Skylanders: Second Leaf

Chapter __ ~ Battle for the Scroll

Shade continued on through the rooms, corridors and hidden passageways of the fortress. Trying his best to focus on the task at hand. Though, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't help but let his mind wander back to that room where Shade had saved it, then left it behind. Back to Metaltaur. In a way... it and Shade were quite similar. They couldn't let go of their pasts. Their hatred towards their foes... had blinded them. Shade sighed slowly as he pushed open another door concealed behind a thick cover of vines and an entanglement of slimy green growth Shade had never seen before... and hoped to never see again. Hopefully, Metaltaur wouldn't fall to the same fate he had. Soon, Shade found himself in a large room. Out of all of the rooms in the fortress, this one had received the most damage over the years. It was overgrown with vines, wrapping around the walls, holding the crumbling pillars up just barely and cracking through portions of the floor along with other land ridden plants. The wall on the left had a large chunk completely broken out of it. Revealing the stormy sea the fortress rested upon. The bricks and metal that made up the remaining walls and floor were cracked and worn with age. In front of Shade, on the other side of the almost nonexistent wall was an iron door. Golden highlights covered the doorframe.

"We'll find the spell in there." Angelo noted.

"YOU TOOK LONG ENOUGH TO FIND IT!" Diablo growled impatiently.

Shade turned towards the wall completely opposite of where he was standing. Set into it was another, similar door. Only it had a rune etched into its surface. A rune that pulsed and glowed slowly with a faint, dark purple light. A rune of sealing.

"What's behind that door?" Shade questioned.

"Something that must never see the light of day again." It was clearly Angelo's voice speaking, but he seemed deadly serious.

Shade continued to stare at it as he walked up to the door he was entitled to enter, as if the rune was not only sealing something away behind that door, but was also radiating a hypnotic glow. Shade finally peeled his eyes away and looked up at the golden framed door. He looked down to see a lock, but it looked as old as the rest of the room. Shade gave it a quick yank and the lock shattered in his fingers as if it were comprised of glass. Taking a deep breath, Shade pushed open the door to reveal his prize. Inside the newly opened, small, circular room was a beautiful chest made of gold. Carvings of white and silver were etched into its lid and sides. All seeming to circle a magnificent, sparkling sapphire of blue set into the top.

"So... the spell in here will help me?" Shade asked, kneeling down to get a better look at the magnificent chest. He couldn't help but smile at the sight. Angelo's work was always eccentric, but beautiful nonetheless. It make his heart warm up whenever he saw it.

"Yes." Angelo replied. Allowing himself to smile as well. "Take it, and-"

Suddenly, a loud, powerful roar resounded through the small room, and everything leading up to it. Cutting Angelo off mid sentence. Shade whirled around in shock. Getting to his feet in one foul movement. This couldn't be good.

"OH, WHAT NOW!?" Diablo shouted.

A massive figure burst through the doorway that Shade had entered. It raised its head and bellowed a cry of rage. Its sickly purple eyes glowing with hate as they locked onto Shade, who was now stepping out of the room that held the scroll. Shade stifled a gasp of surprise.

"Metaltaur?" Shade asked in horror. It was Metaltaur, no doubt about that... but something wasn't right. It was him... but it wasn't."

Metaltaur rose up and gave a large bellow. The floor beneath Shade began to shake, causing Shade to stumble to regain his footing. To Shade's panic and dismay, a cold, robotic hand burst out of the ground. Soon, a full body came clawing its way out. It was disheveled and broken. Bits and pieces missing here and there to reveal the silver skeletal structure below. Its eyes which should have been glowing yellow were blank and sunken. More and more undead Arkeyan soldiers followed suit, each one missing a limb here or a chunk of their body there. But all ready to serve their new lord and master. Shade wasn't sure what had come over the once calm, yet slightly violent, Arkeyan Century, but Shade summoned two Shadow Sabers. Ready to fight the newly raised undead army.

"KILL HIM!" Metaltaur roared, pointing at Shade.

