Chapter Thirty-Eight: Griffins and Cellphones
Augh, the writing might have to wait a little while, guys. My migraines have been coming back and the computer just amplifies them. Have to go back to the doctor for stronger medicine…So yeah, that could be why some sections of this chapter might sound sort of strange. I forgot to mention: The last chapter was confusing because the upload system wouldn't let me put up the scene changes; sorry 'bout that. I'm gonna go take a nap now…((falls asleep in computer chair))
Labrynth
The only sound down the corridor was the melodic clacking my heels made against the moist floor. Walking. Walking, walking, walking for an eternity. Clack, clack, clack. A very faint emerald glimmer about five feet away. "WOAH!" My foot slipped on a damp pool on the floor; I landed face-first in the puddle. I put my hand up to my nose to smell the liquid: it had a dusty scent and its consistency was just slightly thicker than water and it was as cold as ice. Please be water, please be water… I reached for my bat watch, hoping its shine would be bright enough to double as a flashlight. I shone what little light the watch provided to the puddle I was immersed in. The fluid was a brilliant ruby red, a color I'd become too accustomed to. I threw myself against the wall with my hand over my mouth to cover my shriek of disgust. Blood… The green glow was fairly close now. I've got to get out of here! Staring down at myself I could see that I was covered in blood. Someone else's blood. "Augh!" I put my hand down to push myself up, and shrieked as I felt something furry and sticky against my fingertips. I swung my light over what I was touching with dread; I was less than a foot from the faint glowing. There right beside me laid a massive creature with wings as brilliant as the sun, even down here where the world knew nothing of the sun's warmth. Its mighty paws lay limp at its sides and its eyes were shut tight, as if its last moments were spent in severe pain. It had to be the most fantastic creature I'd ever laid eyes on: it was both fowl and lion, and most certainly not of Earth. I stroked its bronze plumage with pity. Pity for the creature's suffering, and pity for my having found it in this state, cold and dead. The body was still slightly warm, which meant that it couldn't have died too long ago. I felt a tear well up at the thought that this creature would never witness the beams of the sun again. Around its neck hung a thick copper chain with a green orb attached to it, which was the source for the faint glowing. "What's this?" I removed the chain from its graceful neck with a wave of guilt. But I also felt as if I were doing something right as well. The orb gleamed a brilliant emerald as I held it loosely in my palm and pulsed along in rhythm with my heartbeat. I let go of it in surprise and let it fall to the ground with a resonating clank. Its dull glow came back and stopped pulsating. I retrieved the orb and it immediately began to race along with the rapid dancing of my heart. I had the feeling that I should put it back around the beast's neck, but the more selfish, ironic side of me made me clench the chain tight in my hand. With a last longing look at the dead creature, I sprinted off, the orb clutched securely between my fingers, pulsing with its emerald glow.
Labrynth
"I can't see anything."
"OW! That was my foot!"
"Sorry…"
"Be quiet, the both of you."
"We've been walking for ever. I think we're on a wild goose chase."
"I know she was here: I can smell her scent." There was a long silence.
"…You…" Ryou started.
"I have a keener sense of smell than you--."
"Then what do I smell like?"
"Shi--."
"Quiet!...I think I heard something…"
"You're just paranoid."
"No! I really heard something… It was skittering…like rats…"
"You're scared of rats? Sissy…"
"Am not!"
"Sissy, sissy, sissyyyy."
"Stop! I am not!"
"Shh! I see something ahead."
"How? I don't see anything…"
"Like I said earlier…I…I smell blood…" Kiyoshi's voice rose in alarm.
"Oh goody." Kiyoshi picked up the pace and started sprinting down the corridor. "Hey! Wait for us!"
"Eww, I just stepped in something…It's cold…and wet…" Kish whimpered. Kiyoshi got down and put some of the liquid on his finger to smell it. "It's blood, but it's not Komori's. This creature must've died just a few hours ago…"
"What creature?"
"The one you're nearly standing on. Let me take a closer look at it…" Kiyoshi sat at the creature's side and ran his hands over its magnificent plumage. He shook his head sorrowfully. "It's a griffin. Looks like it got stabbed or bitten by something…I smell Komori's scent on his feathers." Ryou came to stand by Kiyoshi.
"Do you think she killed it?"
"No, she wouldn't have been able to. This is a huge gash; it was made by something much bigger than her puny sword. I just hope that whatever did this hasn't found her yet…" Kiyoshi's voice trailed off.
"Ugh, enough moping: Let's find her and get out of this crypt!" Kish yelled impatiently.
At the House
No one except Pai and Tart were in the parlor: they were inspecting the television like it was a ferocious lion. The phone rang, which nearly made them jump out of their skins. They crawled over to the phone and picked it up suspiciously.
"What is this thing?" Tart asked in amazement, looking over the phone's shiny surface.
