NeverVisible: glad you liked it :)
I own nothing but Azurvi, and her culture.
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The storm had moved into their flight path, slowing down the massive airship and making the Saturdays anxious to move forward.
Zak however was still fascinated by the atlantian priestess and her power over water, during some of her demonstration she had gotten the attention of Solomon who was watching her slide a small ball of water around herself, splatter to the ground and then reform and roll around.
"That is incredible; I don't think I've come across anyone or anything that can do that."
"Dad that has to be the coolest thing ever, she rocks!"
Solomon smiled at his son's enthusiasm and noted his brother in law joining the group.
"She really is something, ancient, still looks the same as she did the day she threw herself into the well to obey a direct order."
"She's powerful too, the ability to control water and to change it into a projectile, plus I cross referenced her when she was changed in the temple she can change into the form of an Amarok. This leads me to wonder how the Atlantians came across the species."
"She said during the dark ages that Kur was the leading god, so that may have something to do with it. We really don't know that much about Kur and what he can do."
"But this is also a good thing right? Her being around the time when Kur was the leading god, she could possibly be able to understand more from the stone than we can."
"True, but it's hard to tell whether or not she'd be willing to translate anything at all. She may request to go back to the islands and live out the rest of her life guarding the empty temple."
"Why would she want to be alone?"
"She's a priestess and her duty is to guard and care for the temple. She appears to have a very strict set of rules for herself and following them is the most important thing to her, even if that means spending the rest of her life alone."
The zeppelin slowed and a slight change in air pressure could be felt, this was strange to Solomon, he didn't think they'd be there already.
"Drew are we there already?"
"No I can't get through the storm anymore without putting us in danger. Crete is the next island over; I imagine this storm slowed Argost down too, so we may actually be ahead right now."
Azurvi stood and checked her surroundings, the ball of water suddenly splattered to the ground when she lost focus of it.
"We are here, the original part of Crete; this is the entrance the Atlantians used to send their criminals. It's a bit more dangerous, but it puts us closer to the Bull's Pit. And I honestly don't know if the monster that Kur provided is still there or how many might be. It's uncertain on how many beasts he sent to the island."
"Zak, you're staying here." Drew said leaving the console to join the conversation.
"But mom, come on! She said she doesn't know if they're still here or not."
"I'm not risking your life on something that isn't certain."
"I actually don't know if they got out or what. It's hard to tell after all this time. Things have obviously changed if this part isn't connected to Crete anymore."
"I'd feel better if Zak and Fiskerton stayed here."
"You guys get to go find the other half of the key and I get to sit and watch a storm, that's hardly fair."
"Storms can reveal the most interesting of things; I'd keep an eye on the storm if I were you."
"I promise we won't be gone long, just in and out and back home."
Zak sighed; feeling defeated by the surrounding arguments and flopped back into his chair. He was pouting and his parents knew it. They felt bad about leaving him behind, but at the same time they worried about his safety and wished that he could see things from their point of view. His father patted him on the shoulder.
"We just want you to be safe, that's all."
"But I can take care of myself-"Zak began his protest again only to be silenced by his uncle.
"Honestly little man I agree with your folks. I can't lose my only nephew."
Zak sighed deeply and leaned back in the chair. "Fine, fine, I'll stay here."
The adults began their trek into the maze while Zak stared at the window and watching the storm pick up and send more water plummeting to the earth. Fiskerton wandered around the room, humming a little song.
"Fisk this isn't fair. They always get to go do the cool stuff and I get left behind."
"Firmosafur?"
"I know I know, but just once I'd like to actually be there when the action starts, not wind up in the middle of it or even worse, the end."
Fiskerton gave his brother a smile and a pat on the head and pointed out the window to watch the storm, as per Azurvi's advice.
It seemed like a regular storm, just sheets of rain falling from the dark skies above, the occasional streak of lightning followed by a thunder clap. Zak sighed and put his forehead down on his arms, trying to forget the feeling of being left behind.
In the labyrinth the adults had actually managed to get pretty far without much of a problem, until a very sticky situation suddenly presented itself.
"Oh sick what did I just step in?" Doyle's voice rang out in disgust.
"Looks like drool…" smirked his brother in law.
"That can't be a good sign, which means there's still something down here." Drew said unsheathing her fire sword.
Heavy breathing was heard in the distance, followed by the sound of hooves on the ground which became louder by the minute.
"Get ready; this isn't going to be pretty." Azurvi formed two swords in her hands from the surrounding water. A roar of the power glove and the click of a wrist blaster = followed as the swords finished their curved form.
