Notes: Okay, this chapter marks the latest progress I had made on this story before I had removed it from FF. There are new chapters that I have since finished, but I'd like to take a short break in order to edit them(formatting, content, and continuity, yay!). Until then, let me know what you think!

Chapter 9: What Lies Beneath

I dragged my tired feet over to the entrance of the well; quite aware I was under the expectant gazes of both Krystal and Tricky. Both the Earthwalker and Cerinian seemed to be slightly impatient, and I couldn't say I blamed them. The young Saurian had already dug a small hole through the pile of dirt that blocked the well's entrance; we'd have to be crawling through it shortly. The musty odor which seeped through the hole was terrible; I could equate it to walking into a library which had been flooded and left to literally rot. Both of us crinkled our noses at the stench, and even Tricky seemed rather affected.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Krystal asked, motioning to me as she took a few steps closer. "I saw you fiddling with your vehicle, but you took some time to get back."

I smirked, shaking my head. "Jeez, I had to take a leak. If I knew I needed a hall pass, I would have asked." The vixen shot me a confused glance, turning into one of dawning realization as a soft laugh left her lips; sounding more like an amused yip than anything else. I tried not to laugh, though I couldn't help but crack a grin. "Besides, I'm glad I got some time away from this wonderful smell you discovered."

By the expression on her face, my vulpine ally looked about as disgusted as I felt. "I see your point, and I have to say this stench is quite disgusting." She balanced her helmet in her hands, her intent to put it on in order to escape the miasma wafting from the hole obvious even to a clueless bumbler like me. Frankly, I was about to yank that gas mask out of the storage pouch on my vest. I was the first to admit I was a bit claustrophobic, but it just plain stunk that badly.

"We should just get down there and finish this task as quickly as we can." Krystal reached down to her belt, extracting a hose from a compact pack attached to her belt and hooking it onto the helmet. Giving me a look of slight trepidation she opened the helmet; the headgear hinged open from the back to allow it to actually be put on. After sliding the facepiece on and closing the back end the getup looked like a furry version of a hardsuit right out of Mass Effect; complete with the sound of hollow, mechanical hissing as I heard her draw breath through the device.

Krystal tried to say something to me, but it only came out as a murmur from underneath the helmet. The polarized faceplate didn't offer any clues, but I got the distinct impression she was a bit torqued off at the Lylatian gear. She reached down and fiddled with the pack, her voice slightly distorted by electronic amplification. "Bloody microphone. I don't intend any offense by this, but you really don't look up to this task. If I ask you what dangers might be down there would you please stay up here?" She paused for a moment, the opaque faceplate turning towards me as her explanation carried from the helmet's speakers. "Tricky's mother needs protection as well. She can't defend herself, and you're the only one here who could put up any meaningful resistance."

I weighed the options. Krystal was probably well tuned to the fact that I wasn't in prime shape; that dull ache that shot up and down my side was not the only souvenir I had of being nearly disemboweled. I wasn't looking forward to going down there, but what choice did I have? What if she ran into something that wasn't exactly true to the game's design down there? Even if nothing was different down in that well, there were dangers. Things that just took a tick off a health bar in the game were downright lethal in reality. An idea crossed my mind; quickly transforming into action while I reached into one of the vest's pockets and pulled out one of the two-way radios I had found in the duffel bag.

"Take this with you. I don't know if it'll work underground but it's better than nothing. Just twist that volume knob on top to turn it on and hold that little trigger on the side to transmit. Release it to listen. If you run into something you can't handle get the hell out of there and call me, okay?" I held the walkie-talkie towards her, which she accepted with a fraction of a moment's worth of hesitation. "There won't be any Sharpclaw down there from what I remember of that place, but the large red mushrooms release clouds of dangerous spores." That wasn't all. I explained about the killer plants embedded in the walls, the bomb spore plant she would have to deal with, and the pitch darkness that lay beyond the well. There would likely be an insane Thorntail below that acted as a guardian of sorts. However, the special mushrooms the Queen needed wouldn't be incredibly hard to harvest.

"Thank you." Her voice was soft despite the harsh edge the speakers gave it. "Your concern is appreciated, Adam. I'll be careful, I promise. Once I return with the mushrooms we will go to my ship. There we can check your injuries out a little further. Is that acceptable?" The vixen turned towards me fully, tilting her head slightly to accentuate the question.

"It's a deal." I extended my hand forward. She glanced down at it for a few seconds before shaking her head; my offer at a handshake transformed into a tight hug as her arms wrapped around me. I couldn't see her expression through the faceplate of her helmet, but my flushed features were on full display. I thought of something else; I wanted her to have an insurance policy. After she let go of me I reached down, pulling out my .45 and its spare magazines. "Here. Just in case you need it."

Krystal took the offered sidearm, sliding it into an integrated holster on the flightsuit. While meant for a blaster, the arrangement of straps managed to fit my pistol without much issue. "Thank you. I will be cautious. I promise." She turned around, ducking into the tunnel which led into the blocked-off well.

"Good luck." My well-wishing was likely not received, but I was not off the hook. I had work to do, and it was time to put my crazy idea into action.


Frankly, I didn't expect what I was about to do to actually work but I had to give it a shot. The first step was to get my tools out of storage. That was easily accomplished, other than navigating the assorted debris in my cellar with a rolling tool cart. The thing weighed at least eighty pounds, but wrestling the wheeled contraption up the stairs wasn't that difficult.

