"Come my servants, my loyal ones, fight for your master! The Saturdays are ours!"
He wasn't sure if he really heard it the first time.
"Take theses pathetic humans to the dungeons! They are enemies of Kur!"
He didn't fight it out this time, he listened and what he heard filled him with dread.
"See that they are secured, we can't have them running off to warn their allies!"
His family, captured? Already? Doyle stood up from the pilot seat of the airship where he had been resting and mentally shook himself. That message he had intercepted had taken its toll on him. He looked through the glass walls of the cockpit and saw the docks beyond. He wasn't too adamant on calling the scientists, they probably wouldn't believe him anyway, considering how hostile they were concerning the Monday incident. He'd take this one solo, maybe with some help from a certain cryptid he'd been left with…
The pterosaur hovered above the roof of one of the fishing huts in the docks. Doyle let go of her talons and fell the short drop onto the corrugated metal roof, landing with a clank. He surveyed his surroundings and looked up to the reptilian bird.
"Thanks Jurassic."
The pterosaur squawked her approval before flying away to perch on some scaffolding a few metres beyond. Doyle had already began looking for the alleged entrance Drew had talked about, but he was careful not to draw any attention to himself. He slipped down off the roof, using his tail to balance himself and tried to look for any other signs of the Saturdays. He had already seen a pipe whilst Zon was flying him in, he just hoped for their sake that it was the right one. He snuck over to where he had seen it and looked at the scene before him. There were fresh tracks in the sand. Some human ones and some huge ones that were way too big to be human. Fiskerton. Doyle leaned in, but decided against shouting as It would have given his position away. The pipe was slightly flooded, but he moved through as quietly as he could for a man of his size and stature. He crept through until he reached the dip in the passage that led into the Naga's lair. He could hear talking from beneath him so he peeked over the edge to see two Nagas deep in conversation with each other. He recognised one as the queen herself, the other as one of her allies.
"What about the infected one my queen, have you not traced him yet?" The Naga asked. Doyle wasn't sure who they were talking about.
"Unfortunately not. When that child smashed our relic, it weakened my psychic link with him, I can sense that he is nearby but I can't exactly pin point where he is," Rani hissed. Doyle cursed softly. They were onto him.
"So keep a sharp eye on the prisoners as he might be among us right this very…"
"Rani Nagi! My queen!" Doyle watched as another Naga appeared.
"The child prisoner! He's gone!" Doyle watched as the queen smacked her subject upside the head.
"You fool!" she screamed. Doyle couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "Find it before it warns the rest of its species!" All three Nagas slithered off down opposite paths and once Doyle was sure that they'd gone, he jumped down out of the pipe and landed in a crouch on the cavern floor. He looked from left to right and then rushed down one of the paths. He was quick to get out of the walkway and climb up into a more sheltered area. The place was huge; and it didn't take him long to discover that he was going round in circles. He was following the assumption that the dungeons would be on a lower level than the one he was currently on. He managed to find some stairs which led to some kind of monument. A rock cobra head. Doyle was about to leave when he heard the echo of footsteps coming his way. He darted behind it and prayed for whoever it was to go away. The sound was too small and rhythmic to belong to a Naga so he figured that it belonged to something smaller, something that he could probably handle. So at the last second he darted into its path and grabbed the figure, holding it in the air. Doyle couldn't believe his eyes.
"Zak?"
"Uncle Doyle!? Zak looked into the orange eyes of his uncle, "What are you doing here? I thought-."
"I heard something! This way!"
Doyle grabbed Zak and darted behind the statue, he clamped a rough hand over the boy's mouth and restrained him in his lap. Zak openly spoke muffled protests into Doyle's hand but then shut himself up as he too heard the hissing that was approaching them.
"Well then you heard wrong, there is nothing here. I suggest that we leave, if we don't find the fleshling, our queen will have our heads!" Doyle was frozen, holding his breath along with Zak.
"I'm sure I heard something," the other commented.
"It isn't here, let us move on."
Doyle didn't move from his hiding spot until he was absolutely sure that the Nagas were gone and by that point, he was nearly choking Zak.
"Hello? Earth to Doyle, I can't breathe here!" Zak shouted, his voice still muffled by Doyle's hand. Doyle realised and let him go, breathing a deep sigh of relief himself.
