The next morning all of the graduating hunter teams were presented to the Alliance Counsel one by one. Tabbitha's team being the last to be introduced to the counsel, who were alarmed when they saw Starlight. "Why is there a Drake in your ranks?" Asked Lord Deathlight of the Emberra as he looked over the group with a look of disgust on his face, until he saw Tinami Deathlight.
Lord Deathlight's face settles on Tinami Deathlight as she says, "because she's our friend, and the finest medic graduating from the academy. She deserves this as much as anyone. So I'm proud to be a member of Nova Team." There was a bit of a murmur as the rest of the council discussed what was said before deciding that it was worth giving Starlight a chance. After that the team was given their first mission which was easy enough for them. With every mission they completed they'd receive money for how well they did, and another the following day. Sometimes they were given a few weeks to recover from a difficult mission, but would jump back into work when they were ready. The whole Team would even continue training to keep both their mental and physical skills sharp.
One day when they were coming back from a mission Tabbitha hears a cry for help from a clearly telepathic woman. She tells the rest of the team about it and Starlight quickly picks up on where the distress call was coming from. So they took a detour and followed the distress call to a jungle planet in the Drakose System to rescue the telepathic woman. As they land Tabbitha feels a strange sensation that makes her uneasy as she thought, something doesn't feel right.
What do you mean Shard? Asks Starlight giving Tabbitha a nudge with her nose as everyone prepares to depart the ship.
I'm not sure. Tabbitha thought, staying seated for a bit as she focused on the strange feeling that seemed to be all around her. This world has a cold air about it. Almost as if it were trying to… No. Forget what I said. It sounds crazy.
"Don't say that, Shard." Said Starlight as she sat down beside Tabbitha clearly, knowing that what she'd sensed had her Worried. You're not the first Drake to have a Spirit Sense. If you've Sensed something, tell us. Because what you feel is very much real.
"Alright." Said Tabbitha before closing her eyes and searching for that unsettling feeling that had her on edge. What I sense is a very Dark Presence residing somewhere on this planet. It's making me feel really uneasy, because it almost feels like it's trying to grab me with its icy cold hands.
Icy? Thought Tinami Deathlight, sounding a little confused about how Tabbitha could sense such a frightful presence. "It almost sounds like you're describing death."
Well, that's the only way I can describe it. Thought Tabbitha as she opens her eyes and rises from her chair looking a little shaken at what she'd felt. I feel as if it wants me dead. I'm not even sure why.
"If you want to sit this one out I'm sure we can manage." Said Jonathan Teufelshund in an attempt to make Tabbitha feel better about their rescue mission. She ran a few scenarios through her head, but that Dark presence interfered in every one of them. This causes her to shake her head as she tries her best not to panic over it, but could still feel her Nova energy swelling inside of her.
"No." Tabbitha said decisively as she suits up for the mission, her beautiful Diamond Scale armor Shimmering with her golden Nova Energy easing the strain on her body. "There are too many things that could go wrong. I want to be there to alleviate as many of those as possible." Last thing I want is to lose one of you because I was afraid of something that I might not even encounter.
"Then let's get going." Said Jonathan Teufelshund causing the whole team to get off the ship with their weapons at the ready. We'd cover more ground if we split up. So watch your backs. We still don't know what to expect on this planet. Deathlight, you're the only one that can fly. Katt, Jewel, Swiftpaw, you're the fastest of the team. Swiftpaw will go one way, Jewel and Katt will go another, while Deathlight and I take a different direction. If you find the one calling for help get her back to the ship as quickly and safely as possible. They take off in separate directions under their own power as they look for the woman that was calling for help. The search went on for hours until Tabbitha and Starlight came upon what looked like a slave camp run by Drakes.
Guys. Thought Tabbitha as her and Starlight duck behind a pile of large rocks and slip into some underbrush to keep from being seen. We've got a problem. There are Draken Pirates everywhere, and we're in too deep to leave now.
We seem to have found a slave camp. Thought Starlight when she sees several non Draken people doing menial labor. If we're to rescue these people, and get them back safely, we're going to need the whole team on this.
On it. They hear Yoshi Swiftpaw think, telling them that he was ready to do his part to save the prisoners.
We're on our way. Thought Tinami Deathlight with what sounded like a smile in her voice, clearly ready for a fight.
You can count on us. Thought Jonathan Teufelshund, already formulating plans to get the prisoners off that Jungle Planet. It didn't take long for the rest of the team to meet up with them, and he decides on a strategy. Jewel, I want you and Katt to deal with the stronger Draken Pirates, while Deathlight, and Swiftpaw get the prisoners to safety. I'll lay down cover fire and bring up the rear. Once the stronger drakes are dealt with, get back to the ship as quickly as you can. Take care of any stragglers along the way. Once we're off world things could end up getting complicated fast.
