Corrupted Radiatons

by Michael Rogers

  Tyler: "It wasn't as noticeable as it is now."

  Holland: "What wasn't noticeable?"

  Tyler: "Well-" *He stared at PKMY's back, glancing at Holland.* "But sometimes you two just have to say a word, and then you're arguing?"

  Holland: "She fights with Lance and the others all the time?"

  Tyler: "Yes, but it's different with you two."

  Holland: "Different?"

  Tyler: "I can't explain it-"

  Holland: "Maybe we should focus on this flower?"

  Tyler: "R-Right! Sorry." *He nodded his head in agreement and turned around, walking forward.*

  Holland: *He glanced at Freya and chuckled, closing his eyes.* (Not a word.)

  Freya: "Grr."

  Lezard: (He's close. This is not delicious-) *He stopped walking and looked down the mountain, worried.* (I don't know why Destiny ran away like that. I thought their Soul Link was strong?)

  PKMY: *A sudden heartbeat pulsed through her body, causing her to notice Lezard's sudden distress.* "What's wrong?"

  Lezard: "The Black Brigade."

  PKMY: "Yeah, you already mentioned them, what about it?"

  Lezard: "One of them is close." (Just beyond one Spacial Funnel.)

  PKMY: *She tilted her head, discreetly looking away in shock.* "OK then."

  Tyler: "The Black Raid? What's that?" *He stopped behind PKMY, watching the water crash under the waterfall.*

  Lezard: (I should help these people for taking me back into the forest-) *He adjusted his cone-shaped hat, closely observing the scenery.* (But I need to find my guild members and avoid Blake-)

  Tyler: "E-Excuse me?"

  Lezard: "Oh sorry, child. The Black Brigade."

  Holland: *He sighed and looked down, noticing a horse-like footprint on the soft ground.* (Freya-?)

  Freya: (What is it-?)

  Holland: *He bent down and touched the dirt, causing it to glow.* "Arh-?" *He mumbled and squinted his face, as several images of land flashed in his head.*

  Freya: (I see, a dark rocky terrain and-)

  Holland: *He opened his eyes, quickly glancing at Freya.* (The Ambrosia Flower!-) "Hey! We need to go down the river."

  PKMY: "Down the river?" *She mumbled, looking down the steep mountain.*

  Tyler: "The mountain is really steep."

  Lezard: *He looked at Holland and pointed at Tyler, nodding his head in agreement.* "I agree with this youngster. We could stay on the trail we're on now and go through another Spacial Funnel-?"

  Holland: "Sorry, but I think I saw where the flower was."

  Tyler: "If we need to go along the river, we need to walk down the mountain and that could be very dangerous."

  PKMY: "Having casualties could hinder this mission."

  Lezard: "Naww."

  PKMY: "Wat?"

  Lezard: "It's touching when I see party members bonding like this-"

  PKMY: "Shut it-"

  Lezard: "Oh my?" *He hissed under his breath, forming a cross at PKMY.*

  Holland: "Sorry, Tyler. But we have to go that way."

  Tyler: "I don't think I could go down that, it's way too dangerous." *He enthusiastically pointed at the river, accidentally losing his balance.* "Wha-?!" *He awkwardly stepped forward, sliding on a wet rock.*

  Freya: (He's going to fall off the mountain!-)

  Tyler: "N-No!-" *He fell onto his side, sliding down the mountain in shock.*

  PKMY: "Tssk." *She listened to Tyler's squeals echo down the mountain, rolling her eyes with embarrassment.*

  Lezard: "Goodness gracious me!" *He gasped and looked at PKMY, waving his arms above his head in shock.*

  Freya: (He just fell off the edge!-) *She quickly trotted forward, whimpering in panic.*

  Lezard: "He doesn't have a trace of Astragons, the fall would-"

  *Lezard intensely stared at PKMY and took a step forward, closing his eyes.*

  Lezard: (Tyler, he was a good fellow.) *He opened his eyes, as if he needed to mentally prepare himself to watch Tyler fall down the mountain.* "Huh?"

  *Lezard looked where PKMY stood, noticing her two footprints in the wet dirt.*

  Lezard: "She's gone?!"

  Freya: (She flashstepped?)

  Holland: *He ran towards Lezard and looked down, noticing PKMY reappear under Tyler.* "There she is-"

  Lezard: "Oh?" *He quickly spun around and looked down, watching PKMY catch Tyler.*

  Holland: *He smirked in respect.* "That was lucky."

  Lezard: *He sighed in relief, sarcastically placing a hand on his chest.* "Delicious."

  Holland: "Delicious?"

