The Death Squad Chapter Four

When I awoke, the chamber opened up and the Nanytes returned to their humanoid form. “We found you some stuff to eat sir”, the one soldier told me.

“Thanks, I owe you guy’s big time”, I told them as I sat down in the grass and dived in on a basket of berries.

“If you don’t mind, we need to get a move on so we can catch up with your friends”, he told me.

I know that talking with a mouth full of food is bad manners but those berries are awesome. “It’s my team, The Death Squad. No worries, they’re back to normal but they will fight to keep you guys safe, I promise you that. But, I also ask that you help them as you have me”.

“You have my word of honor”, the soldier told me.

As I sat there diving into the basket, I watched them transform into a vehicle and speed off towards my team. I wiped my fingers off on my pants and tapped the side of my glasses. “Hey, Ultrasound, the Capernians are in route. Right now, they look like a, transport so, don’t freak out when they come flying up on you. By the way, they can form anything you guys need including a Recharge Chamber. And, just so you know, I did tell them that you guys will protect them with your lives…and, you will. They are the key to getting you guys back up to hundred percent and they are the last of their kind”.

“Yes, sir…we will. Are you okay, sir”, he asked me.

“Yea, I’m getting ready to head on to Gryphun Kingdom”, I told him as I finished stuffing my face. “Tell the guys I said hi and be sure to listen out for me when I get to the beach. I’m not entirely sure if you’ll get a signal underwater but you should still hear me calling for you”, I told him.

“I will sir”, Ultrasound reply.

“Okay, cya”, I told him as I dropped the basket and started to walk away when I heard something behind me. I turned around real quick to look when I saw the Basket turn into a dog. “Oooo-kay”, I mused aloud.

“Unfortunately, there’s not enough of me to take on a human form, sir but I would like to join you if I may”, the metallic looking dog said to me.

“I’d love the company but I need to move fast”, I told the Nanyte Dog. I thought about it for a second and asked him, “You can form anything of a relatively small size, right”?

“Yes, sir”, he replied.

I thought back about the time I had the Darklander with me. “Form a snake and climb on up here but the first time you start hissing, you’re on your own”, I teased him.

“Yes, sir”, he replied as he melted down into a snake and coiled up around me waist.

“Okay, you on good”, I asked him.

“Yes, sir”, he replied nervously.

“Hang on then”, I told him as I dropped down an Yce Slide and turned sideways to use Fyre as a propellant. We shot off across the ice and was making some good time when I looked down and saw his eyes wear about to pop out of his head. “You okay, there”, I asked him.

“This is a most unusual way to travel, sir”, he replied.

“Yea, but it works great”, I told him with a grin.

We shot through the woods for about an hour when the ground started becoming more and more hilly which was actually starting to bother my stomach so I slowed down to a stop to take a breather.

“Why are stopping, I was just starting to have fun, sir”, he asked me.

“Sliding across the hills is starting to bother my stomach”, I told him. Quickly, he uncoiled around me and dropped to the ground before becoming a dog again. “Well, it looks like we are hoofing it, from here, then”.

“Hoofing it, sir”, he asked me.

“Walking”, I answered him.

“Oh, for a second there I thought you may have preferred me to look more like a pig”, he replied seriously.

I started laughing and told him, “No, your fine as is. What’s your name, anyway? Oh, and call me Blytz. I get enough sirs’ out of my team to drive me nuts.

“I am Professor Jonathon Rizz, sir…uh…Blytz”, he replied.

“Nice to meet you Rizz”, I replied. “We need to get moving if we’re going to make the mountains by sunset”.

We started walking our way through woods that sat on hills that seemed to get steeper and steeper the further west we traveled. By then, I figured I had better check on my team. “Ultrasound, are you there”?

“Yes, sir”, he replied.

It was a good thing that he couldn’t see me roll my eyes at him as I asked him, “Has the Capernians caught up with you guys yet”?

“Yea, they’re here and Wave Crusher is…umm…signaling his friends”, Ultrasound told me.

All of a sudden I heard what sounded like either a whale song, or a really sick moose. “What in the devil was that”, I asked him.

“I can only hope that’s him calling for his people, sir”, was the reply.

“No doubt”, was all I could think to say except, “Well, let me know how that turns out for you”.

“Yes, sir! I will”, he replied.

“What was that noise”, Rizz asked me. “Are they okay? Was someone dying, Blytz”?

“Damn near close to it from the sounds of it but apparently, Wave Crusher is calling to his people so they can go on to Aquatica”, I told him while shaking my head in disbelief as if anything could be unbelievable on my world.

Rizz thought about it for a moment and finally, he replied, “I’m glad I’m with you, sir”.

I started giggling and told him, “I’m pretty glad we’re here and not there, too”!

We started walking through the woods that seemed to become more and more, dense the further we went. Tall huge trees loomed over us and call me crazy, but those trees kept getting bigger and bigger around than anything I’d ever seen. I mean, the trunks on them were easily over ten feet wide, if not thicker.

“What is this place”, I asked Rizz.

“According to my limited database, we should be in the Burnt Wood Forest”, he replied.