Zak coughed for a few moments and then looked at Doyle. "Jeez your hands are so scratchy; those scales make them feel like fresh sandpaper!"
"Shhhhh! Keep your voice down will you? You'll get us caught!" Doyle whispered harshly.
"What are you doing here? Mom told you to stay on the airship," Zak scolded, Doyle rolled his eyes, "don't you listen to anyone?"
"Look, I still have my psychic black magic snake powers okay? I accidentally got a message from the Naga saying that you guys got captured so what was I supposed to do?" Doyle nearly snapped.
"You were supposed to phone the secret scientists like mom told you," Zak stated obviously.
"Zak, let's get real here, do you really think the secret scientists would have been any help?" Doyle asked sarcastically.
"Yeah, your probably right," Zak sighed in defeat.
"Now, can you tell me where your parents are? We need to jailbreak them if we're gonna get out of this in one piece."
"I'm don't know exactly where, but I'm pretty sure it's down there somewhere," Zak said, pointing to the tunnel where the Nagas had come from just a minute ago. Doyle stood up and peaked round the corner. Nothing. He pulled Zak out from behind the statue and they crept down the passageway, occasionally pausing and listening as they went until Zak led Doyle down to a steep corridor.
"Down there?" He asked, looking down the curved, winding tunnel. Zak nodded. Doyle signalled Zak to wait before heading down himself. He snuck a glance down past a corner to see a few cells containing his family members, along with a patrolling guard. He quickly tiptoed back up to Zak. He pressed himself up against the wall. "Crud," he whispered.
"What is it?" Zak asked. Doyle grimaced.
"There's a guard," he replied.
"How are we gonna get past?" Zak asked.
"I'm gonna improvise," Doyle smirked. Zak gave him a look. Doyle ignored it and explained himself, "I'll draw its attention whilst you make a run for your parents."
"That's never gonna work," Zak sighed. Doyle pushed him into one of the shadowy corners out of sight from the hall.
"Wait here, I'll draw its attention and then you move once it comes past here okay?" Doyle instructed. He walked back out into the hall, put his fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly. The Naga heard it and began to slither towards the source. Zak held his breath as he saw it stop just beyond his hiding spot and look around. Zak watched in horror as it started towards him, but then stopped as Doyle distracted it by throwing something at the Naga (Zak assumed it was a rock). Angered, it started shouting in Hindi and then rushed away. Zak slipped away and ran down to his parents and brothers.
"Zak! What are you doing here!?" they asked in surprise.
"Getting you out," he replied, trying to break the bars with the claw.
"Zak, it's no use, there's no way we're breaking out without keys or our weapons," Drew concluded "They put Fiskerton in separate chains too, he can't break us out."
"Not if I can help it." Doyle appeared behind Zak.
"Where's the Naga?" Zak asked him.
"Tell you later Miniman," he responded, walking over to the cell that Doc was in.
"Excuse me Mister? Didn't I specifically tell you to wait on the airship no matter what?" Drew asked angrily.
"Hey! Can't you just be grateful? The secret scientists would've been no more help than me." Doyle put his hands to the bars and tried to lift them off their foundations. Doc came over to him to help and they managed to pull a few of the bars loose enough for Doc to fit through.
"Rezhuru?" Fisk asked, pointing to Doc and Doyle.
"I know right? Dad and Doyle actually working together, I wonder how long that'll last," Zak joked. The two men went over to Fiskerton's cell, removing the bars and then unchaining the lemurian. Then the three of them worked on freeing Drew and Komodo. Once everyone was out they were able to work out an escape plan.
"We'll need to split up, we still have to get the relic," Drew spoke up, Doc shook his head.
"No," Doc cut in, "they'll pick us off one by one, we need to stay as a group."
"We can't go running around all in a pack, we'll be able to evade them much easier if we're split up," Doyle said.
"I'm sorry honey but I have to agree with Doyle on this one," Drew apologised "we can split in half, one group can get the relic, the rest of us need to recover our weapons."
"I don't like it," Doc protested "but I guess I'll have to make do with it. I'll take Zak and Fisk to get the weapons."
