"Alpa, get us closer!" I ordered as we defended into the cloud of smoke that the crystal snake was kicking up as it moved. I had cast an invisibility spell on the three of us so we didn't have to worry about being seen.
"How are we playing this?" Jane asked.
"Ideally, we enter through the front of this thing, take out Aziza and the men in charge, then work our way to the back of it and kill all the other mercenaries." I replied.
"Can you even get on that thing from the front?" Alpa'nagia asked.
"Good question…" I said.
Alpa'nagia flew through the smoke cloud, and eventually, we came upon the crystal snake inside it. The thing looked massive a mile up in the air, but it was another kind of beast all together up close. It was taller than Alpa'nagia and a lot longer too, Grimm-Guard still had its beat, but the thing looked much more armored than the Militanto was.
There were no glass windows, so I couldn't see inside. However, there was what looked like an indent for a door on the side of the lead segment right before it connected to the second segment.
[Alpa, there!] I told him through the connection as I pointed.
Alpa'nagia flew as close as possible while holding Jane and I. I reached for the door impression of the door when Jane grabbed my hand and stopped me.
"We're taking the leaders alive if possible. Aziza can't be held accountable alone for this. The other countries will want someone to crucify." Jane said. I nodded.
"Set mana-locks to stun. Got it." I said, then channeled volt attribute mana into the mana-lock.
[Alpa, if I get this thing open, throw us both inside. If need be, make a huge tornado to knock it off balance.] I told Alpa'nagia.
[I'll await your orders then.] Alpa'nagia said.
I took a deep breath and then placed my hand on the indent in the crystal snake. My crystal glowed brightly for a brief second, and a door shaped figure shined on the side of the crystal snake before a line appeared down the center of the outline, and the door slid to the side.
Alpa'nagia did as he was ordered and tossed Jane and I inside. We bounced on the floor and slid until we slammed into the opposite wall. Thankfully, we were still invisible. Aziza and the two mercenary leaders both jumped at the sounds of the door opening and us crashing. The leaders already had guns drawn towards the door and in the direction that we crashed.
"What was that?" Aziza demanded. Jane jumped to her feet and pointed her mana-lock at one of the omni-souled splicers and fired a lightning bullet that struck him in the arm and shocked him. He was knocked back into the control panels as lightning jumped from him to his brother and Aziza.
I scrambled to my feet, a fired two more shots at Aziza and the other brother who had only been hot with the arcs. Three shot altogether, and they were down for the count. Jane and I scanned the room to check for another hostile but saw none.
"Who's there?!" Iris exclaimed from the back of the compartment. I looked back. Nad saw that she'd been blindfolded as well as tied up but not gagged.
I deactivated the invisibility spell that cloacked Jane and I as Jane rushed over Iris side and pulled off the blindfold.
"Iris, it's me!" Jane replied. Iris eyes took a moment to adjust to the sudden flash of light buy. Once they focused, I saw a look of confusion spread on Iris face.
"Bo?!" Iris exclaimed. Jane frowned and shook her head.
"No! It's me, Jane! I swapped appearances with Bo to come save you." Jane explained. Iris eyes grew wide, and she looked speechless.
"You…you came for me?" She gasped in disbelief.
"Of course I did! You're my best friend." Jane replied as she moved to untie Iris.
I walked over to the three bastards that Jane and I incapacitated to make sure they weren't getting up soon, and it was a good thing I did. The one that Jane had shot wasn't unconscious and was struggling to reach for the pistol that had been knocked from his hand when Jane shot him. I casually picked up the pistol and admired it for a moment.
"Rellakov SKS. Russian, it's really hard to get a hold of." I said as I looked over the gun, then nodded.
"O-oh l-l-look! A brat t-t-that thinks he can h-h-h-handle a gu-u-un! " The Crescent crystal omni-souled splicer stuttered as lightning continued to arch from where Jane shot him.
I pointed the gun at his brother and shot him in each leg. He jerked awake and screamed bloody agony.
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" The Crescent splicer yelled.
"I know that has hurt." I said. The Waxing gibbons omni-souled splicer saw I has two guns and started trying to cast a offensive spell sigil but I shot him through both his arms, the spell was canceled out.
"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!" Waxing gibbons screamed.
"Oh don't be a bitch! I only shot you in the arms and legs and made sure to not hit anything vital! Try getting hit in both your kidneys and through the chest then you can start screaming." I said with a roll of my eyes.
