Chapter 18: Race to the mountain top
Collette and Sven ran into the catacomb with a horde of angry apes trailing them, shouting for their blood and throwing dynamite sticks at them.
"I've never seen them so mad before. Maybe they don't like their houses torched," Sven joked.
"How would you like it if they torched your house instead?" Collette asked back.
"Provided if they can get through all that sentry guns, guard towers and soldiers," Sven said.
They didn't bother to look back and just ran like hell. They simply picked a hallway to enter and kept on running…even after the apes have stop chasing them.
"Collette, stop!" Sven yelled and he stopped to catch his breath.
Collette also stopped to catch her breath but she recovered faster than Sven. She looked back and noticed that no one was chasing them.
"So we've been running for nothing. Now where in the ancestors' name are we?" Sven asked while still panting.
"In the catacomb of course. Spyro and the others must have gone ahead so let's catch up," Collette said.
"Wait, how do you know which way they went?" Sven asked.
Collette looked around for a while and shrugged.
"I seriously have no idea," Collette muttered.
"Then where do you insist we go? If we get lost in this creepy place, we might starve to death…after all, I accidentally threw out the food supply during the perilous mine cart ride," Sven said.
"Yes, how smart of you," Collette said dryly.
The two walked and explored the catacomb but they seem to be going in circles and there were many locked doors that are magically enchanted…as if to keep something in. More than once they heard the doors shake and moaning could be heard from the other side. Fires from the torches will suddenly die out and relight again and some places gave them visions of ghosts from the past.
"This is not a F.E.A.R game. Why the hell am I seeing all this?" Sven grumbled.
"Perhaps there is something within the catacomb that wants out. Whatever that thing is, we better be careful," Collette whispered.
At a certain door, they heard muffled screams and some roars followed by some knocking on the stone door. It scared them but they went on.
"For some unknown reason, those voices behind that door sounds very familiar. Creepy eh," Collette said.
"You tell me," Sven muttered.
Of course it sounded familiar. Spyro and his team were at the other side and they were battling the rogue wolf with all their might. Spyro's armor had already broken from the force of the blows while Cynder nearly lost her head. The wolf proved to be strong and swift too.
"His fighting style is so familiar. Any idea who that is?" Hunter asked.
"Sure I do! He's a dead wolf!" Spyro said loudly and head butted the wolf.
The wolf rebounded against a wall and launched at Spyro but Cynder head butted it to an opposite wall.
"Don't get up," she said.
The wolf slowly stirred and got back to its feet. Spyro then noticed a scar running down its face and back. They were shaped like crosses and Spyro only knew one person with such scars.
"Wait, are you Wolfenstein?" Spyro asked.
The wolf did not answer but just growled at them. Spyro backed a little and stood ready.
"If you're really Wolfenstein, show me a sign," Spyro said.
The wolf didn't heed what Spyro said and continued attacking. Spyro and Cynder dodged left and right to avoid the claws and punches from the wolf and they barely missed. His movements were fast and hard to evade.
"Spyro, we better knock him out before he knocks us out. Let's subdue him and tie him up so he can't harass us," Cynder said.
They nodded at each other and head butted the wolf in unison. The wolf knocked into a wall and before it could get up; Hunter tied it up quickly and pointed a sword at its neck.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Hunter said.
"Okay, I want answers and I want them now. Are you or are you not Wolfenstein?" Spyro asked sternly.
The wolf nodded its head after a while and looked at Spyro with its red eyes.
"Wolfenstein is a demon? How interesting," Cynder said.
"I'm not a demon you fool! I'm under a curse that makes me do Argus' bidding! That fool placed me in this haunted catacomb and cursed me," the wolf growled in a hollow voice.
Everyone was stunned and they said nothing. Wolfenstein on the other hand was really unhappy. He wanted to free himself but Hunter kept him down.
"Let me go! Now that Argus' grasp on me has weakened, I want to kill him!" Wolfenstein roared.
"No, you're not going anywhere. I have some questions for you and I'm expecting answers from you. I want you to return to Warfang and report yourself to the guards. They will put you somewhere safe until I have time to see you personally," Spyro said.
Wolfenstein had nothing to argue about so he kept quiet.
"There…is a portal nearby that allows one to link to a similar portal if it is active. There is one hidden in Warfang," Wolfenstein said.
"If what you say is true, allow Hunter to escort you. You kids go back to Warfang," Spyro said.
"But…" Ravager said.
"No buts. Go home now," Spyro growled.
"Oh phooey," Ravager muttered.
"C'mon, let's just go home. This place is not for us to venture into," Ignitus told Ravager.
Hunter had Wolfenstein lead the way while he held the wolf by the ropes. After they have left, the stone door behind them opened and the two dragons exited the hall.
"Are you sure you trust Wolfenstein? I mean…he looks awfully suspicious," Cynder said.
"True but there was a voice in my head telling me to let him go. I don't know about you but it sounds like Ignitus," Spyro said.
Somewhere in the middle of the catacomb, Collette and Sven found no way up to the upper level since there was no visible stairway. The only thing on their level was a tall pillar with a wooden platform on the top.