  Lezard: "Come on." *He hobbled forward and awkwardly stuck his foot out, trying to climb down the mountain's slope.*

  Holland: *He smiled, looking at Freya.* "What are we waiting for?"

  Freya: *She barked in excitement and sprinted forward, jumping off the edge with Holland.* "Gwoolith!" *She spread her paws, sliding down the mountain.*

  Lezard: (After all The Remenistal Guild has been through, it would be awkward to die by falling down a mountain.) *He thought to himself, as he slid on wet dirt down the deep slope.*

  Tyler: *He slowly opened his eyes, looking around in confusion.* "Where am-?" *He looked to his side, noticing he was in PKMY's arms.*

  PKMY: "Pfft-" *She rolled her eyes, carelessly and violently dropping him onto the ground.*

  Tyler: "Ouch-"

  PKMY: *She glared at Lezard, watching him slide on his bottom down the slope.* "..."

  Lezard: "Yay! Wee!"

  PKMY: (Why am I seriously travelling with this fool? No! What am I thinking? We need him for navigation-)

  Lezard: "Oof-" *He hit the ground and quickly stood up, violently rubbing his bottom.* "Ouchies-"

  PKMY: (Better yet, I'll feed him to the next carnivorous Scoldrant we encounter-)

  Tyler: *He felt his arms and legs, making sure he wasn't hurt.* (That was close-)

  PKMY: "So we're just following the riverside?"

  Tyler: "I-I think so, ask Holland." *He turned around, watching Holland and Freya land on their feet with ease.* "And, thank you, PKMY."

  PKMY: "Wateva." *She sighed and closed her eyes, folding her arms.*

  Freya: *She watched her paws slightly sink into the soft ground.* (Those strange feelings are coming back?)

  Lezard: "Well, wasn't that whole ordeal exciting?" *He giggled, staring at PKMY.* "And, yes. Down the riverside, little child."

  Freya: *She noticed Holland staring at Lezard.* (What is it?)

  Holland: (He purposely landed on his backside and continued to slide down the mountain.)

  Freya: "Gruff?" *She growled in confusion.*

  Holland: *He smiled.* (After that incident with Season, it's kind of a relief to have such a carefree attitude with us.)

  Freya: *She flicked her ears in a natural, dog-like manner.* (I think it's annoying.)

  Holland: *He smiled at Freya's thought.* (You think so?)

  PKMY: "Wat did you say, Lizard?" *She grunted in confusion, keeping her eyes closed.*

  Lezard: "The ordeal was exciting, wasn't it? And, my little children, down the riverside!"

  Tyler: *He rubbed his back in pain, readjusting the RPG bag.* "What was exciting?"

  PKMY: "Little?" *She grunted, slowly opening her eyes.*

  Holland: "Where's the child?" *He looked around in confusion.*

  PKMY: "Patience is not in my nature."

  Lezard: "Bwarharha, down the river. I heard PKMY talking." *He pointed in front of him, hobbling past the party.*

  PKMY: *She frowned with a twitching eye, slowly following Lezard.* (You're lucky we need your help.)

  Lezard: *He walked down the riverside, observing his surroundings.* "As the party walked further down the river, the water's surface became calm. The sounds of crashing water echoed in the distance."

  PKMY: "..."

  Lezard: *He glanced at the trees, giggling to himself.* "Thin mist enveloped the trunks of thick trees and the sounds of owls hooted
in the distance."

  PKMY: (Please tell me, what the Astragons have I done wrong?)

  Tyler: (Yuck, this place is too damp and wet.) *He brushed past a fern, causing water droplets to fall to the ground.*

  Holland: "I like this place." *He mumbled to himself, causing PKMY to roll her eyes.*

  PKMY: "So, now that we've satisfied Holly's fixation to go down the river, where do we go now?" *She ducked under a large fern, glancing at Lezard.*

  Lezard: "Well-" *He felt a strange pulse, wrapping his arms around his stomach.* (What a strong surge of uneasiness.)

  PKMY: "I just felt a strange Neuron signature?" *She mumbled, looking around in curiosity.*

  Lezard: (Please don't tell me it's that massive Scoldrant the champion was talking about-)

  *A flock of purple birds with shiny foil-like feathers, dived down from the sky, gliding along the river.*

  Tyler: *He watched the light bounce off their wings, noticing several birds warp and disappear.* "Huh?" *He looked confused, watching the rest of the flock fly out of his sight.*

  Freya: (They disappeared?)

  Tyler: "They entered a Spacial Funnel?"

  Lezard: "Yuppers."

  Tyler: "How come some went through and others didn't?"

  Lezard: "Think of Spacial Funnels as an optional doorway. You don't have to enter if you walk into one. You also need a certain level of Neurons and Astragons to use them."

