PNPC Lieutenant JG Wyla Avae - Twibble Quest: The Search For The Spine, Part V

[Serala]

And the Adventure continues....

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(( Ruins of the Replicator of Gen’tronic ))

Wyla couldn’t help but look up at the large and imposing, yet impressive structure around them. It was stone, but felt ancient and looked as though it had survived for millennia with, as far as she could tell, not as much deterioration as she would have expected from a structure as old as Nibble has made it out to be. 

The immense chamber was lined with dozens of alcoves along the left and right walls, the stonework had fine details carved into them and looked eerily beautiful. At the back of the chamber however sat an immense machine? It looked like a machine of metal and stone and crystal. That rose up over ten meters high and took up a twenty meter section of the floor. Sleek, if partially crumbled steps lead up to it. And there in the middle of the device, was a spine shaped piece of what Wyla could only say, looked like armor. 

Avae: Is…is that? ::She asked weakly from Twibbles back:: 

The troupe of twibbles approached it, though Ribble, Swibble, and Kwibble’s eyes were on those alcoves while they walked. 

Nibble: I believe it is! This arcane device is ancient, but should still be functional since that barrier is still working. 

Pwibble: What barrier?

He asked puzzled but Nibble smiled. 

Nibble: There’s a magical barrier protecting it. I can see it. Give me a moment and you should too. 

The twibble’s eyes glowed a moment as did her talisman and a few seconds later a glowing barrier shimmered into view. Wyla felt a tingle in her eyes. Nibble must have given them all the same sight she had. 

Kwibble: How do we get the artifact? 

They stepped up to the platform to inspect it for a moment, with Nibble in the lead. She studied the barrier for several long moments while the rest of the group waited. Her guardians took up positions around her and warily looked about the dark, ominous chamber. Only Wyla’s diminished light from her medallion offered any illumination beyond the barrier that shielded the artifact from them. 

Nibble: I think..if we touch these runes here in the right ord…oops.

The twibble touched one of them and the room began to rumble. 

Twibble: Oops? Niibble…what did you do?

The adorable twibble spun around and shook her head. 

Nibble: I didn’t touch any of the runes, I promise, there’s just this weird web…

She wiggled and minute, almost imperceptible strands of filament waved like cobwebs. That’s when the chittering started. 

Click, click clack. Tink, tink, tink tink tink tink. 

Like the sound of dozens of metal boots on stone echoed through the chamber and everyone seemed to realize the sound was coming from above them and all around them. 

Wyla slowly turned her head to the side and strained to glance back up at the ceiling while flattened to Twibble’s back. Eyes. Dozens of sharp, red eyes moved like a swarm down the walls. 

When the first came into view her heart and stomach both sank simultaneously. The eyes were multifaceted and sat atop the sleek, deadly body of an eight legged frame. 

Ribble & Swibble: Spiders. Why’d it have to be spiders!

A loud roar rumbled from Twibble, who sensed the fear in his subordinates. While Twibble hadn’t faced these foes before, he knew that several of those with him had. 

Twibble: Steaady yourselves. Protect Wylaa! 

The rally roar of the large lion bolstered the others who gripped their various weapons at the ready. Nibble wasted no time and hurled lightning, orbs of fire and rays of ice at the inbound arachnids. 

Sadly, the rest had to wait until the arachnids drew closer, which didn’t seem to take long as several just leapt from the walls and landed all around them with metallic clangs. Despite the height, none of the spiders seemed phased and Wyla squeaked in fright as several landed on top of Twibble. She batted at those she could reach while the others scrambled to defends themselves. 

Twibble raked his claws on those he could reach and flung them several meters away, for them to land with a clatter, only to flip themselves back right side up and chitter towards them again. 

Ribble: Ee gads, there beeth so many of them! 

Ribble exclaimed whilst he swung those climbing axes about violently, each swing cleaved through several of the metallic spiders that continued to fall from above them. 

Kwibble: I hate these spiders! 

Kwibble and Swibble swapped back and forth between groups of arachnids, their blades cut through them easily enough but made loud clangs. Two dervishes of twibble fury. Ribble caught one spider in mid air as it attempted to fall on him and he tore it in half. 

Pwibble used his anchor like a bat from a sport that sent many spiders into the air back whence they came with loud thuds and clangs. 

