Fall of a Caretaker
October 28th, 2006 by Salem
Chapter 47 – A small rowboat makes it’s way to the shore of a deserted beach. Lady Slambrawn and Dalton, her faithful servant, jumps off the small boat into the water. Nuclear-Chipmunk kept a firm hold on the boat’s bow as the metal hummingbird called the LightningBlade hovers behind him. Lady Slambrawn walked out of the water and on to the beach with Dalton pulling the boat out of the water. “Fate is with us my pet,” said Lady Slambrawn. When Nuclear-Chipmunk was sure that dry land was under him, he jumped off and joined his master on the beach. Dalton reaches into the boat and pulls out a large hourglass. It was getting hard to see the black sand inside the timekeeping device in the fading suns light, but Dalton could tell where the sand was. “The sand is half way now, my Lady,” said Dalton. “Thank you, Dalton,” answered Lady Slambrawn, “Smell the air and take it in deep. Tonight, the Slambrawn family name will join the few in history.” “But why has the Mysterious Master sent us here to this place? We are practically in the middle of nowhere,” said Dalton. “You are wrong. This is the one place I needed to be all along. The Master knew this. I am very fortunate to have met the man. I will do this task for him. Even if he goes back on his word to make me the first Queen of all of Colloquy, he can’t take this away from me or my family. That is, once I do the act,” said Lady Slambrawn, “Now come, Dalton. I plan to be there by the time the sand is one tenth the way.” The small group head up the beach to the mountains nearby.
Captain James was happier then he had ever been before. He has DarkRaptor on his ship and is now showing her around. But the thing that has made him the happiest man of all is his son is traveling with her and fighting at her side. David did not see it that way. David felt like a real disappointment. So far all he has done around Dark was fail to ride a horse, did not get to a fight, followed around a woman who was not there, make love to Christina, and in the last fight, he was completely useless. Even Emhril, who is sleeping most of the time, joined into the fight and used his EarthBlade to bust up a platoon or two. All David had managed to do was to clean the Phantom army’s armor. “I can’t believe you’ve never been on the TidusBlade before!” said James. “I had very little faith in the Blades back then,” answered Dark. The lift doors opened and James escorted Dark onto the bridge. “This is the main bridge,” said James. “Main bridge?” asked Dark, “Is there more than one?” “Well there’s a second bridge but it’s completely unusable,” said James. “Let me see this unusable second bridge,” said Dark.
After awhile James with Dark, the twins and a crewman arrive at large double doors. The doors were actually sideways and the room looked to be located on the portside of the TidusBlade. James called into his ComBlade, “Engine room, restore power second bridge.” “Aye, Captain,” replied the crewman in the engine room. The lights around the sideways double door began to light and grew brighter and brighter. The doors slid open with one door going into the floor and the other going into the ceiling. “Wow,” said Selene, “None of your forefathers has ever shown us this room. “Well there’s no mystery why,” said James, “It’s completely useless.” The group looked inside to see a copy of the main bridge but it was all turned sideways to the right. “The TidusBlade has gravity generators in it,” said Salem, “Can you not just use them to allow you to enter the room?” “We can do that,” said James before he turned to the crewman who was with them and gave him the signal to turn the room’s Grav Generator on. The crewman opened a small door in the floor and he connected some wires. The lights inside the second bridge started to brighten. James showed them the way to step into the sideways room and the others followed his example.
Once stepping in the room everything looked right side up again, everything but the world outside. The screens were showing the ocean standing to the left side. “That is one reason why this bridge is unusable. We can’t navigate when the view is sideways like that.” A look at the control panels revealed that they were closer to the floor than the ones on the main bridge. “The seats,” said Salem, “Look at all the seats in this room.” “They are all half the size of the ones in the main bridge,” observed Dark. “This Blade expects children to use this bridge?” Selene asked herself out loud. “The controls on the panels are smaller too,” said James, “There is no way a full grown person, especially in a high pressure situation, can use these controls without hitting the other buttons around the one they need to use.” “Hence, why you say this alternate control room is unusable,” said Dark.
