Chapter CX: Into the depths of Atlantis Part X
It was pitch black, with no sound, no movement, nor light, not a single thing moved in that darkness. Riku breathed in and out painfully as he felt horrible and achy all over, getting out of his unconscious stupor he pulled himself up slowly as he gasped a little slightly. Along with his moans of pain in the distance there came more as other people were now awakening from their concussive state adding their own groans into the air.
Suddenly there was a call out as a single match had been struck now revealing a single light there in the darkness, " all right who's not dead? Sound off?" It was revealed to be commander Rourke as everyone replied only with the same groans except just a little louder for all to hear.
But then there were a couple of voice's that did give off something more audible, "oh' my head."
Riku aching still was fairly sure that was Sweet's voice but then the second voice rang through, "dang one o' them dark creepy crawlers scratched me on my sit-upon, somebody's gonna have to do me a wrap up! Don't everybody jump up at once."
Cookie... well that was definitely one thing he was not going to help out with and many people moaned and groaned again showing their complete reluctance to this idea as well.
Now sitting up properly Riku had a horrible aching headache as his memory muddled slightly, but then as he sat up with a hand to his forehead it was finally Rourke who had got his hand on a proper source of light as he had turned the key in one of the trucks and one of the head lights was now shining across revealing the damage that had been caused by the huge ape creature and the fall.
All the trucks were strewn across left and right as though some child had tossed and thrown them around like toys in a sand pit as some of the trucks were half buried in some type of dark black soot. Looking around properly he saw then that he still was upon the top of the truck, along with him were Audrey who too had not gotten up and was flexing her arms trying to get her own aches and pains out of her muscles. And finally next to her was-
"Mickey!" For there his majesty was unconscious he gasped painfully from the impact that the truck had made upon the black soot ridden ground, making it to his side in moments Riku held him in his arms as he made his frantic check as he continued to ask him, "Mickey can you hear me! Wake up! Come on!"
Audrey staring at him as he did this understood his worry but at the same time she felt he was over reacting to the situation as Mickey was only unconscious and he wouldn't be any worse off than her or Riku. Besides he should be more worried about-
But then on the spot suddenly the commander Rourke called out to her, "Audrey, give me a damage report!"
Hearing him she sighed as she quickly dusted herself and took off the small torch on her belt as she jumped off the truck and landed on the dark ground as she gave the summary looking at everything surrounding her, " well it's not as bad as it could have been we totalled rigs two and seven, but the digger looks like it'll still run." Then looking behind herself she rubbed a certain sensitive spot of hers as she gave her final summary, "lucky for us we landed in something soft."
Mole finally getting his own head together looked at his surroundings as he had made his eye goggles magnify and extend outwards to make a closer examination of the sooty substance that he and the others had all landed in, with a small torch on his shoulders assisting him in the process as he reported his findings,"Pumice ash, we are standing at the base of a dormant volcano."
At the mention of this one specific word Riku's head looked up as he repeated with surprise, " a volcano?" As he stared down at what was going on, he saw lieutenant Helga launch a flare into the space above.
He quietly listened on as Helga spoke as she watched the rocket go up, "it just keeps going."
Vinny then spoke as he approached his commander and lieutenant as he asked continuing to look up himself, "maybe that's our ticket out of here?"
However as the flare finally burst making its small explosion of light it revealed that it just kept going on and on. There was no true real end to it. Annoyed as she saw the results of what her little experiment had revealed she replied, "maybe not."
Riku watching this depressed wondered to himself, "well how are we supposed to all get out of here then?" Mickey groaned once again as he was still in pain making the white haired keyblader look to him once again.
Mole in the meantime continued to make his analysis of their surroundings as he spoke aloud, "the magma has solidified in the bowels of the volcano... effectively blocking the entrance."
Mrs Packard then spoke droning in her usual bored tone holding a cigarette in her left hand, "I got the same problem with sauerkraut."
Riku meanwhile still attending to his friend heard their sonar expert say this and wondered to himself 'why she would even mention that right here?' However Sweet quickly spoke up some of his worries as he asked, "hold on, back up, are you sayin' this whole volcano could blow at any time?"
This was something that Riku hadn't thought about at that moment, but then it was a very valid point, for though this volcano was dormant that didn't mean it was dead and if it could go off at any moment that meant they were all at that moment in real immediate danger!
However Mole spoke up as he replied to this enquiry with absolute dismissal in his tone as he shook his head slightly, "no, no, no, no, that would take an explosive force of great magnitude."
