64: Star Child: Dunes of Tolapo XXV

"What the fuck is going on Star Child!" Iris shouted at me.

"Iris calm down, how could Chase know what's going on?" Jane said patting her friends back.

"The better question is what is another Paragon doing here." Jane said.

The girls and I were all huddled in one of the villagers houses. Thanks to the black aura that infected the village's barrier, none of us could leave. So we decided that it was best to find some shelter and hide. Bone-lasher and Alpa'nagia were currently resting in my crystal.

"Okay…so let's try and break down our currently situation…" I said calmly running my hand through my hair. "Everyone in the village is unconscious. My Auntie and two other elders are captured by Raziri. There is a Paragon, from a notoriously hostile and xenophobic kingdom, currently walking through the streets of a mythical village that said kingdom did not know was there. We have no idea where our Paragon teacher is, we still haven't found Geryo, and we gave no idea if Damon and Alberto are alright."

"Oh! I forgot about those two!" Iris exclaimed.

"Me too…" Astrid admitted. Jane, Iris and I all turned to Astrid.

"They're in your group! How could you forget them?" Jane exclaimed. Astrid groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"They haven't exactly been useful during this entire experience have they?" Astrid said.

"I'll give you that." I said with a shrug which earned a light slap on the arm from Jane.

"We need to find out if everyone is alright." Jane said eyeing me angrily. "First we should find Lady Baset. She should know what to do."

"Normally I'd disagree with you….but we are in way over our heads." I agreed.

"Even if we found her would she still be awake? She was outside when that spell sigil was cast according to you two?" Astrid asked.

"The spell Probably didn't effect her." I said. The pointed to the unconscious kids behind us sleeping on the floor. "They were inside when we walked in. If I had to guess the spell targeted people that were native to the village. Baset, all of us and the two dumbasses weren't born in the village so it probably didn't effect her."

"I see…" Astrid said then looked back to Jane and Iris. "Where did she go?"

Both girls shrugged, looking slightly guilty and embarrassed.

"She didn't say…" Jane replied.

"Shit!" I groaned.

[I think I know.] Alpa'nagia said. I perked up and focused on Alpa'nagia's space.

[Really? Where?]

[Her lab. Horrible place. Death and sssssssuffering are all you'll find there] Alpa'nagia replied. [Warden Geryo isssss probably there now…if he isssss ssssstill alive.]

[Gotcha…where?]

I felt a little light headed as images flooded my brain in a rush of information. I did see a lot of blood and pain in Alpa'nagia's memories. I shook my head to clear it then looked to the girls.

"Alpa has a idea where Baset and Geryo might be." I said aloud. All the girls eyes grew wide then Astrid slapped her forehead.

"Of course! Why didn't I think of asking that?" Astrid groaned.

"Where is it?" Iris asked. I pointed to the ground.

"The cave system below us. It wasn't that far from the chamber we found Alpa, Astrid." I replied.

"Not those tunnels again!" Astrid groaned.

"Shouldn't we worry about Alberto and Damon? If they aren't affected by the spell Raziri cast then they could wake up at any moment and start wondering around."

"Good point…Astrid go watch over them." I said. Astrid froze and narrowed her eyes at me.

"Can someone else go?" Astrid asked.

"They're your teammates. And honestly you're probably the only one they'd listen to besides Baset." I said. Astrid groaned again and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You all give me too much credit but alright." She replied. I nodded then looked to Jane and Iris.

"Girls we're heading into the caves. Thanks to that Anansi asshole there aren't going to be any sonic vipers in the caves but that doesn't mean that Raziri doesn't have aby defenses for her lab. Be careful." I said

"And even if they're were more sonic vipers Chase controls the Transcended Sonic viper so he could easily control them." Astrid said.

"Transcended?" Jane, Iris, and I all exclaimed.

"Well it was an Ascended before Chase got his hands on it then he made it go through a even bigger transformation so I think Transcended is a better term for it." Astrid explained.

"Hmmmm…." I mused.

[I like it.] Alpa'nagia said gleefully.

"Alpa likes it so it can stay." I said.

"I don't know if I'm impressed or terrified by the fact that your evos can share your senses and hear everything that goes on around you and you are not at all bothered." Iris said.

"Is it really surprising at this point?" Jane asked then shook her head.

"Anyway! Let's get going " I said then turned to leave.

"Wait Chase, how good are you on mana right now?" Astrid asked. I froze and took a few seconds to check.

"I'm at thirty percent…I think." I replied.

"More than I thought." Astrid said.

"I think I absorb some mana when people use utility and enchantment spells on me." I said.

"Not at all surprised…." Jane and Iris said.

The girls all walked past me and left the house, I followed after them. Jane, Iris, and I wished Astrid luck and then rushed off. We headed to the closest we'll, since they all were connected to the underground cave system we could jump into any one and end up where we wanted.

Iris jumped into the well first, then Jane, then me finally. The descent was longer than I expected, I was falling for several moments before I felt the walls around me start to expand. A half second after that I splashed into freezing water. I quickly sank but didn't touch the bottom.

