Mezameru: Demons Arise

Chapter 22 : A Breather

After everything that happened, everyone decided to take a break from their missions and focus on themselves for a while.

Alexander, Eleanor, and Hunter were focusing on building the underground base. Frost was trying to upgrade his ice blasters and make better technology. Captain Marsalu and Captain Saboru were training.

At Eleanor's house, Alexander and Hunter were evening out the landscape as Eleanor was making the blueprints.

Hunter: "There are so many rocks to destroy."
Alexander continued cutting rocks and filling in the cracks with the smaller ones.
Alexander: "Shut it and continue working; we have to finish this."
Hunter: "Fine, but I have a way to make this easier."
Alexander: "I swear to Buddha if you destroy this cave."
Hunter: "Don't worry, I have thought about this a lot."

Hunter summons his golden dragon, and it begins eating and absorbing the rocks and boulders.
Alexander: "That was actually really smart."
Hunter: "Yeah, I might not be that smart, but I can learn."
Eleanor: "Hey, why don't you learn how to control your pet?"
Eleanor points to the dragon that's currently bashing its head into the wall.

Hunter: "Shit!"
Hunter rushes to the dragon and tries to calm it down; it stops for a moment, makes a noise at Hunter, and continues bashing its head into the wall.
Alexander gets in a fighting stance.
Hunter: "Dude, no!"
Alexander: "What, don't you see it is insane? Why's it banging its head like that?"

Hunter stomps, and the dragon immediately faces Hunter and sits.
Alexander: "Wait, what? You can just do that?"
Hunter: "Apparently."

Eleanor: "Guys, this madness is hindering my focus and creativity."
Hunter: "Since when were you ever creative?"
Eleanor, with her telekinesis, throws Hunter through the wall.
Alexander: "I think that was overkill."
Eleanor: "Yeah, but I bet he won't ever say any of that shit to me ever again."

Hunter: "Hey guys, I found something."
They all go through the crack in the wall Hunter was launched through and notice a giant Shrine to a Goddess named Aiko.

Alexander: "What the hell is that supposed to be?"
Eleanor: "The Goddess of Love, Aiko."
Alexander: "Why are these shrines everywhere?"
Hunter: "It's like we're in a fantastical universe where we-"
Alexander: "I'm not listening to your bullshit."
Eleanor: "Wait, if this is a shrine, there must be something buried under it, like an offering or something?"

Hunter immediately begins digging and Alexander helps; they try for hours.
Eleanor: "Looks like there's nothing here."
Alexander: "We wasted a lot of time."
Hunter: "Yeah..."
They all head out of the shrine, but Hunter trips on a box. Hunter falls face first onto the rocks. Alexander then proceeds to laugh at Hunter, barely able to breathe.

Eleanor opens the box and finds an amulet, a key, and a note.

The note is badly damaged and nearly burnt, but it reads: "{Unknown) onfundennes To infindan unge−fôglic strangnes âsettan fuse duguð amulet symbe Unlock te incundnes incleofa."

Hunter: "What the hell does that mean?"
Eleanor: "It's Old English... it translates to 'For the only key to find immense power is to fuse the amulets and unlock the secret chamber.'"
Alexander: "Whoa... what does that mean?"

Eleanor: "Does it look like I know? This stuff must be really valuable. Let's go put this somewhere safe."

Hunter: "Maybe one of us could eat it."
Alexander: "Are you serious? Why would we eat it?"

Hunter: "Last time I checked, we won't digest it because it's metal, and we can just poop it out."

Eleanor shakes in discomfort. "Even thinking about that gives me the creeps. And this thing is huge; there's no way it will come out!"