21 Escape
"How did you do it?" I blurt out hoping to draw his attention long enough to figure a way out.
"That simpering child," nodding at Monna, "was kind enough to give me a book. I can use Asura of Land, and using Land Asura with verza increased my power tenfold. Letting me summon creatures from the Dark Realm."
Asura of Land, one of the six forms of asura, allows mages to tame as well as summon various creatures. Depending on the summoner, they'll have limited control over what they call and judging from the increase in their jerky movement he won't have control over them much longer. The idiot thinks he is untouchable. Poor bastard doesn't know verza costs the soul, and it always collects. I don't know much, just what I picked up from other mages, but I know it corrupts, tainting the spirit the longer it's used. He is still gloating, but I tune him out.
A thin window to the left catches my eye. I toss the idea, too small for us to fit. But there's a little lip sticking from under it. A couple of feet long jutting out far enough for my toes to rest. Seeing no other options. I place my hopes on the crumbling sill. Shooting a glance to the drunkard, who is still prattling on. Focused more on his speech than us. I use the chance to get the attention of Ivo and Daric.
Speaking low and moving my mouth as little as possible I say, "the window to the left."
"Too small," comes Ivo's voice equally low.
"I know, use the ledge to get to the roof."
"Can it hold you?" came Daric's whisper. If it wouldn't give us away and I wasn't thinking the same thing, I'd have slapped him.
"Let's hope so."
The zombies jerked forward a step. I'm a bit ashamed to admit a whimper slipped through.
"Don't go getting any ideas," the drunkard shouted.
A sheen of sweat covers his face shining in the moonlight; he is reaching the end of his control. They jerk forward a step at a time. He clenches his fists trying to get them back under his sway. He suddenly pitches forward. Time slows, I stare confused until a tear-stained Monna is revealed. Using his distraction to knock him over. The aging old man and the skinny guy are too slow to stop her.
I seize the chance to shove Daric and Ivo toward the window. We have precious seconds of the drunkard still in control before he hits the horde and loses it. Ivo without pausing, leaps from the sill stretching his arms up to the roof. Reaching it with his fingertips and hauling himself up. Daric tries to mimic him and falls short, thankfully Ivo is there to take his hand. I speed up. We're out of time. Screams rend through the air, and the draugr are on the move. I don't look, or else I wouldn't make the jump. But, I see them reaching for me from the corner of my eye. I leap letting my toes touch the lip and using it as leverage to propel myself up. Unfortunately, my weight turns out to be too much. I'm mid-leap when the sill collapses under me. Arms stretch out. I desperately reach as I go down.
Two sets of hands latch onto my arms. Both Ivo and Daric have a grip on me hanging halfway over the side, pulling out strength I didn't know they had in them. They drag me up far enough for me to grab onto the edge. I'm halfway onto the roof when I feel an alarming grip on my thigh. I scramble for purchase. If I take too long, it gives more of the draugr time to grab me as well. Frantic to get away, I ignore the pain that scores along my leg as I pull from the bony grasp. Feeling the dampness as I stand. I don't slow down, pain shooting through my leg with every step.
We jump between rooftops, shoot around corners, and dodge black bones and blue flesh. Barely managing to stay ahead when they pop from the stone rooftops arms reaching. We leap over onto another building, draugr on our tail when I see the treeline. At some point during this grand chase, the sky has begun to brighten, sunrise not far off.
We jump onto the last roof with the forest on the other side when the roof collapses underneath us. We go down in a tangle of limbs and stone. Laying among the ruble, I try to get my bearings when I feel a tug on my arm.
/Oh, shit./ I flail trying to break the hold.
"Emma! Emma! Calm down it's me!" Daric's urgent voice manages to get through to me. As soon as I stop fighting him, he pulls me again. I crawl to my feet. In Daric's other hand he's also tugging on Ivo to stand.
