by Travis Hall
“Thank you,” Sas said.
Allora nodded. Sas went back into the prison room and helped the rest of the military personnel from their cells. The faces were bloody, bruised, and sullen from defeat. A few of the gnomes didn’t make it, so they covered the bodies with blankets. They all crammed into the large elevator while Sas fiddled with electrical wires in a panel on the wall.
“How are we going to get out of here?” Yeti asked. “They’re going to have all of the exits blocked.”
Sas pulled out a red wire and a blue wire. Then he bit off the ends and sparked them, tying the copper wires together.
“Not we,” he said, stepping out of the elevator. The floor gave a shudder and then descended. “You.”
Allora jumped over the ledge just as the double steel doors of the elevator closed.
“What are you doing?” Sas said.
“I need to get to Zeus’s chamber,” she said. “That is why they are here, and why they were torturing the cyclops.”
“I must find my brother and stop him.”
Allora grabbed his furry arm before he could leave.
“This is far more important,” Allora said, realizing that anger was blocking Sas’s reasoning. “Please. If we don’t find the jade cube, Salazar will have everything he needs to destroy this world.”
The elevator doors were shut, and there was no way out but back through the fortress. He grabbed her shoulder and gave his nod of approval. They ran through the other side of the prison room.
“Now what?” Allora said.
“Zeus’s chamber is at the top of the main chamber,” Sas said as they ran. Every ten feet there was an opening, which was meant for a window defense. The remnants of a guard’s lunch or a discarded sword or pistol were scattered along the corridor. The repetitive buzzing of the overhead lights went in and out as the two of them got closer to the main chamber. Occasionally they would pass a dead body, slumped up against the wall, blood covering the floor. “First we need to give them enough of a distraction so that Abe can lead them far away from Olympus so that they can port everyone out of here.”
“Distraction?”
Sas glanced down at Allora and smiled, pulling out two crystal orbs.
“The explosive kind,” he said. “Now when these go off, they are going to storm our location.”
“What’s the exit strategy once we get to Zues’ chamber room?”
“The roof. There should be an access hatch that will take us to the top of the mountain, and we’ll have to jump from there.”
“Great,” Allora said sarcastically.
At the end of the corridor was a flight of stairs. Sas pressed a few spots on the crystal orbs, and they lit up as if counting down.
“You ready?”
Allora pulled the bow that was across her chest, retrieved an arrow out of the quiver, and notched it in place. She nodded her head, and they ran up the stairs and into the main chamber. Sas tossed the crystal implosion grenades to the sides while Allora took out a drow elf that had spotted them. She notched another arrow and sent it shooting into another drow elf on the third-floor balcony. Allora notched two arrows this time, turning her bow sideways and launching them toward a pair of attacking royal guards. One of the arrows missed its mark, but Sas took care of the rest. Just as he threw the guard into the wall, the crystal balls exploded. The force knocked everyone to the floor, and the explosion shook the entire mountain. The blast cracked the upper walls, collapsing a couple floors down into the main chamber. The dust from the explosion choked the air. Sas pulled Allora from the floor.
“That should get their attention.”
They ran down the chamber as a flood of elves filled the balconies. Their diversion had worked, but they were running out of room. Arrows zipped past them, bouncing off the marble pillars and floor. Allora kept looking up at what seemed to be endless levels.
“How do we get to the top?” Allora asked while shooting another arrow into an elf on the second balcony.”
“You remember how to bubble jump, right?” Sas answered, launching a hadron burst into a group of oncoming elves.
“Oh, yeah.”
Allora pulled in the hadrons around her, focused them into her abdomen, pushed the energy into her legs, leapt forward, and then shot the energy through her feet, bubble jumping to the next floor up. She flew to her right, shooting an elf that was poised to attack. Allora grabbed the railing, swung the bow across her chest, and lifted herself onto the balcony. Behind her, the elves had their swords out, ready to attack. Allora shot two hadron bursts into them, bowling them backward. Then she took off running and did another bubble jump onto the third floor. Sas kept them busy while Allora continued her ascent. By the time she reached the fortieth floor, she had no more energy. She could only focus enough hadrons to keep herself standing. Sas managed to make it up with little effort.
