That’s one big bird!

A.K.A CHAPTER 11

The trip up the mountain was a relatively slow one. Nobody on the research team had the maneuverability that Jeck and Quake did. The constant interruptions by James or one of the other soldiers taking notes or pictures did not help alleviate it. Apart from fending off the occasional attempt to eat James from one of the local carnivorous wildlife, the trip up was pretty boring.

Thus, Jeck and quake decided to play arousing game of I Spy.

“I spy with my little eye, something…..green.”

“Something green…Huh, I just remembered.”

“Remembered what?”

“I’m blind.”

It was going poorly to say the least.

Off behind some trees, holding a data pad and none too happy about it was Hiro. Snapping another picture off the same damn trees again and again every minor change in elevation was mind-numbing.

‘I can’t believe I actually have to do this. I’d rather be grinding out levels, or going on ahead and finding that ‘crown seed’ thing than have to listen to James blather on about data. Who does he think he is anyway? Weaklings like him can’t do anything by themselves. I wonder if he’d even give me any exp? Probably not. Someone strong like Gillian or Gelid would probably be enough to give me a few levels individually.’

He shivered in pleasure, remembering the feeling of joy washing over his body watching that number go up. Who knew something so small could feel so good?

‘I’ll sneak on the next train out of here after the expedition. Leave Nuvalt and go searching for the kingdom that the Quest gave me.

He collapsed the data pad into its portable form and rubbed his hands together with anticipatory glee.

‘I just can’t wait to be king.’

Finally, after what felt like hours of pictures and notes and various other scientific processes neither Jeck nor Quake cared to pay attention to, Gillian brought them to a halt at the edge of the forest. Beyond this point was nothing but rocky outcropping and cliffs. Curiously, there was none of the snow one would expect to see at such heights. Quake hadn’t noticed an appreciable dip in oxygen either.

“Alright, everybody. Up ahead is where Avanos is sleeping, it’s also where the mysterious power signal we’ve been tracking for the last few years.”

She motioned for Gelid to join her.

“We’ll go on ahead and scope out the area. You all stay put. When it’s safe, we’ll call you up.”

James gave her the thumbs and resumed his picture taking. Jeck ignored her. Quake glared at her suspiciously but said nothing.

She turned around and smirked to herself before striding off up through the craggy mountainside, Gelid hot on her heels.

It took them a good fifteen minutes to near the top peak of the mountain. It was oddly calm up there. The wind didn’t blow, the air was nice and cool. The view was astounding. She stretched her arms out before her, looking through the clouds at the little speck in the distance that was the outpost.

‘Soon, it’ll just be me and Gelid in control, that blithering oaf James will be out of the picture and this continent will be ours. Those outsiders will be taken care of and we can finally relax.

A plan years in the making was finally coming to fruition. Oh, she just couldn’t wait!

Gelid motioned her over and she stepped, using her stealth training provided to all Nuvalt soldiers to minimize their presence, quietly over to the blond woman.

“We’ve gotta be extra careful from here on out,” Whispered her girlfriend, “If that thing wakes up then every-thing we’ve worked for will be for nothing.”

“You’re ready to do this?”

Gelid steeled herself and gave a firm nod.

They climbed up over the ridge separating them from their target. The “Nest” could have reasonably been mistaken for a royal throne room, given its sheer size. The back of the cave was open and glowing with a warm orange tinge, providing a small measure of light to cave. The floor was made of stone, completely barren with the exception of three large ovular objects. Tinges of purple wisped off them and disappeared.

‘They’re eggs!’ She thought to herself. The stakes just became higher, and the rewards higher because of it. If the Idea Pacemaker could work through the shell of the egg, then she’d have an entire army of storm kings who would heed her every call. No training required. This was fantastic!

She relayed her thoughts to Gelid whose eyes widened in surprise, and desire. Their reign would be glorious.

What really captured her attention though, was the sleeping form of Avanos. He- or rather, she, was roosting by laying facedown on the floor looking for all the world like she had just come off a wild bender and passed out face-first into the pavement. Downy blue-ish purple feathers covered its large body, which looked like a cross between an eagle and an owl. Guesstimating based on what she could see in the dimly lit cave, the bird must have been about two stories tall.