"Hello?" A woman's voice asked from the phone. Tart dropped the phone in surprise. "It-it TALKS!" Tart screamed in delighted amazement. Pai picked up the phone and put it to his ear.
"Who is this? Is Komori there? Please! It's very urgent! Where is Ryou?" The voice went off.
"Oh, I think Komori got kidnapped or something, so Ryou went off to look for her before her mother calls for her again. Nothing out of the ordinary. Say, you're quite a chattery machine. What do you do, exactly?" Pai said, inspecting the phone curiously.
"K-k-kidnapped?" The voice asked shakily.
"Something of that sort. He dragged Kish along with him. I'm not sure if he's coming back…Oh well, more food for us."
"Kidnapped…"
"Are you okay? Do you need a new battery?" Pai heard a slam, followed by a monotone beep. He shrugged. "Batteries must've died."
Lair
Ronin slid his newly-sharpened saber into its sheath as Yuri tied up her delicate chestnut hair into a high ponytail. He grinned slightly and walked over to her. "Hey beautiful." He whispered, wrapping his arms around her hips. She blushed and swatted his arm playfully. "Now, now, we're supposed to be getting ready to fight." Yuri giggled.
"Oh, I sent Carden to take care of our intruders." Ronin nuzzled her neck. She turned to him. "Who?"
"The tengu."
"Oh, yes, that thing…It he gets rid of them, then why are we bothering to get ready?" Ronin flashed his menacing smile.
"I don't think he'll really beat them. I'm actually half-hoping that they'll kill him, just so I can be rid of the creature. He'll weaken them, at the least."
"You're so evil." Yuri chuckled, leaning in to kiss him.
"I know." He said, closing his lips around hers.
Labrynth
The orb's light grew with each heartbeat until it shone so brightly that I almost needed to shield my eyes from it. I could see every crack and crevice among the wall, all the putrid creatures that called this place home who were running from the light, and the damp clusters of moss that clung tightly to the wall. My steps made a louder echo, a good sign that another corridor was coming up.
Labrynth
"I know I heard something."
"Keep walking and the rats won't bother you."
"It didn't sound like a rat."
"Sissy…"
"AM NOT!"
"Shut up or I'll feed both of you to whatever it is that Ryou keeps hearing!"
Labrynth
"…NOT!" A voice echoed from behind me some distance. "The hell?" I turned and held up the orb, but still couldn't see the source of the voice. Mumbling followed the shout and soon after, a frightened shriek. Keep going, keep going…A whirl of screams, shouts, and slaps sounded out. Whatever was being attacked, it wasn't going without a fight. For a moment I'd hoped the creature had awakened from its sleep of death, but I knew it was impossible. Back from the dead. Right. The brawl grew louder and the screams more desperate. I know this is probably going to be a mistake, but I've got to see what's going on! I tossed the chain over my head and started to sprint towards the chaos.
Labrynth
"I heard something!"
"Will you just shut up, already?"
"No, I heard something too…We're being followed." Kiyoshi whispered. A gurgling chuckle came from the shadows behind them. "Like taking candy from a baby." The deep voice giggled darkly.
"I should've known. I see Ronin still kept you around, Carden. Gotten over that wound I gave you yet?" Kiyoshi teased. A pair of yellow eyes opened in front of them, two shining suns amid the darkness.
"Kiyoshi, it's not smart to tease creepy disembodied voices coming from the dark." Ryou whimpered.
"I wasn't counting on killing you, but your flesh will make a lovely appetizer for when I eat that Mew girl for my dinner." Carden said, stealthily creeping closer.
"Where is she?" Kiyoshi demanded, his voice wavering.
"Somewhere farther down this maze." Carden sounded as if he were licking his lips.
"Who are you?" Kish asked, cringing behind Kiyoshi and Ryou.
"Carden the tengu. Now excuse me, I have to kill you now." Carden growled, leaping onto them. Immediate chaos followed: Kish tried firing thunder at him, Ryou futilely slapped Carden wherever he could, Kiyoshi tried to land a few hits with his sword. A sickening crack and a scream of agony from Kish rang out. Kish got very quiet. Completely quiet. Kiyoshi threw himself on Carden, who was trying to take a bite out of Kish.
Labrynth
God, what's happening? I was probably ten yards away from the snafu; I could faintly see several figures fighting one larger one, but they were just grey blobs, nothing more. "Take this, you bastard!" One yelled out. My mind raced: where had I heard that voice before? The larger figure shrieked and flew back against the wall, becoming silent. "Hey, there's a light…" one figure pointed out to the other, which ignored him and knelt beside something lying on the ground. I willed myself to run faster after recognizing the one voice: Ryou. "Jesus, turn out the light!" Ryou grumbled. "Ryou!" I called out, being close enough to catch the shining of his blonde hair in the emerald light. The second figure stood and looked around excitedly. "Kiyoshi!" I cried, running to him. He pulled me into a snug hug and kissed my head. "Oh Komori…" he sighed, bringing me into a quick kiss. I guess he's not mad anymore… "Okay, lovebirds, break it up." Ryou came and pulled us apart. He winced at the orb's glow. "Where'd you get that thing?" Off a dead creature. I knew that wasn't going to cut it. "Oh, I just found it lying around." Ryou just nodded.
