Week 38.5 – Coup

Previously: Ghost Dragon attacked the Cobalt Czar in a desperate bid to keep him busy while waiting for Metalord to return with the mask. Twain and Digger were trapped in the cave, pursued by the Czar, who seems intent on killing them all. And now…

Twain rushed to help Yi Fan, but the swirling ectoplasm reformed itself into the Ghost’s head once again. “Don’t touch me,” it said. “Go.”

Twain backed away as the Ghost scrambled to its feet. They retreated further into darkness, followed by the sounds of rocks being dug away on the other side of the stone barrier.

“This is your plan?” Twain asked as he turned on his flashlight. “Trap ourselves in the dark while we wait for the idiot who almost killed you last time to save us?”

“It may not sound like a good plan,” the Ghost said, “but I will not be the Czar’s servant for one more day.”

“You know, it’s rude to talk right in front of me like that when I can’t understand what you’re saying,” Digger said in English from ahead of them.

“Just shut up and go,” Twain said.

They descended further, and this time, the smells of must and mildew that Twain had barely noticed when he had been pursuing his destiny were much stronger. Everything smelled worse when you were trapped.

Behind and above them, the sounds of digging faded. “He must have broken through,” Yi Fan said. “Now it’s just a race.”

[blockquote type=”blockquote_quotes” align=”right”]Twain turned and saw the Cobalt Czar behind them, his skin taking on a glow from the radiance of the crystals like some sort of psychedelic black-light poster…[/blockquote]They picked up the pace, descending further into the dark, pursued by pounding footsteps like distant drums. The blue glow started to rise, and they emerged into the first chamber that bore the blue crystals. Even the Ghost seemed a little impressed. “What are these things?” he asked. “I feel…”

“Yi Fan!” came a roar from behind them. Twain turned and saw the Cobalt Czar behind them, his skin taking on a glow from the radiance of the crystals like some sort of psychedelic black-light poster.

“Get behind me,” said the Ghost, who stepped forward to do battle once again. His massive claw shot forward on an arm that stretched to twice its normal length..

“No,” the Czar said quietly and put forth his hand. Blue radiance shot out and engulfed the Ghost as Twain dove for cover on the ground.

Whatever the Ghost was–mental construct or animated spirit force from beyond the grave–it protected Yi Fan, at least for a moment. She screamed and fell to the ground as the spirit entity surrounding her dissolved away.

“No!” Twain shouted and rushed to her side. “What have you done?”

“What I should have done the first time we fought,” the Czar said. “I let my sentiment get the better of me, and this was the result. Now I’ll finish it.”

The Czar stretched forth his hand, and Digger shouted “Hey!”

Twain and the Czar turned to look at Digger, at the far end of the chamber. “You can waste time with them if you want,” Digger said, “but you should know that the savior of the world is in here with your precious crystals, coming up with a way to beat you.”

“Not if I kill you first!” the Czar snarled and stretched out his hand.

Can Digger survive the Czar’s wrath? Will Cole return in time? Don’t miss the next thrilling episode!

To read from the beginning, click here…