“How did it get that name”, I asked, hoping to prod a lot more information out of him.

“The woods are so-named because of an event that took place here during the Great War. The Crystallin Army had a group of humans pinned into the woods. The leader of the human army was named General Clayton M. Peachtree. General Peachtree knew these woodlands very well it gave him a huge advantage over the pursuing Crystallin Army. In frustration, the Crystallins set fire to the woodlands in an attempt to run the humans out. That’s where things turned bleak, I’m afraid. Pinned between the fire and the jagged cliffs, the humans are said to have burned to death in the fire”, he explained in great detail.

“That really bites”, I replied solemnly.

“I’m not sure what that means, sir”, he replied as he looked around the woodlands.

“In other words, I hate that I wasn’t here to protect the general and his people”, was about the only answer I could conjure.

“Oh…there is one other piece of information regarding these woods. There have been various reports of the woods being haunted by spiritual apparitions. However, those reports are unconfirmed”, Rizz told me but for what it’s worth, he never took his eyes off the woods.

“I’ll assume you believe those reports to be accurate”, I kidded him.

“Actually, sir I was one of the people who filed such a report”, he told me. That was really enough to make me stop dead in my tracks. “Did you see something, sir”?

“No, but I wonder if it would be better to umm, go around the woods”, I suggested.

“I’m afraid not sir. We wouldn’t get back to the woodlands edge until after nightfall and by then, it would be too late”, he replied.

“Too late for what, Rizz”, I asked him.

“They come after dark...or, at least, they always did when I was on patrol here”, he explained.

“So, you know these woods pretty good…what’s the fastest way to get our butts through them”, I asked him.

“I would prefer getting all of me through the woods, sir”, he replied seriously. I couldn’t help but to crack up laughing. “Seriously sir, when I saw the ghosts they were not friendly. It is as if they are stuck in battle for all eternity and they are quiet vicious. I had to have repairs done after narrowly escaping”.

“Why don’t you go back to being a snake and coil up around me”, I told him.

Without hesitating, He changed forms and curled up around me with his head over my shoulder. “Sir, if we hurry on our current trajectory, we should reach the base of the mountains by daybreak”.

“So, we keep going all night”, I asked him.

“I promise you sir, we’ll never see a goodnight’s rest in these woods”, he replied candidly. “We would be wise to keep moving”.

“Okay, you got it”, I told him. “I could get us through quicker but in between the roots and the lumpy ground, I really don’t think we’d make it”.

All of sudden, Rizz slithered around my chest and shoulders to look behind us. “Sir…we’re not alone”,

I quickly raised my shield and spun around to find the ghost of the general and four of his soldiers staring at us from off in the distance. Unlike Lady Evra, I could see the glare in their eyes and that their intentions, towards us, were anything but pleasant in nature.

“Looks like we may have to do this the very hard way”, I told Rizz as I spun back around and dropped the shield.

I shot down an ice slide and started shooting a seriously hot burst of fire from my other hand as we took off through the trees and although we were making good time, I could hear them calling to each other like some kind of crazed banshees. Rizz had his head stuck out as if he were the one doing the running. This went on for about ten minutes when I realized something. I stopped us dead in tracks and turned to face The Ghosts of Burnt Wood.

My sudden stop seemed to surprise them as they shot into the trees and when I say, ‘shot into the trees’, I wasn’t talking about the tree tops. They literally disappeared into the trunks of the trees.

“Dare I ask why you stopped”, Rizz asked me as his head bobbed all around me to see if they were still giving chase.

“It’s a trap, Rizz. They were running us”, I explained as I watched the trees with my Force Shield raised around us.

“Trap, sir”, he asked me as he kept a steady watch, too.

“Yea, they were chasing us towards something that I’d rather avoid”, I told him as the woodlands became darker with the setting sun. “So, I can either keep running in circles or I can just deal with it”.

“Blytz, sir”, Ultrasound buzzed in my ear. “We have a problem sir”.

“Don’t we all, I replied…what’s the situation, Ultrasound”, I asked him.

“The Aquaticans finally showed up and said that none of us are allowed there. Then, they simply disappeared back beneath the waves”, he explained.

“What about Wave Crusher, I thought he was one of them”, I asked.

“They said he was tainted with human technology and therefore banished from the Aquatican Kingdom”, Ultrasound explained.

“Poor guy…that really bites”, I exclaimed knowing exactly what he must be feeling from my own experiences. “Tell Vyshun to lead you guys east along the coastline and keep your ears out for Frayshans. With any luck you guys will find them. Either way, let me know and stay safe, okay”, I told him.

“Yes, sir…will do”, he replied.

“One more thing, please tell Wave Crusher I said that we’re his family now and we’ll never abandon him, he has my word”. I couldn’t very well, not say anything.

“Okay…one problem solved now back to the problem at hand”, I told Rizz. Then I yelled out, “General Peachtree…we come in peace and mean you no harm”!

The general appeared along with the four soldiers that had chased us across the woods. “You are our enemy and before the light of day comes you will die”, he warned.

