The Amazon night is aglow with such beauty bestowed to only the few that can appreciate its soul The nocturnal crickets chirp to alert a mate so they may inherit a place in the jungles grace A rare harpy eagle cuddles up with her chicks for the night who nary a peep now that they are fast asleep Dreaming of prey they may yet catch for another day But within the hidden Amazon city an unbidden disturbance does grow for an alarm bell has been sounded and echoes off the walls Escaped prisoners have run amock so now the ensuing noise wakes everyone up

Lyn, already wide awake her intuition too strong perhaps called an empath by some it did make her know something bestow on Amazon chateau rows was opposed to the peace that regularly takes a seat within their replete native seat
She rouses Rip from the slumber he is already deeply under After a yawn and a stretch to his massive haunch he is ready to launch Her staunch saber cat is always at Lyn's side ever ready to abide her wishes as she leans down and kisses his head Then a scratch betwixt his ears a mighty "purrrr" then rears The bond between these two are one akin to mother and son and will never be undone

A royal guard throws open her chamber door and exclaims "Escaped prisoners are at large!" "My Queen follow me to the library!"

Lyn: "Perhaps you should knock next time you are shocked by escaped prisoners run amock?"

Guard: "Sorry my Queen to impede."

Lyn: "We were already up but follow you I will not Rip and I will take the express way." and just like that the two flew out the window vaulting down one hundred foot drop as if it were naught

The earth does quake neath their feet as they touch down the ground attempts rebound from the weight but shakes from the titanous break A thunderclap resounds from this massive gash in the street Then in a flash they dash towards the archives to derive insight from anyone who had might have seen the uninvited blight cast on them this night

They show up to spy Mage May being carried with an assist from General Liz and her brigade Her head still bloodied crimson red she immediately says "Thank the Gods you are here!" "Cyn is back she took to immediate attack holding nothing back." "She had a map to find the dragon's eye." "Hex and Min are lending an assist but... there is something more I must insist caution." "Hex landed hands on her book of enchant and implanted a spirit to steer them in the right way." "A horrid-looking thing a black mist appeared just out of flame." "It screamed an insane tone but to behold its glowing red eyes I can't deny it did incite fear dealt from within the like of which I've never felt I won't be fit to sleep without nightmares in repeat for at least a week."

Lyn: "Those three always made trouble for Ivy now it's on me to see they are promptly returned home to reap what they have sown." "Which way did they go?"

May: "To the East replete with demonic guide at Hex's side."

Liz: "We can handle it my Queen no need to intervene."

Lyn: "Think of it as more of an assist with this tryst." "We can travel far faster than your best could ever attest."

Lyn promptly goes inside to eye the mess the trio left She grabs the strap used to gag May and has Rip sniff away "Do you have the scent?" Rip then gives her a nod showing this beast is obviously smarter than one would think

They then make haste to fill in the lead our evil trio already have preceded Speeding away into the night with General Liz's brigade trailing far behind

Their dance through the trees could be perceived as grace for there was never a misplaced step each one lept with intent to maximize speed No obstacle could impede their progress

At Lyn's height of fourteen-foot three and a six-foot Saber Cat catching up from behind to make haste with nary a branch disturbed it could possibly be defined as poetry refined into an act But in fact, there was never a combined force like them before Ancient prophecy come to life to unite the Amazon tribe So they were both at one with the jungle that birthed them So even with the evil trio's satanic lead Lyn and Rip were shortly closing in to impede

Hours past and the morning sun rose to cast its rays directly into their faces Its beams interlaced between the giant kapok trees leaves setting the forest floor aglow with the God's light show A feast for the eyes for whoever was lucky enough to spy such beauty
Rip's nostrils now widely flared to take in more air the scent getting stronger with each giant leap through the trees closing in on the jewels keep

Suddenly, Lyn's intuition kicked in that's when she knew the two were getting close Then a dose of forewarn alarmed her to it's exist their demon seed's evil part she could feel it's dark in her heart She knew it didn't belong in this world and would cast it back the first chance she had