Meanwhile outside the massive airship was getting pounded with rain, but the darkness that the storm brought hid a dark figure closing in. Komodo growled face now pressed against the window, causing Zak to take note of Komodo sudden aggression.
"What's wrong? Is the storm bothering you?"
The large reptile hissed backing slightly away from the window as Zak approached it, suddenly the window got darker and then shattered as a figure rolled into the bridge; Fiskerton shrieked and ducked for cover, Zak backed away and suddenly found himself face down and getting dragged toward the window.
"Let me GO!"
"Silence brat, I need you for one thing and one thing only. I need you to do whatever it is you do with these animals so I can get paid." A thick Russian accent was heard.
"Van Rook! I'll never help you!"
"You'll change your song as soon as you know the following; your cryptid zoo friends will not like the outcome of your attitude, plus your parents could probably benefit from you at the moment, unless you're looking forward to being an orphan."
Zak bit his lip, Van Rook was right…he was threatening his family on all fronts. He had no choice at the moment.
"Fine, you don't need to drag me though."
"I thought you'd change your mind."
With a split second Zak was freed from the binds on his leg to only be roughly grabbed and disappeared into the dark surroundings. He was being taken into the labyrinth, a small tingle of excitement filled him, but at the same time a small fear grew thinking of the fate of his family.
He soon realized his purpose when a large bull squared off with them.
"Get rid of it."
Zak didn't question the mercenary but called upon the power inside of him and calmed the mind of the creature; it huffed off in another direction. Zak had to do this a few more times before he and his captor entered a large room filled with bones, a chill ran up his spine as the Russian man approached a large inlay of what appeared to be human bone in a wall and crushed a cavity and took a glittering gem from within.
"You got what you wanted, now what?" Zak now felt a pinch of nervousness.
"I leave."
"What about the rest of the monsters."
"They'll be too preoccupied with their dinner."
Zak growled knowing exactly what the man was talking about and threw himself at the burly man, the sudden movement caught Van Rook off guard and the two went tumbling through the same spot the man had seized the jewel from.
The scene before Zak was intense, his parents and uncle fighting off more of the Bulls and Azurvi leaping around avoiding the long horns that threatened to skewer her. Zak tore his eyes from the fight and looked down at the mercenary and saw an opportunity to grab the jewel and make a run for it.
"Zak! What are you doing here?" His mother's frantic voice called out.
"Long story mom, I'll explain later."
Zak made a grab for his claw which Van Rook had grabbed from him the last couple times and then tried to fend off some of the bulls only to feel tired as the roaring minds echoed through his own. He looked up as Azurvi pinned one and held one of her swords to the throat of the creature.
"And now monster you die."
"STOP, they're just scared. They're protecting something."
"The jewel, what they were all sent her for." Her lip curled as she readied her blade to plunge deep within the monster.
Zak did the first thing he could think of, which was try his cryptid powers on her, it had worked once before, maybe he could snap her out of it. But he didn't count on what happened next, the gem in his hand glowed and became hot, yet he couldn't let go, his mind began to combine with Azurvi, the beast howled in an animalistic fury.
Azurvi began to change, but it wasn't complete, almost like a were-wolf, but those you just saw in movies, right? Zak's mind began to spin as he saw through her eyes, her process of marking targets and beginning her attack, the swords returned to their liquid form as she then tore into a bull in front of her. Suddenly his view from her eyes changed, he was seeing her life, in rewind, a quick rewind for that matter. Emotions and words began to flow through him, he felt sick to his stomach and dizzy to boot.
"Zak, Zak! Drop the stone!"
He never heard his father yelling to him, just feeling the memories of Azurvi.
"Azurvi stop! There's something wrong."
Azurvi didn't hear the voice of Drew either, just felt the fury of the animal inside take over all human feelings.
The bulls retreated and Azurvi was about to go after them, a screaming howl signaling the hunt, but stopped short as the gem was pried from Zak's hand. She suddenly felt the rush of human feelings and her mind came back to her, she looked at her bloody hands and muffled a shriek and turned to see an unconscious Zak surrounded by his family, the mercenary had disappeared in the mess.
Azurvi could only now feel a guilty sorrow creep into her as the eyes of a hurt mother were turned to her.
"I-I'm so sorry"
"We need to get him out of here." An uneven voice from Solomon was heard.
Doyle said nothing but only looked at the Atlantian priestess and sighed.
Azurvi then took off into the maze, bloody foot prints leading off to a dark part of the maze. Doyle felt a pang of guilt, for not saying anything to her. But what had happened to his nephew he was unsure whether or not this would be survivable.
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Sorry for the delay and the cliff hanger. I will work on some more later 33