Seems like news of the Golden Dragon Empire's recent clash with the Saber-tooth has long reached the North despite the rare use of technology is up here. I still wager that the Empire itself lost more to the ragtag group despite what they announced on there official records.

This leads back to my suspicion of them. Do not misunderstand. All great nations do have their secrets. But for an empire so fixated on reviving the old tech their methods on how they've advanced so impossibly quick is such a bizarre mystery.

Flynn and I should arrive at the location by next sunlight. If Dark Angel is there, I'd like to confirm my suspicion about her role in all of this as soon as possible. If not then... well at least I get to see evidence of the launch sight in person. With the countless amount of rumors going around about its location over the years. Surely a written account from a scholar should mean something.

- Sophie, July 14th, 2764

 

Andrew

The duo followed the van along the dirt roads that lace themselves through the cover of thick pine trees. Slipping through the branches they keep up a steady but manageable pace on the higher slopes and cliffs half a mile away. Often traveling from one place to another by foot instead of using a horse had not only made their stamina pools deeper and honed their bodies but saved them a good deal of coin, coin they did not have to spare because there lack of taking any official jobs for most of there journey.

The sinister van having led them out of the forest and into a group of cole black mountains they find themselves reaching the tail end of the forest. Leaping out into a large plane of rocky land that ran along the steep cliffs which acted as a natural borderline between the green forest and group of mountains shrouded by a cloud of mist beyond them, the landscape ahead oozed a sense of awe and mystery as they ran head-on into the blanket of fog that stretched up towards the heavens. Andrew thought it rain at first until they were only a few miles away and heard no rainfall.

Being out in the open Andrew and Natalie picked up their pace as to not lose the van in the wall of mist. The open space made them feel somewhat exposed to the unwanted attention of the kidnappers as they tailed them but with this around them an odd feeling of claustrophobia hit Andrew.

That along with reaching higher up the vertical coverage of the mountains released a knot in his gut that he barely had the time to acknowledge. The van zig-zagged its way through the old roads caved through the peaks and the volume of the mist slowly increasing with each step it became safer for Natalie and Andrew to move forward without their line of sight truly lining up with the vans.

Even with all these obstructions, Natalie had her sights locked to them using her purple eyes to cut through the mist and the slow between them and their target. Andrew seeing this was distracting her from looking at what's ahead took it upon himself to be her eyes on their path forward.

As they were reaching the top half of the mountain's peak Andrew felt a strange tremor. With his eyes narrowed his ears burned so he could be certain that he did not miss heard the bizarre noise.

Looking at the peak of the mountain they were on at first he saw nothing but the mist. No sound came to him. Just the crunching of their feet as they sprint over the black coal-like mountain face.

Summing it up as nothing Andrew again points his eyes front to see the mountain top and what lay ahead of it. However, as they reached the top his eyes grew wide with shock.

Before his body could register anything he latched onto Natalie's wrist just ahead of him and came skidding to a halt. In shock, Natalie turns around to Andrew with fuming eyes. Ignoring it he pulled her down into a crouch along with himself before pointing to the slope just ahead of them. Natalie followed at his pointed finger with his eyes only to share the same face soon after.

Although it was hard to see in the mist there was clearly a gigantic figure moving across the face of the mountain. Its body was made of black rock; its four stubby rhino-like legs slowly stomped the land giving off tremors with each stride. With a block like a body that stood at twenty stories high and twenty-five wide. At what could only be described as its that front was a head shaped like that of a hammerhead shark with the odd moss and plant growing out of its edges.

It was like watching a cliff face move along the land. But for all its size and sheer presence, it did not seem to make a sound. If it was not for its tremoring stomps Andrew would not have been tipped off to its presence. He looks back at Natalie baffled. With Natalie sharing the same look, however, it was clear to him that none of them had seen anything quite like it in their travels.

This was not the first time they have been perplexed by the sight of a creature. Most times the discovery earned them an unwelcome engagement. From the looks of it, however, the moving cliff face did not seem to be aware of their presence, at least not yet. It was busy grazing on the black rubble off the mountain face like cattle does grass. As he watches it graze questions began flowing through his mind.

