Chapter 20
Julian shut the large tome and yawned. He carefully shelved it back in the bookcase and picked up his staff. He nodded to the librarian and wandered off into the corridor. It was long and narrow, with lamps inset in gargoyle statues, the light streaming eerily from their eyes and mouths. He climbed up a spiral staircase and reached a heavy oaken door that he pushed open. Inside his room were a straw bed, a desk, a shelf with strange plants and two Espers. He raised his staff but was picked up by the hulking Ifrit who was standing next to the door. Ifrit slammed his arm into the wall over and over again until he dropped his staff.
"Enough!" yelled Ramuh.
"Poltergeist have mercy!" groaned Julian.
"We need him alive," said Shiva walking over. "Where are the Espers?"
"How did you know where I be here?" he gasped.
"Don't give us too much credit," said Ramuh cheerfully. "Your name was on the door."
"I hope this hurts," said Ifrit, his eyes burning.
"Where are the Espers?" repeated Shiva.
"You'll never get out of here alive," said Julian miserably.
"I'd worry more about you right now," said Ifrit, shoving Julian roughly against the wall.
"Kill me if it makes you feel better, but don't hurt my friends!" he begged.
"Where are the Espers?" screamed Shiva, grasping his hand. Crystals of ice began to form on his sleeve and his arm soon became encased in ice. Julian winced in pain.
"Fifth floor!" he cried.
Ramuh raised his staff. "Deadly poisons of Morpheus, bring dreams.Sleep!"
Julian fell asleep and slumped. Ifrit dropped him to the ground and vaporized the ice with a touch.
Shiva opened the door and ran.
"Wait for us!" called out Ifrit, running after her.
Two floors down they reached a large atrium filled with students milling around discussing spell effects. Several of them gasped as Shiva and Ifrit emerged from the staircase.
"It's Espers!" yelled one of them.
"Run!" yelled another.
Pandemonium broke loose as the students ran toward the other exits screaming in terror. Ifrit turned to Shiva.
"Do we really look that scary?" he asked.
Shiva smiled and shrugged.
They ran across the atrium to the doors on the far side. Ifrit opened a door a crack and ducked as several fireballs smashed into the doorsill, charring it. He flung the door open and stood in the middle of the corridor. Several more fireballs hit him straight in the chest. He began to laugh heartily, the echoes bouncing oddly off the stones.
"You want fire? I'll show you fire!" he bellowed, his yellow eyes gleaming.
"Jahannam Naar!"
Ifrit breathed a massive fireball that coalesced into a giant meteor. He leapt up and pounded into it with his fist, sending it rocketing down the corridor where it exploded spectacularly amid the screams.
"Argh!"
"I'm on fire!"
"Pull back! Pull back!"
" Where the hell are the Raj?"
Ifrit swaggered down the corridor as Ramuh reached the bottom of the staircase. He leaned against a wall to catch his breath. Shiva turned to catch his gaze and smiled sadly.
"Shiva.." he began.
She shook her head and disappeared into the hallway. She caught up with Ifrit who was hesitating at an intersection. Aside from burnt debris scattered about, the halls were empty. She gingerly touched his horns. He whipped his head around instantly.
"Wow, could you feel that?" she asked.
"Weren't they hot?" he asked sharply.
"Just warm." She said smiling.
Ifrit nodded grimly. "We don't have time for this. Can you sense which way the Espers are?"
Shiva looked both ways. "Left."
Ifrit frowned and headed right.
"Where are you going?" she demanded.
"I can feel them this way," he said.
"Argh!" she yelled with frustration. "Just call if you need help."
She ran left.
Julian shut the large tome and yawned. He carefully shelved it back in the bookcase and picked up his staff. He nodded to the librarian and wandered off into the corridor. It was long and narrow, with lamps inset in gargoyle statues, the light streaming eerily from their eyes and mouths. He climbed up a spiral staircase and reached a heavy oaken door that he pushed open. Inside his room were a straw bed, a desk, a shelf with strange plants and two Espers. He raised his staff but was picked up by the hulking Ifrit who was standing next to the door. Ifrit slammed his arm into the wall over and over again until he dropped his staff.
"Enough!" yelled Ramuh.
"Poltergeist have mercy!" groaned Julian.
"We need him alive," said Shiva walking over. "Where are the Espers?"
"How did you know where I be here?" he gasped.
"Don't give us too much credit," said Ramuh cheerfully. "Your name was on the door."
"I hope this hurts," said Ifrit, his eyes burning.
"Where are the Espers?" repeated Shiva.
"You'll never get out of here alive," said Julian miserably.
"I'd worry more about you right now," said Ifrit, shoving Julian roughly against the wall.
"Kill me if it makes you feel better, but don't hurt my friends!" he begged.
"Where are the Espers?" screamed Shiva, grasping his hand. Crystals of ice began to form on his sleeve and his arm soon became encased in ice. Julian winced in pain.
"Fifth floor!" he cried.
Ramuh raised his staff. "Deadly poisons of Morpheus, bring dreams.Sleep!"
Julian fell asleep and slumped. Ifrit dropped him to the ground and vaporized the ice with a touch.
Shiva opened the door and ran.
"Wait for us!" called out Ifrit, running after her.
Two floors down they reached a large atrium filled with students milling around discussing spell effects. Several of them gasped as Shiva and Ifrit emerged from the staircase.
"It's Espers!" yelled one of them.
"Run!" yelled another.
Pandemonium broke loose as the students ran toward the other exits screaming in terror. Ifrit turned to Shiva.
"Do we really look that scary?" he asked.
Shiva smiled and shrugged.
They ran across the atrium to the doors on the far side. Ifrit opened a door a crack and ducked as several fireballs smashed into the doorsill, charring it. He flung the door open and stood in the middle of the corridor. Several more fireballs hit him straight in the chest. He began to laugh heartily, the echoes bouncing oddly off the stones.
"You want fire? I'll show you fire!" he bellowed, his yellow eyes gleaming.
"Jahannam Naar!"
Ifrit breathed a massive fireball that coalesced into a giant meteor. He leapt up and pounded into it with his fist, sending it rocketing down the corridor where it exploded spectacularly amid the screams.
"Argh!"
"I'm on fire!"
"Pull back! Pull back!"
" Where the hell are the Raj?"
Ifrit swaggered down the corridor as Ramuh reached the bottom of the staircase. He leaned against a wall to catch his breath. Shiva turned to catch his gaze and smiled sadly.
"Shiva.." he began.
She shook her head and disappeared into the hallway. She caught up with Ifrit who was hesitating at an intersection. Aside from burnt debris scattered about, the halls were empty. She gingerly touched his horns. He whipped his head around instantly.
"Wow, could you feel that?" she asked.
"Weren't they hot?" he asked sharply.
"Just warm." She said smiling.
Ifrit nodded grimly. "We don't have time for this. Can you sense which way the Espers are?"
Shiva looked both ways. "Left."
Ifrit frowned and headed right.
"Where are you going?" she demanded.
"I can feel them this way," he said.
"Argh!" she yelled with frustration. "Just call if you need help."
She ran left.