"You're dead! You're so dead you cocky piece of shit!" Crescent splicer yelled. I bit my thumb and started writing runes on my arm then channeled mana into them then cast a axiom spell sigil.
"Shut up! The only ones that are going to be dead are you two once we get you back to the palace." I said.
Black crystals floated in the air around me as the spell I cast started to take effect. They suddenly shattered into thousands of splinters and flew into the two mercenaries wrists, forming cuffs around them before solidifying into a pair of handcuffs that tied them together then anchored them to the ground.
"Chase! Iris needs medical attention!" Jane exclaimed.
I turned and rushed over Jane and Iris, already writing more runes on my arm. I dropped to my knees beside Iris and started channeling mana into the runes while chanting.
"Light of cross and vhim, Bone of blood and succor, converge on the table of serenity and offer relief to this tortured soul. AL'HURL'VAJAH!" I chanted.
A utility spell sigil form in front of my hand followed by a second axiom spell sigil that formed around the first. My hand glowed with a duel colored light, alternating between purple and blue. I reached out and touched Iris and the light quickly engulfed her. All her bruises and cuts quickly closed up and healed as if they never happened and the compound fracture she received snapped back into place and healed over.
Iris glowed for several more seconds after her external injures were healed. Once the glow ended. Iris looked down at herself and gasped.
"Wow…you've gotten better at making spells…" She gasped then looked over herself.
"Oh thank the gods!" Jane exclaimed then tackled Iris, pulling her into a hug. "I was so fucking worried about you!"
"I'm fine now! I'm safe!" Iris chuckled and hugged Jane back sharing a look of disbelief with me.
"Wow! Not only do you look like Bo but you're acting like him too! I don't remember you cursing so much before today." I said with a devious grin. Jane frowned and glared back at me.
"Ouch! By saying that you're essentially saying that Jane is acting like you." Iris said. Jane's eyes widened and she turned and slapped me on the arm.
"I am not!" She snapped. Iris and I both laughed at Jane's frustration only causing her to turn red and glare at the both of us.
"Stop laughing at me!" She snapped.
"How can we not! Nobody can take you seriously looking like Bo!" I exclaimed cackled.
[BOSS! BEHIND YOU!] Bone-lasher warned me.
"You all can laugh in hell! Die bastards!" Aziza bellowed. I turned and saw her casting a offensive spell sigil. It was a personalized version of a fireball, meant to be bigger and cause a larger explosion.
I quickly threw my hand up and channeled void attribute mana into my hand as she fired off the giga-fireball. It was quickly absorbed and broken down into mana when it came into contact with my void attribute mana. I pointed my mana-lock at her and fired another shot hitting her square in the chest and shocking the living hell out of her. Aziza fell back unconscious.
"I'll go make sure she can't do that again…" I said then stood and walked over to Aziza.
"I'm going to go take care of the other men in the other parts of this thing." Jane said as she stood. I stopped and looked back.
"Hold on a second I'll help you." I said. Jane looked at me and shook her head.
"No need. I have help." Jane said. A crystalline suddenly formed in front of her crysal and shot into the air shattering before it reached the ceiling. Ayia'liah emerged and floated down, landing on Jane's shoulders.
[I'll help her Star Shaper] Ayia'liah said. I arched a brow as I started writing runes on my arms.
"Are you sure?" I asked. Ayia'liah nodded then flapped her clear wings a few times spreading a crystalline dust into the air that seemed to swirl around her and Jane.
[I'm sure. We had a heart to heart while you were unconscious Star Shaper.] Ayia'liah said.
Jane looked over at the back of the compartment and saw a door shaped indent that was similar to the one we came in on. She walked over to it and drew her mana-lock before placing her hand on the door. The door glowed before sliding open and Jane quickly walked into the next compartment.
"Who the fuck is that kid!" One of the guys in the new compartment yelled.
"The kid has a gun!" Another yelled.
The door to the compartment suddenly slammed shut silencing anything from that new compartment. Iris jumped to her feet and tried to rub after her but stumbled after one step and collapsed.
"Hold on Iris, you're still going to be a little weak! That spell only healed your wounds, it didn't restore stamina or mana." I said. As I cast the same spell I used on the omni-souled splicers on Aziza. As the purple crystal cuffs around her wrists and bound her to the ground.
