Part III

The night sky over Shar’Caahin was a sea of dark violet speckled with silver clouds as Lyla began her journey. Lightning brimmed in the wispy atmosphere overhead as she shook off a chill and pulled up a light blue hood to obscure her face. With each burning white flash Lyla paused to watch the village behind her wondering if anyone had noticed her departure.

The outer barrier had been reduced to waist high piles of rubble as Lyla looked in disbelief at the damage wrought through the hillside. She carefully climbed over the loose stones and stopped briefly to look back one last time recalling the day’s events.

‘Lyla we need help in here!’ Grace Jiu’han called from the antechamber.

Her head still spun as she tried to shake off the dizziness overwhelming her. Reaching out in the darkness she found a wall to steady her and cautiously moved towards the cries. Gradually her vision became a cloud of stars that gave way to the room around her broken and jostled. Fear washed over her seeing the condition of the antechamber when Grace Jiu’han broke the silence again.

‘We need help now!’ Echoed through the chamber.

Lyla rushed to her side as she knelt over the still form of a young girl.

Drawing her light blue robe around her she pushed the memories to the back of her mind.

‘There will be time for regrets later.’ She thought to herself moving into the forest.

After hours moving through low lying branches and foliage Lyla submitted to her fatigue and looked for a safe clearing to make camp in. She set up a small silver tent that shimmered in the moonlight making it almost undetectable. Outside the tent Lyla set up a small black cube that unfolded into a warming stove and with just a few shining silver drops of liquid it flared into action with bright blue flame. The sweet scent of agavu berries drifted into the tent as they sizzled on the black stove. With a warm full belly she drifted off into what she hoped would be an event less night.

Lyla woke before sunrise and quickly broke down her small camp to begin moving again. Holding the small recording crystal she activated the message still trapped within. ‘Daughter I apologize for not sending for you sooner. Know you are always in my thoughts and I wish only for your safe return. South of Caahin you will find a Tran station with Gyros you can use to retur…’ Lyla stopped the recording abruptly hearing movement through the trees around her.

She waited silently as a massive black feline stalked between the large broken tree trunks looking for easy prey. The moments felt like hours as she waited in the shadows of the forest. Long after the quiet predator had moved away she began her journey again moving cautiously through the dense brush.

Lyla pushed aside the foliage climbing to the top of a small hill. From there she could see in every direction and as she turned towards her village a sigh broke the silence. The dense tree tops broke into a clearing around the edge of Shar’Caahin as massive smoke pillars blackened the sky above it.

Further in the distance she could see more black clouds rising up from the forest as she muttered a curse under her breath. Lyla fumbled through the leather pack she carried and retrieved a green focusing lens. Covering her right eye she scanned the southern horizon for any signs of the Tran station. Through the focused crystal a stark black marker stood out against the green blanket of trees behind it.

‘That must be it.’ She thought measuring the distance in her mind

With her new course plotted Lyla made her way for the marker hoping the inside of the station held up during the traumatic events of the previous day. Ahead of her the forest opened into a large cleared plain of Churba grass smashed to the ground by the escaping Elopha herds. She made a quick pace towards the station watching her flanks for danger.

Below the marker a large group of trees signaled her arrival as she searched for the entrance. She found a black stone octagon plaque carved with wings and text she could not decipher. Inside the grove a slight depression of the earth showed her where to brush away the grass and before long she had uncovered a rectangular panel in the ground.

She placed her hands along etched grooves running the length of the handle as the silver pathways traced along her fingers made connection. A surge of energy flowed between them as the lock clicked open. Inside the hatch Lyla climbed a long way down to the floor of the chamber where she pressed a dusty light switch and found the station appeared without power.

'The quakes must have knocked out the grid. That will make things a bit more difficult.’ She thought fumbling for the Perfonis globe in her satchel.

A small clear crystal worked smooth from use rested dull and lifeless in the center of her palm. Placing her left hand on top of the stone she began to roll it between the silver lines generating the energy it needed to illuminate the passage.

The corridor had doors on either side as Lyla walked towards the Gyro bay pausing briefly to collect supplies. Inside one of the doorways she found tightly sealed Plexo jars of food and dehydrated powders used to purify water. Further down the tunnel she moved into a room marked with the symbol of a clinched fist.

She brushed the silver glinting cobwebs from her face as she walked into the once busy armory. Along the northern facing wall under a thin layer of dust Lyla found what she was looking for. 

The Mishun staff was carved from a solid piece of polished blue alloy with markings that made it appear in motion standing still against the weapon rack. As Lyla slipped her hands around the center of the staff the circuit completed and bright cyan flared down its length. With a few twirls to check the weight and balance she nodded in approval and surveyed the room for anything else useful.

Above Lyla the crystal lighting flickered and went back to darkness leaving her to wonder if someone was trying to power the grid or if this was a very bad time to be underground. The lights flashed again as the power to the station began to flow sending the systems into a reboot. In the distance Lyla heard the low hum of a turbine begin to grow as a slight tingle ran through her toes feeling energy leap up to meet her.

With her pace quickened Lyla absentmindedly strolled down the long corridor towards the Gyro bay while ahead of her the form of a large ebony beast came into view from around a corner.

A massive black paw adorned with vicious white claws sliced harmlessly through the air as Lyla tucked into a roll. Growling roared through the chamber at the beast’s displeasure as it launched another attack. Lurching backwards Lyla pushed off her leather satchel and brought the Mishun staff to defend the beast’s pressing attacks. With both hands she spun the staff in front of her as cyan reflected in the large eyes of the beast.

