Rin's Adventures Chapter 29

Rin’s Adventures Chapter 29

The Miratan armor team double timed it down the mountain, weapons sweeping left and right as they passed each location where their computers showed previous contacts. Nothing bothered them as rocks and ice formations passed them by, not that any of the team registered the intricate constructs of nature. Their eyes were locked on the approaching forest, every tremor of a step taking them closer to finding the fate of Terra.

Falcon frowned in the dim green light of his suit’s cockpit. His hands ran over dials and buttons without conscious thought, muscle memory taking over as he focused sensors on the trees, looking for any sign of Kiki’s passage. Several of the leafy titans glowed crimson, the targeting reticle enlarging one scarred trunk to show a burn which marred the dark brown bark. Two others further in were lit up by his computer seconds later. “I have a trail; could be Kiki’s path,” he called out.

“Confirmed; hopefully she was this careless the whole way,” Dren said. “If whatever’s inside Kiki went into boot camp, old man Kratar would rip her a new one.” The rest of the team joined Dren’s chuckling over the memory of one of the Miratan Empire’s most infamous drill masters.

The team of armor suits slowed as they entered the woods, each suit covering an arc of their advance. “Everyone stay frosty, we’re not invading this time, just passing through. Let’s hope Kiki scared off anything that might have the guts to try and take us on.”

“Anything tries is gonna eat some HE,” Decker said, his suit’s missile pods rotating to track every sound. They caught sight of numerous small creatures dashing between bushes, but the large armor suits heavy feet sent any ones who dared approach scurrying sway with high pitched squeaks of alarm.

More scorched trees marked Kiki’s path through the wood, and several times the burned bodies of large creatures blocked their path, the remains charred beyond any hope of identification. “Guess someone called her fat,” Dren joked.

“Everyone tighten up; we’re getting close,” Falcon snapped, spying a truly massive tree ahead. Dwarfing the seeming saplings around it, what could only be Terra’s tree almost seemed to glow in the sunlight despite the charred surfaces marring the entrance. Several vines moved across the damaged areas, leaving a thick blue sap behind which they could see congeal against the dead areas. “Damage control,” he said, impressed at the organic counterpart to a Miratan repair arm.

“Got one life-sign up ahead,” Lt. Hawk called out. “Readings are erratic, likely severely injured.

“Weapons hot people, but check your targets. No one fire until we’re sure who we’re closing on,” Falcon ordered. The suits slowly ascended a winding walkway barely large enough for a single file approach. Twice the wood groaned under the weight of metal and ammunition, and the suits froze until they faced. Once a vine crossed the suits’ path, the bulbous head seemingly watching them despite a lack of eyes. “We are looking for Terra; to make sure she is all right,” he said. The vine froze for several seconds before snaking up the ramp and moving inside. “I never thought I’d say this, but follow that vine.”

The armor suits entered Terra’s tree one by one, their weapons tracking back and forth. The vine moved into a side chamber along a trail of dried blood, and Falcon followed. Within he saw hundreds of vines hanging from the ceiling, the walls and coming up through the floor. At the center lay Terra, a congealed sanguine puddle around her. Her hair looked badly burned and her breathing was shallow. “Mrs. Terra, can you hear me?” Falcon asked gently. Terra looked like many victims he had seen on the battlefield, and a familiar anger filled his heart at seeing someone he had begun to consider a possible friend injured to this level.

Terra’s eyes flickered open. “Captain, I thought they would send you,” she whispered, but even that seemed to drain her. “I was a fool to go after the dark spirit alone. She used me to unlock the key. It needed both of us. If only I hadn’t come, this world would not be in the danger it is!” She hissed. “I managed to create this cocoon for myself. It may heal me, but my injuries are severe, and even my magic may not be enough.”

“Can’t you simply use another of those healing orbs, like you did with Rin?” Dren asked.

“That was an injury caused by dark magic Miratan. My wounds were made by simple fire and steel. There may be an orb with those powers here or at your base, but I can’t concentrate enough to access those memories. I am sorry I couldn’t help you like I promised. I hope you won’t hold it against Rin.”

“Of course not, but now we must decide our next move,” Falcon said. “Do you know anything about where Kiki may have gone with this key?”