Returning to the cellar with a hammer in hand, I set about some demolition work. One of the half-finished walls was my target; the hammer and a crowbar put to good use prying some of the sturdy plywood sheets off of the framework. After a quick check to ensure they would fit through the doorway I was set.

Through all of this I kept a wary eye out for any Sharpclaw that could come barging into my domain. I had given Krystal the .45, but I still had a few Magnum rounds left for the .357. I also kept my shotgun within easy reach, but I couldn't be loaded down with weapons for what I was about to do. Emerging from the cellar, I strolled around the house to gaze on the next target of my ambitions.

The angular profile of my car stood almost like a symbol of defiance against the circumstances which had brought it to an alien planet; its navy paintwork sticking out like a sore thumb against the Saurian landscape. It remained perched on the patch of grass and walkway I had parked it a few days ago(or so I thought; I was losing track of how long I had actually been here). Despite the dull ache from my side I needed to get this done. I strode towards the vehicle, keys in hand. It was time to get things done.

Opening the driver's door, the comfortable and plush interior greeted me; it was a reminder of the home I had been removed from. My house felt dead, in a sense. In contrast, my car felt alive. Sliding into the supportive driver's seat felt like I was doing something that was going to make a real difference; an actual contribution instead of my usual bungling. I had saved Krystal from being sealed in that jewel, but I also had screwed the pooch on getting the cavalry here.

My foot pushed in the brake pedal. The car I had bought off my stepfather was new enough to have a keyless start feature; all I had to do was push the ignition button. There was a short whine as the starter engaged, followed by the deceptively soft growl coming out of the exhaust. I was now ready for action.

I brought the shifter into drive; taking my foot off the brake and gently pressing on the gas. The car crept forward; slowly rolling from its parking space onto Saurian ground without fuss. Without the neighboring houses in the way wheeling the car around to the backyard was quite easy; the journey ended when I rolled onto the concrete patch which comprised much of my former backyard.

Now the work began. I had to move quickly; a trip into the cellar was made to retrieve a set of jackstands. I wasn't a master mechanic, but I knew enough to maintain and modify my cars. Those skills would be put to good use shortly. Using a floor jack, I put the car on the jackstands and removed the wheels. The low-profile performance tires and larger diameter wheels more suited for street use needed to go. After that was said and done I moved the street wheels into the basement; the other set I had were fitted with studded snow tires that would provide more traction in bad conditions.

After the winter wheels were on I took the car off its stands and put it back on the ground. It was as ready as it was going to get. However, my time was about to be interrupted. Tricky's voice carried on behind me, although I couldn't understand a damn word he was saying. My fluent English, passable German, and smattering of Spanish and Russian weren't going to help here. I turned to the young dinosaur and shrugged, responding with a question of my own. "I don't speak your language, sorry. Do you need anything?" Hopefully my tone of voice would get my point across.

Tricky spoke again, but by the lack of a tone of urgency I suspected there wasn't anything wrong. The thought that Sharpclaw would attack his mom had crossed my mind, but if my plans worked out I'd be far more prepared for it. I pointed to an area well clear of the cellar entrance and my car. "Stay back there. I don't want you to get hurt." He glanced at me, apparently confused. I waved my hand, pointing at him and then to a safe area. "Stay back, okay?" I repeated. "I don't want you to get hurt."

After a moment he got the hint, turning around and plodding over to the space I indicated. "Thanks!" I offered him a thumbs up before returning to the cellar. The next part was going to be much more difficult and I needed to put my A game on. Thankfully I had an old, rickety furniture dolly down there; it was going to come in very handy. However, the hard part was yet to come.

I somehow managed to tilt the gun safe onto the dolly; afterwards wrestling it towards the door. That sounds far easier than it was; I fell on my ass several times and almost blew out my knee. The safe was around eight hundred pounds and did not want to go anywhere. I slid two ratcheting straps around its bulk, wrenching them down to secure it to the dolly. Those would prove crucial in the next few minutes.

The act of rolling the immensely heavy object over to the plywood sheet I had placed earlier wasn't an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. I'm not a superhero with an athletic physique. I hold down an office job that sometimes requires some physical exertion, but not to the extent of what was required of the retail job I held a few years back. Frankly, I was quite out of shape and had little business being here in the first place. What I was doing was leveling the playing field a fair bit.

The process took me several minutes to cover the ten feet between the safe's resting place and the door. The crater in the middle of the room and the resulting debris was a serious obstacle to overcome. I dumped the damn thing more than a few times, but I finally reached my goal. Even then the hard part was yet to come. I tipped the dolly onto the plywood sheet, which would allow it to roll up instead of bang onto a steep set of concrete steps.

I scrambled past the makeshift ramp and up to my car. Backing it up to the cellar door was easy enough, and I was now able to start making my plan work. I snagged the set of cables I had bought earlier from the trunk. The release mechanisms were easy enough to figure out; I was pretty sure what I had in mind would work out swimmingly. The ends were attached to the tow hooks mounted to the rear of my old car's frame, and the arrangement was securely tied down around the dolly and the gun safe.

Being overly kind it was a Rube Goldberg arrangement, but this would make things far easier to handle. Phase one of my half-baked idea was done, and phase two was about to be put into full effect. Tricky was hovering around the car, curiously inspecting my handiwork. Another inquiry in Saurian was directed at me, and I simply looked at him and shrugged. "You might want to either jump in the car or get well out of the way." I emphasized by pointing at the open door of the car and to a spot about fifty yards distant. If this went sideways I'd have a counterweight of several hundred pounds snapping around like a demented tail. That wasn't going to be fun for anyone caught in its path.

