Drakeness from small Beginnings

Chapter 28: The Bombs

We went on until we had to climb a pillar.

"That looks promising. Boost you up?", Nathan asked.

"Age before beauty.", I said jokingly and let Elena go first.

"Ha Ha Ha.", she replied sarcastically, but went over to Nathan to climb. "I'm not much older than you.", she muttered.

Nathan looked a little confused, but nevertheless helped her up. After she reached the next floor, Nate turned to me to help me up. I got on his shoulders and jumped.

"Okay, now it's your turn, Cowboy.", I shouted down to Nathan.

He handed Elena the torch and I pulled him up.

"Thanks."

"Okay, let's go."

I took the torch and went first. Nathan and Elena followed behind me. I entered a tunnel, when I suddenly saw something.

"Is that a mummy? Oh shit!"

I noticed sparks on the chest of the mummies and figured, that they would explode. I turned around and pushed Nathan away from the explosion. The shock wave made both of us fall to the ground. Elena was too far behind to be affected by it.

"What was that?" I heard her voice, still a little dull due to the loud noise. "Oh my god, are you okay?"

I groaned. "I think so. Nathan?"

He coughed. "I'm okay."

Nate got up and offered me his hand. I accepted and he pulled me up.

"A trap. I should have expected something like that."

"Avery really didn't want any trespassers down here."

We went on carefully and ran into some mummies again. Luckily this time we were prepared and didn't land on the floor again.

"Hey, guys. I found a shortcut.", I yelled and pointed to a steep tunnel to my left.

"How do you know it's a shortcut?", Nathan asked.

"I'm just trying to be optimistic."

We slipped down the tunnel and I desperately tried not to set anyone on fire with the torch in my hand. We ended up in another tunnel with more mummies and -of course- they had to explode as well.

Nathan coughed. "This can't be healthy to breath. Am I yelling?"

"What?", I yelled back.

He laughed. "I wish I'd brought ear-plugs."

"We're back on the trail!", Elena shouted. "I found some footprints."

We followed them and after a few minutes we ran into some Shoreliners. A grenade was thrown towards us, but I caught it and threw it back. It exploded and killed two of the mercenaries.

"They're trying to destroy the whole place!", Nathan yelled, while taking cover.

After we shot all of them, we went on into another tunnel. We found more skeletons and figured, that there was most likely a fight between Avery's and Tew's men.

"Hey, look." Nathan knelt down to one of the bodies. "Some kind of key."

"Yeah, but for what?", I asked.

"We'll see.", he said and put it into his pocket.

There was a letter as well and Nathan noticed some symbols on the back.

"I have the feeling, that we will need this later.", Elena stated and Nathan put it into his journal.

Elena was right. After passing some more exploding mummies, we had to use the symbols to walk across a wooden platform. We had to step on the right boards, the ones, that wouldn't break.

"Okay, follow my lead. I think I know where to go.", Nathan said after a few minutes of thinking.

"All right. Just be careful.", I said.

"I'm always careful."

"Says the guy, who made every mummy in these tunnels explode.", I teased him.

"Well, in self-defence, I have to say, that I actually don't have much experience with mummy bombs."

I chuckled and stepped on the other side. "Hey, we made it."

"Yeah, in you face, Avery!", Nathan said.

The way eventually became brighter and after a few minutes we were on the outside again. There were many skeletons hanging from above.

"Uh, I bet, that's the rest of Tew's men.", I shuddered.

"Yeah, Avery likes to make an example of his enemies.", Nathan replied.

"I'm glad I didn't inherit that kind of cruelty from him."

We went on and ended up at a metal door.

"Glad I brought a key.", Nathan said and was about to open the door.

"Wait, it could be a trap.", I held back his hand.

"But we really don't have much of a choice.", he answered.

"Oh boy."

"I have a good feeling about this one." he looked at me with a questioning expression and I nodded.

"Do it. Wait! Where's Elena?"

We looked around. "Elena?"

"I'm over here. I thought, I found something, but it's nothing." She appeared from behind one of the bodies and began walking towards us. Nathan turned around again and put the key in the keyhole. He turned it around and luckily just the door opened.

Nathan laughed. "See?"

I was about to answer, but before I could open my mouth, a net pulled both of us up. It appeared beneath us and now we were hanging about two metres above the ground, pressed against each other and unable to move. I felt Nathan's hand on my back and blushed.

"At least we didn't explode.", I said, with my head pressed against his shoulder.

Just as I said that, there was a huge explosion behind us.

I sighed. "Seriously?"

"This guy has a sword. Try to swing towards him and grab it to cut the net.", Elena screamed and pointed to one of the skeletons hanging next to us.

"No, wait. I brought a knife.", I said. "It's in a knife sheath on my back. Can you reach it, Nathan?"

I noticed his hand feeling for the knife along my back and although we could explode in any second, I had to admit I enjoyed his touch.

"Got it." He cut the net and both of us fell on the ground. I immediately pulled him up and towards the metal door, he opened before. Elena ran in front of me and just as the last mummy exploded we made it through. Unfortunately there were more of them.

"Keep running! Don't stop!", Nathan yelled.