by Jason Letts
Entering the steep crevasse several steps behind the others, Gloria lunged to make each step. She leaned against the side wall for support, letting her bound wrists drag against the stone. It was only a matter of time before the string disintegrated and she became free to begin her hunt. Her fingers grazed the rock as well, streaking her slime behind her. She waited for Jeremy, who complained about how much more difficult her mess made the climb for him. Whether she liked it or not, they had to work together if they were going to succeed.
“I can sense him now. He’s nearby!” Mary shouted, her voice echoing down to Gloria, who wanted to sit back and watch. It was possible she would have to deal with Arent too. Perhaps while he fought Aoi or Vern or whomever, she would sneak up behind him and cover his eyes, letting her poison sink in through his eye sockets. That’s how the war always should’ve ended, and she would be crowned the champion of a new age.
The crevasse grew shallower until Mira and the others were once again clinging to the rock’s bare face. A slight breeze tousled their hair as it passed over the huge expanse of interconnected boulders heaping together to form this colossal mound. Thick clouds rolled overhead, adding to the grim shade provided by the adjacent mountain.
All of a sudden, the first tremor passed through the rock and everyone froze. Feeling the wall next to her shake ever so slightly, Gloria slunk back into the end of the crevasse. She huddled down and watched those ahead crouch and shuffle toward nearby outcroppings. Taking deep breaths and listening, the only sound was Jeremy straining behind.
An explosion near the plateau above spewed massive stone chunks into the air. The loud thundering of cracking rock joined a voluminous wail, the sound of Arent’s mighty exertion. Pieces rained on the surface, crashing down and creating an avalanche. One boulder smashed into the outcropping under which Will and Roselyn hid, sending them screaming and running to the left before the dislodged fragments swept over them. Gloria watched them run from below, hoping the next flying stone would crush them, but they managed to dodge everything that came at them.
Another piece, much larger than their bodies, barreled at them. It hit the ground and kicked off right above them, its trajectory ensuring direct impact. Aoi leapt out from behind a fixed impediment, caught the flying boulder, and bumped it over her friends. As she ushered Will and Roselyn to safety, the hurtling projectile continued on, forcing Gloria to jump out of the crevasse before it struck her. The surface was steep, and she rolled back, shuddering to think how much harder it would be if she lost Jeremy. Still stuck inside, Jeremy hollered, but it seemed he too avoided being hit.
Gloria slid, eventually catching a lip in the stone with her shoe. Peeking down, she could’ve rolled a long, long ways. A cloud of dust and fine pebbles swept over them, the last remnants of the explosion. She strained her arms and rubbed her wrists, but the string refused to give.
“Is everyone OK?” Vern called.
“Just peachy,” Gloria groaned to herself.
“Where’d he go?” Chucky asked, but no one had an answer.
Casting her eyes toward them, Gloria noticed how far to the left the blast had pushed them. Getting to her feet, she chuckled, spying the ravine between the mountain and the plateau. Arent was smart to force them closer, she thought. As far as she could tell, no one else knew how much more trouble they were in.
Hesitantly, they left their hiding places and started upward. Profound quiet had taken over; even the sound of rumbling rocks had disappeared. Stepping up, Gloria peeked into the small crevasse on her way over to the others. Seeing Jeremy grabbing on to a stone made her gasp. Jerking her head to see that they were far enough away not to be heard, she snapped at him.
“You got free!” she accused.
“Must’ve been that boulder. Lucky,” he replied, but she didn’t believe him.
“Come help me out!” she begged.
“You shouldn’t have made the string all gooey,” he shrugged, his hands in the air.
Growling, Gloria struggled against her binds but to no avail. When he reached the top of the crevasse, Jeremy returned his hands behind his back to simulate his containment. Soon they were climbing diagonally to catch up to their captors.
“We’ve got to pick off the last one in line,” Gloria explained.
“How are we going to get them to give us the carafe?” Jeremy asked, climbing to the next step.
“Keep out of sight. We’ll have to wait until they’re not paying any attention to strike. They won’t know what hit them!”