Surprisingly, Tricky hopped in. He even had the courtesy of jumping into the front passenger seat. Despite the immature, dense demeanor he displayed in the game he was turning out to be quite intelligent and not nearly as annoying. Now it was time to put the plan into action.

I settled behind the driver's seat and scanned the gauges. The engine was idling correctly. The fuel tank was full; I had put a couple of miles on it coming home from the gas station in preparation for a workweek commute that wasn't ever going to happen. The engine was warming up but not quite there, and there were no warning messages on the dash display. "Hold onto your butt, kid. This is bound to get hairy." Tricky cast a quizzical glance in my direction as I buckled my seat belt.

I inched the car forward, taking up the slack in the cables. That was crucial. Gentle and easy pressure on the throttle inched the car forward, straining at the oddly placed weight. A gentle shuddering from the rear end was disconcerting, but I was fully committed. I gave the throttle a little more pressure; the shuddering intensified but I was still gaining ground. My sedan's large-displacement V6, all-wheel-drive and sturdy frame was winning out against the stubborn safe. With a cacophonous screech the car leapt forward; the rear end tugging over as the fear I had was realized. My reactions were borne from a youth misspent street racing; I instantly nailed the throttle and corrected against the swinging counterweight. The studded snow tires bit into the dirt effortlessly, sending the car into a lazy drift. Within a split instant the slack in the cables snapped out, sending the out of control load back into line. A gentle application of the brakes brought the car to a halt, allowing me to survey a very frightened young Earthwalker in the passenger seat of my car and a gun safe on a tipped-over dolly in the rearview mirror.

A rapid string of Saurian reached my ears as I unbuckled my belt and opened the door. "The hard part's over, Tricky." He didn't speak English, but I could at least try reassuring him. As soon as I exited the car he bolted out the door like a cat that fell into a puddle. It would have been comical except for the fact I was worried about him tearing up my upholstery in his haste to get out. That scene was likely for the best; while I really didn't have anything against him I really needed some time to collect my thoughts and figure out how to make the crazy idea in my mind a reality.

Getting the dolly set back up was another pain in the ass. I really didn't want to trash what was inside any more than I had to; while Krystal seemed genuine in teaching me about how to fight with a sword, there were some serious obstacles in that regard. Firstly, I'm a systems administrator in my early-30s. While my coworkers weren't the pasty, basement-dwelling WOW and D&D geeks you'd expect from a corporate IT department(some of us were avid outdoorsmen and one actually ran a ranch in addition to their job), I wasn't too far away from being painted with that brush. Asking me to hold up to experienced melee combatants was almost outright suicide; I only got this far because I had guns and they didn't. My side twinged in sympathy with that thought; in fact it had been bothering me since setting up my makeshift tow rig.

What I lacked in physical ability I made up for in sheer stubbornness. Blame it on being a Taurus or blame it on coming from a line of stubborn, determined people but I was getting that dolly back on its wheels, several hundred pounds of gun safe or no. I'm not going to lie. It fucking hurt. Not only was I generally unused to this much physical activity, the souvenir of that close encounter with a hungry snake thing wasn't helping. With a mighty yell I heaved it over, the safe and dolly combination righting itself with a hollow clank. I fell back on my ass, deciding a few minutes of rest couldn't hurt.

When the aching subsided and I caught my breath it was time to get back in the saddle. I slid back into the driver's seat of my car and fired it back up; the trusty V8 catching as if it didn't know it was on an alien planet. That was all the better as I was about to be putting my beast to use.

Everything was aimed in the right direction as I feathered the throttle, the car plodding forward toward the entrance to the little grotto that sheltered the Warpstone. I figured that was my best shot. Grimacing as I gently made it over the few errant bricks that marked the wall I had blown up to gain access there in the first place, I was relieved that my bumper wasn't even scraping. The taller snow tires gave me a bit more ground clearance to play with, at least. The safe-laden dolly scraped and rattled over the obstacles. I wasn't about to stop and after a mumbled prayer I had made it to my destination.

The Warpstone, however, was pretty damn confused after seeing me get out of the car. "I dunnae think I can warp somethin' this big, lad. What are you up to with that contraption?" He pointed to the madman caravan I had just created, looking for all the world like he was about to do the sentient statue equivalent of a BSOD.

"I'm not looking to warp my ride, so don't worry. However, could I ask you to do a huge favor for me?" I explained as I unwrapped the ratchet straps from the dolly, pointing to the gun safe then to him. "This is a securely locked safe containing many very valuable things. It's also heavy to the point where neither Krystal nor myself can open it with what we have available. You should be able to get this thing open without damaging the contents, right?"

"I can at least try, lad. It's just metal after all!" The massive sentient stone construct reached down and picked up the gun safe as easily as I could have grabbed a soda can. After looking it over for a moment he placed his thumb and forefinger on the door's handle and gave it a yank. The screeching of protesting metal was about as bad as fingernails on a chalkboard, which caused me to wince and cover my ears.

The Warpstone came through, setting the mangled, open remains of a high-quality gun safe in front of me. "There ye go, lad. I'd tell ye to play nicely, but I suspect those are toys ye don't play nicely with." I glanced down to review the contents, relieved to see that nothing was damaged beyond a few cosmetic scratches and chips. I was, however, not as pleased to see the safe had been significantly cleared out. It looked like my uncle had been by to get the majority of his competition rifles.

