Escape from Whitestone Hold

Sunrise- Chapter 15

Rather than continuing to run all the way around each successive loop of the spire in order to travel up subsequent floors, Sapphira decided that it was more prudent to use the openness of this area to her advantage, leaping up to grab the edge of each platform above her, and clambering up the stone. It was risky, and it was a long way down... But Sapphira was dexterous, and desperate to catch up to Drogoz as quickly as possible. After a few minutes of this, the end was in sight, and the gigantic stone roof that had magically appeared was almost close enough to touch. It sounded like Drogoz was close, judging by the screams of pain echoing across the chasm from nearby. Sapphira was winded from the effort of ascending so many layers by hoisting herself up, but she adopted a battle stance once again, looking around to get a lay of the land.

This was the last floor before the corkscrew path went behind the giant stone barrier, and presumably wrapped around to ground level. It seemed that the barrier did not extend into the hallway after all, but rather the giant stone plug was merely a way to seal off the pit, for some reason... Upon closer investigation, there was eerie silence in almost every direction, except farther behind her, where the dying echoes of one of Drogoz's victims was fading out. Drogoz seemed to be coming from that direction too, as though Sapphira had passed him up during the course of his merciless rampage. Sapphira looked down, suddenly hyper-aware of her Magistrate armor. Drogoz had seen her with Maltheus, sure... But would he recognize her from a distance before with all the dense smoke pooling around the ceiling, here? Or would he try to kill her accidentally because he didn't expect her to ascend in front of his path? Sapphira decided to melt into the shadows, keeping her senses sharp as she crept along the hallway towards the surface. Only tense silence and distant flames could be heard as the thick smoke stung her nostrils and clouded her vision, making her eyes water. Then, she encountered a strong set of metal doors, just like the ones she and Maltheus had encountered upon their first splitting up. This had been a bad idea.

"Drogoz?" She called quietly back down the hall as her throat choked up. She waited for a moment, beginning to hear the sharp scraping of his claws upon the stone floor behind her. "Drogoz, it's me..." She tried to remain somewhat clandestine, despite her pleas. The approaching clatter made no indication it had heard her. "Drogoz, I'm your son's friend. Don't get surprised when you get to me." She tried once more, a bit louder. This time, the clattering stopped short, and a low growl emanated from nearby, obscured in the fog. "It's me, for goodness' sake..." Sapphira sighed. "I'm trying to help you with whatever they might have waiting for you once we get to the surface."

"I don't need your help." Drogoz grumbled threateningly as he began moving again, his large form emerging from the smoke behind her and slipping past.

"Hmm... Yeah, I know that feeling." Sapphira nodded. "But I'm here anyway. Just figured I should warn you so you didn't pulverize me."

"Then don't get too close." Drogoz snorted, shooting one lazy bullet at the metal obstacle in front of them, turning the doors into two mangled heaps on either side of the hallway. He continued onward, but his pace had slowed from earlier, as though he was growing tired.

"Sounds good." Sapphira coughed, still suffering in the billowing smoke and blast of heat. She followed behind Drogoz as they rounded the spiral once more, and then began to see light at the end of the hallway. "Thank goodness..." She groaned, adjusting her grip on her sword. Drogoz rolled his shoulders, preparing for another skirmish. Sapphira decided to hang back a little, just in case Drogoz got a little too excited with whatever he found on the outside of the tunnel. Drogoz, meanwhile, tucked his head and began to sprint forward like a charging quarterback, sacrificing all sense of stealth in favor of an intimidating roar.

The next moment was a flurry of chaos in a very short amount of time. Drogoz activated his jetpack, which belched a small wave of fire behind him as he flew out of the end of the hallway and up into the air in the main hangar. Meanwhile, a bright blue beam of energy formed in a line between the outside, and the ceiling of the underground hallway. The laser of light narrowly missed Drogoz as he rose, but the blast still had an earth-shattering effect. The smoke and air swirled violently around the impact point as the ceiling and stone wall were ripped away, collapsing inward towards the ray of light as though it were a powerful singularity. A flash of heat and blinding light followed, leaving a 15-foot crater in the cobblestone ceiling, which quickly cascaded down into a pile of loose bricks as the beam disappeared with a sharp zapping sound.