The Goose's engines hummed softly as it rolled through the dense forest, leaving behind the chaos of their last escape. The road had begun to open up, the terrain becoming flatter, but something was off.
"Are we sure we're going in the right direction?" Tessa asked, eyeing the misty horizon warily.
Kiri, now holding the Waypoint Core in her hands, frowned at the map displayed on G.A.I.L.'s dashboard. The map flickered, indicating a pinpoint of light on the edge of the forest.
"I think we're close," Kiri murmured. "This is where the map leads us. There should be an old city ahead. But I can't quite place it..."
"Old city?" Kai asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Like an ancient, ruined, 'we're probably walking into a trap' kind of old city?"
"Definitely," Kiri said with a grim smile. "But the energy coming from the area matches the signature of the founder-tech we've been seeing. I believe it's connected to the Waypoints."
"I don't like where this is going," Tessa said, tightening her grip on her bow.
"Oh, come on," Kai grinned. "How bad can it be? It's probably just a few ancient ghosts, haunted tech, maybe some giant monsters..."
Before he could finish, the trees began to thin, revealing a city skyline — crumbling spires, half-buried walls, and cracked streets. The architecture was alien, unlike anything from their world, with towering structures of smooth, translucent stone and shimmering panels that were faintly glowing.
"Okay," Kai said, his voice a little more cautious. "That's... impressive."
Arrival in the Forgotten City:
The Goose rolled through the entrance, a massive archway of forgotten stone adorned with glowing runes. As they drove deeper into the city, it became clear that it was abandoned — and eerily silent. No birds, no insects, no signs of life.
They came to a stop in a large, open square surrounded by broken statues of strange figures — humanoid, but with features that were more angular, more mechanical than human.
"Well, this looks like a place that should definitely have an off switch," Tessa muttered.
"Let's not touch anything," Kiri added, cautiously stepping out of the Goose. "Everything here feels... dormant, but that doesn't mean it's safe."
Kai, of course, was already wandering over to the nearest glowing panel.
"What's the worst that could happen?" he said, grinning as he pressed a button on the panel. "Maybe it's a secret elevator or—"
The ground shuddered. A low rumble vibrated through the city.
"Kai," Tessa said flatly, "we're going to die, aren't we?"
Before anyone could answer, a low hum filled the air. The ground cracked open, revealing a massive underground structure, its doors slowly lifting open with a mechanical groan.
The city was alive again.
The Forgotten Vault:
The Goose rolled slowly into the newly revealed chamber — a vast underground vault that stretched deep into the earth. The walls were lined with arcane machinery, half-functional and flickering with old energy. But what caught their attention was the giant holographic map in the center of the room, projecting a glowing grid of the entire world.
"This is... what the Founders left behind," Kiri whispered, eyes wide. "A Waypoint relay station... and more."
The map showed multiple Waypoints, but one stood out — a huge, pulsing point in the center of the world, beyond any known land.
"That's the source of the Founder magic," Kiri murmured. "The Core that controls the entire system. If we want to stop the black-cloaks, we need to find it."
Before anyone could react, the hologram flickered. The sound of clicking, metallic steps echoed in the chamber.
"Not again," Tessa groaned.
Figures emerged from the shadows — machines, humanoid in shape, but their movements were jerky, like they were trying to wake up after centuries of disuse.
"Are those... robots?" Kai asked, eyeing them warily.
"Not robots," Kiri said sharply. "These are Forgotten Guardians — automated protectors left behind to defend the Waypoint systems. They are not friendly."
The Guardians stepped forward, their weapons charged and crackling with energy.
"Oh, fantastic," Kai said, leaning back. "Okay, G.A.I.L., what do we do here?"
"Deploying evasive maneuvers," G.A.I.L. replied coolly.
Suddenly, the Goose shifted into combat mode, its turrets automatically deploying as the engines roared to life.
"We're outnumbered, but we have an advantage," Kiri said, gripping her staff. "We need to disable the central control panel in the chamber and override the Guardians' protocols."
"Leave it to me," Kai said with a wicked grin.
The Battle:
The Guardians advanced, their glowing blades and energy cannons ready to strike. Tessa quickly took cover behind the Goose's reinforced body, loosing arrows with precision. Each shot disabled a Guardian's weapon, but they were relentless.
Kai jumped onto the turret controls, unleashing a hail of fire. The Goose's automated defense system made quick work of the first wave, but more Guardians kept emerging from hidden alcoves, their numbers overwhelming.
"I need a distraction," Kiri shouted.
Kai grinned. "You got it!"
He revved the Goose's engines, driving it directly at the largest Guardian, blasting a shockwave from the back that knocked the mechanical monster off balance.
"Okay, let's do this!" Kai yelled, slamming another button on the dashboard.
A massive EMP pulse shot out from the Goose's rear, temporarily short-circuiting the remaining Guardians.
"Kiri, NOW!" Kai shouted.
With a fluid motion, Kiri teleported directly to the control panel, her staff glowing as she sliced through the energy shield protecting it. She slammed her hand onto the console, and the entire chamber hummed with energy.
The Guardians Shutdown:
One by one, the Guardians froze in place, their glowing eyes flickering out.
The room was silent once again, save for the low hum of the central console.
"That... was too close," Tessa said, wiping sweat from her brow.
Kiri, still breathing heavily, nodded. "But we got what we came for. The Guardians are offline. The Waypoint map is ours."
Kai leaned against the Goose, grinning. "Next stop: the Center of the World. If we can make it that far..."
Back in the City Square:
With the Guardians defeated and the vault now under their control, the team loaded up the Goose and began to leave the forgotten city. The roads ahead were still unknown, but the map on G.A.I.L.'s dashboard gave them hope.
A new waypoint had just opened up.
"Let's hit the road," Kai said, putting the Goose in gear.
The engines roared to life, and the Iron Goose sped off into the horizon, toward their next unknown adventure.