Chapter 62: The Shattered Peaks
The world snapped back into place with a jolt that made Ryan’s teeth click together. One moment they were in the calm, safe plaza of Outpost #7, and the next, they were standing on a jagged slab of rock floating in an endless, pale blue sky.
The air was thin and cold, and it tasted like a storm was coming. All around them, other giant islands of rock drifted slowly, like lazy, sleeping giants. Some were close enough to jump to if you were feeling brave. Others were miles away, tiny specks in the distance.
Every few minutes, a geyser of purple or green energy would shoot up from the misty void below, lighting up the clouds with weird colors.
Chris "Boulder" Magnus stumbled a bit, shaking his head. "Whoa. That teleport ride is worse than my aunt’s cooking."
Jennifer "Quake" Lee put a hand on his arm to steady him. Her eyes were closed, and she had a focused look on her face. "Be careful, everyone. This whole island feels... fragile. Like walking on a giant, stale cracker."
Far off in the distance, a shadow passed over them. It was huge, big enough to be a mountain with wings. Ryan squinted, trying to see it.
The outline was that of a massive, bird-like creature. It was one of the "Sky Titans" the Warden’s file had mentioned. These were the local residents, and they probably didn’t like visitors.
"Well," Ryan said, letting out a low whistle. "This place is definitely not on the tourist brochure."
A few hundred yards away, on another floating rock, another flash of light appeared. Tom Kane and his Crimson Banner squad arrived. They looked like they had been born ready for this. All five of them wore matching dark red and grey combat gear.
They didn’t stumble or look around in wonder. They immediately formed a defensive circle, weapons ready, moving like a single, well-oiled machine. They looked professional. They looked dangerous.
Ryan’s team, on the other hand, looked like a mismatched group of adventurers who had met in a tavern five minutes ago. Chris was built like a refrigerator and carried a huge shield.