PURE OF HEART Page 17

  “Look. Say one guy goes in. Oieda.”

  “I’m a girl.”

  “Fine. One gal.”

  “I want to be—” Bravic started to say.

  “I don’t care who goes in,” Dean yelled. “It could be a monkey for all I care. Let’s pretend a monkey goes in.”

  Han held up his hand.

  “What?”

  “Where do we get a monkey?”

  Dean groaned. “Seriously. Everyone shut up, or I will go crazy. We send Han in.” Han’s mouth opened but closed with a clap as Dean glared at him. “Han goes in the room, and the door closes. It’s a trap. Now Han is on that side of the door, and the three of us are out here. The door opens. Han’s dead. What then?”

  “I’m dead?” Han gulped.

  “I’m just—” Dean shook his head. “You know what? Just trust me, okay? We’re all going to go in on three. Bravic and me to the left, Oieda and Han to the right. One. Two. Three.”

  The four sprinted into the room and dashed behind the pillars. As Dean poked his head over one, he saw the door behind them slam closed.

  “Welcome to the Kingdom of Night,” a voice proclaimed from the dais at the beginning of the hall.

  “You were right,” Han called out from behind his pillar.

  Bravic groaned.

  “At least we can fight it together.” Dean gave Bravic a wink.

  Dean’s skin went cold, and he saw Bravic shiver. He peered over the column and saw a skeleton with a golden crown, dressed in long red robes, walk out and stand before the black chair on the dais.

  “Those who come into my kingdom must pay me homage or be destroyed,” the skeleton declared.

  “Do you want me to go?” Han called from the other pillar.

  “Hello.” Dean stood up. “We’re just passing through. We’d gladly pay you any type of homage you want if you just point us to the nearest exit.”

  “Who are you to walk before a king?”

  “Your kingship.” Dean bowed low. “I humbly ask how to get out of—”

  “Only those of royal birth may stand before King Lorious!”

  Dean’s eyebrow rose up. He knew the name Lorious, but he couldn’t remember where he had heard it.

  “Do you know who stands before you, oh King Lorious?” Han asked as he darted out from behind the pillar. “Dean Theradine, son of Panadur Theradine, stands before you.”

  “Lorious is the evil wizard guy Panadur killed,” Dean muttered.

  A scream of rage filled the hall as a ball of fire streaked from Lorious’s hands.

  “MOVE!” Dean grabbed Han and dove over the fallen pillar.

  The spot where they had stood burst into flames.

  “Panadur’s son?” Lorious bellowed.

  Bravic slipped between two sections of the pillar and galloped for the other side. As he raced, another ball of fire streaked through the air at him. He dove over the pillar and the ball burst into flame on the stone.

  “We almost had fried Dwarf. What’re we going to do?” Han pressed his back against the pillar.

  “We have to fight him,” Oieda said.

  “Now you sound crazy. It took Panadur, Carimus, and Volsur to kill this guy, and you want to do it with us four? I’m up for running away,” Dean said.

  “There’s a door at the end of the chamber.” Han peered through the cracks in the stone.

  “I’ll create a diversion. This guy hates me more than anything. I’ll meet you guys in the next room,” Dean instructed.

  “No. We all go,” Bravic said sternly.

  “We’re all going to go. But if I don’t get that human flamethrower distracted, we’re all going to die,” Dean said. “Besides, it was my plan that got us all into this.”

  “We all agreed to go.” Oieda glared.

  “Take this.” Bravic handed Dean the small shield.

  “Son of Panadur, show yourself,” Lorious demanded.

  “Show yourself first. I’m bashful,” Dean jeered.

  As Dean peeked between the sections, he could see Lorious on the dais looking directly at the column.

  Dean picked up a rock and tossed it toward the other end of the fallen pillar. Lorious thrust his arm forward; a burst of flames scorched the rock as another fireball erupted.

  Dean scrambled over the pillar and sped across the floor. Lorious twisted both his hands and a fan of flames streaked from his fingertips. Instead of hurdling it, Dean fell on his stomach and the flames passed over his head. Once they ended, he hopped over the other pillar and crouched down.

  “Panadur told me you were a lousy shot; that’s how he killed you so easily. He did you justice—you really stink.”