‘Holy cow that things bigger up close! Okay Gill, stay focused on the mission.’ Creeping over to its sleeping form, she motioned for Gelid to be prepared to use her ice to hold it down in case it tried to take off.

She placed her hand on the giant avian and started mentally giving it orders.

You obey me, Gillian. You won’t hurt Gelid. You want to destroy the portal to Nuvalt.

The birds eyes slowly fluttered open. Pure white with flecks black smattered in them, like someone painted the night sky in negative. Gillian waited with bated breath as it pulled itself to it’s full height. The wind outside began to pick up, dark thunder clouds rolled in, seemingly from nowhere as the storm king shook out its wings.

Satisfied with stretching itself out, it took stock of the two humans in front of it. An interminable amount of time passed by as the two stared at one another before Gillian nervously gave it an order.

“Lower your head.”

She let out a sigh of relief as it bowed down to it. She ran over and grabbed Gelids hand and squeezed it, receiving a nervous smile in return. Pulling her over to Avanos’ side, they clambered onto its back. Constant contact removed the need for her to verbalize her orders.

“Now we finish things.”

***

Quake felt antsy the longer the two women were gone, not that he missed them, he could never see Gillian again and it’d be too soon. What bothered him was the direction they went. He’d been keeping an eye on the two ever since they left. He tracked them all the way until they were almost at the peak, then they stopped. They deliberated for a while, then stepped into the cave with the rocks in.

‘What are they doing in there?’

“Hey Jeck, you can sense them, can’t you?”

“Yeah?”

“Why are they just touching a rock?”

Jecks eyebrows furrowed.

“What rock? That’s the big bird she’s touching.”

Alarm bells started ringing in Quakes head.

‘She’s using her mind powers on the bird? Why? She used them on me to make me think that she should be in charge….’

Jeck seemed to reach a similar conclusion.

He turned around the rest of the group.

“Incoming!”

As if on cue, the forest shook like someone set off a bomb. A wall of wind swept through the greenery, slamming the lucky scientists into trees and sweeping the unlucky ones into the air. Reacting faster than most of the scientists could comprehend, Jeck leapt forward, grabbing a soldier by the ankle and dragging him back down to the ground.

“What happened?” Shouted James, “I thought we did everything right. Avanos shouldn’t have woken up, it’s too early!”

“It was Gillian and her friend, they woke her up deliberately.” Hissed Quake.

Disbelief colored James’ face.

“She wouldn’t do that. Why would she do that? You have to joking.”

Jecks head snapped upwards.

“He’s right though.”

Everybody’s gaze followed the voice to its source.

Lazily flapping its wings, sending buffeting winds that made all the soldiers latch on to trees for fear of being blown away again, was Avanos.

On her back was an excited Gillian wearing a vicious grin.

“What? Why?” Shouted James, desperately hanging onto a branch for dear life. “I know we didn’t get along, but why would you go this far?”

He had begun to panic now.

“I wanted control, James, and you were always in the way of that. Arguing with orders I give, always just a little too wary of me for your own good. Don’t worry, it’s nothing personal of course, I just need you out of the way so I can rule the outpost.”

She turned sly eyes over the rest of them.

“Of course, that’s going to have to go for the rest of you as well. Wouldn’t want anyone back at base getting the wrong idea.”

‘Man, what a bitch.’ Thought Jeck.

“You’ll never get away with this. We have procedures in place for this kind of thing. Once Nuvalt hears of this, they’ll send someone else to replace me.”

Gillian snorted. “Nuvalt? Nuvalts not going to hear about any of this. Once we’re through up here, the portal is going to have an unfortunate run in with Avanos here. Nuvalt can get bent. I –“

Nobody heard what else she was going to say next as Avanos’ chin swung upwards from Jeck laying a brutal uppercut into it. The bird flew backwards, recoil knocking its two passengers out over the open air.

Gillian screamed in terror.

“Gelid do something!”

“Hold on tight.”

Gelid grabbed her partners hand and thrust her arm out towards the cliff. Ice sprouted, forming a shelf attached to the side of the mountain that they landed on safely.