Is it born from the planet, or is it a demon? Is it hostile?

Going by its placid demeanor it did not look like it cared much for them. It was a good thing too since its sheer size would have proved it a taxing obstacle.

"Want to change our route?" Andrew whispered breaking the awed silence.

Natalie held her gaze a bit longer as she mulled it over. Just then, a little further within the mist, two more moving cliff faces stirred and came into view making for a small heard.

"We can't keep track of the van and fight them off if they attack us," he continued.

Besides, I'd rather not fight whatever 'that' is. Andrew thought to himself.

"Then we alter our path," Natalie said eyes pointing forward. Likely keeping an eye on the van even now. Andrew nodded, silently grateful.

Circling around the large unknowns the two of them continued tailing the van through the mountains. They stop under the cover of a large boulder as they watch the van make a stop by a large cliff some ways ahead.

Passing through the other side of the valley of mountains laid nothing but a blank canvas of rock on all sides but behind them. Baffled by this random location in which it stopped they watch onwards in silence.

At first nothing, the van remained where it was in front of the cliff face. But suddenly the front of the walls split open, lethargically opening into a deep dark void home to the sinister. The two watched in amazement as the rock wall opened wider and wider. The floor rippled as the rock face slid across the ground to reveal its secrets.

Andrew was taken aback by the sight of it.

He knew that the people they were after were likely hidden in plain sight but this? Looking over to Natalie who also held a shocked expression to what she was looking at he'd gathered that this was her first time seeing something so discreet. After a full minute of gawking the van had already driven through the cliff and the face as the walls begin to make its slow and steady pace closing.

Andrew snapping out of it stood up from his prone position. The gate was closing slowly and he knew they needed to move in order to reach it before it was too late.

"It's now or never. We doing this or what?" Andrew said expecting that to be enough to snap her back to the goal but she remained silent. With his eyes narrowed Andrew looked over at her. It was then that he noticed that it was not just awe that kept her, it was fear.

Her dazed eyes clearly lost in haunted memories. Pupils lost in a swirl of pain and torment. Face paralyzed and mouth ajar as if she was not even there no more but someplace else, her thousand-yard stare tugged at an old wound in his chest reminding them of how feeble he was, how feeble that old reality was. Gritting his teeth he shoved that swelling feeling aside.

"Natalie?!" Andrew shouted, his voice finally reaching her.

Blinking repeatedly at him for a moment she quickly got her bearings once again. Seeing that the opening was slowly but surely closing up her eyes widened in realization. They won't make it unless they run and fast!

Spurred on by this notion she in an instant dug her feet into the solid earth and kicked herself into high gear.

"Let's go!" She demanded in mid-sprint.

Making tracks just behind her Andrew soon caught up.

At full speed, they ran for the closing cliff but as they got closer Andrew's hope of making slipped further. Knowing that she has come to the same conclusion and still does not attempt to fly clued Andrew off on what was holding her back. To make sure that he is not left behind she was withholding all her will and that ate at him.

He came on this journey to be of assistance to her. Not to get in her way. And now young children's lives are at stake because of him. Gritting his teeth and swallowing his pride he steels himself for what he was about to say.

"I'll, find another way in! You can still make it if you fly! Don't let me hold you back!!" he shouted mid-sprint.

These words, however, made Natalie suddenly grind to a halt. Andrew now passing on ahead of her stopped running and turns around to Natalie surprised by her actions.

Before he could call her name he saw the fear in her eyes once more.

"I'll find another way in-"

"No," Mumbled Natalie, looking up to Andrew after cutting him off.

She shakes her head repeatedly ever so slightly drilling in the fact.

Andrew was left in a state of conflict. Trying to reason with her left them no time and they both will miss out, he would go himself and try to get her in but he will just miss the opening at his pace.

An opening that may never reveal itself again.

He knew that Natalie already noticed this herself. He remembers how she was about to go on this quest alone five years ago. They spoke of and understood the risk. How people can be crueler than even demons. They knew the risks; that they have been lucky most times getting here. But there was too much at stake to stop now. Too much they left behind to simply turn back

He forces himself back to them now to see Natalie's wings of night being summoned. Seeing her resolve he bitterly nodded... that was until her eyes locked onto his with a face as if saying; There-is-no-way-in-hell-that-I'm-leaving-you-here.