  “I see your plan now, son of Panadur,” Lorious spat. “You try to distract me so your friends can run free. How terribly noble of you. But I think it will end differently.”

  Lorious began chanting and held his hands above his head. He clapped his hands together and Bravic, Han, and Oieda screamed in pain. With a wave of his hand, a steel cage appeared and hung in the air above the dais. Lorious closed his hand; the three disappeared and immediately reappeared inside the cage.

  “Yes, young Theradine, it will be quite different,” the skeleton said smugly.

  “Let them go, worm bait. If you want me, you can fight me.” Dean ran to stand in the middle of the floor.

  “Did Panadur not tell you anything of me?” Lorious asked.

  Dean shrugged. “You want to know the truth? I fell asleep during that stupid story,” he admitted.

  Han laughed.

  Lorious stomped forward. “Let me tell you something. I don’t fight—let alone fight fair.” He tossed a small cube at the foot of the stairs.

  Dean jumped back as the cube hissed and smoked. As the smoke touched the floor, the tiles seemed to melt into liquid. A wide pool formed and the cube sank into the floor. The hall shook, slowly at first, but growing more violent as something rose from the pool. The black liquid continued to grow until the pool was over ten feet around. A creature rose out of the pool. Six-inch black horns thrust out all over its dark red body. Its head was shaped like a wolf with coal black cat eyes. Its arms were grossly large and twisted, ending in bird-like talons. Its legs resembled the hind legs of a large cat. Once its whole body appeared, the tiles solidified, leaving it on solid ground. Its vicious horned head rose nearly as high as that of two grown men. Its black cat eyes lowered to Dean.

  “Dean, run,” Oieda screamed from the cage.

  The beast sprang forward. Dean fell flat on his stomach. Snarling, it flew over him and slammed into the large doors, which groaned at the impact. Dean got to his feet and raised his sword that suddenly seemed pitifully small against this beast.

  “Come and get me,” Dean taunted as he jumped on top of the pillar and over its side.

  The beast howled and leapt after its prey. As it landed, Dean ran for the doors again.

  “I’m over here, ugly,” Dean sneered.

  The beast snarled and, with two great loping strides, sprang at him. Dean ducked low. The shield snapped open. Dean rolled to the side but the creature’s talons ripped across his back and cut through his leather jacket. Again, the creature crashed into the doors and they cracked from the impact.

  Dean rose and jumped backward. He whipped his jacket off and held it out to the side. “Toro! Toro!” he called out and waved his coat.

  The creature spun around and ran at Dean. Dean dodged the talons, but the creature’s arm slammed into him and knocked him down. He landed hard on his back. The creature stopped and reared up over him; its talons flashed in the light and its eyes burned with hate. Suddenly, an arrow, an axe, and a spear slammed into the creature’s back. Dean scrambled beneath its legs and slashed it across its stomach with his sword. As the creature turned, Dean was already running backward to the doors.

  “Come on, break the dumb door,” Dean snarled.

  As he reached the door, Dean turned just in time to see the creature fly through the air at
him. He dove forward as he thrust his sword up; he heard the beast howl in pain and the door smash into bits. Dean vaulted to his feet, raced through the broken door, past the creature.

  “Here demon-kitty. I’m over here and all juicy,” he cried as he leapt out to the first pillar.

  The beast rose to its feet and ran after him. The creature lunged forward. Dean pushed sideways and leapt two pillars away. His legs stretched out and his sneakers caught the edge of the pillar. One foot slipped, and Dean started to fall back. His stomach muscles burned as he struggled to stand and not fall to a grisly death.

  The beast screeched in agony. Its whole body crashed down into the pool and a wave of acid rose away from it.

  “Crud,” Dean screamed as the wave crested the tops of the pillars.

  He sprang from pillar to pillar as he raced the wave back toward the broken doors. Dean threw himself toward the edge of the pool. He landed in a heap on the stone. Rising, he could hear the screams of the creature and the hissing of the acid.

  “Your turn now, Lorious,” Dean snarled as he walked toward the broken doors. “Time for you and me, skull face.”

  “You are a simpleton, boy,” Lorious sneered. “As I said before, I don’t fight.” He waved his hand and the shattered doors moved back together.