Don't worry. Tabbitha thought with a smile, knowing exactly what to do to make sure everything goes well. I'll make sure that they can't chase us before I head back to the ship. A strange sensation suddenly hits her moments before a large black drake lands at the other end of the camp. She places a hand on the now glowing Heart Scale of her armor as she looks at the enormous drake who seemed to be looking for her.
Shard, we appear to have a complication to Teufelshund's plan. Thought Starlight as they all stare at the giant male drake who was clearly in charge. It's clear that the two of you have sensed each other. Which means…
Don't, Jewel. Tabbitha thought as she closed her eyes, feeling a little hurt about what this strange feeling meant. I know what it means. It's… the Soul Bond. She clenches her fist and glares at the black drake. But that CAN'T happen. Why did it have to be HIM? She relaxes as a realization hits her. Sorry, but it looks like there'll be a change of plans. I'm going to act as a decoy to keep the big guy and as many of his goons off of you. The rest of the plan's still valid, but I have to go now or we'll be discovered. She takes off before anyone can stop her, taking an indirect route to the camp to serve as a distraction for the team. If I don't make it back to the ship before the engines are primed… leave without me. There's too much at stake for you to come after me. She draws on her Nova Energy making her armor glow before launching herself into one of the Draken underlings to catch everyone's attention. She looks right at the Black Drake with a growl on her lip before taking off.
"Get that female!" Roared the Black Drake causing all the strong drakes to chase after her with him spearheading the pursuit. She used her smaller size to her advantage ducking into a small space that the drakes can't even squeeze into.
As Tabbitha's working her way through the small tunnel she hears a thought from Starlight say, Shard, you don't have to do this. She peeks out of an opening and sees one of the smaller Pirates which comes after her, but she hits them with a Charged Energy Punch knocking them out cold. We can find another way.
No Jewel. Tabbitha thought as she ducks into another hole when she sees the Black Drake flying toward her. This is the only way to get the prisoners home safely. She peeks out another hole to make sure that the coast was clear, but he was there causing her to jump back as he reached in after her. Tabbitha fell back against a stone wall watching in horror as he tore chunks of stone out of the tunnel she was in. It was clear that he was trying to get to her, and there was nothing that was going to keep him from her for very long. The Pirate leader is faster and stronger then even you. She escapes out another hole headed for another group of tunnels, but he lands in front of her. Seemingly out of sheer reflex she thrusts her right hand out toward him releasing a small nova energy sphere at him.
The energy sphere explodes in his face, blinding him, and causing him to roar in pain, "it burns!" He dropped to the ground holding his singed face in his clawed hands giving Tabbitha enough time to escape into another hole. "Where could that female have been hiding a weapon of such power?"
That was a close one. Tabbitha thought, working her way through the tunnel and panting a little from the sudden energy loss. I have to use every trick I can think of to keep ahead of this guy. I'll keep their attention as long as possible, but you have to get everyone to safety. She pauses for a moment to catch a breather already feeling the strain on her energy reserves and pulls a bottle from her Energy Storage. I'll find my own way back if I have to. She removes her helmet for a moment before gulping down the glowing contents of the bottle. Once it was gone she wiped her mouth before tucking the Trillim bottle back in her Energy Storage and putting her helmet back on. So, promise me, Starlight. Promise me that you'll get them home. She peeks out another hole looking for her next hiding spot in her continuous attempt to stay ahead of the Pirates.
Lightshard… Thought Starlight, with the clear sound of sorrow slipping through with her loving, and determined thoughts. I promise that I'll get everyone home. Even if I have to come back for you. So you had better stay safe. I don't want to lose you. Especially to these loathsome pirates and their leader.
Thanks Jewel, but I can't make any promises. Tabbitha thought as she ducks into another small cave when she sees another one of the Black Drake's goons approach her. She knew that she couldn't stay in that cave forever, but she also had to keep out of their reach. If she was captured then Jonathan Teufelshund's plan would quickly fall apart. Because, it's starting to look bad for me. These winged reptiles don't know when to quit. I just hope everything's going well on your end. Because I'm not sure how much energy I have left, and I…
A Black Draken hand erupts from the wall, and grabs Tabbitha wrapping his three fingers around her waist as she hears him roar, "got you!" He closes his grip with his large thumb and pulls her out of the cave as she cries out in surprise. "Try to escape me now, little female."
"Let me go you Scaly Brute!" Tabbitha yells as she struggles, trying to force his hand open so that she could escape, but he was just too strong for her.
Katt! Her team mentally cried, realizing that she'd been captured by the Draken Pirates despite how careful she'd been.
Get out of here or you'll be captured too. Thought Tabbitha, knowing full well that she was too close to the Draken Pirates to hide her thoughts from them.
