Posted 28 August 2010 - 11:23 AM
Chapter 9: The Resort, Part 2
The sunset had been breathtaking. The rainbow of colors had filled the horizon, instilling beauty in every segment of the sky. When the final lights faded, Galexy found herself stunned once more by the beauty of the night sky.
The stars twinkled above in a dazzling display of lights. They shimmered and sparkled as they seemingly moved across the sky. Lexy, always drawn to the constellations of the worlds above, had never anticipated such beauty. The night sky, as seen on Skaaj, was intensely better than any other planet sheâ??s been on.
The beauty of the planet served as such a contrast to the events Galexy was about to face. Or, perhaps, it served to steel her nerve. A place this nice could not have too many dangers lurking beneath its surface...could it?
Lexy gripped her Crystal Wand tightly in her fist, a look of fierce determination flitted across her face, replacing the worry that had been overly prominent lately. Next to her, Dex brought out his Crafting Block Hammer and hefted it.
â??A crafting hammer? Really?â? she whispered, not taking her eyes off of the scene before her. â??Havenâ??t you a launcher or gun instead?â?
â??Iâ??m an Artisan,â? he responded, silently wishing he had indeed thought to bring his weapons with him on his vacation. There simply had not been enough inventory space for weapons AND vacation clothes. â??What need have I for weapons? Besides, this pick is enough. Nice and sharp. What about you? What good is your wand without any skills?â?
â??Itâ??s as good as your hammer,â? she responded. She missed the glow and tiny vibrations the wand had when it was fully activated, but what could she do? At least she had the defenses and additional stats provided by her outfit. â??Itâ??s sharper, too.â?
He snorted softly, adjusting his dealer spyglass-thing to a higher setting. The scene before him magnified, coming into sharper focus. â??As sharp as a wooden short sword.â?
â??Pfft. What does an Artisan know about fighting anyways?â? She twirled the wand slowly in her hand, wondering if she could use it as a cudgel. Despite the Dealerâ??s comments, she felt that the wand was plenty sharp and small enough to handle much easier than a larger melee weapon. She tested the pointed spokes of the wand with her fingertip.
â??About as much as a full support Cleric may,â? he responded, eyes still scanning the beach front. â??Plus, Iâ??m a guy. I automatically know more about fighting than any girl.â? He mocked swinging his hammer to and fro and flexed his muscles, earning himself a smack in the back of the head with Lexyâ??s wand. Dex had been right. The wand wasnâ??t at all as sharp as it looked.
â??Whatever,â? she responded, smiling. She knew he was trying to make her feel better. And it was working. â??Some warriorâ?¦dressed in a tropical print tee, shorts, and flip-flops.â?
â??Iâ??m an extreme warrior,â? he announced proudly, still miming fighting moves with his hammer. â??Iâ??m more than extreme, Iâ??m DEXTREME!â?
He stood quickly then, waving his hammer and thrusting it forward as if he was a soldier and it a giant spear. â??Letâ??s go,â? he announced, smiling. â??Thereâ??s no one about now. Letâ??s see if we can fool those Palm-robots.â?
â??Still seems like a bit of a gamble to meâ?¦â? Lexy said uncertainly as she stood to join the Dealer.
â??You know me,â? he responded. â??Whatâ??s life without a bit of a gamble here or there? If I could, Iâ??d live in a city full of risk-taking, chances and gambling.â?
â??Seems pretty risky living anywhere, nowadays,â? she said. â??Monsters appear by the spawn-load each day.â?
Galexy followed Dex as he repelled down the cliff effortlessly and speedily. Special stones, called Sagittarius stones, increased their movement speeds when worn. Dex not only had a complete jewelry set for himself, he had an extra set to loan to the Muse. They needed every bit of magic available to them if they were to pull off this stunt.
They had debated for most of the afternoon about which jewelry set to wear. Should they look for something defensive? Offensive? Being both unskilled at the art of attack, they felt that being on the defensive side would be best and that getting in and out was even more important than having extra health or whatever.