After seeing the sideways room and being taken on a more expansive tour of the TidusBlade than James gave the Blade Masters at Hellion, the twins returned to the deck where their room is located. The Blade Masters were busy exchanging rooms between themselves. Christina had already gathered her things and moved them to the Koror Family deck where David’s room is. Vivien moved in with Jarody. Zealot moved out of his and Jarody’s room and into Christina and Vivien’s old room to have a room to himself. Detective Lagan has her room to herself without Pacer. “I have an idea sister,” said Selene. “I know. You want to move in with Zealot,” said Salem. “Any objections?” asked Selene. “Go ahead. I will have Lagan move in with me so Dark, Cold, and Purple can have a room,” said Salem. “Are you sure there is not any other motive to have Lagan in the room with you?” asked Selene. “How can you think that?” asked Salem. “I honestly do not know,” jokes Selene before knocking on Zealot’s door to ask him permission to move in. Dark and PurpleRaptor exit the lift and onto the Blade Master deck. “We have a room for you, Purple, and Cold,” said Salem. “Cold is staying on the bridge. She doesn’t need to sleep,” said Dark, “Captain James tried to give me the Royal Suite. I told him, ‘Thank you, but I think its best that I had a room here, where I can keep an eye on that what we were talking about,” said Dark. “Good thinking,” said Salem. “Oh, I’ve taken the liberty of filling the captain in on what needs to be done and why it’s important,” said Dark, “Hope I didn’t overstep my bounds.” “Don’t worry Dark. I bet it had more impact coming from you,” said Selene, “If you excuse me, I will go get Lagan to move into my room so you can move in.” Soon after, the Blade Masters and Raptors finally settled in and enjoyed the heated showers and the soft clean beds.
Night had fallen and a heavy rainstorm had arrived just when Lady Slambrawn, Nuclear-Chipmunk, the LightningBlade and Dalton entered a cave. The cave was large but it was long and winding. A sign, recently carved into the rock, showed Lady Slambrawn that she was in the right cave and headed in the right direction. “Get up Dalton,” said Lady Slambrawn, “My destiny waits.” Dalton gets up after they had taken a few hours to rest at the entrance and begins to pull the large hourglass by its handle as the wheels moved along the uneven surface. The hourglass itself is being kept upright through a series of hinges and wheels. Lady Slambrawn lights a torch, to see in the dark cave. The light was bright enough to see that the sand was a little more than one forth the way to the end. Dalton was halfway hoping that the sand had gone farther then where it is now. Dalton wanted to get the task that the Mysterious Master had sent them on over with very quickly. Deeper and deeper into the long cave they walk with Nuclear-Chipmunk giving a chirp every few feet or so for even he knew that what they are doing is very dangerous.
David introduced Christina to his parents as his girlfriend. James was very happy that his son had found a very VERY proud chested woman to share his love. Lydia, David’s mother, had a different opinion about women with large chests. Everywhere the TidusBlade had been the land women with large chests usually dance naked for money in taverns and pubs or they would mate with anyone for money. Christina had the largest chest Lydia had ever seen, meaning that Christina probably does both. James wanted to talk with David and Christina more, but there was another child of his that he needed to talk to. James waited in his office while he added a new entry in his log as John enters. “You wanted to see me, father?” said John. “Yes, John,” said James, “You know, I have to explain to the philosophers why we had to dump their precious labs into the sea for a bunch of barbaric warriors.” “With respect, Father,” John interrupted, “I thought you regarded the Blade Masters as valued friends.” “Yes, I do. I’m glad you were able to make the choice without having to consult me even with your brother being with them. I know how you feel about him,” said James, “This has shown me that you are ready. When the time comes for your mother and I to leave the TidusBlade for an old couples’ log cabin next to the sea somewhere, I know I will find rest easily knowing that I had left the TidusBlade in the right hands. Your grandfather had to deal with the burden of making me captain. I bet the old man still tosses and turns in his bed at night, not knowing if I have run this ship aground yet.” “You still have a good twenty years in you father. Why are you talking like this now?” asked John. “Can’t I talk with my second in command while the feeling is with me?” asked James, “I’m telling you how proud I am son and you are acting as if I’m chastising you.” “I didn’t!” began John. “Just promise me that David will always have a place here,” said James, “He may stay with the twins or he might go out on his own again. Whatever happens after all of this, no matter what he’s done or what he’ll do. I want him to always have a place here..” John looks down at the floor taking in all his father was saying, “Yes, father.” “He may come and go but he is still family,” said James. There was a knock on the door and Dr. Billing entered, “Excuse me if I was imagining it but I thought I ordered you to bed.” “That’s right, you did,” said James, “A few things came up.” “But they are over now,” said Billing, “Back to bed with you, go on, Doctor’s orders.” “Yes, Legs,” said James as he, John and Legs left the office. “You have the bridge,” said James to his son.