"I suppose we have to find a way to bring that damn platform down. Wait here while I go look around," Sven said.
There were three separate rooms; each one of them had a lever. The first room had a death pit of spikes; the second room had saw blades still active and the third room had lightning bolts running everywhere. All three of them were impossible to cross without getting killed and that made Sven wonder how the ancient dragons built all these.
"Maybe only another dragon can do this," Sven muttered.
He looked into the first room and found that the pit was wide and he can't really jump across it. The lever was there so he took out a sniper rifle and shot the lever. To his luck, it activated. Suddenly, the walls on both sides of the lever came together.
"Whoa, if I were there, I would've been a pancake," Sven said.
The next room with the saw blades was also impossible to cross because every inch of the room was covered by the blades and there was no way past it without being sliced and diced. There was also no visible mechanism that deactivates the saw blades. Sven shot at the lever but the spinning blades were in the way.
"What if I used this," Sven asked himself and took out a grenade.
He pulled the pin and threw it into the room. 3 seconds later, it exploded and the saw blades flew everywhere as it was detached from the devices. One flew out of the room and nearly hit Collette and ended up stuck in the pillar.
"Watch out with that thing you fool!" Collette scolded.
"Sorry about that," Sven called out.
He entered the room cautiously and pulled the lever. Suddenly, the holes in the walls blew out flames. Fortunately, he came out from the room unscathed.
"Do they always have secondary traps?" Sven muttered.
"It does seem so," Collette said with arms crossed.
The third room seemed harder. The electric bolts have no source and they just came out of nowhere as if it were magic. The bullets he fired were deflected by the bolts and throwing grenades did little to help. Sven looked up at the ceiling and noticed three large metal balls with wire coils around it. So they were not magic after all, just lightning emitting balls.
"Hmm…interesting. The ancient dragons actually grasped the techniques of creating Tesla coils. I don't know how they do it or activate it without a power source but I know exactly what a Tesla coil needs," Sven said.
He threw a grenade up onto a ledge adjacent to the metal balls that emitted electricity. The grenade exploded and destroyed the first ball, making it fall from the ceiling. The metal ball reflected a bolt back towards the second ball and destroyed it. The second fell and reflected another lightning bolt and thus destroying the third one. At last, the way was clear.
"That was simple," Sven grinned as he pulled the last lever.
He quickly ran to avoid secondary traps but surprisingly, nothing happened. Just as he was about to exit the room, spikes suddenly erupted at the entrance and Sven halted just in time to avoid it. He waited until the spikes have retracted into the floor before exiting the room.
"You have been lucky for 3 times and I'm amazed that not even your hair is hurt," Collette smiled at him.
"I guess I'm born lucky," Sven smirked.
"Sure you are," Collette said matter-of-factly.
The platform lowered and they stepped onto it. Just as they rose to the upper level, undead suddenly burst out from their tombs and coffins. They composed mainly of dragon skeletons, phoenix spirits and some human zombie knights.
"How clichéd. Isn't there a place without any zombies or ghosts?" Sven muttered.
"The number of undead in here is more than any place. Maybe that is why adventurers never returned from venturing into the mountains," Collette said.
"We're gonna be next if we don't do something," Sven said as the undead converged on them.
Spyro and Cynder entered the middle of the catacomb and they heard noises above them. The dragons noticed Sven and Collette being cornered so they decided to fly up and help them. After killing the undead, they landed on the platform.
"About time you got here," Sven said.
"I was held up by an old friend of mine. So, now that we're here, where should we go?" Spyro asked.
"Anywhere but here. Where's Hunter?" Sven asked.
"I sent him and my children back via a so-called secret portal as what Wolfenstein had said," Spyro explained.
"Got a map?" Collette asked Cynder.
"Sure," Cynder replied.
They looked at the map and spotted their position.
"We're close to the mountain top but stairs are still the obstacles. Added to our woes are our newfound friends. I have every reason to believe that Argus is behind this and he's impeding our progress. I say we better hurry and ignore the undead," Spyro said.
"Agreed there, Spyro," Sven said.
The team ran and ran but the undead came and harassed them. Many times they have to stop to fight or to solve puzzles that remove obstacles. It was time-consuming and they didn't have much time. It was already the next day and that means they have 6 days left.
On the mountain top, Argus and his lieutenants observed the skies while plotting the position where the beam of energy will fall. They predicted it will fall on the altar so they placed the chalice and all the necessary items on it. Argus nodded in satisfaction.
"The time grows closer and we shall be a dominant race again. Do not spill the dragon's blood until the alignment has occurred. We need her well-preserved," Argus said.
Juno struggled and writhed but Argus slapped her.
"You're a resilient lizard for someone so small. No wonder Malefor picked you as his sacrifice. Don't worry, my men will look after you until you are given up to Malefor," he told Juno.
"Malefor or not, I'll fry his butt!" Juno screamed.
"Shut up you yappy-mouthed dragon!" Argus shouted.
Argus controlled his anger and let out a sigh. He then smiled darkly at Juno.
"Just you wait, Juno. Malefor knows what to do with you. Your parents won't make it in time to save you even thought they are here. Pray while you still can because it may be your last," Argus growled.