane!" Gadget pointed to the spot on the ground where the Screaming Eagle sat.
"We should probably start there." Taryn slowly descended to the plane, landing mere feet from it. "It doesn't seem like there was a struggle."
"Lightneton is an imposing person. He probably would have scared Geegaw stiff. Or worse." Ty commented.
"You think he might be…" Taryn began to ask his father.
"Dead? Not likely. Lightneton needs him alive to perform the ceremony."
"Then I best start looking." Taryn turned to Gadget. "You stay here. I have to do this on my own." He placed a shield around her.
"But I can…" Gadget started, as Taryn threw a look back at her. "OK, I'll stay here. Be careful!"
"As always."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Perfect. He's leaving her alone." William said as he spied on our heroes. "This will indeed be too easy. I can fool the Key into leaving that pathetic excuse for a shield easily enough."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gadget sat there inside of the shield, now helpless as to the fate of her father. I can help! I really can. She thought. But no! It's too dangerous. We can't risk your life.
Just then, a rustling of the bushes beside her startled her. She turned to see her father crawling from the bushes. He was badly hurt. She ran out of the shield towards him. "Dad! Oh my God! Are you OK?"
The half beaten Geegaw looked up at his daughter. "Now I am. Now that I know you are alright."
She hugged her dad tight. "Thank goodness you are alright. We need to get you out of here."
"No, wait!" Geegaw exclaimed. "Your friend is in trouble. Lightneton set a trap for him. He'll be captured for sure. We've got to help him."
"Right! Let's go!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Taryn reached the cave quickly. Upon entering the cave, he saw that it had been freshly dug. "Looks like Lightneton's handy work, alright." He walked down the dark cave, before he saw a light. He crept forward, and looked into the clearing, where he saw a ledge, which lead down to a lava pool. He also saw a runic tablet. He saw no sign of Lightneton, so he slowly entered the small room. As he approached the tablet, he heard breathing. It was raspy. He walked up to the tablet.
"Are…you a…friend?" The voice asked.
"I am a friend of all creatures except those who do evil." Taryn responded with a standard LWC greeting.
"Then you are a friend of mine." The figure looked up to reveal a mouse face.
"You must be Geegaw." Taryn said as he released Geegaw from the restraints. "Do you know where Lightneton is?"
"He left the cave in a hurry to look for Gadget." Geegaw fell when he was released into a slump on the floor. Taryn picked him up. "He kept calling me the 'Key,' but when his little ceremony didn't work, he punched me and I dropped her picture on the ground. He picked it up and said if I wasn't this 'Key' that maybe she was."
"By the Power, and I brought her here!" Taryn said, dejected.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"He's this way." Geegaw said to his daughter. "We have to enter this cave."
Gadget had been in thought. She finally spoke. "Dad, how did you know what his code name was? Uncle Jake told me he only introduced himself as 'William.'"
"Because he is the greatest warrior alive, and everyone should know his name!" Geegaw said in a strange voice. He pushed Gadget away and stood straight up. A strange darkness enveloped his body, as he changed back into his true form.
"Lightneton!" Gadget said in shock. "What have you done with my dad?"
"Well, I was going to use him as bait, but he became unnecessary since that fool Taryn hand delivered you to me." Lightneton said with an evil smile on his face.
Gadget started to cry. "HOW COULD YOU? YOU MONSTER!"
"It was very easy. You should have seen how he begged."
"NOT MY DAD! HE WOULD NEVER BEG FOR HIS LIFE!"
"No. Not his, yours!" Lightneton picked Gadget up by her neck. She started to kick him, to which he slapped her in the face, knocking her out. "But enough reminiscing, we are here on business, my sweet." He turned, and continued on to the cave.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"We'll find her." Taryn reassured Geegaw as they left the cave. "I left her in a protective shield. He can't…" Taryn looked up in horror. "Oh no!"
"Well, you are a strong one." Lightneton looked towards Geegaw. "Maybe I should have done a better job at killing you!"
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY DAUGHTER?" Geegaw demanded.
"Not to worry, she's alive…for now."
Taryn sat Geegaw down, and faced Lightneton. "You will not succeed, Lightneton. I know your plan. You plan on reviving Lightnetoid. I cannot allow that!"
"You are the son of that traitor, aren't you?" Lightneton put Gadget's limp body over his shoulder. "I see your lineage in your eyes. Defiant in the face of ultimate failure. It will be a pleasure to defeat Ty's only begotten son." He got into a battle stance.
"You can try." Taryn charged Lightneton, and was immediately tossed aside.
Lightneton turned toward Taryn's struggling form. "You don't get it, do you? You are nothing. Your uncle defeated me because he had help. No single warrior can defeat the mighty Lightneton."
Taryn stood, blood running down the side of his face. "I will!" He charged Lightneton again, only to be tossed aside again.
"You are an annoying little pest." Lightneton picked Taryn up. "Why don't you cool off?" He threw Taryn into the air. He then turned towards Geegaw. "You are going to watch." He picked up Geegaw, and proceeded into the cave.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