Retreating as she danced from left to right twisting the staff between her palms it hissed and crackled. She parried attack after attack all the while scanning for an escape. Lyla ducked beneath a near miss as one of the huge paws swung over her head and thrust her staff upward smashing it into the beast.

The feline cried in pain as the blue metal sent a charge reverberating throughout it. Lyla gracefully poured back into the rhythmic motions of her twisting stance.

'All I want is a Gyro and you can have your home back!' Lyla barked as it swiped again.

Backpedaling as she blocked and feigned the feline attacks Lyla devised a plan and quickly ducked into the door of the pantry. As the large black beast tried to push into the door behind her Lyla was already bursting through to the adjoining room and the exit. She knew one false step would be the end of her as she rounded the doorway and ran back into the main corridor. 

Lyla grabbed her satchel in one hand flinging it onto her back as the doors flew past with the energy of the tiles below her catapulting her to breakneck speed. The beast turned to see her flee and flooded the chamber with a growl before charging after her.

‘Come on… Come on…'

As Lyla neared the end of the hallway with the massive cat still pursuing she retrieved the small illumining crystal from her pocket and hurled it into the stones below her.

A multitude of blue, violet and white exploded into the passage before the beast blinding it as Lyla slammed herself through the doorway at the end. As the behemoth crashed into the wall in the corridor behind her the room shook and Lyla quickly slammed down the retaining bar and magnetic locks. Behind the safety of the secured door she collapsed to the floor in a panting heap and rested briefly.

Around Lyla the Gyro bay was a large room of levers, pipes and valves surrounding tanks with different gauges and hoses. Large work benches covered with various tools lined the eastern wall of the shop. In the center of the room two large pedestals were raised above the floor to house the Gyros. Beneath a layer of dust she could still make out the quartz crystal gauges of the Gyro on the left pedestal.

She gathered a rag from one of the tables and began to gently clean away the grime and cobwebs. After perusing the operation manual and a few system checks Lyla turned the small key and smiled as the Gyro purred into motion. She churned the large peddles at her feet as the lights of the Gyro gauges began an amber glow that slowly turned to a deep red as steam hissed from a valve beside her.

Adjusting various knobs and valves the craft began to pressurize and with the click of a lever Lyla sent a large disc spinning below it. The Gyro expelled a massive cloud of smoke before lifting upwards as it grunted and groaned. Satisfied with the demonstration Lyla set the craft back down gently and switched it off with a sputter.

'Now I just need a way out.' She pondered glancing around the room.

Ahead of the dais a large scarab lever split the floor between the two Gyros. Lyla pulled it back sending gears clunking as the wall compacted and pulled away. One by one crystal lights clicked on illuminating the tunnel ahead of the Gyros revealing the fallen debris as she sighed loudly.

'Underground during these quakes Mother. What could possibly go wrong?' Lyla mocked aloud.

She assessed the situation and retrieved a sheer piece of silver film from her satchel. After surveying the large stone Lyla carefully aligned the calibration arrow of the magnosis sheet. As the silver tracks of her palm made contact she could feel the stone shift slightly as energy fluxed between them. With a gentle shove the massive broken granite easily slid against the wall of the corridor sending a resounding thud through the chamber around her.

The Gyro stuttered back to life as Lyla secured a pair of navigation goggles over her eyes.

‘Here goes.’ She said to herself pushing forward on the controls of the craft.

Slowly at first she hovered through the passage dodging the smaller fallen debris headed for topside. Suddenly the cafe shifted sending trails of sand and broken rock crashing to the floor as Lyla accelerated the sputtering Gyro.

'Come on!' She exclaimed pushing hard left to avoid the falling bits of stone.

Lyla grunted loudly and sent the Gyro barreling through the exit as the dramatic change in light left her suddenly blind. Frantically she squinted behind the goggles trying to adjust to the midday sun after being underground for so long. Her vision was still blurry as tree tops were quickly approaching causing the proximity gauges of the Gyro to screech. Drawing back on the controls Lyla sent the Gyro safely above the treetops silencing the dashboard.

‘You sure can be noisy.’

The alternating discs of the Gyro spun rapidly as it sailed above the dense tree cover of the surrounding forest. Lyla surveyed the horizon in all directions and made a grim discovery.

‘I only hope you can forgive me for leaving…’ She muttered caught up in the memories of days before.

Grace Jiu’han brushed wispy gray hair back from her face as her gaze remained focused on Hkali’s motionless form.

‘What is happening?’ Lyla called but the aged woman appeared lost in thought. ‘Great Mother?’

‘Your guess is as good as mine, initiate.’ She turned looking at Lyla as she spoke. ‘Your mother has sent word. Perhaps they have answers my dear.’

Lyla watched as she bent down next to Hkali. Grace Jiu’han slowly moved her hand drawing a protective mark on Hkali’s pale forehead before gently shutting both eyelids and drawing the light blue hood around her.

The loud buzzing of a detection sensor suddenly brought her back to the present. She quickly scanned the dash looking for the culprit and noticed a large red blinking light etched with the symbol of a lightning bolt.

‘What does tha…’ She pondered aloud before white blinding light cascaded through her vision evoking a loud squeak.

The air around the Gyro was charged with crackling energy as she quickly began flipping switches attempting to power down the non-vital systems. Her feet furiously churning the peddles below her to generate a low voltage charge for the critical remaining controls. Lyla could feel the hair on her arms standing on end as she yanked hard on the controls trying to control the Gyro.

The treetops were quickly getting closer as the Gyro bounced between the charged fields surrounding it. A white beam of molten fire struck the shining disc spinning behind Lyla sending the craft into a violent spin as the crystal gauges overcharged and exploded.  The Gyro lurched one last time before deploying a large parachute to slow its fall as Lyla lay collapsed on the broken dash.