“That will have to do,” he replies.
Without hesitation Jiron bolts forward, his horse knocking down another pedestrian. Before he reaches the guards, the fiery creature enters the street behind them. The guards pay Jiron no attention as they see the figure of flame coming toward them.
Jiron rides into one as he leaps from his horse at the other. Knife flashing as he sails into the man, he quickly takes him out. Turning quickly to face the other, he finds Jared pulling his sword out of the man’s chest. Replacing his knife, he makes for the door. Finding it locked, he turns to James just as James comes forward and places his hand on the door. Releasing the magic, the door explodes inward and Jiron is the first one through. Another guard is positioned just within and two quick passes with his knives leaves the man dead on the floor.
Jared slams the door shut after James enters but it’s skewed off its hinges and won’t close all the way.
“This way!” Jiron yells as he runs down the hallway leading from the door.
James races behind him with Jared following close. Securing the pouch with the last two powered crystals to his belt, he tries to figure out the next course of action. A well dressed man enters the hallway in front of Jiron who knocks him aside.
The man starts yelling as they race past. Then the door they entered the building through slams open. Framed in the doorway is the fiery creature, heat radiates from its body down the corridor. The stone walls on either side of the creature begin to turn black as it makes its way into the building.
A crackle announces another of the fiery bolts coming toward them. James instantly erects a barrier behind them in the hallway and the bolt rebounds off it back to the creature. When the bolt strikes the creature it gets reabsorbed and doesn’t even slow it down.
The heat in the hallway is tremendous and the temperature continues to rise.
More people enter the hallway to see what the commotion is and promptly turn around to flee when they see fire racing toward them.
Jiron comes to a very sturdy wooden door. Smashing into it with his shoulder all he manages to do is bruise his shoulder. “Damn that’s a sturdy door,” he says to himself. Then as he places the point of a knife in the lock he yells to James, “Can you hold it off a moment?”
“I’ll try,” he says. Stopping in the corridor, he says to Jared, “Go help Jiron.” He then turns to face the creature and lashes out with magic. The force of the blow slows the creature only slightly but doesn’t stop it. Next he encloses it in a barrier which manages to halt it but at a staggering cost of magic. His reserves are being depleted at an alarming rate.
“I can’t hold it much longer,” he shouts back to Jiron. Sweat running down his face, he holds the barrier despite the dots dancing in front of his eyes.
“Got it!” Jiron yells as the door swings open.
“Come on!” hollers Jared as he and Jiron race into the room.
Backing up quickly, James makes it to the open doorway. Just as he begins to pass through, a man from further down the hall yells, “Not in there!” Ignoring the man, he releases the creature and then bolts inside.
Jiron slams the door shut and throws the bar across the door to hold it secure. They are plunged into complete darkness when the door shuts. Suddenly, James’ orb springs to life revealing a room containing dozens of barrels stacked across the floor and against the walls. Along every wall are shelves lines with neat stacks of tubes.
“What is this?” asks Jared. “A storeroom?”
“But why would they need such a secure storeroom?” comments Jiron. “This place looks like it’s more suited for a treasure room than somewhere you store your goods.”
Then suddenly there’s pounding on the door as the creature tries to gain entry. “That’s not going to last very long,” James tells the others.
“So what are we going to do?” Jiron asks. Aside from the door through which they entered, there’s no other way out.
James thinks hard to come up with a solution. Then his gaze settles on the tubes. Roughly four inches in diameter and anywhere from a foot to three feet long, they look oddly familiar. Then a memory comes to him.
“Jiron,” he says, a slightly nervous edge to his voice. “Do you remember that time back in Trendle when Miko thought that woman and her guards were assassins?”
“Yeah,” he says. “We still kid him about…” He comes to a stop when he realizes what James is talking about. Those tubes on the shelves look an awful lot like the ones the woman had carried with her. “Do you mean…?”
“Yes I do,” he replies. He suddenly feels like Yosemite Sam in an old Buggs Bunny cartoon when he tunnels into a dark room full of dynamite and lights a match to see by. Pointing to one of the barrels, he says to Jiron, “Smash that open.”
Taking out his knife, he smashes into the lid with the pommel. Breaking open the top, he knocks it to the ground and black powder spills out.
“Oh my god,” breathes James as he looks around at the kegs and kegs of black powder surrounding them. Then the door begins to smolder and smoke as the heat from the creature begins to set the wood of the door on fire.
“Quick!” yells James. “Jared!” he then points to the corner of the room furthest from the door. “Move those barrels out and clear us a space.”
“Right,” he says and hurries to carryout the order.
“Jiron!” he yells getting his attention. “Start smashing open containers, as many as you can.” With that James begins lifting the smaller kegs and smashing them on the ground.
Keg after keg they smash on the ground until a dozen keg’s worth of black powder is scattered across the floor. Smoke is beginning to fill the room from the door as the smoldering increases.
“That’s enough!” he yells to Jiron. “Now, everyone in the corner.” As he races to the corner, James removes one of the two remaining crystals and holds it in his hand. When all three are in position, he has them sit on the floor. He uses the power of the crystal to create a shield around them. Stronger than any shield he’s ever used before, he’s not really sure if it will be enough.
“Close your eyes,” he says with a final glance toward the door. No sooner than he shut his eyes than the door flies open and the creature enters the room.
Ka-Boom!!!
Blinding white light sears through their closed eyelids as the fire from the creature ignites the black powder. The ground beneath them rocks violently from the explosion and even within the barrier they are tossed around.
James channels more power to the shield as the force of the blast almost rips it to shreds. He has a fleeting thought, ‘Captain, the shields aren’t going to hold much longer’ then the concussion wave rolls past and the ground calms down.
“Dear lord,” Jared breaths in awe when he finally opens his eyes. The ceiling as well as the upper three stories of the building is gone. Massive sections of stone can still be seen in the air as they fall back to the ground. A gaping hole now lies where the floor of the room had been. Even the floor upon which they sat within the barrier is now two feet lower than it had been. The shield had protected them but still the force of the blow had ripped away two feet of ground below them.
Jiron comes to his feet and turns to James. “You okay?” he asks as he offers a hand to help him up.
Taking the hand, James replies, “Sort of.” Getting to his feet, he hears Jared groan as he makes it up as well.
“We need to get out of here,” Jiron says.
Nodding, James indicates for him to lead the way. The only problem with climbing out of the hole is the fact that the ground is still rather hot from the explosion. Thinking of the heat, he quickly glances around for the fiery creature that had been pursuing them. “Do you see it?” he asks.
The others look around as well and Jared says, “There it is!” Pointing off through the broken remains of the bottom floor, he directs their attention to a flaming, man-shaped form lying still amidst the rubble.