Vagi's Mission: Island of Cult Shrines

 

Saying nothing Vagi and her team went on to the next island. For the rest of the day and well into dusk they went on with their search. In total silence they landed on the third island. She had them make camp near the landing zone. Under the roof of a command tent they found and pitched Vagi’s team rested until dawn. She was the first to wake up and refuel the fire they made outside the tent. The rest of her team woke up to the sounds of waves, and a crackling fire. Making breakfast was not hard just getting the coffee right proved difficult.

            Vagi had the team leave it as it was. As one group they explored this next island with the large platform in their view. This island seemed spread out in the shape of a star. Not a five-pointed star, but a star mixed with a flower. Bush, foliage, and various trees covered it. Birds of man colors dotted the branches. Rodent looking mammals, small reptiles, and bugs roamed this island. At the ends of the island’s extensions they discovered shrine like structures. Darek took photographs of these shrines. A hand statue sitting on an island at the end of the one arm had signs of recent offerings. One the opposite end rested a menacing Dragon statue encircled by three small idols, six dragon masks, and sixteen draconic/ reptile skeletons. They also found a strange tree sculpture used as a shrine.

            It was dark by the time they returned to camp. Forced to resume exploration Vagi sent the fastest runners with the photographer. When they returned Vagi was ready to head for the rest of the islands. In their report another had statue was found surrounded by flowers and offerings. A pipe organ was found at the end of an arm on the north end. This puzzled them the most. What was a pipe organ doing all the way here. Whoever left it there left it to be used as a cult shrine. The last shrine was a giant mechanical spider currently worshipped by a small band of cultists.

            Leaving the island of shrines Vagi’s team witnessed the Junk ship dropping off 33 privateers who came with their own supplies. Going for the other four islands brought them awfully close by a mile. One of these islands had nothing on it except a few trees. She had them circle the island a few times. It took much of the day to reach one of them. In the dark of the night they made landfall and docked on land. Using her elf eyesight and flashlights they found a ship with no masts completely run aground. Eager to find shelter from the in coming rain the team slept inside the ship’s cabin.

            On the morning of the fifth day something woke them up. Before she saw what it was, her team smashed it. Eight members took turns smashing a strange mechanical spider. It lay at their feet in multiple pieces. Screws, cogs, wires, bent metal pieces, and strange liquid lay on the cabin floor. No one expected this thing to be here. Praying that was not a mechanical spider belonging to the six copulates vagi checked outside. Just outside the ship were two dire turtles (sea turtles) coming up to the beach.

            It appeared clear with no signs of hostiles. This island held a triangular shape. Cut in half by the jungle the land mass was still dwarfed by the thirty-story platform structure. Other platforms she could see appeared taller this one. Vagi jumped down on the sand. Her boots caused the shells to crunch under her feet. She had the pair of dire turtles in her view as she went towards the jungle. Two sets of rock formations sat against the forest jungle like entrances to some roads. As she pressed towards the rocks something caught her attention. Some weird lumpy shapes in the said drew her gaze. Thinking nothing of it she went on to her destination. All those lumps slowly moved towards her in the sand.

            Vagi stopped and glanced to find the shape gone. When she turned away if moved while she wasn’t looking. Glancing over her shoulder she saw them lumps moved in the sand. She grew suspicious and placed a hand on her gun. Vagi stopped in place just meters from the rock and stone formations. Her gaze transfixed on the formations when something wrapped around her leg. Grabbed y the leg Vagi drew her weapon to shoot what had nabbed her. Limbs grappled her arm making her drop the pistol. What grappled her were the tentacles of a monster-creature.

            “Kem the Intargos 11 has you now.” It said.

