A Will to Leave

CHAPTER SIX

I grabbed everything I could before climbing to the next storey. I had the whole aid, the long-range arm, a respirator that fell from the box and the box itself.

I was astonished by the similarity the storey shared with the inventory, expanded just like it, and had open tunnel bridges supporting tracks, passing above and above. Trams that looked like squeezed crates were attached to the tracks, some knights walked along, and the others kept an eye on them.

"What are those trams?"

"As the production kept going, we were compelled to find a compact way to store arms," he said. "They can be directly attached to the truck, and highly durable in knight chases."

"So it's another inventory."

"Too late, but yes, for arms."

"There are guards everywhere."

"You cannot pass them without using arms."

I took a deep breath, "ok, how to use it?"

"There, now open the Eagle," he continued. "Unload and change the cylinder."

"With what?"

"Didn't you take the elements from the ground?" He said and waited, then continued when he didn't receive an answer. "Did you at least bring the blue box?"

"Yes," I put the blue box in front. It was like the same aid box in shape, with the same lock; it didn't need a key so I inserted my thumb into the locks on both ends and pushed. The top popped out. "What are these?"

"It's called smokers, blows toxic clouds," it was like a handy cylinder with slits, and a lid on the top. Yellow elements glowed through the slits. "But you must be careful, you may end up dead if you rush."

"I got a mask." It felt like liquor inside the glass. I stuffed all six smokers into my pockets. "Will six be enough?"

"More than enough."

I put on the respirator and strapped the taps around my head. I started to move through one of the bridges. There was nothing to fear other than the knights, just another bridge below and another above. I pulled one of the smokers and leapt to the bridge below me, triggered its ring and dropped it into the dark. The slits lightened the bridges as they went down. Immediately after the crashing noise, a big yellow cloud emerged below. I triggered another smoker and tossed it as far as possible to the track below me. Coughs started to echo everywhere, I raced towards the expanding cloud. A knight rubbed the floor coughing under his helmet. Another knight had already fallen asleep. I tried to avoid them and kept moving forward. I climbed above one of the trams on the track and jumped to the bridge above me. Then jumped to the bridge above it, then to another. I kept climbing until I reached the highest track. Pulled two more smokers and tossed them below. The cloud started to spread.

The top bridge was occupied by more trams than the ones below. I had to shift tracks, squeeze through, and occasionally climb and jump from one tram to another. I was between two trams when a giant metal hand grabbed me by the neck and slammed me against the tram.

I pressed my thumbs through the knight's eye slits. He smashed me again, and the tram got off track and fell from the bridge. He ranged towards me coughing, and before I could turn back and run he pushed me off the bridge. We fell together on the track beneath us, shattering it as we crashed onto the next bridge. I thought he was dead but I was too occupied for leisure, before I could regain my footing, another knight pulled me up and strangled my neck with both of his metal hands. I caught a smoker and pushed it against his face. It took a moment but he threw me before collapsing. I was engulfed by a thick yellow cloud of gas. I attempted to wave it away and climb up but a knight emerged and knocked my face off with his helmet. He launched his hand, it landed on a tram as I dodged. I realised what he aimed for when I scented toxic through a thick crack on the mask. I put one hand on the mask and threw a smoker with another as I ran through the bridge.

Knights jumped from above bridges, so I threw a smoker above and started to climb to it. There was only one smoker left with me when I climbed the bridges. I spotted a knight on the bridge running towards me coughing. I waited behind one of the trams to put my hands around his neck and tighten until he goes to sleep.

I came out of the cloud and reached the top tunnel again. There was a bright way out through the opening behind the trams before a knight walked through them. He was holding a long arm in his hand and was wearing a massive bag on his back. He removed his helmet and tossed it below as he marched towards me. Before he could reach me I jumped to him and pushed the arm off his hands. His red eyes were staring at me and his hand crushed mine with the smoker when he landed his heavy leg on my face. The mask immediately crushed under his knee. He retreated his leg before he landed again, I dodged it and crashed on the arm. There was pride in his eyes, a cursing smile, his fingers triggering the smoker when his head burst into pieces.

The smoker rolled to my feet, I finally took off the respirator and inhaled slow breaths. All the clouds had vanished, and knights lay around on every bridge. Blood flowed to my feet wetting the smoker, I whipped it on my thigh and put it into the pocket. I walked forward and unzipped the bag he wore.

"Why didn't some pass immediately," I switched on the communicator and spoke.

"Some are stronger, It would take time."

"Why didn't you tell me it kills?"

"I thought you would hesitate to use them."

"I got the elements," I opened the bag, and counted six cylinders of bright green elements stacked together. "I got another Eagle."