Skylanders: Second Leaf

Chapter __ ~ Thirst for Conquest

"We're coming up to our location now."

Shade looked out of his cockpit window. The Shadow Scourge was surrounded by so much fog he could barely see past the tip of the wings. Shade leaned out farther, squinting underneath the brim of his fedora. Finally, a large, shadowed mass emerged from the fog. As the Scourge flew closer, Shade started to be able to make out certain colors and features of the black mass. It was a large fortress laying on top of a vast ocean that cut off abruptly. The murky grey water pouring down into the endless abyss below. The fortress itself was made of crumbling bricks and rusted iron seeming to be older than time itself. Overgrown plants of all varieties grew untamed around its walls and the surrounding strip of land. Climbing up its walls that were threatening to collapse at any second if they continued to grow. Verdant, feral plants in desperate need of a good trimming. The sight, no matter how run down or uncared for, was magnificent. Beautiful to Shade. The architecture was spot on, but gave off an ambiance of foreboding. An eerie sense that with the beauty, this abandoned building that had been forgotten for centuries, left to rot away into nothingness, carried a dark past. Carefully, as to not disturb anything, Shade landed the Scourge down in a mossy area surrounded by long, slim blades of grass that came up to Shade's waist and hopped out. Being careful not to tread on anything dangerous that might be concealed away within the wildly grown grass.

"IT'S ABOUT TIME WE GOT TO THIS DUMP!" Diablo growled.

Shade rolled his eyes. During the entire trip, Diablo hadn't shut up once. Well, maybe on occasion, but the trip had mostly been Diablo roaring in Shade's nonexistent ears.

"Let's just find this spell." Shade grumbled.

Shade carefully made his way up the rickety old steps that lead to the entrance. High arched, twin doors were set wide open. Barely clinging to their old, rusted hinges. Shade suspected with all of the age and plant growth, they wouldn't be able to close if they wanted to. Bracing himself for the worst, Shade entered the building.

Shade gazed around in awe at the architecture contained within the rundown fortress. As broken down as the place was, it was nice to look at. Thick, dark green vines hung down from the high ceiling in the long hallway Shade was standing in. Frozen in wonderment. More greenery had forced its way up through the cracks in the stone floor, crawling its way up along the beaten, singed walls of metal. Regal, looming statues of Arkeyan warriors lined the walls. Each poised as to represent dominance. Superiority. Though their heads were tilted downwards. Eye sockets blank and lifeless. The floors and walls had various carvings of ancient Arkeyan language. Massive pillars held up the crumbling roof, which had several holes across its surface. Sunlight streamed through the cavities in the roof. Adding a strange sort of luminescent beauty to an otherwise rundown place.

"STOP STARING AND KEEP WALKING!" Diablo shouted.

"Sorry about that." Angelo cleared his throat, "Go down the hallway to your left. I believe that's where I hid it."

Shade turned and headed down the conjoining corridor to the left. Leading off of the main hallway. As he cautiously made his way down the long, slightly smaller hallway, Shade noticed the cold, robotic husks of deceased Arkeyans. Lining the walls and floor. Battered and dented. Their metal shells covered in dust and blackened marking. Possibly from energy blasts or gunshots fired during a battle. That would explain the ones on the walls too. Moss and spindly green shoots of plant life sprouting out of the kinks and bends in their metal bodies. All of their eyes, once glowing with fury, a thirst for conquest, were now dead. Just like the statues in the other hallway. They had been dead for years now. Shade didn't want to admit it, but he was slightly unnerved. Almost everything about this place was a little demoralizing. Daunting. Able to make even Shade want to wriggle out of his own skin.

"Here." Angelo said. "Feel the wall on your right. There should be a panel able to be opening up a secret door."

Shade rested his hand on the wall and began running his fingers along the cracks. Feeling every dent and crease hidden within the moss and vine cover. Feeling for a loose area. Finally, he noticed a small panel in the wall that jutted out slightly. Shade rested his entire hand on the panel, then pushed lightly. As the panel sunk into the wall, Shade heard a large, electrical surge. The cracks in the walls began to glow and splutter with electricity. Shade stepped back slightly. Just in case. The electric light cascaded through the cracks in the walls, all converging to one spot on the opposite wall. Shade turned around just in time to see a huge chunk of the wall sliding up and out of sight with some difficulty. Making the entire wall shake as it did so. Shade peered into the newly made doorway and found a dark stairway of stone and metal. Immersed in shadows. Leading downward. Deeper into the island's depth and darkness. Ancients know what deep, dark secrets this stairwell may lead to as it twisted downwards into darkness. Shade just hoped whatever was at the bottom included the spell he was searching for.

"Well done." Angelo noted. "I thought you well."

"Thank you." Shade smiled beneath his scarf.

Shade summoned his Shadow Saber and gripped its hilt firmly as he began his long trek down the winding, twisting staircase.

Little did Shade realize, the electricity that had allowed the door to open was continuing to surge through the walls. It cascaded along the hallway and into the main corridor. Making its way through the walls until its path was interrupted by a slouched, metal shell leaning up against the corner. Without warning, the electricity jumped from the wall and flooded into the iron husk of a being. The cracks and kinks in its armor began to glow with life... then faded to black. As this happened, the creature lifted its head slowly. The joints in its neck creaking, as if in need of a good oiling. Then, its eyes flickered to life. Glowing with fierce yellow light. Shining with a thirst for conquest.