"Hunters." The Black Drake growled as Tabbitha continued her struggle to free herself from his grip. "Find them, and bring them to me." The other drakes take off, clearly after the rest of the hunter team that had come with Tabbitha. "You, however, are very strong and fast for an Alliance Dog. Why is that? It couldn't be your presence I'm sensing, could it? Whose mind is linked with yours?" She sees his other hand reaching for the Helmet of her Draken Scale Armor and she grabs the claws of his thumb and pointer fingers. She gave up any chance she may have had to escape just to try and keep him from seeing her face.
"My secrets are my business, not yours." Tabbitha says straining to keep his hand away from her helmet having a good idea what he was planning to do. Unfortunately his claws continued to get closer and closer to the release on her helmet, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. "No. Keep your filthy claws away from me." There was a rush of Nova Energy which allowed her to push his hand away for a moment, but it didn't last long enough. Damnit. I can't keep this up much longer, and judging by that grin he's not even trying.
Tabbitha felt the Black Drake push his thoughts into her mind as he thought, what's the matter, little female? Can't a male have a little fun? He chuckles a little before hitting the release on her helmet and forcing it off her head, crushing it when he sees her human face beneath it. What is this? There's no way a worm could be as strong as you are. He snarls at her and begins to squeeze, clearly enraged at the thought of a Human having anything close to Draken power. What are you really? She cries out in pain, but quickly reinforces her armor with Nova energy to alleviate the pressure and allow herself to breathe again. So you are the one I was sensing.
Of course I am. Tabbitha thought, sure that she was the only member of her team that was still on the planet's surface. Everyone else is gone. I stayed behind to give them time to escape. Her eyes were once again Sun Gold clearly catching his eye, and were burning with a fiery passion that seemed to surprise him.
Those eyes. The Black Drake thought, inching his snout closer to her, but she pushes against it trying to keep him from getting closer. Unfortunately, as hard as she tried her arms no longer had the strength to fight him off after the strain they'd endured.
Get away from me. Tabbitha thought, causing him to glare at her a little due to her protests, and determined resistance. However, with a single forceful nudge he pushes his snout up against her with the sharp ridges on his nose under her chin. That's when she sees a golden Sunstone like Shard set into eatch of the Black Drake's Horn Rings beckoning for her to take them. She could feel the points cutting into her skin and a bead of blood run down her throat moments after. He gave her a good sniff before opening his mouth just wide enough to let air into his mouth before inhaling for more information.
Tabbitha saw his eyes widen and could hear him thinking, Sunheart? This meant that the shock that came with the information he'd just collected had disabled his mind's defenses, and on top of that she felt him loosen his grip. So she took advantage by pulling herself from his hand, plucked the gem from the right Horn Ring and bolted in a random direction. She knew that she wouldn't have been able to get both of them without losing them soon after. It wasn't long before he realized she was escaping and took off into the mines after her in order to recapture her. "Get back here, little half-form!"
"Fat chance, wyrm!" Tabbitha called out moments before squeezing between tree roots in the hopes of slowing him down long enough to escape. Ok, my friends are safe, I got my hands on a Sun Shard, and I've freed myself from that Draken's grasp. Now I just need to shake him from my tail, and those roots won't delay him for very long. She runs down what looked to be a natural tunnel hoping to get far enough away to stop sensing his presence. If I get recaptured I doubt I'll be able to escape again so soon. Too bad that brute destroyed my helmet. Now I'm at a severe disadvantage. I just hope Jewel has enough materials to make another. She shakes her head for a moment when she realized that her current thoughts weren't helping. Focus, Shard. That Pirate is still on your tail. Top priority is to get out of range of our Soul Bond. After that you can plan your next move. She jumps down a nearby hole when she sees the Black Drake flying toward her, but grabs ahold of the wall when she finds herself at the edge of a cliff. What was worse was when she saw a river of lava flowing just below the cliff making her gulp. No thank you. I don't need a Lava Bath. She looks around a bit to assess her situation hoping that she can find a path that would take her farther away from the Black Drake. That hole took me pretty far, but I can still sense him. Which means it won't be long before he finds me again. Spotting an opening a little ways below her she climbed her way down to it using the claws that were built into her armor. Thank you Jewel. These Trillim Claws were a genius idea. I just hope I can catch a break soon. That Pirate is relentless. After getting to the opening she climbs in and catches her breath before running away from the Lava River. She ran for quite a ways before she could no longer sense his presence, but she went a little farther, ducking into a small cave for a breather. She opens her Energy Storage and takes inventory of all her supplies, wanting to have a plan, and hoping that she has enough to survive on till she gets home. Ok, I have ten hunter rations, a canteen of water, healing salve and… She breathes a heavy sigh when she looks at the bottles of glowing liquid in her energy storage. Just three bottles of Nova potion. That's not good. The rations and water will be easy to survive on. If I can get back up to the surface or manage to find a spring of fresh water it would be even easier, but the potion… That's going to be tough. I would need ripe Sun Berries from a Life Berry Tree to make it. However, even if I find a Life Berry Tree I'm the only one with the energy that would make it produce Sun Berries. Which means, it would take far too long, and I don't have the time to wait for them to grow. I'll just have to conserve my Nova Energy. I don't know what to expect on this planet, but I can't stay put or those Pirates will find and capture me again. I could also run into trouble if I leave this cave. Ah man, I can hear Mamma Katt saying 'don't go looking for trouble, Kitten.' Well Mamma, I'm already in trouble, and unfortunately more will find me no matter what I do. Tabbitha sobs a little as she thinks about the family that she lost so many years ago. "Mamma. Pappa. I miss you so much." I suppose it wouldn't hurt to get a little sleep. She puts everything back in her Energy Storage and positions herself against a wall in a sitting position before nodding off.
