As the light dispersed, I realized I was back outside the Temple. It was fairly bright, and it took my eyes some time to adjust. When my eyes adjusted, I was alarmed as a large, black shape came crashing down on top of me.

 I realized it was Snowfire, and she was over excited to see I was unharmed. I rubbed her snout, and held on so she could pull me onto my feet. I looked around, and saw Redha examining the sword I grasped in my hands. "You got it." she said, surprised. I cocked my head and looked at her. 

"Was there ever any doubt?" I said, grinning. Redha ignored me. "We need to wait until nightfall. Then we can travel to the eastern beacon under the cover of darkness. They'll never see it coming." she said. "We'll set up camp." I said, looking around. "Only..." I trailed off. 

"What?" asked Redha.

"We don't have anything to set up camp." I said.
"We're on a beach in the middle of nowhere." I kicked the sand in frustration.
"What the hell are we gonna do?" I said angrily. As soon as I finished ranting and complaining, thunder shook the sky and rain began to fall heavily, drenching all three of us in mere seconds.

"Well this is just faaaaantastic."

We gathered some wood and leaves from the trees on the beach and created a makeshift canopy we could take shelter under. Snowfire laid down and curled up in a circle, and I sat inside of Snowfire's circle. Redha sat on my shoulder, and curled up into a ball. 

"I can't tell if it's night or not, but I think we should use the rain as cover to sneak into the beacon." I said to Redha. She was still asleep, so I took that as a 'yes'. I patted Snowfire on her leg. "Come on, girl. We're heading out." I spoke to her. I pulled up my hood, and mounted Snowfire. 

With a heavy flap of her wings, she lifted herself into the air and flew away. While we were flying, I took out my book, with a map of the world in it. The mainlands had already been mapped out, and I could see Death Island that I added in recently. 

I had yet to draw in the island where Adolphus was buried, as well as the island where the labyrinth of illusion was. I looked at the map of Skull Island. I held a pencil in my teeth, trying to figure out where the beacon was. 

"I've seen a tower like it before..." I said to myself. "Where was it?" I searched through my memory, trying to recall the location of the tower. "There!" I said, putting a dot on the map. I wrote East Beacon underneath it. 

I put the book and pencil away and directed Snowfire towards the destination. "Luckily this storm will make it impossible to see and hear us!" I called to Snowfire over the noise of the rain.

We reached the Skull lands, and I looked down to see if I could spot the beacon. I spotted the tower, and had Snowfire land quietly. I dismounted her, and placed Redha on Snowfire's back. "Stay hidden, and try not to kill any Shadows while I'm gone." I told her, and Snowfire obeyed. She ran off in search of a hiding spot, while I entered the tower.

It was dark, but at least it was dry.

I removed my hood and looked at my surroundings as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. The tower was circular, and went up for about fifteen feet. A spiral staircase ran along the wall up to a circular stone ceiling on the top. I could see the stone circle was not a ceiling, but an additional floor. 

"That must be where the switch is." I said quietly. I climbed the stairs up to the top floor. When I got there, the only thing there was a stone block similar to the one I had pulled my sword out of. "That must be the switch." I spoke to myself. I removed my sword from the sheath on my back. I approached the stone, and held the sword above it so the blade was pointing down. I took a deep breath and let it out. 

"I sure hope to god this works." I whispered half-heartedly. 

I thrusted the sword down into the stone. It clicked, and for a minute nothing happened. 

Then a huge beam of light shot out of the stone, sending the sword flying. As I watched, the sword seemed to defy every known law of physics as it turned in the air and directed itself towards me. Then it shot through the air, and the hilt came to rest in my hand (with the rest of the sword, of course.) I watched the stone as the beam of light illuminated the entire room. 

The roof opened, letting rain in, and through the pouring rain I saw the beam of light direct itself upwards, creating a huge beam that continued to extend into the heavens. "Wow." Was all I could see. I climbed to my feet, and alarms started to blare. "Great..." I muttered. "Now I've got to get out of here...With hundreds of Shadows on my tail."

