Chapter 6 - Rallying Jamaa’s Greatest

It’s been quite a while since the Alphas have made any significant moves against the Phantoms. That’s mainly because, for the most part, the Phantoms have also not made any advancements themselves. At least not beyond the usual October hijinks, and their attack on the Hidden Hollow. However, the Phantoms have devised a new grand scheme, and now they’re ready to put it into action.

Our heroes enter a small village, where they find Graham. He hurriedly informs them that phantoms have been trying to break through the defenses at the base of Hidden Falls. He is working on a new invention to stop phantoms- but he needs a letter delivered to the soldiers' camp stationed near the ongoing attack. Before the hero sets out, Graham warns them to be careful, then returns to work on his new invention.

As the hero begins towards the camp, they notice their surroundings are different than usual. The terrain is rough, with high cliffs and deep pits. They jump along the branches of tall trees that accompany uneven paths, eventually coming to the locked entrance of the Wandering Caves. They snag the key from a Phantom and make their way inside. Sure enough, the caves live up to their name, and they begin to make their way down the tunnels and cliffs.

At one point, the hero runs into a wolf who alerts them to a heavy rumbling coming from the other side of the door. They carefully open it, and find giant Heavy Phantoms that are smashing craters in the cave floor. Being quick to dodge underneath them before the giant phantoms fall again, they quickly navigate to the exit.

Although the adventurer is outside for a while, dodging a few flaming falling Phantoms, they quickly find themselves in another cavern. This cave is very complex, being littered with different colored crystal platforms. However, some of the crystals are almost ghost-like in nature, and can’t be stood on. Nearby is a different type of large crystal that changes color when touched. It only takes them a moment to realize that the color of the big host crystal dictates what color crystals they can jump on. They quickly navigate the puzzle from there, leading them to the exit.

Entering the soldier's camp at last, the tiger troops all redirect the messenger further, telling them that they must speak with the General. At the heart of the camp, the general reveals themselves, being none other than the great Sir Gilbert!

The tiger Alpha is impressed by the hero’s work, saying that his scouts noticed how they made it through the caves all on their own. His positive attitude quickly changes upon reading the letter, apparently containing bad news. While not giving away the exact contents of the message, he says the phantoms are planning something big, and they need to prepare. Sir Gilbert decides he’s going to train the hero to be an unbeatable warrior, so he sends them off to rest before training begins.

The Front Lines - Adventure 13 - September 2016

WIP by Libby