In front of us is an arched doorless doorway that faced the trees. I felt a chill at my back. Unwisely, I turn. Inches from my face, a skeletal hand is seconds away from grasping me. I scream, discovering my injuries no longer seem to hurt when buried under a swell of panic. I grab Ivo, who appears the worst off, and propel him out the door. Daric didn't need further prompting and followed. Helping up Ivo when he was about to go down with me close on their heels. We ran into the forest. I'm focusing more on getting away from the creepy undead than an actual destination, so I hope one of those two has a place in mind.
I'm tempted to look back, but the sounds of a horde stampeding behind are enough to convince me the error of that idea. My injuries are affecting me regardless of how much I choose to ignore them. I can tell it's the same for Daric and Ivo. We're all bleeding. From the red stain spreading along Ivo's back at an alarming rate, he's going to drop soon. He must have landed on something sharp. Worse, we couldn't take the time to find a tunnel entrance, so we're directly jumped onto a tree root. Hoping from one root to another. Burning through energy and bleeding out at a faster rate. The draugr isn't slowing down; rushing over the roots like a wave refusing to stop and relentlessly pursuing. We break through a line of bushes and are now running along a drop off that rolls into a steep hill at our left.
Ivo slows down further and is now in between Daric and me off to the right. Without warning, Daric and I are shoved sideways over the drop-off. Both of us too surprised to make a sound. I fall backward, and once more time slows. Ivo begins yelling with as much force as his lungs could muster, he turns his back to us running. His back soaked with blood. He won't make it much farther. Dozens upon dozens of blue-skinned, black boned, draugr follow him. The sight forever carved into my memories. My mouth opens in a silent scream as tears burn my eyes. For what feels like an eternity later, I hit the ground. Followed by the sound of bone snapping before I'm swallowed by darkness.
____________________
A shadowy figure peers from behind a tree watching everything unfold.
/That useless fool./
If the draugr rampage now we'll be revealing ourselves too soon. Worse he's going to get her killed before the ceremony.
The shadow figure watches as she runs into the forest with those two brats. The draugr are getting closer. I need to unravel the spell before all our plans become pointless. It won't be too late to try again later. This time with a less incompetent summoner.
The figure laughs to himself thinking about the future mayhem that will spread. If Monna were around, she would know it's the voice of the man who promised to keep her friends safe.
"That simpering child," nodding at Monna, "was kind enough to give me a book. I can use Asura of Land, and using Land Asura with verza increased my power tenfold. Letting me summon creatures from the Dark Realm."
Asura of Land, one of the six forms of asura, allows mages to tame as well as summon various creatures. Depending on the summoner, they'll have limited control over what they call and judging from the increase in their jerky movement he won't have control over them much longer. The idiot thinks he is untouchable. Poor bastard doesn't know verza costs the soul, and it always collects. I don't know much, just what I picked up from other mages, but I know it corrupts, tainting the spirit the longer it's used. He is still gloating, but I tune him out.
A thin window to the left catches my eye. I toss the idea, too small for us to fit. But there's a little lip sticking from under it. A couple of feet long jutting out far enough for my toes to rest. Seeing no other options. I place my hopes on the crumbling sill. Shooting a glance to the drunkard, who is still prattling on. Focused more on his speech than us. I use the chance to get the attention of Ivo and Daric.
Speaking low and moving my mouth as little as possible I say, "the window to the left."
"Too small," comes Ivo's voice equally low.
"I know, use the ledge to get to the roof."
"Can it hold you?" came Daric's whisper. If it wouldn't give us away and I wasn't thinking the same thing, I'd have slapped him.
"Let's hope so."
The zombies jerked forward a step. I'm a bit ashamed to admit a whimper slipped through.
"Don't go getting any ideas," the drunkard shouted.
A sheen of sweat covers his face shining in the moonlight; he is reaching the end of his control. They jerk forward a step at a time. He clenches his fists trying to get them back under his sway. He suddenly pitches forward. Time slows, I stare confused until a tear-stained Monna is revealed. Using his distraction to knock him over. The aging old man and the skinny guy are too slow to stop her.
