Venatores Mali: Fuoco
Page 2
from atrophy and malnutrition. Those that could pleaded for aid.
Lady Grey, a woman that keeps her emotions hidden, had a look in her eyes of burning rage. "Kothrec, free the sirens," she ordered as she readied her rifle.
Kothrec began to smash the cages open and break the chains with his bare hands. The sirens stumbled, trying to stand on their own. A few of the fitter ones helped carry the less able. Somewhere beyond the cages, the sounds of gunfire echoed.
At the last cage, he found a young siren that looked like a fifteen year old girl. Her arms had begun to outgrow the cuffs, causing them to cut into her wrists, blood crusting over the sides. Her eyes were wide with fear as he shattered the cage bars.
The sudden feeling of flames on his back brought him back to the present.
He turned to his assailant. The being was different. A barrel-chested man with flaming hair and goatee. He wore only a pair of large pants and pointed shoes. The man gave Kothrec and evil grin.
Something went off in the minotaur's mind. This wasn't part of the spell's program. He readied his ax. "I don't know who you are," he growled. "but you interrupted my work out."
The being laughed, then charged at him. The minotaur snorted as he charged forth, bellowing a mighty battle cry. The man lobed off a few fireballs that Kothrec deflected with his ax. The minotaur swung his weapon in a wide arc that the attacker narrowly moved away from. The two were quickly within striking range and started trading punches.
The man summoned a huge fireball and slammed it into Kothrec's chest. The minotaur tried to pat off the flames, but that only caused his hand to catch on fire. The man disappeared just as the warning alarms went off. The monsters he was fighting faded away and he was suddenly flooded with flame retardant dust that put the flames out. He collapsed onto the floor, his chest and arm in searing pain as someone started banging on the doors of the Training Room.
The doors were forced open. Megyn rushed in with a fire containment unit in tow. She was by his side before the unit could throw up a ward. "What happened," she gasped.
"Played with fire," he replied, slowly starting to stand.
She was under his arm, helping as best she could. "Silly old man," she remarked.
8th Oct-18:05
Medical Ward
Megyn sat next to the bandaged Kothrec. She was trying her best not to laugh.
"What," he grunted.
"Guess this means you'll be going as The Mummy for Halloween," she said between stifled giggles.
Kothrec snorted through his nose.
Doctor Sita walked into the small recovery room, looking over a tablet. "It appears that you had major third degree burns," she noted. "which is impossible."
"Oh, it's possible," Kothrec replied. "And painful."
"No, it's impossible because the Training Room has fail-safes in place to prevent this kind of thing," the doctor explained. She looked over the tablet again. "Anyway, let the balm and cloth hold for a few hours and you should be back to normal." She looked up from her tablet. "The question remains: what did this to you?"
Kothrec described the attacker.
"Hm. Sounds like a djinn," she remarked.
Megyn and Kothrec looked at each other in confusion. "I thought that was a type of alcohol," Megyn questioned.
"Not gin, djinn," the doctor corrected. "It is a mythological creature, much like you two, that comes from Middle Eastern lore. It is said to be a malicious being comprised of fire."
"How did it get in the Training Room," Kothrec asked.
Dr. Sita sighed. "Not a clue. Best I can guess is, legend stats that they live in the realm beyond ours. They might be able to bypass any earthly wards." She began to leave. "Like I said, keep the bandages on for a few hours, let the magic and salves do the rest."
8th Oct-23:55
Kothrec's Quarters
The two were sitting on the huge couch, watching strange horror movies and eating popcorn. Megyn looked up at the big blue minotaur and smiled. She worried about him sometimes. Ever since he rescued her from that nightmarish place, she's made it her mission to take care of him. She always felt like he was the father she never had, and she wasn't ready to lose him just yet.
"Did this guy always play a vampire," Kothrec asked just before shoving a hand full of popcorn in his mouth.
"No, later on he played a wizard," she answered.
"Hmpf. Wizards," he grumbled through the mouthful of popcorn. "Now there's something that humans would make up."
'Kothrec. Megyn.' a voice boomed in their heads. 'The energy signature from the Training Room has been detected. Coordinates have already been set.'
"You healed up enough," Megyn asked.
Kothrec unraveled the bandages. The burnt skin was gone and there was no pain. "Ready for Round Two," he declared.
9th Oct-01:37
Huo Street - 2200 Block
Kothrec and Megyn teleported into an inferno. Buildings, vehicles, plant life. All ablaze. The burnt remains of human victims littered the street and windows of buildings. The heat pressed into them, even through their uniforms and protection runes.
Megyn almost threw up from the overwhelming stench of burning bodies.
Kothrec surveyed the scene, searching for their target. The searing heat and smoke made it hard to see. The smells of everything burning made it hard to breathe. Within the raging chaos, there was someone laughing.
"How is anyone still alive in all this," Megyn asked.
"Our target," Kothrec The two raced off towards the sounds of laughter, finding the man that attacked Kothrec earlier standing in the middle of a ring of fire. He stopped laughing once he saw them.
"You were the ones to take my sacrifice," the djinn growled. "You will take their places."
"I am Kothrec," the minotaur announced. "I am a force to be reckoned with. I have killed countless creatures in this world and the next."
The djinn laughed. Fire leapt from his mouth. "I am a creature from beyond any world of your comprehension. I am Ifrit, Lord of the Djinn and Ruler of the 11th Dimension.." He began to rise on a pillar of flames. "I am a god compared to you. You simple-minded fools have no chance against me."
"Never fought a god before," Megyn stated, concerned.
Kothrec hefted his ax. "First time for everything." He charged at Ifrit, and the djinn responded in kind. The two started to fight, but Ifrit began to lose focus as Megyn started singing a tune lost to mortals. Kothrec knocked him down the street. A blaze flew up from thee spot he landed, and the djinn rocketed out. He slammed into the minotaur, sending both of them barreling back towards Megyn.
Ifrit stood over Kothrec, ready to strike a killing blow, when the sound of a shotgun rang out. The djinn turned, enraged. "Who dares-"
Kothrec took the opening and slammed his ax into Ifrit's back. He staggered away. The minotaur took another swing, knocking the djinn down.
Megyn was standing over Ifrit before he could stand. She let out an ear-piercing scream directly at his head.
Ifrit shot out a stream of fire from his hands, knocking Megyn away.
Kothrec was beating him back as he was trying to recover. Djinn blood flew out and melted the concrete like lava. Ifrit launched a fireball at the minotaur's chest. He staggered back just as a blast of water sent the djinn flying off his feet.
Megyn sang at a frequency that tightened the bolt on top of the fire hydrant.
"No, leave it open," Kothrec ordered. "Open all of them."
"Okay," the siren agreed reluctantly. "Why?"
"Use your voice to channel the water at him," the minotaur directed.
Megyn started opening the hydrants as Kothrec went back into battle with Ifrit. Within moment, she had all of them opened and draining into the street. She began to sing at a level that would damage the ears of any human listening, but the waters began to swirl. It flew up and all came crashing down on the two combatants.
Kothrec, noticing the water had seriously weakened the djinn, slammed his ax into his enemy
's chest.
Ifrit staggered back, burst into flames, then disappeared as the first helicopter full of water dumped the load south of their battle.
"Make the call," he ordered.
Megyn pushed a button on her phone, and both were instantly teleported out.
Before the next tank of water could be dumped, a rotund figure emerged with a crystal in hand. He sat down at one of the spots Ifrit's blood fell and tapped the crystal three times on it. The blood became absorbed into the crystal, and the figure walked into one of the burning buildings.
"Master will be pleased," he said gleefully.
To Be Continued...