“Calm down, they’re not ready yet.” Ray’s eyes bore into Eryk, who is still gasping on the floor. “You! What did you do?”
Eryk is unable to answer, so Violet speaks for him. “He created a bat. That’s all.”
Rocky is surprised to see the anger in the girl’s grey eyes. She’s usually so quiet and shy that it’s unbelievable that she would stand up for Ray. So far it has just been him and Mason.
The blond boy snaps his gaze towards Violet, a thin smile forming on his lips. “So you can speak.”
“I prefer not to speak to people like you.”
Ray crouches on the floor in front of Violet, his smile growing wider and more crazed. “Tough. As a leader you have to speak to everyone.”
“Leader?”
“You are Stellar. You lead this group, no?”
“I don’t lead anyone.”
Ray chuckles, showing off a set of rotting teeth.
“You may not now, but you will one day. You cannot hide behind the rest of the group forever.”
“Leave… her…” Eryk sits up to glare at Ray between breaths, clutching his chest with one hand.
“How noble.” Ray grabs Eryk’s chin and swings his head around, examining his mouth. “Do it again.”
“I don’t… know…”
“Well, what brought it up last time?”
“He hit me!” Melia jumps to her feet and points at Eryk threateningly. “That thing flew right into me!”
“You probably deserved it.” Ray rises to his feet slowly and lets go of Eryk, turning towards Melia as she flies into a rage.
“Please let me join you!” Melia throws herself at Ray’s feet pathetically, wrapping her arms around his thin legs. “I can help you, I swear! I don’t care about these dickheads!”
He tries to move but she grips him tighter, looking up at him with her large brown eyes brimming with tears. Disgust fills his gaze as he looks down at her and attempts to move again but she clings on, whimpering.
“I have no intention of recruiting anyone that Draca picked.”
“But what about Sadie and Wes?”
“They proved themselves to me before this all broke out. I do not need a traitor like you.”
“I’m no traitor!”
“You are trying to switch sides because you do not like how the enemy treats you. You picked that side when you followed them to the Krystalans. You have made your bed, now lie in it.”
“No, I swear I can be useful!” Her voice gets more high-pitched as Ray tries to pull himself out of her grip.
Balling his hands into fists, Ray looks down at her with a crazed smile. “You really think you can be useful?”
The way that Ray is looking down at Melia makes the hairs on the back of Rocky’s neck stand on end. “Melia, let go of him,” he says weakly, fear crawling into his voice.
“No, no, let the girl speak,” Ray chuckles, twirling a strand of Melia’s curly blonde hair around his finger.
“I can help you,” Melia begs, her voice breaking. “I’ve been down here with them for ages. I know all their plans, their secrets, their-”
“Enough,” Ray places a hand over her mouth to silence her, bending down so he can be eye level with her. “There is a way you can be useful to me.”
Her eyes light up and she nods enthusiastically, not seeing the cruel glint in his eyes. “I’ll do anything!” she replies, her voice muffled by his hand.
“Good. How much Earth serum do we have?”
“More than enough,” a Wyrm replies, its red beady eyes locked on Melia.
“Good, because we will need it.” With that, Ray’s finger grows to a sharp rocky point in front of Melia’s face. Panicked, the girl loosens her grip on Ray and attempts to crawl away, but it’s too late.
With a swift stab, he plunges his finger in her eye socket.
31
Chapter Thirty-One
Swivelling back and forth in my seat, I turn my attention back to the screens. Hours have gone by, but the same number of Wyrms is out there, waiting for us to come out. They must know that we have no exit.
After an hour of arguing and getting nowhere with a plan, we’re now waiting it out to see if any chances pop up. Marco doesn’t want us going back out there, and neither does Braith. I watch the Wyrm with the possible key around its neck slither through the hallway, snapping at any Wyrms it comes across. The more I stare at the screen the more I convince myself that it is indeed a key, but that could be hope clouding my judgement. Despite what the others say, it could be our only way out of this mess.
