Awrighty everyone, here goes nothin’ chapter eight! This one has got POV diversity out the wazoo, and a handful more spiffalicious fight scenes. For any of you wondering, I had been planning the Gunbound crossover from the start, mainly because I wuv my Kalis! xD

@ iluvchocs: Lol, yeah I really did have to stand up for the Kalisddon there, because a lot of people trash talk it online.. y’know, before I completely school them with it that is. xD

@ Indescane: Nice to see you appreciate the plot twist. Additionally, I’m okay with the fact that you’re bad about replying PMs, it’s just nice to know that I’m not writing the occasional message and then throwing it into a bottomless pit. xD Also, I think you’ll notice I’ve adopted/ripped off/etc your way of responding to people in your blogs, because it seems to work. hehe

@ to all of you who read, but don’t comment: *frowny* Ah well, it would be nice if some of you took the initiative to write something, but it’s nice to know at least that 25-100 odd net browsers have stumbled onto my pages at one time or another. Thanks for that degree of support at least.

Anyway, here’s the next chapter!

—
Stumbling over another vine, Cross caught himself before falling face flat in front of a looming deadly green snail. The little slimmer squelched at him once before crawling off, and the thief slowed down to wait for his companion to catch up.
“C’mon Leul let’s go!” he shouted playfully. Magic users weren’t exactly the most enduring of classes. “Blast could be suffocating on some foreign planet and you’re still huffing it through a little bit of undergrowth!” he was indeed worried about the lofty cleric fellow, but if he was indeed alive, fretting would do nothing to help him now. Leul appeared in the bushes with a rustle and a squeak, becoming firmly lodged in the inhospitable plant’s brambles. Cross rolled his eyes and went over to help her.
“I don’t see how that nut El Moth can get much business out here anyway,” she said as he carefully untangled the stubborn barbs from the hem of her moonlight. “he’s not exactly keeping shop in a heavily traveled area.”
“Well maybe his prices will be a little lower, eh? Let’s just find him first.” Wrapping an arm around her to pluck Leul up out of the thorn bush, CrossSlash grinned widely. She frowned at him and removed his arm.
“Don’t get any ideas kid. You’re still a runt to me.” she said crossly, and disappeared into a cavernous tree trunk ahead.

Climbing up and up inside the ancient tree, long hollowed out by rot and monster activity, the two climbed to the very top, where light peeked between holes in the canopy not far above, and birds chirped merrily.
“Well, this is the place,” the wizard said, “let’s find El Moth.” and they made off across a stable path formed of tree branches and hardened moss. These paths high above the ground were long ago formed by fairies as the foundation of Ellinia and the surrounding treetop areas, or so Blast had told him on their way here the first time around.
“There he is!” Cross exclaimed, pointing ahead to a short man cloaked heavily in white and topped with a matching pointed hat. The man pushed the hat back on his head to survey them better, but he was still well hidden within the getup’s shadowy interior.
“How may I help you?” he said, in a quiet voice, with traces of a dark rasp.
“We need to see about reconst- reconcil- resonstitu-”
“Reconstituting.” Leul offered,
“Yes, reconstituting some scrolls.” Cross finished, mildly flustered.
“I see,” the scroll maker said. “normally I prefer not to reconstitute existing scrolls, it’s not terribly great for my business SELLING scrolls, but tell me, what is it you’re trying to patch up?”

“Well, we don’t actually have them with us, but our friend has a bunch, she’ll be here sometime soon. They’re return scrolls, the ones the XDarkStriders use.”
“Ah, well I can’t recommend getting mixed up with that lot, but if you need scrolls, you need scrolls.” the little man said, swishing his cloak, “The return scrolls the DarkStriders are long distance teleport grade. Top notch, they asked our guild to make them a large stock of them a while back. I can probably prepare you some if you bring me a couple of used scrolls, but it’ll cost you.”
“Well, that’s good news… but what is it going to ‘cost me’?” Cross said, a little worried now, he was still broke.
“Well, the best quote I can give you is in the neighborhood of fourty thousand mesos.”
“Fourty thousand!? I don’t have that kind of coin!” he turned to Leul, “do YOU have that kind of money!?” (she shook her head hurriedly)
“That’s okay lad, calm down. You said your friend would be a little while, I’m sure you can find the money. I’m not going anywhere.” the wizard waved to them laughing as Cross stormed off, pulling Leul behind him.
“Fine, we’ll get the money!” he shouted back over his shoulder. “Stingy loser.”
“CrossSlash,” Leul said, concered, “just what do you intend to do?”
“I’m a thief remember Leul? It’s past time I go’a’thieving!”