Before Andrew could question if that's wishful thinking on his part he found himself being tackled by Natalie right into his center lifting him up and leaping them off the ground. With a good view of her wings flapping he saw the ground six feet below him as the plane around him rushed on by as they picked up speed. To his utter disbelief, he was being carried by Natalie and flown back first towards the closing cliff face.

Too scared to even dare look back to what's in front of him he latched onto his sword concentrated to activate his knight's armor around his body to protect himself from a likely collision with the solid rock face. The dark mist illuminated around him like a second layer of skin.

Just as Andrew adapted to the speed Natalie somehow flies even faster. Almost losing his breath from vertigo Andrew's eyes widen out of their sockets as the landmass shrinks in front of him. Imagining the closing rock face rushing into view behind him he closed his eyes as the sliding noise of the doors grew ever closer.

Suddenly the remaining light through his pulps faded into total darkness. He feels himself crash on solid ground with Natalie still latching onto him as he fell and tumble along the floor. He looked up in time to see the last slither of light from the outside fade away as the walls sealed shut.

Now shrouded in darkness it took him a moment to adjust. Weary from just crashing into enemy territory he gripped onto his sword and remained idle. His remaining four senses waiting to pick up something-anything within the anonymous black.

"Natalie," He whispered, seeking her ability to see living things in the darkness.

Natalie remained latched onto Andrew, her face buried on his belly and masked by her long black hair as she remained idle on top of him.

"There's nobody here," Natalie said whilst shaking her head, the sensation would have tickled had he not been so tense.

Hearing her say that Andrew strops back, his head crashing on the floor as he released a breath he did not realize he was holding. Once he got his composure back he leaned up and shot the still embraced Natalie a death glare.

"The hell was that!?" he blurted at her scalp.

"You said we will go together," She said, her voice soft and muffled through the fabric of his gray cotton vest.

It was then that he felt her shaking. Never has he seen her vulnerable in her miraculous return from her kidnappers.

Today is turning out to be a list of wonders. He thought to himself.

But in a way, he was glad that he could be of help to her. It was not like he was faring any better. His palms were already sweaty and he always had a hate for the dark. Heck, if it was not for her he would never even dreamed of being involved in shady stuff this, playing hero to children whom he had never met. Had he not met and traveled with her maybe he would have simply become a knight and moved up the ranks of the hunting class, He'd likely undertake bounty hunting since they get more freedom. His affinity was a super rear meaning meany a person was ill-prepared for dealing with him which was always an advantage against the more experienced.

A hunter like his father, just what his father had expected. Having his father's face within his thought, however, left a bitter taste in his mouth evaporated all extending thoughts on this alternate life.

"Well, I'm here now right? Let's do what we came here to do." Andrew picked up calmly.

Natalie looked up meeting her purple eyes with his brown ones. Although he found it hard to adjust to the darkened room he picked up an outline of a smile on her face before she stood herself up. Seeing this as being the closest to the old her she'd ever been in a long while Andrew remained on the ground spaced out by the whole ordeal.

Feeling both nostalgic and surreal it took Natalie's extended right hand to wake him up from his daydream. Mumbling gratitude he took the hand and pulled himself up onto his feet.

"So, any ideas on how we go about things from this point?" Andrew said as he rested his knuckles on his sides. "Not like we have the experience to rely on like with the vans."

Natalie looks away to the ground lost in thought before shaking her head.

"I don't know..." she mumbled.

Andrew's jaw dropped when he heard those words come out of her mouth. However, a second later he found himself smirking and even chuckling a little. Baffled by this reaction Natalie looked up to Andrew confused. Although he could not make it up that well he sensed her puzzled expression. Calming himself down Andrew shook his head to her.

"No, it's just I remember you saying the same thing when you first plundered their vans. Did not even know where to start looking for them. We were so clueless back then. But look at us now. Surprised that we don't start a van plundering business." Andrew remarked.

"But this is not the same," Natalie replied.

