Ryuranger
08-08-2003, 12:40 PM
“I, Ranger,” - Chapter Five: Into the Darkness
Moonlight streaked through the canopy of trees above me, casting a pale glow across the dozen soldiers escorting me to the Drikeshi Pits.
The Drikeshi lived underground in a hive-like structure, and all were dedicated to the protection of their queen-mother. The entrance to their lair was miles away from the nearest city and buried deep within the woods.
The Empress hadn’t forced me to turn myself in to the creatures; I had volunteered. The children were kidnapped because of me, and I had to do whatever I could to get them back.
The Empress had assured me that the guard escort was merely a formality and had even provided a change of dress for me. She assured me the outfit provided would be more suitable to my plans for escape after the children were freed.
My slacks were loose fitting black leather that wrapped around dark boots. A line of black cloth served as my belt. I wore a matching black sleeveless tunic of leather over a baggy shirt of dark, rusty red. My forearms were covered in black straps, each hiding a small dagger. My hands were bound in cuffs that I could have easily snapped out of.
Mordont nudged me in the back with the handle of his sword. “Faster, Earther…”
I turned by head back to glare at Mordont. “Hit me again, and I’ll break off your wrist.”
Mordont laughed mockingly. “Another time perhaps…We’ve arrived.”
I looked out upon the stretch of woods before me and noticed nothing out of the ordinary…that was until patches of ground slid aside and dozens of reptilian soldiers climbed out from below the soil.
They stalked forward cautiously while holding jagged spears and sabers. Mordont stepped forward to address the soldiers and his fear seemed almost tangible.
“We have brought a gift for your Queen-Mother,” he said as he held his hand out towards me.
One of the reptilians stepped forward and wrinkled his brow as he tightened his grip on his spear. “Reija…” the creature hissed.
“That’s right,” I said as I stepped forward. “I’m here. Now release the hostages.”
The reptilian wrinkled his brow with confusion.
A twisted smile spread across Mordont’s face. “Oh yes…about the children…I lied.”
I was a fraction of a second away from snapping off my bindings and attacking Mordont when one of his guards slammed the end of his spear against the back of my neck. Darkness consumed me before I hit the ground.
***
My vision slowly blurred into focus and I found myself in a dark cave with only a single torch providing illumination. Iron bars imprisoned me within the cave, blocking the stony corridor I assumed led deeper into the Drikeshi pits.
I heard a small coughing from a dark corner in my cell of stone and realized I wasn’t alone.
“You’re awake I see,” a cold voice said from the dark corner. “Welcome to hell.”
I tried to stand, but my legs weren’t ready to move. “Who are you?”
The man leaned forward, letting the pale light creep across his face. His face was white and unshaven. His dark, unwashed hair was ruffled across the top of his head. He stared at me with brown, baggy eyes that betrayed endless nights of sleeplessness.
“I’m the last human you’ll ever see,” the man said as he flashed me a lopsided grin. “Quite a thought, isn’t it?”
I shook my head, keeping my expression stern. “I don’t think so…”
The man sighed. “Well you’re no fun. My name is Stefen. A pleasure.”
“I’m Tommy,” I answered, not sure what to think of the stranger. He seemed cocky and arrogant, and his spirits weren’t dampened by his imprisonment. “How’d you end up here?”
Stefen leaned back into his dark corner. “I’m a man of secrets, Tommy. You seem like someone who can understand that, yes?”
I shook my head, not wanted to engage in any pointless conversation about lives shrouded in secrecy.
“I suppose that’s fair,” I said as I stood and walked over to the bars holding us back from freedom. They were worn and appeared rusty, but were also quite sturdy. I could have easily morphed and ripped the bars apart like paper, but I felt it wise not to reveal my identity to the stranger I shared my cell with.
Stefen laughed with amusement as he watched me run my hands across the bars in search of weaknesses. I turned to glare at him. “Something funny?”
“But of course,” Stefen said as his grin widened. “Even if you did by some act of The Maker manage to break free from those bars…where would you go? Hmm? The snake-faces are everywhere down here. They’d rip you to shreds.”
“Underestimating me is a fatal mistake,” I said as I grabbed a hold of the weakest bar. I let the fire of my dragon power slowly ebb into the bar and weaken its integrity. I let the power ebb into my muscles, giving me the strength to snap the bar free.
Stefen opened his eyes wide with astonishment. “Seems there’s more to you than what appears, Tommy…”
“Secrets, Stefen,” I said as a lopsided grin spread across my face. “Secrets…”
--to be continued in part two. this thread. watch for it.