"That's the plan. Or so I hope." Only two long guns were tucked in the safe, now haphazardly scattered throughout the safe's interior. Three pistol cases were likewise thrown around, along with boxes of ammunition which had split open and showered their contents all over. The magazines that had been stored in an old messenger bag fared little better, but that was going to be a mell of a hess to clean up. Most of John's firearms were tucked inside the safe; his Benelli M4 semi-auto shotgun with its seven-shell capacity, shorter barrel and higher visibility sights would be a significant upgrade to my more plain-Jane Remington in its duck hunting configuration. His Glock 19 carry pistol and the longslide Glock 34 that he used for shooting competitions were also welcome additions. Finally, the small Ruger SP101 revolver in .357 Magnum would pair nicely with my Taurus. We had options.

The icing on the cake was the fact John's AK clone wasn't in the safe. In its stead was the rifle he had been building for three-gun competition, a somewhat modified AR15. The carbine-length barrel was short enough to maneuver in tight spots without compromising too much in velocity and accuracy at range; the addition of a red dot sight and magnifier would make it a marksman's weapon in a pinch and the mounted flashlight would be a major plus in some of the darkened areas we were definitely going to encounter. The only caveat was that I really didn't want to use the firepower right away. I wasn't up for another fight. Frankly, I was tired, hungry, in pain, and just wanted to jump in a shower then crawl into bed for the next sixteen hours.

That wasn't going to happen, however. After moving the assorted guns and ammo into the trunk of my Lexus and bidding the Warpstone a hasty farewell as well as loading up all of the supplies and food as I could find in the house, it was time to figure out if Krystal was finished with her mushroom hunting. I pulled my car up next to the creekside and shut it off, intending to wait for her. The sun was starting to go down, casting a brilliant golden shade over the area which soon faded to a pinkish haze. It was almost enough to cause my mind to wander away from its current predicament. Almost.

Thankfully I didn't have to wait long. About twenty minutes later I was startled out of my thoughts by the crackle of static coming from the walkie-talkie I had tucked into my belt. The transmission was faint and hard to hear over the hiss, but the voice belonged to my vulpine ally. "...there? ...you can, please... some help..." I snatched up the radio, concern washing over my thoughts.

"I'm here, Krys. What's up?" As I let go of the transmit button I sighed. If I had to go down there I wasn't looking forward to it. I may have been ready to volunteer a few hours ago, but the sheer effort of preparing my car and getting inside that safe had drained pretty much every ounce of energy I managed to muster. Apparently the universe decided it had other plans for me.

"...ing down... claw." The static was horrendous, but the hint of concern behind her voice came through loud and clear. "It's... you didn't... fferent..." I blinked, trying to decipher a completely cryptic message. A loud burst of static came across the line, but her voice carried an almost clear undercurrent of panic that sent icewater through my veins. "...thing's here! It's... me! ...ornered!" A pained yelp cut through the static, and I had already grabbed the nearest firearm and was scrambling out of the car before her next words sent me running towards an unknown danger I was completely unprepared for. "...'m hurt! Please, h..." The line cut off and I dropped the walkie-talkie in the grass, leaping into the creek I had parked next to. Ignoring my wet clothing I scrambled out and ran for the entrance to the well, a little voice choosing that very moment to chime in about this being the dumbest decision I've made in my not so short history of dumb decisions. It wasn't until I had crawled inside and looked into the gloomy, dark pit before me that logic finally caused me to stop.

The weapon I had grabbed was John's Glock 19. I had one spare magazine in my pocket, giving me thirty-one shots. I didn't have anything else. Against something that had likely wounded Krystal, someone who had dragged my broken, bleeding ass down a mountain while popping bullets and staff blasts into anything that looked at her funny, that wasn't putting any odds in my favor. Additionally, in my rush I had neglected to grab the gas mask I had found in his belongings; that was a problem.

However, I had to play the cards I was dealt. An idea sprang to mind and I pulled off my soaked shirt, tying it around my face like a cut-rate spaghetti Old West bandit. After taking a deep breath of damp, semi-filtered air I grabbed onto the ladder and scrambled down, forcing the hundred-foot drop beneath my feet out of mind as best I could. By the time I reached solid ground I was shaking uncontrollably.

The hulking profiles of the mushrooms were blocking my path, but I had no time. I held in a deep breath and rushed forward, hoping beyond hope I was able to get past without harm. A rattling, shaking sound erupted around me, sounding for all the world like a giant maraca. The dimly lit interior of the cave darkened with spores and I shut my eyes, rushing past the malevolent fungi with speed I didn't know I possessed.

I emerged into the torchlit cave beneath the well, finally past the mushrooms. I pulled my shirt off of my face, opting to toss it next to the tunnel leading back out. It had likely collected some spores and I was unwilling to take the risk of accidentally ingesting a few. That made getting back up very interesting, but it was a bridge I'd have to cross later. I had to find out where Krystal was.

The only way I knew how to do so was to make some noise. "I'M DOWN HERE!" I shouted at the top of my voice. "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" The answer came almost immediately, but not in the way I was expecting. A hazy mental image of the small 'island' in the middle of the cavern flashed before my eyes and a sharp, excruciating pain in my right arm followed. I glanced to the offending limb but I wasn't even marked there; the only indication I was injured was the damp bandage hastily taped above my right hip. The pain and mental image faded, but I at least had an answer.