Quickly relieving him off this one worry Riku couldn't help but sigh but then there was a sound of tinkering as everyone turned and looked in a certain direction. There was Vinny who had a bomb of some kind which was tied with dynamite and a timer that was in his hand as he tinkered away at it with a screwdriver in his hand as he attempted to weirdly fix it.
Feeling everyone's eyes on him as they looked at him with a serious dismissive stare and a few with particular worry as he stopped feeling uncomfortable himself as he replied, "maybe I should do this later, huh?"
Riku now feeling anxious knowing their bomb experts one true passion he replied appalled, "huh? He says?" For how could he think of doing something like that in this awful situation? Mickey then finally began to awaken himself coming out of his dark unconscious state to which Riku spoke again to him, "Mickey!"
However Rourke ignoring this spoke on himself as he continued to look up as he made his own observation, "if we could blow the top of that thing...we'd have a straight shot to the surface."
It was finally then that Mickey woke up and seeing him do this Riku was relieved as he spoke, "your majesty are you all right?"
Seeing his companion Mickey replied with a slight painful smile, "I'm fine, don't worry Riku... but Nozomi? Where's Nozomi?"
It was finally then Riku noticed she hadn't made a single sound this entire time that he and the others had awoken. His attention had been focused upon his hurt friend and at once he was filled with dreaded worry and concern.
Rourke though unaware of this spoke on for a certain person who's opinion he wanted at his idea, "Mr Thatch, what do you think? Mr Thatch?" However there was no sound from him either as both their linguist and now one of their keybladers was missing from their group.
At once Rourke called out as Riku quickly did too, "Thatch?" "Nozomi!"
In the darkness Nozomi herself gasped painfully as she was laying on the rocky ground, however she was too deep still in her unconsciousness to be stirred awake while next to her only a few feet or more away Milo was against the rock. Unlike her though he was stirring from unconsciousness as he breathed in and out painfully but slightly less so then Nozomi since she had healed him with the 'Cura' spell.
Waking up he could feel something prodding against him making him even more uncomfortable, trying to bat away whatever it was he spoke out aching madly, "urgh! Get off!"
However the prodding simply continued and the pressure even increased slightly as he complained, feeling more and more uncomfortable he spoke again as he finally opened his eyes, "I said get off! Cut it out right-"
His eyes then widened as he saw finally becoming wide eyed and petrified that it was the girl from before who had summoned the giant ape creature to steal him away, she was standing over him her golden staff pressing into his right shoulder blade hurting him badly. Looking at her he was silent with fear as he wondered what she was after? The little monkeys on her shoulders stared intently at him as well with serious eyes as her blue iris and yellow pupils stared down at him in the same way.
The silence between them both was intense as he had no idea what she was going to do or even what it was she did want, if she even wanted anything to begin with! Finally a single word passed her lips, "hey?"
Milo gulped as she heard her voice absolutely nervous as the only person who could protect him was out stone cold! Darting his eyes to Nozomi for a moment he looked back to the girl again as she said a single word, "book?"
Confused he was quiet for a moment before he repeated, "book?"
To which she brought out the 'Shepard's Journal' from her right hand revealing that she had taken it from Nozomi's unconscious hand and was now waving it to and throw in front of Milo's face.
Seeing it he immediately spoke out trying to reach forwards, "hey! That's the-"
However he gasped in pain again, "ow!" He was forced back into the rock hard as she pressed harder into him with her golden staff, "no touchy!" She told him coldly.
Milo cringing in pain as her staff continued to press into him looked at her angrily however she paid no heed to this as she continued with her interrogation, "now, can you read this book?"
Listening to this he asked, "read it? … Why do you wanna know that?"
However she didn't give him a reply straight away as the staff turned in her hand making the pain slightly worse making him cringe more, "I'm the one asking questions here... now? Can you read this?" With that she shook the book in her left hand slightly.
Wanting the pain to desperately lessen he replied in a few moments, "sure I can! But what good is that to you!"
Finally getting the answer she wanted she smiled as she lessened the pressure on her staff as she responded, "Good enough, that's all I needed."
Glad that the pain had lessened at least a bit, Milo wondered what on earth she was going to do now? Suddenly as though sensing this thought she looked behind and whistled loudly.
At this whistle there was suddenly a sound of rustling as from the rocks behind her strange people emerged wearing enormous masks, all of them with glowing blue eyes and mouths. They were clearly savage looking with their long sword like weapons and spears in their hands. Seeing them Milo was immediately more terrified as they all looked at him curiously surrounding him in a semi circle as some even prodded him with their swords.