--for chapters one through four, visit www.angelfire.com/extreme3/p_rangersx/IRanger.html
Moonlight streaked through the canopy of trees above me, casting a pale glow across the dozen soldiers escorting me to the Drikeshi Pits.
The Drikeshi lived underground in a hive-like structure, and all were dedicated to the protection of their queen-mother. The entrance to their lair was miles away from the nearest city and buried deep within the woods.
The Empress hadn’t forced me to turn myself in to the creatures; I had volunteered. The children were kidnapped because of me, and I had to do whatever I could to get them back.
The Empress had assured me that the guard escort was merely a formality and had even provided a change of dress for me. She assured me the outfit provided would be more suitable to my plans for escape after the children were freed.
My slacks were loose fitting black leather that wrapped around dark boots. A line of black cloth served as my belt. I wore a matching black sleeveless tunic of leather over a baggy shirt of dark, rusty red. My forearms were covered in black straps, each hiding a small dagger. My hands were bound in cuffs that I could have easily snapped out of.
Mordont nudged me in the back with the handle of his sword. “Faster, Earther…”
I turned by head back to glare at Mordont. “Hit me again, and I’ll break off your wrist.”
Mordont laughed mockingly. “Another time perhaps…We’ve arrived.”
I looked out upon the stretch of woods before me and noticed nothing out of the ordinary…that was until patches of ground slid aside and dozens of reptilian soldiers climbed out from below the soil.
They stalked forward cautiously while holding jagged spears and sabers. Mordont stepped forward to address the soldiers and his fear seemed almost tangible.
“We have brought a gift for your Queen-Mother,” he said as he held his hand out towards me.
One of the reptilians stepped forward and wrinkled his brow as he tightened his grip on his spear. “Reija…” the creature hissed.
“That’s right,” I said as I stepped forward. “I’m here. Now release the hostages.”
The reptilian wrinkled his brow with confusion.
A twisted smile spread across Mordont’s face. “Oh yes…about the children…I lied.”
I was a fraction of a second away from snapping off my bindings and attacking Mordont when one of his guards slammed the end of his spear against the back of my neck. Darkness consumed me before I hit the ground.
***
My vision slowly blurred into focus and I found myself in a dark cave with only a single torch providing illumination. Iron bars imprisoned me within the cave, blocking the stony corridor I assumed led deeper into the Drikeshi pits.
I heard a small coughing from a dark corner in my cell of stone and realized I wasn’t alone.
“You’re awake I see,” a cold voice said from the dark corner. “Welcome to hell.”
I tried to stand, but my legs weren’t ready to move. “Who are you?”
The man leaned forward, letting the pale light creep across his face. His face was white and unshaven. His dark, unwashed hair was ruffled across the top of his head. He stared at me with brown, baggy eyes that betrayed endless nights of sleeplessness.
“I’m the last human you’ll ever see,” the man said as he flashed me a lopsided grin. “Quite a thought, isn’t it?”
I shook my head, keeping my expression stern. “I don’t think so…”
The man sighed. “Well you’re no fun. My name is Stefen. A pleasure.”
“I’m Tommy,” I answered, not sure what to think of the stranger. He seemed cocky and arrogant, and his spirits weren’t dampened by his imprisonment. “How’d you end up here?”
Stefen leaned back into his dark corner. “I’m a man of secrets, Tommy. You seem like someone who can understand that, yes?”
I shook my head, not wanted to engage in any pointless conversation about lives shrouded in secrecy.
“I suppose that’s fair,” I said as I stood and walked over to the bars holding us back from freedom. They were worn and appeared rusty, but were also quite sturdy. I could have easily morphed and ripped the bars apart like paper, but I felt it wise not to reveal my identity to the stranger I shared my cell with.
Stefen laughed with amusement as he watched me run my hands across the bars in search of weaknesses. I turned to glare at him. “Something funny?”
“But of course,” Stefen said as his grin widened. “Even if you did by some act of The Maker manage to break free from those bars…where would you go? Hmm? The snake-faces are everywhere down here. They’d rip you to shreds.”
“Underestimating me is a fatal mistake,” I said as I grabbed a hold of the weakest bar. I let the fire of my dragon power slowly ebb into the bar and weaken its integrity. I let the power ebb into my muscles, giving me the strength to snap the bar free.
Stefen opened his eyes wide with astonishment. “Seems there’s more to you than what appears, Tommy…”
“Secrets, Stefen,” I said as a lopsided grin spread across my face. “Secrets…”
--to be continued in part two. this thread. watch for it.
--for chapters one through four, visit www.angelfire.com/extreme3/p_rangersx/IRanger.html