Chapter 16: Above the clouds

Upper Yard; Skypea; approximately 10,000 meters above the Jaya

With a gigantic storm gathering above her head a young huntress of the Shandia refused to obey Enel's rule and hunted in the land of her ancestors.

1.69 meters tall, with long red hair, pulled back by braids in the back and freckles on her cheeks and nose, she was also wearing several accessories in her hair such as beads. Her eyes green and her eyebrows narrow, she drew her bow to shoot a wild boar. With a lifetime of intense physical activity, drawing the heavy recurvebow came easy to her, since she had a body in exceptional physical condition.

Just as Algaria was sure to hit her target about to let loose, thunder roared above and she heared a mocking voice recided.

"I said, you shell not hunt in the Holy Land..." A tall figure appeared illuminated by a flash of blue lightning nearby. "... and here you are... Hunting in the Holy Land..." The figure instantly closed the distance between himself and her. Pushing up her chin to have her look into his eyes, Enel self-proclaimed god smiled creepily as he noticed her angry look. "... Oh?! I like it this fire in your eyes..."

"Yeah, well I don't like you touching me..." Stated Algaria, as she stepped back and triggered one of her dial traps. "... Take this fucker!"

That said, the trap aimed to blast Enel into pieces activated. "Whell that was easy..." She told herself, as the dust was just starting to settle.

"I don't think you really understand what a god really is..." She than heared and saw Enel's shadow speak through the dust. "... Let me give you a proper demonstration!"

That said, Enel shot a lightning bold straight at the Shandia Brave. But before the bold can even reach her, Algaria had already switched her bow for a copper lined spear with a rubber handle. Thrusting out that spear infront of herself, she was able to divert the energy away from herself.

Seeing Algaria already escape, Enel lazily commented. "Oh?! Looks like you Shandia know more about me than I thought."

Meanwhile Algaria was taking a pre planned escape route trap laced with all kinds of dile based traps, ranging from trip-wires to mines and times explosions. As one of the last decents of the great Kalgara only a few had access to all those traps built by generations of Shandia.

-Why isn't he following me?- Algaria asked herself, as she found shelter inside a hollow tree. Loading and drawing her modified recurvebow with a explosion arrow, she carefully peaked outside, only to find Enel already infront of her tree smirking.

"Don't you get it? You can't run from a god..." Explained Enel, just as Algaria shot her arrow to his face. "... Nice try..." Was all Enel could say, before the arrow he had just caught exploded. Whipping away some blood from his chin, Enel cursed. "... Fuck! That hurt! Now you have done it, you pissed of a god!!"

"Come and get me, if you are?" The huntress shouted once more on the move, as she swiftly ran and jumped through the forest.

"Got you!" Enel shouted, just as he arrived right infront of Algari, his right hand raised ready to smithe her.

"Don't think so..." The young woman replied, instantly taking a step back, triggering another one of her traps. "... See you!"

Even befor Enel is able to react, a giant wooden bolder was already coming down on him. Narrowly avoiding the bolder by zapping to the side, Enel realized that his target was already some distance away. Transformed into a lightning bolt, he rushed after her, without noticing the trap he was entering.

"Gotcha!" Algaria exclaimed relieved as she took a step back, this time revealing a whole bunch of copper trap wires.

Caged in by those wires, Enel was instantly ripped out of his elemental form cursing. "What the..."

"Surprised? This is what I call a lightning cage. Wanna try breaking out of it little bird?!" Algaria mocked triumphantly.

Angrilly shooting a lightning bolt at the Shandia Brave, Enel ended up shocked senseless since his attacked had already changed it's trajectory as soon as it left his finger tip. Hitting the thing copper wire, the electricity ended up sizzling out as it was safely grounded.

"What the fuck is this cage made out of?" Cursed Enel, as he saw Algaria load her bow with a bright malicious smile.

"Copper..." Replied Algaria is shortly, as she drew her bow, an inferno dile arrow loaded. Shooting she explained. "... It's a very precious metal that was used by my ancestors to create holy sculptures at the beach during thunderstorms. You like it?"

That said, she shot her arrow straight at Enel's face. Avoiding the arrow by zapping to the side, the self-proclaimed god noticed his endurance was slowly but surely being drained.

"You can't honestly think, that this 'cage' of yours can stop me..." Commented Enel, now fully aware of the danger he was facing, as he conce more transformed into lightning. "... Now let me show you the fatal error of your ways!"

That said, the caged lightning bold that was Enel started circling around itself, chasing it's own tail. Transformed into this thunderball, bright light, brighter than even the sun radiated of it that started to melt the thin copper wires. With one wire snapping after the next, Algaria's tarp was soon rendered useless.

Already on the move, Algaria was hit by a small lightning bold mid jump. Paralysed, she instantly fell onto a thick bough with her chest, before she craged through the branches and hit the ground hard. Brushed and cut in several places, the Shandia Brave groaned, as she held her broken and/or bruised ribcage and got back up on her feet.

Having lost all her weapons during her fall, Algaria could only draw two short sea-stone daggers from her sleeves the moment she spotted a slightly wounded Enel sitting on a branch above her head.

"You know what..." Enel said, disappearing from said branch. "... I wouldn't kill you for now..." That said, he reappeared behind Algaria and kicked her into the ground. "... No, instead I will keep you as a pet, a warning to all those that seek to oppose my eternal rule!!!" That said, Enel knocked the already only half couscous huntress out.

[...]

Small Unknown Island; South of Jaya; Paradise

Inside a small tropical forest over growing ancient ruins of the Shandia, unseen by mankind for over 900 years, a certain ancient weapon inform of a rusted armor burried underneath dozens of roots awoke.

Raising it's left rusted and muddied palm infront it's faintly glowing red eyes, Cronos activated the holoprojector build in it. Despite some mud and dirt interfearing, in it's palm soon appeared a tiny version of a tall and thin bearded man with long white hair.

"Instruction?" Asked Cronos in deep, emotionless and faintly crackling voice akin to a slightly out of tune radio.

"Elimination... Target: Vulcan." Stated the elder, as if read out loude the instruction from a piece of paper.

Processing the instructions,  Cronos only replied. "Please confirm... Elimination... Target: Vulcan."

Infact folding a piece of paper, the beared elder nodded saying. "Confirmed."

That said, without replying, the ancient weapon that had rested for nearly a thousand years rose once more. Tearing roots that had  overgrow in, the rusted armor stood tall at 2.1 meters, a muddied half decomposed and nearly colourless scarf being the only fabric on him.

Raising his left palm opened to the ground, the earth beneath it soon started to crack and cave out, before a huge golden lance shot out of it. Catching the weapon comfortably, the rust, mud and dust from over 900 years started to peal of Cronos like an old and dead layer of skin being replaced by a new one.

With the rust and dust gone, Cronos was revealed to be a blue gold and silver armor. Even the previously colourless scarf returned to it's former glory and appeared to be a radiant orange. Comfortablely swinging his lance, the weapon of war rose his left hand and the earth once more cracked and caved out a second time only this time on a much grander scale, since this time even trees started to be up rooted and tumbling.

Unshackled from centuries of dirt, a huge golden mechanical warhorse rose from the ground as if untouched by time.

Placing his left hand on the golden horses shoulder, Cronos told it possibly affectionately. "It's time to hunt old friend..."