Lightshard wakes up in the cave sensing the Black Drake's presence causing her to close her eyes and piggy back on his senses. He was still hunting for her, but he was by the Lava River tasting the air in the hopes of picking up her trail. I know she was here. She heard him think as she watched him land at the edge of the Lava River. She couldn't have gotten far. She was already pretty tired when she escaped me. It's even possible that she was running on adrenaline. Which means she should have stopped to rest somewhere close by. So why can't I sense her? He stops for a moment and closes his eyes with a smile as he remembers the satisfied look on her face, and her golden Drake eyes in that moment. I never thought I'd find my lost soulmate. Even now she's incredibly beautiful despite that human form.
Lightshard opens her eyes and thinks, oh. That is very unsettling. You're a sick Male. I'm not even of age, you weirdo. She takes a step toward the only entrance of the cave, but stops when she realizes that what she was walking on wasn't the ground. She examined her surroundings and realized that she was standing in her own lap which felt a little weird to her. This clearly isn't the Dream Realm. She looks around to assess what was happening at that very moment hoping that something didn't go wrong. I must be really worked up to only go halfway. Which means that I'm... Projecting? Must be another defensive ability. I need to see what I can learn about it. She runs back to where she'd seen the Lava River, and leaps off the ledge, stretching her glowing Sunstone spines out to her sides. She closes her eyes realizing what she'd just done and starts to regret the instinctive decision that she made. This is so stupid. Why did I jump? Feeling the updraft coming from the lava she opens her eyes again to see herself seemingly flying over it. She looks at her spines and chuckles a little when she sees her Nova Energy stretching between them. She flaps them a little, but quickly figures out that it was far too soon to teach herself to fly when she plummets three feet. Ok. Not going to be doing that again anytime soon. She lands on the other side of the molten river before closing her eyes to find where the Black Drake was. She opens her eyes again and follows her Soul Bond to where he was at picking up the pace a little. If I am just a projection, then he won't see me… or am I wrong? What am I thinking? This is crazy. Drakes are telepathic, and Jewel did say that Drakes can have a Spirit Sense. She shakes off her apprehension and runs over to him before she could change her mind, but he stops making her stop.
The Black Drake turns, looks at Lightshard and grins as he says, "There you are, my little Huntress." She squeaks and takes off trying to lead him away from where her body is as he tears off after her small form. "You can't run forever."
"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean I'll let you catch me again." Lightshard said quickening her pace by infusing her muscles with a bit of Nova Energy to increase their strength. Ok, so this was a really bad idea. A cloak of Nova energy wraps around her, decreasing her wind resistance, and making her look like a little fireball as she runs. Her small energized Draken form was much faster then her human one, but it still wasn't faster then the Black Drake. At best she was just as fast as him, but she couldn't maintain the energy cloak forever, and when it faded she could feel him closing in on her. Damn it. If I use another burst I'll be hurting for it the next time I need it. I've got to get him off my tail. Wait, I'm using my Draken form. She leaps into the air and dives using her camouflage ability to make it look like she burrowed into the stone, but instead sneaks off. For several moments he searched the area where she disappeared trying to find a hole that didn't exist before realizing that he'd been tricked. However, by that time she was already on her way back to her body not wanting to go through another chase. I hope I led him far enough away to allow me to rest in peace a bit longer. After swimming her way through the Lava River and walking her way back to her body she tries to figure out how to get herself to wake up. She tries everything that she could think of and finally decides to try and ram herself hoping that that would work. She ran at her body and jumped so that she couldn't change her mind later, then hit the heartscale of her armor.
