The Lands of Ralosia & Ranuulo (Books 1-3)

Khalm Chapter 2- Hatches

~Chapter 2- Hatches~

A dark red and purple sky was cast over the Lands of Ranuulo. After the terrible attack by King Zantii on the woods, Jirro, Valr, and Iggy fled through the desolate terrain. The King's army disappeared into the Link Temple, while General Edi manned a small force around it.

It would've been tempting to go after the King in search of vengeance, but during the attack, they had lost track of Aero and Gweneva.

They found a convoy of the King's soldiers that was carrying them to a massive metal structure known as the Khalm. Jirro's heart sank as he saw his cousin drop through a hatch at the top.

The three headed to a rocky hill nearby, high enough that they wouldn't have to worry about the creatures or soldiers wandering the area.

"Okay... so that place is some sort of prison city?" The blonde-haired Jirro clarified.

"Yes. The Khalm," The Regenek Iggy said as he rapped his tail against the ground, "The whole place is made of this extremely durable metal- they won't be able to break out of that."

"It's similar to the material they use in prisons back in the Lands of Ralosia," The brown-haired Valr added as he levitated in the air beside Jirro.

Jirro rubbed his temples and ran his hands through his blonde hair, "We can't leave Aero in there."

"I'm not leaving Gweneva in there either," Valr stated.

Iggy nodded, "I'm with you. After we get them out, we can go after King Zantii and help those who escaped."

Jirro knelt and looked upon the Khalm. Guards, soldiers of King Zantii, were stationed all around it. There were several access hatches along the roof of the facility with panels around them. Maybe they were controls?

With the number of guards they had manning the place, even the three of them might have trouble. If they attacked, they'd have to get in and out as quickly as possible.

"Do you think there's any way we could break through the walls somewhere?" Jirro asked.

"I doubt it. Some of the King's Generals were held in there for years. The only reason they got out was because the King released them," Iggy explained.

Valr's eyes widened, and he began to trifle through his bag of belongings. He pulled out a luminescent white orb. "I have this."

Jirro looked at the orb, "Didn't Aero sell that to you at the tournament?"

"It's called a power orb. If someone crushes it in their hands, it'll increase their strength. I've felt it. But it doesn't last long, and I'm not sure if it'll be enough to break through.

"Better to save it for the King then... we'll need some sort of advantage against him," Jirro remarked.

"The King?"

"There's no way he's going to get away with all the people he's killed!" Jirro said sternly, "After we save Aero, I'm going after Zantii."

Iggy's mouth curled up into a smirk, "Have I ever said I'm glad I met you, Jirro?"

Jirro smiled, "The feeling's mutual."

Jirro looked upon the Khalm once more, "It looks like the only way in or out is those access hatches... We should wait and see how they work. We might only get one shot at this."

A worried expression crossed Valr's face, "True, but we can't wait too long. The Khalm is a harsh place. Aero and Gweneva are strong, but we can't expect them to last forever in there."