Leena
Agnidaanav let out a roar with smoldering ferocity. The very air shook at the destruction wrought forth.
Leena tied the mass of thick curls into a bun with a black scrunchie. She pulled the sleeves of her jacket up and took a deep breath of early morning air. It was like taking a drag of a cigarette with fireballs and clouds bellowing smoke-filled humidity. Then she regarded Hayden with a look rife with preparedness.
"Ready?" he asked, taking a step forward and staring intently at the damaged parts of the cave, eyes narrowed as though in suspicion.
"You bet," she replied. "Do you still...sense them?"
He nodded, muscles in his jaw working furiously which meant some profound thinking was going on. "They all have not been destroyed yet," he said and lifted his hand, palms outward. A blast of fire swept out enlightening the depths of the caves, followed by an appearance of underdeveloping creatures and a loud vociferous screech.
Leena nearly winced colliding hands against her ears blocking them from the impact.
"Hmm, it's not enough that Agnidaanav dies, all these caves need extra cleansing," he added before stepping inside, and then his eyes bulged out. "Watch out!"
The hill rocked for a moment and Leena couldn't figure out why at first. A gasp escaped her throat when Hayden pushed her out of the way to safety and he shoved himself to the opposite side against the rocks. An angry avalanche-like fire exploded from inside in retaliation, and another screech broke soon afterward.
Leena, having landed completely on the ground, closed her ears once again, teeth gritted to bear the sudden heat, and eyes closed. The fire and heat then dissipated. Slowly silence began to descend except for the creature flying above the hill making noises like eagles in rising currents. Leena specifically heard the swift whoosh that was now getting lost in the silence. Agnidaanav had flown back inside.
Hayden sprinted over and gave her a hand. The sleeves on his jacket were torn here and there like deep iron burnt. "You alright?" he asked, helping her up.
She scoffed, recovering her balance. "I was specifically mentioned that going on a job with you meant discovering some nasty surprises along the way. Guess this is only a start, Mackay."
He gaped. "Which genius told you that?"
"You don't want to know."
Together, keeping a watchful eye out, they struggled through the hellish cave clearly on the verge of being destroyed by Agnidaanav's rampant fury. The destruction was unimaginable and even though only a couple of days had passed, Leena seemed to have forgotten the way leading to the creature. The rising sun cast ochre rays through the horrid weather front. Their eyes didn't work any better, even though Hayden had his arms lit with fire throughout the journey.
Fumbling and crawling, never sure which next step might break their necks or worse, they navigated through an alien environment marked by tight confines, sudden drops, yawning pits, and sharp rocks. Walking faster-then-slower-then-faster-then-slower continued for most of their one-hour caving. As expected, Hayden did get mesmerized by the kaleidoscopic rooftops of the cave, but he did not make a comment, nor let it hinder his swift-slow walking. Eventually, they went deep into the cave, then painstakingly made their way to the huge tunnel leading to the chamber.
"Molten Vault is right up ahead," said Leena, jogging through the serpentine tunnel. "Are you sure you don't want to go in now?"
"I can't without Nazira's magic. Nobody can," he said. "I must go back and bring her here. Just need to figure out a better route the next time."
YOU ARE READING
(Book 6) Hayden Mackay and The Third-Eye of the Pancharatna
Fantasy"Mrs. Zutshi, how different was Zarina Khan from you? She was a clairvoyant, that makes her a witch too, right?" "Mages have their own history, Hayden. They have categories too. Since the time of Lady Chandrika's authority over the sections of the p...