  Tyler: "Oh? So the Scoldrants that entered the Spacial Funnel-"

  PKMY: "Had higher Neurons than the ones that didn't."

  Tyler: "But I don't have any Neurons or Astragons."

  Lezard: "I wouldn't have a jolly clue?" *He giggled, wiggling his bottom sarcastic-like.*

  PKMY: "Being around us activates the Spacial Funnel, simple as that."

  Holland: "So-" *His body pulsated, causing him to buckle at the knees.*

  Freya: *She awkwardly stepped forward, struggling to stand on all fours.* (What was that?)

  Holland: "It felt like a heartbeat?" *He sniffed, hiding his sudden sick feeling.*

  Lezard: "Felt like what?" *He looked at Holland in confusion.*

  *A loud screech-like roar echoed in the distance, alerting the entire party.*

  PKMY: (That Neuron signature I felt earlier.)

  Holland: (H-Huh?) *He glanced over his shoulder, gritting his teeth.*

  Tyler: "W-Where did that come from?!" *He stuttered, holding himself in fear.*

  PKMY: "From the waterfall? I can't tell, it echoed."

  Lezard: "Behind us?" *He turned around, staring at the waterfall in the distance.*

  PKMY: "What was that-?"

  ?????: "Sckarh!"

  *A shock wave screeched past the party, causing the river to ripple and explode.*

  PKMY: "Oh shit?!"

  Lezard: "Language, little lady-"

  Tyler: "L-Look!-" *He pointed up, watching a large shadow dive towards them.*

  Lezard: *He looked up with widening eyes.* (Is that the creature the champion was talking about?!)

  Holland: *He took deep breaths, looking up.* (I can't see it, it's hidden behind the sunlight.)

  Lezard: "L-Let's go!" *He looked concerned and started to run towards the Spacial Funnel.*

  PKMY: (The first time he looks serious.) "Let's go!"

  Lezard: "The party awkwardly rushed down the riverside-"

  Tyler: (This is so frightening!)

  Freya: (Is that really a Scoldrant? It's too powerful.) *She awkwardly ran down the riverside.*

  PKMY: (Unless you're captain ranked in power, one wouldn't notice the slight warp in the air.) *She continued to run, watching the air slightly warp.*

  Lezard: *He stopped and turned around, waiting for the party.* "Quickly, children!"

  Tyler: (My heart is beating so hard!) *He scrunched his eyes shut in fear, running past Lezard.*

  Holland: *He watched Tyler's body warp and disappear.* (Freya!-) *A heartbeat pulsed through his body, causing him to see several images of unusual glyphs and markings.* "Arh-?" *He tripped over and fell to the ground.*

  Freya: "Grr." *She moaned and stopped running, collapsing to her side.*

  PKMY: *She turned around, noticing Holland on the ground.* (We won't make it, I have to defend us-) "I'll have to finish off this Scoldrant." *She gritted her teeth and focused, causing a gust of wind to spiral around her.*

  Lezard: (Her Neurons-) *He noticed the wind swirl around PKMY, watching her hair flap to each side.* "You can't-"

  PKMY: "I'm stronger than I look-"

  Lezard: "You can't!-"

  PKMY: "Why?!"

  Lezard: "I-It's an Ancient Scoldrant." (It has to be an Ancioldrant! What else would cause the champion to tremble like that.)

  Holland: (Move! Why can't I move?) *He mumbled to himself, twitching his legs.*

  PKMY: "Eh?"

  *The large dragon-like Ancioldrant landed on the ground, causing large chunks of gravel to erupt around its feet.*

  Lezard: "Holy fish-cakes!" *He stumbled to each side, as the ground quaked around him.*

  Ancioldrant: "Sckarh!" *It roared, causing visible sound waves to warp the air around its long jaw.*

  Lezard: (I can feel my guild members all around me! I can feel The Black Brigade, and now this?! Topped on with all these pesky Spacial Funnels, these old bones can't keep up!)

  PKMY: *She gasped with widening eyes, lowering her arms.* "A Scoldrant of that power?" *She nodded her head at Lezard in understanding and ran towards Holland, as if she no longer wanted to fight.*

  Lezard: "Not even The Black Brigade will go near it!" *He shouted at PKMY, emphasising the threat.*

  PKMY: (What Teresa would say right now, quickly analyse the situation and take initiative-) *She flashstepped, picking up Holland.* (She's always yelling at me for being reckless-)

  Freya: *She noticed PKMY and whimpered, standing back onto her feet.* "Rhrr."

  PKMY: "Come on!" *She flashstepped next to Lezard and turned around, watching Freya jump past her.*