"Agreed, Doyle, Komodo and I will go and find the relic," Drew confirmed, "We'll meet back outside the pipe as soon as we can." And with that the groups split up, one going deep into the tunnels, the other with Zak leading the way. Drew was leading the other team of three. "The Naga's chamber is somewhere close to the surface of the river. We need to find a way to get higher if we're going to find it," she commented.
"There won't be any ladders or stairs in here that's for sure, their lair is probably furnished to be snake friendly," Doyle added, feeling some of the walls for any hidden passages that might have been installed there.
"Unless you can sense out a secret entrance then we're pretty much stuck down here," she sighed, watching her brother.
"I'm not psychic Drew, I can't exactly just tell you where it is," he replied, looking up and checking the ceiling.
"Then how did you know we were in trouble in the first place, Zak couldn't have possibly gotten help that quickly," Drew asked.
"That was different, I got a message from Rani Nagi herself, saying that she'd captured you lot," he replied. Drew looked surprised.
"So she can still talk to you through mind control?" Drew said, "you told me that you weren't under her control anymore."
"I'm not," Doyle argued, "I still have a very weak connection with her, I can hear things she says but it doesn't sound like they are directed at me."
"Too bad you can't sense that relic though?" Drew said in annoyance, slightly elbowing her younger sibling.
"You're the sciencey one, you figure it out," Doyle argued playfully.
"Me? You're the one with the snake sense Doyle," Drew retorted. There was a hiss from Komodo. The siblings looked at him. "We should probably get on with the plan."
"Yeah, except for the fact that we've hit a dead end." He was right, there was nothing but solid rock in front of them.
"This doesn't make any sense!" Drew said, sitting down on a rock. The rock jolted and she stood up in surprise. A rumbling shook the passage and the rock wall opened up into a sloping tunnel.
"That was so cliché," Doyle chuckled.
"I know." The siblings left it at that and dashed up the tunnel, the komodo dragon following them. The path dropped out onto another snake monument. They dropped onto it and peeked down into the room below. It was some kind of prayer room, with stained and decorated walls, littered with candles and scent sticks. In the middle was another statue, this one a Naga, Drew and Doyle couldn't believe what it was holding in its claws.
"The relic!" Drew cried and was about to jump down when Doyle grabbed her by the wrist. He looked at seriously, warning flashing in his eyes.
"Something isn't right," he muttered softly.
"Doyle, it's right there," She comforted.
"I know… it's just, I have a really bad feeling about this"
"In what way?"
"I don't know, something's telling me that it's dangerous."
"Maybe it's your common sense kicking in after all of these years."
"Sis, I'm serious," he said, trying to persuade her into waiting.
"Wait here then. I won't be a minute." Drew jumped down, but she hadn't taken 10 steps before she was violently thrown into the air, the atmosphere around her becoming a blur of scenery and panicked shouts from Doyle. The spinning continued until she found herself stopping in front of a pair of red eyes. A hand tightened around her throat.
"Hello Saturday."
"Drew!" Doyle cried and leapt onto the Naga's back. She tried to use her free hand to grab him, but it didn't prevail. Doyle on the other hand locked one hand around the Naga's neck and sunk the other into her arm. She cried out and let go of Drew who fell to the ground. The white haired woman moved just in time to avoid Rani Nagi lunging at her but the Naga was pulled back by a strong pulling on her tail, Doyle. She swiped at him only to get an off guard kick in the head from Drew.
"Drew! Get the relic!" Drew staggered up and ran towards the relic but was stopped dead by a cry of pain from her brother. Fearing he had been injured she turned around to see him on his knees, holding his head in his hands. "Doyle!" she shouted, running over to him.
"Drew! Stay away from me!" he warned. She saw the Naga over by the first statue, chanting and whispering, an evil smile on her features. Drew realised what she was doing.
"Doyle! You have to fight it!" Drew shouted at him, "you're the only one who can!"
"He can't hear you human! He belongs to me once more!" Rani Nagi triumphantly shouted. Doyle's eyes snapped open and Drew back up in fear, immediately noticing that they were glazed over with a powerful sheen of hate and devotion. He took his place at the side of his master.
"Dispose of the human," she said to him. His eyes locked onto hers and Drew recoiled as he stalked towards her. She grabbed one of the candle stands and waved the fire at him.