Scared that there was no way he could get away as he was held against the wall. What was worse he had nothing to fight with and so looking to Nozomi as one of the savages prodded his glasses with his spear he again whispered under his breath, "come on! Nozomi! Wake up please!"
Hearing him and seeing Milo's frightened face, the leader of the savage troop with the biggest mask spoke to the rest of them as they gestured with their hand for them to scatter and make space. They then at this person's command did just that and as they made room the leader went in and made a closer examination of Milo.
He stared at this 'person' with pure nervousness as he made a small bid to try and move away even just slightly. However as he went to do this the girls staff moved into a particular spot that hurt even more as he gasped painfully and loudly stopping him in his tracks.
Seeing this happen the leader turned to the girl as they uttered in their own ancient tongue angrily for her to stop, the girl not turning her head as she heard this person speak did nothing for a moment but then simply she shook her head and sighed seemingly bored with annoyance as she did as she was told, finally removing the staff from Milo's shoulder blade.
Feeling relief at this at least Milo was grateful but suddenly the real source of the pain surfaced, it was a cut that had been caused from the fall leaving a small flow of blood, he quickly held his right shoulder blade with his free arm as he gasped awfully as he then removed it with his fingers stained red.
Seeing the damage that had been caused the leader removed their mask in moments revealing their identity, it was a woman! She was a wondrous sight her long flowing hair snow white tied in one place in a tail that trailed down her shoulder. Her eyes were a dazzling blue almost like the deepness of the ocean, on her ears were round gold earrings and under her left eye were light blue tattoo markings that were simply two lines and one single dot. Her skin was a rich and gentle tanned brown and the clothes she wore were made from blue robes that were tied tightly but gently in place, they made a bikini of sorts and around covering her hips was a long sarong skirt. Her expression was one of concern as she saw the dreadful pain Milo was experiencing.
Milo looking at his painful wound for a moment turned and looked at the leader again and saw her beauty himself, he was absolutely dazzled with surprise as he stared at her not expecting anything like this. He was absolutely silent, but then looking at her he watched as she moved forwards and pulled his vest down slightly and went to get a better look at the wound. Surprised as she did this Milo wondered what she was doing and at once with a look of gentleness she lifted a pendant that he hadn't noticed before that was around her neck, it was a simply a lace of string but the pedant in the middle of it was a blue shining crystal with a gold clasp connecting it to the string.
The crystal itself was hypnotic as it glowed brightly, Milo wondered what on earth was making it glow? Just what was it? And was she-
But suddenly before he could think anymore she lightly touched his skin with the pendant and in a matter of seconds Milo flinched again but suddenly then the woman put her hand to his wound her face determined with concentration and at once a bright light shone underneath it. Feeling its cool yet warming healing effects in moments, he was stunned as he looked down and saw for a moment an imprint of the woman's hand as a print of glowing blue light upon his skin but then quickly it faded away as the wound and pain quickly vanished and was gone!
The woman smiled at her effective work and quickly lowered her mask again as she quickly began to run again as her other fellow brethren did, but as they did Milo was surprised as he watched after them, why did that woman heal him like this? What was that crystal? And-
Suddenly though he was distracted from his curious thoughts as the monkey girl had stayed behind and as she watched the troupe leave she spoke aloud, "well she certainly is as soft as ever." But then looking back to Milo a smug smile appeared as he quickly became terribly nervous again as she spoke on, "well time to carry the extra luggage again!"
Nozomi at that moment was finally awakening from her unconsciousness and finally and slowly got up and sat on her knees shaking her head as it ached terribly from the painful impact from when she'd fallen. Holding her head she spoke, "oww... I'm in pain! What-"
"Nozomi!"
At once she stopped in her tracks as she turned and saw Milo being taken by the huge white ape creature again as it started to run up the mounds of rocks and into the distance above. Watching with shock as this occurred Nozomi was silent but quickly she saw on the shoulder of the ape was that girl again as her two small monkeys continued to sit upon her shoulders, as she went by her she called out to her cheekily, "seeya!"
Seeing them escape kidnapping her friend again Nozomi became outraged in moments as she shouted out, "hey!"
Then behind her she heard the digger sounding as it was quickly drilling its way forwards making its way up through to her level, quickly then she heard calls from behind her, "Milo! Thatch! Nozomi! Where are you guys!"
Immediately she recognised all of the voices but she had to do something quickly! So she called back, "guys up here! Hurry up and come on!" Then with that she raced quickly up to chase after the monkey girl as she called further, "get back here! Give Milo back right now you thief!" With that chasing after the huge ape she watched as it bounced from rock to rock making its way higher and higher into this worlds highest and most mysterious depths.