However, instead of bouncing off, Lightshard was pulled in causing Tabbitha to gasp as she woke up thinking, that was an experience. She lays a hand on her armor's heartscale and studies it for a moment, not entirely sure how her new ability works. I'm not sure I'll be able to get used to that. I'll have to practice that ability a little more before I really feel ready. Right now I should get moving. It won't be long before that scaly brute figures out I led him in the wrong direction. Tabbitha chuckles a little imagining the look on his face at the moment in question. He's going to be fuming. She picks herself up feeling the strain that she'd put on her arms from when she was trying to fight off the Black Drake. I'm so sore. This body was definitely not built for that kind of treatment. She bumps the Heartscale causing her armor to fold up and become a plate of scales on her back. She takes it off her back, sets it aside and pulls her arms out of her Battle Suit before rubbing them down with a bit of Healing Salve. I love you Sis. Your medicines are a real lifesaver. She works the salve into her arms until it's been massaged in leaving a shimmering layer of smooth skin. Wait, now that I think of it. I didn't see the Sunshard I got from that Drake's Horn Ring. She did the same to her shoulders and the area just below her neck to ease the soreness and heal any injuries to her muscles. I was sure that I put it in my Energy Storage. When she was done she put away the salve and slipped the Battle Suit back over her arms. That's what I thought. It's gone. Did I absorb it while I was asleep? She touches a glowing crest above her breast to seal the opening in the back of the Battle Suit, before securing the plate on her back again. I guess it doesn't really matter. I'll just have to talk to Jewel about it later… She then wraps herself in energy, activating her armor and causing it to flow across her Battle suit until it was covered in scales again. Then she sighs knowing that her helmet was still above ground completely unwearable. If I had my helm I could do a medical scan, and find out that way. Maybe I should retrieve it and see if there's any way to fix it. She took off through the tunnels with a plan to get her helmet back and hopefully the extra advantage that would normally come with it. It took a bit of time, but she eventually found her way back to where her helmet was, and sure enough it was still there. It was sitting out in the open which made her a little apprehensive, but she really wanted to get it in order to figure out her new ability. She looked around to make sure that no one would see her go for it, but it was difficult to see if anyone was on top of the mine. She runs over to it and picks it up putting it in her Energy Storage so that she can look it over at a more opportune time. She starts to head for the surrounding jungle but is stopped by a light brown female Drake who clearly didn't like her.
"I do not know why lord Shadowheart is all worked up by a Half Form like you." The Brown Drake said in Draken, flying around to block off every escape route leaving Tabbitha with only one option. "So I will just kill you and ease his mind." The Brown Drake dives down and attacks her forcing Tabbitha to defend herself by launching a Nova Sphere at them and leaping out of the way.
The battle went on for a while before Tabbitha was able to bring down the Brown Drake allowing her to escape. She ran through the jungle as fast as she could knowing that it wouldn't be long before the Black Drake found her again. She took refuge among the roots of a tree in order to catch her breath and found herself trembling a little. She was tough. Tabbitha thought as she opened up her Energy Storage and brought out her canteen taking a quick drink from it. As she puts it back she looks over the rest of her provisions trying to decide what to do next. If I didn't drink one of my Nova potions I'd be dead. She really doesn't like me. I really wish I had some backup, but I hope my friends are safe. She gasps when she feels the tug from the Black Drake's presence causing her to look around to make sure he wasn't somewhere nearby. Damn it. I was hoping I had a little more time. She then works her way through the jungle running between the tree roots until she finds herself standing on a cliffside. Not good. She backs up under one of the trees as the Black Drake dives down grabbing a hold of the cliff's edge and letting out a menacing chuckle.
"You gave me quite the slip little Half Form, but it won't be that easy this time." Said the Black Drake pulling himself onto the top of the cliff as he approached her with a confident grin on his face. "So stop running, and come with me. I'll make sure your well cared for."
"Not happening." Tabbitha said sizing up her situation trying to find the best exit strategy, not wanting to be in the company of Pirates. "So you can take that offer and shove it!" After running her options through her head she realized that her chances of escaping were very slim. Her best option was to stay among the Mangrove like roots and hope to find another cave to escape through. So when he reached in to grab her she jumped back and took off again, running between the roots along the cliff. A patch of ground beneath her crumbles causing her to fall through, but when she lands she finds herself in a small cave. Unfortunately the small cave wasn't going to keep her out of the black drake's reach, and she knew that climbing back out would give him an opening. She gulps as she thinks about her options again before leaping off the cliff when he pushes his way through the roots above. Time to fly or die, I guess. Focusing really hard she uses her Nova energy to build her Draken wings and uses them to descend the cliffside in an attempt to escape again. However, it wasn't long before the Black Drake was on her tail again, and she knew that she didn't have the energy for an aerial chase. So she took the first opportunity she could find and pulled herself into a rather deep cave set in the cliffside. The Black Drake lands on the side of the cliff and starts pulling chunks out of the cave walls trying to get to her. What he ended up doing was destabilizing the stone above causing a cave in forcing Tabbitha deeper into the cave. She stumbled due to the amount of energy she had to use so she took the time to rest and look over her helmet to see if she could fix it. Well I knew it was going to be in bad shape, but I was expecting much worse. It won't be as good as it was when Jewel made it, but I should be able to fix it. Too bad I don't have my own Drake Stone yet. It would make repairing my Helmet so much easier. She used her Nova Energy to soften and reshape the helmet in order to make sure it would fit on her head again. She then removed the broken pieces of its visor and made a new one out of one of her empty Trillim bottles. After that she made sure all the circuits were connected properly and put it on to test everything to be sure that it was working the way it was supposed to. All done. I still think Jewel would have done better, but this will have to do for now. What? It looks like the Shard has attached itself to my soul somehow. It couldn't be. Could it? Is it what was calling to me? Did I follow my own voice to this planet? To save myself? So many questions, and no answers. She takes off through the cave using her helmet to scan the surrounding area for any information that would be helpful to her.
