Chapter 21
Marcus nearly ran into a young woman on the stairs. He skidded past her and steadied himself on the railing. He turned back and glared at her. Her pink hair was cut short and she was wearing a simple white sleeveless dress.
"Octavia, where are your robes?" he asked testily.
She sighed and shouldered her staff. "I didn't have time to change. Have you seen Julian?"
Marcus hit his fist against the wall. "No! Have you seen Serpentarius?"
"Right here Marcus," said Serpentarius smoothly from the landing below them.
"Where are they going?" asked Octavia.
"They're Espers," said Serpentarius. "They'll either attack the Esper cells or else the magicite vault."
Octavia and Marcus exchanged horrified glances.
"We can afford to lose some live Espers, but we've got to keep them from the vault!" exclaimed Marcus.
They quickly ran down several flights to reach a long narrow corridor. At the opposite end stood Ifrit. An evil grin slowly spread across his toothy visage.
"Hi there," he said casually leaning a shoulder against the wall.
"It's the fire Esper again," commented Octavia. "Hi!"
Ifrit gave a cheery wave as Marcus slowly turned to Octavia. She smiled sheepishly at him as she returned the wave.
"Just cast ice spells this time you airhead." muttered Marcus.
"Three on one, we can beat him this time." said Serpentarius.
Marcus nodded. "Good point."
"Where's you other friend?" inquired Ifrit as they leveled their staffs at him.
Octavia blinked. "You know where Julian is?"
Ifrit nodded. "If you want to see him again, let me past."
Marcus pulled his new hat low over his eyes. "Screw you Esper! We'd rather let Julian fry!"
Serpentarius walked forward. "Is that how you feel about all of us Marcus?"
"Get back here Ghost!" yelled Marcus.
Serpentarius swiveled and leveled the end of his cane at Marcus' head. "I hate Espers as much as you do Marcus, but I'm not going to sacrifice Julian. Let him past."
"You stupid freak!" said Marcus. "He's bluffing! Octavia, stop him!"
Octavia stepped forward and faced Marcus. "Julian's my friend," she said. She shouldered her cane.
Ifrit walked toward them and stopped when he reached Octavia. "I'm Ifrit," he said.
"I'm Octavia Saint Drostane," she said looking up at him.
He walked between Serpentarius and Marcus.
"Nice hat," he said to Marcus.
Once he was gone Marcus knocked Serpentarius' staff to one side. "I hope you're happy."
"If we find where they are keeping Julian, we can finish them off," said Serpentarius calmly.
"Right!" said Octavia.
On the floor below them Ifrit kicked down a massive oaken door and entered in a darkened circular room. He squinted in the gloom. The only light was the soft glow of the flames emanating from his body. His eye caught the glint of a gem like object in against the wall on of low shelf. When he got close he could make out a green crystalline orb resting on a claw like pedestal. As he reached out to touch it began to glow with a faint blue aura.
"Were you calling me?" he asked.
The orb shimmered.
"Burning.the world will burn," he breathed softly.
On the next floor down Ramuh caught up with Shiva as she reached the locked doors. She froze the lock and kicked it causing it to shatter into small pieces. She swung the door open to reveal a muscular and green haired young man chained against the far wall. He tried to shield his eyes from the glare but couldn't move his arms.
"Just get it over with," he said quietly.
"We're getting you out of here!" said Shiva, running over and pulling at the chains.
"Stand aside granddaughter," said Ramuh shooting electrical bolts that shattered the young man's chains. He collapsed heavily onto Shiva.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
He looked up at her. "You're Espers too?" he asked.
Shiva and Ramuh pulled his arms onto their shoulders. "Yes we are," said Ramuh. "This is my granddaughter Shiva and I'm Ramuh."
"I'm Maduin," said the young man. "I gave up hope.how did you know where to find me?"
"We had the help of a Magus," replied Shiva. "Can you walk?"
Maduin winced and nodded. "A bit. Help the others. I think Shoat and Palidor are still alive."
Ramuh gestured to the other doors. "Which cells?"
"Three and seven," said Maduin weakly.
Ramuh helped Maduin onto a bench outside. As he reached the third cell he could hear loud squealing noises from within. "Just hold on!" he called. He sent out lightning from his fingertips that fried the lock. As he opened the door a small pig with a glowing eye ran out and jumped onto Maduin's lap and licked his face.
"Ack!" he said. "Cut it out Shoat! Glad you made it pal."
As Ramuh broke the lock on the seventh cell a faint rumble shook the building.
"Earthquake?" asked Shiva.
Maduin frowned. "No it's magical I think."
"Damn it, the Raj!" said Shiva. "I knew they'd be up to something!"
"No I think it's an Esper. A fire Esper is grieving."
Shiva gasped. "Ifrit!"