On the horizon, she could see barely through the trees the top of a temple did impede through the leaves As they proceeded It was ancient and rough Perched high on a brae next to a cliff it's gruff display made certain they knew it was bide from a distant ancient tribe

Just then the evil trio came into view Hex was being guided by her demon brood to press a protruding stone in the doors molding
A hefty stone gate began to make way letting the three recede into the temple of the ancients conceive while their demon took immediate flight at their uninvited sight
When it saw Lyn it did immediately aggress as they pressed down on temple ground
Lyn drew her bow and shot an arrow straight through the entity which ceased in a tree leaving them perceiving this black mist's takedown was beyond even the Amazon crown
It continued to attack so Rip jumped in for a sack to intercept its flack But, to all's surprise as it touched his crystalline teeth they tore straight through this illicit beast
He actually held it in his mouth as it struggled to get out Chomp after chomp made it regret its haunt but now it was stuck in his jaws getting sawed in half too soon to sign its epitaph It knew it couldn't win so it faded away into flame from whence it came leaving Lyn to play on a more level game

The evil trio having seen their ace take second place facing Rip zipped into the entryway to fight another day
Hex then concocted a spell to lock them out An explosive charge was discharged from her arms to make the ceiling cave-in much to Lyn's chagrin

She lept towards the falling rocks but it was all for naught Our trio got away behind the rubble this day but Lyn would not let them win for she knew what lied within The dragon's eye and she couldn't abide the thought of allowing such power to ones of such vile dour reside within her abide

She grabbed the crown off her head and said
"Rip, take a sniff if you wish of the jewel that sits at the top but I caution you a lot it will burn your skin if you come too close within range to touch."

Rip hesitates then relates he is game and takes a sniff of the shard that would surely char his nose if at most he came too close As he inhales she stands and the sheer scale of the temple comes into Lyn's view It must have been initially skewed cause she realizes they are at the very top of a structure so large most of it seems to be buried underground

Rip then gives her hand a nudge to divulge he's got the scent and gestures down to relent they will have to repel down the side of a temple so high to see the ground next to its bounds would take an eagles eye to spy its roots are deep at least twenty floors seated in the jewels keep

Lyn grabs some vines and intertwines their lines to define a rope for them to scale the slope hopefully to elope with the evil three that forced them to retrieve this alternative course of impede

Rip jumps onto her back and goes slack as she lowers herself down she briefly implies that he may have to go on a diet as she bears her massive pack "While kitten no more I may implore you to engorge of more of the greens on the forests' floor."

Slowly they lower themselves down floor after floor then Rip implores her to stop by flopping to the right Lyn looks to the side and almost out of sight is a crevice packed with wattle As if a recent repair was made to impair entrance into the jewels lair She pulled back with her mighty fist to impact it time after time soon they kissed its resist away nothing would stop them this day There was just barely enough room for them to crawl in and they hauled their massive girth against the broken earth

The darkness engulfed their ability of sight no sign of light but then a glow was bestowed on our duo The shard in the crown now coming home began to glow a wide light green beam allowing them to make out from the gleam a scene of an ancient hall far older than any landmark known back at home

As they rose to their feet they were greeted with immense heat it wafted in their faces Traces of cinders in the air making this place seem a fit for others of more grit Seeing this smoky haze hit their gaze made tears come to their eyes They were forced to crouch as they walked shocked that one could withstand such heat lest they were replete with internal air conditioning

They made their way down the hall less enthralled by the heat they could see on the walls primeval carvings of snakes making enormous shapes as if they were real in some far distant time Surreal to the eye to spy such intricate hand-carved designs About four-hundred yards down they could hear a noise but it wasn't words that were heard in the air if you dare it seemed to be hissing Guiding their way to a balcony they peered over the side and gazed to their amaze a lizard species known as the Vril

They were monstrous humanoid beasts Some would say they were alien to the earthly seat Chameleon-like to spy with slotted eyes All sorts of colors and sizes Far more ancient than Amazon or human combined able to withstand immense heat from the temple's volcanic secrete Scaled from head to toe and very muscular to behold Lyn felt if she went toe to toe with what she did behold They might give her a good fight so it would be best to stay out of their sight

Her and Rip slipped to the side and let them abide their ways They planned to stay hidden away from an affray within the Vrill's sway As they made way down into the depths of the structure of the lizard's culture When all of a sudden, she saw a familiar sight Min was in a cage staged to fight with all her might She expelled a loud yell telling them to let her out

Min: "Vile beasts, I will see you bleed at my feet if you continue to incarcerate me!" "I demand you let me out now or I avow no mercy to thou!"