After a while of walking Tabbitha began to feel tired, but continued to push herself until she stumbled. She was able to catch herself, but it was clear that she wasn't going to be able to keep going for much longer. That's when she noticed a dim light coming from a small opening causing her to follow it as cautiously as possible. What she found was an open cavern with what looked to be a dying tree surrounded by a pool of fresh water. The water was coming from a small hole in the cave ceiling which allowed a bit of sunlight to enter and shine on the tree once a day. The tree itself looked very familiar to Tabbitha so much so that she scanned it and discovered that it was a Life Berry Tree. This tree is in serious need of life energy. If I infuse the water with my Nova Energy maybe it'll be enough to keep it from starving for a while longer. She walks over to the tree and places a hand in the water releasing the residual Nova Energy that has been collecting in her armor. This made the pool of water glow with a golden light that seemed to rejuvenate the tree almost instantly. She then slips in between the roots and settles down on a bed of roots beneath the tree.
It wasn't long before Tabbitha Katt drifted off allowing her to use her Soul Walk ability once more as Lightshard climbs out from beneath her armor's Heart Scale. The tree's looking a lot better now, and given enough time that tree will produce Sun Berries. She climbs up into the branches and removes all the dead ones from the tree so that it can grow newer healthier ones. There. This tree will be a lot healthier now. She glides down and takes off through the tunnels to scout out an escape route so she can return home to her sister. I'm glad Jewel taught me how to look after Life Berry Trees. Maybe I'll come back to check on it sometime after I get off this planet. She stops when she hears draken footsteps approaching her location. So she drew her energy inward until she was no longer glowing and tucked herself behind a rock. She watched as a Red and Green Draken male with large quill like spines walks through the tunnel ahead of her. At first it looked as though he didn't have wings but then she noticed that his front legs were his wings.
I haven't seen him before, but he looks even more unfriendly then that lady drake I met. Thought Lightshard, before following the Drake down the tunnel as discreetly as she could. As she did she saw him walk toward a room that wasn't a natural cave formation with a door that was clearly mechanical in nature. As he approached the door it opened allowing him to walk right through unhindered closing behind him. She examined the door as she slowly approached it, but then she felt the tug of the Black Drake's presence, surprising her a little. In response her energy flared up activating the door causing it to open and she jumped to the side before running down another tunnel. She suddenly found herself coming across Drakes around every turn and somehow found herself at the feet of the Black Drake. When he attempts to catch her she uses her spine wings to leap up over his head and runs down his back. He runs after her chasing her through the base before she's finally able to escape through a vent. She worked her way back to her body, and flops down next to it feeling tired and glad that she could no longer sense the Black Drake. I know I'll be able to find a ship if I search that base, but there's no way I'll be able to take down those drakes in my condition. I just don't have enough energy for it. There has to be a way to get to their ships without being captured again. I just need time to think, and rest. She passed out, and Tabbitha woke up with a gasp and looked over at where her Draken form had been only to see her first shard laying there.
Tabbitha picked up the Sun Shard thinking, so the Sun Shard really is the source of my new ability. She sits up and closes her fingers around the Sun Shard with a sigh trying to wrap her head around everything that's been happening. Will the other Shards come with new abilities too? She puts the Shard back into her Energy Storage not really sure what else to do with it at that moment in time. I should get some more rest. Besides, this location seems to be safe enough. She brings out one of her Hunter Rations and starts eating it trying her best to keep from spitting it out. She washes it down with water from her canteen and shudders a little. I wish they'd make these things taste better. I hate having to choke them down during a hunt. She lays back down to get some rest, but finds it difficult to fall asleep with the nightmarish presence that she'd been sensing since she'd arrived. Despite being safely wrapped in her armor the Dark Presence made her feel cold enough to shiver.