Before long, the pair reached the edge of the palm tree border. No one was in sight. Lexy stepped out of the forest first, her purple boots sinking quietly into the soft sand dunes, and approached the line.
â??Well, here goes nothing,â? she whispered, eyes forward and trained on the boulder before her. She repeated the litany of numbers Dex had given her. He had them memorized from the personnel people from earlier. She held her breath and jumped across the line.
Galexy landed with a soft thud on the other side of the line and gazed up quickly at the border area. As the Dealer had predicted, the palm tree robots did not even register her presence. She did not have an ID-tag, so of course she was an animal that roamed the area. What else could she be?
She stood up on shaky legs, a small grin plastered on her face. She turned to Dex and waved marginally. He, on the other hand, was smiling goofily at her and gave her the thumbs up sign. She walked to the boulder, entered the code, waited for Dex to cross the barrier unharmed, and reactivated the code to re-raise the barrier. It would have been too suspicious to leave it down.
They snuck towards the building and opened the door they had seen the personnel enter. It was unlocked and unguarded. The hallway was dimly lit and smelled of oils and chemicals - not what one usually associated with a resort-type atmosphere.
A lone voice drifted down the hallway, singing some upbeat song that Galexy had never heard. The pair of adventurers followed the sound of the voice, their â??weaponsâ?? at the ready. At the end of the hallway, a single door stood open. They peered hesitantly around the edge of the door.
Inside, atop a large table situated in the center of the room, a Muse stood dancing. Her eyes were closed behind her small glasses as she belted out the happy tune. She twirled about, carefree. The white lab coat she wore over her Dimple Suit, its pockets stuffed full of papers and other knick-knacks, moved rhythmically to her song.
After a few moments, she hopped off of the table and went to one of the glass beakers on the table. She poured a small vial of blue, viscous liquid into the green mixture and swirled it gently about, still singing loudly to herself.
Galexy tip-toed towards the Muse as the Museâ??s back was turned and tightened her grip on the wand in her hand, summoning up the courage that she would need to accomplish her Quest. She did not notice as the wandâ??s glow flickered and on off, for a second resembling its state before she and Xyler had fiddled with the UI. She raised her wand above her head. With any luck, a quick downward stroke would knock the lab Muse unconscious long enough for them to tie her up and question her when she awoke.
Dex stood watch in the hall, his eyes alert for any signs of other people. Unlike Galexy, he was more excited than nervous. He had been trying to get into the complex for ages now to discover its secrets. He studied the cabinets that lined the wall and the vials and beakers that filled the tables and itched to read the labels upon them. Though he had never been a potions crafter, the art of it interested him. To discover that the resort was actually a secret laboratory like he thought was more exciting than he could put into words. He watched both Muses with growing anticipation.
The lab Muse was oblivious to her approach. Galexy came as close as she dared, arms still raised above her head, and stuck down quickly, aiming for the other Museâ??s head - with her eyes closed. It was at that exact moment that the lab Muse pirouetted to the side, accidentally avoiding Lexyâ??s blow.
The Muse shrieked loudly, her song forgotten, at the sight of the intruders. Lexy, panicked, joined in on the screeching. The Muses glanced at one another, eyes locked, and their screaming intensified. Dex ran into the room and shut the door, effectively cutting off the noise from traveling any further than their little room.
He approached them, preparing to intervene, and paused quizzically. The Muses were jumping up and down now, clutching one anotherâ??s arms. Their frightened screams were replaced by delightful squeals of surprise.
â??Leexxxyyyy!â? cried the Muse, pushing up her petite glasses that kept threatening to fall off her face from the exuberance of her bouncing. She launched forward and grasped Galexy in a tight embrace. â??I canâ??t believe youâ??re here!!â?
The Cleric, a huge grin upon her face, hugged her friend back tightly. â??I havenâ??t seen you in eons, Elly!!â?
â??You two know each other, then?â? quipped the Dealer, one eyebrow arched at them. He crossed his arms over his chest, his crafting pick tapping lightly against his shoulder. â??That rather simplifies things.â?