I felt a wave release from my body as Bone-lasher shared his senses with me. I was not in a small underground cave, when I sensed that the well had expanded I had actually fallen through the ceiling and into the cave. Jane and Iris were at the surface paddling around in the dark.

[Bone-lasher!] I summoned him. Bone-lasher popped put of my crystal then swam to me and dragged me to the surface.

"CHASE!" Jane and Iris yelled when I broke the surface.

"Here!" I called out. Both the girls swam over to the spun of my voice and were surprised when they bumped into Bone-lasher. They quickly clung onto him to keep from sinking.

"Where now?" Jane asked.

[Below! There is a tunnel.] Alpa'nagia said

"Underwater apparently." I said. The girls all groaned then held onto Bone-lasher's bloody tightly then took a deep breath.

Bone-lasher dove underwater and made his way to the tunnel. Thankfully the tunnel was wide enough that all of us could fit into it with no problem. Because of this Bone-lasher swam quickly, nearly throwing all of us off him, and reached the other end of the tunnel.

Bone-lasher blasted through the water's surface, soaring through the air he landed gracefully on his feet on a piece of solid land that only Bone-lasher could have seen in the pitch black darkness. The girls and I however landed on our back and butts and went tumbling into the cave wall.

[Whoops. Sorry.] Bone-lasher said sounding bashful.

[Yeah, you're fine….] I replied. The wheezing in my voice carried over into my thoughts. I groaned and stood up to face my liger.

"Thanks Bone." I said after a moment then held out my hand. Bone-Lasher returned to my farm crystal then I turned and looked at the girls. Jane and Iris both were already on their feet and wringing out their shirts and flinging wet hair out of their faces.

"We should have planned this more." Iris groaned then flung water off her hands. I rung out my shirt then suddenly remember the spells I had in my pocket. I quickly reached into it and pulled out a mushy wad of paper. I groaned loudly then threw them down on the ground.

"Yep! Not gonna argue with that." I growled.

"No use complaining about getting a little wet." Jane said then cast a defensive spell sigil. A veil of wind circled around Jane blowing all the water off her body. I started channeling heat attribute mana close to the surface of my skin. The water on my body and clothes evaporated and steam surrounded me. Jane looked at both Jane and Iris then frowned.

"I don't have ant spells that can work like that…" She muttered. I reached out and touched Iris shoulder and started channeling some of the heat attribute mana into her body. I directed the mana as close to the surface of her skin as possible. Steam soon started rising off her body and in a few moments she was totally dry again. I tried to absorb as much of my mana back into my body before I let go of her.

"Thanks Star child." Iris said.

"You're welcome Tri-clops." I said, lightly hitting her shoulder.

"Where now?" Jane asked. Iris and Jane both turned took to me and I in turn focused on Alpa'nagia.

[Tunnel hidden, that way…] Alpa'nagia said. I saw a flash of Alpa's memory. A medium sized crack in the cave wall that leads to a larger tunnel. I moved along the wall and found the crack. Squeezing into it wasn't ideal but I managed to do it, the girls had a easier time than I did. Once inside the tunnel I channeled shine attribute mana throughout my body. My skin started to glow and illuminated the tunnel in front of us.

"Well that's handy." Iris said

"Yeah but not too efficient…" I replied. I focused all the mana into the skin at the palm of my hand. The light receded from my body and focused into a beam of light. "That's better."

Using me as a flashlight we walked quickly through the tunnel stopping only when the tunnel split and needed to as Alpa'nagia for directions. For a minute I thought about letting Alpa'nagia out and just leading us but the size of the tunnel varied too much. One minute it was massive and wide tunnel then shrink down to the point the cave ceiling was only a few inches above our heads.

As we turned a corner I felt a chill run up my spine, similar to the one I felt when that black aura infected the village's barrier. This new tunnel was lined with red candles lit with a black flame. The flames gave off a purple glow that made everything seem ominous.

[We're here…] Alpa'nagia said hesitantly.

"This is it." I said.

"Yeah I think the spooky candles made that pretty obvious Star Child." Iris said drolly. I frowned at her then looked down the tunnel. I could feel Alpa'nagia's fear and anxiety coming through to me thanks to our connection. As we walked towards the end flashes of Apla'nagia's memories appeared before my eyes of some of the horrors he'd seen.

The disfigured bodies of Niger soldiers and farm animals flashed in and put of view. Their blood smeared all over the walls one moment, only to be clean with no signs of any gore to be found the next.

[How long has Raziri been experimenting on Niger soldiers?] I asked Alpa'nagia.

[Yearsssssss and yearssssss!] Alpa'nagia replied. [Sssssshe needed to perfect the ritual that made me.]

[How could she have grabbed soldiers like that constantly? She should have been caught!] I said.

[Sssssshe'ssss been conssssspiring with that sssssssplicer that killed my brethren for yearssssss. This plan for revenge wassssss not just hersssss but hisssssss asssss well.] Alpa'nagia said. I stopped mid-step and looked down at my crystal.

[What do you mean his revenge as well?] I asked.

[He wassssss once a member of the village asssssss well but like Lulu'nala fled at a young age.]

"Are you shitting me?!"