Fearlings Three (The Fearlings Series Book 3) (5 page)

Several loud screaming roars explode down the hall as Rob looks back at the gaining Screamers. He yells as he runs trying to increase his speed through adrenaline and fear. Thirty feet in front of them, the sidewall fades to reveal a doorway. At the same time, the ceiling fades to mist and Rob knows what that means.

Five larger Screamers fall through the mist to land in front of them. Kynar doesn’t slow. He charges, with weapon ready, to strike as the Screamers charge toward them. “Get to the door!”

Rob stops as Kynar stabs a Screamer then spins around stabbing his weapon into another. He is faster than they are. He stabs the third Screamer just as the fourth Screamer grabs him.

The Screamer tosses Kynar sideways into the wall but Kynar keeps his balance. He sees the fifth Screamer run past charging at Rob. He leaps down through the air to land on the Screamers back. They fall to the floor and Kynar rolls to stand beside Rob. This is what he wanted.

He steps forward and stabs one of the Screamers, and with his other hand, he reaches out and grabs the Screamer by the throat. He steps forward, pushing the Screamer back as it wildly reaches for him with both hands. He stabs the weapon in and out then drops the Screamers body to the floor. He turns to Rob, nods and points with his head toward the doorway. “Ann is on the next level. We have to reach the middle.”

Rob doesn’t wait. He turns and runs through the doorway then stops a few feet inside. The room is a massive circle, three hundred yards across. Rob stares to the other side and sees more Screamers than he can count standing along the far wall. “Can we make it?” Rob asks. He steps forward but hesitates to take another.

“We have to,” Kynar says as the Screamers behind them roar closer. “Run!”

Rob follows behind Kynar without hesitating. He runs as fast as he can. He uses images of his wife, his son, his Grandma, and his friend Tom to motivate him. He has to get to the middle. They have to get to the next level to save his wife.

At the entrance behind them, multiple Screamers rush into the room. They do not slow as they enter. They roar as they charge after Kynar and Rob thirty yards ahead of them. Three of the Screamers leap into the air expanding their wings and propelling forward after Rob and Kynar.

Rob stares across the room as he runs. He sees several of the Screamers across the room flying through the air towards them. He knows that they are faster and that there is no way that he and Kynar can reach the middle first. He yells his question without slowing his stride. “Kynar what do we do?”

“Do not stop!” Kynar says. He knows that there is no way that they can battle through them and that their only chance is to make it to the middle. There they will be protected. He knows that they are not going to reach the middle in time at this pace. He lets Rob run ahead of him then leaps into the air. “Hang on!”

Rob doesn’t have time to turn around. He feels Kynar’s massive hands grab him from above. He is lifted off his feet and he kicks wildly in panic.

“Calm!” Kynar commands.

Rob stares down as they fly upward toward the middle of the room. He sees the Screamers flying up after them. “Don’t drop me!”

Kynar is faster through the air than the Screamers so he takes the lead as they fly upward. The Screamers roar as they chase up and after them but the distance between is growing quickly. Kynar and Rob reach the middle of the room high in the air as the protective light shines down on them.

There is blackness for a second then they fade into vision standing in the middle of a large rectangular room. The walls reflect the light from the gray crystal ceiling giving the air a look of mist.

Kynar’s wings are gone. They fade up and become his cloak, again shielding his true appearance. Kynar is not ready to allow the human to see his true identity.

“Really…?” Rob complains, “You’re not going to show me what you look like? I have known you since I was eight and we can almost die together but I can’t see what you look like?”

“On this level of the city the Screamers are different,” Kynar says. He does not care to reply to Rob’s complaint. He needs the Human to be prepared for what is next. “Their numbers are less on this level but their power is great. I cannot protect you like before.”

“What?” Rob asks. “How many are there on this level?”

“Not many,” Kynar says. He scans around and draws his weapon. He knows what is coming next. “You need to move fast.”

Rob scans around and sees the wall behind them fade as two large Screamers enter the room at a slow walk. They stop as the entrance behind them fades back to wall.

“Why aren’t they attacking?” Rob asks. He steps back as Kynar stands in place. He doesn’t wait for Kynar to answer before he asks his next question. “Can you take them?”

The two Screamers reach back and draw long thin spear weapons that end in a cylinder blade. They take a step forward then stop. The ceiling above them fades to a blue mist and a second later, a smaller Screamer lowers down to stand in front of the other two.

“Layvon,” Kynar says. He knows this Screamer and his tone shows no respect.

“Kynar,” Layvon says. His tone is a high pitch whisper. He steps forward as he speaks. “Give the Vaun, and you shall go free.”

“No,” Kynar says. He steps back to stand next to Rob.

“Different this time for you…?” Layvon says. He stops and stares at Rob then back to Kynar. “No trade.” He looks to the sidewalls as entrances fade open and two Screamers enter from both then he looks back to Rob. “He likes you Vaun. I am curious. Your character must be good.”