Andrew took this moment to look around them now that his eyes had adjusted the best they could by this point to the dim doom. The man-made cuttings to the stone led down a narrow tunnel wide enough to fit several cars in and tall enough to hide a three-story building. Due to the lack of lights, it was hard to say where the end of the tunnels led to. But If what they already could see was anything to go by they were really out of their depth this time.

"You're right," he said more to himself. "Keeping ourselves alive will be harder if we have to protect them at the same time. That is unless we clear up shop first and then get the kids."

Natalie fell silent in agreement.

"But even so we should save them first. Before we damn this place to hell!"Natalie said almost without hesitation.

"Seems risky, you definitely want to do it what way?" Andrew asked.

Natalie nodded as she placed a hand on her chest.

"I just feel like we are pushed for time. If we play it too safe then this opportunity will slip."

With her eyes transfixed on her goal, Andrew nodded in approval.

"Then, I guess that's the 'A' and 'B' of It," he said.

As he turns around to face the tunnel he could not help but smile a little. No matter how crappy things might become he was glad to see an older side of her even if it was just a little phase.

"Now where does this tunnel lead to?" he asked out loud.

"Someplace where they can park up the vehicles," Natalie replied. "There's a smaller tunnel that leads to a gate made of iron further on," Natalie said whilst walking up beside him.

Nodding Andrew was about to set off until Natalie stopped him. He turns around to face her.

"There are lights there. And people guarding the gates," Natalie spoke as she looks onwards. "We need to get past them without being spotted if possible,"

"You think it possible?" Andrew asked.

"I don't see any other way around it."

"We could pray in hope that they are blind as I am right now," Andrew chuckled to himself. Soon sighing at the irony of his words.

"We are inside a rock face with no windows as far as I can tell, so all forms of light they have here must be artificial."

Andrew felt a bit neglected by not getting a response to his little joke only came too when he realizes where Natalie was going with her sentence.

"So if we were to cut the source of their power we steal them of their sight," Andrew said, neglecting to include himself in the ones affected.

Natalie looks at the glowing cables that travel through the base like blood vessels and then at her hand. A spark of purple electricity emits from her palm flickering randomly with a low clicking sound. With her hand near her face the glow help, Andrew almost catches the moment the plan flashed in her mind. She looks him dead in the eyes with the current flowing off the hand-making light.

"I've got an idea," she said.

~#~

The guards on the other stood by the gate making sure nobody uninvited came through. Having lights around their vicinity the two men had a very simple job. Allow people who they recognize in. Kill the people they don't. Besides those two states, however, was a long middle one. One that according to their dry-humored talk was the one and only constant state they had ever made use of since they've been here.

"I'm telling you that bread was moldy and I almost ate all of it!" the one according to Natalie's hand signals was station Andrew's right down the end of the man-made tunnel.

Leaning against either end of the tunnel this meant that moldy bread was along Andrew's side of the wall he was hiding behind making him his target.

The other guard stifled a chuckle in his throat as moldy continued.

"I would have thrown the whole thing into my soup and all had it not been for how unevenly lumpy the sludge was this time! Would be shitting full mushrooms instead of half ones come four hours."

The one Andrew dubbed moldy continued ranting, the other man, however, did not respond. As such Andrew dubbed him silent until such was broken.

"And did you see how little-unspoiled crap was left for us as rations!? The chef said that the sudden move left then thin on supplies! And yet again their lab rats and brainiacs get the lions to share! 'Brain food' the chef said, 'orders from the top' he waddles on. The fat turd! Like he's trying to insult my intelligence! Just because I can't swing a Flippin sword and fireball out my ass! He should know that emptying clips is much quicker than preparing a plate!

He thought that moldy's question would, at last, loosen silent lips, but silent did what silent apparently did best. This was good however because thanks to moldy's loose lips they knew one key thing. These men before then had no knight's armor. Natalie picked up on this too since her earlier apprehension of giving the signal transformed into a peeved eagerness.

Moldy sighed to himself seemingly having gotten all the stress of the day out of his system.

"But yeah, all that is to say that when I need to be excused for half an hour just know that it's me likely taking a mushroom clouded shit! And then I may take the liberty to go down to that chef and give him a piece of my mind! 'Brain food' my ass, the fat slob."