“Probably should have taken the elevator,” Allora said.
“I blew them up,” Sas said, laughing while he helped her to the circular stairway that led to a grandiose, pillared room lined with elegant life-sized statues.
They ran quickly on the carved marble floor toward two large double doors. Sas placed his hand on top of a round stone on a waist-high pillar near the side of the doors. Once sparked, the doors opened toward them, and they sprinted inside as a large group of elves slammed into the closing doors.
“That should keep those out for a little while,” Sas said, placing a large shelf in front of the doors. “We got about ten minutes. What we be looking for?”
“I have no idea,” Allora said, scanning the expansive room. At the center was a large golden desk that shined as if it were brand new. At the back of the room were the golden-framed remnants of a bed. Along the walk, sculpted artwork depicted epic battles. On the ceiling, there were paintings of jungles, deserts, seas, and cities, each with amazing creatures of all kinds. “Just start looking around. It’s gotta be hidden somewhere, so look for anything that seems out of place.”
Allora checked the bed, desk, shelves, and bathroom. Nothing stood out. She closed her eyes and thought back to her dreams. The pounding on the doors got louder.
“We don’t have much more time,” Sas said, pushing another shelf against the doors.
Allora walked along the wall, running her hand along the convex sculpture. Suddenly she noticed something familiar. It was the same symbol that she’d seen in the ancient pyramid at Shangri-La. The triangle with the circle and eye was barely visible in the crevice between proud warlock and battle-torn warrior.
“We’ve gotta go, Allora!” Sas said, hearing the familiar beeping of an active grenade.
Allora sparked the symbol, which opened up a compartment to her right. She quickly looked inside and found it empty. Sas grabbed her arm and jerked her toward the back of the room, where a spiral staircase led to an escape hatch in the ceiling, just as the explosion blew out the double doors. Like the top of a submarine, Sas spun the wheel and pushed the metal hatch open. The wind pushed back, howling against the intruders. Snow and ice stung their hands as they pulled themselves onto the roof of Mt. Olympus. Leaning forward, they fought against the wind, trekking through the snow along the top of the mountain. Through the dark night and mist, a figure materialized in the distance. A dark silhouette appeared, tall and foreboding. Brandishing his sword, Sas pushed Allora behind himself.
“I see your little kiddies are much more resourceful than I had anticipated,” the figure said, coming out of the fog.
“Leave them out of this,” Sas replied, inching closer to his foe. “This is between you and me.”
“I need what you found in that chamber.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Allora yelled through the rushing wind.
Barmanu unsheathed his sword and approached his brother.
“All right. Have it your way,” he said, pulling the sword above his head and attacking downward. Sas blocked the sword and pushed back against the steel. He parr
ied in the snow, moving his right foot back to launch himself into an attack. Allora stood back and watched the two warlock brothers fight. The clash of steel sent sparks into the darkness. Sas came down hard, breaking his brother’s sword. Barmanu shot Sas with a hadron burst, knocking him into the snow. He leapt high, but as he came down, Sas shot his own burst upward. The force flung Barmanu sideways. He slid along the ice to the edge of the cliff. Sas picked up his sword and walked through the snow to look down on his brother.
Just as Sas brought his sword up to finish off his brother, Allora felt something hit her in the back. One of the elves had figured out a way to open the hatch and had fired off a shot. The burst was weak but enough to knock her toward the edge of the mountain. Off balance, she fell onto her back, slid along the slopping surface, and flew off the cliff.
“Bye, bye, birdie!” Barmanu said, laughing diabolically.
Sas ran toward the edge and jumped off. He pulled his legs and arms close to his body, trying to make himself as aerodynamic as possible. Through the darkness and wind, he could see a body flapping and spinning wildly. Sas crashed into Allora, flung her around his neck and onto his back, somersaulted, and then pushed hadrons downward just as the ground appeared. The cushion slowed the fall, but the impact still hurt. Allora and Sas slid down the snowy glacier, rolling and spinning as they fell. Allora pushed through the snow but couldn’t get to Sas. She screamed his name, but the impact had knocked him out. She tried digging into the ice, but the effort was futile. Through the night, there was a void ahead. Complete blackness indicated the edge of another cliff. She screamed as both bodies fell off into the darkness.
chapter
TWENTY-TWO
Cyclops
A hollow scream echoed in the dark. Allora walked forward, glancing around at the familiar red lockers of Sandy High School. The hallways were empty. A soft mist rolled along the carpet, and the smell of fire wafted throughout the cold, dark school. In the distance were the double doors of the front entry. An orange light glowed through the narrow windows, casting an eerie aura. The scream grew louder as she got closer to the lobby. Allora took a deep breath as she grabbed the cold metal handles and pulled open the double doors.
