Chapter 2 - Zap

As I had suspected, Noctis did indeed have Nathairix stationed around the perimeter of the property, lying in wait assuming we managed to bolt. The minute his two primary warriors hit the ground, their comrades sprang from their hiding places in ambush. There were more than I had anticipated, as a seemingly never ending wave leapt from trees, behind boulders, and some even buries beneath the sand. They had us surrounded, and all was silent and still, until either party decided to make the first move. Gavin and I were forced, backs against each other, to avoid being caught by surprise from either side by the cunning reptiles.

“What do we do?” Gavin whispered to me, barely loud enough to become audible. I scanned the area for anything I might be able to use to our advantage. It was at that moment my gaze fell upon the Spiral Gate, only several feet away from my location. But between the Gate and I, lay dozens of Nathairix, waiting to hack away with their axes.

“we fight our way out, Brother,” I stated. He surely but reluctantly nodded in agreement, and we both unsheathed our swords. Noctis took this as a sign we were preparing an attack.

“CHARGE!” Noctis cried. The Nathairix began the onslaught the moment Noctis uttered the first ch-.

It was a peaceful day in Wizard City, for a certain Austin Swifthorn, aspiring Fire Wizard. School was out for the entire week, due to a certain infestation of Imps in all the classrooms. So he thought he might pay a visit to Grizzleheim. He had never been and his friend had told him it’s a wonderful, Nordic, and green place to visit. Austin had already trekked through the Commons from his home in Unicorn Way, and was now making the short walk from the entrance of the Ravenwood campus to the World Tree, Bartleby, who held the Spiral Gate at his heart. As he stepped casually along the marvelous marble pathway, he couldn’t help but admire the beauty of this place. He had never contemplated it before, in reality. He was born and raised in Wizard City, and Ravenwood had always been there. He never had time to notice its magnificent architecture and design. Austin was now standing before Bartleby, the World Tree. As the stories go, Bartleby is the link that connects all worlds to Wizard City, through a celestial body knows as the Spiral. He stepped inside, and there he beheld an extraordinary chamber.  One upper layer, where Austin was currently standing, that surrounded the whole inner area of the chamber. This layer dipped down into the middle-most layer, which then rose up to the central platform,  where a stone gazebo donning the Ravenwood banner encircled the Spiral Gate, a link to all known worlds. All of this had a lovely earthy feel, while encased inside of Bartleby. A truly wonderful sight. From the top platform, Austin saw the Spiral Gate fling its door wide open, and two boys, appearing to be twins, just varying eye and armor color, burst through the door and straight into Austin. The three collapsed in an ungraceful heap on the floor.

“Ugh…my head!” Austin moaned as he rubbed his bruised cranium. He sprang up from the floor.

“Watch where you’re going!” he commanded. The two scrambled upwards, and before abruptly bolting out the door, uttered both an ‘I’m sorry’ and a ‘You better run!’

“From what?” Austin called back to them. But the two were out of sight. It was at that moment a thunderous rumbling noise erupted from the Gate. Austin turned his attention towards it, and from it burst forth dozens upon hundreds of strange human-like snake creatures. His eyes grew wide as they charged towards him. He barely had time to react and jump out of the way before they tore through the door like a stampede. They appeared to be apprehending the boys from before.

That answers THAT question, Austin thought. But now another one arose:

Why are they being chased? It was then that his gaze fell on something shimmering in the falling light on the ground. As he approached it, it became clear the object was an amulet of some sort. He studied it for a few more moments before reaching down to retrieve it. Its pendant was a night-black crystal attached to a decently thick chain by a fastener on the top half of the crystal. It gleamed with an ominously dark and eerie glow, reflecting off the walls and floors of the Spiral Chamber in all sorts of shades of black and deep purple. Suddenly, however, Austin suddenly felt a quick tinge of pain shoot up his body. The moment arrived and left in an instant. That was odd… he thought. He then figured it must belong to one of the boys from earlier, so he stuffed it into his pocket, and proceeded to search for them.

It wasn’t long after our encounter with that Fire boy that the Nathairix were back on our tails. We ducked into an alleyway along the street, and the Nathairix could be heard slithering past, oblivious to our new location. After the last Nathairixian past us, Gavin and I exhaled breaths we didn’t even realize we were holding. In the back of my mind I found it curious as to why no one was present in the middle of the day in such a busy world.

“Gavin…” I began. But before I could continue, I heard footsteps. I peered around the corner, and saw it was the Fire boy from earlier. He appeared to be looking for something.

What is he doing here?! I thought in annoyance. I planned to find out. I sat in the shadows of the buildings in silence until the boy was within arms length, and as soon as he grew close enough to be, I quickly covered his mouth with my hand and pulled him into the alley, at which point I released my grip.

“What are you doing here, following us?!” I asked, barely above a whisper. He seems a little disoriented from his rough haul into our hiding place.

“I-I uh…I was…” he stuttered. I don’t have time for this nonsense.

“Out with it!” I ordered. This seemed to shock him back to reality.

“I was wondering why those snake creatures were chasing you…” he confessed.

“And why would we—“ I was cut off by Gavin.

“We need your help.” I mentally slapped him.

SO? DID YOU ALL ENJOY? Feel free to review this. Please. Review this...whatever it is...

Stay Swell

~Wolf Deathbringer