The cavern definitely lived up to its name, consisting of two major levels. The lower level was one I was thankfully not heading into; it was completely dark and I didn't have the presence of mind to grab a flashlight. The level I was on was somewhat lit; its major feature was the remains of a pond which would be drained away by a player's action in the course of the game. It was still present, but the tiny island also housed a way into a secret section that would grant the player an upgrade to Krystal's staff. The entrance had been revealed, and I was headed in.

I was greeted with another tough pill to swallow; a sheer drop of about fifteen feet into a significantly better-lit antechamber. I wasn't kidding when I mentioned I hated heights, but I had zero choice. Just like I had before I took a deep breath and jumped. The sensation of being gently lowered to the floor by some unknown force was half-expected but still pretty damn startling. As I glanced around, I could tell something wasn't right. The hallway that should have led to a simple little chamber that housed the staff upgrade wasn't there. In its place was a dark, foreboding corridor that looked about as welcoming as a root canal. Not exactly something I wanted to traverse half-naked and armed with only a handgun, but I had to make do. "Yeah... of the stupid shit I've done, this tops it." With that little tidbit firmly in mind I pulled the Glock from my pocket and jogged into the darkness.

A cloying scent filled the air as I pushed down the passage, holding the handgun in front of me as if it were some sort of magical talisman. The rough-hewn surface spoke of something that was not quite natural; small crystals poked out of the walls and ceiling at random intervals. They glowed with a purplish, ethereal light, the dim visibility somehow creating an even more foreboding experience. I hadn't seen or heard anything out of place, but that little logical voice inside my head shut down any attempt at calling out for Krystal. Something else was down here.

The passageway opened up into a less cramped but still dismal room, with two separate branches jutting from it. That's just what I needed; a fork in the road. The first thing that drew my attention was a skeleton propped in the corner. It was human. That alone sent alarm bells ringing through my head, but I had to take a closer look. By the scraps of rotting clothes on the frame it had been there for a long time. Whoever it was may have been wearing a uniform; everything was a dingy gray. I really couldn't tell who it was, other than it was a human body. That was cause for concern.

Decision time was upon me, and I hoped I made the correct one. Taking a deep breath of almost putrid air I decided on the left branch of the corridor. I was still berating myself for a pretty damn stupid chain of events in the first place. "Blind leading the blind here..." I muttered as I felt my way into the darkness. The glow in the dark crystals were far more sparse in the cramped tunnel. I focused my concentration into keeping my footing on the rough-hewn floor and listening to anything that wasn't me. The whole 'silence is deafening' bit was pretty damn true when you're used to a ton of ambient noise. I tried to be quiet, but I was making enough noise to wake the dead. I guess I'd put that one to the test... if that skeleton was up and dancing around by the time I got back I'd have to work on that whole stealth thing.

What was further disconcerting was the fact something was out there. I didn't have a clue what it was, or that the pistol I was balancing in a somewhat sweaty, shaky grasp would be any more effective than throwing spitballs at it. I wasn't stupid. The fact nothing was happening as I was stumbling through the darkened tunnel was worse than actually being attacked by some nasty unknown foe.

The glint of something about fifty feet ahead made me pause. For a full minute I stood there, listening to anything that could be happening. It was then I caught the faint scent of gunsmoke in the still air. Not a good sign at all. Cautiously I crept closer to the source of the glinting, which turned out to be the source of the smell. It was a freshly fired .45 casing. I was on the right track, but something had forced Krystal's hand enough to use my pistol. Damn it, where was she?

A vicious snarl came from deeper in the cave, echoing off the walls. Something told me that was the source of Krystal's call for help. I didn't know what good a handgun would do, but I was going to at least try. The thought that it was still trying to get to her crossed my mind and with a frown I advanced, holding the Glock out in front of me.

The beast I came across wasn't one I had ever seen in the game. It stood at roughly waist-height, looking pretty much just like an armadillo crossed with a wolf. The creature would have been comical if I hadn't had the impression that it was incredibly dangerous. Its mottled gray shell was pockmarked in a few areas, leading to the possibility she had shot it. Its head was stuck into a crevice in the rock; snarling, wuffing sounds made as it pawed at the rock barring it complete access. The snarling stopped in a flash, its head retreating from the crevice. It stared at me with beady, hungry eyes; mouth full of sharp teeth and a body that looked like it could break me in half with barely a thought.

A flash of light and a bolt of flame erupted from the crevice, slamming into the creature's shell. A yelp of pain was offered to the still, cloying air and I sprang into action. The Glock cracked several times, filling the narrow cavern with its thundering report. Another firebolt slammed into it, and with our combined fire we took the beast down. My ears were ringing with the gunfire; they hadn't fully recovered from their rupture and I was sure I had permanently damaged my hearing. I had enough presence of mind to call out. "Krystal, it's me! Are you okay?"

A moment later she emerged from the crevice, still wearing her flightsuit and helmet. Her staff was in her left hand, her right arm hanging limply by her side. Her amplified voice answered me, strained with pain. "I think I've broken my arm. It attacked me out of nowhere; I didn't catch its thought patterns until it was too late. I didn't think we would encounter a duraxeth here, not on Sauria..." She paused for a moment, her expression hidden by the helmet. "May I ask why you are practically undressed?"

My face flushed. "I pretty much ran down here when I heard your call. I didn't have much of a chance to get anything together." I motioned to her to follow me as I ducked down the tunnel. "What was that thing? You called it a... Duracell?"

