Rangertale, Ch.9: Ancient Power
#10 of Rangertale
The second-last chapter! Rumelis and Mels follow the tracks of Tull, who has obtained a Blade of Eulas. The stage seems set for a final confrontation between the Rangers and Tull.
Rangertale, Ch. 9: Ancient Power
The tracks Tull had left were lightly covered, likely by the winds that constantly wove their way around the derelict buildings of the Scarred Lands. The two Rangers quickly found themselves in a much more densely developed area, with large derelict structures all but surrounding them. Though many of the old buildings had large pieces missing, it was wondrous to even think of the original size of the towering structures.
Eventually, the tracks ended, at a structure that seemed to tower above all others. Surprisingly, it was mostly intact, despite years of deterioration. Through the sand clogging the building, tiny lights seemed to glitter on the building's surface, wrapping themselves around the structure like some persistent vines. These strange lights were obviously not open fire- that would have been extinguished ages ago- but seemed brighter than lamps.
As Rumelis and Mels approached this tower the ground began to rumble furiously as the ground in front of the tower began to open. From the earth came a titanic golem, a massive construct of stone and metal that glowed in its chest with some inextinguishable fire. It emitted some garbled words in a language unspoken for decades, one that neither Rumelis nor Mels could understand. Then it raised its arms and charged the pair.
Mels was first to react, diving into Rumelis and knocking the both of them out of harm's way. They drew their twin blades and advanced upon the golem. Rumelis dived to the left of the hulking construct, while Mels stayed in front, confident she could dodge any blow the golem sent. And dodge she did, as the golem made several swift swings at her with its arms of stone. Rumelis attempted to strike at the weak-looking metal joints between the arm and torso, and was met with a powerful ringing that made both the golem and his blade Resonance shake. It stopped the golem long enough for Mels to stab at its core, which was surprisingly brittle.
As the core was punctured, gouts of flame came from it, singing Mels' fur slightly as she rolled backwards. The once-mighty golem collapsed on the floor, still spewing flame from its chest. With it defeated, the two Rangers could continue onwards, into the great tower that loomed in front of them, with its unnatural lights and strange construction that seemed to spiral upwards forever.
The halls within were silent, but a certain unease lingered in the air- the tower itself seemed to be alive, as it had an unnatural warmth despite the cold winds outdoors. Intricate designs of lights flickered throughout the otherwise dark halls, which had no windows to speak of- perhaps to prevent the omnipresent dust from filtering in. Despite the urgency of their mission, and how close it seemed to its completion, Rumelis had to pause briefly and look about at the wondrous building they found themselves in. Of all the derelict structures they had passed, only this one seemed to have any shades of its former glory.
Eventually the two of them came to a halt, with a massive door in front of them. Nothing nearby seemed to open it, and whatever inscription was above it had long since worn away. Mels put her paw on the door briefly.
"Damn. All this way, for a door we can't open?"
Rumelis came up to the door as well. It was warm to the touch. "Hmm. Perhaps it is sealed from the inside... but even then, there should be a way to open it from the outside."
"No, that's too simple. Perhaps the Blades could work in our favor here. I mean, we've nothing better to try, other than retracing our steps."
"I suppose. There's no point in not trying!"
The two of them withdrew the black blades, Resonance_and _Harmony. In the spiderweb lighting of the tower's halls, the blades had an amazing luster, gleaming with the faint luminescence of the halls. With such names for the blades, Mels and Rumelis could think of only one thing to do- strike the blades together, and hear the ringing steel.
Sparks flew from the two blades as they struck each other, and the lights seemed to weaken and almost extinguish themselves at the sound of the blades. Neither of the two Rangers had heard such a sound from steel, a bright chord that resonated through the long, spiraling halls of the tower. Joining the reverberations of the blade was a deep rumbling nearby, as the door slowly sunk into the floor.
Soon the chord came to an end, the door disappeared from view, and a massive chamber came into view. Here the strands of light that had twisted through the hallways coalesced into a large mass, on a great pedestal that sat at the center of the room. Stuck in the pedestal was a gleaming blade of black steel, reflecting all the light of the room.
Behind the pedestal stood a tall, ashen-furred Lupine, scarred from many battles. He watched the Rangers with curiosity, and a hint of admiration. Tull withdrew the blade from its place as the two Rangers approached. The lights seemed to visibly dim, until massive panels slid from the ceiling to show the grey sky. Rumelis and Mels had found the tower's top- and their quarry.
Tull stepped forwards. "This place was dormant for years, you know. Thousands of Golems, sleeping, waiting to destroy the enemies of Eulas. Waiting for a power, a power relentless enough to wake them." He swung his blade into the air. "This power."
He lowered the blade to his side, then crouched slightly, ready to fight. "I'm sure you can guess what's next in my little plan, and I'm sure you'd love to be part of it. But I'm afraid it's time for you to die. I had ever so much excitement from our little chases, little skirmishes, but real power is at stake now."
Mels and Rumelis drew their blades, the black steel gleaming in the harsh sun above. Tull smirked, seeming eager for a real challenge.
The final pieces seem to be coming together, at long last.
AUTHOR NOTES
Opinions? Suggestions? Typos? Tell me, please. I am by no means a professional writer, and even they make mistakes every now and again.
Final confrontation cliffhanger! It's so strange to be at the end of this, but I did promise to finish it before school begins again. It's my first finished product of more than 10 pages. Maybe it wasn't great writing, maybe it was way too fast plotwise, but I'm proud of this creation. Time to finish it... sometime within two weeks, for sure!
TL;DR EDITION
Mels and Rumelis come to the great tower, at the center of the Scarred Lands. They fight a golem at its base, then proceed to the top, using the power of their blades to finally find Tull.
Wondering why I call Tull a Lupine, Rumelis an Ursan, etc.? Read the note at the end of the 1st chapter, it explains my reasoning.