...only for it to bang violently against the head, the falchion fell out of Hichami's hand, still vibrating as it landed on the floor from the force of the impact when the creature lashed out with it's tail, sending Hichami crashing into the table before Koshin disappeared from sight as did the beast.
“Help” yelled Koshin amongst the other cries he could hear that seemed to come from everywhere.
“Hichami, free me from these chains” said Koatsu as he lift his restraints as the wounded governor rose up to his feet and looked at him as if he were mad.
“That things got Koshin, we don't have much time, now's not the time for this Hichami. Free us, we can help in a way you can't, you know that” begged Koatsu as he heard the Koshin's yells growing further away amidst the chaos and Hichami looked at him, his face straining under the pressure when he reached into his belt and produced two small keys.
He quickly broke free the chains attached to the floor under his sear before unlocking the casings that had covered his hands since earlier that morning.
The casing split open like fruit and fell down to the ground and finally, he could flex and move his fingers. But now wasn't the time for that.
He asked for the second key from Hichami, who promptly gave it to him and ran to Skora, freeing his hands and he fumbled with the chains.
“Koatsu, what's going on?” said Skora, his voice full of fear.
“I don't know Skora, I don't know but we've got to get out of here” he whispered trying to conceal the trembling in his voice when he finally broke free the chains from the floor of the compartment and Skora hopped onto the floor, moving his hands about.
“Come on then Magi, let's go” said Hichami as he held his falchion in his hand and started charging out the compartment into the corridor, only to be flung back against the window, unable to move his entire body as he was lifted and pressed against the window like a fly trapped in a web.
He roared in anger, spit flying everywhere as he cursed ancestors, mothers, fathers and sisters as Koatsu slowly backed out of the room, his hands hovering above his shoulders, each one of his fingers pointing at each vital point of Hichami, as Skora slipped behind him and out into the corridor.
“Sorry Hichami, but I think I'll be getting off at this stop. After nearly a day spent in this small compartment, the idea of doing this for the next few years, it doesn't really sound at all inviting, you'll understand, won't you?” he said as he stepped out the compartment.
“Curse you Koatsu, you Magi trash” spat Hichami “I'll get you for this, believe me I will, I will hunt you down like the rodent you are.”
“No man, this isn't a see you later, this is a good riddance” he said as he grabbed the door and slammed it shut and closing his eyes, he felt the flow of energy wash down his arms and with a punch, he smashed the handle of the door, jamming it from the outside.
'That should keep him trapped in there for a long time' he thought to himself as he turned round to Skora.
“Now let's find Koshin and get out of here” he said only to see Skora was pointing behind him, his arm trembling as he tried to speak but it only came out in wheezes.
Koatsu turned round to see the creature holding Koshin up by his neck, his legs dangling as he tried to free himself from the grip of the beast, struggling to breath when suddenly a white light spiralled from the creatures arms and enveloped Koshin in a white light.
His body stopped shaking as the light grew brighter and Koatsu shook violently as he felt the force of energy.
He had always been able to sense the energy of all living things since he had been young enough to remember yet this...this was the largest and scariest force he had ever felt in his life and in an instant the light burst, momentarily blinding him and when he could see once again, he saw Koshin lying still on the floor.
The creature roared as its body grew bigger before them and it's tail grew longer and out of it's side, burst forth a new pair of legs.
It turned it's head.
“Ruuuunnn” yelled Koatsu as he and Skora darted down the corridor, heading towards the back of the train when another of those creatures leapt before them. This one filled most of the corridor and made the other one seem like it's offspring as it roared out and lashed out at them and he barely ducked in time.
“Skora” yelled Koatsu and Skora threw his arms in the air, releasing the sliding door to their left free from it's constraints and slamming the creature with it against the carriage wall, causing the entire carriage to shake violently, rocking back and forth.
They jumped over the beast and kept running, reaching the end of the carriage, only he saw through the small window pane of the door that led to the next carriage, that that too was full of the creatures and people were hopelessly trying to run or fight them.
“Stop” he said to Skora, putting an arm before him as he turned round to see the creature spinning round towards them, letting out a mad cry and he glanced up to the roof of the carriage.
“Skora, you think you've got enough energy?” he said pointing upwards as the creature neared them and Skora spread his arms wide before bringing them together, tearing a hole in the roof and he grabbed Koatsu's hand and jumped upwards and they flew up into the air and landed onto roof.
They felt the cold air rushing over them and inside the darkness of the tunnel, all they could hear were the snarls and growls around them when he realised he was glowing and looked down to see a red light surrounding him and he felt the pendant vibrating against his skin. He looked back and could see the tunnel entrance just before them.
“Skora” he yelled to his friend and they started running down the carriage, leaping over the holes the creatures had made to get inside and as he looked about him, he could see the outlines of the creatures in the darkness, some small, some monstrously huge, crawling about the tunnel.
They kept leaping from carriage to carriage until they were on the penultimate carriage nearest the exit and he and Skora leapt onto the next carriage and they were out the tunnel though still in complete darkness, when falling before them was one of the creatures, roaring at them and shaking the carriage so violently, Koatsu struggled to stay on his feet and had to grab Skora's hand as he looked close to falling off the carriage.
He span his head round, to see a trio of them slithering towards them and he realised they were stuck. He couldn't see where the platform was and he looked down below and thought of the great drop between the tracks and the ground down below.
'Could we make it' he thought to himself.
He looked to Skora, who gave him the same look and he held onto the shoulders of his small friend as he took a deep breath and he felt Skora leap off the carriage and Koatsu felt the winds push against him as they started to plummet down to Earth.
*
Far, far away, three boys and two girls stood before the hooded figure, who slowly pulled down his hood.
ChiarOscuro Book Two - Episode Four - Welcome Back Page 5