That got a giggle out of her; admittedly I intentionally fudged the name. Levity was probably the name of the game right now. "It's called a duraxeth. They're native to Cerinia. Unfortunately they can shield their thought patterns; it's how it managed to catch me off guard." I could hear the weariness in her voice, a tone I probably echoed.

"Whatever it was, it took some punishment before it went down. Next time, I'll bring down something with more punch than a nine-millimeter." I swapped out magazines, noting with some concern that I had put the lion's share of fifteen rounds into the beast. "Are you injured anywhere else?"

The vixen shook her head. I could tell by her unsteady steps and shaky posture that she was in severe pain; an opaque faceplate couldn't hide that. "Nothing beyond a few good bruises and bumps. I managed to find the mushrooms the Queen needs deeper in the caverns." She patted a pouch on her flightsuit as she stumbled towards me. "I felt there was something down here that might be important, but I was attacked by the Duraxeth." She glanced around, her posture as nervous as her voice. "It's dangerous here. We should discuss this once we reach safety."

"I can definitely agree with that. The sooner we can get out of here, the better. Are you okay to move?" I kept my Glock in my right hand as I reached out to her. Surprisingly she wrapped her good hand around mine, the pliant yet grippy texture of her gloves managing to not slip even in my sweat-coated palm. I led with the handgun, making sure our way out was covered as I guided my wounded friend through the cavern. We didn't speak until we reached the fork; Krystal's amplified voice lowered in volume to where I could barely hear it.

"I'm not sure what that creature was. By the clothing, I believe it was sentient." She let go of my hand and pointed toward the skeleton wedged against one of the walls. Mindful of the fact we were in potential danger I crept closer to give the dead guy a bit more of a look.

"Whoever they were, they were one of my kind." The uniform was in tatters, but the remains of what looked like a lapel pin lay in the dirt next to the corpse. I picked it up; half-expecting it to be something like an old Nazi death's head emblem or something of the sort. It was, however, some sort of wreath which encircled an engraved orb of some sort. The inscription underneath the wreath was in stylized text I couldn't quite make out; the language utterly foreign to me. "No idea what this is supposed to signify, either." I offered the pin to Krystal, who studied it for a moment.

"I think this might be a planet, but not one I'm familiar with." Her voice sounded suddenly weary and even more pained than before; I suspected she was about to have an adrenaline crash. I motioned her onward, arching a brow as she reached out to take my hand once again. I didn't question why; I just resumed my job of leading her forward. A chilling, mournful howl echoed behind us, steeling my resolve to get us out of these caverns.

A moment later we reached our destination, the strange lift-like device which we entered the cavern by. I wasted no time, pointing Krystal towards the platform in the center while I aimed my pistol back down the path. "No time to argue. Get on!" My vulpine ally nodded and complied, stepping on the contraption. A flashbulb went off behind me as she was pulled upwards, the howling behind us turning into a disturbing mixture of growling and snarling. It sounded like the creature that had attacked us earlier; only there were more of them. My finger tightened on the trigger, ready to cover her escape.

Krystal called down to me. "I'm clear! Step on!" I backed up, leaping onto the platform as three more of the beasts burst into the chamber. I was yanked upward by an invisible force as one of them coiled back, ready to pounce. I fired my Glock, hoping to hit it or at least drive it back. The creature yelped, but made its flying leap anyway. The wind was knocked out of me at the same time I found myself being hauled upwards by an iron grip on my arm; the duraxeth's jaws snapping shut on thin air right after it collided with me. It fell back down to the ground with another yelp, the chorus of growls and howls from below reaching a fevered pitch as I emerged into the dim, musty interior of the well.

I fell on top of Krystal, who had somehow managed to reach in and grab me. She managed a squeak of pain before collapsing backwards onto the grass; in my winded state I recognized that we were still in danger if the beasts managed to ride the lift upwards. Adrenaline fueled my actions; I dropped my pistol and shoved the rock that normally covered the hole back into place. My strength gave out momentarily afterward, my legs turning to jelly as I collapsed to the ground. It was then I noticed her staff had been thrust into the dirt and I was hit with the realization of what she had just done. She had pulled me out of the hole with her broken arm, using the staff as leverage. "Fuck..." I hissed, reaching out to her while recovering my piece. "Please tell me you're okay!"

It took her a moment to respond, her voice cracking with intense agony. "N... no! Gods, this hurts!" She rolled around, clutching her bad arm with her good. As soon as I could force myself to move I was up, placing a hand on her good shoulder. The blank faceplate of her helmet turned to face me, and I could tell her entire body was shaking with a mixture of adrenaline and pain. "I hurt it... even more! I had to! The duraxethi nearly..."

"It's okay. I've got you." I slid my arm around her side and helped her stand. We weren't out of the woods yet; the ladder which led out of here was still guarded by those giant mushrooms. Krystal would be okay, but I didn't exactly have the life support system she did. At the same time I felt a wetness running down my left calf. I glanced to my leg and bit back a curse; a somewhat deep claw mark had scored a pretty good hit on me. I couldn't do much about it now, but once the adrenaline wore off I would be sharing some of Krystal's pain. "I'm going to need you to guide me through that room; I don't have any protection from those spores. Once we get to the ladder hang on as tightly as you can. I'll climb both of us up."