I seize the chance to shove Daric and Ivo toward the window. We have precious seconds of the drunkard still in control before he hits the horde and loses it. Ivo without pausing, leaps from the sill stretching his arms up to the roof. Reaching it with his fingertips and hauling himself up. Daric tries to mimic him and falls short, thankfully Ivo is there to take his hand. I speed up. We're out of time. Screams rend through the air, and the draugr are on the move. I don't look, or else I wouldn't make the jump. But, I see them reaching for me from the corner of my eye. I leap letting my toes touch the lip and using it as leverage to propel myself up. Unfortunately, my weight turns out to be too much. I'm mid-leap when the sill collapses under me. Arms stretch out. I desperately reach as I go down.
Two sets of hands latch onto my arms. Both Ivo and Daric have a grip on me hanging halfway over the side, pulling out strength I didn't know they had in them. They drag me up far enough for me to grab onto the edge. I'm halfway onto the roof when I feel an alarming grip on my thigh. I scramble for purchase. If I take too long, it gives more of the draugr time to grab me as well. Frantic to get away, I ignore the pain that scores along my leg as I pull from the bony grasp. Feeling the dampness as I stand. I don't slow down, pain shooting through my leg with every step.
We jump between rooftops, shoot around corners, and dodge black bones and blue flesh. Barely managing to stay ahead when they pop from the stone rooftops arms reaching. We leap over onto another building, draugr on our tail when I see the treeline. At some point during this grand chase, the sky has begun to brighten, sunrise not far off.
We jump onto the last roof with the forest on the other side when the roof collapses underneath us. We go down in a tangle of limbs and stone. Laying among the ruble, I try to get my bearings when I feel a tug on my arm.
/Oh, shit./ I flail trying to break the hold.
"Emma! Emma! Calm down it's me!" Daric's urgent voice manages to get through to me. As soon as I stop fighting him, he pulls me again. I crawl to my feet. In Daric's other hand he's also tugging on Ivo to stand.
In front of us is an arched doorless doorway that faced the trees. I felt a chill at my back. Unwisely, I turn. Inches from my face, a skeletal hand is seconds away from grasping me. I scream, discovering my injuries no longer seem to hurt when buried under a swell of panic. I grab Ivo, who appears the worst off, and propel him out the door. Daric didn't need further prompting and followed. Helping up Ivo when he was about to go down with me close on their heels. We ran into the forest. I'm focusing more on getting away from the creepy undead than an actual destination, so I hope one of those two has a place in mind.
I'm tempted to look back, but the sounds of a horde stampeding behind are enough to convince me the error of that idea. My injuries are affecting me regardless of how much I choose to ignore them. I can tell it's the same for Daric and Ivo. We're all bleeding. From the red stain spreading along Ivo's back at an alarming rate, he's going to drop soon. He must have landed on something sharp. Worse, we couldn't take the time to find a tunnel entrance, so we're directly jumped onto a tree root. Hoping from one root to another. Burning through energy and bleeding out at a faster rate. The draugr isn't slowing down; rushing over the roots like a wave refusing to stop and relentlessly pursuing. We break through a line of bushes and are now running along a drop off that rolls into a steep hill at our left.
Ivo slows down further and is now in between Daric and me off to the right. Without warning, Daric and I are shoved sideways over the drop-off. Both of us too surprised to make a sound. I fall backward, and once more time slows. Ivo begins yelling with as much force as his lungs could muster, he turns his back to us running. His back soaked with blood. He won't make it much farther. Dozens upon dozens of blue-skinned, black boned, draugr follow him. The sight forever carved into my memories. My mouth opens in a silent scream as tears burn my eyes. For what feels like an eternity later, I hit the ground. Followed by the sound of bone snapping before I'm swallowed by darkness.
____________________
A shadowy figure peers from behind a tree watching everything unfold.
/That useless fool./
If the draugr rampage now we'll be revealing ourselves too soon. Worse he's going to get her killed before the ceremony.
The shadow figure watches as she runs into the forest with those two brats. The draugr are getting closer. I need to unravel the spell before all our plans become pointless. It won't be too late to try again later. This time with a less incompetent summoner.
The figure laughs to himself thinking about the future mayhem that will spread. If Monna were around, she would know it's the voice of the man who promised to keep her friends safe.
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