CHAPTER NINE
The black dots continued to grow bigger until suddenly I gasped a breath in and started to cough and rub my throat. Halman… I opened my eyes, which still had tiny dots in my sight, and looked around. Halman laid in the corner, moaning and holding his head. I started to sit up. Sydney grabbed my arm. "Come on. We have to go."
"What?"
"Dak's coming. The place is about to crumble."
Suddenly Sydney was pushed to the side. "Your friend isn't leaving here alive missy."
I turned and got clocked in the left check and stumbled backwards. Halman took another swing. This time I was ready and I ducked and jabbed my fists into his stomach. He yelped and kicked at me.
I brought my foot up and kicked him in the face and knocked him down. I looked over. Sydney was out. "You son of a bitch."
He laughed through his broken nose, and bloody mouth. "You're a fool to think you can defeat me."
I walked over and he tackled me, and knocked us both down. We struggled, fighting with our fists and kicking with our legs. He tried to get back at my throat again. Instead, I let my fists fly into his face a multitude of times.
He screamed out in pain and kicked me. But I held firm and took hold of his head and began to bash it into the floor. Suddenly the building rumbled. A large piece of ceiling fell to the side of me. "Shit."
I leaped up and gave Halman one last kick as he laid there, moaning in pain. Then I turned and picked up Sydney in my arms and ran down the hall.
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The place was coming down around us as I carried Sydney towards a door. I went to open it, but suddenly it opened. I tensed. The General ran through it. "Hurry." He said, rushing me through. I found myself on a lift of some sort. The General ran on too and pressed a switch. The lift started to move upwards. Suddenly it stopped. The general flipped the switch back and forth. Nothing. He looked at me, then at Sydney, who was lying in my arms, helpless. "Sir. The Switch isn't working. Someone has to go back down and operate it manually…"
I knew exactly where he was going with this. "The place is coming down. There's no time."
He nodded. "I know…"
I shook my head. "No. There has to be another way."
"There is no other way Sir."
He took out his line gun. "Doesn't mean I can't try though sir." He smiled a sad smile. I looked at him. "I will-"
"No." He said flatly. "I will do this. The people… they'll need guidance. Your guidance."
I looked down as the building rumbled. "You're a wonderful leader and a perfect warrior sir Matthew."
"As are you General Echoes. As are you." I said, the sadness visible in my voice. "Good day sir." He said, and turned and opened the trap door. He fired his line gun into the roof of the lift and went down.
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General Markus Echoes Hit the ground and took one last look up at the lift that held Commander Smith and Forester. He swallowed and turned and ran over to a lever. He began to turn it. As quickly as he could. But the lift was heavy. That meant turning it manually was going to be a pain.
But he had to…
He pushed it forward, then pulled it up and pushed it forward over and over. All the while Piece's of the ceiling fell all around him, once almost on top of him. Then he locked it in place and ran over to look up. It was clear. He breathed a sigh of relief and took out his line gun and pointed it upwards.
Suddenly it was too late. As he fired, the lift began to descend rapidly. He stared at the lift, as it fell towards him. He wondered about his life, and all that he had seen. Then He closed his eyes. The lift crashed to the ground. And it was over.
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I ran forward and looked back as the lift gave way. The General…
It couldn't be helped. Not now. He'd have to mourn later. He ran forward through a large and wide hall a cat form was at the end. Kyana ran up to Me. "Come the exit is over here. Hurry!"
I followed her through a large double ice glass doors. Onto a large bridge, which overlooked a frozen valley. I gasped in awe. Dak landed on the other side of the bridge. I ran forward, following Kyana, Sydney still out of it in my arms. We hit the half way point when suddenly a fireball ripped through it just directly in front of us. Dak let out a roar. We retreated to the glass doors.
I set Sydney down on the ground gently and looked at Kyana. She nodded. "I'll keep an eye on her. Go." I nodded and took off running. I ran over the hold in the bridge and landed on Dak's back as he flew underneath. In front of us, another large dragon. And on it's back… was Halman.
"Here we are again!" He yelled, as our Dragons circled each other in the air. I nodded. "Yes. Here we are again. For the last time."
Suddenly the two dragons charged each other. I braced myself for impact. "Ah!" I looked around, and saw that the two had missed each other. Alright Dak… Get me close. I'm going after him.
Copy that.
Dak turned and charged again. I leaped onto Halman's dragon as Dak's wings grazed the other dragon. Halman stood, sending a hail fire of kicks at me. I put my hands up to protect my self. Then I caught him by the leg and tripped him. He fell backwards. I stood up and leaped onto him and began to pound my fists into his face. Suddenly the dragon dived. I grabbed onto it's neck as I began to slide towards it's head.
I held on.
There was a roar behind us. I looked up and saw Dak charging again. The other dragon glanced back. I quickly stood up and leaped back onto Dak Halman and his dragon looked back. The mountain face did the rest. There was a large yelping roar as the dragon broke it's neck and began to fall. Halman was thrown like a rag doll down towards the rocky ground below.
Dak let out a roar and sent out a fireball towards Halman and one to his Dragon. I let out a breath.
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The watchmen was tired. He'd been up all night and day waiting for a sign. Any sign. Then it came. The whoosh overhead. The large dragon called Dak landed. He quickly rang a bell. "THEY'RE HERE!" he shouted.
Men and women and children ran out and cheered. I walked up the steps through the crowd of people who were now free, holding Sydney's hand and Kyana walking beside me, purring.
We stood on the steps and looked out at the mass of people. I raised Sydney's hand with mine.
And they Cheered.
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A cloaked figure stood in the mass of the people as they screamed and cheered. The figure looked upon Matthew and Sydney and Kyana. The figure muttered something and turned to walk away.
There would be no free world.