"They say your last meal ort to be your grandest, I can't speak for the lab monkeys but if almost all of the children were to die shitting themselves as you'd apparently heard then why not let them dine like royalty before they kick it?" This voice, silent's voice sounded rather calm cool and calculated. Even rational if you dare to entertain monsters such as them as such.

Andrew had already gathered that he hated moldy with his constant yapping but silent switched his opinion that with just one sentence, now dubbing him 'grand prick' Andrew decided that he leaped straight up into first place on his immediate shit list. Had they not been tied to a team plan then he would have liked to switch targets. With Natalie's eyes beming however Andrew felt it was just as well that she gets dibs on him.

Pointing her middle and index finger to both her eyes and having her other hand over the exposed cabled that held the lightening up and around the great block room they were in and down the hall that the 'grand moldy pricks' were talking in he nodded his head and closed his lids.

Waiting fifteen seconds for his eyes to adjust to the darkness of his lids as planned Natalie over-changed the light source leaving a low spark and popping bulbs up and around them.

"Lights are out," Natalie whispered.

Hearing this Andrew opened his eyes and began sprinting briskly towards the baffled moldy.

"They're here!" the great prick said, but with his eyes still adjusting to the dark, he aimed at nothing. Moldy likely sensing Andrew and Natalie's approach reached for something on his chest that was too dark to see and moved it up to his mouth. Before he could complete another action however Andrew had already drawn out his trusty sword and cut through and across his chest making him stagger back.

Had his lungs been intact then he would have likely screamed but Andrew made sure he cut deep enough to take care of that. As he fell choking and twitching he took this moment to look over to Natalie. She having no weapon took the more clean route of slamming a thunder punch fist into the grand prick's gut knocking him down cold and out for the count.

Nodding at her silhouette to his left they moved through the sliding iron gates and into the base itself.

Thanks to Natalie's attack on the cables the whole building was now in a blackout meaning that she was the only one that could still see among them.

This also meant that Andrew could not see much of anything and so had to hold Natalie's hand as she guided them through the airy halls of the base. He could hear the clapping of other people's footsteps tapping around them, Natalie would occasionally hold her breath and trade her running advance for more careful tiptoes.

He could not see well but he did not need to, to know that things have gone into disarray since the power outage as Natalie's breaths seemed to have normalized just as much as their pace. As they continued advancing it sounded to him like all the other men he heard running around have calmed down, or maybe they have left them. Andrew did not want to risk speaking up in case they are within earshot of others.

Suddenly Natalie gave a sigh of delight.

"I can see them!" She shouted.

"'Them' as in the children? Whereabouts?" Andrew asked. He can just about make out Natalie looking downwards meaning that they are likely a few floors below them. He could see a shaft with a metal cage blocking anyone from falling in.

She twirled around as she focused her gaze upwards before gasping in shock.

"Damn!!" her one-word response to whatever she saw.

"What's happening?" he said.

Natalie squeezes Andrew's hand tightly, almost painfully.

"This way!" She demanded as she pulled Andrew through some left and right turns.

The sound of other footsteps returned once again but this time they sounded more in unison and focused. Running through what Andrew could only describe as an aisle of boxes the two of them cut corners until they reach a dead end with a number of big creates sitting by it.

Squeezing through the gap Natalie pulls Andrew through and lets go of his hand. The sound of men shouting orders was getting closer by the second.

"What are you doing?" Andrew whispered. Only able to rely on his other senses he feels around for her.

He hears what could have only been her sliding back on through the same spot he was sure they entered through to get here. And then nothing... Moments later, however, the guards sounded like they heard someone and were hot on their tail. No shots were fired which gave him hope. Until he heard a group of them in the same room he was in. Holding his breath he hears the slow steady footsteps of a man on the hunt for something.

Have we been spotted? The last question ran through his mind.

He was confident in his skills as a knight even against armed man but if they can truly somehow see in the dark then he'd be a sitting duck to their weapons. Sure his knight's armor would protect him but if he's hit from this close and constant enough it was only a matter of time that his will would give away and the bullets would pass on through.

Like an idle, he dares not move an inch, or brave a tad. Worried that doing any of the two will make them the last somethings he ever does.