Categories > Games > StarFox > The Saurial Gambit
Chapter 2: Distress Signal.
The rain came down in sheets, and given their height, it was frigid. On top of Kyte, Krystal shielded her eyes from the onslaught, trying to peer ahead through the fog of night, wind, and rain. She had no idea how high up they were; only the sound of Kyte's wings and the wind rushing at them gave any indication they were flying.
"I received a garbled distress signal!" Krystal shouted over the din, her right paw firmly clenched around her staff. The staff had been a gift from her parents; a symbol of her coming of age and eventual leader of her tribe on Cerinia. Those old dreams almost forced a tear to her eye; they were dreams shattered long ago.
The vixen forced those memories out of her head. She had to stay focused, for others were in trouble. Her Vucsed transport craft had crashed on this planet, and the last gasp of the communication system revealed the distress signal.
"It was something about a mountain hidden within a storm!" This storm was easily the largest she had seen on this planet. This contrasted Cerinia's climate greatly. Her home planet was far from a tropical paradise, but the climate here was, well... strange to put it lightly. Krystal and Kyte were getting drenched by the storm, and there wasn't much of an end in sight.
"Whoever they are, they sound like they're in great danger!" Krystal squinted into the distance, even though the visibility in the storm was cut down to practically nothing. However, she saw something up ahead... lights. They were coming closer, but she still couldn't determine what they were.
A crimson flash caught their attention, as a glowing red bolt shot through the night sky... directly at them. Kyte squawked in alarm, as Krystal hefted her staff, the shielding matrix embedded within charging up as the bolt struck it.
Krystal's arm flared with pain, as the force from the shot tore the staff from her paw, sending it sailing into the dark abyss beneath them.
"My staff!" she cried, as she shot her glance back to the lights ahead. They were rapidly taking shape; a massive ship forming through the dark and the rain. It looked like an old-time sailing ship, only refitted with wings, engines, and starfighter-class weaponry. The fusion of old and new technology confused her for a split second, as she watched the warship bear down on them.
Kyte squawked again as he dove, the Cloudrunner darting underneath the ship. Krystal blinked as she saw the massive dragon figurehead turn; heard the deep growl eminating from it, carrying through the howl of the wind and the crash of lightning.
The patter of rain stopped for a brief moment, as they skirted underneath the ship, Kyte shouting a garbled "Hold on!" to the vixen. As they cleared the stern of the ship and the massive propeller which was affixed to it, Kyte darted upwards; wings flapping for all their worth as he scaled the warship.
Krystal breathed a sigh of relief as they landed on the deck railing of the ship, sliding off the Cloudrunner's back and landing upon the wood planking with a muffled thump.
"Thanks for helping me. I can take it from here." Krystal smiled at Kyte, as he launched from the deck and into the stormy sky. Now, all she had to do was figure out what was happening on this ship. The vixen glanced over its construction. The ship was fairly straightforward, and the deck empty of any inhabitants, which she found odd. The main deck was strewn with boxes; left untethered in the storm, they slid about... that would make her journey interesting.
Krystal could hear a voice in the distance, although it was far too noisy for her to make it out. Giving another sigh, she pushed forward; her sandal-clad footpaws carrying her down the stairs to the main deck.
The main deck was a serious obstacle to navigate, the young vixen having to pull herself upon several boxes in order to keep from getting pinned. Yet, she made it, as she leaped from one of the sliding wooden containers onto the stairs of the forward deck.
Krystal gasped at the sight she saw. A young Cloudrunner was caged near the main door to the forward parts of the ship. The cage was batted back and forth with the wind, and the Cloudrunner did not look well because of it.
The vixen approached the cage, her paws reaching out to steady its motion as best she could. The occupant weakly looked to her, and spoke in strained, hushed tones.
"Get to Krazoa Palace. They're under... attack. The key's in the hold of the ship. Hurry!" The avian fluttered his wings, and pointed back across the main deck. Krystal nodded, and unlatched the cage, setting the Cloudrunner free. He tumbled out of the cage and scurried off to hide, for the time being.
Krystal glanced across the main hold, and darted down the stairs. A running leap landed her on a box; she carried her momentum from container to container, a set of leaps and jumps carrying her across the deck with ease. Eventually, she landed near where she had started, the open door to the caro hold beckoning her inside.
The first thing the vixen noticed was the overall dryness of the place. It was a welcome change from the pelting of the rain, and it was warm, as well. Her traditional Cerinian garb was just fine for most of her planet's year, but in this stuff, her top, loincloth, and bracers just did not do the trick.
