Fire Child Part 22

Roars of freedom began filling the air as Aeon frantically rushed forward.  He crushed the wall in a single blow and tossed aside two gigantic handfuls of rubble before unearthing the sanguine crystal.  Only after he had wiped away the dust and dirt did he perceive the humanoid figure inside.

  “I suppose I should not be surprised,” said Aeon as he clutched the crystal between his forefinger and thumb.

  One of the escapees rushed over.  “We are free!  Just like you said we would be, is that him?”

  “Yes, circumstances forced him into this form, but he is undoubtedly the Fire Child.”

  “I’m sure none will oppose your proposal now.”

  “That is talk for later, first we must escape this place.”

  “You know of a way?”

  Aeon reached backward and wedged the sanguine crystal between the unci on his back.  “Follow me.”

  “This way,” shouted the youngling to the assembling crowd.

  The durandal horde followed Aeon like a stampede of buffalo, decimating everything between them and their leader until he finally stopped at the pen’s easternmost reinforced steel wall.  Before anyone could make any kind of inquiry as to the reason, Aeon released a thunderous blow against the wall.  The steel screeched and the shock aggravated the laboratory’s decline into ruin, a few durandal were forced to dodge massive boulders that were shook loose in the attack.

  “Oh dear,” said Aeon as he stared at the dent in the wall.

  “What?” asked the eager youngster.

  “That blow had sufficient strength, they must have collapsed the tunnel as well,” said Aeon seemingly to himself.

  “What?”

  “Quiet, I need to concentrate,” said Aeon as he retrieved the sanguine crystal from his back and reached out with his mind, “Zendrius, can you hear me?”

He could feel a consciousness but it seemed far removed.  “Zendrius, you need to wake.”

  There was a loud screech of metal, continuous snaps followed by deafening groan and Aeon knew that the laboratory was on the verge of collapse.  “Wake or we are all going to die!”

  The crystal returned to flame so abruptly that Aeon nearly dropped the disoriented Dannar.

  “Ow, migraine, what’s going on?”

  “They were thorough, they collapsed the tunnel in addition to sealing it off.  You need to burn us a way out,” shouted Aeon over noise.

  “The heat won’t hurt me but I can’t say the same for all of you.”

  “We’ll regenerate.”

  “Which way?”

  Aeon pointed to the reinforced steel wall and without delay intense heat emanated from the sanguine flames, singeing most of the nearby durandals before they had the chance to retreat.

  The flames bore hungry through the six foot thick steel wall and into the rock behind it in a matter of seconds.  The temperature rolling off Zendrius was so immense that the collection of durandals, Aeon included, continuously backed away from it despite the looming danger of the collapsing laboratory.

  There was a sudden ear-splitting crack and Aeon shouted, “Forward!”

  The horde rushed forward into the magma-laced tunnel, ignoring any and all injuries they sustained.

  “Forward!” repeated Aeon as the entire roof gave away.

  Despite the impressive size of the tunnel, a few of the escapees at the rear were crushed while the horde funnelled into it.  Every durandal felt the loss, but they all knew they had to press on.

  Aeon found himself slightly in awe of the speed by which Zendrius was carving the spiralling escape tunnel, but what really astonished him was that he knew the flames only hinted at the power the boy truly possessed.

  The smell of burned flesh hung heavily in the air as he forced himself closer to Zendrius.  “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m fine,” said the young Dannar before looking up.  “I’d say we are just about there.”

  “You know the way?”

  “Of course, up right?” said Zendrius with a smirk.  “Don’t worry, I know where we are going, it’s a Dannar eye thing.”

  “Very well then, I’ll leave it to you,” said Aeon as he turned back to the group, allowing the flesh that had been seared from his face to regenerate.

  The durandal horde timidly followed Zendrius for hours when he suddenly stopped.  “We’re about to break through to the surface, get ready to exact your revenge.”

  Some in the horde voiced their enthusiasm while others silently nodded, but they all lusted to tear into the SAINTs waiting above.

  Zendrius punched through to the surface and rays of artificial light stung his eyes.  “Go!  Have your revenge!”

  Aeon was one of the first to rush through the portal to vengeance when he stopped in his tracks.  He wasn’t outside the structure, but inside of it.  Strange flora was all around him and at the rims of the vast circle of plants were human structures, their occupants staring at him in mute astonishment.  “What – what is this?”

  “Retribution,” said Zendrius as the durandal horde tore into their ripe and vulnerable prey.