Tough Luck (Ryder 10)

Story
The doors swing open to Hex’s library, Hex walking in. He’s astonished to see books littering the floor and the stairs, as he looks up. Lucky Girl is floating cross legged, as she summons book after book, dozens of them floating around her. She flips through a book, grunts with dissatisfaction, and tosses it away.

Hex: You can at least try to show some appreciation for my books. Some of these are thousands of years old.

Lucky Girl: That’s why I’m here. I’ve gone through at least half your collection, and I haven’t found anything about it!

Hex: It?

Lucky Girl: The Old One, and its pet the Lucubra. Whatever it is, it is a powerful source of magic. I felt that much. And it took a sealing spell to seal the Lucubra away, which means that it fought a magic wielder. Something happened to them, and I’m going to find out what.

Hex: (Looking away) You should simply end this quest of yours, before you destroy my library in its entirety.

Hex goes to leave, when the doors slam shut on him. Hex turns, as Lucky Girl walks down magic steps.

Lucky Girl: You know what it is, don’t you?! You, an advent seeker of knowledge and spells, telling me to stop seeking? (Her fist glows with magic.) Tell me what it is.

Hex swings his hand, as all the floating books drop from the sky, burying Lucky Girl in an avalanche of books. The doors open, as Hex leaves.

Hex: I know that if you go meddling with this being, you forfeit your life and sanity. I have no interest in going where It is.

The doors close, as Lucky Girl blasts her way free from the books, panting angrily. Suddenly, a screeching noise pierces the air, as Lucky Girl looks up. It is a Stone Bat, fluttering in a circle.

Lucky Girl: Hello.

Lucky Girl floats up, at level with the Stone Bat.

Lucky Girl: Where’d you come from?

The Stone Bat flies out the window, as Lucky Girl pursues. The Bat takes her far from the mansion, to a cave in a mountainside several miles away. Lucky Girl lands in the cave, as a figure appears, the Stone Bat returning into her purse.

Voice: Hello, Lucky Girl.

Lucky Girl reacts, raising her hand which glows with magic. The light reveals Charmcaster, with an evil smile on her face.

Lucky Girl: Who are you?! How do you know me?!

Charmcaster: Oh, don’t flatter yourself. I know everything that goes on with Uncle Hex.

Lucky Girl: Uncle? You’re the traitorous niece he keeps talking about?

Charmcaster: Apparently. I’m Charmcaster. And I couldn’t help but overhear your dilemma. Regarding the Old One.

Lucky Girl: You know what it is?

Charmcaster: Vaguely. I remember the tales of It from when I was young. The Old One was the source of infinite wisdom in Ledgerdomain.

Lucky Girl: Ledger, domain?

Charmcaster: The realm of magic. Uncle and I were originally from there, when we escaped. I’ve been trying to go back since, but Uncle forbids me from doing so, ad won’t even reveal how to get there.

Lucky Girl: I’ve never heard of it.

Charmcaster: Uncle is trying to leave that part of his life behind, but there’s no way to do so. It is a part of us, just like our magic. Join me, Lucky Girl. And together, we can venture back there.

Lucky Girl: (Suspiciously) And how do we do that? You said you don’t know how.

Charmcaster: I know of the location of the Keystone of Bezel, which increases one’s powers 10 fold. With it, we can beat Hex, take his charms, and then we can get the info from him. He remembers everything, no matter how hard he tries to forget.

Lucky Girl: Hm. You’ve got a deal. Where’s the stone? End Scene

Ryder signs a check for the Mayor of Las Vegas, as Ester is irritated. Every single cop in the city surrounds them, as if to prevent them from escaping.

Kevin: Like they could actually stop us if we wanted to escape.

Mayor: Thank you, thank you. Your debt has been paid. You are free to travel the city as you wish.

Ryder: Thank you, thank you. Though, it would’ve been better if you just let me beat up your villains.

Mayor: And you causing more damage? No thank you. Now, please don’t stay too long.

The Mayor leaves, while the police open up to let Ryder out. Ryder gets on the Tenn-Speed, riding off. Ester and Kevin follow them. On a rooftop, Lucky Girl and Charmcaster watch them.

Lucky Girl: Just my luck. Them again.

Charmcaster: A sorceress of your status shouldn’t be afraid of some snot nose brats.

Lucky Girl: I’m not. But I’ve encountered them enough times to know that they’ll get in our way.

Charmcaster: So, I’ll play with them a for a little while. Here’s the location of the Keystone.

Charmcaster raises her arm, pink dust comes out of her sleeve. It hits Lucky Girl, as she inhales it. Her eyes glow pink, as Lucky Girl nods.

Ryder speeds up down the road, filled with excitement. A puff of pink smoke materializes on the road, as Charmcaster stands there, smiling and waving at him. Ryder hits a button, activating rear springs, causing the Tenn-Speed to flip over her. She smirks, as she fires a magic blast, hitting the back end of the Tenn-Speed, causing Ryder to go tumbling down in the wreckage. Charmcaster laughs.

Charmcaster: Well, that was easier than I thought.

Diamonds shoot out of the ground, slamming into Charmcaster. She’s sent skyward, falling back down. Ester stretches and grabs her, pulling her along, slamming her into the crystal mound. Diamondhead breaks out of the wreckage, as Charmcaster drags herself away from the crystal. Kevin pulls up.

Kevin: Who is it this time?

Diamondhead: Used magic. Probably a friend of Lucky Girl.

Charmcaster stands up, holding her side. She reaches into her purse, throwing small stones. They grow into Stone Creatures, golem like creatures.

