The Trickster of CHS

Joker and the Secret Rings Part 3

After thirty long minutes of flying, the trio of tricks, flight and magic arrived at a kind of city in the sky. Watchtowers, pillars, and abandoned, old buildings were on something that was flying forward.

Joker gazed at the floating towns in awe. "So what is this, some kind of 'Levitated Ruin'?"

"Pretty much," Shantae responded.

"But, what's making the city fly?"

"The Rukh." Sky reported.

"You mean this whole city is on the backside of a living fossil?"

"Yes, it is."

Flying the carpet underneath and in front of the creature revealed what it really was. "This thing isn't a bird," the trickster concluded. "It's a giant manta ray with teeth in its mouth!"

Joker brought the magic carpet to hover close enough to one of the Rukh's backsides. Jumping off the rug and onto its flat, stiff tail, he instantly found himself being literally blown backwards. "Whoa! The wind is strong here! It's pushing me back!"

Digging his heels into the cobblestone walkway, the speedster accelerated his running and slowly started gaining ground. After about a minute of fighting against the wind, he reached the watchtower of the first airship. It was simple in structure: round with a circular stone pathway spiraling up its interior. Inside were three stone gargoyle statues with wings.

Joker looked up, observing the open roof. Something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye.

Wait a minute! Did that statue... move...?

The center gargoyle came to life and began shooting light from its eyes in the black streak's direction.

"Watch out!" Shantae shouted. "You'll turn to stone if that hits you!"

Joker dove for cover behind a rock pillar. "Oh, that's right. I think I remember reading about that."

The gargoyle spread its stone wings and flew out the front door, trailing a path of flat yellow energy behind it.

Joker jumped out from behind the pillar. "Get back here! I'm not done with you yet!"

"Hey, Joker," Shantae nervously said. "W-wait!"

The trickster stepped on the yellow ribbon while running after the beast. Surprisingly, his foot didn't go through it. The trail was made up of light, but was solid to the touch.

Joker ran up the pathway, chasing the gargoyle who tried to turn him to stone. The ribbon of light stretched into the sky and over the ground miles below. It twisted and turned, even corkscrewed, but he still stuck to the path like a car on a roller coaster track. It was like it had its own center of gravity.

Joker continued pursuing the beast as it wound in and out of the flying fleet. "Hey, if you want to play tag, go do it someplace else!"

The gargoyle made several spirals forward like a military jet fighter as it finally flew over the largest of the giant manta rays.

Firing up his blue aura again, Joker bolted along the corkscrew path, yelling as he ran. "Yahooooooo!"

Shantae and Sky screamed as they were dragged along at the high rate.

The black blur caught up with and smashed the stone beast after a few seconds.

Loving the exhilaration, Joker leaped off of the light ribbon's end and landed on a Rukh below, laughing as he fell. "Yeah! Excellent!"

This time, it was Shantae who was frightened by moving quickly at high altitudes. "Oh! You are so reckless!" she scolded.

"You know you two love it!" Joker retorted as the two girls blushed at that retort.