—
“Consider your challenge accepted hothead! I need some practice as it is!” BlastMage shouted to the man on the opposite hill. “Not like he gave me a choice…” he grumbled.
“Lift, what is that mobile he’s riding?” the magician said as the machine in question pointed its metal snout in the air and flashed red, charging another shot. The heavy red mech was heavily armored, and it looked incredibly durable.
“Analyzing…” the Lift said, one eye flashing as it locked on, “your opponent is an Armor, heavy defense explosive attack mech. A formidable opponent BlastMage, do you think you can take him?” Blast glanced at the Kalis once, nodded, and said
“Yeah, we got this Lift, you just kick back and enjoy the show. Or.. erm.. float..back.”
“Besides,” his Kalisddon laughed, “look at his armor! He’s in a Space Marine set!” it said, referring to the gleaming blue gear the enemy had donned.
“Yeah, what’s the big deal Kal? It’s better than my stuff.” Blast said, gesturing to his tattered starlight. The Kalisddon laughed again before explaining,
“Those sets were a promotion by the Adium space program! EVERYBODY hast them! The fact that he’s wearing that means he’s too inexperienced to afford anything better. This won’t be too bad! He only beat me before because my pilot was worse!”
“Ugh, just don’t get cocky.” Blast cautioned. There was a hiss of pressurized steam escaping, and the Armor launched a flaming shell into the air. “Ack! Evasive maneuvers!” Blast said, punching a few buttons into the console on the back of the Kalisddon’s head.
“Gotcha covered!” the Kal said, and rumbled forward on its heavy treads, as the explosive came down behind them with a heavy crash, leaving a crater where they had just sat. “Get me bearings for a counterattack!” it demanded. “Let’s do this!”
“Yeah, hang on,” Blast said, hurriedly looking over the controls. Standing up in his mobile, Blast eyeballed the distance, and got a feel for the wind. “There!” he said, grabbing the handles on either side of the Kalis’ console, and pointing his turret skyward. “Fire at sixty eight percent, shot two!” the wizard guessed, tapping the interface’s power bar.
“Will do, Blast!” the Kalisddon said, and set its wheels against the terrain to crouch down and flash red with stored energy. “Firing!” It said, letting loose a missile high in the air.

The tiny orange missile flew sky high, glinting against the sun as it passed over the valley below, and then, the casing falling away, four smaller missiles launched, following a glowing orb that flew along the original trajectory, all hanging in the air like a abstract painting gone pyro’s daydream –then finally crashing down just beside the enemy Armor. The opposing pilot punched buttons frantically, trying to move out of the way, as two of the missiles slammed down beside him, creating a shallow crater, and then the other two, homing in on the original orb as well, slammed into his side, knocking both pilot and mobile into the recently created depression in the terrain.
“Hoo-rah!” Blast shouted, “just fire at sixty six percent power next time and we got him Kal!” the opponent’s menacing fist shook, just visible above the edge of the crater, and he shouted
“I’m not done with you yet! Don’t you go anywhere!”
“Get ready Kal,” Blast joked, “he’s not done with us yet!” and punched in the adjustments for their next hit.

—
Putting away the necklace, Riella eyed the bandit suspiciously.
“So, okay. Sudden changes of heart are all well and good, but what exactly do you plan to do to help us?” she asked Shard.
“You’ll need to infiltrate the DarkStriders base, no? That whole place is heavily guarded, rife with traps, and built like a labyrinth. I’m the man to get you in and out safely. I WAS a Jr. Master after all.” Taking out his own comm, custom done with black plating, Shard punched a few buttons and sent a buddy request to Riella shortly thereafter. “Contact me when you’re ready to go in there. Until then, I have other matters to attend to.” he said, and then disappeared in a puff of smoke, his laughter audible all the way to the door exiting the ruined floor. Riella flicked back her hair again and frowned.
“MEN. I’ll never get them at all.” and sighing, made for the door, “I’d best get out of here before the roly-polies demand to know who’s responsible for this.”

