Glory Slugs
The Sharpshooter
`I think we`re lost.` I said, glancing pointedly at Flame.
The female Infurnus said nothing. She merely shot me what seemed to be a heated glare, before turning away with a huff.
I rolled my eyes at her attitude.
She must be giving me the silent treatment again, I thought shaking my head.
Then again, it would be best if I made things right with her. Who knows what poisonous thoughts brewed in that small, stubborn head of hers.
`Ok girl, if we can find our way out of this cave. Then, I promise we can go at each other`s necks later, promise?` I said, smirking at her still serious mien.
Flame turned to face me, returning a challenging smirk.
`Aha!`
Iggy`s sudden chirp pierced through my ears like a whistle. The shrill noise made my skin prickle and heart to hasten. It took me a full second to realize that I was not in any sort of danger.
I sucked in a cleansing breath and arched an annoyed eyebrow at the Enigmo in the slug tube. He gave a lazy grin and pointed his arm at the inky darkness ahead. A shiver crept through my skin.
Was somebody or something out there, I wondered.
Flame hopped onto my shoulder. Her light pulsated and brightened brilliantly, piercing through the silent darkness ahead.
I squinted my eyes for a better view. Yes, I could see it now. There was something up ahead. Venturing further, I took cautious note of my surroundings. Who knew what traps or surprises could spring up?
A fork?
Seriously? I wondered disbelievingly.
The path winded and bifurcated into two tunnels. At its center, a spring was gushing out of the rocks, it plunged downwards and collected into a small pool the size of my feet.
I felt the fault lines of the cave pillars and walls for any kind of switch or button. I remembered seeing such in a movie. Unfortunately, the protagonist`s girlfriend ended up in a deep pool of greenish acid. Pity, I was looking forward to the kissing scene at the end.
Guess it wasn`t her lucky day, I thought darkly.
I glanced at Flame. She stared back at me, a bewildered look crossing her soft features.
Ookay, moving on...
Anything else I tried did not work. A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I slumped to my knees. Flame, who was once Jane`s slug, had no clue about the supposed key to the hideout.
Though Jane`s letter was not much of a help, some words did catch my attention.
``... To break the fork, let Patience be your guide and Determination your torch.``
What could this mean? I wondered frustrated.
I raked a hand through my hair and began considering my options. Ok, I knew beyond those two tunnels ahead was a maze of more tunnels, traps and whatnot. And I don`t think this cave has a back door. Seriously, was this some kind of Indiana Jones joke?
Also, I was shut in as soon as I stepped into the cave. Unless I somehow find this so-called hideout, I`m still stuck here.
`Great, just great.` I mumbled, clicking my tongue in annoyance.
For Terra`s sake, I needed a sign, key. Hell, anything that I could use. Oh, if only I had a-
Wait a second, I thought, eyes locking onto the gushing spring. I sprang to my feet.
The sudden action startled Flame and Iggy. Both slugs leapt away from me, their wide eyes filled with confused bewilderment. Paying them no mind, I edged towards the spring. My mind was buzzing with possible answers to this riddle.
``... To break the fork, let Patience be your guide and Determination your torch``
I roamed through those words again and again yet, I couldn`t spot the clue among them. It reminded me of Jane`s words when I was near the watefall.
Not everything you see, appears to be.
My sight trailed down to the eagle blaster holstered to my hip.
Of course, I thought bobbing my head in realization.
It was the eagle.
Even at a young age, I could not understand Jane`s subtle obsession with the bird of prey. Sure they were cunning, looked sort of awesome in mid-flight and almost never gave up when hunting their prey. But I had no idea Jane`s obsession went that far. For Terra`s sake, there was an eagle badge on the right sleeve of my midriff.
However, I wasn`t going to stray far from the point. The answer was so obvious that I fought the urge to facepalm. The eagle is a large, powerfully built bird of prey. With their relatively longer and more evenly broad wings, it creates a more faster, direct flight. The most distinctive features of the eagle was its excellent eyesight, they are extremely powerful and enables them to spot a potential prey from a very long distance. Truthfully, the eagle was a magnificient creature.
The riddle`s answer was related to the bird of prey. It made much sense now. The eagle was known for its patience when chasing after its prey. Its strong determination was what made it to keep going until it gets the kill or the prey gets away.
At least, that`s how far I could understand, I thought.