The tantalizing scheme evoked mischievous laughter from both of them. Gloria rubbed her wrists together even though they felt raw. It wasn’t long before the strain of trying to catch up made her breathe heavily. Jeremy flagrantly used his hands to pull him up even when it would just take a quick glance back for any of them to catch him. But they were much too concerned by the threat Arent posed to notice.
Another tremor rippled through the surface as they crept further toward the top. To the right of Mira was the blast point of the previous explosion, now a smoky crater, and to the left was the deep, unforgiving ravine. The subtle shaking in the rock made everyone stop, but nothing more intense came, and they hustled to the next embankment.
Before they could get there, another burst launched tons of rock into the air just off their right side. Tumbling boulders forced them to the left, precariously close to the side of the cliff. One rock looked like it would crush Mira until Vern pulled her out of its path with his gravitational force. She spun through the air, narrowly avoiding falling debris, until Vern set her back on her feet.
Another explosion in the surface followed right after. Though Gloria was far below, she thought she could see Arent’s ravenous gleam through the dusty air. The avalanche made them all scatter and scamper for wherever looked safest at the given moment. They were feet away from the cliff, constantly forced closer by stampeding boulders.
“Mary, look out!” Chucky shouted over Knoll’s cries.
She dove to the left, right toward the ravine. The brittle rock underneath her feet gave way, and she slipped over the edge. In a flash, someone dove and caught her though. It wasn’t until some of the dust cleared that Gloria could see it was Aoi, holding her from the edge.
“Do you see it now?” Aoi asked Mary, a kind smile on her face.
“OK, thank you. I’m sorry,” Mary returned.
Aoi pulled her up, and she brushed herself off. They looked toward the top of the hillside where scattered rubble continued to trickle down. There was no sign of Arent, just countless nooks in which he could be hiding.
“Come on! We can’t stop now!” Mira urged, lifting herself to the next step. Her friends followed, and they scrambled along the steep incline. Veering to the right, they tried to distance themselves from the ravine.
“This is crazy,” Will called out suddenly. “He’s got the advantage of higher ground, but we’ve got the carafe. We should be using it!”
“But who can do something about falling rocks?” Mira asked.
“I can,” Aoi answered. “That means Mary can too if we give it to her.”
At Aoi’s insistence, Mira nodded to Chucky, who hobbled in front of Mary to allow her to dig into Knoll’s pouch. She removed the carafe, shuddering visibly when she touched it. On the bare rock arching into the sky, she turned to her friends and to Aoi. Her eyebrows scrunched together as though she might cry.
“You really don’t hold any animosity for me,” Mary said.
“We’re all just human,” Aoi empathized.
Now that Mary had the carafe and slipped it onto her wrist, Gloria knew it was even more important for her to stay out of sight. She peeked from inside the blast crater, ready to duck under should Mary turn her way. It seemed Jeremy too had the good sense to slip behind a boulder. It would only take one look for her to know they were not benign followers.
Far from showing signs of suspicion, Mary pointed at a shallow cave embedded in the rock face near the top. Together
with Aoi, they climbed several paces and lifted hulking boulders. As quietly as if they were tossing a ball, they hurled the stones up at the cave. One crashed into the archway forming the entrance, smashing it, and the other sailed over it, rolling back down.
Instantly, Arent abandoned his hiding place and retreated closer to the top. He grabbed a large rock, though miniscule compared to those of Aoi and Mary, and threw it down at them. The two girls quickly prepared another volley and launched the stones at their troublesome opponent. Moving much too nimbly to be hit, he scampered to the very top and rolled over the edge.
Now that Arent was on the defensive, the group raced to the top as quickly as they could. They passed around outcroppings and climbed onto ledges. While Aoi and Mary stood guard, Vern helped the others float over some of the steepest sections.
A roaring grunt accompanied a projectile flying over the edge of the plateau. It was easy to avoid, but when it struck the ground in between them they saw it was a part of an ancient column. Covered in intricate engravings, it continued to roll past Gloria and Jeremy who trailed behind. Watching it tumble toward the bottom, Gloria happened to see a tiny figure beginning its ascent. Seeing Goober made her blood run cold, but he couldn’t do anything to detract from her determination to steal the carafe for herself.
