True Forms

Chapter 17: The Way Home

I scrambled to my feet as a roar erupted in the distance. A dull red and orange glow could be seen over the crest of the hill we'd come from. It grew brighter and brighter as the ground shook and quaked. I nearly lost my balance as I swallowed my fear and for a moment gaped at the scene before us. The sky was a molten red orange and yellow, as if it were on fire and the trees around us creaked and cracked in the heat. Their bare branches smoldering and catching fire. The grass shriveled and the dirt grew dry, fractured and hot, like a desert.

"Uh guys?" My eyes widened. "We should get out of here!"

But it was too late. I watched as a bolt of white hot lightning struck the ground on the crest of the hill. The dry grass on the hill caught fire and it spread towards us as an earthquake erupted; cracking and splitting the ground. I jumped to the left as the ground below me shattered and created a pit, molten lava at the bottom far, far below. I looked at Sean and Alex. They'd collapsed onto the ground across the pit and lie unmoving.

My eyes widen as I realize what was happening. I was seeing exactly what the creator had shown me. I knew what I had to do so I stood and ran for the pit. Just as I reached the edge, I pushed off and went flying through the air and over the pit. As I began to fall I realized that I would not make it. I reached for the edge and barely caught it, my fingernails digging into the earth. I scarcely had a hold on the dry dirt and slid a little. I couldn't hold for much longer.

I screamed for Calen as I started to slip. My fingers let go and I began to fall towards the molten glowing magma. It looked so deep that I could've fallen for a good half hour and still not reach the bottom. Then, Calen was there and he grabbed my arm. I stopped falling, wincing at the bit of pain in my shoulder from the sudden stop, and he smiled at me. "You're not leaving me that easily!" he shouted. Then he pulled me up and set me on my feet. I crawled to my feet and raced to the others. James luckily had gotten there as well.

I ran to the others and stuck my sword in the ground. "Get everyone to grab hold!" I shouted to Calen and James. They nodded and ran to get Sean and Alex. Finally they were able to drag them over and lock their fingers around my ankles. James grabbed my wrist and Calen wrapped his arm around my waist. I raised my free hand high above my head and took one last look at Calen.

"Whatever happens, just remember that I love you," he shouted as another bolt of lightning struck the ground. I kissed him on the lips and then turned to the wasteland in front of me. Suddenly the sky erupted and meteors fell flaming to the ground. A large one landed so close to us it knocked us into the air and back down hard to the sun baked desert earth. I'd hit my head on a rock and my vision was blurry and disconnected. I furiously tried to blink the pain away as I stumbled over to Calen. His blood trickled out of deep gashes in his arms and he wasn't moving.

"Calen! Calen! Wake up! Don't you dare leave me! Survive!" I screamed as more meteors bombarded the ground and knocked me to my side many times. Bruising started to emerge wherever I hit the ground and cuts bled heavily. I shook Calen and continued to scream at him. Holding his cheeks I kissed him and pleaded for him to listen to me. I looked up and my eyes widened to the size of saucers. A huge meteor emerged from the sky and the world slowed as I realized that it was coming straight for us.

I grabbed his sleeves and attempted to drag him out of the way, but I was too weak to move him very far. If he didn't wake up soon, we would turn into human splatter and we'd never see the light of the real world anymore. I broke down against Calen's chest because there was no way I was going leave him. If he were going to die, I would face it with him. Just then, his eyes shot open and he attempted to sit up.

"Eva! What's going on?! Why aren't we home?! Where's your sword?!" he shouted at me.

"Calen we have to move! Now!" I shrieked as I pointed to the meteor, now nearly on top of us. He grabbed my arm and together we scrambled out of the way, nearly catching our feet under the heavy rock. Luckily the sword hadn't been damaged, but was lying on a thin column of rock. I knew I had to get it, but how would Calen let me try to make the jump? It was too far for me to safety get there on my feet.

"Throw me!" I insisted, "Calen, throw me!"

He sighed, knowing it was the only way out of here and picked me up. His strong arms launched me into the air and I knew I was going to make it. I crouched next to the sword and picked up the strangely cool metal. Then, there was a horrible cracking sound and the column of rock swayed. My weight was too much for it to stay up. Calen screamed with a terror I'd never heard him have before. I took a shaky step towards him as the rock began to fall, taking me with it, but I wouldn't let myself die this way. Not when I had to get everyone else out of this hell hole.

I pushed off the falling rock and jumped towards the wall of earth in front of me knowing that with the sword I could get there. I stabbed the blade deep into the wall as I smacked into it. I groaned in pain but ignored it because I had to get up to the surface. My chains scorched my skin and added to the difficulty before me. I lifted up my foot and pulled out a large knife that I could use to help me scale the rock. Then tapped my boots against the wall, to produce two ice pick knives. Right now I was loving that I was in my true form because otherwise I'd be dead a hundred times over by now.

Slowly and painfully, I scaled the dry wall, rocks falling into the abyss along the way. I stabbed at the surface finally and dragged myself across the ground, but my work was not over yet. Calen and James held onto an unconscious Alex and Sean, and I could see the absolute relief etched into their faces. I stood shakily and stumbled over to them. Calen, who had more strength than me, took my sword gently from me and stabbed it into the ground. Then once more he secured his arm to my waist and I rose my hand.

"Take us home!!" I screamed and slammed my hand down hard onto the jewel. There was a click and then light erupted from the hilt of my sword. It traveled down the sword and into the ground. It circled around us and from it came a wall of energy. The wind from it whipped my hair wildly and Calen held me tighter. The wall rounded above us and created a dome of pure energy.

Then we were engulfed by a white light that spread from the sword. And then it was black. The world around us seemed to shatter like glass and we fell.