Ch. 9 – Keahi Island



"Are you feeling alright?" the voice cut through Dante's thoughts.

He had been staring at the water passing by the canoe when Skye's question pulled him back into reality.

"I'm fine," he said, smiling weakly back at the griffin.

Next to him, Kibou trilled and nudged him in the chest.

"There's no shame in feeling nervous," Skye replied, looking up at the approaching Keahi Island, "especially with what we're about to undertake."

Scratching Kibou behind the ears, Dante looked up at the island. Partially illuminated by the sunrise, most of the landmass was still covered in shadows. That, combined with the dark smoke rising from the top of the volcano, certainly gave it an eerie appearance.

Dante felt himself almost shiver.

Carefully, Doncath leaned over Skye and spoke. "The terrain ahead will be treacherous enough, but throw an active volcano into the mix, and it also becomes unpredictable. We'll all need to be on guard as we go to the fortress."

That was all he needed to worry about. Now, all Dante could think of were natural disaster movies where people tried to survive volcanic eruptions.

All too soon, they had reached the shore. Unsurprisingly, the sand they stepped onto was jet black, with other dark stones scattered around.

"Looks like we came at a good time," Doncath said, looking up at the towering form of the volcano. "There isn't much activity, which should mean an uneventful journey."

"You mean aside from the patrols we'll have to keep an eye out for?" Garrus asked, hopping out next to the bear.

Doncath laughed. "What's a mission without a little danger?"

+++++

Dante had wondered how they would approach the fortress without being seen. Many of the creatures accompanying them were smaller than him, but the group was rather large.

The answer came as they left the beach – smooth sands transitioned into a rocky landscape that provided many hidden pathways for them to sneak along.

It made sense to Dante when he thought about it. He remembered learning about volcanic islands forming when lava cooled and solidified.

Throw the strange magic of this world into the mix, and you have a perfect recipe for this eerily beautiful landscape.

Before long, Dante soon realized that he was sweating. The heat was radiating from the rocks they were traveling over. He reasoned this wasn't unsurprising; it was a volcano.

The journey around the island wasn't uneventful by any means. They had to duck for cover several times as a patrol was seen coming their way. Those moments were always tense as they waited for the coast to clear.

And then there was a single terrifying moment as the ground beneath them gave a violent shutter.

Dante guessed what it was just as Garrus shouted, "Find cover!"

The boy was jerked off his feet as Skye pulled him and Kibou beneath an outcropping.

"Cover your ears," the griffin instructed, clamping his hands over his own.

Dante did as instructed, Kibou following suit.

Just as everyone found cover, the rumbling grew stronger until there was an explosion from overhead.

Dante jumped as the shockwave nearly knocked him off his feet, Skye extending a wing to steady him.

A moment later, from somewhere close by, there was a smaller explosion and crash as debris from the eruption crashed into the landscape.

Only after a full minute had Doncath deemed it safe enough for them to come out and continue.

It wasn't until another hour of walking that they finally reached the other side of the island.

On this side, the landscape took on a dramatically different appearance. It was still the same black stone as before, but instead of a smooth surface, it became more… agitated, which seemed to be the best word for what Dante saw.

It was like a raging river had been turned to stone instead of flowing lava.

Ahead of them was an odd stone configuration near the volcano's base. At first, Dante thought it was a pair of wings but soon realized he was looking at several massive waves.

As though reading his thoughts, Doncath spoke up next to him.

"A little more than two hundred years ago, this island underwent a volcanic eruption the likes of which had never been seen before. There were very few inhabitants at the time, but they might not have made it if not for the quick actions of Imperius."

Dante blinked and looked up at the bear. "Imperius is two hundred years old?"

Doncath shrugged. "Much older than that. It isn't uncommon for powerful creatures to live much longer lives."

Nodding in understanding, Dante looked back up at the formations – he could imagine great torrents of lava being blown away before forever freezing in place. "And he did all this?"

"Indeed, Imperius is quite the force to reckon with. We thought nothing would ever be able to sway him."

Doncath looked down at the ground. "Which is what made his betrayal all that more unthinkable."

The fortress came into view. It was nestled right in the middle of the rock formations, protecting it from any projectiles the volcano might spew.

Out of everything Dante had envisioned, he hadn't expected the place to look so… cheerful.

Given the fortress' location, he had thought it might be made from the same dark stone that made up the island – that, along with some impressive facade designed to give the place an intimidating look.

Instead, he was treated to what could have been an Arabian palace.

White marble sparkled in the morning light while red and yellow flags and banners fluttered gently. Each tower was topped with a giant crystal that blazed with an orange glow.

On the whole, the place looked more inviting than anything.

"The plan is to sneak around the perimeter," Doncath reminded them, he and the others keeping low to the ground. "The rear entrance won't be as heavily guarded as the front. Once inside, we quietly make our way down into the dungeons and free the prisoners."

"From there," Garrus continued, "we slowly spread out, keeping quiet and incapacitating any guards we come across. If we can prevent an alarm from going up, then we should easily be able to take the fortress."

Skye looked down at the staff in his hands. "Hopefully, we aren't too late for Prospero. We will need his help to deal with Imperius."

Dante silently agreed with him. After everything he had heard about the ruler of the Cross Channel Archipelago and witnessed the results of some of his actions, he wasn't looking forward to facing him.

He looked down at Tenzin on his wrist, feeling the tether's familiar weight. It made him think of what he had been able to do in the last few days when, not long before, he had been scared to talk to a girl he liked.

Could he really stand a chance?

Dante sighed. Ready or not, he was doing this.

---

Another shorter chapter, primarily focusing on getting to the island... which, by the time I got to this chapter, I only then realized I had inadvertently changed the name a few times XD

That aside, the only thing I can think of - as far as things to work on - is that I might have made the journey across to the fortress too easy... this is a volcano after all XD Let me know what you think.

Read and Enjoy ^_^

~Aaron