I ran down the stairs, and heard a thumping sound. I looked to see the doors being busted open, and angry shouting of Shadows outside. "Fuck." I muttered, taking out my M1911 pistol and sheathing my sword. The doors busted open, and a squad of eight Shadows poured in, wearing elite armor, helmets, and gear, and brandishing MP5 SMGs in their hands.

 I opened fire on them, taking down three before the other five scattered. Two of them went to the right to look for cover, while the other three went left to confront me. The first one opened fire on me, and I dropped down onto my back and kicked him in his sensitive region. 

He buckled in pain, dropping his SMG and falling off the stairs. A loud crack sounded when he hit the ground. I grabbed his SMG and gunned down the other two before they could pull the triggers on their guns.

 The last two looked at me in fear, and ran for cover, I pointed the SMG at them and fired away. One of them got gunned down immediately, and the other took cover behind one of the opened doors. 

Suddenly, the gun clicked. "Damn!" I shouted, throwing the MP5 to the ground. The other Shadow took the opportunity to duck out from behind the door and fire at me. I whipped out my pistol and shot him in the head before he could fire. I walked to the Shadow who'd fallen and broken his back, and shot him three times before searching him. 

I grabbed his MP5 and several extra clips from his belt. I also took some grenades from his bandolier, and two smoke bombs from his vest pockets. He had a machete strapped to his back, which I took and strapped to the left side of my belt (My pistol was on the right.). He also had an AWP sniper rifle, which I strapped to my back. I pulled up my hood and ran out into the storm. It was dark, and they'd have a hard time finding me in the rain. 

I quickly dropped behind a rock as a searchlight from one of two watchtowers passed. I pulled down my night vision goggles, and surveyed the area. Seven Shadow patrols, with four men each, searched the vast area between me and the tower, and the two watchtowers. I looked through the scope of the sniper rifle at the watchtowers. 

Besides the huge searchlights, there was a mounted M134D minigun on each tower, with a Shadow operating it. There were also two other sentries on each of the towers, all of them carrying an M4A1 carbine rifle. I put away the rifle when I saw a patrol getting ready to pass the rock I was behind. I took out the MP5 and got ready to fire. 

Slowly, the Shadow patrol walked past the rock, taking no notice to me. I fired at them, taking all of them out. I heard yelling from the towers, then both searchlights turned on my rock and the miniguns began firing. Endless volleys of bullets hit the rock, none of them having any effect. I had an idea to make the miniguns useless. 

I peeked out from behind the rock, the AWP rifle in my hands. I aimed at the searchlight, and shot it. The light went out, and more yelling. I took out the second light, and even more yelling. Then, the miniguns stopped firing. 

They're blind. I thought. Just gotta take out those patrols- badass style. I pulled down my night vision goggles and left the AWP rifle behind. I took out the MP5 and looked around. The patrols were struggling to stay together, and were scrambling blindly around. 

I ran towards the closest one, then slowed down so they wouldn't hear me. I put away the MP5 and took out the machete. I quickly engaged them, cutting the first one's throat, then swinging the blade into the next one's neck. I dropped to the ground and rolled under the next Shadow, cutting his leg. He fell down in pain, and I got up and stabbed his partner in his heart. I calmly walked to the one whose leg I had cut, and stabbed him in the back, finishing him. 

I then approached one of the watchtowers, and entered it. I climbed up the stairs slowly, taking out my MP5 and a grenade. I paused before entering the top, and pulled the pin on the grenade. I quietly placed it on the floor of the top without being noticed, then quickly dropped down the stairs. A loud BANG sounded, and screaming erupted from the four Shadows who were blown off the top of the watchtower.

 I climbed up to the top and pulled out another grenade. I pulled the pin and launched it at the second tower. Similar screaming came from the Shadows as they were also blown from the top of the building. I manned the minigun on the top of the tower I was on and opened fire on the remaining patrols. 

I gunned down one, then two, three, until only one of the seven patrols was remaining. I suddenly saw a large black shape launch itself at the Shadows, and then it breathed fire, setting the four Shadows ablaze. "Snowfire!" I shouted, barreling off of the Watchtower. I ran towards her and climbed onto her back. "Let's go home, girl!" I said, and she took to the air, flying away with me on her back.