“Do I look like a Crystallin to you”, I asked him.

“Only Crystallins have such power”, he replied.

“Yaltabaoth bless me with the gift of the Elems to fight and preserve the human race from the Crystallins”, I explained is short…very, very short.

“Why are you in league with a snake”, he asked me in that eerie voice of his.

“I am not a snake, sir…I am a Capernian Warrior”, Rizz replied.

“I’ve always believed in calling a stone a stone”, the general replied remarking at Rizz’s present form.

“Oh”, was all Rizz could think of in response.

“Either way, we really don’t mean you any harm, sir”, I told the general.

The general and his men started laughing wickedly, as he replied, “We’re dead…what harm could you possibly bring us”?

I started to grab the Spirit Bracelet and remembered I didn’t have it anymore but I sure would give anything to have it now. Instead, I simply rubbed my arm like I was cold. “I really don’t have time for this conversation…I have to get to the Gryphun Kingdom”, I told him.

I started to turn and walk away when a flood of ghosts appeared all around us. I simply turned back to look at the general and asked him, “Do we really have to do this the hard way”?

“Attack”, General Peachtree ordered his…umm…men.

I raised my shield, and covered us with a globe of fire…then I listened as the ghost howled from the Fyre Shield. After a few minutes, I dropped the Fyre Shield, looked right at the General and asked him, “Are you ready to call a truce because I can keep this up all night until there’s none of you left”.

“We will not stop until the fire demons no longer walk these woods”, he swore.

“Dude…I’m anything but your enemy”, I told him with a heavy sigh. “But, if you attack me again, I will defend myself are we clear”?

No sooner had a said that, that a ghost shot up out of the ground, grabbed me and threw me against a tree. Rizz, poor guy was still coiled around me and took the brunt of the hit.

“It’s on now”, I replied as I got back up to my feet.

They came at me with everything they had in their ghostly power and I fought back, slinging wave after wave of Fyre Balls at them through the darkness. Rizz reformed himself to become like a chest-plate of silvery armor to keep us both from getting hurt, should we get flung against a tree again. The battle raged on until there was only about a dozen or so of his soldiers left.

Finally, he admitted defeat and called off the attack. “You have destroyed many of my men this day. Leave our land and never return”, he declared.

“Oh, hell no”, I rebutted. “I asked for peace and you sent them to their…uh…death. That was your call buddy and you can…uh…live with that fact, yourself”, I said in correction to his comment.

“Get out of our land”, he yelled and disappeared along with his men.

Rizz turned back into a snake as he curled up around me shoulders. “That was intense”, she said as he nearly looked me eye-to-eye.

“Good thing your friends had me charged up or that could have turned ugly”, I replied with a grin.

“So true, sir”, he replied as we started walking westward while I held out a hand of fire.

“Rizz, is there anything else you might know that I should know”, I asked him.

“The Gryphun Kingdom is near the top of mountains some several miles above sea level. The climb to the top of the mountains will prove very treacherous no matter which side you try to climb. Many Capernian scientists have tried to climb the jagged mountains to no avail. Even with the advent of flight, no one has ever reached the Gryphun”, he explained.

“So, how do you even know they exist”, I asked him.

“Legend says that the Gryphun King once ascended to Bethra where he saw the war rage between the humans and the Crystallins. Utterly disgusted by their behavior, he vowed never to return to the land of humans or Crystallins. A vow that has been kept to this day”, Rizz explained.

“So, how does anyone know what vow he made? Don’t get me wrong, Yaltabaoth wouldn’t send me on a wild goose chase so I know they exist…I’m just trying to learn anything I can about them…anything that might help avoid a catastrophe like the ghosts haunting this forest”, I told him, explaining myself at length.

“I’m afraid there remains, even more mysteries surrounding the Gryphun than answers. We can only hope that their intentions are peaceful, sir”.

“I certainly hope so…I can’t see Yaltabaoth sending me to them just to start a war. Especially considering they don’t bother anyone”, I replied.

“I believe so sir, but the real challenge is getting there and I am open to suggestions, sir”.

That was the last sir I could take as I told him, “BLYTZ, BLYTZ, BLYTZ, BLYTZ, BLYTZ! Now, stop calling me sir…please”?

“I’m sorry, Commander Blytz but I am programmed with proper manners and it is hard to adjust away from my basic programming, I’m afraid”, the Nanyte replied.

“I’m sorry…I’ve spent so many years having to do things on my own that I nearly dread the responsibility of the team. So, having them call me sir is like a reaffirmation that I am responsible for what happens to them and every time you call me sir, it reminds me of that unwanted duty”, I said, confiding in him.

“When we were surrounded by all of those ghosts, you still took time to take care of your team. If that’s not a good leader, I don’t know what is”, Rizz told me firmly. “Your team is lucky to have you”.

“Rizz, honestly, my friend…I’m just doing the best I can”, I told him with a doubtful grin.

“You’re doing fine…stop second guessing yourself, Blytz. Just stay true to who you are and all of us will make it out of this alive”, he replied.

“Hopefully, so”, was all I could say with a heavy sigh.