A/N: Second chapter time. Wow. I think something's wrong with this story. I got a review but it didn't show up in my hotmail. And my friend didn't get an alert. Oh well. That's life. The third chapter should be up probably tomorrow. After that, I have no idea. I have to play through the next part of the game first.
Chapter Two: Distress Signal
As they winged through the night, a dim outline began to form in the distance. It was barely discernable through the rain and the clouds, but it looked something like a temple or a palace. From what she could see it looked a little run down. "I wonder if this is where the distress signal is coming from." She spoke loud enough for the CloudRunner to hear but she was more talking to herself.
The CloudRunner landed on a small wall on the edge of the palace and Krystal slipped off his back onto the wet stone floor bellow.
"This is Krazoa Palace." Krystal turned to the CloudRunner to listen to what he had to say about their whereabouts. "If you go inside, be very careful," he warned. "This is the dinosaur's most sacred place."
Krystal nodded her understanding to him and he once again took off into the stormy night. She wondered if the poor creature ever got tired of flying around all the time.
She turned back towards palace and took a look around. There were metal grates on the floor surrounded by rust and there were what appeared to be flying brains with tentacles. Creepy… she thought to herself.
Looking a little farther into the distance, she noticed an EarthWalker lying nearly motionless on the ground. Taking care not to disturb the floating…squids…she ran towards him. When she reached him, she knelt down close to his face. Before she could say anything, he began to speak.
"The King EarthWalker sent us to protect Krazoa Palace. It's not safe here. If you find yourself in danger, roll out of the way." His breathing was slower then was normal and he seemed to be wounded.
"I'll remember that." Krystal no longer had any protection. She had used up all of her magic to defeat General Scales' Galleon and her staff was now lost to her. Evading danger was the only sensible option left for her.
Slowly, she stood up. She had better check inside the palace as well. The EarthWalker had said 'us' so that meant there had to be more inside. As she looked around she noticed a locked door behind the EarthWalker. She took the key she had taken from the Galleon out of her pouch and headed for the door. Maybe this was the lock that the key went to.
It fit perfectly. She gently pushed open the door and peeked inside. There was no one in there so she opened the door all the way and stepped inside. The only thing the room contained was a small bomb-like cylinder. She picked it up and examined it more closely. She was pretty sure it was an explosive of some sort or a fuel cell which could act as an explosive anyways.
Krystal turned around and spotted a brain-thing gliding towards her with its tentacles spinning. That thing has got to go. She hefted the explosive device over her shoulder and threw it at brain-thing. Upon impact, it exploded, killing the brain-thing. Hmm. Handy.
An electrical buzzing emanated from the area she had landed at. From a pad on the ground, another explosive formed. That was definitely handy. Taking another explosive, she killed the second brain and blew up some boxes blocking a stairway leading down to a lower level that was also open to the sky. On the level bellow was yet another brain and another EarthWalker. This one looked in just as bad of shape as the other one.
Taking another explosive, she quickly took care of the brain hovering around and went to talk to the second EarthWalker. "What happened here?" she asked softly.
The EarthWalker looked up at her for a minute before responding. "General Scales and his SharpClaw army attacked. We tried to stop them but there were too many." His voice began to crack in anxiety.
Krystal placed a comforting paw on his snout. "It's alright. You're safe now. Just relax." The EarthWalker began to calm down and lay still once again. She could still feel him breathing so she knew he was only resting. She quietly stood up and headed inside.
When she reached to entrance to the palace, she spotted a third EarthWalker. How many of these poor creatures had been injured here? She knelt closer to hear what this one had to say.
"You should leave this place," he whispered. "Scales has brought a great evil into the palace."
"Don't worry, I'll be careful." She stood up once again and went inside the palace. Or at least she tried to. There was no door, just a large crack in the wall. She peered through the crack and could see the light inside of the palace but no way to get through. She stepped back and thought for a moment. This wall seemed thin enough. Maybe she could blow it up with an explosive.
Turning around, Krystal headed back to where the explosives were. Grabbing one, she returned to the wall. She stood a fair distance away so as not to get hit by the explosion.