"I need to help Jane!" Iris exclaimed.
Thanks to Bone-lasher's vision I could see in the next car. Jane had already taken care of the five mercenaries that were in the compartment with her. Judging by the way they all seemed to just evaporate into dust showed that Jane was shooting them with fire bullets from the mana-lock and not bothering to leave any of them alive.
"She's fine. She killed all the guys in the next compartment anyway and is heading to the back." I told her.
"Impossible! Our men are trained soldiers!" The Crescent splicer yelled.
"And Jane is a pissed off princess with a magic gun and a evo that can use mana." I said.
"That kid was a girl!" The Waxing gibbons exclaimed.
"Technically…" I said looking away.
"Hey! Are you just going to leave my brother her bleeding to death!" Crescent splicer yelled. I waved him off then walked over to one of the consoles that were dotted around the room.
"He'll be fine! It'll be a while before getting bleeds out." I said.
The consoles were exactly like the ones that were on the space station. Runes that were written in Torapos floated above the pedestals. The one I now stood in front of now seemed to be giving some sort of diagnostic.
"What is this thing?" I asked the omni-souled splicers.
"As if we'd tell you anything you son of a bitch!" Crescent splicer snapped. I pointed the mana-lock at hos brother and scowled.
"I only need one of you alive to give to the Pharaoh. Unless you want to see your brother die today I suggest you cooperate." I said coldly.
"Rigal just tell him! Fuck! He's already shot me in my arms and legs!" Waxing gibbons screamed.
"Shut up Aigal! He might be able to wound you bur he won't kill you! Soft Aristocrat like him!" Rigal, the Crescent splicer, snapped.
"Hey don't kill me! I believe you! I'll talk!" Aigal, the Waxing gibbons splicer, screamed. I lowered the mana-lock and walked over to Aigal and crouched down in front of him.
"Well start talking. What is this thing and where did you find it?" I demanded.
"Aigal don't you dare!" Rigal yelled at his brother.
"Shut up! I'm not getting killed for one of your gambles!" Aigal snapped. I pointed the mana-lock in Aigal's face and glared at him.
"Hurry the fuck up and start talking!" I snapped.
"It's a ancient transport! Made by the ancients over ten thousand years ago or even longer. We found it in a ruin in back in the Aztec Empire during a job. None of our men could get it to work but somehow Rigal and I could." Aigal explained.
"The Aztec Empire! That's on the south American continent. How did you get it here in Africa?!" Iris exclaimed.
"This transport can be move over any terrain, it makes rails made of mana under it and glides over them. It can even move over water with the rails." Aigal explained. I frowned and crossed my arms.
"How did you get it to work? All the controls are written in Torapos." I asked.
"Our mother was a researcher and scholar in the Tolapo language. Both my brother and I can read a little bit of it." Aigal said. I scratched my chin then stood and walked over to one of the other pedestals and looked it over.
"Mana train…?" I read aloud then frowned. "…so it's called a mana train...looks like it's set to be used by anyone with a star farm crystal or is the descendant of a star farm crystal bearer…just like the station…"
"Hey you bastard! Are you sure it's a good idea to just be here looking around! That little brat is probably getting ripped apart by the rest of our men! Her death is on your hands for not going to help her!" Rigal yelled.
Just then the door to the compartment opened and Jane came walking in with Ayia'liah on her shoulders. She held the mana-lock at her side and a small dagger in her hand. The dagger was dripping with blood as were the clothes she was wearing.
"Jane!" Iris yelled and jumped to her feet, rushing over to Jane. "My gods! You're covered in blood!"
"Don't worry it's not mine." Jane said calmly and wiped the blood off her dagger on her pants leg.
[We killed all the mercenaries in the other compartments. I made sure to destroy all the bodies and cleanse this place Star Shaper.] Ayia'liah informed me.
"WHAT?!" Aigal and Rigal bellowed. I looked over at Jane and Iris.
"Well that seemed to easy. I thought these guys would at least give us a little .ore of a challenge." I said.
"Considering how many of your people we killed before this I wouldn't be so cocky!" Rigal exclaimed.
"Rigal shut the fuck up!" Aigal snapped.
"Don't tell me what to do Aigal! We're caught after a failed coup! We're good as dead anyway, it's not like he can make it worse!" Rigal yelled at him.