Ester: That’s new.

Diamondhead: Let’s see how many we can break.

Kevin: (Absorbing the crystal) Sounds good to me.

Diamondhead and Kevin charge in, as the Stone Creatures stampede towards them. Diamondhead places his hand to the ground, a crystal ramp propelling Kevin into the air. He lands on a Stone Creature, which tries to buck him off. Kevin morphs his hand into a mallet, pounding it into the Stone Creature’s head. Diamondhead charges in, punching a Stone Creature and shattering it.

Charmcaster floats up onto a building side, gasping for breath. Her hand glows with magic, healing her wound. Ester stretches up, confronting her.

Ester: You’re not going anywhere.

Charmcaster: Heh. Who said I was running?

Charmcaster fires a mana blast, Ester dodging with limber movements, bending to the side to dodge. She stretches her leg, tripping Charmcaster, her landing on her butt. Ester then appears above her and stomps her into the roof. Charmcaster smirks, as she turns into pink dust. She flies off, disappearing.

Diamondhead shatters a Stone Creature, as Kevin breaks the head off one. The Stone Creature falls, him landing on the ground.

Kevin: That’s all of them. I got 6 of them.

Diamondhead: That’s it? I got 10, easy.

Kevin: 10?

Ester stretches her legs, descending back down.

Ester: Whoever she was, she turned to dust. (She points towards downtown.) It went that way.

Kevin: The magic convention is that way.

Diamondhead: Think that’s a coincident?

Diamondhead heads over to the Tenn-Speed, pulling it up. He pulls on the bike in the back, which had been dented. He then mounts it, riding off. End Scene

Lucky Girl is browsing through the vendors at the magic convention, when she stops at a stand. She looks at a blue metal gauntlet, which has the Keystone in it.

Vendor Woman: Oh! You like it?

Lucky Girl: (Examining it) A bit. I must say, it looks like it has true magic in it.

Vendor Woman: Yeah, sure girlie. That’ll be $18.50.

Lucky Girl: How about a demonstration instead?

Lucky Girl puts the gauntlet on, as her hands glow with magic. The vendor woman backs away, as Lucky Girl uses her magic to toss the stand away. The stand knocks out a section of a wall. Lucky Girl starts laughing giddily.

Lucky Girl: 10 fold is right! This thing rocks!

Lucky Girl heads for the exit, unleashing power mana blasts, that ignite on contact with anything. She walks outside, where Charmcaster comes stumbling by.

Lucky Girl: And here I thought you were strong.

Charmcaster: You didn’t tell me he was a shapeshifter! Forget it. Did you get it?

Lucky Girl shows off the Keystone, as if it was jewelry.

Charmcaster: Good. Now, let’s get out of here before

Lightning hits Charmcaster, sending her flying. Lucky Girl turns, smiling with lust. Shocksquatch is riding the Tenn-Speed.

Lucky Girl: Good. I was waiting for you to come back. Silicus Supritrato Sasitatio!

Lucky Girl jets two fingers into the ground, as the road shatters. An enormous stone dragon breaks out of the ground, roaring to the sky. It has no wings, but takes up the entirety of the road. It stomps its claw down, as Shocksquatch pulls the front of the Tenn-Speed up, doing a wheelie as he drives up the arm.

Shocksquatch: Oh, man. When you’d get that strong?

Lucky Girl: You might’ve won all the other times. But now, I’m in command!

Shocksquatch fires lightning at the Stone Dragon, doing no harm. The Stone Dragon swings its leg, as Shocksquatch jumps off the Tenn-Speed, which goes flying.

Shocksquatch: My bike!

The Stone Dragon bites down on Shocksquatch, as Shocksquatch holds its mouth open, struggling. Lucky Girl floats up, lying on her side in midair.

Lucky Girl: Dracarys.

The Stone Dragon’s throat glow pink, as Shocksquatch’s eyes widen.

Shocksquatch: Oh boy.

A pink magic blast is fired from the Stone Dragon’s throat, Shocksquatch disappearing when the attack ends. Shocksquatch is in a pile of rubble, as he reverts. Lucky Girl raises her hands, as the Stone Dragon grows wings. She grabs Charmcaster with magic, who was barely conscious.

Lucky Girl: Tsk! I’m teamed up with this weakling? No wonder Hex abandoned her.

The Stone Dragon jumps, taking off into the air. It flaps its wings, flying away. Ester and Kevin pull up, as Ester helps Ryder out of the rubble.

Ester: That looked like it hurt.

Ryder: (Groaning) Just a little.

Kevin: Well, your bike is decently intact. But that’s to be expected.

Ryder looks around, seeing the destroyed area.

Ryder: Well, I don’t think we can come back here.

Ester: You’re actually considering coming back here?

Kevin: Who knows? Maybe you’ll be allowed back when they get a new mayor.

Ryder: Yeah, if.

Ryder gets on the dented Tenn-Speed, as the group ride off.

Characters

 * Ryder
 * Ester
 * Kevin
 * Hex
 * Mayor
 * Police
 * Vendor Woman

Villains

 * Lucky Girl (main character)
 * Charmcaster

Aliens Used

 * Diamondhead
 * Shocksquatch

Trivia

 * Lucky Girl begins researching the Old One.
 * Charmcaster makes her debut.
 * Ryder's first stop after Area 51 is Las Vegas.
 * Despite making retributions to the city of Las Vegas, it is instantly lost.
 * Lucky Girl's spell, Dracarys, is from Game of Thrones.