It worked like a charm. She finally entered the palace and took a look around. The hall stemmed in two different directions. One direction quickly ended in a dead-end while the other one curved out of her sight. She decided to go down the one that actually lead somewhere.
As Krystal was walking down the hall, she came across and second branch of the hall that turned a corner and lead into another hall with flame throwers built into the wall. There was also an EarthWalker just before the fiery hall. She crouched down to listen to his story.
"Scales attacked the palace so that he could capture the Krazoa Spirits for himself." His voice was laced with hatred for the evil General of which he spoke. "The Spirits hold great powers and have been safe within this palace for a million years. We fought hard against the SharpClaw and were able to hide the Spirits throughout the planet." Krystal breathed a sigh of relief. At least Scales hadn't managed to capture all the Spirits. The EarthWalker continued. "Scales then unleashed an evil into the palace. In their hurry to leave the SharpClaw sealed me inside."
"I have opened a hole in the wall," Krystal explained. "If you have the strength, you can leave." She stood up and turned away. Krystal was growing angrier by the minute. How could he do this?! Scales had tried to capture the ancient powerful Spirits, had unleashed an evil in a holy place and injured so many dinosaurs in the process. This was wrong. She had to help these creatures.
Before she ventured into the fiery hall, she looked down at the other end. There was another wall with a crack in it. She had to find an explosive to break open this wall. She continued down the first hall a ways until she found what she was looking for; another explosive generator. Grabbing one she returned to the fiery hall and slowly maneuvered her way through the flame throwers.
After blowing open the wall, she entered a room with a very large, sealed door at one end and a pressure switch at the other. In the centre of the room stood an explosive. Well this was simple enough. All she had to do was place the explosive on the pad and go through to door. No trouble at all.
When she entered the new room, she noticed an EarthWalker lying in the centre of the room. She approached him slowly so she could speak with him. Maybe he was the one who had sent out the distress signal.
He looked up slightly as she approached. Krystal knelt down and placed her hands on his snout. "The Krazoa…need your help…they are dying…" The EarthWalker's voice was raspy and old; she could tell he was injured.
"Was it you that sent the distress signal?" she asked softly.
"When we were attacked, I signaled for help." He shook his head sadly and sighed. "We were massacred."
"But what were you doing here?" Krystal wanted to know why these poor creatures were here in the first place. No one should have to go through this without good reason.
"The King EarthWalker sent us to protect this sacred palace, home of the Krazoa." That's a good reason Krystal thought. "The Krazoa are Peace Spirits, powerful beings that bring life to our planet," he explained. "Without the Spirits, our planet is dead." Krystal closed her eyes and shook her head in dismay. Why would Scales try to harness these Spirits if he knew what it would cost the planet? Or maybe he didn't know. Then again, this was General Scales they were talking about. Of course he knew.
"Is there something I can do?" Krystal stood up slowly and took a couple of steps back. She hoped there was something she could do. The old EarthWalker looked up at her.
"My girl, only the pure of heart can take the tests." He looked over towards a door in the wall that slowly opened, revealing what appeared to be a portal. "Enter the Krazoa shrine." His voice was becoming strained now. "Once inside, complete the spirits test and await your reward. If you succeed, then return to me." He coughed and then looked back up at Krystal. "I'm not going anywhere." He coughed again, this time more harshly.
Krystal took a few tentative steps forward. Was it really alright for her to enter this sacred place? She was an outsider. She looked back at the wounded EarthWalker behind her and then back to the door again. If it meant helping the dinosaurs, she had to. Crossing to the door, she entered the room and stood before the raised portal. Taking a deep breath she stepped up onto the middle of the platform.
She felt the energy begin to engulf her and light gathered closer to her body. She closed her eyes and spread her arms. It was so warm. Soon, calm, soothing thoughts began to enter her head. And then, she vanished.
End of Chapter Two
A/N: Aaaand I'm done. Thank you to Ninjafoxshadow for reviewing. It makes me happy. Look forward to Chapter Three: The First Spirit