The sight of Min's plight brings a smirk to Lyn's face replacing her normal braced solemn line that is her usual define. They make not a peep but rather leap behind a serpents statue outline to mind they aren't seen by Min's captors the Vril guardian raptors

They discreetly follow them down the serpents hallowed halls making discrete footfalls being careful not to call attention to their presence All the while Min relentlessly shakes her cage in a rage They go deep into the temple's keep sweeping down tunnel after tunnel until they funnel out into a grand room filled with looming doom and spied an enormous dragons head inset with the ire of their desires the dragon's eye

Its room was a beautifully carved enlarged serpent's body surround walls replete with barely a floor just stone blocks woven in sitting atop open molten lava pits It filled every available crevice and void destroying any who couldn't avoid a misplaced step Thus preventing quick intercept of the jewel from anyone making a run to don the eye for their own desires

Now, the jewels ire was greater than the desire to once again become whole For known to none this sentient stone wanted to once again become one Its independent mind wasn't blind it knew one of its released pieces was coming near So it derived a plan that can return it's yearn and sat silently in wait for fate to favor it's savour

A huge white Vril with wings of a bat sat in a throne and showed the guards in to place Min next to her kin Hex and Cyn already in their incarceration cage both shouting with rage The white Vrill spoke in a droned tone as if speech was a reach and not a normal thing for this being

"Well, well, well, I see our upper world neighbors dare to enter our chambers." "You all can call me Vrax" "Leader of the Vril." "and that includes you too Lyn."

Lyn was aghast how did he know where she was stashed

Vrax: "I advise you to not be surprised about my powers of mind." "But we Vril have skills only a very few are inclined to find fine without maligned intent at our expense." "Some call it telepathy but generally we need not speak at least in our own company." "Lyn, I knew you were here the second you came near." "But, surprisingly your mind is already very aligned with our kind." "You feel it too for the blood that floods your veins was retained from your line." "I bet you also have your mother's incline to touch the dragon's eye."

Lyn comes out of her hiding place to show face Smirk now replaced by solemn line She does not trust this guardian of the eye

Lyn: "What is your intent with the three you caged they belong to me and my kin to repent for their sins."

Vrax: "What!" "No formal greeting when first meeting the leader of the Vril?"

Lyn: "I hold no grievance but my allegiance is to my kind." "Please relay your plans understand I want them transferred to me for their crimes."

Vrax: "Ha ha ha!" "Just like your mother when I discovered her entry past my sentries years ago."

Lyn: "How did you discover my mother?"

Vrax: "She made an illegal entry, snuck past all my sentries, and attempted to steal the eye despite my outcry." "Ivy was the only one I've seen with bloodline so clean to touch the eye with nary an outcry which is why I let her go borrow a piece because it was foretold written in the fire scrolls."

Lyn then stepped in closer into the room and then the eye began to come alive It recognized its missing piece was in her crown and had intent to bring her down It still held hate as of late for Ivy's cracking it's intact it wanted to exact revenge So it reacted by scanning the room for one that could mean Lyn's undone

It detected Saber Cat DNA still inlaid into Cyn's scarred face. It was the perfect place to combine a creature undefined only conceived in the jewels mind It shot a beam of green light into Cyn which started to mutate her from within She started to scream and writhe in pain as the eye had its way

Cyn: "Help Me!" "Ahhhhhrrrrrggh!"