Approaching the top, Mira lost her breath. For all the anticipation, she could hardly keep herself from shaking. Chucky must’ve noticed it, because he gave her a smile, even though his sweat made it difficult to climb the steeper parts. Often Vern helped lift him up while Aoi and Mary tossed stones at Arent. Will and Roselyn brought up the rear. They were all working as a team, like clockwork, and the thought heartened Mira and inspired her to climb.
Pushing another round section of column over the edge, Arent poked his head up to watch it roll at them. Mira noticed the demented, consumed look on his face. It meant just as much to him as it did to her.
“It ends where it starts, right here!” he bellowed.
“You will learn the error of your ways!” Mira shouted back.
The gap between them closed, but the group shuffled to the left in search of an easier place to breach the top. The hillside became slightly more level, though it brought them closer to the ravine, and they ran for it as quickly as possible. Aoi and Mary led the charge, both of them were steps away from the top, ready to take on Arent.
“No!” Mira shouted, and everyone stopped. “Mary come back! The carafe!”
Mary had only turned around when Arent came thundering over the ledge at her. Aoi caught him by the middle and knocked him back, falling onto the top with him. The rest of them raced to catch up to Mary, and together they stepped onto the edge to survey the windy plateau.
Another burst of energy caused an explosion, tossing heaps of rubble into the air around the short girl and the hulking drifter who wrestled feverishly in the middle of the wide-open expanse. Despite his attempts to electrocute her, Aoi appeared fine, and she used her nimble strength to climb onto Arent and pummel him. When his elbow caught her in the chin and knocked her off, he quickly stopped generating energy and began focusing on hand-to-hand fighting.
While the others watched the brawl, helpless to do anything, Mira ran her foot over the loose gravel. Stones, dirt, chunks of engraved clay, porcelain, and even bones passed under her feet.
“It’s in here somewhere, the other half,” she said. “How are we ever going to find it?”
Vern stepped forward, nodding resolutely.
“Guess this is why you brought me along,” he smiled. “It’s about time I got a turn with this thing.”
Mira smiled back, knowing exactly what he would do. He had yet to touch the carafe, and he eyed it greedily on Mary’s wrist. Looking him in the eyes, Mary let him slide the jagged diamond cylinder from her arm. As exhilarating as it appeared for Vern, who gasped at the sudden flash and increase in strength, displeasure distinctly came to Mary’s face. She staggered and sat down, her hands on her chest.
“It’s so loud,” she moaned.
“Don’t worry,” Vern said. “I’ll be gone in a second.”
Flashing a bright smile, he raised the carafe high into the air where it caught the rays of the sun and sparkled in a dazzling array of colors. Pointing to the top of the mountain, he lifted into the air, floating high and away.
“Yahoo!” he cheered, flying to the distant mountaintop towering over them. They had never seen him float to something so far away. His control was impressive also; instead of spinning constantly, he kept himself straight and appeared to fly. His destination was a long ways away, and he appeared to grow smaller as he traveled through the air.
For Aoi and Arent, the brutal fight continued. They rolled around and wrestled, slamming their fists into any vulnerable body part. Though Aoi delivered a devastating knee to his stomach, she was able to absorb the charge when Arent attempted to electrocute her. Such was her ability to seamlessly flip between absorbing and expelling energy.
“You’ve got to get him off the plateau!” Mira shouted at Aoi. In the distance, it looked like Vern had reached the mountaintop, standing firmly on its very peak.
“OK!” Aoi shouted, only to feel the back of Arent’s hand strike her cheek. She reeled to the right and cupped the side of her face. “Hey, I was talking! And did you just slap me?”
