The Shadows Chapter 10

Palace on a Mountain

By Keith Adams

Robo considered Magus. Magus looked dead serious, but in his red eyes was something - more. Magus was advising going into the sewers, through them, to a place where hordes of highly dangerous Mystics were emerging. Mystics should not have existed in this future - no one had seen them, but no one had produced proof they had actually died. There was only one way to find out what was going on - this reality, with the defeat of Lavos, should not existed, yet here he was. It was an unsolvable problem with the information at his disposal. Scarcely a nanosec had past by before Robo delievered his answer

"I agree with your conclusions. We should both depart as so ..," Robo began to say.

"Very well," said Magus "Let's go."

"We need more time to prepare," Robo said, trying to get time to prepare - Robots were not subtle creatures.

"No we don't. Just us - we don't need the miserable humans of this era, or their weapons. You and I can take care of some wayward Mystics," replied Magus, full of confidence, in what Robo viewed was suicidal proportions; but Robo needed Magus to stand a chance. Magus was arguably the most powerful of his associates, and he looked unusually grim, and considering Magus was depressed on his good days that was a sign there was something seriously wrong. Magus didn't like to talk to him (or anyone, really) so he decided to not press the issue.

"Very well," said Robo, replying nearly instantly.

Magus and Robo left the bleak, broken Arris Dome into the bleak, broken outside. The ground was an odd purplish color, and particles flew in the wind. Off to the east was a mountain range which had a small sphere attached to it's base - the Sewer Access to the Southern Continent.

Magus behavior was odd, thought Robo. He displayed no concern over the toxic air he inhaled. He strode through the wind and across the broken ground, ignoring all obstacles to his path. Robo decided Magus was nearly obsessive about this. It was a decently long trip, taking nearly 8 hours, with Magus having no source of food or water, he was not bothered by it. Robo guessed that Magus had not eaten or drunk for a good length of time, and what disturbed him more was that Magus didn't seem to notice, or care.

Finally, Robo and Magus arrived at a large, half spherical column with a dome at the top. It was carved into a mountaintop, and had a black automatic door. The pair entered, and saw a series of walkways surrounded by murky red water. There were buliding lining the walkways, and bridges connecting the largely seperate columns. The bricks that made up the walkways were greenish, and corroded.

Robo picked up sounds echoing on the walkways. He did not believe Magus could hear them.

"M--," Robo began, but Magus cut him off.

"Do you hear those footsteps," whispered Magus.

"Naturally I hear them - I am capable of hearing virtually any sound wthin a 100--," Robo began to explain.

"Robo, I need a favor.Your armor deflects most blows, correct?" asked Magus. Robo had an odd feeling about where this was going.

"Most, yes. It can handle most hand lasers without incident," Robo answered.

"Good. From the way they're marching out of step, I'd say it was Mystics, primarily Hench and Imps. If your armor can deflect laser blows, it should have no trouble with a troop of Mystics," Magus ordered Robo "Go and fight them."

"What?"

"Go. I'll swin through the sewers, and you fight the Mystics. Simple concept."

Magus smiled inwardly. Robo could use a little excitement, and he wouldn't bother him the way to Death Peak. Magus had a feeling that Robo thought he was an obsessive suicidal depressive who was completely incapable of empathy with other humans. Which was true, but Magus didn't like a Robot hitting so close to the mark. Robo wandered off to fight the Mystics at a somewhat slower pace than usual. Magus thought about flying to the Southern Continent, but the sudden storms that popped up on the sea every few minutes, which he had seen while going to Sun Palace in this misrable era. Magus jumped into the red water - it was slightly warm, but otherwise normal. He began swimming, using his magical skills to create a small buble of air around his nose and mouth and began swimming, hearing sizzles from above the water. He wondered if Robo was doing well. Magus swam in the Red Water until reaching a long wall - it appeared to be the end. Magus got out of the water onto the green bricks, and left the sewer through the automatic door, coming out once again to the broken land.

Magus caught sight of Death Peak. A beam of light caught the top of the mountain, illuminating a huge palace of black marble which cast a shadow over the broken turrents of death peak. The palace Magus recognized, saved the color scheme - it had exactly the same architectural style as the palace of Zeal.

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