The hold was also well-lit, lanterns attached to the walls shedding their glow upon the multitudes of boxes inside. They were cluttered everywhere; how would she find a key in a maze like this?
Krystal spotted it on the opposite wall; an intricately made gold key, as before, across a slew of boxes. The idea that she would begin to take a dislike to them crossed her mind, but this 'Krazoa Palace' sounded like the source of the distress signal, and so she pushed on.
The boxes impeded her once again, as she pushed and darted her way through them. Slowly, she made her way to the end of the hold, and plucked the key from its resting place. She tucked it into her leg bracer, and pushed her way out of the cargo hold, once again.
The rain had subsided a bit, and the swaying of the warship had stopped somewhat. The boxes were a little easier to pass this time, although a few close calls almost sent her sliding on the slick deck as well. Finally, she approached the door to the front cabin, just in time for it to open.
Krystal jumped back a step, as the tall, bipedal dinosaur stormed out of the cabin, his black eyes glaring at her with a mixture of hatred and annoyance. He stood nearly twice her height, and was built like a statue.
"General Scales, Ruler, Tyrant, and Dictator of Dinosaur Planet!" He boomed, as he approached the young vixen. "What brings you to my world, little girl?"
Krystal stood her ground, her sea-green eyes boring into Scales' obsidian pools. "I am not here to fight you. I am only here because of a distress call."
Scales started chuckling, his deep voice giving a ringing, evil quality to it. "Distress call? This entire planet is in distress!"
Krystal grit her teeth and raised a paw; her finger pointing at Scales. "You're the evil General the Cloudrunner told me about!"
Instantly, Scales went into action, closing the distance between them in a stride and the reach of his massive hand. Its twin was gone, replaced by an evil-looking set of blades attached to his wrist. However, the blades were not used; his hand closing around Krystal's throat. As she squirmed, Scales walked to the railing of the ship. "No one challenges General Scales!"
Krystal's voice was cut off by the iron grasp around her throat, yet her paws scrabbled upon his fingers, trying to pry loose from his grip. It was no use, as she felt herself being drawn back; she barely felt herself being flung over the railing, the feeling of vertigo in her stomach as she plummeted toward the dark, unknown earth beyond.
The sensation stopped abruptly, as she hit something soft and yielding; Kyte giving out a soft squak when she landed on top of him. The vixen clung on for dear life, as Kyte soared away from the vessel. Somehow, she knew where they were headed, now... Krazoa Palace.
The rain came down in sheets, and given their height, it was frigid. On top of Kyte, Krystal shielded her eyes from the onslaught, trying to peer ahead through the fog of night, wind, and rain. She had no idea how high up they were; only the sound of Kyte's wings and the wind rushing at them gave any indication they were flying.
"I received a garbled distress signal!" Krystal shouted over the din, her right paw firmly clenched around her staff. The staff had been a gift from her parents; a symbol of her coming of age and eventual leader of her tribe on Cerinia. Those old dreams almost forced a tear to her eye; they were dreams shattered long ago.
The vixen forced those memories out of her head. She had to stay focused, for others were in trouble. Her Vucsed transport craft had crashed on this planet, and the last gasp of the communication system revealed the distress signal.
"It was something about a mountain hidden within a storm!" This storm was easily the largest she had seen on this planet. This contrasted Cerinia's climate greatly. Her home planet was far from a tropical paradise, but the climate here was, well... strange to put it lightly. Krystal and Kyte were getting drenched by the storm, and there wasn't much of an end in sight.
"Whoever they are, they sound like they're in great danger!" Krystal squinted into the distance, even though the visibility in the storm was cut down to practically nothing. However, she saw something up ahead... lights. They were coming closer, but she still couldn't determine what they were.
A crimson flash caught their attention, as a glowing red bolt shot through the night sky... directly at them. Kyte squawked in alarm, as Krystal hefted her staff, the shielding matrix embedded within charging up as the bolt struck it.
Krystal's arm flared with pain, as the force from the shot tore the staff from her paw, sending it sailing into the dark abyss beneath them.
"My staff!" she cried, as she shot her glance back to the lights ahead. They were rapidly taking shape; a massive ship forming through the dark and the rain. It looked like an old-time sailing ship, only refitted with wings, engines, and starfighter-class weaponry. The fusion of old and new technology confused her for a split second, as she watched the warship bear down on them.
Kyte squawked again as he dove, the Cloudrunner darting underneath the ship. Krystal blinked as she saw the massive dragon figurehead turn; heard the deep growl eminating from it, carrying through the howl of the wind and the crash of lightning.