Hair started to grow everywhere and was bestow the emerald markings of Rip's kind now to define every inch of Cyn's once barren skin Her head was now inset with the fangs of a Saber Cat that sat within what became a snout as it painfully sprouted out of her mouth While she continued to shout for help Her ears now extended to a hairy tuff making her look quite rough and as if that wasn't enough her nails grew to became razor-sharp endowed with a gemstone glow these would show defeat to any Amazon who dared compete against this mutated brood of the eye's interlude

Just then an enormous blast as the eye pushed down on the gas everyone was thrown back from its cast She grew to be as big as Lyn Cyn's power was redefined as she ripped open the steel bars as if made from twine she then spoke with a deadly evoke "You can call me Poicyn." "The bane of any that entertain my defeat."

She then lunged at Lyn but Vrax stepped in to not bring disgrace on his place in the Vril race by keeping his prisoner in place

Vrax: "Back into your cage you are detained until your arraign in the Vril domain!"

Vrax intercepted Poicyn's assault midair but I dare he was unprepared for the flak from her crazied attack Her claws tore through his thick lizard skin as if made from paraffin leaving him quite wounded While he laid there heavily bleeding on his back from the attack his life force slowly receding he unsheathed a sword that was hidden neath his wings He threw it to Lyn It rung loudly in the air as it was shared as if skimming the rim of a half-filled crystal glass

It landed in Lyn's hand to assist in Poicyn's tryst that she forcibly enlisted them both into The sword was a perfect fit for Lyn's grip Its hilt was beautifully ornate with gems cast into its gold plate It's blade seemed to escape any relate Covered in a rainbow tone it seemed to come alive as she attempted to derive it's make

Poicyn jumped into place in Lyn's face and immediately took a swipe with her dagger-like nails to fulfill the threat she was first set on from becoming the dragon eye's beget But to her dismay Lyn fought back and placed the newly acquired blade in her way When her claws each hit they were immediately split into two as if they were crudely hewn from paper tissue
Green blood gushed from her fingertips Lyn was aghast at this sight but amazed how easy the sword made this fight As she tended to her wounds Lyn concluded the Dragons Eye's might must have changed Cyn from the inside out

Just then from their back, a giant fire blast was cast down the entrance hall from an explosive fireball There was no denying the entire Amazonian brigade was on its way and would shortly raid the hall bringing an end to Poicyn's maul She lept to the ceiling and as she looked back Cyn's maniacal smirk was seen placed on Poicyn's newly formed face Letting Lyn know there is still at least an Amazonian within this beast
She crawled into an air vent and let herself out waiting to bout another day she could easier slay Lyn without her an entire brigade in her way

Lyn jumps to Vrax's side to see if he is still alive He now barely takes breath and his death is nigh from his wounds all awry But he makes an attempt to speak before his final sleep

Vrax: "The sword you unfurled is not from this world."....."It is from our home Orion."....."The ions in the blade vibrate at such a high rate they negate any touch from so much as an atom."..... "They phase straight through when hewn." "Very few on Earth's land can withstand this power in your hand."....."The ancients feared this blade and named it Vizcere."....."This is what your mother used to divide the dragon's eye."....."Unbeknownst from me she borrowed it to heed the prophecy to lead."....."She was a clever one and gave me quite a run when I discovered what she had done."....."But now I see my telepathy was right when I scanned her mind."....."She was to give birth to you, the chosen one."........

Just like that the mighty Vrax relaxed exhaling his final breath Tears fall from Lyn's face as they drip down instantly seering onto Vizcere's blade Smoke from the baroque sword wafts into her now sorrowed face

A commotion is heard as Amazons stir into the room all armor-clad with shields in hand just too late to negate the take of a life that would have been much needed for further insight into the dragon's eye

Lyn: "Vrax, your loss will not be for naught I will record your heroic deed in our scrolls to embold others to know the good of your soul."

General Liz: "Sorry for the lateness with our assist what did we miss?"

Lyn: "Cyn was mutated into an evil beast then released herself by breaking out." "She killed Vrax with her attack and attempted to whack me but, setback by Vizcere's knack."

Liz: "What?"

Lyn: "I will explain more when we make course back." "I need to warn Jack they may make take crack on his life to suffice the eye."
© Peter Gunn