With a sigh, I shuffle off the chair and go back into the vat room. The vats make me uneasy, but I know that there is more to learn, and if we want to make a plan to get out, they could help in some way. The three vats full of brown liquid catch my eye, and I go over to the two clipboards that I have not read yet.
Subject Ey-8, deceased. This batch was the most promising one yet, as Ey-8 managed to develop a new element all together, this element we called ‘Metal’. Subject was unable to create metal but could manipulate all metals around them, including crafting it into weapons and projectiles and could also bypass metal doors by stepping through it like dark elementals pass through shadows. Subject had to be kept in a plastic environment to prevent escape attempts, but was not freed during the fire that engulfed the lab three years ago. Terminated. Due to state of remains could not be consumed. Outcome: creation of new element: Metal.
Astounded, I stare at the information. The scientists managed to create a new element. I didn’t even know that was possible. Growing up we were all led to believe that there were only eight elements, as humans can only manipulate natural sources, but this person had metal. The first and only ones of their kind.
Looking up at the brown liquid now is a lot more intimidating, knowing that it holds the key to unlocking a new element. Future generations could one day inherit this naturally like other elements if it was released to the public and injected. Now it makes sense why the predicted outcome for Violet would be that she might be a metal Elemental. Mulling this over, I go to the next clipboard on the third vat.
Subject Ey-10, deceased. Shortly after injection at the age of fifteen, the subject suffered a severe allergic reaction to the serum and suffered multiple organ failure. Before Ey-10 was taken off life support, we were able to gauge the effects of the serum. Due to the mixture, the subject developed all eight elements, but had no control over them. Upon hospital admission, Ey-10 started two fires, one power outage and three incidents of drowning. Eventually, due to the severity of their condition, as with all others in their batch, they had to be euthanised for the safety of others. Terminated. Because of this, all Wyrms who consumed their flesh died of organ failure due to the strong effects of the serum. Outcome: all eight elements developed.
“You okay, Haze?”
Marco’s voice makes me jump as I finish reading. Placing the clipboard gently next to the vat, I reply: “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Just reading through the other batches?”
“Yeah, I don’t really know what their goal was here. They created a new element.”
Marco’s eyes widen. “What?”
“They called it metal. Ey-8 could manipulate it and walk through it and stuff, but they died in a fire with the rest of the batch.”
“Shit…”
For a few seconds the two of us say nothing, before I start the conversation again. “Look, I know you don’t want to go back out there, but they won’t leave.”
“Haze…”
“Come on, that key could get us into that room! There could be a way out. How will we know if we don’t try?”
“It’s dangerous.”
“This whole thing is dangerous! We can’t stay in here forever!”
Leaning against one of the vats, Marco lets out a deep sigh. “I don’t want you getting hurt again.”
“I won’t.”
“You can’t promise that.” He stares into my eyes sad
ly. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t lose me.”
“For a while I did, all because of being locked in that stupid room.”
“It’s over now. We need to get out of here.”
“I’m not letting you go out there.”
Aqueous and Drea squeeze between the vats to stand in front of us, their eyes wide and chests puffed out. It doesn’t hit me that they want to go out there until my companion looks at me with turquoise eyes filled with determination.
“Looks like I don’t have to,” I mutter, patting my companion on the neck.
With a frustrated sigh, Marco kicks the floor and buries his face in his hands. “No.”
“Why not? They want to go! Do you want us to be stuck in here forever?”
“Of course not.”
“Then let someone go out there! For fuck’s sake, stop being so protective!”
Looking up at me with sad eyes, his expression turns steely, making me shiver. “Fine. Let them go out there. But if anything happens, it’s on you.”
Hurt by his anger, I nod mutely and skirt around him to tell Braith of our plan. As soon as I enter the room, however, I bump into her at the doorway. Her brown eyes don’t meet my gaze, and I know that she’s been listening in.