  Dean jumped through just as the doors slammed shut.

  “Nice try, Lorious. Now I don’t think you have a choice. Let my companions go,” Dean ordered as he lowered his sword.

  “Do you think I’m powerless, Theradine?” He stood there; six blue flaming spheres surrounded him. “I am power,” he screamed and thrust his hand forward. The six spheres streaked straight for Dean.

  Dean froze as the spheres bore down at him, seemingly from every angle. There was nowhere for him to jump. Dean twisted his wrist. The shield sprang out and Dean ducked behind it. The shield held, but the impact blew him off his feet.

  Dean hit the ground hard. Pain shot through his whole body. In spite of the pain, he got up. “Nice shooting, Lorious. Too bad you hit like a baby,” Dean sneered. His arm hurt so badly he didn’t know whether he could raise it. He managed to twist his wrist and the shield closed down to its small size. “This is your last chance.”

  Dean ran forward. He saw the tile he stepped on flash. Chains sprung from the floor and wrapped around Dean. With a crack, they drew tight.

  “Theradine, son and nephew of my murderers,” Lorious howled as he tightened his fist and the chains pulled tighter around Dean, “I’ll have my creatures tear you apart limb by limb for the next thousand years.”

  “You have some serious psychological problems,” Dean groaned as he struggled in his bonds.

  Lorious held up his hand and closed it into a fist.

  Dean screamed in pain as the chains constricted around his body.

  “Leave him alone,” Oieda screamed.

  “Let your suffering begin,” Lorious proclaimed as he took another little black cube from his cloak.

  Han squeezed through the bars of the cage and hung on the outside. Snarling like a beast, Han dropped on Lorious. The cube tumbled from Lorious’s hand and landed at his feet.

  Lorious reached back and grabbed Han by the shirt on his back. He smashed Han down onto the floor.

  Han cried out in pain. Lorious bent down. His skeletal hand closed around Han’s little throat.

  “You insect,” Lorious growled.

  Han reached out and grabbed the smoking cube.

  Lorious yanked Han up. “You dare to touch a king?”

  “I dare,” Han gasped. “Eat this.” Han shoved the smoking cube inside Lorious’s chest.

  Lorious screamed in rage as the box began to grow. His cries quickly turned to ones of pain as the cube expanded. He dropped Han, who scooted away.

  Lorious’s ribs were filled with the growing mass. Bones cracked and then broke. His body suddenly blew apart. Pieces flew all over the room but his head and shoulders fell next to the throne.

  The chains around Dean vanished. The smoking cube vanished before it hit the floor.

  “Move,” Bravic and Oieda yelled as the cage disappeared and they fell.

  Oieda landed on her feet, but Bravic landed on his side. Dean ran over and helped him up. Dean took the shield off his wrist and handed it back to Bravic. “That thing is awesome.”

  “I did it,” Han exclaimed. “I killed Lorious.” He jumped in the air.

  Dean walked over and picked his jacket up off the floor. “Way to go, buddy.” Dean held his hand out in a fist but Han raised an eyebrow. “It’s called a knuckle bump. Put your fist up.”

  Han raised his fist, Dean tapped his fist to it, and then opened his hand.

  “Boom.” Dean grinned as he wiggled his fingers. “That’s how you do it. Then you say ‘blowing it up.’”

  Han grinned. “Neat.” Han raised his hand toward Oieda. When she raised her fist, Han tapped it and shouted, “Boom!”

  The whole room shook.

  “I didn’t do that,” Han squeaked.

  Dean looked back at the throne.

  Lorious’s upper body moved. His fingers frantically scrawled on the floor. Lorious raised a boney hand, picked up his fallen crown, and placed it back on his head. “You may have defeated me, son of Panadur, but this room will be your tomb now.” Lorious smashed his hand down.

  Huge cracks appeared in the floor and pieces of the ceiling fell inward. Dean jumped to the side as an enormous section of the ceiling landed on Lorious and crushed him into the floor.

  “Let’s get out of here before that happens to us,” Dean yelled.

  “There’s a passage behind the chair. I saw it from the cage,” Oieda said.

