Hardened (A Yogscast Fanfiction)

25

I waited half a day outside of Ridge's castle before I could figure out a way in. A force field surrounded the entire compound, making it nearly impenetrable, even from tunneling underneath. The wait gave me time to observe. I could make out one large domed theater in the center, with smaller buildings branching off like the spokes of a wheel. Unlike the compounds of many of my friends and trading partners, it seemed well planned and organized. I decided that getting in through one of the few windows on the bottom floor would be my best bet, and the dome in the middle would be the first place to check. Ideally, I would like to find Kirby without confronting Ridge, but premonition told me a fight was sure to ensue.

Orchards and crop fields were outside the barrier, and I saw my chance when the blue bubble seemed to flicker and vanish. A group of testificates were making their way out a gate in the wall and towards a field of wheat. As much as I wanted to avoid being impulsive and formulate a plan, I didn't want to waste the opportunity at hand. They may go in and out on a schedule, but I also might have gotten lucky and wouldn't be able to get in once the force field closes behind them.

I didn't have long to make my decision, since spots of interlaced hexagons were already starting to materialize all around the base to reform the grid. Noticing a fairly large hole that wasn't filling as quickly, I dashed towards it and dived, praying I wouldn't get caught and cut in half. My foot catching on the materializing edge sent me sprawling in a not so graceful roll, but I managed to regain my balance and stop just shy of the main building.

Making sure there were no guards or testificates around to see me, I stayed in the shadows and crept down the outside of the hallway to a window in the connecting building. Making sure no one was in there, I raised my pick and swung it at the window, shattering it easily. I tried to minimize how much glass was on the sill before hoisting myself into the room and swinging my feet down towards the ground. The crunch of glass under my boots was palpable in the dark room, but I ignored it since on one seemed to have heard me and come running when I broke the window.

The room I was in looked a lot bigger on the inside, and each wall was covered with floor to ceiling shelves. Some held messy stacks of books and parchments, while others were holding ancient looking relics and magic items. A shelf of strange bottles and jars caught my attention, and I quickly searched the labels to see if any of these potions had any use to me. Unfortunately there wasn't any 'instant death for demigods', but I did managed to find splash potions of harming and poison. I slipped them into the pack on my shoulder, realizing it wouldn't hurt to throw these before any fighting started.

There were many other things in the study, like a desk piled with what looked like research notes and a while brewing station, but a hand on the hilt of Ross' sword reminded me of why I was here in the first place. Seeing the door on the other side of the wall, I peaked through iron bars before hitting the switch next to it and slinking into the hallway.

This place was odd. Although there was no discernible light source, everything had a dim hue to it that gave me no shadows to hide in. The closer I got to the center, the lighter it became, and the more I could discern voices coming from there. Keeping low and watching for any movement, I crouched by the wall and placed my feet down slowly and silently to get a closer look.

I almost cried out when I made out what was in the center of this giant dome. A glass box surrounded by pipes and wires was sitting in front of a grey monolith that I recognized as an infusion alter. Ridge had his back to me as he stood in front of a simple console with a couple of buttons and dials on it, and it looked to part of this weird glass case. Kirby was inside, and she had on a strange looking helmet that attacked to her head and came around to cover her mouth and nose with connecting pipes. Above the mask her eyes were trained on Ridge, the whites of her eyes visible from where I was crouching.