“Uh… I wasn’t…” she rubs the back of her neck sheepishly.
With a sigh, I reply: “It’s fine. You up for it or what?”
“As long as Damayanti is okay with it.” She turns to the black and white dragon, who nods curtly.
“We need to let them out so they can get the key without letting any Wyrms in.”
“How do ya propose we do that?”
“I don’t know.”
Seeing my defeated expression, Braith rests her head on my shoulder. “It’s okay, Hazy. We’re doing the right thing here.”
“It would have helped if you’d backed me up earlier.”
Nodding slowly, she mutters: “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I wish that I hadn’t argued with him.”
“You’ll recover. Once we get out of this place you’ll feel much better, and to do that we’ve got to get behind that door.”
Shaking the image of Marco’s hurt face out of my mind, I lean over the table to stare at the screens, trying to pinpoint where the Wyrm with the key is. I see that it’s about two corridors away. Braith comes up behind me and stares at the screen, hissing a curse under her breath. “Of course. Couldn’t be right outside the door, could it?”
“I guess we’ll have to make it work.”
“The dragons can do it; they’re the best, after all.”
“Of course they are, they’ve made it this far,” I smile, swapping a loving glance with my companion.
Aqueous and Damayanti nod vigorously, the latter staring at the black dragon for approval. My companion, however, does not notice her hopeful stares.
“Okay, let’s get them ready to go.”
32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Damayanti presses herself against Aqueous, murmuring a good luck in his ear. Wishing her good luck too, the black dragon focuses on the door ahead. Each clang from the other side reminds him of the enemy waiting for them once the door is flung open, and the dragons’ first objective is to keep them out while they leave. He knows it will not be easy, but if the Wyrms get in they could overrun them. Pressing his ears against in head in anger, he ignores the fatigue in his muscles as his companion toys with the key in her hand, ready to open the door. Even though all four of them are still recovering from the procedure Dr Gard made them go through time after time, they still have one thing to do before they can rest.
“Are you ready?” Hazel thumbs the key in her hand, her voice steady, although Aqueous can see the fear in her eyes.
“Of course they’re ready! They were born ready!” Braith kisses Damayanti on the cheek before stepping back, waving a scared goodbye.
Each dragon knew what danger might await them. This is the only way.
“Good luck.” Marco leans against one of the walls behind them, his arms crossed in distaste.
With one last glance at her dragon, Hazel unlocks the door with a ‘click’ and swings it open. Bluey, the most cunning dragon out of the four, rushes through first, barrelling into any grey bodies trying to squeeze through the tiny doorway. Being the quickest, Aqueous darts through next, colliding with a slim grey body and crushing it against the wall. The Wyrm screeches in pain and collapses to the floor, winded but not dead.
An urgent bark from Bluey indicates more Wyrms coming down the hallway, several of them flailing over each other to make it to the dragons. The door slams shut behind the four dragons, making Aqueous jump, he hadn’t heard the others come through. But at least now they can move onto their next objective: making it down the hallway.
“Foolish dragons!”
“Just die!”
“Let us into that room!”
Ignoring the cry of fury from each Wyrm, Aqueous flattens himself to the floor to allow Drea, the strongest of them, to leap over him and crash into the wall of Wyrms. The white dragon disappears in the mass of grey bodies for a few seconds before emerging with a Wyrm half-dead in her powerful jaws. The black dragon darts forward and claws at the face of a Wyrm in front of him, snapping the creature’s attention from the white dragon. The Wyrm hisses and attempts to coil around his feet, but it gets yanked away from behind by Damayanti, who stomps on its face several times until it stops moving. Thanking her with a growl, Aqueous turns his attention back to the fight.