Enraged, Gillian pointed at Jeck.

“Avanos, kill him!”

Avanos simply flapped in place then slowly turned around.

“…..Avanos?”

Quake could guess what happened.

‘Jeck must have knocked off her mind control thing, how did he do that by punching it?’

James, being rather intelligent, came to the same conclusion.

“It’s distracted, everybody run for the Dragonfly!”

Unfortunately, intelligence doesn’t imply wisdom. Upon hearing his words, Avanos turned around and opened its beak. White beads of energy started to gather into a ball inside it.

With a cry, it opened its beak wider and fucking laser shot out of its mouth. James didn’t have time to utter a word as the beam plowed forward like a lightning bolt. Suddenly, Quake was beside him, grabbing him by the collar of his lab coat, heaving him out of the blasts path.

Jeck ran forward and attempted to slam his foot into the bird’s knee, which the bird hopped over.

‘Something that big should not be that precise.’

The bird flapped upwards until it was out of reach of the trees.

‘Crap, it’s gonna try and take us all out in one shot. I need to distract it.’

Jeck bounced upwards, off a tree and onto the rocky ridge, applying his [Stealth] to do so undetected. Standing on a higher ground, sufficiently far enough from the group to prevent collateral damage, he slammed his [stealth] aspect in the other direction, turning it off completely.

Everybody’s head snapped towards Jeck as his hazy form suddenly became the most real thing they’d seen all day. Like he had an entirely new dimension added to him. Avanos was no exception as she lifted her head and fired her laser breath at him.

He wraithed through the shot, appearing to be vaporized entirely when the white light consumed his form. The soldiers were shocked as he rematerialized unharmed out the other side.

“Quake, you’re in charge while I’m gone. Get everyone back safely, see ya!”

Before Quake could even begin to respond, Avanos let out a shriek of anger and flew at Jeck who disappeared over the lip of the ridge and down the other side of the mountain.

“No, no, no, no….DAMMIT! That fucking bird.”

Red with rage and spitting out curses, Gillian turned to an extremely worried Gelid.

“They die. NOW.”

Nodding in agreement, the two turned to Quake who stepped in front of the other soldiers.

“All of you, get back to the Dragonfly. I’ll take care of them.”

Alicia chimed in. “Are you sure? We can help.”

Terry turned to look at her. “No way. We get back to base and we warn the others. Let him do what he’s hired to do.”

Quake stepped past them.

“Right, let’s grab James and go.”

They hurried off and took a hold of the researcher by the arms and carried him off, only to be interrupted by a wall of ice several feet thick rising in their path.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Sneered Gelid. “I don’t recall saying you could leave.”

Quake darted forward, intent on ripping Gelids throat out. Reaching into the holster around her waist, Gillian drew out a revolver and fired in one smooth motion. The average revolver round can travel at a little under mach 2. Childs play for someone of Quakes caliber. He could have dodged that in his sleep.

This was an average revolver.

Gillian was not an average marksman.

Quake barely got his head out of the way in time as the bullet whizzed past his head at a little over mach twelve.

Catching his balance, he resumed his dash at Gelid. She was expecting him now, and threw herself out of the way of his tail, which buried its tip into the ice wall behind her.

Their instincts as soldiers kicked in and they instinctively headed for the high ground. Quake had the advantage in CQC with his claws and drill. Quake turned to face them. They levelled their weapons at him. Then paused as they heard a noise. A grinding noise. Then stared at the wall in front of them.

Ice quivered, then shook, then shattered as Quakes tail spun faster.

The other soldiers, seeing the opening for what it was, ran for it. None of them noticed that their numbers had depleted by one.

Quake gave them a glare as cold as the ice that now lay scattered at his feet.

“Consider this revenge for the other day.”

He ran forward and leapt into the air, reaching behind him, he transferred the outer shell of metal from the drill to his claws, lengthening them and making them deadly sharp.

Coming down, he flipped over Gelids ice and deflected a bullet, then slammed his claw into the barrel of Gillians gun. He hung there in mid-air, eyes locked with Gillian, snarling at each other.

QUAKE VS GILLIAN & GELID

JECK VS AVANOS

BEGIN!