Hello, my people. I hope you're having a wonderful day. And if today isn't your day, then I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow!
Also, here is my standard apology for taking so long with another update… thanks as always for your patience.
Before you read, I had to do a tiny little retcon to the previous chapter, so go ahead and reread the last couple of paragraphs of Chapter X before reading this one. Thanks for humoring me!
DARKNESS IN CHIMA
Part Four: The World Under
Chapter XI
The Crescent
Thursday June 20, 2019…
As dawn broke after another long night, Laval approached Fluminox, who stood ever stoic at his usual perch atop the Crescent base's observation platform.
"How is your father?" Fluminox asked in concern.
"He lost blood, but he'll make it," Laval replied. "He only got grazed; that stinger would've gone right through him if the wolves hadn't shown up when they did. I'm glad they're back in the fight."
"Indeed," Fluminox nodded.
A few moments passed before Laval spoke up again.
"Is everyone situated?" the young and exhausted lion asked the wise old Phoenix.
"Yes," Fluminox replied, "all of the lions have been distributed among the other tribes' territories."
Laval sighed in relief that the task was done. "Good. After the attack last night, I think they'll feel much safer in less exposed locations. No offense to your defensive capabilities."
"None taken, friend," Fluminox said with a slight but sincere smile. "The Crescent is out in the open because it is meant to be visible: a symbol of the Phoenix's silent guardianship of this world. No matter how great our defensive power, it is natural that your people felt exposed when the Outland Tribes attacked."
Laval nodded in agreement. "But they learned one thing: the power of a united Chima. We did push them back—they didn't even make it to the top of the hill."
"You are correct," Fluminox finally turned to face Laval. "But do not let that victory convince you that you can simply march your forces to retake your city. There, they hold a great and ancient power; we must wait until the Guardians have wrested that power away from Tenebris."
"I know," Laval conceded. "If nothing else, we now have a more functional operating base without all the civilians here."
"Indeed. Now, go and get some rest."
Laval's excitement at the prospect of a few hours of sleep was short-lived, as at that moment Cragger came rushing onto the observation platform.
"Laval! Fluminox!" the crocodile prince gasped, out of breath from running up the stairs after the long night they all had.
"What is it?" Laval asked his best friend.
"Mack's dragon is coming in," Cragger reported.
Laval frowned. "Just him? That's probably not good…"
"Laval, fetch the samurai girl and the ghostly Wind Master," Fluminox ordered. "We will meet the Green Ninja when he lands."
A few minutes later, Mack landed his elemental dragon in the main courtyard of the Crescent. Fluminox was waiting for him along with Laval, Cragger, Morro, and Nya.
"Hey," Morro greeted after Mack dismounted and dissipated his dragon, "not that I'm not glad to see you, but I'm not sure I'm glad to see just you."
"What's going on?" Laval asked.
"Everything is fine," Mack assured. "I came to get Nya. Jay is hurt."
Nya gasped and the others looked concerned. "Oh no; is it bad?"
"Not too bad, a gash on his leg. I think he'll be able to fight again in a couple days, but I need you to come down with me so you can patch him up."
"Have one of my guards show you to the medical supply stores," Fluminox ordered. "Take a lot—perhaps it would be prudent for you to stay with the Guardians in the world below in case there are more injuries."
Nya nodded firmly. "Alright, I'll be right back."
"I'll go with you," Morro offered.
The two went to the nearest Phoenix guard. He led them into the Crescent main keep to collect the medical supplies Fluminox had offered.
Fluminox sent Laval and Cragger away to get a few hours of rest.
"Since you're here," the Phoenix turned to Mack, "tell me: how goes your mission?"
Mack explained that the Guardians have freed two power crystals so far. He explained that as each dinosaur tribe is connected to one of the elements, the Guardian corresponding to each tribe's element is the only one who can communicate with the tribe elders and therefore the only one trusted to go near the power crystal.