"You're wrong about that…" I said coldly then walked over and grabbed Rigal by the throat and channeled flesh attribute mana. "…you killed so many at the palace, the worst of it was Iris brother! If you think that death is the worst thing that can happen to you then you severely underestimate my imagination!"
I sent mana into Rigal's body and quickly memorized Rigal's lysdal script then went about breaking apart the sequences that made up his mouth and hands. Rigal screamed as blood poured from his mouth and the bones in his hands shattered and twisted into unnatural positions. I then fused his jaw shut with mana and rewrote the sequences to make it so the skin on his face grew smooth over his mouth leaving no sign that it ever existed. Once that was done I turned the bone that pultruded through his skin into spiky nodules that dug in an ripped every time he moved.
Rigal was obviously screaming at this point but with no mouth all that could be heard with muffled cries and whimpers. Aigal looked at me with terror in hos eyes as he saw his brother transform before his eyes.
"You're a monster….!" He breathed. I looked at him and curled my upper lip.
"For my friends I'll turn into a demon if it means getting them back. I also won't tolerate anyone laughing at their pain and loss." I said coldly.
"Demon is the least of things people will call once it gets around that you can do that." Iris said. I stood and looked over my shoulder. Iris and Jane were both standing a few feet behind me.
"You guys have seen my life. I'm used to be being called names." I said with a smirk. Iris and Jane both chuckled then shook their heads.
"Either way we need to stop this thing and head back to the palace." Jane said. I looked over at Aigal and he tensed considerably.
"You can control where it goes from the basin in the center of the compartment! Right now it's set to head to our home base in Alka-dieve!" Aigal exclaimed.
"Home base?" I asked.
"There are probably more of those mercenaries there." Iris said. Aigal shook his head.
"We took everyone in our company with us for the attack. There's nobody left now…" Aigal said.
I walked over to the basin and looked it over. The basin was filled with a black liquid that had a clear crystal cover over the top of it. Along the rim of the basin there were numerous runes that were written in Torapos. I waved my hand over one that read 'display' and the fluid in the basin glowed with a purple light. The glowing purple fluid solidified into a crystalline structure that mimicked the terrain outside the mana train with a arrow that symbolized the mana train. A vast desert spanned around the mana train with pulses radiating from it periodically. There was a small blue line that stretched from the front of the arrow and went off to the edge of the basin.
I looked at the other runes and waved a hand over the one that read 'course'. A loud thrumming sound reverberated through the compartment. It suddenly felt as if the mana train was slowing down and the lighting in the train changed to a light red.
"Would you like to change course?" A voice suddenly asked.
"Yes." I said. The thrumming sound went on for several more seconds.
"New star crystal bearer detected. Would you like to register mana train QTX557 as your personal transport?" The voice asked. I looked at Iris and Jane and they both stared at me awaiting my answer.
"Should I?" I asked them. Jane and Iris narrowed their eyes at him.
"Of course!" They both yelled.
"Whatever this mana train thing is it's a beyond national grade treasures! Just imagine how much better getting around will be with this thing! No more riding around on your evos!" Jane exclaimed.
"Oh shit! Alpa!" I exclaimed then rushed over to the door to the outside and opened it. The mana train had came to a stop and Alpa'nagia had started circling around it. I quickly recalled him back to my crystal then walked back over to the basin.
"New Star crystal bearer detected. Would you like to register mana train QTX557 as your personal transport?" The voice asked again.
"Yes." I said aloud.
"New owner registered! Registering gene cluster of star farm crystal bearer…abnormal cluster detected. Bearer contains gene clusters from Tolapo, Sullivardic, and P'olokopa…" the voice said.
My eyes widened as I heard the names of the three legendary villages spoken aloud by the voice. Jane's eyes widened as well and she looked at me suspiciously.
"Chase what's that thing talking about? Why did it say all of the legendary villages just now?" Jane asked. I shrugged.
"How should I know?" I replied.
"The mana train never did this for us…?" Aigal muttered.
"…unique gene cluster registered. Title found: Sho'lajah. New registered user is Sho'lajah descendant of Tolapo, Sullivardic, and P'olokopa villages. Returning Mana train QTX557 to factory settings." The voice said.
Jane and Iris both blinked at me for several seconds with looks of disbelief. I blinked a few times and stood with my mouth open.
"Ummm…." I muttered.
"WHAT THE FUCK!!!"