The night was a short one as the TidusBlade heads to the west where the first of the two suns were just coming out from behind the horizon. They had arrived at the busy seaport of the fishing town of Koror. The twins were successful in getting everyone out of bed and gathered in the main cargo hold. A few of the large doors have been open giving the Blade Masters a great view of the busy port as they close in. Almost at the other side of Colloquy, Lady Slambrawn, Nuclear-Chipmunk, the LightningBlade and Dalton arrive in a large chamber. “There she is,” said Lady Slambrawn pointing at a wall in the unbelievably large space. Dalton could not see what his master was pointing at but Nuclear-Chipmunk’s reaction seemed to confirm it. The small rodent turned from happy pet to an animal ready to kill. “The Slambrawn family name is about to join the few,” said Lady Slambrawn, “with Battenberg, Copperfield, Koror, and even the Gemini Twin HexBlade Masters. To kill a Caretaker is to carve your name in history for all time.” This had reminded Dalton to check the large hourglass he was pulling. “I believe we are about ten minutes away from the end,” informed Dalton. “Very good,” replied Lady Slambrawn, “Just as I planned. You know what to do my pet.” Nuclear-Chipmunk gave a squeak of acknowledgement before scampering off to a hiding place. “You stay out of sight Dalton and call out when time is almost up,” instructed Lady Slambrawn. Dalton quickly pulled the large hourglass behind a large rock and tried his best to keep it and himself out of sight.
Lady Slambrawn approached the center of the large arena like room and activates her Blade hidden underneath her very elegant looking dress. The ThunderBlade armor tore her dress into nothing more than confetti as it covers her arms and legs as well as formed the large cannon in its ready position on her back. Lady Slambrawn stops when she thinks she was in the absolute center of the room and looked around. The ground was not only unnaturally smooth here but it was the cleanest rock floor she had ever seen. The ceiling was so high, to look at it for too long made Lady Slambrawn feel dizzy. Rocks were staked at places and shelf like ledges could be seen as well as a small leak dripping down obviously coming from the heavy storm still raging on outside. Lady Slambrawn gave a very crooked smile before the ThunderBlade cannon flips from her back to come to a rest over her left shoulder. The narrow barrel of the canon slowly changed from being cannon like to start to widen until it was a large cone shape and a smaller cone folded around to stop in front of Lady Slambrawn’s mouth. “Terra!” called Lady Slambrawn, her voice being amplified by the ThunderBlade and filling the huge room. Dalton jumped when the si0lence was broken by his master’s booming voice, but the silence quickly returned.
A Plan was made among the Blade Masters. The twins will take Darkwind and Syntax and return to the Blade Temple with the SaintBlade so the monks and Blade hopefuls can see the real thing at least once. While Emhril, David, Vivien, Mal and Haiku stayed aboard the TidusBlade just incase the SunBlade started to fall and headed to a place out to sea. Jarody, Christina, Zealot and Detective Lagan were waiting on the dock next to the YeagerBlade ready just incase the SunBlade looked to be heading towards land when it falls. “Does anyone else find it odd that our plan requires a sun to fall out of the sky in order to work?” asked Zealot. “At least it doesn’t involve tickling a snakeman,” said Jarody. The Twins were with Captain James and the Raptors on the dock watching the crew offload the cargo they had brought from Hellion, The country now called Isis and Cragorus. “We will be ready very shortly,” said James. “Coming with us Dark?” asked Selene. “I think I better stay on the TidusBlade. The less time I spend out in the open here, the better,” said Dark.
The rock wall Lady Slambrawn was looking at began to move and rocks were falling from such a height that they became dust when they hit the floor. Lady Slambrawn stood her ground as the cavern started to light up with strange phosphorescent rocks that were positioned to cover every corner of the room. A large withered looking rock foot emerged from the wall and was quickly joined by another. Before Lady Slambrawn knew it, she was facing a rock giant of a very old woman. “What do we have here?” asked the giant. “I’m Lady Slambrawn of the house of Slambrawn and soon to be queen of all of Colloquy,” said Lady Slambrawn, “I am here to bring death to you and to earn my family the recognition it deserves!” “Oh I see,” said Terra, “Soon to be queen? And you say you have brought death? Sorry my dear if this makes me laugh but I never thought the world would have needed a single queen. As for bringing Death, some good old friend of mine had already brought him by and I must say he really enjoyed my turkey pot pie.” Lady Slambrawn did not take being treated this way very lightly. The ThunderBlade cannon transformed back into it’s attack mode right before, “SLAM!!” A wave of concentrated sound hits the old Caretaker on the leg causing Terra to stumble. Terra saved herself from falling by grabbing onto a nearby ledge. “I’m not playing around you old hag!” yelled the angered Lady Slambrawn, “You will die tonight and at the exact time the Mysterious Master wants you dead!” Terra begins to defend herself by causing a few large stalagmites to rise up in the path of Lady Slambrawn’s next few attacks. “Slam!!! Slam!!! Slam!!!” yelled Lady Slambrawn as she ran across the room.