When Tabbitha opened her eyes she found herself covered in a leafy blanket which made her feel much better. For the first time since she'd landed on that planet she felt safe and warm. She decided to take a closer look at the strange new blanket and quickly discovered that it was made of vines intricately woven together. She takes a quick scan of the vines and discovers that they were part of the tree that she was sleeping under. She climbs out from under the tree, passes its roots, and sees that the water around it has lost the golden glow from her Nova Energy. "I knew you were starved, but I wasn't expecting you to drink up my energy so quickly." She kneels down and places her hand in the water, once more releasing residual Nova Energy into it. "There. I hope that keeps you healthy for a while. Especially since I won't be able to look after you for long. I need to get home to my sister. Who's probably worried sick about me right now." She chuckled a little when she realized what she was doing. "I'm talking to a tree, but I suppose it could be worse." She examines the tree scanning every inch to see if there was anything else that she could do to make it healthier. Once she was satisfied there was nothing more she needed to do she took a deep breath. "Well, staying here with you was nice while it lasted, but I have to go. Still not sure why I'm talking to you, but I hope you live a long healthy life. If my luck holds out I'll be heading home soon." She took off through the tunnels without another word, headed for the Pirate's base. She knew full well that the moment she entered her chances of escape would be incredibly slim. If I can get to where their ships are docked I should be able to get out of here without too much trouble. She ducks into a hole in the wall when she sees the door to the base and opens her energy storage. It's another story if I run into that Black Drake before then, and since I can't have them taking back the Sun Shard… She pulls out the Shard and charges it with some of her nova energy. She settles herself down far enough away from the opening and leans against a wall before using her new ability. She then focuses her Soul Bond to see if she can find the Black Drake without being discovered. However, she didn't sense him anywhere leaving her to believe that she was in the clear. At least for the time being. She leaps back into her body to insure that the Drakes won't be able to take the Sun Shard away from her.
Once Tabbitha was back on her feet she made sure the coast was clear before approaching the door of the Pirates Base. The door didn't open automatically like it did with the pirates so she readies herself and shoots it with a Nova Sphere. Once the door was open she slips in as quickly as she could and hides to the best of her ability. It's too bad I can't use my Cloak Scale in this form. It would make things so much easier, but it sure uses a lot of energy. She looks around the room and scans a nearby computer to gain information from it as discreetly as possible. She smiles when she sees that the information she was able to collect was a map of the base. The labels of each area in the base were labeled in Draken, making her glad that Starlight had the foresight to teach her how to read it. It didn't take long for her to locate the hanger bay on the map, but there were a few things along the way that had her worried. Wait, Life Eater Cave? What in the Annaverse is a Life Eater? She moves through the Base as stealthily as possible checking out each of her options hoping to get to the hanger. She quickly discovered that it was impossible for her to get to the Hanger without being able to fly. Damn it. Every path on the map has some sort of hidden pitfall and the best I can do is glide. So she decided to see if there was a path through the Life Eater Cave that wasn't on the map. That's when she discovered exactly what the Life Eaters really were. Xertio. These things are far too dangerous for me to even attempt to pass. There has to be another way to the Hanger. She leaves the Base as soon as she is able, and scouts out the tunnels around it trying to find an alternate route into the Hanger.
Next thing she knows she's defending herself from the Quilled Drake she'd spotted a while back with all her escape routes blocked off. She leaps out of the way as a number of large quills fly toward her sinking into the floor where she had been standing. "You are a quick little Half Form, but how long do you think you can keep that up?" She heard him say in Draken with a cold remorseless tone, clearly enjoying his sadistic target practice.
"Long enough to make you eat your own Spines, you filthy reptile!" Tabbitha yelled as she took shelter by a large boulder hoping for some sort of reprieve from the Quilled Drake's attacks. He roars with rage at her insulting remark causing stalactites to break off the cavern ceiling and fall. She shoots a Nova Sphere at the stalactite that was directly above her shattering it to protect herself. The pieces fell all around her with only a couple hitting her armor, but before she knew it he was right on top of her. She's not sure what happened after that but she did feel her closed fist make contact with the side of his head. He stumbled for a moment giving her enough time to charge it with Nova Energy for a second punch. She swung on him with all her might knocking him out and giving her some time to catch her breath. She then picks a direction and removes one of the giant quills blocking the path, getting out of there as quickly as she could. She rounds a corner and stops when she feels that familiar tug, but having tried every other path she picks up the pace. She enters an enormous cavern, and sure enough the Black Drake was waiting for her. "Aren't you tired of chasing me?"
"Actually this is the most fun I've had in a Century." The Black Drake said with a chuckle as he landed in front of Tabbitha giving her only one clear path of escape. That path was back the way she came which would take her back to the room with the Quilled Drake. Unfortunately, there was a good chance that he'd already recovered from their battle while she still needed time to recover the energy she'd used.
