Kairos Trigger Chapter 2
In Search of Xeno
By Dark Magus
700 AD
Kairo spilled out of the gate and landed with a thud. Amox gracefully stepped out of the gate and planted his feet firmly in the ground. He reached a hand down to Kairo. Kairo took it and was on his feet in a second.
"So are you going to tell me what's going on now?" Amox demanded.
"Yeah, but first, where are we?"
"We're in 700 AD, my time period."
"Whoa, this is all too much for me." Kairo said with his shaking head in his hands. "But I guess I'll start from the beginning. My name's Kairo. Kairo told the story of his mission in the Lab, including his grudge against Xeno."
"Oh man…" said Amox meekly. Then he threw his head up to the clouds, "WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?!" Kairo noticed a tear in his eye.
"Amox man, what's wrong?" Kairo asked calmly.
"Look Kairo!" Amox stared him in the eye. "You don't want to mess with time! It's not worth it! Your life can be going fine, then you travel through time, and everything gets messed up!" Amox broke it off there and started to sob. Obviously he had some bad experience with time travel. "But," Amox looked up, "I know what messing with time can do. That's why I decided to help you STOP this Xeno guy. Come on, let's go find out where he is." Amox then looked at Kairo again. He noticed Kairo was only wearing his jeans. "But first, let's get you some civilian clothes, or some armor, your choice."
"I'll take armor, but one request, is there any place I could pick up a sword?"
"Sure thing, there's a town about a half mile that way."
"Then let's get going!"
*****
Kairo stepped out of the changing room. He was dressed in his black jeans, but he had some additions. He now wore a gray undershirt, covered by silver and black chain mail across his chest. He also had silver and black steel guards his robotic arms, which he was thankful for. He had his headband on as normal, with his shoulder length hair falling strait from his head.
"Well, what do you think Amox?"
"Hmmm…" Amox regarded, "Nice, you fit right in, almost."
"Good, now where can I pick up a sword?"
"There's a weapon shop across the street."
"Ok, let's go."
The two men started walking out of the shop.
"HEY!" Called the clerk, "Aren't you gonna pay fer dat?"
Kairo walked back in, blushing.
"It'll be 567 GP."
Kairo reached in his pockets, but remembered that HIS money would be of no use in 700 AD. Amox stepped up and took out a pouch. He counted out a 500 GP piece, and a 50, 10, 5, and two 1's.
"Thank you, come again," said the clerk with a grin.
"You know you didn't have to do that," Kairo said as they walked out of the shop.
"No problem man, you're the one who rescued me from that Lab 32 place."
The two men came up to the weapons store. They walked in and checked out the display cases. One of them held a nice, steel long sword that glittered from the sunlight filtering in the window. A second case held a katana. It was the relative shape of Kairo's concentrated blade, but it looked like it could break in a battle.
Other cases held crossbows, whips, and even one scythe, but Kairo came back to the first case. He checked out the sleek blade one more time. It had god structure to it, and looked like it could inflict quite a bit of damage.
"Can I try this one out?" he politely asked the woman behind the counter.
"Sure, sir. Just come around back. We have some things you can test it out on."
The lady led them behind the store. She was wearing chain mail, like Kairo, but had a brown skirt on, covering a pair of black shorts. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail. To Kairo, she was very attractive. Behind the store he saw some hay bails, a shooting gallery for bow and arrow probably, and a metal pole. He walked over to the pole and examined it. He should be able to cleave it.
"Um, sir, here's your sword. You can test it out on anything you see here."
"Thank you miss, by the way, what would your name be?"
"Malia, sir."
"Well thank you Malia, my name's Kairo and this here is Amox." He saw Malia blush.
"Yes, I've met Amox before. Watch out, he's nothing but trouble."
"I'll remember that," Kairo said with a smile and a wink. Then he turned to the pole, sword in hand. It was heavier than his normal weapon, but he was able to lift it with ease. He raised it over his head like he would his concentrated blade, and brought it down swiftly on the pole with loose wrists.
Kairo winced, as the pole didn't give way. It sent the sword vibrating in his hands. He dropped it because it caught him off guard.
"No, you're doing it all wrong," said Malia. She stepped behind him and grabbed his arms, like a father would do teaching his son how to bat. "First, you raise it over your right shoulder like this," and she moved his arms to the indicated position, "Then you bring it down at a 45 degree angle, keeping your wrists tight and locked," she did that in slow motion and looked up at Kairo. He smiled.
"So let me try this," Kairo said with confidence. He raised the sword over his right shoulder and brought it down, keeping his wrists tight. The pole didn't cleave, and sent the sword vibrating again. "Maybe it'll come with practice," Kairo decided. "I think I will get this sword though. How much?"
"It is normally 600 GP, but I will give it to you for 400, since I know your friend and all."
"Thank you," answered Kairo.
"Now, if you'll just come back in the store…"
Amox paid for the sword, and Kairo thanked him. They walked back out in to the street.
"Man Kairo, she was all over you!"
"Yeah, she's kind of cute too." Kairo said, blushing.
"Tell me about it…"
"So how do you two know each other?"
"Oh, long story…" said Amox quickly. Kairo sensed there was more to it. "Now that you're ready though, where do you think Xeno would be hiding?"