Elly turned to look at Dex, her gaze traveling up and down his form. She returned her gaze to Galexy, her own eyebrows waggling suggestively as she jerked her head in Dexâ??s direction. Galexy blushed and shook her head animatedly. She flicked her eyes over at the Dealer, taking in his attire, and back at Elly. Both Muses burst into a fit of giggles, much to the confusion to the scrutinized Artisan.
â??So, heâ??s unattached then,â? asked Elly, looking at the dealer slyly. She smiled. â??With a little wardrobe alterations, I bet we could change thatâ?¦â?
â??Hey!â? Dex looked down at his favorite floral print shirt and back up at the twittering girls. â??I happen to be on vacation. This is what one wears on vacation.â?
â??Uh-huh,â? Elly said, nodding. â??Like anyone vacations hereâ?¦â?
Galexy interrupted them. â??Elly just likes clothes,â? she said, trying to sooth the Dealer. â??She likes to come up with new things, designs and such. Donâ??t mind her.â? She turned to her friend. â??And Dex really was on vacation, until I interrupted.â? As an afterthought, Galexy introduced them to one another. â??Ionik, this is Ellyâ?¦We trained together back at the Arumic School for Muses from like Level 3 till 50? Before Elly zoomed on pass and outgrew me. Elly, this is Ionik, though I call him Dex. We just met here on Skaaj.â?
They each shook one anotherâ??s hand in greeting. Dex gazed up at Ellyâ??s ID-tag that read â??Ellylovesessâ?? and turned to the Muse. â??Whoâ??s Ess?â?
Galexy followed his gaze and pounced on the question. â??Yyeeeaaa! No wonder I didnâ??t recognize you. Youâ??ve changed your name! I donâ??t know any Esses. Did he train with us back in Adventure Plains? Or in the Forest of Wisdom? Or did you meet him after your second job change?â?
The other Muse blushed and shook her head. Locks of her bubblegum pink hair fell from the golden coils on her head and into her eyes. â??Itâ??s not like that at all,â? she said, her voice suddenly shy.
â??Then what? Who is he?â?
â??Itâ??s not a he,â? the Muse corrected. Her eyes staring at the ground. â??Itâ??s a what.â? She blushed a brighter shade of red and continued in a barely audible whisper. â??Itâ??s short for essenceâ?¦â?
Galexy squeaked, her face contorting as laughter bubbled out of her. â??Essencee?? Like the chemical?â?
â??Lexxyyyyy,â? moaned the Muse. She actually stomped her feet, pouting. â??Iâ??m a Chem Mage. Itâ??s what I doooo.â?
â??I know, I know. I donâ??t mean to laugh,â? said Lexy, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes. â??I just thought that there was more to it, thatâ??s all.â?
â??What about you?â? asked the Mage, changing the subject abruptly from herself. She glanced at Lexyâ??s and the Dealerâ??s missing ID-tags. â??Whatâ??s up with your names? Itâ??s all missing and stuff...â? Her eyes opened wide and her mouth formed a tiny O of surprise. â??Youâ??re not supposed to be here, are you?â?
Galexy shook her head slowly as Dex lifted up his hammer, preparing for an attack (just in case). â??Weâ??re here looking for Xyler,â? she whispered softly, the laughter gone from her voice. â??Itâ??s a long story, but weâ??ve reason to believe he was taken here after the crash.â?
â??Heâ??s a Hawker, right? Jaguar clothes, katars?â? Ellyâ??s eyes narrowed in worry. â??Also missing an ID-tag, like you guys?â?
â??Youâ??ve seen him!?â? Galexy held her breath.
Elly placed a hand on her friendâ??s arm. â??The, um...He was brought here a few days ago. They said he was a spy, from another faction, trying to steal the secrets of our lab hereâ?¦â? She raised her eyes to her friendâ??s and tilted her head to one side. Her voice was quiet, but firm when she spoke again. â??Are you a spy, Lexy?â?
