The earth shook and fissures burst open, signaling the imminent eruption. Perilous Island was about to be consumed by lava and volcanic ash. Escape was the only means of survival.
Racing to the nearby village, the Steeles found the native men hurriedly packing their possessions as the women and children carried the bags down a path to their beached boats. The women on the shore welcomed their arrival and waved them onward. Then, appearing without any warning, the Lagoon Terror crushed two boats in a single powerful swipe of its arms. It roared loudly, challenging anyone to come into its domain. Defeating it seemed to be the only option.
As the Steeles lined up on one side the beach and opened fire they saw their sworn enemies approach from the other side and do the same. The Scorpion Master ordered his followers to take the beast down. He was not prepared to die on this sorry lump of rock in the ocean! A hail of bullets rained down on the monster, most bouncing harmlessly from its rubbery hide. Both groups edged closer, hoping that a shorter range would result in greater piercing power. Everyone was cautious not to enter the water.
Suddenly the Terror lunged towards the green robed cultists and lashed out with its tentacles. Many of the group jumped back out of reach but one cultist was not quick enough. The air was squeezed from his lungs and he hit the sand struggling to breathe.
The cultists fell further back, dragging their injured companion with them, and opened fire once more. Again, most of the bullets had no effect on the creature. Suddenly it reared up and roared, clutching at its head. It looked as though someone had finally hit home!
Renewed by this small victory both sides continued firing. Guy, sensing that bullets alone would not be enough to drive the beast away, inched closer, looking for an opportunity to bring his fist fighting abilities to bear. He needed to find a weak spot that he could target at close range.
The monster roared in pain once more as another bullet managed to do damage. Suddenly the Scorpion Master moved towards the creature and his followers lowered their guns. What was the villain up to?
With a loud voice the Master suddenly yelled, “Now!”, and he and half of his men charged the Terror. Guy was shocked. Was the man
that desperate to get off the island? Or was there a part of him that recognized a greater need to help each other? Not waiting around to dwell on his thoughts, Guy joined the cultists and charged in, with Molly and Finn hot on his heels.
The fighting was intense! Fists, knives, gunstocks, teeth, claws and tentacles were everywhere. In the chaos it was impossible to determine who who was successful and who was not. The only signs that they were having any impact at all were the occasional roars of pain. Guy was sure that he had been the cause of at least one. He was also sure that the Scorpion Master did some damage too. Outside of that he could not tell. As Guy began to doubt that any of them would get off the island the Scorpion Master suddenly thrust his arms forward into the rubbery flesh of the Terror. There was a large explosion and a roar unlike any they had heard thus far. The Master withdrew his arms, revealing a large hole from which inky black ichor oozed. The monster thrashed it’s tentacles violently, which drove the people back. As it did so it reached out with its claws and grabbed the Scorpion Master! Holding him tight it finally retreated and sunk into the waters of the lagoon with its prey.
His followers had no time to react to the apparent loss of their leader. A massive earthquake shook the island to its core. Fleeing natives from other parts of the island appeared, entering the lagoon to rescue the survivors before frantically rowing their sturdy boats for open waters. As they moved away from the island Guy felt a strange throbbing in his hands. Looking down he saw that his palms were permanently scarred with strange symbols. They were faint and only noticeable if you looked hard enough but they were definitely there. The village elder who had revealed the truth of Atlantis to him also saw the marks. He told him that they were the Marks of the Elders and would bring him luck, as long as he remained true of heart and did not turn to forbidden evils. Guy, his hands heavy with the weight of that responsibility, was able only to nod in response.
The refugees were only a few miles away when the volcano exploded, splintering the island. Through the smoky haze, the ancestors of the Atlanteans silently watched the remainder of their ancient home disappear beneath the waves. All that remained of the ancient Atlantean Empire was a handful of small trinkets.
The forces of nature had destroyed all traces of Perilous Island and finally completed the job which began thousands of years before. Atlantis and it’s power was never meant for modern man.
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June 17, 2013, 11:48:10 PM