Embers of Magic

A Bit Of A Panic At the Disco

Faint whispers of fire trailed behind my fingers as I swept them through the damp air of the labyrinth while I ran. It seemed easy enough at first. Follow the river and we'd end up in Harerae. Of course, it wasn't. A few hours in and we were attacked by an all new group of creepy zombies that honestly still chilled me to the bone.

I continued running as my heart rose into my throat, suffocating me like a heavy cloud would the sun on a winters day – slowly then eventually, nothing left. Zarah and Rain was nowhere to be seen, which chilled me even further. All of our efforts inside this maze could have been for nothing if we got lost now – and we were alone.

“This was it,” I told myself as my heart rate slowed down just enough that I could plan my funeral between each beat. The dead legionairs gained quickly as their bones crackled and snapped in a painful Orchestra of sounds that sent shivers through me. Like hell, I couldn't even crack a finger without squirming.

I ran towards a fork in the path as fast as I could then SPLAT! I hit the ground as I felt something slam into me like a sledge hammer. “Ember!” Rain's voice echoed through the narrow walls of the corridor. I peeled my eyes open as Zarah tried shaking herself off after running directly at me. The legionairs still quickly gaining on us. I reached for my Gladius and swung it over her head as the first lunged at her. My blade slipped through its torso as it turned to dust.

I felt like like a deer stuck in the headlights of an oncoming bus as the others ran forward – my blade still extended forward, wavering. Josh shoved Rain out of the way as he moved between us and my “headlights.”

He extended his hand as the water pipes lining the walls of the labyrinth rattled and wailed as if they were crying out to him. What happened next, I couldn't prepare myself for. Every pipe blew at the same time with a deafening blast that I could only compare to a gunshot or explosion in a confined space as gallons of water flooded into the corridor, washing away any trace of danger in front of us.

“Demi-god.” I whispered meekly as I struggled to my feet. “Makes sense...”

“We can talk about it later.” Rain commanded as she helped me to my feet. I nodded as we moved further down the corridor as a primordial yell of the legionairs echoed from behind us. “Let's hurry!” I yelled as I began running to a light I saw piercing through the roof at the end of the corridor.

I slammed my hands into the wall in front of me to break my momentum going forward as I looked up at the grate above my head. A faint pounding echo snuck in from above accompanied by the tiniest whiff of cigarette smoke. “Guys! Up!” I yelled as Josh quickly moved into position and pushed the grate upwards and sideways before picking rain up and shoving her through. Zarah quickly followed and myself and Josh after her.

“Shut the grate?" Zarah asked as we sat, catching our breath. Rain nodded as she pushed the grate back into place as Josh and I pushed a cupboard over it, temporarily jamming the entrance.

“What happens if someone else finds the entrance?” Josh asked as Zarah shook her head. “Not everyone can see it as easily as we do. In their minds, it's just fuzzy. Especially if you don't know what you're looking for.” She explained as she tapped onto her Gladius.

THUMP, THUMP.

The cupboard shook as they slammed on it from the other end. “It won't hold for long. We need to get out of here.” I said as the other jumped up, moving towards the double door that lead out of the storeroom. A wall of smoke and the stench of sweat hit us like a train as we pushed it open.

The room was filled with teens jumping up and down, flailing there arms about as the DJ up on the balcony raised the music – a thundering repetitive baseline. Or at least, I thought it was music. And, I supposed that must have passed for dancing in a place like this. A taller guy bounced through the center of the crowd with a plastic mask covering his face and a ben10 backpack on his back as he pushed around small bags of blue pills to whoever he bumped into. Acid.

“We should get out of here.” Josh spoke as we tried to move through the endless crowd with no avail. Rain yelled to me but her voice was carried away by the booming music. I knew what they meant, though. Those things were after us and we couldn't allow anyone else to get hurt in the cross fire.

“Zarah!” I yelled as she turned to me, disoriented by loud music and constant pushing of the crowd. “Is it possible to get them out of here instead?” She paused for a second before looking around, considering my idea.

“How?" She screamed back at me. “They're too immersed into the music to care about anything we could possibly do. Unless, you have some crazy idea up your sleeves!”

“Up my sleeves? No. Crazy? Probably!” I responded as I wrapped my hands around the talisman on my neck as it buzzed, her voice echoing through my head. “Are you sure you want to do this, Ember?”

“We don't have a choice! Besides, no one would believe them!”

“What was that?” Zarah yelled back at me. “Nothing!” I responded as I saw the cupboard covering the grate topple over.

“Hecuba!” I yelled as the crowd quickly scattered in the face of a sudden burst of swirling flame. The DJ was the first to spot her, snarling in the center of the room and then everyone else, screaming and heading for the exist.

Josh stumbled over and Zarah’s eyes widened as Hecuba sprang over Rain, heading directly into the room the legionairs were in. I dropped down onto my knees in exhaustion.

“Who in Hades has ruined my party?”  a voice boomed from the balcony.