The Arkeyans rushed towards Shade all at once. Almost coming on top of him, but he blinked away into the shadows just in time. The undead Arkeyans piling on top of each other instead. Too soon for Shade, they realized their blunder and began sorting themselves out all too quickly. But, this gave Shade a chance. He needed to take it before it was too late. Shade launched himself out of the shadows and sliced his saber across the chest of one of the Arkeyans. Cutting clean through. It fell to the ground in a heap. All of the Arkeyans had locked onto him now. Shade swung his blades around in a circle, cutting several more undead Arkeyans down the middle as he spun in place. Shade now had the upper hand. A smirk spread across Shade's face, but was soon shook off as the ground began to tremble again. More undead Arkeyans, about twice as many as he had bested, began clawing their way out of the floor at Shade's feet. Shade jumped back, only to be greeted by a silver bullet grazing his left cheek. Shade whipped around, slashing the Arkeyan's head off if its shoulders, then turned to block a blade one of the newly risen Arkeyan warriors had swung at him.

"MAY I REMIND YOU THAT YOU HAVE A BLACK MAGE WITH YOU?!" Diablo shouted over the clanging of metal.

"Not now!" Shade cried.

Their blades clashed for a few more times before Shade stabbed the assailant with his other saber. Shade glanced around frantically. He was getting run into a corner here. With every move, every dodge, it seemed his grave was getting dug deeper; and he was the one holding the shovel.

Suddenly, Shade felt a massive, painful surge go through his body. Shade screamed in agony and crumbled to the floor. Clutching his chest. Eyes scrunched tight. Once most of the pain had subsided, Shade looked up to see a newly risen Arkeyan with a laser blaster instead of a hand on its one intact arm. Shade rose up again, ready to slash it to bits, but found himself blasted again in the back. Shade staggered forwards, clutching where the blast had gone through him, then forced himself to teleport away before he was blasted one final time. Roasted from the inside out from energy blasts. Back in the shadows, Shade rose up. Blinking the spots from his eyes. Then, all at once, Shade felt a sharp pain as he was punched in the chest. Blood welling up in his throat from the blow as he was thrown backwards. Shade slammed into the wall, and the blood came spewing out of his mouth. Dribbling down his chin, down his neck, and soaking into the collar of his shirt as he sunk to the floor. Shade slowly wiped the blood from the side of his mouth, then tried to stand. Only finding that the pain in his chest was too unbearable. Something was definitely broken in there.

Shade looked up to see Metaltaur walking up to him slowly. Its minigun aimed straight in between Shade's eyes. If Shade didn't do something quick, he was dead meat. Ignoring the unbearable pain, Shade jumped to his feet and rushed towards Metaltaur. His Shadow Sabers in hand. He slashed at Metaltaur's arm with all of his might. Metaltaur staggered, but didn't appear to be phased by the cut. Before Shade could recuperate, it swung its fist at Shade. Luckily, Shade ducked the swing just in time. Without warning, Shade felt another surge of pain enter his shoulder as another concentrated laser blast entered his body. Shade's hand let go of his saber and shot up to the wound. He was sure his body was covered in burns now. When Shade looked back up at Metaltaur, the Arkeyan Century's fist came into contact with Shade's face. Knocking him backwards... towards the open wall.

Shade fell to the ground, a few feet away from the hole dropping off into the raging waters below. The undead Arkeyan warriors were closing in now. Weapons poised and ready to finish him off slowly and painfully. Shade panted, frantically trying to regain his breath as more blood welled up in his mouth. He... was outnumbered. Shade had no choice. Shade glanced behind him, then closed his eyes as he rose from the floor. Turning back to the Arkeyan hord. The crystal resting on his collarbone beginning to pulse and glow. Shade said a silent prayer to the Benevolent Ancients as a large flash of white energy blanketed the room. The light faded soon after to reveal a new figure kneeling in between Shade and the Arkeyan soldiers. Scar looked over his shoulder, then back at the Arkeyans as he rose to his feet. A wicked, sickening grin spread across his face. A demented glint in his eye.

"SHOWTIME!" Diablo hissed.