A sudden wave of heat and smoke slammed into her, followed by the smell of death. Littered throughout the parking lot were the bodies of her classmates, bloodied and burnt. Allora stood in a paralyzed state, scanning the destruction for some kind of reason for the carnage. Trees were engulfed in flames, buildings were burning, and the sky was a dark-indigo color. In the distance, an explosion shook the ground, and a large balloon of fire erupted. Overhead a skimmer sliced through the smoke, cascading a series of hadron bursts into the gym.
Allora was knocked to the ground. She noticed a familiar face lying a few feet away, and her heart sank. She frantically crawled to the side of a blond girl whose skin was charred and bloody.
“Katie, please no. Katie!” Allora said, placing the girl’s head in her lap and brushing the hair from her face. Tears burst from Allora’s eyes as she searched her best friend’s neck for a pulse. It was faint, but she was alive. “You can’t be dead. Come on. Please wake up.”
Katie coughed slightly, and her eyes cracked open. Allora smiled.
“We failed them, Allora,” Katie said softly, her eyes rolling back in her head.
“Don’t say that. I’m going to get you help.” Allora searched the sea of bodies for signs of life. From the ground, she saw more familiar faces: Mr. Swan, Mrs. Ferris, Mrs. Winters, Brandon, Jenny, Aunt Lizzy, Aunt May, her mom, Bell, Sas, Sumatra, Dax, and Tanner were among the dead. Allora got up and walked through the parking lot. Her breathing became erratic as she stared down at the pained faces of all of those she loved most. When she looked up, she was surrounded by skimmers, hovering in a circle in the sky. From the shadows, hooded men and creatures emerged from the woods.
Fear consumed her like quicksand. It wrapped itself around her, like a snake constricting its prey. There was no escape and no reprieve from the pain. She felt hopeless as the darkness consumed everything. Then she felt a warm sensation come from within. Energy started to circulate through her veins, and a faint glow started to form within her chest. The light grew larger and escaped her body, floating in front of her.
The sphere of light swirled and formed into an obsidian orb. It was the Eye of the Titans.
From the depths of the Eye, a voice spoke to her. “Don’t give in to your fear. Don’t let it control you, Allora.” The voice was soft yet strong. Uncle Ben’s voice was unmistakable. “Strength and power come from those who stand tall against the tides of evil. And from that small source of hope will come a flood of light that will consume the darkness.”
The orb slammed into Allora, causing her whole body to become rigid. Out of her arms, eyes, mouth, and body came a blinding light that exploded every hooded figure and skimmer in the area. A gust of wind blew out the fires, and the bodies that covered the parking lot disappeared.
Allora screamed and sat up in bed. She tossed off the comforters and breathed in heavily. Her hand was shaking uncontrollably as she wiped the sweat from her face. After discarding the sweat-covered pajamas and changing into shorts and a T-shirt, Allora went to the kitchen for some water. She guzzled a glass in seconds. Then she went into the living room.
“How did I get here?” she asked herself, looking out the apartment window at the ancient underground city of Shangri-La.
The ethereal ambiance of the glowing city was mesmerizing. It was three in the morning, but the area was alive with traffic. Transports and skimmers flew back and forth from different destinations, leaving lines of light in the glow of the cavern.
Allora stood inches from the large window for ten minutes, slowly sipping her second glass of water and staring into the distance. The cool air from the vented window chilled her sweat-covered skin. She thought back to the dream that had felt so real. Why are these dreams becoming more intense? she thought.