“The cave where the Primordial is sealed,” Terra whispered, her head hanging forward as she forced the words out. “Only a being with dark magic can find it, unless they have help,” she smirked. “During our fight I managed to sting her with one of my vine spells. It left a fragment of bark under her skin that my magic can track. Break the end off of one of the vines around me, and dip its edge in my blood. That will activate the tracking spell, and it should be strong enough to let you pierce any spells hiding her location.”

Dren did as Terra instructed, and the vine fragment quickly began to glow a deep green. “So how do we use it?” He asked.

“The glow will pulse when you’re heading in the right direction. When you get to the Dead Wood it will help you pass through the spells guarding the way. I’m sorry I can’t do more, but my magic is very weak right now.”

“You’ve done more than enough,” Falcon replied, placing his suit’s hand on Terra’s arm. “I promised Rin she wouldn’t lose any more friends today. You recover your strength; we’ll take this thing down.”

“Take any of the orbs here you want. I’m sure some of them will help you. And tell Rin after all this is over I expect her to come visit,” Terra said. “Now, if you don’t mind, I need a nap.” The naga’s eyes closed and she leaned forward in her vine cradle.

“Dren, Hawk, go and secure as many of the orbs as we can carry. Once you’re done we return to Frost Peak. We’ve finally got a clear enemy to fight.” Turning back to Terra he smiled. “We’ll be back, and boy will it be a party.”

…

By the time the orbs had been secured in the storage lockers of the armor suits, Terra was in a deep sleep and the vines slowly began surrounding her head. “Sleep well,” Falcon said as the Miratans departed, the tracking device glowing a steady green.

A pack of lupine beasts followed them through the brush, their growls building in strength. Their grey and green fur blended into the leaves, causing them to seemingly jump from place to place. Their eyes, glowing a sinister green, sent chills down the Miratans’ spines. “Looks like something doesn’t want us leaving,” Dren said, noticing the beasts’ eyes glowed a sinister green. “Let’s show them how much we care.”

“On my mark,” Falcon ordered. He recognized the beasts from Rin’s description on Kenshas. “They probably won’t stick around once they see our firepower. “Mark your targets…Light ‘em up!” A stream of high explosive shells erased the head of the closest creature, sending its body careening into a tree. Missiles blasted two more into oblivion and brought down one of the trees between the armor suits, sending up a great cloud of dirt and leaves.

Four of the beasts remained, and their charge never faltered. One fell to a rifle burst from Dren’s suit, but the remaining three leapt into the air at their mechanical enemies. Decker’s heavier suit endured the charge, but Falcon and Dren were knocked down. Two of the beasts latched onto Falcon’s suit, their jaws denting the metal of its arms. “Eat this,” he grinned, triggering the shock pads built into his suit’s left hand. The first beast howled in agony as its muscles rebelled against it, but the second ripped its head back and forth as it tried to rip the metal arm off.

The two armor suits trapped on the other side of the tree made their way around, and their rifles finished off the beasts savaging Falcon’s suit. The remaining beasts all converged on Falcon, but as the suits refocused of them a massive shape dropped down from the treetop. It landed on one of the supporting suits and crushed in into the ground. The dust cleared, revealing a dridder clad in emerald armor and wielding a polearm and shield in its hands. “Give me the tracker!” She demanded. The suit beneath her struggled to throw her off with its remaining working arm, but she slashed with her weapon and severed it.

“Dream on!” Decker said, unleashing a salvo from his missile pods. The dridder grinned and took the hits on her shield. “You are no match for me and will only die if you resist.”

“That seems to be par for the course with you monsters,” Falcon said as he sent wireless signals to his squad mates. “I will not allow your Primordial to be released. We’re currently using this planet.”

“You think I work for that imposter?!” She snarled as she dodged a burst of rifle fire. “My Queen will slay her if she dares show her face again! I will see it done, so give me that tracker!”

“Not today,” Hawk said as his suit hurled a grenade. The dridder blocked with her shield, but the grenade sent out arcs of electricity which enveloped her body. As she convulsed Decker fired a single missile which sent her shield spinning away. A second warhead struck her chest, shattering her armor and sending her slamming with tremendous force into a tree.
Falcon’s suit stood slowly, one arm sparking where the Kensha’s fangs had pierced the metal. “I have had enough of you damn dridders in this damn forest! Firing line!” The armor suits formed up, rifles and missiles taking aim at the reeling dridder.

