Wrath of the Void Strider (45 page)

His expression cold, Noboru squeezed the trigger, but he startled as Lodoxol knocked his pistol upward the instant before it fired.  His expression fierce, the ellogon wiped the blood from his mouth and snarled, “Remember where the cameras are, you moron!”  Glaring toward Amanda, he said, “Gavin needs to see her die, do you understand?  Now, get her back here immediately!”

“Sure thing,” grumbled Noboru.  He took off after her.

Francisco and Lily dropped prone. Lily covered her head and neck with her arms as panic threatened to overwhelm her.  Francisco took her by the hand and offered a confident look.  “You’ll be fine,” he said, and he smiled slightly.

Shaking, Lily dared to regard him.

“We should be able to get to Amanda through the dining room.”

Lily nodded, determined, and she found her calm.  Getting to her knees, she followed Francisco as they hastily crawled for the kitchen and the dining room beyond.

Stumbling along the walls of the salt cavern, Amanda ran as fast as she could.  She heard heavy breathing closing on her from behind as she rounded the cave entrance and bolted across the dessicated Singing Stones expanse.  Her heart pounded as she took cover behind one of the spires, and she pressed her back against its craggy stone.  Her breathing was ragged against the press of the gag as she listened for signs of her pursuer.

“I tire of this!” howled Noboru.  Holstering his pistol, he took up the machine gun slung across his chest and leveled it at the narrow tower of limestone that lay between him and his quarry.  Gritting his teeth, he held down the trigger as bullets chewed through brittle stone.

Lodoxol’s eyes went wide.  “Imbecile!” he seethed, and he bolted across the room, through the broken window and into the cavern’s extent.  “
Stop firing
!”  He dashed around the cave entrance.  Thunder cracked from several nearby spires.  “Oh no,” he whispered.

Noboru never saw the limestone obelisk that crashed down on him.  It crushed him completely, instantly, as several others began to topple.  Amanda tasted ash as her eyes filled with tears.  “Oh, God, please no!”  The spire directly across from her cracked and splintered.  “Help me!  
Somebody help me
!”  It converged with two others as they plummeted toward her.  She balled up, holding her hands protectively in front of her as she braced for impact.

Lodoxol’s jaw fell slightly open.  He had watched as the cuffs and gag binding Amanda suddenly crumbled away.  She curled into herself, but when she should have been crushed under tons of limestone, the columns simply turned to dust--gallons and gallons of it, but dust nonetheless, and Amanda Santiago was miraculously spared.

Inspiration surged through him, and he giddily smiled .  “Thank the Seven Suns,” he muttered, and he hurried to Amanda’s side.  “I’m so glad you got away,
eh hm
,” he crooned.

Her eyes wild, she looked at her hands, turning them up and down.  “I’m not dead!”  She glared at Lodoxol.  “Wait, I’m not dead!”  The echoes of gunfire rang out from inside the salt cavern.

“Come, let me help you up,” he offered.

She shoved against him.  “Don’t touch me, you pig!”  She strained against the hillock of dust surrounding her, and she got to her feet.

Lodoxol straightened as he slipped a stainless steel ring onto his finger.  He removed a sterile cap from its underside, revealing a tiny needle.  A droplet of clear fluid glistened in the failing light.  With a warm smile, he reached across Amanda’s back, stung her, and guided her into his arms.  “Please,” he oozed.  “I just want to help.”

“Ouch!” she yelped and reached for the back of her neck.  “Wait…  What did you… do to me?” she muttered, and her arms went numb.  Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and Lodoxol caught her before she dropped.  He carried her to the back bench of his sky car, where he laid her down.  Stepping around to the driver’s side, Lodoxol slid behind the controls, closed the door, and lifted off.

About the Author

Erik P Harlow lives in sunny Southern California with his wife, two children, and his dog, Max.  An avid gamer since he was ten years old, he has a passion for character-driven storytelling.  He wrote the quests and storyline for JIRBO’s Sovereign: Kingdoms and still runs a weekly Saturday gaming group.

He’s on Facebook and Instagram.