So, he explained, Pete and Jay have both faced off against shadows placed by Tenebris to strangle the Ice and Lightning Crystals and came away victorious, but Jay was injured in his fight. The rest of the Guardians were proceeding into the Brachiosaurus Tribe's territory as he spoke.
Finished with his report, Mack asked how things had been faring in upper Chima in the days since the Guardians' departure.
Fluminox explained that the Dark Tribes have been harassing the Crescent, including a major attack the previous night after which he and the injured Lagravis decided to distribute the lions to the more secluded tribal territories to help them feel more safe.
Fortunately, recent events had made the tribes more united than ever, and the Wolf Tribe was especially eager to help and now hosted the majority of the lions in their territory.
With both parties appraised of each other's situations, the conversation fell silent. Mack looked up at Mount Cavora in the distance and became concerned as the Chi falls looked thinner than he remembered.
"Is it just me," he asked, "or is there less water coming from Mount Cavora than before?"
"Your eyes do not deceive you," Fluminox answered in a grave tone. "Tenebris with his darkness is beginning to take hold of Cavora as he took hold of the power crystals below."
"You can't do anything?" Mack was careful to pose the question as genuine and not a challenge.
"The Phoenix are defenders, not attackers."
Mack nodded and considered this for a moment. "We're running out of time."
"You have already freed a third of those power crystals—you are making extraordinary pace."
Mack was only frustrated by Fluminox's attempt to placate him. "And it's not enough."
Fluminox frowned. "Mack, have you ever relied on a strength other than your own?"
"What are you talking about?" Mack wondered if this Phoenix existed only to frustrate and perplex him. "The rest of the Guardians are down there climbing Behemoth Mesa without me right now, to save time. It's them who must face the shadows down there, not me. I have no problem leaning on my team, Fluminox."
Mack had approached within a couple inches of Fluminox's face without realizing it, but the Phoenix was not fazed.
"You know I'm not talking about the mission," Fluminox said quietly but with such intensity that Mack backed away.
"Wh—what?" the mighty Green Ninja stammered in a small voice.
"These last months, I have seen you walk out of church after church, frustrated and defeated. I know that you have been searching for something greater than yourself. But your behavior suggests that you doubt anyone can be more powerful than yourself—that no one except you can solve your problems."
Mack was stunned. How long had Fluminox been watching him? Could the Phoenix read his mind?
Before Mack could respond, Nya and Morro returned with a heap of medical supplies stuffed into two bags. Without a word, Mack turned away from Fluminox's smoldering face and manifested his dragon at the center of the main courtyard.
Morro stood beside Fluminox as Nya in turn manifested her own dragon. He could tell by Mack's silence that he was rattled by something.
"What did you say to him?" Morro asked.
Fluminox took a deep breath. "He wants to believe in something greater than himself, but his pride is in the way. I gave him a push."
Mack and Nya lifted off and set off for the land under to complete their mission.
"I don't understand," Morro said as he waved goodbye to his departing friends.
"You will," Fluminox replied. "When this is over, Mack will go home and find what he has been seeking."
Morro sighed. "If you say so."
The Phoenix could be simply exhausting.
Meanwhile, at the edge of Behemoth Mesa, a couple of burly creatures with very long necks and small heads sifted through the many loose rocks, inspecting each one with great attention.
"Ooh," one of them exclaimed, holding up an apparently impressive specimen, "what about this one?"
"Quiet, Brother Brez," the second hushed. "I see something. Or someone."
Brez squinted and saw what his companion was referencing: a group of five travelers beginning the arduous hike up the mesa. "Several someones, it would seem."
"Indeed," the second creature nodded. "Let us see what has brought these strangers to us."
The Guardians were about a quarter of the way up Behemoth Mesa, but their group was smaller than usual. While Mack was away fetching Nya, Lloyd led the team to continue their mission. However, Jay could not be left alone in his injured state, so Kai stayed behind at Dragon's Landing to protect him. That dropped their number from eight to five.
