further down the road before they fail. This creature is powerful!
Behind them in the road, a wake of burning wagons which caught fire either by the fiery bolts or by just being in close proximity with the creature, sends a billowing cloud of black smoke into the air.
Soon, the walls of the city appear before them. What safety they may afford them is questionable, but it has to be better than out here in the open.
People are fleeing in through the gates to escape the inferno roaring down the road toward them. The gates begin to swing shut before Jiron and Jared even come close. By this time, James has managed to put a hundred yards between the creature and himself. His store of powered crystals is all but exhausted, only three remain.
He comes abreast of Jiron and Jared where they have stopped near the gates. Jared is pleading with the guards on the walls to open the gate but his pleas have no effect. They are not about to take the chance of the creature entering their city.
James glances behind and finds the creature has escaped the latest barrier and is on its way. “Get back!” he yells. Removing one of the three crystals, he tosses it down to the base of the gate before moving back down the road.
Crumph!
The crystal explodes and the gate is knocked from the wall. With a groan, it tips and falls inside the walls. “Move!” he yells. A quick glance behind shows the creature gaining fast.
Racing for the gate, they bowl over several guards as they pass through. Inside the gates is mass confusion as the citizens stand in awe struck wonder at the gate now lying in the road. When James and the others race through there is little reaction other than pointing and getting out of the way. But when the fiery creature roars through the open space where the gate had stood, pandemonium erupts. People scream and flee in all directions.
They are forced to slow even though they are knocking people down left and right. Fortunately the panic is behind them, most of those ahead are as yet unaware of what’s about to make an appearance.
“James!” yells Jiron. “Where should we go?”
“I don’t know!” he cries out.
“There!” yells Jared, pointing down the road. Ahead is a rather large and sturdy looking building made of stone. Easily four stories in height with windows only along the upper floor, the place looks like a fortress. A single wooden door stands closed with two guards standing watch.
“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