"We've got a pretty big problem…The tengu banged up Kish pretty bad…" Kiyoshi said, kneeling down to Kish. It was obvious that he had at least both his arms broken. He had a bloody nose and was stained head to foot in blood. Kiyoshi put his ear to Kish's chest to look for a trace of life; he smiled slightly and came back up. "He's breathing, but it's really labored. If we don't get him out of here he might die." He murmured. I found myself wishing that this was a big joke, that Kish would stand right up and laugh at us saying, "Ha ha! I fooled you!". He did no such thing. "I think I can heal him to where he can walk, but he really needs medical attention." I slumped down next to Kiyoshi and gave him a sideways hug. "Are you all right?" I asked, looking up at him. He grinned, "Yeah. I'm more worried about you, though. You look like hell…No offense."
"Just heal Kish." I narrowed my eyes.
"Aye-aye, cap'n." Kiyoshi placed his hands lightly on Kish's torso and took in a deep breath. A lily-white aura poured from Kiyoshi's palms and crept over Kish's body, knitting his bones and sewing together his scratches. Kish was soon completely bathed in the untainted light, looking as healthy as he did the last time I had seen him. The soft white glare faded, making way for the green light of the orb. We were all hunched over expectantly, hoping for Kish to awaken. His eyelids fluttered slightly and slowly, painfully slowly, his eyes opened. He stared from face to face, grinning when he saw mine. "Nice to see the whole group is here." He mumbled.
"Good to have you back." I smiled. Kish pushed himself up to a sitting position and looked back at Carden, who was still against the wall, either unconscious or dead. "I think we should keep moving." He whispered. "That would be best." Ryou agreed.
"Can you walk?" I asked Kish, grateful that he had awakened. He struggled to his feet and wobbled slightly. "Ungh. Barely." He grunted. Kiyoshi and Ryou helped steady him. "Okay, I'm fine now. You should've seen your faces! You were all white as ghosts!" Kish chuckled. Kiyoshi, Ryou, and I each smiled wryly. Kish would always be Kish, injured or not. "Beep! Beep! Beep!"
"What the--?" Ryou reached into his pocket and pulled out his ringing cellphone with a visage of mystification. "Heh. Well whaddya know…" he mumbled, reaching for the 'call' button. "Surprised I get signal…Verizon does some pretty amazing stuff nowadays…"
"Uh…Hello?"
"RYOU! WHERE'S KOMORI? IS SHE SAFE? SOME MANIAC ANSWERED THE PHONE AT THE HOUSE AND SAID SHE WAS KIDNAPPED AND THAT YOU HAD GONE TO GET HER AND NOW I'M FREAKING OUT! WHERE IS SHE?" Mabel frenziedly shouted into the phone.
"What? No, no, no! She's right here!" Ryou replied.
"REALLY? LET ME TALK TO HER!" Mabel shouted, not quite calmed down yet. Ryou pulled the phone from his ear and handed it to me with a weird smirk. "It's your mother." He whispered, stifling a convulsive giggle.
"What?" Mom was the last thing I needed to have heaped up on my to-do list.
"Oh Komori! I was so worried!"
"Fascinating." Come on, just say 'I love you, 'Bye'.
"Honey, I have some pretty big news…" I could hear Mom start to sniffle.
"You're pregnant?"
"What? NO! No…Um. Well, you know about your father…" She struggled to find words.
"Yeah." Behind us we could hear Carden begin to fidget slightly, an unfortunate sign that he was about to wake up and our nightmare would begin again. "Komori, we have an issue…" Kiyoshi muttered as he jammed his thumb at Carden.
"Earlier today I got a call from him. He's in town…and he wants to see you." Mom sighed.
"You know, that's really great Mom, but you caught me at a really bad time--."
"Komori! This is your father! You haven't seen him since you were five!" Carden shook his head slightly; I knew we had one minute. Tops. Troubled teen time…
"Yeah? Well when I see him I'm sure he'll have an interesting explanation as to why he left us to fend for ourselves for the past eleven years! Goodbye!" I jammed my thumb on the 'end call' button. "You could've been a little gentler…" Ryou grumbled. "Too late." I replied, grabbing the front of his shirt and dragging him behind me. "Hey!" He tugged back and freed himself from my grip. "Come on! We've gotta get out of here before he comes to…" I started walking; no one followed. "KOMORI! WAIT!" Kiyoshi yelled after me.
"What are you guys so--?" The ground I treaded on was now dangerously unstable and little pieces started to chip off underneath me. "Uh-oh." In a heartbeat I felt my feet slip through the floor and the sick feeling of freefalling.
"KOMORI!"