“We’re not done yet,” the raven haired spider girl grinned. Her hand glowed green and the shield flew back to her grasp. “The true Queen will rise and cast down the shade of the past.” She dodged a missile from Decker’s suit and hurled her polearm, the blade shearing off one of the missile pods before flashing back to her hand. “Magic is the supreme force in this world. Your primitive weapons can never hope to match-” She was interrupted as the missile she dodged had swung back around and detonated against the small of her back. The orange fireball threw her forward on her face. Before she could rise a barrage of bullets rained down onto her armor, exposing a shimmering colorless barrier over her skin. Her armor was cracked and shed crystal shards as she got back up.
“Magic is just science not explained yet little girl,” Dren replied, the smile on his face evident even over the air.

“Surrender and we MAY not kill you,” Falcon said.

“If you knew who I am you would never ask me to give up. But you have impressed me,” she smiled, tracing a finger along the back of her neck and bringing it back covered in blood. “Very few have managed to wound me. I’ll let you live for now, but the next time our paths cross, I’ll have your heads for my trophy wall. Tensing her legs, the dridder leapt backward, blocking another volley of shells and vanished into the tree.

“Well, that was certainly unexpected,” Decker said as his one podded suit got upright. “Guess I’ll need to trade with Beta Squad if we’re going to that cave. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to get my hands on a weapon like that polearm.”

“Let’s just hope she doesn’t have any more friends waiting for us. Double time!” The Miratans advanced as fast as their metal legs could take them. No other creatures made themselves known.
“At least the fight seems to have driven any animals away,” Dren remarked.

“Let’s hope it stays that way,” Decker said. “My balance is all screwed up with one pod.”
“We’ve got you if you trip, Trainee Grehak,” Falcon laughed, the rest of them men joining him.

…

Rin slowly opened her eyes, her first sight being snow blowing into her face. A pleasant icy wind embraced her, sending her hair flying. “How’d I get out here?” She asked herself.

“We brought you out here Cadet,” the silver haired doctor from before said from a small platform beside her. A thick white coat covered everything but his goggled face and gloved hands. “Our tests showed your body’s recuperative powers increased as the surrounding temperatures decreased. Indeed, your vitals have recovered significantly in the last four hours since we brought you out here.”

“Well thank you,” Rin smiled. “I hope you learned something from helping me.”

“Oh yes, we learned a great deal about your anatomy and energy patterns,” the doctor replied. “You are officially, an intriguing specimen.”

“Uh, thanks?” Rin said nervously. She carefully stood up, wavering for a moment as she found her balance. Her wounds barely hurt thanks to the cold, and her ice magic felt nearly back to normal. She tapped into the chill around her and felt herself growing stronger, slowly but surely. Every gust of wind and flake of snow were glad to lend their aid to her recovery. “So this is what Mommy meant by mountain healing,” she whispered.

“Well, it appears you’re ready to have visitors,” the doctor said, pointing down the mountain where a group of armor suits were making their way up.

“Daddy!” Rin shouted, racing down toward him for precisely three seconds before her tail slipped and sent her sprawling. “Ok, note to self, take it slowly after nearly dying from dark magic.” Slowly she started making her way down to the approaching armor suits. “Where are you coming from?” She asked once she was close enough to shout.

“We came from Terra’s tree,” Falcon replied. “She’s hurt pretty badly, but she’ll recover. She gave us a tracking device that will let us find the cave where Kiki went to try and free the being that is controlling her.”

“When you go, I’m coming with you,” Rin declared. “I’m getting better fast out here in the cold. I’m sure I’ll be ready when you are.”

“That’s a decision the doctors will have to make Rin. They can pull rank on anyone here, and I mean everyone.”

“And I promised Kiki I’d help her. I won’t break that promise,” Rin said, meeting the eyes of Falcon’s suit with all her willpower. She would go with them even if that meant breaking orders. Kiki was a friend, and abandoning a friend was one thing she could not do.

“Well then, we’d better talk with some doctors,” Falcon smiled. “Come on Rin, let’s get ready to save your friend.”