Libble patched some stings and scratches in Twibble’s hide, and swung her medkit backhanded to knock a spider off of the lion’s rear. 

Everyone fought so hard, Wyla felt somewhat useless. And there were so many, she wished that they had something to help keep the spiders at bay. Or had more help to get the artifact from the machine while they held them off. 

The light from her medallion flared and made everyone startle a moment when a sliver of light formed vertically in the air just at the base of the steps. It looked like a tear in the air, but shimmered with a blue light, a familiar blue light. 

Nibble: Someone’s teleporting in. 

She warned. 

Twibble: Greaat, what now?

The blue sliver disappeared with a pop and Wyla stared at a quartet of new figures. More Twibbles!!!

‘Ave no fear! The Artificers are ‘ere!’ 

Four twibbles emerged from the column of blue light before it faded. All in gold uniforms. All with toolkits on their sides, though the one that spoke had a beaten old thermos that hung opposite his toolkit. And he wielded a large cutting tool that sparked at the tip. 

The one next to him had a big smile and wielded a different tool as a weapon. 

Wibble: See! I told you I sensed they were in twibble! 

Then there were the two smaller twibbles standing beside one another. They had artificer devices on their heads and worn around their belts. Each was worn on the opposite side of the other one so while they stood beside each other, they looked symmetrical. 

Twipple: Oh that’s a lot 
Mibble:  of spiders but 
Twipple: d..don’t worry we’re
Mibble: here to help!

The older, scruffier looking twibble with the thermos stepped up and grinned. 

Dwibble: ‘lright lads. Take those spiders apart! While Wibble ‘an I get that shield down!

The quarter rushed into the fray, up the platform to help the others, who cheered with excitement and Wyla couldn’t help but grin a little at the cute new arrivals. The larger of the two immediately moved to study the runes on the machine. 

Several tense minutes passed, or so she felt, with their group fighting back the spiders. Which seemed fewer in number that descended from above. Maybe there was a limit to how many guardians this place had. She hoped. 

A loud whirr sounded and they looked back to see the barrier in front of the Spine fade. Which resulted in a chorus of cheers from the twibbles. 

Dwibble: Told ‘ya. Nothin’ that good ole ingenuity can’t fix! 

The machine whirred to life, the stone and metal all around them began to glow as light flowed out from the machine into the stone like LEDs in the stonework. It was beautiful. Then she felt it. A tug on her body and a moment later she looked behind her to see a long metallic limb that touched her back. The Spine of Paralysis Removal was held in a limb-like aperture that, once the shield was lowered, moved the spine out of the casing. She felt the metal against her back as the machine clamped the artifact to her back. 

Wyla gasped and heard the clicking sound of the metal from the spine shaped device as it spread around her. Like links, folding over one after the other to form a suit of armor around her entire body save for her face. It lifted her off Twibbles back and held her aloft in front of the machine. 

Nibble: The machine has chosen Wyla!!! 

Nibble exclaimed excitedly and for a moment, everyone seemed to be able to relax. 

Maybe her hopes had been warranted. She smiled at the twibbles below her, then convulsed. A sharp pain in her back made her cry out.  

Libble: Oh no, something’s wrong!! I think her body is fighting the artifact. 

An echo not heard since the first chamber they’d ventured into after the twibbles found her suddenly sounded around them. 

Showing signs of rejection and vitals are showing a slight drop but are still within normal parameters.

She felt her body grow colder and the light from her medallion dimmed significantly. 

Libble: Hang on Wyla. 

The alcoves all around them began to glow as her light dimmed and the rumbling of the machine grew louder. Each alcove brightened and a moment later a metallic skeleton, or another metallic spider emerged from every other alcove. A sense of dread fell over the group as they realized where the guardians had come from. 

Every twibble formed a ring around Wyla while she was held in the air just above them by the machine. Either she would blend with the artifact, or reject it. She only needed time. 

To be continued….? 

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Lieutenant JG Wyla Avae

Chief Nurse
Keeper of Twibbles

as unconsciously simmed by 

Lieutenant Commander Toryn Raga 

Second Officer/Chief Tactical & Security Officer

USS Astraeus NCC-70652

Astraeus Staff Member

Writer ID: A239410TR0

https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Toryn_Raga