"Hmmm…" Kairo thought a while. "Where do you know that is filled with evil, has connections to things evil, and is just plain evil?"
"Gotcha," Amox said with a smile, "Off it is to Magus's old fort."
*****
Kairo looked up at the cave. He could sense bad things were in it. He looked over at Amox, unsure. Amox gave him a nod, and they both went in. It was dark and damp in the cave, and Kairo could just sense hundreds of animal eyes, peering in to the back of his neck. He and Amox turned a corner, and stopped short. There in front of them, was about a meter tall feline of some sort, with huge claws and teeth to match. The cat had his back turned though, so he didn't notice the two.
Amox put a finger over his mouth, indicating that Kairo should be quiet. Amox got about a meter from the animal, when the cat suddenly spun around and lunged at Amox. He pinned Amox to the floor and growled teasingly at him. Amox had a look of horror in his eyes, as he knew what the beast was planning to do.
Kairo immediately sprung in to action. He unsheathed his new sword and jumped at the cat. He brought it down just like Malia had told him to, but accidentally hit the dull end on the animal.
The cat roared in pain, but when realizing it was just a slap on the skin, jumped off of Amox and ran at Kairo. It didn't get very far before one of Amox's daggers was sunk in to its shoulder blade. It collapsed over, either dead or unconscious.
Amox and Kairo basically ran the rest of the way out of the cave. When they got out, sunlight blasted them in the face, temporarily blinding them. They gave their eyes a moment to adjust, then continued trekking the rest of the 60 meters to the edge of the forest in front of them.
They came to a path in the forest, overgrown by brush but still a path. Kairo started walking down the path. He could sense Xeno's evil presence ahead of him.
"This way," he pointed down the path to Amox. The two jogged the way to Magus's old fort. If Kairo remembered right, according to Robo, his friend Magus had been dead around fifty years. 'The fort should be abandoned' thought Kairo.
He swung open the door, and stared into the eerie ballroom. There were statues of goblins and monsters all around. Wait, THOSE WERE'NT STATUES! The goblins jumped down at them. Kairo drew his sword and Amox brought out his daggers.
The goblin made the first move. He dove down at Amox. Amox blocked it by sticking his dagger out, into the monster's chest. It fell.
Then Amox made another move. He started chanting. Kairo watched him in wonder. The other goblin took advantage of that and dove down, slashing Kairo across the face. Then Amox stopped chanting. He thrust his arm forward as if calling forth something.
A single pebble flew out of the air and hit the goblin. The monster laughed and dove for Amox. Kairo intercepted it with his sword, for the first time getting a clean slice.
When they were sure it was only those two goblins, Kairo turned to Amox. "What was that chanting crap?"
"My magic, it has gotten weak over the years. I can't use it very well anymore."
"What magic, and what years? You look about twenty! I think there is something you need to explain to me!"
"Later! We have to stop Xeno now though!"
Kairo nodded and they began walking through the twisting hallways of the castle. Apparently, it had only been those two goblins guarding the door, either that or the other monsters were scared off, because Kairo and Amox were not bothered at all.
Finally the two came to a long corridor with torches all around and a big statue at the end. In front of the statue, was Xeno. He turned as he noticed the presence of others.
"Ah! Kairo, how pleasant we meet again! Strange that it would be nearly two thousand years in the past, but still, there's nothing like meeting an old friend." He said in a nonchalant, mocking voice.
"Shut up and DIE Xeno!"
"Ooo, I sense a little hostility." Xeno said sarcastically, "and we can't have THAT, can we?" his expression turned to a sneer. He whipped out a device, about 15 centimeters long and 5cm wide. He pressed a button on it and aimed it at the two. They both doubled over in pain, holding their stomachs and screaming.
"I DO love this device, don't you Kairo? It is part of the new technology we have. Oh wait, only PORRE has it, I forgot Guardia doesn't. But now that I have your attention, I think I will tell you what I am doing here. You see, I don't fight for any real side on the war, but after my spy mission, they promoted me, BIG TIME. Now I am a head honcho. I used Doctor Smith in the laboratory back there to help me re-discover time travel. From what I understand, by this time, back in 2400 AD, he should be dead from being accused of attempted treason. All I needed him for was this!" Xeno held up the scepter. "Now I can travel to all sorts of different times, and change history for the worse in all of those times. Just think, I could wreck havoc on all different times, wouldn't that be fun? Now, I believe there is a gate somewhere in this room. It was created by accident long ago. Good bye now."
Xeno pressed a button on the scepter, and a big time gate opened in front of him. He walked in with a grin. The orb disappeared, and Amox and Kairo were free of the device's control.
Kairo walked up to the spot where Xeno disappeared. He took out the gate key.
"Stop!" Amox shouted, "THAT gate right there, will send you to a different time each time you use it. Chances are we'll never be able to find Xeno if we go into THAT!"
"And we'll never get a chance to find him again if we DON'T! Let's go!"
"NO!!" Amox jumped up and knocked the gate key out of Kairo's hands. It fell to the floor and broke in half. Instead of nothing happening, the gate formed again. Before either could jump out of the way, it swallowed them up. They were now stuck in time somewhere, with no gate key to get back…
TO BE CONTINUED
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