"O... okay." We helped each other to the entrance to the mushroom room. In preparation I took a deep breath, shut my eyes and pinched my nose. True to form Krystal tugged me along, the rustling and shaking of the agitated fungi almost shaking the ground around us. I had a mental image of exactly where we were stepping, though it had a fuzzy, dreamlike quality to it. I quickly surmised that she was showing me where to go and where to step. We ascended the knee-high platform in the middle of the room with little fuss. My lungs were aching from holding my breath, but her response caused me to stiffen. "Too dangerous. N... not yet!"

I felt her maneuver behind me, her good arm winding around my shoulder and down my side. Her grip was shaky, but somehow she managed to hold onto me like a vise. I reached out blindly, my hands finding the rungs of the ladder. "That's good, Adam. You've got it. Climb!" With an almost herculean effort I pulled us up, somehow making it several rungs before I let out my held breath in a sharp gasp. I couldn't help but suck in lungfuls of dank, musty air, but as I opened my eyes I saw the hazy, crimson outline of the spore cloud a few meters beneath our feet. I didn't stop; clawing our combined weight up the ladder like a semi pulling a loaded trailer up a mountain. My arms and back screamed at me, protesting the abuse as my calf twinged in sympathy. The macabre thought of facing death being the best exercise motivation in existence came to mind. Krystal did her best to remain still, but her shivering body was undergoing more abuse than I was and I could tell she was about to give out.

"Hang on; we're going to make it!" I doubled my efforts, tackling the last third of the ladder's span as quickly as I could. After what felt like an eternity we reached the top, I heaved us onto the ledge overlooking the well as safely as I could and gingerly settled the injured vixen onto the platform next to me. I couldn't speak as I was trying to catch my breath, not even caring about the nasty stench that still pervaded the air.

An agonized groan carried over her helmet's speakers as she struggled into a sitting position. Her opaque visor tilted towards me; I could hear her labored breathing, muffled within the helmet. She pointed towards the entrance, a single unspoken question hanging in the air. I nodded at her, reaching out my hand to her as I guided her through the tunnel that led to the entrance. The fresh air beyond was like fine wine compared to the miasma below; I hadn't realized that my mouth felt like I had been gargling swamp water for the past few hours. I spat into the grass and looked to the dimming light outside. Had we really been gone that long?

I felt a sharp tap on my leg; Krystal attracted my attention. "The power pack is... depleted. I need... to get this helmet off." She pointed to the two latches on either side; I could tell it would be almost impossible to remove with her bad arm. I reached over to her as she slumped back onto the grass, my hands cradling the helmet as I undid the latches. A soft hiss sounded as life support functions deactivated and I gently unhinged the helmet from her face.

Krystal's fur was damp from condensation; her normally straight hair frazzled from being inside the helmet for what I assumed was nearly its limit. Tears silently streamed down her cheeks as her deep emerald eyes locked onto mine. They were full of pain and a hint of fear, yet they also expressed gratitude and what even my normally clueless senses could tell was affection. Her glove-covered hand reached out to brush against my cheek, letting the tears fall as she spoke; her words barely louder than a whisper. "Thank you. You risked your life to save mine. And t... the Queen's." She winced in pain, yet we didn't turn from each other.

I wasn't sure what was happening. I felt entranced by her gaze; her soulful, vibrant eyes simply drew me in. Hell, despite the circumstances and our wounded states I could have stayed there for hours; I was struck with the realization that the notion wasn't one-sided. What finally shook me away was a warm softness in my right hand to match the one on my cheek; I was subconsciously mirroring what she was doing to me. Her fur felt luxuriantly soft as she moved to rub her cheek against my palm; I was suddenly aware by the gentle tickle of her breath on my lips that I had leaned closer to her. I wasn't clueless as to what was about to happen; despite her apparent receptiveness to the idea it probably wasn't the best idea to follow through with an impulse that I was sure wasn't just coursing through my own mind. I disentangled myself from her, fingers reluctantly removing themselves from her cheek as well as gently moving her hand away. Krystal's sheepish expression broke through the pain as I gave her hand a quick squeeze. "I'm... I got carried away. I'm sorry."

She gave my hand a squeeze in return before letting go. "It's okay." Despite the excruciating pain she managed a soft smile. "I appreciate your... concern for me. Let's get these mu... mushrooms to the Queen, then find a... a way to my ship?" I helped her to her feet, trying to shake away the afterimage of those expressive emerald eyes. That wasn't a turn of events I had expected or was even sure was wise, despite the pleasantness of it all.

Tricky was waiting for us at the creekside as we crossed it, my injured calf stinging in the chilly water. A short conversation ensued between the young Earthwalker and my wounded friend. I could see the tension release from him as she explained that we did get the mushrooms the Queen needed. I made the few steps to collect the dropped walkie-talkie and stopped at my dormant car, leaning against its bodywork for a moment of rest. I glanced down to the bandagework on my side, frowning as I noticed it was spotting through with fresh blood. That wasn't good. My own adrenaline rush was faltering, and I was starting to feel worn down.

"Are you okay?" Krystal asked, approaching me with a concerned look. She looked about as exhausted and hurt as I was; the thought that my blood loss from earlier wasn't helping things came to mind.

"No." I replied, pushing away from my car. "I think I opened those wounds again, and I'm feeling like I've been hit by a freight train. I think the Queen's higher priority right now, but neither of us are in good shape. How far away is your ship?"

She motioned me to follow along as she answered. "About eighty kilometers or so." I worked that out in my head to be about fifty miles. On primitive tracks that wouldn't be easy, and riding those kinds of roads on coilovers would probably put her into enough pain to slip into shock. She picked up on that thought right away. "I think my... previous suggestion of using the Warpstone would be the... safer option."

