The Sky Demons Part Two: Quest

Chapter Fifteen- Chains of different kinds

Kayira- Chains of different kinds

Ketsuo and I raced back up the stairs first, checking over every inch of Grey's room to make sure it was safe before Brutus completed his slow trek up with Tenmar draped over his back. I ripped open the metal grate, revealing the box already inside the shaft; the team that Grey had ordered to help him in the iron room must have already been and left then.

"Get in, hurry," I hissed to Brutus and he stepped evenly inside, followed by Ketsuo.

"So what did they do to make it go up?" I asked as I joined them.

Ketsuo grabbed hold of a length of rope dangling in from the ceiling and tugged on it repeatedly, "I think this must be attached to a bell or something."

Everyone stood awkwardly inside the elevator for a few long seconds, listening to Tenmar's ragged breathing.

"Are you sure the bell doesn't have to be rung in a certain pattern?"

"Hmmm," said Ketsuo, and tugged on the rope a few more times in a slightly more erratic pattern.

"I wasn't suggesting that you attempt to guess the pattern."

"Well, I wasn't assuming that you didn't think to memorize the pattern used by the sentry that took the elevator earlier."

"Oh, you- good job, Ketsuo that was really good foresight," I replied.

"And you were?"

"Busy trying to work out where Tenmar might be?"

"I was looking for the word 'wrong' right about there."

"Really? Well, you'll have to go look somewhere else then; preferably in an upwards direction."

"Has it possibly occurred to the pair of you also that there is no longer anyone present to man the elevator upstairs due to the current commotion being created by Silvanus?" Brutus asked.

"Yes," replied Ketsuo, "of course it did."

Tenmar groaned loudly and huffed, screwing his hand into a fist. The scrap of cloak that I had torn off my stolen uniform to bind around his shoulder was already deeply stained. I handed my flask to Brutus to give him another drink and turned my attention to the ceiling of the metal box.

"Reesha ahtock, sal cratak al ji mida y opatak tan altagaes toh ji mida."

The ceiling cracked slightly open and, with a creaking of metal, the edges of the gap pulled upwards and peeled to the sides, leaving a neat hole in the ceiling.

"Ketsuo, fly up there and see if you can get us up."

"Right."

Ketsuo clambered out of the box and walked about on top of it, his feet banging loudly. "There's not a lot of space to stretch my wings out here, I'll try using my claws to scale the side instead."

There were further rumblings and bangs as the young hybrid lodged his metal claws into the stone walls of the shaft and began to heave himself upwards, sending loose rock and dirt crumbling down.

After what seemed an age the elevator gave a lurch and began to joltily move upwards. The moment it moved past Grey's room all light was completely lost and we found ourselves in complete darkness. I feel that we would have remained unnerved by this had not every so often the elevator took a tumble back down for a moment or two, before whoever was pulling it regained their grip on the pulley rope. Finally a sliver of light made its way in, growing slowly taller until we found ourselves peering through another metal grate in the higher levels of the building.