Chapter 24
As we entered the planets atmosphere all I could see were pink dunes. With not a single landmark or structure.
"Is there anything that lives on this planet? At least something intelligent enough to where I could ask for directions." I said to myself as we touched down.
I gauged by the lack of a response from the Gargoyle that it wasn't amused by my commentary.
I started to fidget around with the consoles and screens inside to see if I can find any information about this planet. This was the only moment where I wished TOBOR had been with me. Since he would have either had records of this planet or could scan for information.
"You wouldn't happen to be able to scan for information now would you?" I asked the Gargoyle, once again receiving no response.
"Well, you were pretty talkative earlier. Does this planet even have oxygen for me to be able to breathe?" I asked out loud as I leaned back in my seat.
"Well at least things couldn't get any worse." The Gargoyle howled back at me.
I started to get comfortable in my seat again, getting ready to fall back asleep. That was before I felt the balance of the Gargoyle shift a little. As I sat up it was like the ground started to fall from underneath us.
Then out of nowhere everything around us came to a swift collapse. To where I couldn't even reach the controls in time for the fall. When I finally grabbed the controls we were already fully submerged into the pitfall.
"Don't you dare! Are you trying to break me!?" The Gargoyle howled at me as I tried to fly out of here.
"Well what am I supposed to-" I responded right before my seatbelt tore off a flung me head first into the wall knocking me clean unconscious.
When I came to, I found myself chained down to a bed staring up at a reddish stone ceiling. With a mask on my face covering my mouth. I tried to position myself in ways that could help me look around my surroundings. However, the chains were so tight that I couldn't even move from my position.
"I guess some people will never learn." Said a man on my right that stood outside of my view.
"Why does that condescending voice sound so familiar?" I responded.
The man stepped into view with an annoyed smile. He had light pinkish skin with four yellow eyes and four arms. That was accompanied by a massively muscular build that made me look tiny in comparison.
"I see you're still flying that massive death machine." He said pulling up a chair and sat beside me.
"Is that why I'm chained to this bed?"
"Well our people had to take some level of precaution. After all you are flying The Shadow of Calamity and you did nearly total my Gargoyle the last time we saw each other."
"So that's why your voice sounds so familiar. Well it's finally nice to meet you even if it's not on favorable terms. I would shake your hand but as you can see I'm kind of tied down at the moment." I said trying to sway the situation.
"Do all you humans just collectively act sleazy?" He asked giving me a very dissapointed look.
"I guess this is what I get for trying something a bit out of character. Wait- did you just say humans? Did you meet others like me?" I asked trying to sit up in excitement. Which only led me to be yanked back down on the bed by the chains.
"Yeah, we just randomly had a massive spaceship enter our atmosphere that completely covered the sky. We learned that the people on that ship called themselves humans. What we didn't know is that they discovered us a long while ago and were spying on us. Giving them the upper hand and blackmail us into creating a trading and supply route with them." He explained as he looked over me like he was deciding wether or not he should just kill me right now.
"You need to take me to them."
"I don't NEED to do anything for you. If anything I should be having you do stuff for us, after all you did completely trash the place when you fell through the ceiling." He said crossing all of his arms.
"You're not wrong. But please listen to me. There is a very good chance that my wife and daughter is on that ship that visited you. Now, I'm not asking you to trust me or other humans. All I'm asking is that you help me reunite with my family." I pleaded with him.
I could see him sat there beside me fully considering the situation. He stretched his neck a bit and let out a sigh.
"The first supply run goes three months from now." He said as he leaned forward.
"That's fine. I've waited this long what's a little more."
"However. I have three conditions that you have to satisfy if you want me to take you. Firstly I will need you to help fix the pitfall you created. Not just that but I will also need your help fending off a rival tribe. Lastly I need you to help with negotiations when we reach that ship." He said unchaining my hands from the bed.
"Wow, you really didn't hold back." I said as I sat up on the bed. "I mean it's a tall order but if that means you'll take me one step closer, then I'll take it." I said reaching my hand out to him.
"You can call me Wessex." He said taking my hand.
"Tadao."
Wessex made his way over to the bottom of the bed and completely unchained me. Finally giving me the opportunity to stretch out and rub my wrists and ankles. I looked over to my side a noticed a small canister that had a tube connecting it to my mask.
"So what's this thing?" I asked picking it up.
"Our world doesn't have any oxygen for you to breathe with. But we have these oxygen canisters that I found from some ships." He said pointing over to a corner of the room where there was a box full of them.
"And by finding it you mean ransacking a ship since you're a space pirate." I said raising my eyebrow at him
"No one calls us space pirates. Anyway come out here with me so I can show you the construction crew you'll be working with." He said waving me over.
I stepped out and looked around myself in amazement. I was looking at an entire underground city. Where at the center of it all was my Gargoyle suspended in the air after having broken through the ceiling.
As I followed behind Wessex all I could do was admire my surroundings. Because even if they weren't clean and not as technologically advanced as Empress Zu's people. Wessex's culture shines through every bit of architecture that surrounded me.
A large majority of the homes were built into the cave walls with some stand alone buildings. However, every wall was chiseled and designed in beautiful ways that just made your eyes wander from home to home. While their lights came from beautifully painted statues that resembled something like a fox. Each home had two of these statues out front to light the walkway and the community.
"I know it might not seem like much to you with your fancy technology. But this is home for us Meqashine and we take pride in it." Wessex said as he lead me through the city.
"This place is amazing. I've never seen anything like it before. What do these designs on the walls mean?"
"It's our history. It's tradition that whenever the man of the house becomes a father. He carves our people's history and then his own on the walls. In whatever way he likes in whatever expression suits him best. So that their children can learn and study from them. Then once those kids inherit the house and have their own kids they flatten the walls and start over. Carving their people's history, his own history, and his father's history." Wessex explained pointing to the differences in design.
The massive muscular beasts were so artistically creative that it was mind blowing. Each and every home was like a history book turned into a chiseled painting.
He took me through the city and into the center where my Gargoyle was. It was surrounded by scaffolding and construction crews.
"Mike! Come over here! This tiny man right here will be joining your crew for the time being." Wessex said showing me off to one of the crew managers.
Mike was also an absolute unit just like Wessex. Which now has me convinced that all Meqashine are muscle monsters. Though one thing that separated Mike from Wessex was that he was covered in scars. He also had a bit of a stomach which stuck out like a sore thumb with his massive arms and legs.