Kynar reaches his arm over to Rob. He speaks quietly knowing that the Screamers can hear him, “Straight back without stop. Be ready.”

“You shall be a good prize,” Layvon says. “Your value is high in trade. So yes, run. Create entertainment for me.”

“Now…!” Kynar yells. He and Rob turn and start running as fast as they can towards the wall behind them. Instantly an exit fades into vision and they run through it without stop. They turn down a twenty-foot hall. They hear the Screamers roar from behind them.

Rob looks back as he runs. He sees the four Screamers and Layvon enter into the hall behind them. He yells as he runs trying to keep up with the faster Kynar. He sees the ceiling ahead of them fade to mist and knows what to do. Kynar and Rob run under the mist and instantly rise up into the ceiling. They enter into a square room. Kynar pushes Rob hard and he stumbles back into a wall just as two Screamers rise up through the floor between him and Kynar.

Rob watches as Kynar stabs one of the Screamers but it does not kill the being. The Screamer roars out as it grabs Kynar and tosses him backwards. The second Screamer turns to Rob and speaks in a cold loud whispery voice. “Stay!”

Kynar dodges the charging Screamer, knocking the larger being’s arms up then he spins around him stabbing the weapon in and out of the Screamers back. The Screamer falls to the floor. Kynar ends his motion to position himself staring at the remaining Screamer in front of Rob.

Layvon and the other two Screamers rise up through the floor and
Rob doesn’t move. He watches as one of the Screamers knocks Kynar backwards to the floor.

“You should have traded old Allumn,” Layvon says. He and the other Screamers step forward to stand aligned. All four stand in front of Kynar as he gets to his feet. He holds his weapon ready to defend. “Your foolish pride shall be your end.”

Two cloaked beings, one larger than all in the room and the other as small as Rob, rise up through the misty floor behind the Screamers.

“Now we can take them!” Kynar says. He charges at one of the Screamers and stabs it in the chest as it looks back. He spins around and stabs it in the stomach before it can react.

“End them!” Layvon commands. He knows who they are and he knows that he cannot survive a battle with them. He does not hesitate to lower through the floor exiting the room as the three Screamers charge the two beings.

The large cloaked being raises a hand size weapon that fires two blasts of air. The attack slams the two remaining Screamers backwards through the air violently pounding them into the wall ending their lives.

Rob stands without movement as the two beings in the middle turn to him. The smaller one raises both hands and pulls back its cloak to reveal its identity. Rob struggles to say the name as his eyes widen from disbelief, “Grandma?”

“Oh my poor Rob,” Grandma says.

“You,” Rob struggles to talk, “you’re alive? You, you look the same. It has been eight years and you still look the same.”

“Eight years,” Grandma smiles, “well that is a shame. It has not been that long here. What a waste of time.”

“Ann?” Rob asks. “What about Ann?”

“We,” Grandma says. She takes a breath because she knows that she has to say a lot to her grandson and that it is going to be hard for him to understand. “We could not get to her in time.”

“What?” Rob asks. He will not accept the answer easily. “What do you mean? Where is she?”

“Understand me my grandson,” Grandma says. She steps forward and hugs him tightly. “We cannot travel outside the city just yet. We have to stay hidden within its walls for now. There is a safe area where the Screamers cannot reach us.”

“No,” Rob says. “What do you mean?” He only wants to go after Ann. He doesn’t want to hear anything else. “Why?”

“Your son,” Shanawl says.

“James?” Rob asks. Those are the only words that could get Rob’s attention.

“Yes,” Grandma says. She smiles at her thought, “The young great grandson that I have never met.”

“We must leave,” Kynar demands. He nods to Shanawl.

“We have another surprise for you,” Grandma says.

Shanawl raises her arms and instantly areas of mist appear beneath their feet. Shanawl, Kynar, Grandma and Rob lower through the mist vanishing from the room. A second later, the four rise up to stand in the middle of a large dome shaped room. Rob steps forward as he scans the area not knowing what to say. He turns back to the others.

“What was that?” Rob asks. “We didn’t just drop down to the hall?”

“Shanawl is powerful Rob,” Grandma says. “She can travel us anywhere throughout the city of Typol. Like here to the safe area.”

“Rob,” Shanawl interrupts, “we are deep within the city of Typol.” The large cloaked being steps forward as she speaks. “This area is protected by powers you do not yet understand. So for now, know that the Screamers cannot penetrate the area’s walls.”

The Safe Area is a large dome shaped room that is different from the others. The ceiling is a dull white surface that reflects off the floor and walls creating a dark gray tint to the air. The area is fifty yards across and reaches a peak height of fifty yards in the middle.

“Rob,” Grandma says. She points her grandson to stare in the other direction.

Rob turns around and his eyes widen. He sees someone he was not ready to see. His voice cracks as he speaks. “Tom.”