Skylanders: Second Leaf

Chapter 6 ~ Father and Son

"KYAAAAAAA!" Flynn cried out in surprise, his screams mixed with silent cries for help from the person he saw, fear coursing through him.

Flynn stared out the front windows and to his horror saw the petrified body of none other than Shoria staring back at him with cold, unblinking eyes that seemed far away and lifeless. Flynn was speechless. All he could do was watch as Shoria was being dragged away by some invisible entity until she phazed out of sight, just like the Skullwrym had.

"FIRE!" Shade shouted, but it was too late. Shoria had disappeared and their shots hit nothing but thin air. They all were gone.

"Aaaaah-" Shoria stopped screaming only when her chest suddenly hit solid ground, knocking the breath out if her, along with the shock that she could hear her own voice again.

Shoria's vision was blurred and black, as she was staring at the back of her eyelids. She couldn't pry her eyes open for the life of her. She felt herself being lifted into the air and her ears picked up the distinct clinking and rattling of chains. Her head lolled to the side and forward slightly as she was chained to an old, wobbly wooden chair. Finally, Shoria mustered up the strength to open her eyes a crack and raise her head just ever so slightly. Within her blurred vision was the unmistakable figure of the insectoid sorceress, Monarch, floating in front of her.

After a few minutes of lying and waiting, Wolfgang turned back to the window to see if the Skylanders were gone. He turned forward with a sickening, toothy grin.

"We lost 'em, mates!"

Coldfinger turned towards the weak, incapacitated form of Shoria, who was now encased in a thick block of ice. Coldfinger had frozen the fish girl after she had attempted, and failed, to break free of her restraints by turning into her aquatic form. Her head was still free though, as Coldfinger found he liked watching her squerm.

"Another ransom, eh, boss?" Coldfinger asked, a sly look to his cold eyes as he stared at Shoria, "Quite a pretty one we've nabbed this time, I must say."

Shoria shot Coldfinger the hardest, soul piercing glare she had ever dished up. Skeleborg did not reply. His head was tilted down and his lifeless eye sockets stared down at a small workshop that rested on the island down below. They had traveled quite a ways away from the Academy.

Without warning, Skeleborg spoke in his lifeless, emotionless voice. "Inside is an old mabu. Freeze him. I will speak with him later."

"As you say, boss." Coldfinger grumbled. He was used to being the one dishing out the orders, not serving up the command on a silver platter.

Skeleborg, Wolfgang and Coldfinger left the room, leaving Shoria alone with Monarch.

"What do you creeps want from me?! You're not going to teach me your trickery, are you!?" Shoria growled in the form of a question. Her eyes burning with hatred.

Monarch looked disinterested. She circled the prisoner a few inches off of the ground. All the while slowly sipping on, yet another, cup of tea. Flapping her wings every so often so she wouldn't fall in mid flight.

"Unfortunately, no." She finally responded, "Skeleborg is more interested in using you as ransom, but Mesmeralda convinced him that you'd help as well."

"Ransom? Well, in that case, I'll be out easily. Trigger Happy is the richest gun slinging gremlin in all of Skylands. He can give you guys whatever amount you want, easy..."

In the rush of the moment, Shoria could feel all of the strength leaving her body and her eyes slowly slip shut as she drifted off to sleep, despite the situation. She just didn't feel like she could carry on any longer. She needed a quick rest. Monarch patted her shoulder; not really in sympathy.