Radaj Roots

Serena carefully examined her tentacle-claws with the rebel doctor, Kiluwana, and carefully poured a little hardening paste into the cracked claws, and coated them with fresh poison that didn't harm a rebel phantom but could kill anything else. Suddenly, a sensation overwhelmed her.
"What's wrong?" Kiluwana asked.
The voice echoed in Serena's mind as her eye started seeing double.
"Something.... crawling... inside me..."
Serena collapsed off the steel stool, smacking head-first into the grass.


Frost was talking to Metal Cosmo when Serena was rushed in.
"She just collapsed, just like that!"cried Kiluwana. "I can't figure out what is going on!"
Metal Cosmo stroked his chin, metal gears clanking. Then, his eyes lit up--literally.
"I know what's wrong with her!" he exclaimed, quickly wiping off the sweat on Serena's skin.
His face changed to a dire expression.
"Phantoms are not designed to have metal parts, Serena especially. Her genetics (rarely, a white phantom is born, as they are born from dark thoughts changing to good at the last second) are designed for organic implants, not metal. So, her body is clearly rebelling against the metal parts. Its as if her body is at war against itself. If we don't act, her metal parts will shut down, resulting in poisoning the rest of her body and killing Serena." Metal Cosmo said, in a worried tone.
Frost had no idea how both Cosmos analyzed the problem so quickly, and without any tests besides what the eye could see.
Kiluwana left in silence, leaving Cosmo and Frost alone.

Frost unsheathed her claws, and dug her claws to feel the metal parts. Luckily, Serena didn't die on impact.
She easily took out the metal parts, and closed the wound by touching her tail armor to it.
Still, Serena lay in a state of deep sleep.
Metal Cosmo looked at Frost with worry.
"She won't die, that's for sure, but unless you get the rare Radaj Root in time... or Serena will never wake up, locked in a state of half-consciousness. Believe me, the infamous hero Aita faced the same fate." Cosmo said.
A sheet of papyrus slid out of a drawer, and unrolled. It showed a diagram of the various parts of some root that was a cross between a ginger root and a beet.
"That is the Radaj Root, and it only grows in the treacherous Ice Palaces of the Coraxese area. Firetail and the Phantom General Theta defend the last known specimen."


Frost flexed her muscles, and dropped to the floor, slowly doing some push-ups. It wasn't too hard,  being on four legs, but after several hundred her brow was drenched with sweat and grime.
Frost was in the gym in the ever-expanding Alpha hut, seemingly small and close to the path on the outside but large and complex on the inside. Dumbbells, wooden treadmills, biking and rowing machines galore were all made possible by Graham, LaSalle, Sir Gilbert and Cosmo (Cosmo coaxed plants to give them metals from the ground for machines, Graham made the machines, LaSalle programmed some of the more complicated ones, and Sir Gilbert was the test subject.)
She was training, as the ruined Corax world was full of booby traps, snowdrifts, high inclines (eep) and monsters. Professional training was a must.
"Having fun?" a voice boomed.
Frost looked up from doing the splits (yowch) and saw Sir Gilbert flexing his muscles, seemingly curious about Frost's stick-like abs. His heavy armor somehow complimented his fur tone, and his glaring expression his rings, but he was actually a nice Alpha despite being pessimist and kind of un-sympathetic.
"Eh... just working out. My muscles seem to break when I try to climb a cliff." Frost stuttered, determined not to make Sir Gilbert worry about his crush Serena.
Sir Gilbert snorted.
"Must be your fear of heights. Don't hide, kid, fight fear." Sir Gilbert growled, his hearty tone soothing yet scaring Frost's panicked mind. He was strong enough to break her skull into three pieces.
He threw Frost up in the air several times, and taught her ways to defeat her fear. He was a good instructor, although he and Parlan didn't actually do well in their training despite working hard.
Frost wondered why, although the Ore Compass may just have showed her why.
Parlan annoyed Sir Gilbert.

Frost trudged up the dusty path in Appondale, careful not to draw the attention of other Jammers enjoying their lives.
Jammers she once was among.
Jammers she no longer belonged with.
Jammers she wished could swap places with her.
Jammers ignorant of the danger.
Jammers, innocent but possibly hostile.
Jammers, many things described them.
The arid conditions stripped her of her comfort, and left her with a sour mood.
She used her water powers and spouted some water into her mouth.
After some walking, mist started to wrap around her and a barrier of glinting air approached her rapidly as she proceeded forward.
As she walked through, the sense of safety left her, as she was in wild land now. Nothing could back her up anymore, and her bones would bleach unnoticed if she died.
She thought about Mira and what she was doing inside the statue.
Mother...
After a lot of trudging, she got to a fork in the path. One was covered with ice, another with mist.
She took the iced path, as it was a sign she was getting close to the Coraxese land. There, at least, the Radaj root and the Cithara Order awaited her.

Snow started to get up to Frost's belly as she moved among the grand castles. Once, Sabre the Traitor had lived here, spoiled by Gilbatoorix the Wise.
The moon wrapped warmth of the light around itself, gloating to Frost that she had to suffer while it hogged the prize.
She almost wanted to give the moon a wedgie, if it had underwear.
Of course not, she thought, giving her head a good shake. Focus, Frost, focus.
All of a sudden, a seal landed on top of her, hissing.
"Cithara is my friend, and I will happily die for her. Brisingr is a wretched spell."Frost muttered. It was the secret code of the Cithara Order she had learned as a rebel.
The seal lowered its claws and daggers, and smiled.
"Hello, Frost. I haven't seen you in quite a while. Have some frog fillet before you go get the Radaj Root." the seal said.
"Henry, how did you know?" Frost growled.
"Remember me, huh? I can read your mind." Henry said, his handsome face smirking.
Frost blushed, then remembered she already had a boyfriend, Zion.
"Frog fillet sounds good right now. Will you and Zachary, Zorro and Kylelanda accompany me?" Frost said.
A snow buggy came towards them, the scrap metal creaking over the snow and the Order members pouring fine wine on the snow for Cithara.
The snow drank the wine hungrily, as Cithara liked sacrifices. She could tell from Harper's love of shiny things and alcohol, as Cithara had directly influenced her.
Frost let the many flippers haul her up onto the buggy, and ate frog fillet happily as she was taken to where she needed to go.


The  buggy was spacious, and actually was the Order camp. It was larger than a RV, and had bunk beds for everyone. It was armored and constantly guarded, so there was no way it could be lost to attack. Of course, everyone had to be seatbelted into their beds and couches.
After a lot of bumping, they got to Firetail's place. It was a grand castle slowly melting, with some turrets simply puddles.
The driver, Ennis, shoved Frost, Zachary, Henry, Kylelanda and Zorro out into the open and screeched to a halt to wait for them.
After glancing at the snow buggy, the five of them ventured into the castle.


The gloom swallowed them, and only the winding tunnels kept Frost from dropping down and falling asleep in the quiet darkness.
Sooner than later, Theta and Firetail appeared.
"Why are you here? The Radaj root isn't for heroes!" Theta growled. Firetail nodded in agreement, and blew flames.
Before neither could complain, the Order and Frost linked paws. A blue aura surrounded them, and kicked up a whirlpool of icicles and hail.
"No!"
Both Theta and Firetail dissolved, trapped inside the walls of the castle for a little bit. The Radaj root dropped onto the ice floor.
They were all drained from exhaustion, but despite that it was too easy.
Too easy to be a true battle, in fact.
They acknowledged that, and ran back to the buggy. (Serena is saved, by the way.)