            Out of the sand more tentacles shot out to grapple her. All four limbs were wrapped up by tentacle arms. From the sands emerged a light grayish mutant with four heads. Vagi’s eyes stared at the smooth skinned mollusk mutant monster. Each head produced a long tongue or two that licked placed she did not want it near. Tongue and tentacles violated her a little as if getting the feel of her body. Vagi was certain this mutant would violate, rape, impregnate or eat her afterwards. Unable to move or shave herself she closed her eyes. As she waited her fate three draconic roars interrupted the mutant’s morning meal. From the flank a three headed drake attacked the mutant named Kem.

Each draconic head grabbed this Kem Intargos 11 by the throat of one head. Torso and limb. Kem released Vagi allowing her to drop on the sand. She made a run for the two portals while the pair of monsters fought. Both gates had purple whirlpools emerge in the rock formations. Passing these portals Vagi entered the jungle wall. Her heart raced in her chest pounding hard against her rib cage. Never had she seen such monsters before. It was no wonder the platforms seas remained untouched. Monsters, lunatics, and other dangers occupied this area of the world.

Vagi dealt with all sorts of scum, villains, crooks, bandits, robbers, brigands, rogues, thieves, psychopaths, creeps, drunkards, vandals, and rapists. She was able to keep herself together in the face of those threats. Vagi hoped to keep it together in the face of the inhabitants of the platform seas. While she took refuge in the jungle growling and fighting filled the air of the island. At sounded very ferocious as one strangled the attacker and the other tore them apart. Hoping the monsters tore each other apart Vagi peeked out of the jungle wall. The Kem Intargos 11 lay in pieces and ripped apart. Her three headed savior feasted on the carcass. Another monster crawled out of the jungle wall. A strange alligator, reptile monster 30 ft long that stood at five feet on its four limbs exited the jungle. Seeing another monster like that made her run to the other side of this island.

Vagi made it to the other side of this island. She found an abandoned Gantronese military tent, and a downed aircraft that crashed on the beach. Pitched against the jungles edge this cone spear shaped tent had a hole. Out of curiosity she checked the tent. Inside she found an egg that hatched a long time ago and remains of a Gantron pilot and scout. Realizing that reptilian monster was on board the crashed aircraft in egg form. It hatched then ate whoever transported it here. With the wine glass shaped platform in view she checked out the crashed aircraft. A total of five pilots and passengers could fit inside it.

“One of these pilots or Gantrons had that egg. Yes, but from where?” she questioned where the egg came from. Her mind kept pondering over that. Taking a good look at this aircraft she noticed it was larger than the standard Zeykos. Usually called Zeykos-or Z Ospreys this craft had another name Z4 prototype fighter or Z4PF. Reading the name of this one she noticed this larger N-0I Overlord Personal Air Carrier Fighter had two seats at the cockpit and three turrets. Two turrets on the wings, one on the rear and the guns on the front. This N-P0I had been here for some time, long enough for that egg to hatch and grow massive.

She turned around to find this strange reptile staring at her. Vagi let out a muffled scream as it scared her. None of its features said it was friendly. Expecting it to swallow her whole Vagi froze with fear. She did not move a single muscle. Her eyes looked into its gaze waiting to become its after meal dessert or snack. All it did was let out a belch that wreaked of fleshly eaten meat. The odor of dead carcasses wafted into her nostrils. Vagi nearly puked in her mouth as the reptile monster left her alone. Shocked, revolted, and awestruck by this encounter Vagi’s gaze followed it. Whatever species this reptilian monster was it entered the sea ignoring her existence. Behind her the team of Vestrisians burst through the jungle wall.

“Lieutenant Vagi are you alright?” Grayblade’s voice asked from behind her.

“Yes, I am alright, get back to the boat. We are close to the wine glass platform.” Vagi replied. She did not look at her team. Her own focus rested on the last island that almost touched the one holding the platform. On this side of the island they faced a stony shore covered in rocks. Wasting no time she returned to the abandoned ship and mounted the VUVR flag on it. The moment they set off their allies dropped off 37 privateers, and 10 Alagen troopers. Three Commanding Officers from three different nations arrived with ten more troops landed. She saw those other 13 came from a Ruhonthran tugboat they commandeered.