Cole wanted to be the one to stay behind with Jay, but of course that would be impossible. The Brachiosaurus Tribe's power was surely the power of earth, since their territory was made entirely of earthly sediment—a giant plateau covered in rocks, decorated with multiple rock formations.
Cole's power would surely be necessary to restore the stolen earth power to the Brachiosaurus Tribe, so he was forced to leave Jay behind.
His inability to watch over his best friend wasn't the only thing bothering the ghostly Guardian.
"Sure would be nice if these dinos would hunt us down so we wouldn't have to climb this thing."
Pete rolled his eyes at Cole's complaining. "Dude, this is your element and you're a ghost—how can climbing a mountain be hard for you?"
"It's not," Cole replied too quickly, "I just wish we didn't have to do it. Someone remind me why we're not just flying up there."
"Because," Lloyd said, "the velociraptors almost sacrificed us for invading their territory. Now, we're moving into Brachiosaurus territory, and the last thing we want to do is frighten a tribe of the biggest dinosaurs down here."
"How do you know they're the biggest ones?" Zee asked.
"I guess you weren't paying attention during our Jurassic Park marathon," Cole replied. "They're huge!"
"Are you going to base all your expectations of these tribes on those movies?" Kasey asked, which resulted in a laugh from the assembled group.
The Guardians froze when two very deep voices joined their laughter. They turned their attention upward and saw two large creatures standing there, looking curious but not threatening, their long necks cocked as they studied the aliens in their territory.
Members of the Brachiosaurus Tribe, the humans presumed.
"He—hello," Lloyd stammered.
The creatures gasped. "It speaks," one of them said to the other.
"Damn," the other creature cursed as he handed the first a handful of pebbles from a pouch at his side. Apparently, there had been a bet in place concerning the humans' ability to speak.
"My name is Brother Brez," the first creature said. "This is Brother Brint. We belong to the Brachiosaurus Tribe. May we ask you are and why you are climbing our mesa?"
Lloyd, as the de facto leader, was the one who stepped forward to answer. "We're Guardians, and we're here to help you."
Lloyd then proceeded to explain the Guardians' mission. The brachiosaurus brothers were surprised to learn from these strangers that their power crystal had been jacked.
"We have not used the power of the Earth Crystal for many years," Brother Brint explained. "You understand, we are quite mighty creatures, and no other creature can do us harm."
"And so," Brother Brez continued, "because there is no reason to fight, we have sworn ourselves to the cause of peace. We live a simple life—no need for such a power as the Earth Crystal."
"All the same," Cole replied, "we need to see the crystal. You might not use it, but Tenebris is using it against Chima."
"Well then," Brother Brint exclaimed, "for the sake of Chima, we will take you to our elders. If your words are true, they will allow you to access our power crystal."
The brothers then escorted the Guardians across Behemoth Mesa to a rock formation appropriately named the Stone Eye, where the Brachiosaurs Tribe elders waited. As Pete did with the Triceratops Tribe, Cole presented his account of the situation.
The elders took Cole through the arch of the Stone Eye and stopped in front of a great boulder. Cole sensed that, as the guardian tribe of the Earth Crystal, the boulder might be a trial of strength. And he was right—when he lifted the boulder, he revealed the entrance to an enormous underground cave.
Feeling the elders urging him on, Cole drew the Scythe of Quakes and used his power to fashion a set of stairs out of the ample surrounding stone so that he could descend into the dark chamber, guided only by the faint orange glow of the Earth Crystal at the bottom of the cave.
After descending forever, Cole finally stood on solid ground. He braced himself for battle as the shadow came away from the crystal—allowing it to more effectively illuminate the cave—and formed itself into a giant brachiosaurus, even bigger than the massive elders.
The monolith shadow immediately roared and attempted to stomp Cole, but Cole stuck the butt of the Scythe of Quakes to the ground so that the creature stepped on its blade.