The patter of rain stopped for a brief moment, as they skirted underneath the ship, Kyte shouting a garbled "Hold on!" to the vixen. As they cleared the stern of the ship and the massive propeller which was affixed to it, Kyte darted upwards; wings flapping for all their worth as he scaled the warship.
Krystal breathed a sigh of relief as they landed on the deck railing of the ship, sliding off the Cloudrunner's back and landing upon the wood planking with a muffled thump.
"Thanks for helping me. I can take it from here." Krystal smiled at Kyte, as he launched from the deck and into the stormy sky. Now, all she had to do was figure out what was happening on this ship. The vixen glanced over its construction. The ship was fairly straightforward, and the deck empty of any inhabitants, which she found odd. The main deck was strewn with boxes; left untethered in the storm, they slid about... that would make her journey interesting.
Krystal could hear a voice in the distance, although it was far too noisy for her to make it out. Giving another sigh, she pushed forward; her sandal-clad footpaws carrying her down the stairs to the main deck.
The main deck was a serious obstacle to navigate, the young vixen having to pull herself upon several boxes in order to keep from getting pinned. Yet, she made it, as she leaped from one of the sliding wooden containers onto the stairs of the forward deck.
Krystal gasped at the sight she saw. A young Cloudrunner was caged near the main door to the forward parts of the ship. The cage was batted back and forth with the wind, and the Cloudrunner did not look well because of it.
The vixen approached the cage, her paws reaching out to steady its motion as best she could. The occupant weakly looked to her, and spoke in strained, hushed tones.
"Get to Krazoa Palace. They're under... attack. The key's in the hold of the ship. Hurry!" The avian fluttered his wings, and pointed back across the main deck. Krystal nodded, and unlatched the cage, setting the Cloudrunner free. He tumbled out of the cage and scurried off to hide, for the time being.
Krystal glanced across the main hold, and darted down the stairs. A running leap landed her on a box; she carried her momentum from container to container, a set of leaps and jumps carrying her across the deck with ease. Eventually, she landed near where she had started, the open door to the caro hold beckoning her inside.
The first thing the vixen noticed was the overall dryness of the place. It was a welcome change from the pelting of the rain, and it was warm, as well. Her traditional Cerinian garb was just fine for most of her planet's year, but in this stuff, her top, loincloth, and bracers just did not do the trick.
The hold was also well-lit, lanterns attached to the walls shedding their glow upon the multitudes of boxes inside. They were cluttered everywhere; how would she find a key in a maze like this?
Krystal spotted it on the opposite wall; an intricately made gold key, as before, across a slew of boxes. The idea that she would begin to take a dislike to them crossed her mind, but this 'Krazoa Palace' sounded like the source of the distress signal, and so she pushed on.
The boxes impeded her once again, as she pushed and darted her way through them. Slowly, she made her way to the end of the hold, and plucked the key from its resting place. She tucked it into her leg bracer, and pushed her way out of the cargo hold, once again.
The rain had subsided a bit, and the swaying of the warship had stopped somewhat. The boxes were a little easier to pass this time, although a few close calls almost sent her sliding on the slick deck as well. Finally, she approached the door to the front cabin, just in time for it to open.
Krystal jumped back a step, as the tall, bipedal dinosaur stormed out of the cabin, his black eyes glaring at her with a mixture of hatred and annoyance. He stood nearly twice her height, and was built like a statue.
"General Scales, Ruler, Tyrant, and Dictator of Dinosaur Planet!" He boomed, as he approached the young vixen. "What brings you to my world, little girl?"
Krystal stood her ground, her sea-green eyes boring into Scales' obsidian pools. "I am not here to fight you. I am only here because of a distress call."
Scales started chuckling, his deep voice giving a ringing, evil quality to it. "Distress call? This entire planet is in distress!"
Krystal grit her teeth and raised a paw; her finger pointing at Scales. "You're the evil General the Cloudrunner told me about!"
Instantly, Scales went into action, closing the distance between them in a stride and the reach of his massive hand. Its twin was gone, replaced by an evil-looking set of blades attached to his wrist. However, the blades were not used; his hand closing around Krystal's throat. As she squirmed, Scales walked to the railing of the ship. "No one challenges General Scales!"
Krystal's voice was cut off by the iron grasp around her throat, yet her paws scrabbled upon his fingers, trying to pry loose from his grip. It was no use, as she felt herself being drawn back; she barely felt herself being flung over the railing, the feeling of vertigo in her stomach as she plummeted toward the dark, unknown earth beyond.
The sensation stopped abruptly, as she hit something soft and yielding; Kyte giving out a soft squak when she landed on top of him. The vixen clung on for dear life, as Kyte soared away from the vessel. Somehow, she knew where they were headed, now... Krazoa Palace.
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