Walking down the streets of Ludibrium, Riella pulled her communicator from her pocket again. Frowning over BlastMage’s listing as “In another location.” she called up another friend.
“Hey, Kytin. How you doin’ hun?” she said, hearing the mic crackle on the other end. “I haven’t seen you in awhile have I?”
“Yeah,” a friendly voice responded, “I’ve been training a lot.. but it has been long.”
“Listen, how much do you know about the XDarkStriders?”

—
“Haha!” Blast shouted, bouncing up and down. “Take that! And that! THAT TOO!”
“Okay, okay. I give, chill out!” said his opponent, as a dozen missiles more crashed down into the crater that’d swamped him. He lifted out on a L-563, and frowned at Blast as he floated off towards Metropolis. “No big deal Armor buddy, you can’t win ‘em all! I’ll be back in ten for ya.” They watched the Lift fly off towards the city for a moment, and then Blast’s own Lift congratulated him.
“Nice job Blast! Your aim is phenomenal!” it said, with a mechanical clunk.
“Aw, it was nothing,” he said, patting the machine he rode, “it was all Kal here.”
“No, really, have you ever considered becoming a professional jockey?” The trio chattered excitedly and exchanged praise just as readily as they made their way over the rolling red terrain to the city.

“Yeehaw!” Blast said, one hand in the air and another on the Kalisddon’s handle, sending its turret swinging about wildly, “ride em’ Kalis!” He bounced up and down as the heavy machine rolled over rocks and soil alike with its huge back wheels.
“We’ll be there any minute at this rate.” Lift chortled, “It should be just over-”
“There!” said Blast, as they reached the crest of the hill, “Metropolis at twelve’o’clock!” Indeed, the great and gleaming city was dead ahead, with sparkling tall skyscrapers, hovering vehicles that resembled giant Lifts, and giant building mounted screens flashing scenes from recent Gunbound battles.
“Welcome, BlastMage,” Lift began formally, “to the Londe Metropolis. The economical center of our world!”
“Sweet! Let’s get a move on! I should see that astronomer as soon as possible!” his companions shouted agreement, and they careened down the hill merrily ahead.

—
Grendel readjusted his snow white robes and sighed, closing his book to pace the study instead. The old chaotic tools of war had emerged from the woodworks again, and after he had thought they had finally been put to rest. Pulling from his pocket a great oak cased communicator, he firmly pressed a button with a withered old finger. If this was any sign of things to come, the old magics stirring again, and dimensions bleeding into one another… then he had preparations to make. And that meant people to call.

—
The voice burned through his head again. His old master, angry now.
“Shard. YOU HAVE BETRAYED US SHARD. Why fool? A death wish you have.”
The bandit shook it off again and kept running, running through the night. The knee-deep snow under his feet burned at him, seeping over tops of his heavy boots, cutting at his flesh. He never had any intention of staying with that bin of loonies. If his old master were so all powerful, he could have seen that. But leaving was just the beginning; he wasn’t free of them yet. Not by a long shot.

“Keep running Shard. You won’t escape us. No, you can’t escape us.” There was a maniacal laughter, it rang and raged through his head.
“You can’t hide forever Shard. You WILL die.” The voice raved again, as the thief gritted his teeth and kept running, plowed forward faster now, blindly through the angry snow, the snow falling heavily on El Nath, and all areas anywhere near it. Growling low in his throat, the thief shouted to the night.
“NOBODY ever said I was running FROM you.” As he skidded to a halt in a tree covered clearing, and the snow turned to slush under his feet. The voice laughed again in his head, cynically, evilly.
“DIE Shard. Die.” It trailed off, in fits of laughter again. Then there was silence, and the sound of cold blowing wind. The shadows ahead of him, at one edge of the clearing coalesced into one man, then another. Appearing out of the night like wrathful phantoms, come to avenge some long forgotten cause.
“Hello old friend.” laughed Achoss.
“Happy to see us?” inquired Cerusk. The night was silent. Silent as death, silent only save the metallic scrape of a blade being drawn.
“Yes. Very happy.” Shard said, and began to laugh, his dagger at his side, laughing madly into the cold, dead night.