The beast raged; large chunks of the chamber's walls broke off and hurled themselves at Cole. He dodged them, but only narrowly. One of the rocks knocked the Scythe from the Earth Guardian's hand, sending it several yards away.
The behemoth offered no respite and send another volley of rocks at its enemy.
Cole was flooded with fear; he only dodged the rocks by luck the first time, and luck was no way to survive a fight. As the next round of rocks flew his way, Cole remembered something Morro said to him a while ago when he was discouraged about his progress with his ghost powers—or lack thereof.
I only unlocked my ghost powers when my confidence in myself outweighed my fear of failure, the more seasoned ghost had said. I know it sounds like pure cheese, but you'll get ahold of your ghost powers when you finally believe in yourself.
Empowered by the memory of Morro's words, Cole made a fist and met his enemy's purple eyes as the rocks flew harmlessly through him.
The monster was visibly confused, and Cole took the opportunity to use his own Earth powers to break off a very large chunk of rock from high in the chamber. He brought the boulder down onto the beast's head with a force only a Master of Earth could muster.
His opponent stunned, Cole reclaimed the Scythe of Quakes and stabbed deep into one of the creature's legs, and it fell over on its side. Cole then leaped into the air and brought the Scythe down hard onto its neck.
The behemoth roared but then went quiet. A moment later, Cole was thrown back by the force of the creature exploding into a shadowy mist.
Meanwhile, Mack and Nya were returning to Dragon's Landing. Kai was relieved at their arrival; as much as he loved Jay, his company was probably too much for just one person.
Nya hugged Kai and hugged and kissed Jay, and then she went right to work cleaning Jay's leg wound. Luckily, it wasn't quite so bad that Jay would need stitches, and he would be able to travel tomorrow as long as he didn't push it too hard.
However, fighting was out of the question.
"If I can't fight," Jay thought aloud, "maybe I would be more useful helping out up there."
Mack considered this for a moment.
"You might be right," the Green Ninja conceded. "But it doesn't really matter where you're more useful. We need to stick together."
"We left Morro up there," Jay said not necessarily in an accusatory tone, but in a matter-of-fact way. "And Nya was up there too until we needed her help."
Mack sighed. "Honestly, I left Morro up there because I don't trust that Phoenix."
"Yeah," Nya scoffed, "Morro suspected that. Don't worry—he doesn't trust him either."
"Do you?" Mack asked.
Nya thought for a few seconds. "I don't know."
A moment passed before Jay spoke up. "Hey, look—they're back!"
Mack and Nya turned around and saw the rest of the Guardians coming over the hill into Dragon's Landing.
"Tell us straight," Cole said in a pretend-serious way, "are we gonna have to chop the leg?"
Nya laughed. "I think we can save it."
After Mack and Nya caught the group up on the recent events of the land above, Lloyd and the others who had traveled to Behemoth Mesa talked about their journey and about meeting the Brachiosaurus Tribe. Cole also told the story of defeating the monstrous shadow that had corrupted the Earth Crystal, including the unlocking of his ghost powers.
With the stories concluded, the Guardians discussed their next steps. Mack expressed his concern that they were running out of time, and some thought it would be best to split up to cover the remaining tribes' territories.
"I know we split up to make sure Jay got the care he needed," Mack said, "but I believe we should stay together from here on out. Time is of the essence, yes; but Fluminox seems to think we can complete our mission in time."
Nya frowned. "But I thought you didn't trust—"
"I don't," Mack interrupted. "I don't trust Fluminox, but I trust this team to do what we came down here to do in the time that we need to do it."
The rest of the Guardians (and Nya) nodded to show their agreement.
"Alright," Mack clapped his hands. "Tonight we rest, and tomorrow we'll start toward… who has the map?"
Jay quickly pulled the map out of his pocket. "Next closest territory is Scorched Savanah to the south," the Blue Ninja piped up before going quiet.
"What?" Nya asked.
"The map says the Savanah is the territory of the Tyrannosaurus Tribe."