  They all raced up the stairs as the room crumbled behind them. As they dashed through a small opening behind the throne, they saw a dark, rough tunnel. The world seemed to shake all around them as they sped forward. They continued onward and upward. The ground rumbled and shook as they blindly raced forward.

  Oieda fell. Dean helped her up, groaned in pain, and sank to one knee. She slipped her arm around his waist. “Lean on me,” she said as she helped him up.

  Dust started to fill the passage.

  Bravic was the first to reach a solid stone wall. “What a poorly worked secret door,” Bravic spat. “This is some of the worst workmanship I’ve ever seen. Notice that—”

  “Just open the door,” all three cried.

  Bravic reached up and pressed a place next to the wall. With a grinding of stone, a panel before them slowly turned. Before it opened completely, the four rushed through. They ran into a small cave, the gray outdoors visible ahead.

  “We made it,” Dean gasped as he patted Oieda on the back.

  Her face lit up as she took in the light.

  They staggered forward. The rumbling from far below stopped but they kept walking until they reached the cave opening. It looked out over a long, barren, stone valley between two large cliffs. At the edge of the valley, nearly two thousand feet away, were scraggly bushes and trees. Farther on, they could see the peaks of three mountains. The one in the middle rose much higher than the others, disappearing into the dark clouds that swirled above it and creeped down its slope.

  They collapsed at the mouth of the cave, eager to feel the fresh air on their faces. Dean lay down on the ground and stretched out. He was about to fall asleep when Bravic nudged him.

  “The Mountain of Despair.” Bravic pointed to the tallest peak.

  “It’s where Ahulata said Carimus is kept.” Dean pulled himself up on his elbows.

  “Dean, are we going to get him out?” Han looked hopefully up at him.

  “Han,” Oieda gently put her hand on his shoulder, “time is short. If we try to save Carimus, it might be too late to save anything else.”

  “The Elf’s right, Dean,” Bravic said. “We can’t risk it. Not with just us.”

  As Dean bowed his head in thought, Han blurted out, “But if we do get Carimus, he could help. He could fight Volsur
with us.”

  “Han’s right,” Dean agreed after a moment. “If we can get Carimus out, then maybe he can help us. Even if he can’t, it’ll let people see they can fight Volsur.”

  “It’s too risky, and it will take too much time,” Oieda said as she planted her foot.

  “Look, Bravic, you said the only way through the mountains was through the Mountain of Hope, right?”

  Bravic nodded. “It will take two weeks to go around.”

  “I don’t think we have that much time anymore. I just feel it.”

  “Feel it?” Oieda rolled her eyes.

  “You want to tell me you don’t go by feelings?” Dean’s jaw clenched.

  “A leader uses wisdom to make decisions.” She stepped forward.

  Dean spun on his heels and took two strides away. He stared out over the valley. His shoulders slumped, and he hung his head. “I never said I knew what to do. I don’t. Yeah, I’m flying by the seat of my pants, and I’m going with my gut. Panadur told me I knew what I should do in here.” He touched his chest. “Believe me, I wish I knew it up here,” he tapped his head, “but I don’t. I know it doesn’t make sense, but in here,” he touched his chest again, “that’s what I think we need to do. We need to try.”

  “But what if we fail?” Oieda asked. A stillness followed her words.

  “If we fail, we die.” Bravic tossed his hands up. “Once he makes up his mind, that’s it. We’d only stay up half the night arguing about it, so let’s just do it and get some sleep,” Bravic grumbled and made camp right where they stood.

  Oieda turned and walked to look out on the valley. The others lay down to try to get what little sleep they could. Suddenly the ground vibrated, softly and slowly at first. The shaking grew more violent and a great rumble rose from the earth.

  “Out of the cave!” Dean ordered and they all ran out.

  Right in front of them, a geyser of steam erupted a hundred feet in the air. They watch the pillar of super-hot water hover for a moment like a giant pillar.

  “Back in the cave,” Dean screamed.

  The pillar of water collapsed back upon itself. A ring of steam blasted out from the geyser. The steam burned at them as they raced to the safety of the cave. Again and again, geysers erupted in a line across the valley, moving toward the far end. Within minutes, it was over. Steam rose from the valley floor and filled it with a cloud that slowly settled back into the ground.