"I agree." We had reached the entrance to the Queen's hideaway by that point, Tricky skipping into the cave as we stood outside it. "Do you need any help inside? If not I'll get the car ready. I figure parking near the Warpstone will keep any errant Sharpclaw from breaking it until we get back."

"Actually, would you... join me?" Krystal's question stopped me in my tracks. "You... made this possible as much as I have." She tried hard to keep her broken arm still, but any minor movement caused her to wince. She was obviously in extreme pain, and not being able to do anything about it was frustrating. I glanced at my watch, frowning at the fact it was about eleven. Time moved more quickly here, and I was starting to wear out. I was aching, bleeding, and the swimming effects of what was likely a concussion were still present at times. I needed a hospital. She needed a hospital. And, frankly, I also needed a drink.

"Sure. I don't know what there is to do beyond giving her those special shrooms, but I'll keep you company if you really want me to?" The younger vixen surprised me by reaching out to take my hand once again before pulling me into the torchlit cavern. As we took the short, sloping path to where the Queen Earthwalker rested, I not so idly wondered what had changed in Krystal's demeanor. Why was she treating me with that measure of familiarity? There didn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to it.

Tricky was already down there, nosing his ailing mother. She uttered a deep, painful groan before waking. As her eyes opened they started speaking in Saurian. Krystal chimed in, automatically reaching for an equipment pouch on her flightsuit. With her bad arm. She squeaked in pain, gritting her teeth and shooting a sheepish look in my direction. "C... could you open that?"

I nodded at her, undoing the pouch and fishing out its contents. I wasn't a fan of mushrooms to begin with, but these looked like giant versions of the ones you would put on a good pizza. The fact I was about to feed them to dinosaur nobility trumped the awkwardness I felt at essentially digging inside Krystal's pocket for them. I did the deed without pomp or ceremony; letting the weakened Earthwalker slowly pluck them from my grasp one by one. The Queen laid her head back on the stone floor when our supply was exhausted. Tricky chattered at Krystal, who responded in kind. She placed her good hand on my shoulder, eliciting a questioning glance from yours truly. Her behavior towards me had changed and rapidly so; I could chalk it up to being in the heat of the moment but the fact was that we had just about crossed a major boundary without giving much thought to it.

"Tricky said she should be feeling... better in a couple of days." Krystal took a couple of steps back to lean against the cave wall as I stood up. "I think we should return to my ship... take a look at our injuries." She frowned, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "This pain is ov... overwhelming." I cast a more critical look to her injured arm. The form-fitting flightsuit didn't hide much; her arm was considerably swollen from the elbow up. My medical skills were pretty much nil, but I had picked up some things along the way.

"Yeah, that needs to be looked at. C'mon, let's get out of here and find a way to your ship." I gently ushered her outside, our unsteady gait carrying us to my car. I popped open the passenger door; motioning to the seat. "It'll beat walking over there."

With her broken arm, she needed a bit of help sitting down. How she managed to find a seating position that didn't crimp her tail I wasn't sure, but she offered me a smile. "Interesting landspeeder. I hav... haven't seen one with wheels before." I slid into the driver's seat, waving a hand at the dashboard.

I pressed the starter button on the dash; the whine of the starter followed by the muted growl of the V6 intimately familiar and comforting to me. Krystal was startled a little bit, but she managed to keep a straight face. "She's served my family well for several years; I bought her off my stepdad not long ago. I'm not going to let some Sharpclaw break her just yet, even if she's about as much a stranger here as I am." I smiled at my vulpine passenger as I turned the control stalk for the lights; HID headlamps illuminating the darkening area. I shifted into drive and gently rolled through the Hollow; keeping bumps and jerky input to a minimum to keep from jostling her arm as much as possible.

"My ship has space to park a landsp... landspeeder. We can keep this safe there." Krystal sighed, settling back into the seat. "Once we have healed, I'll... land here and we can get our supplies. Fair?" Her glove-covered hand reached out to grasp mine as it rested on the shifter. I blinked, not sure what to make of the continued affection but unable to pull my attention from the path leading up to the Warpstone. On one hand I wasn't completely comfortable with the casual affection, yet I figured it was a way for her to cope with the immense pain. On the other hand it wasn't completely unwelcome, either. I just wasn't used to it. I also didn't want to get too used to it, either; I didn't want to mess up the timeline any more than I had been.

I parked my car in front of a slightly less confused-looking Warpstone and helped Krystal out of her seat; making a side trip to fill up my backpack with some essential supplies. I also plucked my commandeered AR15 from the back seat, locking the car up before returning to her. She glanced at the new rifle quizzically, but didn't mention the new hardware. Instead she looked up to the ancient stone guardian. "Could you help us get to my ship?"

The Warpstone's Scottish brogue carried down to us. "Aye, lass. You don't look so good. Are you sure you dunnae wish to go to the Lightfoot village and find their healer?" That would be a decent suggestion, if I hadn't known what sort of welcome they gave Fox when he trespassed on their property.

Krystal shook her head. "No. My ship ha... has medical supplies. We will return i... in a few days once the Queen Earthwalker has... recovered." The dais we stood upon rose from the ground and I helped her onto the Warpstone's extended hands. I steeled myself for what was about to come. Krystal's hand once again wrapped around mine right before the psychedelic displays and flashing lights caused my stomach to churn and my mind to disconnect. Within seconds, reality faded away to a few seconds of chaos which felt like countless hours.