Double Rainbow

Spritz-9

"Here's the airport." says the pilot. I get off the plane, enjoying the frigid, bone-chilling cold. Even if it prickles my scale-like fur, it feels good in a weird way. It feels like home. I walk outside the airport to see the ocean. It's as vast as I remember it. Annoyed, I think about how much time it'll take me to get home. I won't have enough time to be back in a month.

I look around the village, and see a few lights on.

"Hello, do you know how I-" A door is slammed in my face.

I growl and go to the next door. "Do you know how I can get across the ocean to an iceberg within a few days?"

The Canis in the house looks at me, amused. "Well, I do have a certain battery powered something, and I also happened to see a large iceberg recently, if that's what you're looking for... but what's in it for me?"

I groan with disgust, knowing the vile nature of these salesmen. "What do you want?"

"Well, where are you going?"

"The Iceberg Tribe."

His eyes light up. "Ahh, yes. That's a good place. Can you get me this one scroll? 'Bout this big, this high, title is "The Lost Eon". Highly collectable."

I nod vigorously.

He slaps a bracelet on me."Well, good luck to you. By the way, this thing has enough explosives packed on it to destroy the whole iceberg and you with it. It's enchanted to turn off the timer when I input this key. You also can't take it off until then, so don't even bother. The boat is around back."

He slams the door, and I look at the menacing red bracelet, wondering what I've gotten myself into.

I get on the boat, which is docked conveniently in a harbor behind the house, and I travel on. Coordinates are already input, and when I get there, I see nothing except for a large white thing on the horizon.

I drive to it and dock my boat at the familiar iceberg I used to call home. The Great Hall is split right down the center, and the lower-ranks are on one side towards their level and the higher-ranks on the other. The lower-ranks have shadows under their eyes and the higher-ranks look pitifully skinny. They snap at each other, annoyed.

I walk into the room, confused. "Look! Could it be?" Someone says.

"It's Spritz! He's back!" says one of the higher-ranks.

"Where's Snow Hare?" says a lower-rank.

I clear my throat and say sorrowfully, "She's gone. I found out who took here but I don't know how to get to her." Everyone dips their heads in vigil respectfully.

"I have a quest. We're going to stop the ones who took her. Maybe even find her. I'm going to have to leave again in a month."

"Why even bother coming back?" says someone. "You left us here, to fend for ourselves. Why care now?"

"I was chosen for leadership."

"A good leader doesn't leave his people in chaos."

"What? What happened..."

I look down at the line. "We don't need these dirty lower-ranks."

"We don't need you either!"

"QUIET!" I say. "I can fix this. Now, does anyone have a copy of the scroll 'The Lost Eon'?"

"I happen to have one in my room. Why?" says the same Canira, looking at me disdainfully.

"I need it for a favor."