A Wyrm starts snapping at his feet with its long teeth, but the black dragon is able to bend down and crush its neck between his jaws. The Wyrm jerks in his mouth several times, sending crimson blood spewing in all directions before it falls motionless to the floor. The black dragon barely has time to catch his breath before two more Wyrms replace that one, latching onto his folded wings and coiling around them. With a roar of fury, he rises onto his hind legs and falls backwards, crushing the two Wyrms under his heavy jet-black body. The Wyrms screech and loosen their grip, allowing Aqueous to grab one by the tail and throw it behind him down the hallway. While that one is distracted, the black dragon grabs the other Wyrm and rolls onto his stomach and thrashes his head side to side, the Wyrm smashing its head into the concrete walls.
“Stop, you brute!”
The first Wyrm slams into the dragon’s side, sending him skidding across the slippery floor. The second Wyrm lies motionless on the floor, several of its own teeth at wonky angles that pierce its face, probably the cause of its death rather than the concrete.
“How dare you attack my brethren!” the Wyrm spits, slapping the dead Wyrm to the side like a broken tool.
Rising to his feet, Aqueous lowers himself to the ground in an attack stance. The Wyrm looks amused by this, and darts forwards with a hiss. It collides with the dragon’s rough scales and attempts to coil around his neck, but the dragon expects this and jabs the grey creature in the side with a claw. It screeches in a mixture of pain and fury and continues to cling, unwilling to let its prey escape. Unfortunately for the Wyrm, Bluey spots his comrade struggling and tears into the Wyrm from the other side with his claws, sending scales and blood flying everywhere. The Wyrm eventually drops off Aqueous, and the two dragons grab one end of the slimy creature and yank until a loud crack signals that its spine is broken.
Aqueous whirls around expecting another Wyrm, but is instead surprised to see several dead Wyrms scattered across the hallway. Drea grunts from the front, a small trickle of blood dripping down her cheek. The white dragon leads the others down the hallway, her ears pricked for any incoming Wyrms. Upon nosing the door open she freezes, growling at something up ahead.
Pushing past Bluey, he makes his way to the front to assist Drea. In front of her is the very Wyrm they are looking for – the one with a silver chain dangling from its neck. The black dragon almost howls for joy at the sight of the large grey key attached to the chain. He and Haz
el had been right.
“I’m pleasantly surprised you made it this far,” the Wyrm chuckles, baring its needle-thin teeth. “I thought you would have all gone down like dominoes by now. I suppose after weeks of fighting my comrades you have discovered how to defeat us quickly,” The grey creature bows its head, the chain slipping off its neck and clanking to the floor. It noses the key towards the four dragons, an evil glint in its eye. “Take it. I don’t want to die today. I know when it’s wise to retreat. But remember the name Thula, and how your enemy helped you as you continue your journey. This won’t be the last time we meet, I’m sure.”
With that, the strange Wyrm backs off down the hallway, slipping into one of the rooms on the left. Bluey goes to collect the key when Drea stops him with her tail. She growls to keep an eye on the ceiling, scanning it for any Wyrms that might drop down. Slowly, the white dragon inches forward and grabs the key in her teeth before darting back, tail lashing as she scans the hallway for a sign of an ambush. Once satisfied, she orders Bluey to take the lead as they lumber back the way they came, tiredness creeping into their joints.
33
Chapter Thirty-Three
“They’re coming back, open the door!” Braith hollers from the security room.
Jumping to my feet, I unlock the door and swing it open, expecting each dragon to rush in with Wyrms hot at their feet, only to be surprised when they each lumber in. The hallway is quiet behind them, but I lock the door anyway, afraid that the Wyrms will jump out at any second. Each dragon is covered in scratches and bite marks, but after getting past the initial shock of seeing them covered in blood, I realise that most of it isn’t theirs. Drea drops a chain at Marco’s feet, giving him a look of disdain.
“Fuck,” Marco bends down and plucks the chain off the ground. “Looks like you were right; it is a key.”
Aqueous turns to me proudly, as if he wants me to gloat, but I wouldn’t do that to Marco. I can see that he’s ashamed that he was wrong.
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