Silvery moonlight shone down on the mysterious island, the waves frothing and swelling against its pebble-lined shore, curtains of white foam mantling the rugged sands like delicate lace. The trio of aircraft slowed in for a rough landing, banking hard towards the rocky shoreline, engines thrumming out a raucous chorus as they made contact.
With a clanking crunch of gears, Skywarp transformed mid-air and dropped to the ground in robot mode, rocks tearing away at the impact and rising into dust. His weaponry purred ominously as he glared around at his surroundings with blood-red optics, his fierce gaze darting between shadows as he scanned the area; the vibrant pink glow of spilled energon gleaming wherever it spattered his dark chassis, still leaking messily from his shredded neck cabling.
He heard Don Isaac and Thundercracker land somewhere behind him, the latter scuttling clumsily to the shoreline, almost somersaulting into the churning sea. He managed to catch himself just in time, averting disaster, but it was a very near thing.
Warp threw an uneasy look back over his shoulder, though tried to hide it with a teasing smirk when TC glanced his way. "Having some performance issues, TC?"
"Yeah, I am," groaned Thundercracker, sounding almost as wretched as he looked. His once magnificent blue wings hung limp and heavy from exhaustion, his remaining optic flicking up— struggling to make out the figure of Skywarp before him. "Thanks
so much for noticing."
Pedesteps crunching as he crossed the coarse sands, Skywarp lumbered over to his fellow 'Con and nudged him lightly with his shoulder, steering clear of his injured limb.
"Ain't so bad," he reassured, lifting the corners of his lip-plates to reveal a toothy grin. "Don't go sticking one servo in the scrapheap just yet, alright?"
Meanwhile, Don Isaac marched along the shore, striding with a rhythmical determination, surveying the terrain for danger. His gaze veered skyward and his eyes ran across the uneven sands of the beach; trees sparsely littered here and there, green and full, their widespread branches concealing much of what lay beyond the beach from view. All except...
"Look there!" he declared suddenly, his gaze locked on something just visible beyond the shoreline.
The pair of Cybertronians turned to look. Atop a distant, sloping hill, the lonely outline of a cottage cut an incongruous figure against the vast expanse of the moonlit ocean. Its chimney gushed thin streams of charcoal smoke that spiraled high into the night sky, the earthy scent of burning wood filling the air, but tinged with something darker— something unearthly.
Eager as ever to seek out glory, the three titans strode forward, climbing the craggy cliffside against a backdrop of crashing waves, the sound gradually fading as they put distance between themselves and the shore. It seemed that hours had passed- though perhaps it was only minutes in actuality- until finally they stood before the hut atop the hill.
Overlooking the entire island, the simple wooden shack stood tall and defiant against the wild terrain. Its rustic frame blended in well with the moss-covered rocks and treacherous cliffs surrounding it, a large, white-painted wooden cross planted in the dirt just behind its sloping roof.
Outside the hut was an old crone, hunched over her cauldron, her forest green skin illuminated by the fire blazing beneath its iron bulk. She stirred the steaming pot with a large wooden spoon, her movements slow and methodical, wisps of steam rising from the surface of the dark, bubbling liquid.
Sensing their approach, the woman halted her stirring and looked up, her visage weathered by the sun and lined with age. Her hair was a patchwork of weaves, adorned with crystals and floral trinkets that glimmered in the waning light. And yet the old crone's gaze was steady as she watched them, dark eyes glinting with strange knowledge.
“A unique blend, indeed,” the woman croaked slyly, her age-worn voice struggling to be heard above the crackling of the flames and the bubbling of her pot. Stirring the cauldron with the gnarled tip of her spoon, frail form silhouetted against the rising smoke, she huffed a soft, crow-like laugh. “Every one holds a special power...”
Skywarp lifted one optical ridge, throwing a dubious glance at the others, his meaning clear.
Is this lady for real?
But as they all watched, the woman's stirring suddenly grew more frantic— the crystals braided in her hair clinking musically together with every movement. The smoky air thickened and swirled around the cauldron like a frenzied tempest, a powerful herbal scent swelling up and into the air, gusting into the starry sky overhead.
“This is the smoke of the sacred fire,” sighed the old woman, sagging from exertion, the firelight reflecting against the creases of her face. She inhaled deeply, eyes slipping shut in worshipful bliss as the sweet-smelling smoke wafted around her head. “It can transform the very fabric of one's being... and open the doors to a higher realm. It can work wonders, restoring one's health, granting divine succor..."
Eyes snapping open, she was suddenly alive with alertness, her dull, hazy gaze burning into the threesome of warriors before her. "Even for you, encased in steel though you may be."
The trio remained motionless, astounded by the spectacle before them and the old crone's declarations alike. The air was heavy, the silence practically
suffocating. Until all of a sudden, Warp shattered the tranquility with a brief, stifled snicker.
"Alright, let's say we believe you, lady," he chortled, reaching up to swipe an imaginary tear from one optic. "How exactly do we tap into this...
sacred fire, huh?"
A slight frown furrowed the woman's brow. "You do not believe in the power of the One Above?"
Skywarp opened his mouth as if to reply, but was hastily interrupted by the impetuous Thundercracker, who jostled him aside. The other seeker forced a wide smile, displaying the deep wreckage that ravaged one side of his face, as he addressed the old crone with a frazzled warmth.
"What my friend here
means to say is— some of us have… allergies… and it's always good to have a healthy dose of skepticism when it comes to your health, right? What, er, exactly is
in your little concoction? How does it work?"
"Ah," the woman nodded, brow smoothing over as her facial expression returned to one of perfect serenity once more. "My brew is completely allergen-free. Organic. Vegan... Gluten-free. And as for how it works..."
She waved loosely at the stars, encompassing the mystical shapes forming from within the billowing clouds of herbal-smelling steam. Then, she glanced at Thundercracker with a mischievous glint in her eye, as if that simple hand gesture had perfectly explained everything he needed to know.
"Wow," said TC, a bit flatly. "Thanks."
"Where is this... miracle cure?" Isaac ventured to ask, eyeing the cauldron's bubbling contents with a doubtful look.
The old crone pointed to a pair of satchels nearby with one long, bony finger.
"That is all I have left to give," she murmured, returning to her stirring of the cauldron. "For a price, of course. After, I will need much time to prepare more... so many visitors in such a short period has diminished my stores."
Letting out a snicker, Skywarp sauntered over to the pair of satchels and snatched them both up with a careless grip, tossing one over in Don Isaac and Thundercracker's direction while keeping one for himself.
"No
way this works," he huffed a laugh, opening the satchel— a feat only made possible by carefully using the tips of his talons to pry it open —to peer inside at its contents.
POOF! A cloud of sparkling purple dust burst out from the comparatively tiny satchel, slapping him full in the face. The seeker spluttered, stumbling, and then... paused, reaching up to feel at the side of his neck.
The furious buzz of damage alert notifications that had been permeating his interior systems ever since Nippur suddenly disappeared, utterly silenced. Feeling around with his digits, Skywarp found that his throat cabling, which had become so dreadfully torn and mangled... was just...
miraculously repaired. As if by
magic.
Face-plates screwing up in confusion, Skywarp peered at the tiny satchel still loosely pinched between his talons. "Well, I'll be slagged to the pit. It
does work.”
1. Skywarp is opting to pay 4000 Coin to heal a Major Injury.
2. Thundercracker is ALSO opting to pay 4000 Coin to heal a Major Injury.