Dalton had never been as frightened as he was now. He was sure that the large Caretaker will not only kill his Lady, but him as well. This thought in Dalton’s mind caused him to stay curled up behind the rock next to the hourglass trying in vain to stay hidden. Dalton hoped that his Lady did not call out. “Dalton, the time!” ordered Lady Slambrawn as she ran and jumped around to avoid the falling rocks from the stalagmites she was destroying. Dalton took a good look at the hourglass and yelled in reply, “Five minutes to go, my Lady!” Lady Slambrawn stopped when she reached the side of the room she was aiming for. Terra began to create stalactites just above her attacker and letting them fall. “Why does your master want me dead at such a specific time?” asked Terra. “Slam!!!” yelled Lady Slambrawn to intercept the falling stalactites and then turned her attention to the trickling leak almost in the center of the room. “Slam!!!” Lady Slambrawn launched an attack at the leak and caused the ceiling to cave in at that spot. Rocks fell on the Caretaker along with a heavy torrent of water that had collected on the mountain. The waterfall was steady and did not look to be ending quickly. Terra is at the center of the large waterfall leaving Lady Slambrawn to wonder what had happened to the giant. “Because your death will bring down the SunBlade,” said Lady Slambrawn’s amplified voice, “You have to die now for it to land right where the Mysterious Master is waiting for it.”
“Three minutes, My Lady” called out Dalton whose voice was almost drowned out by the falling water. Terra emerged from the waterfall which had now began to slowly come to an end. The water had turned Terra’s body to mud, smoothing her old features and causing Terra to look young again. Terra’s mud body also gave her the ability to transform her arms. This was very evident to Lady Slambrawn as Terra’s right arm turned into a giant ax and began to fly at her with blinding speed. Lady Slambrawn avoided the attack and returned with one of her own, “Slam!!!” The attack hit Terra on the side and blasted a hole in the large Caretaker. “Then I better try and live a little longer,” said Terra as her mud body merely refilled the hole before she attacked Lady Slambrawn again with her other arm now looking like a wrecking ball. Lady Slambrawn was almost caught by this attack escaping it with inches to spare. The waterfall had completely stopped now replaced by a view of the stormy sky. “One minute, My Lady!” called out Dalton. “Now my pet!” ordered Lady Slambrawn. Nuclear-Chipmunk sent the LightningBlade into the large room. Lady Slambrawn saw the glint of the LightningBlade’s golden body as it flew skyward through the large opening after attaching the wire to the Caretaker. The LightningBlade had just left the hole when a real lightning bolt hits it and the energy travels down to the Caretaker. Terra falls to her knees when hit and her arms return to their original state.
“Again my pet, don’t stop!” yelled Lady Slambrawn. The LightningBlade repeated it’s attack over the over again on the Caretaker and continued to find real lightning bolts to amplify the attack power. A heavy steam had covered the giant women and hid her from view. Lady Slambrawn’s ThunderBlade stopped halfway between amplification and attack mode. “Poof,” said Lady Slambrawn as the sound wave blew the steam fog out of the way showing Terra standing very still. “I just made you into a statue,” said the evil woman, “A very easy process I know.” “My Lady!” called out Dalton, “The sand is almost out!!” “I now end this with my family name,” said Lady Slambrawn as her Blade changed back to it’s full attack mode again. “Slambrawn!” yelled the woman just as the last grain of sand fell to the bottom of the hourglass. Terra’s body exploded in a shower of rock and dust. Dalton ducked down again and is quickly covered by rock while Nuclear-Chipmunk jumps back behind the rock he was hiding at and is also covered by rock and dust. Lady Slambrawn yelled, “Slaaaaaaaaaam!!!” creating a protective wall of sound waves around her. The rock and dust was repelled by the waves leaving Lady Slambrawn untouched when the explosion was over. Lady Slambrawn ran to her pet and gently pulled him out of the dust and rock and brushed him off. “My lady,” called Dalton from under the heavy rock. “Should we save him my pet?” asked Lady Slambrawn. Nuclear-Chipmunk gave a disapproving growl. “Aw, but who will row the boat back?” asked Lady Slambrawn before turning the cannon to the rocks covering the servant. “Slam!!!” yelled Lady Slambrawn destroying the rocks and freeing the man. The hourglass was destroyed and looked to be the thing that saved Dalton. “Come Dalton, we must get back to the ship,” said Lady Slambrawn. “What about the Mysterious Master’s hourglass?” asked Dalton. “We were going to leave it here anyway,” said Lady Slambrawn, “If he wants another one, he can get one for himself after he gets whatever it is he wants and makes me queen.” Lady Slambrawn carries her pet as Dalton limps behind her back through the cave.