A muffled sound came from the hallway. Her heart pounded loudly, and she instinctively clutched her chest. She waited for a few long seconds, searching the dark room for the origin of the disturbance. Placing her glass gently on the counter, she tiptoed through the living room. Hugging the wall, she peered around the corner into the hallway. It was dark, but her eyes had adjusted. She couldn’t see anything moving, so she ventured farther into the hallway. After a quick glance into her room, she went farther down. At the end was the foyer. Slowly inching along the wall, Allora walked on the balls of her feet, moving closer to the dark entryway. Squinting her eyes, she scanned the room. Nothing moved or made a sound. Allora moved forward, stepping onto the cold marble tiles.
There was something wrong. The hair on her arms rose. From the shadow to her right, a figure glided out toward her. The glint of silver slashed through the air as Allora fell to her left. She crawled backward on all fours, slipping on the slick marble. The shadowy figured lunged downward with the steel blade and sliced through Allora’s thigh. She gasped and kicked at the black hooded figure. The attacker stumbled back, allowing Allora to get up. With some upward momentum, she swung around with her left leg and connected with the figure’s face, knocking it back into one of the pillars. A vase crashed to the ground, and the noise reverberated throughout the apartment.
The hooded figure pushed off the pillar and lunged forward with the dagger. Allora stepped to her left, arching her side. The attacker’s blade sliced through her skin, cutting her shirt. She winced in pain but used the attacker’s momentum, pulling his arm, and grabbing the figure’s bicep. With her left hand free, she shot up her palm, connecting with the figure’s chin. The attacker pulled free and shot his hand forward, sending a forceful invisible burst into Allora’s chest. She was pulled off her feet and crashed into the wall.
With her vision fuzzy, she saw the metal glint of the dagger slicing toward her. From the darkness, a light shot through and connected with the hooded shadow. It arched its back but kept fall
ing toward Allora, with the dagger pointed toward her chest. Instinctively, her hands came forward, and the hooded figure slammed into an invisible wall and then crashed into the ground. The dagger bounced on the marble tile, echoing the sound of its deadly metal against the walls of the enclosed room.
Milly rushed into the room, followed by Katie, Dax, and Tanner. Still wearing her sleeping gown, Milly dug her knee into the limp figure’s back and pulled its arms behind it, securing them together with handcuffs that glowed as soon as they clasped together.
“You all right?” Milly asked as Allora regained her composure. The lights came on, and Milly’s eyes widened when she saw the cuts on Allora’s side and thigh. A rage came over her. She pulled back the figure’s hood, grabbed his hair, and slammed his forehead into the marble tile. The figure screamed and then groaned in pain as blood gushed from his head. She flipped him over and grabbed his neck, pulling him upward against the pillar. The figure’s face was illuminated by the glowing orb that lit the room. It was Lieutenant Mylar, one of the guards who had demanded that they be scanned upon entering the city.
Milly became angrier when she recognized the individual and squeezed harder. Her veins protruded from her skin as she pushed the man farther off the ground. He shook violently, making horrific sounds as he gasped for air.
“Mom, stop,” Allora said, placing her hand on her mother’s forearm. She could feel the tension release, and the man dropped to the ground, sucking in aggressively. “You can’t interrogate a corpse.”
Milly’s eyes softened, and her shoulders released as she stared back at her daughter. She softly pushed back the strand of hair on Allora’s cheek and examined the two wounds that were bleeding profusely.
“We need to get you to the hospital,” she said, ripping the bottom of her sleeping gown and pressing it against her daughter’s side. “Hold that there.” Then she grabbed the dagger from the cold tile floor, closed her fist around the hilt, and slammed the blade into the captive man’s knee. The deafening screams sent chills down everyone’s spines. Allora, Tanner, Dax, and Katie stepped backward with their mouths dropped open. The man kept screaming until Milly cupped his mouth and pulled the steel from his leg. A fountain a blood burst from the wound, as Milly simply stared at the slouched man’s pained eyes. “Dax, I need you to rip up one of the T-shirts in the bedroom and bring it to me. Tanner, I need you to use the communication consul in the living room. Call the emergency number listed in the bottom screen, and tell them that we need a full response team here immediately, along with an emergency medical transport. Katie, I need you to go to the bathroom and grab the first-aid station that is in the back cabinet.”