Suddenly, Flame`s angry chime reached my ears, reminding me that her and Iggy were still present. Rubbing the back of my neck, I turned and smiled sheepishly at both slugs.
`Sorry guys. Major geeking moment back there.` I said, trying to placate the somewhat hot-headed Infurnus.
Flame merely exchanged a confused look with Iggy who shrugged and shook his head.
Maybe I haven`t been following those two for a while, I mused dropping the disarming smile and replacing it with an air of seriousness.
Scooping the glowing Flame up, I held her by a hand while I guided the other towards the spring.
As soon as my fingers passed through the water, a sharp tingle travelled from that hand, up my arm and spreading throughout the rest of my body. It felt suprisingly cool and soothing to the touch. Though the gushing liquid reached my upper arm, I did not falter.
Soon, my fingers were pressed against the moist, rocky wall. I trailed down, keeping a moderate amount of pressure on each rock. Who knows if a switch was around here?
Halfway down, a single rock shifted and slid away from my fingers. It made a low grating sound before locking into place with a metallic thud.
So that`s where it`s been hiding, huh? I wondered chuckling at my lack of attention.
Flame bobbed her head in approval, while Iggy gave a wide grin and a tiny thumbs-up. He leapt into my dry hand and slotted himself into his slug tube.
`Well, it can`t get any better, eh?` I commented, feeling a surge of pride over the seemingly insignificant accomplishment.
All of a sudden, there was a rumbling noise, then another and then another. Moments later, it was followed by strange chirps and screeches echoing in the darkness. I found my now bleak surroundings eerie as the foreign sound intensified with each fleeting second.
Bats...
I groaned a curse in frustration.
First, it was the cave, then, the spring and now, bats?
What in Terra`s name was going on here? I wondered still keeping my eyes up.
Pointed stalactities hanged from the high roof of the cave. Though the force of the rumbling did nothing to shake them, they seemed to train their sharp tips at me as if daring me to make another move.
The shrill noise of the oncoming bats brought me out of my musings. My actions began to slow considerably. Sweat trickled out of my skin, heart drumming heavily along with my hastening breath.
Flame gave a sharp cry as she tugged at my hair, but I payed her no mind.
Dear Blaster, they were many, I thought my eyes widening at the sight above.
Almost instinctively, my hands shot out and reached for the holster. Grabbing the white eagle blaster, I swung the gun up and pressed the trigger without aiming and...
... Nothing.
I briefly examined the blaster and tried again and again, yet it only made a mocking click. Again, I jerked a glance up. The area of leathery black was plunging downwards to me, never stopping.
`Come on! Come on! How do you work this thing!?` I yelled, fumbling frantically with the base of the eagle blaster.
They were getting closer.
Their incessant chirping was now almost deafening. Iggy was now shrinking in fright within his tube. I caught Flame`s fearful glance, she hastely gestured to the lumnious blue cartridge of the blaster.
Any second now, I pleaded mentally, feeling my feet carry me backwards.
3...
Flame slid down my chest and slotted herself into the still upright blaster.
2...
I leapt away backward, sideways in the air, my loaded blaster aimed at the swooping threat. With a click, I squeezed the trigger in.
1...
Twinng-Kata-POW!
The result was instantaneous and somewhat unexpected. At first, Flame looked like a tiny blur of methane-blue fire, heading straight for a mass horde of flying mice. It looked like sucide.
Then suddenly, in a burst of brilliant light, Flame morphed into a larger version of herself. She now looked like a phoenix-dragon hybrid with fiery wings that trailed behind her like twin comets. The Infurnus easily tore through the throng, twirling before diving downwards towards me.
I could only construct three words to describe her.
She was spectacular...
As I laid on the ground, I watched the bats scurry to safety via tunnels. Flame switched back to her normal form before landing on the ground. She wobbled unsteadily to her feet, eyes glazing.
Poor thing must be drained out, I mused with a sympathetic smile.
Dusting myself up, I carried the tired Infurnus and placed her in one of the slug tubes. While Iggy slept on. I rolled my eyes at his eccentric behaviour. Why am I not surprised?
As I holstered the eagle blaster, the fault-lines of the cave walls began to glow. It looked like little, bright green stars in space. The crystals twinkled as their faint light led me away from the twin tunnels and back where I came from.
The hideout, perhaps?