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." Tabbitha said with a note of sarcasm in her voice as she stood her ground waiting for him to make a move on her. "Now if you would just let me go home I would be most appreciative?"
"Don't you see?" Said the Black Drake, holding up one of his clawed hands as if he were trying to convince Tabbitha that she could trust him. "You are home." He then places that clawed hand on his heart scale as he continues to speak in a calm, soothing voice for once. "Now, I know how tired and hungry you must be. After all, you've been running from us for days now. I'm actually surprised that your delicate heart hasn't given out from the excitement." Tabbitha could feel herself slowly relaxing as he spoke, feeling the resonance of the Soul Bond as it tugs at her heart. "So, just come to me, little Half Form."
"No!" Tabbitha yelled, snapping herself out of the trance that the Black Drake seemed to have her under. "I may be tired and hungry, but my home is a Space Flight away." The scales of her armor began to ripple with golden energy from a well that Tabbitha didn't even know she had. "Where my family waits for my return, and are likely worried sick about me." The energy wraps around her to form an aura-like mantle that looks surprisingly like a blazing Sun Dragon. "Now get out of my way or I'll leave you on the floor like I did with that quilled reptile when he tried to kill me." The mantle condenses itself into her armor adding a tail, spine like wings and brilliant Sunstone Horns.
"I would love to see you try." Said the Black Drake with a large grin on his face before the two of them clash, tearing up the area around them. Everything happened so quickly that Tabbitha finds herself impacting the ground near a bridge with only a vague memory of how she'd gotten there. Her wings, tail and horns had vanished, while her armor's scales returned to their shimmering diamond appearance. Her body was in so much pain that it took every ounce of will power she had to get back to her feet. "Come now." The Black Drake chuckles and lands nearby without even a scratch on him walking toward her as she drops to one knee. "Is that the best you've got?" Having exhausted all of her other options she pulls her last Nova Potion out of her energy storage, opens her helmet and gulps it down. By the time he knew what was happening she was back on her feet again and running across the bridge with her helmet secured once more. The chasm it stretched over was deep with steep sides, and a very strange purple glow at the very bottom. She'd left the Trillim Crystal Bottle behind feeling that she didn't have enough time to put it away. The area around her was so open that if the two of them were to race to the other side he would most likely be the one to win. However, she had enough energy after drinking that Nova Potion to make it possible to evade his attempts to catch her. As she ran across the bridge she felt the Dark Presence leap up at her causing her to miss step. Her foot slipped on the edge of the platform causing her to fall, and out of reflex she pivoted her body in an attempt to catch herself. She fell from the bridge trying to grab the side, but her claw tips just grazed it forcing her to try something else. She slowed her descent as much as possible, using the claws of her armor to grab onto the side of the chasm when she was able to. However, her muscles convulsed causing her to lose her grip and she tumbled to the bottom of the chasm. The energy that she'd gained from the Nova Potion was suddenly gone leaving her with no way to protect herself. Her head hit a large rock causing her helmet to come off and wounding her left temple in the process. She landed in a strange substance that seemed to pull all the warmth from her body making her shiver as she picked herself up. She found herself covered in the viscous substance, and almost put her hand on her head wound.
What is this stuff? Tabbitha thought, looking at the strange black substance with a purple glow which was all around her. Quickly remembering her pursuer she looked up at the Black Drake hovering above the chasm. I guess the chasm is too narrow for him to fly in. Maybe I can use this to my advantage, but I need to get out of this stuff first. She climbs up to a ledge and attempts to clean herself up, but the dark presence that she'd been feeling since they got there lashes out. Whatever it was it was a lot stronger here then anywhere else causing her to drop gasping for breath. She wasn't sure if she was starting to hallucinate or if it was really happening, but she could have sworn that the strange substance moved. It rose up and took the form of a massive drake before flowing into her head wound forcing her to absorb it all. The pain was so excruciating that she couldn't even scream, and instead blacked out finding herself lost in a world of darkness. The only sound she could hear was that of her own heart, and all she could feel was a searing cold throughout her body.
Pathetic. Tabbitha thought, but something was off, as this kind of thinking wasn't like her. All that fighting, struggling, and running, just to end up like this. Helpless, and dying. May as well have surrendered to the Pirates. Because this fate…
Shut up! Tabbitha protested, fighting back against the dark thoughts that had invaded her mind as she tried to make sense of what was happening. You're not me! You don't belong in my head, and I refuse to submit to you!
Her dark self laughed and said, that's where you're wrong. I've been here longer then you think I've been. You just hadn't realized it. I'm as much a part of you as the sun shard you got from that horn ring. So you're stuck with me Sun Spark. Besides, you're far too weak to get rid of me.