Squaring off against the brute, the two combatants raced at each other. Aoi slipped around his attempt to grab her and pushed him further to the right. Dropkicking him in the back, Arent fell onto his face and slid over the loose gravel. When she raced after him, Arent reached for the ground in the direction she approached and discharged a surge of energy right underneath her. Rubble exploded, sending Aoi shooting into the air. As she fell, Arent caught her with the back of his boot, and she crashed into the ground and groaned.
“Aoi!” Mary yelled, concern painted on her face.
“They can’t help you,” Arent gloated, striding up to her. “No one can help you.”
Aoi whimpered on the ground, dirt smeared against her cheeks and her eyelids barely open. She had brought him some distance toward the eastern edge, but several yards remained. Bruises spotted the arm Arent raised over her. He snickered, eyeing her greedily.
Swinging his fist to her body, he slammed her square in the chest. Instead of going limp, she hugged his massive forearm and forced him to lift her from the ground. To his dismay, she only released her grip when it was an easy hop onto his shoulders. Aoi batted away his hands and began yanking at his hair. Arent screeched, staggering to the side and trying to knock her off.
“Slap me again and I’ll rip your heart out!”
Arent toppled over, throwing himself at the ground. He snapped at Aoi’s leg as it passed in front of his face but couldn’t connect. Grabbing one of his hands, Aoi dragged him over the rubble. Lacerations opened up on his face, and he groaned out of anger.
Mira watched her nemesis grab Aoi’s leg and pull her down. The two wrestled, one raining quick blows and the other employing heavy punches. Aoi fought for all of them; she was the only one who could. She had always been a fighter, and now she used the clarity and focus of her mind to do more with her fists than was humanly possible.
A swift breeze passed over the plateau, making the loose rubble roll and clatter. But the debris continued to scatter after the gust ended, making Mira wonder. Like a wave against the beach, the loose matter swelled from all corners of the plateau and crashed in a heap. Standing on the edge, the pebbles at their very feet skipped away toward the middle.
“Look!” Chucky called, pointing to the nearby mountaintop. Vern held the carafe shard high in the air, where it caught the light and shimmered. Another wave of debris lurched into the air, and the ground shook as it came under Vern’s influence.
“Hurry!” Mira yelled to Aoi, who continued to draw Arent to the right.
A cloud of dust kicked into the air around the larger pieces of debris. Grains of sand and miniscule stones began to drift upward
. Bone fragments and porcelain chips balanced on a single edge before being sucked into the great force drawing them upward. Then everything seemed to gravitate toward Vern on the far away mountaintop at once. Rocks and boulders fell into the air, spiraling and colliding with each other. Layers upon layers of sediment cleared away from the plateau until carefully constructed walls were visible around the upper edges of the newly cleared palace.
Aoi and Arent fought against the pieces leaping up at them from the ground as much as each other. Bringing in their arms, they tried to shield themselves, but it wasn’t long before they too got caught in the massive force lifting everything into the air. Though their feet had left the ground, the fight hadn’t nearly ended. Tumbling as they slowly floated upward, they struck out at each other and bounced amongst the larger debris. Arent clubbed Aoi in the face, and she flew back outside of the range of Vern’s force. She fell over the edge, though what was over there was anybody’s guess. It couldn’t have been too steep, because Arent kicked off of a piece of column and propelled himself after her.
“Is it possible to get over there? We’ve got to distract Arent and give her a chance!” Mira said, worried about Aoi’s safety.
“We’ll go look,” Will said, and he and Roselyn trotted down the incline and away from the ravine on their way to the far right side.
“No, look out!” Mary shouted, but it was too late. Jeremy leapt out from behind a boulder and caught Roselyn around the neck. Looking bloodthirsty, he jerked her back and twisted her like a rag doll. His eyes wide, Will leapt after them, but he fell back and crawled away when Gloria suddenly emerged. Her dripping hands upraised, she too had a devilish gleam in her eyes.
“Surprise! We’re free!”
Mira’s stomach turned at the sudden treachery that had befallen them. Behind her, a never-ending stream of sediment flowed up into the sky, but it was Jeremy and his grip around Roselyn’s neck that captured her attention. Her face turning scarlet, Roselyn struggled but couldn’t break free.
