"Now, I know that that may excite you," the king continued, "perhaps making your curiosity run wild. But instead you should be very concerned. Concerned that you took an unexpected trip to an unexpected and, might I add, fairly dangerous place. I set up this service so that when people like you get caught here they can get back to their normal everyday lives as quickly as possible. So if you please..."
Orion turned around and put the rectangular stone back inside the hole in the wall. As he did, a figure suddenly appeared in the peripheral of Julian's vision. It was only for a split second, but Julian recognized it as a man. He was looking straight at him and had his finger up to his lips in a gesture that clearly meant to keep quiet. Julian's eyebrows raised as this figure vanished as quickly as he had appeared.
Orion reached the heavy metal door and began dragging it open with a screeching noise. As Julian looked on at the king with his friend just ahead of him, he experienced a new sensation of the surreal. In a silent instant, he watched Cairo disappear from sight. Julian's eyes widened. He heard some kind of shuffling of feet and then felt a tap on his shoulder. Then the feeling of a hand over his mouth. He tried to scream but it was muffled by a palm pressed tightly against his lips. He was being pulled backwards! He felt the sensation of falling. He had a brief second to look down at himself as he lost his footing. Then he realized there was nothing for him to look at. His own body had disappeared! He was about to panic when he felt a sharp prick on his shoulder.
Orion finished opening the heavy scraping door and turned back around.
"Come righ-"
His head darted in all directions looking for the boys. Raina was still looking up at him. As she turned around to see what he was looking around for, she felt the kings hand grab her arm firmly.
"BREACH!!!"
Orion's voice boomed through the sanctuary. Raina cringed and tried to drop to her knees but Orion held her up. She shut her eyes tight. A powerful boom with a cracking of wood echoed in her ears. When she looked up, she saw the door on the other side of the room was shattered and smoldering with flames. Just beyond the opening she could see the outside and the outline of two men huddled on the other side of the wall.
"Get in here!" Orion yelled.
The men fumbled in with their spears as they stepped carefully over the flaming left over pieces of the door. They looked at him bewildered and then looked around the room.
"No! Block the door! Block it!" he said, his hand still firmly around Raina's bicep.
The men crossed their spears and backed up to cover the entrance as instructed. They stood there for a moment, looking at their king for further instruction. Orion shook his head.
"No. Get out! Go!"
Raina was breathing quickly and trembling.
"Cai!" she called out.
YOU ARE READING
The Cinders of Dezu
AdventureDezu is a world where average people become legends. But it is haunted by a story that turns legends into ashes. Cairo and Julian just graduated and they've got their whole life ahead of them. But before college and all that adulting they have to do...