"I'm warning you Doyle! Stay back!" She snapped, trying not to show him any of her imminent fear. He leapt at her and she ended up dropping her weapon as she fell down under him. She tried not to look him in the eyes as he held her down. "Doyle," she whispered, "it's me, Drew, don't you recognise me?" She felt his breath on her cheek as he began to snarl. "Please Doyle, for me." She was so close to him that she could hear Rani Nagi's commands of dark magic emanating from his indoctrinated mind.
"That's it my servant, it's nearly over now, just one strike to her throat…" Drew swallowed her terror as she imagined the thought and hoped that he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"You will finish this task for me…" It was disgusting.
"Don't listen to her uncle Doyle!" That wasn't Rani Nagi.
"Zak?" Doyle asked bluntly, sounding quite confused. Drew opened her eyes to see Doyle's wide eyes glowing bright orange. Then she saw her son standing a short distance away, claw in hand, powers activated.
"Get away from my mom," the strong command instantly took effect and Doyle drew back, a little bewildered.
Drew, Komodo or anyone else bar Zak, Doyle and the Naga queen could hear the fight for control that was going on in Doyle's head. The latter was still cryptid enough for Zak to at least reason with him.
"Doyle! You don't have to do this!" Zak mentally cried, "just tell me where you are, I can help you!"
"Zak?" Doyle thought out loud.
"Doyle, you have to stop! You don't know what you're doing!"
"How are you here? Why can I hear you?"
"I'm in your head, I'm trying to stop you from losing yourself to the darkness again!"
"Darkness is what he is corrupted with boy! You cannot bend darkness against its base desires!" Rani Nagi butted in, causing Doyle to fall down (onto the floor if Drew and Fisk hadn't caught him) in a loss of who to listen to.
"Come on Doyle! What has she ever done for you? Why should you listen to her?"
"Because I' am now all his simple mind knows, other than the fierce instincts of an animal!"
"Doyle? Doyle can you hear me!" Zak couldn't sense him listening any longer.
"Doyle?"
"Hello?" A sudden energy burst left Zak cast out his mind and on the floor.
"Zak! Are you alright!?" Doc yelled in concern, having entered the room and seen the current carnage.
"No! Mom, Fisk, get away from there! Doyle is…" was the last thing Zak could say before he saw his brother and mother being knocked down by Doyle's tail and fists. However, he didn't attack them, in fact as soon as they hit the ground Doyle's eyes began to shift, as if he was picking a target. He locked eyes with the preteen.
"A new order my servant ... Finish what you started, kill the boy." Zak heard it before it registered with Doyle and he made a mad dash towards the relic. Rani Nagi had seen what was going on and was doing the same whilst Doyle had caught on and was right on Zak's heels. Rani had her hands on it first and as a result Zak was sent airborne as he tried to clear the Naga and get away from his uncle. Fortunately, the Naga's trajectory had meant that Doyle was unable to dodge her and he, the Naga and the relic all collided at once. Everyone else could only watch as the sudden contact caused a huge wave of feedback from the relic. The amber dome engulfed Doyle and the Naga first and then Zak who was still in the blast radius.
"Zak! Doyle! Can you hear me!" Drew screamed. Doc pulled her away as the force began to pull them in. She cried out in hysteria as the ground began to shake beneath them, the cave crumbling under the pressure. After what seemed like forever the field of energy imploded on itself and left a thick chunk of dust and debris in the air. The Saturdays were left coughing and spluttering. Drew could make out three outlines in the dust, one big and two smaller. She ran forward and stopped dead as the dust cleared. Rani Nagi was there as she'd suspected and so were her son and brother. They looked slightly battered, their clothing frayed on the ends, both seemed to be out cold but Drew was overjoyed to see that both of them, were completely human in their entirety …
That was an eventful chapter. It is also the penultimate one! I have decided that I 'am going to continue with writing TSS stories, however it won't be another story like this one, I have a main project that I have rebooted (not on fanfiction) and that is my main concern right now. But that doesn't mean I'm quitting, just trying something new that will give me a wider range on what I write. If you have seen my profile, you might know what it is but I'm going to say that it is isn't a full story project. I have decided to upload the first chapter here on Wednesday, in the evening, which is probably afternoon or morning for you guys overseas in the US. Tell me what you think of this idea in the reviews!