â??What do I care about the secrets here?!â? Lexy yelled, angry. She took a deep breath and clutched Ellyâ??s hands in her own. â??Do I look like a spy? I just want Xyler back. I donâ??t care what it is that you guys do here. Truly I donâ??t. Iâ??ve never lied to you before. Iâ??m not lying now.â?
Elly stood there, calculating. Her eyes flitted back and forth between Galexy and the Dealer. Finally, she sighed. â??I do believe you,â? she said. â??This rather complicates things.â?
â??And here I was hoping that it would simplify thingsâ?¦â? replied the Dealer, finally joining in on the weird conversation that passed between the two Muses. â??The Hawker was alone then? No Cleric or Alphonso?â?
â??Alphonso? What would he be doing here?â? Elly looked at the two in confusion. â??There was no one else - just the Hawker.â? She turned to face Lexy fully.
Galexy retold the tale she told Dex, about the trip aboard the Flying Vessel, the fight and subsequent crash, and the events on Skaaj that led up to their entrance into the Resort complex. She even talked about Hebarn. At the mention of the Metal Monsters, also known as Castle Gears, Ellyâ??s eyes grew round again.
â??The Castle Gears are one of the secret projects weâ??re working on here,â? she confided in the two. â??Itâ??s a separate division that mine, which deals more with new potions and chemicals, but Iâ??ve seen them at work. Itâ??s supposed to help us fight off the invasion of Monsters to our worlds.â? She sighed again and sat down. â??Itâ??s a big secret. Theyâ??re afraid that the other factions will find out and steal the schematics before weâ??ve had a chance to perfect it for mass market selling. Hebarn has nothing to do with it...They thought Xyler was a spy sent by the other factions. They took him off planet already. Heâ??s to be questioned by our leader.â?
â??And who would that be, exactly?â? Dex folded his arms across his chest and waited for an answer.
â??Hm..I donâ??t know really. I answer to RschLdr01, our Veteran research scientist here and he answers up the chain of command. Iâ??m just a Rookie here... Itâ??s a good job. Weâ??re told not to ask questions, just focus on our research. I never thought anything of it. We do have spies here every so often and theyâ??re carted off planet for questioning.â? She paused. â??Iâ??m sorry I didnâ??t find out more for you, Lexy.â?
â??Do you have any idea where they would have taken him?â? Galexy asked, knowing that her voice sounded overly hopeful.
A blaring sound drowned out Ellyâ??s answer. Blue lights flashed in the corner near the door. â??Someone is landing in the courtyard,â? Elly told them. She ran to a computer terminal and keyed in some quick strokes. A scene opened before them, showing a brand new flying vessel landing in the ocean just outside of the Resort.
â??Ruvenâ??s brought someone here,â? the Mage said. â??He never shuttles anyone here directly unless theyâ??re someone really important. I donâ??t understand why heâ??d be here in the middle of the night, though..â?
Elly punched in a few buttons into the terminal and the image zoomed in. Three figures rowed to shore aboard the tiny dinghy that left Ruvenâ??s personal flying vessel. One of the people on the boat was Ruven himself, looking very wary and disturbed. He was also the only one rowing the boat.
The other two, both Hawkers stood in the rowboat, unbothered by the rocking of the waves upon the sides of their tiny boat. Though their names were difficult to make out in the distance, the symbol and name of their clan was easily read.
â??The Affliction.â? The name glowed in the dark, pulsating a sinister shade of purple in the night air. The name brought with it a sense of dread and surrealness that shook the trio to the core.
They were the monsters of fairytales, the demons of that lurked in the night, ones even Heroes could not kill. It was name of the group of assassins and warriors, told to native born citizens of the inhabited planets - stories reinforced and told to the training adventurers throughout Junon. They were the followers of evil, the apostles of Hebarn. They were nightmares incarnate.
â??Theyâ??re only tales!â? hissed Elly, trying to zoom in on the quickly approaching boat. â??The Affliction does not exist!â?
â??Looks like they exist to me,â? Galexy replied warily. Like they needed more problems right now.