Torgonda’s Pass & the Cloud Ruins

Once upon a time in the land of Atheria, there was a Princess Nea and a Princess Lulu and they went on the most amazing adventures. They found themselves with Prince Paul, O’Lah and Princess Aria hiding in a small cave after obtaining a magic chime from a famous giant named Rakta that would allow them to enter the enchanted Cloud Ruins.

As the party left cave and prepared for the journey to the Cloud Ruins, they had no idea what they were in store for. Following the map that Prince Clef gave O’Lah, they stood before a large daunting mountain, Mt. Torgonda.  

“Have you ever seen a mountain that tall?” Asked Princess Lulu.

The rest of the party just shook their heads and continued marching towards the mountain. What they did notice, from even that far away, was there atop the mountain was a structure, presumably the Cloud Ruins, for which Paul and O’Lah needed to reach. 

It was a rough day filled with much climbing, even on soft fluffy ground, it was hard - a bit like hiking in sand. The team had to take a few breaks as they made their way up the mountain to catch their breath and make sure they were still on the right track. 

It was at one break that the team began to get discouraged, for they had come to a very large cliff that they were not going to be able to climb up. Although Princess Aria could easily fly up there was no way to get the others up. 

“There has to be another way around this cliff!” Princess Nea said. 

“But look at it,” Prince Paul said, “It’s straight up! We have nowhere to go!”

“I’ll take a quick look,” Aria offered, then using her wings flew up the mountain side.

That’s when they heard it. A large whooshing noise, flapping faintly at first in the distance, then getting closer and closer. [Wings flapping noise.] It was a dragon, and not just any dragon, Scorch the Protector! And there was someone on his back. It was the Shadow Man, holding tight and signaling to the adventures to make space on their landing for them.

“What are you doing here?!” asked Princess Nea.

“I got word that Prince Paul and O’Lah were heading towards the Cloud Ruins and had a feeling you would need assistance to make it up Torgonda’s Pass.”

“Torgonda Pass?” asked Prince Paul.

“Yes, why you are in wingiant territory and this is Torgonda Mountain.” For a split second, The Shadow Man paused in thought then shook his head. “If we hope to go further, the Cloud Ruins has been enchanted by Rakta. We’ll need his chime to pass.”

To that Prince Paul pulled out the chime and showed The Shadow Man. 

“It looks like you adventurers are quick studies.” 

By now Aria had flown down from above the cliff and upon seeing The Shadow Man, she courtesied.

“Why Simon, son of Aylon, it is a pleasure to see you again.”

“Princess Aria of New Halowisp, the pleasure is mine.” He said, bowing down.

“It looks like I have arrived at just the right time in your adventuring. You have the chime, you have made it half way up the mountain, shall Scorch and I escort you to the ruins?”

They all mounted Scorch and ascended up the mountain. As they flew they noticed a bunch of stirring at the base of the mountain. From the top of the mountain it looked like ants scurrying about every which way. It wasn’t until they focused a little more that they realized they were wingiants and they were using their wings to fly up the mountainside!

They had realized the chime was missing and seen Scorch flying across the sky. 

“Oh no!” exclaimed Aria, “We must hurry!”

During the entire flight, The Shadow Man seemed un-phased and unconcerned with the wingiants flying up the mountain behind them. 

When they landed just outside the Cloud Ruins, they could just barely see a translucent bubble around the Ruins. 

“That must be Rakta’s enchantment!” exclaimed Princess Aria.

Paul quickly pulled out the magic chime and ran his fingers across it. 

They waited, as nothing happened. 

“Didn’t you learn the chord!?” asked The Shadow Man.

Paul shook his head. “Can you teach me?”

“Yes, you must run your fingers across it, like so.”

As he did, the translucent shield began to fade until it was fully disappeared. The moment it disappeared, the adventurers ran up the stairs of the temple, listening to the swarm of wingiants closing in. They ran up the stairs of the ruins and hardly noticed that the Shadow Man stayed behind with Scorch a little confused. 

“Lulu, do you have the flute?” asked Nea. “We need to be ready!”

“Yes, I uh ...” and Princess Lulu’s eyes got wide.

“Lulu! Where’s the the flute!!” 

“I had it when we left the cave this morning. Maybe it fell out during the climb!” 

“Paul and I must find the water symbol!” O’Lah said, running alongside Paul.

“Go! We’re right behind you!”

The two princesses hustled behind trying to rifle through their bags to find the flute. 

When all five of them got inside the ruins, O’Lah and Paul noticed that there was a spot on the ground with a symbol but standing on it, like they did for the Ocean Ruins didn’t have the same effect. And that’s when they heard it, coming from the back of the ruins.

“Waaaga Looga Baaaga!” 

“It’s Rakta!” yelled Princess Aria.

“Can you guys use your water power on the wingiants?” 

“We can try!”

They both stood still, facing the back of the temple, palms extended. Paul with the blue crystal and O’Lah with her purple crystal. 

Yet nothing was happening. And Rakta’s footsteps were getting closer. [Thumping sound.]

Then, from behind them came the sound of the magic flute. Lulu had found it and was playing the magic tune she learned from Jacob in the frost caves. 

[Calming Tune]

And large thump was heard behind the walls.

“That was close!” 

Now, with the threat of giants behind them, the adventurers looked around the ruins for a way to use the crystals. What they noticed was that the tile in the center of the ruins was different, it had a different symbol on it, a wind symbol. 

Out of nowhere O’Lah heard a whizzing noise fly past her ear and buzzed around one of the walls. It was a noise she recognized from before. It was an invisible fairy. 

“Not you again.” She complained.

But this time, she was better prepared. While in Rakta’s cave, O’Lah had taken something else that was magic. She had grabbed the Titan Mask and quickly put it over her face, allowing her to see invisible fairies and other magical things. This was interesting because the mask itself was the size of a giant’s face, which you can imagine, is much bigger than a human’s or an ogre’s face. But when O’Lah put on this mask, it started to shrink to the size of her own face. 

O’Lah had never seen a fairy before and it was amazing. When she put the mask over her face she noticed that the small fairy left trail of yellow sparkles as it flew around. 

“The Titan Mask. You are a clever ogre, aren’t you.” And the fairy danced along side the wall next to a small panel. “Give me a chance, ogre. I think this is what you are looking for? The Aquarian Crystal Symbol. Quick, bring your crystals over here!” 

That’s when O’Lah and Prince Paul saw it. There on the side of the wall of the ruins was a panel, one with a similar design as the Ocean Ruins. It was in the shape of water. 

“Your hands,” beckoned the fairy. “You both must place your hands on this panel.”

When they did, just as in the Ocean Ruins, a large burst of blue and purple light shot out from the two keepers. However, instead of shooting straight up to the sky, it wrapped around the room like a tornado. It circled around the temple and then flew out the ceiling, leaving the temple feeling fresh and full of life.

When the light subsided, the adventurers all smiled and celebrated, for they had helped Prince Paul and O’Lah find the Cloud Ruins and continued to help save Atheria. 

What they had yet to learn was who was this fairy and how did he know about the crystals. But that is for another story. 

The end.