Mal had bought Darkwind and Syntax onto the dock for the twins when Pawn begins to flinch and jumps off of Salem’s shoulders. The small animal is a blur of silver and fur as it runs up the dock and down the main street. “What happened to him?” asked Selene. Rook also took-off quickly, flying to the Temple of the Blades along with Knight right behind her. “Look!” yelled Salem,” Knight is visible!” “But Knight never flies visible!” said Selene. Then both twins look at each other and say at the same time, “The KingBlade!” “Some one is using the KingBlade at the Temple!” yelled Selene. “The Blade Animals can feel it!” said Salem. The twins jumped up on their horses and began to ride to the temple as fast as they could. Selene took out her ComBlade and called Mal who they just left in a cloud of dust, “Mal, find Emhril and get the MobilBlade to the Temple! You do not need any of the horses in battle mode. We may need it.” “Right,” said Mal as he ran back inside the TidusBlade. Dark and the other Raptors ran after James who also ran back inside to get to his control room. “If someone has taken over the Blade Temple, then it’s not good at all,” said James while running to the nearest Com panel. “Why is that?” asked Dark. James touches the Com panel and yells, “All hands, this is the Captain. I’m calling a red alert, All hands to battle stations.” Alarms all over the TidusBlade began to sound and the halls are quickly filled with crew members rushing to get where they need to be. “The twins never told you?” asked James as he and the Raptors continued to run to the nearest lift to the main bridge. “Told me what?” asked Dark. James and the Raptors jump into the lift. “The Temple of the Blades is a Blade,” said James, “It is the AresBlade. You know, as in Ares, Caretaker of war.” “I take it that is not a good thing,” said ColdRaptor in her monotone voice. The four arrive on the bridge. “Get me a magnified image of the Blade Temple!” ordered James. Ajax steps up to James and says, “I’m sure that whatever is going on at the temple can wait for what is happening now.” “What do you mean?” asked James before looking at the main screen. The image of the smaller sun exploding was on it.
Mal had grabbed Emhril and took him to the storage bay where the MobilBlade was. David, Vivien and Haiku followed them. The MobilBlade was stored next to the platform the BoltBlade was on. Pixie Dust was complaining to a crewman about there being no track in Koror for her to unload her Blade. The Blade Masters had entered the storage bay when a female crewman pointed up and began to scream. Everyone looked up and saw the horrific sight of one of the suns exploding. Only the Blade Masters knew what it meant but it did not take away from the horror they were seeing. Emhril, without thinking dropped his EarthBlade on the ground and it began to roll to the BoltBlade’s platform. The EarthBlade was getting heavier and heavier as it got closer to the BoltBlade. Vivien was the only one close to stop it but like Emhril, she was in a state of shock that paralyzed her. Pixie Dust saw the Blade rolling to her and the long indentation it was leaving behind on the thick steel floor. This told Pixie Dust that it was indeed heavy and will damage her Blade if that thing hits it. Pixie Dust runs to the platform controls and knocks over a shocked crewman. She finds the button to lift up the platform and hits it. The BoltBlade rises to safety as the heavy EarthBlade falls down the hole under the platform and down into the TidusBlade’s engine room. The EarthBlade pulverizes the main engine and causes an explosion. Engineers run in a panic while others begin to help those who were injured in the explosion. On the bridge, warning lights began to flash and more sirens sound. “We just lost the main engine!” reported Ensign McCloud. “Massive crew injuries are being reported Captain!” said Ensign Moody. “Get Security to the engine room now!” ordered James. “Where are the Blade Masters that are still on board?’ asked Dark. “They are in the vehicle storage bay just above the engine room,” said Ajax. “Captain,” called Dark, “The spy. She has struck and disabled the only ship in this dock.” James became very angry, “Security to the vehicle storage bay NOW!” James left the bridge to face the spy once and for all, “You have the bridge John.” “Stay on the bridge Purple,” ordered Dark before leaving with the Captain and ColdRaptor. Purple turned to the main view screen to watch the sun.