Meridian Chronicles: Keepers & The Soul Key (#4)

Chapter 4 pt. 6

As the heavy, creaky door opened, everyone remained skeptical. "I knew this would be a joke. They screwed us for sure." Relic said, staring off into the distance, looking for any demons to come after them, but a voice distracted him.

"Relic!? Is that you?"

Relic perked up. "Chance?!" He went running in. "I can't see anything. Where are you?"

"We are over here!" Chance shouted.

Everyone quickly moved to see, and there with just a small torch for light, tucked back into a lengthy cell, there stood Chance, Charity, and Brennan. "Oh finally, oh it is so good to see you! I never thought we would find you! Where are the others?" Ridge's voice was rushed and heavy.

Across the hall where they stood, Chance pointed to the opposite side. There were Arianna, Janus, and Cora. "Is everyone all right?" Karma asked.

Arianna began to cry, "Oh Relic I am so scared, Warrick sent us here. We don't have the slightest as to what has taken place. Where is Meridian?"

"Now is not the time to discuss all this. We have to get out of here. Lahash said it would be a fight to leave." Relic motioned for everyone to file out.

Cora and Janus were subdued, while Arianna took them by the hand and helped them walk out. Everyone tightened up to go, and they sauntered looking around for the demons that would be after them.

"I don't understand, how are we even going to get out of here? It wasn't that long of a walk, but we can't go past the demons working." Pramlee said, rushing back to Arianna the mother figure she had missed for so long.

Ridge looked flustered. "We do not have a choice. We have the protection of Karma, but once we reach the iron hall, I don't know how much energy she will have to share with us, while she protects the fairies from the iron."

Karma nodded as Ridge spoke, her eyes darting back and forth, looking out for everyone. Siren perked up, hey this is my specialty, remember? My scream will send the demons running away, and they can't stand it. That will knock the majority back, the others who surpass it will have to get past the rest of us. I don't know how long we can hold them back.

As they stood in the shadows and discussed the possibilities, a demon soldier took notice of them and the prisoners that Lahash let out. He hissed and shouted to the other demons, calling attention to the others. In seconds the demons swarmed the cave and pushed toward the group who plotted their exit.

Growls and hisses were audible, which alerted Siren, who took off full speed, she opened her mouth and let her siren out sending the demons the other way. Her scream drove them mad; they grabbed their heads and hunched over in pain and shook and growled in madness. Karma came in behind, shooting up into the air, raking her arm back and forth through the air creating an invisible wave of wind that cleared the path of incoming demons.

Karma shouted. "Now! Run!"

Orion and Talon flew up and took an aerial watch over the group as the sprinted through the work chambers of the demons. While they paired together fighting off the flying beasts, Karma continued her wave of destruction and Siren kept her high-pitched scream. With just a small path cleared to dash through, they made it to the door to the hall of iron.

Karma, like she did before, created her magical protection for the fairies, and without Siren and Karma offering the guides their assistance, it was up to Talon and Orion to take care of everyone. As they proceeded down the long hall, it seemed no demons were present.

Kieren ran with Cora. Ridge spotted him and shouted, "Kieren! No! Do not separate from the group!" Five black apparitions swooped in, diving from the small ceiling of the iron hall and brought their large claws out. One demon reached out, swatted at Cora and knocked her to the ground. Kieren stopped and turned around, and something threw him down on the ground.

Cora met her fate. She lay in the iron hall where she ceased to exist. Her blue blood flooded the area around her body, with her neck gashed wide open. Kieren injured from a large gash in his arm sat in shock of his injuries and watched Cora lay still.

"What is happening? How is she gone? How?" Talon picked Kieren up while the other demons continued their warfare. As everyone continued to run past Cora, her body began to disintegrate and disappear. As Orion and Talon ushered Kieren away, he could not turn his eyes away from the spirit guide who had a crush on him; Now he watched her disappear into the air as dust. Kieren broke down and cried out.

"Kieren, I know having only been a spirit guide for such a short time, this is a lot to take in for you," Orion said as he rushed alongside Talon who carried Kieren, "Kieren, this is the way of things. Guides are not immune from all demon powers here in their realm."

As his audible cries echoed through the hall as each one continued to sprint, he said, "Then why in the past have they not destroyed us when they had the chance? Why!" He shouted.

Slaten held Pramlee's hand, and on the other side, he held Janus as they moved quickly. Having heard the conversation, he said, "Kieren, we weren't breaking prisoners out, or stealing anything away. Remember, they too, as convoluted as demons are, have their unspoken laws and demands from the dark one. Remember what Lahash said, logic doesn't exist here."