Marcus nearly ran into a young woman on the stairs. He skidded past her and steadied himself on the railing. He turned back and glared at her. Her pink hair was cut short and she was wearing a simple white sleeveless dress.
"Octavia, where are your robes?" he asked testily.
She sighed and shouldered her staff. "I didn't have time to change. Have you seen Julian?"
Marcus hit his fist against the wall. "No! Have you seen Serpentarius?"
"Right here Marcus," said Serpentarius smoothly from the landing below them.
"Where are they going?" asked Octavia.
"They're Espers," said Serpentarius. "They'll either attack the Esper cells or else the magicite vault."
Octavia and Marcus exchanged horrified glances.
"We can afford to lose some live Espers, but we've got to keep them from the vault!" exclaimed Marcus.
They quickly ran down several flights to reach a long narrow corridor. At the opposite end stood Ifrit. An evil grin slowly spread across his toothy visage.
"Hi there," he said casually leaning a shoulder against the wall.
"It's the fire Esper again," commented Octavia. "Hi!"
Ifrit gave a cheery wave as Marcus slowly turned to Octavia. She smiled sheepishly at him as she returned the wave.
"Just cast ice spells this time you airhead." muttered Marcus.
"Three on one, we can beat him this time." said Serpentarius.
Marcus nodded. "Good point."
"Where's you other friend?" inquired Ifrit as they leveled their staffs at him.
Octavia blinked. "You know where Julian is?"
Ifrit nodded. "If you want to see him again, let me past."
Marcus pulled his new hat low over his eyes. "Screw you Esper! We'd rather let Julian fry!"
Serpentarius walked forward. "Is that how you feel about all of us Marcus?"
"Get back here Ghost!" yelled Marcus.
Serpentarius swiveled and leveled the end of his cane at Marcus' head. "I hate Espers as much as you do Marcus, but I'm not going to sacrifice Julian. Let him past."
"You stupid freak!" said Marcus. "He's bluffing! Octavia, stop him!"
Octavia stepped forward and faced Marcus. "Julian's my friend," she said. She shouldered her cane.
Ifrit walked toward them and stopped when he reached Octavia. "I'm Ifrit," he said.
"I'm Octavia Saint Drostane," she said looking up at him.
He walked between Serpentarius and Marcus.
"Nice hat," he said to Marcus.
Once he was gone Marcus knocked Serpentarius' staff to one side. "I hope you're happy."
"If we find where they are keeping Julian, we can finish them off," said Serpentarius calmly.
"Right!" said Octavia.
On the floor below them Ifrit kicked down a massive oaken door and entered in a darkened circular room. He squinted in the gloom. The only light was the soft glow of the flames emanating from his body. His eye caught the glint of a gem like object in against the wall on of low shelf. When he got close he could make out a green crystalline orb resting on a claw like pedestal. As he reached out to touch it began to glow with a faint blue aura.
"Were you calling me?" he asked.
The orb shimmered.
"Burning.the world will burn," he breathed softly.
On the next floor down Ramuh caught up with Shiva as she reached the locked doors. She froze the lock and kicked it causing it to shatter into small pieces. She swung the door open to reveal a muscular and green haired young man chained against the far wall. He tried to shield his eyes from the glare but couldn't move his arms.
"Just get it over with," he said quietly.
"We're getting you out of here!" said Shiva, running over and pulling at the chains.
"Stand aside granddaughter," said Ramuh shooting electrical bolts that shattered the young man's chains. He collapsed heavily onto Shiva.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
He looked up at her. "You're Espers too?" he asked.
Shiva and Ramuh pulled his arms onto their shoulders. "Yes we are," said Ramuh. "This is my granddaughter Shiva and I'm Ramuh."
"I'm Maduin," said the young man. "I gave up hope.how did you know where to find me?"
"We had the help of a Magus," replied Shiva. "Can you walk?"
Maduin winced and nodded. "A bit. Help the others. I think Shoat and Palidor are still alive."
Ramuh gestured to the other doors. "Which cells?"
"Three and seven," said Maduin weakly.
Ramuh helped Maduin onto a bench outside. As he reached the third cell he could hear loud squealing noises from within. "Just hold on!" he called. He sent out lightning from his fingertips that fried the lock. As he opened the door a small pig with a glowing eye ran out and jumped onto Maduin's lap and licked his face.
"Ack!" he said. "Cut it out Shoat! Glad you made it pal."
As Ramuh broke the lock on the seventh cell a faint rumble shook the building.
"Earthquake?" asked Shiva.
Maduin frowned. "No it's magical I think."
"Damn it, the Raj!" said Shiva. "I knew they'd be up to something!"
"No I think it's an Esper. A fire Esper is grieving."
Shiva gasped. "Ifrit!"